Transport Aircraft Books - Royal Air Force (RAF)

RAF Transport Command - A Pictorial History

When RAF Transport Command was created in March 1943, it was formed by the renaming of Ferry Command. The delivery of aircraft from manufacturers to operational units had been ongoing since the start of the Second World War; but was significantly intensified by the supply of American machines flown across the Atlantic from 1940.

Later, Transport Command took over the role of dropping paratroops. It even undertook the ferrying of mail from the UK to troops fighting across Europe, using specially modified Spitfires and Hurricanes for the role.
After 1945 and the conclusion of the Second World War, Transport Command grew considerably in size. In 1948, it was at the forefront of the Berlin Airlift.
It would later serve the RAF particularly well during the Suez Crisis, the Malayan Emergency, and the nuclear trial on Christmas Island.

This book covers a pictorial history of Transport Command operations from 1943 through to 1967, when RAF Transport Command was renamed Support Command. Illustrated with images from the Air Historical Branch - many of which have never previously been published.

On Atlas' Shoulders : RAF Transport Aircraft Projects Since 1945

In August 1945 RAF Transport Command found itself with almost 2000 C-47 Dakotas acquired under Lend-Lease that had to be returned, destroyed or paid for. This left the RAF with converted bombers such as the York and Halifax C.VIII or, in the Far East, interned Japanese aircraft including the Ki.48 Lily.

Post war, Britain's aircraft industry embarked on equipping RAF with the full range of transport aircraft which could carry troops and cargo to the Far East and Australia. On Atlas' Shoulders describes how the lessons of WW2 were absorbed and design studies and aircraft projects including the Beverley, Vickers' V.1000 and Type 799, the Argosy and HS.681 V/STOL transport or the Britannia, HP.111, VC10 and Belfast.

This book also explains how the RAF developed their transport force from the late Sixties to today's precision delivery of equipment to forward operating bases in Afghanistan and beyond. The Mounting Base strategy followed with proposals for long-range transports such as the HP.135, Jet Belfast and VC10 developments whilst at the opposite end of the scale, liaison and observation aircraft such as the Pioneer were soon overtaken by the helicopter, culminating in the Wessex, Puma and Chinook.

Illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings and specially commissioned artwork, On Atlas' Shoulders is a unique reference to the aircraft and technologies developed for logistics support of the British armed forces since 1945.

RAF Transport Aircraft

From their modest origins with BE.2c and Vickers Victoria biplanes delivering food and ammunition in the Mesopotamian deserts to the massive Globemasters delivering hardware in the same theatre a century later, transport aircraft have played a key role in Britain's wars.
It was the Cold War that saw transport aircraft become necessary war-fighting equipment. Operation Corporate in 1982 identified the need for large-capacity strategic transport aircraft, something reinforced by Operation Granby in 1990-91, and led to the acquisition of the Lockheed TriStar and Boeing C-17A Globemaster.
When the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq began, the RAF's transport fleet was ready, and with the new model Hercules, and the Airbus Voyager and Atlas, Britain's armed forces have a transport force second to none.

'First in, last out' is a concise description of the operations of the RAF's transport force. Since 1915, aircraft have supported troops on the ground, carried personnel to and from war zones, evacuated civilians and provided succour to the needy.
RAF Transport Command's motto, Ferio Ferendo, translates as 'I strike by carrying', and that is exactly what transport aircraft have done for over a century.

With over 130 photographs, this book describes the evolution of the aircraft that provided the airlift capacity for Britain's armed forces wherever they served, and as the 2021 Operation Pitting showed, transport aircraft are still last out.

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.