Finally, over 50 years after her last flight with Pan American Airways, the complete story of the famed, Boeing-built, B-314 flying Clipper ship has been written. Author M.D. Klaas, historian and writer of Pan Am's early flying boat era during the 1930s and 1940s, has put together historical accounts of America's greatest - and the world's largest - commercial airplane of the 1930s and early 1940s. It covers the multiple reasons for the plane's conception, stages of construction, testing, delivery flights, christenings, inaugural operations, established records, World War II special missions' histories, post-war services and the individual demise accounts surrounding each of the twelve models built specifically for Pan Am. The history of sales to and operations with British Overseas Airways (B.O.A.C.) - now British Airways - is also included in in-depth coverage.

This is a guide for spotters and enthusiasts interested in airliners, feederliners, executive jets, light aircraft and other commercial aeroplanes. It contains three-view silhouettes, colour photographs, dimensions, technical specifications and a potted history of those aircraft most likely to be seen in the skies and at airports. Other helpful details are also included to make aircraft identification more certain.

If ever a man has earned his place in the annals of military history, that man is Francis "Gabby" Gabreski. His exploits as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea are legendary; his rise from humble beginnings to success in military and business careers is inspiring. This is the full story of Gabby Gabreski, told in his own words. Gabreski's life is a classic American success story. Born to Polish immigrant parents in 1919, he nearly washed out of Notre Dame and then flight school. He was down to his last chance, and he made the most of it. A witness to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Gabby had his own first taste of air combat flying with a Polish RAF squadron. Shortly thereafter he joined the 56th Fighter Group of the U.S. 8th Air Force, and in seventeen months he shot down twenty-eight German planes, the highest total of any 8th Air Force pilot in Europe. He became a hero whose name was splashed across newspaper headlines from coast to coast. And then, on the very day he was to fly home to his fiancee and a hero's welcome, he took one last combat mission, crashed and, after a daring attempt to avoid capture, finished the war in a POW camp. Gabreski returned to combat in 1951, flying F-86 Sabrejets over Korea. He scored 6.5 more victories there, making him one of the few pilots ever to achieve ace status in two wars and in both propeller and jet aircraft. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1967 and spent the next twenty years working in the aviation industry, sustained, as always, by his devout religious faith and his deep love for his family. Now, drawing on his private documents and photographs, Gabby, along with writer Carl Molesworth, tells his thrilling eyewitness story with a candor and a vivid style that should earn this brave pilot a whole new generation of admirers.

A facsimile reprint of the pilots handbook for the F4U-5, -5N, -5NL, and -5P.

More than forty years after its cancellation, the BAC TSR2 is still a controversial aircraft. Years ahead of its time, it was abruptly cancelled by a new government when flight testing had ony just begun. Built to a demanding RAF requirement , the BAC TSR2 was a revolutionary low-level strike aircraft able to deliver a tactical nuclear weapon at supersonic speed and low altitude to evade enemy radar. This fascinating new book describes in detail the aircraft, its history and the events of its cancellation. Many hitherto unseen photographs and diagrams support the detailed text, which benefits from extensive research in the BAC archives and access to newly rediscovered material. Topics covered: Background to the requirement, and competing designs Development and production The flight-testing programme The full story of the cancellation and its aftermath Unbuilt variants Detailed specifications.

During the years preceding and during WW2, the RAF and the Royal Aircraft Establishment were responsible for the selection and procurement of British military aircraft and also to evaluate their capabilities against captured enemy models whenever possible. During the lend-lease agreement with the USA, the RAF and Fleet Air Arm operated several American designs, each of which was tested to evaluate its potential. This book looks at the key area of fighter aircraft and includes the test results and pilot's own first-hand accounts of flying seventeen different models, designed in the UK, America and Germany. The reader will learn of the possibilities of air superiority offered by these types and also their weaknesses. Types included are The Hawker Hurricane, Supermarine Spitfire, Boulton Paul Defiant, Hawker Tempest and Typhoon, Bell Airacobra, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Brewster Buffalo, Curtiss Tomahawk, North American Mustang, Grumman Martlet, Republic Thunderbolt, and Vought Corsair. All aircraft that saw a great deal of action throughout the War and which are now part of legend.

Only in America could Walter A. Soplata, the son of penniless Czech immigrants, accomplish so much single-handedly saving historic aircraft from World War II and other periods. After a childhood spent building model airplanes while dreaming about having his own airfield, Soplata worked in a large scrapyard taking apart hundreds of warplane engines. Shocked to see a rare engine or sometimes a complete warplane on its way to the recycling furnace, he began collecting whatever he could find and afford. He eventually collected nearly 20 complete airplanes and countless pieces of others. One of his Corsair fighters included the experimental F2G Corsair #74 that won the Cleveland National Air Races in 1947. Among other priceless airplanes he rescued was an experimental XP-82 Twin Mustang, an F-82E Twin Mustang, an X-prototype Skyraider, a stainless steel BT-12, and an F7U Cutlass-Soplata hauled the Cutlass fuselage home by stuffing it inside a junked school bus for its 600-mile journey. The story of a workaholic father and his aviation-obsessed son, this book records the accomplishments of a rare bird, just like the many airplanes he saved.

Aircraft of World War II details the design and specifications of 75 of the most important warplanes used during the conflict, from the venerable Fairey Swordfish biplane, through legendary aircraft such as the Supermarine Spitfire and Douglas C-47 Dakota, to the Messerschmitt Me-262, the first operational jet fighter. Presenting the information in an innovative format, the book features three-view colour artworks of each aircraft along with informed text giving a detailed account of the aircraft’s development. Examining each featured aircraft over two spreads, full technical information is provided for each type, including maximum speed, range and powerplant. Arranged by country, expertly written and attractively presented, Aircraft of World War II is an accessible guide for any aviation enthusiast.

Facsimile reprint of the orignial flight handbook for the F-86D and TF-86D.

Photographs and illustrations sourced from the original project documents.

The most versatile German aircraft of WWII is shown in its many uses and on a variety of war fronts.

Research indicates about 35 of every 100 people develop a fear of flying at some point in their life. Almost everyone knows someone who has it. If you've ever mentioned to others that you aren't comfortable with air travel, you've probably already discovered just how common is the fear of flying. Fear of flying is a condition that merits proper attention, and which we are increasingly in a better position to deal with, particularly thanks to clinical research. We now know that fear of flying is similar to other phobias, and that it cannot be dismissed simply as fear of the unknown, and that telling someone to "pull yourself together" just isn't likely to be an effective way to deal with the problem. Gaining your freedom to expand your enjoyment of life is the purpose of this book. The book covers a number of areas, including valuable information about flying and everything to do with flying safety. It also covers the nature of anxiety, frequently asked questions, and of course the self-help strategies that you can employ. In addition, it deals with professional therapeutic help, and what you can expect of such treatment. By reading this book you will be less anxious about stepping into an aircraft and that you will experience the flight in a positive way, as an enjoyable and interesting event, which takes you to where you want to be in your life. In their clinical practice, we have seen thousands of people who have successfully overcome their fear, and it is likely that you can do so too!

The Republic Aviation Corporation F-84 series, the Thunderjet, Thunderstreak, and Thunderflash was the United States Air Forces first Post World War II jet fighter. As a somewhat sad result of this, it has been ignored by most aviation historians and aficionados. It was not the Air Forces first operational jet fighter, as that honor went to the Lockheed F-80 which was created during World War II. And it did not receive the glory of the North American Aviation F-86, which followed it in sequence and was more photogenic, faster, and more involved in the glory of aerial combat. Nevertheless, the F-84 performed its unheralded role in a true yeoman fashion. It, and its pilots and groundcrews, fought the air-to-mud role as a fighter bomber in Korea. It served as an interceptor, and in photo reconnaissance. It was the first jet fighter to be operationally capable of air refueling, and it was the first to be able to deliver a nuclear weapon. 4300 of the straight-wing F-84s were built, along with 2713 of the swept-wing F-84Fs, and 715 of the reconnaissance RF-84Fs. Almost 8000 unrecognized fighters, of which half of those produced served as a deterrent to enemy forces during the Cold War while being flown by friendly foreign countries.

