Military vehicles Books

Book SynopsisDesigned and initially produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. It is used by the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet is a new aircraft at about 20% larger and 3,200 kg heavier empty weight than the original Hornet. It carries 33% more internal fuel, increasing mission range by 41% and endurance by 50% over the "Legacy" Hornet. To aid safe flight operations and prevent confusion in radio calls, the Super Hornet is informally referred to as the "Rhino" to distinguish it from earlier Hornets. It is designed to be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS) or "buddy store" for the refueling of other aircraft.

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Book SynopsisThe IJN battlecruiser Kongo was laid down on January 17, 1911 at Vickers, Sons & Co. at Barrow-in-Furness. The ship's hull was launched on May 18, 1912 and on August 16, 1913 the vessel entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy.In the years after she had been launched the Kongo had undergone two major reconstructions, each having a deep impact on the ship's characteristics and her overall arrangement.Trade ReviewThis series of books from Kagero addresses most of the information, at least externally that the modeller would require for an accurate representation, and most importantly all in one place. * Model Shipwrights 14/06/2021 *Clearly a very useful reference for warship modellers, and the ships of the IJN of WW2 are very popular. The Kongo itself was torpedoed and sunk by the US submarine, USS Sealion. Another good addition to the TopDrawings series. * Military Model Scene 31/08/2021 *

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Book SynopsisIn February 1938, the United States Navy opened a competition for a new fighter. Its maximum speed and operational ceiling were to exceed all the machines that the American aviation had at the time. Among others, the Chance Vought company entered the competition. The Corsair was designed by a team of engineers led by Rex Beisel, the company's chief constructor. The prototype XF4U-1 was flown on May 29, 1940. The Corsair was powered by an eighteen-cylinder Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp, the largest and the most powerful radial engine ever installed in a single-seat front fighter.Trade Review...a well presented title that covers a good number of the gambits faced during a model build. * Aeroscale 14/06/2021 *

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Book SynopsisHMS Invincible was the lead ship of a class of British light aircraft carriers built between 1973 and 1985, originally designed as "through-deck cruisers" (TDC). This set them apart from conventional helicopter-carrying ships of the time, which typically featured a flight deck in the aft section of the vessel. Invincible-class carriers were the world’s largest warships powered by gas turbines and featured a modular design which allowed replacement and upgrades of various elements of propulsion system and equipment without the need for any structural modifications of the hull. A characteristic feature of the Invincible class was a "ski-jump" ramp at the end of the flight deck designed for VSTOL Sea Harriers, which at that time were state-of-the-art combat platforms. As designed, the ship was to carry five Sea Harriers and nine Sea King helicopters (six ASW variants and three transports).Trade ReviewSuper reference for modellers and warship modellers and great to see a Cold War era RN ship being chosen for the subject matter. * Military Model Scene *Due to the size of these vessels, books such as this will be a God send to the modeller. It enables them to scan and print in any scale they wish, it provides them highly detailed line drawings against which to check their models, and enables them to take detailing to the level of their choice. * Armorama 16/08/2021 *While clearly aimed at the modeller, whose toes will surely curl up with delight at its appearance, this title will equally prove a pleasure to leaf through for the average reader. * Aeroplane Magazine 13/09/2021 *

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Book SynopsisThe limited basin of the Adriatic Sea favoured the operation of the light ships and various types of "microorganisms". The Italian naval command at the end of 1914 already drew attention to the combat capabilities of motor torpedo boats. The design of such a unit was presented in November, 1914, by the Italian company Maccia Marchini. The cutter had a displacement of 7-8 tons, a length of 15 meters and was propelled by two engines, 200 HP each. It was supposed to reach a speed of 30 knots. The armament was two torpedoes dropped from both sides. However, the Italian Navy decided not to work with a small and not very well-known company. The fate of the project proposed in February, 1915, by the Venetian company SVAN (Società Veneziana Automobili Nautiche - Venetian Society of Self-Propelled Sea Boats) was different. Torpedo boat designed by engineer Atillia Bisio was somewhat reminiscent of the design of the Maccia Marchini company. It had a similar displacement (7.8 tons) and a length of 15 meters. The drive consisted of four engines with a power of 100 HP each, working on two propeller shafts. The armament was limited to two 450 mm torpedoes and one 37 mm gun.

