Ever since its foundation in 1943, the Lockheed Martin Skunk works has been at the forefront of aviation innovation and technology.

This fascinating book takes you on a journey through the history of this legendary facility from its foundation at the height of World War II under the talented engineer, Clarence 'Kelly' Johnson, through to the present day.

Illustrated with over a thousand photographs and drawings. It details the 46 unclassified programmes developed by the Skunk Works, following them through prototype build-up, first flight and. if they reached the frontline, operational service. Projects include the XP-80, U-2, SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Nighthawk, F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

Larger than A4 (L30cm x W25cm x H3cm), with 384 pages and weighing over 2.5 kilos, this is a serious work.

Essentially a development of the Avro Lancaster via the later Lincoln, the Avro Shackleton was the RAF’s first line of defence in the maritime role from 1951 for twenty years, thereafter continuing to serve as an airborne early warning aircraft for another twenty, until 1991. The ‘Old Grey Lady’, the ‘Growler’, ‘20,000 rivets in loose formation’, but mostly known simply as the ‘Shack’, it is viewed with great affection by those who flew and maintained it. In addition to its traditional sub-hunting role, it was also used extensively for search and rescue operations, and even as a conventional bomber in the Aden theatre. Operating around the world with squadrons based in the UK, the Mediterranean, Middle East and Far East, ‘Shacks’ were also used to support the blockade of oil supplies to Rhodesia during the UDI crisis in the ’60s and ’70s, and searching for gun-running boats during the Indonesian Confrontation.

All of the Boys’ stories are from air and ground crew veterans.

Volume One:

Covers UK-based units flying from Ballykelly (including Aldergrove), Farnborough, Honington, Kinloss, Lossiemouth, St Eval and St Mawgan, plus many overseas detachments including Christmas Island and Majunga. To complement the detailed personal accounts and anecdotes are hundreds of original photographs and extensive appendices. A feast for any ‘Shack’ or military aviation aficionado.

Format: Hardback

Extent: 256 pages
Dimensions: 234 x 156 mm
ISBN: 9781911621126. 
Publication Date: 28 September 2018

Volume 2: 

Steve Bond has garnered another exceptional group of Shack operators who delight in giving the reader their tales of derring-do. Another one for the Boys’ kitbag!

Volume Two covers those units based overseas at Changi, Gan, Gibraltar, Khormaksar, Luqa (and Hal Far), and Sharjah, plus the South African Air Force operations from Ysterplaat/Malan.

...True Tales from the Operator's of Britain's First Jet Fighter - From 1944 to Date

By interviewing over forty veterans, author Steve Bond has written an incredibly detailed insight into this iconic aircraft, which is supported by anecdotes and accounts from those who knew it best.

From the television footage shown in all its stark reality and the daily coverage and subsequent memoirs, the impression delivered from the air battles in the Falklands Conflict was that of heroic Argentine pilots who relentlessly pressed home their attacks against the British. While, by contrast, there is a counter-narrative that portrayed the Sea Harrier force as being utterly dominant over its Argentine enemies. But what was the reality of the air war over the Falkland Islands?

While books on the air operations have published since that time, they have, in the main, been personal accounts, re-told by those who were there, fighting at a tactical level, or back in their nation’s capital running the strategic implications of the outcome. But a detailed analysis of the operational level of the air war has not been undertaken – until now. At the same time, some analysts have inferred that this Cold War sideshow offers little insight into lessons for the operating environment of future conflicts. As the author demonstrates in this book, there are lessons from 1982 that do have important and continued relevance today.

Using recently released primary source material, the author, a serving RAF officer who spent two-and-a-half years in the Falklands as an air defence navigator, has taken an impartial look at the air campaign at the operational level. This has enabled him to develop a considered view of what should have occurred, comparing it with what actually happened. In so doing, John Shields has produced a comprehensive account of the air campaign that has demolished many of the enduring myths.

This is the story of not why, but how the air war was fought over the skies of the South Atlantic.

