At the heart of aviation heritage

December 2011

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Features

Spitfire Hero
Barry Marsden profiles pilot John van Schaick whose bravery in pressing home his attacks soon won him fame.

Mustang Top Gun
Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise is a proud P-51D Mustang owner. Michael O’Leary tells the story of Kiss Me Kate.

Lightning ‘Mayday’
EE Lightning pilot John Walmsley received more than he bargained for from a Victor tanker.

Warbird Photography
David Leininger goes air-to-air for a special photography workshop.


Regulars
Roundels File
David Howley examines the aviation heraldry of Sweden.

Airshow
Reports from displays at Goodwood and Leuchars, plus overseas action from Tannkosh and Leeuwarden in Europe, and Abbotsford in Canada.

FlyPost and ‘Ops’ Board
Bumper bag of readers’ letters and comments, plus dates for your diary.

From The Workshop – Mary Alice
Steve Beebee checks up on progress with the conservation of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Mary Alice at Duxford.

Finals
Hawker Cygnet G-CAMM silhouetted against an autumn moon.

News
Shturmovik flies
Fury racer returns to the sky
Gate guard Phantom
Debut flight for Fokker D.VII
Sea Vampire restoration
Ulster Canberra comes home

Pearl Harbor – a series of articles to mark the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.

Cleared To Land
A flight of B-17s was inbound to Hickam Field, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941 – but so were Japanese ‘Zeros’.

Warhawk Revenge
Michael O’Leary describes the P-40’s part in countering the Japanese attack.

60 Minutes Over Pearl
Andrew Thomas tells how Curtiss P-36 pilots were startled into action amid the chaos of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

FlyPast Spotlight - de Havilland Vampire

Origin and History
A look back at the history of de Havilland’s unorthodox jet design.

Contemporaries Compared
We compare the Vampire to two other post-war fighters.

Men Behind the Vampire
The careers of two of the men at the sharp end of the de Havilland jet’s development.

Vampire in Profile
Pete West artwork of a Swedish Air Force Vampire J 28A.

Inside the Vampire
Cutaway artwork of a DH Vampire.

In Combat
Andrew Thomas explains how RAF and Rhodesian Vampires helped to quell tribal unrest in Aden.

Warriors
A portfolio of preserved Vampires from around the world.

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