GMU GMU48002

How to Build Tamiya's Armour. Though the modelling world is awash with an incredible variety of military vehicle kits from a huge number of different companies, one stands head and shoulders above the others in terms of originality, buildability and fun. That company is Tamiya, who have consistently provided the budding enthusiast with some of the finest kits available in the scale of 1:35. This new book brings together five detailed features that will show what is possible from this extensive range of kits. In so doing, it offers hints and tips, detailed step-by-step guides and written descriptions on all manner of techniques from basic construction, through detailing, painting and realistic weathering. No stone is left unturned in the quest to inspire the modeller to complete similar projects for themselves. It really is a one-stop-shop for the budding military modeller! Within its 84 pages you will five find features that take you through the construction and painting of the 'Easy Eight' Sherman, Nashorn, 'Elefant', Gama Goat and Tiran 5, all expertly put together by our renowned team of authors, Spencer Pollard, Brett Green and Marcus Nicholls, who have created one of the finest collections of modelling features ever published, on this famous range of kits. This then is the world of Tamiya's wonderful 1:35 military vehicle kits-we hope that you enjoy your visit!

More

Armour in Profile-Armoured Fighting Vehicles USA 1945-2018 By MP Robinson, David Grunnitt, Leif Robinson Armour in Profile: Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the United States Army, 1945-2018 contains profiles of five armoured fighting vehicles that have shaped the strategy and tactics of the United States Army since the end of World War II. From the battlefields of the Korean Peninsula and the jungles of Vietnam, to the plains of Central Europe and deserts of Iraq and Kuwait, these vehicles are iconic of American military might. Beginning with the M47 and M48 Patton tanks, replacements for the M4 Sherman, it goes on to examine the M60 tank and the mighty M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, a vehicle that is expected to serve as the principal weapon of the U.S. Army for at least another two decades. As well as these main battle tanks, it profiles the 'King of Battle', the M109 self-propelled howitzer, another relic of the Cold War continuously updated to meet the challenges of warfare in the twenty-first century. Finally, the book looks at the 'REFORGER' exercises held in the 1970s and 80s, at the height of the Cold War, and which moved thousands of U.S personnel and vehicles to Germany on an annual basis.

More

North-American/Rockwell OV-10A Bronco . Specially designed for counter-insurgency (COIN) operations from the outset, the versatile OV-10 Bronco served the US military with distinction from the Vietnam War to the first Gulf War; and many examples are still serving around the world. Our first decal sheet for the Bronco provides a wide variety of marking options for this important combat aircraft. The options on this decal sheet are: OV-10A Bronco 67-14658, 19th TASS, USAF (Vietnam) OV-10A Bronco 67-14649, 22nd TASS, Wheeler AFB, USAF OV-10A Bronco 68-3792, 19th TASS, Osan AFB, USAF OV-10A Bronco 67-14698, 20th TASS "Misty", Shaw AFB, USAF OV-10A Bronco BuNo. 155405, VMO-6, US Marine Corps (Vietnam) OV-10A Bronco BuNo. 155427, VMO-6, US Marine Corps OV-10A Bronco BuNo. 155444, VMO-1, US Marine Corps OV-10A Bronco BuNo. 155425, VMO-2, US Marine Corps OV-10A Bronco BuNo. 155499, NATC, US Navy OV-10A Bronco BuNo. 155471, VAL-4 "Black Ponies", U.S. Navy (Vietnam) OV-10A Bronco "0068", Venezuela Air Force

More

USAF C-21 (Learjet 35) A military version of the versatile Learjet 35 business jet, the C-21 has been serving the U.S. in personnel transport and medical evacuation role since the 1980s. This decal sheet provides six USAF marking options to let you build the Hasegawa Learjet 35 kit as a C-21. The options on this decal sheet are: C-21A 84-0135 12 FTW, Randolph AFB C-21A 84-0069 81 TRW, Keesler AFB C-21A 84-0087 76th AS , Ramstein AB C-21A 86-0377 200th AS, Colorado ANG C-21A 84-0096 118 AS, Connecticut ANG C-21A 84-0076 177th AS, North Dakota ANG Full stencilling and national insignia to build any of the options are included. [Learjet C-21A ]

