Air forces and warfare Books

Book SynopsisIn a breathtaking moment lasting less than ten seconds, skimming the rooftops of Brussels, Jean de Selys Longchamps would etch his name into the annals of history. On 20 January 1943, piloting his Hawker Typhoon, he daringly strafed the Gestapo's headquarters in Brussels, sparking an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm among the occupied Belgian populace. In that instant, a legend was forged. While the story of this audacious raid has captivated audiences worldwide, it has also been mired in a myriad of exaggerated tales and obscured by myths. This biography aims to clear the mist, leveraging an array of sources from the de Selys Longchamps family's private archives, including the pilot's flying logbook, personal journals, correspondence, and photo albums. Augmented by previously unreleased archives, testimonials from fellow pilots and family members, and an exhaustive bibliography, this work meticulously illuminates one of the Second World War's most remarkable narratives. With a kee

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Book SynopsisBy September 1944 the Western Allies had reached the approximate positions they had held back in September 1939 at the outbreak of war. It had taken more than four years to claw back the territory lost in 1940. It was four years in which the strategic bomber had failed to deliver the victory the bomber advocates had promised. With Allied armies converging on Germany from all directions, they were running out of time to prove that countries could be bombed into defeat. Baughen describes the fierce battles that were fought right up to the German surrender in May 1945. He also explores the equally fierce debates behind the scenes about how airpower should be used to complete the Allied victory, and analyses the lessons learned from six years of war. Even before Germany's surrender, thoughts were turning to the new enemy. The wartime alliance between Communist East and Capitalist West had always been one of convenience. Within weeks of the German surrender hostilities between the wartime allies were already a possibility. The seeds for post-war defence policy were already being sown. Meanwhile, in the Far East Hiroshima and Nagasaki had become the victims of the first atomic bombs. Days later Japan surrendered. The bomber advocates appeared to have the proof that bombing could win wars. But how related were the two events?Using contemporary documents, Baughen describes how British air policy evolved in the late 1940s. Would the atomic bomb change the way wars were fought? Would conventional armies have any role in future wars? In the new atomic age, were there any lessons to be learned from the Second World War? How would the emerging cruise and ballistic missiles and associated guidance systems affect defence policy? Was a conventional defence to Soviet aggression possible?This is the story of the contribution air power made in the final battles of the Second World War, how the lessons of that conflict were misinterpreted and how the policies developed to incorporate the atomic bomb into Cold War defence thinking was leading the country into grave danger.

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Book SynopsisFlight Lieutenant David Crook was a Spitfire pilot during the Battle of Britain who became a decorated ace.

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Book SynopsisWritten at the end of the Second World War by those involved in the planning and operation of the Royal Observer.

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Book SynopsisExplores the story of one star of the Silver Screen's role in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisOpened in 1915, the airfield was used by the Royal Flying Corps in First World War.

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Book SynopsisA highly personal account of one airman's struggle for survival in the air and on the ground in the heart of the Reich during the bomber war.

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Book SynopsisA brand new profile of one of the most controversial airmen of WWII. A lively evocation of one of the most dramatic periods of military history. Charts the life of a much decorated, highly praised young pilot, who paid the ultimate price for his heroism.

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Book SynopsisFor several months in 1943, seven young airmen, all volunteers, were moulded into an RAF crew tasked with undertaking perilous operations over Occupied Europe. Drawn together from England, Argentina, and Canada, the crew, led by their captain, Flight Lieutenant Peter Bartter, were assigned to 138 (Special Duties) Squadron, based at RAF Tempsford. It was there that they flew low, over dangerous territory to deliver agents and equipment to aid the Resistance in Occupied Europe.When the Allies opened new fronts in North Africa and Italy, Bartter's crew was seconded for some weeks to 624 Squadron flying from Blida in Algeria and Protville in Tunisia. On their return to the UK, they had the additional task of bringing back Winston Churchill's son, Randolph.The crew's last operation would be to fly Flemming Muus, as head of SOE in Denmark, to Roskilde in Denmark. However, tragedy struck when their Halifax Mk.II, BB378, was shot down approaching its destination on the night of 10/11 December

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Book SynopsisClassic account of the RAFs Strike Wings in action against German shipping in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisDocuments the first time that the RAF struck back at Hitlers Reich.

