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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0655.PDF
13 May 1955 653 PERU The Peruvian Air Force UNDER THE Mutual Defence Assistance Programme thePeruvian Air Force has received within recent months eight Douglas B-26 Invader attack bombers. Previous types in servicewere Curtiss Hawk and Republic Thunderbolt fighters. North American Mitchell and Lockheed Ventura bombers, DouglasDakota, D.H. Rapide and Grumman Goose transports, Convair Catalina general-purpose amphibians, and the following trainers:North American Harvard, Boeing PT-13, Fairchild PT-19, Vultee BT-13, Beechcraft AT-11 and Cessna AT-17. The Air Force isadministered by the Ministerio de Aeronautica, established in Lima, and is responsible for both military and naval aviation. THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC The Philippine Air Force A SQUADRON of North American F-51 Mustang fighters ison the strength of this Force, in addition to Douglas Dakota transport aircraft, Piper L-4s and Stinson L-5s for liaison andobservation, and Harvard, Cornell and Temco Buckaroo trainers. In conjunction with the Institute of Science and Technology, atManila, the Air Force is developing two types of light aircraft —the XL-14 Maya, built to test the practicability of utilizingplywood, bamboo and other local woods in aircraft construction, and the XL-15, a twin-boom single-engined ambulance machine. POLAND The Polish Air Force THE FIRST-LINE elements of the Polish Air Force are mainlyequipped with Mig-15 and 15 bis jet fighters and 11-28 twin-jet bombers. Training types include the UT-2, Yak-9, Yak-11 andYak-18. In April 1953 an escaped Polish pilot said that a number of Russian officers were in charge of various units of the Service,and that approximately 120 jet aircraft, of a total operational strength of 300 aircraft, were operating. He believed that at thetime the Russians had some 200 aircraft of their own—all jets —in the Pomeranian and Silesian areas of Western Poland.Commander-in-Chief is General Jan Turkiel. PORTUGAL The Portuguese Air Force TWO OPERATIONAL squadrons are contributed by this Forceto NATO. The principal type is the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, but a few F-47 Thunderbolts, Hawker Hurricanes and Super-marine Spitfires remain in service. Elements of Portuguese Thunderjets have participated successfully in Central Europeanexercises, integrated with units of the French Air Force. The standard trainer is the D.H. Chipmunk, now being built domestic-ally by O.G.M.A. (Officinas Gerais de Material Aeronautico). Lockheed Harpoons may be acquired for maritime work. RHODESIA The Royal Rhodesian Air Force THE ABOVE title was conferred upon the former SouthernRhodesia Air Force in October last year. Simultaneously the R.R.A.F. adopted R.A.F. ranks in place of the army ranks for-merly used. The_ principal airfield is New Sarum, otherwise known as Kentuck'y Farm, where the senior air command is heldby A. Cdre. E. W. S. Jacklin. The first task of the R.R.A.F. is to train and hold in readiness two ground-attack squadrons. Onesquadron is using Vampire F.B.9s and a second is working up on Vampire T.lls. In emergency, and after re-equipment, thesesquadrons would expect to operate with the R.A.F. Photographic reconnaissance, transport support and "flying doctor" operationsare all the concern of the R.R.A.F. Types in service, in addition to the Vampires, are Hunting Percival Provosts, Armed Provostsand Pembroke C.ls, Dakotas, Harvards, Ansons, Rapides and Tiger Moths. Air-observation pilots for the Army are trained byR.R.A.F. pilots on Austers. de Havilland Vampire F.B.9s (Royal Rhodesian A.F.). XL-14 Maya, built in conjunction with Philippine A.F, Republic F-84 Thunderjet (Portuguese A.F.). de Havilland Chipmunk (Portuguese A.F.). (Below) Hunting Percival Pembroke C.I (Royal Rhodesian A.F.).
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