{"product_id":"history-of-the-royal-canadian-air-force","title":"HISTORY OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE — BIG SIZE","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left; background-color: #f7f8f9; padding: 20px; border-left: 4px solid #647382;\"\u003eA comprehensive history of the Royal Canadian Air Force from WWI through modern times, chronicling Canadian military aviation from its origins with the RAF to the formation of the RCAF, its role in WWII, and its evolution into the modern CAF.\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eCharacteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"table table-striped\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e0-85368-649-1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook cover finish(es)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHardcover ( square back binding ) — Dust jacket\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike NEW\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAuthor(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChristopher Shores\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBison Books Corp.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of pages\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e128\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublished date\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1984\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLanguage(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnglish\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSize\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e24 x 31 x 1.5 cm \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 187px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCategorie(s)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 331px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e• AVIATION MILITAIRE\u003cbr\u003e• BASES AÉRIENNES - ESCADRILLES\u003cbr\u003e• PREMIÈRE GUERRE MONDIALE\u003cbr\u003e• SECONDE GUERRE MONDIALE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"margin-bottom: 13px;\"\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first Canadian military airmen took to the skies in World War I, flying for the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Naval Air Service\u003c\/em\u003e, the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Flying Corps\u003c\/em\u003e and later the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e. No fewer than 152 Canadian pilots became “aces” (with five or more victories), and three VCs and more than 200 DFCs were won.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first Canadian Air Force unit was formed by the renumbering of \u003cem\u003e81 Squadron RAF\u003c\/em\u003e into \u003cem\u003e1 Squadron\u003c\/em\u003e in November 1918 — just too late to see service in the Great War. Among the Canadian flyers were some of the greatest aces, including Major W. A. “Billy” Bishop VC, DSO, MC, DFC, whose 72 victories made him the third-highest scorer of the war, and Major Raymond Collishaw DSO, DFC, who scored 62 victories to gain equal fifth place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe postwar period saw the disbandment of the Canadian Air Force, followed by the establishment of the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Canadian Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e on 1 April 1924. The new service continued in fairly modest fashion until an increase in defence expenditure followed the \u003cem\u003eMunich Crisis\u003c\/em\u003e of 1938.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the outbreak of World War II, the RCAF had 19 squadrons, some of them without aircraft and the majority equipped with obsolescent types. Only \u003cem\u003e1 (Fighter) Squadron\u003c\/em\u003e was equipped with \u003cem\u003eHawker Hurricanes\u003c\/em\u003e. However, the situation was soon to change. The wide open spaces of Canada provided a peaceful location for the training of aircrew, and by April 1945 some 131,553 airmen — 80 per cent of them Canadians — had been trained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt home, RCAF \u003cem\u003eB-24 Liberators\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003ePBY Catalina\u003c\/em\u003e flying boats waged war against the U-boats that threatened the Atlantic convoys, while other aircraft types provided home air defence. The first RCAF unit to reach Europe was \u003cem\u003e110 Squadron\u003c\/em\u003e, which fought with gallantry in the \u003cem\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe year 1941 saw a steady influx of RCAF bomber and fighter crews into the United Kingdom as the training scheme began to produce graduates in increasing numbers. During World War II, RCAF bombers flew more than 40,000 sorties over Nazi-occupied Europe and Germany. Aircraft and aircrew also served in North Africa, Italy and the Far East.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the post-1945 period, the RCAF, like all other air forces, contracted to a fraction of its wartime size. However, the Air Force soon began to take delivery of new jet aircraft such as the \u003cem\u003eF-86 Sabre\u003c\/em\u003e, and Canadian pilots fought with the UN forces in Korea with considerable success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe RCAF also served with \u003cem\u003eNATO\u003c\/em\u003e forces in Europe and played a major role in North American air defence and maritime aviation. In 1960 the RCAF began to acquire \u003cem\u003eCF-101 Voodoo\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCF-104 Starfighter\u003c\/em\u003e aircraft, which served as frontline fighters until 1982, when the first \u003cem\u003eCF-18 Hornets\u003c\/em\u003e were delivered. In 1968, all three branches of Canada’s armed forces were amalgamated into the \u003cem\u003eCanadian Armed Forces\u003c\/em\u003e, but the worthy traditions of the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Canadian Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e continue to this day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book tells the proud history of the \u003cem\u003eRoyal Canadian Air Force\u003c\/em\u003e. Black-and-white and colour photographs show the aircraft and airmen, making this a welcome addition to the bookshelves of any Canadian aviation enthusiast. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Christopher Shores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53775793881434,"sku":null,"price":50.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0270\/3015\/9446\/files\/image2_9738d2af-f30c-4f7e-8c77-40061081d973.jpeg?v=1773827642","url":"https:\/\/aviation.brussels\/products\/history-of-the-royal-canadian-air-force","provider":"aviation.brussels","version":"1.0","type":"link"}