The Airplane

How Ideas Gave Us Wings

By: Jay Spenser

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Paperback | 1 December 2009

At a Glance

Paperback
352 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.5 x 15.8 x 2.1

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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.

Industry Reviews

"A story with a new character and a new engineering problem on every other page, each served with a sense of delight in ideas that sent humanity aloft." -- Seattle Times

"This is a written like an episode of the old TV show Connections, and is just as entertaining." -- Sacramento Book Review

"A smart ...history of a thrilling machine all too often taken for granted." -- Publishers Weekly

"An engaging text...The lively writing and the number of photographs set it above many of its competitors." -- Library Journal

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Engineering & Technology Transport Technology & Trades Aerospace & Aviation Technology Transportation Aircraft & Aviation History Biographies & True Stories Biographies Science, Technology & Medicine Biographies

Introduction	p. xi
Conception: The Thinker and the Dreamer	p. 1
Birth: Wilbur, Orville, and the World	p. 16
Configuration: Shapes and Ideas	p. 37
Fuselage: Of Drums and Dragonflies	p. 56
Wings, Part I: From Box Kites to Bridges	p. 86
Wings, Part II: Cloud-Cutting Cantilevers	p. 112
Empennage: Whale Flukes and Arrow Feathers	p. 136
Flight Controls: The Chariot's Reins	p. 142
Flight Deck: Cockpits for Aerial Ships	p. 173
Aero Propulsion: Prometheus Is Pushing	p. 201
Landing Gear: Shoes, Canoes, and Carriage Wheels	p. 238
Passenger Cabin: Voyaging Aloft	p. 253
Systems Integration: Making Flying Safer	p. 281
Today's State Of The Art: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner	p. 292
Postscript Tomorrow's Wings: Future Air Travel Technologies	p. 305
Notes	p. 311
Acknowledgments	p. 319
Photo Credits	p. 321
Index	p. 323
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

The Airplane

How Ideas Gave Us Wings

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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