Ron MacKay, Jr. Livres

This first of two volumes on the Supermarine Spitfire covers the design, testing, development, and early WWII combat use of the famed British fighter aircraft's initial variants. The Spitfire in its original marques up to the Mk. VII provided a platform that allowed the Royal Air Force to challenge the German Luftwaffe's Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters during the 1939-1942 period of WWII. The book also covers the Seafire Marques I to III, which provided similarly valuable service for the British Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

The Vickers Armstrong Wellington, affectionately dubbed the “Wimpy” after the hamburger-scoffing cartoon character, lays claim to two distinctions within RAF WWII annals. The first related to its geodetic structure, with a cloth covering that proved to be superior to previous designs for surviving battle damage. Second, the aircraft was destined to remain on the front line with Bomber Command throughout the entire course of the war. Whether serving as a first-generation bomber between 1939 and 1943, along with its Whitley and Hampden contemporaries, or on antisubmarine operations with Coastal Command, it proved to be a critical asset in applying steady inhibiting pressure on Axis Europe. Service as an aircrew trainer both during and following WWII was a secondary but very valuable function, as were latter-day duties with Transport Command. This book is a concise, visual history of this iconic RAF WWII bomber by noted aviation historian Ron Mackay.

Masquerading as a civilian airliner during the mid-1930s, the Heinkel He 111 medium-range bomber saw its first combat in 1936 with Germany’s Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. The initial stages of World War II confirmed the design’s prominent role in advancing the German blitzkrieg in Poland and France. However, it was during the 1940–41 air battles over Britain that the type’s defensive shortcomings became apparent. Easily recognized with its “greenhouse” nose, the He 111 was one of the most widely used Luftwaffe aircraft of WWII and saw use as a bomber and transport over nearly every warfront. Later models were successfully used in antishipping and glider tug roles. A postwar model, the CASA 2.111, was flown by Spain’s air force until the late 1950s, and as a transport into the 1970s. These Spanish models were also seen in such classic war films at The Battle of Britain and Patton .

This book is a concise, visual history of this iconic RAF WWII bomber by noted aviation historian Ron Mackay.