104 Airfi x Model World View more reviews online:www.airfi xmodelworld.com 105
ON THE SHELF
BOOKSBritish Combat Aircraft in Latin
America
By: Santiago Rivas
ISBN: 978-1-90210-957-2
Price: £44.95 Format: 305 x 219mm
Web: http://www.crecy.co.ukAmassing a comprehensive history
of British combat aircraft exported
to a single country is challenging;
to do this for a continent is a
real achievement. This massive
compilation has two sections – pre-
and post-1940 – although the formeroccupies just a single chapter. Entries
are sub-divided by country (listed
alphabetically), with aircraft types
discussed separately for each nation.
The exhaustive narrative follows the
exports of British aircraft to South
America from 1918 to the present
day, although the UK’s heyday
was undoubtedly the immediate
post-World War Two period. The
continent was the recipient of
surplus RAF piston-engined fighters
and bombers, followed by various
jet types, including Canberras and
Jaguars. There’s more than a hint of
irony that the exported aircraft were
later used against British interests
or, on one occasion, in direct armed
conflict. The basic narrative is
engaging and informative, backed
by a huge collection of period
photographs, plus colour profiles
by Luca Canossa. From a modelling
perspective, what this book omits in
close-ups is more than compensated
for by the sheer volume of material
which provides inspiration in spades,
as Latin American aircraft frequently
wore attractive camouflage and
national liveries.SFARMOURED SUPPORT
LONG-NOSED SUPERMARINES
The Supermarine Spitfire Part 2
(Griffon-powered)
By: Richard A Franks
ISBN: 978-1-912932-00-9
Price: £21.95 Format: A4
Web: http://www.valiant-wings.co.ukValiant Wings’ latest Airframe and
Miniature provides a complete
guide to Griffon-powered Spitfires
and Seafires. It’s packed with
information and includes a set of
fold-out 1/48 scale plans for all
major variants. There are two main
sections – Airframe and Miniature- covering the full-sized machine
and scale models; the latter includes
a comprehensive 80-page walk-
around, covering every aspect of
the airframe. Development histories
(supported by high-quality period
photos) are charted in depth, and
also address the short-lived Spiteful
and Seafang. Modellers will find
the colours and markings chapter
particularly useful, as it supplies
dimensions for fuselage bands, letter
heights and roundel types/diameters.
A kit review chapter includes
offerings from Airfix, Academy and
Fujimi. These are followed by step-
by-step builds of Fujimi’s 1/72 Spitfire
FR.XIVe, Special Hobby’s 1/72 Spitfire
F.22, Airfix’s 1/48 Spitfire FR.XIV
and Special Hobby’s Seafire Mk.XV.
However, the highlight is arguably
the collection of isometric drawings,
which illustrate the differences
between each variant, and gives
modellers the necessary information
to modify kits into lesser-known sub-
types. Lastly, there is a full kit, decal
and accessory listing.
This is a tour de force on Griffon-
powered Spitfire/Seafire variants
and one no Supermarine enthusiast
should be without. SF272 pagesThe Battleship HMS Rodney
By: Carlo Cestra
ISBN: 978-83-66148-28-4
Price: £25.95Format: A4
Web: casematepublishers.co.ukShip modellers wanting an easily
accessible reference on HMS
Rodney, the second Nelson-
class battleship, would do well to
consider this Kagero 3D Super
Drawings volume. The vessel is
depicted as it appeared in 1942,
when assigned to Force H in the
Mediterranean. There’s a short
account of the ship’s development
and service, before the reader
is immersed in the meticulously
researched digital images.
These cover every aspect of
this battleship, from the unusual
main armament configuration (all
main gun turrets were located
forward of the bridge) to deck
pumps and where Carley rafts
were stowed. The author has
made great effort to depict HMS
Rodney in an operational guise,
including such items as deck-
mounted ready use ammunition
lockers, winch and crane cabling,and even a Walrus amphibious
aircraft on the aft-most turret
roof. Similarly, the ship’s Admiralty
camouflage scheme has been
portrayed accurately, including
how it was absent from turret
tops and transitioned between the
various superstructure sections.
As is usual in this series, there are
separate fold-out scale plans – the
main being 1/350 – while smaller
items are at 1/200, 1/150, 1/100
and 1/50, providing modellers with
a wealth of information. SFFIREPOWER UP FRONT
88 pages100 pagesBritish Infantry Tanks in World
War II
By: Dick Taylor
ISBN: 978-83-65437-12-9
Price: €16.63 Format: A4
Web: https://shop.kagero.plAt the outbreak of World War
Two, British tank forces were
classified as either light, cruiser or
infantry depending on their speed,
armour and firepower; Kagero’s
Photosniper volume examines
the final type, which favoured
protection over manoeuvrability.The parlous state of British
tank doctrine at the beginning
of World War Two is highlighted
and how it adjusted to wartime
requirements – there’s even a
mention of how Churchill operator
manuals had what amounted to
a manufacturer’s apology over
its faults. The book’s scope is
limited to four types that entered
service during World War Two:
Matilda Mk.I/II, Valentine and
Churchill. Each is covered in depth,
and the text is enlivened with
period photos and extracts from
maintenance/operator manuals.
Captions are informative, with
equipment identified clearly, and
provide vital context to the scenes
and/or vehicles depicted. In turn
these are complemented by high-
quality colour shots of surviving
vehicles; the Matilda Mk.I receives
a superb 20-page walk-round.
Lastly, six pages of profiles depict
specific machines, with notes on
camouflage, markings and unit
insignia. With recent releases
of these types in kit form, Dick
Taylor's book is a splendid guide
to infantry tanks and one well
worth considering. SFANGLOPHILE OPERATORS^624 pages