Paul Bradley
Reviews By Author
|
RAF Aircraft of the Cold War, 1970-90Published:
Subtitled ‘Air-to-Air Images,’ this book by Key Publishing is a photographic collection of such images of the RAF during the Seventies and Eighties, a period marked by tensions between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in which the RAF was a major player in the defense of Western Europe through its forces in the UK and West Germany. Author Tony Paxton was a frontline RAF fighter pilot and was seemingly never without his camera, as all the 200 or so photos in this book are all by his hand. Most are of excellent quality, given the limitations of film types of the period, and many are produced full page and in full colour. The book is divided into a number of chapters, starting with a brief introduction to the Cold War and continuing with various aspects of the RAF. Generally these… more |
|
RAF Aircraft of the Battle of BritainPublished:
The Battle of Britain was, it can be reasonably argued, the battle that saved Western Civilization over 80 years ago during World War II, and so is rightly lauded even at this time. There have been many books written about the battle, so what does this new book from Key Publishing bring to the table? This small volume is, as stated on the cover blurb, a “photographic guide to the surviving planes from the Battle of Britain,” and it does exactly what it says. The author has tried to document as many surviving period airframes as possible, and while the obvious types such as the Spitfire and Hurricane are covered in depth, other less obvious aircraft are also given their due. Within the pages the reader will find the Avro Anson, Bristol Beaufighter and many types of trainers –… more |
|
British Fighters of the 1970s and ‘80sPublished:
The latest in Key Publishing’s ‘Historic Military Aircraft Series’, this slim volume looks at the McDonnel Douglas Phantom and English Electric Lightning in RAF service during the ‘70s and ‘80s when they were the mainstays of Britain’s air defence commitment. As explained in the introduction, author Chris Goss inherited the photo collection of noted aviation author and artist David Howley, who many will recall for his colour profile paintings for many modelling and aviation magazines. This book features 180 of Howley’s photos, mainly in colour and mostly of good quality. Most are taken at airshows but there are also some ‘in service’ shots dating from his time as an RAF Warrant Officer. Both types have their own section and photos are generally two to a page, with… more |
|
R35 & R40 TanksPublished:
The Renault R35 and R40 were French light infantry tanks developed in the mid-1930s and still in widespread service during the disastrous 1940 Western campaign. Lightly armed and armoured, these vehicles were no match for the PzIII and IV of the German Panzer armies. In this book, author Ranger has compiled a surprising number of original photographs taken by German troops in the aftermath of the 1940 Battle of France. Most are reproduced two to a page, and due to the size of the originals, copy quality is mixed, from very nice to poor. There is a short section of photos of Renaults after they were captured and put back into use by Germany in the Balkans. Each photo is accompanied by a lengthy caption detailing any notable features and, where possible, where and when… more |
|
Land Rover Series One and Land Rover Series II/IIAPublished:
The Land Rover was developed in 1947 as a simple four-wheel drive farm vehicle and was created as a way for the British Rover car company to get back into the vehicle manufacturing business following World War II. It was a huge success, not only as an agricultural tool but as a military vehicle and went on to worldwide success as a top level on- and off-road vehicle. The vehicle evolved quickly in its first ten years from 1948-58 as the Series I and until 1971 as the familiar Series II/IIA that was used ion so many safaris, expeditions and in documentary series through the 1960s. It was so popular that this ‘temporary’ solution became a permanent part of the Rover Company’s range. Owners and drivers soon included royalty, farmers, explorers and soldiers, and the Land Rover became a… more |
|
Challenger II DesertisedPublished:
The British Main Battle Tank Challenger II entered service in 1994 as a significantly upgraded version of the successful Challenger. The tank saw extensive service in the 2nd Iraq War from 2003 and is still in service with the British Army – a new upgrade programme should see them in service until the mid-2030s. This all-new kit from Tamiya features a desertised version of the Challenger II, depicting vehicles as they appeared in the Iraq War. As such, it features the blocky side skirts with canvas drapery that cut down on airborne sand, enhancing non-visibility, as well as the improved turret and combat identification panels to help prevent blue-on-blue errors. Opening the standard sized box for Tamiya’s 1/48 armour kits revealed 5 parts trees holding around 160 parts… more |
|
Blackburn Buccaneer S.2C Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions provides resin and white metal parts for scale model aircraft, most of which are drop-in landing gear replacements. The Airfix 1/72 Buccaneer S.2 was released in 2019 and this set from SAC is a direct copy of that kit’s landing gear. The set contains both main gear legs and the nose gear leg, with the actuator strut for the nose leg also included. This set departs from the kit in that the lower forks of one side of each main leg are included as separate pieces, presumably to aid with construction as the original legs are in two separate halves. No instructions are provided, as the use is fairly self-explanatory; being copies, the legs have the same attachment points as the kit parts and should be drop-in replacements. Despite being… more |
|
Modern Luftwaffe Vol.1 Acrylic Colours SetPublished:
This is another paint set by the prolific Ammo by MiG concern out of Spain. I’m sure many of you already use these acrylic paints and so are familiar with their ease of use with both brush and airbrush. The featured colours come in the familiar yellow-capped 17ml dropper bottles and include those colours needed for a range of modern Luftwaffe aircraft in the NORM 72 and 83 schemes, such as the Tornado, F-4F, F-104, Alpha Jet and UH-1H. The bottles are contained in a tray inside a sturdy card box that features a summary of the paints included and a nice colour profile of a Tornado. The colours themselves look good for the applications required, and have, apparently, been slightly lightened for scale effect. The names of the paints don’t match the proper RAL names, because – as… more |
|
Messerschmitt Bf109E Landing GearPublished:
Scale Aircraft Conversions provides resin and white metal parts for scale model aircraft, most of which are drop-in landing gear replacements. The Airfix 1/24 BF109E was first released way back in 1973 but has featured in their range on numerous occasions since, most recently as part of the ‘Vintage Classics’ range in 2020. As such, the model lacks detail compared to modern kits and any enhancements for the kit are most welcome. The Emil’s landing gear legs are pretty simple units, and the SAC parts reflect this. With just a little clean-up, these parts are drop-in replacements for the kit parts. The only parts you’ll need to use from the kit are the tyres and outer hubs. SAC didn’t add brake lines down the main gear legs, but in this scale, the modeller is best… more |
|
Clarkat Type B Royal Navy Deck TractorPublished:
The Clarkat Type B was a flight deck tractor used by the Royal Navy on its carrier fleet from 1942 until the mid-1950s. They were first seen on HMS Illustrious following her repair and refit in the USA in 1941-2 and served right through the Korean War. It was developed from an existing commercial tractor and was also used by the USAAF in the UK, so the possible uses for this kit go beyond an RN flight deck diorama. Brengun has been releasing its aircraft-related accessories in a variety of media for some years now; they released a 1/48 resin kit of this type a couple of years ago, so it was natural for them to release it in smaller scales. Both kits come in their standard mid-grey resin with a small PE fret that includes the various small controls and instrument panel/dashboard… more |