In the 1930s, as nations braced for war, the German military build up caught Britain and the United States off-guard, particularly in aviation technology. The unending quest for speed resulted in the need for radical alternatives to piston engines. In Germany, Dr. Hans von Ohain was the first to complete a flight-worthy turbojet engine for aircraft. It was installed in a Heinkel designed aircraft, and the Germans began the jet age on August 27, 1939. The Germans led the jet race throughout the war and were the first to produce jet aircraft for combat operations. In England, the doggedly determined Frank Whittle also developed a turbojet engine, but without the support enjoyed by his German counterpart. The British came second in the jet race when Whittle's engine powered the Gloster Pioneer on May 15, 1941. The Whittle-Gloster relationship continued and produced the only Allied combat jet aircraft during the war, the Meteor, which was relegated to Home Defense in Britain. In America, General Electric copied the Whittle designs, and Bell Aircraft contracted to build the first American jet plane. On October 1, 1942, a lackluster performance from the Bell Airacomet, ushered in the American jet age. The Yanks forged ahead, and had numerous engine and airframe programs in development by the end of the war. But, the Germans did it right and did it first, while the Allies lagged throughout the war, only rising to technological prominence on the ashes of the German defeat. Pavelec's analysis of the jet race uncovers all the excitement in the high-stakes race to develop effective jet engines for warfare and transport.

Originally published in 1998 by the United States Air Force History and Museums Program. Illustrated.

Revives the overlooked stories of pioneering women aviators, who are also featured in the forthcoming documentary film Coming Home: Fight for a Legacy During World War II, all branches of the military had women's auxiliaries. Only the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, however, was made up entirely of women who undertook dangerous missions more commonly associated with and desired by men. Within military hierarchies, the World War II pilot was perceived as the most dashing and desirable of servicemen. "Flyboys" were the daring elite of the United States military. More than the WACs (Army), WAVES (Navy), SPARS (Coast Guard), or Women Marines, the WASPs directly challenged these assumptions of male supremacy in wartime culture. WASPs flew the fastest fighter planes and heaviest bombers; they test-piloted experimental models and worked in the development of weapons systems. Yet the WASPs were the only women's auxiliary within the armed services of World War II that was not militarized. In Clipped Wings, Molly Merryman draws upon military documents-many of which weren't declassified until the 1990s-congressional records, and interviews with the women who served as WASPs during World War II to trace the history of the over one thousand pilots who served their country as the first women to fly military planes. She examines the social pressures that culminated in their disbandment in 1944-even though a wartime need for their services still existed-and documents their struggles and eventual success, in 1977, to gain military status and receive veterans' benefits. In the preface to this reissued edition, Merryman reflects on the changes in women's aviation in the past twenty years, as NASA's new Artemis program promises to land the first female astronaut on the moon and African American and lesbian women are among the newest pilot recruits. Updating the story of the WASPs, Merryman reveals that even in the past few years there have been more battles for them to fight and more national recognition for them to receive. At its heart, the story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots is not about war or planes; it is a story about persistence and extraordinary achievement. These accomplished women pilots did more than break the barriers of flight; they established a model for equality.

One of the many neglected chapters in the Indian military history is the role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The only document on the subject is a 25-page chapter in the unpublished Official History, which fails to do justice to the vital and remarkable role played by the IAF in some of the most hostile operating conditions found anywhere in the world. This work attempts to fill this vital gap. The Indian Air Force had been involved in the build-up in Ladakh and NEFA right from the time the first of many posts was set up in 1950. Thereafter, it was its responsibility to support and sustain the posts set up in both the sectors as well as various patrols that were sent forward to show the Indian flag. The IAF was also involved in the Army's build-up. This was one continuous operation for the IAF, day in day out - the only break that the aircrew could get was due to bad weather. The main test for the IAF came when the Indians and Chinese came face-to-face at Thagla ridge and the Chinese invasion commenced soon thereafter. The demand for airlift suddenly increased manifold with an urgency associated with forces that have been caught unprepared. The IAF met the challenge, the ground crews working round the clock and the aircrews flying in conditions that are difficult to imagine. There is no other instance in aviation history wherein any air force has been able to increase its effort almost ten times - the IAF's resources were already stretched even before September 1962. Each and every demand of the Army was met without a murmur and not a single adversity could be attributed to the inability of the IAF to deliver. What is not surprising is that the credit that is due to it for its efforts has eluded it so far because no attention has been paid to the role played by the IAF in this war. The story would have been altogether different if the combat elements of the IAF had been utilised - the reasons for the same still remain shrouded in mystery. Another chapter in the IAF's history about which very little is known is its efforts to modernise post 1962. This work attempts to unravel these mysteries as well as describes the valiant efforts of the air warriors of the IAF.

