Book Review of
Mitsubish Babs, Vol. 1
The world’s First High-speed Strategic Reconnaissance Aircraft
Authors: Showzow Abe & Giuseppe Picarella
Stratus Publications
ISBN: 978-83-66459-73-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $62.00
ISBN: 978-83-66459-73-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $62.00
HISTORY:
The development and operational deployment of the world’s first high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft, the Mitsubishi Babs began 6,000 miles further east and four years prior to the momentous events in Europe, under the guidance of the Imperial Japanese Army and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co Ltd.
Faced with similar preconceptions, technical arguments, and a very rigid operational doctrine, the Mitsubishi Babs was developed during a brief golden aeronautical period (between the mid 1930s and early 1940s), when the Japanese aircraft industry flourished under constant military aircraft competitions and production orders.
Free from prying eyes and shrouded within a self-imposed veil of secrecy, the Japanese developed numerous designs that were equal to and in some cases ahead of contemporary Western manufacturers.
This book is the most comprehensive on the “Babs” yet published in English, with numerous photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before, walkaround photographs of the preserved aircraft, illustrations from contemporary manuals, and color artwork.
This book was written to redress any imbalances and tell the true story behind the Mitsubishi Babs.
THE BOOK:
Stratus is based in Poland. They are partnered to Mushroom Model Publications, based in the U.S. The book was printed in English in Poland.
It is done in hard-cover, with 194 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format (4 pages are blank).
The cover art shows a color illustration of the LS brand 1/72nd scale model of the Mitsubishi Babs made up.
It is light grey-green over a sky undercarriage (LGG-I), with a black cowling. It has a Japanese flag under the cockpit and a black letter J on the rudder.
The book contains 121 black and white photos.
Thirty-eight of these are photos of 38 aircrafts used by the Japanese Air Force early in its career and some later ones.
Shown are: 4 photos of the Kawasaki Type Otsu Reconnaissance biplane, the OMBRA Kaushiki (looks to me like the Wright Flyer), a Tokorozawa Koshiki A-3 biplane, a Nakajima/Beguet 19A-2 biplane, a Ishikawajima T2 & T3 biplane, a Mitsubishi Tobi-type biplane, a Nakajima N-35 biplane, a Kawasaki Army Type 88-I & 88-2, a canceled Army experimental 3-seat bomber, a Kawanishi Army Type 88-II biplane, a Mitsubishi experimental short-range biplane, a Kawasaki experimental KDA-6 biplane, 2 photos of the Mitsubishi Army Type 92 high-winged monoplane, a Nakajima/Fokker C2N1 high winged monoplane, a Kawanishi C-5 communications low winged aircraft, a Mitsubishi Navy experimental 8 Shi bomber, 3 photos of a Nakajima Army type 94 high-winged monoplane, a Horoboshi 7-Shi carrier fighter.
Two photos of a Mitsubishi aerodynamically refined 8 Shi long range special reconnaissance twin-engined aircraft, a prototype Ka-14, 2 photos of a A5M2a Claude fighter, the mammoth Mitsubishi K-20 four-engined bomber, a close up of the engine of a Heinkel 119, 2 photos of the K-8’s cockpit, 4 photos of the Nakajima DF Army experimental 2-seat fighter, 2 photos of the 1st prototype of the Ki-15, a Type 1 (Italian) BF-20 bomber, the Asahi Shimbun fleet, 2 photos of a photo-reconnaissance British Spitfire PR-1V and a Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah.
Many photos of the Babs.
The book begins with 4 pages of NOTES. There are 5 data lists, a colorized map of the Mid-East, black and white photos of officers and pilots, a 2-view cutaway line-drawing of the Babs.
The many color profile illustrations in the book show the majority of Bab’s in a scheme of overall light grey-green, over a sky colored undercarriage, with or without black cowlings.
There are 13 without the black cowling and 23 with it, 4 illustrations of Bab’s cockpit arrangements, a 7-view of a Bab’s in a spectacular parade scheme, that is overall white, named Kamikaze, it has a navy blue spine and cowling, red Japanese flags on the tips of the under-sides of the wings, large black J-BAAI above and below the wings, small black J above and below the elevators, large black J on the rudder sides and a large black J-BAAI on the fuselage sides, followed by a Japanese flag, a 2-view of this aircraft too, a 3-view of a Babs in the light-grey green with sky undercarriage scheme (LGG-S), two 7-views on one like this, 4 with a camouflage of two shades of Green over the sky undercarriage and a black cowling, 5 in the LGG-S scheme with black cowlings, 39 color illustrations of propeller tips designs, 4 of fuselage band arrangements & rudder insignias.
A side view of a Babs that is dark green over a sky undercarriage, a side view in a wave pattern of LLG, dark-green and sky, with a illustration of a leaping tiger on the sides of the fuselage, a LLG Babs with a black cowling and the leaping tiger on it, 2 side-views of a Babs in dark-green over sky, with the leaping tiger, paint is badly worn, a 6-view of a Babs in a wave pattern of LGG, dark-green and sky, a side view of a Bab’s that is LGG and sky. It has a red cowling that extends as a stripe down the sides of the fuselage, 30 color illustrations of rudder codes, 3 side views of Babs in dark-green over sky, a side view of a Babs that is dark green with sky spot camouflage pattern and sky undercarriage, a Babs that is LGG-S with foreign service roundels, a Babs that is overall dark-green with sky undercarriage with Republic of China Air Force roundels, a Babs that is LGG-I with People’s Liberation Army Air Force roundels.
