A model of the Imperial Airways plane Heracles at Croydon Airport Museum [OC]
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.stad.social/post/19579
> Croydon Airport was the UK's *only* airport in the interwar period, and opened in 1920, and featured the worlds first Air Traffic Control tower, and the worlds first airport terminal.
>
> This model is hanging in the terminal, near the tower.
>
> Unfortunately the building was converted into offices at some point after it closed in 1959, and much of it looks the part, but [the museum is open once a month](https://www.historiccroydonairport.org.uk/opening-hours/) and gives you a chance to see what was once the worlds first fully purposebuilt commercial airport.
>
> Heracles, the plane, was one of [a number of Handley Page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.42) planes operated by Imperial Airways in the 1930's. [Heracles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.42#/media/File:L'_HP_45_G-AAXC_Heracles.jpg) flew from 1931 to 1940, when it was destroyed in a gale. By 1937, it had accumulated 1 million miles of service.
>
> Croydon Airport was the UK's *only* airport in the interwar period, and opened in 1920, and featured the worlds first Air Traffic Control tower, and the worlds first airport terminal.
>
> This model is hanging in the terminal, near the tower.
>
> Unfortunately the building was converted into offices at some point after it closed in 1959, and much of it looks the part, but [the museum is open once a month](https://www.historiccroydonairport.org.uk/opening-hours/) and gives you a chance to see what was once the worlds first fully purposebuilt commercial airport.
>
> Heracles, the plane, was one of [a number of Handley Page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.42) planes operated by Imperial Airways in the 1930's. [Heracles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.42#/media/File:L'_HP_45_G-AAXC_Heracles.jpg) flew from 1931 to 1940, when it was destroyed in a gale. By 1937, it had accumulated 1 million miles of service.
>