Reviews of products for scale aircraft models.

Book Author(s)
Mick Davis, Managing Editor
Review Author
Frank Landrus
Published on
Company
The Great War Aviation Society
MSRP
$23.00

The non-profit UK-based group known as the Great War Aviation Society publishes its journal, Cross & Cockade International, four times a year. Issues are available in English as printed [Softbound, A4 (8.27” x 11.69”), 80 pages plus centerfold] as well as digital copies (or both). A new magazine, Contact!, is now available in both print and digital download. The Society also provides a free newsletter (sign up on their website) and occasionally publishes WWI-themed books, such as the Sopwith Dolphin monograph I reviewed earlier for IPMS USA. This Journal is the sister of the US Journal, Over The Front. The Great War Aviation Society also hosts a lecture series available through Zoom. If you are interested, please register early, as the call has a limited attendance capacity.

Review Author
Chris Vandegrift
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1:48
MSRP
$15.21

This is another value-added set having both decals and masks. The modeler will have an option for how to replicate the demo scheme. For striping this set supplies only the white decals. One heads-up related to the white color; the graphics decals and the striping decals are not an exact color match. The graphics like the hearts on the fuselage strakes appear to be slightly off-white, almost white-grey.

There is a set of masks that can be used for the white striping and a small stripe of the red from the leading edge of the wing up to the nose of the cockpit canopy. Without the red and blue striping as decals the masks may be the better option from this set.

Review Author
Pat Villarreal
Published on
Company
Iliad Design
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.00

Iliad Design has provided the IPMS/USA reviewer corps with a wonderful decal set for the fighters of WWII Operation Rutter. Planes represented are three Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb’s and one Hawker Hurricane Mk. II.

This 1/48th scale decal sheet covers four schemes:

  1. Spitfire Mk. Vb, BM324 (GW*S), “Tomana” of 340 Sqn., July 1942
  2. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AR373 (MN*M), “LULANGURU” of 350 (Belgian) Sqn., July 1942
  3. Spitfire Mk. Vb, AA853 (C*WX), of Wing Cdr Stefan Witorzenc, 302 Sqn., July 1942
  4. Hurricane Mk. II, BE682 (XP*R), “Hurribomber” of 174 (Mauritius) Sqn., July 1942

In the Package

There is one decal sheet provided with all the individual markings for each airplane and this includes the roundels. General aircraft stencils will have to be sourced from somewhere else.

Each plane gets its own side profile illustration (for both sides) and instructions for special paint markings for Operation Rutter.

Book Author(s)
Mark Proulx
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eagle Editions Ltd.
MSRP
$25.00

Mark Proulx has amassed an impressive collection of photographs over the years. His previous work with Eagle Editions has produced the highly successful Wings of the Black Cross series. Now Mark and Eagle Editions have expanded the range with this inaugural volume of Wings of the Allies - The European Air War.

If you're familiar with the Wings of the Black Cross series of books, this is exactly the same format: sturdy laminated cover with high-quality paper on the inside. The book features plenty of original photos and eight color profiles on 36 pages.

Since this book covers the allies, it has American, British, and USSR aircraft included. Of course, P-38s, P-47s, P-51s, as well as Ratas and Yaks are included. On the British side of the house there are Hurricanes, Spitfires, Typhoons and Mosquitoes. The bombers are not forgotten and include Mitchells, B-17s, DB-3s, Marauders, Halifaxes, and A-20 Havocs.

Book Author(s)
Scott Rathbone
Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$60.00

The Panavia Tornado was arguably the top NATO strike aircraft during the 1980s, first flying in 1974 and continuing in small scale service to this day with Germany, Italy and Saudi Arabia. The RAF used it as their primary strike platform from 1980 onwards, during which time it faced off against the might of the Warsaw Pact from bases in West Germany, and it saw combat in many theaters, including the Gulf War and over the Balkans and Libya, before its premature retirement for political and financial reasons in 2019.

Training for those front line missions often involved very low-level flying over Britain’s lakes and valleys, including the famous Mach Loop in Wales, a haven of aviation photographers, such as the author of this book, Scott Rathbone, whose photos have graced many aviation magazines.

