Search the Community

The Supermarine Swift – A Technical Guide ISBN 978-0-9930908-9-9 Valiant Wings Publishing The Swift was built by Supermarine after the British Government woke up to the fact that we no longer had a competitive jet fighter that could reach high mach numbers and go up against any potential aggressor on an equal footing. This new book from our friends at Valiant Wings describes the difficult gestation of the Swift that went from a swept-wing Attacker to a very different aircraft that broke several world speed records at the time, and became a bit of a whipping-boy over the years. It was an accomplished low-level performer, but due to the constant changing of the requirements in a fast-moving field of development, it was never able to truly shine at anything else. It did however pave the way with a few key technologies that stood the British aircraft industry in good stead for its last remaining years of existence as a home-grown group of independent entities. The book is perfect bound with a flexible card cover in the house style and the publication details on the slim spine. Inside are 80 pages in high glossy paper with colour throughout where applicable. As is often the case with older aircraft, a great many of the original and contemporary photos are in black and white, but detail in these is excellent. Written by Richard A Franks (where does he find the time & information?), it is split into an informative introduction to the type that discusses the trials and tribulations of the project from start to finish, with a technical description, painting and markings, then a kit build to finish. The layout is as follows: Sections Introduction Technical Description Detailed coverage of construction and equipment. Camouflage & Markings Colour side profiles, notes and photographs. Kit Build A quick look at Airfix's new 1:72 Swift FR Mk.5. Appendices i) Supermarine Swift kit, accessory & decal list. ii) Supermarine Swift Squadrons – a list of all the units that operated the type. iii) Bibliography. The colour profiles are executed by Richard J Caruana, and the model build was done by the author himself, and both are done to a very high standard, as we have come to expect from Valiant's many books. Conclusion Another super title from Valiant that is filled with interesting text, drawings, technical information and a lot of pictures that I haven't seen before. There are also a number of pictures of preserved and not-so preserved examples of this turned-up nosed fighter, and the book should appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in the type. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Arado Ar-196 Airframe Album 7 Valiant Wings Publishing This is the seventh in the series of Airframe Albums, this one concentrating on the Arado Ar 196 floatplane. As with the other titles in the series, this is beautifully printed book, written by Richard Franks, that is filled with details and information on this interesting aircraft. The book follows a similar format to the others in that there is a short history, (covering nineteen pages), of the design, the production airframes, and the current existing articles, whether complete airframes, or just parts. The next forty pages come under the title of Technical Information and provide an in-depth look at all the parts, systems, armament, fixtures and fittings. The text is accompanied by numerous line diagrams and where possible, photographs from the two extant examples, one in the NAAM, USA and one a museum in Bulgaria. The section titled Evolution, provides detailed information on the variations and changes between the various prototypes and production machines. These include the variations in armament, airframe, float configuration and engines used through airframe line diagrams. The next fifteen pages covers the markings and camouflage used throughout the aircrafts service life and is accompanied by colour plates of the different schemes used on the aircraft along with period photographs. The rest of the book is taken up with information and four complete build articles on the various model kits and decal that have been released over the years and a brief synopsis on their history, re-pops and the like. The build articles are on two 1:72, one 1:48 and one 1:32 models, which not only show how the aircraft can be built but useful tips on wan problem areas and how to overcome them. The last page is a bibliography of all the books, documents, and publications that have been printed on the Arado 196 giving ISBN numbers where available. Conclusion As with the other titles in the series, this is a meticulously researched and presented book. To gather this much information must take a heck of a long time and it really shows in the depth this title goes to show every little detail on the aircraft. Even if you don’t have a kit of the Ar 196 it is still a very interesting book and a worthy addition to any collection. Very highly Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Macchi MC.202 Folgore: A Technical Guide Valiant Wings Publishing The Italian Macchi MC.202 was possibly the best fighter to serve in the Italian Air Force during WWII, although it suffered from multiple problems with its ancillary equipment that could sometimes have fatal consequences. A Development of the 200, it was fitted with license built DB601 engine, and evolved into a formidable dogfighter that was held back by its poor armament, which initially consisted of only two Browning M2 derived machine guns, to which a further two were added in the wings later on, only to be removed from the aircraft in the field to save weight. The book is one of Valiant Wings' Technical Guides, and is No.3 in the Airframe Detail series. It consists of 80 pages, numbered from 3 to 82 for some reason, and is in a portrait format in a "perfect bound" binding. It is written by Maurizio Di Terlizzi with additional text by Richard A Franks, and profiles by Richard J Caruana. It is divided into sections as you would expect, with the chapter headers as follows: 1. Introduction A brief history of the aircraft. 