Hawk Among the Sparrows

by Dean McLaughlin

Book by McLaughlin, Dean

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1967

About the author

Dean Benjamin McLaughlin Jr., published as Dean McLaughlin and occasionally Dean Maclaughlin, is a Hugo- and Nebula-Award nominated author of science fiction, and the son of astronomer Dean B. McLaughlin.

Reviews

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short novella about a man and a fighter jet back in time to France in 1918.

Never mind the likelihood of fuelling it with thousands of gallons of paraffin, he finds it's not that helpful.
WW1 paraffin is not kerosene. Modern jet fuel (Jet A-1) is designed to remain liquid at very low temperatures, whereas old paraffin would freeze at high altitudes, blocking fuel lines WW1-era paraffin was not refined to the high standards required for modern turbine engines, which would damage components. And lastly Jet fighters require specialized lubrication and ignition additives that are not present in raw, low-grade paraffin.

The missiles don't even detect the motorised kites they fly back then. He wastes what fuel he can get pretty much without thinking what he could have done with them.

Then at the end decides going to America is the plan...

[Howard Kenward · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing story. Wish it had a sequal.

[Antony Castellano]

In "Hawk Among the Sparrows," a fighter jet carrying nuclear-missiles is thrown back through time and pitted against World War I airplanes. What chance do wood and cloth planes have? You'll be surprised.