Misplaced Pages

#571428

135-594: James Bigglesworth , nicknamed " Biggles ", is a fictional pilot and adventurer, the title character and hero of the Biggles series of adventure books , written for young readers by W. E. Johns (1893–1968). Biggles made his first appearance in the story "The White Fokker", published in the first issue of Popular Flying magazine and again as part of the first collection of Biggles stories, The Camels Are Coming (both 1932). Johns continued to write "Biggles books" until his death in 1968. The series eventually included nearly

270-817: A Supermarine S6B type machine in the Baltic Sea and then to defy the Nazis and their allies in Norway . He then took up his post as Commanding Officer of 666 Squadron, RAF, a Special Duties squadron that fought in the Battle of Britain before being sent around the world on specific assignments. Biggles, Algy, Smyth and Hebblethwaite are joined by a new companion, the monocle -wearing Lord Bertram 'Bertie' Lissie. The changed setting forced Johns to update his material with references to new flying slang and aeroplanes, unsuccessfully at first but later with more realism. Biggles' new squadron includes

405-795: A "deliberate racist". Biggles was raised in British India , speaks fluent Hindi and has Indian friends and colleagues. In Biggles Goes to School , on one occasion when told to write lines in Latin, he remarks that he would rather do so in Hindi. On another occasion the adult Biggles asserts to Air Commodore Raymond that "while men are decent to me I try to be decent to them, regardless of race, colour, politics, creed or anything else". While individually developed non-white characters are infrequent, according to David Milner in Children and Race (1975), when they are part of

540-499: A Watts two-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propeller. Flight commented of this arrangement: "Many have expressed surprise that the Hurricane is not fitted with variable-pitch airscrews". The original two-bladed propeller was found to be inefficient at low airspeeds and the aircraft required a long ground run to get airborne, which caused concern at Fighter Command. Accordingly, trials with a de Havilland variable-pitch propeller demonstrated

675-576: A calm, confident, competent leader. He is occasionally given "special" (secret) missions by the shadowy figure of Colonel (initially Major) Raymond ( Air Commodore in later books, reflecting the creation of the Royal Air Force with its own ranks), who is already involved with the intelligence side of operations. Biggles is accompanied by his cousin Algernon ('Algy') Lacey and his mechanic Flight Sergeant Smyth, who accompany Biggles on his adventures after

810-684: A close friendship with his young cousin Algy (the Hon. Algernon Montgomery Lacey). A study of the short stories featuring his First World War exploits, suggests that he had a 'score' of 49 aircraft, three balloons and one submarine, while himself being shot down or crash-landing eight times. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross . After the Great War, Biggles' adventures as

945-722: A decision in December 1936 to replace the Merlin I with the improved Merlin II, which resulted in many detail alterations. Merlin I production ended after 180 were built. This engine had been prioritised for the Fairey Battle light bomber and the Hawker Henley , a failed competitor to the Battle briefly adapted as a target tug which shared common elements with the Hurricane design. By the following December,

1080-787: A diverse cast, including the American 'Tex' O'Hara (from Texas ), the Welshman 'Taffy' Hughes, the Cockney 'Tug' Carrington, the Oxford graduate Henry Harcourt and George 'Ferocity' Ferris from the streets of Liverpool . After the Second World War Johns reinvents Biggles' career yet again, with his former boss Air Commodore Raymond hiring him as a "flying detective" for Scotland Yard . Biggles returns to his rooms in Mount Street, Mayfair and assumes

1215-669: A flying instructor in England until August 1918, when he transferred to the Western Front . On 16 September 1918, his De Havilland DH4 was shot down on a bombing raid. His observer, Lieutenant Amey, was killed (in two of the stories in Biggles Learns to Fly , observers flying with Biggles are killed or badly wounded), but Johns survived to be taken prisoner of war. Johns remained with the RAF until 1927, latterly as an administrative officer rather than

1350-475: A freelance charter pilot, took him around the world in an unidentified amphibian named the "Vandal" (often illustrated on covers, anachronistically, as either a Supermarine Walrus or Supermarine Sea Otter ). The nearest "real" aircraft that fits W. E. Johns description of the "Vandal", is a Vickers Viking Mk 4. His team grows when he and Algy meet young Ginger Hebblethwaite in The Black Peril , while foiling

1485-712: A group of smugglers based in a medieval castle somewhere in Germany. As the Cold War begins, von Stalhein enters the services of the Communist bloc , until his new masters imprison him on the island of Sakhalin , from where Biggles helps him to escape in Biggles Buries a Hatchet . Von Stalhein then settles in London and he and Biggles remain in touch. It is from von Stalhein that Biggles learns that Janis (see "Female characters" below) survived

SECTION 10

#1732859216572

1620-450: A hundred volumes – novels as well as short story collections – most of the latter with a common setting and time. The chronology of the canon, spanning both world wars, set up certain inconsistencies over the unavoidable ageing of Biggles and his friends. Also later editions had to be somewhat edited in line with changing norms of acceptability, especially regarding race, and in view of the pre-teenage readership who increasingly favoured both

1755-443: A lot of handy knowledge on a range of unusual subjects. A counterpoint to Lord Bertie, Tug is a boxer from the slums of London. His parents being killed in the war, Tug is out for revenge and can be a very risky person to have around. He scorns alcohol, much to the amusement of his fellow squadron members. In return for Biggles setting him up for a job as a London cabby, he occasionally helps Biggles and his gang on their missions after

1890-473: A mission in a "red mist", inspired by the death of a comrade. The emotional strain of combat is also realistically described, as Biggles becomes a "highly-strung" fidgeting pale youth, lacking his usual sense of humour. In these stories, in particular, alcohol is mentioned occasionally and cigarettes are much in evidence. The early First World War books were reprinted in the 1950s, when the Biggles books had acquired

2025-630: A number of aircraft representative of the history of British military aviation, from Sopwith Camels during the First World War, Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires in the Second World War , right up to the Hawker Hunter jet fighter in the postwar adventure Biggles in the Terai . In these later books geographic and historical accuracy is less evident and the grim detail of the first stories

2160-646: A number of manufacturers were to repair and overhaul battle-damaged aircraft including Hurricanes. Some of these were later sent to training units or to other air forces. Factories involved included the Austin Aero Company 's Cofton Hackett plant and David Rosenfield Ltd, based at Barton aerodrome near Manchester . The Canadian Car and Foundry of Fort William, Ontario , Canada was a major Hurricane manufacturer, producing them from November 1938 after receiving their initial contract for 40 Hurricanes. The facility's chief engineer, Elsie MacGill , became known as

