20 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - September 2019■ By Richard A. Franks
■ Published by Valiant Wings Publishing Ltd
■ Guide Price £21.
■ ISBN 978-1-912932-00-
■ 272pp softback, 297 x 210 mmT
his month we have another bumper
book from Valiant Wings and this
one celebrates their fiftieth title
since beginning publishing ten
years ago. At 272 pp this must be
one of Valiant Wings’ heaviest books to
date and 32pp longer than Part 1 of the
Spitfire story, covering the Merlin powered
marks.
The Airframe and Miniature series is
settled into a familiar pattern, the contents
will be of interest to all those with and interest
in Spitfi res and especially modellers. One
surprise though is the inclusion of the throw-
out 8pp plan section inside the front cover
rather than have the plans tipped-in inside
the back cover. The beautifully produced plan
section shows 1:48 scale views of several of
the late mark Spitfi res.
As the Rolls Royce Merlin engine had
been developed to the maximum a new,
more powerful engine was the only answer
to the arms race that was in progress
with the Luftwaffe. The appearance of the
Fw190s would put the Germans ahead of
Spitfi re performance requiring the boost in
performance that the Rolls Royce Griffon
would bring. A Griffon engine was fi rst fi tted
to a Spitfi re airframe in 1943. Airframes that
were originally to fl y as Spitfi re Mk. VIIIs were
adapted to take the Griffon engine. The new
engine was longer and heavier than the Merlin
so some major surgery was needed to the
nose and a quantity of lead added to the inside
rear fuselage to compensate for the extra
weight at the front. As well as the different
engine note, the Griffon turned in the opposite
direction to the Merlin so the usual swing ontake-off was in the opposite direction. In this
book’s Preface, we see how the familiar lines
of the Merlin powered Spitfi re would morf into
an aircraft looking very different. The wing
shape was familiar but larger tail fi ns and
bubble canopies made the Griffon Spitfi re look
very different.SAMPLES FOR REVIEW
Please send all items for review to the following address: Model Airplane
International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU
1QX, United Kingdom. Companies in the European Union should also
add our VAT number, which is GB 789 7020 84Valiant Wings Publishing Ltd
http://www.valiant-wings.co.ukIN PRINT
THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE PART 2 (GRIFFON-POWERED) INCLUDING
THE SEAFIRE (AIRFRAME AND MINIATURE NO. 13)
Griffon powered Spitfi re Mk.XIV MV268 JE-J taking off from Duxford at the Flying Legends air show in July 2015.