A collection of illustrated essays from the fourth edition of naval Archives. This issue contains highly detailed accounts of HMS Furious and the Italian heavy Cruiser Pola. With articles, archive photos, 3D illustrations, and drawings of the famous warships. Also includes 3D glasses to accompany a section displayed in 3D images.

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.

The Henschel Hs 123 was a single-seat biplane dive bomber and close-support attack aircraft flown by the Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War and the early to midpoint of World War II. It was durable and effective in severe conditions, it featured heavily on the Easter Front. This Kagero offering includes 16 pages of drawings and 9 color profiles.

The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 was designed as a high altitude fighter, which could engage American heavy bombers and their escorts on equal terms. Work on this aircraft began in 1943 and the design was referred to as Spezial Höhenjäger (special high altitude fighter). The RLM soon gave it the official designation Ta 152. Professor Kurt Tank procured three basic design variants: Normaljäger (conventional fighter), Höhenjäger (high altitude fighter) and Schlachtflugzeug (attack aircraft). The conventional fighter was developed as Ta 152 C version, the high altitude fighter as Ta 152 H and the attack aircraft as Ta 152 B. The conventional fighter was tested with the use of four prototypes, powered by Daimler-Benz DB 603 E and EC engines, rated at 1,800 hp. Production aircraft were to be powered by DB 603 L engines rated at 2,000 hp. The prototypes were completed during 3 November 1944 – 15 January 1945. The high altitude version was given the highest priority, the first production version was the Ta 152 H-0 powered by Junkers Jumo 213 E engine rated at 1,750 hp on take-off, armed with one 30 mm MK 108 cannon and two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons. The Ta 152 H-1 version had the fuel capacity enlarged by 400 liters and provision for GM 1 or MW 50 installations, temporarily boosting engine power at high altitudes. Production totaled 67 Focke-Wulf Ta 152 aircraft of all versions (mostly Ta 152 H) by the end of the war. Those few pilots, who had the opportunity to fly the Ta 152 H in combat emphasized its high speed, outstanding performance at high altitude and very short turn radius in horizontal maneuvers. Ofw. Josef Keil of JG 301 shot down five Allied aircraft flying a Ta 152 H, thus becoming the only Ta 152 ace.

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.

Curtiss P-40, known to Americans as Warhawk, and to their allies of the British Commonwealth as Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, fought on nearly all fronts of the Second World War, serving with the American, British, Australian, New Zealand, South African, Canadian, Free French, Chinese, Dutch and Soviet air forces. The American Warhawks were part of as many as nine US Army Air Forces stationed overseas: the 5th (Australia, New Guinea, Philippines); the 6th (Central America); the 7th (central Pacific); the 9th (Middle East, North Africa), the 10th (India, Burma), the 11th (Alaska, Aleutians), the 12th (North Africa, Italy); the 13th (the Solomons); and the 14th (China). During the first years of the war the P-40 helped the Allies stem the offensive of the Axis powers and fight them back at the last-ditch defensive positions, like Kunming in China, Port Moresby on New Guinea, Darwin in Australia or El Alamein in Egypt. Never a high-performance fighter, it nonetheless proved a potent weapon in capable hands. Often turned into a fighter-bomber in later years, it soldiered on until phased out in favor of more advanced designs.

The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D, better known to its contemporaries as the Langnasen Dora (Long-nose Dora), was the finest project created by Kurt Tank’s design team to see service in numbers. It duly capitalized on all their previous experience in building high-performance fighters. The D-9, the aircraft’s most popular variant, was first flown on 7th September 1944. Soon it made its presence felt both on the western and eastern fronts. A total of some 700 machines (sources vary) were assembled in Focke-Wulf plant at Cottbus, as well as by Arado and Fieseler contractors, by the end of the war. The D-9 powered by Jumo 213A-1 engine was practically the only variant to see serial production. The later D-11, D-12 and D-13 variants, powered by Jumo 213F-1 engines, were approved for production in March 1945, and only a few were delivered. D-12’s armament was one engine-mounted 30-mm MK 108 cannon and two 20-mm MG 151s in the wing roots. The D-13 differed from the D-12 by having a 20 mm engine-mounted MG 151 cannon in place of the 30 mm MK 108 unit. If only handled with skill, the Dora was a formidable opponent, capable of outrunning and outmanoeuvring any allied fighter it was pitted against.

The Nakajima Ki-43 was the successor of the company’s earlier successful design – the Ki-27 Nate. The new fighter was being developed from 1937 by a team of engineers led by Hideo Itokawa, the designer of the Ki-27. The first prototype (s/n 4301) was completed on 12th December 1938. Despite some initial problems, after introducing several modifications (combat flaps, which enhanced the aircraft’s manoeuvrability, among others) the Ki-43 was approved for production under the designation of Fighter Type 1 Model 1. The aircraft was also officially named Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon). In the American identification system of Japanese aircraft It was branded ‘Oscar’. The Ki-43 was much more advanced than its predecessor, the Ki-27. It was powered by 14-cylinder, two-row Nakajima Ha-25 radial engine rated at 980 hp, featured enclosed cockpit, retractable undercarriage, and was armed with two 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns. Although underarmed, It was a potent weapon when flown by a skilful pilot.

