Hub Plott
Reviews By Author
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Topdrawings #118 Nakajima B6N TenzanPublished:
This is volume 118 in the Topdrawing series. This is a thin book with brief text in both English and Polish. The book contains very nice 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale drawings. There are also ten color profiles of various B6Ns. The drawings contain useful information on the various ordinance carried and its layout as well as engine and propeller information. This is the first of this series I have had the pleasure to look through. It is a nice inexpensive book showing details, drawings, and painting information. It is a suitable alternative to the more expensive and harder to find Aero Details series and provides the modeler with sufficient information to build a nice, detailed model. It will give you the basics you need on the aircraft covered without going into the minute… more |
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RAF Second World War Fighters in Profile #1Published:
This is a large volume with good basic historical and use information about each design covered with multiple color profiles. Some of the profiles are rendered in 3-view. Also, the readers are provided by the author with 4-view scaled drawings with cross sections. Some drawings are in 1/72 and some are in 1/48. Fifteen different aircraft are covered in the book. These being: Gloster Gladiator, Bristol Blenheim, Hawker Hurricane, Merlin powered Spitfires, griffon powered Spitfires, BP Defiant, Bell Airacobra, Westland Whirlwind, Curtiss Tomahawk and Kittyhawk, Bristol Beaufighter, Hawker Typhoon, NA Mustang, De Havilland Mosquito and Hawker Tempest. With “Profile” in the name it is readily apparent what the focus of the book will be, and the author does not disappoint! There are… more |
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Mitsubishi A5M ClaudePublished:
This is volume 75 in the monograph series. The book follows the usual monograph format. Included along with 1/48 drawings bound into the volume is a separate 2-sided page of 1/32 drawings. The first 16 pages of the book discuss the A5M’s predecessors such as the Nakajima A1N2, Mitsubishi 1MF10 and its immediate predecessor; the Ka-14. The bulk of the book is dedicated to production and combat usage of the A5M, most of which was in China. Assigned the Allied code name “Claude” with “Sandy” reserved for the inverted gull wing version that never went into production. At the time of Pearl Harbor 193 A5Ms were in service. Most of these in rear units. The Claude stayed in service with operational units until April of 1942 with some air defense units using them until near the end of… more |
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SAAB J 21RPublished:
This is volume thirty-two in the Single series. This is a thin book with no text other than photo captions. The book contains very nice 1/72 and 1/48 scale drawings, B&W photos of various details and pages from the manuals showing different systems. There are also two color photos of cockpit details. This book covers the jet version of the SAAB J 21A. Sweden took the piston powered J21A and modified it to take the De Havilland Goblin engine. The J21R was one of one two aircraft successfully converted from a piston engine to Jet power. Sixty-four were built and served with the Swedish AF. The biggest drawback was the limited range on internal tanks of 280 miles. This is a… more |
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NAA P-51 Mustang and DerivativesPublished:
This is volume five in the special series. Warpaint books are well known to the modeler and historian alike and this book follows the same pattern as others in the series. The book is divided into 15 different chapters. Beginning with design and a look under the skin the first two chapters cover the development of the Mustang from prototype to P-51H as well as a look at structure and various difference between the models such as engine, armament, and other components. The next nine chapters cover the Mustang in WWII, from its beginnings with the RAF and its use in North Africa through all major Army Air Force use. The US Air forces covered are the 8th (longest chapter at 16 pages. Followed by the 12th,15th,7th,5th,10th… more |
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Fiat G.55 CentauroPublished:
This book covers the Fiat G.55 from WWII to its post war service. At first glance the book is reminiscent of the Ali d’Italia series being roughly the same size and length but with the entire printed portion in English. The first 62 pages of this book covers the development and use in combat of the G.55 by both the regia Aeronautica, ANR and the Luftwaffe. An interesting story of the one G.55 to appear in British markings is also covered. This aircraft was flown by a defector who also was transporting an escaping OSS agent out. One of the best sections in my opinion covers the post war use of the G.55. The post war Italian AF as well as those of Syria, Egypt and Argentina all used the G.55 and this is the first English language volume I have seen that has detailed this… more |
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Sub Hunters: Australian Sunderland Squadrons in The Defeat of Hitler’s U-Boat Menace 1942-43Published:
This book covers Australian Sunderland operations against the U-boats in Europe in 1942 to 1943. The book is divided into 10 chapters along with an introduction and three appendices, telling the stories of Nos. 10 and 461 Squadrons and their exemplary service in the RAF’s Coastal Command. Serving from UK territorial waters to the Bay of Biscay these Sunderland crews faced the many hazards of weather, long patrols over sea, German fighters, and flack. These two squadrons were responsible for sinking 11 German U-boats and one Italian submarine. Of the 54 aircraft used by these squadrons, 23 were lost. 12 were shot down by enemy aircraft, 6 crashed on takeoff or landing, 1 disappeared after an SOS and another was lost at sea, after engine failure, 1 was shot down by a U-Boat, 1… more |
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Foreign Planes in the Service of the LuftwaffePublished:
This book covers the many captured foreign aircraft that were put into service and tested by the Luftwaffe. The book has twelve chapters. Chapter one has many pictures of aircraft taken from Czechoslovakia and absorbed from Austria. Many Fiat, Avia, Letov are featured in the accompanying photos. . Chapter two has great photo coverage of planes from Poland, Norway, the Netherlands. Many of these were put into Luftwaffe service especially in the training role. Chapter three covers the aircraft taken with the fall of France. These included all types of home manufactured aircraft such as Bloch, Dewoitine, LeO and Morane as well as American made aircraft used by the French such as Hawk 75 (P-36) and North American models 57 and 64 trainers. Also included are the… more |
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Pacific Profiles Vol.1 Japanese Army Fighters New Guinea & the Solomons 1942-1944Published:
The author spent his early years in the 1960s in New Guinea becoming fascinated with the many WWII aircraft wreck in the area. The book documents as accurately as possible the colors and markings of the various units in and around the Solomons and New Guinea in 1942-44. The book is broken down into 16 chapters along with an introduction, postscript, sources and acknowledgements, and index of names. Each Sentai covered has its own chapter. Those discussed are the 1st Hiko Sentai, 11th Hiko Sentai, 13th Sentai, 24th Hiko Sentai, 33rd Hiko Sentai, 59th Hiko Sentai, 63rd Hiko Sentai, 68th Hiko Sentai, 77th Hiko Sentai, 78th Hiko Sentai and the 248th Hiko Sentai followed by… more |
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Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1939-1942Published:
This book is from the Men, Battles, and Weapons series. It has 10 chapters after a timeline and introduction. The book is profusely illustrated including a few rare color photos. Chapter one covers the Polish Campaign and the Phony war as well as early success by Galland and Pingle. Chapter two covers the war in the west. Chapter three by far the book’s largest at 21 pages covers the war over England in 1940. Chapter 4 is the lead up to Barbarossa. Chapter 5 covers the Barbarossa campaign and the 5046 claimed Luftwaffe victories between 6/22 and 9/30/1941. Chapter 6 covers the 1941 battles in Africa. Chapter 7 returns us to over the English Channel in 1941 with the last 3 chapters covering the Eastern front, over the West and the Mediterranean respectively. The book concludes… more |