Although the history of the aircraft only spans a relatively brief and recent period in invention and development, this remarkable machine is one of the most significant factors in the unprecedented progress man has made in the twentieth century. It is therefore important that there should always be examples of a wide range of airplane types that will portray how improvement was conceived and then evolved.
Initial preparations before disassembly are noted and then the principal techniques in working with wood and metal aircraft are discussed, using many interesting real examples. This book is destined to become the authoritative reference on the wide and complex subject of aircraft preservation and restoration.
Robert Mikesh is the former senior curator of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where, for 21 years, he managed and was responsible for the world's largest collection of historic aircraft.
