Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston was arguably the most successful and long-lasting manufacturer of military aircraft in Great Britain and Europe. In its various evolved manifestations – Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aerospace – its output of war winning aircraft, mainly fighters, was unsurpassed. From the Hart and Hurricane through the Hunter, Harrier and Hawk, the company consistently produced aircraft that the UK fighting services wanted. But some designs, for whatever reason, failed to reach flight or were declined by the services. With their sometimes advanced aerodynamics and technology, these aircraft could have had successful service careers but instead were abandoned, their stories failing to reach mainstream consciousness. Having not received their just dues, the present book seeks to redress this omission. The reasons for failure are many and varied, often financial or political, but in each case the reasons behind the failure of the design are examined. In a wide-ranging investigation that documents the origins of Hawker Aircraft Ltd and its famous Project Office, this work, the third in Christopher Budgen’s investigation of the inner workings of Hawker Aircraft, is a fitting tribute to the many who made the company the success it was.

Hawker Aircraft Ltd at Kingston was arguably the most successful and long-lasting manufacturer of military aircraft in Great Britain and Europe. In its various evolved manifestations - Hawker Aircraft, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, British Aerospace - its output of war winning aircraft, mainly fighters, was unsurpassed. From the Hart and Hurricane through the Hunter, Harrier and Hawk, the company consistently produced aircraft that the UK fighting services wanted. But some designs, for whatever reason, failed to reach flight or were declined by the services. With their sometimes advanced aerodynamics and technology, these aircraft could have had successful service careers but instead were abandoned, their stories failing to reach mainstream consciousness. Having not received their just dues, the present book seeks to redress this omission. The reasons for failure are many and varied, often financial or political, but in each case the reasons behind the failure of the design are examined. In a wide-ranging investigation that documents the origins of Hawker Aircraft Ltd and its famous Project Office, this work, the third in Christopher Budgen's investigation of the inner workings of Hawker Aircraft, is a fitting tribute to the many who made the company the success it was.

A military aviation expert chronicles the decades of breathtaking innovation that took place at Britain’s secret airbase. In 1951, Hawker Aircraft started using Dunsfold Aerodrome to test its new jet projects. The Sea Hawk was followed by the superlative Hunter. Then came a radical new engine design for an aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing. While nay-sayers claimed it would never work, the Harrier proved them wrong, becoming a vital asset during the Falklands War. Then came the Hawk, which—after completion of the RAF requirement—was sold into air arms across the world, including the US Navy. It was an incredible achievement for a UK design. British Aerospace then brought forth its upgraded Harrier, the Harrier GR.5. One might expect that this prolific output was the result of some massive industrial plant in the Midlands rather than an isolated aerodrome tucked in the rural hinterland of south Surrey. Shrouded in secrecy for most of its life, Dunsfold has largely escaped the notice of the general public. This volume shines a light on the remarkable work carried out there.

8 1/2 x 11, 180 b&w photosThis title completes a trilogy covering the design and development of British fighters and bombers from the end of the biplane era to the present day. This new volume again emphasizes the designs that were never flown. It covers aircraft projects that were prepared from the mid-1930s onwards and that were influenced by the growing threat of another war with Germany, through to some projects which appeared after the war was over. The latter includes early jets such as the Attacker, Sea Hawk and Venom, which all flew post-war but were designed to wartime or immediate post-war requirements.Among the designs featured in this book are fixed-gun fighters, turret fighters, twin-engine cannon fighters, light, medium and heavy bombers, torpedo bombers and flying boats. As in the trilogy's first two volumes, these designs are covered with detailed descriptions and data and numerous photographs of models or artists' impressions showing how these designs would have looked. Unlike the post-war years, details of many earlier unbuilt projects have been lost, but fortunately information on a great number of these has survived, and this will form the most complete record to be published on these fascinating machines.

In 1948, Hawker Aircraft, faced with new jet projects that could not use their existing airfield at Langley, began the process of searching for alternative accommodation for their flight-testing requirements. It would, however, take three hard years before Dunsfold Aerodrome would be made available by a reluctant Air Ministry and the company was able to launch its first jet aircraft design – the Sea Hawk – into series production for the Royal Navy, closely followed by the superlative Hunter. Hawker Aircraft would go on to produce nearly 2,000 Hunters before other projects came to the fore. As Hunter production continued in the late 1950s, the company looked to its successor – the Mach 2 capable air superiority fighter designated P.1121, though this would stall before flight in the wake of serious national financial shortfalls. With the loss of its premier project, the company came upon a radical new engine proposal and schemed an aircraft around it capable of vertical take-off and landing. While many decried the proposal, claiming it would never amount to anything, the Harrier would go on to prove the nay-sayers wrong as it came into its own during the Falklands War. Following the Harrier, Hawker Siddeley stepped into the competitive trainer aircraft market with the Hawk for the RAF. After completion of the RAF requirement, Hawk was sold into air arms across the world, including the US Navy, an incredible achievement for a UK design. British Aerospace then brought forth the Harrier GR.5, the UK version of the US AV-8B, a completely upgraded and improved Harrier. One might expect that this prolific output was the result of some massive industrial plant in the Midlands rather than an isolated aerodrome tucked in the rural hinterland of south Surrey. Surrounded for most of its existence by secrecy, due to the nature of its work, Dunsfold has largely escaped the notice of the general public. This work shines a light on the remarkable work carried out there.

Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins. But fate had other plans. Crippled by his war wounds and defeat, ravaged by financial misfortune, Hood had one last foe to battle: Yellow Fever. A Separate Country is the heartrending story of a decent and good man who struggled with his inability to admit his failures-and the story of those who taught him to love, and to be loved, and transformed him.

Coroner Sir John gets entangled with the Knights Templar in this suspenseful instalment in the Crowner John medieval mystery series, set in twelfth-century England. 1195. Gilbert de Rideford is a Knight of the Temple of Solomon – and an old acquaintance of county coroner Sir John de Wolfe, from his crusading days. Gilbert arrives in Exeter, begging for Sir John’s help. He claims to have come into possession of a secret that could shake Christendom to its foundations. But to reveal it, first he needs to escape beyond the reach of the Knights Templar, or the secretive order of warrior monks – his former comrades – will surely kill him. Suddenly swept into a world of religious intrigue and dangerous politics, Crowner John finds himself undertaking a life-threatening mission to Lundy – an island inhabited solely by notorious pirates –until finally the awful secret itself is revealed . . .