Observer's Book of Aircraft

[Ayahuasca]

Anyone remember these?

I used to collect them avidly, now I can only find my 1979 edition.



Many happy hours were spent on it!

[Eric Mc]

Still have a few of these in my "archives".

The oldest is 1956. I also have the 1973 edition and a couple of the final soft cover ones from the late 1980s. The fact that they stopped selling them was an indicator of the way young lads' interests were changing through the 80s and 90s.

In the 1960s, they were selling so well, that they used to produce separate civil and military volumes.

[Emsman]

I still have most of my dads going back to gos knows when.

Was amazed when i saw the Huslter in there for the first time, looked like something out of captain scarlet.

[Eric Mc]

they did a couple of "broad format" books as well. I have their 1979 "Observer's Spaceflight Directory" by BBC space correspondent, Reginald Turnhill (who is still with us, as far as I know although in his 90s).

[spitfire-ian]

I think I have the 1952 and 1987 one somewhere

[perdu]

Shucks Ian has the '87 one





I still have the '52, the 57 the '66 and '68

and the 1971 one too

The '52 is fun, Spitfires rubbing shoulders with Stratofortresses in the "Esses"

One page has the Airspeed Oxford, overleaf the Bristol Type 173

Opened at random DH110 and on another the DH Comet Series 1

blimey nostalgia huh.

The Gannet has a non production two piece rear canopy instead of the single bubble one

And Valiant... no details for publication!

I think I'll be reading this all night after looking at it here..

[Simpo Two]

'Manned Spaceflight' here - 1972 edition.




When the world was exciting and faster was better :sigh:

[Mojocvh]

Simpo Two said:

'Manned Spaceflight' here - 1972 edition.




When the world was exciting and faster was better :sigh:

Does anyone remember "speed and power" magazine of around about that time?
No more killing jerries in their hordes on Saturday morning,
just FAST stuff, big noisy engines in planes and trains etc.

[Shar2]

I've just been clearing out my bookshelves in readiness for some DIY and found a copy of Observers Aircraft from 1955. I'm sure I had some others, probably stored somewhere.

[Eric Mc]

Mojocvh said:

Simpo Two said:

'Manned Spaceflight' here - 1972 edition.




When the world was exciting and faster was better :sigh:

Does anyone remember "speed and power" magazine of around about that time?
No more killing jerries in their hordes on Saturday morning,
just FAST stuff, big noisy engines in planes and trains etc.

"Speed and Power" was an excellent magazine - great articles, great short stories (by Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov) and great artwork. I still remember some of the articles - like the feature on the "new" Hesketh Formula 1 team (Beware of the Bears).

[S7Paul]

A quick check in the archives reveals that I have the editions from 1962, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974 & 1975.

I also have The Observer's Basic Book of Aircraft - Civil & The Observer's Basic Book of Aircraft - Military. These were the same size & format as the usual Observer's books and were first issued in 1967.

Reminds me of the hours spent peering through wire mesh fences around windy airfields. For some reason the kids these days just don't seem interested.

[Eric Mc]

To them, technology is something that just "is" - like air. They aren't impressed by it - indeed, they are almost encouraged to despise it.

No wonder they are more interested in the carry on in the Big Brother House than what makes an F-15 travel at Mach 2.

[kiteless]

Got a '53, '85, and '86.

The 1953 one is interesting as it has an entry for the Vulcan prototype (with the straight leading edge wings).

[perdu]

Following on from this

hunting around in my cupboard this morning, looking for something entirely different (as you do!) I came across these two lovelies

my AirBP spotters logbooks fron the sixties

The open one has records of lots of the planes I saw as an Air Cadet on visits to RAF Stations and on holiday trips oop north, Gate Guardians at RAF Carlisle/Carlisle Airport (Vamp 7630M and Hunter 7421M) and lots of military stuff RAF and UASF from Prestwich in 1963.

I didn't take to the change of style in the later one, the 1963 Military Edition. I did use them for a while, then, then whilst I was a teenager somebody invented girls. How did that happen?

Hardly ever looked at the books after that happened...

[Simpo Two]

Mojocvh said:

Simpo Two said:

'Manned Spaceflight' here - 1972 edition.

When the world was exciting and faster was better :sigh:

Does anyone remember "speed and power" magazine of around about that time?
No more killing jerries in their hordes on Saturday morning,
just FAST stuff, big noisy engines in planes and trains etc.

I distinctly remember having a few copies of a short-lived magazine which I think was called 'How and Why' - one edition had a cover feature about Gary Gabelich's 'Blue Flame'.

NB: While checking that, I was surprised to see he doesn't get much of a Wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gabelich

[Simpo Two]

perdu said:

hunting around in my cupboard this morning, looking for something entirely different (as you do!) I came across these two lovelies

my AirBP spotters logbooks fron the sixties

Of course I didn't read that bit and dived straight into the image - then wondered how the page started with you flying a Lightning and then you ended up in a Kirby Prefect!

(the answer these days of course is 'defence cuts' - mind you gliding never did the young Luftwaffe any harm...)

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 20th February 21:28

[perdu]

Simpo Two said:

perdu said:

hunting around in my cupboard this morning, looking for something entirely different (as you do!) I came across these two lovelies

my AirBP spotters logbooks fron the sixties

Of course I didn't read that bit and dived straight into the image - then wondered how the page started with you flying a Lightning and then you ended up in a Kirby Prefect!

(the answer these days of course is 'defence cuts' - mind you gliding never did the young Luftwaffe any harm...)

Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 20th February 21:28

he he

good little books they were

I cant think where those Chips were, might have been Shawbury but there were more aircraft around in those days, our own Young Luftwaffe were well served by a large happy active airforce back then.

There seem to have been Chipmunks at every station we ever visited... except Linton on Ouse, Training Command Jet Provosts and so busy they bussed us to Driffold for Air Experience in Chips

Happy days

[Ayahuasca]

Simpo Two said:

Mojocvh said:

Simpo Two said:

'Manned Spaceflight' here - 1972 edition.

When the world was exciting and faster was better :sigh:

Does anyone remember "speed and power" magazine of around about that time?
No more killing jerries in their hordes on Saturday morning,
just FAST stuff, big noisy engines in planes and trains etc.

I distinctly remember having a few copies of a short-lived magazine which I think was called 'How and Why' - one edition had a cover feature about Gary Gabelich's 'Blue Flame'.

NB: While checking that, I was surprised to see he doesn't get much of a Wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Gabelich

I had loads of 'How and Why' books - they were great.



Also used to get a magazine called 'Look and Learn' that was full of good stuff too.

[Eric Mc]

Still have that "How and Why" book in the loft somewhere. I also had the "Dinosaurs" book.

Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 21st February 10:40

[Simpo Two]

Ah, got my wires crossed. I had (probably stil have) several 'How and Why' books (including that one) but what I had in mind was a thin weekly magazine; maybe it was called 'Tell me Why', Anyway, while Googling I pulled up another, 'World of Wonder': http://www.26pigs.com/world-wonder/bibliography.ht...

Note it's all full of exciting stuff - Vikings, hovercraft, elephants, Chindits, Red Indians...

Now replaced by Facebook and Eastenders.