Trumpeter TU05617

Book 'Airlift to the Top of the World' (book to accompany Shorts Sunderland decals) https://www.lindenhillimports.com/lhi-blog#/ "By 1950 it had been almost forty years since a publicly funded British polar expedition had been attempted. In contrast to the days of Scott and Shackleton, it was now possible to support such a venture with both motor and air transport. The British North Greenland Expedition (BNGE), a combined scientific and military venture to a remote region within 800 miles of the North Pole and headed by a Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander, would not have been possible without the support of military aviation, mostly in the shape of the Royal Air Force's Coastal and Transport Commands. This book examines the origins of the Expedition and for the first time tells the full story of the role played by the RAF in transporting the BNGE northwards, supplying it, supporting its scientific research work, and bringing it safely home. It is a story that includes both potential and actual calamities and details missions flown by the RAF in some of the world's most extreme climatic conditions."

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Building The Harrier. Model Aircraft Extra #5 Building the Harrier The iconic Hawker-Siddeley Harrier was the first of the so- called Harrier 'Jump Jet' series. It was developed in the 1960s as the first operational close-support and reconnaissance fighter aircraft with vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) capabilities, and the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many that arose in that era, and at its heart was the innovative Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine with its thrust vectoring nozzles. The Harrier was developed directly from the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel prototype aircraft, following the cancellation of a more advanced supersonic Hawker Siddeley P.1154. Originally said to be 'unable to carry more than a matchbox over a football field' the Harrier matured into one of the most potent warplanes of its generation. The RAF ordered the Harrier GR.1 and GR.3 variants in the late 1960s, as well as T.4 trainers versions, and it was also exported to the United States as the AV-8A and TAV-8A, for use by the US Marine Corps as well as the Spanish Navy in the 1970s. Spain sold seven single-seat and two twin-seat Harriers to Thailand in 1998. The Sea Harrier FRS.1, which shot to fame during the Falklands War, was designed to fill the strike, reconnaissance and fighter roles for the Royal Navy, and the innovative use of a 'ski jump' allowed the aircraft to take-off from a short flight deck with a heavier loadout than otherwise possible. After the Falklands War, the Sea Harrier was upgraded to the F/A2 standard and featured the Blue Vixen radar and carried the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. The Indian Navy was the only other user of the Sea Harrier aboard their aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Viraat. The BAe/McDonnell Douglas Harrier II was a second-generation of V/STOL aircraft designed for use by the US Marne Corps, RAF and the Royal Navy and continues in service with the USMC as the McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B and TA-V8B trainer and is also in service with the Spanish and Italian Navies. For the RAF, initial deliveries of the Harrier II were designated as Harrier GR.5 and subsequent upgraded airframes were redesignated accordingly as GR.7 and GR.9. The RAF Harriers saw action over Bosnia and Afghanistan before being retired in 2011. Most of the original US Marine Corps McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B 'day attack' aircraft were upgraded to either the FLIR equipped 'Night Attack Harrier' or the more capable radar equipped 'Harrier II Plus' and have participated in support of Operation 'Southern Watch', Operation 'Allied Force'. USMC McDonnell-Douglas AV-8Bs also took part in Operation 'Enduring Freedom' in Afghanistan from 2001, and the aircraft also participated in the Iraq War in 2003, acting primarily in support of USMC ground units, and in 2011, they flew in support of Operation 'Odyssey Dawn', enforcing the UN no-fly zone over Libya. This fourth book in the MA Extra Series contains fourteen model builds, colour profiles and scale plans, and will be a must for the Harrier aficionado!

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MDF32 The Vought F-8 Crusader was a direct response to a United States Navy requirement for a modern supersonic, carrier-based fighter. Utilising nearly the identical powerplant of the North-American F-100 Super Sabre and looking like the big brother of the A-7 Corsair, the F-8 Crusader became the world's first carrier-based aircraft to break the speed of sound. [F-8E F-8J]

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Lockheed T-33 Thunderbird colours and markings. With its roots in the successful Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star jet fighter, the Lockheed T-33, popularly known as the T-Bird, became the USAF's standard advanced trainer of the 1950s. Almost 5,700 T-33As were built for the USAF and USN, of which more than 1,000 were transferred to NATO Allies and others to a number of smaller air forces worldwide, and the aircraft were also licence-built in Canada and Japan. The type's operational service spanned well over 40 years, thus reaching an amazing record in longevity. The 'Dozen Set' line of handbooks is aimed especially at scale modellers. Each title describes twelve particular aeroplanes, documented by period photos, and also brings useful detailed shots which can be utilised in finishing the models. The publication has 28 pages, including a total of 49 overall and detailed photographs, 12 pages with colour camouflage schemes and their description. Text in English. A comprehensive decal sheet is added for modellers' convenience. Following aircraft are depicted on each decal sheet: U.S. Air Force (2x), U.S. Navy (1x), U.S. Marine Corps (1x), Royal Canadian Air Force (1x), Canadian Armed Forces (1x), Japanese Ar Self Defence Force (1x), Luftwaffe (1x), Royal Netherlands Air Force (1x), Belgian Air Force (1x), French Air Force (1x) and Spanish Air Force (1x).

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SCALE PLANS No. 70: FAIREY FLYCATCHER Scale plans in 1/32. 1/48 and 1/72 scale of the Royal Navy's carrier-borne biplane fighter aircraft deployed between the wars, featuring eight A3 size scale plans. by Dariusz Karnas; Publication 14th December 2020

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"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.

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CONSOLIDATED PB4Y-1/1P LIBERATOR by Steve Ginter 241-pages, 4-color cover images, 72 drawings, and 511 b&w photos. The Navy's acquisition of the B-24D as a long range patrol bomber/sub hunter (PB4Y-1) and as a long range photo recon platform (PB4Y-1P) marked a major shift in patrol doctrine and the eventual end to the flying boat patrol plane. The Navy Liberators became a one ship strike forces as they roamed thousands of miles on sector searches and destroyed over a 1,000 ships and hundreds of aircraft. The original under-gunned early B-24Ds were up-gunned with bow turrets from Consolidated, ERCO, MPC, and Emerson and with Sperry ball turrets in their bellys when search radar was not fitted. The B-24Ds were replaced with B-24Js, B-24Ls, and B-24Ms all designated PB4Y-1/1Ps. The PB4Y-1P photo planes were used to map and surveil Japanese strongholds before invasions and discover new airfields and fleet movements. No mission was too far or too dangerous. It was in a remote control PB4Y-1 flying bomb that Joe Kennedy was killed over England. After the war, photo squadrons continued to operate the photo version into the early 1050s. The book covers all engineering details and structures and covers all the PB4Y-1 squadron's historys and most combat operations. 13-pages of modeling options are also provided.

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"Able Mable" Martin AM-1/1Q Mauler By Bob Kowalski 152-pages, 326 b&w photos, 4-color photos, 48-drawings, and 15-squadron insignias. "Able Mable", the Martin AM-1/1Q Mauler, was the product of a 1943 Navy contract for two prototype bomber torpedo (BT) planes. Two other contractors, Curtiss and Fleetwings also received prototype contracts. In 1944 after the testing of these prototypes and a new entry the Douglas Skyraider, the Navy placed production orders for the Martin Mauler and the Douglas Skyraider. Even though the Skyraider proved more suitable for carrier operations, 139 AM-1s and 18 AM-1Qs were produced and served with five attack squadrons and one composite squadron before being relegated to the reserves. With its huge R-4360-4W 28-cylinder 3,000 BHP engine, the Mauler performed like a fighter and had the power to out lift any other single engine aircraft in the world at the time. In addition to its heavy-lift capabilities (10,648 lbs of fuel, 4-20mm guns with ammo, 3-torpedos and 12 250 lb bombs) the unique finger-type dive brakes on the AM-1 gave it extremely accurate and rock-steady dive bombing performance deemed best in the world by navy test pilots. Its Awesome performance made it a challenge at times particularly around the boat and earned it the enduring nickname of "Awful Monster".

