History Brief

The Mercedes 170V was very popular passenger car when released, and was built in both sedan (hard top) and cabriolet (convertible/soft top) forms from 1935 until 1942. Once pressed into military service, they became popular as staff cars. The factories survived WWII, then from 1949 until 1952 the Type 170V was produced once again and became instrumental as a commercial offering, taking the company from the ashes after the war.

The US Navy’s mainstay fighter from 1943 until the end of World War II, the Grumman F6F Hellcat was instrumental in establishing air dominance in the Pacific theater of operations during the war. Following the war, the Hellcat was relegated to US Navy Reserve units, as newer, more capable types replaced them in fleet service.

Revell’s re-release of the timeless Monogram F6F-5, first offered in the 1960’s, is still a great kit for young modelers, or experienced modelers looking to relive a piece of their childhood. It’s probably safe to say that a majority of older modelers who started the hobby as kids have built at least 1 or 2 of these classics. Although only 6 (and ½, I’m reminded), this was Camden’s second Revellogram F6F-5, and the first one he actually painted and decaled.

Ampersand Publishing offers a quarterly photo-magazine featuring dozens of black and white photographs of armor, military vehicles, personnel, etc. Many are rare or seldom seen pictures. Each photograph is accompanied by a caption explaining what is depicted and the historical context. The reader will also see original line drawings and pictures from technical publications. These softbound publications contain from four to six articles. The subject of this review is Issue 28.

This 96-page issue contains five articles. They are: