Book Review of
Finish Aces
Their Planes & Units 1939-1945
Authors: Karl Senman & Karolina Holda
MMP Books (Mushroom Model Publications)
White Series, Rainbow No. 9150
ISBN: 978-83-66549-59-3
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $75.00
White Series, Rainbow No. 9150
ISBN: 978-83-66549-59-3
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $75.00
HISTORY:
The small number of Finish fighter pilots who defended Finland in three separate wars, between 1939 and 1945, amassed scores only bettered by the Luftwaffe’s pilots. Initially equipped with a mixed collection of fighters acquired from sources across the world, the Finnish air force was thrust into combat in defense in the Winter War, against an invasion of the Soviet Union in 1939, followed by the Continuation War, together with Germany and other Axis countries against the Soviets in 1941-1944.
Aircraft of the famous Finnish Aces are described in detail with many photos and color profiles.
THE BOOK:
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is based in the UK. All their books are printed by their associate Stratus in Poland.
Stratus does their own line of books in both Polish and English.
This book is hard-bound 436 pages (4 are blank), in 8” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of 4 Finnish pilots in front of a Morko-Morane MSv-631. The aircraft is olive-drab with a red and black spinner and a yellow panel under the nose. Two pilots wear medium-grey uniforms, with black leather helmets and goggles and black jack boots. The third pilot wears a medium-grey shirt and black trousers over low black shoes. He is carrying his goggles in his right hand and is bare-headed. The fourth pilot is dressed in all black coveralls and wears a black leather helmet and goggles. He is resting his right elbow on the aircraft’s wing.
There are 853 black and white photos and 2 color ones in the book and 108 data lists and one map.
The book begins with a TABLE OF CONTENTS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, INTRODUCTION and LIST OF SOVIET AVIATION UNITS.
The end of the book has a one page BIBLIOGRAPHY.
The book has color side-view illustrations on the majority of its pages. Each profile is on a page with black and white photos of the actual aircraft illustrated and the Finnish ace that flew the plane.
Aircraft done as color side views are:
35 Bf-109 G’s
11 Fiat G-50’s
15 Curtiss Hawk 75A-2s
25 Brewster 239s
15 Fokker D.XX's
5 Polikarpov I-153s
2 Morko-Morane MS-631s
5 Hawker Hurricane 1s
11 Morane-Saulnier MS-406s
1 BW-279
2 Lagg-3s
2 Caudron-Renault CR-714s
1 VI Myrsky MY-16
1 Curtiss P-40M
There are 80 photos and illustrations of rudder numbers and codes, 5 fuselage numbers and 21 logos, names and victory score markings on fuselages.
This is a very, very complete book about Finnish aces. Highly recommended to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of MMP books and all MMP titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The small number of Finish fighter pilots who defended Finland in three separate wars, between 1939 and 1945, amassed scores only bettered by the Luftwaffe’s pilots. Initially equipped with a mixed collection of fighters acquired from sources across the world, the Finnish air force was thrust into combat in defense in the Winter War, against an invasion of the Soviet Union in 1939, followed by the Continuation War, together with Germany and other Axis countries against the Soviets in 1941-1944.
Aircraft of the famous Finnish Aces are described in detail with many photos and color profiles.
THE BOOK:
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is based in the UK. All their books are printed by their associate Stratus in Poland.
Stratus does their own line of books in both Polish and English.
This book is hard-bound 436 pages (4 are blank), in 8” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of 4 Finnish pilots in front of a Morko-Morane MSv-631. The aircraft is olive-drab with a red and black spinner and a yellow panel under the nose. Two pilots wear medium-grey uniforms, with black leather helmets and goggles and black jack boots. The third pilot wears a medium-grey shirt and black trousers over low black shoes. He is carrying his goggles in his right hand and is bare-headed. The fourth pilot is dressed in all black coveralls and wears a black leather helmet and goggles. He is resting his right elbow on the aircraft’s wing.
There are 853 black and white photos and 2 color ones in the book and 108 data lists and one map.
The book begins with a TABLE OF CONTENTS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, INTRODUCTION and LIST OF SOVIET AVIATION UNITS.
The end of the book has a one page BIBLIOGRAPHY.
The book has color side-view illustrations on the majority of its pages. Each profile is on a page with black and white photos of the actual aircraft illustrated and the Finnish ace that flew the plane.
Aircraft done as color side views are:
35 Bf-109 G’s
11 Fiat G-50’s
15 Curtiss Hawk 75A-2s
25 Brewster 239s
15 Fokker D.XX's
5 Polikarpov I-153s
2 Morko-Morane MS-631s
5 Hawker Hurricane 1s
11 Morane-Saulnier MS-406s
1 BW-279
2 Lagg-3s
2 Caudron-Renault CR-714s
1 VI Myrsky MY-16
1 Curtiss P-40M
There are 80 photos and illustrations of rudder numbers and codes, 5 fuselage numbers and 21 logos, names and victory score markings on fuselages.
This is a very, very complete book about Finnish aces. Highly recommended to modelers and aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of MMP books and all MMP titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Very highly recommended.