Set for release later this year from Pen & Sword and author Geert Rottiers is Doolittle Raid Pilot: The Story of Captain Donald Smith, Survivor of the Bombing of Tokyo in 1942.

Donald Gregory Smith’s early years were shaped by trauma. He was 5 years old when his mother died, following which he was placed in an orphanage by his father. Despite this background, in 1940, Donald earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota. After graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry, but his passion led him to a career in aviation. By March 1941, through sheer determination and discipline Smith had completed his flight training and became a pilot in the Army Air Corps. In 1942, he was selected for a top-secret mission led by Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle: a surprise bombing raid on Japan in retaliation for Pearl Harbor. The story follows Smith during his embarkation aboard the USS Hornet, alongside fifteen other B-25 Mitchell crews. During training, he successfully lifted off after only eighty-seven meters – the shortest take-off of all the Raiders. On 18 April 1942, the day of the infamous Doolittle Raid, Donald’s crew bombed industrial targets in Kobe with precision. During the subsequent diversionary flight to China, his aircraft was attacked by Japanese fighters, but Smith managed to evade them over the Sea of Japan. A shortage of fuel forced Smith to execute a perfect belly landing on water in the East China Sea before getting ashore. With the help of Chinese villagers, Smith and his crew evaded advancing Japanese patrols and eventually returned home. After returning to the United States, Smith was reassigned to the 319th Bomb Group. In November 1942, he flew a B-26 Marauder to Europe as part of a ferry operation. A few weeks later, during a transfer flight from RAF Attlebridge in Norfolk to St. Eval in Cornwall, his aircraft crashed in bad weather. Smith was killed.

The 256 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release scheduled for September 30.

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On the heels of their new 1.0m Gee Bee R-2, E-Flite is gearing up to release an ultra micro 510mm BNF Basic example with AS3X and SAFE Select.

AS3X technology works behind the scenes to help you enjoy the outstanding stability and control you always wanted but never thought possible in such a small airplane, let alone in a model of the Gee Bee. Optional-use SAFE Select flight envelope protection technology delivers automatic self-leveling plus pitch and bank angle limits that make it possible to successfully fly such a unique design even if you’re an intermediate RC pilot. It also features a quieter and more powerful 2S and 3S compatible motor, along with a modified fuselage and stronger wing, designed to handle the extra weight, power, and speed when using 3S 280–300mAh batteries. Best of all, it arrives 100% factory-assembled and ready to bind to your favorite Spektrum DSM2/DSMX-equipped transmitter so you can be flying in almost no time!

The upcoming release boasts an authentic scale outline with abundant details including flying wires and a pilot. It is currently slated for release later this month. Click below to check out a promo video.

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A 2015 Cubcrafters Carbon Cub has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

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

According to the listing, this 2015 CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX (N224Y) is a beautiful, no-issues aircraft with 832.5 hours total time and 671 tach hours, always hangared and ready to fly. Built by Paul Borys, it’s powered by a CC340 180 hp engine with a Catto composite fixed-pitch propeller and upgraded cowling. Equipped for VFR with Poly-Fiber covering and 40 gal usable fuel, it features heavy-duty 3×3 gear, AOSS shocks, 26″ Airstreak bush tires, and Grove brakes. Float mounts and a smoke system are installed, with an oversized baggage area for added utility. Avionics include a Garmin Aera 796 GPS, CGR‑30P engine monitor, Trig TY91 radio, Trig TT21 transponder (ADS‑B Out), PM3000R intercom, and TruTrak autopilot with altitude hold. Available for inspection at GA81; ferry pilot available at buyer’s expense.

The aircraft is located in Fort Valley, Georgia and is currently available for US $189,500 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

The naval fighters of Sopwith and Hawker will take center stage in author Christopher Budgen’s upcoming book Hawker’s Naval Fighters: Camel to Sea Harrier, released by Pen & Sword.

In 1912, TOM Sopwith transitioned from running a flying school to manufacturing aircraft, leveraging his nautical interests to create designs purchased by Britain’s Royal Navy. The onset of the First World War solidified the Sopwith Aviation Company’s reputation with aircraft like the Sopwith Camel widely used onboard the ships of the day. After the war, cancellations of government orders forced Sopwith Aviation into liquidation, However, a new company, the HG Hawker Engineering Company, was quickly formed, having been named after Sopwith’s test pilot, Harry Hawker. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Hawker produced designs that continued to be purchased by the Royal Navy, being used on the early aircraft carriers as well as the larger vessels of the fleet. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the RN’s Fleet Air Arm found itself woefully unprepared for battle, having mainly biplanes and slow monoplanes with which to face the modern German fighters and bombers. As a temporary solution, Hawker adapted the Hurricane into the Sea Hurricane. Hawker later developed advanced piston-engine fighters like the Fury and its naval counterpart, the Sea Fury, which saw action during the Korean War and Suez Crisis in 1956. The Sea Fury was succeeded by Hawker’s first jet, the Sea Hawk, marking the Fleet Air Arm’s transition into the jet age. The Sea Hawk also served the Indian Navy during its conflicts with Pakistan. Hawker’s successful Hunter, although primarily for the RAF, was used by the Royal Navy for land-based operations. Meanwhile, Hawker’s next design, the ground breaking Harrier, was ordered as the Sea Harrier; it saw action during the Falklands War, and, in due course, in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and in Iraq. From its earliest days then, the Hawker Aircraft Company has supplied winning designs to the Royal Navy and to many navies overseas, a feat that few other companies could match.

