General Aviation Interest
148 products
Sea Vixen Special Commemorative Pilot's Mirror and XP924 Model - 1 Left!
Regular price £599.00 Sale price £450.00 Save 25%This is a very special and extremely rare combination. A genuine pilot's cockpit mirror from a de Havilland Sea Vixen and a museum quality, handmade wooden model of Sea Vixen FAW(2) XP924.
We don't need to say how rare the mirrors are (chickens have more teeth!) and the model is the last to be made from this series.
XP924 was the last flying Sea Vixen in the world.
As was typical during the heady days of rapid technological development in the 50's and 60's, the numbers of each aircraft that went into service were comparatively small and active service life was relatively short. The Sea Vixen was no exception.
Very few examples remain even as museum exhibits.
The Sea Vixen was an example of the period of transition between relatively simple airframes of the early days of jet flight and the significantly more capable and advanced aircraft of later generations. A very powerful, but subsonic interceptor, it carried neither machine guns nor cannon as it was envisaged (incorrectly as it turned out) that aerial warfare had irrevocably entered the air-to-air missile age. The Sea Vixen was also capable of carrying a nuclear deterrent.
Both the dramatically shaped mirror and the model would look terrific as a combination on a desk or mantel shelf or in a display cabinet.
Please note that the mounts for the mirror vary in design and wood.
Please also note that the model depicts XP924 as she was in her final flying season and not as equipped while in service.
ONLY 1 OF THESE SPECIAL COMBINATIONS LEFT
Dimensions
Model: Approx L38cms x W41cms x H28cms
Mirror: Approx H22cms W23cms
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Flame Tube lamp from Rolls Royce jet engine - VERY rare.
Regular price £550.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%With all their noise and power, jet engines are awesome and dramatic. They can be just as awesome and dramatic after they have ceased in their primary role. This unusual lamp was once the flame tube from a Rolls Royce military jet engine.
Flame tubes allow fuel to be injected into the high pressure air and be completely burned before entering the turbine. Without flame tubes, there would be no place for fuel combustion to take place.
This example has been carefully polished, mounted on a hand turned wooden base and fitted with a low energy bulb. Perfect for some atmospheric lighting and very rare.
Great lighting and great talking piece and you can be sure that your neighbours won't have one.
For Star Wars fans, you may wish to checkout IG-88, the assassin droid in The Empire Strikes Back, whose head bears a remarkable resemblance to a flame tube!
N.B. Designs may vary very slightly from illustration.
Approx dimensions:
Height 63cms
Diameter 25 cms
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Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Rolls Royce Military Jet Engine Flame Tube Lamp - Very rare.
Regular price £550.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%With all their noise and power, jet engines are awesome and dramatic. They can be just as awesome and dramatic after they have ceased in their primary role. This unusual lamp was once the flame tube from a Rolls Royce military jet engine.
Flame tubes allow fuel to be injected into the high pressure air and be completely burned before entering the turbine. Without flame tubes, there would be no place for fuel combustion to take place.
These examples have been carefully hand polished, mounted on a hand turned wooden base and fitted with a colour adjustable LED bulb. Perfect for some very unusual atmospheric lighting!.
Great lighting and great talking piece and you can be sure that your neighbours won't have one.
For Star Wars fans, you may wish to checkout IG-88, the assassin droid in The Empire Strikes Back, whose head bears a remarkable resemblance to a flame tube!
Plinths may vary.
Height 66cm
Stand diameter 25cm
Weight 7.6 kg
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Flying Sailors at War: September 1939 - June 1940 By Brian Cull
Regular price £15.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Flying Sailors at War is an in-depth account of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm air crew experiences during World War II, with information extracted from official records, memoirs and interviews.
Volume I covers operations in Northern Europe, Norway, the North Sea and North and South Atlantic, from September 1939 to June 1940
Publisher : Dalrymple and Verdun Publishing (26 Jan. 2022Paperback : 192 pages
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Channel Dash Limited edition print signed by WWII Veterans
Regular price £125.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%On the 12th of February1942, six Swordfish set off from RAF Manston to attack Kriegsmarine battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they dashed up the English Channel heading away from Brest to safer ports to the north.
