Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Антонов Ан-2 - РоссияRussia - 1947

Fun in the snow: An-2 S5-CAP lands at Lesce. Skis have enabled it to fly through the winter.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Антонов Ан-2 - РоссияRussia - 1947

AN EX-BELGIAN Air Force Douglas Dakota is slowly falling to pieces in a field near Diest, Flanders. It is owned by Jean-Marie van Boxmeer, who acquired the C-47 in 1992, intending to restore it for static display. His plans have been revised to the extent that he was recently considering cutting the Dak into 20in x 20in pieces, painting them with Second World War images and selling them off. Only the lack of a willing artist saved the aircraft from an atrocious end.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Douglas DC-3 / C-47 Skytrain/С-53 Skytrooper / Dakota - СШАUSA - 1935

AT LAATZEN, near Hanover, Gunther Leonhardt’s Luftfahrt-Museum is making great progress with its "Project 2000", which should see a composite Focke-Wulf Fw 190 completed and on static show by the end of this year. Parts recovered from several crash sites have been incorporated in the project, including a BMW 801 engine which has been reconstructed from remains found in no fewer than five locations. Gammelsdorf-based Flug Werk GmbH has built the fuselage mid-section and rudder, and are now busy building the wings. The original parts include the engine and engine bearers, cowlings, armoured cooling ring, undercarriage, tailplane and fin, control surfaces and most of the interior of the cockpit.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Focke-Wulf FW.190A - ГерманияGermany - 1941

Shown at the 1957 SBAC Display at Farnborough, this Hunter F.4 (lacking roundels) was modified to carry Fairey Fireflash air-to-air missiles and had missile fire-control radar in a lengthened nose. It was converted by Hawker to T.7 configuration in 1958 and has recently become VH-HMS in Tasmania.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Hunter - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1951

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Hurricane PZ865 flew again on March 4, 1999, following its winter overhaul at St Athan and repainting in 5 Sqn South-East Asia Command colours. The BBMF’s Sqn Ldr Paul Day was at the controls, and he delivered the Mk IIC back to the Flight's base at Coningsby on the same day.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Hurricane - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1935

Lufthansa’s Ju 52 in the Hamburg maintenance hangar.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Junkers Ju.52/3m - ГерманияGermany - 1931

Skip Holm airborne in Bob Button’s Voodoo racer on February 14, 1999 near Mojave, California. Skip recently tested Voodoo, including dives to 500 m.p.h., and recommended numerous modifications. The first was the removal of the long wing fillets which graced the craft at the Reno races in 1998. Another was the reskinning of the elevators. “The aircraft did not fly like a Mustang”, comments Skip. “It was a handful - more like the custom-made Tsunami that I raced for several years. With the modifications, it’s more like a Mustang. I must give praise to Bob Hannah who raced the plane at Reno ’98.” Skip is seen here taking the aircraft to Texas where it was to be painted in a dramatic colour scheme before attending the Gathering of Mustangs and Legends at Kissimmee on April 7-10.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: North American P-51D Mustang - СШАUSA - 1944

Commonwealth Mustang A68-105/VH-JUC, owned by Judy Pay and Dick Hourigan, was reappearing after a nine-year restoration. It made its first post-restoration flight in January 1994, and sports the wartime markings used by 3 Sqn RAAF in Italy and Yugoslavia.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: North American P-51D Mustang - СШАUSA - 1944

Me 262s and the pattern aircraft at Paine Field.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Messerschmitt Me.262B - ГерманияGermany - 1944

WELL, if you are Air Vegas, based at rustic 5 Henderson Airport near Las Vegas, you make it into a stylish coach in which to ferry Japanese tourists from hotels to the airline's fleet of Beech 99 airliners for scenic flights over Las Vegas, Boulder Dam, the Grand Canyon and other local sights. The old C-45 fuselage has been fitted with a jet intake, small T-tail, and a luxurious interior complete with a large carved wood bas-relief nude on the copilot's former instrument panel.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Beechcraft Model 18 / C-45 Expeditor - СШАUSA - 1937

A replica of Qantas Airways’ first aircraft, Sunbeam Dyak-powered Avro 504K H2173/A3-4. Two replicas were built a few years ago; the other is on display at the Qantas Founders Outback Museum at Longreach, Queensland.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Avro Avro 504 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1913

Although not often seen in public, Dornier Do 27B D-EDNU provides tailwheel conversion for Lufthansa’s historic types.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Dornier Do.25 / Do.27 - ГерманияGermany - 1954

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Convair CV-240 Convair-Liner / C-131 / C-340 / C-440 - СШАUSA - 1946

