 Fairey
Fulmar
Warpaint No. 41
By Geoffrey Bussy
Warpaint Books, ©2003
Softbound, 40 Pages
Available from Sandle
Hobbies
Looking so much like a navalized Fairey Battle, the Fulmar actually
had a much better record, although it was little more than a stopgap aircraft.
This title in the Warpaint series provides a concise history of the Fulmar,
from its beginnings in 1934 through its retirement in and scrapping in
1945. Like other titles in the Warpaint series, this book combines a well-written
text with plenty of photos and a good selection of color profile illustrations,
and caps everything with a nice set of center-spread pull-out scale drawings.
The nice thing about titles in the Warpaint series is the coverage of
the development of the type in addition to the usual operational record.
This one is no different, and the text covering the Fulmar prototypes
provides a great background to the rest of the book. The operational record
is just as interesting, covering Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean
operations, as well as those converted to night fighters and shore-based
units.
The color profiles serve to illustrate just how bland the Fulmar was
in service, with page after page of extra dark sea gray and dark slate
gray over sky camouflaged Fulmars. There are some exceptions, though,
such as one with a yellow underside, or the captured Fulmar in French
markings. These offer some variation to the theme and provide some interesting
options for the modeler who wants something different for their Fulmar.
This is another decent title from the guys at Warpaint Books. The blend
of photos, text, drawings, and color artwork makes for a nice presentation,
with plenty of material for the historian and modeler alike.
Warpaint books are available from Sandle Hobbies.
|
|