The CO of RAF Manston, not expecting them to return, saluted each aircraft as it took off.
The powerful German squadron was escorted by numerous destroyers and E boats and squadrons of fighter aircraft.
Several RAF fighter squadrons were supposed to engage the German fighters and provide protection for the Swordfish, but only one made the rendezvous with the Swordfish. They were hopelessly outnumbered by German fighters and, fighting for their own survival, were unable to support.
The Swordfish, now in two flights of three, pressed home their attacks, but were cut to ribbons by a combination of enemy fighters and the massed guns of the ships they were attacking and their escort screen. All six were shot down and only five of the eighteen crewmen survived.
Flight leader, Lt Commander Eugene Esmonde, who had received a DSO for his part in the attack on the Bismarck, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
The German commander, Vice Admiral Otto Ciliax described the courage of the Swordfish crews. “…the mothball attack of a handful of ancient planes, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other action by either side that day”.
The Fairey Swordfish achieved legendary status in WWII. The bravery and sense of duty of their crews, in the doomed action that was to become known as The Channel Dash, have become part of the legend.
This limited edition print by Duncan Robertson is signed by veterans who took part in that ill-fated mission and shows one of the six Swordfish that was lost on that fateful day.
This is your opportunity to own a piece of history that will look superb in any home.
Supplied with a certificate of authenticity.
The prints are all signed by:-
Don Bunce (825 Sqn Channel Dash survivor)Edgar Lee (825 Sqn Channel Dash survivor)
Pat Kingsmill (825 Sqn Channel Dash survivor).
Brian Kingcome (Spitfire Pilot – C.O. 72 Sqn)
Tom Gleave (C.O. RAF Manston)
Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish LS326 and W5856 are both members of the Navy Wings Heritage Flight and veterans of active service in WWII
Approx 71cm x 54cm
N.B. This item is supplied as a print. The image where it is depicted with a frame is for illustrative purposes only.
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Flying Light Helicopters With the Royal Marines By Robert Wilsey
Regular price £25.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Little has been written about Royal Marines rotary aviation, the small and select unit which operated light helicopters between 1965 and 1995. Officer and senior non-commissioned officer pilots had the unique privilege of being both Commandos and aviators, flying from warships and operating ashore in support of the Royal Marines. Initially called Unit Air Troops, which then coalesced into 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron Royal Marines, they operated in hostile environments, including the Arctic, mountains, jungles and deserts. Robert Wilsey served in the Royal Marines from 1969 to 2000. Having qualified as a pilot he served through much of the existence of the Royal Marines Air Squadron, from a junior pilot right up to becoming its commanding officer. In this unique book, the author tells of the evolution and technological advances of Royal Marines aviation, flying the Westland Sioux, Scout, Gazelle, and, ultimately, Lynx helicopters. He describes the rigorous training undertaken, including flying from ships at sea, and of operating globally from Malta, Northern Ireland, the jungles of Brunei, the Pyrenees, Arctic Norway and, in 1991, Northern Iraq, protecting the Kurds during Operation Haven. Colonel Wilsey also describes the challenges of the British military's basic and advanced rotary flying training, from both a student's and flying instructor's perspectives. He explains the pressures of leading a flying display team and relates stories of accidents and incidents, many amusing, several chaotic and some tragic, previously unknown to the general public. This is a vivid first-hand account of military rotary wing flying which will appeal to aircrew both civil and military, aviation enthusiasts and military historians. AUTHOR: Robert Wilsey served for 31 years as an officer in the Royal Marines as both an infantry commander and aviator. He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air for N Iraq and the United States Legion of Merit. After retiring from the Royal Marines, Colonel Wilsey worked for nine years for a US aerospace company, following which he ran his own avionics consultancy business. Recently retired, he is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Robert has written over 50 articles on aviation, military history and early breech-loading military rifles and is the author of two books on antique firearms. He and his wife live on the Welsh borders and have two grown-up children. 42 b/w illustrations and 3 maps.
