Mount of Aces: The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a PDF Download

Author: Paul R. Hare
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
From the author of Fonthill Media's Fokker Fodder: The Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, Mount of Aces: The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a is a fitting testament to a legendary fighter. Arguably, the Sopwith Camel may be the best known British fighter plane of the First World War that took on the mighty and feared Jastas over the killing fields that were the trenches. However, almost all the highest scoring aces including McCudden and Mannock preferred the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a. It was well-armed, fast, highly manoeuvrable and a superb gun platform, and yet it was easy and safe for even the most sketchily trained pilot to fly. The S.E.5a was deadly. Not only could it absorb punishment and turn on a penny, it packed a wallop with its .303 Vickers and .303 Lewis machine guns. Over 5,500 examples were produced in the war and Major Edward C. 'Mick' Mannock scored fifty of his seventy-three victories in the S.E.5a. The S.E.5a helped turn the tide of war in the Allies' favour. After the war, examples took part in air races and were employed in the 'sky-writings' industry for advertising purposes in both Britain and America. And today, all over the world, home-builders are producing reproductions of the S.E.5a for sport and leisure flying, a fitting tribute to a design now nearly a century old and an appropriate memorial to the thousands of pilots who flew it in combat in defence of their country.

Author: Paul R. Hare
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
The story of the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough, forerunner of the World’s premier aeronautical research establishment wherein were designed a diversity of aircraft including many of those that equipped the RFC, RNAS and RAF during the First World War. Originally established to build observation balloons for the Victorian British Army, the Factory later expanded to employ over 3500 people by mid-1916, at which time it became the subject of a political controversy that ended in a judicial enquiry. In 1918 its title was changed to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, not only to avoid a clash of initials with the newly formed Royal Air Force but to better define its changing role. Each of the many designs for airships and aeroplanes that were produced by the Factory between 1908 and 1918 is described in detail, illustrated by photographs, and with three-view drawings provided for the more prominent designs.

Author: Norman Franks
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 147280211X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
The Royal Aircraft Factory SE 5/5a was, along with the Sopwith Camel, the major British fighting scout of the last 18 months of the war in France. It equipped several major squadrons, the first being No 56 Sqn in April 1917. This unit became famous for the number of aces it had among its pilots, including Albert Ball, James McCudden, Geoffrey Bowman, Richard Maybery, Leonard Barlow, Hank Burden and Cyril Crowe. In all, 26 aces flew the aircraft with No 56 Sqn alone. Other well-known units were Nos 1, 24, 29, 32, 40, 41, 60, 64, 2 AFC, 74, 84, 85 and 92 Sqns. A number of Victoria Cross winners also flew SE 5/5as, namely Ball, Mannock, McCudden, Beauchamp Proctor and Bishop. Among the aces, no fewer than 20 scored more than 20 victories. In all, there were almost 100 SE 5/5a aces, and a large number of them are profiled in this volume. Supporting the text are more than 110 photographs, 37 brand new colour artworks and detailed appendices listing every pilot who 'made ace' on the SE 5/5a.

Author: Harold Skaarup
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1462067417
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Book Description
This aviation handbook provides a quick general reference to identify and briefly describe military aircraft flown by Canadians during WWI and in the post-war Canadian Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Canadian Army during the biplane era. The handbooks in this series include a general description and a photograph from the Canadian Forces Archives of at least one of the key variants or marks of each aircraft that has been in Canadian service or used by Canadian servicemen overseas. Each aircraft is listed alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. General details describing the aircrafts engines, service ceiling, speed, armament and weapons load are included, along with a brief description of the Canadian squadrons which flew the aircraft. This is the first volume in the series. It describes the fighters, bombers and patrol aircraft flown by Canadian servicemen during the biplane era. A list of museums, private aircraft collections and other locations where a number of the survivors might be found is also included. The handbook is not a definitive list of all Canadian-manufactured or operated aircraft, but should serve as a quick reminder for anyone with an enthusiastic interest in Canadian military aviation.

