Paul Bradley
Reviews By Author
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RAF Aircraft of the Battle of BritainPublished: August 16, 2022 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… more |
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British Fighters of the 1970s and ‘80sPublished: August 16, 2022 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… more |
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R35 & R40 TanksPublished: July 9, 2022 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… more |
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Land Rover Series One and Land Rover Series II/IIAPublished: July 9, 2022 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… more |
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Challenger II DesertisedPublished: June 15, 2022 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… more |
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Blackburn Buccaneer S.2C Landing GearPublished: June 1, 2022 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… more |
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Modern Luftwaffe Vol.1 Acrylic Colours SetPublished: May 28, 2022 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… more |
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Messerschmitt Bf109E Landing GearPublished: May 28, 2022 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… more |
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Clarkat Type B Royal Navy Deck TractorPublished: April 19, 2022 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… more |
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The Auster in British Military and Foreign Air Arm ServicePublished: February 18, 2022 Auster Aircraft started in 1938 as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) license building the eponymous US manufacturer’s light aircraft. During WWII, the company built over 1,600 high-wing Taylorcraft Auster air observation aircraft for the British armed forces, and in 1946, changed their name to Auster Aircraft. Based at Rearsby Aerodrome in Leicestershire, the company continued to develop… more |