American Secret Projects 3: US Airlifters since 1962

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I am informed that “American Secret Projects 3: US Airlifters since 1962” has gone to the printers. It is somewhat larger than ASP2, running to 360 pages, eleven chapters and over 500 illustrations.

The chapters are:

Chapter One The Evolution of American Military Airlift A brief overview

Chapter Two A Quest for Size 1960 to 1970, The way to the C-5

Chapter Three Pursuit of VTOL The late 1950s to late 1960s: Ambition outstrips practicality

Chapter Four The Air Force Turns to V/STOL 1963 to 1972: The goals change, the challenges remain

Chapter Five Routes to the C-17 and KC-10 1971-1992: Two decades of impressive designs and stuttering progress

Chapter Six Carrier On-Board Delivery Airlift on the high seas

Chapter Seven Extending the Design Boundaries Missile launchers, nuclear propulsion and aerodynamic concepts

Chapter Eight Extreme Outsized Airlifter Conversions Exploiting heavy lift capabilities in new roles

Chapter Nine The Once and Future Hercules Capable variations on a theme

Chapter Ten New Missions Emerge 1980 to the present day: A new combat role for the airlifter?

Chapter Eleven Exploring New Technologies 1980 to a future that could look very different


Printing should take until late April (but may complete sooner) and after that, fulfillment will be at the mercy of the supply chain; although Crecy will have the first copies for distribution.
 
I am informed that “American Secret Projects 3: US Airlifters since 1962” has gone to the printers. It is somewhat larger than ASP2, running to 360 pages, eleven chapters and over 500 illustrations.

The chapters are:

Chapter One The Evolution of American Military Airlift A brief overview

Chapter Two A Quest for Size 1960 to 1970, The way to the C-5

Chapter Three Pursuit of VTOL The late 1950s to late 1960s: Ambition outstrips practicality

Chapter Four The Air Force Turns to V/STOL 1963 to 1972: The goals change, the challenges remain

Chapter Five Routes to the C-17 and KC-10 1971-1992: Two decades of impressive designs and stuttering progress

Chapter Six Carrier On-Board Delivery Airlift on the high seas

Chapter Seven Extending the Design Boundaries Missile launchers, nuclear propulsion and aerodynamic concepts

Chapter Eight Extreme Outsized Airlifter Conversions Exploiting heavy lift capabilities in new roles

Chapter Nine The Once and Future Hercules Capable variations on a theme

Chapter Ten New Missions Emerge 1980 to the present day: A new combat role for the airlifter?

Chapter Eleven Exploring New Technologies 1980 to a future that could look very different


Printing should take until late April (but may complete sooner) and after that, fulfillment will be at the mercy of the supply chain; although Crecy will have the first copies for distribution.
Great news Craig and well done!
 
That's most encouraging news as that is one of the year's most awaited books for me. I'll be looking forward to it eagerly.
 
I am informed that “American Secret Projects 3: US Airlifters since 1962” has arrived at the Crécy warehouse from the printers and is shipping to those who have pre-ordered direct from Crécy . It will be available through other supply channels shortly. I will observe that Amazon UK is not shipping ASP2 (and most other books) from the UK to the US at present - it is difficult to predict what will happen in the near future. If the previous experience with ASP2 holds, ASP3 will be available on Amazon US in about two months following onward surface shipping to Specialty Press (who are Crécy 's US distribution partner) and subsequent fulfillment to Amazon.

ASP3 Front Cover.jpg

ASP3 Front Flyleaf .jpg

ASP3 Rear Cover.jpg
 
I wonder when this will be available in Japan? ASP2 was a real page-turner.
 
Amazon (U.S.) still lists it as "Currently unavailable" with no dates.
 
Great news. I pre-ordered so am looking forward to receiving soon.
 
Wonder if there will be a American Secret Projects VOL 4 any time soon?
 
Amazon UK show Volume 3 as unavailable but they have 1 copy of Vol 2 left. Guess I should have ordered from Crecy but up until a few weeks ago I was still hoping to buy from Foyles and read on the bus home. Oh well anothet on the post Corona bucket list.
 
Ordered from Crecy on Sunday, delivered on Tuesday, and its a cracking book. Amazon had cancelled my pre-order twice so waited for Crecy.
 
Amatheft has coughed mine up and it even fitted through my letter box.
Put it together with volume 2 and "On Atlas Shoulders" and you have some cracking lockdown reading matter, but dont try to lift all three at once, as this latest one is pretty hefty
A first run though tells that there is everything from vstol COD Navy to megalifters.
 
Craig, Great if belated congratulations to you on getting the book out. Now to see how best to get a copy from Amazon, etc.
 
