Title: Americaīs
Hundred Thousand-U.S. Production Fighters of WW Two
Author: Francis H. Dean
Publisher: Schiffer
Pages: 608
ISBN: 0-7643-0072-5
Price: $59.95
I purchased this book right after it was published about
two years ago without seeing it and Iīve never regretted
the purchase.
The
book is written by a former aircraft engineer who clearly
understands what he is writing about. The book covers P-38,
P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51, P-61, P-63, F2A, F4F, F6F and F4U.
It is split into five chapters:
1. Introduction
2. Fighter History (describes pre-war US fighters,
fighters that failed and fighters that didnīt make it in
time)
3. Fighter Factors (describes some basic aerodynamics,
engines, armament etc)
4. Fighter Figures (this is the major part of the book
where the above 11 fighters are described)
5. Fighters Compared
Each
of the 11 types is given thorough treatment using
performance curves, test reports, manual drawings and
very detailed structural descriptions. Performance curves
are given for speed, rate of climb, power, take-off run,
rate of roll and range. Handling descriptions are split
into separate paragraphs (taxiing, take-off, diving etc.).
Each aircraft has a section "General comments".
These comments are taken from multiple sources and are
given anonymously. This is sometimes a weakness: one
doesnīt know whether a comment is made by a combat pilot
who has flown a limited number of types or a test pilot
who has hundreds of types on his roster (with the latter
I am referring to Eric M. Brown, RNīs famous test pilot).
But this is only a minor gripe. What did irritate me most
was the continual referring to "Kittihawk".
Otherwise this is one of the better efforts of Schiffer
as far as typos are concerned.
The final chapter assembles together many figures
from the preceeding chapter to provide a comparison.
All
in all, if have any deeper interest in US fighters of WW
Two, buy this. You wonīt regret it. One warning, if you
need colour profiles or other strictly modelling
material, this isnīt for you.
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