Air
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Hawker: One of Aviation’s Greatest Names: A Biography of Harry Hawker, MBE, AFC
Traces the life of Harry Hawker, his early life in Moorabbin, Victoria, his move to England, introduction to flying, his role in WW1, founding his company which produced Schneider Trophy-winning aircraft between the wars and the Hurricane of WW2.
Heartbreak and Heroism: Canadian Search and Rescue Stories
This book is about some of the most dramatic search-and-rescue operations in Canada. Whether the action is on the heaving deck of a sinking ship off the Newfoundland coast, within the incredibly confining walls of a power plant in Ontario, or high on a cliff face on a British Columbia mountain, each of these stories is exciting, memorable, and true. They are accounts of courage, loyalty, perseverance, and sacrifice that knows no bounds.
We read of the heartbreaking last days of an Anglican missionary fighting for his life in a lonely Arctic outpost. Another chapter relays a dramatic rooftop rescue in New Brunswick. We meet people who are saved from floods, fires, plane crashes, earth movements, and violent storms. No less are the stories of the sometimes unexpected and tragic losses of the rescuers.
Because Canada is so vast, Search and Rescue capability has to span the nation, and extend from sea to sea to sea. No other country has done what we have done. Heartbreak and Heroism is popular history at its most exciting.
Helicopters: Modern Military Techniques
Chapters cover:
--- The History of Military Helicopters
--- The Tank Killer
--- Anti-Tank Tactics
--- Combat Helicopter Battalions
--- The Anatomy of a Helicopter
--- Weapon Systems
--- The Crew and their Instruments
--- Air to Air Combat
--- Rescue, Reece and other Battle Helicopters
--- The Ground Crew and Combat Maintenance
--- Helicopters go to Sea
--- Submarine and Mine Hunters
--- Anti-Submarine Tactics
--- Sea Reconnaissance Actions Against Warships
--- Commando Helicopters
--- Combat Helos in Amphibious Warfare
--- Some Wartime Operations
--- Gunships in 'Nam
--- Heavy Lifts
--- The Future
Hell Island: Canadian Pilots and the 1942 Air Battle for Malta
The 1942 Siege of Malta was an incredible, against-the-odds triumph for England's Royal Air Force and a small band of Canadian fliers. Historians have often compared this campaign to another epic stand--the Battle of Britain.
Popular military historian Dan McCaffery has written a lively new account of one of the most exciting victories of the Second World War. Looking at the nine-month period in 1942 when the Axis powers decided to invade Malta, McCaffery describes the way Allied submarines and bombers operating from the tiny island effectively controlled shipping in the Mediterranean. Allied forces eventually became so successful at sinking passing enemy ships that supplies for German Field Marshal Rommel were threatened. In retaliation, Hitler and Mussolini decided to starve and bomb Malta out of the war.
McCaffery captures the tension of the devastating offensive, bringing to life all the key events of the battle from the March Blitz to the final Allied victory in October. The heroic exploits of air aces Buzz Beurling, Wally McLeod, Moose Fumerton, and John Williams are described in colourful detail. Aviation history and military history fans will not want to miss this fascinating new account of the important role played by Canadians in one of the most exciting campaigns of World War Two.
Horrido: Legicsatak a Keleti Fronton (Hungarian and English Edition)
This is a Hungarian-language text (with English summaries) that examines Eastern European Air Forces in World War II.
The Finnsih, Croatian, Hungarian, Romanian, Italian-Soviet, Slovakian airforces, and more are all covered in this rare book. Even if you can't read Hungarian, the photographs and colour plates will serve anyone interested Eastern European Air forces and the Eastern Front during World War II.
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Hurricane
This remarkable aircraft, designed and built to combat the emerging fighter strength of the Axis nations in the lead-up to World War II, made its name in the air battles over Britain and France in the first years of the war. Beloved by its pilots for its stable firing platform and reputation as a rugged survivor, the Hawker Hurricane quickly became the backbone of the RAF, scoring more kills than the more glamorous Spitfire in the Battle of Britain.
This compact volume draws on a wealth of research, artwork, and contemporary photographs, as well as images of surviving Hurricanes in flight today, to present a complete guide to this classic fighter aircraft.
Hurricane and Spitfire Pilots at War
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.
Hurricane R4118: The Extraordinary Story of the Discovery and Restoration of a Battle of Britain Survivor
In 1982, when he was travelling in India, Peter Vacher stumbled on the remains of a British plane - a Hurricane Mark 1, a veteran of the Battle of Britain. It was in a dreadful state. Could he restore it? Would it fly again? Not until 14 years later did he decide to act and after six years of wrangling he got the icon home. Then the truly difficult process of restoration began - a worldwide search for parts, careful reconstruction, flight testing - until in 2005 it flew again to the delight of thousands of enthusiasts. Along the way Peter reunited three auspicious veterans - Peter Thompson, Bunny Currant and Bob Foster - with R4118, men who had flown her during the war. To this date the aircraft's grace and splendour in flight is enjoyed by crowds across the UK.
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Hurricane: RAF Fighter
Designed before the onset of World War II, this fast and maneuverable fighter became the backbone of the RAF's Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. The Hawker Hurricane won the majority of the aerial victories that gave the RAF the edge over the German Luftwaffe in the crucial days of 1940. Hurricane puts you in the cockpit and behind the stick of this famous RAF airplane.
Hurricanes Over Murmansk
This is the story of RAF Hurricane squadrons 81 and 134, whose spirited resistance to the Nazi invasion of Russia in 1941 was both unusual and successful. Hitler had initiated Operation Barbarossa, the Red Army was retreating, and the Hurricane squadrons were needed to protect supply ports.
In Canadian Service Aircraft 3: Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax, along with the Avro Lancaster and the Short Stirling, was one of the three heavy bombers employed by The Royal Air Force Bomber Command in its aerial offensive against the Axis in W.W.II.
Although overshadowed by the legendary Lancaster, the Halifax played a major role in the night bombing campaign, in antisubmarine operations, meteorological reconnaissance, transport, and towing gliders in airborne operations.
In all, over 6,000 Halifax aircraft were produced and these were flown in over 75,000 missions. It served from 1941 until finally retired in 1952. At one time during their service in the RAF Bomber Command all 15 RCAF Bomber Squadrons and three Heavy Conversion Units were equipped with the Halifax, several operating only the Halifax.
Although some squadrons began reequipping with the Lancaster beginning in late 1943, the Halifax was the mainstay of these squadrons from 1942 to the end of the war in night bombing and mine laying operations. This book documents the development of the Halifax aircraft from its inception during the expansion of the RAF Bomber Command in the late 1930s until production ended in 1946.
Its service with RCAF 6 Group of Bomber Command, and its operations with all 15 RCAF Squadrons is related, with representative photographs. A complete description of each version of the aircraft is presented, along with accurate multi-view line drawings and photographs.
The aircraft defensive and offensive armament is described as well as color schemes and markings. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to modeling the Halifax with descriptions of kits and decal markings that have been produced.
This book will be a worthy addition to the collection of the historian, to the modeler and for those who served in the Halifax squadrons or their families.
In Search of Pegasus: The Canadian Airborne Experience 1942-1999
This book is the first substantial attempt to chronicle the entire airborne experience, spanning over fifty-six years. Although often viewed as outcasts and pariahs, Canada's intrepid paratroopers have always represented the best combat soldiers this country has been able to offer. Renowned for their courage, initiative, physical prowess, and indomitable spirit, the nation's paratroopers have always represented the proficiency of the Canadian army. Aided by 400-plus dramatic photographs and a meticulously researched text, it opens the history and operational contribution of Canada's airborne forces to the public eye. From its beginnings as 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion in 1942 through the disbandment of the Canadian Airborne Regiment in 1995 and its aftermath it affirms the necessity of parachute capability. It is a tribute to their professionalism and tenacity.
Iron Eagle: The Turbulent Life of General Curtis LeMay
Curtis LeMay joined the United States Army Air Corps while studying civil engineering at Ohio State University. He had risen to the rank of major by the time of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor. He commanded the 305th Operations Group and the 3d Air Division in the European theatre of World War II from October 1942 to August 1944, when he was transferred to the China Burma India Theater. He was then placed in command of strategic bombing operations against Japan, planning and executing a massive fire bombing campaign against Japanese cities and a crippling minelaying campaign in Japan's internal waterways.
