Aviation Books

Spenser's _Whirlybirds_ describes the evolution and development of the helicopter. Although Leonardo Da Vinci's notes and several European refinements are discussed, the book primarily concentrates on the efforts of four Americans: Igor Sikorsky, Frank Piasecki, Arthur Young, and Stanley Hiller.

Sikorsky, an immigrant from the Ukraine, is occasionally credited with inventing the helicopter. Although he did not invent the helicopter, he made many refinements. Sikorsky is still the first name in helicopters today.

Piasecki built a small helicopter at a young age. His company eventually became Boeing Vertol.

Young also got started with helicopters early in life. The company that he founded became Bell Helicopters, later Bell Helicopter Textron.

Hiller was unique among the four helicopter pioneers in that he started out in California, not on the east coast. He was somewhat isolated from the centers of early helicopter development. Hiller Aircraft exists today as a manufacturer of light helicopters.

Helicopters proved to be invaluable for the military, and served in wars from Korea onwards. Much of the onward development of these machines depended on continued military support. A number of commercial uses were developed too: crop spraying, aerial surveys and photography, air ambulances, etc.

Although Piasecki and Hiller developed small helicopters for personal use (like an automobile), they proved to be unaffordable for the vast majority of people. Helicopter "airlines" flourished (with Federal subsidies) in the 1960's, but fizzeled out about 10 years later due to high costs and accidents.

_Whirlybirds_ is long (almost 500 pages), but is well-written and easy to read. (It is helpful to have a nodding familiarity with aviation vocabulary such as "roll", "pitch", "yaw", etc.) I recommend this book for anyone interested in helicopters or aviation history.

This is a masterpiece on the four US helicopter pioneers -- Sikorsky, Bell (Arthur Young), Piasecki, and Stanley Hiller. Only faults to the book are (1) that it primarily focuses on the pioneers (hence the title), not the machines, and (2) he has nothing at all good to say about Hughes helicopters. In fact, it's pretty well damning. I think it should've been a little more objective. Also doesn't cover Charlie Kaman, who was also one of the early pioneers and still active today.

Whirlybirds is very well written account of the early history of the helicopter, and its pioneers. Filling a long needed gap in aviation history, this book tells how four men looked into the future of vertical flight, and turned it into a reality. This book is a must have. Jay Hendrickson

Some years ago author Martin Bowman published BATTLES WITH THE LUFTWAFFE, a battle history of the 8th Air Force at war. This book gives us the rest of the story, the story of the 8th AF in England and its impact on the English people and culture and vice versa.

Though Bowman includes several chapters on 8th AF combat operations, the bulk of the book consists of reminiscences by 8th AF vets and English men and women on the 8th AF arriving in England, first encounters, English vs. American language and customs, wartime romances, American impressions of London, etc. Most of the reminiscences are fairly brief but poignant nevertheless. The narrative is complemented by black & white and color photos from the 1940s and present day shots.

It's all very sweet and affectionate; a nice, nostalgic memory book of simpler times when ordinary men and women accomplished extraordinary things - despite the language barrier!

I found a copy of this book on sale and quickly purchased it after reading a few pages.

It is quite the joy in its insightful coverage of the life of american airmen of the 8th airforce and those who knew them in Britain. Also covers their missions and the fate of those shot down.

A must have for those interested in this peticular part of history as well as those interested in this period.

The book focuses on a rarely touched on topic of everyday life in wartime England from the American GI's to the British local's point of view. With stunning new colour photographs never before seen, Martin takes us back in time to an era when the Yanks were "over-paid, over-sexed and over-here" We read accounts of what life was really like off battlefields during R&R in such cities as London, Cambridge and Edingburgh. We visit such airfields as Wendling home of the 392nd BG, Shipdham, Thorpe Abbots and many more. Includes stunning 'Wall Art' photos that reflect a era long since gone. Many people have contibuted with diary extracts, poems, photographs and recollections of an era long gone. A 'must have' for anybody having an interest in this period of time.

My 4 year old son is addicted to airplanes and flying. He loves this book so much that he has memorized every page in just a few months. Is a very good book for children of all ethnic backgrounds!

Lyrically written, beautifully illustrated, the book opens a piece of history with which I was not familiar. Dreams, bi-planes, and fulfillment come together wonderfully here.

Angela Johnson's WIND FLYERS tells how a boy's love of flight takes him on a journey from Alabama to the war in Europe, telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen of the second world war. Lovely full-color paintings by Loren Long blend with the story of a boy's early love for flight in this simple introduction to the Tuskegee Airmen's accomplishments.

There's a great photo of the author holding the first flying model of the M2F1 he built and tested, standing next to the M2F1! That's just one of many. The paperback edition has an update from 2005; what a treat that a program from the 1960s has such an up to date publication. If you're a junky for experimental aircraft you have to have this one.

