"At the outset of World War 1 the British had some 110 assorted aircraft, used mostly in the visual reconnaissance role. With the advent of faster and more agile single-seaters, the Allies and their adversaries raced to outdo each other in the creation of genuinely effective fighters with fixed forward-firing machine gun armament. It was not until 1917 that the British developed a truly effective interrupter gear, which paved the way for excellent single seaters such as the Sopwith Camel and the RAF S.E.5, later joined by the Bristol F.2B - the war's best two-seater fighter. This volume traces the rapid development of the fighter in World War 1 and the amazing exploits of the British and Empire aces who flew them." --Back cover.

Includes index.

Early Days --1916 : Clash of Wings -- 1917 : No Let Up -- 1918 : the Royal Air Force is Born -- The Nature of Claims -- A-Z of Aces -- Appendices.