Product Description

Experience the thrill of flying some of the world's most important airplanes and spacecraft. Best Of The National Air And Space Museum provides unprecedented access to the most popular museum in the world.

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum hosts more than 9 million visitors a year, and the newly opened Dulles Center –three football fields long and ten stories high – is a phenomenon in its own right: in the first week it was opened, some 250,000 people came through the doors.

Best Of The National Air And Space Museum features the best of both museums, from the Challenger space shuttle and the Wright flyer to the Spirit of St. Louis and the stealth bomber. Bob Van der Linden, curator of aeronautics, has selected the most historically important, popular, and just plain impressive aircraft and spacecraft from the collections of both museums to be captured in the book's beautiful full color layouts. Each layout includes intriguing facts of the item's design, use, mission, specifications, and dimensions. It's like your own guided tour!

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Guide to the National Air & Space Museum
I recently visited the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. It was the first time I'd been there since they moved into their current facility in the mid-1970's. It was breathtaking. The best way to describe the effect of walking in the main entrance is to envision the bedroom of a boy who hangs model airplanes from the ceiling. Only at the NASM, the "models" hanging from the ceiling are full-size. I was a model-building boy in the 1950's, and my favorites were planes I'd built from kits. Unfortunately, the museum was undergoing some of its regular updating and a few of my favorite planes weren't on view, such as the F89 Super Saber. Fortunately, that plane and most (if not all) the permanent collection are profiled in the Best of the National Air and Space Museum. If at all possible, visit the museum. If you can't get there, buy the book. Actually, buy the book in either case. You won't be disappointed.

Nat'l Air & Space Museum review
Great photograghs with well written copy. This book makes me want to go to this museum and see first hand the items displayed. Highly recommend!!!

Great photo essay, history of aviation and space
i'm an engineer- worked rocket motors, and various satellite programs.this book was recommended by associate after visiting the museum at Langley.The pics are super, with short descriptions, and moderate on the tech.It's an amazing pulse of this wild history, and mostly is from America's lineage.St. Louis, Mercury, Atlas, and up to current Shuttle.There's also the SST, and unique turn of the century early birds.A fine read to be shared with a youngster (my son 10, digs it), or for the historyor engineering buff.amazon has it cheaper than at the museum. ... Read more

Product Description
Aviation Museums of Britain has established itself as a valued on-the-spot guide to the nation''s aviatio n museums. Crammed with ideas for days or weekends out, it d etails facilities at each museum and gives accurate directio ns for visitors. ' ... Read more

Product Description
Excellent pictorial history of famed aircraft and aviation memorabilia depicted in 90 rare photos and illustrations: replica of Lilienthal Glider (1894), the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny, America's most famous WW I airplane; Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt (1945), Grumman's Mobile Lunar Laboratory (Molab, 1964), and many other planes, spacecraft, rockets and missiles. Extensive captions.
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Customer Reviews (1)

A remarkable display of museum exhibits
"Historic Aircraft and Spacecraft" in the Cradle of Aviation Museum is a remarkable display of museum exhibits. Black-and-white photographs pepper exhaustive and informational entries about relics of aviation history, from noted kite designs to sleek jet models. Historic Aircraft And Spacecraft is very highly recommended for aviation buffs, as well as students of aviation history. ... Read more

Product Description
America's first international air meet was held January 10-20, 1910, in Los Angeles on a mesa called Dominguez Hill, situated 13.5 miles south of the plaza at the pueblo of Los Angeles. Enthusiasm for aviation grew after the first international air meet in 1909 in Rheims, France, where American aviator Glenn H. Curtiss won three prestigious speed prizes and 36,000 francs. An even more spectacular air meet, which would also invigorate the local economy, was promoted for Los Angeles. Businessman Dick Ferris, the Los Angeles Merchants and Manufacturers Association, and the Los Angeles Examiner collaborated to make it possible. Most Americans had never seen the newfangled machines that soared in the skies. Initially skeptical, they soon were awed. So began America's love affair with aviation. The air meet influenced aviation in Southern California and transportation worldwide into the 21st century. ... Read more

