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Informationen zum Autor Born in 1945, Kari Stenman studied economics and was an import-export specialist until Finland’s EU accession in 1995, when he turned his hobby of aviation history into a profession, founding a company to publish his research. He retired in 2009 but has continued to research and write about the Finnish air force. In over 50 years in this field, he has written more than 100 titles. Chris Davey has illustrated more than 70 titles for Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces and Combat Aircraft series since 1994. Based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, as one of the very last traditional airbrush artists in the business, he has become the company's illustrator of choice for both USAAF fighters and RAF subject matter, proving his undoubted skill when dealing with large aircraft subjects such as the Halifax, Sunderland, Lancaster, and Stirling. A professional editor and translator, Peter de Jong has collaborated on numerous modern history and aviation history books, and written several books of his own and dozens of magazine articles since 1995. For Osprey he covered the Dornier Do 24 flying boat and the Fokker D.XXI fighter. Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 100 of its books. Klappentext Entering service with the Dutch air force from early 1938, the aircraft was also built under license in Denmark and Finland. Production was also scheduled to commence in Spain too but Nationalist forces overran the factory before this commenced. The Dutch D.XXIs saw less than a week of action following the German invasion of the west on 10 May 1940, with many of the country's 28 fighters being destroyed on the ground. However, those that survived the initial onslaught inflicted losses on the Luftwaffe, 15 pilots sharing in the destruction of 14 German aircraft (fighters, bombers and transports). By then, however, the D.XXI had found everlasting fame in Finland during the Winter War of 1939-40. Proving itself a real thorn in the side of the Soviets, the fighter, operating in primitive conditions and against vastly superior numbers, Finnish D.XXIs racked up an incredible score against the Red Air Force, and in particular its bomber units. No fewer than ten pilots became aces during this brief, but bloody, campaign, with a similar number claiming four victories and subsequently 'making ace' in later types. The sturdy D.XXI was highly rated by the leading Finnish pilots of the time, boasting a good rate of climb and the ability to break off combat when required thanks to its high speed in a dive. The D.XXI also has the distinction of producing the first 'ace in a single mission' in World War 2, when then 1Lt Jorma Sarvanto shot down six Ilyushin DB-3 bombers on 6 January 1940. After spending a year providing home defence and flying coastal patrols during the early stages of the Continuation War in 1941, all surviving Finnish Fokker D.XXIs were relegated to the reconnaissance role, which they performed through to the end of hostilities in September 1944. "As a D.XXI devotee, I absolutely loved [this book]."- David L. Veres, www.cybermodeler.com (June 2013)"This book covers the development of the D.XXI as well as its use by all the nations that flew it. Naturally, most of the book covers the Finnish AF use followed by a good sized section on the Dutch A.F. during its homeland defense use. This is further enhanced by a great selection of period photos and the usual collection of full color profiles. Several charts make up the appendices to add additional flavor to the book. It all makes for a very interesting read, especiall...
