Reborn in 1951, the Myasishchev design bureau made its mark by creating the M-4 strategic bomber. Yet, this subsonic aircraft was soon made obsolescent by supersonic fighter technologyany new strategic bomber would need supersonic performance to avoid being intercepted. Hence in 1952, Myasishchev started work on supersonic bomber projects, which led to the M-50 of 1955. Designed for sustained supersonic cruise, the Mach 1.7 four-turbojet bomber had many innovative features, including automatic flight control and pitch trim systems, and the most powerful jet engine of the day. When the air force rejected the M-50 on the grounds of inadequate range, Myasishchev suggested building it as a technology demonstrator for the much-improved M-52 missile strike aircraft. First flown in October 1959, the M-50 made only 11 flights before the Myasishchev OKB was closed again a year later. Yet, it did have its moment of glory at the Tushino air show on 9 July 1961. This is the only work on these planes in English, featuring about 400 previously unpublished or rarely seen images.

All of a sudden there was the rush of an immense shadow coming towards him at terrific speed. It was the ground reaching up to gather him. The date was 26 June, 1943 and Cy Grant was the rarest of things - a black West Indian RAF crew member, blown out of his exploding Lancaster bomber. The heroic exploits of the Caribbean men and women who volunteered their services to the Allied effort during the Second World War have, until now, passed by with little fanfare or attention. Indeed, whilst many people are aware of the contribution that the various Bomber Command units paid in securing ultimate victory, little is said or understood of the achievements and sacrifices of the heroic Caribbean volunteers who contributed to some of their greatest victories. Mark Johnson presents us here with an engrossing and humane account of the exploits of such individuals. Including a great number of insights and fascinating details taken from conversations with his great-uncle, John Blair, the book illuminates the day-to-day reality of life as a Caribbean volunteer during the Second World War and the kind of culture-clash experiences that characterised their wartime careers. John Blair is a particularly important member within the context of this history and within the wider context of Bomber Command history. He served a full and distinguished tour with Bomber Command in the skies over Germany and was present during some of the most pivotal moments, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross in the process. The author has based the book on in-depth interviews he conducted with his great-uncle and other survivors, as well as other press interviews and personal accounts by a host of other Caribbean volunteers to create a dramatic and well written account of the proceedings. An important book, offering a platform upon which to appreciate the true extent of the Caribbean contribution to the Allied war effort, the work offers a new slant on the popular Bomber Command theme; one that looks set to intrigue a number of readers yet to be acquainted with this facet of the units history.

Virgil Richardson blazed his own unique trail through the twentieth century: a co-founder of Harlem's American Negro Theater, 1930s radio personality, World War II pilot, and expatriate for most of his life. In Flight, this remarkable man tells his story in his own vivid words. Educated in Texas, Richardson set out for New York City in 1938 to build a career on the stage. Just when he was on the brink of success as an actor, World War II broke out and he was drafted into the army. After overcoming numerous obstacles, Richardson became a Tuskegee cadet in 1943, and later saw action flying over the battlefields of Europe. Upon returning to the racially divided U.S., he decided to move to Mexico, where he encountered a society quite different from the one he had left behind. Compellingly told and historically fascinating, this is the story of a determined individual unwilling to accept the limited options of Jim Crow America.

Established in 1917 to train Royal Flying Corps aircrew, during WWI Duxford was also the base for two United States Aero Squadrons, 137 and 159, and by the end was a mobilisation airfield for three DH9 day bomber squadrons. During the 1920s and 30s, expansion continued apace, with three fighter squadrons, 19, 29 and 111, and the presence of many illustrious names, including Harry Broadhurst, Johnny Kent and Frank Whittle. The first aerodrome in Fighter Command to receive the Spitfire (in August 1938), Duxford rose to supreme prominence during the early part of the Second World War. Part of 12 Group detailed to protect the industrial midlands and north east Britain, the base's role during the Battle of Britain was mired in controversy due to the 'Big Wing' tactics of Douglas Bader and Trafford Leigh-Mallory. From October 1942 to the end of the war, Duxford was essentially an American base for, variously, the 8th Air Force, 350th and 78th Fighter Groups. Postwar the RAF operated jets from the station until 1961 when the future was put on hold. Managing to avoid the ignominy of becoming a prison or sports complex, the Imperial War Museum finally came to the rescue making Duxford into today's premier international air museum. Richard Smith's research has led him to numerous previously unpublished collections from which he has unearthed some marvellous images of historical significance. A must for the collector, historian or veteran of the times.

