AERONAUTICS

See his entry in the Oxford DNB. 1p, 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to ‘Dear Sir Reginald’. After sympathizing with him on his indisposition he writes: ‘I always felt that you really had more advanced views on politics than most of the Generals in the British Army, and what you say in your letter does not surprise me therefore in the least.’ He ends with regards to Lady Hart and the Harts’ daughter. Autograph postscript: ‘Ps. Ps. forgive type written letter.’

The problem with which the thesis deals is summed up at the start: 'If war broke out in the near future, attack by atomic bombers would become an immediate possibility, and one of the biggest problems would be the defence of this Island, which, with its areas of dense population, particularly around its essential industries, would present many ideal targets to the enemy. It would, therefore, be essential to destroy, or attempt to destroy, each enemy bomber before it reached the coast.

The Bristol Aeroplane Company was an early and important innovator in the field of aircraft design and development. Four variants of its Titan engine (I, IIF, II Special, and IV) were produced in 1928. The present brochure and photographs are contained in a large manila envelope, with 'The "Bristol" Aeroplanes' printed in green on front. The photographs are all in very good condition, and all measure around 18 x 23.5 cm. The brochure is 4pp., 4to, printed in brown on a bifolium of cream paper. It is in good condition, with a little wear and creasing.

26pp., 12mo. Stitched. In remains of original printed wraps. On aged paper, in chipped wraps, with several leaves loose. An important work in the history of eronautics by one of the great experimental physicists of the nineteenth century. Excessively scarce: no copy of this offprint in the British Library or on COPAC. 'In this lecture Rayleigh discusses the method of calculating the mechanical forces on a plane presented obliquely to a current of air, so far as this can be done. At best, the calculation is very incomplete.

1p., 8vo. A fragile piece of ephemera, on aged paper, with wear at head (not affecting text). The notice begins: 'For several months past the Council has had under consideration the question of the Society's finances since it has become apparent that our annual income is insufficient to ensure a continuous and regular flow of publications.' References follow to 'donations from private members', an 'enforced summer recess', 'the acquisition of library shelves, desks and other fittings'. Two reasons are given in justification of the doubling of the 'Fellowship subscription'.

4to, 22 pp. In original green printed wraps. Frontispiece photograph on art paper, inscribed in bottom right-hand corner 'A M. Maggs Bros booksellers | Souvenir de la guerre | Pce. Laforge de Vitanval | Madrid 12 Aout 16'. Text clear and complete. In fair condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. No diagrams. The invention is described as 'un Aéro-frein ou frein automatique pour aéroplanes et toutes espèce de machines volantes, empêchant le capotement des appareils, en cas d'accident ou d'arrêt subit du moteur'.

[192]pp, 8vo, including three pages of advertisements, corners bumped, hinge strain front endpaper, mainly good condition. Ex lib Royal Aeronautical Society (bookplate inside cover) with library shelf marks on half-title and elsewhere. Inscribed by the Author as follows, With the best thanks and compliments | of the author | Gustav von Falkenberg || (see p.5, 6, and 92). These page references indicate that the deicatee is T. O'Brian Hubbartd who features on these pages.

12mo, 133 pp. Hundreds of neat entries, in a small hand, written lengthwise on graph-paper pages in a red-cloth 'Memoranda' book ('Compliments of Ingersoll-Rand Co., Limited, 165, Queen Victoria St., London, E.C.4.'). Good: with text clear and complete on lightly-aged paper, in the original worn red binding. Many entries are dated (with a few also giving the dates on which various planes crashed), and among the airports referred to are Northolt, Yeovil, Radlett, Cowes, Rochester, Guernsey, Jersey, Peterborough, White Waltham, Hanworth Park, Elstree, Cranfield, Luton.

Not published. Cyclostyled on the rectos only. 8vo: 165 pp followed by 28 pages of 'figures'. Contained in a buff 'Apex Vertical Filing Folder'. Very good, on aged paper. Complete and clear. Stamped 'UNCLASSIFIED' on front cover, with manuscript reference 'GVC/54T'. Preface reads 'The present work is the English rendering of a partly revised German manuscript which the Author prepared for the Leipzig publishers Bibliographisches Institut to be published as volume 49 of their series Meyers kleine Handbücher.

Originally on a piece of paper roughly 405 x 315 mm, with the dimensions of the print roughly 295 x 250 mm. In poor condition: torn and stained and laid down on a piece of thin card, and with the extremities of the margins chipped. Loss to top-left and bottom-right corners. The loss to the top corner includes a corner of the print (roughly 40 x 20 mm), but this only features the sky. A scarce item, with the caption continuing 'The Balloon ascended at 3 O clock in the afternoon and descended safe near Tilbury Fort in Essex at 20 Minutes past four'.

8vo bifolium: 4 pp. On art paper. Unbound. On aged and creased paper. Clear and complete. Arranged as a magazine article, with the text in two columns. Six photographs of the exterior and interior of the plane. Two diagrams, including one full-page and extremely detailed cross-section, captioned 'The Bristol Bombay Bomber-Transport | (Two 1,010 h.p. Bristol Pegasus XXII motors).'

One of the letters is 4to, 2 pp; ten are 4to, 1 p; and one is foolscap, 1 p. The collection is in good condition, on lightly aged paper. Many of the letters are docketed and most bear the Society's dated stamp. Written in the capacity of Secretary of the Aeronautical Society, and editor of its 'Official Organ - The Aeronautical Journal'. Topics include the hiring of the Royal Society's hall for two series of talks to the Aeronautical Society. Faraday also discusses the details of a lecture by 'Mr.

Octavo, 48 pages. Stapled. In faded original orange printed wraps. Nine pages of illustrations, including three on wraps. Good, on aged high-acidity paper. Wraps a little stained. Unobtrusive ownership inscription at head of front wrap. Illustrations include two full-page balloons and 'A modern sea-plane: the Burgess-Dunne type'. Twelfth illustration (diving English biplane) on front wrap. Scarce: no copy on Copac.

Novelist and writer on aeronautics (1885-1968). All items one page, quarto. As a whole good, though grubby, but some items with pin holes, closed tears, etc. Most bearing the R.S.A. stamp and some docketed. Three items with enclosures. The items are dry communications relating to the arranging of R.A.S. lectures at the R.S.A.

Historian of aviation (1909-81) at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. Eight items, various formats. Very good. LETTER ONE (two pages, octavo, 14 January 1949, on V & A letterhead): 'As a very new fellow of the Society I hesitate to burden you with reading the enclosed [an article on 'Father Gusmao: the first practical pioneer in aeronautics', not present], but I thought there might be some chance of its appearing in the Journal. It is too historical for the Roy. Aeronautical Society's Journal and too aeronautical for the others, so I am stuck!

Printed wraps, illus.., fold mark mainly affecting covers, mainly v.g. NO estimate or price lists

8vo. Pages [2 +] 120. In good condition. Printed green wraps with crease along length of front wrap. Many illustrations. 'INDEX OF AERONAUTS' on verso of last leaf. An invaluable scholarly resource.