Royal Air Force (RAF) - Groot-Brittannië: boeken - historie

A Brief History of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I

This accessible text covers the all of the major First World War battles, from Bloody April 1917, when the squadrons suffered enormous casualties, through Third Ypres and Passchendaele to the chaotic retreat from Ludendorff's offensive.
Drawing extensively from letters and diaries of the men who took part, Ralph Barker creates a bird's eye view of the battleground from the menacing skies above France and brings fresh off the page the exhiliration of combat, the debility of the "shakes", the grit of observers and gunners, the strain of low-level flying, the bonding of pilot and ground mechanic, and the awareness of tragedy as brave men gave their lives.

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.

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.

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.

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

On 1 April 2018 the RAF celebrates its centenary, marking 100 years since its creation in 1918 out of the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service.

The RAF has always been at the forefront of technology, both as an innovator and as a user of innovations. To celebrate the RAF's first 100 years, Jonathan Falconer showcases a top 100 technical innovations that have been used and/or devised by the Service over the past century, ranging from heated flying suits to radar; and from panel fasteners to the VTOL Harrier.

From the jet engine to radar, from the ejector seat to the bouncing bomb, the Haynes Royal Air Force 100 Technical Innovations Manual contains a double-page spread on each innovation or technological advancement, detailing its development, history and its use. Over 300 photographs and drawings help bring each one to life.

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.

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

The inter-war years between 1918 and 1939 saw the newly created Royal Air Force fighting for its very existence politically, being despatched to the remotest corners of the British Empire and its Protectorates in various policing roles and then finally engaged in a head-long rush to modernize in the face of the new German Fascist regime that was threatening British and European freedom.
Yet this important period in RAF history and its effect on political and military rationale during the period has never been completely documented.

This exhaustive and comprehensive reference is the most detailed work to be published on the subject. The author gives full information on the changing structure of the Force during the period, squadron operations, political machinations and their effects, the aeroplanes and their equipment, the personnel, technical advances in navigation and breakthroughs achieved in engine performance.
The book is cross-referenced throughout, extremely well illustrated and contains an abundance of location maps and other diagrams.

This book will become a Bible for anyone interested in the history of the RAF.

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

Volume II of this mammoth reference work covers the years in which the League of Nations failed because of the emerging dictatorships in Germany and Italy and the expansionist policies adopted by Japan. Britain was still reeling from the consequences of World War I and the RAF was sadly far behind the other major world powers in aircraft design, still relying on bi-planes that were direct descendants of World War I thinking. It gradually became apparent that, despite UK government dithering, the RAF needed to develop new aircraft, engines and increase production to confront the bully-boy tactics of the Axis powers.

As the turn of the decade approached extraordinary measures were taken to enable RAF to defend Britain's skies and this her freedom. As with Volume 1, this book covers every conceivable part of the RAF's history through these pre-War days. It looks at the development and invention of new equipment such as radar, monoplane fighters, metal construction and the heavy bomber. This was an era when science in aviation was rushing ahead and fortunately for Britain's freedom, it laid the foundations of victory in 1945.

From War to Peace : a Photographer's View of British Aviation During the 1940s

A photographic record of the aviation scene in Britain between the years 1940-1949. The photographs were taken by E. J. Riding (1916-1950) who spent his working life in the aviation industry, but was tragically killed in a flying accident.
During his short life, he worked as an aircraft engineer, professional photographer, draughtsman, aero-modeller and aviation writer.

Riding began taking photographs of aircraft in 1931 aged fifteen. Fortunately, he kept copious notes recording the locations and dates of when and where aircraft were photographed.
During the 1940s, he covered the rapid transition from propeller-driven aircraft to first-generation jets. The early part of the book covers Riding's wartime work as an aircraft inspector with two major aircraft companies, mostly illustrated with photographs taken surreptitiously.

Once civil aviation returned in January 1946, Riding took many air-to-air photographs of light aircraft that made regular visits to Heathrow and Croydon to photograph the new generation of airliners.
Three Farnborough air shows are featured in addition to several race meetings, including one featuring the latest piston and jet fighters.

RAF Air-to-Air Refuelling - A Pictorial History

Once man had mastered the ability to fly, there came the desire to fly faster, higher and further with increased payloads. Some of the earliest experiments with air-to-air refuelling occurred in the 1920s and as long-distance record attempts progressed, Alan Cobham was in the thick of it.
Cobham would later revolutionise air-to-air refuelling, initially with the 'Grapple-line looped-hose' system, along with the formation of Flight Refuelling Limited (FRL).

By the 1930s, the emphasis was on transatlantic flights - especially by providing a faster postal service between Europe and the USA. With the advent of the Cold War, the need for air-to-air refuelling became a clear military requirement. When Boeing announced the Model 367-80, the USAF saw a unique opportunity and placed large orders for the KC-135A version.

Meanwhile, the RAF also saw the necessity for tanker aircraft to support its new V-bomber force. Initially, surplus Valiant bombers were converted and later Vulcan and Victor aircraft too. Today, air-to-air refuelling is an essential part of modern warfare, providing both strategic and tactical tanking capabilities.

This book is profusely illustrated with images from a variety of sources including the Air Historical Branch and the author's own extensive collection - many of which have never previously been published - and all are supported with a concise but informative text.