World Encyclopedia of Military Helicopters

This is a complete reference guide to over 65 years of military helicopters, from the first types deployed in World War II to the specialized aircraft in service today. It includes all the famous manufacturers such as Bristol, Saunders-Roe and Westland from the UK; Bell, Boeing-Vertol, Hiller, Hughes, Kaman, Piasecki, Robinson and Sikorsky from the USA; Kamov and Mil from Russia; and manufacturers from around the world, such as Aerospatiale, Agusta, Denel, Eurocopter, HAL and PZL. It features cutaway drawings, an A-Z directory and over 500 photographs, including rare images from archives, museums and private collections. Specification panels provide information detailing each helicopter's name, country of origin, date first flown, power, armament, size, weight and performance. This substantial reference book provides an authoritative and highly illustrated overview of the military helicopter. It begins with a detailed history, from the ideas of Leonardo da Vinci through to the tilt-rotor aircraft that have operated with coalition forces in Afghanistan. The book contains an A-Z directory covering over 80 production military helicopters in detail. The origins, development and operation of each type are clearly described, and a specification panel gives key performance and dimensional data. This informative book is superbly illustrated with cutaway drawings and over 500 photographs showing helicopters both on the battlefield and in service.