Military Model Scene

Title: British Special Projects
Author: Bill Rose
Publisher: Fonthill Media
ISBN: 978-1-78155-805-8

As the subtitle tells us, Flying Wings, Deltas and Tailless Designs are the focus of this interesting new book from author Bill Rose and publishers Fonthill Media. A 288-page hardcover book, though it is also available in e-book formats.
After an Introduction to set the scene of the book, the rest is spread across 8 chapters, covering Flying Wings; Jet Bomber Projects; Post-war Fighters; Pushing the Design Envelope; Rocket Powered Interceptors; VTO/VTOL/STOL Projects: Space Ambitions; and it closes out with Some Final Thoughts. As someone who has been fascinated with military aircraft from an early age this was interesting on so many counts. Obviously in a short review I can't tell you everything you'll find in here but there is just so much. Within the chapters were a few designs that I was familiar with, especially as some did become production aircraft. These include the obvious deltas such as the Javelin and the Vulcan along with some experimental prototypes that were quite well known, such as the Saunders-Roe SR177, the Flying Bedstead and the Shorts SC1. I was even aware of the design for a wing to carry a light tank, the Tetrarch.. In addition however, there are so many others , most illustrated with line drawings, showing things like nuclear powered bombers, pig-a-back launch platforms, space fighters, re-usable space craft designs such as 'Mustard', vertical launch designs by Fairy Aviation reminiscent of the WW2 German Natter and even a VTOL version of the Vulcan!
Many of these post-war designs never progressed beyond the drawing board, but some did. The input from captured German research at the end of WW2, and designers like Dr Alexander Lippisch and the Horten brothers who came to Britain and the US once the war was over. You can see a lot of their influences in the various designs from the wider assortment of aircraft companies that existed in the UK well into the 1960s. Some of the designs would not have looked out of place in science fiction programmes like Thunderbirds. If you have an interest in post-war aviation designs then I think you will find this a real goldmine of information on some of the 'might have beens' of British aviation companies. Definitely recommended.
Thanks to Fonthill Media for the review copy.

Robin