Bristol F2 Fighter Aces of World War I

Description

This is the history of the best Allied fighter-destroyer of World War I and the pilots who flew it. Numerous ace teams earned the 'Biff' grudging respect from its German opponents, as the crews operated the plane not as a standard two-seater, but as a single-seat with a 'sting in the tail' in the form of a rear gunner with a Lewis machine gun. This book charts the development of the plane from its inauspicious beginnings to the revised model operating with a new kind of tactics. Numerous first-hand accounts and combat reports give a fascinating insight into the combat experiences of the pilots themselves.

A resident of Leesburg, Virginia, Jon Guttman is senior editor, research director and contributing writer for Primedia Enthusiast Publications. Specialising in World War 1 aviation, he has written 11 titles in the past, including Spad VII Aces of WW1, Spad XII/XIII Aces of WW1 and the forthcoming Balloon Buster Aces in the Osprey Aces series, as well as Spa.124 Lafayette Escadrille and Groupe de Combat 12 'Les Cigognes' in the Osprey Aviation Elite Units series. Harry Dempsey has been passionate about WW 1 aviation for over 30 years, having produced the most technically accurate artwork on the subject. He has illustrated all the WW 1 aces books to date.

"The usual combination of color profiles and personl anecdotes tells the very unusual story of the Bristol F2B. At first glance, this was just another plainly-marked British WWI airplane, but its excellent performance was on par with contemporary single-seaters, and it could be considered one of the first true 'multi-role' aircraft. The unique operational concept...resulted in some very high scoring tail gunners. Its important service in Palestine in WWI is covered in its own section." --Aerospace Modeler (January 2009) "Jon Guttman's latest offering is a long-awaited title, since the Bristol F.2B is easily the most popular World War I two-seater among buffs and historians... After finishing Bristol Fighter Aces, any red-blooded reader will want to man his Brisfit and go strafe the Bray-Corbie Road." --Barrett Tillman, Aviation History (March 2008) "It is a superb book on the subject and one that I can recommend to you without reservation." --Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (September 2007)