…if you want a single point reference to the world’s aerospace industry and its products and projects, WASD represents extraordinary value for money.
Brassey’s WASD is one such. Hefty, certainly, but so is the rival Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft, though at many times the price. So, WASD wins by miles on cost. But is there a penalty to pay for this economy? I don’t think so. Quite the opposite. WASD scores over JAWA in almost every field. The presentation is better, with manufacturers’ names and aircraft specification tables picked out with tone panels and restrained colour type used for individual aircraft entries and section headings, making it very easy to go directly to the information you want. Some areas of content are also much more comprehensive than the long established rival product, especially that on Recreational Aircraft (compiled by Pilot contributor Geoffrey P Jones) and those on Gliders & Motorgliders, Engines, Missiles and Airborne Radars, which either get short shrift in JAWA or have been shunted off into separate (read more expense) publications. Organising the entries under broad groups (Combat, Special Mission, Airliners, General Aviation etc) may also make for quicker access and easier like with like comparisons, although it does mean that to get the full story on those types such as the Super King Air series with multifarious roles you have to consult several sections.
Downsides? Not many. Picture reproduction could be better, and the space allocated to certain types can be quirky probably for design reasons with obscure projects and ‘cyberplanes’ sometimes getting much more page exposure than major production types.
Overall, if you want a single-point reference to the world’s aerospace industry and its products and projects, WASD represents extraordinary value for money.
