Bill Gunston (1927–2013)

End of 1980s and mid 1990s were times where high technology applications to the aerospace industry in particular where awed at and people wrote about it (information was much more available I have a feeling than it is case today, or there was no information overload like today that IMHO has somewhat blocking nature). From introduction of fully digital cockpit demonstrators (today called full glass cockpits), concepts of FBW flight concts, to concepts of machines that can fly almost in space, VTOLs and tiltrotors and various multipurpose light fighters used for attack and air supremacy roles, like Tigershark and Mitsubishi CCV. Who can forget EPA and later competing French designs that at the end gave birth to Typhoon, revolutionary Grumman X29 or various Sikorsky prototypes of hi speed choppers. This was also time when Russian combat aircraft started becoming more known in the West, from air superiority fighters to heavy bombers and helicopters.

Excellent overview of technologies that are still in operational use and get ever improved.

Very informative little book. Highly recommended to all fans of aerospace technology.… (more)