The Grumman F6F Hellcat was constructed in the early 1940s at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. in Bethpage. Unlike its predecessor, the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the Hellcat received a low gear, with widely spaced wheels on the main chassis. Significantly increased both wings and fuselage to accommodate the required fuel and ammunition supply and to provide adequate structural strength. Fixed weapons consisted of six 12.7 mm machine guns. A contract for the construction of two prototypes of the new BuAer fighter was made with Grumman on June 30, 1941. During the entire production period only minor changes were made to the construction to the Hellcat.

The distinctive black and yellow chequered markings of the 353rd Fighter Group, the ‘Slybirds’, made them one of the USAAF ‘Mighty’ 8th Air Force’s most colourful fighter groups. Flying P-47D Thunderbolts and later P-51D Mustangs the 353rd’s appearance in the skies over occupied Europe witnessed growing American air power and helped to change the course of the air war. From mid-1943 until the end of hostilities in Europe, the 353rd participated in all major aerial battles from the 1943 Regensburg and Schweinfurt raids to ‘Big Week’, the attacks on Berlin, and the support of the D-Day landings and Normandy campaign in 1944. They went on to win the Distinguished Unit Citation during the Arnhem operation of September 1944 and after converting to P-51 Mustangs they continued to play a full and prominent role in the final smashing of the Third Reich from the air.Fighting High Publishing has come together with respected 8th Air Force historian Graham Cross to tell the story of the ‘Slybirds’. With access to an unparalleled photographic archive built up over nearly thirty years of close association and friendship with the group, the author provides a detailed representation of all aspects of the group’s key activities. Focussing not just on the aircraft and pilots but also the vital work of the ground crews and service personnel, this is a stunning tribute that fills a major gap in the history of 8th Fighter Command. A full honour roll to those who made the ultimate sacrifice is included along with details of all POWs and all confirmed claims by the Group’s air-to-air aces.Packed with nearly 450 photos, the majority of which are previously unpublished, unseen wartime colour photos and detailed captions, this book is a visual and information feast. This latest volume in Fighting High Publishing’s ‘Odyssey’ series is the most in-depth photographic record of the 353rd to date and provides a unique window on a fighter group at war.

In this book the authors have endeavored to remedy the notable lack of comprehensive coverage. The development of all the many engines produced by Japanese aero-engine manufacturing companies from 1912 to 1945 is explored in detail, including a full explanation of the different systems used to identify them. Furthermore, the developments are related to the aircraft in which the various engines were used, including prototypes, flying test-beds, and changes in the make or type of engine during an aircraft’s operational service. In other words aircraft evolution in Japan is viewed in snapshots as it happened from the aero-engine aspect and not from the complete aircraft aspect as is featured in most publications. Unfortunately this approach necessitates numerous cross-references in the text where several different engines are associated with a particular aircraft, for which the authors can only apologize. Lastly, to illustrate the industrial background, the origin and development of each of the aero-engine manufacturing companies is also outlined briefly

Scale plans in 1/72, 1/48 scale of Supermarine Walrus12 A3 size pages in A4 pb. All subversions are shown.

The classic, revised story of how an elite group of US Air Force pilots fought a secret air war over Vietnam in Cessna 0-2 and OV-10 Bronco prop planes―flying as low as they could get. The eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets who rained death and destruction down on enemy positions, the Forward Air Controller made an art form out of an air strike―knowing the targets, knowing where friendly troops were, and reacting with split-second, life and death decisions as a battle unfolded. The expertise of the low, slow FACs, as well as the hazards attendant to their role, made for a unique bird’s-eye perspective on how the entire war in Vietnam unfolded. For Tom Yarborough, who logged 1,500 hours of combat flying time, the risk was constant, intense and electrifying. A member of the super-secret “Prairie Fire” unit, Yarborough became one of the most frequently shot-up pilots flying out of Da Nang―engaging in a series of dangerous secret missions in Laos. In this work, the reader flies in the cockpit alongside Yarborough in his adrenaline-pumping chronicle of heroism, danger and wartime brotherhood. From the rescuing of downed pilots to taking out enemy positions, to the most harrowing extended missions directly overhead of the NVA, here is the dedication, courage and skill of the fliers who took the war into the enemy's backyard.

