Publisher Description

The United States Army Air Force (USAAF) came into its own during World War II, building some of the premier fighters of the era. American Fighter Aircraft of World War II is a detailed guide to all the fighter aircraft types deployed by the USAAF and US Navy from 1941 to 1945. Organised chronologically, this book includes all-time greats, such as the highly- adaptable P-51 Mustang bomber escort, the carrier-based F6F Hellcat – which outperformed the legendary Japanese A6M Zero fighter – and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, with its distinctive twin-boom design; as well as lesser-known types, such as the Boeing P-26 Peashooter, the high-altitude Republic P-43 Lancer, and the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, the USAAF's only operational jet fighter during the war. The entries are accompanied by exhaustive captions and specifications. The guide is illustrated with profile artworks and three-views, as well as two-page dynamic artworks of some of the more famous aircraft in service, such as the P-40 Warhawk ground-attack variant, the twin-engined P-61 Black Widow night-fighter, and the robust P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber. Illustrated with more than 100 authentic artworks with accurate markings and camouflage, American Fighter Aircraft of World War II is an essential reference guide for modellers and military aviation enthusiasts.

Author Biography

Edward Ward is a writer and illustrator who has written on a variety of aviation subjects for over ten years. As well as his books, he has produced many articles for aviation journals both in print and online and is a regular contributor to the Hush Kit aviation blog. Edward lives with his wife and daughter in Sydney, Australia.

Table of Contents

Contents:IntroductionEarly-War Fighters • Curtiss Hawk III • Curtiss-Wright CW-21 Demon • Boeing P-26 Peashooter • Seversky P-35 • Curtiss P-36 & Hawk Model 75 • Republic P-43 Lancer • Bell P-39 Airacobra • Curtiss P-40 WarhawkLate-War Fighters • Vultee P-66 Vanguard • North American P-51 Mustang • Republic P-47 Thunderbolt • Supermarine Spitfire • Bell P-63 KingcobraHeavy Fighters • Bell YFM-1 Airacuda • Bristol Beaufighter • de Havilland Mosquito • Douglas P-70 Havoc • Lockheed P-38 Lightning • Northrop P-61 Black WidowNaval Types • Brewster F2A Buffalo • Grumman F4F Wildcat • Grumman F6F Hellcat • Grumman F7F Tigercat • Grumman F8F Bearcat • Vought F4U CorsairJet Aircraft • Bell P-59 Airacomet • Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star • Ryan FR-1 FireballIndex

Promotional

Highly-illustrated guide to the main types of aircraft used by the US fighter squadrons during WWII

Details