The prototype DH.66 Hercules. Registered 11 Dec.1925. First flight 30 Sept.1926. While on a trial mail flight from India to Australia 19 April 1931, it suffered fuel starvation in bad weather on the leg from Surabaya to Koepang and with all three engines stopped, it made a forced landing 10 miles from Koepang, Timor. After landing it struck rocks, lost its landing gear and came to rest. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair but the two crew were uninjured. Cancelled June 1931.

Registered 18 August 1919. One of 12 conversions from war-surplus Avro 504Ks by A.V.Roe & Co.Ltd., to whom it was originally registered. G-EAKM's fuselage was 9" wider, so that four passengers could be carried in the rear cockpit. Although completed mid-1919, it was placed in store until sold to Surrey Flying Services, to whom it was registered 30 July 1925. While airborne from Croydon -4 July 1928, it crashed at Taplow, Bucks., injuring all three occupants. Cancelled January 1929.

Registered 11 Nov.1919. First flew 4 Dec.1919. The company's first pure civil transport prototype, displayed at the Paris Aero Show Dec.1919/Jan.1920. On 10 July 1923, it was damaged beyond repair when it suffered a fuel leak that starved an engine of fuel while en route from Croydon to Paris Le Bourget and was forced to make a downwind landing in a field at Poix de Picardie, Northern France. Although landed successfully, it overran into a sunken road and broke its back. The pilot and mechanic were thrown out but only slightly injured. The seven passengers were uninjured. Cancelled 22 Nov.1923

Registered 25th Nov.1925. Sold to Sir Alan Cobham and registered to his National Aviation Displays Ltd on 27th Nov.1933. Converted to an in-flight tanker in 1934 and flew out to Hal Far, Malta later that year to refuel Sir Alan's Airspeed Courier G-ABXN on its attempted non-stop flight to India. There are conflicting reports as to whether it did carry out the proposed refuelling over the Mediterranean or not but the Courier suffered a throttle problem, which necessitated Cobham forced-landing on Malta. That flight was abandoned and W.10 G-EBMR was sold locally for scrap. Cancelled Nov.1934.

Registered 2nd April 1925. Aircraft was damaged beyond repair when it crashed on take-off from Roborough, Plymouth while outbound to Croydon on 23rd October 1928. The pilot and four passengers were uninjured. Cancelled 2nd January 1929. (In the background is G-EBLO, an Armstrong Whitworth Argosy of Imperial Airways).

Converted from Westland IV and registered April 1929. Exhibited at the International Aero Exhibition at Olympia July 1929, after which it went to Imperial Airways at Croydon for use by their private hire department. (The photographer described it as a 'four-seater air taxi'). Sold to Air Service Training Ltd, Hamble 24th November 1937. Withdrawn from use at Watchfield 16th August 1940. Cancelled in the census of 1st November 1945.

Built at Limhamn, Sweden, Oct.1925 and operated initially by Flygindustri as S-503. To DLH as D-903 Jan.1926. Shortly after taking off from Croydon en route to Berlin via Amsterdam on 6 Nov.1929, it encountered thick fog and turned back to Croydon, the Captain descending to maintain visual contact with the ground. It flew into tree tops on a hill in Marden Park, near Godstone, Surrey, crashed and caught fire. Of the occupants, six were killed and three injured, one of whom died of his injuries later that day. Only the co-pilot and one passenger survived.

Registered January 1922. To Imperial Airways March 1924. DBR in gales following a precautionary landing in very rough weather near Abbeville, France 15th February 1928.

Ex F2284. Registered 22nd June 1922. Withdrawn from use 24th July 1925.

Registered 13 April 1921 and delivered to KLM the same day. Suffered engine failure and made an emergency landing on the Goodwin Sands 19 Oct.1923 with an incoming tide. The four occupants were rescued by a passing cargo ship but the aircraft was lost to the sea. Cancelled 13 Nov.1923. In the background is Farman F.60 Goliath F-ADDT (c/n.6935-228) of the Cie.des Grands Expresses Aeriennes, later to Air Union as 'Languedoc' and withdrawn from use 7 Dec.1932. (The power check against the chocks with the 'ground crew' holding the tail down adds to the atmosphere, albeit a polluted one!).

Registered 5th October 1927, so still relatively new when photographed. This was the first of two built for Air Union for their Paris-London service. Fate not known.

Registered 24th June 1927. Crashed at Sevenoaks, Kent 22nd August 1927 and cancelled 5th September 1927.

Registered 27th March 1926. Later became OO-AHZ. Cancelled 12th February 1932 as WFU.

Registered August1922. Previously operated by Messageries Aériennes. On 11 March 1928, after broadcasting a Mayday it crashed in the English Channel nine miles from Folkestone, killing both crew members. It had been operating a scheduled flight from Paris to Croydon but had landed at Saint-Inglevert airfield to await an improvement in the weather before continuing, the passengers then opting to continue their journey by boat. Cancelled March 1928.

The transatlantic plane famously stuffed with ping pong balls to make it float. After an emergency landing in Wales, Dick Merrill and entertainer Harry Richman arrived at Croydon on 4 September 1936. They returned to Croydon after a visit to Paris. They flew to Liverpool - Speke on the 10th or 11th and then on the 14th they took off for their return flight from Ainsdale Beach near Southport. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Government aircraft operated in Lufthansa markings. Carried Joachim von Ribbentrop, the new Nazi ambassador to London.

A better photo of the Daily Express, taken in England during its transatlantic return flight. Interestingly pilot Dick Merrill preferred Ainsdale Beach near Southport over any British runway for the heavy westbound take-off, as he had done flying NR13770 the previous year. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

'Sir Charles Kingsford Smith prepares at Croydon for last long-distance flight.' Smith and Tommy Pethybridge departed for Australia on 6 November but the plane with the two men disappeared between Allahabad and Singapore. Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Two Farman Goliaths of Air Union, F-ADDT Languedoc and F-AECU Normandie, dwarf two smaller airliners at Croydon. Those are Blériot-SPAD S.33 F-ADBI, also of Air Union, and Fokker F.III H-NABG of KLM.

'Despite bad weather conditions , Monsieur Flandin, the French Premier, left Croydon by air to return to Paris after the important negotiations which he and Monsieur Laval had been conducting with members of the British Government.' Photo from: Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)