British TEST PILOTS

Signed by Captain Eric Brown on the half title page

Forbes Robertson First edition 1950. 170 pages and well illustrated with photographs of the test pilots.

Fine condition hardback book in a Fine condition unclipped dustjacket. A really nice fresh copy.

From the dustjacket: ‘British Test Pilots’ is the intimate and brilliantly told story of the leading 36 Test Pilots of Great Britain; how they came to enter aviation, their achievements and records and their daring and courage in this most dangerous of professions.  No one is more qualified to tell these stories than Geoffrey Dorman, who knows all these pilots and has flown with most of them.’

The author in his preface says that his object in writing this book is ‘to put on record something about the men of Britain who have tested the British aeroplanes immediately after the World War of 1939-45. This has been the period of greatest change and progress since the start of aviation nearly 50 years ago, for it has seen the beginning of practical jet propelled aircraft – fighters, bombers and air liners’.

The test pilots profiled are:  Moore-Brabazon, Beamont, Brooke-Smith, Bryce, Cable, Colquhoun, Crosley, Cunningham, Derry, Donaldson, Duke, Franklin, Gunn, Hazleden, Kent, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lithgow, Lowdell, Marsh, Orell, Pegg, Penrose, Porteous, Price-Owen, Purvis, Randrup, Shepherd, Slade, Starky, Summers, Twiss, Tyson, Wade and Wheeler.

A fascinating signed book for anyone with an interest in the golden age of test flying.