Books by Royal Air Force

Designed by Gloster's brilliant chief engineer George Carter, the Meteor was Britain's first operational jet, and the first such aircraft in Allied inventory. The Meteor was an outgrowth of intensive r&d work conducted by Frank Whittle, inventor of the turbojet in 1929. The Meteor featured an all-metal fuselage, and straight wings with mid-mounted engine pods. The F1 version could achieve a speed of 417 mph at 10,000 feet, and entered service in June 1944. During WWII, it flew primarily as an interceptor against German V-1 "buzz bombs". Australian pilots flew it in combat during the Korean War, and Israel employed it during the Suez Crisis. The Meteor, in one variant form or another, remained in active service as a recon and training aircraft into the 1970s. Originally printed by Gloster and the Royal Air Force in 1957, this Mark 7 handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of the trainer version of the Meteor. Originally confidential military information, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form.

The epitome of grace, beauty and design, the Supermarine Spitfire was one of the most deadly fighters of WWII. Manufactured in huge numbers - over 20,000 were built - the Spitfire was the only fighter airplane in production at thebeginning of WWII, that remained in production after the conflict. Many different variants were produced including the Seafire naval fighter. Nineteen Spitfire squadrons were available to the R.A.F. by the fall of 1940, when the Battle of Britain began in earnest. While the Hurricanes attacked Germanbombers, Spitfire pilots were most often tasked with engaging Luftwaffe fighters. With its superior maneuverability, the Spit proved more than a match.These pilot's notes for the Mark IIA and IIB were standard issue for R.A.F. pilots circa 1940. They contain information about aircraft operation, controls, handling and maneuvering, and emergencies. (An enhanced 8x10 edition is also available featuring ground crew maintenance and assembly information.)

The first monoplane fighter in the Royal Air Force, the Hurricane was designed by Sydney Camm in 1934 and first flew in 1935. A rugged,single-seat aircraft, the Hurricane was the first combat aircraft in theRAF capable of 300 mph in level flight. During the Battle of Britain,the Hurricane equipped more than three fifths of the RAF's fightercommand, accounting for 32 squadrons as opposed to just 19 for theSpitfire. While Spits took on fighters, the Hurricanes assaulted enemy bombers, forcing the Luftwaffe to use the Bf109 to protect its Bf110 escort fighters. Between 8 August and 21 September 1940, Hurricanes scored 1,593 kills out of the 2,739 total claimed by the British. The Hurricane's design evolved during the seven years (1937-44) itwas in production. Various versions of the aircraft flew as interceptors, fighter-bombers (sometimes called "Hurribombers"), in the ground support role, and for the Royal Navy as the Sea Hurricane. More than 14,000 were produced. Created by the R.A.F., these pilot's notes for the IIA, IIB, IIC, IID and IV aircraft were standard issue in 1940 They contain information about aircraft operation, handling, and emergencies.

Designed during WWII as a long-range fighter, the Hornet represented an evolution of the de Havilland Mosquito and was the fastest piston-powered fighter in Royal Air Force service. Like the Mosquito, the Hornet had a fuselage built largely of balsa and plywood, but boasted laminar flow wings and massive Rolls-Royce V12 engines with 12-foot diameter, four-bladed props. It could achieve a speed of 472 mph at 22,000 feet, had a range of 3,000 miles, and was intended to operate from bases on land and aircraft carriers. It was normally equipped to carry two 1,000 lb. bombs, eight rockets, and fitted with four 20mm nose-mounted cannon. Although it first flew in 1944, the Hornet did not achieve operational status until WWII was over. The plane's real worth was revealed during the Malayan Emergency, when Hornet squadrons flew in the ground attack role against Communist insurgents. During five years in combat, Hornets achieved 4,500 operational sorties. The aircraft was withdrawn from RAF service by mid-1956. The Sea Hornet version served with the fleet from 1947 to 1954, and planes continued to fly with secondary units until 1957. These pilot's notes were standard issue for R.A.F. pilots circa 1947. They contain information about aircraft operation, controls, handling, and emergencies. This reproduction features all of the original text and photos in black and white, and full color covers.

When Britain's brilliant aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland first proposed the Mosquito, the Air Ministry greeted the idea with skepticism. Powered by twin Merlin engines, the bomber would be constructed almost entirely of wood and handle like a fighter. Stripped of heavy defensive weapons and armor,its advantage was its light weight and high speed, which would allow it to escape pursuing enemy aircraft. De Havilland's critics were silenced when the prototype flew in November of 1940. The plane quickly proved itself one of the fastest and most versatile military aircraft in existence, and production of the type commenced immediately. The "Wooden Wonder" (or "Mossie" as it was sometimes referred to) entered widespread service in 1942 and flew as a fast bomber, fighter-bomber, night fighter, path-finder, maritime strike aircraft, and fast photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The plane became particularly famous for set-piece attacks including a raid on Gestapo HQ in Oslo, an attack on a power station in Holland, and Amiens Prison. It also participated in the Normandy Campaign and D-Day.Created by the R.A.F., these notes were standard issue circa 1944. They contain fascinating information about aircraft operation, handling, and emergencies.