Meng Model MMPS-006

Building the F-4 Phantom. The iconic McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was originally developed for the US Navy and entered service in 1960. Proving highly adaptable, it was soon adopted by the US Marine Corps and the US Air Force, and by the mid-1960s had become a major part of their air arms. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2, and can carry more than 18,000lb of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4 was used extensively during the Vietnam War, where it served as the principal air superiority fighter for the US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps and became important in the ground-attack and aerial reconnaissance roles later in the war. The aircraft continued to form a major part of US military air power throughout the 1970s and 1980s, being gradually replaced by more modern aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle, Lockheed-Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon F-14 Tomcat and the F/A-18 Hornet. The F-4 Phantom II remained in use by the US forces in the reconnaissance and Wild Weasel roles in the 1991 Gulf War, finally leaving service in 1996. It was also the only aircraft used by both the USAF Thunderbirds (F-4E) and the US Navy Blue Angels (F-4J). The Phantom was also operated by the armed forces of eleven other nations, and Israeli Phantoms saw extensive combat in several conflicts, while Iran used its large fleet of Phantoms, acquired before the fall of the Shah, in the Iran Iraq War, and both the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy used the FG.1 and FGR.2 versions using Rolls-Royce Spey engines. As of 2019, sixty years after its first flight, the F-4 remains in service with Iran, Japan, South Korea, Greece, and Turkey. The aircraft has most recently been in service against the Islamic State group in the Middle East. This third book in the MA Extra Series contains fifteen model builds, colour profiles and scale plans, and will be a must for the Phantom-Phanatic!

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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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MDFSD9 Scaled Down #9 Fairchild A-10A Warthog/Thunderbolt II. The A-10 'Warthog' owed its birth to two influences - the inadequacies of the Close Air Support aircraft used in Vietnam, and the need to counter Soviet armoured might in Europe. During the Vietnam War the Air Force regarded CAS as their domain but was hard pressed to find an aircraft with both the range and loiter capacity to fulfil this need. They did obtain quantities of the old but excellent piston-powered Douglas A-1 Skyraider originally developed for the Navy, which soon earned the appreciation of the ground-pounders by its ability to carry a huge warload, dish out and take punishment, and remain on station for an extended period of time. Late in the war the USAF shifted the CAS mission to the jet-powered A-7 Corsair II, which had been developed for a US Navy requirement for a carrier-based strike fighter to replace the A-4 Skyhawk. The Corsair was an excellent aircraft, but it was designed for the strike-interdiction role, not for the battlefield CAS mission. The USAF therefore began to put together an AX - 'Attack Experimental' program to develop a dedicated CAS aircraft that could do the job far better than the Corsair, match the Skyraider in warload and endurance, but be substantially faster while being extremely maneuverable. The aircraft would also need to be highly survivable through the use of armour and redundant systems, include twin engines and be armed with a fast-firing Gatling-type gun.

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Re-released! Fairey Swordfish Colour and Markings with decals (13) The Swordfish biplane " the legendary 'Stringbag' " was designed in 1934 to meet the Air Ministry's requirement for an aeroplane in the Torpedo-Spotter-Reconnaissance (TSR) category. Produced in substantial numbers by the Fairey and Blackburn companies, it became a real workhorse of the Fleet Air Arm fulfilling search and anti-shipping roles, destroying enemy surface vessels and U-Boats and carrying out escort duties with convoys. By 1944 almost 2,400 Swordfish had been completed. The publication has 28 pages, including a total of 44 overall and detailed photographs, 13 pages with colour camouflage schemes and their description. Text in English. A comprehensive decal sheet is added for modellers' convenience. Size of the 1/48th scale decal sheet.250x200 mm. This edition also includes a bonus " an extra decal option, the thirteenth in a dozen, while additional colour profiles are also included to cover another aeroplane. Detailed information about stencil decal placement can be found on our website (www.4pluspublications.com) as a result of our extensive research. Following aircraft are depicted on each decal sheet: Fleet Air Arm (11x), Royal Air Force (1x) and Royal Canadian Navy (1x). K6009/912 822 NAS H.M.S. Furious 1938; L7672/A4F 820 NAS H.M.S. Ark Royal 1939; L9720/4A 820 NAS H.M.S. Ark Royal 1941; P4084/Y8L 765 NAS RNAS Lee-on-Solent 1940 on floats; V4448/B 833 NAS Op Torch Gibraltar 1942 in US markings; HS645/B 824 NAS H.M.S. Striker 1944; NF243/S 816 NAS RNAS St Merryn 1944; NE951/S1 S Flt 860(Dutch) NAS MAC-Ship MV Gadila 1944; LS225/B4 836 NAS MAC-Ship Empire MacAlpine 1943; NF343 NH-Q 119 Sqn RAF Bircham Newton 1945; NR944 RCN RCAF Shearwater Nova Scotia 1946; NF399 912/AO Stn Flt RNAS Arbroath 1948; LS454 733 NAS Brit East Indies Fleet, RNAS Trincomalee 1946. 1) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.I 2) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.I 3) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.I 4) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.I floatplane 5) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.I 6) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.II 7) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.II 8) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.II 9) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.II 10) Royal Air Force - Mk.III 11) Royal Canadian Navy - Mk.III 12) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.III 13) Fleet Air Arm - Mk.II

