Aviation Books

This book is the standard for airline interviews, particularly Cathay Pacific. Very technical but hey, so is the interview! Good luck and don't confuse the title of this book. This is where Cathay pools most of their questions from.

"When I'm setting down over 200,000 pounds of 707, I want something under my wheels that's plenty long and mighty dry." Captain William Demerest (aka Dean Martin, Airport)

I acquired my first copy of "Handling the Big Jets" during my university days when studying aeronautical engineering (at Loughborough University of Technology, Leicestershire, England) in the early 1980s. This was an excellent reference book then on handling jets as it covered all the major topics that I needed comprehensively, in simple and easy to read language and explanations.

However, decades later, it is difficult to find a similar definitive book on the subject. This makes "Handling the Big Jets" an important part of my library which I consult on subjects ranging from aerodynamics to aircraft control and stability.

This is a timeless classic which should be an indispensable part of every pilot and aircraft engineer's library.

A top notch choice for the experienced pilot who decides to fly very large jets. For those who are applying for an airline pilot position, this guide makes sense of the new-hire pre-screening flight simulator check on the B-767 or DC-10. The book earns it's keep on the book shelf as a nice review for the twice yearly proficiency checkrides. An excellent refernce guide for high speed aerodynamics and heavy-jet flight characteristics. Captain Davies writes in a way which allows pilots of all types of craft to add to their knowledge of flight. This is a classic book, buy a copy if you can and do not let go.

Despite its age, this is still the definitive book on handling jets. Comprehensive coverage of the widest range of topics, and to the deepest depth needed to satisfy any technical enquiry. Davies has an unmatched writing style that is highly readable, and right up there with the likes of Bill Gunston. If you prefer reading fiction more than textbooks, then this book is just about as readable as fiction.

Excellent sections on landing and takeoff. Davies makes full use of his background as Chief Test Pilot of what was then the UK Airworthiness Authority. He puts all the topics into the context of proper engineering and aviation fact, shows how the rules evolved from there, and generally gives you complete confidence that you've mastered the full range of the subject. PPRUNE Tech Log has always got one or two side references to this book.

Chase it up hard - it's still around - and keep it at the front of the bookshelf. My copy sits between 737-700 manuals and 4th edition Horonjeff.

This is the best book on the HO229 from the technical perspective. I like the detailled technical drawings. You could almost start building a Ho229 using these!

Shepelev & Ottens make great attempt at making a lot from very little actual information,interviews with people who where there, great photos, excellent diagrams but the brothers Horten remain an enigma.

I've been in love with the Horten 229 since the first time I saw a picture of it. This book is packed with photos and technical drawings. It covers the whole development of the plane. Recommended!

... and just the right amount of writing - this book has got the mix right.
Researching this little known family of aircraft that must have taken the writers years to research, and not to be content with that, the authors uncovered the Dunne D.5, a British WW1 era tailless swept wing biplane -in the introduction ... an even more obscure aircraft.
No mention of the Northrop wings in there, so this is history of European flying wings.
The main driver was for drag reduction and maximising the range of the aircraft not stealth.
If you like unusual aircraft you should buy this.

I've been fascinated since I saw the first pictures of the Horten jet powered, wooden, flying wing from the Smithsonian collection. The stories I heard was that this was a deliberate attempt on the German's part to build a 'stealth' fighter way back at the end of the Second World War. But there has been very little published about the plane. Therefore I was delighted to find this book that covers this plane in great detail.

Clearly the plane was far ahead of its time, indeed, its design looks so much like the canceled A-12 from McDonnell Douglas/General Dynamics that it's uncanny.

In reading the book, the authors make it clear that the Horten brothers were thinking of aerodynamics and scarcity of materials rather than stealth when they designed the plane. The book points out that the wooden skin of the plane would basically have been invisible to radar, but the metal frame underneath the wood would still reflect radar waves. Designers simply didn't know enough about radar at the time.

The modern American flying wings such as the B-2 bomber are stable only because of sophisticated computer controls. The book reports similar problems with the Horten plane. This might well have prevented its use for its intended use as a fighter, but we'll never know.