Imprint: Air World
Pages: 384
Illustrations: 16 black and white illustrations
ISBN: 9781399007528
Published: 30th October 2021

The Blackburn, later Hawker Siddeley, Buccaneer enjoyed an incredible service career that lasted over four decades. Designed as a carrier-borne attack aircraft, the Buccaneer was a solid aircraft designed to take the punishment of carrier operations and the constant stresses to the airframe caused by low-level flying. The aircraft entered service with the Royal Navy in 1962 in place of the Supermarine Scimitar and would continue with the senior service until 1978. The RAF received their first aircraft in 1969 - a legacy of the cancelled TSR.2 and F-111K, which resulted in a capability gap that had to be closed. The Buccaneer went on to serve the RAF in the low-level strike and reconnaissance role until 1994, serving with distinction during the Gulf War of early 1991. A robust and reliable aircraft that was popular with both its air and ground crews, the Buccaneer was a breed apart. A truly great British piece of engineering.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amberley Publishing (15 Sept. 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎9781445698106
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 23.39 cm

HMS Hermes, the flagship of the Falkland War 1982. This is my personal account of my own experience throughout this campaign from leaving Portsmouth Royal Naval Dockyard in April 1982  to the triumphant return and magnificent welcome home in July 1982.

Galley is a unique new cookbook that will resonate with anyone who has a connection to the Royal Navy, as well as keen cooks who enjoy entertaining and cooking restaurant-quality food. It shines a light on the incredible skill and talent found within this demanding industry, thanks to the contributions of 20 professional chefs - all with a connection to the Royal Navy - who have shared their recipes and career journeys. The book also features a foreword by The Princess Royal, patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, and a recipe by Michel Roux Jr. It’s pages are packed with insights into Navy life and traditions, from the strictly observed toasts of Trafalgar Night, commemorating Lord Admiral Nelson’s victory in battle, to the story of how a handwritten recipe book by a naval chef in World War II came to light. Galley offers inspiration and information in a book like no other that supports a highly deserving cause.

• Publisher : ‎ Meze Publishing (29 Nov. 2021)
• Language : ‎ English
• Hardcover‏ : ‎ 240 pages
• ISBN‏: ‎ 9781910863817

For the first time, this book tells the story of how naval air operations evolved into a vital element of the Royal Navy’s ability to fight a three-dimensional war against both the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe. An integral part of RN, the Fleet Air Arm was not a large organisation, with only 406 pilots and 232 front-line aircraft available for operations in September 1939. Nevertheless, its impact far outweighed its numbers – it was an RN fighter that shot down the first enemy aircraft of the war, and an RN pilot was the first British fighter 'ace' with 5 or more kills. The Fleet Air Arm’s rollcall of achievements in northern waters went on to include the Norwegian Campaign, the crippling of Bismarck, the gallant sortie against Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as they passed through the Channel, air attacks on enemy E-boats in the narrow seas, air cover for the Russian convoys, air attacks that disabled Tirpitz, and strikes and minelaying operations against German shipping in the Norwegian littoral that continued until May 1945. By the end of the war in Europe the FAA had grown to 3243 pilots and 1336 aircraft. This book sets all these varied actions within their proper naval context and both technical and tactical aspects are explained with 'thumb-nail' descriptions of aircraft, their weapons and avionics. Cross reference with the Fleet Air Arm Roll of Honour has been made for the first time to put names to those aircrew killed in action wherever possible as a mark of respect for their determination against enemy forces on, above and below the sea surface which more often than not outnumbered them. The Fleet Air Arm and the War in Europe completes David Hobbs’ much-praised six-volume series chronicling the operational history of British naval aviation from the earliest days to the present.

• Publisher : ‎ Seaforth Publishing 30 Jan. 2022
• Language ‏: ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏: ‎ 440 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏: ‎ 9781526799791

Paul Tremelling was just seven years old when he watched the Royal Navy's Sea Harriers leave their home base in Somerset to do battle against the Argentine Air Force in the Falklands War. Two decades later he would join this exclusive club, one of an elite band of Fleet Air Arm fighter pilots, charged with standing in the way of Her Majesty's enemies.

This is the story of what it takes to make it in the dog-eat-dog arena of fighter combat. In the cockpit or crew room, the pressure is relentless, the humour merciless. It's no place for the faint-hearted.

Whether landing on a pitching aircraft carrier deck in the middle of the night or screaming in to save the lives of heroes under fire in Afghanistan, there was no room for self-doubt; only honesty, confidence and do-or-die hard truth. Big Boys Rules.

In return Tremelling and his fellow airborne warriors enjoyed levels of exhilaration and job-satisfaction that would almost unimaginable in any other walk of life.

Either Winston Churchill or George Orwell (or maybe neither of them ...) is reputed to have said 'we sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm'.

For nearly twenty years, Tremelling was one of those men. And never happier than when he was in the cockpit of the legendary British jump jet.

