Hello pilots!

How’s your Russian? Some kind soul has scanned and uploaded the entire 1942 Pilot’s Notes for the IL-2 Sturmovik. What I didn’t expect was the vivid and jolly colour printing and merry drawings of all the controls and stuff – as well as some hearty tank busting renderings. I imagine it would quite cheer one up after being posted to a punishment squadron. смерть фашистам and all that.
Here they are

— Ed Ward

 

 

“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Pre-order your copy now right here  

 

TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

“the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”.

The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft.

FEATURING

• Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, Mirage, Typhoon, MiG-25, MiG-27, English Electric Lighting, Harrier, F-15, B-52 and many more.
• Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones.
• Expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology.
• A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane.
• Bizarre moments in aviation history.
• Fascinating insights into exceptionally obscure warplanes.

The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations.

Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards.

Rowland White and Hush-Kit each have new books. Rowland’s is about the exciting story of 809 Naval Air Squadron, while Hush-Kit has a lavish coffee- table book on warplanes, quite unlike any other. Both are available for pre-order today (the Hush-Kit book is entirely crowdfunded so do get involved).

Fuelled by Malbec and cabin fever, and using the excuse of joint promotion to talk about aeroplanes — the two gave each other 10 questions. 

Hush-Kit interview Rowland White 

What’s so interesting about 809 Squadron?
“Through chance and circumstance they sort of came from behind to emerge as the Fleet Air Arm’s leading fixed wing squadron. For nearly ten years they flew from Ark Royal as the FAA’s sole Buccaneer squadron, then returned in 1982, pulled together like the Dirty Dozen for one last mission (which, of course, is inherently cool …) then, off the back of all that, displaced more obvious choices like 800, 801 and 899 to be chosen as the Navy’s first F-35B Lightning squadron.”

In your book, you share the fact that BAe tried to sell the (Sea) Harrier to some pretty unlikely customers – who were they?
“Apart from those that did buy first generation jump jets – the US, India, Spain, Thailand – there were also concerted efforts to sell them to Australia, Iran, China, Chile, Brazil and even France! But of most interest in the context of the Falklands War, was the strong pitch to the Argentine Navy in the late seventies, supported by the Foreign Office on the basis that, designed for air defence, the Sea Harrier would pose little threat to the Falkland Islands.”
What is the biggest myth about British Harrier operations in the Falklands War?
“That twelve Phantoms aboard the old HMS Ark Royal would necessarily have done a better job than twenty Sea Harriers. In the end it was, as it so often is, more a numbers game than anything. The F-4 was undoubtedly a more capable naval interceptor than the Sea Harrier. Heavily-armed, long-legged and equipped with a powerful pulse-doppler radar, Phantom on CAP ‘up-threat’ of the islands would have wreaked havoc against incoming Argentine raids – including the Exocet carrying Super Etendards. But six weeks is a very long time to keep just twelve Phantoms and their crews flying without any possibility of reinforcement or replacement. The F-4 was maintenance heavy and temperamental in comparison to the SHAR which chalked up astonishingly high mission availability rates during the war. Then there was the weather. Given the conditions in which some of the Sea Harriers were able to get back on deck it’s hard not to imagine that some of the F-4s might, at the very least, have suffered damage in landing incidents. Once your force of twelve F-4s is reduced to ten, or eight, or six serviceable airframes it all starts to look a little more tenuous. The SHARs, on the other hand, could be reinforced almost as required by RAF GR3s. In what was a largely visual fight against enemy aircraft that had little or no radar capability of their own, Sidewinder-armed GR3s were a viable alternative.”
Your books are brilliantly researched – are you particularly dogged, what motivates you?
“OCD”
The Argentinians claim to have hit a British carrier, something the British deny…what is your opinion on this? “See homeopathy, flat-earthers, anti-vaccers, the link between 5G and COVID-19, and fake moon landings …”
What was the biggest lesson of your first book?
“To choose a subject you really, really like. If your motivation is anything other than a genuine and unquenchable interest in telling the story, it’s going to be a misery. It’s just too much work to do it for anything but the love of it. I need to almost have a compulsion to write a story. Before I arrived at Vulcan 607, the first subject I started scratching around was the Schneider Trophy Races. I even interviewed a former engineer who’d worked in the Supermarine factory in the thirties, but my heart was never really in it.”

How important were the USMC in the development of the Harrier’s air combat potential; what was VIFFING – and what are its benefits?
VIFF – Vectoring in Forward Flight – was the unique ability of the Harrier to change the direction of its jet thrust by rotating the four exhaust of its jet engine. The US Marine Corps were the driving force behind the technique from the outset. Two USMC test pilots evaluated the Harrier in 1968. When they asked about the envelope for putting the nozzles down in forward flight they got the impression it was the first time anyone had asked. But after some hasty calculations came back from Hawker, they took the jet to 25,000 feet and 300kts and gave it a go. They would go on to develop it into something of an art. Trials first took place using a Kestrel that belonging to NASA, but accelerated once frontline Marine Corps squadrons got their hands on real Harriers and, employing VIFF against A-4s, F-4 and T-38s, beat them all. Such was the potential that, in 1972, a joint UK/US test programme, run by the USMC, NASA and the Royal Aircraft Establishment was instigated that proved beyond doubt that, using VIFFing, the Harrier was capable of manoeuvres that no other warplane could match. As one veteran USMC Harrier pilot put it: ‘When we started, the F-4 Phantom was the Marines’ premier fighter. And when we engaged them in dogfights, they were literally murdered.’ Because of its ability to VIFF, no opponent could stay in a Harrier’s six o’ clock if the jump jet’s pilot didn’t want it to. Ironically then, and despite much being written about VIFFing in British newspapers as the Task Force sailed south, the technique was never used to either shoot down or escape the enemy during the Falklands War.”

How well did the Harriers do in the Falklands and why were they so important?
“The Sea Harriers destroyed twenty-three enemy aircraft – fixed and rotary wing – without suffering a single combat loss in return. Those numbers speak for themselves. With respect to the Sea Harrier’s importance to the operation to recapture the Falklands, it was black and white. As Admiral Sir Henry Leach, First Sea Lord at the tome of the Falklands War, put it: ‘Without the Sea Harrier there could have been no Task Force’.”

How important was the AIM-9L and what was its advantage?

“In the end, it turned out to be largely psychological. The latest version of the Sidewinder, rushed into service with the Sea Harrier before the fighting, was described as a ‘death ray’ by one of the engineers who developed it. From the moment when a SHAR armed with the Nine Lima first intercepted a 707 shadowing the Task Force on 21 April, the Argentine Air Force knew they were up against a missile that, unlike their own, could be fired from any angle – even head-on. It was a factor in their reluctance to engage the Sea Harriers and, where possible, avoid them altogether. In the event, post-war analysis showed that every single Sidewinder kill should have been within the capability of the earlier AIM-9G version.”

Pre-order order your copy of Harrier 809 here.

How do you decide on the subject for a book and determine the ‘story’?
“Each book has been something of a reaction to the content of the previous one, a change in direction. From RAF to the Fleet Air Arm; from big machines at sea to a rough and ready ground war in the Middle East; from boots on the ground to orbital mechanics; and from the US back to a very British story – and one that, more than any other book I’ve written, is about air-to-air combat. There have also been particular, and sometimes quite unlikely sounding touchstones for the books. With Vulcan 607 I wanted to write something that felt something like a British, non-fiction, Flight of the Old Dog. I wanted Phoenix Squadron to feel like the miniseries that launched the Battlestar Galactica reboot. The trigger for Storm Front was watching a special forces assault in an episode of 24. For Into the Black it was reading Andrew Smith’s brilliant Moondust. I genuinely hadn’t been much interested in space until I read his account of his effort to meet the surviving moonwalkers, but as soon as I did I knew I had to write about the Shuttle – a spaceship with wings.
Then identifying the shape and focus of the narrative is absolutely key. Obviously I’m working with the facts as I’ve discovered them but I’m always thinking about the story I’m telling and trying to deploy the material in the service of that. I’m fascinated by the subject of ‘story’ and what’s required to capture and hold a readers’ (or moviegoers’) attention. So I’m an avid reader of the likes of Robert McKee, William Goldman, John Yorke and was even lucky enough to attend one of McKee’s mesmerising three-day seminars on story. Wanting to know how I want make readers feel – over the course of a whole book, but also scene by scene – is almost a starting point. Once I’ve figured that out then the research that follows sort of arranges itself organically in my as I get deeper into it.”
Most of your books are about British aviation subjects, why is this and how important is the warplane to British mythology and self-identity?
“I can’t speak French and I have only limited American. And old warplanes do seem to be strangely important to the way this country sees itself, don’t they?”
Which aircraft is most like you and why?

“Victor K2. Like me, it could have arrived straight out of Flash Gordon – and it possesses a massive hose.”

Rowland White interviews Hush-Kit

Why did you start Hush-kit and what did you want to that wasn’t already being done?
“I had been made redundant and needed something to do to stop me going mad. My friend Eva suggested I start a blog, I think she wanted me to work more on my humorous writing — and was disappointed to find out I’d dedicated it to aircraft! I guess I was interested in breaking the unwritten rules of how aircraft are discussed, but equally inspired by what I loved in the aircraft books of the 1980s. I was frustrated that a subject as exciting as aviation was generally written about in a very boring way. And I was very uncomfortable with how the subject is often hijacked for nationalistic or militaristic purposes. Also, was there a reason humour was outlawed from aerospace writing?

Listicles are often frowned upon, but I think they’re brilliantly accessible… so what happens if you get insiders to help you with them? Behind many of the top 10s are anonymous contributions from some pretty interesting people. Initially I struggled to get interviews with the people I wanted but over time it got easier. The chance to interview soviet interceptor pilots and Iranian Tomcat aces (for example) was a thrill! There’s still a a load of pilots I’m desperate to talk to.”
What magical combination of different elements makes up the perfect Hush-kit article? “There’s a few different style of Hush-Kit article, some quite serious and some quite silly. One thing I’m interested in is giving sensible answers to childish questions that I wondered as an 8-year-old, an example being the chance to ask a Spitfire/Typhoon pilot which of his aircraft would win in a dogfight. The articles I like best communicate a real story in an entertaining way. There are many pitfalls, and if you are not careful it’s easy to unquestioningly share manufacturers’ PR spin, nationalist jingoism or use too much jargon (all things I’ve been guilty of at times). Well informed stuff with a sprinkle of humour makes me happy! I think writers sometimes worry that silliness will undermine the serious stuff, but trusting the intelligence of your readers gives you greater liberty.”