Hardback: 288 pagesISBN: 9781399002509
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Fairey 1915 -60 Aviation Industry Series (Paperback) By Key Publishing
Regular price £16.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%One of the many ingredients required for creating a great aircraft company is the ability to diversify, and this was just one of the strengths that would keep the Fairey Aviation Company in business from 1915 through to 1960. Like so many other aircraft manufacturers of the day, it found its feet by taking on sub-contract work, and, while this was being carried out, it began to build on its own aircraft portfolio.
Fairey did not just sit back and produce aircraft in line with specifications, they designed new features that would be incorporated in all aircraft in the future. The company's greatest, and most surprising, success story came about when the ubiquitous Swordfish, affectionately known as the Stringbag' entered production in 1936. The company's venture into rotary wing aircraft would eventually become its undoing, despite huge technical achievements being achieved in a very short space of time. Soaked up by Westlands in 1960, the legacy of the company's final aircraft, the Rotodyne, still lives on today, and only now, in the 21st Century, is the world really ready for such a fantastic machine. This book explores the fascinating history of the company and the aircraft it produced.
PaperbackPublished: 18 Jan 2023
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Commando Medics in the Falkland War by Malcolm Hazell
Regular price £8.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%This is a unique account of the Falkland War, told by former Commando Medic, Malcolm Hazell, who led a team of 39 men, initially at Ajax Bay, and subsequently at Teal Inlet where they were alongside members of the Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Commandos specialist Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre (M&AW Cadre).
Detailed accounts are given of the facilities the medical team provided at both locations, and the largely untold military role Teal Inlet played in defeating the Argentine Forces. Above all this is a graphic account of the war, and its many battles, including Naval gunfire support provided by destroyers and frigates, and the damage and losses resulting both ashore and afloat. Having written the account, shocking anomalies regarding fatalities from both sides of the conflict are uncovered and remain unresolved.
The pivotal role played by the Commando Helicopter Pilots of 845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons and 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron is fully emphasised, and the author is clear that the remarkable success his men enjoyed in saving so many critically injured lives from both sides of the war, was in no small measure also due to the heroic endeavour of these pilots, often flying in the most appalling weather conditions and visibility, to evacuate the wounded.
Malcolm Hazell's medical team played a full part in the reception and treatment of around two thirds of all the casualties treated ashore, ably supported at Ajax Bay by both Royal Navy and Parachute surgical teams; but they subsequently had to negotiate very hard to secure any surgical support at Teal Inlet, and in the end gained the vital support of a single Parachute surgical team, comprised of just one surgeon and a handful of other medics to manage an operating table. When weather conditions deteriorated as the war reached its climax, the team at Teal Inlet were the sole receiving medical facility, placing an unimaginable strain on the facility, much of which was under-canvas. If this was not enough, Argentine and British fatalities were also being flown back to the facility - something that has proven highly controversial and contentious as the author has sought to clarify anomalies he identified in 2020, only to be met with denials and silence.
Also told in some detail is the conversion of the British Merchant liner Uganda, into a Hospital Ship. Complete with a helicopter flight deck, the conversion remarkably took just a few days to complete at Gibraltar, and the author explains the crucial role this ship and its Royal Navy medical staff played in receiving and treating casualties from the medical facilities ashore, and their subsequent evacuation out of the war zone to Montevideo, utilising Royal Navy survey ships, re-rolled as ambulance vessels.
This is not just a medics story however, and the reader is given a full understanding of the tactical situation throughout the account, on a day by day, blow by blow basis - how each piece of turf had to be proven to be free of the invading Argentine forces, or recaptured, and herein the book gives a detailed description of the extensive mine threat that confronted the British Forces ashore. Commando Medics in the Falkland War provides a complete insight into almost every aspect of this brutal war.
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Fly Navy Bunting - Heavy duty and UK made - Navy Wings Exclusive
Regular price £25.99 Sale price £21.99 Save 15%Our exclusive Fleet Air Arm 'Fly Navy' bunting is finally here..
Whatever the occasion, if you're part of the FAA fraternity, these will be just the job.
These large size, double sided pennants are made in the UK and are heavy duty so they will last for years.
Only available from Navy Wings.
