Another day, and some more contracts signed!

Two more books placed with Pen and Sword – one on the Northrop Flying Wings, which I have been wanting to see in print for a long time, and another which will be part of Pen and Sword’s Images of War series that hopefully should turn into something of a series in itself, the first being British Fighter Aircraft Production. Maybe there will be Bombers and Trainers to follow – it all depends on sales I guess.

Updates on publication dates:

Bristol Brabazon – The History Press – March 2012

Concorde Conspiracy – The History Press – April 2012

B-24 Liberator – Pen and Sword -  May 2012

B-29 Superfortress – Pen and Sword August 2012

Just heard from Pen and Sword with the dustjacket of my latest from them, a work on the B-29.

The current plans are for this one to be out in August 2012 - previous to that will be the B-24 book in May 2012,  and Concorde Conspiracy from the History Press in April 2012.

More troubles with Amazon!

I am appealing to all authors who read this to check their own title listings and the availability of the same books on both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, for I am becoming increasingly aware of a growing problem with the Amazon brand and their trading activities.

Recently – well, at least in the last two years or so - Amazon are putting every title listed with Nielsen Book Data on their websites. Fair enough, this gives all authors the publicity. However, it is what happens after that which is at best misleading.

There are a number of titles of mine on Amazon that are listed as being ‘out of print’ when they are not – nor are they listed as being ‘out of print’ with Nielsen Book Data - specifically Memphis Belle - Dispelling the Myths. This has the effect of anyone checking on Amazon for one of my titles – and a lot of people now use that as their first point of contact when ordering a book – see ‘out of print’, and don’t bother going any further, and I lose a sale.

The other aspect to their trading activities – and one that I am trying to sort out now – is that they have some of my titles listed as holding a number ‘new – in stock’ that someone has placed an order (and paid) for my Boeing B-17 - a 15 ton flying Fortress – published by Pen and Sword and distributed in the USA by Casemate from October of this year. The book was ordered on November 5th 2011 – they was then told on December 5th it would not be available until January 4th 2012, and then told two days later it would not be shipped until February 5th 2012. How can something that is ‘in stock’ on their website take that long to ship?

This is not the only instance like this I have, and I am already aware that other authors have experienced the same problem and blamed it on their publishers. I can understand them doing that, if I was just an author, I would do the same, but I’m also a publisher as some here know – and I can categorically state we turn out orders around in 48 hours usually – but we have NEVER dealt with Amazon, so how can they then put our titles ‘in stock’?

I’m asking others to check if this has happened to them in order to discover the scale of what appears to be happening – frankly, at the moment I don’t know what can be done, for also Amazon do not appear to have any way of contacting them other than for placing orders. But at least if it has happened to you – or you’ve been messed around with by Amazon this might give you reasons to try to order a book you are interested in by another way!

Latest update

Finally got to see the jacket of the Bristol Brabazon title - quite impressive methinks!

I just KNEW the moment I posted that I had no cover details about Concorde Conspiracy - The Battle For American Skies something would show up... and it did!

I thought it was about time for another update!


The History Press has accepted the finished work on the Bristol Brabazon - I'm not sure when that is going to come out or much about it to be honest - I believe it's going to be a 128 page softback, but in truth anything about the Brab is going to fill a big hole in the market!


Mosquito - The Original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft came out from Pen and Sword back in March, and by all accounts is doing very well and has been well received!

Pen and Sword tell me that  Boeing B-17 The fifteen ton Flying Fortress has a release date of August 31st 2011 - be good to see that finally out, as I finished it about eleven months ago now!

They are promoting it pretty well...

'The Boeing B-17 was the first American heavy bomber to see action in World War when it was supplied to the RAF. The design originated in 1934 when the US Air Corps was looking for a heavy bomber to reinforce their air forces in Hawaii, Panama and Alaska. For its time, the design included many advanced features and Boeing continued to develop the aircraft as experience of the demands of long distance flying at high altitude was gained. When the USA entered WWII production of the aircraft was rapidly increased and it became the backbone of the USAAF in all theatres of war. This book describes how it was built and utilizes many hitherto unpublished photographs from the design studio and production lines. It illustrates and explains the many different roles that the aircraft took as the war progressed. Heavy bomber, reconnaissance, anti-submarine and air-sea rescue operations – there were few tasks that this solid design could not adopt.'

