This Volume Features:

• 122 pages of colour scheme information and multi-views

• 125 mostly rare photographs

• detailed fleet tables per aircraft type

• 1 multi-part appendix on finishing materials, finish colours and markings. Includes facsimile reproductions from original CAF and BESA documentation.

• 1 multi-part appendix with 15 pages of scale drawings

• 2 appendices featuring maps (1 of bases and one of the Trans-Canada Flight of 1920)

• fully indexed, including individual aircraft by registration and serials, organisations, people, and locations.

Chapter details:

Each chapter is dedicated to a subject aircraft type, featuring two parts:

Part 1 covers the service career on a year-to-year basis from initial acquisition through to final disposition. The movements and utilization of individual aircraft, as well as relevant personnel and basing is detailed in context throughout.

Part 2 covers the colour schemes, finishing materials, and markings. Each known unique scheme is presented as a colour multi-view schematic, complete with colour keys plus historical and technical notes.

Individual aircraft types covered:

Chapter 1 - Avro 504K

Chapter 2 - DeHavilland D.H.9a

Chapter 3 - Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5A

Chapter 4 - Curtiss HS-2L

Chapter 5 - Bristol F.2B

Chapter 6 - Curtiss JN-4 (Can.)

Chapter 7 - Fairey IIIC Transatlantic

The book series as it develops, tells the story of the 58 individual aircraft types taken on-charge by what became in latter days the Canadian Air Force, between 1920 and 1938; this volume featuring the first 7 of them in order of acquisition.

Furthermore, it is one of those books that is perfect for the historian and modeler alike featuring along with the text, clear and where possible, large original and rare contemporary photographs and superb multi-view colour profile artwork - and lots of it!. These alone are scale modelers 'gems' and surely must open up opportunities for plenty of aftermarket decal sets. I never knew that the HS-2L flying boat carried such highly colourful schemes!

The authors have done a really first-class job in describing in detail the history and operation of each of the 7 individual types featured in this volume; there is something for everyone here interested in this era of early flying and it is particularly fascinating to see these craft in early military, almost civilian guise as opposed to the more normal 'war-like' paint schemes.

With my interest in pure flying boats, I am more than pleased with the coverage of the HS-2L flying boat in this first volume but I have to say that I could quite easily be drawn to modeling one of the other land-based aircraft featured as I found it such a refreshing change and such a good read on each type.

If you are at all interested in this period genre, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If the publishers continue at the high quality they have set themselves then future planned volumes should 'fly' off of the shop shelves upon release! 

SEAWINGS awards 10/10 for very high quality, original content, professional layout with fine print quality and those superb colour plates! Now all we need is a decent HS-2L model kit in 1/72 and 1/48 scale to go with any decals that are bound to follow! Well done Aviaeology for a first-class job.

Overall: My best book of 2011 - so far...!  Well done!