Books by United States Air Force

The U.S. Air Force's first all-jet strategic bomber, the swept-wing Boeing B-47 Stratojet had a range of 3,500 nautical miles and a payload capacity of 20,000 pounds. It served as the mainstay of Strategic Air Command in the 1950s into the mid 1960s. The B-47 was an outgrowth of WWII research and development efforts, and the prototype aircraft first flew in December of 1947. The unique six-jet design featured twin engine pods on the wing near the fuselage, and one outboard. It also incorporated an elegant bicycle-type landing gear with two-wheel struts on the forward and aft fuselage and outrigger wheels. In 1956, over 1300 B-47s and 250 RB-47s were on alert. It was the high water mark for the aircraft, which was fully supplanted by the B-52 by 1967. This B-47 pilot's flight operating manual was originally produced by the USAF. It has been slightly reformatted but is reproduced here in its entirety. It provides a fascinating view inside the cockpit of one of history's great planes.

Visionary designer Jack Northrop built a series of experimental "flying wing" aircraft both before and during WWII. The YB-35, a propeller-driven strategic bomber featuring the drag-reducing all-wing design, offered enormous payload capacity and terrific endurance. The YB-49, a turbojet-powered variant built on the YB-35 airframe, captured the imagination of the world when it first flew in 1947. It quickly set both an unofficial endurance record and a trans-continental speed record, and appeared poised for rapidly deployment. Tragically, in June of 1948 one of two flying prototypes was destroyed when the aircraft suffered a structural failure during a test flight. In hearings after the accident, evidence was presented that in certain circumstances the aircraft could become unstable and exceed the capabilities of a human pilot. Shortly thereafter the YB-49 program was canceled. Jack Northrop's radical design was shelved for a generation, only to re-emerge in the form of the B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber - an aircraft that relies upon computerized controls to ensure stability in flight. Originally printed by Northrop Aircraft in 1948, this YB-49 Flying Wing pilot's flight manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

An outgrowth of the Third Reich's Emergency Fighter Program, the Messerschmitt P.1101 jet fighter featured a radical new design in which the sweep of the wing could be altered in flight. Captured by the Allies before it could be completed, the P.1101 was sent to the United States where it inspired the Bell X-5. Produced by a team led by Robert J. Wood, the X-5 was a true "variable geometry" platform that offered in-flight wing positions of 20°, 40°, and 60°. Far more complex than the P.1101, the X-5 utilized a jackscrew to move the wings along horizontal rails, and disc brakes to lock the wing into position. Two X-5s were built, and almost 200 flights were made between 1951 and 1955. While the design initially showed promise, the X-5 had a tendency to go into a violent spin. That characteristic led to the crash of the second prototype in 1953, an accident that killed test pilot Capt. Ray Popson. The accident led to the cancellation of tentative plans to mass produce a modified design as a low-cost tactical fighter. Still, the X-5 successfully demonstrated the utility of a swept-wing design, and inspired a whole generation of aircraft from the F-111 and F-14 to the B-1. Originally produced in 1951 by the United States Air Force and NACA, this flight operating handbook was originally restricted. It has now been declassified and made available in its entirety. Please note, due to the age and rarity of this manual, some images may be substandard.

During World War II, the American and British intercepted and read hundreds of thousands of their enemies¿ secret military and diplomatic message transmitted by radio. ULTRA was the designation for the signals intelligence derived from German radio communications encrypted by the ENIGMA cipher machine. At the British Government Code and CipherSchool at BletchleyPark, British and American military personnel, including a young officer named Lewis F. Powell, were indoctrinated in ULTRA intelligence. In "ULTRA and the Army Air Forces in World War II: An Interview with Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Lewis F. Powell, Jr.", Justice Powell describes in detail his experiences at Bletchley Park and subsequent role in evaluating the use of ULTRA intelligence by the Air Force in the European Theater through the medium of an oral history interview with two U.S. Air Force historians. During his stay at Bletchley Park, Powell met the key figures in the ULTRA effort, including Alan Turing, about whom he says, ¿The word ¿brilliant¿ fails to reflect his genius.¿ Powell also talks about who among the Allied powers had access to ULTRA data, confirming that the USSR was never given access and that, due to British suspicions of certain individuals, the French received only limited information, even after D-Day. Powell also addresses such topics as the bombing of Dresden and Allied knowledge of such German weapons as the V-1, V-2, and ME-262. Included in an appendix are transcriptions of Powell¿s notes taken at Bletchley Park. His interview is supplemented by an informative essay, ¿The U.S. Military Intelligence Service: The ULTRA Mission,¿ by Air Force historian Diane T. Putney. ULTRA and the Army Air Forces in World War II is a remarkable firsthand account of the most extraordinary intelligence coup of World War II, told by an intelligent, observant, and articulate military participant. As such, it constitutes an important contribution to the history of the intelligence war that should be of interest to historians and intelligence professionals alike.

