Osprey Publishing provides many different lines of aircraft information books for the enthusiast. These include the Aces series, the Elite series, the Dual series, and others. This latest series, Air Vanguard, seems to combine the best of the other series and really seems to be aimed at the modeler as well as the aviation enthusiast.

A new item recently sent to the IPMS/USA for review by the folks at Squadron is the fourth release in their Squadron at Sea series, and this edition covering the USS Saratoga (CV-3). The book is dedicated to “the crew of the Saratoga – the Ship of Happy Landings – who helped pioneer naval aviation in peacetime, fought valiantly in wartime, and who brought many of the comrades safely home…” The publication is 160 pages long, and as one would expect from the publishers at Squadron, it is filled with many black-and-white photographs as well as a few color pictures and some color drawings. Author David Doyle once again does an outstanding job of telling the story of the Saratoga, from her beginnings in New York Shipbuilding in Camden, New Jersey, to her current resting place at the bottom of the Bikini Atoll. I would highly recommend this book as both a reference and, as well, as a historical telling of the life of the third aircraft carrier of the US Navy.

This is a neat set! You get enough resin ammo cans, laser-cut wood, brass wire, and decals to make three crates. You can also build the crates empty and use the ammo cans separately to fill an even wider scene or vehicle load. The laser-cut wood is well defined and even has engraved sections describing what is contained inside.

Construction began with removing the resin ammunition cans from the pour lugs; a small swipe of a sanding stick and they were ready. Like all resin, it is best to give the parts a good soap and brush cleansing to ensure all mold release agents are removed. Remember that resin particles are hazardous and you should always complete these tasks using water to keep the dust down and wear a cheap doctor’s mask to keep the particulates out of your lungs.