This next
release in MMP's Single series concentrates on the PZL 23B Karas II. This
was Poland's most advanced attack aircraft/light bomber when the Germans invaded
in September 1939. Design work began in 1931 with the first of 250 aircraft
entering service by 1936. There were the usual teething issues with the plane,
but most of the issues were sorted out by the time they had to enter combat. As
is frequently the case, the P.23 was obsolescent by the time they were used.
They suffered from a fairly low speed, a fairly light bomb load, and a lack of
both armor plating and fighter escort. They were not able to properly defend
themselves against enemy fighters and suffered accordingly. Some escaped to
other nations where they were put into service, though most extant airframes
left in Poland were destroyed as the Luftwaffe had no use for them.
In line with the other releases, this one is in
the large A4 size with several distinct sections. There is no
history of the type, but there are superbly done plans in both 1/48 and 1/72
scale. This includes fuselage and wing cross sections that are often missing from other
plans. The book includes a goodly number of photos showing both the entire aircraft
and some details. A real plus to this are a number of
illustrations from the airframe manuals. The book finishes up with large, full page color
views of an in-service example along with a detailed page covering the
instrument panel.
It is another great addition to the MMP family of books that
offers all that both the modeler and the enthusiast are seeking in a
plans/detail book on a
specific aircraft without going into a ton of detail. It is a book that I found to be
well done and one that I
can highly recommend to you.
June 2020
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