The FV4030/4 Challenger 1 is a British main battle tank (MBT) used by the British Army from 1983 to 2001.This book provides the reader with the full and unvarnished story of the origins, development, decades of service, and combat history of the Challenger 1 Tank. The text is interspersed with numerous photographs, many published for the first time, alongside color profiles and scale plans, including those of rare and unusual variants. It also relates the experiences of the crews who lived and worked on the Challenger 1, often in the irreverent style typical of Army humor.

The famous Polish jet trainer TS-11 Iskra and its variants in the Polish Air Force are described in unparalleled detail. Includes many unpublished photos from the private collections. The colour schemes and markings are described and illustrated in a series of specially commissioned colour profiles.

This book is compilations of the 4-view colour profile, scale plans and photo details of the single variant of the PZL P.11f plans in 1/72 and 1/48 scale plus drawings from wartime technical manuals. Also photos of the details in B&Wand colour. 4-view colour profiles of the PZL P.11f in Romanian AF markings

This is a book about weathering and designed with one audience in mind – the military modeler. To be sure, there are many books concerned with weathering military models available, but they all concentrate on weathering techniques – pre-shading, washes, pin-washes, dry-brushing, hairspray, you name it, it has a name and a technique. This book is different: it does not tell the modeler how to achieve a particular finish. Rather, it is a reference book showing a range of real military vehicles and their components in real military environments.

Retired from service close to a quarter century ago, the English Electric (BAC) Lightning has become a cult subject with aviation enthusiasts, especially those who, like the author, remember seeing this mighty interceptor take to the air. As its Avons roared, it rotated on take-off, snapped in the main undercarriage like a flash, and then sat on its tail to go into a vertical climb disappearing to in the deep blue above, all within a few seconds.On its introduction into service, Royal Air Force squadrons faced a leap of several generations in technology, from the cannon-armed, subsonic Hunter and Javelin to the Mach 2, missile-armed Lightning. Its major task was the defense of Britain’s airspace, while for many years, it became the frontline interceptor in RAF Germany, operating from a base less than 100 miles away from the ‘Iron Curtain’. Further afar, Lightning squadrons were based in Cyprus and Singapore.For an aircraft whose development fell victim to false political doctrines at the time of its birth, it has more than vindicated its existence. Notwithstanding its complex nature as a service aircraft, it was loved by all those who worked on it; any Lightning pilot would agree that the only recurring feature in flying the aircraft was a unique sense of excitement.Richard J. Caruana describes and illustrates the Lightning in his inimitable way, a tribute to an aircraft whose retirement from service marked the end of a long tradition of single-seat interceptors in the Royal Air Force.

The Saab 37 Viggen is a Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967. Viggen entered service in 21 June 1971. It was the first canard design produced in quantity. Several distinct variants of the Viggen were produced to perform the roles of strike fighter (AJ 37), aerial reconnaissance (SF 37), maritime patrol aircraft (SH 37) and a two-seat trainer (SK 37). In the late 1970s, the all-weather fighter-interceptor aircraft JA 37 variant was introduced. In November 2005, the Viggen was retired from service by the Swedish Air Force.This book is the most comprehensive on the Viggen yet published in English, with: numerous photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before; walkaround photographs of the preserved aircraft; illustrations from contemporary manuals; and original color artwork.

In late 1939, the Air Ministry were looking to replace the Blenheim as a medium bomber. Bristol Aircraft Company (BAC) initially came up with a bomber development of the Beaufighter, the Type 161. Due to specification changes and redesigns, the end result was the Type 163 Buckingham, a twin engined, twin tailed medium bomber. At the time of the Buckinghams conception inquiries were made about a torpedo bomber version. A redesign of the Buckingham brought about the Type 164 Brigand. The torpedo requirement was eventually dropped and the aircraft re-configures as a bomber. With no suitable trainers to train the Buckingham and Brigand pilots BAC came up with the Buckmaster, which was basically a Buckingham with a new nose section containing dual controls.By the time the Buckingham and Brigand entered service their roles had been superseded with newer and better aircraft. Most Buckinghams went straight into storage to await their fate, but some were converted in high speed courier aircraft with four seats. But it was too little too late. The Mosquito could do a better job at almost half the cost. The Brigand with its long range was earmarked for the Far East and the battle against Japan, but the war ended before they could be sent over. It was the Malaya Emergency that saved the Brigand. Carrying out a role for which it was never designed, that of a dive bomber, two Squadrons carried out over 3,500 against the Communist Terrorist.Had it not been for the constant delays and construction changes the aircraft may have lived up to their expectations. As it was they were plagued by mechanical and hydraulic issues as well as structural defects. After a number of catastrophic airframe failures the Brigands were retired from operational service in early 1953.

