Air Combat Legends: P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt And P-51/f-51 Mustang

9 x 12," 125 color photographs, 275 black and white photographs, 6 full-color full-page three-view artworks, 4 two-page color three-quarter views, 3 large cutaways, 70+ renderings of squadron markings When the United States entered WWII it was ill prepared to meet the threat posed by Axis air forces equipped with modern fighting aircraft. That all changed as the American war machine rapidly geared up for the conflict and U.S. aerospace companies rushed to develop and ready for service a range of state-of-the-art warplanes. Three fighters stand out as pivotal in helping turn the tide to the Allies' advantage the legendary twin-boom Lightning, the massive Thunderbolt and enormously successful Mustang. This second volume in the Air Combat Legends series examines the development, service record, combat action, operators, missions and weapons of these great aircraft. Superbly illustrated throughout, this is a "must-have" volume for those who want the inside stories on the fighters that helped America win the war. No other book has ever provided such an authoritative text nor the rich variety of photos and artwork to illustrate these important fighters.