A month later - on September 31 2011, they are bringing out Valkyire - The North American XB-70.

Again, they seem to be doing a pretty good job of advance promoting!

'During the 1950s, at the time Elvis Presley was rocking the world with Hound Dog and the USA was aiming to become the world’s only superpower, plans were being drawn at North American Aviation in Southern California for an incredible Mach-3 strategic bomber. The concept was born as a result of General Curtis LeMay’s desire for a heavy bomber with the weapon load and range of the subsonic B-52 and a top speed in excess of the supersonic medium bomber, the B-58 Hustler. If LeMay’s plans came to fruition there would be 250 Valkyries in the air; it would be the pinnacle of his quest for the ultimate strategic bomber operated by America’s Strategic Air Command. The design was a leap into the future that pushed the envelope in terms of exotic materials, avionics and power plants.  

However, in April 1961, Defense Secretary McNamara stopped the production go-ahead for the B-70 on grounds of rapid cost escalation and the USSR’s new-found ability of destroying aircraft at extremely high altitude by either missiles or the new Mig-25 fighter. Nevertheless, in1963 plans for the production of three high-speed research aircraft were approved and construction proceeded. In September 1964 the first Valkyrie, now re-coded A/V-1 took to the air for the first time and in October went supersonic. 

This book is the most detailed description of the design, engineering and research that went into this astounding aircraft. It is full of unpublished details, photographs and first-hand accounts from those closely associated with the project. Although never put into full production, this giant six-engined aircraft became famous for its breakthrough technology, and the spectacular images captured on a fatal air-to-air photo shoot when an observing Starfighter collided with Valkyrie A/V-2 which crashed into the Mojave Desert. 

The loss of the $750 million aircraft and two lives stopped future development, although there were several attempts to redesign it as an airliner to compete against the European Concorde.'

In the pipeline? Well, I'm just finishing off one on the B-29 Superfortress - that one will be the same as the Mosquito, B-17, Valkirie and B-24. They are all hardback, all 256 pages and all from Pen & Sword, so it looks like I got a series going there!


Talking about the B-24 Liberator - that title should be out early next year, but I do not have a cover or a a date for it yet!


Concorde Conspiracy - The Battle For American Skies is finished and with The History Press. It's  been 'designed and built' as a 256 page hardback - with 16 pages of colour. As yet, I have no idea as to the publication date. This title I particularly enjoyed putting together.

Concorde Conspiracy - The Battle For American Skies

 The story of Concorde and the Americans is one of spies, lies, arrogance, dirty tricks and presidential hatred. It is one of deceit, treachery, mistrust and confusion.


This book will be published by The History Press soon!

Any review is a good one I guess!

'Peterborough author pens two aviation books: Air’s two good books'

So said the Peterborough Evening Telegraph.

Published on Thursday 17 March 2011 16:00

A Peterborough author has written two works concentrating on one of the most versatile aircraft in military history and how to get from A to B during next year’s Olympics.

PETERBOROUGH author Graham Simons has produced two works concentrating on the opposite ends of the aviation spectrum.

Aircraft historian Mr Simons used extensive contacts to produce “Mosquito - The Original and Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.”

His other work “London’s Airports” is written for the passengers and aviation buffs who will use the capital’s main airports during next year’s Olympics.

Mr Simons’ background is a blend of engineering, military history and commercial flight.

His love for aeroplane design and engineering started when he worked as an apprentice for Baker Perkins in the late 1960s and continued when he worked at Molins Machine Company, which had built weapons for the Mosquito.

He was one of the founder creators of Duxford Aviation museum, and has written articles and works on a host of subjects including Dan Air independent airline, where he previously worked.

It’s not the first time the Bretton book writer has tackled the subject of the Mosquito, but he describes his first effort back in 1986 as “a bit naïve.”

He said: “In the ’80s I was writing lots of bits and pieces while I was working at Molins machine company.

“I have been collecting research material in a series of bins in my loft for about 30 years, and as stuff comes in I put it in a certain bin depending on the subject.

“It got to the stage where it was one or the other, and my wife said to me: ‘unless you try (being an author), you will never know.’

“The original one didn’t come out as I wanted, but this is better. The design is also mine as Pen and Sword publishers let me write the back and lay the book out.”

