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The Airplane: How Ideas Gave Us Wings – A Fascinating History with Piece-by-Piece Machinery Analysis
The Airplane by aerospace industry writer Jay Spencer, former assistant curator of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and the Museum of Flight in Seattle, is the definitive history of how we invented and refined the amazing flying machines that enabled humankind to defy gravity. A fascinating true account certain to enthrall and delight aviation and technology buffs, The Airplane is lavishly illustrated with more than 100 photographs and is the first book ever to explore the development of the jetliner through a fascinating piece-by-piece analysis of the machinery of flight.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 16, 2008
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June 30, 2020
The Airplane by Jay Spenser is a highly accessible history of the development of the airplane. The focus of this book is as much on the people who developed the airplane as the history of the airplane itself. Thus, Spenser begins the book by introducing the Sir George Cayley (1773-1857), the first human to divine the principles of flight for a heavier-than-air vehicle, and then the Wright Brothers whom, a century later, successfully flew the world’s first airplane.
After these two introductory chapters, Spenser takes the reader through the development of the airplane piece by piece: first the configuration, then the fuselage, wings, empennage (or tail assembly), flight controls, flight deck, propulsion, landing gear, passenger cabin, and then two final chapters. In each of these chapters the narrative is roughly chronological, and often begins in the mid-19th century, and usually ends somewhere between the 1930s and 1950s. I think this is a smart way to tell the history of the airplane because there are so many different important components that it would be a mess to try and trace everything simultaneously. However, this method of organization still isn’t perfect. For instance, people are often introduced in one chapter, and a hundred pages later in a different chapter we finally return to finish reading about their contributions.
What irked me the most was how the author jumped around within the chapters. Each chapter is divided into small segments where a new person or development is introduced. I thought these sections disrupted the flow of the narrative. Moreover, the first sentence of these segments often followed the pattern: So and so had a problem or It was a rainy day on such and such date. These abrupt introductory sentences, which I suspect were written so as to make the narrative more dramatic, felt clumsy to me. These inelegant transitions served to disrupt the narrative even more. While this is a minor detail, the number of times that I encountered it made it irritating enough to discuss it in a review.
Lastly, there were a few occasions where the author writes that a person “thought this” or “felt this way” and didn’t provide evidence for that statement. While not a frequent occurrence, this did make me a little skeptical.
Nevertheless, there is a lot of great information, both historical and technical, that is covered in this book. I think this book’s strength is its accessibility for the layperson. Firstly, the writing is very casual and highly readable. Secondly, the author doesn’t assume that the reader knows any technical details behind how an airplane works. Obviously, he does go into some technical detail at times, because this is a history of the airplane, after all, but it was never filled with excessive jargon or detail. Yet, I think this book will also appeal to those who do know a good deal about aviation and simply want to learn more. At the time of writing this review, I have just finished my third year of studying aeronautical engineering at college. I’ve learned a lot about the theory behind flight in my classes, but this book really filled in the gaps of the history of the airplane and even a couple technical details which I hadn’t learned yet.
The text is supplemented by a large number of black-and-white images which depict the people and the airplanes themselves. Though the image quality isn't that great in my paperback copy, they are still a nice addition to the book. It's much more convenient then having to find an image of the plane he's discussing on the internet or in another book.
In summary, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the origins of the airplane. This book is highly readable, and the author’s joy for and fascination with flight comes across on every page.
After these two introductory chapters, Spenser takes the reader through the development of the airplane piece by piece: first the configuration, then the fuselage, wings, empennage (or tail assembly), flight controls, flight deck, propulsion, landing gear, passenger cabin, and then two final chapters. In each of these chapters the narrative is roughly chronological, and often begins in the mid-19th century, and usually ends somewhere between the 1930s and 1950s. I think this is a smart way to tell the history of the airplane because there are so many different important components that it would be a mess to try and trace everything simultaneously. However, this method of organization still isn’t perfect. For instance, people are often introduced in one chapter, and a hundred pages later in a different chapter we finally return to finish reading about their contributions.
What irked me the most was how the author jumped around within the chapters. Each chapter is divided into small segments where a new person or development is introduced. I thought these sections disrupted the flow of the narrative. Moreover, the first sentence of these segments often followed the pattern: So and so had a problem or It was a rainy day on such and such date. These abrupt introductory sentences, which I suspect were written so as to make the narrative more dramatic, felt clumsy to me. These inelegant transitions served to disrupt the narrative even more. While this is a minor detail, the number of times that I encountered it made it irritating enough to discuss it in a review.
