British Fighter Aircraft in WWI: Design, Construction and Innovation [Hardcover]

Go buy this book right now. It is rare that ISD gives an instant five-star rating to any new volume, but Mark C. Wilkins' British Fighter Aircraft in World War I is a rare book.  Indy Squadron DispatchWorld War I witnessed unprecedented growth and innovation in aircraft design, construction, and as the war progressedmass production. Each country generated its own innovations sometimes in surprising waysAlbatros Fokker, Pfalz, and Junkers in Germany and Nieuport, Spad, Sopwith and Bristol in France and Britain.This book focuses on the British approach to fighter design, construction, and mass production. Initially the French led the way in Allied fighter development with their Bleriot trainers then nimble Nieuport Scoutsculminating with the powerful, fast gun platforms as exemplified by the Spads. The Spads had a major drawback however, in that they were difficult and counter-intuitive to fix in the field. The British developed fighters in a very different way; Tommy Sopwith had a distinctive approach to fighter design that relied on lightly loaded wings and simple functional box-girder fuselages. His Camel was revolutionary as it combined all the weight well forward; enabling the Camel to turn very quicklybut also making it an unforgiving fighter for the inexperienced. The Royal Aircraft Factorys SE5a represented another leap forward with its comfortable cockpit, modern instrumentation, and inline engineclearly influenced by both Spads and German aircraft.Each manufacturer and design team vied for the upper hand and deftly and quickly appropriated good ideas from other companiesbe they friend or foe. Developments in tactics and deployment also influenced designfrom the early reconnaissance planes, to turn fighters, finally planes that relied upon formation tactics, speed, and firepower. Advances were so great that the postwar industry seemed bland by comparison.Fully illustrated account of how British aircraft manufacturers vied to create the best fighter lóH