The Airplane
How Ideas Gave Us Wings
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- ¥1,500
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- ¥1,500
発行者による作品情報
The Airplane by aerospace industry writer Jay Spencer, former assistant curator of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and the Museum of Flight in Seattle, is the definitive history of how we invented and refined the amazing flying machines that enabled humankind to defy gravity. A fascinating true account certain to enthrall and delight aviation and technology buffs, The Airplane is lavishly illustrated with more than 100 photographs and is the first book ever to explore the development of the jetliner through a fascinating piece-by-piece analysis of the machinery of flight.
Go beyond the familiar stories of aviation history and discover the engineering marvels that gave us wings:
The Invention of the Airplane: From Sir George Cayley’s first scientific imaginings to the Wright brothers’ breakthrough at Kitty Hawk, uncover the sequence of ideas that turned humankind’s oldest dream into reality.Anatomy of a Flying Machine: Follow the evolution of each critical component—from fuselage and wings to flight controls and landing gear—and understand how they work together.From Propellers to Jet Engines: Trace the history of aero propulsion, from the lightweight piston engines that powered the first biplanes to the turbine technology that launched the jet age.Pioneers of the Sky: Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with innovators like Otto Lilienthal, Igor Sikorsky, and Jimmy Doolittle and share the “aha” moments that solved aviation’s greatest technical challenges.Lavish Historical Illustrations: Explore a rich visual archive with over 100 photographs and diagrams that bring the history of flight to life, curated by a former Smithsonian expert.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This history of the development of the airplane by Spenser, a former curator of the National Air and Space Museum and author of 747, recasts the Wright brothers' contribution as he widens the scope to aviation history in France, Germany and beyond. Spenser starts with the pioneering work of Yorkshire gentleman Sir George Cayley in the late 18th century, delineates the competitive race between inventors in the early 1900s and culminates (somewhat abruptly) in the world of modern jet airliner travel. Spenser's history reads like a textbook for young, aspiring engineers. Instead of a general chronological approach, Spenser divides the book into sections that each track the development of a different part of the airplane, from the fuselage to landing gear. While this allows him to show how the modern airplane is not a singular invention but rather the cumulative result of thousands of different inventors, trials and errors, it does diffuse the narrative. Still, Spenser's book stands as a smart, and occasionally wonkish, history of a thrilling machine all too often taken for granted.
