Douglas Militärflugzeuge: Bücher - Geschichte und Technik

SBD Dauntless: Douglas's US Navy and Marine Corps Dive-Bomber in World War II (Legends of Warfare)

The Douglas Dauntless was the US Navy's frontline dive-bomber in the early days of WWII. Even after the larger and more powerful Helldiver joined the fleet in the later stages of the war, the Dauntless remained in the fray, flying from the decks of escort carriers, which were too small to permit the operation of the later aircraft, as well as continuing to serve from the decks of fleet carriers.
The Dauntless took part in many of the most notable battles of the war in the Pacific, including Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal.

Carefully researched war-era photos are augmented with color images of current-day preserved aircraft, capturing the details of this flying legend. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2 (Osprey)

Unquestionably the most successful dive-bomber ever to see frontline service with any air arm, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the scourge of the Japanese Imperial Fleet in the crucial years of the Pacific War. The revolutionary all-metal stressed-skin design of the SBD exhibited airframe strength that made it an ideal dive-bomber, its broad wing, with horizontal centre section and sharply tapered outer panels with dihedral, boasting perforated split flaps that doubled as dive brakes during the steep bombing attacks.

Contents: The Scout-Bombing Mission - Early Combat - Coral Sea and Midway - Guadalcanal and the Solomons - Central Pacific and the Philippines - Banshees and Foreign Dauntlesses - Perspective - Appendices.

Douglas TBD Devastator : America's First World War II Torpedo Bomber (Legends of Warfare)

The Douglas Devastator was the US Navy's first all-metal combat aircraft, the Navy's first airplane with a fully enclosed cockpit, the first aircraft to have hydraulically folding wings, and the first US Navy torpedo bomber to see combat.
Although facing staggering losses in the early stages of the war in the Pacific, the brave men flying the Devastator from the decks of such famed ships as Enterprise, Hornet, Yorktown, and Lexington held the line against the enemy.

Through carefully researched photos, many of which have never before been published and which are reproduced in remarkable clarity, the history and details of this iconic aircraft are revealed.
This clarity, and the large size of many of the photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, puts the reader in the skies with this historic aircraft.

TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy (Osprey)

The first monoplane aircraft ordered by the US Navy for carrier operations, the Douglas TBD Devastator was designed to fulfil a requirement for a new torpedo bomber. Just 129 were built, and when it entered service it was the most modern aircraft of its type anywhere in the world.
Its only real taste of action came on 4 June 1942 in the pivotal Battle of Midway, when 35 were shot down in a clash with Japanese A6M Zero fighters. The aircraft was replaced by the Grumman Avenger weeks later.

This book tells the story of the TBD Devastator Units in service with the US Navy.

A-20 Havoc: Douglas's Attack Bomber / Night Fighter in WWII (Legends of Warfare)

The A-20 Havoc, known to the British as the Boston, was built by Douglas and Boeing during WWII and arguably became the most famous of the attack aircraft fielded by the United States during that war.

This volume traces the aircraft from the prewar Douglas 7B through the many versions of the aircraft used by the US, French, British, and Russian forces during the course of the war.
The story of these iconic WWII aircraft is told through carefully researched photos, many of which have never before been published, which are reproduced in remarkable clarity.
Large, clear photos, coupled with descriptive and informative captions, unlock the secrets of this aircraft.

The Douglas A-20 Havoc : From Drawing Board to Peerless Allied Light Bomber

Of all the Allied bombers of WWII, the Douglas A-20 Havoc is probably the least well known, but was a major contributor to the air war effort, flying yeoman and unheralded missions not only for the USAAF, but also for the Royal Air Forces of Britain, South Africa, and Australia; the Vichy and Free French Air Forces; and most importantly, for the Soviet Army and Navy Air Forces, where more A-20s flew than with the USAAF.

This is the sixth in the "Ultimate Look" series and presents the same meticulous depth of research as the other books, using a multitude of original sources, technical manuals, and photographs.
It includes an in-depth look into the history of the Douglas Company, its founder, Donald Douglas, and its legendary designer, Ed Heinemann.

This book is truly the definitive look at the Havoc.