2295-470: A pattern for Canadian Car and Foundry , one for Iran, one for Poland, three for Romania and 12 for Yugoslavia. All the built for export aircraft were taken from the RAF order and so all originally had an RAF serial. Further exports were done in the final four months of 1939 and early 1940. Hurricane production was increased as part of a plan to create a reserve of attrition aircraft as well as re-equip existing squadrons and newly formed ones such as those of

2430-583: A pilot: his final rank was Flying Officer (equivalent to Lieutenant in the RFC) rather than the " Capt. " that formed part of his pen name . While the purpose of the Biggles stories was to entertain adolescent boys, in the First World War books Johns paid attention to historical detail and helped recreate the primitive days of early air combat, in which pilots often died the first time they were in action and before devices such as oxygen supply and parachutes for those on board had become practical. Various models on which

2565-460: A possible plot against Britain. Post-Second World War editions of the book change this plot from a German to a Russian plot. Ginger brings the energy and daring of youth to these and many of their later adventures. Between the wars Biggles and his friends mix their own escapades with ventures on behalf of British Secret Service. Biggles returned to service in the Second World War, initially with

2700-601: A prototype to be ordered. Camm's response to this rejection was to further develop the design, introducing a retractable undercarriage and replacing the unsatisfactory Goshawk engine with a new Rolls-Royce design, initially designated the PV-12 , which went on to become famous as the Merlin . In August 1934, a one-tenth scale model of the design was produced and sent to the National Physical Laboratory at Teddington , where

2835-664: A prototype to the September proposal was placed on 21 February 1935. At the time the armament was two Vickers Mark V machine guns in the fuselage and one Browning machine gun in each wing. Work on stressed skin outer wings to replace the fabric covered ones began in July and the contract was altered in August to include another set of wings with eight guns in them; the guns were to be either Vickers or Brownings. These wings were delivered in June 1936. By

SECTION 20

#1732859216572

2970-471: A reduction in the Hurricane's take-off run from 1,230 to 750 ft (370 to 230 m). Deliveries of these began in April 1939: this was later replaced by the hydraulically operated constant-speed Rotol propeller, which came into service in time for the Battle of Britain. Then, with tail trimmer set, throttle and mixture lever fully forward... and puffs of grey exhaust smoke soon clearing at maximum r.p.m. came

3105-429: A repressed homosexual, Biggles' relationship with Janis suggests he is a romantic hero , "tragically loyal to the only woman he ever really loved". In Biggles & Co. Stella Carstairs, the daughter of the man Biggles helps, turns up. A pilot herself, she is concerned for Biggles's safety and tells him more than once not to take on her father's request. In Biggles Flies Again (1934), Algy becomes close to Consuelo,

3240-903: A role as head of the new Special Air Police division with Algy, Ginger and Bertie making up the flying squad. The group takes on criminals who have taken to the air, both at home in Britain and around the globe, as well as battling opponents behind the Iron Curtain . The team fly a wide variety of machines, with Auster and Percival types doing much of the work. Johns continued writing Biggles short stories and novels up until his death in 1968; in all, nearly 100 Biggles books were published. A final unfinished novel, Biggles Does Some Homework , shows Biggles at last preparing to retire and meeting his mixed-race replacement; Johns died while writing this novel. The 12 completed chapters were issued privately in 1997. The Honourable Algernon Montgomery Lacey or "Algy"

3375-797: A series of wind tunnel tests confirmed the aerodynamics were satisfactory, and in September 1934 Camm again approached the Air Ministry. This time, the Ministry's response was favourable, and a prototype of the "Interceptor Monoplane" was promptly ordered. In July 1934, at a meeting chaired by Air Commodore Arthur Tedder (director of training), the Air Ministry Science Officer Captain F.W. "Gunner" Hill presented his calculation showing that future fighters must carry no fewer than eight machine guns, each capable of firing 1,000 rounds per minute. / Hill's assistant in making his calculations

3510-459: A stalling speed of 57 mph (92 km/h) (only marginally higher than the Gladiator biplane), the last achieved using its flaps . In the course of further testing, it was found that the Hurricane had poor spin recovery characteristics, in which all rudder authority could be lost due to shielding of the rudder. Hawker's response to the issue was to request that spinning tests be waived, but

3645-454: A teenage runaway found hiding in a railway shed. Ginger left his father, a mineworker in Smettleworth, after an argument about Ginger's determination to become a pilot. When he first meets Biggles, he tells him he is on his way to London to join the RAF. Biggles immediately calls him Ginger because of his red hair. He proves his worth by rescuing Biggles from some enemy agents. He becomes one of

3780-411: A tie-in to the Biggles film by Mirrorsoft for the platforms Amstrad CPC , Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum . It included levels based in 1917 and other levels set in modern-day London. Many versions of Biggles comics have been published in countries such as Australia, Great Britain, Belgium, France and Sweden. The first British annual appeared in 1980. Some albums were released in 1990 featuring

3915-413: A wooden mock-up had been finished, and although a number of suggestions for detail changes were made, construction of the prototype was approved, and a new specification (F.36/34) was written around the design. In July 1935, this specification was amended to include installation of eight guns. The mock-up conference with Air Ministry staff was on 10 January 1935 at Kingston. The ministry order to purchase

4050-632: A younger readership and were bowdlerised . In the short story The Balloonatics , as republished in Biggles of the Special Air Police , the prize for capturing a German observation balloon was altered from a case of Scotch whisky to a case of lemonade . The reprint also removes all references to drinking and swearing . Even the original editions contain no explicit sexual content and the traditional values of bravery, honesty and fair play are stressed. Romantic stories, which would have bored Johns' younger readers and embarrassed his older ones, are on

4185-408: Is a cousin who is posted to Biggles' flight in 266 Squadron by the influence of his aunt. Despite initial misgivings, the two soon become very close friends and eventually Algy adopts the role of Biggles' second in command. In the books set in the 1930s, Algy, Ginger and Smyth become Biggles' regular companions. Ginger (his real first name is never revealed) first appears in The Black Peril (1935) as

Biggles - Misplaced Pages Continue

4320-517: Is also smitten by the beautiful Polynesian girl Full Moon, in Biggles in the South Seas (1940). There is a discussion of the issue of Biggles, sex and alcohol in By Jove, Biggles: The Life of Captain W. E. Johns (1981) by Peter Berresford Ellis and Piers Williams. In the 1950s, a popular Australian radio version of Biggles, The Air Adventures of Biggles , was made under licence. Johns did not write