The 232 Page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release scheduled for April 30.

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ICM has provided us with the first glimpse of the kit contents for their upcoming HP.52 Hampden B.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. Click below to check out additional images.

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A 1952 Beechcraft C35 Bonanza has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

1952 Beechcraft C35 Bonanza in Ohio at the Lorain County Regional Airport, N1993D. In Hangar with full log books. The 1952 Beechcraft C35 Bonanza is a classic V-tail, all-metal, four-place aircraft known for its performance and iconic design, powered by a 205hp Continental E-185-11 engine, featuring retractable landing gear, and offering good visibility and speed for its era, though requiring diligent maintenance due to its age and magnesium components. Key features include its distinctive V-tail (ruddervators), single throw-over control yoke, and a relatively simple fuel system. The last flight was 1993, inspection 1995 but still more repairs until 2012. MRK Aviation available for inspection assistance

The aircraft is currently available for US $30,000 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos.

Coming soon from Pen & Sword Books and author Malcolm Sutherland is A Fighter Pilot’s War: Battle of Britain, Far East, D-Day, & Germany – The Remarkable Career of Wing Commander R.E.P. Brooker DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar. The book is a detailed biography which reportedly provides the answers to the mystery and controversy surrounding Brooker’s disappearance in 1945.

Richard Edgar Peter Brooker left school and joined the RAF in 1937. He was posted to 56 Squadron and in 1940 he served for several weeks as personal assistant to Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, before flying throughout the height of the Battle of Britain. In the spring of 1941, promoted to Acting Squadron Leader, Brooker commanded No.1 Squadron during the Blitz; for this he was awarded the D.F.C. After being posted to Singapore late in 1941, where he led Nos. 232 and 242 squadrons fighting the Japanese invasion, he was evacuated on the last flight out of Bandoeng, Java, to Australia in March 1942. For his gallantry, determination in the face of heavy odds during the fall of Singapore, Brooker was awarded a Bar to the D.F.C. In the spring of 1944, Brooker became Wing Commander Flying of 123 Wing of Hawker Typhoons at RAF Thorney Island, in preparation for the liberation of Europe. Exhausted after an intensive spell of operational flying during and after D-Day, Brooker was taken off flying in July and sent to complete the Senior Staff Officers’ course at the RAF Staff College. At this time, he was awarded the DSO. In January 1945 Brooker became Wing Commander Flying of 122 Wing operating Hawker Tempest Vs, initially in Holland and then in Germany. In this period he was awarded a Bar to his DSO – but it was an award that was made posthumously. It was from Rheine-Hopsten in Germany that Peter took off on the evening, of 16 April 1945, and failed to return, just twenty-two days from VE Day. His aircraft and his remains have never been accounted for.

The 256 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for March 31.

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MiniArt has announced a new addition to their line of 1/48 P-47 kits in the form of the P-47M (with dorsal fin).

The dorsal fin-equipped P-47M variant was a specialized late-WW2 modification of the P-47D bubbletop fighter, featuring a triangular fillet forward of the vertical stabilizer added to enhance directional stability after the redesigned rear fuselage caused yaw issues, as seen on later P-47D-40 models and retrofitted to some P-47Ms. Only about 130 P-47Ms were built, equipped with a high-output Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57(C) engine (2,800 hp with water injection) and improved turbo-supercharger for speeds up to 470-500 mph at altitude, optimized for intercepting V-1 buzz bombs and Me 262 jets while armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns.

The upcoming release is offered as a basic kit and will include two marking options. As of this writing a final release date has not been announced. Click below to check out additional images, including livery profiles.

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A Cessna 182 RG Skylane has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

1980 Cessna 182 RG, former police airplane, 1180lbs useful load, Avidyne 540 GPS, Avidyne ADSB- OUT transponder, Stec 55X autopilot, electric trim, 88gal tanks, 28v system, August annual (new spark plugs, new tires), compression over 70, TT8400, Engine 2400 SMOH, Logs starts from 1984, last year flew 200 hours, hours will change, I can deliver aircraft anywhere in US

The aircraft is located in Haines City, Florida and is currently available for US $130,000 although bids are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Coming soon from Pen & Sword and author Chris Goss is Royal Flying Corps In Combat: Rare Archive Images of Aerial Warfare Over the Western Front in WW1, which showcases an extraordinary collection of photos and stories of downed aircraft from the Western Front.

Each image tells the tale of the aviators behind them. For example, Second Lieutenant Gilbert Insall and Air Mechanic Thomas Donald, after their Vickers FB 5 Gunbus was damaged, made repairs under enemy fire and returned to base. They were shot down again weeks later, but Insall later escaped captivity and received the Victoria Cross. Chris Goss delves into the stories behind the crashes, even identifying enemy pilots who shot down some of the planes. The mysterious case of Second Lieutenant John Holtom’s DH 2, whose body was never recovered, remains unsolved. This book also reveals how many surviving pilots went on to have distinguished careers, including Montagu Chidson, who, after being captured in 1915, later rescued vital diamonds from Amsterdam in 1940 while serving with M.I.9. Royal Flying Corps in Combat is a captivating account of the aircraft, battles, and aviators of the First World War.

The 224 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for Feb 28.

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