Monowheel Background (from the instructions)

Lois & Co. was a British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting bicycles, motorcycles, iron castings, machine tools, and hard chrome process. It was founded by Spencer Lois, who had a passion for new innovative ideas, in the city of Birmingham.

Motor bicycles were added to bicycle products in 1910. The Lois & Co. Monowheel Mk.I was exhibited at the 1913 Olympia Show, London for the 1914 season. In November 1916 Lois & Co. launched their first military monowheel after a big contract with the British Ministry of Armaments.

The book goes into great detail of the development, service, variants, and full history of a classic British World War II aircraft, the Typhoon and the Tempest.

I found this book so informative and was full of facts and details I was never aware of. The articles on the variants that were explored during the development were especially interesting.

The book is full of amazing photos of the aircraft in development, manufacturing, in action etc. These would be great as reference for any modeler. Another nice touch is the inclusion of the Pilots Notes and aircraft production lists.

I was amazed at the amount of information and history found in the pages of this extremely enjoyable book. The pictures along are worth the cost of the book. I will find this book indispensable in my library.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in military aircraft.

The Aero Commander line of medium twin-engine aircraft began with the Model 520 first flown in 1948. Designer Ted Smith used design cues from his work on the A-26 Invader in formulating the Aero Commanders layout. Known for stable handling characteristics and seating capacity, the Aero Commander proved its utility in service. The 560 series introduced more powerful engines and a swept vertical tail. In its later variants, the Commander would gain PT-6 turboprop power. Notable firsts for the type include the U S Air Force purchasing some designated L-26 or U-4 to carry President Eisenhower, the first medium twin authorized to carry the POTUS. Perhaps the most famous Aero Commanders were flown by the legendary Bob Hoover. His routine included full aerobatic maneuvers with two engines, one engine, and no engines!