Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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First Manned Rocket LaunchPublished:
The origin of Pen & Sword Books is closely linked with its sister company, the Barnsley Chronicle; one of the UK's oldest provincial newspapers, established in 1858, and one of the few weeklies still in private ownership. The first books published by the company were in response to public demand following a series of articles published in the newspaper: Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks told the story of crash sites in the Dark Peak area of the Peak District National Park, and a further weekly feature on the history of two Kitchener battalions, known as the "Barnsley Pals", aroused a thirst for more information. Following on from the success of those books, several local history paperbacks were produced along with a series of battlefield guidebooks. Battleground Europe proved immediately… more |
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American Experimental Fighters of WWII: The Pursuit of ExcellencePublished:
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 44th major release. This includes hard cover books on British Secret Projects, American Secret Projects, Secret Soviet Projects, and X-Planes of Europe. 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. This tome includes 24 chapters covering U.… more |
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Cross & Cockade International Winter 2024Published:
The non-profit UK based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes their journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides 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. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If interested, you will need to register early as the call is limited in… more |
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P-47 Thunderbolt in Detail & ScalePublished:
Detail & Scale published its first book on Republic’s P-47 Thunderbolt in 1998. Twenty-five years later, this new publication, P-47 Thunderbolt in Detail & Scale, significantly revises and expands our original coverage of the big, radial-engine fighter that endeared itself to many pilots as the rugged and survivable aircraft that would bring them home. Bert Kinzey graduated from Virginia Tech in 1968 with a degree in Business Administration. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army and was sent to the Army’s Air Defense School at Fort Bliss, Texas. During his eight years as an officer, Bert commanded a Hawk-guided missile battery just south of the DMZ in Korea. Later he originated, wrote, and taught classes on the air threat, military air… more |
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M26 FlaresPublished:
Hauler/Brengun was founded in 1999 and produces scale plastic kits, resin kits, resin accessories, and photo-etched detail sets. This detail set of the M26 Flare is offered in 1/48 and 1/72 scales. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HaulerBrengun/ M26 parachute flares provided illumination for night bombardment, to blind anti-aircraft defenses, or night photography / observation missions. A mechanical time fuze in the nose ignited the flare.The tail end is closed with a shipping cover that is sealed by a strip of tape. As this shipping cover is pulled out by the hang wire, a cord pulls… more |
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Colors & Markings of the F-106 Delta DartPublished:
Detail & Scale’s Color & Markings first series was launched in 1984 with Volume 1 focusing on the Convair’s F-106 Delta Dart. Authored by Bert Kinzey and published by Tab Books [ISBN-13 978-0816845255], the first volume was largely in black and white with 16 pages of color. Forty years later, this new publication, Colors & Markings of the F-106 Delta Dart, significantly revises and expands the original coverage of the “Ultimate Interceptor” and the “World’s Fastest Single-Engine Jet Aircraft”. Authored and illustrated byColonel Richard S. “Rock” Roszak, Volume of 8 of the new series of Colors & Markings is all in color and double the size:64 pages vs. 128 pages. This English edition was released on November 14, 2024, and is available in soft square bound format [8.5” x… more |
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76.2mm UBR-354P HVAP-T High Velocity Armoy Piercing Shell ReplicaPublished:
Pig Models is a model company based in Taiwan. It was established in 2016 with a commitment to providing interesting model kits. I first became aware of the company with their release of their 1/1 scale German Tiger II 8.8cm Pzgr.39/43 (APCBC-HE) L71 Shell Replica [Kit # 1-002]. They have also released 1/1 scale variants, 8.8cm Pzgr.39 (APCBC) L/56 Shell Replica [Kit # 1-001] and 8.8cm Sprgr. 43 (HE) kwk43 L71 Shell Replica [Kit# 1-004]. Since then, Pig Models has released over a dozen unique and interesting kits. The German offensive of 1939 changed the perception of the threat of assault by armored vehicles. The early German success can be attributed to both technological advancements since the First World War and the use of combined arms tactics with the Panzer. Initial allied… more |
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155mm M-107 HE Type Side BackpackPublished:
Pig Models, based in Taiwan, was established in 2016 with a commitment to providing interesting model kits. I first became aware of the company with their release of their 1/1 scale German Tiger II 8.8cm Pzgr.39/43 (APCBC-HE) L71 Shell Replica [Kit # 1-002]. They have also released 1/1 scale variants, 8.8cm Pzgr.39 (APCBC) L/56 Shell Replica [Kit # 1-001] and 8.8cm Sprgr. 43 (HE) kwk43 L71 Shell Replica [Kit# 1-004]. Since then, Pig Models have released another dozen unique and interesting kits. The M-107 is a 155mm High Explosive [HE] projectile. It was developed from the French Schneider 155mm projectile for the Model 1917 Howitzer and was the… more |
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Iran-Iraq Naval War Volume 2: Convoy Battles, 1981-1984Published:
Helion is a UK-based company that produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through to the present day. Helion was established in 1996, and since then they have published over 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year, for readers around the world. Tom Cooper is an Austrian aerial warfare analyst and historian. Following a career in the worldwide transportation business - during which he established a network of contacts in the Middle East and Africa - he moved into narrow-focus analysis and writing on small, little-known air forces and conflicts, about which he has collected extensive archives. This has resulted in specialization in such Middle Eastern air forces as those of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and various… more |
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Mil Mi-4 Hound, Warpaint Series #144Published:
Guideline Publications Guideline Publications is the UK's leading publisher of modeling and hobby-related magazines. With a world-class portfolio of titles and an international Social Media presence, Guideline Publications has a dedicated readership that is constantly expanding into new areas. This English language book, Mil Mi-4 Hound, is authored by Jakub Fojtik, Ph.D. and illustrated by Petr Kolmann. The latest in Guideline’s Warpaint series, 144, was published on September 1, 2024. A digital edition will soon be available. The latest on Guideline’s publications can be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/guidelinepub/ Jakub Fojtik , Ph.D. attended the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in… more |