Books

Jet Ace
Probable Cause: An Airliner Crashes, Killing 47 Passengers... Was It an Accident? or Was It Murder...
Cult of the Green Mamba
Innocence Dies: A Viet Nam War Novel
Innocence Dies: A Viet Nam War Novel
Ultimate Exposure
ExMac Corp.
The Council
The Night Doctor
Dead Reckoning
Dangerous Tunes
Attitude
Truce of the Bear
Abaco Gold: A Bimini Twist Adventure
Abaco Gold: A Bimini Twist Adventure
Moveable Forts and Magazines: A Novel of Vietnam
Agrimurder
Substance of Abuse
Substance of Abuse
Harry the Snail
Fatal Flight
The Only War They Had
Manic
Blood Revenge
The Beaver Patrol

F-86 Sabre Aces of the 51st Fighter Wing (Aircraft of the Aces)

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Exciting Tales of F-86 MiG Killers in Action!

F-86 Sabre Aces of the 51st Fighter Wing (Aircraft of the Aces)
Warren Thompson
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

F-86 Sabre Aces of the 4th Fighter Wing (Aircraft of the Aces)
Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Very Long Range P-51 Mustang Units of the Pacific War (Aviation Elite Units)
Pfalz Scout Aces of World War 1 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Bf 109 Defence of the Reich Aces (Aircraft of the Aces)

ASIN: 1841769959
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Book Description

The 51st Fighter Wing initially flew the F-80C in the Korean War, but in 1951, the 51st brought in high-scoring World War 2 ace Colonel Francis Gabreski to assume command when it converted from the F-80 over to the newly arrived F-86E. His recruits included his elite 4th Wing pilots, and by the end of the war, the 51st had two pilots who achieved the status of "Double Ace" as well as the highest scoring ace of the war, Joe McConnell. This book describes the 51st Wing's tenure with the Sabre that led to their high scoring sprees of 1953.

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Tales of F-86 MiG Killers in Action!.......2006-06-15

Warren Thompson can lay claim to being THE historian of the Korean air war. In the last 15 years he has written many fine, well-researched and well-illustrated books on various aspects of that long-ago war for Osprey, Specialty Press, etc. along with articles for 'Airpower,' 'Flight Journal' and other mags.

In this Osprey 'Aircraft of the Aces' book he chronicles the combat exploits of the 51st FW from late 1951 to war's end. The 51st was 'Brand X,' the second F-86 wing to go into combat but its pilots were second-to-none in killing MiGs. Wing aces included 'Gabby' Gabreski, the unit's first CO, Bill Whisner, Cecil Foster, Hal Fischer and top ace Joe McConnell. Thompson does a marvelous job of charting the wing's combats, including many first-person narratives from the MiG killers themselves that put the reader right in the cockpit.

Visually the book is a delight with many color photos and 14 pages of color profiles including 3 pages of nose art close-ups by Mark Styling. Very nicely done!

All in all, it's a fine tribute to the fighter jocks of the 51st FW well worth the $20.95 price tag.

German Jet Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 17)

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How not to deploy a New Weapon System
Excellent History Of A Pioneering Effort
Great Look at Luftwaffe Jet Aces

German Jet Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 17)
Hugh Morgan
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 20)
Focke-Wulf FW 190 Aces of the Western Front (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 9)
BF 109 F/G/K Aces of the Western Front (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 29)
Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 37)
Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer Aces of World War 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 25)

ASIN: 1855326345
Release Date: 1998-01-15

Book Description

The Third Reich's last ditch efforts to sweep the massed Allied bomber formations from the skies of Germany centred around the new crop of jet 'wonder weapons' that were issued to the Jagdwaffe from mid-1944 onwards. Far in advance of anything the Allies had even in the experimental phase, types like the Me 262, He 162, Me 163 and the Ar 234 could perform their combat sorties with relative impunity. However, paucity in numbers and unreliable jet engines eventually cancelled out any technological edge that these aircraft offered.

Customer Reviews:

How not to deploy a New Weapon System.......2003-02-04

Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces volume 17, German Jet Aces of World War 2, is an interesting account of the difficulties of introducing a revolutionary weapon system in the midst of a major conflict. This volume provides considerable detail on the German jet units and pilots, as well as the aircraft themselves. Overall, this volume is an excellent succinct history of the Luftwaffe's jet fighter units in the waning days of the Second World War.

German Jet Aces of World War 2 begins with a short introduction on the early German jet aircraft prototypes in 1939-1942. The most important issue addressed in this section is the torpid pace of the German jet development effort. Despite the facts that the Luftwaffe had flown a jet prototype in August 1939 and the first practical jet fighter (the Me-262) by July 1942, the Germans squandered their technological advantage by not beginning to form operational units until 1944. At that point, Hitler famously interfered with the jet program by demanding that the Me-262 be fielded as a bomber instead of a fighter. Few sources note that Hitler reversed his mistake six months later and ordered the Me-262 deployed as a fighter. Normally, Hitler gets the blame for fatally delaying the Me-262 program, but it seems questionable to assert that Hitler's 6 month delay was more egregious than the nearly 2 year delay imposed by the Luftwaffe hierarchy. Indeed, it is possible that without Hitler's backing none of the jets would have entered service before the end of the war.

The second chapter covers the earliest Me-262 units, such as "Kommando Nowotny" and Ekdo 262. These units were small in size and primarily established as operational test and training units, rather than as combat units. The third chapter deals with JG-7, the largest and most important user of the Me-262 in 1944-1945. The formation of JG7 was plagued by problems and although the unit conducted a few combat sorties in late 1944, it was not capable of large-scale operations until the spring of 1945. In March and April 1945 JG7 was able to employ 20-30 jets at a time instead of the previous scrambles of only 2-4 jets. The authors note that the combination of the fast Me-262 fighter and the new R4M air-to-air rockets posed a serious threat to Allied air formations over Germany. In all, JG7 claimed 500 Allied aircraft in the last two months of the war. However, the German jet units were rapidly whittled down by the relentless attrition of combat and non-combat losses. The American P-51 fighter pilots quickly realized that the jets were vulnerable in their long, slow landing runs and began to ambush them their airfields (15 Me-262s were lost in one such attack). Non-combat losses due to the finicky jet engines were high and the aircraft proved to have a steep learning curve even for experienced pilots.

The fourth chapter deals with several "oddball" jet units like Lieutenant General Galland's pick-up team JV44 and a small night jet fighter unit. Galland had been demoted from chief of the Luftwaffe fighter arm after criticizing Reichsmarchall Goering, and his punishment was to form a small squadron size jet unit. In JV44, Galland scored six "kills" in his jet before being wounded. The final chapter covers the other jet types (Me-163, He-162 and Arado 234), none of which were very successful or produced any aces. The authors include appendices listing all Luftwaffe jet aces, a table of victories claimed by each unit and the order of battle for jet units in May 1945. There are also 33 color plates of jets, all but 6 of which are various Me-262s. Unfortunately, the authors failed to provide either a bibliography or a list of the German sources used.

In sum, the Me-262 jet fighter accounted for about 735 Allied aircraft in the final months of the war. Yet was the Me-262 a potentially war-winning weapon if it had only been deployed sooner? "If only Hitler hadn't interfered," is the argument advanced by modern-day revisionists who assert that the Me-262 might have changed the tide of the air war. Actually, this account makes such claims appear doubtful. While the Me-262 was indeed a revolutionary aircraft with amazing potential, the Luftwaffe made serious mistakes in the training of new jet pilots (only a handful of two-seat trainer versions were built) and the jet engines suffered from severe teething problems. One of the Luftwaffe's top aces, Major Walter Nowotny with 258 kills, was killed by engine malfunction on his first combat sortie. While the Germans might have managed the program better and put more jet fighters into service sooner than occurred, the numerous hurdles would have made any effort problematic.

Excellent History Of A Pioneering Effort.......2001-11-18

Hugh Morgan and John Weal in this volume primarily write of the people and aircraft in Germany's use of the Me 262 jet fighter during World War 2. There are many great black and white photographs from that era contained here, as well as lots of text about the history of the Me 262. Also, there are some color line drawings included of actual aircraft with their flight colors and a bit about the history of each. There is also a short appendice listing Luftwaffe jet aces and jet fighter units. In addition, the authors discuss the rocket powered Me 163 with photographs and it's history as well, and a few other jet powered German aircraft are briefly covered. I found this to be a fascinating read about very advanced aircraft for their time, sometimes misused by the Luftwaffe.

Great Look at Luftwaffe Jet Aces.......2000-02-17

Usual excellent effort by Weal, who uses a time-based narrative to tell the "story" of the jet aces. In addition to the Me 262, the stories of some of the brave souls who flew the Me 163 are also told.

Lots of great photos and color profiles are included. If you are interested in the Luftwaffe this is not to be missed!

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Combat Aces: F-4 Phantom
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Coffee table book with amazing photos

Combat Aces: F-15 Eagle
Roy Braybrook
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Coffee table book with amazing photos.......2006-01-02

This is an oversized (9x12, maybe) book of 128 pages that boasts 120 photos. The book talks about European Eagles, those in the continental U.S., etc. through Desert Storm. The airplane is photographed with various unit markings, shown in the air, during refueling, on the ground, and so on. There are short discussions opening each chapter and then information-filled descriptions with each picture.

Jet Eagles: Modern Air Combat Game (Ace of Aces) [BOX SET]

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Jet Eagles: Modern Air Combat Game (Ace of Aces) [BOX SET]
staff
Manufacturer: Nova Game Designs, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0917037073

Product Description

"Jet Eagles is the exciting, fast-paced game of modern air combat based on the award-winning picturebook game system originally used in Ace of Aces. Jet Eagles puts you in the cockpit of one of the most sophisticated deadly; high-tech fighting machines ever built and lets you make the decisions! Every page of the two Combat Books is photographically illustrated with two of the most advanced fighters ever to fly: the U.S. F-15 Eagle and Soviet MiG-29. Each photo shows what you see looking from the cockpit of your plane. Is your opponent locked-on in your Head-Up Display, with missiles or guns armed and ready? or is he on your "six?" One brilliant tactic or one wrong move can instantly mean the difference between victory and disaster!"

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This is a great F-14 picture book.

Combat Aces: F-14 Tomcat
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

This is a great F-14 picture book........1997-10-13

This is a great book for all pilots and wannabe Pilots. It has all color pictures on every page with little boxes that tell you what is happenong in the picture.

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Jet Ace
Tedd Thomey
Manufacturer: eReads.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0759250871

Book Description

He liked his jets fast and his women faster. Hotshot test pilot Barth was up against the unknown in the F-120 super jet, the Air Force's fastest plane ever; it had claimed the lives of two pilots already. How many women could Barth claim before his time was up? The tremendously talented Tedd Thomey brings Barth's world of steel nerves, warm women and life at the edge of the envelope to you with the afterburners on full. Don't get too close to this telling tale or the heat will burn your fingertips on this cutting-edge page-turner.

Average customer rating:

lacks accuracy, poorly written
Great stories & concise overview of air war & conflict

Hot Shots: America's First Jet Aces
Jennie E. Chancey , and William R. Forstchen
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Fifty Years Ago,
The Skies Blazed Above KoreaBetween 1950 and 1953, America was locked in a fearsome struggle to decide the fate of a relatively small pennisula jutting into the Sea of Japan. More than fifty thousand brave U.S. fighting ment gave their lives in this bloody conflict that has all but faded from public memory, a "forgotten was" that ushered in a modern age of jet-to-jet combat.

Editors Chaney and Forstchen have gathered together the spellbinding account of America's Korean War aerial aces -- the "Hot Shots" who took to the Asian in their Mustangs, Sabres, and Shooting Stars to confront an overwhelmingly superior number of enemy aircraft. Through the vivid voices of real-life "top gun" heroes -- with their remarkable first-hand stories of courage, duty, and awesome ability -- an all important chapter in our nation's military history is retrieved from the shadows, a return to a time of exhilaration, terror, and glory when, more than before, control of the skies helped determined victory or defeat on the ground.

Customer Reviews:

lacks accuracy, poorly written.......2003-07-05

I was excited when I saw this title on the shelf. However, after I read the first few pages. I was disapointed. Inaccuracies abound, like when the author states the kill ratio of migs to f-86s as 7 to 1. Postwar records from the former Soviet Union show that the ratio was more like 3 to 1. Inaccuracies in the photographs state f-84s as f-94s ect. However, the work would still be acceptable if not for the poor writing style of the author. When recounting the first hand stories of aces, I found I had to read them three times to get any clear picture of what is going on. Perhaps she was using the words of the probably 70+ year olds which could add to the problem.

If you like first hand muddled accounts of the air war in korea, this book is for you, but if you want more detailed accounts of tactics and exploits ect. you will need to look elsewhere.

Great stories & concise overview of air war & conflict.......2003-01-13

If you are interested in air combat, this book is definitely worth reading.

It's a very enjoyable read. Most of the book consists of firsthand accounts by US fighter & fighter-bomber pilots. Mostly F-51 ground attack & F-86 MiG alley encounters, with a few other types & situations included. Interspersed among the flying stories is a great overview of the air war in Korea, and a concise summary of the overall conflict. This helps place the flying stories in the context of the time, and is very well done. Also covers the experiences of POW's.

Gives a good feel for how unprepared the US was at the beginning of the conflict. Covers the retreat from the initial North Korean attack, the defense of the Pusan perimeter, the landings at Inchon and subsequent advance into North Korea, the Chinese entry into the war and retreat back to South Korea, then the stabilization around the 38th parallel. Gives a good account of efforts to develop tactics for air warfare in the jet age. Also covers the "honchos" - Russian & Warsaw Pact pilots flying the MiG 15 against the "hot shots" in their Sabres.

Finally, covers the POW experience of fliers captured and interned in China for 2 years after the war ended. A number of these men (less than 35, but the exact number is not given) never came back, and were never accounted for. Mentions the similar circumstances of hundreds of Vietnam War aviators. Many believed to have ended up in China & Russia, but there is no firm accounting of their fate. As the authors said in the last line of the book, "May their sacrifice not be in vain."

Combat Aces: F/A-18 Hornet (Combat Aces Series)

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Combat Aces: F/A-18 Hornet (Combat Aces Series)
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Sabre Jet Ace. The American Adventure Series

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Sabre Jet Ace. The American Adventure Series
Charles Coombs
Manufacturer: Harper & Row, Publishers.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MXDCDC

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