Author: Library of CongressPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Subject headings, Library of Congress
Languages : en
Pages : 1160
Book Description
Big Wings
Author: Philip KaplanPublisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844151786
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
In the history of aviation there have been many attempts to produce aircraft of extraordinary proportions to expand the limits of technology and create new performance standards. With few exceptions, the early attempts did not become the successes envisaged until post-World War II when such aircraft as the Boeing B-52 long-range heavy bomber and the Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' airliner changed the face of aviation in both the military and civil roles. Big Wings is a well-researched, highly informative and sometimes nostalgic look at the sixteen most significant giants of the air. Each chosen aircraft is introduced and its raison d'?tre explained, then follows an in-depth review of the successful and failed technical aspects of the design, its operational history, first-hand accounts from those that had flown the aircraft and finally some startling facts and statistics. The aircraft selected are as follows: Military - Douglas B-19, Boeing B-29, Consolidated B-36, Northrop B-49 and Boeing B-52, Airliners - Bristol Brabazon, Boeing 747 and Airbus A380, Heavy Lifters - Messerschmitt Me323, Consolidated XC-99, Lockheed C5 and Antonov AN-225, Flying Boats - Dornier Do-X, Martin JRM Mars, Hughes HK-1 and Saunders Roe Princess.
Empire of the Clouds
Author: James Hamilton-PatersonPublisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 0571271731
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 306
Book Description
In 1945 Britain was the world's leading designer and builder of aircraft - a world-class achievement that was not mere rhetoric. And what aircraft they were. The sleek Comet, the first jet airliner. The awesome delta-winged Vulcan, an intercontinental bomber that could be thrown about the sky like a fighter. The Hawker Hunter, the most beautiful fighter-jet ever built and the Lightning, which could zoom ten miles above the clouds in a couple of minutes and whose pilots rated flying it as better than sex. How did Britain so lose the plot that today there is not a single aircraft manufacturer of any significance in the country? What became of the great industry of de Havilland or Handley Page? And what was it like to be alive in that marvellous post-war moment when innovative new British aircraft made their debut, and pilots were the rock stars of the age? James Hamilton-Paterson captures that season of glory in a compelling book that fuses his own memories of being a schoolboy plane spotter with a ruefully realistic history of British decline - its loss of self confidence and power. It is the story of great and charismatic machines and the men who flew them: heroes such as Bill Waterton, Neville Duke, John Derry and Bill Beaumont who took inconceivable risks, so that we could fly without a second thought.
Bristol Brabazon
Author: Graham M. SimonsPublisher: History Press
ISBN: 9780752467337
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
A pictorial history of the futuristic Bristol Brabazon using original manufacturer's illustrations and photographs The Brabazon--the name evokes the immediate post-war optimism of civil aviation. The giant airliner was built by Bristol Aircraft in 1949 to fly transatlantic routes from the UK to the United States. However, the plane proved to be a commercial failure when airlines felt that it was too large and expensive to be useful. Large and luxurious, it carried only 60-80 passengers, and had a range of 5,000 miles, a 225 foot wing span, and eight engines buried in the wings. Now, with previously unpublished material and illustrations from the original Bristol Brabazon sales brochure among other sources, the Brabazon's 1930s-style elegance is displayed once again, celebrating its design, construction, and sheer luxury--a fitting outcome for such a paragon of post-war optimism and an aircraft still considered by many to be the foremost in propeller-driven civil aviation.
Color Ency of Incredible Airplanes
Author: Philip JarrettPublisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1465401288
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
Retro-styled as the perfect gift for boys of all ages, this ultimate handbook gives a complete rundown of the world's best-loved and significant aircraft, from the first flying machines to today's most technologically advanced planes. Aircraft are presented chronologically, to clearly present technological advances Specification information is presented in easy-to-use, at-a-glance profiles Features over 750 photographs and illustrations
The Hercules
Author: Gordon A. A. WilsonPublisher: Amberley Publishing Limited
ISBN: 1398111694
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 237
Book Description
What links the Bristol Aeroplane Company, Armstrong Whitworth, AVRO, Short Brothers PLC, Handley Page Ltd and Vickers Aviation? The Hercules engine.
Speedbird
Author: Robin HighamPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0857722298
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 516
Book Description
Between 1939 and 1946 BOAC (the British Overseas Airways Corporation) was the nationalised airline of Great Britain - and between 1946 and 1974 as such it exclusively operated all long-haul British flights. With its iconic 'Speedbird' logo and its central role in the glamorous 'jet age' of the 1950s and 1960s, BOAC achieved a near cult-status with admirers around the globe. Yet, to date there has been no comprehensive history of the organisation, covering its structure, fleet and the role it played in the critical events of the age - from World War II to the end of empire, a period when BOAC played a pivotal part in projecting British political power, even as that power was waning. During World War II, BOAC operated a limited wartime service and prepared for the return of commercial flight in the postwar era. But it was in the service of Britain's colonies - and latterly the process of decolonisation - that BOAC achieved its most pivotal role. The development of flight technology enabled much faster connections between Britain and her imperial possessions - as the colonies prepared for independence BOAC ferried diplomats, politicians and colonial administrators between London and the far-flung corners of Africa and Asia in much faster times than had previously been possible. In this book, acclaimed historian Robin Higham presents a unique comprehensive study of BOAC from the early jet travel of the de Havilland Comet and the Vickers VC10 to the dawn of supersonic passenger aviation. Highly illustrated and meticulously researched using previously unseen sources, this book will be essential reading for all aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of modern Britain.
