The Sky Ledger
Aviation history, by the record
Famous aircraft. Broken promises.
The Sky Ledger tells the stories of well-known aircraft that didn't deliver what was promised, and uses the documented record to show why.
How every story is built
Five steps, every time
Simple titles and early answers. Each film earns its length through decisions, mechanisms and consequences, not mystery.
- A famous aircraftOne you already recognise.
- A clear promiseWhat it was sold to do.
- The recordWhat actually happened, documented.
- The consequencesWho paid, and how much.
- The causeWhy it went the way it did.
The research desk
All filmsFilms in research
AircraftBoeing 737 MAX 10737 MAX 10: Why United Stopped WaitingHow long can a launch customer wait for an aircraft before it changes its plans?In research
- The promise
- The largest member of the 737 MAX family.
- The approach
- Follows the MAX 10's delays stage by stage and connects them to United's own documented decisions. The film only says what those announcements and filings support.
AircraftAirbus A340A340: The Four-Engine Advantage That BackfiredHow did the feature that defined the A340 turn into a reason to stop buying it?In research
- The promise
- Four engines as a long-haul selling point.
- The approach
- Looks at the decisions behind the design and the ones that ended production, using Airbus and EADS records rather than hindsight.
AircraftAirbus A380FA380: The Cargo Giant Airbus Never DeliveredHow does a freighter with committed buyers lose them before it is ever built?In research
- The promise
- A double-deck freighter for the world's biggest express carriers.
- The approach
- Reconstructs the order book from FedEx and UPS filings. Both companies cancelled ten freighters; the filings record when and how.
Working titles. Films on the research desk can change, merge or be dropped as the evidence comes in.
The first film is in research now.
Subscribe on YouTube to see it when it lands.