Combining visceral action with sharp intelligence, laced with acerbic humour, Harrier pulls no punches in bringing to life the hi-octane, unforgiving world of the fighter pilot, in the air and on the ground.

Strap-in ...

About the author:-

Paul Tremelling joined the Royal Navy in 1996 & flew the Sea Harrier on 800,801 & 899 Naval Air Squadrons. Qualifying as an Air Warfare Instructor he transitioned to the GR9 & served on the Naval Strike Wing where he became Senior Pilot. Selected for exchange duties with the USN Tremelling flew F/A-18E Super Hornet with VFA-25, The Fist of The Fleet. He fitted in three desk tours, two Battle Staff jobs and operational duties in Afghanistan and off Libya. He was Mentioned in Despatches following an action fought in Afghanistan.

This is the remarkable story of one man’s service in the Royal Navy, RAF and the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch of the Fleet Air Arm. It is a flying career which lasted for an impressive 51 years and in which Warrant Officer Class 1 John Sheldon amassed over 8,000 hours in the air.

Having joined the Royal Navy in 1968, as a fifteen-year-old boy entrant not long out of school, John was recruited into the Fleet Air Arm as a junior electrician. He went on to become a Commando Aircrewman and flew in all types of service helicopters and in all of their roles, from Arctic training in Norway to the balmy Mediterranean and the wilds of Canada.

Having initially been involved in the evacuation of Cyprus and the Turkish invasion in 1974, in which his helicopter had to recover bodies from the water with a sprawl net, John went on to serve in Northern Ireland, was deployed to the South Atlantic in the Falklands War, where he operated from HMS Fearless and helped lift survivors from the RFA Sir Galahad tragedy, undertook a tour in Lebanon, and then saw action during the First Gulf War, in Bosnia, Sierra Leone and then in Afghanistan.

In his extraordinary career, John was tasked with going around the UK undertaking aerial displays to support recruitment campaigns for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, as well as completing several tours as a Search and Rescue Aircrewman, Anti-Submarine Operator and also as an RN/RAF Test Aircrewman at the Rotary Wing Test Squadron at Boscombe Down.

This unique memoir covers the military action that John encountered, the many incidents and close shaves he was involved in and the friends he lost during his long and illustrious career.

About John Sheldon

JOHN SHELDON was a Fleet Air Arm, RAF and Test Helicopter Aircrewman during his five decades of service. He has experienced helicopter operations and conflicts conducted in the Arctic, through most of Europe, the Middle East, America and down to the Falklands, clocking up over 8,000 flying hours. John was a Qualified Aircrew Instructor, Helicopter Tactics, NVG and MCT Instructor; he has also worked alongside many nations’ Special Forces groups. His last 11 years of service were in the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch, where he continued to Instruct regular service Aircrewmen on the Commando Helicopter Operational training course.

The Buccaneer Aviation Group have just published a unique insight into twenty years of restoring and running their two Buccaneers, first at Bruntingthorpe and now at Cotswold Airport, Kemble.

TBAG initially produced this bookazine to record the tale of nearly 20 years of dogged determination, teamwork, innovation, spirit and self-reliance to celebrate 10 years as The Buccaneer Aviation Group on June 11th, 2021.

In 2020, when under the restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic, TBAG were informed that all aircraft running operations at Bruntingthorpe, their home of 16 years, was to stop and their Buccaneers would face an uncertain future.

This set a timeframe for the bookazine, taking the reader from the volunteers early days at Parry's Yard, Shawbury and Bruntingthorpe through the move to Cotswold Airport and overcoming the challenges of Covid-19 to carry their first high-speed runs down the famous Kemble runway.

The first chapter sums up neatly the bookazine in its title “From Scrapyard to Serviceability”.

Anecdotes from the volunteers add colour and a personal insight into what TBAG means to them, it is their story of how they succeeded in “Running a Buccaneer out of the boot of a car.

With a foreword from Group Captain Tom Eeles who accumulated over 2000 hours in the Buccaneer, and Ken Ellis/FlyPast magazine, this A4 sized professionally drafted bookazine is produced in high quality paper with 140 full colour pages filled with many never seen before mages of TBAG at work from 2004 onwards. The images are complimented by some stunning night shoot images from TBAG photographer friends.

Having wanted to be a pilot for as long as he could remember, Chris Taylor gained his private pilot’s license at the age of 17. He joined the Royal Navy whilst studying for a degree in Electrical Engineering and, after serving as a Navigation Officer on numerous ships, went on to operate Wasp and Lynx helicopters.

