Scale Aviation Modeller International – September 2019

Airframe Detail No.6

The Focke-Wulf

Ta 154 Moskito

A Technical Guide

AUTHOR: Richard A. Franks

YEAR: 2019

PUBLISHER: Valiant Wings Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-9957773-7-8

FOR M AT: 66pp Softback

A

new book from Valiant Wings

is always something to look

forward and this new book

in the slimmer Airframe Detail

series does not disappoint. Of the

Second World War Mosquitoes, the

Ta154 Moskito is the lesser known of

the two, but it is still an important

type and the German answer to

the British Mosquito, even being

partially constructed from plywood,

however due to the political situation

and other factors in wartime

Germany the type never entered full

production or completed testing.

The book opens with a

comprehensive introduction, which

is followed by an in-depth technical

description, consisting of 29 pages

of extracts from contemporary

technical manuals and black and

white photos. Section 2 of the book

covers the colours and markings

worn by the Ta154 including a really

useful guide to the stencil positions.

The main section of the book

is rounded of with a build of the

fantastic HpH 1/32 scale Ta 154, this

kit is not for the beginner but this

book will be invaluable if you have

this kit or any of the others listed in

Appendix 1, which covers the kits,

decals and accessories available for the

Moskito. My thanks to Valiant Wings

Publishing for supplying excellent

reference this book for review.

TMU-S

FlightCraft 14

Messerschmitt Bf 109

AUTHOR: Robert Jackson

YEAR: 2018

PUBLISHER: Pen & Sword Aviation

ISBN: 978-1-526710-53-6

FOR M AT: 80 pp Paperback

T

he FlightCraft series

from Pen & Sword

Aviation aims to provide

modellers with visual reference,

reviews of available kits, and

undoubtedly inspiration as well.

Of course, the Bf 109, being

the most-produced single seat

ighter in history, is a vast

subject, and a comprehensive

coverage in 80 pages cannot

be hoped for. What the author

has done is present the reader

with an overview and summary

of the type’s development

and service history, which

is illustrated with a good

selection of contemporary

photographs. Foreign service

is covered, and the author

also touches on developments

such as the Me 309.

After a section of colour

proiles, a number of models

follow. These are reviews of

some popular kits available at

the time of publication. Various

kits in all the main scales

are covered, including a

1:32 Bf 109D conversion

using the Alley Cat and

Eduard kits, and there are

plenty of photographs

of some ine models.

This book should serve

as an introduction to the

Bf 109 for the modeller

unfamiliar with the

subject. Unfortunately, it

is let down by a number

of errors. I picked

up the following:

On p46, the proile of the

captured Bf109 G-6/U2, RAF

serial TP814, shows a short

tail: this aircraft had a tall in/

rudder, and there are plenty of

photos illustrating it in various

publications and on the internet.

On p68, what is captioned as

a “G-14AS” is clearly a Bf 109E.

On p69: the Croatian 109

is said to belong to 15/JG52. In

fact, the “Zvonimirov Križ

(Zvonimir’s Cross)” markings

(which were only introduced

in February 1945) belonged

to the ZNDH, the “Air Force

of the Independent State of

Croatia”; 15(kro)/JG52 was

an entirely separate entity,

efectively a Croatian “foreign

legion” within the Luftwafe,

and its aircraft wore standard

Luftwafe markings.

Sadly, such errors sadly

diminishes the value of an

otherwise good work. However,

the photographs are good. This

would be better as an additional

Bf 109 reference rather than

the only one in your library.

Thanks to Pen & Sword

Books Ltd for the review copy.

MJC

Focke-Wulf Fw 190

The Early Years – Operations in the West

AUTHOR: Chris Goss

YEAR: 2019

PUBLISHER: Frontline Books (an

imprint of Pen & Sword)

ISBN: 978-1-47389-956-8

FOR M AT: 189 pp Paperback

T

here can be few

modellers with an

interest in the Luftwafe

who have not heard of the

late Dr Alfred Price. When he

retired from aviation history

in 2016, he passed on much of

his Luftwafe archive to Wg Cdr

Chris Goss. This book contains

a selection of that material,

being a photographic account

of the Fw 190’s operational

use in the West. It is, in the

author’s words, “... intended as

a tribute to the work done by Dr

Alfred Price” (Preface, p vi).

After a preface, an

introduction (which includes

a useful table of Fw 190

variants) and a glossary, the

remainder of the book consists

of informatively-captioned

photographs, divided into a

number of chapters. These

are entitled “Training”; “The

Pembrey 190” (after a

combat over Devon, a pilot

lew a reciprocal course,

crossed the Bristol Channel

instead of the English, and

landed at RAF Pembrey

in South Wales, thus

presenting the RAF with an

intact example of this new

threat); “Jagdgeschwader

2”; “Other Jagdgeschwader

in North-West Europe”;

“Ja b o”; “R e c o n n a i s s a n c e”;

and “The Mediterranean”.

I’ve not counted the

photographs, but with at least

170 pages of photos, and with

one or two photos on each

page, there must be well over

200, mostly of the Fw190 in its

various guises, but sometimes

of pilots or groundcrews. And

these are a useful reference

for igure modellers, are they

not? They also enable the

reader to put faces to some

familiar names, such as Major

Walter Nowotny (p 3). There

are plenty of close-up detail

shots, including one of the A-3/

U4 camera installation, and

of markings such as personal

emblems and unit badges.

This is a veritable treasure

trove for fans of the Wurger, and

should prove of equal interest

to many more. In my view It

is an essential reference. And

will be a source of inspiration

for anyone tackling one of the

many kits of this aircraft. I look

forward eagerly to the second

volume, which the author says

in the preface is planned.

Thanks to Pen & Sword

Books Ltd for the review copy.

MJC

SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL • SEPTEMBER 2019

BOOKS & MEDIA

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