Thank you to Video Aviation for providing this elegant aircraft accessory deck crew figure, and thank you to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for letting me review it! I am very appreciative of all you do for the scale modeling community. Video Aviation is a small Italian company that offers a variety of diorama and vignette accessories in three scales that will make a welcome addition to aircraft displays. The casting masters are completely CAD designed and rapid prototyped for production. This allows the same figure to be easily produced in different scales.

Brengun, based in the Czech Republic, is known for producing a range of photo-etched and resin accessories for airplane models. They also produce a small number of 1/72nd and 1/144th aircraft model sets. One of their latest airplane kits is the Yakovlev Yak-1, Year 1941.

The Yak-1 was a maneuverable, fast and well-armed fighter developed by the Soviet air force in 1940. At the start of the Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets had about 500 Yak-1’s built, but just less than 100 were combat operational. TheYak-1 had a steel frame with wooden wings and composite fuselage, it was easy to maintain and fairly reliable and proved to be an excellent base for further developments. At altitudes, below 4,000 feet, was where the Yak-1 performed the best and was strong competition, and in some cases, more than a match for its German foes.

Thank you to AOA Decals for sending these excellent decals for review, and thank you to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for letting me review them! I am very appreciative of the chance to contribute back to the scale-modeling community. AOA Decals is a new company providing thoroughly researched decals emphasizing USN and USMC subjects, particularly of the Vietnam era.

The Pocket Manual is a compilation of various Air Ministry pamphlets, publications, and manuals on the Hawker Hurricane.

The book starts with the design specifications and related documents. This is followed by the pilot notes in chapter 2, the tactical in chapter 3, and operations in chapter 4 publications. These last sections detail aspects of tactical trials as well as 111 SQ operations record book, Fighter Command Combat report for 12 Group and Sqdn. Leader Douglas Bader’s September 7-19, 1940 flight log.

This is an interesting look at various period publications to aid in operating and maintaining the Hurricane. There is good information for the historian, pilot and some nice detailed period cockpit photos with instrumentation callouts. If the Mosquito interests you, you will find this book to your liking

Our thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy and my thanks to IPMS/USA for the review opportunity

The Polikarpov I-16 was the world’s first single-winged fighter plane with retractable landing gears designed by Nikolai Polikarpov and Dmitri Grigorovich while in prison. Service trials of the I-16 began in 1934. Several variants were produced until the Type 24 was brought into service. The Type 24 contained four7.62mm × 54mmR ShKAS machine guns (two located in the wings and two in the fuselage). Landing flaps were added replacing drooping ailerons. Tailwheel added and starboard side cockpit door were also added. The Type 24 was powered by a Shvetsov M-63 radial engine with 1,100 hp at 2,300 rpm for takeoff. The Polikarpov was produced from 1934-1942 with a total 8644 built. An interesting note is that there are only six airworthy I-16 Type 24s in service today.