Air-to-Air Missiles: Development and Combat Across 80 Years: Volume 2: First Generation and Early Experiences:: Technology@War #11 softcover
Air-to-Air Missiles: Development and Combat Across 80 Years: Volume 2: First Generation and Early Experiences, 1944-1967: Helion Technology at War Series #11: Technology@War #11 softcover
This is the second of six volumes detailing the 80-year history of air-to-air missiles (AAM) as combat aircraft weapons. It is the only comprehensive book on this subject. The first volume provides the technical description of AAM, describes how they are developed and fielded, the tactics for employing them, and an appreciation for why so many AAM shots miss their target. That content lays the foundation for understanding the subsequent volumes, but each also stands alone. Volume 2 describes the development and fielding of AAM during the Second World War and the early post-war period by all countries participating. Each new missile type and model of the period are described with motivation to undertake the program, details of development including flight test, a general description, advantages and disadvantages, production and fielding where applicable, and service experience. A table of characteristics, technical diagrams, and photographs of the weapons and installation on fighter aircraft are provided. Each missile is also illustrated with a profile line drawing with scale. The combat record with these earliest missiles is then reviewed with background on the conflict, the aircraft in combat with the AAM, and then tables of ‘kills.’ Period photographs of the combat aircraft with AAM is included. All this lends an appreciation of the evolution of AAM, technologically and via combat experience, as supported by this first generation of missiles. It naturally leads to the next volume and subsequent generation of AAM.
Published January 2026, 98 pages, 74 black & white and 23 colour photographs, 207 black & white and 35 colour illustrations, 21 color profiles, 2 colour maps, 34 tables, bibliography, softcover, A4 format 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" inches
Helion @War Series
The Helion at War series, which began publishing around 2010, covers wars from around the world broken down by region: Africa@War, Asia@War, Europe@War, LatinAmerica@War, MiddleEast@War and Technology@War . Some titles cover both ground and aviation aspects of the respective conflict, and some cover a subject over several volumes, broken down by time period. Each title contains extensive photographic coverage, in black & white and colour, detailed maps, as well as colour profiles and illustrations of aircraft, vehicles, and in some cases uniforms and weapons.
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