- Air
Force One: The Aircraft that Shaped the Modern Presidency
- This compelling history of presidential air transportation
begins with the first president to fly (and to fly abroad,
and to have a special plane): FDR. Eisenhower and Truman both
had dedicated prop planes, but JFK took the leap into the
jet age with the 707 that had the grimmest task of any Air
Force One-bringing his body home from Dallas. Other Air Force
Ones have had less well-known dramas: Lyndon Johnson's impromptu
around-the-world flight in 1967, Richard Nixon's last departure
from Washington and Bush's escorted, circuitous route home
after 9/11. But mostly the 707s and their successors the 747s
have made the president accessible to the world and vice versa,
without having to be out of touch with his responsibilities
or reducing his security. The price of this is imposing; a
double-page spread shows the logistics of a major presidential
journey abroad.
- Air
& Space - This magazine's editorial emphasis celebrates
the human fascination with and increasing dependence on the
sky. It explores the ways flight continues to change the world
and features the people, places, issues and innovations of
the air age. Reports and feature articles on pilots, astronauts
and aerospace scientists, re-created epic flights of famed
air and space craft of every type and every era; the official
publication of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space
Museum.
- Airliners
- Targeted toward the airliner professional and enthusiast,
covering news, air transport trends, travel adventures, nostalgia,
humor and photography.
- At
the Controls: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Book of Cockpits - The photographs are excellent ... This
is an excellent book for anyone interested in the evolution
of aircraft.
- At
the Edge of Space: The X-15 Flight Program - Initiated
in the 1950s, the X-15 program tested a unique rocket-powered
aircraft at supersonic speeds in the atmosphere's outer limits.
The stubby-winged, needle-nosed craft achieved speeds of 4000
mph, could fly at altitudes of well over 200,000 feet and
yielded data crucial to NASA's space missions. Thomson, one
of the test pilots, traces the technical developments of the
program, emphasizing the viewpoint of the men who (barely)
controlled the unpredictable plane in the air. He demonstrates
through a series of vivid anecdotes the effect of g forces,
extreme vertigo and other mental and physical problems associated
with supersonic flight.
- Aviation
History - AVIATION HISTORY covers the history of aviation--civil
and military--from the earliest attempts to today's Mach 5
jets. Each issue includes photos, paintings, and articles.
- A-12
Blackbird Declassified - Perhaps the most remarkable chapter
in the story of the supersonic SR-71 Blackbird spyplane
is that of its predecessor, the A-12 Blackbird, an
aircraft capable of speeds in excess of 2,000 miles per hour
and an altitude of 15 miles. Long cloaked in secrecy, that
tale comes to life in the pages of this history.
- Biplanes,
Triplanes and Seaplanes - Biplanes and seaplanes dominated
early aviation. The flying surfaces on biplanes added strength
to the structure and provided extra lift to compensate for
comparatively small engines, while seaplanes were favored
for the unlimited space water provided for long take-off runs.
This is an extensive guide to more than 120 biplanes, triplanes,
and seaplanes, from early designs such as the Wright Flyer
to jet flying boats and timeless classics like the Tiger
Moth and the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny." 600
color and archival black-and-white photographs are featured
in this extraordinary book.
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