Birds from Hell

It was powered by four Wright R-3350-23 Duplex Cyclone eighteen-cylinder,air-cooled radial engines, each with two turbosuperchargers, capable ofdelivering 2200 horsepower at takeoff. It could reach an altitude of 20,000feet in 38 minutes, a top speed of 375 mph at 30,000 feet, with a maximumrange of 3,250 miles when carrying 5,000 pounds of bombs. It had pressurizedcabins, remote control armaments, 15,000 feet of wiring, the largestpropellers ever installed on a production plane, and a price tag thateventually reached $1 million per plane.Birds From Hell presents the facts about Japan's defeat and the role thatthe B-29 Superfortresses played in it. It is a fascinating history of thelegendary bomber told by a man who was a part of that history practicallyfrom the day the first Superfortress rolled off the assembly line. WilburMorrison, one of the nation's foremost aviation historians, reveals thetruth about the air war in the Pacific during WW II and provides insightinto the personalities and motives of three influential men: Generals LeMay,Montgomery, and Hansel. Includes rare U.S. Air Corps photos.About the Author:Wilbur H. Morrison was a radio announcer and news commentator before joiningthe Army Air Corps and becoming a B-29 bombardier-navigator during WWII.Morrison flew five hundred combat hours during38 missions, receiving 21 awards and decorations and rising to the rank oflieutenant colonel. In1954, he went to work for Douglas Aircraft Company where he became managerof public relations. Morrison is considered by many to be the leadingauthority on military and commercial aviation and has written twelve books.He lives in Fallbrook, California.