If you eat, sleep and breathe aviation — especially its history — then you will enjoy “50 Aircraft That Changed the World,” a coffee-table book from Ron Dick and Dan Patterson.
It chronicles some of the technological marvels of aviation, starting with the Wright brothers’ 1905 Flyer, through the two World Wars, through the development of airlines and experimental designs such as Space Ship One, and ending with stealth technology such as the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter.
The emphasis is on aircraft that influenced the development of future models and were truly the first of their kind.
The book features color photographs and text that details the missions of the aircraft and their places in history. It also has entries for civilian training aircraft, such as the Cessna 100 series.
This book is a must for military aviation fanatics. In addition to entries for American made aircraft, designs from other countries, such as the Russian MiG-15, the British Mosquito and Spitfire, the Canadian Avro and the German Messerschmitt, are chronicled here.
The book, published by Boston Mills Press, sells for $39.95.