Empire Flying Boat: 1936 to 1947 (Short S.23 'C' Class)
An Insight into Owning, Servicing and Flying the Short 'C' Class Empire Flying Boat
The Short Empire flying boat was primarily intended to carry mail to the far corners of the British Empire but, with room for about 20 paying customers, it also pioneered international passenger aviation in the 1930s, flying regular routes to Egypt, South Africa, Australia and America. This Haynes Manual-style review of the aircraft examines its design and operation as well as the experiences of passengers and crew, and is illustrated with technical drawings, cutaway diagrams and archive photographs.
The Dassault Adventure
A First Century of Aviation
This photographic history of the Dassault Aviation company, famous for the Mirage, records the evolution of the family-owned French aircraft manufacturer founded by Marcel Dassault in 1929. Dassault began designing in 1916, creating his innovative Éclair propeller for the French military. A century later, his legacy includes the Mirage and Rafale fighter jets, the Neuron drone and the Falcon 7X business jet, presented here along with many Dassault prototypes, demonstrators and production aircraft, both civil and military, created over 100 years of manufacturing.
Britain in Pictures
Milestones in aviation have always provided a good story and a good photograph, from the daredevil pioneers of powered flight and airship disasters of the early 20th century to the first flight of Concorde in 1969 and Richard Branson's contemporary space plane programme. This selection of 300 images from the Press Association archive mixes war aces, record-breakers and flying firsts to tell the story of aviation.
The Quest for Speed
Air Racing and the Influence of the Schneider Trophy Contests 1913–31
The Schneider Trophy, a seaplane speed contest held between 1913 and 1931, played an important role in the development of aviation technology between the wars. Manufacturers from rival powers learnt from each other’s innovations and designers developed concepts that would shape the iconic fighters of the Second World War. This book examines each of the competitions and the aircraft entered for them and also assesses how Supermarine’s race-winning planes were developed into the Spitfire.
Combat Aircraft of the United States Air Force
Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives
The United States relied on British and French aircraft designs during the First World War, but during and after the Second World War developed a pre-eminence in military aircraft design and manufacture that has continued up to today's cutting-edge models, such as the bat-winged B-2 stealth bomber. This volume is a succinct and highly illustrated guide to the most notable aircraft deployed, including classics such as the P-51 Mustang and B-52 Stratofortress.
Aircraft Since 1939
The Russian MiG aircraft company was set up in 1939 and produced some of the world's most advanced and capable military planes during its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, including the long-serving and widely exported MiG-21. This concise handbook provides descriptions of all MiG aircraft, including prototypes, up to the MiG-35 of 2011, with tables of key data and additional information about model variants.
North Wales Airfields in the Second World War
Critical to protecting the port of Liverpool and the industrial North West, as well as discouraging attack via Ireland, airfields were quickly established in North Wales after the outbreak of war in 1939. This book assesses the role of the twelve bases in the area from fighter stations such as Valley and Mona on Anglesey to training and support centres such as Penrhos, Wrexham and Hawarden, the airfield associated with the factory producing Wellington bombers.
Owners' Workshop Manual, 1936 to 1953 (all marks and models)
The combination of the innovative geodetic lattice structure and traditional cloth covering earned the Wellington the nickname 'the basket weave bomber', but the unusual construction made it extremely resilient, able to keep flying despite sustaining substantial damage. This book, presented in the Haynes manual style, examines the famous Second World War aircraft's design construction and operation, with many technical illustrations and photographs, in particular using images of a recently renovated Mk1A.
Having revolutionized air travel in the 1930s, the Douglas DC-3 was adapted so successfully for military use that General Eisenhower identified it as one of the four most important pieces of equipment of the Second World War (along with the Jeep, the bulldozer and the 2½ ton truck). This large-format volume tells the story of the groundbreaking airliner and is extensively illustrated with archive photographs, memorabilia and promotional materials from the DC-3's civil and military career.
The Spitfire Manual
Before being let loose in a Supermarine Spitfire, fighter pilots would have to familiarize themselves with the 'Pilot's Notes' which comprehensively detailed the aircraft's equipment, controls and operation. These instructions are reproduced in this book together with examples of log books, combat reports and other contemporary training booklets advising on such skills as identifying enemy aircraft, estimating range and combat flying.
The Evolution of Aviation
Taking the development of flight from balloons to space rockets and supersonic jets, this book details the major steps along the way, highlighting trailblazers such as Charles Lindbergh and jet-engine pioneer Frank Whittle. A congratulatory telegram from Louis Blériot to Amy Johnson, the log book of a Battle of Britain pilot, the Apollo 11 mission report and the fact sheet given to Concorde passengers are among the archive documents reproduced. (Previously published as The Story of Flight.)
Lindbergh, His Competitors, and the Race to Cross the Atlantic
Between 14 April and 21 May 1927, 16 aviators raced to be the first to cross the Atlantic non-stop and collect the $25,000 prize put up by the French-American hotelier Raymond Orteig. The 'Orteig Prize' finally went to Charles Lindbergh and his victory has overshadowed the achievements and the tragedies – six died – of his fellow competitors. Joe Jackson's compelling account of the 'Great Atlantic Derby' of 1927 covers all who took part in that truly perilous race.
King of All Balloons
The Adventurous Life of James Sadler, the First English Aeronaut
The feats of the early balloonists – the first human beings to fly – have been strangely neglected. The son of an Oxford pastry cook, James Sadler (1753–1828) made the first British ascent in 1784. This book charts his extraordinary life and career, including his crossing of the Bristol Channel in a balloon and his support of Letitia Sage, the first woman to take to the air. With a foreword by Richard Branson and an afterword by Don Cameron.
Military Aircraft of the 1970s
Alongside new developments in military aviation during the 1970s, many of the aircraft of previous decades were still operational. There was therefore a wide variety in service, from the Meteor to the F-14, the Beverley to the C-5 Galaxy. This portfolio of over 300 colour photographs demonstrates the many variants and types, as well as considering the different camouflage markings and liveries that identified the squadrons and air forces to which they belonged.