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Grumman F-14 Tomcat (Spotlight on) Spot.14 This book is the latest in a new reference series for aircraft modellers called "Spotlight On" and presents detailed illustrations of the famous Grumman F-14 Tomcat, the American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seater, variable sweep-wing jet combat aircraft. The Tomcat was operational with the U.S. Navy from 1970 to 2006 and remains in service with the Iranian Air Force (having been exported to Persia before the fall of the Shah). The book contains 40 specially-commissioned colour plan and profile views illustrating the different camouflage, colours and markings of various users. {f-14A F-14B F-14D]

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Brewster F2A Buffalo, Richard S. Dann; Ginter Publishing, Simi Valley, CA, 2017; softcover, 176 pages, 391 photos, 22 illustrations. This comprehensive monograph covers the entire history of Brewster's much maligned Buffalo fighter aircraft. The book starts out with the background of the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation and the events that led to the selection of the F2A as the Navy's first monoplane fighter. Following this, each variant of the aircraft is covered in detail including all three major variants purchased by the U.S. Navy as well as the versions purchased by Belgium, Finland, Great Britain, and the Netherlands. Indivdual squadron histories are also included as they relate to the F2A. Many interviews are included with pilots who flew the Buffalo, some with glowing comments on its performance, while others cast a less than stellar light on the Brewster. It is up to the reader to draw his own conclusions as to where the F2A sits in the history of modern aerial warfare. It is interesting to note that the Brewster 239, as used by the Finnish Air Force during the 1939-1945 period achieved the highest kill ratio of any fighter plane of the war with an impressive 26-1 score. Finland produced many Aces with the Buffalo, including the all-time high scoring Buffalo Ace, Hans Wind with 39 aerial kills, and followed closely by Ilmari Juutilainen with 34. The book is lavishly illustrated with over 300 photos, many of which have never been published. 22 illustrations are also included. This is the ultimate history of the Brewster Buffalo.

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Vought SB2U Vindicator by Steve Ginter with Joe Weathers, Jr. 248-pages, 89-color photos, 22-duotone photos, 506 b&w photos and 25-drawings. The Vought SB2U Vindicator Scout Bomber was the Navy's second production carrier monoplane to fly after the Douglas TBD and for a time was the fastest aircraft in the Navy's inventory. The extremely clean aircraft was a unique blend of the old stick-and-rudder fabric covered construction and that of the new all-metal monoplanes that followed. About half the aircraft was metal skined and half fabric covered and each fuselage structure was individually hand made from steel tubing. The SB2U was built in three models. The very simular SB2U-1 and SB2U-2 for the US Navy, and the long range SB2U-3 for the Marines. Aircraft were also supplied to France and the United Kingdom and are covered in the book. Equipped with folding wings and capable of carrying a 1,000 lb bomb, they were in service from 1938 to 1943. By the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, the Navy Vindicators had all been assigned to the Atlantic fleet, but the Marine SB2U-3 were on the East Coast and at Pearl Harbor and aboard the Lexington for delivery to Midway. The VMSB-241 Vindicators at Midway saw the planes only combat on 4-to-6 June 1942 during the Battle of Midway and Henderson Field was named after the squadron CO who lost his life during the squadron's attack on the Japanese fleet on 4 June. Maj Hendersons replacement Maj Norris was also lost on 4 June during the squadron's 2nd attack. On 5 june, Capt Fleming was also lost during his attack on the cruiser Mikumo, for which he received the Medal of Honor for his actions. This book has extensive first person narative from Vought test pilots and USN/USMC pilots as well as the French V-156-F commander gathered by Joe Weathers in 1966 through 1974 when their minds were still sharp and their memories strong. All of which are gone today. A truly interesting read.

