Propeller Twilight

Propeller Twilight by Tony Buttler

"This was clearly a labour of love, and it shows." -- The Aviation Historian

This book examines the last generation of high-performance British propeller-driven fighters, types such as the Firecrest, late mark Spitfires and Seafires, Spiteful and Seafang, Sea Fury, late mark Tempests, Hornet and Sea Hornet, M.B.5 and Wyvern. From about 1942 onwards these extraordinary and very complex aeroplanes brought British piston fighter development to its zenith, but then in a very short space of time the new jet engine wiped this generation away. Perhaps it would not have been possible to take piston power any further anyway but the turboprop might have been a longer-term alternative, though in the end the only British type with this form of powerplant would be the Westland Wyvern naval strike fighter.Chapters look at the engines involved including the Rolls-Royce Merlin 130 series, Griffon and Eagle, Napier Sabre and Bristol Centaurus, propellor developments (contra-rotating) and then take each fighter type in turn. The coverage described their development and testing and includes quotes and passes from flight test reports.Additional appendices look at some British one-off designs and testbed programmes, then the only fighter types flown abroad powered by these engine types (the Australian CA-15 and Argentine IAe 30) and finally two similiar unbuilt projects proposed by Sweden (the J 27 Mustang lookalike) and Switzerland (the N-6). Illustrated with over 300 photos, many previously unpublished, this is a must for enthusiasts of World War II aviation and the history of the British fighter.

Buttler, Tony: - Tony Buttler was born in England. He joined High Duty Alloys in 1974 as a metallurgist and for nearly 20 years was involved in the testing of aluminum and titanium airframe and engine components for all of the world's major aircraft. It was during this period that his great interest in aviation began to blossom. After leaving HDA, Buttler earned his Masters Degree in Archives and Library Studies at Loughborough University, and became a freelance aviation historian specializing in the design and development of military aircraft.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781800352735
ISBN 10	1800352735
Title	Propeller Twilight
Author	Tony Buttler
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Crecy Publishing
Year published	2023-06-23
Number of pages	288
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.