Aviation

When it appeared over the Western Front in the summer of 1944, the Arado Ar234 was truly state-of-the-art in terms of aeronautical and technical development. As the world's first operational jet reconnaissance aircraft, it undertook high-speed, high-altitude observation missions over the Allied beachheads in Normandy. In September 1944 and as late as 1945, lone Ar 234s carried out reconnaissance over British ports and also over the Mediterranean. Able to deliver 1,000kg of bombs at high-speed an...

So what we have here is really looking at British aeroplanes in the 20th century, except that some of them despite not being British have been included as they are interesting and have associations with Britain. Think of this book as a curated and highly annotated collection of photographs that the author has compiled to illustrate how aviation has developed over the last hundred years. The book is jam-packed with over 300 photos all accompanied by lengthy detailed captions.

Devoted to British Light Aircraft 1946-1970 it sure is in detail. Including projects and designs unfulfilled. Includes things like the radical Essex Aero Sprite an ahead of its time plane, with a name that suggested it was made from pure sugar, but never built. These might have beens are examined individually and accompanied by profile drawings and specifications. The book ends with two appendices, one on light aircraft manufacturing tools and the other on the Rollason Midget Racer Competition o...

For readers familiar with Arthur’s work this book and its companion volume are typical – an eight page preface and a sixteen page introduction! The first two chapters deal with the period up to the war then chapter three asks, Is Britain Really an Air-Minded Nation. The remaining chapters deal exclusively with the post-war period, including chapter six on the intriguing subject of the chicken and egg subject of engines. This volume finishes with a chronology of light aircraft and engines and a d...

Drawing on rare, historical photography and specially commissioned artwork, Matthew Willis explores the heroic feats of the few Royal Navy's obsolescent biplanes that stood between the state-of-the-art Axis warships and their objectives. Focusing on the technical specifications of both opponents, using original records, and detailed armament and cockpit views, this book explores the key attributes and drawbacks of the disadvantaged Royal Navy torpedo-bombers against the mighty Regia Marina and K...

This book tells the story of the operation mounted by the Luftwaffe to supply, by airlift, the trapped and exhausted German Sixth Army at Stalingrad in the winter of 1942/43. The weather conditions faced by the flying crews, mechanics, and soldiers on the ground were appalling, but against all odds, and a resurgent and active Soviet air force, the transports maintained a determined presence over the ravaged city on the Volga, even when the last airfields in the Stalingrad pocket had been lost. Y...

Lavishly illustrated book containing colour aircraft profiles with additional illustrations and accompanying historical text. Contains tables and specifications.

The Canberra was adopted by air forces from South America to Africa and India, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and license-built as the Martin B-57 served. It was involved conflicts from the Suez War and Malaya Confrontation, and various other hot spots with the RAF, to the Australian and USAF ops in Vietnam, and even the India-Pakistan War when both sides used Canberras, and the 1982 Falklands War. Used in trials and evaluation the Canberra held various height and speed records, and NASA'...

There are many myths surrounding the development of the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Its unparalleled performance is beyond doubt, easily able to outpace its opponents and possessing the firepower to shred them in seconds. Yet immediately after the Second World War, rumours abounded that official indifference, technical shortcomings and interference from the Führer himself had crippled the Me 262’s progress and delayed its appearance on the front line until it was far too late. Begun as a ...

French Language Book. From September 1939 and throughout the Funny War, the airspace of neutral Belgium was criss-crossed by belligerent aircraft taking advantage of the weakness of Military Aeronautics. German reconnaissance planes were thus able to identify future invasion routes. On May 10, 1940, the Wehrmacht entered the country and, until the end of that month, fighting raged in the Belgian sky, which had become a major strategic challenge for the invaders. With the withdrawal of the Britis...

Flying up the Edgware Road tells the story of how an area of what is now north-west London became a hub of the British aircraft industry in the very early years of the twentieth century. From the Edwardian suburb of Cricklewood out towards the semi-rural hamlets of Colindale and Kingsbury, a collection of factories were established to produce some of the most important warplanes that served in the First World War. The author takes the reader through the early days of flying at Hendon, introduces...

We take a journey through six decades of the English Electric Canberra in British service. From the prototype A.1 in Petter Blue to 39 Sqn’s last PR.9s in Afghan recon grey, Volume 1 features both classic and more obscure variants in a wide variety of colour schemes and markings. Concise aircraft histories are included, covering date of manufacture, squadron service, airframe fate and other facts of interest. Profiles include both airborne and parked views, and plan and underside projections giv...