Introduction

Many of us grew up building the many versions and scales of the utility helicopter of the time – the Bell UH-1 Iroquois of the "Huey" family. Those first flew in 1956 and over 16,000 of them were produced starting in 1960. "Utility" was the key word. They've been used for everything from search and rescue and medical evac to gunships and forward air control to fire fighting and much, much, more. A real workhorse!

Any replacement was going to have some big shoes to fill. So along came Sikorsky’s H-60 with all its “utility” combinations, and many of the H-1's were able to retire to their well-deserved place in history, with no loss in capability to the many who counted on them for the last half century.

As Osprey says, “This book is number 40 in Osprey’s 'Duel' series, which provides accounts of machines of war pitted against each other and the combatants who operated them.” If you are interested in the Civil War, this book is unusual in that it discusses an aspect of the ocean war that is seldom covered in any detail in most Civil War histories. This was the transition period when navies were changing from wood ships to steel and to explosive projectiles. Three single-ship actions were fought during the American Civil War between Union cruisers and Confederate raiders.

This volume focuses on the most famous, that between the CSS Alabama and the USS Kearsarge in 1864 off Cherbourg. It focuses on the crew, the tactics, the commanders, and the weapons used at the time. It is complete with photos and diagrams along with a complete description of the battle.

First, exceptional thanks to our friends at Revell for re-releasing “the Beast” and providing IPMS/USA a copy to review!

This kit is a re-release of the former Monogram “Promodeller” Helldiver, originally issued in 1997. When you open the box, the only difference between then and now is that the molds have been around a bit longer, the instruction sheet is different, the decals are different, and the copyright mark on the underside of the elevator says “China.” One thing I noted was there were a few rough flash edges on the clear parts for the canopy; other than that, the kit is flash and sinkmark free.