World War II saw pilots from around the world battling in the skies over Europe, Asia and Africa, with victory resting upon their nerve, skill and the capabilities of some of history's most iconic aircraft. In the chaos of battle, it was vital that they could quickly identify friend from foe. But do you know your Hurricane from your Bf 109, or what the legendary P-51 Mustang looks like? Do you know the wingspan of the A6M Zero-sen, or how fast it could fly? THE WORLD WAR II FIGHTER PLANES SPOTTER'S GUIDE answers all of these questions and more, providing essential information on over 90 legendary aircraft, from the celebrated Spitfire to the jet-powered Me 262. Featuring full-colour artwork to aid recognition, as well as all the details you need to assess their performance, this is the perfect pocket guide to the Allied and Axis fighters of World War II.

Aviation has revolutionised warfare over the last 100 years, and this new pocket guide gives the reader the essential details of 70 iconic aircraft, including the Sopwith Camel, the Spitfire, the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the P-51 Mustang and the F-4 Phantom. Drawing on Osprey's comprehensive aviation archive, the Plane Spotter's Guide uses detailed profile artwork to illustrate and aid recognition, as well as specification boxes to provide all the technical details.

The Spitfire turns 80 on 5 March 2016, and the passion for the RAF's best-loved fighter is running at an all-time high. There are more than 50 Spitfires flying in the world today, and John Dibbs has shot virtually all of them 'on the wing' in his breathtaking style. This eye-catching book combines a unique collection of stunning photos with poignant first-hand accounts of flying the aeroplane in combat, from some of the most famous aces to ever pilot the Spitfire, and from some of the pilots forgotten by history. Chronicling the history of the most iconic of British aircraft this is a 'must have' purchase for aviation enthusiasts.

The Spitfire is an icon of World War II, becoming the darling of the British public through defending the skies during the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire's combat ability and superb handling meant it was loved by British, Commonwealth and American pilots alike, leading to a level of global public recognition which is unparalleled amongst other aircraft - everyone recognises and connects with the iconic Spitfire. Spitfire is a complete reference guide to the world's most famous fighter aircraft, exploring its history, its strengths and weaknesses and its combat performance, using exciting full colour artwork and detailed illustrations throughout to create a premium, high quality product, combined with an affordable low price point.

At the A-7 Corsair II's peak in the mid-1980s, some 30 US Navy squadrons flew various versions of the aircraft, including six Naval Air Reserve units, and these many of these units saw action across the Middle East. By the time the jet saw combat in Operation Desert Storm (1991), there remained only two fleet squadrons - many fleet squadrons having either disestablished or transitioned to the F/A 18 Hornet - but both of these units (VA-46 and VA-72) played a major role in the campaign to free Kuwait. The book details the technological development and improvements that were introduced to the airframe post-Vietnam (the FLIR targeting pod from 1979 and AGM-88 HARM missile from 1983 being the most important), and how they shaped operational employment of the aircraft. The jet's combat experiences in conflicts during the 1970s (Cambodia), 1980s (Lebanon, Grenada, Libya and Iran), and 1990s (Iraq) are explained in detail, and Peter Mersky's expert analysis is supported by numerous first-hand accounts from naval aviators that saw action with the A-7 during these campaigns.

Probably best-known for its starring role in the Hollywood movie Top Gun, the variable geometry two-seat carrier-based Grumman F-14 Tomcat was the US Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter and fleet defence interceptor between 1974 and 2006. Tony Holmes reviews the design, construction and use of the Tomcat, as well as its combat career in Operation Desert Storm (1991), Deliberate Force (Bosnia-Hertzegovina, 1995), and Allied Force (Bosnia and Kosovo, 1999). In 2001, F-14s led some of the first strikes into Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom), and in Iraq in 2003 (Operation Iraqi Freedom).

With stunning artwork and detailed analysis, this volume provides a pilot's view of the dramatic clashes between these two legendary fighters, as some of the most gifted and 'big name' aces of World War II went head to head in the skies of North-West Europe. As the Battle of Britain approached its conclusion, two new versions of the famous Spitfire and Messerschmitt Bf 109 arrived on the scene. The RAF could see that the Luftwaffe were stepping down their incursions into British airspace, and went on to the offensive. The Spitfire Mark II, and increasingly the Mark V, would fly over the picturesque English channel in fighter sweeps, or to escort vulnerable Blenheim bombers - waiting for them was the Bf 109F 'Friedrich'. Yet despite the reversal of offensive and defensive dispositions, and despite the Luftwaffe deploying the bulk of their fighter strength to the Eastern Front in 1941, the Jagdflieger were able to inflict severe losses on their RAF counterparts.

By the early months of 1944 in the Pacific, the US Navy's burgeoning force of carrier-based F6F-3/5 Hellcats had pretty much wiped the skies clear of Japanese fighters during a series of one-sided aerial engagements. However, starting in October they faced the superb Kawanishi N1K1/2 Shiden/Shiden-Kai, a formidable fighter with improved armament, a powerful engine and excellent manoeuvrability that in contrast to earlier Japanese fighters had the ability to withstand a greater degree of battle damage.

Japanese pilots using this aircraft would claim more than 170 aerial victories over Kyushu and whilst escorting Kamikazes attacking Allied ships off Okinawa. US Navy Hellcat pilots in turn were credited with many of the scores of Shiden-Kais that were downed attempting to defend Japan. This fully illustrated book compares these two fascinating aircraft, using specially commissioned artwork, first-hand accounts and a thorough technical analysis.

