Wings of the Navy: Testing British and US Carrier Aircraft
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown
Publisher: Hikoki Publications
ISBN: 978-1-9021093-2-9
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 344
It did not take long after we first took to the skies for humans to think up the idea of flying a plane off a ship, and ever since we have been trying to perfect that concept. It takes a different sort of plane, and indeed a different sort of pilot, to be able to land on a small, pitching runway in the middle of the ocean. This book, written by one of the legends of flight, covers many of the aircraft designed for carrier operations. First published in 1980, this edition is of a much greater breadth and depth, filled with great photos and an engaging text.
The book starts out with a short overview of what it takes to build a carrier-borne airplane, as well as the differences between US and British carriers. Once that overview is out of the way, the rest of the book focuses on the individual aircraft. Each aircraft covered gets a thorough examination, pulling on Brown's extensive personal knowledge as well as that of the designers. The photos put the aircraft in their element, and also help illustrate the challenges of flying from a ship.
The aircraft covered in this book include:
- Fairey Swordfish
- Blackburn Skua & Roc
- Fairey Albacore
- Fairey Fulmar
- Grumman Wildcat
- Douglas Dauntless
- Hawker Sea Hurricane
- Vought Chesapeake
- Curtiss Helldiver
- Grumman Avenger
- Fairey Barracuda
- Blackburn Firebrand
- Fairey Firefly
- Grumman Hellcat
- Vought Corsair
- Supermarine Seafire
- Grumman F9F Panther
- Chance Vought XF7U-1 & F7U-3 Cutlass
- Douglas AD-4 Skyraider
- Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight
- McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee
- Douglas F4D-1 Skyray
- Grumman AF-2 Guardian
- North American FJ-2 Fury
- Westland Wyvern TF.2
- De Havilland Sea Venom
- Supermarine Scimitar
- De Havilland/HSA Sea Vixen
- Blackburn/HSA Buccaneer
- McDonnell F-4K & FGA.1 Phantom
This is a great read and one that provides a different look at these aircraft that will undoubtedly help inspire many to tackle some of these interesting designs. My thanks to Specialty Press for the review copy.