2. Technical Description Detailed coverage of the construction and equipment. 3. Camouflage & Markings Colour side profiles, notes and photographs. 4. Appendices MC.202 kits, accessories, masks, decals. 5. Bibliography The pages are packed with information, photos, drawings and diagrams that will be invaluable to those like myself that want to know exactly how the model they are building works. There are detailed breakdowns of the various structures and plenty of colour photos from the few examples that remain in existence today. Conclusion From a modeller's perspective it's a handy tome to have available during a build, and as I have Hasegawa's 1:48 offering on the shelves, it will come in handy at some point. It is also useful purely from an interested party's point of view, and I found the introduction to be a good read, with plenty of information imparted. Whether my scatter-brain will hold onto said information is another matter however! Either way, it is wallet friendly, and very well worth the effort of getting hold of a copy. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Dornier Do.17Z – A Technical Guide Valiant Wings Publishing The flying pencil has received a lot of attention this last year, with the raising of a crashed example and the release of the new Airfix kit in 1:72, so this book from our friends at Valiant should be of great interest. It will also find favour with those owning the Classic Airframes 1:48 kit, as well as general aviation enthusiasts. Written by Richard A Franks, it covers the aircraft from its earliest prototypes, where you can see how it came by its nickname due to the slender fuselage and fairly pointed nose, right through to the end of the 17Z's career and eventual replacement by the do.215 that started life as the export variant, which was in turn supplanted by the 217. The book is a perfect bound softcover, comprising 80 pages plus covers, and is split into four main sections plus appendices, as follows: Introduction An eleven page history of the aircraft from conception to completion, including some photos of the early prototypes and test airframes. Technical Description Thirty eight pages of detailed pictures, drawings and diagrams of the airframe, and its internals, including cockpit, crew compartments, electronics, fabrication, gun installations and bays, all of which is accompanied by detailed captioning. Camouflage & markings Eighteen pages of photos, text and six pages of profiles showing the various schemes worn by this quirky-looking aircraft. Building a Do.17Z Libor Jekl builds the new Airfix 1:72 Do.17Z over seven pages, showing just what can be done with the kit and his amazing skills. Appendices Do.17Z Kits, accessories, decals, bibliography The appendices only take up four pages, and are tightly packed with information, rather than drawn out to fill pages as happens with some titles. Conclusion If you're interested in the Do.17 and its successors, you'll find plenty of interest in this new title, and a lot of photos that I've not seen before. I'll certainly put my review copy to good use when I tackle my CA kit. It will also come in handy if you're waiting for the proposed Do.17Z kit from ICM, who have been gracious enough to give us two excellent 215 variants so far. One of these for each of the 215 and 217 would be my next wish. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The Blohm & Voss Bv.141 (Airframe Detail No.1) Valiant Wings Publishing The Bv.141 was perhaps one of the weirdest looking aircraft of WWII that almost made it to production, with its asymmetric design, large wings, fuselage nacelle reminiscent of an Fw.189, and the fact that much of its development and history has been lost in the confusion that reigned at the fall of the third reich. This new book from Valiant Wings has been penned by Richard A Franks, and extends to 63 pages in a perfect bound format. Notes in the corner of the first page tells us that almost all known pictures, drawings and diagrams still extant of this aircraft have been included in the book, and this is evident from the sheer quantity, some of which are surprisingly good, and some necessarily small and grainy because, well, that's all we have! The book is broken down into chapters as you'd expect, as follows: Introduction. This includes a brief history and extends to 11 pages with plenty of photos between the text. Technical Description. Going over the airframe in 9 sections over 38 pages, this will be of great use to anyone wanting to improve the detail of their kit. Diagrams, technical photos and excerpts of the flight manual are included. Camouflage & Markings. Extending to 9 pages with four pages of three-view and profile drawings, this section covers the variation of markings and schemes from beginning to end. Building a Bv.141 A build by Steve A Evans is catalogued over 4 pages, with some very nice photos of an exceptionally well built model. Appendices. One page split between kits and available books. Conclusion This is a very interesting and informative book of a left-of-field aircraft that is probably going to be a little more mainstream after the recent release of the Hobby Boss kit reviewed here. It is eminently readable, laid out in a sensible order with some really good photos, especially of the interior, and should be of use to anyone wishing to improve their kit, whether it be the new 1:48 kit, or Airfix's ageing offering in 1:72. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of