Aircraft and aviation Books

Book SynopsisThe Sahara Desert, February 1962: the wreckage of a plane emerges from the sands revealing, too, the body of the plane’s long-dead pilot. But who was he? And what had happened to him?Baker Street, London, June 1927: twenty-five-year-old Jessie Miller had fled a loveless marriage in Australia, longing for adventure in the London of the Bright Young Things. At a gin-soaked party, she met Bill Lancaster, fresh from the Royal Air force, his head full of a scheme that would make him as famous as Charles Lindbergh, who has just crossed the Atlantic. Lancaster wanted to fly three times as far – from London to Melbourne – and in Jessie Miller he knew he had found the perfect co-pilot. By the time they landed in Melbourne, the daring aviators were a global sensation – and, despite still being married to other people, deeply in love. Keeping their affair a secret, they toured the world until the Wall Street Crash changed everything; Bill and Jessie – like so many others – were broke. And it was then, holed up in a run-down mansion on the outskirts of Miami and desperate for cash, that Jessie agreed to write a memoir. When a dashing ghostwriter Haden Clark was despatched from New York, the toxic combination of the handsome interloper, bootleg booze and jealousy led to a shocking crime. The trial that followed put Jessie and Bill back on the front pages and drove him to a reckless act of abandon to win it all back. The Lost Pilots is their extraordinary story, brought to vivid life by Corey Mead. Based on years of research and startling new evidence, and full of adventure, forbidden passion, crime, scandal and tragedy, it is a masterwork of narrative nonfiction that firmly restores one of aviation’s leading female pioneers to her rightful place in history.Trade Review[A] rollicking true story of open-air flying, sexual passion and unnatural death in the early age of aviation — a tale that brings a fresh meaning to the term “airport thriller”. * The Times *In The Lost Pilots, Corey Mead spins an electric tale about two ambitious lovers who risked everything for fame, only to be brought low by a toxic mix of jealousy and despair. Meticulously researched and told with wondrous flair, this story will work its magic on you as it conjures the era when only the most audacious souls could rule the skies. -- Brendan I. Koerner, author of The Skies Belong to Us and Now the Hell Will StartThe Lost Pilots is a rich, vivid recreation of a lost era—when flying was new and the frontiers were fresh, but humans were the passionate, irrational creatures we’ve always been. It is Mead’s great achievement that he tells a story in which the tapestry of the time and the doings in the courtroom are equal parts of his narrative whole. The Lost Pilots is irresistible. -- Jeffrey Kluger, New York Times bestselling author of Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon

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Book SynopsisWithin this classic volume are the tales, tribulations, and ultimate triumphs behind some of the most spectacular and breathtaking aerodynamic feats of early twentieth century aviation. Recounted firsthand from the annals of history, Famous First Flights will lift readers directly from the pages and into the action. Join the exhilarated crowd as they watch French flying ace Louis Bleriot make the first air journey over water in 1909. Be on the ground in Paris to welcome Lindbergh and his magnificent The Spirit of St. Louis upon the landing of the first solo transatlantic flight. Hold your breath with Ross Macpherson Smith and his crew on their infamously trouble-plagued trek from London to Australia in 1919. And relive the excitement and awe experienced ‘round the world as “The Magellans of the Air” completed the first circumnavigation of the globe via air in 1965.In these and thirteen other accounts of jaw-dropping feats, celebrated aviators Lowell Thomas and Lowell Thomas Jr. deliver another must-have volume in the Explorers Club Classic Series. With over forty photographs and new updates on ballooning and space flights, Famous First Flights is must-have compendium for every arm-chair pilot and aviation enthusiast.

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Book SynopsisThe Federal Aviation Administration’s Airplane Flying Handbook provides pilots, student pilots, aviation instructors, and aviation specialists with information on every topic needed to qualify for and excel in the field of aviation.Topics covered include:Ground operationsCockpit managementFlight standardsPreflight assessment of the aircraftRick and resource managementThe four fundamentals of flyingBefore-takeoff checkIntegrated flight controlSlow flightsStall recognition and characterizationSpinsTakeoffAirport traffic pattensApproaches and landingsGround reference maneuversNight operationsAnd much moreUpdated to include the most current information, the Airplane Flying Handbook is a great study guide for current pilots and for potential pilots who are interested in applying for their first license. It is also the perfect gift for any aircraft or aeronautical buff.

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Book SynopsisThis is the FAA's official primary pilot resource for instrument flight rules and training, with chapters on flight instruments, navigation, emergency operations, and much more.It covers everything pertinent to operating an aircraft, both in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and without reference to outside visuals, relying solely on the information gleaned from the cockpit. Information applies to both analog and electronic flight displays and is organized into separate coverage of the traditional and pictorial displays.Instrument Flying Handbook includes chapters on: National airspace system The air traffic control system Human factors Aerodynamics, Flight instruments, Flight maneuvers for IFR operations Navigation Emergency operations, Helicopter operations And more. Advanced systems are covered, including flight management systems, the primary flight display (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD), synthetic vision, and traffic advisory systems. Instrument clearance shorthand is discussed, and an instrument training lesson guide is provided.The Instrument Flying Handbook is designed for use by flight instructors, pilots preparing for the Instrument Rating FAA Knowledge and Practical Exams, and instrument-rated pilots looking for a refresher or preparing for an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC). This edition features with full-color illustrations and diagrams, along with a comprehensive glossary and index.

