A6M Zero Mitsubishi

Author: Robert Jackson
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1526759950
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 246

Book Description
This detailed study of Japan’s fearsome WWII fighter covers its legendary combat career along with color images and technical information. The quality of Japan’s Mitsubishi A6M Zero shocked Allies Forces at the outbreak of the Pacific War. Armed with two 20mm cannon and two 7.7mm machine-guns, it was highly maneuverable and structurally very strong, despite being lightweight. When it first took flight in 1939, it was far superior to any other fighter in the skies. During the first months of the Pacific War, the Zeros carved out an impressive combat record. For example, in the battle for Java alone, they destroyed 550 Allied aircraft. But it eventually outclassed by American fighters such as the Grumman F6F Wildcat and Vought Corsair. In the latter months, many were fitted with bombs and expended in Kamikaze suicide attacks. This book provides a detailed overview of the design and combat career of a fighter that made history. Ideal for modelers and military history enthusiasts, it offers a wealth of technical information, photographs and color profiles.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Author: James D’Angina
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472808231
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 68

Book Description
Unquestionably the most iconic Japanese fighter of World War II, the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-Sen, Type Zero fighter was used from the initial raid on Pearl Harbor up to the Kamikaze attacks at the end of the war. Facing off against the likes of the Wildcat, Corsair and even the Spitfire, the Zero gained a legendary reputation amongst Allied pilots due to its incredible manoeuvrability. Detailed analysis of its technical qualities show why the Zero was so feared, but also pinpoints the weaknesses that would eventually be its downfall as Allied pilots learned how to combat it. A selection of historical photographs and unique artwork accompany the analysis as James D'Angina delves into the history of the premier Axis fighter of the Pacific Theatre, exploring the design and combat effectiveness of the Zero as well as the tactics developed by Allied pilots to counter it.

Messerschmitt Bf 109

Author: Robert Jackson
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1526710552
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
The famous Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-seat fighter was one of the most important warplanes of the Second World War. Originally designed during the 1930s, and a contemporary of the equally-legendary Supermarine Spitfire, it was vitally important to Germanys Luftwaffe and was flown in combat by the highest-scoring fighter pilots in history.It was in service throughout the Second World War and was built in a number of significant versions that proved to be worthy adversaries of the very best of the Allied warplanes that it flew against. Bf 109s operated in all the major areas of conflict where German forces were engaged in combat and, in modified form, the type even had a post-war career in several countries that extended well into the 1950s.

P-51 Mustang

Author: Robert Jackson
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1526759918
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Book Description
An illustrated history of the renowned fighter aircraft, ideal for modelers and aviation enthusiasts: “Highly recommended.” —AMPS Indianapolis The North American P-51 Mustang was one of the most successful and effective fighter aircraft of all time. It was initially produced in response to a 1940 RAF requirement for a fast, heavily armed fighter able to operate effectively at altitudes in excess of 20,000 feet. North American built the prototype in 117 days, and the aircraft, designated NA-73X, flew on October 26, 1940. The first of 320 production Mustang Is for the RAF flew on May 1, 1941, powered by an 1,100hp Allison V-1710-39 engine. RAF test pilots soon found that with this powerplant the aircraft did not perform well at high altitude, but that its low-level performance was excellent. It was when the Mustang airframe was married to a Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that the aircraft’s true excellence became apparent. Possessing a greater combat radius than any other Allied single-engine fighter, it became synonymous with the Allied victory in the air. During the last eighteen months of the war in Europe, escorting bomber formations, it hounded the Luftwaffe to destruction in the very heart of Germany. In the Pacific, operating from advance bases, it ranged over the Japanese Home Islands, joining carrier-borne fighters such as the Grumman Hellcat to bring the Allies massive air superiority. Yet the Mustang came about almost by accident, a product of the Royal Air Force’s urgent need for new combat aircraft in the dark days of 1940, when Britain, fighting for survival, turned to the United States for help in the island nation’s darkest hour. This is its story, including plentiful photos and information for modelers.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Author: James D’Angina
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472808223
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 68

Zero

Author: Robert C. Mikesh
Publisher: Zenith Press
ISBN: 9780879389154
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 128

Book Description
The most in-depth combat and development history of the Japanese Zero ever assembled! This superb history is told through first-person interviews with Zero pilots and the U.S. airmen who fought against them. Includes cutaway drawings, serial number lists, detailed appendices, and a registry of surviving planes. Contains exquisite cutaway drawings by Rukyu Watanabe. Foreword by Saburo Sakai.