After the war, he was assigned to command USAF Europe and coordinated the Berlin airlift. He served as commander of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 1948 to 1957, where he presided over the transition to an all-jet aircraft force that focused on the deployment of nuclear weapons. As Chief of Staff of the Air Force, he called for the bombing of Cuban missile sites during the Cuban Missile Crisis and sought a sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
This biography of the Air Force commander details his innovations, leadership decisions and strategies, and controversial actions and statements throughout his career, from World War II general to Chief of Staff.
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Jet Combat in the Nuclear Age: Jet Fighter Campaigns 1980s to the Present Day
In this book, the roles of jet fighters and fighter bombers in the Nuclear Age are explored. Bowman consolidates a range of firsthand accounts from the pilots themselves with a well-researched history of military aviation from the 1980s to today.
Jet Combat in the Nuclear Age pays tribute to the men and women of the USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC) and their role in maintaining peace by deterring any perceived Soviet threat with a retaliatory nuclear attack. The 1980s also brought a new enemy in air operations in the Middle East when US Navy F-14 Tomcats and other jet aircraft mounted retaliatory operations against Libya.
The book spotlights military craft in action across the globe:
--- US Navy A-6E Intruders bombed Benghazi in 1986 in retaliation for the bombing of a West Berlin disco
--- F-111Fs and RAF Jaguars decimated Saddam Hussein's forces in the opening rounds of Desert Storm
--- Carrier-based craft deployed in support of military operations Joint Endeavor, Desert Strike, and Sharp Guard
Today the war against terror continues to rely on air power, with small teams of Special Forces troops directing attack aircraft against enemy positions. Jet Combat in the Nuclear Age outlines an era when victory comes from above.
Jet Fighter School II: More Training for Computer Fighter Pilots
Richard G. Sheffield Softcover 202 pages Out of Print. New old stock.
Jet Warplanes: The Twenty-First Century
A survey of the revolution in the speed, sophistication, design, and destructive potential of jet fighters and bombers.
Ju 88: Over All Fronts
The most versatile German aircraft of WWII is shown in its many uses and on a variety of war fronts.
Jump Wings: History of Canadian Airborne Qualification Badges, 1942-2012
Canadian parachute-related 'wings'. Included are the first styles of wings introduced during the Second World War and continued to the present. Other sections address Para Rigger, Search and Rescue, Pathfinder/Scout and Army Pilot wings.
Knights of the Air
Knights of the Air depicts life and times of the extraordinary pioneers who first built British aeroplanes. The aircraft are remembered but many of the men who designed and built them are not. Here are described the personalities and careers of British aviation pioneers.
Lancaster at War: 2
Here is a collection of different ex-RAF men recalling the WWII bombing of Germany, with emphasis on repairs and operations.
It provides a holistic look at base support positions and the daily routine, including the food truck driven by a WAAF for tea breaks. They too, served their nation. Each chapter deals with a different function contributing to readiness for a mission.
Starting with unblooded planes, Garbett shows factory scenes, tests, mechanics at work (who rarely got proper credit). It may seem contrary, but the Merlin engine, same as on Spitfires, was ideal for Lancasters. Well known, they would drag their load into the air, then to battle, even give their last during the shooting. At base, the 'erks' would put them right so the ship was ready for ops again. Crews flight test, then, if airworthy, they are fueled and loaded with bombs and ammunition.
And on the other side of the base, crewmen try to down a meal, attend briefing, collect their kit. Trucks deliver them to the waiting Lancs and on time, taxi out for takeoff. Once in the air, they set course for the enemy coast. Then the mission gets interesting....
The Lancaster shares with its contemporary the Spitfire the distinction of having become a legend in its own lifetime. And since the war that legend has continued to grow, fostered by the inevitable nostalgia attending the vanished days of national greatness and the long gone youth of the men who flew and serviced the aircraft. Inevitably too, the legend has its element of myth. The Lancaster was, after all, a weapon of a particularly unpleasant form of warfare. All too often its role was 'nasty, brutish – and short'. And yet – the legend remains, the stories proliferate and photographs abound.
Lancaster at War was first published in 1971 and has been reprinted ten times. It remains one of the classic books of the air war of World War II and is likely to continue in print for years. Lancaster at War - 2 is a totally new collection of Lancaster stories and photographs; it complements the earlier book, it does not duplicate it. Compiled by Mike Garbett and Brian Goulding over several years, much of its material has been, in many instances, inspired by the readers of the first Lancaster at War. The only change is that this book tends to look rather more closely at the men who flew the Lancaster and the men and women who kept it in the air. It is nonetheless a further expansion of the celebrated Lancaster legend and will delight Lanc veterans, air historians and enthusiasts alike.
