MiniArt MT38002

Airbus A-400M Atlas - 140 pages This book is an in-depth portrait of Europe's newest military transport aircraft, the A-400M Atlas. In 140 pages, every detail of the impressive aircraft is shown, from the fuselage, wings, landing gear, to the cockpit and cargo bay. Aircraft from every country operating the A-400M are included: UK, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Turkey and Malaysia. It also shows the A-400M in action, in flight, landing and taking off from unhardened runways or beaches and flying at low level. It contains over 350 photographs.

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Building the Supermarine Spitfire The iconic Supermarine Spitfire, the most strategically important British single-seat fighter of World War II. The Spitfire, renowned for winning victory laurels in the Battle of Britain along with the Hawker Hurricane, served in every theatre of the War and was produced in more variants than any other British aircraft. The Spitfire was designed by Reginald Mitchell of Supermarine Ltd., in response to a 1934 Air Ministry specification calling for a high-performance fighter with an armament of eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch machine guns. The airplane was a direct descendant of a series of floatplanes designed by Mitchell to compete for the coveted Schneider Trophy in the 1920s. One of these racers, the S.6, set a world speed record of 357 miles per hour in 1929. Designed around a 1,000-horsepower, 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine (later dubbed the Merlin), the Spitfire first flew in March 1935. It had superb performance and flight characteristics, and deliveries to operational Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons commenced in the summer of 1938. A more radical design than the Hurricane, the Spitfire had a stressed-skin aluminum structure and a graceful elliptical wing with a thin airfoil that, in combination with the Merlin's efficient two-stage supercharger, gave it exceptional performance at high altitudes. The version of the Spitfire that fought in the Battle of Britain was powered by a Merlin engine. Faster than its formidable German opponent the Bf-109 at altitudes above 15,000 feet and just as manoeuvrable, Spitfires were sent by preference to engage German fighters while the slower Hurricanes went for the bombers. More Hurricanes than Spitfires served in the Battle of Britain, and they were credited with more 'kills,' but it can be argued that the Spitfire's superior high-altitude performance provided the margin of victory. Meanwhile, Supermarine was developing more-capable versions of the Spitfire driven by progressively more-powerful Merlin's. The eight 0.303-inch machine guns gave way to four 0.8-inch automatic cannons, and by war's end the Spitfire had been produced in more than 20 fighter versions alone, powered by Merlin's of up to 1,760 horsepower. Though outperformed by the German Fw-190 on that aircraft's introduction in 1941, the Spitfire restored parity the following year and eventually regained the advantage. It remained a first-line air-to-air fighter throughout the war. Spitfires were used in the defence of Malta, in North Africa and Italy, and, fitted with tail hooks and strengthened tail sections, as Seafires from Royal Navy aircraft carriers from June 1942. Spitfires helped to provide air superiority over the Sicily, Italy, and Normandy beachheads and served in the Far East from the spring of 1943. Fighter-bomber versions could carry a 250 or 500lb bomb beneath the fuselage and a 250-pound bomb under each win One of the Spitfire's most important contributions to Allied victory was as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft from early 1941. Superior high-altitude performance rendered it all but immune from interception, and the fuel tanks that replaced wing-mounted machine guns and ammunition bays gave it sufficient range to probe western Germany from British bases. n late 1943 Spitfires powered by Rolls-Royce Griffon engines developing as much as 2,050 horsepower began entering service. Capable of top speeds of 440 miles per hour and ceilings of 40,000 feet, these were used to shoot down V-1 'buzz bombs.' During World War II, Spitfires were exported in small numbers to Portugal, Turkey, and the Soviet Union, and they were flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe. When production ceased in 1947, 20,334 Spitfires of all versions had been produced, 2,053 of them Griffon-powered versions. Fighter versions of the Spitfire were withdrawn from RAF service during the early 1950s, while photo-reconnaissance Spitfires continued in service until 1954. In Model Aircraft 'Extra Special' #6, the biggest book of this series some 22`Spitfire build projects will be included, in a 'how-to' format, and continue this fantastic series modelling guides from MA Publications, the new name in scale modelling.