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Book SynopsisA first-hand account written by Erich Warsitz who first flew a jet powered aircraft before WWII. Many unique unseen photographs from the ReichAn intriguing insight into the German wartime aviation industry

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Book SynopsisIn 2004 Ben Walsh's wartime memories and recollections were recorded - and it is these, together with his logbook and photo album, that form the basis of this book.

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Book SynopsisA detailed study of the Allied air campaign against Hitler's U-boats in the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisOver 200 rare and previously unpublished illustrations of this iconic aircraft - the Boulton Paul Defiant.

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Book SynopsisThe revolutionary X-15 remains the fastest manned aircraft ever to fly. Built in in the two decades following World War II, it was the most successful of the high-speed X-planes. The only recently broken ''sound barrier'' was smashed completely by the X-15, which could hit Mach 6.7 and soar to altitudes above 350,000ft, beyond the edge of space. Several pilots qualified as astronauts by flying above 50 miles altitude in the X-15, including Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon. The three X-15s made 199 flights, testing new technologies and techniques which greatly eased America''s entry into manned space travel, and made the Apollo missions and Space Shuttle viable propositions. With historical photographs and stunning digital artwork, this is the story of arguably the greatest of the X-Planes.

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Book SynopsisThe Hurricane Pocket Manual collates authentic period sources including pilot''s notes and other Air Ministry publications to provide a unique guide to this iconic aircraft.The Hawker Hurricane was a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the RAF. Although overshadowed by the Spitfire, during the Battle of Britain the Hurricane accounted for 60% of the RAF''s air victories in the battle, and served in all the major theatres of the Second World War.The 1930s design evolved through several versions and adaptations, resulting in a series of aircraft that acted as interceptor-fighters, fighter-bombers (also called ''Hurribombers''), and ground support aircraft. Further versions known as the Sea Hurricane had modifications that enabled operation from ships. Some were converted as catapult-launched convoy escorts, known as ''Hurricats''. More than 14,583 Hurricanes were built by the end of 194Trade ReviewA fitting book for an immortal aircraft, most enthusiastically recommended ... Packs in more information than books on the subject that are more than twice the size and three times the price * Firetrench *

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Book SynopsisA fully illustrated study of the extraordinarily successful early-generation jet, the F2H Banshee, a frontline aircraft that served with 27 US Navy and US Marine Corps squadrons and three Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) squadrons.The F2H Banshee was an extraordinarily successful early-generation jet that outlasted both contemporary and more modern fighter types on the decks of the US Navy's aircraft carriers in the 1950s. It served in a variety of roles and was a frontline aircraft for more than a decade in an era when jet fighters came and went with relatively short service careers. This book examines the entire service life of the F2H in the service of the US Navy, US Marine Corps and the RCN. Initially created as a replacement aircraft for McDonnell's pioneering FH1 Phantom, the F2H served in the Korean War as a strike fighter, close air support aircraft, B29 escort, and photoreconnaissance aircraft, including the latter's forays over the Soviet Union and Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. First Generation Jets 2. War Deployments 3. Photo-Banshee 4. Nightfighters and nukes 5. The 'Big Banjo' 6. Canadian Operations and Retirement Appendices Index

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Book SynopsisStrap in alongside the Sabre pilots as they experienced the world''s first large-scale jet-vs-jet combats. Brought to life with innovative tactical artwork and dramatic first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves.The F-86A Sabre had entered USAF service in 1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese opposition, the Sabre pilots stopped communist air forces from attacking UN ground troops and allowed Allied fighter-bombers to operate without threat of interception. The ensuing air battles between Sabres and MiG-15s were the first since World War II, and the last in recent times to involve large numbers of jet fighters in direct confrontation. In all of them the victorious F-86 pilots demonstrated the superiority of their training and tactics and the outstanding qualities of their Sabres. Contemporary photographs and specially commissioned artwork, including a dramatic battlTrade ReviewWhat really makes this book is the volume of personal accounts and the rich selection of mostly colour photographs. The stunning artwork showing tactics, armament, examples of dogfights in ribbon diagrams and the full two page artwork really add value to these short volumes. The high standard of Osprey Publishing is maintained with this book. This is must for any Korean War aviation fans or any F-86 Sabre fans. If you want to know what dogfighting in the F-86 against nimble and heavily armed M-15s mostly flown by Russians as we now know then this is a book for you! * Aviation News Magazine *Table of ContentsCHAPTER 1 In Battle This chapter features an account of a Sabre engagement with MiG-15s over ‘MiG Alley’ to involve the reader in the atmosphere of battle from the outset. CHAPTER 2 Setting the Scene Sabre's first clashes with MiGs. CHAPTER 3 Path to Combat Anecdotal experiences of pilots concerning training and tactical instruction. CHAPTER 4 Weapon of War Although some early pilots found the F-86A lacked manufacturing consistency (one remarked that ‘pieces kept falling off them’), the first batch of 35 F-86A-1s for the 4th FIW soon evolved into effective F-86A-5 combat machines. CHAPTER 5 Art of War USAF, Soviet and Chinese sources are used in studying the combat techniques brought to the battles over ‘MiG Alley’ by pilots from both sides. CHAPTER 6 Combat USAF pilots describe their experiences in the F-86A, explaining how their combat tactics evolved and assessing their engagements. F-86As also flew ground attack missions, although the later Sabre variants were better equipped for this. CONCLUSION APPENDICES F-86A units and bases in Korea 1950-51, notable pilots involved in these early A-model actions and aces of that period. INDEX

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Book SynopsisA fascinating addition to the Flight Craft series, this time focussing on the Mil' Mi-6 and Mi-26 heavy lift choppers, and providing a comprehensive survey of all kits currently available to model-makers on the market.

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Book SynopsisBrand new addition to the Flight Craft series, this time focussing on the intriguing Sukhoi-Su-15 aircraft type, and providing a comprehensive overview of all model-making kits currently available on the market.

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Book SynopsisThe French air force of the First World War developed as fast as the British and German air forces, yet its history, and the enormous contribution it made to the eventual French victory, is often forgotten. So Ian Sumner's photographic history, which features almost 200 images, most of which have not been published before, is a fascinating and timely introduction to the subject. The fighter pilots, who usually dominate perceptions of the war in the air, play a leading role in the story, in particular the French aces, the small group of outstanding airmen whose exploits captured the publics imagination. Their fame, though, tends to distract attention from the ordinary unremembered airmen who formed the body of the air force throughout the war years. Ian Sumner tells their story too, as well as describing in a sequence of memorable photographs the less well-known branches of the service the bomber and reconnaissance pilots and the variety of primitive warplanes they flew.

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Book SynopsisThe Junkers Ju 87 Stuka (a contraction of the German word Sturzkampfflugzeug, ie dive bomber) was arguably the Luftwaffe s most recognisable aeroplane, with its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann as a dedicated dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft, the prototype first flew in 1935, and made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. After several design changes in the light of operational experiences, the Stuka went on to serve the Luftwaffe and Axis forces, from the invasion of Poland in 1939, through the Battles of France and Britain in 1940, over the North African desert and the across Mediterranean, the invasion of Russia and the subsequent bitter fighting in that vast area, and following several more design changes and upgrades, continued to serve through to the end of World War Two. This latest addition to the growing Flight Craft range, follows the previous well established format, in that it is split in to three main sections. The first section, after offering a concise design and development history, continues with coverage of the various sub-types, from Anton to Gustav and their operational use from the Spanish Civil War to the end of World War Two. This is followed by a 16-page full colour illustration section featuring detailed profiles and 2-views of the colour schemes and markings carried by the type in Luftwaffe and Axis service. The final section lists as many of the injection-moulded plastic model kits produced of the Junkers Ju 87 in all the major scales that the authors could find details of, including the brand new Airfix 1/72 and 1/48 scale kits which were released while this book was being written, with photos of many finished models made by some of the world s best modellers. As with all the other books in the Flight Craft range, whilst published primarily with the scale aircraft modeller in mind, it is hoped that those readers who might perhaps describe themselves as 'occasional' modellers, or even simply aviation enthusiasts, may also find that this colourful and informative work offers something to provoke their interests too.

