Avions (2e GM) - USA : beaux livres - US Air Force (USAF)

Over 250 rare photographs depict one of the greatest industrial feats of World War II: the massive production of American military aircraft. Photos show teams of workers turning out Boeing B-17 bombers in Seattle, huge B-24D Liberators at the Ford plant in Willow Run, F6F Grumman Hellcat fighters in Long Island, and much more.

Focusing almost exclusively on official programs and aircraft that entered development this book shows how U.S. aviation weapons progressed under the pressure of war.

From the state of the art at the beginning of the war, to the advances during the conflict, armed photo reconnaissance, catapult launched seaplanes, autogyros and, amongst others, armed drones are covered in detail.
Often described as less glamorous that fighters and bombers, these special types offer a unique contribution to aeronautical advancement.

A new perspective on the development of US bomber aircraft during World War 2, revealing how the intense combat pressures of the war accelerated the scientific and technological advances of aeronautics, propulsion. aircraft systems, avionics and ordnance.

Packed with three-view drawings and rare photographs including a wide variety of little-known experimental aircraft.

The U.S. Army glider corps was formed in the tumultuous period of rapid buildup of American military might prior to the nation's December 1941 entry into World War II. It then had to mature rapidly, under the persistent pressure of wartime conditions, to be ready for action when American airborne troops first deployed. This meant haste and misconceptions that fostered inefficiencies in all aspects of the effort.

The program produced a cadre of pilots and fleet of wood and fabric gliders that executed challenging combat missions unlike anything done before or since. Despite the numbers and combat record, the glider is almost never mentioned in accounts of World War II combat aircraft.

The U.S. Army and Britain shared aircraft and knowledge, both employing the other's gliders in combat. The U.S. Navy also spent time developing amphibious transport gliders for Marine Corps landings. All are covered in this book.

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.