Comet! The World’s First Jet Airliner
by Graham M. Simons
The exclamation point isn’t really part of the plane’s name but it might as well have been. Sleek and beautiful, it ushered in a new era but paid a heavy prize for blazing the trail. The book covers everything worth knowing about it.
Tupolev Tu144: The Soviet Supersonic Airliner
by Yefim Gordon, Dmitriy Komissarov, Vladimir Rigmant
This icon of Soviet national prestige did take to the skies before the Concorde but ended up having a much shorter service life. Of the few publications devoted specifically to this aircraft, this book is the most complete yet.
Valkyrie: The North American XB-70
by Graham M. Simons
70,000 ft of altitude, Mach 3, and the crew is in shirtsleeves. None of these three things are normal. This super plane took supersonic flight to the edge of the envelope. And then it died.
The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird
by Richard H. Graham
A fantastic book about an aircraft everyone should know about, regardless of specialization or interest. You don’t know what you’ve been missing! It made history, and because there is still no substitute for it, may come back.
Messerschmitt Me 262 A Schwalbe
by Robert Peczkowski
This is a rather specialized book about one of several variants of this German WWII aircraft, famous for being the world’s first jet—and infamous for being too little too late
Fast Jets, The History of Reheat Development at Derby
by Cyril Elliott, with contributions from John Goodwin
Afterburners are a slick piece of technology. The Rolls-Royce company played a crucial role in pioneering and finessing such work.
Britain’s Greatest Aircraft
by Robert Jackson
Radar, jet engine, ejector seat, VTOL—these are just some of the technologies that carry a “Made in the UK” label. The book describes the design, development, and operational highlights of 22 significant examples of British fixed-wing aircraft.
Hitler’s Eagles: The Luftwaffe 1933–45
by Chris McNab
A good one-stop survey of both the good and the bad, the weak and the strong of an essential part of the war effort that started as a dominant air force and then deteriorated.
World’s Fastest Four-Engine Piston-Powered Aircraft
by Mike Machat
This super sleek photo recon plane did fly faster, higher, and farther than anything else in the sky but the relentless march of progress sidelined it.
Lightning Eject: The Dubious Safety Record of Britain’s Only Supersonic Fighter
by Peter Caygill
After an accident in 2009, decades after being withdrawn from service, all remaining private Lightnings were grounded and relegated to museums. This book examines the good and the bad.
The Flying Wings of Jack Northrop, A Photo Chronicle
by Pape, Campbell & Campbell
A flying wing is about as clean a machine as you could have. Today’s B-2 Stealth bomber wouldn’t exist without Northrop’s efforts. If photos of his contraptions are what you’re looking for, this is the book.
Killer Rays: Story of the Douglas F4D Skyray and F5D Skylancer
by Mark Frankel
From concept to first prototype, flight testing, carrier qualifications and operational history, this solid book presents the history of the U.S. Navy’s first operational delta-wing aircraft.
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