Classic Warbirds "The ANZACs"

Published: June 12, 2011
Book Author(s): Malcolm Laird & Steve Mackenzie
Company: Ventura Publications

This book is a revised and expanded edition of an original book on ANZAC Spitfire pilots that is now out of print. This book gives accounts of the service of ten pilots, seven from New Zealand and three from Australia who served in the China-Burma-India theatre, Europe and the Middle East while flying Hurricanes and Spitfires.

The stories within are based on actual accounts of these… more

RAF Instrument Dial Decals and WW2 Allied Cockpit Placard Decals

Published: May 23, 2011
Company: Airscale Model Aircraft Enhancements

The two decal sets are in clear register, well printed and of great use to the aircraft modeler. Those that scratch build their own instrument panels will find these immensely useful. As one who builds a lot of resin kits I can see these being of great benefit there as well. They also will enhance a kit instrument panel going over the raised detail. Lastly, the gauge decals also include a… more

RMS Titanic Owner’s Workshop Manual

Published: May 11, 2011
Book Author(s): David F. Hutchings & Richard P. de Kerbrech
Company: Haynes Publishing

The story of Titanic is well known. Most are familiar with how the world’s most luxurious passenger liner struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and sank taking over 1500 of her passengers and crew with her to the bottom of the Atlantic. Less has been detailed about how she was built, fitted out and operated!

Haynes is a company well known the world over for… more

I-400: Japan’s Secret Aircraft Carrying Strike Submarine

Published: February 7, 2011
Book Author(s): Henry Sakaida, Gary Nila and Koji Takaki
Company: Hikoki Publications

I missed out on this book when it was originally published as a hardback a few years ago. Fortunately it has been re-issued as a softbound book. The book is the definitive volume on this submarine. It was the largest submarine to serve in WWII at over 400 feet long with a crew of almost 200 and weighing over 5200 tons.

The first chapter gives us an overview of the Japanese submarine… more

RMS Titanic: A Modelmaker's Manual

Published: February 4, 2011
Book Author(s): Peter Davies-Garner
Company: Seaforth Publishing

Titanic, no other ship’s name can conjure up so many images in one’s mind. The ship was the epitome of luxury, affluence and status. The tragedy of the loss of over 1500 souls; the love of Ida and Isador Straus, who would not be separated and chose to go down with the ship together rather than one should live apart from the other; or of the ships remains broken and… more

SAAB J21/J21R

Published: January 22, 2011
Book Author(s): Mikael Forslund, Illustrated by Teodor Liviu Morosanu
Company: Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books

This book tells the story of the first fighter aircraft from Sweden’s SAAB. The unconventional, pusher propeller, twin boomed SAAB J-21 and its jet powered development, the J-21R As one who has a fondness for unusual aircraft I am really grateful to finally have a book that covers this aircraft.

The book begins with the development of the aircraft and its related systems. Of special… more

Model Art Modeling Magazine, #806, October 2010

Published: October 30, 2010
Company: Model Art

Model Art is a well known Japanese model magazine. It is famous for high quality builds and photographs that fully live up to the publication’s name. This issue covers Grand Prix cars from the 1970’s and 1990’s as well as all aircraft of the Japanese Blue Impulse team. Other articles cover the Zvezda 1/48 Bf-109F2; 1/35 JGSDF Type 96 WAPC; 1/48 WWII Japanese Type 94 6-wheel truck; 1/700 USS… more

BAC TSR.2-Lost Tomorrows of an Eagle

Published: October 17, 2010
Book Author(s): Paul Lucas, Illustrations by Andy Evans
Company: SAM Publications

This book is not so much a “what-if”, but more of a "what might have been" story. Everything is based on surviving tech orders, ads, and other papers that show what the RAF wanted to use the TSR.2 for, as well as the schemes it would have worn and weapons that would have been carried. Like its Canadian cousin the Avro Arrow, it has become the stuff of myth and legend.

The book is… more

Exercises in Imagination & Scratchbuilding

Published: October 14, 2010
Book Author(s): Andy Pearson
Company: Happy Medium Press

Let’s take a journey, a journey into the mind of a scratchbuilder. Not just any scratchbuilder, not one who takes an actual object that existed and builds a replica from scratch. But one who gives three dimensional shape and form to an idea in a novel or a picture in his head. Author Andy Pearson is just such a modeler. He is regularly featured in Sci-Fi and Fantasy Modeller magazine.

… more

Air Battles: Bf-109T

Published: October 13, 2010
Book Author(s): Marek J. Murawski
Company: Kagero Publishing

This book covers the navalized Bf-109 variant; the Bf-109T or “Toni” as it was called by her pilots. There are three main chapters which cover everything from design through its combat history. There are not many books covering the 109T (long out of print ‘Sea Eagles’ is the only one that comes to mind) so this is a most welcome addition.

The need for the Bf-109T was linked hand in hand… more