Reviews of books or magazines relating to scale modeling.

Book Author(s)
Tomasz Szlagor & Leszek A. Wieliczko
Review Author
James Kelley
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$33.95

The book is the fourth and final volume in the Kagero Monographs series on the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. It was written by Tomasz Szlagor and Leszek A. Wieliczko, and is published by Kagero. It is part of Kagero’s Monographs series, each dedicated to a specific aircraft type, offering a thorough look at its development, variants, combat history, and modeling resources.

Originally released in 2010, this softcover edition comprises approximately 92 pages. Some sources cite 96 pages and mention 128 photographs, so slight variations may exist between editions. The text is presented in both English and Polish, with a large-format paperback layout featuring numerous black-and-white and color photographs.

Book Author(s)
Mariusz Motyka
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$30.00

Kagero's Super Drawings in 3D version was released in 2020. Kagero Top Drawings are geared for model builders in a more affordable and benchtop-useful format.

Another excellent pictorial book with large line drawings in color and B&W of an obscure subject - the most numerous class of post-war destroyers until the US Navy Arleigh Burke class, all started post-WW2. Project 30bis served as the backbone of Soviet fleet destroyers until the 1960s. This publication is designed for modelers, including scratch-builders, for any scale desired. The accuracy and number of views of the entire ship, ship sections, and ship fittings (even down to fairleads and bollards) are stunning, as usual. Even the colors appear to be accurate. This issue shows the class (named Smelyi class in Russia) as originally built - keep in mind there were many variations throughout a long time of service in Soviet and other navies.

Book Author(s)
Ian Allan
Review Author
Brett W Scholten
Published on
Company
Crecy Publishing, Ltd.
MSRP
$16.50

A pleasant memory for me. Military Aircraft of the 1950s is a combination/reprint of four Ian Allan books released during the Cold War. I had the Jane’s equivalent growing up. A hardbound book with 306 pages of data, each page with multiple photographs of iconic military aircraft.

The first section covers British Military aircraft (including helicopters), the next section covers U.S. and Canadian fixed-wing aircraft. The next section covers “Continental” (European) aircraft. and the last section is dedicated to helicopters, which is interesting as the first two sections also have helicopters in them.

The biggest benefit for a modeler is the three-view drawings of each plane. These photographs provided an additional source of data on wing and engine placement (and landing gear for fixed gear aircraft).

While black and white photos are not overly useful as a paint guide, markings on the aircraft can be used for decal placement

Book Author(s)
Damian Majsak
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$8.35

Kagero has started a new series known as “References for Modelers”. This issue is devoted to the Vought F4U Corsair.

I should clarify the book is devoted to the earlier marks of the Corsair, i.e. all the “dash one” versions, including F4U-1, F4U-1A, F4U-1C, F4U-1D, FG-1D and F4U-1P.

The references include a few period pictures (black and white) plus line drawings in 1/48 scale showing mainly side views, with a few front/back or top views. There is also a series of line drawing in 1/72 which show the evolution across the marks and highlights the differences between each one of them -sort of a ‘cheat sheet’ on how to tell them apart.

There are also a dozen color profiles, mostly in US Navy service plus the booklet includes a small decal sheet (in 1/48 and 1/72) for a Corsair Mk.II coded P54 in Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey and Sky underside.

Book Author(s)
Andre Zbiegniewski
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$17.58

Kagero continues to expand its line of Monographs, this installment being devoted to the F4U Corsair. It is the second volume covering the Corsair and this book in particular covers from the “-1D” to the “-7” marks. Earlier versions of the Corsair are covered in volume I.

The book is profusely illustrated with black and white pictures of all the above marks, mostly in US Navy service. There are a handful of pictures in French and Honduran service and references to its service in New Zealand, Salvadoran and Argentinean and Royal Navy Service.

Book Author(s)
David Doyle
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
David Doyle Books
MSRP
$28.00

Guideline Publications is the UK's leading publisher of modeling and hobby-related magazines. With a world-class portfolio of titles and an international Social Media presence, Guideline Publications has a dedicated readership that is constantly expanding into new areas. This English language book, The M47 Patton Tank, is authored by David Doyle. This English language volume was published in 2025 and is published in conjunction with Military Modelcraft International. A digital edition will soon be available. The latest of Guideline’s publications can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/guidelinepub/.

Book Author(s)
Didier Andres
Review Author
Doug Hamilton
Published on
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$39.95

Printed on heavy gloss stock, this hard-cover book contains 160 pages in an 8” X 10” format. It contains 150+ photographs in mostly black and white, with a few color pictures added where available. The text is well-researched and written in an easy-to-read and understand manner.

Book Author(s)
Witold Koszela
Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
MSRP
$24.95

Right off the bat the 2 inserts are going to grab your attention! The color Sheet C is a large 16”x23” profile and top view of the ship as she was in 1944. Additionally, it has a profile showing the armaments for 1944 as well. This color version is obviously to reflect the camouflage scheme and will be the perfect reference for painting. The flip side of this is sheet D, the planes arrangement on the stern deck, which includes 3-view and technical data for the OS2U Kingfisher and SC1 Seahawk aircraft.

Book Author(s)
Acting Editor: Nicole Greenslade
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$23.00

The non-profit UK based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The first two issues of Contact! Are available for a free digital download on their website. Their journal, Cross & Cockade International, is also published four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 72 pages [Including Covers] as well as digital copies (or both). The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If interested, you will need to register early as the call is limited in attendance.

Book Author(s)
Carlo Cestra
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Kagero Publishing
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$33.95

While Kagero has an established reputation for quality books that modelers appreciate and use on their reference shelves, Super Drawings in 3D focuses on ships beautifully rendered in 3D CAD. Number 16056 in the series focuses on the Schnellboot Type S-38 and S-100, the most common of the WWII German Kriegsmarine classes, with the Type S-38B serving from 1939 and the S-100 from 1943, with both variants serving until Germany’s surrender in May 1945.

The book is broken into the following sections