In the beginning…

Fairey IIID, January 1926:
“. We had successfully carried out some trial landings on the deck to prove that landing and taking a float plane off the deck was possible in an emergency, but as a result, the floats were leaking badly owing to loosened rivets. We had no means of repairing them on board, so that after being hoisted into the water I had to waste no time before taking off otherwise the weight of the water in the floats plus “Cam’s” 18 stone was too much for the Napier Lion engine.” Lt (R.M.) AB Woodhall

The 30D is heavier and more robust than the 400D (which is rated at 10.1megapixels here). As a recently-made-redundant press photographer I’d opt for the 30D in general use but the 20 per cent greater file size of the 400D would be a temptation. How big do you want your prints?

Early favourites in my library:
Tattered Battlements – first published anonymously in 1943 by “A Fighter Pilot”
but republished with additions by W/C HAS “Tim” Johnston in 1985
Spitfires over Malta by Paul Brennan and Ray Hesslyn – another wartime publication
One Man’s Window by Denis Barnham- written from a wartime diary with drawings by the author
Hess – A Kiwi Spitfire Ace by James Sutherland has a large section on Malta and draws much from Spitfires over Malta.
Canadian pilots on Malta get a deal of coverage in All the Fine young Eagles by David L Bashow.
There’s a Malta Museum site with some good links. Also a good reading list at
http://www.killifish.f9.co.uk/Malta%20WWII/Video%20&%20Literature.htm

This might be wandering off-topic but it’s still about the V1. I have a report that Alan Grace of an Air Sea Rescue unit was flying a Spitfire II and ambushed a V1 just after take-off. He was able to shoot it down before it reached full speed.. Now that’s clever!