Crecy Publishing's Convair Advanced Designs II

Author:

Robert Bradley

Publisher

Crecy Publishing, available at Specialty Press

Price

$39.95

Reviewer:

Scott Van Aken

Notes: 278 pages, 8.5x11 inches, Hardbound, 350+ illustrations,
ISBN: 978-0-8597917-0-0

It is always a delight to get a new book from the folks at  Specialty Press. They seem to get in the best books and this second volume on Convair projects is no exception. It is fortunate for us that Convair (previously Consolidated, then Consolidated-Vultee) has always kept an excellent archives, much of which was turned over the San Diego Aerospace Museum for safe-keeping.

The book has been divided into several sections. The initial one is on a short history of the company from its inception until its merger with General Dynamics.

The second section contains about half of the book and concentrates on fighters. Few think about fighters when they think of Consolidated or Convair, but not only did Convair have two of the most important USAF interceptors of the 1950s and 1960s, but the company also included Vultee and Thomas-Morse which did produce fighters as well. Now quite a bit of this and the other section concern prototype and project aircraft which did not make it into production and to me, those are the most interesting.

Section three is on attack aircraft of all sorts and does include the Vultee Vengeance as well as some very unusual project aircraft. Some that made it into prototype and low level production are the XA-41 Grizzly and the TBY Seawolf. This section also includes COIN aircraft like the company developed Charger as the unique AFSS which was a shrouded blade/fuselage vertical take off and landing Army ground attack aircraft.

The book is a real delight to read and the research is top notch, coving a company which is now sadly defunct, with its assembly plant in San Diego now razed to make way for expansion in the downtown airport area.

It is a book that I can quite easily provide my highest recommendation. I know you will not be disappointed.

February 2014

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