Czytaj recenzję

• Modele z szachownicą • 2014-03-17
• Plastikowe.pl • 2014-03-17
• Aeroplane 07/2011 • 2011-07-04
• IPMS UK Magazine 03/2011 • 2011-07-04
• ModelingMadness.com • 2011-07-04
• Cybermodeler.com • 2011-07-04
• InternetModeler.com • 2011-07-04
• MA 05/2011 • 2011-07-04
• IPMSUSA.org • 2011-07-04

• Modele z szachownicą • 2014-03-17

  Link do recenzji

• Plastikowe.pl • 2014-03-17

  Opis szczegółowy

  Tematyka

  „Polskie Skrzydła” z numerem 5 omawiają samoloty z amerykańskiego demobilu, które były używane w powojennej Polsce:

  Piper L-4 Grasshopper

  Douglas C-47 Skytrain / Dakota

  Cessna UC-78 Bobcat

  Stinson L-5 Sentinel

  Taylorcraft L-2A Grasshopper

  Każdy z wymienionych typów został omówiony według tego samego schematu: krótkie omówienie typu, historia zakupu dla Polski, opis zastosowania połączony z tabelką z wykazem egzemplarzy oraz ich historią.

  Jakość edytorska

  Tradycyjna dla Wydawnictwa Stratus, tradycyjna dla serii — świetny papier, świetna jakość druku, realistyczne profile barwne.

  Plany, zdjęcia i profile

  Planów modelarskich brak, zresztą nie byłyby potrzebne — samoloty omawiane w książce są popularne.

  Być może przydałyby się rysunki polskich modyfikacji, ale to detal. Profile barwne zostały wykreślone na podstawie zdjęć, a zdjęcia publikowane są obok — jak zwykle w przypadku serii. To daje możliwość porównania profili ze zdjęciami.

  Podsumowanie

  Bardzo, ale to bardzo potrzebna pozycja. Teoretycznie o lotnictwie powojennym wiemy wiele, tak wiele że nie cieszy się ono wielkim zainteresowaniem. Dopiero tego typu publikacje pokazują, jak mizerną wiedzą dysponujemy i jak wiele jeszcze jest do nadrobienia. Praktycznie każdy z omówionych typów zasługuje na solidną osobną monografię swojej służby w Polsce.

• Aeroplane 07/2011 • 2011-07-04
  
• IPMS UK Magazine 03/2011 • 2011-07-04
  
• ModelingMadness.com • 2011-07-04

  Reviewer:Scott Van Aken

  Thanks to the fine folks at Stratus, we now have yet another book on a subject that has yet to see much written about it. After WWII, the Polish government, like many around the world, was in the market for new aircraft. Thanks to the vast number of surplus types sitting in depots around Germany, they were able to purchase a number of non-combat types to fill the needs of their growing air force.

  This book looks at those ex-USAAF aircraft that were purchased, refurbished and flown in Poland during the post war years. These aircraft had all been sitting in outside storage for a few years so were generally not in fly-away condition. This was particularly true of the light aircraft such as the Piper L-4 and Cessna UC-78 types. The C-47s were generally flyable though needed overhaul before being issued.

  The majority of these planes were not for the military, but for the Polish National Airline, LOT, and various flying clubs. The PAF did take some C-47 transports into service for VIP use and general military operations, but most of the C-47s went to LOT as did the UC-78s. The Pipers, Taylorcraft and Stinson went to flying clubs. It is interesting to read that the PAF and LOT got rid of the C-47s as the useful airframe time had run out, yet it is now acknowledged that the C-47 is one of those planes that has pretty much an unlimited airframe fatigue life as long as it is well maintained. Truth is that the Soviets didn't want American aircraft flying in Polish skies.

  The authors have done a superlative job tracking down images and information on these planes. The book is simply chock full of photograph, color profiles and color three views of the aircraft, making this an excellent reference book and a great resource for modelers. It is another superb read from Stratus and I know you will find this one as interesting and informative as did I. I can easily recommend this one to you.

  February 2011

• Cybermodeler.com • 2011-07-04

  by Ray Mehlberger

  Date of Review February 2011

  Stratus is a publisher based in Sandomierz, Poland. They are an associate of Mushroom Model Publications (MMP) based in the UK. Stratus prints MMP’s books for them in the English language, as well as their own books in Polish and English. This new book was sent to me from Sandomierz. It was very heavily packed in cardboard and well protected accompanied by another book.

  At the end of WWII, the revived Polish Air Force and aircraft industry bought many ex-USAAF aircraft, mostly light liaison types and C-47 transports. PZL and other aircraft factories and repair units restored many of the rather war-weary aircraft for use in Poland by civil authorities, aeroclubs and the air force.

  This book describes in detail the purchase and use of the Piper L-4 Cub, Stinson L-5 Sentinel, Taylorcraft L-2A, Cessna UC-78 Bobcat and the Douglas C-27 in the immediate post-war years. The communist government played down the role of these U.S. types, but the author describes here their important role in Polish aviation in the 40’s and 50’s.

  The book is in soft-cover in 8 ½” x 11” page format and 80 pages in length.

  It is illustrated with 14 color photos, 59 black and white photos, 40 color side profiles, 6 color 4-views, 6 color illustrations of Polish aeroclub logos, a color illustration of the IL Aviation Institute logo and the LWD Aircraft plant logo. The covers have 2 other color paintings.