Lastly, there were a few occasions where the author writes that a person “thought this” or “felt this way” and didn’t provide evidence for that statement. While not a frequent occurrence, this did make me a little skeptical.
Nevertheless, there is a lot of great information, both historical and technical, that is covered in this book. I think this book’s strength is its accessibility for the layperson. Firstly, the writing is very casual and highly readable. Secondly, the author doesn’t assume that the reader knows any technical details behind how an airplane works. Obviously, he does go into some technical detail at times, because this is a history of the airplane, after all, but it was never filled with excessive jargon or detail. Yet, I think this book will also appeal to those who do know a good deal about aviation and simply want to learn more. At the time of writing this review, I have just finished my third year of studying aeronautical engineering at college. I’ve learned a lot about the theory behind flight in my classes, but this book really filled in the gaps of the history of the airplane and even a couple technical details which I hadn’t learned yet.
The text is supplemented by a large number of black-and-white images which depict the people and the airplanes themselves. Though the image quality isn't that great in my paperback copy, they are still a nice addition to the book. It's much more convenient then having to find an image of the plane he's discussing on the internet or in another book.
In summary, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the origins of the airplane. This book is highly readable, and the author’s joy for and fascination with flight comes across on every page.
June 17, 2015
People have been dreaming of building machines that would fly like birds and bats at least since the time of Leonardo da Vinci. Something resembling what we now think of as the airplane was invented in 1799 by George Cayley, a Yorkshire baronet, who was the first to realize that a flying machine can have fixed wings providing lift separate from paddles providing forward thrust, unlike birds and bats, which use moving wings for both. Of course, the steam engines of his day did not have the power-to-weight ratio necessary to operate the paddles or airscrews. The airplane had to wait until the internal combustion engine was invented. Several inventors built flying machines powered by an internal combustion engine in the early 1900s, but the only truly controllable one was the 1903 Flyer by Orville and Wilbur Wright, which is generally considered the first true airplane. Bicycle mechanics by main occupation, the brothers understood that the airplane has to lean in order to turn, unlike other inventors, whose flying machines were too stable and therefore uncontrollable. Thirty years and a world war later, and there was the Boeing 247 airliner of semimonocoque construction, with a cantilevered wing and retractable landing gear (Spenser explains what all these terms mean). Twenty years and another world war later, and there was the De Havilland Comet jetliner, which unfortunately had a tendency to break up in mid-flight because of metal fatigue. Another twenty years brought the high-bypass turbofan engine and the jumbo jet it enabled. Nothing very radical has happened in the next forty years, but the existing systems have been getting ever more reliable and better integrated, and also carbon fiber-reinforced plastic has been gradually replacing metal in airframes, most famously in the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
If you like going to aviation museums and would like to read one book to understand, just what it is that you see there, this is the book you should read. Spenser is as qualified to tell the story of the airplane as anyone, having spent his career as a curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington and the Museum of Flight in Seattle. He goes through the major components of the airplane: the wings, the fuselage, the flight controls and so on, and explains where they came from and where they are going in the future.
If you like going to aviation museums and would like to read one book to understand, just what it is that you see there, this is the book you should read. Spenser is as qualified to tell the story of the airplane as anyone, having spent his career as a curator at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington and the Museum of Flight in Seattle. He goes through the major components of the airplane: the wings, the fuselage, the flight controls and so on, and explains where they came from and where they are going in the future.
November 4, 2018
I didn’t expect a lot, but I was pleasantly surprised. The he book is arranged by engineering aspects of airplanes: airfoil, fuselage, engine, landing gear, instruments, etc. The author gives a history of each including why ultimate solutions won out over other approaches. The book doesn’t go down to the very fine level of detail I was looking for, but it provided a very good foundation for further study. And I found Mr. Spenser’s approach very even handed, rather than favoring one country’s airplanes and researchers over another. In particular, he described the collaboration and sharing of information by designers from different countries, so ultimate successes were built on knowledge and learning from many individuals from many countries. And I found the writing very straightforward and easy to read. A very rewarding read!
December 30, 2020
I’m obviously biased when it comes to books having anything to do with aviation because it’s the field in which I am pursuing a career and love.
But this book was phenomenal it was packed with information not only on the development of the plane and key figures but also with information on all the other aspects of the plane. The fuselage, the engines, the wings, the interior, the aerodynamics and aeronautics etc etc. Even I a huge aviation enthusiast and nerd learned some new aspects of the early history that I didn’t know before.
