Airframe Extra No 7-The Suez Crisis-Empire’s End (Valiant Wings)

Airframe Extra No 7-The Suez Crisis-Empire’s End (Valiant Wings)

Valiant Wings Publishing seventh title in the much-acclaimed Airframe Extra series is about the Suez Crisis. It is also the 35th title produced by the publishers since they started publishing books in 2010!

The Suez Crisis was an invasion of Egypt in late 1956 by Israel, followed by the United Kingdom and France. The aims were to regain Western control of the Suez Canal and to remove Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser from power. After the fighting had started, political pressure from the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Nations led to a withdrawal by the three invaders.

On October 29, 1956 Israel invaded the Egyptian Sinai. Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to cease fire, which was ignored. On November 5, Britain and France landed paratroopers along the Suez Canal. The Egyptian forces were defeated, but they did block the canal to all shipping. It later became clear that the Israeli invasion and the subsequent Anglo-French attack had been planned beforehand by the three countries.

The air element of the crisis was an interesting mix of combat jets and piston-driven aircraft. As a modelling subject the Suez Crisis will always generate enough interest, as many manufacturers have produced kits, decals and accessories to create a long list of themes in the most popular scales. This book fills precisely this gap.

Steve A. Evans describes all main events in chronological order, from the first day to the last, including a page with the order of the battle with Squadron numbers and aircraft used by all air forces/navies involved (13 pages of the book, with many original b/w photographs).

Libor Jekl's three 1/72 scale builts are very detailed, with many step-by-step photos and explanatory text: 8 pages for Xtrakits 1/72 Gloster Meteor F Mk.8 in Egyptian colours, 7 pages for HobbyBoss 1/72 Hawker Sea Hawk FGA Mk6 in Royal Navy colours and 6 pages for KP’s 1/72 Piper J-3 Cub in Israeli colurs.

Steve Evans' 1/48 scale Tanmodel’s RF-84F Thunderflash (in French colours) built is straightforward and very easy to follow (5 pages), followed by Trumpeter’s 1/72 scale Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle in Egyptian Air Force markings (4 pages), Hasegawa’s 1/48 P-51D in Israeli markings (5 pages) and Classic Airframes 1/48 Meteor NF 12/13 (RAF).

As always Richard Caruana's 47 colour profiles (expanded into 14 pages) are very helpful and offer many ideas for different schemes, covering almost all aircraft types used by the attacking forces in the conflict (profiles include 9 French and 3 Israeli aircraft - all the remaining are British types). Many RAF and French AF aircraft were operating from Akrotiri base, Cyprus, as explained in the detailed captions accompanying all profiles. Modellers will find many colourful subjects besides British or French, like an Israeli B-17G Flying Fortress or a Dassault Ouragan!

Modelling section includes a page as a colour reference guide with a chart for all the major shades relating to RAF, FAA, French Navy, Israeli AF (but no Egyptian AF) camouflage schemes (including both enamels and acrylics codes).

Airframe Extra No.7: The Suez Crisis: Empire’s End - Contents:

  • 74 pages in full colour
  • ISBN: 978-0-9935345-7-7
  • Cover price £9.95
  • Covers the historical background prior to the conflict and aerial operations by all sides from 28th October to the ceasefire on 7th November 1956
  • Historical narrative by Steve A. Evans
  • Numerous period images

47 Colour profiles by Richard J. Caruana

Specially commissioned kit builds:

- 1/48th , N.A. P-51D (Hasegawa), Republic RF-84F Thunderstreak (Tanmodel) and  Meteor NF 12/13 (Classic Airframes) by Steve A. Evans

- 1/72nd Meteor F Mk 8 (Xtrakits), Sea Hawk FGA Mk 6 (HobbyBoss) and Piper Cub (Kovozávody Prostejov) by Libor Jekl and 1/72nd Il-28 Beagle (Trumpeter) by Steve A. Evans

All in all a very important addition to your modelling library indeed! Highly recommended.

Orders can be placed via the website http://www.valiant-wings.co.uk/airframe-extra-no7-2312-p.asp or by calling +44 (0) 1234 273434 or by writing to: Valiant Wings Publishing, 8 West Grove, Bedford, MK40 4BT, UK

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