The World's Greatest Military Aircraft : An Illustrated History

Ever since man first took to the air, combat aircraft have been at the cutting edge of aviation technology, resulting in some of the greatest and most complex designs ever built. The World's Greatest Military Aircraft features 52 of the most important military aircraft of the last hundred years. The book includes all the main types, from biplane fighters and carrier aircraft to tactical bombers, transport aircraft, multirole fighters, strategic strike aircraft and stealth bombers. Featured aircraft include: the Fokker Dr.1 triplane, the legendary fighter flown by German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, 'the Red Baron', during World War I; the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Japan's highly-manoeuvrable fighter that dominated air-to-air combat in the early part of the Pacific War; the tank-busting Il-2 Shturmovik, the most produced aircraft in World War II; the Harrier jump jet, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fighter that has been service for more than 40 years; the B-2 Spirit bomber, an American precision strike aircraft used in recent conflicts in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan; and the F-22 Raptor, an air superiority fighter with state-of-the-art stealth technology that makes it almost invisible to radars. Each entry includes a brief description of the model's development and history, a profile view, key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, The World's Greatest Military Aircraft is a colourful guide for the military aviation enthusiast. "Ever since man first took to the air, combat aircraft have been at the forefront of technology, resulting in some of the most spectacular and complex machines ever built. Compare a biplane and a Stealth fighter and see how the technology has advanced. Spanning a century of flight, The World's Greatest Military Aircraft features 52 of the greatest fighters, bombers, interceptors and transport planes, from World War I's Fokker Dr. 1 to the Boeing B-17 Super Fortress to the MiG-17 to the Lockheed C-130 Hercules to the Stealth capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. Each entry includes a brief description of the aircraft's development and history, a colour profile artwork, key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, The World's Greatest Military Aircraft is a colourful guide for the aviation and military enthusiast"--Publisher's description