Review

This title from MMP Books covers the Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II. The title itself does not consist of many pages, restricted to 16. So what is on these 16 pages to make the release worth the £9 price tag? Firstly, I have a particular like for the A10, having purchased models from Italieri, Academy, HobbyBoss and Hobby 2000. It is worth noting that the Academy release of the A10 is the base kit released in the Hobby 2000 offerings. All of the manufacturers kits above are in 1/48th scale, you could of course go down to 1/72nd scale or up in scale to 1/32nd where I believe Trumpeter have offered a kit. Inside the card cover of this release, you will find a number of drawn profiles covering the A10 from the side, both with and without engines and wings, head-on and from above and below. These drawings are all offered in 1/72nd scale and is the only aspect of the title where I wish 1/48th had taken the edge. The rest of the book provides artist renditions of various finishing options of the A10 Thunderbolt. These are:

Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolts II, commonly referred to as “The Worthog” or simply “Hog”, Serial 31668. The 5th Production Example of the early A10A from the test time of Edwards Test Centre 1978

Fairchild A-10A Serial 31668, Early A10A with markings Air Force Command under going testing in Alaska, late 1970s

Fairchild A-10A, 75-308/MB of the 355th Fighter Wing

Fairchild A-10A, 76-0530/BD from the 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 917th Tactical Fighter Wing, Air Force Reserve, Based at Barksdale

Fairchild A-10A, 75-258/WA of the 66th Fighter Weapons Squadron (66 FWS) of the 57th Tactical Fighter Wing (57 TFW) during the JAWS I Exercises in November 1977

FairChild A-10A, 75-259/WA in Experimental Camo Green “Jawa” flown by the 57th Tactical Training Wing, “JAWS II”, 1977

Fairchild A-10 Warthog, 75-260/WA in Experimental Camo Green “JAWA” Flown by the 57th Tactical Training Wing, “JAWS II”, 1977

Fairchild A-10A, 80-0186 of 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, King Fahd Airport, Saudi Arabia, Operation Dessert Storm, February 1991

Fairchild A-10A, 80-0186 of the 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 23rd Tactical Fighter Wing, King Fahd Airport, Saudi Arabia, Operation Dessert Storm, February 1991

Fairchild A-10A, 80-221/AK of 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 343rd Composite Wing, Kotzebue Air Station in Alaska, 1982

The camouflage for some of these aircraft are provided with FS paint numbers to aide accuracy if replicating the finish depicted. I will admit that you do not get a lot in this title for you £9 budget, however thinking about what it would cost for scale drawings covering panel lines and even rivet detail with various parts removed for clarity could prove to be an expensive hobby, and the artists drawings of the aircraft in various profiles are also no a cheap aspect of a book. So if Thunderbolt II is an aircraft that appeals to you, this does represent an affordable reference covering both panel details and finishing options which you may not have previously considered, and as such this title is a do I want reference or not.