Aircraft of the RAAF 1921-71 Jubilee Issue

Published to mark the 50th anniversary of theestablishment of the RAAF in 1921 this impressive volume traces the development and the aircraft used from the earliest planes, which had served in WWI, , their slow and measley replacement through to the late 1930s, where disanty war clouds saw more modern aircraft, mainly from the US, with some British types,with others built under licence poroviding the bulk of aircraft serving in the Pacific iheatre. Later came further conflicts in Asia, notably Korea and Vietnam, where the RAAF was again deployed, using its last piston-engined fighters, Mustangs and first jet, the Meteor in the former, with Canberra bombers despatched to Vietman. The next generation of jets included the Mirage, of French origin and the Phantom from the US. Many other aircraft, used in smaller numbers or impressed. are included --- more that 120 in total. Five chronological chapters trace the evolution of the force over its first half-century. First edition of 1971, a little-used copy from a church library, 147 pages including list of aircraft types at front, two appendices and index of photos and illustrations, photos throughout some in colour, the,majority b/w. 24 pages colour art side profiles of RAAF aircraft by Geoffrey Pentland. These, with four images to each page, are a highlight of the book. Brown hard covers with gilt front and spine titles are VG+, library stamps on front pastedown, FFEP and title page, no other library markings. This otherwise internally excellent copy is marred by instances of ball pen scribble on pages 17, 20 and 21. In the first instance there are two small pen marks, on the first of the colour plates, with both confined to one caption and not obliterating the lettering or intruding on the profile, on page 20 the scribble is confined to the lower photograph in wide swirls and on the following page to the central caption to three photograph but not impinging on these images. The colour art DJ, featuring profiles from the internal plates is VG+ with a few chips and a small tear at spine base.…