Originally designed as a high-altitude interceptor, the P-38 was the first U.S. fighter of WWII to compare favorably with the Spitfire and Me-109. The twin-tailed, single seat "Fork Tailed Devil" carried four .50-caliber machine guns and a 20mm cannon, and could fly at speeds above 400 mph. An extremely successful design, over 9500 Lightnings were built by V-J Day in 1945. Originally classified "Restricted," this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

One of the most legendary naval aircraft of WWII, the Grumman TBF Avenger (and the General Motors-produced TBM) saw action in most of the major battles in the Pacific including Midway and Leyte Gulf. Armed with a forward machine gun and a second in a dorsal turret, the plane could carry a 21-inch torpedo or four 500-lb. bombs, or a combination thereof. Avengers are credited with sinking the Japanese superbattleships Musashi and Yamato. A young aviator who would later become President, George H.W. Bush flew a TBF off the carrier USS San Jacinto in 1943-44. Originally printed by Grumman, G.M. and the U.S. Navy late in the war, this TBM-3 Flight Operating Handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

The heavily armed P-61 Black Widow was the U.S. Army Air Force's first dedicated night fighter. Equipped with radar, four .50 caliber machine guns and four 20mm. cannons, the Widow was a fearsome adversary. It flew as both an intruder and interceptor in Europe and the Pacific. Originally printed by Northrop in 1945, the YP-61 Pilot's Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

Visionary designer Jack Northrop built a series of experimental "flying wing" aircraft both before and during WWII. One of the most radical designs of the post-war era, the propeller-driven YB-35 bomber's all-wing design minimized drag and promised maximum payload capacity and terrific endurance. The YB-49, a turbojet powered variant built on the YB-35 airframe, forever altered aviation history and inspired the design of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Originally printed by Northrop Aircraft in 1948, the YB-49 Flying Wing Pilot's Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

Flown by the American Volunteer Group in China known as the "Flying Tigers," the P-40 Warhawk earned a reputation for its toughness in combat. Facing odds of 6 to 1 in most combat situations, AVG pilots relied on their skill, daring and their aircraft's superior diving speed to achieve victory. By war's end the Tigers had destroyed more than 1200 Japanese planes, with another 700 listed as probables. Their own losses came to 573 aircraft. Originally printed by the U.S. Army Air Force for pilots transitioning to the P-40, this flight manual contains detailed information about one of history's great planes. Originally classified as "restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Some color images appear in black and white, and some pages have been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

One of the great aircraft of the Cold War era, the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was the most heavily produced supersonic, all-weather fighter bomber. Capable of a top speed of Mach 2.23, it set sixteen world records including an absolute speed record of 1,606 mph and an altitude record of 98,557 feet. The F-4 flew Vietnam, in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Gulf War and amassed a record of 393 aerial victories. F-4s also flew as part of the USAF Thunderbirds and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration teams. Originally printed by McDonnell and the U.S. Navy in the 1960s, this flight operating handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "restricted," the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

Used primarily as a long-range bomber escort in raids over Germany, the North American P-51 Mustang earned a reputation for toughness and agility in dogfights. Carrying a two-stage supercharged V-12 Merlin engine and armed with six .50 caliber machine guns, the P-51 helped the Allies gain air superiority in the skies over Europe. P-51s were flown by the famed Tuskegee Airmen, and remained in service during the Korean War. World airforces made extensive use of the Mustang, some into the 1980's. Originally published by North American Aviation and classified "Restricted," this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator first saw combat in June of 1942, making a daring raid into Nazi-occupied Romania to bomb the oil fields at Ploesti. Nearly 18,500 Liberators were built during the war years, making it by far the most-produced American combat aircraft. It served in many roles beyond heavy bomber, transport, and anti-submarine patrol, and flew in Africa, Europe, India, the Atlantic, India and the Pacific Theatre. Originally printed by the United States Army Air Force in 1942, the B-24 Liberator Pilot's Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

One of the most storied aircraft of WWII, the Vought F4U-4 Corsair was the first single engine production aircraft capable of 400 mph in level flight. With its characteristic gull wing and giant 18-cylinder double wasp engine, it proved a superb fighter in the Pacific campaign and achieved victory ratio approaching 10 to 1. The exploits of the famed Black Sheep Squadron of Corsairs was recounted by their leader, Marine fighter ace Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, in the book "Baa Baa Black Sheep." The Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions told pilots everything they needed to know before climbing into the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted, and color images appear as black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.