Hindsight is a fickle thing, and the Fairey Battle is nowadays regarded as something of a disaster, already obsolete when it was thrown into near-suicidal low-level bombing missions in the desperate attempt to halt the German advance in the spring of 1940. But the aircraft was considered cutting-edge when it was ordered off the drawing board just five years previously.
Designed to replace the classic Hawker Hart light bomber, and the first operational aircraft powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin, the Battle easily exceeded the RAF's requirement, boasting a top speed of around 250 mph and able to carry 1,000 lbs of bombs for a 1,000 miles. Despite this, it was largely retired from daylight bombing following the mauling it received in the Battle of France, but the Battle nevertheless went on to long career in second-line duties such as training, target-towing and as an engine test-bed.
The heroism of the Battle's crews in 1940 has ensured that it's long been a popular subject for British modellers, and now Valiant Wings have given the aircraft a well-deserved turn in the limelight with their latest volume in their Airframe Detail series. Author Richard Franks has written a comprehensive 138-page soft-bound study of the Battle that will appeal to both modellers and aircraft enthusiasts alike, combining a wealth of historical information with modelling-specific chapters that include exactly the type of reference material needed for a really detailed build.
Introduction - Brief History
Things kick off with a concise and useful 27-page overview of the Battle from its inception through its surprisingly long and varied career. While the Battle will always be synonymous for many with the Battle of France, it also went on to serve in a wide variety of roles at home and abroad that are outlined here. The chapter is well illustrated with period photos, and there's certainly plenty of modelling inspiration among them, whether it's the conventional light-bombers, target tugs and two-seat trainers, or the truly eye-catching engine test-beds that would make for some great conversion projects.
The chapter also covers the Battle's service with a number of foreign air forces, and includes a couple of "might have beens" (Finland and Poland) where the aircraft were never supplied. Rounding things off are interesting accounts of the salvage and preservation of surviving museum examples, a list of Battle serial numbers and production batches and, last but not least, a useful ready-reference of the aircraft's specifications.
Technical Description
For many modellers the Technical Description will be the main reason to buy the book. Within its 47 pages are hundreds of detailed photos of the airframe and its systems. These are divided between period B&W and modern colour shots, and they are backed up by numerous original illustrations from the Battle's technical manuals.
For me, this approach gives the best of all worlds, ensuring the most accurate coverage possible - more so than purely modern walkaround photos of preserved airframes that may, or more likely may not, be strictly period-correct.
The coverage is broken down into the following sections - each further divided into subsections for what I imagine is the most detailed look at the Battle that is readily available for modellers:
Engine, Cowling & Propeller
Fuselage, Cockpit Interior & Canopy
Tail
Wings & Controls
Undercarriage
Fuel, Oil, Coolant, Hydraulic & Oxygen Systems
Armament & Ordnance
Miscellaneous
Camouflage & Markings
As a result of its long career as a second-line aircraft with the RAF and Commonwealth air forces, the Battle went on to sport a wide variety of quite spectacular colour schemes. The author begins with a caveat that nothing is absolute when it comes to camouflage and marking, but does a great job identifying and explaining the evolution of the colour schemes worn by the Battle.
Along with numerous period photos, this 38-page chapter is brought to life by over 50 excellent colour profiles and plan views by Richard Caruana, and if you haven't already been tempted to try modelling some of the more unusual Battles featured in the earlier coverage, then this chapter should certainly get the creative juices flowing.
Battle Builds
All the titles in this series feature excellent model-builds and this is no exception, with a pair of Battle Mk.1s in 1:72 and 1:48 tackled over the course of 12 pages by Libor Jekl and Steve Evans respectively.
Libor builds the Azur-Frrom in Belgian markings, while Steve showcases the flawed Trumpeter kit and replaces its poor decals with painted-on RAF markings. Both builds are covered step-by-step with clear colour photos, and the articles are well worth reading, as they include a wealth of tricks and tips applicable to aircraft modelling in general that we can all learn from (e.g. Libor's build highlights something I'll definitely try with Eduard's current decals...).
Rounding everything off are The Fairey Battle In Scale, featuring useful quick overviews of the various Battle kits that have been released over the years, and a set of Appendices that list kits, accessories and reference books, along with a handy cross-reference of all the British units that operated the aircraft.
Conclusion
I've thoroughly enjoyed reading Valiant Wings' study of the Fairey Battle. As noted above, it will appeal equally to aircraft enthusiasts and modellers alike, and from the latter perspective it really underlines the gap in the market for an accurate mainstream 1:48 kit (Airfix, this would be perfect for you...). If you already have a Battle kit in any scale and are planning on detailing it, this book will be pretty much essential reading.
Many thanks to Valiant Wings for the review copy.
Airframe Detail 11 - The Fairey Battle is available now from Valiant Wings - Price: £22.45 plus P&P
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