The first half of the 20th century saw the birth of the aeroplane and its development as an instrument of war and commerce. Within five decades, contraptions barely able to take to the air had given way to jet-powered aircraft, a rate of technological advance unparalleled in any other field. It was the period when Great Britain's aviation industry was established and grew to its zenith. With over 170 period images, carefully colourised, this book chronicles the wide variety of aircraft produced in Great Britain before 1950, portraying them in their full glory once more.