This is a neat book about the Babs and other aircrafts that the Japanese Air Force used. It will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Babs. The LS kit is shown for sale by one individual on the web for $18.50. The kit is out of production however. Aviation historians will also be interested in this book.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Stratus titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The development and operational deployment of the world’s first high-speed strategic reconnaissance aircraft, the Mitsubishi Babs began 6,000 miles further east and four years prior to the momentous events in Europe, under the guidance of the Imperial Japanese Army and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co Ltd.
Faced with similar preconceptions, technical arguments, and a very rigid operational doctrine, the Mitsubishi Babs was developed during a brief golden aeronautical period (between the mid 1930s and early 1940s), when the Japanese aircraft industry flourished under constant military aircraft competitions and production orders.
Free from prying eyes and shrouded within a self-imposed veil of secrecy, the Japanese developed numerous designs that were equal to and in some cases ahead of contemporary Western manufacturers.
This book is the most comprehensive on the “Babs” yet published in English, with numerous photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before, walkaround photographs of the preserved aircraft, illustrations from contemporary manuals, and color artwork.
This book was written to redress any imbalances and tell the true story behind the Mitsubishi Babs.
THE BOOK:
Stratus is based in Poland. They are partnered to Mushroom Model Publications, based in the U.S. The book was printed in English in Poland.
It is done in hard-cover, with 194 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format (4 pages are blank).
The cover art shows a color illustration of the LS brand 1/72nd scale model of the Mitsubishi Babs made up.
It is light grey-green over a sky undercarriage (LGG-I), with a black cowling. It has a Japanese flag under the cockpit and a black letter J on the rudder.
The book contains 121 black and white photos.
Thirty-eight of these are photos of 38 aircrafts used by the Japanese Air Force early in its career and some later ones.
Shown are: 4 photos of the Kawasaki Type Otsu Reconnaissance biplane, the OMBRA Kaushiki (looks to me like the Wright Flyer), a Tokorozawa Koshiki A-3 biplane, a Nakajima/Beguet 19A-2 biplane, a Ishikawajima T2 & T3 biplane, a Mitsubishi Tobi-type biplane, a Nakajima N-35 biplane, a Kawasaki Army Type 88-I & 88-2, a canceled Army experimental 3-seat bomber, a Kawanishi Army Type 88-II biplane, a Mitsubishi experimental short-range biplane, a Kawasaki experimental KDA-6 biplane, 2 photos of the Mitsubishi Army Type 92 high-winged monoplane, a Nakajima/Fokker C2N1 high winged monoplane, a Kawanishi C-5 communications low winged aircraft, a Mitsubishi Navy experimental 8 Shi bomber, 3 photos of a Nakajima Army type 94 high-winged monoplane, a Horoboshi 7-Shi carrier fighter.
Two photos of a Mitsubishi aerodynamically refined 8 Shi long range special reconnaissance twin-engined aircraft, a prototype Ka-14, 2 photos of a A5M2a Claude fighter, the mammoth Mitsubishi K-20 four-engined bomber, a close up of the engine of a Heinkel 119, 2 photos of the K-8’s cockpit, 4 photos of the Nakajima DF Army experimental 2-seat fighter, 2 photos of the 1st prototype of the Ki-15, a Type 1 (Italian) BF-20 bomber, the Asahi Shimbun fleet, 2 photos of a photo-reconnaissance British Spitfire PR-1V and a Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah.
Many photos of the Babs.
The book begins with 4 pages of NOTES. There are 5 data lists, a colorized map of the Mid-East, black and white photos of officers and pilots, a 2-view cutaway line-drawing of the Babs.
The many color profile illustrations in the book show the majority of Bab’s in a scheme of overall light grey-green, over a sky colored undercarriage, with or without black cowlings.
There are 13 without the black cowling and 23 with it, 4 illustrations of Bab’s cockpit arrangements, a 7-view of a Bab’s in a spectacular parade scheme, that is overall white, named Kamikaze, it has a navy blue spine and cowling, red Japanese flags on the tips of the under-sides of the wings, large black J-BAAI above and below the wings, small black J above and below the elevators, large black J on the rudder sides and a large black J-BAAI on the fuselage sides, followed by a Japanese flag, a 2-view of this aircraft too, a 3-view of a Babs in the light-grey green with sky undercarriage scheme (LGG-S), two 7-views on one like this, 4 with a camouflage of two shades of Green over the sky undercarriage and a black cowling, 5 in the LGG-S scheme with black cowlings, 39 color illustrations of propeller tips designs, 4 of fuselage band arrangements & rudder insignias.
A side view of a Babs that is dark green over a sky undercarriage, a side view in a wave pattern of LLG, dark-green and sky, with a illustration of a leaping tiger on the sides of the fuselage, a LLG Babs with a black cowling and the leaping tiger on it, 2 side-views of a Babs in dark-green over sky, with the leaping tiger, paint is badly worn, a 6-view of a Babs in a wave pattern of LGG, dark-green and sky, a side view of a Bab’s that is LGG and sky. It has a red cowling that extends as a stripe down the sides of the fuselage, 30 color illustrations of rudder codes, 3 side views of Babs in dark-green over sky, a side view of a Babs that is dark green with sky spot camouflage pattern and sky undercarriage, a Babs that is LGG-S with foreign service roundels, a Babs that is overall dark-green with sky undercarriage with Republic of China Air Force roundels, a Babs that is LGG-I with People’s Liberation Army Air Force roundels.
This is a neat book about the Babs and other aircrafts that the Japanese Air Force used. It will be of interest to modelers planning on building a Babs. The LS kit is shown for sale by one individual on the web for $18.50. The kit is out of production however. Aviation historians will also be interested in this book.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Stratus titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Very highly recommended.