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McDONNELL FH-1 PHANTOM 64-pages, perfect bound, color covers, 159-b&w photos, 4-color photos, 25-drawings, 6-insignias. By Steve Ginter The US Navy's first purpose-built carrier jet fighter was the McDonnell FD-1/FH-1 Phantom, first ordered in January 1943. The small elegant aircraft had a long gestation period due to the delay in development of its Westinghouse jet engines. Originally six and even eight small 300 lb thrust engines buried in the wing were considered as powerplants, before two 1,600 lb thrust engines were settled on. These were mounted just outside of the wing roots and allowed conventional flaps and ailerons of any size to be utilized on the wing. It was fitted with tri-cycle landing gear, tailhook, and catapult equipment. The 500 mph aircraft first flew in 1946, and two XFD-1 protoypes were built along with 60 FD-1/FH-1 production Aircraft with half the FH-1s going to Navy carrier squadron VF-17A/VF-171 and half to Marine squadron VMF-122. The Navy operated its full squadron operationally aboard the USSa�é-Ë�Saipan (CVL-48) and the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) proving the feasibility of jets and carriers. The Marines fielded a FH-1 Flight Demonstration Team, "The Flying Leathernecks" too. The FH-1 had no vices in the air and with new engines the Phantom was re-engineered into the larger and very successful Korean War carrier fighter, the F2H Banshee. The Phantoms were relegated to the reserves from 1950

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USN / USMC Fairchlid R4Q / C-119 "Packet" / "Flying Boxcar" By Nicholas M. Williams 72-pages, 140 b&w photos, 5 color photos, 22-patches, and 19 drawings. In 1949 the US Navy was looking for a tactical assault transport for its Marine Corps units and arrangements were made to divert 8 off the shelf C-119Bs from the USAF to the USMC. These 8 aircraft and the 31 C-119Cs that followed were designated R4Q-1s. A small number of these R4Q-1s were operated in Korea during the war before they were replaced by upgraded R4Q-2s/C-119Fs of which 58 were acquired. The R4Q-2s were later retrofitted with a nose mounted weather radar. The R4Q/C-119 were twin engine, twin boom transport / paratrooper aircraft equiped with a 36 ft 11 in long, 9 ft 2 in wide, 9 ft 10 in high cargo fuselage with clamshell aft facing doors capable of loading artillery or small vehicles. As a transport, 42 troops could be carried or 35 liters could be used. The main difference between the R4Q-1 and R4Q-2 were the engines used. The R4Q-1/C-119C used the R-4360 and the R4Q-2/C-119F used the R-3350. The R4Q/C-119 was a follow-on design of the C-82 and was operated into 1972.

