Eastern Express EE96002

Airlift Force RAF Transport Command 1948-1967 By Colin Ovens Consider, for a moment, these three Royal Air Force Command titles:- "Royal Air Force Bomber Command"- a name that, for many, may generate imposing images of Wellingtons, Halifaxs, Stirlings, Lancasters, Mosquitos, Lincolns, BAC/EE Canberra s, and the V-Bombers; "Royal Air Force Fighter Command"- a Command title that readily conjures up exciting images of Hurricanes, Spitfires, Tempests, Meteors, Vampires, Hunters, and Lightnings; "Royal Air Force Coastal Command"- a renowned name that may prompt dramatic over-water images of Sunderlands, Beaufighters, Mosquitos, Catalinas, Liberators, and Shackletons. Now, consider the title "Royal Air Force Transport Command"... to many readers this may prompt images of huge formations of Dakotas, disgorging paratroops over Normandy, Arnhem, or the Rhine; others will have a recollection of the Berlin Airlift. On the other hand, many of us will recall seeing, and ignoring, the occasional Argosy, Beverley, Bristol Britannia , Hastings, Comet, or, perhaps, a VC-10, in the static park at a Battle of Britain Open Day, while they aimed their cameras at the Hunters, Gloster Javelins, Lightnings, V-Bombers, or Shackletons on show- these were the exciting defenders of these isles; and those others..? "They're just superannuated airliners", as a school-friend airily dismissed Transport Command's contribution to a Battle of Britain Open Day, at RAF Biggin Hill in the mid-1960s, when we two were teenagers. 92 pages perfect bound

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The Auster, In British Military & Foreign Air Arm Service. Author Adrian M Balch 64 pages, 15 pages of Colour Profiles Over 150 many never seen before images Stemming from the original American Taylorcraft design, the British Auster is arguably as well known and famous as the Tiger Moth, being built at the right time to provide a vital role during WW2 in the Air Observation Post role, spotting and reporting artillery positions, particularly during D-Day and through decades of post-war conflicts worldwide. Founded in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aero-planes (England) Limited, they made 1,604 high-wing Taylorcraft Auster monoplanes which were built during World War II for the armed forces of the UK and Canada. The type has proved to be versatile and adaptable to worldwide conditions being fitted with wheels, floats or skis as per the Trans-Antarctic Expeditions, which are all recorded within. This is another comprehensive Warpaint book by Adrian Balch, which covers the design and de-velopment of the Auster, highlighting the variants that were used in military service by the RAF, Army Air Corps and air arms around the world, culminating in the variants built by BEAGLE. Nearly 150 photographs, many rare and never seen before, illustrate the type in military service, supported by 13 pages of colour profile drawings and plans by artist Sam Pearson.

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