Though toy planes might seem like a byproduct of human flight, toys were actually airborne long before we were. In the late 1700s, Sir George Cayley built the first flying top using feathers, cork, and whalebone; by the middle of the following century, a helicopter device launched using a pull-string, called the “Spiralifère,” was a major hit in France. As inventors worked to develop life-size flying machines, they often tested their ideas on a smaller scale, leading to a variety of “mechanical birds” and other plane-like toys during the late 19th century.

from: Collectors Weekly

First issue published in 1944 under the title ‘Royal Air Force Review’, but renamed ‘Royal Air Force Flying Review’ by the early 1950’s. Content at this time was a mixture of “ripping yarns” true flying stories and serious features on World War Two and contemporary aircraft types. Through the 1950’s it evolved into a serious enthusiasts magazine, with detailed type profiles, surveys of foreign air forces and assessments of the latest Soviet aircraft. It was renamed ‘Flying Review International’ in September 1963. With its large b+w and colour photos, cutaway drawings and colour profile drawings it became the premier aviation magazine in the UK.

from Aeriflight.co.uk