Wings of the Weird and Wonderful


Book Description




Wings of the Weird & Wonderful


Book Description

Eric 'Winkle' Brown, the former Chief Naval Test Pilot and Commanding Officer of the renowned Aerodynamics Flight at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having flown more types of aircraft than any other pilot in the world. The ground rules for this assessment were that only pilot-in-command flights should count, and that marks or variants of a basic type of aircraft were not included. This remarkable record is reflected in the fact that Captain Brown is both the most decorated Fleet Air Arm and British test pilot. The variety of aircraft he has flown is incredible, and though his test and naval flying writings are already internationally known, he now has opened up pages of his flying log books to reveal some of the more unusual types in his unique experience, and to relate their virtues or vices. From the infamous Mitsubishi Zero-Sen and U.S. Navy's piston-engine Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat to the post-war swept-wing de Havilland Swallow. From the North American Savage designed to take off from an aircraft carrier with a nuclear bomb to the Supermarine Attacker, Eric 'Winkle' Brown has tested their qualities and takes the reader into the cockpits of those exciting aircraft to thrill to the joys and hazards of flying both weird and wonderful aircraft with one of the greatest of all pilots.




Wings of the Luftwaffe


Book Description

"During the first chaotic months after the fall of the Third Reich, the RAE sent test pilots throughout the British Zone of Occupation to collect examples of the Luftwaffe's standard aircraft and then ferry them to Farnborough. Captain Eric Brown was a pilot in this ferrying operation. Here Brown delivers a detailed assessment of the characteristics of these principal German aircraft: Fw200C; Heinkel He162; Junkers Ju87; Dornier Do217; Messerschmitt Me262, Bf109G, Bf110, Me163, and several others."--Publisher's description.







Secret America: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure


Book Description

Did you know ...that a hidden room exists behind Abraham Lincoln s head on Mt. Rushmore? ...that North Carolina was almost accidentally destroyed in a nuclear holocaust? ...that the Mason-Dixon Line had nothing to do with dividing north from south? ...that Major League Baseball once hosted a single game between three different teams? ...that there is a designated state highway in Michigan where cars are not allowed? ...that 21 people were once killed by a 15-foot wave of molasses that devasted a Boston neighborhood? ...that the National Security Agency has a gift shop with logoed merchandise? Whether you want to visit the New York grave where Uncle Sam is buried, stop by the future hometown of Star Trek's Captain Kirk in Iowa or see the room in California where the Internet was created, Secret America: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure is your ticket to some of the nation's least-known but most interesting spots. It is here where you can explore a historical marker dedicated to Barack and Michelle Obama's first kiss, find out how to acquire logoed merchandise at the National Security Agency's gift shop or examine why Case Western Reserve University has such an unusual name. Secret America is a look at the United States as you've never seen it before a tourist guide that gives you answers to the questions no tourist ever never knew they were supposed to ask. If you are tired of trying to enliven dull family roadtrips searching backroads for the World's Largest Ball of Twine, this is a handbook for truly interesting sites that can transform any cross-country adventure into a tour of the unique spots that make America the odd but fascinating nation that it is.




Wings


Book Description

A visually stunning book about all kinds of wings - not just those on aeroplanes!




Wings of the Luftwaffe


Book Description

At the end of World War II, Eric Brown had the extraordinary experience of testing no fewer than 55 captured individual German aircraft types. These ranged from such exotic creations as the prone-pilot Berlin B9 and Horten IV, the push-and-pull Dornier DO335 and the remarkable little Heinkel He 162 Volksjager, to the highly innovative combat types that were entering the inventory of the Luftwaffe shortly before the demise of Germany's Third Reich. Brown also interrogated many of the leading German wartime aviation personalities, such as Willy Messerschmitt, Ernst Heinkel, Kurt Tank and Hanna Reitsch. From this background knowledge of German aviation he has selected those he considers the most important, and presents detailed descriptions of their background and characteristics.




Wings in the Night


Book Description

In Africa again, Kane comes across an entire village wiped out, and all of the roofs have been ripped off, as if by something attempting to get inside from above.




Secret Northwest Indiana: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure


Book Description

Where in the landlocked state of Indiana can you sunbathe on a beach in the shadow of hulking steel mills, surf by an oil refinery, or scuba-dive to see old shipwrecks? A blend of Indiana and neighboring Chicago, Northwest Indiana is a one-of-a-kind place filled with wonders, like Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes and a hike USA Today described as one of the country’s most scenic. And behind its unique “coastal” setting lie some equally intriguing hidden gems and untold stories. Secret Northwest Indiana: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure leads a whirlwind tour of the Calumet Region that extends from Chicago’s far South Side, through the south suburbs and Northwest Indiana, and into Southwest Michigan. Read about a submarine inventor who sailed under Lake Michigan and the free-spirited Diana of the Dunes, who inspired preservation efforts that led to the Indiana Dunes National Park. Explore hidden Nike missile silos, bygone ski jumps, secret spots to photograph the jets taking off for the Chicago Air and Water Show, and the infamous Marriage Mill, where celebrities flocked to get hitched. Prepare for singing porta-potties, tree graveyards, and other strangeness. Local author and journalist Joseph S. Pete gives you a look behind the curtain in a region you might think you already know well. With his stories and tips, you’ll find no shortage of new secret places to explore in Northwest Indiana.