Book Author(s)
Krzysztof W. Wotowski
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 24, 2011
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$32.00

I love late war 109s so this book was right up my alley. This book is printed in MMP’s White series which is an A4 sized softbound book with 112 pages.

The book focuses on late war 109s starting with the Bf-109G-5/AS to the K-4. The book starts off with a discussion of the tail units used on 109s. I found the differences very interesting and easily understood. Then a small section on late war Erla Haube canopy is discussed. A discussion of the colors and a color chart is next and especially helpful is the callout for CMYK and RGB colors. The first thing I noticed was the great drawings and color profiles. Gunther’s Speck G-5/AS is particularly striking.

One benefit of the larger format book is that 1/48th scale drawings are provided for each version. This will prove invaluable to the modeler.

Book Author(s)
Chris Bucholtz
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
January 24, 2011
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$22.95

Osprey’s Aircraft of the Aces series continues to be a great resource for the modeler and historian. This edition is no different. Written by noted historian, researcher, fellow modeler and editor of the IPMS/USA Journal, Chris Bucholtz, this soft bound book features 96 pages of information, stories, black and white photographs, and color profiles, featuring such noted pilots as Chuck Yeager, Bud Anderson, Kit Carson, and John England to name a few. The 357th featured some of the brightest colored Mustangs in the ETO.

The book follows the unit from its inception in 1942 with P-39s until the end of the war flying the latest P-51Ds. The unit produced 42 aces, more than any other unit in Europe, and it did this in just over a year of combat flying.

Book Author(s)
Lawrence Burr, Illustrated by Peter Bull
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
January 22, 2011
Company
Osprey Publishing
MSRP
$17.95

This volume of the Osprey New Vanguard series highlights perhaps the most enduring class of fighting ships of the 20th century. Considering that transformation in warships during the last 70 years, the longevity of the Iowa class battleships is noteworthy and a testament to their design and construction.

The book is basically divided in to two sections. The first deals with design and construction of the four units of the class (U.S.S Iowa, U.S.S. New Jersey, U.S.S Wisconsin and U.S.S. Missouri) with particular emphasis on how design parameters of previous battleships (of both U.S and foreign navies) as defined by the Washington Naval Treaty influenced the development of the Iowas. These considerations had a direct bearing on such things as armament, protection and speed. The author also goes into some detail describing the brains of these heavyweights – the fire control systems. The use of radar as well as aircraft for gunfire spotting is also detailed here.

Book Author(s)
Mikael Forslund, Illustrated by Teodor Liviu Morosanu
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
January 22, 2011
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$27.00

This book tells the story of the first fighter aircraft from Sweden’s SAAB. The unconventional, pusher propeller, twin boomed SAAB J-21 and its jet powered development, the J-21R As one who has a fondness for unusual aircraft I am really grateful to finally have a book that covers this aircraft.

The book begins with the development of the aircraft and its related systems. Of special importance was the development of an ejection seat so that the pilot could exit and clear the pusher propeller in an emergency. This is followed by operational histories of its use with the various squadrons. The coverage of the propeller driven J-21 concludes with 25 pages of color photos of the two surviving J-21s presented in a “walk-around” style. In addition to many fine exterior shots, there is extensive photo coverage of the cockpit. Lastly, we are treated to six pages of color profiles of various operational J-21s

Review Author
Fred Amos
Published on
January 21, 2011
Company
PT Decals
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$19.56

This decal provides markings for several different aircraft used by the Aeronaval/L’Armee de L’Air in the years following World War Two. Included are markings for two P-39's used in Algeria in 1945, a captured Fieseler 156 C Storch, two Grumman F6F Hellcats, an SBD-5, an Fw190-A5 and a Dewoitine D.520. The decals are very colorful and in perfect registry.