Volume 19 #5, Issue 88

FINLAND'S HISTORIC HURRICANE - THE CONSERVATION

In the first part of this article we looked at the history of this aircraft and its importance to Finland and the wider historic aviation community. In the final instalment we take a look at the work undertaken to ensure this fighter survives and is able to educate future generations about Finland’s World War Two history. The team explain the conservation process in detail, the fighter featuring a number of home grown modifications, such as the internal fitting of skis. Now completed the crew have little time to admire their handiwork and are soon to turn their attention to reconstructing a rare indigenous fighter.

MOSQUITO KA 114 – THE LONG ROAD

We reported in our previous issue on the great and well deserved fanfare that surrounded the flight of Mosquito KA 114 on 27th September 2012. On that overcast day at a small airfield just south of Auckland City, New Zealand a powerful, but eternally elegant ‘twin’ lifted off the Ardmore tarmac. This was the culmination of an epic journey which was commissioned by Jerry Yagen and ‘actioned’ by master craftsmen Glyn Powell and thereafter a dedicated AvSpecs team. It has seen one of the greats of wartime aviation return to the air. In this article Jerry Vernon examines the history of KA 114 and we take a look at some of the challenges which were faced on this epic journey. Also remembered is a special personality, who can only be described as enjoying a spiritual experience!

NEW SPIT ON THE BLOCK!

The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight added a sixth Spitfire to its flying inventory when the relatively rare low-back, bubble-canopy, clipped-wing Mk. LF. XVIe, TE311, made its first flight at their base at RAF Coningsby in October 2012, 58 years since its last flight. TE311 is a most welcome addition to the display fleet and is of significant historical importance to the BBMF, as this was the marque of Spitfire that performed the very first Battle of Britain flypast by the Flight way back in 1957. Keith Wilson describes the fighter’s return to flight.

TACHIKAWA Ki-54 HICKORY

Our last Mystery Aircraft featured Imperial Japan’s multi purpose trainer, and one which would prove to be one of the most successful Japanese aircraft of the war. After taking a look at the type’s development and history we concentrate on the few survivors, particularly the example which has recently joined the ranks following recovery from Towada Lake in September 2012.

NEWS EXTRA- BEIJING EXHIBITION