Valiant Wings Publishing Airframe & Miniature #1 - Messerschmitt Me.262 2nd Edition

[Mike]

Airframe & Miniature #1 - Messerschmitt Me.262 2nd Edition

A Complete Guide to the Luftwaffe’s First Jet Fighter

Valiant Wings Publishing

 

 

The Me.262 Schwalbe, Swallow in English was the first operational jet in the world, and would have been a real problem for the Allies if it hadn't been for delays in production due to the interference from on high that seems to have plagued development of almost every military project since time began.  It has captivated modellers and aviation enthusiasts ever since, possibly because of the shark-like profile, possibly because of the potential it showed that was exploited post-war by the victors in their own designs.  Whatever it was, that has resulted in plenty of kits for us modellers, and quite a number of books to match.

 

 

 

This title, the first of Valiant's Airframe & Miniature range has been thoroughly augmented, adapted and re-released in this new Second Edition to include a big chunk of new information.  It is also a good excuse to re-print and offer the opportunity to acquire it to anyone that missed it first time around.  It is aimed at the modeller, but has plenty of content to tempt the pure aviation enthusiast too.  It has been penned by Richard A Franks, a name familiar to a great number of modellers, and is packed with text, information, profiles and pictures. Although broken down by Airframe and Miniature sections, the two parts are further split into chapters in their own right, as follows:

 

Airframe Chapters

• Evolution: The V Series
• Testing: The S Series
• Productions: The A Series
• The B & C Series & Drawing Board Projects
• Camouflage & Markings and Colour Profiles

 

Miniature Chapters

• Messerschmitt Me.262 Kits
• Building a Selection
• Building a Collection
• In detail: The Me 262A/B plus the Avia S.92/CS.92
  • Forward fuselage & cannon armament
  • Cockpit & canopy
  • Mid & aft fuselage
  • Tail
  • Wings
  • Engines & nacelles
  • Undercarriage
  • Ordnance, drop tanks & sighting
  • Radio, radar & camera
  • Miscellaneous

 

Appendices

I Me.262 Kit List (inc. Avia S.92/CS.92)

II Me.262 Accessory & Mask list (inc. Avia S.92/CS.92)

III Me.262 Decals List (inc. Avia S.92/CS.92)

IV Bibliography

 

1:48 Scale Plans Fold-out

 

I’ve been hunting high and low for my original first edition, but can’t find it, which is weird given how besotted with the 262 I am.  I suspect it’s probably lurking there laughing at me, and will turn up as soon as the need is passed – probably under my pillow.  It does however prevent me from doing a comparison, so we’ll treat this as a fresh review, rather than a comparison.  One thing I can attest to is that the volume has been expanded to a substantially larger 208 pages, and has been fitted at the rear with a set of fold-out plans that consist of four full-size sheets that are printed with 1:48 plans of many variants and aspects of the airframe, plus a few photos and contemporary diagrams on two of the pages.  This effectively gives us an additional eight sides of content.

 

 

 

The airframe section covers the 262 from inception to the end of production and testing of new variants (and beyond) as the factories were destroyed or over-run by the advancing allies.  The drawing board section is of particular interest, as it shows the projected evolution of the aircraft that would have taken it beyond all recognition from the Schwalbe that we all know so well.  Even some of the projects that were tested are somewhat odd looking, such as the 1a/U4 equipped with a 50mm cannon (a favourite of mine) for attacking the bomber streams, and the 2a/U2 fast bomber with prone bomb aimer's position in the nose.  The HG III will also be of interest to anyone like myself that’s waiting for the Amusing Hobby kit in 1:48.

 

The narrative shifts to the modeller's point of view in the second part of the book, with chapter 6 covering the major kits available in various scales.  Immediately after are builds of some of the excellent kits out there, including a 1:72 262B-1a/U1 from Airfix, a 1:48 HobbyBoss A-2a/U2 with clear nose, 1:32 Revell B-1/U-1 Nightfighter for the larger scale modeller, and two pages of single photos of other available kits with brief comments and summaries.  Chapter 8 details all the variants in isometric drawings that existed both in physical form or on drawing boards, and suggests suitable kits as either a starting point for conversion where necessary, or if available, the actual variant in each of the three major scales.  Differences are pointed out as the airframe evolves, and a shaded drawing of each one is given to illustrate the look of them all.  This is my favourite part of any Valiant Wings book, and this section is long due to the many projects and variants the 262 went through.

 

 

 

The In Detail chapter begins with some overall shots of preserved airframes in museums across the world, and goes on to cover the intricacies of the airframe using colour and black & white photos accompanied by verbose captions that point out the relevant aspects that are an essential from a modeller's point of view, even down to the RATO pods and their mounting lugs under the fuselage.

 

The closing pages are given over to appendices that cover a list of kits, detail sets, conversions, decals and books on the 262 at time of print, including those that have come and gone.  Of course, these few pages will become outdated very quickly, but a few pages out of 208 isn't exactly much as a proportion of the whole.  The eight sides of plans are captive to the rear cover, and fold out to show you the 1:48 plans and other drawings.

 

Conclusion

This book is even more crammed with information in the second edition, and will be as good a read as a reference book, so is recommended to anyone with an interest in the Schwalbe, and well-worth the asking price.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of