The remarkable memoir of a U.S. fighter pilot, who after his escapades of shooting down German aircraft in France began an even greater adventure after being shot down himself. Ted Fahrenwald was a 22-year-old daredevil pilot in the famed 352nd Fighter Group when he bailed out of his burning P-51 Mustang two days after D-Day on his 100th mission. Parachuting into the farmlands of Normandy, he was immediately picked up by the local maquis, the guerrilla branch of the French Resistance. His rudimentary French, wily and gregarious personality, and backwoods skills allowed him to quickly make fast friends of these unruly outlaws, and he spent the next several months carousing and raiding with their band. But, determined to rejoin his squadron, Ted left his new comrades to hike through the fields and forests of the most heavily occupied areas of northern France toward the Channel coast, and the advancing Allied liberation armies. Captured by the Wehrmacht, however, interrogated as a spy, and interned in a POW camp, the author made a daring escape just before his deportation to Germany. Nothing diminished Ted's talent for spotting the ironic humor in even the most aggravating or dangerous situations, nor his penchant for extracting his own improvised and sometimes hilarious version of justice. The author recorded his swashbuckling adventures at age 24, after his discharge and return to the States. Afterward he went into business and never again put pen to paper. But his immediate reminiscence of his wartime experience reveal a literary talent that is rare. At once a suspenseful page-turner and an outrageously witty tale of daring and friendship, this book brings to life the daily intrigues of the combatants of World War II.

Douglas SBD Dauntless is one of the most popular American naval bomber of World War II era. The name Dauntless fits well to the aircraft’s “personality”. SBD was build with the aim of dive bombing which quickly were nicknamed as “helldiving”. Interestingly one of the successors of Dauntless – Curtiss SB2C – was officially named “Helldiver”. SBD was a two-seated light bomber and scout aircraft developed in year 1940 and based on Northrop BT-1 airframe. During the next year many improvements were added, such as: self-sealing fuel tanks, stronger armament and better electric installation. The most characteristic element were the airbrakes. They were mounted through almost full length of the bottom wing and halves of upper part of wings. Therefore the braking system was very effective stabilizing the dive, easing the aiming and getting plane from the steep dive. The plane became fully capable war machine. The most popular version was SBD-5 with 1200 HP Wright R-1820-60 radial engine. Almost 3000 SBD-5 were produced. The plane took part in many important battles over the Pacific but definitely the most significant were Battle for Midway and over the Guadalcanal. Dauntless’ were solid and reliable planes and crews really liked them. They quickly gave it a special nickname made from letters SBD – “Slow but Deadly”. Today there are four airworthy SBD’s (all in the USA). 11 more are museum exhibits or undergoing restoration.

Kamov design bureau was established in late 1940s after successful demonstration of single engine ultra-light Ka-8 type and its improved derivate Ka-10, which was maiden flown on 30th of August 1949. Both were rather experimental types used for exploring of options how to utilize the helicopter and the latter one was adopted by the Soviet naval aviation into the regular service. Due to small dimensionsand small footprint given by coaxial rotors Ka-10s were for the first time deployed on Soviet Navy vessels and gave to both Experimental design bureau OKB Kamov and Soviet Navy valuable expertise with maritime helicopter operation. In total four helicopters weretest flown by the naval aviators with following order for ten serial ships. However, due to uncovered cockpit both types were really limited in its operational use and it just gave the background for further helicopter design for Kamov.

Mil design bureau, led by Mikhail Leonteyevich Mil, was one of the leading soviet plants promoting combination of helicopters and firepower. Mil was personally involved in the development of pre-war A-7 autogyro equipped with machine gun for its own defence and two more for ground targets destroying. However, this type did not reach mass production. But Mil was since that time thinking about arming the rotorcraft, especially after his practise during design of several Bratukhin helicopters, of which some models were intended for artillery spotting and clearly showed that helicopter can play an important role in the army and can be a part of front lineunits. When the Mi-1 helicopter was test flown for the first time on 20th of September 1948, it was clear a very versatile type was born. It became the first mass produced soviet helicopter with vide variety of special variants both for civil and military applications. It has just entered the regular service with the Soviet Army, when US forces used their Bell OH-13s for attack missions in Korean War.

North American P-51 Mustang, famed for its service in the US Army Air Force as a long-rage escort fighter over westernEurope, was no less successful in the other three major combat areas of World War Two: the Mediterranean, the China-Burma-India and the Pacific Theaters of Operations.

This publication is mainly devoted to the Marks IX and XVI of Supermarine Spitfire. The 20 page, A4 size booklet contains 15 sheets of 1:72 scale drawings with specification of external changes in various versions of the aircraft and colour profiles of 5 planes, all with English and Polish captions. Also attached are 3 folded A2 size sheets with 1:32, 1:48 and 1:72 scale drawings printed on their both sides. A masking foil sheet for painting the canopies of 1:32 Tamiya’s Spitfire Mk. IXc is a free addition.

