Bøger udgivet af Mortons Media Group

The piston engines that powered Second World War fighters, the men who designed them, and the secret intelligence work carried out by both Britain and Germany would determine the outcome of the first global air war.

Sleek, futuristic and deadly - the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon was born from the crucible of the air war over Vietnam and the need for cheaper, simpler and more maneuverable fighter aircraft with which to combat the many thousands of Soviet-bloc supplied aircraft sold around the world.

n 1958, a talented young musician by the name of Harry Webb adopted a new stage name - and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Cliff Richard, first with The Drifters and then backed by The Shadows, dominated the British music scene in the late 1950s and early 60s with memorable hits such as Move It, Living Doll and Summer Holiday.He was the UK¿s answer to Elvis, and led a group of artists that included the likes of Tommy Steele and Marty Wilde as they took the nation by storm with their new and exciting rock ¿n¿ roll sensation.But, while the popularity of others would be replaced by Beatlemania, Cliff was only just getting started. As time¿s moved on he''s adapted his style to softer rock and middle-of-the-road pop, and an increased focus on his faith has even seen him venture into contemporary Christian music.In an unrivalled career that has now spanned six decades, Cliff has enjoyed unprecedented chart success, came agonisingly close to a Eurovision Song Contest win and has cemented himself as one of the best-selling British performers of all time.This special picture-packed edition explores his 60 years at the top, and celebrates the life and times of a true music legend.

If a model of your favourite loco is not available in OO gauge, you have two choices: build it yourself from scratch or wait for a manufacturer to produce one. This work presents an alternative - take a ready-to-run model and, by a series of modifications, transform it! It features step-by-step instructions and diagrams which show you how.

During the 1950s, metal, grease, oil, leathers and attitude bucked tradition and sprouted a revolution in machine masculinity. Owning and riding a café racer was about elemental emotions, where the relationship between man and machine was visceral, born out of intuition and a unique vision that was thoughtful, intuitive and insightful. It was at the dawn of rock `n¿ roll, when café racers grew to become a symbol of the lifestyle, and launched perhaps the most influential motorcycle movement the world has ever seen. Today, thanks to the retro boom, shed mechanics and professional engineers the world over act as conduits for yet further experimentation and aesthetic innovation. And just like before, the world is sitting up and taking notice. Café Racer International provides a fresh canvas for bikers, builders and bike customisers that make up the rich tapestry that is the epitome of casual coolness.

oung scooter owners of the 1960s had a seemingly insatiable appetite for speed and power. Shops appeared offering performance tuning services for the first time and a new era of scootering dawned. The scene went underground in the 1970s but the release of Quadrophenia inspired a new wave of devotees going into the 1980s. The introduction of the TS1 cylinder kit for the Lambretta and the T5 Vespa by Piaggio took the tuning scene in a new direction. Now the pure Lambretta and Vespa street racer came to the forefront. Owners blew huge budgets and their stunning creations took these machines to a new level. Today the Lambretta and Vespa Street racer scene continues to thrive. Author Stuart Owen traces the development of Lambretta and Vespa tuning down the decades using dozens of rare period images and highlighting every significant technological milestone along the way.

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is the undisputed king of fighter aircraft, scoring around 105 kills for zero losses in air-to-air combat. Designed as a pure air superiority machine, the Eagle has since become one of the best fighter-bombers in its class: the Strike Eagle.   Since it entered service in 1976, around 1600 F-15s have been built for six air forces around the world. Fast and agile, the Eagle has been the defensive tip of the spear for the Free World. The Israelis blooded the Eagle in the Middle East when they first took delivery in 1979. Since then both fighter and strike versions have been in almost constant action, through Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and beyond in the war against terror

Includes a selection of projects for economical and easy-to tackle conversions of ready-to-run models to transform them into unavailable loco classes and variants.

Harrier Boys, Volume One: Cold War Through the Falklands, 1969-1990, Bob Marston, who flew Harriers for many years, draws together accounts from others who worked with this unique jet through its history. The excitement, camaraderie and pride of Harrier operators shine through in the personal stories of those whose lives were changed by their experience of this iconic aircraft, both on land and at sea. In this first volume, events of the Cold War years are brought to life by contributors including Graham Williams, who flew the Transatlantic Air Race, Peter Dodworth, a member of the original Harrier Conversion Team, Peter Harris, a participant in the early defence of Belize, Sir Peter Squire, OC 1 (F) Squadron during the Falklands conflict, and Australian Dave Baddams, who commanded the Royal Navy Sea Harriers of 800 Squadron.The exceptional performance of this aircraft is evident throughout as is its well-renowned lengthy service life with the RAF and internationally.

