Read review

• Revi 65 • 2013-09-28
• Scale Aircraft Modelling 05/2006 • 2013-09-28
• Cybermodeler.com • 2013-09-28
• Skrzydlata Polska • 2009-03-24

• Revi 65 • 2013-09-28
  
• Scale Aircraft Modelling 05/2006 • 2013-09-28
  
• Cybermodeler.com • 2013-09-28

  by Ray Mehlberger

  Date of Review June 2010

  This book is by Stratus of Sandomeirz, Poland. Stratus does a series of books under their own label in the Polish language and prints books for Mushroom Model Publications (UK) in English. This book is in the Polish language only.

  Since I do not speak or read Polish, I had a net friend of mine in Germany translate the forward page in this book for me. This is what it said:

  “In March 1939 the Polish Army bought a Hawker Hurricane Mk. 1, powered by a Merlin III engine. (he skips data here). This plane which should have been shipped across the sea never reached Poland actually. Probably, it was later used inside Britain with the 29th RAF Squadron at Debden, where it was withheld in 1940. The rest of the Polish order was redirected to Finland. Another theory tells that those planes were shipped to Aden, but tho vessel got lost at Gibralter.

  During the summer of 1940, at least some crates with some writing in Polish language reached Aden, but those planes were not inside. The first place where Polish airmen got a chance to fly Hurricanes was Nantes in France, where the RAF stationed a squadron in the spring time of 1940. Captain Kuziana took to the air as the first Polish Hurricane pilot there already in 1939.

  When the whole Polish airmen legion was assigned to the RAF IN 1940, those men got the chance to talke flight lessons on British trainers like the Tiger Moth or even the Fairey Battle. They managed it quickly to take seat inside modern monoplane fighters like the Hurricane was. So, a training program began at Aston Down where the Polish airmen learned about the British way of flying. Later on, after the battle of Britain was won, Polish fighter pilots found the time to teach their comrades by taking instructor jobs inside Polish RAF squadrons.

  The 302nd Fighter Squadron was founded on the thirteenth of ? 1940 at Leonfield. It was the first Polish squadron equipped with Hurricanes. They started to fly those planes on the twenty-third of ? in 1940. Pilot Glowczynskie was seriously wounded because of an accident which created burning of his plane. First sorties, in which these planes took place began on the nineteenth of August 1940. On the twentieth of August, Mr. Satchel managed the squadron’s first kill. This first kill was followed on the twenty-first by Mr. Chalupa with his Hurricane Mk. I. The Polish Squadron which supported the British was the 302 Squadron, which bore the name of Poznanian (the Polish city Poznan. The Germans called it Posen). “

  This book is soft cover format and is 48 pages in length in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” format. It contains 141 black and white photos. 49 of these are pictures of crews and individuals. There are 2 color photos that grace the front and back covers. Throughout the book are 51 color profiles. 2 of these are 3-vies and one is a 2-view. These profiles are shown right next to actual pictures of the aircraft being illustrated. Neat! The book also contains 9 data lists.

  There are 3 line-drawings, done as four-views in 1/72 scale of the Hurricane Mk. I, Mk. IIa & the Mk. Iib.

  Although the book is in Polish only, the line drawings and color profiles will make in of value to modelers and of interest to historians. Recommended.

• Skrzydlata Polska • 2009-03-24