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Book SynopsisMesserschmitt Bf 109 F (Friedrich) is one of the most important versions of this famous fighter. It was powered by the same engine (DB 601E) as the preceding Bf 109 E (Emil), but the airframe design differed significantly compared to its predecessor. First of all, the plane gained a more aerodynamic profile due to the new engine cowling (the engine had its own starter, which resulted in the extension of the unit), a new, more round propeller hub and rounded wing tips. In addition, supports were removed under horizontal stabilizers. The book presents color profiles of the most popular versions of the aircraft.

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Book SynopsisThe Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A, alongside with the Messerschmitt Bf 109, is the best-known German fighter from the Second World War. The Fw 190, however, had a much higher lifting capacity and was better armoured, and therefore it was used not only as a classic day fighter, but also as a fighter-bomber, assault aircraft, and also as a night fighter. The Fw 190 A had good performance at low and medium ceilings, on which the double wasp BMW 801 engine performed excellently. Fw 190 A entered the operational service in August 1941 and quickly turned out to be a superior machine to the British fighters of that time. The Spitfire Mk V, which was then used by the RAF, only surpassed it in terms of the turn radius. For almost a year, the British had to deal with this extremely difficult opponent, until the introduction of the Spitfire Mk IX, which finally equalized these disparities. The Fw 190 A, however, remained a dangerous fighter, and its appearance on the Eastern Front resulted in a rapid increase in the number of Jagdwaffe aces. Due to the rugged and resistant engine, the armour of the cockpit and strong weaponry it was a real terror for the crews of Russian bombers and assault aircrafts. The book presents color profiles of the most popular versions of the aircraft.

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Book SynopsisThe Focke-Wulf Ta 154 Moskito was a fast twin-engined German night fighter aircraft. The German Ta 154 night fighter which supposed to be an answer to the British Mosquito.Trade ReviewAnother good addition to the TopDrawings series; I am a fan of this new feature of the inclusion of a separate page of artwork which is a great picture to put up on your wall. * Military Model Scene 02/08/2021 *

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Book SynopsisThe book contains color profiles of the MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-19 and MiG-21 aircraft belonging to the Warsaw Pact country. The first volume includes machines from the USSR and Poland.

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Book Synopsis"Azuma" was one of the six armored cruisers built under the programme. Four of them were built by the British Armstrong shipyard, but "Azuma" was ordered in France, and its sister vessel, the "Yakumo", in Germany. Both cruisers were to carry British guns, making them compatible with units built in hazy Albion. The contract for the construction of "Azuma" was signed on 12th of October, 1897, with Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire. On 1st of February, 1898, the keel was laid at the concern's shipyard in St. Nazaire. The launch took place on 24th of June, 1899. The construction was completed on 28th of July, 1900. The next day, the cruiser left St. Nazaire and went to Japan, reaching Yokosuka on 29th of October 29 of that year.

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Book SynopsisThe author of this monograph would like to inform his reader right away that he does not claim to cover the following topic as fully as it could possibly be. At the present time, there are many historical documents, schematic drawings that once were placed in secret archives, memories of historical persons, and participants of long past events. So, if the author tried to describe and publish all the materials about the only plane that took an active involvement in the Second World War - it would be a multivolume publication with an appendix consisting of a thick folder with numerous drafts…The purpose of this monograph is the author’s desire to introduce the reader to a remarkable fighter aircraft, that which had a great influence on both the pre-war development of Soviet aircraft, and the military developments that occurred in the first few months of the war between Germany and the USSR. And at the same time about its creator - Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov, who had the unspoken title of "King of fighters" during his lifetime. Those readers, who are interested in the technical matter of the topic, could refer to some earlier publications about the I-16 aircraft. Unfortunately, only one publication was published in English. But you may find Russian-language publications, detailed declassified drawings, and a technical description of the aircraft in the global network.

