If you are in the market for a single, thorough modelers guide to the venerable Spitfire, this new offering from Model Aircraft Publications LTD would certainly fit the bill. With photos and text of scale model builds of the plane in 1/72, 1/48, 1/32, and 1/24 scale, this book covers 17 variants of one of the most famous fighter planes of WWII. For fans of the Spitfire looking to create their own in plastic, I would consider this a must-have book. While the company currently shows this as a pre-order item with a June 2020 release, I have recently seen it available through an online retailer here in the USA.

This book covers the complete history of the 3^rd SS Panzer Regiment – part of the Totenkopt Division. The subject is approached from the men’s stories, profiles, battles and weapons used.

The “first person” accounts are the highlight of this book. It is written in such a way that it draws you in and you are there experiencing what they did. I must admit I enjoyed this so much and learnt a lot about the feeling, day to day routines as well as the battles. The soldier’s profiles are another great way to help you understand who these people were.

The regiment was formed in late 1942 in France but was transferred to the Eastern front and was involved in many major campaigns and battles in this part of the war. The chapters are broken down well and each covers major events and periods in the regiment’s history.

The illustrations, photos and documents are impressive and significantly added to understanding the whole period in history for these men.

In 2019 ICM introduced their newly tooled A-26/B-26 collection. The B-26B-50 kit and the A-26B-15 kit have now been joined by the A-26C-15 released in 2020. The A26B-15 Invader, kit # 48282, and the B-26B-50 Invader, kit # 48281, are available, but my “A-26/B-26” experience is limited only to the A-26C-15, and at every turn, this kit was extremely impressive.

Packaging

The box is a very sturdy cardboard box. The box “lid” flips up when a tab is freed from a holding slot. The parts within are safe and secure in a large baggie. The clear parts are contained in a separate baggie which prevents any contact with other parts runners, keeping the “glass” in pristine condition, and there is a lot of glass because the A-26C-15 is the “glass-nose” variant. The box art is an exceptional example of aviation art and particularly useful during the construction phases of the project as well.

It wasn’t so long ago that 1/32nd aircraft modelers were pretty hard pressed to find pilot or ground crew figures for dioramas they wished to make. ICM has rather single-handedly addressed this issue, and has been busy churning out wonderful sets to complement your 1/32nd scale aircraft collection. One of the latest of these is their WWII British Ground Personnel set.

This simple set consists of three ground crew figures, who seem to be specifically tailored to their excellent Gloster Gladiator aircraft kits. One is ostensibly removing the tail locks and testing the rudder, another is working on the engine and a third is preparing to prep the propeller. All three are useful additions to a good diorama, although obviously not all at once.

AFV Club has released their third version of a ‘Gun Truck’ employed by hard-pressed convoy security forces in Viet Nam. This time around we meet the ‘King Cobra’, sporting three 50cal M2 ‘Ma Deuce’ machine guns mounted on a fully equipped M113 APC hull, sans wheels and track, thrown right up into the bed of a M35 5-Ton truck, all black and bad. I took one look at the box top and I knew I had to build it.

The Viet Nam gun trucks have a fascinating history; borne of necessity, built with Southern ingenuity, and purpose-made to rain hell on its adversaries if attacked. While they were never officially sanctioned by the U.S. Army, an estimated 300 to 400 trucks were transformed in this way. Only a single gun truck, the ‘Eve of Destruction’, survives today, permanently on display at the Army Transportation Museum in Fort Eustis, VA.