Coming soon from Penguin Michael Joseph and author Michael Pryce is Jump Jet: The Secret History of the Harrier.

Victory in the Falklands War made the Harrier’s name as a world-beating British icon, as capable of giving the enemy a bloody nose as it was of thrilling the crowds at airshows with displays of aerial ballet. Its failure seemed inconceivable. But that’s not the real story of the Harrier. Though derided as a novelty, the Harrier’s designer, Ralph Hooper, knew that the naysayers were wrong. Hooper’s masterpiece was born of instinct and feel. Yet, in the end, neither Hooper’s genius nor American support were enough to beat the odds. This is the real story of a British flying legend, and of the man who made it.

The 400 page book is currently available for pre-order in hardcover, Kindle and Audiobook formats with release set for June 23.

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ICM has announced the development of a new tool Lockheed Hudson model kit in 1/48 scale.

The Hudson was an American-built twin-engine light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft adapted from the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra airliner. It entered service just before World War II, became widely used by the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth forces, and proved especially valuable for patrol, anti-submarine, transport, and training duties.

As of this writing, details on the upcoming kit (48330) are nonexistent, although a series of renderings have been released, additional examples of which can be seen below.

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A project with paperwork identifying it as a War Aircraft Replicas Fw 190 has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

Vintage Aircraft —in its build stage. I believe this is a Focke-Wulf FW-190 replica but that is my best guess and I know very little about this plane overall. Comes with Continental 200-A engine.

The W.A.R. Fw 190 is a half-scale homebuilt replica of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. The project is located in Seattle, Washington and is currently available for US $12,000 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

A Rolls-Royce Griffon Mk.58 V12 aircraft engine has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

Complete engine in pieces except starter and ignition harness. Will make sure you’ll get all parts including nuts and bolts. (I restored 3 of ’em and know ’em by heart) Power section turned over frequently. This is a core engine with undisturbed crankcase. Bought from famous Merlin tuner Dwight Thorn years ago.

The engine is located in Salinas, California and is currently available for bidding. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

DBMK has released a new series of renderings for their upcoming Supermarine Seafire F/FR Mk 47 in 1/32 scale.

The F/FR Mk 47 was the final and most advanced Seafire variant, a Royal Navy carrier fighter derived from the Spitfire Mk 24. It used a powerful Griffon engine with contra-rotating propellers, folding wings, and could carry bombs, rockets, or a reconnaissance fit, making it a fast but short-range fleet-defense and strike aircraft that entered service just after World War II.

Details are currently limited, although DBMK states that the upcoming kit will include many 3D printed features, including the cockpit and one piece intake. Click below to check out additional renders.

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A 1968 Piper Cherokee 235 has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

…has a total time airframe of 4,740 hours and is powered by a Lycoming O-540-B4B5 engine with 1,028 hours since major overhaul, paired with a three-blade constant speed propeller with 469 hours since new… This aircraft has been extensively upgraded with modern avionics and systems, including dual AV30Cs eliminating the need for a vacuum system, a PSA8000G audio panel with Bluetooth capability, and a GNS430W prewired for AeroCruz autopilot. It also includes a GNC XL250 GPS/Comm and a JPI830 engine monitor with fuel flow and carb temperature monitoring, giving pilots full visibility and control in flight. All fuses have been upgraded to Klixon breakers, and the left magneto has been replaced with a SureFly electronic ignition system, enhancing reliability and performance. Additional features include a reusable Challenger oil filter, ADS-B Out via TailBeacon, ADS-B In via Stratux, full LED lighting, and upgraded safety features such as front seat 3-point harnesses. Further enhancements include Bogart cable upgrades, an improved battery box, and a recent annual completed on 11/25. The aircraft also comes with a Bruce’s custom airplane cover for protection when not in use. This is a well-maintained, thoughtfully upgraded aircraft that is truly ready for its next owner.

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

Coming soon from Helion and Company and author Mikhail Timin is the second volume in a major four-part study that examines the Soviet Air Forces stationed in the Baltic region in the months before the German invasion of June 1941.

