Steam in the Air Kelly • £19.99 • (C) In the early days of flight, when man was thinking of powered flight rather than drifting around with the wind in balloons, or gliding beneath flimsy wings, steam was the only possible motive; here Maurice Kelly looks at all the ideas proposed for propelling airships and aircraft by steam engine, as well as less viable ideas such as ornithopters. The problem was really one of weight, and the real legacy of many of these brave experiments was to be in lightweight, high pressure steam units rather than successful flights. The coming of the lightweight IC engine largely stopped the idea of using steam power in aircraft dead in its tracks, so it is ironic that the one verifiable successful example of steam power being used in a controlled flight over a decent distance was to take place in 1933. But whilst it may depend on your definition of “controlled” and “distance”, as this book shows it is just possible there were other successful steam powered flights long before the Wright brothers. Fascinating stuff. 158 pages. 100 B & W illustrations, 10 in colour. Hardbound. Pen & Sword Add to shopping basket

Early Flying Machines {1909} • £ 4.95 • (E) 2003 saw the Centenary of the first authenticated powered flight, by the Wright Brothers. As a contribution to the celebrations we published this book, reprinting the earliest work we could find on powered flight. The contents of this book were originally six chapters in a four volume work entitled "Engineering Wonders of the World". This is undated but it was almost certainly published in 1909, when flying was still very much in its infancy. It is typical of the volumes of this type produced during Edwardian era, being very informative and assuming a reasonable level of technical understanding by the reader. The contents have been rescanned, improved where possible and we have followed the layout of the original as far as we could. Five of the chapters - Mechanical Flight and Aerial Navigation, The Theory and Principles of the Aeroplane, Flying Machines of To-day, Aeronautical Engines, and The Construction of Aeroplanes and Aerial Propellers give a very detailed over-view of all facets of aircraft development and building at this time, and cover not just the Wright Brothers machines, but those of Blériot, Cody and many of the other pioneers. The sixth chapter is on Dirigible Balloons, and covers powered airships of the time, of all types up to and including the earlier Zepplins. As airships were seen as a viable alternative to the aircraft when the original was published, we felt this chapter should be included in this reprint. The book is illustrated with a considerable number of photographs and drawings which complement the good text whose author is unknown. This is a fascinating look at the days when the aviation pioneers were literally launching themselves into the unknown. High quality, 64 page A4 format and Softcover. Camden. "This is a delightful compilation of six chapters......... Reproduced 'as is' it provides a fascinating insight into aeronautical writing before there was much, really, to talk about." Review in Flypast "The various chapters........ are actually more detailed, ultimately more fascinating, than their wordy titles suggest. There are some superb photos and drawings of early aircraft and engines....." Ray Rimell - review in Windsock International "This handsome reproduction ......... (is) a nice introduction, not only to the technology of the period, but of the atmosphere and the colors of the aviation reporting of the period" Review in W.W. 1 Aero (U.S.A.) Add to shopping basket

The Practice and Theory of Aviation & Recent Progress in Aviation 1910 • Loening & Chanute • £ 5.95 • (F) Extracted from supplements to late 1910 editions of Scientific American, in effect you get two separate articles here, the first by Grover Cleveland Loening, looking at the leading aeroplane designs, and the then state of the theory of flight in some detail. The second article, by Octave Chanute, is really the history of powered flight until 1910. There are also short articles on new Wolseley and other engines, and the obituary of Chanute who, in his later life, had undertaken a considerable amount of experimentation in gliding, following on from Lilienthal’s work. Interesting detail from the very early days of aviation. 64 very well illustrated pages. Larger format paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Harper’s Aircraft Book 1913 • Verrill • £ 7.95 • (E) Tremendous book on “Why Aeroplanes Fly, How to Make Models, and All About Aircraft, Little and Big”, all from when flying was starting to get going. In reality the content is biased towards the full-size (is a 20 foot wingspan glider really a model?) and there is a huge amount of information on the construction of aircraft, powering them and flying them, not to mention the underlying science of flight as it was then understood. Lindsay reprinted this book a while back, and I am delighted he has done so again. This is fascinating! 245 pages, full of drawings and photographs. Paperback. Add to shopping basket

