Military aircraft of the Cold War - Jim Winchester

Born of the struggle for global influence between the great powers in the aftermath of World War II, the Cold War was an era of immense technological advancement and a succession of wars-by- proxy between Soviet Russia and the United States. Helped by advances made in the latter years of the war, the western powers and the Communist bloc embarked on an unprecedented arms race in which military aircraft played a key part. For many aviation enthusiasts, the Cold War was the golden age of the jet fighter.Fewer than 20 years separated early jets such as the P-80 Shooting Star, scarcely able to overtake a propeller-driven WWII fighter, from interceptors such as the MiG-25 'Foxbat', which was capable of flying at more than three times the speed of sound. Wars in Korea and Vietnam gave many of these spectacular machines a baptism of fire, and some aircraft developed during this period, such as the C-130 Hercules and Boeing B-52, are still in US Air Force service today.Military Aircraft of the Cold War is a fascinating, colourful and fact-packed guide to more than 100 of the finest aircraft in service between 1945 and 1980. For a generation of aviation buffs, iconic aircraft such as the Avro Vulcan, B-58 Hustler and F-4 Phantom II retain a certain magic. Each aircraft is covered in detail, with annotated colour profile artworks, colour and black-&-white photographs, feature boxes outlining its development, technical specifications, performance data, and variants. Unique graphics allow the reader to compare specific features such as range, speed and ceiling with contemporary aircraft.