Air Battles over the Baltic 1941 Volume 2: The Eve of War, Early 1941 examines the crucial months leading up to the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Drawing on Soviet and German archival sources, Timin reconstructs the condition of the Soviet Air Forces in the Baltic region during early 1941, and compares them directly with the Luftwaffe units preparing to strike across the border.

The book explores the Red Air Force’s continued efforts to expand and modernise. While some units received new fighters and bombers, many still relied on outdated types, and shortages of fuel, spares and ammunition undermined readiness. Training remained inconsistent, with thousands of inexperienced pilots entering frontline regiments, often with minimal flying hours. Timin demonstrates how Soviet commanders struggled to balance the urgent need for combat preparation with the administrative demands of constant reorganisations… Richly illustrated with colour profiles, photographs, maps and tables, this volume offers a balanced assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of both the Soviet and German alignments in the Baltic. It demonstrates how structural weaknesses, training shortfalls and misplaced assumptions left the Red Air Force dangerously exposed on the eve of war, setting the stage for the catastrophic battles of 22 June 1941.

The 108 page paperback book is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 31. This is also the set release date for Volume 1.

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ICM has released their new, late-production HP.52 Hampden (Churchill’s “Flying Suitcase) model kit in 1/48 scale.

The HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine RAF medium bomber whose unusually narrow, deep fuselage gave it the famous nickname “Churchill’s flying suitcase” or simply the “Flying Suitcase.” It entered service in 1938, saw early World War II bombing and maritime strike duties, and was remembered for being fast and effective but extremely cramped for its four-man crew.

As previously reported, the release (48354) continues ICM’s recent line of Hampden kits and 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.

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A Maule M-7 260C Super Rocket has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

Maule M-7 260C Super Rocket — N240SC; This Maule M-7 260C Super Rocket has been meticulously maintained, always hangared, and comes with complete logbooks and service manuals. Powered by a Lycoming IO-540-V4A5 with 420 hours since recall compliance, it is equipped with Wipaire 3000 amphibious floats (never in salt water) with full corrosion protection and vertical wheel sensors. The sale includes conventional landing gear with tailwheel, as well as a custom tug and tow bar. Avionics include ADS-B In/Out, Garmin, and Bendix/King systems, along with safety and situational awareness instruments. The interior is tan leather, and the exterior is red and white. Cruises at about 128 mph on floats, seats five, and has a gross weight of 2,750 lbs. Annual inspection completed November of 2025.

The aircraft is located in The Villages, Florida and is currently available for US $350,000 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Coming soon from Aeronaut Books and author Jonathan J Wagstaff is Boum! A History of the SPAD XII Canon: How France’s Greatest Ace & Aerospace Engineers of WWI Created the World’s First Production Canon-Armed Fighter

On 27th July 1917, a secret new weapon took to the skies over the Western Front. It carried a devastatingly large armament derived from naval designs and ingeniously engineered to fire through the propeller shaft of the aircraft. The secrecy of the project was such that even the sound of the weapon was reportedly censored in contemporary accounts.

When it finally entered combat, the impact of the 37mm canon on wood and canvas was overwhelming: “The effect was immediate, the aircraft was cut in two and burned, the wings went to one side, the fuselage to the other…”.

This book charts the remarkable story of the SPAD Canon aircraft of WWI — from early French experiments in canon-armed planes, to the power of one ace’s fame and family connections in steering government decisions, and the emergence of SPAD’s frontline types and their relatively obscure contribution to the conflict. It also explores the legacy they carried into the next great war.

Boum! is the first English-language study of the fascinating SPAD Canon aircraft. It shines a light on their history through newly rediscovered documents, photographs, and films from archives across the globe. This is a compelling story of innovation, ambition, and the people behind the machines, that will appeal to both general readers and aviation enthusiasts alike.

The book is heavily illustrated with 240 photos (28 in color), color profiles of 21 aircraft, four paintings, many drawings, and scale drawings of the Spad 12 and 14 in its 241 pages.

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