That's one small step for man... The Moon has always fascinated humans, and thoughts on how to get there occupied minds for hundreds of years. During the space race, setting foot on the Moon was the ultimate goal and the Apollo missions to the Moon are amongst the most successful and well-remembered manned space flights that NASA ever accomplished. In Project Apollo Norman Ferguson reveals fascinating facts and figures, and recounts amazing stories about the astronauts and their spacecraft, and how they made the giant leap for mankind.

Richly illustrated with paintings by noted aviation artists, this informative tribute to one hundred years of aviation ranges from the Wright brothers' first successful flight in 1903 to the present day, capturing the extraordinary innovations in aricraft and aviation technology over the past century.

From one of our most influential journalists, here is a timely, vital, and illuminating account of the next stage of China's modernization--its plan to rival America as the world's leading aerospace power and to bring itself from its low-wage past to a high-tech future.
In 2011, China announced its twelfth Five-Year Plan, which included the commitment to spend a quarter of a trillion dollars to jump-start its aerospace industry. In "China Airborne," James Fallows documents, for the first time, the extraordinary scale of China's project, making clear how it stands to catalyze the nation's hyper-growth and hyper-urbanization, revolutionizing China in ways analogous to the building of America's transcontinental railroad in the nineteenth century.
Completing this remarkable picture, Fallows chronicles life in the city of Xi'an, home to 250,000 aerospace engineers and assembly-line workers, and introduces us to some of the hucksters, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and dreamers who seek to benefit from China's pursuit of aeronautical supremacy. He concludes by explaining what this latest demonstration of Chinese ambition means for the United States and for the rest of the world--and the right ways for us to respond.

The industry known as "general aviation"-encompassing all flying outside of the military and commercial airlines-dates from the early days of powered flight. As technology advanced, making possible smaller aircraft that could be owned and operated by civilians, manufacturers emerged to a serve a growing market. Increasingly this meant business flying, as companies used aircraft in a variety of roles. The industry struggled during the Great Depression but development continued; small aircraft manufacturers became vital to the massive military production effort during World War II. After the war, rapid technological advancement and a robust, prosperous middle class were expected to result in a democratized civil aviation industry. For many reasons this was never realized, even as general aviation roles and aircraft capabilities expanded. Despite its many reverses and struggles, entrepreneurship has remained the driving factor of the industry.

The RAF Halton Apprenticeship Scheme has a deserved reputation for excellence. The brainchild of MRAF Hugh Trenchard, the founder of the Royal Air Force, it took the 'traditional' idea of an apprenticeship and interpreted it in a novel way. It allowed teenage boys from any social background or geography to learn a technical trade that would equip them for their future lives, within and beyond the RAF. It also gave the best an opportunity to become pilots and break into the once public-school-dominated officer class. Of the 50,000 boys trained as apprentices, seventeen won the Sword of Honour at Cranwell, and more than 1,200 were commissioned with 110 achieving Air Rank. Eighteen have been knighted, with well over 1,000 others being honoured at various levels of state. More than a hundred Halton Boys served as pilots in the Battle of Britain (and many more as airframe/engine fitters and armourers), including the mercurial Don Finlay, the former Olympic hurdler. Others like Gerry Blacklock and Pat Connolly flew bombers on perilous missions over Western Europe or took part in the famous 'Dams' Raid. Then there were the three men murdered for their part in the Great Escape, and those who battled and survived years as prisoners of the Japanese in the Far East. In the jet era, ex-apprentice Graham Hulse became an 'ace' in Korea, serving with an American fighter squadron, and Mike Hines went on to become OC 617 Squadron after having first flown operations during the Suez crisis. Others like Charles Owen became a pioneer commercial jet pilot, and Peter Goodwin had the misfortune of being captured in the first Gulf War and used as a human shield. Some forged successful careers beyond the RAF, like Lawrie Haynes, who was on the main board at Rolls-Royce and is now chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, and Eugene Borysuik - one of the many Polish apprentices trained at Halton, who enjoyed a successful career at GEC. And there were many others beyond air and ground crew including policemen, government officials and even bishops whose careers started with the Halton family. This is the story of Halton told through and by the boys who were there and who are still proud to be called 'Trenchard Brats'.

Ever since man has taken to the air, flight has exerted a strong, almost irresistible, appeal on many to follow a life of flying-not only to allow it to be more than just a hobby, but to make it one's avocation. Many who have followed this call have written of this journey and how they pursued the various forms of flying - their first flight, their first job flying for hire, and a look back at their career.
In The Outer Whorl, Essays by an Airline Pilot, Neal Schier takes a slightly different tact in recounting his pursuit of flying, because paradoxically, flight itself was just one of the attractions that led him to follow the call that so many before him had heeded. His path was not the simple, almost linear progression, which has marked many aviators' careers. Neal, in a continuum of twenty related essays, examines the unease of a quotidian life in a sterile office and the desperation that set in at a young age to pursue something outside of a normal career path. To see the world and learn of one's strengths and weaknesses while forging a profound appreciation for his fellow crew members.
Through this pursuit came a deep appreciation for the allure inherent in aviation and a respect for the uncertainty that flits and flickers behind the beautiful mask that flight wears. This appreciation extends far beyond just the attraction of flight however, as he charts the admiration of strength and resolve that he finds in his fellow pilots, flight attendants, and other airline employees after the horrors of 9/11-an admiration won by the close work in an airliner's cockpit during hours of fatigue, stress, and challenge.
Introspectively, but not solipsistically so, Neal traces his development first as a military aviator and then as a commercial airline pilot. His nontechnical writing puts the reader alongside him in the cockpit as a witness to the mind-set of a pilot as he charts a course around the world-a course that often leads to self-examination and what one learns about self and others. His narrative details what it was like to lose nearly twenty years of work as his airline struggled with bankruptcy and near liquidation. He raises the question if the turbulence of the career was worth the years of sacrifice and dedication and thus, touches on an idea that thousands of the wondering and wandering souls of aviation continue to ask. His reflection and memories bring a surprising answer that is framed from the recurring themes of beauty, appreciation, and admiration.

Along with the Bf 109, the Fw 190 was a stalwart of the Luftwaffe and one of the top fighters of WWII.

Brooklands, near Weybridge in Surrey, holds a unique and highly important place in the histories of both motoring and aviation. It was the first purpose-built motor racing track in Britain and the first major circuit in the world. From 1907 to the outbreak of the Second World War, the banked circuit was the epicenter of British motor sport, and events at Brooklands - races and speed record attempts - were an important part of the sporting and social calendar.
Motor sport was not the only activity for which Brooklands was famous, however: it became an important center for aviation. The first flight of a British pilot in a British aircraft took place there in 1908, and Britain's first flying school was opened within the circuit in 1910. Several manufacturers began aircraft production at Brooklands, and the most important of these, Vickers, took over large parts of the site when motor racing stopped in 1939. Many aircraft, including the Wellington bomber, were built here in large numbers during the war.
When peace returned in 1945 the race track at Brooklands was in poor condition and built over in places. Racing never resumed, but the aviation history of the site grew ever stronger, with design and production of airliners including the VC-10 and Concorde. Today Brooklands is home to a thriving museum and, as the years pass, more and more of the old track is being restored to its former glory. This book tells the story of this unique and important site, and conjures up the atmosphere of pre-war race meetings, of wartime aircraft production, and the birth of some of the world's most famous aeroplanes.

The development of the Avro Arrow was a remarkable Canadian achievement. Its mysterious cancellation in February 1959 prompted questions that have long gone unanswered. What role did the Central Intelligence Agency play in the scrapping of the project? Who in Canada's government was involved in that decision? What, if anything, did Canada get in return? Who ordered the blowtorching of all the prototypes? And did Arrow technology find its way into the American Stealth fighter/bomber program?

When Storms of Controversy was first published in 1992, its answers to these questions sent a shock wave across the country. Using never-before-released documents, the book exploded the myth that design flaws, cost overruns, or obsolescence had triggered the demise of the Arrow.

Now, in this fully revised fourth edition, complete with two new appendices, the bestselling book brings readers up-to-date on the CF-105 Arrow, the most innovative, sophisticated aircraft the world had seen by the end of the 1950s.

A fascinating mixture of facts, figures, and stories, this is a must-have compendium of all things aeronautical

Humorous, baffling, and astounding aviation stories are collected here, from the pioneering days of the Wright Brothers to the present day. It covers everything from great milestones, famous names who have served, and the greatest of aircraft icons. Readers will learn about phantom pilots and aircrafts, the origins of plane spotting, unusual aircraft names, great feats, enduring mysteries; lucky escapes, and great aircrafts in the movies. It also includes a glossary of slang terminology. The trivia is limitless and will appeal to everyone, whether one needs help telling a Spitfire from a Messerschmitt, or knowing a Spitfire I from a Spitfire II

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.

This book, the first in a multi-volume history of German aviation, provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of of jet aircraft design and development in Germany. The solid description, unique photo material, historical documents, numerous drawings and complete data tables - published for the first time - make this book not only a gripping story but also an indispensable reference work for anyone with an interest in the development of aviation. In August 1939 in Germany a small propellerless aircraft took off on its maiden flight under conditions of utmost secrecy: the world's first jet aircraft. Apart from Ernst Heinkel, Hans Joachim Pabst von Ohain (inventor of the turbojet engine) and a small circle of their co-workers, no one suspected the profound effect that the successful flight of the tiny He 178 would have on aviation. Spurred on by Heinkel's success, very high speed aircraft were also put into the air by Messerschmitt, Arado and Junkers. On the other hand the designers of jet engines initially encountered almost insuperable problems, for in wartime high-quality raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and molybdenum were unobtainable and substitute materials had to be used in their place. But the designers, who were rushing ahead with their own projects, found a way around this with the help of experienced test pilots: in 1940 the Heinkel 280, the first twin-engined jet aircraft, was flown without engines as a towed glider; Messerschmitt installed an auxiliary piston engine in the nose of its twin-engined Me 262; Arado equipped its twin-engined Ar 234 with jet engines intended for ground tests only. The test pilots became accustomed to landing on just one working engine or none at all. In spite of shortages of strategic materials and the use of replacements, jet engines reached the production stage by the end of the war. But it was only possible to put small numbers of the very high speed aircraft into service, too late to have any decisive effect on the war. The development work on these first jet aircraft led to a tremendous technological leap forward; it was the beginning of advanced technology in aircraft design.

Discover all the foul facts about the history of air travel with history's most horrible headlines: in-flight edition. The master of making history fun, Terry Deary, turns his attention to the skies. From the Chinese prisoners who were sent up on kites and the brave but foolish failures who jumped from a height on home-made wings to the first real successes of the Montgolfier balloon and the Wright Brothers' powered flight. It's all in Horrible Histories: Up in the Air: fully illustrated throughout and packed with hair-raising stories - with all the horribly hilarious bits included with a fresh take on the classic Horrible Histories style, perfect for fans old and new the perfect series for anyone looking for a fun and informative read Horrible Histories has been entertaining children and families for generations with books, TV, stage show, magazines, games and 2019's brilliantly funny Horrible Histories: the Movie - Rotten Romans. Get your history right here and collect the whole horrible lot. Read all about it!

The end of the Cold War created a golden opportunity for reducing the defense burden and providing taxpayers with a "Peace Dividend." For the United States Air Force, this resulted over the past six years in drastic reductions: 23% in aircraft inventory, 30% in personnel, and 32% in the number of bases and other major installations. Well-known and long-serving aircraft, such as the A-7D/K, the B-52G, the F-4C/D/E, the F-111A/D, the FB-111A and the SR-71, have been withdrawn from active and reserve components, and some states, such as California, have lost nearly half of their Air Force bases.\nIllustrated with over 410 color photos, this new book provides a rich pictorial record of aircraft (including old and new markings) and units which no longer exist, and offers a visual chronicle of organizational changes between 1988-1995.

This book is a concise, illustrated history of the US Navy and Marine Corps most versatile jet strike fighter, the Boeing F/A-18 A-D Legacy Hornet. Presenting a historical perspective of the Legacy Hornet from its origins through todays use in the fleet, this edition explores the aircrafts various model upgrades and variants. The F/A-18 began as a less expensive complement to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and Grumman A-6 Intruder, and was a replacement for the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II and LTV A-7 Corsair II. The Hornet evolved into a capable multi-mission strike fighter, performing fighter, suppression of enemy air defense, and light attack missions. This volume features a number of high-quality images that highlight the aircraft throughout its Navy and Marine Corps career.

In the early morning of 20 April 1942, forty-seven Spitfire Vs of 601 and 603 Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force launched from the deck of the American aircraft carrier the USS Wasp, which had sailed to a position north of Algiers. The planes were bound for Malta. At the time, the island was under heavy siege by Axis forces. Salvatore Walcott's Spitfire never made it; he crash-landed in North Africa, part of Vichy France, and was interned. After attempting to escape, Walcott was liberated at the end of 1942. He returned to the UK and joined the US Army Air Corps and continued to serve as a pilot until the end of the war and afterwards with the USAF during the Berlin airlift. These are the bare bones of the story. But was that landing in Africa 'an inexplicable defection', as it has been described? Here is the evidence, alongside an exploration of American and British attitudes to men like Walcott who served under foreign flags. Walcott's story has been discussed for many years, but here is the truth. Did the Spitfire's undercarriage fail to retract, as Walcott claimed, or did he lose his nerve? Does the fact that Walcott later gained a reputation as a risk-taker indicate a 'Lord Jim' narrative, whereby he tried to make up for a moment of cowardice? Walcott's ultimately tragic tale is set against the larger narrative of Irish/American and British/Vichy France relations, of the Mediterranean theatre, aircraft design, and the US entry into the war.

This book covers the use and development of one the Luftwaffe's largest planes, the Messerschmitt Me 321/323.

On 19 July 1989, while United Airlines flight 232 wallowed drunkenly northwest of the airport at Sioux City, Iowa, hundreds of fire and rescue workers waited. The plane slammed onto the runway, broke into pieces and burst into a fireball. The rescue workers did not move: nobody could survive that crash. And then people began walking out of the field lining the runway. Miraculously, 184 of 296 passengers lived-138, unhurt. Laurence Gonzales, interviewed dozens of the survivors of Flight 232. He takes the reader through the detective work that found the fatal flaw in an exploded titanium fan disk. More powerful still is the heroism he found: pilots flying a plane with no controls; flight attendants keeping their calm in the face of certain death; passengers sacrificing themselves to save others.

All variations and markings are covered in this the third book in a multi-volume series.

In May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back-not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it "lunar orbit rendezvous," or "LOR." At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt's leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy's deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history.