Meet the Good Captain
Wings of the Navy
where to buy stromectol by Captain Eric Brown
Pattukkottai 338 pp.
(Hikoki Publications for SpecialtyPress, North Branch, MN, 2013)
$56.95.
For those who appreciate Royal Navy Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown’s literary abilities in communicating the intricacies of flying various aircraft, his long out-of-print Wings of the Navy has been comprehensively updated. Since it was first published in 1980, this book has been a benchmark by which similarly themed books have been judged. And many have been found wanting. This version raises the bar.
Last published by the U.S. Naval Institute in 1987, this version published by Kikoki Publications is virtually double the size covering 30 aircraft compared to the earlier version’s 16. Rather than issuing a Wings of the Navy II, Brown chose to update the original text while adding the new aircraft chapters. For instance, the chapter dedicated to Grumman’s F4F Wildcat has been expanded by a full page over its original dozen. If you own any previous version, you will want to add this to your collection as well. It is that new an animal.
What are unchanged are Winkle’s writing and communication abilities. His insight into the foibles of the aircraft is razor sharp and descriptions will inform the neophyte and entertain the cognoscente. He delivers a solid, dependable work and his credentials are impeccable. He is the Fleet Air Arm’s most decorated pilot and has in his 31-year career flown a record 490 basic types of aircraft and made a world record 2,407 carrier landings in fixed-wing aircraft. He is the only non-American inducted into the U.S. Navy’s Test Pilot Hall of Honor. The book’s focus, as one would expect, is on British and British versions of U.S. types, but this makes it of no less value. Indeed, the insight of a foreign observer helps put U.S. aircraft in perspective.
The raison d’être for this book is its expansion. As noted, the number of aircraft covered has virtually doubled, but also included are three not insignificant chapters on design requirements for naval aircraft, the “delicate art” of deck landing, and test flying at the U.S. Naval Air Test Center. Of the additional 14 aircraft, all but three are jet-powered where all of the original were of World War II vintage or derivation. In total, the book has grown from 176 to 338 pages.
Of the 16 aircraft covered in the first editions, 10 are of solely British origin and use, the remainder are of U.S. construction that were flown by the United Kingdom. The 30 in the current edition split evenly at 15 apiece. To compare the books, below is a spot look at two chapters, one of each nation’s manufacture, with the older edition figures first.
Fairey Swordfish: 13 pages vs. 16 pages; 21 photos vs. 25 (including one in color) of which only 4 are duplicated from the original; both editions have a two-page and one-page cutaway drawings and a ¼-page 3-view drawing. The new edition includes one color profile.
Grumman Hellcat: 10 pages vs. 12 pages; 16 photos (10 U.S. versions) vs. 10 (3 U.S. versions) of which only 2 are repeated; both have the same sized and number drawings as the Swordfish, including the color profile.
The earlier editions were edited by well-known aviation author William Green and they retained the look and feel of his Famous Bombers/Fighters of the Second World War series. Indeed, his version of Wings of the Navy could easily be one of the series. While this version retains the drawings of the earlier, the choice of paper from the original’s glossy clay-coated stock to a matt finish removes any connection with Green.
That is where the caveats come in. The paper choice still allows for excellent photo reproduction, however, the images lack the sparkle of the originals. I also question some photo selections and adjustments to contrast and density to match the paper. But these are technical quibbles.
More significant is the reproduction of the two-page cutaways. All the cutaways have the hallmarks of second-generation images. Although they are slightly smaller than the originals (about 90 to 95 percent)—which should increase apparent sharpness—these do not have that appearance. Also, they lose the fine detail that was held in the originals. Further, all are printed on a light blue background, which does nothing to enhance their contrast.
These points do not in any way diminish the value of this book. If you know Eric Brown’s work, you owe it to yourself to add this to your collection. And, if you’ve never heard of the good captain, this is the prime way to be introduced.
This book may be ordered from Specialty Press at 1-800-895-4585 or www.specialtypress.com. Shipping and handling is $6.95.
Reviewed October 2013
