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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Aircraft: general interest
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.
Covers the design and multiple uses of the Heinkel He 115.
Number 1 in the Luftwaffe Profile Series describes the design and
use of the Messerschmitt Me 262.
Eastern Air Lines began in 1926 and last flew on January 18, 1991.
Aviation pioneer Harold Pitcairn was the founder. He built
airplanes and began the first carrier air mail route from New York
to Atlanta under his company, Pitcairn Aviation. In 1929, Pitcairn
was sold to Clement Keys of National Air Transport for $2.5
million. Keys changed the name to Eastern Air Transport and began
passenger service the next year on daily round-trips between New
York and Richmond. The airline grew, was purchased by General
Motors and the name changed to Eastern Air Lines in 1934. In 1938,
World War I flying ace Edward V. Rickenbacker purchased the
airline, led it to become by the 1950s the most profitable airline
in the United States, and took it into the jet age in the 1960s.
Former astronaut Frank Borman became president of Eastern in 1975
and tried to manage the airline through the era of airline
deregulation, labor union conflict, and heavy debt, ending with the
sale of Eastern to Frank Lorenzo and Texas Air in 1986. The airline
entered bankruptcy in March 1989, and ended service in less than
two years.
Phantom in Combat puts you in the cockpit with the missile-age aces
as they fight for their lives in the skies of Vietnam and the
Middle East.\nStarting with a brief account of the forging of this
deadly weapon, Phantom in Combat moves to the wars, campaigns and
single engagements in which it was used to such telling effect.
Leading USAF ace Steve Ritchie speaks more in sorrow than anger of
the politically inspired rules that so frustrated him and his
comrades in Vietnam. The story of the gruelling dogfight that made
Randy Cunningham and Willie Driscoll the U.S. Navys only aces is
redolent of the sweat, toil and terror of high-speed air fighting.
And combat reports from some of Israels anonymous aces speak
laconically of victories, losses, hairs-breadth escapes, and, above
all, the Phantoms ability to give and take enormous
punishment.\nProviding a rich background to this testimony is a
wealth of rare material, including:\n- Battle-damage and gun-camera
photographs\n- Recently declassified U.S. Navy tactical diagrams\n-
Photo-sequence showing the destruction of an F-4 by a North
Vietnamese missile.\n- Official analysis of the USAFs most
successful MiG-trapping operation, led by the famous General Robin
Olds.\n- Complete listing of USAF and USN air-to-air victories in
Vietnam.\nHere is the human face of modern air warfare, described
by the commanders and crews who earned for the Phantom its
reputation as the worlds finest fighting aircraft.
Full color photo history of the early USAF covers the great variety
of fighters, bombers, transport, helicopters and many other
aircraft in use during this period.
The Macchi C.202 was probably the most successful Italian fighter
during the Second World War. It is generally agreed that the
performance of the Macchi was superior to both the Hawker Hurricane
and the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and on a par with the Supermarine
Spitfire Mk. V. It is not by chance that virtually all the Italian
top scoring aces flew this plane either with the Regia Aeronautica
or the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. At the same time, the
Mc.202 is the symbol of the dysfunctions in the Italian
military-industrial complex: the lack of sound industrial planning
resulting in orders from the Regia Aeronautica for an exaggerated
number of different aircraft; the lack of the development of
adequate engines limiting aircraft performance and reducing
capacity to house weapons with a proper punch; the corruption of
politics and the culpable connivance of the high military spheres.
The Mc.202 was therefore produced in limited numbers, while there
is consensus that air war, especially in the African theatre, would
have been different had the aircraft been adopted before.
Number 5 in the Luftwaffe Profile Series describes the design and
use of the Junkers Ju 87A.
Number 8 in the Luftwaffe Profile Series describes the design and
use of the Arado Ar 240.
Whether a trainee is studying air traffic control, piloting,
maintenance engineering, or cabin crew, they must complete a set
number of training 'hours' before being licensed or certified. The
aviation industry is moving away from an hours-based to a
competency-based training system. Within this approach, training is
complete when a learner can demonstrate competent performance.
Training based on competency is an increasingly popular approach in
aviation. It allows for an alternate means of compliance with
international regulations - which can result in shorter and more
efficient training programs. However there are also challenges with
a competency-based approach. The definition of competency-based
education can be confusing, training can be reductionist and
artificially simplistic, professional interpretation of written
competencies can vary between individuals, and this approach can
have a high administrative and regulatory burden. Competency-Based
Education in Aviation: Exploring Alternate Training Pathways
explores this approach to training in great detail, considering the
four aviation professional groups of air traffic control, pilots,
maintenance engineers, and cabin crew. Aviation training experts
were interviewed and have contributed professional insights along
with personal stories and anecdotes associated with
competency-based approaches in their fields. Research-based and
practical strategies for the effective creation, delivery, and
assessment of competency-based education are described in detail.
