About this item
Highlights
- The ATL-98 Carvair is a truly unusual aircraft.
- About the Author: William Patrick Dean served in the U.S. Air Force and spent three decades with United Airlines.
- 416 Pages
- Transportation, Aviation
Description
About the Book
"Four chapters illustrate the evolution of the car-ferry, history of Aviation Traders, engineering details, and Carvair operators. The rest features chapters on the fleet's 21 planes. Several appendices provide DC-4 fleet data, dated histories, lists of DC-4 and ATL-98 owners and operators, cross-referenced registration and serial numbers, and official and unofficial aircraft names"--Provided by publisher.Book Synopsis
The ATL-98 Carvair is a truly unusual aircraft. Converted from 19 C-54 World War II transport planes and two DC-4 airliners into a small fleet of air ferries by Aviation Traders of Southend, England, the Carvair allowed commercial air passengers to accompany their automobiles onboard the aircraft. The planes were dispersed throughout the world, operating for 75 airlines and transporting cars, royalty, rock groups, refugees, whales, rockets, military vehicles, gold, and even nuclear material. After more than 45 years, two Carvairs were in 2008 still in service.
This comprehensive history of the ATL-98 Carvair, begins with corporate histories and profiles of key players, including William Patterson, Donald Douglas, and Freddie Laker. Four chapters illustrate the evolution of the car-ferry as a viable aircraft, the history of Aviation Traders, engineering details incorporated into the Carvair's production, and major Carvair operators. Chapters on each of the fleet's 21 planes provide individual histories and anecdotes. Seven appendices provide several kinds of data and the book is fully indexed.
Review Quotes
"detailed...recommended"-Choice; "excellent...a serious aviation history...highly recommend"-Propliners; "detailed"-Aircraft Magazine; "well worth its purchase price...there is much previously unpublished data...a truly remarkable job"-Aviation World; "recommend[ed]...superb"-The Essex Hundred; "monumental"-Airways; "highly recommend...well researched"-Logbook; "a supremely well-presented book"-SpeedReaders; "fascinating...a meticulous accounting of the life history of each of the 21 Carvair aircraft...interesting...ample detail and statistics"-American Aviation Historical Society; "the definitive work on the Aviation Traders Carvair...fascinating...well illustrated, with good coverage of the total Carvair fleet through the years...highly recommended"-Irish Air Letter.
About the Author
William Patrick Dean served in the U.S. Air Force and spent three decades with United Airlines. He has published numerous articles and photographed more than 10,000 aircraft. He lives in Henderson, Nevada.