This title gives a new perspective on the development of US bomber aircraft during World War 2. It reveals how the intense combat pressures of the war accelerated the scientific and technological advances of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, avionics and ordnance. Extensively researched, this detailed study of both the US Army and Naval air forces is packed with three-view drawings and rare photographs including many little-known experimental aircraft plus unusual variants, with every aircraft illustrated. The book follows a logical path to show how projects were selected from the multitude of design concepts and proposals put forward at the time. This enables the author to give detailed coverage of the programmes that advanced beyond the preliminary stages and contributed to the rapid developments in all aspects of bomber design during the war. The author discusses the technological maturation of US bombers with emphasis on high technology and experimental models. The war years were particularly noted for the rapid advance of electronic navigation, communications, radar, and electronic warfare that greatly aided mission success. The bold moves to long-range heavy bombers and super-heavy intercontinental bombers (the latter solely an American undertaking) further spurred system-intensive aircraft that were important transitions to the jet bombers that followed. How all this work contributed to actual fielded weapon systems is of particular note, with discussions of failures, course changes, and close-run competitions. The effects of interaction with other Allies, knowledge of enemy systems and the reaction by the US and Allied forces to their introduction, and the effect of mobilizing the nation's industries for total war are also examined. The book concludes with an examination of the ultimate achievement of Allied air superiority in the war and its dependence on all of these factors, together with consideration of the effects of emergency measures, haste, budgets, resources, evolving doctrine and strategy, the general course of the war and leadership biases.

This book presents a little-known aspect of America's aircraft development of World War II in emphasizing unique and non-production aircraft or modifications for the purpose of research and experimentation in support of aircraft development, advancing technology, or meeting narrow combat needs. It describes some important areas of American aviation weapons maturation under the pressure of war with emphasis on advanced technology and experimental aircraft configurations. The great value of the work is illumination of little known or minimally documented projects that significantly advanced the science of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, and ordnance, but did not go into production. Each chapter introduces another topic by examining the state-of-the-art at the beginning of the war, advantages pursued, and results achieved during the conflict. This last is the vehicle to examine the secret modifications or experiments that are little known. Consequently, this is an important single-source for a fascinating and diverse collection of wartime efforts never before brought together under a single cover. The "war stories" are those of military staffs, engineering teams, and test pilots struggling against short schedules and tight resource constraints to push the bounds of technology. These epic and sometimes life-threatening endeavors were as vital as actual combat operations.

Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II, now in its second edition, coalesces multiple aspects of war-driven aviation and its amazing technical accomplishments, leading to the allied victory during the second world war. Not by chance, the air battles that took place then defined much of the outcome of one of the bloodiest conflicts in modern history. Forward-thinking airplane design had to be developed quickly as the war raged on, and the engines that propelled them were indeed the focus of intense cutting-edge engineering efforts. Flying higher, faster, and taking the enemy down before they even noticed your presence became a matter of life or death for the allied forces. Allied Aircraft Piston Engines of World War II, Second Edition, addresses British- and American-developed engines. It looks at the piston engines in detail as they supported amazing wins both in the heat of the air battles, and on the ground supplying and giving cover to the troops. This new edition, fully revised by the original author, Graham White, offers new images and information, in addition to expanded specifications on the Rolls-Royce/ Packard Merlin and the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engines. Jay Leno, a known enthusiast, wrote the Foreword.

Few industrial phenomena have been as dramatic as the United States’ mid-20th-century shift from peacetime to wartime production. The American Aircraft Factory in World War II documents the production of legendary warbirds by companies like Boeing, North American, Curtiss, Consolidated, Douglas, Grumman, and Lockheed. It was a production unmatched by any other country and a crucial part of why the allies won the war. Author Bill Yenne considers the prewar governmental acts that got the plants rolling, as well as the gender shift that occurred as women entered the work force like never before. He also describes the construction of megafactories like Willow Run, factory design considerations, and the postwar conversion back to peacetime production. Illustrated with 175 period photographs—including 50 rare color photos never before seen in print.

The plans that Nazi Germany had to raid - and bomb - New York and the eastern seabord are revealed in this book. They were were based on the use of transoceanic aircraft planes, such as the six-engined Ju 390, Me 264 or Ta 400, but the Third Reich was unable to produce such machines in sufficient numbers. If the Soviet Union had been conquered, however, these plans would have become a reality. With the seizure of vital resources from the Soviet Union the Wehrmacht would have had enough fuel and material to mass-produce giant bomber aircraft: it was a near run thing. The collapse of the Wehrmacht infrastructure and the end of the Thousand-Year Reich ensured that plans for long-range remote-controlled missiles never got off the drawing board and were never manufactured. Manfried Griehl makes it clear that until the collapse, numerous secret research laboratories seemed to have worked in parallel seeking nuclear power and explosives. Only classified material held within British, French and American archives can prove whether these groups were close to perfecting small atomic explosives. But, without a shadow of doubt, Germany was far more technologically advanced by the end of 1944 that has been previously suspected.

The XB-40 and XB-41 were secret, little-known experimental modifications of the B-17F and B-24D, respectively, into heavily-armed bomber gunships sometimes referred to as “bomber escorters”. They were developed during early World War II in response to the lack of a USAAF long-range fighter aircraft able to escort and protect regular B-17 formations making the round trip from Britain deep into Germany. Using many formerly-classified documents from his large microfilm collection, William Wolf presents their previously-unpublished history. It describes in depth for the first time the politics and development and associated problems of both escorter types. Unfortunately, these “protecters” were found wanting in several ways - after the addition of guns and ammunition they became overweight and tail-heavy causing center of gravity problems and each encountered numerous delays in the development and delivery of their various armament additions and improvements, particularly the Bendix chin turret. In the end, the YB-40 participated in only 14 lackluster operational service test missions during mid-1943 before being withdrawn from service. The XB-41 Liberator never saw operational testing before also being cancelled for its poor performance. The failure of the gunship concept left a huge hole in the capabilities of the Eighth Air Force. Their failure, however, spurred the adoption of the Merlin-powered P-51 Mustang, the outstanding escort fighter that was key to Allied victory in the air war over Europe.

This is a large format A-Z encyclopedia of every Allied and Axis fighting plane from 1933-1945 - from the famous to the lesser known - in all theatres of war from Europe to Asia and the Pacific.