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Book SynopsisThe F/A-18 Hornet is a single- and two-seat, twin engine, multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either aircraft carriers or land bases. The F/A-18 fills a variety of roles: air superiority, fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defenses, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, and day and night strike missions. The F/A-18 Hornet replaced the F-4 Phantom II fighter and A-7 Corsair II light attack jet, and also replaced the A-6 Intruder as these aircraft were retired during the 1990s.Trade ReviewThe 181 aircraft photos and illustrations offer some nice photo-op shots, 10 color aircraft profiles provide markings, and 12 pages of black and white drawings offer cockpit layouts and exterior system placements… * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe SS Red Oak Victory is now a museum ship in Richmond, California. It is a cargo ship of the type Victory. It was put into service at the end of 1944 and remained in service until 1968.The ship was built in three months at the large Permanente Metals Company shipyard in Richmond. On January 10, 1945, it began its maiden voyage to Pearl Harbor.

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Book SynopsisJapanese cruiser of the Second World War, the only ship of her type. The cruiser "Ōyodo" was designed in Japan in the late 1930s in response to the need for long-range cruisers. Of the many variants prepared by the technical service, the design of the type 'C' cruiser, completed in October 1938, was selected. The hull lines of the ship are based on the slightly enlarged hull of the Agano class cruisers.

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Book SynopsisHis book "Soviet Heavy Fighters 1926 - 1949" was written mainly to showcase some of the lesser known, often forgotten, aircraft types, as well as a group of young and prolific aircraft designers who never had a chance to flourish under difficult wartime conditions and limitations inherent to the Soviet aviation industry of the time. Many of the aircraft designs discussed in the book never went into full-scale productions, others didn't progress beyond the prototype stage and some were complete failures. Nonetheless, quite a few of them featured interesting and innovative design solutions. Hopefully, this comprehensive book will serve the purpose of shedding light on some of the lesser known episodes in the history of Soviet aviation and save them from falling into obscurity.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, I would like to introduce to our readers the first major campaign of the Royal Hungarian Army fought against the Red Army in Ukraine from July until November of 1941. The Barbarossa campaign started 80 years ago, on 22 June 1941, pitting the forces of the Soviet Union against those of the Third Reich and its allies. Hungary was among the less willing allies who participated on the side of the Germans. On strategically level the Hungarian involvement during the first phase of the war against the Soviet Union was minimal. On the other hand, the Hungarian committed their most modern, partially motorized units; the Mobile Corps and the elite mountain jagers and border guard troops of the VIII Corps and the selected units of the Royal Hungarian Air Force. Through this lavishly illustrated book I wanted to show you what war meant for ordinary soldiers, civilians from the Hungarian perspective in 1941.

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Book SynopsisThe FACA programme (Future Fighter and Attack Aircraft) was once the largest investment in armaments made in Spain. When choosing the F-18 of McDonnell Douglas (today Boeing), the Air Force has had since 1986 - for the first time in its history - one of the most advanced fighter planes ever designed, with very wide possibilities for adapting new systems throughout its operational life, as evidenced by the Retrofit made in the early 1990s and the current MLU.The FACA program (which ultimately remained in 72 aircraft), followed by the CX programme (for 24 aircraft), was the most important challenge faced by the Spanish Air Force since its creation. The professionalism demonstrated by the commission in charge of flight and technical evaluations won the admiration of the countries involved in the programme.The F-18 Hornet has proven to be the ideal aircraft for air forces in countries with large territorial areas and wide coastlines, or extreme weather conditions.

