Military Aircraft: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Allied Jet Killers of World War 2 (Osprey)

Allied fighter pilots began encountering German jets - principally the outstanding Me 262 fighter - from the autumn of 1944. Stunned by the aircraft's speed and rate of climb, it took USAAF and RAF units time to work out how to combat this deadly threat as the Luftwaffe targeted the medium and heavy bombers attacking targets across the Reich.

A number of high-scoring aces from the Eighth Air Force (Drew, Glover, Meyer, Norley and Yeager, to name but a few) succeeded in claiming Me 262s, Me 163 and Ar 234s during the final months of the campaign, as did RAF aces like Tony Gaze and `Foob' Fairbanks.
The exploits of both famous and little-known pilots will be chronicled in this volume, detailing how they pushed their P-47s, P-51s, Spitfires and Tempests to the limits of their performance in order to down the Luftwaffe's `wonder weapons'.

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First World War in the Air

The four years between 1914 and 1918 saw an incredible growth in air power. Beginning with the flimsy early aircraft, seemingly held together just by string and fabric, the author paints a picture of a bygone era when nobody knew quite what could be achieved, or how aircraft could be used.
From the early years of the First World War, when men took to the air without guns or parachutes, to the final stage of the conflict when huge, streamlined aeroplane fleets dominated the skies, this is a story of courage and dedication, of sudden death and public adulation for men whose life expectancy was measured in days rather than months.

This book is an account of how the development of aerial warfare took place. Drawing on much original material such as diaries and combat reports, it charts the growth of air power during the war years. Original photographs and artwork add to the atmosphere of the time.
The air aces, the castor oil and the sudden rattle of machine guns, the Dawn Patrol, Zeppelin raids, dogfights and acts of supreme valour are all here. In wonderful detail, this is the story of how brave young airmen took their lives in their hands and pushed the boundaries of courage and knowledge to the limits.

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Rare Birds : Forgotten Aircraft of the Second World War

The Second World War saw the apex of piston-engine aircraft design, and ushered the world into the jet age. Anybody who studies aviation will know the names: Spitfire, Mustang, Zero, Messerschmitt, Shturmovik. But there were many more aircraft to take to the skies before and during the war, and frequently their stories remain unknown.

This book seeks to tell those stories, to bring to the fore the forgotten warbirds. From the valiant Poles fighting the might of the Luftwaffe in their obsolescent craft, to the varied and excellent craft of the French Armee De l'Air, to the graceful craft of Italy's Regia Aeronautica. With stops around the globe, this book seeks to tell the tales of the forgotten or the doomed or the never-quites.

The stories of these aircraft, drawn from Allies and Axis nations alike, bring forth a fuller picture of aviation during the greatest airborne conflict in world history.
Telling these stories will give readers an interesting, and informative, look into the past-with personal reflections and a call to arms for the study of history itself.

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World War II Glider Assault Tactics (Osprey)

Military gliders came of age in World War II, when glider assault infantry were the forerunners of today's helicopter-delivered airmobile troops. From the light pre-war sports and training machines, several nations developed troop-carrying gliders capable of getting a whole squad or more of infantry, with heavy weapons, onto the ground quickly, with the equipment that paratroopers simply could not carry.
They made up at least one-third of the strength of US, British, and German airborne divisions in major battles, and they also carried out several daring coup de main raids and spearhead operations. However, the dangers were extreme, the techniques were difficult, the losses were heavy (particularly during night operations), and the day of the glider assault was relatively brief.

This book explains the development and organization of glider troops, their mounts, and the air squadrons formed to tow them, the steep and costly learning-curve and the tactics that such troops learned to employ once they arrived on the battlefield.

Contents: Introduction: background - Gliders, construction and characteristics: the US Waco CG-4A, British Horsa and Hamilcar, German DFS 230, and minor types - Techniques: take-off, towing, release, landing procedures - Tug aircraft, types and employment: the US C-47 and German Ju 52. Glider and tug training; the fate of glider pilots after landing - Strengths and allocation of glider and tug flying units - Glider-delivered units, their organization, weapons, and equipment: infantry, artillery, engineers, and support units - Operations: tactical concepts; capabilities and limitations; early difficulties, and lessons learned; key operations examined - Select bibliography - Plate commentaries - Index.

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Alliierte Jagdflugzeuge - 1939-1945 (Typenkompass)

At the end of the Second World War, piston engine fighter aircraft were at the absolute peak of their development. Within just five years, highly sophisticated machines had been created whose performance data is still impressive today: twelve-cylinder engines with almost 2 000 hp made speeds of over 700 km/h possible.

After the end of the Second World War, jet engines replaced the piston engine as the primary drive for fighter aircraft.
However, famous names such as "Hurricane", "Spitfire" or "Mustang" remain - machines that regularly delight thousands of spectators with their performances (and the sound) at air shows.

Pages of the book "Alliierte Jagdflugzeuge - 1939-1945"

Each type is presented with a photo, a historical description and a technical sheet.

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Flugzeuge des Zweiten Weltkrieges - Europa 1930-1945

This unique volume presents the aircraft of the Second World War in the best tradition of the series "Flugzeuge der Welt" - starting with the aircraft of European manufacturers due to the scope.
The nations outside Europe will follow at annual intervals.

On 320 pages, each double page presents an aircraft model with a high-quality and specially produced three-view view, a photo, a table and descriptive text. A must for every aviation library and an ideal addition to the "Aircraft of the World" series. Undisputedly a new standard work and already an absolute classic!

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