Although seen as a replacement for the A6M Zero-sen carrier-based fighter, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden was actually designed as a land-based naval interceptor optimised for speed rather than manoeuvrability. Engine cooling problems for its Mitsubishi Kasai 23 engine, airflow and flight control issues plagued the Raiden's development, but despite these production delays, aces Sadaaki Akamatsu Yoshihiro Aoki, Susumu Ito and Susumu Ishihara all claimed significant scores in the Raiden. Kawanishi's N1K family of fighters were privately developed by the manufacturer from the N1K Kyofu floatplane fighter. Again plagued by structural and engine maladies, the N1K1-J Shiden eventually entered frontline service in time to see considerable action in the doomed defence of the Philippines in October 1944. Despite suffering heavy losses, the units equipped with new fighter proved that the N1K could more than hold its own against P-38s and F6Fs. The improved N1K2-J Shiden-KAI started to reach the frontline by late 1944 - in time for defence of the Home Islands. Here, it proved to be the best IJN fighter of the war.

The battle for the skies in World War II fuelled a race between rival air forces to develop ever faster and more capable fighter aircraft - and the struggle for air superiority was never over until the war itself ended.

This volume explores four clashes of some of the finest planes and pilots, in key theatres of the war: Spitfires duelling the formidable Bf 109 over the Channel, the Fw 190 battling the Soviet La 5 and 7 on the Eastern Front, the F4F Wildcat in a desperate clash with the legendary A6M Zero-sen, and the F4U Corsair in combat with the second-generation Japanese Ki-84 in the closing days of the war.

Fully illustrated with contemporary photographs, maps and colour artwork, Air Combat conveys the full story behind these dramatic aviation duels.

Scramble! Scramble! Almost 80 years ago the skies over Britain were full of dogfighting aircraft as young pilots of the RAF fought to repel the might of the German war machine. Described by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as 'Their Finest Hour.' The Battle of Britain is a defining moment in recent history and remains an inspiration to us all. Victory 1940 presents a pictorial chronology of the legendary fight, when the might of the Luftwaffe was defeated for the first time by Churchill's 'Few.' The history of the battle as been recounted many times, but this book offers a new and exclusive approach, through razor-sharp contemporary imagery of restored Battle of Britain warbirds combined with extensive archive material previously unpublished. The graphic illustrations of Victory 1940 are supported by a riveting account of the greatest air battle of all time, as seen through the eyes of the combatants from both sides. We witness their triumph and tragedies as they battle for a cause and survival itself. Victory 1940 draws upon John Dibbs' amazing warbird photograpy, and his Battle of Britain restored image archive, which provide fresh insights into the events of 1940 and enhance the compelling text. In his exclusive foreword to Victory 1940, Battle of Britain Hurricane ace Tom Neil calls for 'the need to implant in the minds of the young, the gallantry and sacrifices of those who fought in the Battle of Britain,' and that for this reason the book should be 'read and enjoyed.'

What is a Soul on Empty? Could it be you? Someone you know perhaps? Or someone you may be passing everyday. When you take this journey you will see an unfolding. You shall begin to hear a part of yourself and your tongue shall be loosed, to tell your own story. ...someone was sobbing towards the back of the room. They all turned around literally at the same time. It was like a moment in time that stood still...When he looked at me his eyes pierced something in my heart that made me know nothing could ever make sense in my life unless he said something to me. Before they would take him out of the room I just had to say something to him...Before he went away and it was too late and I could never find him again.

The story of the revolutionary strike-fighter which has been at the forefront of American air combat for nearly three decades From failed Air Force fighter to the Navy's "universal soldier," this history chronicles the evolution of the Hornet. Built to replace both the A-7 Corsair II light attack aircraft and the F-4 Phantom II fighter in Navy service, the F/A-18 evolved from Northrop's YF-17 in the late 1970s. Production aircraft reached the Navy in May 1980, with the Marine Corps receiving Hornets two years later. More than 800 examples would eventually be built for American service, with a further 500 aircraft being sold to seven export customers. Earning its battle spurs in April 1986 flying strike missions against Libya from U.S. carriers in the Mediterranean, the Hornet would subsequently participate in Operation Desert Storm five years later and the various "policing" operations in Iraq and the Balkans that followed. Still very much in frontline use with the Navy and Marine Corps today, the "legacy" Hornet, as all non-Super Hornet variants have been dubbed, provides the backbone for carrier-based naval aviation.

The F/A-18 Hornet in its various guises was the 'universal soldier' of OIF, with around 250 seeing combat. Flown by various squadrons and groups, the Hornet attacked a range of targets including tanks of the various Iraqi Republican Guard units and government buildings housing elements of the Baath party regime. Apart from its ability to drop precision munitions such as laser-guided bombs, the Hornet was also capable of launching anti-radar missiles and acting as an aerial tanker and reconnaissance platform for other strike types. This book explores the Hornet's versatility which has enhanced its reputation as one of the world's leading strike-fighter aircraft.

Entering service during the Sino-Japanese War, the Nakajima B5N (code-named 'Kate') excelled and went on to achieve surprising and dramatic successes in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It also contributed to the sinking of the US aircraft carriers USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea, USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway, and USS Hornet at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Its replacement, the Nakajima B6N 'Jill', while a marked improvement over its illustrious predecessor, was never able to achieve its full potential in combat due to advances in Allied aircraft, finding itself relegated to the dreaded Kamikaze strikes in the latter part of the war. Using previously unpublished photographs as well as colour illustrations, this book will cover the history of the 'Kate' and 'Jill' torpedo/attack bombers, including their design and development, as well as the combat highs and lows of the Imperial Japanese Navy's premier torpedo-bombers.