As part of the RAF Museum’s new Research Programme, on 19 March 2015, Air Commodore (ret’d) Dr Peter Gray will speak on ‘‘Official Squeamishness’: The Air Ministry and the Bomber Offensive of the Second World War’. This lecture forms part of The Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies that are...
How would the RAF have faired if they had gone for a daylight strategic bombing campaign from 1941 on? Let's say the choice to go for a daylight campaign means they adopt the long range Spitfire variant for service as a escort. In 1941-42 the Luftwaffe was only fielding two Wings of fighters...
Premise of the thread: what kind of alternative fighters would you like to envision for design production in the UK, for the RAF, it's allies and export markets?
By 'alternative', I mean the fighters that at 1st would not be dependable on the newest engines, whether in development or that are...
The Hawker Hind light bomber entered service with the RAF in 1935. It was an improved version of the earlier Hawker Hart and featured the cut down rear cockpit developed for the Demon.
The Hind was used by 20 bomber squadrons and also exported to several countries before gradually being...
The Hawker Hart light bomber entered service with the RAF in 1930. It was as fast as most fighters of the time which led to it being converted to fighter use and a trainer version was also produced.
The Hart’s success led to the development and production of the Audax (Army Co-operation)...
Not new, but all completely re-done recently..
The Hawker Fury entered service in 1931 and was the first RAF fighter to exceed 200 mph in level flight. The Mark II was even faster and both types of Furies remained in service with various air forces right up to the start of WW2.
A...
The Hawker Demon entered service with the RAF in 1933. This was the fighter version of the Hawker Hart and and was used as a cheaper and more readily available fighter than the Fury.
The Demon was used by many RAF fighter squadrons and also by the RAAF.
The Demon was armed with 2 x 7.7mm...
The Hawker Audax entered service with the RAF in 1931. This was the army co-operation version of the Hawker Hart.
The Audax was used by a few RAF squadrons and also highly modified versions were built for Egypt, Iran and Iraq.
The Audax was armed with 2 x 7.7mm machine guns and had hook...
In Dr. Strangelove (1964), Capt. Lionel Mandrake claims that he flew a Spitfire, served in the RAF, and was captured by the Japanese and put in a PoW camp.
Is that possible?
I thought he was confusing Spitfires with Seafires at first but it would be hard to confuse RAF with FAA.
Did the...
Hello,
I am currently researching into the possibility of repainting a North American Harvard into RAF colours and finding it a little bit difficult to come up with the facts. The airframe we would like to paint her as, is a Harvard Mk.II that was based first in the Middle East in 1941 with...
B17F-1-BO 41-24380 SUPERMAN assigned to 92nd BG at Bangor Jun 24, 1942; sustained a crashlanding at Bangor Jun 26, 1942, repaired; re-assigend to 97th BG, 340th BS at Polebrook Jul 26, 1942; re-assigned to 12th AF at Maison Blanche, Algeria Oct 11 1942. Salvaged November 30, 1945.
So I had the old Wm Green books out this morning trying to 'get smart' on Spitfires.
Noted Green's comments about how suddenly the Spitfire Mk V needed to be replaced, and quickly, due to the introduction and noted superiority of the Fw190A-1 and A-2. Hmmmm. Never a word about the current...
Seventy years ago - on 2 October 1944 - the Warsaw Uprising was finally crushed by the German army, after 63 days. Stalin's failure to help is well known, but few know of the RAF veterans who risked their lives trying to help the Polish resistance.
BBC News - RAF veterans remember the Warsaw...
A discussion about what the RAF should have pursued after th BoB. Eg. what at is the best way to hit Axis, how to prepare best for very possible LW atacks in next year, what about N. Africa and Malta, what to do once Japan takes the French Indochina? Once Germany turns East, how to capitalize on...
My latest book, THE DECISIVE DUEL: SPITFIRE VS. 109, published by Little, Brown, is now available in
hardcover and paperback editions at bookstores throughout the UK, as well as from on-line sources
including Amazon.Com.
The Decisive Duel: Spitfire vs 109: Amazon.co.uk: David Isby: Books...