The Vulcan, the second of the three V bombers built to guard the UK during the Cold War, has become an aviation icon like the Spitfire, its delta shape instantly recognisable as is the howling noise it makes when the engines are opened for take-off. Vulcan Boys is the first Vulcan book recounted completely first hand by the operators themselves. It tells the story of the aircraft from its design conception through the Cold War when it played out its most important job as Britains nuclear deterrent; before unbelievably, at the end of its service life, also playing a significant role, with its bombs and missiles, in liberating the Falkland Islands for which it gained much celebrity. The individual accounts detail how hours at a time were spent on readiness, waiting to be scrambled to defend their country in the event of a third world war. In addition how their aggressive skills were honed by carrying out Lone Ranger sorties flying to the States and westward around the world, and taking part in Giant Voice and Red Flag, competitive exercises against the United States Strategic Air Command. The attacks in the Falklands using Shrike missiles are described accurately and in great detail for the first time including the landing at Rio de Janeiro alongside a vivid account of Black Buck 2. Vulcan Boys is a fascinating and completely authentic read reminding us of the Cold War, how it was fought and the considerable effort required to prevent all-out nuclear war.

This is the story of my experiences with the medium bomber designated by the Army as a B-26 and named by the British as the Marauder. The book includes a history of the development of the plane. My war experience began with ferrying our Marauder to England, which included a Sahara Desert stretch from Dakar to Marrakesh. Less than a third of the way there we lost the right engine but flew on safely on one engine, making an emergency landing at the oasis village of Tindouf, an old French Foreign Legion base. The Marauders were involved in the tragic, low-level mission over the E-boat pens in Holland where 60 percent of the officers and airmen and all ten aircraft were lost. This mission resulted in a reconsideration of low level operations in Europe (decision: move to medium altitude). My journal entries were created after each mission and offer details (target, date, crew members, their emotions, action narrative) of 50 combat missions (Appendix A). Considerable background on the design and construction of the Marauder is included, as well as a description of the B-26 reconstructed by the Confederate (now: Commemorative) Air Force. The book ends with a description of each of the crew members and their activity since the war if available.

‘The definitive account of the Vulcan raids… taught me something new on every page’ - Rowland White, author of the bestselling Vulcan 607 A newly researched, fully illustrated account of how RAF Vulcan bombers flew a series of the world's longest air raids in 1982 against Port Stanley airfield, in a daring, hastily improvised strike against the Argentinian invaders. The RAF's opening shots of the Falklands War were among the most remarkable airstrikes in history. The idea was simple: to destroy the runway at Port Stanley, and prevent Argentinian fast jets using it against the Royal Navy task force. But the nearest British-owned airfield was Ascension Island — 3,900 miles away from the Falklands. Researcher and historian Andrew D. Bird has uncovered new detail of what really made these extraordinary raids possible, including never-before-published information and photos demonstrating the discreet support provided by the United States. Packed with spectacular original artwork and rare photos, this book explains how these hugely complex, yet completely improvised raids were launched. This is also the story of how the last of the Vulcans, only a few months away from the scrapyard, had to be hastily re-equipped to carry conventional bombs, with bombsights, electronics and navigation systems 'borrowed' from other aircraft. Yet they managed to fly what were the longest-range air attacks in history, and struck a severe blow to the occupying Argentinians.

An illustrated history of how the Luftwaffe intended 'the Blitz' to knock Britain out of the war, emphasising the German point of view and detailing how Britain's defences and civilians responded. The Blitz - the German 'blitzkrieg' of Britain's industrial and port cities - was one of the most intensive bombing campaigns of World War II. Cities from London to Glasgow, Belfast to Hull, and Liverpool to Cardiff were targeted in an attempt to destroy Britain's military-industrial facilities and force it out of the war. Most histories of the Blitz concentrate on the civilian experience of ‘life under the bombs’ or the fighter pilots of the RAF but, in military terms, the Blitz was also the Luftwaffe's biggest and most ambitious strategic bombing campaign. Focusing on both sides, this book places particular emphasis on the hitherto under-represented Luftwaffe view of the campaign and looks at the new technology and tactics at its heart. From the innovative development of specialist night-fighters to the 'Battle of the Beams' that pitted German electronic navigation systems against British countermeasures, the Blitz demonstrated the effects of developing technology on aerial warfare. Describing and analyzing the strategy, tactics and operations of both the Luftwaffe and the UK’s air defences during the period between September 1940 and May 1941, author Julian Hale demonstrates that, for a variety of reasons, there was little chance of the Luftwaffe achieving any of its aims. Using primary sources, spectacular original artwork, 3D diagrams and maps, this study shines a fresh light on how and why the world’s first true strategic air offensive failed.

