Book Review of
Pacific Profiles Vol. 6
Allied Fighters: Bell P-39 & P-400 Airacobra
South & Southwest Pacific 1942-1944
Author: Michael John Claringbould
Avonmore Books
ICBN: 978-0-645-24690-2
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $42.95
ICBN: 978-0-645-24690-2
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $42.95
THE BOOK:
Avonmore Books is located in Kent Town, South Australia.
This book is of soft-cover in 120 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows 4 color side view illustrations of P-40 variants. These are all repeated again inside the book.
The 1st one is a P-400. It was with the 67th Fighter Squadron. It has a logo of a elf under the cockpit and a white area with black dice on it on its rudder, a red spinner and blue circle, with a white star that has a red center on the sides of the fuselage. Located at Guadalcanal.
The 2nd one is a P-39K. It was with the 12th Fighter Squadron. It has the white name “Lily” on the side of its nose, a white 27 followed by a blue circle, outlined in white with a black fist holding a red spear under the cockpit. It has a blue circle with white star on it on the fuselage sides and yellow serial no. 24276 on its rudder. Based at Guadalcanal, late December 1942.
The 3rd one is a P-400. It was with the 36th Fighter Squadron. A shark-mouth was added to its nose, followed by a yellow letter V. It has a small black rectangle with a white 18 on it on its rudder, a yellow spinner and rudder tip. It has a blue circle with a white star on it on its fuselage sides. It was at Port Moresby.
The 4th one is a Bell P39Q-5. It was with the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter). It has a white spinner, a narrow white band around the nose, followed by yellow “Little Sir Echo” and 16 yellow victory marks. It has a blue circle with white star on it and arms on the fuselage sides, a diagonal white fuselage band in front of the rudder. The rudder is pale-gray with a black stenciled serial no. 219951 on it. Its drop tank is overall black with a white nose and shark-mouth on it.
The book contains 75 black and white photos and 7 color ones, 2 maps and 2 data lists.
There is 12 color illustrations of squadron badges, an Oldsmobile advertisement in color that appeared in US magazines, showcasing the 41st Fighter Squadron emblem, a color illustration of insignia, serials and stencils used on P-40s,
One color photo shows the author of this book with a bunch of kids at Kosipe Village in the Papua New Guinea Highlands.
Black and white photos show P-39 variants and P-400s that are later all done as color profiles in the book.
All the aircraft are shown in a base of olive-drab.
Chapter one just shows markings.
Chapter 2 about the 12th Fighter Squadron “Dirty Dozen” shows 6 side view profiles.
Chapter 3 about the 35th Fighter Squadron “Black Panthers” shows 8 side view profiles.
Chapter 4 about the 36th Fighter Squadron “Flying Fiends shows 6 side view profiles.
Chapter 5 about the 39th Fighter Squadron “Cobras” shows 4 side view profiles.
Chapter 6 about the 40th Fighter Squadron “Fightin Red Devils” shows 6 side view profiles. Two aircraft show light-gray rudders.
Chapter 7 about the 41st Fighter Squadron “Flying Buzzsaws” shows 12 side view profiles. Three aircrafts have light-gray rudders,
Chapter 8 about the 67th Fighter Squadron “Fighting Cocks” shows 10 side view profiles.
Chapter 9 about the 68th Fighter Squadron “Lightning Lancers” shows 4 side view profiles.
Chapter 10 about the 70th Fighter Squadron “White Knights” shows 12 side view profiles.
Chapter 11 about the 80th Fighter Squadron “Headhunters” shows 6 side view profiles.
Chapter 12 about the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) “Strafin Saints” shows 4 side view profiles. Three aircraft have light-gray rudders.
Chapter 13 about the 110th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) “Musketeers” shows 6 side view profiles. Three aircraft have light-gray rudders.
Chapter 14 about unique Airacobras shows 8 side view profiles.
A page labeled as A Cobra’s Four Lives shows 4 side view profiles.
These 100 total profiles show different color spinners, color illustrations of logos on the sides of their noses, sometimes shark-mouths.
