The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Late Series Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | October 2022 | Title | The Messerschmitt Bf 109 Late Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Richard A Franks | Publisher | Valiant Wings Publishing |
| Published | 2022 | ISBN | 978-0-912932-26-9 |
| Format | 256 pages, softcover | MSRP (BP) | £25.95 |
Review
Valiant Wings resumes its robust rerelease program with the second edition of The Messerschmitt Bf 109: Late Series – eleventh in the publisher’s acclaimed “Airframe & Miniature” range.
Like the 2017 entry, this volume covers the “F to K including the Z Series” – arguably World War II’s most studied and debated fighter. And it shoehorns stunning measures of minutiae into 256 amazingly compact, lavishly illustrated, wholly informative pages – 16 more than the first edition offered.
Coverage follows Valiant Wings’ familiar “Airframe & Miniature” format.
Including handy camouflage and markings remarks, “airframe” sections scrutinize Bf 109F, Bf 109G, and Bf 109H, K and Z variants.
The “updated & expanded” “miniature” commentary adds new kit releases since 2017, new model builds, and a Bf 109G-12 conversion.
Again, details decidedly dominate this handy handbook. Cockpit. Fuselage. Cowling. Wing. Stabilizers. Armament. Landing gear. Even aerial connection points – and many, many other nits and picks.
The sumptuous study sports hundreds of B&W & color photos, drawings, isometric views, and tech-manual excerpts. Richard J. Caruana’s superb artwork surveys the sumptuous sweep of late-model 109 schemes. And the kit builds will certainly rouse your modeling muse.
Four ample appendices list kits, accessories, decals, and references. And a glossary and pullout 1:48-scale plans complete contents.
Valiant Wings has forged robust repute for terrific titles like this. Grab this book – before it goes out-of-print again!
My sincere thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for this review copy.