The Admiralty and AEW: Royal Navy Airborne Early Warning Projects

overscan (PaulMM)

overscan (PaulMM)

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Message from Chris:

Just a quick note to thank everyone who bought the VC10 book and to let you know what’s in the pipeline for Project Tech Profiles. Following on from Mike Pryce’s P.1216 book comes “The Admiralty and AEW” from Blue Envoy Press. This Project Tech Profile covers the Royal Navy’s many attempts to fill the airborne early warning role on its carriers from 1945 until 2010. As ever, much of the content is new and based on new research in the various BAE Systems archives around the country plus The National Archives at Kew.

The format is similar to the VC10 book, the usual general arrangement drawings and artwork by Adrian Mann. If those who bought the VC10 book have any comments on what could be added or improved in future, I’d be interested in hearing them. For example, more photos, bigger drawings or fewer appendices.

I’m hoping to have it available by the end of the year, but meantime, I have appended a summary of its content and a draft cover image

Thanks and regards

Chris Gibson
Blue Envoy Press.

----------------------------------------------------

The Admiralty and AEW: Royal Navy Airborne Early Warning Projects

Continuing the Project Tech Profile series, “The Admiralty and AEW: Royal Navy Airborne Early Warning Projects” examines the development of this essential role from the Vickers Wellington of 1941 up to BAE Systems’ 2005 Boeing V-22 Osprey and Sidetrack proposals for the forthcoming Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

Concentrating on unbuilt design studies aimed at meeting AEW requirement on the Royal Navy’s carriers, “The Admiralty and AEW” describes for the first time the numerous projects intended to provide the ultimate crow’s nest. Fairey’s initial foray into AEW with the Spearfish “Guppy” in 1945 and Blackburn’s B.54 from 1949 set the scene for the 1950s and 60s. Blackburn Aircraft at Brough was particularly active in AEW, specifically the P.119 and P.139 series of Buccaneer-based studies and the many configurations of the portly “Flying pig”. Avro Woodford’s design studies based on the Avro Type 748 with American radars are also examined, as is their attempt to interest the US Navy in a BAe 146 with AN/APS.120 radar in the 1980s.

The Admiralty’s abortive attempt to procure the E-2 Hawkeye is described for the first time, as are the three occasions long before the Falklands War when helicopters were proposed as AEW platforms.

Government and company archive material has been used throughout and these, combined with original artwork by Adrian Mann, show how the Royal Navy and the aircraft designers hoped to fill what has become a pivotal role in naval warfare.
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Great news that its now been announced, Chris was hinting at it last year at ScaleModelWorld when commenting on the P139 AEW i had built.

Going off the VC-10 book it should be good using the same format, with Admirialty AEW i suppose there may be more options for manufactures models and original artwork as some of the projects were more advanced than others.
Will there be any coverage of the carriers in relation to the AEW aircraft ?

Cheers

Geoff
 
On conidering the artwork i think Adrian should change the Black and Yellow stiped nose to the tail cone on the AEW Bucc for the cover. I know its inspired by the 849sqdn gannets which had a the contra-prop to best show the bee stipes, but with the Bucc i think they would have gone with a tail cone rather than nose cone stripes.

Be interesting to see how the Sideways looking radar would have worked as i know it was retracted into the former bomb bay and deployed in flight, but where on earth did they put the avionics within a standard bucc airframe ?

Still it should be very interesting to see what projects were propossed for AEW as some of the designs have been quite imaginativem although many wont win any aircraft beauty contests ;D.

Cheers

Geoff
 
I recently contacted Blue Envoy Press and was informed by Chris Gibson that Michael Pryce's P.1216 book is still in preparation and he hopes to have it available before his RN AEW book which could be available in the spring.
 
Thorvic said:
On conidering the artwork i think Adrian should change the Black and Yellow stiped nose to the tail cone on the AEW Bucc for the cover. I know its inspired by the 849sqdn gannets which had a the contra-prop to best show the bee stipes, but with the Bucc i think they would have gone with a tail cone rather than nose cone stripes.
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We thought that colour scheme would elicit some comments!
 
AEW book is largely complete. Chris sent me this possible cover image...
 

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Think the Gannet cover is more suitable for the title - I like it ;D

So whens its due out ?

G
 
When indeed.

And where will this be available?
 
Last I heard it was still in progress but Chris does have another interesting project in the pipeline (a larger book) which may be delaying things a bit.
 
With the Gannet in the foreground and the P.1154 in the background that is one epic front cover!
 
overscan said:
Last I heard it was still in progress but Chris does have another interesting project in the pipeline (a larger book) which may be delaying things a bit.
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Hints???

Regards,

Greg
 
overscan said:
Chris sent me this possible cover image...
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And here I was, thinking it was impossible to make the Gannet look any uglier ;)

Regards & all,

Thomas L. Nielsen
Luxembourg
 
Oi, Gibson! when's this book ready? ;)

Will the book feature any Pegasus powered AEW concepts similar to the DO-31?

Any chance of another teaser too please?
 
Don't you boys ever rummage about on Amazon? Most disappointed by your sleuthing skills, so expect a visit from Archdeacon Robert...

Hope the attached BAC A2 will keep you interested.

Seriously, Adrian is finalising the layout as I type and then Ed the Geordie printer will be doing his trick with ink and paper, hopefully before the forthcoming mini ice-age shuts the UK down. Happy to report no photos of Maggie but other scary things, such as aircraft that will give you nightmares.

