The first ballistic missle in its use during WWII.

This book contains the most complete history of the South Vietnamese Air Force that surviving records and accounts can convey. In many ways, this is an American story; since VNAF was organized, trained, equipped, and attained its maximum strength under the tutelage of the US military. In view of numbers of aircraft, the South Vietnamese Air Force emerged as the fourth largest Air Force in the world-behind Communist China, the United States, and the Soviet Union. This is not a political history of the Vietnam War; rather it is the story of the transition of the VNAF from an under-trained and ill-equipped French Air Force auxiliary unit to a size during its 20-year life span, so large that it was almost incapable of sustaining itself with sufficient numbers of trained personnel and support materials. This is an up-dated version of the book by this same name and author published in 1988, which now features an abundance of color photographs and new incites of the air force's role in that war that have settled with time.

Minuteman: A Technical History of the Missile That Defined American Nuclear Warfare is a detailed history of the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile program, which has served as a powerful component of US nuclear strategies for over half a century. David K. Stumpf examines breakthroughs in solid propellant, lightweight inertial guidance systems and lightweight reentry vehicle development, the construction of over a thousand launch and launch control facilities, and key flight test and operational flight programs, and places the Minuteman program in context with world events.

The 308ths wide-ranging activities through nearly three years of bitter air warfare are described here by reknowned author C.V. Glines.

Aerial night fighting against the Japanese in World War II demanded the merger of a special type of pilot and plane. This is the story of those pilots who risked their lives night after night flying P-38 Lightnings, P-70 Nighthawks, and P-61 Black Widows - America's first purposely designed night fighter - for the 13th Air Force in the South and Southwest Pacific between 1943 and 1945. Night fighting included aerial intercepts of Japanese aircraft as well as raids against Japanese installations. This book provides detailed accounts of all these missions including the first solo night fighter raid over the highly defended Japanese base at Rabaul, night aerial combat against Japanese bombers and fighters, and harrowing night attacks against Japanese ground targets. Coverage of American night fighter tactics and Japanese counter-tactics add to the tale as 13th Air Force pilots battled the Japanese for control of the night skies.

'Irresistible . . . My aviation title of the year' Rowland White 'Stupendously brilliant . . . Completely addictive' James Holland 'The most explosive book about aircraft ever' Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves From the terror and exhilaration of First World War dogfighting to the dark arts of modern air combat, here is an enthralling ode to that most brutally exciting of machines: the warplane. The Hush-Kit Book of Warplanes is a beautifully designed, highly illustrated collection of the very best articles from Hush-Kit - the world's leading alternative aviation online magazine - combined with a heavy punch of new and exclusive pieces. It contains a wealth of brilliant material, from Top 10 lists and historical deep-dives to interviews with legendary fighter pilots and expert analysis of weapons, tactics and technology. This knowledge and impeccable research is balanced throughout with the irreverent attitude, wicked satire and sharp eye for the absurdities of the aeronautical world that have made the magazine so popular with its readers. The book itself is also a stunning object, featuring first-rate photography alongside original, specially commissioned artwork. Inside it you will find: Interviews with pilots of the F-14 Tomcat, the Mirage, the MiG-25, the English Electric Lightning, the Rafale and the B-52 among others. Comprehensive surveys including 'The Ultimate Biplane Fighters', '10 Incredible Cancelled Military Aircraft' and 'Aviation Myths You Shouldn't Believe'. Fascinating insights into obscure and overlooked warplanes. Unbelievable accounts of the most bizarre moments in aviation history. And much, much more.

The last of O'Connor's series covering the air awards and pilots of Imperial Germany. The eight German states appear first in alphabetical order. Among the 43 biographies included in this volume are: Althaus, Boehme, von Cassel, Dornheim, Floerke, Friedewald, von Grone, Hehnelt, and von Wuhlisch.

The F-105 Thunderchief was primarily designed for tactical nuclear operations. For this reason, it was on nuclear Victor alert in Europe and the Far East. When the air war against North Vietnam was initiated on March 2, 1965, the USAF needed an aircraft with a load-carrying ability, and the only aircraft that could do that job was the Thunderchief. In the second book of what will be a defining trilogy of Thunderchief history, the wartime operations of this iconic aircraft are detailed, alongside investigations of the extensive modification programs that allowed the F-105 to get the job done. This book not only gives in-depth accounts of various historical F-105 events, with inputs from the pilots involved, but is also lavishly illustrated with over 150 images, many of which have never been published before.

