Valaint Wings P-51 Early Mustangs

[Shar2]

P-51 Early Mustangs

Valiant Wings

Following on from their excellent book on the Hawker Typhoon, Valiant Wings have released one on the early North American P-51 Mustang. Using a similar format to the Typhoon book the 192 pages are full of information about the Mustang from the beginning, with the NA-73X, through to the P-51C, including the A-36. The history, taking up the first 79 pages covers the design progression, operators, and operational usage accompanied by some period black and white photographs, a few period colour photographs, colour side views, and colour nose markings, plus an interesting chapter on modifications, conversions and projects.

The next section covers all the kits of these aircraft that have been released over the years, including a description, a picture of the box art and the authors verdict of how the kit build and its details. This is followed by a selection of builds from each of the major scales. There follows a chapter with differences of each variant with the use of pencil drawings. The next part of the book is filled with close up photos from a walkrounds of various modern warbirds plus period photographs and sections from the pilots manual. There are some very useful photographs showing the construction, differences in instrument panels/canopies etc, along with major areas such as the engine, undercarriage and their bays, in addition to all the equipment fitted. Finally there is a complete kit, accessory and decal list along with a bibliography. Inside the back cover there is a pull out sheet, about A3 in size with three view plans of the Mustang Mk1, Mk1a, Mk11 and A-36 Apache, all in 1:48 scale.

Conclusion
I thought the Typhoon book was superb, but this book surpasses that, and is quite simply exceptional. It will be a real boon to all modellers who like to build the early Mustangs and wish to have a reference book to go with their subject. With the history and photographs it will also make a welcome addition to any aircraft enthusiasts library. Highly Recommended

Review sample courtesy of

[AndyC]

Could be tempted...I prefer the early Allison Mustangs to their much more modelled elder cousins...nice review Dave

[ColFord]

I received my copy of this publication yesterday, ordering it in company with their new Westland Whirlwind publication. As someone who has done a significant amount of original research into the early Allison engined Mustangs in RAF service I came away after my own review of this publication somewhat disappointed and concerned about the number of errors and more importantly omissions in the content.

 

As an example, before even starting into the main body of the book the author provides notes on Designation and Nickname. In this he states that "The use of the 'A' sub-classification for the Mk.IA should really be shown as 'Mk.Ia', however in writing a title like this...." This statement ignores the fact that in all the official period documentation, including the issued AP pilots notes for the RAF, the Mustang Mk.IA is referred to as the Mustang Mk.IA, not the Mustang Mk.Ia. Even pilots who flew the type, in entering details in their pilot's log books identify the type as a Mustang Mk.IA, whereas if they flew other aircraft types with subtypes, such as say the Spitfire Mk.Vc, they show the subtype of those with the lower case used.

 

I found the narrative description of the sub-types of the early Mustangs disjointed at times and containing a number of statements that are incorrect. An example of this type of error appears in the sample page of the review shown above.  The caption of Mustang AM148 having its gun camera lens in the leading edge of the port wing is incorrect - only the AG series Mustang Mk.1s, the initial batch had the gun camera in the port wing.  In the subsequent Mustang Mk.I production batches, AL, AM and AP serials, the gun camera was moved to the nose of the aircraft, just behind and below the spinner, between the 'cheek' 0.50 HMG Brownings.  This error carries over to the section of line illustrations displayed the supposed differences and distinguishing features of the various marks of early Mustang.  Also noting the failure to identify this aircraft coded RM-G as being with No.26 Squadron RAF at the time the photo was taken.   The differentiation between factory supplied equipment and service modifications and installation of equipment into aircraft after delivery to the UK is greatly understated and in some instances incorrectly attributed as present as being incorporated into the production line for the type.

 

I found the lack of information on the RAF units that operated the early Mustangs a major gap. Whereas the list of users of the Mustang Mk.I is incomplete, no listing or details of any of the RAF Squadrons that were equipped with the Mustang Mk.IA or Mk.II is given. Or any indication of the types of operational use and roles they were employed upon is given.

 

The section with the line drawings explaining the differences between the various prototypes and sub-types of the early Mustangs also presented many errors. Included in these is the continued reference to the aircraft being fitted with a K.24 camera - the primary camera type fitted to RAF Mustangs was a F.24 camera manufactured by Williamsons. Also the insistence to the camera mounted aft of the cockpit as being described as solely pointing out the port side of the aircraft, whereas the mounting could also be made for the camera to point out the starboard side of the aircraft. It also fails to cover the multitude of other camera installations that were trialled and progressively introduced into the Mustang Mk.IA and Mk.II aircraft with the RAF. No real mention is made of the differences in profiles, shapes, configurations and operation of the radiator intake ramps in the early Mustangs.

 

The mention of three downward identification lights fitted under the starboard wing on the Mustang Mk.IA - incorrect deleted from RAF aircraft. The Hispano cannon shown with external recoil springs - as modified and accepted for RAF operational use the recoil springs were internal to the wing leading edge fairings. And so it goes on for the detailing of difference for the Mustang Mk.II and the Mk.III.

 

I also found the balance of information between the RAF perspective and the USAAF perspective on the early Allison engined Mustangs to be rather lopsided with much of the illustrative material and photos used tending towards US rather than the RAF as the major user of the type. Ten photos of the P-51 Mustang/Mustang Mk.IA in the book, no overall photo of an RAF Mustang Mk.IA, only a cut down photo showing the camera being installed in a RAF Mustang Mk.IA and a cut down photo of the Malcolm hood installation on a Mustang Mk.IA during trials. All the others of US P-51 Mustang. Of the P-51A Mustang/Mustang Mk.II, more photos of USAAF examples, whilst the only photos of RAF examples are two of the same aircraft FR901 related to the long rang tank trials and one showing a F.24 camera being installed into a Mustang Mk.II.

 

Unfortunately I would rate this, like a number of other publications before it, as an opportunity missed to provide an accurate and complete (within the constraints of the space available for commercial publication) documenting of the early models of the North American Mustang.

Edited July 29, 2017 by ColFord
Typo

[Antoine]

Thanks for the review, and for the contribution.