Combat aircraft books (WW 2) - Royal Air Force (RAF)

British Aircraft of the Second World War

This unique book, now republished, was the first of its kind to be published on British aircraft of the Second World War. Aviation enthusiasts and aero-modellers can see British aircraft as they really were, through magnificently reproduced colour photographs.

Each of the 49 types of aircraft is accompanied by a brief 'biography' together with tables of the most important marks and their specifications, engine, span, length, height, weight, crew number, maximum speed, service ceiling, normal range and armament.
There is also a section on British aircraft in action, which includes accounts of outstanding exploits by the pilots of different types. John Frayn Turner, the well-known aviation author, has chosen the pictures and provided the text.

Product details

Author:	John Frayn Turner
Details:	120 pages, 24.5 x 17 cm / 9.7 x 6.7 in, hardback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2016)
ISBN:	9781783831197

Fighters Under Construction in World War Two - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

A wide variety of military fighter aircraft were developed and utilized during the course of the Second World War. Development was dictated by the imperatives of war, and the World War II saw fighter combat on a larger scale than any other conflict to date.

This book profiles some of the most important fighter aircraft employed during the conflict, such as the iconic Spitfire, Hurricane, Typhoon, Bristol Beaufighter and De Havilland Mosquito, charting the developmental course of each craft in turn.
The book works to illustrate the skill and initiative of the engineers who designed and created such aircraft, as well as the pilots who went on to fly them. This is a vivid account of the development and exploits of some of the most important fighter aircraft employed during one of the most pivotal periods of military and aviation history.

Product details

Author:	Graham Simons
Details:	128 pages, 24.5 x 19 x 0.8 cm / 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.31 in, paperback
Illustrations:	numerous b&w photos
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2013)
Series:	Images of War
ISBN:	9781781590348

RAF Bomber Command Operations Manual (1939-1945) : Insights into the Organisation, Equipment, Men, Machines and Tactics (Haynes Aircraft Manual)

Night after night for six years of war, RAF Bomber Commands squadrons pounded away at the cities of Nazi Germany in a determined effort to bring the Third Reich to its knees.
Pitted against Bomber Harriss aircrews and aircraft were some of the most effective and deadly defenses the world had seen up until then. For Bomber Command to launch a maximum effort raid on the Ruhr by night, or a low-level strike on a target in enemy occupied Europe by day, it involved a huge amount of planning.

Author Jonathan Falconer describes the Command's complex organisation and the science, technology and engineering behind every raid: how were bomber airfields built? How were bomber crews trained? What aircraft did they fly and what weapons did they use? How was the Command organised? Who decided what to bomb? How was a raid planned, executed, and its effectiveness analysed? How were the 47,000 'missing' aircrew traced? How were damaged bombers repaired?

Useful appendices include a Bomber Command War Diary listing key events 1939-1945, squadrons and their commanders, an a-to-z of bomber airfields, and sample orders of battle from 1939, 1943 and 1945.
Fully illustrated with some 300 photographs, the Bomber Command Operations Manual gives a compelling insight into the workings of one of the most powerful instruments of 20th century warfare

Product details

Author:	Jonathan Falconer
Details:	192 pages, 27.5 x 22 x 1.6 cm / 10.8 x 8.7 x 0.63 in, hardback
Illustrations:	200 b&w and 100 colour photos
Publisher:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 2018)
Series:	Haynes Aircraft Manual
ISBN:	9781785211928

More information on the Haynes Aircraft Manuals

Aircraft Salvage in the Battle of Britain and the Blitz - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

Large collection of rare photographs, many never previously published, covering the work of RAF and civilian salvage squads during the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and beyond.
The images depict losses across Britain, both RAF and German, during this period. Each picture tells its own story, and is fully captioned with historical detail. The author is covering a topic that has rarely been examined in this detail.

Each section has a short introduction and the images include those of shot down aircraft, including relatively intact machines, badly damaged/destroyed wreckages, photographs of pilots and other related illustrations.
All images are from the author's unique collection of wartime photographs of Luftwaffe losses, collected from a variety of sources across some thirty-five years of research.

Product details

Author:	Andy Saunders
Details:	128 pages, 24.5 x 19 x 1 cm / 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.39 in, paperback
Illustrations:	140 b&w photos
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2014)
Series:	Images of War
ISBN:	9781783030408