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Founded in 1933, Air France is that country's largest airline with 211 aircraft at its disposal, comprising narrow- and wide-body types as well as cargo aircraft. Subsidiary company, low-cost Air France Hop, currently operates an additional 33 aircraft. Together they fly to 191 destinations in 89 countries. Since merging with Dutch airline KLM in 2004 and forming the Air France-KLM Group, Air France has renovated its fleet and vastly improved its profit margins. This book provides an illustrated history of the company and its subsidiary, detailing its origins and growth from small beginnings to national flag carrier with an impressive fleet that is continually updated through outright purchases and long-term lease agreements. Air France flies all over the world, and its route map and diversification are all reviewed, together with its alliance with KLM, which gives it access to a vast market of feeder routes across Europe serving the nation's leisure and business interests.

This book begins with a look at the British Rail (BR) Class 86 electric locomotives, which were introduced in the 1960s and worked the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The next section highlights the BR Class 87s, which were based upon the 86s and designed to deal with the more demanding gradients of the northern half of the WCML. Following this comes the Class 90s, which were built for mixed-traffic duties and introduced during the final years of BR. Lastly, the Driving Van Trailers (more commonly known as DVTs), a purpose-built control car that allows the driver to operate a locomotive in push-pull formation, are covered.

In this book, the late period of the Roman army begins with the accession of the Emperor Diocletian in AD 284 and ends with the culmination of the reign of Justinian I. This was a turbulent period during which the Roman state and its armed forces changed. Wonderfully illustrated with historical reenactments, Gabriele Esposito explores the organization, structure, equipment, weapons, combat history and tactics of Late Roman military forces.

On December 17, 1939, representatives from Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand signed into being a joint air training agreement called the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). This plan was run by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and it quickly started a massive building and recruitment program. At this stage in the war, the United States was firmly neutral. This, coupled with the US services' higher requirements for entry, meant that many men who wanted to sign up to fight were unable to join up. Canada, however, was more than happy to accept them. By the end of the war, 8,864 US citizens had served in the RCAF in some part. Looking at 75 of those men, this book provides the stories of those who wanted to fight, and who served in a foreign uniform to do so. Some remained with the RCAF throughout their careers, some served for several years before transferring over to the US Army Air Forces once America had entered the war, and some only trained with the Canadians before serving in the US military. Regardless of their length of service, each man owed Canada a great debt of accepting and training them for what they truly wanted - to fly and to fight.

Geoffrey de Havilland's first attempts to fly were in 1909, and this early part of de Havilland's career saw him rise from an enthusiastic amateur designing his own aircraft to a key figure and test pilot, working for the fledgling Royal Aircraft Factory within a relatively short space of time. By the beginning of World War One, de Havilland had become chief designer at Airco, where he created several successful military machines. He left there to form his own company, de Havilland Company Limited, and it was there that he produced some of his greatest aircraft. Of course, there is only one aircraft comes to mind on de Havilland and its contribution to World War Two - the Mosquito. That aircraft more than proved its worth. De Havilland also produced its own engines, beginning with the successful Gipsy. Other subsidiaries also included de Havilland Canada and de Havilland Australia. Geoffrey de Havilland's contribution to the British aircraft industry was colossal and many of the aircraft covered in this book have remained household names from the day that they first flew. Tiger Moth, Mosquito, Vampire, Venom, Comet and Sea Vixen are just a few; all of them sewn into the tapestry of an industry that, only a few decades ago, led from the front. This new book edition of Aeroplane's De Havilland Company Profile 1920-1964 (Military Types) showcases the legacy of one man and his aircraft.

In 1932, the British Air Ministry issued Specification B.9/32 for a twin-engined day bomber. Key to its design success was the removal of all restrictions on the unladen weight of aircraft, enabling designers to select a powerplant suitable for the designated role of the aircraft. Significant to its success was the development of the revolutionary geodetic construction method, which allowed a traditional fabric-covered skin to clothe an innovative super-strength 'basket woven' aircraft skeleton. The Wellington had the potential to carry nine 500lb bombs or nine 250lb bombs for long-range attack and was declared one of the most advanced aircraft of the day. Throughout its lifespan, 19 different marks were developed, including many sub variants for a variety of roles. The Wellington's contribution to Britain's war effort was remarkable, initially providing the backbone for Bomber Command and remaining in service throughout the entire war. Packed with historic photographs, detailed specifications, eye-witness accounts and manufacturing records, this new book edition of Aeroplane Icons: Vickers Wellington details the history and development of one of World War Two's most iconic bomber aircraft, providing a complete overview of its role in service.