- Made in the UK
- Heavy duty, double-sided
- Dimensions: W20cm x H30cm
- Length: 10m - 24 pennants
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Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Winkle: The Extraordinary Life of Britain’s Greatest Pilot
Regular price £25.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The daring life story and astonishing adventures of Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown - Britain's greatest-ever pilot.
Brown's extraordinary flying career saw him fight in the Battle of Britain, narrowly escape death on a torpedoed aircraft carrier, achieve a litany of new records and firsts as a test pilot, and fly more kinds of aircraft than any other pilot in history.
With a life as remarkable as his flying, Brown faced imprisonment in Germany at the outbreak of WWII, and after the Allied victory his fluent German saw him interviewing senior Nazi officials and participating in the liberation of Belsen - an experience that haunted him for the rest of his life.
A rival to Chuck Yeager and hero to astronaut Neil Armstrong, by the time of his death in 2016 Winkle Brown had become a legend in his own lifetime and a national treasure.
Drawing on Brown's own papers and fascinating new research, Paul Beaver uncovers surprising new truths and incredible achievements in the definitive account of a pilot and man who was revered around the world.
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A View from the Wings: 60 Years in Aviation by Colin Cruddas
Regular price £14.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%IMPORTANT NOTICE
Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Fairey Rotodyne By David Gibbings - Audio Book / CD
Regular price £5.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Limited CD a udio book version of the Fairey Rotodyne publication.
The Fairey Rotodyne was a large British compound helicopter designed and built by the Fairey Aviation Company and intended for commercial and military applications. It was considered to be one of the iconic aviation projects of the 1950s/60s and a bright future was planned for the aircraft. Widely accepted to be a revolutionary design, it was economically viable, fast and capable of vertical take-off and landing from city centre heliports.
However, despite the proven feasibility of this bold concept, the Rotodyne project was terminated in 1962 due to escalating development costs and unresolved technical issues. This book seeks to fill a gap in aviation literature on the history of the Rotodyne, an aircraft ahead of its time. Winner of Hampshire Libraries Special Collections Award 2010.
This book, by Rotodyne expert David Gibbings, seeks to fill a gap in aviation literature and offers a long-awaited full, illustrated, and in-depth history of the Rotodyne, many of whose features are still valued by organisations such as Nasa, highly in demand and used to this day.
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Putting The Record Straight By David Gibbings MBE - Booklet
Regular price £2.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The author is artist David Gibbings MBE. Founder member of the Guild of Aviation Artists and Senior Engineer on numerous projects at Westlands including the Lynx World Speed Record.
This little booklet is the perfect accompaniment for the poster by the same name which commemorates the event when, on the evening of August 11th 1986, a Westland Lynx helicopter flew at 400.87 kph (249.1mph) over a 15km course at Sedgemoor, near Glastonbury, Somerset, breaking the existing world speed for any helicopter.
The artist, David Gibbings, was Head of Department at this time and concluded his illustrious career as Chief Flight Test Engineer at Westlands in 1993.
Limited copies available.
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Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Battle of the Atlantic Commemorative mug
Regular price £7.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945) was the longest and most complex battle of WWII. Often referred to as the Battle FOR Britain (as opposed to the Battle of Britain), it was the battle that Britain simply had to win or be strangled out of the conflict. Fairey Swordfish and MAC (Merchant Aircraft Carrier - converted merchantmen) ships played a vital role in winning the war against the U boat.
In c.270 convoys accompanied by this redoubtable duo, there was only one successful attack on a convoy.
2023 marks the 80th anniversary of that point in the battle where Admiral Doenitz and German High Command conceded that the balance had shifted from highly successful predation of allied convoys to their own unsustainable losses.
Quality mug with quality design showing Swordfish, carrier and U boat.
Hand wash recommended.
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Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Battle of the Atlantic Prints with Veteran Signed Swatches of Swordfish Fabric. Limited Edition
Regular price £95.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Please note, very limited availability.
Escort carriers and MAC (converted merchantmen) ships made an indelible impact on the safety of the Atlantic (and Arctic) convoys and, once they were a standard part of the escort provision, almost eliminated losses by U-Boat attack.
The Fairey Swordfish proved itself to be perfectly suited to this hostile and unique environment and indeed, few aircraft types were even capable of operating in difficult weather conditions and from tiny decks.