More

Guideline in Action 2 Atlantic Resolve Nato's Show of Strength in Europe 2014 2020. Atlantic Resolve is a response to Russia's actions in Ukraine, mainly the war in Donbass, and is funded under the European Reassurance Initiative. The US took several immediate steps to demonstrate solidarity with NATO, such as augmenting the air, ground and naval presence in the region, and enhancing previously scheduled exercises. The US is taking measures to improve NATO military plans and defence capabilities, and remains committed to maintaining a persistent presence in Central and Eastern Europe. This second Guideline in Action looks at the US Air Force's recent deployments in support of Atlantic Resolve, US Army aviation assets, and multinational training exercises, as well as the transport and logistics efforts behind the maintenance of the front line squadrons. 84 pages perfect bound

More

"BLUE GOOSE" COMMAND AIRCRAFT of the USN, USMC and USCG 1911 to 1961 BY: William A. Riley and Thomas E. Doll 128-pages, 15-color illustrations, 13-color photos, 435-B&W photos, and 9-B&W illustrations. This book covers US Naval Aviation from its beginnings in 1911 until 1961 through the interesting and some times colorful "Blue Goose" or Command Aircraft. "Blue Goose" refers to a color scheme that developed for these aircraft in the 1930s. Command Planes were aircraft that were used by the Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of the Treasury, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Admirals and Generals of the Navy and Marines, and Captains and Commanders in command of naval installations, ships, squadrons, and air groups/air wings. Many were prototypes and one off civilian and military types converted for such use. The book also provides an overview of US operations in WWII and Korea.

More

Douglas C-74 Globemaster By Nicholas M. Williams, 104 pages (88 in b&w, 16 in color), 141 b&w photos, 35 color photos, 22 illustrations. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought U.S. Army Air Corps strategists to the realization that a new global transport was needed to carry large loads over great distances. The Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California, also quickly saw this need and design studies were begun immediately on an expanded version of the company's DC-4. The "C-74 Project Group" adopted a design philosophy to produce a "no frills" transport able to accommodate at least two of the Army's T-9 tanks, two 105mm Howitzers, or two angle dozers. Douglas contacted the Air Corps early in 1942 to determine their interest and a letter of intent was issued in March 1942 for procurement of the Model 415A, now designated the C-74. A contract of over $50 million was signed in June 1942 for fifty airplanes. To speed its delivery to operational units, the C-74 was designed to be released without the benefits of an experimental or prototype model, all aircraft being designated as C-74s with design features following conventional "state-of-the-art" practice. Originally, powered by Wright R-3350 engines, a decision was made in March 1943 to switch to the new, mammoth Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major. The first C-74 was rolled out in July 1945 from the Douglas Long Beach factory. At rollout, the C-74 was the largest land-based transport in the world with a wingspan of 173 feet, length of 124 feet, and gross weight of 145,000 pounds. Able to carry 125 passengers, the C-74 was called the Globemaster as its 11,100-gallons of internal fuel gave it a maximum range of over 7,000 miles, enabling it to circumnavigate the world with only two refueling stops. In its final form, the C-74 was a remarkably efficient airplane, using a semi-laminar flow airfoil for its wings with a full-span flap arrangement. The pilots were enclosed by two teardrop-shaped, double-bubble canopies that provided them with a 360-degree view. Douglas had every intention of adapting the C-74 into a civil airliner once hostilities had ended. In 1944 Pan American World Airways ordered 26 examples of the civil version, the DC-7, for a route expansion program into Latin America. However, further development of this DC-7 design increased its gross weight to 162,000 pounds and the unit cost to $1.4 million and Pan American cancelled its order in October 1945, opting for smaller transports. The first C-74, 42-65402, made its maiden flight from Long Beach in September 1945, but with the end of World War II, most of the C-74 production order was cancelled and only 14 Globemasters were built. Unfortunately, during contractor demonstration flights the second Globemaster crashed. The fourth C-74 was subsequently diverted for static tests and its components tested to destruction at Wright Field, Ohio. Beginning in September 1946, the remaining twelve C-74s were flown for the next nine years by the Army Air Forces' Air Transport Command and the U.S. Air Force's Military Air Transport Service. Once in service, the C-74 Globemaster, based first in Memphis, Tennessee, then Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida, finally at Brookley AFB, Mobile, Alabama, set many records for tonnage carried. In November 1949, a C-74 flew the Atlantic to England with a record 103 passengers aboard. One Globemaster set several records during the Berlin Airlift, averaging over 38,000 pounds of cargo and setting a new Airlift Task Force utilization record by flying 20 hours in a 24-hour period. Until one C-74 was converted to the prototype C-124A and the Globemaster II became available, the C-74 was the only Air Force transport capable of carrying outsized cargo. After the C-74's retirement from service in 1955, several were purchased surplus and began flying for a contract air carrier, Aeronaves de Panama, hauling prize cattle from Denmark to the Middle East, horses to Singapore, and ships' parts and vegetables throughout Europe. Unfortunately, after the tragic crash in 1963 of one C-74 in Marseilles, France, the airline suspended operations and its C-74s eventually were scrapped. Today, no examples of this record-setting transport exist. This monograph of the C-74 Globemaster is written by Nick Williams, an award-winning author of over two dozen articles published in the Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society and publications in the U.K. Nick has written two previous books in Steve Ginter's Naval Fighters series as well as his 1999 book published in the U.K., "Aircraft of The Military Air Transport Service 1948-1966". His new book on the C-74 is the result of nearly fifty years of research, containing comments from several of the C-74's engineers as well as former Douglas and Air Force pilots.

