Experimental Aircraft Books - History and Models

X-Planes of Europe: Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1947 - 1974

Although much has been written about the legendary American 'X-planes' of this era, far less is known about many of the secret and exotic research aircraft designed and built in Europe especially those in France.
Years ahead of their time, these aircraft were world-class in their own right. In Britain the transonic DH 108 Swallow was pushing towards the sound barrier as early as 1946 and the AW52 'all wing' laminarflow aircraft first flew in 1947.

Despite five years of wartime occupation, France flew its own design jet aircraft in 1946, with the N-20 swept flying wing concept being tested by 1951 in Switzerland and the Swedish SAAB 210 delta wing test aircraft first flying in 1952.
The Fairey Delta 2 smashed the World Air Speed Record (previously held by a North American F-100C Super Sabre) by an astonishing 37% margin; this aircraft was later pivotal in research for the Concorde supersonic airliner programme.
The ungainly Rolls Royce 'Flying Bedstead' of 1953 pioneered the Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) concept used today in the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.

Now, these once highly-classified aircraft are brought together in detail for the first time by the acknowledged experts in this field. The product of years of patient research, much of the material in this ground-breaking book is being made public for the first time.
With many unpublished photographs, previously classified drawings and detailed appendices, the stories of these remarkable aircraft combine to produce an in-depth record that gives these rare and exotic flying machines their proper place in aviation and military history.

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X-Planes of Europe II : More Secret Research Aircraft from the Golden Age 1945-1971

Following on from the successful "X-Place of Europe", Tony Butler adds a second volume of fighter and bomber prototypes.

Aircraft from Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia range from the diminutive Ikarus jet prototypes to the imposing BAC TSR.2, piston-powered French Arsenal VB 10 and the Hispano HA-300. Includes un-built aircraft and NATO attack aircraft, as well as the British aircraft Hawker P.1052 and Short Sperrin.

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Forschungsflugzeuge - Fliegen für die Wissenschaft

This book deals with a very exciting topic in aviation. Many scientific experiments and undertakings require specialized aircraft, for example to investigate the upper atmosphere, weather systems, large areas of water or land, to make astronomical observations, and much more.
The aircraft used for this purpose are in a class of their own and are often elaborately modified custom-made aircraft. In addition to the aircraft themselves, this book also presents the respective research projects and institutes.

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