US Air Power, 1945-1990: Volume 2: Bombers 1945-1949. Part 2: Bomber Requirements, Bomber Types and Experimental Prototypes

“…intrigued with war plans that tried to put atomic bombs within the context of policy.” -Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the air forces of the United States faced unprecedented challenges. At a stroke, the fleets of bombers that had helped to bring victory in the skies over Europe and the Pacific were rendered obsolete by the twin inventions of the atomic bomb and the jet engine. US Air Power 1945–1990 Volume 2: Bombers 1945–1949 Part 2: Bomber Requirements, Bomber Types and Experimental Prototypes continues to tell the story of the development of US airpower in the period running up to the start of the war in Korea.

This second part of Volume 2 continues the detailed examination of the development of the US bomber force in the years immediately following the Second World War. A new era of weapon and aircraft technologies demanded new aircraft capable of delivering atomic weapons deep into the heart of the USSR. This volume examines the development of the new engines needed for a fleet of aircraft ever-growing in size and complexity and constantly pushing the development envelope.

This volume also provides a detailed type history of the aircraft that would enter full production, along with those that while only progressing to the design or prototype stages nevertheless proved important in the overall progress of this new post-war generation of land-based bomber aircraft designed for the independent USAF.