If you love aviation you should read this book whether it’s because you love to fly or because you love to learn about engineering especially aerospace engineering or even if you love history I think there is something in here that you will enjoy.
But this book was phenomenal it was packed with information not only on the development of the plane and key figures but also with information on all the other aspects of the plane. The fuselage, the engines, the wings, the interior, the aerodynamics and aeronautics etc etc. Even I a huge aviation enthusiast and nerd learned some new aspects of the early history that I didn’t know before.
If you love aviation you should read this book whether it’s because you love to fly or because you love to learn about engineering especially aerospace engineering or even if you love history I think there is something in here that you will enjoy.
November 3, 2013
Even Piece by Piece, an Airplane Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts
"It's a bird, it's a plane..." We all know what an airplane is and take the shape of these ubiquitous flying machines for granted (not to mention getting from place to place on one). That was not only the case. For centuries, man has dreamed of flying, but what a machine capable of enabling people to "escape the surly bonds of the Earth" should look like, no one could know. It should come to no surprise that many people thought that an airplane should flap its wings like a bird. Needless to say, history has not been kind to ornithopters, as such machines are known. Balloons offered man his first taste of soaring above the crowds; the invention of the Montgolfier brothers increased man's thirst for a heavier-than-air machine that could take him aloft. Fast-forward to the beginning: in 1809, an Englishman named George Cayley created the first powered model glider, a later development of which was sufficiently large to carry a young boy aloft for a short hop. The work Sir George inspired William Henson; he created a model of a flying machine he called Ariel, the Henson Aerial Steam Carriage. By 1983, wanting to go the next step of creating a full-size working aircraft, he started the world's first aviation firm. His machine was to be more than a research test vehicle with a payload of one - the pilot. With the British Empire expanding, he would settle for nothing less than creating the world's first airliner. Though the technology was not present to make the dream a reality, engravings of his machine became popular collector's items, inspiring the minds and hearts of people everywhere.
It is worth noting that the Henson Aerial Steam Carriage had most of the elements of what we recognize today as comprising an airplane: a wing, an engine, control surfaces at the rear, and a fuselage to hold it all together and carry the payload. Jay Spenser carefully analyzes each of these components, now they came to be, why they are there, and how they were developed over the years. These are among the "ideas that gave us wings." Even for a seasoned aircraft hobbyist such as myself, with an extensive collection of aviation books and periodicals, this book offered an entirely new perspective on the history and design of the airplanes I love so much. After covering the conception and birth of the airplane, Spenser discusses configuration - how airplanes acquired the shape we recognize today. Then, he examines, piece by piece, the fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls, flight decks, landing gear, and passenger cabin. If the style of the book seems simplistic, it is important to remember that the author is writing for a general audience. That said, there is still plenty for seasoned hobbyist to savor. In addition, the book is exceedingly well written - an absolute joy to read. Furthermore, it is always a pleasure to find an aviation book that looks upon its subject from a new perspective. Jay Spenser's "The Airplane: How Ideas Gave Us Wings" is an affirmation why I am fascinated by flight and love airplanes.
"It's a bird, it's a plane..." We all know what an airplane is and take the shape of these ubiquitous flying machines for granted (not to mention getting from place to place on one). That was not only the case. For centuries, man has dreamed of flying, but what a machine capable of enabling people to "escape the surly bonds of the Earth" should look like, no one could know. It should come to no surprise that many people thought that an airplane should flap its wings like a bird. Needless to say, history has not been kind to ornithopters, as such machines are known. Balloons offered man his first taste of soaring above the crowds; the invention of the Montgolfier brothers increased man's thirst for a heavier-than-air machine that could take him aloft. Fast-forward to the beginning: in 1809, an Englishman named George Cayley created the first powered model glider, a later development of which was sufficiently large to carry a young boy aloft for a short hop. The work Sir George inspired William Henson; he created a model of a flying machine he called Ariel, the Henson Aerial Steam Carriage. By 1983, wanting to go the next step of creating a full-size working aircraft, he started the world's first aviation firm. His machine was to be more than a research test vehicle with a payload of one - the pilot. With the British Empire expanding, he would settle for nothing less than creating the world's first airliner. Though the technology was not present to make the dream a reality, engravings of his machine became popular collector's items, inspiring the minds and hearts of people everywhere.
