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Previously unpublished accounts from the designers, builders and aircrew of the de Havilland MosquitoMany contemporary and previously unpublished photographsComprehensive details on the conversation of surviving aircraft De Havilland Mosquito: The Original Multirole Combat Aircraft covers the creation, design and development of this beloved aircraft. Built in Britain, Canada and Australia, the Mosquito saw extensive service in Britain, Europe and Asia throughout the Second World War. It was initially designed as a twin-Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered unarmed bomber (with a two-man crew), but the aircraft’s versatility allowed it to carry out many more functions. The additional roles of the Mosq...
The Hawker Hunter was Britain's first swept-wing jet fighter capable of exceeding the speed of sound. It was a simple, rugged design that was easy to maintain in service. Once the limited initial range was improved, it became a versatile combat aircraft as a day fighter, ground-attack fighter, and fighter reconnaissance platform. In addition to worldwide service with the RAF, the Hunter was an export success, becoming a standard fighter with NATO and air forces, in the Middle East, India, Asia, Africa, and South America. Its modular construction made it easy to build, and it was ideal for refurbishing and updating earlier models for sale to overseas customers. Hunters are still active for contract work as low-cost platforms for aggressor training and systems development. This volume documents the jet fighter's extensive and fascinating history.
With the approach of WW2 the de Havilland Aerodrome at Hatfield went through a major expansion, concentrating on Mosquito production and development. The Company also pioneered the production and development of jet engines led by Major Frank Halford, leading to the Vampire jet fighter. Early commercial aircraft were the Dove and Heron, but the major pioneering programme was the Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner, which first flew on 27 July 1949 and entered service with BOAC on 2 May 1952. The DH.108 tailless research aircraft based on the Vampire fuselage was used to investigate the effects of the speed of sound, exceeding Mach 1 on 9 September 1948. The de Havilland jet airli...
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Written by an accomplished military aviation author, this new study is the result of many years of research, and will be essential reading for all historians of the period and keen aviation enthusiasts. There is growing interest in the Cold War era in British history. This book provides a new study of Cold War airfields for all who study airfield history and archaeology. Phillip Birtles gives readers airfield-by-airfield coverage of those in operation from the start of the Cold War during the Berlin Air Lift in the late 1940s to the end of the Cold War with the fall of the Berlin Wall at the end of the 1980s. The book covers both RAF/FAA and USAF airfields in Britain, and charts the changes that took place at these airfields in this period. Alongside descriptive text outlining each airfield, the units and aircraft operating from that airfield and its role in the Cold War are explained in great detail. Descriptive text is complemented by contemporary photographs, maps, and airfield plans.
With the technology of the Hurricane being at the end of the biplane combat aircraft era, there was an urgent requirement for a modern fighter with a capability ahead of the anticipated German fighter development for the Luftwaffe. The Hawker design team lead by Sydney Camm created the all-metal stressed skin structure Typhoon powered by the revolutionary Napier Sabre engine. Whereas the Hurricane had been developed in peacetime, the Typhoon was designed in wartime, when the urgency of the programme caused the development of both the airframe and engine to be accelerated, resulting in teething troubles not being fully solved when the aircraft entered service with the RAF. The much improved Tempest used the same engine and basic fuselage with thinner lamina flow wings, giving improved performance at altitude, and allowing the destruction of the V1s at low altitude. Both aircraft made a significant impact on the victory by the Allies in WW2, although their low level ground attack missions were extremely hazardous, and resulted in high pilot losses.
The book begins by providing an excellent background to the Battle of Britain airfields in Britain, describing everything from the range of people working on a typical airfield, including station commanders, pilots, ground crew, and civilians, to descriptions of operations and plans of the buildings on an airfield. There is also airfield-by-airfield coverage of the Battle of Britain, with the layout of each airfield shown alongside its role in the overall battle. This information is complemented by over 150 contemporary photographs, maps, and airfield plans. Written by an accomplished military aviation author, this new study is the fruit of many years of research, and will be essential reading for all historians and keen aviation enthusiasts.
At Hatfield Aerodrome de Havilland created the WW2 Mosquito, the first multi role combat aircraft. De Havilland companies pioneered turbojet development, leading to the Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner. De Havilland developed guided missiles and the Blue Streak rocket. The DH 108 was the first aircraft exceed Mach 1 outside the USA.
Alongside the Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane won lasting fame in the service of RAF Fighter Command during the battle of Britain in 1940 - out of every five enemy aircraft shot down, three were 'dispatched' by Hurricanes. Over 11,700 examples were eventually built of this versatile and deadly combat aircraft, fulfilling an incredible number of contrasting roles from its original concept as a high-speed interceptor fighter, through fighter-bomber, tank-buster to night-fighter, intruder and naval convoy defence fighter. In this fully illustrated history, the design, development and production of Sydney Camm's war-winning aircraft are described in detail, including particulars of its constructi...