Aviation

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From the earliest beginnings of powered flight, aviation has played a vital role in the developement of New Zealand and its interactions with the rest of the world.
This book tells that story in stunning photographs sourced from the world's best photographers and chosen to show our journey from the earliest pioneers to... read more

Aircraft have revolutionized the way we live. Billions of passengers take to the air every year and around the world airlines operate almost 80,000 flights daily. Before the revolution, flying was, as often as not, a personal struggle in which a lone pilot and his single-engine aircraft tangled with the elements, the limits o... read more

The history of Wigram Air Base and military aviation in the Canterbury region of New Zealand is brought to life by story-teller Bee Dawson. Bee interweaves the tales of early aviators, the influential people who developed the base, the ordinary air force personnel who lived there, and the key events of military aviation in th... read more

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Concorde is the world's most famous passenger transport aircraft and an icon of 20th century design. When British Airways and Air France withdrew their Concordes from service in 2003 it marked the end of a unique era in supersonic air travel. For this first large-format full-colour tribute to Concorde, Jonathan Falconer has s... read more

This book is in brilliant colour, with many photographs. It will give the reader an understanding of what it was like to be in the professional, close-knit team that was the RNZAF Air Combat Force. Whether in the flying units at Ohakea and Nowra, or in the support units at Ohakea and Woodbourne, they were true professionals, ... read more

The Douglas DC-3 Dakota revolutionised air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry - and in particular the part it played in the Second World War - the 'Dak' is widely regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever built. This title describes the Dakota's rugged anatomy.

World War One was the true beginning of combat aircraft, with both the planes and the pilots of that time holding a glamorised place in history. However, this book does not only describe the outstanding aeroplanes and airmen, but also how this period was one of great trial and error in which some were luckier than others. The... read more

Aviation has revolutionised warfare over the last 100 years, and this new pocket guide gives the reader the essential details of 70 iconic aircraft, including the Sopwith Camel, the Spitfire, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-51 Mustang and the F-4 Phantom. Drawing on Osprey's comprehensive aviation archive, the "Plane Spotter'... read more

Did New Zealand aviation begin in Arrowtown in 1869? Did a Dunedin man make New Zealand's first flight in 1910? The story of aviation in Otago throws up some intersting questions and the answers, along with the detailed history of Dunedin's airports at Green Island, Taieri and Momona, provide a fascinating story of how we hav... read more

Each year dozens of military aircraft come to grief, ranging from fighters and bombers to trainers and transports. David Gero covers major military disasters worldwide and has undertaken considerable detective work to piece together details of many of the incidents recorded here. In this revised and updated second edition, no... read more

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The legendary Avro Lancaster receives the famous Haynes manual treatment with the full co-operation and authorisation of the Royal Air Force. Here is a unique insight into what it takes to restore and operate a Lancaster, as well as a wonderful insight into the engineering and construction of this remarkable aeroplane. Presen... read more

Founded in 1916, Boeing Commercial Airplanes is the premier aircraft builder in the USA and one of the biggest aerospace constructors in the world. To the man in the street Boeing is inextricably linked with some of the greatest names in aircraft design and construction: the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, the 707 (the USA's fir... read more

When de Havilland proposed, in 1938, an unarmed bomber constructed almost entirely from wood, few would have thought it could become one of the most versatile aircraft of the Second World War. The Mosquito easily outran a Spitfire on its test flight and was ordered into mass production, soon proving itself a key weapon in the... read more

During WWII, on one raid alone, Nuremburg March 1944, more Bomber Command airmen lost their lives than were lost in the Battle of Britain. These were ordinary men who became part of extraordinary events. One such was Arthur Darlow, the author's grandfather. A pilot of a Lancaster crew in 405 RCAF crew, they were one of the le... read more

In 2010, what began as a routine long-haul flight from Singapore to Sydney came within a knife-edge of becoming one of the world's worst ever air disaster. When a sudden mid-air explosion shattered engine no. 2 of the Qantas A380 - the largest and most advanced passenger plane ever built - shrapnel ripped through the wing and... read more

The Douglas Aircraft Company was in the vanguard of the most important developments in the US air transportation industry of the 20th century. This in-depth study of the world's first truly modern airliners is crammed with stunning photographs of Douglas propliners from the golden age of air travel, as well as detailed techni... read more

There have been countless books written on the history of aviation, beginning in 1896, but there has not been a book that tells the story of the history of aviation safety from its origins to the present day until now. This book features the story of the United States airline system aviation safety history from its beginnings... read more