In mid-1909, Meller's factory made the first aircraft, according to the brothers Wright model of Flyer A. It was constructed by experienced factory engineer Jevgrafov (Н.П. Евграфов). He was already engaged on the project and construction of the Duks airship "Jastreb" (Ястреб), so that he was familiar with all the structural elements of aircraft. The test flights were not performed because the factory couldn't provide the appropriate engine. The aircraft was nevertheless shown at an aviation exhibit at the end of 1909, together with the aircraft of famous manufacturers from Europe. Meller realized on time that Russia could not long fall behind the advanced European countries in the aeronautics development, especially the military one. His plan was that the Duks factory should soon start producing aircraft in larger series, initially under license. The problem was that he should choose the right model of the many that broke records every day in those years. During 1910, Henry Farman "HF III" aircraft became extremely popular in France, despite their structural imperfection. They were made in two versions, for training and for competition. They had a series of record flights and they often won prizes on many aeronautical competitions. They served as models to many constructors even beyond the borders of France. It was this very aircraft that Meller chose for serial production.

At the end of the 1930s, the Luftwaffe command announced a need for a high-speed reconnaissance aircraft capable of performing bombing tasks. Heinkel introduced the P1055 concept designed by Rudolf Lusser. The plane was to have a range of 4,000 km and a maximum speed of 750 km/h. Soon the demand was changed and it was now to be a heavy fighter. The project was adjusted, but its fate was uncertain in the face of the volatile decisions of the RLM. At the same time, General der Nachtjagd Josef Kammhuber was looking for an aircraft that could be used as a modern night fighter. Ultimately, the P1055 design was modified and the He 219 V1 prototype was flown in this form in November 1942. Then it was significantly modified and the next prototypes were completed and the first samples of the He 219A-0 trial series (which also included some prototypes), equipped with FuG 212 and FuG 202 radar. Later, the newer FuG 220 were installed.

Yakovlev Yak-3 is considered one of the best World War 2 fighters, invariably praised by those who flew it in combat for its remarkable performance. The Germans also treated it with respect, which is perhaps best illustrated by Generalleutnant Walter Schwabedissen’s remark: The Yak-3 was a tough nut to crack for our pilots. It outperformed our machines in speed, maneuverability and rate of climb. The emergence of the Yak-3 was a compromise between the need to improve the Yak-1’s characteristics, and the limitations of Soviet aircraft industry with its outdated technologies. The basic design concept took those shortcomings into account, which allowed a rapid launch of mass production of this inexpensive fighter. This in turn provided frontline units with timely deliveries of new equipment to recoup combat losses. The key to Yak-3’s success was not due to the use of a new powerplant (in those days hard to come by in the USSR), but rather the superior performance of the M-105PF engine, which resulted in a five percent increase in power output. In combination with some serious weight shedding, the Yak-3 had a significantly better performance than the Yak-1. At altitudes up to 5,000m (which is where most of the air combat over Eastern Front took place), Yak-3 outperformed both the Bf-109 and Fw-190 in rate of climb and maneuverability. Unlike the Yak-1, the new fighter could also stay with the enemy in a dive.

In 1936 the D-513 fighter designed by Emil Dewoitine made its first flight. It was supposed to be the successor of the slightly outdated D-500 and D-510 models, and built according to modern trends: with a closed cabin and a retractable undercarriage. Unfortunately, the tests turned out to be very disappointing. At the same time, as a result of the nationalization of the aviation industry, Dewoitine's industries were absorbed by the SNCAM. Dewoitine, however, did not give up on the project and, in cooperation with his engineers, developed a new model - the D-520.

Horten Ho 229 is the first ever “flying wing” jet. The machine was built at the very end of World War II in the German Gotha factory. Today, the best-known structure of this type is the American strategic bomber Northrop B-2 Spirit, but the two planes are separated by a difference of 44 years of technological development. It was a very unusual structure, not only due to the shape of the airframe, but also the materials it was made of – it was largely plywood and wood, not only duralumin and steel. The plane was powered by two Junkers Jumo 004B jet engines. The Horten Ho 229 was flown in January 1945. It was armed with two powerful 30mm MK 108 cannons, and the performance exceeded all Allied planes at that time. Nevertheless, the Ho 229 was planned to be used as a bomber.