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Book SynopsisAleksander Siewierski, originally from Georgia, was in the United States in 1917 and was there when the revolution in Russia broke out. As Alexander Seversky, he founded the Seversky Aero Corporation. Alexander Kartvelli (also a Georgian) became his main designer. Unfortunately, financial problems led to firing Seversky, and his company changed its name to Republic Aviation Corporation. The projects started and developed by Seversky, which resulted in the P-35 fighter, were continued, though.As a result of its further development, a design for the XP-41 high-altitude fighter equipped with a turbocharger was prepared. Only a prototype was built, while many of its solutions went to a more advanced aircraft, designated AP-4, and finally P-43.Trade ReviewFor the scratch builder or modeler looking for scale drawings of this plane, here's the booklet. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe MiG-3 fighter plane, like the history of the creation of the Mikoyan and Gurevich (Микоян и Гуревич) design bureau, is relatively well known to anyone interested in the history of Soviet aviation. Many books and articles have been published about this machine, but information about the circumstances of the birth of the project and the conditions of its creation are very brief and concise. MiG-1 and MiG-3 were the most numerous new generation fighters in Soviet aviation at the time of the German invasion of the USSR. They played a very important role in the first period of the war. Until now, it has been assumed in the literature that this applies mainly to the use of these aircraft during the battle of Moscow, as well as capital's and Leningrad's air defence, but MiGs also took on a large weight of air combat at the front in 1941.Trade ReviewEnjoyed it. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe German heavy tank destroyer Panzerjäger Tiger (P) (Sd.Kfz. 184) Ferdinand was based on the chassis of the Tiger (P) tank designed by Ferdinand Porsche. The vehicle was not accepted by army, but because 90 chassis have already been produced at the Nibelungenwerke plant, it was decided that they could be usefully developed. This is how the tank destroyer based on the Tiger (P) chassis was born.Trade Review... the book gives you the armament, thickness of the armor and the division of the interior of the vehicle, as well as when the vehicle entered service with the German Army. * IPMS/USA 16/11/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe book presents a description of work on a model Ju 88 A-4. The author shows step by step each element of the modelling workshop.Trade Review...included is a 2.3x4.9-inch masking foil with 70 cutouts -- handy for modelers using airbrushes for painting… * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisIn the late 1890s the Russian Empire sought to strengthen its presence in the Far East, China and Korea. Faced with a growing threat posed by the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Russians saw an urgent build-up of their naval forces in the region as an utmost priority. On February 20, 1898 Emperor Nicholas II approved a supplementary shipbuilding program “for the Far East”, which would see the construction of six 5,000 – 6,000 ton cruisers, in addition to ships already being built under the 1895 program. The task to formulate technical requirement for the new vessels was delegated to the Maritime Technical Committee (Russian: MTK).Trade ReviewThe 129 3D color illustrations are marvelous for those wanting an intensive look at the cruiser and its systems from a variety of angles. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe British battleship HMS “Vanguard” was built in the years 1941–1946 at the John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank. It was quite an unusual ship due to the fact that it was built as the largest and also the last of the British battleships, and armed with artillery towers stored since 1925, taken from the cruisers HMS “Courageous” and HMS “Glorious”.It is widely regarded as Britain's best designed battleship, well-armed but also least needed. Design work began before World War II and was completed a year after its end, making it one of the longest-built ships in history. Her service, however, was quite short and lacking of interesting events.The unit was launched in 1944, and it entered service only two years later, so it did not have the opportunity to take part in World War II. The first major event in the history of the ship was the three-month journey to the British dominion of the Union of South Africa with George VI, Queen Mary and both daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Anne, on board between February and May 1947.Trade Review...might be useful in a hypothetical WWII extension scenario… * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisIn 1937, Dornier obtained a patent for a plane with two engines in the fuselage, driving the pull and push propellers. The design was marked P.59, and its concepts were refined in 1939 in the P.59-05 variant, after which the design was put in a drawer. This type of plane was not needed at the time. Nevertheless, limited experimental work was carried out, the result of which was a small Goppingen Go-9 plane, with an aerodynamic system obtained from P.59, as well as three-support landing gear with a front wheel and an engine driving a push propeller through a long shaft.The results of these experiments were used when designing the P.231 aircraft in several variants - also combining piston and jet propulsion. When in 1942 the RLM announced the requirements for a high-speed multipurpose aircraft, the equivalent of the British Mosquito, Dornier proposed the P.231 as a rather unusual answer. Despite the risks posed by the different P.231 concept, Dornier was commissioned to build several prototypes.Trade ReviewFor the scratch builder or modeler looking for scale drawings of this plane, here's your booklet. * The Historical Miniatures Gaming Society 07/12/2022 *

