About the Author

Dennis Oliver is the author of over twenty books on Second World War armored vehicles including Tiger I and II Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, Eastern Front 1944, Panther Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, Normandy Campaign 1944, Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer, German Army, Western Europe 1944-1945, and Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks, German Army and Waffen-SS, and The Last Battles in the West, 1945.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• The Normandy Battlefield
• Camouflage & Markings
• Model Showcase
• Technical Details and Modifications

Summary

This book is another installment of the Tank Craft series which currently holds 17 titles and covers German, American, and British tanks, Tiger I and Tiger II Tanks, and German Army and Waffen-SS, and Normandy Campaign 1944.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking this book is written in French so why would I be interested? Let me assure you any aircraft modeler interested in NATO aircraft from 1949 to the present is going to find this tome a veritable cornucopia of modeling inspiration! Inside you will find an incredible selection of every type of aircraft used by NATO. The author takes you through 21 countries in alphabetical order starting with a brief narration in French but don’t despair, what follows are an incredible number of profiles and photos of aircraft ranging from Vampires to Vipers or Thunderstreaks to Typhons. The section on the United States is the most extensive with a unit by unit accounting the types used and lots of illustrations with brief unit descriptions that are not hard to figure out. When I requested this book, I wasn’t sure how I would decipher it with High School French I took over 30 years ago. As it turns out, you don’t really need any French to figure this book out.

For history buffs and modelers interested in artillery warfare during WWII, the folks at Pen and Sword have come through with an offering that provides extensive coverage of all manners of artillery. The different types of artillery, including the gun, howitzer, and mortar are covered in detail for all participants in the war as well as rockets that were used. Over 400 photographs and illustrations are contained in the book so that nearly every page contains one or more photographs or black and white drawing, all of which are well produced.

History

The Lockheed P-38J was one of the finest twin engine fighters to be developed during World War II, and although it wasn’t as effective in the European Theater, it excelled in the Pacific, where some of the highest scoring aces scored the majority of their victories on the type. Although faced with developmental problems, it became a highly effective, well armed, and long ranged fighter with excellent overall performance. It was especially effective against the Japanese, and one little known achievement was that Charles Lindbergh, who had been rejected by President Roosevelt for political reasons, went to the South Pacific to work with pilots extending the range through improved piloting techniques, actually scored a victory against a Japanese plane in a 475^th FG P-38 . He was the only American civilian to do so during World War II.

Introduction

The Yamaha XT 660 was an enduro style bike that featured the most powerful single piston engine of its time back in the 80s. The kit was initially released in the 1980s and was developed by Protar from Italy. Protar had a series of 1/9 bikes as well as a series of Formula One cars in 1/12 and 1/20.

Construction

The kit comes on five sprues and has rubber tires, vinyl hoses, springs and a LOT of screws. The only chrome is the wheels and those need to be painted black anyway. The molds are from the 1980s and it shows a bit with large sprue gates and some tool marks here and there, but it’s surprisingly clean and crisp. The overall level of detail is good and the model looks great in the box.