Mount of Aces PDF Download

Author: Paul R. Hare
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781781551158
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160

View

Book Description
The Sopwith Camel may be the best known British fighter of World War 1, but almost all scoring aces preferred the Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5a. It was well armed, fast, maneuverable and a superb gun platform. This is a fitting tribute to a design now nearly a century old and a memorial to the pilots who flew it in combat.

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

View

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

View

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: Peter G. Cooksley
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752493922
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 314

View

Book Description
Of more than 600 Victoria Crosses awarded to British and Empire servicemen during the First World War, nineteen were awarded to airmen of the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. Of these, four were posthumous awards and all but one of the total were to officers. Some of these valorous airmen were from humble backgrounds and with limited education, others were collegiate men from wealthy families, but in the words of one senior officer they all had in common ‘the guts of a lion’.

Author: Spencer C. Tucker
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1440867283
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 826

View

Book Description
This work covers major weapons throughout human history, beginning with clubs and maces; through crossbows, swords, and gunpowder; up to the hypersonic railgun, lasers, and robotic weapons under development today. Weapons and Warfare is designed to provide students with a comprehensive and highly informative overview of weapons and their impact on the course of human history. In addition to providing basic factual information, this encyclopedia will delve into the greater historical context and significance of each weapon. The chronological organization by time period will enable readers to fully understand the evolution of weapons throughout history. The work begins with a foreword by a top scholar and a detailed introductory essay by the editor that provides an illuminating historical overview of weapons. It then offers entries on more than 650 individual weapons systems. Each entry has sources for further reading. The weapons are presented alphabetically within six time periods, ranging from the prehistoric and ancient periods to the contemporary period. Each period has its own introduction that treats the major trends occurring in that era. In addition, 50 sidebars offer fascinating facts on various weapons. Numerous illustrations throughout the text are also included.

Author: Nick Garton
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
ISBN: 9780857338464
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description
This rakish fighter became known as the 'mount of aces', being the type on which the most successful fighter pilots of Britain and her Empire went to war throughout the last 18 months of World War 1. It was the Spitfire of the Western Front: delivering greater speed, range, firepower and all-round performance than the vast majority of its opposition. Often working in partnership with the more pugnacious Sopwith Camel, the S.E.5 and S.E.5a ensured that no enemy aircraft was safe even a long way behind their own lines as the Royal Flying Corps gradually won air superiority over the trenches.

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

View

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

View

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.

Author: Joe Coles
Publisher: Unbound Publishing
ISBN: 1800180950
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 225

View

Book Description
'Irresistible . . . My aviation title of the year' Rowland White 'Stupendously brilliant . . . Completely addictive' James Holland 'The most explosive book about aircraft ever' Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves From the terror and exhilaration of First World War dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to that most brutally exciting of machines: the warplane. The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly illustrated collection of the very best articles from Hush-Kit – the world’s leading alternative aviation online magazine – combined with a heavy punch of new and exclusive pieces. It contains a wealth of brilliant material, from Top 10 lists and historical deep-dives to interviews with legendary fighter pilots and expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology. This knowledge and impeccable research is balanced throughout with the irreverent attitude, wicked satire and sharp eye for the absurdities of the aeronautical world that have made the magazine so popular with its readers. The book itself is also a stunning object, featuring first-rate photography alongside original, specially commissioned artwork. Inside it you will find: Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, the Mirage, the MiG-25, the English Electric Lightning, the Rafale and the B-52 among others. Comprehensive surveys including ‘The Ultimate Biplane Fighters', ‘10 Incredible Cancelled Military Aircraft’ and ‘Aviation Myths You Shouldn’t Believe’. Fascinating insights into obscure and overlooked warplanes. Unbelievable accounts of the most bizarre moments in aviation history. And much, much more.

Author: Christopher Shores
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 178200677X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160

View

Book Description
At the outset of World War I the British had some 110 assorted aircraft, used mostly for the visual reconnaissance role. With the advent of faster and more agile single-seaters, the Allies and their adversaries raced to outdo each other in the creation of genuinely effective fighters with fixed forward-firing machine gun armament. It was not until 1917 that the British developed a truly effective interrupter gear, which paved the way for excellent single seaters such as the Sopwith Triplane Camel and the RAF S.E.5., later joined by the Bristol F.2B the war's best two-seat fighter. This volume traces the rapid development of the fighter in World War I and the amazing exploits of the British and Empire aces who flew them.