NAA B-45 Tornado Book Review

By David L. Veres

Review

Kev Darling deftly distills America's first operational jet bomber in NAA [North American Aviation] B-45 Tornado – No 118 in Warpaint's extensive monograph range.

Darling kick-starts contents with introductory and development notes on the pioneering USAF platform. Prototype, bomber, and reconnaissance versions. Both conventional and nuclear weapons. They're all here.

Text next segues to aircraft and variant system details – inside and out. Electrical. Hydraulic. Fuel. JATO. Escape. Radar. Defensive. Photographic. And much more.

B-45s saw service in the Korean War – and from England during the early Cold War for overflights of Soviet Russia. And Darling includes intriguing action accounts.

But, I suspect, modelers remain a significant slice of "Warplane" customers. Hobbyists love lots of eye candy for project inspiration and reference. And Darling's picture-packed opus dutifully complies.

Dozens of color and B&W photos depict multiple Tornados views. Close-ups provide plenty for detail enthusiasts.

Richard Caruana's 21 color profiles with insets also survey the B-45's brilliant plumage. And his 1:72-scale plans help fact-check your work.

Specifications, extended captions, and production lists also augment the account. And a sadly small summary of B-45 kits, decals, and accessories completes coverage.

What a handy handbook. This excellent addition to Warpaint's extensive range perfectly complements Valom's 1:72 series – the most available models.

But that's "Eastern Bloc" – not "Eastern Block". Expressions like "hit a barn door" proved too colloquial for comfort. And does Darling mean Grumman Panthers – not Cougars – on page 32?

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So how about a Warpaint on Tornado's successor, the Douglas B/RB-66 Destroyer? What do you say, Kev Darling?

Recommended!

My sincere thanks to Guideline Publications for this review sample!