 Fairey Barracuda
Warpaint No. 35
By W. A. Harrison
Hall Park Books Ltd., 2002
36 Pages, Softbound Fairey isn't known for designing stunningly attractive aircraft, and the Barracuda holds up this tradition. Quoting from the first paragraph of the book, it was "ugly, underporwered, lacked performance, it broke up in mid-air, couldn't pull out of a dive, pilots and their crews hated it". However this is just the protagonist's point of view, and this book goes a long way to dispelling many of the Barracuda myths. While the Barracuda might not be a sleek-looking plane like the Mustang or Spitfire, it was designed for a much different role and as such it performed admirably. This latest title in the Warpaint series covers the life and times of the Barracuda in the usual Warpaint manner. The text provides a very interesting glimpse into the design and production of this odd-looking naval bomber. In addition to the well-written text there are lots of photos, including some rather dramatic landings on carriers. While the majority of the photos are black and white, there are a handful of color photos showing some of the colors worn by the Barracuda. Augmenting these are the usual color profiles illustrating just about every scheme worn by the plane, including a four-view on the inside cover and several other top & bottom views spread throughout the usual wide selection of side views. Finally a set of scale drawings in a center pullout round out the title. If you're interested in British Navy aircraft this is one book you'll want to track down. The Warpaint series offers a great balance between photos and text and this latest example is no exception. For more information be sure to check out the Warpaint website. | 
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