Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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Martin PBM MarinerPublished:
Steve Ginter’s Martin PBM Mariner is one of more recent in his Naval Fighters series and was actually initiated after hearing that Minicraft was really, really, really going to finally put out their 1/72 PBM-5A kit. This edition is in their standard 8.5” x 11” format softbound publication that is 256 pages (excluding covers). I counted 760 photographs (5 in color) along with 61 drawings. Author Steve Ginter is a noted military historian who publishes the Naval Fighter series that was founded in 1980. After graduating from California State University-Northridge, Steve Ginter became a US Navy pilot, serving from 1966 to 1972. Upon leaving the US Navy, Steve Ginter held a series of management positions within the Thrifty Drug chain for the next twenty-one years. In 1996 in became… more |
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US Navy F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War 1964 - 68Published:
The newest in Osprey's Combat Aircraft series is authored by Peter E. Davies. A noted author with over twenty-six aviation books published, Peter E. Davis' focus has been on Vietnam War era aircraft. He has had a long relationship with Osprey and has authored 13 titles and co-authored another two. Illustrator Jim Laurier, a native of New England, provides the color profiles. Jim has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating artwork on a variety of subjects. He has worked on the Osprey Aviation list since 2000, and has been featured in hundreds of aviation books. Gareth Hector is a digital artist of international standing as well as an aviation history enthusiast. Gareth Hector provides the cover artwork of… more |
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Fw 200 Condor Units of World War 2Published:
The newest in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series is authored by a retired Royal Air Force logistics officer, Chris Goss. Specializing in Luftwaffe air operations, Chris Goss has built an impressive collection of original photographs, interviews, and correspondence with WWII veterans and their families. His aviation photograph collection alone exceeds 50,000 images. This material has been placed into the public sphere in over twenty-three books that Chris Goss has authored, not to mention being a contributor to magazines like Flypast, Aviation News, Fan D’Aviation, and Aerojournal. Chris Davey provides the side profile color plates as he has for more than thirty titles from Osprey. Chris Davey, living in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, is one of the last traditional aviation airbrush… more |
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Saab J 29F TunnanPublished:
BackgroundThe Saab 29, colloquially called Flygande tunnan (English: "The flying barrel"), was a Swedish fighter designed and manufactured by Saab in the 1940s. It was Sweden's second turbojet-powered combat aircraft, the first being the Saab 21R. Despite its rotund appearance, from which its name derives, the J 29 was a fast and agile aircraft for its era. It served effectively in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles into the 1970s. The initial prototype of the Saab Tunnan made its first flight on September 1st 1948, with the British test pilot Robert Moore at the controls. The Tunnan was powered by a Swedish license built DeHavilland Ghost DGT3 gas turbine engine named RM2 by company Svenska Flygmotor and armed with 4 powerful Bofors 20 mm aircraft guns.… more |
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Dragon Wagon Part 2: A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s Heavy Tank Transporter 1955-1975Published:
Ampersand’s latest book continues to expand on their Visual History format as this edition follows up on David Doyle’s “Dragon Wagon Part 1: A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s Heavy Tank Transporter 1941-1955”. Ampersand got their start in 1993 when Pat Stansell distributed a free issue of Military Miniatures in Review at the IPMS Nationals in Atlanta. Ampersand joined forces with HobbyLink Japan in 2008 and have continued to expand their military AFV publications ever since. True to the Visual History Series name, the focus of this book in on the visual, detailing the development and service history of the U.S. Army’s Heavy Tank Transporters from 1955-1975. This is Ampersand’s is standard version of their Visual History format and it runs 120 pages packed… more |
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Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen: A Visual History of the German Army’s Multi-Purpose VehiclesPublished:
Ampersand's latest book continues to expand on their Visual History format, as this edition follows up with David Doyle's "251 Half-Track: A Visual History of the German Army's Sd.Kfz 251 Armored Half-Tracks". Ampersand got their start in 1993 when Pat Stansell distributed a free issue of Military Miniatures in Review at the IPMS Nationals in Atlanta. Ampersand joined forces with HobbyLink Japan in 2008 and have continued to expand their military AFV publications ever since. True to the Visual History Series name, the focus of this book is on the visual, detailing the development and service history of the German Army's Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen. This is slightly expanded from Ampersand's standard 120 page version of their Visual History format, and it runs… more |
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The Frozen ChosenPublished:
Originally envisioned as a movie by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, The Frozen Chosen has been released as a book about the First Marine Division and the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. This new book relies heavily on a series of interviews conducted by Cleaver with survivors of the battle resulting from a 1989 reunion of “The Frozen Chosen”. The release online by the US Marine Corps Historical division of the Korean War Project, along with recently released from Korea, Russia, and China finally spurred Thomas McKelvey Cleaver to finish this book. Thomas McKelvey Cleaver served with the US Navy in Vietnam and has spent thirty years in Hollywood as a screen writer for television and the movie industry. Horror fans will know him as the author for the 1989 cult classic by producer Roger… more |
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Windsock World War Centenary Summer 2016, Vol.32, No.2Published:
The Summer 2016 edition of Windsock World War Centenary is the second edition of Volume 32. This edition has a decidedly Sopwith Camel bent, perhaps due to the release of the 1/24 Merit Camel and in anticipation of the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Sopwith Camel. The cover subject is a recently restored F.1 Camel in the markings of B5663 as flown by FSL RA Blyth that is owned and operated by TVAL of New Zealand. The Great War Paint series chimes in with photos from the Harry Woodman collection along with some twenty-six color side views and four top or bottom views by arvo@arvoart.com. Topping the Camel feature off is a color walk-around by James Fahey of the TVAL Camel on the cover with thirty-five detailed photos. The fourth in a series by the late… more |
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Centenary Datafile 172 The RAF BE2c At War!Published:
Paul Hare has taken a new look at the RAF BE2c (and BE2d) service in WWI. Although not beloved by its crews with nicknames like ‘Quirk’ and ‘Fokker Fodder’, it was an important aircraft for the RFC. Datafile number 42 by J M Bruce came out in1993, and Paul Hare visited the RAF BE2 / BE2a / BE2b in Datatafile number 163 and the RAF BE2e in Datafile number 165, so it is about time that Windsock revisited the RAF BE2c. The cover features a sensational painting by Paul Monteagle of the crew of RAF BE2c 1741 under attack from two Fokker Eindeckers in 1915. Ronny Bar contributes six large color side profiles, plus the top and bottom views of RAF BE2c 1709 circa 1915. Mick Davis grabs the pullout centerfold with three pages of 1/48 general arrangement line drawings of the RAF BE2c.… more |
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Bradley vs BMP Desert Storm 1991Published:
The newest in Osprey’s Duel series is authored by Mike Guardia, a six year veteran who served as an Armor Officer in the United States Army. He attended the University of Houston where he earned a BA and MA in American History. Guardia has been published by Osprey before in the New Vanguard series, but this is his first entry into the Duel series. He has also authored The Fires of Babylon, Hal Moore: A Soldier Once…and Always, and Shadow Commander. Hal Moore, of course, was popularized by Mel Gibson in the movie “We Were Soldiers”. He is an active member in the Military Writers Society of America and has twice been nominated for the Army Historical Foundation's Distinguished Book Award. The cover painting is provided by Johnny… more |