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Book Author(s)
Bojan Dimitrijevic & Lt Gen Jovica Draganic
Review Author
David Horn
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This book “Operation Allied force, air war over Serbia 1999” is volume one of a two volume book series. There are two authors who both held opposing positions during this war with front line service. This volume (1) covers the chronology of events while the next volume (2) focuses of the experiences from both sides in the air war.

The beginning of this book covers the rise of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) air force. From buildup of assets, restrictions put on the new air force equipment and tables showing air asset with locations of these assets. Deeper into the book, it covers conflicts, notable air engagements, buildup of NATO forces and defenses.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

The Do-217N is a unique version of the venerable Do-217. Designed as a night fighter it was really just too slow to catch the bombers. It wasn’t useless but it did have its share of problems.

ICM released their kit of this airplane in 2020. It was a nice kit, but it was not without a few mistakes, as all models are. One of those mistakes was slightly undersized wheels. Also the wheels did not have a bulge or flat spot to indicate weight being on the landing gear. Another area that could use improvement was the tail wheel fork which is slightly anemic and mishappened. Well Aires has a solution.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
ICM
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$108.00

Before I begin this review I think it is important to know that I flew Cobras in the Army and now fly them with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, so I am intimately familiar with them. So I tend to be a little bit of a nit picker or rivet counter when it comes to Cobras. Please forgive me.

When ICM released the AH-1G Cobra in 1/32nd scale there was much rejoicing in the helicopter modeling world. We had waited so long for a replacement for the venerable Revell AH-1G. The Revell kit was released in 1968 and it was very basic. Accurate in outline but lacking in any detail. It needed lots of aftermarket to bring it up to speed. Would ICM be better? Oh heck yeah.

Book Author(s)
Ken Conboy
Review Author
David Horn
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

“The Erawan War, The CIA Paramilitary Campaign in Laos, 1961-1969” is volume one of a two volume set. The second volume covers the years 1969 through 1974. The book starts out by setting the stage in 1960 where Laos was a neutral buffer zone between communist and western nations. With a near bloodless coup in Laos, the need of an intervention by the CIA to aid rebels was needed. This book covers the timeline and details of the CIA in Laos for most of the Vietnam conflict. Participants or groups are listed in the text and in an abbreviations section which include the anti-Communist “Royalist Armed Forces” (FAR), Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and “Air America”.

Book Author(s)
Mark Proulx
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eagle Editions Ltd.
MSRP
$24.95

Eagle Editions is synonymous with Luftwaffe subjects so it comes as no surprise that their latest book in the Wings of the Black Cross series is an airplane that just evokes memories of the Luftwaffe, the iconic Ju-87 Stuka. The name and the noise of the airplane became a symbol for Luftwaffe dominance of the air in the early part of the war. By the Battle of Britain, it was grossly outclassed and obsolete, yet is soldiered on until the very end of the war.