Author: Cor van Gent
Publisher: Lanasta Violaero
ISBN: 978-90-8616-178-2
Printed 2021 (1st print)
172 pages hardback
Price: 34,95 euro.

Before 1970, demonstration teams were already flying in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, but these remained virtually unknown and colorless. This only changed after the creation of the demonstration team "Whisky Four", which flew with four T-33s painted in an attractive color scheme, which were later exchanged for the F-84F Thunderstreak. After two fatal accidents, the team was disbanded and initially everything remained the same. The year 1970 can be called a turning point. Then the last F-84F Thunderstreak was taken out of service and for the farewell was painted all white and inherently decorated with flowers and other thingies. In 1973 the Klu (Koninklijke Luchtmacht) celebrated its 60th anniversary at Deelen Air Base and the helicopter team the "Grasshoppers" performed for the first time. The Alouettes carried yellow areas . Another "demo" team that manifested itself at that day was "Popsey Black, flying with four Piper Super Cubs, also with yellow stripes" s. After that, colors were applied more and more generally and exuberantly. "Demonstration" teams, squadron anniversaries and many other reasons were seized upon to apply the most fantastic color (schemes). In this book, the author gives an overview of 50 years of colors by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.

Cor van Gent is certainly no stranger to the aviation world and already has a respectable number of books to his name. His penultimate book (2020) was a second book about the Northrop/Canadair NF-5 Freedom Fighter. This time a book about everything that has flown colorfully in the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Naval Aviation Service in the last 50 years. Do not only think of demo teams or specific demo aircraft but also of special color schemes such as the UN/NATO missions, the Lynx noses (not all) and of course the tails and the April 1st F-16 police version!

The book is cleverly divided into several year blocks where a photo selection is presented of the different aircraft or demo teams with a short description and / or history. Nice to see the pictures of the Zebra scheme of the Grasshoppers heli team during the open day at Brasschaat which was my first foreign open day visit.

It has become an impressive parade of colorful photographs in which Cor van Gent's own archive undoubtedly played a major role, but his call via social media for extra material has certainly had results as evidenced by the long list of "contributors". Whether this has caught all the colorful aircraft I cannot judge, probably not. No doubt there is still material in someone's archive from a squadron or prankster who has made something that has quickly disappeared. I miss the "Diamond Four" with her Meteors, but then the title might have been 70 years....... and it is justified in this case, but also the Orion with the Dutch tricolor band that falls within 50 years and also the Wasp noses, but you cannot have everything. Food for a second print. 

Conclusion
For the real Dutch aviation freak a must have, for the modeler a welcome addition with ideas and with the current possibilities offered by fellow modelers in terms of decals, virtually any model can be built. In addition, it is a great picture book with interesting information. That alone justifies the purchase or as a gift. While browsing and reading I have come across very nice and interesting things that I did not know about yet. Handy is the register at the end where you can quickly find type, registration, page of a certain type / color scheme. Beyond all that, it's a reference work in terms of history. I am anxious to see volume 2.


Thanks to Lanasta/Violaero and Edwin Hoogschagen for making this beautiful book available for a review

Note: It is certainly worthwhile to take a look at Lanasta on the website. They really have a very extensive and for us modelers interesting selection of books certainly not written by the least.