NOWHERE in Europe can you fly in a classic Convair propliner - but you can have an excellent dinner in a Convair CV-440, near Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport. The Ristorante Convair is ex-presidential transport MM61833, which entered Italian Air Force service in 1957 and was used by two leaders of the Italian Republic, President Segni and President Saragat, on many international missions. Known as II Presidenziale, it served with the 31 Stormo as 31-1 until retirement in 1978.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Convair CV-240 Convair-Liner / C-131 / C-340 / C-440 - СШАUSA - 1946

Test pilot Lt-Col Fernando Iglesia brings the Spanish Air Force-liveried Cierva in for a low pass at Albacete.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Cierva/Avro C.30A / Rota - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1932

Dr Lopez Ruiz, a member of the project’s technical committee, poses with the C.30.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Cierva/Avro C.30A / Rota - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1932

This brand-new Cierva C.30 Autogiro, built in tribute to rotorcraft pioneer Juan de la Cierva, lifted into Spanish skies for the first time on February 3, 1999.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Cierva/Avro C.30A / Rota - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1932

Seen at Ron Souch’s workshop near Southampton on March 9, 1999, Foster Wikner Wicko G-AFJB is now being restored to fly, the aim being to have the Eastleigh-built machine ready to participate in the Sea Wings millennium show at Southampton in June 2000.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Foster Wikner Wicko - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1936

Aerosuperbatics’ wing-walking Stearman team is now sponsored by St Ivel; here is a sneak preview of what the previously Crunchie-liveried biplanes will look like this year. More next month.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Stearman PT-13 / PT-17 Kaydet / Model 73 (Boeing-Stearman) - СШАUSA - 1934

D.H.84 Dragon VH-AML/A34-92 was flown in from the RAAF Museum at Point Cook.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: De Havilland Dragon / D.H.84 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1932

Keith Hartley and Mike Beachyhead taxi out in Lightning XS452/ZU-BBD at Cape Town on March 9. lt was the first Lightning flight since January 1993, when XS904 was delivered to Bruntingthorpe from Warton.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: English Electric / BAC Lightning T.4 / T.5 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1959

Seen here up on the step, the Curtiss cannot actually fly yet owing to paperwork problems.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Curtiss F - СШАUSA - 1913

Karl Erikson taxies the replica across Keuka Lake, which will host a flying-boat day on August 7, 1999.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Curtiss F - СШАUSA - 1913

SUPERMARINE Scimitar XD332 arrived at the Southampton Hall of Aviation during the early hours of Wednesday, March 10, 1999. It had left Cornwall on two low-loaders the previous evening, having spent the last 20 years on display at the Flambards Theme Park near RNAS Culdrose.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Scimitar - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1956

Comte Gentleman HB-ETI, immaculately restored in its original colours as CH-180, over the Rhonethal on November 5, 1996.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Comte AC-4 Gentleman / AC-8 / AC-12 Moskito - ШвейцарияSwitzerland - 1927

The de Havilland Australia Drover was built for the Royal Australian Flying Doctor Service, using many D.H. Dove parts. VH-DHM is operated by the Australian Aviation College at Parafield, Salisbury, South Australia.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: De Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover - АвстралияAustralia - 1948

ON FEBRUARY 17, 1999 Percival Pembroke XL954/G-BXES flew for the first time since delivery to Atlantic Airlines in November 1994, and it is now available to airshow organisers this year. Built in 1958 as the third from last Pembroke to enter RAF service, it was based at Wildenrath in West Germany with 60 Sqn. Two Pembrokes were retained by the RAF after the rest of the fleet were retired, and XL954 soldiered on until it was flown back from Germany to Northolt and put into storage in May 1990. The first civilian owner was an American, but he never took delivery and XL954 ended up at Tatenhill in Staffordshire, from where Atlantic Airlines took delivery. It will be interesting to see if any show organisers book the Pembroke and its smaller brother, the Prentice, now also represented in the Atlantic fleet. The only other Pembroke flying in the British Isles is WV740/G-BNPH, operated by Martin Willing and based in Jersey.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Percival Pembroke / Sea Prince / P.66 - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1952

FIRST PRODUCTION two-seat Hawker Hunter XL563, which has been on display in front of the No 1 Officers’ Mess at Farnborough for the last four years, and spent the previous 30 years flying from the airfield with the Institute of Aviation Medicine, is up for disposal. The recent closure of the mess, which was built for the RFC in 1915, has precipitated the move. Hunter XL563 was delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment in December 1957, and in 1961 was used as a chaseplane for the Bristol 188 supersonic research aircraft. The first production single-seat Hunter, WT555, also survives, usually away from the public gaze, but occasionally receives an airing on top of an office block at Perivale, West London.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Hawker Hunter T - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1955

A PZL-102B Kos is being restored as SP-EFA, the only one on the Polish register. This is an early example, photographed by Flight in the early 1960s.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: PZL PZL.102 Kos - ПольшаPoland - 1958