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Grumman F2F and F3F (pre-war Navy/Marine biplane fighters. 192-pages [ F3F-1 F3F-2 F3F-3] And Civilian Variants By Richard S. Dann Published by Ginter Books The 192-page F2F and F3F book is generously illustrated with over 440 photos, including 34 color photos, many not previously published. In addition, 39 illustrations and line drawings are included. The early 1930s was a time of great change in the field of military fighter aviation. At the beginning of the decade, the state-of-the-art in fighter manufacture was the use of traditional construction techniques of welded tube fuselages and fabric covered surfaces. Fixed landing gear and open cockpits were standard equipment. By mid-decade, the state-of-the-art was changing. Lightweight aluminum alloys were being developed that offered high strength and light weight. External bracing gave way to cantilevered aero surfaces. Enclosed cockpits, retractable landing gear and aerodynamic streamlining were becoming standard design features on civilian and military aircraft of the day. In the late 1920s, the U.S. Navy fighter market was dominated by Curtiss and Boeing with aircraft manufactured using conservative design and construction techniques that had been employed at the beginning of the decade. By the early 1930s, however, Boeing had updated their F4B/P-12 design, incorporating a stressed skin, semi-monocoque fuselage into later models of both. In the Autumn of 1929, three engineers from the Loening Aircraft Company on Long Island made the decision not to relocate to Pennsylvania during a merger. Instead, they resolved to form their own aircraft manufacturing company. Thus, Leroy Grumman , Leon "Jake" Swirbul and William Schwendler founded the Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Corporation, in December 1929. Following early successes with the FF-1/SF-1 naval aircraft, Grumman turned its attention to designing a single-seat naval fighter for use aboard the U.S. Navy's growing carrier fleet. With excellent performance attributes, the Navy purchased 55 F2F-1s. While performance of the F2F-1 were impressive, Grumman continued development, offering the Navy an improved design known as the F3F-1. With even better performance than the F2F, the Navy eventually ordered a total of 162 F3Fs in three major subvariants. Grumman 's stubby F2F and F3F airplanes dominated U.S. Navy fighter squadrons from 1935 to 1941, with the final operational F3Fs relinquished to the training command a mere two months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and surrounding facilities. The first half of this 192-page monograph covers the developmental history of the F2F and F3F. Individual aircraft histories are provided for each aircraft, listing assigned commands, mishaps and final disposition. Detailed period engineering photos show every aspect of the aircraft. This is followed by an operational history of each Navy and Marine Corps squadron that operated the F2F and F3F.

