by Richard Mallory Allnutt
For the past forty-some years, it is doubtful that anyone with even the vaguest interest in vintage military aircraft could fail to have seen or been moved by the work of the legendary aerial photographer, Philip Makanna. His images have appeared in countless magazines and books, but Makanna is perhaps most well known for his famous line of GHOSTS calendars, which have graced the walls of many a home and aircraft hangar across the world since 1981. Personally speaking, I received my first GHOSTS calendar as a Christmas gift when I was a college student in the mid-80s, and I have owned succeeding editions for almost every year since. Printed on thick, glossy paper, these full-sized calendars are renowned for both their premium quality and, of course, for their magnificent images. In fact they are so good that, unlike with most calendars, people tend to save them beyond their intended period of use – and whom among us hasn’t clipped a favorite image from the binding to frame or pin up somewhere we enjoy spending time (I know I have!). With a keen sense for lighting and composition, Makanna’s images also have a timeless quality to them which captures the spirit of both the machine and the era from which they came. And for 2022, as in recent years, there are two different calendars available – one featuring aircraft from WWII and the other from WWI.
The WWII edition is described below, with details for the WWI version following a little further on…
The cover page for the WWII-themed GHOSTS calendar feature’s the Commemorative Air Force’s Boeing B-17G Sentimental Journey. (image by Philip Makanna)
- 12 magnificent air-to-air color photographs of the combat aircraft World War II by Master Aviation Photographer Philip Makanna
- Each month is suitable for framing
- Plus our unique chronological history of the aviation events of the war
- Plus specifications and silhouettes
- Each page 20″ x 14″ – Opens to 20″ x 28″
Aircraft Included:
HAWKER “HURRICANE” Mk.XIIa
POLIKARPOV I-16 “ISHAK” (LITTLE DONKEY)
SUPERMARINE “SPITFIRE” PR Mk. XI
BRISTOL “BLENHEIM” Mk.IVT
WESTLAND Mk.IIIA “LYSANDER”
CURTISS P-36C “HAWK”
NORTH AMERICAN “HARVARD” Mk IIA
SUPERMARINE “SPITFIRE” LF Mk. IXe
NORTH AMERICAN P-51B-10NA “MUSTANG”
CURTISS P-40N-5-CU
MESSERSCHMITT Me 262 B-1c “SCHWALBE” (SWALLOW)
CA-18 Mk. 21 (NORTH AMERICAN P-51-D) “MUSTANG”
BELL P-63A “KINGCOBRA”
BOEING B-17G “FLYING FORTRESS”
The WWI Edition is described below…
The cover page for the WWI-themed GHOSTS calendar feature’s a magnificent and authentic recreation of a Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a, a legendary British biplane fighter from the latter stages of the Great War.
GHOSTS, THE GREAT WAR 2022 – The Ultimate WWI Aviation Calendar.
- 12 Magnificent Color Photographs by Philip Makanna
- Each month is suitable for framing
- Plus our unique chronological history of the aviation events of WWI
- Plus specifications and silhouettes
- Each page 20″ x 14″ – Opens to 20″ x 28″
Aircraft Included:
AIRCO DH.4
AVRO 504
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY RE.8
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY BE.2c
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY BE.2f
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY SE.5a
ROYAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY FE.2b
SOPWITH CAMEL
HANRIOT HD.1
ALBATROS D.II
ALBATROS D.Va
FOKKER Dr.I
FOKKER D.VII
FOKKER D.VIII
And for those who wish to have something a little weightier, Phil Makanna also has some truly spectacular hard-cover books featuring many of his images too. As with his calendars, these books are beautifully designed and of the highest quality. Makanna has such lyrical prose as well, placing you in the scene almost as effectively as his images. We featured a write up of his most recent effort last November, but there are other wonderful books available too… be sure to check them out HERE!
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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