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From today's featured article

A No. 38 Squadron Caribou in 2009
A No. 38 Squadron Caribou

No. 38 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) transport unit. Formed in 1943, the squadron ferried supplies and personnel during World War II between Australia and combat zones in New Guinea and Borneo, using Douglas Dakota aircraft. It was deployed to Singapore from 1950 to 1952, supplying Commonwealth forces engaged in the Malayan Emergency. It started flying de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribous (pictured) in 1964. Throughout Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, the squadron prepared aircrew for operational service with No. 35 Squadron, and maintained a detachment in Papua and New Guinea to provide pilots with experience flying in tropical conditions. During the 1980s it provided search and rescue capabilities within Australia, working with Australian Army units. From 1999 until 2001, a detachment was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led peacekeeping force in the newly independent nation. The squadron continued to fly the ageing Caribous until 2009, when it was re-equipped with eight Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft. Currently stationed at RAAF Base Townsville, Queensland, it is responsible for light transport tasks and for training RAAF pilots to operate King Airs. (Full article...)

Part of the No. 90 (Composite) Wing RAAF series, one of Wikipedia's featured topics.

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Daieishō
Daieishō

In the news

Artist's impression of OSIRIS-REx
Artist's impression of OSIRIS-REx

On this day...

September 15: International Day of Democracy; Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese calendar, 2016); Independence Day in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (1821); Battle of Britain Day in the United Kingdom; Free Money Day

British Mark I tank
British Mark I tank
More anniversaries:
Flaming June

Flaming June is a painting by Sir Frederic Leighton created in 1895. Painted with oil paints on a 47-by-47-inch (1,200 mm × 1,200 mm) square canvas, it is considered to be Leighton's magnum opus, showing his classicist nature. It has been interpreted as alluding to the figures of sleeping nymphs and naiads, with the toxic oleander branch in the top right symbolizing the fragile link between sleep and death. The painting is held by the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Painting: Frederic Leighton

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