Halford-Macleod, Guy Telling Aircraft Tails. A History of Britain’s Airlines in 40 Aircraft

The registration letters painted on an aircrafts tail are like its number plate: they can reveal the story of an individual aircraft and its different roles during its working life. Inspired by this novel way of looking at aviation history, Guy Halford-MacLeod follows the chequered and multi-faceted careers of forty different airliners to present a compelling insight into the wider story of British aviation: larger-than-life characters, politics, the aircraft manufacturers, the state-owned corporations, the independent airlines, some unwilling buyers, a lot of coercion, big financial losses, cheap holiday charters and, inevitably, going bust - the full story of Britains airlines and the aircraft they used. This heavily illustrated book delves into the tales of a fascinating selection of aircraft, including many of Britains finest airliners now preserved at museums around the country, to present the development of Britains airline industry.

Great personalities, politics, aircraft manufacturers, state-owned companies, independent airlines, some unwilling buyers, much coercion, huge financial losses, cheap holiday charters and inevitable bankruptcies - the whole history of British airlines and the aircraft they used is reflected here. This richly illustrated book looks at the stories of a fascinating selection of aircraft, including some of Britain's best-known passenger planes, now preserved in museums across the country to showcase the development of the British aviation industry.