Aviation historical, philosophical question

[Jemiba]

Just a question, I would like to get to know some opinions :
If you are looking for a book/article/website about aircraft of an aviation company of a certain period, e.g. the post-war era, which types should be included ? Just those, designed and built during that era, or all types of this company, which were still in use then, even if built long before ?
What about old, very old types, restored to flyable conditions ? What about modifications, not made by the original manufacturer, but by a foreign owner ?
For example : Should the IAI Dagger/Nesher be dealt with in a book about the Dassault Mirage III ?

 

[Matej]

I am not sure If I understand correctly, but if you want to make book/article/website about products of some aviation company, the selection of types is only up to you and depends on goal, which you want to do.

Generally: If you describe aviation company, you can use all types that are matching some criteria. For example you can chronologically mention all types, that made at least one flight. Or if you have enough time and sources, you can do it sorted by designation (that means, that it will contain also unbuilt and paper projects). For shorter article you should mention only important and mass produced types. But important is, that if you are not using designations, than the types should be sorted at first chronologically. If you have a lot of planes, than there can be second sort criteria such as purpose of the plane (fighter, transport, airliner...).

The direct answer to your first question is that there should be included that types, that were DESIGNED in this era. For example, if I will write about Boeing after USSR collapse, I will include only new generations of B737, not the whole story of it.

If I be you, I will add old types restored to flyable conditions and foreign modifications at the end of the book/article/web - not in the middle as part of the main text, but as something extra. So I can clearly imagine the IAI Dagger/Nesher appendix in book about Mirage III, because it can be used for increasing the attractivity of book.

 

[Jemiba]

Thanks Matej,

yes, you're right,I think, it's a question of the definition and that's up to the one
writing the article or the book.. And then, of course,there's always the danger, that this
type, which is so interesting and that type, you are a fan of for many years, will be
pressed into your definition, or better, the definition will be written around the
collection of types and the whole project will become bigger and bigger, until the
writer is overcharged.
Average life expectancy is around 70 years now ? Hardly enough for all the things
we want to do ! :-\