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With the development of the Wright Flyer in 1903, soon aircraft builders turned their thoughts to developing the new technology for military uses. The Wright Model A was commissioned by the US Army Signal Corps in 1908, and a German-built Etrich Taube reconnaissance plane was used in combat during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911, when an Italian pilot manually dropped an aerial bomb on Turkish troops in Libya. From these humble beginnings, the military aircraft was born. Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft offers a comprehensive guide to military aircraft of all types, from the early artillery spotters of World War I to the latest stealth aircraft stalking our skies today. Find out about the German Fokker Eindecker, the first purpose-built monoplane fighter and labelled the 'Fokker scourge' by Allied pilots because of its effectiveness; learn about the elegant Spitfire, an aircraft that gained mythic status because of its role in the Battle of Britain; discover the Boeing B-29, the aircraft that dropped the first nuclear bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima; learn about the vertical take-off and landing qualities of the Harrier, a type deployed since the 1970s by navies around the world; be amazed at the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane, which is able to fly at altitudes of 25,900m (85,000ft); and explore the Chengdu J-20 'Mighty Dragon', China's new stealth fighter. Each aircraft is illustrated with detailed, accurate artworks - some of them cutaways - a photograph, a concise account of the plane's development, production and service history and a panel of essential specifications. Featuring more than 430 entries, Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft is a complete reference work on the most important fighters, bombers, interceptors, reconnaissance planes, seaplanes, helicopters and drones from the early 20th century to the present.