Re: Book Recommendation
Posted: 06 Jul 2011, 21:17
My latest reads were
Spitfire: A Test Pilot's Story by Jeffrey Quill - ISBN-13: 978-0947554729
and
Not Much of An Engineer by Sir Stanley Hooker - ISBN-13: 978-1853102851
I would highly recommed both books.
Quill's book starts from his early years in the RAF flying bi-plane fighters, developing the Spitfire (all marks), Sea-Spitfire, Seafire & Seafang. He talks about a plan he nearly got roped into to steal an FW190 from France! After reading this book I have now got to read Alex Henshaw's book. Quill was in charge down at Southampton while Henshaw's patch was Castle Bromwich.
The Hooker book covers his pre RR employment, his time with RR starting with the Merlin and how by developing the supercharger he got 30% more power out of it. He was involved from the start in improving the basic Whittle engine into the Nene & Derwent and when he saw no career advancement at RR moved to Bristol Siddeley and was involved in ironing out the Proteus problems and designing the Pegasus. A very clever man who finsihed his career back at RR pulling back the RB211 from the brink of disaster
Paul
Spitfire: A Test Pilot's Story by Jeffrey Quill - ISBN-13: 978-0947554729
and
Not Much of An Engineer by Sir Stanley Hooker - ISBN-13: 978-1853102851
I would highly recommed both books.
Quill's book starts from his early years in the RAF flying bi-plane fighters, developing the Spitfire (all marks), Sea-Spitfire, Seafire & Seafang. He talks about a plan he nearly got roped into to steal an FW190 from France! After reading this book I have now got to read Alex Henshaw's book. Quill was in charge down at Southampton while Henshaw's patch was Castle Bromwich.
The Hooker book covers his pre RR employment, his time with RR starting with the Merlin and how by developing the supercharger he got 30% more power out of it. He was involved from the start in improving the basic Whittle engine into the Nene & Derwent and when he saw no career advancement at RR moved to Bristol Siddeley and was involved in ironing out the Proteus problems and designing the Pegasus. A very clever man who finsihed his career back at RR pulling back the RB211 from the brink of disaster
Paul