The development of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk - the world's first in-service combat aircraft specifically designed to be undetectable by radar - was a huge leap forward in military aviation technology. It was followed by the stealthy F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II; yet for every type that has entered service there have been dozens of secret projects and proposals for stealth fighters which never reached production. In US Stealth Fighter Projects, aerospace engineer Scott Lowther brings to light some of the fascinating might-have-been designs for fighters intended to attack and destroy their opponents before even being detected.

Railway historian David Ratcliffe documents the changing railfreight scene during the 1980s and 1990s and records the important role played by the numerous industrial locomotives to be seen in action at works and factories across Britain. Slow-moving yet powerful, they were very much the unsung workhorses of the rail industry and in Industrial Locomotives the author highlights some of the fascinating and often overlooked machines he encountered during his travels around the country. This volume includes more than 300 photographs, most in full colour, and provides an invaluable record of well-used industrial engines in action all over Britain.

When it came to daring raids, Germany's airborne troops had a secret weapon during the Second World War: the DFS 230 combat and assault glider. Successful German attacks at Eben Emael, Corinth, Crete and Gran Sasso are synonymous with the type - which could carry nine fully-equipped troops, dive towards its target at an angle of 80 degrees and land within 20m of it.It was also frequently used for freight and could quietly deliver up to 1,200kg of cargo, even into areas considered too difficult and hazardous for successful supply drops by conventional means. For particularly difficult landing areas, it could optionally be fitted with up to three machine guns.Designed during the mid-1930s, the DFS 230 entered service in 1939 and was operated throughout the war in every theatre where German forces were involved in the fighting. A DFS 230 was probably the last aircraft type to put down in the inferno of Hitler's encircled capital city just days prior to the dictator's suicide on April 30, 1945.The type could be towed into the air by almost any powered combat aircraft - from an He 111 bomber to a Bf 109 fighter - dropping its wheeled landing gear on take-off and touching down on a skid.More than 1,600 DFS 230s were built from 1939 to 1943 and up to a dozen are thought to survive today.In Eagles of the Luftwaffe: DFS 230, Luftwaffe historian Neil Page, author of the two-part Luftwaffe Fighters series from Tempest Books, explores and explains both the type's development and its service history.

The Lambretta started production in 1947 over the next 24 years many models and variations followed. From prototypes to experimental machines, a catalogue of changes were made, many surrounded in mystery. These were hotly debated and discussed by owners and the many loyal Lambretta fans worldwide who, to this day, still talk about what happened, creating huge myths and legends along the way. And it didn't stop there, with publicity stunts, advertising promotions and daring feats all pushing the boundaries of what the Lambretta stood for. Who created the stories and why has always been subject to rife speculation, further cementing the Lambretta myth.In Lambretta Myths and Legends, Lambretta expert Stuart Owen addresses those questions, solves the outstanding puzzles and lays many of the myths to rest once and for all using evidence unearthed through extensive research. Finally, the truth will be revealed when it comes to Lambretta myths and legends.

Germany's fighter pilots arguably became the 'rock stars' of the Great War - flamboyant characters flying brightly-painted and often technologically advanced machines. The government created and widely promoted this image with newspaper articles, promotions, awards and even collectible cards. In reality, they were skilled servicemen who fought fiercely with courage and clever tactics against numerically superior British and French forces. Ronny Bar - German Fighters of the Great War showcases the incredible variety of colours and schemes applied to the aircraft they flew, ranging from early war Fokker Eindeckers to the last Albatros D-Vas and Junkers D-Is. Renowned profile artist Ronny Bar presents a selection of his best works in this new softback volume.

The Talyllyn Railway is a remarkable survivor from a long past industrial age. It was built and opened in 1865 to carry slate from the Bryn Eglwys Slate Quarry in the hills above Abergynolwyn village to Tywyn (then Towyn) from where it was shipped all around the world.The first passenger train ran in 1866 and the line runs from Tywyn (on the coast of Cardigan Bay) inland for 71/4 miles to Nant Gwernol. The slate traffic ceased in 1946 after a serious rock fall in the quarry. In 1950 the line's owner (Sir Henry Haydn Jones) died and the future of the railway looked very uncertain because it had been losing money for some years.However, a group of enthusiasts sought to prevent the line's closure and, as a result, the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society was formed and took over the Talyllyn Railway Company and it still owns it today.Over the ensuing years a great many improvements have been made and the volunteer members of the preservation society now provide most of the train crews and station staff needed to operate the railway. Volunteers also assist with maintenance work and many other varied activities.Since 1951 the track has been relaid, locomotives have been acquired and rebuilt, additional carriages have been made, and many other improvements to cater for all the passengers that the railway now carries each year. In 2005 Wharf station was totally rebuilt and was officially opened by the present King and Queen.However, despite all the changes made over the years, the Talyllyn Railway is still a rural byway where the pace of life is unhurried and the passengers can enjoy a marvellous journey up and down the beautiful and unspoilt Fathew Valley. The maximum speed on the T.R. is only 15 miles per hour so passengers can sit and enjoy the views and experience the travel of yesteryear in the 21st century.The two original locos and the original carriages remain in regular use today but the Talyllyn Railway hasn't stood still and it built Loco No. 7 Tom Rolt in its own workshops and has recently introduced some new carriages.If you have never visited the Talyllyn Railway we hope that this new volume in the Recollections series will encourage you to do so. You can be assured of a warm welcome.If you have already visited the T.R. we hope that this third volume about it will encourage you to pay a return visit in the future.

