Most people asked to name one British Second World War airplane would say the Spitfire. Yet the Hawker Hurricane flew in greater numbers, in more variants and in more theaters than the redoubtable Spitfire.Adrian Stewart has researched the evolution of the Hurricane from its 1935 maiden flight through to victory in the Far East in 1945. He brings his story alive by letting those who flew this legendary aircraft tell it as it was.After the faltering first steps in the mid 1930s the Hurricane really 'took off' and became hugely popular in the RAF and allied air forces.They Flew The Hurricane contains numerous first hand accounts from pilots operating in such diverse campaigns as the Battle of Britain, North Africa, Russia, the Far East and North West Europe from 1940 to 1945.These thrilling vignettes combine to bring to life action in the air.
The Forgotten Few is the first contemporary attempt to produce a historical narrative of the nation's contribution, specifically to the Air Force component, of World War II, which was an important part of our journey to Independence and national identity. Close to three million Indians served in uniform during the War. And yet, the Indian chapter of this globe-straddling story, reverberations of which still echo today, are barely known - a symptom of which was the recent controversy over the absence of Indians in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk. This book brings to light some of the lost stories of Indian aviators who built the very foundations of human and physical infrastructure for what is now the world's fourth largest air force. It benefits from several first-person interviews with some of the last Indian survivors of World War II, enabling a level of fidelity that is quite rare among Indian histories.
The only book written by the legendary “legless” ace, the double amputee World War II fighter pilot immortalized by the film Reach for the Sky. In Fight for the Sky, Douglas Bader tells the inspiring story of the Battle of Britain from the viewpoint of “The Few.” Using superb illustrations he traces the development of the Spitfire and Hurricane and describes the nail-biting actions of those who flew them against far superior numbers of enemy aircraft. As an added bonus, other well-known fighter aces including Johnnie Johnson, “Laddie” Lucas and Max Aikten contribute to Douglas’s book, no doubt out of affection and respect. This a really important contribution to RAF history by one of the greatest—and certainly the most famous—pilot of the Second World War.
In this book Peter Vacher relates the account of his discovery of the remains of a Mark I Hurricane in India, his long battle to bring it back to Britain, and how he restored it to working order and reunited three men who had originally flown the craft during the Battle of Britain.
A comprehensive catalog of the remaining World War II fighter planes, including anecdotes and photos. With 2015 being the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain—arguably the Hawker Hurricane’s “finest hour”—it is appropriate to tell the story of the surviving Hurricanes from around the world. Building on research originally started thirty years ago, Gordon Riley has delved into the archives to amass new information—and in the process managed to identify positively one Hurricane that had proved elusive for more than forty years. Today a number of Hurricanes are being privately restored globally. However, the oldest in existence, a veteran of both the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1939 and the Battle of Britain, is displayed in the Science Museum in London, and the youngest—the very last Hurricane ever built—is still flying with the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. This book documents each aircraft by country of origin and mark by mark from the day it left the factory up to the present day. Some have incredible histories whereas others served in very mundane, but still essential, second-line roles until they were disposed of. Where possible each aircraft is illustrated with a present-day photograph along with others taken throughout its life. From the serious enthusiast to the casual museum or air show visitor, if you have an interest in the Hurricane, this is the book for you. “Heavily illustrated and well produced and will serve as an excellent guide not only for historians but also warbird enthusiasts.” —Air Classics
Flying to the LimitBeamont.Subtitled: Personal Reminiscences of Air Combat, Test Flying and the Aircraft Industry. Fascinating,first-hand accounts of combat and test flying from retired Wing Commander Roland Beamont. Beamont f lew a Hurricane in the Battles of France and Britain, and then became a test pilot of Typhoon and Tempest aircraft, the Canberra bomber, the Lightning fighter and the controversial TSR.2 supersonic bomber. Hdbd., 6 3/4"x 9 1/2", 192 pgs., 108 b&w ill.
In the summer of 1940 the fate of Europe hung in the balance. Victory in the forthcoming air battle would mean national survival; defeat would establish German tyranny. The Luftwaffe greatly outnumbered the RAF, but during the Battle of Britain it was the RAF that emerged triumphant, thanks to two key fighter planes, the Spitfire and the Hurricane. The Hurricane made up over half of Fighter Command's front-line strength, and its revolutionary design transformed the RAF's capabilities. Leo McKinstry tells the story of the remarkable plane from its designers to the first-hand testimonies of those brave pilots who flew it; he takes in the full military and political background but always keeps the human stories to the fore - to restore the Hawker Hurricane to its rightful place in history.
This book tells the tale of the brilliant aerodynamicist Beverley Shenstone MASc, HonFRAes, FAIAA,AFIAS, FCASI, HonOSTIV. As R.J. Mitchell's chief aerodynamicist, it was Shenstone who designed the Spitfire's wing - the wing that gave the Spitfire it crucial advantage in the Battle of Britain and beyond. A quiet man, Shenstone never sought glory for his work, yet in recent years he has been credited as the man who persuaded Mitchell to adopt the ellipse - a modified ellipse that was unique in its shape and its combined use of two integrated aerofoil sections. Shenstone's knife-edge shape reached far back into early aeronautics for its inspiration. This book also names the other forgotten Spitfire design contributors who were Mitchell's men - Mr Faddy, Mr Fear, Mr Fenner, Mr Shirvall, a Prof Howland and others. Intriguingly, Shenstone had left his native Canada and early training as an RCAF pilot, to study at Junkers and then under the father of the delta wing - Alexander Lippisch in Germany in the early 1930s. There, he became immersed in delta wings and flying wings. He also became a glider pilot. The story of how Beverley came to be in the right place at the right time is revealed for the first time. So too are the enigmatic tales of his involvement with the military, the intelligence world, Lord Beaverbrook , the USAF, and Canadian aviation. During the war Shenstone worked at the top secret Wright Patterson air force base and was involved with the Air Ministry and the pro-British movement in America when Shenstone worked for Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman, the unsung hero behind British defence procurement. Shenstone achieved high office - a President of the Royal Aeronautical Society, technical director at BOAC, chief engineer at BEA and a consultant to several aircraft makers. He was courted by Avro, de Havilland and Vickers, and was the force behind the renaissance of human-powered flight. Using exclusive access to his family documents, his unpublished autobiography and many notes and stories, as well as forensic research, this book details for the first time, a new twist to the Spitfire's story and the secrets of its advanced science. A tale of design and military intelligence reveals a story of a man whose name should be more widely known in the UK, Canada and the aviation world. SELLING POINTS: * Illustrated throughout * Evokes a golden age of aviation design and development * Relay's the story of one of History's most overlooked heroes of aviation design ILLUSTRATIONS: 20 mono photos
