Messerschmitt Me 262 Two-Seat Variants

4+ Publications

Reviewed by Mark Davies

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com
 

The general history of the Me 262 will be well known to many; that is at least as far as the single-seat versions are concerned. I suspect that the development and service history of the two-seat variants of this groundbreaking design is far less well known to most. All too frequently, the two-seaters get but a brief mention in accounts of the Me 262. Of course, this reflects the numbers made, their roles and the contribution the two-seaters made when compared to the single seat variants. Well, whatever the reasons for this situation, 4+ have completely redressed such imbalances with their latest book by Malcolm V. Lowe.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

“Messerschmitt Me 262 Two-seat Variants” covers the training and nightfighter versions of World War 2’s most famous jet fighter. The book describes the history and development of the two-seat versions in detail. It claims to use the most up to date information and research available; a claim that seems perfectly credible to me, but one I am not qualified to verify. The book has plenty of information on both wartime operations and post-war use. This includes not just tests by the allies, but service with the Czechoslovak air force as well. In doing so, it covers these versions: the Me 262B-1a, Me 262B-1a/U1, Me 262B-2, and Avia CS-92.

The book has a soft cover with eighty glossy pages enclosed in a square spine binding. These include technical descriptions, 1/72-scale drawings, colour profiles, and a photographic section, as well as the historical account already mentioned. It is replete with photographic images; sixty-nine black & white and ten colour photos are included with the main text, whilst there is a superb fifty-three colour photo walk-around at the back of the book. The four pages of full colour profiles illustrate aircraft in German, British, American, Soviet and Czechoslovak service. The 1/72-scale plans are nicely drawn and printed on either side of an A-3 size foldout page.

As a middle-aged reader, I have two minor complaints, and these are that the print is a bit small, and there are no gaps between paragraphs. This makes reading a little tiring, especially if you lose your place, as some pages are essentially a solid block of small print. Larger print and blank lines between paragraphs would mean more pages. I feel that many readers would appreciate such a change; but this seems unlikely, as the format used for this series is firmly established by now, this being its twenty-sixth issue.

This latest 4+ title gives a thorough account of Me 262 two-seaters, along with a wealth of technical details, photos and drawings. I think that it should have great appeal to the historian and modeller alike. It has a good blend of historical and technical text, superb photos, plans and illustrations.

Larger print and spaces between paragraphs would help middle-aged readers like me, but this is a relatively minor point.

“Messerschmitt Me 262 Two-seat Variants” is produced to very high standards, and is an excellent reference for Me 262 enthusiasts. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Mark 1 for the review samples.

Review Copyright © 2012 by Mark Davies
This Page Created on 19 September, 2012
Last updated 19 September, 2012

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page