Download or read book American Aircraft Development Second World War Legacy written by William J. Norton and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2021-12-02 with total page 643 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume focuses on the influence of America’s Second World War aviation development and experience, subsequent aviation technological advances, and world events, in shaping American choices in military aircraft and associated weapons’ development during the few years following the war. It shows how air warfare weapons from the last conflict were carried forward and altered, how new systems evolved from these, and how the choices fared in the next war―Korea. The period was one of remarkable progress in a short span of time via a great many aircraft and weapons programs, and associated technological progress. These systems were of immense importance influencing and growing the engineering, production, and operational capabilities to be exploited for the next generation of weapons that soon followed. Emphasized is the innovative features or new technology and how these contributed to advancing American military aviation, influencing the evolution of follow-on models or types. Included are military prototype, experimental, and research aircraft that are equally important in understanding the history of American aircraft development. Combat employment, progress, and equipment adaptation during the Korean Conflict is then highlighted. Tabulated characteristics are provided of those aircraft that entered production or represented significant technological advances influencing others that follow.
Download or read book American Aircraft Development Second World War Legacy written by William Norton and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-24 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume details the influence of Second World War aviation development, experience and subsequent technological advances in shaping American choices in military aircraft development and weapons. It shows how air warfare weapons were carried forward and altered, how new systems evolved from these, and how the choices fared in the next war--Korea.
Download or read book American Aircraft Development of the Second World War written by William Norton and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2019-07-06 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The American Aircraft Factory in World War II written by Bill Yenne and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2010-09-10 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book American Aircraft Development of WWII written by William Norton and published by . This book was released on 2015-06-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The years of World War II saw the greatest single leap in US military aircraft technology and design, from the relatively fragile pre-war designs to the very edge of the supersonic era. Many remarkable aircraft came and went in quick succession with some missions and types disappearing altogether. Indeed, there were scores of little known or minimally documented aircraft projects that significantly advanced technology of aeronautics, propulsion, aircraft systems, avionics and weapons, while never achieving full-rate production and deployment. Focusing almost exclusively on official programs, experimental, prototype, limited production models and aircraft that actually entered development, American Aircraft Development of WWII, Special Types 1939-1945opens with the "state of the art" designs at the beginning of the war, continuing on to the advances during the conflict itself. These so-called "special types" are far less widely known than fighter and bomber designs, but no less important, and include armed photo reconnaissance aircraft, catapult-launched seaplanes, autogyros, tactical haulers and armed drones. Other designs covered include "one-off" experimental aircraft, rocket boost, floats and skis added to landplanes, fighters with second seats assed for training, engine testbeds, "oddballs" experiments and more. Illustrated throughout with 3-view drawings and rare photographs, many little-known and unusual aircraft and missiles, American Aircraft Development of WWII, Specialty Types 1939-1945tells the stories of engineering teams and test pilots struggling against short schedules and tight resources to develop new aircraft that pushed the bounds of technology. This book is a fitting testament to the epic and sometimes life-threatening accomplishments which were every bit as vital to the war effort as actual combat operations themselves.
Download or read book American Bomber Aircraft Development in World War 2 written by Bill Norton and published by Crecy Publishing. This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book Fighter Planes of World War II written by Nancy Robinson Masters and published by Capstone. This book was released on 1998 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduces various kinds of fighter planes used by the Army Air Force and by the Navy and Marines during World War Two, their missions, and the weapons employed. Also includes information on the German and Japense fighters used in World War 2.
Download or read book Luftwaffe Over America written by Manfred Griehl and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2016-03-30 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.
Download or read book The Army Air Forces in World War II Men and planes written by and published by . This book was released on 1948 with total page 920 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book With Courage The U S Army Air Forces In WWII written by Bernard C. Nalty and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2015-11-06 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The four years between 1941 and 1945 were years in which the nation raised and trained an air armada and committed it to operations on a scale unknown to that time. With Courage: The U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II retells the story of sacrifice, valor, and achievements in air campaigns against tough determined adversaries. It describes the development of a uniquely American doctrine for the application of air power against an opponent’s key industries and centers of national life, a doctrine whose legacy today is the Global Reach-Global Power strategic planning framework of the modern U.S. Air Force. The narrative integrates aspects of strategic intelligence, logistics, technology, and leadership to offer a full yet concise account of the contributions of American air power to victory in that war.—Print Ed.
Download or read book America s Hundred Thousand written by Francis H. Dean and published by Schiffer Pub Limited. This book was released on 1997 with total page 608 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America's Hundred Thousand covers in detail the eleven U.S. fighter aircraft types produced just before and during World War II - with a combined production total of just over 100,000 aircraft. Covered are the Army Lockheed P-38 Lightning, P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk/Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, North American P-51 Mustang, Northrop P-61 Black Widow, and the Navy F2A - Buffalo, F4F - Wildcat, F4U - Corsair, and F6F - Hellcat fighters. The text is supplemented by more than 650 photographs, and 200 tables and graphs. Fighter production figures are also included. After an introduction of each type, a heavily illustrated overview of earlier inter-war production from 1920-on, along with a discussion and illustration of wartime experimental types, is provided. A lengthy section considering several technical factors affecting fighter performance follows. These include engine models, supercharger types, propellers, aerodynamic thrust, lift and drag, aircraft weight, balance, stability and control, and armament. America's Hundred Thousand also provides details of each U.S. World War II production fighter in terms of models and changes, numbers produced, and major engine and aircraft performance aspects - in tabular and graphical form - details of weights, discussion of handling qualities and general comments, along with detailed descriptions containing many illustrations of aircraft structures and systems showing the technology of that time. In addition a comprehensive week-to-week and month-to-month chronology of development and wartime combat operational life for each fighter is provided, including many photos. This study concludes with comparisons of the eleven types in terms of program milestones, aircraft drag, power available at various altitudes, speed, climb, rolling and turning, acceleration, and diving performance, as well as general evaluations by World War II pilots.
