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Challenger 2 PhotoSniper #30 (9788365437853) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Following WWII and the success of the Centurion, the Chieftain was eventually brought in as its replacement, and while it had some excellent features it was ageing technology that held it back and it took a long time to reach maturity. As it grew older the MOD began looking for a replacement and after the failure of a large sale of a new design to Iran, the Shir design was repurposed into the Challenger with some changes of course and advanced elements incorporated from another Vickers design. It was always a stop-gap and pretty soon a replacement was being considered with substantial improvements in the firing control system that was much needed. The first Challenger 2 was put out for evaluation in 1991 and found to be a bit of a dog, having many problems that took a long time to remedy, leaving the higher-ranking officers that remembered the same issues with the Chieftain with a bitter taste in their mouths. Eventually though, the issues were cleared and the Chally grew up to be a fine vehicle and is arguably one of the best Main Battle Tanks (MBT) in the world today. The Chieftains and Challenger 1s are now long gone and the Chally 2 is destined to be in service for a long time to come, with upgrades happening to the basic chassis as the need arises. They have proved to be a robust and capable platform that has served the British Army and Oman well and has an enviable combat reputation. The Book This is the latest PhotoSniper book from Kagero, #30 of the series. It is perfect bound in a card cover with 82 pages of text and almost 200 photographs, written by Dick Taylor who clearly has a lot of love for the subject matter. It is printed on satin finished paper with most of the photographs in colour and captions that inform and entertain in equal measure. Some of the photos are of a candid nature showing tankers going about their daily chores such as maintenance and repair and many appear to have come from private collections. The text is broken down into chapters as follows: Chapter 1 Design & development Chapter 2 Challenger 2 described Chapter 3 The Armoured Regiment & Squadron Chapter 4 Operational Use & Variants Although the title implies that it is a photograph-centred book, there is still plenty to read in between the pictures and their captions and that should keep the reader engaged for longer than a simple book of photos. The pictures are impressive on their own however with lots of modelling-friendly detail pics as well as a great deal of inspiration for dioramas and vignettes. There are also a good few pictures of the bridge-layer variant the Titan, and the engineering Trojan, plus the Driver Training Tank (DTT) which has the turret removed and is replaced by a cowling that bears a passing resemblance to the superstructure of an old pleasure cruiser boat. On the very back page (which I haven't counted in the total) is a discount code for a 30% discount on the similarly themed PhotoSniper #27 "Before the birth of the MBT", also by Kagero. Conclusion This book is for anyone interested in the Challenger 2, and as one of those people it makes for an interesting and informative read. The pictures are great too and it makes me want to retrieve my Tamiya kit from the loft, wherever it might be. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Renault FT & M1917 PhotoSniper 3D (9788366148048) Kagero via Casemate UK The diminutive Renault tank that is often known somewhat incorrectly as the FT-17 was the first true tank of the form that we know today, having a separate turret that could rotate 360o to fire in all directions. It arrived late in WWI and was so successful that it was to stay in service in some locations for up to 25 years and even America was a customer, building their own under license as the M1917 until they could produce their own tanks of a sufficient standard. With upgrades along the way it managed to take part in the early days of WWII in French service although it was hopelessly outclassed by even the early-war German tanks and fell to their guns with alarming regularity, with many being abandoned by their unfortunate crews. In their usual "that's mine now" manner, the Nazis pressed the little tanks into service but away from the front lines as defensive vehicles for airfields, arms dumps and other high value targets of the Resistance. The FT also saw service with a number of other countries and was copied by some others with greater or lesser divergence from the original. This book is a thick tome from Kagero and is number 29 in their PhotoSniper 3D line. It is 180 pages perfect bound into a card cover and is written by Jacek Szafrański and Samir Karmieh. It is broken down into sections, as follows: Introduction A Brief history of the tank with photos of it in service with many of its operators. Walkaround A 65 page photographic description of both the FT-31 and FT-17 variants of the vehicle, all in colour. 3D Visualisation The balance of the book is devoted to a huge quantity of computer generated images of the tank, including cross-sections and internal equipment such as engines, guns and suspension. The photographs in the introductory section are mostly from interwar and WWII situations and are presented in high quality black and white with captions to match. The walkaround section is based upon preserved examples in museums and of course the photographs are crisp and in full colour. As with all museum vehicles, take care not to assume that everything is in the correct place, as sometimes museums get it wrong or go with what they have through expediency, however if using the photos as highly detailed supporting information you won't go far wrong. Conclusion A very useful book for anyone that has this model in their stash, whether it is the 1:35 Meng, 1:16 Takom kit, or one of the smaller scale renditions that have been around for some years. The level of detail exposed is second to none, and will assist with building and detailing any kit of this ground-breaking tin can. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The Battleship HMS Rodney Kagero Super Drawings in 3D No.70 HMS Rodney was the only other ship aside from HMS Nelson in the Nelson Class of Royal Navy Battleships. This class stood out from other ships of the day as they had all of their main armament forward of the main superstructure, and that armament was nine 16" guns. The design of the vessel was due to the limitations set out by the Washington Treaty of 1922 and the maximum displacement of 35,000 tons. By placing all three turrets in one place the armour could be concentrated there and not ship wide. The Rodney was to be named for Admiral George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney. Rodney was famous for defeating the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782, and the Spanish at Cape St Vincent in 1780. The Rodney was laid down at Cammell Lairds in Birkenhead in December 1922 and launched in 1925. She was commissioned into the Royal Navy in in 1927. The Rodney was plagued by problems throughout her careers and had numerous refits to try and correct these issues, and heavy use she was paid off in 1946 and scrapped in 1948. During WWII she earned battle honours for Norway, The Atlantic, The Bismark (she made history here by being the only Battleship to torpedo another) while firing 340 16" shells!, Malta Convoys, The Invasion of North Africa, the Sicily & Salerno, followed by the English Channel, Normandy and finally the Arctic, This is the latest book in Kagero Publishing’s superb series of Super Drawings in 3D. This book looks at the ship as she was after the 1942 refit. As with the previous books it has a brief history and the ships specifications at the beginning. This includes the following:- Overview Design Propulsion Armaments and fire control Armour Service Conclusion The rest of the 89 pages are filled with the now well known style of beautifully drawn 3D renderings of every part of the ship. It is obvious that a lot of time has been taken to get the drawings this good and accurate, and there is a wealthy of information for the modeller to use during their build. Every area of the upper hull and superstructure is dealt with plus the lower hull including the propellers and rudder. There are a lot of close up renders of most of the equipment fitted, such as the PomPom & mounts, 16", 6" & 4.7” turrets, ships boats, funnels, Walrus seaplane and main turrets, as well as the longer view, showing how this design differed from all other battleships. As is the norm with this series, Kagero have included a double sided A2 fold out sheet with a three view on one side, unusually in 1:350, with additional drawings of the ships fixtures, such as turrets, main directors, torpedo tubes, AA turrets, ships boats and radar, in either 1:50, 1:100, 1:150 or 1:350 scales. It would be a nice extra if these books had a pull out profile of the whole vessel in colour. Conclusion If you love British battleships and like to model them as accurately as possible then this book is most definitely for you. I have always had a personal like of the Ship as she was built at the shipyard where I served my apprenticeship, and when I helped doing some work in the archive I was able to look at original drawings for the ship. Highly recommended, Review sample courtesy of

The Russian ASW Guided Missile Cruiser Petropavlovsk Kagero Top Drawings No. 74 via Casemate UK The Russian ASW Guided Missile Cruiser Petropavlovsk was a Kara Class Guided Missile Cruiser in Western Classification though the Soviets classed them as Large anti-submarine warfare vessels. The Kara Class was itself an enlarged Kresta II Class vessel with new Gas Turbine Engines replacing steam turbines. Even though designated ASW ships they have a formidable anti-aircraft capability as well. They are 173m long with a beam of 6.7m. Their primary ASW weapon is two quad SS-N-14 Silix missile systems. This solid fuel rocket system was a response to the US ASROC system could deliver a torpedo or nuclear depth charge at ranges of upto 50km. The system unlike the US one also has multipurpose torpedo's which can be used against surface vessels. Two additional RBU-1000 and two RBU-6000 are also carried. For the anti-aircraft role two twin SA-N-3 Goblet, and 24 SA=N-6 Grumble missile systems are carried. The vessel also mounts 2 twin 76mm guns, 4 30mm CIWS systems and finally two racks of 5 533mm torpedo tubes. An sub hunting helicopter can also be carried, All in all these were very capable ships, All of the class have now been paid off. One of these ships the Ochakov was used in anger, though in a strange way. In 2014 with the Russian invasion of the Ukraine she was sunk as a blockship in Donuzlav bay to prevent the Ukrainian gaining access to the Black Sea. This is the latest book from Kagero in their Top Drawing series, and like the previous books it has a brief history and the ships specifications at the beginning. The rest of the 15 pages are filled with beautifully drawn diagrams of almost every piece of equipment on the ship. Unusually for this series there aren’t any drawings of the hull, the largest section being covered is the superstructure. The main reson for the book are the the two double sided A2 foldout sheets, the first of which has a three view line drawing of the complete ship on one side, the other side containing similar views, but in full colour. The second sheet also contains three view line drawings of the ship, The opposite side of sheet 2 also contain line drawings of the ship, the top drawing of the hull only, the next, top down view of the hull, but also showing the internal spaces of he first level of the superstructure. The bottom drawing is a waterline drawing with annotations for the majority of the equipment visible above the main deck. The drawings also show the differences between entry into serivce and the changes to their final years. Conclusion This is another good book in the series. The pullout sheets are also wonderful to see. This is certainly a very useful book for all modellers. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

ORP General Tadeusz Kościuszko Kagero Top Drawings No. 65 ORP General Tadeusz Kościuszko, the former USS Wadsworth (FFG-9), is one of two Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigates in the Polish Navy. She is named for Tadeusz Kościuszko, an American Revolutionary War hero and hero of Poland's struggle for independence. General Tadeusz Kościuszko is home-ported in Gdynia Oksywie, and has participated in numerous NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea. Ordered from Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division, San Pedro, California on 27 February 1976 as part of the FY75 program, Wadsworth, was laid down on 13 July 1977, launched on 29 July 1978, and commissioned on 28 February 1980. Decommissioned on 28 June 2002, Wadsworth was handed over to Poland the same day, to become the second ex-Oliver Hazard Perry class in the Polish Navy inventory, the former USS Clark having been handed over in March 2000. This is the latest book from Kagero in their Top Drawing series, and like the previous books it has a brief history and the ships specifications at the beginning. The rest of the eighteen pages are filled with beautifully drawn diagrams of almost every piece of equipment on the ship. Unusually for this series there aren’t any drawings of the hull, the largest section being covered is the superstructure. Also not seen before are a series of photographs of the actual ship covering eight pages which give a different dimension to the book as they are great not only for detail but also for the colour scheme and even more importantly for the modeller, weathering. Also included are A2 foldout sheets, the first of which has a three view line drawing of the complete ship on one side, the other side containing similar views, but in full colour as she was in 2018. The second sheet also contains three view line drawings of the ship, but as she was in 2015, and it’s very interesting comparing the two sheets seeing what change in her last refit. The opposite side of sheet 2 also contain line drawings of the ship, the top drawing of the hull only, the next, top down view of the hull, but also showing the internal spaces of he first level of the superstructure. The bottom drawing is a waterline drawing with annotations for the majority of the equipment visible above the main deck. Conclusion This is another superb book in the series and I particularly like the use of the photographs as they are a great help to the modeller. The pullout sheets are also wonderful to see, especially the changes between 2015 and 2018. This is certainly a very useful book for all modellers who would like a slightly different Perry class ship in their collection. Review sample courtesy of

Japanese Destroyer Suzutsuki Kagero Super Drawings in 3D No.68 Suzutsuki was the third ship from the series of the most powerful Akizuki destroyers, designed specifically as anti-aircraft defence. The Akizuki-class ships were originally designed as anti-aircraft escorts for carrier battle groups, but were modified with torpedo tubes and depth charges to meet the need for more general-purpose destroyer. Her crew numbered 300 officers and enlisted men. The ships measured 440 ft 3 in overall, with a beam of 38 ft 1 in and a draft of 13 ft 7 in. They displaced 2,701 tons at standard load and 3,700 tons at deep load. The ships powerplant was rated at a total of 52,000 shaft horsepower for a designed speed of 33 knots. The main armament of the Akizuki class consisted of eight Type 98 100-millimeter (3.9 in) dual purpose guns in four twin-gun turrets, two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure. They carried four Type 96 25-millimeter anti-aircraft guns in two twin-gun mounts. The ships were also armed with four 24.0 in torpedo tubes in a single quadruple traversing mount; one reload was carried for each tube. Their anti-submarine weapons comprised six depth charge throwers for which 72 depth charges were carried This is another great book from Kagero in their Super Drawings in 3D, and the second on an Akizuki class ship. Like the previous books it has an introduction with a brief history of the ship and the its specifications at the beginning. This includes the following:- Introduction History Suzutsuki Design and propulsion Hull Superstructure Armament Service The rest of the Eighty one pages are filled with the now well known style of beautifully drawn 3D renderings of every part of the ship. It is obvious that a lot of time has been taken to get the drawings this good and accurate, and there is a wealthy of information for the modeller to use during their build. Every area of the upper hull and superstructure is dealt with plus the lower hull including the propellers and rudder. The outstanding renders in this title include the torpedo tubes that also show how the reloads were carried and loaded, the depth charge thrower station and the interesting way the linoleum deck covering was held down by brass strips in large rectangles rather than straight across as a lot of kits of Japanese ships show them. But throughout the book it’s the little things that will stand out for the modeller, such as how the smaller vents and chimneys are arranged and even the awning stanchions are erected and arranged, for those modellers who would like to build the ship with a different look, particularly nice in a seascape. For even more detail, Kagero have included a double sided A2 fold out sheet with a five view on one side, unusually in 1:200, with additional drawings of the ships funnel, bow superstructure, midships superstructure and stern superstructure, each with either five or six views, all, again in 1:200. Conclusion This is another superb book in the series and a great addition to any maritime modeller’s library. The detail included is excellent as usual, with the superb renderings that are so clear that they will be a delight for the superdetailers. The modeller appears to be spoilt for choice when it comes to obtaining a kit of an Akizuki class, so if you have/want one, and want to go to town on it, then this book is for you. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 62 Japanese Destroyer Shimakaze (9788366148024) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Shimakaze was a one-off super-destroyer built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was armed with six 5 inch dual-purpose guns and conventional anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weaponry. More importantly, she was the only Japanese destroyer to be armed with 15 torpedo tubes, each capable of firing the deadly 24 in Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedo. The ship was a test bed for an enormously powerful, high-temperature; high-pressure steam turbine that was able to develop 79,240 shp, this made her one of the fastest destroyers in the world: her designed speed was 39 kn but on trials she made 40.9 kn. Ordered in 1939 under the 4th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme, Shimakaze was laid down in Maizuru Naval Arsenal in August 1941 and completed on 10 May 1943. Japan had intended to lay down 16 similar destroyers, with long-term plans the 5th Naval Armaments Supplement Programme for a total of 32 to equip four destroyer squadrons, but a lack of industrial capacity prevented them from being built. In June 1943, Shimakaze participated in the evacuation of Japanese troops from Kiska Island towards the end of the Aleutian Islands campaign. She was present in June 1944 at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In October 1944, the destroyer was present at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, although she played no role in the battle except for picking up survivors from the sunken battleship Musashi. While serving as the flagship of Destroyer Squadron 2 under the command of Rear Admiral Mikio Hayakawa, she was attacked and sunk by American aircraft from Task Force 38 on 11 November 1944 during the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Shimakaze was discovered by a Paul Allen-led expedition aboard RV Petrel in Ormoc Bay on December 1st, 2017. She was a mangled wreck but the three quintuple torpedo tube launchers confirmed her identity. Photographs from the wreck also debunked the assertion that she had one of her turrets removed in an early 1944 refit. This softback book, in their Topdrawing series is a mine of information for the maritime modeller. Although only consisting of twenty two pages this is very similar to the 3D Drawing series but without the range of colourful renderings, but the book is filled with line drawings. This actually makes it easier to see what’s what as you’re not distracted by the colour schemes. Each line drawing is very nicely done, concentrating on different sections of the ship. Interspersed between the larger drawings there are numerous smaller diagrams of individual pieces of equipment, such as the turrets, torpedo tubes, depth charge positions, ships boats, and light AA weaponry. The foldout A2 sheet opens up to reveal three view line drawings of the ship on one side and detail line drawings of various parts of ship and equipment, all of which are in 1:200 scale. Conclusion These books, while not as visually exciting as the Super Drawings in 3D, they do give the modeller an enhanced view of the ships structure and equipment. If used in conjunction with the associated 3D book on the Shimakaze you will be able to make your models as accurate as possible. Whether you're building the 1:350 kits from Hasegawa or Fujimi, or the 1:700 kits from Pit-Road or Tamiya. Review sample courtesy of

Russian Destroyer Spravedlivyy Kagero Super Drawings in 3D Spravedlivyy is one of twenty seven Project 56 destroyers all built between 1954 and 1958. The preceding Neustrashimy class was deemed to large and expensive for series production. Thus the Project 56 class were slightly smaller but still quite capable ships. NATO gave them the code name Kotlin. Spravedlivyy was one of eight of the class to be modified to carry the navalised version of the SA-5 Goa surface to air missile in 1962, although not mentioned or rendered as such in this book. In 1970 she was transferred to the Polish navy in 1970. All the class had been decommissioned and scrapped by 1990. This is the latest book from Kagero in their Super Drawings in 3D, and like the previous books it has a brief history and the ships specifications at the beginning. This includes the following:- Introduction History of the ship in the Soviet Navy Service in the Soviet Navy Conversion to Project 56A Purchase by the Polish Navy Design Propulsion Armament Artillery Compliment Flying the Polish Ensign The rest of the Eighty one pages are filled with the now well known style of beautifully drawn 3D renderings of every part of the ship. It is obvious that a lot of time has been taken to get the drawings this good and accurate, and there is a wealthy of information for the modeller to use during their build. Every area of the upper hull and superstructure is dealt with plus the lower hull including the propellers and rudder. I particularly like the renderings of the torpedo launchers and the larger scale drawings of the main turrets, AA battery and ships boats, plus the ships radar arrays and rigging. She is most definitely a classic Soviet design. For even more detail, Kagero have included a double sided A2 fold out sheet with a three view on one side, unusually in 1:200, with additional drawings of the ships fixtures, such as turrets, main directors, torpedo tubes, AA turrets, ships boats and radar, in either 1:50 or 1:100 scales. Conclusion This is another superb book in the series and a great addition to any maritime modeller’s library. This series is a boon to any ship modeller and is turning into a magnificent collection of titles. The detail included is second to none, and the renderings are so clear that they will be a delight for the superdetailers, particularly if building the great looking Combrig 1:700 kit. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 71 Special Edition – Macci MC.202 (9788366148222) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Known at the Folgore, which is Italian for Thunderbolt, the MC.202 was the most common Italian fighter aircraft of WWII, and was considered by many to be pretty much the best they had. The MC part of its name stems from its designer Mario Castoldi, who designed it around a licence built DB601 engine that was constructed by Alfa Romeo once it reached series production. It remained fairly much unchanged overall, with a short list of upgrades that centred around pilot protection, improving the aircraft's offensive armament and adding filters to improve longevity in hot, dusty environments. We have kits in most major scales of this elegant aircraft, although we're not spoiled for choice in some scales, sadly. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of masks for the 1:72 Hasegawa kit for the wheels and canopy in pre-cut vinyl. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Polish on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself has 28 pages bound in a card cover, and the rear cover is devoted to additional colour profiles of a Series VII and a Series III in "smoke ring" camouflage. Held loosely within are two loose A2 sheet printed on both sides with plans of the Series VIII, airframes in maintenance situations and on the second sheet, which is printed glossy paper, the major structures of the airframe plus more plans of the Series III and VIII, all in 1:24. The first half of the plans show the initial prototype MC.202 and series I, II and III, followed by the IV, VII, VIII and IX. After this the colour profiles are printed on four pages, augmented by the aforementioned two on the rear cover. After the break there are a host of detail drawings covering weapons, common parts in the wings, tail wheel variations, the two types of engine mounts, instrument panel changes, the two gunsights used, the engines in different scales, prop profiles, and the three canopy designs in chronological order. Then the usual side profiles showing the changed areas between each successive series marked out in grey, which surprisingly for a relatively unchanged aircraft takes four pages. The last few pages covers front, rear, overhead and lower plans in 1:72. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that show differences in wing leading edge shape and the addition of leading edge tanks; weapons pods carried under the wings and a drawing of the cowling from below. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the large scale prints and masks a bonus if you're a modeller in 1:72. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 69 Special Edition Hunt Class Destroyer HMS Badsworth (9788366148147) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The Hunt Class destroyers were designed by the Royal Navy in the late 1930s. These were primarily designed as Escort vessel for convoy duty and were smaller and more lightly armed than conventional destroyers, they were also slower. The design was actually based on the Bitten Class Sloop. 86 Hunts were built with 72 being commissioned into the Royal Navy and 14 being transferred to allied Navies. HMS Badsworth (L03) was in the second batch of Hunts to be built. She was launched from Cammell Lairds yard in Birkenhead in March 1941, and was commissioned into the Navy in August 1941. The ship took part in convoys in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Arctic. The ship had a torrid time striking a mine in Malta in 1942, and after repaired, again of Algeria in 1943. The vessel was then selected for transfer to the Free Norwegian Navy and renamed the Arendal. The ship would take the Crown Price of Norway to Oslo on his return to a free Norway, and then returned to the UK to transport the remain of 400 Norwegians who had died in the UK during the war. The ship would later escort more vessels to Norway, and even repatriate German POWs to Bremerhaven. She was relegated to training duties before being stood down in 1961, then to be scrapped in 1965. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Polish on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 27 pages, and the rear cover devoted to additional profiles in colour.. There are 2 sets of plans in the book both B2 in size, and both double sided. The first shows full profiles, as shown on the back page; one side is in full colour, the other being black and white line drawings. The second set of plans shows many scrap view of the armament and fittings. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that show various parts of the ship, armament and other fittings. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the profiles quite enjoyable. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 72 – Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (9788366148147) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The P-47 Thunderbolt, more commonly known as the Thud or Jug because of its large size (up to 8t take-off weight), was one of the USA's main fighters, and was both powerful and fast, a perfect combination for escorting bombers as well as its other role as a highly capable ground attack aircraft. It began with the XP-47A, which was cancelled in favour of the B, which meant that no A saw service. Constant upgrades due to wartime experiences saw it thought to the D model, after which was a jump to G, which was essentially a C made at the Curtiss plant. Toward the end of the D series the bubbletop design was put into service, but this book deals with the razorback, as the earlier models became known. We have kits in just about every scale from 1:144 upwards, with most major and some minor manufacturers getting in on the act, as other people's Jugs don't make money for them (there's probably a smutty joke in there, so go nuts). The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of additional plans on A3 paper. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 28 pages, with the back two pages devoted to an ad for other editions, another thick glossy A3 page to the other books in the Kagero range, and the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of a bare-metal D-23-RA and a loose A3 sheet printed on both sides with plans of the C and D-22 airframes. The first half of the plans show the variants from the B-series prototype with and without the contra-rotating prop that didn't see service, the in-service B, C, C-2, C-5, G-1, D-23, G-16 two-seater, the D and the D-4. After this the colour profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the aforementioned two on the rear cover. After the break there is another set of plans of the D-5, 6, 10, 15, 22 and 23, with front and rear profiles of the 22. The final five pages show side profiles with the visible changes between them, and the solitary two-seater, the G-16. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that show cross-sections of the fuselage, weapons, prop profiles, canopies, instrument panels, fuel tanks, and engines, with an example of a maintenance ladder and mechanic for a little diorama inspiration. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the profiles quite enjoyable. The bubbletops are dealt with in TopDrawings 50, which you can see here. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 66 – Focke-Wulf Fw.190 (9788366148161) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The Fw.190 was designed as a replacement to the Bf.109, but we all know that the 109 soldiered on manfully to the end of the war, and that the 190 gave the British Spitfires a bit of a shock when it was first encountered. As usual with WWII German aircraft, they tried to make the aircraft all things to all men, and wasted valuable resources adapting it to do other tasks such as Ground Attack (F) with a lower altitude tuned BMW801 engine and bomb racks, Long range light bomber/attack (G) with reduced armament to carry bombs, and the ungainly two-seat trainer (S) which were re-designated A series airframes. We have kits in the all the scales from most manufacturers due to the popularity of the type, from 1:144 to 1:24, with 1:48 having some brand new modernised toolings from Eduard. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of canopy masks for the F & G Eduard kits in 1:48 and 1:72, plus a handsome A4 print of an F-8 flying low over some Russian armour. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 20 pages, two of which are printed with other titles in the series, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of a pair of F-9s. The first half of the plans begins with the S-5 and S-8 trainer variants with their odd angular canopies, then switches to the F-3, F-8, F-8/R1 and U1, and F-9. After this the colour profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the aforementioned two on the rear cover. Following the break there is another set of plans for the F-8/R1 Mistel, Ru-344 and Hagelkorn glide-bomb carrier, then a single page devoted to the G-2,3,4 & 8. The last page shows the main differences between the single-seat variants from F through G. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that show cross-sections of the fuselage, fuel tanks, missiles, bombs, guns and such. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks and print a nice bonus. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 70 – Petlyakov Pe-2 (9788366148208) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The Pe-2 was designed by Vladimir Petlyakov while he languished in prison for supposedly delaying another project, and turned out to be a useful light bomber that lent itself well to adaptation for different tasks and structural improvement, so became a mainstay of the Soviet Air Force. It had some advanced features for a pre-war design, with a pair of turbocharged engines and pressurised cockpit amongst other novelties for the time. We have kits in the smaller scales from a few manufacturers due to the relative obscurity of the type outside of the former Soviet Union, but we certainly have more now than we used to from the likes of Zvezda (with Eduard reboxing) in 1:48, Hobby Boss in 1:72 to name two of the more modern toolings. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of canopy masks for both the kits mentioned above. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 24 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of a Series 359 airframe and two loose A3 sheets printed on both sides with plans of the 110th series. The first half of the plans show the variants from the prototype with a full length canopy, Series 110, differing nose glazing types, 83 series, 115th series, 205th series and the 359 series that is shown on the rear cover. After this the example profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the aforementioned two on the rear cover. After the break there is another set of plans of the Pe-2 with radial engines, the UT trainer variant with two separate cockpits, the upgraded Pe-3 BIS heavy fighter, the Pe-2 fighter, plus more views of the prototype VI-100 and the 110th series. The final three pages show side profiles with the changes between them visible, and the solitary wooden-tailed 115th series picked out with a captioned arrow. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that show cross-sections of the fuselage, landing gear arrangement, prop profiles, canopies, instrument panels, fuel tanks, weapons and engines. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the print a nice bonus that has drama and poignancy at the same time. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 68 – Curtiss P-40B/C/D/E (9788366148185) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The P-40 was designed as a low-cost fighter/ground-attack aircraft, which struggled to keep up with the moving goalposts that were set for it in terms of performance. It was eventually accepted into service in 1941 under the name Warhawk, and Tomahawk in British service with the Kittyhawk moniker being coined for the D onwards. It still wasn't the fastest kid on the block, so tended to be used primarily in theatres away from the top-echelon Bf.109s and Fw.190s. Thus it tends to be associated with the Pacific theatre, where despite suffering heavy losses it was useful as close air support as well as a fighter. We have kits in all scales from almost every manufacturer due to the popularity of the type, despite its shortcomings. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a handsome A4 print of a P-40B battling the Japanese invaders at Pearl Harbour. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 28 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of a couple of Es. The first half of the plans show the variants from the XP-40, Tomahawk Mk.I, P-40B Tomahawk Mk.IIA & B, P-40C and D, after which the colour profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the two on the rear cover. After this change of pace there is another set of plans on the P-40E and its trainer variant, plus the E-1. The final six pages show side and top profiles with the changes between the variants discussed picked out in grey, and bullet-pointed lists detailing the changes further. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that shows gun packs, bombs, cross-sections of the fuselage, instrument panels, fuel tanks and weaponry. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the print a nice bonus that has drama and poignancy at the same time. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 67 – Bf.109G/K (9788366148130) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The 109 was reaching the end of its potential for development as Britain and Germany fought the Battle of Britain, but the designers still managed to squeeze yet more from the ageing airframe, so much so that it lasted until the end of WWII, although in fewer numbers due to the attrition both of pilots and the factories in which the aircraft were made. The Gustav was perhaps the pinnacle of development, refining the design, streamlining the airframe and taking advantage of engine developments despite the limitations of the basic design. The G series can be broken down between early and late, and the short-lived K series, of which the K-4 was the only in-service sub-variant of the attempt to standardise production can be appended to the Gustav's run, as it was effectively concurrent, shared many design aspects, and was the last wartime development of the type. We have kits in all scales from almost every manufacturer due to the popularity of the type (along with the Spitfire and 190). The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of Balkenkreuz paint masks for the Bf.109G/K in 1:48 and 1:72, which could probably be used in plenty of other circumstances too. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 24 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles of a couple of Ks, but in addition you get a sheet of loose A3 plans printed on both sides in 1:48 with plenty of K drawings. The first half of the bound plans show the variants with several pages devoted to the G-1/G-3 , G-4 and G-2, with weapons fitment diagrams for the G-2, after which the colour profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the two on the rear cover. After the break there are a comprehensive set of plans on the G-10, plus some of the various field modifications and weapons fits. The final four pages show side profiles with the changes between the discussed picked out in grey, with bullet-pointed lists detailing the changes further. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that shows gun packs, the differences in intakes/exhausts, weapons carriers and so forth. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that enjoys comparing their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks a useful bonus if you have wanted to try painting your own markings. You might also be interested in TopDrawings 63, which covers the rest of the G series. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 63 – Bf.109G-5/6/8/12/14 (9788366148086) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The Bf.109 was reaching the end of its potential for development as Britain and Germany fought the Battle of Britain, but the designers still managed to squeeze yet more from the ageing airframe, so much so that it lasted until the end of WWII, although in fewer numbers due to the attrition both of pilots and the factories in which the aircraft were made. The Gustav was perhaps the pinnacle of development, refining the design, streamlining the airframe and taking advantage of engine developments despite the limitations of the basic design. The G series can be broken down between early and late, and to an extent the K-4, which was the only sub-variant of the attempt to standardise production that reached service and can be lumped into the Gustav's orbit, as it was effectively concurrent, and the last wartime development of the type. We have kits in all scales from almost every manufacturer due to the popularity of the type (along with the Spitfire). The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of masks for the Tamiya Bf.109G-6 in 1:48, which is the latest kit of the type. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 20 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles including the ungainly two-seater G-12, but in addition you get a sheet of loose A3 plans printed on both sides in 1:48 with the differences between the covered sub-variants picked out in grey. The first half of the bound plans show the variants with several pages devoted to the G-6, and one of the G-5, after which the colour profiles are printed on four pages in colour, augmented by the two on the rear cover. After the break there is another page on the G-5, then the G-14, which is also shown on maintenance stands with the tail held high by two tripods and a cross-bar. After that we skip back to the G-8 and finish with the G-12, which as already mentioned has an additional cockpit behind the standard one for training and VIP transport purposes. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that shows rocket packs, the differences in tail units, props, weapons carriers and so forth. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that likes to compare their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks a useful bonus if you happen to have succumbed to the new kit from Tamiya. You might also be interested in TopDrawings 67, which covers the rest of the G series and the short-lived K-4. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 64 – Focke Wulf Fw.190A (9788366148093) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK Introduced in 1941 to combat the ever-improving Spitfire, the Fw.190 was intended to supplant the Bf.109 if it reached a plateau in development, or run alongside it as a stablemate. Its powerful twin-bank radial engine was installed with a close-fitting cowling and was initially equipped with an oversized, ducted prop-spinner to keep the engine cool, which was discarded early in development in favour of a fan that ran on the prop's drive-shaft to push air through the cylinder heads, which also facilitated oil cooling. It was also given a wide-track landing gear, which reduced the likelihood of a nose-over, a problem afflicting both the 109 and Spitfire, due to their narrow track and poor forward visibility. When it first encountered Spitfires, it gave the Allied pilots a shock, as they were expecting 109s, not these agile little aircraft. It caused a frenzy of development at Supermarine, which was just part of the leapfrog game played on both sides throughout the conflict. The initial A-1 production version was equipped with a BMW 801 engine, and by the time it matured, it had two 7.92mm guns in the cowling, and a pair of 20mm MG151 cannons in the wing root, all of which were synchronised with the prop's motion, in turn mated to a more powerful version of the BMW engine. There were a number of equipment fits used to give the Würger (Shrike) additional weapons and capabilities, including a pressurised cockpit, rocket tubes and reconnaissance cameras, and after the D-model the Ta.152 took over as its spiritual successor until the war's end. We have kits in all scales for example from Airfix in 1:72, through the Revell and newer Eduard kits in 1:48, then Hasegawa and Revell kits in 1:32. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of masks for the Tamiya Fw.190A in 1:72 and 1:48, which are always good to have because the Wurger's canopy is a goldfish bowl that would show up scratches well. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 20 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles, but in addition you get a sheet of loose A3 plans printed on both sides in 1:48 of the A-3 and A-8/R8 sub-variants. The first half of the bound plans show the variants from the A-1, A-3 with variants on the intakes around the engine cowling, the A-4, A-5 and A-6, plus a number of scrap-diagrams showing individualisms, and even a fuselage that is suspended by its engine mount (minus engine) on a maintenance tower for the diorama minded. The four pages of profiles show an A-3, A-5, A-4/U7, A-5Y, A-6, A-7, A-8/R2, A-9 and two A-8s on the rear cover. After the profiles, more plans of the A-7, A-8 and A-9s are printed, then the final page of the plans shows the evolution of the aircraft through the majority of the A series, with differences marked out in grey and captions discussing the nature of the changes. Throughout the book, there are numerous smaller diagrams that shows gun packs, antennae for the night fighters, weapons carriers and so forth. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that likes to compare their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks a useful bonus if you happen to model in those scales. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Operational History of The Hungarian Armoured Troops in WWII ISBN : 9788366148079 Kagero via Casemate UK Hungary was caught at the end of WWI on the wrong side and was treated harshly by the Allies. Under the 1920 treaty of Trianon they lost nearly half their population and more than 60% of their territory to hostile boarding nations. Which is the reason the joined the Axis forces in WWII, however it would seem they chose the wrong side again! The book looks at the operational history of The Hungarian Armoured Troops in WWII. There is a wealth of black & white photos of the forces in action and details of equipment they used, most of it indigenous to the country. This indigenous Armour is also examined in the book. The book also examines foreign vehicles in Hungarian Service, and Hungarian Markings & Camouflage. The book examines each of the Hungarian Army's campaigns and the divisions taking part, with maps to show deployment, and table to how the divisions were made up. The book is A4 softcover in format and 158 pages long, It is illustrated throughout with black and white photos, there are also 12 pages showing the formations of the different Battalions, 6 of colour pictures and 9 pages of colour tank profiles. Conclusion This book will give the reader a good understanding of Hungarian Armoured operations in WWII. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Before the Birth of the MBT Western Tank development 1945 - 1959 ISBN : 9788395157585 Kagero via Casemate UK The Main Battle Tank or MBT that we know today is really a product of the 1960s and has come a long way form the tanks we finished WWII with. During WWII the tank and armoured formations came to fore in movement warfare. The allies had many light and medium tanks but few of what we would call heavy tanks, and even super heavy tanks. These were being developed to the end of the war with the British A39 Tortoise and the American T28 which were more guns than tanks due to the lack of a traversing turret. The Americans ended the War with the medium Sherman and the M26. The T28, and follow on T29, 30, 32 & 34 were quickly side-lined as impractical, and the M26 was upgraded to the M46, and the hybrid M47. The M47 being an effective combination of a proven hull and a new better turret. The M48 would follow and while it had initial problems it would turn out to be an excellent combat vehicle. The M48 would be followed by the M60 which would be the US's first MBT. At the same time the last US Heavy tank the M103 was withdrawn from service, though in reality the tanks had failed to meet the Army's standards and most of the production went to the USMC. In the UK we had ended the war with the Many US Shermans, the A34 Comet Cruiser Tank, and even some Churchill tanks. The A41 was designated as Heavy Cruiser tank back as far as 1943 , this was further developed into the Centurion. This would prove to be a very adaptable design and in various marks would go onto serve until it was developed into the Chieftain in the late 1950s. The Chieftain would be Britain's first main Battle Tank, and would see the disbandment of the last British Heavy tanks the Conqueror. The French would again try to go their own way, and the first post war tank the ARL44was not so much a design as a hodge podge of parts using existing technology. It was not a success and disliked by crews. In fact the French used them alongside a regiment of reconditioned Panther tanks! The Americans funded the AMX13 under MAP but would not fund the AMX50 and the French had to accept M47s under MAP. M47s were also issued to the re-formed West German Army though the tanks were disliked by their "experienced" crews. The book is A4 softcover in format and 108 pages long, It is illustrated throughout with black and white photos, there are also 10 pages technical drawings, 10 of colour pictures and six pages of colour tank profiles. Conclusion This book will give the reader an understanding of Tank development post WWII which lead upto the MBTs we see today. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

TopDrawings 61 – Messerschmitt Bf.110 Vol.2 (9788395157592) Kagero Publishing via Casemate UK The Bf.110 began life before WWII as a Zerstorer, or heavy fighter, but by the time hostilities with Great Britain broke out and the Battle of Britain had begun, it had lost its speed advantage, and later required its own escort to be able to operate effectively alone without heavy losses. The airframe wasn't as capable of being improved as the 109, so it was eventually relegated to other less speed critical combat areas, such as night fighter and light bomber/ground attack, where it soldiered on to the end of the war. We have kits in all scales, for example from Airfix in 1:72, through the Revell, Dragon and newer Eduard kits in 1:48, ancient Revell and Dragon kits in 1:32. The TopDrawings series majors on scale plans, which is the main thrust, but also includes a little background information, some pertinent profiles, and often a bonus of decals or masks targeted at the subject matter in hand. With this edition, you get a set of masks for the Eduard Bf.110G in 1:72 and 1:48, which are always good to have because that canopy is a multifaceted greenhouse of a thing. We reviewed the first volume of this series in September 2018 here, and this is the continuation of that, taking up where it left off. The book is written in English on the left of the page, with Czech on the right, which translates to top and bottom for the captions to the various drawings within. The book itself is bound in a card cover and has 28 pages, with the rear cover devoted to additional profiles, but in addition you get two sheets of loose A2 plans printed on both sides in 1:48 of the E, F and G series. The first half of the bound plans show the variants from the Emil up to the G-2 in 1:48, with partial front and rear views losing a wingtip here and there due to their size. The four pages of profiles show Three Emil and one Freddy airframe, plus two Gustavs on the rear cover. Following two more pages of G-2 plans, the final section of the plans shows the evolution of the aircraft from the Dora through the Gustav series, with differences marked out in grey and captions discussing the nature of the changes. This includes gun packs, antennae for the night fighters and so forth. Conclusion These books are essential for the modeller that likes to compare their models against scale plans, and wants them to be as accurate as possible, with the masks a useful bonus if you happen to model in those scales. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SMS Armoured Cruiser Blücher Kagero Super Drawings in 3D The SMS Blücher was the last armoured cruiser built by the German Empire. She was constructed to counter the new armoured cruisers rumoured as being built by the British. Blücher was larger than preceding armoured cruisers and carried heavier guns but was unable to match the size and armament of the battlecruisers which replaced armoured cruisers in the British Royal Navy and - later - the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). When the Germans learned of the true details of these new British ships, called the Invincible class, and that they were to be armed with 12" battleship guns, they realized that the Invincible class was a completely new type of warship, soon to be known as battlecruisers. By the time the Germans learned of this it was too late to turn back and construction of the Blücher took place as scheduled. The ship was named after the Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher, the commander of the Prussian forces at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Blücher was built at the Kaiserliche Werft shipyard in Kiel between 1907 and 1909, and commissioned on 1 October 1909. The ship served in the I Scouting Group for most of her career, including the early portion of World War I. She took part in the operation to bombard Yarmouth and the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in 1914. At the Battle of Dogger Bank on 24 January 1915, Blücher was slowed significantly after being hit by gunfire from the British battlecruiser squadron under the command of Vice Admiral David Beatty. Rear Admiral Franz von Hipper, the commander of the German squadron, decided to abandon Blücher to the pursuing enemy ships in order to save his more valuable battlecruisers. Under heavy fire from the British ships, she was sunk, and British destroyers began recovering the survivors. However, the destroyers withdrew when a German zeppelin began bombing them, mistaking the sinking Blücher for a British battlecruiser. The number of casualties is unknown, with figures ranging from 747 to around 1,000. Blücher was the only warship lost during the battle. This latest release from Kagero follows the now familiar format, with a short history of the ship, covering seven pages, including:- Specifications Hull Armour Armament Machinery Operational history The next seventy eight pages are taken up with the wonderfully rendered 3D drawings that this series has become known for. Although with this release there is so much more. Not only are the lower hull and propellers provided, but also great swathes of the interior of the ship have also been included in the finest detail. These include the engine rooms, propeller shaft spaces, turrets, magazines and even the forward torpedo compartment. For those modellers with a slightly masochistic bent, this information will be perfect for a scratch built interior for your models. The renderings show every part of the ship both in wide angle and close up which show some amazing detail not seen in other publications. As with most other releases this edition comes with an A1 pull out sheet with a top down and starboard side view, that also includes full interior cutaway showing all the ships spaces. On the reverse it is a similar story, but with the ship cut athwartships from stern to stem, giving twenty six diagrams. Conclusion As we’ve come to know what to expect from this series I can’t really say much more, other than if you’re a maritime fan you really should have them all in your reference library. What really picks this release out more than the rest is the amount of detail the authors have provided, what with all the cutaway renders and diagrams. Here’s hoping for a nice 1:350 injection moulded kit to go with it, such as the Combrig example, who also do one in 1:700. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The Battleships of WWII Kagero There are many books on the battleships of WWII, what makes this one different is that it includes photographs and histories of many battleships that never saw action as well as the more famous ships of the main protagonists. In part one of a a two volume set, we see ships from Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Spain and Argentina all have a place alongside those who only had short careers during the war, such as Greece and France. The battleships and pocket battleships of German naturally have the largest section, alongside those ships from Japan. The photographs include ships builds, launches, trials, as well as war time photographs of the ships in action, including several after they’ve been sunk, but still accessible, or, as in the case of most of the French fleet, scuttled. Some ships have a very limited number of photos included. The best example of this is the Japanese battleships, Musashi and Yamato, of which only few photographs exist. But there are quite a few new ones, which I haven’t seen before, especially those from private collections which, apparently were very difficult to get permissions to print Some of the histories are rather disingenuous, particularly against the British against the German battleships, including theories that have yet to be proven and inaccuracies of historical fact. Whether this was due to the author’s deadlines, bad editing to get the volume down to a certain page count, or even bad translation, I couldn’t say. Conclusion Having read the author’s previous books on the Japanese carriers, Kaga, Soryu, and Hiryu with some interest, he does pick some rather difficult subjects, particularly when there are few photographs of particular ships. This volume is still interesting and I learnt quite a bit about the smaller navies ships, even if they saw little or no action. It is certainly a good book to have in your collection as there is quite a bit of detail shown in the photographs of ships that have been kitted, therefore improving the look or accuracy for the maritime modeller. Review sample courtesy of

OSA 1 Fast Missile Boat Kagero Super Drawings in 3D The Osa class is probably the most numerous class of missile boats ever built, with over 400 vessels constructed between 1960–1973 for both the Soviet Navy and for export to allied countries. "Osa" means "wasp" in Russian, but it is not an official name. The boats were designated as "large missile cutters" in the Soviet Navy. The earlier Komar class were cheap and efficient boats (and the first to sink a warship with guided missiles, destroying the Israeli Navy's Eilat), their endurance, sea keeping, and habitability were modest at best, and the missile box was vulnerable to damage from waves. Among their other weak points were the wooden hull, the radar lacked a fire control unit, and had an inadequate defensive armament consisting of two manually operated 25 mm guns with only a simple optical sight in a single turret. The Komars' offensive weapons were a pair of P-15 Termit (NATO: SS-N-2 "Styx") missiles, and there was insufficient capacity to hold the more modern longer-ranged P-15Ms. The sensors were not effective enough to use the maximum range of the missiles, and the crew of 17 was not large enough to employ all the systems efficiently. In order to remedy all these shortcomings, it was felt that bigger boats were needed to mount the necessary equipment and to provide more space for a larger crew. In the new design the hull was made of steel, with a low and wide superstructure made of lighter alluminium alloys, continuous deck, and a high free-board. The edges of the deck were rounded and smooth to ease washing off radioactive contamination in case of nuclear war. The hull was quite wide, but the Project 205 boats could still achieve high speeds as they had three Zvezda M503 radial diesel engines capable of a combined 12,000 hp (15,000 hp on Project 205U onward) driving three shafts. These powerful engines allowed a maximum speed of about 40 knots, together with reasonable endurance and reliability. There were also three diesel generators. Two main engines and one generator were placed in the forward engine room, the third main engine and two generators in the aft engine room. There was a control compartment between the two engine rooms. The problem related to the weak anti-aircraft weaponry of the earlier Project 183R was partially solved with the use of two AK-230 turrets, in the fore and aft deck. An MR-104 Rys (NATO: "Drum Tilt") fire-control radar was placed in a high platform, and controlled the whole horizon, despite the fact that the superstructures quite low. Even with the unit placed in the aft position, this radar had a good field of view all around. The AK-230 turrets were unmanned, each armed with two 30 mm guns capable of firing 2,000 rpm (400 practical) with a 2,500 m practical range. Use against surface targets was possible, but as with the previous Komar ships, once all missiles were expended it was planned to escape and not fight. The missile armament consisted of four box-shaped launchers (protected from bad weather conditions) each with one P-15 Termit (NATO: SS-N-2 "Styx") missile. This doubled the available