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S
PECIAL SOUVENIR ISSUE
January
2022
Issue
No 585,
Vol
50, No 1
70
YEARS
ON
HISTORY IN THE AIR SINCE 1911
THE YEAR BRITISH
AVIATION TOOK OFF
Comet service entry • Shaping the ‘V-Force’
• Secret RB-45 missions • All-weather fighter battle
PLUS
WW1’S GREATEST
FIGHTING SCOUT?
Sopwith Camel in detail
www.
DREAMING OF A
FLIGHT CHRISTMAS…
Prize quiz and review of the year
9 770143 724156
JANUARY 2022
£5.49
01
Contents
January 2022
See pages
28-29
for a g
reat
subscription
off er
32
80
50
73
118
W
IN
!
NEWS AND
COMMENT
FROM THE EDITOR
NEWS
• Italy-bound P-40 flies in NZ
• Aussie Hurricane to Britain
• Ownership change for BAE historics?
…and the month’s other top aircraft
preservation news
16
WORKSHOP
One of the next Spitfires in line for
restoration in the Biggin Hill Heritage
Hangar is a fascinating combat veteran
20
HANGAR TALK
Steve Slater’s comment on the historic
aircraft world
22
FLIGHT LINE
Reflections on aviation history with
Denis J. Calvert
4
8
£100 KEY SHOP
VOUCHER
and a
YEAR’S
AEROPLANE
SUBSCRIPTION
See pages 136-137
80
STAMPE TEAM
Biplane formation and aerobatic
elegance from a classic airshow act
88
AEROPLANE
MEETS…
MARK DISCOMBE
His tour as officer commanding the
BBMF complete, ‘Disco’ looks back on
32 years in the RAF, and counting
99
DATABASE:
SOPWITH CAMEL
The greatest Allied
scout of the 1914-18
war? Matthew Willis
details the aircraft
that’s often the
subject of that claim
IN
SERVICE
FEATURES
32
BRITISH AIRLINERS
As Britain welcomed a
new Queen, so it stole
a march in commercial
aviation
42
‘V FORCE’
A pivotal year for the ‘V-bomber’ triad
and its weapons
50
RB 45 OVERFLIGHTS
Heralding a new era in aerial
reconnaissance of the USSR
58
KING’S CUP AIR RACE
The old favourites still held sway on the
air racing scene
62
ALL WEATHER FIGHTERS
The battle between DH110 and Javelin
hots up
73
FINNISH BLENHEIM SHOOTDOWN
A fateful mission, and the crewman
who visited his own grave
DA
TABASE
F1 Camel B6299 was
flown by
with ‘B’ Flight, No 10 Naval Flt Lt Norman MacGregor
On
the Western
his final two aerial victories. Squadron when he scored
It was then transferred
Front
to a
training unit at Chingford.
CHRIS SANDHAM
No
Right from
the outset
the Camel
of its service
proved a
formidable ,
adversary
Sopwith-bu
Flights, No ilt F1s of ‘A’ and
8 Naval
their Mont-Saint Squadron, ‘B’
at
-Éloi
Pas-de-Cala base in the
is.
KEY COLLECTION
18
IN DEPTH
PAGES
SO
PWITH
CAMEL
WORDS:
MATTHEW WILLIS
106
www.Key.A
ero
Brooke-Po
BAILEY
6 Naval Squadron
pham’s report.
pilots trying
“ e
replaced
its
in
have ever
Pups with Belgium
inclined
to the Camel were
flown.’
the
spring
Camels in
think the
is pilot on
of
being attacked
machine
more
diffi
fi
rst active 1917. is was the
cult
attempt to
by three and from above, first
British squadron
had
less climb,to fly and that it
stay and fi
the
front to
ght it” and
concluded
on
speed, etc
it
,
machines then by four Hun
use a scout
the
Pup but
, “On
than
simultaneo
forward-fi
with twin
appears justifi the whole it
after
twin
ring
able to dodge
usly was
flights
of Camels composite
able
56
Squadron’s guns, beating No
that this machine to assume
No
greatest ease them with the
and Pups
SE5s by
of weeks.
had
will be in
first rank
Moreover, a matter
them down. and shot one of
the
as
rather than
the
SE5’s
e machine
whole of thisa fighting type for the
than
single Vickers
dives
year.”
