Organized chronologically, this book includes all-time greats, such as the highly-adaptable P-51 Mustang bomber escort, the carrier-based F6F Hellcat--which outperformed the legendary Japanese A6M Zero fighter--and the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, with its distinctive twin-boom design; as well as lesser-known types, such as the Boeing P-26 Peashooter, the high-altitude Republic P-43 Lancer, and the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, the USAAF's only operational jet fighter during the war. The entries are accompanied by exhaustive captions and specifications. The guide is illustrated with profile artworks and three-views, as well as two-page dynamic artworks of some of the more famous aircraft in service, such as the P-40 Warhawk ground-attack variant, the twin-engine P-61 Black Widow night-fighter, and the robust P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bomber.