Spitfire Pilot was written in 1940 in the heat of battle when the RAF stood alone against the might of Hitlers Third Reich. It is a tremendous personal account of one of the fiercest and most idealised air conflicts the Battle of Britain seen through the eyes of a pilot of the famous 609 Squadron, which shot down over 100 planes in that epic contest. Often hopelessly outnumbered, in their state of the art Spitfires, Crook and his colleagues committed acts of unimaginable bravery against the Messerschmidts and Junkers. Many did not make it and the author describes the absence they leave in the squadron with great poignancy. Spitfire Pilot is justly regarded as one of the classics of WWII and this new paperback edition, 66 years on, includes an introduction by the historian Richard Overy.

"NORAD and the Soviet Nuclear Threat" is the history of the air defence of Canada during the Cold War era. The reader is taken into the Top Secret world of NORAD, the joint Canadian-American North American Air Defence network. Ride along with the aircrew in their cockpit as they fight an electronic joust in the skies. Go deep underground to the Command Centre as the Air Weapons controllers plot the air war on their radar screens. Visit the radar sites deep in the Canadian bush as they struggle to provide the radar data for an electronic air battle happening overhead.

An actual NORAD exercise on 10 May 1973, called Amalgam Mute, is used as an example. This exercise tested that NORAD was honouring its motto: Deter, Detect, Destroy, and was protecting North America from aerial threat. There is an extensive explanation of the aircraft, squadrons, weapons, radar, and radar sites involved.

Included are two personal accounts of the first interception of a Soviet "Bear" bomber off the coast of Canada, and the first Canadian fighter interceptor pilot to win the coveted United States Air Force "Top Gun" award.

This book explores the fascinating feats of RAF’s photographic reconnaissance aircraft. During World War 2, photographic reconnaissance in the RAF started gathering intelligence on the enemy using cameras installed in PR Spitfires. The aircraft that proved this concept was the Supermarine Spitfire, which, stripped of all excess weight, and carrying cameras and additional fuel, penetrated deep into enemy territory to bring back photographs that specialist interpreters could scrutinise to determine the enemy’s activities. This fascinating book examines the evolution of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), from a small clandestine flight of the British Secret Intelligence Service into an operational group fulfilling the photographic requirements of clients including the RAF and the War Office. From various bases in Britain, the uniquely camouflaged blue (and, occasionally, pink) Spitfires of the PRU covered targets in occupied Europe from the Norwegian fjords to the great German industrial centres. Their superior performance made an immediate impact in North Africa and Malta as the PR Spitfires kept watch on German and Italian forces. Further afield, in India, Spitfires flew over the jungles of Burma monitoring Japanese troops. Using specially commissioned aircraft profile artwork, first-hand accounts and original photography, aviation expert Andrew Fletcher explores the fundamental role of the iconic PR Spitfire throughout the war and its various theatres.

In the early hours of 26th June 1942, six airmen from 102 Squadron return from Bremen in their Halifax, Q for Queenie, having taken part in the third Thousand Bomber Raid. These airmen formed a truly international crew, each one having an interesting back story that had led to their being together, including Len Starbuck, the Wireless Operator and Air Gunner on his 26th operation who is close to the end of his tour. As operations continue, events on the squadron are recounted such as the inevitable toll of losses. German defences develop from uncoordinated concentrations around major towns and cities into a coherent barrier known as the Kammhuber Line. More new crewmen arrive on the squadron as the year progresses and with the arrival of winter, the ageing Whitley is phased out, replaced by the Halifax. As the squadron became familiar with the Halifax, they exchanged six of their new aircraft for six from 35 Squadron who were about to mount an attack on the Tirpitz in a fjord near Drontheim. These aircraft were equipped with the revolutionary new navigational aid known as GEE, which was of no use to crews flying to Norway, but suddenly gave 102 Squadron an accurate blind-bombing capability they had not previously enjoyed. On 25 May 1942, American air gunner Jack Fernie arrived on the squadron. Five days later he was on his first operation, caught up in the demand for maximum effort to support the first of Arthur Harris' Thousand Bomber Raids to Cologne who believed that Bomber Command could win the war from the air. Two days later, 102 Squadron again provided maximum effort for another massed attack on Essen, followed three weeks later by the third and final Thousand Bomber Raid to Bremen. Beginning the journey home at the tail end of the bomber stream, a night fighter was guided to an intercept position by a ground-based radar station that resulted in a fight to the death. This is an incisive look at the RAF's bombing campaign during 1941-42 through the prism of a multinational crew which faced mounting risks from an increasingly organised and integrated German air defence capability.

