Modern Fighting Helicopters - Full Details of the Aircraft, Theirt Weapons Systems & the Combat Tactics

London: Tiger Books International Plc. Very Good/Very Good. 1981. Hard Cover. 4to 1855011646 Dust jacket price clipped. DJ in protective sleeve.Green cloth with bright gilt lettering on spine. No inscription. 208 pages clean and tight. Today's military helicopters are remarkably versatile and potent fighting aircraft. They perform vital functions, both over the land battlefield and at sea, and as their capabilities have grown so has the diversity of missions that they fly: anti-tank and ground attack; scouting and reconnaissance; troop and cargo transport; search-and-rescue and casevac; antisubmarine patrol; anti-ship attack; over the-horizon missile targeting; airborne early warning; command and control, ECM and Elint missions; naval gunfire support; minesweeping. The list is impressive, and gives a clear idea of how important are the roles that helicopters fulfil. In this superbly illustrated book the authors explore in depth the technology, combat performance and mission equipment of all contemporary helicopters in military service, plus those scheduled to come into service in the near future. The book is divided into three parts. The first is concerned with helicopter technology, and it explains in detail how a helicopter is constructed, how it actually works, and what are the functions of the various systems incorporated within it. The topics covered include airframes and rotors; propulsion units; cockpits; visionics and sensors; armament and mission equipment; protective systems; and future trends. The section is liberally illustrated with colour photographs, explanatory diagrams and charts. The second section features the helicopters and their weapons. Forty-five aircraft are included, and each is depicted in superb double-page colour artwork, drawn with all available weapons loads and associated stores arrayed alongside it. No other book has attempted to illustrate helicopters in such fascinating detail. The accompanying text provides full specification and information on each machine, while extensive captions identify all the stores displayed. How aircraft and weapons systems are actually deployed in combat is the subject of the final section: missions and tactics. This part of the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the missions that helicopters are required to fly and the tactics and flight manoeuvres that have been developed to this end. It is illustrated with specially researched diagrams, mission profile drawings, and an exciting selection of dramatic colour photographs. It provides a fitting conclusion to what can justly claim to be the most informative and best illustrated book ever published on helicopters in combat. .