Valiant Wings Publishing | Airframe & Miniature No. 6: The North American P-51 Early Mustang (Second Edition)

Reviewed by Kevin Futter

UK publisher Valiant Wings Publishing has released a Second Edition of Number 6 in its Airframe & Miniature series, with the rather lengthy title of The North American P-51 Early Mustang (including the A-36A, P-51 & P-51A to C): A Complete Guide to The USAAF's Famous Fighter. Phew! (We reviewed the first edition back in 2013.) The author is Richard Franks, and the illustrations are shared between Richard Caruana and Jacek Jackiewicz, with Wojciech Sankowski providing revisions for the second edition. The cover artwork has also been updated with a dramatic painting by Jerry Boucher.

This second edition also increases the page count from 192 to a massive 272 pages, plus a gatefold section of scale drawings, giving an indication of the extent expanded nature of the content. Just like the first edition, it's extremely well printed on quality glossy paper, and the reproduction of all drawings and photographs is first-class.

The contents are broken up into nine separate chapters, grouped into two distinct sections:

There is also a preface, along with a collection of appendices at the rear of the book:

  1. A-36 Apache & Early P-51 Series Kit List
  2. A-36 Apache & Early P-51 Series Accessory List
  3. A-36 Apache & Early P-51 Series Decal List
  4. Bibliography

The sample screenshots below should give a good indication of the nature and style of the book's contents:

The Preface, while not mentioned in the table of contents, is a 22-page primer on the history, development, and operational usage of the early Mustang variants, and sets up the rest of the book nicely.

The sequence of chapters (1-4) that comprise the Evolution of the Airframe section feature side profile drawings by Jacek Jackiewicz and Wojciech Sankowski, and plot the development of the early Mustang variants from inception through to their final incarnations. The drawings a complemented by descriptive text and contemporary photos.

In a departure from the first edition, the colour profiles are by Richard Caruana has been interleaved with the textual content of the Camouflage and Markings chapter, rather than being presented on their own dedicated pages (reflecting the current Valiant Wings approach with this series). This includes a two-page spread featuring the specific nose and tail colours of the various fighter groups that used the type. The artwork is very well done, and a broad range of US and foreign schemes is represented. Also included is a very handy stencil full-page placement guide in 1/72 scale.

Chapter 6 features a lengthy look at the extant kits in all scales covering the early Mustang variants, and naturally include a detailed discussion of the Trumpeter 1/32 kit (though not the ancient and primitive Revell release). These discussions are detailed and thorough, and provide useful summaries for any kits you might not be familiar with.

The modelling section features several kit builds by Steve Evans and Libor Jekl in 1/72 and 1/48 scales, but sadly nothing in 1/32 (the book itself notes that this was due to time and space constraints). Even so, the builds are extremely well done, and will serve as inspiration and guidance for our own early Mustang builds when we get to them. Fortunately the kits, accessories and decals lists do include 1/32 scale items, and seem quite comprehensive.

Chapter 7, "Building a Collection", consists of crisply-rendered, concisely-labelled isometric 3D drawings to illustrate the salient differences between each airframe development. They are clear and easy to follow, and form a handy guide for discerning what features distinguished which variants.

The final chapter, "In Detail", features a photographic breakdown of the airframe, section by section, and supported by technical drawings and descriptive text. There's a particular focus on those areas of most interest to modellers: the cockpit, the landing gear, and the engine.

The Appendices section contains a series of chapters that cover the relevant aftermarket, decal, and mask products available, along with a bibliography of for further reading.

At the very back of the book, secured inside the rear cover, is a set of 1/48 scale early Mustang plans in gatefold format. These are printed on heavy, non-glossy plain stock, and feature the following airframes:

These are drawn by Jacek Jackiewicz and look very nicely done, and include comprehensive rivet details.

Conclusion

Not being a Mustang expert, I can't give a considered evaluation of the accuracy or veracity of the text itself, and so will leave that to more knowledgeable readers. All other elements of the book ooze quality however, from the clear photography to the beautiful profiles and the detailed scale plans. Contemporary photographs are plentiful and very nicely reproduced. Overall it's an impressive attempt to be the Complete Guide the title alludes to. Recommended!

© Kevin Futter 2025

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This review was published on Sunday, May 25 2025; Last modified on Sunday, May 25 2025