A-26 Invader: Douglas A-26/B-26 from WWII through Vietnam (Legends of Warfare)

NEU

The Douglas Invader has the distinction of being used by the United States in a combat role in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Originally created as an attack aircraft, with the designation A-26, the Invader was intended to replace the Douglas A-20, North American B-25, and Martin B-26 in the US Army Air Forces. However, production delays prevented the aircraft from reaching the field until June 1944.

With up to 14 forward-firing .50-caliber machine guns as well as bombs and rockets, the Invader was well suited for ground strikes when war broke out in Korea in 1951. The Invader returned to combat during that war, carrying the markings of the US Air Force and redesignated B-26.
Used first by the French during their war in Indochina, Invaders later returned to the skies over Vietnam in the hands of American as well as South Vietnamese crews.
In order to base the type in Thailand, which prohibited the USAF from basing bombers in the country, the Invader was once more classified as an attack aircraft, and the A-26 designation returned.

This volume is profusely illustrated with over 250 photos, including vintage color, as well as profile illustrations and line drawings.

Douglas A-26 Invader (WarbirdTech)

A technical look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Douglas A-26 Invader through tech manual excerpts, cutaways, photos, etc.

A-26 Invader - Pilot's Flight Operation Instructions

One of the only aircraft to fly and fight in three wars: World War II, Korea and Vietnam - the Douglas A-26 Invader earned a reputation for its durability under fire.First flown in 1942, the Invader (known after 1948 as the B-26) featured a single pilot, with a navigator bombardier sitting in the co-pilot's position. Many B-26's served as transport and fire-fighting aircraft after their combat service.
This 150-page reproduction of an original A-26 Pilot's Flight Manual gives a rare glimpse into the cockpit of this Warbird.

A-26 Invader Units of World War 2 (Osprey)

Designed to combine the bombing capability of the B-26 Marauder with the versatility of the ground-attack A-20 Havoc, the A-26 Invader would become the USAAF's attack bomber par excellence. Capable of flying low-level strafing or conventional bombing missions by simply changing the nose configuration of the aircraft, the Invader first saw action in 1943 in the Pacific Theatre attacking Japanese-held islands.
Arriving in Europe several months later, the A-26 served with distinction for the remainder of World War 2. In fact, the design proved so successful that it would go on to fly combat missions for a further two decades.

Written by military aviation expert, Jerry Scutts, and illustrated with brand-new colour profiles and rare photography, this is the first book to focus exclusively on the A-26's missions in World War 2.

Contents: Arnold's baby - Pacific Puncher - Out with the Old - In the Groove - Softening-up for Olympic - New weapons, new roles - Appendices.

Douglas B-18 Bolo : The Ultimate Look - From Drawing Board to U-Boat Hunter

William Wolf brings his meticulous research to describe the little known Douglas B-18 Bolo which was America's most numerous front line bomber at the time of Pearl Harbor. Over the years the story of the airliner turned bomber has languished in obscurity and the few articles on the subject in popular aviation magazines have emphasized its faults and maligned it as a budget bomber that had few virtues.

Wolf's comprehensive book is the first ever on the subject and gives the reader the definitive description and appraisal of this neglected bomber's development, testing, manufacture, the aircraft per se, and combat experience.

Douglas XB-19 : An Illustrated History of America's Would-be Intercontinental Bomber

In 1935, the intent of the Army Air Corps was to build a potential intercontinental bomber, a Guardian of the Hemisphere; they granted Donald Douglas a contract to build the worlds largest bomber.
Over the past 75 years, there have only been a few magazine articles on the gigantic Douglas XB-19 bomber, usually showing it in photos dwarfing the aircraft around it. Since the XB-19 project was top secret and there was only one example, there is little information remaining for researchers.

William Wolf presents this enigmatic bomber, a Flying Laboratory that was the precursor to Americas first intercontinental bomber, the Continental B-36 Peacemaker. Wolf has used original Douglas and Army Air Force documents and very rare (as few were needed for one bomber) Erection & Maintenance Manuals in this history, which also includes never-seen-before photos and color profiles.
This volume is a must for the aviation historian, enthusiast, and modeler.