TBD Devastator in Action by Dana Bell

 

An excellent monograph by an actual historian who does his research in archives (not on line or using books by authors who rely on Wikipedia), high-resolution scans on high-quality paper, knowledgeable and informative captions, previously unpublished close-up full-page photos, color illustrations of paint schemes and markings, what's not to like?

A couple of nits: On page 13, the venturi has nothing to do with airspeed; it was there to provide suction of air through the gyros for the blind-flying instruments initially fitted. On page 135, the pilot must not have leaned his engine to run out of fuel early, not run it exceptionally lean.

I expected to see at least a few pictures that I had not seen before but not this many. I didn't expect to learn much about the TBD but I did. For one thing, there is not only an exceptional set of pictures depicting the small, flush, removal bomb racks under the wings; by including one of a PBY's with bombs mounted, it becomes obvious that the multitude of small pins on the racks served as sway braces. Another was an early kludge of vertical-fin-mounted lights so the LSO could determine the approaching TBD's angle of attack. An evaluation of the addition of a defensive machine gun at the assistant pilot's seat?!?

For my illustration of the multiple bomb/torpedo load options illustrating by multiple pictures, click HERE.

Sources: Amazon or eBay

Note that this is not a comprehensive history of the TBD's operational use although it does provide the a summary of its development and early World War II service before it was withdrawn following the debacle at Midway.

Naval Fighters Number 116: Boeing F4B and Export Variants by CAPT Richard Dann

There aren't too many meticulously researched, in-depth books about U.S. Navy airplanes that served before World War II. Dana Bell's Painting the Fleet is one. Steve Ginter has published some in his Naval Fighters Series, including Richard Dann's excellent monograph on the Grumman F2F/F3F,  reviewed by Barrett Tillman on Amazon:

 Steve Ginter's "Naval Fighters" series has long been one of the industry standards, maintaining a consistently high quality of research, writing, and illustrations. That's certainly true of Richard Dann's latest contribution, detailing Grumman's prewar biplane fighters, the F2F and F3F predecessor of the F4F Wildcat.

If anybody wants more information on the F2F and F3F, he should call Tom Cruise because it appears to be Mission Impossible. Aside from the authoritative text covering both designs, Dann includes a micro view of the air frames by Bureau of Aeronautic's number, tracing the service history and usually ultimate fate of each. "Rivet counters" will appreciate the close-up photos, factory drawings, and descriptions of construction and modifications.

Aside from fleet coverage, the book addresses the biplane fighters' movie appearances and civilian use. And warbird enthusiasts will welcome a single-source reference of the examples preserved in museums across the country.

Dann's latest one for Steve is the equal of his F2F/F3F book:

I

It is available from Steve Ginter and summarized here: http://www.ginterbooks.com/NAVAL/NF116.htm.

I urge you to directly order the books that Steve publishes because of the discount that he has to provide to book vendors like Amazon. More revenue to him equals more books that he will publish like Rich Dann's, who is currently researching his next book that will cover the Grumman FF/SF.

 Some summary reviews of his F4B book by aviation enthusiasts/historians:

Tom Chee:  I'm very impressed with  comprehensive coverage of key examples from all blocks produced and presentation of vast amount of photos, drawing, individual histories, tables, etc. Consolidated of all that info must have been challenging, but in any case, the results are well organized. A job well done and thanks for a great effort! It shows.

Mark Aldrich:  Outstanding work! The depth of research and volume of data are astounding. Rich deserves huge credit for the long effort he put in to this project and Steve deserves it as well for providing a platform for the publication and dissemination of historical works off the beaten path. Well Done! 

Don Linn:  This is a beautiful book with tons of excellent images and production data. Rich you did an excellent job.