More than 100 legendary pilots have granted and shared personal glimpses of their illustrious military careers to help create this tribute to the American Fighter Ace. "In Their Own Words: True Stories and Adventures of the American Fighter Ace" explores and illustrates the courage, resourcefulness and patriotism of America's fighter aces. These heroic flyers have given personal glimpses and recollections on what it took to fly, fight and survive combat missions in World War II and Korea.

Illustrated with detailed artworks of World War II-era German aircraft and their markings with exhaustive captions and specifications, Luftwaffe Squadrons 1939-45: Identification Guide is the definitive study of the equipment and organisation of the Luftwaffe's combat units. Organised by theatre of operations and the many campaigns fought by the Luftwaffe, the book describes in depth the various units that were fighting on the front at key points in the war and describes the models of aircraft in service with each unit along with their individual and squadron markings. With information boxes accompanying the full-colour artworks, Luftwaffe Squadrons 1939-45 is an essential reference guide for modellers and any enthusiast with an interest in the aircraft of the German war machine.

Modern Military Aircraft is a fascinating guide to the most important military aircraft developed since World War II. This highly illustrated book features a wide range of aircraft that served in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, conflicts in the Middle East and the Falklands. Types of aircraft range from front line fighters to reconnaissance aircraft to bombers to interceptors and helicopters. Spanning such famous planes as the Lockheed Blackbird and the MiG-21, Modern Military Aircraft also includes lesser-known examples such as the South African Atlas Cheetah and the EH101 Merlin helicopter. Arranged by countries, each of the 75 featured aircraft is presented with outstanding fully annotated three-view colour artworks, development and service history, specification tables and colour and black-&-white photographs. With a wealth of information and splendidly presented, this book is a must for aviation enthusiasts.

When the United States went to war in April 1917 the Army's Air Service had one squadron of obsolete aircraft. By November 1918 the Air Service had aero squadrons which were specialized in air combat, observation, bombing, and photography. Each combat division habitually had an air observation squadron and a balloon company attached. This work also details the efforts of the Air Service to construct a massive system of supply, repair, and maintenance. Questions such as the training of flyers, observers, and balloonists are also explored.

Soon after the United States entered World War II, American ground and air forces were on their way to the European theater of operations. Among that offensive buildup was the 15th Air Force, consisting of four-engine heavy bombers - the B-17 and B-24 - as well as twin-engine medium bombers and several types of fighter aircraft. The 15th was first stationed in North Africa and then in southern Italy, where pilots could strike at any military target within a 700 mile radius. After ferrying a B-17 to England with the 8th Air Force, Lt. Edward Logan was transferred to the 15th Air Force, Fifth Wing, 483rd Bomb Group, 817th Bomb Squadron in Italy. Logan and members of his unit were assigned to use American air power to destroy the German military's manufacturing and petroleum complexes as well as its intricate transportation system.This gripping memoir gives a detailed account of Logan's experiences throughout his Army Air Corps career. It outlines the progression of a determined would-be pilot through two years of training, his 1944 journey to the war's theater and advent into actual combat. While other missions are summarized, the work's main focus is the author's thirty-fourth combat mission, which took place in March 1945. During this operation, his B-17 bomber sustained damage so severe that he and nine crewmen were forced to bail out over enemy territory. Aided by Slovenian partisans, Logan and his crew evaded the German troops who were searching for them and returned safely to their base. This firsthand account includes insider details, technical specifications of the B-17 bomber and previously classified information. An epilogue provides additional information on the partisans and the composition of the 15th Air Force.This entry refers to the Large Print edition.

