de Havilland Comet 1XB
The first flight of the Comet, the world’s first jet powered airliner, took place on 27 July 1949. With a cruising speed of 725kph (450mph) and a …
Collection: Aircraft
Airspeed Oxford 1
The Airspeed Oxford was a military development of the same company’s Envoy airliner. The prototype first flew on 19 June 1937 and when it entered service with …
Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina
The last version of the ‘Cat’ to be developed, the PBY 6A, amphibian, was the culmination of a design associated with some of the most notable maritime …
Fairchild F-24 Argus
The four-seat Fairchild F24, sporting and training aeroplane, made its first flight in 1932. The design attracted attention from the civilian American market and improved models soon …
Hawker Cygnet
The Cygnet was the first aircraft to be designed by Sydney Camm after he joined what was then the H.G. Hawker Engineering Company. Two were built as …
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer CCII
Known as the ‘Twin Pin’, the Twin Pioneer was a follow-up to the same company’s single-engined short take-off and landing (STOL) transport, the Pioneer, and like the …
Supermarine Stranraer
The Stranraer was the final development of the Southampton flying boat to be put into production and was one of the world’s last biplane flying boat. A …
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was the equal of, if not better than, the British SE5s, Camels and French SPADs and is considered to be one of the outstanding …
Bristol Beaufighter TFX
The prototype flew on 17 July 1939 and the first production Beaufighters were delivered to the Royal Air Force in the following April. The type was the …
Curtiss Kittyhawk IV
The Kittyhawk was the final development of the monoplane Curtiss Hawk fighters and during World War Two provided the RAF with valuable reinforcements in the Middle East …
Fairey Battle 1
Although lacking speed and defensive armament and therefore totally unsuitable for unescorted daylight operations the Battle will always be remembered for the heroic attacks on the bridges …
Hawker Hart II
First flown in July 1928, the Hart day bomber was one of the most advanced aircraft of its time with exceptional capability. Although designed as a bomber …
Heinkel He 162A-2
The Heinkel He162 was one of Nazi Germany’s last ditch attempts to win back the control of the skies with a cheap jet fighter capable of being …
Messerschmitt Me 163B-1a Komet
The only rocket propelled interceptor ever to be used operationally, the Me163 Komet was deployed by the Luftwaffe in a desperate attempt to combat the Allied strategic …
Short Brothers Belfast
Design of this long-range, strategic transport aircraft began in February 1959, with the first flight in January 1964. Only ten of the originally ordered thirty Belfasts were …