A Century of Triumph
Author: Christopher ChantPublisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743234790
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 406
Book Description
On December 17, 1903, on the windswept beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright piloted the world's first powered flight, in one of the most famous moments in history. Within a few short years, airplanes of various designs were lifting into the air over Europe and America. Soon, the entire world was caught up in the fevered advance of flight and airplanes, Zeppelins, autogyros and helicopters were making the world a much smaller place. To celebrate the first full century of powered flight premier aviation historian Christopher Chant and world-famous illustrator John Batchelor have joined forces to showcase an astonishing march of progress. From the early experiments of gliderman Otto Lilienthal to the moon walk of Neil Armstrong, it has indeed been A Century of Triumph. From the golden age of Zeppelins to the extreme design experiments of World War II to the fierce modernism of supersonic fighter jets, A CENTURY OF TRIUMPH demonstrates the full richness of mankind's flying craft. In addition to Batchelor's illustrations, the book features never-before-published vintage watercolour posters of pre-World War I aviation races and a treasure trove of photographs. Chant's text combines full histories of the planes themselves with biographical essays on some of the great figures of the twentieth century: the Barnstormers, Igor Sikorsky, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and the Apollo XVII astronauts, among others. A CENTURY OF TRUMPH is a visual and factual feast for anyone who marvels at the majesty of flying.
The World's Worst Mistakes
Author: Kathlyn GayPublisher: Enslow Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 0766083683
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 163
Book Description
History books tend to celebrate the successes, the geniuses, and the breakthroughs that have made our world what it is today. But what about the mistakes? This book examines the blunders and the goof-upsboth miniscule and colossal in scalemany of which have been lost to history. Readers of The Worlds Worst Mistakes will find humor in the story of the priest who married a bride to her grooms best man and cringe at the poor fool who thought he actually purchased the White House. They also will learn about mistakes that changed the course of history, like the sinking of the Titanic, the Exxon Valdez disaster, and the weapons of mass destruction that started a war but didnt exist. Sidebars, a glossary, and books and websites in the further reading section are also included.
Britain's Greatest Aircraft
Author: Robert JacksonPublisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1844156001
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 238
Book Description
During the last century the British aircraft industry created and produced many outstanding aeroplanes. These aircraft were world leaders in advanced technology, utilizing inventions by British engineers and scientists such as radar, the jet engine, the ejector seat and vertical take-off and landing. This book describes the design-history, development and operational careers of twenty-two legendary military and civil aeroplanes. Each one has played a significant part in aviation history. Sopwith Camel, SE.5, Bristol F2B Fighter and the Airco DH4 were all great successes in the relatively early days of flight. In the thirties the Bristol Bulldog fighter was an outstanding export success and the Short 'C' Class flying boat, later to become the Sunderland of World War II fame, pioneered the long-distance routes to the Empire. The pugnacious foreign policy of Hitler's Reich rung sudden alarm bells, rapid advances in fighting aircraft for the RAF became a premium objective. The brilliant Geodic construction of the Vickers Wellington bomber helped it survive terrible punishment throughout World War II, both the Hawker Hurricane and the Supermarine Spitfire saved England from invasion and the Bristol Beaufighter, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster took the war to enemy soil. The Gloster Meteor became the word's first operational jet fighter and the English Electric Canberra became the RAF's first jet bomber and was manufactured under licence in the USA as the Martin B-57. In post-war years the Vickers Viscount became the world's first turboprop airliner and eventually became Britain's best selling commercial aircraft, whilst the de Havilland Comet became the world's first jet airliner. Despite Britain's recessionary years in the 50s and early 60s, military success came with the beautiful Hawker Hunter, the super-sonic Fairey Delta experimental aircraft that broke the World Air Speed Record and the Vickers Valiant that pioneered the operational techniques to deliver Britain's nuclear deterrent. Later, there followed the Mach 2 English Electric Lightning and the ill-fated TSR-2, the cancellation of which is still regarded as one of the greatest mistakes ever made in British aviation history. Finally, the Harrier, the world's first vertical take-off and landing jet fighter that is still in service and now only being built in the USA. Finally the Harrier, the world's first vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, still in service and now being further developed in the USA.
