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On 6 September 1948, John Derry became the first pilot in Britain to fly faster than the speed of sound. Exactly four years later he died tragically as his experimental prototype DH110 jet broke up in the air at the Farnborough Air Show, in full view of 120,000 spectators. In this authoritative biography, now available in paperback, the authors trace Derry's life story and the part he played in a thrilling era of aviation. They reveal how he became known for his brilliance as a test pilot, but w...

Walter J. Boyne, the author of the definitive history of the U.S. Air Force, Beyond the Wild Blue, reveals the people and technology responsible for Lockheed's dramatic growth into one of the most innovative, progressive and successful aerospace firms in the world. Success has not come easy for Lockheed, which struggled just to stay open while weathering the depression and bankruptcy in the 1930s. Over the next six decades their unique corporate culture has enabled the company to thrive despite...

The invention of flight craft heavier than air counts among humankind's defining achievements. In this book, aviation engineer and historian John D. Anderson, Jr., offers a concise and engaging account of the technical developments that anticipated the Wright brothers' successful first flight on December 17, 1903. While the accomplishments of the Wrights have become legendary, we do well to remember that they inherited a body of aerodynamics knowledge and flying machine technology. How much did...

The Handley Page Victor was the third and final V-bomber to be operated by the RAF during the Cold War as part of the UK's airborne nuclear deterrent, carrying the Blue Steel stand-off nuclear weapon. It also served as a strategic reconnaissance platform and as an air-to-air refuelling tanker. This manual showcases two former Falklands and Gulf War veteran aircraft. The Victor was one of three new types of aircraft ordered for the re-equipment of the RAF under the "V"-bomber programme. It was de...

On a warm and golden afternoon, October 4, 1960, a Lockheed Electra jet turboprop carrying 72 souls took off from Logan Airport. Seconds later, the plane slammed into a flock of 10,000 starlings, and abruptly plummeted into Winthrop Harbor. The collision took 62 lives and gave rise to the largest rescue mobilization in Boston's history, which included civilians in addition to police, firefighters, skindivers, and Navy and Coast Guard air-sea rescue teams. Largely because of the quick action and...

- The first "Invisible" flying wing bomber- Originally designed only for the ultimate scenario, has been deployed with devastating effect in Kosovo and most recently in Afghanistan- Bill Sweetman is an internationally acclaimed expert and credited by Tom Clancy as being "a Genius"

The epitomy of commerical jet airliner travel, the Boeing 707 served with all the principal carriers bringing new standards of comfort, speed and efficiency to airline passengers. Pan Am was the first major airline to order it and flew its fleet emblazoned with the famous 'Clipper' names. BOAC placed a substantial order and insisted on Rolls-Royce Conway engines rather than the Pratt & Whitney JT series engines favored by American customers. Very few 707s are now flying passengers and many milit...

Mayday! Mayday! Aircraft Crashes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1920-2000 Jeff Wadley and Dwight McCarter Since the dawn of aviation, more than fifty aircraft have crashed in the Great Smoky Mountains. This book details all of those known incidents from 1920 to 2000, including those that occurred within the area before the establishment of the National Park in 1934. Jeff Wadley and Dwight McCarter, who have been involved in search-and-rescue missions in the Smokies for decades, have...