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between the need to improve the Yak-1’s characteristics, and the limitations of Soviet aircraft industry with its outdated technologies.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 It was supposed to be the successor of the slightly outdated D-500 and D-510 models, and built according to modern trends: with a closed cabin and a retractable undercarriage.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.

The USS Stevens (DD-479) was one of the 175 Fletcher-class destroyers, and was considered one of the finest world War II warships of that type. What set it apart from most of the standard Fletcher-class destroyers was its aircraft-carrying capability. In May 1940 six of the Fletcher-class destroyers were selected for conversion into aircraft-carrying ships. The upgrades included installation of the Mk VI pneumatic aircraft catapult for embarked OS2U Kingfisher float planes.

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).

A 64 page softback illustrated album showcasing a selection of the products of this famous Leeds locomotive builder that have been fortunate enough to survive in industry long enough to meet their salvation in the hands of the dedicated railway preservationists. Locomotives of all shapes and sizes, standard and narrow gauge, steam and diesel, can all be found within its pages. The high quality full colour photographs all have extended and informative captions, written by an author with a detailed knowledge of his subject.

A 56 page softback showcasing the best Indian photographs from the popular Historical Railway Images archive. The images are accompanied by extensive captions and informative background text. India’s railways are a microcosm of the culture of this vast and populous nation, with busy express trains on the main line heaving with passengers, and characterful narrow gauge railways climbing the mountains to resort towns such as Shimla. This book has high quality archive images covering the full range of India’s railways, rather than focussing on any single aspect.

The ‘Colonel Stephens’ network of eccentric and impecunious light railways have long held a fascination for railway enthusiasts, including those too young to remember their operation. This A4 softback album is the first in a two part series focussing on the two of the Colonels’ railways to have been preserved (coincidentally both in Kent), by well known railway writer and photographer Jonathan James. This first volume looks at the East Kent Railway, based a few miles to the north of Dover, and showcases what the volunteers there have achieved in their rebuilding efforts.

In this book, leading member of the Railway Performance Society Alan Varley discusses and analyses a lifetime of railway travel across the French Railways (SNCF) network - over a million kilometres worth! The performance of different types of train is assessed on the wide variety of routes on which they operated, giving the opportunity to see the impact of modernisation, first from steam to diesel, and latterly to the dedicated high speed lines of the Trains a Grande Vitesse (TGV).

A 120 page hardback illustrated album by Helen Ashby, the Chair of the Friends of the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum, showcasing this idiosyncratic African narrow gauge system through all the eras of its operation. See the early optimism subside to a simple aspiration to survive, and then the remarkable story of its rediscovery in the aftermath of civil war through to its 21st century preservation in a project which, uniquely in West Africa, combines Government support, the will of the people, and the experience of a small group of determined Western preservationists.