July
1937
Volume
6 Number 4 (64 of 88)
ROYAL
AIR FORCE DISPLAY NUMBER
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 133 to page 252 (80 pages)
Inside Front Cover – An Advert for the Bristol Aeroplane Co. Ltd. Featuring the “Blenheim Bomber”
Page 178 – Contents Page
(The contents page is by an advert for British Airways – “Popular Flying to Popular Paris!”)
Page
180 – Riding the Storm – A photograph of the aircraft carrier ‘Glorious’ being
carried high on a rising wave
Page
181 – The Editor’s Cockpit – W. E. Johns
(Not
subtitled – Johns talks about the Hindenburg disaster (which occurred on 6th
May 1937) and also mentions that this issue of Popular Flying – at 80 pages –
is the largest ever. Johns comments on
a recent Cabinet reshuffle and speculates what would happen “if the head of the
Pig Marketing Board changed places with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the
Archbishop took on Mr. Gordon Selfridge’s job and Mr. Selfridge took over
Alexander Korda’s film studios, and Mr. Korda ran the Southern Railway. But nothing happens when Cabinet Ministers
swop their jobs. Which all leads me to
suspect that they can’t be very different ……..”)
Page
184 – The Expanded Royal Air Force – What the New Air Force Means – E.
Colston-Shepherd
(AT
LAST! AN ARTICLE THAT FEATURES A
PHOTOGRAPH OF THE
“VICKERS-SUPERMARINE
“SPITFIRE”, SINGLE-SEATER FIGHTER MONOPLANE, FITTED WITH ROLLS-ROYCE “MERLIN”
ENGINE –
the author comments on “the ridiculously
small wing of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter”)
Page 188 – The Navy and the Air – Leonard Bridgman
(“So long as the air remained unconquered there was
every justification for regarding the Navy as England’s Sure Shield”)
Pages
192 – Aviation in the Dominions – Canada – by our Canadian Correspondent
(An
article about the Royal Canadian Air Force formed some 19 years previously)
Page
194 – New Zealand – The Origin and Growth of the R.N.Z.A.F. – Henry Hall
(This
article continues from the one about Canada that preceded it. It continues on page 223 where there is a
note “we had hoped to include Australia and South Africa in this series, but
unfortunately the manuscripts have not been received from the countries
concerned.
They
will appear at a later date”)
Page
196 – Be and Airman – Group Captain E. R-C. Nanson, C.B.E, D.S.C., A.F.C,
R.A.F. (Retd.) – Inspector of Recruiting, Royal Air Force
(“In
the dim but not dismal past it was pretty difficult to become an airman. Selections were chiefly made from those who
were already serving in the Navy or Army, and the competition was great ……..”)
Page
198 – A Crash from an Unusual Cause – by “Old Timer”
(“As
I looked down at the “joy stick”, I saw that it had broken – “come off in me
‘and” in fact ……..)
Page 200 – Modern Aircraft – The Tipsy “B” Two-Seater
Page
201 – Aerobatics in Peace and War – by The Editor (W.
E. Johns)
(Johns
article contains an interesting fact.
“Possibly Richthofen provides the classic instance of the non-stunting
pilot.
He
never stunted. One of his curious
boasts was that he had never looped the loop in his life, and never wanted to”)
Page
203 – Initiative and the Royal Air Force – Nigel Tangye
(Pilots
not being allowed to fly in bad weather is given as one example that “without
initiative an airman is a pretty useless man at his job”)
Pages
206 and 207 – A double page advert for ‘Cleveland Discol’ – “Alcohol for Flying
Horse Power”)
Page
208 – A Little-Known British War Ace – Capt. Murlis Green – by John Hook
Page
210 – Seaplane Log – F. D. Silwood, A.F.C.
(“The
job of seaplane pilot on active service in Home Waters during the Great War, although
lacking the excitement and peril of his overseas contemporary, the fighter
pilot, was not all beer and skittles)
Page
211 – A colour full page advert for Lockheed Hydraulic Actuation
Pages
212 and 213 – The Centre Pages – The Royal Air Force at Work
Page 214 – a colour full page advert for the Royal Air Force display at Hendon – Saturday, June 26th 1937
(Featuring
the SPITFIRE I – THE SUPERMARINE AVIATION WORKS (VICKERS) LIMITED, SOUTHAMPTON)
Page 215 – A Memorable Flight – Landing an R.E.8 without Extensions – Ex-Sergt. G. Eddington, M.M.
Page 218 – Flying Wires – Brief News from Far and Near
Page 221 – An advert for MG – “For space … For grace … For pace …”
Page 224 – Can you Smile?
Page 226 – My African Flight – H. L. Brook
(This article in on pages 226 and 228. On page 227 is a full page advert for
“Lodge” – that says “London – Cape Town – London
–
For his record flight
Mr. H. L. Brook – Percival Gull - D.H. Gipsy Engine – relied as usual on Lodge
– the best plug in the world”.
– The full page advert on page 229 for Catrol XXL also refers to H. L. Brook)
Page 230 – Royal Air Force Equipment in Miniature – by “Balsa”
(This article is about model aircraft)
Page 240 - Footnote
(This article interesting footnote says “Some time ago the batman of the late Capt. Beauchamp-Proctor, V.C., got into touch with me. I have lost his address. If he sees this, will be please write to Miss. F. Beauchamp-Proctor, P.O. Box 36, Cape Town, South Africa – W.E.J.”)
Page 241 – An advert for Hawker Aircraft Ltd featuring the Hawker “Hurricane” Fighter
Page 244 – An advert for the Royal Air Force Display, Hendon, Saturday, 26th June
(This quarter page advert gives the entrance prices. Car tickets 10/- and 5/-. Boxes (to seat 6) £4, £5 and £7)
Page 252 – The Buyers’ Log
Inside Back Cover – An advert for John Hamilton for Aviation Literature
Click here
to see a much larger picture of the cover artwork – the artist is Howard Leigh
RETURN TO THE MAIN POPULAR FLYING INDEX PAGE