Afterburner - The Aviation Magazine
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We are Afterburner - the aviation magazine created by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.
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#Boeing has secured a contract to deliver eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf #helicopters to the #UnitedStatesAirForce, pushing the total under contract to thirty-four. The #GreyWolf, built on the AW139 platform, is already proving its multi-mission value.
Eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters for the USAF —
Last week, Boeing officially announced that the company had been awarded an additional contract to produce eight more MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters for the United States Air Force. The deal, worth mor...
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After recalling one #iconic #Czechoslovak #aircraft yesterday, our today’s #Monday #Airshow Photo features another — the Zlín Z-226MS Trener Master. Captured at the Benediktinský Aeroklub Broumov Open Day 2025, this yellow #trainer is a #timeless symbol of #classic design.
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This #Sunday with Afterburner Archives, we look back at our first Photo of the Week of 2023 — the elegant Let L-200D #Morava. A true #Czechoslovak #aviation #icon with its distinctive, streamlined design making it stand out both in the air and on the ground.

Read the full story on Afterburner:
Let L-200D Morava —
Let L-200D Morava (c/n 171206, OK-NXX), flying display during an open doors event in Aeroklub Jaroměř, May 2015. In 1955, aviation plant in Kunovice, then known as Strojírny první pětiletky (Machine W...
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It’s #Saturday with a Short Aviation Story from Afterburner!

On 18th October 1909, Charles de Lambert became the first #aviator to fly around the #EiffelTower in a Wright Model A. This remarkable feat remains one of the most daring moments in early #aviation #history.

Read more here:
Charles de Lambert —
Charles Alexandre Maurice Joseph Marie Jules Stanislas Jacques, Count de Lambert, was one of the first French aviation pioneers. He was born in 1865 in Funchal, the largest city of Madeira, but spent ...
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#Aviation #History #Friday with Afterburner!

Today marks 49 years since the #firstflight of the Embraer EMB-121 Xingu — a #Brazilian #turboprop #aeroplane that blended innovation with practicality.

Discover its story on Afterburner:
10 October 1976 – Maiden Flight of the Embraer EMB 121 Xingu —
On 10th October 1976, the prototype of a small utility aircraft, the Embraer EMB 121 Xingu, performed its first flight.
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Today marks 135 years since Clément Ader’s pioneering step toward powered #flight. In 1890, the #French inventor’s brief, uncontrolled hop aboard his steam-powered Éole #aircraft became a #milestone that reshaped the future of #aviation.

Discover the full story on Afterburner:
Clément Ader and the first powered flight of an aeroplane —
Today marks the 135th anniversary of the first manned flight in a heavier-than-air aircraft, successfully performed by the French aviation pioneer Clément Ader. Although the flight was uncontrolled an...
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Another #Wednesday — another #PhotoOfTheWeek from Afterburner!

This time we feature the #VFW614, a rare #German #regionaljet preserved at the #AeronauticumNordholz #aviation #museum — a tribute to bold post-war #European innovation in aviation.
VFW 614 —
VFW 614 (c/n G18, D-AXDB, formerly 17+02 of Luftwaffe / the German Air Force), exhibited at the Aeronauticum Nordholz aviation museum, June 2019.
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The #ViaSat3 project continues its mission to redefine global connectivity. With the second satellite delivered by #Boeing at the end of September, #Viasat moves closer to building one of the most advanced #broadband #geostationary #satellite #constellations ever created.
ViaSat-3 – the second Viasat´s next generation spacecraft —
At the end of September 2025, Boeing delivered the second spacecraft in Viasat´s next generation ultra-high-capacity constellation, the ViaSat-3 F2. Coupled with the Boeing 702MP+ platform, the satell...
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Another #Monday #Airshow Photo from Afterburner!

Today we feature the #AirbusHelicopters #H135 of the #Polish #HEMS — a true symbol of precision and dedication in the skies above #Poland — captured at the World #Helicopter Rally 2023 in #Płock.
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Another #Sunday - another Photo of the Week from Afterburner archives

This time we recall Wagner DOWA 81 - the unique home-built #aircraft, hiding an incredible story of courage, ingenuity, and determination of its creator.

Discover its fascinating history here:
Wagner DOWA 81 —
Wagner DOWA 81, home-made aircraft, exhibited at Deutsches Museum / Flugwerft Schleissheim, Munich, October 2019. Between 1945 and 1989, approximately four million East Germans moved to the West Germa...
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Short #Aviation Story #Saturday

Many know #RolandGarros as the name behind the famous tennis stadium — but he was also a daring #aviation #pioneer, one of the first #fighter #pilots and theoretics of early #aerial #combat during #WWI.

Dive into his story and rediscover the man behind the #legend:
Roland Garros —
Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros, the French aviation pioneer and fighter pilot, was born on 6th October 1888, in Saint-Denis, Réunion island.
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57 years ago today, on 3rd October 1968, the #LunarLandingTrainingVehicle ( #LLTV ) — a deceptively simple machine designed to teach #astronauts how to land on the #Moon — had its #firstflight.

