Hub Plott
Reviews By Author
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Hungarian Fighter Colours 1930-1945 Vol. 1Published:
This book takes a look at colors and markings of fighter aircraft of the Hungarian Air Force from 1930-1945. This is the first of two volumes. The following aircraft are covered in Volume One: Fokker D.XVI; Fiat CR. 20 and CR. 20B; Avis I-IV; Fiat CR.30, CR. 30B, and CR. 32bis; Fiat CR. 42 and CR. 42CN;, and Messerschmitt Bf 109D-1, E-3, E-4, E-7, F-2, and F-4. There are many black and white photos used to illustrate these planes, as well as beautifully drawn color profiles. Most of these are side views, but some also include top views. The authors also include quite a few wartime color photographs as well as color photos of aircraft parts and relics that have survived into modern times. Chapter One covers the markings and codes used on Hungarian aircraft from 1919-1945,… more |
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Aircraft Pictorial 5 – P-40 WarhawkPublished:
This book is number 5 in the Aircraft Pictorial series. The author is well known for his attention to detail and research methodology that brings rare photographs and little known details to light. This book does not disappoint. This particular volume deals with the early P-40s used by the US, often referred to a “long nosed” due to the look of the nose with the elongated gear box on the Allison engine. The British Tomahawks are not covered but do make a cameo appearance, in a way. How, is due to the fact that the original P-40-CUs had a frequent ground loop problem; 50 sets of Tomahawk wings were diverted from British orders to repair damaged USAAC P-40-CUs, thus creating the P-40G, a hybrid with a P-40-CU fuselage and four-gun British Tomahawk wings. The book begins… more |
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Project Terminated: Famous Military Aircraft Cancellations of the Cold War and What Might Have BeenPublished:
This book covers 11 different Cold War aircraft; many of which were built and flown but never went into production. All but one aircraft has its own chapter. The book has a striking cover with a very well done fake photo of a production F-108 Rapier approaching a tanker to refuel. This is only a hint of what is to come! Chapter one discusses the Northrop B-49A and RB-49A. It begins with the development of the flying wing by Northrop and the predecessor of the B-49, the propeller-powered B-35. This continues through development and testing and the reasons for canceling the B-49. The chapter is filled with many wonderful digital prints of B-49s as they would have looked in service. Three that show B-49Ds in Southeast Asia markings still serving beyond the 1960s and RAF examples… more |
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USAF and VNAF A-1 Skyraider Units of the Vietnam WarPublished:
The Skyraider was a part of the war in Southeast Asia from the start and soldiered on until the war ended in 1975. This volume looks at Skyraiders operated by US pilots in Vietnamese markings, as well as those operated by both USAF and Vietnamese pilots. From the early days when the US was extremely secretive about it’s involvement until the end, the Skyraider was there. The book is broken down into four chapters. The first discusses the aircraft and its ordinance! Since all of the USAF and VNAF Skyraiders were ex-USN aircraft, a listing of all the modifications is shown on page eleven. A good discussion of the many problems with the Korean War-vintage 20mm wing guns and ammo is also given here. The older percussion-primed ammo led to jammed guns and exploding ammo, as well as… more |
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Spiteful & Seafang Landing GearPublished:
Unlike my last review sample of SAC products, this time the USPS did not wreak havoc on the package and all but destroy the contents! They delivered an intact and fully usable set of landing gear. What you get in the package is a full gear replacement in white metal for both main gear legs and the tail wheel. As you can see from one of the photos, the SAC gear has simplified things by making the compression scissors one piece versus two pieces. Detail is crisper on the metal gear than on the kit’s plastic parts, as has come to be expected from SAC. The replacement parts are a drop fit with no issues whatsoever. They worked flawlessly and added considerably to the look of the finished model. At $15.95, one will again have to ask if the metal replacement gear for a… more |
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Swedish Fighter Colors 1925-1954Published:
This book looks at all of the piston engine fighter aircraft used by Sweden from 1925 to 1946 and their paint schemes. Each aircraft is covered with many period pictures, some even in color. There is a section on the operational history, a listing of production numbers, as well as a chart detailing the individual aircraft history of all aircraft of each type that served Sweden. Each aircraft section ends with color notes spelling out the colors used for each. While not in FS numbers, these callout will still prove useful to the modeler. The book is more of a history of these aircraft in Swedish service with color information included than it is an in-depth analysis of the colors used on these aircraft. I found each aircraft’s story to be interesting and, in some cases,… more |
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Kugisho E14Y Glen - The Aircraft that Bombed AmericaPublished:
This book looks at the only enemy aircraft actually to drop bombs on the continental United States, the Kugisho E14Y “Glen”. We are given the history of its development and its technical details, as well as the details of the two bombing missions over the Oregon coast and other operations across the Pacific. It should be noted that the Japanese were the only nation to use submarine-based aircraft in any quantity. This book begins with a discussion of the first Japanese experiments with submarine-based aircraft, as well as the aircraft preceding the E14Y in service. A nice overview of the E14Y follows, with discussions of its operations for the IJN. One thing of interest is the joint operations of both Japanese and German submarines from the base at Penang (part of modern… more |
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Battle Flight: RAF Air Defense Projects and Weapons Since 1945Published:
This book looks at the RAF and Britain’s air defense, post-World War II. More specifically, it looks at the defense of Britain from nuclear strikes. This book is broken down into ten chapters, beginning at the end of WWII when the British defenses were set up to protect her from massive raids by piston-engined bomber aircraft and the post-war realization that the advent of the V-1 and V-2 missiles and the jet engine had rendered all of this obsolete. Add the atomic bomb to this, and the RAF was scrambling to devise new defenses. The author does a good job of discussing the Soviet threat, as well as all of the various programs that were being devised to deal with it. Those that made it to reality, as well as those that never made it off paper, are all covered. All of the… more |
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The Curtiss SB2C in French ServicePublished:
This book looks at the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in French Service. In need of aircraft after WWII, the French Navy received the first 56 of what was to be a force of 110 Helldivers in 1949. Already considered obsolete by the US and not so affectionately nicknamed “Son of Bitch 2nd Class” by US personnel who operated it, the French Navy set about putting it to use in Indo-China. This book is a brief overview of Helldiver operations by the three Flotille so equipped. Each is presented in a short “newspaper article” style, followed by some very brief coverage of Helldiver use by second-line units. The text section concludes with a listing of aircraft and personnel lost on… more |
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Tupolev Tu-2T Replacement Landing GearPublished:
This was to have been a full gear replacement review until the USPS decided to treat the package like the gorilla from the old 1970’s American Tourister luggage commercial. Unfortunately, the package did not fare anywhere near as well as the luggage did, as it looked like it had been stomped flat. After sorting through the carnage I was able to gather together enough surviving parts for one main gear leg. What you get in the package is a full gear replacement in white metal for both main gear legs and the tail wheel. As you can see from one of the photos, the SAC gear has simplified things by making the main gear legs three total pieces and main tailwheel leg as two total piece, versus five pieces for the kit’s main gear and three for the kit’s tail wheel. Detail is… more |