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How the Jagdflieger challenged the might of the USAAF in their
heavily armed, and armoured, Fw 190A-8 Sturmjäger. Developed from
one of the finest fighters of World War II, the radial-engined Fw
190A-8 was conceived as a heavy assault aircraft and armed
accordingly. Its mission was to provide a response to the
increasing numbers of USAAF B-17 and B-24 bombers operating against
targets in the western and central Reich. This book explores the
fascinating feats of the men flying the Fw 190A-8 and its
subvariants. These pilots were given exceptional training and many
were volunteers, some of whom were willing to sign oaths that they
would bring down a bomber at all costs – even if it meant ramming
the enemy aircraft. Using first-hand accounts, archival photos,
full-colour illustrations, maps and tactical diagrams, critically
acclaimed Luftwaffe author Robert Forsyth puts the reader in the
cockpit of a Sturmjäger attempting to defend the Fatherland from
formations of heavily defended USAAF bombers protected by powerful
Allied escort fighters.
A fully illustrated study of the Nakajima Ki49 ‘Helen’, the
twin-engined bomber of the Pacific War, from Japanese aviation
expert George Eleftheriou. The Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu (‘Dragon
Eater’), codenamed ‘Helen’ by the Allies, was a twin-engined
Japanese bomber designed to undertake daylight attacks without the
protection of escort fighters. Consequently, while it was
officially known as the Army Type 100 Heavy Bomber, its formidable
defensive armament and armour were so heavy that they restricted
the Ki-49 to payloads comparable to those of smaller medium
bombers. While only five heavy bomber sentai (regiments) were
equipped with the ‘Helen’, the over 800 Ki-49s built between
1941 and 1944 saw extensive action in Burma, Papua New Guinea, the
Philippines, northern India and north Australia. In an act of
desperation, a small number of ‘Helens’ were even employed,
unsuccessfully, as kamikaze aircraft against US Navy warships
operating off the Philippines and Okinawa. In this fascinating
book, George Eleftheriou provides a comprehensive account of the
units that saw action flying the ‘Helen’, based on original
Japanese sources. Also featuring high-quality photographs never
published before, specially commissioned colour profile artwork,
official unit histories and veteran accounts, this title is a
must-have for Japanese aircraft enthusiasts.
Using specially commissioned artwork and detailing technical
specifications, this book explores the Bf 109's different roles
occasioned by wartime necessity, from its employment as a fighter
to its evolution as a fighter-bomber. One of the principal types in
the Luftwaffe's inventory at the beginning of World War II, the
piston-engined Bf 109 was central to the many initial victories
that the Germans achieved before coming up against the unbeatable
RAF during the Battle of Britain. Nevertheless, by the second half
of 1940 the Bf 109's operability was widened due to operational
needs and it was flown as a fighter-bomber for precision attacks in
Southern England. At first ad hoc conversions were made 'in the
field' to allow the aircraft to carry a bomb or extra fuel tank.
Such modifications were soon formalised by Messerschmitt, which
created the Jabo Bf 109s. Drawing from pilots' first-hand accounts,
author Malcolm V. Lowe explores the number of specialised units,
including Lehrgeschwader 2 and dedicated fighter-bomber sections of
standard fighter units such as 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26,
which flew this highly specialised fighter-bomber. Including
technical specifications, rare photographs and outstanding artwork,
this book explores the Jabo versions of the Bf 109E, F and G both
on the production line and with the addition of Rustsatze field
conversion kits.
An illustrated exploration of the dramatic aerial combats between
the US Navy's long-range bomber and Japanese flying boats in the
Pacific War. Edward Young explores these rarely written about
combats, examining the aggressive and strategic tactics deployed by
both US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force and analyzing the
technical improvements installed throughout the war. The PB4Y-1/2
Liberator/Privateer was the US Navy's first four-engined,
land-based bomber, adapted and allocated to fight the U-boat menace
in the Atlantic and protect the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean.
The long range, speed, armament and bomb load of the PB4Y-1 enabled
the US Navy's Pacific squadrons to adopt more aggressive tactics.
