Hurricane R4118

Author : Peter Vacher
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1909166391
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.94/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hurricane R4118 written by Peter Vacher and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2010-08-19 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating account of the only airworthy Hawker Hurricane, “now regarded as the most historic British aircraft to survive in flying condition from WW2” (FLYER). In 1982 when he was traveling in India, Peter Vacher stumbled on the remains of a British plane—a Hurricane Mark I, a veteran of the Battle of Britain. It was in a dreadful state. Could he restore it? Would it fly again? Not until 14 years later did he decide to act and after six years of wrangling he got the icon home. Then the truly difficult process of restoration began—a worldwide search for parts, careful reconstruction, flight testing—-until in 2005 it flew again to the delight of thousands of enthusiasts. Along the way Peter reunited three auspicious veterans—Peter Thompson, Bunny Currant, and Bob Foster—with R4118, men who had flown her during the war. To this day, the aircraft’s grace and splendor in flight is enjoyed by crowds across the UK. “The amazing story of how this only surviving Hurricane from the Battle of Britain was discovered and lovingly restored.” —The Mail on Sunday

Author : Peter Vacher
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1911621548
Total Pages : 345 pages
Book Rating : 4.46/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hurricane R4118 Revisited written by Peter Vacher and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2017-09-11 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Peter Vacher has revised and updated his classic account of the discovery and restoration of our Hawker Hurricane Mk I-R4118.” —Hurricane Heritage Twelve years since the amazing account of Peter Vacher’s discovery in India was originally published, Grub Street is thrilled to bring readers the updated story of Hurricane R4118. Since the restoration of this magnificent aircraft to flight in 2004, Peter Vacher continued to research its history. In Hurricane R4118 Revisited, more stories of R4118’s origins are told, including the extraordinary tale of how this aircraft shot down a friendly Whitley bomber before it was assigned to a RAF squadron. Focus is also given to the role of 605 Squadron’s ground crew and the aircraft during the Battle of Britain. Continuing into the present day, Vacher highlights the challenges of maintaining and flying a historic warbird, while Keith Dennison, a warbird pilot, provides expert commentary on exactly what it is like to fly a Hurricane. The book concludes with the sale of R4118 to an enthusiastic Englishman and the decision taken to keep the aircraft at the Shuttleworth Collection. With brand new photography and sources, including wartime letters from veteran pilot Bunny Currant, this book is essential reading for all Hurricane enthusiasts. “Photos and firsthand accounts trace the ongoing restoration and display of a legendary aircraft.” —FineScale Modeler

Author : Gordon Riley
Publisher : Grub Street Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1910690791
Total Pages : 225 pages
Book Rating : 4.96/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hawker Hurricane Survivors written by Gordon Riley and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-19 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive catalog of the remaining World War II fighter planes, including anecdotes and photos. With 2015 being the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain—arguably the Hawker Hurricane’s “finest hour”—it is appropriate to tell the story of the surviving Hurricanes from around the world. Building on research originally started thirty years ago, Gordon Riley has delved into the archives to amass new information—and in the process managed to identify positively one Hurricane that had proved elusive for more than forty years. Today a number of Hurricanes are being privately restored globally. However, the oldest in existence, a veteran of both the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1939 and the Battle of Britain, is displayed in the Science Museum in London, and the youngest—the very last Hurricane ever built—is still flying with the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. This book documents each aircraft by country of origin and mark by mark from the day it left the factory up to the present day. Some have incredible histories whereas others served in very mundane, but still essential, second-line roles until they were disposed of. Where possible each aircraft is illustrated with a present-day photograph along with others taken throughout its life. From the serious enthusiast to the casual museum or air show visitor, if you have an interest in the Hurricane, this is the book for you. “Heavily illustrated and well produced and will serve as an excellent guide not only for historians but also warbird enthusiasts.” —Air Classics

Author : John Dibbs
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472822978
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.70/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hurricane written by John Dibbs and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-18 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the remarkable Hawker Hurricane formally entering service. The RAF's first monoplane fighter, it dragged the Air Force into a position where it could defend Britain in her 'hour of need'. The true workhorse of the RAF, the Hurricane came into its own in the hot summer months of 1940 valiantly defending the skies above Britain. Outnumbering Spitfires three to one, the Hurricane also downed far more enemy aircraft. Without the obvious elegance of the Me 109 or the Spitfire, the Hurricane was nonetheless beloved by its pilots for its ability to simultaneously take a battering and inflict serious damage from its remarkably stable gun platform. This stunning new book reveals the Hurricane in all its glory – from fascinating first-hand accounts from the men who flew her to the truly breathtaking images from John Dibbs of the Hurricanes still in flight today. This lavish, fully illustrated edition is a must-have for all fans of aviation history.

Author : Peter Vacher
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781906502737
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.30/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hurrican R4118 written by Peter Vacher and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1982, when he was travelling in India, Peter Vacher stumbled on the remains of a British plane - a Hurricane Mark 1, a veteran of the Battle of Britain. It was in a dreadful state. Could he restore it? Would it fly again? Not until 14 years later did he decide to act and after six years of wrangling he got the icon home. Then the truly difficult process of restoration began - a worldwide search for parts, careful reconstruction, flight testing - until in 2005 it flew again to the delight of thousands of enthusiasts. Along the way Peter reunited three auspicious veterans - Peter Thompson, Bunny Currant and Bob Foster - with R4118, men who had flown her during the war. To this date the aircraft's grace and splendour in flight is enjoyed by crowds across the UK.

