Library Additions
Library Additions
Bristol Fighter: Frank Barnwell’s ubiquitous multirole masterpiece by Ray Sturdevant, Gordon Page, James J Halley and Philip Jarrett, Air-Britain, 472pp, 2020.
After a look at the aircraft’s development by the British and Colonial Aircraft Company, this book explores the role the aircraft played in WW1 and beyond. As is expected of an Air-Britain title, this is accompanied by histories of each aircraft produced. The book also contains a beautiful selection of photographs, line drawings and colour profiles, together with technical details reproduced from government publications.
Vickers VC10 & Super VC10 by L Cole, Pen & Sword Aviation, 2020, 84pp.
An illustrated guide to the aircraft, together with advice and colour schemes aimed at helping those building models of the aircraft.
75 years of the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works by J C Goodall, Osprey, 2021, 384pp.
A beautifully illustrated photographic record of the aircraft, missile and UAV programmes built and proposed at Lockheed Martin’s factory, starting with the XP-80 Shooting Star and finishing with the proposed SR-72 Son of Blackbird.
Nomad 22: A new approach to STOL from Australia by Australian Department of Trade and Industry. Trade Publicity Branch, [1972?], 20pp.
A marketing brochure, including descriptions of the aircraft and its systems. Includes diagrams showing typical layouts, a simple three view general arrangement drawing, a list of general characteristics and a performance summary, together with a number of graphs illustrating the aircraft’s performance.
Selected flight test reports by R E Clear CEng FRAeS, Deputy Chief Test Pilot of Airspeed, on the AS57 Ambassador 48-seat transport aircraft, 1948-52, 1 file.
Hawker: Aeroplanes that have set a new standard by H G Hawker Engineering Co Ltd, [1929?], 31pp.
A marketing brochure giving brief details of their main aircraft types, printed in both English and Chinese.
Korean air war: Sabres, MiGs and Meteors, 1950-53 by Michael Napier, Osprey, 2021, 319pp.
This beautifully illustrated book on the Korean War explores the different phases of the air war and the major campaigns of the land war. It also examines in detail the air power of the major combatants, which included North and South Korea, the UK, Australia, Canada and South Africa, as well as China, the US and the USSR.
Telling aircraft tails: A history of Britain’s airlines in 40 aircraft by G HalfordMacLeod, History Press, 2021, 239pp.
Civil aviation’s beautifully illustrated answer to ‘The history of the world in 100 objects’, highlights 40 individual aircraft to tell the wider story of Britain’s airliners.
The civil applications of helicopters: Report on a visit to the USA in April 1947 by R H Whitby, 1947, 67pp.
A thorough report looking at the full range of options being explored in the US for the use of helicopters. Includes information from operators, details of potential uses including for air mail and agriculture, draft air traffic rules and details of operating costs.
Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics edited by P Moin and Howard A Stone, Annual Reviews, 2021, 644pp.
The annual review of fluid mechanics exploring subjects such as fluids at the nanoscale, designing multicellular engineered living systems, Leonardo da Vinci and Fluid Mechanics, Levitation and Self-Organisation of Droplets, Predicting the Drag of Rough Surfaces, The Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Cleaning and Decontamination of Surfaces.
The Comet racers uncovered by Guy Inchbald, Steelpillow, 2021, 48pp.
A study of the development of the de Havilland DH88 Comet and the stories of the five racing aircraft produced. It also contains details of the derivatives, replicas, copies and models made over the years.
Air Transport Auxiliary at war: 80th anniversary of its formation by Stephen Wynn, Pen & Sword Aviation, 2021, 133pp.
An exploration of how the newspapers reported the ATA together with information on their pilots who died during the war.
RAF maintenance: planning & organisation, 1939-45, [1939-46?], 1 file.
A file of papers including proposals for maintenance organisation in 116 Wing, and notes on training and supplies from British South African Airways. It also contains analysis of the state of C-87s and Halifax IIIs of 216 Squadron for December 1944 and January 1945, Yorks in 246 Squadron in January 1945, Yorks in 511 Squadron for November 1944 December 1944 and January 1945 and Dakotas in 525 Squadron for November 1944 December 1944 and January 1945.
Lunar outfitters: Making the Apollo Space Suit by Bill Ayrey, University Press of Florida, 2020, 407pp.
The Model A-7L pressure suit worn by the Apollo 11 astronauts, and the Model A-7LB that replaced it in 1971, originated at ILC Industries (now ILC Dover, LP), an obscure Delaware industrial firm. ILC space suit test engineer Bill Ayrey draws on original files and photographs to tell the dramatic story of the company’s role in the Apollo programme.
Secret Spitfires: Britain’s hidden civilian army by Karl Howman, Ethem Cetintas and Gavin Clarke, History Press, 2020, 191pp.
The Supermarine factory in Southampton was all but destroyed by enemy bombing in 1940. This book tells the story of how Spitfire production was dispersed and is packed with photographs and reminiscences from those who contributed to production.
Limitless: The autobiography by Tim Peake, Century, 2020, 478pp.
The story of Britain’s first European Space Agency astronaut, including an account of his time training for and working on the International Space Station and his time training and serving as a helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corp.
Fighters in the blood: The story of a Spitfire pilot & the son who followed in his footsteps by ‘Black’ Robertson, Air World, 284pp, 2020.
This book explores the career of Air Marshal Graham ‘Black’ Robertson, including his RAF training, squadron commands during the Falklands conflict, service in Bahrain, Germany, and at RAF Wattisham and his time at the Ministry of Defence. Air Marshal Robertson’s memoir is interwoven with accounts of the wartime service of his father, ‘Robbie’ Robertson.
Mother of the few: The aviation interests of Lucy, Lady Houston DBE by Charles E Mac Kay, 2020, 287pp.
A look at the life of Fanny Houston and the two major aeronautical projects that she supported: the British entry to the 1931 Schneider Trophy and the Houston-Mount Everest Flight Expedition of 1933.
C C Walker CBE HonFRAeS, 1877-1968: A centenary appreciation by David R Newman, 1977, 10pp.
A paper on one of the key figures from Airco and the de Havilland Aircraft Company, comprising of the text and slides of a lecture presented to the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Hatfield Branch on 26 October 1977.
Save me an egg by Geoff Copeman, 1976, 20pp.
An unpublished account of a RAF serviceman based at East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, during WW2.
Memories of visiting Short Brothers and flying at Eastchurch before and during World War I by Alec Ogilvie, 1954, 8pp.
Includes memories of visiting Short Brothers in 1909, being one of the first Britons to fly their own Wright aircraft and how Eastchurch’s club entered WW1.