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Book SynopsisThis is the new 2015 edition of the FAA's previous "Instrument Procedures Handbook" (previously the FAA-H-8083-16).This book covers all of the information needed to operate safely within the airspace system. In the FAA's "Instrument Procedures Handbook" (#FAA-H-8083-16A) the emphasis is placed on operations and procedural information for real-world use, which makes this the next logical step for pilots after learning basic instrument skills from the FAA's "Instrument Flying Handbook" (#FAA-H-8083-15B). Using this book, pilots can more directly apply the concepts to their current flying situation, and learn how their acquired skills are best used in today’s IFR environment. Considered industry-wide as a top source for instrument procedures information and a “must read” for all instrument pilots, this new 2015 edition brings pilots the latest changes to procedures and even more insights and guidance on how to operate safely within the national airspace system. Detailed information is provided for every navigation receiver and phase of flight on the required precision necessary to stay within protected airspace and to make a successful approach.While it was designed as a reference for professional pilots, the specialized glossary, index, full-color illustrations and photographs in this book make it a valuable training aid for flight instructors, instrument pilots, and instrument students alike. Each topic covered is well-detailed and explained in user-friendly terms, along with full-color depictions to aid understanding.Instrument flight instructors, pilots, and students will need this resource since it is used as a reference for the Airline Transport Pilot and Instrument Knowledge Tests and for the Practical Test Standards. Whether a pilot is a seasoned professional or recently completed an Instrument Rating course, this FAA handbook is sure to encourage more precise instrument techniques and ultimately create a safer pilot.

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Book SynopsisWITH UPDATES THROUGH MARCH 2023! This official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) handbook provides basic knowledge essential for pilots on topics like decision making, aerodynamics, flight controls, weather theory, airport operations, and more. This updated handbook introduces pilots to the broad spectrum of knowledge that will be needed as they progress in their pilot training. Written for the pilot preparing for a Remote, Sport, Private, Commercial, or Flight Instructor Pilot Certificate, it is a key reference for all the information necessary to operate an aircraft and to pass the FAA Knowledge Exam and Practical Test. The table of contents includes: Introduction to Flying Aeronautical Decision-Making Aircraft Construction Principles of Flight Aerodynamics of Flight Flight Controls Aircraft Systems Flight Instruments Flight Manuals and Other Documents Weight and Balance Aircraft Performance Weather Theory Aviation Weather Services Airport Operations Airspace Navigation Aeromedical Factors This handbook introduces readers to flying and a history of flight, then explores the role of the FAA, criteria for earning the various pilot certificates, how to plan their flight education, and the examinations associated with earning a pilot certificate. Beginners and advanced pilots alike will find the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge to be their primary resources for all things aviation. In addition to the most current FAA information, this edition features full-color drawings and photographs, an index, a glossary, and appendices of common acronyms, abbreviations and NOTAM contractions, and airport signs.

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Book SynopsisAll the information you need to operate safely in US airspace, fully updated. If you're an aviator or aviation enthusiast, you cannot be caught with an out-of-date edition of the FAR/AIM. In today's environment, there is no excuse for ignorance of the rules of the US airspace system. In the newest edition of the FAR/AIM, all regulations, procedure

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the world of miniature aviation. It’s entertainment on the fly for the office, backyard, classroom (don’t get caught!), or anywhere there might be a party, featuring 12 Lilliputian-size models that create 69 planes altogether. From the Skyhawk to the Saber, Phoenix to the B-2 Buzz Bomber, these inimitable flyers are vibrantly colored and gorgeously designed. Fold up the Gargoyle, which excels at loops and dives, and the Concorde 500, modeled after the fastest passenger plane ever built. Includes step-by-step folding instructions and tips on how to send each plane soaring at its full aerodynamic potential.

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Book SynopsisThe Junkers Ju 87 Stuka (a contraction of the German word Sturzkampfflugzeug, ie dive bomber) was arguably the Luftwaffe s most recognisable aeroplane, with its inverted gull wings and fixed spatted undercarriage. Designed by Hermann Pohlmann as a dedicated dive bomber and ground-attack aircraft, the prototype first flew in 1935, and made its combat debut in 1937 with the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. After several design changes in the light of operational experiences, the Stuka went on to serve the Luftwaffe and Axis forces, from the invasion of Poland in 1939, through the Battles of France and Britain in 1940, over the North African desert and the across Mediterranean, the invasion of Russia and the subsequent bitter fighting in that vast area, and following several more design changes and upgrades, continued to serve through to the end of World War Two. This latest addition to the growing Flight Craft range, follows the previous well established format, in that it is split in to three main sections. The first section, after offering a concise design and development history, continues with coverage of the various sub-types, from Anton to Gustav and their operational use from the Spanish Civil War to the end of World War Two. This is followed by a 16-page full colour illustration section featuring detailed profiles and 2-views of the colour schemes and markings carried by the type in Luftwaffe and Axis service. The final section lists as many of the injection-moulded plastic model kits produced of the Junkers Ju 87 in all the major scales that the authors could find details of, including the brand new Airfix 1/72 and 1/48 scale kits which were released while this book was being written, with photos of many finished models made by some of the world s best modellers. As with all the other books in the Flight Craft range, whilst published primarily with the scale aircraft modeller in mind, it is hoped that those readers who might perhaps describe themselves as 'occasional' modellers, or even simply aviation enthusiasts, may also find that this colourful and informative work offers something to provoke their interests too.

