Ellis, K. Testing to the limits. British Test Pilots since 1909. Band 1: Addicott to Huxley

Tentative flights hops by Edwardian-era pioneers led to the development of a world-class industry. Spearheading this were the test pilots who ventured into the unknown in British-built aircraft for their maiden flights. As well as those that became household names. "Testing to the Limits" also brings to the fore many unknowns who risked everything to take a prototype into the skies.The culmination of a 20-year project, in two volumes Testing to the Limits charts the careers and endeavours of over 400 company test pilots. Inter-related biographies brim with types first flown, incidents and anecdotes, including first-hand quotes. It is the most comprehensive study on the subject ever produced. >From Short biplanes of 1909, the book traverses the abundance of prototypes in the 1920s and 1930s, the advances of World War Two from Spitfire to Vampire, the post-war challenges of the sound barrier and the pressures of the Cold War to the supersonic Concorde, the Harrier jump-jet and todays fly-by-wire Typhoon. Designer-pilots, flight testobservers, the Empire Test Pilots School, the relentless pace of production test, engine test-beds and the origins of the ejector seat, the service test institutions and a glimpse of the future - all aspects of these extraordinary flyers are examined. Chris Yeo, BAE Systems Typhoon test pilot, provides a foreword to this ground-breaking title which is lavishly illustrated with over 300 photos. Testing to the Limits is not just a tribute to a band of elite aviators it is also a vibrant commentary on the failures and successes of the British aircraft industry.