A lavish tribute to the men and planes of the world's 1st Air force on the occasion of it's 80th anniversary. In April 1918 the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Navyal Air Service were almagamated to form the Royal Air Force. In the following 80 years air power developed through the demands of a far flung Empire, a World war, the uncertainties of the Cold war and the complex security demands of the present day. During these 8 decades the planes of the RAF have developed from the flimsy wood and canvas of the Bristol F2b to the high tech battlefield management system on the Boeing sentry. EAGLES brings together a stunning collection of photographs, some never seen before, an authoratative text and eye witness accounts from key personnel, to provide an extroadinary pictorial history of 80 key aircraft in the history of the RAF. The Book is published in co-operation with, and in support of, The Royal Air Force Benevolent fund; a royalty on every copy will go to help the fund in it's charitable activities.