Overview
In 2000, quite by chance, aircraft restorer Guy Black of Aero Vintage located the hulks of at least two Airco DH9 bombers in a remote part of India hidden away in what had been a Maharaja's elephant stable at his palace in Bikaner, Rajasthan. They were truly remarkable finds, and extremely rare examples of a near-extinct and important WWI aircraft type none of which had survived in Britain. Recognising their importance to the UK's aviation heritage, and excited by the challenge of restoration, Guy set about negotiating their purchase and returning them back to England. His colleague and author, Andy Saunders journeyed twice to India to complete the transaction and dismantle and pack them a process not without massive difficulties and challenges. Now one of them will fly again! Here the whole intriguing story is told fully illustrated step-by-step from discovery to recovery, through to research, restoration, re-construction and first flight, all in fascinating, meticulous detail. Also covered is the account of the restoration of the first DH9 to be completed, now housed as a non-flying exhibit at the IWM Duxford. AUTHOR: Guy Black is the owner of Retrotec Ltd, an aircraft restoration company. His interest in restoration came after serving an apprenticeship with Westlake & Co.; a company world famous for their expertise in piston-engine technology. After initially setting up a company dedicated to restoring historic racing cars, Guy alongside Angus Spencer-Nairn began collecting historic military aircraft. This collection became Historic Aircraft Collection Ltd and is now one of the largest private collection of military aircraft in Europe today. Some of the aircraft that Guy and Retrotec have restored in the past years are displayed in museums worldwide including the RAF Museum, Imperial War Museum, the USAAF Museum and the National Aviation Museum in Canada. Full colour throughout with over 150 photos and drawings
Full Product Details
Author: Guy Black ,
Guy Black
Publisher: Grub Street Publishing
Imprint: Grub Street Publishing
Dimensions:
Width: 17.00cm
, Height: 2.60cm
, Length: 24.00cm
Weight: 0.800kg
ISBN: 9781908117335
ISBN 10: 1908117338
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 23 September 2019
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
...a tour-de-force book on aircraft restoration and is recommended highly. --Over the Front
The most comprehensive work to date on the DH9, this book is recommended for warbird buffs, restorers, and World War I air war historians. -- Air Power History ...a tour-de-force book on aircraft restoration and is recommended highly. -- Over the Front
Author Information
Guy Black first got into the restoration game as an apprentice with Weslake & Co. in the late 1960s. Weslake & Co. was renowned for its expertise in piston-engine technology. Having received the best training in this specialised field, he decided to start his own company Lynx Engineering in 1970. Its primary focus was the restoration of historic racing cars, but it soon grew into a large automotive development company. The interest in aviation restoration came after Guy sold Lynx Engineering and developed a collection of historic military aircraft and tanks in partnership with Angus Spencer-Nairn. This collection soon became one of the largest private collections in Europe and today is best recognised as the Historic Aircraft Collection. Guy also established Retrotec Ltd as a way of managing the quality and standards of each aircraft’s restoration.
