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Book Reviews In Section 2 the aircraft Book systems testbeds are illustrated and explained including various air-to-air Reviews refuelling experiments including the Polikarpov R-5 of 1931. Landing gear testbeds are also covered in this section including multi- wheel and air cushion War over the experiments with the Antonov Trenches: Air Power An-2, An-14, UT-2 and Pe-2. Caterpillar undercarriage and the Western were tested on the Li-2, U-2 Front Campaigns Fokker DVII. RAeS (NAL) photo. and R-5 and skids on Il-28, 1916-1918 MiG and Sukhoi fighters, as However, there are some Soviet and Russian well as tricycle and bicycle By E R Hooton issues with the study. Testbed Aircraft wheel variants on the SB, Tu- Hooton’s assertion that, “[w]e 4 and Tu-16. Control system Midland Publishing, Ian Allan know less about the air war testbeds are also covered in By Y Gordon and Publishing Ltd, Hersham, over the Western Front, than this section, including the D Komissarov Surrey KT12 4RG, UK. 2010. Roman Army campaigns” (p Rafaelyants ‘Flying Bedstead’, 352pp. Illustrated. £22.50. 6) is difficult to sustain, as are ejection seat testbeds Hikoki Publications, 1a ISBN 978-0-7110-3415-0. particularly as, in relation to such as the An-12, MiG-15 Ringway Trading Estate, British air power during the and Il-28. De-icing and Shadowmoss Road, oted defence journalist conflict, a number of boundary-layer testbeds are Manchester M22 5LH, UK. E R Hooton launches a important secondary also described together with N 2011. 416pp. Illustrated. sortie into military air power sources are overlooked. For other testbeds for aircraft £34.95. ISBN 978- during WW1 and achieves a example, while Hooton is carriers and other systems 1902109-18-3. notable success. The great correct to suggest that there including the Burlaki towed strength of the study is is a genuine dearth of fighter escort system tried out found via its multinational biographies of air power n this book of 416 pages on the straight wing Yak-25 focus, which allows the leaders; his omission of E Ithe authors introduce us to fighter prototype. author to make important Ash’s study of Frederick a surprising number of ‘flying Propulsion testbeds are comparisons between Sykes — Sir Frederick Sykes laboratories’, often covered in the next section, American, Belgian, British, and the Air Revolution abbreviated in Russian to LL, including multi-blade French and German 1912-1918 (Frank Cass and describe them by propellers, pulse jet, ram jet operations. Hooton’s sections Publishers. 2009) — is application, in alphabetical and rocket boosters, and examining French air power, disappointing. In addition, order. It does not deal with numerous jet engines based on thorough primary from a presentational prototypes and experimental including lift jet versions of the and secondary research are standpoint, the end-noting in aircraft as such. MiG-21 and Su-15 and particularly valuable, as the book is inconsistent, with The first section is devoted vectoring nozzles on the there are so few English random parenthesises to aerodynamics testbeds, Su-27. language sources available. appearing at the end of beginning with an Aero L-39C Avionics testbeds are It is also refreshing to see some sentences — a minor fitted with winglets and an covered in Section 4 including that, while exploring air problem but rather Ilyushin DB-3 used for testing radar, navigation, avionics, operations in detail, Hooton distracting (for example, see aerofoil sections and the electronic intelligence, does not neglect the wider pp 44-45). MiG-8 experimental canard thermal imaging, automatic organisational or operational Nonetheless, these aircraft. These are followed by landing, targeting, laser and context in which these air problems do not detract a number of experimental missile guidance systems. services functioned. from what is a useful addition versions of MiG fighters, A section on weapons Moreover, Hooton’s use of to the growing literature on including MiG-21s with testbeds follows, covering statistics is illustrative and air power during WW1. foreplanes and the testbed for missile guidance, interception, insightful, providing readers Hooton’s multinational focus the original ogival-wing bomb delivery and other with easy access to is to be commended and it is planform for the first Tu-144. armaments and weapons numerical data distilled from hoped that such an approach The Sukhoi aerodynamic development aircraft. Weather a range of archival sources. will drive further comparative testbeds are not neglected Research, Geophysical Survey This allows Hooton to trace research in the field. and the Tsybin LL-1, 2 and 2, and Miscellaneous the evolution of air power James Pugh with straight, swept forward Applications make up the final concepts while demonstrating PhD Candidate