4455-540: Is doubtful whether a careful rearrangement of the various First World War stories could result in a coherent sequence. When W. E. Johns started the Biggles series, he can hardly have anticipated that he would be called on to write so many Biggles stories to short editorial deadlines , so that such inconsistencies are perhaps inevitable. The author succeeds reasonably well in chronicling developments in aviation technology, but social and cultural changes are much more difficult. The cultural and social world of Biggles (whether in

4590-408: Is her knight in shining armor . The title character need not be the subject of the title in a strict grammatical sense: Uncle Tom is considered the title character of Uncle Tom's Cabin and Lee Marvin is often described as playing the title character in the film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance , as his character (Liberty Valance) is named in the title, even though the grammatical subject of

4725-642: Is moderated for an increasingly younger readership. The books were successful and were translated into Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Flemish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. According to stories in The Boy Biggles and Biggles Goes to School , James Bigglesworth was born in India in May 1899, the son of an administrator in the Indian Civil Service and his wife. James

4860-672: Is no formal, prescriptive definition of a title character or title role , but there are general standards accepted by tradition. The title character need not be literally named in the title, but may be referred to by some other identifying word or phrase, such as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit , Simba in The Lion King , Aang in Avatar: The Last Airbender , Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland or more vaguely, as in

4995-424: The 1986 film . In the books the only reference is to his initials, "R. B." Raymond. In the Biggles stories, female characters appear infrequently. Despite brief affairs, Biggles and his chums remain steadfastly single. Biggles suffers a disappointment in the First World War, when he falls in love with German spy Marie Janis in the short story "Affaire de Coeur", set in 1918. Rather than being considered asexual or

5130-484: The Air Ministry , Hawker refined its monoplane proposal, incorporating several innovations which became critical to wartime fighter aircraft, including retractable landing gear and the more powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. The Air Ministry ordered Hawker's Interceptor Monoplane in late 1934, and the prototype Hurricane K5083 performed its maiden flight on 6 November 1935. The Hurricane went into production for

5265-602: The Auxiliary Air Force . Expansion scheme E included a target of 500 fighters of all types by the start of 1938. By the time of the Munich Crisis , there were only two fully operational RAF squadrons of the planned 12 to be equipped with Hurricanes. By the time of the German invasion of Poland there were 16 operational Hurricane squadrons as well as a further two more that were in the process of converting. On 24 August 1939,

5400-411: The Battle of Britain . In the stories set after the end of the Second World War , Biggles and Algy, in particular, are, by the rules of arithmetic, passing into their fifties and early sixties, while retaining levels of activity and lifestyle more typical of people at least thirty years younger. Even within a group of stories set in the same time frame, there are some chronological inconsistencies: It

5535-567: The Belgian Air Force , and it was intended to arm these aircraft with four 13.2 mm (0.52 in) Browning machine guns . Three were built and two flown with this armament by the time of the German invasion of Belgium in May 1940, with at least 12 more constructed by Avions Fairey armed with the conventional eight rifle calibre machine gun armament. The Hawker Hurricane is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable undercarriage and an enclosed cockpit. The primary structure of

Biggles - Misplaced Pages Continue

5670-445: The Hart , but enhanced by livelier controls, greater precision and all this performance. Roland Beamont describing his first flight in a Hurricane as a trainee pilot. Camm's priority was to provide the pilot with good all-round visibility. To this end, the cockpit was mounted reasonably high in the fuselage, creating a distinctive "hump-backed" silhouette. Pilot access to the cockpit

5805-666: The James Bond novels and films The Man with the Golden Gun and Dr. No ,. The protagonist and antagonist can arguably both be title characters, as in the films Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster or Smokey and the Bandit . In the novel and TV series Shogun , the feudal lord Toranaga is the title character, but the protagonist is John Blackthorne . In the 2003 revival of August Wilson 's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom , Whoopi Goldberg had

5940-515: The Meuse , at Maastricht . The escort consisted of eight Hurricanes of 1 Squadron, with Squadron Leader P. J. H. "Bull" Halahan in the lead. When the formation approached Maastricht, it was bounced by 16 Bf 109Es from 2./JG 27 . Two Battles and two Hurricanes (including Halahan's) were shot down, two more Battles were brought down by flak and the fifth bomber had to crash-land. The 1 Squadron pilots claimed four Messerschmitts and two Heinkel He 112s , while

6075-529: The Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine. The original 1934 armament specifications for what evolved into the Hurricane were for a similar armament fitment to the Gloster Gladiator : four machine guns; two in the wings and two in the fuselage, synchronised to fire through the propeller arc. By January 1934, the proposal's detail drawings had been finished, but these failed to impress the Air Ministry enough for

6210-654: The commando Captain Lorrington "Gimlet" King , also features in a series of books that intersect with Biggles at times. The settings of the Biggles books are spread over more than 50 years; this produces a number of credibility difficulties, especially for older readers. Though Biggles and his friends age in the books, they do so much more slowly (and inconsistently) than is historically credible. For instance, Biggles (with some of his First World War "chums"), who at that point should be well into their forties, are still relatively junior squadron officers flying Spitfires during

6345-567: The film of the same name , or Thomas More in the play A Man for All Seasons . Although it is common for the title character to be the protagonist, it is not unusual for the principal antagonist or a key secondary character to be named in the title instead. Examples of titular antagonists include Sauron in the book and film series The Lord of the Rings , Count Dracula in Bram Stoker 's Dracula , or Francisco Scaramanga and Julius No in

6480-567: The "Queen of the Hurricanes". The initiative was commercially driven, but was endorsed by the British government. Hawker recognised that a major conflict was inevitable after the Munich Crisis of 1938 and drew up preliminary plans to expand Hurricane production at a new factory in Canada. Under this plan, samples, pattern aircraft, and design documents stored on microfilm were shipped to Canada. In 1938/39

6615-498: The 1930s or some earlier period) does not persist completely unchanged through the whole series – for instance, in an early book, the evidence points to an English nobleman as the perpetrator but Biggles dismisses this out of hand as the gentry would never commit a crime; in a later novel, one of the gentry is the villain. Nonetheless, the social context of the books, viewed in chronological order, does become increasingly old-fashioned, even anachronistic, especially in those works set after

6750-633: The AASF when the order to move to France was received and the home station HQs, 71, 72 74–76 Wings. In response to a request from the French government for the provision of 10 fighter squadrons to provide air support, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding , Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command, insisted that this number would deplete British defences severely, and so initially only four squadrons of Hurricanes, 1 , 73 , 85 and 87 , were relocated to France, keeping Spitfires back for "Home" defence. The first to arrive

