Racing aircraft: books - history, types and construction

Schneider Trophy Aircraft 1913-1931

At the end of 1912, Jacques Schneider announced his intention to present an annual trophy for an international seaplane contest. There were only twelve Schneider contests, but these were major international events, which came to rival others in Britain, Italy, France, and the US.
Biplane seaplanes and flying boats predominated the early contests and some very advanced twin-float biplanes were among the winners as late as 1925. Of all contenders, it was the monoplane which was to become the symbol of the Schneider Trophy, when its Supermarine and Macchi designs reached the apex of seaplane -racing performance.

The final, winning combination of a Supermarine airframe and Rolls-Royce engine made a vital contribution to Britain's defence in 1940, in the form of the Rolls-Royce powered Hurricane and Spitfire.

This book gives a detailed account of the contests; the design, development, and achievements of both aircraft which took part and which failed to; and the advanced ? and sometimes unrealistic ? ideas behind the projects themselves.

An engineering apprenticeship at the Gloster Aircraft Company initiated Derek James' lifetime career in aviation. He went on to join the ATC, Royal Observer Corps, Royal Navy, RAF, SBAC, and Dowty Group, and is the author of 19 aviation books.

History's Most Important Racing Aircraft

Don Berliner, a prolific aviation author, puts pen to paper once again to provide us with a definitive overview of the most important, influential, and iconic racing aircraft of the last century. The book looks at the incredible variety, growth, and rapid expansion of this area of aviation design and production. Individual events are relayed which deal with teams of designers, often equipped with a lot more ideas than money, making wild dashes for the checkered flag and fame.

Supplemented throughout by extensive illustrations (over 200 images) this piece of work is sure to appeal to enthusiasts of the genre interested in seeing the most select racing aircraft of all time consolidated into one volume.
Aircraft featured include the Schneider Cup winning 1919 Supermarine Sealion, the iconic De Havilland Comet, post-war jet racers such as the Lockheed P-80A and the North American F-86A as well as a whole host of Formula One, Sport Biplane and Jet Class racers. Details of the current status of each racer is given, indicating whether the craft is still active or whether preserved models are available for viewing.