Lewis gun
It was not
on the upper plus a
unmitigate
the
Camel
news, although
e appeara
d good
came armed plane,
nce of the
the complaints
close-set,
Front
was
with two
were minor.
fast-firing,
Camel on
timely
ere were some
belt-fed
belt-fed
Vickers
guns,
the Western
difficulties
Western
with machine
the
first scout and was therefore
jamming,
to match
but progress guns
firepower
the heavy
on solving
heavy
the
been
out
them “by was made
seaters
had German single-
together,
means” A
enjoyed since
. great stridesimple
they are
unanimou
are
Albatros D.I
the
the
synchronis
s in preferring
with the
very fast and
former.
ation of machine
the
the
previous appeared in August
August
had been
with a Hun has caught up
guns
year.
made the
“One
experience
scout on a
previous
e
first 10
year with
dive which
vertical
d pilot on
the
being asked
of
the RNAS days’ active service
started 4,000
Colley ‘CC’ Constantinescu-
lower down.
squadron
feet
machine
if the Camel was a
gear. Unfortunat
Camel were,
with the
So far it is
which inspired
the ability
machine
ely,
to
with confi
which can the only
satisfactory
“On the whole, very
dence, replied him
guns with synchronise two
out dive a
Hun.”
” according
,
CC gear had
not
until I
did
to Robert
Robert
met a Hun, ‘It did
achieved
not been
He added,
at that
thought
it
then
No
226 Squadron
“Apparentl
the best machineI
Camels relied time, so early
Huns are
y the
on a mechanica
Camels lined
impressed
at Taranto’s
I
system.
lined
with it
because now
Pizzone aerodrome up
l
e Sopwith-K
during 1918. Pizzone aerodrome up
they make
was developed
auper gear
KEY
COLLECTION
no
an Australian by Harry Kauper,
who had
come to
“
Development
Technical Details
In
Service
Insights
”
Capt A. H. ‘Harry’ Cobby,
the famed 29-victory Camel
4 Squadron, Australian
ace with No
Flying Corps, used this
all-white Nieuport &
General Aircraft-built
F1 —
Feather
— as an instructor with serial C42 and the name
The White
at the Central Flying School.
KEY COLLECTION
AEROPLANE
JANUARY
2022
IN DEPTH
PAGES
18
www.Key.Aero
99
AEROPLAN
E
JANUARY
2022
118
CAMEL VERSUS D.VII
Sopwith and Fokker adversaries from
the First World War compared in the
modern day
REGULARS
24
SKYWRITERS
26
Q&A
Your questions asked and answered
96
PERSONAL ALBUM
Lovely colour images of classic US fire-
bombers
138
NEXT MONTH
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
128
PRESERVATION REVIEW
Rounding up the past year’s key events
on the historic aircraft scene
132
REVIEWS
Another bumper selection of books
and products
136
CHRISTMAS PRIZE QUIZ
Test your aviation history knowledge
See
page 6
for
details
Your Aviation Destination
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE
COVER IMAGES:
A selection of classic British, or
British-operated, aircraft that hit the headlines in 1952.
COLOURISED BY RICHARD JAMES MOLLOY
AEROPLANE
JANUARY 2022
www.Key.Aero
3
Editor
W
hat counts as a truly
they would carry being defined, and
momentous year in
the threats they would face becoming
aviation? It is, to some
ever greater. In reconnaissance, the
extent, hard to single
highly secret missions over the Soviet
individual ones out. Progress occurs
Union by RAF crews in US Air Force
over time, such is the nature of
RB-45s marked the start of a new age of
development; for instance, each of
co-operation, and of more provocative
1914-18 and 1939-45 can be considered
overflights that would continue until
epoch-making as the demands of
the loss of Gary Powers’ U-2 eight years
war spurred ever greater advances,
later. And the contest to supply the RAF
but would you choose one of those
with a new all-weather fighter reached a
years above any of the others as
crucial juncture.
representing a turning-point? I’m not
In our celebratory section, we analyse
sure. Obviously, the dawn of controlled, all these events, examining them
powered, heavier-than-air flight in
with the benefit of seven decades’
1903 has to rate as such. Move forward
hindsight. For the UK’s aircraft industry,
several decades, and 1969 saw so many
1952 was a year like few others, and if
significant events coalescing — the
international co-operation would prove
maiden flights of Concorde and the
eventually to be the way ahead, it’s
Boeing 747, service entry of the Harrier,
insightful to indulge in some informed
the moon landings
nostalgia for a time
— that it deserves
when Britain had a
a similar place in
genuine claim to world-
For the UK’s
the pantheon. But
leading status in the
which other genuine
aircraft industry,
skies.
candidates are there?
