James Kelley
Reviews By Author
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Spotlight On: Grumman F4F WildcatPublished:
This book is the latest in a new reference series for aircraft modelers called "Spotlight On" and presents detailed illustrations of the famous American carrier-based fighter aircraft that began service in 1940 with the US Navy. The Wildcat was the only effective fighter available to the US Navy and Marine Corps in the Pacific Theatre during the early part of the Second World War. The book contains 42 specially commissioned color profile views of the colors, camouflage and markings of the Grumman F4F Wildcat and the General Motors built Wildcat including the Martlet. The book starts with a single page introduction where the author and illustrator Zbigniew Kolacha provide details of the development and combat experience of the Wildcat. The illustrations are… more |
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Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Bubbletop - Camouflage and DecalsPublished:
Kagero brings us another of their “Camouflage & Decals” series books, this time showcasing the Republic P-47D Bubbletop Thunderbolt. There is no text, other than a brief caption of each aircraft and the unit/pilot assigned. The color profiles are mostly pretty exciting and colorful, with many featuring gorgeous nose art of the time. This makes the book a helpful resource for the modeler, if you have the correct decals in your files. Speaking of decals...the single sheet included provides markings for two aircraft, each in 1/48 and 1/72 scale. They appear to be in perfect register, but there is no indication of who produced the sheet. I suspect it’s from Kagero’s in-house decal shop. One of the least inspired aircraft in the book makes the sheet, “Lonesome Lee”, a P-… more |
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F-6C Mustang "Expert Set"Published:
The P-51 Mustang was an excellent fighter, but it also proved to be a universal photo-reconnaissance plane. Its performance: speed, ceiling, armament, and great range meant that it could efficiently reach a distant target, photograph it and safely return to the base. To become a long-range aerial spy, the Mustang, unlike, for example, the Spitfire, required only the installation of photographic equipment. The concept of the Mustang fighter appeared as a result of collaboration between the RAF and the American industry. North American Aviation factory, which had been offered to license-produce Curtiss fighters, preferred to propose their own design. The first versions of the Mustang, powered by an Allison engine, were effective on the low-to-medium altitudes, agile, solid, and… more |
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The Messerschmitt Bf-109 Early Series (V1 to E-9 including the T series)Published:
Valiant Wings Publishing's next title in the ever-popular Airframe & Miniature series is an updated, revised and expanded second edition of The Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Early versions V1 to E-9 including T-series) – A Complete Guide to The Luftwaffe's Famous Fighter by Richard A. Franks. From the Publisher: This fifth book in our much-acclaimed series has been out of print for a while now. With new early Bf 109 kits now available in all scales, plus a mass of associated accessories and decals, it seemed right to make this book available once again. It will contain:
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Junkers Ju-88A-4Published:
The first in a new Kagero series (Club 1/48), author and modeler Sebastian Piechowiak presents his build log of ICM’s 1/48 Junkers Ju-88A-4 model. With text in both Polish & English, he describes his build in a step-by-step fashion. Obviously an accomplished and talented artist, the close-up photos are greatly appreciated, showing off his techniques and results, particularly in the cockpit/interior stages. The first 17 pages are dedicated to the step-by-step build/painting. Pages 18-25 are glamor shots of the completed model. Pages 26-27 contain info and pictures of all the tools, paints, cements & solutions used in his project, which I thought was very helpful to the reader considering a similar project. Pages 28-37 contain gorgeous, archival photos of the Ju-88A-4 in… more |
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McDonnell F-4B Phantom IIPublished:
This monograph is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of the McDonnel F-4B Phantom II Scale plans in 1/72 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&W and color. The book is primarily composed of ‘walk-around” type photos, with some inflight pictures as well. The scale plans are nicely done, and appear to be true to scale. The photos are an absolute must for anyone modeling this aircraft, which so many of us are in the stages of doing (Tamiya). Four of the photos are “owner’s manual” type diagram photos of the plane’s instrument panels with all components labeled. There are two similar ones specific to the Martin-Baker Mk. H7 ejection seat. Again, super helpful to the modeler… more |
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Eagles of the Luftwaffe: Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A, F and GPublished:
When it appeared in the skies over Europe in 1941, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A was the best fighter in the world. It was more than a match for the best Spitfires the RAF could field and began shooting them down in ever-increasing numbers. Only the introduction of the Spitfire IX with its two-stage supercharged Merlin overturned its supremacy. |
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Luftwaffe Victory Markings 1939–45Published:
This book provides an overview of the victory markings painted on the fins and rudders of the planes of the German day fighter and night fighter aircraft between 1939 and 1945. It demonstrates how these were applied in reality through the profiles of nineteen pilots, including some of the most emblematic pilots of the Luftwaffe: Hans Troitzsch, Johannes Gentzen, Frank Liesendahl, Wilhelm Balthasar, Otto Bertram, Joachim Müncheberg, Karl-Heinz Koch, Kurt “Kuddel” Ubben, Felix-Maria Brandis, “Fiffi” Stahlschmidt, Franz-Josef Beerenbrock, Heinrich Setz, Walter “Gulle" Oesau, Max-Hellmuth Ostermann, Heinrich Bartels, "Fritz" Dinger, Martin Drewes, Egmont zur Lippe-Weissenfeld and Ludwig Meister. Chapters include:
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Waffen-SS Armour on the Eastern Front 1941–1945: Rare Photographs from Wartime ArchivesPublished:
Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union, codenamed Operation Barbarossa, was arguably the pivotal moment of the Second World War. Initially the onslaught was staggeringly successful with, as the superb contemporary images in this book show, Waffen-SS armored divisions leading the charge. But the Nazis had underestimated the Russians’ determination to defend their homeland and the logistical problems compounded by the extreme winter weather conditions. |
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Tiger Ausf.E – Visual Modelers Guide (Multilingual)Published:
Steel Series Volume 4. A work entirely devoted to the iconic Sd.Kfz. 181 Tiger Ausf. E. Fun and easily referenced sourcebook where you can visually analyze and distinguish the main versions of the Tiger I, from the initial models to the final production variants. The introduction includes some historical notes about the design and development process of the vehicle. All of this with high-quality photographs that clearly show often overlooked external details features critical to both the King Tiger and scale modelers.
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