The PB4Y-1, and its follow-on PB4Y-2, engaged in dangerous bombing
missions against Japanese installations, shipping strikes, and air
combat. On the other side, with its doctrine of making the first
strike against an enemy fleet, the Imperial Japanese Navy
recognized the vital importance of maritime reconnaissance, relying
on carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft, ship-borne floatplanes
and, for long-range maritime patrol, flying boats. The Japanese
would continue to develop their aircraft throughout the war,
resulting, among others, in the H6K 'Mavis' and the H8K2 'Emily',
which despite never achieving a victory, was regarded by the Allied
pilots as the most difficult Japanese aircraft to destroy. Enriched
with specially commissioned artwork, including armament and cockpit
views, battlescenes and technical diagrams, this title analyses
technical specifications in detail. By including first-hand
accounts, aviation expert Edward Young provides a detailed account
of these one-sided yet dramatic and aggressive combats.
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.
An exciting account of the aerial battles fought by the USAAF's P38
Lightnings and the Jagdflieger's Bf 109Gs for dominance over North
Africa and the Mediterranean. USAAF fighter pilots experienced a
baptism of fire when flying the technically advanced but fragile
P-38 Lightning over North Africa in the wake of 1942's Operation
Torch. Their opponents were battle-hardened jagdflieger of the
Jadgwaffe, flying the tried and tested Bf 109 in its very lastest
Gustav iteration. Responsible primarily for escorting USAAF bombers
attacking Afrika Korps installations in Tunisia, the P-38 units in
North Africa had to develop effective tactics to defend the bombers
against Luftwaffe fighter attacks. For several months the Lightning
squadrons had to also cope with shortages of aircraft and spare
parts, steady losses and a lack of replacement pilots. To survive,
American aviators had to learn quickly. While it is difficult to
definitively attribute victories in air combat, in the air battles
over Tunisia and later over Sicily and Italy, the claims made by
Lightning pilots were comparable to Luftwaffe claims for P-38s
destroyed. Edward M. Young turns his attention to the bitterly
fought air war in North Africa and the Mediterranean in 1942–43.
Using original archival sources, official records and first-hand
accounts from both USAAF and Luftwaffe veterans, as well as newly
commissioned artwork and 50 carefully selected photographs from
official and personal archives, this book sees two of the most
iconic piston-engined fighters of their era pitted head-to-head for
control of the skies in a key theatre of World War II.
Strap in alongside the Sabre pilots as they experienced the world's
first large-scale jet-vs-jet combats. Brought to life with
innovative tactical artwork and dramatic first-hand accounts from
the pilots themselves. The F-86A Sabre had entered USAF service in
1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South
Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese
opposition, the Sabre pilots stopped communist air forces from
attacking UN ground troops and allowed Allied fighter-bombers to
operate without threat of interception. The ensuing air battles
between Sabres and MiG-15s were the first since World War II, and
the last in recent times to involve large numbers of jet fighters
in direct confrontation. In all of them the victorious F-86 pilots
demonstrated the superiority of their training and tactics and the
outstanding qualities of their Sabres. Contemporary photographs and
specially commissioned artwork, including a dramatic battlescene,
armament views, technical diagrams and ribbon diagrams illustrating
step-by-step each main dogfight explored in the book, bring the
experiences of the Sabre pilots and their battle tactics vividly to
life.
An examination of two of the most high-profile air and land weapons
to be deployed on the Eastern Front in World War II. In late 1942,
as part of its attempts to strike back at ever-increasing numbers
of Soviet tanks, the German air ministry authorised the development
of an adaptation and enhancement of the longspan Junkers Ju 87D-5
Stuka dive-bomber. The aircraft was duly fitted with two underwing
pods containing 37 mm BK cannon – an antiaircraft cannon with its
origins dating back to 1933. The solid, slow, Ju 87 airframe
offered the Luftwaffe an ideal platform for specialist, low level,
‘tank-killing’ operations. Despite the wealth of experience
possessed by some of the Luftwaffe’s ground-attack and
dive-bomber aces, knocking out T-34 tanks from the air was a
demanding and difficult process. Nevertheless, some Luftwaffe
pilots notched up impressive tank scores, and the Ju 87 is credited
with the destruction of more than 100 tanks across the central and
southern sectors of the Eastern Front, including during the Battle
of Kursk. Including personal accounts from Stuka pilots and
biographies of the anti-tank aces, together with detailed
photographs of the cannon installation into the Ju 87G and details
of the construction of the T-34 illustrated using specially
commissioned artwork, this book covers the epic clash of two
legendary machines of World War II.