More

Greek restored Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX IN 4 SCALES also set include decals for propeller blades Some history for plane... Spitfire MJ755 was built at Castle Bromwich, and delivered to No. 33 MU at RAF Lyneham in December 1943, remaining in store until early 1944 when it was allocated to the Middle East Air Force and dispatched by sea to Casablanca, arriving 13th March 1944.- By August 1944, MJ755 had been allocated to 43 (China-British) Squadron-known as the 'Fighting Cocks'-coded FT-V and covering the Operation Anvil landings in the South of France. The MJ755 was one of 77 Spitfires presented to the then Hellenic Royal Airforce to help rebuild Greece's fleet, delivered to Athens by RAF pilot George Dunn DFC on February 27, 1947. In April of that year, it joined the 335th Royal Hellenic Pursuit Squadron in Sedes while from 1949 it was used as a training aircraft for military pilots in Tatoi. (Mk.IXc Mk.IXe]

More

Re-printed! The McDonnell F-4A/F-4B/F-4N/F-4J/F-4S & RF-4B Phantom US Navy and Marine Corps Versions By Andy Evans 84 Pages Full Colour The iconic F-4 Phantom is one of the most recognisable aircraft ever produced. Initially built for the US Navy, its multi-role abilities as an interceptor, fighter-bomber and reconnaissance platform were quickly adopted by the Marine Corps and first entered service in 1961. So impressed with the Navy's new aircraft, the US Air Force also ordered the Phantom, and production ran from 1958 to 1981 with a total of 5,195 aircraft built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft in history, and cementing its position as an iconic combat aircraft of the Cold War. A total of forty-five F-4As were built, however, none saw combat, and most ended up as test or training aircraft. The USN and USMC received the first definitive Phantom, the F-4B which was equipped with the Westinghouse APQ-72 radar, a Texas Instruments AAA-4 Infrared search and track pod under the nose, an AN/AJB-3 bombing system in 1961 and VF-121 'Pacemakers' taking the first examples at NAS Miramar. The F-4J improved both air-to-air and ground-attack capabilities and deliveries began in 1966 and ended in 1972 with 522 built. It was equipped with the Westinghouse AN/AWG-10 Fire Control System (making the F-4J the first fighter in the world with operational look-down/shoot-down capability), a new integrated missile control system and the AN/AJB-7 bombing system for expanded ground attack capability. The F-4N (updated F-4B) with smokeless engines and F-4J aerodynamic improvements started in 1972 under a Navy-initiated refurbishment program called 'Project Bee Line'. The F-4S model resulted from the refurbishment of 265 F-4Js with J79-GE-17 smokeless engines, an AWG-10B radar with digitised circuitry for improved performance and reliability, a Honeywell AN/AVG-8 Visual Target Acquisition Set or VTAS (world's first operational Helmet Sighting System), avionics improvements, airframe reinforcement and leading-edge slats for enhanced manoeuvring. With the introduction of the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet, by 1987 the last F-4Ss were being retired from deployable USN squadrons, and on 25 March 1986, an F-4S belonging to the VF-151 'Vigilantes' became the