50 Aircraft That Changed the World

"A close-up survey of 50 of arguably the most remarkable and influential aircraft in aviation history. . . . Beautifully presented . . . this book will grace the coffee table of any aviation aficionado."
-- Airforce Magazine

In this book, the authors of the widely acclaimed Aviation Century series profile 50 of history's most influential aircraft, their pilots and designers.

They begin with the Wright Brothers' 1905 Flyer, then move on to the birth of aerial warfare in World War I, the trailblazers of the interwar years, classic World War II aircraft, the jets of the Korean and Vietnam wars, modern commercial carriers, private jets, experimental designs and new combat fighters featuring stealth technology.

Featured aircraft in 50 Aircraft That Changed the World include:

Fokker E.111
Charles Lindbergh's Ryan NYP
Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Supermarine Spitfire
Boeing B-17
Avro Lancaster
De Havilland Mosquito
Howard Hughes's Lockheed Constellation
Concorde
Learjet
Boeing B-52
Rutan Voyager

Hundreds of color and archival photographs enhance the informative and entertaining text.

Customer Reviews:

The collaborative work of aviation historians Ron Dick and Dan Patterson

By Midwest Book Review - November 4, 2007

The collaborative work of aviation historians Ron Dick and Dan Patterson, "50 Aircraft That Changed The World" is a profusely illustrated, 208-page compendium providing an informed and informative survey of fifty of the most influential aircraft in the history of aviation to date. Beginning with the Wright Brothers' 1905 Flyer, then addressing and illustrating the strides in aircraft and aircraft production spurred on by the demands of World War I, then noting the trail-blazer aircraft of the inter-war years (including the first passenger flights and the great flying boats), to classic World War II era aircraft such as the Bf 109, the Spitfire, and the Mustang, to the coming of age of the jet aircraft in the Korean and Vietnam wars, to modern commercial carries, private jets, experimental aviation designs, and concluding with the new generation of combat fighters featuring Stealth technology. An impressive and encyclopedic history of influential aircraft, "50 Aircraft That Changed The... read more

Nice book but biased author

By Game Guy "Game Guy" - December 25, 2007

I read the description of the SPAD XIII aircraft (page 30) and was disappointed to find disparaging comments about famous WWI pilot Rene Fonck. As an aircraft and history buff, I prefer authors who focus on technical and personal achievements instead of those more interested in satisfying their personal prejudice. It is an unfortunate tendency of several British authors of Ron Dick's generation to routinely publish disparaging comments about French pilots or French aircraft. Although this is a very nicely done book, this sort of personal bias remains both unnecessary and irritating to some readers.

Gift for Dad.

By LT - February 28, 2013

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my father. He never looked at it and didn't know where he put it after I gave it to him. Unfortunately I know nothing about the subject. I located it a few mos. later, in a bag full of other Christmas gifts. I wish I could have shared his passion of flight with him. I'm sure it was a satisfying accomplishment for the author. I hope that one day I can draw it out, share it with my father, and enjoy it as I originally intended.