Fighters Under Construction In World War Two (Images Of War - Rare Photographs From Wartime Archives)

There has been bookshelf after bookshelf of books compiled, written and published about British aircraft, the Royal Air Force and the activities of its pilots during World War Two. Tales of derring do, bravery and gallantry quite rightly litter the bookshelves and libraries, but little has appeared in print about the could be called the unsung heroes, those that designed, built and maintained the fighting equipment used to eventually defeat the enemy. This is all the more incredible when one realizes that there exists a huge archive of images that have survived which clearly show the skills and scale of what went on. These images of war - many of which are seen here for almost the first time in seventy years - form a remarkable tribute to the designers, engineers and workers who did so much. Following the end of the Great War, the Royal Air Force was drastically reduced in both manpower and equipment. The application of a 'Ten Year Rule’ in which the British Government foresaw no war being fought during the next ten years resulted in minimal defense expenditure throughout the 1920s. Financial restrictions went on until the early 1930s, when it at last became apparent that Germany was developing expansionist and aggressive tendencies that could no longer be ignored. The British Government and Air Ministry at last began to develop plans of their own to expand and develop the Royal Air Force. The Cabinet approved a number of plans, but a revised one often replaced each one before the original could be completed. Between 1933 and 1939, the Royal Air Force was given higher priority in terms of rearmament plans than the other services. The policy was driven by the pursuit of parity with Germany more than by defense and strike needs, for there was no fixed ratio of bombers to fighter aircraft to guide procurement. There could be no expansion without manufacturing capacity and luckily these manufacturers were not only capable of producing, but they also recorded much of their activities and remarkably a huge archive of images have survived which clearly show the skills and scale of what went on. These images of war - many of which are seen here for almost the first time in seventy years - form a remarkable tribute to the designers, engineers and workers who did so much There has been bookshelf after bookshelf of books compiled, written and published about British aircraft, the Royal Air Force and the activities of its pilots during World War Two. Tales of derring do, bravery and gallantry quite rightly litter the bookshelves and libraries, but little has appeared in print about the could be called the unsung heroes, those that designed, built and maintained the fighting equipment used to eventually defeat the enemy.This is all the more incredible when one realizes that there exists a huge archive of images that have survived which clearly show the skills and scale of what went on. These images of war - many of which are seen here for almost the first time in seventy years - form a remarkable tribute to the designers, engineers and workers who did so much.Following the end of the Great War, the Royal Air Force was drastically reduced in both manpower and equipment. The application of a 'Ten Year Rule in which the British Government foresaw no war being fought during the next ten years resulted in minimal defense expenditure throughout the 1920s.Financial restrictions went on until the early 1930s, when it at last became apparent that Germany was developing expansionist and aggressive tendencies that could no longer be ignored. The British Government and Air Ministry at last began to develop plans of their own to expand and develop the Royal Air Force. The Cabinet approved a number of plans, but a revised one often replaced each one before the original could be completed.Between 1933 and 1939, the Royal Air Force was given higher priority in terms of rearmament plans than the other services. The policy was driven by the pursuit of parity with Germany more than by defense and strike needs, for there was no fixed ratio of bombers to fighter aircraft to guide procurement.There could be no expansion without manufacturing capacity and luckily these manufacturers were not only capable of producing, but they also recorded much of their activities and remarkably a huge archive of images have survived which clearly show the skills and scale of what went on. These images of war - many of which are seen here for almost the first time in seventy years - form a remarkable tribute to the designers, engineers and workers who did so much. [Elib] THEY WHO ALSO SERVED....A wide number of fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft types were designed and developed for operational use by the Allied Air and Naval Air Forces in the leadup to and during the Second World War. During this period of conflict with the Axis Nations numerous technological and armament breakthroughs occurred inside the UK aeronautical industry, with some designers hard work going onto become the stuff of legend. This illustrated history curated and written by Aviation Historian and Author Graham M. Simons examines this uniquely diverse workforce's methods and some of their airframe/aero-engine design teams working on the production line, through the use of official images taken by their respective aviation companies for varied reasons. Amongst the types of aircraft, powerplants and equipment highlighted in these rare photographs are: The Airframe Production Lines for the Supermarine Spitfire/Seafire, Supermarine Walrus/Seagull Seaplane, The Hawker Hurricane, Tempest and Typhoon, Bristol Beaufighter, De Haviland Mosquito and Hornet, the American designed Bell Airacobra, and the advanced trainer The Miles Master; The Aero Engine Production Lines for the Rolls Royce Merlin and Napier Sabre powerplants; and the production lines for the vital wood and metal propeller blades, and the 20mm Hispano Cannon. Also covered are many of the different construction methods put to use, such as pantograph routing and the operation of drilling machinery. These images from a time of cooperation and joint effort - many of which are seen here for almost the first time in over seventy years - form a remarkable collection, and are a fitting visual tribute to all those men and women from all ages and backgrounds who worked within the aviation industry as designers, engineers, delivery pilots and workers.The Unsung Heroes of The Second World War. "There has been bookshelf after bookshelf of books compiled, written and published about British aircraft, the Royal Air Force and the activities of its pilots during World War Two, but little has appeared in print about the what could be called the unsung heroes, those that designed, built and maintained the fighting equipment used to eventually defeat the enemy. This is all the more incredible when one realises that there exists a huge archive of images that have survived which clearly show the skills and scale of what went on. These images of war - many of which are seen here for almost the first time in seventy years - form a remarkable tribute to the designers, engineers and workers who did so much." --Publisher's description Content: Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents SELECTED TECHNICAL GLOSSARY SPITFIRE! AN ORGANIC SPITFIRE? 'A SPIT WIV AN 'OOK ... ' -- THE SEAFIRE POWERED BY ROLLS-ROYCE HUNDREDS OF HURRICANES TYPHOON TIME NAPIER SABRE POWER THE TEMPEST WOOD OR METAL BLADES? AIRACOBRA FOR THE RAF! SMALL SCALE TRACK BUILDS WHISPERING DEATH MAKING BEST USE OF LABOUR MAKING THE CANNON THE WOODEN WONDER ALL WIRED UP FIGHTERS TO TRAIN -- THE MILES MASTER ALAS POOR WALRUS CONTINUOUS CUTTING BY COPY TOO LATE TO SEE WAR SERVICE -- THE DH HORNET. Works to highlight the great initiative of aviation engineers working during one of the most pivotal periods of military/aviation history