How to fly the legendary fighter plane in combat using the manuals & instructions supplied by the RAF during the Second World War. An amazing array of leaflets books & manuals were issued by the War Office during the Second World War to aid pilots in flying the Supermarine Spitfire here for the first time & using the original 1940s setting they are collated into a single book. An introduction is supplied by expert aviation historian Dilip Sarkar. Other sections include aircraft recognition how to act as an RAF officer bailing out etc. ...

Andy Saunders relates the fascinating story of the recovery of this Battle of France Spitfire Mk 1 from the sands of Calais during the early 1980s & its subsequent return to the UK for rebuild & restoration to flying condition. The full history of the airframe from the factory to loss the aeroplanes operational history with 92 Squadron & the story of the pilots who flew it during its career are also told as is the unfolding saga of its restoration & return to air
- detailing its progress through the workshops right up to the first flight in 2011. Upon completion P9374 will be the earliest mark of Spitfire flying anywhere in the world. It is also intended that this landmark aeroplane will grace many major airshows into the foreseeable future.
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This volume completes the Aircraft of the Aces" trilogy on the elite pilots that flew the Spitfire in World War II. The Spitfire Mk V was the workhorse of the wartime marks being flown in combat across the globe. It was the first of its type to be built in sufficient numbers to allow it to serve in the Far East Australia North Africa & Russia. A robust machine it was often outclassed by the Luftwaffes Fw 190. Nevertheless pilots of the calibre of Malan Tuck Johnson Beurling Caldwell & Duke all enjoyed success with the Mk V & are described in the book." ...

Developed in 1938 from a Schneider trophy-winning design by the aeronautical engineer & designer R.J Mitchell the Supermarine Spitfire went on to become the definitive Allied fighter of the Second World War & ranks amongst the most famous aircraft of all time. This pocket manual presents an accessible collection of fascinating historical documents to explore the technical & tactical developments relating to the design & use of this famous aircraft. Sources include the Air Ministrys original

Specification for a single-seater day & night fighter handling trials of the Spitfire prototype K-5054 squadron fighting tactics pilots log books & pilots notes for the Mark V air group reports & tactical papers. Collectively these give a unique insight into the Spitfire illustrating its durability & adaptability in performing many war-winning roles. With illustrations & an introduction by historian Martin Robson The Spitfire Pocket Manual is an essential volume for any Spitfire enthusiast.

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Rodney Scrases life in the RAF began in an old airship shed where he took the Kings shilling in May 1941. He learnt to fly at a BFTS in America & went on the fly Spitfires with No 72 & No 1 Squadrons finally being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944. He was released from service with a record of 4 destroyed & 3 damaged having taken part in the invasions of North Africa Sicily & Italy & a stint as an instructor in the art of air to air gunnery in Egypt before finishing the war flying escort missions with No 1 Squadron from Manston in Kent. Spitfire Saga uses Rodney log books & first hand interviews with him & several other pilots. Angus Mansfield presents the unique story of one mans experience of flying the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War. Complete with thorough historical context & a true insider view of life as an RAF fighter pilot this book is an excellent addition to any history enthusiasts library complimented with a selection of previously unpublished photographs. ...

Spitfire Voices represents an important oral history of the Spitfire from the fighter pilots perspective. Drawing upon the personal letters diaries & memories of their families & comrades the author recounts the deeply moving stories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The book features the whole range of combat experienced by Spitfire pilots from air combat to ground attack deck-landings crashes & bail-outs victories & defeats. Copiously illustrated with photographs from the albums of the pilots concerned Spitfire Voices represents exactly what it was like flying to war in a Spitfire
- in the words of those who lived to tell their tales.

Includes:: 169 photographs


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This is the incredible true story of a wartime sisterhood of women pilots: a group of courageous pioneers who took exceptional risks to fly Spitfires Hurricanes & Lancasters to the frontlines of World War II. The women pilots of Air Transport Auxiliary came from all countries & backgrounds. Although not allowed into combat they demonstrated astonishing bravery in their supporting role: flying unarmed without radios or instruments & at the mercy of the weather & enemy aircraft they delivered battle-ready planes to their male counterparts the fighter pilots of the RAF. The story of these remarkable women pilots -- among them Amy Johnson & Lettice Curtis -- is a riveting account of women in wartime & a fitting tribute to their spirit & valour. ...

The Supermarine Spitfire was a classic design well known for its efforts in defending British shores during the Second World War. However while Reginald Mitchell is rightly celebrated for his original design of the Spitfire the role of Joe Smith in the development of the Spitfire is often overlooked. Smith was an integral member of the design team from the earliest days & on Mitchell's death in 1937 he was appointed design office manager before becoming chief designer. Smith's dedicated leadership in the development of the Spitfire during the war as well as his efforts on post-war jet aircraft deserve their place in history. Charting the fascinating history of Supermarine from 1913 to 1958 when the company ceased its operations in Southampton shortly after Joe Smith's death in 1956 this book tells its story through the eyes of apprentices & many other members of Smith's team. Marvellous photographs add to the sense of what it was like to work under Joe Smith at the drawing boards of one of Britain's most famous wartime aviation manufacturers. ...

Tuberculosis is characterised as a social disease & few have been more inextricably linked with human history. There is evidence from the archaeological record that Mycobacterium tuberculosis & its human hosts have been together for a very long time. The very mention of tuberculosis brings to mind romantic images of great literary figures pouring out their souls in creative works as their bodies were being decimated by consumption. It is a disease that at various times has had a certain glamour associated with it. From the medieval period to the modern day Helen Bynum explores the history & development of tuberculosis throughout the world touching on the various discoveries that have emerged about the disease over time & focussing on the experimental approaches of Rene Laennec (1781-1826) & Robert Koch (1842-1910). Bynum also examines the place tuberculosis holds in the popular imagination & its role in various forms of the dramatic arts. The story of tuberculosis since the 1950s is complex & Bynum describes the picture emerging from the World Health Organization of the difficulties that attended the management of the disease in the developing world. In the meantime tuberculosis has emerged again in the West both among the urban underclass & in association with a new infection
- HIV. The disease has returned with a vengeance
- in drug-resistant form. The story of tuberculosis is far from over.

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This is a purrfect series filled with chaos adventure & magic spells! When Alice hears about her schools swimming gala which everyone must take part in shes terrified. She hates the water. But when special grey-&-white kitten Flame arrives to make a real splash in her life suddenly the gala doesnt seem quite so scary... ...