by Daniel Brackx
ISBN 978-907- 1553-25-7 and 978-907-1553-26-4
Flash Aviation Shop, Eindhoven, available from The Aviation Bookshop, 31–33 Vale Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1BS
8 1/4in x 9 1/2in softback; 52 and 62 pages respectively; illustrated
each £16.99 plus £2 p&p

These small books are the first of a series covering Belgian Air Force aircraft. The language is Dutch, but most English readers will buy them for the well produced illustrations and excellent colour profiles by Bob Block. The Meteor volume opens with coverage of early RAF examples, and also includes red Gloster demonstrator G-AIDC after its crash-landing at Evère in 1947 before moving on to Belgian aircraft. Illustrations are in chronological order and include several in colour, while a table lists all Meteor F.4s from EF-1 to 48 with c/ns, dates in and out of service, and history. This is a “limited edition” of 750 copies. The Spitfire book has a few more pages and covers Belgian aircraft from SM-1 to 43, some of which previously served in The Netherlands.

The best-known of the Belgian Spitfires were those used in the 1961 film The Longest Day, or which had served with Cogea as OO-ARA to -ARF. The latter are well covered here, and a period advertisement offers Mk IXs at $10,000 apiece. Prangs were not unusual, as several illustrations show. Both books are interesting if a trifle expensive. The next two titles will feature the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash and de Havilland Mosquito.

MIKE HOOKS

RATING: ΘΘΘ