The RAFs only delta-winged fighter the Gloster Javelin was also Britains first true All-Weather Fighter. Based in the UK and in Germany, the RAFs Javelin squadrons formed the front line of Britains air defences in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During this time Javelin crews pioneered the operational use of guided missiles and air-to-air refuelling by fighter aircraft. In the Far East, Javelins were involved in operations during the Indonesian Confrontation and the aircraft was also deployed to Zambia during the Rhodesian UDI Crisis. In this history, which is richly illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs, Michael Napier blends official records with personal accounts to describe the operational history of this iconic jet fighter.
Airwork Ltd/Airwork Services, now owned by VT group plc, has a long and distinguished history. It played an important role in defence support services to the RAF, Fleet Air Arm and overseas air forces, as well as in the development of civil aviation. Created at Heston in 1928, it maintained Whitley bombers and de Havilland Tiger Moths in the 1930s and established the precursors of the post-WW2 airlines of Egypt, India and Rhodesia. Post-war it was the first airline to be awarded a troop flying contract and expanded into civil aviation, developing flights to Africa and the US. The main independent airline in the 1950s, it became part of British United Airways in 1960, also establishing many airlines around the world, including Deutsche Flugdienst (Condor), Misr-Airwork (Egyptair), and the Sudanese National Airline. Here Keith McCloskey presents the first history of this important airline and reveals its impact on aviation history.
This is the story of Eric William Absolon, a relentlessly enthusiastic Aviation champion, whose lifelong love of aircraft has never wavered throughout his long and varied career. From boyhood fascination to the adult realization of his ambitions, this first-hand account takes in some of the key events of the dynamic period of twentieth century history which the author lived and worked through. Working his way up the ranks of the Gloster Aircraft Company, Absolon was able to see all the component processes of Aircraft production. The insight he provides into the inner workings of this busting center of Twentieth Century Aircraft production is unparalleled in modern accounts. Anyone with a fascination for the secret life of Aircraft is in for a treat here as the author relays his working experiences at the creative hub of the industry. His experiences including involvement with the post-war Drop testing of Meteor aircraft, working closely with these infamous vehicles of war in his role as Chief of Engineering Research, as well as an involvement with the more commercial side of Aviation production, a division within Gloster for which he served as Manager. This narrative charts his career with Gloster as well as a series of other companies who invited Absolon to offer his services. It also relays the story of the implementation and development of his own Aviation production business, Aljac Engineering Ltd. His expertise was highly prized then, and is now applied in the translation of experience into engaging prose, set to appeal to all genre enthusiasts.
Aviation author Kev Darling looks at the origins of the World War Two Royal Air Force commands and histories in RAF Strike Command. In 1968, the RAF Commands that had become famous in World War Two—Fighter, Bomber, Coastal, Air Support and Signals Commands—were combined into the single Strike Command, an amalgamation that served throughout the remaining years of the Cold War, in the Falklands, and in the Middle East in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Granby. This organizational change caused re-equipment, base changes and increasing economic constraints. The Royal Navy was now responsible for the UK’s nuclear deterrent in the form of their Polaris submarines, so the RAF’s V-Bomber Force were now relegated to tanker operations, with the exception of the lone Vulcan that was sent to the Falklands conflict. The Command’s fleet of fast jets became more adaptable, with single types assuming the roles of fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, and maritime attack. The aircraft also became multinational in their design and manufacture as Britain’s postwar lead in aircraft design had been frittered away by years of thoughtless government, leading to a single company for production. Apart from the brilliant Harrier which the US continues to develop and build, other aircraft flown by the Command were from European syndicates, such as the Tornado and Jaguar. The US supplied the transports in the form of the faithful Hercules, and Europe most of the helicopter fleet. Exploring the operations that took place during this military wing’s existence, the aircraft they flew and the men who flew them, RAF Strike Command is a tribute to the fast-dwindling power of the Royal Air Force.
This photographic record of the RAF during the 1950s looks set to appear widely. Featuring varied and dynamic visual representation throughout, the events of this important decade are enlivened to great effect. ??The 1950s was a pivotal decade in aviation for many reasons. The RAF were employed in a great number of post-WWII roles, and the beginning of the Cold War saw many advances in the field of developmental aviation. The early years of the decade saw the Coronation of HRH Queen Elizabeth II take place, and a variety of photographs taken at the Queen's Review flypast at RAF Oldham on the 15 July 1953 are arrayed here. Meteors, Sabres, Chipmunks, Canberras, Vulcans... the list goes on. A wide selection of action shots illustrate the impressive aesthetics of some of these aircraft in formation. ??Shots of aircraft utilised during the course of the Cold War also feature, as do highly intriguing photographs of the Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles, stored on Bomber Command bases towards the end of the decade. Each chapter focusses on a specific year, relaying all the most fascinating highlights. This is a colourful, insightful and image-packed history, told with narrative flair and a clear passion for the subject matter at hand.
• An insight into British ambitious and often unrealistic aspirations to stay at the forefront of advanced technology such as the development of the atomic-powered warplane • The world’s first military flying wing was a British design that saw operational service during the First World War • A manned rocket-ship launched from a converted V-bomber was proposed, capable of reaching the edge of space • Beautifully illustrated with many rare and unpublished photographs • Of interest to aviation and military historians, modellers, gamers and flight simulator enthusiasts Flying wings, deltas and tailless aircraft continue to generate enormous interest within the aviation community and many of the older designs still look surprisingly futuristic. British Special Projects: Flying Wings, Deltas and Tailless Designs examines the lesser-known and frequently secret British projects undertaken for research or military purposes during the last century and also covers those aircraft that were built and in some cases entered service. The first commercially successful British flying wing biplane designed by John Dunne undertook limited military reconnaissance duties during the First World War. Various flying wings followed but the German development of the delta would prove massively influential with post-war British aerodynamicists immediately recognising the potential for a new generation of high-performance designs. Parallel research into advanced flying wings would produce plans for the superb looking Barnes Wallace supersonic swing-wing bomber, although his design was too far ahead of its time to progress any further. There were also dead-end projects for bombers powered by atomic propulsion, vertical take-off concepts and over-ambitious ideas for British spacecraft that utilised delta- and blended-wing bodies, but were too technically challenging and costly to develop further. Nevertheless, many of these designs that stemmed from the simple flying wing remain influential today.
Flying Canucks tells the fascinating story of aviation in Canada through this collection of 37 biographies of important aviators in our nation’s history. As early as 1908, having read the Wright brothers’ invention, Alberta farm boys and mechanics in Quebec villages were constructing large kites, attempting to fly them. Within a decade, Canadian air aces, like Bishop and Barker, swept the wartime skies over Frances, piloting deadly machines in mortal combat. Through the 20s, that very Canadian breed of adventurer, the bush pilot, ventured over the desolate tundra, delivering medicine and missionaries, mail and Mounties to remote communities as far as Ellesmere Island and Ungava Bay. Members of the Royal Canadian Air Force fought with distinction during the Second world War. Titles such as The Saviour of London and The Angel of Ceylon seem like wartime hype, but the skill and courage that those pilots displayed half a century ago set them apart still. For the six Canadian airmen who won the Victoria Cross, there were thousands who flew into the meat grinder that was the Allies’ strategic air offensive over Europe. This book chronicles the exploits of only a few men and women – but it truly celebrates the spirit and resolve of countless brave Canadians who are proud part of aviation in this country.
