The name Kummersdorf is inextricably linked with a wide variety of German weapons, vehicles and equipment. Kummersdorf was involved in every stage of military technical development: research, development, testing and the mass employment of military technology.

The 20th century saw air power transformed from novelists' fantasy into stark reality. From string and canvas to precision weaponry and stealth, air power has progressed to become not only the weapon of first political choice, but often the only conceivable option. This rapid development has given rise to considerable debate and controversy with those holding entrenched views rarely slow to shout their case. Many myths have grown over the period, ranging from the once much vaunted ability of air power to win wars alone through to its impact as a coercive tool.
This volume examines the theory and practice of air power from its earliest inception. The contributors have been drawn from academia and the military and represent some of the world's leading proponents on the subject. All significant eras on air power employment are examined: some are evidently turning points, while others represent continuous development. Perhaps more importantly, the book highlights the areas that could be considered to be significant, and invites the reader to enter the debate as to whether it constitutes a continuum, a turning point, or indeed a revolution.
The expert analysis in this volume will serve as a guide to past perceptions and will help to equip current analysts for the 21st century.

At the age of twelve, American William R. Dunn decided to become a fighter pilot. In 1939 he joined the Canadian Army and was soon transferred to the Royal Air Force. He was the first pilot in the famous Eagle Squadron of American volunteers to shoot down an enemy aircraft and later became the first American ace of the war. After joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, he saw action in the Normandy invasion and in Patton's sweep across France. Twenty years later he fought again in Vietnam. Dunn keenly conveys the fighter pilot's experience of war -- the tension of combat, the harsh grip of fear, the love of aircraft, the elation of victory, the boisterous comradeship and competition of the pilot brotherhood. Fighter Pilot is both a gripping story and a unique historical document.

Originally published to acclaim in 2009, this paperback re-issue aims to give readers access to the tangible remains of hundreds of historic aircraft that still lie at crash sites on the moors and mountains of the British Isles, all of which can be visited. It covers almost 500 selected sites, with emphasis placed on those located within open access land. The book includes accurate verified grid references, up-to-date site descriptions and recent photographs. Arranged geographically, each chapter features details of all major recorded air crashes to have occurred in that particular region. Areas covered include: South-west Moors - 15 entries. ~ Wales - 93 entries. ~ Peak District - 82 entries. Pennines - 76 Entries. ~ Lake District - 32 entries. ~ North Yorkshire Moors - 23 entries. Isle of Man - 18 entries. ~ Scotland: Lowlands - 47 entries. ~ Highlands and Islands - 85 entries. ~ Ireland - 19 entries. Representing the main upland areas of the British Isles, each of these sections is introduced with a brief narrative describing its geographical characteristics and aviation background, discussing the factors and trends lying behind the concentration of losses within each area and noting any especially significant incidents. Individual site entries include precise location details including, where required, additional references for scattered major items of wreckage and any relevant notes to aid finding or interpreting the crash site, together with details of the aircraft, names and fates of those onboard and the circumstances of the loss.

This study explains how Westland dominated British helicopter production and why government funding and support failed to generate competitive "all-British" alternatives. In doing so, the book evaluates broader historiographic assumptions about the purported "failure" of british aircraft procurement during the early post-war period and considers the scope and limitations of licensed production as a government-mandated procurement strategy.

This work examines the evolution of the RAF's operational requirements for its home defence air force - for bombers to mount a deterrent counter offensive and for fighters to provide direct defence of Britain. It discusses the management processes, policies and decisions relevant to operational requirements on the basis of a detailed study of Air Ministry papers of the time. By tracing the development of operational requirements, the author exposes the thinking behind the RAF's quest for effective fighter and bomber aircraft. He describes the ideas and concepts of air warfare that were adopted in the 1920s, and shows how these evolved into the Air Staff's requirements for the aircraft which the RAF entered and fought in World War II.

This book is about the men of the 79th Fighter Group on the "forgotten" Mediterranean front in World War II. It tells who they were, what they did, and because it is set in the broader context of the entire conflict in that theater is shows how the war on the ground influenced their war in the air. The 79th spent much of its tour with the RAF's Desert Air Force in Tunisia, Sicily, and the "other side" of Italy - providing readers with an inside look at battles generally not well known to the American public - and also took part in the battle for Rome and the invasion of southern France. It racked up an enviable record. It destroyed hundreds of ground targets, led all Allied fighters in victories over both Pantelleria and Anzio, gave three destroyers the "deep six," and was the only fighter group to sink an aircraft carrier.

