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Experimental & Prototype U.S. Air Force Jet Fighters

by Dennis R. Jenkins and Tony R. Landis, Specialty Press, North Branch Minn., 2008, $44.95

There are few things more annoying to an author than to read a new book that covers many aircraft that he has written about, and finding that the new book does a far better job. Yet despite my irritation—read embarrassment—I have to salute Dennis Jenkins and Tony Landis for their superb work on a niche subject that has not, to my knowledge, been treated in a similar fashion before.

Jenkins and Landis are veteran collaborators, and their 276-page book is literally bursting with new information on some of the most interesting aircraft of the 20th century. They complement this wealth of data with a superb selection of photos, many of which I had never seen before.

Starting with a chapter on “Innovative Dead Ends,” they provide new insight into a fascinating series of piston-engine might-have-beens, including the Vultee XP-54, Curtiss XP-55 and everyone’s favorite, the McDonnell XP-67. They then begin a systematic analysis of the parade of jet aircraft that gladdened our hearts with each appearance, right up through the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35.

One would think there would be very little new left to be said about such familiar subjects as the Bell XP-59 or the Lockheed XP-80, but one would be wrong. The authors spice the story of each new plane with new facts, and supplement the narrative with photos of everything from the wooden mock-ups to the first flights. Best of all, they include wonderful candid photos of most of the personalities involved. Part of the appeal is that the pictures of people with the aircraft give a good sense of the size of the planes. This becomes even more important as the book progresses through successively larger and more complex vehicles. This masterful work is augmented by appendices on company histories, notes and citations, and an index. It will be of immense value to any student of aircraft—or anyone writing about aviation.

 

Originally published in the January 2009 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here