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.

Messerschmitt Me 262: Arrow to the Future tells the dramatic story of the Me 262\s combat career as a fascinating chain of events in which planning, luck, and even blind stupidity played important roles. Even by today\s engineering standards, magnificent is the only word to describe the effort to bring the plane\s jet engines, which eclipsed the performance of all contemporary aircraft, from the laboratory to production in an amazingly short time.\nArrow to the Futrue also tells the story of the people who flew the Me262 in combat. Their complete accounts bring their missions to life and set the plane in the historical context of the war. The German narratives are complemented by the accounts of Americans who flew against the Me 262 - for instance, the team of crack USAAF pilots known as "Watsons\s Whizzers," who literally stole a fleet of jet aircraft from German airfields at the end of the war.\nAlso described are the postwar efforts to test and preserve the Me 262. Included is a description of the efforts to obtain one of these aircraft for display at the National Air and Space Museum, and the painstaking efforts by the team at the Smithsonian\s Paul E. Garber Facility for Preservation, Restoration, and Storage to restore the Me 262 to its pristine condition.\nThis new reprint edition is lavishly illustrated with more than 100 photographs, including operational photos from World War II, color views of the cockpit, and interior and exterior shots of the restored Me 262. In addition to the striking photographs, there are expert technical drawings, cutaway illustrations, and equipment and conversion tables. \nWalter J. Boyne is the author of many books including The Smithsonian Book of Flight, The Leading Edge, Boeing B-52: A Documentary History and Phantom in Combat, as well as the novels The Wild Blue, Trophy for Eagles and Air Force Eagles.

A facsimile reprint of the pilots handbook for the F4U-5, -5N, -5NL, and -5P.

As the Allies were approaching the German frontier at the beginning of September 1944, the German Armed Forces responded with a variety of initiatives designed to regain the strategic initiative. While the "Wonder Weapons" such as the V-1 flying bomb, the V-2 missile and the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter are widely recognized as being the most prominent of these initiatives upon which Germany pinned so much hope, the Volks-Grenadier Divisions (VGDs) are practically unknown. Often confused with the Volkssturm, the Home Guard militia, VGDs have suffered the undeserved reputation as second-rate formations, filled with young boys and old men suited to serve only as cannon fodder. This groundbreaking book, now reappearing as a new edition, shows that VGDs were actually conceived as a new, elite corps loyal to the National Socialist Party composed of men from all branches of Hitler's Wehrmacht and equipped with the finest ground combat weapons available. Whether fighting from defensive positions or spearheading offensives such as the Battle of the Bulge, VGDs initially gave a good account of themselves in battle. Using previously unpublished unit records, Allied intelligence and interrogation reports and above all interviews with survivors, the author has crafted an in-depth look at a late-war German infantry company, including many photographs from the veterans themselves. In this book we follow along with the men of the 272nd VGD's Fusilier Company from their first battles in the Huertgen Forest to their final defeat in the Harz Mountains. Along the way we learn the enormous potential of VGDs . . . and feel their soldiers' heartbreak at their failure. Among Douglas Nash's previous works is Hell's Gate: The Battle for the Cherkassy Pocket, January-February 1944, a work unsurpassed for insight into the other side of the hill in WWII.

The Boeing B-47 Stratojet was produced in larger numbers than any post World War II American bomber. A total of 2,042 aircraft were built by the Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed aircraft companies. With more than 25 variants, the B-47 was the backbone of the Strategic Air Command throughout the 1950s. In The Boeing B-47 Stratojet in Pictures Mark Natola takes you from the development of the first XB-47 through the final YB-47C and B-47Z concept aircraft.

Number 7 in the Luftwaffe Profile Series describes the design and use of the Heinkel He 60.

In 1931 Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh set off on a flight to the Orient by the Great Circle Route. The classic North to the Orient is the beautifully written account of the trip.

Photographs and illustrations sourced from the original project documents.

Facsimile reprint of the orignial flight handbook for the F-86D and TF-86D.

This title explores the scope of women's activities in aviation, from the time of the Wright Brothers to the present day. After highlighting the earliest female aviators, as well as the trailblazers of the inter-war period such as Amy Johnson and Amelia Earhart, the book goes on to examine the experience of women in aviation during the Second World War, including those flying with the Air Transport Auxiliary and the American Women Airforce Service Pilots. The post-war years are also covered and the title emphasises the growth in women's participation in civil and military spheres of aviation - by the last decades of the twentieth century, women had progressed even further, undertaking many of the jobs previously reserved for men, including space flight and combat flying. From the earliest women to obtain pilot's licenses to the female astronauts of the modern day, this is a concise introduction to the development of British and American women's roles in aviation.

