Book Reviews the AVRO VULCAN Revised Edition by Tim Mclelland
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Book Reviews THE AVRO VULCAN Revised edition By Tim McLelland Crécy Publishing, 1a Ringway Trading Estate, Shawdowmoss Road, Manchester M22 5LH, UK. 2019. 304pp. Illustrated. £27.95. ISBN 978-1-91080-927-3. Tim McLelland is acknowledged to have written one of the most authoritative histories of the Avro Vulcan, first as The Vulcan Story (Arms and Armour Press.1993 and revised in 2002) under his pen name of Tim Laming – and also as The Avro Vulcan: A Complete History (Crécy Publishing. 2007) and later Vulcan – God of Fire (The History Press. 2012). The latest version The Avro Vulcan – Revised Edition – published in 2019 – is a further valuable revision, undertaken by Martin Derry, following Tim’s untimely death at the relatively young age of 53 in November 2015. Above: Avro Vulcan XH558 What is immediately striking about this new during its last flight over edition is the inclusion of so very many more Farnborough on 11 October colour photographs. The text is largely unchanged. 2015. Alastair Barbour. However, the larger format has permitted an Right: The first prototype Avro Vulcan, VX770. RAeS (NAL). increased font size, making it an even more attractive read. The structure of the book has been expanded slightly: the first chapter covers the inception of the atomic bomb – including a somewhat historical version of the physics behind fission. I noted the mention of the famous Peierls- Frisch memorandum; I must be one of the few people left alive who met Professor Sir Rudolf Peierls, while I was a graduate at the Department of Falkland Islands in 1982, just prior to when the last Nuclear Physics at Oxford. Vulcan bomber squadrons were stood down. The The second chapter explains how the Avro last Vulcan tanker squadrons were disbanded in Vulcan with its famous delta planform came into 1984, eventually leaving just one Vulcan, XH558, being. Given the innovative nature of the design, flying in the display role. three scaled versions were ordered prior to the Sadly, the story of how XH558 was returned to construction of two full-sized prototypes – these are flight contains many inaccuracies, ones that will be the subject of Chapter 3. corrected once I have written the definitive history Apart from a short introduction, Chapter 4 of that project! I am glad though, that Tim McLelland is made up of Peter River’s recollections as an lived long enough to witness the Vulcan’s return to Avro employee of the design and development of flight for a further eight years. the Vulcan. The fifth chapter covers the Vulcan’s A number of appendices detail the entire Vulcan introduction into RAF service, with the sixth production list, including key dates for each aircraft describing the development of British nuclear and photographs of most; the Vulcan squadrons and bombs and how the Vulcan discharged its role as (new) associated units; the Vulcan Wings, Bases the main UK contribution to the NATO strategic Tim and Dispersal Airfields; the 18 Vulcan airframe nuclear deterrent from 1957 to 1969, after which McLelland is losses, and the Aircrew Manual. the Royal Navy’s Polaris fleet took over. All-in-all, a comprehensive record of the life and Chapter 7 covers the Vulcan’s adventures in acknowledged times of a famous and much-loved aircraft type. the Far East, Australia and New Zealand, part of to have written its service life which is not well known. The eighth one of the most Dr Robert Pleming chapter explains what the Vulcan was like to fly and authoritative FRAeS display, from the aircrew’s perspective. The ninth Sadly, this review was submitted before the untimely chapter describes the only time that the Vulcan was histories of the death of Dr Pleming on 2 February. Our thoughts are used in anger, during the campaign to liberate the Avro Vulcan with his family and friends. 48 AEROSPACE SHORT BROTHERS The Rochester Years By Philip MacDougall Fonthill Media Limited, Millview House, Toadsmoor Road, Stroud GL5 2TB, UK. 2019.192pp. Illustrated. £20. ISBN 978-1-78155-730-3. Philip MacDougall has written a lively contribution to the literature on Short Brothers which shows that following the expansion of seaplane work at Shorts’ factory at Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, in 1913 Oswald Short established a branch factory where the River Medway offered better facilities for the operation of seaplanes. After the Armistice at the end of WW1 in 1918 the business at Rochester was held together by diversification, building and overhauling Felixstowe flying boats and DH9 landplanes. The narrative then shows that Oswald staked all that the future lay in metal construction and traces the evolution of metal The Short-Mayo composite ● in 1917 Rochester became Shorts’ sole aircraft aircraft at Rochester (referencing National Archives aircraft, S21 Maia, G-ADHK, design and manufacturing centre when the and S20 Mercury, G-ADHJ, files) culminating in the Empire, Sunderland, G-Class Admiralty evicted