Aircraft of World War 2
A visually stunning, accessible, and fascinating account of 50 key aircraft from World War Two, illustrated by the outstanding photograph archive of the Imperial War Museum.
Delve into the origins, development, and operations of the iconic aircraft, with stories of the brave crew members that flew in them and made these aircraft the legends they have become today. Focussing on the aircraft of both the Allies and the Axis powers, it contains fascinating insights into the technological advances and tactical roles these iconic aircraft would play in the war.
In association with Imperial War Museums, the history of these key aircraft is examined; from the early years of the war, when outdated biplanes were still flying in combat, to the development of advanced jet aircraft. This impactful book looks at the performance of both famous and lesser known aircraft, weaving together the story of aerial conflict, when mastery of the air created the need to fly faster, further and higher, carrying increasingly more weapons, pushing both Allied and Axis powers to the limit in the quest to develop the ultimate aircraft of World War Two.
Featured aircraft:
British: Avro Lancaster / Avro Manchester / Bristol Beaufighter / Bristol Blenheim / De Havilland Mosquito / Fairey Firefly / Fairey Swordfish / Gloster Meteor / Gloster Gladiator / Handley Page Halifax / Hawker Hurricane / Hawker Tempest / Hawker Typhoon / Short Stirling / Short Sunderland / Supermarine Spitfire / Vickers Wellington
German: Dornier Do 17/ Focke Wulf Fw190 / Focke Wulf Fw200 Condor / Heinkel He 111 / Junkers JU87 Stuka / Junkers Ju 88 / Messerschmitt Bf 109 / Messerschmitt Bf 110 / Messerschmitt ME 163 Komet / Messerschmitt ME 262
US: Bell P-39 Airacobra / Bell P-63 Kingcobra / Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress / Boeing B-29 Superfortress / Consolidated B-24 Liberator / Consolidated PBY Catalina / Curtiss P-40 / Douglas Boston / Douglas C-47 Skytrain / Douglas SBD Dauntless / Grumman F4F Wildcat / Grumman F6F Hellcat / Grumman TBF Avenger / Lockheed Hudson / Lockheed P-38 Lightning / Martin B-26 Marauder / North American B-25 Mitchell / North American P-51 Mustang / Northrop P-61 Black Widow / Republic P-47 Thunderbolt / Vought F4U Corsair
Japan: Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero). USSR: Yakolev Yak-9
Kieran Whitworth has been the Book Buyer at Imperial War Museums for over 20 years, during which time he has developed his passion for military history. His first book, The Ultimate World War Two Quiz book, was published in September 2017 and his second, The Churchill Quiz Book, was published in April 2020.
Since its foundation in 1917 IWM has been building its collections in order to illustrate and record all aspects of conflict in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. IWM’s collection covers all aspects of conflict involving Britain, its former Empire and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day. It also includes a range of media, from art, film and photographs to printed materials, documents and sound.