It is always a delight to get the opportunity to read Hikoki books. They are generally superbly researched and equally well written, this one being no exception. It is also on a subject that many of us love to get a chance to look into, flight testing. Boscombe Down was Britain's major flight testing establishment, getting aircraft after they had initially flown to be able to see just how they fly, how the systems work and how they could be improved. It was here that suitability for service could make or break a prototype and where already in service types were evaluated for improvements to the next variant or to test new weapons installations or possible modifications to extant types.

The book starts in with a history of Boscombe Downs as an airfield. I found it interesting that there is a considerable difference in elevation from one end of the landing field to the other. One would think this would be a disadvantage, but apparently it was something taken in stride. There was no paved runway at Boscombe Downs until near the end of the war and most of the buildings were either WWI vintage or, as the population of the field increased, temporary and crowded. But then, it was the flying that brought people in and not the lack of decent accommodations. After reading through all the sections on the aircraft, two things stuck in my mind. One is that the British seemed to be overly concerned with an aircraft's exhaust system. Flame dampening effectiveness and the amount of exhaust fumes that leaked into the crew compartment are mentioned in nearly every test. Seems to be as important as the actual performance of the aircraft.

The rest of the book is divided into sections according to the type of aircraft being tested. Everything from heavy bombers at one end of the scale to trainers at the other. This also includes a section on naval aircraft. Not only British planes were tested, as you'll find types other than the expected Spitfire, Lancaster and Lysander. Any type that was provided under lend lease or diverted from other orders is included. So you find the Buffalo, Corsair, and Marauder included. Several captured types were also tested as Boscombe Downs. Some planes were extensively put through their paces while others were at the field for only a brief amount of time.

The author has also included a rather extensive appendix section with table covering the performance of every type tested as well as an organizational table, list of flying hours, personalities involved and other units based at Boscombe Downs during the war, just to name a few.

In all, a book that I found very interesting and while it is not a quick read, is an excellent reference on the performance of a huge variety of aircraft. A book that I can quite easily recommend to you.

May 2011

Review book courtesy of Specialty Press, where you can order your copy of this and many other superb aviation and modeling books. Visit their website at the link above or call them at 1-800-895-4585

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