What a pleasure it is to open the stout brown envelope which arrives every three months to reveal the latest issue of the Aviation Historian, in pristine condition. Then to look at the beautifully colour printed front cover and the intriguing back cover before opening it, smelling it, feeling its quality and scanning the contents page. There is always a feast of aviation writing which one can’t wait to start reading!
    Issue 29 is no exception. On the cover a Harrier GRMk1 in a field in Germany; on the back an air-to-air shot of a  Chipmunk rolling (or “frolicking” as it is aptly captioned) over Portsmouth harbour. And inside, for the Hawker enthusiast, Keith Hayward tells us how the Harrier escaped Healey’s axe and we learn how a Hurricane (and other types) was used for UK laminar flow research; the myth of the Mustang’s laminar flow wing is also exposed. The Hurricane also features in an article about the RAF’s readiness for war in 1939. You can read about a nuclear powered Sud Caravelle project (really), the little known SNCASE/SUD Voltigeur counter insurgency twin; and much, much more unusual and quirky aviation history.

Book Reviews

In the Hawker Hunter in Key Publishing’s Combat Machines series Tony Buttler, who lectured to the Association in October, gives a concise account of the design and development of our favourite fighter. All the UK and export variants are described with production lists, experimental versions are covered, combat deployments explained, as are UK and foreign aerobatic teams. For the modeller there are no less than 35 colour side elevations, a photographic walk-round and a list of kits. Illustrated with well chosen, and sometimes unusual photographs, Tony makes what could be a tired old subject an exciting prospect.