  The book also contains 9 information charts. The covers of 3 other titles in the Polish Wings series of books are shown also:

  Polish Wings 12 on the Mig-29/Mig-29UB

  Polish Wings 13 on the Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX, 1942-1943, part 1

  Polish Wings 14 on the Mi-14PL, Mi-14PS, Mi-14PL/R helicopters

  The color profiles appear on the same pages as actual photos of the aircraft being illustrated. Neat!

  This is a fascinating look at a previously little-known part of the history of these U.S. aircraft types, of interest to aviation enthusiasts, historians and scale modelers.

• InternetModeler.com • 2011-07-04

  By Chris Banyai-Riepl

  An interesting chapter in Polish aviation is the usage of former USAAF aircraft in Poland after the Second World War. With Poland shifting to communism and under the mantle of the Soviet Union, attention given to these 'capitalist' aircraft was minimal, if at all. It has only been in the last few decades that research on them was possible, and this latest title in the Polish Wings series examines their usage, both in military and civilian hands.

  The book covers five specific aircraft types: the Piper L-4 Grasshopper (Piper Cub), the Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota, the Cessna UC-78 Bobcat, the Stinson L-5 Sentinel, and the Taylorcraft L-2A Grasshopper.

  The utility role of these aircraft undoubtedly played an impact in their coverage as well, as people are generally more interested in fighters and bombers. For those not familiar with the Polish Wings series, the book examines each aircraft type in detail and provides both photographs and color illustrations to document the aircraft. This book also provides detailed tables of the history of each aircraft. In the cases of the five presented, there were 127 L-4s, 26 C-47s, 21 UC-78s (only 14 were registered, the rest kept for spares), and one each of the Stinson L-5 and Taylorcraft L-2.

  The quality and depth of research is surprising, given the small size of the book, but the author has done a superb job in going through the records to create the aircraft histories. The photos presented range from excellent to mediocre, the latter understandable given the challenges of photographing aircraft, especially military ones, during the communist period. The color illustrations are really excellent and do a great job of describing the color schemes carried by these aircraft.

  Overall, this is a very fascinating book that puts some common USAAF aircraft in some uncommon schemes. This will undoubtedly appeal to the modeler who is looking for something a little different for their next project.

• MA 05/2011 • 2011-07-04
  
• IPMSUSA.org • 2011-07-04

  Reviewed by: Brian R. Baker, IPMS# 43146

  The Book

  It is refreshing to see a publication written on a topic that has never been treated in an historical context before, and this book certainly fits that description. After World War II, the United States Army Air Forces had thousands of airplanes in its custody throughout Western Europe, and while many were scrapped on the spot, or in the case of heavy bombers, flown back to the US, some were disposed of a surplus to various buyers.

  One such buyer was the Polish government, and they bought approximately 131 Piper L-4’s of various models from USAAF storage depots in Germany, where about 2000 L-4’s remained. Others were sold to buyers in most of the Western European countries. A few were flown to Poland, but most were disassembled and shipped by rail. All were inspected, and while a few were nearly airworthy, after several years of storage, many required extensive rebuilding and recovering. They were issued to Polish flying clubs, and through their years of use, were modified as local circumstances dictated. Extra fuel tanks were sometimes added, and new components were added as the originals deteriorated. A few received Praga D engines, while other engines were fitted experimentally. One was even modified as a crop sprayer, and another as an air ambulance. A few found their way into private hands, and since the fall of the communist regime, some additional aircraft have been imported.

  Another major American type to appear in Poland after the war was the Douglas C-47, of which about 30 were obtained, mainly from USAAF sources. Most went to the Polish Air Force, while others were operated by LOT Polish Airlines. They also had some Russian built Li-2’s, which had shorter range. Many of the C-47’s were sold abroad after service. The Poles also bought 21 Cessna UC-78’s, but only 14 of them were registered and flown, the rest serving as sources for spare parts. These were found to be uneconomical to operate, the same as in the US, and they didn’t last long. One survives in a Polish museum. T

  he only other types covered are one Taylorcraft L-2, a rare type in Europe, as there were very few, if any, used in the ETO. This plane was obtained in 1947, and was rebuilt and flown until about 1955. A fuselage of a Stinson L-5 somehow appeared in a Polish museum recently, and its origin is unknown. It is mentioned mainly because it still exists, although it is not known to have been used after the war.

  One factor that the author mentions is that since Poland was a communist country, the emphasis was on Russian aircraft, not American, and the authorities tried to downplay the use of American types in favor of the Russian. Nevertheless, the ex-USAAF airplanes served well, and lasted a lot longer than most people expected. Of course, there is a parallel in this country, with ex military aircraft being sold on the civilian market, but here, the planes were used freely until they wore out.

  Comments and Recommendations

  This book covers a topic that has not been examined before. It is fascinating reading. It goes into great detail, explaining the history of each airplane, how it was used, and its final disposition. There is a profusion of photos and drawings, and I was impressed with the quality of the photography, especially since they were taken in a communist country where photography of anything near an airport must have been risky. The color drawings are of very high quality, and would be useful to any modeler interested in these types. If you have any interest in this area of aviation history, this book is well worth getting. Highly recommended.