BSG

I too have wondered about the scrawled serial number on cowlings myself, they tend to appear on both Hellcats and Corsairs. But I have a theory. RN aircraft tended to have the serial nos stencilled on the lower rear fuselage sides. Maybe when the aircraft are packed into a below decks hangar, a large serial on the cowling enable the maintainers to pick them out without having to scramble to the rear every time.

THE LEGENDARY ALAN WILBUR HALL

If I may, I would like to add my small salute on the passing of a legend.

Alan would wryly acknowledge that he was never actually the Editor of the Airfix Magazine in the 1960s – although he would become its owner and publisher years later.

His legacy is the series of photo-illustrated kit conversion articles that appeared in the centre pages of a magazine that had a peak circulation of 100,000 copies per month. He was the inspiration to a generation of kids like me and provided the incentive to read and to learn more.

His brilliant Aviation News from the early 1970s was an innovation and an inspiration, driven by his passion for all things aviation.

Other contrubutors above have acknowledged the breaks that he gave them in publishing their first articles or photos – he never ceased to seek and encourage new talent.

His confessed favourite aircraft was the Avro Anson – somehow summing up Alan Hall – classic, British, dependable, an enduring icon.

Alan Wilbur Hall – you were an inspiration to me and so many others