Riccardo Niccoli is one of the best-known aeronautical historians, journalists, writers, and photographers. Currently the Director of Coccarde Tricolori magazine, dedicated to the Italian armed forces. He is also the author of numerous publications including the books The story of flight (2002 and 2013) and Airplanes (a major themes series, 2013) published by White Star. Marco De Fabianis Manferto, industrial designer, holds a Master in Product Design from Istituto Europeo di Design (IED). He specialised in 3D modelling at the Politecnico di Milano.

• INTRODUCTION 5COMBAT AIRCRAFT. A UNIQUE HISTORYIN AVIATION 10WORLD WAR I 12WORLD WAR II 20FROM WORLD WAR II TO THE PRESENT 30INTO THE FUTURE 48THE MODELS FROM WORLD WAR IITO THE PRESENT 54THE EVOLUTION OF COMBAT AIRCRAFTSMODEL BY MODEL 561913 AVRO 504 581916 SOPWITH CAMEL 651917 SPAD S.XIII 701917 FOKKER DR.I 761935 JUNKERS JU 87 STUKA 801935 HAWKER HURRICANE 861935 MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 921935 BOEING B-17 FLYING FORTRESS 961936 SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE 1021939 MITSUBISHI A6M ZERO 1061939 ILYUSHIN IL-2 STURMOVIK 1101939 CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR 1141939 FOCKE-WULF FW 190 1181940 HAWKER TYPHOON 1241940 VOUGHT F4U CORSAIR 1301940 NORTH AMERICAN P-51 MUSTANG 1361941 REPUBLIC P-47 THUNDERBOLT 1421941 MESSERSCHMITT ME 262 1481941 AVRO LANCASTER 1521942 YAKOVLEV YAK-9 1561942 BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS 1601947 NORTH AMERICAN F-86 SABRE 1661947 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG-15 1701952 BOEING B-52 STRATOFORTRESS 1741954 LOCKHEED F-104 STARFIGHTER 1781956 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG-21 1841956 DASSAULT MIRAGE III 1901958 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F-4PHANTOM II 1941960 HAWKER SIDDELEY HARRIER 2001964 LOCKHEED SR-71 BLACKBIRD 2061970 GRUMMAN F-14 TOMCAT 2121972 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F-15 EAGLE 2161974 GENERAL DYNAMICS F-16FIGHTING FALCON 2221974 PANAVIA PA 200 TORNADO 2281978 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS F/A-18 HORNET 2341981 LOCKHEED F-117A NIGHTHAWK 2401989 NORTHROP-GRUMMAN B-2A SPIRIT 2461990 LOCKHEED MARTIN-BOEING F-22RAPTOR 2521994 EUROFIGHTER EF-2000 TYPHOON 2582000 LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35 LIGHTNING II 264