6885-658: The Advanced Air Striking Force (No. 1 to Berry-au-Bac , north-west of Paris; No. 73 to Rouvres ) while two more, No. 85 and No. 87, formed 60 Wing of the Air Component, BEF. While the two squadrons of No. 60 Wing had their Hurricanes painted in the standard colour scheme and markings of Home-based fighters, those of No. 67 Wing differed considerably. It was probably because No. 1 and No. 73 Squadrons were operating in close proximity to French fighter squadrons that these units painted red, white, and blue stripes over

SECTION 50

#1732859216572

7020-520: The Air Ministry In June 1936 and entered squadron service in December 1937. Its manufacture and maintenance were eased by using conventional construction methods so that squadrons could perform many major repairs without external support. The plane was rapidly procured prior to the outbreak of the Second World War; in September 1939, the RAF had 18 Hurricane-equipped squadrons in service. It was relied upon to defend against German aircraft operated by

7155-507: The Air Ministry placed its first order for 600 aircraft. On 26 June 1936 the Air Ministry approved the type name of "Hurricane" that had been proposed by Hawker, and an informal naming ceremony occurred the following month during an official visit by King Edward VIII to Martlesham Heath. It was significantly cheaper to produce than the Supermarine Spitfire and took 10,300 person hours per airframe to produce, compared to 15,200 for

7290-474: The Air Ministry refused the request; the situation was resolved by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), who established that the aerodynamic problem had been caused by a breakdown of the airflow over the lower fuselage, and could be cured by the addition of a small ventral fairing and extension of the bottom of the rudder. This discovery had come too late for the changes to be incorporated in

7425-493: The Biggles character might have been based have been suggested, including rugby player and WWI flying ace Cyril Lowe , fighter pilot Albert Ball , and air commodore Arthur Bigsworth . Johns stated that the character was a composite of many individuals in the RFC (including himself). The bulk of the Biggles stories are set after the First World War, and after Johns' flying career was over. Biggles has an unusually lengthy career, flying

7560-503: The Biggles team. The titles are separate from the books though they cover the same war or after war investigation operations of Biggles. Biggles featured on a stamp issued by the Royal Mail on 1 February 1994, as part of the sixth issue of its Greetings Stamps series. The set comprised ten first class stamps, each portraying a character from children's literature. Aside from Biggles, the other characters featured were Dan Dare , The Three Bears , Rupert Bear , Alice in Wonderland , Noggin

7695-410: The British government gave Hawker the clearance to sell excess aircraft to nations that were likely to oppose German expansion. As a result, there were some modest export sales made to other countries; at the earliest opportunity, a former RAF Hurricane I was dispatched to Yugoslavia for evaluation purposes. Shortly after this evaluation, an order for 24 Hurricane Mk.Is for the Royal Yugoslav Air Force

7830-432: The British government gave orders partially to mobilise and No. 1 Group RAF ( Air Vice-Marshal Patrick Playfair ) sent its 10 Fairey Battle day-bomber squadrons to France, according to plans established by the British and French earlier in the year. The group was the first echelon of the RAF Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) and flew from bases at Abingdon, Harwell, Benson, Boscombe Down and Bicester. The group HQ became

7965-428: The Condor and Goes to War . Smyth is a very talented Mechanic and well respected by Biggles and co throughout the books. First appearing in Spitfire Parade (1941), Lord Bertie is a pilot in 666 Squadron. An eccentric former racing driver, who flies with a hunting horn and a monocle , Bertie joins Biggles in the Air Police in most of the post-war stories. He is a brave and talented fighter, an expert shot and he has

8100-433: The Desert , or the imaginary 6-foot rabbit Harvey in the play and film of the same name . The general noun phrase "title character" can be replaced with a descriptive noun or phrase which is then further described using the adjective "titular". For example, the title character of Dracula can be referred to as the book's "titular vampire", the title character of Hamlet is the "titular prince of Denmark" , and

8235-421: The Directorate of Technical Development on a monoplane based on the existing Fury. Mason attributes Camm's discussions with figures within the RAF, such as Squadron Leader Ralph Sorley , as having provoked the specification and some of its details, such as the preference for armaments being installed within the wings instead of within the aircraft's nose. An outline of the "Fury Monoplane" armed with two guns in

SECTION 60

#1732859216572

8370-484: The French campaign, and delivered great praise for his aircraft's performance: Throughout the bad days of 1940, 87 Squadron had maintained a proficient formation aerobatic team, the precise flying controls and responsive engines permitting precision formation through loops, barrel rolls, 1 g semi-stall turns and rolls off half-loops ... My Hurricane was never hit in the Battles of France and Britain, and in over 700 hr on type I never experienced an engine failure. While

8505-421: The Hurricane inflicted 60% of the losses sustained by the Luftwaffe in the campaign, and fought in all the major theatres of the Second World War. The Hurricane originated from discussions between RAF officials and aircraft designer Sir Sydney Camm about a proposed monoplane derivative of the Hawker Fury biplane in the early 1930s. Despite an institutional preference for biplanes and lack of interest by

8640-482: The Hurricane remained in use in theatres of operations where reliability, easy handling and a stable gun platform were more important than performance, typically in roles like ground attack. One of the design requirements of the original specification was that both the Hurricane and the Spitfire were also to be used as night fighters . The Hurricane proved to be a relatively simple aircraft to fly at night, and shot down several German aircraft on night raids. From early 1941

8775-407: The Hurricane was also used as an "intruder" aircraft, patrolling German airfields in France at night to catch bombers taking off or landing. By the middle of 1938, the first 50 Hurricanes had reached squadrons and, at that time, it had been assessed that the rate of production was slightly greater than the RAF's capacity to introduce the new aircraft, which had already been accelerated. Accordingly,

8910-452: The Hurricane's cantilever wing consisted of two steel spars, which possessed considerable strength and stiffness. The wing was described by Flight as relatively straightforward to manufacture, employing simple vertical jigs to attach the two spars, after which the wing ribs were installed using horizontal bolts, forming separate units between the front and rear spars. Hydraulically -actuated split trailing edge flaps were fitted to

9045-428: The Hurricane. A fabric-covered wing was initially adopted in order to accelerate production, while a higher-performing stressed-skin metal wing was introduced in late 1939. The first production Hurricane I first flew on 12 October 1937, flown by Flight Lieutenant Philip Lucas and powered by a Merlin II engine. While a contract for 600 Hurricanes was received on 2 June 1936, deliveries lagged by roughly six months due to