The authors have collected an amazing amount of information and a large number of photographs that I don't believe have been published before.

What I love about this book is that the author tells how many Hurricane aces were killed or wounded and gives the names of most if not all those wounded/dead aces. Its about time that people start hearding about Allied dead and wounded military personnel. It is downright boring when you are always reading about the German losses particularly among German aces and never about the Allied dead especially fighter aces.

This Osprey Series is really amazing, no wonder it's making a big sucess. "Hurricane Aces" go deeply in details about the aces involved in those hectic days of 39/40, as always making a link with the enemy's units involved. We can find the scores, the ones who died, the ones who became great wing leader in the future. Excellent work by Tony Holmes.

Tony Holmes' "Hurricane, a Fighter Legend" started my interest in second worldwar aviation again, and this book is a nice companion to the former, focussing on the merits of the plane and its pilots in those very crucial days and giving an exellent account of it.
For Hurricane colour photographs you have to have the 'fighter legend' book, but the colour sideviews in 'Hurricane Aces' are very good, and more than make up for the lack of colour photographs. Very good in my opinion is the last part of the book, where all planes depicted in the sideviews get their own small piece of history, including their eventual fate in most cases.

As I say in my Amazon's Profile: "I am a science fiction fan and a history buff (especially WW II, Napoleon, Civil War, Ancient Rome), I read omnivorously on these subjects."

Osprey's different collections are a great resource for History "aficionados". In a very compact book series with excellent presentation, first quality paper and nice reproductions gives the reader a succinct and complete view of the subject.
"Aircraft of the Aces" is a very specialized series, reviewing in each volume a special brand and model of aircrafts in a limited war-time period.

The present one is focused on Hurricanes during 1939 thru 1940, encompassing the Battle of France, the Battle of Britain and a brief description of Malta & North Africa (these last scenarios will be revisited in detail in other volumes of the collection).

Mr. Tony Holmes as author and editor and the art and technical team (Mr. Keith Fretwell, Mike Chapell, Mark Syrling and Iain Wyllie) has provided excellent profiles of specific airplanes, showing personal marks from the pilots, badges from the squadrons, different paintings styles, rank insignias and any relevant detail.

The photographic material is outstanding there are many less known airplanes photos (even some crashed or disabled) and portraits of British aces (actually Commonwealth as there are many Canadians, Australians & New Zealanders among them) as "Cobber" Kain, "Fanny" Orton and "Ginger" Lacey.

Mr. Holmes collects lots of personal anecdotes from pilots and some times is able to reproduce first person reports from confronting pilots, giving the reader a very dynamic perception of that specific "dog-fight".

This book is a good short volume that will be appreciated by neophytes, general public and very specially enjoyed by airplane modeling fans as it gives valuables details of different Hawker Hurricane variants.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

This excellent account covers the pilots who were some of the first RAF aces during WW2, whilst also giving a superb history of the early part of this legendary fighter's operational combat career. I've always had a soft spot for the Hawker Hurricane and the extraordinary young men who flew and fought in it. The Spitfire has received an unfair share of the credit for the victory that was the Battle of Britain, despite the fact that two-thirds of the RAF fighter squadrons were composed of Hurricanes. 'Spitfire snobbery' was displayed by downed German aircrew, who refused to accept that they could have been bested by anything less than a Spifire. The careers of pilots such as Kain, Brothers and Frantisek illustrate how this magnificent machine was the equal to anything the Luftwaffe flew. This is an informative and fascinating account of the part played by brave young men, and the legend that was their steed, during the darkest days of WW2.

I rarely get a laugh from books but this one had me with tears in my eyes from laughing. It was very funny and the best part reminded me of some of my antics in the Air Force. Well worth the read.

