Aircraft as diverse as the Aerovan, Barracuda, Pitcairn PA39, and Nomad were put though their paces together with, amongst others the Skymaster, Vengeance, Lightning, Hudson, and Welkin plus the more well-known Wellington, Mosquito, Halifax, Ju88, Fw190, and Spitfire. Using 500 photographs, The Secret Yearsexplores unusual variants of standard service aircraft types, machines which remained purely experimental, and the trials with their guns, bombs, rockets, and equipment. Performance tables, details of production, and rogue aircraft tests together with more than 90 color profiles ensure The Secret Yearsforms a comprehensive reference source for the historian and modeler alike.