Airplanes - Supreme Machines : the Stories Behind Technological Marvels Author:Moira Butterfield History-making planes shown include Britain's famous racing aircraft of the 1930s, the Supermarine 56B--which later became the prototype for the RAF Spitfire fighter that was decisive in the Battle of Britain. Other planes shown include the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter, today's F-16A jet fighter, and the Boeing 747 jet airliner. Abo... more »ut the Supreme Machines series: Magnificent, large-scale graphics include illustrations of Supreme Machines in action, as well as exploded diagrammatic art showing fascinating details of design and construction. Supreme Machine books give young readers exciting glimpses into 20th-century technology and the role technology has played in history. Captioned and labeled illustrations explain how each Supreme Machine works. The book's main text tells the story behind the machine-why it was first conceived, and how it was used. Illustrations and diagrams are beautifully rendered and technically accurate. Ages 8 and up.« less