Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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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 |
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US Combat Aircraft Fly-Off CompetitionsPublished:
Over the past 30 years Californian Erik Simonsen has worked as a manager and director of communications in the aerospace industry. An avid aviation photographer since the 1960s, Erik also has an intense interest in astronomy and has served as a planetarium director and program manager. Honing skills acquired from a graphics and fine arts background, his blending of aviation photography with special effects techniques has delivered eye-catching imagery. Erik Simonsen’s photography has been featured in corporate advertising and various aerospace-related magazines including, Aerospace America, Air Force Magazine, Aviation Week & Space Technology and Flight international. A member of the International Society for Aviation Photography (ISAP), American Society of Media Photographers (… more |
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Katyusha: Russian Multiple Rocket Launchers 1941–PresentPublished:
The newest in Osprey’s New Vanguard series is authored by Jamie E. Prenatt is a Department of Defense senior analyst, with a particular interest in weapon systems development. He has over 30 years of military and civilian intelligence experience. He holds a Masters in Government/National Security Policy from Georgetown University. He has taught military history, war-gaming, and historical miniature painting at the Smithsonian Institution for several years. Adam Hook began working as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, several 19th-century American subjects, the modern Chinese Army, and a number of books in the Fortress… more |
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Windsock Centenary Special: The Last Flight of the L32Published:
Ray Rimell is releasing a limited edition volume (1,000 individually numbered and signed copies) of the ‘true story of the ‘Billericay Zeppelin’. A companion volume on ‘The Last Flight of the L31’ is being released simultaneously. The cover features a painting by Robert Karr depicting 2/Lt. Frederick Sowrey taking off from Suttons Farm in his RAF Be2c 4112 on the night of September 23, 1916. Ronny Bar contributes a color side profile of Sowrey’s RAF Be2c. I counted 55 photographs (including eight in colour) and a 1/48 scale drawings of a night fighting BE2c (RAF1a engine). This book, along with ‘The Last Flight of the L31’, is the long awaited follow-up to Ray Rimell’s ‘The Last Flight of the L48’ released back in 2006. This volume addresses the crash of L32 near Billericay on… more |
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Windsock Centenary Special: The Last Flight of the L31Published:
Ray Rimell is releasing a limited edition volume (1,000 individually numbered and signed copies) of the ‘true story of the Potters Bar Zeppelin’. A companion volume on ‘The Last Flight of the L31’ is being released simultaneously. The cover features a painting by Ray Rimell depicting 2/Lt. Wulstan Joseph Tempest firing into the hull of L31 on the night of October 1, 1916. Ronny Bar contributes a large color side profile of Tempest’s RAF Be2c 4577. I counted 56 photographs (including eleven in color) and a scale drawing of a ‘R’ Class Zeppelin 1916 of which L31 was the second example. This is the long awaited follow-up to Ray Rimell’s The Last Flight of the L48 released back in 2006. This volume addresses the crash of L31 near Potters Bar in Middlesex on October 1, 1916. Ray… more |
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Master Su-9 / Su-11 (Fishpot) Pitot Tubes and Missile Rail HeadsPublished:
A feature that you can quickly notice on the Sukhoi Su-9 Fishpot-B or Sukhoi Su-11 Fishpot-C is the complicated nose pitot tube. Although Trumpeter made a valiant effort in molding the Su-9 and Su-11 pitot tubes with its four separate vanes, the limits of the injection molding process come into play. I have used another set that used a combination of resin and photo-etch that was an improvement, but assembly was very difficult and the photo-etched vanes don’t really convey their 3-D nature. This Master Model set provides a quantum leap over any previous attempt to portray the Fishpot nose pitot tube. As a bonus, Master Model also provides the ability to build the less complex Fitter nose pitot tube seen on some models without the four vanes. Also included in this set are four brass… more |
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Model Art Vessel Model Special No. 60, 2016 SummerPublished:
Model Art Issue 60 is typical of other Model Art magazines in that it is written entirely in Japanese, with occasional English words, usually in article titles or in captions. The Vessel Model Special is a quarterly issue that focuses on naval subjects. Advertising comprises the inside covers (and back cover) along with another four pages showing what is available and new, always useful for building up that wish list. I counted nearly 600 photos (mostly in color) along over forty 1/700 scale drawings. Additionally there are a lot of color scrap drawings highlighting details in the Ship Construction series. There is a lot of incredible models in this Summer edition as I was just amazed at what could be done in 1/700 scale. This issue’s feature is the Battle of Leyte Gulf. As you… more |
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The Fairey FlycatcherPublished:
Matthew Willis was born in the historic naval town of Harwich, Essex in 1976. Matthew studied Literature and History of Science at the University of Kent, where he wrote an MA thesis on Joseph Conrad and sailed for the University in national competitions. He subsequently worked as a journalist for Autosport and F1 Racing magazines, before switching to a career with the National Health Service, where he wrote everything from press releases to consultation papers. His first non-fiction book, a history of the Blackburn Skua WW2 naval dive bomber, was published in 2007. He currently lives in Southampton with his University lecturer wife Rosalind, and writes both fiction and non-fiction for a living. This is Matthew Willis fourth book, and third with Mushroom Model Publications. He has also… more |
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Cross & Cockade International Summer 2016 Volume 47/2Published:
The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Summer 2016, features a painting of ‘Halton Defenders’ by Michael Turner on the cover. Just taking off is a RFC Bleriot with a farman F.20 in the background. The rear cover shows a two side profiles of Contact Patrol RE.8s (A4267 and C2271) by Juanita Franzi. If you check out the web site link above, you can get additional sample pics of the current issue when they upload them. 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… more |