Real Colors are AK-Interactive’s excellent new line of acrylic lacquer paints. These paints are new technically in the paint formula and new artistically with the statement on paint colors. These paint colors have been determined through scientific analysis of actual WWII paint samples to produce colors as accurate as possible. In addition to the paints, AK has published a book, Real Colors of WWII, that documents the historical research and analysis that went into determining the paint colors. The Real Colors paints and Real Colors of WWII book provide a historical benchmark of paint colors that will be a valuable resource for modelers to reproduce accurate vehicle colors. I anticipate lots of discussion about the colors presented.

History

As WWII progressed, British troops found that their 2-pounder and 6-pounder guns were being rendered obsolete by German armor, and planners decided to develop a vehicle using the powerful 17-pounder (76.2mm) gun. The vehicle chosen to mount the gun on was the Valentine with the turret removed and replaced with a fighting compartment. This new vehicle would be known as the Archer. Interestingly, as there was little time to re-organize the cramped layout, the 17-pounder had to be mounted pointing rearwards to fit it in. As a result, the Archer moved and fired in opposite directions. Designed and manufactured by Vickers’ Armstrong, 655 were produced by May 1945. It served with British and Commonwealth units from October 1944 until the end of WWII, and with the British using it until the early 1950s.

Hauler has been busy of late with a pile of kits and accessory items. Among the accessory items are some 1/72nd scale engraved plates. The plates come in a variety of types that represent those used by the various combatants of WWII as well as some plates representative of those employed by more modern armies, notable the United States. Among the offerings are:

• German WWII - Early type
• German WWII - Late type
• U.S. - Grill type
• Modern - Lentil type
• Modern - A type

Each plate measures 35mm x 65mm and you get one plate per package. As you can tell from the photos the various patterns are reproduced, in scale, and will go a long way toward giving your latest project the proper look.

Here's direct links to each plate reviewed:

Des Brennan provides a thorough coverage of the development, deployment, service, and retirement of the Panavia Tornado ADV in this publication. Illustrated by Richard J. Caruana, this book is an excellent resource for the aviation historian as well as the modeler.

The written content is well written, in clear and precise language. The content is presented in chronological sequence, as most publications of this type are, beginning with a thorough description of the role into which a new aircraft was to fit. The author describes, in detail, the requirements that the aircraft was to meet in order to accomplish its purpose in a theatre of operations with rather complex needs.

The text is supported by a large number of excellent color images and stunning 3-view drawings of the aircraft with varied markings. Richard Caruana, the illustrator, certainly captured the aircraft well in these illustrations.

Osprey Publishing, out of Oxford, UK, is back again with another Aircraft of the Aces series entitled Allied Jet Killers of World War 2, by Stephen Chapis and Andrew Thomas. Jim Laurier was commissioned to illustrate the various allied aircraft via original color artwork. Anyone familiar with aircraft modeling literature and research will recognize this authoritative series, and this latest release won’t disappoint.

Allied Jet Killers follows the format of the previous Aircraft of the Aces volumes, containing beautiful (original) color plates and numerous black and white photos with detailed captions, although much of what is contained in the captions is also reflected in the main text.

The photos are credited, and while I’ve seen some of the images before, most are new to me.