A large number of people in the United States had their first airplane ride in a Ford Tri-Motor during the 1920s and 1930s, a plane that remains to this day a fine example of engineering, planning and production. It was the application of a modified assembly line production by the worlds largest automobile manufacturer to a continuously refined design, backed by extensive advertising and publicity concerned with safety, at a time when such dependability and safety was crucial, that put Ford ahead of all of its competitors.
The all-metal construction, stressed so much by the Ford advertising...

This thorough study of the history, development and service of floatplanes carried on battleships and cruisers documents a long neglected subject for the first time in over 400 photographs. From the 1920s through World War II, aircraft operating from catapults were used for spotting gunfire and scouting ahead of the fleet. Flying these planes was unique and the dramatic launching and recovery operations are covered by both photographs and text. Colors and markings are detailed and special attention has been paid to images showing catapult and ship details for both the ship and aircraft...