Product Description
Since that windy day in 1903 when the Wright brothers became airborne, the world has witnessed amazing advances in aviation and space flight. Among the highlights of this definitive pictorial review are the Wright brothers' flyer, Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, the first airplane to circumnavigate the globe and much more. Full-color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Better than one hundred rolls of film.
"Treasures of the National Air and Space Museum" beautifully capture the best this vibrant museum has to offer.The 300 illustrations are an homage to aviation history:the famous aircraft, experimentalvehicles and the obscure vessels.The illustrations include the Spirit ofSt. Louis, the Wright Flyer, Mercury and Apollo backup spacecraft,representative cutting edge aircraft for their time, and a host of otherwonderful photographs.

The museum also owns an impressive collection ofaviation-related art which this book also includes.

You can spend days inthe actual museum and not get to see all it offers, but this book will giveyou a head start and an appreciation for the breadth of the museum'scollection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good Airplane Museum Reference book
This book is a very good reference if you wish to visit airplane museums in the United States.It covers the museums location, phone number, hours of operation and what kinds of planes are on display.There was a lot of research put into this book and I highly recommend it.C. Jeff Dyrek, the yellow airplane guy. ... Read more

Product Description
Victor John "Shorty" Hatton started his aviation career in a near fatal crash of an Avro 504K and ended it with another Avro aircraft, the Arrow. The story of his working life, from the First World War to the Cold War, is the history of aviation. ... Read more

Product Description
For years, reaching the paradise destination of Santa Catalina Island, located miles out in the Pacific Ocean, was possible primarily by steamship. But as early as 1912, the first amphibious airplane landed in Avalon Bay, and the first air-passenger service was introduced in 1919. Seaplane service thrived on Catalina, and aircraft engine roars became a distinctive memory for many residents, along with the thrill of crossing the channel by plane and landing on the water. The Airport in the Sky; opened in 1946, with United Airlines operating DC-3s, followed by other airlines operating land-based planes. Today helicopters carry passengers across the San Pedro Channel in less than 15 minutes. This unique photographic history covers public air transportation to and from Southern California's iconic island, featuring memories and stories from residents, visitors, and airline employees. ... Read more

Product Description
Since its founding in 1911, U.S. naval aviation has been characterized by courage and innovation. Today's sophisticated crews owe their careers to men like self-taught flyer Eugene Ely, who, wearing a football helmet and a bicycle inner tube as a life preserver, was the first man to take off and land on the deck of a ship. In this comprehensive account, historians, authors, and experts, as well as active duty and retired Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard officers, contribute essays on naval aviation history and past and present aviators. Oversized and magnificently illustrated, this book will be cherished by aviators and the countless others who have been inspired by the feats of U.S. naval aviation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Gorgoues book, perfect condition
I bought this as a Christmas gift for my uncle who was a "Tin Can Sailor" and he has been leafing through it ever since. There are tons of beautiful images and we cannot believe this was once-owned by another person, as the condition is so pristine. A great value.

US Naval Aviation
The book was well worth the money spent, with lots of photos and illustrations. A very concise history of naval aviation. It is a valuable addition to my aircraft collection of data about all US military aircraft.The vendor shipped it out immediately and was received in less then 5 days. Thank you.

Expensive But Fun
Great coffee table book.Terrific time killer.It's not a particularly great history if you're looking for gobs of detail, but it's a fun book to browse through and the photos are terrific.Expensive, but worth it.