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FROM BATS TO RANGERS A Pictorial History of Electronic Countermeasures Squadron Two (ECMRON-2) Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2) by Angelo Romano and AMHC (AW) John D. Herndon, USN, Ret. This Pictorial History of US Navy's Electronic Countermeasures Squadron Two (ECMRON-2 or VQ-2), later designated Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (FAIRECONRON TWO or VQ-2) by Angelo Romano and AMHC (AW) John D. Herndon, USN, Ret. is the second title of the new U.S. Navy SQUADRON HISTORIES by GINTER BOOKS. The photo coverage of the history of the Electric Bats, also known as the Rangers, is comprehensive, both in terms of photography and in terms of historical content. Much of the squadron's mission was top secret, as were many of its cold war missions, but the authors were able to utilize official (declassified) documents and first-hand accounts to write this book. For completeness, it is also a history of the U.S. Navy Electronic Intelligence gathering activities going back to WWII, beginning with the creation of the Cast Mike (Counter Measures) Project in 1942 and the deployment of early XARD receivers aboard aircraft like the Consolidated PBY Catalina and PB4Y Liberator. After WWII, the Navy started to use the Privateers as dedicated ELINT platforms and assigned them to two special units operating jointly with the National Security Group. One of these units, designated Port Lyautey Patrol Unit (NPU), was based at Naval Air Activities Port Lyautey, in French Morocco. It was first assigned modified PB4Y-1s and later, the Martin P4M-1Q Mercator. The NPU teamed with the Naval Security Group's Naval Communications Unit 32 George (NCU32G), which provided the ELINT equipment installed on board and the crew to operate them, mostly for covert operations around Europe and the Mediterranean. When the NPU reached its full complement of four P4M-1Qs, the unit and NCU32G, needed to have an administrative identity for budgetary and logistics purposes. Airborne Early Warning Squadron TWO (VW-2), based at NAS Patuxent River, was therefore selected to be its "mother" squadron. On 1 May 1953, NPU Port Lyautey became VW-2 Detachment A (or DET ABLE). In 1955, the Navy decided to establish a dedicated squadron for the unique mission rather than continue with a detachment: Electronic Countermeasures Squadron TWO (ECMRON TWO) was established on 1 Sep 1955. ECMRON TWO was assigned the alphanumeric designation "VQ-2". Its mission was to conduct electronic-search in support of fleet operations to obtain adequate and timely information on enemy radar, communications, and other emissions in support of fleet operations. The Squadron inherited the P4M-1Qs from VW-2 DET A and acquired a Lockheed P2V Neptune for utility purposes. On 1 Jan 1960, EMCRON TWO was redesignated Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron TWO (FAIRECONRON TWO) but still retained the alphanumeric designation "VQ-2". In 1956, VQ-2 received its first Douglas A3D-1Q Skywarrior, followed in 1957 by one A3D-1. In 1958, the Squadron received the Lockheed P2V-5F Neptune to augment the P4M-1Qs. The more capable A3D-2Q/EA-3B arrived in 1959 followed by the big Lockheed WV-2Q/EC-121M Constellation in 1960. The first Lockheed EP-3E ARIES arrived in 1971 and the squadron continued to fly this aircraft until disestablishment in 2012. The VQ-2 history and all worldwide events surrounding it are very well described and documented. This 242-page book contains 180 B&W and 444 color photos, most never published before. Thirty-seven superbly detailed aircraft color profiles show the evolution of the color schemes and markings and the different aircraft types and sub-types, providing very useful information for the benefit of both modelers and aviation historians. The inclusion of many squadron patches completes this masterpiece. THE AUTHORS Angelo Romano Angelo has authored six books: Wings from Coral Sea (Golden Wing Publications, 1986), Naval Fighters (Osprey, 1990), Naval Air Weapons Meet 1956-1959 (Model Publishing, 2006), First and Foremost - An illustrated History of Carrier Air Wing One - CVW-1 Part One 1934-1957 (Model Publishing, 2006), CVW-1 Part Two 1957-1973 (Model Publishing, 2008), and Black Knights Rule! (BKR) - A Pictorial History of VBF-718 / VF-68A / VF-837 / VF-154 / VFA-154 - 1946-2013 (Ginter Books, 2014). John D. Herndon AMHC (AW) Retired U.S. Navy John joined the U.S. Navy in 1978, Assigned to VQ-2 a total of 13 years E-1 to E-7, deployed to six Aircraft carriers in support of the EA-3B aircraft. Additionally deployed to locations all around the world in support of the EP-3E aircraft, Maintenance Control, Aircraft Division and Detachment Leading Chief Petty Officer. Retired out of VQ-2 his last tour which ended in 2000, went on to civilian life, employers ATA and American Airlines and finally the FAA as an Aviation Safety Inspector, currently the Boeing 787 Fleet Program Manager overseeing United Airlines safety compliance. Very involved over the years in collecting VQ-2 information/ history, assisted in raising funds and restoring a VQ-2 EA-3B Aircraft in Fort Worth Texas Ranger 15 BuNo 146453.

