Thomason, Tommy H. U.S. Naval Air Superiority

Development of Shipborne Jet Fighters 1943-2023

The superiority of jet fighters in aerial combat, which became apparent towards the end of the Second World War, presented the US Navy with a major problem. Aircraft that take off and land from aircraft carriers must meet additional and complex design requirements. Thanks to the experience and innovative designs of its aircraft manufacturers, the Navy had propeller-driven combat aircraft that were in no way inferior to their land-based opponents. Now it had to repeat this feat with a higher degree of difficulty the inherent limitations of jet propulsion could not have been more unfavourable for safe and routine operation on aircraft carriers. This is a new and expanded edition of a book that examines the US Navy's internal struggles to adapt jet propulsion to its warfare, as well as the development and evolution of carrier-based combat aircraft, their airframes and engines from the final days of World War II to the 1990s. The book describes the turbulent design and development phase of the Navy's carrier-based combat aircraft programme. From successful designs such as the Fury, Banshee, Crusader and Phantom II to also-rans such as the Fireball, Demon, Pirate and Cutlass, the book weighs the Navy's requirements against the demands of contractors and politicians, as well as the limitations of the developing engine and aerodynamic technologies of the time. The successful transition to powerful carrier-based jet fighters was not achieved by aircraft and engine manufacturers alone. Timely and well-thought-out innovations in aircraft carrier design, operational procedures, training and equipment were also necessary. The previous edition covered the history up to 1962. This edition has been expanded to include new chapters on the F6D/F-111B, F-14A/B/C/D and F-18A/B/C/D. Important events after 1993 are also covered, including the retirement of the F-14 and the Legacy F-18, the introduction of the F-18E/F, F-35C and unmanned aerial refuelling programmes. This book contains numerous photos and illustrations, including cutaway views of engines, comparison charts of aircraft, and details of safety improvements to aircraft carriers that allow the use of higher-speed and heavier jets.