Flying the Icon: Spitfire - Jarrod Cotter

. .

Résumé :
The Supermarine Spitfire is not only one of the most famous British icons, but it is arguably the most widely-recognised and popular aircraft in the history of aviation. For many generations it was said to be ?every schoolboy?s dream? to fly a Spitfire, and Flying the Icon: Spitfire aims to give the reader an insight into what that requires. To mark the 80th anniversary of the first flight of Prototype K5054 on 5 March 1936, author Jarrod Cotter presents something entirely different from the previously published histories of the Spitfire. Having spent a great deal of time talking to Spitfire pilots past and present, attending flight operations briefings and Spitfire pilot training courses, he has used his ?insider?s? perspective to produce a book solely on flying this most iconic of all fighters. With the use of original wartime Air Ministry Pilot?s Notes, historic flight test documents, modern flight reference cards and pilot?s reports, this book details how the Spitfire was and is flown, and what the pilots thought and think of it nowadays. Included are quotes from test pilots Jeffrey Quill and Alex Henshaw, two of the most respected and well-known personalities who flew this icon. To provide an extreme range of the fighter?s evolution, the variants included comprise Prototype K5054, the Mk.I, Mk.IIa, Mk.Vb, Mk.VIII Mk.IXe/XVIe, PR.XIX and the post-war F.18/22/24. To keep with the theme of the book, it is comprehensively illustrated with pictures of Spitfires flying and pilots in Spitfires. This book is a must-have guide, giving enthusiasts the best possible idea of how to fly the icon that is the Spitfire!

Biographie:
Jarrod Cotter served in the RAF during the 1980s and 1990s. In that time he experienced the change from front line Cold War operations with the RAF Germany Harrier Force to the then new operational conflicts in the Gulf region with Tornados from RAF Br?ggen. Specialising in the aerial photographic reconnaissance role, he worked on the HS Harrier GR.3 and Panavia Tornado GR.1/1A, working on Nos IV(AC) Squadron, IX(B) and 14 Squadrons. Following his time in the RAF he become a professional magazine editor with Warners Group Publications in Bourne, Lincolnshire, and went on to become the Deputy Editor of FlyPast magazine, the launch Editor of Aviation Classics and the Editor of Aeroplane Monthly. He now enjoys work as a freelance author, which allows him the opportunity to carry out detailed historical research. He is the author of Living Lancasters (Sutton, 2005), Battle of Britain Memorial Flight - 50 Years of Flying (Pen & Sword, 2007), the Avro Lancaster Owners' Workshop Manual (Haynes, 2008), the North American P-51 Mustang Owners' Workshop Manual (Haynes, 2010), the Bristol Blenheim Owners' Workshop Manual (Haynes, 2015) and the Sopwith Camel Owners' Workshop Manual (Haynes, 2016).