With their open cockpits, being a member of a Swordfish crew was not for the faint hearted. Long patrols, freezing temperatures, storms and 'mother' ships that pitched and tossed as if possessed made life extraordinarily challenging.
The swatches are made of genuine pieces of fabric taken from a Fairey Swordfish and signed by the men who flew in these extraordinary and legendary aircraft on those perilous convoys.
Sadly, there are very few veterans left now.
They are from a limited edition of 50 and each is numbered and has a signature of authenticity. We have pairs numbered 10, 11, 12 and 13. We will supply as singles but, if a pair is ordered, will supply matching numbers if possible.
This is your opportunity to own a piece of history that will look superb in any home.
MAC ship print - signed by:
John Kilbracken DSC (Pilot)
Stanley Brand (Pilot)
Charles Simpson (TAG)
Escort Carrier print - signed by:
W.H. Thomson DSC (Pilot)
G.V. 'Curly' Pickard (Observer)
M.A. 'Andy' Thackeray (Telegraphist Air Gunner)
N.B. These items are supplied with a glass and wooden picture frame.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Fleet Air Arm Boys Volume Two: Strike & Anti Submarine, Early Warning & Support Aircraft Since 1945 By Steve Bond
Regular price £25.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Since the end of World War 2 the primary role of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm has been airborne power projection; the ability rapidly to respond to any trouble spot across the globe and to protect the interests of the United Kingdom and its partner nations. The principal tools in that response were the strike aircraft which took the offensive to the aggressor. Although from 2010 to 2020 fixed-wing carrier aviation was not part of the Fleet Air Arm, with the advent of the navys two new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, that capability has been restored. This renewed focus has not only seen the return of flying high performance aircraft from a carrier, but also the regeneration of the necessary skills, and courage, needed to cope with the extremes of weather and the nature of air operations in a very high-risk environment. However the lessons of the past have not been forgotten, and so many of those previous experiences are related within these pages true stories of the last 76 years from aircrew, maintainers, aircraft handlers and many other supporting staff both men and women. Following on from the success of volume one, this second volume covers every fixed-wing aircraft type flown from carriers in the strike, anti-submarine warfare and the vital airborne early warning roles; from Scimitars to Hunters, Buccaneers to Skyraider's & many more, plus an extensive fleet of land-based aircraft. As with the first volume, involvement in operations such as Suez, the Beira Patrol, the Falklands, Belize, Bosnia and elsewhere is included. Despite the intensity and all-to-frequent tragedy of operations, the esprit de corps, and the ability to find the necessary release through laughter, shine through. Here are the words of the men and women themselves, profusely illustrated in black and white and colour.
About the author:
Steve Bond has spent nearly 50 years in aviation. He served in the RAF as an aircraft propulsion technician and was part of the Eurofighter Typhoon project team. He later joined City University London where he developed and ran the world’s first MSc Air Safety Management (ASM) programme, lecturing on the subject all over the world. He has a PhD in ASM, is a chartered engineer, and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Now a full-time author he was recently elected Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of his contribution to aviation.
HardbackISBN: 9781911667179
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
N.B. Only sales here will contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying
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Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Fleet Air Arm Boys Volume One: Air Defence Fighter Aircraft Since 1945 By Steve Bond
Regular price £25.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The RAF's continuing role in the projection of air power in the defence of the United Kingdom and its overseas interests since the end of the Second World War is well known. However, the same cannot always be said about the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA), in part due to the ten-year gap between the retirement of the Harrier and the arrival of the F-35B and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Flying high performance aircraft off a carrier demands not only a high level of skill, but also a considerable amount of courage and determination, not least to land back on a very small piece of real estate bobbing about in a rough sea, often at night, with no possibility of diversion. The nature of these operations has meant that the accident rate and aircrew losses were very high - and accepted as part of the job. With the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth and the Prince of Wales, it is time to redress the balance and bring the FAA's extraordinary story to the audience it so richly deserves through the words of those air and ground crews who have been part of it since 1945. What emerges is an amazing close-knit esprit de corps, often accompanied by a long-standing and still simmering rivalry between the RAF and the Royal Navy over who should project air power overseas. Enormous respect is shown by the aviators and ships' senior officers for the aircraft handlers and maintainers, who work long hours in a highly dangerous environment on the flight deck. This first volume looks chronologically at every aircraft type flown in an air defence role since 1945. Involvement in conflicts including Korea, Suez, the Falklands, Bosnia and elsewhere is included, and perforce the cost in human lives, even in everyday operations, frequently emerges. Balancing this are the everyday grind, the good times, the humour, the 'runs ashore' and the sense of pride in a job well done. All delivered in the words of the men themselves.