This book details the exploits of the highly skilled Naval Aviators
charged with achieving air supremacy over New Guinea in their
A6M2/3 Zero-sens. The combat record of the Zero-sen in New Guinea
has mostly been overstated, with little due being given to the
constraining conditions under which the fighter operated. The air
combats fought over New Guinea in 1942 between Imperial Japanese
Naval Air Force (IJNAF) pilots and their Allied counterparts in
P-39 Airacobras and P-40 Warhawks were often ‘trial and error’
affairs, with both belligerents being caught out by weather. This
study covers the key role played by governing factors including
geography and climatic conditions, and examines the modified
tactics employed by IJNAF Zero-sen pilots to help them cope
in-theatre through the comprehensive analysis of RAAF, USAAF and
Japanese operational after action reports. Using first-hand
accounts from both famous aviators and previously unknown RAAF and
Japanese pilots, and specially commissioned artwork, leading South
Pacific historian and author Michael John Claringbould sheds new
light on the air war fought over the wilds of New Guinea during the
course of 1942.
This book examines the role of the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the US
Navy’s standard carrier fighter at the start of the Pacific War,
and its clashes against the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force’s
Mitsubishi A6M Zero-sen. The US Navy went to war in December 1941
with the tubby Wildcat, the first of Grumman’s famed ‘cats’,
as its principal carrier fighter. Ruggedly built and well armed,
the F4F’s performance was inferior to the Japanese Zero-sen, yet
in the carrier battles of 1942 between the US Navy and the IJN the
Wildcat pilots more than held their own against some of the finest
naval aviators in the world. Many of the Wildcat pilots that saw
action in the South Pacific comprised what respected naval
historian John Lundstrom has called the ‘First Team’ – the
small group of highly trained prewar pilots who manned the bulk of
the US Navy’s carrier fighter squadrons. Illustrated with
specially commissioned artwork, including armament views and ribbon
diagrams, the book examines the carrier battles that took place in
August and October in the South Pacific around the first American
offensive of the war – the amphibious assault on the island of
Guadalcanal, and the actions of the Wildcat in combat with IJN
carrier aircraft. The key combat actions are described and
accompanied with rare and original photographs and diagrams, as are
the training and tactics that contributed to the Wildcat’s
success.
Using archival photographs sourced directly from Vietnam, specially
commissioned diagrams and combat accounts from veterans, István
Toperczer reveals how the MiG-21 defended Vietnam between 1966 and
1968. One of the most successful communist jet fighters ever built,
the MiG-21 "Fishbed" was involved in a series of deadly duels with
American fighters over North Vietnam as the USAF and US Navy ramped
up strike missions during Operation Rolling Thunder, culminating in
the destruction of over 70 US aircraft for the loss of 35
"Fishbeds." Having honed their skills on the subsonic MiG-17,
pilots of the Vietnam People's Air Force received their first
examples of the legendary MiG-21 supersonic fighter in 1966. Soon
thrown into combat over North Vietnam, the guided-missile-equipped
MiG-21 proved a deadly opponent for the American crews striking at
targets deep into communist territory. Although the communist
pilots initially struggled to come to terms with the fighter’s
air search radar and weapons systems, the ceaseless cycle of combat
operations quickly honed their skills. The best fighter then
available to the VPAF, more than 200 MiG-21s (of various sub-types)
were supplied to the North Vietnamese. In this study, leading VPAF
authority István Toperczer analyzes the tactics used by the MiG-21
pilots over the bitter fighting in North Vietnam during Rolling
Thunder. The highspeed ‘hit and run’ attacks employed by the
communist pilots proved to be very successful, with both R-3S
air-to-air missiles and heavy-caliber cannon inflicting a rising
toll on American jets. Using first-hand accounts from MiG-21
pilots, battlescene artwork, combat ribbon diagrams, and armament
views, the author details the important role played by the
"Fishbed" in the defense of North Vietnam.
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.
This new volume straps the reader into the cockpit of the P-51B/C
as the Mustang-equipped fighter groups of the 'Mighty Eighth' Air
Force attempt to defend massed heavy bomber formations from deadly
Luftwaffe fighters charged with defending the Third Reich.
