Reviewed by Steven "Modeldad" Eisenman

 
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When I took this book out of the envelope and gave it a quick once over, I was pleasantly surprised.  I was surprised as to the subject matter, the Ilyushin IL-10.  Not an aircraft that usually comes up on a modeler’s most wanted kit list.

I was surprised at the comprehensive decal sheet that provides marking for 12 aircraft, representing nearly every country that operated the Il-10 (See the picture included in this review.).

Finally I was surprised most of all by the little piece of paper that was included.  For on this little piece of paper there was an announcement that Special Hobby will be issuing the Avia B-33 (License Built IL-10), kit SH48047, this October. Following this, there will be Russian and Korean War Il-10s.  There was an announcement back in February / March 2008, but it seems to have fallen off the radar.

The IL-10 was an armored, all metal ground attack aircraft that had it origins in the IL-1, an armored, low to medium altitude, single-seat fighter.  The fighter concept never got off the ground, but the developmental aspects of the Il-1 were incorporated into a new ground attack aircraft, which was an improvement over the Il-2 “Shturmovik”.

The Il-10 went into production in 1944 and saw combat with the VVS against the Germans in the West and the Japanese in the Far East.  Russian production of the Il-10 lasted until 1948, but the aircraft was subsequently built by the Czechs, under license, as the Avia B-33.  The Russians brought the Il-10 back into production in 1951, as the IL-10M, but it was quite different from the Il-10, with regard to overall dimensions and wing design.

All the aircraft that are the subject of this monograph are either the IL-10 or the Avia B-33.  None appear to be the later Il-10M.

The Il-10 was the primary ground attack aircraft of the Soviet Union and its allies in the immediate post World War Two period.  One of the aircraft shown in this book possibly was involved in combat while in service with the North Korean Air Force during the Korean War.

The book’s intentions are quite clear, and to a certain extent quite limited. It is stated on the first page that the book is aimed at scale modelers and is to be an aid in the finishing of the model.  It accomplishes this task with well done, four-view, color profiles and a very nice decal sheet.

With regard to the decals, they are printed by BOA Agency, a company with which I am not familiar.  The decals appear crisply printed, with good registration and good depth of color.

The book is divided into 12 two-page units.  On the left hand page is a brief description of the aircraft, the unit in which it served and its colors.  There are also a couple of pictures of the aircraft itself and some picture, which could be called “walk around” in style. On the right hand page is the four-view profile of that aircraft.  At the end of the book there are a couple of pages of photographs of the Il-10’s interior.

Except for one Il-10 in the late war VVS colors of Dark Green, Dark Gray and Light Brown upper surfaces with Light Blue-Gray undersides, all the other aircraft are in a Dark Green or the Khaki used on the Avia B-33.

This clearly, and hopefully, appears to be the first in a series of monographs aimed at modelers.  However, I have no idea what aircraft will be covered in future books.

The retail price, which is expected to be about USD$32.00 in the USA, AU$34.00 in Australia and €22.00 in Europe, appears to be quite reasonable and competitive.  12 well done profiles and decals for 12 aircraft is quite a nice package.  Now if only George at MPM/SH will tell us when the Il-10 kit is due to be released, as nothing appears on their web site about this kit.

It should be noted that this volume is published in co-operation with 4+ Publications.

Thanks to Michal Ov?á?ik, Editor-in-Chief, Mark I Ltd. / 4+ Publications, for the review copy.

Review Copyright © 2008 by Steven "Modeldad" Eisenman
Page Created 4 November, 2008
Last updated 4 November, 2008

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