I have searched for a book like this for a long time: a history of airplane technology. The book details technological milestones and archetypes from the Wright flyer to the mid-1980s, with an emphasis on the two world wars and interwar years. This is warranted as these were years of varied experiments from which the modern templates emerged.

Of there is criticism to be leveled at the book, it is the intermittent focus on US aircraft. Actually, many international developments are included, yet some sections explicitly call out skipping a significant milestone because of its origin. It seems arbitrary and unnecessary.

Additionally, the jet age post world war II received comparatively little love. Where the first half of the book describes in detail many a technological achievement and their justifications, as well as interesting anecdotes of their operation, the second half often merely mentions new features without explanation, and offers comparatively little more than a spec comparison that might as well be tabulated.

Still, this was an enjoyable read for an aircraft enthusiast, and detailed a number of missing links in my understanding. ( )

The technical evolution of the airplane is traced from a curiosity at the beginning of World War I to the highly useful machine of today. Included are descriptions of significant aircraft which incorporated important technical innovations and served to shape the future course of aeronautical development, as well as aircraft which represented the state-of-art in a particular time frame or were much used or liked. The discussion is related primarily to aircraft configuration evolution and associated aerodynamic characteristics and, to a lesser extent, to developments in aircraft construction and propulsion. The material is presented in a manner designed to appeal to the nontechnical reader who is interested in the evolution of the airplane, as well as to students of aeronautical engineering and others with an aeronautical background...
The evolution of the airplane since 1903 rests on technological advances in such fields as aerodynamics, stability and control, propulsion systems, structures, materials, internal systems, and manufacturing technology.
This volume traces the technical development of the airplane from a curiosity at the beginning of World War I to the highly useful machine of today. Included are significant aircraft that incorporated important technical innovations and served to shape the future course of aeronautical development, as well as aircraft that represented the state of the art of aeronautical technology in a particular time frame or that were very popular and produced in great numbers. In order to reduce the scope of material under consideration, primary emphasis has been placed on aircraft originating in the United States.