Wings Over the Fleet: British Naval Aircraft Since 1945
This 400 page book by James Jackson chronicles the development of the Fleet Air Arm in the post WW2 era.
Great Britain was the senior Allied partner in WW2 until fall of 1944 when it became bankrupt for intents and purposes, and money problems continued in the post war era.
as most of you are aware, while Britain had been a leader in the development and employment of naval air power in WW1 and the interwar era, the United States Navy claimed the initiative early in the 2nd world war with advances both in technology and numbers of carriers and carrier based aircraft.
Britain always remained an innovator, though, even if the money to advance new ideas wasn’t always there, and the close post war cooperation between Britain and the U.S. resulted in their ideas to see the light of day in U.S. carrier and aircraft design, such as the angled deck.
Mr Jackson’s book describes not only British designs that entered production, but prototypes and paper projects that while never realized, influenced later designs, both American and European, including the VSTOL Harriet/Sea Harrier, that saw extensive service not just with Great Britain, but Spain, Italy and of course the U.S.
He also describes the development of foreign aircraft, such as the McDonnell Douglas Phantom and numerous rotor craft that were adopted and modified for British naval service.
Appendices list all the air capable post war RN ships from fleet carriers down through helicopter cruisers and amphibious warfare ships.
Wings Over the Fleet: British Naval Aircraft Since 1945
By James Jackson, Crecy Publications, 2025, 400 pages
This is a comprehensive examination of British naval aviation, both fixed wing and rotor craft from the end of the 2nd World War to the present. It is profusely illustrated with photos, drawings and tables concerning British naval aircraft and the ships that embark them.
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