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Telling Aircraft Tails

A History of Britain's Airlines in 40 Aircraft

Guy Halford-Macleod
The registration letters on the tail of an aircraft are the equivalent of a car’s license plate, and can reveal crucial details about its past. Guy Halford-Macleod uses these codes to trace the histories of 40 airliners, in the process describing the complexities of the industry in Britain, including government interference, failing corporations and shady characters.
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Product information:
  • Publisher: History Press
  • Year: 2021
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 240pp
  • Illustrated: Yes
  • Dimensions: 224x249mm
  • ISBN: 9780750970129
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 1.1kg
Product code:
539488
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Product information
Full publisher description
The registration letters painted on an aircraft's tail are like its number plate: they can reveal the story of an individual aircraft and its different roles during its working life. Inspired by this novel way of looking at aviation history, Guy Halford-MacLeod follows the chequered and multi-faceted careers of forty different airliners to present a compelling insight into the wider story of British aviation: larger-than-life characters, politics, the aircraft manufacturers, the state-owned corporations, the independent airlines, some unwilling buyers, a lot of coercion, big financial losses, cheap holiday charters and, inevitably, going bust - the full story of Britain's airlines and the aircraft they used. This heavily illustrated book delves into the tales of a fascinating selection of aircraft, including many of Britain's finest airliners now preserved at museums around the country, to present the development of Britain's airline industry.
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