The Heinkel He 219 'Uhu' Second Edition Book Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | August 2021 | Title | The Heinkel He 219 'Uhu' Second Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Richard A Franks | Publisher | Valiant Wings Publishing |
| Published | 2012 | ISBN | 978-1-912932-18-4 |
| Format | 148 pages, softbound | MSRP (BP) | £19.95 |
Review
Valiant Wings’ acclaimed “Airframe Album” range revisits its roots in a painstaking revision of the seminal series’ very first release.
Billed as “A Detailed Guide to The Luftwaffe's Ultimate Nightfighter”, the second edition of The Heinkel He 219 “Uhu” packs everything most modelers need to construct the Luftwaffe’s comely nocturnal combatant.
Here, the publisher forged its familiar “Airframe Album” format. And author/editor Richard A. Franks expertly explores his subject in five, lavishly illustrated sections:
- historical précis
- technical description
- prototype, production and projected variants
- camouflage & markings
- modeling the Uhu
So what’s new?
Page count swells 50% to 148 pages from 98. Kit commentary is thoroughly updated. And extra content correspondingly adds dozens more illustrations: drawings, photos, and archival images.
Isometric views further chart aircraft evolution. Color profiles sumptuously sample schemes. And walk-around shots methodically map externals.
Modelers naturally enjoy attention. And kit builds cover Dragon’s 1:72 effort and Tamiya’s superb 1:48 Uhu. Four appendices – models, accessories, decals, and references – neatly wrap things up.
And all for, I think, £2.00 over the first edition’s cover price. At today’s exchange rates, that’s just US$2.79 in colonial currency!
Valiant Wings earned brilliant repute for gems like this. If you missed the original, grab this vital volume – before it, too, goes out-of-print!
My sincere thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for this review copy.