The epic story of one of the highest scoring fighter units in the southwest Pacific. Aces included McGuire, Loisel, MacDonald, Roberts and Bong.

Baroness Kunigunde von Richthofen originally published Mein Kriegstagebuch (My War Diary) in 1937, at a time when tales of heroes of the First World War inspired the youth of a country being prepared for a second war. Mother of Eagles is the culmination of the translation of the war diary, along with numerous facts and information not included in the original work. Follow the youth and wartime exploits of Manfred and Lothar, the leading German aces of World War I, through the eyes of their mother and a nation. Letters to the Barronness from each of her sons intially depict the wartime conditions on the ground, and then evolve into vivid details about the exhiliration of the hunt in the air for ever increasing numbers of enemy planes. This book will not only appeal to those interested in the Red Baron and his ace brother, Lothar, but to anyone who is interested in reading of the civilian life in Germany during the Great War.

This new book is an in-depth study covering John K. "Jack" Northrop\s quest for a clean flying machine. Covered are: Northrop\s initial N-1M project, the N-9M, XP-56, through the B-35 project, B-49 project, and the huge bombers planned only on the drawing board.\nIncluded are over 300 black and white and color photographs, as well as drawings and statistical data on all of the Northrop flying wing and tailless aircraft.\nGarry Pape is also the author of Queen of the Midnight Skies: The Story of American\s Air Force Night Fighters. John and Donna Campbell are also the authors of Talisman: A Collection of Nose Art. Both books are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

During the American Civil War, General Nathan Bedford Forrest stated that in order to win a battle, "you had to get there the firstest with the mostest". Today in military parlance the "C" designation means only one thing-getting there first with the most! Cargo aircraft are the backbone of today\s military operations. From Operation Vittles to Operation Desert Storm, without the "C" planes the battles would have been lost. This new book is the definitive history of every cargo aircraft that displayed the American flag, from the commercial Douglas C-1 built in 1925, to the newest C-33 designation given to a potential commercial, off-the-shelf transport aircraft to supplement the C-17. The authors have attempted to trace the roots of each of the "C" aircraft. Bill Holder is also the auhtor of McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle: A Photo Chronicle(with Mike Wallace), and One-of-a-Kind Research Aircraft: A History of In-Flight Simulators, Testbeds & Prototypes(with Steve Markman)-both titles are available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Scott Vadnais is an Air Force public affairs officer currently assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing. He spent four years at Wright-Patterson AFB working with aircraft acquistions and testing programs including the C-17.

Covers the various models of the Junkers Ju 290 and its counterparts.

This book outlines how to reorganize the U.S. Army into a fully 2 and 3-Dimensional maneuver capable, ground force with terrain-agile, armored fighting vehicles sized to rapidly deploy by fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft to the scene of world conflicts and strike at the heart of freedom‚s enemies. The plan to build the Army into Air-Mech-Strike Forces, exploiting emerging information-age technologies, as well as America‚s supremacy in aircraft and helicopter delivery systems---at the lowest cost to the taxpayers, is described in detail. These Army warfighting organizations, using existing and some newly purchased equipment, will shape the battlefield to America‚s advantage, preserving the peace before it is lost; if not, then winning fights that must be fought quickly. The dangerous world we live in moves by the speed of the AIR, and the 21st Century U.S. Army 2D/3D combat team will dominate this medium by Air-Mech-Strike!

X PLANES OF THE THIRD REICH SERIES An Illustrated Series on Germany's Experimental Aircraft of World War II Into the arms of the angels went pilots of the Me 163s, however the Alexander Lippisch-designed machine wasn't quite finished even though it went into serial production. The RLM called upon Heinrich Hertel of Junkers Flugzeugbau to give the aging 163 a complete make over and a make up for all the initial items it lacked - that is a cruising HWK 509 bi-fuel liquid rocket engine with a dual combustion chamber, tricycle landing gear, C and T-Stoff fuel tanks in the wings to provide longer flight duration, and so on. Although Hertel's machine was not flight tested under power prior to war's end the new and improved version now known as the Me 263 was test flown post war in the USSR. David Myhra has assembled previously unpublished photos, state-of-the art digital images, and photos of a 263 scale model to make this book on the 263 a one of a kind photographic reference.

