Description

Air-Britain’s book covers the development and use over a period of nearly 70 years of all the twin-engined Lockheed transports and the bomber derivatives. Although the stress is on the types’ commercial use as airliners, executive transports, sprayers, air tankers or private aircraft, the military history and use with air arms from all over the world is covered in some detail too. One section covers the experience of pilots flying various models of the twins. For the first time, an attempt has been made to describe, illustrate and cross-reference every major modification and radical rebuild, from the early model Learstars through to the futuristic tri-gear BACC H-250. The illustrations and line-drawings of the various models and modifications represent a valuable reference source for the historian, modeller and enthusiast. The history of every individual aircraft built (over 7,000 in all) is covered in detail as well as the aircraft’s fate , where known (if no longer current). The 600 page A4 size book contains nearly 300 photos, many previously unpublished, which illustrate many major airline and military users, a cross-section of executive conversions and a number of “before” and “after” shots spanning several decades of the aircraft’s service. The publication includes a cross-reference by owner or user, civil and military, as well as by registration or serial. In addition, all civil-registered P-38/F-5 Lightnings as well as civil-registered and preserved P-2/P2V Neptunes are listed in an appendix.