Osprey Combat Aircraft Series SC (1997-2011 OSPREY) comic books 2009

Volume 72 - 1st printing. "Vulcan Units of the Cold War!" Written by Andrew Brookes. Art by Chris Davey. The best of the three RAF jet bombers in the early years of the Cold War, the Vulcan was designed as the Avro 698, and possessed fighter-like manoeuvrability at low level despite its size. First flown in August 1952, the Vulcan entered service in February 1957. Most were equipped to carry the Blue Steel stand-off missile, but in 1966 around 50 Vulcans were re-deployed in a tactical low-level bombing role. Three flew during the Falklands War, and the last Vulcans in service were used as aerial tankers until April 1984. This book examines the design of the Vulcan, exploring the improvements made to its engine and its evolving combat role. The illustrations include many in-flight photographs and detailed colour profiles. This is a timely examination of a distinctive and ground-breaking aircraft. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 75 - 1st printing. "Junkers Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader in North Africa and the Mediterranean!" By John Weal. This volume follows the Luftwaffe's twin-engined 'Wunderbomber' southwards to describe its deployment in North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre of war. Early 1941 saw the first sporadic air raids on Malta, followed by the campaign in the Balkans which resulted in the conquests of Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete. After supporting land operations in North Africa during the latter half of 1941, the Ju 88s resumed their assault on Malta. Bringing the story to life are personal accounts of the more famous actions - the bombing of shipping off the coast of Greece and the sinking of three Royal Navy destroyers south of Crete, all illustrated with rare photographs and full-colour profiles. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 77 - 1st printing. "US Navy A-1 Skyraider Units of the Vietnam War!" Written by Rick Burgess and Zip Rausa. Art by Jim Laurier. Nicknamed the 'flying dump truck', the A-1 was a key component in naval air wings from the end of World War II into the 1960s, allowing the aircraft to play its part in the escalating conflict in Vietnam. Both A-1 attack and EA-1F airborne early warning aircraft saw action in Southeast Asia from 1960 through 1969, when the last examples were finally retired from carrier decks. The A-1s in particular bombed targets in both North and South Vietnam, despite the aircraft being highly vulnerable to enemy flak and fighters. Co-written by a two-tour Vietnam War combat veteran in the A-1, this is the first book that focuses exclusively on the aircraft's service in Vietnam. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 78 - 1st printing. "F4U Corsair Units of the Korean War!" Written by Warren Thompson. Art by Mark Styling. This book tells the story of the 26 US Navy Squadrons, most of which were carrier based, and the six Marine Corps F-4 squadrons that flew combat missions against the North Koreans. Drawing from a vast repository of personal interviews with F-4 pilots, the author paints a harrowing picture of the deadly combat of this often forgotten air war. Included in this volume is the story of Lt Guy Bordelon, the US Navy's sole ace of the Korean War, who flew an F4U-5N night-fighter against the night raiders sent up by the Korean Air Force. Supporting the text is a vast number of previously unpublished private photographs that bring the stories of these pilots to life. Finally the book contains extensive appendices that detail every unit deployment by carrier, air group, Corsair model and tail code, as well as detailed lists noting every Corsair lost in the war. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 80 - 1st printing. "Lockheed SR-71 Operations in Europe and the Middle East!" Written by Paul F Crickmore. Art by Chris Davey. First employed in the Far East over North Vietnam and North Korea, American military intelligence quickly realized the SR-71 'Blackbird's' potential value over European targets. In 1976, SR-71 Detachment 4 commenced operations from the RAF base at Middenhall in the UK. Its mission was to monitor Warsaw Pact troop movements along the Iron Curtain and photograph the various ports that were home to the Soviet Union's nuclear submarine fleet. Despite the best efforts of the USSR, they were never able to intercept a 'Blackbird' in flight.Written by an expert on SR-71 operations, this book picks up where Combat 76: Lockheed SR-71 Operations in the Far East left off. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.

Volume 81 - 1st printing. "Israeli A-4 Skyhawk Units in Combat!" Written by Shlomo Aloni. Art by Jim Laurier. The light and agile A-4 Skyhawk was the first modern American jet to be offered to the Israeli Air Force, marking the point where the US took over from France as Israel's chief military supplier. Deliveries began too late for the A-4 to fight in the Six-Day War, but it soon formed the backbone of the IAF's ground-attack force. From 1969 to 1970 it flew endless sorties against Egyptian forces in the War of Attrition. Then, during the Yom Kippur War, five squadrons of A-4s saw combat and 50 planes were lost as they battled against the Arab armored onslaught. Using previously unpublished first-hand accounts and rare photography from the IAF archives and pilots' private collections, Shlomo Aloni tells the definitive history of the IAF's A-4 squadrons, including the story of Ezra "BABAN" Dotan who became an ace with an unique double-kill of MiG17s. Softcover, 98 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $22.95.