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HAWKER HUNTER:
Hunting high and low - Hawker’s seasoned chief designer Sydney Camm tackled the jet age in the same way he approached most tasks: through evolution, perfecting each advance to the next type. After a series of progressive jet prototypes were launched, the P.1067 made its debut flight on July 20,1951. The resulting production aircraft became the most successful British jet fighter in history. With artwork from Andy Hay and rarely-seen images, Bertie Simmonds celebrates the rise of Hawker’s legendary Hunter
Regulars:
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What's New - The latest aviation products receive the FlyPast verdict
The Buzz - Significant historic airframes on the move from Manchester; Canberra flies in Australia; Junkers Ju 52 located off Rhodes, and much more
Restoration scene - Hawker Typhoon to be restored at Duxford; rare helicopter completed for museum display; Lancaster Just Jane in wing swap, and lots more
Features:
Valour over Vietnam - Don Kilgus served as a Wild Weasel’ pilot in Vietnam, but should he also be credited with 118 making the first air-to-air MiG ‘kill’ of that conflict? Bertie
Gallery of Ghosts - A portfolio of images from the lens of legendary warbird photographer Philip Makanna
Struggle for Rabaul - An extract from Thomas McKelvey Cleaver’s superb book Under the Southern Cross, which profiles a South Pacific air campaign from both US and Japanese perspectives
The 1,000th mission - Chris Goss describes the fate of a Luftwaffe reconnaissance crew. Simmonds investigates who had the distinction of flying a milestone mission for their unit
Luftwaffe oddity - Among the more unusual aircraft to emerge from wartime Germany was the asymmetric Blohm und Voss BV 141. Malcolm V Lowe describes its development and fate
Aircraft carriers - a history - Chris Croot continues his delve into aircraft carrier history, covering the period of the Korean War and the Vietnam conflict
Biggin Hill's workshop - The famous airfield’s Heritage Hangar is always bustling with activity. Darren Harbar visited the former Battle of Britain station to report on progress
Night Witches - An all-female Russian bomber regiment overcame the odds to strike fear into their Nazi prey. Tara Leggett tells their story
FlyPost - Readers’ letters
Lightning war - Donald Nijboer outlines the use of the distinctive P-38 Lightning in World War Two’s Pacific campaign
Above and beyond - Graham Pitchfork reflects on the bravery of 19-year-old air observer Jack Strain in World War Two
FRONT COVER: P-38 Lightning Glacier Girl photographed by lensman Philip Makanna. See page 98
This month we’ve got all the hot-shots in the magazine. Our cover and an XL gallery feature has been filled by legendary US air-to-air photographer Phil Makanna, who we reckon is the finest airborne lensman ever. Phil is so dedicated to his art that, as you may recall, he once ran back to a crashed and burning T.6 Harvard to rescue his camera bag, having first pulled his pilot to safety. That was at Duxford back in 2001, a place he describes a: ’’the centre of the world for aviation enthusiasts like myself - a very spiritual place.” Read all about Mr Makanna and check out his sensational images from page 98.
Top British A2A shooter Darren Harbar has kept his feet on the ground this month, and visited the amazing Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar to record the excellent work that goes on there. Meanwhile, we’ve got an enthralling excerpt from Thomas McKelvey Cleaver’s 2021 book Under the Southern Cross, which offers a fascinating insight into the aerial battles in the South Pacific during World War Two. Few tell a tale as well as Mr Cleaver and his deep knowledge and meticulous research make his books among the most authoritative available.
But that’s just scratching the surface of this issue. If variety really is the spice of life, you’d better have your Gaviscon ready for this eclectic edition, packed as it is with other diverse aircraft, aviators and anecdotes. These include everything from the exploits of Russia’s courageous and skilled female ‘Night Witch’ pilots and the bizarre lop-sided German BV141 to the classic Hawker Hunter and the ballsy Vietnam pilot, Don Kilgus, whose legend deserves a retelling.
I hope you enjoy it.