Which aircraft has been the most unlikely success story and why? “The F-4 Phantom II. The success of the Phantom is a lesson in the importance of persistence. It started life as a ‘Super Demon’ (McDonnell’s taste for supernatural names was wonderful) – a reboot of a less than stellar design… and went on to conquer the world. It was an interesting design in many ways, arguably putting power and avionics/weapon systems above aerodynamics. Makes you wonder if a British Super Javelin could have became an equally successfully polished turd.”
Tell me which aeroplane best represents each of the ten deadly sins

“Great question, I’ve just listened to the brilliant Stephen Fry podcast on the 7 deadly sins so sin is very much on my mind:

Pride

I will not risk saying Tejas..how about the new British Tempest project?

Greed

KC-46 Pegasus.

Lust

Panamarenko’s ‘The Aeromodeller’ of 1971. A 28-metre-long airship made of glued strips of PVC film with an underslung cabin of rattan palm sprayed in silver. He planned to live there permanently in the air, with Brigitte Bardot. In 1971 Panamarenko tried to test fly the airship to Arnhem, and may have had plans to pick up Bridgette Bardot (who I am pretty sure was completely unaware of the plan).  The Dutch aviation police didn’t approve of this dangerous enterprise — in an untested, possibly unflyable machine — and informed Panamarenko of this by telegram. Panamarenko didn’t give a shit for the Dutch aviation police and attempted to take-off. But was thwarted by a storm.

Envy

Qaher 313?

Gluttony

“Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal’s A380. I think Idi Amin sent a 727 to the UK to pick up his weekly Fortnum & Mason’s hamper –– and whisky. There is also many stories of military aircraft flying unnecessary ‘shop runs’. I have it from a reliable source that a Marienflieger Tornado flew a mission to Norway in the 1980s to pick up some smoked salmon.”

Wrath 

“Project Pluto. A nuclear-powered nuclear weapon delivery vehicle. To quote wikipedia “It was proposed that after delivering all its warheads, the missile could then spend weeks flying over populated areas at low altitudes, causing secondary damage from radiation.” that’s after it has already delivered nuclear bombs. It then crashes, to further curse the ground with even more radiation. I mean that’s particularly spiteful even for a nuclear weapon. Not sure I agree with Yuval Noah Harari that having instant genocide ‘in a jar’ is a good idea.”

Sloth 

“The Bristol 188. Designed to explore flights at sustained bi-sonic plus speed, it couldn’t go past mach 1.88. To put this in perspective, it was a high-speed research aircraft that first flew three years after a faster aircraft (the EE Lightning) had entered actual frontline service.  Still, it looked magnificent with is beautiful stainless steel construction and huge engine pods. At the same the Americans were flying around at over Mach 3 with a titanium aircraft.”
Which career of an aircraft design that never entered service do you spend most time thinking about. How did it pan out? “There’s a few here. I’d like to know more about the Nimrod MRA.4. A few billion (perhaps four) spent and nothing much to show for it apart from a ‘capability holiday’ (no fixed-wing maritime patrol aircraft for a nation surrounded by sea) and a later multi-billion order for a US aircraft. Then there’s all these (potentially) brilliant cancelled British fighters”
Who – living or dead – would you most like to write a piece for Hush-kit and why? “There’s a question! Brian O’Nolan on the F-35? P.G. Wodehouse spending an afternoon drinking with R.J. Mitchell?  Hunter S. Thompson on krokodil reporting from Zhukovsky? Leonora Carrington flies with Iranian Tomcats? Elsa Hildegard Baroness von Freytag-Loringhoven on biz-jet reviews?”

Which aviation conundrum keeps you up at night and why? Is it possible to love to love killing machines without losing part of your soul? And, does USAF need to be so incredibly huge? What’s the logic behind a low-visibility roundel?

If Hush-kit were a helicopter what would it be and why? There’s a gulf between what it would like to be and what it is! It would perhaps like to be a Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne of a parallel universe where the thing worked well and entered service. Though actually I think we would be the Romanian IAR 317 (what happens when a shopping trolley falls in love with an Alouette). Just remembered I’m supposed to be plugging our new coffee table book which is crowd-funded and is going to be magnificent, you can order it here.

Round the world in a Graf Zeppelin or an Empire Class Flying Boat? “Zeppelin! I don’t smoke anymore, but if I did, the Hindenburg’s smoking room looked amazing. Unsurpassed luxury and elegance!”
What should I write next? Persuade me.

“The story of babies conceived by factory workers in partly-made Lancaster bombers? There’s something very uplifting about that I think.”

“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Pre-order your copy now right here  

TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

“the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”.

The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft.

FEATURING

• Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, Mirage, Typhoon, MiG-25, MiG-27, English Electric Lighting, Harrier, F-15, B-52 and many more.
• Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones.
• Expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology.
• A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane.
• Bizarre moments in aviation history.
• Fascinating insights into exceptionally obscure warplanes.

The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations.

Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards.

 

When Defying Hitler author Greg Lewis took to Twitter to tell the story of the B-17 crew saved by an anonymous forced labourer who sabotaged shells made for the Luftwaffe, the story went viral. Today he asks how widespread was such sabotage in German aircraft factories and considers the risks faced by those involved.

In the summer of 1978 two former members of a B-17 crew met to discuss their escape from death in a raid on Kassel in Germany in 1943.

Sitting on a porch in Tarrytown, New York, co-pilot Bohn Fawkes turned to his navigator Elmer “Benny” Bendiner and said: “You remember that we were hit with 20-mm shells?”

Benny said that of course he did but that was not unusual. It happened whenever they got jumped by a German fighter.

Bohn leaned forward and Bendiner could see that a “revelation was on the verge”.

Yes, but remember the shell that hit the gas tank? Bohn said.

Benny said he did. All the crew had talked about it like it was a miracle. And to them it was, because somehow their plane – Tondelayo – had not been blown out of the sky by an explosion. Just unbelievable luck, they assumed, and carried on with their duties.

That’s not quite the full story, Bohn told him now, 35 years later. He said the morning after the raid he’d checked with the ground crew and was told there had been not one but 11 unexploded shells in the gas tank.

Eleven unexploded shells in the fuel when just one should have been enough to blow the B-17 apart.

Bohn said the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused but had then been rushed away by an intelligence officer.

Bohn had tracked down the officer and had hounded him until eventually he had told Bohn the full story – before swearing him to secrecy.

Bohn wanted to tell his old friend now.

He said that as the armourers had opened each shell they had found no explosive charge. Each shell was empty, harmless.

Except one. Inside that one was a carefully rolled piece of paper with a note written in Czech by a labourer forced to make the shells for the Luftwaffe.

The note said: “This is all we can do for you now.”

The crews’ lives had been saved by someone they would never know. And the worker would never know that he/she had saved ten lives.

I came across this story in Elmer Bendiner’s marvellous 1980 memoir, The Fall of the Fortresses, while researching the lives of USAAF crews flying out of England during WW2.

It stopped me in my tracks but nothing prepared me for the reaction it would get when I shared it on Twitter. The actions of a hero risking their lives to help someone they would never know struck a chord.

For some people it found a new relevance in these days of the Covid-19 pandemic when we are all being asked to stay inside to save the lives of others – perhaps strangers – across society. But it also set me thinking about other instances where sabotage might have helped aircrew – sabotage not by trained agents of the OSS or SOE but by foreign labourers forced to work for the Nazis. It’s an immensely difficult area to research. Such sabotage was naturally secretive, and many would not survive to tell the tale.

It was also possible for myth to develop. For instance, it has been claimed the note in Bendiner’s story also included the words: “Using Jewish slave labour is never a good idea.” But these words are not in Bendiner’s original account in his book.

The Nazis put the use of forced labour at the heart of its war industries. They gathered up huge numbers from territories over-run in eastern Europe and Russia, but also from the Netherlands, Belgium and France, where round-ups would encourage many young men to join resistance groups.

According to Nicolas Stargardt in The German War, there were just under 8 million foreign workers in Germany by the summer of 1944. Huge numbers worked in agriculture and on the railways but it was factories which would become the focus of resistance and sabotage.

In Defying Hitler I wrote about some of the 500 Jewish people of Berlin who were forced to work at Siemens-Schuckertwerke, an aircraft parts factory which spread across a two-hundred-acre site in the northwest of the city. The workforce contained at least two groups of anti-fascists, led by the inspirational Herbert Baum, the jazz musician Heinz Joachim, and a young toolmaker named Heinz Birnbaum. All had actively opposed the Nazis since before they even came to power and would coalesce as a single resistance group under Baum.

Baum and Joachim spread anti-Nazi feeling and encouraged dissent, while as a sub-foreman Birnbaum worked out which of the workers might help him carry out small acts of sabotage: pouring sugar into a machine’s transmission to make it seize up and change the measurements on a job ensuring it had to be done again. These things could only be done sparingly and not repeated by the same person so Birnbaum took care to recruit as many helpers as he could.

Baum and his French Catholic friend, Suzanne Wesse, also wrote pamphlets encouraging sabotage and such was their success that Baum teamed up with Robert Uhrig, a thirty-eight-year-old toolmaker who controlled a large factory-based resistance network of his own, carrying out small acts of sabotage at factories in a number of cities, including Hamburg and Essen. He concentrated on infiltrating workers – mostly non-Jews – into armaments and aircraft factories.

Both the Baum and Uhrig groups were eventually uncovered and huge numbers were executed. With the urgent need for fighters to defend the Reich, German aircraft factories demanded full commitment from the forced labourers it treated badly and fed poorly. And so one of the most basic forms of resistance a worker could do was to slow down the pace of work.

According to Detlev J.K Peukert’s Inside Nazi Germany this may have become widespread and, while it was usually punished as ‘idling’, it often became viewed as sabotage. Every month the Reich compiled statistics for the numbers of arrests and foreign workers made up the largest category.

Peukart uses just one month of the war – December 1941 – to highlight the situation inside Germany, at a time when the number of foreign workers was about a third what it would be by the time of D-Day.

During that single month the Gestapo recorded 7,408 arrests for refusal to work and another 2,043 for ‘opposition’.

These are nameless people now, who downed tools in a state which allowed no opposition, and who through their own principled dissent carried out an act of resistance. The Czech worker who sabotaged the shells which struck Bendiner’s aircraft might have hoped and prayed that their failure to fill the 20mm shells would save an Allied airman but they probably never imagined their note would be discovered.

If it was a miracle that the B-17 survived, it was also a miracle that this wonderful act of humanity was revealed. And so we are left to wonder if this brave and nameless individual also became a statistic in a Gestapo report? For arrest, deportation to a concentration camp, death? We are allowed to hope they survived but we will never know. Either way, they are a symbol of all those who show courage without expecting reward or recognition.

Greg Lewis is an award-winning writer and television producer. His most recent book is Defying Hitler: The Germans Who Resisted Nazi Rule (with Gordon Thomas)

“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Pre-order your copy now right here  

 

TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

“the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”.

The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft.

FEATURING

• Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, Mirage, Typhoon, MiG-25, MiG-27, English Electric Lighting, Harrier, F-15, B-52 and many more.
• Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones.
• Expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology.
• A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane.
• Bizarre moments in aviation history.
• Fascinating insights into exceptionally obscure warplanes.

The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations.

Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards.

 

 

 

Top Ten Australian Aircraft

NEW VIDEO! World’s Worst Air Force 2020

 

 

 

I’m being told off for not pushing the funding side of this side enough. I’ll keep it very brief: you can support our site and keep this going here. Thank you. 

 

By Dan Sharp

Cash-strapped Britain could only look on with envy during the late 1950s as massive investment fuelled a golden age of innovation and progress in US aviation and space technology. While the Americans were beginning to explore the furthest reaches of high-speed high-altitude flight with the spectacular Mach 5+ North American X-15 rocket plane, the British laid plans for a less flamboyant but no less ambitious experimental vehicle.

Blue Steel was designed after it became clear, in early 1953, that Soviet anti-aircraft defences would soon make it too dangerous for the RAF’s V-bombers to try dropping nuclear bombs directly onto their targets. It was a thermonuclear stand-off missile meant to be launched outside the maximum range of enemy defences before flying to its target at Mach 3 under its own internal guidance.

It needed to be the size of a small aircraft in order to accommodate Britain’s early nuclear warheads but still had to fit beneath an Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor or Vickers Valiant host aircraft. Avro itself won the contract to design it in March 1956 and by 1960 its final shape had been decided: a tubular fuselage 35ft 6¼in long with canards and stubby wings to the rear with a 13ft span.

The missile was powered by a two-chamber 22,000lb thrust Bristol Siddeley Stentor rocket motor which required kerosene fuel and high-test peroxide (HTP) oxidant. The use of HTP made Blue Steel difficult and dangerous to prepare for flight – during tests the area around the missile had to be thoroughly dowsed with water before fuelling and troughs of water had to be ready for ground crew to jump into in case they got any HTP on them.

Its Marconi-Elliott inertial navigation system was incredibly complex and somewhat unreliable. Avro’s decision to build Blue Steel out of, well, steel rather than titanium turned out to be a mistake and by 1960 the missile was seriously delayed due to constructional difficulties. Nevertheless, during this time Avro hatched a plan to offer Blue Steel as the basis for a manned experimental rocket plane – effectively a British counterpart to the X-15.

The project was named Z.101 and two versions were considered, Z.101/35 and the longer Z.101/38 (the /35 and /38 referring to the length of the vehicle in feet – by comparison, the X-15 was more than 50ft long). Converting Blue Steel into Z.101 would involve relatively minor changes. Its bulky navigation system would be replaced with a cockpit and a raised windscreen section would be added to the top of the fuselage. A nosewheel and basic autopilot would be installed in the nose and extendable skids would tuck up into the fuselage beneath the HTP tank. Removing the roomy warhead bay also made room for additional fuel tank capacity and a payload bay where measuring and other equipment could be fitted. The wings, control surfaces and motor remained unchanged.

Avro studied data on the X-15’s landing performance provided by the Americans, which gave a landing speed of 190 knots, and considered that this would be achievable for the Z.101. However, without the X-15’s wing flaps the Z.101’s nose would need to be raised up much higher on landing. A paraglider landing scheme was also therefore studied. Covert enquiries were made about possible landing sites in Australia and it was thought that Lake Carringallana in South Australia, a dry clay pan, would be suitable.

In its /35 form, Z.101 was expected to reach Mach 3.6 before its fuel gave out and in /38 it was intended to hit Mach 5 with a ceiling of 300,000ft. Avro aimed to achieve 10 flights with the Z.101 and believed that the project would have made a worthwhile contribution to high-speed high-altitude research, exploring the so-called ‘flight corridor’. But the X-15 was already flying and the Americans were happy to share the data it yielded. Z.101 would not have been ready before November 1965 and the idea was abandoned before September 1961.

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Stripping out Blue Steel’s inertial navigator and replacing it with a human pilot would have removed Blue Steel’s biggest source of unreliability (though the problem of fuelling the vehicle would remain) but it would still have taken a brave test pilot indeed to climb aboard the steel missile and fly it up to Mach 5, not to mention bringing it back to earth for a perilous nose-up landing.

“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Pre-order your copy now right here  

 

TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

“the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”.

The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft.

FEATURING

• Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, Mirage, Typhoon, MiG-25, MiG-27, English Electric Lighting, Harrier, F-15, B-52 and many more.
• Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones.
• Expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology.
• A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane.
• Bizarre moments in aviation history.
• Fascinating insights into exceptionally obscure warplanes.

The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations.

Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards.

Related

Hush-Kit Top Ten: The ten best-looking Australian aeroplanesIn “Aviation”

From the ‘Lying Brothers’ to Lilienthal: ‘Der Traum vom Fliegen’ and the birth of German aviation in the 19th & 20th centuries

Planet Satellite: British super-plane or magnesium flop?With 30 comments

Sources

1. H. Francis, The Development of Blue Steel, Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Vol. 68, No. 641, May 1964
2. E. Allen, Blue Steel and Developments, The History of the UK Strategic Deterrent, Royal Aeronautical Society, 1999

Anon, A Review of W.R.D. Hypersonic Work, Avro W.R.D. Technical Note APTN, June 10, 1963

1. E. Allen Missile Project Studies, September 1963
2. Hale, Full Scale Aeronautical Research with Blue Steel, Avro/WRD/APA/JEA/7.24JH, October 4, 1961

 

At dawn on 18 March 1910, escapologist Harry Houdini became the first person to fly an aeroplane in Australia (like many aspects of Australian aviation history, this is the subject of fierce debate, and some claim that it was actually Colin Defries or Fred Custance). Earlier, in 1856, one M Pierre Maigre had attempted to demonstrate a hot air balloon in front of a crowd of 6,000, who had paid to watch ‘the first flight in Australia’. The balloon failed to take-off, and many of the onlookers rioted. In the ensuing chaos, somebody knocked Maigre’s hat off, and fearing for his life, he ran from the site, chased by an angry mob of thousands (he found refuge in a government building). Meanwhile, the crowd set fire to the balloon and “created a bonfire from the tent and seats”.

Actually, Australia had an even earlier start with the first recorded flight by English racing driver Colin Defries (not quite controlled as it ended in a crash) taking place in 1909. With a strong air corps in World War I (followed by one of the world’s earliest air forces) and vast expanses of country to travel, it is no wonder that aviation took hold so swiftly in the 1920s and ’30s. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is the best-known example of this trailblazing growth, alongside QANTAS (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services). Despite this strength in aviation services, most aircraft were of foreign design and build (albeit with local assembly) with only a few indigenous designs.

The spectre of another war brought about great changes. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation was formed in 1936, and in the early days of WW2 the government also set up what was to become the Department of Aircraft Production (later called the Government Aircraft Factory).

There have been many very successful aircraft built under license or by local subsidiary companies over the years. These include variants of the Beaufort and Beaufighter, many de Havilland aircraft such as the Mosquito, P-51, Sabre, Canberra, Aermacchi MB.326, Mirage III, and the F/A-18.

However, for this list I am looking at those designed entirely in Australia or significantly modified from their original design. Selected with no firm criteria, I have chosen designs that had either a successful service career, an interesting history, or were just plain pretty.

10. John Duigan biplane

The first Australian designed and built aircraft to fly was allegedly inspired by a postcard. In 1908, whilst working at his father’s sheep station ‘Spring Plains‘ in central Victoria, John Duigan saw a postcard of a Wright biplane in flight and was possessed with a desire to fly. Starting with box kites and progressing through experimentation with gliders (and a copy of Sir Hiram Maxim’s book ‘Artificial & Natural Flight’), he took to the air briefly on 16 July 1910 at the farm. With modifications the flights increased in length until he achieved what Duigan regarded as his first fully controlled flight of almost 200 yards on 7 October 1910. On 3 May 1911, five public flights were made at Epsom Racecourse, Melbourne, the longest of these being of 3000 ft.

Unfortunately Duigan was unable to attract official attention to his design, so the aircraft languished while John departed for England to pursue his career in aviation. In 1918 Duigan won the Military Cross for fighting off four Fokker triplanes, despite being severely wounded, in a lumbering RE8 whilst serving with the Australian Flying Corps.

The aircraft itself was constructed of locally sourced materials, including, for example, reworked metal bands from wool bales to make fittings for the aircraft. The aircraft is currently displayed, suspended from the ceiling in the foyer of Melbourne Museum. It was donated to the museum by John Duigan himself in 1920.

9. CAC Woomera (CAC CA-4 and CAC CA-11)

Noting that Britain, its traditional supplier of armaments, was quite tied up with fighting Germany and faced with the prospect of potential invasion by Japan, this twin engine torpedo-bomber project was born out of the realisation that aircraft and parts might well be cut off in the early years of WW2. With local production of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 being arranged, prospects for the new domestic aircraft were bright – the design was basically sound, it was well armed and potentially versatile. Unfortunately, amongst its other technical innovations, the prototype CA-4 featured a wing in which the internal cavities had been sealed, forming an enormous integral fuel tank. It was never an entirely satisfactory system and the prototype caught fire and exploded in flight, probably due to a fuel leak in January 1943.

As well as the ‘wet wing’ fuel system the CA-4 and later CA-11 had a number of interesting technical innovations, including remotely controlled twin-gun turrets built into the rear of the engine nacelles, and the use of the nacelles to accommodate a 500lb bomb load. The intent appears to have been to create a flexible and versatile medium bomber, but with additional capabilities including torpedo attack, dive-bombing and reconnaissance.

Despite the loss of the prototype, the CA-4 was deemed sufficiently successful to gain an order from the RAAF for 105 improved CA-11 ‘Woomera’ production aircraft, but this proved to be unnecessary. The redesigned and improved CA-11 didn’t fly until 1944 and by this time large numbers of US-built aircraft werew available for service and successful licence production of Bristol Beauforts and Beaufighters was in full swing. The sole CA-11 was scrapped in 1946.

3 . GAF Jindivik

Despite its challenging pronunciation, the diminutive Jindivik is Australia’s most successful military aviation export. The word Jindivik appropriately means to ‘destroy’ or ‘burst asunder’ in the Woiwurrung Aboriginal language and this aircraft was designed expressly to be shot down. Although there were a pair of piloted test aircraft (named Pika and which may well be the cutest jet aircraft ever built), the Jindivik is primarily an unmanned target drone. Built to aid missile testing with the UK, this aircraft had a very long and successful career starting in 1952 and was used in the development of such systems as Bloodhound, Seaslug, and Firestreak.

