A complete survey of all of the pilots who achieved Aces status using the Brewster F2A Buffalo. Although designed and built for the US Navy, the F2A fought in only one major US engagement, the battle of Midway, in which F2A pilots managed to shoot down a number of Japanese fighters. Soon replaced by the navy, the F2A was exported to Britain, where it was nicknamed the 'Buffalo' thanks to its stubby appearance. The British sent most of these fighters to the Far East where they were used in the defence of Singapore and Malaya. It was in the Winter War, however, that the F2A truly found a home. Calling the plane simply the Brewster, the Finnish flew it against the invading Russians. As this volume shows, overall 37 Finns achieved ace status flying the Brewster, and it was the Finnish fighter of choice until succeeded by the Bf 109 in 1943.

A complete survey of all of the pilots who achieved Aces status using the Brewster F2A Buffalo. Although designed and built for the US Navy, the F2A fought in only one major US engagement, the battle of Midway, in which F2A pilots managed to shoot down a number of Japanese fighters. Soon replaced by the navy, the F2A was exported to Britain, where it was nicknamed the 'Buffalo' thanks to its stubby appearance. The British sent most of these fighters to the Far East where they were used in the defence of Singapore and Malaya. It was in the Winter War, however, that the F2A truly found a home. Calling the plane simply the Brewster, the Finnish flew it against the invading Russians. As this volume shows, overall 37 Finns achieved ace status flying the Brewster, and it was the Finnish fighter of choice until succeeded by the Bf 109 in 1943.

The Dutch D.XXIs saw less than a week of action following the German invasion of the west on 10 May 1940, with many of the country's 28 fighters being destroyed on the ground. However, those that survived the initial onslaught inflicted losses on the Luftwaffe. By then, however, the D.XXI had found everlasting fame in Finland during the Winter War of 1939-40. Proving itself a real thorn in the side of the Soviets, the fighter, operating in primitive conditions and against vastly superior numbers, Finnish D.XXIs racked up an incredible score against the Red Air Force. The D.XXI also has the distinction of producing the first 'ace in a single mission' in World War 2, when then 1Lt Jorma Sarvanto shot down six Ilyushin DB-3 bombers on 6 January 1940. After spending a year providing home defence and flying coastal patrols during the early stages of the Continuation War in 1941, all surviving Finnish Fokker D.XXIs were relegated to the reconnaissance role, which they performed through to the end of hostilities in September 1944.

World War II saw pilots from around the world battling in the skies over Europe, Asia and Africa, with victory resting upon their nerve, skill and the capabilities of some of history's most iconic aircraft. In the chaos of battle, it was vital that they could quickly identify friend from foe. But do you know your Hurricane from your Bf 109, or what the legendary P-51 Mustang looks like? Do you know the wingspan of the A6M Zero-sen, or how fast it could fly? THE WORLD WAR II FIGHTER PLANES SPOTTER'S GUIDE answers all of these questions and more, providing essential information on over 90 legendary aircraft, from the celebrated Spitfire to the jet-powered Me 262. Featuring full-colour artwork to aid recognition, as well as all the details you need to assess their performance, this is the perfect pocket guide to the Allied and Axis fighters of World War II.

* Includes a free decal sheet in 1:48 and 1:72 scales A monograph devoted to the history of the controversial WW2 fighter, Brewster Buffalo, covers its design and development, operational history and camouflage and markings. Discusses the particular versions, their field modifications and combat operations in the U.S., British, Dutch and Finnish service, illustrated with maps. Lists aces of the Finnish Air Force and paints used to paint Buffalo. Includes technical data. 102 pages, 107 photographs, 18 sheets of technical drawings in 1:24 and 1:48 scale with specification of external changes on production-run versions of the aircraft, 11 color charts with 18 examples of camouflage schemes. Free 1:48 and 1:72 decals for 4 schemes: Brewster F2A-1 (BuNo 1338), 3-F-18 of VF-3, 1940. Brewster Model 339 (B-3110), flown by Lt. August Deibel of 2-VLG-V, Kallang, 1941. Brewster Model 239 (BW-378), flown by Lt. P.E. Sovelius of 4./LeLv 24, Karelia, jesień 1941. Brewster Model 339E (W8138), flown by Sqn. Ldr. Noel Sharp of 488 Sqn RNZAF, Singapur, 1941. About the Series Monographs 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 color profile artwork. Each book also has free extras for modelers, with decals and masking foil.

The story of the aces who flew the MS.406, an important aircraft not only because it was built in larger numbers than any other French fighter of the period, but also because it was the first modern fighter in the Armée de l'Air inventory. Although comparable to the British Hurricane and early models of the German Bf 109, it was outclassed when flown against the more powerful, and faster, Bf 109E. With little or no protection (no armour or self-sealing tanks), the MS.406 sustained heavy losses during the Battle of France. Too lightly armed, and fitted with unreliable weaponry, the French fighter struggled to down German bombers. It therefore comes as no surprise that only a dozen French pilots became fully fledged aces on the type during this period, despite the aircraft being present in significant numbers. However a score of pilots, who bagged their very first kills at the controls of the MS.406, fought on after the fall of France, flying Dewoitine D.520s, Spitfires and even Soviet Yak-3s to attain ace status against both Allied and Axis opponents.

This comprehensive monograph covers the entire history of Brewster's much maligned Buffalo fighter aircraft. The book starts out with the background of the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation and the events that led to the selection of the F2A as the Navy's first monoplane fighter. Following this, each variant of the aircraft is covered in detail including all three major variants purchased by the US. Navy as well as the versions purchased by Belgium, Finland, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Indivdual squadron histories are also included as they relate to the F2A. Many interviews are included with pilots who flew the Buffalo, some with glowing comments on its performance, while others cast a less than stellar light on the Brewster. It is up to the reader to draw his own conclusions as to where the F2A sits in the history of modern aerial warfare. It is interesting to note that the Brewster 239, as used by the Finnish Air Force during the 1939-1945 period achieved the highest kill ratio of any fighter plane of the war with an impressive 26-1 score. Finland produced many Aces with the Buffalo, including the all-time high scoring Buffalo Ace, Hans Wind with 39 aerial kills, and followed closely by Ilmari Juutilainen with 34. The book is lavishly illustrated with over 300 photos, many of which have never been published. This is the ultimate history of the Brewster Buffalo.