Fly Past

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

BOMBERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 5

Edited by: Ken Ellis
With many thanks to: Chris Gilson

and Steve Beebee at FlyPast;
Ajay Srivastava at the RAF Museum;

Andy Thomas and Sean Feast
Contributing writers: Steve Appleby,

Daniel Ford, Jonathan Garroway, Josh
Lyman, Bob Uppendaun and M L Wynche

Group Editor: Nigel Price

Archive images: All Key Collection unless
noted

Artwork: Andy Hay – http://www.flyingart.co.uk
and in memory of Pete West

Art Editor: Mike Carr

Chief Designer: Steve Donovan

Production Editor: Sue Blunt
Deputy Production Editor: Carol Randall

Production Manager: Janet Watkins

Advertisement Manager: Alison Sanders
Advertising Production: Debi McGowan

Group Advertisement Manager:
Brodie Baxter

Marketing Executive: Shaun Binnington

Marketing Manager: Martin Steele

Commercial Director: Ann Saundry

Managing Director and Publisher:

Adrian Cox

Executive Chairman: Richard Cox

Contacts

Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford,

Lincs, PE9 1XQ

Tel 01780 755131

Email [email protected]

http://www.keypublishing.com

Distribution: Seymour Distribution Ltd,

2 Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT.

Tel 020 74294000

Printed by: Warners (Midland) plc,

The Maltings, Bourne, Lincs, PE10 9PH

The entire contents of RAF Centenary

Celebration: Bombers is copyright ©

2018. No part may be reproduced in any

form, or stored on any form of retrieval

system, without the prior permission of

the publisher.

Published by: Key

Publishing Ltd – see above

Printed in England

Front Cover:

Front Cover: Since

November 1973 Avro

Lancaster I PA

has been a member

of the Battle of

Britain Memorial

Flight passing on

the unit’s message

of ‘Lest We Forget’

wherever it goes.

During that time its

paint schemes have

paid tribute to the

men and squadrons

of Bomber Command.

At present it wears

the markings of

460 Squadron Royal

Australian Air Force to

port and 50 Squadron

to starboard.

JOHN DIBBS - PLANE

PICTURE COMPANY

Inset:

Inset: During trials

in the USA an RAF

Lockheed Martin

F-35B carrying out

the retractable

in-fl ight refuelling

probe.

COURTESY AND

COPYRIGHT LOCKHEED

MARTIN

This page:

A trio of de Havilland

Mosquito B.35s of 139

Squadron ready for

take-off at their base,

Hemswell, in May

1950. Note that VP
      in the centre still has
      black undersides;
      whereas the overall
      ‘silver’ of VP185 and
      TK620 fl anking it
      represent the fi nal
      colour scheme of
      Bomber Command
      Mosquitos. Beginning
      with Mosquito IVs in
      September 1942, the
      unit stayed faithful
      to the DH twin until
      it traded in its B.35s
      for English Electric
      Canberra B.2s in 1953.