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Boeing F4B Biplane written by retired Navy Captain Richard S. Dann. With 408 b&w photos and 24 drawings filling its 160-pages. After three years of intensive research, author Richard S. Dann has finally produced the definitive history of the Boeing F4B, the Navy's iconic Golden Age fighting plane. The Boeing F4B, a favorite of pilots who flew it, still draws interest of hobbyists and historians alike, primarily due to the striking paint schemes worn by these aircraft during their service. Boeing, a company in existence since 1916, had produced a number of fighter aircraft for both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. Derived from the company's successful PW-9 series for the Army, Boeing developed what can be considered the first truly successful carrier fighter with their FB series. First flown in 1925, the FB set the stage for the development of several follow-on aircraft for the Navy, namely the F2B and F3B. These aircraft were manufactured using state-of-the-art techniques, being constructed with welded tube fuselages and wooden wing structure, with fabric covered surfaces. These standard construction methods were also used in the Boeing Models 83 and 89, which were built on speculation, tested by the Navy in 1928 and subsequently purchased as the XF4B-1. Sufficiently impressed with their performance, the Navy ordered 27 F4B-1s with deliveries commencing in 1929. A second version, the F4B-2 was developed with improvements over the initial model and also put into production with 27 built. As the decade of the 1930s began, the use of traditional construction techniques of welded tube fuselages gave way to airframes manufactured using lightweight aluminum alloys. Use of semi-monocoque, stressed skin aluminum offered lighter airframes and subsequently, higher performance. In the F4B series, this was first seen on the company-funded Model 218 prototype, which bridged the gap between the earlier and later versions of the F4B. The later versions of the F4B, the F4B-3 and F4B-4 were partially constructed of aluminum alloys as first used on the Model 218 in place of steel tubes, offering high strength and light weight. Just 21 F4B-3s were built before Boeing switched production to the F4B-4, of which 92 were built. Boeing's F4B dominated U.S. Navy fighter and some bomber squadrons from 1931 to 1935, with the last squadrons of F4Bs transitioning in 1938. As F4Bs were phased out of front-line service, they were turned over to the training command, and later, as unmanned aerial targets used for training shipboard anti-aircraft gunnery crews as part of Project FOX. The last F4Bs were withdrawn from service in 1942. The first half of this 160-page monograph covers the developmental history of the F4B. Each version from F4B-1 to F4B-4 is covered, as well as the Boeing Model 218, which served as the prototype for the F4B-3 and F4B-4. 408 photographs and 24 drawings provide an in-depth study of each version. Much of the data for this section comes from period test reports and specification documents. In addition, a history of each airframe is provided, including squadron assignments, mishaps, strike dates, final disposition and total hours of flight time, if known. This is followed by an operational history of each Navy and Marine Corps squadron that operated the F4B as well as other Navy/Marine Corps commands that operated the type. Also included is a history of the Boeing Models 256 and 267, export variants that were sold to Brazil and the F4B-4A, which consisted of P-12s given to the Navy. Just two F4Bs found their way to civilian operators, and their civilian use is also included in this book. The final chapter dedicated to the aircraft discusses eight new-build Boeings that have been under construction in Gardnerville, Nevada since 1993. The first of these aircraft is expected to fly in late 2023 or early 2024. As with nearly all Ginter books, the final chapter is devoted to model kits. In the latest book of Steve Ginter's Naval Fighters series, you'll find many interesting facts you may not have known about the F4B.

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USN / USCG / USMC Beech Expeditor JRB / SNB / C-45 1940 through 1972. ISBN: 979-8-9899509-1-1 89-pages, 275 b&w photos, 13 color photos, 30 drawings, 41 patches. limited to 1,000 copies. By Steve Ginter. Over 1,600 "Twin Beech" aircraft were given BuNos and operated by the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. 8-versions were originally built. From the 8-versions, 21-different sub-versions were created which showed the versatility of this aircraft. It was used operationally as a trainer, transport, photo ship, hack and drone director. At some point it was operated by every NAS, NAAS, NAF, MCAS, and MAF, as well as many squadrons and ships. Its history lies in the photos of these assignments to places rarely heard of.

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US NAVY SQUADRON HISTORIES No. 304 Title: Electronic Aggressors Subtitle: US Navy Electronic Threat Environment Squadrons - Part Two 1978-2000 218 pages, 499 photos (mostly color), 31 color profiles, 33 patches, 41 tables and graphs. Author: Angelo Romano Short Desc: A Pictorial History of Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group (FEWSG), Fleet Tactical Readiness Group (FTRG), Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron THIRTY-THREE (VAQ-33), Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron THIRTY-FOUR (VAQ-34), Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron THIRTY-FIVE (VAQ-35), and Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ELEVEN (VQ-11). Long Desc: This book is the second in a two-part series and describes the FEWSG structure and mission in detail. FEWSG provided threat training which stressed the US Navy's ability to respond, from applying anti-jamming fixes, to understanding the weaknesses and what assets and tactics were usable for defense. FEWSG (later redesignated Fleet Replacement Training Group - FTRG), and its complement of Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons (VAQ-33, VAQ-34 and VAQ-35), were so much more than Cold War training assets. They represented another Navy EW intellectual center, a cadre of personnel who monitored opposition capabilities in order to accurately mimic the threat. In order to accomplish that goal, ingenuity and improvisation was required. As a result, the community prized unconventional thinkers, people who tried to use common equipment to achieve uncommon ends. Starting with the operators who saw the advantage of modulating jamming with the propellers of the Skyraiders, FEWSG operators pioneered EW tactics. Those personnel then percolated back into the fleet, bringing with them an ability to innovate tactics and get more from installed electronics. Plenty of historical photos illustrate in detail the Squadron activities both at sea and ashore. These two books are dedicated to the women and men of the Electronic Aggressors.