The Jindvik was an extraordinarily successful design, 502 were produced between 1952 and 1986 but the Jindivik was apparently so indispensible that the line was reopened in 1997 to produce a further 15 for British use. Despite being unable to carry a pilot or passenger or indeed any human being, the Jindivik is the third most successful Australian designed aircraft, after the Commonwealth Wirraway and the Jabiru light aircraft. As well as its extensive use by the UK and Australia, Jindivik has also served in Sweden and with the US Navy. (photo at Woomera, SA)

7. AAC A-10 and A-20 Wamira

By the 1980s it was clear that the RAAF needed a turboprop aircraft to replace the long serving CAC Winjeel and PAC CT/4 Airtrainer designs. The Australian Aircraft Consortium (CAC, GAF, HdH) came together to produce the A-10 with side by side seating for the initial competition. A tandem seating version (A-20) was also devised with a view to international sales (a MoU was even signed with Westland for a joint venture). However, it was a non-flying clean-sheet design, whereas the other contenders (Shorts Tucano, Pilatus PC-9) were already in the air. The PC-9 was selected in 1985 and thus killed by politics, economics, and general governmental unwillingness to back a local product, this aircraft never made it into the air.

The A-10 and A-20 were unfortunately always on the back foot in seeking to enter a market where there were preexisting strong competitors already in service. Possibly, had the RAAF initially specified a tandem-seat design, the aircraft might at least have been able to reach the same point as the NDN Turbo-Firecracker, which was another of the contenders for the RAF order, but it wasn’t to be. The Engineering mock-up and components of the first aircraft are now with the Australian National Aviation Museum at Moorabbin, Victoria.

6. CAC CA-25 Winjeel

In Australian Aboriginal mythology, Bunjil is a creator deity and ancestral being, often depicted as a wedge-tailed eagle. The Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people who lived in the area of the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fisherman’s Bend in Victoria pronounced Bunjil as Winjeel, hence the name of this excellent trainer. Designed to meet a 1948 requirement to replace the Tiger Moth and CAC Wirraway (a NA-16 PT-6/Harvard development), this three-seater was so sweet and free of vices that it was almost impossible to spin, thus necessitating a redesign to the tail to make it a better training aircraft! First flown in 1951 and in service as a trainer until 1975, it soldiered on in the Forward Air Control role until 1994.

The Winjeel is an attractive little aircraft, with a strong resemblance to the Hunting-Percival Provost. I have heard a rumour that the RAAF initially wanted the Provost, but the UK refused to modify the aircraft to meet Australian requirements, so a domestic solution was sought. And a happy solution this was, with the Winjeel replacing the Wirraway and Tiger Moth in service, and numerous examples still flying in civilian hands today. Curiously Henry Millicer, who designed the Provost, ended up working for CAC’s great rival GAF and was chief aerodynamicist on the Jindivik. Small world.

 

The changes to encourage the aircraft to spin were moving the fin forward, which reduced stability in yaw; increasing the rudder size to increase control authority; moving the engine slightly further forward, and giving the wing 3 deg. sweepback which moved the c.g. forward compared to the centre of lift, which would improve spin recovery.

5. GAF Nomad

Probably best known from the title sequence of the TV series ‘The Flying Doctors’, the Nomad has had a successful career overall with many military and civilian operators in a wide range of roles. Very much in the mould of the Britten-Norman Islander, the Nomad concept started in the 1950s, but the final design was really born out of the experiences from Vietnam. Twice as many engines as the Pilatus Porter and dH Beaver, yet with similar STOL performance. First flown in 1971 it was well received until problems with fatigue in the tail: in 1976 a tailplane failure killed the GAF’s chief test pilot Stuart Pearce, father of actor Guy Pearce.

The Nomad was designed to have outstanding STOL performance, and achieved this through the use of full-span double-slotted flaps, the outer portions of which could be operated differentially to act as ailerons. 170 production aircraft and 2 prototypes were built in a number of different variants. Operators included the Australian Army, Indonesian Navy, Thai and Philippine Air Forces, US Customs Service and various civil operators.

4. CAC Boomerang (CA-12, CA-13, CA-14 and CA-19) 

The Boomerang was another urgent design brought on by the dark days of early WW2. The CAC Wirraway was not a capable fighter – despite the ‘Wirra-schmitt’ nickname and its record as the only Australian designed aircraft to destroy another in air to air combat. Deliveries of British or US designs could not be guaranteed and in 1941 the concept of a locally produced fighter was born. Valuable time was saved through the use of many existing parts and the portly Boomerang was the result. The fighter used the Wirraway centre section, wing, tail assembly and undercarriage. Although outclassed as a pure fighter, it was manoeuvrable and powerfully armed with two 20-mm Hispano or CAC cannons and four 0.303 Browning machine guns.

and earned an excellent reputation as a ground attack aircraft. Originally powered by the R-1830 engine, one later variant trialled a R-2800 with the supercharger situated rather oddly on the side of the fuselage.

Outpaced by better British and US aircraft as soon as it first flew, this stubby yet pretty aircraft had a remarkable career. Given their success with the Brewster Buffalo I’m betting that the Finnish would have loved it…

The Boomerang is stubby, yet purposeful, rugged and reliable, and it is a pleasure to see the two airworthy aircraft in Australia being put through their paces. It is clear, however, that the aircraft lacked the speed to be competitive as a premier league fighter, its most successful role being in Army cooperation. A total of 250 aircraft of all variants were built.

3. Jabiru

Inexplicably named after a large stork, the tallest flying bird found in the Americas, the Jabiru is more a family of light and kit aircraft than a single design, I’ll cheat and lump them in as one. The first aircraft flew in 1991 and since then the company has produced many two and four seat aircraft. Built largely in composite materials it is a very conventional high-wing monoplane. Available in a variety of configurations from Light Sport Aircraft to General Aviation approved, the Jabiru range has been very successful and is the most produced Australian design ever marketed (the Gippsland Aviation AirVan just doesn’t have the numbers). Interestingly the Jabiru company also makes a series of air-cooled engines for aircraft.

A huge variety of Jabiru aircraft have been produced, with 16 different types listed in the Wikipedia entry for the aircraft. These vary from the lightest ULA variant up to fully-certified 4-seat aircraft.

Jim Smith notes “The Jabiru is the only one of the Australian aircraft discussed in this article that I have flown, and the variant I flew was at the bottom end of the spectrum. On a hot and bumpy day out at Ballarat, Victoria, it was fun, but hard work due to the rough conditions.”

Later and heavier variants are more sophisticated, and the design has been very successful, with more than 2000 aircraft being built.

2. CAC-15 Kangaroo ‘The Mighty Roo’ 

With the Boomerang becoming more and more obsolete, in 1942 a more up to date locally designed high performance fighter was proposed. The initial design was to incorporate a supercharged R-2800, but as development progressed this became unavailable and a switch to an inline engine was made. A Rolls-Royce Griffon was made available and the CA-15 as we know it was built.

Often mistaken for ‘simply’ a modified P-51, the ‘Kangaroo’ was a very different beast. In the same way that the Griffon engine was in many ways a larger and more beefy take on the Merlin, the CAC-15 was a larger and more beefy aircraft in the same general mould as the P-51. Possibly the best looking ‘what if’ aircraft of WW2, showing much cleaner lines than the somewhat similar Martin Baker MB 5. Lord Hives, the Executive Chairman of Rolls-Royce, is reported by Sir Lawrence Wackett as remarking that it was the neatest installation of the Griffon achieved.

 

The looks did not belie the performance, which was spectacular. In the same performance class as the Sea Fury and MB 5, the sensational Kangaroo is a contender for the title of finest piston-engined fighter ever built.
If the RAAF had known how limited early jets would be or how long the P-51s would soldier on in service, the CAC-15 might have made a brilliant impact. Sadly the design was never really pushed and became regarded as a design exercise rather than an essential project, with the only prototype first flying in March 1946. The availability of new overseas built types, local production of the P-51, and the emergence of jet power all played their part.

Sadly the CA-15 is relatively little known, probably due to its antipodean origin but should be held in the same regard as the brilliant Martin-Baker MB 5. The latter may not have had the clean lines of the CA-15, but its engineering can only be described as brilliant. All accounts of the CA-15 describe its performance as excellent, and the aircraft can justly be regarded as one of the finest piston-engine fighters ever built. Great optimism surrounded the project, but in the end, the Mustang soldiered on in RAAF service until the arrival of the Sabre, and the solitary Kangaroo was scrapped in 1950.

1. CAC Sabre CA-27 ‘Avon Sabre’

Based on the North American F86 Sabre, the decision to use a locally built Rolls-Royce Avon engine required so many substantial redesigns to the airframe that I’m including it as an Australian product. The Avon was shorter, wider, and lighter than the US engine. The fuselage was greatly altered and the intake was 25% larger. The six .50 cal machine guns in the original were replaced with a pair of the heavy hitting 30-mm ADEN cannon, the cockpit modified, and provision for more fuel capacity included.
First delivered in 1954 and serving during the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War, the aircraft were out of service by the end of 1968.
The Sabre in all its forms was probably the prettiest of the early jet fighters and the Avon Sabre is regarded as one of the best overall.

 

The Avon Sabre turned out to be a remarkable design, and its combination of performance and firepower made it far superior to US-built aircraft. In this respect, it had similarities with the Orenda-engined Canadair Sabre, but this aircraft retained the armament of the US F-86E on which it was based. The Avon Sabre had a maximum thrust of 7500 lb, compared to 7250 for the Orenda and 6100 for the J-47 engined F-86F.

Engineering changes to the Avon Sabre were very substantial. In effect, the fuselage was cut in half along a horizontal line down the fuselage, and a wedge inserted, dropping the front of the aircraft some 3.5 inches (~9cm) to provide a larger intake for the engine. The lighter and more powerful Avon engine was placed further aft in the fuselage, necessitating further changes. About 40% of the original F-86E fuselage parts were retained.
Author
Jonny, an aviation enthusiast and former history teacher from Australia.
His grandfather flew Westland Wapitis at RMC Duntroon. His great uncle was a navigator posted to long range units in the Western Desert who was mentioned in dispatches for his capture by Italian forces and subsequent ‘taking of Tobruk’ (a long story). His father achieved the rank of ‘Aircraftsman, Minor, Provisional’ during his national service days. His own service was short lived but provided the useful life lesson of learning when not to get the giggles at shouty ‘career’ corporals in the Australian Army Reserve.

