de Havilland Puss Moth
Aircraft registration is VT-ADN, and earlier G-ABMN.
This aircraft was one of two Puss Moths purchased by JRD Tata in the summer of 1932 to start the Tata Aviation Service, which would eventually become Air India. JRD himself piloted the first service from Karachi to Bombay on 15th September 1932, flying the Puss Moth VT-ACZ. Within 20 mins of JRD's landing at the Juhu airstrip, Neville Vincent took off in this aircraft - the VT-ADN - for the journey from Bombay to Madras with a refuelling halt at Bellary.
Unfortunately on September 10th 1935, this aircraft crashed at Juhu and was damaged beyond repair.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Sands of Time - Tata Central Archives newsletter from 2017.
Source : Ed Coates collection
Bristol Scout
Aircraft serial no was 1255.
The Bristol Scout no 1255 depicted on this stamp was the first British plane to fly from the deck of a carrier, in this case the HMS Vindex in the background. This happened on 3rd November 1915, and the Scout was piloted by Flt Lt H F Towler.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Flight issue 3rd Oct 1958
2. Bristol Scout blog
Source : Bristol Scout blog
Actual shot of the 1255 taking off from the HMS Vindex
Source : Wikipedia
de Havilland DH-84 Dragon
Aircraft serial no was G-ACXI, c/n 6087, manufactured by de Havilland.
Was probably built in the 1930s, and was operated by the Railway Air Services for the first airmail services to the Isle of Man.
Info from de Havilland aircraft production list on the AirHistory website.
de Havilland DH-86 Express
Aircraft serial no was G-ADVJ/EI-ABK/G-ADVJ, c/n 2338, manufactured by de Havilland.
Was built in 1936 for Blackpool & West Coast Air Services. Served Aer Lingus as EI-ABK late 1936 until 1946. With Bond Air Services after the war, again as G-ADVJ, and became derelict at Bahrain in 1952.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
2. de Havilland aircraft production list on the AirHistory website.
Douglas DC-3
Aircraft serial no was FZ624, then G-AGZB. Serial number: 92385 (c/n 12180), manufactured by Douglas Aircraft.
G-AGZB was built in Santa Monica in 1943, used by the RAF until 1946, then sold to the Railway Air Services which used it for airmail services to the Isle of Man. In 1960, it was purchased by Channel Airways for scheduled passenger services. On 6th May 1962, this aircraft collided with a cloud-covered hill near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight. The aircraft was destroyed as a result of the accident.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. Website dedicated to G-AGZB
3. Wikipedia
4. Dakota crash memorial on Ventnor Downs.
Source : Website dedicated to G-AGZB
Landing at Renfrew in May 1946, in the Railway Air Services colours
Source : Website dedicated to G-AGZB
Britten-Norman Islander
Aircraft serial no was G-AXXH, c/n 144.
Not much info available.
Source : ABPic website, photo copyright Chris England, taken on 13th May 1970.
Supermarine Spitfire
Aircraft identifier is 'DW-D'
Not much info available.
Source : Imperial War Museums website, photo © IWM (CH 13815)
Spitfire F Mark XIV 'DW-D', being flown by the commanding officer of No. 610 Squadron RAF, Squadron Leader R A Newbury, when based at Friston, Sussex.
Supermarine Spitfire
Aircraft serial number was R6800, identifier was 'LZ-N'
First flew in July 1940, part of 66 Squadron RAF, shot down in July 1940 by Bf109, pilot killed. Aircraft was destroyed by fire in Oct 1940.
Info from Spitfire production list on airhistory.org
Source : Flickr page of SDASM archives
Hawker Typhoon
Aircraft serial number was MN526, identifier was 'TP-V'.
No addl information
Source : Wikipedia
198 Sqn. Typhoons on airfield B10/Plumetot, France, in July 1944. MN526 TP-V has the larger Tempest tailplane and a four-bladed propeller.
Sopwith Tabloid
Aircraft identifier was No 3.
This specially modified Sopwith Tablid was the winner of the Schneider Trophy race in 1914. Alterations consisted of the addition of two floats and a more powerful engine. On April 20, 1914, at Monaco, Howard Pixton flew an average of 86.9 mph (39.6 kph). In two extra laps, he reached 92 mph (148 kph), establishing a new seaplane speed record.
Info from Century of flight website.
Source : Copyrighted photo from Agefotostock.
