TESTING TO THE LIMITS

pstrongPhotos/Illus:/strong 380/ppmiddot: A comprehensive study of all company test pilotsbr /br /middot: Includes incidents and anecdotesbr /br /nbsp:br /Descriptionbr /br /Tentative flights hops by Edwardianera pioneers led to the development of a worldclass industry. Spearheading this were the test pilots who ventured into the unknown in Britishbuilt aircraft for their maiden flights. As well as those that became household names Testing to the Limits also brings to the fore many lsquo:unknownsrsquo: who risked everything to take a prototype into the skies.br /nbsp:br /The culmination of a 20year project in two volumes Testing to the Limits charts the careers and endeavours of over 400 company test pilots. Interrelated biographies brim with types first flown incidents and anecdotes including firsthand quotes. It is the most comprehensive study on the subject ever produced.br /nbsp:br /From Short biplanes of 1909 the book traverses the abundance of prototypes in the 1920s and 1930s the advances of World War Two from Spitfire to Vampire the postwar challenges of the lsquo:sound barrierrsquo: and the pressures of the lsquo:Cold Warrsquo: to the supersonic Concorde the Harrier lsquo:jumpjetrsquo: and todayrsquo:s flybywire Typhoon.br /br /Designerpilots flight test observers the Empire Test Pilotsrsquo: School the relentless pace of production test engine testbeds and the origins of the ejector seat the service test institutions and a glimpse of the future all aspects of these extraordinary flyers are examined.br /br /nbsp:Chris Yeo BAE Systems Typhoon test pilot provides a foreword to this groundbreaking title which is lavishly illustrated with over 300 photos. Testing to the Limits is not just a tribute to a band of elite aviators it is also a vibrant commentary on the failures and successes of the British aircraft industry. br /nbsp:/p