9180-438: The Japanese. The portrayals of non-whites in these books (and others in the Biggles canon) is typical of a once common genre of fiction for young people. The early Biggles stories and novels, especially those set in First World War, were apparently written mainly for older adolescents. Death is a frequent theme, sometimes treated in quite a grim fashion. Other "adult themes" are also touched on: more than once Biggles sets out on

9315-466: The Luftwaffe, including dogfighting with Messerschmitt Bf 109s in multiple theatres of action. The Hurricane was developed through several versions: bomber-interceptors, fighter-bombers , and ground support aircraft as well as fighters. Versions designed for the Royal Navy known as the Sea Hurricane had modifications including an arrestor hook near the tail, enabling operation from ships. Some were converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts. By

9450-404: The Nog , Peter Rabbit , Red Riding Hood , Orlando the Marmalade Cat and Paddington Bear . The stamps were designed by Newell and Sorrell, and the artist for the Biggles stamp was Alan Cracknell. Biggles is wearing a leather flying helmet and goggles, holding an ' air mail ' envelope addressed to him, and giving the thumbs up. A biplane , probably a De Havilland Tiger Moth is shown flying in

9585-493: The North Sea. The Heinkels, which were flying at sea level in an attempt to avoid fighter attacks, had already been attacked and damaged by two Spitfires from 72 Squadron when six Hurricanes intercepted them. The Hurricanes shot down four of the enemy in rapid succession, 46 Squadron claiming five and the Spitfire pilots two. After his first flight in October 1939, Hurricane pilot Roland Beamont subsequently flew operationally with 87 Squadron, claiming three enemy aircraft during

9720-673: The RCAF ordered 24 Hurricanes to equip one fighter squadron, 20 of which were delivered, and two were supplied to Canadian Car and Foundry as pattern aircraft but one probably did not arrive, while the other was returned to Britain in 1940. The first Hurricane built at Canadian Car and Foundry was completed in February 1940. Canadian-built Hurricanes shipped to Britain participated in the Battle of Britain . Overall, some 14,487 Hurricanes and Sea Hurricanes were produced in England and Canada. The majority of Hurricanes, 9,986 were built by Hawker (who produced

9855-609: The Sahara to the Middle East theatre and, to save space, some Royal Navy aircraft carriers carried their reserve Sea Hurricanes dismantled into their major assemblies, which were slung up on the hangar bulkheads and deckhead for reassembly when needed. In contrast, the contemporary Spitfire used all-metal monocoque construction and was thus both lighter and stronger, though less tolerant of bullet damage. With its ease of maintenance, widely set landing gear and benign flying characteristics,

9990-523: The Second World War and was imprisoned in Czechoslovakia , from where Biggles rescues her and goes on to support her in England. First appears as a major (later colonel) in the British Intelligence service during the First World War, in which capacity he organises secret ("special") missions in which Biggles takes part. In later books, he reappeared as an air commodore.The name William was used in

10125-570: The Second World War. Biggles' greatest opponent is the German intelligence officer Erich von Stalhein, a member of an old Prussian family of soldiers. They first meet in Biggles Flies East , in which Biggles is a spy in the Middle East during the First World War, having some narrow escapes. Von Stalhein returns as an adversary in numerous other adventures: in Biggles & Co. he is the leader of

10260-536: The Second World War. Since the Biggles books were first published, attitudes to race and ethnicity have changed. A perception of Biggles during the 1960s and 1970s as unacceptably racially prejudiced , especially considered as children's literature, led to the removal of the Biggles books from the shelves of many public and school libraries. Historian Marika Sherwood objected to Johns' use of " chinks " and " coolies " to describe people of Chinese origin in Biggles Hits

10395-478: The Spitfire, which had many parts formed by hand, with English wheels . As war was looking likely, and time was of the essence in providing the RAF with an effective fighter, the authorities expected there to be problems with the more advanced Spitfire, while the Hurricane made use of well proven manufacturing techniques. The service squadrons were also already experienced in maintaining aircraft structurally similar to

10530-551: The Trail (1935). Biggles' enemy is a group called the Chungs who "chatter monkey-like". Jeff Sparrow , writing in The Guardian in 2014, commented: "the later books, in particular, manifest all the racism you’d expect from an Empire loyalist writing in the sour era of British decline." Dennis Butts, in a 2000 essay, suggested Johns' Biggles stories had to be viewed historically and he was not

10665-420: The acceptance of the final multi-gun wing armament. By March 1936, the prototype had completed ten flying hours, covering all major portions of the flight envelope. Early testing had gone reasonably well, especially in light of the trial status of the Merlin engine, which had yet to achieve full flight certification at this time and thus severe restrictions had been imposed upon use of the engine. In early 1936,

10800-549: The army as a subaltern in the Royal Flying Corps and learned to fly in the summer of 1916, at No. 17 Flying Training School, which was at Settling, Norfolk, flying solo after two hours of instruction. He then attended No. 4 'School of Fighting' in Frensham, Lincolnshire. Posted to France with under 15 hours, dual and solo, he first flew in combat in September 1916 with 169 Squadron, RFC, (commanded by Major Paynter). His observer

10935-472: The background. Also included in the presentation pack were labels containing greetings messages. The two related to Biggles, shown in white text on a blue background, read "Happy Birthday" and "Chocks Away". The Biggles stamp, its associated presentation pack and first day covers were described in the British Philatelic Bulletin of January 1994. Biggles, or members of his team, have appeared in

11070-507: The books and the comics. Biggles first appears as a teenaged "scout" ( fighter ) pilot in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) during the First World War . He joined the RFC in 1916 at the age of 17, having conveniently "lost" his birth certificate . Biggles represents a particularly British hero, combining professionalism with a gentlemanly air. Under the stress of combat he develops from a slightly hysterical youth prone to practical jokes to

11205-488: The border, fell in flames about 10 mi (16 km) west of Toul . Mould was the first RAF pilot to down an enemy aircraft on the European continent in the Second World War. According to Mason, the experiences gained in these early engagements proved invaluable in developing tactics which became tried and tested, and rapidly spread throughout Fighter Command. On 6 November 1939, Pilot Officer Peter Ayerst from 73 Squadron

11340-631: The campaign. They attacked one of three Dornier Do 17s from 4. Staffel/ KG 2 that were flying over their airfield at Rouvres-en-Woevre . The Dornier went away unscathed, while Orton was hit by defensive fire and had to force land. On the same day the Hurricane squadrons claimed 42 German aircraft, none of them fighters, shot down during 208 sorties; seven Hurricanes were lost but no pilots were killed. On 12 May several Hurricanes units were committed to escort bombers. That morning, five Fairey Battle volunteer crews from 12 Squadron took off from Amifontaine base to bomb Vroenhoven and Veldwezelt bridges on

