One hundred years of world military aircraft / Norman Polmar and Dana Bell.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Polmar, Norman.

Contributor:

Bell, Dana, 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Airplanes, Military.

Physical Description:

xiv, 432 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, [2004]

Summary:

In the century following the Wright brothers' historic 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, thousands of military aircraft have been designed and hundreds of thousands have been produced. From that massive aeronautic pantheon, two well-known aviation historians have selected the one hundred most significant military aircraft for this centennial tribute. Among the aircraft showcased here are several military aviation firsts, a few of the largest, and a number of aircraft deemed superlative in terms of production or performance. For example, the Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik was produced in greater numbers than any other aircraft in history, while the Lockheed A-12 Oxcart and its derivative SR-71 Blackbird were the world's fastest military aircraft. But most of the aircraft in this book were selected because of their influence on political and military events. The unarmed U-2 spyplane was a key factor in developing U.S. defense policy in the late 1950s, while the Curtiss Pusher demonstrated the feasibility of aircraft taking off and landing aboard a warship in 1910-11. Among the long-lived aircraft are the Vought F4U Corsair, which "flunked" its carrier trials in 1942 but went aboard most U.S. and British fleet carriers before World War II ended and was flown from French as well as U.S. carriers into the 1950s. Record holders include the English Electric Canberra and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, both of which first flew more than fifty years ago and remain in first-line service. No student of World War II would question the inclusion of the Supermarine Spitfire and Boeing B-29 Superfortress, but others might ask why include the Curtiss O-52 Owl and Junkers Ju 52. In the authors' opinion, both were significant aircraft and important milestones in military aviation history. Other aviation buffs will wonder why the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt or the Tupolev Tu-26 Blackjack are not included. The authors explain their choices -- and their omissions -- in clear, concise commentaries for each aviation era and each aircraft. From the U.S. Army's purchase of the world's first military aircraft from the Wright Brothers through the bombers and fighters of the 2003 war in Iraq, this book provides an informative and fast-moving tour through a century of military aviation development.

Contents:

1 Before Conflict 1

Bleriot XI

Curtiss Pusher

Curtiss Model H America

Wright Model A Flyer

2 World War I 18

Avro 504

Curtiss JN-4 Jenny

de Havilland D.H.4

Fokker E. Series Eindeckers

Fokker D.VII

Navy-Curtiss NC Flying Boats

Nieuport Sesquiplanes

Short 184

Sikorsky Il'ya Muromets

Sopwith F.1 Camel

3 Between the Wars 60

Curtiss O-52 Owl

Hawker Hart

Martin MB-2

Pitcairn OP/YG-2

Polikarpov I-16

Savoia-Marchetti S.55

Tupolev ANT-6/TB-3

Vickers F.B.27 Vimy

4 World War II: The Axis 93

Aichi M6A1 Seiran

Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri

Focke-Wulf Fw 190

Heinkel He 111

Junkers Ju 52

Junkers Ju 87

Junkers Ju 88

Messerschmitt Bf 109

Messerschmitt Me 163B

Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe

Messerschmitt Me 321/323 Gigant

Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Zeke)

Mitsubishi G4M Betty

Yokosuka Naval Arsenal MXY7 Ohka (Baka)

5 World War II: The Allies 147

Avro Lancaster

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Consolidated B-24 Liberator and PB4Y-2 Privateer

Curtiss SOC Seagull

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

de Havilland Mosquito

Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota

Douglas SBD Dauntless

Fairey Swordfish

Grumman F4F Wildcat

Grumman F6F Hellcat

Hawker Hurricane

Ilyushin Il-2/Il-10 Shturmovik

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

North American AT-6/T-6/SNJ Texan

North American B-25 Mitchell

North American P-51 Mustang

Piper L-4 Grasshopper

Sikorsky R-4/HNS

Supermarine Spitfire

Vickers Wellington

Vought F4U Corsair

Waco CG-4A Hadrian

Westland Lysander

6 The Cold War 257

Avro Vulcan

Bell HU-1 Huey/Iroquois and AH-1 Cobra

Boeing B-47 Stratojet

Boeing B-52 Stratofortress

Boeing C-135 Stratolifter and KC-135 Stratotanker

Convair B-36 Peacemaker

Dassault Mirage III/Mirage 5

Douglas AD Skyraider

Douglas A3D Skywarrior and B-66 Destroyer

Douglas A4D Skyhawk

English Electric Canberra

General Dynamics F-111

Lockheed P-80/T-33 Shooting Star

Lockheed C-130 Hercules

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy

Lockheed U-2

Lockheed A-12 Oxcart and SR-71 Blackbird

Martin P6M Seamaster

McDonnell F4H Phantom

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Fagot)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (Fishbed)

North American F-86 Sabre and FJ Fury

North American F-100 Super Sabre

Saab 35 Draken

Sikorsky HSS-1 Seabat, HUS Seahorse, and H-34 Choctaw

Tupolev Tu-16 Badger

Tupolev Tu-20/Tu-95/Tu-142 Bear

Vought F7U Cutlass

7 New Technology Aircraft 384

British Aerospace Hawk

Boeing E-3 Sentry

Grumman F-14 Tomcat

Hawker Siddeley Harrier

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

McDonnell F-15 Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagle

Mil' Mi-24 (Hind)

Mil' Mi-26 (Halo)

Northrop B-2 Spirit

Panavia Tornado.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 429-432) and index.

ISBN:

1591146860

OCLC:

52919890