Hikoki Publications – förlag

Close support for the Army by the Royal Air Force evolved during World War II from a state of near non-existence to becoming a fully integrated part of the battle plan. Nowhere was co-operation more refined and better developed than in the Mediterranean theatre.In the first of two volumes, the author traces the evolution and development of close air support, beginning during the final year of the Great War, via the doldrums of the inter-war years, to the point where the RAF was criticised heavily because of its apparent absence at Dunkirk. The rise and demise of Army Co-operation Command is examined in detail, followed by the first systematic close air support in East Africa and the various campaigns in the Western Desert. Reference has been made to logbooks, diaries and autobiographies of many of those who were there. Complemented with maps, diagrams and hundreds of photographs, it provides a comprehensive account of this neglected aspect of operations in World War II.

In 1945 Eric Brown led the team from the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough which scoured the British Zone of Occupation in post war Germany for captured Luftwaffe aircraft and aeronautical installations. They uncovered an Aladdin's cave of aviation riches and amazed by the advanced level of technology and production they found, brought back over a hundred aircraft for detailed testing and analysis. Of particular interest were the high-speed wind tunnels, which had allowed the Germans to develop such ground-breaking aircraft as the rocket powered Me 163B and the first production jetfighter, the Me 262. The information gathered by this small group of aviators and scientists has influenced aircraft design to this day.Wings of the Luftwaffe is a unique and definitive appraisal of the background and characteristics of all the major German aircraft of World War II, written by probably Britain's most outstanding test pilot and the only pilot to have flown them all. Covering 11 manufacturers and 33 types, this new edition with over 250 photographs, colour profiles, cockpit layouts and sectional drawings provides an in-depth assessment of the contribution made to the annals of military aviation in the late 1930s and early 1940s by the innovative German aircraft industry.

The former test pilot Eric 'Winkle' Brown is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having flown more types of aircraft than any other pilot in the world. Ever. This achievement is all the more remarkable given that only pilot-in-command flights count and that marks or variants of a basic type of aircraft are not included - so the 14 marks of Spitfire that he has flown, for example, count as just one of the 490 aircraft types in his Log Books.This extraordinary record is reflected in the fact that Captain Brown is also the most decorated Fleet Air Arm and British test pilot and has a string of other records to his name, including the world's first landing of a jet aircraft on an aircraft carrier. He was lucky enough to be a test pilot through the most extraordinary period in aviation history and now has opened up the pages of his Flying Log Books to reveal his experience of some of the most famous, rare, exotic and unusual aircraft ever built.From the infamous Mitsubishi Zero-Sen, to the US Navy's piston-engine Grumman F8F- 2 Bearcat; from the supersonic research de Havilland Swallow to dangerous experimental types such as the General Aircraft GAL/56, Eric 'Winkle' Brown knows their virtues and vices first hand. From rarities such as the North American Savage, designed to take-off from an aircraft carrier with a nuclear bomb, to icons such as the Lancaster, Flying Fortress, Mustang and Seafire, Eric 'Winkle' Brown has tested their qualities and takes the reader into the cockpits of these exciting aircraft, sharing the joys and hazards of flying 53 of the most weird and wonderful aircraft to ever fly.

In August 1945 RAF Transport Command found itself with almost 2000 C-47 Dakotas acquired under Lend-Lease that had to be returned, destroyed or paid for. This left the RAF with converted bombers such as the York and Halifax C.VIII or, in the Far East, interned Japanese aircraft including the Ki.48 Lily, Post war, Britain's aircraft industry embarked on equipping RAF with the full range of transport aircraft which could carry troops and cargo to the Far East and Australia. On Atlas' Shoulders describes how the lessons of WW2 were absorbed and design studies and aircraft projects including the Beverley, Vickers' V.1000 and Type 799, the Argosy and HS.681 V/STOL transport or the Britannia, HP.111, VC10 and Belfast. On Atlas' Shoulders also explains how the RAF developed their transport force from the late Sixties to today's precision delivery of equipment to forward operating bases in Afghanistan and beyond. The Mounting Base strategy followed with proposals for long-range transports such as the HP.135, Jet Belfast and VC10 developments whilst at the opposite end of the scale, liaison and observation aircraft such as the Pioneer were soon overtaken by the helicopter, culminating in the Wessex, Puma and Chinook. Illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings and specially commissioned artwork, On Atlas' Shoulders is a unique reference to the aircraft and technologies developed for logistics support of the British armed forces since 1945.