I decided to write this because I am at this link anyway to buy another copy of the book. I had a copy but trusted my old boss(a week-end pilot) to return it upon finishing, instead he forwarded it on to a relative in Alaska who is some big shot at one of the Air Force bases. I had previously stopped my brother-in-law (a Coast Guard Vet.also a week-end pilot)from lifting my copy a year earlier.The point being any pilot or anyone who has had the desire to fly will love this book, if you are or have been in the US Military I think it would add to the enjoyment. Watching the "Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel and seeing video of Malcolm describe a rescue he was involved with in Alaska waters lent a face to attach to his personality. The book is well written and Smith and Cahill should present us with the sequel.

I read this book cover to cover in about 2 days because it was so funny and I couldn't put it down. My husband is a pilot and hearing these stories just crack me up! I sent one to my brother hoping it would provide many hours of entertainment, and it did... great book!

This is your father's coast guard; but not the one I had envisioned! This book is hard to put down. There are chuckles galore. I keep it bedside now and open it to random pages for a quick mood lift. Haven't done that in a while! The Coast Guard is one of our nations best kept secrets.

Two years ago my friend John Cahill told me he was writing a book.
"What's it about?" I asked.
"This guy I know, Malcolm Smith, flew in the Coast Guard. He has some great stories about his experiences."
Instantly my mind went in two directions. First, I pictured war documentaries aired at five o'clock in the morning--hours of dull information I don't want to know. Open-minded person that I am, I quickly wrote the book off. Simultaneously, I thought of another friend, Steve Ward. Unlike me, Steve was very interested in airplanes, and any time a plane went overhead, he would identify it as a B-26 or a C-593. Actually, these may not exist, for I have just made them up; to me all the numbers were meaningless. I was also reminded of Steve's passionate idea to make a movie about the WASPs--not the insects, but a group of adventurous young women who flew planes in WWII. I knew that--though I probably had no interest in John Cahill's book--Steve Ward would. I'd buy a copy, give it to Steve, and let him tell me about it.
"Oh, that's great," I said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than I felt. "Let me know when it's done. I'll buy a copy."
Time passes both too quickly and not quickly enough. A year ago, in February, 2003, Steve Ward died. In September, 2003 seven months later, Malcolm Smith, with J. Wilfred Cahill, published I NEVER LIKED THOSE C-130'S ANYWAY: MEMORIES OF TWENTY YEARS IN THE U.S. COAST GUARD.
Perhaps in a vain subconscious wish to bring Steve Ward back, I bought not one, but two copies. They lay on my desk for months. I don't have much time to sit down and read, but I spend a lot of time on the road and listen to a lot of tapes. Each time I ran into John Cahill, I'd apologize for not having got to the book yet, and then complain that if it were out on audio, I'd have listened to it already. John said they were working on the audio version, but didn't care if I read the book, so long as I had bought it.
Finally, I couldn't take any more Cahill encounters, not having read the book. The world is unpredictable, espcially the world of literature, and you just don't always know what lies under the next unlikely looking cover. The surprise for me was a wonderfully readable and highly entertaining collection of anecdotes, masterfully told by Malcolm Smith on to tape, and transcribed by John Cahill. The stories are short, but interesting, and always involve either a prank or a screw-up. I have never encountered another book quite like it. The nearest thing I can think of is a book my mother gave me called PECK'S BAD BOY AND HIS PA. I was sick in bed at the time and I think that book helped me get better, for it celebrated, through the consecrated written word of a published book, tales of mischief and shenanigans.
Having never had any direct experience with any branches of the military or its associated arms, my impression of the whole business has always been one of seriousness, order, discipline and drudgery. Malcolm Smith's stories humanize and humorize these stereotypes. What emerges from his book are the experiences of a man endowed with average gifts and foibles, but an extraordinary sense of humor and penchant for fun. Through his stories, Malcolm Smith reveals a Coast Guard institution big-hearted enough to allow his whole human being--one that did not necessarily fit into any particular mold--to grow within the system to his own natural potential, as an exceptional officer and pilot, much loved by his fellow "Coasties". I have never considered any branch of the services for myself, but Malcolm Smith makes me feel that I might have missed something great in not having been there.
Steve Ward would have loved this book. Hell, I really enjoyed it and I'm not even interested in airplanes or the Coast Guard. At least, I wasn't. Now, at least I know the difference between an H-52 and a C-130.
Thanks, Malcolm, for remembering and telling your stories, and thanks, John, for turning them into a book.
Malcolm Smith's stories may well become widely read and enjoyed. One day we will be able to remember when they were first published and that we were among the first to hear them. Rumor has it that this first collection includes only those stories which the author felt he could tell without getting himself into trouble. If there are more as good as these, here's one reader who looks forward to hearing them.

Excellent, detailed illustrated book of some of the worlds greatest fighters. A must for those who like military aircraft.

Great book! Excellent reference material for artist or fighter plane buff.

Terrific book. I build models on my computer in 3D and this book is a great resource. The drawings are splendid.
And the text clear. If you find aircraft fascinating, you will enjoy many hours with this book

Gorgeous color photos of fighters through the ages are on the inside covers and the intro sections. However, the main substance of this book are the highly detailed and labeled b/w 3-D cutaway diagrams of some well known fighter aircrafts from the WWI Morane-Saulnier Type N, WWII P-38 Lightning, DeHavilland Mosquito to the modern Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen, F-22A Raptor and Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon. Great for fast referencing including a brief history and specs (powerplant, performance, weight, dimensions, and armament) for each fighter. A worthy addition to any fighter enthusiast, historian, or hobbyist's library!!!

A detailed overview of the development of fighter aircraft achieved through detailed pictorial, diagramatic and written analysis of 100 examples. True to form, the authors knowledge of technically important and interesting but little known and often ignored types, as well as the better known classics, is what makes this book really stand out and draws the reader back again and again.

This book is excellent ,a great source of information about Jasta Boelcke and a pleasure to read very entertaining .
The color plates are awesome also.

A very good book. Very entertaining and informative at the same time. Again the color plates are very useful to a modeler.

To my mind, Oswald Boelcke has always been the most fascinating German fighter pilot of World War I. Boelcke's achievements as an astute tactician, masterful fighter leader and top-scoring ace far outshone those of his most apt student, von Richtofen. Greg VanWyngarden examines the career of this pivotal figure along with the Boelcke Squadron in this insightful and entertaining volume from Osprey, #26 in their 'Aviation Elite Units' series.

Boelcke scored 40 kills from August 1915 to October 1916. More importantly he created and codified the basic tactics for air combat and put those tactics to great effect when he commanded Jagdstaffel 2 beginning in August 1916. As Jasta 2 CO he nurtured von Richtofen and other pilots, developing them into first-rate fighter pilots and leaders. His death in a mid-air stunned his squadron - and the nation - but Jasta 2 labored on, often under inferior commanders, to eventually score 336 victories by war's end, second only to the Red Baron's Jasta 11. It lost 35 pilots in return.

The glory days of Boelcke's reign and the subsequent uneven combat history of Jasta 2 are well-covered in VanWyngarden's book. Since it deals with a squadron rather than a group or wing, this Osprey book can devote more space to the inner workings of the unit, which makes for fascinating reading. For example, I was unaware that super-ace Boelcke was an asthmatic(!) and suffered so badly from it that he was sometimes unable to fly. Another interesting tidbit: a Jasta 2 pilot - Otto Bernert - was the first fighter pilot on EITHER side to be credited with five kills in a single day. Yet more fascinating, little-known history: Jasta 2 pilot Werner Voss was so disgusted with the leadership of one of Boelcke's successors that he filed a formal complaint to higher command, an unheard-of breach of protocol that got him booted from the squadron.

All of the preceding along with coverage of Jasta 2's combats make for a delightful read. Then too VanWyngarden's book features 125 vintage black and white photographs of Boelcke & Co., the fighters they flew, crashed aircraft, etc. and 11 pages of color sideviews by Harry Dempsey.

JAGDSTAFFEL 2 BOELCKE is one of the best Osprey titles to come along in some time. It sheds considerable light on this prestigious fighting unit and its most famous commander, a man who was literally a legend in his own time. Highly recommended.

Very well written,excellent artwork and pictures. Fits in well with other books in this series(Aviation Elite Units) Would recommend it to anyone who likes World War I aviation.

The author has written another exciting book illustrated with wonderful photos and exceptional color profiles. This is the gripping true story of one of the first German fighter units of WWI, and one of the greatest. It was lead by one of the great aces of all time, Oswald Boelcke, who was an exceptional teacher of fighter pilots as well as a great example. The Red Baron got his start in this unit and, taught and inspired by Boelcke, became a legend. This book tells how the Red Baron got his start. The text, full of first-hand combat stories, gives the essential history of this unit's highs and lows. Very engaging and enjoyable to read, and a must for historians and modelers.

F-117A Nighthawk was the pioneer of the modern series of stealth fighters and bombers and its performance during the Gulf War of 1991 was excellent. Jon Lake gives many details about the development of the aircraft, the years of absolute secrecy at Tonopah, the strike in Panama, the deployment to Saudi Arabia, the operations there and analyzes every system and technological innovation used in this type. The photographs are superb but the strongest point of the book is that it does not hide the many weaknesses of the F-117A (the chapter about laser lock on the targets and its problems was astonishing!) and it also contains a chapter about other versions of the F-117 and newer stealth types like F-22 and B-2. A real gem for the aircraft enthusiast and it is a pity that this series stopped after publishing a few titles.

I am a military aviation enthusiast and take keen interest in Russian fighters, especially MiG-29. MiG-29 caught my fancy ever since these a/c were inducted into Indian Air Force. Incidentally one of my friend is widely acknowledged to be one of the pioneers of MiG- 29s in India. He specialises in aerobatice. I have read janes how to fly and fight in F-117 Staelth fighter. I have seen a documentary on this a/c on Discovery channel. This is really a great a/c. I remember how it performed in Gulf war and was appropriately named BAGHDAD EXPRESS. One book which I long to possess is Janes how to fly and fight in Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum. But unfortunately this book is not available in India. Kindly suggest how to procure this book. I shall deem it a great favour. Kindly pass on this message to Mr. JON LAKE (author) if possible and please reply to me on my e- mail address:- rajnish_fin_2001@yahoo.com. My postal address is 3120 sector B- 4 Vasant Kunj, New Delhi- 110070 (India).

Best Regards, Rajnish Sharma

If you love the stealth fighter, then this is the book for you! Awsome pictures, stunning explanations from the devlopment to the deployment in Desert Storm, this is the ultamite book on the F-117! It even has interviews from the pilots who fly the aircraft, its payload, even a 4-page fold-out picture and cross-section of the Stealth! There isn't a book out there better than this!

If you like the F-117 Stealth Fighter you'll love this book! I highly recommend it!

In all stealth fighter book, from my opinion, I think this is the best overall I have read. The book has got great pictures where I seldom fine anywhere else, if you people like stealth fighter pictures, this is the book for you. Not only the amazing pictures that make me grade it 5 stars, but the amazing story told was also the point. The real story about working on the stealth fighter that people seldon get to see was told what will the pilots must & mustn't do before boarding the plane & after landing the plane. This book is worth buying because it is a valuable aset to the fans of the stealth fighter.

If you are a "Constellation" buff or simply enjoy reading about the golden age of air travel, this is a "must have" book. As other reviewers have noted, the illustrations of the "Connie" in different liveries are simply awesome.

I have many books about the Constellation, but none surpasses this book for picture quality and detail. There are many aircraft color schemes and markings for airliners and military aircraft along with detailed information about each Constellation series. It is filled with a huge number of crisp and clear black and white and color photographs, and best of all the entire printing is on glossy paper. Considering the picture variety and quality and the great amount of detailed information this is a must have for Connie fans.

I have all of the books published on the Constellation, and this one is the best. A picture is indeed worth a thousand words!!

One of the most visually appealing books on the Lockheed Constellation I have ever seen. Excellent Lockheed archive photos combined with historic advertising artwork. Offers a complete history of the aircraft. Unfortunately, the text was very literally translated from the French. The outstanding profile illustrations ( approx 130 civil and 20 military ) are worth the price of the book alone! An outstanding book, even with the translated text.