Number 6 in the Luftwaffe Profile Series describes the design and
use of the Flettner Fl 282.
At the end of 1912 Jacques Schneider announced his intention of
presenting an annual trophy for an international seaplane contest.
There were only twelve Schneider contests but they were major
international events with the major rivals being Britain and Italy,
followed by France and the US. Biplane seaplanes and flying-boats
predominated the early contests and some very advanced twin-float
biplanes were among the winners as late as 1925. However, it was
the monoplane which was to become the symbol of Schneider Trophy,
with Supermarine and Macchi designs reaching the peak of racing
seaplane performance. The final winning combination of Supermarine
airframe and Rolls-Royce engine was to make a vital contribution to
Britain's defence in 1940 in the form of the Rolls-Royce powered
Hurricane and Spitfire. This book records the contests and, in
considerable detail, the design, development and achievements of
the participating aircraft; those which failed to take part; and
the projects, some of which embodied very advanced ideas even if
they were proved to be unrealistic.
Rare history of the the secretive and seldom photographed Me 209
V1, V2, V3, and V4 prototypes.
On September 27, 1986, pilot Theresa Bond and five passengers took
off on a routine flight from Atlin, BC, in her beloved de Havilland
Beaver. The Taku Air passenger list that day included local
politician Al Passarell, his wife, and three of Atlin's most
prominent citizens--including larger-than-life Atlin Inn owner Joe
Florence. After an uneventful eighty minutes, the plane crossed the
edge of Dease Lake, turned south and descended for landing. But
something went tragically wrong in those last few minutes of Flight
2653. According to eyewitnesses the Beaver nosedived into the lake
at full cruising speed. As the plane sank into the icy depths of
the lake, only pilot Theresa Bond managed to escape. All five
passengers drowned.
The small town of Atlin was torn apart by the tragedy. Years of
endless hearings and inquiries supplied few answers, only fueling
the sorrow and anger of grieving family and friends. In time the
furor surrounding the inquest dissipated, but for Theresa Bond, the
flames of her own private hell continued to consume her. Unable to
live with the guilt and loss she had caused the families of her
passengers, Bond plummeted into despair.
"Atlin's Anguish" is a brother's dedicated and loving journey to
understanding what happened that day on Dease Lake. Was it simply a
lack of experience that caused Bond to lose control at such a
crucial moment, or were there other circumstances that led to the
crash of Flight 2653?
Few shapes rolling down the highway are as instantly recognizable
as silver Airstream trailer homes. With over 200 sparkling color
images and engaging text, this book presents David Winick's
adventure re-creating custom-built Airstream home trailers that
date from1948 to 2007, including his 75th Anniversary Bambi
trailer. The challenge of making functional and beautiful small
living spaces helped drive the restoration work. Learn the process,
beginning with empty shells and ending with rolling Airstream art.
This book will enlighten the growing legion of Airstream
aficionados, architects and designers with a passion for small
space living, and all who have ever camped or admired an Airstream.
Preorder the definitive account of the rise and fall of the iconic
Concorde plane from British Airways' former Chief Concorde Pilot.
THE WORLD'S GREATEST AIRCRAFT Concorde is the most beautiful,
iconic and distinctive flying machine ever to grace the skies. For
over a quarter of a century she was the world's only successful
supersonic airliner, carrying passengers in comfort and style at
speeds faster than a rifle bullet - and at heights that provided a
glimpse of the edge of space. CONCORDE'S MOST EXPERIENCED PILOT
Mike Bannister knew he wanted to be a pilot from the age of seven.
As Chief Concorde Pilot for British Airways - having qualified to
fly the aircraft at the age of only twenty-eight - he went on to
spend more time flying faster than the speed of sound than anyone
else in history, displaying Concorde with the Red Arrows over
London, investigating the cause of the tragic Paris crash and
successfully restoring the aircraft's reputation in the trial that
followed, and, finally, landing her back at Heathrow at the end of
her last scheduled flight in October 2003. THE DEFINITIVE STORY
Mike Bannister shares the inside story of this unique and
awe-inspiring aircraft for the first time, including his role in
the investigation to uncover what really happened when Concorde
fell to earth on 25th July 2000. Loved and missed like no other
aeroplane, Concorde is part celebration, part history, part
detective story and part courtroom drama, a thrilling, revelatory,
intimate and insightful personal account by the man who knew her
best.
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