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Book SynopsisThe early 1950s were a boom time for British aviation. The lessons of six years of war had been learned and much of the research into jet engines, radar and aerodynamics had begun to reach fruition. In Britain, jet engine technology led the world, while wartime developments into swept wing design in Germany and their transonic research programme were used to give western design teams a quantum leap in aircraft technology. The English Electric Lightning emerged at this time. This supersonic fighter aircraft of the Cold War era is perhaps best remembered for its amazing take-off performance, its exceptional rate of climb and its immense speed. Here, Martin Bowman takes us on a photographic journey of the famed Lightning, illustrating the various landmarks of its impressive operational history.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Supermarine Spitfire has been told across many years and the debate about it is enduring, yet the Spitfire remains a true icon. For aviation enthusiasts, for historians, for modellers, the word Spitfire conjures many stories and affections. This book presents the Spitfire enthusiast with an up-to-date history of the Spitfire-not just in its design and application in war, but also as a flying memorial and as an aero modellers' vital focus. The text examines recently revealed forgotten aspects of the Spitfire story; by combining the elements of design, the story of a weapon of war and a revered scale model, this book frames an essential chapter in aviation history. Packed with original and contemporary images and information, and displaying unique Spitfire model collections, the narrative bridges an important gap and is a worthy addition to the FlightCraft series.

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the often dramatic and always fascinating story of flight in lighter than air machines. For centuries man had dreamed of flying, but all attempts failed, until in 1782 the Montgolfier brothers constructed the world's first hot air balloon The following year saw the first ascent with aeronauts - not human beings but a sheep, a duck and a cockerel. But it was not long before men and women too took to the air and became ever more adventurous. The aeronauts became famous giving displays before crowds of thousands, often accompanied by special effects. In the early years, ballooning was a popular pastime, but in the 19th century it found a new use with the military. Balloons were used to send messages out during the Siege of Paris and later found a role as observation balloons for the artillery. But their use was always limited by the fact that they were at the mercy of the wind. There were numerous attempts at steering balloons, and various attempts were made to power them but it was the arrival of the internal combustion engine that saw the balloon transformed into the airship. The most famous developer of airships was Graf von Zeppelin and the book tells the story of the use of his airships in both peacetime and at war. There were epic adventures including flights over the poles and for a time, commercial airships flourished - then came the disaster of the Hindenburg. Airships still fly today and ballooning has become a hugely popular pastime.

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Book SynopsisIt's impossible to tell the story of Court Line without telling that of Autair, founded by helicopter pioneer William 'Bill' Armstrong. Autair itself was an offshoot of his global helicopter operation, but Bill also had his finger in many aviation 'pies' including a multitude of operations in Africa, where so many aircraft and airlines were created, bought and sold with such prolificacy that even he could not remember the names and how many there were! There is also the background to Court Line's shipping concerns and the Caribbean operations of the hotel chains and regional airline Leeward Islands Air Transport which Court owned for a while. Covered in detail is the introduction, demonstration and use of the Lockheed TriStar wide-bodied airliner, the first of the type used in the Inclusive Tour business. Court Line Aviation and Tom Gullick's Clarksons Holidays brought to the forefront the concept of value-for-money Inclusive Tour holidays following the 'vertical integration' business model whereby owning and controlling each step of the holiday allowed the company to make a small profit at every stage. The orange, pink, turquoise and yellow jets brought flashes of colour to dreary British airports, and quickly streamed a multi-coloured rainbow across European skies to Mediterranean destinations and even further afield. Truly they did indeed put Colours in the Sky!

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Book SynopsisSome aircraft inspire passion, others nostalgia, but others, often the unsung heroes, are more of a connoisseur's choice. The Handley Page Victor easily falls into this last category. In this follow-up to _The Handley Page Victor: The History and Development of a Classic Jet,_ Volumes _I_ and _II,_ Roger Brooks extends his earlier historical narratives, this time offering an action-packed and riveting memoir of a career spanning forty years. The book charts changes as they occurred in the aeronautical industry from the 1950's onwards and, as such, it should appeal to both individuals who were caught up in events at the time as well as students of the era. In addition to the aircraft itself, Roger worked extensively with tankers, refuelling the Victor as it took part in a variety of operations in the fraught Cold War era. He brings all aspects of his career to life across these pages, offering the kind of details that can only be gained by first-hand experience.