The World War 2 fighters designed by A.S. Yakovlev’s and his team are rightfully considered the weapon of the Victory in the history of the Soviet Union and Russia. Their speed, maneuverability and firepower made them famous over the Eastern front. Yet until present days historians and aviation enthusiast continue to debate whether the design of these machines was adequate. The goal of this book is not to end these debates, but rather to present as precisely as the documents available to the authors allow the story of the first aircraft in the long lineage of Yakovlev’s fighters – the Yak-1 . Many new, sometimes unexpected facts about this important machine are presented in this book.

The pursuit of better performance continued until all the possibilities for improvement were literally squeezed out of the Yak-1’s mixed design characterized by an all-wooden wing. In the process, alterations to the basic design gave birth to new, more advanced types – the Yak-9 in 1942 and Yak-3 in 1944. Still, given the high degree of manufacturing optimization achieved at Saratov factory, it was decided to keep the fighter that was rapidly becoming obsolete in production. Its latest version – the Yak-1b – contributed significantly to the wartime effort of the Soviet Union. These developments as well as some interesting facts from the Yak-1/1b history are covered in the current volume.

Joe Singleton was an unlikely hero. A junior manager at a paints and varnish company at the outbreak of war, he was surprised to discover he had a hidden talent for flying. Despite RAF Fighter Squadrons crying out for replacements after the carnage of the Battle of Britain, Joe was posted to the rapidly developing world of night fighting. He flew first Defiants then Beaufighters as the technological race to field effective night fighters hotted up leading to the first tentative attempts to put radar inside an aircraft. He found himself in the thick of the very earliest stages of ground controlled interception and airborne radar engagements. But the grind of fruitless searches and patrols only served to highlight the futility of lives lost in training and the inherent dangers of flying at night with relatively primitive equipment. His skills finally began to bear fruit when piloting a Mosquito and he took place in several successful missions. But the pinnacle came on the night of 19th March 1944 when he scrambled to intercept a big German raid on Hull and he located and shot down a Junkers 188, then went on to shoot down two more, all in the space of thirteen dramatic minutes. He and his navigator survived the crash-landing that ensued, and he went on to be feted as a national hero. Three in Thirteen is a unique sortie-by-sortie account of his journey from bewildered recruit to celebrated expert, illustrated with extracts from Joe’s RAF logbook, and unpublished photographs and illustrations. Roger Dunsford’s extensive experience as an RAF pilot brings a vivid immediacy to Joe’s experiences combined with astute analysis of the planes, the tactics and the events of that fateful night.

The German assault on Denmark and Norway in April 1940 effectively cut off all surface communications between neutral Sweden and the Western Allies. Diplomats and VIPs still needed to travel to and from Sweden and exports and imports of highly valuable goods needed to be maintained. To gain support for the war against an all-conquering Germany, it was also important to give the Swedish public the opportunity to read British newspapers and magazines. The only realistic way to maintain these links between Sweden and Britain was by air, and a civilian service was immediately established by BOAC. This book covers the history of the flights and the aircraft used. It also has details of the markings and color schemes throughout the war, illustrated with many rare wartime photos and color profiles by the author of all the aircraft types. The BOAC link between Sweden and Britain originally operated by Lockheed Super Electras.Throughout the war, a variety of aircraft would also operate the service, including Hudson, Lodestar, Whitley, Dakota, Liberator and of course the Mosquito, all being demilitarized as the Swedes did not allow armed aircraft to operate on their airfields. From the Norwegian perspective, and helping the allied war effort, the thousands of young Norwegians who fled to Sweden were keen to join the Allied fight against the Nazis. Unhappy with the lack of capacity provided by BOAC, a Norwegian transport unit was established, operating as a detachment of BOAC set up with the focus on carrying people. Keen to keep up exports and allowing Swedish nationals the freedom to travel, Swedish airline AB Aerotransport established their own service to Britain in 1942 with DC-3s, and later B-17s converted to carry passengers and cargo. From 1944, the USAAF Air Transport Command established their service to fly out Norwegian refugees and to return interned bomber crews, operating civilian registered CB-24, C-87 and C-54."The Stockholm Run" book by Nils Mathisrud was awarded the best Swedish aviation book of the year, 2017.

With 158 victories under his belt and dying in the Egyptian sky on the 30th of September, 1942, aged only 22, Hans-Joachim Marseille became a legend of the World War II aviation. Besides his being an exceptional pilot, he owes his reputation to his unconventionality and aversion to authority, which caused him much trouble with his superiors; his chivalrous attitude, moreover, led him to return to his base with a wounded enemy or a damaged plane on several occasions. This behaviour and his formidable combat skills made him famous in Germany as well as among allied pilots, who both respected and feared him. Having collected testimonies from veterans who experienced Marseille, American authors Colin D. Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis wrote an extremely well-documented biography that traces the short but intense life of this unique aviator, who entered the Hall of Fame or fighter pilots at only 22 years old.