Book Reviews

Harrier Boys Volume Two - New Technology, New Threats, New Tactics. 1990 – 2010, by Bob Marston.

On updating my Newsletter index I discovered that I had not reviewed Bob Marston’s second book of Harrier exploits. Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the first book then you will certainly enjoy this new one. Amongst the contributors are several HA Members including Heinz Frick, Jock Heron, Bernie Scott, and Mark Zanker. The period covered embraces the RAF Harrier I and the RN Sea Harrier FA2, and follows the Harrier II from the introduction of the GR5 to the untimely withdrawal of the GR9; the end of the Harrier story in the UK. Well illustrated, the book is published by Grub Street at £20 (£14.43 Amazon).

The aviation Historian Issue 35.
Your editor was particularly enthralled by the complicated political history of the HS146, Norwegian Air Force Republic RF-84F reconnaissance flying, the effects of shock waves on propeller blades and aircraft performance, and another French aviation novelty - an Edwardian flying saucer. There is, of course, much, much more.

British Special Projects - Flying Wings, Deltas and Tailless Designs, by Bill Rose.
The author has found a new hook to hang a ‘secret projects’ genre book on and it works very well. The book starts with the early flying wings of John Dunne and Roland Hill and finishes with the BAE Systems Tempest proposal. Between these are covered jet bomber projects; post war fighters; more extreme proposals such as the Handley Page boundary layer control projects, Barnes Wallis’s variable sweep Swallows and nuclear powered bombers including a Hawker Siddeley Nuclear Power proposal with an airframe similar to some Kingston rocket powered interceptor projects; V/STOL projects; and spacecraft. This makes for fascinating reading with numerous clear general arrangement drawings and photographs of designs that made it into hardware. Each chapter finishes with a table of data for the subjects covered. There is much to interest the Hawker enthusiast too, it being a surprise to realise how many Kingston projects fitted the book’s sub-title. Published by Fonthill at £35 (£22.25 Amazon) this is a quality item with 288 pages.