(Including: Fw 190A, B, C, F, G & S)
Airframe & Miniature Series No.7
Author: Richard Franks
Soft cover, 224 pages, black and white plus colour photos and colour profiles. 1:48 scale plans/drawings
Price: £18.95 RRP plus P&P (Sep 2014)
Review by Geoff Coughlin
You can get this superb title here now at www.valiant-wings.co.uk , ADH Publishing and good specialist book and hobby retailers worldwide
Our thanks to Mark at Valiant Wings Publishing for supplying our review sample…
Vital statistics
- 60+ pages of technical information
- 50+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams
- 10+ pages of camouflage and markings
- 35+ pages of model builds and modelling information
- 200+ photographs including wartime images
- Colour side views and four-views by Richard J. Caruana
- 3D isometric views of all variants by Jacek Jackiewicz
- Specially commissioned extensive 1:72nd, 1:48th and 1:32nd scale full kit builds by Libor Jekl, Steve A. Evans and Daniel Zamarbide Suarez
- Specially commissioned front cover artwork by Jerry Boucher
- 2 sets of fold-out 1:48th scale plans
Background info to the series
This is the seventh title in the Airframe & Miniature (AirMin) Series from Valiant Wings Publishing; others in the series include the Me 262 and Hawker Typhoon amongst others. The author, Richard Franks will be known to many for his Editorial role with Model Airplane International (MAI), part of the ADH Publishing Empire, plus of course other aviation and modelling titles. Also of course for much of the Modellers’ Data File books we continue to see widely at shows and on our shelves.
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (radial engine versions) are iconic aircraft with the radial series aircraft differing significantly from later models in terms of detail and this title clarifies all those distinguishing features.
Modellers are fairly spoiled for choice when it comes to model kits of the Fw 190A-F and so this new title will prove popular amongst many scale modellers but also aviation historians and enthusiasts.
Title structure
The book is divided up into two sections, plus appendices – Airframe chapters cover evolution, testing, production and drawing board projects, camouflage and markings plus colour profiles of the Fw 190 from Richard Caruana. Miniature chapters cover kit builds of the major Fw 190A and F series kits in 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 scales, detailed isometric views of all prototype and production variants for those wishing to build a collection. Also included are detailed walkaround photographs of examples of the aircraft and the coverage here is extensive.
The book is topped and tailed by a detailed reference bibliography and comprehensive kit listings. In addition, there are comprehensive listings of all aftermarket items like resin and etched detail sets, plus decal sets that have been produced. The scale plans to 1:48 scale are a bonus for sure, especially if you plan to rivet your model or are looking to upgrade one of the many kits available at the time of writing.
Modelling focus
As a pure one-stop-shop this title is going to be hard to beat, it really contains all most modellers will need to see in a good model reference title. Many of the period images won’t be new to you if you are well into your subject, but some will be, as will the line drawings and profiles. Richard Caruana is a talented artist and his profiles will inspire you and make you want to go and get that Fw 190 A, F or other radial-engined “Butcher Bird” model out of the stash and get building.
I am a big fan of quality reference material as many of you will hopefully appreciate from seeing the articles and detailed walkaround images to SMN’s Photo Reference Library. So too in this book, walkaround coverage is given to relevant surviving Fw 190s – plus lots of period photos. In some ways this book reminds me of the excellent Aerodetail titles available from Hobbylink Japan, but the scope of this title is far wider and consequently better value for money.
Kit builds
A decent selection of type kits are built for the book and that is to be applauded – they certainly give you an insight into what building these particular aircraft will bring depending on your choice of scale and kit. The scope and model coverage is very good and shows how this series is developing very well.
The quality of the builds is high and there are some nice weathering touches like weathering to the wings and airframes of most builds featured.
Overall then
I would certainly recommend this new title as it has plenty of good reference material, images and profiles – and those scale plans to help us get the best out of our Fw 190 projects. I wonder what will be next. Keep up the good work team!
Recommended
Geoff C.
