Advanced Designs II: Secret Fighters, Attack Aircraft and Unique Concepts 1929-1973 Hardcover - 2013

From the jacket flap

Although such great Convair aircraft as the Catalina, Liberator and Delta Dart are well known to aviation enthusiasts, the company that built them was also responsible for some of the most imaginative and innovative aircraft ever built. Originally known as Consolidated, and later Convair, this famous San Diego-based company designed, produced and flew some truly remarkable aircraft. From supersonic seaplanes and VTOL fighters, to dedicated counter-insurgency aircraft and even a rocket-propelled bomber, Convair consistently pushed the boundaries of aeronautical design. In just over 40 years the top speed of frontline fighters grew from less than 200 mph to in excess of Mach 2, and during the 1950s and 1960s in particular the size and speed of aircraft increased almost exponentially, such was the rate of progress. Every new design seemed sleeker, faster and more futuristic than it's predecessor, it really did seem that the sky was no longer the limit.Copiously illustrated and diligently researched by respected aviation author Robert E. Bradley, this book examines in detail the successes- and failures- of one of America's greatest aircraft manufacturers.