Attack and Interceptor Jets

by Michael Sharpe

The first faltering steps into military jet technology were made nearly three-quarters of a century ago, in the time of canvas-and-wire airplanes and steam engines; since then, the results, thanks to jet pioneers throughout the world, have been nothing less than revolutionary. These 300 aircraft that have flown from World War II on, including some still in service, showcase the Messerschmitt Me 262, English Electric Lightning, Lockheed SR-71; North American F-86 Sabre, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, Saab Draken, Suhkoi Su-27 "Flanker," and McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Jon Mellberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first glance this appears to be little more than roughly 300 jet airplanes with their brief stats/figures and a short, summary paragraph to describe each one. Yet by the time I was done reading all them I learned quite a bit! For instance, it was no uncommon for these development programs to have extremely long gestation periods (sometimes 5, 10, 15 years or more from concept to delivery). The history of the development of jet technology was also quite interesting (allies were spurred by German proficiency before and during WWII) as well as the rivalries (after WWII, the new threat was, over time, the Soviets, who had many great rival jet fighters, etc.). It’s also fascinating that renowned jets and fighters could often have 20, 30, or even 40 year service lives!

Worth reading for another jet/plane enthusiast. Technically speaking this book is not without occasional spelling/grammar errors, and the book is unavoidably repetitive but that is not a reason to avoid the book.