Did you know that the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) is one of the oldest air forces in the world? It marked its 100th anniversary on November 29, 2020. It may also be the only air force that has physically moved, from the Chinese mainland to the island now known as Taiwan in 1949, after the Chinese civil war. The RoCAF has a special place in American history, when a volunteer group of US pilots fought Japanese forces in the Second World War in P-40Bs marked with RoC markings. This unit is, of course, the famous Flying Tigers. The RoC also flew many dangerous reconnaissance missions in the late 60’s, over China to gather intelligence regarding the latter’s early nuclear testing. The RoCAF also flew numerous support missions against Viet Cong forces during the Vietnam War, with high losses. The many combat missions this tiny nation has undertaken is largely unknown due to the secretive nature of its military.

Monroe Perdu Studios has been in existence since 2001. They specialize in both resin (notably Zimmerit sheets) and laser cut kits for diorama and architectural-subject builders. Offered in various scales, their laser cut kits provide some unique structures (chapel, farmhouse, etc.) as well as more than a few diorama accessory items (church pew, wheelbarrow, wooden scooters, etc.) that could easily find a home in your next project.

One such item is a kit of two wooden rocking horse. The laser cut parts for the two different styles of rocking horses come on a small sheet of thin cardboard. Don't let the nature of that material put you off, the assembled 'horsies' couldn't be sturdier.

This book has 3 chapters going over many aspects of this aircraft.

• Development History
• Fury Variants
  • FJ-1
  • XFJ-2 prototypes
  • FJ-2
  • FJ-3
• FJ-1/FJ-2 Details
  • Cockpit Details
  • Canopy
  • Fuselage
  • Wing Details
  • Landing gear
  • Tail detail
  • Engine Details

The book starts with the Development history of the aircraft all the way to production, along with there Variants.

This book has a lot of detail on majority of the aircraft and what I loved the most is the detailed cockpit and how all the oil lines are ran along with the hydraulics, this is a must if you are building one of these models.

I can recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the FJ Fury and its an excellent reference for anyone building this aircraft. I look forward to Part 2 of this book to come out.

Kagero Publishers continues to expand its Monograph series with a book dedicated to the F-14 in US Navy Service (one of the only two users of the airframe)

The book is divided in the following sections

• Genesis of a thoroughbred
• Production and variants
• VF-154 “Black Knights”
• Pilot and RIO
• VF-32 “Swordsmen”, its last deployment with the Tomcat
• F-14 Main Systems
• Weapons
• Tomcat in Combat
• F-14 Tomcat Retired, Baby!
• F-14 Tomcat in 2002

Each section can be read as a stand-alone mini-monograph on the topic at hand. Each section is well researched, has plenty of information on it and, if relevant quotes from pilots are included.

Helion & Company continues their series on Asia at War with the first of two volumes on the Sino-Soviet Border Skirmishes of 1969. The author is Russian and it was translated into English. From time-to-time there are some cumbersome sentences and the perspective of the author comes through as you read on. The book is full of contemporary photographs, so they are in black and white. There are several pages of color profiles of vehicles and uniforms as well as several maps of where the incident occurred. Please note, that there are several grizzly, close up photographs of dead Soviet border guards. If you are not accustomed to seeing dead bodies, close up, be warned.