The Focke-Wulf Fw 58B-2 Weihe in the collection of the Museu Aerospacial da Forca Brasiliera at Rio de Janeiro is currently undergoing restoration. It is believed to be the last surviving example of this type.

Capt Le Grys, senior pilot with Bristow Helicopters Ltd, lands his Sikorsky S-76, Spirit of Paris, at Battersea Heliport on January 8, 1980 after shattering the London-Paris and Paris-London helicopter world air speed records with times of 1hr 15min and 1hr 11min respectively, beating by 26min and 29min the previous times set by a Belvedere in 1961.

Aerospatiale’s TB30 Epsilon trainer prototype made its maiden flight from Socata airfield in the Pyrenees on December 22, 1979.
The Epsilon 01, first prototype, on its first flight, showing the original tail unit and "VD" marking.

Following its 17-minute first flight from Cranfield on December 14 last year, piloted by Sqn Ldr Angus McVitie, the Edgley Optica was demonstrated before the Press on January 3. A three-seat observation aircraft, the Optica cruises at 117 m.p.h. on its 160 h.p. Lycoming, which drives a five-blade ducted propeller, and can fly at only 58 m.p.h. John Edgley its designer and builder, invested £50,000 in the aircraft.

Fiat G46 Series V OO-VOR, ex-MM53293, a rare single-seat version and the first on the Belgian civil register, has now been restored to flying condition by E. Vormezeele of Brasschat.

De Havilland Vampire T.11 WZ507, owned by S.Topen, J. Chillingworth and Capt Turnbull as G-VTII, is soon to fly again with Capt Turnbull, chief pilot of the Edinburgh Aviation Group, in command. Built in 1953, it has been restored by the Solway Restoration Society, and should make display appearances during 1960.

The first War Aircraft Replicas half-scale Focke-Wulf 190 to fly outside the USA made its maiden flight at Elstree, Hertfordshire, on December 1, 1979. Registered G-WULF and built and owned by S. B. V. Aero Services, the aircraft made a trouble-free maiden flight in the hands of W. H. “Bill” Bailey, on the photo, who has been responsible for the initial test flying. The Fw190 took 18 months to build, is fully aerobatic (+6g to -6g), and has a roll rate of 180° per sec and a maximum cruise speed of 145kt. The take-off and landing runs are both 700ft, and at the time of going to press three pilots had flown a total of nine hours on the aircraft. Although the basic airframe is wood, polyurethane foam and fibreglass are extensively used. The undercarriage is fully retractable