Lancaster at War: 5
There is no name more redolent of Britain's wartime struggle against Nazi Germany than the classic four-engined bomber, the Avro Lancaster. From its introduction to operation in 1942 through to the end of the war, the Lancaster was at the forefront of Bomber Command's aerial onslaught against Germany and Nazi-occupied Europe.
The Lancaster was involved in many of the RAF's most successful and audacious operations, such as the famous ‘Dambusters’ raid and the action that led to the sinking of the Tirpitz, as well as the regular night time raids that wrought so much destruction on German cities and industry.
More than 20 years ago Mike Garbett and Brian Goulding first paid tribute to the Avro Lancaster in Lancaster at War. This pioneering book, which brought together first-hand accounts and historic photographs, was the first of a series of books that has helped to keep the reputation of the Lancaster alive. In this, their latest contribution to the series, the authors have again delved into their files to bring a further fascinating selection of stories from those who flew and worked with the Lancaster.
Leaving a Contrail
In 1954, nineteen-year-old Mike Zrymiak drove into Regina to follow a whim and enlist in the RCAF. So began a thirty-year adventure that saw this one-time Saskatchewan farm boy flying Harvards to Cosmopolitans, nervous students to royalty, during one of the most politically charged eras of modern history—the Cold War. He remembers this career in his latest book, Leaving a Contrail.
As one of seven children born to Ukrainian emigrants during the Great Depression, thoughts of becoming a pilot and an officer were the furthest from anyone’s mind—including Mike’s. Yet Mike discovered his passion in flying, and found himself thriving in an environment that demanded both discipline and initiative. While he, like many of his generation, considers the unification experiment of 1968 the low point of his time in service, his career afforded many high points as well, including serving as Harvard instructor to NATO pilots, pilot with 412 Squadron flying VIPs, protocol officer with Northern NORAD HQ North Bay, commander of Lahr Airfield, studies at the National Defence Staff College, military attaché to Czechoslovakia, deputy commander of Air Command Air Reserves, and commander of CFB Namao.
However, as Vic Johnson, editor of Airforce Magazine, states, Leaving a Contrail is much more than just another military memoir. "[It] expresses many closely held opinions on the DND HQ hierarchy, [including] enforced bilingualism, the effect of ‘human rights’ on Canada’s military and other controversial subjects based on his many years at the ‘Head Shed’ in Ottawa . . . . [yet] is written in a breezy, easy-to-read style and flows from one posting to the next."
One of those postings included a two-year stint behind the Iron Curtain during the 1980s, where more than once he found himself face-to-face with nervous representatives of the ruling Communist regime, their fingers on the trigger.
Légi háború Magyarország Felett / Air War over Hungary (Volume 1)
This is a rare and wonderful look at the Hungarian Airforce during World War II. The book is written in Hungarian, with some English text. Even if you can't read Hungarian, the photographs, drawings, and maps will serve anyone interested in the Hungarian Airforce.
Légi háború Magyarország Felett / Air War over Hungary (Volume 2)
This is a rare and wonderful look at the Hungarian Airforce during World War II. The book is written in Hungarian, with some English text. Even if you can't read Hungarian, the photographs, drawings, and maps will serve anyone interested in the Hungarian Airforce.
Lend-Lease Aircraft in World War II
Lend-Lease Aircraft In WWII Pearcy Full details of UK Lend-Lease contracts for aircraft are revealed, as is an insight into the massiveorganization necessary to fly the war machines to the battle fronts. Included are the stories of th e ferry pilots, the ferry routes they flew, and the aircraft involved. Contains a complete check-list of all aircraft types supplied under Lend-Lease throughout the war.
Lion in the Sky: US 8th Air Force Fighter Operations, 1942-45
Looks at the accomplishments of the volunteer eagle squadrons of the RAF and the squadrons of the U.S. 8th Air Force, and shares the experiences of individual pilots
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Little Book of Spitfire
Little book of Spitfire provides a concise history of one of the great fighter planes of WW2.
Lockheed Blackbirds
Full of history, illustrations, photos and more of the illustrious SR-71 Blackbird.
