"Go buy this book right now. It is rare that ISD gives an instant
five-star rating to any new volume, but Mark C. Wilkins' British Fighter
Aircraft in World War I is a rare book." -- Indy Squadron Dispatch
World War I witnessed unprecedented growth and innovation in aircraft
design, construction, and as the war progressed--mass production. Each
country generated its own innovations sometimes in surprising
ways--Albatros Fokker, Pfalz, and Junkers in Germany and Nieuport, Spad,
Sopwith and Bristol in France and Britain.
This book focuses on the British approach to fighter design,
construction, and mass production. Initially the French led the way in
Allied fighter development with their Bleriot trainers then nimble
Nieuport Scouts--culminating with the powerful, fast gun platforms as
exemplified by the Spads. The Spads had a major drawback however, in
that they were difficult and counter-intuitive to fix in the field. The
British developed fighters in a very different way; Tommy Sopwith had a
distinctive approach to fighter design that relied on lightly loaded
wings and simple functional box-girder fuselages. His Camel was
revolutionary as it combined all the weight well forward; enabling the
Camel to turn very quickly--but also making it an unforgiving fighter
for the inexperienced. The Royal Aircraft Factory's SE5a represented
another leap forward with its comfortable cockpit, modern
instrumentation, and inline engine--clearly influenced by both Spads and
German aircraft.
Each manufacturer and design team vied for the upper hand and deftly and
quickly appropriated good ideas from other companies--be they friend or
foe. Developments in tactics and deployment also influenced design--from
the early reconnaissance planes, to turn fighters, finally planes that
relied upon formation tactics, speed, and firepower. Advances were so
great that the postwar industry seemed bland by comparison.
