Coming soon from Pen & Sword is U.S. Aviation and Naval Warfare in the Vietnam War, author David Doyle’s illustrated history highlighting the men and aircraft that comprised American airpower during the Vietnam War.

During the Vietnam war, the US Air Force, Navy, Marines and the Army flew a variety of fixed wing aircraft against innumerable targets in Vietnam, occasionally engaging North Vietnamese Migs, but more often facing the threat of Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) or antiaircraft fire. In over 5 million missions during the war, US forces lost over 2,000 aircraft. This photo essay looks at the men and aircraft that comprised American airpower during the war. Among the aircraft shown are the A-1 Skyraider, A-7 Corsair, B-52, C-130, C-141, F-105, F-4 Phantom, and OV-1 Mohawk. The US Navy controlled the waters off Vietnam, employing not only aircraft carriers to support the air war, but also surface vessels ranging from the battleship USS New Jersey down to destroyers, which supported ground forces with heavy naval gunfire.

The 272 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 31.

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Revell will soon release a Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a / U4 model kit in 1/32 scale.

The product (037499090) is based on what the company describes as the “proven” Me 262 model, but it has been updated with newly developed parts to represent the U4’s nose and 50 mm cannon. Additional features will include a finely crafted cockpit, detailed Jumo engines and “an authentic chassis.” As a Level 5 kit it includes 220 individual parts.

The kit is currently slated for release in April.

(via Revell)

A 1946 Ercoupe 415-C complete airframe project has been spotted for sale.

The airframe (about 3,321 hours total time) has a polished fuselage and tail, silver polyfiber wings, red accents, updated panel and interior, modern breakers, two-place intercom, rudder pedals installed, and complete logs back to the original 1946 airworthiness signoff. It is being sold without engine, prop, avionics, or EFIS. The machine has hard-landing damage including wrinkling around the main gear attach points and a slightly twisted and pushed-forward nose gear with some bent engine-mount tubes. The firewall, cowling, wing panels, ailerons, doors, and windows are reported undamaged. It remains in annual until September 2026 and includes airworthiness certificate, bill of sale, paperwork, keys, airbox and exhaust for your engine (with a suggested upgrade to an O-200).

The project is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is currently available for US $4,995, although bids are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes many additional photos and details.

Set for release later this year is author Colin Higgs’ examination of the iconic Lockheed Constellation, which has become a symbol of the golden age of air travel worldwide.

Lockheed Constellation tells the story of the aircraft that was used by more than 100 airlines and air forces in thirty-eight countries; an airliner that came to epitomize the grand and romantic age of flight in the post-war years before the jet engine ruled. It tells of the wartime development which made the USAAF buy the first few aircraft off the production line; the post-war development which would see nine variants built; of the great airlines around the globe that would make the Constellation their first choice flagships; of the amazing technological advances made during development; and of the enduring legacy of this unique aircraft.

The 176 page paperback publication is currently available for pre-order with release scheduled for June 30.

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ICM has released a new Luftwaffe Pilot School model kit in 1/32 scale.

The Henschel Hs 123A served as a dive bomber and close‑support aircraft in addition to training duties. It featured all‑metal sesquiplane construction and was powered by a BMW 132 radial engine. The aircraft was armed with two 7.92 mm machine guns and around 450 kg of bombs, typically a 250 kg centerline bomb and smaller wing bombs. Entering service in the mid‑1930s, it was rugged, highly maneuverable, and able to operate from rough front‑line airfields, which made it effective in the Spanish Civil War and early Second World War campaigns despite being technically obsolete. With a top speed of about 340 km/h and excellent dive‑bombing characteristics, the Hs 123A earned a reputation for toughness and reliable close air support, remaining in service longer than originally intended until withdrawn mainly due to spare‑parts shortages.

The new release (32017) consists of three Luftwaffe cadets and an Hs 123A training biplane. It includes detailed uniform elements, accurate geometry and proportions, a detailed cockpit and fuselage and step-by-step instructions.

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A 1944 Douglas DC-4/ C-54 cockpit section has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

DC4 C54 Cockpit 22′ nose to back of radio quarters. Freestanding due to triangulated metal base, weighs approx 6500lbs. Have an approx 20′ section of fuselage windows & exits & the tail. Removed from Firebomber 109 now living in my backyard, was thinking of building and aviation themed Air B&B / guest room but changing plans.

