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Books about aircraft engines are not confined strictly to collectors' dusty shelves. New ones are being published all the time. Many of these books, both old and new are reviewed in this section. Please note that the opinions expressed herein are those of the reviewers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Aircraft Engine Historical Society. If you have a different impression of a book, send us a review! |
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From the Ground Up Hardbound, 6.25" x 9.50" x 1.25", 556 pages |
Reviewed by Tom Fey– 19 May 2026
Fred Weick was born in Berwyn, Illinois in 1899, graduated as an aeronautical engineer from the University of Illinois in 1922, worked for the U.S. Air Mail Service selecting alternate airfields for Air Mail flyers, learned to fly piecemeal in 1923, and ultimately gained his official pilot license in 1933. Weick designed propellers (actually wrote the book on them) and developed the low drag engine cowling for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). His relentless scientific curiosity targeted the risky corners of flight performance where he designed his own stall-resistant aircraft, then went on to do the same for the Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) where he designed and they produced the Ercoupe that pioneered stall-resistant aircraft design and tricycle landing gear. He went on to develop the first specific-designed agricultural aircraft with a driving emphasis on safety, visibility, edge-of-the-envelope flight performance, and crash survivability while at Texas A&M starting in 1948. Once that was achieved, Weick became the Director and Chief Engineer at Piper from 1959 until his retirement in 1969. The 415 pages of text is a wonderful, well-paced, detailed chronicle of his amazing career, founding achievements, and open curiosity peppered throughout with his meeting and interacting with a virtual Who’s Who of aviation luminaries from Orville Wright through the engineering luminaries at NACA, and working for and with Pug Piper in the 1960s designing the Piper Pawnee and Cherokee light aircraft family. All along the way he traveled, lectured, published, won numerous awards and accolades, and consulted on a multitude of aviation topics. I borrowed this book by interlibrary loan, but 1/3rd the through I decided I need to have this work in my own library and purchased a copy online. It is a wonderful read and very highly recommended.
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Fundamental Carburetion: Softbound, 8.5" x 11" x 0.3", 80 pages Recommended Retail Price: $35.00 19 b/w, 94 color photos and cutaway drawings |
Reviewed by Mike Grimes – 2 Mar 2026
Having spent most of my adult life reading technical manuals and other assorted texts I have to say that Dean Tryon’s work ‘Fundamental Carburetion’ is the finest publication that I have ever seen or read. Seen? Yes, this book is an absolute masterpiece, 80 pages of heavy, polished paper with numerous superb photos, illustrations and graphs, most in color. The print is large black type on a white background so reading is effortless. Tryon has written the chapters so that they all fall into a logical order. When he has to refer to another section he gives the location by chapter and paragraph. Again, effortless.
The eye candy is really nice, but the writing of the text is even better. Tryon has a style that starts with the very basic fundamentals of carburetion and physics and builds on this foundation with completely explained individual systems within automotive carburetors, in a simple style that can be understood by anyone that can read English. As a teacher he would have been outstanding, but his engineering background really shines here too.
As the title implies, the book starts at the gas tank and goes downstream from there and beyond. Fuel delivery systems, intake manifolds, carburetor implementarion, ignition timing, exhaust emissions, and a chapter on “Troubleshooting”, which is also laid out in a very logical manner. Mechanics will find this a useful reference.
An Appendix is included that covers another six subjects.
This tome starts in the early 1900s and ends in the ‘80s. Anyone dealing with early automobiles will find this book a treasure trove of knowledge and an indispensable reference that covers most automotive carburetors manufactured during this period. The only thing that isn’t included are aircraft carburetors which are basically the same as the automotive carbs but with a manual mixture control circuit. I can live with that.
