Assassination attempt on Hitler Page 32

Requisitioned beauties Page 42

Merlin-engined Warhawk Page 50

BELOW: Supermarine Spitfire

Tr.IX SM520 in its previous colour scheme, representing

“BS147”/H-99 of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. It was sold by auction in this fully restored state to Steve Boultbee Brooks in April 2009.

At the recent launch of the Boultbee Flight Academy, which is now training private pilots to fly a Spitfire, three Battle of Britain veterans were treated to a flight in this two-seat Spitfire.

RICHARD PAVER

Regulars 6 NEWS

All the latest preservation news, compiled by Tony Harmsworth

22 AIRCREW

James Kightly examines a “fast-track” flying role. Illustration by Ian Bott

24 FROM THE ARCHIVES 64 SKYWRITERS

A selection of readers’ letters

86 BOOK REVIEWS

92 EVENTS

Event listings for September and October

94 FLYING VISIT

Melvyn Hiscock quizzes Gp Capt Tom Eeles, former RAF pilot and member of the Duxford Flying Control Committee

96 Q&A, LOST & FOUND

Your questions asked, and answered, with Mike Hooks, and Philip Jarrett provides readers’ answers to some recent conundrums

105 SERVICES AND NEXT

MONTH IN AEROPLANE 106 HAIRY MOMENT

Our regular spot for your historic aviation close calls

See page 90 for a great subscription offer to offer to COVER IMAGE: The Fighter Collection’s fabulous P-40F was photographed by JOHN M. DIBBS near Duxford on July 11, immediately after its air show debut at Flying Legends.

ContentsOctober2011Vol39No10IssueNo462(onsaleAug30)

16

Features

THE THIRD SHALL BE FIRST WITH THE TEMPEST Martyn Chorlton outlines the operations of 3 Sqn while flying the Tempest during the build-up to D-Day and the V1 campaign, which earned the unit the Battle Honours Fortress Europe 1942-44, Channel and North Sea 1941-45 and Normandy 1944

26

THE FLYING BULLS FROM HANGAR-7 Before the Flying Bulls collection made its UK debut at the Flying Legends air show in July, Steve Bridgewater went behind the scenes at the organisation’s stunning Hangar-7 headquarters

32

THE MAN WHO FLEW WITH STAUFFENBERG Alexander Steenbeck unravels the fascinating tale of the Luftwaffe crew who flew Oberst Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg back to Berlin after the assassination attempt on Hitler, with eyewitness accounts from one of them

40

FIRST WORLD WAR TIME CAPSULE Gary R. Brown reports on the great progress being made to restore Stow Maries

42

CIVVIES AT WAR In the UK at the outbreak of the Second World War, arrangements were made to requisition some 350 civil aircraft. What happened to them, and where did they go? Mike Hooks relates the stories of some of them

50

FABULOUS P-40 Rachel Morris recounts the history of The Fighter Collection’s recently-flown Merlin-engined Curtiss P-40F Warhawk

56

FLYING THE P-40F Robert “Cricket” Renner tells Steve Hinton what it is like to fly the Curtiss P-40F Warhawk

58

THE REIMS MILITARY MEETING: A WORLD FIRST Johnny de Uphaugh describes a significant event which took place in France 100 years ago, in the autumn of 1911. Illustrated with rare postcards from the author’s collection

98

THREE OF “THE FEW” FLY AGAIN At the recent launch of the Boultbee Flight Academy, which is now training private pilots to fly a Spitfire, three Battle of Britain veterans were treated to a flight in two-seat Tr.IX SM520. Words and pictures by Richard Paver

WIN!WIN!

41 Competition Your chance to win tickets to the Goodwood Revival – plus a day’s membership of the Aero Club, offering exclusive access to the gathering of Spitfires and their pilots

In News

Swordfish at Oshkosh Page 6

Another Me 262 flies Page 7

Viima back in the air Page 8

Aussie Anson progress Page 11

DATABASE

DATAD

Firefly ready for new markings Page 12

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AUDER

17PAGESOFDETAIL

69 MARTIN B-26 MARAUDER Although it was labelled with many unfair and unflattering names, none of which it deserved, the Martin B-26 Marauder quickly matured into one of the USAAF’s greatest combat aircraft, as Martyn Chorlton relates flattering names none 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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