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Book SynopsisIn early 2001 we launched the CAMOUFLAGE & DECALS series. Although the first book in the series was an instant hit, we were forced to abandon the series due to technological issues with decals production. Over the years we released a number of books with decals sets, while the CAMOUFLAGE & DECALS series was patiently waiting for its turn.Well, the time has come to revive the series. Encouraged by mail from our Readers and queries from hobby shops all over the world, we decided to revisit the idea from twenty years ago. We are launching no fewer than three new books in the series, filled with artwork commissioned from well-established and respected authors, with whom we have had a pleasure to cooperate over the years. Featured artists include Jacek Pasieczny, Janusz Światłoń, Maciej Noszczak, Sławomir Zajączkowski, Arkadiusz Wróbel and Mariusz J. Dziedzic.Future books in the series will feature vehicles and aircraft in camouflage representative for a particular period and battlefield. Each book will come with a free set of decals corresponding to the main theme of the book.The first five books in the series will feature color plates published over the years in Kagero books and magazines. At the time of writing the work continues on follow-on CAMOUFLAGE & DECALS books which will feature new, previously unpublished material.Trade ReviewThe renderings are very well done with a slightly worn appearance to them. * IPMS/USA 16/11/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe British Airship Carrier HMS Furious is one of the most unusual units of the Second World War.The ship was designed during the previous conflict as a „great light cruiser” with 457mm guns, but far-reaching changes were made during construction. Furious entered service in June 1917 as aircraft cruiser with a large aircraft deck in the bow and a single turret with a gun of the mentioned caliber in the stern. Thus, Furious made history as one of the precursors of British on-board aviation, becoming a floating platform for various types of trials and tests with airplanes.It quickly turned out that aircraft deck took up the entire bow part and is insufficient to meet the needs of the day-to-day expanding on-board aviation. Therefore, after carrying out only a few patrols on the waters of the North Sea, the ship was returned to the shipyard in the same year, where it underwent further reconstruction. This time, the aft tower and mast were removed and in their place was built another hangar with an aircraft deck, which was connected to the bow with special platforms running on the sides of the preserved superstructures.Since then, Furious was already a powerful aircraft, unfortunately not very successful considering the superstructure with a chimney that occupies the entire amidships, which apart from obviously taking up space, caused air turbulences induced by the huge dimensions and warm exhaust gases coming from the chimney.However, this did not prevent Furious from becoming the hero of the historical event, which was on-board aviation first strike on land targets, which took place on July 19, 1918. The target of the attack was the German Zeppelin base in Tondern, and it was carried out using Sopwith Camel planes taking off from the deck of Furious.

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Book SynopsisYubari, the smallest of Japanese cruisers built after World War I, was in fact an experimental design. The ship was intended as a test bed for new technologies to be employed in the construction of the future Furutaka class heavy cruisers. The ship’s lead designer Fujimoto Kikuo, working under the supervision of the Imperial Navy’s chief naval architect Hiraga Yuzuru, set out to create a fast and heavily armed cruiser with the lightest displacement possible. What emerged was a vessel capable of the same speed, range and broadside weight as those of 5,500 ton ships, but with a significantly lower displacement. The construction of the cruiser was initially authorized under the 1917 8-4 Fleet Program, but funding wasn’t available until the launch of the 1921 8-6 Fleet Program, where the ship was listed under the name Ayase. The blueprints were formally approved in October 1921 and on December 23, 1921 the ship was renamed Yubari – a reference to the river Yubarigawa in Hokkaido. Sea trials of the cruiser confirmed her expected sea keeping characteristics, but also showed she was overweight – not an uncommon feature for Japanese designs. After she had been completed, Yubari’s normal displacement (with a 25 percent fuel reserve) was 419 tons (14 percent) above the design figures. This had a detrimental effect on the ship’s speed. During a one-mile run carried out on July 5, 1923 Yubari (displacing 3,463 tons) reached the top speed of 34.786 kt with the machinery producing 61,336 hp at 409.87 rpm. With 75 percent of fuel on board, the cruiser’s draft increased by 61 cm, which increased drag and resulted in the drop of speed below the expected 35.5 kt.

