The final year of World War II witnessed the decline of the piston-engine fighter and the beginning of the jet age. Taking to the skies were tried-and-true fighters, improved versions of old aircraft, and newly developed jets, including prototypes that flew for the first time just before the war ended.

Aircraft and aerial warfare expert Donald Nijboer is the author of eleven books, including Gunner: An Illustrated History of World War II Aircraft Turrets and Gun Positions, Graphic War: The Secret Aviation Drawings and Illustrations of World War II, andSpitfire V vs. C.202 Folgore: Malta 1942. He has written articles for Flight Journal, Aviation History, and Aeroplane Monthly, and has been a speaker for Smithsonian Travels. He lives in Toronto, Canada.