From the website – An Overview: “The result of years of experimentation by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen is perhaps the best know Japanese World War II fighter type. The Zero, or “Zeke”, in official Allied reporting, saw action in practically all battles waged by the Imperial Japanese Navy, from the attack on Pearl Harbor all the way through the defense of the Home Islands against the B-29s. During the first months of the war in the Pacific the Zero emerged as a world-class fighter, unrivaled in the air by anything the enemy could muster. However, with no worthy successor in sight, by 1943 the Zero was all but obsolete. Despite that, Japanese factories continue to build and deliver the type until the end of the war.”

The Book

This book is the first I’ve seen to present a complete modeler’s guide to what is probably the most famous transport aircraft ever built, the Douglas DC-3/C-47 series. The author begins with a historical account of the development and service life of the plane, accompanied by profuse illustrations showing nearly all conceivable forms in which the aircraft appeared, and providing detailed accounts and reviews of nearly all of the plastic kits issued in the popular modeling scales. Although the DC-3 is the stated subject, some coverage is given to the DC-1 and DC-2, the predecessors of the DC-3, although no mention is given to kits of any but the DC-3.

As a glider pilot, I couldn’t pass up a review of this kit from Brengun. The DG-1000S is a two-seater built by DG Flugzeugbau and can be configured for either an 18-meter or 20-meter wingspan. (The Brengun kit represents the 18m wing setup.) DG no longer produces the 1000 but now builds an improved version, the DG1001. For those of you who are adventurous with making painting masks or homemade decals, the USAF Academy uses the DG-1000 (TG-16A) to train its cadets to fly. So I guess technically speaking this aircraft is in the USAF inventory.