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US NAVY SQUADRON HISTORIES - NO. 305 WORLD WATCHERS A Pictorial History of Electronic Countermeasures Squadron ONE (ECMRON-1) and Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ONE (VQ-1). by Angelo Romano Pages: 304 Size: 8.5 X 11 (inches) Format: Paperback with semi-rigid cover Illustrations: 633 mostly color photos, 39 color profiles, 82 patches Publisher: Ginter Books The lineage of VQ-1's "World Watchers" can be traced back to two PBY-5A Catalina "Black Cats" modified for electronic reconnaissance during World War II. In Oct 1951, the unit was formally established as the Special Electronic Search Project (SESP) at NAS Sangley Point, Republic of the Philippines, in Oct 1951. On 13 May 1953, the unit was redesignated Detachment Able of Airborne Early Warning Squadron One (VW-1), and operated four P4M-1Q Mercator aircraft. On 1 Jun 1955, Detachment Able was reorganized into Electronic Countermeasures Squadron One (VQ-1) at MCAF Iwakuni, Japan. This was the first Navy squadron dedicated to electronic warfare. In Sep 1956, VQ-1 received the first A3D/A-3 Skywarrior, or "Whale" as it came to be known, which served the squadron for the next three decades. In 1960, VQ-1 moved to NAS Atsugi, Japan and redesignated Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron ONE. The last Mercator was retired and replaced by the WV-2Q Super Constellations. The "Willie Victor" would remain the backbone of VQ-1's long range, land-based reconnaissance efforts through the Vietnam Era and into the 1970s. The squadron's involvement in the Vietnam War started characteristically, at the very beginning, when a Skywarrior crew was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for their role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident of 2-5 Aug 1964. For the next nine years, VQ-1 would operate from DaNang, Cubi Point, Bangkok, aircraft carriers on patrol in Yankee Station and other bases in Southeast Asia. VQ-1's aircrews supported countless air strikes and were credited with assisting in the destruction of numerous MiG aircraft and Komar patrol boats. In 1969, The first EP-3B joined the squadron, which began the replacement program for the Super Constellations, which was completed in 1974. In 1971, VQ-1 moved its homeport to NAS Agana, Guam. At that time it absorbed Heavy Photographic Squadron SIXTY ONE (VAP-61) and its former parent unit, VW-1. For a time, VQ-1 consisted of thirty aircraft: sixteen Skywarriors, twelve Super Constellations and two Orions. In Jul 1974, VQ-1 welcomed the first of three EP-3E ARIES I, which served well until retirement, in 1992. On 29 Nov 1988, the last four Skywarriors left the squadron which now flew EP-3E exclusively. In 1991, the squadron closed its permanent detachment at Atsugi, after 30 years and relocated it to Misawa, Japan. In the same year, VQ-1 received the first EP-3E Aries II, an upgraded version of the ARIES I, using modified P-3C airframes. The squadron played a key role in Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Tasking included strike support, combat search and rescue, communications and over-the-horizon-targeting support to Coalition forces. In 1994, as a result of the base closure of NAS Agana, VQ-1 was notified of the homeport change to NAS Whidbey Island. Coincidentally, in Jul 1994, VQ-1 retired the Navy's oldest operational P-3, EP-3E ARIES I BuNo 148887. Its retirement also marked VQ-1's transition to all EP-3E ARIES II mission aircraft. The next aircraft upgrade, the Sensor Systems Improvement (SSIP) Program, became operational in Aug 2000. On 1 Apr 2001, a VQ-1 EP-3E collided with a People's Republic of China F-8 II fighter, 70 nm off the coast of Hainan Island in the South China Sea. After struggling to regain control of the crippled aircraft, the crew performed a successful three-engine, no-flap emergency landing at Lingshui Air Base on Hainan Island. The crew of 24 was detained for ten days. After the terrorist attacks of 11 Sep 2001, VQ-1 surged aircraft and crews to the Central Command, where missions were flown in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM and NEW DAWN. On 17 May 2012, VQ-1 became the largest operational aviation squadron in the Navy when Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Two (VQ-2) was officially disestablished and its personnel consolidated into VQ-1. Today, VQ-1 continues to provide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) flights over an area of responsibility spanning 17 time zones from the East Coast of Africa to the West Coast of the United States. The World Watchers maintain a constant, forward-deployed status to ensure global support to Combatant, Joint and Fleet Commanders. This book is a tribute to all World Watchers who have served the squadron since its establishment to date. A special mention goes to those crews who were lost in tragic accidents, while serving their country.

