James Kelley
Reviews By Author
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Single No. 33 Messershmitt BF 109 G-6Published:
This book compiles the 4-view color profiles, scale plans, and photo details of the single variant of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Early). The “Single” series of monographs from MMP books is very familiar to most modelers, and continues with this most recent entry concerning the equally familiar Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6. Containing scale plans in both 1/72 & 1/48 scales, black & white period photos, diagrams from the aircrafts’ “Handbuch”, and a full color profile, this 24-page monograph should be of serious interest to the Luftwaffe modeler. Focusing largely on Rumanian (changed to Romanian after WWII) ‘109s, there is one photo of a captured machine sporting RAF roundels, and a few Luftwaffe ones as well. Numerous, up-close detail photos are helpful to the… more |
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Fighters of the Dying Sun: The Most Advanced Japanese Fighters of the Second World WarPublished:
From the publisher:Justo Miranda is the author of books and monographs on aviation since the 1980s. A widely known historian, Miranda specializes in aviation of the 1930s and is the author of two volumes on aircraft used during the Spanish Civil War. The exciting discovery of a microfilm on secret German weapons in the early 1990s drove him to publish Secret Wonder Weapons of the Third Reich, later published by Schiffer in 1996. Since then, Miranda has published Reichdreams and monographs on little known airplane projects.
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U.S. Aircraft Carriers 1939–45Published:
From the PublisherA comprehensive account of the development of American aircraft carriers up to and during World War II. This extensively illustrated volume tells the dramatic yet successful story of US aircraft carriers in World War II by class, ranging from early pre-war designs to escort carriers built from destroyer hulls, to the gigantic fleet carriers serving as the predecessors of modern-day super carriers. Besides covering the famous great carrier battles in the Pacific, this book also tells of the equally important actions of US flat tops hunting and destroying German U-boats in the Atlantic, making an enormous contribution to the elimination of the U-boat dangers and the safe arrival of transatlantic supplies, so desperately needed for the launch… more |
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P-51D Mustang "Foreigners"Published:
HistoryThe P-51 Mustang is evaluated as one of the best fighters in World War II, not only the United States Army Air Corps, but also the highest peak of the piston-engined fighter that was adopted in various countries around the world and stayed active for a long time after the war. The P-51D, powered by the Merlin engine, is considered by many to be the definitive version of the Mustang. With its aerodynamic and sophisticated design, the P-51D Mustang has become a masterpiece fighter with a well-balanced variety of performance required for a fighter aircraft, such as excellent high-speed performance, long range, stable altitude performance, sufficient athleticism and fighting ability. The KitIn the typical Platz end-opening box, you will find two… more |
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American Panther Tanks: An Examination of the Five Surviving Panzer V Tanks Including the Rare Panther IIPublished:
American Panther Tanks: An Examination of the Five Surviving Panzer V Tanks Including the Rare Panther II might be considered as a strange title for a book; however, there are five Second World War examples in the US. It is believed that fourteen captured Panzer V Panther tanks were shipped to the United States after hostilities ended in 1945. Most were cut-up and scrapped after being used for testing and target practice on live firing ranges. The Panzer V Ausf.A Panther tank at the American Heritage Museum, Hudson, Massachusetts, near Boston, has been completely restored to an extremely high standard. The other four Panther tanks are at Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia, under the care of the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection (U.S. AACC). They are awaiting their turn to be… more |
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Single No. 26: Messerschmitt BF 108B-2Published:
The Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun (English: “Typhoon") was a German single-engine sport and touring aircraft, developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in the 1930s. The Bf 108 was of all-metal construction. Originally designated the M 37, the aircraft was designed as a four-seat sports/recreation aircraft for competition in the 4th Challenge International de Tourisme (1934). The M 37 prototype flew first in spring 1934, powered by a 250 PS (247 hp, 184 kW) Hirth HM 8U 8.0-liter displacement, air-cooled inverted-V8 engine, which drove a three-blade propeller. Although it was outperformed by several other aircraft in the competition, the M 37's overall performance marked it as a popular choice for record flights. Particular among these traits was its low fuel… more |
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Japanese Fighters w/Decal SheetPublished:
Kagero Publishing is widely known in scale modeling circles as producers of reference books that often come with a bonus decal sheet. That all started in 2001, with their immediately successful “Camouflage & Decals” series. Apparently, they had technical issues surrounding the decal sheets so the series was, unfortunately, short-lived. “Japanese Fighters” brings the series back to us. Consisting of 40 pages, this A4-sized book starts on page one describing the history of the series, and where the company hopes to go with it. Also on the same page is a chart of colors the Japanese used in WWII, complete with the correct Japanese names for them. All text is in English and Polish. After the first page, the rest of the book consists of color profiles with a brief… more |
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North American P51-D Mustang (Filletless Tails)Published:
HistoryColonel Thomas J.J. “Jack” Christian’s personal mount was an early P-51D-5-NA, serial number 44-13410, Code E2-C, with “LOU IV” painted on the port side of the engine cowling, forward of the cockpit and just rearward of the exhaust manifolds. The aircraft was named after his wife, Marjorie Lou Ashcroft Christian. The name “ATHELENE” was painted on the starboard side of the fuselage forward of the cockpit and below the exhaust manifolds. LOU IV was the most photographed P-51 Mustang of World War 2, and was an early P-51 D-5-NA (with the “bubble” canopy) without the stabilizing tail fin addition of the later definitive –D models. Additional photographs better indicate LOU IV’s colors and markings, including a yellow propeller spinner, a yellow engine cowling, a bare… more |
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Mitsubishi A6M ZeroPublished:
The quality of Japanese aircraft came as an unpleasant surprise to the Allies at the outbreak of the Pacific War, and it was personified in one type, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero. One of the finest aircraft of all time, the Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero fighter) first flew on 1 April 1939. It soon showed itself to be clearly superior to any fighter the Allies could put into the air in the early stages of the Pacific campaign. Armed with two 20mm cannon and two 7.7mm machine-guns, it was highly maneuverable and structurally very strong, despite being lightweight. Instead of being built in several separate units, the Zero was revolutionary in that it was constructed in two pieces. The engine, cockpit and forward fuselage combined with the wings to form one rigid unit; the second part… more |
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1/144 Propeller Planes Volume 1Published:
1/144 is arguably the aircraft scale that has seen more growth in recent times, attracting a large number of followers, especially due to the high-quality detail currently achieved by the manufacturers. This scale has many advantages, but its main benefit is that it allows us to model the largest planes, which in larger scales are frequently too big to display or store at home once finished. Another great advantage is the simplicity and speed of assembly and painting of these models, which makes them very enjoyable and addictive. In addition, its small size facilitates the creation of small scenes and dioramas of manageable and practical sizes. In this book you will discover, thanks to the guidance of master modelers and through detailed step-by-step articles, all the keys… more |