As usual with Histoire & Collections mongraphs, this is outstanding volume is well worth its Anmazon price. Achival photos and other time-period items justify this book as a nostalgic treasure. At the same time, the details of the mechanics of the parts of the aircraft, its history in detail and the inclusive, myriad of stunning side profiles, excellently and artistically painted, showing virtually evey model ever flown are almost without equal in any single-type aircraft volume. Don't miss this book if you like classic, commercial/military aircraft and one of the most beautful and functional planes of yesteryear. It's a gem!

Yesss! Engrossing is the only way to describe this book. The Lockheed SR-71, publically known as 'Blackbird' or 'Habu' to US Air Force personnel is one of aviation's most exciting legends. And so it should be: 3,000 mph, and a 97,000 feet operating altitude. Eventually the victim of political cost-cutting, the SR-71 was an astonishing and highly secret achievement when it first flew in 1962. Paul Crickmore goes into great detail about the many covert operations the Blackbird took part in and reveals how it was almost completely invulnerable to fighter interception and SAM attacks. Many Vietnam-era missions are described as are the aeroplane's frequent accidents and incidents. The SR-71, in company with a huge fleet of KC-135 tankers, flew across the world to obtain classified and valuable intelligence for the CIA and armed forces.

Mr. Crickmore does a fabulous job in describing operations with the worlds fastest jet aircraft. For airplane buffs amd military historians it is a must read. This book begs the question, "Does this aircraft have any use in a post-cold war world?" You betcha. Somebody should shove this book under the noses of President Clinton, every member of the House and Senate, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Crickmore's describes in plain English why the SR-71 should be kept operational. Simply put, it can't be touched. Saddam Hussein's recent actions prove even more eliquently as to why the SR-71 should be brought back. He stopped U-2 flights (with shoot down threats) over Iraq in November of 1997. This action emboldened Hussein to other actions. Mainly attempting to get UN sactions lifted. Stopping the U-2 is easy enough to do - 9 are known to have been shot down. The SR-71 has been shot at many times but never hit. There's a world of differeence between a 450 mhp airplane and a 2250 mph airplane. Though expensive, the SR-71 is surviveable. The expense is certainly worth while. How much is peace worth to the average American? Certainly worth the cost of an SR-71 fleet. The current mess with Iraq can be traced in part to the premature (again) retirement of the SR-71. President Clinton line item vetoed the SR-71 in October of 1997 - Hussein threatened to shoot down U-2's in November of 1997. The proper response should have been to deploy the SR-71. Read Mr. Crickmore's book - see if I'm wrong. Overall, I'd say the book is well researched and well written.

Rarely an aircraft career has been analyzed so completely. This volume is a gripping account of missions flown by Lockheed SR 71 during its operational life, a tribute to a fantastic aircraft and its technological legacy.

The book narrates the story of plane birth as replacement to the famous spyplane U2. The operational requirements leading to U2 first, than to SR71, shaped these two futuristic reconnaissance platforms; but for the SR71, the author provides full coverage of its development as a aircraft family (interceptor and bomber versions). After introducing the CIA operations and the past highly classified programs, progenitors of Blackbird, a detailed description of aircraft design characteristics is presented, finally a vivid picture of most secret engineering data concerning the equipments and aircraft systems. This is a fascinating reading itself, especially after being entertained by "Skunk Works", the autobiography of Ben Rich, former director of the Advanced Development Projects branch of Lockheed and longtime friend of Kelly Johnson , Blackbird's chief designer. The legacy left by these outstanding scientists is simply gigantic and the technical description of one of their creature is well worth the price. Infact a precious facet of the volume is the cockpits instruments panels, the cutaway view with general internal layout and the inlet (or intake, as Britons prefer) airflow diagram, the first time that such a complicated duct system is described and printed. Also revealed for the first time are the missions operated by Air Force to monitor the Soviet nuclear submarines pens in the Artic during the peak of cold war.

