Brian R. Baker
Reviews By Author
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning IIPublished: January 15, 2021 HistoryDesigned to replace such aircraft as the USAF F-16, A-10, the Navy’s F/A-18, and the Marine Corps ASV-8B STOL aircraft, Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter was accepted by the armed services and three versions have been produced so far. Those versions are the USAF F-35A, the Marine Corps F-35B VTOL aircraft, and the Navy’s F-35C carrier fighter. A number of foreign… more |
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Spotlight On Battle Of Britain DefendersPublished: December 22, 2020 This issue of the Spotlight On series deals with the three major types of fighter used by the Royal Air Force against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. The book is aimed primarily towards modelers who are interested in modeling the three major types used in that conflict, the Hurricane, Spitfire, and Defiant. The author begins with a one page summary of the battle, telling who was… more |
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Polish Wings 29: Supermarine Spitfire V, Volume 1Published: December 12, 2020 HistoryIn 1939, after the defeat of the Polish Air force by the Germans and the Russians, a substantial number of trained and experienced Polish pilots and ground crews managed to escape to France and England. Eventually, they were formed into fighter squadrons attached to, but not specifically a part of, the British Royal Air Force. Most of the pilots were originally assigned to… more |
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Tupolev Tu-2, Sukhoi UTB-2, Shcherbakov Shche-2, Polish Wings 28Published: December 16, 2020 History: The TU-2 BomberThis book gives a very detailed history of three Russian designed aircraft that were used in quantity by the Polish Air Force, mostly after the end of World War II. The first aircraft, the Tupolev TU-2, was used in quantity by Poland, mainly for medium bombing, and later as a reconnaissance type, trainer, and target tug. The author goes into considerable… more |
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Yugoslav Fighter Colors, 1918-1941 - Volume 1Published: November 16, 2020 HistoryAfter World War I, the map of Eastern Europe was radically changed, with a number of ethnic groups becoming independent for the first time. One country, Serbia, eventually became part of the Republic of Yugoslavia, which joined the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes into one country. This, of course, forced considerable reorganization of their armed forces. Of course, Serbia has… more |
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Morane Saulnier MS. 406, French, Polish, Finnish - Single No. 22/22APublished: November 16, 2020 The BookThis book is part of a series that has recently become available, and covers one particular aircraft in great detail. It is aimed primarily at scale modelers, and provides enough information for a modeler to build a highly detailed model of this particular aircraft. All of the issue I have seen follow the same format, with a set of 1/72 and 1/48 line drawings of the aircraft… more |
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Japan's Asian Allies, 1941-1945Published: November 5, 2020 HistoryWhile the general course of World War II has been told and retold many times, some of the more obscure parts of the war have been largely ignored by historians, and this volume’s authors have made a great effort to rectify the situation. This book describes the situation in areas threatened and taken over by the Japanese at the beginning of World War II and explains how the… more |
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Lockheed T-33A Shooting StarPublished: October 24, 2020 HistoryThe Lockheed T-33A, a two seat variant of the original Lockheed P/F-80 “Shooting Star” is perhaps one of the best known non-combat aircraft used by the U.S. Air Forces, along with the Navy, Marine Corps, and many foreign air forces. First developed in 1947, the prototype was a converted F-80C fighter with a two seat cockpit and deleted armament. First designated TF-80C,… more |
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Fiat C.42 FalcoPublished: October 24, 2020 HistoryThe Fiat CR-42 was a development of the CR-32 biplane fighter designed by the noted Italian designer Celistino Rosatelli. It first appeared in 1938, and featured an 846 hp. Fiat A.74 radial engine and a “warren truss” wing strut arrangement instead of the usual biplane arrangement. The plane was all metal with mostly fabric covering, and was armed with two 12.7 mm Breda SAFAT… more |
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Fleet Air Arm Legends: Supermarine SeafirePublished: October 20, 2020 Historical BackgroundNearly every historical modeler and historian is thoroughly familiar with the British Spitfire fighter, which probably did more to help the Royal Air Force achieve victory over the Luftwaffe than any other aircraft. However, less publicized is the role of the Spitfire as a naval, carrier-based fighter, replacing older types including the Gloster Gladiator… more |