For fans of the Dornier 335 Pfeil (Arrow), this book will be an important addition to your library with a combination of 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale line drawings and color plates. Modelers will find the details provided in the drawings as valuable references, and aviation enthusiasts will also find particulars such as the cross-sectional views interesting. I would highly recommend this recent release from Kagero as an addition to your library.
Reviews
This book is number 23 of The World War II Photobook Series. As the title implies this book is a series of photos taken on the battlefield. You will find quite a collection of German AFV in many locations, as well as condition. There are photos of German AFV in pristine condition, in battle, as well as those destroyed. Most of the photos are accredited to Peter Kocsis, with one accredited to Paul Johnson and 5 to The Archives of Modern Conflict. All photos have interesting subjects and many may be a good source of dioramas.
The book’s title, Burma Victory 1944-1945, is a little misleading as the first, very detailed chapter delves into the Japanese blitzkrieg beginning in December 1941 through 1942. The Japanese victories in China, the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaya and the Philippines set the stage for this book on a long forgotten and neglected theater of World War II. The author does an amazing job describing the harsh, varied terrain, weather and combatants and how the Allies regrouped and learned to fight the previously invincible Japanese military as they made their furthest incursion west.
This is the #17 book in the Armor Color Galley range – Camouflage & Markings of German Armor in Italy From Anzio Landings to the Alps January 1944 to May 1945.
The Chapters are:
This set supplies drop-in replacement wheels for 1/72 F-16 C/D Block 40 and later kits.
As you would expect from Brengun, the wheels are very finely cast featuring realistic tread pattern, raised lettering and other markings on the sidewalls and sharply detailed brake pads and wheel hubs. I compared them to the wheels of a Tamiya F-16CJ kit and as shown in the photos, the detail on the Brengun parts is a vast improvement over the kit wheels. Each tire also has a flat spot to simulate the weight of the aircraft on the tires; however, it is not overdone so that the tires look flat.
I painted the wheels Tamiya NATO Black and the rims/brake pads Tamiya Flat White, with a black wash to bring out the details. I used a white colored pencil to highlight lettering and markings on the sidewalls.
The wheels have round mounting holes on the back side, so they should be adaptable to just about any 1/72 F-16C/D Block 40 and later kit.
Highly recommended.
Background from the Website
Nakajima K-43 Hayabusa, code-named Oscar by the Allies, was the Imperial Japanese Army’s equivalent of the Zero fighter in service with the Imperial Navy. In combat units, the machine replaced the aging Ki-27. Manufactured in large numbers, the fighter remained in frontline service until the end of the war. By the time its final version entered production, the development of its successor – the Ki-84 – had already started. The Ki-43 was a very maneuverable machine, but in many areas it was inferior to its adversaries. Despite its fragile design, poor armament and almost no armored protection, the Ki-43 was well-liked by the Japanese pilots and it became a symbol of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. Hayabusa was the pinnacle of the Japanese fighter design development until the lessons learned in the Pacific laid the ground for new approaches to the construction of tactical aircraft.
Kagero brings us another of their “Camouflage & Decals” series books, this time showcasing the Republic P-47D Bubbletop Thunderbolt. There is no text, other than a brief caption of each aircraft and the unit/pilot assigned.
The color profiles are mostly pretty exciting and colorful, with many featuring gorgeous nose art of the time. This makes the book a helpful resource for the modeler, if you have the correct decals in your files.
The book consists of three parts and a conclusion. There is a preface, acknowledgements and Intro at the beginning of the book. The book ends with notes to the text; a glossary, bibliography and index. Yes, this "baby" is big and full, and I mean "FULL" of information. I think too much to digest in one reading.
The first section of the book deals with the pre-war years; selection and training of a sniper.
The second part deals with wartime sniper operations. This section is subdivided by locations where sniping operations took place. They include sections for: Western Europe, North Africa, Italy, The Liberation of Northwestern Europe, The Rhine and the Elbe, Drang Nach Osten, Stalingrad Kessel, Nach Berlin, Far East, Southwest Pacific Theater, the South Pacific and Asia.
The British, and for that matter the Allied, in general try to keep abreast of the changes on the German AFV throughout the war. The changes came from field observations and reports. The books were updated as information became available through as field observations, as well as captured machines. This was never-ending reporting as changes were continuous and the Germans improved their equipment. The book contains 39 examples of German equipment used during World War II. Although the book claims to have 39 chapters, in reality we have reports on 39 different machines.
The book is divided into sections by parts of the Su-22 aircraft. The first 4 pages are dedicated to the types of Su-22 used by several Eastern European Air Forces. Samples include planes from the Soviet Union, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
Next the book goes into the different parts of the airplane: