Spitfire, Merlin Variant
Walk Around

Squadron-Signal Publications

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

SAAB 37 Viggen Walk Around is available online from Squadron.com
 

This 2013 addition to Squadron/Signal's long-running Walk Around series focuses, as the title indicates, on Merlin-engine powered versions of the Supermarine Spitfire.  Given there are already plenty of Spitfire books on the market, as well as readily accessible walk arounds on the internet, what does this publication offer Spitfire modellers that isn't already available? 

In short, it's images that are high quality, large, full colour, and well captioned.  The scene is set by two lovely Don Greer paintings of Spitfires in flight on the front and rear covers.  Inside, author Ron Mackay uses the 84 pages at his disposal to present a comprehensive photo essay of preserved Spitfire airframes, with an emphasis on Mk.V and Mk.IX machines.  Mk.Is, Mk.XIs and Mk.XVIs are also covered to a lesser degree.  Other Merlin variants such as the Mk.VI and Mk.VIII feature in captions but not photos, and in a brief introduction Mackay explains that Merlin-powered Seafire variants have been excluded for reasons of space.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

The book is not broken down into chapters, but the photos are grouped by aircraft as follows:

• Spitfire Mk.I, pages 3-5

• Spitfire Mk.V, pages 6-28

• Spitfire Mk.IX, pages 29-71

• Spitfire Mk.XI, pages 31-32, 37 and 43

• Spitfire Mk.XVI, page 36

The walk arounds are followed by pages of black and white period photos highlighting relevant airframe and camouflage features, and a single page of contemporary colour photos of restored and/or flying airframes.

Layout is in the familiar A4 landscape format of Squadron Signal’s Walk Around and In Action series, a layout I find easier to prop open on my modelling bench than books in portrait format. 

Each page contains a maximum of four photos (and usually fewer), which means the photos are a decent size and you don't have to squint to find the specific detail you're looking for.  All external airframe features are covered, mostly in close up, as are cockpits and engines; there are also some useful shots of a Mk.V fuselage interior showing the cable control bracket and the view from the battery hatch.

One minor point is that it is not always easy to tell which photographs are of which aircraft.  It's usually possible to work this out using the context of surrounding photos, but more specific captions in some areas would have been useful.

Another issue to watch is that, given the photos are of restored and in some cases airworthy Spitfires, not all of the details are accurate for wartime aircraft.  Some of the modern equipment is pointed out in captions, such as in the cockpit photo on page 55.  However other potentially suspect items are not, such as the seat harnesses on pages 23 and 53 and the red strap in the radio compartment on p.33.

The photographs are complemented by black and white four view line drawings of a Mk.I, Mk.Vb and Mk.IXc, and a list of key specifications for each.  There are also line drawings of specific parts such as radio masts, wing types, and external fuel tanks.

I’m currently building Eduard’s 1/48 Spitfire Mk.IXc early version kit, and have found Squadron Signal’s ‘Spitfire, Merlin Variant Walk Around’ to be an excellent guide during this process.  It won’t replace more comprehensive references like Robert Humphrey’s SAM Datafile, but as a dedicated walk around guide this volume is very useful.  The size and quality of the photographs are a highlight, as are Ron Mackay’s supporting captions. 

Highly recommended to all Spitfire modellers and aficionados. 

Thanks to Squadron for the sample.

Review Copyright © 2013 by Brad Fallen
This Page Created on 15 October, 2014
Last updated 15 October, 2014

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page