World encyclopedia of aircraft manufacturers : from the pioneers to the present day (2nd ed)

Here, within one book, is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of man's attempts to design, develop and mass-produce aeroplanes and rotorcraft since 1852.

More than 3,000 entries, illustrated with some 1,000 photographs, feature oddball contraptions and their eccentric designers, as well as the big companies whose aircraft have become household names.

So, along with big organisations like Grumman, Messerschmitt, Supermarine and Sikorsky, are the enthusiasts who built a single machine in their backyard or, like V.B.

Shavrov, in their tiny one-bedroom apartment! Global in scope, this new edition reflects the fundamental changes that have occurred in the aviation industry since the turn of the millennium.

Each entry indicates the nationality of the company or individual concerned; while it may not come as much of a surprise to see the USA, France, the UK and Germany heading the league table of countries with the most manufacturers, readers may be interested to discover Brazil with 35, South Korea with eight - and the Channel Islands and Luxembourg with one entry apiece.