Afterburner Book Reviews THE RNAS And the Birth of the 1914-1918 By I M Burns

Fonthill Media Limited, Millview House, Toadsmoor Road, Stroud GL5 2TB, UK. 2014. 240pp. Illustrated. £20. ISBN 978-1-78155-365-7.

Ian Burns is a former employee of the aircraft industry who has already written books and articles on British naval aviation in WW1. In this book, he describes the evolution of British ship-based air power from 1911 to the end of the war (the title is thus a little misleading). He has done much research from numerous sources and the book contains much useful information that all interested readers would fi nd useful and enlightening. However, it is a missed opportunity. The book virtually ignores the policy background and, therefore, makes no attempt to answer the key question of why the Admiralty so signally failed Above: F J Rutland fl ying a off a platform on the forward of HMS Yarmouth to put emphasis on fl eet aviation as it developed on 28 June 1917. The Pup is believed to be N6431. Below: HMS Furious (47) with a Sopwith F1 Camel on the fl ightdeck. Both RAeS (NAL). the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps into a powerful land-based air force, one of the precursors of the RAF, not the . This greatly frustrated the fl eet commanders who developed their air support almost in opposition to the Admiralty. In this book, I have to claim a little disappointment in reading The author claims to have used Roskill’s Navy he describes this book, although I did learn quite a lot from it. It Records Society collection of documents on the will help future researchers, although this assistance but one would not have the evolution would have been greatly enhanced if the author had thought so. He repeats the old legend of the of British ship- used endnotes. so-called independence of the RNAS in July 1914; based air RNAS personnel remained listed under ‘Royal Flying power from Professor Eric Grove Corps’ in the Navy List until 1918. If the author had FRHistS kept up with the latest scholarship, he might have 1911 to the end Former Professor of Naval History, Salford and been able to offer a deeper policy analysis. of the war Hope Universities

44 AEROSPACE / FEBRUARY 2016 THE SUPERCARRIERS

The Forrestal and Kitty Hawk However, the upon the enemy. The increase in effi ciencies of Classes signifi cance aircraft-enabled carriers to become increasingly operationally effective. The book provides an By A Faltum of the excellent analysis of the importance of technology Supercarriers throughout and, in particular, the advances made Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road, Annapolis, is not lost in in launch technology is extremely fascinating. The MD 21402, USA. 2014. Distributed by Eurospan the UK, with improvements permitted faster launching of aircraft Group, 3 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8LU, UK. which increased the operational tempo during a 211pp. Illustrated. £29.95. ISBN 978-1-59114- building of the confl ict of aircraft to engage in their missions, be it 180-8. ’s in air superiority or bombardment. Indeed, the role of largest ever naval aviation was to expand when the nuclear role The legacy of the US Supercarriers stretches wider carriers in was taken over primarily by the navy and electronic than beyond the US’ oceans. Indeed, as the book warfare came to the fore. timely reminds us, the importance of carriers was progress The technological advances in naval tactical never lost on successive Presidents, when the fi rst data systems (NTDs) enabled the fears that human question should an international crisis occur was: operators would be overwhelmed, with increasingly “Where are the carriers?” However, the signifi cance sophisticated missiles and aircraft beginning of the Supercarriers is not lost in the UK, with to threaten the carriers. The book eloquently building of the Royal Navy’s largest ever carriers describes the development of NTDs in detail and its in progress. The infl uence of the US Supercarriers signifi cance should not be lost on the reader. throughout the Cold War cannot be overlooked. On a sombre note, something which is often Carriers are able to be used without host nation overlooked is the devastation fi res aboard ship can support which in a changing strategic environment cause. The incident of the 29 July 1967 Forrestal makes carriers a valuable asset. fi re which caused 134 fatalities demonstrates this. The carriers during the Cold War provided a vital However, the lessons learned and the fact that element in maintaining the eerie peaceful balance, every crew member was to have a fi re-fi ghting role by being the platform for the nuclear-armed aircraft. ensured that the damage that fi res caused could be The fi rst nuclear-armed aircraft to operate from the reduced. USS Forrestal was the North American FJ-4B Fury. The book outlines the role naval aviation and The ability in the late 1950s for carrier aircraft to fl y the Supercarriers played in almost every single transcontinental, no doubt infl uenced US decision confl ict throughout the Cold War. Indeed, the reader makers concerning the fl exibility they offered. will be hard pushed to fi nd a confl ict in which the The decision in 1955 to fi t aircraft with infl ight carriers were absent. On a fi nal note the appendix refuelling enabled the range of the aircraft to extend has a treasure trove of details which any technical signifi cantly. enthusiast will fi nd invaluable. The USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) The development and advancement of aircraft while conducting fl ight technology has seen a synergistic rise of the operations in the Philippine Dr Matthew Mowthorpe ability of carriers to provide more force to bear Sea in 2004. US Navy. MoD

Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com FEBRUARY 2016 45 Afterburner Book Reviews W O BENTLEY ROTARY AERO ENGINES By T Dine The advantages underpinning the rise of rota- ries could have been more clearly expressed – the The W O Bentley Memorial Foundation, Ironstone high specifi c power of the Gnomes and extremely Lane, Wroxton, Nr Banbury, Oxfordshire OX15 6ED, low vibration giving remarkable impetus to early UK. 2014. 221pp. Illustrated. £55 plus £4 postage/ aircraft. More comparison of the good and poor packing (UK). ISBN 978-0-9540901-6-6. features is desirable: between the Gnomes, the elegant Le Rhones – early in using conventional Rotary aero engines have a unique position in rings on aluminium pistons, copied in the Oberursel aeronautical history and a neat story: a rapid rise URII, and the individually tunable Clerget inlet and to prominence, widespread use in WW1 and an exhaust valve timing. The Clerget persisted with the equally rapid demise. Dr Tom Dine, a Bentley fragile obdurator ring from the Gnome: a major enthusiast has researched deeply into cause of distress; a diagram would be the remarkable input of Walter Owen helpful. It was Bentley or WO (as he is universally eliminated by the aluminium referred to) into rotary engine sleeved cylinder WO development and drawn it introduced to reduce cylinder together in this distortion. These would luxurious record. Despite highlight further how WO the fascination of rotaries combined and added to – the motor spinning best technology. It ap- behind the propeller, pears that the Clerget the waft of blue castor were introducing oil smoke and the aluminium pistons to WW1 aircraft they 9B and 9Bfs, not just powered – histories of the 9J; and another rotary engine detail – the Oberur- development and sel U-1 was not a manufacture are Monosoupape but the limited. This is a wel- earlier two valve Gnome come addition. Delta of 100hp, with the This volume outlines unreliable piston mounted early rotary history, their inlet valve (also on the functionality and then their Double Lambda). There is demise, before outlining WO’s space for more technical ‘how’ input at Gwynnes. He had been – for instance timing, and dis- planted there to encourage the use advantages – for instance fi lthy oil of aluminium pistons (which he suc- soaked aircraft and pilots, and range cessfully achieved with Rolls-Royce and limitation in comparison with effi cient, Sunbeam) and to address other shortcomings cleaner stationary engines. perpetuated in the Clerget – causing serious Bentley BR2 rotary engine. There are enjoyable spreads of BR1 and BR2 concerns to the RFC and RNAS. Apart from WO’s Tony Hisgett. aircraft applications and, fascinatingly, several autobiography, there seems little evidence on successful early helicopters. I was delighted with a his signifi cant input to Clerget improvements at listing of existing related aircraft and engines, that Gwynnes but it appears clear by the improvements there are ‘new build’ working BR2s being made, on the Clerget 9 series and the independently and that the L J Blackmore ¼ scale model gets a produced BR1 and BR2 that he was the driving mention. force. His dynamic approach was illustrated by his in There are The book lacks an index but concludes with situ liaison with front line squadrons – which had a enjoyable comprehensive reference sources – bibliography, profound effect on him. He, no doubt, put Gwynne’s spreads of BR1 web sources, National Archive References and noses out but was welcomed by Humber who and BR2 aircraft museum list. In addition, a CD contains BR1 and 2 produced the excellent BR1 and BR2 engines. WO manuals and excellent HD fi lm clips of a Vintage was incensed by criticism that BR1s were Clerget applications Aviator replica Sopwith Snipe with an original BR2, copies: he was a fi ne engineer who took the good and, owned, described and fl own by Kermit Weeks. I features – cambox and valve drive, dual ignition, fascinatingly, would certainly like a copy on my bookshelf (and a carburettor – of Clerget’s and other engines, and several Snipe in my hangar). eliminated the bad. BR1 engines had greater power, better reliability – and much lower cost. BR2s successful early Chris Wright represented the pinnacle of rotary achievement. helicopters CEng MRAeS

46 AEROSPACE / FEBRUARY 2016