Plane Resurrection

Developed just a bit too late for WWII, it was called an aerial anachronism: a piston engine warplane in a world of jets and missiles. However, it would fulfill its purpose during the Korean and Vietnam wars.

This is the astonishing tale of a tiny 1930s aircraft capable of reaching 230 mph. It smashed records all over the world in the hands of an almost forgotten British hero, Alex Henshaw.

The legendary Vietnam-era helicopter takes to the air in a pristine war-veteran example. We hear the astonishing story of an aircraft blown up by its own missiles, followed by the saga of a wounded copilot who went on to found a world-leading charity.

Take a look at a beautifully restored example of the later, clipped-wing version of the legendary fighter-plane flown by Czech refugee pilots in the UK during wartime, featuring long-unseen test and operational footage.

This plane is the ugly-ducking aircraft that shunned the limelight, and the daylight. Learn the story of how this aircraft, an initial failure, helped win the war supporting covert operations.

This is one of only two remaining examples of the monoplane built by Louis Bleriot, the pioneering channel-crosser. This elderly aircraft is put gently through its paces for the cameras, leaving the ground on one of its rare outside excursions.