The book is divided into 13 chapters with and introduction and 5 appendixes:

Appendixes

1. Tabulation of Second Wave Dive-Bomber Attacks
2. Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Japanese Terms
3. Ships in Pearl Harbor and Vicinity
4. The Perfect Attack
5. Acknowledgments

This book is best described by as an analysis of the Japanese Pearl Harbor air raid on an operational and tactical level, using operational research methods and combat models developed at the US Naval War College.

Each chapter reviews what and how the Japanese military planners and the top commanders thought the primary goals were to be and how to accomplish those goals, filtered thru the mindset, doctrine and personal traits of the Japanese people involved.

History

The Curtis Company manufactured 13,700 P-40’s before and during World War II, with production ending on November 30, 1944. The P-40 flew with the air forces of the United States, the RAF, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, France, Brazil, China, Turkey, and Russia and by some resources Finland.

The P-40 lineage may be traced back to the radial engine-powered P-36 and H-75. The P-36 was intended to replace the P-26 Peashooter in an effort to match the high performance European fighters (the Bf-109, Spitfire and to an extent the MS-406). The Wright XR-1670 radial engine rated at 900 bhp powered the first prototype which first flew in April 1935. Soon it was evident that the radial engine-powered aircraft would be outclassed, and therefore the Air Corps requested that a fighter be equipped with the Allison V-1710 inline engine. Eventually the design morphed into the P-40C powered by the Allison V-1710-33 rated at 1040 bhp.

Eduard offers two photo-etch detail sets for the Special Hobby 1/32 A5M2b kit. Zoom set #33 070 is the one to get if you just want to focus on enhancing the detail in the cockpit. The set includes a total of 42 pre-painted parts that replace some kit parts and/or add detail to ones that will be used. The kit’s plastic instrument panel is replaced with five very impressively detailed components that are sandwiched together to simulate the panel’s relief and then enhanced with brackets, machine gun supports and gun charging handles. Photo-etched rudder pedals are provided to replace the less-detailed ones in the kit and to detail the kit’s rudimentary rudder bar, pre-painted seat belts replace the un-painted ones in the kit, multi-part throttle quadrant and prop pitch levers replace kit parts and a radio panel face, control box fascias, levers, knobs and numerous small bits are included to perk up the sidewalls.

From 1936 to 1939, nearly 19,000 German ‘volunteers’ (some of whom actually did volunteer) made up an aviation group known as the Legion Condor. Number 99 in Osprey’s ‘Aircraft of the Aces’ series provides an interesting and well-researched story of how Germany’s involvement in the Spanish Civil war came about, what the Luftwaffe volunteers experienced as member of the Legion Condor and how many of the pilots eventually achieved ace status. It is a fascinating story about a significant time in history.

This is a simple replacement part that is substantially more detailed than the kit part. It is molded perfectly with no flash or bubbles to be seen. The pull handle is provided as a separate part on a common casting block with the seat. The parts must be separated from the casting block with a saw and the pull handles glued in the appropriate location for which a diagram is provided.

Pictured here with the Quickboost example are the kit seat and an example from the now out of production Cutting Edge offering for comparison. Obviously the difference is with the details including additional “plumbing” and safety belts. The Quickboost example is considerably more “strappy” than the older Cutting Edge product and any preference for one or the other may well be a matter of personal taste as both seem to be accurate depending on how the belts fall when left to rest. The busy look of the Quickboost seat dresses up the cockpit nicely with little fuss for the modeler.