A Century of Triumph: The History of Aviation Hardcover - 2002

From the publisher

On December 17, 1903, on the windswept beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright piloted the world's first powered flight, in one of the most famous moments in history. Within a few short years, airplanes of various designs were lifting into the air over Europe and America. Soon, the entire world was caught up in the fevered advance of flight -- and airplanes, Zeppelins, autogyros, and helicopters were making the world a much smaller place.

To celebrate the first full century of powered flight, the National Aviation Hall of Fame and the Aviation World's Fair, together with World of Wings, Inc., have joined forces with premier aviation historian Christopher Chant and world-famous illustrator John Batchelor to showcase an astonishing march of progress. From the early experiments of gliderman Otto Lilienthal to the moon walk of Neil Armstrong, it has indeed been "A Century of Triumph." Batchelor's over two hundred detailed illustrations, including dozens of cutaway images of aircraft structure, are works of art worthy of the design achievements of the greatest aircraft engineers. From the golden age of Zeppelins to the extreme design experiments of World War II to the fierce modernism of supersonic fighter jets, "A Century of Triumph" demonstrates the full richness of mankind's flying craft. Batchelor has been able to gain exclusive access to such cutting-edge aircraft as the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter, revealed to the public in "A Century of Triumph" for the first time ever. In addition to Batchelor's illustrations, the book features never-before-published vintage watercolor posters of pre-World War I aviation races and a treasure trove of photographs.

Chant's text combines full histories of the planes themselves with biographical essays on some of the great figures of the twentieth century: the Barnstormers, Igor Sikorsky, Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and the Apollo XVII astronauts, among others. Special photo essays focus on the planes of the Luftwaffe, the strangest planes of World War II, the early age of jets, the great World War I planes of the Caproni company, and the fighter jets of the 1960s. Together, Chant and Batchelor tell the story of flight's near successes, dismal failures, and great accomplishments. "A Century of Triumph" is a visual and factual feast for anyone who marvels at the majesty of flying.