AVIATION — THE PIONEER YEARS
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Characteristics
| ISBN-13 | 9781851703494 |
| ISBN-10 | 1851703497 |
| Book cover finish(es) | Hardcover ( round back binding ) |
| Special Features | • Dust jacket |
| Condition | Used - Very Good |
| Author(s) | Ben Mackworth-Praed |
| Publisher | Studio Editions Ltd. |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Published date | 1990 |
| Language(s) | English |
| Size | 26 x 32 x 3 cm |
| Categorie(s) | • PRÉCURSEURS - PIONNIERS • ENCYCLOPÉDIES • PREMIÈRE GUERRE MONDIALE |
Description
AVIATION: THE PIONEER YEARS retraces the extraordinary evolution of flight, dividing its story into five key periods, each explored in detail.
The first period surveys the legendary attempts at flight before the eighteenth century, from Icarus through Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, culminating with the Montgolfier and Charles balloons—hot-air and hydrogen—invented within twelve weeks of each other.
The second period highlights the realization that human power alone could never sustain heavier-than-air flight or navigate a lighter-than-air craft. This era ends with the emergence of two distinct paths: the motor-men and the glider-men.
By 1901, the strands began to converge. The Wright brothers in America solved the critical problem of directional stability with their wing-warping system. In 1903, they combined a petrol engine with their controllable glider, achieving powered flight for the first time. From there, both the aeroplane and the airship rapidly advanced. Within a decade, the Wright Flyer’s wood-and-canvas design evolved alongside the three Zeppelins that carried 19,109 passengers over twenty months without a single accident. The book also recounts the first long-distance journeys to Africa and Russia.
The fourth stage covers the First World War, where immense investment fueled mass production but resulted in limited fundamental technological progress. Aircraft of 1918 remained largely similar to those of 1914, with the main difference being scale.
The fifth and final chapter examines the postwar shift from individual aviation efforts to powerful commercial enterprises, pushing the boundaries of speed, altitude, endurance, and safety.
Rich in incidents, remarkable personalities, and astonishing aircraft, AVIATION: THE PIONEER YEARS combines over 850 extraordinary illustrations—many rare—with a clear, informative text, making it an indispensable work for anyone fascinated by humanity’s relentless drive to conquer the skies.