Camel Pilot Supreme: Captain D V Armstrong DFC - Hardcover

Carson, Annette

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1526752670 ISBN 13: 9781526752673

Publisher: Air World, 2019

Synopsis

In aviation’s pioneering days the best and bravest airmen pushed the boundaries of flight in all dimensions and attitudes. When airplanes went to war this exploratory art, now known as aerobatics, was called ‘stunting’ in breezy RFC slang. Initially forbidden as foolhardy, its importance for survival soon became paramount in the life and death mêlées of dogfighting.

But pilots still delighted in the joy and exuberance of aerobatting for its own sake, and they recognized a master of that very special skill in young D’Urban Victor Armstrong, whose displays were nothing short of electrifying. Fluid and dramatic, performed with flair at ultra-low level, his exhibitions left spectators shaking their heads in disbelief. Even a century later his feats – some illustrated here – continue to evoke astonishment in piloting circles.

Until this biography little was known about his wartime experiences, and even less about his South African background. His great value to the authorities lay in his superb handling of the Sopwith Camel, which upon its introduction had taken a heavy toll in fatal trainee accidents. While still on active service he was sent around the units providing vivid proof that, properly handled, the stubby little fighter delivered the key to combat success: unrivaled maneuverability. His resultant fame eclipsed his other distinguished role in pioneering night flying and night fighting, an equally vital skill he was also detailed to demonstrate around the squadrons.

In these pages you will find yourself in the cockpit of the F.1 Camel and become acquainted with its rotary engine. You will meet many leading names including Billy Bishop, Cecil Lewis, Norman Macmillan, Robert Smith Barry, and the harum-scarum Three Musketeers from War Birds. Armstrong takes his place alongside them as one of the legendary figures of the first great aerial war.

About this title

About the Author

Annette Carson has written on a variety of non-fiction topics with a preference for history and biography. Her love of aviation led to involvement in aerobatics, a subject on which she has contributed to Encyclopædia Britannica. She has served in organizational roles including Contest Director, British Team Manager and International Jury member, was an active delegate to the International Aerobatics Commission of the FAI, and in 1986 published Flight Fantastic: The Illustrated History of Aerobatics, earning the FAI’s Tissandier Diploma. Carson is also widely respected for her revisionist books and articles on Richard III. She was a founding member of the historical research team that mounted the search for his grave in Leicester and commissioned the archaeological dig that found him in 2012.

Review

"Annette Carson has done a wonderful of chronicling Armstong's life, flight training and ultimate recognition as the undisputed master of aerobatics." (Over the Front)

About this edition

• Publisher: Air World
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1526752670
• ISBN 13: 9781526752673
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224