The 'storm troopers' of the Luftwaffe, the elite Strumgruppen units comprised the most heavily armed and armoured fighter interceptors ever produced by the Germans. Their role was to smash like a mighty fist through the massed ranks of USAAF daylight bombers. Only volunteers could serve with these elite units, and each pilot was trained to close with the enemy and engage him in extremely short-range combat, attacking from the front and the rear in tight arrowhead formations. In exceptional circumstances pilots would even ram their enemy. This book chronicles the brief, but violent, career of...
The 'storm troopers' of the Luftwaffe, the elite Strumgruppen units comprised the most heavily armed and armoured fighter interceptors ever produced b...
The 51st Fighter Wing initially flew the F-80C in the Korean War, but in 1951, the 51st brought in high-scoring World War 2 ace Colonel Francis Gabreski to assume command when it converted from the F-80 over to the newly arrived F-86E. His recruits included his elite 4th Wing pilots, and by the end of the war, the 51st had two pilots who achieved the status of "Double Ace" as well as the highest scoring ace of the war, Joe McConnell. This book describes the 51st Wing's tenure with the Sabre that led to their high scoring sprees of 1953.
The 51st Fighter Wing initially flew the F-80C in the Korean War, but in 1951, the 51st brought in high-scoring World War 2 ace Colonel Francis Gabres...
Churchill's words, "never was so much owed by so many to so few," came to encapsulate how, in a few critical months, the entire fate of the British Empire, if not the war, hung in the balance, to be determined not by world leaders or armies of millions, but by a handful of pilots fighting tirelessly in the skies over Britain.
Tony Holmes describes the key conflict of the Battle of Britain, the clash between the Spitfire and the Bf 109 - detailing not only the key elements of both aircraft types - the airframe, engine, armament and flying characteristics, but also the pilots' training...
Churchill's words, "never was so much owed by so many to so few," came to encapsulate how, in a few critical months, the entire fate of the British...
The legendary F-14 Tomcat was the weapon of choice to strike hard and fast against the enemies of the United States in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Determined to hit the al-Qaeda bases within Afghanistan, US plans were hampered by the reluctance of neighboring countries to allow US military aircraft to operate from their land bases. This meant that carrier-based F-14s were forced to fly several hundred miles a day to reach their targets, flying thousands of missions involving precision bombing strikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban positions.
A fascinating exploration of modern air...
The legendary F-14 Tomcat was the weapon of choice to strike hard and fast against the enemies of the United States in the wake of the September 11...
Deemed unsuitable for the Channel Front, lend-lease Tomahawks and Kittyhawks instead became the staple fighters of the Desert Air Force in 1941-42, flying with RAF, South African and Australian squadrons in North Africa and the Middle East. Although usually outclassed by the Bf 109, a number of pilots enjoyed some success during the desert campaign - men like Caldwell, Gibbes, Edwards and Drake, all of whom accrued double figure scores. In the Far East, Australian and New Zealand pilots also saw much action against the Japanese in 1942/43, flying over the jungles of New Guinea in defence of...
Deemed unsuitable for the Channel Front, lend-lease Tomahawks and Kittyhawks instead became the staple fighters of the Desert Air Force in 1941-42, fl...
The Spitfire is an icon of World War II. It was a beautiful and effective fighter plane that became the darling of the British public, defending the skies during the Battle of Britain in deadly, swirling dogfights with the fighters of Nazi Germany. The Spitfire's fighting ability and superb handling meant it was loved by British, Canadian and American pilots alike.
This is a complete reference guide to the world's most famous fighter aircraft, exploring its history, its strengths and weaknesses and its combat performance in battles all over the world. Drawing on a wealth of...
The Spitfire is an icon of World War II. It was a beautiful and effective fighter plane that became the darling of the British public, defending th...
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 Northwest 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...
With stunning artwork and detailed analysis, this volume provides a pilot's view of the dramatic clashes between these two legendary fighters, as s...
The Spitfire turns eighty on March 5, 2016, and the passion for the Royal Air Force's best-loved fighter is running at an all-time high. There are more than fifty 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 this unique collection of stunning photos with poignant firsthand accounts of flying the airplane in combat from some of the most famous Aces to pilot the Spitfire and from some of the forgotten pilots. Chronicling the history of this most iconic of British aircraft,...
The Spitfire turns eighty on March 5, 2016, and the passion for the Royal Air Force's best-loved fighter is running at an all-time high. There are ...
Through the medium of period photography, Star-Spangled Spitfires chronicles the combat operations of the USAAF units equipped with the iconic Supermarine fighter whilst employed in both the European and Mediterranean theaters of war, from the summer of 1942 right up to the end of the conflict. Only a handful of British combat aircraft wore the stars and bars of the USAAF during the Second World War, with the Beaufighter, Mosquito and Spitfire being the key types to see action with American crews in American squadrons. The Spitfire was, by some margin, the most widely used of the three, and...
Through the medium of period photography, Star-Spangled Spitfires chronicles the combat operations of the USAAF units equipped with the iconic Superma...
All models 1970-2006. 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. The author reviews the design, constuction 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...
All models 1970-2006. Probably best-known for its starring role in the Hollywood movie Top Gun, the variable geometry two-seat carrier-based Grumman...
