Coming soon from Helion and Company and author Kevin Wright is USAF Combat Camera 1941–1991: The Brave Ones Shoot Bullets, the Crazy Ones Shoot Film, documenting USAF cinematographers and photographers and their frequently hazardous work.

USAF Combat Cameramen and later women have participated in every major US military operation and deployment worldwide. Whilst some of their wartime productions like the original Memphis Belle and The Last Bomb, rightly gained wide public acclaim, the vast majority of their work, often classified, was for the Pentagon’s eyes only. Their main role was to keep senior military commanders and decision-makers informed about USAF operations and to record the challenges faced by US armed forces on the ground.

Combat Camera charts those activities from their origins in Hollywood, producing military training films, through wartime movies, bomber operations over Europe and Japan, the liberation of France, the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama and the 1991 Gulf War.

These events are explored mainly through personal accounts from the combat cameramen and women themselves. From acts of individual heroism, through organisational change, new equipment and their often ringside seats at historic events, Combat Camera captures the work of these remarkable men and women and has been produced with cooperation of the membership of the USAF Combat Camera Association.

This volume is profusely illustrated with original photographs and includes unique links to original motion footage shot by the USAF Combat Cameramen, in addition to the @War series signature colour artworks.

The 72 page paperback publication is currently available for pre-order with release set for June 15.

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ICM has announced the upcoming release 1/48 scale model of the HP.52 Hampden (Churchill’s “Flying Suitcase”) featuring characteristic late-production details.

The upcoming release (48354) which continues ICM’s recent line of Hampden kits, faithfully preserves the geometry and proportions of the original aircraft. It includes rivet detail on the fuselage, wings and tail surfaces, marking options for four aircraft and multiple bomb types that can be positioned in the bomb bay or under the wings.

The kit is currently slated for release sometime in April.

(via ICM)

A Replica Plans 7/8 scale SE5a has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

This is an All metal 7/8 scale SE5 biplane replica from replica plans kit company. It’s a part 103 ultralight fly with just your drivers license. Flys great has about 40 hours on it total time. It’s Been away since last season but Shes Almost ready to fly and can be ready in a day. Has Electric start 2 stroke international 40hp engine with bing carb, 5 gallon fuel tank and it has nav/strobe lights. It Needs a 72” prop and needs a tube for one tire to be flyable put the wings on and go! She has a couple dings in the cowl and Could use some paint touch ups to be perfect.

The aircraft is located in Valdosta, Georgia and is currently available for US $6,999 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Coming soon from Amberley Publishing and author Al Bridger is British Airways in 100 Objects, which is focused on artifacts held by the British Airways Speedbird Centre.

British Airways has an almost unique history. Spanning over a century from the first flight of Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd from London to Paris in 1919 to the modern fuel-efficient aircraft of its current fleet, British Airways has proudly connected Britain to the World and the World to Britain. Over that journey through the rapidly evolving early years of pioneering aviation, taking days to cross continents with biplanes and seaplanes, through the post-war piston-engine luxury, the iconic jet age of the fabulous Boeing 707 and 747, the supersonic marvel of Concorde into the modern era of travel, British Airways has seen many historic events and carried literally billions of customers. Along the way that journey has generated vast amounts of treasured items, many of which are now displayed or stored at British Airways headquarters near Heathrow in its truly incredible museum, the Speedbird Centre. Much of the archive has true national importance and is kept as part of the nation’s heritage. From simple in-flight mementos to the Olympic torch, the items featured in this book represent just a flavour of that collection and bring decades of flight to life.

The 144 page, paperback publication is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 15.

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DoraWings has release the first test build / test sprue photos for their new tool Dewoitine D.520 in 1/32 scale.

The D.520 was a French single‑seat, low‑wing monoplane fighter of World War II, designed in the late 1930s to meet a demanding Air Ministry requirement for a fast, modern interceptor with a 20 mm cannon and good climb performance. Powered by a Hispano‑Suiza 12Y liquid‑cooled V‑12 engine, it reached a top speed of around 560 km/h and combined a robust all‑metal structure with retractable landing gear and a relatively heavy armament of one 20 mm cannon and four 7.5 mm machine guns. Entering service in early 1940, it was the most advanced French fighter in large‑scale use during the Battle of France and is often regarded as the best French‑made fighter of the war, seeing further combat and training service with Vichy, Italian, and other air forces into the early 1950s.