When the Mosquito entered production in 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world.

Entering widespread service in 1942, the Mosquito supported RAF strategic night fighter defence forces in the United Kingdom from Luftwaffe raids, most notably defeating the German aerial offensive Operation Steinbock in 1944.

As well as its versatility the Mosquito had several other advantages, including its speed and the balsa wood used in its construction, which allowed its frame to expand under pressure.

This meant that while certain US planes made from metal cracked and shattered when they fired guns, the Mosquito remained intact.

Much of the information and anecdotes in the book came from primary sources, made possible through years of gathering knowledgeable contacts from aviation and business.

These even included a talk with dignitaries in the upper echelons of Molins, who gave him access to previously-unseen original pictures and plans when the plane’s artillery was being manufactured and tested in the 1940s.

The distinctive Mosquito became a key component for the Allied Forces during the Second World War, based largely on its brilliant design which allowed it to be used as a fighter, bomber, reconnaissance vehicle and night flyer.

The book says: “During the history of aviation there have been very few aircraft that have achieved immediate successes when entering front-line service. The de-havilland Mosquito was one such aircraft.

“It was not designed to an RAF requirement, but was the result of an initiative of the designers and builders to utilise the skills of woodworkers and the relative abundance of wood in the crisis years of the Second World War.

“The result was an aeroplane which could be built quickly and, was extremely fast and extremely versatile. The pilots loved it.”

Mr Simons has also produced another book with the help of friend and fellow enthusiast Martin Bowman which concentrates on Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, City and Stansted airports.

For each airport there is a brief history, plans and photographs, together with directions and information about gates, security, passport control, shopping, restaurants, car parks and other transport connections.

Details of air traffic control in London airspace will be explained with the inclusion of aerial photographs taken during the approach to landing so passengers may locate places of interest.

There’s also a look at the quirkier facts of the airports, including Gatwick Bridge, which is large enough for a Boeing 747 to pass beneath.

Mr Simons said: “People are now starting to think in terms of dates, and travels and times and hotels.

“I have been contacting various people at the International Olympic Committees across the world, and we are hoping it can be advertised and pieces can be placed in their newsletters.”

Mr Simons’ future projects include work on the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, and a look into conspiracies behind Concorde.

“Mosquito – The Original and Multi-Role Combat Aircraft.” costs £19.99, while “London’s Airports” costs £11.99. For more information go to www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

B-70 Valkyrie

Next for Pen and Sword and coming out later in 2011 is a complete change of tempo - I thought it was about time I did one of Cecil the sea-sick Sea Serpent!

The first time anyone sees the sole surviving XB-70A Valkyrie it’s hard not to be struck dumb by the jaw-droppingly amazing shape of this totally futuristic other-worldly looking aircraft.
Firstly, it’s huge. The aircraft is five times heavier and a whole lot larger than the MiG 25 Foxbat or SR-71 Blackbird , the design’s nearest rivals. Secondly it looks fast. The first time I saw Air Vehicle One was outside the USAF Museum (as it then was) at Wright Field, near Dayton Ohio, in 1980 - it looked as if it was about to go supersonic just parked there! At the time it was playing one of a pair of ‘bookends’ outside the main building to a later generation Rockwell B-1 ‘Bone’ and the Valkyrie still looked the more advanced!
Thirdly, the aircraft was one very big leap-into-the-future design that pushed the envelope in terms of exotic materials used - such as stainless steel honeycomb, very large amounts of titanium, the use of tool steel for structural components and it would have used the chemical high energy ‘zip’ fuel if that had not been cancelled.
At one stage - if all the plans and rhetoric had come to fruition - there would have been 250 Valkyries in the air - the pinnacle of General Curtis LeMay’s quest for the ultimate strategic bomber operated by his Strategic Air Command.
It has been said that the beginning of the XB-70 story was the search for a nuclear-powered bomber - that started with a highly modified Consolidated B-36 Peacemaker, the design of which came from World War Two when it looked as if the USA would have to fight a two front war from bases only on the mainland. The B-36 was the first interim bomber, replaced almost as soon as it appeared by the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, itself the second interim design, albeit jet-powered, but it was still subsonic.
The Convair B-58 Hustler came out of the preliminary studies and was supersonic - but at best it could only be called a medium bomber and was too much, too soon. It became a maintenance nightmare, as any crew chief from the time will tell you.
What General Curtis LeMay wanted was a machine with the speed of the B-58 and the load-carrying capacity of the B-52 - and without doubt the B-70 looked like it would fulfill his needs. What LeMay got was possibly the biggest fight he ever had experienced - with Robert McNamara and his team of ‘Whiz Kids’. This small, elite band of civilians, who had mainly moved over from either the RAND Corporation or the Ford Motor Company and went right to the heart of the John F Kennedy  and Lyndon B Johnson presidential administrations. The Whiz Kids invented a world where all decisions could be made based on numbers - an ideal that is still skirted on by many MBA programs and consulting firms. They found power and comfort in assigning values to what could be quantified and deliberately ignored everything else.
The B-70 was cut back to two experimental aircraft - with the possibility of a further machine, as a prototype to the ‘Reconnaissance Strike’ concept. It was also to be used as a test aircraft in the American ego-driven ‘Mach number too far’ SuperSonic Transport  that was doomed to failure.
Of the two built, one was lost - and two highly experienced test pilots were killed - during what politicians called an illegal flight, despite the same type of event happening many times before.
The revealed story is one of ambition, dreams, spying, and dirty pool politics on Capitol Hill – so nothing unusual there then!
‘Cecil the sea-sick sea serpent’ may have been one of the silliest nicknames ever given to an aircraft, but what an aircraft, what a shape, what a design!