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Book SynopsisThe Hawker Hunter is one of Britain's classic post-war jet aircraft. Initially introduced in 1954 as a swept-wing, transonic, single-seat day interceptor, it rapidly succeeded the first-generation jet fighters in RAF service such as the Gloster Meteor (see Flight Craft 13) and the de Havilland Venom. Powered by the then newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet, the Hunter's performance transformed the RAF's day fighter squadrons from the mid-1950s until the advent of the English Electric Lightning from the early 1960s (see Flight Craft 11). Even then, as successively improved variants of the type were produced with increasingly more capable engines and expanded fuel capacity, the Hunter successfully transitioned into a strike/ground attack fighter-bomber and fighter reconnaissance platform. Two-seat variants were developed for training and other secondary roles with the RAF and the Royal Navy and a few remained in use until 2001, albeit with specialised MoD Test and Evaluation units - well over forty years after the type's initial introduction. Hunters were also famously used by two RAF display teams, the 'Black Arrows', who looped a record-breaking twenty-two Hunters in formation, and later the 'Blue Diamonds' as well as the Royal Navy's 'Blue Herons'. The Hunter saw combat service with the RAF in a range of conflicts including the Suez Crisis as well as various emergencies in the Middle East and Far East. The Hunter was also widely exported, serving with many foreign air forces, in which it also saw active service, which unfortunately lies outside the scope of this particular publication. Almost 2,000 Hunters were manufactured by Hawker Siddeley Aviation, as well as being produced under licence overseas and will remain one of the UK's most iconic aircraft designs of all time.

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Book SynopsisFrom as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century, Britain was at the forefront of powered flight. Across the country many places became centres of innovation and experimentation, as increasing numbers of daring men took to the skies. It was in 1799, at Brompton Hall, that Sir George Cayley Bart put forward ideas which formed the basis of powered flight. Cayley is widely regarded as the father of aviation and his ancestral home the cradle' of British aviation. There were balloon flights at Hendon from 1862, although attempts at powered flights from the area later used as the famous airfield, do not seem to have been particularly successful. Despite this, Louis Bleriot established a flying school there in 1910. It was gliders that Percy Pilcher flew from the grounds of Stamford Hall, Leicestershire during the 1890s. He was killed in a crash there in 1899, but Pilcher had plans for a powered aircraft which experts believe may well have enabled him to beat the Wright Brothers in becoming the first to make a fixed-wing powered flight. At Brooklands attempts were made to build and fly a powered aircraft in 1906 even before the banked racetrack was completed but these were unsuccessful. But on 8 June 1908, A.V. Roe made what is considered to be the first powered flight in Britain from there - in reality a short hop - in a machine of his own design and construction, enabling Brooklands to claim to be the birthplace of British aviation. These are just a few of the many places investigated by Bruce Hales-Dutton in this intriguing look at the early days of British aviation, which includes the first ever aircraft factory in Britain in the railway arches at Battersea; Larkhill on Salisbury Plain which became the British Army's first airfield, and Barking Creek where Frederick Handley Page established his first factory.

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Book SynopsisLondon-born Brian Burdett had only one career objective - to be a pilot. By the time that he touched down on his last flight, Brian had flown more than twenty-five different types of aircraft both for the RAF and a variety of famous commercial airlines. It all began for Brian, as it has for so many, with the Air Cadets, flying Tiger Moths at the age of just fourteen. He obtained his civil license at the age of seventeen, and six months later he was accepted into the RAF. The year was 1954. With the RAF he graduated from Piston Provost trainers, to the de Havilland Vampire and eventually the Hawker Hunter. It was to fly Hunters that Brian was posted to 257 (Burma) Squadron at Wattisham in Suffolk, where the jets were frequently scrambled to intercept Soviet intruders in the dark days of the Cold War. His RAF career developed further with a transfer to Transport Command where Brian could fly the planes he loved the best - the big jets. After training on Handley Page Hastings, Brian was given the chance to fly the famous de Havilland Comet. With 216 Squadron, flying high above the ceiling for commercial aircraft, Brian flew the long-distance routes between the RAF bases around the world, through the Middle East, Pakistan, Shri Lanka and down to South Africa and Australasia. This included taking personnel to Woomera and Christmas Island nuclear testing sites. After a period as a trainer at Cranwell, Brian became the youngest four-jet captain in the world. He then flew VIPs around Europe in the RAF's VC10s, his passengers included the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, among other dignitaries. Brian eventually turned to the commercial world, flying Falcons, VC 10s, Tristars and every type of Boeing 747, for a variety of airlines. His adventures are legion. From a double engine failure on take-off and still managing to land safely, to losing control in cloud and levelling off feet from the ground, to a mid-air near miss with an American aircraft that no-one knew was there, to spotting a strange object that remains unidentified to this day. Brian's last flight was into Los Angeles in an Airbus 340, in December 2000\. He had 22,500 hours in his log book, after forty-seven years aloft.

