1930s era fighter pilots

[fletch137]

I'm so glad I discovered this community. I have maybe a broader question than can easily be answered here, but any finger points in the right direction for further research would be appreciated

Comments

[reynardo]

Suggestions:

1) I know it's WWII, but go watch "The Battle of Britain". While there had been some advances, the basics were much the same.

2) Also read "Reach for the Sky" by Douglas Bader. The plane descriptions from the mid 1920s (when he crashed) will help. He also fought in WWII, so you'll get some of that as well.

3) Don't forget to include WWII Japanese development. If you've got time (and a couple of boxes of tissues as you'll bawl your eyes out), watch "The Wind Rises". The main character is a Japanese airplane designer from the 1920s to WWII.

[lil_shepherd]

I'm afraid most of my knowledge of this comes from the collected works of one Captain W.E. Johns who did have knowledge and wrote a number of (children's) books set in this period with his characters doing almost precisely this (though generally at the request British government intelligence.) 'Biggles Goes to War' is a bit Ruritanian, but does go into some detail on machines and tactics.

[hyarrowen]

Seconded; also "Biggles in Spain" set during the Spanish Civil War.

[kehlen]

There's a book Two Captains by Veniamin Kaverin, where the main character studies in a flight school in the USSR in the 1930s and becomes an Arctic pilot and then a fighter in WWII.

Found it online as well. It's long and flying is a side line, but try Part Four about the flight school and some of Part Three where he prepares for it.

[kehlen]

He also fights in Spain, but it's only mentioned not described, because help was sent there in secret, people knew but did not talk about it.

[hyarrowen]

Cecil Lewis was a WW1 fighter pilot who went on to help set up the Chinese Air Force just post-war. "So far away, so long ago: a memory of Old Peking" seems to be the best bet for what you need.