The Junkers Ju 88 Part 1 Book Review

By David L. Veres

Review

According to publisher Valiant Wings, this volume features:

• 40+ pages of technical information
• 60+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams
• 35+ pages of camouflage and markings
• 25+ pages of model builds and modeling information
• 200+ photographs including wartime images

To which I’d add:

• One (1) terrific, possibly indispensible, tome

And that’s just the start.

Billed as “A Complete Guide to the Luftwaffe’s Legendary Twin”, The Junkers Ju 88 Part 1: V1 to A-17 plus B-series kick-starts a sumptuous, multi-part study of, arguably, Nazi Germany’s most versatile warplane.

Fans of the respected range will rapidly recognize the familiar format of “Airframe & Miniature” No.23.

Author/editor Richard A. Franks capably commences contents with “airframe” sections on Ju 88 prototype, pre-production, A-series, and aborted B-series machines. A chunky, 40-page “Camouflage & Markings” survey – complete with original tech-manual material and one-page stencil markings guide – then samples the colorful swath of Ju 88 bomber schemes.

Start planning your group-build now.

Text next turns meaty for modelers in subsequent “miniature” sections:

• a cross-section of recent Ju 88A kits,
• handy “kits in brief” commentary on older models,
• step-by-step kit builds by Steve A. Evans,
• variant notes with 3D isometrics, and
• nose-to-tail details – close-up shots and tech-manual excerpts.

Like all “Airframe & Miniature” titles, it sports hundreds of illustrations – photos, drawings, color profiles, inset art, archival images, and scale plans. And four extensive appendices – known kits, accessories, masks & decals, and references – neatly wrap things up.

Grab this encyclopedic effort. Then line up behind me for the sequel(s).

Roundly recommended!

With thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for the review copy.