Ki-61 and Ki-100 Aces (Aircraft of the Aces)

This is the story of the elite Japanese Army Air force (JAAF) aces that flew the Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien (Swallow), and the Ki-100 Goshikisen in the Pacific Theatre of World War 2. The former, codenamed 'Tony' by the allies, was a technically excellent aircraft, possessing power, stability and a good rate of climb - differing radically from the usual Japanese philosophy of building light, ultra-manoeuvrable fighters. Its pilots soon realised, however, that the type was plagued by a number of dangerous mechanical issues. Then as the war moved relentlessly closer to Japan's doorstep, a desperate, expedient innovation to the Ki-61 airframe by fitting it with a radial instead of inline engine resulted in one of the finest fighters of World War 2 - the Ki-100. This book uses the latest findings to provide a gripping account of some of the most remarkable and hard-pressed fighter pilots of the war. It reveals how these men, unlike so many of their unfortunate late-war colleagues, could surprise Allied aircraft in high-performance fighters and claim successes in the face of enormous odds.

• J2M Raiden and N1K1/2 Shiden/Shiden-Kai Aces (Aircraft of the Aces)
• A6M Zero-sen Aces 1940-42 (Aircraft of the Aces)
• Ki-43 'Oscar' Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
• F4U Corsair vs Ki-84 "Frank": Pacific Theater 1945 (Duel)
• Nakajima B5N 'Kate' and B6N 'Jill' Units (Combat Aircraft)
• B-29 Hunters of the JAAF (Osprey Aviation Elite 5)
• Wings of the Rising Sun: Uncovering the Secrets of Japanese Fighters and Bombers of World War II
• Guadalcanal 1942-43: Japan's bid to knock out Henderson Field and the Cactus Air Force (Air Campaign)
• Ki-44 'Tojo' Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
• Me 210/410 Zerstörer Units (Combat Aircraft)