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Book SynopsisThe war in air over North Africa and the Mediterranean during the Second World War has long been overshadowed by the battle on the ground. Between 1940 and 1943 Italy's Regia Aeronautica and then Germany's Luftwaffe waged a concerted aerial campaign against the British, yet apart from the bitter fight for Malta, this aspect of the conflict is rarely given the attention it deserves. Anthony Tucker-Jones, in this vivid photographic history, provides a fascinating introduction to it. The wartime photographs, and the concise text, cover the entire course of the struggle in the air. The Regia Aeronautica at first met weak British opposition when Mussolini launched his ill-advised offensive against British-controlled Egypt, but the obsolete Italian aircraft proved to be no match for the Allied fighters once the strength of the Royal Air Force built up. Then, when Hitler stepped in to help his hapless ally, the aerial struggle intensified, and the air forces of both sides were locked in deadly combat in the skies over Egypt, Libya, the Mediterranean and Tunisia. The wide range of Italian, British, German and American aircraft involved, the air and ground crews from all sides, and the conditions in which they operated and fought are all shown in this varied selection of photographs.

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Book SynopsisThe Royal Flying Corps was formed by Royal Warrant on 13 April 1912, and came into being a month later when the Air Battalion was absorbed into the Military Wing of the new Corps in May. In the days following the outbreak of war in 1914, the programme for mobilization of the RFC was, in the main, successfully carried out. The first aircraft set out across the Channel on the morning of 13 August, taking off from Dover at 06.25 hours. The first pilot to land in France was Lieutenant H.D. Harvey-Kelly of No.2 Squadron. In due course, all four of the initial RFC squadrons deployed to the Western Front were ready for operations. They represented, noted the Official Historian of the RFC, the first organized national [air] force to fly to a war overseas'. As the Great War raged, the developments in military aviation were profound, not only in terms of aerial warfare but, as this book reveals, the uniforms and equipment the aircrew used. All the objects that a Royal Flying Corps pilot or airman was issued with for sorties over the Western Front during the First World War are explored in this book in high-definition colour photographs, detailing everything from the differing flying clothing, to headgear, personal weapons, gloves, goggles and early life preservers. Each item is fully described, and its purpose and use explained. Fly with the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2s and Sopwith Camels over the trenches and see what the RFC aircrew wore as they took on their German foe in what were the formative years of military aviation.

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Book SynopsisThe North American P-51 Mustang was one of the most successful and effective fighter aircraft of all time. It was initially produced in response to a 1940 RAF requirement for a fast, heavily-armed fighter able to operate effectively at altitudes in excess of 20,000ft. North America built the prototype in 117 days, and the aircraft, designated NA-73X, flew on 26 October 1940. The first of 320 production Mustang Is for the RAF flew on 1 May 1941, powered by a 1,100hp Allison V-1710-39 engine. RAF test pilots soon found that with this powerplant the aircraft did not perform well at high altitude, but that its low-level performance was excellent. It was when the Mustang airframe was married to a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that the aircraft's true excellence became apparent. Possessing a greater combat radius than any other Allied single-engine fighter, it became synonymous with the Allied victory in the air. During the last eighteen months of the war in Europe, escorting bomber formations, it hounded the Luftwaffe to destruction in the very heart of Germany. In the Pacific, operating from advance bases, it ranged over the Japanese Home Islands, joining carrier-borne fighters such as the Grumman Hellcat to bring the Allies massive air superiority. Yet the Mustang came about almost by accident, a product of the Royal Air Force's urgent need for new combat aircraft in the dark days of 1940, when Britain, fighting for survival, turned to the United States for help in the island nation's darkest hour.

