Customer Reviews

Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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.

I bought Gunner, an illustrated history of world war 2 aircraft turrets and gunpositions (by the same authors) first so I knew what to expect when I bought this book. Cockpit is probably the first book with amazing picture quality and in my eyes the standard for years to come. The pictures of the Hawker Typhoon and the Douglas A-20 Havoc are special to me because they are my favourite World War 2 airplanes. I've seen a few of these airplanes in real life but I didn't have the chance to see the cockpit up close. Because of the pictures of Dan Patterson it is now possible to walk in the footsteps of World War 2 pilots and try to imagine what it was like to fly these airplanes. I hope that the authors of these two magnificent books (Cockpit and Gunner) can find the inspiration to bring out more books like this, because these books are two of the finest in my collection.

Patrick Koestal

Other folks have weighed in on the content of the book, so I have no need to do that. My comment will center on the aspect of the photography that spoiled the book for me. The crew obviously had applied little colored circular stickers to the various instruments so they could be coded for the captions. That was all fine and well, but 75% of the photographs were taken with the stickers still in place. It was sloppy work. Carping, perhaps, but I expected better. The same comments apply to the volume dealing with Cold War aircraft.

I'm ... only giving it 4 stars. Nijboer and Patterson came up with a great idea, but missed a little in the execution. As a modeler, I'd like to see more details of the entire cockpit, not just the instrument panels. Also, I realize Mr Patterson is an accomplished professional photographer, but I was a little disappointed with the nature of many of the shots. I think he was trying for dramatic lighting effects, but ended up with many parts of the cockpit in dark shadow or nearly washed out by flash. ...

It's difficult to rate this because it depends upon what you expected this book to be. I had hoped that it would essentially be a reference for each aircraft showing all aspects of the cockpit with descriptions of the instruments and controls. This it is NOT. The photography is very nice but is strictly evocative and not really illustrative. It shows the instrument panels but in a way that hides essential details that I desire to see. Oh well, perhaps next time :-)

This book is based on WWII cockpits of the planes used. It focuses more on the pictures than the written content. All of the usual planes are here: Mustang, Spitfire, Me-262 and quite a few others. Instead of just showing you the exterior, like other books do, it shows you the pilot's view from inside the plane. Another feature of this book is the commentaries written by pilots who actually flew the planes. An excellent book.

This book provides readers with a pilots view of the aircraft. The pictures and descriptions are phenomenal! Well Done!

This is a great book with a lot of detail information on each aircraft!!
I got it for my son who is in college training to be a commercial pilot.
He is a WW II history enthusiast and has built several tanks, ships and
aircraft. He loved it!!! Unfortunately, the hardback I purchased was
moisture damaged and I had to return it. I ended up buying the paperback
version, which has the same content from a local national bookstore.