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Book SynopsisThis Man Saved Britain' ran a headline in the News Chronicle on 18 February 1941, in a reference to the role of Sydney Camm, designer of the Hawker Hurricane, during the Battle of Britain. Similarly, the Minister of Economic Warfare, Lord Selborne, advised Winston Churchill that to Camm England owed a great deal'. Twenty-five years later, following his death in 1966, obituaries in the Sunday Express and Sunday Times, among other tributes, referred to Hurricane Designer' or Hurricane Maker', implying that this machine represented the pinnacle of Camm's professional achievement. Sir Thomas Sopwith, the respected aircraft designer and Hawker aircraft company founder, believed that Camm deserved much wider recognition, being undoubtedly the greatest designer of fighter aircraft the world has ever known.' Born in 1893, the eldest of twelve children, Camm was raised in a small, terraced house. Despite lacking the advantages of a financially-secure upbringing and formal technical education after leaving school at 14, Camm would go on to become one of the most important people in the story of Britain's aviation history. Sydney Camm's work on the Hurricane was far from the only pinnacle in his remarkable career in aircraft design and engineering - a career that stretched from the biplanes of the 1920s to the jet fighters of the Cold War. Indeed, over fifty years after his death, the revolutionary Hawker Siddeley Harrier in which Camm played such a prominent figure, following a stellar performance in the Falkland Island crisis', still remains in service with the American armed forces. It is perhaps unsurprising therefore, as the author reveals in this detailed biography, that Camm would be knighted in his own country, receive formal honours in France and the United States, and be inducted into the International Hall of Fame in San Diego.

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Book SynopsisFrance has been called the cradle of aviation by many - a fact that cannot be disputed, although some have tried. By the end of the 19th century, she led the world in lighter-than-air flight. Any concern about heavier-than-air flight was dismissed as inevitable, and France would achieve it in due course. By the time Bl riot bravely enquired Which way is England?' the country was ready to redress any perceived shortfall. Besides leading European aviation, France was the nation that named all the parts of an aeroplane with words many of which we still use everywhere today. France was also the first nation to stage air exhibitions. Unlike their counterparts in Britain, Germany and America, French designers were thoroughly entrepreneurial and tried a wide variety of adventurous styles from pusher to canard and monoplane to multiplane. In 1909 the first Air Show was held at the Grand Palais. The Exposition Internationale de locomotion a rienne' ushered in what was to become an enduring tradition. Every year, the aircraft exhibitions were a massive success. The interior design by Andr Granet, who since his youth had been fascinated by flying, was such a success that the Automobile-Club subsequently commissioned Granet to do the same for the car shows. It is not surprising that all this derring-do, all these technological achievements and all this innovation drew reporters and photographers like moths to a flame. The men, the machines, the places and the events all were recorded, reported, reproduced and then were filed away. Hundreds of images appeared in print, but thousands were printed up only as contact prints from large-format glass negatives and then disappeared into albums to be forgotten about. In the mid-1990s the author came across one such treasure-trove; a number of dust-covered albums containing around five hundred images of aircraft, airships and expositions - it is doubtful if most have appeared in print before, so this will probably be the first time the events of these French pioneers have ever been showcased.

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Book SynopsisClarence 'Kelly' Johnson's design for the Lockheed Constellation, known affectionately as the 'Connie', produced one of the world's most iconic airliners. Lockheed had been working on the L-044 Excalibur, a four-engine, pressurised airliner, since 1937\. In 1939, Trans World Airlines, at the instigation of major stockholder Howard Hughes, requested a 40-passenger transcontinental aircraft with a range of 3,500 miles, well beyond the capabilities of the Excalibur design. TWA's requirements led to the L-049 Constellation, designed by Lockheed engineers including Kelly Johnson and Hall Hibbard. Between 1943 and 1958, Lockheed built 856 Constellations in numerous models at its Burbank, California, factory - all with the same distinctive and immediately recognisable triple-tail design and dolphin-shaped fuselage. The Constellation was used as a civil airliner and as a military and civilian air transport, seeing service in the Berlin and the Biafran airlifts. Three of them served as the presidential aircraft for Dwight D. Eisenhower. After the Second World War, TWA's trans-Atlantic service began on 6 February 1946 with a New York-Paris flight in a Constellation. Then, on 17 June 1947, Pan Am opened the first-ever scheduled round-the-world service with their L-749 Clipper America. In this revealing insight into the Lockheed Constellation, the renowned aviation historian Graham M. Simons examines its design, development and service, both military and civil. In doing so, he reveals the story of a design which, as the first pressurised airliner in widespread use, helped to usher in affordable and comfortable air travel around the world.

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Book SynopsisThe first efforts of man to fly were limited by his ability to generate sufficient power to lift a heavier-than-air machine off the ground. Propulsion and thrust have therefore been the most fundamental elements in the development of aircraft engines. From the simple propellers of the first airliners of the 1920s and 1930s, to the turboprops and turbojets of the modern era, the engines used in airliners have undergone dramatic development over a century of remarkable change. These advances are examined in detail by aeronautical engineer and author Reiner Decher, who provides a layman's guide to the engines that have, and continue to, power the aircraft which carry millions of travellers across millions of miles each year. Reiner Decher also looks at the development of aero engines during the Second World War and how that conflict drove innovation. He also explains the nature of wing design and how they provide lift and of the considerations of airflow over their surfaces, from the early days of the twentieth century to the present. To enable an easy understanding of this intriguing subject, Powering the World's Airliners is profusely illustrated, transporting readers back to the time of each major development and introducing them to the key individuals of the aero industry in each era. After reading this comprehensive yet engaging story of the machines that power the aircraft in which we fly, no journey will ever seem quite the same again.

