Lanasta - Warplane – serie

From 1949 to 2006 the English Electric Canberra has served in the frontline of the Royal Air Force around the world. The Canberra became the UK's first jet bomber, although that was not its only role, undertaking other tasks such as, pilot/navigator training, photographic reconnaissance, target-tag and electronic countermeasures duties to name a few.The story of the Canberra came to a close for the RAF on the 22nd June 2006 when the last remaining Canberra PR.9s retiring from service life after returning from operational duties. The author had the honour to serve with them in their twilight days of their careers. This book presents an overview of the development and operational use of the ‘English Electric Canberra’ with many photos and illustrations.

In 1937 The Glen Martin company started with the design of the model I62. This was a design for a twin engine high-wing monoplane flying boat with an inverted gull wing. As power plant one of the most powerful air-cooled radial engines then available was selected: the Wright R-200-6 Cyclone of 1600 hp maximum take-off power.

The most successful British jet fighter produced was without doubt the sleek and graceful Hawker Hunter. As usual for every new aircraft type it had its share of teething problems, but once these were all adequately solved the U.K. had at that time one of the best jet fighters available. It was built in large numbers and exported to many countries. This book presents an overview of the development and operational use of the ‘Hawker Hunter’ jet with many photos and illustrations.

One of the lesser-known fighter aircraft of World War II was the Brewster Buffalo, or, using the U.S. Navy designation system, the F2A. By some historians the Buffalo is regarded as an outright failure, but this is a rating this stubby little fighter did not deserve. This book presents an overview of the development and operational use of the Buffalo with many photos including a number not published before.

When the B-58 Hustler bomber entered service in 1958 it was a very futuristic looking delta wing bomber, creating a lot of sensation. Intended as a successor of the B-47 Stratojet it could reach twice the speed of sound.However, problems occurred during the development process and costs risings went so out of control that the whole project was almost cancelled a few times. Strategic Air Command was initially against ordering the B-58 for service, not only because of its complexity but also since they saw no advantage of a Mach 2 bomber over other types. Despite this the B-58 entered service at S.A.C. in 1960. It would have a relatively short operational career.

When Hungary got involved in World War II, the WM-21 Sólyom (Falcon) was the only Hungarian designed and manufactured plane in service with the Hungarian Royal Airforce. It was in widespread service as reconnaissance plane starting from 1938 onwards. In June of 1941, the machines failed to make an impression, mainly because of accidents and technical issues. The planes were diverted to the training role and were still used as such by May 1945.The Sólyom story starts in 1927, with the Fokker C.V, of which the Hungarian Royal Airforce had acquired 76, mostly built under license by Manfred Weiss (WM). WM improved the C.V, which resulted in the WM-16, with 18 built in two variants. This WM-16 paved the way for the WM-21, of which 128 examples were built.

The Blackburn Buccaneer was the first jet aircraft that was especially designed for very low flying under the radar at high subsonic speeds. It was developed in the fifties and entered service at the Royal Navy in 1962. Later, it also flew as an attack bomber at the R.A.F. and it even played a role during the Gulf War in 1991, before being retired in 1994 after an operational career that spanned three decades.

The Fiat G.91 was an Italian jet fighter aircraft. It was the winner of the NATO competition in 1953 for a light fighter as standard equipment for Allied air forces. It entered in operational service with the Italian Air Force in 1961, with the West German Luftwaffe in 1962, and later with the Portuguese Air Force. It was in production for nineteen years. 756 aircraft were completed, including the prototypes and pre-production models. The assembly lines were finally closed in 1977. The Fiat G.91 enjoyed a long service life that extended over 35 years. It was widely used by Portugal in the Portuguese Colonial War in Africa.

Built by Boeing, designated as B-47 and named the Stratojet, this plane was quantum leap in aircraft development. Initially Boeing entered the unknown when they started this project, but soon it would be evident that Strategic Air Command would have its multi-engine jet bomber with a speed performance similar to the latest jet fighters...

The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. It has the distinction of being the first military triplane to see operational service.

The CW-21 was designed during the late 1930s. It combined light weight construction with a powerful engine, which resulted in an excellent rate of climb and manoeuvrability, allowing the fighter to quickly reach the height of attacking enemy aircraft, and attack them. The prototype was sent to China as a demonstration copy and an order for three aircraft, plus a further 32 as kits, followed. These would be assembled locally. Only the three production machines arrived in the chaos of war and would never see actual combat. A second modified variant was ordered by the Dutch government and 24 were delivered to the Netherlands Indies. The CW-21s were outnumbered and outgunned when the Japanese launched their attack on the Netherlands Indies. Despite the poor outlook, the pilots flying them put up a good fight...This book presents an overview of the development and operational use of the ‘CW-21’ aircraft with many photos and illustrations.

The sturdy Fokker C.XIw was designed and built for service in the Royal Netherlands Navy. Development started in early 1934. The biplane scout was the first Dutch aircraft which could be catapult launched. At that time, a new flagship for the Netherlands East Indies Squadron was under construction and would receive a Heinkel K 8 catapult. Fifteen aircraft were ordered and served as long-range reconnaissance for the fleet from 1936 to 1942. It was mainly operated in the Netherlands Indies and stationed aboard illustrious ships such as the cruisers HNLMS De Ruyter, Java, and Tromp. This book presents an overview of the development and operational use of the ‘Fokker C.XIw’ biplane with many photos and illustrations.

The Consolidated B-32 Dominator was a powerful American bomber used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Notably, it holds the distinction of being the last Allied aircraft to see combat in the war, and its final mission also marked the last American airman to be killed in combat during World War II.