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Book SynopsisThe I-200 fighter project was a compromise between design office’s capabilities, realities of the Soviet aviation industry, with its available technologies, and military requirements.According to the brief description of the MiG-3 from 1941, it was, in terms of its purpose, an interceptor, but, interestingly, it could also be used as… an attack aircraft, or a light, fast dive bomber.Both the I-200 prototypes and the later MiG-1 and MiG-3 were single-seat, single-engine, mixed-design low-wing aircraft. Front part of the fuselage, together with the centre wing, up to the rear wall of the pilot’s cockpit, was made of metal. Only the tail part of the fuselage and wing consoles were wooden. Vertical stabilizer, which was an integral part of the fuselage, was made of wood, too, but horizontal stabilizer was all-metal. Rudders and ailerons had a metal construction and canvas cover. Undercarriage was made of chromansil steel.In front part of the fuselage there was a pilot’s cabin with a seat, instrument panel and controls, front fuel tank, main offensive armament, water cooler and other componentry. Centre wing was attached to the front part of the fuselage at seven points, the rear part at four points, while the engine mount was supported by two.

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Book SynopsisNakajima K-43 Hayabusa, code-named Oscar by the Allies, was the Imperial Japanese Army’s equivalent of the Zero fighter in service with the Imperial Navy. In combat units the machine replaced the aging Ki-27. Manufactured in large numbers, the fighter remained in frontline service until the end of the war. By the time its final version entered production, the development of its successor – the Ki-84 – had already started. The Ki-43 was a very maneuverable machine, but in many areas it was inferior to its adversaries. Despite its fragile design, poor armament and almost no armored protection, the Ki-43 was well-liked by the Japanese pilots and it became a symbol of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. Hayabusa was the pinnacle of the Japanese fighter design development until the lessons learned in the Pacific laid the ground for new approaches to the construction of tactical aircraft.Trade ReviewThe weathering effects on the paint on several of the aircraft shown is interesting. * IPMS/USA 16/11/2022 *

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Book SynopsisDouglas DB-7 is a family of American bomber and night fighter aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, used during World War II. This book presents a description of working on a model Douglas A-20G Havoc (DB-7). Complete with 80 colour photographs, 35 archival images, 24 renders, and free decals, this is the ideal guide for model-makers and enthusiasts. The author shows, step-by-step, each element of the modeling workshop.

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Book SynopsisThe book presents color profiles of selected tanks fighting on the Eastern Front, both on the Soviet and German sides. The book with a decal sheet.Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a single-seat fighter and fighter-jet aircraft. Produced in 15,683 units, it was the most numerous of the US fighter aircraft.Trade Review...a nice book to have in your collection, especially if you enjoy artists’ color profiles of aircraft. * IPMS/USA 16/11/2022 *

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Book SynopsisThe Eurofighter program is the most important military and industrial collaboration project that has ever been carried out in the Old Continent. Originally born as an air superiority fighter, intended to counteract the numerical superiority of the Warsaw Pact air forces, after the end of the Cold War it has gradually become a true multi-purpose fighter, possibly the most advanced that exists nowadays, with the possible exception of the North American F-35 Lightning II. It is true that its entry into service was extended over time, there were many new technologies applied in which the European companies involved in its development had to start from scratch: electronic equipment, pilot equipment, etc. But this has been, within its difficulty, the least problematic. The really difficult thing has been that the four partners agreed to go overcoming the milestones that the program was presenting as the months and years passed. Spain has always shown itself to be a very reliable partner and its industry, led by EADS-CASA (now Airbus Defense & Space), has been able to respond effectively and decisively to the challenges that continually presented themselves. We can not say the same of Germany, where the Eurofighter issue became an internal domestic political argument, with ongoing debates in the Federal Parliament, but today these debates have already been largely overcome, although its operational availability rate is the most low of all users.

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Book SynopsisThe 39.M Csaba - the Hungarian armoured reconnaissance vehicle of WWII - was a modern car for its time. The armament was mounted in a fully armoured turret, and the armour was riveted from 9 mm plates. The car was powered by a Ford engine manufactured in Cologne, Germany, which provided good speed. The vehicle had two steering positions, front and rear. Published by Kagero, this book includes 8 colour profiles, 8 A4 drawing sheets and over 100 archival photos.Trade ReviewLots of photos of the vehicle are included in the book, including quite a few that have been colorized. In addition, there are a fair number of color profiles that show all the different camouflage schemes and different insignia worn by the vehicle. Well worth picking up. * Modelling Madness 07/09/2022 *

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Book SynopsisMitsubishi Babs Vol. II – The world’s first high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft completes the history of Japan’s revolutionary high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft design. This second volume describes the Imperial Japanese Navy’s flawed attempts to develop its own high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft and their decision to ultimately adopt the Army’s magnificent Ki-15 design into Navy service as the C5M/Type-98 Reconnaissance Plane (Allied codename Babs).Across eight chapters Mitsubishi Babs Vol. II outlines the unit histories and the operational deployment of Navy C5M aircraft during the Sino-Japanese and Pacific War, andhow, through Army support and training, the Navy was finally able to perform its own long-range strategic reconnaissance missions deep into mainland China and Australia.A major portion of Vol. II is devoted to the first highly detailed technical description of this aircraft to be compiled since the Mitsubishi engineering department completed the final Babs airframe in August 1941. Individual coverage of the Ki-15-I, civilian Karigane-I, Ki-15-II, Karigane-II, C5M1, C5M2 and Ki-15-III provides aviation historians and modellers alike with an in-depth understanding of individual airframe systems and reconnaissance equipment, all lavishly supported with custom artwork, cutaways, original engineering drawings and detailed photographs.A chapter is also devoted to the pilot’s operating manual, which describes exactly how to fly this high performance aircraft.The often inaccurately reported capabilities of Babs are reviewed across two chapters which outline what the Allied intelligence teams believed about the aircraft, supported by crash investigations and technical reports.And to counter these numerous technical inaccuracies and half-truths, two chapters are devoted to reassessing various technical aspects of the aircraft, with the hope of correcting the history books once and for all. The first deals with the all important performance figures, while the second reveals the somewhat absurd manufacturing and assembly details of the Army and Navy airframes, the true production figures and decoding the Babs Construction numbers and prefix codes.The book also contains a small chapter on the history of Babs model kits and surviving memorabilia.

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Book SynopsisThe famous Polish jet trainer TS-11 Iskra and its variants in the Polish Air Force are described in unparalleled detail. Includes many unpublished photos from the private collections. The colour schemes and markings are described and illustrated in a series of specially commissioned colour profiles.

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Book SynopsisIn the third volume of this publication, the cars of the Mercedes motor company major production types are covered, such as the Mercedes 170, Mercedes 230-260 series, Mercedes 320 and Mercedes 540.In this volume the author provides a detailed impression of these vehicles through original photographs, taken both during and before the war by the normal German soldiers who both used and served with these now classic automobiles.

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Book SynopsisThis book is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of the MiG-15Bis plans in 1/72 and 1/48 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&Wand colour.4-view colour profiles of the MiG-15bis of Noth Korean AFTrade ReviewIts price point makes for a great investment by modellers, especially if you are intending to build multiple kits if this type. * Airfix Model World *

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Book SynopsisThis book is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of the PZL Lim-1. Scale plans in 1/72& 1/48 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&W and colour.4-view colour profiles of the PZL Lim-1 of the Polish Air Force

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Book SynopsisThis book is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of the PZL-104 Wilga 35A. Scale plans in 1/72& 1/48 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&W and colour.4-view colour profiles of the civil PZL-104 Wilga 35A

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Book SynopsisThis book is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of the PZL-104 Wilga 35A. Scale plans in 1/72& 1/48 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&W and colour.4-view colour profiles of the Polish Air Force PZL-104 Wilga 35A

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Book SynopsisThis book is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of thePZL P.24 E . Scale plans in 1/72 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&W and colour.4-view colour profiles of the PZL P.24 E, Romanian Air Force

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Book SynopsisScale plans in 1/32, 1/48, 1/72 scale of the Polish PZL P.24 A/C aircraft12 pages of A3 size scale plans of PZL P.24 A/C versions.

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Book SynopsisThis new photo album is number 32 in the MMPBooks/Stratus "Camera On" series and is the second volume to cover such equipment as Luftwaffe search lights and range finding equipment, of which the book contains 140+ photographs. The majority of the photos are from private collections taken by ordinary German soldiers, not professional propagandists. In this volume, we endeavour to show this rarely illustrated equipment in some detail but still show it as the soldiers viewed it as both their work place and also their home, not the highly posed and polished views of the official photographers.This book is an invaluable reference for military historians and modelers alike.

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