Aerei da combattimento - Gran Bretagna - Royal Air Force (RAF): libri illustrati di storia e guide

Royal Air Force 100 (1918-2018) - Technical Innovations Manual

Il 1° aprile 2018 la RAF ha celebrato il suo centenario, a 100 anni dalla sua creazione nel 1918, nata dalla fusione del Royal Flying Corps e del Royal Naval Air Service.

La RAF è sempre stata all'avanguardia della tecnologia, sia come innovatrice che come utilizzatrice di innovazioni. Per celebrare i primi 100 anni della RAF, Jonathan Falconer presenta una classifica delle 100 migliori innovazioni tecniche utilizzate e/o ideate dall'aeronautica militare nel corso dell'ultimo secolo, dalle tute da volo riscaldate al radar, dai sistemi di fissaggio per pannelli al velivolo a decollo e atterraggio verticale Harrier.

Pagine del libro "Royal Air Force 100 (1918-2018) - Technical Innovations Manual"

Dal motore a reazione al radar, dal sedile eiettabile alla bomba rimbalzante, il manuale Haynes Royal Air Force 100 Technical Innovations dedica una doppia pagina a ciascuna innovazione o progresso tecnologico, illustrandone lo sviluppo, la storia e l'utilizzo. Oltre 300 fotografie e disegni contribuiscono a dare vita a ciascuna di esse.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Jonathan Falconer
Formato:	224 pagine, 27.5 x 21.5 x 2 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	riccamente illustrato con foto in B&N e in colori
Lingua:	inglese (un dizionario tecnico inglese-italiano è disponibile gratuitamente per il download qui)
Editore:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 2017)
ISBN:	9781785210846

Aerodromes of Fighter Command Then and Now

RAF Fighter Command was established in July 1936 to provide the airborne element in the defence of Britain against air attack. The aerodromes under the Command described in this book came under the control of several Groups: No. 9 in the west, No. 10 covering the south-west, No. 11 in the south-east, No. 12 on the eastern side of the country, and Nos. 13 and 14 protecting the extreme north.

In this volume the activities of over 90 airfields are described and illustrated in our 'then and now' theme, both on the ground and from above. Many, having served their purpose, have returned to farmland leaving only odd vestiges to recall their former role as front-line fighter stations. Others have succumbed to the encroachment of housing or industry or even been totally expunged from the map through mining activities.
On the other hand, a number have continued to be used as airfields, either for sport or business flying, and some continue as major airports with modern facilities.

Sadly the post-war years have witnessed the slow decline of the RAF presence at so many of their former bases, two having closed during our research for this book. And some have found a new lease of life with the Army . . . or even the Ministry of Justice!
All came into their own during the six years of war and the scars from that battle are still evident if one cares to look. Mouldering buildings from the former era remain as poignant reminders of the airmen and women who once habited them . . . now standing almost as memorials to the thousands who never came through. This is their story.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Robin J. Brooks
Formato:	360 pagine, 30 x 22 x 2.9 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	800+ foto in B&N
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	After the Battle (GB, 2014)
ISBN:	9781870067829

Britain's Forgotten Fighters of the First World War

Those with any interest in the First World War will have have heard of the planes most associated with that conflict - the legendary Sopwith Camel and Royal Aircraft Factory's S.E.5a, which are often called the 'Spitfire' and 'Hurricane' of the Great War. Aviation enthusiasts might even know of the Camel's predecessors, the Sopwith Pup or the Triplane. But what of the many other planes that saw active service in the war?

This is the story of those armed aeroplanes whose names few people can recall, the 'Forgotten Fighters' of the First World War, including the pusher 'gunbuses' of the early war years, the strange 'pulpit' design of the B.E.9, the desperate conversions of reconnaissance machines that were never intended to be armed, and those which were thought too tricky for the average pilot to handle.
It is also the story of the brave men who flew these machines, fighting, and too often dying, for a cause they believed in.

Some of these aeroplanes only served in small numbers and others in areas away from the main battle on the Western Front, but all made a vital contribution to the winning of the war. And these lost but iconic fighter aircraft, and the brave young men who flew them, deserve to be remembered just as much as the more famous aces in their legendary machines. This is their story.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Paul R. Hare
Formato:	224 pagine, 24 x 16 x 1.8 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	130 foto in B&N e in colori
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Fonthill Media (GB, 2014)
ISBN:	9781781551974

From Balloon to Boxkite - The Royal Engineers and Early British Aeronautics

The story of early British military aviation is one of trial and error, of triumph and adversity and it all began with a detachment of the Royal Engineers called the Air Battalion, which had previously been called the Balloon School.
Created some forty years before the RAF, the Balloon School commenced a long history of British aeronautics. Initially, spotting for artillery, the Balloon School grew to encompass kites and gliders and early aircraft also.

This history of this little-known army detachment presents the tale of these daring aviators and the balloons, airship, kites and pioneer aircraft during a time of much change in military design and thinking. It shows the development of military aviation in its formative years, and the use of these new weapons in time of war.

