Author(s): Allan Udy

Aviation | Military History

Over the past two decades the Second World War fighter aircraft of the Alpine Fighter Collection have been the mainstay of the world renown Warbirds Over Wanaka airshows. What many enthusiasts don't know (yet) is that for the past ten years there has been a collection of even older warbird aircraft quietly taking shape elsewhere in New Zealand.

Over the past decade The Vintage Aviator Ltd (TVAL) has been steadily growing its collection of fighter aircraft from the First World War, to the extent that this book documents over 48 different aircraft and colour schemes drawn from over two dozen different World War One types, which are, or have been seen here in New Zealand.

For readers unfamiliar with the aircraft from the dawn of military aviation, this book also includes a brief summary of the first 15 years of aviation, and then details the activities of the TVAL aircraft based at Omaka and Hood Aerodromes in New Zealand.

Thereafter each of the 48 aircraft are shown in glorious full colour photographs, including a full page photo for each aircraft. A small panel with basic technical specifications is provided for each aircraft to allow the reader to compare and contrast the various types, and the book is rounded out with brief historical details of the aircraft types themselves and the pilots that flew them.

The 116 pages of the book features over 260 full colour photographs, and is an ideal size to use as a guidebook for those attending the various airshows this coming summer.