Boeing 707, Douglas Dc-8 & Vickers Vc10 (Legends of the Air 6)

Boeing 707, Douglas Dc-8 & Vickers Vc10 (Legends of the Air 6)

By: Stewart Wilson  

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Average Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5

In turn this books looks at the diverse Boeing 707 family, ranging from the many 707 airliner variants, to the medium range 720 airliner, KC-135 Stratotanker (more than 700 were built) and the many 707 military developments such as the E-3 Sentry AWACS; the story of the Douglas DC-8, a very competent and well liked airliner but as a program one that nearly bankrupted Douglas and led to the merger with McDonnell; and the Vickers VC10, a considerable technical achievement whose sales were hamstrung by unique design requirements and poor timing.

Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8 and Vickers VC10 features around 70,000 words of text, hundreds of photographs, 48 specifically commissioned color sideview drawings, technical drawings, specification and production tables, and more.

Publisher: Australian Aviation

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
Not Exhaustive, But Still Delightful - Stewart Wilson's volume 6 in "Legends of the Air" discusses the three great first-generation Western jetliners. While it is not an enormous book, and is thus not able to offer the range of data and photos that a book concentrating on a single aircraft might, it nevertheless is invaluable to both the serious and the casual enthusiasts.

Wilson includes chapters that, while they aren't directly about the 707, DC-8, or VC10, give excellent background material. Particularly strong are "Birth of a Dynasty" and "In Uniform 1: The C-135 Family" which cover other Boeing products that contributed to the engineering and commercial success of the Model 707. I had thought of myself as something of an airliner buff, but I was surprised to learn that the "Dash-80" prototype, the C-135, and the 707 all had different fuselage cross-sections, and thus differed strongly despite their similar appearance.

Another interesting feature of this book is the chapter "Pioneer Days -- Qantas and the 707" which tells a Qantas pilot's story about the introduction of that famous company's first jet aircraft.

Finally, the photographs of this book are striking for their uniqueness and thoroughness -- there is a wide range of operators and variants represented. Overall, this is an excellent book.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
A Study of Three Pioneer Jetliners That Shrank the World - Before there were digital "glass" ########, before each passenger had a private TV screen, three jet aircraft brought long-distance air travel to the flying public. They were the Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8, and the Vickers VC-10. They were not the first jetliners, however; that distinction goes to the De Havilland DH.106 Comet, Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle, and Tupolev Tu-104. Not included in this volume are the long-range Convair CV990 and Ilyushin Il-62 or the medium-range Convair CV880, Hawker-Siddeley Trident, and BAC-111. Nevertheless, the author's choice of airliners offers interesting comparisons, especially as the Boeing and Vickers products have had long, illustrious careers as tankers.

The 707 is presented - along with its sister designs, the 717 (KC-135) and the 720 - both in military and civilian guises, though for some reason the military versions are presented first. There is also an amusing story about the 707 in early Qantas service, which was a joy to read.

The DC-8 is presented, in all its variants and subvariants, including the Super 70s, DC-9-60 series aircraft that were re-engined with modern CFM-56 turbofans. The DC-8-40 bears the distinction of being the first turbofan-powered airliner, as well as the first airliner to break the sound barrier.

The VC-10 did not sell in the numbers that the 707 and DC-8 can boast, but this airliner was the favorite of the three among many pilots and passengers alike.

Mr. Wilson precedes each chapter with a historical overview of the manufacturer's heritage, offering a context for the design discussed. He also provides charts for each airliner, covering original delivery customers and major variants. A final chapter covers how the three types were "shrinking the world" and their roles in aviation today. Lacking are photographs of the flight decks and interiors; they would have provided a glimpse of the era in which they carried passengers. I would have also like to have seen a list of preserved examples of the three jetliners on display in museums. Nevertheless, this fine book presents a highly readable history of a period of aviation slipping ever further into the past.

Customer Review: 5 out of 5
The Jet Pioneers of comercial aviation! - If you loved the early days of jet aviation, then this a book for you. Filled with wonderful photographs and great artwork of the aircraft in operator color shemes, this book will be hard to put down. Form the history of each aircraft, including the early propliners that these jets replaced, to their demise in later years. It's all here in one volume. The text is fluent and the technical aspects of each aircraft is explained nicely so as not to get too confusing. Having flown in many a 707 and DC-8 in Pan Am colors in the 1960's as a child, the photos bring back lots of memories. This book would make a perfect gift for anyone who was affiliated with those magnificant jets. The VC-10 section is not as lengthy as the American planes but it is solid and informative. Each military variant is captured too. I think these three types of aircraft where hijacked in the early seventies and blown up in the desert. The sight of the VC-10 tail section burning in the sand was a sight for sore eyes!

Customer Review: 4 out of 5
A fine book - This is an excellent book about three first generation four engined commercial airliners. The interesting part is about the VC10, a scarcely known british master. I hope they will isuue other books about "flop" or rare aircraft, like Mercure, Trident, C990. A reccomanded book.

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