The Fight in the Clouds: The Extraordinary Combat Experience of P-51 Mustang Pilots During World War II

ISBN: 076034518X

Author: Busha, James P.

Condition: New

Get as close as youll get to a World War II-era P-51 Mustang without flying one yourself with this spellbinding collection of tales from the men who actually flew the planes into war.The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang first started appearing in real numbers in 1943, at the climax of the Allied campaign in World War II. Able to fly long ranges, it was the perfect escort, keeping bombers protected all the way from Allied bases in Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific to a variety of Axis industrial targets and military installations and back. The Mustang would go on to provide pivotal air support on D-Day, and by the end of the war, the P-51 would be responsible for nearly half of all enemy aircraft shot down.In The Fight in the Clouds, aviation writer and EAA Warbirds of America editor James P. Busha draws on interviews conducted with dozens of veteran P-51 pilots to trace the progress of war through the mens exciting, chronologically organized experiences. Youll encounter: Mustangs tangling with Soviet-built Yaks A Mustang ace shooting down an Me 262 Stormbird An epic long-range battle over the Pacific Ocean And a score of other riveting accounts underscoring the P-51s versatility and its vital importance to the Allied victoryBolstered by Bushas own commentary and historical analysis, along with a gallery of rare black-and-white period photographs, The Fight in the Clouds offers a cockpit-seat view of one of WWIIs most celebrated aircraft and the men who bravely flew it into harms way.