This book covers the story of all the British military aircraft that served in Latin America since 1940. Though the presence of British combat types is now almost gone from the skies over Latin America, its legacy will last for a long time. After World War 2, Britain was happy to sell the most modern equipment to the region giving it an advantage over the United States, hitherto the main provider of planes to Latin American air forces. This was one of the main reasons why many air forces chose to buy British combat aircraft up to the 1970s. In many countries Gloster Meteors or de Havilland Vampires were the first jet combat aircraft, while the Argentina's Avro Lancasters and Lincolns was once the most potent bomber force in Latin America. BAC Canberras had five South American operators, were the only jet bombers in use in the region and saw action several times. Combat activity by British types include Argentine planes used during the 1955 revolution and ironically Argentine Canberras in action during the Malvinas/Falklands War against British forces, Cuban Sea Furies over the Bay of Pigs, Peruvian Canberras in the conflicts with Ecuador, Chilean Hunters during the 1973 coup d'etat, Dominican Vampires, Mosquitoes and Beaufighters in internal struggles

This book examines the RAF's ground attack capabilities, the threats it faced, and the weapons, technologies and aircraft developed to counter those threats from the end of World War II to the present day, moving from the era of the Hawker Typhoon to that of the Eurofighter Typhoon.Throughout the Cold War a major RAF role was to conduct low-level attacks in support of NATO ground forces. Weapons and aircraft developed to carry out this task included the Hawker Typhoon and Hunter. Harriers and Phantoms were later used. With the increase in Warsaw Pact armoured forces and their air defence capability, new weapons and aircraft were required resulting in two roles becoming RAF specialities: counter-air and anti-armour operations. The former saw Buccaneers and Jaguars armed with nuclear weapons and Tornadoes with JP.233 to be used against airfields while the latter saw Harriers, Jaguars and Phantoms with BL.755 cluster bombs and latterly Typhoons with Brimstone, against armour. Another role assigned to the RAF in support of its own, and the Army's, operations was tactical reconnaissance. This equipment evolved from the wet-film cameras of the 1940s and the IR linescan systems of the 1970s to the real-time battle management systems on the Sentinel R.1 in the new century. Thankfully the RAF never went to war in Europe but saw plenty of action around the world, where the aircraft and weapons developed to counter the Soviets were used against enemies old and new.

Close support for the Army by the Royal Air Force evolved during WWII from being virtually non-existent to a fully developed part of the battle plan. Nowhere was co-operation more refined and developed than in the Mediterranean theatre. The first volume of this two-part series traced the evolution of close air support through the inter-war years to disaster in France and the first attempts at immediate on-call cover in East Africa provided by the South African Air Force. This led to a much improved system from el Alamein onwards. Volume II takes the story on from the assault on Sicily through a succession of battles in Italy and southern France where the Allied armies could depend on an immediate air cover, made possible by Allied air forces having total air supremacy. The war in Italy saw much innovation in terms of weapons and also in the role of the air observation post squadrons, both of which are fully discussed. These volumes include references to official sources and documents, including squadron operational record books, as well as to logbooks, diaries, and autobiographies of many who participated.

Building on lessons learned during the Second World War, there has been continual investment in training aircraft and equipment as aviation technology and aerial warfare has evolved. The Air Staff, the Admiralty and British aircraft companies developed a wide range of aircraft from basic trainers to jet-powered aircraft and helicopters. Drawing on research in company and government archives, Teach for the Sky describes the development of training aircraft for basic, advanced, operational conversion and aircrew training from the late 1940s to the present day. The planning and requirements behind the trainers such as the Prentice, Balliol, Jet Provost, Varsity, Gnat, Tucano and Hawk are examined, as are many of the design studies that remained on the drawing board. The evolution of the training organisation and the challenges faced in adapting the training syllabus to new technologies from 1945 to the present day are also analysed.Illustrated throughout with photographs, drawings and specially commissioned artwork, Teach for the Sky is a unique reference guide to the aircraft and training methods developed to prepare pilots and aircrew for the frontline since 1945.

The Argentinian Aircraft Factory, Fábrica Argentina de Aviones SA (FAdeA), is Argentina's main aircraft manufacturer. Founded in 1927 and located in Córdoba for most of its existence it was known as Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) until its privatisation in the 1990s when it became part of Lockheed Martin. In 2009, it was renationalised and the company is now once again wholly owned by the Argentine government.Initially, the factory produced aircraft built under licence from companies such as Avro but it is best known for making the first jet fighter aircraft in Latin America: the Pulqui I (1947) and the Pulqui II (1950) under the director of engineers Emile Dewoitine and Kurt Tank respectively. The post World War Two era was a particularly interesting one at the FAdeA with creative and innovative designers such as Reimar HOrten being involved with the business.This book is a history of the company and the aircraft it produced from the 1920s to the present day. It covers all the aircraft that were produced by the company, both those built under licence and original designs. It also examines the many projects and prototypes which were developed over the years. For all those with an interest in some of the less well-known aspects of aviation history, this book will be a revelation.