With Jim Smith & Ed Ward 

“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Pre-order your copy now right here  

 

TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW

From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

“the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”.

The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft.

FEATURING

• Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, Mirage, Typhoon, MiG-25, MiG-27, English Electric Lighting, Harrier, F-15, B-52 and many more.
• Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones.
• Expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology.
• A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane.
• Bizarre moments in aviation history.
• Fascinating insights into exceptionally obscure warplanes.

The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations.

Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards.

Pre-order your copy now right here  

 

I can only do it with your support.

 

 

 

It is hard to believe that the same unit operated Focke-Wulf 190s and Spitfires together in the 1940s, but the history of the Turkish air force is full of such unlikely events. Founded in 1911, the independent air arm of Turkey (then the Ottoman Empire) is one of the oldest in the world. The nation’s unique geographical position, strategic relationships and alliances have had profound effects on the inventory, doctrine and organisation of the Turkish Air Force. It has operated some extremely exciting types and is one of the very last operators of the legendary F-4 Phantom II. We look at ten types that defined this large and surprising air force. 

By Arda Mevlutoglu

The Ottoman Empire, Turkey’s predecessor, entered the First World War in 1914 as an ally of Germany and had received technical support, training equipment  – including a vast force of Albatros fighters – throughout the war.

After the war, the Ottoman Empire surrendered. Its capital was occupied, and its army disbanded. Subsequently, the Greek army started an invasion of Anatolia, seizing a sizeable portion of land all the way to Ankara. A war for independence started with the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, who would later become the founder of the Republic of Turkey. The Turkish Air Force, then a tiny collection of seized or smuggled aircraft, played an important role in the Independence War preforming vital artillery spotting and reconnaissance missions. 

 

Turkey had been neutral throughout the Second World War — and it took a careful approach to both sides to remain as such. This delicate balance resulted in the procurement of equipment and weapons from both belligerents. It was in the last stages of the conflict that Turkey declared war on Nazi Germany and became a part of Allies, paving the way for the equipping of the TurAF with many US- and British- made aircraft as military aid.

The country’s entry into NATO in 1952 marked a major milestone for the service. Hundreds of jet fighters and trainers poured into the country from the US and other Western allies, as Turkey had become a frontline bulwark against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact. Starting from early 1980’s, Turkey has been fighting with separatist terrorism inside and outside her borders. The TurAF’s has always been extremely active for the past four decades with close air support missions – and the recent situation in Syria resulted in increased ground attack and combat air patrol (CAP) missions by F-16 fighters.

Since its inception, the TurAF has operated a large number of combat and support aircraft of various origins. A significant number of these were manufactured locally and starting from 2000s, indigenous designs have started to enter service, such as the Anka-S unmanned aerial vehicle and Hurkus-B turboprop trainer. Below is a list of 10 of the most important types to have served. 

 

10. Focke Wulf Fw 190

During the Second World War, Germany make a great effort to maintain good relations with Turkey to secure its supply of important raw materials such as iron, chrome and manganese. As part of these bilateral relations, Turkey negotiated with Germany for Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters. A credit agreement was signed in September 1942 and a total of 72 Fw 190A-3 fighters were delivered between March and August of 1943.

 

Fw 190s equipped four companies of the 5th Air Regiment (5’inci Hava Alayi). Logistics and supply of spare parts, however, became a serious issue as Germany’s situation in the war deteriorated. Serviceability of the regiment quickly decreased and it was later reinforced by… Spitfires! Somewhat bizarrely, for a couple of years the 5th Regiment operated Fw 190s and Spitfires. This lasted until 1947, when the last surviving Fw 190s were retired from service. Imagine F-4s and MiG-21s flying together in the same squadron during the Cold War!

An interesting side note is that the TurAF also operated Heinkel He 111F-1 bombers alongside Martin 139WTs and Convair B-24D Liberators.

 

9. PZL.24

France imposed an embargo on Turkey in 1935, which scuppered the latter’s order for Dewoitine 510TH fighters from the previous year (it is easy to draw parallels with the recent US boycott on the supply of F-35s). This forced the Turkish government to look for another fighter. After a lengthy evaluation period, the Polish PZL.24 was selected in 1936.

An export version of the PZL.11, the monoplane gull-wing all metal PZL.24 made its first flight in 1933. It became an export success, having entered into service with Bulgarian, Greek, Romanian air forces in numbers. The initial Turkish contract covered 14 PZL.24A’s, to be assembled in Kayseri Tayyare Fabrikasi (KTF – Kayseri Aircraft Planet), one of the first aircraft manufacturing plants in Turkey. The PZL project was an important achievement for the fledgling Turkish aviation industry. Throughout the 1930’s, with the help of Polish and German aviation engineers that sought refuge in Turkey from the torment of Nazi Germany helped Turkey build up its aviation industry. It was also the case with many other scientific and industrial fields as well.

 

A total of 66 PZL-24’s of A, C and G variants saw service with the TurAF between 1936 and 1943.

 

8. T-33 Shooting Star

The protocol for Turkey’s membership to NATO was signed in October 1951 and the formal procedure had begun. Shortly afterwards, Turkey started getting huge amounts of military equipment, weapons and ammunition — as well as advisors from United States and other allies. As part of this large-scale transformation, the TurAF was introduced to jet aircraft for the first time.

The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, a single engine subsonic trainer, was the first jet aircraft of the TurAF. The first examples were delivered in December 1951. In total, 116 T-33A’s and 58 T-33AN’s (Canadian CT-133 Silver Star Mk3) entered service. 25 RT-33A’s also flown for a brief period of time for training of tactical reconnaissance pilots, but the aircraft was chronically underpowered and was not favored. The Shooting Star was primarily used for introductory training of jet pilots but also employed with liaison missions between air bases throughout Turkey. The last aircraft was finally retired in 1997.

 

7. F-84 Thunderjet

Shortly after the T-33, the TurAF started receiving the Republic F-84 Thunderjet, a single -engine jet fighter. Turkey operated the largest F-84 fleet (of all versions) in the world after United States: between 479 F-84Gs were delivered between 1952 and 1956 as well as 377 F-84F, F-84Q and RF-84Fs between 1956 and 1966.

The F-84 formed the backbone of the TurAF throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The aircraft saw service during the Cyprus crisis in 1963-64. The RF-84 was also in the frontline during the 1974 Cyprus operation. The F-84G were retired in 1966 while, the last RF-84F’s soldiered on until the early 1980’s.

 

6. F-102 Delta Dagger

 

In order to counter the threat of Soviet high altitude bombers, Turkey, like Greece,  purchased F-102A Delta Dagger interceptors from United States. The Delta Dagger, a delta wing supersonic interceptor aircraft was the first, and so far the only, delta wing combat aircraft operated by the TurAF.

Turkey took delivery of a total of 49 Delta Daggers between 1968 and 1971: 40 F-102As and nine TF-102 trainers. The aircraft saw action during the 1974 Cyprus operation and is still at the centre of a controversy between Turkey and Greece: Turkish official sources report that an F-102A shot down a Greek F-5A on July 22, while Greek sources counter claim that an F-5A shot down two Turkish F-102As.

The arms embargo imposed by United States after the Cyprus Operation had very adverse effects on the logistics and serviceability of TurAF aircraft, and the Delta Dagger force took the most severe blow. The F-102 fleet, already suffering from a high attrition rate, became very difficult to maintain and fly. The last aircraft was finally withdrawn from service in 1979.

 

5. F-100 Super Sabre

For long range interdiction strike capability, Turkey procured the F-100 Super Sabre from NATO allies from 1958. This single-engine jet fighter with its distinctive ‘squashed’ nose inlet and 45 degrees swept wing formed the backbone of TurAF until early 1980’s.

TurAF took delivery of a total of 270 F-100D, F-100F and F-100C Super Sabres, receiving the last in 1982. Around 250 of them came from United States, while the remainder were secondhand from Denmark. The Super Sabre saw extensive service during the 1974 Cyprus Operation. The last airworthy ‘Huns’ were finally retired in 1988, bowing to the far more modern F-16. 

4. F-5 Freedom Fighter

The Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter, a twin-engined day fighter, began entering TurAF service in 1966, to replace the F-84 Thunderjet. The F-5 would form the cornerstone of the TuAF’s interceptor and multi-role capability. A total of 171 F-5A and F-5Bs, as well as 41 RF-5A tactical reconnaissance jets, were delivered between 1995 and 1992. Turkey purchased some secondhand F-5s from Libya, during a US arms embargo (together with a generous spare parts package) granted by Muammar Gaddafi, who was sympathetic to Turkey. The F-5 is another veteran of the 1974 Cyprus operation.

Turkey started a project in the mid-1990s to upgrade some F-5s with modern avionics for the lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) role for future F-16 pilots. A contract was signed with a consortium of IAI, Elbit and Singapore technologies in May 1999. A total of 48 F-5A/B’s received extensive avionics, to simulate those of the F-16. The upgrade work was done at the TurAF 1st Maintenance Centre in Eskisehir. Upgraded F-5’s, designated as F-5 2000, started entering service in 2002. They were retired around 2013.

A number of F-5’s continue serving with the Turk Yildizlari (Turkish Stars) aerobatic team. It is planned replace these with the Hurjet, an indigenous single-engine jet trainer under development by Turkish Aerospace.

 

3. F-104 Starfighter

 Turkey took major steps in the 1960s to reinforce its air defences. With the arrival of the first F-104Gs in 1963, the TurAF became a member of the Mach 2 club. The first F-104s were introduced to air defence units in Ankara. The aircraft became the mainstay of Turkish strategic air defence and interception capability against the Soviet threat.

 

The US arms embargo that took place between 1975 and 1978 prompted Turkey to seek  alternative sources for combat aircraft. Under the burden of a financial crisis, Turkey could not afford to switch to a completely different source and so eventually struck a deal with Italy for 40 F-104S.

In the 1980s, large numbers of F-104Gs became available from NATO allies due to the arrival of the F-16 and other new types. Turkey used this opportunity to bolster its Starfighter fleet, and many secondhand F-104s were delivered throughout the 1980s. 

 

In all, Turkey took delivery of 433 F-104G, TF-104G, F-104S and CF-104s between 1963 and 1989. The CF-104’s were used for close air support sorties in the 1980s against PKK targets, the aircraft’s fire control systems being found well suited to the ground attack roles. The last Starfighters were retired in 1995.

 

2. F-16 Fighting Falcon

After the US embargo lifted in 1978, Turkey resumed its efforts to modernise its air force, as well as establish an indigenous aviation industry. The tender for a new fighter aircraft shortlisted two US designs: the F-16 and F/A-18. In 1983, the F-16 was selected. For the production of the aircraft, a joint venture between TUSAS (Turk Ucak Sanayii AS – Turkish Aircraft Industries) and General Dynamics was formed under the name of  TUSAS Aerospace Industries (TAI). For the manufacture of the F110 turbofan engines, TUSAS teamed up with General Electric, to create TUSAS Engine Industries (TEI).

