Doug Hamilton
Reviews By Author
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SMB-2 Super MysterePublished:
Manufactured in the Czech Republic Special Hobby produces a number of high-quality scale model kits. This one is in 1/48 scale of the Israeli SMB-2 Sa’ar (Storm in Hebrew) Super Mystere used by the IDF seeing action in the 1973 Yom Kippur conflict. Originally produced by Dussault, and upgraded to carry the Pratt and Whitney J 52 engine that also powered the A-4 Skyhawk. This extended the already worn-out airframes, increasing their performance and survivability in the process. They were retired from front line service in 1973. The kit is molded in light grey plastic on seven sprues, 2 of which are duplicates. A sprue of clear parts also is included. The kit also contains 3-D printed parts from MCC that are beautifully printed. The 3-D parts include new speed brake buckets and… more |
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Colors & Markings of the A-6 Intruder in US Marine Corps Service and Navy Test and Evaluation SquadronsPublished:
My love affair with the A-6 began one summer day when I was a boy. Two A-6 Intruders came screaming up the Connecticut coastline while we were at the beach. I suppose they were on a training flight out of the Grumman factory a short distance across Long Island Sound in Calverton NY. Fast forward a few years to 1973 and I had recently arrived at my new duty station of MCAS Cherry Point NC. There on the flight line were A-6’s, lots of them!! Although my squadron were flying TA-4Js Skyhawks, the Intruders next door fascinated me. The bomb loads were staggering and the all-weather capabilities unmatched. Marine A-6’s are the things of legend and to a young Marine the group I was assigned to, MAG-14 had a nice range of aircraft assigned, including the A-6. This book from our friends… more |
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US Navy LCT Mk. 6Published:
Initially developed by the British and used heavily by US Forces, the Landing Craft Tank, or LCT was developed to give amphibious landings the added punch of armor early in an operation. Over 950 MK 6s were eventually built by the US and used any time an amphib operation needed to put ashore tanks. Both the Korean and Viet Nam wars saw LCT’s in action. With a displacement of 284 short tons, with a LOA of 119” and a beam of 32’ 8” these work horses had an incredible draft of 3’ 4” at the bow allowing them to put their cargo right on the beach. Powered by 3 225 HP Gray Marine diesel engines and three shafts delivered a maximum speed of 7 knots with a range of 700 nautical miles. The capacity was rated at 150 short tons of personal and cargo which included tanks, trucks, and towed… more |
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Colors & Markings of the A-6 Intruder in U. S. Navy Attack Squadron ServicePublished:
Built by Grumman Aircraft, the A-6 Intruder is legendary in Naval Aviation circles. Flown by the US Navy and Marine Corps as both a land based and carrier-based deep penetration attack aircraft the A6 could carry more bomb weight than a WW II B-17 bomber!! This book is a companion to the Detail and Scale book on A-6s that was released in 1987. As the title implies, this volume covers colors and markings of the US Navy Intruder carried during its operational lifetime. In 125 pages of high quality A-6 color photos and text and is printed in a soft cover format on heavy glossy paper. While there are no chapters per say, each Navy squadron that operated the Intruder is covered. The squadrons are broken up by area assigned. It’s an easy task to ascertain what part of the world the… more |
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American Artillery - From 1775 to the Present DayPublished:
Artillery has generally been known as the King of Battle for quite a long time and for good reason. The ability to reach out and touch your opponent on a battlefield is an obvious advantage. And if you can do that first, further, with more power than your opponent there’s a strong chance your forces are going to win the day. Battlefield artillery has come a long way since the United States has been in existence, and the US has found itself at the forefront of that development. This book gives that history a quick glance in both text and pictures. Written by Author Michael Green, this book is printed on high quality paper and contains 224 pages. There are 250 black and white pictures and 19 in full color in the middle of the book. The photos used in the book are all crisp and… more |
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Images of War, The Phantom F-4Published:
The McDonnell/Douglas F-4 Phantom is arguably one of the best all time fighter aircraft ever made. Developed for the US Navy as a long-range all-weather fighter aircraft the Phantom saw a large number of variants for the Navy, Air Force and a host of foreign users. This book tells that story in a concise, well written and interesting manner. Written by British author Martin B. Bowman the book The Phantom F-4 is a soft bound volume that contains 144 pages in four chapters in addition to acknowledgement and introduction sections. There are 120 black and white photos throughout. Brought to us here on this side of the Atlantic by Casemate Publishers the color cover, by Dominic Allen features two German Phantoms, two Marine birds and two in flight photos. The book opens in… more |
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Starfighters in CombatPublished:
Iliad Decals is a firm based in Canada that produces decals for many subjects in both 1/48 and 1/72 scales. Printing is nicely done with all colors in register and true. They’re traditional water slide configuration, are thin and look good. The sheet carries markings for seven F-104s. All aircraft depicted are combat aircraft.. There are a variety of schemes worn by these warriors, so there is a nice selection of colors and nationalities present. There are three USAF birds, two of which that were flown in the Southeast Asia scheme that were based at Udorn Thailand in 1966-67 during the Viet Nam war and escorted F-105s into action. The third one is a sleek looking bird in white over ADC gray that has an interesting back story, with the pilot being held as a POW in China for… more |
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USS Forrest ShermanPublished:
The USS Forrest Sherman was the lead ship in the US Navy Destroyer program instituted in 1953. Constructed at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine beginning in October 1953, launched on February 5, 1955 and commissioned November 9, 1955. After a long and distinguished career, she was decommissioned on November 5, 1982, and stricken from Naval logs on July 27, 1990. An effort to maintain the ship as a Museum ship failed with a few artifacts having been saved for exhibit. With a full displacement 0f 4619 tons and a crew compliment of 324 she sported an armament of 3 5’/54” main guns, 4 3’/50 guns in two twin mounts fore and aft, 2 Hedgehog mortar mounts, depth… more |
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Union Sharpshooter Verses Confederate Sharpshooter, American Civil War 1861-65Published:
The American Civil War is a study in contrasts and similarities. Historians make a living comparing and contrasting both sides from every angle conceivable. Commanders, battlefields, tactics, and weapons are the usual subjects and this book focuses on the Sharpshooting arena. Published by our friends at Osprey Publishers, Union Sharpshooter VS Confederate Sharpshooters is authored by Gary Yee. Period photos, drawings, and maps convey a study in comparison and contrast in three battles where sharpshooters played an important role. A brief introduction opens the book, followed by chapters that cover the opposing sides, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, Battery Wagner, an analysis, and the aftermath. A select bibliography and index complete the narrative. The book is printed on heavy stock paper… more |
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Ukrainian Submarine "Zaporizhzhia" 641 Foxtrot ClassPublished:
The Soviet Foxtrot class submarine, known as Project 641, was a diesel-electric powered attack submarine. First commissioned in 1971, they served until 1994 with Soviet and satellite operators. This particular boat first saw service with the Soviet Navy. When the Soviet Union broke up, this boat was in port in Ukraine. The fledgling Ukrainian Navy seized it, becoming the first, and only submarine in Ukraine service. Upon the Russian takeover of the Ukrainian State, the boat reverted to Soviet control. Interesting stuff indeed, and I still can’t pronounce the name!! The model has been created by Ukrainian model company Mikr Mir, or Micro Mir as we English speakers would more easily recognize. Molded in two different types of plastic, with one type, the sprue with the small parts… more |