Brian R. Baker
Reviews By Author
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Austro-Hungarian Albatros Aces of World War IPublished:
History The Austro-Hungarian Army Air Service operated various types of aircraft during their combat operations against the Italians, Russians, Rumanians, and Albanians, and for the most part their equipment was not particularly state-of-the-art. On the Italian side, while some Italian designs were used, many of the aircraft they faced were the latest designs from France and Britain, some flown by British pilots. The Austrians never had adequate resources to prosecute the war in the first place as their aviation industry had been neglected before the war, resulting in only limited successes. They operated on a shoestring and did remarkably well, considering their limited resources. However, the Germans provided the Austrians with a number of modern… more |
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Spitfire and Hurricane DecalsPublished:
The first Lifelike Decals sheet, Spitfire Pt. 3, provides decals for four Mk. V aircraft, and historical backgrounds for each aircraft. The aircraft depicted are:
There are enough roundels for one RAF and one USAAF aircraft, although… more |
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P-40K-10/15 Warhawk III Long TailPublished:
HistoryThe Curtiss P-40 was one of the most famous fighters of World War II, and went through a long series of modifications during its service life. Although not up to the standard of later fighters, it was available in substantial numbers, and could generally hold its own when flown by competent pilots. While later replaced by P-38’s, P-47’s, and P-51’s, P-40’s continued in service in many air forces after the war, and some were flown by civilians, often for racing. Quite a few are still flying today, and it is not unusual to see one at a fly-in or air show. Although some models were powered by the Rolls Royce Merlin engine, most were fitted with the Allison engine, which featured the large scoop on the upper cowling. One problem faced by P-40 pilots, and indeed… more |
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British Experimental Combat Aircraft of World War II: Prototypes, Research Aircraft, and Failed Production DesignsPublished:
HistoryWe are all familiar with the success stories of British World War II aircraft. but the author of this work examines the careers of some of the types that either didn’t make it to the production line or were never intended for service use. The author has made a life study of British aviation history, having worked in the industry for many years, and he has published numerous articles and books on the subject. Many of the aircraft covered in this publication were produced by companies that produced relatively few successful military designs, such as Blackburn, Folland, Miles, Martin-Baker, and Saunders-Roe, while other types were developments of in-service models, such as the Hawker Typhoon/Tempest series, the DeHavilland Mosquito, and the Supermarine Spitfire/… more |
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Fairey Swordfish Mk. 1 FloatplanePublished:
HistoryThe Fairey Swordfish, while appearing to be outdated at the beginning of World War II, actually became one of the outstanding airplanes used by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm. While most were land- or carrier-based with wheeled undercarriages, a significant number of Swordfish Mk. I’s were operated as twin-float seaplanes, mainly from battleships and cruisers, or from shore bases such as Gibraltar, where they were used for fleet reconnaissance, gunfire spotting, and anti-submarine patrol. Probably the most famous action in which Swordfish floatplanes took part was the April, 1940, Second Battle of Narvik, where they spotted gunfire for HMS Warspite, resulting in the destruction of seven German destroyers, plus the sinking of the submarine U-64 with bombs. The… more |
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Italian Spads At War!Published:
HistoryWindsock Datafiles has probably become the premier publisher of detailed studies of specific World War I vintage aircraft, and they have recently branched out into aircraft subjects about which little has been published before. This publication is no exception, as the Spad VII and XIII, while famous in French, American, and other services, was also used by the Italians, although not in great numbers, and many were kept in postwar use until the mid twenties. Although the first French Spads were sent to Italy in 1917, the Italians declined to produce the plane in Italy and imported limited numbers from France, some without engines, rather than relying on Italian production which was often inadequate. As a result, other fighter types provided the majority of… more |
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Focke Wulf Fw-190A-5/6/8 Priller ComboPublished:
History This kit is another in the new Hasegawa series which reissues older kits with slightly modified molds, depicting several historic aircraft, usually of the same general type. This issue, which includes two complete kits, can be built as an FW-190A-5, A-6, and A-8, but it would also be possible to do an A-7 variant if you used different markings. To begin with, the kit depicts a “Priller Combo”, but the instructions say absolutely nothing about who Priller was, or why he warrants a kit manufactured in his honor. I’ll clear that up first, although Googling “Josef Priller” will give you a general account of his life. Josef Priller (1915-1961) was a career military officer in the Luftwaffe, and at the outbreak of World War II, was a Staffelkapitan… more |
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Vickers Bullets, Windsock Datafile 154Published:
HistoryWindsock Datafiles has produced a number of excellent reference works on various aircraft of the World War I era, and they are certainly to be commended for publishing another this subject. For those who are tired of Spads, Camels, and Fokkers, this one will be a breath of fresh air as few people have ever heard of this aircraft, let alone its interesting history. The Vickers “Bullet” series of biplanes was first produced in August, 1915, in an attempt to provide the RFC with a high-performance fighter for the Western Front. Powered by a Monosopape rotary engine, the prototype, designated ES-1, was a short, stubby biplane with a bullet-shaped fuselage, which was probably the origin of the name. Various wing and engine arrangements were tried, including positive… more |
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Junkers Ju-88A-8 With Balloon Cable CutterPublished:
History The Junkers Ju-88 was probably the most important multi-engined aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Intended originally for level and dive bombing, it was later adapted to many other roles, excelling as a radar-equipped night fighter. Beginning with the Battle of Britain in 1940, the JU-88 became the standard day and night bomber in Luftwaffe units, and when the British sent up barrage balloons with cables dangling to ensnare unwary bomber pilots, especially at night, the ingenious Luftwaffe engineers came up with a system whereby a plane could fly through the cables, cutting them with special cable cutting units installed on the front of the airplanes.
Initially, the units were fitted to Heinkel He-111’s, designated He-… more |
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Grumman C.C.F. Goblin Mk. 1Published:
HistoryThe Grumman FF-1 biplane two-seat fighter was the first complete airplane design from the Grumman Corporation, located in Bethpage, New York. Prior to this, LeRoy Grumman had separated from the Loening Company, and had manufactured amphibious floats for the Vought O2U and O3U observation biplanes, using landing gear designs he had developed for various Loening types. The XFF-1 two-seat biplane fighter first flew in 1931 and featured a Wright R-1820E radial engine and retractable landing gear. Grumman sold 27 FF-1’s to the Navy, which after replacement, were modified as dual-control fighter trainers. Later, a reconnaissance version was developed, the SF-1, of which 33 were built during 1934. Later, a dive bomber, the XSBF-1, was developed, but this lost out to… more |