The Hawker Typhoon, Airframe and Miniature No.2 - Valiant Wings
The latest book in the Airframe & Miniature series from Valiant Wings Publishing is in fact a second edition, much improved reprint of No. 2 in the series:The Hawker Typhoon - A Complete Guide to the RAF's Classic Ground-Attack Fighter, first published in July 2011 and out of print for over a year. The publishers not only have expanded the text to include the latest generation of Airfix and Brengun kits in 1/72 scale and the massive 1/24 offering from Airfix, they also included more detailed information. Written by Richard Franks, it tells the story of the Hawker Typhoon, and its Tornado progenitor in 176 pages. The book is divided into two main sections, Airframe Chapters and Miniature Chapters (each one with the following sub-chapters):
Airframe Chapters: Evolution - Tornado, Evolution - Typhoon, Typhoon Production Variants, Drawing-Board Projects, Camouflage & Markings, Survivor, Color Profiles
Miniature Chapters: Hawker Typhoon Kits, Building a Selection, Building a Collection, In Detail: The Hawker Typhoon
Appendices: Tornado & Typhoon Kit List, Tornado & Typhoon Accessory List, Typhoon Decal List, Tornado & Typhoon Production, Bibliography
The last part of the book features an insert of a set of fold-out plans in 1/48 scale.
Of the 176 pages in the book the first 51 (The Airframe section) deal with the development and service story of the Typhoon, with many details of the prototypes, development and production aircraft. We get a summary of each variant produced, from the initial Tornado prototypes through the final production Typhoons, and the initial Tempest prototypes. (The Tornado was the name given to the version powered by the Rolls Royce Vulture, a new engine which was also intended to power the Manchester bomber). This is very useful not only about the sequence in which the variants were produced, but also for defining differences between them. Each variant is illustrated with a side profile.
Well illustrated with drawings, showing all the main types, as well as a fine selection of archive photos, this is a well detailed look at the Typhoon story.
Chapter 5 deals with Typhoon camouflage and markings, including breakdowns of the different styles of national insignia and squadron codes used.
Chapter 6 includes images of the only complete airframe which is on display at the RAF Museum at Hendon, its history and an eight-page section with 28 perfect colour profiles by Richard Caruana.
The miniature section starts on page 52 with chapter 7. We get a detailed survey with reviews of the available kits of the Typhoon that have been made over the years in all scales.
A nice touch is the mention of the next version of the 1/24 scale Typhoon kit which Airfix have announced for 2016 (the earlier version with the 'car door' style canopy).
Chapter 8, "Building a Selection", features a number of kit builds in 1/72, 1/48, 1/32 and 1/24 scale:
Academy 1/72 Typhoon Mk Ib, by Libor Jekl
Airfix 1/72 Typhoon Mk Ib, by Steve A. Evans
Brengun 1/72 Typhoon Mk Ib (Late Production), bySteve A. Evans
Czechmaster Resin 1/72 Typhoon Prototype/Mk Ia, by Libor Jekl
Hasegawa 1/48 Typhoon Mk Ib, by Steve A. Evans
MDC 1/32 Typhoon Mk Ib, by Steve A. Evans and…
Airfix 1/24 Typhoon Mk Ib, by Dani Zamarbide
All are expertly built and provide a useful guide for the modeller with many tips and techniques. These builds are followed by 10 pages of 3D drawings which identify each variation on the Tornado and Typhoon and detail those differences.
Chapter 9, "Building a Collection" includes a series of isometric 3-D drawings by Jacek Jackiewicz, illustrating the features of each revision of the airframe as it progressed through its development to so many versions.
Chapter 10 looks at the Typhoon In Detail. A wealth of detailed photos are included, from wartime archives as well as surviving examples, together with clear drawings from the original manuals: Cockpit, Canopy, Fuselage, Propeller, Cowling, Engine, Exhausts, Wings, Undercarriage, Tail, Armament, Ordnance, Sights, Drop Tanks and miscellaneous items.
The final section is the Appendices, which list all the kits that are or have been on the market, along with accessory/update sets, aftermarket transfers and an extensive bibliography.
At the back of the book, a fold out sheet provides 1/48 scale drawings of both the 'Car Door' and 'Bubbletop' versions of the Typhoon, drawn by Jacek Jackiewicz, and printed on heavy plain stock. Both sets of plans include fuselage cross-sections. The plans themselves are nicely drawn, with panel lines and rivetting detail.
All in all a fine reference for modellers, aviation enthusiasts and aircraft historians as well. Ideal if you are planning to build any kit of the Typhoon. The volume is packed with a wealth of information and detail, is lavishly produced, and should serve as a one-stop reference for the type.
At 18.95 GBP, it is excellent value too!
Highly Recommended!
ISBN is 978-0-9930908-0-6. Available in good book stores and hobby shops or directly from the publishers:
http://www.valiant-wings.co.uk/airframe--min-no2-second-edition-9-p.asp
