Archive for Items Categorized 'Aviation', only excerpts shown, click title for full entry.

Project Terminated

by Erik Simonsen

“Too many cooks spoil the broth”—this book puts the blame for pulling the plug on seemingly viable aviation projects on hapless bureaucrats who keep the military from doing its thing. But it ain’t that easy …

Flying Saucer Technology

by Bill Rose

Never mind the names—Flapjack, Foo Fighter, Flying Top, Umbrellaplane—this interesting book is not about space aliens but actual man-made stuff that flew, or might have.

Mezek a Turbina: Messerschmitts in Czechoslovakia

by Bohumír Kudlička

The Czechs built German aircraft. Surprised? There’s much to be surprised at in this interesting little book!

Frank McClean: The Godfather of British Naval Aviation

by Philip Jarrett 

Many important aviation developments wouldn’t have happened if McClean hadn’t had the means, the skills, and the convictions he possessed. At long last here’s a book to give credit where credit is due.

Racing Ace: The Fights and Flights of “Kink” Kinkead DSO, DSC, DFC

by Julian Lewis

This excellent book enters into the record the long-forgotten and never-before fully told story of the achievements of a brave and uncommonly—for such a junior officer—highly decorated Flight Lieutenant from South Africa who crashed and died, aged 31, in 1928 attempting to break the World Air Speed Record on the river Solent.

The History of the American Space Shuttle

by Dennis R. Jenkins

Meant to be a concise look at three decades worth of space exploration this book, written by a NASA insider, is a most competent guide to a singular chapter in the history of mankind.

Flying Catalinas, The Consolidated PBY Catalina in World War Two


by Andrew Hendrie

This quite specialized but very useful book looks at the wartime activities of the most successful flying boat in aviation history. Even if you don’t give a hoot about airplanes, you’ll know this one: remember the opening sequence of the film/musical South Pacific?

Conquest of the Skies

by William Wolf

You’ve heard it a hundred times: the Wright brothers’ first flight was shorter than the wingspan of a Boeing 747 built only 60 years later. How this was achieved is the question this book examines.

Dornier Do X: The Story of Claude Dornier’s Legendary Flying Boat

by Volker A. Behr

It was the biggest aircraft of its day but only three were built. It took twelve years to design—and less than half that time to withdraw them from service. What happened?

Tupolev Tu-16, Versatile Cold War Bomber

by Gordon, Komissarov, Rigmant

There used to be a time when you couldn’t pick up a newspaper without reading about Badger spottings. Why the Soviets needed it and how they built and used it is the topic of this quite enormous book.

Tumult in the Clouds: The Aviation Art of Russell Smith

by Jim Wilberg

Not only are 44 examples of Smith’s award-winning paintings shown and described but a dozen learned WW I specialists offer insights into airplanes, historic events, and the challenges of doing proper research.

Lady Lucy Houston DBE, Aviation Champion and Mother of the Spitfire

by Miles Macnair

Picture this: an air force is fighting for its very survival. A private citizen offers to buy her impoverished government several squadrons of fighter planes. The government says—no. This snub kickstarted a chain of events that culminated in Britain developing one of the important aircraft of all time.

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