Technical

For 50 years after the Second World War the nations of the earth stood on the edge of nuclear warfare, with few doubting that should the Cold War turn hot, neither side could emerge victorious.

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a standing reminder of the heroism and sacrifice of countless British and Commonwealth aircrew who flew and fought during the Second World War.

Witness the daring exploits and dangerous challenges that form the story of flight in this beautifully illustrated book, filled with rare photographs and historical documents. Celebrating 50 years since the first flight of the Boeing 747 and of Concorde, it describes the early pioneers, such as the Wright brothers and Alcock & Brown, as well as the highly skilled engineers developing aircraft today.

This is one of the new Icon titles from Haynes. The legendary Supermarine Spitfire receives the famous Haynes manual treatment with the full co-operation and authorisation of the Royal Air Force. Here is a unique perspective on what it takes to own, restore and operate a Spitfire, as well as an insight into the engineering and construction of this remarkable fighter aircraft. This highly detailed book is based around the Spitfire Mk IX at RAF Coningsby.

The twin-engine Vickers Wellington was one of the outstanding RAF bomber aircraft of the Second World War, as well as a capable maritime patrol aircraft and submarine hunter with Coastal Command. Centrepiece of this manual is Wellington Mk Ia, N2980, 'R' for Robert, one of only two surviving examples of the Wellington in the world and restored to display condition at the Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, Surrey.

Designed in the 1950s to operate on long-distance routes, the four-jet Vickers VC10 saw service with BOAC and eight other airlines from the 1960s to 1981.

Hundreds of thousands of classified documents were captured from Germany's aircraft manufacturers and aviation ministry at the end of the Second World War, including details of 'secret project' aircraft designs created by firms such as Arado, Gotha, Blohm & Voss, Messerschmitt and Focke-Wulf.

Within this volume you will find a collection of real-life stories concerning incidents, accidents, events, decisions, mistakes, oddities, arguments and above all beautiful British aircraft from the cold war period. Each of the 17 pieces comes with a guarantee of painstaking research carried out by some of the finest aviation historians working around the world today.

The landing of Allied forces on the shores of Normandy on 6 June 1944 was the greatest amphibious invasion in history.