Spitfire, Merlin Variant Walk Around Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | October 2013 | Title | Spitfire, Merlin Variant Walk Around |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Ron Mackay | Publisher | Squadron/Signal Publications |
| Published | 2013 | ISBN | 978-0-89747-732-1 |
| Format | 80 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $18.95 |
Review
This title is Squadron/Signal Publication's latest walk around covering the Merlin-powered Spitfires. The title is a bit misleading as it covers the 'Merlin Variants' including the Mark I, Mark Vb, and Mk.IX, all exampes on display at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, UK. The aircraft were all opened up for detail shots to highlight differences in details between the various Merlin-powered variants.
The aircraft examined include:
- AR213, Mk.I
- EP120, Mk.V
- BM597, Mk.V
- MH434, Mk.IX
- PL344, Mk.IX
The author walks us around each of these aircraft to illustrate the changes and updates performed on the aircraft as it evolved from combat experience. These walk around photos are supplemented with photos of other relevant Spitfires on display at other museums (where close-up walk around photos are not an option) as well as selected period black and white photos.
The title is an excellent resource for modeler and historian alike. If you have a Merlin-powered Spitfire project in your stash, this is the title you'll need on your bench to capture the details and features to make a better model. This title is definitely recommended!
My sincere thanks to Squadron/Signal Publications for this review sample!