3D Crossword Solution – August Extra 2026

Clues by Jolt and Grid by Calluna

Theme: Supermarine Spitfire, entered service August 1938

Winner: Melanie Parker of Devon

Review of the August Extra 2026 3D crossword

I was pleased to discover that Jolt is none other than a lynchpin of the 3D community, who lives in Australia and works tirelessly behind the scenes from there to ensure everything runs smoothly online. Not only is she a genius with IT but, as can be seen here, she is a clever, witty and creative setter.

Many of Jolt’s clues have a freshness and originality about them: some of my favourites were FOHNS (‘Winds force lids off toilets’ — what a visual image!), RILLE (with the cleverly misleading and humorous Barbie reference — all the way from Australia), WHARF (‘Who nearly pranged middle of craft’), HURRICANE (‘Classy roller enters bends, cutting first of corners’) the homophone SUEDE (‘London band’s recording rocked’), DPHIL (‘I left after flunking PhD degree‘), WARMONGER (‘German with gun running ahead’) and ICONS (‘hypersonic superstars’). I am going to have to wait for clarification of the Claude Rains reference in the clue to FLAIR, but I am thinking of the Invisible Man, maybe? 

Solving without the regular Hints and Tips feature adds an additional challenge to solvers but the clues, as well as being inventive, were scrupulously fair throughout: for example, the last two solutions I needed to complete the grid were NOTES and DECKLE and I had to rely heavily on their alphabetical order. A measure of head scratching to begin with, then some fruitless leafing through various solving aids, and eventually the penny drop moment. Aha, of course! An anagram of SOMETHIN without HIM and D + (FR)ECKLE. Is that not the essence of brilliant cryptic clues? A battle of wits that ends with a smile from the solver and a nod of appreciation to the setter in recognition of their skill. 

Calluna are a prolific team who “are former title holders and frequent podium finishers in the 3D World Championship grid design competitions”. One of the great pleasures of the 3D puzzle series is the variety and scope of the different themes and this August Extra was a great example of the genre — not just fun, but educational too. How fascinating to learn about the role of two women, HAZEL HILL and LUCY HOUSTON, in the development and production of the SUPER MARINE SPITFIRES — my first iconic model Airfix kit as a child. The 9×5 grid enables the designer to include longer entries with a minimum of serpents — and here there were only five serpents for 40 clues. I counted ten thematic elements and there may well be more. Inevitably, such an approach leads to the odd obscure entry (CHIRU, TALUK and AGGRI) but the partnership between setter and designer ensures that the clues for these words are relatively benign. 

Just two suggestions to finish, should there be any plans to republish this puzzle: orange and yellow shading is hard to differentiate (at least using my ink-jet printer) and the word ‘Trophy’ as an indication of the SCHNEIDER TROPHY Easter egg should, I think, be ‘Award’. These are only minor issues and did not in any way spoil my huge enjoyment of an archetypal 3D puzzle. Many thanks to Jolt and Calluna.

KM

Grid solution

Background image

The backdrop to this month’s puzzle of Kate the Chemist spitting fire is by COD Newsroom (CC BY 2.0 licence).

Clues and explanations

Thematic solutions are indicated with an asterisk.

Solvers’ comments

Took me a while to see the theme, in the end Hazel Hill (who I’d not heard of before) gave me the way in, after which the cover photo made sense. Had fun trawling through Wikipedia for info about her and others involved in the story of the Spitfire. Thanks to Jolt and Calluna for a very enjoyable puzzle. [RS]

Good theme, introduced me to a pair of women I had not previously encountered. A few words were unfamiliar (25, 17, 12, 22) but gettable. I couldn’t see how a couple (6, 34up) were parsed so I look forward to the annotated solutions. Lovely puzzle, thanks. [JT]

Nice puzzle, with tons of thematic material. Well done. [PB]

We are always delighted to get an extra puzzle to work through. This had some tough wordplays for us but we enjoyed it all the same. Trying still to wrap our heads into wordplay for 18, 27 & 38. [M&SS]

Pshaw! DPhil is a stretch. This had a lot of new words and who doesn’t love a kid who works out how many guns you need to blow your enemy out of the sky. Great thematic richness. Time to get baking… [D&DRR]

A couple of head scratching clues but fair and enjoyable. [PD]

A well-chosen theme for the month: it reminded me of the remarkable contribution by the young pupil Hazel Hill to the calculations needed to double the firing capacity of the Spitfires. I was impressed by how much thematic material was designed into this puzzle. [AB]

