Entering service during the Sino-Japanese War, the Nakajima B5N (code-named "Kate") excelled and went on to achieve surprising and dramatic successes in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It also contributed to the sinking of the U.S. aircraft carriers USS Lexington at the Battle of the Coral Sea, USS Yorktown at the Battle of Midway, and USS Hornet at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Its replacement, the Nakajima B6N "Jill," while a marked improvement over its illustrious predecessor, was never able to achieve its full potential in combat due to advances in...

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...

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...

Although seen as a replacement for the A6M Zero-sen carrier-based fighter, the Mitsubishi J2M Raiden was actually designed as a land-based naval interceptor optimized for speed rather than maneuverability. Engine cooling problems for its Mitsubishi Kasai 23 engine and airflow and flight control issues plagued the Raiden's development, but despite these production delays, aces Sadaaki Akamatsu Yoshihiro Aoki, Susumu Ito and Susumu Ishihara all claimed significant scores in the Raiden.

Kawanishi's N1K family of fighters were privately developed by the manufacturer from the N1K Kyofu...

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,...