This volume deals with the development of Britain's air defences during the years leading up to the outbreak of World War II, and the development of the system during the early period of the war, leading up to the Battle of Britain. Originally classified as "secret," this report was written during the war as an internal Air Ministry history by Cecil James, a historian working for the Air Historical Branch.
The report describes the development of Fighter Command and the air defence network, often called the "Dowding System," and in doing so makes it clear how much of the groundwork for success was laid down in the 1920s by those working at a time when radar had yet to be developed. It was indeed the integration of technological advances such as radar and reasonably efficient radio telephones that allowed the defences to keep pace with the ever-increasing speed and sophistication of bomber aircraft. The result was the world's first truly integrated air defence network, designed to give its commanders botha picture of the enemy's air attacks as they developed and a sophisticated command system to assign and control the defending forces sent up to meet the enemy in the air.

Human Resource Management in the British Armed Forces continues to grow in importance. A great deal of emphasis has now been placed on people issues and these will grow in importance, particularly for the services, as the full effects of the Human Rights Act 1998 and implications of the Macpherson Report begin to hit home.

This book covers all of the various fighter aircraft designed and employed by Russian forces during the years 1920-1941.

This study considers the complex interplay of factors that shaped and formed the selection, retention, abandonment, and development of the system of flying fields and air bases for the U.S. Army Air Corps and its predecessor organizations over the three decades preceding WWII--a period that has been only cursorily examined from the point of view of ground facilities. No previous works have focused on the question of why air bases are located where they are. Author Jerold E. Brown has consulted an abundance of source materials to create the comprehensive eight-chapter volume: printed hearings, documents, and reports generated by Congress; maps, blueprints, staff studies, the correspondence of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, and several hundred volumes of the Constructing Quartermaster Completion Reports in the National Archives; and unit histories and typescript field histories. Hundreds of articles on the construction and operation of airfields, many written by serving officers, as well as technical manuals, and correspondence of the Office of the Chief of Air Service and Chief of the Air Corps were only part of the data surveyed in preparing the fact-filled text. Eight period photos of airfields from Alaska to Texas, six maps, seven figures, and eight tables complement such chapters as Plans, Parade Grounds, and Politics and Air Bases, Plans, and Preparations. This history of the development of early airfields should help to correct previously held views and assumptions on the subject based on a lack of in-depth research in this area and will be a real treasure trove of information for scholars of Military History.

This book is the first detailed volume to cover the famous Norden Bombsight (NBS) which was one of the most secret weapons used before and during World War II by the United States in its bomber aircraft. Development of the NBS was started in 1922 by the Navy Bureau of Ordnance, and in 1932 the famous Mark XV was introduced. Configuration of the NBS, except for changes, remained static through its life, and its accuracy during Allied bombing runs made it one of the most important technical developments of the war. Later several attachments were devised to make it more accurate a new optics were developed, ballistic charts updated, and electrical engineering methods refined with the aid of research centers. Electronics were first used in the C-1 auto pilot in 1941, and radar was also used with the NBS, and it was also used in the first guided bombs, called AZON/RAZON, the forerunner of the guided missile. The NBS was again called to duty in 1967-68 in the Vietnam war, before it was phased out of the inventory. This is its complete story.

Jagdgeschwader 301 and 302 were established in 1943. Their mission was to intercept enemy bombers at night flying fast single-engined fighters. But they also had to engage Allied bombers by day. The pilots of these new fighter wings were a mix of former bomber pilots and trained fighter pilots - a unique composition for the Luftwaffe. Night missions required good instrument training, like that given to bomber pilots. The fighter pilots were more familiar with the available aircraft and combat tactics. A former fighter pilot himself, Willi Reschke describes the difficulties of crossing over from day to night fighting and vice-versa. He describes the difficult missions flown by JG 301/JG 302 and the fates of their pilots, providing the first chronicle of the "Wilde Sau" Geschwader.

Number 2 in the Luftwaffe Profile Series describes the design and use of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G/K.

Trained in the use of the Eureka radar, holophan lights, and colored ground panels, the pathfinders dropped thirty minutes before the main airborne landing to provide ground guidance for successive airborne jumps. The concept of the pathfinders proved successful and they were used during the remainder of World War II. The story of the airborne pathfinders and the vital part they played in airborne operations during the Second World War has rarely been told. In this new book, Jeff Moran tells the story of the operations they led, the equipment used - much of it unique to the pathfinders - and has memorialized them by noting, in many cases, the individual teams of pathfinders.

