One Hundred Years of World Military Aircraft [Hardcover]

Norman Polmar (Author), Dana Bell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a well-written and enlightening volume with plenty of photos." -- Wings of Gold, Winter 2003

Product Description

In the century following the Wright Brothers' historic flight at Kitty hawk, North Carolina, thousands of military aircraft have been designed and hundreds of thousands of have been produced. From that massive aeronautic pantheon, two well-known aviation historians have selected the one hundred most significant military aircraft as a centennial tribute.

Among the aircraft showcased in this book are several military aviation "firsts," a few "largest," and a number of superlative aircraft in terms of production or performance. For example, the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik was produced in greater numbers than any other aircraft in history, while the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart and its derivative SR-71 Blackbird were the world's fastest military aircraft. But most of the aircraft in this book were selected because of their influence on political and military events. The unarmed U-2 spyplane was a key factor in developing U.S. defense policy in the late 1950s, while Curtis Pusher demonstrated the feasibility of aircraft taking off and landing aboard a warship in 1910-1911. Among the long-lived aircraft are the Vought F4U Corsair, which "flunked" its carrier trials in 1942, but went aboard most U.S. and British fleet carriers before World War II ended, and was flown from French as well as U.S. carriers into the 1950s. Record holders included the English Electric Canberra and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, both of which first flew more than fifty years ago and remain in first-line service. No student of World War II would question the inclusion of the Supermarine Spitfire and Boeing B-29 Superfortress, but others might ask why include the Curtis O-52 Owl and Junkers Ju 52? In the authors' opinion, both were significant aircraft and important milestones in military aviation history. Other aviation buffs will wonder why the authors did not list the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt or the Tupolev Tu-26 Blackjack. The authors explain their choices--and their omissions--in clear, concise commentaries about each aviation era and each aircraft description.

Through words and photos, the book provides an informative and fast-moving tour through a century of military aviation development, from the U.S. Army purchasing the world's first military aircraft from the Wright Brothers through the bombers and fighters participating in Gulf War II of 2003. 107 photographs. Bibliography. Index. 7 x 10 inches.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press; 2nd Printing edition (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591146860
• ISBN-13: 978-1591146865
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,666,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product, December 1, 2008

By	K. Johns "Fly" (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: One Hundred Years of World Military Aircraft (Hardcover)

My son was so excited to receive this book and it arrived very quickly. Thanks.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good reading, solid reference, January 8, 2004

By	Daniel Ford (at danford dot net) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: One Hundred Years of World Military Aircraft (Hardcover)

Polmar and Bell have done a masterful job of covering a century's worth of military aircraft. (Make that "unmanned military aircraft"--the V-1 buzz bomb and the Predator don't make the cut.) There's material here for at least 100 arguments, but the selections are always interesting and the logic is always impressive even if you aren't entirely convinced. (What, no Storch? No P-47 Thunderbolt?) In the meantime, you'll pick up information you didn't have before. (The first operational military helicopter was the Flettner Kolibi, designed to be carried on U-boats.) One for your library! -- Dan Ford