One Hundred Years of World Military Aircraft.

Polmar, Norman & Bell, Dana.

ISBN 10: 1591146860 / ISBN 13: 9781591146865

Published by Naval Institute, 2004., 2004

About this Item

1st ed.432p. Photos. SIGNED & inscribed by Polmar. In mylar. As New/As New Copy.

Seller Inventory # 77-1646

Bibliographic Details

• Title: One Hundred Years of World Military Aircraft.
• Publisher: Naval Institute, 2004.
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1591146860
• ISBN 13: 9781591146865
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st.
• Condition: As New
• Dust Jacket Condition: As New
• Signed: Signed by Author
• Seller catalogs:
  • List 77
  • List 88
  • MILITARY AVIATION::GENERAL

About this title

Synopsis

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 Curtiss 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. 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.

About the Author

Norman Polmar is an internationally known analyst, consultant, and award-winning author specializing in naval, aviation, and intelligence areas. He has participated in or directed major studies in these areas for the U.S. Department of Defense and Navy, and consulted to U.S. and foreign commercial firms and government agencies. He has been an advisor or consultant on naval issues to three U.S. Secretaries of the Navy and two Chiefs of Naval Operations, as well as to three U.S. Senators and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He has 50 published books to his credit, including eight previous editions of Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet and four editions of Guide to the Soviet Navy. Mr. Polmar is a columnist for the Proceedings and Naval History magazines. He is a resident of Alexandria, VA.