Historic Naval Aircraft: The Best of "Naval History" Magazine Review

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This book covers 30 aircraft that the U.S. Navy and Marines have used nad the 31st if you include the Spruce Goose, which was funded in part by the Navy. Some of the aircraft covered like the carrier version of the P-80 Shooting Star were kind of unexpected. Of course the old standbys of World War II are included: Wildcat, Corsair, Dauntless, Avenger. Strangely missing is the Hellcat, but this is a minor thing.
Some of the unepected aircraft include the PB4Y Privateer, the Navy's version of the B-24. Another is the Martin P6M Seamaster, the jet powered flying boat that worked quite well but got cancelled to provide money for the Polaris sub project. Another is the Pitcairn OP-1, the first rotary-wing aircraft used by the Navy. It wasn't a helecopter but an Autogyro. This is the first time that I've lot of this information.
Along with the descriptions of the planes, there is quite a bit of well researched information about each plane. This might include the various versions that were put into production, comments from a pilot, some of the history of the plane or other tidbits of information.
The book is based on the column - Historic Aircraft - that appeared in the U.S. Naval Institute's magazine "Naval History" from 1997 to 2002.

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Norman Polmar's book is a behind-the-scenes look at thirty-two important U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. These entries are based on the author's "Historic Aircraft" column, appearing in Naval History. The aircraft selected, some famous and others virtually unknown, represent a mix of types: fighters, dive-bombers, patrol planes, transports, trainers, and helicopters, including the Pitcairn XOP-1 autogiro, the first rotary-wing aircraft to be operated by the Navy and Marines. They span the period from the Vought VE-7, the first type to take off from the Navy's first carrier, the USS Langley, in 1922, through the Grumman A-6 Intruder, which flew in the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars before being retired from service in 1996. Prominently featured also are the classic aircraft that the Navy and Marines flew to victory in World War II. Combining technical detail with the human dramas of flight and aerial combat, Polmar makes each historic aircraft literally fly off the pages. This book is a must-have for every aviation enthusiast.

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