Card of the Day - 2021-11-26

For those of you who are crying where`s the turkey?, we have honoured it in a different, more bird-friendly way, with this card, which is from a super set called Aeroplane Markings, presumably a harbinger of the impending Second World War.

Most of you have probably never heard of the Turkish Air Force but it was founded in June 1911,  which is nine months before our own Royal Flying Corps, though their modern form is dated to 1923, the time that the Republic of Turkey was created.

During the Second World War they used both American and British craft, including Spitfires.

Today, they are the third largest air force in NATO, and the largest supplier of its equipment is America, who provide F-16 jets in the operational and training mode, and T-38 two seater training jets. Turkey is also developing its own trainer/light fighter, the TAI Hurkus, which is planned to be eventually sold overseas.