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Book SynopsisA decorated First World War pilot, Hans Baur was one of the leading commercial aviators of the 1920s before being before becoming Adolf Hitler's personal pilot, a role he first undertook during the election campaign in 1932\. Hitler, who loathed flying, felt safe with Baur and would allow no one else to pilot him. As a result, an intimate relationship developed between the two men and it is this which gives these memoirs a special significance. Hitler relaxed in Baur's company and talked freely of his plans and of his real opinions about his friends and allies. Baur was also present during some of the salient events in the history of the Third Reich; the R hm Putsch, the advent of Eva Braun, von Ribbentrop's journey to Moscow, and the attempt on Hitler's life in the B rgerbraukeller in Munich. When war came in 1939, it was Baur who flew Hitler from front to front. Baur remained in Hitler's service right up to the final days in the F hrerbunker. In a powerful account of Hitler's last hours, Baur describes his final discussions with the F hrer before his suicide; and his last meeting with Magda Goebbels in the tortuous moments before she helped kill her six children. Throughout it all, Baur's loyalty to the F hrer never wavered. His memoirs capture these events, and many others, in all their fascinating and disturbing detail.

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Book SynopsisBy the mid-1930s the obstacles to high speed that aircraft designers faced included the question of cooling the engine. This was a big challenge that those working on the new fast aeroplanes entering service as the war clouds gathered over Europe had to consider, as the drag from the system increased as a square of the speed. Ducted systems were designed which lowered drag, but these were based on the assumption that the system was cold. This ignored the potential energy from the air, heated by the radiator, for liquid-cooled aircraft, and from the discharged engine exhaust gases. It took a profoundly lateral thinker to harness the possibilities of the paradox that heat could cut the cost of cooling. That thinker was the British engineer Frederick William Meredith. A researcher at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough until 1938, F.W. Meredith a key player in the UK’s development of the autopilot and remote-controlled aircraft. His contribution to Allied success in the Second World War was enormous – but, incredibly, he was also a known a Soviet agent. Few would doubt that the Supermarine Spitfire was a pioneering aeroplane – not because it was an all metal, monoplane with retractable undercarriage and enclosed cockpit as these were not unique – but because it was the first to incorporate a Meredith designed ducted cooling system. This was intended from the beginning to use heat to create ‘negative drag’. In practice the Spitfire’s design was flawed, as Meredith himself pointed out, and did not fully use what became known as the ‘Meredith Effect’. Meredith also made entirely overlooked but extremely important contributions to resolving the problem of how to induce air smoothly into cooling ducts at high speeds without which, as the Spitfire demonstrated, ducted cooling systems worked sub-optimally. The first aeroplane properly to exploit the ‘Meredith Effect’ was the North American P-51 Mustang, this being a very significant factor as to why it was 30mph faster than the Spitfire when both had the same Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. This book by Peters Spring examines the life of the remarkable, and controversial, F.W. Meredith, an individual who has largely been forgotten by history despite the brilliant advances he made – advances which helped the Allies win the war against Hitler’s Third Reich.

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Book Synopsis75th Anniversary Special Edition The largest ever explosion in Britain was colossal - and it was accidental. On 27 November 1944 almost 4 kilotons of bombs rocked the heart of England - three times greater than fell on London during the worst night of the Blitz. Although the seismic waves were felt as far away as Casablanca the catastrophe was hushed up as an official secret. Spy and sabateur stories abounded locally but elsewhere the largest crater in Europe remains unknown: a war grave like none other. Told for the first time by the people who lived through the event and its aftermath this is an important and unique chronicle of the world’s greatest accidental explosion. “There was a blinding flash and it looked like a great mountain in front of you. The stuff stood so high - pieces as big as railway engines were going up in the sky. We just stood and watched. It was unbelievable.”

