Bøker av Martyn Chorlton

The Blackburn, later Hawker Siddeley, Buccaneer enjoyed an incredible service career that lasted over four decades. Designed as a carrier-borne attack aircraft, the Buccaneer was a solid aircraft designed to take the punishment of carrier operations and the constant stresses to the airframe caused by low-level flying. The aircraft entered service with the Royal Navy in 1962 in place of the Supermarine Scimitar and would continue with the senior service until 1978. The RAF received their first aircraft in 1969 - a legacy of the cancelled TSR.2 and F-111K, which resulted in a capability gap that had to be closed. The Buccaneer went on to serve the RAF in the low-level strike and reconnaissance role until 1994, serving with distinction during the Gulf War of early 1991. A robust and reliable aircraft that was popular with both its air and ground crews, the Buccaneer was a breed apart. A truly great British piece of engineering.

With its roots dating back to the late 1940s and the de Havilland Comet airliner, the Nimrod already had pedigree when it first appeared in the late 1960s in place of the Avro Shackleton in the Maritime Reconnaissance role. Fewer than fifty were built for the RAF, the type being steadily upgraded throughout its career right up to its retirement in 2011. Compared to the Shackleton, the Nimrod brought comfort and reliability to its multi-role long-range activities, including anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and anti-surface warfare. The Nimrod saw action during the Falklands War, the Gulf Wars, Afghanistan and a continued contribution (since 1977) to Operation Tapestry - the protection of the UK's Sovereign Sea Areas. Specialist versions of the Nimrod also served in the signals intelligence role while other attempted developments failed, such as the Airborne Early Warning role and the final, costly MRA.4 versions, neither of which entered RAF service. This book tells the story of this remarkable aircraft.

A lavishly illustrated look at the famous Jet Provost aircraft, the RAF's first ab initio jet trainer.

The formation of the Pathfinder Force in August 1942 produced a steady but certain change in the fortunes of Bomber Command. Its effectiveness against targets during the early years of the war had been very difficult to gauge.

Presented in an illustrated format, this book provides a detailed history of the wartime airfields of the North West of England, including Cark, Crosby-on-Eden, Great Orton and Millom.