Ram Jet

Described as “Britain’s wonder air fighter” in the May 17th 1941 issue of the Hotspur boys paper. Piloted by Captain Dan Blade, this seemingly indestructible aircraft went on to wreak all kinds of havoc on the horrible Hun with nothing more than a nasty looking lance slapped on the front.

Sometimes described as a jet and sometimes as a rocket and at other times a rocket jet so my play on “Ram Jet” is not that accurate or clever really. I have never seen any intakes on the comic images available or guns for that matter but using the whole aircraft as a weapon seems to be the offensive tactic. Aircraft, ships and steel doors hiding secret Luftwaffe bases inside mountains all fall so easily to the Destroyer as this aircraft is known… I bet old Adolf was jolly cross!

The Hotspur was published by DC Thomson & Co running from 1933 to 1959 as a story paper and relaunched as a comic in 1959 running until 1981. Some of those early covers are wonderful with some crazy ideas. Obviously the war time issues are full of propaganda and make the enemy look hopeless to lessen the fear factor I image in kids living during a world war.

I have no idea who the original creator/artist was but I bet he brought a smile to a lot of kids in those dark days and is still making even bigger kids (and small brown dogs)smile in the 21st century.