This next book from Airframe and Miniatures should be quite popular with WWII fighter fans. It covers the early P-51 Mustang, an aircraft that many enthusiasts think was the nicest looking of all the line. The Mustang was initially built for the British when they asked North American to build P-40s for them. North American said they could design a better plane and the result was the Mustang. Powered by an Allison engine, it was a brisk performer that easily outclassed the P-40. However, the air war in Europe had moved from mid to low altitudes to higher altitudes and the Allison ending just could not operate at the altitudes required. So the British used it for a low level tactical reconnaissance aircraft and it excelled at that role.

The US bought some and modified the airframe to be used as a dive bomber with the A-36. Back in the UK, a Merlin engine was installed in several of their Allison Mustang airframes and it transformed the aircraft to where it could operate at higher altitudes. Meanwhile, back in the US, the brass was not impressed with the aircraft as it wasn't made for them. It took the constant badgering from US pilots in the UK to change their mind and the Merlin Mustang was born as the P-51B and P-51C. The only difference between the two was that the P-51C was built in Dallas and the B in Inglewood. At last the USAF and other allied nations had the high altitude fighter it needed to continue the war.

Valiant Wings has continued with their successful format of not only providing information on the aircraft subject, but also on available kits, accessories, and books. Build articles using some of the kits and conversion sets listed are also provided.

The book starts out by providing information on the history of the type, starting with the prototypes, of which there are a considerable number. What makes this book special is that there are drawings and photos of these planes, with each successive improvement noted in the drawings. Each plane in this early series has a bit of a history involved with it that gives some pertinent information on the aircraft in question, that includes the colors of the airframe.

There is next a selection of drawings showing the differences between aircraft. Since the early Mustang did not have a bevy of camouflage schemes, we get all of the USAAF nose and tail designs of the various units that flew the plane. This is followed by a review of most of the extant kits of the early P-51 (which is considerable), with the author's take on which are the most accurate. A build section comes after that with the same person building all the 1/72 articles and the same person building all the 1/48 articles.

We then get into the drawings that show the minute differences between all of the upgrades and modifications done to the aircraft since the prototype. This is to help the modeler who may want to build a prototype Mustang, even though there may not be an available kit for it.

Next is an 'in detail' section. Thankfully there are preserved examples of this plane extant, so using images from those planes as well as illustrations for the various technical manuals and period photos, you get an excellent look at the workings of the Mustang.

A  rather complete kit listing, decal listing, accessory listing and some nicely done kit listing with all variations is next followed by a list of accessories, decals and books associated to the aircraft. This is followed by two huge foldouts in 1/48 scale covering six views of all the major variants covered in the book. These drawings are on heavier paper stock than the book and while attached to the binding in the back, should be easy enough to remove if that is your wish.

This one is undoubtedly one of the more ambitious and informative books in the series, and can be sure that there will be an equally comprehensive volume on the later Mustangs as well. If you have any interest at all in the early 109, then this is a book you really must have in your reference collection. Most highly recommended.

November 2013

For more on Valiant Wings, including getting this book, visit www.valiant-wings.co.uk. Thank you for the review copy.

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