11475-423: The course of RAF trials, despite the problems with the Merlin engine, which had suffered numerous failures and necessitating several changes, enthusiastic reports were produced on the aircraft and its performance. The trials had proved the aircraft to possess a maximum level speed of 315 mph (507 km/h) at an altitude of 16,200 ft (4,900 m), climb to 15,000 ft (4,600 m) in 5.7 minutes, and

11610-597: The custody of "Dickpa", an eccentric uncle and inventor who lived in rural Buckinghamshire. When Biggles, now an adult, visits Dickpa, his father's brother, again, an adventure begins that takes both men to Brazil (the Cruise of the Condor). Biggles then attended Malton Hall School in Hertbury, England. His first encounter with an aircraft was with a Blériot that landed on the school cricket ground. Biggles left school and initially joined

11745-478: The daughter of the President of Bolivia, but is dissuaded from continuing the relationship by Biggles, "... unless you intend marrying her". In Biggles Fails to Return (1943), Ginger falls in love with the sister of the French pilot who has flown Biggles into France on a secret mission and at the end of the story Ginger gets to spend several weeks in her company while awaiting transport back to England. The young Ginger

11880-513: The earlier fighter specification F.7/30 was a development of the Fury, the Hawker P.V.3 , However, the P.V.3 was not among the proposals which the Air Ministry selected to be built as prototype to official contract. After the rejection of the P.V.3 proposal, Camm started work on a new design involving a cantilever monoplane arrangement with a fixed undercarriage, armed with four machine guns and powered by

12015-405: The end of August 1935, work on the airframe had been completed at Hawker's Kingston upon Thames facility and the aircraft components were transported to Brooklands , Surrey , where Hawker had an assembly shed; the prototype was fully re-assembled on 23 October 1935. Ground testing and taxi trials took place over the following two weeks. On 6 November 1935 the prototype K5083 took to the air for

12150-641: The end of production in July 1944, 14,487 units had been completed in Britain and Canada, with others built in Belgium and Yugoslavia. During the early 1930s, when Hawker Aircraft company developed the Hurricane, RAF Fighter Command had just 13 squadrons, equipped with the Hawker Fury , Hawker Demon , or the Bristol Bulldog , all biplanes with fixed- pitch wooden propellers and non-retractable undercarriages. At

12285-547: The engine cowling which used lightweight metal panels instead. Camm had decided to use traditional Hawker construction techniques instead of more advanced options, such as a stressed-skin metal construction. This form of construction resembled that of earlier biplanes and was already considered to be somewhat outdated when the Hurricane was introduced to service . The Hurricane was initially armed with an arrangement of eight remotely-operated wing-mounted Browning machine guns, intended for conducting rapid engagements. The Hurricane

12420-413: The engine; detachable cowling panels allowed access to most of the engine's areas for maintenance. Installed underneath the fuselage, the liquid-cooled radiator has a rectangular opening to its aft; this is covered by a hinged flap, allowing the pilot to control the cooling level. An atypical feature for the era was the use of Tungum alloy pipes throughout the cooling system. Initially, the structure of

12555-544: The entire height of the rudders on their Hurricanes in a similar manner to the standard French AF National markings. As the French squadrons were not familiar with the British use of code letters, and there could have been cause for error in aircraft identification, both Hurricane squadrons removed their squadron identification letters, leaving the grey-painted aircraft letter aft of the fuselage roundel. The decision to adopt these special changes in markings seems to have been made at 67 Group HQ (the immediate command authority for

12690-404: The fabric ones was that the metal ones could carry far greater stress loads without needing as much structure." Several fabric-wing Hurricanes were still in service during the Battle of Britain, although a good number had had their wings replaced during servicing or after repair. Changing the wings required only three hours work per aircraft. The Hurricane had a inward-retracting undercarriage ,

12825-565: The first four aircraft to enter service with the RAF had joined No. 111 Squadron , stationed at RAF Northolt . By February 1938, No. 111 Squadron had received 16 Hurricanes. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, over 550 Hurricanes had been produced equipping 18 squadrons, with 3,500 more on order. During 1940, Lord Beaverbrook , the Minister of Aircraft Production , established the Civilian Repair Organisation through which

12960-470: The first production aircraft, but were introduced upon the 61st built and all subsequent aircraft. In early 1936, the Hawker board of directors had decided, in the absence of official authorisation and at company expense, to proceed with the issue of the design drawings to the production design office and to start tooling-up for a production line capable of producing a batch of 1,000 Hurricanes. In June 1936

13095-402: The first time at the hands of Hawker's chief test pilot , Flight Lieutenant George Bulman . Bulman was assisted by two other pilots in subsequent flight testing; Philip Lucas flew some of the experimental test flights, while John Hindmarsh conducted the firm's production flight trials. As completed, the prototype had been fitted with ballast to represent the aircraft's armament prior to

13230-420: The following Gimlet books Air Commodore Raymond also appeared in W. E. Johns' "Steeley Books". Biggles was parodied in a series of skits on the 1970s British comedy television show, Monty Python's Flying Circus , including one titled "Biggles Dictates a Letter". In the sketch, Biggles ( Graham Chapman ) behaves in a naive and overreactive manner about the sexual orientation of his comrades, shooting Algy in

13365-410: The fuselage was a Warren truss box-girder with high-tensile steel longerons and duralumin cross-bracing, which were mechanically fastened rather than being welded . Over this, a secondary structure composed of wooden formers and stringers covered with doped linen gave the fuselage a rounded section. The majority of the external surfaces were linen, except for a section between the cockpit and

13500-472: The inner end of the wings. This wing was predominantly fabric-covered, like the fuselage, although some lightweight metal sheets were used on the inner wing and its leading edge . The majority of the flight control surfaces , such as the Frise-type ailerons , also had fabric coverings. An all-metal, stressed-skin wing of duraluminium (a DERD specification similar to AA2024) was introduced in April 1939 and

13635-450: The late summer of 1940". Present at the meeting was Squadron Leader Ralph Sorley of the Air Ministry's Operational Requirements branch, who played an important role in the decision. In November 1934, the Air Ministry issued Specification F.5/34 which called for new fighter aircraft to be armed with a total of eight guns. However, by this time, work had progressed too far to immediately modify the planned four-gun installation. By January 1935,

