The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Early Series Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | May 2013 | Title | The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Early Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Richard A Franks | Publisher | Valiant Wings Publishing |
| Published | 2013 | ISBN | 978-0-9567198-7-4 |
| Format | 208 pages, softcover | MSRP (BP) | £19.95 |
Review
Valiant Wings has released their latest title - The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Early Series (V1 to E-9 including the T-Series). As with the previous titles in their aircraft monograph series, this title is a comprehensive look at the early variants of the famous 109 series from a modelers' perspective. While there are a significant number of outstanding references on this subject available 'out there', many of them are either superficial in their coverage of those essential details we seek or they are so comprehensive that we have to wade through lots of poo to find the pony. Don't get me wrong, much of that information is great to have, but when you're looking for something relevant to a particular project, detail, or potential conversion, you don't want to conduct research project to find it.
Take a look at their coverage:
- Airframe Chapters
- Evolution
- Bf 109B Series
- Bf 109C and D Series
- Bf 109E Prototypes
- Bf 109E Production
- Bf 109T Series, Projects and One-Off Conversions
- Camouflage and Markings
- Color Profiles
- Miniature Chapters
- Bf 109V-1 to E-9 and T-Series Kits
- Building a Selection
- Building a Collection
- In Detail: The Bf 109
- Appendicies
- Bf 109V-1 to E-9 (including T-series) Kit List
- Bf 109V-1 to E-9 (including T-series) Accessory List
- Bf 109V-1 to E-9 (including T-series) Decal List
- Bibliography
- Scale Plans
The author walks you through the important aspects of the aircraft from a modeler's point of view before taking you through the kits and then those all-important details you'll want to capture or highlight in your own builds. In their 'Build a Selection' section, they review several key kits in each scale that are currently available. This is followed by an innovative 'Build a Collection' concept which goes through the various prototypes, production, and drawing board projects, highlight the details/changes needed to replicate each variant, then provide recommended kits in each scale to get your started.
This title is well done and should be on your bench before you undertake your next Bf 109 build. I look forward to seeing what is coming next from this team!
My sincere thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for this review copy.