For this issue, we’ve
And that’s not all
1952 was a year
selected 1952 as such
that’s special about
like few others
a year, for British
this edition. With a
aviation at least.
round-up of 2021 on
Examining the events
the preservation scene,
that took place, not least when set
a bumper selection of book reviews
against the backdrop of Queen
for last-minute gift ideas, and a quiz
Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne,
in which you can win a £100 Key Shop
it can be seen as symbolic of a new age
voucher and a year’s free subscription
dawning. Let’s consider the evidence.
to this magazine, we’re delighted to
e start of jet-powered airline travel
bring you some extra reading for the
alone, courtesy BOAC with its brand-
festive season. Hopefully, more of you
new Comet 1s, elevates 1952 to a special will be able to enjoy it with your loved
status straight away. It wasn’t a lead
ones than was possible 12 months
Britain would hold for long, but after
ago. But, however you spend it, all of
the award of the Comet’s certificate of
us at
Aeroplane
thank you for your
airworthiness — the event that marks
support in 2021, and send our very best
the starting-point of our anniversary
wishes for Christmas and the new year.
special — air travel would never be
We’re looking forward to making your
the same again. It was also a key year
favourite magazine even better during
in shaping the RAF’s ‘V-force’ two of
,
the course of 2022.
the three new bomber types taking to
the air for the first time, the weapons
Ben Dunnell
From
the
CONNECT WITH
AEROPLANE…
www.facebook.com/AeroplaneMonthly
@HistoryInTheAir
CONTRIBUTORS THIS MONTH
BRUCE HALES-DUTTON
Says Bruce, “1952. What a
year! What a story! I just
wish I had a fraction of the
ability to tell it as well as
the aviation commentators
of the day. How they
enlivened our austerity
breakfasts with tales of the
world-leading successes
being achieved by Britain’s
aircraft builders. What a pity that it was only half
the story. Sadly, there was another side to it which
only started to become clear a few years later.
But it was good while it lasted.”
JOHN LANHAM
Now one of New Zealand’s
most experienced historic
aircraft display pilots, John
served in the Royal New
Zealand Air Force for more
than a quarter of a century,
flying the Vampire,
Canberra, Strikemaster and
A-4 Skyhawk as an
operational pilot, and
instructing on the Harvard, Devon, Strikemaster
and Skyhawk. He retired as a wing commander in
1987, and has since pursued a varied civilian
career. Part of that involves flying the outstanding
World War One aircraft reproductions built and
operated by The Vintage Aviator Ltd.
“
”
MATTHEW WILLIS
The author of this month’s
Database on the Sopwith
Camel, Matthew received a
Biggles
omnibus for
Christmas at the age of
eight and has never looked
back. Those books spurred
a fascination with First
World War aviation,
especially Sopwith’s
waspish scout. In 2010 he left a career in
journalism and media relations to write aviation
fiction and non-fiction, often with a naval flavour,
and his titles include works on the Sopwith Pup,
Bristol Scout and Fairey Flycatcher.
DR KEVIN WRIGHT
The ‘Jiu Jitsu’ RB-45
operations collected vital
radar reconnaissance data
on Soviet bomber airfields
and other high-value
targets in 1952. “It was in
the British interest”, says
Kevin, “as they enabled the
targeting of Soviet airfields
most likely to be used in a
nuclear attack on the UK, and in the US interest
because, in its early nuclear war plans, Strategic
Air Command would use its British bases to
launch its own nuclear strikes against the USSR.
These daring overflights established the pattern
for future deep reconnaissance and targeting co-
ordination between the two.”
ESTABLISHED 1911
Aeroplane
traces its lineage back to the weekly
The Aeroplane,
founded by C. G. Grey in 1911 and published until 1968. It was
relaunched as a monthly in 1973 by Richard T. Riding, editor for 25
years until 1998.
4
www.Key.Aero
AEROPLANE
JANUARY 2022

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