This is a unique account of the development and operational use of air-to-air flight refuelling since its early beginnings in the USA and the UK to the equipment that is in use today. The author draws upon his life-long career as senior design engineer with the successful British company In-Flight Refuelling who were responsible for the development of the hose and drogue technique now preferred by many of the world's air forces. The story begins in the early 1920s when the art of air refuelling was part of the Barn Storming record-breaking attempts that were popular in the USA. It continues into the late thirties when successful experiments were made. Amazingly, the Royal Air Force were not interested in pursuing this great technical advantage during World War II and it was the USAAF who requested the British invention to experiment with on their B-17s and B-24s. The Korean War saw extended use of operational air-to-air refuelling for the first time and now the 'tanker fleet' is an essential unit in major air-forces around the world.

History of Air-to-Air Refuelling

History

Penn & Sword Books

Military

“Enthralling eye witness histories” John Keegan On the night of 17-18 August 1943, RAF Bomber Command attacked a remote research establishment on the German Baltic coast. The site was Peenemünde, where Hitler’s scientists were developing both the V-1 flying bomb and the V-2 rocket whose destructive powers could have swung the course of the War. The raid was meticulously planned and hopes were high. But the night sky was so cloudless that the British bombers presented an easy target for German night fighters, and over 40 were lost. Martin Middlebrook draws on the memories of over 400 people involved in the dramatic events on that night: RAF and Luftwaffe aircrew, German personnel at the research site and foreign laborers who had been forced to work there. The result is a truly compelling account of this hazardous attempt to disrupt Hitler’s V-weapons program.

Peenemunde Raid: The Night of 17-18 August 1943

Churchill's Secret Weapon

In the dark days when Britain stood alone, Prime Minister Churchill realised that, to win the war against an enemy superior in strength, science had to be harnessed to devise new weapons. Three men had Churchill's confidence; Lord Cherwell (the Prof), his brilliant main scientific adviser; Millis Jefferis who ran MDI (The Toy Factory); and an irascible and eccentric Major General Percy Hobart. Despite being Monty's brother-in-law and a talented tank expert, Hobart had been banished to the Home Guard. Churchill rescued him and tasked him to form, equip and train a secret armored division which went on to storm the Normandy Beaches. Hobart was the mastermind behind an extraordinary collection of tank-based secret weapons (known as Hobart's Funnies) which supported every British and Canadian army and many US divisions for the rest of the War.

Churchill's Secret Weapons: The Story of Hobart's Funnies

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

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Books by Penn & Sword Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Penn & Sword Books. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

History of Air-to-Air Refuelling

Peenemunde Raid: The Night of 17-18 August 1943

Churchill's Secret Weapons: The Story of Hobart's Funnies