This is a great book for modelers planning on building a P-39 variant or a P-400 and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Avonmore books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Avonmore Books is located in Kent Town, South Australia.
This book is of soft-cover in 120 pages in 7” x 10” page format.
The cover art shows 4 color side view illustrations of P-40 variants. These are all repeated again inside the book.
The 1st one is a P-400. It was with the 67th Fighter Squadron. It has a logo of a elf under the cockpit and a white area with black dice on it on its rudder, a red spinner and blue circle, with a white star that has a red center on the sides of the fuselage. Located at Guadalcanal.
The 2nd one is a P-39K. It was with the 12th Fighter Squadron. It has the white name “Lily” on the side of its nose, a white 27 followed by a blue circle, outlined in white with a black fist holding a red spear under the cockpit. It has a blue circle with white star on it on the fuselage sides and yellow serial no. 24276 on its rudder. Based at Guadalcanal, late December 1942.
The 3rd one is a P-400. It was with the 36th Fighter Squadron. A shark-mouth was added to its nose, followed by a yellow letter V. It has a small black rectangle with a white 18 on it on its rudder, a yellow spinner and rudder tip. It has a blue circle with a white star on it on its fuselage sides. It was at Port Moresby.
The 4th one is a Bell P39Q-5. It was with the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter). It has a white spinner, a narrow white band around the nose, followed by yellow “Little Sir Echo” and 16 yellow victory marks. It has a blue circle with white star on it and arms on the fuselage sides, a diagonal white fuselage band in front of the rudder. The rudder is pale-gray with a black stenciled serial no. 219951 on it. Its drop tank is overall black with a white nose and shark-mouth on it.
The book contains 75 black and white photos and 7 color ones, 2 maps and 2 data lists.
There is 12 color illustrations of squadron badges, an Oldsmobile advertisement in color that appeared in US magazines, showcasing the 41st Fighter Squadron emblem, a color illustration of insignia, serials and stencils used on P-40s,
One color photo shows the author of this book with a bunch of kids at Kosipe Village in the Papua New Guinea Highlands.
Black and white photos show P-39 variants and P-400s that are later all done as color profiles in the book.
All the aircraft are shown in a base of olive-drab.
Chapter one just shows markings.
Chapter 2 about the 12th Fighter Squadron “Dirty Dozen” shows 6 side view profiles.
Chapter 3 about the 35th Fighter Squadron “Black Panthers” shows 8 side view profiles.
Chapter 4 about the 36th Fighter Squadron “Flying Fiends shows 6 side view profiles.
Chapter 5 about the 39th Fighter Squadron “Cobras” shows 4 side view profiles.
Chapter 6 about the 40th Fighter Squadron “Fightin Red Devils” shows 6 side view profiles. Two aircraft show light-gray rudders.
Chapter 7 about the 41st Fighter Squadron “Flying Buzzsaws” shows 12 side view profiles. Three aircrafts have light-gray rudders,
Chapter 8 about the 67th Fighter Squadron “Fighting Cocks” shows 10 side view profiles.
Chapter 9 about the 68th Fighter Squadron “Lightning Lancers” shows 4 side view profiles.
Chapter 10 about the 70th Fighter Squadron “White Knights” shows 12 side view profiles.
Chapter 11 about the 80th Fighter Squadron “Headhunters” shows 6 side view profiles.
Chapter 12 about the 82nd Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) “Strafin Saints” shows 4 side view profiles. Three aircraft have light-gray rudders.
Chapter 13 about the 110th Reconnaissance Squadron (Fighter) “Musketeers” shows 6 side view profiles. Three aircraft have light-gray rudders.
Chapter 14 about unique Airacobras shows 8 side view profiles.
A page labeled as A Cobra’s Four Lives shows 4 side view profiles.
These 100 total profiles show different color spinners, color illustrations of logos on the sides of their noses, sometimes shark-mouths.
This is a great book for modelers planning on building a P-39 variant or a P-400 and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Avonmore books and all their titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Very highly recommended.