Jane's World Aircraft Recognition Handbook

Coulsdon, Surrey, England: Jane's, 1989. Fourth Edition [stated], Presumed First Printing. Trade paperback. Very good. Format is approximately 7.5 inches by 5 inches. 559, [1] pages. Illustrations. Glossary. Sillograph Proficiency Test. Index. Cover has slight wear and soiling. Bookplate inside front cover. Derek Wood (1930 - 2 May 2003) was the author of Jane's World Aircraft Recognition Handbook. Wood was the editor of "Jane's" the publishers of a wide range of military handbooks and weekly defence newsletters until he retired in 1993. For more than 30 years, Derek was the doyen of aviation specialists in Fleet Street and enjoyed a reputation for unimpeachable integrity. He was renowned, not only for his expertise and keen intellect, but also for his steadfast refusal to compromise moral stands in a notoriously competitive field. He came into prominence with his The Narrow Margin, regarded as the definitive history of the Battle of Britain. He did his utmost to further the Royal Observer Corps' standing in military and civil areas. Aircraft recognition is a visual skill taught to military personnel and civilian auxiliaries since the introduction of military aircraft in World War I. It is important for air defense and military intelligence gathering. Aircraft recognition generally depends on learning the external appearance of the aircraft, both friendly and hostile, most likely to be encountered. Techniques used to teach this information have included scale models, printed silhouette charts, slide projectors, computer aided instruction and even specially-printed playing cards. The US military continues to use "WEFT" as a mnemonic for the major features of an aircraft: Wings or rotors to provide lift, Engines to provide power, a Fuselage to carry the payload and pilot, and a Tail assembly which controls the direction of flight. These elements differ in shape, size, number, and position. The differences distinguish one aircraft type from another. The individual components can be taught as separate recognition and identification features, but it is the composite of these features that must be learned to recognize and identify an aircraft.