Peter E. Davies

In 1960, SAC’s B-52s began a nonstop, eight-year, nuclear-armed patrol. Fully illustrated, this study explains how one of the Cold War’s most challenging operations was conceived and flown. Operation Chrome Dome was Strategic Air Command's unprecedented nuclear deterrence operation, a hugely elaborate and costly response to the perceived nuclear missile threat from the Soviet Union. In this book, Cold War...

An illustrated study of the ongoing career of the iconic B-52, chronicling its frontline service after Operation Desert Storm in 1991. First flown in 1955, the B-52 has become an icon of deterrence and the long reach of American air power. The aircraft was conceived as a long-range nuclear bomber, but its versatility saw it used as a heavyweight ‘bomb...

Of the many futuristic military aircraft concepts created in the 1950s, the North American XB-70 still stands out as the most awe-inspiring. With its huge, white partially-folding delta wing, its fuselage resembling a striking cobra, and its extraordinary performance, it was one of the foremost technological achievements of the 20th Century. A strategic bomber built to outrun any Soviet fighter...

A detailed study of how Operation Desert Storm saw Coalition forces respond to Iraq’s surface-to-air missile defences with ground-breaking combat aircraft technology. Developed in the wake of the USA’s ill-prepared entry into the Vietnam War, aircraft carrying electronic counter-measures equipment and anti-radar missiles were crucial to the success of Operation Desert Storm during the First Gulf War. Iraq’s air defence...

The F-105D Thunderchief was originally designed as a low-altitude nuclear strike aircraft, but the outbreak of the Vietnam War led to it being used instead as the USAF’s primary conventional striker against the exceptionally well-defended targets in North Vietnam and Laos. F-105 crews conducted long-distance missions from bases in Thailand, refuelling in flight several times and carrying heavy external bombloads....

Strap in alongside the Sabre pilots as they experienced the world’s first large-scale jet-vs-jet combats. Brought to life with innovative tactical artwork and dramatic first-hand accounts from the pilots themselves. F-86A Sabre had entered USAF service in 1949, and in December 1950 three squadrons were sent to South Korea. Despite primitive basing conditions and overwhelming Chinese opposition, the Sabre pilots...

F9F Panther vs Communist AAA offers a detailed look at the deadly battle between US Navy F9F Panther jet fighter-bombers and communist anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) defences that proliferated throughout the Korean War. The F9F Panther was among the many fighters converted for ground-attack duties, following an established US tradition. Initially designed as a jet fighter, it became in April 1951...

A detailed history of the pioneering Bell X-1, the first manned craft to break the sound barrier. Brought to life with dazzling digital art, this rocket-powered aircraft launches Osprey's new 'X-Planes' series and brings the reader into the dangerous and thrilling world of experimental aircraft. In 1947, no one knew if it was possible to break the 'sound barrier'. The...