The initial contract covered 160 F-16C/D Block 30 and Block 40 Fighting Falcons, under the Peace Onyx I project. These aircraft were delivered between 1987 and 1994. A follow-on contract, Peace Onyx II, covered 80 Block 50 F-16’s. This second batch was partially financed by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates in compensation for Turkey’s support in Operation Desert Storm. Peace Onyx II fighters entered service between 1996 and 1997.

The Block 40 and Block 50 F-16 aircraft received extensive avionics upgrade under the Peace Onyx III program. Turkey meanwhile initiated an indigenous avionics upgrade project dubbed ‘Ozgur’ for the Block 30 F-16’s. These fighters are equipped with indigenous mission computers, identification friend or foe and cockpit avionics. Turkey ordered 30 Block 50+ F-16’s in 2007 as attrition replacements and gap fillers under Peace Onyx IV. Equipped with Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT’s), these aircraft were delivered between 2011 and 2012.

 

1. F-4E Phantom II

Known affectionately as ‘Baba’ (father) by its pilots, ground personnel and Turkish enthusiasts, the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom is arguably the most respected combat aircraft ever flown in Turkish skies. Many in Turkey have become with the distinctive howl of the Phantom’s powerful J79 engines and its dreadful appearance.

Following Greece, Turkey signed a contract for 40 F-4Es in 1973. Deliveries of the aircraft, under the ‘Peace Diamond’ programme, started in August the following year but stalled due to yet another US arms embargo. Deliveries resumed in 1978 with another contract for 40 more than aircraft under Peace Diamond II. To reinforce the Phantom fleet, Turkey acquired many secondhand examples from the US throughout the 1980s. After the 1991 Gulf War, Turkey also received RF-4Es from Germany, as well as some F-4Es from US stocks.

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After the failed attempt to purchase 40 Panavia Tornados from the United Kingdom in 1986, Turkey began looking for alternative solutions for enhanced deep strike and interdiction capability. Delayed by economics, a programme was finally started in the mid 1990s. A contract for extensive avionics and structural modernisation of 54 F-4Es was signed with IAI of Israel. The aircraft, designated as the F-4E 2020 Terminator, was equipped with new radars, avionics and electronic warfare systems as well as a precision strike missile capability with the Popeye I . 

All the remaining recce versions, which were partially upgraded locally under the Isik (light) programme were retired in 2015. A handful of F-4Es that were not subject to the Terminator programme received avionics upgrade under the ‘Simsek’ (‘lightning’) project in the early 2000’s, but these were retired shortly after. The Phantom today serves with 111 Squadron and 401 Test and Evaluation squadron, both in stationed in Eskisehir. In total, Turkey received 236 Phantoms

 

Honorable mention: TFX

Turkey has made significant achievement since early 2000s and the country is reaping the rewards of huge investment in the aerospace sector. One of the most obvious results of these efforts is in the unmanned aircraft field, as shown in the latest Operation Spring Shield against Syrian regime forces in which locally developed Anka-S and Bayraktar TB2 drones wreaked havoc on Syrian mechanised and air defence units. 

Turkey’s Turkish Aerospace (TA) is currently running three important manned aircraft projects, on the other hand. The first is Hurkus, a turboprop trainer which is comparable to the Super Tucano and T-6 Texan II. The Hurkus is currently being evaluated by TurAF training squadrons and is expected to be accepted into service shortly. TA is also working on a close air support variant of the Hurkus, named Hurkus C. Another important project is the Hurjet, a single turbofan trainer / combat jet to replace the T-38M Ari  (a locally upgraded T-38 Talon). 

But the most important and ambitious project is the Milli Muharip Ucak (National Combat Aircraft), commonly known as TFX. TFX is planned to make its maiden flight in the second half of 2020s and begin entering service in late 2020s – early 2030’s, replacing the F-16. The original plan was to have TFX serve alongside the F-35A, but as a result of strained relations with the US due to Turkey’s procurement of S-400 and subsequent sanctions, this plan seems to be shelved for the foreseeable future.

Arda Mevlutoglu is an astronautical engineer. He is currently working as the VP of an international trading and consultancy company, focusing on defense and aerospace sector. He is currently working as the Vice President of Defense Programs at an international trading and consultancy company. His research focuses on defense industry technology, policies and geopolitical assessments, with a focus to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea region. His works have been published in various local and international journals such as Air Forces Monthly, Air International, Combat Aircraft, EurasiaCritic, ORSAM Middle East Analysis. He has been quoted by Financial Times, Reuters, BBC, Al Monitor, CNN Turk and TRT on issues covering Turkish defense industry and military developments.

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“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

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From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

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History remembers well the Horsas and Wacos, but little of over four dozen other motorless air warriors. After German glider operations were so shockingly successful in 1940 all the major belligerents were compelled to look into glider programmes. Eight decades later, so are we. Big-bodied freighters appeared capable of swallowing an armoured vehicles, artillery pieces and entire companies of men. There were also smaller more nimble designs that could silently deliver of a squad of special forces right where the enemy didn’t want them. Even amphibious war gliders were tried out. Sometimes a design was so promising, it would sprout engines, sometimes even rockets. Exciting. Sometimes stupid and inconclusive.. but always exciting, Hush-Kit presents the top 13 military glider.

By Stephen Caulfield

13. Blohm & Voss Bv 40 ‘Dadaist Pitbull’ 

Let’s start with the worst. What could be worse in 1945 than the idea, the hallucination that is, of a fighter/interceptor with no motor? Picture a chihuahua with a pit bull’s head grafted onto it and maybe you get a bit more of an idea of this aircraft. Seven were built and five briefly flown. The idea involved it being towed to operational altitude above an Allied bomber force by a Messerschmitt Bf 109, once released it would dive down making a single pass at well-defended enemy bombers, at an unlikely 560 mph. If the pilot avoided being shot down, or didn’t black out recovering from the dive, he was then unable to recover the energy for manoeuvres at high enough speed to stay safe and so must depart and land. Though not officially a suicide weapon, it seems unlikely that a pilot assigned to such a unit would be persisting with any long term ambitions like giving up smoking or losing weight. The towing 109 pilot may wonder if his own aircraft, time and fuel could have been put to better use.

A cheap solution to the strategic bombing then being visited upon Germany this was a prone pilot, twin 30-mm cannon armed machine maximising the use of non-strategic materials. The Bv 40 showed how bad things had gotten for the power that had jolted the world with its gliders back in 1940. As Allied gliders became bigger, more effective machines including ones of all-metal construction, the Third Reich turned to this kind of stupid, and stupid-looking, thing.

Comparable wing span: Gee Bee Super Sportster R-1

12. Kokusai Ku-7 Manazuru (white-naped crane) 

A slightly larger facsimile of the Gotha Go 242, Germany’s successor to the DFS 230, the Manazaru saw none of the action of its Axis counterparts. The Japanese military had only token interest in gliders and too many other operational considerations requiring investment. When the war went bad for Japan,  gliders would prove to be of little use. The Ku-7 adopted the pod-and-boom configuration found on several other transport gliders and later adopted by designers of post-war freight aircraft.

Comparable wing span: Hawker Siddeley Nimrod

11. Bristol XLRQ-1 ‘RQ Poirot’ 

We promised you an amphibious combat glider, and here it is. The XLRQ-1 was designed for beach assaults and could accommodate static-line parachute jumping in case its occupants weren’t finding life hazardous enough. Of the following items included in the original U.S. Navy/Marine Corps specification only one is not made up: casino, ice-cream parlour, movie theatre, laundromat and externally mounted machine-guns. Operational considerations in the Pacific theatre scuttled (metaphorically not literally) this one.

Comparable wing span: Douglas B-66 Destroyer

10. Cornelius XFG-1

Extremely allergic to the era’s popular Zippo brand cigarette lighters, only two test examples of this single-trip fuel hauling glider were built. Forward-swept wings, automatic stability in towed or gliding flight and four degrees of on-the-ground adjustable wing dihedral made this aircraft a guaranteed choice for this list. How else would you have carried just over 2500 litres of gasoline (or other precious fluids!) to a thirsty battlefield? There was a proposal to employ the XFG-1 as a winged reserve tank to be cut loose after it had contributed its cargo to whatever ultra long-range aircraft had towed it aloft.

Comparable wing span: de Havilland Mosquito.

9. GAL 48B Twin Hotspur

When an aircraft is determined to be a good one, how do you make it better? You could twin it, dear reader.

What worked for the Gigant’s glider tug the Heinkel He-111 Zwilling didn’t for the Hotspur, a close take on the impressive DFS 230. The Twin Hotspur was a one prototype single crash programme. Here is a picture of it.

Comparable wing span: de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

8. Antonov A-7 ‘Stealthy saboteur’

Where the western Allies put gliders into the forefront of strategic combined arms battles like the invasion of Sicily and Normandy, and then showpiece operations like Market Garden and Varsity, the Soviet Union saw things differently. Observation and sabotage teams were placed behind German lines by the Antonov A-7 which also delivered supplies to partisan formations. Quietness equalled stealth behind the lines.

Comparable wing span: Mitsubishi G4M ‘Betty’

7. Yakovlev Yak-14 ‘Mare’ ‘тихая кобыла’

Combat transport gliders had just over a decade of life, framing the Second World War by a couple of years. The very last programme of any substance in this direction (to date) belonged to the Soviet bloc and was the Yak-14 of 1948. Over 400 were built but advances in air defence technology, powered STOL aircraft and military helicopters sealed the fate of this aircraft as an entire type by the 1950s.

Comparable wing span: Vickers Wellington

6. Douglas XCG-17 ‘Dakota Unfanning’

Oh, the ingenuity we waste on war. One of the most common and successful glider tugs of the Anglo-American war effort was the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. An example of the fabulous Douglas DC-3’s military version had its engines replaced with hemispherical fairings for testing as the glider itself! It was hoped up to 40 soldiers (or 14,000 pounds of cargo) could be hauled aloft in such a machine behind the newly available, four-engined Douglas C-54 Skymaster. The XCG-17 could be towed at speeds approaching 270-290 miles per hour, significantly more than most gliders were capable of. A low stalling speed of about 35 miles per hour made for good field landing performance. This conversion yielded the flattest glide angle of any of the transport gliders developed in the United States up to then. A conceptual success, the sensible XCG-17 never saw production.

Comparable wing span: Lisunov Li-2

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5. DFS 230 ‘DFS Sail on!’

