The Nation's Hangar: Aircraft Treasures of the Smithsonian [Paperback]

The Nation's Hangar: Aircraft Treasures of the Smithsonianoffers a fascinating textual and visual history of civilian, military, and commercial aviation from the earliest balloon flights to today's most advanced aircraft.

The Nation's Hangarcharts the awe-inspiring history of flight around the world. F. Robert Van Der Linden, a Smithsonian curator and leading expert on aviation history, explains the fascinating stories behind aviation's great technological advances and provides historic and social context that highlights the many ways in which these innovations have changed the course of human history.The Nation's Hangaris also a visual delight. The Smithsonian aircraft collection has never looked so compelling and sleek.The Nation's Hangaris a must-have for that fly boy or fly girl in your flight pattern.LIBRARY JOURNAL, Starred Review

The Nation’s Hangar: Aircraft Treasures of the Smithsoniantakes the reader on a fascinating journey through 60-odd years of aeronautical history. He reviews the priceless aircraft and artifacts currently housed in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a mammoth four-hangar repository, and discusses the center’s accession criteria, principles of preservation, space, display, and funding challenges. Van der Linden’s informative narrative acquaints readers with such period exhibits as international military fighters and bombers, passenger liners, helicopters, seaplanes, recreational and racing craft, utility flyers such as crop dusters, and the world’s fastest jet-powered manned plane—the U.S. SR-71 Blackbird. Equally compelling is his treatment of the talented people who bankrolled, designed, maintained, flew, and finally restored these magnificent birds to their pristine glory. His volume is replete with more than 225 full-color illustrations and 75 black-and-white photographs—a visual feast. VERDICT This splendidly crafted pictorial tribute tol±