Overview

In aviation's pioneering days the best and bravest airmen pushed the boundaries of flight in all dimensions and attitudes. When aeroplanes went to war this exploratory art, now known as aerobatics, was called 'stunting' in breezy RFC slang. Initially forbidden as foolhardy, its importance for survival soon became paramount in the life and death mêlées of dogfighting. But pilots still delighted in the joy and exuberance of aerobatting for its own sake, and they recognised a master of that very special skill in young D'Urban Victor Armstrong, whose displays were nothing short of electrifying. Fluid and dramatic, performed with flair at ultra-low level, his exhibitions left spectators shaking their heads in disbelief. Even a century later his feats – some illustrated here – continue to evoke astonishment in piloting circles. Until this biography little was known about his wartime experiences, and even less about his South African background. His great value to the authorities lay in his superb handling of the Sopwith Camel, which upon its introduction had taken a heavy toll in fatal trainee accidents. While still on active service he was sent around the units providing vivid proof that, properly handled, the stubby little fighter delivered the key to combat success: unrivalled manoeuvrability. His resultant fame eclipsed his other distinguished role in pioneering night flying and night fighting, an equally vital skill he was also detailed to demonstrate around the squadrons. In these pages you will find yourself in the cockpit of the F.1 Camel and become acquainted with its rotary engine. You will meet many leading names including Billy Bishop, Cecil Lewis, Norman Macmillan, Robert Smith Barry, and the harum-scarum Three Musketeers from War Birds. Armstrong takes his place alongside them as one of the legendary figures of the first great aerial war. AUTHOR: Annette Carson has written on a variety of non-fiction topics with a preference for history and biography. Her love of aviation led to involvement in aerobatics, a subject on which she has contributed to Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has served in organisational roles including Contest Director, British Team Manager and International Jury member, was an active delegate to the International Aerobatics Commission of the FAI, and in 1986 published Flight Fantastic: The Illustrated History of Aerobatics, earning the FAI's Tissandier Diploma. 170 b/w illustrations

Full Product Details

9781526752673

Table of Contents

Reviews

Annette Carson has done a wonderful of chronicling Armstong's life, flight training and ultimate recognition as the undisputed master of aerobatics. --Over the Front Carson balances the drama of Armstrong's amazing and sometimes shocking exploits with a matter-of-fact method of storytelling...To say that this book is well-illustrated would be an understatement. --Indy Squadron Dispatch

Annette Carson has done a wonderful of chronicling Armstong's life, flight training and ultimate recognition as the undisputed master of aerobatics. --Over the Front

...well illustrated with period photographs and color plates of the various airplanes Armstrong flew during the Great War. I recommend it to anyone interested in World War I aviation and the Sopwith Camel in particular. -- Air Power History ...Carson has ensured Armstrong can take his rightful place in aviation history. -- Flight Line Book Review Annette Carson has done a wonderful of chronicling Armstong's life, flight training and ultimate recognition as the undisputed master of aerobatics. -- Over the Front Carson balances the drama of Armstrong's amazing and sometimes shocking exploits with a matter-of-fact method of storytelling...To say that this book is well-illustrated would be an understatement. -- Indy Squadron Dispatch

Author Information

After studying at the Royal College of Music, ANNETTE CARSON worked for several years in the entertainment industry while indulging a leisure interest in aerobatics, on which she is a renowned expert and has contributed to _Encyclopedia Britannica_. In a professional writing career of thirty years she has been an editor and an award-winning copywriter. In 2011 Annette joined the team searching for the last resting place of King Richard III which was found and his remains exhumed for an honourable reburial.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available