THE Royal International Air Tattoo will remember a leading British aviator when Europe's biggest airshow takes off from RAF Fairford in July.

Wing Commander Roland Prosper Beamont died last November, aged 81, after a prestigious career.

To celebrate his achievements, a tribute flypast by an RAF Canberra, flanked by a Tornado and a Jaguar, will be held at the tattoo.

Known as Bee, Beamont was a Hurricane veteran of the Battle of Britain, flying the Hawker Tempest against the notorious V1 flying bombs that terrorised London in 1944.

After downing 30 'doodlebugs' single-handed, he was hailed by Londoners as a hero.

Beamont also successfully introduced the Hawker Typhoon into RAF wartime service, but in October 1944 engine failure forced him down on the wrong side of the lines and he was taken prisoner.

For three decades post-war, he was at the cutting edge of a race to create a new generation of jet aircraft.

He was the first Briton to break the sound barrier, flying an American P-86 in 1948, and the following year took the Canberra jet bomber on its maiden flight.

It became one of the most successful British military planes ever and is still in service today over Afghanistan.

The tattoo will take place over the weekend of July 20 and 21.