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World Class DIAMONDBACKS. A Pictorial History of Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102) by Angelo Romano US NAVY SQUADRON HISTORIES No. 306 ISBN-13: 978-1-7349727-3-3 Soft bound (NF306) Originally designated Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), the DIAMONDBACKS of Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102) were established on 1 Jul 1955 in Jacksonville, Florida. The first aircraft to carry the distinctive DIAMONDBACK markings was the McDonnell F2H Banshee, a twin-engine fighter-bomber with four 20mm internal cannons. The DIAMONDBACKS' inaugural deployment took place on-board the USS RANDOLPH (CV-15), in July 1956. After this deployment, the squadron transitioned to the Douglas F4D-1 Skyray. In 1960, the DIAMONDBACKS moved to NAS Oceana, Virginia, and transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II. This marked the beginning of a 20-year association with the Phantom. In Jun 1981, the DIAMONDBACKS bade farewell to the Phantom and transitioned to the Grumman F-14A Tomcat. The Tomcat's design provided the pilot and RIO with a formidable air-to-air radar and weapons system. The long-range AWG-9 radar and its multiple track, multiple launch capable AIM-54 Phoenix missile system, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewindermissiles, and the six-barrelled 20mm cannon, comprised the Tomcat's weapons suite. With the addition to the Tomcat of the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) in 1982, the DIAMONDBACKS added the tactical aerial photo reconnaissance mission to their traditional fighter role. In 1992, VF-102 and the Tomcat entered the critical air-to-ground mission area, thus solidifying the DIAMONDBACKS' role as a strike fighter squadron, and leading the way into the 21st century. In 1994, the DIAMONDBACKS transitioned to the re-engined F-14B and, with the installation of the Low Altitude Navigation Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pod in 1998, they added the precision strike mission to their capabilities. In 2002, VF-102 was assigned to Commander, Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and transferred to NAS Lemoore, California to transition to the Navy's newest strike fighter, the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet. In March 2002, the DIAMONDBACKS were redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 102 (VFA-102). After completion of the transition to the Super Hornet, VFA-102 moved across the Pacific to Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, to join Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5), the Navy's only forward deployed air wing and part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF). Since then, the DIAMONDBACKS were assigned respectively to the following FDNF carriers: USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73), and USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76). Pages: 284 Size: 8.5 X 11 (inches) Format: Soft bound Illustrations: 741 color and 124 B&W photos, 52 color profiles, 82 patches Publisher: Ginter Books

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Martin PBM Mariner. By Steve Ginter. The Martin PBM Mariner flying boat with its distinctive gull wing was proposed to the Navy in 1937 as a replacement for the very successful Consolidared PBY. The major differences were: it was to be a true blue water, open ocean flying boat; capable of extremely long range; with enough offensive armaments to function as a sub hunter or patrol bomber; and enough defensive armament to protect itself. It racked up an impressive wartime record as a sub killer in the Atlantic and as a ship killer in the Pacific. The 1,366 production PBMs were built as PBM-1s, PBM-3s, PBM-3R transports, PBM-3Cs, PBM-3Ds, PBM-3Ss, PBM-5s, PBM-5Rs, PBM-5Ss, PBM-5S2s, PBM-5G and PBM-5A amphibians. In addition to development, testing, variants, and detailed aircraft systems, the book tells each squadrons history and covers usage by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Netherlands, Columbia, Argentina, Uruguay, RAF, RAAF, and civilians. The last PBM was retired from Navy service in 1956 and the last Coast Guard PBM-5G was retired in 1958. 256 pages, 755 black and white, 5-color photos and 61 drawings [PBM-3/5 PBM-5/5A]

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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.

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British Submarines in Two World Wars 9781526738165 Hardback by Norman Friedman WAS £50.00 NOW BEING CLEARED!! SAVE 1/3RD!!! Published: June 2019 Although the Royal Navy did not invent the submarine, Norman Friedman's new book demonstrates how innovative the British were in their submarine design--more so than most realize. Royal Navy submarines performed well in combat in both world wars, and often in unheralded ways. By 1914, Britain had the largest submarine fleet in the world and by the end of World War I some of the largest and most unusual of all submarines--whose origins and design are all detailed in this new book. Heavily illustrated with photos and original plans, this volume, incorporating so much original analysis, will be eagerly awaited by naval historians and enthusiasts everywhere.