The section is located near Buckeye, AZ and is currently available for US $20,000. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Newly released from Naval Institute Press and author Ernest M. Snowden is F8U Crusader: Naval History Special Edition, a richly illustrated volume exploring the F8U Crusader’s storied role in Cold War and Vietnam-era naval aviation, from setting speed records to earning its reputation as the “Last of the Gunfighters.”

From its first flight in 1955, the F8U Crusader proved to be an extraordinary aircraft, establishing a renowned fighter legacy for naval aviation. Building on its success with the F4U Corsair, aviator pioneer Chance Vought brought the Navy into the supersonic age with the Crusader, the first carrier-based fighter to exceed 1,000 mph in level flight. The Crusader earned the Navy its first Thompson Trophy for military aircraft speed and won the Collier Trophy for its innovative carrier suitability features. In 1957 future astronaut John Glenn set a new intercontinental speed record in an F8U-1P, flying from California to New York in just 3 hours and 23 minutes. At a time when guns were being replaced by missiles, Vought designers retained an integrated aircraft cannon, solidifying the Crusader’s reputation as the “Last of the Gunfighters” and earning the loyalty of its pilots.

The contribution of the Crusader to U.S. Cold War operations was substantial. The F8U-1P photoreconnaissance variant, the longest-serving Crusader model, debuted operationally during the Cuban Missile Crisis, providing irrefutable low-level imagery of Soviet activity. During the Vietnam War, Crusader pilots achieved an enviable 6-to-1 kill ratio, outperforming both Air Force and Navy F-4 Phantom pilots―a testament to the aircraft’s maneuverability and the dogfighting ethos of the Crusader’s pilot community.

The Crusader retired from U.S. Navy service in 1987, but its legacy endured as it continued to serve with the Philippine Air Force and the French Navy until 1999, forty-four years after its first flight. Author Ernest Snowden, a former naval aviator, provides an in-depth look at the design and operational history of this iconic aircraft, making this book a must-read for air combat history enthusiasts.

The publication spans 114 pages and is available in Mook format – a hybrid publication format blending elements of a magazine and a book.

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ICM has released their new HP.52 Hampden TB.Mk.I model kit in 1/48 scale.

As previously reported, this new offering (48353) is based on ICM’s recently released, new tool new tool HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I (48352) . The HP.52 Hampden B.Mk.I was the standard medium bomber version, designed primarily for high‑speed level bombing with an internal bay carrying up to 4,000 lb of bombs, whereas the TB.Mk.I was a later conversion optimized for the torpedo‑bomber role, configured to carry a single 18‑inch torpedo internally plus typically two 500 lb bombs under the wings.

The new kit offers the TB.Mk.I’s modified lower gun position and redesigned lower fuselage section. Additional features include a Mk.XII torpedo with trolley, four marking options and rivet detail on the fuselage, wings and tail. It can be used with ICM’s acrylic paint set for WWII RAF Coastal Command aircraft (eBay Product Link)

Model Kit Product Page (eBay)

A 1947 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

This beautifully restored 1947 Piper PA-12 features just 5 hours since major overhaul and 3,422 total time since new. Finished in Daytona white with blue trim, it includes new fabric, paint, windshield, wiring, and panel. O-320 engine and prop are both freshly overhauled. Equipped with floats, federal skis, vortex generators, PA-18 mods, and more. A rare vintage taildragger that’s ready to fly.

The aircraft is located in Pitt Meadows, BC Canada and offers are currently being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos.

Fantasy of Flight founder Kermit Weeks has posted a new video documenting the move of his Lockheed Constellation in preparation for construction of a new hangar.

This particular aircraft (N974R) is a Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the final Constellation variant. During its long service history it flew with Lufthansa and served as a freighter with Lockheed Air Service. It was acquired by Fantasy of Flight in 2011.

The new video is the first in a two part series and can be seen after the break along with Kermit’s overview of N974R’s journey to Fantasy of Flight. As you’ll see, the move is more complicated and interesting than you might expect.

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