Malcolm Hall brings together a thoroughly researched history of military aviation in the pioneer years with a selection of images, some previously unpublished, showing the development of the flying machines, both lighter and heavier than air.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Malcolm Hall
Formato:	256 pagine, 24 x 17 cm, brossura
Illustrazioni:	159 foto in B&N
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2010)
ISBN:	9781848689923

RAF Coastal Command - A Pictorial History

RAF Coastal Command was founded in 1936 when the Royal Air Force restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands. The Command played a key role in the Allied Victory during the Second World War, particularly during the Battle of the Atlantic. From a modest beginning, the Command blossomed into a powerful anti-submarine force when protecting Allied convoys from the German submarine force, while also protecting that shipping from attacks by the Luftwaffe.
Equipped with legendary aircraft such as the Sunderland, Wellington, Catalina and Liberator, along with advances in radar technology such as the new Mark III ASV (Air-to-surface vessel), it was able to locate, attack and destroy an increasing number of U-boats that had fast become the scourge of the convoys.

By the end of the Second World War, Coastal Command had flown more than a million flying hours, completed 240,000 operations and destroyed 212 U-boats - but suffered an ever higher loss rate than Bomber Command with 2,060 aircraft lost, along with the lives of 5,866 personnel.
Post-war, Coastal Command saw a significant rundown but still made a contribution to the Berlin Airlift. When equipped with the new Shackleton aircraft, their activities shifted to anti-submarine patrols against the Soviet Navy and other fleets of the Warsaw Pact, particularly in the Atlantic.
In 1969, Coastal Command was absorbed into the newly formed Strike Command.

This book is illustrated with images from the Air Historical Branch - many of which have never previously been published.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Keith Wilson
Formato:	128 pagine, 23 x 16 x 1 cm, brossura
Illustrazioni:	180 foto in B&N e in colori
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2020)
ISBN:	9781445697680

The Birth of the Royal Air Force

Ian Philpott presents us here with a compendium of facts, operational histories and photo illustrations, combined to create a comprehensive account of the early years of the Royal Air Force. Illustrated throughout, it features details of all military operations from 1914 to 1918 which impacted upon the organisation.

Also included are operational details of the Independent Bomber Force throughout 1918, a supplementary historical strand that is sure to appeal to Aviation enthusiasts with a taste for features of niche focus.
Details of the airfields, landing grounds, seaplane bases and various other landmarks of this era are given, and readers are encouraged to use the work as a reference book, being as it is a weighty tome of encyclopedic scope.

Sure to make a welcome addition to any aviation enthusiasts library, this well-researched piece of work has been a long time in the making. Philpott brings his typical flare to the project, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to this dynamic, defining period of Royal Air Force history.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Ian M. Philpott
Formato:	479 pagine, 24.5 x 19 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	riccamente illustrato
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2013)
ISBN:	9781781593332

The Royal Air Force - An Encyclopaedia of the Inter-War Years (Vol. 1) : 1918 to 1929

Nel periodo tra le due guerre mondiali, tra il 1918 e il 1939, la neonata Royal Air Force lottò per la propria sopravvivenza politica, venendo inviata negli angoli più remoti dell'Impero britannico e dei suoi protettorati per svolgere vari ruoli di polizia e infine impegnata in una frenetica modernizzazione di fronte al nuovo regime fascista tedesco che minacciava la libertà britannica ed europea.
Eppure, questo importante periodo della storia della RAF e il suo impatto sulle motivazioni politiche e militari dell'epoca non sono mai stati documentati in modo esaustivo.

Quest'opera di riferimento esaustiva e completa è la più dettagliata mai pubblicata sull'argomento. L'autore fornisce informazioni complete sulla struttura mutevole della Forza durante il periodo, sulle operazioni degli squadroni, sulle macchinazioni politiche e i loro effetti, sugli aeroplani e le loro attrezzature, sul personale, sui progressi tecnici nella navigazione e sulle innovazioni ottenute nelle prestazioni dei motori.
Il libro è corredato da numerosi rimandi incrociati, è splendidamente illustrato e contiene un'abbondanza di mappe e altri diagrammi.

Questo libro diventerà una Bibbia per chiunque sia interessato alla storia della RAF.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Ian M. Philpott
Formato:	600 pagine, 25.5 x 19.5 x 3.3 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	321 foto in B&N, 163 disegni
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2005)
ISBN:	9781844151547

The Royal Air Force : A Centenary of Operations

The world's first independent air force, the Royal Air Force celebrates its centenary in 2018. In the 100 years since the end of World War I, the service has been involved in almost continuous operations around the globe, giving the RAF the longest and most wide-ranging history of any air force in the world. But over the years this history has also become entangled with myths.