weapons compared to the Project 183R, giving greater endurance. The missiles were controlled by a MR-331 Rangout (NATO: "Square Tie") radar and a Nikhrom-RRM ESM/IFF that even allowed targeting over the horizon, if the target's radar was turned on. With all these improvements, these ships were considerably more effective. They had one of the first, if not the first close-in weapon systems (CIWS). The survivability rating was improved to 50%, and the required volley of 12 missiles could be launched by only three ships. Sinking a destroyer was therefore regarded as 'assured' using only six ships (two squadrons of three vessels), making the Project 205 vessels easier to coordinate and even cheaper than would be the required number of Project 183R boats to achieve the same effectiveness. I have always been fascinated by this class of vessel, they looked sleek and powerful. It’s great to see the Osa being the subject of this ever increasing collection of books, and while it is not the most complicated vessel seen in the series, the small details included in the renderings will be very useful. As usual there is a short introduction on the first six pages, covering the following:- Osa – from design to production Construction P-15, missile fangs of the ship Artillery armament Radiolocation equipment Osa’s under different flags Days of glory Museum ships bibliography The rest of the fifty nine pages are filled with the beautifully rendered 3D drawings we have got know so well in this series, covering every part of the ships structure, weapons, radars and sundry equipment. The drawings are really clear and perfect for the maritime modeller to see all the useful details that could help make that masterpiece that we all strive for. This release does include drawings for below the waterline, particularly useful for getting the propellers and rudders right,. An A3 folded sheet of line drawings is also included and this contains 4 views of the ship overall, in 1:100 scale, while on the reverse there are detail drawings of equipment in no particular scale, giving more detail to the information hungry modeller. Of particular interest are the distinctive Bass Tilt radars, P-15 missile and Nichrom IFF array Conclusion Following the now tried and tested formula that Kagero have made their own, this book is superbly produced and with the subject matter being one of the first fast missile boats which just happens to be the subject of the Merit 1/72 model released a year or two ago, plus several other kits that can still be found on auction sites etc. The most useful thing though, if building the Merit kit, is the positioning and style of the ships railings, which will need to be scratch built as the kit didn’t include them. Review sample courtesy of

#31/2018 And a second finished model for today. Used a Hasegawa A-9 kit, besides kit markings the aircraft number and the Werknummer came from Kagero Topcolors 13 "Operation Bodenplatte". Gunze RLM paints, Ultracast resin seat, EZ Line for the antenna, spinner spirale is painted. The model shows the aircraft of Unteroffizier Alfred Fritzsche, 4./JG1. He was downed on Jan 1st 1945 during Op Bodenplatte near Ghent. After a belly landing he crashed into a house, was severly wounded and became a POW. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235045165-bodenplatte148-focke-wulf-fw190a-8-jg1/ DSC_0001 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0008 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by Reinhard Spreitzhofer, auf Flickr

Italian Submarine Scire’ Kagero Super Drawings in 3D Scirè was launched on 6 January 1938 in OTO's shipyard in La Spezia and commissioned on 25 April 1938, one of 17 Ardua class submarines. At the beginning of the war, she was assigned to 15th Squadron (I Submarine Group) based at La Spezia and was under command of Adriano Pini. On July 10, 1940, while on patrol in the western Mediterranean, French cargo ship SS Cheik (1058 GRT) was torpedoed and sunk by Scirè 54nm from the Asmare Light, north of Sardinia. In the summer of 1940 Scirè underwent a series of modifications converting her to a SLC boat. The size of the tower was reduced, her deck gun was removed, and 3 watertight cylinders were mounted on her deck instead to accommodate maiali. These cylinders, each weighing 2.8 tons, could hold up depths down to 90 meters. On September 24, 1940 Scirè, under command of Captain Junio Valerio Borghese, sailed from La Spezia for her first special mission to be performed in Gibraltar. In the evening of September 29, upon reaching the Strait of Gibraltar, Sciré received an order from Supermarina to suspend the mission and return to the base as Force H had left the Mediterranean to operate in the Atlantic. In 1940 Scirè made it first foray into the Bay of Gibraltar intent on sabotage of the British ships in Gibraltar Harbour with three manned torpedoes. None of the three were successful with the most daring getting stuck 100 metres from HMS Barham. The crew were forced to withdraw and the explosion of the torpedo's only achievement was to tip off the defenders of Gibraltar Harbour. They organised for boats to drop small charges into the water each night that would have proved fatal to any diver in range of the shock wave. Scirè entered the Bay of Gibraltar again in September 1941 with better results than the previous time. On September 20, 1941 three tankers were attacked and Fiona Shell (2444 GRT, 1892) was sunk whilst other two ships, RFA Denbydale (2145 GRT) and MS Durham (10893 GRT) were damaged. The Italians decided to create a permanent base in Spain eventually converting a ship called Olterra that was moored off Algeciras into a permanent base for naval sabotage. Scirè accomplished many missions inside enemy waters. Among these, the most important was carried out on 3 December 1941. Scirè left La Spezia carrying three manned torpedoes. At the island of Leros in the Aegean Sea, it secretly loaded six crew for them: Luigi Durand de la Penne and Emilio Bianchi (maiale 221), Vincenzo Martellotta and Mario Marino (maiale 222), Antonio Marceglia and Spartaco Schergat (maiale 223). On 19 December, Scirè reached Alexandria in Egypt, and its manned torpedoes entered the harbour and sank in shallow waters the British battleships HMS Valiant, Queen Elizabeth and damaged the tanker Sagona and the destroyer Jervis. All six torpedo-riders were captured and the battleships returned to service after several months of repairs. During one of these missions, on 10 August 1942, Scirè sank, damaged by depth charges dropped by the British naval trawler Islay in Haifa bay, about 11 kilometres (5.9 nmi) from the harbour. Islay was captained by Lieutenant Commander John Ross of North Shields, Tyne and Wear who was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. The wreck of Scirè, lying at a depth of 32 metres (105 ft), became a popular diving site and Shayetet 13 training location. In 1984 a joint Italian-Israeli Navy ceremony was performed, in which the forward section was removed from the submarine and sent to Italy to become part of a memorial. In the whole of this series, under the Super Drawings in 3D banner there have been very few submarines, probably due to being enough detail to fill at least 80 pages of renders to be deemed interesting enough. Unless, of course, the publishers have enough information and access to the real thing to include the interior then I don’t think we will see too many more being included. With the Scirè though we really have the story of two submarines, the initial design with deck gun and normal submarine attributes, then the second, after here modification to chariot carrier, and this is what makes this title interesting. The reader is able to see the effect of the modifications to the subs profile and equipment fixtures and fittings. This is all covered through the wonderful renderings in the eighty pages of the book, the first seven pages of which cover the following parts of her story. Design SLC History The sinking The renderings show every part of the submarine in both guises, as well as the interior of the shelters and the maiali themselves. Also included is an A2 sheet with five views of the sub as originally built on one side in 1:100, while on the reverse you have five views of her as converted 1:150, along with detail drawings of the deck gun in 1:50 and maiale in 1:125. Conclusion While this is perhaps not the most detailed submarine title Kagero have released, the interest is in the conversion of the boat and the history of her daring operations. Of particular interest to those of the Mediterranean Sea war and of the brave maiale divers as I don’t believe there is a model of this sub available, in injection moulded plastic. Though there are a couple of resin kits in 1:400 by Dolphin Models, and 1:350 by E.V.A. Models. Review sample courtesy of