War was the catalyst that propelled advances in British military aircraft design, with multiple manufacturers competing to develop newer, more powerful machines and win lucrative government contracts. Following the onset of the Cold War, those manufacturers were forced to amalgamate to stay afloat, and those that withstood the demise of their industry worked to promote aircraft development to meet unclear future needs. The aircraft featured in this book are the research machines or service aircraft prototypes that played a significant role in the evolution of the industry. Many of these survivors were built for test purposes and their design evolution eventually led to the manufacture of familiar types that saw service with the armed forces. Others failed to make it off the drawing board or were on their way to completion before the government of the day decided to cancel them. AUTHOR: Craig Vaughton is an IT professional working for Blind Veterans UK. He previously worked in the RAF as a aircraft electrician.
