Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: hazed- on August 11, 2003, 09:54:31 AM
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Ok a few more books bought today...
'633 squadron' by Frederick E. Smith about a mosquito raid depicted in the film of the same name
'Me 410 in combat' by Krzysztof Janowicz all about the combat exploits of the me210 and 410.
'Combat Legend Spitfire Mks 1-V' by Peter Caygill. another in the 'combat legend' series, I highly recommend thesseries of books, a nice mix of technical and war stories/histories.
And a new series for me but it looks like its been running for years:
'WarbirdTech series: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt' volume 23 by Frederick A Johnsen.
This really is a seemingly superb series with many rare drawings from manuals and historical documents reproduced inside.Also great battle damage photos, constructions and repair details, cockpit photos etc.
A really nice book.heres something for frenchy :
Page 15
'check 6:
the classic fighter pilots warning " check six" means look to the rear, to the six oclock position, for a possible threat. During 1943 a P47 participated in tests of a 20 pound AN/APS-13 radar set that did just that.Visible as three quarter inch metal rods piercing the vertical fin, and extending out for about five and a quarter inches on either side, the radar provided warning of the approach of aircraft behind the equipped thunderbolts.Within a cone of space behind the P47, any aircraft approaching closer than 800 yards was announced.The cone radiated through about 60 degrees horizintally and 90 degrees vertically behind the thunderbolt.The cone of coverage was slightly skewed upward, to enhance detection of diving aircraft.Given liitations on radar technology the system was useless at altitudes below 800 yards, an AAF test sumary explained, "since it is practically impossible to prevent spurious radiation from returning from the earth's surface".
Upon detection of an aircraft in the rear cone of space, a brilliant red jeweled light in a sheild beside the P47's gunsight illuminated letting the pilot know instantly of the presence of an aircraft which might pose a threat.The tail-warning radar was tested initially mounted in a twin-engined Beech AT-11 followed by installation in a P47.
Following encouraging tests with one P47, six follow-on AN/APS-13 tail warning radars were installed at Orlando, Florida, in thunderbolts of squadron F of the 904th AAF base unit stationed at Kissimmee Army Air Base Florida. An AAF paper explained " The position and arrangement of the antenna on the stabiliser determines the tilt of the cone with respect to the airplane".The six sets installed in Orlando also featured an alarm bell that sounded when the warning light was illuminated.
A staple of cold war jet fighters, tail warning radar proved its utility on a handfull of P-47s during world war two."
hehe how about that!? :)
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probably the best WW2 fighter pilot bio I may have ever read:
Fighter Pilot: The First American Ace of World War II
by William Dunn
highly recommend it:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0813114659/qid=1060615549/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-6887791-9081623?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
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eagler just as that book must make you feel all patriotic toward your country and its heroes theres a great book for us brits:
'War in a stringbag' by Charles Lamb
its about a pilot of the fairey swordfish, hardly a fighter but still a fantastic story of courage and bravery. This guy makes you proud to be British and im sure would be entertaining even if you arent :)
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My suggestion for best WW2 autobiography by a pilot goes to
"Nanette" by Edwards Park.
He was a P39 pilot flying with the 35th FG in the Pacific. It's the perfect, everyday pilot book. It's kinda funny, kinda sad in places, but he's not an Ace, just doing his job and trying to stay alive. That and he's having an affair with his 39, better known as Nanette.
Johnnie Johnson's "Wing Leader" still the best book by one of the Aces.
"Clouds of Fear" by Roger Hall is a much more obscure book by a Battle of Britain vet pilot who flew Spits. He deals with his 'breakdown' after roughly two years of combat ops. He pulls no punches in how he fell apart after watching friends die etc and then going into a Service Psychatric Hospital to fight for his own recovery.
On a somewhat similar note, Geoffrey Page's "Tale of a Guniea Pig", covers his shoot down and being badly burned in the B of B as well as his recovery and struggle to get back on Ops.
For the Luftwaffe junkies, another obscure book that is a good read is a novel by a former Luftwaffe pilot, Rudolf Braunburg, called "Betrayed Skies". It's about a 190 driver. Once again, not an ace, but one of the regular joes, trying to do his job and survive on the Western airwar front.
The list goes on and on too
Dan/Slack
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Originally posted by hazed-
eagler just as that book must make you feel all patriotic toward your country and its heroes theres a great book for us brits:
'War in a stringbag' by Charles Lamb
its about a pilot of the fairey swordfish, hardly a fighter but still a fantastic story of courage and bravery. This guy makes you proud to be British and im sure would be entertaining even if you arent :)
lol
Dunn had nothing but praise for the RAF - he had his share of admin issues with his own country's airforce
didn't mean to come off chest thumpin - not my intention at all - just letting all know about the best WW2 a2a book I think I have ever read