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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

Mk 8, M-24A, F-102A, M-61A

Page 8

Mk 8 20-mm M-24A guns on early B-52B

The next step was a smaller bomb shaped to be carried beneath fighters, the 1,680-pound Mk 7 of 1952. Also produced as the W-7 warhead, it became a multi-purpose weapon usable on missiles and a variety of shapes that remained in service until 1967. To attack underground facilities, the Navy developed the 3,230-pound Mk 8 with delayed action detonation, instead of the airbursts of the earlier weapons. No longer were nuclear weapons a SAC monopoly, as the other forces demanded warheads to fit their needs.

Just as the first atomic explosion in 1945 had begun a new level of warfare, development of the "H-bomb" was a massive increase in the possibilities of mass destruction. A thermonuclear device yielding over ten megatons was exploded October 31, 1952, and led to tests of weaponized H-bombs by the U.S. in February 1954, and by the USSR on August 12, 1953. A Soviet Tu-95V Bear dropped a huge 20-ton bomb on October 30, 1961, that was estimated at 58-megatons, but more practical thermonuclear warheads were among thousands of weapons stockpiled in many shapes. Rockets fired from Convair F-102A

Thermonuclear weapons expanded the threat of mutual destruction and leaders on both sides of the cold war seriously questioned the path to a world war that would put civilization itself at risk. The Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963 was the first step to contain that threat.

M-61A Vulcan on
B-52H

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