the company from Eastchurch. and Shetland flying boats (the Stirling bomber was was an attempt to fly mail over long distances. RAeS (NAL). ● in May 1919 the Short family incorporated a less successful because the Air Ministry impaired the private company Short Brothers (Rochester & design at the specification stage). Bedford) Limited (Company No. 155564) and Material in the National Archives on the formation bought the original partnership. The success of of Short & Harland Limited in Northern Ireland in Short Brothers (Rochester & Bedford) Limited 1936, on the Rochester company’s tribulations was such that, in 1935, the company converted to leading to nationalisation under the Defence public status to be quoted on the Stock Exchange. Regulations in 1943 and the government’s decision The corporate history given in Short Brothers: in 1946 to transfer Rochester’s production lines to the Rochester Years requires revision. Short Belfast would have consolidated the closing chapters. Brothers (Rochester & Bedford) Limited emerged Among other errors, the figure for the number from the transfer to Belfast with a new name – of Stirlings built at Rochester has been inflated S. B. (Realisations) Limited – a new role as the three-fold by the inclusion of production at the government-owned holding company for the shares dispersed factories around Swindon (187 Rochester, in the Northern Ireland company which, in 1947, was 352 Swindon, 539 total). renamed Short Brothers & Harland Ltd and, after The illustrations in Short Brothers: the Rochester two cosmetic changes of name, emerged in 1984 as Years are above the usual standard in books on Short Brothers plc. Ownership was transferred from Shorts and refreshing use is made of first-hand Westminster to the Northern Ireland Department of statements and press reports. However, the Commerce in 1978 and the company was wound up introductory chapters are unduly long and take up The illustrations in October 1993 following sale of Short Brothers Plc pages better employed for the Rochester years. in Short to the Canadian company Bombardier. Although the Unfortunately, the book repeats the myths that Shorts Brothers: the Belfast business traded as Bombardier, it retained were the world’s first aircraft manufacturers and held its Companies Act name and registration as Short a licence for the Wright Model A. The French aircraft Rochester Years Brothers Plc and it was under that historic name that industry was already flourishing (including serial are above the returns were made to the Registrar of Companies production manufacture of Voisins and preparation usual standard throughout the Bombardier years. by contractors to CGNA for the serial manufacture of in books on Although not without error or omission, Short Wrights) when Oswald made the first entry in Shorts’ Brothers: the Rochester Years is an engaging Order Book in January 1909. Shorts and account of the Short company’s genius in producing The promised Appendix on Shorts’ design team is refreshing memorable aircraft from what, in 1945, a Ministry of missing from the review copy but surely would have use is made Aircraft Production report called ‘one of the worst spelled C P T Lipscomb’s name correctly. Important of first-hand collections of aircraft buildings in the country’. events in the evolution of the business at Rochester not reported in Short Brothers: the Rochester Years statements and Gordon Bruce include: press reports Short Brothers 1959-1979 MARCH 2021 49 - Book Reviews ENGAGING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AVIATION PROFESSIONALS Edited by Suzanne K Kearns et al Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4RN, UK. 2020. xix; 302pp. £45 [20% discount available to RAeS members via www.crcpress.com using AKQ07 promotion code]. ISBN 978-0-367-25427-8. RAeS members can access an e-book edition of this title online via the National Aerospace Library’s e-book service at www.aerosociety.com/ebooks Engaging the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals is an edited volume that aims to bring together diverse views from both academia and industry. It has three main themes of attracting, educating and retaining the aviation professional with a section dedicated to each theme. Each section contains a mix of case studies, scholarly Above: Astronaut Tim Peake chapters and professional reflections, although the captivates children at a Royal majority are academic works. Aeronautical Society Cool Aeronautics event at Hamilton Section 1 is all about attracting young people Place on 9 November 2017. into aviation and provides several insights to industry Right: British Airways operations and outreach programmes implemented engaging children at Inspiring in different parts of the world. Attraction is the first girls at KidZania in 2019. step on the path to, what can be, a very rewarding British Airways/Stuart Bailey. career. Section 2 concentrates on educating future professionals and highlights the difference between the modern-day student and the student of years gone by.