Bøger i Technology@war serien

The book is about the Vulcan B2 Cold War operations and describes the effectiveness of Soviet Air Defense, and also discusses operation of manned bombers in nuclear war and their probability of survival. Included is history of nuclear weapon development and the politics of manned bomber versus ballistic missile during 1962-1972.

When it was founded in 1949, the People's Republic of China was an agricultural state with no industrial base to speak of and no armaments industry of its own. From the very beginning, Mao Tse Dng, the founder of the state, endeavored to develop his own modern defense industry in order to gain weight on the international stage. Part of this effort was the development of a domestic aerospace industry with massive support from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (colloquially the 'Soviet Union').Until the two countries broke up in 1961 due to ideological differences, more than 100 aviation companies were established with Soviet help and the licensed production of numerous aircraft types from trainers to heavy bombers was started. The last of these was the MiG-21, which is reproduced in China as the J-7.It took more than 10 years before the country, weakened by the 'Great Leap Forward' and the Cultural Revolution, succeeded at all in producing this comparatively complex aircraft. Only the comprehensive reforms after the death of state founder Mao created the basis for a return to orderly production of a technology that was already two decades old and outdated.The rapprochement with the West in the early 1980s made it possible, in part, to overcome the technological backlog. The integration of Western avionics into the Soviet airframe did not make the J/F-7 a modern combat aircraft like the F-16 and MiG-29 developed at the same time, but it increased its combat value to such an extent that it became an export success for the Third World. However, even more important was the access to Western technologies, later also for air-to-air missiles, which were initially, simply copied and later formed the basis for in-house developments of modern equipment and weapons systems.When cooperation with the West ended abruptly after the Tiananmen massacre of 1989, Chinese engineers and scientists had accumulated enough know-how to provide their own impetus in the further development of the J/F-7 family. Due to the combination of new aerodynamics and modern avionics, true multi-role combat aircraft were finally created which today, still spearhead their air forces in numerous countries in Asia and Africa.When the production of the J/F-7 finally ended in 2016, two generations of modern fighters based on this design were coming off the production line in China, and the prototypes of the fifth generation were already flying. The experience gained by China's aerospace industry in developing the J/F-7 from a day fighter to a multi-role fighter has made this success possible.The book deals with both the technical development of the J/F-7 family and its actual or potential use in more than a dozen countries on five continents.

Examines the early Cold War development of the USAF's jet fighters and fighter-bombers, detailing political, industrial, and technological challenges and innovations.In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the air forces of the United States faced unprecedented challenges. Demobilization had stripped the armed forces of millions of personnel, while the rapid transition from a wartime economy strained the aviation industry at the same time as the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) was re-established as the independent US Air Force (USAF). US Air Power 1945-1990 Volume 1: US Fighters and Fighter-Bombers 1945-1949 examines this pivotal period, analyzing the first steps the USAF took to re-establish its dominance in the skies during the early Cold War era. This volume meticulously documents the political, industrial, and technical decisions that shaped the development of the USAF's early jet fighters and fighter-bombers. It covers the transition from propeller-driven aircraft to first-generation jet designs, showcasing the radical innovations and experimental prototypes that laid the foundation for future air power. Readers will find detailed descriptions of key aircraft such as the P-80 Shooting Star, the F-86 Sabre, and the F-84 Thunderjet, which became operational despite the severe budget constraints and strategic uncertainties of the time. Author David Baker brings to light the untold stories behind these aircraft. He provides an integrated narrative that goes beyond mere type histories, weaving together the political backdrop, industrial struggles, and technological advancements that influenced the design and deployment of these pioneering jets. This approach offers a comprehensive view of how the USAF navigated the post-war landscape to emerge as a formidable force by 1949. The book also includes an appendix detailing speculative projects that never reached production, such as the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin 'parasite fighter', Convair XF-92 delta-wing interceptor and many others, alongside tables listing the performance characteristics of both operational and experimental aircraft from this era. These sections offer invaluable insights into the 'what ifs' of aviation history, showing how alternative designs might have shaped air combat strategies differently. The first in an extensive series of volumes, each exploring different facets of US air power during the Cold War, subsequent titles will cover bombers, naval aviation, and the evolving roles of fighters and bombers through conflicts such as the Korean and Vietnam wars. Each volume will maintain a focus on the technical and engineering aspects that defined these aircraft, rather than operational histories alone. Extensively illustrated, including rare photographs and specially-commissioned color artwork, this book provides a thorough and engaging exploration of a transformative period in US air power history.