We also have a number of copies of Volume 1 signed by FAA Aircrew and Engineers.
Lt Cdr Paul Chaplin - Pilot - Sea Vixen and Phantom
Lt Adrian Tuite - Observer - Gannet, Sea Vixen and Phantom
Lt Kim Sharman - Pilot - Sea Vixen
Cdr Tim Gedge AFC- Pilot - Sea Vixen, Phantom, Sea Harrier
Cdre Duncan Reid MBE FRaeS BA RN - Air Engineering Officer, Task Force Chief Aircraft Engineer
About the author
Steve Bond has spent nearly 50 years in aviation. He served in the RAF as an aircraft propulsion technician and was part of the Eurofighter Typhoon project team. He later joined City University London where he developed and ran the world’s first MSc Air Safety Management (ASM) programme, lecturing on the subject all over the world. He has a PhD in ASM, is a chartered engineer, and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Now a full-time author he was recently elected Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of his contribution to aviation.
Hardback
ISBN: 9781911621980
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
N.B. Only sales here contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Until such time as the issues arising from the COVID-19 virus cease to have an impact, we will be operating a part time despatch service. Please bear with us. We will process your order as soon as we can.
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Fleet Air Arm Boys Volume Three: Helicopters By Steve Bond
Regular price £25.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%...True Tales From Royal Navy Men and Women Air and Ground Crew
Helicopters have been going to sea with the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm for over 70 years. Initially used for search and rescue (SAR) duties from aircraft carriers, the rapid development of both the helicopters and service experience resulted in them taking on the vital anti-submarine (and later anti-ship) attack roles.
The 1956 Suez campaign saw the first operational use of Whirlwind helicopters for the insertion of troops by air into a battle zone, a capability which was expanded with more helicopters such as the Wessex, Sea King and today’s Merlin. Through their vital role in the 1960s Indonesian Confrontation, the Commando helicopter force became universally referred to as the ‘Junglies’, by which name they are still known today.
It is often said that if either of the 1982 Task Force aircraft carriers had been lost the Falklands War could not have been won. The same would surely have been true without helicopters. Their vital tasks, including inserting Special Forces behind enemy lines, protecting the Task Force from Exocet missile attack and recovering wounded troops whilst under enemy fire, are rightly hailed as being instrumental. At home, the essential SAR effort by both the Royal Navy and their RAF counterparts has resulted in incredible stories of saving lives against the odds.
Royal Navy destroyers and frigates have also long since benefitted from having their own helicopter Flight aboard. Frequently operating in extremes of weather, flying a Wasp, Lynx or today’s Wildcat from and back to a heaving deck is every bit as risky as flying fixed-wing aircraft off the carriers of old using the cat and trap system.
Once dismissed as a novelty, the helicopter has more than proved itself. Indeed, for ten years until the arrival of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, the Fleet Air Arm’s operational force was entirely rotary-wing. Today’s Merlins and Wildcats, with their dedicated aircrew, maintenance and support staff continue to demonstrate just how vital an asset the helicopter has become.
Here are the words of the men and women themselves, skilfully brought to life by Steve Bond and profusely illustrated in colour and b/w.
About the author:
Steve Bond has spent nearly 50 years in aviation. He served in the RAF as an aircraft propulsion technician and was part of the Eurofighter Typhoon project team. He later joined City University London where he developed and ran the world’s first MSc Air Safety Management (ASM) programme, lecturing on the subject all over the world. He has a PhD in ASM, is a chartered engineer, and a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Now a full-time author he was recently elected Freeman of the Honourable Company of Air Pilots in recognition of his contribution to aviation.
