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  1. North American OV-10 Bronco – Warpaint #140 Guideline Publications The Bronco was conceived as a light attack, long loiter aircraft of modest size, enabling it to operate from unprepared fields and roads close to the combat zone. As so often seems the case, the final design turned out to be much larger and heavier due to the requirements of the avionics and ejection seats, thus limiting its use to conventional airfields. The twin boom aircraft first flew in 1965 and was destined to serve with the US Navy, Air Force and Marines as a replacement for the ageing Cessna O-1 Bird Dog & O-2 Skymaster. The Marines were the first to take the OV-10 into service as a forward air controller platform operating both night and day missions. Whilst the Bronco is best known for its operations in Vietnam, it also served in later conflicts as late as the Gulf War before being retired from US front-line service in 1995. The USAF received Broncos in 1968 and deployed the aircraft in the Forward Air Control (FAC) role, using smoke laying methods initially, and later using laser targeting designators. Eventually after extensive modernisation to the -D model with the addition of a FLIR turret and new avionics, then another upgrade to the -D+ version that involved replacement of much of the wiring loom and further stiffening of the wings to enable it to carry more and fly harder. By this time it carried its own ground attack armament including rockets, machine guns and bombs, plus targeting equipment that gave it the capability of Light Attack Aircraft, and made it a scary prospect for the enemy to see overhead. Seven export contracts were signed with other foreign operators including Germany, Columbia and Indonesia, each having their own letter suffixes, and the very last of which will be leaving service in the near future after long service. The last action of the Bronco in US Marine service was the first Gulf War, where a mixture of As and D+s fought side-by-side bravely carrying out the Forward Air Controller (FAC) task against enemy forces, although they did suffer some losses due to equipment inadequacies and possibly owing to its relatively slow speed making it an easier target for the anti-aircraft assets of the opposition. Although efforts were made to keep the bronco in service, by 1995 it was withdrawn from active service and handed-off to other government institutions, with the job being carried out from there on by two-seat F-18s that had speed, modern avionics and plenty of self-defence capabilities to hand. The Book The book by author Mike Verier is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover utilising a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the genuine total of 100 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson. The initial section details the birth of the type in detail, with some interesting information included about the pre-cursors and competitors for the contract, then the subsequent pages detail the different types, that amazingly includes one on floats that didn’t see service. Most of the photos are in colour, with some from the various trials and equipment fits that were developed, as well as the usual official sources and historical records that were kept by the developers, restorers, civilian operators, and during service from Vietnam to the Gulf War. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during tests, and photos of equipment trials aircraft, including the German mounting of a jet power unit mounted on the wing over the fuselage. The Profiles section shows a range of schemes in which the type was painted, including some of the military and more colourful schemes, encompassing the full gamut of service including NASA, Forestry Protection, and a modernised airframe in Blue Air Training colours, the only airframes still licensed to carry live ordnance. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, but the Bronco is all weird, which is probably why it’s a personal favourite. It’s a testament to the quality of the original design that the majority of the airframe has gone unchanged, while the avionics and equipment fits have progressed alongside the march of technology. The In Detail section is an interesting look at the aircraft closely that spans three pages, and concentrates on the exterior, engine and equipment bays on the first two pages, with the cockpit on the third, including up-close pics of the instrument panels from different eras and variants. There’s been a huge influx of new Bronco kits and its variants in recent years, although the 1:32 Kitty Hawk offering is getting harder to find now. We have many boxings from ICM in 1:48 and 1:72 that are right up to date in terms of detail and moulding technology. This book will be great news for people with those kits in their stash. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this long-serving Observation and Ground Attack oddity. There’s literally no reason not to get one unless you’re allergic to paper or twin-boomed aircraft. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited storage space. Digital reference as a concept is starting to grow on me. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  2. de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver – Warpaint #139 ISBN: 9781739219048 Guideline Publications Following the end of WWII, the Canadian Subsidiary of de Havilland, handily differentiated by the word Canada in brackets, pivoted to the civilian market after sensing that military types and orders would see a huge slump as countries struggled to restore their civilian infrastructure after the devastation that the war caused worldwide. They undertook an extensive market research operation in Canada, and because of the mountainous and remote landscape in parts of the country, pilots wanted a powerful passenger and cargo aircraft that could take off and land on short strips, had good visibility, and would be equally suited to wheels, floats or skis, depending on the needs of the operator. The design team initially enlarged the wing to produce sufficient lift in combination with a variant of the internally produced Gipsy engine, but by chance they were offered an extremely good price on more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engines that were war surplus from the US. Rather than shrink the wing and keep the same level of STOL performance, they kept the larger aerofoils and mated it with the 450hp Wasp engine, which gave it an exceptional short-field operational capability, which would enhance the appeal to bush pilots. The initial sales effort didn’t result in the rush of new customers for the type that had been anticipated, but it slowly built up to a steady flow as word spread about the talents of this little aircraft. Sales were further boosted when it won the contest for a new light utility aircraft for the US military, adding almost 1,000 airframes to the sales figures in one fell swoop, and ensuring that there would be large numbers of military surplus airframes and spares available in later years, providing they survived service in the Korean War. In total, 1,600 airframes were built before production ceased, but there were many attempts to recommence over the years, as well as some interesting variants such as the turbo-prop DHC-2T, which was more powerful and could carry heavier loads. Viking Air currently own the design rights to the Beaver, and they may eventually bring it back into production one day. Meanwhile, Harbour Air have converted one of their extant Beaver airframes to electric (battery) power, and plan to convert their entire fleet eventually. There’s a documentary with an segment about their conversion efforts somewhere if you’re interested, and I’ve watched it, but can’t remember the name of the show. Sorry! The Book The book by author Adrian M Balch is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover, utilising a perfect binding instead of the original pair of staples to accommodate the genuine total of fifty-two pages, plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson. The initial section details the birth of the type in detail, with some interesting titbits of information included, then the subsequent pages detail the different types and military operations, including those on floats and skis. Many of the photos are in colour, doing justice to the colourful schemes from the many foreign operators both military and civilian, as well as the usual official sources and historical records that were kept by the developers, restorers, civilian operators, and manufacturers. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, and photos of the Turbo Beaver with its more pointed nose cowling. There is also an aircraft that is in the process of being extracted from a snow bank after a less-than-successful landing. The eight-page Profiles section shows a range of colours in which the type was painted, including some of the military and more colourful civilian schemes, including the Trans Arctic Expedition in the 50s, which has a little contention over the colour of its aircraft. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, but the Turbo Beaver on floats is as weird as it gets in terms of the design, but there are plenty of unusual and interesting schemes that it wore. Of the schemes that are shown in the profiles, the stars-and-bars does look quite interesting to me, as they’re quite dramatic and sharp-looking. The In Detail section is an interesting look at the aircraft at close range that spans six pages, intermixing photos of the passenger/load compartment, cockpit and the exterior of different aircraft, some that are clearly older photos of machines that may or may not now exist or wear that particular scheme. There are kits in both 1:72 and 1:48, as well as some weird and wonderful scales, with a raft of decal sheets available, particularly in 1:72. The 1:32 modeller however is left out, and some of the more unusual scales are probably hard to get these days, even if you didn’t mind them being an oddity in amongst your other kits in the display cabinet. 1:48 and 1:72 builders were to have been treated to a new tooling from our friends at Dora Wings last year, but I suspect that it has been delayed due to the circumstances in Ukraine. Hopefully I’m sure they’ll get round to it in due course, and the old 1:48 HobbyCraft and 1:72 Airfix kits can be put out to grass. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this little aircraft that has done so much over its long career and worn some highly interesting and colourful schemes that could be all the excuse you need to build more than one. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited storage space. Digital reference is starting to grow on me as my shelves fill up. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  3. Lockheed F-117 Night Hawk – Warpaint #138 Guideline Publications The first "Stealth Fighter" as it was known in the press at the time, existed for several years before it was acknowledged, and was probably responsible for more than a few UFO sighting reports around its initial secret operating areas around Area 51. Even its nomenclature was misleading, taking the F designation rather than the B designation more often used by bombers, perhaps to confuse the enemy during the early years of the project. Despite it having no offensive weaponry, this tag remained, and never quite went away. Designed initially under the Have Blue project name at Lockheed's Skunkworks, it evolved into a single-seat bomber, the first to use low-observable technology, commonly referred to as Stealth. Only 64 were built, with most of them serving in several conflicts in the Gulf and Former Yugoslavia to high praise and much publicity. It was designed around existing componentry plucked from the existing F-5, F16 and A-10 airframes, and it was powered by two non-afterburning GE F404 engines, which gave it a subsonic top speed. The engines are buried deep in the blended fuselage, and are protected by screens and baffles to reduce any infrared signature to a minimum. It earned the nickname "The Wobblin' Goblin", which was derived from its stealthy appearance and alleged poor flight characteristics at low speed, which may possibly be a hangover from the early performance issues that were resolved in time for production. In 2008 it was retired due in part to airframe wear, the introduction of the F-22 Raptor, the immense B-2 Spirit Bomber, F-35 Lightning II, and the fact that its 70s stealth technology had been superseded by newer designs, at least partly due to the vast increase in computing power that permitted the calculation of the radar signature over curved surfaces, rather than the distinctive faceted panels of the F-117, which was all that 1970s computers could manage. The Book This book by author Andy Evans is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but for the time being at least, with higher page counts of recent editions, it utilises a more attractive perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the genuine total of 48 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:96, penned by Sam Pearson. The initial section details the birth of the type in detail, with some interesting information included, then the subsequent pages cover the development of the type, the majority of which was internal, upgrading the avionics and other controls, although some bay doors and the troublesome tails were eventually replaced by carbon composite parts that were externally identical. Most of the photos are in colour, with some from the development phase that must have been highly classified at the time, as well as the usual official sources and historical records that were kept by the developers Lockheed, the squadrons, and other sources. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft in the hangar where it spent a lot of time hiding during its early days, on the apron, on the runway, in the air, during trials, and even a few photos of YF-117D Tacit Blue that resembles an alien school bus with wings – something I’d never seen before. The Profiles section shows a range of colours in which the type was painted, including some of the more colourful schemes, as the Night Hawk wasn’t always just covered in black RAM. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, however the F-117 was weird from birth to alleged retirement, but the YF-117D must take the biscuit. It looks like Princess Vespa’s ship from Spaceballs, or at least how I remember it. Of the schemes that are shown in the six pages of profiles, the stars-and-bars on the underside does look quite fetching, as it is very striking. The three-colour test camo and F-22-alike schemes are also different from the norm, and would make for interesting alternatives for the modeller. The In Detail section is an interesting look at the aircraft at close range that spans three pages, and concentrates on the opening portions such as the landing gear, cockpit and weapons bays, but also covers the intakes, sensor prongs in the nose, the V-tail and the canopy when closed. We aren’t badly served with kits of this under-the-radar aircraft, although how anyone would get on if they tried to LIDAR scan a real airframe would be interesting. Would it also absorb or scatter laser too? The Tamiya kit in 1:48 is older but still good, with a choice of manufacturers for 1:72, an inaccurate 1:144 kit from Revell (it has no keel for a start), with another kit from Revell in 1:32, competing with a newer offering from Trumpeter. As the type was decommissioned by 2008 and the US forces weren’t concerned about destroying the wreckage when it came to the downed airframe in Bosnia, modern kits should have a better chance of being accurate, unlike the F-19 Stealth kit that did the rounds before the Goblin came out from the shadows. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this innovative and secretively operated little bomber. There is also a lot of detail in the text relating to technologies used, how it was upgraded and improved over time, and the reasoning for the decision to mothball them, commencing in 2007. Some airframes have been seen airborne on a regular basis since retirement however, as they were carefully stored in climate-controlled hangars in case they were needed in the future. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited storage space. Digital reference is starting to grow on me. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Dambusters and the Lancaster – Warpaint Special Guideline Publications Few aircraft have the ability to capture the imagination and affection of the public, but the Lancaster surely ranks as one of them. The basic design of the Lancaster evolved from the less than successful Avro Manchester. Although the design of the aircraft was sound, its performance in service was significantly undermined by its chronically unreliable and underpowered Rolls Royce Vulture engines. Avro's Chief Designer resolved the problem by proposing an improved version with a larger wing and four of the less powerful, but far more reliable, Rolls Royce Merlin engines. Initially designated the Manchester III, the aircraft was renamed the Lancaster and entered service in 1942, the same year that the Manchester was retired from front line service. Once in service, the Lancaster proved to be an excellent aircraft. Its vast bomb bay could accommodate any bomb in the RAF's wartime inventory, right up to the 12,000lb blockbuster. Later in the war the aircraft was adapted to carry a range of special weapons, including the innovative Upkeep mine and the huge 22,000lb Grand Slam bomb, both designed by scientist and engineer Barnes Wallis. The Lancaster's place in history was secured on the night of the 16th/17th May 1943. On this date, a force of 19 Lancasters of the specially formed 617 Squadron attacked a group of four dams in the heart of Germany's Ruhr Valley. The aircraft carried the unique Upkeep mine, popularly referred to as the bouncing bomb. This weapon was the brainchild of Barnes Wallis and was designed specifically for use against these dams. As a result of the raids the Möhne and Edersee dams were breached, causing massive flooding and the loss of electrical power for hundreds of factories in the region. Eight of the participating aircraft failed to return, and of the 133 crew who took part, 53 were lost. It is estimated that around 1,600 individuals were killed on the ground. 34 of the survivors were decorated, with the leader of the raid, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, awarded the Victoria Cross. The Book The book by author Desmond Brennan is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover utilising a perfect binding to accommodate the genuine total of 62 pages plus content printed on three of the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:144, penned by Sam Pearson. Unlike the usual Warpaint issue, this special is broken down loosely into sections that cover various aspects of the raid, events leading up to it, the careers of Gibson, ‘Bomber’ Harris, and Barnes Wallis, plus an analysis of the effects of the raid both in an immediate and longer-lasting sense. The chapters are laid out as follows: Introduction The Concept and Wallis Developing the Weapon The Targets Bomber Command and Harris The AVRO Lancaster 617 Squadron and Gibson The Raid Aftershocks A Selection of Surviving Airframes There are several pages of colour profiles interleaved between the text and photographs, showing the Upkeep Specials, as well as a few others with Grandslam bombs, extended bomb bays, and flush bay doors. Three are even Scampton Station Flight aircraft, the spares/backups following the raid that saw no further use as bouncing bomb carriers after the single Ruhr Valley mission. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, and photos of the dams in before and after condition, plus some photos of the test dams, some of which were built at 1:50, and the redundant Welsh dam that was sacrificed to prove that the bombs could penetrate that particular type of dam that utilised the same construction method as the targets. Some of the captions have become mixed up of the Wellesley, which used a Geodesic framework in its wings, which was another of Wallis’ designs, although the Wellesley and its Geodesic construction technique have little to do with any aspect of the raid, but does help to establish Wallis as a man of many talents. Some of the photos are suffering a little from digital artifacts, possibly due to the small size of the original, leaving jagged lines, and incidences of jpeg artifacts that obscure detail, and add it where there should be none. Even the cover photo is suffering a little from artifacts and ‘jaggies’, as the stepped lines are called in the trade. It is interesting to see the origins of the Dambusters, from the start of Wallis’ and Gibson’s careers, and the beginning of the Lancaster as the Manchester, although perhaps a little less Manchester text and photos would have left more space of the Lancaster. Harris’s initial disinterest and reluctance to authorise the raid was interesting, but the section seemed a little out of place given the subject matter, although the content was interesting. Conclusion The Dambusters and the Lancaster are a winner when it comes to heroism and impressive engineering of the day, a culmination of huge amounts of work by thousands of people, some of whom probably never knew they were working on something as remarkable as the Dambusters raid. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited storage space. Digital reference is starting to grow on me, as I'm running out of bookshelf space. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Douglas SBD Dauntless – Warpaint #137 Guideline Publications The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a Dive Bomber and Scout aircraft developed for the US Navy. The SBD standing for “Scout Bomber Douglas”. Design work on the aircraft was started as early as 1935 by the Northrop Corporation under the designation BT-1, which bore a striking resemblance to what would become the finished design, but with spatted main gear. Northrop was taken over by Douglas in 1937, and the design was modified to become the BT-2. This was eventually ordered by both the US Navy and Marine Corps and reached service in time for America’s entry into WWII. The original SBD-1, and later SBD-2 with increased range and other improvements were the first two types deployed. The US Marine Corps getting the -1 in late 1940, and the US Navy receiving the -2 in early 1941. One of the main features of the aircraft were the split flaps, more commonly referred to as Dive Brakes which were designed to stop tail buffeting in dives, and could be selected as dive brakes or flaps using a lever in the cockpit. The SBD-3 was to follow in 1941 which had increased armour, self-sealing fuel tanks, and four machine guns. The SDB-5 followed and was to become the most produced variant with almost 3000 built. This aircraft had a 1,200hp engine, and flew with increased ammunition capacity. The Royal Navy and FAA evaluated the SBD-5 but were not overly impressed, so decided not to take it on, although Australia and New Zealand flew the type. The -5 was superseded by the -6 with another more powerful engine, and a further 450 were built before production of the type was curtailed due to the end of the war. As well as use by the USMC & USN the SBD-5 would be used by the Royal New Zealand Navy, and the Free French who used them against the Germans in Western France in early 1945, then later in Indochina in 1947. The US Army would use the same basic airframe as the A-24 Banshee, and the later A-24B was equivalent to the SBD-5, but with the arrestor and catapult gear removed. The A-24s survived to be incorporated into the new USAF inventory where they would become F-24s under the new nomenclature, with the last of them scrapped at the beginning of the 50s. The Book The book by author Kev Darling is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but with higher page counts of recent editions, it utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the genuine total of 100 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson. The initial section details the birth of the type in detail, with some interesting titbits of information included, then the subsequent pages detail the different types and Series, including the USAAF variants, the A-24. Very few of the photos are in colour, due to the period of the Dauntless’s service, with much of the content from the usual official sources and historical records that were kept by the, pilots, crews, developers, operators, and manufacturers. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, and even a photo of test airframes, and those given unusual jobs away from the front. The Profiles section spreads over eight pages dotted around the front and back of the book, and shows a range of colours in which the type was painted, including some of the military and unusual schemes, plus foreign operators including Free French, Mexican and Chilean Air Forces. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, but the Dauntless had very little in the way of variants other than the slow process of improving the type as technology progressed and in light of bitter combat experience. Of the schemes that are shown in the pages of profiles, the battle-worn grey camouflaged airframes look quite interesting, as they offer massive potential for in-depth weathering, with many of the photos showing the way these aircraft looked once they had been in action, showing signs of build-up of filth, streaks and stains, plus the gradual degrading of the paint surface due to the sun and sea-borne existence that many of the Dauntlesses experiences. A great many squadrons operated from land-based airfields however, so mud, dust and grime are also in the frame for weathering possibilities. The In Detail section is an interesting look at the aircraft at close range that spans three pages, and concentrates mostly on the rear gunner’s station on the first page, with a page of longer-range shots that point out details on the airframes, while the final page covers a variety of subjects, including an action shot of a Dauntless using a Rocket-Assisted Take-Off (RATO) pack to get airborne in case the catapults were out of action. There are kits of most variants of the Dauntless in all the major scales, some more recent than others, so it’s of interest to any modeller that’s interested in WWII diver bombers. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this Slow But Deadly (SBD) dive bomber that gave sterling service, particularly in the Pacific Theatre during WWII, where it was flown by brave crew, many of whom must have known that their chances of getting back to their base, whether it was on land or a carrier, wasn’t particularly high. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited physical storage space. Digital reference is starting to grow on me. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Airspeed Oxford & Consul – Warpaint #136 Guideline Publications The Oxford was a development of an earlier design to fulfil a role as a trainer and small airliner before WWII, an opportunity that Airspeed hadn’t been afforded before it hooked up with Swann Hunter to obtain a higher profile that allowed them to bid for government contracts such as the twin-engined trainer that became the Oxford, which was used extensively for pilot and gunner training as well as a multitude of other tasks throughout its long and varied career. Powered by a pair of Cheetah X engine, it was capable of doing a creditable impression of a bomber of the day, and was a pleasant aircraft to fly, with a comfortable airy cockpit and polite handling. It was also used for other tasks, such as communications, air ambulance in military service, and all manner of other jobs in civil and industrial service, especially after the war when many Oxfords were converted to Consuls without the military equipment, freeing up space for passenger seats, load area, or other equipment. The type eventually became obsolete, and most airframes were retired after a long career, sometimes changing hands more than once. Those that weren’t lost to the occasional accident were generally worn out and scrapped, but a few survived in one form another, finding their way into the hands of worthy groups of people that set about restoring them. Most restored aircraft went direct to museum display, but one or two were capable of flight once restored, although there aren’t any currently flying at time of writing. The Book The book by author William Harrison is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but for the time being at least, with higher page counts of recent editions, it utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the genuine total of 48 pages plus genuine content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson. The initial section details the birth of the type in detail, with some interesting titbits of information included, then the subsequent pages detail the relatively few types, with only the ambulance variant appearing out of the norm. Many of the later photos are in colour, with some from the wide range of overseas operators of the Oxford and Consol, as well as the usual official sources and historical records that were kept by the developers, restorers, civilian operators, and manufacturers. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, and even some photos of damaged aircraft that had crashed, one ending up embedded in a shed. The Profiles section is extensive, running to eight pages, and shows a range of colours in which the type was painted, including some of the military and more colourful schemes, such as the Royal Flight airframe in blue and red, as well as some that were used as hacks by US Squadrons in the UK that were either partially or totally repainted from their British delivery colours. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, but it seems that the makers didn’t see fit to mess about with the basic design very much, perhaps out of respect for the clean, graceful lines of the original, or simply because it wasn’t Airspeed’s way of working. Of the schemes that are shown in the eight pages of profiles, the stars-and-bars does look quite interesting, at least to me, as does the Royal Flight option, but I also like the British option with a turret, which works out conveniently well as it happens. The In Detail section is an interesting look at the aircraft at close range that although it only spans a single page, gives a look at the aircraft from some unusual angles that will be of interest to most modellers. Speaking of models, we’re fortunate to have kits in the dominant 1:72 and 1:48 scales, although the 1:32 modellers might be a little upset at that statement for two reasons. Special Hobby’s 1:48 kit is being re-released shortly as I write this, and as I have been reading through, I’ve become more fond of the Oxford than previously, and it’s the turreted variant so is quite appealing. I’ll try to remember to cross-link the book and kit when both are online. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this unsung hero that trained so many of our bomber pilots and gunners during WWII. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited storage space. Digital reference is starting to grow on me. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  7. de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie – Warpaint #135 Guideline Publications The Dragon Rapide was a short-range airliner that was a smaller version of the DH.86 Express biplane, reducing the engine count from four to two. It reached service in 1934 and became popular almost immediately with good sales at home and abroad. With the outbreak of WWII, many of the civil airframes were impressed into military service as trainers and communications aircraft, where it was given the name Dominie. Many new airframes were also built to military specifications, and after the war they and the former civilian airframes were returned to their former role, while de Havilland moved forward with the Dove. There were such a variety of versions of the Rapide that they were allocated to different series to help with the confusion, most of which revolved around the engine and propellers fitted to the airframes. The Book The book by author Adrian M Balch is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but for the time being at least, with higher page counts of recent editions, it utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the genuine total of 44 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, including a two-page spread of plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson. The initial section details the birth of the type in detail, with some interesting titbits of information included, then the subsequent pages detail the different types and Series, including those on floats and skis. Many of the later photos are in colour, with some from the many overseas operators such as Lithuania and even American service, as well as the usual official sources and historical records that were kept by the developers, restorers, civilian operators, and manufacturers. The pages include a lot of useful photos with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, and even a photo of the float plane, which is surprisingly graceful looking, as is the ski-equipped aircraft. The Profiles section shows a range of colours in which the type was painted, including some of the military and more colourful civilian schemes, and a Spanish Nationalist aircraft with scribbled camouflage over a light sand base that may tax your airbrushing skills, especially in 1:72. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, but the weirdest is the float plane variant, which although it isn’t at all weird, is pretty attractive. Of the schemes that are shown in the five pages of profiles, the stars-and-bars does look quite interesting, mainly due to the incongruity of seeing it in US colours. Seeing that it was used in the Spanish Civil War was quite a surprise too, especially as it fought on the same side as the Germans. Another scheme shows a captured Soviet airframe that was subsequently captured by the Germans and used by one of their fighter squadrons as a communications aircraft. The In Detail section is an interesting look at the aircraft at close range that spans three pages, and concentrates on the interior and cockpit on the first two pages, with armament on the third, including exterior bomb racks under the fuselage, and a rather draughty-looking and exposed gun port in the top of the fuselage between the wings, with another in the floor beneath it. It could have been a tricky proposition clambering down from the top spot without accidentally ejecting yourself out of the bottom port if that was opened at the same time. Top tip: wear a parachute. Although we’ve had kits in the main scales for many years, many have been either resin or other short-run offerings, especially in the larger scales. That’s due to be rectified this year however, as there's a new kit in 1:48 that has been designed with the assistance of a friend of mine that knows a few things about the type. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this graceful late biplane. With the new kit coming soon, it’s well-worth popping one on your bookshelf in anticipation. Note: You can buy either the traditional physical version of the book by following the link below, or the digital version if you’re more modern and forward thinking, or have limited physical storage space. Digital reference is starting to grow on me. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  8. C-47 Skytrain/Dakota – Warpaint #133 Guideline Publications The military variant of Douglas’s DC-3 commercial airliner was a simple conversion to meet the needs of the US armed forces, developed from the passenger carrying aircraft that first entered service in the mid-30s in its initial role. It was toughened to enable it to carry heavy freight, which it could also load through a large new double side door, plus an astrodome to assist with long-distance navigation. It served in many armies and air forces throughout the war, where it performed stoically, taking part in many significant operations during the conflict, including the successful D-Day landings, and the ill-fated parachute and glider drops of Operation Market Garden, which was another of its capabilities, thanks to a shortened tail-cone that accommodated the equipment needed to tow a glider across the channel and on into battle. Many C-47s didn’t make it back due to enemy action, as they were heavily laden with troops, equipment or with a glider behind them, making them an easy target for the Nazi forces that they inadvertently strayed over on their way. In British service the C-47 was called the Dakota, garnering the nickname Dak, and was also referred to as Gooney Bird in some circles. It was a capable transport aircraft that was used in every sphere of conflict around the world, taking part in the operations carrying supplies from India to China to assist them with their fight against the Japanese forces that were expanding their empire across the Far East. After the war the Dak was involved in the Berlin Airlift when former Ally the Soviet Union childishly blocked access to the western held portions of Berlin, necessitating the importing of all goods by air for some considerable time. In civilian service the Skytrains were sometimes converted back closer to civilian specifications, but often kept the useful side cargo doors and strengthened floor, with many still in service today doing some interesting niche tasks to which they are well-suited. The Book The book by author Adrian M Balch is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 89 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, and includes folded A3 plans in 1:144, printed on both sides and penned by Sam Pearson. A short section details the birth of the type, then the subsequent variants and history with the numerous foreign and domestic operators carries on throughout the book, alphabetically arranged. Many of the photos are side-on and in colour, most of which are previously unseen by myself, having come from the author’s collection, some private collections as well as the usual official sources. The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, occasionally stripped or damaged waiting for the coup de grâce, or in storage after being retired. The Profiles section shows a wide range of colours in which the type was painted, including some of the more colourful schemes and the ‘specials’ that were painted in more vibrant liveries, including a few airframes equipped with incongruous-looking radome from other aircraft to be used in training radar operators for those types, such as the F-104. My favourite variant is usually the slightly weird one, but this time it’s the olive drab aircraft with invasion stripes for the D-Day landings and beyond. There’s just something about that scheme that is very appealing and evocative of its finest hour. A close second is the Vietnam camouflage scheme with multiple miniguns projecting from the side windows as a ‘Spooky’ Gunship. I have a thing about gunships, in case you didn’t know. The In Detail section is an interesting look at some of the notable aspects of the type and its variants that spans three pages, and is followed by the afore mentioned profiles that also includes top and bottom views extending onto the inner cover, the most vibrant of which is Dazzle Dak that was covered in black and yellow chevrons all over its upper wings and undersides. Fun to mask! Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent layout and quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this military transport with a career that extends from the mid-30s to today in some shape or form – heading toward 100 years! It’s clearly not a definitive reference of everything C-47, as that would require several hundred if not thousand more pages, but it really hits some of the high points. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  9. Boeing B-52A-F Stratofortress – Warpaint #132 Guideline Publications Beginning within a year of the close of WWII, the project that became the B-52 was designed as a strategic bomber with a huge bomb load capability and an enormous range even without in-flight refuelling. As is often the case with any innovative design, the specifications underwent almost constant change, with the only constant being the increasing demands on the type, which almost resulted in cancellation of the project at one point. The addition of jet-power and swept wings and their refusal to consider turboprop engines as an easier alternative gave it an edge, and after some further design changes, an aircraft that owed much to the B-47 in terms of layout, although much larger, was born. By 1951 the prototypes were in testing, and the design was fairly stable from that point on, adding four pylons under the wings with two engines per pylon, and exceeding expectations on almost every level. Initially the XB-52 was configured with a similar cockpit style to the B-47, often referred to as a “fighter canopy”, but it was deemed to be too much of a compromise, and the final prototypes had a new cockpit design that had two pilots sitting side-by-side and giving ample room for all the instruments and pilot controls for two pilots. The early B-52s were fitted with tail turrets that seemed somewhat anachronistic, but they did see use in Vietnam where a few shot down some Vietnamese Migs on combat missions. As with all the successful types, improvements are made borne from experiences and the general march of technology. The -A was first to have the revised nose, and only a few were made, and those were used for testing and as taxis for the X-15 supersonic rocket testing programme. The -B was the first true B-52, followed by the -C and the -D with the enlarged bomb bay that saw extensive use in Vietnam. The -E saw avionics upgrades, then the -F was upgraded with more powerful engines. The Book The book by author Kev Darling is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 92 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, and includes folded A2 plans in 1:144, printed on both sides and penned by Sam Pearson. A short section details the birth of the type, then the subsequent variants and history carries on throughout the book, incorporating a summary of the units and locations of service, which allowed them to range over most of the world with a little help from in-flight refuelling aircraft. Many of the photos are previously unseen by myself at least, having come from private collections as well as the usual sources. The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, occasionally crashed and burning, and under maintenance with panels missing, plus appropriate airframe photos dotted around, and a number of interesting shots of the X-15 project and its B-52 carrying aircraft. The Profiles section shows the range of schemes that the type was painted, including some of the Vietnam schemes and the ‘specials’ that were painted in more vibrant schemes. My favourite variant is the slightly weird one of course, which is the one-off conversion to a test airframe that had a pair of canards fitted forward of the wings, painted bright red in places, sporting an enormous probe on the nose, and calibration stripes on the fuselage sides between the canards and the wing roots. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this long-lived strategic bomber that shows no sign of slowing down or being replaced by anything anytime soon. The book concludes with the -F, while The -G probably has its own volume in the works to cover it and the later -H that survived the cull of the -Gs as part of the START treaty agreements. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  10. The Auster – Warpaint #131 In British Military & Foreign Air Arm Service Guideline Publications The origin of the Auster comes from the War Ministry’s need for an aerial observation aircraft during the British rearmament efforts in the run-up to WWII. They turned to a small company called Taylorcraft Aviation, who were based in Leicester in the UK, and quickly put together the initial design for this lightweight aircraft. The design was simple, and was manufactured in two separate locations at Thurmaston, to be completed at a nearby aerodrome, where they were also tested before being handed over to their customer. Over 1,500 were made there and in Canada for the role, with several updates to the design to improve its performance, aerodynamics and even enlarging the size of the windows to provide better situational awareness, which was key to enable the crew to watch fall of shot as well as keeping a watchful eye on the skies above for incoming enemy fighters, against which the little aircraft would stand no chance. After the war many returned to civilian service, and other variants popped up before the company was bought by Beagle Aviation, which marked a change to the naming of the variants, and eventually the end of the type’s run. There are still a number of them in the skies today, one of which makes appearances at Duxford air shows if I remember correctly. The book by author Adrian M Balch is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 60 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, and includes plans in 1:72, penned by Sam Pearson. A short section details the birth of the type, then the subsequent variants and history carries on throughout the book, incorporating a summary of the operators and locations of service, which included the Antarctic as probably the most esoteric. Many of the photos are previously unseen, having come from private collections of the author and a few others. The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, crashed upside-down on a glacier and under maintenance with panels missing, plus appropriate airframe photos dotted around, but in this book the majority of the photos are of the aircraft, rather than its engineering and maintenance. The Profiles section shows the range of schemes that the type was painted, including some of the later AOP variants in more vibrant schemes. The "In Detail" section has some numbered close-up photos with matching captions providing excellent information that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that just like to know what everything does. My favourite variant is the ugly one of course, which is the one-off conversion to an air ambulance that could also be used to drop medical supplies if needed, with photos of it doing just that, as well as how they managed to fit two stretcher cases and a nurse into the peculiar boxy frame. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their consistent quality. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or in building this “WWII and beyond” Forward Air Control aircraft that did a lot more than it was originally intended for. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  11. Ilyushin Il-28 - Warpaint #130 Guideline Publications This book is originally by author Nikolay Yakubovich, translated by Kevin Bridge, and covers the birth and development of the Iluyshin Il-28, known as the Beagle in NATO circles, the Soviet Union’s first medium jet bomber after WWII, thanks partly to the foolishness of the British Government at the time, who naively sold the Soviets examples of the Nene jet engine, allowing them to use them in projects until they could reverse-engineer their own, which they eventually improved upon as the RD-45. The Il-28 flew with two RD-45 engines slung under its straight wings in streamlined nacelles, topping 500mph with a crew of three and a reasonable bomb-load that it could haul a decent distance. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 64 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers, and a loose sheet of A2 plans in 1:72 printed on both sides and penned by the author. A long section details the birth of the type with its influences from captured Nazi designs such as the Arado Ar.234, the route to the finalised design, then the subsequent variants and history carries on throughout the book, incorporating a summary of the operational experiences of the bomber and its various incarnations. The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, crashed and under maintenance with panels missing, plus appropriate photos and drawings dotted around, but the engineering-type drawings have Cyrillic text, so you'll have to rely on the captions unless you read Russian. The Colours & Markings section shows the narrow range of official schemes that the type was painted, but the many profiles illustrate that camouflage was applied at times where suitable. The "In Detail" section has some numbered close-up photos with matching captions providing excellent information that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that just like to know what everything does. My favourite variant is the ugly one of course, which is the two-cockpit trainer version that has a slight droop-snoot, although nothing quite so ugly as the Yak-38 or Mig-25 2-seaters. Gotta love ‘em! Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a bad one. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or building this semi-ubiquitous aircraft from the early Cold War. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  12. North American P-51 Mustang Warpaint Special #5 Guideline Publications The book by Kev Darling is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 104 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers. The first two sections detail the birth of the type, the variants and combat history of the various Army Air Force (AAF) units carries on throughout the book, incorporating information about the combat experiences of the Mustang in its various incarnations. It is laid out as follows, with the chapters printed on the inner cover: Chapter 1: Design & Development Chapter 2: The Wild Horse Under the Skin Chapter 3: The Wild Horse Goes to War Chapter 4: The Mighty Eighth Goes to War Chapter 5: Hot Footing it From Africa – the 9th AAF Chapter 6: 12 AAF Chapter 7: 15th AAF Sunning in the Med Chapter 8: 7th AAF Basking in Hawaii Chapter 9: 5th AAF Fighting in the Philippines Chapter 10: 10th AAF Far Eastern Ramble Chapter 11: 14th AAF The China Soujourn Chapter 12: Mustangs After the War Chapter 13: Mustangs in Korea Chapter 14: Mustangs of Other Nations Chapter 15: Mustang Miscellany 18 pages of colour profiles and plans by John Fox The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, crashed and under maintenance with panels missing, rearming between sorties plus appropriate photos and drawings dotted around. The profiles section shows the range of schemes that the type was painted and not painted once camouflage became redundant toward the end of the war, but the many profiles illustrate the variety of personalisations and nose art that was applied in the field. The usual sections that you see in the standard Warpaints are absent from this special, but it is aimed more toward the story of the Mustang, as it struggled to find its niche, then went on from strength to strength, becoming an excellent fighter, escort and close support weapons, with sufficient room for development that took it to the end of WWII and beyond into the American Air National Guard (ANG), to Korea, often with the same pilots from WWII. It also saw service in other air forces after WWII, once it was surpassed by the advent of the jet fighters that were reliable enough to be used on a daily basis without major maintenance. It carried on in foreign service for some years, and once North American were done with the design, they sold the rights to Cavalier who created some interesting derivatives, although there isn’t too much information on that, which is a shame to this modeller, who has a Halberd conversion in 1:48, and is looking forward to their Turbo Mustang in due course. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud, and the Specials are jammed full of useful information especially with the extended page count. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or planning on building this beautiful-but-dangerous aircraft that is still adored by many 70+ years later. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of [/url
  13. Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-3 Warpaint #129 Guideline Publications This book is originally by author Nikolay Yakubovich, translated by Kevin Bridge, and covers the birth and extensive development of this troubled aircraft that showed some promise at higher altitude, but was never to see service in optimum conditions, relegated to low and medium altitudes where it was sluggish, and as one pilot summed up “like flying an iron”. There were many attempts to improve it by fitting different engines from the original AM-35A that was installed when the intended AM-37 was unavailable. No matter what they fitted, it just didn’t give it the performance it needed at the altitudes that it would actually be used for under the circumstances. Furthermore, it was initially considered under-armed with a trio of machine guns, only one of which was of larger calibre, and despite numerous weapons configurations they never seemed to address the problem adequately, just adding weight to an already heavy aircraft, making the agility predicament worse. It saw service nevertheless, and carried out a number of combat trials in its alternative various guises, gaining the reputation of being a difficult aircraft to fly, particularly for pilots that didn’t have the necessary experience or skill. A few determined pilots managed to wring out enough from the airframe to hold their own against the Nazis, but the general consensus was a hearty thumbs-down, although you’d have to be careful who you said that to for fear of getting purged. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but has an increased page count from the norm and utilises a perfect binding instead of the usual pair of staples to accommodate the total of 68 pages plus content printed on the four sides of the glossy covers. A long section details the birth of the type, the subsequent variants and history carries on throughout the book, incorporating a summary of the combat experiences of the Mig-3 and its various incarnations. The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during trials, crashed and under maintenance with panels missing, plus appropriate photos and drawings dotted around, but the engineering-type drawings have Cyrillic text, so you'll have to rely on the captions unless you read Russian. The Colours & Markings section shows the narrow range of official schemes that the type was painted, but the many profiles illustrate the variety of schemes that were applied in the field. The "In Detail" section has many numbered close-up photos with matching captions providing excellent information that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that just like to know what everything does. The final small section entitled Modelling the Mig-3 confirms that there are just a small range of kits available in 1:72 and 1:48, with only Trumpeter servicing the 1:32 modellers, but the shortage of alternative modern toolings leaves an opportunity for some company or other if they deem it profitable. It is fairly popular with many modellers due to being a sleek, attractive aircraft with a low-profile canopy that was actually a downside for the pilots because it restricted their view and was often left open by pilots as a result both for visibility, and in case they needed to leave rapidly. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a bad one. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or building this fairly “meh” aircraft that is still pretty attractive. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of [/url
