American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is the only complete reference to all the airplanes that created American airpower. It tells the story of the marriage between aircraft and war. Every combat type built in the United States for the Air Force, Navy, or for foreign governments, is included, together with foreign aircraft bought for American fighting units.All the planes designed to attack an enemy with guns, bombs, or rockets are described, along with armed reconnaissance aircraft, and those derived from fighter designs, providing a quick reference for each type. Along with famous mass-production types, like the Liberator, Mustang, and Hellcat, with their major modifications, all the little-known experimental projects are included and compared.Ray Wagner's definitive work arranges all those planes by their fighting purpose and appearance in history. Even by simply viewing their photographs page by page, the reader sees the story of combat plane design over the years. Below each picture are the vital facts of each type: the engine's name and power, how big and how heavy that plane is, as well as how fast, how high, and how far it can go.As the reader follows the text, he learns who made these planes and when. What could each plane do, how many were made, and where were they used? Why each combat plane was built is the most important question, and is best answered by placing each design in the historical context in which it was developed, from America's entrance into World War One in 1917 to Operation Allied Force in 1999. World War Two is the center focus, along with insights on aircraft involved with conflicts in Nicaragua, China, Spain, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq.The bibliography indicates this history's primary sources and is a readers? guide to the many books and publications to expand your interests.