"Pukka Gen”

ATC Observer, Volume 3, Issue 6, 1 January 1945, Page 9

"Pukka Gen”

Group-Captain Bulman, the pilot of the first Hurricane, was also the pilot of the “Last of the Many,” the last Hurricane to come off the assembly line on 12th August, 1944. Production of the Fairey Swordfish has now ceased. * * * The latest Handley Page airliner, a development of the Halifax, will be known as the Hermes. It will be large enough to carry 50 passengers. ❖ * * A copy of the Air Training Corps film, “Sons of the Air,” is being flown to New Zealand at the special request of the R.N.Z.A.F. We have received from Auckland Wing a copy of the “The Gremlin,” a monthly News Letter produced for cadets of that Wing. Although only a single sheet, it is well set out, and the producers of this paper are to be congratulated on a very workmanlike job. ❖ ❖ * The Hawker Tempest 11, powered with one 3,100 h.p. Bristol Centaurus radial engine, is now in service with the R.A.F. This confirms the earlier German reports that. the Tempest had a radial engine. Bristol Centaurus 18 cylinder radial motors are being used to power the new Short Shetland flying-boat. Still another develonment of the U.S. Navy’s “Skyrocket” is the new U.S. Army pursuit plane, the XP-50. The veil of secrecy has been lifted from the new American torpedobomber, the “Seawolf.” ❖ * * Canadian Air Cadet reports that the latest B-25 has an eight-gun nose in place of the 75 mm. cannon. This gives the B-25 a total of eighteen .50 calibre m.g.’s. Spitfires are now flying with fullvision canopies. Rumour also has it that the Spitfire XXI is now in action. If this is true it makes us wonder at what mark the Spitfire will end.

Some Coastal Command Liberators are now equipped with eighteen rocket projectiles.. ❖ * * The new Douglas A-26 “Invader” is reported to have a bomb load of over two tons. ❖ * * Reminiscent of “Buck Rogers” is the new Me-163 German rocket-pro-pelled single-seat short-range fighter. The Me-163 is built for the interception of Allied raiders. It is capable of travelling at terrific sneeds but this is usually done only in bursts. The Me-163 is considered by many to be the fastest thing in any air force at the present time. The Me-163 has a small undercart which is dropped shortly after take-off, landings being made on a small skid beneath the fuselage.

The A-20g is now going into action with an added dorsal turret of two .50 calibre m.g.’s.

The U.S. Navy now has a new navy scout, made by Curtiss. It is a single engine monoplane on floats. According to reports it will be named in true Curtis tradition, after one of the hawk family.

With an armament of twelve .50 calibre m.g.’s in six turrets the “Privateer,” U.S. Navy’s new search aircraft, is one of the most deadly of its class. The fuselage is seven feet longer than the “Liberator.” It is able to stay afloat for more than twenty-four hours and has a range of more than 3,000 miles and a top speed of 260 m.p.h.

“Aeroplane” reports that Goodyear are building a new naval fighter, the F2G-1. ❖ * ❖ The 75 mm. cannon on the B-25 is now being superseded by rockets which have a greater striking power than the cannon. * * * Photographs have appeared recently in “Flight” and “Aeroplane” of Seafires using rockets for assisted takeoff.