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Mushroom Models Publications |
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Supermarine Walrus and Stranraer Yellow Series by James Kightly and Roger Wallgrove |
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Reviewed By Paul Bradley, #35554 |
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MSRP: £ 9.99 GBP This latest book from Mushroom Models deals with two of Reginald Mitchell’s other designs – Supermarine was first and foremost a company that built flying boats, not fighters! The Walrus, immortalized as the Shagbat, is remembered as an air-sea rescue craft, but was designed as a ship-borne spotter. The Stranraer, named for a small Scottish port, was the last of the big biplane flying boats and served with distinction as a patrol aircraft in both the RAF and R Canadian AF during the early years of WWII. Both types served in limited civilian roles post-1945. This extensively illustrated paperback in Mushroom Models Yellow Series describes in detail the technical aspects of each type along with a brief history. In the case of the Walrus, there is a very useful section that describes in detail the differences between marks – the Stranraer was only produced in one form. The authors state that this is the first time that the Mk.II Walrus has been accurately described and illustrated, a bonus for conversion addicts. The majority of the book is made up of 65 pages of mostly good quality photos, both color and b&w, of the aircraft in great detail. These are both period and of the few remaining airframes. At the end of the book, there are 23 pages of full color profiles guaranteed to whet the appetite! One omission that I find most glaring, especially with such unusual subjects, it a lack of information on available kits, especially as Mushroom publishes a modeling magazine! For the record, the Stranraer has only once been kitted, albeit nicely, by Matchbox in 1/72 scale. The Walrus has been issued by Matchbox and Airfix in 1/72, SMER in 1/50 and Classic Airframes in 1/48, of which the latter is by far the best! In addition to the book, a nice set of pull out plans to 1/72 is included. These clearly illustrate the features of these boats and their variations. The authors are at pains to point out that previous plans of the Walrus contain many errors, though not having access to the real thing, I cannot judge how precise the plans in this book are! The text is well written and it is clear that the authors like their subject; they promise a more extensive look at these aircraft and their operational histories in the form of future books if there is enough interest. To my knowledge, this is the first time that the Stranraer has been covered in this detail, though the Walrus has been the subject of a Profile and a Warpaint. As such, this will be especially useful to those who have the Matchbox Stranraer, but also for those with one of the 4 Walrus kits. Mushroom have a nice habit of picking unusual subjects for their monographs, which pleases me no end. I can heartily recommend this book and I look forward to future releases by Mushroom! This book is available in North America through Squadron and directly from the publishers at www.mmpbooks.biz. My sincere thanks to Dr. Wallsgrove at Mushroom for the review sample. |
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