Add this copy of Antique and Classic Wings to cart. $3.28, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Osprey Publishing (UK).
Add this copy of Antique & Classic Wings (Osprey Classic Aircraft) to cart. $4.73, good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Osprey Publishing (UK).
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Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Add this copy of Antique & Classic Wings (Osprey Classic Aircraft) to cart. $5.98, good condition, Sold by Books Revisited rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Saint Cloud, MN, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Osprey Pub Co.
Add this copy of Antique and Classic Wings (Aero Colour) to cart. $13.93, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1992 by Osprey Publishing.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Add this copy of Antique & Classic Wings (Osprey Classic Aircraft) to cart. $31.54, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Osprey Pub Co.
It is said that one cannot tell a book by its cover. My first reaction upon seeing the cover was that this would be yet another one of those picture books - fun, but lacking substance. My advice: open the book and peruse the contents. Take your time. Read the captions. I am sure most afficianados of antique aircraft will agree, this book - though a little long in the tooth - is one of the best of its type. The photography, which includes a good mixture of aircraft on the ground, airborne, and air-to-air, is breathtaking, certainly of the quality readers of "Wind in the Wires" will have encountered, or the "Skytruck" books of Stephen Piercey, for that matter.
Most of the oldies in this book are based in the UK, and most are British designs. That means aircraft that not only performed well, but were also aesthetically pleasing. I have always found the designs of De Havilland, Hawker, and Supermarine to be among the most beautiful in the world. That is not to say that the other aircraft built by Miles, Bristol, Avro, Sopwith, Gloster, and several others are by any means ugly!
David Davies, a longtime aviation reporter, photographer, and pilot, breaks down his collection as follows: First, there is "Magnificent Flying Machines," which include the beautiful replicas built for one of my favorite films of all time, "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines," such as the Bristol Boxkite and Avro Mark IV. There are also genuine antiques, among the oldest flying specimens in the world. These i nclude a Bleriot XI, a Deperdussin Type B, and a Blackburn Monoplane. Second, there is "Knights of the Air," a tribute to those stalwart fighters of the First World War. These include such legends as the S.E.5A; Avro 504K; Sopwith Scout, Pup, and Triplane, Nieuport 28; Bristol F.2B; and an LVG C.VI, the only genuine flying German two-seater. Third, there is "Moth Magic," chronicling the various variations of the De Havilland Moth series, with a D.H.51 thrown in for good measure. There are also the cabin biplanes, the Gypsy and Hornet Moths, as well as a Moth Minor. Fourth is the section called "Speed Seekers," where the meticulously restored D.H.88 Comet racer G-ACSS, winner of the 1934 Robertson trophy, is the star. Another aircraft shown is British Aerospace's De Havilland Mosquito, RR299. These photos are poignant - and rare - as this aircraft was to crash several years later, in 1996, killing its crew. Other aircraft built for speed are the Percival E.1 Mew Gull, Miles M.2L Hawk Speed Six, and Percival Type D Gull, all champion throroughbreads. The fifth capter, "Open-Top Style," features a number of interwar biplanes and monoplanes from the US and England. The sixth, "Yankee Doodle," continues with interwar trainers, such as the PT-13 and PT-17 Stearman Kaydet, Fairchild PT-19 and PT-23, and Vultee Valiant; while the seventh chapter takes us back to the UK with "Vintate RAF," featuring such classics as the Avro 621 Tutor and Hawker Tomtit, both Avro 504 replacements, resplendent in period yellow and aluminized silver. We are also treated to a lovely Hawer Hart and a rare Gloster Gladiator, not to mention the equally rare Miles M.14 Magister. Just as I was wondering what happened to one of my favorites, the De Havilland D.H.89 Dragon Rapide, two are featured at the end, though I wish there were one or two more.
All in all, the book is a very enjoyable tour, made all the more magical by the stunning backdrops, which really accentuate the timelessness of these antique aircraft. My main recommendation would have been to change the title to Antique and Classic Wings - in Britain. The only U.S. pictures are from the annual Sun and Fun fly-in at Lakeland, Florida; there is nothing from such museums as Rhinebeck - Mr. Davies should have kept the book to aircraft preserved and flying in the U.K., most of which are part of the world-reknowned Shuttleworth Collection. That quibble aside, this is a book well worth having. As an avid photographer and a lover of old airplanes, for me this book has been, and will be, a real treat.
