An in-depth look at the political machinations involving the Concorde conspiracy, with inside information from CIA records and JFK and LBJ Presidential libraries  The story of Concorde and the American Supersonic Transport (SST) project is one of spies, lies, arrogance, deceit, and presidential hatred. Americans were initially dismissive of Anglo-French efforts, then seen as arrogant, believing other countries incapable of completing the project. When President Kennedy said "Make it happen, make it bigger, make it faster," he might have added "make it to beat my presidential rival in France." This the story of 10 years of behind the scenes political intrigue, the author making use of inside information from two U.S. presidents, the CIA, and the Federal Aviation Authority.

Concorde Conspiracy: The Battle for American Skies 1962-77

Politics & Social Sciences

Simons, Graham M.

Social Sciences

The History Press

The Brabazon - the name evokes the immediate post-war optimism of civil aviation. The giant airliner was built by Bristol Aircraft in 1949 to cross the Atlantic and serve the empire. However, the plane proved to be a commercial failure when airlines felt that it was too large and expensive to be useful. Large and luxurious, it carried only 60-80 passengers, and with a range of 5,000 miles, a 225ft wing span and eight engines buried in the wings with enough fuel to reach New York, the '100-ton bomber' was more impressive and capable than the B-29: the ultimate passenger airliner was born. Now, with previously unpublished material and illustrations from the original Bristol Brabazon sales brochure, among other sources, the Brabazon's 1930s-style elegance is displayed once again, celebrating its design, construction and sheer luxury. A fitting outcome for such a paragon of post-war optimism and an aircraft sill considered by many to be the foremost in propellor-driven civil aviation.

Bristol Brabazon

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

The "Wooden Wonder" - as the de Havilland Mosquito was affectionately known - entered the 1939-1945 war late but made an immediate impact on account of the diverse roles it could perform - as fighter, bomber, and photo-reconnaissance plane. This book traces the complex development of the aircraft, including the political in-fighting which delayed it, its test programmes and its active service in various theatres.

Mosquito: The Original Multi-Role Aircraft

History

Europe

Arms & Armour

Contains hundreds of unseen photos of the B-17 production line and design concepts. The Boeing B-17 was the first American heavy bomber to see action in World War II when it was supplied to the RAF. The design originated in 1934 when the US Air Corps was looking for a heavy bomber to reinforce their air forces in Hawaii, Panama and Alaska. For its time, the design included many advanced features and Boeing continued to develop the aircraft as experience of the demands of long distance flying at high altitude was gained. When the USA entered WWII, production of the aircraft was rapidly increased and it became the backbone of the USAAF in all theaters of war. This book describes how it was built and utilizes many hitherto unpublished photographs from the design studio and production lines. It illustrates and explains the many different roles that the aircraft took as the war progressed. Heavy bomber, reconnaissance, antisubmarine and air-sea rescue operations there were few tasks that this solid design could not adopt

Boeing B-17: The Fifteen Ton Flying Fortress

Friedman, Harry

Americas

Pen and Sword Aviation

Howard Hughes' life ambition was to make a significant contribution to the field of aviation development. But the monumental folly of his endeavors on the HK-I Hercules meant that he came to be known and remembered to a great extent for all the wrong reasons. The 'Spruce Goose' (a name Hughes detested) became a product of his wild fixation on perfection and scale. Once completed, it was the largest flying machine ever built. Its wingspan of 320 feet remains the largest in history. Yet it only completed one flight; flying for a mile on its maiden voyage above Long Beach Harbor, before being consigned to the history books as a failure.Experienced author Graham M. Simons turns his attention to the production process that saw this colossus take shape. In words and images, all aspects of this process are illustrated. We have shots taken during the initial design period, images of the craft under construction, and photographs taken at the test flights. In addition, Simons has been gifted access to the highly prized and rarely seen aircraft manual produced for the aircraft, content from which has been extracted and used to supplement the narrative.The book goes on to explore the political issues that sprung up as a result of Hughes' endeavors, looking into the Senate War Investigations Committee's findings which explored the extent to which government funds had been utilized in the development and construction of the flying boat, adding a whole new layer of controversy to the proceedings.

Howard Hughes and the Spruce Goose: The Story of the HK-1 Hercules

Military

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was almost certainly the most versatile Second World War Bomber. Apart from its bombing role in all theaters of operation, the B-24 hauled fuel to France during the push towards Germany, carried troops, fought U-boats in the Atlantic and, probably most important of all, made a vital contribution towards winning the war in the Pacific. Its most famous single exploit is possibly the raid on the Ploesti oilfields in August 1943.\nThe B-24 ended World War Two as the most produced Allied heavy bomber in history, and the most produced American military aircraft at over 18,000 units, thanks in large measure to Henry Ford and the harnessing of American industry. It still holds the distinction as the most produced American military aircraft. The B-24 was used by several Allied air forces and navies, and by every branch of the American armed forces during the war, attaining a distinguished war record with its operations in the Western European, Pacific, Mediterranean and China-Burma-India theaters. This book focuses on the design, engineering, development and tactical use of the many variants throughout the bombers service life. The overall result is, as David Lee, the former Deputy Director of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford said upon reading the final manuscript, to be acquainted with…all you never knew about the B-24!\nThe book is enlivened by the many dramatic photographs featured, and this coupled with the clarity of Simons' prose makes for an engaging and entertaining history of this iconic Allied bomber, a key component in several of their biggest victories and a marvel of military engineering.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator (Images of War)

