FAB
na Segunda Guerra Mundial
1o. GAvCa & 1a. ELO
Cores & Marcas (Colours & Markings)
By Luciano B. Monteiro & Sandro Dinarte
Adler Publishing, ©2001
34 Pages, Softbound
82 B&W Photos & 6 Color Photos; 6 Color Profiles
Portuguese/English text
Decals & data provided for 4 P47Ds, a B-25B Mitchell, 4 Piper L-4s, plus a captured Bf-109G-6 (both in 1/72 and1/48 scales), plus a walkaround of the flyable Brazilian MUSAL (Museu Aeroespacial - Aerospace Museum) P-47D Thunderbolt.
Reviewed by Marcus Borges
This publication is a welcome addition to the sparse library available about Brazilian aviation in WW II. A second volume about the subject, however, is about to be released in the near future: I look forward to it!
As one sees the many original period photographs through the pages, a clear picture of the human side, besides the high level of activity, is shown, reinforced by some color photos taken by Maj John Buyers, a North American who lived (and lives) in Brazil and performed the liaison duty between the 350th FG (host unit for the Brazilians) and the Brazilian 1o. Grupo de Caça. The book also profiles the aircraft used by the Brazilians during their operations against the Germans in the MTO, in 1944-45.
The two Brazilian Air Force units, a fighter squadron with the P-47D Thunderbolt (1o. Grupo de Caça, or "First Fighter Group", the famous "Senta a Pua") and an observation/artillery spotter - in cooperation duties to the Brazilian Army (FEB: Força Expedicionária Brasileira, or "Brazilian Expeditionary Force") - equipped with the Piper L-4H Cubs (1a. ELO - Esquadrilha de Observação e Ligação, or "First Liaison and Observation Flight") are seen in action, via commented photos, in bilingual text, describing their daily routine of missions, their armaments, tactics, besides some pictoresque stories their members lived through in the air and in the ground.
The German captured equipment is also present here, from a Kubelwagen to a Me-262 Schwalbe wreck!
A comprehensive walkaround of the official Brazilian Air Force Museum P-47D Thunderbolt (which is flying today) is presented, so the 'detailers' will have another go at the book.
As if the book in itself wasn't enough, for those enthusiastic about reproducing some of the aircraft profiled, the authors were quite "kind", and attached in the inside back cover a decal sheet (by FCM Decals) containing most of the aircraft which appeared in the book, from the P-47's and Piper L-4's to the "Senta a Pua" famous hack aircraft, an ex-USAAF XII TAC ("Earthquakers") B-25B Mitchell (which came from previous desert operations camouflaged as such, appropriately nicknamed "Desert L'il") and even the captured Bf-109G, "Rot 12", and in 1/72 or 1/48, so most modellers will be reached.
It is important to note that all the aircraft in the decal sheet have complete instructions, with three views of each aircraft, on how to apply the markings supplied, inside the pages of the book!
For those interested in these outstanding outfits,which played a major role alongside North American's, British/Commonwealth, Poles, etc., in the MTO, besides some extra data on the P-47D and the Piper L-4, this book is highly recommended.