This book is the latest in a new reference series for aircraft modelers called "Spotlight On" and is a showcase for the superb aviation artwork created for the publisher by the remarkable Polish aviation artist Tomasz Kaca. The book contains 20 color plates showing 20 famous P-51 Mustang fighters depicted in the air. Aircraft of the famous fighter aces are shown based on the latest research.

The development of the famous Italian WWII fighters of the Reggiane factory, with radial engines, is described and illustrated. It served with the Regia Aeronautica and other forces, including the Hungarian and Swedish air arms. This book describes the design, development, and operations of this elegant and effective fighter. This book contains: scale plans, photos and drawings from Technical Manuals, superb color illustrations of camouflage and markings, and rare b&w archive photographs. Color photos of the preserved aircraft illustrate all aspects of the airframe.This is essential reading for aviation enthusiasts & scale aeromodelers.

This book contains 8, A3 size scale plans in 1/48 and 1/72 scale of the British aircraft Blackburn Shark.

This book contains 8, A3 size scale plans in 1/48, 1/72 scale of the Japanese aircraft Kyushu Q1W Tokai (Lorna).

This book was written to redress this imbalance and tell the true story behind the development and operational deployment of the world’s first high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft, which began 6,000 miles further east and four years prior to the momentous events in Europe, under the guidance of the Imperial Japanese Army and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co Ltd. Faced with similar preconceptions, technical arguments, and a very rigid operational doctrine, the Mitsubishi Babs was developed during a brief golden aeronautical period (between the mid 1930s and early 1940s), when the Japanese aircraft industry flourished under constant military aircraft competitions and production orders. Free from prying eyes and shrouded within a self-imposed veil of secrecy, the Japanese developed numerous designs that were equal to and in some cases ahead of contemporary Western manufacturers. This book is the most comprehensive on the “Babs” yet published in English, with numerous photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before, walkaround photographs of the preserved aircraft, illustrations from contemporary manuals, and color artwork.

Seventy years after the battle of Kursk, which was probably the greatest tank battle of the Second World War and perhaps of all military history, comes this new publication. Characterized by hundreds of period photos, allowing the reader to relive those tragic and terrible events.The photos of men, weapons, and vehicles taken on the battlefield before, during, and after the engagements during the rare moments of rest are a true testament to military history. An exceptional photographic documentation, which will be useful to historians, military history students and modeling enthusiasts.Some photos are already known, but we have made every effort to include wherever possible new material as well, previously unpublished, coming from the principal public and private archives, to try to offer our readers a new editorial product.The course of operations was analyzed mainly from the point of view of the Das Reich division, taking the information directly from German war diaries and from Otto Weidinger's previous historical researches on the same division. In the text, however, there is no lack of references to other formations of the SS-Panzer-Korps, whose units always acted in collaboration during the course of the offensive

This book from the series “Inside” shows detailed drawings of the German aircraft instrument panels in great detail.Instrument panels of the following aircraft:Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4, Messerschmitt Me 262 A, Heinkel He 111 P-1, Henschel Hs 126 B, Dornier Do 17 Z, Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4, Fieseler Fi 156, Henschel HS 123, Focke Wulf Fw-190 A-3, Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-12, and Junkers Ju 87 B-1.

40 color profiles of the Grumman F4F Wildcat versions. Specially commissioned profiles with high level details.

This book contains 8, A3 size scale plans in 1/72 scale of the Soviet WW2 transport aircraft Lisunov Li-2.