Samoloty Fairey: książki - historia i modele

Fairey 1915-60

Jednym z wielu składników niezbędnych do stworzenia znakomitej firmy lotniczej jest zdolność do dywersyfikacji. Był to jeden z atutów, które pozwoliły Fairey Aviation Company przetrwać na rynku od 1915 do 1960 roku.
Podobnie jak wielu innych ówczesnych producentów samolotów, firma zaczęła się rozwijać, podejmując się prac podwykonawczych, a jednocześnie zaczęła rozbudowywać własne portfolio samolotów. Fairey nie ograniczył się do produkcji samolotów zgodnie ze specyfikacjami, ale zaprojektował nowe funkcje, które w przyszłości miały znaleźć zastosowanie we wszystkich modelach.

Największy i najbardziej zaskakujący sukces firmy nastąpił, gdy w 1936 r. rozpoczęto produkcję wszechobecnego modelu Swordfish, nazywanego 'Stringbag'.

Przedsięwzięcie firmy w zakresie wiropłatów ostatecznie doprowadziło do jej upadku, pomimo ogromnych osiągnięć technicznych osiągniętych w bardzo krótkim czasie. Dziedzictwo ostatniego samolotu firmy, Rotodyne, przejętego przez Westlands w 1960 roku, przetrwało do dziś i dopiero teraz, w XXI wieku, świat jest naprawdę gotowy na tak fantastyczną maszynę.
Książka ta przybliża fascynującą historię firmy i produkowanych przez nią samolotów.

Szczegóły

Wydanie:	160 strony, 24.5 x 17 cm, miękka oprawa
Ilustracje:	bogato ilustrowana
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	Key Publishing Ltd (GB, 2023)
Seria:	Aviation Industry
ISBN:	9781802823776

Swordfish - Fairey's Successful Torpedobomber

The Fairey Swordfish story is one of an aircraft initially frowned upon when it entered service in 1936, respected by the beginning of World War Two and deemed legendary by the time peace was declared.
The Swordfish was the only torpedo bomber Britain had in significant numbers at the beginning of the war and it would prove to be so much more. Designed with one role in mind, the Swordfish evolved into one of the most versatile of naval aircraft. Its slow speed, which was criticised from the outset, proved to be one of its strengths, especially when it came to anti-submarine work.
Affectionately nicknamed the 'Stringbag', the aircraft achieved an outstanding war record beginning with operations in Norway. The attack on the Italian harbour at Taranto that crippled the Italian Navy displayed what the aircraft was capable of and that it was clearly not be underestimated. The Swordfish also played an important role in the invasion of Madagascar, which kept the Japanese at bay early on in the war.

The bravery displayed by the aircrew during the attacks on the Bismarck is legendary, while equal, but fruitless, courage was exhibited during the ill-fated Channel Dash. The latter incident, in particular, not only says a lot about the aircraft, but also about the crews. They were under no illusion, being aware that the Swordfish was not the best aircraft they could have gone to war in, but they would fight in it to the death nevertheless.

Regardless, it outlived its operational replacement, the Albacore, by some years, mainly because the Swordfish was more suited to escort carrier and Mac-ship operations, a duty it carried out to the bitter end, protecting convoys far and wide. A new book edition of Aeroplane Icons: Swordfish, this book explores the history, creation, development and service of the Swordfish.

Szczegóły

Wydanie:	96 strony, 24.5 x 17 x 2.4 cm, miękka oprawa
Ilustracje:	160 czarno-białych zdjęć
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	Key Publishing Ltd (GB, 2023)
Seria:	Historic Military Aircraft
ISBN:	9781802824810

Fleet Air Arm Legends : Fairey Swordfish

Few aircraft encompass as many contradictions as the Fairey Swordfish - the legendary 'Stringbag' naval torpedo bomber was approaching antiquation at the start of the war yet struck mortal blows against some of the most powerful battleships in the Axis fleets.
Naval aviation historian Matthew Willis explores how modern technology such as radar kept the Swordfish effective in the early years of the war and enabled it to find and hit the Italian fleet at Taranto, and the Bismarck in the Atlantic, in circumstances where no other aircraft could have succeeded.

When it was finally superseded in its main role with the Fleet, the Swordfish fulfilled vital roles protecting convoys from the U-boat menace. The story of the Swordfish's service across the majority of theatres in WW2, from the hunt for the Graf Spee to the beaches of Normandy, is told here with never before- published accounts from veteran aircrews.
Includes 100+ historic photographs and unique images of the Royal Navy Historic Flight's preserved aircraft

Szczegóły

Autor:	Matthew Willis
Wydanie:	116 strony, 24.5 x 18.5 x 0.7 cm, miękka oprawa
Ilustracje:	100+ zdjęcia czarno-białe i kolorowe
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	Mortons Media Group (GB, 2022)
ISBN:	9781911658498

Fairey Firefly

The Fairey Firefly two-seater strike-fighter emerged from troubled beginnings to become one of the most widely used and effective aircraft of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It first saw service in 1944 during the attacks on the battleship Tirpitz as it lurked in the Norwegian fjords, then served in the Far East as the Fleet Air Arm tussled with the kamikaze threat.
It went on to form an important part of several embryonic naval air arms in the early years of the Cold War and performed a vital combat role in Korea in the early 1950s.

In this book, naval aviation historian Matthew Willis tells the story of this important aircraft using more than 160 photographs, many of them rare or unpublished, accompanied by a detailed commentary covering every aspect of the Firefly's varied career from fighter, to sub-hunter, to pilot-less target drone, in air forces all over the world.

