Bill Gunston

Born William Tudor Gunston in London on 1 March 1927,^[3] Gunston was educated at Pinner County Grammar School.^[2] In his spare time, he was Flight Sergeant in the school Air Training Corps squadron and, for several months, the London Philharmonic Orchestra's librarian.^{[citation needed]}

Gunston joined the Royal Air Force in 1945 and went to University College, Durham on an RAF cadetship.^[4] In 1946 he moved to No 4 Flying Training School in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia to train as a pilot.^[4] / He later moved to No 5 Flying Training School at Thornhill were he continued training and then became an instructor flying the North American Harvard.^[4] He later flew the de Havilland Vampire F3 a single-seat jet fighter before he left the RAF in 1948.^[4]

Gunston attended the Northampton Engineering College until 1951^[4] then he joined the staff of Flight International magazine, where, writing as "W.T.G.", he was appointed Technical Editor in April 1955.^[3] From 1969, he was part of the production team on the annual publication Jane's All the World's Aircraft, editing the 2015/16 edition.^[5] He was editor of Jane's Aero-Engines from 1995 to 2007.^[6]

Gunston married Margaret who had been his secretary and they had two daughters. ^[4] He died on 1 June 2013.^[4]

• 1 January 1996, Bill Gunston was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to aviation journalism.^[7]

• Plane Speaking, Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1991 ISBN 1-85260-166-3
• Mikoyan MiG-21, Osprey, 1986 ISBN 0-85045-652-5
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Modern Military Aircraft ISBN 978-0-86101-010-3
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World's Rockets and Missiles ISBN 0-8317-7415-0
• Modern Air Combat, 1988 ISBN 978-0517412657
• Soviet Air Power
• The US War Machine
• Submarines in Colour, Blandford Colour Series. Blandford, 1976 ISBN 0-7137-0780-1
• Hitler's Luftwaffe: A Pictorial history and technical encyclopedia of Hitler's air power in World War II, London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1977. ISBN 978-0517224779
• Modern Fighting Aircraft ISBN 0-86101-158-9
• The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II ISBN 0-7603-0722-9
• Fighter! A Pictorial History of International Fighter Aircraft, Bristol: Parragon, 1997. ISBN 0-75252-608-1.
• Fighters of the Fifties, Specialty Press, 1981 ISBN 0-933424-32-9
• Early Supersonic Fighters of the West London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1973. ISBN 0-7110-0636-9.
• Bombers of the West. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1973. ISBN 0-7110-0456-0.
• The Encyclopedia of the World's Combat Aircraft. New York: Chartwell Books, Inc., 1976. ISBN 0-89009-054-8.
• The Encyclopedia of the World's Airpower. Consultant Editor. New York, New York: Crown Publishers, 1979. ISBN 0-517-53754-0
• Faster Than Sound: The Story of Supersonic Flight. London: Haynes, 1992. ISBN 1-85260-317-8.
• Attack Aircraft of the West London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1974. ISBN 0-7110-0523-0.
• An Illustrated Guide to Allied Fighters of World War II. London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1981. ISBN 0-668-05228-7.
• An Illustrated Guide to Military Helicopters, London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1981. ISBN 0-86101-110-4.
• An Illustrated Guide to the Israeli Air Force, London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1982. ISBN 0-86101-140-6.
• An Illustrated Guide to Future Fighters and Combat Aircraft, London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1984. ISBN 0-86101-163-5.
• An Illustrated Guide to Modern Fighters and Attack Aircraft, Prentice Hall Direct, 1987. ISBN 013451162X.
• An Illustrated Guide to Modern Bombers, London: Salamander Books Ltd, 1988. ISBN 0134532686.
• Stealth Warplanes, Osprey Combat Aircraft Series, 1988. ISBN 0-85045-830-7.
• Grumman Sixty Years Of Excellence Crown; 1st USA edition, 1988. ISBN 0517567962.

• —— (1986). World Encyclopaedia of Aero Engines. Patrick Stephens. ISBN 0-85059-717-X.
• —— (1993). World Encyclopaedia of Aircraft Manufacturers. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-55750-939-5.
• —— (1995). The Development of Jet and Turbine Aero Engines. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-618-3.
• —— (1998). Fedden – the life of Sir Roy Fedden. RRHT. ISBN 1-872922-13-9. Historical Series, Nº26.
• Development of Piston Aero Engines, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1993, ISBN 978-1-85260-619-0

• John W. R. Taylor

• Jane's Information Group

• "The Supersonic Turbojet" a 1956 Flight article by Bill Gunston
• Search OBE at London Gazette
• OBE History