People, Bottom Line, Book Reviews

Books

Military Aircraft Of Australia: Stewart Wilson

The fact that the aeroplane hasformed the cornerstone of Australia’s14 Australian Aviation August 1994defence capability for a large part of this century is well illustrated by the wide variety of aircraft types described in this invaluable 220 page book. A look through the pages of Military Aircraft of Australia emphasises the diversity of types and underlines the importance of aircraft to Australia’s security over the years. The advance of technology is also obvious, ranging from the ‘rag and wire’ types of the World War I era to the high tech marvels of today. Military Aircraft of Australia presents succinct histories of the aircraft which have served with the RAAF, RAN and Army since 1921. The very readable and informative 100,000+ word text is supported by some 300 illustrations including more than 50 pages of colour, while tabular information includes aircraft specification and performance figures, dates of service and serial numbers. The aircraft are presented in easy to access alphabetical order by manufacturer and additional features such as potted histories of the three Australian services’ flying activities over the years add to what will likely become a standard reference work on the subject. The author has put more than three years work into this project and it shows. Available from your newsagent or direct from Australian Aviation, PO Box 3105, Weston Creek, ACT 2611, ph (06) 288 1677, fax (06) 288 2021, for $24.90 (softback) or $34.90 (hardback), postage included.

The Historic Civil Aircraft Register Of Australia, Vh-Daa To Vh-Fzz: Tonyarbon & David Sparrow

This is the third book in a series that will eventually cover the whole of the Australian civil aircraft register and is presented in the same format as previous issues. It details registration, date of registration, type, construction number, previous identities and fate of all aircraft ever registered between VH-DAA and VH-FZZ. The book has separate sections covering gliders, trade plates and prohibited registrations and comes in A5 format. It features an interesting collection of over 30 historic aircraft photographs, most of which have never been published before. The book is obviously the result of a great deal of research, and would be a valuable companion to the two earlier books in the series, of for that matter, to anybody with a strong interest in civil aviation in Australia. Available from AustAirData, PO Box 1142, Toombul Qld 4012, at $15.00 (add 50% for overseas air mail).