Book Review of
Ronny Bar Profiles
British Two-seaters of the Great War
Author/artist: Ronny Bar
ISBN: 9781911658436
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $39.99
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $39.99
About the author:
Ronny Bar was born on February 11th, 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was in contact with airplanes at an early age, since he lived in Villa Bosch, close by to El Palomar Air Force Base in Buenos Aires, and he first flew at the age of twelve in the back seat of a T-34 Mentor trainer. Within that environment, he began to draw airplanes and build models: Spitfires and Messerschmitt's at first, Camels and Fokkers later.
However, when it came to choose a trade he chose Rock and Roll, and so he became quite a successful bass player and singer in several Rock bands, recording ten albums (including one which sold more than 100.000 copies) and performing countless concerts, gigs and TV shows all over the country.
At the same time he continued to cultivate his other passion: aviation artwork. In one of his frequent travels he came across the collection of WWI airplanes as a resident at Hendon, near London, UK, finally establishing his already growing interest for that historic period.
Since 2005 he has illustrated works by well known writers as Greg Van Wyngarden, Alan Toelle, Peter Kilduff, Colin Owers, George Haddow, Gregory Alegi, Paolo Varriale, Alan Carey, Terry Phillips, Josef Scott, Jim Wilberg, Bruno Schmaelling, Paul Hare and J.S. Alcorn etc.
His artwork appears regularly in publications like Windsock Data-file, Windsock Worldwide, Cross & Cockade International, Over the Front, Luftwaffe im Focus, WWI Aero etc.
Also since 2005 he formed part of Peter Johnson’s team, doing all the profile artwork, for the Wingnut Wings high quality injection molded WWI aircraft kits, which so revolutionized the modeling market.
Finally, to get more involved into his passion for airplanes and flying, in November 2008 he started pilot training.
A STATEMENT (by Ronny Bar)
Profile artwork is really a crazy art. There is no such thing as a profile in nature, there are no perspectives on a profile, and despise this, I keep looking for more and more realism to my profiles.
This book is hard-bound of 139 pages in 8 ½” x 11 ½” page format. Four pages are blank.
The cover art shows a color side profile of a R.A.F. RE-8 posed against an all-tan background
The back cover shows 3 more color side- profiles. The one in the center is of an A.M.C. DH4. Behind it, on the left, is A.M.C. D119. On the right a R.A.F. FE2b.
Color illustrations in the book show:
4 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2a.
4 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2b.
3 side-view profiles of the AVRO 504. 3 of it’s a=version, 3 of it’s b-version, 4 of it’s j-version and 3 of it’s k version.
18 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2c and a 2-view and 3-view of it.
2 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2d, a 2-view and 4 view of it.
8 side-view profiles of the Vickers FB5.
16 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. FE2b, a 2-view and a 4 -view of it.
16 side-view profiles of the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter.
3 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2e.
2 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BF2g.
5 side-views of the R.A.F. FE2d and a 2-view of it.
10 side-views of the Armstrong Whitworth FK8.
20 side-views of the A.M.C. DH4 and a 2-view of it.
A 4-view of the R.A.F. BE2f.
22 side-views of the R.A.F. RE8, and a 2.view and 4-view of it.
17 side-views of the Bristol F2b and a 4-view of it.
10 side-views of the A.M.C. DH9 and a 4-view of it.
8 side-views of the A.M.C. DH9a and a 4-view of it.
Inside the hack cover there is a black and white photo of an actual Vickers FB5. A color photo of a Bristol F2B and 2 black and white photos of a A.M.C. DH9a.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning to build one of these aircraft and to aviation historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Ronny Bar books can be seen on Casemate’s web-site at.
Ronny Bar was born on February 11th, 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was in contact with airplanes at an early age, since he lived in Villa Bosch, close by to El Palomar Air Force Base in Buenos Aires, and he first flew at the age of twelve in the back seat of a T-34 Mentor trainer. Within that environment, he began to draw airplanes and build models: Spitfires and Messerschmitt's at first, Camels and Fokkers later.
However, when it came to choose a trade he chose Rock and Roll, and so he became quite a successful bass player and singer in several Rock bands, recording ten albums (including one which sold more than 100.000 copies) and performing countless concerts, gigs and TV shows all over the country.
At the same time he continued to cultivate his other passion: aviation artwork. In one of his frequent travels he came across the collection of WWI airplanes as a resident at Hendon, near London, UK, finally establishing his already growing interest for that historic period.
Since 2005 he has illustrated works by well known writers as Greg Van Wyngarden, Alan Toelle, Peter Kilduff, Colin Owers, George Haddow, Gregory Alegi, Paolo Varriale, Alan Carey, Terry Phillips, Josef Scott, Jim Wilberg, Bruno Schmaelling, Paul Hare and J.S. Alcorn etc.
His artwork appears regularly in publications like Windsock Data-file, Windsock Worldwide, Cross & Cockade International, Over the Front, Luftwaffe im Focus, WWI Aero etc.
Also since 2005 he formed part of Peter Johnson’s team, doing all the profile artwork, for the Wingnut Wings high quality injection molded WWI aircraft kits, which so revolutionized the modeling market.
Finally, to get more involved into his passion for airplanes and flying, in November 2008 he started pilot training.
A STATEMENT (by Ronny Bar)
Profile artwork is really a crazy art. There is no such thing as a profile in nature, there are no perspectives on a profile, and despise this, I keep looking for more and more realism to my profiles.
This book is hard-bound of 139 pages in 8 ½” x 11 ½” page format. Four pages are blank.
The cover art shows a color side profile of a R.A.F. RE-8 posed against an all-tan background
The back cover shows 3 more color side- profiles. The one in the center is of an A.M.C. DH4. Behind it, on the left, is A.M.C. D119. On the right a R.A.F. FE2b.
Color illustrations in the book show:
4 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2a.
4 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2b.
3 side-view profiles of the AVRO 504. 3 of it’s a=version, 3 of it’s b-version, 4 of it’s j-version and 3 of it’s k version.
18 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2c and a 2-view and 3-view of it.
2 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2d, a 2-view and 4 view of it.
8 side-view profiles of the Vickers FB5.
16 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. FE2b, a 2-view and a 4 -view of it.
16 side-view profiles of the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter.
3 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BE2e.
2 side-view profiles of the R.A.F. BF2g.
5 side-views of the R.A.F. FE2d and a 2-view of it.
10 side-views of the Armstrong Whitworth FK8.
20 side-views of the A.M.C. DH4 and a 2-view of it.
A 4-view of the R.A.F. BE2f.
22 side-views of the R.A.F. RE8, and a 2.view and 4-view of it.
17 side-views of the Bristol F2b and a 4-view of it.
10 side-views of the A.M.C. DH9 and a 4-view of it.
8 side-views of the A.M.C. DH9a and a 4-view of it.
Inside the hack cover there is a black and white photo of an actual Vickers FB5. A color photo of a Bristol F2B and 2 black and white photos of a A.M.C. DH9a.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning to build one of these aircraft and to aviation historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Ronny Bar books can be seen on Casemate’s web-site at.
Highly recommended.