Fireflash to Skyflash: A history of air-to-air missile firings in the RAF

You're not the only one who's interested! Am currently racing to get myself a copy. (ETA - ordered, and should have it by the end of next week.)
 
Got it, loved it.

You should buy this. I'm glad I did. It goes into a fair bit of detail on the individual missiles' internal workings (more so than any other book I've read), troubles the weapons had and so forth, and then broadens out into a potted history of RAF Valley, including the aircraft which used the range, the target vehicles, individuals' personal recollections of their involvement in the projects (which include direct relevance to technical issues with the weapons), and so forth. The work goes beyond the weapons used by the British, e.g. the post-Berlin-Wall Luftwaffe sent over a MiG-29 to clarify carry, release and performance issues with AA-11 missiles. I'd hoped for mention of Red Dean, but alas nothing - I don't have access to Forbat's book right now (moved overseas, waiting for my stuff), and I can't remember whether the trial firings used this range or another, and it may be that the authors chose to restrict their attention to those weapons which actually entered "service" (even if in restricted form, in the case of Fireflash).

Some details of course are missing, because they relate to weapons still in service at the time of writing, but one gets the feeling that the authors really are saying "We know, but we are obliged not to tell you" as opposed to "we couldn't find this information".

There's a CD in the back, but I haven't had a chance to look at that yet.
 
Thanks for the review, to what extent does it cover weapons that would be of interest to this forum? Would it make a good companion to John Forbat's 'The 'Secret' World of Vickers Guided Weapons'?
 
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It doesn't go into anywhere near as much detail as Forbat's book on each missile (how I wish for his equivalents in DeHavilland and Fairey to tell their stories!!), although it gives a few glimpses at that sort of level. I would view it more as the next thing you read after BSP-4, to whet your appetite until "The Secret World of Fairey/De-Havilland Guided Weapons" comes out. Maybe. One day.

I would love to get my hands on the authors' notes, as I feel there's a lot about Fireflash and the Firestreak/Red Top pair they knew but didn't put in, in order to appeal to a more general, nontechnical audience. (And possibly the Official Secrets Act still binds them on Firestreak and Red Top.)

If real life gives me a chance, I might consider putting up a jpg of a page or two, if the mods call OK.
 
After a long time searching I've finally managed to find myself a copy of this book (it seems they really don't come up for sale very often these days). Unfortunately the CD in the back of my copy doesn't seem to be readable (even after trying to carefully clean it). Does anyone know if there is somewhere else you can obtain the images that are apparently on the disc?
 
Just checked my CD and it is also unreadable (Win 11). From what I recall, the images were mostly of personnel.
 

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