I grew up in Poland and immigrated to the US 35 years ago when I was in my twenties. Ironically, I majored in English here, but I have fond memories related to my interest in aviation. What spiked my interest in reviewing items were the books on some familiar subjects. For example, I received a glider pilot license in Poland and one of the books Pablo Bouleo mentioned in the 'stash' is from MMP (PZL-104 Wilga 35A, Single No. 46). In my glider training, the plane towing us was the PZL-104 Wilga! So, anything around Polish subjects like PZL Combat Fighters, etc., would land you a quick and thorough review just because I had an exposure to some of the topics. Not to mention an uncle who flew a total of over 4000 hours in Mig-21s. Therefore, I want to thank you both for giving me the opportunity to join this review. group.
Published: Book Author(s): Richard A. Franks Company: Valiant Wings Publishing
From the Valiant Wings Publishing website: Our eleventh title in the Airframe Detail series is an essential companion for anyone tackling the 1/72 scale kit from Azur-Frrom, the Trumpeter example in 1/48 scale, or even one of the older toolings.
Contents include:
Period detail images during production and testing including data from flight manuals and spare parts catalogues
A wealth of historical technical photographs and diagrams
Detailed walkaround images of preserved examples
Over 50 full color profiles by Richard J. Caruana
Concise camouflage and marking notes
Lists of all Battle kits and accessories produced in all scales
To fulfill Specification O.35/35, calling for a two seat carrier borne fighter, the Air Ministry ordered this type of aircraft from Blackburn Aircraft Ltd. in 1935. Similar to the land based Defiant fighter, the new fighter’s armament was to be concentrated within a manned turret. The Blackburn’s chief designer G.E.Petty delivered the so-called B.25 design that was closely linked to the previous B.24 design also known as the Skua Mk.II. The design was that of an all-metal low wing monoplane with folding wings and retractable undercarriage. The fuselage was taken from the Skua including the Perseus XII engine. The only modification was the widening of the fuselage behind the pilot’s cockpit to accomodate the revolving Boulton Paul Mk.II… more
Published: Book Author(s): Damian Majsak Company: Kagero Publishing
From the publisher’s website:
REFERENCES – a new series of A-4 size volumes. Each consists of 16–24 pages and includes selected archive photos, color painting schemes or 3D renders. Some books would contain scale drawings, too. One can find high-quality decal sheets in 1/48th and 1/72nd scales of one specific painting scheme. If the illustration differs in details from the decal, we will present photos which were used to develop sheets. Series for modelers as a supplement to other publications or compilation of already published materials.
The book “References for Modellers #10 — Focke-Wulf Fw190 A-4/A-8” from Kagero publishing offers rich, yet concise content within its 26 pages. There is a free set of decals included in 1/72 and 1/48 scales for… more
The DH.82A Tiger Moth biplane was developed by de Havilland in the mid-1930s. Produced in large quantities—over 8,000 units by the end of World War II—it served extensively as a training and liaison aircraft. The DH.82A Tiger Moth gained widespread adoption, with Norway, Portugal, and Sweden establishing their own licensed production facilities. The aircraft also saw service with pilots from Belgium, France, and the USA. Simple yet reliable, the DH.82A Tiger Moth earned genuine affection and respect from novice and experienced pilots alike. Some even quipped that the letters “DH” stood for “durable” and ” hefficient”—apt descriptors for this remarkable aircraft. The Tiger Moth continues to delight enthusiasts today, gracing both flying clubs and aviation shows with its… more
Published: Book Author(s): Damian Majsak (Editor in Chief) Company: Kagero Publishing
From the Kagero Website – a new series of A-4 size volumes. Each consists of 16-24 pages and includes selected archive photos, colour painting schemes or 3D renders. Some books would contain scale drawings, too. One can find high-quality decal sheet with both 1/48th and 1/72nd scales of one specific painting scheme. If the illustration differs in details from the decal, we will present photos, which were used to develop sheet. Series for modellers as a supplement to other publications or compilation of already published materials.
