Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors

Flight Journal, Dec 1998 by DeGroat, Robert S

Cockpit: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Interiors by Donald Nijboer/Photographs by Dan Patterson. Howell Press, 1 713-2D Allied St., Charlottesville, VA 22903; 176 pages; over 160 b&w and color photographs; $39.95.

The aircraft of WW II have a magic all their own. Enthusiasts and historians have known their distinctive shapes for years; but how many know what the "front offices" of those legendary aircraft look like? With this new book, "Cockpit," they can now easily find out.

The book's extensive coverage encompasses 37 planes from five countries. Author Donald Nijboer provides the narrative and a brief historical overview of each type; black-and-white and color period images show aircraft in operation; and veterans and current warbird pilots share what it is like to sit in the cockpit and fly these treasures. The full-color photographs of cockpits-some restored and some merely preserved-are by Dan Patterson. His hallmark clarity and attention to detail are most evident here. It is fascinating to see how each designer dealt with the perceived ergonomics of the dayif at all. When looking through the crisp, clear images, it rapidly becomes evident that the cockpits are often as distinctive as the planes in which you'll find them. As you gaze on the legendary throttle arrangement in Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby, for instance, you know it's from a B-17 Flying Fortress.

Pilots will easily discern which instrumentation is where, and the uninformed can use the provided key to identify specific instruments in an otherwise strange panel. The history these images evoke is absolutely amazing and leaves you wondering: who used this plane? What special knowledge or experiences did they have? How did it feel to use these controls every day in what unquestionably was the most exciting time of these young pilots' lives? The imagination overflows with ideas of what it must have been like in those cramped quarters.

For all who are interested in aircraft interiors, this is the book they have been waiting for. It offers a unique insight into the intriguing aircraft of the 1940s: B-24, Spitfire, Zero, Yak-3 and Me 163, to name a few of those covered here. This book may be as close as most people ever get to actually sitting at the controls of their favorite WW II aircraft. Don't pass it up.

Robert S. DeGroat