NATO's Northern members are increasingly concerned about Russia's military activities. This Whitehall Paper contains perspectives from prominent authors across the region, showing how member states are responding, individually and collectively, to Moscow's resurgence. Overall, it identifies the common but differentiated responsibility that member states have for security in the Alliance's northern regions.

Very influential design was the first and only rocket fighter used in WWII.

Famously pictured in the opening credits of the popular television series M.A.S.H., Bell's Model 47 helicopter was the first helicopter certified for civilian use in March 1946 and went on to serve a wide variety of military and civilian applications. With its signature bubble canopy, the Model 47, and particularly its H-13 Sioux military variant, served in both Korea and Vietnam. It became a stalwart in civilian aviation with a variety of uses: agricultural aerial sprayer, aerial firefighting, police work, aerial oil exploration, medevac, news coverage, and mail service. More than 5,600 Model 47s were built, many under license in Japan, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The type retains its popularity in the civilian market to this day.

These are pictorial studies of the Allied air offensive that defeated Japanese air forces in the vast Pacific Ocean region, destroyed Japan's navy and its supply lines, and finally devastated the war making potential of the Japanese homeland. The photos come from official archives as well as from the private collections of veterans. The captions reflect painstaking research to supply date, place, and units engaged.

While the heroic exploits of 'The Few' of Fighter Command are rightly lauded, those of 'The Many' of Bomber Command often remain overlooked. Night after night, the bomber crews ranged across Europe seeking out and attacking targets in an all-out endeavour to undermine the German war effort against Britain and prevent invasion. Bomber Command's Forgotten Summer tells the stories of the young men who carried out dangerous missions on a nightly basis, battling against both the enemy and the elements, relying on a mix of nerve, skills and luck to hit their target and make it home. Faced with flak and fighters, exposed to the harsh weather conditions and operating at the edge of their capabilities, for the young men of Bomber Command, this was just as vital as the Battle of Britain.

Presented here is the most complete photo collection of U.S. Air Force F-4 Phantoms and F-105 Thunderchiefs credited with aerial victories during the Vietnam era. Of the total one hundred-thirteen individual Phantoms and Thunderchiefs credited with aerial victories, the reader will discover photographs of one hundred and six of these historic aircraft. The reader will discover photographs of the only F-4 Phantom to down six MiGs. The jet flown by Captain Richard Steve Ritchie on 28 August 1972, when he distinguished himself by becoming the first Air Force ACE of the Vietnam War appear here. Also shown are the three Phantoms flown by Colonel Robin Olds in claiming four MiG kills. Accompanying each photograph is detailed information regarding the aircrews, units, call signs of the individual aircraft, primary weapon system used in destruction of the enemy MiG, and a short narrative regarding each air battle.

This two volume set originally appeared in 1919 in limited quantities - original copies are now highly sought collectibles. Both volumes of New England Aviators are now available in new quality editions. 542 New England pilots - who flew with the USAAC, USN, USMC and British and French air forces - are given short biographical entries and most appear in World War I era photographs. New England Aviators is a superb, detailed reference for World War I and aviation historians, as well as uniform and insignia collectors.

The famed Skyraider in Korea and Vietnam, emphasizing its great ground assault capabilities.

When the Allies crossed the Rhine, Hitler decreed to go down fighting to the last man. A strange triangular bomber launched the 'Nicht loschbares Feuer' over London, destroying the city. Later, a black boomerang of sixty metres dropped two tons of anthrax over Washington and New York, making them inhabitable for fifty years. Thankfully, the inextinguishable firebomb was a figment of H. G. Wells' imagination. However, the construction of the secret flying wings had commenced at the start of 1945. Indeed, one fighter took to the skies on its only test flight. If these radical fighters of the Luftwaffe had been pressed into service earlier, they may well have changed the outcome of the Second World War. Profusely illustrated with technical drawings and fascinating data and information on the Luftwaffe's most radical fighter and bomber projects, The Ultimate Flying Wings of the Luftwaffe chronicles these revolutionary designs. A fascinating book for the military historian, modellers and those interested in aviation, this shows how close Hitler may have come in winning the war.

In the light of new archival material the editors take a fresh look at Russian aviation in the twentieth century. Presenting a comprehensive view of Russian aviation, from its genesis in the late czarist period to the present era, the approach is essentially chronological with a major emphasis on the evolution of military aviation. The contributions are diverse, with appropriate attention to civilian and institutional themes.