Early Jet Fighters 1944 1954

A “clearly written, profusely illustrated, and well organized” volume on Soviet and European jet fighter design (Air Power History). In his previous book on early jet fighters, Leo Marriott traced the history of the revolutionary aircraft produced by the British and Americans immediately after the Second World War. Now, in this companion volume, he describes jet fighter development on the continent of Europe and in the Soviet Union during the same remarkable period. Using over 200 archive photographs he covers the pioneering German designs, then the range of experimental and operational fighters constructed by the Soviets, the French, and the Swedes. The sheer variety of the designs that manufacturers came up with during this short, intense period of innovation make for fascinating reading. Several of the most famous jet fighters feature prominently in the rare photographs and are analyzed in the expert text, including the Messerschmitt Me 262, the Heinkel He 162, the MiGs 15, 17 and 19, the Dassault Ouragan, and the Saab J29. But perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the book is its record of experimental projects testing new concepts that rapidly became established elements of jet aircraft design. The photographs of these largely forgotten aircraft give us an insight into the extraordinary technical challenges—and the ambition and inventiveness of the designers and manufacturers who overcame them.

In almost 200 archive photographs Leo Marriott traces the course of the development of British and American jet fighters during the first pioneering decade of their production. In many ways the period from 1944 to 1954 was one of the most exciting and innovative in the history of military aviation. Rare images show the first jet fighters flown by the RAF towards the end of the Second World War and takes the story forward to the most advanced designs that played a key role in the war in Korea. The range of experimental and operational warplanes that were conceived and built during this short time was remarkable. The initial straight-wing jets began with the Gloster Meteor and Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star which were later superseded by the first operational swept-wing fighters such as the Hawker Hunter, North American F-86 Sabre and Grumman F9F-6 Cougar. Development of all these benefited greatly from German Second World War advances in aerodynamics that were exploited by the British and Americans when the war ended. Progress was so swift that, by the mid-1950s, the prototypes of the next generation of truly supersonic fighters were starting to appear, and these are featured in Leo Marriott's fascinating selection of images. He even includes a variety of prototypes which for various reasons did not result in production orders, as well as several unusual concepts such as flying boat fighters and mixed-power designs. Early Jet Fighters: British and American 1944-1954 is a graphic and informative introduction to an extraordinary stage in the evolution of the modern warplane.

The author of Early Jet Fighters: 1944-1954 turns his attention to jet bombers in another stunning pictorial history: “Don't miss out on this one.” —IPMS/USA Using over 200 archive photographs, Leo Marriott gives us a powerful portrait of the first decade in the development of the jet bomber. This was a time of intense technical innovation that transformed the design and capabilities of the bomber and gave birth to a range of classic military aircraft in the USA, Great Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. The photographs take the story from the earliest jet bombers constructed in Germany toward the end of the Second World War to the successful designs both sides depended on through the first phase of the Cold War. The pace of development was rapid and remarkable, from initial prototypes built in Germany—the Arado 234 and the Junkers Ju. 287—to the fleets of advanced jet bombers like the British Canberra and V-bombers, the American B-47 and B-52, and the Soviet Il-28 Beagle and Tu-16 Badger. The images of the prototypes give a fascinating insight into the extraordinary technical challenges and the ambition and inventiveness of the designers and manufacturers who overcame them. “Excellent coverage of a lesser-known aspect of airpower development . . . the wealth of photos makes it enjoyable and interesting.” —Air Power History

In his previous book on early jet fighters Leo Marriott traced the history of the revolutionary aircraft produced by the British and Americans immediately after the Second World War; in this companion volume he describes jet fighter development on the continent of Europe and in the Soviet Union during the same remarkable period. Using over 200 archive photographs he covers the pioneering German designs, then the range of experimental and operational fighters constructed by the Soviets, the French and the Swedes. The sheer variety of the designs that manufacturers came up with during this short, intense period of innovation mean that the book is fascinating reading. Several of the most famous jet fighters feature prominently in the rare photographs and are analysed in the expert text, including the Messerschmitt Me 262, the Heinkel He 162, the MiGs 15, 17 and 19, the Dassault Ouragan and the Saab J29. But perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the book is its record of experimental projects which tested new concepts that rapidly became established elements of jet aircraft design. The photographs of these largely forgotten aircraft give us an insight into the extraordinary technical challenges and the ambition and inventiveness of the designers and manufacturers who overcame them.

As World War Two drew to a close, jet-powered aircraft were beginning to be introduced into service. To take advantage of this major development it was necessary for all the worlds air powers to rethink combat tactics and develop the means of handling these faster and generally larger aircraft in the air, on land and especially at sea. As this modern breed approached and finally broke the sound barrier, so did landing and takeoff speeds. The decade after the war saw rapid developments in the design of both naval aircraft and their seaborne bases the aircraft carrier. The first jet to land aboard a carrier was a modified de Havilland Vampire in 1945 on H.M.S. Ocean. Progress was rapid and the application of British inventions such as the angled flight-deck, steam catapult and mirror landing sight soon became adopted by the major navies of the world. Naval aircraft too became more sophisticated by the addition of high-lift flap systems and strengthened undercarriages to allow them to operate more safely at sea. The author describes the development of these improvements and then their operational advantages in the Korean War and Suez. He goes on to describe the US development of a potential nuclear carrier-borne bomber, the French Navy and its withdrawal from Vietnam in 1954 and then the use of naval aircraft for anti-submarine work.

This pictorial history tells the story of US naval aviation from its early beginnings in the 1920s to its dominance in the Pacific theater of WWII. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor sank or crippled almost all of the battleships in the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet. But the fleet’s aircraft carriers survived—and soon demonstrated the power of US naval aviation. Thanks to pioneering technology and far-sighted pre-war policy, the US Navy had the necessary ships, aircraft, and crews to turn the tide of the Pacific war. With more than 200 rare photographs, Leo Marriott traces the growth of US naval aviation from the flimsy seaplanes of the first years of the twentieth century to the mighty armadas that challenged those of the Japanese and, after the carrier battles at Coral Sea and Midway, led the advance across the Pacific. Marriott puts special focus on the navy’s first aircraft carriers of the 1920s, the tremendous progress made in the decades between the wars in tactics and strategy, and the innovative design of ships and aircraft themselves.