Douglas A3D Skywarrior: Warpaint #112 softcover
Never glamorous and not receiving the recognition showered on its deck mates, the shipboard Douglas A3D Skywarrior will be remembered by U.S. Navy fans and historians for many reasons, most of all because it figured prominently in the Cold War crises of the late 1950s and early 1960s, culminating in the Vietnam War that dragged on until the mid-1970s. The Skywarrior will also be remembered for its longevity, the first examples having shared deck space with FJ Furies aboard Second World War-vintage carriers in the 1950s, and the last examples mingling with F-14 Tomcats on nuclear-powered Nimitz Class carriers in 1987. However, this magnificent aircraft, affectionately known as the 'Whale', achieved fame in roles different from that for which it had been designed. After its strategic nuclear bomber role faded owing to changed U.S. Navy and Pentagon policies, the Skywarrior excelled in other roles entrusted to it such as aerial tanking and electronic jamming, electronic and photoreconnaissance, vital tasks which it carried out faithfully in the first line of battle for several years from 1965 onwards. Indeed, the RA-3B version was also used during the 1991 Operation Desert Storm. Some examples were converted into bombardier trainers and VIP staff transports, while others found their way to experimental establishments and aerospace companies as testbeds for various systems and weaponry until
2011, resulting in many strange nose shapes and radomes. The Skywarrior will be recorded, too, as being the heaviest jet aircraft to ever operate from any U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. It served with several types of squadrons - VAH, VAQ, VAK, VAP/VCP, VQ and VR. All versions and squadrons, both shipboard and land-based, are listed in this new Warpaint series by Guideline Publications, written by Charles Stafrace and illustrated by Richard J Caruana. Apart from the usual detailed text that describes each version and its operational service, several other tables are included in this profile, including production serials, versions lists, squadron use and Appendices giving detailed data on each Skywarrior cruise, specifications, and the 1962 type re-designation of U.S. Navy aircraft. No fewer than 200 B&W and colour photos, many of which are being published for the first time, illustrate the various versions of this versatile aircraft.
Published 2017, 88 pages, black & white and colour photographs, 35 colour profiles, 1:72 scale plans, unit list, model kit and decal list, softcover, A4 format. 21 cm x 29.7 cm
Produced by Hall Park Books editor Alan W. Hall, these British produced and printed A4 magazine format (21 cm x 29.7 cm) books each describe in accurate detail a particular aircraft type, with the modeler and aviation enthusiast in mind. Most volumes include 1:72 scale three view plans, and a selection of colour profiles as well as black & white and colour photographs, including detail / walk around photos. A concise history of the type is included, in some cases including international operators.
Aircraft titles range from World War I to the post war period, and include the majority of RAF and Fleet Air Arm aircraft, but also feature many USAAF, USAF, US Navy and Luftwaffe machines. Few contemporary aircraft are featured as Warpaints discuss and illustrate the definitive history of the aircraft involved. Experienced and well established authors and artists are employed in order to accurately portray the subject aircraft, and every effort is made to include previously unpublished information or images. Warpaint Books vary in length and thus page count depending on the content, and are priced accordingly.
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Complete and detailed history
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Complete production list
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Squadrons, units and individual aircraft serials and codes
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1:72nd scale plans
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Comprehensive specifications
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Superb colour camouflage profiles
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colour and black & white photography
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In detail pictures
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Model kit, decal and accessory list
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