Cockpit: An Illustrated History of WWII Aircraft

by Jim "Twitch" Tittle

Article Type: Book Review
Article Date: January 18, 2002

Now This Is Eye Candy!

P-51 On The Cover

Even if you have some cockpit photos of combat aircraft they aren't as superb as those in a recent book titled Cockpit: An Illustrated History Of World War II Aircraft Interiors by Donald Nijboer. Of course it would all be words without the exquisite, almost 3D-looking, 12-inch high by 9-inch wide large format images captured by photographer Dan Patterson.

There are thirty-seven aircraft profiled from the Fairley Swordfish to the Me 163 with bombers like the B-25 and Lancaster in between. Each aircraft has a few specifications and brief histories discussed along with wartime photos. Many of the photos are clear, color pictures of the planes flying or on the ground with her pilot or maintenance crew at work.

Through The Door Of The P-39

Each aircraft then has pertinent observations from pilots that flew them regarding operational details we'd never know flanked by a black and white photo with all the controls and instruments numbered referring to a list of what is what. On the facing right hand page is a 9" X 12" color photo that can only be described as "being there" in its perfect composition

They are all taken indoors so that the artificial lighting used by the photographer creates a perfect contrast and warm glow. Since there is no distracting clutter to be seen through the windscreen it puts the viewer virtually there, alone and personal.

Desert Spit Pilot Saddles Up

Spitfire Mk II Office

The photographs are taken from different angles to keep the perspective fresh with each page turned. Plus each and every instrument and label in the cockpit is perfectly legible thanks to the incredibly sharp focus and perfect lighting.

It becomes apparent that some layouts were better than others in their logic as you compare them. You say to yourself "I wouldn't feel comfortable in this clutter." While similar planes have much better ergonomics and have an "at home" feel about them.

The austere Me 163 cockpit gave me a "coffin" feel, and indeed, many were. The Spitfire had one of the best forms in its straightforward simplicity. The P-47 looked intimidating. The Hawker Typhoon looks like children in the dark designed it.

The bombers vary greatly. The B-17 looks cleaner than the B-24 and the Lancaster is neat but different. Surprisingly, the B-29 has only the best basic layout of all the four-engine planes. It has fewer instruments. Of course it had a flight engineer station that, no doubt, had more and the co-pilot's, split and separated from the pilot's panel, had the rest. Twins like the B-25 and B-26 look simple and almost naked. The Blenheim looks cozy while the Mosquito looks plain weird and the Beaufughter is in-between.

Me 262's Nerve Center

The Japanese planes were different still, though that doesn't mean bad. The German aircraft looked very clear-cut and functional. The Me 262 gave me the impression of "all business" and was quite purposeful. Only one Russian aircraft, the Yak-3, was included but the front instrument panel looks simple and logical. It had, for me, an automobile-like feel.

There are so many conclusions and comparisons that can be made from a book like this with so many photos on the one subject that are not accessible in this equitable format. You picture yourself as the pilot and imagine whether you'd function well in the environments portrayed. Many shots are the first I'd ever seen of some of these famous planes' cockpits after a lifetime of aviation interest. The pictures all come from restored aircraft residing in museums or in private hands so they were all photographed equally well using the same methodology for each shot.

The Familiar Bf 109

Aircraft From Five Nations

Since I know you'll want to know if your favourite plane is included in the book, here is the complete list of aircraft it covers:

United Kingdom:

• Gloster Gladiator
• Fairey Swordfish
• Hawker Hurricane
• Supermarine Spitfire
• Bristol Blenheim
• Bristol Beaufighter
• de Havilland Mosquito
• Hawker Typhoon
• Avro Lancaster

USA:

• Seversky P-35
• Lockheed P-38 Lightning
• Bell P-39 Airacobra
• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
• North American P-51 Mustang
• Bill P-59 Airacomet
• Douglas A-20 Havoc
• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress
• North American B-25 Mitchell
• Martin B-26 Maurauder
• Grumman F4F Wildcat
• Grumman F6F Hellcat
• Chance Vought F4U Corsair
• Douglas SBD Dauntless

Japan:

• Mitsubishi A6M Zero-Sen
• Mitsubishi KI-46-III "Dinah"
• Kawanishi Shiden-Kai
• Kawanishi KI-100

U.S.S.R:

• Yakovlev Yak-3

Germany:

• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Focke Wulf FW 190
• Junkers Ju 87
• Messerschmitt Me 410
• Messerschmitt Me 163
• Messerschmitt Me 262

Note: The scanned images do not do the actual photos justice—they're much better! [Editor's Note]

Where to get it? Try here at Amazon.com, or, if you prefer, I found this book featured in my monthly mailing of the Military Book Club for $30. You can find them here on the web. The ISBN number of this title is 1-55046-253-9. It is published by Boston Mills Press in Canada.




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