Military Model Scene

Title:  Rogozarski IK-3

Author: Nenad Miklusev, Djordje Nikolic

Publisher:  Kagero

ISBN:  978-83-6543-780-8

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A new Monograph Special from Kagero and about an aircraft I have to admit to knowing little or nothing about beforehand.  When I first caught a glimpse of the cover I thought it was a Hurricane but soon learnt it was something entirely different.  After the end of WW1 Yugoslavia (the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes) found itself with dated aircraft in service, and as a second-rate nation within the wider European context. They could have continued to use foreign suppliers but also had the option to encourage their own domestic aviation industry.  The early work of Zivojin Rogozarski couldn't produce enough orders to support the business but after a rescue, the company went on to produce a prototype of a new IK-3 fighter.  It has some characteristics of the Hawker Hurricane and others of the small French Dewoitine 520.  It was relatively complex aircraft for what I would describe as a primitive aircraft industry.  

So, we have a 182-page hardback book which is split into three main sections.  The front of the book is filled with the text which gives us the background story leading up to the early flights of the prototype IK-3, and includes an eye-witness account of it crashing, the development and modifications that were made plus getting it into production.  That is followed by it's service history and post war use as the basis of the Yugoslav built S-49, an example of which survives in the Belgrade Air Museum.  This is followed by a section on camouflage and markings before getting to detailed Technical Details of each element of the aircraft - engine, cockpit, construction, control surfaces, hydraulics, electrics, armament and more.  All of these first 74 pages are highly illustrated with archive photos that illustrate each element of the story.

Then we get to the second section, which has 28-pages of sets of scale drawings in both 1/48 and 1/72.  There is also a large, separate sheet of 1/32 plans tucked into the book as well.  The final section is packed with the detailed, colour, 3D computer images which show every aspect of the aircraft I can think of.  These include skeletal detail of the wing construction, fuselage, engine, cockpit and so on leading on to complete external views showing camouflage and markings.  The past 9 pages in particular give us a series of fine colour profiles.

 enjoy finding out more about aircraft I didn't know beforehand and their role in WW2.  Superb illustrations and as much historical detail that I think we could ask for.  There is an enormous amount of work gone into this one.  For the aircraft historian and especially for the modeller I can't imagine you could want for anything more.  A great new Monograph from Kagero and the two authors.

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Distributed by Casemate Books, who kindly provided my review copy.

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Robin