Hawker Hurricane (WO 2): boeken - historie en inzet (1/2)

The Merlin: The Engine That Won the Second World War

De Rolls-Royce Merlin is een van de beroemdste vliegtuigmotoren in de geschiedenis. Hij dreef belangrijke vliegtuigen uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog aan, zoals de Spitfire en Hurricane, die Groot-Brittannië verdedigden tijdens de Slag om Engeland in 1940. Ook de Lancaster- en Halifax-bommenwerpers, evenals de Mosquito, bekend om zijn precisiebombardementen en verkenningsmissies, waren uitgerust met de Merlin.
Voor de Verenigde Staten werd de Merlin gebruikt in de P-51 Mustang, die B-17- en B-29-bommenwerpers begeleidde tijdens dagaanvallen. De Mustang werd ook ingezet in Noord-Afrika, het Middellandse Zeegebied en de Stille Oceaan. De motor speelde een cruciale rol in de geallieerde overwinning.
De Merlin blijft iconisch en zijn kenmerkende geluid is nog steeds te horen boven Engeland, vooral tijdens demonstraties van de Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Hij was onlangs te zien tijdens de viering van 100 jaar RAF, waar een Lancaster Spitfires en Hurricanes in formatie leidde.
Voormalig piloot Gordon Wilson beschrijft de ontwikkeling en het gebruik van deze motor in oorlogstijd en deelt de ervaringen van vliegtuigbemanningen die erop vertrouwden.

Specificaties

Hawker Hurricane : The Multirole Fighter

This book covers the design, development, production and operations of the Hawker Hurricane before, during and after the Second World War. Without the courage and perseverance of the young men from Britain and the Commonwealth, who risked their lives to beat the Luftwaffe and forestall the enemy invasion of Britain, there would not have been a 'Battle of Britain.'

The Hurricane was a simple rugged metal structure that did not require expensive assembly jigs, absorbed a lot of battle damage, and was also simple to repair. Its wide-track undercarriage allowed operations from rapidly prepared grass fields, and the ultimate cannon armament and rocket projectiles could destroy both soft skin and armoured targets.

Following the Battles of France and Britain, Spitfires took over much of the air-to-air interception, while Hurricanes roamed around occupied Europe destroying enemy ground targets. They operated off merchant ships on the Russian convoys and were vital in the defence of Malta.

Hurricanes worked with the Soviet Air Force within the Arctic Circle, and supported the Eighth Army against the forces of Rommel in the deserts of North Africa, as well as serving with distinction in Asia.

• Previously unpublished accounts from the designers, builders and aircrew of the beloved Hawker Hurricane
• Many contemporary and previously unpublished photographs
• Comprehensive details on the conservation of surviving aircraft

Specificaties

Hurricane : Hawker's Fighter Legend

2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the remarkable Hawker Hurricane formally entering service. The RAF's first monoplane fighter, it dragged the Air Force into a position where it could defend Britain in her 'hour of need'.
The true workhorse of the RAF, the Hurricane came into its own in the hot summer months of 1940 valiantly defending the skies above Britain.

Outnumbering Spitfires three to one, the Hurricane also downed far more enemy aircraft. Without the obvious elegance of the Me 109 or the Spitfire, the Hurricane was nonetheless beloved by its pilots for its ability to simultaneously take a battering and inflict serious damage from its remarkably stable gun platform.

This stunning new book reveals the Hurricane in all its glory - from fascinating first-hand accounts from the men who flew her to the truly breathtaking images from John Dibbs of the Hurricanes still in flight today.
This lavish, fully illustrated edition is a must-have for all fans of aviation history.

Specificaties

The Hurricane Story

The Hawker Hurricane won lasting fame in the service of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Over 11,700 examples were eventually built of this versatile and deadly combat aircraft, fulfilling an incredible number of contrasting roles. Its design, development and production are described in detail, as are the Hurricane's widely varied operational roles during the Second World War, both at home and overseas. Full details are given of production figures, production variants, and operational service with all RAF and RN squadrons and units.

Specificaties

Hurricane Manual 1940

Though less iconic than the nimble Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane was a vital stalwart in the British war effort. The Hurricane was a more stable gun platform than the Spitfire, more rugged, and was used in more challenging theatres of war.

An amazing array of leaflets, books and manuals were issued by the Air Ministry during the Second World War to aid pilots flying the Hawker Hurricane fighter. Here, for the first time, they are collated into a single book. An introduction is supplied by expert aviation historian Dilip Sarkar. Sections include Pilots' Notes, aircraft recognition and combat reports.

Specificaties

Hawker Hurricane and Sea Hurricane (Flight Craft)

Covers the history of the Hawker Hurricane and Sea Hurricane, from the prototype and the initial production variants' entry in to RAF service, through its development and use, first as a day fighter, and then night fighter, intruder, fighter-bomber, catapult-launched and then carrier-based fighter, and eventually dedicated ground attack machine.
The Hurricane served in every wartime theatre, from Norway and France, the Battle of Britain, the defence of Malta, to the campaigns in the Western Desert and the Mediterranean, on the Russian Front and in the Far East where it saw service until the end of hostilities.

Split into three primary sections, this volume offers a concise yet informative history of the Hurricane's development, operational career and design improvements, including many contemporary photographs with detailed captions; a 16-page colour illustration section featuring 48 separate aircraft (in profiles and 2-views); and finally a section prepared by that well-known and established doyen of model makers, Tony O'Toole, listing and illustrating the plastic model kits produced of the Hurricane in all scales.

Specificaties