Overview
The men who ventured into the air in the Navy's first frail aircraft were not only daring-they had vision, persistence, and a nearly unlimited determination to convince the skeptics that their frail kite-like structures could someday possess military value. This is the story of their trials, tragedies, and triumphs. They patched cooling systems with chewing gum, they lived by ""crash, repair, and fly again,"" but they succeeded in developing this new service into an effective arm of the fleet. Wings for the Fleet, first published in 1966, covers the fascinating details of those pioneering days from 1910 to the entry of the United States into World War I. All of the heroic ""early birds"" are here with full accounts of their exploits. Admiral van Deurs, himself a naval aviator since the early 1920s, has rendered a significant service by his careful preparation of this well-balanced, thoroughly illustrated historical account, which comes complete with appendixes listing early naval aviators and the planes they flew. Over one hundred photographs were selected from official and private sources to illustrate this book.
Full Product Details
Author: George van Deurs
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Imprint: Naval Institute Press
Dimensions:
Width: 20.30cm
, Height: 1.20cm
, Length: 29.80cm
Weight: 0.167kg
ISBN: 9781591145905
ISBN 10: 1591145902
Pages: 188
Publication Date: 29 September 2016
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Temporarily unavailable
The supplier advises that this item is temporarily unavailable. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out to you.
Reviews
This well-written and beautifully produced book... is an excellent addition to the history of American aviation. Library Journal This splendid story, told well, and marvelously illustrated. Military Affairs Magazine The numerous photographs alone would make this book a valuable contribution to the history of aviation. Choice Magazine
This splendid story, told well, and marvelously illustrated. Military Affairs Magazine This well-written and beautifully produced book... is an excellent addition to the history of American aviation. Library Journal The numerous photographs alone would make this book a valuable contribution to the history of aviation. Choice Magazine
This splendid story, told well, and marvelously illustrated. Military Affairs Magazine
-This splendid story, told well, and marvelously illustrated.- Military Affairs Magazine
Author Information
Rear Adm. George van Deurs, USN (Ret.) (1901-1984), was designated a naval aviator in 1924 and retired from the Navy in 1951. His writings included some thirty articles concerning the Navy, aviation, and travel.