  14. Bristol Scout – Warpaint #128 Guideline Publications The latest booklet in the Warpaint series covers the Bristol Scout through all versions from the pre war prototype to the Scout 'D' of 1916. It is an attractive little aeroplane looking almost like a modern day homebuilt. Although not terribly well known, it has a firm place in history due to its huge contribution to the development of later machines such as the Camel and SE5a. The Scout helped to firm up the way a fighting aeroplane should look, and how it should be armed and deployed on the front line. The term 'Scout' was originally envisaged as fast single seat machine that could observe the enemy and quickly return to report on its findings. At first it was barely considered that it should be armed, or used to disrupt any enemy aircraft similarly engaged in observation work. As the war proceeded and experience was gained, Bristol's little Scout played a prominent and interesting role. Well liked and pleasant to fly, it became the favoured mount of many pilots, who formed ideas about how best to use it. The book covers all aspects of this work, supplemented with many interesting photographs and profile drawings to support the text. Plans to 1/48 scale show the Scout 'C' and 'D' upper, lower, both sides and head on views, along with full colour drawings of the Le Rhone 9J engine, and Lewis and Vickers guns. Sections cover: Introduction. Conception and Development. The Scout in Service. - Western Front. - RNAS Scouts in the Mediterranean. - The RFC in the Middle East. - The Scout at Sea. - Second Line Duties Scout E and F. Technical description. Armament. Flying the Scout. Bristol Scout in Detail. Modelling the Scout. The service life of the scout is well covered, with some fascinating information about the pioneering days of military aviation. II was unaware for example, that it had been used in sea trials, and it was a Scout that made the first successful take off from a ship at sea. The section on armament is also interesting as it deals with the various configurations that were tried, usually some sort of oblique mounting to fire at a forward angle outside of the propeller arc. Once interrupter gear became available, it had to fitted outside the fuselage due to the Scouts diminutive size. The 'In Detail' section offers lots of detail photos of David Bremmers airworthy reproduction Scout C 1264, which incorporates some original parts from the machine his grandfather flew in the Great war. Of course one of things we modellers want to know, is the availability of kits and accessories. A short section deals with this, which is really limited to just 1/72 and 1/48 scales. As yet no kit is available in 1/32nd, but who knows, maybe Roden or Special Hobby could surprise us with a new kit of this most significant little aircraft. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this booklet. I knew of the existence of Bristol's little scout, but this work added so much more to my knowledge. There are many interesting photographs that I had not seen before, and the colour profiles of various machines have left me wanting to get hold of the Gavia 1/48 kit and build one. It is an interesting and inspiring book so if you have an interest in early aviation, add this one to your collection. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  15. Grumman F-14 Tomcat – Warpaint #126 Guideline Publications What do I say about the Tomcat that hasn't already been said? A swing-wing Fleet Defence fighter with more than enough presence to be a movie star, which it can include on its resumé with one notable film called Top Gun with little Tommy Cruise at the controls in a rare break from him running round a lot. With twin GE F110 engines, variable geometry wings for low speed handling as well as at swept for high speed intercepts, two-seat cockpit and a huge capability for weapons carriage and delivery, it was an instant hit, going through a few variants in service with the US Navy and a few Middle Eastern buyers, one being Iran just before their change of administration made the US government regret their decision so much that when the type was withdrawn in the early part of this millennium, any airframes destined for museums were stripped of spares and the rest shredded so that their valuable second-hand parts couldn’t reach the Iranian government to keep their ageing fleet in spares. This book is by author Charles Stafrace (apologies for spelling his name wrong last time) and covers the birth and development of the legend in much more detail, as well as providing tons of excellent pictures of many airframes in service in colour due to its relatively recent era, plus loose 1:72 plans of the A and D with copious profiles in the rear, penned by John S Fox. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover but having a massively increased page count necessitated a perfect binding to accommodate the 120 pages plus content printed on the four glossy pages of the covers. A short introduction details the birth of the type and its subsequent variants and history: The ill-fated Naval F-111B The VFX Competition The Grumman Aircraft Corporation The Makings of a Pure Breed – F-14 Tomcat The Hughes AWG-10/AIM-54 Phoenix Grumman’s F-14A Contracts The F-14A Evaluated F-14s for the US Marine Corps The Imperial Iranian Air Force Orders F-14A The Original US Navy F-14B Tomcat The F-14+ (The True F-14B) F-14D – The Ultimate Tomcat The Bombcat Other Tomcat Projects and Rejected Proposals F-14 TARPS F-14A Tomcat Enters Service The Hectic 80s F-14 vs Libyan Air Force – Round One: September 1980 and August 1981 Somalia, Grenada and Again, Lebanon – 1983 The MS Achille Lauro Hijack – October 1985 Libya – More Encounters Exercise Attain Document IandII 1986 Libya – Operation Prairie Fire Libya – Operation El Dorado Canyon 1986 The IRIAF F-14A Tomcat in the Iran-Iraq War Iran-Iraq War – Operation Sultan Ten Iran-Iraq War – The ‘Tanker War’ and the US Navy Towards The End of The Iran-Iraq War – 1988 F-14 vs Libyan Arab Air Force – Last Round: January 1989 Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm 1990/1991 War in the Balkans – Operations Deny Flight 1993, Deliberate Force 1995 & Allied Force 1999 Iraq - Operations Provide Comfort, Northern/Southern Watch and Desert Strike Iraq - Operation Desert Fox 1998 Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan 2001 Onwards The Fall of Kabul Mopping Up of Resistance Iraq – Operation Iraqi Freedom - 2003 Iraq – The Mediterranean Carriers in Operation Iraqi Freedom Iraq – Post Operation Iraqi Freedom Phase 1 in Iraq The IRIAF Tomcats Today End of the Road for US Navy Tomcats In Detail – walk around close-up photos Colour Artwork by John S Fox (10 pages inc. covers) The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field, in the air, during weapons trials and even under construction with all sorts of panels missing, plus appropriate photos and drawings dotted around. In the not-so-short "In Detail" section there are many numbered close-up photos with matching captions providing excellent information that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that like to know what everything does. There are dozens of kits available in the full range of scales all the way up to a 1:18 monster “toy” that can be repurposed and detailed as a model if you have the skills and the space to store it later. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a bad one. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or building on of this incredibly popular and dangerous (to the enemy) aircraft. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of [/url
  16. Bristol Britannia/Canadair CP-107/Argus & CC-106 Yukon – Warpaint #125 Guideline Publications The Britannia began development during the final days of WWII in an attempt by the British aero-industry to regain some of the lost experience in building civilian and cargo aircraft, having specialised in fighting aircraft for over 5 years. It was to use Turboprop engine that were in their early days, leading to some delays, but it was also affected by the problems occurring with the De Havilland Comet, that led to the requirement for thorough and lengthy testing of the design to avoid similar issues that otherwise might not show themselves until after entry into service. The end result was the delay of the type reaching service until 1957, by which time the aircraft’s formerly impressive speed and range advantages had been lost to overseas competition. Only 85 Britannias were made, with Canadair adding to the total with the maritime reconnaissance Argus using the wings and some of the other parts, but with a substantial Americanising of the inner workings to facilitate easy maintenance and fulfil their role. The Yukon was also based on the Britannia with lengthened fuselage, cargo doors and hinged tail for easy access for larger loads, and Rolls-Royce engines. This book is by author Charles Starfrace and covers the birth and development of the airframe in much more detail, as well as providing tons of excellent pictures of many airframes both in military and civilian service, some of which are in colour due to their being contemporary shots, plus 1:144 plans of the 300 series and profiles in the centre, penned by John S Fox. There are also profiles showing the Yukon, Argus and Guppy, which was a one-off conversion to increase the cargo load in the same manner as the Super Guppy and Beluga. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover and 60 pages plus additional content printed on the four glossy pages of the covers. A short introduction details the birth of the type and its subsequent variants and Canadair types. RAF Britannia Tribute Britain and transport aircraft from 1939 The Bristol Aeroplane Company Bristol Type 175 and Proteus Problems at Filton Building the Britannia The Britannia enters service with airlines Britannias for the Royal Air Force Britannias kept busy Post-RAF service The Canadair models Canadair CP-107 Argus RCAF Lancasters and Neptune P2V7s The “All Seeing” Argus Argus Electronics Argus enters service Profiles x 3 Britannia Series 300 1:144 Plans Profiles x 3 Was the Argus nuclear-capable? Operational history of the CP-107 Argus The Argus’s tasks expand Arctic patrols and Exercises The 1970s – the Argus’’s swan song Canadair CC-106 Yukon The civilian “Swingtail” CL-44D-4 Not on Canadian Air Force markings Profiles x 3 The civilian Britannia gallery Bristol Britannia in Detail Profiles x 9 CP-107 Argus detail page The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the runway and even with the tail folded in the middle of swallowing a stripped-down F-104 Starfighter, with appropriate photos and drawings dotted around. In the short "In Detail" section there are many close-up photos with some items numbered that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that like to know what everything does. There are several kits of the Britannia available in the smaller scales due to the overall size of the type, including Roden, 26 Models and F-Resin in 1:144, and Mach 2 in 1:72 for those who dare. Sadly, there are no kits for the Yukon or Argus, so you'd be left to scratchbuild or convert a Britannia, which would be fun! Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a bad one. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or building on of these early post-war airliner/cargo aircraft. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  17. MiG-17 Warpaint No.124 Guideline Publications The MiG-17 "Fresco" began life as an improved version of the MiG-15 to address its problems that arose as the mach number approached 0.92, when things got hairy for the pilot. The resulting airframe was different enough that it was given the new designation, with variably swept thinner wings with three wing-fences, a small ventral fin for stability and other improvements that gave a higher top speed with the same thrust as its earlier relative. It entered service after some initial faults were fixed in 1951, still using the sneaky copy of the British Nene engine that had powered the MiG-15, but that was later replaced with an indigenous engine that introduced an afterburner to further bring back some terror to the pilot, with the Fresco F and onward using this for the reinvigorated type. It fought in Vietnam against supersonic American fighters, where its comparative manoeuvrability and a nose-full of cannons allowed it to make a good account of itself, particularly after a reverse-engineered radar-ranging gunsight was introduced into the equation. Many were sold to Soviet aligned states and stayed in service there long after the more advanced supersonic replacements had ousted them from Soviet service This book by author Nickolay Yakobovich and translated by Kevin Bridge covers the birth and development of the airframe in great detail, as well as providing tons of excellent pictures of many airframes in military service, many of which are in colour due to the spread of colour film over the years, plus 1:72 plans and profiles in the centre, penned by Yurgey Yurgenson. There are also profiles showing the radar-equipped versions that looked a little Tapir-like to my eyes. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover and 64 pages plus content printed on the four glossy pages of the covers. A short introduction details the birth of the type and its subsequent upgrades, which extends throughout the book in the following fashion: Colour Profiles Introduction The MiG-17F Series Production Indigenous & Foreign Analogues Colour Profiles Interceptors Fighter Bombers Reconnaissance Aircraft & Pilotless Targets Prototype Modifications & Flying Laboratories Colour Profiles 1:72 Scale Drawings The MiG-17 in Frontline Service Colour Profiles The MiG-17 Overseas Licensed Production in China The Lyuska Transition Model Museum Exhibits with Photos of Preserved Examples Colour Profiles Liveries & Markings MiG-17 in Detail A short Technical Description of the MiG-17 Colour Profiles The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft on the apron, on the field and even after crashes, with appropriate photos and drawings dotted around. In the short "In Detail" section there are many close-up photos with some items numbered that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that like to know what everything does. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a bad one, which I'll keep repeating until I'm proven wrong. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or building one of these early Soviet jet fighters. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  18. This topic began in the thread on the latest book from Guideline Publications that you can see here, but drifted off topic, so has been stripped out to continue on its own merits I bought this a couple of months ago, and if the plans in the book are accurate, then the new tool/boxing of the Airfix Mig 15 has a fuselage that is way too big and the fairly old KP Mig 15 is about right. The book itself is very good, an interesting read in its own right.
  19. Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-15 Warpaint No.120 Guideline Publications The Mig-15 was the Soviet Union’s first accomplished jet fighter following WWII, the better design of a number of candidates and more capable of achieving transonic speeds because of its swept wings than the other straight winged competitors. Using reverse-engineered, locally built Rolls Royce Nene copies for power they became one of the most produced fighter jets and were upgraded as time went by until they reached the limits of the airframe and were replaced by the upgraded Mig-17 that served in Vietnam against F-4 Phantoms and other supersonic aircraft. This book by author Nikolay Yakubovich and translated into English by Kevin Bridge covers the birth and development of the airframe in great detail, as well as providing tons of excellent pictures, many of which are in black and white due to their being contemporary shots, plus 1:72 plans and profiles in the centre, penned by Andrey Yurgenson. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover and 60 pages plus content printed on the four glossy pages of the covers. A short introduction details the birth of the type and its subsequent upgrades. Introduction The Start of the ‘Story’ The Fighter Trainer The Mig-15bis All Weather Interceptors Colour Profiles Reconnaissance Aircraft Ground Attack Role ‘Tugs’ Flying Laboratories and Targets On the Road to Supersonic Flight Series Production Colour Profiles In Service Mig-15 version plans in 1:72 The Mig-15 in Combat Colour Profiles Overseas Liveries and Markings A Short Technical Description of the Mig-15bis Aircraft Kits, Decals & Accessories Listing Mig-15 in Detail The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft in maintenance, on the field and even after difficult landings, with appropriate photos and drawings dotted around. In the "In Detail" section there are many close-up photos with some items numbered that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that like to know what everything does. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud. This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in knowing more about, and/or building one of these early Soviet jet fighters. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. Albatros D.I – D.III Warpaint No.122 Guideline Publications The Albatros was one of the better WWI fighters, entering service in 1916 and utilising advanced (for the time) construction techniques to lessen weight while gaining structural strength. It initially suffered from lack of manoeuvrability due to the high wing load, which was partially addressed by the D.II with a narrower gap between the two wings. Engine cooling was via the centre section of the upper wing to avoid draining the system I the event of a bullet strike, but scalded pilots might disagree with that idea. Its successor the D.III had further redesigned wings and struts but used the same fuselage, and this version saw extensive service to the end of the war, while the later D.V superseded it on the production lines and often served alongside its ancestors. A lot of the survivors of WWI were sold to Poland where they carried on in service but saw limited combat until the Polish/Soviet war where their age and stresses of combat caused their eventual removal from service. This book by author Dave Hooper covers the birth and development of the airframe in much more detail, as well as providing tons of excellent pictures, many of which are in black and white due to their being contemporary shots, plus plans and profiles in the centre, penned by Jan Polc. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover and 48 pages plus content printed on the four glossy pages of the covers. A short introduction details the birth of the type and its subsequent upgrades. Introduction Albatros Werke Gmbh Before the War The Genesis of the D-Type and the Jasta The Birth of the Jasta and Boelcke’s Dicta Enter the Albatros The Albatros goes to the Front First Blood Two Colour Profiles with overheads October – A month of Successes, Ending in Tragedy The Albatros D.III Four Colour Profiles The Beginning of a New Year – Winter 1917 Operation Alberich Four Colour Profiles Drawings by Jan Polc Four Colour Profiles Blood April The Beginning of the End The Austro-Hungarian Albatros (OEF) Albatros in Combat The Albatros in Foreign Service Albatros D.I-D.III in detail. 8 pages of a preserved airframe in colour Kits, Decals & Accessories list Four Colour Profiles The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions of aircraft in maintenance, on the field and even pranged/scrapped, with appropriate photos and drawings dotted around. Throughout the "In Detail" section there are many, many close-up photos with some items numbered that will be a boon to modellers as well as people that like to know what everything does. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud! This is an excellent book that will see plenty of use by anyone interest in, or building a model of one of these wooden warriors. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Warpaint No.121 Guideline Publications The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was a carrier capable ground attack aircraft developed for the US Navy and US Marine Corps. It is a delta winged single engine aircraft. It was developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company originally under the A4D designation, latter changed to A-4. The A-4 was designed by Ed Heinemann to a 1952 US Navy specification for a carrier based attack aircraft capable of carrying heavy loads. For this an aircraft was to have a maximum weight of 30,000Lbs, and be capable of speeds up to 495 mph. Initially the Douglas design with a specified weight of only 20000 Lbs greeted with scepticism. Ed Heinemann had in fact designed a very small aircraft. This was to be roughly half the weight of its contemporaries. In fact the wings were so short they did not need to fold for stowage below decks. Having a non-folding wing eliminated the heavy wing folds seen in other aircraft, one reason for a low overall weight. The prototype also exceed the maximum speed the US Navy had specified. In fact not long after the aircraft would set a new world record of 695 mph for circuit flying, bettering the specification by 200 mph. The A-4A was the initial production aircraft with 166 being built. The A-4B was ordered with additional improvements over the initial design. These were to be; Stronger rudder construction, a pressure fuelling system incorporating a probe for in-flight refuelling, external fuel tanks, stronger landing gear, additional navigation equipment, an improved ordnance delivery system, and an external buddy refuelling package. A total of 542 A-4Bs were to be made with fleet deliveries beginning in 1957 only a year after the first A-4B flight was made. US Navy A-4Bs were later supplied to Argentina using the A-4Q designation for aircraft destined for the Navy; and A-4P for those destined for the Air Force. The USN would follow with the upgraded A-4C, then the A-4E with its distinctive avionics hump, and new engine. This was refined to the A-4F where it would be famously used by the Blue Angels. Other notable versions would be the A-4G for the Royal Australian Navy, the A-4H for the Israeli Air Force, the A-4K for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the A-4M for the USMC. In total over 3000 A-4s were produced by Douglas later becoming McDonnell Douglas. The A-4 went on to fight with the US Navy in the Vietnam war, with the Israeli Air Force in the Yom Kippur War, with the Argentinean Air Force in the Falkland’s War, and the Kuwaiti Air Force in the Gulf War. Skyhawks were used by, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Malaysia, and Singapore. Last use by the US Navy was in the aggressor role made famous by the Top Gun Film. Some are still in service today with some of the private contractors who have sprung up in recent years to supply services to various countries. This new publication the Warpaint series is the largest one to date with 144 pages. The history of the aircraft and its many users has warranted a larger publication in order to produce a comprehensive publication. To make this review transparent I know the author and can attest to the amount of research he put into the book, contacting Air Arms, serving and retired pilots of the aircraft and current users where possible to gain information and to check facts. In fact some members of Britmodeller were able to supply information and photos regarding some of the current civilian users for the aircraft. Contained in the 144 pages are a wealth of Black & White photos, as well as colour ones. There is the usual walkaround pages plus 10 full pages of excellent colour aircraft profiles from Richard Caruana. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud! They are always well written and informative with a wealth of pictures and profiles, this edition also having 1/72 scale plans at the centre and a small section of detailed photos at the end. The longer book in this case is certainly welcome as it gives a truer picture of this famous aircraft. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  22. Grumman F9F Panther Warpaint No.119 Guideline Publications The Panther was one of the US Navy's first successful Jet powered carrier fighters, it was also Grumman's first foray into jet aircraft. Development for the aircraft began during WWII and so was not able to benefit from the swept wing technology. As such it was a conventional straight winged aircraft. Grumman had been working on a jet fighter the G-75 which lost out to the Douglas Skyknight, however they had been working on the G-79 as well and through some bureaucratic manoeuvring the wording of the G-75 contract was changed to include the three G-79 prototypes as well. The first prototype flew in 1947. The Navy had decided the aircraft would be armed with the heavier 20mm cannon and 4 were installed. The Panther would become the USN & USMCs primary fighter and ground attack aircraft for the Korean War flying over 78000 sorties. A notable pilot of the Panther in Korea was Neil Armstrong, as well as John Glenn. Despite the slower speed and straight wing the Panther did manage some air-2-air victories even over the MiG-15 with Lt R Williams of VF-781 downing 4 in a single engagement, however its limitations were obvious by this time. Panthers would be withdrawn by 1959 with only the US Navy Blue Angels flying them by this point. The design would though live on with the F9F Cougar which was basically a swept wing version of the same air frame. The only overseas user of the Panther was the Argentinian Navy which purchased 28 ex USN Aircraft in 1957. They would serve until 1969. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud! They are always well written and informative with a wealth of pictures and profiles, this edition also having 1/72 scale plans at the centre and a small section of detailed photos at the end. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  23. Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer Warpaint No.117 Guideline Publications Using some of the captured aerodynamics data from Alexander Lippisch's research into delta wings, Douglas worked up this design for a lightweight interceptor/fighter that was capable of transonic speeds, which resulted in a tailless design with a highly blended fuselage and thin delta wing. Due to this being totally new territory and the intended engine not being available until later in the programme, progress from the 1945 start was slow, with the second prototype flying in 1951, but resulted in a pleasant aircraft to fly, with a surprising turn of speed and manoeuvrability. Carrier take-off and landing trials followed, with production airframes coming off the factory floor by 1954, although problems still persisted, and some were never satisfactorily dealt with during the life of the aircraft. The development of the Skylancer was to intended to improve upon the Skyray, with a better engine and an overall larger airframe that would take the design further than would otherwise have been possible. Airborne by 1956, it was found to have resolved a number of the Skyrays issues, and was supersonic "out of the box", possibly due to a coincidental compliance with the then unknown "area rule" used in later supersonic designs, but it was not to be. The Skylancer fell foul of the powers that be, and was cancelled due to the perception that there was no-longer a requirement for it. The prototypes were used for technical testing until 1970, by which time it was impossible to keep the remainder flightworthy due to the lack of spare parts. Meantime the Skyray had come and gone, never firing a shot in anger between the Korean and Vietnam wars. This book by author Tony Butler covers the birth and development of the airframe in much more detail, as well as providing tons of excellent pictures, many of which are in full colour, plus 1:72 plans in the centre, penned by Richard J. Caruana. The book is in the usual Warpaint format of portrait A4(ish) with a soft card cover and 55 pages including the two pages taken up by the plans, including the inside covers, which are printed as if they were part of the book. The major portion describes the birth and development of the Skyray, and roughly a third is devoted to the impressive failure that was the Skylancer, which is only fair, especially as it's a lot less likely we'll get a mainstream kit of the Skylancer. The pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions, as well as details of the squadrons that operated the Skyray, with some rather colourful wing schemes, a short "In Detail" section, along with many, many other close-up photos that will be a boon to modellers. There is even a short section of kits and aftermarket available at the time of printing, with a surprising number of kits in 1:72 and 1:48. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud! The Skyray is a pretty aircraft, and this book covers its development and history concisely, which will be a big help to modellers and of interest to anyone that wants to know more about this little delta-wing. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  24. Hawker Fury and Nimrod Warpaint No.116 Guideline Publications Developed from the Hawker F.20/27 prototype the Fighter Fury would use the same Rolls-Royce Kestrel as fitted to the light Bomber the Hart. It was initially called the Hornet and was purchased by the Air Ministry in 1930, the later production aircraft would be called the Fury as the Air Ministry wanted aircraft names which reflected ferocity! Due to the depression only small numbers were ordered at first. The Fury was to be the first RAF Fighter to exceed 200mph in level flight. The aircraft was very agile with sensitive control which made it popular for the RAF Aerobatic teams of the day, indeed 19 teams would use it between 1931 & 1938. Interestingly a monoplane version of the Fury was designed. though not built it would form the basis of the prototype Hurricane. In 1926 the Air Ministry issued a specification to replace the Fairey Flycatcher in Naval Service. Given the work with the Fury Hawkers designer Sidney Camm insisted the new design not be that different apart from any specialised Naval Equipment that was needed. Like the Fury was originally the Hornet, the Nimrod was originally the Sea Hornet. The book looks at the development of both aircraft. The Fury in service with the RAF, and foreign Air Arms. The use of the Nimrod by the Navy, and again foreign Air Arms. The 56 pages include a lot of useful pictures with informative captions, as well as details of the squadrons that operated the types, technical details, lists of RAF & RN Squadrons with colour profiles of some. and a centre section with technical drawings. Conclusion The Warpaint series always gets a thumbs-up due to their inability to produce a dud! They are always well written and informative with a wealth of picture and profiles. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  25. F-4 Phantom II Warpaint Series No.114 The McDonnell F-4 Phantom II has become both an icon and a legend, with many publications already in print of this famous jet aircraft of the Cold War era. This latest book, in Guideline Publication’s “Warpaint Series”, covers the McDonnell F-4B and F-4J variants, including their upgrades to F-4N and F-4S respectively, with the RF-4B also being covered. These variants were used mainly by the United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corp (USMC); plus a small number of refurbished F-4J’s, that were sold to Britain and re-designated F-4J(UK) for the Royal Air Force (RAF). An earlier volume, number 31, covered the F-4K and F-4M versions in British service with the RAF and Fleet Air Arm (FAA). This book follows the well established and popular layout of the Warpaint Series, the covers are produced in A4 portrait format on glossy soft card, with a drawing and photograph of the subject matter adorning the title on the front. The history of these variants of the F-4 Phantom II has been written in well researched detail by Charles Stafrace. This detail that Charles has provided is complemented with full-colour illustrations produced by Richard L. Caruana; each illustration having a short narrative that contains details specific to the aircraft displayed. Charles starts with a short history of how the F-4 concept came into being, with the attempt by McDonnell to upgrade and improve their F-3H Demon as a possible contender for the next USN fleet jet. The detail is extensive, wherein he displays an in-depth knowledge of all the F-3 variants that were designed, trialled and tested before the program was accepted and re-designated the F4H-1F (F-4A). Throughout the 120 pages, including covers, there are over 230 photographs; 202 of which are colour. There are 36 illustrations, showing full-colour profiles of specific airframes, are beautifully produced by Richard L. Caruana. Included among them are three F-4J (UK) versions of No.74 Squadron RAF; plus the now famous F-4B from USS Forrestal, which went unserviceable whilst onboard HMS Ark Royal and had to have her tail repainted before the ship entered Malta in 1972. Illustrations like these should be of great use to builders of Phantom models. This book has quite a few datasheets included throughout, an example being five pages dedicated to the aircraft squadrons/wings, home bases and dates in service. Further lists provide a chronological breakdown of sea-going deployments; by ship and dates etc. This very interesting and informative volume come complete with a large 60cm x 30cm double-sided pull-out sheet of plans that have been produced in black and white, again by Richard L. Caruana, displaying details of the F-4B; F-4J; F-4N; F-4S and RF-4B airframes. Each aircraft plan and profile is drawn to 1:72 scale. Conclusion This is a lovely book, it is full of great photo's and profile illustrations of an iconic aircraft. It has been produced specific to the F-4B and F-4J variants for the USN and USMC, as such this should be welcome by all US Navy/Marine enthusisasts. In addtion, there is additional information and illustrations on the F-4K(UK) for the RAF; therefore this should also be a boon for those interested in 74 Sqn RAF Phantoms. With 120 pages of data, photo's and plans of the phabulous phantom, I have no hesitation in recommending this for the aviation and naval enthusiast's bookshelf. Review sample courtesy of
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