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Book SynopsisOn 27 April 2005, an aircraft lifted away from the runway of Toulouse-Blagnac Airport under the power of six massive Rolls-Royce Trent 900 turbofan engines. It carried a six-man crew, it was making its first flight, and it was making history. For this was the Airbus A380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world. Airbus Industrie was a latecomer to the commercial airliner market, and initially struggled to win orders away from the well-established US giants, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas. Part of Airbus's strategy for success was to offer customers distinct families of aircraft that could be tailored to meet a wide range of performance and capacity demands. Before 2005, the largest and arguably most important members of this family strategy were the Airbus A330 and 340 high-capacity airliners; then along came the A380. With air traffic continuing to double every 15 years, the A380 was designed to meet the needs of the passengers and airports, while also delivering the level of efficiency necessary to protect the environment for future generations. The design incorporated two full-length decks with wide-body dimensions, meaning its two passenger levels offered an entire deck's worth of additional space compared to the next largest twin-engine jetliner. With more seats than any other aircraft, the A380 offered solutions to overcrowding; needing fewer journeys to carry 60 percent more passengers, making it the perfect solution to airport congestion, fleet planning optimization and traffic growth. Typical seating capacity was 525, although the aircraft was certified to carry up to 853 passengers. By mid-2019, fifteen airlines were operating 238 aircraft throughout the world, the original customer being Singapore Airlines, which launched its first A380 service in October 2007\. Production of the A380 peaked at 30 aircraft per year in 2012 and 2014\. Then, in February 2019, the biggest customer, Emirates, announced that it was to reduce its latest order by 39 aircraft in favour of two other Airbus Models, the A350 and A330neo, a version using the same engines as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. For Airbus, it was the last act. The Company announced that production of the A380 would cease by 2021.

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Book SynopsisThis historic Russian aircraft was first delivered to the Soviet Air Force at the height of the Cold War in 1961. It remained in service until replaced by the much modified Tu-22M Backfire which was introduced in the early 1970s and still remains in service. It was the first Soviet supersonic bomber and was used for reconnaissance and bombing, in the latter role carrying either conventional or nuclear bombs. The early aircraft had a range of 1,800 miles but later models had a much increased radius of action through the introduction of in-flight refuelling. This book looks at the design and development of the aircraft up to the introduction of the type M Backfire. Details of construction, weapon systems, photo-reconnaissance and jamming equipment are included to cover the several variant models. Operational use is explained and the text includes many first-hand accounts from Russian aircrew of the period. The book will be superbly illustrated by unique official photographs and manuals.

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Book SynopsisAt the dawn of the twentieth century mankind had not yet achieved powered flight. The main motive power then was provided by steam engines heavy, dirty and inefficient. If one wanted to travel over seas' one had to travel on them. A journey from London to New York, by steam-driven train and ship, took more than 6 days. By the time the same century drew to a close in December 1999, air travel was the normal choice for long journeys. Millions of people every day flew comfortably and safely in pressurised aluminium airliners propelled by simple, clean and efficient gas turbine engines. The same journey from London to New York could be achieved at supersonic speed in less than 6 hours. For much of that century, many of the extraordinary developments that moved aviation from fragile wood and fabric biplanes to supersonic transports were achieved on 330 acres of low-lying former estate farmland in Surrey, England. The estate was called Brooklands. Those marshy acres were transformed from 1907 into the world's first custom-built motor-racing circuit, then a rapidly developing aerodrome, and finally one of the country's largest aircraft factories, employing tens of thousands of people. Nearly 19,000 aircraft of many different types were built at Brooklands during nine decades of peace and war. By the 1980s however it was being eclipsed by larger manufacturing sites elsewhere, with longer runways and better communications links; its owner, by then called British Aerospace, finally closed the factory in 1989. This book tells the history of those amazing developments through 100 of the key aircraft, engines, places and other objects that can still be seen, either in or near Brooklands Museum or in other locations around the country. It also highlights the stories of six designers whose inspiring creativity produced aircraft, engines and weapons ranging from Camel to Concorde, Fury to Harrier, Wellington to Viscount, Merlin to Olympus. Between them, Thomas Sopwith, Barnes Wallis, Rex Pierson, Sydney Camm, Stanley Hooker and George Edwards were responsible for much of what was designed, built and flown, not only at Brooklands but elsewhere too. The book is arranged in successive historical episodes but the many links between the objects and the designers should allow readers to follow different paths if they so wish. It is not intended as a technical reference but rather to inspire the reader to seek out the objects and discover more about them.

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Book SynopsisAir Vice-Marshal James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson CB, CBE, DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar, DL was a character literally from the pages of Boys' Own: an individual who became the RAF's top-scoring fighter pilot of the Second World War. A one-time household name synonymous with the superlative Spitfire, Johnnie's aerial combat successes inspired schoolboys for generations. As a 'lowly Pilot Officer', Johnnie Johnson learned his fighter pilot's craft as a protege of the legless Tangmere Wing Leader, Douglas Bader. After Bader was brought down over France and captured on 9 August 1941, Johnnie remained a member of 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron, in which he became a flight commander and was awarded the DFC a month after Bader's devastating loss. In time, Johnnie came to command a Canadian wing in 1943, when the Spitfire Mk.IX at last outclassed the Fw 190, and participated in some of the most important battles of the defeat of Nazi Germany, including Operation _Overlord_ and the D-Day landings in 1944, Operation _Market Garden_ and the airborne assault at Arnhem, and the Rhine Crossings, throughout all of which Johnnie also commanded Canadian wings. Johnnie's remarkable career is revealed through this unparalleled collection of archive photographs, the majority of which are drawn from his own personal album or from other members of the Johnson family. Many have not been published before. Between them, they present a fascinating insight into the man himself, the machines he flew, and the men he served alongside.

