If you have ever stood close to an airfield and thought that all those little planes seem to be just the same as each other. Or have ever found it difficult to tell the difference between a Richard Steeves’ Coot A and a Quikkit Glass Goose, then this guide is for you!
It is much more than a buyer’s guide. It is also a very effective spotter’s guide and a great booklet for aviation enthusiasts. An aviation purchase can be as difficult as buying a simple car. The price can vary greatly between the basic model and the highly equipped/full options one. So giving just one price that covers a multitude of models really doesn’t give enough information to go on.
However, as a technical catalogue, for a wider audience, it is excellent.
The 1000 models covered are divided into different chapters: fixed-wing microlights/LSA, homebuilds, certified aircrafts, ultralights and certified motorgliders and gliders, gyroplanes, helicopters, and trikes. Other chapters cover motors, accessories, equipment and propellers, followed by indexes on manufacturers, importers, schools, etc.
The details of each aircraft covers one fifth of a page and includes the name of the manufacturer and model, a picture, data on weights (empty/maximum), wing area, tank capacity and fuel consumption, engine and horsepower, speeds (max/cruise/stall/climb), and price.
I find it hard to decide whether to place this special issue in very good company alongside the Jane’s Guide, or to keep it handy for visiting airfields!
The guide is published both in English as ‘Flügel, das Magazin’ and in French as ‘Vol moteur’.
Jean-Noël Violette
Translation by Diane Brooks
282 pages, A4