After many years of silent and classified operations, the most impressive airplane ever built is discovered in this engrossing publication. The author delivers outstandingly the technological marvel and the faithful "day by day" care required by the personnel in maintaining the recce plarform a viable military program, a lasting portrait of men who flew and overhauled the almighty Blackbird before its untimely retirement.

Very detailed book on the complete history of the A-12/SR-71. Tells you everything that you've wanted to know about the plane and the missions it flew. A fascinating book! Highly recommended.

As a young kid I heard only heard stories of a jet that is able to fly at mach 3 and above 80,000ft. Years later I was able to finally get this book on the jet and was amazed to read on the planes history and it impact on war torn countries. This plane is the only thing that was able to stop a war in the middle east not politicans. We need this plane to be upgraded and deployed again. This book overall shows the worth of the money that goes into this plane's mission to keep peace for America and other countries.

We need to build more than just a mere 100-200 fighters.

Jay Miller tends to do good work, but the books are seldom balanced - always coming off a bit like a cheerleader for whatever subject he is writing about. A case in point is the F/A-22 book. The airplane is undoubtedly pushing the state of the art, but it has had a constant string of troubles that are not addressed in this book. Then the entire policy issue of why the USAF needs this airplane, or how 100 F-22s are going to replace 1,000 F-15s and F-16s. Still, if you are interested in the F-22, this is a good place to start.

By any standards the F/A-22 Raptor is the world's most advanced fighter. At at least $200 million each, it is certainly the most expensive. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, is it needed?

The plane that eventually became the F/A-22 began as a planned replacement for the F-15 and F-16 as they were reaching the end of their useful lives. The thinking about the plane began as early as 1969. Now in 2005 they are being delivered to the Air Force.

This is a beautiful book that starts with the early thinking, goes through the competition, initial testing, early production troubles, engine development, everything and in great detail. There's a bit about the competing F-23 fighter, which also looks like it would have been a pretty good bird.

There are some artist's concepts of a proposed F/B-22 bomber version and a comment that Northrop was dusting off their F-23 design to make it a bomber. A bomber like this might finally enable the Air Force to have a self-defending bomber like they thought they had with the B-17.

Do we need the F/A-22? -- I think that yes, we probably do. The United States professes to be a peaceful nation, but we go to war a lot. And if we do, I'd want our warfighters to have the best possible equipment. For at least the next twenty years, that's the F/A-22.

The story so far of the F-22A. The develloping story from the early days till present times is remarkable and really made me read page after page. The cherry on top of the cake are the photos - they are almost all full color. Previous titles were mostly black and white with a small center color section, this one is totally color except some archive pics of develloping mock ups that are b&w. But these are a minority. Jay Miller made an excellent job tracing the story of this awesome aircraft. Modern jet fans will love for sure. Highly recommended

I am a hugh Raptor supporter. Personally, I feel we need this fighter. This book is a detailed analysis of this great fighter.

When I received my copy, I read it all the way through. The book is written in great detail by Miller. There is a lot of color and b&w photos taken by Miller himself and through Lockheed Martin archives, many never before released. The pics are crystal clear and many of later Raptors based at Nellis and Tyndall AFB. Text is full of details that can be released and each photo have captions for it.

In addition to sections about the YF-23 the proposed naval F-22, adn the FB-22, the book also includes part of the original Aerofax YF-22 text that Miller wrote with Richard Abrams back in the early 1990's to refreash the history of the Raptor back in the ATF (Advanced Tactical Fighter) competition days. I also have the older YF-22 Aerofax book and the good news here is there is new photos and captions of the YF-22 prototype included in this new book.

My only wish is that this edition included the DIOT&E (Dedicated Initial Operational Test & Evaluation) results and photos of the Raptors based at Langley AFB, VA that were starting to be delivered in June 2005 Both events started after this book was printed . It would have been great to include some of the results and pilot and maintainer perspectives from the results of these tests (it is reported that the F/A-22 Raptor kicked everyone's A$$ that dared go up against it). Perhaps Miller or another great aviation author Bill Sweetman will include this section and photos in their next Raptor book. Regardless, a great book and highly recommended to add to your aviation library.