After five years instructing, he became a test pilot and flew all manner of experimental aircraft for research and development purposes before returning to the Empire Test Pilot’s School as a tutor. Having served at Boscombe Down for ten years he joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority as an aeroplane and rotorcraft test pilot. With the closure of the CAA’s Flight Test Department, he formed Dovetail Aviation Ltd and has continued to test fly a wide variety of aircraft ever since.

Chris has flown 400 different kinds of aircraft, is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and is a licensed Category 1 Test Pilot and Flight Test Instructor for both aeroplanes and helicopters, which arguably makes him one of the best qualified and most widely experienced test pilots working today.

Review:

Well, what an excellent read!

Chris Taylor has that rare gift – the ability to write engagingly and in detail about a subject that is alien to most people and yet he invites them warmly onto a comfortable sofa within this unfamiliar world.

A book written about test flying by a test pilot? Surely only a pilot would understand? I’m not a pilot and that was my (soon to be confounded) expectation. This is an excellent book and it takes the reader through a career that has more variety than Heinz and which required more lives than a lucky cat.

Even the hairiest of experiences is described in a reassuringly down to earth manner that brings the reader fully into the experience. There are technical details that will fascinate the flying community and yet not baffle or bore those whose only flying experience is sitting in a commercial airliner. By the end of the book it wouldn’t be hard to convince yourself that you could fly any of a number of aircraft.

This book isn’t just a series of tales about flying and close escapes. It’s also about a man who clearly has an instinctive grasp of how the physics of flying works that is beyond mere training. It’s about that tight community of airmen, test pilots or not, who quietly share a mutual understanding of the risks and pleasures of aviation. It’s about the relationship between those who fly and those who make things fly – that intimate interplay between aircrew and engineers. Above all it’s about the pioneering spirit that must reside in every test pilot who pushes the envelope whenever they get into an untried aircraft.

Inevitably in a world where gravity leads to the final frontier, there are emotional highs and lows, but they only add to the richness of this book.

Whether you are a pilot or not, this is a terrific read. Leave yourself some time when you open it. You probably won’t put it down until the final page.

Hardback

336 Pages

132 Illustrations

At the outbreak of the Second World War, British naval aviation was in the midst of chaos and confusion. While the design of aircraft carriers had rapidly advanced, there were few naval aviation and maintenance personnel, few naval air stations and no high performance naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm was heavily dependent on RAF personnel, and signing up was complicated, often taking several months. But as the war progressed, the FAA soon became an essential force in the fight for victory its huge success was one of the major achievements of the Second World War. Fleet Air Arm Handbook is the most comprehensive review available of the Royal Navy's air power during the war years. Starting with a brief history, the book progresses with a full war diary of all the major operations in a gripping narrative account. We see the different functions of the Fleet Air Arm to protect the essential supplies brought by merchant ships, and their close support of sea and ground forces, both from carriers at sea and bases ashore. In-depth analysis reveals what life was like in the Fleet Air Arm during the war; the food, accommodation, training, activities, uniform, and the relationship between aircrew and their shipmates aboard the Royal Navy's carriers. Each squadron, wing and carrier air group is listed along with their operations and locations. This is a well-researched tribute to an important force and is essential reading for anyone interested in naval or aviation activity during the Second World War.

Helicopter Boys is the latest addition to Grub Street's Boys series from acclaimed author Richard Pike, exploring the role of helicopters in military and civilian situations. With over fourteen contributors, Helicopter Boys contains stories of the diverse nature of helicopter operations. From the dramatic war scenes during the Indo/Pakistani war which saw one pilot's actions earn him a VrC gallantry award to the experience of Chinook pilots on board the Atlantic Conveyor during the Falklands War. Then there are the civilian tales from rescue missions in the Outer Hebrides to being a pilot across the world in places such as Australia and Nigeria. There is also a focus on the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 which saw the loss of 167 lives. The book ends with Pike's experiences in Kosovo, helping to distribute emergency humanitarian aid on behalf of the United Nations World Food Programme shortly after the war ended in 1999. Each story is told with great detail conveying the action and excitement that helicopter pilots experienced with each operation. The scope, flair and pace of the writing in this book will appeal to the general reader as well as to the enthusiast.