Author: Charles D. Dusch Jr.
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 1985901641
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 363

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Book Description
In 1927, when aviator Charles A. Lindbergh flew his famous monoplane in a triumphant tour of the United States, the Spirit of St. Louis touched down in Wheeling, West Virginia, for his visit to the Linsly School. There, Lindbergh laid a wreath at the foot of the Aviator—a statue erected by Sallie Maxwell Bennett bearing the likeness of her son, Louis Bennett Jr., West Virginia's only First World War flying ace. Though largely unknown today, Bennett was an airpower innovator whose tragically short combat career would have an enduring impact on American flight and on war memorials both at home and abroad. In Balloon Ace: The Life of an Early Airpower Visionary, historian Charles Dusch reconstructs Louis Bennett Jr.'s lost legacy. Advocating for a national aviation reserve years before the writings of "Billy" Mitchell, Bennett created a state aerial militia in 1917, complete with supporting airbases and an airplane factory. When the US Army refused to accept his unit, a frustrated Bennett joined the Royal Air Force to fight on the Western Front, destroying nine German balloons and three aircraft in a matter of days before he himself was shot down. In the second act of Bennett's story, Dusch traces Sallie Bennett's quest to clandestinely recover her son's body. Posing as a journalist, Sallie traveled to Europe searching the cemeteries on the Western Front and later commissioned twelve memorials to Bennett, including a chapel in France, the RAF window in Westminster Abbey, and the Aviator at Linsly. Moved by the vast destruction of the continent, she would eventually cross political boundaries to bring much-needed publicity to other mothers' demands for the US government to repatriate their own fallen loved ones. From West Virginia to the Western Front and back again, Balloon Ace is more than a multifaceted and insightful account of the pioneer aviators who prepared the United States for combat in the first air war—it is also a remarkable look at the commemoration culture that spanned the American Civil War to war-torn Europe in the early twentieth century.

Author: Paul R. Hare
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781556511
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
A comprehensive study of the American Aeroplane building programme of WW1, its promises, its performance, and its failure, together with a summary of what went wrong, and why, including a brief history of military aviation in America prior to the war and details of the Liberty engine and each aircraft type selected for production.

Author: Harold A. Skaarup
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1450273874
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 344

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Book Description
This aviation handbook is designed to be used as a quick reference to the classic military heritage aircraft that have been restored and preserved in the Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut. The aircraft include those fl own by members of the US Air Force, the US Navy, the US Army, the US Marine Corps, the US Coast Guard, the Air and Army National Guard units in each state, and by various NATO and allied nations as well as a number of aircraft previously operated by opposition forces in peace and war. The interested reader will find useful information and a few technical details on most of the military aircraft that have been in service with active flying squadrons both at home and overseas. 120 selected photographs have been included to illustrate a few of the major examples in addition to the serial numbers assigned to American military aircraft. For those who would like to actually see the aircraft concerned, aviation museum locations, addresses and contact phone numbers, websites and email addresses have been included, along with a list of aircraft held in each museums current inventory or that on display as gate guardians throughout the New England States. The aircraft presented in this edition are listed alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. Although many of New Englands heritage warplanes have completely disappeared, a few have been carefully collected, restored and preserved, and some have even been restored to flying condition. This guide-book should help you to find and view New Englands Warplane survivors.

Author: Harold A. Skaarup
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595238815
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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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 Arizona. Commercial operators have exploited the advantages offered by aircraft to overcome its unique challenges of geography and climate. By virtue of Arizona’s dry climate and excellent storage facilities, as well as its clear air and wide open spaces in the Southwest (some might say “Old West”) area of the continental USA, a wide variety of military aircraft have been based or stored there through the years. The list of military aircraft types that made up the tapestry of Arizona 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 Arizona, many can be viewed in their former splendor as they stand as gate guards; museum exhibits, or as they stand mothballed in the “Boneyard.” This booklet provides a comprehensive guide to where these aircraft can be found. 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.

Author: Harold A. Skaarup
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595216935
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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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 Washington. Commercial operators have exploited the advantages offered by aircraft to overcome the unique challenges of geography and climate. By virtue of Washington’s strategic location on the continent’s northwest flank looking out over the Pacific and facing Russia, 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 Washington 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 Washington, 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.

Author: Christopher Chant
Publisher: Facts On File
ISBN: 9780791054185
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description
Drawings, photographs, and text describe a variety of fighter planes, both U.S. and foreign, in use in World Wars I and II, including Britain's Sopwith Camel, the German Fokker and Messerschmitts, the American Curtiss series and the Lockheed Lightning.