Author: Xtended

Tim and Pieter are joined by pilot and STEM ambassador Ellie Carter to look at the news and take a reflective view on 2020, looking for both the positive and less positive changes that affected the aviation and aerospace industry.

The Xtended team round off 2020 by taking a look back at the tenth anniversary of the Harrier’s UK retirement with Air Vice Marshal Gary Waterfall CBE, Joint Force Harrier’s last Commander.

After a short break the whole team is back to talk about the latest aviation books from 2020 and the new version of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) is a family owned business that specialises in aircraft maintenance, restoration and operational services, especially ‘warbirds’. They have restored over 40 different aircraft types from Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters to the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star and the F-86 Sabre. Tim travelled to Duxford in Cambridgeshire to talk to John Romain from ARCo about their recent project to recognise the National Health Service efforts during the recent pandemic – the NHS Spitfire. 

Naval Air Historian Matt Willis joins us to talk about the the Supermarine Seafire – a navalised version of the famous Spitfire, adapted for use on aircraft carriers. A total of 2646 were built and saw action with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm from November 1942 until after the Korean War in the early 1950s.