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Convair (Consolidated Vultee) B-36 'Peacemaker' Conceived when the Americans thought that the stuttering British candle would be snuffed out by Germany, the Consolidated Vultee, Convair, B-36 was intended to take the air war to Europe from the Continental USA. Fortunately Britain hung on and caused the cancellation of the invasion due to the stalwart efforts of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. As global war developed the B-36 programme was put on the back burner as other needs were more pressing. Eventually the B-36 would resume this time as a high altitude long range nuclear delivery platform. Numerous versions entered service with USAF covering both the bombing and reconnaissance versions, both undertaking overseas deployments in support of their intended missions. Continued production of the B-36 caused a great rift with the U.S. Navy whose first super carrier was cancelled to pay for more B-36's that the Admirals regarded as redundant. It would be the emergence of the reliable turbojet engine that would spell the end of the B-36 as a front line aircraft as both the Boeing B-47 and B-52 bombers would quickly see the types demise. Outside the needs of Strategic Air Command there were other uses for the B-36 airframe, one would be used to transport a B-58 Hustler fuselage/ wing assembly for structural testing, another would become the NB-36 and carried a working nuclear reactor aboard whilst the final throw of the dice saw the type developed into the YB-60 eight engined bomber in competition with the B-52. The basic design threw up one more off shoot, the XC-99 transport that saw a new fuselage married to the original wings and fittings plus the original tail feathers, as a unique one off the XC-99 survives in preservation. This book is written by Kev Darling and is superbly illustrated by Richard J.Caruana.

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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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Hawker Fury and Nimrod Author: William Harrison The first RAF front line fighter to achieve more than 200 mph was the Hawker Fury, and its naval counterpart the Hawker Nimrod. These two attractive fighters came from the design office of the late Sydney Camm, Hawker's chief designer. The Fury started life as a private venture known as the Hornet but when this machine exceeded expectations the name was changed to Fury. Although only ordered in small numbers owing to financial constraints during the Great Depression production eventually exceeded 260 machines with orders from the RAF, Royal Navy, Persia (now Iran), Portugal, Spain, Yugoslavia and more than 30 supplied (ex-RAF) to the South African Air Force. The Fury entered service with No.43 Squadron who accepted 16 during May 1930 and stayed in front line service until January 1939 when it was replaced by the Gloster Gladiator, although quite a few remained in the training role until mid-1941. The Furies were used in combat during WWII by Yugoslavia where they were quickly despatched by the more modern fighters of the Luftwaffe. South Africa used Furies in the East African war until 1941 and the three supplied to Spain were in action, one of them serving on both sides! The Nimrod, while bearing a distinct resemblance to the Fury, flew early in 1930. Changes for the RN included longer exhaust pipes extending down both sides of the fuselage as far as the pilot's cockpit; an oil cooler fitted beneath the engine bay and at a later date arrester gear was fitted for carrier use. Later series Nimrods featured a larger tail surface to improve inverted spinning characteristics when fitted with floats. Deliveries of Nimrods started in September 1933 and they remained in use until May 1939. Only a small number of Nimrods found their way abroad, two went to Denmark to act as pattern aircraft for licensed production, one was shipped to Japan and one to Portugal. Although one Fury managed to survive in the scrapyard of a London dealer it fell to John Isaacs, a draughtsman from Vickers Armstrong, to design and build both a 1/7th scale Fury and Spitfire, both of which continue to be built by members of the Light Aircraft Association, nee the Popular Flying Association. This book is written by William Harrison and is superbly illustrated by Richard J.Caruana.

