Spad Fighters

Spad Fighters PDF Author: Mark C. Wilkins
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
ISBN: 9780764356650
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
This book presents the evolution of one of the most famous French-made fighter aircraft of WWI--the fast, rugged Spad. From humble beginnings this airplane became the mount for such famous WWI aces as Frenchmen Georges Guynemer and René Fonck, American Eddie Rickenbacker, Italian Francesco Baracca, and many others. Illustrated with rare WWI-era photographs, this book examines how the Spad was conceived, built, and flown. Examples of surviving Spad aircraft are highlighted, as well as where they may be seen today all over the world. The book also profiles several still-existing aerodromes in the US where visitors can see a Spad being built, such as the Golden Age Air Museum in Pennsylvania. Or pay a visit to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York and see the only flying Spad VII replica in the world! Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Spad Fighters

Spad Fighters PDF Author: Mark C. Wilkins
Publisher: Schiffer Military History
ISBN: 9780764356650
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 112

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Book Description
This book presents the evolution of one of the most famous French-made fighter aircraft of WWI--the fast, rugged Spad. From humble beginnings this airplane became the mount for such famous WWI aces as Frenchmen Georges Guynemer and René Fonck, American Eddie Rickenbacker, Italian Francesco Baracca, and many others. Illustrated with rare WWI-era photographs, this book examines how the Spad was conceived, built, and flown. Examples of surviving Spad aircraft are highlighted, as well as where they may be seen today all over the world. The book also profiles several still-existing aerodromes in the US where visitors can see a Spad being built, such as the Golden Age Air Museum in Pennsylvania. Or pay a visit to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York and see the only flying Spad VII replica in the world! Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

The World's Most Powerful Military Aircraft

The World's Most Powerful Military Aircraft PDF Author: Thomas Newdick
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN: 1499465904
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 230

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Book Description
Ever since man first took to the air, combat aircraft have been at the cutting edge of aviation technology, resulting in some of the greatest and most complex designs ever built. The World’s Greatest Military Aircraft features 52 of the most important military aircraft of the last hundred years, including everything from biplane fighters and carrier aircraft to tactical bombers, transport aircraft, multirole fighters, strategic strike aircraft, and stealth bombers. Each entry includes a brief description of the model’s development and history, a profile view, key features, and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, this is a colorful guide for the military aviation enthusiast.

British Fighter Aircraft in World War I

British Fighter Aircraft in World War I PDF Author: Mark C. Wilkins
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 1612008828
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
A vivid pictorial history: “Buy this book right now. It is rare that ISD gives an instant five-star rating to any new volume, but [this] is a rare book.” —Indy Squadron Dispatch World War I witnessed unprecedented growth and innovation in aircraft design, construction, and—as the war progressed—mass production. Each country generated its own innovations, sometimes in surprising ways—Albatros Fokker, Pfalz, and Junkers in Germany and Nieuport, Spad, Sopwith, and Bristol in France and Britain. This book focuses on the British approach to fighter design, construction, and mass production. Initially the French led the way in Allied fighter development with their Bleriot trainers, then nimble Nieuport Scouts—culminating with the powerful, fast gun platforms as exemplified by the Spads. The Spads had a major drawback however, in that they were difficult and counterintuitive to fix in the field. The British developed fighters in a very different way; Tommy Sopwith had a distinctive approach to fighter design that relied on lightly loaded wings and simple functional box-girder fuselages. His Camel was revolutionary as it combined all the weight well forward, enabling the Camel to turn very quickly—but also making it an unforgiving fighter for the inexperienced. The Royal Aircraft Factory’s SE5a represented another leap forward with its comfortable cockpit, modern instrumentation, and inline engine—clearly influenced by both Spads and German aircraft. Each manufacturer and design team vied for the upper hand and deftly and quickly appropriated good ideas from other companies—be they friend or foe. Developments in tactics and deployment also influenced design—from the early reconnaissance planes, to turn fighters, and finally planes that relied upon formation tactics, speed, and firepower. This book tells their story through extensive photos and accompanying text. “Handy not only as an aircraft model reference, but also as great reading for all history fans.” —DetailScaleView “Sidebars add important information at the proper place.” —Air Power History

Drago's Vendetta

Drago's Vendetta PDF Author: Jim Meehan
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing
ISBN: 1646103181
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 327

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Book Description
Drago’s Vendetta By: Jim Meehan Drago’s Vendetta is the story of a man seeking vengeance for the loss of his family in an early World War II bombing. A former fighter pilot, he sees the recovery of a lost fighter plane as the means to take the war to the bombers who have killed his wife and son. The story takes place around a small island near Sicily and intimately chronicles the man’s hatred of the war and the belligerents who have taken his loved ones and made his peaceful home a battleground. Repairing the fighter with the help of trusted local fishermen, he begins flying against both German and British bombers from a hidden strip of beach, keeping his secret from his remaining teenage daughter and the other islanders. A thriving black market supplies him with fuel and ammunition. The British on Malta and the Germans in Sicily soon notice the loss of aircraft to an unmarked fighter and plans are put in motion to find and eliminate it. His missions become more difficult as the Mediterranean air war intensifies. The grieving widower attracts the sympathy and interest of the local school teacher and also a recent widow who find themselves in competition for his attention. Characters in the story also include British, German and Italian air crews, a Sicilian bar girl involved with a German flyer, and the embattled islanders themselves.

