I am a big fan of Osprey books and I have quite a few in my collection and find they usually provide all the information needed to research a model. This book by Ross Cowan is no exception, and it is a follow-up book to his work Roman Legionary, 58 BC – AD69, which was published in 2003 by Osprey.

The Roman Legionary in the prime of the Empire was a fine tuned fighting machine. Kept in shape by constant labor, such as building forts and roads, their universal training meant that Legions from opposite ends of the empire could fight alongside each other seamlessly. Each man knew his place and function in the battle lines.

This is not to mean that the Romans were unbeatable. There are several cases of Legions (Approximately 5000 men at full strength) being destroyed or vanishing during our time period. Also, with rebellious leaders trying to seize control of the Empire, it was not uncommon for Legion to face Legion in battle.

One of the planned builds in my stash is the Mig-21 F-13 the USAF obtained from the Israelis that became the secret “Have Doughnut” project. I discovered this aircraft in an article in an old Air Force Association Magazine my Dad gave me. The photos of the ungainly looking natural metal beast with stars and bars markings were intriguing. When I saw this book offered up on the review list, I asked for it thinking it would contain all the reference photos I needed to supplement those in the magazine to complete that build. I was wrong. There were few photos of the aircraft in the book.

What I did find, though, was the fascinating story of the creation of one of our country’s greatest defense assets over the past few decades. Author, and former F-4 Phantom driver Gail Peck (Col., USAF, ret’d.) details the story of the USAF’s aggressor training squadron from inception to its’ current status as the opposing force team for the best trained pilots in the world.

The Fokker D.XXI single seat fighter was developed in the late thirties to replace the Fokker biplane fighters serving with the Dutch Army Aviation Branch. Although used in relatively small numbers by the Dutch, and quickly overwhelmed by the Luftwaffe during the German invasion, the type was also adopted by the Danes, but its major operational use was with the Finnish Air Force in the Winter War and afterwards . Faced with shortages of Bristol Mercury engines, the Finns also produced a variant powered by American Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior engines. These aircraft had some additional modifications, and were operated on both wheels and skis, quite successfully against the Russians, who didn’t fare too well against the highly trained and experienced Finnish pilots.

The May issue's Cover article features the new Xuntong Tu-2T in 48^th scale. This feature article serves as an excellent resourse for those planning to build the Tu-2T. Author and builder Marco Preto presents an in-depth review of Xuntong’s first release. Marco’s workmanship and skill are evident in the text and accompanying images. The article is a “must read” for anyone who wishes to build the Tu-2T.

This issue of SAM contains a “Feature Build” article and this particular article features the Wingnut Wings DH-2. Dai Williams does a fantastic job building up the WNW kit, sharing his techniques for shading and achieving a “translucent rib effect”. Being a fan of Wingnut Wings kits, and having one on the workbench at this time, I found Dai’s article timely and very useful.

As is the case in each issue of SAM, there are a number of “Compact Build Reviews”. In this issue there six CBRs.

This is Model Art Magazine’s Mechanics – Major Robots in Golden Age. As with the regular Model Art Magazine this is printed in Japanese with some English subtitles.

This special issue covers “Mechanic Models” with an emphasis on models from the 80’s. The subjects of this issue are covered with the use of built up models that are shown in full color photographs.

So what is a Mechanic Model? From going through this issue I would describe it as your Transformer, Gundam and Mech type model. Some of the models built are a RX-78 Gundam, Aura Battler Dunbine, ATM-09-RSC Scopedog Red Shoulder Special and VF-1J Valkyrie. With each of these is a build article that gives tips and tricks to the builder.

There is one model that is reviewed that almost everyone should recognize in this issue. This is the Fine Molds 1’48^th scale X-Wing Fighter. This has got to be one of the nicest kits of the X-wing that is on the market.