ISBN: 9781910690550
Publication Date: 18 May 2018

Volume One: Cold War Through The Falklands 1969-1990

Volume Two: New Threats, New Technology, New Tactics, 1990 - 2010

In Harrier Boys, Volume One: Cold War Through the Falklands 1969-1990, Bob Marston, who flew Harriers for many years, draws together accounts from others who worked with this unique jet through its history. The excitement, camaraderie and pride of Harrier operators shine through in the personal stories of those whose lives were changed by their experience of this iconic aircraft, both on land and at sea. In this first volume, events of the Cold War years are brought to life by contributors including Graham Williams, who flew the Transatlantic Air Race, Peter Dodworth, a member of the original Harrier Conversion Team, Peter Harris, a participant in the early defence of Belize, Sir Peter Squire, OC 1 (F) Squadron during the Falklands conflict, and Australian Dave Baddams, who commanded the Royal Navy Sea Harriers of 800 Squadron.

In the second volume of Harrier Boys, as with the first, the history of this remarkable aircraft in service with UK armed forces is illustrated through personal reminiscences of the people who worked with it. The book begins with explanations of the mature concept of operations with the Harrier GR3 in the Cold War. It then progresses through the evolution of Harrier II, starting with the GR5, and updates to the Sea Harrier, while the potential battles to be fought necessitated ever-changing tactics and technology. The new Harriers used digital developments for airframe, engine and weapons control. Conflicts in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan saw ground-attack missions move towards the delivery of smart weapons from medium level, rather than the dumb bombs and low level of the Cold War era meaning that the Harrier had once more to demonstrate its legendary versatility. The introduction of the Sea Harrier FA2, with its beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and improved radar, gave much improved air defence. The UK Harrier story ends with the closer integration of the RN and RAF forces, before the aircraft's all-too-early retirement in 2010, possibly decades before other countries forsake this unique capability.

... From the First World War to the Present Day

Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare unlocks the history and theory behind the shadowy art of how aircraft hunt for submarines. Written by a veteran US Navy submarine hunting pilot, this book will take aviators, naval enthusiasts, and military scholars behind the scenes to understand how technical breakthroughs, the evolution of weapons, and advances in sensors have shaped this high-risk game of cat and mouse. On 15 September 1916, the French submarine Foucault was spotted and attacked by a pair of Austro-Hungarian flying boats in the Adriatic. During the bombing that followed, Foucault was so badly damaged that she was eventually abandoned by her crew – all of whom survived. This was the first time in history that a submarine had been sunk by an aircraft. It was an engagement which set in motion a constantly evolving aspect of underwater warfare. In this book, Michael Glynn explores a journey through the history of more than 100 years of aerial sub hunting. From the Great War, through the Battle of the Atlantic in the Second World War and on to the secret confrontations of the Cold War, the reader will witness the parallel evolution of both aircraft and submarine as each side tries to gain supremacy over the other. In so doing, he distils complicated oceanography, operations analysis, and technical theory into easily digested concepts, helping the reader understand how complex weapons and sensors function. By reviewing the steps of a submarine hunting flight, the reader can quickly understand how theory and practice fit together and how aviators set out to achieve their goal of detecting their submarine targets. Airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare is a thrilling read for those seeking a glimpse into an arcane and high-stakes world.

• Publisher: ‎  Frontline Books (30 Mar. 2022)
• Language‏:  ‎English
• Hardcover‏: ‎345 pages
• ISBN: ‎         9781399092739

Testing World War II Single-Engined Fighter Aircraft...

During the years preceding and during WW2, the RAF and the Royal Aircraft Establishment were responsible for the selection and procurement of British military aircraft and also to evaluate their capabilities against captured enemy models whenever possible. During the lend-lease agreement with the USA, the RAF and Fleet Air Arm operated several American designs, each of which was tested to evaluate its potential. This book looks at the key area of fighter aircraft and includes the test results and pilot's own first-hand accounts of flying seventeen different models, designed in the UK, America and Germany. The reader will learn of the possibilities of air superiority offered by these types and also their weaknesses. Types included are The Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, Boulton Paul Defiant, Hawker Tempest and Typhoon, Bell Airacobra, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Brewster Buffalo, Curtiss Tomahawk, North American Mustang, Grumman Martlet, Republic Thunderbolt, and Vought Corsair. All aircraft that saw a great deal of action throughout the War and which are now part of legend.

• Publisher ‏: ‎ Pen & Sword Aviation (17 Mar. 2022)
• Language ‏: ‎English
• Paperback‏: ‎224 pages
• ISBN: ‎         9781399014397