No story about one type of aircraft could be more complete than this coverage about the B-57 Canberra. A brief history of its British inception sets the stage for the conversion that took place to American standards for production in the United States. The Canberra was needed to fill the night intruder role in the USAF that was identified during the Korean War. The B-57, did that, and far more.\n The author, who flew the B-57 over a 15-year period, covers all aspects of the 28 years of operational service of the B-57. Initially, the B-57 outfitted four combat wings in the bomber version, along with many units in the reconnaissance role. Missions changed and units faded, but the Vietnam War set the history for this remarkable airplane. It remained in combat for eight years, and many of these daring missions are covered in detail in this book. This becomes another informative reference book dealing with the lively aaspect of the Vietnam War.\n The book is filled with many rare action pictures of this airplane in color and black and white. The expanded appendices contain many historical points such as units and time period of assignment, production records, individual line entries for the history of each aircraft, and many more details that appeal to the airplane historian. \n Robert C. Mikesh had accumulated 2,000 hours in flying the B-57 Canberra, beginning with the first USAF unit to receive the bomber version. Enamored from the very beginning with this airplane, the thought of one day writing a book about the B-57 inspired him to gather detailed notes over the years while the airplane was operational. This brings to life this airplane story that could not be compiled any other way than through this first hand experience.\n Mikesh served a 21-year career in the USAF as a pilot, having spent much of this time in the Far East. During the Korean War he flew a tour in Douglas B-26 night intruder missions over North Korea, and during the Vietnam War he was a Forward Air Controller in the Cessna 0-2A, directing air strikes, many being his comrades in B-57s. \n After retiring from the Air Force in 1970, Mikesh joined the National Air and Space Museum as curator. He became responsible for managing the worlds foremost collection of historic aircraft. This not only included locating and gathering historic and technologically significant aircraft and acquisitions, but overseeing their restoration as well. Now retired from NASM as of 1991, Mikesh devotes much of his time to aviation writing and consulting work for museums and aircraft restorers.

The epic story of one of the highest scoring fighter units in the southwest Pacific. Aces included McGuire, Loisel, MacDonald, Roberts and Bong.

The P1101 was Messerschmitts second jet aircraft after the Me 262. Designed as a fighter, the test version of this type was to serve as an experimental aircraft to test the swept wing concept. After World War II, the P1101 was brought to the U.S.A. and served there, among other things, as a testbed for the similar developments. Photos and data of this astonishing, yet understandably unknown aircraft with its futuristic technology are rare. This new book is a comprehensive documention. where not only the development history with all the important data concerning the P1101 is gathered, but also photos, detailed facts and figures about this aircraft. Of particular note are the numerous tabular comparisons with similar German and foreign aircraft from the war and post-war era. While there are innumerable German technical publications about well-known, mass-produced Messerschmitt aircraft, the authors have been successful with this book in supplementing these works with the portrayal of the last almost completed Messerschmitt aircraft. Willy Radinger and Walter Schick are also the authors of Messerschmitt Me 262: Development/Testing/Production (available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

Israel acquired sixty-one Dassault Mystere IVA combat aircraft from France that were delivered to the Israeli Air Force from April to September 1956 and were issued to two units: Squadron 101 at Hatzor, in the south, and Squadron 109 at Ramat David, in the north. From 1956 until 1959, and to a lesser extent from 1959 until 1962, the Mystere was the ILAF's cutting-edge interceptor. From 1959, the Mystere's main mission shifted from air-to-air to air-to-ground, as more modern interceptors-Super Mystere from 1959 and Mirage from 1962-entered Israeli Air Force service. At the same time, the Israeli Air Force initiated an effort to introduce an attack aircraft to succeed the Mystere. The Squadron 109 Mystere era therefore covered mostly air-to-air from 1956 until 1962 and mostly air-to-ground from 1962 until 1968.

When British Airways and Air France announced that Concorde was to be retired from service in October 2003, it signalled the end of nearly three decades of supersonic passenger flights. Concorde had flown for years without a major incident. But in July 2000, an Air France Concorde crashed near Paris, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. By the time the modified aircraft went back into service in November 2001, both BA and Air France faced mounting problems, which spelled the end for Concorde. As the former British chief test pilot, Brian Trubshaw's close association with Concorde placed him in the unique position of being able to write the inside story of this world-famous supersonic passenger jet. Brian was closely involved in the exhaustive investigations into the 2000 tragedy. Heavily illustrated, this book covers the Paris crash, Concorde's brief return to service and its decommissioning in 2004.

On 21 December 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and sixteen crew. Large sections of the aircraft, bodies and personal effects crashed onto residential areas of Lockerbie, Scotland, resulting in the deaths of a further eleven people on the ground. The psychological damage to traumatised residents would take many years to disappear; in some cases, it never did. Libyan Abdelbaset al-Megrahi is the only person to have been convicted of the crime - though few believe that he acted alone and some believe him innocent. Author Douglas Boyd presents evidence that it was Iran, not Libya, which was responsible for the attack. On 3 July 1988 (less than six months before the Lockerbie bombing), Iran Air flight 655 was in Iranian airspace on a Bandar Abbas-Dubai flight when it was shot down by missiles from the USS Vincennes sailing illegally into Iranian territorial waters. Government leader Ayatollah Khomeini decreed that blood should flow in revenge. However, this line of enquiry was quietly closed and Libya declared guilty because the White House wanted neighbouring Syria and Iran on-side for the build-up to the first Gulf War against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Lockerbie: The Truth at last reveals the facts about what happened on that awful night at Lockerbie.

Numerous books have been written on airships, but few concentrate on the bases and infrastructure which supported their operations. British Airship Bases of the Twentieth Century documents the development of airship facilities, beginning with their primitive arrangement prior to the First World War. The outbreak of hostilities in 1914 resulted in the adoption of airships for military purposes: ambitious bases and mooring-out stations were established across Britain, operated chiefly by the Royal Naval Air Service for the protection of shipping against U-boats. Finally, Malcolm Fife also relates the aeronautical developments, airship accidents, and post-war vacuum which led to the closure and dismemberment of most British bases. In the 1920s, the Government tried to refashion these giants of the sky into a means of transport, to link together the far-flung regions of the Empire-a scheme that never came to fruition. This did not, however, bring an end to their fascination for certain private enthusiasts or communities marked by this industry.This is an enthralling chronicle of the birth and transitions of airships and their bases, from an experimental, to military, to commercial, to private purpose. The construction, accommodation, and individual service history of each airship station are researched and described in detail, as well as proposed passenger terminals overseas. Malcolm Fife pays equal attention to the attempts to revive the airship in the closing decade of the twentieth century, and the locations associated with them. This is a beautifully illustrated, informative, and moving read, essential to an understanding of Britain's aeronautical history.

After twenty-five years of service with the USAF, the F-15 is still the most effective air superiority fighter in the world today. In addition, the F-15E Strike Eagle has taken over the F-111's role as the USAF's Strike Fighter. This book chronicles, with over 750 color photos, the story of the F-15A, B, C, D, and E. The book includes F-15 program history, prototype and operational aircraft paint schemes, and unit markings of all USAF and Air National Guard units operating the F-15. A section on USAF F-15 MiG killers in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Allied Force, with photos of all USAF F-15 MiG killers, is included. Over 130 colorful official and unofficial unit patches involving the F-15 are included. The book also includes a description of the aircraft, its systems, and weapons.

Germany was one of the leading developers of jet propulsion during the Second World War - in August 1939 the world's first jet aircraft, the Heinkel He 178, took to the air on its maiden flight. This new book examines all of the developments, production and aircraft types: He 280, Me 262, Ar 234, He 162, Ju 287, Ho IX, Me 328, P1101, Hs 132, DM 1, Ta 183 and others by such aircraft manufacturers as Heinkel, Junkers, Messerschmitt, and powerplant manufacturers BMW and Daimler-Benz. Numerous photographs and three-view drawings illustrate this extraordinary book.

In this book the author applies contemporary error theory to the needs of investigators and of anyone attempting to understand why someone made a critical error, how that error led to an incident or accident, and how to prevent such errors in the future. Students and investigators of human error will gain an appreciation of the literature on error, with numerous references to both scientific research and investigative reports in a wide variety of applications, from airplane accidents, to bus accidents, to bonfire disasters. Features include: - an easy to follow step by step approach to conducting error investigations that even those new to the field can readily apply. - summaries of recent transportation accidents and human factors literature and relates them to the cause of human error in accidents. - an approach to investigating human error that will be of interest to both human factors psychology and industrial engineering students and instructors, as well as investigators of accidents in aviation, mass transportation, nuclear power, or any industry that is to the adverse effects of error. Based on the author's over 18 years of experience as an accident investigator and instructor of both aircraft accident investigation techniques and human factors psychology, it reviews recent human factors literature, summarizes major transportation accidents, and shows how to investigate the types of errors that typically occur in high risk industries. It presents a model of human error causation influenced largely by James Reason and Neville Moray, and relates it to error investigations with step by step guidelines for data collection and analysis that investigators can readily apply as needed.