Commercial Aviation's Transition to the Jet Age 1952-1962
Authors: Jon Proctor, Mike Machat, & Craig Kodera
Publisher: Specialty Press
ISBN: 978-1-58007-146-8
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 160
Post-war commercial aviation saw a significant boost in service. The influx of inexpensive ex-wartime aircraft, coupled with a strong interest in aviation, resulted in extensive expansion of routes as well as increases in commercial aviation innovations. At the same time, aviation as a whole was undergoing a dramatic change, with the transition from propeller to jet aircraft. All of these combined together to make the decade from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s one of the most fascinating in commercial aviation.
This book provides a detailed history of that period, presented both in text and photos. The former is nicely written and follows a chronological progression throughout the ten years covered. Although the book is titled as starting in 1952, it actually covers the immediate post-war period, starting from 1946. In fact, it is not until the third chapter that we finally reach 1952. This background information, though, is essential to understanding the development and growth of commercial aviation in this time period, and how the transition from props to jets evolved.
On the photo end, this book is a beautiful slice of a long-gone aviation era. Photos of classic propliners and jetliners, with comfortable seating in spacious interiors, complete with sleeping berths and cocktail lounges, provide a stark contrast to the cramped interiors of today. Likewise, the plastic cup filled with half a can of soda, with a small bag of nuts on the side, looks decidedly insignificant compared to the china place settings and multi-course meals found here. Granted, we are also flying halfway around the world, non-stop, in about the same time as it took to fly from Los Angeles to New York, which I guess can make up for some of those losses in amenities.
Along with capturing the feel of flying airliners in this era, the photos also present the wonderful liveries worn by these aircraft. The transition to jets saw many airlines modernize their liveries, in an attempt to come across as more futuristic. Others saw it as an excellent time to add more color to their aircraft, moving beyond the traditional cheatline and corporate logo on the tail. The photos presented include both black and white shots as well as plenty of color photos, so this book becomes a great reference for the scale modeler.
Overall, this is a great book for those interested in the immediate post-war commercial aviation genre, and should provide plenty of inspiration for some classic civil airliner models. My thanks to Specialty Press for the review copy.