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Grumman F6F Hellcat. The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy (USN) service. Although the F6F resembled the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the 'Wildcat's big brother'. First 60 pages are about the development & testing written by the late Corky Myers. The day to day operational history of were and with what squadron the Hellcat served with. 224 pages of history and photos

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F-16 Fighting Falcon US Part 1 US Versions by Andy Evans Real To Replicas Red series Number 1 The Real to Replica book series presents, as the title suggests, a publication that has both historic references, aircraft details, colour artwork and modelling projects on a particular aviation subject. Titles will include subjects from World War I through to present day and written by renown authors. F-16 Fighting Falcon Part 1: US VERSIONS by Andy Evans The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it has evolved into a highly successful all-weather multirole aircraft, and over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the USAF, improved variants continue to be built for export customers, up to and including the latest F-16V 'Viper' version. The Fighting Falcon's key features include a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while manouvering, an ejection seat reclined thirty-degrees from vertical to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot, and the first use of the relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight control system, that helps to make it an agile aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and eleven locations for mounting weapons and other mission equipment and can carry fuselage mounted conformal fuel tanks and a variety of targeting pods and ECM equipment. The F-16's official name is 'Fighting Falcon', but 'Viper' is most commonly used by its pilots and crews, due to a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as the 'Colonial Viper' starfighter on the TV show Battlestar Galactica which aired at the time the F-16 entered service. In addition to active duty in the US Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard units, the aircraft is also used by the 'Thunderbirds' aerial demonstration team, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy. The F-16 has also been procured to serve in the air forces of over twenty-five other nations. The initial production-standard F-16A flew for the first time on 7 August 1978 and its delivery was accepted by the USAF on 6 January 1979, entering USAF operational service with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill AFB in Utah on 1 October 1980. The US Air Force, including the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard, flew the F-16 in combat during Operation 'Desert Storm' in 1991 and in the Balkans later in the 1990s. F-16s also patrolled the no-fly zones in Iraq during Operations 'Northern Watch' and 'Southern Watch' and served during the wars in Afghanistan (Operation 'Enduring Freedom') and Iraq (Operation 'Iraqi Freedom') from 2001 and 2003 respectively and Air Force F-16s took part in the intervention in Libya. In this book, Part 1 of the F-16 story, we will look at the origins of the F-16 and its service with the US Air Force and US Navy, as well as the different variants, proposed versions, test platforms and sub-types of the aircraft. Part 2 of the F-16 story will look at the International Versions and their operators and both will include colour artwork and how to model the F-16 in popular scales. [General-Dynamics Lockheed-Martin]

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Aircraft in Profile US Navy and Air Force Vol 1 issue 2 Aircraft in Profile is a monthly section occupying the centre pages of Scale Aircraft Modelling magazine providing an initial 'first step' in researching an aircraft type, and is aimed at those readers who have had little previous interest in its subject, rather than those with expert knowledge. The section outlines the history and development of its chosen type providing a context for a modelling project, while the plans and drawings are designed to expand upon this and we hope we hope will be of use or interest to both modellers and aviation enthusiasts alike Issue two collects six US Navy and Air Force subjects following a number of requests to provide the material in book form. 72 pages

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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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