Swiss Mustangs

Below you can find information on selected books scheduled for publication witin the next few months:

Tom Ivie and Paul Ludwig

NOW PUBLISHED !!!

ISBN 1 902109 43 0
RRP £29.95
Hardback, A4 297 mm x 210 mm
Circa 176 pages
Approx 300 plus b/w photos and colour artwork

The USAAF 52nd Fighter Group enjoyed an outstanding record in World War II, but to date its story has never been told. Activated in January 1941, it moved to England in July 1942 for an assignment with the Eighth Air Force. It flew combat missions in Spitfires to France during the summer of 1942 before being reassigned to the invasion force attacking North Africa in November 1942. After moving to North Africa it was assigned to the Twelfth Air Force and was again equipped with Spitfires. As part of the Twelfth Air Force it flew combat missions in the Tunisiancampaign, and during the invasion of Sicily. In mid-1944 the 52nd was reassigned to the Fifteenth Air Force and converted to P-51 Mustangs. During the remainder of the war it flew bomber escort and strafing missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Rumania, and Yugoslavia. For its outstanding service the Group was twice awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation.
During its long campaign the Group destroyed more than 425 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and damaged 135 plus many more on the ground. The 52nd Fighter Group produced 21 Aces.

Tom Ivie is the author of Aerial Reconnaissance: The 10th Photo Recon Group in WWII (1981), Fighters of the Mighty Eighth (with William N. Hess) (1990), The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney: The 352nd Fighter Group in WWII (with Robert H. Powell Jr.) (1990), Mustang Aces (with William N. Hess) (1992) and The 352nd Fighter Group (2002). He has also written numerous articles for Air Classics magazine and for the journal of the Friends of the USAF Museum Foundation. He also author of Patton’s Eyes: USAAF Combat Reconnaissance Missions North West Europe 1944-45.

Paul Ludwig is co-author of the two-part American Spitfire Camouflage and Markings (1998) and also author of P-51 Mustang: Development of the
Escort Fighter.

Link to the Publisher's Ordering Page: click here

Seventy years of conflict in the skies of Central and South America

Dan Hagedorn

Due Summer 2005
ISBN 1 902109 44 9
RRP £39.95
Hardback, A4 297 mm x 210 mm
Circa 320 pages with colour artwork
Approx 300 rare b/w and colour photos

Latin American Airwars & Aircraft

The aircraft were colourful and their crews were often courageous – but virtually unknown beyond the South American Continent. Throughout the first 70 years of practical flight in Latin America, obscure designs carried the colours and markings of many nationalities and in this book, many photographs of such aircraft are seen for the first time.
Accompanied by extraordinary drawings and a detailed text, this volume offers a remarkable historical bonanza for students of aeronautical history and aircraft modellers who are craving something ‘new’ and ‘adventurous’.
Following more than 15 years of research, the author traces the use of aircraft in Latin America from the frail Wright Model Bs through the ensuing border skirmishes, revolutions and fullscale warfare to the final aerial engagements between pistonengined fighters. The so-called ‘Leticia Incident’, the ‘Revolt of the Lieutenants’ and the ‘Soccer War’ are all described.
The aircraft enthusiast will discover an astonishing range of aircraft depicted in photographs and information including the Argentine North American SNJs and Gloster Meteors, Bolivian Curtiss Hawk IIs, Curtiss-Wright 14R Ospreys, Brazilian Waco CTOs, Chilean Curtiss Falcons, Colombian Bellanca 77-140s, Costa Rican North American F-51D Mustangs, Cuban Vought Corsairs and exile force Douglas B-26s, Dominican Republic deHavilland Vampires, Guatemala Republic F-47N Thunderbolts, Honduras Stinson Model ‘O’ Seniors, from the Mexican Martin ‘Sonora’ to the Vought V-99M Corsair, Nicaragua Douglas C-47s, Paraguayan Fiat C.R.20s and Potez 25A-2s, Peruvian Douglas O-38Ps, Uruguayian Waco JHDs and the Venezuelan North American F-86F and deHavilland Venom.
This study can be regarded as the most comprehensive reference book for years to come and will be informative and fascinating reading for all aviation enthusiasts.

Dan Hagedorn spent 27 years in the United States Armed Forces and in that time served several tours in Latin America and has visited all but one of the traditional Latin American nations. He currently works within the Research and Reference Section of the Archives Division of the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. In 1997 he was appointed as
Adjunct Curator for Latin American Aviation for the National Air and Space Museum. He was honoured with the Willis Nye Award by the American Aviation Historical Society for his history of US aviation in defence of the Panama Canal and in 1996, was named an Unsung Hero of the Smithsonian Institution in connection with the 150th Anniversary of the Institution.
He is the author of nine books dealing with various aspects of aviation history and has written more than 200 journal articles for the world’s leading aviation publications.

Distribution of the above two titles:

In Europe: Midland Publishing
Tel: 01455 254 460
Fax: 01455 233 737
email: midlandbooks@compuserve.com

In the USA: Specialty Press
Tel: 001 651 277 1400
Fax: 001 651 227 1203
email: sales@specialtypress.com

Publisher:

HIKOKI Publications
Friars Gate Farm,Mardens Hill,
Crowborough,East Sussex
TN6 1XH, England
Telephone: 01892 610123 • Fax: 01892 610842 • E mail: info@hikokiwarplanes.com www.hikokiwarplanes.com

Notice to publishers: I am always interested in reviewing new P-51 related books and will present them on this page - my only request is to receive a free copy. Thank you for your consideration.