Book Review

OS2U Kingfisher

Reviewed by Timothy Dike

This is the third book by Classic Warships in the Aircraft Pictorial series and the second book authored by Dana Bell. Like his previous book on the Vindicator this one is packed full of useful information, photos, and drawings.

Mr. Bell has really done his homework as the book as this book is a treasure trove of information. Many of the photos come from the manufacturer and document all kinds of details of the aircraft. The photos are of the usual high resolution quality that we have come to expect from Classic Warships Publishing. They show interior and exterior details in great clarity. Almost enough to scratchbuild a large scale model of one. Certainly enough to superdetail one.

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There are 72 pages in the standard Aircraft/Warship Pictorial soft cover format in the 72 pages. 71 B&W and 8 color. There are also drawings and illustrations. Some like the color marking guide shown below even include dimensions of the lettering.

Not just for the aircraft modeler, ship modelers will love it too as there are plenty of photos showing the Kingfisher in it's natural environment. Photos show them onboard various ships and being handled by the many different cranes types used on the US Navy Cruisers and Battleships that used them. There are even photos showing how they captured the floatplane on their towed sleds.

This is Aircraft Pictorial 3 - OS2U Kingfisher by Dana Bell. Published by Classic Warships Publishing (ISBN 978-0-9823583-4-2) with a USA Retail price of only $18.00. A fantastic price for anyone interested in these work-horses of the US Navy scout plane fleet. You don't have to be a modeler to appreciate this book, anyone who is interested in Naval Aviation and history will enjoy it too.