last active-duty US Navy Phantom to launch from an aircraft carrier, in this case the USS Midway. On 18 October 1986, an F-4S from the VF-202 'Superheats', made the last-ever Phantom carrier landing while operating aboard USS America, and in 1987 the last of the Naval Reserve-operated F-4S aircraft were replaced by F-14As. The last Phantoms in service with the Navy were QF-4N and QF- 4S target drones operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center at NAS Point Mugu. Likewise, in the early 1980s, US Marine Corps Phantom squadrons began to transition to the F/A-18 and in January 1992, the last Marine Corps F-4S Phantom was retired by the 'Cowboys' of VMFA-112 at NAS Dallas, after which the squadron re-equipped with F/A-18 Hornets. This is the first of a five book collectable series that will build into a comprehensive library on the F-4 Phantom in US Navy and Marine Corps Service, US Air Force Service, European Operators, Middle Eastern Operators and Asian Operators. Each book has comprehensive historic information on each Phantom variant, its operators and combat roles, with colour profiles and full model builds included. This will be a must have series for the Phantom aficionado and modeller alike.

More

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter David Doyle. The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter first flew in 1954, Starfighters then broke the world altitude record in May 1958 and the world air-speed record nine days later. It was the first aircraft to hold both records simultaneously. Many of the Starfighter's records stand today. With a powerful XJ79 engine and futuristic design by famed Lockheed engineer Clarence ��½Kelly Johnson and his team, a YF-104A passed Mach 2 in 1956. The F-104 was born from combat against Communist MiG-15 jet aircraft during the Korean War. Known as a ��½missile with a man in it and ��½an engine with wings, Starfighters trained astronauts such as Chuck Yeager on the edge of space, fought over Vietnam, and were lethal Cold War interceptors capable of firing air-to-air nuclear missiles. During its 50-year career, it was used by no less than 15 nations from Jordan to Taiwan, Italy finally retired its fleet in 2005. It is poised to be reborn as a civilian satellite launcher in 2018. More than 160 vintage photos, many in original color, numerous line drawings and new color profiles, this new volume chronicles the remarkable military career of this aircraft. 80 pages.

More

Mutt In Action (Soft cover) The 4WD M151 was intended to be a lightweight, high-mobility replacement for the M38A1, itself a successor to the famed World War II jeep. Dubbed the Military Utility Tactical Truck or "MUTT" by the military - GIs almost universally referred to the vehicle as a "jeep." The series' service life spanned more than 40 years and four manufacturers, and the vehicles saw service everywhere the U.S. GI was deployed. This volume chronicles the development and field use of the 4WD M151 series in Europe, the Middle East and, of course, there is extensive coverage of the vehicles' service in Vietnam. The photos, many previously unpublished, are augmented by seven line drawings. Illustrated with 220 photographs; 80 pages.[4WD M151A1 Ford Jeep Mutt 4WD M151A2]