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Book SynopsisThe Soviet Air Force had just started to re-equip with modern fighters when the Germans opened Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hundreds of fighters were destroyed in the first few days, but many of these were obsolete biplanes and monoplanes. The remaining fighters, including more modern types such as the MiG-3 and LaGG-3, tried to stem the Nazi advance. This book details the development of the Red Air Force fighters, from the dark days of Operation Barbarossa, to eventual triumph over the ruins of Berlin. Starting with obsolete aircraft such as the Polikarpov biplane and monoplane fighters, the Soviets then settled on two main lines of development; the inline-engined LaGG-3 and its radial-engined derivatives, the La-5 and La-7, and the inline-engined Yakovlev fighters, which were produced in greater numbers than any other series of fighters. Not only are these aircraft described in great detail, but experimental fighters are also dealt with. In addition to the descriptions, accurate colour profiles are provided illustrating the evolution of these aircraft in terms of design, camouflage, and markings. From the fixed undercarriage I-15bis biplane of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, to the superb La-7 and Yak-3 fighters of the last year of the war, the fighters of the Red Air Force are all covered in this comprehensive book.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Glossary; Preface; Timeline; Introduction; 1 Pre-Second World War Soviet Fighters; 2 Second World War Fighters; 3 Lavochkin Fighters; 4 Mikoyan-Gurevich; 5 Polikarpov; 6 Yakovlev; 7 Twin-Engined Fighters; 8 Colours and Markings in General; 9 Soviet Second World War Fighter Specifications; 10 Non-Soviet Second World War Fighter Specifications; 11 Experimental Fighters; 12 Experimental Fighter Specifications; 13 Concluding Thoughts; Appendix I: Ordnance; Appendix II: Soviet Fighter Doctrine During the Second World War; Appendix III: Soviet Fighter Organisation During the Second World War; Appendix IV: Soviet Fighter Pilot Training; Appendix V: Top Soviet Fighter Aces (Pilots With Fifty or More Kills); Appendix VI: Production Figures; Appendix VII: Fighter Production During the Great Patriotic War for Germany and the Soviet Union; Appendix VIII: Total Fighter Combat Losses During the Great Patriotic War; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisAnnounced in 1912, the Schneider Trophy was a series of glamorous air contests, popularly known as races, that captivated both sides of the Atlantic. While there were many other aviation competitions, the Schneider proved to be, after a rocky start, by far the most memorable attracting a hugely popular and glamorous following whether Trophy races were held in Monaco, the Venice Lido, the Solent or Chesapeake Bay.The Schneider Trophy was a focus not just of remarkable aircraft, derring-do pilots and swooning public attention, but also of fierce rivalries between the competitors: Britain, France, Italy and the United States. It gripped the imaginations of pioneering manufacturers and two of the world's finest aircraft designers ­- Reginald Mitchell and Mario Castoldi - who worked feverishly hard to outdo one another. Perhaps inevitably, the dynamism of rival engineering and politics led to the most potent military fighters of World War Two with Reginald Mitchell's record-breaking Supermarine seaplanes morphing, one way or another, into the Spitfire.Wings Over Water not only tells the story of the Schneider Trophy afresh but also examines the backdrop and legacy of these legendary air races, which became a driver and celebration of speed and engineering prowess for both sea and ground-based aircraft. It is an exhilarating tale of raw adventure, public excitement, engineering genius and the fortunes of flying boats and seaplanes.Trade ReviewGlancey's formidable new book, Wings Over Water, takes travellers back to an era when, for many aviators, water was the natural starting point for an air journey. -- Simon Calder * Independent *This wonderful book is written with an enthusiasm for the subject that bursts from every page. * All About History *Jonathan Glancey recounts the glamorous years of the Schneider Trophy and how its advances paved the way for the Supermarine Spitfire. * 'Aerospace book choices for Christmas 2020', Royal Aeronautical Society *Table of Contents0: The Wright Stuf 1: The French Connection: 1913-22 2: The Yanks are Coming: 1923-26 3: Interim 4: Winged Lions: Venice, 1927 5: Chivalrous Sportsmanship: Calshot, 1929 6: A Very Good Flight: Calshot, 1931 7: The Sea Shall Not Have Them 8: All That Mighty Heart 9: A Tale of Two Designers 10: Aftermath 11: Sky Galleons 12: Seaspray 13: Each a Glimpse