This work analyzes the evolution of the U.S. strategic air force from 1945 to 1955. As commander of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 1948 through 1955, Curtis LeMay shaped U.S. strategic forces to survive the new world. He insisted that the Air Force have access to atomic energy information for strategic planning. He struggled to find, promote, and retain the most qualified pilots and support personnel in the Air Force. This work describes the evolution of Air Force strategic forces, describes the importance of personnel to the SAC mission and how LeMay addressed the problem, examines the development of specialized maintenance in SAC, traces the transition from the B-47 to the B-52, and explores the importance of intelligence and targeting.

After the First World War, airships were seen as the only viable means of long range air transport for passengers and freight. In Britain, this gave rise to the Imperial Airship Scheme of 1924 to link the outposts of the Empire by an airship service. Conceived as part of this scheme, the R.100 airship, built by private enterprise, successfully flew to Canada and back in 1930. This is the story of R.100, Britain's most successful passenger airship. It is a tale of schemes and politics, over-optimism and rivalry. It tells the full story of its design and construction under difficult conditions, the setbacks and delays, personal antagonism and financial constraint. Two years late and massively over budget, R.100 flew and flew well, achieving her designer's ambition and fulfilling the contract specification. Her Canadian flight in 1930 was the culminating success, but her ultimate fate was dictated by the tragedy that befell her Government-built sister ship, R.101, and economic expediency at a time of national economic depression.

Ever since Thucydides pondered reasons for the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, writers, philosophers, and social scientists have all tried to identify and catalog factors that promote conflict escalation. Historians emphasize path-dependencies: the future grows out of the past, hence tomorrow's wars are rooted in yesterday's conflicts. Political scientists attend to changes in power balance or domestic political forces. All of these causes, however, are constructed by human beings and involve the memories, emotions, and motives of both the leaders and the led. In July 1914, the long peace of the great European powers was shattered when the Sarajevo assassinations quickly escalated to a world war that few ever anticipated. In contrast, at the height of the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis could have easily plunged us into a thermonuclear world war, but was ultimately peacefully resolved. Why? In Roots of War: Wanting Power, Seeing Threat, Justifying Force, author David G. Winter identifies the three psychological factors that contributed to the differences in these historical outcomes: the desire for power (power motivation), exaggerated perception of the opponent's threat, and justification for using military power and force. As Winter illustrates, several different lines of research establish how these three factors lead to escalation and war: the role of power motivation is demonstrated by comparative content analysis of documents (i.e. diplomatic communications, leaders' speeches, and media coverage) from crises that escalated to war versus similar events that did not; case studies of several American and British wars; and analysis of "new wars" (i.e. civil unrest, state-sponsored violence, and terrorism). Drawing on this research, Roots of War is a powerful testament to the roles of power and the preservation of peace, and demonstrates their enormous influence in diplomatic interventions in the past and present-day.

This pictorial history of the USAF Weapons School based at Nellis AFB, Nevada, features over 200 color images of the aircraft flown by the eighteen squadrons of the Weapons School from 1992 to the present. The aircraft photos are organized by Weapons School squadron with a short history of each squadron, as well as unit insignia. A majority of the photographic images were taken by the author during numerous visits to Nellis AFB, and the other bases hosting Weapons School units. Most of the action photos were taken on the Nellis range, the Nellis ramp and runways, or in flight. Also included are chapters on the history of the Weapons School predecessor, the Fighter Weapons School, from 1949 to 1992, with photos of the fighter aircraft assigned to its squadrons. The F-16 and F-15 aircraft of the 57th Adversary Tactics Group (Aggressors) are also included.

This study examines three major bomber aircraft acquisition programs: the B-36, the B-52, and the B-2. The central question for each of these programs is whether they were chosen to fit national strategic objectives or to meet the more narrow political and economic needs of the so-called military-industrial complex. The book concludes that U.S. Air Force senior leadership acquired better bombers than did civilian defense leaders. The extensive use of original documents in this book reveals that Air Force generals were less concerned about defending their own interests than previous research has implied.