Adult/High School-From the Hellcats in the Pacific and the Mustangs in Europe during World War II to the F-4 Phantom in Vietnam and the F-16 in the Gulf War, American fighter planes are the stuff of legends. This book looks at 40 of the most famous ones, from the Thomas-Morse MB-3 that was designed in 1919 to the futuristic stealth F-22 Raptor. The author provides detailed information on each vehicle, including its design history, its capabilities and weaknesses, where and when it was used in combat, and how successful it was as a fighter aircraft. The text is well written and easy to read, although it contains some military jargon. The book is profusely illustrated with black-and-white (and some color) contemporary photographs of the planes from a variety of vantage points, including on the assembly line, inside the cockpit, and in combat deployments throughout the world. Additionally, there is a full-page original painting of each aircraft, and many of the chapters also have paintings of the patches worn by the pilots to identify their squadron. This visually appealing work will attract casual readers and is packed with useful material that will answer most students' questions.