Armstrong Gallery

1903-Trouble; 1930-Reliability: The Motor cars wonderful ad

Six photographs illustrating the development of the motor car over a period of 27 years starting with the old Siddeley of 1903 next to its latest descendant of the time, the Armstrong-Siddeley of 1930 (first pic top left). The 1903 car shown here was owned by Mr Lock-King, the owner of Brooklands, and had the distinction of being the first car ever to lap the famous track

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Fought to a Finish

Fought to a Finish: A Remarkable Exploit on a Blazing Plane An illustration by Joseph Simpson of an incident described by Mr Boyd Cable (newspaper correspondent Ernest Andrew Ewart). Though not named in the ILN caption, this seems to be the incident for which eighteen year old Canadian pilot Alan McLeod received the Victoria Cross. On 27 March 1918 the petrol tank of his Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 was struck during a dogfight. With the aeroplane in flames and both McLeod and his observer Albert Hammond wounded, the pilot, standing on the wing to avoid the flames steered the plane to the ground, keeping it in such a position (side slipping) that the flames were blown away from the two men. Landing in no mans land between the opposing trenches, the two were rescued by British infantry. Date: 1918

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

English Electric Canberra B.2 WV787

Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment - English Electric Canberra B.2 WV787 (msn 71644), water-spray tanker for icing tests, at RAF Greenham Common on 27 June 1981 for the 1981 International Air Tattoo. The aircraft requiring the test flew behind WV787's water spray bar, seen at the extreme rear of the fuselage, as water was pumped out producing an artificial cloud. Built as a Canberra 8.2, WV787 was a good example of a development aircraft. Initially used as a test-bed for reheated Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engines, the aircraft was later fitted with a Mk 8 front fuselage and Buccaneer nose radome for use as a radar test-bed. Relegated to Ground instructional use as 8799M, then preserved at Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire. Date: 1981

© The Peter Butt Aviation Collection / Mary Evans A The Peter Butt Aviation Collection / Mary Evans