Reviews of books or magazines relating to scale modeling.

Review Author
Clarence Wentzel
Published on
June 28, 2012
Company
Albatros Productions, Ltd.
MSRP
$11.70

This bimonthly magazine is a must for modelers (and aviation enthusiasts) interested in World War One aircraft. The magazine is published by Albatros Productions Ltd. in the UK, which also publishes the great line of Windsock Datafiles and Specials.

The headline article in this issue covers an in-depth build of the Wingnut Wings kit of the Rumpler C.IV. The author of the article is the editor of the magazine, Ray Rimmel, and he displays an absolute love of the Rumpler C.IV. The article covers 12 pages and includes many little additions, both scratchbuilt and aftermarket, that Ray added to the kit to individualize the model to his preference. Some photos from the article are shown. The basic kit was reviewed in the Vol. 27/6 issue of the magazine which showed how magnificent the basic model can be built.

Book Author(s)
Steve Ginter
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
June 22, 2012
Company
Ginter Books
MSRP
$22.95

Coming at a time of rapid technical development in the aviation industry as the United States began to ramp up for its entry into the Second World War, the Northrop BT-1 was truly a transitional and transformative aircraft. Dive bombing was seen as the most potent anti-ship weapon in the arsenal of carrier aviation, and the BT-1 gave the U.S. Navy a sleek new dive bomber that held the promise of more potent things to come. It was the direct predecessor of the enormously successful Douglas SBD Dauntless, with a family resemblance so close that, from certain viewpoints, it was difficult to tell the two apart.

Book Author(s)
Pat Ware
Review Author
Andrew Birkbeck
Published on
June 20, 2012
Company
Zenith Press
MSRP
$28.00

Anyone who has ever worked on his own car, either tinkering with a modern Honda Civic or Dodge Grand Caravan or a classic automobile like a 1960s Mini Cooper or Ford Mustang, will know the series of repair manuals under the Haynes brand name. Over the past few years, the Haynes title has begun producing a series of books covering aviation and military vehicle topics, including the title in this review, the M4 Sherman tank. As the blurb on the title page states: “An insight into the history, development, production, uses, and ownership of the world’s most iconic tank”.

This book is a hardback edition, A4 format in size, and contains 164 pages. It is divided into 8 main sections, each of which is well illustrated with black and white and color period photos, color photos of restored vehicles, together with numerous tables covering production and serial numbers, as well as photo captions from wartime Sherman tech manuals:

Book Author(s)
Barry Ketley
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
June 20, 2012
Company
Crecy Publishing, Ltd.
MSRP
$22.95

This is a revised and updated reprint of a title by the same author, published in 1999 by Hikoki. A quick internet search revealed that copy to have only 99 pages, as compared to the 192 in this edition, so this is quite an update!

The production quality on this book is first rate. Thick, matte-finished pages are enclosed in even stiffer color covers.

The first 15 or so pages describe the background and possible rationale for the proliferation of unit emblems in the Luftwaffe. After this, the next 175+ pages are devoted to lists of each and every unit that used some form of an emblem on its aircraft. Sections are broken down by aircraft type, such as fighter units, bomber units, etc.

Book Author(s)
Joseph A. Springer
Review Author
Hub Plott
Published on
June 20, 2012
Company
Zenith Press
MSRP
$24.95

Almost anyone who has seen any documentary of the war in the Pacific has seen images of the very badly damaged aircraft carrier USS Franklin. This book is her story and tells the story of how the “Big Ben” became “the ship that would not die.”

The book begins with the shakedown cruise, where the crew becomes familiar with their new charge and her operations. The story then moves on to her first combat and continues on through the significant combat operations that “Big Ben” was a part of in the central and western Pacific. Throughout the book are many personal accounts of the sailors and aviators who crewed the carrier, which adds a great personal touch to the history told within.

Book Author(s)
Steve Ginter
Review Author
Brian R. Baker
Published on
June 20, 2012
Company
Ginter Books
MSRP
$29.95

History

The Curtiss SOC Seagull was one of the classic biplanes of World War II. The early models entered service as the Navy’s ship- and shore-based scouting-observation airplane in 1935, replacing the Vought O3U Corsair biplanes during the late thirties. Although the prototype SOC, designated XO3C-1, was an amphibian, all subsequent models were either floatplanes or landplanes, and the type was used everywhere the Navy operated before and during the war. A total of slightly over 300 were built, including Curtiss-built SOCs and Navy-built SONs. The book outlines the history of the type’s design and service, even to the point of identifying its competitors and why they failed to make the grade. Another significant fact is that the author explains some of the aerodynamic qualities of the wing which had slots and flaps, improving slow flying characteristics.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
June 17, 2012
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$14.00

For those who are familiar with Model Art Modeling Magazine, it never disappoints and the June 2012 issue is not an exception. The quality of the images and the wide range of subject matter covered is a hallmark for this magazine. Keep in mind that the publication is printed in Japanese but, as we all know, “a single picture is worth one thousand words” regardless of the language.

This issue begins with a stunning diorama entitled, “Mogami’s Broken Beak”. Using a Tamiya Mikuma, a Pitroad Akashi (Repair Ship), a Fujimi kit of a Japanese naval special auxiliary tanker, and a Hasegawa Japanese sub, this diorama shows a very busy day in the life of the repair crews and their vessels as they struggled to repair the damaged Mogami. This diorama is absolutely fantastic!

Review Author
Dave Steingass
Published on
June 15, 2012
Company
Happy Medium Press
MSRP
$29.95

This is the first issue of SciFi and Fantasy Modeller I have had the privilege to review. Since first seeing the review in the IPMS/USA Journal on Happy Medium's “The Steampunk Modeller” and getting my hands on this issue, I have subscribed to the publication and purchased “The Steampunk Modeller” vols. 1 and the upcoming vol. 2, as well as the special issue “Exercises in Iimagination and Scratchbuilding” . You could say I have become a fan.

This issue is 98 pages in full color, and includes 13 articles within those pages. The largest and most important article is, of course, the cover story about Moebius' new 29" long movie version of the Seaview submarine from the 1961 film “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.” There are actually 2 articles in this issue about the Seaview sub, the second being about the making of the Moebius kit based on the filming miniature from the television series of the same name, but more on those articles when we get to them.

Book Author(s)
Przemyslaw Skulski
Review Author
Paul Mahoney
Published on
June 12, 2012
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$27.00

The latest issue in MMP’s ever-expanding “Yellow” series is specifically dedicated to the North American A-36A Apache.

The first 47 (out of 128) pages of this book are a mixture of text and photos describing the development and combat experiences of the A-36. The first few chapters cover the design and development of the A-36. The following chapters are each dedicated to an individual combat theater in which the “Apache” was deployed. Usage in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and the Far East are covered. 2 pages are specifically dedicated to a history of the only A-36 ace, Captain Michael Russo. After this, there is a brief discussion of the British evaluation (and subsequent rejection) of the aircraft. The final portion of this section is a technical description of the A-36A-1-NA which includes several photos and technical drawings from the official Technical Manual for the aircraft.

Book Author(s)
Robert Campbell
Review Author
Michael Scott
Published on
June 11, 2012
Company
Zenith Press
MSRP
$27.99

The title of this book is somewhat misleading. Very little of it has to do with “handgun skills,” with that taken to mean skill with a handgun. A look at the cover indicates this, showing a target, shooting glasses, and three pistols, but also a couple of cartridges, ear protectors and cleaning materials. It's really a personal look at handguns, attempting to cover all of the bases and not delving too deeply into any of them.