Aircraft: Illustrated History Books & Guides

The Aircraft Book - The Definitive Visual History

The Aircraft Book is all about the men, machines, and landmark technology behind the most iconic aircraft from the Supermarine Spitfire to the Concorde. Featuring over 1,000 of the greatest military and commercial aircraft in the world, this is an amazing visual guide tracing their evolution over the past 10 decades.

Pages of the book "The Aircraft Book - The Definitive Visual History"

A captivating, international view of aircraft through time from Germany's Zeppelins to the USA's "Blackbird" with histories of how famous marques like Boeing and Lockheed came to be household names. Plus, go on a virtual tour inside the engines of some of the legendary planes to see just what powers their performance.

The Aircraft Book is essential for aviation buffs, covering the enduring impact that aircraft has on society as an object of curiosity, a symbol of luxury, and an essential weapon of war.

Product details

Author:	Philip Whiteman
Details:	320 pages, 12.2 x 10 x 1.1 in (31 x 25.5 x 2.8 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Dorling Kindersley Ltd (GB, 2013)
ISBN:	9781409364801

X-Planes of Europe: Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1947 - 1974

Although much has been written about the legendary American 'X-planes' of this era, far less is known about many of the secret and exotic research aircraft designed and built in Europe especially those in France.
Years ahead of their time, these aircraft were world-class in their own right. In Britain the transonic DH 108 Swallow was pushing towards the sound barrier as early as 1946 and the AW52 'all wing' laminarflow aircraft first flew in 1947.

Despite five years of wartime occupation, France flew its own design jet aircraft in 1946, with the N-20 swept flying wing concept being tested by 1951 in Switzerland and the Swedish SAAB 210 delta wing test aircraft first flying in 1952.
The Fairey Delta 2 smashed the World Air Speed Record (previously held by a North American F-100C Super Sabre) by an astonishing 37% margin; this aircraft was later pivotal in research for the Concorde supersonic airliner programme.
The ungainly Rolls Royce 'Flying Bedstead' of 1953 pioneered the Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) concept used today in the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Now, these once highly-classified aircraft are brought together in detail for the first time by the acknowledged experts in this field. The product of years of patient research, much of the material in this ground-breaking book is being made public for the first time.
With many unpublished photographs, previously classified drawings and detailed appendices, the stories of these remarkable aircraft combine to produce an in-depth record that gives these rare and exotic flying machines their proper place in aviation and military history.

Product details

Author:	Tony Buttler, Jean-Louis Delezenne
Details:	240 pages, 12 x 8.5 x 1.06 in (30.5 x 21.5 x 2.7 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	120 b&w and 100 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Hikoki Publications (GB, 2012)
ISBN:	9781902109213

Airlife's World Aircraft - The Complete Reference to Civil, Military and Light Aircraft

"Airlife's World Aircraft" is a colour-illustrated reference to civil, military and private aircraft that are currently flying operationally. It includes over 1,000 entries, with more than 1,300 colour photographs, giving details of specification, history, powerplants, dimensions and performance.
Here, in this single volume, you will find everything from flying warbirds to stealth bombers, ultralights to wide-bodied heavies, in fact just about all the aircraft types that can be seen flying anywhere in the world.

Product details

Author:	Rod Simpson
Details:	640 pages, 11.6 x 8.25 x 1.54 in (29.5 x 21 x 3.9 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	1305 color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	The Crowood Press Ltd (GB, 2001)
ISBN:	9781840371154

Airship - Design, Development and Disaster

"Airship" charts the history of lighter-than-air craft from the continental pioneers of the late 19th century through to European airship stations in the Great War, Germany's pre-eminent commercial and military zeppelins, the construction of British behemoths R100 and its sister ship R101 and the calamitous losses of USS Akron in 1933 and LZ129 Hindenburg in 1937, events which ultimately heralded the end of large-scale airship production.

The historical development of airships is seen to be protracted and fractious, as the armed forces of leading European and US powers toyed with commercial propositions while trying to bend them to military uses.
The book examines the axial role of Count Zeppelin, the development of the Zeppelin in Germany as bomber and reconnaissance craft, and the way the British Admiralty, French, Italian and American engineers attempted to imitate German design.

The airship coincided with a time of international strife: mass unemployment, General Strikes, the Wall Street Crash and the growing shadow of fascist tumult. Airship draws on original sources, official documents and private letters including interviews with figures like Mary Stopes-Roe, daughter of the airship builder Barnes Wallis.
It identifies and analyses the central themes and bold personalities of the era: forming a text that is readable, entertaining and authoritative. The book is fully referenced with newly discovered first-hand material and a detailed bibliography.

Product details

Author:	John Swinfield
Details:	352 pages, 9 x 6.5 x 1.34 in (24 x 16.5 x 3.4 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	50 illustrations
Language:	English
Publisher:	Conway Books (GB, 2013)
ISBN:	9781844861385

Flight - The Complete History of Aviation

From the Wright brothers' first powered flight, to Concorde's final voyage and the tragic crash of the Columbia, Flight takes you on a sky-high journey through the history of aviation.
Charting the trailblazers, jet test pilots and constant progress at the cutting-edge of technology, every aspect of flight is explored in this stunning book. Recalling memorable events - record-breaking flights, aerial warfare and hijackings - Flight is the story of how man's dream to fly became a reality.

This new compact edition features incredible photography and breathtaking stats; the perfect bookshelf addition for everyone interested in how we took to the skies.

Product details

Author:	Reg Grant
Details:	452 pages, 10.4 x 8.9 x 1.38 in (26.5 x 22.5 x 3.5 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Dorling Kindersley Ltd (GB, 2017)
ISBN:	9780241298039

X-Planes of Europe II : More Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1945-1971

Following on from the successful "X-Place of Europe", Tony Butler adds a second volume of fighter and bomber prototypes.

Aircraft from Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia range from the diminutive Ikarus jet prototypes to the imposing BAC TSR.2, piston-powered French Arsenal VB 10 and the Hispano HA-300. Includes un-built aircraft and NATO attack aircraft, as well as the British aircraft Hawker P.1052 and Short Sperrin.

Product details

Author:	Tony Butler
Details:	400 pages, 11.6 x 8.25 in (29.5 x 21 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	425 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Hikoki Publications (GB, 2015)
Series:	Hikoki
ISBN:	9781902109480

800 avions de légende

From the first flying machines to the most sophisticated aircraft, discover the fascinating history of aviation. Share the adventures of genius creators, thrill to the exploits of the most daring pilots and relive the great hours of the aeronautical adventure.
Thanks to more than a thousand superb photos, admire in detail 800 emblematic aircraft, from large commercial carriers to luxury private jets, including the most efficient military aircraft.

French edition of the magnificent English book "The Aircraft Book - The Definitive Visual History" by Dorling Kindersley.

Product details

Details:	320 pages, 12.2 x 10.25 x 1.1 in (31 x 26 x 2.8 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	1000+ color photos
Language:	French
Publisher:	Editions Larousse (F, 2020)
ISBN:	9782035993427

Histoire de l'aviation

The civil, military and space air adventure from its origins to the present day:
- Detailed technical characteristics are given for each aircraft.
- 600 pages of exploits, passions and technical inventions.
- The epic of aeronautics from the age of balloons to stealth aircraft.
- Blériot, Mermoz, Lindbergh, Gagarin, Armstrong...: the human performances and records of the greatest aviators and astronauts.
- The great nations conquering the sky and then space: an economic and technological struggle.

More than a thousand civil and military aircraft are described and illustrated.

Product details

Author:	Bernard Marck
Details:	618 pages, 11.4 x 10 x 1.89 in (29 x 25.5 x 4.8 cm), hardback, in cassette
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	French
Publisher:	Editions Arthaud (F, 2012)
ISBN:	9782081280106

Forschungsflugzeuge - Fliegen für die Wissenschaft

This book deals with a very exciting topic in aviation. Many scientific experiments and undertakings require specialized aircraft, for example to investigate the upper atmosphere, weather systems, large areas of water or land, to make astronomical observations, and much more.
The aircraft used for this purpose are in a class of their own and are often elaborately modified custom-made aircraft. In addition to the aircraft themselves, this book also presents the respective research projects and institutes.

Pages of the book "Forschungsflugzeuge - Fliegen für die Wissenschaft"

Product details

Author:	Horst W. Laumanns
Details:	160 pages, 9 x 6.7 in (24 x 17 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	32 b&w and 122 color photos
Language:	German
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2015)
ISBN:	9783613037427