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The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu
A Detailed Guide to the Luftwaffe’s ‘Flying Eye’

by Richard A. Franks

Valiant Wings Publishing
Airframe Album No.6

S u m m a r y

Publisher and Title: Valiant Wings Publications – Airframe Album No.6: The Focke-Wulf Fw 189 Uhu by Richard A. Franks
Illustrators: Wojciech Sankowski & Richard J. Caruana
ISBN: 978-0-9575866-8-0
Media: Soft Cover, A4 portrait format, 114 pages, numerous black & white images plus a few in colour, extensive detail sketches, isometric drawings, colour profiles, technical description and variant details, and a modelling section
Price: Available online from Valiant Wings Publishing for £16.95
and stockists worldwide.
Review Type: First Read
Advantages: An abundance of useful images, informative on variants, very modeller-focused.
Disadvantages:  
Conclusion:

This is a superb reference for anyone interested in the innermost details of the Fw 189’s airframe and its camouflage and markings. It has the added benefit of two detailed and informative build articles on the leading Fw 189 kits in 1/72 and 1/48 scale, plus a list of kits, accessories and decals released to date.

Aimed very much at modellers, this book should not be overlooked by the pure plane enthusiast with an interest in the nuts and bolts aspects of this most interesting aircraft. I highly recommend this Airframe Album, and look forward to more in the series.


Reviewed by Mark Davies



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FirstRead

 

Valiant Wings’ Airframe Albums are unashamedly pitched at modellers with their visual emphasis on airframe details, focus on variant differences, colour schemes, and modellers’ information section.

Nonetheless, they should also appeal to aircraft enthusiasts as well, provided that they are not seeking any sort detailed operational accounts or service history.

 

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The graphic design of the book is most pleasing, and it is laid out in the following sections:

  • Glossary.

  • Preface – Provides a precise of the type’s operational use, including foreign users, and finishes with technical specifications.

  • Technical Description – Divided into different airframe sections, this is “the meat” of the book, dealing with every aspect of the Fw 189’s anatomy. It is replete with numerous photos and detail sketches from technical manuals, with useful and interesting notes accompanying these.  

  • Evolution – Isometric drawings by Wojciech Sankowski, with detailed notes on prototype, production and projected variants.

  • Camouflage & Markings – Discussion and notes dealing with finishes, markings, and foreign users; plus of course numerous colour profiles by Richard J. Caruana.

  • Models – Detailed build articles covering the 1/72 Condor kit (re-boxed by MPM, Italeri, and Revell), 1/48 Great Wall Hobby kit, and some pre-release images of the 1/32 HpH kit. There are also appendices to this section covering available kits, accessories, and decals, plus a bibliography.

The overall quality of production is very good, logically laid out, and easy to read.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This is a superb reference for anyone interested in the innermost details of the Fw 189’s airframe and its camouflage and markings. It has the added benefit of two detailed and informative build articles on the leading Fw 189 kits in 1/72 and 1/48 scale, plus a list of kits, accessories and decals released to date.

Aimed very much at modellers, this book should not be overlooked by the pure plane enthusiast with an interest in the nuts and bolts aspects of this most interesting aircraft. I highly recommend this Airframe Album, and look forward to more in the series.

Thanks to Valiant Wings Publishing for the sample.


Review Copyright © 2015 by Mark Davies
This Page Created on 4 May, 2015
Last updated 5 May, 2015

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