This book is a compilation of the 4-view color profiles, scale plans, and photo details of the single variant of the Henschel Hs 126B-1. Illustrated are plans in 1/72 and 1/48 scales plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also included are photos of the details in B&W and color.

40 color profiles of the famous F-15 Eagle, a US Cold-War era jet aircraft. US and foreign users are shown in variety of camouflages.

Scale plans in 1/48 scale of the Mil Mi-24D/V.A3 size pages in A4 pb.12 A3 size scale plans.

Scale plans in 1/48 scale of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief versions.24.6 x 11. 7 in size pages in an A4 paperback.

The Saab 35 Draken (The kite in English) is a Swedish fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by SAAB between 1955 and 1974. Draken was a design ahead of its time, producing the revolutionary double-delta wing mainplane configuration. It was also the first fully supersonic aircraft to be deployed in Western Europe. The Draken was introduced into service with the Swedish Air Force (SAF) on 8 March 1960. Drakens served from 1960 through 2005 and proved their worth in over 640 production aircraft.This book is the most comprehensive on the Draken yet published in English, with numerous photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before, walkaround photographs of the preserved aircraft, illustrations from contemporary manuals, and color artwork.

The two volumes describe Spitfire Vs used by Polish pilots in Britain during 1941-1945. This vol. 1 covers Polish 302-308 Squadrons, while vol. 2 will cover 315-318 Squadrons plus allied units. The books include listings of losses and of officially credited victories. Each volume has about 200 photographs (many of which have not been published before) and 36 color profiles (plus top and bottom views of representative aircraft).

40 color profiles of the Hawker Hurricane I and Supermarine Spitfire I. Specially commissioned profiles with a high levels of detail.

This book is a compilation of the 4-view color profiles, scale plans, and photo details of the single variant of the NAA P-51B-1-NA. Illustrated are plans in 1/72 and 1/48 scales plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also, photos of the details in B&W and color are included.

The Fiat CR 42 designed by Ing. Celestino Rosatelli, has the undoubted characteristic of being the last single-seat fighter biplane to be manufactured during the Second World War. It represents the final evolution of the aircrafts serie since Fiat CR 30 – 32 – 33 – 40 - 41, made during the 1935-1938 years in Turin. The prototype flew the first time on 23 May 1938 and about 1800 Fiat CR 42 were produced, divided into 15 construction SERIE. There were no productive variants but only small changes along the SERIE due to various operational uses. Despite he was technically overtaken and outclassed by the opposing aircrafts, he honored his duties thanks to the skill and sacrifices of the Regia Aeronautica pilots who used it in almost all fronts war. He was also successfully exported and used in Belgium (Aeronautique Militaire Belge), Hungary (Magyar Kiraly Hoved Légiéro), Germany (Luftwaffe) and Sweden (Flygvapnet). Surviving aircraft were deployed in the post-war era by the Scuola Caccia Aeronautica Militare Italiana Lecce-Galatina airfield and for secondary services in Milano-Linate airfield during the 1950s, both single-seater and two-seater version.

Grumman F6F Hellcat was one of the best fighter aircraft of the World War Two era and the most effective fighter of the US Navy. There is no doubt that Hellcats won complete air superiority for the Americans over the vast areas of the Pacific, largely contributing to the victory over Japan.

Junkers Ju 88 was an extremely versatile and universal bomber. Among its many variants, there were also night versions. Initially, all Ju 88 night fighter versions were based on Ju 88 A frames, in which various specialized equipment was assembled. The situation changed after the introduction of the Ju 88 G, which from the very beginning was designed as a night fighter. The fuselage of the aircraft was deprived of the lower gondola under the nose, which reduced the weight of the aircraft and improved its aerodynamics. Another visual change was the use of a square-shaped vertical stabilizer and a rudder, which was taken from Ju 188.