Historical Background

Air Vice-Marshal Johnnie Johnson, CB,CBE, DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar, DL, the highest scoring Royal Air Force pilot of World War II, had a diverse and very interesting background, as he was able to infiltrate the ranks of the RAF, which tended to favor the admission of the upper classes. Johnson was very middle class, and achieved his position through his quality as a man, not his position in British society. There have been a number of books written about Johnson’s life and career, but this book takes a different approach, consisting entirely of photos taken of him or of the people he associated with, and sometimes even of the airplanes he flew. These are captioned, giving explanations of what was going on, and who was involved. Johnson comes through as a very human character, someone you would like to associate with if you had the chance.

I can’t be the only one who has accidentally knocked over an open bottle of plastic cement while working on a model. The damage it does to your cutting matte can be pretty awful, but if it spills onto a sprue of parts or the model itself, it could downright ruin your day. Well, have no fear Tiger Werke has that issue solved, or at least has made it nearly impossible to happen again. Those fine folks have designed a resin bottle holder, for either a Tamiya or Mr. Cement bottle, to keep them upright and your cutting matts and model parts safe. The small resin block has two squares the perfect size for a variety of products, whether it’s glue or pigment or wash.

Helion produces books on many aspects of Military History from the Late Medieval period through to the present day. Helion was established in 1996, and since then they have published almost 1,200 books, with 100 or more new titles coming out every year. The 'Africa@War' series covers African military history since 1945.

Stephen Edward Rookes is originally from Exeter in the UK, Dr. Stephen Rookes is a French writer and academic who earned his PhD from the University of Toulouse Jean-Jaurès, France. He specializes in the history of Cuban exiles and takes a particular interest in the CIA's covert operations in Central America and in Africa. This is his third instalment for Helion’s @War series.

This is a review of four of the new Acrylic Filters from AMMO by MIG Jimenez.

• A.MIG-0802 Night Black 15ml
• A.MIG-0816 Sand 15ml
• A.MIG-0821 Sand Grey 15ml
• A.MIG-0828 Rust 15ml

These filters are produced using a innovative formulation, the Acrylic Filters can be reworked or eliminated simply and easily with water during the extended dry time, each filter will dry completely in 24 hours. The filters can also be applied by airbrush. The range consists of 30 colors currently. The filters can even be mixed with each another or tinted with other AMMO acrylics. The acrylic filters can be diluted and cleaned with water.

I used all the filters on some finished and in-build kits and the effects and application were awesome. The effect once applied is subtle and is very easy to use. I can see me getting a lot more of these.

Introduction

Necessity is the mother of invention. Once the combatants in the Great War settled into the trenches, the Italians faced a desperate shortage of heavy artillery. To help fill this need, Demetrio Maggiora invented a short range 320mm (12.6 inch) mortar powered by acetylene gas. The acetylene was generated in canisters like a miner’s lamp. The gas was transferred into a spherical combustion chamber where it was ignited to launch the projectile. The mortar was muzzle loading and had a very short range – just enough to reach the enemy trenches. It was first used in the Second Battle of the Isonzo in 1915 and was only in service for a short time until more capable weapons became available.

Review

Vargas Scale Models from California USA specializes in interesting and unique subjects from World War One and the Interwar periods in 1:35th scale. All are CAD designed and 3D printed in resin. Sales are direct to the modeler on eBay.