{"title":"Books by Peter E. Davies","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781472865038","title":"B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1992–2025","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn illustrated study of the ongoing career of the iconic B-52, chronicling its frontline service after Operation \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e in 1991.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst flown in 1955, the B-52 has become an icon of deterrence and the long reach of American air power. The aircraft was conceived as a long-range nuclear bomber, but its versatility saw it used as a heavy-weight ‘bomb truck’ in Vietnam and a launcher of stand-off air-to-ground missiles during Operation \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e. Following the First Gulf War, B-52s have continued to see combat, undertaking close air support missions during patrols above Al-Qaeda insurgents and Taliban forces in Afghanistan from 2001–03 for example, and have upheld their reputation as America’s ‘Big Stick’ by acting as a deterrent in situations such as the Chinese friction with Taiwan in 2023.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this illustrated volume, combat aircraft expert Peter E Davies draws on fresh research and first-hand accounts to tell the story of the later career of this iconic and enduring aircraft, examining its service from Operation \u003ci\u003eDesert Storm\u003c\/i\u003e onwards. Twenty-two newly commissioned profile artworks complement a variety of photographs from both official and private collections, demonstrating the colour schemes, nose art and new weapons that have become features of late-20th and 21st-century B-52 units.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897385238901,"sku":"9781472865038","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472865038_c11acf37-0b84-4d70-b61a-4b226bbf2c03.jpg?v=1786020391"},{"product_id":"9781472840677","title":"F-102 Delta Dagger Units","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWorld War II saw the development of the heavy bomber as a decisive weapon which, in sufficient numbers, could overcome defensive fighters and guns and lay waste to strategic targets.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe addition of nuclear weapons to the bomber’s armament made it even more formidable, and by the late 1940s, US planners saw the growth of a Soviet nuclear-armed bomber fleet as a terrifying threat to North American security. Conventional subsonic fighters with guns and free-flight air-to-air rockets would be incapable of reaching these incoming bombers in time to prevent even one from delivering a devastating nuclear attack. As a result, supersonic speed, long-range guided missiles and precise radar-based control of an interception became prerequisites for a new breed of fighters, beginning with the F-102. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA massive research and development effort produced the F-102A ‘1954 Fighter’, the J57 afterburning turbojet, its Hughes MX-1554 fire control system and, in due course, the Semi-Active Ground Environment (SAGE) radar and communications network that covered North America to guide its airborne defences. In service, F-102As also provided air defence in Europe with USAFE, in the Far East and in Southeast Asia, where they protected US airbases in South Vietnam and Thailand from air attack by North Vietnamese fighters and bombers and escorted B-52s and fighter-bombers on their attack sorties. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis illustrated study from leading expert Peter E. Davis details the design, development, and deployment of the futuristic F-102, including its complex research program and role in Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56300139676021,"sku":"9781472840677","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472840677_e27e151c-d14d-4e76-8e52-42b6ee976845.jpg?v=1786020747"},{"product_id":"9781472845078","title":"B\/EB-66 Destroyer Units in Combat","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWithout the bravery and skill of EB-66 operators, US losses would undoubtedly have been much higher during the Vietnam War, with large tactical strikes on North Vietnam and \u003ci\u003eArc Light \u003c\/i\u003eB-52 raids only available when EB-66 support was possible.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStudies of air combat in the Vietnam War inevitably focus on the MiG-killing fighter engagements, B-52 onslaughts or tactical strikes on the Hanoi region. However, underlying all these was the secretive ‘electron war’ in which highly-skilled electronic warfare officers duelled with Soviet and North Vietnamese radar operators in the attempt to enable US strike forces to reach their targets with minimal losses. Orbiting at the edge of heavily-defended territory, the vulnerable EB-66s identified and jammed the enemy’s radar frequencies with electronic emissions and chaff to protect the American bombers. Their hazardous missions resulted in six combat losses, four of them to SA-2 missiles and one to a MiG-21, and they became prime targets for North Vietnamese defences when their importance was realised. \u003cbr\u003eThis illustrated study focuses on the oft-overlooked B-66 series, examining their vital contributions to the Vietnam War and the bravery of those who operated them in some of the most challenging situations imaginable.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAuthor Peter E. 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The aircraft also provided the US nuclear deterrent until the faster B-52 became available in 1955. It was one of the first aircraft to use substantial amounts of magnesium in its structure, leading to the bomber’s ‘Magnesium Overcast’ nickname.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt earned many superlatives due to the size and complexity of its structure, which used 27 miles of wiring, had a wingspan longer than the Wright brothers’ first flight, equivalent engine power to 400 cars, the same internal capacity as three five-room houses and 27,000 gallons of internal fuel – enough to propel a car around the world 18 times. Much was made of the fact that the wing was deep enough to allow engineers to enter it and maintain the engines in flight. B-36s continued in the bomber and reconnaissance role until their retirement in February 1959 following 11 years in SAC. Convair employees were invited to suggest names for the giant aircraft, eliciting suggestions such as ‘King Kong Bomber’, ‘Condor’, ‘Texan’ and ‘Unbelievable’, but the most popular was ‘Peacemaker’. 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