Although it lasted for only a decade, the Travel Air Company played a significant role in the history of 20th Century aviation. Founded in 1924 by Walter Beech and Lloyd Stearman, the company started with six employees. By 1929, with aircraft orders at their peak, Travel Air had 650 employees working in two shifts. Roughly 1800 biplanes and monoplanes emerged from Travel Air's Wichita, Kansas factory before the Great Depression forced it into bankruptcy. Among them was the Travel Air Model R "Mystery Ship," made famous by pilots such as Doug Davis, Florence "Pancho" Barnes and Jimmy Doolittle. Some of the famous pilots who flew Travel Airs and appear in the pages of this book include Art Goebel (whose Woolaroc was a T/A aircraft), Louise von Thaden (aviatrix who set an altitude record for women), actors Wallace Beery, Arthur Lake and Ken Maynard, and Charles Lindbergh. "The Story of Travel Air" dates from the late 1920's when the company was at the top of its game. It includes a company history as well as "The Travel Air Fleet" catalog that features three monoplane and nine biplane types. As a bonus, a rare promotional brochure for the famed Model R and vintage magazine ads are also included.

A thrilling account, Race to Hawaii chronicles the first flights to Hawaii in the 1920s, during the Golden Age of Aviation. These journeys were fraught with danger. To reach the tiny islands, fearless pilots flew unreliable and fragile aircraft outfitted with primitive air navigation equipment. The Dole Derby was an unprecedented 1927 air race in which eight planes set off at once across the Pacific, all eager to reach the islands first and claim a cash prize offered by "Pineapple King" James Dole. Military men, barnstormers, a schoolteacher, a Wall Street bond salesman, a Hollywood stunt flyer and veteran World War aces all encountered every type of hazard during their perilous flights. With so many pilots taking aim at the far-flung islands in so many different types of planes, everyone wondered who would reach Hawaii first, or at all.

Wings of Progress: Journey Through Air Travel History The Evolution of Air Travel invites you to soar through time, tracing the remarkable evolution of air travel. From flimsy biplanes to supersonic jets, this book unveils the triumphs, tragedies, and technological leaps that shaped our skies. Biplanes to Supersonics celebrates the marvels—the roar of engines, the thrill of takeoff, and the vistas from above. Join us as we navigate turbulence, explore stratospheres, and honor the pioneers who turned dreams into flight. Time to buckle up for the journey! Are you ready to take a 1st-Class flight through aircraft history?

Was Keith Harris's Orville really named after the first-ever flyer? What exactly is a 'Spitfire'? Why did Richard Branson try to cross the Atlantic in a balloon when he owned an airline? These are the questions that fail to keep proper aeronautical historians awake – but no matter, From Wax Wings to Flying Drones is here to answer them. Chock-full of important stuff like planes, pilots and pioneers such as the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart and that man off the telly who used to fly on Concorde, this is a book for everyone who's ever watched a plane in the sky and thought, 'I wonder what its registration is?'

This could be the most amazing book you'll ever read on early flight-a real trip back in time. Written by the aviation authorities of the day...Chanute, Lockheed, Maxim, Moedebeck, and many others present the true picture of aviation in its infancy. It features over 200 amazing photographs, 3-view drawings, detail drawings, and tables...from 1906 to 1911. You'll learn exactly how early aeroplanes were built and how they flew. Vivid descriptions of performance and handling, and the truth about their engines, will make you feel like you're at the controls! The aeroplanes of Antionette, Bleriot, Cody, Curtiss, Farman, Roe, Santos-Dumont, Voisin, the Wright Brothers and many more come alive on these pages. There's even a couple of chapters on building and flying a Bleriot and a Curtiss, a section on gliders, and how to build and fly model airplanes. It's truly amazing what had been accomplished by 1912-when every flight was an adventure. Flying was the miracle of the ages and its intrepid birdmen were the heroes and idols of the day. A better understanding of early aircraft and engines will give you a deeper appreciation of just how far we've come since flight's humble beginnings. During the first decade of the 20th Century mankind finally got off the ground. Those brave early designers and flyers discovered that the sky was not the limit-it was the gateway! They paved the way to the airplanes and the flying we enjoy today. If you love aviation and history, you'll love this book!