"The Royal Air Force: A Centenary of Operations " sets the record straight, dispelling these as it uncovers - in both words and photographs - the true exploits and accomplishments of RAF personnel over the last 100 years.
From its formation as an independent service in the dying days of World War I, its desperate fight against the Axis air forces in World War II, to its commitments during both the Cold War and modern times, this is the complete story of how the RAF has defended Britain for a century.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Michael Napier
Formato:	340 pagine, 29 x 25 x 3.2 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	riccamente illustrato con foto in B&N e in colori
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2020)
ISBN:	9781472825407

The Royal Air Force History - An Encyclopaedia of the Inter-War Years (Vol. 2) - Re-armament 1930 to 1939

Il secondo volume di questa imponente opera di riferimento copre gli anni in cui la Società delle Nazioni fallì a causa delle dittature emergenti in Germania e Italia e delle politiche espansionistiche adottate dal Giappone. La Gran Bretagna si stava ancora riprendendo dalle conseguenze della Prima Guerra Mondiale e la RAF era purtroppo molto indietro rispetto alle altre grandi potenze mondiali nella progettazione aeronautica, affidandosi ancora a biplani che erano diretti discendenti della concezione aeronautica della Prima Guerra Mondiale. Divenne gradualmente evidente che, nonostante le esitazioni del governo britannico, la RAF aveva bisogno di sviluppare nuovi aerei e motori e di aumentare la produzione per contrastare le tattiche prepotenti delle potenze dell'Asse.

Con l'avvicinarsi della fine del decennio, furono adottate misure straordinarie per consentire alla RAF di difendere i cieli britannici e, di conseguenza, la libertà del Paese. Come il Volume 1, questo libro ripercorre ogni aspetto immaginabile della storia della RAF in quel periodo prebellico. Esamina lo sviluppo e l'invenzione di nuove attrezzature come il radar, i caccia monoplani, le costruzioni metalliche e il bombardiere pesante. Fu un'epoca in cui la scienza aeronautica avanzava a passi da gigante e, fortunatamente per la libertà della Gran Bretagna, gettò le basi per la vittoria del 1945.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Ian M. Philpott
Formato:	500 pagine, 25.5 x 20 x 3.2 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	321 foto e 163 disegni
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2006)
ISBN:	9781844153916

The Secret Years - Flight Testing at Boscombe Down 1939-1945

The highly classified work of the A&AEE (Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment) at Boscombe Down included the intense, ever-expanding business of testing aircraft and their varied armaments in WWII.
Over 1,500 British, American and German aircraft of the RAF, Fleet Air Arm, Army - and the Luftwaffe - were tested at Boscombe Down.

Aircraft as diverse as the Aerovan, Barracuda, Pitcairn PA39 and Nomad were put though their paces together with, amongst others the Skymaster, Vengeance, Lightning, Hudson and Welkin plus the more well-known Wellington, Mosquito, Halifax, Ju88, Fw190 and Spitfire.

Using some 500 photographs, The Secret Years explores unusual variants of standard service aircraft types, machines which remained purely experimental, and the trials with their guns, bombs, rockets and equipment.
Performance tables, details of production and rogue aircraft tests together with over 90 colour profiles ensure The Secret Years forms a comprehensive reference source for the historian and modeller alike.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Tim Mason
Formato:	368 pagine, 30.5 x 22 x 3.1 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	500+ foto in B&N e in colori, 90 viste di profilo in colori
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Hikoki Publications (GB, 2010)
Collana:	Hikoki
ISBN:	9781902109145

The Zeppelin Base Raids - Germany 1914 (Osprey)

In the summer of 1914, as Europe teetered on the brink of war, the spectre of immediate Zeppelin raids on London and other major British towns and cities loomed large. When Winston Churchill accepted responsibility for the defence of London, he realised that Zeppelins were most vulnerable when on the ground. Despite limited resources, he believed that attack was the best form of defence.

In the final four months of 1914, the RNAS launched four separate air attacks on Zeppelin bases in Germany: Düsseldorf/Cologne twice, Friedrichshafen and Cuxhaven. Author Ian Castle presents the full story of Britain's first strategic bombing campaign and the results it achieved.

Contents: Introduction - Origins and Initial Strategy - Planning the Düsseldork and Cologne Raids - The Düsseldork and Cologne Raids - Planning the Friedrichshafen Raid - The Friedrichshafen Raid - Planning the Cuxhaven Raid - The Cuxhaven Raid - Analysis - Conclusion.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Ian Castle
Formato:	80 pagine, 24.5 x 18.5 x 0.7 cm, brossura
Illustrazioni:	riccamente illustrato con foto e disegni (in B&N e in colori)
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2011)
Collana:	Raid (18)
ISBN:	9781849082433

UK Airfields of the Cold War

Phillip Birtles gives readers an airfield coverage of those in operation from the start of the Cold War during the Berlin Air Lift in the late 1940 to the end of the Cold War with the fall of the Berlin Wall at the end of the 1980s.

Descriptive text is complemented by almost 200 contemporary photographs, maps and airfield palns.

Dettagli del libro

Autore:	Phillip Birtles
Formato:	160 pagine, 26 x 21 x 1.7 cm, copertina rigida
Illustrazioni:	200+ foto in B&N e in colori
Lingua:	inglese
Editore:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2012)
ISBN:	9781857803464