There is perhaps no other commercial airliner as iconic as the Boeing 747. A presence in our skies for over forty years; it has transported hundreds of thousands of passengers across the world. From its introduction with Pan American Airlines in 1970; it has persevered as one of the forerunners of commercial flight. Often labeled the 'Queen of the Skies'; this is an aircraft revered by passengers and aircrew alike. The first wide-body airliner ever produced; it has set new standards in air travel and opened up the air routes of the world to vast numbers of people who might otherwise have been unable to afford international air travel. The book focusses not only on the iconic 747; but also its many variants; including the YAL-1A; which Boeing developed for the US Air Force; and the Evergreen 747 Supertanker; a 747-200; modified as an aerial application for firefighting. Across its types; the 747 carries around half the world's air freight. Accordingly; freight variants feature here too; including the 747-8.The sheer size of the workload carried out by this craft is astounding. From the glamorous 1970s; an era of rapid expansion which saw an unprecedented boom in the tourist trade; to the various environmental and economical imperatives that impact upon modern flight; this work shows how the Boeing 747 has been developed in accordance with the changing demands of the ages. Bowman records the history of this celebrated craft in style; presenting an exciting and comprehensive account that is sure to appeal broadly.
#1811024 in Books 2015-03-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.10 x 6.20l; 1.30 #File Name: 1781551162256 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. The Air War in Europe June-July 1940!By Mike O'ConnorThe air fighting that took place between the Dunkirk evacuation in late May/early june 1940 and the beginning of the Battle of Britain on 10 July was hard-fought and draining on the RAF and RN air units involved. Few books have been published chronicling these air ops; a situation remedied by Brian Cull's FIRST OF THE FEW; 5 JUNE-9 JULY 1940.A 2013 Fonthill Media release; it provides a gripping; wide-ranging account of Allied pilots in desperate battles with the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica.The air ops that took place during this period were many and varied and involved English/Commonwealth; French and even Swiss aircrew engaged in bomber escorts; interceptions of e/a; ground attack strikes; bombing missions against Germany; photo-recce; anti-shipping strikes; RN attacks on French warships; etc. (It excludes the Operation Dynamo fighting). Locales shift from the French countryside to the Swiss border - where Luftwaffe incusions are met by Swiss AF Bf 109s! - to the English Channel; Norway; Italy; North Africa and so on. Cull uses a mixture of official documents and many first-person reminiscences to bring all those ops to vivid life.As can be seen; the FIRST OF THE FEW title; with its BoB connection; is a bit misleading. While many of the Allied and German aircrew featured in the book did take part in the BoB; Cull's book paints a much wider portrait of air ops prior to that legendary conflict. FIRST OF THE FEW is an excellent; well-researched and long-overdue tribute to the men who opposed the Axis in mid-1940. Recommended.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. pre-Battle of Britain periodBy Matt DetroI was just starting to delve into this murky part of RAF history when I notice the new Brian Cull title; so of course ordered it right away; to go with the rest of his catalog ( for me specifically on Britain; NW Europe or the Middle East ) in my aero-library. Any Cull title belongs in any serious aero-student's collection.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great Book!By Amilton Pinto VieiraI suggest this book for everybody who love war history! When you start reading don't wanna stop it anymore! Amazing!
