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Robert Mikesh takes the reader step by step through the process of
aircraft restoration from the initial decision to prepare for an
exhibit: Does it fit the museum's aims? How will it be displayed?
Will it fly? And of course: Is it good value? Initial preparation
before disassembly are noted and then the principal techniques in
working with wood-and-fabric, and metal aircraft are discussed,
using many interesting real examples. Types of propulsion, tires,
colors and markings are covered systematically and the different
requirements for indoor or outdoor exhibition are shown. This book
is considered the authoritative reference to the wide and complex
subject of aircraft preservation and restoration.
This book contains the most complete history of the South
Vietnamese Air Force that surviving records and accounts can
convey. In many ways, this is an American story; since VNAF was
organized, trained, equipped, and attained its maximum strength
under the tutelage of the US military. In view of numbers of
aircraft, the South Vietnamese Air Force emerged as the fourth
largest Air Force in the world-behind Communist China, the United
States, and the Soviet Union. This is not a political history of
the Vietnam War; rather it is the story of the transition of the
VNAF from an under-trained and ill-equipped French Air Force
auxiliary unit to a size during its 20-year life span, so large
that it was almost incapable of sustaining itself with sufficient
numbers of trained personnel and support materials. This is an
up-dated version of the book by this same name and author published
in 1988, which now features an abundance of color photographs and
new incites of the air force's role in that war that have settled
with time.
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.
From ABDUL to ZEKE, this handbook covers all Allied designations
for Japanese Navy/Army aircraft of WWII. Each aircraft is presented
alphabetically according to its code name, and is also
cross-referenced to its official (long) designations and project
(short) designations.
As a companion book to the previously published Japanese Aircraft
Interiors, by the same author, this book defines more closely the
equipment that outfitted these aircraft. There are chapters on such
aircraft installed equipment as instruments, radios, cameras,
machine guns and cannons, gunsights and bombsights used by the
Japanese Army and Navy air forces. The opening chapter describes
the history as to how much of this equipment was captured and now
is in the hands of collectors and museums. The closing chapter has
additional information on colors and coatings used in these
interiors. This information will aid collectors to more
definitively identify equipment that may not otherwise be clearly
marked. Experts in these respective fields have been major
contributors.
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