Author : Peter R. March
Publisher : The History Press
ISBN 13 : 0752485164
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.64/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Hurricane Story written by Peter R. March and published by The History Press. This book was released on 2020-07-10 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Hawker Hurricane won lasting fame in the service of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Over 11,700 examples were eventually built of this versatile and deadly combat aircraft, fulfilling an incredible number of contrasting roles. Its design, development and production are described in detail, as are the Hurricane's widely varied operational roles during the Second World War, both at home and overseas. Full details are given of production figures, production variants, and operational service with all RAF and RN squadrons and units.

Author : Adrian Stewart
Publisher : Canelo
ISBN 13 : 1800325312
Total Pages : 423 pages
Book Rating : 4.19/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Hurricane written by Adrian Stewart and published by Canelo. This book was released on 2021-08-05 with total page 423 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The riveting exploits of a fighter aircraft – and an underrated aerial hero of the Second World War The Hawker Hurricane was flying on the outbreak of war in 1939. Six years later, having saved Britain, it was still playing a major part in the war effort. Widely remembered in its fighter role and unjustly left in the shade of the Spitfire, the Hurricane’s role was varied and pivotal: as a fighter, fighter-bomber, anti-tank aircraft and used at sea. Nor was its theatre of operations any less wide: it saw action in France from the beginning of the Phoney War to the outbreak of the Blitzkrieg, in the Battle of Britain, and then as far afield as Russia, Sumatra and Madagascar. In this intensely readable, spirited and classic account, Adrian Stewart describes all the Hurricane’s roles, adventures and achievements. He recounts the exploits of the aircraft’s outstanding pilots who contributed so much towards mastery of the skies and eventual victory. Perfect for readers of John Nichol’s Spitfire and Lancaster.

Author : R W Foster
Publisher : Casemate Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1908117583
Total Pages : 345 pages
Book Rating : 4.88/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Tally Ho! written by R W Foster and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2009-03-23 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A memoir of the life and World War II service of Battle of Britain veteran, RAF fighter pilot Bob Foster. Bob Foster's flying years began shortly before WWII, when he learned to fly with the RAFVR. Called up for war service in September 1939, he completed his training and was posted to 605 Squadron, equipped with Hawker Hurricanes. By early September 1940 he and his Squadron were in the thick of the air fighting over southern England, operating from Croydon. Surviving the Battle, he later became an instructor, but shortly after joining 54 Squadron, which had Spitfires, he and his unit were sent to Australia to defend the Darwin area from Japanese incursions. Awarded the DFC for his efforts, he returned to the UK and was given an assignment with a RAF public relations outfit, ending up in Normandy within three weeks of the invasion of 1944. Often serving right up in the front lines, Bob saw the war at very close hand, and then quite by chance became one of the first, if not the first, RAF officer to enter Paris with the liberating French army, and again, by chance, was in General de Gaulle's triumphant procession down the Champs-Élysées. His memoir is an entertaining collection of stories and reminiscences of two distinct areas of WWII, which also shows how luck often shaped the lives of the fighter pilots involved. Bob Foster later became a successful sales manager with Shell-Mex and BP, as well as serving with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. He now lives with his wife Kaethe near Bexhill in East Sussex.

Author : Andy Saunders
Publisher : Grub Street Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1909166316
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.18/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Spitfire written by Andy Saunders and published by Grub Street Publishers. This book was released on 2012-07-17 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The true story of the recovery of a World War II plane shot down in France—and the effort to restore this historic aircraft. Spitfire is the fascinating story of the recovery of a Battle of France Spitfire Mk 1 from the sands of Calais during the early 1980s—and its subsequent return to the United Kingdom for rebuild and restoration to flying condition. The full history of the airframe from the factory to loss, the airplane’s operational history with 92 Squadron, and the story of the pilots who flew it during its career are also told, as is the unfolding saga of its restoration and return to air—detailing its progress through the workshops right up to the first flight in 2011.

Author : Polly Vacher
Publisher : Grub Street Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1909166472
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.79/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Wings Around the World written by Polly Vacher and published by Grub Street Publishing. This book was released on 2006-11-19 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pilot’s account of her around-the-world adventure, including color photos. On May 6, 2003, Polly Vacher, a fifty-nine-year-old mother of three, took off from an airport in Birmingham, England, seeking to become the first pilot to complete a solo flight around the world, via both Poles, in a single-engine aircraft. Despite having only a few years of flying experience, Polly had already completed a lateral solo circumnavigation of the world in 2001 for the charity Flying Scholarships for the Disabled. This second challenge, for the same charity, would make that achievement look like a casual jaunt. There would be no margin for error. Her voyage to the ice was a thirty-five thousand–mile adventure in her Piper Dakota that would take her to at least thirty different countries on every single continent. She had prepared meticulously for two years, was fully insured, and had all the requisite permits and visas. With her kinetic enthusiasm, charm, and persistence, she had already garnered numerous sponsors. However, as she took off on that blustery spring day—flanked by a Hurricane and a Spitfire and waved off by her family and the Prince of Wales—she suddenly felt so alone. She had begun a remarkable expedition that would gain her three world records—but would also encounter extremes of weather and emotion, much kindness and obstruction, and a little political intrigue. This is the story of that adventure. “Truly inspirational.” —Aviation News