Hardback
ISBN: 9781911667278
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
N.B. Only sales here contribute to keeping heritage aircraft flying
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The Air War at Sea in the Second World War By Martin W Bowman
Regular price £35.00 Sale price £30.00 Save 14%Martin Bowman’s considerable experience as a military historian has spanned over forty years, during which time he has spent hundreds of hours interviewing and corresponding with numerous men and women and their relatives, in Britain, America and beyond, resulting in a wealth of material on the war at sea from World War One to the Falklands and the wars on terror.
All these narratives have been woven into a highly readable and emotional outpouring of life and death in action in all his titles, as here, in World War Two, where the men of the Fleet Air Arm and the US Navy fighter (operating bomber and torpedo carrying aircraft) describe the compelling, gripping and thought-provoking narrative of the air war in the freezing Atlantic wastes to the waters of the mighty Pacific.
HardbackPages: 256
Illustrations: 60 black and white illustrations
ISBN: 9781526746351
Published: 31st October 2022
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Harrier FRS1: 50 Years 800 NAS (Plastic Kit) Scale: 1/72
Regular price £10.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The BAe Harrier is a British single-seat V / STOL fighter, attack and reconnaissance aircraft with a duralumin, half-shell structure. The origins of Harrier's construction can be found in 1957, when Lord Sydney Camm of Hawker Aircraft and Dr. Stanley Hooker of Bristol Siddeley Engines started the construction of a tactical aircraft using the latest turbo-fan engine from Bristol plants, then known as BS.53. It was specially adapted to the vertical thrust vector ensuring the vertical take-off of a fixed-wing aircraft. Engine exhaust gases were directed to four staggered nozzles placed in pairs at the front and rear of the fuselage. The range of rotation of the nozzles exceeded 90 degrees, which allowed the exhaust gases to be directed directly rearward in normal flight, vertically downward for take-off and landing, or to any angle during the transition phase. Around the engine, Camm constructed a compact, conventional, high-wing metal airframe. In the forward part of the fuselage there was a one-person cabin, next to which there were two fixed, stationary air inlets for engines with a semicircular cross-section. The two-wheeled main and one-wheeled undercarriages are built in tandem in the central axis of the fuselage. The first of the six prototypes took off for the first time on October 21, 1960. After less than a year, a complete transition was made from vertical climb to horizontal flight and hover again. In February 1965, the UK government ordered six test aircraft. These were the first examples to be given the name Harrier. Apart from Great Britain, the only user of the standard Harrier aircraft is the Spanish Navy, where the aircraft are known as the Matador. To date, a dozen or so versions of the Harrier aircraft have been produced. Chronologically, the first was the Harrier GR.1 (an attack aircraft that entered service in 1969). Version T.3 was created quickly, i.e. a two-person school version of Harrier GR.1. The next version is the Harrier GR.3, which is the most modern assault version of this aircraft equipped with Pegasus 11 Mk 103 engines. Since 1978, the version marked as Sea Harrier has also been produced, the FRS.MK.1 model of which distinguished itself during the Falklands war. in 1982 as a fighter attack aircraft. As a result of the experience gained from this war, the FA.2 version was created, which has better avionics, including a great Blue Vixen radar, greater payload and can use a wider range of weapons.
Technical data (GR.3 version): length: 14.37m, wingspan: 7.6m, height: 3.42m, maximum speed: 1185km / h, maximum climb speed: 254m / s, combat radius: 420km, armament: fixed - not equipped, suspended - up to 3176 kg of load
Brand: Mistercraft Kits
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The Fairey Barracuda - A Detailed Guide to the Fleet Air Arm’s First Torpedo-Bomber Monoplane by Richard A. Franks
Regular price £21.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Airframe Album No.19
The Fairey Barracuda contains:
- A wealth of historical and walkaround photographs and detail images of the type including data from flight manuals and spare parts catalogues
- Period detail images & diagrams during production and service use
- Isometric views by Juraj Jankovic of all prototype, production and test airframes
- Concise camouflage and marking notes
- Colour profiles by Richard J. Caruana
- Lists of all Barracuda kits, accessories, decals & masks produced in all scales
- Detailed build of the Special Hobby 1/72nd Barracuda Mk I by Libor Jekl
- Front cover artwork by Arkadiusz Wrobel
- At least 128 pages
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Supermarine Seafire F.XVII (Plastic Kit) Airfix Scale 1/48
Regular price £33.99 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%A masterpiece of the skies, the Supermarine Seafire returns to Airfix's range after a ten-year absence.
The XVII was the first of the Seafire variants to feature a cut-down rear fuselage and distinctive teardrop-style canopy. The aircraft could carry a heavier weapons load thanks to reinforced construction, with both fuel tanks and rockets under the wings. This plane flew on the frontline until the early 1950s when it downgraded to training duties.
The Navy’s variant of the legendary Spitfire operated from aircraft carriers and land bases around the globe. Folding wings, strengthened undercarriage and tailhook allowed carrier use. Unsurprisingly, it was very effective when providing Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over invasion forces from Operation Torch through Sicily, Italy, D Day, Southern France etc and also as a Kamikaze interceptor with the British Pacific Fleet.
A combination of elegance and performance. The Seafire was extremely agile and that, combined with a top speed of approximately 378 miles per hour (608km/h) and powerful armament, made it a formidable and potent opponent.
What's inside: Plastic model kit, instruction sheet, paint layout sheet and decals.
Tech Specs
- Item Length - Without Packaging 21cm
- Item Height - Without Packaging 7cm
- Item Width - Without Packaging 23.5cm
- How many pieces? 134
- Number of Scheme options: 3
- Skill level: 3
- Wingspan: 235mm
- License line BAE SYSTEMS is a registered trade mark of BAE Systems plc.
- Brand: Airfix
- Product Code: AX06102
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Eric 'Winkle' Brown: A Pilot's Story (DVD)
Regular price £15.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Eric Brown: A Pilot's Story (DVD) - Britain's Greatest Aviator in His Own Words
The title says it all. The story of the world's greatest test pilot. An 80-minute DVD is barely able to do justice to the fascinating story of a man who had an extraordinary life. Winkle contributed so much to the development of aviation in general, and naval aviation in particular, in the 20th century. He holds numerous 'firsts', is credited with over 2,400 carrier landings (no one else has come close) and his record of 487 different types of aircraft flown will never be broken.
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Fleet Air Arm Zigzag Motif Polo Shirt
Regular price £29.95 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%Subtle and understated, the circular zigzag motif speaks for itself or you can spell it out loud and proud with 'Fleet Air Arm' carefully embroidered underneath!
Can either be worn smart or casual and these quality polo's with neat embroidery will last for years.
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Bristol Scout Type C 1/32 model Kit - Limited Edition
Regular price £65.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%The Bristol Scout was a single-seat rotary-engined biplane. It was used extensively by the RNAS, and also the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type. It was one of the first single-seaters to be used as a dedicated fighter aircraft.
All later-built fighters continued to be called "scouts" in British usage into the early 1920s.
The first-ever Victoria Cross for the actions of a British single-seat military scout/fighter pilot in aerial combat against an enemy's heavier-than-air aircraft was awarded to Captain Lanoe Hawker, flying aircraft number 1611 with No. 6 Squadron RFC. Captain Lanoe downed two German aircraft and drove off a third on 25 July 1915 over Passchendaele and Zillebeke
Limited Edition
Each model has a numbered parts list signed by David Bremner, Grandson of 1264's pilot Flt Lt FDH Bremner. David has also beautifully restored a replica of his Grandfather's aircraft which he proudly shows at events around the UK.
- High-quality Cartograf decals
- 111 high-quality injection moulded plastic parts
- Two versions of the Lewis MG mount and bombs
- 5 photo-etched metal detail parts
- Full rigging diagram
- Highly detailed Gnome Lambda 80 HP engine
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Bristol Scout 1264 - Rebuilding Grandad's Aircraft by David Bremner
Regular price £25.00 Save Liquid error (snippets/product-template line 131): Computation results in '-Infinity'%IMPORTANT NOTICE
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