Sivewright Airways C-47B Dakota G-AGNK ‘Lancastria’ was operated by the Manchester-based airline from July 1949 until March 1951. It went on to serve with BEA until withdrawn from use in 1964.

C-47B G-AGNG served Eagle Aviation from August 1949 until January 1951 when it joined Britavia. It crashed in Canada in January 1956 while serving with Quebecair.

Engine change on a P-80B, revealing the ease of access to the Allison (GE) J33 turbojet.

P-80B-1-LO Shooting Star 45-8646 ‘Browns’, one of several staging though Luqa with a C-47 for support.

KF946 which was issued to the Station Flight at Nicosia, Cyprus, in July 1948 and then went on to serve in a similar capacity at Ismailia in Egypt from July 1949 and then with 73 Squadron at Takali, on Malta, from January 1950 until struck off charge that November.

Beaufighter TT.10 SR912 in transit to the Far East where it served initially at Tengah, ending its days with the Station Flight at Kai Tak, Hong Kong in 1955.

Another USAF transient, P-47D Thunderbolt.

Hunting Aerosurveys used brand new Bristol 170 Mk.I G-AICM for extensive survey work in Iran from late 1947 until 1951. It was then converted to Mk.21 standards for use with the famous Silver City Airways. It crashed near Berlin in January 1953 while serving on the Airlift.

Orient Skyliner Convair 240-7 AP-AEH, entered service in June 1949. The airliner merged with Pakistan International in 1955. AP-AEH crashed on take-off at New Delhi on May 15, 1958.

Close up of the BOAC C-4 Argonaut G-ALHE ‘Argo’ in the early, natural metal scheme. ‘Argo’ served BOAC from 1949 until it crashed in Nigeria on June 24,1956.

Argonaut G-ALHY in the final BOAC colours as ‘Arion’. It joined Overseas Aviation in 1960 and then Derby Aviation/British Midland in 1961, being scrapped in 1970.

View of Spitfire 22 699 on delivery to the Royal Egyptian Air Force. Built for the RAF in August 1945 as PK356, it was acquired by Vickers in early 1950 and was one of 19 refurbished and delivered to Egypt that year. Note underwing hardpoints and belly tank.

View of Spitfire 22 699 on delivery to the Royal Egyptian Air Force. Built for the RAF in August 1945 as PK356, it was acquired by Vickers in early 1950 and was one of 19 refurbished and delivered to Egypt that year. Note underwing hardpoints and belly tank.

DH Dragon Rapide TJ-AAR from Transjordan.

Anonymous Si 204/Martinet at Luqa. A handful of the type operated with short-lived French airlines in North Africa and widely with the French Air Force.

Avro Type 689 Tudor 2 G-AGRZ was used by the Ministry of Supply from 1951 to November 1953 for trials, later joining Flight Refuelling Ltd (again as G-AGRZ) and then Aviation Traders.

Airwork Viking IB G-AIXR, in which the Author flew from and to Malta. It served Airwork from new in April 1947 until April 1959 when it joined Tradair and later Channel Airways. It was scrapped in 1963 at Southend.

Second prototype Avro Shackleton VW131, first flown in 1949, on an early sortie to Malta.

Handley Pages Hastings were frequent visitors to the Island. C.I TG562 on round-out at Luqa - note the lack of spinners. This aircraft was destroyed in a crash at Topcliffe on March 14, 1952.

One of two Grumman Mallard amphibians used by the Egyptian Royal Flight.

Shapely form of LATI SM.95 ‘San Cristoforo’.

Flight of Mosquito NF.36s with covers placed over their noses.