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RENAULT R35 & R40 THROUGH A GERMAN LENS Camera On series #26 Alan Ranger The Renault R35, an abbreviation of Char leger Modele 1935 R (or R35), was a French light infantry tank of the Second World War. Designed from 1933 and produced from 1936, the tank was intended as an infantry support light tank. To this end it was relatively well-armoured but slow and lacking a good anti-tank capacity, fitted only with a short 37 mm gun. At the outbreak of the war, the anti-tank role was more emphasized, leading to the development and eventual production from April 1940 of a sub-type with a more powerful longer gun, the Renault R40. Following the defeat of France the R35/40 remained the most numerous French tank of the war; about 1,680 vehicles had been produced by June 1940. In this volume the author provides a detailed impression of these tanks through original photographs taken during the war by German soldiers. * Camera On: a new series of books on the equipment and operations of the German Wehrmacht in WW2.

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Curtiss XP-55 Ascender By Gerry Balzer, 72-pages, 148-b&w photos, 4-color photos. The Curtiss XP-55 Ascender was a tailless swept-wing WWII pusher fighter design born out by the USAAC 1940 fighter competition. The USAAC was looking for a fighter to counter the threat of the German Bf-109 and the Japanese Zero and replace the obsolete P-35s, P-36s and the front line P-40s just entering service. From this competition three unusual pusher prototypes were ordered, the Consolidated XP-54, Curtiss XP-55, and the Northrop XP-56. A low powered full scale flying model (model CW 24B)was built out of wood and cloth to substantiate the flying qualities, and was first flown on 2 December 1941. The XP-55 mock-up was completed in August 1942, and the first of three XP-55s was completed on 26 June 1943 with its first flight being conducted on 13 July 1943. The first aircraft was destroyed on 15 November 1943. Changes deemed necessary were incorporated in the second airframe in which performance testing began on 16 September 1944. Although the much more capable P-38, P-47, and P-51 had entered service, research into the XP-55s unusual design continued. The third XP-55 had entered flight testing in April 1944 and was used at Eglin Field for armament tests before being lost during a war bond rally display on 27 May 1945. By then the program had been terminated. Today, the second XP-55 presides in restored condition at the Kalamazoo Air Museum.

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Messerschmitt Bf-109G (Walk Around Series) (Paperback) Commonly known as the "Gustav" because of the G suffix in its name, The Bf-109 G began rolling off assembly lines in February 1942 and remained in production until the end of World War II. The Bf-109 G was mainly distinguished from its predecessor by the fact that it incorporated the Daimler Benz DB 605 A engine, a powerplant with a takeoff rating of 1,475 h.p. 125 h.p. more than the DB 601 E engine in the Bf-109 F-4. Production of the Bf-109 G was also undertaken by Germany's Allies, including Romania and Hungary. No reliable manufacturing statistics survive but it is estimated that a massive 23,000 Gustavs were built by the end of the war. Lavishly illustrated with wartime photos as well as modern museum shots, this volume recounts in detail the stories of the numerous versions of the versatile Gustav, including the G-1 and G-5 with their pressurized cabins; the prolific G-2 and G-4, which saw extensive service on the Eastern Front and in North Africa; the G-6, which was built in greater numbers than any other Gustav; the short-range reconnaissance G-8, and others. Particular attention is devoted to Gustav aircraft flown by Germany's allies during the war wartime photos of Croatian, Finnish, Hungarian, Italian, Romanian, Slovak, and Slovenian pilots and their aircraft fill the book, highlighting a facet of the Axis war effort often overlooked by historians. Illustrated with more than 200 photographs, detailed colour profiles and line drawings; 80 pages.

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Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster and DC-4 The Douglas C-54 Skymaster, a direct adaptation of the civilian DC-4 while still on the production line, became the outstanding long-range four-engined transport aircraft of the Second World War. With its origins as a civilian airliner, it served chiefly on the long-distance haul of Air Transport Command of the United States Army Air Forces on the Atlantic and Pacific routes, where it cut flight hours between the United States and the theatres of operation thousands of miles away. The reliability of its airframe and engines was put to good use also on the India-China 'Hump' route, which was described as the most arduous of all within the responsibility of Air Transport Command. Like its smaller Douglas stable mate the C-47, the C-54 boasted legendary reliability, and was the preferred long-range transport from among its contemporaries. A special VIP version was built for use by the President of the United States, Franklin D Roosevelt. The Royal Air Force also used it in small numbers during the Second World War, one of which was outfitted as a VIP aircraft for use by Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The U.S. Navy acquired it under the designation R5D. All production having been commandeered by the USAAF on the outbreak of war, no civilian DC-4s flew during the war. After 1945, however, hundreds became available for use by civilian airlines, which converted them into airliners with passenger seating and comfort, or used them as freighters. Douglas re-opened its production line for new builds in 1946, but the cheap price of the second-hand market kept back this production to only 79 examples. Also in 1946 Canadair ventured to build a Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered version, which it named North Star, used by both military and commercial operators. The DC-4 was a common sight in the immediate post-war period up to the 1950s flown by leading European and United States airline liveries, until it started to be replaced by Douglas's own DC-6 and DC-7. The aircraft came in handy during the 1948-49 Berlin Airlift, during which it hauled food supplies and even coal to the beleaguered German city, and again during the Korean War, airlifting the wounded to Japan and the United States. Dozens of variants of the C-54 were employed in a wide variety of non-combat roles such as air-sea rescue, scientific and military research and missile tracking and recovery. No fewer than 1,315 examples of Skymasters were built in the United States and Canada, flown by 35 air arms of other countries in a variety of versions and roles, and full information on serials, versions and other remarks are all included in very detailed tables in this book. The Aviation Traders Carvair cross-Channel car ferry is not forgotten in this account, and a chapter is dedicated to this unique aircraft converted in Britain from standard C-54s. This new 96 page Warpaint publication written by Charles Stafrace contains 200 colour and B&W photos plus eleven pages of colour artwork by Richard Caruana.

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Hannover 'Hawa'! Volume 1. Ray Rimell and Harry Woodman present this fresh appraisal of the German Hannover Cl.II/Cl.III series with the first in a special double DATAFILE set. The full wartime history of the aircraft is outlined in this first volume with the aid of over 56 archive photos plus six pages of all-new 1:72/1:48 scale drawings of the Cl.II by Mick Davis. 'Hawa' wing geometry is discussed and there's the first part of the 1918 Aeronautical Engineering report on captured 13199/18 with its detailed notes and sketches. On top of all that are three pages of superb new colour profiles from Ronny Bar that grace the cover section. In the light of new information and with the benefit of new photos, these important types have never been covered in such depth before.

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Building the Wingnut Wings Hannover Cl.II Albatros Productions have just published the eighth title in their acclaimed Modelling Special series. For all those serious enthusiasts seeking to get the very best from this excellent kit, WWI aero-historian and author Ray Rimell brings over 60 years of modelling experience to present a truly comprehensive guide for creating a perfect miniature in 54 colourful and inspiring pages. Profusely illustrated with over 190 images, his unique monograph carries an extensive build- log of WNW's Hannover kit with extended coverage on painting and decal application helping modellers to achieve a realistic and convincing finish. Each stage of the assembly is discussed in meticulous step-by-step detail with supportive archive photos and contemporary sketches along the way. Every key aspect is featured, from super-detailing cockpits, Argus engine, armament and observer's gun ring, to specialized treatment of 'lozenge' fabric covering and creating masks for the complex fuselage camouflage pattern. In addition there are nine new colour profiles from Ronny Bar including a multi-view centre-spread, along with a 12 page gallery of rare wartime images, most previously unpublished and reproduced to large area format highlighting the smallest of details. For modellers looking to convert the kit to Cl.III or Cl.IIIa variants, the book covers that too with 1:32 scale fuselage drawings of both aircraft. With comprehensive after -market accessory and decals listings, plus a jargon-buster and an extensive bibliography, the latest Special is a goldmine of modelling lore and full-size data for these famous German WWI two-seaters. Whilst the focus of attention is naturally on the WNW kit, this high-quality publication will also prove equally invaluable for those building model Hannovers to any scale.

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