When the going gets tough, the tough write things on a list; herewith the best of Flightglobal’s 2014 news-inspired best-evers:

Top 10 last-minute aviation Christmas gifts on eBay

This festive season, why brave the shops when you can shop from the comfort of your home? Aviation-inspired gifts abound, but some are not recommended for readers on fixed or – even normal – incomes.

Wing Flap desk

Airbus wing flap office desk

Endangered species: Our Top 10 rare military aircraft

Publication of our annual World Air Forces directory led us to pose the question, what are the rarest machines still in military service?

Skyvan

Shorts SC.7 Skyvan

Peter Foster

Rotor club: Our top 10 most influential helicopters

To mark the maiden flight of the Bell Helicopter 505 Jet Ranger X, we ran down a (entirely subjective) list of the most influential helicopters of all time, presented here in order of age.

VS-300

Sikorsky VS-300

Sikorsky

Robospace: Star moments in robotic space exploration

At the end of a week that saw the European Space Agency turn heads the world over by achieving the first soft landing on a comet, we looked at the most dazzling achievements in five decades of robotic space exploration.

Saturn by Cassini 600

Saturn, by Cassini

NASA/ESA

Good neighbours: Our Top 10 Anglo-French aviation projects

In the week that the UK and France advanced their ambitions to test a jointly-developed unmanned future combat air system, we looked at notable examples of Anglo-French aerospace collaboration.

Caravelle - Rex Features

Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle

Rex Features

Unforgiving void: Spaceflight tragedies remembered

Following a sobering week in spaceflight that saw the fatal Virgin Galactic crash and a spectacular but non-fatal launch failure of an uncrewed International Space Station resupply mission, we remembered those astronauts who have perished in the pursuit of humankind’s loftiest – or at least highest-altitude – ambition.

Soyuz 11 crew - stamp USSR

Soyuz 11 crew

FLYERS OF SCOTLAND: Scotland's top 10 contributions to aviation

Following the Scottish vote on independence on 18 September, Flightglobal celebrated 10 contributions the saltire nation has made to the world of aviation.

Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell

Rex Features

Big in Japan: Tokyo’s Top 10 aircraft projects

To mark the historic roll-out of the Mitsubishi MRJ, Japan’s first new indigenous airliner in half a century, we rounded up some of the nation’s other high-profile aerospace products.

ShinMaywa US-2

ShinMaywa US-2

Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force

Kings of the swingers: Top 13 swing-wing aircraft

As the operators of Europe’s Panavia Tornado marked the 40th anniversary of its first flight, we brought together a baker’s dozen of variable geometry aircraft – most of which made it into operational service.

Tu-22

Tupolev Tu-22

Rex Features

After 'Boris Island': 10 other airport follies

The UK's Airports Commission rejected a plan for a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary. We couldn’t resist this list of airports that never were, fell short of expectations or are still waiting for the go-ahead.

Prestwick airport feature

Prestwick, Scotland

Rex Features

Source: FlightGlobal.com