Consolidated P2Y Ranger (Naval Fighters, 96) Paperback – July 8, 2013

Consistent in format with others in the Naval Fighters series, the 96th book in the series is an 8-1/2" x 11", square bound card cover of 136 pages with color restricted to the front and rear covers. The latter is a pity (and a long standing weakness in the series) because it seems that there are color photographs of this aircraft available.The background of the P2Y includes the entire history of the flying boat in the US Navy supplemented by specially commissioned line drawings by Lloyd S. Jones. These are three views with the plan view split along the aircraft centerline to show upper and lower views, a space saving technique not to my taste. The design and service history of the aircraft is superbly covered including commercial versions and foreign sales. There are a large number of photographs devoted to interior shots which are most welcome. The units with which this aircraft served are also covered in the best Ginter tradition. The inside rear cover reviews a vacuformed plastic kit of the aircraft.The book also has a number of weaknesses. Steve Ginter is author, editor, and publisher so it is no surprise that a number of typos appear in the text like "magnet" instead of "magnate". There is also a constant reference to the lower wing as the "sesquiplane". To my knowledge "sesquiplane" refers to the aircraft's configuration and means one and a half wings, describing a configuration where one wing is much larger than the other. I've never heard of the term applied to the smaller wing although I suppose that was possible. Another problem was the constant use of the names "Admiral" and "Ranger" as if these names were official. I think these names were entirely unofficial names that originated with Consolidated.Highly recommended. The Naval Fighters series is at its best when covering aircraft sparsely covered elsewhere and this book certainly qualifies on that score.

I always appreciate a book that covers new ground, and this book does that comprehensively.The Consolidated PBY (originally P3Y) Catalina is world-famous and has gotten a lot of press, but what about its predecessor? As the book description above suggests, this book not only covers the P2Y, but also ALL of the U.S. Navy's patrol flying boats that preceded it, going all the way back to before the First World War. These early boats are all described in words, photos, specifications and drawings by Lloyd Jones, and include the commercial Commodore airliner based on the PY Admiral.As usual, the only possible criticism that could be levelled at a Ginter book is the lack of color aside from the covers, and perhaps someone will do a set of color schemes to go along with the book. But that is a small problem, since there is a lot of interesting and useful information here about a lot of airplanes!

Liked the arrival in excellent condition. A good addition to my modest library.

The best coverage yet of the forerunner of the Catalina !A lot of very good pictures and units history.

Just received Naval Fighters 96 "Consolidated P2Y Ranger" by Steve Ginter. I've always been interested in seaplanes and have always liked the looks of the pre-war P2Y and its civilian Commodore, but never really knew much about the plane. The interior detail photos in this book really bring the aircraft to life giving the reader a walk-through from bow to stern. There's information about the evolution of the flying boat from its humble beginnings in 1911 to the launch of the XPY-1 in 1927, information on where these aircraft were based, details of squadron operations, and a section for modelers. Another five-star book in the Naval Fighters series.

Excelente livro, chegou antes do prazo.

Anyone planning to model the Catalina PBY flying boat in any scale should try to obtain a copy of this resource as it will have much in it to interest them. Perhaps it may inspire them to try to obtain one of Contail's vac forms of the P2Y Ranger as it will greatly help them in their build. Good luck if you do!