Bøker i Osprey Aircraft of the Aces S.-serien

Japan's top aces doubled the best efforts of the Allies due to pre-war experience in China and Manchuria and their excellent aircraft types from Nakajima and Kawasaki. Described here in detail, the book also features colour uniform plates showing pilots of the period.

Describes the design and production of the P-51D, and draws on first-hand accounts to chart its combat history in Europe, and to tell the stories of the aces who flew the fighter. This book also includes new colour illustrations and cutaways, as well as contemporary photographs.

Built by Lockheed to meet a USAAC requirement for a long-range, high-performance escort for the B-17 bomber, the P-38 Lightning made its combat debut in Europe in 1942. This volume presents archival photographs, scale drawings and interviews with several leading Lightning aces.

Aces such as USAAF pilots Dick Bong and Tom McGuire used the P-38 Lightning to accrue some of the highest scores of Allied fighter pilots in World War II. Described here, the P-38 was born of the need for a high speed, high altitude fighter to escort the B-17 bomber on raids.

The Gloster Gladiator was the ultimate British biplane fighter, and the machine on which many early war aces would "cut their teeth" as tyro pilots. This book provides accounts of combats involving Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Belgian, Chinese and British pilots.

This volume details the exploits of the pilots who flew the successful SPAD XIII and the trickier SPAD XII. Built because of the combat inadequacies of the SPAD VII, the XIII first entered service with the French in late 1917. The SPAD XII was the product of improvements to the SPAD VII.

Although the primary role of the P-47 was tactical ground support, a number of enemy aircraft were downed by pilots over the battlefields of western Europe. This volume explains the tactics used by crews, includes interviews with Aces and lists all the units involved.

Designed in a rush at the end of 1917 just in time to take part in the German standard fighter competition held in January/February 1918, the D VII walked away with first prize. This work outlines the exploits of the German aces that fought in the aerial battles in the final years of the Great War.

An examination of the experiences of the elite pilots of the AAF's Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces in the "forgotten" China-Burma-India theatre during World War II. It outlines the exploits of the aces, including biographies and listings. There are 1/72-scale drawings and archival photographs.

The Italians were the junior partners of the Axis alliance in the European war, and produced 102 pilots who qualified as aces. This work outlines the exploits of the aces, including detailed biographies and listings. There are specially commissioned 1/72-scale drawings and archival photographs.

This volume charts the story of the Aces who flew the later types of Messerschmitt fighters through to VE-Day. The detailed text explains the tactics crews used, lists tables of the units involved and lists all the BF Aces. Archival photographs sourced from around the world are included.

A volume devoted to the twin-engined Bf 110 day fighter aces, spanning World War II, from Poland to the defence of the Reich. The detailed text explains the conflict and tactics flown, tables of the units involved and full ace listings.

Aiming to dispel many myths about air combat on the Eastern Front, this volume describes the aircraft of the Soviet Air Force during World War II and the aces who flew them.

This title charts the history of the P-39 Airacobra which served alongside the P-40 and P-38 in the bitter struggle to capture the Guadal canal in World War II.

The highest scoring aces of any aerial conflict in World War II were the Luftwaffe pilots involved in the bloody combats on the Russian Front. This volume includes all the high-scoring aces, and explains just how difficult a job the Jagdwaffe faced on the Russian Front.

This work looks at the Focke-Wulf 190 and the aces who flew it. Nimble, speedy and well-armed, the FW190 was the scourge of the RAF and USAAF from the moment it appeared over the skies at Abbeville in August 1941.

Powered by a 2000hp Pratt & Whitney engine, the P-47 Thunderbolt joined the Eighth Air Force in Britain in 1943 to undertake an escort role for the force's B-17 bomber. This book includes interviews with pilots, tables of the units involved, details of variants and archival photography.

The period covered in this volume was considered to be the 'glory years' for the Jagdwaffe fresh from the experience gained in the Spanish Civil War and for the Bf 109 in particular. Many famous pilots scored their first kills in the classic dogfights staged over Poland, Western Europe, the Channel and finally southern England. Some 40 Knight's Crosses were awarded in 1940 alone. However, after sweeping all before them in support of the Blitzkrieg across continental Europe, the Bf 109E pilots were to suffer badly during the Battle of Britain, the result of poor tactics inflicted upon them by the Luftwaffe High Command, and their mount's less then generous range.

In the AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES series, an illustrated aviation history of the Finnish fighter pilots in the Second World War. It includes information on tactics, tables of the units involved and interviews with some of the pilots themselves.

Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires during the Battle of Britain by three to one, and actually downed more Luftwaffe aircraft than the famous Spitfire. Hurricanes had provided the first RAF aces of the war in France during the Blitzkrieg, and they are described in this volume.

The Japanese naval Air Force pilots achieved ace status during the eight years of near constant war in the Far East. They fought for control of the skies and their exploits are detailed in this volume of the "Aircraft of the Aces" series.

Although the Spitfire is undoubtedly best known for its exploits against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, its later war service with Fighter Command on all fronts against the Axis alliance was equally as important. This volume features the exploits of pilots who turned the tide against the Luftwaffe on the Western European and Mediterranean fronts, as well as the Japanese in the Far East, flying Spitfire Mk VIs, VIIs, VIIIs, IXs XIIs and XIVs. Names like Johnnie Johnson, Neville Duke and Donald Kingaby, plus a myriad of lesser known British, Polish, Canadian, American, Australian, Czech, Free French, New Zealand and Norwegian pilots, and their aircraft, are all covered in this book.

Germany's nightfighter force was virtually non-existent at the start of the war, but by 1942 was equiped with some 389 fighters fitted with advanced airbourne radar which helped to destroy hundreds of RAF bombers. This text includes interviews with some of the leading aces.

The RAF's first aces of World War II achieved impressive scores during the Battles of France and Britain, despite the aircraft's short range, light armament and overheating engines. This work examines both the history of these early Spitfires and the aces who flew them.

This volume completes the "Aircraft of the Aces" trilogy on the elite pilots that flew the Spitfire in World War II. The Mk V was the workhorse of the wartime marks, being built in sufficient numbers to serve in the Far East, Australia, North Africa and Russia.

This book focuses on the feats of the American air aces of the Korean War, profiles the leading aces, and examines in detail the specifications and markings of the planes they flew. It also contains rare coverage of the North Korean and Chinese air forces and some of their leading pilots.

Far in advance of any Allied planes of the time, the jet-powered "wonder weapons" of the German Jagdwaffe could perform their sorties with impunity. This volume describes the handful of pilots who amassed amazing scores with these revolutionary aircraft in the last year of the war.

The American volunteer group or "Flying Tigers" were the first Americans to see action against the Japanese in World War II. This title marks the start of the sharks-mouth legend in the USAAF. It includes a look at profiles, planforms and badge artwork.

The revolutionary triplane design adopted by Fokker was inspired by Sopwith's Triplane. Here, the Dr I is examined in detail, including 40 profiles along with scrap views and planforms of a remarkable craft which saw the "Red Baron" killed at the controls.

Deemed unsuitable for the Channel Front, lend-lease Tomahawks and Kittyhawks instead became the staple fighter of the Desert Air Force in 1941-42, flying with the RAF, South African and Australian squadrons. This title details accounts from flying aces on their flights and their aircraft.