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Book SynopsisWhile large numbers of aeroplanes had been produced In America for the war effort overseas at the Western Front, it was found that that the British, French and Germans were far ahead of them when it came to flight technology, which led to a huge surplus of aeroplanes in the United States. The government's solution to recover some of the money was to sell the surplus stock off for as little as $200 dollars each. With no licence being required to fly a plane, the offer attracted many ex-fighter pilots as well as civilians, who developed a new American pastime known as barnstorming. Part entertainers, part thrill-seekers, the barnstormers made their way across the country as solo acts and in groups called 'Flying Circuses'. The American flier Ormer Locklear wowed the crowds by climbing out of his aeroplane and walk along the wing, and it wasn't long before flying circuses held less appeal for spectators if it didn't have a wing-walking act. Handstands, jumps across planes, and even the odd game of tennis were attempted by barnstormers to attract larger paying audiences. In 1936, the US Government banned wing-walking under 1,500 ft, which doomed aerial stunting, and while a few wing-walking teams operated in the 1970s, it wasn't until barnstormer Vic Norman founded his famous AeroSuperBatics wing-walking team in the early 1980s that the sight of daredevils hand-standing and flying upside down on the wing was seen in Europe. Several teams around the world subsequently formed using aeroplanes such as the Boeing Stearman or the Curtiss 'Jenny' biplanes to wow crowds as a part of regular air displays, and their appeal has continued to rise since the 2000s.

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Book SynopsisFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs are funded under four broad budget accounts: operations and maintenance (such as air traffic control and aviation safety functions); facilities and equipment (such as control towers and navigation beacons); grants for airports under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP); and civil aviation research conducted or sponsored by FAA. Additionally, certain aviation programs are administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of the Secretary, including the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes airline service to certain small or isolated communities as discussed in chapter 1. Chapter 2 reviews airline IT outages and examines DOT''s and FAA''s roles related to airline IT outages and what is known about these outages and their effects on passengers Since 1992, Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) have been collected from airline passengers, as part of the airline ticket purchase, to help commercial service airports pay for capital development projects such as construction or improvement of runways, terminals, and roadways, among other things as reported in chapter 3. Chapter 4 examines, among other issues, trends in DOT''s data on airline service; the effectiveness of DOT''s compliance efforts; and the extent to which DOT''s passenger education efforts align with key practices for consumer outreach. Chapter 5 describes how DOT''s review of antitrust immunity applications considers the potential effects on consumers and evaluates how DOT monitors approved grants of antitrust immunity Chapter 6 examines the extent to which DOT''s process for awarding fiscal year 2014-2016 grants was consistent with its grant notices and recommended practices for awarding discretionary grants, and examines the extent to which fiscal year 2010-2014 grants assisted airports in improving their air service, and identifies factors that affect the success of grant projects. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 gave airlines almost total freedom to determine which domestic markets to serve and what airfares to charge. This raised the concern that communities with relatively low passenger levels would lose service as carriers shifted their operations to serve larger and often more profitable markets. To address this concern, Congress established the Essential Air Service (EAS) program to ensure that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before deregulation would continue to receive scheduled passenger service, with subsidies if necessary as discussed in chapter 7. Chapter 8 describes the reasons why TSA established the TSO Basic Training program; discusses factors OTD considers when updating TSO Basic Training curriculum; and assesses the extent to which TSA evaluates its TSO Basic Training program.

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Book SynopsisBe prepared to soar! Whether you are an aviation enthusiast, history buff, or air traveller, dont miss the third in a series of photo essays on aviation in Canada, covering almost 100 years of flight by Canadians. Dramatic visuals accompany each step of aviations advances, from Canadas first military aircraft to Billy Bishops Nieuport, from the earliest bush planes to the beginnings of passenger travel. This comprehensive history showcases 50 aircraft. Whether famous or forgotten, all were designed, built, and/or flown by Canadians. Insightful analysis is complemented by gorgeous photos, many in colour, some with rare archival significance. The history of our desire to conquer gravity is encapsulated within these covers.

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Book SynopsisCrash landings were part of the job in the early 1930s, when Rex Terpening started out in arctic aviation. As an air engineer for Canadian Airways in the Northwest Territories, Terpening took the right-hand seat in the cockpit and flew "on operations" daily, warming the oil and the engine on winter mornings, refuelling, and inevitably mending both engine and aircraft when things went wrong.Terpening''s beat stretched from Fort McMurray to the Arctic Ocean, and his remarkable bush-flying stories tell of planes wandering lost over unmapped muskeg, perilous rescue missions to retrieve stranded missionaries, dogged searches for downed flyers lost on the Barrens and emergency landings in blizzards on nameless pothole lakes. But there is humour, too, in tales of a drunken wolverine, a planeload of rambunctious sled dogs and a trip in a tiny Fairchild with a Catholic priest and the wife of an Anglican minister. And there are vivid evocations of the sheer joy of flying over the Arctic''s raw beauty.Rex Terpening not only kept a meticulous journal from which these stories are derived, he carried his camera everywhere, snapping pictures of downed machines, their step-by-step resurrections, the men who flew them and those who fixed them. Most of those men and machines are gone now, but they live on in Bent Props and Blow Pots.

