Cessna T-37A/B/C ‘Tweet’ and the A-37A/B ‘Dragonfly’ Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | December 2020 | Title | Cessna T-37A/B/C ‘Tweet’ and the A-37A/B ‘Dragonfly’ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Kev Darling | Publisher | Guideline Publications |
| Published | 2020 | ISBN | n/a |
| Format | 100 pages, softbound | MSRP (GBP) | £20.00 |
Review
Kev Darling explores a classic American trainer and attack aircraft in the 127th Warpaint title from Guideline Publications.
Cessna T-37A/B/C ‘Tweet’ & A-37A/B ‘Dragonfly’ spans 100 pages – including covers. And what a meaty monograph it is.
Darling deftly distills the design, development, deployment, and disposition of the study’s central subjects. And coverage follows Warpaint’s familiar format.
Main text courses chronologically through US and international service. Tables recap production, operators, and dimensional and performance specifications. And five final, picture-packed pages cover the aircraft “in detail”.
Lots of eye candy here. The lavishly illustrated effort sports dozens of color and B&W photos. Separate 1:32-scale plans accompany the account. And at least 20 color profiles with inset plates by John Fox survey the swath of Tweet and Dragonfly livery.
But fact-check Fox’s artwork – especially his Southeast Asia (SEA) schemes – against photos before painting your project. FS30219 does not wrap, for instance, to the middle port fuselage. Nor does FS34102 appear on port wing tip tanks.
Check main text and caption details, too.
That’s a Salvadoran A-37B atop page 61 – not an Honduran (“FAH”) example. OA-37B “277” on page 83 is Uruguayan – not Peruvian. F-51Ds never saw FAH service. The Dominican Republic occupies Hispaniola’s eastern – not western – half. And Islamist Turkey hardly qualifies as a “Muslim-Christian state”.
Additionally, John F. Kennedy was U.S. President “at the beginning of 1962” – not Lyndon B. Johnson. Vietnam’s pivotal Tet Offensive occurred in 1968 – not in 1969. And Da Nang fell at the end of March 1975 – not at the end of January.
Finally, what happened to Warpaint’s usual summary of available kits, decals, and accessories?
Gripes and gremlins aside, this convenient compendium still provides a solid survey of Cessna’s legendary little warplanes. Make it your introduction to them.
My sincere thanks to Guideline Publications for this review sample!