Match My Plane Trivia Quiz

Answer: Vickers Vimy bomber

This flight took place in June 1919, following World War I, when British airmen John Alcock and Arthur Brown flew in a Vickers Vimy bomber from Newfoundland, Canada, to County Galway in Ireland. They carried a small amount of mail on this flight, making it the first transatlantic airmail delivery as well.

The Vickers Vimy was a heavy duty British aircraft developed towards the end of the war.

Answer: Heinkel HE 178

The Heinkel HE 178, manufactured in Germany, took its first practical flight on 27 August, 1939. Prior to this it had attempted three short hops, but the 1939 flight takes the honour for historical success. It was also the third engine design attempt of this craft.

The jet intake was in the aircraft's nose, it had wooden wings, a tail wheel undercarriage and landing gear which was meant to be retractable, but which remained down during the trials.

Answer: Messerschmitt ME 262

Also known as Schwalbe (swallow) or Stermvogel (storm bird), the Messerschmitt ME 262 takes its place in history as the world's first successful jet fighter aircraft. Problems with the design, and interference at the top level of government, delayed this plane taking part in most of the Second World War, and it didn't actually take to the air until half way through 1944, when its deadly power was then felt.

Answer: de Havilland DH 106 Comet

The de Havilland Comet was developed and manufactured at the Hatfield Aerodrome in England, with its prototype, the Comet 1, taking its first flight in 1949. This jetliner was famous for its aerodynamic design, the engines mounted in the base of the wings, a pressurised cabin and large windows.

It experienced terrible problems in its first year of service however, with three terrible accidents, metal fatigue and too much stress being placed on the frame because of flights undertaken in severe weather.

It was redesigned several times before ultimately going on to have a long and moderately successful "career" of more than thirty years.

Answer: Hawker Siddeley Nimrod

The Hawker Siddeley Nimrod was a maritime patrol aircraft that was, more or less, a descendant of the British de Havilland Comet. It was designed by an offshoot of the Comet firm - Hawker Siddeley. It was then improved upon further by Siddeley's own offshoot companies, British Aerospace and BAE Systems. This sturdy aircraft remained in service from 1967 until it was retired in 2011.

Answer: Boeing 707

Boeing Commercial Airplanes introduced the famous Boeing 707 with its first flight in 1957. It was then taken world wide the following year by Pan American World Airways. This narrow body, four engine jetliner was in service for twenty-one years, could carry up to 219 passengers, and was noted for its swept wing design.

Although not the first commercial airliner to take to the skies, the Boeing 707 was by far the most successful during its years of service. Enthusiasts like to credit the plane with ushering in the Jet Age.

Answer: Boeing 747

The Boeing 747, unlike the 707, was a wide body jetliner, the first of its kind with that design. It was known for the distinctive, easily recognisable hump design over the upper deck. Manufactured by Boeing's Commercial Airplane in the US, and introduced to the world in 1970, it had a much greater passenger carrying capacity than any previous plane, and held that record for thirty-seven years. Amazingly, this mighty plane was still going strong in 2017, long after its expected retirement date.

Answer: Airbus A380

The multi-national company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), commonly known as Airbus, is a corporation whose major investors are the Netherlands, France, German and Spain. It designs, makes and sells both civil, military and space aircraft world wide, and includes the manufacture of helicopters as well.

This HUGE craft can seat up to 853 people, depending on class configuration, and has a flight range of an amazing 15,700 kilometres.

Answer: Cessna 172

American manufactured Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a single-engine, four-seater, fixed-wing plane manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company. This dependable and popular small plane took its first flight in 1955 and was then ready to be introduced worldwide in 1956. Still going strong in 2018, it is this plane's longevity and demand that gives it the right to claim the title as the most popular plane in history. Of course that will change with time, but until that does, and with an amazing 44,000 of these planes manufactured since their introduction, it is a title that is yet to be challenged.

Answer: Bleriot VIII

French aviator and inventor, Louis Bleriot, designed and manufactured the Bleriot VIII in 1908. With the configuration and the design of the control system in this craft, Bleriot set a standard that was followed for decades by other aircraft manufacturers. That design included reducing the size of the rear tandem wing until it acted more as a stabiliser than aiding in lift, introduced a control stick to maintain firmness of roll and pitch, and introduced a foot controlled rudder. And the sky has never been the same since.