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Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$31.99

History

The Supermarine Spitfire series has often been described as the most aesthetically pleasing aircraft ever flown. During the course of its service life, the basic Spitfire design was progressively altered with heavier armament, camera installations and no armament, more powerful engines, canopy revisions, fixed and retracting tail wheel, larger vertical stabilizers and rudders, clipped wings and extended wingtips, propeller revisions, as well as several radiator revisions. In addition, the Spitfire was also modified for naval operations and was known as the “Seafire” with the fuselage reinforced and a tail hook added.

During its service life, about 22,750 Spitfires and Seafires were manufactured. Weight increased from 5,800 to over 11,000 lbs, with engine horsepower increasing from 1020 to 2050 HP, and speeds increasing from 364 to 452 MPH.

Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$41.00

The yearly new releases in Tamiya’s 1/48th scale Military Vehicle range are getting fewer and fewer in number compared to when the range was launched seven or eight years ago, but when they do turn up, they are well worth the wait. The latest in the range is the massive JS-2 Heavy Tank, produced as a counter to the German military’s Tiger 1 heavy tank. Heavily armored and with a potent 122mm main gun, this beast proved very effective both in battling the heavier German armored vehicles as well as being used in the “breakthrough” role in the mid- to late-war battles on the Eastern Front.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
Aviaeology
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$13.99

Some months ago, I had the opportunity to review the Aviaeology RCAF Beaufighters in Coastal Command decals, product number AOD48002m, which ultimately resulted in an uncontrollable urge to build a Beaufighter and use the decals. I had two Tamiya Beaufighter kits in my stash with the goal, of course, to build both someday. The Aviaeology decals offered that inspiration.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
Company
MiniArt
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$75.00

History – The GAZ Model 1943 Cargo Truck was based on the original GAZ-AA and, due to material shortages caused by the war, incorporated several metal and miscellaneous components changes. The vehicle was equipped with a more powerful 50 HP engine, simplified cab, the right headlamp was omitted, and brakes were fitted to the rear wheels only. Wood doors were added to the cab to improve driver comfort during the harsh winters.

Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ, aka Gorky Automobile Plant) manufactured 138,600 GAZ-MM trucks.

Book Author(s)
Andrew Thomas
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$23.95

This book from the series Aircraft of the Aces covers the exploits of Defiant, Blenheim, and Havocs in the RAF (with only one exception of the USAAF). It follows the chronological order of the type’s services in the RAF.

First, the book covers the day fighter role of the Defiant over Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, when it was quickly realized the airplane needed to be flying only against unescorted bombers and therefore converted to night fighter duties. Interestingly enough Defiants and Blenheims could hold their own their own against Bf-109s, but only if flown by well-trained pilots and if the whole flight would utilize proper tactics to coordinate protection for each other.