Airboard Technical Notes Vol. 2 circa 1918 • £ 6.95 • (G) This is an edited second volume of this World War 1 technical manual, covering the assembly and rigging of a selection of aircraft. Like Volume One (see the Aero Engines section of this list) the original was issued by ‘Controller Technical Department’ and bears the insignia of both the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Navy Air Service. For each aircraft, there is a text section covering the setting up (assembly, maintenance or repair of the fuselage) and then rigging instructions. 20 aircraft are covered in the original, but due to its the nature, many have “illustrations in course of preparation” or do not have the full set, and are not reprinted here. The aircraft which are included are: Bristol Fighter F.2.B. (11 text pages & 19 pages of illustrations, a few relating to the F.2.A.), De Haviland No. 5 (7 text pages & 11 pages of illustrations), Maurice Farman “Shorthorn” (7 text pages & 7 pages of illustrations), Sopwith Biplane F.1. (“Camel’) (8 text pages & 7 pages of illustrations), Spad Biplane, Type S. VII (10 text pages & 12 pages of illustrations). With the “Shorthorn” dating from 1914 and the “Camel” and Spad being active in 1918, you get a very good indication of the rapid technical development which took place in a short time. If you are an aviation enthusiast, model builder or historian this really is a book you should have in your library. 99 pages. 56 pages of illustrations. A5 format paperback. Camden Add to shopping basket

How to Build and Fly a Glider 1929 • Whitehouse • £ 3.65 • (G) Here Arch Whitehouse, technical editor of Flying Aces Magazine and, seemingly, a former RFC pilot, describes how to build a German type, high wing monoplane glider. This is an interesting curiosity and a good read, but it has to be said that, whilst there are drawings here, they are not 100 % complete; however, if you knew your gliders you could probably use what there is as the basis for your own glider. 62 page illustrated paperback. Lindsay Publications Add to shopping basket

Supermarine Spitfire Owner's Workshop Manual Price & Blackah • £17.99 • (B) Brilliant technical guide to one of the most iconic aircraft of the 20th century. This book not only gives you a potted history of all the Spifire marks, it takes you through the aircraft's construction, and its engine, in considerable technical detail. Plus you get the owner's view, the pilot's view and the engineer's view, and much more. 160 pages full of information, pictures drawings and diagrams - and a great deal of pleasure. Hardbound. Haynes Publishing Add to shopping basket

SARO A/1 Fighter Flying Boat Bateson • £ 7.95 • (G) Not a new book, but this is worth buying if you are interested in rare and unconventional aircraft. The SARO A/1 was conceived during WW11, at the time the MoD at last started taking the jet engine seriously, and was a pure flying boat fighter. Three prototypes were built just after the war, and showed considerable promise, but two of these were lost in accidents in 1949, and whilst the third prototype saw further testing, it made its last flight in May 1951, although it is preserved by the Imperial War Museum. An example of a good aircraft out of its time? 42 A4 pages full of B&W photos, some drawings and a colour 'GA'. Paperback. ISO Publications Add to shopping basket

British Built Aircraft - Greater London Smith £ 19.99 (D) Add to shopping basket

British Built Aircraft Vol. 2 - South West & Central Southern England Smith £ 19.99 (D) Add to shopping basket

British Built Aircraft Vol. 3 - South East England Smith £ 19.99 (D) Add to shopping basket

British Built Aircraft Vol. 4 - Central & Eastern England Smith £ 19.99 (D) Add to shopping basket

British Built Aircraft Vol. 5 - Northern England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland Smith £ 19.99 (D) Add to shopping basket This very good series of 5 volumes is, in effect, a Gazeteer of all the sites used to produce or test aircraft, present and past, throughout the U.K., so you get the Giants and also the minnows - the latter perhaps more interesting as much less well known. Each volume is well illustrated with photos and advertising material. Recommended. Each volume 220 - 250 pages. Paperback. Tempus Publishing

British Secret Projects Fighters & Bombers 1935-1950 Buttler • £29.99 (A) This is a truly fascinating look at the development of British military aircraft from the mid 1930s, through the war period and its aftermath. Covered are the well known aircraft - the Hurricanes, Spitfires, Lancasters etc., and the early jets, but a considerable proportion of the book is devoted to projects which either never saw the light of day or, if they did, only as one or two prototypes. There really are a lot of fascinating possibilities here, a remarkable number being either ‘pusher’ engined and/or ‘canard’ type. Excellent text and a very large number of photos, including a few in colour, and drawings. Recommended. 240 pages. Hardbound. Midland Publishing. Add to shopping basket

