Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine

6 March 2026

AVIATION HISTORY

6 March 1936 – Avro Anson enters the RAF service

On 6 March 1936, Avro Anson, a new British twin-engine military aircraft, entered operational service with No. 48 Squadron of the Royal Air Force. The Anson was developed in the mid-1930s, in response to the Air Ministry requirements for a [...]
OTHER

DART AE – the hypersonic pioneer aircraft achieves first flight

On 27 February 2026, Hypersonix Launch Systems, the Brisbane-based company pioneering hypersonic flight technologies, successfully completed the maiden flight of its hypersonic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), known as the DART AE. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the development [...]
PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Beechcraft King Air C90

Beechcraft King Air C90 (c/n LJ-837, OK-DSH, operated by DSA a.s.), on static display during the 2017 edition of the Helicopter Show, Hradec Králové, May 2017. The Beechcraft Model 90 series was developed in the early 1960s, based on the [...]
MILITARY AVIATION

Freedom Hawk 2026 – RAF training detachment deploys to Corsica

From early February 2026, and for the second consecutive year, Base aérienne 126 Solenzara (Air Base 126 Solenzara) hosted a Royal Air Force training detachment. The British deployment of eight Hawk T2 aircraft relocated to the island of Corsica in [...]
AVIATION HISTORY

27 February 1965 – first flight of Antonov An-22

On 27 February 1965, prototype of the Antonov An-22 Antey, a heavy turboprop strategic transport aircraft (NATO reporting name: “Cock”), performed its maiden flight from Kyiv to Uzyn. The An-22 was intended as the third – and largest – Soviet [...]

From active duty to history – a short review of military aircraft retirements in 2025

FEATURED

14 January 2026

The year 2025 marked aviation history with several notable farewells to iconic military aircraft. These included both well-known workhorses from the Cold War era and relatively newer designs that proved ineffective in the modern combat [...]

First ever wingsuit foil soaring flight with altitude gain

DREAMERS AND DOERS

26 November 2025

In its press release published on 19 November 2025, the Red Bull company announced that Austrian wingsuit pioneer Peter Salzmann had once again pushed the boundaries of what is possible in human flight. This time, [...]

FEATURED