Air Enthusiast 2000-11
G.Warner - Founding Fathers (2)
'Jupiter', British Airways Junkers Ju 52 freighter G-AERX at Croydon.
A W Ensign G-AFZV 'Enterprise' in camouflage. The type provided essential airlift capacity as the war started.
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy I G-EBLF, Imperial Airways
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy I G-EBLO, 'City of Birmingham', Imperial Airways.
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy II G-AACH, Imperial Airways
The Great Western Railway company operated Westland Wessex, G-AAGW.
Saunders-Roe Cloud G-ABXW 'Cloud of Iona' of British Flying Boats Ltd operated between Greenock and Belfast for a trial period.
Avro 652 G-ACRM 'Avalon', one of two operated by Imperial Airways, used on London-Brindisi mail runs.
Jersey Airways DH.86 G-ACZN 'St Catherine’s Bay'.
The shapely, but troublesome, DH.91 Albatross (G-AFDJ 'Frobisher' illustrated) was frustrated by the advent of the war.
Frobisher was flown at Martlesham in September and November 1938.
The prototype DH Flamingo, G-AFUE, was used for an experimental period by Guernsey and Jersey Airways in 1939.
Ordered straight of the drawing board, the Short 'C'-Class - G-ADUU 'Cavalier'.
One of five British Airways Lockheed Model 10A Electras, G-AEPN. It was impressed as W9105.
Lockheed 10A G-AEPN was commissioned in April 1937. During the summer season Electras made six return flights a day each on the Croydon - Le Bourget run.
British Airways Lockheed 14 Super Electra G-AFGN carried Neville Chamberlain on what might now be described as the first piece of 'shuttle diplomacy'.
This aircraft caught fire in mid-air and made a casualty-free crash landing in France in August 1939.
Edward Hillman's need for a twin-engined airliner helped de Havilland to develop the DH.84 Dragon - Hillman's G-ACBW illustrated.
Arguably that the most successful landplane to operate in Imperial Airways livery were biplanes - the eight magnificent and sedate HP.42s - G-AAXC 'Heracles' illustrated.
DH Puss Moth G-AAXL operated across the Wash between Skegness, Lincs, and Hunstanton, Norfolk, a distance of 19 miles.
Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Airspeed Courier G-ACLR.
Liverpool and the Isle of Man were linked for the first time by Airspeed Ferry G-ACFB.
Avro 618 Ten G-ACGF of Midland and Scottish Air Ferries Ltd.
Hillman Airways DH Fox Moth G-ABVK at Barton, July 1934.
The AW Atlanta was "ugly but functional". Illustrated is G-ABTL ‘Astraea’.
British Airways could purchase foreign aircraft when no suitable British types were available, including Fokker F.VIII G-AEPT.
FOKKER F.VIII. An unusual addition to the pre-war British civil register was the Dutch Fokker F.VIII. Two examples were purchased from K.L.M. by British Airways Ltd. (PH-AEF and 'AEI, formerly H-NAEF and 'NAEl), and delivered in November 1936. At that time there was a dearth of British air transports which accounted for the purchase of these two eight-year-old twelve-passenger (two-crew) air liners powered by two 525-h.p. Pratt and Whitney Wasp radials. The F.VIII was also built in Hungary by Manfred Weiss (also the Fokker C.V-E reconnaissance biplane). One example sent to Hungary was H-MFNA (later HA-FNA) for use by Magyar Legiforgalmi r/t. At one time K.L.M. used four F.VIIIs, PH-AED, 'EF, 'EH and 'El. G-AEPT (formerly PH-AEF) illustrated was photographed at Hamble in 1936, with a Saro Cutty Sark of A.S.T. in the background. Upper wing surface devices are magnesium flares for night landings! Cruising speed, 115 m.p.h.; range, 605 miles. Span, 75 ft. 5 1/2 in .; length, 54 ft. 11 1/2 in.; height, 14 ft. 7 in.
Fokker F.VIII G-AEPT, powered by two 500 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Wasp T1D1 engines, carried twelve passengers and two crew.
Aberdeen Airways initially used Short S.16 Scion G-ACUV.
The first commercial aircraft to be registered in Ireland was this Desoutter II EI-AAD in August 1930.
In 1931 Short S.17 Kent flying-boats (G-ABFA illustrated) replaced the Calcuttas on the Mediterranean route.
Both Short L.17s, G-ACJJ 'Scylla' and G-ACJK 'Syrinx' on the famed ramp at Croydon.
The two ugly ducklings together at Croydon with Syrinx in the foreground.