At the beginning of the privatisation era of Britain's railways, there was a pause in new rolling stock deliveries. As a result, a handful of diesel multiple units (DMUs) remained in service in small pockets around England, Wales and Scotland. A slow start to new train orders and an expansion of passenger services meant that withdrawal of these units was slower than intended. In fact, some managed to eke out their final days into the new millennium. With over 190 images, most previously unpublished, this book illustrates the different types of units and the areas in which they operated during the post-privatisation years up to 2002. It includes units that saw further use as departmental units and a look at some of the residual withdrawn and stored vehicles that were dotted around the country. This book provides an overview of the final operations that the heritage DMUs were involved in. These unsung heroes of the 1955 modernisation plan certainly gave their worth and, thankfully, many can still be seen today on the railway preservation scene.

One of the three British four-engine heavy bombers that took the fight to Germany, the Handley Page Halifax contributed in no small way to the destruction and ultimate surrender of the Third Reich. However, in its early years from service entry in March 1941, little good could be said about the Halifax. All round it was a poor design from Britain's most famous builder of big bombers. In fact, it was so bad that 'Bomber' Harris wanted it withdrawn from service and production switched in favour of the Lancaster. However, there was simply no time or money to switch to building a new machine. Instead, Handley Page designers struggled to improve the aircraft and it was a good two years before they succeeded. The new Halifax was worth waiting for. By late 1944, Halifax losses dropped below those of the Lancaster, even though the former often outnumbered the latter on some of the big raids. Those who flew and maintained the Halifax were largely loyal to the type, particularly the Canadians, who operated 15 squadrons. Its early difficulties overcome, the design was found ideal for other tasks - towing gliders, carrying troops, stuffing the fuselage full of electronics to spook the enemy, anti-submarine patrollers, spy dropping and, in the post-war world, flying early civil air routes around Europe and helping to sustain Berlin against the Russians. This new book edition of Aeroplane Icons: Halifax reviews the lows and highs of the mighty Halifax and recounts its contribution to the Allied success in winning World War Two.

For 65 years, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has protected Malaysia's airspace, territorial lands and waters. With 21 helicopters and 119 fixed-wing aircraft, including 26 in reserve, as well as early warning radars, air defence systems and recently procured unmanned aerial vehicles, RMAF is the spearhead of the country's defence against the increasing hegemony and military presence of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, particularly its Air Force and Navy in the South China Sea. It also plays an important role in supporting the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Malaysian Maritime Agency to protect the strategic Strait of Malacca and counter any piracy activity there. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, RMAF participated in tens of counter-insurgency operations against communist rebels, while in 2013, its fighter jets participated in similar operations in Sabah. During both wartime and peacetime, RMAF has served the Malaysia by participating in humanitarian and disaster relief operations. In this book, history and current fate of the aircraft and helicopters currently in service with the RMAF, including several of the reserved and decommissioned examples, are fully covered, coupled with over 110 images.

This book follows the railways that serve the city and surrounding areas.

This book explores the transport systems of Manchester, including the buses and rail network.

The Hawker Harrier was an incredible aircraft. It was the first operational warplane to dispense with any need for conventional airfields or aircraft carriers, thanks to its vertical take-off and landing capabilities. Designed for Cold War requirements, the Harrier became a remarkably effective ground-attack bomber. Development continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and the Harrier matured into a versatile aircraft that proved invaluable with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, and also with the United States Marine Corps and many export customers around the world. In the US, the Harrier ultimately became the AV-8B or Super Harrier. By any standards, the Harrier was a huge success, though it found itself the victim of politics and budgets. With over 100 images, this new book edition of Aeroplane Icons: Hawker Harrier details the history of the aircraft, its origins and development, tracing how the P.1127 developed into the Kestrel and the Harrier, and then eventually to the AV-8B. This book highlights why the Harrier enjoys a special place in military aviation history.

