[dragon53]

Can anyone recommend a good, comprehensive book on warplanes which discusses how they performed in combat?

I already have a number of reference books which provides the quantitative info (speed, size, armament, models, etc.) but they don't discuss how these warplanes performed in combat. I'm looking for a book that is qualitative---it discusses the quality of how combat effective each warplane was.

[Cruver Collecter]

Duels in the Sky World War II Naval Aircraft in Combat written by Captain Eric M. Brown, RN may be a book you might want to check out. The books author was a test pilot in the Royal Navy and at the time this book was written held the record for the flying the greatest variety of aircraft (487) and for completing the greatest number of carrier landings (2,400). In the book he compares how certain aircraft would have matched up in combat and ends book with his call on the greatest fighter of WWII, greatest naval fighter of WWII, most effective dive bomber of WWII and top torpedo bomber of WWII. Book covers not just naval aircraft, but land based planes too. He throws in some odd matches like Coursair versus Fw 190A-4 and F6F Hellcat versus Messerschmitt 109G-6 are a couple of examples. French, Italian, German, British and United States aircraft are covered in this writing (No Soviet aircraft for some reason?). This book definitely makes for some fun reading.

[bsmith13]

Hmmm.

The only thing that comes to mind is a book I read recently; "Fire in the Sky" by Eric Bergerud. This book is not exactly easy reading, as Bergerud is sort of writing on a doctoral thesis level. However, the section on comparitive strengths and weaknesses, as well as the tactics employed by both sides in the Pacific are well worth slugging through the more cerebral sections.

There are also the Osprey "Vs" books, though I haven't read them, and I understand that the first one (Mustang vs Fw-190) is a little light on detail.

[dragon53]

Thanks.
I was looking for a comprehensive book that covers World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, with an emphasis on World War II (because there were so many types of warplanes).
Any more suggestions would be appreciated.

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by Cruver Collecter

Duels in the Sky World War II Naval Aircraft in Combat written by Captain Eric M. Brown, RN may be a book you might want to check out. The books author was a test pilot in the Royal Navy and at the time this book was written held the record for the flying the greatest variety of aircraft (487) and for completing the greatest number of carrier landings (2,400). In the book he compares how certain aircraft would have matched up in combat and ends book with his call on the greatest fighter of WWII, greatest naval fighter of WWII, most effective dive bomber of WWII and top torpedo bomber of WWII. Book covers not just naval aircraft, but land based planes too. He throws in some odd matches like Coursair versus Fw 190A-4 and F6F Hellcat versus Messerschmitt 109G-6 are a couple of examples. French, Italian, German, British and United States aircraft are covered in this writing (No Soviet aircraft for some reason?). This book definitely makes for some fun reading.

Funny enough, when I read dragon53's initial post, I was gonna suggest EXACTLY the same book (which I've had for around 14 years now), but, scrolling down, Cruver, you've beat me to it !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cruver Collecter]

Originally Posted by Hornchurch

Funny enough, when I read dragon53's initial post, I was gonna suggest EXACTLY the same book (which I've had for around 14 years now), but, scrolling down, Cruver, you've beat me to it !!!!!!!!!!!!

We must have picked up the book around the same time period. For what dragon53 is looking for, this book probably does the best job representing the WWII period (With the exception of Soviet aircraft). It is really an excellent book for anyone who is interested in WWII aviation history.

[Rush104]

I'd try the Aerospace Encyclopedia of Air Warfare, Vol. 1 and 2, from Airtime Publishing. Check out Airtime's website for more info.