Ventura Publications

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Ventura Publications Two more Photo Recon. Spitfire “Nitty Gritty” details videos

November 28th 2023

Hello everyone, On the new YouTube channel I’ve put up two more Spitfire “Nitty Gritty” details videos. Each one also has colour side views of the aircraft plus historical photos and the “Nitty Gritty” details info to help add detail to models etc. The Early PR Spitfires… is a story of an idea whose time had come in 1939 and 1940. Small light fighters clothed in blue paint and polished for speed, made to fly faster, higher and further to bring back valuable photographic intelligence. ...Continue Reading

Ventura Publications The first Mk.IX Spitfires video

November 1st 2023

Hello everyone, The new YouTube channel has been well received and the “detail for modellers” stories have been popular. Thanks for the comments and emails. I’ve put up a slightly longer story on the very first emergency production Mk.IX Spitfires here. As the saying goes “necessity is the mother of invention”… [1]https://youtu.be/Op8U7KQLxEQ … and one on the 1945 Japanese surrender schemes that lasted for a few months. “Zeros”, “Dinahs” and “Jakes” etc in overall white with green cr ...Continue Reading

New Zealand Mustang roundels. Size does matter.

October 9th 2023

Hello everyone, The RNZAF Mustang video got a few people’s juices flowing. Thanks for the comments and emails. I’ve put up another short video. This one is about the size of the wing roundels on New Zealand Mustangs, some were painted over US stars-and-bars, but some were not Were they the same size? It’s only 6 minutes long and, hopefully, answers some questions. Here is the link [1]https://youtu.be/d3UJLhQH5IY Please subscribe to the YouTube channel while you watch the video. Che ...Continue Reading

Ventura Publications Short video on RNZAF P-51D Mustang NZ2402

September 23rd 2023

Hello everyone, Thanks for supporting Ventura over the years. I’ve put up another short video on YouTube. This one is about the post-war RNZAF Territorial Air Force P-51D Mustangs. I’ve followed the life of one Mustang from the time it arrived in the country, through the “Checker board” markings, then on to duty as a target tug and finally the “melting pot”. It’s only 12 minutes long and includes some early photos of Mustangs being painted with roundel-and-bar national insignia. Here is ...Continue Reading

Ventura Publications Short video about the RNZAF "roundel blue"

September 10th 2023

Hello everyone, Thanks for supporting Ventura over the years by subscribing to our News Letter and using our decals. I'm going to give YouTube a go as a method of talking about short topics that may be useful to modellers who choose our books and decals. The first short video is about the shade of blue in RNZAF Pacific Theatre roundels. I'm confident that several shades of blue were used with the pressure of the war time situation being the reason, as much as a desire to create more effectiv ...Continue Reading

Ventura Publications. Photo of a 5th RNZAF "Donald Duck" Corsair has been discovered.

August 4th 2023

Hello Everyone, They keep popping up. A fifth New Zealand "Donald Duck" Corsair has come to light. It's NZ5251which is the same NZ52xx batch of aircraft as the other four. Perhaps an enthusiastic Ground Crew member was "on a mission"? The photo is from the J.E.L. Baldwin personal collection which has been scanned into the RNZAF Museum collection. The fifth "Donald" The five “Donald Duck” nose art Corsairs are; - NZ5248, No.21 Squadron, May 1945 - NZ5251, ...Continue Reading

Ventura Publications New 1/48th and 1/32nd scale "Raging Donald Duck" Corsair decals

May 26th 2023

Hello Everyone, Some time ago we released a 1/72nd scale decal covering the four RNZAF Corsirs with "Raging Donald Duck" nose art.Two RNZAF Corsairs - Ventura Publications We have just released this is 1/48th scale for all four machines and for two in 1/32nd scale. The four illustrations were very similar but not all identical. There are photos of all of them in our book "Pasific Corsair" first published in 2021. The four “Donald Duck” nose art Corsairs - NZ5248, N ...Continue Reading

"Pacific Corsair" has been reprinted for 2023

March 3rd 2023

This week... I'm please to advise "Pacific Corsair - The Vought Corsair in New Zealand Service" has been reprinted. I have swapped out a small number of colour profiles so that more Corsairs with "Donald Duck" nose art, from Ventura decal V7295, could be included. RNZAF C-47 NZ3505 that preceded the No.14 Squadron Corsairs to Japan is also illustrated; decals V7299 and V40109. The books are listed on [1]TradeMe in NZ$, on [2]eBay in US$ and our own [3]web site ...Continue Reading

Ventura Publications RNZAF post war in Japan. No.14 Sqn Corsairs and a Dakota

February 10th 2023

Hello everyone,V7299 image We have now released a third RNZAF C-47 / Dakota decal in 1/72nd scale. This sheet also includes RNZAF FG-1D Corsairs of No.14 Squadron, post war in Japan, 1946-48. - Douglas C-47A NZ3505, No.40 Sqn - FG-1D Corsair NZ5659, “Doris”, 1947 - FG-1D Corsair NZ5660, “Gremlin”, No.14 Squadron, 1946 - FG-1D Corsair NZ5639, “Kathleen”, 1946 Long story short: [1]Click here for our on-line shop in $US. and [2]click here to the decals on eBay and, [3]click ...Continue Reading

New 1/72nd and 1/48th scale RNZAF Dakota decals - Ventura Publications

October 19th 2022

Hello everyone, We have now released the long promised Royal New Zealand Air Force C-47 / DC-3 Dakota decals. There is a "fern leaf" option in 1/72nd scale and "Kiwi roundel" options in 1/72nd and 1/48th. Long story short, [1]click this text to link to the decals in our on-line shop to purchase in $US. and, [2]click this text to link to the same decals on the TradeMe site for NZ based modellers. I hope you like what you see and will add these decals to your col ...Continue Reading

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