British Secret Projects Hypersonics, Ramjets & Missiles Gibson & Buttler • £24.99 • (A) Over half this book is devoted to missiles of various sorts; Guided, Air-to-Air, Anti-Tank, Air-to-Surface and others, Ramjets get a pretty small entry, but the chapters on Hypersonics make seriously interesting reading. Which is not to say that the other sections are not interesting if you are more into missiles than aircraft..... 208 exceptionally well produced pages, heaving with drawings and illustrations, many in colour. Hardbound. Midland Publishing. Add to shopping basket

Merlin Power Bingham • £ 14.99 • (C) Subtitled “The Growl Behind Air Power in World War II”, this book is really about the 21 designs of aircraft which were fitted with the Rolls-Royce ‘Merlin’ engine, only 13 pages being devoted to the engine itself. 176 larger page paperback. Around 160 B & W photos and drawings. Airlife Add to shopping basket

The Handley Page Victor Vol. 1 Brooks • £29.99 • (A) First volume, covering the HP80 Prototype, and the Mark 1 Victor, of what promises to be a highly detailed history of the RAF’s longest serving V-bomber - and arguably the best looking. The Victor was conceived in 1945, and whilst it only entered service in the late 1950s, it later became the RAF’s main tanker aircraft for in-flight refuelling, a role it fulfilled until 1993. There really is a huge amount of information in the 240 pages of this book, including vast number of b & w and colour photos, specifications, drawings etc.. Hardbound. Pen & Sword. Add to shopping basket

The Handley Page Victor Vol. 2 Brooks • £29.99 • (A) This volume looks at the Mark 2 Victor, mainly conceived to carry Britain's Blue Steel nuclear deterrent, and the later adaption of the Victor as an air-to-air refuelling tanker after it had lost its primary nuclear role. This volume also includes lengthy and fascinating appendices on all Marks, the testing of many new systems, modifications throughout service life, a complete list of all Victor accidents with detail analysis and official reports, and the author's experiences as a Victor crew chief. 294 pages jam-packed with information, huge numbers of B&W and some colour photos and illustrations, specifications and drawings. Hardbound. Pen & Sword Add to shopping basket

The Avro Vulcan Britain's Cold War Warrior Birtles • £19.99 • (B) The Vulcan was Britain's only delta wing heavy bomber, her last heavy bomber, and the last to see action, if only once, when 607 bombed Port Stanley airfield during the 1982 Falklands conflict in the longest bombing raid ever made. But the type was also one of the U.K.’s major means of attack for much of the Cold War. This is a wonderful, very heavily illustrated, history of this iconic aircraft,, one of which, B.2 XH558 is once again flying, after one of the greatest feats of mechanical restoration ever. 128 landscape format pages. Hardbound. Ian Allan Add to shopping basket

Scramble Bowman • £19.99 • (B) Here is an enjoyable, moving and interesting collection of WW11 anecdotes, poems, songs, cartoons and stories drawn from RAF airmen themselves. These touch on all aspects of the RAF’s experience during the war, and give a very good window into what life really was like between 1939 and 1945. 288 very well illustrated pages. Paperback. Tempus Add to shopping basket

How History Repeats Itself - Air Wars Over Iraq Since 1914 Dancey • £15.95 • (F) One of the many depressing things about the present conflict in Iraq, is the knowledge that we have been there before, and with not dissimilar problems. This interesting book looks at involvement of air power, mainly British, in the area, especially from 1914 to 1941, the Iranian and Iraqi Air forces, and the Allied Air Forces in the present conflict, up till 2005. 74 A4 format pages, with numerous B&W photos and some maps. Paperback, digitally published by Galago Books Add to shopping basket

The Brabazon Committee and British Airliners 1945-1960 Phipp • £16.99 • (E) Whilst the work of the Brabazon Committee, founded in 1943 to investigate the post war requirements of the British civilian airliner market, is the core of this book, it is virtually a history of British produced civil airliners between 1945 and 1960. Going from the Avro York and other converted bombers through to the VC10, a wide range of aircraft are covered in this interesting book of which the star is undoubtedly the Vickers Viscount. 159 pages, very well illustrated with B&W photos. Paperback. Tempus Publishing Add to shopping basket

