In the history of aviation there have been many attempts to produce aircraft of extraordinary proportions to expand the limits of technology and create new performance standards. With few exceptions, the early attempts did not become the successes envisaged until post-World War II when such aircraft as the Boeing B-52 long-range heavy bomber and the Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' airliner changed the face of aviation in both the military and civil roles. Big Wings is a well-researched, highly informative and sometimes nostalgic look at the sixteen most significant giants of the air. Each chosen aircraft is introduced and its raison d'?tre explained, then follows an in-depth review of the successful and failed technical aspects of the design, its operational history, first-hand accounts from those that had flown the aircraft and finally some startling facts and statistics. The aircraft selected are as follows: Military—Douglas B–19, Boeing B-29, Consolidated B-36, Northrop B-49 and Boeing B-52, Airliners—Bristol Brabazon, Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, Heavy Lifters—Messerschmitt Me323, Consolidated XC-99, Lockheed C5 and Antonov AN-225, Flying Boats—Dornier Do-X, Martin JRM Mars, Hughes HK-1 and Saunders Roe Princess.

A pulsating account of the young RAF and American fighter boys who flew Spitfires, Hurricanes, Thunderbolts and Mustangs during 1940-45. It is unique in that the story is told using first person accounts from RAF, German and American Eagles who fought in the skies over England in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 and the great air offensives over occupied-Europe from 1942 onwards. The first five and a half chapters cover the Battle of Britain period when the RAF squadrons fought dog fights with the Luftwaffe and then fought them in gathering strength using the Big Wings to meet the bomber fleets attacking London. The second part of the book covers the Eagle squadron period, which was expanded with Americas entry into the war. The action moves to the USAAF Big Wings of Thunderbolts and Mustang fighters that flew escort missions and dueled with the Luftwaffe over the continent during the massive bomber raids on German targets in France, the Low Countries and the Reich itself. A whole host of incredible first hand accounts by British, Polish, Czech, German and American fighter pilots permeate the action and describe the aerial battles as only they can. This unique book also includes many accounts and photos that have not previously been seen before while the rich mix of combat accounts from all sides are brought together for the first time in one volume.

Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader remains one of the most famous RAF fighter pilots to date, perhaps even the most famous of all, thanks to Paul Brickhill’s best-selling 1950s yarn Reach for the Sky and Dany Angel’s box office hit of the same name, starring Kenneth Moore. Bader, a graduate of the RAF College Cranwell and a professional, career officer, was a gifted sportsman and aerobatic pilot – but headstrong. After a crash that led to the amputation of both of his legs, the Second World War was this man of action’s salvation: passing a flying test, he returned to the RAF, first flying Spitfires with 19 Squadron at Duxford. In due course he was posted to 222 Squadron as a flight commander, seeing action over Dunkirk. Already newsworthy, the swashbuckling, legless, fighter pilot was also a favorite of his Station Commander, Wing Commander A.B. ‘Woody’ Woodhall, and, more importantly, his 12 Group Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice-Marshal Leigh-Mallory. In short order, therefore, Bader was soon elevated to Acting Squadron Leader and given command of 242 Squadron, a Canadian Hurricane squadron which he led throughout the Battle of Britain. On 30 August 1940, 12 Group was requested to reinforce 11 Group and intercept a raid on an aircraft factory at Hatfield. This was Bader and 242 Squadron’s first experience of a mass German raid, and many combat claims were subsequently filed. The events that day led Bader to submit a report arguing that the more fighters he had at his disposal, the greater would be the execution of the enemy that could be achieved. It was a concept that received support from Leigh-Mallory, who recognised an opportunity for 12 Group to play a greater part in what was clearly an historic battle. Leigh-Mallory authorised Bader to lead three, then five, squadrons – a controversial formation that came to be known as the ‘Duxford Wing’ or ‘Big Wing’. In Bader’s Big Wing Controversy, Dilip Sarkar not only explores the full story of the people and events that led to the creation of the ‘Big Wing’ at Duxford, he also fully investigates the part that its men and machines played in the Battle of Britain story. Whilst Bader was not personally intending disloyalty, as such, to his Air Officer Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, he was, as the latter once commented, ‘the cause of a lot of the trouble’. In his burning desire to propel 242 Squadron and himself, its leader, into the forefront of the action, the newsworthy acting squadron leader found himself used by darker forces, men with axes to grind and personal ambitions to further.

A pulsating account of the young RAF and American fighter boys who flew Spitfires, Hurricanes, Thunderbolts and Mustangs during 1940-45. It is unique in that the story is told using first person accounts from RAF, German and American 'Eagles' who fought in the skies over England in the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 and the great air offensives over occupied-Europe from 1942 onwards. The first five and a half chapters cover the Battle of Britain period when the RAF squadrons fought dog fights with the Luftwaffe and then fought them in gathering strength using the 'Big Wings to meet the bomber fleets attacking London. The second part of the book covers the Eagle squadron period, which was expanded with America's entry into the war. The action moves to the USAAF 'Big Wings' of Thunderbolts and Mustang fighters that flew escort missions and dueled with the Luftwaffe over the continent during the massive bomber raids on German targets in France, the Low Countries and the Reich itself. A whole host of incredible first hand accounts by British, Polish, Czech, German and American fighter pilots permeate the action and describe the aerial battles as only they can. This unique book also includes many accounts and photos that have not previously been seen before while the rich mix of combat accounts from all sides are brought together for the first time in one volume.

The development of science, logic, mathematics, and psychology in the 19th century made it necessary to introduce a growing number of new entities, of which classical empiricism and strong extensionalism were unable to give a wholly satisfying account. One of the major issues confronting the 20th century philosophers was to identify which of these entities should be rationally accepted as part of the furniture of the world and which should not, and to provide a general account of how the latter are nevertheless subject to true predication. The 13 original essays collected in this volume explore some of the main approaches to this issue in the 20th century, including Brentano, Meinong, Husserl, Carnap, Frege, Twardowski, Kotarbinski, Nicolai Hartmann, and realist phenomenologists.

At the outbreak of the second World War, Air Chief Marshall Dowding was Commander-in-Chief of RAF Fighter Command, which had been set up three years earlier to protect Britain against attacks from the air and the threat of invasion. London was subjected to extensive night bombing for several months. However, our fighter squadrons and defence systems enabled us to maintain master of the air. The Battle of Britain ended in 1940 and our island was never again under the threat of invasion. Peter Brown, former Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot, presents a vivid account of Britain under the threat of invasion, reminding us of the bravery of our fighter pilots and the courage of the people of Britain who endured the hardships of war and terror bombing from the air. Through personal experience and years of meticulous research Peter offers a careful analysis of the battle and the tactics involved, vigorously defending Dowding's command and exposing the conspiracy of senior officers that saw him removed from office without due recognition for his achievement.