AUGUST 1932
Volume
1 Number 5 (5 of 88)
This issue of Popular Flying magazine features the “Biggles” story
The Blue Devil
Contents
This issue runs from page 257 to page 312 (56 pages)
Page 259 – Contents Page
(The style of the contents page has now changed so the contents
are divided into ‘Fiction’ and then ‘Fact Articles’ and then ‘Pictures’)
Page 262 – The Editor’s Cockpit – W.
E. Johns
(A paragraph at the end informs readers that the plan to give
them free flights has had to be shelved)
Page 264 – The Volunteer – ‘Icarus’
Page 266 – Finland
to the Cape – Capt. Bremer
Page 268 – What would Drake say?
Page 269 - Knights of the
Air : Baron Manfred von Richthofen
(This two page article was written by W E Johns and gives details about
the famous Baron’s 80 victories in the First World War. In April 1917 he shot down 30 planes in 30
days! He concentrated on attacking two
seaters coming over the German lines and advised always to go for the man, not
the machine – but with a two seater you have to get the rear gunner first, not
the pilot. He himself was shot down and
killed on 21st May 1918 – states this article – but this must be an
error as future articles confirm he was killed on 21st April 1918)
Page 272 – British Flying Schools No. 5 National Flying Services,
Hanworth
Page 274 – The Blue
Devil – A “Biggles” Story – William Earle
This Biggles story continues on page 275.
The illustrations are by Howard Leigh.
William Earle was, of course, a pseudonym for W. E. Johns, his
first names being William Earl (without the ‘e’)
In August 1932 this story was published in the first Biggles
book – “The Camels are Coming”
Page 276 – A Day in the life of a Moth
Page 279 – Women and Air – Hon. Mrs. Victor Bruce
Page 282 – The Lost
Oasis (click here
to see the article)
This article is about the Lost Oasis of Zenzura
and the possible recent discovery of it.
Fans of the Biggles books will know that this Lost Oasis was the basis
for the story in
“Biggles Flies South” and cheekily, W. E. Johns even has Ginger saying he read about
the Lost Oasis in “Popular Flying” and another character reads quotes from this
article!
Page 283 (due to a
typesetting error this is printed as Page 83) – Planes of History – The Fokker
Triplane
(Baron Manfred von Richthofen was killed on 21st May
1918 flying one of these – states this article – but this must again be an
error as future articles confirm he was killed on 21st April 1918)
Pages 284 and 285 - The Centre Pages – an illustration by W. E. Johns – Intercepted!
Page 287 – Falcons of France – A Thrilling Serial of War in the
Air – Charles Nordhoff and J. N. Hall
Page 290 – Believe it or Not! – Some Modern Aircraft of Unorthodox
Design
Page 292 – My Most Thrilling Flight – “Brevet”
(This account was published in 1936 in the book ‘Thrilling
Flights’ as the 6th of 20 accounts.
Johns adds a note that the writer of this article has to ”appear
under a nom de plume for reasons which will readily be appreciated by readers
who are acquainted with service regulations” and he has only allowed this
“because the writer is known to me and I can vouch for the truth of the story
in its essentials”).
Page 295 – Where to Fly
Page 296 – The Motoring Airman
Page 299 – SHELL advert that lists “some of the greatest Pioneer
Flights in which Shell are proud to have participated”
Page 300 – It’s a Gift
(A short article about “The Modern Aircraft” – a book where you
can lift up flaps and see what is underneath the aircraft. To be given away free – “you will find a
postcard ready for posting at the end of this issue of POPULAR FLYING”. Not surprisingly ……….. there isn’t one in my
copy!)
Page 301 – Shots from New Films
Page 302 – Told on the Tarmac
Page 304 – Round the Schools and Clubs
Page 308 – Air Post Stamps – Francis J. Field
Page 311 – The Buyers’ Log – Aircraft for Sale – Where to Fly –
Opportunities
Inside the back cover there is a John Hamilton advert for German
War Birds (illustrated with a picture of Manfred von Richthofen) and the advert
also includes The Pictorial Flying Course by H. M. Schofield and W. E. Johns and for back issues of the
first two issues of Popular Flying Magazine “price 8d per copy, post free”.
Click here to see a much larger picture of
the cover artwork – the artist is uncredited
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