In News

Battle Honours

Page 44 On board HMS Fencer Page 102

BELOW: A wintry scene of the Hawker Hurricane “gate guard” in the grounds of St George’s Royal Air Force Chapel of Remembrance at Biggin Hill, Kent, on February 10 this year following a heavy overnight snowfall. As well as being a

Chapel in its own right, holding weekend services, St George’s is also a very popular visitor attraction. It is located a very short distance from

Aeroplane’s headquarters offices at Cudham. JARROD COTTER

Royal Ro.37 unveiled Page 7

Harriers go on show Page 8

Beaufighter restoration Page 11

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NEWS All the latest preservation news, compiled by Tony Harmsworth

WIN! WIN!WIN! CompetitionYourchancetowina fantastic selection of rare James H. Doolittle signed items

AIRCREW James Kightly focuses on the role of Spitfire photographicreconnaissance pilots, who flew solo, unarmed, at altitude and in radio silence for up to seven hours and had to navigate by precise dead reckoning. Illustration by Ian Bott SKYWRITERS A selection of readers’ letters

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FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM Gary R. Brown presents the first in our new “Museum Spotlight” series, taking critical looks at aviation museums BOOK REVIEWS AND GIFTS EVENTS Event listings for April and May 2012 FLYING VISIT Ed Shipley talks about his aviation career Q&A, LOST & FOUND Your questions asked, and answered, with Mike Hooks, while Philip Jarrett seeks information concerning recently discovered general-arrangement drawings from the Miles company archives depicting two unbuilt projects

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HOOKS’ TOURS This month’s selection from veteran photographer Mike Hooks shows a variety of United States Air Force Boeing tankers and weather aircraft in Europe during the 1950s READERS’ ALBUM HMS Fencer was one of 11 Attacker-Class escort carriers supplied to the Royal Navy from 1942. These official photographs are from the late Sam Fitt, who served on Fencer during the North Atlantic, Russia and Gibraltar convoys SERVICES AND NEXT MONTH IN AEROPLANE HAIRY MOMENT Our regular spot for your historic-aviation close calls

B.E.2 centenary

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French C-47 to fly

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established 1911

Aeroplane traces its lineage back to the weekly The Aeroplane, founded by the legendary C.G. Grey in 1911 and published until 1968. It was relaunched as a monthly magazine in 1973 by Richard T. Riding (Editor for 25 years until 1998)

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