The B-17 book

After the Mosquito title, Pen & Sword asked for one on the B-17 - I never could resist a challenge! It was time to get the partnership I had when I did the Memphis Belle title...

The history of what is possibly the most famous of all United States military aircraft from the Second World War era, the Boeing B-I7 Flying Fortress, has been substantially documented. In fact, an understandable reaction to this book  could be - ‘Oh no, not another book on the Flying Fortress!’
In recent years the design and use of the B-17 has achieved an almost mythical, ‘god-like’ status through the activities of a few so-called ‘third generation veterans’ - whatever that means - who love to over-glamourise the war-horse of their ancestors. To read some authors, one would have to believe that this huge bomber sprang fully formed out of the box it was delivered in clad in more armour than a tank and carrying more guns than a battleship!
As a result of the critical acclaim our ‘Memphis Belle - Dispelling the Myths’ received, we decided that there was a need for a similar work on the B-17 - to subject the design, in all its forms, to close scrutiny. Without doubt there is a clear, strong requirement to ‘put the record straight’ using primary source documentation to record the undoubted achievements alongside and in context with the shortcomings to the types design and operation that have otherwise received scant attention. There is also a matching need to look into the murky world of power politics and intrigue that hovered around the design through the early years.
This is not a book that details the many thousands of combat operations flown by incredibly brave aircrew in both the European and Pacific theatre of operations - we prefer to leave that to the likes of good friend and colleague Martin W Bowman, who does a far better job at that than we could ever do!
For around the first six years of its life the Boeing 299 design received what appears to be only grudging support from the Army Air Corps.  It was Great Britain who took the design into battle with what was then an un-developed machine, operating outside the original design envelope with only a small a number of aircraft instead of the massed formations of a few years later.
Lessons were learned and soon the ‘big assed bird’ - the B-17E appeared. Production increased dramatically with the Model F and G - so much so that the Boeing-Lockheed Vega - Douglas conglomerate was created, that in turn brought into being the Block Numbers and later Staging Lists systems that helped keep track of what modification state each aircraft was at.
Post-war, some Flying Fortresses had a brief but colourful career with the US Navy, the US Coastguard, and a few overseas air arms, while others were used for research projects or converted into pilotless drones and Borate bombers, all of which we decided to look at in some detail.
For many years there have been endless battles as to which was ‘best’ the B-17 or the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. We decided to carefully study not only those two designs in comparison, but also to put the B-17 up against other Axis and Allied designs of the time - the results were interesting to say the least!
‘The overall result is...’, as David Lee, the former Deputy Director of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford said upon reading the final proofs ‘...all you never knew about the B-17!’
        

Books with Pen & Sword and others!

The first of my series of books for Pen and Sword has just appeared in print - 'Mosquito the original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft' is NOT a re-print of the 1990 Arms and Armour Press book - I've jacked up the title and slid a brand new book underneath!

