About this item

The 25 Most Influential Aircraft of All Time conveys the fascinating progression of flying technology from flimsy wood-and-fabric biplanes to thunderous supersonic wonders. Aviation's most historically relevant and arguably most influential aircraft - planes like the elliptical-winged Spitfire, the blisteringly-fast X-15, and the ubiquitous Learjet - are dramatically showcased in individual chapters. Factors like performance, price, operational efficiency, and perceptions in popular culture are examined. People are just as important as hardware in the discussion of the world's greatest aircraft. The larger-than-life characters who designed and built these aeronautical marvels - men like the reclusive Howard Hughes and the demanding Clarence "Kelly" Johnson - are an indispensable part of the story.