Non-annual Books

Handley Page Hermes - A Very British Airliner
Tony Merton-Jones

Developed to ply the world’s post-war air routes, the Hermes was a handsome challenger that suffered from a number of problems that would plague its success. Loss of the prototype on its maiden flight in 1945 slowed the programme, and when the production version emerged, a change of undercarriage to nosewheel configuration and Sir Frederick Handley Page’s insistence that every component should be of British origin led to further delays. Nevertheless, in July 1950 BOAC unveiled the airliner to take over African routes from Short Solent flying-boats. Twenty-five aircraft were ordered by BOAC, although several heavy aircraft were rejected by the Corporation. Detailed research at the British Airways Heritage Centre has revealed the extraordinary efforts made by BOAC to improve the performance of the aircraft. Withdrawn from service as early as 1954, a handful of Hermes were granted a brief reprieve by BOAC following the Comet grounding, but by the end of that year the entire fleet was offered for sale. Airwork, which took delivery of several heavy airframes in 1952, was joined by Britavia and Skyways on the trooping runs for which the Hermes became famous. Later operators included Silver City, Air Safaris, Falcon Airways and Air Links, and overseas leases to Kuwait Airways and Middle East Airlines. There is extensive consideration of all these airlines’ services.

The author has secured a remarkable number of superb photographs, many not seen in print before, and correspondence between BOAC, Handley Page and the Government over the problems with the Hermes. There are six evocative colour side views of Hermes’ operators from the 1950s. As usual with Air-Britain books, there is a full production history, a comprehensive bibliography and a detailed analysis of the accidents suffered by the type. This book features all variants, including the turboprop-powered Hermes 5 and the development work undertaken by the Hermes 2, which became the last Hermes to fly.

A4 softback, 134 pages, 213 images in both black & white and colour, 6 colour side views, and general arrangement drawing.
Members £25.00 Non-members £35.00

The Full Story of the VC10, Super VC10 and RAF VC10
John P McCrickard

The VC10 was the last in the line of successful Vickers Commercial post-war airliners designed and built in the Weybridge factory at the pioneering Brooklands airfield, the final aircraft produced by Vickers. With its advanced design, high performance, superior passenger appeal and robust construction, the VC10 achieved formidable success during half a century of operations. It served with a number of international airlines and, of course, the Royal Air Force to whom it rendered 47 years of distinguished front-line service in transport and tanker roles in many global operaitons and VIP flights in peace and war. One of the most famous and successful British aircraft, its popularity endures to the present day with a number remaining in active preservation.

This comprehensive study recounts the full history of the VC10 in exhaustive detail, including a wealth of new, previously unpublished information and data, drawn mainly from primary sources. The book corrects many of the mistruths that have become accepted VC10 folklore. Fresh insights on its operating economics help to demonstrate that the VC10 was in fact a very profitable airliner. Many previously unpublished photographs appear for the first time and specially prepared three-view drawings and colour side views depict the many VC10 variants, including unbuilt civil and military projects. The book also contains the most detailed VC10 individual aircraft histories yet published.

This new Air-Britain book has been researched by the author over nearly 50 years in his enduring 'love affair' with the VC10 as a fine tribute to this much-admired British aircraft.

Hardback, 320 pages, over 500 images, most in colour
Members £45; Non-members £65

F G Miles Ltd and the Miles Group of Companies 1945-1948

Peter Amos

The long-awaited fourth volume of the Air-Britain's history of Miles Aircraft is now available and follows on from Miles Aircraft - The Post-war Years.

This book starts with a brief summary of the events of 1947 and 1948 that lead up to the demise of Miles Aircraft Ltd. It goes on to tell the story of what subsequently happened to the Miles brothers and how they recovered from their loss and carried on with their future accomplishments.

The Miles brothers, their friends and associates were embittered by what had happened and were frustrated by having to see what was being done to their once thriving business. However, not to be beaten, on 4 December 1948, F G Miles formed a new company, F G Miles Limited, at Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey and this, after he moved it to Shoreham in 1952-53, was gradually developed into The Miles Group of Companies. These, together with other companies formed by his brother George, are all detailed in this, the last volume in the series.

The book covers a plethora of projects as well as physical products such as the M.75 Aries, M.77 Sparrowjet, M.100 Student and the HDM.105 along with assistance given on the Wallis autogyro and the Beagle-Miles M.218.

There are also separate chapters on the SE.5a and Boxkite replicas made for film work.

Hardback, 240 pages, illustrated throughout with black and white and colour photographs, general arrangement drawings, period brochures and advertisements.

Members £35.00; non-members £52.50

We are offering the previous three volumes in this series on special offer - Vols 1 and 2 at £20 each and Vol 3 at £15 (or £23 with the appendices file). Please go to the Special Offer Books header for full details.

