BOOKSHELF Title: ‘Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft in Asia’
Author: Yefim Gordon & Dimitry Komissarow Publisher: Hikoki Publications UK Price: £39.95 ISBN:
978 1902109299 Format: 300mm x 210mm, Hardback 416pp T
his is the third book in this series and is certainly the biggest. It makes you realise just how Russian influence has expanded since World War Two. The book covers
twenty-one different nations and it is surprising how some relatively poor countries are equipped with some quite serious hardware, thanks to the Soviet Union.
Each country has a chapter devoted to it – the first being Afghanistan. This country has had a turbulent history and has seen a lot of changes since the end of British rule, with the Russians supplying aircraft to the Afghan Air Force after they gained independence.
You will find that the author gives us his usual detailed
history, accompanied by a large number of photographs and colour profiles. He seems to be able to access a considerable amount of information, including a
table listing all known aircraft, by type, serial and other detailed
information, at the end of each chapter. On this country alone it covers nine pages! But it is China that seems to be the biggest recipient of
Russian hardware. Starting pre- World War Two with,
amongst others, the I-15
and I-16, before moving to
the jet age to include some serious hardware, such as the Su- 30.
But the Chinese are no slouches when it comes to innovation. One particular machine stands out. They took the Tu-4 (which in its self is a copy of the B-29) and changed it dramatically, by fitting turboprop-powered engines to convert it into an AWAC aircraft, complete with radar dish. Now that would make an eye catching conversion to put on the model table! I think you will find this chapter a real education. This time the information runs to forty-two pages.
These descriptions will give you an idea of the sort of things
to expect. If you are tempted with unusual camouflage schemes and markings then this can be your thing. Where else would you find colour photographs of a Korean National Police Mi-17?.
This is a monumental piece of writing, enclosed in a very
heavy book and one that I can recommend to any enthusiast of Russian aircraft. Oh, and just in case you think you have all the information you need, there is another book on the way covering aircraft in the Americas.
Ernie Lee 78
WWW.SCALEAIRCRAFTMODELLING.CO.UK Title: ‘Junkers Ju 52 - A History 1930 - 1945’
Author: Robert Forsyth with Eddie Creek Publisher: Crecy Publishing Ltd UK Price: £60.00 ISBN:
9 781906 537463 Format: 310mmx 220mm, Hardback 330pp T
here is nothing I like more than a book that really covers the subject, not just bits of it, and you certainly cannot complain with this one.
The first chapter chronicles Hugo Junkers’ early work, using
his corrugated skin structure, but I wonder whether Hugo Junkers, when he origi- nally designed this aircraft (orig- inally for civil use),
ever
thought it would end up as a 'maid of all work' in the Luftwaffe?
From the
very start this book is lavishly illustrated with many of the photographs being factory originals. One predecessor is a very in- teresting air- craft – the single engine variant. The first proto- type was fitted with such an engine and even more incredibly, it had a two bladed propeller. The description of this variant contains some fantastic photographs, both internal and exter- nal and these include shots of it on both skis and floats.
We then move to the familiar three-engine variant, still in
civilian use, again superbly illustrated and for the first time – colour profiles. It is now that its military use is creeping in, when used as personal transports of Nazi officers, such as Herman Goring, the Chief of Staff of the SA, and of course, Hitler.
On 1 January 1934, a number of Ju 52s were moved to a
special unit to be converted in to bombers and so we start the long journey to 1945. The illustrations change here, with shots and drawings of the gun positions and bomb racks. Its service in Spain is well chronicled and then its use in the invasion of Poland.
The next variant to be covered is the paratroop aircraft and
its service. This chapter not only describes the aircraft, inside and out, but also the training regime and jumping techniques adopted by the parachutists. Next comes the transports, again with excellent photographic content and artwork and not for- getting a most important transport variant, the ambulance. Add to that the the floatplane and the Ju 52/3M MS you have gone through just about all the different tasks and external details and the author must have said it all – but not quite. There is the matter of the brake parachute and a chapter on Courier and Staffel transports.
This completes the author’s history of the Ju 52, but he is
not finished yet, because there is a chapter describing the Ju 252 and Ju 352.
This is the most complete book on this aircraft I have ever
seen and I doubt than anyone will surpass it. I cannot imagine any self respecting Luftwaffe enthusiast who will not want it on his shelf.
Very Highly recommended. Ernie Lee
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