Schneider Trophy Seaplanes and Flying Boats: Victors, Vanquished and Visions

[Stargazer]

Frankly, I think that Pasoleati and Stargazer owe apologies, if not to each other, then to Schneiderman and to all the viewers of this forum, since their behavior is, to my mind, totally unacceptable for this forum. They are entitled to their opinions, but there are tactful ways to present those. My philosophy is, if you can't say something positive about someone or something, you'd be better off simply not saying it, at least in a public forum.

You apparently didn't read the post which was immediately above yours, since it was precisely an expression of my deepest apologies to Schneiderman.

 

[Schneiderman]

what is your next book going to be about Schneiderman?

Hi Nick,

I'll let the forum know once I have a confirmed publication date. It includes a large number of 'unknown' projects and will be of interest to a lot of people here. Not Schneider this time

 

[gatoraptor]

You apparently didn't read the post which was immediately above yours, since it was precisely an expression of my deepest apologies to Schneiderman.

No, I hadn't; sorry about that. But one should never base a stated opinion on whether the author of the book is a reader of this forum or not.

Let's all bury our respective hatchets (and not in each other!) and press on regardless to whatever the next interesting new book is.

 

[Pasoleati]

Well, I do indeed owe an apology to Stargazer. So, Stargazer, I apologize for I did misinterpret your preferences as e.g. the Aerofax is design wise one of my favourites as well.

I did have a look at my copy (I have not read the book as I have had plenty of other reading), and there are more pages that have the same hiccup as the sample. However, the majority (maybe 95 %) of pages are well-designed.

 

[Nick Sumner]

I received this book in the mail a few days ago, and while I haven't finished it yet, I'd just like to say that from what I've read so far it is an excellent book, beautifully illustrated and well worth the cover price.

 

[Jayslater]

Dear All,

Am thrilled that the vast majority of you enjoyed the book a great deal. It is good to know that Fonthill is pushing the right buttons! We have more and more highly interesting aviation titles to be announced shortly.

With very best wishes,

Jay
Publisher
Fonthill Media

 

[Arjen]

Bought it. Love it.

Reading the introduction, I gather this book stems from an attempt to recreate Schneider Trophy races in Flight Simulator - this required accurate drawings, and very few of those were around. The search for drawings morphed into a search for data in general, and the book contains lots of them.

The book's layout is minimalist. In this case I think that's a good thing, because it allows the material - stories, wonderful drawings - to speak for itself.
No sense in qualifying praise for this book because of this being Mr Pegram's first publication: it's great, period.

If you have any interest in the technology of the Schneider Trophy era, I think that you need this book.

Get it while you can.

 

[Avimimus]

Thanks for this book - I spent a lot of time hesitating - but I finally got it.
I can say that I'm extremely pleased! It will join my top four or five aviation books that I keep on my top shelf.
Highly recommended.

 

[theponja]

In the last week this book arrived to my house finally. Man!!! How good is it. I love it.
Of course I'm very pleased with the information and the 3 view but I'm reading it like a novel. It's well redacted and I can follow the history unfold for the Schneider Trophy. Very well done Mr Schneiderman

 

[Schneiderman]

Thanks, I'm very glad that you are enjoying the book.
I've just finished writing my second book, on the unbuilt projects of a major British aircraft constructor, and am looking for a publisher. Fonthill were interested at first but stopped communicating when I tried to discuss the layout for the book. Strange people some publishers.

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks, I'm very glad that you are enjoying the book.
I've just finished writing my second book, on the unbuilt projects of a major British aircraft constructor, and am looking for a publisher. Fonthill were interested at first but stopped communicating when I tried to discuss the layout for the book. Strange people some publishers.

Sounds like a great book... Please fill us in whenever it's ready!

 

[Jemiba]

... I've just finished writing my second book, on the unbuilt projects of a major British aircraft constructor,

Sounds very interesting, can we get a more precise clue ?

 

[Arjen]

RJ Mitchell?

 

[Schneiderman]

Well, I'd like to get a publisher lined up first.......but, yes

 

[Stargazer]

Well, I'd like to get a publisher lined up first.......but, yes

Wow. Can't wait!!!

 

[Arjen]

This was sort-of-a-giveaway: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6473.msg199519.html#msg199519

Well, I'd like to get a publisher lined up first.......but, yes

Wow. Can't wait!!!

Ditto

 

[Schneiderman]

Supermarine built about 23 of RJ's designs, depending on how you count them, but there were at least 100 others that failed to win a contract.
Did you think the type 224 was his first land-based fighter design?
What did the RJ design to compete with the Sunderland look like?
How many monoplane bomber designs were there before the Type 316 and 317?
If I can interest a publisher in the book then these and many other questions will be answered

 

[Stargazer]

Supermarine built about 23 of RJ's designs, depending on how you count them, but there were at least 100 others that failed to win a contract.
Did you think the type 224 was his first land-based fighter design?
What did the RJ design to compete with the Sunderland look like?
How many monoplane bomber designs were there before the Type 316 and 317?
If I can interest a publisher in the book then these and many other questions will be answered

Awesome. Do you stick to the R.J. Mitchell years, or do you cover, even briefly, some early Pemberton-Billing stuff too?

 

[perttime]

If we are talking Supermarine, Mitchell's death in 1937 didn't exactly put an end to everything either...

 

[Stargazer]

If we are talking Supermarine, Mitchell's death in 1937 didn't exactly put an end to everything either...

Very true, but I guess the later unbuilt projects are better documented, aren't they?

 

[Schneiderman]

I cover the Pemberton-Billing era in the first chapter but the focus is on RJ's years, so finishing with the Type 317/318.
The company was a very different place after R.J's death, the amalgamation into Vickers Armstrong and the outbreak of war, and, although some new project design continued it was much reduced as more and more resources were diverted to development of the Spitfire. Most of this is now well documented.