For the very first time, the history of British pre-World War I aircraft has been gathered together in one volume, with more than 900 of them well illustrated. This new book constitutes a most valuable contribution about a remarkable period in aviation history and is a memorial to the bravery and inventiveness of the intrepid pioneers of that far off era. Among the many famous manufacturer's covered are Avro, Sopwith, Shorts, and Bristol. Many lesser known designers and builders such as Martin-Handasyde and Howard Wright are also given ample coverage.

A vivid pictorial history: “Buy this book right now. It is rare that ISD gives an instant five-star rating to any new volume, but [this] is a rare book.” —Indy Squadron Dispatch World War I witnessed unprecedented growth and innovation in aircraft design, construction, and—as the war progressed—mass production. Each country generated its own innovations, sometimes in surprising ways—Albatros Fokker, Pfalz, and Junkers in Germany and Nieuport, Spad, Sopwith, and Bristol in France and Britain. This book focuses on the British approach to fighter design, construction, and mass production. Initially the French led the way in Allied fighter development with their Bleriot trainers, then nimble Nieuport Scouts—culminating with the powerful, fast gun platforms as exemplified by the Spads. The Spads had a major drawback however, in that they were difficult and counterintuitive to fix in the field. The British developed fighters in a very different way; Tommy Sopwith had a distinctive approach to fighter design that relied on lightly loaded wings and simple functional box-girder fuselages. His Camel was revolutionary as it combined all the weight well forward, enabling the Camel to turn very quickly—but also making it an unforgiving fighter for the inexperienced. The Royal Aircraft Factory’s SE5a represented another leap forward with its comfortable cockpit, modern instrumentation, and inline engine—clearly influenced by both Spads and German aircraft. Each manufacturer and design team vied for the upper hand and deftly and quickly appropriated good ideas from other companies—be they friend or foe. Developments in tactics and deployment also influenced design—from the early reconnaissance planes, to turn fighters, and finally planes that relied upon formation tactics, speed, and firepower. This book tells their story through extensive photos and accompanying text. “Handy not only as an aircraft model reference, but also as great reading for all history fans.” —DetailScaleView “Sidebars add important information at the proper place.” —Air Power History

French Aeroplanes Before the Great War is a catalog of the aeroplanes of the nearly 700 French builders who worked before the onset of World War I. Most of these aeroplanes flew some did not some were never even finished but all of them reflect the extraordinary vitality and sense of optimism that powered the aeronautical world before the future of the aeroplane began to become clearer in wartime. If the Wrights had not flown in 1903, one of the early French builders would very quickly have won the laurels for the first flight. Some of the machines appear in these pages probably for the first time in print; others are rarely seen. This collection serves as a kind of super Exposition Internationale de Locomotion Arienne; readers are invited to enter the Grand Palais, as they might have in 1908 or 1909, to enjoy these marvelous aircraft.

Years in the making, this book covers the wide variety of markings used by British aviation units in World War I. Organized numerically by squadron number the book includes both textual and photographic examples for nearly all RFC, RAF, and RNAS squadrons. Many of the photographs are published here for the first time, and the color profiles offer a representative selection of units, aircraft, and color schemes. A classic book.

Illustrated with detailed artworks of combat aircraft and their markings, 'The Essential Aircraft Identification Guide: Aircraft of WWI' is a comprehensive study of the aircraft that fought in the Great War of 1914–18. Arranged chronologically by theater of war and campaign, this book offers a complete organizational breakdown of the units on all the fronts, including the Eastern and Italian Fronts. Each campaign includes a compact history of the role and impact of aircraft on the course of the conflict, as well as orders of battle, lists of commanders and campaign aces such as Manfred von Richtofen, Eddie Rickenbacker, Albert Ball and many more.

In forming the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918, Britain created the world’s first independent air service. Britain entered the First World War with less than 200 ill-assorted flying machines divided between the army and the navy, but by the end of the war the RAF mustered almost 300,000 personnel and 22, 000 aircraft. Originally published in 1986, more than 65 years after the event, the decision to form the RAF remained poorly understood and Malcolm Cooper presented the first detailed modern analysis of its creation, shedding new light on the process by which Britain entered the air age. Set against the background of the build-up of air power during the First World War, the book explains how deepening political concern at failures in home air defence, public demands for retaliatory air action against Germany, problems of mobilization and expansion in the aircraft industry, and disagreements between the existing army and navy air services combined to create the conditions for an independent air force. The author argues that the pressures of war were insufficient to give real substance to the RAF’s independence and that its failure to escape from its wartime role as an ancillary service was also of crucial significance in the evolution of British air strategy in later years. Based on an extensive study of official documents and private papers and amply illustrated with contemporary photographs, this title will prove invaluable in understanding both strategic thinking in the Great War and the early development of a form of warfare which dominated military and naval operations in the twentieth century.

Modelling British Aircraft of World War II provides essential guidance for modellers of all levels of experience. It gives advice on how to get started, from choosing the best kit to preparing your workspace with the right tools, paints and equipment. Tips on the use of reference material, construction techniques and painting recipes are given. The book provides step-by-step building and painting techniques of the following models: 1/48 Hurricane Mk IIc, 1/32 Spitfire Mk IIa, 1/48 Mosquito Mk VI, 1/48 Swordfish Mk II and 1/72 Lancaster B III. Instructional use of after-market detailing kits and accessories is given as well as advice on fitting a base or creating a diorama. Finally, there is a chapter on Royal Air Force camouflage and markings.