A British icon of World War I aerial combat, just as the Supermarine Spitfire is for World War II, the Sopwith Camel might more aptly be compared to the equally iconic (if one is Japanese) Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero. A superb dogfighter in the hands of pilots who mastered its vicious idiosyncrasies, the Camel also packed a considerable punch for its day as the first British fighter with twin machine guns. It has been credited with the most aerial victories of any fighter type of the conflict, but that statistic is somewhat misleading - and further muddied by the heavy losses Camel units suffered in 1918, as higher performance types began to eclipse the plane. Nevertheless, Camels appeared on several battlefronts to the end of the war and beyond - during the Russian Civil War, for example - and performed remarkably well in a variety of other roles, including as a ground strafer, night fighter, night intruder, and carrier-based fighter.

One of the most underrated medium bombers of the Second World War, the Martin B-26 Marauder never fully managed to shake off an underserved early reputation as a dangerous aircraft to fly. Admittedly, in inexperienced hands, the B-26 could be tricky to fly, but once mastered, proved to be one of the best in its class. The aircraft incorporated a host of both revolutionary design methods and construction techniques, never before attempted amongst American aircraft manufacturers. Peyton M. Magruder's design had its roots in a USAAC proposal dating back to March 1939 calling for a twin-engined medium bomber capable of reaching 350 mph with a 2,000lb bomb load up to a range of 3,000 miles. Deemed superior to all other designs on the table at the time, almost a 1,000 had been ordered before the aircraft first took to the air November 1940. From late 1941 the first B-26s became operational in the Pacific, followed by the Mediterranean, but it is in the European theatre that the type was most prolific. Initially serving with the 8th Air Force, the type was 'discarded' to the 9th Air Force with whom it served with great distinction for the remainder of the war. It was particularly during the Normandy Landings and later the advance beyond 'the bulge' into Germany, were the B-26s medium level tactical ability shone through. The Marauder also served with the RAF, SAAF and Free French Air Force in the Mediterranean and also as part of the little credited Balkan Air Force in support of Tito's Partisans in Yugoslavia. Sadly the B-26 was unfairly treated at the beginning of its career and even more so at the end as many of the 5,200+ aircraft built were scrapped only days after the end of the war. A great aircraft in many respects the B-26 deserves to be in a better place.

In 1916 German aerial domination had been lost to the French and British fighters. German fighter pilots requested an aircraft that was more powerful and more heavily armed, and the Albatros design bureau set to work on what was to become an iconic aircraft design. By April 1916, they had developed the Albatros D.I, that featured the usual Albatros semi-monocoque wooden construction with a 160hp Mercedes engine and two forward-firing machine guns. Alongside the development of the D.I, Albatros had also designed and built a second machine that was similar to the D.I – the Albatros D.II. Although there were several external differences between the two aircraft, it is important to note that these machines evolved simultaneously and that the D.II was not the result of post-combat feedback from D.I pilots. With the inclusion of these aircraft into their reorganized air force, Germany was able to regain control of the skies by autumn 1916. Along with the later designs they inspired, the Albatros D.I and D.II were instrumental in allowing the Germans to prosecute their domination through 'Bloody April' and well into the summer months that followed.

The Hurricane may not have been the prettiest or, the best performing aircraft, but it will always be seen as the aircraft we needed at the time, and thankfully, in high numbers. Its design had incorporated older, tried and tested technologies, but also took fighter design a little further forward as well. When George Bulman first took the prototype into the air at Brooklands on the 6th November 1935, the new Hurricane was presented to the world as a modern fighting monoplane. Fitted with eight guns, a retractable undercarriage and the ability to breach 300mph with ease, many journalists of the day commented that the peak of fighter performance had finally been reached. Despite the promise shown by the new fighter, the Air Ministry remained lethargic, even with the dark clouds of another world conflict approaching. It was thanks to the Hawker Aircraft Company beginning production without a solid contract that the RAF received the aircraft as early as they did. With 111 Squadron leading the way, only a handful of squadrons were equipped with the Hurricane on the outbreak of the Second World War. Thanks to sudden massive orders and a well-organised Hawkers, sub-contracting production to Gloster and General Aircraft, more squadrons rapidly became operational. Cutting their teeth during the Battle of France, it was during the Battle of Britain that the type excelled and undoubtedly formed the backbone of Fighter Command at the time. With technology advancing at high speed, the Hurricane was steadily overtaken by the Spitfire in the fighter defence role. However, it still remained the fighter of choice in North Africa and the Far East where it often fought against overwhelming Japanese odds. Despite a large number being shot down in these far flung conflicts, many were returned to the air after hasty repairs while more fragile designs would have been grounded permanently. A real workhorse in all respects, the Hurricane was adapted for the ground attack role with a modified wing that could carry bombs, high calibre cannon or drop tanks. The airframe's ability to take a great deal of punishment while flying these low-level operations meant that more pilots returned to base with heavy battle damage rather than having to face bailing out over occupied territory. While many were relegated to a host of second line units, the Hurricane fought on in the Far East, especially Burma, where the fighter wreaked havoc amongst the Japanese forces. There is no reason why this iconic aircraft should ever be overshadowed by another, for as Francis Mason stated: 'The Royal Air Force was glad to get the Spitfire...it had to have the Hurricane!'

During the early years of the Cold War, the most effective way to gather strategic intelligence about the Soviet Union and its allies was manned overflight. Lockheed's U-2 was spectacularly successful in this role. Much to the concern of President Eisenhower, its shape meant that it could be tracked on Russian radars. Given the highly sensitive nature of such flights, the President insisted that every effort should be made to reduce to zero the U-2's radar cross section (RCS), thereby making the aircraft "invisible." When this was proven to be impossible, the stage was set for a U-2 replacement. Following a competition between Lockheed and Convair, the former was declared the winner and the result was the A-12. Designed to incorporate 'stealth' features before the term was even coined, the A-12 has to date proven to be the fastest, highest flying jet aircraft ever built, and is operated exclusively by the Central Intelligence Agency. This book will also cover a two-seat variation of the design built as an advanced interceptor - the YF-12. In addition, the D-21 drone programme, known as Tagboard will also be covered.

All you have to do is look at it. Its sinister black shape exudes Mach3 from every angle. It is the fastest air-breathing airplane the world has ever seen, cruising above 99% of the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds in excess of 2100 mph (3380 km/h) for hour after hour. It is the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Operated exclusively by the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, 1st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron of the US Air Force, Blackbirds glean a wide range of data from ‘collection areas along the periphery of the Soviet Union and zero in on many other regions of special interest. As recently as April 1986, two SR-71s carried out post-strike reconnaissance of Libyan targets hit by the F-111s of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing. At that time, the SR-71 had been in operational service for a little over 20 years, but instead of its role steadily diminishing, the accident which destroyed the Shuttle Challenger, and the failure of two US Air Force Titan 34D launchers (the payloads were KH-11 and Big Bird spy satellites), the capability and inherent flexibility of the SR-71 remain absolutely critical to the effectiveness of US intelligence gathering. LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD is the culmination of patient and diligent research by the author, Paul F. Crickmore. For the first time we have a full account of the Blackbird story, including the contributions made by the A-12 proof-of-concept vehicle and YF-12 interceptor. This 200-page book describes the technological leap in aerodynamics, propulsion, materials, and avionics which stretched the state-of-the-art into a new dimension. Here, too, is the story of the men, the missions, and the records which made the Blackbird a legend. Illustrated with over 160 black-and-white photographs (many previously unpublished), and 12 photographs in full colour, LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD contains a glossary, appendices (detailing all the 30-½ SR-71s), and an index are also included.