Download or read book The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II written by David Mondey and published by Book Sales. This book was released on 1994-08-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed sourcebook covers 133 different types of American aircraft that were used during the second World War, and includes 170 color drawings, 177 photographs, eighty-seven diagrams, and thorough descriptions.
Download or read book Warbird Factory written by John M. Fredrickson and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2015-09-10 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explore the WWII history of the company that later became a part of Boeing and made more aircraft from 1938 to 1944 than any other company in the United States. During World War II, Los Angeles was the ultimate boom town. By the end of the war, the L.A. area had produced 17 percent of all of America's war needs. North American Aviation, Inc. (NAA), operating out of their main Inglewood, California, plant, which is south of and adjacent to the city, was a key player in that work. From 1938 to 1944, NAA built over 40,000 aircraft, more than any other company in the United States. The bulk of them were of three iconic types designed by NAA: - The P-51 Mustang, arguably the best fighter of WWII. - B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, which saw worldwide combat. - Two-seat military pilot trainers, such as the AT-6 Texan. This is a fascinating story of a remarkable time in aviation history, when American businesses helped fund the arsenal of democracy that helped defeat the Axis powers. Warbird Factory tells this story with over 200 photographs, many of which come directly from the NAA/Boeing archives, where they have resided since WWII. This is an essential book for anyone interested in warbirds, aviation, Boeing/NAA, WWII, and/or the history of Southern California!
Download or read book Early Concepts of Military Aviation the U S Air Service in World War I written by Office of Office of Air Force History and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-03-06 with total page 478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There has been a tendency to belittle the work of the U.S. Air Service in World War I while singing the praises of heroes like Rickenbacker and Luke. Compared with the bombing of the U.S. Eighth Air Force in World War II or the B-52's in Southeast Asia, the 138 tons of bombs dropped by the U.S. Air Service in France in 1918 may seem almost too insignificant to mention. Any such comparison, however, should not lead to a conclusion that World War I was of little importance in the overall history of the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Air Service should be viewed in relationship to its own age. World War I was fought when aviation was still young. The first ace of the U.S. Air Service won his victories in a French plane that had a top speed of about 125 miles per hour and a tendency to shed the fabric of its upper wing in a dive. The American-produced DH-4, used by the 1st Day Bombardment Group, usually carried about 220 pounds of bombs for a mission, which meant a lot of sorties to deliver 138 tons of bombs. Aviation technology was not always equal to the tasks to be performed. A major goal of the U.S. Air Service, one not attained during the war, was the development of a bomber force capable of hitting strategic objectives in Germany. Targeting for the strategic campaign involved the identification of "a few indispensable targets without which Germany cannot carry on the war"-an idea that would be used years later against Hitler and the Third Reich. Interdiction, close air support, and some other types of missions carried out by the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, and by the U.S. Air Force at later times, had already been tried by the U.S. Air Service. Some documents illustrating various concepts and ideas for the employment of the U.S. Air Service in World War I have been selected for publication in this volume, one of a series being published by the Office of Air Force History.
Download or read book Douglas XB 19 written by William Wolf and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2021-10-28 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1935 the USAAC wanted to build a potential intercontinental bomber, a 'Guardian of the Hemisphere,' and granted Donald Douglas a contract to build the world's largest bomber. The groundwork for the intercontinental bomber had been laid in the previous two decades by the courageous military and civilian pilots who risked their lives to set new distance and endurance records. After World War I the future Axis and Allied nations built larger aircraft and finally during World War II Germany and Japan became intent on developing intercontinental bomber to retaliate against America. While the XB-19 never flew as an intercontinental bomber or even as a combat bomber; its contributions as a 'Flying Laboratory' significantly influenced the development of the Consolidated B-36 Peacemaker, the world's first true intercontinental bomber. Since the XB-19 project was top secret and there was only one example built there is little information remaining for researchers. Over the years Bill Wolf has collected the largest quantity of XB-19 material and a number of photographs, including a copy of the original Army Air Force acceptance of the aircraft, first-hand narratives of its first flight, and other USAAC and Douglas Company documents. This book provides a superbly illustrated history of the XB-19 intercontinental bomber and the text is supported by previously unpublished photographs.
Download or read book The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II written by David Mondey and published by Bounty Books. This book was released on 1996-07-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 130 American warplanes profiled alphabetically, illustrated with full specifications and a brief history of each plane.
Download or read book Thunder in the Heavens written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Booksales. This book was released on 1999-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pictorial examination of 14 classic American aircraft used during World War II, accompanied by personal narratives from the pilots who flew them.