Founded in 1927, the design bureau headed by Aleksandr S. Yakovlev started out with light aircraft but soon became a "fighter maker" when the prospect of war loomed large.  Originally designated I-26, Yakovlev's first simple but rugged fighter, first flew in 1940 and entered production at the end of the year as the Yak-1.  The Yak-9 followed in 1942 and brought a greater proportion of metal to the airframe design leading to the development of the long-range Yak-9D, the up-gunned tank buster versions (Yak-9-37, Yak-9T, Yak-9K etc.) and the Yak-9B light bomber. Later flown by the French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen squadron of the Soviet Air Force the Yak-3 introduced in 1943 came to be recognized as one of the best fighters of WW II. This detailed history is richly illustrated with unit badges, nose art, scale drawings, colour side views and three-views. Previously unreleased photos and personal stories from pilots in the Great Patriotic War ensure Yakolev Aircraft of World War II is a detailed reference source for modelers, enthusiasts and historians alike.

First Lieutenant Wolfgang Wollenweber's WWII odyssey, from combat operations in the Me110 over Russia with the 'Arctic Sea Hunters', to pitting the extraordinary HE162 jet fighter against Allied fighters over Germany, and flying possibly the final Luftwaffe mission of WWII, may be the last great 'untold' story from a WWII Luftwaffe pilot.Posted to the Arctic front in 1943, Wollenweber flew ME110s on escort missions and ground attack, shooting down several Soviet aircraft in the process, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class. As the fortunes of the war turned against the Third Reich, Wollenweber volunteered for defence duties and soon found himself training to fly the lethal Me163 Komet rocket fighter, before being transferred to the innovative 'wonder weapon' - the He162 Jet Fighter.The He162 'Volksjäger' (People's Fighter) was meant to be capable of being flown by members of the Hitler Youth with only rudimentary flying experience, but instead turned out to be an unforgiving machine in untrained hands and whilst Wollenberger himself became one of the most experienced He162 pilots, he witnessed the brutal human toll it exacted on the unwary or unlucky. And as one of the few pilots to have flown the He162 in combat, he finally settles the vexed question of whether the He162 ever shot down an Allied aircraft.Wollenweber describes in his own words the shocking truth of the last desperate days of the Third Reich, and does not shy away from describing the horrors he witnessed and naming the corrupt and incompetent individuals he came across. This is a vividly told story and an important inside account not just of the revolutionary He162, but also the changing fortunes of the Luftwaffe - from happy hunting on the Russian front to its final disintegration over a destroyed homeland.

To counter the threat from a Soviet "blue water" navy, a large investment was made in the years from 1945 until the 1960s to develop maritime patrol aircraft. For years the Air Staff and the ministries argued over what type should replace the Shackleton, including variants of the Vulcan, the Britannia, VC10 and Trident, before one man strode into the MoD building in 1964, settling the argument with what became Nimrod. To seek and destroy Soviet submarines, Shackletons and Nimrods carried many advanced weapons and sensors, but also played a role in saving lives at sea. Then, after forty years' service, the Nimrods were withdrawn without replacement after one of the most expensive procurement disasters. Chris Gibson examines the post-war genesis of the RAF's maritime patrol aircraft, a process that led to Nimrod. From the last flying boats, attempts to improve then replace the Shackleton and ultimately the Nimrod itself, Gibson provides a fascinating insight into the aircraft, weapons and sensors developed to counter the Soviet submarine threat

In the years immediately after World War II, Europe produced a bewildering array of experimental aircraft - 'X-Planes' - testing new aerodynamic ideas and the potential of jet propulsion. These exciting machines are detailed in the bestselling book X-Planes of Europe: Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1946-1974.This essential second volume continues the European X-Plane story, covering those aircraft designed to apply newfound technologies and techniques to the military frontline. X-Planes of Europe II details the demonstrator aircraft built to explore jet power, supersonic performance, variable-geometry wings and many other innovations for combat aircraft. It discusses the many prototype military aircraft that never made it to production and passed into history. Most famous of these may be the controversial BAC TSR.2, while other prototypes led to outstanding, successful service aircraft - such as the Hawker P.1052 and P.1081 that preceded the Hunter, and English Electric's P.1, predecessor of the Lightning. Delving deeply into contemporary journals and company, museum and national archives, author Tony Buttler has researched these rare and important aircraft ranging from well-known aircraft - the de Havilland DH.110 and Short Sperrin for example - to the esoteric, including Yugoslavia's Ikarus projects and Spain's Hispano HA-300. He also examines the prodigious output of the French aerospace industry, which created an amazing series of military aircraft prototypes varying from the ill-conceived to the world class.Complimented with previously unseen archive photography, detailed specifications, manufacturer's drawings and colour artwork, X-Planes of Europe II is the logical and complete companion to the acclaimed X-Planes of Europe and offers a new and exciting perspective on Europe's military aircraft innovation throughout the Cold War years.