Cross & Cockade International

Strictly speaking, being an ‘interwar’ aircraft, the Fairey IIIF is outside the normal scope of members’ interest but, perhaps because of its descent from the Fairey III of 1917, I feel that it merits consideration by our members.

If, like me, you are interested in British interwar aircraft of the ‘silver wings’ period then this is a book for you. Its 248 glossy pages are crammed with well-reproduced photographs mainly illustrating the development and use of the IIIF throughout its decade of service with the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. The penultimate chapter describes the histories of the British civil registered Fairey IIIFs and the final chapter describes the type’s use with the services of Argentina, Chile, Greece and New Zealand.

While there are no pages of detailed three-view drawings there are a number of official drawings from the period – a side elevation; the lines of the metal floats fitted to some aircraft; details of the wing structure; a rigging diagram as well as scrap drawings of many internal details. Frank Munger’s excellent two page cutaway drawing provides a fascinating glimpse into the structure and layout of the late all-metal version of the type. The eight pages of colour artwork provide a selection of 31 colour schemes for military and civil IIIFs of both British and foreign airforces.

Philip Jarrett’s text authoratively covers the development and service life of the type as it has never been covered before and to this must be added the detailed captions for the many photographs.

This is excellent, well written, well illustrated and well produced. A credit to the author and publishers.

Down the Flare Path

Originally published by John Hamilton in 1937, this firsthand account of night flying in the FE2b on Home Defence and with 101 Squadron is now extremely rare. Peter Chapman, editor of The Australian ‘14-’18 Journal, has therefore taken the enterprising step of producing a new edition, complete with all Stanley Orton Bradshaw’s line illustrations, and with the addition of a new introduction and a portrait of the author.

This is a great companion to the Society’s FE2b/d monograph, one which will bring all the facts, figures and faded pictures to vivid life as only the words of someone who was there could ever do. An ideal item for the Christmas wish list of any member who has not been able to track down a (now expensive) original of this handsome and informative little book.