Brewster F2A Buffalo (F2A-1, F2A-2, F2A-3) Topdrawings No.51 (Kagero, 2018)

Kagero Publishing has been releasing lately many interesting books in their highly successful and popular “TopDrawings” series. These books provide scale drawings of the aircraft components, as well as large colour plates/profiles, and are great looking reference books for modellers at an affordable price.

Number 51 in this series is about the fat stubby little fighter Brewster F2A Buffalo, used during WW2. This 24-page soft cover book provides excellent 1/48 & 1/72 scale plans, by Maciej Noszczak, of the different variants of this famous fighter. First used by the US Navy the Buffalo was also sold to RAF, RAAF, NZAF, Finnish & Dutch/Netherlands Air Forces, who used it as a land-based aircraft, with arrestor hook and naval fittings deleted. In one instance, we even see the undercarriage having the wheels removed and replaced by skis. An introductory text gives us a basic background to the aircraft, and this is presented in both English and Polish.

As well as a wide selection of scale plans, the back cover and the centre pages include ten (10) large realistic colour profiles (two profiles arranged in each page), with excellent artwork by Arkadiusz Wrobel, which illustrate a mix of colours and markings, for aircraft serving with the USAAF, USN, USMC, Royal Australian Air Force, RNZAF, RAF, Royal Dutch Air Force and the Finnish Air Force.

All main variants are covered, from the early F2A-1 to the late F2A-3 and B-239 to the B-339C/D/E. Some of the drawings show the opened engine compartment and side parts of the Wright R-1820 Cyclone. Nice touches are separate close-up drawings of the -open and closed- cockpit canopy (enlarged to show details like rear view mirror & telescopic sight) and also enlarged wing cutaways with Colt-Browning machine gun details. Front views with extended landing gear show the correct symmetry of these parts and also the front cowling, different styles of propellers and spinners or uncuffed noses, antenna aerials, ventral window panel detail, etc

Two pages at the back of the book include a series of extremely useful 1/72 scale profiles that use a light grey colour to highlight the differences in each of the different variants of the Buffalo. Every drawing has the relevant explanatory caption but without annoying arrows.

As a bonus, there is an A4 size separate sheet which is a colour print of a painting, showing a USN Buffalo in flight, ready to frame it and decorate your room.

All in all a highly recommended book, which will help you a lot when building/superdetailing a scale model Buffalo or simply wish to study all the differences of the various subtypes without much text but with clear, accurate, all-time classic drawings and profiles. Also, you can now compare your Tamiya, Special Hobby and other kits, checking their accuracy against the scale drawings: A few minor issues will be revealed and it’s up to you if it’s worth to take the work needed to correct them or not.

You can order the Buffalo TopDrawings No.51 book here.