When the Wright brothers first took to the air and were then quickly followed by the military air arms of the advanced nations, it was not initially expected that it would be possible to fly without being able to see the ground. As early as World War One, however, the airmen risked their lives to develop night flying, and by the 1939-45 conflict fighter aircraft, as well as the slower bombers, were being improved month-by-month in order to achieve a twenty-four hour mastery of the skies. Now, less than a century after the first aircraft flew, the warplane is impervious to the time of day and conditions outside the cockpit. In Nightfighter, former RAF officer Ken Delve presents a thorough account of the fascinating developments that have seen this element of military aviation evolve at such pace, with great technical expertise on the part of the designers and daring and skill on the part of the flyers.