With the recent Rolls- Royce announcement that they are acquiring an ex Qantas Boeing 747 for use as a flying engine testbed, Keith Bradshaw takes a look back at some of the other aircraft used for engine testing in the past. Although not that commonplace these days due to most “new” engines being developments of older well tried examples, testing a new engine on the wing is not a new procedure. Back in the early days of the jet and Turbo-prop engines manufacturers... more >

100 years on the 15th June 1919 the Vickers Vimy of Alcock and Brown 'landed' in Ireland to complete the first non stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  Landing is a loose term but as the old saying goes, 'if you can walk away from it, then it is a landing.'  Since the intrepid days of Alcock and Brown, who it must be remembered had no guarantee of even surviving let alone completing the journey, progress has been rapid. Within 30 years the crossing was... more >