Round the world by amphibian Page 16

The Hunter’s secret war in Oman Page 60

RAAF 90th anniversary pilgrimage Page 100

BELOW: The Fighter Collection’s superbly restored Republic P-47G Thunderbolt, “42-25068”

Snafu, only recently repainted in the colours of the Duxford-based 78th Fighter Group, is a most appropriate exhibit at the

Imperial War Museum

Duxford.JARROD COTTER

Regulars 6 NEWS

All the latest preservation news, compiled by Tony Harmsworth

22 AIRCREW

James Kightly highlights the role of a Hawker P.1127 pilot. Illustration by Ian Bott

42 READERS’ ALBUM

Bryan Prosper’s pictures record the post-war destruction and component salvage of de Havilland Mosquitoes in the Middle East

84 SKYWRITERS

A selection of readers’ letters

88 Q&A, LOST & FOUND

Your questions asked, and answered, with Mike Hooks, while Philip Jarrett looks at an aircraft designed to fly to the North Pole

92 BOOK REVIEWS 94 GIFTS 96 EVENTS

Event listings for July and August

98 FLYING VISIT

Melvyn Hiscock quizzes former Fleet Air Arm pilot Capt A.J. “Spiv” Leahy

104 SERVICES AND NEXT

MONTH IN AEROPLANE 106 HAIRY MOMENT

Our regular spot for your historic aviation close calls

See pages 90-91 for a great subscription offer to offer to COVER IMAGE: Special features on the de Havilland Mosquito begin on page 34. JOHNM. DIBBS of the Plane Picture Company captured British Aerospace’s RR299 on camera in 1996.

Contents

August 2011 Vol 39 No 8 Issue No 460 (on sale Jun 28)

Features16FLIGHTOFTHEVULTURE

Following meticulous research and close co-operation with the families of each of the three crewmen, John WashingtonSmith tells the fascinating story of an epic round-the-world flight attempt in 1924

24 DEFENDERS OF THE

40 NEXT TO FLY

Jerry Yagen recently spoke to Tony Harmsworth about his soon-tofly Mosquito FB.26 for our latest In the Workshop report

46 TOY PARADISE

Jarrod Cotter visits the Hornby Visitor Centre to discover the history of Britain’s best-loved toys

NORTH WEST FRONTIER Martyn Chorlton describes the operations of 39 (Bomber) Sqn that earned the unit the Battle Honours North West Frontier 1930-31 and 1935-39, Mohmand 1933 and 1935

50 ESCAPING LIFE’S

GRAVITY Scott Germain flies two sorties with The Horsemen to understand what it takes to escape gravity and chase perfection in the classic North American P-51 Mustang

30 WINDY CITY

WARBIRDS Steve Lundin highlights the training available from Gauntlet Warbirds in Chicago

34 MOSQUITO FIGHTER SQN

In the spring of 1943 The Aeroplane was invited to visit 264 Sqn, which had been flying the de Havilland Mosquito for almost a year. Jarrod Cotter recounts what the reporters found

38 MOSQUITO DESIGN

TEAM Naming the team that designed the de Havilland Mosquito

60 “WATCH YER 6”

To mark the publication of Storm Front, his new book about Britain’s secret part in Oman’s unknown strategic bombing campaign during the 1970s, Rowland White provides an exclusive account of the decisive contribution made by the Hawker Hunter in bringing the conflict to a conclusion

100 RAAF PILGRIMAGE

James Kightly takes part in a great flying tribute to mark the Royal Australian Air Force’s 90th anniversary

DATABASE

In News

Thunderbolt unveiled Page 6

Pacific Mustang visits UK Page 8

Vulcan welcomed home Page 10

Geoffrey returns to Biggin Page 11

First War aerodrome fly-in Page 12

15PAGESOFDETAIL

696969696969 WESTLAND WELKININ

IN

69 WESTLAND WELKIN Tony Buttler tells the story of a pioneering high-altitude fighter which, fortunately, proved to be unnecessary titude fighter which fortunately,

WIN!WIN!

47 Competition Your chance to win one of five of Airfix’s brand-new 1:72-scale Vickers Valiant B.1 model kits 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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