ON THE COVER:
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive on the Western Front. Using the
terrible weather of the 1944/45 winter to their advantage, battle-hardened German troops pushed forward in a threat to Allied gains in Europe. However, when the weather cleared then USAAF airpower went into action and destroyed the German advances. One of the major
aircraft in this aerial victory was the mighty Republic P-47D Thunderbolt whose ground-attack capabilities eliminated the vaunted German tank forces. This Thunderbolt is having its armament replenished prior to a mission. (USAAF)

FEATURES:

“FILL ‘ER UP!”
From the 1920s through the 1940s, aircraft and aviation elements were utilized as roadside attractions in the hope of increasing business / by Adam Stanton

RUBBER DUCKS
Forecasting a post-war economy that would include vast numbers of privately-owned new aircraft, Goodyear switched from building Corsairs to creating a little amphibian for returning military pilots / by Howard Carter

BIRDS OF BLIDA
Little-known story of a major Royal Air Force base in Algeria that was established not only as a forward combat airfield but also as a massive overhaul facility that would see hundreds of Hurricanes and Spitfires returned to action / by Robert Hansen

COLORS OF WAR
The return of our popular feature highlighting WWII combat aircraft in full color / by Michael O’Leary

THE LAST ACES
Lockheed P-38 ace Perry Dahl has died at age 101 / by Steve Blake

DEPARTMENTS:

MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER

WARBIRD & CLASSIC REPORT
All the latest news plus a report on the restoration of Yanks Air Museum’s Noorduyn Norseman / by Doug Fisher

LOG ENTRIES
Why we need to support our aviation museums / by Mark Bingham

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

FRIDAY NIGHT OLDIES
Interesting surplus ex-military aircraft / by Doug Fisher

AIRLINES
News and views from the readers of Air Classics