Dh9 From Ruin To Restoration

How two British World War I-era planes came to be found many decades later in India and returned to their former glory. In 2000, upon hearing rumors of aircraft parts being found in a maharaja’s palace in India, Guy Black took a trip that would lead to the most unexpected discovery of his life. Hidden away in a former elephant stable of the maharaja’s palace in Bikaner, Rajasthan, were the hulks of at least two DH9 bombers. This was no example of this WWI aircraft in existance in Britain. Recognizing their importance to the UK’s aviation heritage, and excited by the challenge of restoration, Guy set about negotiating their purchase and returning them back to England. In DH9: From Ruin to Restoration, Guy Black details the intriguing history of how these two rare aircraft (D-5649 and E-8894) came to be in India under the Imperial Gift Scheme. He also reveals the extraordinary efforts in recovering these two planes and the extensive restoration project undertaken to bring them to their former glory. With D-5649 restored as a static and proudly on display at IWM Duxford, he then set about getting E-8894 back to airworthy status. The book then moves on to the highly anticipated flight of E-8894 and the years of frustration that followed until its maiden flight with “Dodge” Bailey at the controls on May 13, 2019—making it the only WWI bomber flying anywhere in the world. Told in meticulous detail, this fully illustrated book includes a foreword by Andy Saunders and is a must-have of all WWI and aircraft enthusiasts.

In 2000 aircraft restorer Guy Black of Aero Vintage located the hulks of at least two Airco DH9 bombers in a remote part of India - hidden away in what had been a Maharaja's elephant stable at his palace in Bikaner, Rajasthan. They were truly remarkable finds, and extremely rare examples of a near-extinct and important WWI aircraft type - none of which had survived in Britain. Recognising their importance to the UK's aviation heritage, and excited by the challenge of restoration, Guy set about negotiating their purchase and returning them back to England. Here the whole intriguing story is told - fully illustrated step-by-step - from discovery to recovery, through to research, restoration, re-construction and first flight, all in fascinating, meticulous detail. Also covered is the account of the restoration of the first DH9 to be completed, now housed as a non-flying exhibit at the IWM Duxford.

The V Force consisted of three four-jet bombers, the Valiant, the Vulcan and the Victor, all required as part of the nuclear deterrent in the Cold War following the end of the Second World War. The Valiant was less aerodynamically advanced than the other two and went into service in 1955. The Vulcan entered service in 1956 and the Victor a year later. The Valiant finished operating in 1965 and the Vulcan in 1984. The later Victors were converted into refueling tankers and carried on until 1993. V Force Boys contains a fascinating collection of previously unpublished stories by V Force ground and aircrew for all three V bombers. Among other highlights, the book includes a firsthand account of dropping the last UK H Bomb, a description of how all the aircraft navigated before the days of GPS, the training the crews received and an armorer’s account of how the nuclear weapons were moved with complete safety but not in the regimented way that might be expected. In addition there are chapters which tell of incidents that would not be found in the RAF historical annals but show how the vigilant guarding of the UK had its lighter moments. A must for all Vulcan, Victor and Valiant enthusiasts.

Following the end of the Korean War, the prevailing myth in the West was that of the absolute supremacy of US Air Force pilots and aircraft over their Soviet-supplied opponents. The claims of the 10:1 victory-loss ratio achieved by the US Air Force fighter pilots flying the North American F-86 Sabre against their communist adversaries, among other such fabrications, went unchallenged until the end of the Cold War, when Soviet records of the conflict were finally opened. Packed with first-hand accounts and covering the full range of US Air Force activities over Korea, MiG Alley brings the war vividly to life and the record is finally set straight on a number of popular fabrications. Thomas McKelvey Cleaver expertly threads together US and Russian sources to reveal the complete story of this bitter struggle in the Eastern skies.