Chris
 

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:eek:

Thanks for the new pic, I take it that the AEW specification didn't include the line "No fat birds" ;D

What's your preference, buy from Amazon or direct from you guys?
 
Direct is generally a quicker than delivery via Amazon.

Loads of fat, ugly birds in it, nature of the beast. Compared with the other horrors in TA&AEW, the A2 is actually one of the loveliest AEW aircraft ever drawn. One proof-reader's single-word reply on receiving the draft was "Aaaaaaaarrrrrgh!"

Chris

PS You haven't had a proper rummage on Amazon yet, have you?
 
CJGibson said:
PS You haven't had a proper rummage on Amazon yet, have you?
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Its worth a snoot to searcg Amazon.co.uk books for AEW ;)
 
Thorvic said:
CJGibson said:
PS You haven't had a proper rummage on Amazon yet, have you?
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Its worth a snoot to searcg Amazon.co.uk books for AEW ;)
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I have now, looks like someone has taken the AEW ugly stick to a BAe 146 too! :)
 
I want this book...

...so badly it hurts! B)

DamienB said:
The BAC A2 thing is the stuff of nightmares. Imagine it with wings folded in Gannet style... eurgh.
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Hey, even ugly planes deserve some love! As a point of principle, I plan to build models of some of the uglies once I have my mitts on a copy...

cheers

Duncan
 
I'm happy to report final High Res PDF's for the artwork have been sent over to the Chris in the UK, so Ed the Geordie printer will be galvanised into action forthwith!

I've actually grown quite attached to those unloved, chubby aircraft... I should really try chopping them up so I can fold the wings and see how that looks - somewhat less lovely I suspect!

Adrian
 
"Any chance of another teaser too please"

Index and a couple of pages.

Should be available from the last week in January and not before, so don't blow all that Xmas money on Amazon just yet.

Chris
 

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i want a job with Ed the Geordie Printer...
so I can print my own copy............ ;D B)


cheers,
Robin.
 
What's with all these MiG-21s bouncing RN AEW platforms? And not a Spey Phantom in sight...
 
Speaking of Amazon, they're already showing The Air Staff and AEW.
 
Abraham,

Rest assured, there is a Spey Phantom within and I like Fishbeds.

Chris
 
Looking forward to getting the book when it comes out in January especially having seen a sneek preview at SMW to wet the appetite ;) . Its inspiring model projects already so really looking to get my teeth into some of the projects to turn them into builds.

As for the companion volume "The Air Staff & AEW" that should nicely cover the RAF types when its published sometime later on next year. Just think about the possibilities instead of the Shackleton, Nimrod & Sentry !.

G
 
I'm waiting with bated breath for the January release of this. Of course, there will then be the overseas shipping times.


This will probably be answered within a month but I'm hoping for a sneak peak.


Chris, will this cover the AEW Buccaneer? I've seen a couple of references to this proposal but never any drawings or artwork showing how this might work. Was the AEW Buccaneer to be a standard Buc with the radome or were further modifications such as longer wings and greater fuel tankage contemplated?


Thank you very much.
 
AL said:
Speaking of Amazon, they're already showing The Air Staff and AEW.
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Will this show an early Wellington AEW ?

And, will it explain why there were no RAF AEWs until the Shakleton lash-up ?

Thanks

(By the way, I got my copy of the 2012 calendar - very nice. But I simply refuse to believe that the P.139C-1 would fly.)

.
 
Will this show an early Wellington AEW ?
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From what i remember of the sneake preview the Wellington AEW is mentioned in the first chapter of the Admiralty and AEW.

Chris, will this cover the AEW Buccaneer?
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Again from the sneak preview the Buccaneer is most definately covered, in fact one of the variants is shown at the start of this thread as a possible cover.

G
 
Hi Chris:


Any updates on release dates for The Admiralty and AEW or The Air Staff and AEW?


Amazon UK is showing The Admiralty and AEW as temporarily out of stock. (Although it never seem to come in stock or at least not in stock enough to clear my pre-order.) Are you still looking at a January release date?



The Air Staff and AEW at one point showed a specific June release date but seems to have dropped back to plain pre-order without a release date.


Amazon UK seems to be pushing The Air Staff and AEW book more. I've gotten a couple of suggestions from Amazon UK that I order it but oddly enough they don't seem to mention the similar Admiralty book which is coming out 6 months sooner (or only mention it as an afterthought). Of course their suggestions are a little behind the power curve as I have already pre-ordered both.


I'm looking forward to seeing some of the details on some of the weird (and wonderful?) planes you and Adrian have teased us with.


Thanks.


J F F
(Waiting with bated breath)
 
The Admiratly and AEW is now available.

£9.95 per copy

Postage

UK - £1.70 (First Class post)
Europe - £5.15 (Air Mail)
Rest of World - £7.90 (Air Mail)

I will endeavour to ship orders the same day in a stiffie.

Please send all orders, enquiries and paypal payments to blue.envoy.services@googlemail.com

The VC10 book has been reprinted and is also available, price is £8.95, postage rates the same.

Many thanks for your support with previous books and I hope TAAEW meets your expectations.

Chris
 

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It's a wet, cold miserable day outside, here in Bolton Lancashire.... :(

But who cares?!

Order placed Chris, suddenly the day seems a whole lot sunnier... :)

Cheers

Duncan
 
All orders received before 1500hrs Z have been posted. I have also sent a load to Amazon's distributor, so if you've ordered via Amazon, you should get your copy soon.

Thanks

Chris
 

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