SAILPLANES
Author > Martin Simons

The SAILPLANES series are high quality coffee table books featuring outstanding illustrations, and photographs and very informative text covering the trends and developments in sailplane design.

The illustrations are extremely detailed, showing structural details with colour shading to indicate materials used. Exact dimensions, cross sections and profiles are included.

These books are must have for all sailplane pilots whether you are into vintage sailplanes or modern glass ships.

SAILPLANES 1920-1945
Size: 247 x 303mm - 256 pages

Volume 1 in the series describes and illustrates more than 120 types of sailplane, designed, built and flown in many countries during the quarter century following the first organised gliding competition on the Wasserkuppe in 1920.

There are more than 300 authentic photographs, many previously unpublished. The text draws attention to significant trends and developments in sailplane design.

Price: AUD $105.00

SAILPLANES 1945-1965
Size: 247 x 303mm - 272 pages

This the second volume of 'Sailplanes' by Martin Simons, describes the extraordinary transformation in soaring that took place from 1945 to 1965. To take advantage of discoveries in low drag aerodynamics it became necessary to develop new structures and methods of construction. Almost every possible combination of materials and techniques was tried with varying success. A great variety of sailplane types appeared. Towards the end of the period, glass-reinforced plastics were achieving great advances in performance.

In parallel, sophisticated electronic instruments and radios were introduced, training methods and piloting techniques changed, records undreamed of before were set, broken and broken again.

Price: AUD $105.00

SAILPLANES 1965-2000
Size: 247 x 303mm - 272 pages

The third of the series, 'Sailplanes' brings the story to the end of the 20th Century. Plastic structures became orthodox. Glass was supplemented with carbon and aramid fibres as reinforcing materials. The improved strength and accuracy of structures allowed advantage to be taken of new profiles. Retracting motors became more acceptable.

Pilots, modelers and aviation enthusiasts will find descriptions, pictures and excellent scale drawings showing most successfully designs, and some not so successful such as tailless and variable geometry sailplanes, and some less expensive from the flourishing homebuilding scene in the USA and Australia.

Price: AUD $105.00

SAILPLANES The Series
All three of these spectacular books - save $30

Price: AUD $295.00