Our YouTube channel DX Modelworks has taken a break from model aircraft build logs to bring you a new video showing what the New England Air Museum looked like in 1992.

The brief video tour provides general views, close-ups of aircraft such as the F6F Hellcat and the Fokker Dr.1, and a look at the models on display. It is a wonderful time capsule that shows how the museum has evolved over the years, and it also evokes nostalgia for those who visited during this period.

Check it out below.

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In his new book Double Sunrise, author Geoff Goodall explores Qantas Empire Airways Indian Ocean wartime services between 1943 and 1946.

The Japanese conquest cut Australia off from Britain in early 1942, leaving the country isolated. From June 1943, Qantas revived the Perth-to-Ceylon route—the world’s longest at the time—creating 27-hour, radio-silent flights that witnessed two sunrises, giving birth to the “Double Sunrise” service; five months later, the route extended to Karachi. In mid-1944, faster Qantas Liberators joined, shortening the Ceylon–Exmouth Gulf leg, followed by the introduction of Qantas Lancastrians in 1945. Despite wartime isolation, the service ran accident-free until a Lancastrian vanished on a final Indian Ocean leg in March 1946, after which operations returned to Singapore routes. Sir Hudson Fysh later called the wartime Indian Ocean service the most fascinating and romantic achievement of Qantas.

The 134 page paperback book is currently available for pre-order with release set for December 15.

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Another new release from Eduard this month is an A6M2-N Rufe Weekend Edition model kit in 1/48 scale.

The A6M2-N Rufe is the naval floatplane variant of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, built by Nakajima for the IJN as a single-seat carrier-based fighter with floats instead of a conventional landing gear. It featured a 14-cylinder radial engine, a 3-blade propeller, and a compact airframe optimized for water takeoffs and landings, typically armed with 7.7 mm machine guns and light cannon in wing roots. Operated mainly in maritime environments, the Rufe was designed to defend sea lanes and airfields near atolls where traditional airstrips were unavailable, and it served in several theaters during World War II.

The kit (84208) includes Eduard plastic parts and decals with marking options for four aircraft.

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A 1975 Cessna 182P Skylane II project has been spotted for sale.

According to the listing, the aircraft has 6,574 total hours, featuring a factory-new Continental O-470-S1B engine installed in June 2023 with only 591 hours since new, and a Hartzell three-blade propeller with 62 hours since overhaul. The airplane suffered repairable damage during a runway overrun, resulting in a broken nosewheel, left wingtip and skin wrinkling, minor right wing dents, cowl and nose gear cover damage, and limited fuselage skin wrinkling, but the engine, propeller, and major structures like the tank, struts, flaps, and tail surfaces remain intact. The cream leather interior shows light wear, and while avionics have been removed, standard instruments and engine gauges are included, along with aftermarket features like electric pitch trim. It also has desirable options such as long-range fuel tanks (84 gallons), flap gap seals, and inertia-reel shoulder harnesses. The plane comes with complete logs since new for airframe, engine, and prop, plus documentation and manuals.

The aircraft is located at in Martha’s Vineyard, MA and is available for US $24,950, although bids are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes many additional photos and details.

E-Flite is preparing to release a Gee Bee R-2 1.0m RC model which is reportedly an all new design offered in PNP and BNF Basic versions.

The E-flite® Gee Bee R-2 1.0m is a faithful replica of the iconic aircraft, featuring an abundance of scale detail along with modern features and technologies to deliver an unmatched flying experience. It assembles quickly and is sized to be easily stored and transported without disassembly. The Bind-N-Fly® Basic version is equipped with enhanced AS3X+® technology that smooths out the effects of wind and turbulence like never before, plus optional-use SAFE® Select technology that makes it easier to fly. Both versions include Spektrum digital, metal-geared servos, a 70A Smart Lite ESC, and a 4S-compatible motor.

As of this writing a final release date has not yet been announced. Click below to check out the newly released promo video for the model.

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In the upcoming book The U-2 Over the Soviet Union: America’s Famous Cold War Spy Plane from a Soviet Perspective, Air World and author Dmitry Degtev provide a dramatic account of the U-2 shootdown revealing Soviet missile dominance and the era’s secret intelligence struggles.

Based on documents held in the CIA’s archives, declassified documents released by the Russian Ministry of Defence, and the memoirs of participants in the events in question, this book explores the true story of the preparation, implementation, and consequences of the U-2 reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Cuba between 1956 and 1962. For the first time, the author reveals the military plans that were activated in the Eastern Bloc to combat the U-2 missions, and how the Soviets tried unsuccessfully to create a fighter-interceptor to operate in the stratosphere. This book also reveals which secret locations and objects were photographed by the U-2, including those which remained unidentified, and investigates where the secret centre of the Russian atomic project was actually located and whether the U-2 was able to find it. What was the true reliability and value of the information received from America’s U-2 operations?

The reader will discover which objects were confiscated from Francis Gary Powers, the pilot of the U-2 brought down, following his capture, and why was he had been issued with women’s jewelry and watches before his fateful flight? The Soviet view of the incursions by Powers and his fellow U-2 pilots is laid bare – revealing just why the Powers’ name is as widely known in Russia as that of the cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

The 256 page book is currently available for pre-order in hardcover and Kindle editions, with release slated for January 10.

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Another new release from Eduard this month is a limited edition dual combo Kittyhawk Mk.Ia (P-40E) / Kittyhawk Mk.IV (P-40N) in 1/48 scale.

The kit (11187) includes Eduard plastic parts and decals, pre-painted PE parts, a painting mask and marking options for 10 aircraft serving in the RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and SAAF.

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A The 1976 Piper Archer 181 has been spotted for sale. According to the listing, the aircraft has 7,156 total airframe hours and only 471 hours since its engine’s major overhaul in 2023 (with over 1,500 hours remaining before TBO). It sustained damage to the left wing’s leading edge and fuel tank after a deer strike but shows no structural damage to the spar, fuselage, tail, or landing gear. The aircraft is regularly flown and maintained, though its annual inspection expired in December 2025. Features include a functional Autocontrol IIIB autopilot with heading hold, electric pitch trim, overhead ventilation fan, and comfortable bucket seating with sheepskin front covers. The Garmin radio units are not included, but their trays and wiring remain installed for quick replacement.

Located at Knoxville Downtown Island Airport in Tennessee, this Archer is being sold cheap as a repair project — an ideal choice for a student pilot, flight club, or owner looking for a capable, easy-to-fly four-seater with strong performance and upgrade potential. The project is available for US $54,950, although bids are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes many additional photos and details.

A Lycoming R-680 radial engine has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

…serviceable WWII Lycoming R-680 aircraft 9-cylinder engine. It comes with an original WWII engine stand that has different settings for display or “working on” the engine. It can be flat or at any angle.

The engine is located in Otis Orchards, Washington and is currently available for US $25,000 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Recently released in the US is the latest edition of From Bleriot to Spitfire: Flying the Historic Planes of the Shuttleworth Collection by Scott Butler.

The aeroplanes of the Shuttleworth Collection span the first 40 years of aviation from the 1909 Blériot to the late 1940s; these rare and often unique machines are still regularly flown and displayed over the aerodrome at Old Warden in Bedfordshire. This book, written by the Collection’s pilots, past and present, puts the reader in the cockpits of these amazing machines as they fly over the English countryside.

The new edition is 208 pages. It is available in Hardcover and Kindle formats.

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