Sikorsky’s stealth version of the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter might make a fair cross-era comparison to the DFS 230. Serving through the entire war, the DFS 230 was an instrument of the Third Reich’s shock and awe – and later of its brutal desperation. Assault troops and demolition experts delivered to the roof of Belgium’s fortress Eban Emael underwrote the fall of that country in 1940. Crete and North Africa saw the diabolical flexibility of the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht well enhanced by further deft use of this light glider. Even modest aircraft like the Henschel Hs 126 could deliver the machine gun-equipped DFS 230 and its squad of nine men. They were used to bring small quantities of supplies to encircled German units during several stages of the campaign against the USSR as well. One of the single most defiant special forces operations ever relied on the DFS 230. The Gran Sasso raid of September 1943 saw Hitler’s despatch of a tiny elite force to rescue his deposed pal Alberto Mussolini from forced confinement in the Hotel Campo Imperatore in mountainous central Italy.

Comparable wing span: Junkers Ju 188

4. Waco CG4′ ‘Waco siege engine’ 

Britain’s military industrial complex made a greater commitment to glider warfare than that of the United States. Still, the latter’s enormous war effort made room for novel prototypes by the score anyway and produced that great workhorse of glider assault, the Waco CG4. Called the ‘Hadrian’ in Royal Air Force service, the CG4 was built in car, household appliance and furniture factories – as well as by traditional aircraft makers. It was the most numerous of all the combat transport gliders. Bigger and much more capable than the DFS 230, the CG4 carried less troops than the Airspeed Horsa and less cargo than the GAL Hamilcar, but offered two important advantages over its Allied stablemates. Firstly, it could land in tighter spots between coppices, hedgerows, built structures, water features and burning wreckage. The CG4 addressed the problem of recovery, too. Gliders present an awkward proposition after use; whatever state of repair they land in there is an expectation that they be retrieved, inspected, repaired and reused or otherwise disposed of. Utilising a hook-and-wire system, an airworthy CG4 could be hauled back from the field via a roaring low altitude pass by a tow aircraft. James Bond stuff for those of steady nerve and stomach only.

Comparable wingspan: Lockheed U-2A

3. GAL 58 Hamilcar ‘Mark Hamil’s Car’

Skid-landing less than a dozen men with rifles is one thing, but a flying freight container to feed the hunger of mechanised battlefields for food, ammunition and every other type of supply is another. The Hamilcar was all business. Normally towed aloft by a Handley Page Halifax III, the Hamilcar with its arch-shaped fuselage could accommodate two models of light tank and various combinations of Jeeps, Bren gun carriers and towed artillery pieces as well every manner of boxed supply.

Flat-floored freighters (trying saying that three times in a row while landing in a field close to the Belgium border) like the Hamilcar were designed to address the toughest issue of sending armies to war by air. While renowned for their toughness, air transported formations lack larger calibre guns, armour and other forms of equipment necessary to decisively control the battlefield.

Comparable wing span:Shin Meiwa US-2 (link to its predecessor) 

2. Messerschmitt Me 321/323 Gigant ‘The Barmy Army Whale’ 

One more grotesque fantasy from the 1930s comes alive in a world tearing itself to pieces. Even eighty years on it is difficult to know what to make of the minds that would advocate machines like this. All the aircraft on this list could be said to lumber in some fashion but this heavy strategic glider, with the good looks of a prehistoric insect, appears to take that to extremes. The Allied inventory certainly had nothing like it. Initially, three Messerschmitt Bf 110s were needed to pull a Gigant into the air. Later, a five-engined twin version of the Heinkel He 111 bomber was deployed on behalf of this barmy whale. Engines sourced from occupied France were also added to the 323 by the half dozen to boost take-off performance. Deutsch Wochenschau newsreels relish the spectacle of literal parade grounds’ worth of motorcycles, trucks, half-tracks, 88-mm guns, staff cars, kubelwagens and marching men going through the clamshell doors in the nose. If not for the slaughter off-screen, it might all look like fun. Such footage restores some of the spectacle of the twentieth century’s total war to the modern viewer. Compare the graceful little sports gliders of today to the Gigant. Mind that your head doesn’t explode when you do.

Comparable wing span: Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

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1. Airspeed 51 Horsa

Ah, the heroic Airspeed 51 Horsa. We saved you the best for last. From the hands of the makers of armoires and dining room sets came the most successful aircraft on this list. The big tricycle-geared Horsa was a winner from the start. Described by one of her pilots in a recollection written in 1972 as a ”massive exercise in carpentry”, the stable Horsa was easy to handle and could be flown with precision. Many an Allied aircraft took the fight to the enemy, of course, but a fuselage containing forty ferocious special forces soldiers let the Horsa do that in a particularly visceral fashion. The other wooden wonder, with some 400 allotted to the Americans, had its greatest success during the invasion of Normandy. That operation, and several others in the European theatre, are unimaginable without the presence of the Horsa. Its service life continued into the 1950s. Few other warplanes have had the honour of being converted to civilian housing at the scale the Horsa did. That latter use being one that ought to warm the heart, at least a little.

Comparable wing span: Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

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“If you have any interest in aviation, you’ll be surprised, entertained and fascinated by Hush-Kit – the world’s best aviation blog”. Rowland White, author of the best-selling ‘Vulcan 607’

I’ve selected the richest juiciest cuts of Hush-Kit, added a huge slab of new unpublished material, and with Unbound, I want to create a beautiful coffee-table book. Pre-order your copy now right here  

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From the cocaine, blood and flying scarves of World War One dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to these brutally exciting killing machines.

The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly visual, collection of the best articles from the fascinating world of military aviation –hand-picked from the highly acclaimed Hush-kit online magazine (and mixed with a heavy punch of new exclusive material). It is packed with a feast of material, ranging from interviews with fighter pilots (including the English Electric Lightning, stealthy F-35B and Mach 3 MiG-25 ‘Foxbat’), to wicked satire, expert historical analysis, top 10s and all manner of things aeronautical, from the site described as:

“the thinking-man’s Top Gear… but for planes”.

The solid well-researched information about aeroplanes is brilliantly combined with an irreverent attitude and real insight into the dangerous romantic world of combat aircraft.

FEATURING

• Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, Mirage, Typhoon, MiG-25, MiG-27, English Electric Lighting, Harrier, F-15, B-52 and many more.
• Engaging Top (and bottom) 10s including: Greatest fighter aircraft of World War II, Worst British aircraft, Worst Soviet aircraft and many more insanely specific ones.
• Expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology.
• A look into art and culture’s love affair with the aeroplane.
• Bizarre moments in aviation history.
• Fascinating insights into exceptionally obscure warplanes.

The book will be a stunning object: an essential addition to the library of anyone with even a passing interest in the high-flying world of warplanes, and featuring first-rate photography and a wealth of new world-class illustrations.

Rewards levels include these packs of specially produced trump cards.

Pre-order your copy now right here  

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Fast, powerful and reliable, the Typhoon is the backbone of Europe’s air power. Outnumbering the US’ F-15C and F-22s combined, it is a large and potent force, set to grow larger with future German orders. We spoke to Raffael ‘Klax’ Klaschka – former German Air Force Phantom and Typhoon pilot – now Marketing Lead at Eurofighter GmbH, to find out more. 

Which aircraft have you flown and with which units?
“After flying several training aircraft during my Military Pilot Training I was rated
‘Combat Ready’ on the mighty F-4F Phantom, the F/A-18 Hornet and, of course,
Eurofighter Typhoon. My total of more than 2.500 flying hours were spread
across a range of different units in Germany, in the US and in Spain.”

How do you feel about the aesthetics of the Typhoon?
“If looks could kill! Eurofighter is very easy on the eye. Personally, for visual appeal, I would rate it close to the F-4F. In ‘clean’ configuration Typhoon is a very slick aircraft, even more so when comparing the single-seater to the twin-seater.”
What were your first impressions of the Typhoon?
“I first saw Typhoon in action during an air show in the early 2000s. My first impression was all about the power. I thought, ‘Wow, this thing has some
strong engines!’ Today, it still has the strongest in its class by far.”

Which three words best describe it?
“Effective. Proven. Trusted.”
What is the best thing about it?
No one single attribute stands-out and that’s the remarkable thing about the
aircraft. It strength lies in the sum of its parts. Power, operability, agility, adaptability, availability and reliability are all outstanding features. If pushed to pick one from a flyer’s point of view – then again; it is the energy. It has bags of it in all kinds of situations. The aircraft exudes confidence – and that filters directly through to the person flying it.”

And the worst thing?

“I’ve never met a pilot who wouldn’t change something about his or her aircraft
– regardless of what they’re sitting in. From a fighter perspective Typhoon is very capable and is getting even more so incrementally through its life. The planned depth and breadth of capability is awesome and I’d like to see it implemented more quickly onto the jets across our front-line squadrons. It is happening – but like all fighter pilots, I want Christmas morning, every morning.”

How you rate the Typhoon in the following categories? Inst turn, sust turn etc

“To rate it accurately I would need some validated (rather than PR) comparison figures across the current air fighter domain. But to keep things ‘unclassified’ I can tell you that Typhoon outperforms most of the metal flying around out there in terms of power and acceleration. And with a huge dish (radar) and good power output, the aircraft’s outstanding sensor performance makes it a superior air-to-air fighter. That view is based not only on pure numbers from the flight manual, but also through my experience during exercises and mockup encounters against most of the current western fighters.”

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Which aircraft have you flown DACT against with the Typhoon? Please describe
each and the best way to ‘fight’ each opponent?
“The only way to effectively take on each opponent is to know what level of
capability you’re up against. All the different types of fighter jets flying today has its own unique characteristics. Also key to solving the ‘success in combat’equation is the type of missiles you have on board and the type of cueing system being used. When it comes to a classical “guns only”-fight I would (and did) always trust on Typhoon’s huge excess power to maintain the offensive advantage. If engaged in a 1 or 2-circle fight? I can only offer the standard fighter pilot response: “It depends…’”

Which foreign air force impressed you the most?

“I was quite impressed in the past by the way the air forces of eastern European countries have operated and evolved. One good example is Poland, and there are many others.”
How confident would you feel going against a Su-57 and why?
“With only limited data about the Su-57, I would still say that a Typhoon with
Meteor and E-SCAN will be a lethal opponent against any current asset out there. And we should’t forget the combat mass behind Typhoon. There are almost 500 aircraft alone flying across Europe. I understand that Su-57 was designed with F-22 as its key adversary. Given where we are today – I think Typhoon would perform impressively against either.”

And what about current Typhoon? As I understand E-scan is not operational. Are you counting Su-57 as a ‘current’ threat?