Luftwaffe Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering admitted that the
appearance of long-range Mustangs over Berlin spelled the end of
the Jagdwaffe's ability to defeat American daylight bombing. But
the Mustang was far more than an escort - it was a deadly hunter
that could out-perform nearly every German fighter when it was
introduced into combat. Entering combat in Europe in December 1943,
P-51Bs and P-51Cs had advantages over German Bf 109s and Fw 190s in
respect to the altitude they could reach, their rate of climb and
top speed. Initially tapped for close bomber escort, Mustangs were
quickly turned loose to range ahead of the bomber stream in order
to challenge German fighters before they could assemble to engage
the bombers en masse. Thanks to the Mustang's superior performance,
USAAF pilots effectively blunted the Luftwaffe's tried and tested
tactic for destroying B-17s and B-24s. Boldness and aggression in
aerial combat meant that P-51B/C pilots inflicted a rapidly
mounting toll on their German counterparts in the West during the
early months of 1944, contributing mightily to Allied air
superiority over northern France on D-Day. This volume, packed full
of first-hand accounts, expertly recreates the combat conditions
and flying realities for Mustang pilots (including headline aces
such as Don Blakeslee and Don Gentile, as well as lesser known
aviators). It is heavily illustrated with photographs, artwork and
innovative and colourful 3D ribbon diagrams, which will provide a
realistic overview of the most dynamic dogfights in aviation
history.
Former RAF Tornado pilot Michael Napier chronicles the
action-packed history of the Harrier GR 7/9, and its missions in
West Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan over a
14-year period of ceaseless operations. The Harrier GR 7/9 was at
the ‘tip of the spear’ for the RAF when it came to employing
weapons against well-equipped standing armies and irregular forces
in the 1990s and during the first decade of the new millennium.
Assigned to the Harrier GR 7/9 Force, the aircraft undertook No Fly
Zone patrols over northern Iraq, supported UN forces in the Balkans
and embarked in Royal Navy carriers to bolster the RAF presence
ashore in the Arabian Gulf. Harrier GR 7s also flew from HMS
Illustrious over Sierra Leone in 2000 and were involved in the
second Gulf War during early 2003 acting as Close Air Support for
Coalition forces. Using first-hand accounts from his extensive
Service contacts, supported by both official and personal
photographs and 30 artwork profiles illustrating the wide range of
colours worn and ordnance employed by the ‘jump jet’, Michael
Napier provides a rare insider’s look at the deployment of
Harrier GR 7/9 up to its withdrawal from RAF service in 2010.
Moreover, Napier also covers the numerous upgrades received by the
aircraft over the years, from more powerful engines to the creation
of the GR 9/9A variants in 2005.
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.
Using rare first-hand accounts from Me 262 pilots, Robert Forsyth
examines what it was like to fly the world's most advanced
interceptor in the deadly skies over Germany in 1944-45. Right from
its operational debut in the summer of 1944, the Me 262 outclassed
anything the Allies had in terms of speed and firepower ratio,
offering a formidable punch with four 30 mm Mk 108 nose-mounted
cannon, and a Jumo 004 jet engine. The problem the Luftwaffe faced,
however, was one of numbers. Towards the end of the war,
availability of machines and trained pilots was scarce, and it is
only thanks to the exploits of a handful of veteran Jagdwaffe aces
such as Adolf Galland, Walter Krupinski and Johannes Steinhoff,
that the aircraft made a significant impact on the air war and was
the source of considerable concern to the Allies. Filled with
specially commissioned artwork including action-packed ribbon
diagrams, battlescenes, armament views and maps, Robert Forsyth
offers the definitive technical and historical guide to the
state-of-the-art Me 262, using rare photographs and pilots'
first-hand accounts.
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.
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F2H Banshee Units (Paperback)
Rick Burgess; Illustrated by Jim Laurier, Gareth Hector
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R494
R401
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A fully illustrated study of the extraordinarily successful
early-generation jet, the F2H Banshee, a frontline aircraft that
served with 27 US Navy and US Marine Corps squadrons and three
Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) squadrons. The F2H Banshee was an
extraordinarily successful early-generation jet that outlasted both
contemporary and more modern fighter types on the decks of the US
Navy's aircraft carriers in the 1950s. It served in a variety of
roles and was a frontline aircraft for more than a decade in an era
when jet fighters came and went with relatively short service
careers. This book examines the entire service life of the F2H in
the service of the US Navy, US Marine Corps and the RCN. Initially
created as a replacement aircraft for McDonnell's pioneering FH1
Phantom, the F2H served in the Korean War as a strike fighter,
close air support aircraft, B29 escort, and photoreconnaissance
aircraft, including the latter's forays over the Soviet Union and
China. Post service in Korea, the Banshee served as a carrier based
nuclear strike aircraft, followed by its service as a defensive
fighter for antisubmarine aircraft carriers. Filled with first-hand
accounts and rare colour photographs, this is the engrossing story
of the F2H Banshee, exploring its variety of roles in service and
detailing the technology development that improved the aircraft's
capabilities over time.
Using first-hand accounts and brand-new artwork, this book brings
to life the realities of flying the Bf 109 in combat during the
very first battles of World War II. The Bf 109 was one of the
principal fighter aircraft types in the Luftwaffe's inventory
during the opening months of World War II and it was central to
many of Germany's early victories, before coming up against the
unbeatable RAF during the Battle of Britain. This book presents
first-hand experiences of the pilots who flew the Bf 109E, the
aircraft which first featured a Daimler-Benz DB 601 powerplant, and
which was in the front line in the skies over Poland, the Low
Countries and France, and the older Bf 109D, still in use in the
Polish campaign. The early variants of the Messerschmitt fighter,
the Bf 109E-1, Bf 109E-2 and Bf 109E-3, swept all before them
during the opening wartime campaigns, their successes only fading
at the Battle of France, when the Bf 109's seasoned pilots
encountered modern and well-flown RAF and Armee de l'Air fighters.
In a rigorous and engaging new analysis, Luftwaffe aviation expert
Malcolm V. Lowe examines and assesses the Bf 109 as a fighting
machine from the perspective of the Luftwaffe at the forefront of
the German blitzkrieg. Contemporary photographs and specially
commissioned artwork, including a dramatic battlescene, armament
views, technical diagrams and ribbon diagrams illustrating
step-by-step each battle tactic of the main dogfights explored in
the book, bring the experiences of the Bf 109 pilots vividly to
life.
A detailed look at the deadly battle between US Navy F9F Panther
jet fighter-bombers and communist anti-aircraft artillery (AAA)
defenses that proliferated throughout the Korean War. The F9F
Panther was one of the many fighters converted for ground-attack
duties, following an established US tradition. Originally designed
as a jet fighter, in April 1951 it became the first jet to launch
from a carrier with bombs loaded, using them to destroy a crucial
railway bridge at Songjin. The Panther's four 20 mm guns were
considered to be very effective for flak suppression and these
aircraft were used as escorts for propeller-driven AD Skyraider and
F4U Corsair attack aircraft. However, later in 1951, flak damage to
Panthers increased as the Chinese established better AAA weapons to
defend key transport routes. The communist AAA crews had heavy guns
of 37 mm caliber and above. Gunners could use optical height
finders, predictors and in many cases radar control. They learned
to conceal their weapons in civilian buildings, use wires to bring
aircraft down, and set up false targets as "flak traps." Both
opponents' tactics and gunnery are explored in depth in this study
of the F9F Panthers and of their adversaries. Containing full-color
illustrations including cockpit scenes and armament views, this
innovative volume also includes a detailed analysis of the US Navy
Panthers' loss rates and their causes.
A fully illustrated study into the extraordinary Convair B-36
during the Cold War. Conceived during 1941 in case Germany occupied
Britain, when US bombers would then have insufficient range to
retaliate, the B-36 was to be primarily a '10,000-mile bomber' with
heavy defensive armament, six engines and a performance that would
prevent interception by fighters. Although rapid developments in
jet engine and high-speed airframe technology quickly made it
obsolescent, the B-36 took part in many important nuclear test
programmes. The aircraft also provided the US nuclear deterrent
until the faster B-52 became available in 1955. It was one of the
first aircraft to use substantial amounts of magnesium in its
structure, leading to the bomber's 'Magnesium Overcast' nickname.
It earned many superlatives due to the size and complexity of its
structure, which used 27 miles of wiring, had a wingspan longer
than the Wright brothers' first flight, equivalent engine power to
400 cars, the same internal capacity as three five-room houses and
27,000 gallons of internal fuel - enough to propel a car around the
world 18 times. Much was made of the fact that the wing was deep
enough to allow engineers to enter it and maintain the engines in
flight. B-36s continued in the bomber and reconnaissance role until
their retirement in February 1959 following 11 years in SAC.
Convair employees were invited to suggest names for the giant
aircraft, eliciting suggestions such as 'King Kong Bomber',
'Condor', 'Texan' and 'Unbelievable', but the most popular was
'Peacemaker'. Oddly, objections from religious groups deterred the
USAF from ever adopting it officially. This fully illustrated
volume includes first-hand accounts, original photographs and up to
30 profile artworks depicting in detail the complexity of this
superlative aircraft.
The aerial clashes between the iconic Corsair and Zero-sen
translated into a contest of speed and altitude for the former,
versus the latter's outstanding agility and range. Whilst the F4U
Corsair eventually proved to be a superior fighter in Pacific
operations, its introduction into combat in this theatre initially
demonstrated its weaknesses. Indeed, the 'Saint Valentine's Day
Massacre' debacle showcased exemplary Zero-sen fighter tactics, and
American losses were of sufficient magnitude that further daylight
missions toward Bougainville were discontinued until Allied fighter
tactics could be improved. As a result, for the next two months the
Corsair's combat results were much subdued. Indeed, the F4U only
became a superb fighter when both its pilots and their commanders
worked out how to deploy the gull-wing design effectively. Optimum
circumstances for effective engagement did not always occur, and
the Zero-sen remained effective against the Corsair until February
1944 in the South Pacific, after which all IJNAF fighter units
vacated Rabaul. This book closely examines these two different
fighters in the Solomons/Rabaul theatre, and the unique geographic
conditions which shaped their deployment and effectiveness. It
contains rare photographs and digital artwork that accurately
showcases and aligns combats of both types in-theatre with
unprecedented accuracy. Both sides vastly over-claimed. With full
access to IJNAF and US Navy/US Marine Corps records, these numbers
will be presented accurately.
The Fw 190D-9 - the 'long-nosed' Dora - represented the cutting
edge and pinnacle of wartime Germany's piston-engine aviation
development. This new history by leading German aviation specialist
Robert Forsyth reveals what it was like to pilot her in combat as
Germany desperately battled to remain in the war. Arguably one of
the finest piston-engined fighters ever built, the Focke-Wulf Fw
190D-9 raised the bar in terms of aircraft design and operational
capability during World War II. Designed by Kurt Tank, the
'long-nosed' Fw 190D9 'Dora' bettered most of the fighters that the
Allied and Soviet air forces could field when it first appeared in
the skies over the Western and Eastern Fronts in 1944. Indeed, with
experienced German pilots at the controls it proved to be an
immediate match for even the later-mark Griffon Spitfire and the
P-51D/K. Well-armed, with two 13mm machine guns and two 20mm
cannon, the D-9 began to equip Luftwaffe units from August 1944.
Later on in the war, one of the key missions of the D-9 was to
provide top cover for Me 262 jet fighters when they were at their
most vulnerable during take-off and landing. Featuring first-hand
accounts, photographs, artwork and innovative and colourful 3D
ribbon diagrams, this fascinating volume portrays what it was like
to fly the superlative Fw 190D-9 in combat, providing a realistic
insight in to how German pilots used the superb Focke-Wulf aircraft
in combat against American, British and Russian fighters in the
Defence of the Reich in 1944-45.
This volume examines the history and development of the Ju 188
twin-engined aircraft, the Luftwaffe's attempt to enhance and
improve its peerless Ju 88. The Junkers Ju 188 was the epitome of
mid-war German twin-engined aircraft design, representing the
enhancement of an earlier type and incorporating increased
performance and technological sophistication. As part of the 1939
'Bomber B' programme, it was intended as a replacement for the Ju
88 and He 111 medium bombers, taking advantage of uprated Jumo and
BMW engines and incorporating a radically redesigned cockpit area
with all-round visibility for high-speed bombing, torpedo-bomber
carrying, FuG 200 radar, and camera-equipped reconnaissance
operations. What emerged, from the autumn of 1943, was a
sophisticated bomber and reconnaissance aircraft-and intended
nightfighter. After operational trials, the Ju 188 equipped three
bomber Geschwader and several long-range reconnaissance Staffeln in
the East and Italy, conducting operations over Britain and the
Western Front as well as Russia and the Mediterranean. This
comprehensive study charts the design, development, and deployment
of an advanced aircraft which was ultimately overshadowed by
improvements to the aeroplane it was designed to replace. Supported
by specially commissioned illustrations and contemporary
photography, this is the essential guide to the Junkers Ju 188.
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