In October 1943 Jack changed from Liberators to Beaufighters having been selected for Torbeau training in Scotland. He joined a Strike Wing at North Coates attacking North Sea convoys off the coast of Holland. Later Jack and his Beaufighter were sent to the Far East where he was deployed to fly out of Assam over Burma supporting the ‘Forgotten’ Army. Midway through the ‘tour’ they converted to Mosquitoes; a change he was not particularly happy about. After a short ‘rest’ converting pilots to Mosquitoes he felt lucky to be put in charge of a small Unit flying Service Personnel to various venues in Southern India. Jack’s enthusiasm for flying is maintained and his lucky escapes documented. His fascination with the cultural and social experiences gained in India leaves its mark as he comments on the privileges he experiences – now as a Commissioned Officer - compared to the non- commissioned, and of the wealth chasm between the Indian Princes and the poor of India. This is not just about flying but how he and his comrades lived through those unique and special times.

This new volume is a handy reference to Luftwaffe units and their coding systems used in World War II.

TOMCAT! The Gurmman F-14 Story is an exciting oral history of the most versatile air supremacy fighter in the world . . . much of it written from the vantage point of the airplanes cockpit!\nTold in an anecdotal format, this new book is richly marbled with the salt air of fleet experience. Perhaps the F-14 programs greatest success is its overwhelming acceptance by the youngsters in the fleet. Anecdotes about the Tomcat legend abound . . . expecially in the chapters devoted to its employment by the fleet in the oceans of the world.\nOf particular interest are the chapters dealing with the sale of Tomcats to Iran and the subsequent integration of the airplane into Irans armed forces. On-the-scene eye witness accounts provide a unique perspective of this fascinating aspect of the Tomcat story.\nTOMCAT! contains over 150 photographs, most in color and never bfore published, and most of them taken by Tomcat aircrews with hand-held cameras. These provide a fascinating backdrop for the oral history contained in the book.\nThis is not a garden variety history about an airplane. It is a sometimes heart-stopping stroy of how a controversial airplane finally made it into the hearts and minds of the fleet . . . after stumbling at the starting gates of an outmoded defense acquisition system. It is the story of the best air supremacy fighter in the world!\nRear Admiral Paul Gillcrist, USN (Retired), commanded a fleet fighter squadron on three carrier combat deployments to the Tonkin Gulf during which he flew 167 combat missions over Vietnam. For these he was awarded seventeen combat decorations. In his thirty-three year flying career as a fleet pilot and Navy test pilot as well, he flew 71 different U.S. and foreign tactical airplanes including the U.S. Air Forces F-104, F-105, F-106, F-15, F-16, YF-17 and F-20. He flew the Navys F-4, F-5, F-8, F-11, F-14 and F/A-18 as well as several key foreign tactical airplanes. During his carrier flying career, which spanned an amazing twenty-seven years, he commanded a fighter squadron, a carrier air wing and was the wing commander for all Pacific Fleet fighter squadrons. He flew from sixteen carriers, and in his last flying assignment accumulated over four hundred flight hours in the Tomcat culminating, at age 51, in becoming the first flag officer to land the Tomcat on an aircraft carrier - the U.S.S. KITTYHAWK on 21 October 1980. The author of FEET WET, Reflections of a Carrier Pilot, Admiral Gillcrist is eminently qualified to write the F-14 story!

As America's expeditionary force-in-readiness, the US Marine Corps operates an eclectic mix of fixed-wing, rotary-wing, tiltrotor and unmanned aircraft to support the marine rifleman on the ground. The first two decades of the 21st century have seen an almost complete transformation of the marine air wings, as Cold War-era legacy aircraft yield to digital-age replacements. In Harpia's first book dedicated to a North American air arm, Joe Copalman explains the significance of each aircraft transition in the Marine Corps over the previous 20 years - community by community - on the Marine Air-Ground Task Force and its ability to conduct amphibious and expeditionary warfare. While some of these transitions, like that of the KC-130T to KC-130J and AH-1W to AH-1Z, have been incremental, evolutionary steps up, others like the tandem-rotor CH-46 Sea Knight to the tiltrotor MV-22 Osprey and the introduction of the F-35 Lightning II to replace all three of the Marine Corps' tactical jets have revolutionised the way the service fights. In addition to introducing newer, vastly more capable and connected aircraft into its air wings, the Marine Corps has also invested heavily in keeping its remaining legacy fleets at the cutting edge of lethality and survivability throughout the final days of each type's service. Utilising a before-and-after approach, Copalman guides the reader through every transition in Modern USMC Air Power, examining what each legacy aircraft brought to the fight, and how the service's newer platforms have improved upon those capabilities, especially when aided by new constructs like precision-guided ordnance and digital interoperability.

