ebooks Wings of the Navy (Carrier Testing American British Aircraft) by Eric 'Winkle' Brown in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A UNIQUE AND EXPERT VIEW OF NAVAL AVIATION OVER SEVERAL GENERATIONS.By Carl MarshallVery insightful ;frank and fearless in assessment of the types of naval aircraft covered . Given the deadly flaws in some of the designs ; Eric Brown was also fearless in venturing aloft in some ;let alone operating them from carriers . It was no secret that some of the types were " dogs " and his analysis throws light on the reasons for this reputation . The author's descriptions of the problems with the early naval jets is revealing and is at odds with a lot of the publicity in the contemporary media . There is a lot of technical detail ;particularly of control systems ; which is unsurprising given the author's vast experience as a test pilot There are superb cutaway diagrams and cockpit layouts included. He also covers the service history of the aircraft covered ;and touches on the politics involved in some instances regarding their selection for production.I recall reading some of the articles in "The Aeroplane Monthly". Two significant omissions from this volume; for which the author had a high regard are the Hawker Sea Fury and the DH Sea Hornet .That is just a minor niggle.The book reinforces the strong impression that naval aviation was the poor relation for several generations of aircraft design; at least until the F4 Phantom ;especially in the UK.This is a handsome ; authoritative publication and excellent value .0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Captain Brown in his element; writing about carrier aircraftBy Flying PhotographerYou could actually argue if there is any other pilot in the world who is more qualified and experienced with carrier aviation than Captain Brown. Doesn't really matter how many different airplanes he flew; but he landed virtually any possible aircraft on an aircraft carrier between 1941 and 1955; with the most obscure ones probably being flown only by a couple of pilots at all.Captain Brown is here at his core element; describing most of the carrier aircraft that he flew within this timeframe; from the point of view of a test pilot; assessing their respective flying and landing/take off qualities. Each aircraft is given a chapter; ranging from 4 pages to more than 10; with the Seafire being the most extensive (understandably; considering the RN background of Captain Brown).The book is nicely printed and profusely illustrated; without diminishing the extremely interesting text; but rather complementing it very smartly. Most of the pictures are of the authors own collection; and some nice color ones are also included.Overall; this is (once more) a true classic that simply cannot be missed by any one even remotely interested in the subject - highly recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A superb collection from the greatest of all test pilots.By Michael McdanielA superb collection from the greatest of all test pilots. Captain Brown is a legend in the flight test community; a man who could not only land just about anything on an aircraft carrier; but could turn piloting skill into a report clearly passing judgement on an aircraft's suitability for operational use. It's a principle in use by U.S. Navy flight testers to this day.This book is a collection of Captain Brown's experiences with a range of British and American naval aircraft from the 1940s and 1950s. The unvarnished truth; from the undoubted master. Highly recommended.