Book Author(s)
Wings of the Black Cross- Number Sixteen
Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
Company
Eagle Editions Ltd.
MSRP
$25.00

Eagle Editions has been known for their Luftwaffe research for as long as I can remember. With the death of founder Jerry Crandall, it's nice to see that Judy Crandall, his wife, along with Mark Proulx are continuing his legacy with Eagle Editions.

If you are familiar with the Wings of the Black Cross series, this book is similar to the entire series. Focusing on German aircraft, primarily on the Jagdwaffe, however, it does include other aircraft. The 8.5 x 11 laminated cover book is printed on 36 pages on high quality gloss paper. There are 64 high quality photographs included in the book.

Included in the book are Bf-109, Bf-110, FW-190, Me-262, Stukas, and He-177, as well as many more. The periods covered go all the way from the birth of the Luftwaffe to the end of the war. Of particular interest to me were the photos of Adolf Galland’s early 109E-4 “Double Chevron Bar” and JV-44 Me 262, both of which are shown in the color profiles.

Book Author(s)
Richard A. Franks
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
Company
Valiant Wings Publishing
MSRP
$40.25

Valiant Wings Publishing continues to expand its “Airframe and Miniature” series. This installment, number 25 in the series, is devoted to the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The book is divided into the following sections:

Airframe Chapters

  1. Evolution – Prototypes to P-47C
  2. Main Production – P-47D to M
  3. The Long Range Thunderbolt – P-47N
  4. Camouflage and Marking and Colour Profiles

Miniature Chapters

  1. P-47 Thunderbolt Kits
  2. Building a selection
  3. Building a collection
  4. In detail: The P-47 Thunderbolts

Appendixes

Book Author(s)
Bert Kenzey and Haagen Klaus
Review Author
David Horn
Published on
Company
Detail & Scale, Inc.
MSRP
$21.99

Detail & Scale Aviation publications have set the standard for aircraft reference books since 1978. This Paperback publication is 102 pages with B&W and full color, close up detail and “in action” images. Some of these books are also offered in Apple and Kindle digital versions.

The book starts out with the developmental & operational history of the Packard-Merlin powered Mustangs. This section has plenty of photos along with five-view drawings indicating features of the B & C model Mustangs and detailed aircraft measurements. This section is followed by Mustang variants to include P-51B, C, F-6C and Mustang III.

The next sections start off with a gallery of early Merlin mustangs with a mix of B&W and color photos.

Review Author
Paul Bradley
Published on
Company
Syhart Decal
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$17.50

Frenchman Sylvain Hautier founded Syhart Decals (SY (Sylvain) HA (Hautier) , ART (design)) in 2006 with the aim of recreating in model form the special aircraft paint schemes that have been developed to celebrate anniversaries, participate in Tiger Meets, and for last flights. He also issues decals for regular schemes for lesser-known and unusual air forces for kits that offer limited decal options.

An example is the 1/48 Rafale C, with the kit issued by Revell offering limited choices. Sylvain’s answer was to release several decal sheets for various air forces, and these two sheets give the modeler four choices between them.

Book Author(s)
Andrey Latkin
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

Author Andrey Latkin writes,

Introduced through the Allied Lend-Lease program, the Kittyhawk entered Soviet service in the Artic in 1942. This volume explores the logistical hurdles of maintaining and operating these American-built aircraft in extreme northern conditions, and details their early missions supporting convoy protection, intercepting German bombers, and later, transitioning into reconnaissance and fighter-bomber roles.

This 76-page book is a part of Helion & Company’s @War Series. Curtiss Kittyhawks in the Soviet Far North 1941-45: Volume 1 -Origins and Early Combat Operations, 1942–May 1944 (Helion No. HEL2004) is outlined in the familiar @War format and is a little light in black and white photographs (not surprising given how little is known, or covered, in this theater of operations), color profiles, supporting text, detailed captions, and, perhaps most importantly, maps. The book is composed of the following sections: