Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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Cross & Cockade International Autumn 2017 Volume 48/3Published:
The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Autumn 2017, features a photograph of a Sopwith Camel, C8372, of 50 Squadron. The outside rear cover features five color profiles by David Méchin of Georges Madon’s aerial mounts. If you check out the website link above, you can get additional sample pics of the current issue. Cross & Cockade International is a non-profit UK based group known as the First World War Aviation Historical Society that publishes their journal four times a year. They also provide a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publish WWI themed books like the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. Stewart K. Taylor… more |
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Bell X-2Published:
This is the third book in this new Osprey series authored by Peter E. Davies. The previous tomes include the Bell X-1 (1), North American X-15 (3), and the future book on the North American XB-170 Valkyrie (7). Peter lives in Bristol, U.K. and as authored or co-authored at least nineteen book on modern American combat aircraft, many with Osprey Publishing. He was published by the Naval Institute Press in 1997 with his hardcover book, The Harrier Story, co-authored with Anthony M. Thornborough. His Schiffer Military History hard cover on the Gray Ghosts, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps F-4 Phantoms published in 2000 is considered a must have. Peter published a hardcover book with Crowood Press, North American F-100 Super Sabre, in 2003. He has also covered many aircraft in Osprey’s Combat… more |
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M60 Main Battle Tank in ActionPublished:
David Doyle’s latest book continues to expand on Squadron Signal’s long standing In Action series that initiated back in 1971. This is a completely updated and expanded edition over Squadron’s earlier Armor in Action number 23, a 50-pager on the Patton by Jim Mesko that was published in 1987. This 2017 release is essentially a new book, encompassing 80 pages. After many years of being published in enthusiast publications focused on military vehicle restorations, David Doyle ‘graduated’ to full-fledged books in 2003. His first book was a hefty 512 page history of US military vehicles. He has now had more than 100 books published in military vehicles, aviation and naval topics. David and his wife Denise have amassed a collection of ten Vietnam era military vehicles that he still… more |
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French Secret Projects 2: Cold War Bombers, Patrol and Assault AircraftPublished:
Jean-Christophe Carbonel was born in 1959 and wrote his first modelling article in 1977. He graduated from the University of Paris I: Pantheon-Sorbonne in 1979 and followed up with a diploma from Sciences Po in 1981. He currently is a senior auditor at Le Groupe La Poste. His first solo work in English language was in 1991 for the British magazine Collecting Scale Models. He admits that part of his knowledge of the English language came from reading the Airfix instruction sheets, which were, at the time still English-only. Since then, he has pursued a writing career specializing in model kit history and in the history of aviation projects, prototypes, and early experimentals. Jean-Christophe has more recently specialized in French designs of all eras. Writing for various magazines on… more |
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Mil Mi-24/35 HindPublished:
Jakub Fojtik attended the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, achieving his Bachelor degree in Management of Security Forces, Security, and Law Studies. He followed up with a Master Degree in Management of Security Forces and a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business Law. To top it off he achieved a Doctorate (JUDr.) in Security studies at the Academy of the Slovak Police in Bratislava and a Ph.D. in Management of Security Forces from the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague. Jakub Fojtik is currently a University Lecturer at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic, the Vice President of Military Sales for Aero Vodochody Aerospace a.s. (Aero L-39, L-159, etc.) and an independent aviation journalist who is regularly published in aviation related journals… more |
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British Secret Projects 1: Jet Fighters Since 1950Published:
Tony Buttler was born in 1956 and joined High Duty Alloys in Redditch in 1974 as a metallurgist. For nearly 20 years he was closely involved in the testing of aluminum and titanium airframe and engine components for many of the world’s most important airplanes. It was during this timeframe that his interest in military aircraft grew into a passion. Since 1995, Tony has been a freelance aviation historian, with this book being his twenty-sixth major release. He has also written many titles for the Warpaint series of monographs as well as many articles for most of the popular historical aviation magazines. The cover painting by Daniel Uhr depicts Armstrong-Whitworth AW.169s going into action. The rear cover features a black and white photograph of the Gloster Javelin prototype,… more |
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TSR2 Britain’s Lost Cold War Strike JetPublished:
Osprey bio: “Andrew Brookes completed RAF pilot training after graduating from Leeds University. Following reconnaissance and strike tours on Victors, Canberras and Vulcans he joined the tri-service policy and plans staff of Commander British Forces, Hong Kong. He flew over 3,000 hours as an RAF reconnaissance and strike pilot. He was a UK nuclear release officer in NATO and the last operational RAF Commander at the Greenham Common cruise missile base. He was coordinator of air power studies at the RAF Advanced Staff College and he is now Chief Executive of The Air League. He broadcasts widely and this is his 18th aviation book, including four for Osprey. He received the Defense Aerospace Journalist of the Year Award in 2004 and 2006. In 2009 he was awarded the C P Robertson Memorial… more |
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Shady Lady: 1,500 Hours Flying the U-2 Spy PlanePublished:
Crécy Publishing’s biography: “Lieutenant Colonel Rick Bishop flew for over 50 years as a civilian, Army, and Air Force pilot amassing over 16,000 hours in the air. Raised in Miami, Florida his passion for aviation started with flying lessons at the age of 16 which he continued throughout his college years. Voluntarily joining the Army in 1967, he saw action in Vietnam then joined the Air Force in 1974 where he flew jets for four years until being selected to join the U-2 Program. Over the following 13 years he rose to Commander of the 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron prior to further advancement preceding his early retirement in 1991. Rick then flew for American Airlines for the next 16 years. He now resides on a small farm in the rolling hills north of Ocala, Florida.” … more |
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USS Iowa [BB-61]Published:
David Doyle’s latest book is one of the initial entries into a new series called ‘Legends of Warfare’ with entries in Ground, Naval, and Aviation. The first Ground book is focused on the Panzerkampfwagen IV, the first Naval book was on the USS Yorktown (CV-5), and the first two Aviation books are on the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (#4) and Douglas TBD Devastator (#3). This tome is the second release in the Legends of Warfare – Naval series. After many years of being published in enthusiast publications focused on military vehicle restorations, David Doyle ‘graduated’ to full-fledged books in 2003. His first book was a hefty 512 page history of US military vehicles. He has now had more than 100 books published in military vehicles, aviation and naval topics. David and his wife Denise… more |
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Yak-28P Firebar Interior Detail SetPublished:
BackgroundThe Yakovlev Yak-28 (Яковлев Як-28) was a multi-role aircraft that was an outgrowth of the Yak-25 that featured a shoulder mounted swept wing to reduce foreign object damage (FOD) from unimproved runways. Like its predecessor the Yak-25, it was produced as a tactical bomber role as well as in the reconnaissance, electronic warfare, interceptor, and trainer versions. The Yak-28 was known under the NATO reporting names Brewer, Firebar, and Maestro respectively. The dedicated long-range interceptor version, the Yak-28P was developed from 1960 and deployed operationally from 1964. It omitted the internal weapons bay in favor of additional fuselage tanks and added a new 'Oriol-D' interception radar compatible with the R-98 (AA-3 'Anab') air-to-air missile. An… more |