Review\n"This book is a substantial overview of every type developed by Geoffrey de Havilland and his companies, including sections on aircraft built by the de Havilland Canada offshoot. Each entry includes diagrams, technical information, archive photographs and well-researched and interesting information. Naturally with such an all-encompassing and pioneering developer the book is not wholly about civil aircraft, but a mixture of war, transport and experimental aircraft. Graham Simons has produced a fascinating read." 
AirportSpotting.com\nCaptain Sir Geoffrey de Havilland was one of the world’s true pioneers of powered flight, a man as important to Britain in aviation terms as the Wright brothers were to America. From humble beginnings, he went on to develop some of the finest aircraft to see action during the First World War, before going on to create the illustrious company that bore his name. All of this began in his youth when, without experience, plans or instructions, he embarked on the ambitious task of not only building his very first flying machine, but also constructing the engine to power it.\nThis book explores the influences and milestones of his early years before going on to examine his company, The De Havilland Aircraft Company Limited, in detail. Amongst the momentous machines that he had a hand in creating were the Gipsy Moth and Tiger Moth - two iconic aircraft types destined to set a variety of aviation records whilst being piloted by de Havilland himself. Another highlight of the company's history saw the esteemed aviatrix Amy Johnson fly solo from England to Australia in a Gipsy Moth in 1930. The high-performance designs and monocoque wooden construction methods passed through the supremely elegant DH.91 Albatross into the Mosquito. The company then followed up these successes with the high-performing Hornet fighter, which pioneered the use of metal-wood and metal-metal bonding techniques, eventually resulting in the world’s first jet airliner, the fabulous Comet.\nEvery one of De Havilland’s products are listed and recorded in detail here, as are all the designs that never left the drawing board and the products of De Havilland's companies in Australia and Canada. Fully illustrated throughout, this volume is sure to be highly prized amongst serious collectors.

De Havilland Enterprises: A History

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

During the 1950s, at the time Elvis Presley was rocking the world with Hound Dog and the USA was aiming to become the world’s only superpower, plans were being drawn at North American Aviation in Southern California for an incredible Mach-3 strategic bomber. The concept was born as a result of General Curtis LeMay’s desire for a heavy bomber with the weapon load and range of the subsonic B-52 and a top speed in excess of the supersonic medium bomber, the B-58 Hustler. If LeMay’s plans came to fruition there would be 250 Valkyries in the air; it would be the pinnacle of his quest for the ultimate strategic bomber operated by America’s Strategic Air Command. The design was a leap into the future that pushed the envelope in terms of exotic materials, avionics and power plants. However, in April 1961, Defense Secretary McNamara stopped the production go-ahead for the B-70 on grounds of rapid cost escalation and the USSR’s newfound ability of destroying aircraft at extremely high altitude by either missiles or the new Mig-25 fighter. Nevertheless, in 1963 plans for the production of three high-speed research aircraft were approved and construction proceeded. In September 1964 the first Valkyrie, now re-coded A/V-1 took to the air for the first time and in October went supersonic. This book is the most detailed description of the design, engineering and research that went into this astounding aircraft. It is full of unpublished details, photographs and firsthand accounts from those closely associated with the project. Although never put into full production, this giant six engined aircraft became famous for its breakthrough technology, and the spectacular images captured on a fatal air-to-air photo shoot when an observing Starfighter collided with Valkyrie A/V-2 which crashed into the Mojave Desert. The loss of the $750 million aircraft and two lives stopped future development, although there were several attempts to redesign it as an airliner to compete against the European Concorde.

Valkyrie: The North American XB-70: The USA’s Ill-fated Supersonic Heavy Bomber

Graham Simons has been granted access to a staggering archive; a wealth of fascinating documentation that has never before seen the light of day. Category 1, top secret documents, prepared by the Director of Technical Services at Wright Field in 1945, feature lists of aircraft, radar equipment, and other military and aviation accessories that the United States and the Allies lusted after in the dying days of The Second World War and during the post-War period, when enemy secrets were more hungrily sought than ever. Details of information gleaned over the course of Operation LUSTY (LUftwaffe Secret TechnologY) are included in the form of reports, tables, and typed transcripts of conversations. Photographs also feature in this visual publication that seeks to consolidate all the various scraps of documentation filed around this time in an effort to create an authentic impression of events as they unfolded during the course of this mammoth retrieval operation.

Operation LUSTY: The Race for Hitler’s Secret Technology

The Boeing 707 family - that includes the forerunner Model 367-80, the KC-135 series of military transports and the slightly smaller Model 720 - was the pioneer of the sweptback wing, incorporating podded engines borrowed from the B-47 military bomber. It was the aircraft that many regard as the design that really ushered in the Jet-Age. This new book from the established aviation historian Graham Simons examines the entire course of the Boeing 707’s history, charting an impressive design evolution and illustrating the many ways in which the 707’s legacy continues to be felt to this day. In laying the foundation for Boeing's preeminence on the word’s jetliner market during the 1980s and 90s, the 707 paved the way for future innovations in both civilian and military fields and Graham Simons has put together an image-packed history that records the historic and landmark milestones of this iconic aircraft type.

Boeing 707 Group: A History

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Books by Simons, Graham M.