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Book SynopsisBritain’s first-ever wartime fighter plane, the Hawker Hurricane, shot down more enemy planes than any other fighter. It was the true aviation hero of the Battle of Britain.Often eclipsed by the legend and aerial heroics of the Spitfire, the Hurricane was the authentic warhorse of aviation history. Stable, rugged, less expensive to build – and far more easily repaired and maintained than the Spitfire – the ‘Hurri’ as it was affectionately known, proved to be the most fearsome fighter plane in aerial combat – at a time when Britain’s survival was at stake like never before.In 1940 the Hurricane made its mark: more than half of the 1,200 German aircraft that were shot down in the war were taken down by Hurricanes. At the time, the RAF could call on 32 squadrons of Hurricanes and 19 Spitfires: the Hurricane was, in fact, the dominant British fighter plane, developing a reputation as a plane that could take more than a few hits from the enemy – and continue to fly. The Spit was the aviation thoroughbred, superb until damaged. The Hurri was much stronger. The skilled airmen came from all over the world; one of them from RAF 80 Squadron would later become a very famous author – Roald Dahl. Using documents, letters and first-hand accounts, this is the historic untold story of the Hawker Hurricane and the lives of the men and women who flew, helped design and construct, fit and worked behind the scenes of the ‘Hurri’, all contributing in ways big and small, to its outstanding success as a legend of the Second World War.Trade ReviewThis excellent book ... relates the aircraft’s fascinating history * Royal Air Force News *Jacky Hyams' book is engaging, easy to read, poignant, and informative in turn ... a book about the countless human stories of quiet courage, sacrifice, hard work, and emotional strain that the factory workers, pilots, and ground crews endured throughout the Second World War -- Charlie Trumpess * theWarYears.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisThe Soci t Europ enne de Production de l'avion cole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique (SEPECAT) Jaguar and Hawker Siddeley Harrier played critical ground-attack and tactical reconnaissance roles, including in the latter stages of the Cold War. The Jaguar came into service with the RAF in 1974 and flew with eight operational squadrons and an Operational Conversion Unit before finally being retired in 2007. The unique Harrier entered service with the RAF in 1969.It flew operationally with four squadrons, as well as being deployed in Belize and the Falkland Islands and with an Operational Conversion Unit. The second-generation Harrier was prematurely retired in 2011. With over 180 photographs, both black and white and colour, this book, the third in a series on British combat aircraft of the 1970s and '80s, is an essential addition to the libraries of those who flew or worked on these aircraft, aviation historians and enthusiasts, and modellers alike.

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Book SynopsisLoved by most associated personnel and enthusiasts alike, the C-141 Starlifter, quite simply, looked right and was right. During the second half of the 1960s, it quickly became a commonplace visitor worldwide, and it was in service for more than forty years before the final examples were retired in favour of more capable airlifters. Such was its popularity that many crews left their heart aboard the silent airframe when they walked away for the last time. Containing over 170 images, many previously unseen, and detailed information supplied by the people who flew, maintained, and supported the C-141, this book looks at the aircraft itself, as well as the organisations that flew it. A host of names and extra markings are shown, including the graffiti briefly applied during the Rodeo competitions. Details of every unit that flew the Starlifter are also included, making it an invaluable addition to the book collections of both enthusiasts and modellers.

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Book SynopsisThe F-105 Thunderchief was primarily designed for tactical nuclear operations. For this reason, it was on nuclear Victor alert in Europe and the Far East. When the air war against North Vietnam was initiated on March 2, 1965, the USAF needed an aircraft with a load-carrying ability, and the only aircraft that could do that job was the Thunderchief. In the second book of what will be a defining trilogy of Thunderchief history, the wartime operations of this iconic aircraft are detailed, alongside investigations of the extensive modification programs that allowed the F-105 to get the job done. This book not only gives in-depth accounts of various historical F-105 events, with inputs from the pilots involved, but is also lavishly illustrated with over 150 images, many of which have never been published before.

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Book SynopsisThe Finnish Air Force operates at the world's most northerly latitudes in an often extreme climate. During the Cold War, it was overshadowed by the Soviet Union, but remained fiercely independent. Since then, it has worked hard to deepen cooperation with its neighbours. It modernised its aircraft fleet and intends to acquire a new generation of combat aircraft through its HX fighter competition. Illustrated with over 170 photographs, this book examines the development of the Finnish Air Force from the Cold War, concentrating on its modern organisation, training and operations. It also covers its increased cooperation with neighbouring countries and NATO, and the use of reserve air strips, along with wartime mobilisation and its reserve forces. Although concentrating on the Finnish Air Force, there will also be coverage of the Finnish Army's helicopters and HX Competition.

