The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft

Main Genre: general
Exclusively Aviation?: Yes

Status: Ceased

(2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

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Remarks

Published in 216 weekly parts of 20 pages (excluding covers) each, between 1982 and 1985, making a total of 18 bound volumes with 4280 pages. This promised to be a mammoth publishing effort with the first 13 volumes comprising features on the History of Aviation (especially air wars, aircraft technical development and air power today, with a little bit on civil aviation), profiles of major aircraft types (World’s Greatest Aircraft), and a detailed A-Z of aircraft.

The first part of the A-Z was much more detailed than the remainder, with the letters A-L taking 10 volumes and M-Z taking only 3 volumes. In the later stages many multi-type entries were condensed into a single entry. The editors had obviously shyed away from producing a complete definitive survey when mid-way through the series. The next 3 volumes continued as before but with the A-Z section replaced by an chronology of aviation history, and in the remaining 3 volumes by a summary history of each RAF squadron.

Very well illustrated with b+w and colour photos, colour profiles, colour 3-view drawings, line drawings, cutaway drawings etc. It eventually included some 6000 photos, 2000 colour profiles, 200 cutaway drawings and 214 detailed colour 3-view drawings. It appeared in six different languages around the world. If only the editors had used the last 5 volumes to finish the A-Z properly, instead of recycling information easily available elsewhere.

See other aviation-related magazines from United Kingdom.