The P-3 Orion entered US Navy service in the mid-1960’s and is now being slowly replaced by the P-8A Poseidon. I find it interesting both were based on civilian airliners: the Lockheed Electra II and the Boeing B737-800 respectively.

A top-opening box that has an attractively painted P-3 on the cover is chock full of plastic parts. Eight runners hold 158 parts molded in medium gray plastic and another for the clear parts. Surface detail is recessed and very impressive for this scale. There are five decal marking options: two US Navy, one each for the Australian AF, Netherlands Navy, and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. Finally, there is a set of masks for the clear parts and wheels and a full-color instruction booklet which includes a parts map, decal guide for each scheme, and a color guide for Mr Hobby, Tamiya, ICM, and Hataka paints.

TopDrawings18 is a magnum opus of research and detail. Oddly, but luckily, this older Top Drawings from Kagero Publishing from 2013 was up for review. No complaints, and had to bring out the drool cup again. Kagero's Topdrawings softbacks are legendary for scale modelers. For ship modelers, they are an ultimate reference of appearance at a particular time, or sometimes several timepoints. Glossy color plates from covers and inserts are welcome, but color renditions of more views are found in the hefty companion 3D Drawings books of the same subjects. TopDrawings are specifically handy for scale modeler workbenches. Scale line drawings can be easily resized to fit whatever scale the modeler is building by modern copiers, a boon for scratchbuilding or replacing inaccurate parts.

This TopDrawing of HMS Warspite from WWI to WWII is larger than most, perhaps because of the illustrious career Warspite enjoyed. Even the history is two pages instead of one.

• Book; $74.99
• Paste; $7.49
• Applicator Tools; $9.96
• Panzer Kote Tools, $28.99

A hard-bound, 205 pages, 8½ x 12 inch volume containing six chapters. Chapters 1 and 2 provide historic context, while chapters 3 through 6 are for the modeler.

Chapter 1: Zimmerit: History and Riddles

One word best sums up this chapter ... Wow!

The introduction points out that the interest zimmerit is inversely proportional to its real use. As modelers we all “know” what zimmerit is. An anti-magnetic paste applied to defeat magnetic anti-tank mines. Furthermore we are all familiar with the typical parallel line and waffle patterns. But did you know there were 18 different patterns? And that certain patterns were used exclusively by a single manufacturer?

Author Steve Ginter is a noted military historian who publishes the Naval Fighter series that was founded in 1980. After graduating from California State University-Northridge, Ginter became a US Navy pilot, serving from 1966 to 1972. Upon leaving the US Navy, Ginter held a series of management positions within the Thrifty Drug chain for the next twenty-one years. In 1996, he became the CEO of Sentai Distributors, where he directed company operations until 2011.

Eagle Editions are well known to modelers and aviation historians alike. This is the latest in the “Wings of the Allies” series. It contains 36 pages of mostly never before published photographs and eight color profiles.

The types of aircraft covered in this volume are, P-38 Lightning, Tomahawk Mk. IIb, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, RAF Mustang Mk I and IVA, Hurricane, Spitfire, P-39Q, Mosquito, A-20 Havoc/Boston,B-26 Marauder, Whitley Mk.V, Wellington, Pe-2, SB-2, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and the Lancaster. The photos give a good look at markings and nose art. The last part of the book contains “A Closer Look” at B-17 Outhouse Mouse, with crew and service information which is well illustrated. The book concludes with some gorgeous profiles by James Bentley! Another genuinely nice new feature is a foldout sheet printed front and back with the Eagle Edition decal sheets available for the aircraft featured in volumes one and two.