Aircraft: The Definitive Visual History

Discover more than 1,000 of the greatest commercial and military aircraft to ever fly the skies. This visual treat is packed with pictures and crammed with content for aviation enthusiasts everywhere.  



A century of flight is chronicled in hundreds of pages of jaw-dropping photography and accessible text.
You’ll enjoy an action-packed ride in all kinds of flying machines, from the very first prototypes to modern supersonic jets. Spread your wings and take flight in planes, helicopters, and airships, presented in glorious detail alongside fantastic facts and surprising stats. 

Jump in the pilot seat of pioneering planes, including the Gipsy Moth, Spitfire, and Concorde, before taking a virtual tour of each and every model. Discover how powerhouse producers, such as Rolls-Royce and Rotax, ensure maximum performance from an array of aircraft engines. Find out how famous marques, such as Boeing and Lockheed, came to set industry standards in aviation.



Aviation enthusiasts of all stripes and ages will be captivated by this comprehensive and beautifully presented guide to the story of flight.

Produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution.

Philip Whiteman is an award-winning aviation journalist and consulting engineer, specializing in fuel and engine technology. He has contributed to numerous aviation publications, and has flown a number of aircraft. He operates a 1944 Piper L-4H Cub.

DK was founded in London in 1974 and is now the world's leading illustrated reference publisher and part of Penguin Random House, formed on July 1, 2013. DK publishes highly visual, photographic nonfiction for adults and children. DK produces content for consumers in over 87 countries and in 62 languages, with offices in Delhi, London, Melbourne, Munich, New York, and Toronto. DK's aim is to inform, enrich, and entertain readers of all ages, and everything DK publishes, whether print or digital, embodies the unique DK design approach. DK brings unrivalled clarity to a wide range of topics with a unique combination of words and pictures, put together to spectacular effect. We have a reputation for innovation in design for both print and digital products.   Our adult range spans travel, including the award-winning DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, history, science, nature, sport, gardening, cookery, and parenting. DK’s extensive children’s list showcases a fantastic store of information for children, toddlers, and babies. DK covers everything from animals and the human body, to homework help and craft activities, together with an impressive list of licensing titles, including the bestselling LEGO® books. DK acts as the parent company for Alpha Books, publisher of the Idiot's Guides series and Prima Games, video gaming publishers, as well as the award-winning travel publisher, Rough Guides.