Overview

As long ago as World War 2, designs were underway for vertical take off aircraft, and the Germans were the first to conceptualise the idea during the last phase of the war, when engineers conceived the Focke Wulf Triebflügel as a defence against the ever-increasing Allied bombing raids on central Germany. It was a Vertical Take-Off and Landing 'tailsitter' interceptor intended for the defence of critical war factories and key areas without suitable nearby airfields for combat aircraft. The Triebflügel's exotic propulsion system reached an advanced stage of testing, but no complete prototype was ever built. After the war, the research undertaken in Germany inspired various VTOL projects across the world. In America, the aircraft companies Lockheed and Convair were contracted by the US Navy to built prototype carrier based VTOL fighters. The French company SNECMA experimented with annular wing designs based on German research, the British began work on horizontal rising, experimental aircraft and the Soviets followed with a series of designs produced by Yakovlev. In the West, NATO attempted to develop a supersonic vertical take-off and landing strike-fighter for general use, although this never materialised due to political disagreements. The Germans then decided to go-it alone, building an advanced supersonic VTOL interceptor and a low-level VTOL strike fighter. Both flew successfully, but failed to reach Luftwaffe service for various technical and operational reasons. Latterly the Hawker Siddeley Harrier would become the best known and only successful VTOL fighter aircraft. The final version of the BAE Harrier was retired from UK service in October 2010 and it is now scheduled for full-replacement in UK and US service by the advanced Lockheed-Martin F-35B STOVL stealth fighter. In service with the Royal Navy, the F-35B will operate from the new aircraft carriers - HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales - which are are currently under construction. In Vertical Take-Off Fighter Aircraft author Bill Rose provides a comprehensive history of all types of vertical take-off aircraft from the earliest experiments before World War 2 to the present day. He includes many little known designs, which never progressed beyond the concept stage, completed prototypes and the better known experimental and operational aircraft. He also includes a number of aircraft that were influential or related to VTOL aircraft, such as early VTO rocket fighters, rocket launched conventional fighters and specialised prototypes with exceptional short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities.

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9781906537395

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Reviews

The allure of VTOL fighters remains strong: maximum operational flexibility with minimal defensive vulnerability. But history remains littered with VTOL failures. Just a handful of designs saw service. And to date, only one - Britain's Harrier - arguably achieved lasting success. Now Bill Rose recaps the total tale in Vertical Take-Off Fighter Aircraft - a handy history from Classic, an imprint of Ian Allan Publishing. And what an entertaining effort it is. I enjoyed this convenient, compact compendium.So buckle-up, sit back and enjoy the vertical flight. Rose's rousing read offers loads of fanciful fun. Highly recommended! -- David. L. Veres * Cybermodeller * A most interesting coverage of its subject and well worth the price. -- Mike Hooks * Aeroplane * A very interesting title, showing some pretty fanciful designs and some just outlandish ones! Some of the subjects are out there as kits so they can be built, plus this title is packed with potential scratchbuild subjects. Highly recommended. -- Editor * Model Airplane International * Overall, it makes for an engrossing read. And as it's printed on quality stock, you have excellent image and text reproduction. The text is quite easily readable (you don't get bogged down in heaps of techno jargon) and Bill Rose's extensive research has culminated in a wealth of information within the one volume. One thing I liked was the aircraft details/specifications in tabular form at the end of each chapter encapsulating all the technical details in yet another easily readable and comparable format. This is a great book for any aviation enthusiast at a very competitive price. -- Editor * Model Art magazine, Friends of RAAF Museum, Axis Eagles, and APMA newsletters *

Author Information

Bill Rose was born in 1948 and grew up in the North London suburbs. He was educated at Buckingham College and the University of Westminster. Bill began his working life as a laboratory technician, became a Fleet Street press photographer and eventually a photojournalist. As a writer, he has worked for science journals, technical publications and various national and provincial newspapers. His principal areas of interest are photography, astronomy, space exploration and aviation. He has worked as a researcher for several UK based TV production companies and Bill currently runs a small photographic business located in Norfolk, which specialises in PR work, graphic design and image restoration.

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