January 1938

Volume 6 Number 10  (70 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 545 to page 600 (56 pages)

 

Page 546 – Contents Page

(The contents page is by an advert for Air France – “Fastest to the best places”)

 

Page 548 – A photograph of Four Hawker Furies (with Rolls Royce “Kestrel” Engines).

 

Page 549 – The Editor’s Cockpit – W. E. Johns

(Subtitled – “Mr. Perkins Pulls the String” -  Johns writes with some admiration for Mr. Robert Perkins, M.P. for Stroud for speaking out against Imperial Airways.  He begins with a fascinating account of the British ship “Shannon” fighting and taking the far larger American ship “Chesapeake” in battle in 1813.  The Captain even had his brain exposed by a cutlass blow but with great British understatement, he merely wrote in the ship’s log.

“June 1st.  Off Boston.  Moderate.  P.M.  Took Chespeake”)

 

Page 552 – “Jagdeinsitzer” at Work – Armament Training in Germany – Peter Calvert

(“I should like to say that the Germans were all exceedingly nice about letting me watch their Air Force”)

 

 

Page 558 – Fighters in 1950 – Major Oliver Stewart

(This article illustrated by Frank Westley takes a futuristic look at how aeroplanes may develop)

 

Pages 561 – Modern Aircraft – The Stearman-Hammond Monoplane

 

Page 562 – Fog of War – Some Conclusions by “Vigilant” on the Spanish Conflict

(The title refers to the fog that prevents information of any value reaching the enemy in the Spanish Civil War)

 

Page 566 – My First Voyage in a Dirigible – Cherry Kearton (the well-known explorer-photographer)

(An astonishing account of a voyage in May 1908 with the Spencer brothers in their first airship and the crash landing from 14000 feet that followed)

 

Page 569 – The “Battle” Bomber – The Fairey “Battle” – Leonard Bridgman

 

 

Pages 572 and 573 – The Centre Pages – Wings Everywhere – Six glossy black and white aviation photographs

 

 

Page 574 – War Birds on Parade (4) – How many can you name? - Six glossy black and white photographs of aircraft from the Great War

(“No prize is offered for this memory test, but the Editor will present a book to the reader who sends in the first correct list.  The Editor’s decision must be final.

 Last month’s list: (13) Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8; (14) F.E.9; (15) P.V.5; (16) Parnell Panther; (17) Bristol Monoplane; (18) Bristol Scout.)

 

Page 575 – Flying Wires – Brief News from Far and Near

(One particularly interesting items of news from 1938 is that

“In future, all code weather reports which are sent out by radio for the use of air pilots will use metric units”)

 

Page 576 – Flying Ten Miles High – The Present – and the Future – of Stratosphere Flying

 

Page 579 – Training for the Aircraft Industry – Witney Aeronautical College

 

Page 580 – A British War Ace – Major Andrew Edward McKeever, D.S.O., M.C. – John C. Hook

(Major McKeever shot down no less than 30 hostile aircraft whilst flying a two-seater Bristol Fighter – in just five months)

 

Page 582 – 1938 Models – by “Balsa”

 

Page 584 – “Ground – Strafing” in 1917 – James A. V. Boddy (Late 64 Squadron, R.F.C.)

(“Attacking ground targets from the air is an important and very demoralising feature of modern warfare”)

 

 

Page 586 – In Jocular Mood

 

Page 589 – ‘Planes and Personalities – A Monthly Causerie of Men and Machines – By “Observer”

(Headed “The Youngest Air Commodore” – there is news of W. Sholto-Douglas’ promotion to be the youngest Air Vice-Marshall.  Having already been a Squadron Leader in the First World War and having won a Military Cross and a Distinguished Flying Cross,  Sholto-Douglas went on to replace Hugh Dowding as head of Fighter Command in 1941, became Commander-in-Chief of the RAF in the Middle East and later the same for Costal Command.  He was eventually knighted and promoted to Marshall of the RAF.  He retired in 1948 and died in 1969.)

On page 591 we are informed that “During the six months ending June this year, just on 80,000 passengers made flights on the air routes between England and the Continent”.  I wonder how many it is now?  More like 80 million I suspect ……….)

 

Page 600 – The Buyers’ Log

 

Inside Back Cover – Adverts for the British Aviation Insurance Co. Ltd and for Wills’s Gold Flake cigarettes

 

Back Page – An Advert for Lodge Spark Plugs noting the new World’s Land Speed Record of 312.2 miles per hour

 

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

 

 

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