Monarch Airlines was founded in June 1967 and began operations from Luton Airport in April 1968, using two Bristol Britannias to fly charter flights for package holidays. Supported by Cosmos Tours, Monarch expanded during the 1970s to become one of the UK's largest charter airlines in the 1980s, supporting the growing inclusive tour business. In 1986, Monarch began to operate scheduled flights, marking its gradual transition from primarily a charter airline to a predominantly scheduled operator as customers started to organise their own travel arrangements. A modified low-cost approach was adopted in 2004, and, by 2008, Monarch firmly promoted itself as a low-cost airline. However, significant financial losses were encountered in 2009 and 2011 and, despite several finance rescue packages from the owners, the Monarch Group was sold to private investment company Greybull Capital in 2014. This resulted in a significant downsizing of operations, combining a reduction in fleet size with a shift to Monarch becoming an entirely scheduled low-cost carrier flying only short-haul leisure routes. Although bankruptcy was avoided in September 2016 through major investment in the company, financial problems resurfaced a year later and Monarch Airlines went into administration at the beginning of October 2017. With over 130 images, this book describes the history of Monarch Airlines from its inception in 1967 to its eventual demise 50 years later in 2017.

A fixture of London Transport in the 1970s, the all-over advert bus was relaunched by the modern Transport for London (TfL) at the turn of the century, and since then the concept has exploded. With each year that passes, hundreds of London buses are adorned with intricate and imaginative adverts printed on durable vinyl. The easily removable nature of this material means that buses can swap adverts quickly whenever one advertising contract ends and another begins. Some vehicles may thus carry up to four adverts in any one calendar year. The characteristic New Bus for London, aka 'Borismaster', designed specifically for London needs, has proved to be the most prolific carrier of these adverts. The majority of the thousand-strong fleet of TfL-owned buses, which are divided among several operators, have carried such ads in their decade in service. Most older double-deck types have also been treated to adverts, generally omitting the front and latterly concentrating on in-house publicity for TfL's own services and fare bulletins. This book contains more than 230 previously unpublished colour photographs of the fast-changing all-over advert scene on London's buses, covering an enormous variety of subjects including fashion, food and drink, technology, entertainment, travel, property and even dating.

While the history of the jet engine and the development of Britain's first jet fighter are well known, the evolution of a jet-powered bomber is a story that is less well charted, even though its creation was undoubtedly as important as the fighter's - if not more so. English Electric's Canberra bomber was created without fuss and fanfare, and without any significant delays or disasters. However, the Canberra was far from mundane. At the time of the aircraft's development, RAF's Bomber Command relied upon obsolescent Lincolns. The Canberra was a breath of fresh air. It was fast, it could climb to hitherto unattainable altitudes, and it was astonishingly manoeuvrable. Of course, the Canberra was also much more than a bomber. Its simple and rugged construction endowed the aircraft with a capacity to take on many roles, ranging from reconnaissance through to target towing. In another much darker guise, it also became a low-level intruder, with atomic weaponry in its belly. The Canberra also claimed a considerable number of export sales, not least in the US where the aircraft became one of only a handful of post-war foreign designs to be adopted by the United States Air Force. This new book edition of Aeroplane Icons: Canberra celebrates an aircraft with a long and colourful history.

Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2023, the Israeli Air Force has become a sophisticated and formidable power supported by highly trained personnel and a vast array of contemporary weaponry. Continually on alert in a regional hotspot, the Israeli Air Force has evolved to become the main pillar of defence for the nation. The force currently has 402 aircraft at its disposal, including 290 fighter-bombers, 136 helicopters and 80 unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance, surveillance and attack. Each year, the Air Force carries out hundreds of combat sorties and training missions to keep its personnel trained to a state of readiness and to protect its borders. The history of the force and its aircraft are detailed alongside the significant wars that have shaped the current Air Force.

The Class 57 diesel locomotive was an outgrowth of the tremendously successful and iconic Class 47. Rebuilt from redundant Class 47s by Brush Traction at Loughborough between 1998 and 2003, the 33 resulting Class 57s are themselves divided into three sub-classes for differing purposes. Twelve are Class 57/0 for Freightliner to haul intermodal trains; 16 are 'Thunderbirds', commissioned by Virgin Trains to rescue failed Class 390 electric units on the West Coast Main Line; and five are dedicated to passenger use on Great Western Railway's 'Night Riviera' sleeper service. Featuring an EMD V12 two-stroke diesel engine and other modifications, the conversions represented a considerable cost saving over that of building completely new locomotives. Known irreverently as 'bodysnatchers', the Class 57s have filled a gap in available traction for the last two decades and the fleet is intact today, continuing to see use with various TOCs and have a future ensured by overhaul. All 33 locos are depicted in this volume, with over 200 images, showing the Class 57s in a variety of duties over the last 20 years.

This book provides an in-depth year by year examination of the multitude of post-war manufacturers, revealing an era that began with great conservatism and evolved into some of the most stylistically flamboyant and uniquely equipped sedans in automotive history

This book features over 180 images of locomotives from classes 20âEUR"27, operating across the UK.

In this book, illustrated with over 120 images, Pete London examines the hisotry of the Irish Air Wars.

First flying over 50 years ago, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft. Having entered service with the United States Air Force in 1976, it is one of the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 confirmed victories and no losses in arial combat. Illustrated with over 180 images, this second of two books covers the C and D variants of this aircraft: the C was an improved single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version of the F-15, with 483 built in 1979-1985; and the D was a two-seat training version, with 92 built in 1979-1985.

When London Buses LtdâEUR(TM)s subsidiary companies were privatised in 1994, northwest London-based Metroline passed to its management. The company promptly took over Atlas Bus in 1995 and then n doubling its size in 1998 with the acquisition of neighbouring MTL London. A new livery of red with a deep blue skirt set Metroline apart from its rivals, and in 2000 a powerful but unusually hands-off patron was secured with the companyâEUR(TM)s sale to Delgro (later ComfortDelgro) of Singapore. Since then, Metroline has held its own as a dependable TfL contractor, continuing to expand with the acquisition of Thorpes and Armchair in 2004 and pulling off an even bigger coup in 2013 when First LondonâEUR(TM)s western portfolio was acquired as Metroline West. In terms of vehicles, the London Transport inheritance had all gone by 2004 and low-floor purchases moved to hybrids, including Borismasters, and now to electric buses. With over 250 colour pictures, this book is the first of a new series that explores the major corporate London bus operators that have arisen in the quarter-century since the privatisation of London Buses Ltd. Included are details of takeovers, reorganisations, vehicle comings and goings and the kind of unpredictable but wholesale changes that fascinate enthusiasts.

Carrying on from his first EC Electrics volume, which focussed on classes 86, 87, 90 and Driving Van Trailers (commonly known as DVTs), this book examines classes 91, 92 and DVTs around the UK. The British Rail (BR) Class 91 is a high-speed electric locomotive, which was ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The BR Class 92 is a dual-voltage electric locomotive, which was designed specifically to operate services through the Channel Tunnel between Great Britain and France.

The history of the Iranian Air Force, currently known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), can be divided into two phases ‿ before the Islamic Revolution (1978‿79) and after it. The origins of the force lie in the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF), which became operation with its first fully trained pilots in 1925\. Until World War Two, the IIAF inventory consisted of entirely od European aircraft, however, following the British and Soviet invasion of Iran, the IIAF‿s bases were occupied and all aircraft destroyed. In this book, Babak Taghvaee examines the inventory of the IIAF during both world wars.

The Gulf War (1990‿91) was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. It featured now-infamous missions such as Operation Desert Sheild and Operation Desert Storm and marked the introduction of live news broadcasts from the front lines of battle, primarily by the network CNN. It also gained notoriety for including three of the largest tank battles in American military history. Illustrated with over 230 images, this book covers the various armoured vehicles that were used by different nations during this conflict.