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ON THE COVER:
Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX that was recovered from the Russian tundra. Photography by Darren Harbar

FEATURES:
BY TRAVEL AIR TO HAWAII
The 1927 Dole Air Race to Hawaii quickly became known as the “Pineapple Derby” and “Death Derby.” For most of the pilots and aircraft entered, the event was a disaster yet a clever Walter Beech had three of his Travel Air 5000 monoplanes attempting to fly the Pacific / by Mal Halcombe

SAVE THE DEVASTATORS!
An ambitious plan is underway to raise one of America’s rarest early WWII aircraft from the depths of the Pacific — the TBD Devastator / by Taras Lyssenko

LEND-LEASE SPITFIRE
Recovered from the Russian tundra where it has lain since crashing in 1945, this Mk. IX Spitfire has been restored back to flying condition / by Darren Harbar

SPREADING THE WORD
In order to carry out its religious mission, this group operated a surplus C-46 Commando and Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress / by Howard Carter

DEPARTMENTS:

WARBIRD & CLASSIC REPORT
All the latest vintage and veteran aircraft news along with a report on the new Masters of the Air nine-part TV series / by Doug Fisher

SHORT FINAL
A young copilot learns about fire-bombing with a B-17 tanker / by Mike Heiny

FRIDAY NIGHT OLDIES
Rare Kodachromes of surplus military aircraft / by Doug Fisher

LOG ENTRIES
The story of the Navy’s first aviator / by Mark Bingham

THE WILLIAM T. LARKINS COLLECTION
US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft from the late 1950s/ early 1960s / by Nicholas Veronico

DOWN MEMORY’S RUNWAY
Aircraft from aviation’s glorious past / by Norm Taylor

AIRLINES
News and views from the readers of Air Classics