Birds of Prey Predators, Reapers and America’s Newest UAVs in Combat

Birds of Prey Predators, Reapers and America’s Newest UAVs in Combat

Although primitive unmanned TV-guided airplanes were used in combat during World War II, it is only recently that these machines have matured into the most significant new method of aerial combat since the beginning of contemporary warfare. The fact that onboard human pilots are no longer needed for these aircraft to carry out their deadly missions is fascinating for military enthusiasts and aviation historians alike. These remotely piloted vehicles are now re-writing the book on modern aerial surveillance and close air support. Delivering their lethal payloads with surgical precision, propeller-driven and jet-powered remotely piloted aircraft are guided by satellite, and flown by human operators located halfway around the world in air-conditioned trailers, isolated from the hostile combat environment of the aircraft themselves. While this book also covers the history and development of early-unmanned aerial vehicles, the focus is on all the latest impressive technology used in today’s most modern remotely piloted combat aircraft.

Lockheed Blackbirds – Warbird Tech Volume 10

Lockheed Blackbirds – Warbird Tech Volume 10

On 26 April 1962, Lockheed test pilot Lou Schalk took the first flight in an aircraft at a classified desert test facility in Nevada. The aircraft was far more advanced than anything in the sky, and when made public several years later it would capture the world’s fascination like few other aircraft ever have. Three distinct variants were eventually manufactured, but surprisingly, none of them ever had an official name. Unofficially, they have all been referred to as “Blackbirds” and “Habu,” the fastest, highest flying air-breathing aircraft in the world. The Lockheed model number of the first variant was A-12, but by a sort of inspired perversity it came to be called Oxcart, a code name also applied to the program under which it was developed. The other two variants carried the Air Force designations YF-12 and SR-71. This is the story of the Lockheed Blackbirds – fifty of the fastest, highest-flying air-breathing aircraft ever developed and deployed. This book is crammed with detailed photos and illustrations and is a fantastic resource for scale model builders. Photos in this edition are black and white.