Lavishly illustrated book examines the history of flight, from the fantastic flying machines of Leonardo da Vinci through the age of piston-driven propeller planes, the breaking of the sound barrier, the per-formance leaps of the Vietnam era, and beyond, including the world's most advanced systems such as the Space Shuttle, vertical take-off planes, superfighters of the 21st century and ambitious projects still on the drawing board. You‘ll examine dirigibles, fighters and bombers (WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet-nam, Middle East), trainers, helicopters, general aviation craft, modern jumbo jets, and many others, with information on technical characteristics, development, operating history, commercial success, and more!