The start of Space Shuttle operations in 1981 marked a new era in spaceflight - with the five orbiters launching numerous satellites, interplanetary probes and the Hubble Space Telescope. But Shuttle was only partially reusable, its external fuel tank being expendable and its solid rocket boosters having to be recovered from the ocean and refurbished. Putting a satellite into orbit using a rocket was even more wasteful - with boosters such as Ariane being one-shot only. The costs were literally astronomical. So when rocket scientist Alan Bond met propulsion and systems specialist Bob Parkinson at the British Interplanetary Society in 1982 during a lecture on Ariane 5, they got to talking about alternatives to the expendable rocket and concluded that the solution was... an aerospaceplane. The concept was deceptively simple - a vehicle able to take off from a conventional runway, fly up into space, complete its mission, then fly back down and land. Bond and Parkinson believed it could be done and HOTOL - HOrizontal Take-Off and Landing - was born. By 1985 both British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce were backing the project. A television news broadcast in 1987 made HOTOL famous overnight, with the whole nation now aware of its existence. The Government agreed to provide yet more financial backing and the work ramped up into high gear, with some of Britain's best engineers engaged in making this remarkable vehicle a reality. Just a year later, Minister of State of Trade and Industry Kenneth Clarke, under pressure from Margaret Thatcher, withdrew funding - signalling the beginning of the end of HOTOL. Decades later, Elon Musk and SpaceX would finally corner the market in reusable space transportation with the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, putting an end to any hope of a HOTOL revival. HOTOL: Spaceplane of the Future by Dan Sharp covers the full story of HOTOL's development in detail from beginning to end drawing on both the BAE Systems archive and the personal archives of the project's creators. It includes hundreds of previously unseen diagrams and illustrations, ranging from full colour brochures and publicity material - both used and unused - to schematics of all of HOTOL's numerous configurations.

Updated to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, D-Day: Operation Overlord and the Battle for Normandy, tells the full story of the invasion, with detailed accounts of each of the five landing zones on June 6, 1944, the airborne assault and the Normandy campaign that followed. It was the most ambitious military operation in history - the invasion of Nazi-occupied France by sea. A fleet larger than any ever seen before was assembled and launched under conditions of utmost secrecy to catch the defenders of Adolf Hitler's formidable Atlantic Wall by surprise.At H-Hour on D-Day, British, American and Canadian soldiers landed on beaches whose codenames have since become a byword for heroism - Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah. Men waded ashore into a hail of machine gun fire and fought their way through a tangle of concrete bunkers and armoured emplacements. More ferocious combat followed as fanatical Waffen-SS divisions armed with terrifying new weapons such as the King Tiger tank battled to the death to contain the Allied advance.D-Day: Operation Overlord and the Battle for Normandy tells the story of the most important battle of the Second World War and remembers the men whose extraordinary courage and sacrifice brought about the liberation of Europe and put an end to Hitler's tyranny.

It has been 80 years since the largest seaborne invasion in military history but D-Day could not have happened without the Royal Air Force. When the dramatic events of June 6, 1944, are retold the courage of British and Commonwealth pilots and aircrew is seldom mentioned - yet the dangerous missions they flew were vital to Operation Overlord's success. To mark the 80th anniversary of arguably the war's most crucial turning point, the author recounts stories of quiet bravery and individual heroism high above the blood-soaked beaches and landing grounds of France, illustrated through a combination of rare period photographs and beautiful aviation art. D-Day RAF: The RAF's Part in the Great Invasion presents the very human face of the air force''s role in the Normandy landings, and looks in detail at the types flown in support of them, from Supermarine Spitfire fighters and Hawker Typhoon fighter-bombers to A-20 Boston and Avro Lancaster bombers. D-Day RAF: The RAF's Part in the Great Invasion written by retired Squadron Leader and former Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Officer Commanding Clive Rowley.

Locomotive No 32 Tamerline became the first steam locomotive to be completed at Crewe Works on 10 March 1843. One hundred and fifteen years later BR 9F No 92250 became the 7,331st steam locomotive to be built at the Cheshire works, when completed in December 1958. This publication is a tribute to the thousands of people employed there during the steam locomotive building era.In 1913 The Railway Magazine proudly described Crewe as "the most famous railway works in the world". Indeed, railways throughout the world benefited from adopting 'best Crewe practice'. Many who worked at Crewe in its heyday, first under the London & North Western Railway and later the London Midland & Scottish Railway, held the firm belief that the works was the 'beating heart' of the Cheshire town.Back in those days you would be hard put to find a local family without some kind of connection to that vast engineering enterprise. In earlier times the works not only provided the steadily growing town with employment, but furthermore supplied the town with both gas and domestic water. For example, the consumption of the gas produced at the works in the 1940s was assessed as 30% to the works, 20% to Rolls-Royce and 50% to the town. Those statistics are a great example of the many close ties that existed between the works and the town.After the post-war Transport Act, steam locomotive construction and maintenance continued under the newly created company British Railways. From 1948 under Nationalisation in addition to locomotive building, BR Crewe Works was responsible for the maintenance of some 2,779 steam locomotives. However, even as the Standard Locomotive building programme got underway plans for a future railway system without steam traction were being drawn up.The timeline of this publication highlights those steam locomotive classes which were listed as being built by Crewe Works (in any time period) but importantly included in the BR January 1948 stock list. It also includes BR Standard class locomotives built at Crewe post 1951. Steam traction did return to the works, albeit in only a token manner during the occasion of the September 2005 Great Gathering.Crewe Works - A Celebration of Steam by Keith Langston is not intended to be a source of detailed steam engineering practices, but is a comprehensively illustrated record of steam locomotive building and maintenance at Crewe Works. Fortunately, important engineering work was still carried out at Crewe Works in 2023. Given the reduced size of the works, and reduction in numbers employed, it would not be unfair to say that the once 'beating heart' of the town is at least a 'discernible pulse'.

Showcases over 350 detailed artworks of Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered Spitfires, from prototype to late-war Seafires, featuring RAF aces and Allied color schemes.Supermarine's iconic Spitfire needs little introduction - its graceful lines and remarkable combat record during the Second World War speak for themselves. Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered Spitfire Mk Is fought their way through the Battle of Britain during the summer and autumn of 1940 with the Mk II, incorporating a more powerful Merlin, being introduced in the meantime.As the war progressed, the Spitfire underwent an intensive programme of upgrades and enhancements as well as modifications to expand its capabilities. Unarmed Merlin-powered photo reconnaissance Spitfires flew hazardous missions over occupied Europe and Germany, while the Seafire, a navalised Spitfire, was operated from Royal Navy carriers in the Far East. In Europe, the Mk Is and IIs gave way to the Mk V and then the world-beating Mk IX before the last major Merlin-powered Spitfire, the Mk XVI, was introduced. While some later marks of Spitfire would receive Rolls-Royce Griffon engines, it is undoubtedly the Merlin variants that bore the brunt of the action and which are the most fondly remembered today.In Ronny Bar Profiles - Spitfire The Merlin Variants, renowned profile artist Ronny Bar presents an exciting and colourful selection of more than 350 highly detailed artworks, most created specifically for this book, showcasing the full range of Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered variants from the original Type 300 prototype, K5054, to the late-war Seafires. Aircraft of RAF aces including Robert Stanford Tuck, Alan Deere, 'Sailor' Malan and Douglas Bader are included as well as colour schemes worn by Spitfires in service with Allied forces around the world. Bar's love of Spitfires clearly shines through in his incredible attention to historical accuracy throughout this fascinating and illuminating collection.

The stunning success of Adolf Hitler's ground offensives during the first year of the Second World War was due in no small part to the new tanks fielded by his armies. The Panzer III and IV were well-armed, relatively fast and equipped to work closely with motorised infantry. However, when Germany's armies invaded the Soviet Union they were shocked to encounter the revolutionary T-34 with its long-barrelled gun and sloped armour. Early battles against this machine sparked an arms race that would result in some of the Second World War's most powerful armoured fighting vehicles - the Tiger I, Panther and Tiger II. Also entering the fray were deadly tank destroyers such as the Jagdpanther, the StuG III and the monstrous Jagdtiger. All these vehicles and more are depicted in glorious detail by legendary profiles artist Claes Sundin in Panzer: German WW2 Designs