Hopefully find out what the mysterious SOR-198 proposals look like...

Chris
 
Mine is on order from Specialty Press, whenever they get them. It's been a long backorder as I took advantage of last year's "Black Friday" sale to get a number of books at a significant savings.
 
My local newsagents are mostly out of action at the moment. :(
 
I ordered mine thru Aviation Bookstore in the UK about a week ago. Know it is just a waiting game. Amazon cancelled my order twice and never put up a date, so I went the UK route. If this book is anything like Vol. 1 then I can't wait to read it.
 
I've seen some of the artwork for this, and it's going to be awesome. I can't believe I said that about a book on transports....

Yeah, I thought the same thing with the previous books. It's been an amazing series overall.
 
My copy arrived yesterday at my local bookstore. I've had a quick look at it, can't wait to get stuck in.
 
I just received my copy a few days ago and it is magnificent. As a C-130 program veteran, I was particularly interested in the chapter on the Hercules, and I was not disappointed. All the interesting variations were there: the L-400, the amphibian, the HTTB, the "Credible Sport" mod and a bunch more I had not seen before. About the only aircraft that could be construed as "missing" was the Boeing Pelican WIG concept, but it was so far out I wasn't particularly surprised to see it not included.

Considering the sizes of volumes 2 and 3, it's hard to believe that they were originally conceived as a single volume! I presume the next couple of books in the series will revert to fighters and bombers. One minor puzzlement is the way Crecy chooses the colors for the spines on the dust jackets; I mean, why are volume 1 and 3 yellow and volume 2 blue? I would have expected all the American books to be the same. But that's a very minor annoyance, more of a pet peeve.
 
To quote J R R Tolkien, "This tale grew in the telling". A lot more material was unearthed than was suspected to exist when the Airlifters book was greenlit. Craig and George also weren't bound to follow Tony Buttler's criterion for inclusion used on his books, or Alan's for his. Tony's pretty strict on sticking to submissions to major requirements.
 
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I finally received my copy. Vol 2 and Vol 3 now shine together in my bookshelf. A treasure of unbuilt aircraft projects covering both rare subjects: airlift/transport projects and unbuilt American projects. Can't be more grateful to the authors for the excellent and generous (500 pages) work. That's going to be a reference for years to come.
 
Hi folks,
I also received my copy today. What a hefty book, this time. This book is with a picture showing the first hover/flight of the CMV-22B quite up-to-date.:eek::cool:

I agreed with kaiserd in his post#25.
As we spouses know, is that behind a successful fighter jet, stands always a great support aircraft. ;):p:D

Now I need a new bookshelf for the Crécy's Secret Project book series. ;) :)
Here a short review in German, which is featured in current August 2020 issue of the German magazine 'Flugzeug Classic'.
 

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OMG! I had no idea this book was going to cover so much material. It took me three days just to be able to glance through it (I have a lot of other stuff going on right now.) I assume the stealthy plane being refueled by the Speed Agile concept on page 528 (328? Not at home right now) is going to be an an upcoming book? It reminded me of some of the designs we've seen from Boeing.
 
I just got my copy today of this book. It is grand central, top notch. High-clay-content paper; lots of illustrations, great color photos and diagrams, etc. No ink smears, no ripped or torn pages. Highly recommended. To add to the book, I thought I would add this concept (that I did not see in my quick glance through of the volume) from Lockheed, a C-5 Galaxy as an airborne aircraft carrier. From the monthly "Lockheed Log" from June 1969.

Again, the book is grand. I bought my copy off of ebay for $35.
 

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I received mine yesterday and it looks like quite a good read. On a quick flip through, I saw only one program not mentioned, Lockheeds' COD-130 program, a C-130 reduced in length and wingspan and powered by four TF34 engines.
 
Hopefully find out what the mysterious SOR-198 proposals look like...

Chris
I have a copy of the ASP3 book and it mentions on page 100 that SOR-198 evolved into the CX-6 requirement for a V/STOL assault transport. Designs studied for the SOR-198 requirement included:

- Boeing Model 732-22-2
- Boeing Model 743
- North American design studies
 
I received mine yesterday and it looks like quite a good read. On a quick flip through, I saw only one program not mentioned, Lockheeds' COD-130 program, a C-130 reduced in length and wingspan and powered by four TF34 engines.
I had not heard or read of that. Have you any details?
 
I received mine yesterday and it looks like quite a good read. On a quick flip through, I saw only one program not mentioned, Lockheeds' COD-130 program, a C-130 reduced in length and wingspan and powered by four TF34 engines.
I had not heard or read of that. Have you any details?
I'll have to see about getting them. It was featured a couple weeks ago on LM's Thursday Historical note.
 
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