13770-432: The lead. Mölders and Leutnant Hans von Hahn shot down the Hurricanes of Sergeant R. M. Perry and J. Winn for no loss. In May 1940, Nos. 3, 79 and 504 Squadrons reinforced the earlier units as Germany's Blitzkrieg gathered momentum. On 10 May, the first day of the Battle of France , Flight Lieutenant R. E. Lovett and Flying Officer "Fanny" Orton , of 73 Squadron, were the first RAF pilots to engage enemy aircraft in

13905-432: The main undercarriage units being housed in recesses in the wing. Hinged telescopic Vickers-built legs are attached to the bottom boom of the wing's forward spar, but with a angled pivot to allow the strut to be perpendicular to the thrust line when extended and angle rearwards when retracted to clear the forward spar. A hydraulic jack actuated the undercarriage. Two separate hydraulic systems, one being power-operated and

14040-411: The opening months of the war were characterised by little air activity in general, there were sporadic engagements and aerial skirmishes between the two sides. On 30 October 1939 Hurricanes saw action over France. That day, Pilot Officer P. W. O. "Boy" Mould of 1 Squadron, flying Hurricane L1842, shot down a Dornier Do 17 P from 2(F)/123. The German aircraft, sent to photograph Allied airfields close to

14175-460: The other hand-operated, are present for the deployment and retraction of the undercarriage; in the event of both failing, pilots can release the retaining catches holding the undercarriage in place, deploying the wheels to the 'down' position using weight alone. A wide wheel-track was used to allow for considerable stability during ground movements and to enable tight turns to be performed. The prototype and early production Hurricanes were fitted with

14310-588: The play An Ideal Husband , which ostensibly refers to the character Sir Robert Chiltern. A title character is typically fictional, such as Alice in the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , Robinson Crusoe in the book of the same name or Jean-Luc Picard in the TV series Star Trek: Picard ; but can be a non-fictional dramatization, such as Annie Oakley in the musical Annie Get Your Gun , Erin Brockovich in

14445-799: The positive characteristics of these characters include relatively light complexions, Western education and general usefulness to the white hero and his friends and allies. There are instances in which unpleasant "foreigners" are mixed race, and Johns has been accused of stereotyping non-whites. With the already mentioned "Chungs" of Biggles Hits the Trail , and the Aboriginals of Biggles in Australia , in particular, Johns applies stereotypes typical of his time to non-white opponents of his hero. In Biggles in Borneo , Dayak headhunters are stereotyped as barely human "savages", even though they are Biggles' allies against

14580-458: The process. Title role#Title character Examples in various media include Figaro in the opera The Marriage of Figaro , Giselle in the ballet of the same name , the Doctor in the TV series Doctor Who , Dr. Gregory House of the TV series House , Harry Potter in the series of novels and films , and Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet in the play Romeo and Juliet . There

14715-563: The prototype was transferred to RAF Martlesham Heath , Suffolk , to participate in initial service trials under the direction of Squadron Leader D.F. Anderson. Sammy Wroath, later to be the founding commandant of the Empire Test Pilots' School , was the RAF test pilot for the Hurricane: his report was favourable, stating that: "The aircraft is simple and easy to fly and has no apparent vices" and proceeded to praise its control response. In

14850-475: The regular team and is often Biggles's chosen companion. He is a talented mechanic and his speech is peppered with youthful slang and Americanisms , learned from the cinema. Flight Sergeant Smyth is Biggles' trusty mechanic and logistic organiser since they first worked together in 266 Squadron during the First World War. Smyth, aside from being a mechanic in both world wars in Biggles's squadron, also joins them on some journeys to act as mechanic, like Cruise of

14985-447: The scripts and apparently ended the contract after receiving complaints from young readers that the storyline had made Biggles "go soft" by taking up a blonde female lover. Another female character appears in the form of Worrals (Flight Officer Joan Worralson), eponymous heroine of a related series of books featuring this resourceful and "plucky" member of the WAAF . A further Johns creation,

15120-653: The story, they are usually "positive", from the Oxford-educated " Chinaman ", Li Chi, in Biggles Flies Again and Biggles Delivers the Goods and the perky Polynesian girl, Full Moon, in Biggles in the South Seas , to Alexander MacKay, a part " Red Indian " nicknamed "Minnie" who joins "the chums" as a valued colleague and is even set to inherit Biggles' job in Biggles Does Some Homework . Milner observed that

15255-413: The surprise! There was no sudden surge of acceleration, but with a thunderous roar from the exhausts just ahead on either side of the windscreen, only a steady increase in speed... In retrospect that first Hurricane sortie was a moment of elation, but also of relief. Apart from the new scale of speeds that the pilot had to adapt to, the Hurricane had all the qualities of its stable, secure biplane predecessor

15390-635: The time, there was an institutional reluctance towards change within the Air Staff ; some senior figures were prejudiced against the adoption of monoplane fighter aircraft, while mid-level officers were typically more open-minded. In 1934 the British Air Ministry issued Specification F.5/34 in response to demands within the Royal Air Force (RAF) for a new generation of fighter aircraft . Earlier, during 1933, British aircraft designer Sydney Camm had conducted discussions with Major John Buchanan of

15525-432: The title character of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the "titular wizard". Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by the Supermarine Spitfire during the Battle of Britain in 1940, but

15660-452: The title is the person who shot him. The concept of title character may be interpreted to include unseen characters , such as Godot in Waiting for Godot , Rebecca de Winter in the 1938 novel Rebecca , or Jason Bourne in the 2012 film The Bourne Legacy . Status as the title character has been attributed to named objects, such as the bus in the film and musical Priscilla, Queen of

15795-474: The title role of Ma Rainey, but the lead was Charles S. Dutton as Levee. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the Wizard of Oz is the title character, but is a minor supporting character. In the musical Bye Bye Birdie , Conrad Birdie is the title character, while Albert Peterson is the protagonist. In the video game The Legend of Zelda , the title character Princess Zelda is the damsel in distress and Link

15930-510: The two squadrons involved) to suit local circumstances. The Hurricane had its first combat action on 21 October 1939, at the start of the Phoney War . That day, "A" Flight of 46 Squadron took off from North Coates satellite airfield, on the Lincolnshire coast, and was directed to intercept a formation of nine Heinkel He 115 B floatplanes from 1/KüFlGr 906, searching for ships to attack in

16065-559: The type at Brooklands from December 1937 to October 1942 and Langley from October 1939 to July 1944), while Hawker's sister company, the Gloster Aircraft Company , constructed 2,750. The Austin Aero Company completed 300 Hurricanes. Canada Car and Foundry produced 1,451 Hurricanes. However those shipped to Britain were often incomplete airframes and about 80% were delivered without an engine. In 1939, production of 100 Hurricanes