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Book SynopsisThis is a guide to the existing WWII aircraft to be found in aviation museums throughout the world. Each DPS contains a colour photo of an example of the aircraft as viewed in an aviation museum, examples of different marks (wartime shots in mono) and a textual resume of the type with statistics.The aircraft can be viewed in the USA, UK, France, Czechoslovakia, USSR, Canada, Australia, Finland, Holland, Poland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and Spain.

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Book SynopsisWRECK RECOVERY IN BRITAIN THEN AND NOW By Peter J. Moran The last 50 years have seen an incredible interest in the excavation of crashed aircraft. Schoolboys of the war period eagerly sought and swapped souvenirs, purloined from crashes under the eyes of the police or RAF guards but, after the surface wreckage was cleared away by Maintenance Units, no one realised that even greater treasures remained underground.   Whereas on the Continent the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit left no stone unturned to try to trace the thousands of airmen who still remained missing, strangely enough no similar operation was carried out by the RAF on crash sites in the United Kingdom. Many of these still contained the mortal remains of pilots whose names had been added to the Memorial to the Missing unveiled at Runnymede in 1953. Perhaps, because the war in the air that followed the Battle of Britain had shifted its focus to Europe, it appeared to fade from people’s memory that a hard-fought battle had taken place over the United Kingdom in 1940.   It is difficult to understand today how it took so long for the realisation to sink in that aircraft wreckage still remained buried. When it did, there followed what can only be described as an unholy scramble to find crash sites and dig them up, heavy plant being employed to make it easier and quicker. At the height of this unfettered exploration period during the 1970s, there were over 30 `aviation archaeology’ groups, or loose affiliations of like-minded individuals at work, particularly in the counties of Essex, Kent and Sussex over which the main battle had been fought. Unrecovered human remains were now being found which understandably raised criticism from some quarters but was defended by the argument that missing airmen should have been recovered by the authorities in former years. Inevitably order had to be restored and the Ministry of Defence stepped in with a `code of conduct’ for digging up crashed aircraft, a measure that was reinforced by an Act of Parliament in 1986. Thereafter a process was introduced whereby the Ministry issued licences before a wreck site could be excavated, and every licence application, whether granted or refused, is listed for the first time in this book. In the end, after all the accessible locations had been exhausted, the exploration of wartime crash sites in Britain largely came to a close. Size: 12” × 8½" - 232 Pages – Over 600 Colour and Black and White Illustrations ISBN: 9 781870 067 942 — Price: £29.95

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisAs early as 1944 France began the task of re-building its military aircraft industry and developing high performance aircraft for its armed forces. In doing so, French aircraft manufacturers produced some of the most innovative, and indeed outlandish, bomber projects, proposals, designs and prototypes of the Cold War era. Many French bomber projects started life in response to proposals from the French armed forces. Others were originated by the industry itself, it was also not unusual for rejected fighter designs to be entered in bomber competitions, etc. Furthermore, if the State organisations were not convinced of the validity of the industry proposals, or if the military still could not find any use for the technology being proposed, or if the budget was cut, manufacturers might modify their proposals in an attempt to obtain alternative funding from America (Mutual Defense Assistance Act), Germany or NATO. The result was a huge variety of bomber aircraft designs. In some cases a machine rejected for one specific military role could be modified with new avionics, engine or armament and reappear, maybe to succeed in another role. As France became a nuclear power, so its requirement for nuclear strike aircraft (such as the Dassault Minerve V) grew, and many projects for advanced strike aircraft, including Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) designs, followed. Turbojet, ramjet and rocket propulsion and supersonic designs were all researched, sometimes taking advantage of captured German ''wartime technology or using national pre-war research. Companion volume to the acclaimed ''French Secret Projects 1''; period drawings, promotional art, photographs of prototype aircraft, mock-ups, wind tunnel and promotional models are all combined to present, in French Secret Projects 2, a comprehensive view of French military bomber and strike aircraft designs from the Liberation of France to the late twentieth-century.

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