Midland Publishing

Military Aircraft of the 1960s

by  Gerry Manning

Reviewed By  Clarence Wentzel, IPMS# 11478

MSRP: $32.95 ISBN: 1857802438 This 144 page softcover book provides excellent photo coverage of 1960 era aircraft. The author, Gerry Manning, a well-known English aviation photographer, has chosen 326 well composed, crisp color photos, primarily from his own extensive files to illustrate 138 different types of aircraft. The author apparently had ready access to various air bases in the UK and around Europe and captured lots of good photos of aircraft in mostly pristine condition. The decade of the 1960s featured many interesting aircraft. Many Korean War era aircraft were still in operation while the newer entries included the Century Series of U.S. fighters, the B-58 Hustler, the British English Electric Lightning and the Avro Vulcan. In this pre-Vietnam era, colorful markings were still the norm and camouflage schemes were less common. In addition to fighters and bombers, the author includes lots of photos of training, transport, observation and liaison aircraft and helicopters. A number of display teams are shown including the Blue Angels, the Red Arrows and the Red Pelicans. Finally, a number of British experimental aircraft of the period are included. Since virtually all of the photos were taken in the UK or on the continent, many of the aircraft contain vivid fluorescent colored panels, common during that period. Photos from this book can be used to produce some very colorful models. The book mostly contains photos of British aircraft. Several photos cover different versions of the Hawker Hunter and the English Electric Lightning and Canberra although export aircraft from the U.S. such as the F-84F and the F-104 are also covered well. I was a little disappointed in the coverage of the Mirage, maybe it did not visit the UK frequently. The book does not contain the typical profiles so loved by modelers however the photos are so clear and usually side views so that they are the equivalent of profiles. The book can be ordered in North America from Specialty Press by contacting their web site (www.specialtypress.com) or calling them at 1-800-895-4585. The price of the book is $32.95 plus a shipping and handling fee of $4.95. Their web site features a number of very interesting books on aircraft, automotive and rail subjects. I suspect that the book can also be purchased from other booksellers. This is a great photo book and is recommended for aviation enthusiasts interested in aircraft of the 1960s. For the modeler, it's value depends on his interests. If the book has that photo of the model that you plan to build it is priceless. For general information, it was an enjoyable book to review. I was continually impressed with many of the color and marking schemes shown. A big thank you to Specialty Press for providing the sample and to John Noack for letting me relive lots of aircraft that I saw many years ago.

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