3 EDITOR’S LETTER
6 AIR CORRESPONDENCE
10 DARK BLUE JETS
Professor Keith Hayward FRAeS takes an in-depth look at the political and industrial manœuvring behind the development of the Fleet Air Arm’s “big three” Cold War jet fighters — Scimitar, Sea Vixen and Buccaneer
24 HENSCHEL’S EVIL TWIN IN NORTH AFRICA
In 1942 Henschel’s formidable twin-engined tankbuster, the Hs 129, entered Luftwaffe service and was soon in the thick of the action in North Africa. Dr Andrew Arthy chronicles the somewhat mixed fortunes of the potent Panzerjäger in Libya and Tunisia during 1942–43
38 THE RACING BUS!
When KLM Douglas DC-2 Uiver placed second in the1934 UK — Australia MacRobertson Trophy Air Race, it was, according to author James D. Kightly, tantamount to “a new bus coming second at Le Mans, having also called at the regular bus stops”. He explains its significance
52 “AN INTERESTING NEW UNIT . . .
”In late 1940 Bill “Johnnie” Johnson became one of the first group of Army soldiers to be selected for glider training. With the help of material kept by his granddaughter Pam Hardy, he takes us through the early days of establishing tactics for this new method of warfare
60 AIRMAIL SPECIAL!
The advance of rocket technology during the Second World War led not only to its post-war use for missiles and spaceflight, but also for some interesting civil applications, including France’s work on the “fusée postale” — mail rocket — as Jean-Christophe Carbonel explains
70 SPITFIRE SUMMER . . ?
Ah, the azure skies of 1940, when the vastly outnumbered “Few” took on the Luftwaffe in their unbeatable Spitfires while the Hurricanes plodded after the bombers — or so go several Battle of Britain myths. But how well do these clichés stand up to scrutiny? Andy Saunders investigates
84 GULFSTREAMING II
Following his recollections of flying the Gulfstream I turboprop for car company Ford in TAH45, Brian J. Turpin MRAeS recalls a hair-raising incident while flying its successor, the jet-powered state-of-the-art Gulfstream II
92 BUSH BABY: THE FLEET MODEL 50 FREIGHTER
Often sidelined for its chubby cartoonish looks, the Canadian Fleet Freighter fulfilled a very specific role as a rugged, adaptable bush transport. Keith Simpson traces the development and careers of the five examples built
104 THE CANBERRA BOMB SCANDAL
When the English Electric Canberra entered RAF service in 1951, it could fly higher and further than any other bomber in the world; as Dave Forster reveals, however, there was a problem with the bombs it was to carry . . .
114 WINGS OVER PERU: THE CAPRONI Ca.100
Amaru Tincopa tells the story of the Ca.100 biplane trainer, the only aircraft to be designed and built by the Italo-Peruvian manufacturer FNA Caproni Peruana
124 BELGIUM’S AFRICAN SUPERBASE
Offering perfect flying weather all year round, Belgium’scolony in the Congo provided the ideal location for a central African “superbase” for the Belgian Air Force’s pilot training programme. Leif Hellström details the history of the massive Kamina complex during 1949–60
136 THE ARGOSY IN AMERICA
First flying in January 1959, Britain’s Armstrong Whitworth AW.650 Argosy found immediate favour with American cargo specialist Riddle Airlines, which put the type to work on its LOGAIR routes, as Clive Richards relates
150 PUSS MOTH: DIVIDING THE DOMINIONS
Digging deep into the archives on three continents, Dr Peter Hobbins explores how structural failures suffered by de Havilland D.H.80 Puss Moths in the 1930s became a controversial airworthiness issue across the British Empire
162 NAILING IT!
Using first-hand accounts from former USAF Bronco pilot Darrel Whitcomb, Bill Cahill describes the vital role played by Pave Nail North American OV-10As, specially modified for night and laser-designation work, in the Vietnam war
170 KING OF THE SHUTTERBUGS
American photographer Harold G. Martin — “Marty” —was responsible for some of the most memorable aviation images published in the last 70 years; his friend Peter J.Marson and Greg Smith revisit some examples of his art
176 SHORTS SHAMBLES Mk 2?
Short Bros’ unlovely Seamew is universally regarded as an aeronautical “duck egg” — yet, as Chris Gibson discovers, there were plans for a Mk 2. Was it redeemable?
180 TOWARDS THE STRATOSPHERE
By the mid-1930s the benefits of high-altitude flying —avoiding the weather and increased efficiency — were well known. To find out more, the US Army Air Corps embarked on an ambitious research programme into aircraft cabin pressurisation. Edward M. Young charts its progress
192 NORSE POWER
Rob Mulder takes a look at the pioneering air service established between Oslo and Haugesund in 1934 by Viggo Widerøe and his business partners, laying the ground work for Norway’s oldest airline, still extant today
206 SEA EAGLE
Continuing their series on British aerial weapons, Chris Gibson and technical artist Ian Bott join forces to examine the genesis, development and service history of BAe Dynamics’ Sea Eagle anti-shipping weapon
220 MALTA: THE DAY THEY GOT THE OXYGEN PLANT
December 30, 1941: Luftwaffe bombers pound the vitalradio towers and oxygen plant on Malta — no oxygen forpilots, no air defence of the island. RAF technician RobertWalker was there and recalls what happened next
226 WINDS OF CHANGE: ZAMBIA AIRWAYS
Maurice Wickstead traces the family tree that starts with a band of small operators in Southern Rhodesia in the1930s, progressing through Central African Airways in the1940s and 1950s to Zambia Airways in the mid-1960s
240 ARMCHAIR AVIATION
245 LOST & FOUND
246 FIELD OF GOLD
While sorting through the TAH photographic archive, Editor Nick Stroud uncovered a collection of intriguing images taken at an event at Farnborough in July 1955.What was it? Enter the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust . . .
130 OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