Horten brothers biographer David Myhra continues his efforts for a full accounting of the events surrounding the design, construction, and flight testing of the twin turbojet powered all-wing prototype Horten Ho 9 fighter/interceptor and its serial production prototype the Horten Ho 229V3.

This book is a poignant story of a small-town boy, who stumbled into a lifelong flying career spanning 38 years as a pilot. Now at 99, Captain Ho Weng Toh, one of the last few remaining Flying Tigers, recalls the many events that shaped his life. It takes the readers through his journey of good and bad years, the trials and tribulations encountered, his journey from being a refugee student to becoming a Chinese Air Force B-25 bomber pilot, his will to live, the burning desire to contribute towards the WWII effort and his endurance of all the trials and hardships all alone and often in silent solitude.Captain Ho shares memories of his childhood days and his growing-up years in Ipoh, his family and important values imparted by his father, his wonderful friendship with his buddy of eight decades, Meng Seng and his romantic encounters.In 1941, while being a student in Hong Kong, Captain Ho witnessed bombs dropped by Japanese bombers which signalled the start of WWII - a war which not only altered the course of history but was a major turning point in his life. Its impact consequently shaped the course of his life.He encountered many trials and uncertainties during the war years. But beyond the dark clouds and thunder storms, there was new hope and adventure. He encountered new adventures in Singapore, where he used his flying experience to carve out an illustrious career. In 1951, he started flying for Malayan Airways, the predecessor of Singapore Airlines (SIA). Through his 30 years of flying career with SIA, he saw the Airline grow from a fledgling Airline of three DC-3s to a modern international Airline.His strong passion for people, sports and travel were hallmarks of his life which enabled him to live a long and fulfilling life. Having a deep appreciation of the importance of friendship, he values his friends dearly and often travels the globe to reconnect. Being keenly interested in people and world affairs, he is extremely aware of human needs and is ever concerned for people that comes his way, fighting for the underdogs, offering guidance and a little helping hand to those in need. Such qualities together with his flying experience has helped him successfully train and groom several generations of young local pilots who eventually had successful careers at SIA.Related Link(s)

This book is a poignant story of a small-town boy, who stumbled into a lifelong flying career spanning 38 years as a pilot. Now at 99, Captain Ho Weng Toh, one of the last few remaining Flying Tigers, recalls the many events that shaped his life. It takes the readers through his journey of good and bad years, the trials and tribulations encountered, his journey from being a refugee student to becoming a Chinese Air Force B-25 bomber pilot, his will to live, the burning desire to contribute towards the WWII effort and his endurance of all the trials and hardships all alone and often in silent solitude.Captain Ho shares memories of his childhood days and his growing-up years in Ipoh, his family and important values imparted by his father, his wonderful friendship with his buddy of eight decades, Meng Seng and his romantic encounters.In 1941, while being a student in Hong Kong, Captain Ho witnessed bombs dropped by Japanese bombers which signalled the start of WWII - a war which not only altered the course of history but was a major turning point in his life. Its impact consequently shaped the course of his life.He encountered many trials and uncertainties during the war years. But beyond the dark clouds and thunder storms, there was new hope and adventure. He encountered new adventures in Singapore, where he used his flying experience to carve out an illustrious career. In 1951, he started flying for Malayan Airways, the predecessor of Singapore Airlines (SIA). Through his 30 years of flying career with SIA, he saw the Airline grow from a fledgling Airline of three DC-3s to a modern international Airline.His strong passion for people, sports and travel were hallmarks of his life which enabled him to live a long and fulfilling life. Having a deep appreciation of the importance of friendship, he values his friends dearly and often travels the globe to reconnect. Being keenly interested in people and world affairs, he is extremely aware of human needs and is ever concerned for people that comes his way, fighting for the underdogs, offering guidance and a little helping hand to those in need. Such qualities together with his flying experience has helped him successfully train and groom several generations of young local pilots who eventually had successful careers at SIA.Related Link(s)

Britain's Cold War Bombers explores the creation and development of the jet bomber, tracing the emergence of the first jet designs (the Valiant and Vulcan) through to the first-generation jets which entered service with the RAF and Fleet Air Arm. Each aircraft type is examined, looking at how the design was created and how this translated into an operational aircraft. The basic development and service history of each type is explained, with a narrative which links the linear appearance of each new design, leading to the present day and the latest generation of Typhoon aircraft. Other aircraft types covered are the Canberra, Sperrin, Victor, Scimitar, Buccaneer, Nimrod, Phantom, Sea Harrier, Jaguar, Tornado GR1/4 and Typhoon.

