The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Commercial Aircraft

Phoebus Publishing, Windward Imprint, 1980

This book is a comprehensive account of all the major commercial aircraft, from the first jets like the Nene Viking and Jet Lancastrian, to possible futuristic designs like slew-winged airliners and hydrogen-fuelled aircraft. Also included are the wide-bodied giants of today, the Boeing 747 and the Il-86, together with supersonic types such as the Anglo-French Concorde and the Russian Tu-144. The latter was the first supersonic airliner to fly and enter service, even though its full-scale development began after that of Concorde. Civilian helicopters play a vital role in urban communications and link remote and difficult sites like oil rigs and timber camps. The wide range of general aviation aircraft complement these helicopters, since both are used for tasks like search and rescue, crop-spraying, air ambulances, fire-fighting, aerial photography and as executive transports. The book contains lists of specifications, three-views, cutaways and colour illustrations, as well as the historical and mechanical details of the aircraft which are changing the face of the world...