December 1936

Volume 5 Number 9 (57 of 88)

This issue of Popular Flying magazine features NO “Biggles” story. The last “Biggles” story was published in the May 1934 issue

Contents

This issue runs from page 441 to page 496 (56 pages)

Page 442 – Contents Page

(The contents page is by a advert for British Aviation Insurance but does not have the usual aircraft related photograph with it)

Page 444 – Safety Fast – A photograph of the new “Army Co-operation Monoplane” built by the Westland Aircraft Company

Page 445 – The Editor’s Cockpit – W. E. Johns

(Not subtitled – Johns talks about a dispute that has arisen in the papers between Lord Swinton, the Secretary of State for Air, and Lord Nuffield, the Morris car manufacturer. As the what the actual dispute is, he doesn’t say …………)

Page 447 – German Aviation To-Day – by “Vigilant”

(“It was indeed fortunate for the leader of the National Socialist Party that his doctrines made an appeal to the last commander of the famous Richthofen Squadron, for it meant that he could lay his hand at once on a man to be put in charge of Germany’s aviation when he came into power. Hermann Goring now combines the supreme command of the newly constituted German Air Force with the portfolio of the Air Ministry, and under his direction every branch of aerial activity is co-ordinated for the benefit of the country’s aviation.”)

Page 450 – Atlantic Flying Boats – William Courtenay

Page 452 – Gliding – The Year’s Progress – J. R. Ashwell-Cooke (Founder and Vice-President of the London Gliding Club)

Page 456 – Crazy Cargoes – Edward Green

(This is an article about the carrying of air freight in Canada. “Tonnage means little; distance still less”)

Page 458 – Aerial Photography with Ordinary Hand Cameras – T. C. Worth

Page 460 – The Night Bombing of Adrianople – Further Events of No. 2 Wing R.N.A.S. in 1917 – Lieut. S. J. Wise

Page 462 – Where Am I? – (Author not credited)

(“New type of Cathode Ray Aircraft Direction Finder (visual) proves successful in tests conducted by U.S. Coast-guard”)

Page 464 – Who’s Who in World Aviation I – Anthony Fokker

(Anthony Herman Gerard Fokker was born on 6^th April 1890 and taught himself to fly in a machine which he designed and constructed himself. He was born in Java but his parents returned to Holland when he was 4 years old. After designing and flying his own plane he offered his services to various countries, including Britain, who turned him down. Eventually he won a competition in Germany and the German Government secured his services. He established a factory with a flying school and this small undertaking with only 30 hands, grew into a big industrial undertaking. He had been established barely a year when the Great War broke out. Between the years 1914 and 1918 Fokker designed no fewer than 40 different types of aircraft. In addition to designing aeroplanes, Fokker solved the problem of firing with a machine-gun between the propeller blades by designing a gun which synchronised the engine and the gun. After the war, Fokker returned to Holland and concentrated on commercial aircraft.

From 1919 - 1936 about 1,200 complete aeroplanes were manufactured in the Fokker factories at Amsterdam and many more under licence abroad – he went on to die in New York on 23^rd December 1939 from meningitis)

Page 466 – Flying Wires – News from Far and Near

(One news item is “The new Vickers twin-engined monoplane adapted by the R.A.F. as a bomber, is to be called the WELLINGTON)

Pages 468 and 469 – The Centre Pages – Thunder Over The Desert

Page 470 – Facing Death in the Never – Never of Australia – Charles Kennett

(An account of an outbreak of smallpox in the Northern Territory and the Queenland Government’s efforts to get vaccine to the area)

Page 472 – A High – Wing Monoplane – Edward Sherbourne

(This is the authors design for a model plane that readers can built themselves)

Page 476 – Taking the Guesswork out of Weather Forecasts – Linton Eccles

Page 478 – Bright Moments in a Wartime Training Squadron – P. C. Hoyle

(An account of a Camel with the slogan “Help to buy another one like this!” written on the side flying down “to a town somewhere in Herefordshire” where after stunting, the pilot manages to crash his plane before the gathered crowds have a chance to read the message!)

Page 480 – The Aviation Bookshelf

(Five books are reviewed (and one periodical) – including “Blue Blood Runs Red” by John Earlie (W. E. Johns)

“The object of most book reviews is to encourage you to buy the book. The object of this one is to discourage you – at least, that is what it amount to. Such were my instructions …………….. J.C. E.”) (John’s son)

Page 482 – Slipstream

(This consists of various short news items)

Page 484 – An advert by Oxford University Press for ‘Biggles & Co.’ and ‘Biggles in Africa’

(This is the first advert by Oxford University Press that I have seen)

Page 496 – The Buyers’ Log

Inside Back Cover – “Select your CHRISTMAS PRESENTS from JOHN HAMILTON’S Aviation Catalogue

(16 John Hamilton books are advertised with their dust jackets illustrated. These include two W. E. Johns books –

‘Fighting Planes and Aces’ and ‘The Pictorial Flying Course’ which he co-wrote with Flight – Lieutenant H. M. Schofield)

Click here to see a much larger picture of the cover artwork – the artist is Howard Leigh

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