More

M2/M3 Bradley in Action series. Named for U.S. General Omar Bradley, the armoured M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle was designed to transport infantry or scouts and was possessed of sufficient firepower to suppress enemy troops and armoured vehicles. Introduced into U.S. Military service in 1981 the vehicle was built around the formidable Bushmaster 25mm chain gun mounted in the vehicle's two-man turret. The vehicle's three-man crew (commander, gunner, driver) was augmented by the ability to carry an infantry team of seven soldiers in the rear compartment protected by aluminium-alloy armoured skin. Powered by a Cummins Diesel V-8 engine, the Bradley had tremendous automotive performance as well. The M2 Bradley the original version of the vehicle was the basis for the M3, also known as a Bradley, a scout vehicle designed for the Cavalry that has the same three-man crew of the M2, but carries only two scouts in the rear compartment. Improvements and armament used on the Bradley's such as the TOW and TOW2 are also covered in the volume, whose 80 pages are packed with over 130 photos. By David Doyle

More

Warpaint Aviation #1 - Fall of Iron Edited by Gary Hatcher & Chris Meddings. Fall of Iron is the first in a series of compendium volumes covering military aircraft with a focus on some of the less well-covered subjects. The series is designed to offer a brief one-stop historical reference combined with colour artwork and is aimed primarily scale modellers but offers plenty for the general aviation enthusiast too. This first volume looks at some of the twin-engined medium bombers of World War Two and includes a selection of profiles written by Richard Mason, as well as a ground-breaking piece of research on the early B-25 Mitchell by Brian Derbyshire that offers an incisive look into the business of wartime mass-production and the vast number of changes to the ensuing airframes brought about as a result of ongoing combat experience. Other aircraft covered include the rarely discussed Tupolev SB-2, the Mitsubishi G4M Betty, Bristol Blenheim, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79, Petylyakov Pe-2 and the Handley Page Hampden. Many of these aircraft have been overlooked as 'also-rans' by history and the scale modelling community but an examination of similar types designed for similar roles from various Axis and Allied air forces demonstrates just how much aircraft development kept pace during the conflict, and how despite their clear external differences aircraft designers all over the World were drawing the same conclusions as a result of experience gained in a shooting war. Comprehensive enough to inform but concise enough to be useful, Fall of Iron presents a picture of Wartime bomber development that will help the reader understand the essential role these unsung machines played and the sometimes remarkable use that was made of them. This books is 92 pages

More

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.

More

Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota By Adrian M. Balch When the prototype Douglas DC-3 " actually a DST Douglas Sleeper Transport first flew from Clover Field, Santa Monica, California on Sunday 17 December 1935, Donald Wills Douglas never imagined that the production run would total more than 10,000, with more licence built in Russia and Japan, let alone many would be still be flying 86 years later, the C-47 being perpetuated by turbo-prop conversions, seeing the type probably still flying to see its 100th anniversary! Arguably the most famous transport aircraft of all time, the DC-3 and C-47 has been operated by just about every country in the world in service with their airlines and military air arms. This Warpaint has not skimped on the colour schemes and markings used by military operators, the C-47 being named by the USAAF as the Skytrain and the RAF and Commonwealth countries as the Dakota, both names being adopted worldwide. This lavish and extensive Warpaint by author Adrian Balch includes over 300 photographs of military C-47s, nearly all in colour, accompanied by 10 pages of colour profiles by artist Sam Pearson making this the most comprehensive reference to colours and markings for modellers and historians on the type to date.

More

Lockheed Hudson Mk.I to Mk.VI (Hall Park Books Limited) Once the designs had been agreed with Lockheed not a company known in the UK at the time but significant in the US both military and US civilian airlines a order was placed for 200 aircraft at a cost of $25 million with a unit cost of £17,000.00

More