Hi, everyone and welcome to my site. If you love aviation history, particularly World War II aviation, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve had a lifelong interest in all things aviation. Must have been the fumes from the Testors clue that did the damage. Of course I spent many hours in the basement building many and varied model kits – Monogram, Aurora, Revell, Airfix - and I guess that’s where the history began. I’ve since turned that passion into books and articles with my first book, Cockpit coming out in 1998.
Below is an article I wrote for AirForce magazine about the Flying Legends Airshow that took place in 2009. If you’re into these aircraft as much as I am you owe to yourself to visit Duxford once in your life to see this amazing show.
If anyone would like a signed book please let me know at dnijboer@rogers.com.
Meteor I Vs. V1 Flying BombNew book coming in October
On 4 August the Meteor scored its first V1 victory. Having just closed in on a flying bomb, Flg Off Dean of No 616 Sqn squeezed the trigger but his guns jammed. Using the Meteor's superior speed, he was able overtake the missile and, using his wing tip, he tipped the craft over and sent it crashing into the ground. This was the first time a jet-powered enemy aircraft had been destroyed by a jet fighter without a shot being fired! It was also the world's first jet versus jet encounter. Areocinema: The Aviation ChannelLightning StrikesThis is my first half hour documentary I wrote and produced for the aviation online broadcaster Aerocinema.com. It's a great site with over 300 titles available for viewing. Check it out. Click to watch on Areocinema.com now! XF-103: The RapierClick to watch on Areocinema.com now! XF-108: The RapierClick to watch on Areocinema.com now! The Vulcan: God of FireGuided Aviation ToursSmithsonian Guest Speaker, Celebrity Cruise ship ConstellationJust returned from my first Smithsonian Guest Speaker engagement aboard the Celebrity Cruise ship Constellation. The cruise started in Barcelona with a trans-Atlantic crossing to Fort Lauderdale. As a guest speaker I delivered five power-point presentations, all aviation related. Titles included: Spanish Skies – Deadly Lessons, Adventures in Aviation, Greenland – The Hunt for B-17s, Graphic War – The Secret Aviation Drawings and Illustrations of World War II, and The Last Dogfight of World War II.
Fighters Compared - Top Gun:1940
Since the end of the Second World War the process of assessing and measuring which weapon system was “the best” has been an ongoing process, with varied results. To say this aircraft or tank or ship was the best often overlooks a series of variables that had a direct effect on the performance of each individual weapon system. Much depends on how and where the weapon was used and how well-trained the people using it were. Air MailMy Number 1 Fan!
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Rushed into action on 22 July 1944 to help counter the V1 threat, Britain's Gloster Meteor I was the first jet fighter to enter RAF service. At low and medium altitudes the Meteor was faster than its piston-engined contemporaries, which in turn made it perfectly suited to 'anti-Diver' V1 operations.
