Stratus has a series of books called 'Spotlight ON:' which basically consists of superb profile artwork on specific aircraft. This one is for the F4F Wildcat.

At the start of the Pacific war, it was the Wildcat that was the main USN fighter aircraft. It was a rugged aircraft with decent performance, but it was not at the level of the A6M that it met. The Zero was faster, climbed better, had longer range, and was more maneuverable. In addition to its airframe strength, the Wildcat was well armed and had a high diving speed. Changing tactics allowed the Wildcat to perform fairly well against the A6M, but it was still the overall inferior aircraft.

After the type's replacement on shore and ship based units with the F4U and F6F, the Wildcat continued to be in service and to be upgraded, moving to the smaller aircraft carriers. The aircraft was also used by the Fleet Air Arm with some measures of success.

This edition is similar to the last two that I reviewed. Specifically, this one is mostly side profiles. There is a large, full page profile on all but the first page, which is a history of the type. Each profile provides information on the aircraft, unit, and camouflage. It is a great book for fans of the type. In all, it is a great book for color profile fans and for the modeler looking for some reference material for the next project. 

August 2020

Review book courtesy of Casemate Publishers. You can get yours today at this link.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.