Steve Richardson

Although it's a little sad that the authors were not able to get their findings published in a larger format (the now defunct Specialty Press would have been the ideal home), it's good that their work in regards to this enigmatic machine has seen the light of day. The main point is that while the so-called "Moonbat" (no one actually associated with the program actually referred to the airplane in that way) was doomed by its engine, it's not in the way that the legend comes down to us. The Continental I-1430 worked fine, it's just that they were so tightly packed in their nacelles that any issues would damage fragile auxiliary components; which is really what destroyed the single prototype. The other reality is that the XP-67 was surplus to requirements by the time it actually flew, though it was seen as a possible platform for a hybrid piston-jet power arrangement. Still, that this plane remains a point of discussion is that it put McDonnell, one of the key warplane builders of the Cold War, on the procurement map.… (més)

Absolutely Outstanding Value for the Price and Size
The first thing I check when a book arrives is the sources and bibliography. In this case seeing the quality of the documentation and the acknowledgment of Kimble McCutcheon from Aircraft Engine Historical Society? There was no doubt this book would not disappoint. What you get for your money is 68 pages of text after the fluff pages and excellent speculative paintings are subtracted from the 80 pages listed. Subtract a few of the smaller profile drawings and you end up with around 67 pages of excellent text, some high-quality illustrations, and unfortunately a few illustrations/photographs that have suffered from time.
The writing itself is straight forward and succinct and covers the history and minutiae of the airplane extremely well for such a limited amount of text and format size. This also includes variations, comparison with other similar aircraft and the travails the Continental engine inflicted on the industry as wartime priorities impacted its production and development. Multiple original source documents are included in the text including a smoking gun memorandum that illustrates the source of inspiration for the configuration of the aircraft and portions of a flight report. In regards to the flight report, the authors are able to place report in context and illustrate how different personnel had vastly different opinions of the aircraft.
Frankly, at this price point the few Osprey X planes books I’ve purchased have all been an excellent purchase. In this case the authors have exceeded that standard. As it stands today? This is the definitive book on the XP-67 and will probably be the basis for any book that maybe published in the future.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in aviation, prototype development, and modelers.… (més)