This top-flight series provides a review of the world's most exciting combat aircraft.

Boeing's versatile C-17 Globemaster III combines strategic and tactical airlift into one wide-body aircraft capable of short takeoff and landing from unpaved fields. The giant, four-engine cargo jet has become more and more prominent in representing the US worldwide. Whether carrying the President, paratroopers, casualties, or vital materiel, or when performing airdrop or assault landings, the C-17 is the image of current aerospace technology and power projection. This richly illustrated, all-color, monograph highlights every aspect of the Globemaster design and mission execution through all theaters of US involvement in both wartime and peacetime. All US and foreign operators are discussed and portrayed in photographs. Combat operations, disaster relief, upgrades, and production are all described in word and image. This volume is a must for anyone interested in one of the very latest military aircraft that has made an essential contribution in recent conflicts and is looking forward to decades more of exciting service.

Many of the aircraft that form the backbone of the U.S. Air Force operational fleet are 25 years old or older. A few of these will be replaced with new aircraft, but many are expected to remain in service an additional 25 years or more. This book provides a strategy to address the technical needs and priorities associated with the Air Force's aging airframe structures. It includes a detailed summary of the structural status of the aging force, identification of key technical issues, recommendations for near-term engineering and management actions, and prioritized near-term and long-term research recommendations.

Still the largest U.S. military aircraft more than three decades after its first flight, the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy remains an integral part of Air Mobility Command into the 21st century. Lockheed C-5 Galaxy chronicles the development and service career of this behemoth of the airways, starting with the early 1960s requirement for a larger airlifter to supplement the C-141A, through Galaxys troubled early history to the types service during the Nickel Grass, Desert Shield, and other airlift operations. Several Galaxy counterparts, such as the Antonov An-124, are also depicted. Over 140 photographs, nearly all in color and many never before published, show the C-5 and other airlifters in a variety of paint schemes, while detail shots will be of use to the scale modeler.

The high cost of aviation fuel has resulted in increased attention by Congress and the Air Force on improving military aircraft fuel efficiency. One action considered is modification of the aircraft's wingtip by installing, for example, winglets to reduce drag. While common on commercial aircraft, such modifications have been less so on military aircraft. In an attempt to encourage greater Air Force use in this area, Congress, in H. Rept. 109-452, directed the Air Force to provide a report examining the feasibility of modifying its aircraft with winglets. To assist in this effort, the Air Force asked the NRC to evaluate its aircraft inventory and identify those aircraft that may be good candidates for winglet modifications. This reportâ€"which considers other wingtip modifications in addition to wingletsâ€"presents a review of wingtip modifications; an examination of previous analyses and experience with such modifications; and an assessment of wingtip modifications for various Air Force aircraft and potential investment strategies.

The B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most iconic aircraft in aviation history. Through a broad range of photos gathered from around the world, this book, the first of a two-volume series, chronicles the design, development, and wartime use of the early models of the Flying Fortress, from the ill-fated experimental model 299 through the B-17D, including the famous "Swoose." These early models are distinguished by their narrow fuselage, art deco styling, and a small, "shark fin" tail. A second volume will continue the B-17 story with the large-tail later models, B-17E through B-17H. The story of these iconic WWII aircraft is told through carefully researched photos, many of which have never before been published, and which are reproduced in remarkable clarity. Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, unlock the secrets of this aircraft.