This new study of the sea-going Phantoms includes contributions from over a hundred aircrew and maintainers who were involved in the Phantom's success from the earliest service development flying to its twilight years in the Reserve units. There are personal accounts of MiG battles from more than a dozen MiG killers, first-hand descriptions of the F-4's introduction into combat with the Marines as a CAS and reconnaissance aircraft, memories of 'Bear' intercepts on Mediterranean cruises, narratives covering the aircraft's service into the 1980s, and much more. These voices are blended with a...
This new study of the sea-going Phantoms includes contributions from over a hundred aircrew and maintainers who were involved in the Phantom's success...
The USAF introduced the F-4C Phantom II into the Vietnam War (1955-1975) in April 1965 from Ubon RTAB, Thailand. The F-4C/D soon became the Air Force's principal fighter over the North, destroying 85 MiGs by the close of 1968. This book describes how the USAF turned a gunless naval interceptor into an opponent to the more nimble VPAF MiGs. It explains how the Air Force gradually followed US Navy initiatives in the use of the F-4's missile armament but employed very different tactics and aircrew training. The roles of key personalities such as Col. Robin Oldany are discussed, together with...
The USAF introduced the F-4C Phantom II into the Vietnam War (1955-1975) in April 1965 from Ubon RTAB, Thailand. The F-4C/D soon became the Air Force'...
The F-4 Phantom II was the USAF workhorse fighter-bomber for the Linebacker campaign, which eventually saw US forces withdraw from Vietnam 'with honour' in 1973. This book covers the F-4 attacks on numerous targets in North Vietnamese cities such as Hanoi and Haiphong, as well as its engagements with Vietnamese MiG-19s and MiG-21s hell-bent on defending the north from 'Yankee air pirates'. The USAF's only ace crew, which scored their five kills during 1972, is also covered in a book containing many detailed photographs, a large proportion of which haven't been published before.
The F-4 Phantom II was the USAF workhorse fighter-bomber for the Linebacker campaign, which eventually saw US forces withdraw from Vietnam 'with honou...
The F-4 Phantom II is perhaps the most famous postwar fighter. Primarily used as a land-based fighter-bomber and reconnaissance platform, its legend is owed to its naval origins and the immense contribution its original carrier-based versions made to the U.S. war effort in Vietnam.
This title examines the unique aspects of the Phantom that made it so crucial to U.S. Navy pilots during the Vietnam War: its massive engine power, long range, speed, the most powerful airborne search and fire-control radar installed in a fighter at the time, and, of course, its versatility as a ground...
The F-4 Phantom II is perhaps the most famous postwar fighter. Primarily used as a land-based fighter-bomber and reconnaissance platform, its legen...
In 1947, no one knew if it was possible to break the "sound barrier." The Bell X-1 was the tiny, rocket-powered craft that finally broke it. It was the result of innovative designers and engineers turning their attention from the pioneering jets of World War II to a new task--an aircraft designed purely to fly faster than sound. Legendary pilots rallied to the cause, with World War II ace Chuck Yeager piloting the X-1 when it finally achieved supersonic flight in 1947, the first manned craft to reach such speeds. With historical photographs and meticulously researched digital art, Peter...
In 1947, no one knew if it was possible to break the "sound barrier." The Bell X-1 was the tiny, rocket-powered craft that finally broke it. It was th...
The revolutionary X-15 remains the fastest manned aircraft ever to fly. Built in in the two decades following World War II, it was the most successful of the high-speed X-planes. The only recently broken 'sound barrier' was smashed completely by the X-15, which could hit Mach 6.7 and soar to altitudes above 350,000ft, beyond the edge of space. Several pilots qualified as astronauts by flying above 50 miles altitude in the X-15, including Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon. The three X-15s made 199 flights, testing new technologies and techniques which greatly eased America's entry into...
The revolutionary X-15 remains the fastest manned aircraft ever to fly. Built in in the two decades following World War II, it was the most successful...
Even before the spectacular success of its X-1 rocket-powered aircraft in breaking the "sound barrier," the adventurous Bell Aircraft Corporation was already pushing ahead with a parallel project to build a second aircraft capable of far higher speeds. The X-2 (or Model 52) explored the equally uncertain technology of swept-back wings. Now common in modern conventional fighter aircraft, the Bell X-2 revolutionary in using this type of airframe to probe Mach 3 and research the effects of extreme aerodynamic friction heat on airframes.
Although both X-2s were destroyed in crashes...
Even before the spectacular success of its X-1 rocket-powered aircraft in breaking the "sound barrier," the adventurous Bell Aircraft Corporation w...
