Sets the standard in aviation reference. This title provides exhaustive technical detail on over 1,000 civil and military aircraft currently being produced or under development by more than 600 companies.

This companion to Jane's All the World's Aircraft contains full technical descriptions of aircraft which are in service but no longer in production.

In 1945 Britain was the world's leading designer and builder of aircraft - a world-class achievement that was not mere rhetoric. And what aircraft they were. The sleek Comet, the first jet airliner. The awesome delta-winged Vulcan, an intercontinental bomber that could be thrown about the sky like a fighter. The Hawker Hunter, the most beautiful fighter-jet ever built and the Lightning, which could zoom ten miles above the clouds in a couple of minutes and whose pilots rated flying it as better than sex. How did Britain so lose the plot that today there is not a single aircraft manufacturer of any significance in the country? What became of the great industry of de Havilland or Handley Page? And what was it like to be alive in that marvellous post-war moment when innovative new British aircraft made their debut, and pilots were the rock stars of the age? James Hamilton-Paterson captures that season of glory in a compelling book that fuses his own memories of being a schoolboy plane spotter with a ruefully realistic history of British decline - its loss of self confidence and power. It is the story of great and charismatic machines and the men who flew them: heroes such as Bill Waterton, Neville Duke, John Derry and Bill Beaumont who took inconceivable risks, so that we could fly without a second thought.

Jane's Aircraft Upgrades contains full descriptions of the world's most significant fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft no longer in production but still in service. It is a complete resource for market intelligence, threat assessment and recognition and serves as the complete companion to Jane's All the World's Aircraft. Alphabetically, by manufacturer, there are full technical descriptions of both commercial and military aircraft, followed by the latest upgrade programmes associated with each type, particularly in the commercial sector. There are also full descriptions of the aircraft manufacturers and upgrade companies worldwide. Many of the aircraft types in operational use around the globe are no longer in full-scale production. Insight is provided into the latest technological advances for the aviation industry from every diesel engine performance upgrade to the latest precision targeting technology for military combat platforms.

Control of the air is the foundation for all conventional military operations against an adversary with an air defence capability. In future warfare, will it be possible for Unmanned Combat Air Systems to undertake the tasks and accept most of the risks that, until now, have been the lot of military aviators?

This book is based on lectures held at the faculty of mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern. The focus is on the central theme of societies overall aircraft requirements to specific material requirements and highlights the most important advantages and challenges of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) compared to conventional materials. As it is fundamental to decide on the right material at the right place early on the main activities and milestones of the development and certification process and the systematic of defining clear requirements are discussed. The process of material qualification - verifying material requirements is explained in detail. All state-of-the-art composite manufacturing technologies are described, including changes and complemented by examples, and their improvement potential for future applications is discussed. Tangible case studies of high lift and wing structures emphasize the specific advantages and challenges of composite technology. Finally, latest R&D results are discussed, providing possible future solutions for key challenges such as low cost high performance materials, electrical function integration and morphing structures.