So... what can I say about it?

Throughout the history of aviation there have been very few aircraft designs that have achieved immediate success when entering front-line service. The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was one such machine: it proved to be a winner from the start.

The concept of an unarmed wooden bomber possessing the performance to out-fly all contemporary fighters originated in a progressive company, blessed with a design office made up of extremely gifted designers and highly talented engineers. All were prepared to demonstrate supreme faith in their ideas and incorporate into them a far-sighted understanding of the forthcoming conflict that was unmatched by others. Their efforts resulted in a completely radical private venture design, totally against the thinking of many members of the Air Ministry who were only prepared to consider metal machines bristling with defensive armament.

The battle to get the design into production continued until the last few days of 1939 when, due to the foresight and support of Sir Wilfred Freeman - the Air Council's Member for Research, Development and Production - a single machine was sanctioned as a light bomber with the ability to carry a 1,000 lb bomb load over a range of 1,500 miles. Such was the drive and determination within the company, that less than eleven months later the prototype Mosquito took to the air.

Flight tests soon established the machine as the world's fastest operational aircraft, a distinction that the type enjoyed for the next two and a half years. Being small and with the manoeuvrability of a fighter, the Mosquito was rapidly developed into a multi-purpose aircraft, a factor which allowed an increased economy of tooling in the factories of Britain, Canada and Australia. The bomber version increased its load and was eventually able to carry a single 4,000 pound 'Blockbuster' bomb, two 'Highball' bouncing bombs or a myriad of other explosive stores. It could also be used as a specialized target-marker from almost ground level to six miles high.

Although originally conceived as an unarmed bomber, fighter variants were rapidly developed. Armed with four 0.303 inch machine-guns in the nose and four 20mm Hispano cannon under the cockpit floor, the Mosquito took on the role of night-fighter defence of Great Britain during 1943. With minimal modification, the basic airframe was adapted to take airborne radar, thereby creating a formidable night-fighter version that prevented virtually any night intrusion by the enemy. Mosquitos had accounted for nearly 660 enemy aircraft destroyed by the end of November 1944 and brought down over 600 flying bombs during the first 60 nights of this new threat. The aircraft's armament became increasingly sophisticated: rocket projectiles slung under the wings allowed the Mosquito to pound ships, U-boats, harbour installations and other ground targets; and one variant was equipped with a 57mm cannon which automatically fired a six pound shell every one and a half seconds.

A combination of the two main aircraft requirements resulted in the creation of the fighter-bomber in 1941, a variant which was used extensively against the V-weapon sites and was later active in support of the D-Day landings. Of the more bizarre tasks performed, was that some machines were supposed to have delivered beer to the invasion beachhead!

Towards the end of the war the Mosquito was given a hook and folding wings to become the world's first twin-engined deck-landing aircraft - along with the ability to carry a eighteen-inch torpedo. The Mosquito was also the Allies' only real and effective long-range photo-reconnaissance and weather-reporting aircraft. It photographed and surveyed the whole of Europe to the borders of Russia, along with much of Africa and Asia. Urgent combat requirements consistently led from variant to variant as the war progressed. During the latter stages of the production run, the Air Ministry changed the mark designation system from Roman to Arabic, producing a much clarified system. However, in the interest of historical accuracy, both systems are used throughout this book.

From bomber to fighter, to photographic and weather reconnaissance, and also as a high-speed emergency airliner, the Mosquito airframe was easily modified to suit all needs. The combination of a superb airframe structure, coupled with a parallel effort to increase the power of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, meant that no matter what the requirement, whether it be increase in weight, or change in equipment, the DH.98 design could accommodate it; it was truly a multi-role combat aircraft.

This book takes the reader from conception - including the thinking behind the project - through the somewhat protracted birth and on into the development of what must be one of the most versatile aerial weapons systems ever devised.

This edition is not so much a revision as a ‘jack up the title and slide a new book underneath! The original 1990 book had been written to a much larger size, but was edited down to suit that publishers requirements. This edition has restored the work to its original what it was supposed to be and then revised to bring things up to date with current research.

If you get a copy - I hope you enjoy it!

Time for another post - it's only taken me two years!

