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The Classic Civil Aircraft Guide
Picture book
128 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1999
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March 25, 2013
What constitutes a classic aircraft? The problem is that everyone has an opinion on this matter. In addition, an even lesser-known aircraft could still be a classic. "The Classic Civil Aircraft Guide" includes examples of both. This book describes 53 civil aircraft from the Golden Age to the beginning of the Jet Age; an amazing variety of types from all parts of the world. Each aircraft is presented in a three-view format, accompanied by detailed technical specifications (using imperial and metric units, making this a versatile reference) and a brief history. The beautiful drawings are by the top names in the field of aviation illustration. What you get is a colorful reference on amazing and interesting civil airplanes.
The following types are included: Dornier Super Wal, De Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth, Junkers F.13, Ford Tri-Motor, Fokker F.VII, Handley Page H.P.42, Dornier Do.X., Piper J-3 Cub, Heinkel He 70G, Short S.21 Maia/Mercury composite, Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, Boeing 314 Clipper, Junkers G.38, Boeing Model 247, Lockheed Vega/Sirius/Orion, De Havilland D.H.89, De Havilland D.H.104 Dove/D.H. 114 Heron, Beech Super 18, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Antonov An-3, Curtis C-46 Commando, De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4), Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy, Vickers Viscount (700 Series), Tupolev Tu-104, De Havilland DHC-3 Otter, Vickers Viking, Lockheed L-1049 Constellation, Lockheed L-188 Electra, Convair 240/440 and turboprop conversions, De Havilland D.H.106 Comet 4B, NAMC YS-11, Vickers Vanguard, Ilyushin Il-14, Canadair CL-215, Vickers Super VC10, Tupolev Tu-114, LET L-410 Turbolet, Canadair CL-44, Ilyushin Il-18, Boeing 707-320B, Rockwell Thrush Commander, Martin 2-0-2/4-0-4, Bristol Britannia, BAC-111, Handley-Page Dart Herald, Antonov An-24, Antonov A -12, Pitts Special, Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante, and Fokker F.27 Friendship. Needless to say, that is quite a selection!
Nearly each of these aircraft represents a milestone in aircraft design or production. They were ground-breaking designs for a variety of reasons, whether monococque construction, cantilevered wings, high capacity, durability, versatility, speed, or popularity. I have three issues: First, the aircraft are not arranged in alphabetic order. Second, though everyone will have a favorite aircraft not on the list, there are a few obvious aircraft that deserved to be included, namely the Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-6, Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle, Douglas DC-8, Boeing 747, Concorde, and Cessna 172 Skyhawk; at least those aircraft need to be in this book. Third, the Piper Cub and Bristol Britannia should have been portrayed in their civilian colors, rather than as military aircraft. For the Curtiss Commando and Douglas C-54, I understand the military markings, as both aircraft were first flown by the military, then as civil airliners (though they were designed for the civil market).
Where the book comes in strong is that it combines useful data with beautiful illustrations, giving the reader the best of both worlds. And those illustrations are indeed masterpieces, ones the reader will want to look at over and over.
The following types are included: Dornier Super Wal, De Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth, Junkers F.13, Ford Tri-Motor, Fokker F.VII, Handley Page H.P.42, Dornier Do.X., Piper J-3 Cub, Heinkel He 70G, Short S.21 Maia/Mercury composite, Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra, Boeing 314 Clipper, Junkers G.38, Boeing Model 247, Lockheed Vega/Sirius/Orion, De Havilland D.H.89, De Havilland D.H.104 Dove/D.H. 114 Heron, Beech Super 18, Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Antonov An-3, Curtis C-46 Commando, De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4), Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy, Vickers Viscount (700 Series), Tupolev Tu-104, De Havilland DHC-3 Otter, Vickers Viking, Lockheed L-1049 Constellation, Lockheed L-188 Electra, Convair 240/440 and turboprop conversions, De Havilland D.H.106 Comet 4B, NAMC YS-11, Vickers Vanguard, Ilyushin Il-14, Canadair CL-215, Vickers Super VC10, Tupolev Tu-114, LET L-410 Turbolet, Canadair CL-44, Ilyushin Il-18, Boeing 707-320B, Rockwell Thrush Commander, Martin 2-0-2/4-0-4, Bristol Britannia, BAC-111, Handley-Page Dart Herald, Antonov An-24, Antonov A -12, Pitts Special, Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante, and Fokker F.27 Friendship. Needless to say, that is quite a selection!
Nearly each of these aircraft represents a milestone in aircraft design or production. They were ground-breaking designs for a variety of reasons, whether monococque construction, cantilevered wings, high capacity, durability, versatility, speed, or popularity. I have three issues: First, the aircraft are not arranged in alphabetic order. Second, though everyone will have a favorite aircraft not on the list, there are a few obvious aircraft that deserved to be included, namely the Douglas DC-3, Douglas DC-6, Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle, Douglas DC-8, Boeing 747, Concorde, and Cessna 172 Skyhawk; at least those aircraft need to be in this book. Third, the Piper Cub and Bristol Britannia should have been portrayed in their civilian colors, rather than as military aircraft. For the Curtiss Commando and Douglas C-54, I understand the military markings, as both aircraft were first flown by the military, then as civil airliners (though they were designed for the civil market).
Where the book comes in strong is that it combines useful data with beautiful illustrations, giving the reader the best of both worlds. And those illustrations are indeed masterpieces, ones the reader will want to look at over and over.
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