Details on the new model are limited, although the images provide a good overview of what to expect. Check out additional examples after the break.

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A 1958 Cessna 180 has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

This 1958 Cessna 180 is a beautifully restored and upgraded aircraft featuring a 182A conversion with heavy-duty C185 main landing gear and a Rod Rawson tailwheel conversion. With approximately 2,300 total airframe hours, it is powered by a Continental O-470-L engine with around 60 hours since major overhaul and a propeller with approximately 140 hours since overhaul. The aircraft is equipped with advanced Garmin avionics, including an L3 Lynx NGT9000 transponder with ADS-B in and out, along with an EDM900 engine monitoring system. Significant upgrades include new fuel cells, new windshield, and a completely refreshed interior. This aircraft has been thoughtfully maintained and upgraded, making it a reliable and well-equipped option for both recreational and utility flying.

The aircraft is located in Spicewood, TX and offers are currently being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing.

Soon to be released by Helion and Company and author Kevin Wright is Skywatch Volume 1: A History of the Royal Observer Corps, 1925 to 1939.

During World War One, London was vulnerable to air attacks by Zeppelins and later German bombers. To defend the capital, the London Air Defence Area was created to coordinate the efforts to protect it. However, after 1918, the system was quickly abandoned.

In the early 1920s, the Committee for Imperial Defence began to reconsider the problem. In 1924, the first experiment was conducted to monitor and report the movement of aircraft overland by using small groups of aircraft observers reporting to a central point. This successful experiment led to the creation of the Observer Corps in 1925 under the control of Police Chief Constables.

Originally intended to cover just the South East of England to protect London, as the threat from resurgent Nazi Germany grew, the Corps was gradually expanded to cover nearly the whole of Gt Britain by the start of the War. Now transferred to the control of the Air Ministry, Observer Corps Groups became a key part of Fighter Commands integrated air defence system, unique in that it was the only means to track the movement of aircraft once they crossed the coast and headed inland.

Using a combination of new research and access to official files, Volume One of Skywatch charts the development of the Observer Corps from its origins, the very beginnings, formation and growth through the 1920s. It critically examines how, in the rush to prepare for War in the late 1930s, the Observer Corps began to ready itself for War and its unique role, monitoring the skies of Britain.

The 76 page publication is currently available for pre-order in paperback format. Release is slated for April 30.

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Kotare Models has announced the upcoming release of a Spitfire Mk.I PR Type B model kit in 1/32 scale.

The Mk.I PR Type B was a mid-production Mk.I airframe converted in late 1939–early 1940 into a specialized unarmed photo‑reconnaissance aircraft, optimized for speed, range, and altitude by stripping out all armament and radio equipment, fairing over gun bays, and adding extra fuel and oxygen behind the pilot for longer missions. Externally it carried two downward‑facing F24 cameras with 8‑inch lenses in blister fairings under the wings and used a lighter, unarmored windscreen plus a blown canopy with teardrop side blisters to improve downward visibility. These aerodynamic and weight‑saving changes, combined with the high‑gloss pale blue finish typical of early PR Spitfires, allowed the PR Type B to conduct medium‑range, high‑speed photographic sorties over enemy territory with minimal chance of interception during the early stages of the Second World War. [continue reading…]

A WagAero Sport Trainer project has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

WagAero Sport Trainer Project – Airframe Build. Reluctantly selling due to a recent relocation for work and being unable to continue the project. Included in the sale are a welded base fuselage, two fully constructed wings, two fully constructed ailerons, two original Piper 17-gallon fuel tanks, two original Piper fuel tank covers, two fuel gauges, WagAero Sport Trainer blueprints, landing gear cabane, five aluminum stringers, four welded rudder pedals, additional metal tubing and aluminum/4130 steel sheeting for fabrication, and additional hardware. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to take on a proven homebuilt project. All components are in solid condition and ready for the next stage of assembly.

The aircraft is located in Plainfield, Illinois and is currently available for US $6,000 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

New from author Jack Herris and Aeronaut Books is The Spad A Series:

Spad is famous as the manufacturer of the Spad 13, the best Allied fighter of the Great War. However, Spad started the war with a much less successful aircraft, the Spad A, a two-seater of unusual configuration. This book describes its technical development and combat use. The story is told with 195 photos, color profiles of 18 aircraft, and scale drawings of two types.

The book spans 124 pages and is available in paperback edition.

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