Captured Aircraft in Bulgaria in WWI
By Matt Bittner
Author: Mitko Mitkov
Publisher: Aeronaut Books
ISBN: 978-1-964637-30-3
Binding: Digital
Pages: 101
Before he published his book on Roland fighters in Bulgaria, Mitko Mitkov published this book on captured aircraft that were repurposed by the Bulgarian air force:
- Preface
- Organization During the War
- Albatros B.I
- Serbian Trophies
- Farman HF.27
- Farman F.42
- Nieuport 10
- Nieuport 11
- Breguet-Michelin BM 4
- Farman F.40
- Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c & BE2C 4574
- Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3
- RAF BE2c '4574'
- Nieuport 24
- Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8
- Nieuport 24bis
- Final Efforts
- Albatros C.III & C.VI
- Instead of a Conclusion
- Sources
Notice at the start of my narrative I typed "repurposed". That's because some of these - for example the Breguet-Michelin - weren't aircraft that were flyable, instead they were used for parts. Yes, there were some that were flown again - for example the Nieuport 24bis - but not all of them were flyable.
While the text could use another round or two of editing, this is still an important book, the first of its type explaining the use of other combatant's aircraft in Bulgarian service. Plus there are a few color profiles to satisfy most modelers, especially if you want to build a machine flying in Bulgaria during The Great War. For me, I might build the French Nieuport 24bis before the Bulgarians repainted it as it's very colorful.
Note that the author has his own model company - mdesign productions - making 3D printed kits of WWI aircraft that flew in Bulgaria, including captured equipment. While they have released the Roland D.II in multiple scales and will follow up with the Rolland D.III, they also have released a 3D printed kit of the Armstrong Whitworth F.K.3 both in 1/32 and 1/48, with the 1/72 kit soon to follow.
If the history of the Eastern Front in WWI or Bulgarian aviation interests you, then definitely pick up this book.
You can order the book in paperback and digital on Amazon.