Scale Aviation Modeller International 08.2018

Top-drawings 51

Brewster F2A Buffalo

AUTHOR: Maciej Noszczak

YEAR: 2017

PUBLISHER: Kagero

ISBN: 978-83-65437-73-0

FOR M AT: 20pp Softback

I

n service use at the start of the

Second World War, the Brewster

Buffalo was a carrier fighter

whose pilots soon found out that they

were outgunned and far slower than

the Japanese Zero fighters. However,

on the other side of the world the

de-navalised version used by the

Finnish Air Force did enjoy some

success against Soviet fighters.

The book commences with a brief

bilingual (English & Polish) summary

of the development of the Buffalo,

indicating various changes that occurred

in production. As with the previous Top-

drawing books, the bulk of the pages are

filled with scale drawings of the different

versions, showing the details in 1/48th

scale. Such details as the different styles

of skis fitted to Finnish aircraft, the

export models, bomb racks, and sections

of the fuselage. Some of this information

is then collated in 1/72nd scale on the

last two pages. Colour plates show ten

variations of camouflage for U.S. Navy,

U.S.A.A.F., British, Finnish, and Dutch

aircraft, with a pull-out picture of a

Buffalo in flight, ideal for framing.

A very useful reference for the

aircraft modeller of an aircraft

that has not received a vast amount

of coverage. Recommended.

Review copy kindly supplied

by Casemate Publishers w w w.

casematepublishers.co.uk

Paul Middleton

Blenheims over Greece

and Crete 1940-41

AUTHOR: Brian Cull

YEAR: 2014 (hardback); 2017 (paperback)

PUBLISHER: Fonthill Media Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-78155-280-3 (hardback)

ISBN: 978-1-78155-631-3 (paperback)

FOR M AT: 223 pp Hardback/Softback

W

hen Italian forces invaded

Greece in 1940, the Greek

Air Force consisted of some

mainly obsolete fighters, and three

squadrons of light bombers, including

Blenheims; this force was significantly

outnumbered by the Italian Air Force.

Britain moved swiftly to secure Crete

and recognised the need to assist in

the defence of Greece. One fighter

squadron and three light bomber

squadrons were dispatched to Greece,

one of the latter being 30 Squadron.

One of the Wireless Operator/

Air Gunners (Wop/AG) on this unit

was Sgt Herbert “Lofty” Lord, later

Flt Lt DFC. In the fullness of time his

papers from the period came to his

grandson, Simon Lord, who contacted

the author. The outcome is this book.

Initially

intended to be an

account of Lord’s

participation, the scope of the book grew as

extensive research showed the author that

it would be possible to write an account of

all Blenheim operations in this theatre up

to the loss of Crete. That is what this book

is about; the author relates events using a

mix of narrative, first-hand accounts, and

extracts from documents. The writing

is supported by a well-chosen selection

of contemporary photographs. Three

appendices follow, starting with a table of

RAF and Greek Blenheim losses; a biography

of Herbert Lord written by his grandson;

and an account by Ian Carter, editor of the

Blenheim Society Journal, of a visit to Greece

in 2001. Finally, there is a bibliography,

acknowledgements, endnotes, and an index.

The author is an acknowledged authority

on the war in Greece, and this book is a

fascinating account of just one aspect of one of

the less-well-known theatres of World War II.

Thanks to Fonthill Media

Ltd for the review copy.

MJC

Modellers Data-File 30

The Messerschmitt Bf109

A Comprehensive Guide ‘F to K’ Variants

AUTHOR: Lynn Ritger

YEAR: First published 2007,

updated Second Edition 2018

PUBLISHER: SAM Publications

ISBN: 978-1-9996616-0-1

FOR M AT: 224pp Softback

T

his book was first

published back

in 2007 and has

been out of print for some time

now, so with all of the recent new

Messerschmitt Bf109F and G kits it

was time for an updated reprint of

this well-respected reference book.

Before moving into the development

of the type, the book opens with a look at

the short life of a 109 pilot, highlighting

some of the similarities between Allied

and Axis pilots and the effect that their

loss had on those around them. The

book then continues with a look at the

development of the Bf109F to G models

before looking at the types use on the

Channel, Mediterranean and Eastern

front, before moving on to look at the

types use in the final days of the war.

In the middle of the book, there

are seven pages of colour profiles,

showing in service and captured 109s,

these are followed by some fantastic

reference images of the engine, both

contemporary images

and modern restored

examples. The next

chapter looks at the

foreign users of the

type, including the

Spanish who kept their

Merlin engined version

in service until 1965.

The second

half of the book

offers the real meat for us modellers,

containing as it does the detail

chapters and the colour photographic

walk round images of some of the

preserved 109s in museums. The

model builds in this Second Edition

are all new for this book and feature

some of the latest releases in all

scales from Eduard, Zvezda, Tamiya

and AZ. The decal and accessory

lists are also new for this Edition.

The book is rounded off with

a list of surviving airframes and a

list of the variants with production

details, highlighting the physical

differences between the versions.

This is a very welcome Second

Edition of this book especially as I

missed it the first time around! My

thanks to SAM Publications for

supplying this book for review.

TMU-S

Hawker Hurricane

The Multirole Fighter

AUTHOR: Philip Birtles

YEAR: 2017

PUBLISHER: Fonthill Media Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-78155-587-3

FOR M AT: 442 pp Hardback; also

available as e-Book

F

orever overshadowed in

the public mind by its more

elegant and well-known

contemporary, the Spitfire, the

Hurricane was nevertheless a

vital part of the Royal Air Force

order of battle and made a vital

contribution to the war effort on

many fronts in many roles. This

book, by well-known and respected

author Philip Birtles, is an account

of the Hurricane’s service history.

The book opens with an

introduction, and some chapters on

the Hurricane’s genesis, tracing its

lineage from T.O.M. Sopwith via the

various Sopwith designs and the

Hawker biplanes of the 1920s and

1930s. Following that, the majority of

the book concentrates on the type’s

service history, from its entry into

RAF service with 111 Sqn until its

eventual retirement from Portuguese

service in 1952. Along the way it

covers the Battles of France and

Britain; the defence of Malta; the

Desert and Asian campaigns; carrier-

borne Sea Hurricanes, and CAM ship

operations; Canadian production

and service; the many second-line

roles it undertook; and post-war

overseas service. Finally, there is a

chapter on rebuilding and restoring

Hurricanes, majoring on those aircraft

being rebuilt at the time of writing.

The main text is followed by

a number of appendices, listing

preserved Hurricanes; technical

specifications for each variant;

production batches; and Hurricane

units, first RAF then other air arms.

The latter covers the major role(s) of

each unit, the squadron codes where

applicable, marks and dates, and bases.

Finally, there is a short bibliography.

The book is well illustrated by many

contemporaneous and well-picked

photographs. It is not a quick read,

and it is not cheap, but it is well worth

the price and deserves a place on your

bookshelf. It even inspired this Spitfire

fan to look into the current availability

of Hurricane kits and wonder which

particular variant to do first.

Thanks to Fonthill Media

Ltd for the review copy.

MJC

BOOKS & MEDIA

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