Twenty-thousand Miles in a Flying Boat Cobham • £14.99 • (D) This is a reset and pictorially augmented edition of Sir Alan Cobham’s 1930 book, recounting the adventures he and his crew (which included his wife) had during a 6 month flight around Africa in a Singapore flying boat. Leaving Rochester in November 1927, their clockwise route took them down the through Kenya and Nyasaland to Capetown returning, more or less, up the west coast. Cobham was one of the band of pilots who laid the foundations of long distance air travel, and this was one of his more extreme flights; even if a not inconsiderable amount of imperial comfort was enjoyed at times, it certainly contained a fair amount of danger and adventure. 191 pages. Over 50 photos. Paperback. Tempus Publishing. Add to shopping basket

To the Ends of the Earth Cobham • £16.99 • (D) Reset and pictorially augmented here are two more of Sir Alan Cobham's books on his pioneering flights - My Flight to the Cape and Back, recording a largely overland flight between November 1925 and March 1926, and Australia and Back, which occupied Sir Alan between June and October 1926. Both flights were made in a de Havilland 50 biplane G-EBFO which, for the second flight, was fitted with floats for most of the journey. Over eighty years later it takes quite a mind-shift to appreciate just how exciting (and brave) these flights were. 223 well illustrated pages. Paperback. Tempus Publishing Add to shopping basket

Silver Wing Series:

Elizabethan Swansong - the Airspeed Ambassador Corrie • £ 6.95 • (G) Add to shopping basket

Convair 240 to 640 - from Double Wasp to Dart Corrie • £ 6.95 • (G) Add to shopping basket

First Lady - the Bristol Britannia Corrie • £ 6.95 • (G) Add to shopping basket

From Four to Seven - Douglas DC-4, 6 and 7 Corrie • £ 6.95 • (G) Add to shopping basket

It's a Viscount - Vickers Viscount Corrie • £ 6.95 • (G) Add to shopping basket

Stop-Gap Airliner - Vickers Viking Corrie • £ 6.95 • (G) Uniform series of books, all 32 A4 format pages, on mainly short-haul passenger airliners which appeared in the skies from the late 1940s onwards, most of which were very familiar sights at British Airports. The selection of which designs were 'Classics' we leave up to you, but here are both technical and service details, plus many B&W photos and a GA drawing. All are good value paperbacks, digitally published by Galago Books Add to shopping basket

Eurasia Aviation Corporation Morgenstern & Plath • £21.95 • (B) This book tells the amazing story of how, in 1926, the fledgling Deutsche Luft Hansa sent two three-engined Junkers G24s on a proving flight from Berlin to Peking, having identified China, and the movement of mail to and from it, as a major development opportunity. The Sino-German Eurasia Aviation Corporation was the final result, and its twelve years of adventurous existence from 1931 is well recounted. For the crews, initially German, but also later Chinese, each flight was a challenge, often flying over unmapped territory, in difficult weather conditions and not infrequently over ‘hostile’ territory. Partly told in the words of the aviators themselves, and with numerous archive photographs, here is the story of Eurasia and its all Junkers fleet. 129 well produced pages. Around 180 mainly B & W illustrations, plus maps. German and English text, with Chinese summary. Hardbound. GeraMond Add to shopping basket

Scale Construction - how to build scale aircraft Hutson • £ 9.95 • (E) Excellent book on building scale model flying model aircraft that are as accurate to the full size prototype as possible, with interesting sections on how to achieve this. 78 pages, heavily illustrated. Paperback. Traplet Add to shopping basket

How to Build and Fly Electric Model Aircraft Schleicher • £16.99 • (C) The coming of lithium polymer (Li-Poly) batteries has transformed the world of radio control model aircraft, as they make it possible to build electric-powered models that perform similarly to their IC powered brethren. Electric model aircraft can also be made more simply, are quieter and safer. This very well produced primer looks at motors, batteries, radio control and the construction of electric model aircraft, including helicopters, flying and maintaining them. 158 pages. Around 280 all colour photos. Paperback. MBI Add to shopping basket

CD-ROM The Lancaster Explored • £29.45 (U.K.) • £30.95 (Worldwide Airmail) Produced in association with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the National Archives, this CD offers the ultimate Lancaster Bomber reference source - IE it is about the aircraft itself, rather than its operational history. Based on 25 wartime Air Ministry Manuals, it provides over 320 'never before published' colour diagrams and over 1,600 superb internal and external full-screen colour photographs covering all U.K. surviving Lancasters. Special in-depth sections cover: Navigational, Radio & Countermeasures, Frazer Nash Turrets, Bombsight Mk.XIV and the Rolls-Royce Merlin and much more. All in colour with sound & animation along with search and print facilities and a lot more. This is the essential reference for all Lancaster and aviation enthusiasts. It's like having the ultimate Lancaster Museum on your PC Desktop! (And only your PC desktop; this doesn't work on a Mac) Add to shopping basket

The Spitfire Mk. V Explored CD-ROM £29.45 (U.K.) • £30.95 (Worldwide Airmail) The follow-up to The Lancaster Explored CD-ROM above, this equally mind-boggling production covers another iconic WW11 aircraft - the Spitfire Mk. 4. Combined here are many extracts from Air Ministry documents, 320 original Air Ministry diagrams and over 1,300 unique colour photographs. The ultimate Spitfire reference source - right there on your PC! Add to shopping basket

The Halifax B. Mk.111 Explored CD-ROM £29.45 (U.K.) • £30.95 (Worldwide Airmail) The latest from CD-ROM from the publishers of those we already offer on the Lancaster and Spitfire, this one concentrates on another heavy bomber, and has huge quantities of information, including an animated Engine Start-up sequence. If you have either of the others, you will know just what tremendous information sources these CR-ROMs are - and there are more in the pipeline! Add to shopping basket

DVD CONCORDE 1976-2003 27 years of supersonic flight £14.95 This DVD includes the film Concorde Around the World recording a round the world trip in 1999, and also includes three other films, covering more of Concorde's flights hither and yon, how the pilots were trained, plus Concorde - The New Era which includes the modifications made after the Paris crash, as well as thorough coverage of the last UK regional charter flights. PLUS there is an in-depth audio documentary on the aircrafts development and life. Loads of cockpit scenes. A total of 4 hours in all - great value! Add to shopping basket

DVD (2) Heathrow - The Early Years £14.99 Some 56 minutes of sheer delight, here are three films on one disc, London Airport (1949) and Wings Over the World (1950) date from Heathrow’s early days, with airlines operating out of tents to start with, then prefabs. The range of aircraft featured is huge - Yorks, Constellations, Vikings, Hermes, Stratocruisers, Dakotas, Viscounts and Comets, plus others. The third film, Air-Crossroads London dates from 1958, by which time Heathrow was beginning to look more familiar, but strangely uncrowded, even if it was already the busiest international airport in the world. All films are B & W. Highly nostalgic and great viewing. Add to shopping basket

Seaplanes and Flying Boats of the Royal Air Force App. 67 mins • DVD • £13.99 Made mainly using a combination of manufacturers’ archive film, and old Newsreels, this really is a very good and comprehensive look at the seaplanes used by the Forces, from the Short 184 and Bristol F2 of World War 1, up to the Sunderlands, Catalinas, Walrus and Sea Otters of World War 11, and the SARO SR1 and Princess post-war. The bulk is in black and white, but there are lovely colour sequences of the last Sunderland still flying, as well as air-to-air footage of a Catalina. Have a ‘happy hour’ (and a bit)! Add to shopping basket

Stationary and Marine Oil Engines 1932 • Petters Limited • £13.00 • (C) Full review in the‘Stationary Steam, Gas & Petrol Engines’ section. This fabulous reprint from 1932 includes 9 pages ‘with some illustrations and particulars of the Westland Aircraft’. Add to shopping basket

The Dam Busters Falconer • £14.99 • (A) Very good book on the whole story of the ‘dambuster’ raid of the 16-17th May 1943 covering both the development of the bombs by Barnes Wallis, the training of 617 Squadron, the raid itself, and its effects, both in Germany and Great Britain. The text and the illustrations are excellent, some of the latter in colour. There is also a chapter on the making of the film, although the book below, by the same author, covers this in much greater detail. 243 pages, numerous photos, drawings and maps. Large format paperback. Sutton Publishing Add to shopping basket