Book Reviews FLYING MAN
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Afterburner Book Reviews FLYING MAN Junkers Ju52/3mfe, D-2527, Manfred von Richtofen, of Lufthansa, which became the travelling aircraft of Goering as D-AGUK, Kurt Wolff. RAeS (NAL). The second Junkers G38, D-2500, Generalfeldmarschall von Hindenburg, was later re-registered D-APIS. This aircraft was taken over by the Luftwaffe in April 1940 but Hugo Junkers and the Dream was destroyed in May 1941 during RAF bombing. RAeS (NAL). of Aviation By R Byers Texas A&M University Press, College Station. 2016. xi; 245pp. Illustrated. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-62349- 464-3. In spite of other renowned German aircraft designers, such as Claude Dornier, Ernest Heinkel and Willy Messerschmitt, it was Hugo Junkers (born 1859) who, from 1913 onwards, paved the way for global air routes with his revolutionary all metal planes and, in 1919, with his F13 luxury passenger and commercial aircraft. He followed this with his tough and reliable Ju52 transport and passenger aircraft which, as the beloved ‘Tante Ju’, was extensively used during WW2. near Moscow which was to end disappointingly and Richard Byers in his scholarly biography Flying lead to further economic problems and lawsuits that Man: Hugo Junkers and the Dream of Aviation finally led to his enterprises falling into the hands of begins with Junkers’ final humiliation where he is the German government. forced out of his company and placed in house The book meticulously recounts Junkers arrest from 2 February 1934 until his death at 76 repeated and prolonged struggles in a text on 3 February 1935 when the accumulation of a supported by 44 pages of notes. Although, together lifetime’s work, including his aircraft complex and with his undoubted technological achievements patents, passed to the Third Reich. This marked we are made aware of Junkers’ obstinacy if not the end of a prolonged and bitter contest between obscurantism, Byers sees him as an idealist who the state and someone whom Byers saw not only arguably more than other contemporary and as a brilliant aircraft designer but a characteristic charismatic German designers firmly believed in Rhinelander with his “shrewd business acumen, aviation as a way of unifying countries rather than stubbornness, self-confidence and cheerfulness.” aiding its growing potential in war. Such beliefs cost Even so, during his life Junkers’ determination to him dear but, as this powerful biography argues, command a dominant position found him involved they surely entitle him to deserved and wider in questionable projects and in a succession of Hugo Junkers c1920. recognition today. bitter lawsuits. Byers points out how in 1921, while experiencing financial difficulties, he agreed to a Peter Reese secret plan to create German aircraft facilities at Fili AMRAeS 44 AEROSPACE / JUNE 2018 MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 The Design and Operational Bf109 G-2 trop 10639 competitors and their weaknesses and notes the (G-USTV), ex-PG + QJ, ex- first production order was in March 1936, the same History III./JG 77 ‘Black 6’, ex-3 Sdn month the Spitfire made its maiden flight. RAAF ‘CV-V’, ex-RAF RN228 By J Forsgren No1426 Flight (Enemy The second section not only looks at all the Aircraft), Black 6, Royal Air Bf109 versions including the Fieseler-Skoda FiSk Fonthill Media Limited, Millview House, Toadsmoor Force Museum Cosford. The 199 but also at planned successors, such as the aircraft was then the world’s Me155, Me209, Me309 and Me409. I have to admit Road, Stroud GL5 2TB, UK. 2017. 272pp. only airworthy example until Illustrated. £25. ISBN 978-1-78155-586-6. 12 October 1997 when the I have never seen any reference either to the FiSk plane flipped during landing 199 or the Me155. Many readers will feel that another volume on the after encountering an engine The service records for both the Luftwaffe and Bf109 would be as useful as a second Merlin in a problem. The aircraft was foreign air forces inevitably repeat stories which Spitfire but such a rush to judgement would mean salvaged and restored to have appeared elsewhere, yet Mr Forsgren has the static display condition. overlooking an extremely valuable reference book. RAeS (NAL). delightful knack of adding little nuggets with which The Swedish author divides the subject into many, including the reviewer, are unfamiliar. These four sections; the background to the fighter’s include details of the first victory over a Spitfire, development, descriptions of each production If you want to fighter school combat squadrons and the use of version, operational service with the Luftwaffe Bf109s by Russians, both Communist and anti- and operations with other air forces including the know anything Communist! The author also includes materials on Japanese, Spanish, Swiss and Soviet Union. Three about the