Long Island Aircraft Manufacturers (Images of Aviation)

For anyone who thinks of Long Island aircraft manufacturers as beginning and ending with Grumman and Republic, I should tell you that there are some 80 manufacturers in this book!Of course, that includes Brooklyn and Queens (which are, physically, on the island), and most of these manufacturers were small companies that produced few aircraft and didn't last very long. But it also includes well-known names like Brewster, Curtiss, EDO, Loening, Sikorsky, Sperry and Vought, all of which operated on the island for periods of time, some quite considerable.The author, curator of the Cradle of Aviation Museum at Mitchel Field, is highly knowledgeable on the topic. The chapters are by county, and within each county the manufacturers are presented alphabetically. For the major makers, only certain types are included, since their stories are fairly well known. As with most Arcadia titles, the photos are in black-&-white but are well reproduced.A few minor quibbles: for some of the minor manufacturers, their locations in their respective counties are not divulged, something that would be nice to know. And some of the superlatives are contradictory; for instance, the Loening Air Yacht is pronounced "the first practical retractable landing gear amphibian" even as the earlier OA-1 is on the opposite page!On the positive side, the author generally does tell the eventual fate of most of the smaller manufacturers, and it's interesting how often multiple builders used the same facilities. One coincidence is that the buildings that Fairchild used in Farmingdale before moving to Maryland were eventually taken over by Seversky, which became Republic, which became a subsidiary of.....Fairchild!A fascinating look at the history of aircraft manufacture in the "cradle of aviation", and recommended to all historians of American aviation.

Good book, as described. Packaged well and in great condition

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Even though I grew up on Long Island, I was unaware about how important the aircraft industry was to the area.

this is my second cop which I will give to a friend

I'll continue to purchase this series.Just before my time.Beautiful photos and interesting reading about where aviation began.A keeper! Highly recomended.

Everything went perfect

Personal review: Everything was fine and according to my expectations. The book arrived on time and well packed. Recommended seller.