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Book SynopsisGraphic War is a superb collection of top-secret drawings, including training manuals and colourful wartime posters, from World War II. They were brilliantly created from a few downed aircraft, but mainly from pilots' views of the enemy in the air, during missions. Almost all of the material was originally listed as restricted - official use onlyA" and previously unpublished in any form. The cutaway drawings of the aircraft and airborne weaponry were critical to the war efforts of Allied and Axis forces alike. As there was little intelligence available to pilots about the design, power and armament on opposing aircraft, these graphic transcriptionsA" were essential. Many of the graphic artists and technical illustrators employed by the Allies, and most employed by the Axis powers, remain anonymous. Their work survives on these pages, however, to provide rare and unique insight into war room strategy and the air- and ground-crew trainee classroom. Aviation enthusiasts, modellers, illustrators, artists and anyone with an interest in World War II history will find Graphic War a compelling inside look at the war fought in the sky.

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Book SynopsisThroughout 100-plus years of flight, Purdue University has propelled unique contributions from pioneer educators, aviators, and engineers who flew balloons into the stratosphere, barnstormed the countryside, helped break the sound barrier, and left footprints in lunar soil. Wings of Their Dreams follows the flight plans and footsteps of aviation's pioneers and trailblazers across the twentieth century, a path from Kitty Hawk to the Sea of Tranquility and beyond. The book reminds readers that the first and last men to land on the moon first trekked across the West Lafayette, Indiana, campus on their journeys into the heavens and history. This is the story of an aeronautic odyssey of imagination, science, engineering, technology, adventure, courage, danger, and promise. It is the story of the human spirit taking flight, entwined with Purdue's legacy in aviation's history.Table of Contents Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter One: Charles Walker Chapter Two: Loren Shriver Chapter Three: Gary Payton Chapter Four: Donald Williams Chapter Five: Richard Covey Chapter Six: Roy Bridges Jr. Chapter Seven: Jerry Ross Chapter Eight: Guy Gardner Chapter Nine: Janice Voss Chapter Ten: John Blaha Chapter Eleven: John Casper Chapter Twelve: Mark Brown Chapter Thirteen: Michael McCulley Chapter Fourteen: Gregory J. Harbaugh Chapter Fifteen: David Wolf Chapter Sixteen: Mary Ellen Weber Chapter Seventeen: Mark Polansky Chapter Eighteen: Andrew Feustel, Scott Tingle, Loral O'Hara, and Beth Moses Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAmelia Earhart's prominence in American aviation during the 1930s obscures a crucial point: she was but one of a closely knit community of women pilots. Although the women were well known in the profession and widely publicized in the press at the time, they are largely overlooked today. Like Earhart, they wrote extensively about aviation and women's causes, producing an absorbing record of the life of women fliers during the emergence and peak of the Golden Age of Aviation (1925–1940). Earhart and her contemporaries, however, were only the most recent in a long line of women pilots whose activities reached back to the earliest days of aviation. These women, too, wrote about aviation, speaking out for new and progressive technology and its potential for the advancement of the status of women. With those of their more recent counterparts, their writings form a long, sustained text that documents the maturation of the airplane, aviation, and women's growing desire for equality in American society.In Their Own Words takes up the writings of eight women pilots as evidence of the ties between the growth of American aviation and the changing role of women. Harriet Quimby (1875-1912), Ruth Law (1887-1970), and the sisters Katherine and Marjorie Stinson (1893-1977; 1896-1975) came to prominence in the years between the Wright brothers and World War I. Earhart (1897-1937), Louise Thaden (1905-1979), and Ruth Nichols (1901-1960) were the voices of women in aviation during the Golden Age of Aviation. Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001), the only one of the eight who legitimately can be called an artist, bridges the time from her husband's 1927 flight through the World War II years and the coming of the Space Age. Each of them confronts issues relating to the developing technology and possibilities of aviation. Each speaks to the importance of assimilating aviation into daily life. Each details the part that women might-and should-play in advancing aviation. Each talks about how aviation may enhance women's participation in contemporary American society, making their works significant documents in the history of American culture.Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: The Aviation Age Takes Shape i. Harriet Quimby: Birdwomen Gain a Voice, 1910–1912 ii. "Machinery Knows No Sex": Ruth Law, the Stinson Sisters, and the Legacy of World War I iii. The Earhart Phenomenon and "The Accident of Sex" iv. Louise Thaden: Rethinking Flying and Flight v. Ruth Nichols, the Air-Minded Society, and the Aerial Frontier vi. Anne Morrow Lindbergh and the Twilight of the Aviation Age Epilogue: Requiem for the Aviation Age Notes Bibliography of Works Consulted Index

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