Night Wings, USMC Night Fighters, 1942-1953

Squadron's latest title covers a rather interesting topic, the radar-equipped air interceptors flown by the USMC from the Second World War through the Korean Air War. The author picks up the story with a group of USMC pilots who begin training in radar interception techniques in England flying RAF Beaufighters under the instruction of RAF pilots. From there, these pilots would operate modified Venturas to help maintain some air superiority in the night skies over the Pacific. The Ventura gave way to the night fighter F4U Corsair and then the night fighter F6F Hellcat.

The Marines transitioned into the night fighter F7F Tigercat and entered the fight in Korea with this aircraft (as well as the late model F4U). These night-fighting Marines subsequently entered the jet age over the Korean skies in the Douglas F3D Skyknight.

This title is crammed with great black & white photos of a wide variety of USMC night fighters throughout the period of this study, as well as numerous color profiles. Conclusion This title is another fine example from Squadron/Signal Publications' growing line of military aviation historical references. With the unique coverage of this aspect of USMC aviation, this title is a must have for the aviation historian and the modeler alike.

With the recent re-releases of the Revell-Monogram 1/48 B-24D and B-24J kits, this will definitely provide a great reference for the modeler as well as for the aviation historian. You can get this title from your favorite book seller, hobby shop, or directly from Squadron Mail Order (www.squadron.com).

My sincere thanks to Squadron/Signal Publications for this review sample!