This new book from Mushroom Models Publications is on the Douglas SBD Dauntless, an aircraft that can be said to have literally changed the course of WWII in the Pacific. Thanks to the bravery and skill of its pilots, it was able to wreak havoc on the Japanese carrier fleet at Midway in mid 1942.

Though designed by the legendary Ed Heineman, it is a plane that nearly didn't make it into production. Its predecessor was the Northrop BT-1 and aircraft that by all accounts was somewhat scary to fly and one that had several vices. However, those were cured in the replacement BT-2/XSBD-1 and the aircraft went on to be one of the more viceless aircraft ever built. It was also incredibly rugged and served not only the US Navy, but the Army Air Force, France, Mexico, Chile and New Zealand.

The Mushroom Model book follows its now standard format by offering a short history of the type, with drawings showing the differences between the versions, though there really were not that many. There is then a very large section of close-up images, using some period photos, but mostly images of the rather surprising number of extant airframes. These latter images are all in full color and divide the airframe into sections. Modelers in particular will find this section most useful as the detail level is really quite high. This is then followed by 20 pages of large color profiles of the aircraft in the many schemes it carried while in service.

Those of you who are interested in these aircraft simply must add this volume to your shelves. This series of books is the first one I reach for when doing a model of the subject aircraft.  You will not find a more complete reference like it.

September 2007

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