Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks from Barracuda Studios - Now on sale!

The long awaited (especially by Roy himself)  "Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks" title from Barracuda Studios is here-  I'll hand you over to Roy to tell more about what is to come in this exciting book which just happens to be right up there on my shopping list....

The wait is over!

A shot of an actual hardbound edition of the new book

BGHB018 Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks - 365th Fighter-Bomber Group in Words, Pictures and Illustrations - Hardbound

NOW ACCEPTING PREORDERS - For updates on this title, join the Barracuda Studios Facebook page by clicking HERE Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks - 365th Fighter-Bomber Group in Words, Pictures and Illustrations - Hardbound. By Don Barnes, John Crump & Roy Sutherland Ninth Air Force P-47 units have been long overlooked, despite their significant contribution to victory in WWII. Their war was close to the ground, dive-bombing and strafing in support of the US Army at the Normandy landings, and in the race across France, Belgium and Germany. "Thunderbolts of the Hell Hawks" is a new book offering a personal view of one of the most decorated and effective P-47 units in the Ninth Air Force. This rich visual account of the 365th Fighter-Bomber Group, the "Hell Hawks", is presented in 320 pages with over 500 photos, most published for the first time. The book also features 98 thoroughly researched and detailed color profiles of their Thunderbolts, illustrated by Don Barnes. All but three of the aircraft profiled have languished in obscurity for the past 65 years, brought to light for the first time here. Published with full cooperation of the 365th FG Association, and with the kind help of the men and families who shared memories and personal photo albums, this book is a testament to their strength, courage and sacrifice helping bring an end to the war in Europe. Don Barnes, John Crump and Roy Sutherland interviewed and befriended over 20 surviving pilots from the 365th FG. Maps, charts and photos of surviving artifacts illustrate the very detailed, almost day-to-day record of the Hell Hawks’ missions. Additionally, more than 100 sidebars, many written by the men of the 365th, themselves, give life and humanity to the story. This unique book offers an extraordinarily personal and illustrative portrait of the lives of P-47 pilots. Inspired by the excellent book "Hell Hawks" by Bob Dorr and Tom Jones, this book is a companion piece, providing much additional information and a rich visual picture of the 365th during the last year of the war in Europe. 320 pages

The signed edition is expensive, but is extremely limited in numbers. There are only 365 available, and when they are gone, they are gone. Why 365? Think about it.... hmmmm.

This book is no weekend read. It is a book to be absorbed and savored. Unique among books of its kind, every pilot in every photo is identified by name. 21 surviving Hell Hawk pilots are still with us and have contributed hugely to making this book a rare and very complete look at a 9th Air Force P-47 unit in the final year of the war in Europe.

Note the very large size that many of the never before published photos are printed. Detailed captions identify each pilot and many of the crew. Over 550 photos detail every aspect of life in the 365th.

There are 98 color profiles of Thunderbolts from the 365th. Only 2 of these aircraft have ever been seen before! That makes 96 NEW airplanes. Every single airplane is linked to a pilot, and 44 of these are accompanied by a few paragraphs of history and background on the subject.

Yes, decals to support this book will be coming soon in all 3 scales. These will be special release decals, featuring numerous subjects and including some very cool extras never offered before (As far as I know) on an airplane decal sheet. Both Razorbacks and Bubbletops in OD/NG and natural metal finishes will be included. A mix of aces, leaders and colorful noseart will be featured. These sheets will follow in a few weeks after the release of the book.

I could go on about this amazing book that Don Barnes has created, but I will leave it at that for now. Suffice to say that it will be worth the wait. More to come.

Happy modelling! Roy