The North American P-51 Mustang powered by the British-designed Rolls-Royce Merlin/Packard engine was, quite simply, the best long-range escort fighter of the World War Two era. Entering service in November 1943, it curtailed prohibitive losses suffered by the heavy bombers of the US Eight Army Air Force which carried out the strategic daylight bombing campaign against the Third Reich. In the European Theater of Operations the USAAF also deployed Mustangs, with great success, as free-ranging strafers, fighter-bombers, scouts and reconnaissance aircraft. Eventually, it was the P-51 that broke the backbone of the Luftwaffe.

Tests with the Arado Ar 234 prototypes demonstrated that straight wings retained their good aerodynamic characteristics only at speeds below 800 kph. Near-supersonic flights demanded a completely new approach to wing geometry. On 9th December 1942 two Arado company engineers, Rüdiger Kosin and Walter Lehmann, patented a crescent shaped wing, which had its sweep and chord decreasing from root to tip. In mid-1944 Kosin decided to use his wing design on the Arado 234. Five variants of the wing were built, designated Versuchsflügel I through V, each differing in its sweep. Nevertheless, none of them was used in practice. The most advanced work on this project was carried out at Dedelsdorf airbase, where the Ar 234 V16 was being re-built as part of this research. The aircraft was destroyed in mid-April 1945 by advancing British troops as they captured the airfield.

The battleship USS Alabama is one of the very few “big ones” that saw service in World War II and survive to this day as museum ships.A recipient of nine Battle Stars for her wartime service, Alabama was a South Dakota class warship, widely considered to be the best US Navy treaty battleship design, featuring heavy armor, good underwater protection, tight superstructure arrangement and formidable armament.The ship was built at Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, Virginia. She was laid down on February 1, 1940 and launched on February 16, 1942 sponsored by Henrietta McCormick Hill, wife of the senior U.S. Senator from Alabama J. Lister Hill.

The monograph devoted to the early versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, the most famous WW2 German fighter, discusses its origins and development with coverage of changes made in its first prototypes, A-D variants and their sub-variants. The combat use of the aircraft in the Spanish Civil War, Polish campaign and Phony War is thoroughly described with many first-hand accounts included. The book also features short chapters on Bf 109 Ds in Swiss service and camouflage and markings of early Bf 109s.

Kongo, meaning indestructable, was the Imperial Japanese Navy's first super-dreadnought type battlecruiser, and the name-ship of her class, which also included the Hiei, Kirishima, and Haruna. She was upgraded to a battleship rating in the 1930s and served in several major naval operations during World War II before being sunk by enemy action in 1944.This modelling guide provides a lavishly illustrated history of this impressive warship with numerous close-up and panoramic shots based on actual technical drawings. About the SeriesThis brand-new series focuses on the construction of famous ships – battleships, carriers, cruisers, and submarines. With ground-breaking 3D imagery, each corner, angle, and dimension of the ship is viewable. With various close-up views, and each 3D image based on actual technical scale drawings and photographs, this is an exceptional reference tool. Information on the design, development and combat history of each vessel is also included, as well as numerous photographs and 1/350th scale drawings.

Germans had been produced many specialistic armoured vehicles. Storm tanks are among them. They were used as infantry support heavy vehicles. They destroyed buildings, fortifications, barricades etc.STURMPANZER IV BRUMMBAR built on PANZER IV chassis was one of them. It was armed with 150 mm StuH storm howitzer. From 1943 till 1945 BRUMMBAR took part in fights on all fronts. The publication is illustrated with unique 3D renderings by Samir Karmieha that show a lot of detail not only the external details of the vehicle, but also its inside. The book was also enriched with excellent modeling plans Krzysztofa Muchy that satisfy even the most demanding readers.

This superb monograph is devoted to the Ar 196, a shipboard reconnaissance aircraft, which became the standard aircraft of the Kriegsmarine throughout World War II.Loved by its pilots for its superior handling both in the air and on the water, the A-1s were added to coastal squadrons, and continued to fly reconnaissance missions and submarine hunts into late 1944. Two notable operations were the capture of HMS Seal, and the repeated interception of RAF Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley bombers. Although it was no match for a fighter, it was considerably better than its Allied counterparts, and generally considered the best of its class. Owing to its good handling on water, the Finnish Air Force utilised Ar 196 solely on transporting and supplying special forces patrols behind enemy lines, landing on small lakes in remote areas. Several fully equipped soldiers were carried in the fuselage.This volume includes many rare colour profile artworks, detailing the aircraft. About MonographsMonographs focuses on an individual type of aircraft. Each monograph contains descriptions of the aircraft’s origin, its variants and combat history. Each volume includes several hundred archive photographs, technical scale drawings and colour profile artwork.

The Fokker Dr. I was built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke in 1917 and saw service during World War I. Manfred Von Richthofen, better known as the the Red Baron, is perhaps the most widely recognised Fokker pilot, gaining his final 19 victories in the aircraft before his death in April 1918. This new title in the Legends of Aviation series comes complete with numerous photographs, 3D images and profiles of the World War I fighter aircraft.