The Heinkel He162 - Airframe Album No 13 - by Richard A. Franks (Valiant Wings, 2018)
Valiant Wings newest (13th) title in the Airframe Album series is about the Heinkel He162 Volksjäger. This series of books offers everything that modern modellers want when they are tackling a specific subject and includes:
- Period diagrams
- Data from flight manuals
- Data from spare parts catalogues
- Fully detailed 3D isometric views of prototype and production machines
- Full colour profiles and concise camouflage and marking notes
The He162 was a Luftwaffe fighter born of necessity to produce a single-engined jet that could use non-essential materials and be a simple design that allowed construction by semi-skilled labour. The Bf109s and Fw190s were not enough to intercept the vast numbers of B-17s and B-24s bombing Germany. Galland and other Luftwaffe senior officers expressed vehement opposition to the light fighter idea, while Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring and Armaments Minister Albert Speer fully supported the idea. Göring and Speer finally got their way.
Airframe Album No 13 - The Heinkel He 162 - A Detailed Guide To The Luftwaffe’s Volksjäger by Richard A. Franks
This book will be an essential companion for anyone tackling the Revell (1/32nd), Tamiya (1/48th), Dragon and even the old Frog/Novo kits in 1/72nd scale.
Contents include all elements listed above, plus:
A wealth of historical photographs and detail images of the world’s preserved He 162s
23 pages of brief narrative history of the development and operational use of the He162 by the Luftwaffe, as well as captured and evaluated examples.
Technical description: Detailed coverage of construction and equipment, with many period detail images during production and service use: cockpit interior, instrument panel, canopy, ejection seat, undercarriage, wings, engine with open access panels, armament and Revi sighting details.
35 3D Isometric views by Wojciech Sankowski of all prototype, production and projected airframes, with the differences between each airframe type clearly pointed out in large captions.
25 colour profiles by Richard J. Caruana
90 pages in total
Lists of all He 162, accessories and decals produced in all scales
Kit build of the Tamiya 1/48th scale He 162A-2, by Steve Evans. One of the best parts of Airframe and Miniature series are the quality of their kit builds, and this volume is no exception, with Steve doing his usual excellent job on Tamiya’s fine 1/48 Voksjäger. Even if you prefer other scales you will love to see how Steve tackles this very detailed kit, through five pages with 30 clear step by step photographs and explanatory text. By the way, as we write, it is very difficult to find Dragon and/or Revell’s Salamander in 1/72 & 1/32 scale respectively as both kits are old and out of production.
Airframe Album No 13 - The Heinkel He 162 - A Detailed Guide To The Luftwaffe’s Volksjäger retail at £16.95 per copy + postage and packing.
The book is also available from all good hobby stores and specialist bookshops. ISBN is 978-0-9957773-4-7
Orders can also be made via the Valiant Wings website, www.valiant-wings.co.uk, by ‘phone on 01234 273434 (+44 1234 273434 if calling from outside the UK) or by writing to:
Valiant Wings Publishing, 8 West Grove, Bedford, MK40 4BT, UK
All in all, in just one book you get all the necessary information to build a detailed model of the He162 in your preferred scale. The mix of detailed photos, profiles and isometric drawings, showing the differences among variants, is unique and difficult to find in another publication at such a low price. Highly recommended!
In Greece, you can also order the book here.
