The 1/48 scale Hobby Boss A-10 was a very welcoming kit when it was first released in 2007. The A-10C represents the third release, after the A-10A and N/AW A-10 two-seater, of this kit and outdoes the older Monogram and Tamiya kits in every way!

The Hobby Boss Thunderbolt II arrived packed beautifully and well protected as is standard for this Chinese model company. No more than two sprues were contained within their own plastic bags, with some delicate parts being wrapped in a cellophane material. The box art showed a great photo of the first painting option.

One of the highlights were the three decal sheets provided and the painting options offered. The instruction manual was Hobby Boss’s standard black and white booklet, with clear steps proceeding through the build. The painting and decaling instruction sheets were large, colorful and glossy. A great addition was that the color charts included six different paint manufacturers color recommendations – Nice!!!

The area known as the Congo was first discovered by Prince Henry the Navigator around 1482 as he sailed along the western coast of Africa. Continuing the discovery was Portuguese Navigator Diego Cão who is credited as the first European to see the mouth of the Congo River. Had he sailed up the Congo, he would have seen a diverse and extraordinary landscape described by Author Stephen Rookes,

“Ranging from snow-topped mountains and volcanoes such as the Blue Mountains in the northeast of the Congo, the Eastern Rift Mountains in the Great Lakes region to luxuriant savannas, mosquito-infested swamps and dense rainforests that covered much of the land, Cão would have also discovered up to 15 cultural regions and over 250 different ethnic groups living side-by-side.”

The Columbian Ministerio de Defensa Nacional (Ministry of Defence) oversees the Fuerzas Militares de Columbia (Military Forces of Colombia) air forces among the most powerful in Latin America, comprising of four branches: the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC -Colombian Air Force), Armada Nacional de la República de Colombia (ARC - Colombian National Navy), Ejército Nacional de Colombia (EJC - Colombian National Army) and Policía Nacional de Colombia (PNC - National Police of Colombia). Combined, the air divisions are all very powerful, and contribute to the biggest combined aviation force in the world. Columbian air power traces its roots back over a century. Air Forces of Latin America – Columbia is the fifth volume in this series and does a great job highlighting this impressive air power.

The book covers the complete history of De Havilland Canada Civil Aircraft production form the amazingly successful DHC-2 Beaver to the DHC-8-400. These groundbreaking aircraft are all covered in this book in in-depth and informative detail.

This is a very highly illustrated book with many great photos of all the variants of each aircraft.

The history, development and continued use of many of this outstanding aircraft are very well covered in this book and I must say I did read the whole book in one evening and wished it was longer even thou it did not need to be.

I personally worked on the several aircraft in the Dash 7 and Dash 8 series on interior monuments. So, this book is a great addition to my library.

I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in Commercial Aircraft and for modelers. After reading this book I look forward to adding more of this series to my library.

This is the second Arma Hobby kit that I have been fortunate to review, and once again, the company has delivered a wonderful representation of a 1/72 scale aircraft, this time, the P-39Q Airacobra. Arma Hobby produces some of the finest detailed kits that I have seen in some 50 years of modeling. I would highly recommend this kit to anyone who wants to add a model of the final variant of the Airacobra to their collection.