The Hawker Typhoon was designed to Air Ministry specification F.18/37 which sought to take advantage of the new generation of 2000hp engines and satisfy the latest requirements in armament. This major step up demanded a larger and more advanced airframe than that of the company’s then current Hurricane and by March 1938 work had commenced on the first two prototypes; one with the Napier Sabre, soon called ‘Typhoon’ and the other with a Rolls-Royce Vulture, later to be named the ‘Tornado’; this latter machine was the first to fly, on 6 October 1939. The Vulture did not give too many problems in the Hawker fighter but by the end of 1940 it was experiencing serious trouble with its installation in the Avro Manchester bomber, and as a result the project was abandoned. With the third engine (Bristol Centaurus) of the new generation still some way off, the Air Ministry had little option but to concentrate on the Typhoon, which had made its first flight on 24 February 1940. The new aircraft encountered teething problems and was also delayed by production priorities for other Hawker types during the Battle of Britain. During its early operational life the Typhoon had to overcome problems that threatened to end its service, but these were eventually remedied so that, by the last quarter of 1943, the Typhoon had become a reliable aircraft. Improvements included the introduction of the new single piece ‘blown’ hood, a four-bladed propeller and an enlarged tailplane, but there was no change in designation. When production ceased in November 1945, 3317 Typhoons had been built. At first pure fighters were produced, but, by the spring of 1943, only the fighter-bomber version was coming off the production line and by the end of the year all the Typhoon squadrons were undertaking some form of ground attack role. On the eve of D-Day the Typhoon had become the backbone of the 2TAF fighter-bomber force with no less than eighteen squadrons active. This book narrates the operational usage of the three RCAF squadrons, Nos. 438, 439 & 440. Illustrated with 48 photos and 9 colour plates.

Available as a paperpack version with ISBN 979-1096490-96-7

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PDF version is also available as 9791096490-97-4

The Spitfire Mk.IX is one of the best known versions of the Spitfire. However, it should never really have existed. Its creation can be attributed to the appearance of the Focke-Wulf Fw190 over western Europe at the end of 1941. Royal Air Force pilots were quick to state the Spitfire Mk.V, the frontline RAF fighter at the time in Great Britain, was outclassed in many aspects by the new German fighter. The RAF, therefore, had to urgently find a solution to improve the Spitfire and with a new Merlin engine, the Spitfire Mk IX was born. The Mk.IX was produced for almost three years and would become one of the main fighters and fighter-bombers of the RAF in Europe in 1944 and 1945. In total, during the Second World War more than 100 fighter units were totally or partially equipped with the Spitfire. Among them, there were four Auxiliary Air Force squadrons which flew the Mk IX with the Fighter Command or/and the 2 TAF (501, 504, 602 and 611) and a fifth in Italy (601). Illustrated with 45 photographs and 9 colour profiles.

Available as a paperpack version with ISBN 979-1096490-94-3

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PDF version is available as 979-1096490-95-0

Hawker had its roots in the aftermath of the First World War, which resulted in the bankruptcy of the Sopwith Aviation Company. The new team began to work on new models and during the 20s and the 30s, the company produced a few fighter aircraft which saw operational service with the RAF. Until Hawker designed the famous Hurricane, a few biplane fighters were put into service in the RAF, the Woodcock, the Fury, the Nimrod and the Demon of which the last three were still in service when war broke out even if it was not necessary in the fighter role. Over 100 photos and 9 colour profiles illustrate the book, a book which covers also the usage of the Fury by the SAAF which fought again the Italians in East Africa in 1940-1941 and the Demon by the RAAF.

Available as a paperback version as 979-1096490-92-9

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PDF version is available as 979-1096490-93-6