Book excerpt: Featuring over 80 helicopters shown in more than 300 historical and modern photographs. 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; and Kamov and Mil from Russia. Specification panels provide information detailing each helicopter's name, country of origin, date first flown, power, armament, size, weight and performance. It includes rare images from archives, museums and private collections. The military helicopter is a vital element of the fighting capability of any modern army, with its ability to evacuate and replace wounded troops, and to maintain food, ammunition and other supplies. This expertly written volume covers 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. Illustrated with over 300 evocative photographs from museums, libraries and private collections showing military helicopters both on the battlefield and in service, the book is an essential A-Z reference for all aviation enthusiasts.