The Messerschmitt Me-309 was envisioned as a replacement for the Me-109 in late 1940. The aircraft was to feature a pressurized cockpit, a fully retractable, tricycle undercarriage and a variable geometry radiator. The Me-309 was never to become much of a priority for the powers that be owing to the success of adapting the Me-109 to larger engines and heavier armament and the Focke Wolf 190 coming into service. Four prototypes (V1-V4) were constructed with flight testing continuing into the last quarter of 1943.
What's New
The book provides great detail drawings of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet. This was the first Rocket powered fighter used by German Air Force in WWII.
I found the drawings in this book to be fascinating and very detailed, ideal for any modeler as reference materials.
Along with the many outline drawings (in 1/48 & 1/72 scales in the main pages) there is also very nice profile drawings. There are loose scale drawings in 1/32 scale. The drawings cover many versions of the aircraft.
I recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the armor and a must for modelers.
Thanks go to Casemate Publishing for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them
“Pacific Profiles” is a series of books that covers various military aircraft serving in the Pacific during WWII. This book is volume four, Allied fighters: Vought F4U Corsair Series, Solomons Theatre 1943-1944. The book size is paperback and about 7 inches by 10 inches in color and black & white.
The book starts out with technical information, color schemes and markings as well as maps of the Solomon airfields. There are a few charts showing USN/USMC and RNZAF corsair units and their timeline when they were in service. At the end of this section are full color images of Corsair squadron and service insignia/patches featured in this book along with a glossary of terms.
This book “Operation Allied force, air war over Serbia 1999” is volume one of a two volume book series. There are two authors who both held opposing positions during this war with front line service. This volume (1) covers the chronology of events while the next volume (2) focuses of the experiences from both sides in the air war.
The beginning of this book covers the rise of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) air force. From buildup of assets, restrictions put on the new air force equipment and tables showing air asset with locations of these assets. Deeper into the book, it covers conflicts, notable air engagements, buildup of NATO forces and defenses.
The Do-217N is a unique version of the venerable Do-217. Designed as a night fighter it was really just too slow to catch the bombers. It wasn’t useless but it did have its share of problems.
ICM released their kit of this airplane in 2020. It was a nice kit, but it was not without a few mistakes, as all models are. One of those mistakes was slightly undersized wheels. Also the wheels did not have a bulge or flat spot to indicate weight being on the landing gear. Another area that could use improvement was the tail wheel fork which is slightly anemic and mishappened. Well Aires has a solution.
Before I begin this review I think it is important to know that I flew Cobras in the Army and now fly them with the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, so I am intimately familiar with them. So I tend to be a little bit of a nit picker or rivet counter when it comes to Cobras. Please forgive me.
When ICM released the AH-1G Cobra in 1/32nd scale there was much rejoicing in the helicopter modeling world. We had waited so long for a replacement for the venerable Revell AH-1G. The Revell kit was released in 1968 and it was very basic. Accurate in outline but lacking in any detail. It needed lots of aftermarket to bring it up to speed. Would ICM be better? Oh heck yeah.
“The Erawan War, The CIA Paramilitary Campaign in Laos, 1961-1969” is volume one of a two volume set. The second volume covers the years 1969 through 1974. The book starts out by setting the stage in 1960 where Laos was a neutral buffer zone between communist and western nations. With a near bloodless coup in Laos, the need of an intervention by the CIA to aid rebels was needed. This book covers the timeline and details of the CIA in Laos for most of the Vietnam conflict. Participants or groups are listed in the text and in an abbreviations section which include the anti-Communist “Royalist Armed Forces” (FAR), Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and “Air America”.
Eagle Editions is synonymous with Luftwaffe subjects so it comes as no surprise that their latest book in the Wings of the Black Cross series is an airplane that just evokes memories of the Luftwaffe, the iconic Ju-87 Stuka. The name and the noise of the airplane became a symbol for Luftwaffe dominance of the air in the early part of the war. By the Battle of Britain, it was grossly outclassed and obsolete, yet is soldiered on until the very end of the war.
Having built two of the ICM 1/32nd scale Cobras I can tell you that the mounting point is a fragile joint. On my first one I broke it off twice and had to pin and glue it back on. It was frustrating as it was near the end of the build.
Well SAC has taken that frustration out of the equation. Inside their typical blister pack are two white metal landing gear and four parts for the ground handling wheels. Mine were perfectly cast and were exact replicas of the kit landing gear, but stronger. This set has the aerodynamic fairings installed on Vietnam era Cobras. These fairings were later removed and the round crosstubes remained.
Thanks to Casemate Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!
Kagero Publishing, from Poland, extends their Top Drawings Series with No. 116, the French Marine Nationale aircraft carrier Clemenceau (le Clem). She was placed into service in 1961, incorporating the latest advances in aircraft carrier technology. She and her sister ship, Foch, were active for more than 40 years, forming the backbone of French military power projection. The TopDrawings series is designed for modelers to have a reference for detailed appearances of individual ships and aircraft. TopDrawings consist of color covers with black & white (B&W) line drawings of the ship, particular features, and equipment, especially armament (including aircraft). But the main attraction is the separate, large foldout of B&W scale drawings – 1/400 in this book, to match existing model kits.