Marking the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Flying Corps, Arms and Armour Press has published "Britain's First Warplanes", an impressive pictorial survey by J M Bruce of the first 400 aircraft to which serial numbers were given by the RFC and RNAS. Among them was the Short S.57 tractor seaplane (20) used by the RNAS from 1913 to early 1916;

The V.E.F. I-17 basic trainer.
Aircraft designed in Latvia by Karlis Irbitis are numerous, ranging up to the sporty-looking I-17 trainer.

Aircraft designed hy Irbitis and built by VEF included the I-14 advanced trainer.

Karlis Irbitis's earliest design activity was to help Nikolajs Pulins with the design of the Spriditis

Karlis Irbitis's I-4 design was a two-seater built by A S Backman.

Whilst the early Irbitis designs were high-wing monoplanes (shown, I-6), all the later aircraft were low-wing types.

Marking the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Flying Corps, Arms and Armour Press has published "Britain's First Warplanes", an impressive pictorial survey by J M Bruce of the first 400 aircraft to which serial numbers were given by the RFC and RNAS. Among them was Sopwith D.l (315) used briefly by the RFC

Marking the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Flying Corps, Arms and Armour Press has published "Britain's First Warplanes", an impressive pictorial survey by J M Bruce of the first 400 aircraft to which serial numbers were given by the RFC and RNAS. Among them was the Borel monoplane seaplane (83), used by the RNAS at Calshot in 1913/14.