Wow! Buy it, enjoy and learn |
Building Dutch Air Power in World War II: Softbound, 7" x 10" x 0.54", 267 pages Recommended Retail Price: $49.95 25 black & white photos, 2 maps |
Reviewed by – Mike Grimes 21 Feb 2026
My interest in WWII history has never revealed much about the Dutch in WWII except for their sudden loss of home country and their colonies at the outbreak of war, and the Allied bombing of the Dutch home county with food, after the Wehrmacht left to go back to Germany, in 1945. Mr. Sambaluk has compiled a detailed history of the Dutch bringing what little they had left, after being conquered, out of neutrality and into the fight against the Axis powers. He has woven a story of the few Dutch that were able to escape being interred into a personal account of their determination to fight back with what little they had left. Having very little in the way of manpower the only route left to them was airpower. That requires training and Sambaluk shows how they accomplished this by creating the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Jackson AAFB in Jackson, MS. This is where the story really picks up at the personal level with detailed history of each of the RNMFS’s commanders, instructors and students time and sacrifices during the war period.
The story illuminates both the political and personal intrigues that take place during this event in time. The irony is that there is not too much about the liberation of the Dutch home country by the Allies, but the loss of the Dutch East Indies to revolutionary forces after the Japanese occupiers were forced out.
The book doesn’t talk about the RNAF’s equipment much except for mentioning Vultee BT-13s, Curtiss P-40s, Brewster Buffalos and North American B-25s. The Dutch didn’t have much to work with, but they did have money. With their money and help from Lend-Lease they were able to train, and acquire equipment, to take the fight to the Japanese. Some Dutch pilots were integrated into Britain’s RAF to fight in the European Theatre, but the majority went to Australia where the Dutch had several of their own squadrons operating under the command of the Royal Australian AF.
Mr. Sambaluk has included in this work very comprehensive sections of Timeline, Chapter Notes, Bibliography, and Index for those who wish to do further sleuthing into this little known bit of history.
If you’re interested in WWII history I highly recommend this book to broaden your knowledge of the event.
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I’m Not the Only Idiot in the Cockpit Softbound, 7.0" x 10.0" x 0.5", 221 pages Recommended Retail Price: $17.99 |
Reviewed by Mike Grimes – 28 Dec 2025
When I received this book for review I was looking at it through the eyes of a 12,000 hour pilot who spent 23 years as an Aircraft Accident Investigator and 34 years as a Designated Pilot Examiner. I was somewhat jaded as I thought that I had seen just about everything. After reading this tome Albert Einstein came to mind when I recalled his stating "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits". It is obvious now that there is more than one point of perspective. Mr. Breen's years of experience in the aviation finance and insurance businesses are surely another solid point of perspective as he presents his experiences and observations. He should be thanked for his efforts.
Mr. Breen has done the aviation community a great service by taking the time to record the dozens of instances where something idiotic has been done in an aircraft cockpit. A plus is he has done it in a humorous fashion. Hopefully any pilots, or aspiring pilots, reading this book will learn by the mistakes that Mr. Breen has laid out in print. Mr. Breen has been open and honest enough to admit to having been a major player in a large percentage of the anecdotes published between the covers of this book. I'm not sure that I could have done this even if there were a statute of limitations, my memory isn't that good.
The book is illustrated with 34 photos. There are no captions under the photos, instead they are presented at the bottom of their respective pages.
I highly recommend Mr. Breen’s work to all pilots, wannabe pilots and aviation enthusiasts as his tales are something that are mostly not things that are mentioned in the Airman's Certification Standards. Reading it is enjoyable, plus it could save some lives.
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Over the Wing: The Bill Chana Story Softbound, 8.5" x 11" x 0.7", 233 pages Available Used from $20.00 Black & white pictures |
Reviewed by Tom Fey – 25 Jan 2025
William F. “Bill” Chana (1921-2012) lived an active life in aviation as a flight test engineer, test pilot, aerospace manager, and aviation museum/aviation society stalwart from WWII through the early 2000s. Having completed two years of engineering at Purdue before accepting wartime employment at Consolidated Vultee (Convair) during WWII, Chana completed his undergraduate degree in the early 1970s and eventually acquired a Master’s degree in Technology in 1973.
His flight test engineering career included many Convair aircraft such as the XPB4Y, B-24, B-32, TBY-2 Sea Wolf, and XC-99 as well as test engineering support for the XFY-1, XF-92, XF2Y-1, XC-99 and others. Chana’s detailed recollections of the aircraft, the test flights, and the personalities involved in the programs make for fascinating first-person history, all beautifully penned through an intelligent and precise engineering eye.
After Chana’s flight test engineering days came to a close, he pivoted, taking various management, strategic, proposal generation, troubleshooting, marketing, and training roles within Convair ranging from F-102 customer service to managing the completion and certification of Atlas ICBM missile bases to operational status. After 32 years with Convair, Chana went to Rohr Industries and worked on number of interesting projects.
In his spare time, Bill Chana and small team of partner/volunteers and at least one luminary designed, built, and flew a series of small aircraft: the diminutive Wee Bee, the 2-place type-certified Honey Bee, and the Queen Bee. This was my most favorite part of the book.
The later chapters of the book deal with management training strategies and Chana’s extensive involvement as member, director, lecturer, and consultant for a remarkable number of aerospace societies and organizations. A direct result of this involvement was the chance to meet, befriend, and enjoy the company of aviation giants from Lindbergh to Fleet, Doolittle, Yeager, Crossfield, Armstrong, von Ohain, Garber, Schirra, Hoot Gibson, Walter Cronkite, etc., etc.
The book was essentially self-published, and except for the color covers, the 233-page, 8.5 by 11 inch, soft-cover book has several dozen black-and-white photographs of great value but only adequate print quality. My only regret reading this book was the impossibility of having a beer or spending an afternoon with this fine and accomplished gentleman.
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L-15 Scout Softbound, 7" x 10" x 0.52", 260 pages Recommended Retail Price: $39.95 183 photos |
Reviewed Kimble D. McCutcheon – 12 Nov 2024
At WWII’s end American aviation manufacturers faced massive layoffs when Government contracts were canceled. Many thought returning veterans would be a huge market for small aircraft. That is why there are so many 1946 Aeroncas, Luscombes, Pipers, and Taylorcrafts still around. Beechcraft and Mooney also took advantage of this post-war aviation enthusiasm.
Big-airplane builders wanted in on the action as well; Convair designed the Model 118 ConvAirCar; Douglas designed the Model 1015 Cloudster II; Grumman designed the G63 Kitten and G72 Kitten II; Lockheed designed the Model 33 Little Dipper and Model 34 Big Dipper; North American designed the NA-145 Navion. None of these made any money and only the Navion got past the prototype stage; its production was ultimately taken over by Ryan, which with its lower overhead, was barely able to break even.
Boeing took a different path and bid on a Field Artillery Observation (liaison) Aircraft in 1946; Boeing also hoped this design would be attractive to the general aviation market. Although Boeing’s L-15 did not win the competition, the Government, wanting to keep the Boeing plant Wichita, Kansas, open for upcoming Boeing B-47 production, gave Boeing a contract for the L-15 anyway.
This book nicely documents what has until now been a rather obscure aircraft. I highly recommend it.
Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Publications
| Many of the R-RHT books reviewed here can be purchased directly from the Trust. Please download the Book List/Order Form and follow the instructions therein. If you plan to buy more than one R-RHT title, you would probably save money by Joining the Trust. In addition to discounts on R-RHT publications, you would also twice-yearly receive The Journal of the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust. |
Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Historical Series
No 2. The Merlin in Perspective - the combat years
No 9. Rolls-Royce and the Mustang
No 15. Olympus: the inside story
No 16. Rolls Royce Piston Aero Engines – a designer remembers
No 18. The Rolls-Royce Dart - pioneering turboprop
No 19. The Merlin 100 Series - the ultimate military development
No 21. The Rolls-Royce Crecy
No 26. Fedden
No 28. Boxkite to Jet
No 29. Rolls-Royce on The Front Lines - The life and times of a Service Engineer
No 30. The Rolls-Royce Tay Engine and the BAC One-Eleven
No 31. An Account of Partnership - Industry, Government and the Aero Engine
No 32. The Bombing of Rolls-Royce at Derby
No 34. Pistons to Blades
No 35. The Rolls-Royce Meteor
No 36. 50 Years with Rolls-Royce
No 39. Parkside: Armstrong Siddeley to Rolls-Royce 1939-1994
No 41. Overhaul of Merlin Engines in India and the USSR
No 43. Eagle: Henry Royce’s First Aero Engine
No 46. Rolls-Royce and the Halifax
No 47. The History of the Rolls-Royce RB211 Turbofan Engine
Hucknall – the Rolls-Royce Flight Test Establishment
Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust Technical and Special Series
No 1. Rolls-Royce and the Rateau Patents
No 2. The Vital Spark - the development of aero-engine sparking plugs
No 3. The Performance of a Supercharged Aero Engine
No 4. Flow Matching the Stages of Axial Compressors
No 5. Fast Jets - the history of reheat development at Derby
No 7. Rocket Development with Liquid Propellants
No 9. The Allison Engine Catalog - 1915-2007
No 10. The Rolls-Royce Spey
No 12. Jim Allison’s Machine Shop: The First 30 Years
No 13. V-1710 and V-3420 Designs and Concepts
No 15. Allison Drawings: 1919 – 1943
Special: Sectioned drawings of Piston Aero Engines
Special: Alex Moulton: Bristol to Bradford-on-Avon---a lifetime in engineering
More Reviews
Advanced Engine Development at Pratt & Whitney
Jim Allison's Machine Shop
A Pictorial A to Z of Vintage and Classic Model Airplane Engines
America’s Round-Engine Airliners
Arsenal of Democracy
A Span of Wings
Beast - The Top Secret Ilmor-Penske Engine
Beautiful Engines: Treasures of the Internal Combustion Century
British Light Aeroplanes
Building Engines for War
By Precision Into Power: A Bicentennial Record of D. Napier & Son
The Canadair North Star
Classic Racing Engines
Curtiss-Wright
Dependable Engines
Deutsch Triebwerke
Douglas Light Aero Engines
Early Russian Jet Engines and Russian Piston Aero Engines
El motor de la aviación (De la "A" a la "Z") aka Aerospace Engines A to Z
The Electra Story
The Engines of Pratt & Whitney
Frank Whittle: Invention of the Jet
The Focke-Wulf Ta 152
German Jet Engine and Gas Turbine Development 1930-1945
Hans von Ohain
History of the Liberty Engine
History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines
Japanese Aero Engines
Jet: The Story of a Pioneer
The Knife and Fork Man: The Life and Work of Charles Benjamin Redrup
Luftwaffe Secret Projects
The Magic of a Name THE ROLLS-ROYCE STORY: The First 40 Years
The Magic of a Name THE ROLLS-ROYCE STORY Part Two: The Power Behind the Jets
Master Motor Builders
Me262 Volume One
Negative Gravity
Wolseley Radial Aero Engines: Lord Nuffield’s Thwarted Venture
Pioneer Mechanics in Aviation
Piston Aero Engines — 3D CAD Images & Animations
The Power for Flight
Power To Fly: An Engineer’s Life
Reinventing the Propeller
R-4360: Pratt & Whitney’s Major Miracle
Rotol: The History of an Airscrew Company
The Race for Hitler’s X-Planes
Rocketbelt Pilot’s Manual
The Romance of Engines
The Secret Horsepower Race
Seven Decades of Progress
Sonic Wind
Starting Something Big
Studebaker's XH-9350
Tank Aero Engines
Turbojet History and Development 1930-1960 Volumes 1 and 2
Turbulent Journey: The Jumo Engine, Operation Paperclip, and the American Dream
The V-12 Engine
Westinghouse J34 Axial Turbojet Family
Westinghouse J40 Axial Turbojet Family
Westinghouse J46 Axial Turbojet Family
Early Westinghouse Axial Turbojets
Westinghouse Aviation Gas Turbine Designs & Studies
Wings of War: The World War II Fighter Plane that Saved the Allies and the Believers Who Made It Fly
The Wright Brothers, 1904 & 1905
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