Brian R. Baker
Reviews By Author
|
Messerschmitt Bf-109F/G/K Pitot TubesPublished:
Quickboost, located in the Czech Republic, has produced a number of very useful resin accessories for plastic models in a number of scales, and these units (3 are included) would be welcome additions to most 1/72 scale Bf-109 kits. Many 1/72 scale kits tend to have very heavy detail on such petite items as pitot tubes, aileron hinges, pilot access steps, and a host of other small details, if these are included at all. This accessory pack consists of three pitot tubes protected by a heavy molding on the sides. The tubes are very small, as they were on the real aircraft, and would certainly look better than those provided in most kits, which have them molded in scales closer to sewer pipes. These are worth getting if you are building a lot of Bf-109’s, and they would probably be… more |
|
Junkers Ju-87D/G CompassPublished:
These accessories are manufactured by Quickboost to provide additional detail to currently produced models. In this case, the accessory kit consists of two parts, a resin casting of the mechanical compass located behind the gunner’s position on the JU-87D, along with a clear plastic cover which fits over the unit to protect it from the elements. From the photos I have examined, these compasses are not prominent features of the airplanes and don’t show up on many photos. When the gunner’s canopy is slid back, the unit would be invisible underneath the canopy. Nevertheless, they generally were installed, similar to those on the JU-88, which are depicted on some of the better JU-88 kits. None, to my knowledge, appears on any JU-87D/G kit. Therefore, this unit would be useful on any… more |
|
Junkers Ju-87D/G RudderPublished:
Quickboost products are manufactured in the Czech Republic and are intended to improve or add detail to currently available plastic model kits. In this case, the product is a replacement rudder for the late model JU-87D and G Stukas operated by the Luftwaffe late in World War II. The product consists of a cast resin one-piece rudder. The idea is to trim off the kit’s existing rudder and replace it with the resin unit. Looking at both parts together, it is difficult to see any significant differences, although one advantage would be that it would be easier to position the rudder to the left or right, rather than cutting off the kit rudder (and probably screwing it up) to get the same effect. The details on both rudders are similar, although the resin unit has the cutouts for the… more |
|
ME-262 and FW-190D-9Published:
HistoryJV44 was a special jet fighter unit, a sort of “Dream Team”, created right at the end of the war by Gen. Adolf Galland, after he was demoted during the final months of the war for being outspoken against the incompetency of the Hermann Goring and the Luftwaffe’s highest leadership. Galland was able to gather some of the highest scoring Luftwaffe aces, including Heinz Bar, Gerhard Barkhorn, Walter Krupinski, Gunther Lutzow, Johannes Steinhoff, Heinrich Brucker, and Heinz Sachsenburg, all Knight’s Cross holders, and others, who then received rudimentary training on this revolutionary aircraft before flying combat missions. The basic purpose of the unit, and the motivation of the men involved, was to prove to the Luftwaffe leadership, that the ME-262, when used properly… more |
|
British & Allied Aircraft Manufacturers of the First World WarPublished:
The StoryThis book represents a novel approach to aviation history, and instead of the usual treatment of aircraft types, famous pilots, or even significant designers, the author identifies what he considers to be the significant aircraft producers of the World War I era, and goes through the development of the companies and the actions of their founders and CEO’s, explaining how their aircraft were developed and used. After producing a list of 92 significant producers, the authors selected 27 to discuss in detail, and he does an excellent job of presenting the startup of the firms, the personnel involved, and the airplanes, both successful and unsuccessful. He alludes to the postwar period a number of times, as many of these aircraft, such as the DH-4, Curtiss JN-4, and… more |
|
Tail Codes for WWII Imperial Japanese Navy AircraftPublished:
This series of decal sheets is long overdue, and covers an area that modelers have needed for a long time. I have had experience with Aviaeology’s products in the past, and have found them to be excellent quality decals. One advantage that this company offers is that they always do their homework in historical research, getting things right. The decal sheets, in white (AOD72C23m) and black (yellow and red are also available, AOD72C20m and AOD72C21m) and are intended to portray the code letters often seen on the fins and rudders of wartime Japanese Naval aircraft. These sheets are primarily for smaller, single engine types, so you’d need to use the 1/48 scale sheet for larger bombers. A few kits have included these markings in their decal sheets, but to do anything but a “box… more |
|
The Pacific Naval War, 1941-1945Published:
The StoryThis volume is a newly developed account of the naval war between the United States and its Allies against the Japanese from 1941 through 1945. Since the author and publisher are British, it naturally follows that there is a subdued emphasis on the British and Commonwealth participation in the war, a good thing since this topic has not been covered in a lot of detail over the past few years. In a little over 200 pages, the author condenses the topic to the point that it isn’t really a comprehensive history, but instead a series of chapters dealing with specific issues and events associated with the war, along with his interpretations of the causes and effects of these events. The beginning chapters cover the participants, their political and economic… more |
|
GRUMMAN F6F-5NPublished:
IntroductionThe Grumman F6F Hellcat series was one of the most important U.S. Navy carrier fighters of World War II, with the first F6F-3 production models appearing in late 1942. Powered by a P.W. R-2800-10 radial engine of 2000 hp., the fighter was powerful, heavily armed with six .50 cal. machine guns, well protected with armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, and fast, 335 mph. at sea level and 376 mph. at 17,300 ft. Although it could be out-turned by the Zero, its main adversary, it held virtually every other advantage, especially since by the time the Hellcat came into service in 1943, many of the highly experienced Japanese pilots had been lost in combat, and their replacements were poorly trained compared to the American pilots, who entered combat with roughly four times… more |
|
RAF FE-2B At War, Windsock Datafile 147Published:
The StoryIn the past several years, interest in the FE-2 series has been generated by the construction of two flying replicas of this vintage biplane in New Zealand, and in 2009, Albatros Publications produced a multi-authored text entitled “The FE-2B Flies Again” which included both a history of the type and a description of the process in which two completely accurate replicas were built and flown. Following this, in the same year, Albatros author and historian Paul R. Hare produced a Windsock Datafile issue, #134, describing the FE-2D. This has been followed by this issue, describing the first production model, the FE-2B. All of these publications are worth having if you have any interest in World War I aircraft. The FE-2B was developed pre-war as a biplane pusher… more |
|
Windsock Datafile 146: Pfalz D.XII At WarPublished:
The storyThe Pfalz D.XII was the logical development of the line of Pfalz fighters developed for the German Air Service during World War I, and it was tested and entered limited production towards the middle of 1918. The superb Fokker D.VII was already in mass production and widespread service, and the Pfalz product, while close, was not quite up to the Fokker standard in speed and maneuverability, only exceeding the Fokker in maximum diving speed. A clean two bay biplane, entering service when the steel tube fuselage D.VII was in service, the D.XII, while better than the D.III, could not compete effectively with the D.VII, and always remained an “also-ran”. It had its weaknesses, including the main landing gear, which had a tendency to collapse during any heavy landing, and… more |