Are you curious how it looked, worked, and why it was so critical to #lunar missions? Read here:
3 October 1968 – first flight of the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle —
On 3rd October 1968, the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle #1 (LLTV-1) performed its maiden flight at Ellington Air Force Base.
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Professional #climber from #Slovenia, #DomenŠkofic, made #history by becoming #thefirst person in the world to climb a #flying #aircraft, as part of the #RedBull “Plane Climb” project — turning an iconic Let L-13 #Blaník #glider into an aerial climb route.

Read the full story:
Pushing the limits – the “Plane Climb” project —
On 30th September 2025, professional climber from Slovenia, Domen Škofic, made history by becoming the first person in the world to complete a specially designed climbing route along the wings of a fl...
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Photo of the Week: Anatra Anasal

In our latest #PhotoOfTheWeek we feature the Anatra Anasal #reconnaissance #aircraft that played a unique role in early #military #aviation. A preserved example can now be seen at the National Technical Museum in #Prague.

Dive deeper into its story here:
Anatra Anasal —
Anatra Anasal (c/n 010.91?, formerly “11120” of Letecký sbor Československé armády / Aviation Corps of the Czechoslovak Army), exhibited in the National Technical Museum, Prague, April 2025.
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Operation Titan reaches the milestone of 300th space launch

On 12th August 2025, the #Ariane6 #rocket lifted off from the #GuianaSpaceCentre on its third mission, marking the 300th rocket #launch protected under Operation Titan by the #FrenchArmedForces in #Guiana.

Full story here:
Operation Titan reaches the milestone of 300th space launch —
On 12th August 2025, the Ariane 6 expendable launch system successfully carried out its third space mission, launching from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana. In addition, it marked the...
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Another #Monday — another #Airshow Photo from Afterburner

We return to the 2025 Open Day at Benediktinský Aeroklub Broumov with a look at three #Czechoslovak #gliders from the 1960s — the VT-16 Orlík & VT-116 Orlík II ZK. Timeless #classics of #soaring #flight.
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It’s #Sunday with Afterburner

Our Photo of the Week Archives this time recall the #Canadair CF-104 #Starfighter — an #aircraft that pushed the limits of speed and design during the #ColdWar.

Today it rests at the #HarbiyeMilitaryMuseum in #Istanbul, carrying stories of long service.
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter —
Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (c/n 683A-1033, ´8-733´ of the Turkish Air Force), exhibited at Harbiye Military Museum and Cultural Site Command (Harbiye Askeri Müze ve Kültür Sitesi Komutanlığı), Istanb...
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On 24th - 25th September 1940, #bombers of #VichyFrance launched major #AirRaids against #Gibraltar in retaliation for Operation Menace - the Allied attempt to capture Dakar, a Vichy-controlled port in French West #Africa.

Read more in our latest #Saturday Short #Aviation Story:
French air raids on Gibraltar —
On 24th September 1940, Vichy France carried out its first air raid on Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula.
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It’s #Aviation #History #Friday with Afterburner

39 years ago, on 26th September 1986, the #prototype of the #Piaggio P.180 #Avanti made its #firstflight — a sleek #turboprop #aeroplane blending elegance, speed & innovation.

Discover its story in our latest article:
26 September 1986 – first flight of the Piaggio P.180 Avanti —
On 26th September 1986 (or 23rd September, according to some publications), the prototype of the new light transport aircraft, the Piaggio P.180 Avanti, made its maiden flight.
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If you’re passionate about #aviation and #history, the #NationalTechnicalMuseum in #Prague is a must-see. We explored its Transport Hall and found some real gems.

Curious? Read our full report and join us on a journey through one of the most fascinating #museums in #Europe!
Aviation treasures - the National Technical Museum in Prague —
Národní technické museum (the National Technical Museum (NTM), the largest institution of its kind in the Czech Republic, houses an extensive collection of technical artefacts. As of 2023, the museum’...
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Another #Wednesday and another #PhotoOfTheWeek from Afterburner

This time we’re featuring the #remarkable #Junkers J 1 — the #aeroplane that changed the way people thought about building #aircraft. Often nicknamed the “Blechesel”, it carries a story full of #innovation, controversy, and #legacy.
Junkers J 1 —
Junkers J 1 (full-scale replica), exhibited at Technikmuseum “Hugo Junkers” in Dessau, August 2025.
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It's #Monday with Afterburner, and here's another airshow photo!

We're starting the week by reminiscing about Lotnicza Majówka Iława 2017 #airshow and this Aviat Aircraft Husky A-1C #floatplane, captured during a smooth landing on the picturesque Jeziorak lake.
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Another #Sunday with our archival Photo of the Week

This time, our Sunday highlight is this shot of the #MirageF1CR of the #FrenchAirForce, caught in static display at the Slovak International Air Fest ( #SIAF #airshow) in Sliać, August 2013.
Dassault Mirage F1CR —
Dassault Mirage F1CR (c/n 646, 118-NW of Armée de l’air / the French Air Force), static display at Slovak International Air Fest, Sliać, August 2013. In the 1950s, French aircraft manufacturer – Dassa...
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It's #Aviation #History #Friday with Afterburner

On this day in 1949, the #prototype of the Fairey #Gannet made its #firstflight at Aldermaston, #England — marking the start of a remarkable chapter in #British carrier-based aviation.
19 September 1949 – first flight of the Fairey Gannet —
On 19th September 1949, the prototype of the Fairey Gannet, a British carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare aircraft, made its maiden flight at Aldermaston, England.
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