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
This is the photographic history of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Topics covered include: the XP-38 and YP-38 prototypes, the twin V-12 engines, turbochargers, and the P-38, F-4, and F-5 variants. There are also stories from P-38 test pilots, and details on the fightr groups, squadrons, and commands that utilized the P-38.
Luftwaffe Aircraft
Michael Turner is one of the best known aviation and automotive artist in the world. This book specifically focuses on German aircraft from World War I up until the 1980s ( the book was published in 1986). Michael's talent brings to life aircraft in their natural elements on ground and air. His work not only deals with the aircraft, many in various angles and closeups, but he includes the human element too. After all, what is an aircraft without pilot, crew and maintenance personal to keep the flying? Michael depicts many of these aircraft involving activities performed by the crews in maintaing their aircraft or preparing for flight. If you are a collector of aviation art, love airplanes, or an art student this book is a perfect source of joy, relaxation, information, and inspiration.
Luftwaffe: The Illustrated History of the German Air Force in WWII
Luftwaffe uses over 250 rare photographs to portray the operations of the German Air Force from the days before the Spanish Civil War through to the desperate days of 1945.
Maximum Effort: The Big Bombing Raids
Bernie Wyatt Hardcover 164 pages Out of Print.
Men of Air: The Doomed Youth of Bomber Command
There were many ways for a combat crew to die during Bomber Command's war of 1944. Over German territory, bursts of heavy flak could tear the wings from their planes in a split second. Flaming bullets from German fighter planes could explode their fuel tanks, cut their oxygen supplies, destroy their engines. In the spring of that year, thousands of young men were shot, blown up, or thrown from their planes five miles above the earth; and even those who returned faced the subtler dangers of ice and fog as they tried to land their battered aircraft back home. The winter of 1944 was the most dangerous time to be a combat airman in RAF Bomber Command. The chances of surviving a tour were as low as one in five, and morale had finally hit rock bottom. In this comprehensive history of the air war that year, Kevin Wilson describes the most dangerous period of the Battle of Berlin, and the unparalleled losses over Magdeburg, Leipzig and Nuremberg. He tells how ordinary men coped with constant pressure of flying, the loss of their colleagues, and the threat of death or capture. And, by telling the story of the famous events of this period - the Great Escape, D-Day, the defeat of the V1 menace - he shows how, through sheer grit and determination, the 'Men of Air' finally turned the tide against the Germans.
Merlin Power: The Growl Behind Air Power in World War II
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is considered by many to be the most outstanding liquid-cooled reciprocating piston engine of World War II. It powered the majority of Allied aircraft in Europe, including British and American designs. This book examines the origins of the engine's development from its predecessor, the Kestrel, through its single-stage conception to its two-speed, two-stage final form. Twenty-two Merlin powered aircraft are then examined in depth with examinations of development, design, construction and eventual operation. Wonderful design drawings by Lyndon Jones are themselves masterpieces. Included amongst the aircraft described in the book are the Avro Lancaster, Lincoln and York, the de Havilland Mosquito and Hornet, the Bristol Beaufighter II and IV, the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire, the North American Mustang, the Handley Page Halifax, the Curtiss P40 Kittyhawk and the Vickers Wellington.
Messerschmitt Bf 109: 1936-1945
Most famous German aircraft of WWII, in its variety of markings on a variety of war fronts.
Messerschmitt BF 109: Luftwaffe Fighter
Serving the Luftwaffe in almost every capacity including interceptor, fighter-bomber, night-fighter, photo-reconnaissance, escort fighter, and ground attack, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was the mainstay of the German air force-with 30,000 aircraft produced-as one of the most successful fighters of WWII.
Messerschmitt BF 110 at War
Matched in the early stages of World War II only by the spitfire, the Messerschmitt Bf109 was undoubtedly one of the greatest combat aircraft of all time. It first flew in 1935 then followed the familiar pattern of civil war prototype, record breaker, Spanish civil war combat train of development common to so many other German aircraft of the period. It was the dominant fighter in the Luftewaffe until 1941 and served on all fronts, and with the air forces of Bulgaria, Hungary and Rumania among others.
Messerschmitt Me 262 Sturmvogel (Warbird Tech Vol. 6)
Drawings, tech excerpts, engineering data taken from extremely rare German manuals and American evaluation studies, plus photos and details from modern day replicas built in Dallas, Texas during the 1990s. This work covers the early development and production variants of the Me 262 and provides a look at the early designs that were rejected.