Amid the continuous struggle for aerial superiority during World War 1, two aircraft types were at the forefront. Both rotary-engined fighters, the Sopwith Camel and the Fokker Dr I triplane were relatively slow for their time, but were regarded as the most maneuverable machines produced during the conflict, and the classic pair for a tight, evenly matched dogfight at close quarters. In this book Jon Guttman examines the fascinating story of the design and development of these deadly foes. First-hand accounts and innovative cockpit-view artwork give a thrilling insight into the pilots'...
Amid the continuous struggle for aerial superiority during World War 1, two aircraft types were at the forefront. Both rotary-engined fighters, the So...
The Italian aces of World War 1 have gone down in history as the irrefutable masters of the skies in the battle against their Austro-Hungarian enemies. In this often forgotten theater of warfare these remarkable pilots gave the Italian forces an undisputed air superiority and left an enduring legacy as extraordinary men. Having interviewed the descendants of almost every Italian ace from the Great War, Paolo Varriale uncovers these fighters' incredible and sometimes tragic histories. Years of painstaking research has culminated in this truly groundbreaking study which brings to life the...
The Italian aces of World War 1 have gone down in history as the irrefutable masters of the skies in the battle against their Austro-Hungarian enemies...
The quest for an effective fighter airplane to achieve air superiority during World War 1 resulted in a series of pusher fighter planes, designed with the engine at the rear and the machine gun at the front. These ungainly, heavy looking fighters did surprisingly well and they were able to hold their own against their German counterparts - including the Fokker Eindeckers with their synchronized machine guns - until 1917. By then, however, the drag-producing design rendered the pusher fighter unable to match the performance of tractor-engined machines. This is the story of the unusual pusher...
The quest for an effective fighter airplane to achieve air superiority during World War 1 resulted in a series of pusher fighter planes, designed with...
By the autumn of 1916, with the formation of the new Jagdstaffeln, the pendulum of aerial supremacy had once again swung in favor of the German Air Force. The battle of the Somme in 1916 saw the RFC suffer losses of nearly 400 aircrew between September and November, and British casualties were to reach a zenith in the 'Bloody April' of 1917 when 319 aircrew were lost, killed or taken prisoner of war. This was the situation when No 56 Squadron arrived in France at the end of April 1917. Equipped with the superb new SE 5, it was the first fighter squadron of the RFC to be able to meet the...
By the autumn of 1916, with the formation of the new Jagdstaffeln, the pendulum of aerial supremacy had once again swung in favor of the German Air Fo...
The history of Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel (or Jasta) 18 is one of the more unique and complex of German fighter squadrons of World War I. In fact, the unit could be said to have had something of a split personality. Formed in Flanders at the end of October 1916, the Jasta was first commanded by Oblt von Grieffenhagen, who led it to 35 victories in nine months. In August 1917, the aggressive and demanding Oblt Rudolf Berthold took over the Staffel and brought a cadre of seasoned pilots with him from his former command. Berthold molded his new unit into a dedicated group of hunters, and left...
The history of Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel (or Jasta) 18 is one of the more unique and complex of German fighter squadrons of World War I. In fact, the...
Though understandably overshadowed by their army colleagues, naval aviators played a significant role in World War 1, including some noteworthy contributions of fighter aviation. At a time when the Royal Flying Corps was struggling to match the 'Fokker Scourge' of 1915-16, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was first to use Sopwith's excellent line of scouts, such as the Pup, Triplane and Camel. Some RNAS pilots such as Raymond Collishaw, Robert A Little and Roderick Stanley Dallas rated among the most successful in the British Commonwealth. Their ranks also included David Ingalls, the only...
Though understandably overshadowed by their army colleagues, naval aviators played a significant role in World War 1, including some noteworthy contri...
This book profiles a wide variety of British, French, German, Austro-Hungarian and American aircraft, ranging from frontline stalwarts like the RE 8 and AR 1 to the swift Salmson 2A2 and the compact, fighter-like Halberstadt CL II.
Oft-overshadowed by the fighters that either protected or threatened them, two-seater reconnaissance aircraft performed the oldest and most strategically vital aerial task of World War 1 - a task that required them to return with the intelligence they gathered at all costs. Bomber sorties were equally important and dangerous, and the very nature of both...
This book profiles a wide variety of British, French, German, Austro-Hungarian and American aircraft, ranging from frontline stalwarts like the RE ...
Royal Prussian Jagdgeschwader Nr III was the third of Germany's vaunted fighter wings to be formed during World War 1. Commanded by the Pour le Merite winner and well-respected ace Hauptmann Bruno Loerzer for its entire existence, it was composed of the celebrated Jasta 'Boelcke', along with Jagdstaffeln 26, 27 and 36. Equipped largely with the new Fokker triplane, these four units would play an important role in the Kaiserschlacht as part of the 17. Armee.
As Germany's fortunes waned in the summer of 1918, the aces of JG III nonetheless did their best to stem the tides of British,...
Royal Prussian Jagdgeschwader Nr III was the third of Germany's vaunted fighter wings to be formed during World War 1. Commanded by the Pour le Mer...
