Looks can be deceiving. It may not be apparent, on first inspection of this civilian aircraft, that this was one of Britain's first spy planes.

In the years before the Second World War, this aircraft would have gone relatively unnoticed in the skies of Europe. The Lockheed Electra was a perfect camera platform. It could be fitted with cameras in the cabin and in the leading edge of the wing. And it meant that with its inconspicuous livery, it could fly around as much as an airliner would have done in Europe at the time. And while flying over Germany and the rest of Europe, it was able to take photographs.

There are many myths and legends that have built up around this aircraft, but a name that will always be associated with this particular Lockheed 12 is Sidney Cotton. But what exactly was Sidney Cotton’s involvement with Second World War aerial reconnaissance and did he really use this aircraft to take secret photos, under the noses of Nazi Germany?

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