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Grumman F-14 Tomcat By Charles Stafrace. The US Navy embarked on the VFX fighter programme when it became obvious that the weight, engine and manoeuvrability issues plaguing F-111B, the naval variant of the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX), would not be resolved to the Navy's satisfaction. The Navy requirement was for a fleet air defence fighter whose primary role was intercepting Soviet bombers before they could launch missiles against the carrier battle group. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX, which incorporated the US Air Force's requirements for a low-level attack aircraft that were not required by the Navy. Grumman came up with a solution in the form of their F-14 Tomcat, a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing aircraft. But what made the Tomcat head and shoulders above all other fighters was its AWG-9 weapons control radar married to the superlative AIM-54A Phoenix air-to-air missile. The Tomcat was all the US Navy required, and the F-111B episode was soon forgotten. The F-14A was the first version of the Tomcat, and it entered US Navy service in 1972 with VF-1 and VF-2 and first deployed overseas on USS Enterprise in 1974, gradually replacing the later versions of the F-4 Phantom on the US carriers' decks. The F-14A served only with one foreign air force, the Imperial Iranian Air Force which, after the 1978 revolution, came to be known as the Iranian Islamic Iranian Air Force. The Tomcat's role in Iran's war against Iraq from 1980 to 1988 is explained in detail. The Iranian, in its locally-improvised versions, is still in service. The F-14A version of the Tomcat inherited not only the AWG-9/AIM-54 system from the ill-fated F-111B but also its troublesome TF30 engine. In the US Navy it was only when the F-14B was re-engined with the more powerful and more reliable F-110-GE-400, as was also the F-14D, that the Tomcat really showed its true potential in the air. The Tomcat went on to serve on all US carriers of the Forrestal and Kitty Hawk Class of carriers and on all nuclear powered carriers built until 2006, the year when the Tomcat was retired from service. During the years it spent on deck, the Tomcat, in its F-14A, F-14B and F-14D versions, participated in all US interventions of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Horn of Africa, and distinguished itself not only as an interceptor fighter, but later also as a ground support and reconnaissance aircraft when the need for these two new roles were needed and when equipped with the LANTIRN and TARPS systems. The Tomcat's story was immortalised by the Hollywood production that made 'Tomcat' and 'Top Gun' household names, but in real life the Tomcat was truly a confirmed 'MiG-killer' and a 'Sukhoi-killer' in encounters with hostile Libyan opposition. Its exit from the US Navy scene in 2006 was a controversial one, as the aircraft was still considered a valuable asset to the fleet. However, its astronomical maintenance hours per flight hours and its ageing systems compared with the newer F/A-18 Hornet worked against it. All this is explained in detail in this new Warpaint title, a 124-page account of America's most famous fighter of recent times, that contains no fewer than 280 photos, ten pages of colour profiles, scale plans, fourteen information tables and a text that give exact details of every squadrons, details of all deployments with carrier, CVW, dates and destination, conversions to later versions, and many other information as now expected from titles by author Charles Stafrace, supported by superb artwork by John Fox.

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Grumman F6F Hellcat. Even before Pearl Harbor the U.S. Navy realised that it would be hard for its existing fighters, the F2A Buffalo and F4F Wildcat, to deal with Japan's shipboard fighters, especially the A6M Zero. The situation was such that in June 1941 the U.S. Navy placed orders with Grumman 's 'Iron Works' for the F6F Hellcat before the first prototype had even flown. It was the right decision for Grumman 's new fighter, although much larger and heavier than the Zero, proved to be the latter's nemesis, so that the American fighter's better fire-power, sturdiness, range and speed more than matched the Zero's agility. Its entry into service was also timely, for the much- awaited F4U Corsair suffered from a flawed carrier deck capability, so that the Hellcat remained the main carrier fighter of the U.S. Navy throughout the rest of the Second World War and established air superiority in the Pacific. Indeed, in barely two years of war it destroyed no less than 5,271 enemy aircraft of the 6,477 claimed by the U.S. fighters, attaining a fantastic kill-to-loss ratio of 19.1:1, and fully deserving the nickname of 'Ace-Maker'. It certainly was the most important Allied shipboard fighter of that world conflict. The Hellcat was used also by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, during the war, while in the postwar period it saw service with the French Aeronavale, which used them in Indochina, as well as with the Uruguayan Navy, the latter flying them until 1961. [F6F-3 F6F-5 F6F-3N F6F-5N]

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McDonnell F3H Demon. The McDonnell F3H Demon naval fighter is chiefly remembered for the controversial delays and troubles suffered by its jet engine powerplants. The original J40 was a failure and brought the end of the original F3H-1 series but the J71 engine in the revised F3H-2, although not perfect, did help in the development of a decent service aircraft. Begun as an interceptor, Demon was a large and heavy single-seat fighter, it could reach supersonic speed in a dive with ease and one of the later versions became the Navy's first all-weather missile-firing fighter. In the air the Demon handled beautifully. The aircraft never took part in a major conflict but was on hand aboard U.S. Navy carriers between 1958 and 1965 in case any of the crisis situations of that period turned into a major conflict. In fact by 1965 the Demon had been present in the front line for longer than any previous U.S. Navy jet fighter. Despite such a shaky start and the "dark days" of its early versions, the Demon was ultimately a success.

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