The Sopwith Tabloid No 3 parked in Monaco for the 1914 Schneider Trophy Air Race.
Supermarine Spitfire
Aircraft serial number was X4187, identifier was 'BP-C'.
Was part of the RAAF 457 Squadron during WWII, squadron code was "BP". This aircraft first flew in November 1940. It was lost at sea in January 1943.
Info from Spitfire production list on airhistory.org.
Aircraft on top
de Havilland DH-83 Fox Moth
Aircraft serial numbers were G-ACFC, AX859, 2583M.
Construction no 4053, built in 1933. This aircraft was first sold to Blackpool & West Coast Air Services Ltd, and flew under the name 'Progress'. It was inducted into the RAF in May 1940 as AX859, and became instructional airframe 2583M.
Info from Civil Aircraft Register - GB on airhistory.org.
Aircraft below
Saro Cloud
Aircraft serial numbers were G-ABXW.
Saro Cloud variant A.19/4, registered G-ABXW with 300 hp (224 kW) Wright J-6 radial engines. Named 'Cloud of Iona'. It was operated by British Flying Boats Ltd for joy-riding and charter flights, and briefly trialled a service between Glasgow and Belfast. In 1935 it was operated by Spartan Air Lines, and later used by Guernsey Airways until lost off Jersey on 31 July 1936
Info from Wikipedia
Source : A Flying Life, by Richard Riding, scanned by Google Books.
Photo taken in August 1934 at Speke.
Source : Flickr
Aircraft on top
de Havilland DH-61 Giant Moth
Aircraft serial number was G-AAEV, c/n 335.
This aircraft was named 'Youth of Britain', and was used by Sir Alan Cobham on an aviation promotion tour of the UK, covering nearly 97000 kms over 21 weeks, in 1929. It was sold to Imperial Airways afterwards for survey flights, but was lost in a crash in January 1930.
Info from Revolvy
Aircraft below
de Havilland Puss Moth
Aircraft serial number was G-ACAB, c/n 2247.
Aircraft was called 'The Desert Cloud' and belonged to Amy Johnson Mollison, who flew from London to Cape Town between 14th & 18th November 1932, covering a distance of approximately 6300 miles (10140 kms), and setting a new record for this distance.
Info from sources listed below (will open in new tab)
1. De Havilland production list on airhistory.org.uk.
2. This Day in Aviation site.
Source : This Day in Aviation site.
Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8
Aircraft serial number was B5773.
This aircraft was flown by 2/Lt Alan McLeod and Lt Arthur Hammond as his observer on 27th March 1918, and engaged Fokker triplanes over Somme in France, shooting down 4 of them. However this aircraft also took hits, and despite catching fire, managed to crash-land. Both fliers were saved, but the aircraft was destroyed. Alan McLeod was awarded a VC for saving the observer's life.
Airco DH.2
Aircraft serial number was 5964.
This particular aircraft was piloted by Major Lanoe Hawker, and engaged in a long dogfight with the famous Red Baron - Manfred Von Richthofen - on 23rd November 1916. In the end, Richthofen came off the better from the encounter, and Major Hawker was killed in the cockpit, and the aircraft crashed away somewhere in northern France.
Info from Wikipedia
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
Aircraft serial number was 4395.
Not much info available.
Supermarine Spitfire
Aircraft serial number was AB910, later G-AISU, and identifier was 'QJ-J'.
Aircraft built in 1941 and operated by the RAF during WW2. Post the war, it was used as an air racer, then purchased by Vickers Armstrong. It was used in the shooting of the Battle of Britain movie in 1968.
Info from Aerial Visuals
Source : Aerial Visuals
English Electric Canberra
Aircraft serial number was WD932.
This particular English Electric Canberra made the first nonrefueled Atlantic crossing by a jet aircraft, on 21st Feb 1951. Ten months after its record-setting flight, on December 21, WD932 crashed during a test flight.
Info from HistoryNet
Source : HistoryNet
de Havilland DH-84 Dragon
Aircraft serial number was G-ACCV, c/n 6014, aircraft was named "Seafarer".
On 23rd June 1933, Jim and Amy Mollison attempted a non-stop flight from England to New York in this aircraft. They crashed in the dark at Bridgeport, Connecticut after flying for 39 hours over a distance of 3,300 miles at an average speed of 85 mph. Aircraft was written-off.
Info from Aviation Safety website