The book “References for Modellers #2 - Messerschmitt Bf 109F-2” from Kagero publishing delivers a concise content within its 26 pages. It provides a free set of decals in 1/72 and 1/48 scales for the winter-camouflaged Messerschmitt Bf-109F-2… more
Published: Book Author(s): Ricardo Martin Lezon Company: Kagero Publishing
The book “Gotha Go 242/244” from Kagero publishing delivers a wealth of information within its 57 pages. It provides a free poster displaying two Gotha gliders flying over a winter landscape during the transport of supplies to besieged German forces in Crimea in 1943/1944. The poster fits inside the book and shows the book’s cover image. The quality of the poster and the color profiles are great.
There are five chapters in the book:
Gothaer Flying Wagons: The Story of Gotha Assault Gliders
Go 242 – The Cargo Glider
Go 244 – The Transport Glider
The Successor
War Prizes
I was nicely surprised by the number of photographs in the book. I happen to have a model of Gotha 242 from IBG Models in 1/72 scale and this publication will… more
Published: Book Author(s): Damian Majsak Company: Kagero Publishing
The book “September 1939 over Poland Part II” from Kagero publishing offers 20 pages of side, top, and bottom profiles of aircraft in 29 color profiles, as well as 6 decal sheets for 1/48 and 1/72 scale subjects in 200mm x 180mm format. It also provides a free poster displaying a Polish light bomber PZL.23B Karaś in action. The poster fits inside the book and shows the booklet’s cover image without any inscriptions. The quality of the poster and the color profiles is great. The decal sheets provide a lot of options for both German and Polish aircraft from 1939.
There is a brief description of the book’s subject on page 3, stating that Kagero wanted to meet the expectations of international readers and presented the aircraft painting camouflage schemes of units that did not take… more
Published: Book Author(s): Janos Besenyo, Andras Istvan Turke, Endre Szenasi Company: Helion & Company
From the publisher’s website:
The Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) first appeared in Ukraine’s Donbas region during the initial Russian intervention in the spring of 2014. Its fighters—lacking national insignia, Russian flags, or unit designations and always concealing their faces in public—presented an unorthodox and ambiguous presence. However, their use of Russian-made arms, equipment, and uniforms left little doubt about Moscow’s involvement, reinforcing Wagner’s role as a deniable yet effective force in place of poorly trained local militias. Over the following years, Wagner served Moscow’s strategic interests by maintaining both ambiguity and control over various local proxies.
While Wagner was not initially involved in Russia’s full-scale invasion of… more
When General Montgomery commanded the 8th British Army in North Africa, he was provided with a specially designed staff vehicle. This original vehicle was created based on the standard British army vehicle, the Leyland Retriever. A non-standard structure was installed on the base chassis, which served as a mobile field office. The interior of the vehicle was divided into two rooms. The small front room was equipped with a bathroom, while the larger room contained wardrobes for personal belongings and clothes, a writing desk with desk lamps, and a large sofa.
Previously, this office belonged to the Italian General Bergonzoli and was mounted on a Lancia 3RO truck. After the vehicle was captured by a unit of the 7th British Armoured Division, the structure was… more
Published: Book Author(s): Janos Besenyo
Andras Istvan Turke, Endre Szenasi Company: Helion & Company
From the publisher’s website:
In the early 2010s, the Wagner Group, a notorious private military company under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, began to emerge onto the world stage. This organization first showed its hand in Crimea, eastern Ukraine and the civil war in Syria. It quickly became apparent that it had the blessing of the very highest levels of Putin’s government in Russia to act as an armed extension of the country’s foreign policy before a spectacular fall from grace following the mutiny in the summer of 2023.
The role of mercenary is as old as recorded human history and stretches back to the earliest days of civilization. For those states unable to afford a standing army, the mercenary offered professional services… more