From the time of its appearance in 1939 the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was one of the best fighter aircraft of the Second World War - a masterpiece produced by chief designer Kurt Tank. In 1943 he developed a new fighter aircraft based on this successful concept. The project soon deviated far from the original Fw 190 concept and as an honor to the designer it was designated the Ta 152. The great performance potential of this fighter was obvious from the very first prototypes of the Ta 152A and Ta 152C. Unfortunately, however, production was limited to a few examples. But at the same time Focke-Wulf was developing the Ta 152H high-altitude fighter which, powered by the Jumo 213E and equipped with a pressurized cockpit, was capable of reaching altitudes on the order of 35,000 feet and speeds in excess of 430 mph. A few Ta 152Hs saw action at the beginning of 1945 and they made an excellent impression on their pilots. Compared to the older fighters they exhibited significantly better flight characteristics and performance at high altitude. The Ta 152 could also stand up to the best Allied fighter aircraft, such as the American P-51 Mustang. On account of its unfamiliar shape the pilots of Bf 109s sometimes mistook it for an enemy aircraft and attacked. The heavy Allied bombing at the end of the war prevented production from beginning as planned, and as a result only a very few Ta 152Hs could be delivered. With the aid of a large number of photographs - some previously unpublished - and drawings, this book details the development history of the Ta 152, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft of its day. But it also illustrates the hopelessness of Germany's efforts late in the war to deploy advanced aircraft in large numbers.

This book covers the history of the 4th Fighter Wing, from re-activation in 1946, through the end of the "short TDY" to Korea in 1957. The early history covers the entire F-80 era, including the first jet aerobatic team, and the introduction of the legendary F-86 Sabre in 1949. From daily squadron diaries, the coverage on Korea begins with the move to Korea in November 1950, through the first operations in December, including a first person account of LtCol Bruce Hinton's first MiG kill. Dozens of MiG kill reports are included in the various chapters, with another first person account of Capt Jim Jabara's fifth and sixth kills, making him the first jet ace in history. Pilots from the 4th Wing accounted for 502 of the 792 MiGs shot down in the Korean War, and had twenty-five aces of the total of thirty-nine aces crowned in Korea. Photo coverage includes most of the aces and their aircraft, maintenance, and airfield scenes. A complete list of every victory, and all the losses, is also contained. Interviews with pilots, crew chiefs, and factory tech reps tell the complete story of the "Fourth But First" before, during, and after the Korean War.

This classic text was originally intended, when it first appeared in 1928, as propaganda for air-minded youth, these letters and diaries in fact tell the story of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force from August 1914 to the Armistice four years later.The book is beautifully written-equal to the classic narratives of the first war in the air-the descriptions of aerial dog fights, dawn patrols and mess parties interspersed with Merrivale's' overview giving the reader one of the finest accounts of what it meant to be a Flying Officer in the early days of air warfare.Major Rothesay Nicholas Montagu Stuart Wortley MC (1892-1926) was a First World War flying ace credited with six aerial victories. When war was declared, he served initially on an infantry brigade staff under his father, who was a brigadier general. From there, he was seconded to the Royal Flying Corps in early 1917. He was assigned to 22 Squadron as a flight commander and Bristol F.2 Fighter pilot. Between 6 September 1917 and 28 January 1918, he set an Albatros D.V aflame, destroyed two others, drove down two other enemy airplanes, and captured an Albatros D.III. He was then rotated back to England to 44 Home Defence Squadron. In September 1918, he was appointed to command 88 Squadron, back on the Western Front.

It was a crucial moment of WW2. 1940. The Royal Air Force, virtually alone, defended the skies of Britain against massed formations of German bombers. They put up such a ferocious defence that Hitler gave up ideas of invading Britain and turned his attention to an assault on the Soviet Union. Of those pilots who courageously flew their Spitfires and Hurricanes against the Luftwaffe barely a handful remain. However the authors have interviewed no less than eighteen survivors and it is their memories and anecdotes that make this book unique. Highly illustrated throughout with rarely seen images, Battle of Britain is packed with great stories of aerial combat and being shot down, of the classic fighters that they flew and fought in and against, of making and losing friends and colleagues; of a strained social life in the midst of battle; and, most of all, of standing steadfast in the face of overwhelming odds. It is coupled with an authoritative and lively narrative.

The McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is presented here showing its development, production and use by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and by various foreign air forces. Use by the Blue Angels, and the very latest model updates are included.