Building on Success – Establishing a New Future
Stuart McKay MBE

Having designed military aeroplanes at the start of his aviation career, Captain Geoffrey de Havilland was anxious to redirect his talents towards civil applications. His opportunity came in 1920 when he was encouraged and funded by his previous employer, George Holt Thomas, to start his own company.

Business was slow and the company was on the point of financial collapse when a wealthy young sportsman named Alan Butler appeared on the scene in 1923 and commissioned a three-seat touring biplane. Butler was so impressed with the service provided by the company that he became a major investor and eventually joined the board as Director and Chairman.

The financial security provided by Alan Butler allowed Geoffrey de Havilland to pursue his dream of designing a small civil aeroplane suitable for the ‘man in the street’. The result was the DH.60 Moth of 1925 which became a worldwide success. Continued development of the airframe and engine plus an understanding of customers’ requirements led directly to the revolutionary DH.80 Puss Moth in 1929, the first of the practical ‘private owner’ Cabin Moths.

This book covers the story of four of de Havilland’s Cabin Moths: the DH.80 Puss Moth, DH.83 Fox Moth, DH.85 Leopard Moth and DH.87 Hornet Moth, their design, construction, development, marketing and operation.

The story starts in the golden age of aviation in the 1930s with personalities such as Amy Johnson, Jim Mollison, Bert Hinkler and Alex Henshaw, long-distance record flights to South Africa, India and Australia, air race successes and the opening of air services in remote areas of Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the book continues through World War II and communications duties. We come right up to the present day and thriving Cabin Moth restoration programmes. As is to be expected from a book produced by Air-Britain, extensive histories for each aircraft are included.

Author Stuart McKay is the Founding Secretary of the DH Moth Club and Editor of the quarterly magazine ‘The Moth’. He is also author of a number of books including the definitive histories of the DH.60 Moth and the DH.82 Tiger Moth as well as the story of the 1934 MacRobertson International Air Races from Mildenhall to Melbourne.

Hardback, 400 pages, lavishly illustrated throughout in colour and black and white with 1,000 photographs and artwork including period brochures and posters.

Air-Britain and DH Moth Club members £50.00 Non-members £75.00.

NOTE FOR DHMC members: Please select 'DHMC Member' below, add to Cart, then enter 'DHMC + (your membership number)' in the Member Number box when requested.

Philip Jarrett

It is hard to resist the temptation to postulate what the possible future of the Bristol M.1 monoplane would have been, had things been different from the start. While its potential was clearly evident to pilots from its first appearance, the M.1 was summarily dismissed by the Royal Flying Corp's (RFC) most senior officer even before it had undergone its initial full Service assessments. Had the troublesome Le Rhône engine been replaced with a more reliable Clerget or Bentley rotary and twin synchronised Vickers guns been installed, the M.1 could well have created a potent front-line fighter, and a variant with increased fuel tankage might have proved a formidable longer-range escort fighter to protect reconnaissance and bomber aeroplanes delivering attacks beyond the enemy's lines.

Sadly, as recounted in this book, this potential was unrealised. No M.1s ever served on the Western Front, and although some of the small number produced went to squadrons in the Middle East, many were relegated to training units in the UK. Ironically, it was there that they gained popularity and prominence, becoming the chosen personal mounts of senior pilots and instructors.

Curiously, a small number ended up in South America, equipping the nascent Chilean air arm in the early interwar years and being used for pioneering flights across the highest point of Andes into Argentina. In addition, a few went on to the British civil register, one went to the USA and another to Australia, where it survived to become the sole remaining original example of the type.

As well as providing a comprehensive account of the M.1's development and usage, in this lavishly-illustrated volume Philip Jarrett includes official period documentation regarding performance, first-hand pilots' impressions of the type, the known individual histories of the 125 M.1s that were eventually produced, accounts of the airworthy and static reproductions, a set of specially prepared general-arrangement drawings, and colour artwork illustrating a selection of the schemes applied, some of which can only be described as extraordinary. For the latter a degree of informed speculation has sometimes been necessary owing to the lack of colour imagery in the period with which we are concerned, but every effort has been made to achieve the most accurate results possible - the current trend for 'colourisation' of black-and-white images, with its very suspect results, has not been indulged in.

450 illustrations in both colour and black and white including general arrangements and colour side view drawings.
Softback, 120 pages
Members: £25.00 Non-members: £37.50

SPECIAL OFFER: Add The Bristol Fighter book to this order at Members £39.95 / Non-members: £59.95 and on processing we will reduce the price of that book to £25.00 before chargng your payment card.
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