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BOWERS, PETER M: : Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947

LONDON.PUTNAM/CONWAY MARITIME PRESS LTD.,1987.

ISBN 0851778119.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st reprint.[1st edn first published 1979,this edn is it's first reprint, 1987.] NFINE/VG++.Bright,crisp,clean,glossy laminated,wrap-around colour pictorial artwork (original painting,Keith Woodcock credited) illustrated dw/dj,with negligible shelf-wear and creasing to edges and corners - no major nicks or tears present.Both head+foot of spine/ backstrip of dw/dj are minimally bumped with reciprocal creasing,with spine/backstrip of boards beneath commensurately similar.Top right-hand corner of upper panel of dw/dj minimally rubbed and chipped with some minimal loss. Inevitable,but minimal scoring/indents to both panels of dw/dj.Top+fore-edges generally bright and clean with some miniscule light grubbing(?); contents bright,tight,solid and sound,with no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corners - possibly unread? Publisher's clean,original plain dark blue cloth boards with bright, crisp,blocked gilt letters to spine/backstrip, and clean,plain white endpapers.[front free endpaper has some multi-colour ink fingerprint(?) smudges to it's lower corner and edges,but other parts of same are bright,clean and unaffected.Sympathetic replacement of affected feps would cure!] Three of the board's corners are minimally bumped. Described hard and detailed,but fairly and honestly - no way as bad as it may read or sound! UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st reprint edn,1-636pp [paginated] includes intro,15 chapters/sections, profuse b/w diagrams/illus and b/w contemporary photographs interspersed throughout the text and the book,appendices(7),and and an index.Plus [unpaginated],half-title+title pages,b/w photographic frntis (three F9C-2 Sparrowhawks flying abreast) and contents list/table. This important book is a complete history of the pioneer work of GLENN H. CURTISS and of the subsequent companies which bore his name. Glenn H. Curtiss was involved in some of the earliest practical flying experiments with gliders and powered aircraft.Before the First World War he had built the 'America' flying-boat,which was sold to Britain and led to the Royal Naval Air Service's family of 'Felixstowe' patrol flying-boats.It was a Navy/Curtiss flying-boat,the NC-4,which,in May 1919,made the first-ever aerial crossing of the North Atlantic. Many thousands of First World War pilots learned to fly on the Curtiss JN Jenny,and this famous aircraft was to live on for many years, mainly in the hands of the barnstormers - the men who toured the United States giving flying exhibitions and joyrides. Through the 1920's and 1930's such military types as 'Hawks','Falcons','Shrikes' and 'Helldivers' achieved worldwide reputations.For the civil market there was the 'Robin' light aircraft and for the airlines the 'Condor' sleeper transport.Curtiss built some beautiful racing bi-planes and on two occasions,as seaplanes,these won the Schneider Trophy races. During the Second World War Curtiss aircraft were used by US,British,French and other services.There was a range of single-seat fighters including the 'P-36','Tomahawk' and 'Kittyhawk',there were naval types such as the 'SBC' and 'SB2C Helldivers',the 'Seagull', 'Seamew' and 'Seahawk'; there were large numbers of 'C-46 Commando' transports,many of them still flying,and there was the little- known 'C-76 all-wood Caravan'. All these aircraft and many others,including projects and prototypes,are described and illustrated with a large number of b/w photogrpahs and b/w general-arrangement drawings. Please contact seller,because of the value and the heavier weight of this item [1.09Kg unpackaged],for correct,insured shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence, then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard US AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always. **

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st reprint.
Not SIGNED.

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