Trumpeter TU06173

British Phantoms. McDonnell-Douglas FG.1, FGR.2 and F-4J (UK) in Royal Air Force Service 1979 to 1992 Sized A4, hardcover, 160 pages, over 350 hitherto unpublished photographs, colour profiles, unit insignia and patches, ENGLISH TEXT This second book of our two volume publication on the F-4K (FG.1), F-4M (FGR.2) and F-4J(UK) in Royal Air Force service covers the usage of the Phantom in the air defence role at RAF Conningsby, Leuchars, Wattisham and RAF Wildebrath (Royal Air Force Germany). The publication finishes with the disbandment of the Phantom in 1992 and a full aircraft history of each FGR.2 and F-4J(UK). Author: Patrick Martin From the content: Foreword & Readers Notes Acknowledgements Service Use Phantom McDonnell-Douglas FG.1 Royal Air Force 1979 to 1989 McDonnell-Douglas FGR.2 Phantom Air Defence 1979 to 1992 Phantoms over the Falklands Phantom F-4J(UK) 1984 to 1991 Phantom Air Defence Weapons Phantom Finish & Markings Royal Air Force Finish and Markings 1979 to 1992 Royal Air Force Unit Markings 1979 to 1992 Training Units 1978 to 1992 Air Defence Units 1979 to 1992 British Phantoms Colour Chart Royal Air Force Phantom Special Schemes Royal Air Force Phantom Notable Markings 1978 to 1992 Phantom Histories, Bases and Units 1979 to 1992 Appendices Appendix 1: Individual Aircraft Histories Phantom YF-4M, Production FGR.2, F-4J(UK) Appendix 2: Accident Report XV428 CC Appendix 3: RAF Phantom Operators Appendix 4: Camouflage Schemes Appendix 5: Abbreviations [Phantom 005][McDonnell-Douglas FG.1 FGR.2]

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Combat Colours No.8 - An illustrated guide to the colour schemes and markings of the Supermarine Spitfire in WWII volume 1: Merlin-Engined Marks (Mk.I to Mk.XVI)

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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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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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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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Colour Conundrum Compendium No.3 84 pages By Paul Lucas Guideline Publications is pleased to announce the third 'Colour Conundrum Compendium'. This volume collates two groups of articles, the first dealing with the RAF's 'exotic' Tropical Land and Sea Schemes and colours from 1933-1945, while the second deals with the unusual RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Schemes and colours from 1939-1945. As with Compendium No.2, this volume contains new material that has not been previously published in Scale Aircraft Modelling. These two new Conundrums contain material that dovetails into the Tropical Land and Sea Schemes section in such a way that the result is a volume containing more information on the development and possible use of these schemes than has ever appeared in any one place before on three themes: the RAF in the Second World War, the Post War Fleet Air Arm, and related products of the United States' aviation industry that are intertwined with both the other subject areas. To this has been added a completely new chapter on the B-17Cs of 90 Sqn in 1941, which along with the 4 pages of updates presenting new findings on some of the subjects, makes for an additional 12,000 previously unpublished words. Quoting extensively from primary sources, the articles also provide valuable insight into the organisation and administration of the air force, and the many thousands of documents and memos that passed from office to office behind the scenes, providing background and understanding that add depth and focus to a model, as well as an opportunity to understand why a specific colour scheme may have been either selected or rejected. With original research based on surviving records in the National Archive at Kew the aim of these articles is to throw fresh light upon some old questions, to challenge some long held views on aircraft camouflage and markings, and to pose new questions that had arisen as a result of the research to which the answers were not yet known.

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AM-15 The Grumman F6F Hellcat - A Complete Guide To The Famous American Naval Fighter. Valiant Wings Publishing is pleased to announce that our next title in the well-established Airframe & Miniature series will be The Grumman F6F Hellcat - A Complete Guide To The Famous American Naval Fighter by Richard A. Franks. The Hellcat is a very popular aircraft modelling subject and our latest book will go some way towards unpicking the bewildering choices of variants and schemes that apply to the type This fifteenth book in our much-acclaimed series will contain at least 224 pages packed with vital information that no active modeller and Hellcat enthusiast should be without. It will contain: 40+ pages of technical information 20+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams 5+ pages of camouflage and markings 25+ pages of model builds and modelling information 200+ photographs including wartime images Colour side views and four-views by Richard J. Caruana 3D isometric views of all variants by Wojciech Sankowski Specially commissioned extensive full kit builds in four scales by Libor Jekl, Steve A. Evans & John 'Tigger' Wilkes Specially commissioned front cover artwork by Arkadiusz Wrobel Bonus set of 1/48 scale plans

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AM-16 The Hawker Hurricane - A Complete Guide To The Famous Fighter by Richard A. Franks. This will be the sixtieth book published in our ten year history. The Hurricane is a very popular aircraft modelling subject and our latest book will go some way towards unpicking the bewildering choices of variants and schemes that apply to the type. This sixteenth book in our much-acclaimed series will contain at least 240 pages packed with vital information that no active modeller and Hurricane enthusiast should be without. It will contain: 40+ pages of technical information 20+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams 5+ pages of camouflage and markings 25+ pages of model builds and modelling information 200+ photographs including wartime images Colour side views and four-views by Richard J. Caruana 3D isometric views of all variants by Juraj Jankovic Specially commissioned extensive full kit builds by Libor Jekl & Steve A. Evans Specially commissioned front cover artwork by Jerry Boucher Bonus set of 1/48 scale plans

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AM-18 - The North-American P-51D/K Mustang (inc. the P-51H & XP-51F, P-51G & P-51J) - A Complete Guide to the Cadillac of the Skies By Richard A. Franks The P-51 Mustang is one of the most popular aircraft modelling subjects around. Our latest book will go some way towards unpicking the different variants and colourful schemes that apply to the type. This eighteenth book in our much-acclaimed series. AM18 has now been expanded to 272 pages plus covers and plans section in order to accommodate extra material. Packed with vital information that no active modeller and USAAF enthusiast should be without. It will contain: 60+ pages of technical information 60+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams 8+ pages of camouflage and markings 25+ pages of model builds and modelling information 200+ photographs including wartime images Colour side views and four-views by Richard J. Caruana 3D isometric views of all variants by Wojciech Sankowski Specially commissioned extensive full kit builds by Libor Jekl & Steve A. Evans Specially commissioned front cover artwork by Jerry Boucher Bonus set of 1/48 scale plans

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AM-23 The Junkers Ju-88 Part 1: V1 to A-17 plus B-series-A Complete Guide to the Luftwaffe's Legendary Twin by Richard A. Franks. The Junkers Ju 88 has become a very popular aircraft modelling subject in recent years and our latest book will go some way towards unpicking the bewildering choice of variants and schemes that apply to the type. This twenty-third book in our much-acclaimed series contains over 264 pages packed with vital information that no active modeller and Luftwaffe enthusiast should be without. The Junkers Ju 88 Part 1 contains: - 40+ pages of technical information - 60+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams - 35+ pages of camouflage and markings - 25+ pages of model builds and modelling information - 200+ photographs including wartime images - Colour side views and stencil diagram by Richard J. Caruana - 3D isometric views of all Ju 88A and B-series variants by Wojciech Sankowski - Specially commissioned extensive full kit builds by Steve A. Evans and specially commissioned front cover artwork by Jerry Boucher - Set of 1/48 scale plans ISBN: 978-1-912932-30-6. Airframe & Miniature No.23

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Sopwith Pup by Matthew Willis (Hall Park Books Limited) By Matthew Willis The Sopwith Pup, as it is unofficially but universally known, was one of the first true British fighter aircraft, and one of the most significant of the First World War. It played a key part in maintaining control of the skies over the Western Front during and after the RFC's toughest period, Bloody April, 1917. Its superb flying qualities kept it competitive as ever-faster and more powerful opposition appeared, and it played an unglamorous but important role in the defence of the UK against zeppelin and heavy bomber attacks, and was fundamental to the development of ship-based aviation. With the very well-established categories of military aircraft that are familiar today, it is hard to comprehend the world in which the Pup was born, where these clear delineations did not exist. Certainly the idea of the fast, agile single-seat fighter was barely thought of when the Pup's outline was first chalked on the floor of the experimental workshop at Sopwith's Kingston-upon-Thames premises in 1915. The new aircraft was known as the 'Sparrow', was powered by a 50hp Gnome rotary. Test pilot Harry Hawker took the aircraft to Brooklands and amazed trainee RFC pilots by flying it under the bridge across the Byfleet Banking. It was fully aerobatic and capable of a speed just shy of 85mph despite the low engine power. It is unclear whether Sopwith intended the machine to form the basis of a military aircraft but in any event, its performance and handling, even on such low power, must have recommended it for that purpose. The 'Sparrow' therefore became the progenitor of the aircraft that would become the 'Pup'. It was around the time of the prototype's first appearance that the Pup seems to have gained its popular name. Brigadier-General SeftonBrancker, then the RFC's Director of Air Organisation, is reputed to have remarked, on seeing the prototype Scout beside its larger sibling at Brooklands, 'Your 1 Strutter has had a pup!' For all its value as a front line fighting aeroplane, the Pup had a potentially even greater impact on the development of naval aviation; in particular, the sometimes tortuous path of launching aircraft from, and returning them safely to, ships at sea. Moreover, the Pup became one of the more successful operational aircraft in this fledgling area of combat. This is the first WWI title in the series and includes all the usual Warpaint features historical text, modellers glossary, colour artwork by Richard Caruana and a three page colour walkaround by author Matthew Willis.

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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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Bristol Bulldog Mk.II Although there were only ten squadrons equipped with the Bristol Bulldog during the drastic cut back of RAF fighter strength following World War 1, they were certainly the most colourful. Each unit had its identification colours shown on the fuselage and upper wing surfaces and squadron and flight commanders had individual colours on the tail unit. But that was not all. As new squadron commanders took over at the end of a tour of duty of their predecessors, they made changes to the squadron markings making this period one of the most colourful and perhaps controversial of all the pre-war squadron markings. The history of the Bulldog is also of considerable interest as it was exported or built under licence in a number of overseas countries thus adding to the profusion of colour schemes of that period. Richard J.Caruana has detailed the history of the Bulldog and given a great variety of colour schemes that were used. In fact this Warpaint can be said to have more colour side view drawings than most others of its size in the series. Centre spread drawings show the variations that were built at both home and overseas and there is a list of all squadrons and units with representative serial numbers plus a list of available kits and decals that have been produced over the years.

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