The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft

This is a book that you can't quite read all the way through, unless you enjoy encyclopedias. It is one of the best books I own on civil aircraft though. It tells you everything about the aircraft your looking up, from who designed it to why it was created. It has great pictures, awesome cutaways, and plenty of technical and historical information. This is truely a great book on civil aircraft!

I bought this for my son, and he loves it. The pictures, descriptions, and history impart a wonderful "wow" factor for any child. I recommend it for any science-and-technology minded kid (and some adults too). It seems good for ages about 8-12.

I really like this book. Very fresh info, and many airplanes described. A perfect example of good quality.

Overall very interesting, with good pictures and colour drawings, and detailed history of each type. Some important aircraft are not even mentioned though, while other less significant types are included. A more careful revision would be nice: you will find quite a few typing errors, such as Bradeirante (Embraer 110 Bandeirante)or poewerplant (powerplant) and these are just examples which appear in bold text!

This material has been published before in multiple volumes. This 1999 updated version brings it all together in one cover. Approximately 125 aircraft are illustrated and described. Arranged in alphabetical order, these are mostly airliners with an occasional piece on Tiger Moths, Pitts Specials and Formula One racers to spice it up. It is very nicely done. The only suprise I found was that although the Douglas DC-2 is covered, the DC-3 / C-47 is not found anywhere.