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Book Author(s)
Robert M. Stitt
Review Author
John Ratzenberger
Published on
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$59.00

Update 21 July 2011

I have just been advised by the author, Robert M Stitt, that he has prepared a 34-page additions and amendments document for this book. It is available from the Mushroom Books website; here is the link to the product page which has a download link on it: http://www.mmpbooks.biz/ksiazki/123/#765

Lots of valuable information -- the author and Mushroom are to be congratulated for this all-too-rare effort.

John Ratzenberger

This is Mushroom's 100th book, and a grand one it is!! It's 248 pages in their fairly new A-4 format and although still a soft-cover, it includes a dust jacket with ads for about 18 forth-coming books, including the much anticipated (by me) Gloster Gamecock and Grebe and another in the Gladiator series.

Book Author(s)
Andrzej Glass & Tomasz J. Kopanski
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Stratus
MSRP
$37.75

This softbound book contains 264 pages of high quality photos taken by German occupiers printed on high quality paper. What I did not know was that pre-war Polish security concerns prohibited photos from being taken from 1937 until the war. That is why there are, according to the authors, only around 25 photos of pre-war Polish aircraft. Then after the invasion anyone seen taking photos was suspected of spying and detained, plenty of reason that there are so few photos. The German photos became the only source of knowledge and markings from the Polish Air Force. The quality of photos is very high even though most of the aircraft are in states of disrepair.

Review Author
Mike Hinderliter
Published on
Company
Round 2 Models
Scale
1/25
MSRP
$19.99

The Kit

The kit is molded in a white styrene and also has a generous sprue of chrome parts, and rubber wheels. There is also quite an arsenal of weapons included, (M-16, Thompson sub-machine gun, M1, shotgun, pistol, and a grenade launcher). I guess Sheriff Rosco always wanted to be on a SWAT team. This kit depicts the Dodge Monaco police car and is a very good representation of that vehicle. It also includes a nice engine that could be detailed if you wanted to. One problem is that the hood of the car has no hinges to open so you will have to just lay it next to the kit to show off the engine compartment.

The Build

I don’t normally build car models but my son does, and he especially likes vehicles from different movies and TV shows. When he saw this up for review he wanted it for his collection, so I agreed that we could build it together.

Review Author
Roger Carrano
Published on
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$60.00

This review is a little different for me, only because I have taken over this task from John Yager, the original reviewer who started the initial work, but was unable to complete the build. However, I was still able to complete enough of this model to bring to you an honest and fair review. When I received the kit, Steps 1 thru 4 were underway, but needed to be cleaned up. Only the cockpit was complete and it was a job well done. The credit for the building should be shared with John Yager due to the hard & good work he put into what he had done.

ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT

(PLAAF) J-10A VIGOROUS DRAGON

Book Author(s)
Jiri Hornat and Bob Migliardi
Review Author
Perry Downen
Published on
Company
Iliad Design
MSRP
$18.95

Iliad Design is a new company for us. I would like to thank them for submitting this book for review.

Many modelers are familiar with the camouflage patterns of WW II U.S., British, German, and Japanese aircraft. However, until the first publication of Colors of the Falcons in 2006, the camouflage patterns used by the Soviets were not as well known. Because of this lack of knowledge and subsequent demand for the book, it is now in its second printing.