Szczegóły

Autor:	Matthew Willis
Wydanie:	96 strony, 24 x 18.5 x 0.9 cm, miękka oprawa
Ilustracje:	160 czarno-białych i kolorowych zdjęć
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	Key Publishing Ltd (GB, 2020)
ISBN:	9781913295899

Stringbag - The Fairey Swordfish at War

This is a narrative account of the operations of the Fairey Swordfish throughout World War Two. The most famous of these was the attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto, crippling three battleships and damaging several other ships as well as the seaplane base and an oil storage depot.

The Swordfish played a prominent part in the Battle of Matapan and in the sinking of the Bismarck. Less happily, Swordfish were used in the unsuccessful and ill-prepared raid on the Germans at Petsamo and in the abortive attack on the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during the Channel Dash in 1942.
Throughout the book, the text is interwoven with personal accounts by naval airmen.

Szczegóły

Autor:	David Wragg
Wydanie:	218 strony, 23 x 15.5 x 1.9 cm, miękka oprawa
Ilustracje:	60 czarno-białych zdjęć
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2020)
ISBN:	9781526790996

The Man Who Built the Swordfish : The Life of Sir Richard Fairey, 1887-1956

Sir Richard Fairey was one of the great aviation innovators of the twentieth century. His career as a plane maker stretched from the Edwardian period to the jet age - he lived long enough to see one of his aircraft be the first to break the 1000mph barrier; and at least one of his designs, the Swordfish, holds iconic status.

A qualified engineer, party to the design, development, and construction of the Royal Navy's state-of-the-art sea planes, Sir Richard founded Fairey Aviation at the Admiralty's behest in 1915.
His company survived post-war retrenchment to become one of Britain's largest aircraft manufacturers. The firm built a succession of front-line aircraft for the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm, including the iconic Swordfish.
In addition, Fairey Aviation designed and built several cutting-edge experimental aircraft, including long-distance record-breakers between the wars and the stunningly beautiful Delta 2, which broke the world speed record on the eve of Sir Richard's death in 1956.

Fairey also came to hold a privileged position in the British elite - courting politicians and policymakers. He became a figurehead of the British aviation industry and his successful running of the British Air Commission earned him a knighthood.
A key player at a pivotal moment, Fairey's life tells us much about the exercise of power in early twentieth-century Britain and provides an insight into the nature of the British aviation manufacturing industry at its wartime peak and on the cusp of its twilight years.

Szczegóły

Autor:	Adrian Smith
Wydanie:	480 strony, 23.5 x 18.5 x 4.5 cm, twarda oprawa
Ilustracje:	25 czarno-białych zdjęć
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd (GB, 2018)
ISBN:	9781788313360

The Fairey Battle - a Reassessment of its RAF Career

The Fairey Battle is best known for being one of the worst aircraft ever to serve in the Royal Air Force. On operations, it suffered the highest loss rate of any plane in the RAF's history, and the missions flown by its brave crews became a byword for hopelessness and futility.
Born out of muddled thinking, condemned before it even reached the squadrons, and abandoned after the briefest of operational careers, the plane seems to thoroughly deserve its reputation.

But was the Battle so useless? Why did it suffer such terrible losses? Was there nothing that could have been done to prevent the disasters of 1940?
A fresh look at the documents of the time suggest there was. They reveal a very different story of ignored recommendations and missed opportunities. It was the way the plane was used rather than fundamental flaws in the design that ensured its operational career was such a dismal failure.
It might even be argued that, in the desperate days of the summer of 1940, the Fairey Battle was exactly what Britain needed.

Szczegóły

Autor:	Greg Baughen
Wydanie:	192 strony, 23.5 x 16.5 x 1.9 cm, twarda oprawa
Ilustracje:	57 czarno-białych zdjęć
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	Fonthill Media (GB, 2017)
ISBN:	9781781555859

Fairey Rotodyne

Fairey Rotodyne był dużym brytyjskim śmigłowcem kompozytowym zaprojektowanym i zbudowanym przez Fairey Aviation Company, przeznaczonym do zastosowań komercyjnych i wojskowych. Był uważany za jeden z kultowych projektów lotniczych lat 50. i 60. XX wieku i przewidywano dla niego świetlaną przyszłość.
Powszechnie uznawany za rewolucyjny projekt, był ekonomicznie opłacalny, szybki i zdolny do pionowego startu i lądowania z lądowisk dla helikopterów w centrach miast. Jednak pomimo udowodnionej wykonalności tej śmiałej koncepcji, projekt Rotodyne został przerwany w 1962 roku z powodu rosnących kosztów rozwoju i nierozwiązanych problemów technicznych.

Niniejsza książka ma na celu wypełnienie luki w literaturze lotniczej dotyczącej historii Rotodyne, samolotu wyprzedzającego swoją epokę. David Gibbings jest emerytowanym inżynierem/nawigatorem RAF-u i inżynierem prób w locie śmigłowców i samolotów. Pracował nad Rotodyne w firmie Fairey, a następnie był inżynierem prób w locie w firmie Westland.

Szczegóły

Autor:	David Gibbings
Wydanie:	160 strony, 24.5 x 17 x 1 cm, miękka oprawa
Ilustracje:	ilustrowany
Język:	angielski
Wydawca:	The History Press Ltd (GB, 2009)
ISBN:	9780752449166