|
Royal Air Force Aircraft J1 - J9999 and WW1 survivors
by Ray Sturtivant
This book lists those R.A.F. aircraft which served during the 1920s. In conjunction with the
later Air-Britain book 'The K-File', it helps to cover the whole period between the two World
Wars. As its full title suggests, it also gives the later histories of most of those individual First
World War aircraft which survived for a time in the post-war period.
During the course of research for the book, the majority of surviving relevant documents in the Public Record Office the RAF Museum and the Imperial War Museum were inspected. These included unit records, flying log books and photographs. Surviving company records were also seen.
The result is a unique historical document covering what is arguably the most varied and fascinating period in RAF history. The J-serial range started only a few weeks before the end of World War I with an order for 150 Sopwith Dolphins to be built by Hooper & Co Ltd. By
the time of the Armistice, only two months later, over 6,000 serial numbers had been issued.
The outbreak of peace led to an immediate cessation of new serial issues, and within a short
period most of the outstanding orders were cancelled. Thousands of completed machines went
into reserved storage, to be joined by withdrawals form disbanded units.
By the end of 1919 many of the wartime aircraft manufacturers had disappeared due to lack of orders, but when fresh orders were eventually placed the survivors became the backbone of the British aircraft industry over the next few decades. The wartime types were gradually replaced during the 1930s by such post-war machines as the Siskin, Virginia, Hyderabad, Grebe, Gamecock and others. These types had many competitors for the few orders forthcoming during that difficult period, and this books lists and illustrates them all.
Also included, as an appendix, are those aircraft, both landplanes and seaplanes, which served with coastal units and were given serial numbers in the N9000-series and later the S1000-series.
BUY THIS BOOK FROM AMAZON UK NOW!
CLICK THE AMAZON BUTTON BELOW
(If you have pop-ups blocked then hold the CTRL key down and click the button)
ISBN 0-85130-151-7
First Published 1987 by
Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 12 Lonsdale Gardens, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1PA, England.
|
