This book chronicles the development, production, and application of what was arguably the finest aircraft piston engine ever produced - the Pratt & Whitney R-2800. It powered many of the significant fighters and medium bombers of the conflict, and went on to power many other military and commercial aircraft.

World War II saw a tremendous number of advances in aviation technology. Low-speed maneuverability, robust pressurization systems, and implementation of the first jet engines are just a few of the amazing developments made. Returning GIs, having experienced air travel to distant lands, were expected to fuel a postwar travel boom. That perceived need drove companies such as Consolidated Vultee Airlines (Convair) to propose a new series of medium-range airliners, thus giving birth to the Convair-Liner and their turboprop-powered conversions - the Turbo-Liner. More than 55 years after the first flight of the Convair-Liner, turboprop-powered examples of the type are still hauling cargo in the United States and passengers in a few foreign countries. This book discusses the development of the Convair Twins and their eventual transition from piston power to turboprop power. Over 300 photos illustrate Convair Twins' interior, exterior, powerplants, and systems. Find out who the initial delivery customers of the 240, 340, and 440 were. This book covers the many challenges Convair faced and the technologies employed to advance it. Also covered are military models, domestic and foreign airline operators and models flown, second airline owners, and significant dates in Convair-Liner history.

Aircraft of the World is filled with the fastest, biggest, weirdest, and most popular aircraft that ever flew. Each spread features a full-color photograph of the plane, an illustration displaying its special features, including fascinating cutaway illustrations, and a colorful diagram that highlights a fun fact about each aircraft, such as its size, range, speed, altitude, or number of passengers. The format introduces students to the variety of ways information is presented in nonfiction text and the high-interest topic will spark the interest of struggling readers.

A visual history of the US Eighth Air Force in World War II

For most of the past century, beautiful models of airliners have been made to promote their airlines' services in travel agents and their own shops. The models also illustrate the evolution of airliner design over these decades: the wood and fabric biplanes of the 1920s, the broad adoption of all-metal airliners in the 1930s, the first jet airliners of the 1950s, the first wide-body airliners of the 1970s and the pioneering small steps in supersonic air travel are all covered. The increasingly colourful exterior schemes adopted by the airlines, to ensure recognition by aspiring passengers, provide an interesting subtext. For model collectors, the airliner type, makers name, scale, approximate age and the materials used are detailed for each model illustrated. A short history of significant model-making companies is covered. With the onset of online bookings and the closure of airline offices and travel agents, the use of models is fast vanishing forever. The focus of this book is to preserve this fascinating era when models were a significant marketing tool, and to ensure that these models, at least in photographic form, survive as a record for future generations.