Designed by Douglas Aircraft Co.'s brilliant engineer Ed Heinemann, the turbojet powered, delta-wing A-4 Skyhawk played akey role in conflicts from Vietnam to the Falklands and Yom Kippur Wars. The Skyhawk was intended to replace the venerable Skyraider as a carrier-based, ground attack aircraft, yet Heinemann's design looked nothing like its predecessor. Its small, lightweight airframe was so compact that its wings did not even have to be folded for carrier stowage, and it surpassed the Navy's design specification for weight by nearly 100%. No wonder thenimble jet was dubbed "Heinemann's Hot Rod". The A-4 entered service in 1956, and first saw combat during the early days of the Vietnam War where it flew as a light attack aircraft. Its service in S.E. Asia was prolific, as it flew literally thousands of strike and escort missions and even scored an air-to-air victory over a NorthVietnamese MiG. A Marine A-4 is believed to be the last American aircraft to drop bombs on Vietnam. During the conflict 362 Skyhawks were lost. The Navy retired the Skyhawk in 1975, although it continued flying as a trainer and adversary aircraft as late as 2003.Nearly 3,000 Skyhawks were built before production ceased in 1979, including a two-seat trainer model TA-4. The Skyhawk waswidely exported and saw combat with theair forces of Kuwait, Israel and Argentina. This pilot's manual was originally classified "restricted" but has now been declassified and is here reprinted in book form

The world's first all-weather, supersonic jet interceptor, the F-102 Delta Dagger was built at the height of the Cold War. The initial mission of the "Deuce", as the F-102 came to be known, was to intercept and destroy incoming Soviet bombers. During the Vietnam conflict however, the F-102 found a new role as a fighter and as an escort for B-52 bombers. The F-102 debuted on Oct. 24, 1953 and deployed as part of Air Defense Command in 1956. In 1973, the USAF began converting F-102s into target drones. They flew in this configuration as late as 1986. Originally printed by Convair and the USAF, this F-102 Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

The primary strike aircraft of the Korean War, Republic Aircraft's F-84 Thunderjet flew 86,000 missions during that conflict. It is credited with inflicting a stunning 60%% of the total target damage during the war, and its pilots downed eight MiGs. The first jet fighter to utilize in-flight refueling, and the first to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds, the F-84G model Thunderjet could also carry a nuclear payload in the form of a Mark 7 bomb. Over 7,500 were produced, including a swept-wing Thunderstreak variant. They flew for Strategic Air Command as late as 1957. Originally printed by Republic and the U.S. Air Force, this F-84 Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Designed by Lockheed's legendary engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the F-80 (first designated P-80) "Shooting Star" was one of the world's first operational jet fighter aircraft. After it missed seeing combat in WWII - four prototype aircraft were in Europe at war's end - the plane drew first blood in Korea in 1950. Variants included a photo recon version and the two-seat T-33, both of which saw heavy service in air forces around the world. Originally printed by Lockheed and the United States Air Force in the 1950s, this F-80 Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

The F-111 Aardvark flew 4000 combat missions during the Vietnam War, struck Libya in 1986, and saw action during Operation Desert Storm. Originally designed as a medium-range fighter-bomber, the versatile aircraft proved its meddle as a strategic bomber, tractical strike aircraft, and reconnaissance platform. When it debuted in 1964, the F-111 ushered in a new era. Equipped with variable-geometry wings, afterburning turbofan engines, and terrain-following radar, the high-tech F-111 was truly groundbreaking. Originally printed by General Dynamics and the United States Air Force in the 1960s, this F-111 Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

An improvement over the Bell X-1 - the first plane to break the sound barrier in level flight - the X-1A was designed to reach Mach 2.0. Initial test flights commenced in January of 1953. On December 12th, test pilot Charles "Chuck" Yeager set a record with the aircraft, reaching a speed of Mach 2.43 at 75,000 feet. In 1954, pilot Maj. Arthur Murray flew the plane to a new altitude record of 90,440 feet. Roughly a year later, the X-1A was severely damaged by an explosion while strapped to its B-29 mother ship. The plane was jettisoned and destroyed. Variants of the design, including the X-1B, X-1D, and X-1E continued to fly as late as 1958. Originally printed by the U.S. Air Force and NACA / NASA, this handbook provides a fascinating glimpse inside the cockpit of one of history's great planes. Classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

Built as both a fighter-interceptor and fighter-bomber, the F-86 Sabre (sometimes called the Sabrejet) was one of the most widely-produced fighters of the Cold War. In December of 1950, three squadrons of Sabres were rushed into combat in Korea, where they dueled North Korean, Chinese and Russian pilots flying the MiG-15. By the time the war was over, F-86 pilots achieved a stunning victory ratio - destroying nearly 800 enemy aircraft with a loss of only 76 Sabres. The nimble jet also saw combat in the Taiwan Straight Crisis and the Indo-Pakistan Wars of 1965 and 1971. Originally printed by North American and the U.S. Air Force, this F-86 Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.