The last post in this series took a look at some of the early jet engine designs that were underdevelopment or flown in the second world war. In this instalment lets take a look at some of the more unique designs used during the closing days of WW2 along with some iconic post war jet … Continue reading Aero Engines of History Part 6 – Rockets, Pulses and Post War
"A Machine of few vices and very capable is all aspects of flight” - Captain Crundall By 1917 Sopwith had laid some impressive foundations for fighting aircraft, providing many of the key aircraft of the war. Most of these types had all been based around the same basic design of the Tabloid from 1913. While … Continue reading Sopwith’s First World War – Part 7: The Dolphin
It is a shame to start February off on a note of regret, but I didn't feel I could let the passing of US Navy ace Alexander Vraciu on the 29th January go unnoticed on this page. Without the brave men who flew these aircraft we love so much into war, we may very well … Continue reading Warbird People: Lt. Alex Vraciu – Hellcat Legend
70 Years ago today, the unique Heinkel He162 jet fighter first flew in the hands of test pilot Gotthard Peter. The HE162 Salamander was a single seat, single engine jet fighter. It was designed to be quick and easy to produce as well as being more reliable and cost effective than the Me262. The aircraft … Continue reading HE162 Salamander First Flight
Historic aviation isn’t often the subject of prime time television shows, but every now and again a program comes along that makes you wonder why not. Guy Martins recent offering; “Guy Martin’s Spitfire”, tracing the construction of Spitfire MK1a N3200 was just that. The show struck the right balance from the off. There were excellent … Continue reading TV Review: Guy Martin’s Spitfire
The 14th October this year marked the 76h anniversary of the first flight of the Curtiss P-40, which took place in 1938 at Buffalo, New York. It was to become an important Second World War fighter, though often forgotten in favour of its more famous cousins. The P-40 was used in a number of theatres, most … Continue reading Curtiss Reunion – The UK’s Curtiss Hawks
This weeks Warbird Story takes a look at the Gloster Gladiator. Regarded by many as the aircraft that marks the end of the old biplanes and in many ways bridged the gap to the fighters of the late 30s: Britain’s aviation industry in 1934 still had the same core concepts as it did during the … Continue reading Gloster’s Go-Between: The Gladiator
Its an idea that has been thrown along for as long as I can remember, it seemed simple enough, there are two flying Lancasters in the world, why not get them together? While on paper it sounds easy, there is the small issue that a rather large ocean separates them. Unlike their smaller warbird cousins … Continue reading When Vera Came To Stay: The Lancaster Tour 2014
I have already told the story of my own experience with one de Havilland twin, the DH88 Comet, and I enjoyed sharing it. So I thought why not share another aircraft I ticked off the bucket list this year? The Mosquito. For those that don’t know the Mosquito was one of the most versatile and … Continue reading de Havilland Dreams Part 2: The Wooden Wonder
What better way to mark my first post on this blog than with my first warbird flight? The flight took place during a trip to the states this past summer, which I will be posting a number of stories from in the coming weeks. But first things first. It had already been the trip of … Continue reading My First Warbird Flight
Warbird Tails 