In 1913, Frank Barnwell designed the Bristol Scout, which was the fastest and most manoeuvrable warplane for the first eighteen months of the First World War, and became the prototype single-seat fighter from which all later fighters were derived. As a result Barnwell became one of the seminal figures in the development of aircraft design. In 1916, Flt Sub Lt F. D. H. Bremner RNAS flew Bristol Scouts for No. 2 Wing in the eastern Mediterranean. In 1983, his grandson David discovered three aircraft parts from Scout no. 1264 in his late grandfather's workshop and twenty years later he, together with his friend Theo Willford, researched the possibility of rebuilding her from these three parts. This book interweaves the previously unpublished early life of Barnwell and his brother Harold, the operational and technical history of his creation the Bristol Scout, Bremner's flying career, and the challenges faced by Theo together with David and his brother Rick in recreating 1264 and getting her back in the air. Neither Frank Barnwell nor the Bristol Scout have received the acclaim due to them in the history of military aviation and this lavishly illustrated book attempts to put the record straight.

A group of scarred survivors race to escape the horrors of the Desolation. Bearing ancient magic and a terrible secret, they are the target of powerful enemies-including tireless agents of Chemosh and a distant, enigmatic threat. With luck, determination, and skill, they will strive to uncover the connection between their quest and the spectral visitations of a long-dead elven enchantress.

Bloody Paralyser: The Giant Handley Page Bombers of the First World War tells the story of the largest British bombers of the First World War and the men who flew them. In 1915, the biggest plane ever seen in Britain took flight for the first time a twin-engine monster with a 100- foot wingspan, designed to be a Bloody Paralyser to the Germans. Operating mainly at night, the Handley Page bombers attacked Germany and Germanoccupied towns and cities, disrupting the enemy s industry and transport and targeting U-boats that were causing heavy losses to merchant shipping. The men that flew in the Bloody Paralysers were the forerunners of the crews of Bomber Command in the Second World War, and now their story is told in their own words.

This biography of the pioneering WWI flying ace who mentored the Red Baron is “fascinating . . . [it] captures combat aviation at its inception” (MiG Sweep: The Magazine of Aviation Warriors). With a total of forty victories, Oswald Boelcke was Germany’s first ace in World War I—and a century later he remains a towering figure in the history of air warfare, renowned for his character, inspirational leadership, organizational genius, development of air-to-air tactics, and impact on aerial doctrine. Paving the way for modern air forces across the world with his pioneering strategies, Boelcke had a dramatic effect on his contemporaries. The famed Red Baron’s mentor, instructor, squadron commander, and friend, he exerted a tremendous influence upon the German air force. He was one of the first pilots to be awarded the famous Pour le Mérite, commonly recognized as the “Blue Max.” All of this was achieved after overcoming medical obstacles in childhood and later life with willpower and determination. Boelcke even gained the admiration of his enemies: After his tragic death in a midair collision, Britain’s Royal Flying Corps dropped a wreath on his funeral, and several of his captured foes sent another wreath from their German prison camp. His name and legacy live on, as seen in the Luftwaffe’s designation of the Tactical Air Force Wing 31 “Boelcke.” This definitive biography reveals his importance as a fighter pilot who set the standard in military aviation.

Gauged brickwork is a term used to describe the superior finish required in the details of an important brickwork elevation, such as moulded reveals, arches, string courses and other forms of ornamentation. This is achieved through shaping the individual bricks to produce a high degree of regularity, accurate dimensions and extreme fineness in the joints. This practical handbook combines simple diagrams and photographs to describe each stage of the process, from rubbing, cutting and shaping the bricks to laying and carving them. It emphasizes the importance of this skill in repairing and repointing rubbed and gauged brickwork and the damage that can be done by those unskilled in the craft. The second edition of this standard reference work has been substantially updated with new material, including additional photographs and illustrations to explain the various procedures and applications. It also now offers a fascinating and detailed historical perspective on the development of this important craft. The insights gleaned from this revised edition will be extremely valuable to architects and builders involved in conserving and repairing gauged brickwork, and also to those who are required to commission new decorative work to a high standard.