“From what we know about the Su-57, the current Typhoon would be up for the job, specially focussing on BVR capabilities where Typhoon sets the benchmark.”

How do the Hornet and Typhoon compare? According to one pilot, in DACT, the Hornet has the advantage up to 25K and the Typhoon above 25K – is this something you’d agree with?

“The Hornet can achieve very high AOA states. However that comes with tremendous energy bleed. To regain that energy, the Hornet would find itself at an immediate operational disadvantage. I know from experience that would be the case across all altitude bands. To its credit, the ‘nose authority’ during slow speed engagement is quite good on the Hornet. In essence, Hornet would only ever be anything like a challenge for Typhoon during a very slow fight. Typhoon doesn’t do ‘very slow’. So that is not a situation in which any Typhoon pilot I know would purposefully try to place him/herself.”

There was a strong response online about the
Rafale pilot’s take on Typhoon from Hushkit.net, it would be great, for the sake
of balance, to get your perspective.

“The ‘Typhoon community’ pretty much covered all the bases in terms of
setting him right on the facts. When everything is considered I think the mix of sensor-fusion, thrust, agility and weapon-load would see Typhoon perform very favourably against all the current players.

Two pilots arguing over the potential outcome of any highly dynamic air combat operation in a “one-G”  synthetic environment,  is a bit like two bald men fighting over a comb.  Air war is complex,  a comparison based on a single ‘lucky’ circumstance is not adequate and professional enough and has its place ‘at the bar’ or in forums. Having said that, I do believe Typhoon would be amongst the frontrunners in pretty much any given scenario against any given adversary!”

Weapons

Would a Typhoon with AMRAAM AIM-120D stand a chance against a Typhoon with Meteor, all other parameters being equal? How significant a step forward is Meteor? Is it equal to long range Chinese missiles?

Meteor opens up a new world of BVR fight. I’d wager that Typhoon with Meteor has the combat edge over any potential foe it may come across in today’s skies.

Do you personally prefer IRIS-T or ASRAAM, and what are the reason for your
choice? “I have experience on IRIS-T on the Hornet and on Typhoon. And that was
convincing. My British pilot colleagues are also quite happy with ASRAAM. So
no clear choice or favour; both work great. “

Storm Shadow is a large weapon for an aircraft primarily designed to carry air-to-air missiles, was this a challenging integration? “Most integration programmes present their own unique challenges. What we do know is that Storm Shadow is well-established and operational across a number of air forces.”

Aerodynamic Modification Kit 

Before I go back to the interview with Klax I feel I should explain a little background detail about the AMK. Typhoon’s supersonic agility is very impressive, but its current angle-of-attack (AoA) limits at lower speeds are less impressive; a Cassidian (Airbus Defence & Space) led effort demonstrated in 2014 would remedy this. The ‘Aerodynamic Mod Kit’ (AMK) includes re-shaped strakes, leading edge root extensions, and extended trailing edge flaperons. The AMK aims to deliver increases to the maximum wing lift, the AoA limit and the roll rates at High AoA. The strakes will generate vortices that will maintain a controlled airflow over the wing surface even at high angles of attack. When I spoke to EADS test pilot Chris Worning for an article in Aerospace he noted “The first stage was to proof the concept. Do some measurements to see if the strakes did what we thought they would do. And that went very well, the predictions were close. We will fly the Aerodynamic Modification Kit next. We have a mod kit and we’re hopefully going to fly it here this summer (at Manching). This is basically what you could put on a series production aeroplane.”

On the advantages he noted, “First of all they will give us a bit more angle of attack. The maximum angle of attack of the aeroplane increases, which is obviously helpful in close-in combat, if applied intelligently. The second thing they do is increase the manoeuvrability of the aircraft at high angles of attack. So at a given angle of attack, you have for instance, much higher roll rates: so the overall agility of the aircraft increases.”

The Typhoon’s current AoA limit is slightly more than twenty four degrees, approximately the same as an F-16. The new changes are expected to increase the limit to at least 34 degrees which will give pilots in combat a many more possibilities for nose-pointing. Worning was keen to point out that flying at high AoA in combat must be applied intelligently “You have to remember when you have a very AoA there is also a disadvantage: you’re creating an awful lot of drag. But it does give you extra capability if you combine it with wisdom and practice. It’s nice to have the option. The strake is primarily designed for subsonic use and subsonic combat. It will not change the aircraft in the supersonic regime, but there’s not much you can improve there to be honest. It won’t cost us anything. It’s a small aerodynamic surfaces, they weigh a few kilos. There won’t be any disadvantages at all.”

Worning admitted that currently the Rafale has a slightly higher maximum AoA than the Typhoon, but is confident that the new aerodynamic changes will at least equal, and probably surpass the higher figure of the French rival; he also noted that Typhoon will match it while retaining a lot more engine power.

According to Worning the customer interest in AMK, which will probably cost less than one million Euros per aircraft, is increasing: “Looking in to the future and with emerging threats, people are saying we have to optimise what you can do in close-in combat. There’s was a school of thought a few years ago, that everything was going to happen at beyond visual range: nowadays we have new radars and missile for the BVR mission, but you have to look at all parts of the envelope, and this is increasing the manoeuvrability at the lower end. This is something the Luftwaffe and the Royal Air Force are interested in… As I have said, when you enter this go into the very high AoA, you are now entering into an area where the drag really increases, you must apply that capability with brains: you don’t need to be careful- you won’t crash, but you might lose the dogfight, because you reduce your engine. People primarily need the high AoA to ‘point’, but one way you can point a missile with this aircraft is with the helmet (instead of with the whole aircraft). As we have the helmet-mounted sight it’s not that bad, but fighter pilots want everything. Short of those that have TVC and use post-stall manoeuvring we will be able to cope with all of those threat.”

Now back to Klax: 

Would AMK help Storm Shadow use, was this a reason for the AMK
development? “The available weapon load on Typhoon allows for a lot of operational flexibility for its air-to-surface configurations, whilst retaining air-to-air capability with special designated stations for those weapons. That’s about all I can say on that matter.”

AMK – Huge manoeuvrability increases were described, why has no film been released to demonstrate these abilities?  “I think it’s a game-changer as part of Typhoon’s continued capability development..  In my Eurofighter role, I’ll certainly get that message out in the future.”

On the subject of the AMK, why have no operators gone for it?
“AMK expands the flight envelope of Typhoon and allows for more asymmetric configurations with more flexible release sequences. Also it eases the process of integrating new weapons. It is clearly an enabler for more operational flexibility. Operators are looking-on and seeing the benefits already.”

Digital stealth
What is ‘digital stealth’?

“Digital Stealth means using all other means besides the physical shape of the aircraft to deny enemy systems high fidelity of geographic position and signature. Counter-stealth technology is eroding the advantages of low observability. Agile digital stealth capability will ensure survivability in future complex, congested and contested threat environments.”

Can you explain this further? “There are two main elements to being able to act stealthily: being aware of your environment and being hard to observe. The Typhoon’s electronic warfare suite covers both. Firstly, the system provides full awareness of surrounding threats so the pilot knows where they are and what modes they’re using. This picture is enhanced further by pulling in data from other operators in the theatre, networking via the Typhoon’s EW system. With an up-to-the-moment, accurate and comprehensive picture of the environment, a Typhoon pilot can make sure they don’t even come within range of potentially-dangerous radar.

However, staying away from threats isn’t always possible, so the second core element of stealth is to make yourself hard to see. Here, the Typhoon EW suite employs a range of electronic countermeasures that allows the aircraft to digitally hide its signature, becoming invisible to radar, or to digitally create a complex and confusing picture (noise) for a threat operator, denying them a clean targeting opportunity and preventing them from launching a missile in the first place. Digital Means Adaptable

Importantly, the Typhoon’s advanced, reprogrammable EW suite allows the aircraft to react to a constantly-changing threat environment in ways that physical stealth cannot.

Consider today’s threats. The latest surface-to-air missile systems are having their hardware regularly upgraded, are being networked and can change their behaviour almost instantaneously via software-reprogramming. In short, they are constantly evolving, creating a dynamic and challenging threat environment. This means that the advantage of aircraft which use traditional physical stealth technology, which is designed to make the aircraft hard-to-observe by threat radar systems, is eroding. Counter-stealth techniques are on the rise and have been successfully employed as far back as 1993.

This vulnerability against high-end threats with counter-stealth techniques is difficult to address because the basic elements of physical stealth (an aircraft’s skin & surface treatments, internal structure, and configuration) cannot easily be changed. However, in contrast, the Typhoon’s EW systems, which are readily re-programmable, can evolve digitally to maintain the aircraft’s combat advantage even as threats change around it.

The secret to this advantage is ‘mission data’, a term which sounds relatively benign but is critical to an aircraft’s EW performance and often life-saving. Mission data is the threat intelligence that allows the Typhoon’s sensors to recognise a threat and use the appropriate electronic countermeasure or evasion technique to keep the Typhoon safely out of harm’s way. For some aircraft, mission data is controlled by foreign nations or platform manufacturers, meaning that updates can be months, even years apart. With Typhoon, which has an open, reprogrammable system which can be updated by the operator, a new threat which is reported as ‘unknown’ during today’s mission can be programmed into the system in hours, meaning that the threat will be identified and dealt with during the very next mission.”

Typhoon has a central column, how does this compare with a sidestick? “My experience with sidestick airplanes is based on several rides in the F-16. I felt it was just a different concept when compared, but in the end both work absolutely fine.”

Does Typhoon have a ‘unique selling point’ not offered by potential rivals? “Two words; ‘Europe’. It has European industrial collaboration in its DNA. Next: ‘Sovereignty’. It gives users total control over MSN Data.”

Typhoon has been described as having an unsurpassed climb rate. Is there any likelihood of an official record attempt?

“We’re too busy protecting air space and borders to chase fast cars and clouds. There’s nothing to prove here. For climb-rate, it’s a world beater in its class.”

Tell me something I don’t know about Typhoon…

“It will likely remain in service with many air forces way beyond 2050. When it eventually leaves service, it will be the best fighter it can ever be and still taking care of business.”

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How does the Typhoon community generally feel about the F-35?
“Working alongside the F-35 will be the reality of the next decades to come.
There are some areas where Typhoon is the benchmark. Exploiting those areas
and adding them to the overall capability mix alongside the F-35 will result in
quite a lethal fighting force.”

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What is the biggest myth about the Typhoon?
“Cost. It can be more cost-effective to own, maintain and operate than pretty
much anything else in its class. The comparison data is in the public domain if
you look in the right places.”

Where? “The data is out there in the public domain.  No further comment from Klax here.”

What should I have asked you? “What is like to wear a business suit instead of a flying suit? But that’s a whole new interview.”

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