16200-589: The war. Added to the team in 1935 is the teenager Ginger Hebblethwaite. W. E. Johns was himself a First World War pilot, although his own career did not parallel that of Biggles particularly closely. The author's initial war service was as an infantryman, fighting at Gallipoli and on the Macedonian front . He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in September 1917, seconded to the Royal Flying Corps and posted back to England for flight training: Johns served as

16335-568: The whole avoided, with the odd exception, such as in Biggles Looks Back , where he and von Stalhein rescue Marie Janis (with whom Biggles was briefly in love in an earlier story) from her prison in Bohemia. Johns died while still writing Biggles Does Some Homework . Although never completed, it was released in 1998 by Norman Wright Publishing as a strictly limited edition of 300 copies in paperback. A further limited print run of 300 hardback copies

16470-494: The wings and two in the nose and powered by the Goshawk engine was prepared and discussed with Roger Liptrot of the Air Ministry in December 1933. The design was reworked with the PV.12, following detailed work working drawings of the "Interceptor Monoplane" were begun in May 1934. The complete design was presented to the Air Ministry on 4 September. Camm's initial submission in response to

16605-560: The wood and fabric covering without exploding. Even if one of the steel tubes were damaged, the repair work required was relatively simple and could be done by ground crew at the airfield. Damage to a stressed skin structure, as used by the Spitfire, required more specialised equipment to repair. The old-fashioned structure also permitted the assembly of Hurricanes with relatively basic equipment under field conditions. Crated Hurricanes were assembled at Takoradi in West Africa and flown across

16740-445: Was 73 Squadron on 10 September 1939, followed shortly by the other three. A little later, 607 and 615 Squadrons joined them. Owing to the Hurricane's rugged construction, ease of maintenance and repair in the field, and its docile landing and take-off characteristics, coupled with a wide-track undercarriage, it was selected to go to France as the principal RAF fighter. Two Hurricane squadrons, No. 1 and No. 73 , formed 67 Wing of

16875-437: Was aided by a retractable " stirrup " mounted below the trailing edge of the port wing. This was linked to a spring-loaded hinged flap which covered a handhold on the fuselage, just behind the cockpit. When the flap was shut, the footstep retracted into the fuselage. In addition, both wing roots were coated with strips of non-slip material. An advantage of the steel-tube structure was that cannon shells could pass right through

17010-462: Was also featured in the feature film Biggles (1986), directed by John Hough with Neil Dickson in the title role. The film attempted to add appeal to the character by adding a science fiction element but it was a commercial and critical failure. Dickson reprised the character in all but name in the Pet Shop Boys ' feature film, It Couldn't Happen Here . In 1986, a video game was released as

17145-559: Was another youth named Mark Way, a New Zealander. Biggles began flying the F.E.2b " pusher " and later the Bristol F2B . In late summer 1917, he was transferred to 266 Squadron RFC, commanded by Major Mullen. With 266 Squadron, Biggles flew the Sopwith Pup and the famed Sopwith Camel , developing a friendly rivalry with 'Wilks' (Captain Wilkinson) and the S.E.5s of 287 squadron and forming

17280-495: Was his 13-year-old daughter Hazel Hill . Of the decision to place eight machine guns in fighters, Claude Hilton Keith , at the time assistant director of armament research and development, said "The battle was brisk and was carried into very high quarters before the implementing authority was given. My Branch had made out a sound case for 8-gun fighters and if this recommendation had not been accepted and we had been content with half-measures, it might indeed have gone ill for us during

17415-546: Was initiated in Yugoslavia by Zmaj and Rogožarski . Of these, 20 were built by Zmaj by April 1941. Recognising that the supply of British-made Merlin engines might not be guaranteed, it was decided to fit one of the Yugoslavian Hurricanes with a Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine instead. This aircraft was flown in 1941. In 1938, a contract for 80 Hurricanes was placed with Fairey's Belgian subsidiary Avions Fairey SA for

17550-453: Was printed in 2007. Biggles appeared in a TV series based on the books with Neville Whiting playing the title role. There were 44 B&W untitled episodes of 30 minutes, which were made by Granada and ran from 1 April till 9 September 1960. Biggles was a Detective Air Inspector attached to Scotland Yard . Helping him were Ginger ( John Leyton ) and Bertie (David Drummond) and they fought against villains like von Stalhein (Carl Duering). He

17685-783: Was received; this was followed by the purchase of a production licence for the Hurricane by Yugoslavia. Yugoslavian Hurricanes saw action against the Luftwaffe during the invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941 by the Axis powers . To the end of August 1939, 14 Hurricanes had been sent to Poland (SS Lassel left Liverpool on 30 August 1939 heading to Constanza in Romania, these planes never reached Poland and ultimately were sold to Turkey ), seven ex-RAF Hurricanes had been sent to South Africa, while another 13 ex-RAF Hurricanes were sent to Turkey, 13 Hurricanes had been built for Belgium, 21 for Canada including one as

17820-768: Was the first to clash with a Messerschmitt Bf 109 . After the dogfight, he came back with five holes in his fuselage. Flying Officer Cobber Kain , a New Zealander, was responsible for 73 Squadron's first victory, on 8 November 1939 while stationed at Rouvres . He went on to become one of the RAF's first fighter aces of the war, being credited with 16 kills. On 22 December, the Hurricanes in France suffered their first losses: three, while trying to intercept an unidentified aircraft between Metz and Thionville , were jumped by four Bf 109Es from III./JG 53, with their Gruppenkommandeur , Spanish Civil War ace Captain Werner Mölders , in

17955-441: Was the younger of two sons, Charles being the elder by five years. The young James had little contact with European culture and commenced a lifelong affection for India, befriending the local Indian boys, exploring the countryside and learning to speak fluent Hindi . He retained a lifetime gift for languages and as an adult spoke French and German fluently, with a "fair command" of other languages. He spent holidays in England, under

18090-402: Was typically equipped for flying under both day and night conditions, being provided with navigation lights, Harley landing lights , complete blind-flying equipment, and two-way radios . Upon its entry to service, much of the performance data was intentionally concealed from the general public, but it was known that the type possessed a speed range of 6:1. A simple steel tube structure supported

18225-420: Was used for all of the later marks. "The metal skinned wings allowed a diving speed that was 80 mph (130 km/h) higher than the fabric-covered ones. They were very different in construction but were interchangeable with the fabric-covered wings; one trials Hurricane, L1877 , was even flown with a fabric-covered port wing and metal-covered starboard wing. The great advantage of the metal-covered wings over

#571428