This book provides a concise historical survey of the various types of aircraft used by the United States Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, and Air Force, and the Navy and Marine Corps to accomplish air attack missions since 1926. The text covers four types of fixed-wing aircraft: designated attack aircraft; light, medium, and tactical bombers; fighter-bombers; and adapted attack aircraft. Reports on individual aircraft types include the aircraft's original military requirements, production history, and operational record, usually accompanied by photographs, illustrations, and technical specifications. Four appendices detail aircraft designations and nomenclature used throughout the military, the organizational structure of various military air units, aircraft designs that never made it into official service, and the evolution of attack aircraft weapons and tactics.

Along with the Bf 109, the Fw 190 was a stalwart of the Luftwaffe and one of the top fighters of WWII.

With specially commissioned artworks and dynamic combat ribbon diagrams, this volume reveals how the 'last of the gunfighters', as the F-8 was dubbed by its pilots, prevailed against the growing MiG threat of the Vietnamese People's Air Force. When the Vietnam War began, the F-8 was already firmly established as a fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. It entered combat as an escort for Alpha strike packages, braving the anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missiles alongside the A-4 Skyhawk bombers and meeting MiGs for the first time on 3 April 1965. Although the Crusader was nicknamed 'last of the gunfighters', its pilots employed 'secondary' AIM-9D Sidewinder missiles in all but one of their MiG kills, with guns also used as back-up in three. Its 20 mm guns were unreliable as they often jammed during strenuous manoeuvres, although they were responsible for damaging a number of MiGs. However, in combat the F-8 had the highest 'exchange ratio' (kills divided by losses) at six-to-one of any US combat aircraft involved in the Vietnam War. Through the copious use of first-hand accounts, highly detailed battlescene artwork, combat ribbon diagrams and armament views, Osprey's Vietnam air war specialist Peter E. Davies charts the successful career of the F-8 Crusader over Vietnam.

In the summer of 1915 the Royal Naval Air Service found itself engaged in an unexpected war at sea, the fight to prevent the German submarine fleet from disrupting the flow of vital supplies to the British Isles, necessary for the conduct of the war. It was a war that had to be won because by the spring of 1917 the U-boat campaign against Allied merchant shipping was close to bringing the British war effort to the point of collapse. Airships of the RNAS played a vital part in this new war at sea. This book tells the story of the young men who ventured out over the often hostile waters around the British Isles in airships, who were expected to hunt down the German submarines and to attack them with the hopelessly inadequate weapons at their disposal. The story is told by those who took part in this new form of warfare, through pieces written by them or via interviews with veterans. It covers the entire experience of being an airship pilot, from initial training, through their numerous adventures while flying these frail craft over the coastal waters of the British Isles, to the final victory in 1918.

This new book is a comprehensive history of the wings and squadrons that operated the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Detailed histories are provided for all TAC, USAFE, and PACAF units that flew the aircraft, as well as for Air Force Reserve and Air Guard users. With particular emphasis placed on operations in the Vietnam War, this work contains a wealth of information previously untold. This book is an indispensible reference for aviation enthusiasts, historians, and modelers alike.

Using maps, contemporary photographs, and new artwork, this book examines the Hellcat and the naval aviators who flew them. Joining combat in the Pacific in late 1943, the Hellcat squadrons soon demonstrated their ascendency over their Japanese opponents, culminating in the great "Marianas Turkey Shoot" during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944. The fighter proved to be a dream for pilots to fly, allowing both novice and veteran Naval Aviators alike to prevail in largescale aerial combats. From October 1944 to January 1945, the Fast Carriers supported General MacArthur's invasion of the Philippines. Featuring specially commissioned armament views and battlescenes, this book covers the key role played by Naval Aviators flying the Hellcat into action during the Fast Carrier Task Force's strikes against the Philippines in September and October 1944. Using maps, contemporary photographs, and technical diagrams, the volume examines the highly effective tactics used to prevail against large enemy formations, and reveals the training that underpinned the success enjoyed by the Naval Aviators and their Hellcats. The key combat actions are vividly described through 3D ribbon diagrams providing a step-by-step depiction of the main dogfights featured in the book, as well as action reports, both from previously unknown pilots and from more famous Hellcat aces.