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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

Air Weapons for the Cold War, 1946-1962

F-8E and U-2

Page 6

The U-2 story
Combat planes were also influenced by major developments of non-combat types. Tankers built for inflight refueling greatly extended the reach of the bomber, as told in the following chapters. And development of the U-2 high altitude reconnaissance plane changed the strategic bombing situation.

F-8E

During World War II and the Korean War, modified bombers and long-range fighters did strategic reconnaissance. The idea of a type designed only for that mission did result in the Hughes XF-11 and Republic XF-12, but both ended in the prototype stage. Air Force leaders limited by post-war budgets rejected investment in aircraft types that were only able to take pictures, and not have any fighting potential. But the best of bombers cannot bomb until they know where their targets are.

President Dwight Eisenhower met with scientific advisors on March 27, 1954, about his concern that Soviet H-bomb and Myasishchev M-4 bomber development created the possibility of a surprise attack. Only actual overflight photography could assess the situation, but escaping interception would require flying over 70,000 feet. No aircraft then planned for the Air Force could do that.

Lockheed designer Kelly Johnson had offered the USAF a remarkable "super glider" design the previous year, but General LeMay rejected the frail project as unsuitable, and the Martin RB-57 was ordered instead. But other presidential advisors recognized the Lockheed's possibilities. Eisenhower insisted that the flights be made secretly, assigning the program to the CIA. LOCKHEED U-2C

Lockheed received a secret CIA letter contract December 22, 1954, for 20 aircraft, and the order was increased to 49 by a January 1956 Air Force contract to provide a SAC squadron. The first example, designated U-2 to disguise its real role, made its first flight from the secret Groom Lake base on August 4, 1955, piloted by Tony LeVier.

Essentially, the U-2 was a single-seat long-range sailplane built as light as possible. The first were powered by a 10,200-pound thrust Pratt & Whitney J57-P-37, but those engines were replaced by the 13,000-pound thrust J57-P-31. Redesignated U-2B, the aircraft had another upgrade in 1959 with a J75-P-13 and newer cameras, resulting in the U-2C model.

The wide-winged U-2B lifted its special A-2 camera system up to 70,600 feet at the beginning of its cruise, rising to 73,100 feet as fuel was burned off. During tests a 74,500-foot ceiling was reached, and fuel was provided for ten hours flying. Because of the delicate construction, it was limited to Mach 0.8 (453 mph) at high altitudes and less than half that at low levels. Yet the U-2 had to stay quite close to those speeds to avoid stalling.

After a U-2B detachment in Germany flew three overflights of Eastern Europe beginning June 20, 1956, the first five overflights of the Soviet Union were made from the 4th to the 10th of July. Covering Leningrad, Moscow, and major bomber bases, they were detected, but MiG-17s were unable to fly high enough to intercept the U-2s.

By the time presidential authorization of overflights was suspended in December, it was proven that the M-4 threat had been greatly exaggerated. In August 1957, overflights resumed from Turkish and Pakistan bases to study intercontinental missile and nuclear test sights in Central Asia. Most U-2 missions, however. were peripheral ELINT flights and extensive Middle East observations.

There were 23 successful deep penetrations of the USSR before May 1, 1960, when Gary Powers' U-2C became the first downed by a SA-2 (surface-to-air missile). Afterwards, surveillance of the USSR became the responsibility of the Corona satellite program.

Chinese pilots usually made overflights of China from the Nationalist Air Force on Taiwan. Their borrowed U-2s made 102 overflights on routes usually selected by Americans, as well as 118 coastal missions, from January 13, 1962, to April, 1974, despite the loss of five U-2s to SA-2 missiles.

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