and swept back wings are three sections. the tangible impact of School of History and illustrated, as are the Tupolev The book is extensively aircraft as the Allies marched Cultures and Yakovlev aerodynamic illustrated throughout with toward victory in 1918. University of Birmingham research aircraft. colour and black-and-white 28 The Aerospace Professional Book Reviews photographs supplemented fascinating slice through a Overall then, this is a Ayesh fresh from training by many colour side view and rarely documented theme in beautiful, enjoyable and and, although by the time he black-and-white side and aviation history, and fascinating book, but of arrived the very high loss three view drawings. particularly because of the minimal technical value to rate had declined, he still The result is a beautifully beautifully reproduced any future designer of flying faced unbelievable perils as produced book of illustrations, would make a machines — roadable or not. his crew fought their way considerable value to those great coffee-table book. In Guy Gratton, CEng, FRAeS over Germany 34 times to interested in the experimental terms of the breadth of complete their combat tour. development aircraft of the research it is probably The author uses sobering Soviet Union and Russia from unprecedented in this field Through Blue Skies unedited quotes from his 1930 to the present day. and this reader was to Hell: America’s uncle’s accounts of each Nigel Eastaway, Affiliate fascinated to read about the mission and adds variably successful life “Bloody 100th” in explanatory material obsessions of forgotten the Air War over describing the general war Flying Cars: the designers such as René Germany situation at the time to set extraordinary Tampier or Theodore P Hall. the bombing campaign in Graphically it is excellent, By E M Sion context. Much of this is both history of cars and anybody with any illuminating and fascinating, designed for interest of aircraft design Casemate Publishers, 17 as are his descriptions of tomorrow’s world can have hours of fun poring Cheap Street, Newbury, every day life at Thorpe over the beautiful pictures Berkshire RG14 5DD, UK. Abbotts and the harrowing By P J Gyger and second-guessing 2011. 222pp. Illustrated. scenes in a bomber whether various projects £13.99. ISBN 978-1- formation under attack, both Haynes Publishing, would have worked or not. 935149-87-3. of which are vividly painted. Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset However, where the book The book sadly suffers BA22 7JJ, UK. 2011. fails is in providing any real hrough Blue Skies to Hell from errors in the technical 192pp. Illustrated. £25. supporting information for Tjoins an endless stream details of aircraft and ISBN 978-0-85733-091-8. the future designer. Even of books about the WW2 equipment and a lot of such simple but valuable aids bombing campaign. Author explanatory information is e’ve all at some point as tables of design and Edward Sion has based his unnecessarily repeated Wseen the appeal of a performance parameters are work on the diary of his uncle which tends to give a feeling personal flying machine — missing, let alone any form of Richard Ayesh, a bombardier of padding out the text. More the idea of lifting off from analysis, and, for most of the with the USAAF’s 8th Air unfortunate is the critical outside our home, flying in a aircraft described, there isn’t Force’s 100th Bombardment view of RAF Bomber straight line to work or our even simple information such Group at Thorpe Abbotts in Command’s campaign which holidays, and eventually as what engine was used or Norfolk. is dismissed as inaccurate. returning the same way is anything about the available The Group was called the Sion takes the view that area wonderful, if usually highly payload. Collaboration with “Bloody 100th” due to bombing of German cities impracticable. This book by an aeronautical engineer appalling combat losses was morally wrong and that historian Patrick Gyger would have, one hopes, have during the darkest days of it was the USAAF’s daylight charts the history of this ensured that this useful 1943 before long-range campaign that secured ideal, from pre-1903 up to addition was present. escort fighters could protect victory. Stated at length, this the present day, with Similarly while there is a its B-17 Flying Fortresses; does detract somewhat from beautiful and rare lengthy bibliography, this isn’t on one mission 14 aircraft the main thrust of the story, illustrations of many of the cross-referenced to the text, were despatched and just which is one man’s war. concepts: both real and which would have aided the one came back. Into this Dr Steve Bond fanciful. As such it is a serious researcher. maelstrom came Richard CEng, MRAeS Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, 43-38111. RAeS (NAL) photo. August 2012 29.