AMMO by Mig has recently started a reference guide line “Visual Modelers Guide”. This is the second installment on the line and is devoted to the IA 58 “Pucara”. The release of this book is matched with the 1/48 Kinetic Pucara and given that the Pucara reference guide material is pretty succinct, this book is a God-send, even more when considering the very affordable price of it (other reference materials for this airplane -being out of print- cost at least 5 times if not 10 times the price).

Kinetic Models is expanding its line of F-104 Starfighters. Having released the late markings already (-G, -J, -S, including some trainers) they are adding to their line the early variants: -A and -C.

The kit arrives in a large sturdy box (where you can comfortably keep the model in between sessions while you are working on it) with a total of 4 sprues -one molded in clear- and a small photoetch fret. There is a brand-new sprue for the fuselage and the wings. Two of the sprues have already been released as part of their latter markings boxings. This means you get extra parts, like ejection seats, a radar set and a few other details for the spare box.

The Douglas built A-20 havoc first flew on October 26, 1938. Designed by Jack Northrop and Ed. Heinemann, Douglas produced over 7000 of them, making it the most produced light bomber.

Originally ordered by the French, the American Army Air Corps quickly caught on and placed an order three months later. Nearly half of the production run went to the Soviet Union under the Lend-Lease Act. Many feel it was one of the most versatile combat aircraft of the war, being in service from before the war, all the way through to the end, serving in nearly every theater and utilized by most Allied nations. Its roles included bombing, ground attack, strafing, torpedo attack, photo recon, night intruder, and interceptor.

Introduction

The Dassault Super Étendard, which became the Super Étendard Modernisé in due course, had a remarkable career. It was a humble aircraft that was often faced with thankless and difficult tasks. There was no excessive power in this aircraft, but simply a remarkable versatility that made it the backbone of French carrier aviation for 40 years. Solid, reliable, well-designed, and adaptable, the Super Étendard was an aircraft that France regularly upgraded, enabling it to maintain its rank with increasingly sophisticated equipment and armaments. It gained notoriety for its role in anti-ship missions flown by Argentinian pilots, but paradoxically, France never used it in combat in this role. On the other hand, the aircraft was extensively used as a bomber in numerous wars, in a variety of places, including Lebanon, Syria, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan. With over 160 images, this book looks at the history of the Super Étendard and the impact it had on aviation.

The MB-339 is a trainer/light-attack aircraft designed for the Italian Air Force by Aermacchi. The reliability, simplicity and capabilities of the airframe meant that it was successfully exported to 8 other countries.

The author of the book (a pilot himself) clearly tells the history and characteristics of this airplane, with the detail and insights that only someone that has flown the aircraft could tell. The relationship between author and machine runs deep and it shows in his writing.

Through the book, the author describes the evolution of the aircraft in its main versions (A/PAN, CD, MLU). The first version was a basically an analog trainer, later the CD version was a digital electronics trainer where Tornado crews got their first lessons and finally the MLU (Mid-Life-Upgrade) which was an overhaul of the A version to extend its life into the 2000s, when it became capable of carrying anti-ship and ground-attack missiles.