Page 24 - Model Airplane International - Issue 175 (February 2020)

IN PRINT

PEN & SWORD

www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
CAMEL PILOT SUPREME - CAPTAIN DV ARMSTRONG DFC
n By Anette Carson aircraft using wing warping, he type after operating under some
n Pen & Sword Books Ltd. fought through the Battle of the extreme conditions, was seen as
n ISBN 9781526752673 Somme as the sole survivor of his a valuable asset in the training
n Price £25.00 unit and with the squadron reduced of pilots. However, what set experts explanation for his untimely
to only ive men. After seven Armstrong apart from many was death. The author also does a very
part from brief months of ighting he returned to his amazing acrobatic abilities good job of explaining the Camel
references in my other the UK and in July 1917, on joining in the Camel which became in some detail, with explanatory
books relating to the No.44 Home Defence Squadron something of legend amongst constructional illustrations of
Sopwith Camel, I must encountered the Sopwith Camel for lying circles long after the war. the engine and airframe used
A admit not knowing a the irst time. Here he pioneered This very well researched book to support the text. To illustrate
great deal about D’Urban Victor new tactics for defending against by Anette Carson is beautifully put some of Armstrong’s remarkable
Armstrong, but this excellent book incoming Gotha bombers in the together, skilfully done considering feats there are excellent colour
by Annette Carson will certainly South East of England, then in that none of Armstrong’s logbooks illustrations provided by Lyn
help me appreciate the lying skills 1918 led the way in the developing or diaries survived and much has Williams, together with never
that made many hold him in such night lying tactics to support been drawn from the accounts before published photographs from
high regard. A native of Natal in ground troops on the western of contemporaries that new him. Armstrong’s own album.
South Africa, after becoming a front by lying intruder missions Reading through some of these This is clearly a labour of love
Lieutenant with the South African and further intercepting German accounts one begins to appreciate for Anette Carson, relected in this
Defence Force he joined the RFC bombers on night missions. His why his skills became legendary, very readable account that is as
in December 1915 and immediately ive victories, and distinguished pushing the Camel to the limit valuable to modellers as it is to
began lying lessons on reaching long service record earned him a during his stunting displays of those with more general aviation
England. After gaining 60 hours DFC. extreme low level acrobatic lying. interests. And it would be great to
lying experience he was assigned The Camel was a notoriously His unexpected death at the age see a model or two of Armstrong’s
to No.60 Squadron in 1916, tricky aircraft to ly, particularly in of 21 in a lying accident days after all-red “Doris”. Our thanks go to
equipped with Morane Saulnier the hands of the inexperienced the end of the war was inexplicable Pen and Sword books for the
monoplanes and parasols. leading to many fatalities, and to his comrades given the skills review sample. (Haris Ali)
An extremely competent pilot Armstrong, who had developed for which he was noted, and the
given the need for controlling these a considerable mastery of the inal section of the book gives one

KAGERO

www.kagero.pl
GLOSTER GLADIATOR, MK.I AND II (AND SEA GLADIATOR)

n By Adam Cotton and Marek Rys covered extremely thoroughly, particularly as the same graphic
n Published by Kagero as is the engine, cockpit, templates have been used but re-
n Guide Price €22.52 armament, undercarriage, and rendered for each. I would have
n ISBN 978-83-65437-86-0 well, everything really! Detailed preferred the colour elevations
n Softback, 216 pages, 210x297 mm photographs of the actual aircraft plus some detailed lined general
are of course helpful, but an arrangement drawings, but
here are plenty of approach such as this enables this may have been out of the
books out there on the elements to be studied in isolation scope of the authors intentions.
Gladiator, but none with a clarity that is extremely Another slight criticism is that
quite like this. This is helpful to any modeller wishing the renderings are a little on the
T one of a series of “3D for an intimate examination dark side, possibly a product
Editions” published by Kagero of the subject. The A4 format of aiming to illustrate natural
that strip down its subject to provides space for either two materials rather than painted
its bare components through colour images per page or one ones, though this greyness does
the use of some very smart whole one, for example when extend to the colour elevations
computer generated graphics. illustrating the Bristol Mercury and may be a result of the CAD
Approximately half of this rather IX engine. The cockpit study process. Lighter tones would
thick A4 book covers the historical is extremely impressive with certainly have aided the clarity
development of the aircraft absolutely nothing left to the of the very detailed images that
followed by its use in Europe imagination, and as nearly cover the constructional details
and North Africa, supported with as good as having the actual of the airframe. However, these
relevant photographic material. aircraft in front of you. There nitpicks aside, this is another
The text is detailed, thorough, are colour proiles of a range volume in a very innovative
well illustrated and as good a of aircraft at the inal section of series of books that cover the
primer as one would need if the book, some developed into subject in extraordinary detail
coming to the type for the irst three quarter views from above. and is well worth the investment
time. The second half is devoted Whilst “traditional” colour plan for those interested in modelling
to a thorough analysis of the and side elevations are provided the Gladiator. Timely too, with
Gladiator’s airframe and internal for half a dozen or so examples the imminent release of ICM’s
structure, describing a wealth plus a few extras, three of them 1/32 kit, and as a great scale for
of detail that is well beyond are given the full 3D experience, adding that extra bit of detail, this
any typical walkaround of a something that doesn’t really add is the perfect supporting resource.
subject. The skeletal airframe is to an appreciation of the aircraft, (Haris Ali)

24 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2020