Enthusiasm for aviation exploded after Charles Lindberghs solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927. The National Air Races, held in Cleveland between 1929 and 1949, collectively represent one of the most significant aviation events of the 20th century. Clevelands newly constructed municipal airport, the worlds largest airport facility at the time, along with its permanent 50,000-seat bleachers, won the city hosting rights to the event. The National Air Races captivated the public during the grim years of the Great Depression and provided a showcase for many aviation innovations including retractable landing gear, low-wing monoplanes, aircooled engines, and careful streamlining. A deadly crash ended the National Air Races more than 50 years ago, but the races made an unforgettable impression. This book should reinforce the memories of those who saw the races firsthand and pique the interest of those who have always wished they had.

Enthusiasm for aviation exploded after Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927. The National Air Races, held in Cleveland between 1929 and 1949, collectively represent one of the most significant aviation events of the 20th century. Cleveland's newly constructed municipal airport, the world's largest airport facility at the time, along with its permanent 50,000-seat bleachers, won the city hosting rights to the event. The National Air Races captivated the public during the grim years of the Great Depression and provided a showcase for many aviation innovations including retractable landing gear, low-wing monoplanes, aircooled engines, and careful streamlining. A deadly crash ended the National Air Races more than 50 years ago, but the races made an unforgettable impression. This book should reinforce the memories of those who saw the races firsthand and pique the interest of those who have always wished they had.

Son of Czechoslovakian immigrants, Edward T. Packard sold his first model airplane in Cleveland in 1919 at the age of thirteen, a simple Pushers Stick Model. Lindbergh's 1927 solo flight conquering the Atlantic galvanized the aviation industry and jumpstarted his business, Cleveland Model and Supply Company, which at that time offered an extensive line of all-balsa wood model airplanes authentically replicating the early prototypes. Allied, and foreign model airplanes, which led to a famous worldwide enterprise whose growth required the involvement of his parents and his four brothers and ultimately employed nearly one hundred people. As aircraft designs became more complex, so did Cleveland models. The popularity of these realistic miniatures and the insight many hobbyists gained through their construction played a major role in the rapid World War II aviation mobilization, because the U.S. Army Air Corps was able to enlist recruits with skills in the principles of flight and aviation. publications served as the primary impetus for his comprehensive research. Included in this handsomely illustrated aviation history are photos and plans that originally accompanied the model kits and a never-before-published illustrated-plans index. Rare color photographs of Cleveland National Air Race aircraft and their daredevil pilots will be of interest to modelers, collectors, pilots, and aviation historians, who will find this book to be a significant addition to their libraries.

One of America's most daring and accomplished test pilots, Tex Johnston flew the first US jet airplanes and, in a career spanning the 1930s through the 1970s, helped create the jet age at such pioneering aersospace companies as Bell Aircraft and Boeing.

Celebrates the courage and drive of a collection of aviators who took part in the first cross-country air race for women in 1929 from California to Ohio, including Amelia Earhart, Louise Thaden, Ruth Elder, Opal Kunz, and Florence "Pancho" Barnes.

From New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin, Born to Fly: The First Women's Air Race Across America is the gripping true story of the fearless women pilots who aimed for the skies—and beyond. Featuring illustrations by Bijou Karman. Just nine years after American women finally got the right to vote, a group of trailblazers soared to new heights in the 1929 Air Derby, the first women's air race across the U.S. Follow the incredible lives of legend Amelia Earhart, who has captivated generations; Marvel Crosson, who built a plane before she even learned how to fly; Louise Thaden, who shattered jaw-dropping altitude records; and Elinor Smith, who at age seventeen made headlines when she flew under the Brooklyn Bridge. These awe-inspiring stories culminate in a suspenseful, nail-biting race across the country that brings to life the glory and grit of the dangerous and thrilling early days of flying. From Steve Sheinkin, the master of nonfiction for young readers who expertly unraveled the infamous story of whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg and the impeachment of Richard Nixon, comes the untold story of fearless women who dared to fly. This title has common core connections. A 2020 ALSC Notable Children's Book Also by Steve Sheinkin: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team Which Way to the Wild West?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About Westward Expansion King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War