Great to have another August puzzle as an additional brainbender! Thanks to Jolt and Calluna for a clever puzzle – but I have to say it contained some tough clues, so I took quite a while to complete it. It did give me the opportunity to delve into the interesting but unfamiliar backstory about the Supermarine Spitfire. I am grateful that the world of crosswords keeps me learning. [JA]

Nice incorporation of thematic answers with only a couple of obscurities for filler. I confess it took a LONG time after solving to parse the wordplay for DECKLE, and the L&S of “hypersonic” had me wrinkling my nose. Otherwise fun though 🙂 [DW]

A lovely treat to have an extra puzzle during the summer holidays! [JN]

A distressing number of question marks on some of the more convoluted clues but I think this is right and I learned a lot of history in the process. I’m afraid I had to use an anagram solver to find the first Easter Egg and Google found me the trophy in connection – which actually helped me solve the last few clues (the orange squares D, H &Y). I spent a lot of time trying to justify either WESSI or WOSSI (German connections) for day 39 until the penny eventually dropped! So a slightly grudging thank you! [EF]

Interesting Puzzle for me, given that I live in Temora NSW which is home to 2 of the 3 flying Spitfires in Australia [KD]

Great cluing helped with the half dozen new words to me! Living in Stoke meant the name was easy, but good job the coloured letters were in place. Lovely puzzle. Thanks. 😎 [DM]

You never know what you’re going to get with an Extra but this worked very well. Once confident of the fighter plane theme, I counted the letters of FRANK WHITTLE which shows you how little I know. But how nice to have commemorated the contributions of two women to the developments that helped save our skins in WWII. [PA]

I might have preferred two more easily distinguished colours than yellow and orange. Splendid tribute to these amazing aircraft (with shout-outs for Lucy Houston and Hazel Hill). Highly appropriate that the deadline is Battle of Britain Day! [NI]

Nice bonus puzzle [MD]

The theme was only spotted late on… [AC]

Nice puzzle, worthy theme and not too difficult once theme was discovered. I only struggled slightly, as I’d never heard of the two thematic names, but they were easily sussed out from wordplay. Thank you👌😀 [MN]

I couldn’t completely parse wharf, deckle, flair, or rille. Several words entirely new to me, and a couple of variant spellings; tough! “Supermarine” around the corner was nice, and the picture elicited a satisfied groan on deducing the theme. [RS]

Phew, that was a tricky one! Very clever combination of history, engineering, and current terms. Thank you for the challenge! [SF]

Great extra puzzle, and whoever would have thought one could have so much fun with the theme and anniversary! It being before my time, I did need to look up a couple of the names, but love the way the puzzle celebrates the women behind this most iconic of planes as well as the designer. [MS]

This one took me down one of the most fascinating Wikipedia rabbit holes I’ve encountered in a while ✈️🤓 Thanks for a fun solve, Jolt & Calluna! [MS]

Theme was helpful. On the difficult side with some obscure answers. [JP]

Great puzzle [MG]

I learned quite a lot reading up about the thematic clues and easter eggs. I was particularly interested in Hazel Hill who I had never heard of before. [JC]

So great to have an extra puzzle to take on holiday! A bit of a history lesson and some searching required, but it’s none the worse for that! I have though gone wrong somewhere so I’m looking forward to seeing the solution when it is published. [SB]

It took me a while to get the theme. I’d not heard of the two women. Nice cluing and some welcome unusual words. 1. Chambers has this only as an adjective, without meaning. 5. Not a construction I’ve seen before. 6. Chambers has this as two words. [MJ]

Nice [GS]

Every day’s a learning day [BB]

A really interesting topic – thanks so much to Jolt and Calluna for that! It was fascinating to read about these ‘forgotten women’ and the related history. The puzzle was a real challenge – several new words (aggri, chiru, fohns, hadal, taluk) and difficult to unravel a few more. I’m still not sure of the parsing for FLAIR! But much to enjoy, including WASPI of which I am one! [JC]

I loved remembering Spitfires and learned a lot digging up information but I can’t finish it. Stuck on 27, 31 and 33 [SG]

Liked the image – spitting fire – I haven’t got a printer so the extras are a bit annoying – I draw them out in a notebook – but liked the theme. [LB]

Learned something new from this one – thanks! [JG]

The puzzle was well done, and the photograph was clever, and I learned a lot. I already knew how important, and beloved, the Spitfire is to the UK; but I do wish Poppy Houston hadn’t been pro-fascist. (No disrespect to Jolt and Calluna, of course, and thanks to them both.) [JS]

Tough but enjoyable. A few new words to me but they were fairly clued and a theme that hid itself well and even when revealed did not mean the puzzle was over. Thanks to Jolt and Calluna. [GW]

Fun puzzle, thanks [AR]