The CAC Boomerang Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | August 2013 | Title | The CAC Boomerang |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Richard A Franks | Publisher | Valiant Wings Publishing |
| Published | 2013 | ISBN | 978-0-9567198-8-1 |
| Format | 100 pages, softbound | MSRP (BP) | £15.95 |
Review
Valiant Wings Publishing has released the third in a their series of titles called Airframe Album. This installment covers the CAC Boomerang and once again, this is a great reference. The title is laid out in the format of an engineering technical manual and literally starts with a list of acronyms. With the exception of the seven-page preface, this title jumps right into the details and stays there. The book covers the aircraft from nose to tail, subsystem by subsystem, and is illustrated with a great mix of period black and white photos, period engineering drawings, contemporary color photos of aircraft components, and contemporary CAD drawings. The addition of images from aircraft undergoing restoration as well as flying examples really makes this title work.
The author describes how the old adage 'necessity is the mother of invention' is true here. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) had to develop an indigenous fighter after the UK advised that aircraft off of UK production lines were being diverted to defense against the Luftwaffe. The narrative clarifies the lineage of the Boomerang and how radically it differs from the Wirraway. With the significant number of surviving Boomerangs 'down under', this title provides a wealth of contemporary color as well as period B&W photos and diagrams to document each aircraft subsystem.
The author drives straight into the subject near and dear to all of us - modeling resources. The first stop is the 1/32 kit originally released by Montex and updated by Alley Cat. Coverage follows for the various kits in other scales as well as details, decals, and references for this subject.
This is an excellent title for tackling the Boomerang and fills a gap for detail references given the few titles on the subject and the few examples available outside of the South Pacific. Regardless of your scale preference, if you love the subject and you want to select on title to help you on your bench, this is easily the best available.
My sincere thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for this review copy.