The Rise and Fall of the French Air Force

The Rise and Fall of the French Air Force PDF Author: Greg Baughen
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
On 10 May 1940, the French possessed one of the largest air forces in the world. On paper, it was nearly as strong as the RAF. Six weeks later, France had been defeated. For a struggling French Army desperately looking for air support, the skies seemed empty of friendly planes. In the decades that followed, the debate raged. Were there unused stockpiles of planes? Were French aircraft really so inferior? Baughen examines the myths that surround the French defeat. He explains how at the end of the First World War, the French had possessed the most effective air force in the world, only for the lessons learned to be forgotten. Instead, air policy was guided by radical theories that predicted air power alone would decide future wars. Baughen traces some of the problems back to the very earliest days of French aviation. He describes the mistakes and bad luck that dogged the French efforts to modernise their air force in the twenties and thirties. He examines how decisions made just months before the German attack further weakened the air force. Yet defeat was not inevitable. If better use had been made of the planes that were available, the result might have been different.

The World's Greatest Military Aircraft

The World's Greatest Military Aircraft PDF Author: Thomas Newdick
Publisher: Amber Books Ltd
ISBN: 1782742778
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 330

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Book Description
Military Aircraft features 52 of the most important military aircraft, from biplane fighters to tactical bombers, transports, multirole fighters and stealth bombers. Packed with over 200 illustrations, each entry includes a description of the model’s development and history, a profile view, key features and specifications.

International Warbirds

International Warbirds PDF Author: John C. Fredriksen
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1576075516
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 407

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Book Description
In depth descriptions and photographs of the aircraft of 21 nations presented with a unique human dimension that goes behind the machines to the people involved. Invaluable for specialists, accessible to enthusiasts, International Warbirds: An Illustrated Guide to World Military Aircraft, 1914–2000 puts the most legendary fighter aircraft of the 20th century developed outside the United States on vivid display. It offers 336 illustrated "biographies" of the most significant warplanes used in squadron service from World War I to the Balkan conflict, including numerous models from Great Britain, France, Russia, and Japan, as well as notable machines from Israel, Canada, China, India, Brazil, and other nations. Entries span the history and scope of military aircraft from bombers and fighters to transports, trainers, reconnaissance craft, sea planes, and helicopters, with each capsule history combining nuts-and-bolts technical data with the story of that model's evolution and use. Together, these portraits offer an exciting, well-researched tribute to visionary designers and builders as well as courageous pilots and crews across the globe, and tell a vivid tale of how air power became such a decisive factor in modern warfare.

California Warbird Survivors 2002

California Warbird Survivors 2002 PDF Author: Harold A. Skaarup
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595236448
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 577

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Book Description
During the twentieth century, civil and military aviation has played a prominent role in the history and development of California. Commercial operators have exploited the advantages offered by aircraft to overcome its unique challenges of geography and climate. By virtue of California’s comparative size and strategic importance on the West Coast of the continental USA, a wide variety of military aircraft have been based there through the years. The list of military aircraft types that made up the tapestry of California aviation is as extensive as the list of legendary figures who have contributed to its amazing history. While most of the military aircraft types no longer grace the airspace over California, many can be viewed in their former splendor as they stand as gate guards or museum exhibits. This booklet provides a comprehensive guide to where these restored aircraft can be found. Complementing the details concerning aircraft specifications and roles, the author has included many facts. Finally, the descriptions of the recovery, restoration and preservation efforts stand as a tribute to the many volunteers who have devoted time, energy and financial support to ensure this rich heritage is preserved.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings PDF Author: Library of Congress
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Subject headings, Library of Congress
Languages : en
Pages : 1708

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Book Description


Terror of the Autumn Skies

Terror of the Autumn Skies PDF Author: Blaine Pardoe
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 1616082941
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Frank Luke, Jr. was an unlikely pilot. In the Great War, when fliers were still "knights of the air," Luke was an ungallant loner—a kid from Arizona who collected tarantulas, shot buzzards, and boxed miners. But during two torrid weeks in September 1918, he was the deadliest man on the Western Front. In only ten missions, he destroyed fourteen heavily–defended German balloons and four airplanes, the second highest American tally in the entire war. Author Blaine Pardoe retraces and refreshes Frank Luke’s story through recently discovered correspondence. Frantic, short, and splendid, the life of Frank Luke, Jr. dramatizes the tragic intervention of an American spirit in the war that devastated Europe.