Customer Reviews

Air Force Colors Volume 3: Pacific & Home Front 1942-1947 - Specials series (6152)

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Dana Bell wraps up his USAAF COLORS trilogy with this nicely done, wonderfully illustrated volume, published by Squadron/Signal in 1997. AIR FORCE COLORS VOLUME 3 summarizes/illustrates colors and markings carried by Air Force aircraft in the Pacific, on the Home Front and on postwar aircraft. It's a visual delight and one of Squadron/Signal's best efforts ever!

Given such a wide canvas, Bell breaks the subject down into five more manageable sections: "Pacific Colors;" "The Home Front;" "CBI Markings;" "B-29s Against Japan;" and "Postwar USAAF to USAF." After giving general information on each subject Bell then goes into more specifics. The "CBI Markings" pages, for instance, include separate sections on markings carried by Fighter, Bomber, Air Commando, Transport, ATC, Recce and Misc. Units in that theater.

Although the text is dry, VOLUME 3 is a visual treat with 250+ black & white and color photographs and great Don Greer artwork. The accompanying artwork really makes this book: nine pages of aircraft profiles, two pages showing group and squadron insignia along with five pages of tail markings; all in glorious color.

The color profiles feature a smorgasbord of warbirds in myriad paint schemes: 5th AF Lightnings, Mustangs, Mitchells, Liberators and Black Widows; stateside AT-6s, P-29s, Catalinas and C-54s; postwar Mustangs, P-80s and B-29s; etc.

While not exhaustive, VOLUME 3 - and the entire AIR FORCE COLORS set - is a first-class, well-done introduction to a complex subject. Tons of illustrations, concise text and an easy-on-the-pocketbook price-tag makes for a big thumb's up!