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 ...
Over the last 75 years there have been numerous books and articles written about Baron Manfred von Richthofen, Germany's highest scoring fighter ace of World War I, not only about his life, but also of his death. This book deals with the men he shot down. Aviation historian and writer Norman Franks, has combined his knowledge and skills with ...
Designed in a great rush at the end of 1917 just in time to take part in the German standard fighter competition held in January/February 1918, the D VII easily walked away with first prize. As Germanys premier fighter unit, von Richthofens JG I (led by Hermann Goring in the wake of the 'Red Baron's' recent death) received the first examples of ...
The Sopwith Pup was the forerunner of the hugely successful Sopwith Camel, which duly became the most successful fighter of World War I. The first proper British fighting scout, the first Pups - the Royal Naval Air Service - arrived on the Western Front in 1916. Although regarded as a 'nice' aeroplane to fly, pilots who used it in combat gained ...
Four distinguished German air aces of World War I, and their battles with Allied airmen are profiled in this book. Max Immelmann, the "Eagle of Lille" accounted for 17 British and French aeroplanes, Werner Voss's victories amounted to 48, thirdly the infamous Herman Goring, who gained 22 victories, and finally Lothar Von Richthofen, younger ...
American fliers arriving in Europe from September 1971 brought with them no aircraft. Instead, US units had to obtain machines mainly from the British and French. From early 1918 American pilots were issued with SPAD fighters and they never looked back. As this volume details, the first American trained pilot to become an ace was Lt Douglas ...
This volume focuses on the combat careers of the last of the famous Sopwith fighters to enter service during World War I, the Dolphin and the Snipe, both of which were built on the strong scouting heritage of the Pup and Camel. The Dolphin featured the unique negative-staggered biplane wing arrangement, which provided the pilot with the best ...
The Albatros family of fighters were among the most effective aircraft used by the Imperial German Air Service for much of World War I. The text outlines the exploits of the aces who flew them and is accompanied by 40 specially commissioned artworks.
Responsible for destroying 1294 enemy aircraft between June 1917 and November 1918, the Camel was the most successful fighting scout employed by either side in terms of the sheer number of victories that it scored. The Camel was renowned for its sensitivity and need for skill and experience, and casualties amongst pilots undergoing training on the ...
Undoubtedly the most famous fighter type to see service on either side during World War I, the Fokker Dr I was a revelation when it entered service on the western front in 1917. Manfred von Richthofen's JG I 'circus' was the first Jasta to completely re-equip with the new fighter, and in the skilled hands of its numerous aces, the Dr I proved a ...
A companion volume to "Above the Trenches", this work contains 400 biographies, flying records, awards and citations of the American and French pilots who fought in World War I.
Norman Franks and Russell Guest continue in their research to record the lives and scores of these "aces" of World War I. Gregory Alegi joins them in this volume, with his knowledge of Italian aces, to produce detailed biographies of Italians and Austro-Hungarians, Belgian and Russian aces.
Paul Richey's Fighter Pilot was called the finest book ever written about WWII, Richey was praised for his vivid descriptions of air fighting and the true story of what it meant to be in the front of the battle. No one knew Richey had begun a sequel, but was unable to finish it. Norman Franks, with access to Richey's personal papers and diaries, ...
The history of WWI aviation is a rich and varied story marked by the evolution of aircraft from slow-moving, fragile, and unreliable powered kites, into quick, agile, sturdy fighter craft. At the same time there emerged a new kind of "soldier," the fighter pilots whose individual cunning and bravery became crucial in the fight for control of the ...
The French Nieuport company provided the Allied air forces with the first true fighter scout of World War I. This detailed text outlines the exploits of the aces who flew them and is accompanied by 40 specially commissioned artworks.
Bob Foster is a well known figure at book and print signings in many parts of the UK. Although recognized as a Battle of Britain veteran, little is known of his life, or the details of his war service with the RAF. Persuaded to tell his story to air historian and well established aviation author Norman Franks, the result is a very readable account ...
This is an account of the anti-U-boat campaigns during World War II. It contains reminiscences of: the saga of the Italian submarine "Luigi Torelli"; the first U-boat to be attacked by an aircraft carrying a Leigh Light; of Operation Swamp along the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain, with U343 being attacked by eight aircraft of which two were ...
"Sammy" Sampson, in co-operation with aviation historian Norman Franks, offers a graphic account of his three years flying Spitfires on offensive operations over France. He has covered in detail his period commanding the Free French Wing, of which little has been recorded in Britain. His recollections of people and events provide an insight into ...
As soon as the first aeroplane had proved its value in war it became a target, and the fighter pilot was born. This book tells the story of the men and the aircraft in which they fought, from the rudimentary beginnings of tactics to the sophisticated technology of the present day. Using diagrammatic paintings and pinpoint line artwork, the author ...
Befitting its status as Germany's premier fighter unit, von Richthofen's JG I (led by Hermann Goring in the wake of the 'Red Baron's recent death) received the first examples of the D VII to reach the frontline in late April. Built to oppose the new generation of French SPAD XIIIs and British SE 5as and Carnel fighters, the D VII was arguably the ...
During WWII, when the German U-boats surfaced while crossing the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France, they were often met with force from the RAF Coastal Command and American aircraft.
The mysterious events of April 21, 1918, the day the legendary Red Baron met his end, have kept the world captivated for decades. There have been many theories, articles and books concerning exactly what took place but all previous accounts have been over-shadowed by this ground-breaking book. Here is the definitive answer to one of history's most ...
No.1 Squadron was formed in 1912 and has been in continuous existence since then. This book tells its story, an immense tale of men training constantly for peace but ready to fight for the world's freedom at any time.
A chronological A-Z reference of casualties of the German Air Service from 1914-20. Cross references can be made and all deaths are listed, whatever the cause. In addition, the date and place of birth of each airman is given, together with his place of death, first name(s) and rank.
The Hawker Typhoon, or "Tiffy", as it was affectionately known, was not an easy aircraft to fly. As fighter ace Desmond Scott described it - "whereas the Spitfire always behaved like a well-mannered thoroughbred on first acquaintance, the Typhoon always reminded me of a low-bred carthorse whose pedigree had received a sharp infusion of hot-headed ...
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