Mistel and suicide operations, all interspersed and appendices look at Luftwaffe pre-war Jagdgruppen, Bf109 then this further enhances the text with personal stories. German production and finally Allied evaluations of is essential In one slim volume the author had produced the aircraft. an incredibly comprehensive history of the Bf109 The first section explains exactly why the reading and which would take others two or three volumes. If you sophisticated Messerschmitt design triumphed not I suspect it want to know anything about the Bf109, then this only rival designs but also over numerous opponents will become is essential reading and I suspect it will become the within the Reichsluftfahrtministerium who made the standard standard reference work on the subject, aided by a much of the fact the prototype was damaged upon reasonable price. landing for which the pilot was made the scapegoat. reference work The author also takes the trouble to describe the on the subject E R Hooton Find us on Twitter i Find us on LinkedIn f Find us on Facebook www.aerosociety.com JUNE 2018 45 Afterburner Book Reviews TRANSFORMING THE SKIES Pilots, Planes and Politics in British Aviation, 1919-1940 By P Reese The History Press, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2QG, UK. 2018. 283pp. Illustrated. £19.99. ISBN 978-0-7509- 8410-2. Many of the technical and political events called up in this book have been well recorded in previously published works. However, where Peter Reese’s book scores heavily is the new light he throws on the influential key players of the period. Conflict and policy making have long been close bedfellows and never more so than in the fight for the RAF’s survival its pilots and the chairman Sir Eric Geddes and Above: Imperial Airways and the early airlines’ struggle for government managing director George Woods Humphery! Short S8 Calcutta, G-EBVG, support in the post-WW1 years. Consider the battle One man in particular, set himself the task of City of Alexandria, moored continuously fought by the then Chief of the Air by the Houses of Parliament making both the government and the public air- in August 1928, where it Staff Lord Trenchard to secure the service’s future, minded. Alan Cobham, not a name that slips easily was inspected by many only to put his policy of bomber production first and off the tongue these days, achieved this to a large members of both Houses. that of modern fighters second, almost causing a degree by conducting route-proving flights to India Powered by three 540hp national disaster in 1940. Trenchard’s views, aided and Burma, South Africa and Australia in the 1920s. Bristol Jupiter XIF geared radial engines, the flying and abetted by his successor as Chief of the Air He went on to consolidate his massive fame by boat could accommodate Staff Sir Edward Ellington were strongly opposed forming his National Aviation Day and conducting 15 passengers comfortably by the far-sighted Air Minister Lord Swinton and displays the length and breadth of the country and and included a buffet with service colleagues such as Lord Dowding and, South Africa in the early 1930s. His many other necessary equipment for a especially, Sir Wilfrid Freeman. The author does steward, lavatory, and space achievements are recounted at some length in this for luggage and mail. not fail to give due credit to the industry leaders book, as indeed are those of other luminaries. Below right: Sir Alan John Mitchell, Camm, de Havilland and Handley Page et Peter Reese has not only called on his own Cobham, 1894-1973. al who succeeded in difficult and stringent times to in-depth knowledge of the industry and its workings Below centre: de Havilland provide private venture aircraft capable of sustained but has clearly carried out intensive research to DH50J, G-EBFO, as flown by Alan Cobham on his World development throughout the war. produce such an entertaining and informative Survey Flights. The aircraft is Until the disastrous crash of the R-101 airship volume, in which a photograph caption error on p at Malakal, Sudan, during the in October 1930 removed all shadow of doubt, the 216 regarding the correct identities of Sir Kingsley flight to Cape Town and back, way forward for heavier-than-air machines was Wood and Hubert Scott-Paine appears as a 16 November 1925 to 13 March 1926. Shilluk warriors less than certain. The formation of Imperial Airways minor blemish. Considering the wealth of material are in the foreground. The brought a degree of stability to British airline travel, appertaining to the war and post-war periods, might photograph was taken by A.B. albeit having to compete against continental rivals further writings perhaps be in the pipeline? Elliott, Cobham’s engineer. enjoying much greater governmental financial Below left: Hawker Hurricane support and better performance aircraft. Not to Colin Cruddas I, P3428. All RAeS (NAL).