Naval Aviation History
Great super size book with lots of color and B/W photographs. Complete history of US Navy's aviation from first aircraft shipborne trials to modern time operations. Color photographs are superb and by itself are more than worthy enough even for the full price of the book. There is also a special section on the US Navy's Blue Angels Team and aircraft.

impressive!
A coffee table book about military aviation may strike some people as a bit of a stretch, but here is a collector's item for those who groove on Wings of Gold. The photos are magnificent, and there are plenty of them. You'd need a 3-D monitor to get the full impact of that cover, on which the wings and the seal are impressively raised. (For a minute there, when I opened the package, I wasn't sure whether I was receiving a book or the Medal of Honor.) Crisply edited. Altogether, a work of art. ... Read more

Product Description
San Diego's North Island is one of the most significant venues of aviation in the world. Starting in 1911, it was the home to one of the nation's first aviation schools, founded by Glenn Curtiss, who pioneered seaplane flight. He trained the nucleus of America's future air forces there, including Lt. Theodore Ellyson, the first naval aviator. When the United States entered World War I, the government took over the island with plans to build a training center for the nation's armed forces. The new army base was named Rockwell Field, and the navy portion was named Naval Air Station San Diego. By 1937, the army had moved out, and the navy became the sole tenant. Today NAS North Island is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the navy and is headquarters for the Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

NAS North Island Aviation
An excellent book with high quality photos of the early years at North Island. Although the emphasis is on aircraft there are photos of people, buildings and hangars. It is a fine addition to the 1967 book Jackrabbits to Jets.

not what I expected
I was expecting a book about the base at NAS North Island....In my view the book is primarilya photo history of the aircraft stationed at NAS North Island rather than history of the base itself...I returned my copy.... ... Read more

Product Description
This valuable directory contains a wealth of data on the history of aviation and attempts, for the first time, to identify every aircraft manufacturer and designer and every aircraft produced. This indispensable reference book is a comprehensive guide to the sheer number and variety of aircraft produced in the last hundred years.

The directory has thousands of entries with, for each manufacturer or designer, the names of all the classes of aircraft produced (powered fixed wing, unpowered fixed wing, powered rotor rotor-craft and unpowered-rotor rotor-craft). Entries are cross-referenced and brief histories of important companies have been added to enable the researcher to chart mergers, closures, and name changes. Significant nicknames and code names are also detailed. This valuable and unique book presents a vast, official array of data in an accessible form and is an essential reference book for any aviation enthusiast. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Exactly what it claims to be . . .
This directory, according to the introduction, is a byproduct of the effort to reorganize "a century's worth of aviation documents" in the National Air and Space Museum files. The result is an alphabetical listing of some 5,000 manufacturers/designers which have produced roughly 25,000 discrete types or models of piloted aircraft, about which NASM presumably has some information. For example, "Ferguson, Charles J. (California)" is listed has having designed/produced the "Ferguson Glider".Likewise, some 60 iterations of the basic C-130 Hercules design are listed under "Lockheed (Burbank, CA)". However, this book is exactly what the title suggests--a directory. You'll find no further information about the Ferguson glider or any of the many Hercules variants between the prototype YC-130 and the latest AC-130U.

What you will find are very brief histories of those companies (Lockheed among them) which have been transformed over the years through mergers, name changes, and so forth. This can help the serious researcher unravel some of the complex "arrangements" that have been made in the aircraft business over the years, particularly concerning companies that have long since ceased to exist. As would be expected in a work of this type, there are also some bits of what might best be described as aeronautical trivia. On page 253 is listed "Schmuck Aircraft (See: Monarch)".

The last 65 pages consist of another alphabetical listing of aircraft by name. Thus we find that the "ABC Glider" was produced by Schultz and the "Zwergreiher (Heron)" is the name given to the Burgfalke Lo 100.

In summary, this directory will no doubt serve as a useful guide to those fortunate enough to actually access the NASM files, and hopefully it will soon be found on the reference shelves of most libraries. It will also be helpful to someone who's trying to figure out what company built the "Gnu", for example, but bear in mind that to find anything ABOUT the thousands of aircraft listed here, you'll have to keep looking. ... Read more