Vijftig jaar luchtvaart – in de geschiedenis van de mens komt geen hoofdstuk voor waarin zoveel bereikt werd in zo"n korte tijd. Per vliegtuig ontwikkelde zich van een vreemd insectachtig gevaarte tot een gestroomlijnde luchtreus die in zich duizenden schitterende technische vindingen bergt, over meer paardenkrachten beschikt dan de zwaarste locomotief en over meer militaire kracht dan het grootste slagschip: een toestel dat ons – omringd door luxe en comfort – in enkele uren van A...

This is the third and final book about the North American bomber B-25 Mitchell. Volumes 1 and 2 of the 'Mitchell Masterpieces' described B-25s in service with the U.S. Armed Forces and with other foreign military forces. Volume 3 is about B-25s operating in civil service after World War II.

Mitchell Masterpieces 3 contains an overview of the companies, organisations and owners of the B-25s after 1945. This history of the B-25 in civil service contains around 900 pictures, many in colour.

Both during and after the Second World War, many countries have had B-25s in their armed forces’ inventories. This Volume 2 describes the history of the North American B-25 Mitchell in service of the armed forces outside the U.S.A. It is a never before published overview of the various units and paint schemes of the B-25s which have flown in many different countries all over the world. During the war, especially the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were the major users of the B-25. Durin...

Built by Boeing, designated as B-47 and named the Stratojet it was a quantum leap in aircraft development. Initially Boeing entered the unknown when they started this project, but soon it would be evident that Strategic Air Command would have its multi-engine jet bomber with a speed performance similar to the latest jet fighters...

De vliegramp op Tenerife, 27 maart 1977, ontstond doordat een opstijgende (180 w) Boeing-747 van de KLM op de startbaan frontaal in botsing kwam met een 747 van Pan American World Airways, op een deel van de startbaan waar zij niet mochten zijn. Het Pan Am-vliegtuig negeerde in de mist een geïnstrueerde afslag en taxiede verder, het KLM-vliegtuig had geen toestemming om op te stijgen. Met 583 doden en 61 gewonden was en is het de zwaarste vliegramp in de geschiedenis. Negentien maanden later...

Een van de meest spectaculaire militaire innovaties van de Tweede Wereldoorlog vormden de luchtlandingstroepen. Deze ‘Airborne forces’ werden door de lucht naar hun operatiegebied aangevoerd met transportvliegtuigen,

zweefvliegtuigen of per parachute. Ze hadden een offensief doel en werden meestal ingezet tegen een vijand die verdedigend sterk in het voordeel was.

>br>De eerste parachute-operatie vond plaats op 24 januari 1941, operatie Colossus (Italië). De tweede, operatie Biting (Fran...

The most successful British jet fighter produced was without doubt the sleek and graceful Hawker Hunter. As usual for every new aircraft type it had its share of teething problems, but when these were all adequately solved in the U.K. had at that time one of the best jet fighters available. It was build in large numbers and exported to many countries.

When the B-58 Hustler bomber entered service in 1958 it was a very futuristic looking delta wing bomber creating a lot of sensation. Intended as a successor of the B-47 Stratojet it was capable of reaching twice the speed of sound.

However, development went not without problems and costs risings went so out of control that the whole project was almost cancelled a few times. Strategic Air Command was initially against ordering the B-58 for service, not only because of its complexity but also s...

The Blackburn Buccaneer was the first jet aircraft specially designed for flying very low under the radar at high subsonic speeds. It was developed in the fifties and entered service at the Royal Navy in 1962. Later it also flew as an attack bomber at the R.A.F. and it even played a role in the Gulf War in 1991 before being retired in 1994 after an operational career that spanned three decades...