The Heinkel He 162 Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | July 2018 | Title | The Heinkel He 162 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Richard A Franks | Publisher | Valiant Wings Publishing |
| Published | 2018 | ISBN | 978-0-9957773-4-7 |
| Format | 90 pages, softbound | MSRP (BP) | £16.95 |
Review
Santa came early this year.
The Heinkel He 162 – 13th installment in Valiant Wings' terrific "Airframe Album" series – recaps the "Luftwaffe's Volksjäger" in downright dazzling detail.
Format follows the publisher's proven prescription. After a handy glossary and history, author Richard A. Franks scrutinizes He 162:
- technical description
- airframe details
- prototype, production and projected variants
- camouflage & markings
In some instances, Franks' competent chronicle corrects errors – and challenges orthodoxy. Did you know, for instance, that those neat lineups of He 162s at Leck occurred after British forces occupied the base – not before? Franks also offers some fresh interpretations of He 162 colors – notably use of overall RLM 63 instead of RLM 02.
The profusely illustrated, 90-page monograph sports hundreds of drawings, tech-manual excerpts and color & B&W photos. Coverage contains a complete stencil suite with locations in a full-page, 1:48-scale multi-view. And Richard J. Caruana's coruscating color plates survey the all-too-brief burst of Volksjäger plumage.
Modelers enjoy attention, too: Steve Evans builds and reviews Tamiya's superb 1:48 "Salamander". And three appendices – scale model kits, accessories & decals, and selected bibliography – conclude contents.
Valiant Wings produce some of the world's finest aircraft monographs. And I loved this excellent effort. But that's "Alles Kaputt" – not "Allies Kaputt"!
Rabidly recommended!
My sincere thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for this review copy.