When I was a young modeler in the late 80s, Detail and Scale publications were a revelation. Walkarounds, history, and modeling all in one book. What more could a teenage modeler in a pre-internet world want? However, I did not have the chance to see any of their publications for quite a while.

Detail & Scale now publish both digital and print books, and I was given the paper copy of the F2H Banshee Part Two which covers the “big banjos,” the F2H-3 and F2H-4. The book looks very similar to the vintage D&S paperback books, but is longer with less glossy paper. Topping out at 103 pages, the book follows the typical style in the series, with 282 photos and 15 colour profiles. One nice thing about the upgraded series is much more colour in the book, including all the profiles and 170 of the photos.

After a short introduction, we have chapters on the development, the variants, paint schemes, details, and the final modeling section. All are profusely illustrated and there isn’t much about the big Banshee that isn’t covered.

All the detail shots a modeler will need are included, though often they are of preserved aircraft. One nice touch are Rock Roszak’s drawings based on the NATOPS manual of the cockpit, ejection seat, radar, and internal armament.

As a proud Canadian, I am glad to see that the Royal Canadian Navy’s use of the Banshee is covered, but I do want to correct that Canadian colours are not Dark Sea Grey over Light Sea Grey, but Dark Grey 501-102 over Light Grey 501-106.

Being a mostly 1/72 modeler, I was shocked that there hasn’t been a Big Banjo in injection molded plastic in 1/48 scale. Glad us 1/72 guys have the Hobbycraft/Academy kit even if it takes some work to upgrade it. (Not mentioned in the book, but check out IPMS Journal Editor Chris Bucholtz’s Obscureco Aircraft’s resin cockpit/nose gear update for the kit.)

This is a great publication and highly recommended for anyone building a Big Banjo. It has inspired me to pull out the Hobbycraft kit and get cracking. Now if only it would inspire a 1/48 injection modeled kit…

Thank you to Detail & Scale Aviation Publication for providing the book and IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.