106 View more reviews online:www.airfi xmodelworld.com http://www.airfi xmodelworld.com 107ON THE SHELF
BOOKSMARITIME MEMORIES
Naval Archives 09: Radetzky-Class
By: Damian Majsak (Ed)
ISBN: 978-83-65437-92-1
Price: €10.85 Format: A4
Web: https://shop.kagero.plNaval Archives bookazines can
be slightly misleading, as the
title is merely the lead article,
which in this case examines the
first Dreadnoughts of the Austro-
Hungarian Navy. This is joined by
an account of the Polish destroyer
ORP Grom; the brief, yet eventfulhistory of German heavy cruiser
Seydlitz; Casablanca-class escort
carriers; U-481 when it operated in
the Gulf of Finland; Italian battleships
and the preparation for the F-35C
Lightning at US Naval Air Station
Lemoore. Each well-written feature
is supported by period photos, line
drawings, digital imagery and full
colour profiles where applicable.
Unfortunately, the relative obscurity
of several subjects means the
choice of photos is limited. Of
note, the Italian battleships section
comprises just drawings and
profiles, and suffer from lack of
a scaling bar, but otherwise they
are excellent references for each
vessel’s configuration and design.
The final ten pages are devoted to
3D anaglyphs of German destroyer
Z-37; thankfully a set of glasses are
supplied to enable readers to view
these images in their stereoscopic
form. If maritime modellers are
unaware of this series, they are well
worth considering, as they offer
information on several relatively
unknown subjects, and as such are
a great source of inspiration for
future projects.SFComplete History of the Republic
F-105 Thunderchief
By: Dennis R Jenkins, Mick Roth
and Mike Machat
ISBN: 978-1-58007-259-5
Price: US$60
Format: 250 x 262mm
Web: http://www.specialtypress.comThis coffee-table format book
covers the inception, development
and operational history of
Republic’s F-105 Thunderchief,
or ‘Thud’ as it was called. Most
of the photos accompanying this
wonderful narrative are previously
unpublished, and are joined by
declassified official documents on
the type’s design and equipment.
The aircraft’s prolonged gestation
is covered in detail and examines
the issues that faced the initial
F-105B version, before moving
onto the definitive single-seater,
the D (a far more capable
platform), followed by the two-seat
-F and G variants. Any history of
the F-105 isn’t complete without
a description of its service in
Vietnam, where it was the US Air
Force’s primary tactical bombing
asset and revolutionised the fightagainst surface-to-air-missiles
(SAMs) and radar-guided anti-
aircraft guns. This section is also
modelling heaven, as it outlines all
the electronic lumps and bumps
added to the airframe during
that conflict, with numerous
close-up photos, regardless of
whether these were ‘vanilla’
bombers or heavily modified ‘Wild
Weasel’ SAM hunters. Specific
Vietnam War programmes, such
as Commando Nail and Combat
Martin are explained in depth
and there are excellent notes on
camouflage and markings. This is
a book no Thud aficionado should
be without. SFTHUD’S TALE
176 pages80 pagesPRANGS, BANGS AND FLAK
Broken Wings Volume 2: Captured
and Wrecked Allied Aircraft of the
Blitzkrieg
By: Tom Laemlein
ISBN: 978-91-984775-4-2
Price: €29
Format: 205 x 270mm
Web: http://www.canfora.seThe second in the Broken Wings
series caters for captured and
otherwise wrecked Polish, Dutch,
Belgian, French, British, Yugoslav,
Greek and Soviet aircraft, as those
nations found themselves on
the receiving end of Germany’s
Blitzkrieg tactics. Most countries
are assigned their own chapter,
although the Dutch and Belgian,
plus Yugoslav and Greek entries
are grouped because there was
comparatively little air combat.
Given there have been few books
on this subject, it comes as no
surprise to find that many photos
have never been published
previously – most are from the
author’s own extensive collection.
It provides a different perspective
on events, as the majority weretaken originally by German soldiers/
units, and pose numerous questions,
most concerning just how specific
aircraft ended up with such damage.
This also caters for the fascination
with crashed/wrecked machinery
that has been so prevalent among
reference books on military subjects- this appears to be one of the first
to address this aspect from an
aviation angle. Whether its diorama
scenes or individual models, there
is a huge amount of modelling
potential present within these
pages, and it will be interesting to
see whether there will be more
beached Blenheims or fire-damaged
Pe-2s at future shows.SF
300 pagesWarpaint Series 117: Douglas F4D/
F-6 Skyray and F5D Skylancer
By: Tony Buttler AMRAeS
ISBN: N/A Price: £14 Format: A4
Web: .guidelinepublications.co.ukThe 177th entry in the Warpaint
series packs a surprising amount
of information on Douglas’ Skyray
and Skylancer aircraft into its
54 pages. Unsurprisingly the
main focus is on the former (the
latter existed just as a prototype)
and its service with the US Navyand Marine Corps during the
late 1950s and early 1960s. As
described in this well-crafted
narrative, the Skyray was designed
as an all-weather high subsonic/
transonic naval interceptor,
eventually being operated
by 15 squadrons. The type’s
development and service history
are covered in detail, highlighting
initial engine problems (common
with many US Navy fighter
programmes) although the Skyray
eventually held several air speed
world records. Equipment and
weapons are then examined, with
the F4D (nicknamed ‘Ford’) one
of the first aircraft to carry the
AIM-9 Sidewinder. The highlight
is Richard J Caruana’s splendid
colour profiles and scale plans;
helpfully all are drawn to 1/72
scale, making them an easy ready-
reckoner for modellers measuring
for a scheme not covered by kits
or aftermarket decals. A short
section is devoted to the Skyray’s
intended successor, the larger and
more capable Skylancer, which
was cancelled despite its
promising performance. SFNAVAL FORD
54 pages