DH ~ a History of de Havilland

Signed on the title page by the author and two test pilots

‘Best Wishes, D.H. 100’

Group Captain John Cunningham
Air Commodore Allen Wheeler

Airlife revised and extended edition 1982.  487 pages and well illustrated with 183 photos and 17 informative appendices. 

Fine condition hardback book and Fine condition unclipped dustjacket. The book is clean, tight and bright and has a previous owner signature on the front end paper.de havilland a history

Originally published in 1960 to mark the 50th anniversary of Geoffrey de Havilland’s first successful flight, the book was revised for the 100th anniversary of Geoffrey de Havilland’s birth.  This is an excellent history of the company covering the pioneering days, the hugely successful Moth family of aircraft, the Comet racer and onto the Mosquito, Hornet and Vampire before the move into the first commercial passenger jet, the Comet. This revised volume has a further 13 chapters describing the events of the 1960s and 70s, the era of consolidation in the UK and industrial co-operation in Europe.

John Cunningham achieved wartime fame as a night fighter ace followed by a long career as Chief Test Pilot for de Havilland in the exciting post war period and he features heavily in the later sections of this book.

Allen Wheeler was an experienced RAF test pilot who commanded the RAE Performance Squadron during the war and was a trustee of the Shuttleworth Trust. He passed away in 1984.

An interesting and very readable history of a famous aircraft company enhanced by some relevant signatures. de havilland a history

NB also available from Spitfire Books is a copy of ‘Sky Fever’, Geoffrey de Havilland’s autobiography which includes a letter signed by Geoffrey de Havilland.