Aircraft Archive (Volume I: Post-War Jets), 1988, 1988

Document Type: Publication (Historical Study.)

Purpose: Informational.

Authority: Author Expertise.

Document Number: Volume I (dated 1988).

Scope: This book, subtitled "A Detailed Collection of Original Scale Aircraft Drawings", was published in 1988 by Argus Books for readers interested in aviation history, especially model builders. The following illustrators are credited for their scale drawings in this volume: Arthur Bentley, A. H. Haley, D. H. Cooksey, Etage Larsen, George Cox, Pat Lloyd, George Cull, C. J. Nichols, J. R. Enoch and Ian Stair.

From the back cover: "Since the earliest days of aviation, the ever-changing shape of the aeroplane has held a special fascination. Over the years, this has led draughtsmen and designers to produce superb, detailed 3-view scale drawings, generally to 1/72 scale, of a whole variety of aircraft from the first biplanes to the modern jet fighter bombers.

The purpose of this AIRCRAFT ARCHIVE series is to bring together, in a thematic and organized manner, selections of some of the best of these designs, many of which are hailed as masterpieces of the draughtsman's art. Each book covers a number of aircraft of a particular period or type and, although the emphasis is firmly on the drawings and detailed aspects of these drawings, each aircraft section includes information on technical data and numerous black and white photographs."

From the Introduction: "Since the earliest days of the Wright Brothers and the pioneers of European aviation, the ever-changing shape of the aeroplane has always held a special fascination. At first, the basic distinction of canard, tractor, pusher monoplane or biplane conveyed an adequate identity of the design. However, sketches soon began to appear in the magazines which reported aerial races and the latest developments were eagerly sought by enthusiasts, among them model makers and even competitive designers.

So began a practice which became a major feature among aeronautical publications and one which this series of Aircraft Archive sets out to preserve in collective form. What follows is a selection from the files of "Aeromodeller" and "Scale Models", two of the many monthly magazines from the original Model Aeronautical Press, now part of Argus Specialist Publications.

The books in this series form a representative group of subjects. Each is a typical example of skill and dedication applied by an amateur researcher over countless hours of translating measurements and photographic interpretation into a multiple-view scale drawing which, in fact, no manufacturer could ever provide! For it may come as a surprise, but the reality is that manufacturers' general arrangement drawings have little value in the factories, are rarely accurate in shape or scale and, without exception, Illustrate the aeroplane in a stage long since superseded by production variants. It is the sub-assembly, or component detail drawing, which offers priceless data for the researcher to complete the jigsaw puzzle of any aeroplane. That is, of course, if such drawings become available as many of the records are now destroyed."

Contents: Includes articles about: - De Havilland Venom FB Mks 1 and 4 - Lockheed F-94C Starfire - Avro CF-100 Canada Mk 4 - Republic F-84F Thunderstreak - Boulton Paul P.111A - North American F-100D Super Sabre - Saab A32A Lansen - Nord 1500 Griffon Il - English Electric Canberra B(1) Mk 8 - Flat G91 - Lockheed CF-104 and F104G Starfighter - Saab J35A, SK35C and J35F Draken - Sukhoi Su-7B 'Fitter-A' - Macchi MB326 - Northrop N-156F (F-5A prototype) - Handley Page Victor Mk 2 - Dassault Mirage IIIC - BAC Lightning F MK6 - Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR Mk 1 and T Mk 2 - SEPECAT Jaguar A. S, E, B and M - Grumman F-14A Tomcat - Panavia Tornado GR Mk 1