num_pages: 294
description: Of all the fanatics in America, none are more dedicated to their pursuits, more romantic in their aspirations, more expert in their craft, more daring in their exploits, or more joyous in their fellowship than the part-time pilots who search out, recondition, and fly "the Warbirds," those World War II military aircraft from Mustangs to Flying Fortresses, from Messerschmitt 108s to Yaks. Here are the machines that are more than machines, that have about them the kind of personal aura that seems to have vanished in the age of jets.In this rousing account of the hair-raising airshows presented by these pilots, as well as the incredible adventures and misadventures that inevitably occur when a near maniac takes to the air in a rusty or otherwise neglected antique, Martin Caidin allows you to share the cockput with himself and his fellow flying addicts, and also to share the joy of seeing a neglected old Warbird rise phoenix-like from the runway and roar in the really wild blue yonder. A must for all pilots, private or professional, and for anyone else who has dreams of being one.
language: English
title: Ragwings and Heavy Iron: the Agony and the Ectasy of Flying History's Greatest Warbirds
titlecomplete: Ragwings and Heavy Iron: the Agony and the Ectasy of Flying History's Greatest Warbirds
genres: Aviation
ratings_count: 13
publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company