I've studied these vehicles for years and thought I knew a lot about them. But Dale Reed was there and does a masterful job of melding the history time line with the results of the program. There are probably only a handful of people who could have written this book which is as rich in detail and "colorful" stories as any reader could want. If you've read the story of the X-15, this is the next logical step. If you haven't, you need to to really grasp what was going on at Edwards during this time. Fascinating!

A well written book from the engineer that was at the center of this small group of specialized aerospace vehicles. While detailed and somewhat technical, the author still manages to convey the sense of personal excitement, accomplishment and, at times, frustration experienced by everyone supporting these vehicles. A must-read for anyone interested in these vehicles.

Pete Wurts and I wrote this book with the help and guidance of a succesful author of a number of fine books, Jay Wurts, Pete's Son. Jay is also a former military pilot and still flies for pleasure.

Pete and I told our story from our first meeting as aviation cadets in the Army Air Corps shortly after Pearl Harbor through WW II and Korea and many adventures in flying, business, and many others up until the year 006. Pete made his last flight to the heavens shortly after the turn of the year 06 to 07.

I also included 27 years as a test pilot for North American Aviation.

The story has many pictures covering all segments of this story of over 300 pages and 64 years.

I have had many fine compliments from people of all walks of life.

Bill Yoakley

This is a VERY interesting book! These boys lead full and interesting lives. Shows us parts of history that you would find nowhere else. Also shows a friendship that lasts a lifetime. I recommend it highly.

Wingmen is much more than a memoir or an oral history. It's the story of a great friendship that spans the decades from World War II to the present day. In turns it's touching, humorous, harrowing, and inspiring. In the end you feel that you've not so much read a book as spent time listening to entertaining stories told by two good friends you've known for years. The chapter dealing with the "Forgotten War" in Korea is especially insightful, offering readers a chance to see a part of this little-discussed conflict from the inside. All in all a great read.

This book kept me interested thru out. The story of LT Frank Erickson is one of persistance and will. I felt the books ending is what really made it all come together "The Sum of All dreams". The story of Michael Odom is a book within itself. This autor really did his home work and left me understanding the importance of helicopters and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Tom is a gem. He's one of the few people who has written of Coast Guard Aviation who knows that of which he speaks, having been there and done it. This is not to disparage the various historians and popular authors such as Sebastian Junger who have tried to get a handle on what it is we do, but we Pterodactyls are a tight-lipped bunch to outsiders. But Tom is one of us, and we're glad he blabbed. He has done a meticulous study of Frank Erickson and the evolution of the search & rescue helicopter and the mundane, but necessary innovations such as the rescue hoist. Without the machinations that Frank went through, rescue at sea would be a very different business today. Many people do not understand that the United States Coast Guard INVENTED hoisting people from the water. Frank was brilliant, uncredited, and unknown, outside of CG Aviation. He was disdained by the seaplane community in the CG during his lifetime. The passage of time has proven Frank right. In his book, Tom grasped and articulated the struggle that Frank went through proving his theories and nicely packaged Igor Sikorsky's vision for the helicopter as a tool for humanitarian service. Even my non-flying friends enjoyed the book...which I recommend when they ask what the heck it is that I do for a living.

U. S. Coast Guard aviator, Lt. Frank Erickson, on December 7, 1941, saw sailors struggling in the waters of Pearl Harbor. He remembered an article about a small helicopter developed by Igor Sikorsky. Erickson felt here was the ideal rescue tool for the U.S. Coast Guard aviators to help those in distress. From this time forward Erickson worked toward this goal. In the end, it cost him his career. Erickson ran head-long into those officers who felt seaplanes were the ideal rescue device. The book traces the struggle to have the helicopter accepted by the U.S. Coast Guard. One of the interesting currents running through the book is that of strong-willed officers fighting for a cause and willing to sacrifice their careers to advance it. This is one of those rare histories that show the contributions the U.S. Coast Guard has made to naval history. The book is recommended to anyone interested in military and naval history, either in or out of aviation.

This is a book with many stories- the Wright brother's efforts to fly and consequent fame, life at the turn of the century and what was expected from women. Not many women today could relate to this book about Katherine Wright's dedication to her family. Even though she was an educated woman, she gave up her life to take care of her family and almost missed out on a chance for love late in life. Although aimed at older children I think adults would enjoy reading the book and browsing the photos.

Loved this book. Katharine Wright inspired me to want to name my daughter (if I have one)Katharine. But I wish people would spell Katharine Wright's name RIGHT in reviews. AR, not ER in the Katharine.

Katherine was a woman of her times, although she graduated from college, which was rare at that time, and the first in her family to go to college. The book reflected those times. The relationships in the book were sensitively portrayed, and quite accurate. Katherine was an inteligent, warm woman, and was support for her brothers, and was sometimes called the third Wright Brother. She was charming and outgong, which helped the reticent Orville after Wilbur died. Through her eyes, you could find a relationship with her brothers. I recommend the book because it puts a face on the era, the place (Dayton, Ohio and Kittyhawk, NC) and the efforts and success of the brothers Wright.

The story of "Second Schweinfurt" was already somewhat familiar to my family. This was the raid in which my grandfather barely managed to escape his B-17 as it fell from the sky. As a child I remember him talking about that experience and his time as a POW, but I never understood the larger picture until I read this book.

The research that went into this book was based both on official military records and numerous interviews with flight crews, and obviously was performed with great care and attention. Although my grandfather was not interviewed for the book, I was amazed at how closely the book matched the stories he had told, sometimes word for word.

The leadership failures on this day lead to devastating losses for the 305th Bomb Group, and this very valuable book does an excellent job of explaining exactly what went wrong.

There could be no better title for this book. The 8th Air Force flew into a meat grinder on this October 1943 mission. Mr. Kuhl gives a hair raising description of flying over the Reich without the benefit of long range fighter escort (Little friends). There were several raids on Schweinfurt and Reginsburg(sp?) to knockout ballbearing and aircraft factories. On the particular day of the mission described in this book every factor fell in the favor of the defender, the early warning worked, fighters were ready and anti-aircraft (flak) emplacements were prepared all the way from the coast of Europe to the target and back. There are excellent first hand accounts of battling it out with Luftwaffe aircraft, getting hit with 88mm flak and of one B-17 making a mad dash in and out of Alpine valleys trying to outrun the pursuing fighters to neutral Switzerland. Sadly there was a trail of parachutes all acoss Europe as the doomed mission went into and came out of the target area. Good photos. Good description of weapons and tactics used by both side. I highly recomend this book to WW2 aviation buffs.

Only the WWII airwar novel "The Triumph and the Glory" can rival Kuhl's classic book on the Schweinfurt raid. His recounting of the experience of the 305th BG on this horrific October day is spellbinding, I am very impressed and highly recommend Wrong Place Wrong Time to everyone interested in WWII.

If you're thinking about learning to fly, the Lipperts' book gives you great a perspective and encouragement about the experience. For me, it transformed "I've always wanted to fly (for the past 20 years)" to "I understand the journey ahead and I'm ready to start today." After starting pilot training I revisited the book and found the descriptions and forecasts to be accurate. I would recommend this quick-reading and enjoyable book to anyone exploring the dream of flying.

Awsome pictures! Has motivated me, a 15 year old, to get flying lessons. Is easy to read, organized, and answers all of your questions; how do I become a pilot, whats flight training all about, and talks more about airplanes and what cool things you can do once your a pilot. A must have!!!!

I love it! Written for perspective student pilots, this is 115 pages of beautiful photos and exciting destinations. It is a quick read with descriptions of getting started in flying and the training process. At last, a book that promotes learning to fly as safe, fun and easy. I've increased the price of the Introductory Flight at our flight school and now include a copy of this book. Happy flying.

Zero Combat & Development by Robert Mikesh, does a splendid job of telling the story of the history and development of the A6M all models are included and a break down of their history and purpose of coming into play are described. The book covers the successes of the earlier A5M and discusses the specifications handed to Horikoshi. It does an excellent job of explaining the structural defect present in the early model A6M's and what corrective measures were taken to prevent more accidents. It shows many photos interior cut away drawings and specifactons. I am an aviation historian and a model builder and I even learned from reading this book. Also valuable is the information obtained from the captured A6M and the test of many American fighters of that time against the A6M. Don't just take my word for it read it for yourself.

When you are not fluent in Japanese, there are not very much other publications about the A6M Zero I could recommend you to buy. This book has it all: splendid photographs - both historical and of surviving planes-, an indepth text which not just tells the allied side of the story - there is a forword by Zero Ace Saburo Sakai himself -, and a good bibliography of 27 earlier publications about this plane, proving that the author can read the original language himself because most of them are in Japanese. It also list all the classics in the English language up to publication date, only missing the ARCO/Aircam No. 18 by Richard M. Bueschel, published in 1970 and since long out of print, though updated and reissued by Schiffer Books in 1995. The Polish/British Mushroom Publications brought out a Zero monograph by Artur Juszczak as well in November 2001, more focussed on modellers, which can also be used as a sort of 'Walk Around', because there are shots of almost all parts and angles of the plane, something which it has in common with another Polish 'Zero' book by Arthur Lochte.

Mikesh is that rare combination of combat pilot (he was a FAC during the Vietnam War) and historian (former curator at the Natl Air & Space Museum). Japanese military aviation is his speciality, and this book is the definitive history of Japan's remarkable Zero fighter.