Across
1 Article put on aircraft carrying journo from E London (6, 6)
BOMBER JACKET - BOMBER JET [aircraft] carrying 'ACK [journo "from E London"]
9 Bones found in bag next to top drawer? (5)
SACRA - SAC [bag] next to R.A. [top drawer (= respected artist = Royal Academician)]
10 An element of comic book language? (9)
MANGANESE - Manga are Japanese comics, but if manga had a language, by analogy to Java's Javanese, it'd be...
11 Where one takes off, but doesn't actually undress? (8)
AIRSTRIP - Cryptic def: one "takes off" from an airstrip, but one doesn't actually "strip" there
12 Glass raised to oneself daily? (6)
MIRROR - Cryptic def: not an alcoholic glass, but a looking-glass here. Pretty sure I drink more pints than I
tidy myself up in mirrors, but your own mileage may vary. ETA: I failed to spot that "daily" here refers to the Mirror
newspaper. I'm sure it would be on my radar if it had a better crossword, so it's only got itself to blame
13 Belt for strangling with is a hazard of course (4, 4)
SAND TRAP - STRAP [belt], strangling AND [with]. The course in question refers to the sport with misshapen
whacking sticks and little holes
15 Lord's conclusion perhaps is baffling (4)
STUMPS - double def, with STUMPS also being a possible conclusion at Lord's, which is a venue for the sport
where people throw red spheres very fast at lightly armoured sentries who must deflect them
17 Female motorists requiring assistance briefly (6)
RACHEL - R.A.C. [motorists (Royal Automobile Club)] + HEL{p} [assistance "briefly"]
18 In place of patient article, engineer moves anticipating conflict? (3, 5)
WAR DANCE - WARD AN C.E. [place of patient | article | (civil) engineer]
20 Point after brother, making face (6)
BREAST - EAST [(compass) point] after BR [brother]
21 Tragedy of family left packing possessions (4, 4)
KING LEAR - KIN [family] + L [left] "packing" GEAR [possessions]
24 Old film about a ref, songs from the right shows (9)
NOSFERATU - hidden reversed ["from the right"] in {abo}UT A REF, SON{gs}
25 Bathsheba's husband's backpedalling a shock perhaps for all (5)
URIAH - reverse ["backpedalling"] of HAIR U [a shock perhaps | for all (in the cinema)]
26 My small three wheeler: get off! (6, 1, 5)
STRIKE A LIGHT - S TRIKE ALIGHT [small | three wheeler | get off]
Down
1 Concession to the elderly that's enough to be getting on with? (3, 4)
BUS PASS - Cryptic def: with a bus pass an OAP has enough to be getting on (a bus)
2 Food processing areas come without specialist? (8, 6)
MACARONI CHEESE - (AREAS COME*) ["processing"] "without" NICHE
3 Praise no longer key (5)
EXALT - EX ALT [no longer | key (on a computer keyboard)]
4 Spot fine, then jail for West Indian (8)
JAMAICAN - JAM [spot] + A1 [fine] + CAN [jail]
5 99, maybe, or two more? (4)
CONE - A 99 is an ice cream cone, C ONE suggests to the trained solver "one hundred and one",
which is two more than 99. Haven't we seen this clue in another puzzle really recently?
6 On reflection, short feature appeared wasted (9)
EMACIATED - reverse ["on reflection"] of DETAI{l} CAME ["short" feature | appeared]
7 Corrupt practice of daughter in marring energy recycling (14)
GERRYMANDERING - D in (MARRING ENERGY*) ["recycling"]
8 Girl who'd come out with gentleman heading north remains (6)
DEBRIS - DEB [girl who'd come out] + SIR reversed [gentleman "heading north"]</i>
14 Petty in the extreme? That is the way with adolescents (9)
TEENSIEST - I.E. ST [that is | the way] with TEENS [adolescents]
16 Work on hand satisfied patient of mine? (8)
MANICURE - If I am a doctor, a "satisfied patient of mine" might be a MAN I CURE
17 Artist's career's having to be pigeon-holed (6)
RUBENS - RUN'S [career's] having BE "pigeon-holed"
19 Condition, but not necessarily range, of person under discussion? (7)
EARSHOT - a person under discussion's condition is EARS HOT (their "ears are burning")
even though they are not in EARSHOT. Allegedly
22 Set to consume game, finding something less appetising (5)
GRUEL - GEL [set] "to consume" R.U., which is the sport where both the really beefy and
the comparatively weedy chaps chase around after some kind of leather egg
23 Bundle of cash one found in dry river bed (4)
WADI - WAD I [bundle of cash | one]. Real Scrabble players' word, this
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