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Vol 16 No 2 2009 [Issue 70]
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The Spitfire Mk.IX was described by many of its pilots as the best of the breed and many of the RAF’s fighter leaders spent a good deal of their operational careers flying the type. One of these was New Zealander Air Commodore Alan Christopher ‘Al’ Deere who was appointed Wing Leader at Biggin Hill in early 1943. Alan’s nephew, Brendon Deere, purchased a Spitfire in 2001 and his restoration team has spent some six years working on what is essentially a living tribute to his famous Uncle. This major article takes a look at this aircraft’s history across four air forces and its return to the skies, this event captured in some stunning air to airs taken in an exclusive photo shoot by Gavin Conroy.
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Following an exacting rebuild by Pioneer Aero, Auckland, Vintage Wings of Canada’s Curtiss P-40N-1 flew on the 23rd April for the first time since 1944. The P-40 is painted in tribute to one of Canada’s greatest living aces, James Francis "Stocky" Edwards who flew a similarly marked machine during service with 260 Squadron, Desert Air Force. Classic Wings photographer Gavin Conroy was able to this catch this magnificent aircraft in the air, hours before it was disassembled and loaded onto a C-17 bound for its new home.
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Philippe Couderchon describes the detective work that has produced the most accurate Heinkel He 162 surviving to date. Some 6000 hours of painstaking work by the French Memorial Flight has uncovered this aircraft’s past and along the way rediscovered the intricacies of this early jet fighter which went from the drawing board to prototype in just three months. One of only seven known survivors the restoration team have set the bar very high with this example, having restored several systems to operational condition, including the BMW jet engine.
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Our mystery aircraft from the previous issue was the lovely Miles Falcon. In this issue we take a look at the type’s history which is complemented by some wonderful period photos. Of the approximately 36 Falcons constructed, only three are known to have survived, all of which are air worthy, and these are described in some detail.
Classic Fighters Cactus Fly-In |