The study of the U.S. Navy's air group and air wing commanders is a study of carrier aviation itself. This detailed volume presents a history of the establishment of the carrier air group commander billet and the attendant formal air groups. The book is divided into four sections: Section One A Historical Overview, presents an overview of naval aviation history from 1898 to 1922, when the U.S. Navy commissioned its first aircraft carrier USS Langley (CV-1), with its wood-and-fabric biplanes. The pages next describe carrier aviation from Langley to the 90,000-ton supercarriers of today with their supersonic jets. This section also contains air group organization charts showing their development over the years. Section Two Evolving the System, discusses the genesis and evolution of the air group/wing commander billet, as well as the development of the organizations they commanded. It contains biographical sketches of the first CAGs and their wing commander predecessors. Section Three The Men, profiles more than forty of the Navy's more notable CAGs by use of their personal reminiscences and anecdotes. Their stories give the reader a feel for the responsibilities, joys and sorrows that accompany the assumption of the title: CAG. Additionally, the profiles give an insider's view of the U.S. Navy's combat operation tactics from World War II to Desert Storm. The book's final section The Machines, contains a chronological selection of photographs and some profile drawings of the aircraft flown by wing commanders from 1931 to the present. Heavy emphasis has been given to provide as many high-quality color photographs as were possible to locate. This section should have great appeal to both historian and enthusiast in its coverage as it not only graphically presents the aircraft flown, but also covers the evolution of carrier aviation itself. An appendix listing every known CAG and dates of his command concludes the book. lation of this data to exist. Carrier Air Group Commanders: The Men and Their Machines is an important historical document that will serve both as a reference work and enjoyable reading for many years.

“The photographs and artwork will enable readers to grasp the magnificence of the transoceanic flying boats...The accurate, authoritative text will provide information that is new to all but the exceptionally well-informed aviation buff and nonspecialist historian.” —Choice. This edition has an additional 16 pages to add more historical and current information and provide additional detail and context to the historical importance of the flying boats, including: Pan Am’s Art Deco terminals; the fate of the last Pan Am Clippers and where to see the survivors; the Foynes Flying Boat Terminal, Ireland; Trippe and Lindbergh’s groundbreaking flight to the Orient by way of the Great Circle Route (Canada–Alaska–Siberia–Japan–China); Shediac, Newfoundland, landing site of 24 Savoia Manchetti S-55 flying boats from Rome en route to Chicago’s Century of Progress International Exposition; Pan Am enters politics when Frank Roosevelt uses it in Latin America to sidestep the World War II Neutrality Act; Trippe’s long-held dream of flying mail and passengers across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, and the opening of LaGuardia Airport. For a world recovering from the Great Depression, the Pan American Airways Clipper symbolized luxury, adventure, and a brighter future. Illustrated with rare period photographs, vintage travel posters, magazine ads and colourful company brochures, Pan American Clippers covers all aspects of the Golden Age of Pan American’s graceful “flying boats.” Like their maritime namesakes, the Clippers used seaports to form a vast global network of air-travel routes. Visionary PanAm founder Juan Trippe knew the importance of international travel to the 20th century, and his pioneering airline played a central role in the advancement of transoceanic flight, setting overseas time and distance records, providing airmail delivery and eventually as troop and cargo transports for the Allies during World War II. By dramatically reducing travel time and opening up international air travel to the general public, Pan Am Clippers forever changed the world. This captivating, informative and richly illustrated book takes readers back to a time of glamour, romance and progress, when dreams once thought impossible were suddenly a reality.

Many different types of figureheads are pictured in color and b/w photos with a fascinating historical text that explains their use and the sculptors who made them. Figurehead lions, dragon heads, and human forms are primarily from the nineteenth century. Court sculptors and independent figurehead carvers are introduced whose work appears on royal pleasure craft.

The development of non-rigid, semi-rigid and rigid airships from pre-WWI to WWII.

Discover the enthralling story of how we took to the skies, in this journey through over 100 years of airborne innovation and adventure.

From the Wright brothers' first powered flight to Concorde's final voyage, Flight takes you sky-high, swooping you through world aviation history. Featuring spectacular photography of iconic aircraft, this book also recounts the feats of pioneers, trailblazers, and jet test pilots, and traces the technological developments so important to aviation's progress.

Memorable moments of aerial warfare and record-breaking flights are recalled alongside more than 250 profiles of innovative aircraft in this book packed with flight facts for the aviation enthusiast. The human experience of flying is documented too, and historical quotes give a glimpse into the thoughts and ambitions of key figures in flight history.

So board now and follow a journey full of achievement, adventure, and tragedy in Flight and see how our dream to fly became a reality.

With first-hand insight into the into the key role of the US Air Force's fighter-bomber from the Vietnam War through to Operation Desert Storm during the First Gulf War, this book is an unmissable account of some of the most dangerous and demanding missions in the two wars. The advent of the surface-to-air missile (SAM) in the early 1950s threatened the whole concept of aerial bombing from medium and high altitude. Countermeasures were developed during the Korean War, but with little initial success. It was only in the closing stages of the Vietnam War, with the F-4Cww Phantom II (Wild Weasel 4), that this equipment started to become successful enough to allow a substantial investment in converting 116 F-4E Phantom IIs into dedicated SEAD aircraft. This move introduced a new generation of anti-radar missiles which became invaluable in later operations including operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Northern Watch over Iraq. This volume features dynamic archival photography from crews who flew the jet, alongside mission accounts and technical details of the development and fielding of the F-4 Wild Weasel in its various iterations. Including specially commissioned artwork of 'sharkmouthed' Phantom IIs in Vietnam jungle camouflage and more modern USAF 'Ghost Gray', this book is the ultimate visual and technical guide to the F-4 Phantom II Wild Weasel Units in combat.

Much of the fascination which Soviet aircraft and its associated aerospace industry holds for the analyst, enthusiast or ordinary member of the public, stems from the thick fog of secrecy that enveloped the industry throughout the 'Cold War' until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990/91. Until then details which in case of Western designs could be found from the nearest reference book was in the case of Russian aircraft often a matter of conjecture and an inaccurate article written by a western journalist. This author has been fortunate to have obtained much original and previously unpublished information from the former Soviet Union for this unique volume on the history of the Soviet Aircraft Industry Since 1909. It gives the reader a clear understanding of the unique characteristics of Soviet-designed aircraft, in particular military types that at times caused great concern in the West with regards to the technical advances inherent in their design. The book is as much a history of the USSR as it is its, aerospace industry, culminating as it does with President Putin's Russian Federation.

Israel acquired sixty-one Dassault Mystere IVA combat aircraft from France that were delivered to the Israeli Air Force from April to September 1956 and were issued to two units: Squadron 101 at Hatzor, in the south, and Squadron 109 at Ramat David, in the north. From 1956 until 1959, and to a lesser extent from 1959 until 1962, the Mystere was the ILAF's cutting-edge interceptor. From 1959, the Mystere's main mission shifted from air-to-air to air-to-ground, as more modern interceptors-Super Mystere from 1959 and Mirage from 1962-entered Israeli Air Force service. At the same time, the Israeli Air Force initiated an effort to introduce an attack aircraft to succeed the Mystere. The Squadron 109 Mystere era therefore covered mostly air-to-air from 1956 until 1962 and mostly air-to-ground from 1962 until 1968.

Finally, over 50 years after her last flight with Pan American Airways, the complete story of the famed, Boeing-built, B-314 flying Clipper ship has been written. Author M.D. Klaas, historian and writer of Pan Am's early flying boat era during the 1930s and 1940s, has put together historical accounts of America's greatest - and the world's largest - commercial airplane of the 1930s and early 1940s. It covers the multiple reasons for the plane's conception, stages of construction, testing, delivery flights, christenings, inaugural operations, established records, World War II special missions' histories, post-war services and the individual demise accounts surrounding each of the twelve models built specifically for Pan Am. The history of sales to and operations with British Overseas Airways (B.O.A.C.) - now British Airways - is also included in in-depth coverage.

The P1101 was Messerschmitts second jet aircraft after the Me 262. Designed as a fighter, the test version of this type was to serve as an experimental aircraft to test the swept wing concept. After World War II, the P1101 was brought to the U.S.A. and served there, among other things, as a testbed for the similar developments. Photos and data of this astonishing, yet understandably unknown aircraft with its futuristic technology are rare. This new book is a comprehensive documention. where not only the development history with all the important data concerning the P1101 is gathered, but also photos, detailed facts and figures about this aircraft. Of particular note are the numerous tabular comparisons with similar German and foreign aircraft from the war and post-war era. While there are innumerable German technical publications about well-known, mass-produced Messerschmitt aircraft, the authors have been successful with this book in supplementing these works with the portrayal of the last almost completed Messerschmitt aircraft. Willy Radinger and Walter Schick are also the authors of Messerschmitt Me 262: Development/Testing/Production (available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.).

Making use of primary Curtiss documents, as well as the combined resources of the world's leading historians of the subject, the authors have skillfully resolved myths and woven a comprehensive study of the often very confusing story of these classic airplanes. Making use of previously unpublished documents and photographs, this massive, life-long work will stand as a legacy to the memory of those wonderful shapes, the men and women who built them, flew them and took them to war, and the lasting contributions they have made, collectively, to aviation history and the defense of democracy.

More than forty years after its cancellation, the BAC TSR2 is still a controversial aircraft. Years ahead of its time, it was abruptly cancelled by a new government when flight testing had ony just begun. Built to a demanding RAF requirement , the BAC TSR2 was a revolutionary low-level strike aircraft able to deliver a tactical nuclear weapon at supersonic speed and low altitude to evade enemy radar. This fascinating new book describes in detail the aircraft, its history and the events of its cancellation. Many hitherto unseen photographs and diagrams support the detailed text, which benefits from extensive research in the BAC archives and access to newly rediscovered material. Topics covered: Background to the requirement, and competing designs Development and production The flight-testing programme The full story of the cancellation and its aftermath Unbuilt variants Detailed specifications.