The first of a series of books for Pen and Sword has just appeared in print - 'Mosquito the original Multi-Role Combat Aircraft' is NOT a re-print of the 1990 Arms and Armour Press book - I've jacked up the title and slid a brand new book underneath!

So... what can I say about it?

Throughout the history of aviation there have been very few aircraft designs that have achieved immediate success when entering front-line service. The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was one such machine: it proved to be a winner from the start.

The concept of an unarmed wooden bomber possessing the performance to out-fly all contemporary fighters originated in a progressive company, blessed with a design office made up of extremely gifted designers and highly talented engineers. All were prepared to demonstrate supreme faith in their ideas and incorporate into them a far-sighted understanding of the forthcoming conflict that was unmatched by others. Their efforts resulted in a completely radical private venture design, totally against the thinking of many members of the Air Ministry who were only prepared to consider metal machines bristling with defensive armament.

The battle to get the design into production continued until the last few days of 1939 when, due to the foresight and support of Sir Wilfred Freeman - the Air Council's Member for Research, Development and Production - a single machine was sanctioned as a light bomber with the ability to carry a 1,000 lb bomb load over a range of 1,500 miles. Such was the drive and determination within the company, that less than eleven months later the prototype Mosquito took to the air.

Flight tests soon established the machine as the world's fastest operational aircraft, a distinction that the type enjoyed for the next two and a half years. Being small and with the manoeuvrability of a fighter, the Mosquito was rapidly developed into a multi-purpose aircraft, a factor which allowed an increased economy of tooling in the factories of Britain, Canada and Australia. The bomber version increased its load and was eventually able to carry a single 4,000 pound 'Blockbuster' bomb, two 'Highball' bouncing bombs or a myriad of other explosive stores. It could also be used as a specialized target-marker from almost ground level to six miles high.

Although originally conceived as an unarmed bomber, fighter variants were rapidly developed. Armed with four 0.303 inch machine-guns in the nose and four 20mm Hispano cannon under the cockpit floor, the Mosquito took on the role of night-fighter defence of Great Britain during 1943. With minimal modification, the basic airframe was adapted to take airborne radar, thereby creating a formidable night-fighter version that prevented virtually any night intrusion by the enemy. Mosquitos had accounted for nearly 660 enemy aircraft destroyed by the end of November 1944 and brought down over 600 flying bombs during the first 60 nights of this new threat. The aircraft's armament became increasingly sophisticated: rocket projectiles slung under the wings allowed the Mosquito to pound ships, U-boats, harbour installations and other ground targets; and one variant was equipped with a 57mm cannon which automatically fired a six pound shell every one and a half seconds.

A combination of the two main aircraft requirements resulted in the creation of the fighter-bomber in 1941, a variant which was used extensively against the V-weapon sites and was later active in support of the D-Day landings. Of the more bizarre tasks performed, was that some machines were supposed to have delivered beer to the invasion beachhead!

Towards the end of the war the Mosquito was given a hook and folding wings to become the world's first twin-engined deck-landing aircraft - along with the ability to carry a eighteen-inch torpedo. The Mosquito was also the Allies' only real and effective long-range photo-reconnaissance and weather-reporting aircraft. It photographed and surveyed the whole of Europe to the borders of Russia, along with much of Africa and Asia. Urgent combat requirements consistently led from variant to variant as the war progressed. During the latter stages of the production run, the Air Ministry changed the mark designation system from Roman to Arabic, producing a much clarified system. However, in the interest of historical accuracy, both systems are used throughout this book.

From bomber to fighter, to photographic and weather reconnaissance, and also as a high-speed emergency airliner, the Mosquito airframe was easily modified to suit all needs. The combination of a superb airframe structure, coupled with a parallel effort to increase the power of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, meant that no matter what the requirement, whether it be increase in weight, or change in equipment, the DH.98 design could accommodate it; it was truly a multi-role combat aircraft.

This book takes the reader from conception - including the thinking behind the project - through the somewhat protracted birth and on into the development of what must be one of the most versatile aerial weapons systems ever devised.

This edition is not so much a revision as a ‘jack up the title and slide a new book underneath! The original 1990 book had been written to a much larger size, but was edited down to suit that publishers requirements. This edition has restored the work to its original what it was supposed to be and then revised to bring things up to date with current research.

If you get a copy - I hope you enjoy it!