It is worth noting that the Henson Aerial Steam Carriage had most of the elements of what we recognize today as comprising an airplane: a wing, an engine, control surfaces at the rear, and a fuselage to hold it all together and carry the payload. Jay Spenser carefully analyzes each of these components, now they came to be, why they are there, and how they were developed over the years. These are among the "ideas that gave us wings." Even for a seasoned aircraft hobbyist such as myself, with an extensive collection of aviation books and periodicals, this book offered an entirely new perspective on the history and design of the airplanes I love so much. After covering the conception and birth of the airplane, Spenser discusses configuration - how airplanes acquired the shape we recognize today. Then, he examines, piece by piece, the fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls, flight decks, landing gear, and passenger cabin. If the style of the book seems simplistic, it is important to remember that the author is writing for a general audience. That said, there is still plenty for seasoned hobbyist to savor. In addition, the book is exceedingly well written - an absolute joy to read. Furthermore, it is always a pleasure to find an aviation book that looks upon its subject from a new perspective. Jay Spenser's "The Airplane: How Ideas Gave Us Wings" is an affirmation why I am fascinated by flight and love airplanes.
March 7, 2017
An extremely pleasant surprise, this book is not a traditional history of aviation, cataloging the different makes and models of aircraft through the years. Instead, Jay Spenser has authored the "biography" of a thing. And just as a man's character can be revealed through the trajectory of events and experiences on his path from youth to adulthood, the Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" is understood as the "grown-up" Wright Flyer achieved through a lifetime of technological advances. As a pilot and aviation aficionado, I came away seeing the airplane in a new light and perspective.
July 2, 2015
Spenser has written a good overview of the history of manned flight, taken from the various perspectives of different aircraft parts or systems.
After an initial overview of the early origins of manned flight, Spenser focuses each chapter on one particular part of the aircraft and traces the development of design in relation to that element. I appreciated this approach to dividing up the story of flight, but it also made each chapter a bit predictable: start with Cayley or the Wrights, and work forward to modern times.
Anyone with an interest in airplanes and flight will probably not find much new here, aside from a few anecdotes here and there; anyone without an interest in airplanes and flight shouldn't be reading this in the first place. Still, Spenser's style is easy and it's an approachable read.
After an initial overview of the early origins of manned flight, Spenser focuses each chapter on one particular part of the aircraft and traces the development of design in relation to that element. I appreciated this approach to dividing up the story of flight, but it also made each chapter a bit predictable: start with Cayley or the Wrights, and work forward to modern times.
Anyone with an interest in airplanes and flight will probably not find much new here, aside from a few anecdotes here and there; anyone without an interest in airplanes and flight shouldn't be reading this in the first place. Still, Spenser's style is easy and it's an approachable read.
April 24, 2010
If, like me, you're a serious aviation history geek then you will love this book. It breaks down the airplane literally piece by piece (wings, fuselage, engine, etc.) and examines the ideas and history behind how the airplane came together and became what we know today. It's well structured (see engine parts: above) and informative. And if you have an aviation jones (see above) then you will find it entertaining as well.
July 17, 2011
If you enjoy aviation and history, this book is a near perfect blend. Each chapter breaks down the invention and development of the different parts of the airplane. Spenser does a great job explaining the aspects of a plane or the process of operating one that has always made you wonder how they came about. Written with enough anecdotes and useful detail, it kept me entertained the entire way through.
Recommended for any pilot or aviation enthusiast.
Recommended for any pilot or aviation enthusiast.
November 7, 2013
This book was great, I loved the way it was written, I wish that all modern sciences had books like these, that provide a chronological, methodical progression from the early beginnings to current developments.
May 30, 2010
Interesting history of the airplane, from subsystem level to entire system
November 9, 2010
Really good introduction the earlier history of aviation. Enjoyed it a lot.
June 30, 2011
Is on page 234....creeping at a snail's pace, but now that I am reading about items in our collection, it is more interesting. Sorry Ben.
May 22, 2012
a little slow in spots, but overall very informative.
January 7, 2013
Entertaining history of the development of the aircraft and the people involved in it. Very good reference for enthusiasts and professionals of the industry.
September 3, 2013
Great aviation book containing history, a little bit of technical knowledge and a decent attempt to sequence and link different historical events in aviation.
January 26, 2016
An excellent, broad, and easy to read history of every aspect of aviation technology and people, organized by overall experimentation and development and then by individual aircraft systems.
April 11, 2016
Excellent book. Second time reading. As an engineer this book covers technical facts in the form of good storytelling.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews