US COMBAT AIRCRAFT - FLY-OFF COMPETITIONS

475 foto a colori e 75 in bianco e nero illustrano i progetti di aerei militari americani realizzati durante l’era della Guerra Fredda con ampia trattazione delle gare di “FLY-OFF” alle quali hanno partecipato con i risultati ottenuti e tutti i retroscena.

Since the first days of rivalry between the Wright Brothers and Glenn Curtiss, aircraft manufacturers have been vying for lucrative military aircraft contracts and competing for prized long-term production runs. As a result, many advanced and now legendary aircraft have been designed, built, and flown in every generation of aviation development. Focusing on the Cold War era, this book shows how crucial fly-off competitions have affected the development of America’s military air arsenal. Detailed explanations show how fly-off competitions are conducted, what both competing aircraft designs looked like during their trials, and then what the losing aircraft would have looked like in operational markings had it actually won. The specific aircraft are described in detail how they fared, as well as the inside political maneuvering and subterfuge involved in often-controversial aircraft contract awards. Beginning with the Boeing B-47 Stratojet’s decisive victory over rival Convair and Martin designs and ending with today’s advanced unmanned aerial marvels, this book covers every era of Post-World War II aviation. Author Erik Simonsen uses the wonders of modern digital photography to create highly believable images of aviation’s most tantalizing ‘might have beens.’