World encyclopaedia of aircraft manufacturers : from the pioneers to the present day

For years aviation buffs have been fed a steady torrent of books about the same aircraft: F-15s, F-16s, B-17s, B-52s, Spitfires, Grumman 'cats' and the odd MiG or Messerschmitt. It's a fair bet that few will ever have heard of three-quarters of the more than 3000 companies featured in this book. Expert aviation writer Bill Gunston has crammed into one book the stories not only of the famous manufacturers but also of the backyard enthusiasts, and the once-famous companies of long-ago - plus the profusion of completely new names that have grown up in the past two years in what was once the mighty Soviet Union. The result is a unique and essential global work of reference. Here, within one book, is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of man's attempts to design, develop and mass-produce airplanes and rotorcraft since 1852. More than 3,000 entries, illustrated with some 1,000 photographs, feature oddball contraptions and their eccentric designers, as well as the big companies whose aircraft have become household names. So, along with big organizations like Grumman, Messerschmitt, Supermarine and Sikorsky, are the enthusiasts who built a single machine in their backyard or, like V.B. Shavrov, in their tiny one-bedroom apartment! Global in scope, this new edition reflects the fundamental changes that have occurred in the aviation industry since the turn of the millennium. Each entry indicates the nationality of the company or individual concerned; while it may not come as much of a surprise to see the USA, France, the UK and Germany heading the league table of countries with the most manufacturers, readers may be interested to discover Brazil with 35, South Korea with eight - and the Channel Islands and Luxembourg with one entry apiece. This new edition survey of mans attempts since 1852 to design, develop and mass-produce aeroplanes and rotorcraft has more than 3000 entries, including 1000 photographs of oddball contraptions and their eccentric designers, as well as the big companies whose aircraft have become household names. reference work listing aircraft manufacturing and design organizations along with a brief history of founding, mergers, major projects, and dissolution for each In this book, I have attempted to list all the makers of what you might call 'significant aircraft'.