Dodoma was a stop on the Imperial Airways route to South Africa. Photo by: Ernst Ackermann / SLUB / Deutsche Fotothek

Built of wood like the Mosquito, the beautiful Albatross was designed to carry mail across the Atlantic or up to 22 passengers on European routes. Due to the outbreak of WWII it was really only used as an airliner during the 1939 summer season. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

Named from Greek mythology, the Atalanta (not Atlanta) was a medium-sized four-engined airliner which carried up to 17 passengers. Not yet named Aurora here, this was the eighth and final example. After brief service with Imperial Airways to Indian Trans-Continental Airways as VT-AEG. Ended up in the Royal Indian Air Force as DG454 and lost in a crash on 6 April 1942. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

Short Calcutta flying boat on the Nile before departure with King Albert of Belgium on board who was travelling to the Congo. Photo from: Library of Congress

The prototype of the HP-42/HP-45. The HP-42 model, called HP-42E by Imperial Airways, was intended for services to India and South Africa and the fleet was based in Cairo. Here Hannibal is seen in Switzerland though, probably during initial testing. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich