Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors [Hardcover]

Donald Nijboer (Author), Dan Patterson (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1998

While there is no shortage of books on Second World War fighter aircraft, Cockpit is the first book to take us inside so many of the most revered and feared fighters and bombers of the war, including rare shots of Japanese and German aircraft interiors. Built during the crisis of war, the cockpits and aircraft featured in this book were marvels of technology and ingenuity. A candid "pilot's perspective" accompanies the story of each plane. Cockpit offers an unprecedented inside view of these extraordinary airplanes and the men who flew them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As you thumb through this book, you'll swear you can smell oil and av-gas. (Air and Space Smithsonian )

The cockpit photographs are superb. (Pilot )

The writer [Donald Nijboer] and photographer Dan Patterson have triumphed. (Air Pictorial )

About the Author

Donald Nijboer is a copywriter, screenwriter and longtime aviation enthusiast. He has worked for radio stations and advertising agencies in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. He currently teaches Radio Copywriting at Humber College in Toronto. A member of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, he has attended many of the world's major air shows and toured aviation museums in England, the United States and Canada.

Since 1988 pilot-photographer Dan Patterson has published ten books. His Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors, with Donald Nijboer, published in 1998 by Boston Mills Press has been translated into German and Japanese.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Boston Mills Press; First edition. edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550463748
• ISBN-13: 978-1550463743
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,702,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book of the Week for July 5, 1999, July 5, 1999

By 

Myke Predko - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors (Hardcover)

This collection of World War II Combat Aircraft cockpit photographs is one of the most interesting books I have seen in a long time. Along with the favourites (the P-51, Spitfire and Corsair), there are some of the more unusual examples such as the Me-410 or the Mitsubishi "Betty". Along with a brief description of the aircraft, there is a pilot's report on the aircraft. The cockpit photographs were taken of museum and flying aircraft, so don't be surprised if you see a Bendix King GPS unit in some of the instrument panels.

This book is just about perfect although I have two comments. The first is the inconsistency in the Pilot Reports. Some are from Combat Pilots, others are from people who fly the aircraft in airshows. I would have preferred combat summaries on each aircraft.

The second is, and I think this would only be appreciated by someone that has sat in different cockpits, but the relative size of the cockpits has been lost. I am only commenting because I have had the priviledge to sit is some of these aircraft and the differences can be amazing. The relatively cavernous cockpit of the Corsair seems as like a hanger compared to the cramped one of the Spitfire's or the Mustang's. Now, after saying this, I have no idea how this could be conveyed in the photographs, but it was something that I noticed as I read through the book.

These comments are just that and this book should be in the Library of anybody fascinated in World War II aircraft.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Amazing!, August 3, 2001

By 

Damon (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors (Hardcover)

Amazing! Long overdue. The colour photography in this book is truly remarkable. I haven't seen such large format colour shots of World War II cockpits before. The photos are so clear and crisp, it's almost like you're sitting there. I've been to a lot of aviation museums and I've always wondered what the cockpits looked like...now I know. This is a must have for pilots, aviation buffs, modellers and anyone interested in World War II aircraft.

Damon, Toronto

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but could be better. See full review., July 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors (Hardcover)

Great book with large format color photos of WWII aircraft cockpits. All the classic Allied types, plus many Axis cockpits. Of special note are rare interior views of Japanese types. The only criticism I have is only one photo of each cockpit is included. Each largely shows only the instrument panel. Most are taken from a side angle so you do get some other features, but a wider angle or multiple views would provide additional details and a better perspective. In that respect, the scale modeler may have to go hunting elsewhere for those side panel details. The title should almost be "Instrument Panel" instead of "Cockpit". Still, an enjoyable book and useful reference.