Paul Mahoney
Reviews By Author
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Messerschmitt Me 410Published:
With the recent releases (and re-releases) of a few Me 410 kits, MMP’s book on the aircraft is quite timely. The first 10 (out of 120) pages of this book describe the rather convoluted developmental history of the Messerschmitt Me 410, actually starting with the Me 210. The blurred lines between what constitutes a late Me 210 and an early Me 410 are well described. In fact, as the lineage is so confusing, MMP provides a good flowchart to clear it all up. At the end of this section are a brief few paragraphs describing the remaining two surviving examples of the aircraft (photos of these appear later). After this, the next 20 or so pages are dedicated to describing each of the versions and variants of the Me 410, broken down into the Me 410 A and B models. Each variation… more |
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V1 Flying Bomb AcesPublished:
One of Osprey’s latest in the “Aircraft of the Aces” series is number 113, covering Allied pilots that shot down 5 or more V1 Flying Bombs. This book opens with the words of the first pilot to shoot down a V1 (Flt Lt John Musgrove, in a night-fighter Mosquito) on June 16, 1944. Within minutes, 3 more V1s would be shot down that evening by other members of the same Mosquito squadron. After this exciting opening page, the reader is then guided chronologically through the story of the V1 campaign, starting with the development of the “Buzz Bomb” itself and culminating with the last V1 shot down on 28 March 1945. Various chapters cover the ever-evolving tactics used by the RAF to counter the V1, and of course the pilots that became aces using these tactics. This was a… more |
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F6F Hellcat WheelsPublished:
One of the only complaints I have seen regarding the superlative 1/48 F6F Hellcat released by Eduard a few years ago was with respect to the wheels provided in the kit. The kit parts are considered to be too thin, most likely representing the wheels/tires fitted to the prototype and very early Hellcats. Ironically, Eduard themselves have now release a Brassin wheel set for the F6F that fixes this problem with their own kit. This resin accessory comes with a pair of crisply molded wheels/tires, with a separate pair of hubs and a set of Eduard kabuki masks to ease with painting. The tires have a diamond tread pattern (as opposed to the smooth tires of the kit-provided pieces), and the detail is extremely crisp. The wheels are attached to a small molding block by way of a… more |
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WWII Luftwaffe Fighter Fabric SeatbeltsPublished:
This is the second product in Eduard’s FABRIC line of seatbelts I have had the pleasure of reviewing. Earlier. I reviewed the 1/32 WWII USAAF fabric seatbelts at http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/wwii-usaaf-fabric-seatbelts This set is very similar to the USAAF one, with additional detail to reflect the higher complexity of Luftwaffe belts. As with the USAAF set, the belts themselves are made out of some sort of fine gauze-type material, and have only small attachment points keeping them on their fret. The material is pre-colored, with the belts in a light tan, pads for under the buckles in a slightly darker color, and one leather tab in a brown color. Very faint stitching lines and fabric weave details are… more |
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WWII USAAF Fabric SeatbeltsPublished:
Eduard’s original detail sets consisted of photo etch brass to be assembled and painted by the builder. More recently, they started producing pre-painted seatbelts and other details (still made out of brass). This is the next evolution in the ever-expanding world of Eduard’s accessories line. Eduard’s #32771 set includes pre-cut belts made out of a fabric material and a photo etched hardware fret that assemble into one set of seatbelts designed for use in USAAF aircraft (primarily fighters). I believe this was originally a product developed by HGW (their logo is stamped on the fabric fret). The belts are made out of some sort of fine gauze-type material, and have only small attachment points keeping them on their fret. The material is pre-colored, with the belts in an… more |
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German Air Projects 1935-1945, Vol. 4Published:
This is the fourth and final volume in MMP’s German Air Projects series that covers Luft46 “might have beens.” This particular volume covers attack, multi-purpose, and “other” subjects. The “other” is essentially an addendum to the other 3 volumes, and covers subjects that were previously omitted, or subjects about which new information has been uncovered. Without the “other” section, this would be a very slim volume! Illustrations throughout the book consist of line drawings and artist renderings – there are no photos in this book as everything is conjecture. The first 38 pages of the book cover attack and multi-purpose aircraft, arranged by manufacturer. Line drawings accompany many of the sections. Pages 39 through 64 cover other types of aircraft not… more |
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Malta Spitfire Vs – 1942: Their Colours and MarkingsPublished:
The title of this one says it all. This book is dedicated completely to covering the markings and colors of Spitfire Mk Vs on Malta in 1942. Not all aircraft on Malta, not all 1942 Spitfires, and not anything else – JUST Spitfire Vs, JUST in 1942 and JUST those based on Malta! The author is a modeler himself, and the introduction to the book briefly describes how he came about researching and writing about this topic. In brief, he had been corresponding with WC ‘Laddie’ Lucas (leader of 249 Squadron on Malta during much of 1942). The author had decided to build a Spitfire model for WC Lucas, and the subject of markings came up. The author had planned on painting a standard desert camouflage scheme on the Spitfire, and Lucas responded by saying none of the aircraft he… more |
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Hawker Hurricane Mk I-VPublished:
This in the sixth volume in Osprey’s Air Vanguard series, but the first I have come across. The series seems geared to providing an overall view of the subject aircraft’s development, technical specifications, and operational history. One interesting angle on this series is that the books are also available in eReader formats such as Kindle or ePDF files. People have differing opinions on which format is better suited to a reference book, but in any case it is nice that this option is available. The book is broken down into 4 basic sections: Design and Development, Technical Specifications, Mark by Mark, and Operational History. A brief Conclusion section wraps things up, and a small bibliography (6 titles) is included. Design and Development covers precisely… more |
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Messerschmitt Bf-109G Over Germany, Part IPublished:
This is another one of those cases of “is it a book with accompanying decal sheet, or is it a decal sheet with some very in-depth accompanying instructions?” I have read/reviewed/used several other Kagero products in the past, but this is the first of the Topcolors series I have had a chance to examine. The booklet itself is produced to a high standard. It has stiff, glossy card-stock covers and the contents are all printed on heavy paper with a matt finish. I was intrigued by the line on the cover: “High Quality Decals and Masking Foil Free.” There was a decal sheet in the book, but no masking foil. After some searching of the mailing packet and some scrutinizing of the website, it seems this is the tag line used in the entire series and doesn’t necessarily apply to… more |
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Messerschmitt Bf-108 TaifunPublished:
The latest issue in MMP’s ever-expanding “Yellow” series covers the Messerschmitt Bf-108 “Taifun.” This is certainly one of the most comprehensive treatments of the Bf-108 I have ever come across. The Bf-108 is often relegated to a small mention in Bf-109 books when describing the development history of that aircraft. Now we have a volume dedicated specifically to the “Taifun.” In a manner similar to other titles in this series, this book covers the design development of the Bf-108, followed by a brief history of its production and service. This is followed by several pages of technical data. and finally, many pages of detail photos. Scale plan views of all variants are included in both 1/72nd (within the text) and 1/48th (separate, loose insert) scales. The first 70 (… more |