Frank Landrus
Reviews By Author
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Cross & Cockade International Autumn 2015 Volume 46/3Published:
The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Autumn 2015, features a color painting by Geoffrey Watson of the Vickers FB.19 A5227 on the cover. A5227 carried interesting armament in the form of two extra Lewis machine guns on the lower wing just inboard of the wing struts, bringing its total armament up to four machine guns. This issue also includes a separate A2 size sheet in color covering Ordnance Survey maps that are marked up with the location of WWI aviation interest sties in Ireland. 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… more |
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Cruisers of the 1st Rank. Avrora, Diana, PalladaPublished:
This is Mushroom Model Publications’ sixth book in their Maritime series. It is a translation of the same title in Russian published in 2012 (ISBN 978-5-904180-57-7) and is a monograph dedicated to the service of three Imperial Russian 415’ Protected Cruisers: “Aurora, Diana” and Pallada”. All three participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the Aurora and Diana participated in World War I in the Baltic Sea. The Aurora participated in the Siege of Leningrad, one of the bloodiest battles in World War II. A video trailer of the book can be seen on YouTube at https://youtu.be/RJukrtoauDos. Four A3 folded up plans, printed on both sides, detailing the side and top views are included from the (Russian) State Naval… more |
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SAAB J32B LansenPublished:
The KitThe SAAB J 32B Lansen was the fighter variant of the initial A 32 Lansen. The Lansen ‘Sport’ featured a more powerful engine with afterburner and upgraded armament, including four 30 mm ADEN guns vs. the four 20 mm Bofors guns on the A 32A Lansen. Two features quickly identify the A 32A from the J 32B: The J 32B sported an afterburner exhaust and open gun ports. The A32A featured electrically operated doors covering its 20 mm guns. The larger 30 mm guns in the J 32B provide a distinct profile bulge in the lower nose area along the nose gear, but it is a feature that is not always as easily seen. As opposed to the A 32A production run of 287 aircraft, the J 32B totaled only 120 aircraft which served from 1958 through 1973. The J 32B airframe was modified into six J 32D… more |
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Building the WingNut Wings AEG G IVPublished:
Ray Rimell starts it off with “A steep learning curve…. Building one of the WNW AEG kits is not for the faint-hearted…” This is the fourth Modeling Special that WindSock has done and like the three that preceded it, it is simply amazing. If you have any intention of buying the WingNut Wings AEG G. IV, or for that matter any AEG G. IV, you will want this book. The rest of Ray Rimell’s quote tells you why: …but with patience and care the results can prove simply spectacular!”. Illustrated with over 230 photos, this 60-page (card covers get it to 64) guide provides a great supplement to the WindSock Datafile 51 on the AEG G. IV. Ronny Bar provides six color profiles as a ‘pull out’ centerfold with short descriptions of each profile. Ray Rimell's choice for the build review is the… more |
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The New Scale Spacecraft PrimerPublished:
Mike Mackowski has released a revised version of SIM #1.1 - The New Scale Spacecraft Primer. It is available in both hard copy and a color PDF digital version. Mackowski has retained some fourteen pages from the original edition with some of the older material having been updated, notably the Ariane, Mars Lander, and the Space Operations Center review. The remaining twenty-four pages are new or recycled from some of his old IPMS Journal columns (The View From Space City). Since the original was published in 1990, this new version is essentially celebrating the 25th anniversary of the initiation of the SIM series. Notable new content includes the scratch-built Curiosity Mars rover that Mike took first in category at the 2014 Nationals. Also included are articles on updating the… more |
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Swedish National InsigniaPublished:
Flying Colors Aerodecals has updated their 1/72 Swedish National Insignia sheet for the recent explosion in Swedish aircraft from Tarangus (Saab Tunnan), Special Hobby (J 9, J 28, J J 21 and J 21R), and Airfix (J 8 Gladiator, J 26 Mustang, J 28 Vampire, and S 31 Spitfire). See the table, below for what it contains, but you can do anything from an Avro Lancaster to Hughes 300. The instructions provide a guide to insignia size for 62 different aircraft to cover your wings and fuselage. If you are in to ‘What If” or fantasy, the sky is the limit. The Swedish national insignia for this set was essentially standardized in 1940. The sizes below correspond to the outside diameter of the insignia. Prop fighters in 1940 used primarily 960mm, 1320mm, and 1800mm insignias. The… more |
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Swedish National Insignia, New IssuePublished:
Flying Colors Aerodecals has updated their 1/48 Swedish National Insignia sheet for the recent explosion in Swedish aircraft from Tarangus (Saab Lansen and Viggen), Special Hobby (He 115), and Pilot Replicas (Saab J-21). See the table below for what it contains, but you can do anything from an Avro Lancaster to Hughes 300. The instructions provide a guide to insignia size for 62 different aircraft to cover your wings and fuselage. If you are in to ‘What-If” or fantasy, the sky is the limit. The Swedish national insignia for this set was essentially standardized in 1940. The sizes below correspond to the outside diameter of the insignia. Prop fighters in 1940 used primarily 960mm, 1320mm, and 1800mm insignias. The specification called for placement on the fuselage and lower… more |
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Convair B-36 PeacemakerPublished:
Warpaint’s latest is their standard A4 format,, softbound publication that is 48 pages (excluding covers) on Convair's B-36 Peacemaker series. Featuring 99 photographs (13 in color) along with 23 of Richard J. Caruana’s color profiles, including his color centerfold of “Miss Featherweight:” a B-36H-1-CF Peacemaker. The color profiles are further enhanced with color scrap illustration of opposite sides of the fuselage as necessary to depict special markings. Nose art and other special markings are also presented enlarged to show off details. Kev Darling starts out with the seven year development of the Peacemaker, initiating in April 1941 with the initial USAAF specification. The impact of the Pacific war on the project is highlighted as well as ample discussion of the political… more |
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SAAB J-29A/B TunnanPublished:
The KitThis is the first 1/72 kit by Tarangus, and follows their 1/48 SAAB Lansen A-32A and J-32B kits. Despite being a limited run kit, this is a major upgrade over the previously available Tunnan kits (Matchbox, Heller) and obviously the first as a J-29A or B. Of course the increase in accuracy does not correspond to an increase in buildability. I sincerely hope that Tarangus will expand this kit to do the later Tunnan versions. Hopefully the kit does well and we will soon see the reconnaissance version, S-29C, along with the later J-29E and J-29F with their distinctive dogtooth wings. The Tarangus kit is packaged in an end-opening box with a J-29A on the top and profiles of the three decal options on the back, all in color. All parts , instructions and decals are… more |
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Sherman In The Pacific War 1943-1945Published:
Raymond Giuliani covers a fairly rare subject, of the use of the Sherman tank in the Pacific. This book begins in 1943 as the Sherman began replacing the M3 Stuarts in the Pacific as the US island hopped towards Japan. The good news is that neither had to face any steel Tigers. Raymond Giuliani traces the trek across the Pacific island by island and also depicts the evolution of the flamethrower tank. The book includes over 350 photos, 25 color tank profiles, and 23 maps. There are spelling errors and interesting grammar choices due to the translation from French, but nothing that will hinder your understanding. The Introduction covers the transition from Stuart to Sherman with Battalion and Company organization charts before launching into the first chapter, Taupota, New… more |