An aviation author and historian has landed another major television role.

Ian McLachlan is resident historian for a new series of programmes that is currently running on Sky's History Channel.

Mr McLachlan, from Oulton Broad in Lowestoft, has teamed up once more with Norfolk-based Coleman Television Ltd, who have produced the "exciting" new TV series.

Entitled 'History's Greatest Aircraft', it features stories behind the development of some very famous aircraft - many with a strong East Anglian association.

Mr McLachlan said: "US Liberator and Flying Fortress bombers escorted by Thunderbolt and Mustang fighters undertook dangerous daylight missions from over 100 bases hereabouts.

"The superlative British Mosquito and Lancaster sallied forth from this region, part of the RAF's contribution to victory.

"Unwelcome visitors to East Anglia were their adversaries with both Messerschmitt and Heinkel designs featuring in 'History's Greatest Aircraft' as comparative technologies and performance are discussed."

With recollections from the men and women who flew the iconic Spitfire, Mr McLachlan drew heavily on human-interest aspects to support the programme.

Helping to promote the new series he has also agreed to take part in a full day's lecture in Wenhaston village hall on April 1.

Topics include tales of adventures in local aviation archaeology - including how two Thunderbolt fighters from a Halesworth-based Air-Sea Rescue unit ended up in Fritton Lake and the recovery from Norfolk marshland of a bomb-laden Liberator.

Mr McLachlan will also outline details of the projected recovery of a wartime P-51 Mustang fighter still buried in the Norfolk Broads and found using the latest Geofizz technology.

For the special talk in Wenhaston, Mr McLachlan will also enlighten and entertain those present as he delves back 100 years to look at "Flappers n' Flyers" in the roaring 1920s when men and women challenged the skies in flimsy flying machines.

Mr McLachlan added: "The lecture will also look at numerous other women pioneers, who all sought to be first over the Atlantic or the Andes, endeavouring to prove themselves the equal of any man - and they did."