F4F Wildcat vs A6M Zero-sen

Author: Edward M. Young
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780963238
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 82

Book Description
The Grumman F4F Wildcat and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero-sen were contemporaries, although designed to very different requirements. The Wildcat, ruggedly built to survive the rigors of carrier operations, was the best carrier fighter the US Navy had available when the USA entered World War II, and it remained the principal fighter for the US Navy and the US Marine Corps until 1942–43. With a speed greater than 300mph, exceptional manoeuvrability, long range, and an impressive armament the slick Zero-sen could out-perform any Allied fighter in 1941–42. The battles between the Wildcat and the Zero-sen during 1942 represent a classic duel in which pilots flying a nominally inferior fighter successfully developed air-combat tactics that negated the strengths of their opponent.

Douglas DC-3

Author: Robert Jackson
Publisher: Air World
ISBN: 1526759993
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
A guide to the plane that changed commercial aviation: “A whopping 109 color photos shows kits in various stages of completion . . . Enjoyed it.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society No airliner in the history of commercial aviation has had a more profound effect than the Douglas DC-3. Reliable and easy to maintain, it carried passengers in greater comfort than ever before. Its origins stem from a design by the Douglas Aircraft Company of Santa Monica, California. Known as the Douglas Commercial One, or DC-1, this new aircraft was revolutionary in concept. It was quickly developed into the DC-2, which led to Douglas’ domination of the domestic air routes of the United States, and of half the world. Experience with the DC-2 led to an improved version, the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST), first flown on December 17, 1935. This in turn evolved into a 21-seat variant, the DC-3, featuring many improvements. The first American Airlines DC-3 entered service in June 1936, and within three years of its introduction the aircraft accounted for a staggering 95 percent of all US commercial air traffic. From commencement of service to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the DC-3 increased domestic revenue passenger miles more than fivefold. Of the 322 aircraft operated by the country’s airlines in December 1941, 260 were DC-3s. At the pre-war peak, 30 foreign airlines operated the DC-3. On the eve of war, the DC-3’s scheduled flights represented 90 percent of international air traffic. In addition to over 600 civil examples of the DC-3, 10,048 military C-47 variants were built, as well as 4,937 produced under license in the USSR as the Lisunov Li-2 and 487 built by Showa and Nakajima in Japan as the L2D. After the war, thousands of surplus C-47s were converted for civilian use. These aircraft became the standard equipment of almost all the world’s airlines, remaining in frontline service for many years. The ready availability of cheap, easily maintained ex-military C-47s, large and fast by the standards of the day, jump-started the worldwide postwar air transport industry. The full remarkable story of the DC-3, and its ancestor the DC-2, is told in these pages, providing a wealth of information for the modeler and the enthusiast alike.

A6M Zero-sen Aces 1940-42

Author: Nicholas Millman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472821459
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 97

Book Description
The Mitsubishi A6M Zero-sen was Japan's Spitfire. In continuous development and operational service from the time of the Sino-Japanese war in 1940 to the end of the Pacific War in 1945, it is held in almost mythical awe, similar to Britain's legendary fighter aircraft. At the time of its operational debut the fighter's design features offered the revolutionary combination of an all-round vision canopy, cannon armament and a jettisonable drop tank giving it phenomenal range. Together with the flying and tactical proficiency of superbly trained pilots, this made the Zero-sen a true strategic fighter, spearheading Japan's offensive in the Pacific. It was also the mount of a plethora of successful and flamboyant naval aces engaged in both sea and land campaigns. This volume covers the use of the A6M2 variant from its debut in China to the Solomons Campaign, and also tells the story of the A6M2 fighter aces of the 4th and Tainan Kokutai.

Avro Shackleton

Author: Martin Derry
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473862655
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 185

Book Description
Initially projected as a maritime reconnaissance version of the Lincoln bomber, itself a development of the famous wartime Lancaster which saw post-war service in a General/Maritime Reconnaissance role, (see Flight Craft No 4), the Avro Shackleton, (named after the polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton) was a completely new design, powered by four Rolls Royce Griffon 57 engines driving six blade contra-rotating propellers.Split into three main sections, this latest Flight Craft title, perfectly timed to coincide with the release of the first examples of the eagerly awaited new tool 1/72 scale Airfix kit, offers a concise history of the Shackleton's development and operational career from the prototype and initial entry in to RAF service in 1951, and its use with the South African Air Force, the only other operator of the type. Section 1 chronicles its design, ongoing improvements and development through the three main Marks, in both the Maritime Reconnaissance and Airborne Early Warning roles, until its retirement after four decades of RAF service in 1991, which includes scores of contemporary photographs with detailed captions, many of which have never been seen in print before.This is followed by a 16-page colour illustration section featuring profiles and 2-views of the colour schemes and markings carried by the type in RAF and SAAF service. The final section lists all the plastic model kits, accessories and decal sheets produced of the Shackleton in all scales. As with the other books in the Flight Craft series, whilst published primarily with the scale aircraft modeller in mind, it is hoped that those readers who might perhaps describe themselves as 'occasional' modellers may also find that this colourful and informative work offers something to provoke their interests too.