First published around a dozen years ago, Wings & Wheels's study of the Meteor F. Mk 8 by Mike Collins, František Kořán, Michal Ovčáčík and Andrew Simpson remains an extremely useful reference. In fact, one might argue that the subsequent release of Airfix’s mainstream kits of the aircraft in 1:72 and 1:48 makes it valuable to more to modellers than ever.

With the focus very much on modellers, the historical section is limited to a brief 4-page introduction tracing the career of the Meteor in general, along with two particular examples preserved at RAF Hendon and IWM Duxford.

The core of the content is a highly detailed and comprehensive 51-page "walkaround" of the two museum exhibits. The photos are excellent quality and show many aspects of the airframes not normally visible to the public. In particular, they offer some of the clearest cockpit shots I've seen, so it will obviously be a real boon to superdetailers.

The coverage breaks down into the following sections:

General Walkaround (inc. starter trolley)
Fuel Tank
Fuselage
Tail
Centre Plane
Main Plane Section
Wing
Airbrakes
Flaps
Engine Nacelles
Engine (installed and mounted separately for display)
Front Undercarriage
Main Undercarriage
Canopy
Cockpit
Guns

Each section can cover several or more pages, with usually 3-4 photos per page. This makes them ideally sized as references, and I find the book's landscape format means it can sit neatly on one's lap while modelling, rather than taking up space on the worktop.

Something I found particularly interesting in the cockpit shots is the clear but subtle differences between the two Meteors featured, with different coloured knobs and levers, items painted on one where they are bare metal on the other, and even different coloured cabling - despite the fact that it looks original in both cockpits. We all like to get things correct (and can sometimes get overly bogged down seeking the absolute "truth"), but there clearly was a surprising amount of leeway on the real thing.

Conclusion

For years the Meteor F. Mk 8 was something of a rare bird in modelling terms, largely the preserve of vintage or short-run models, but modellers can now find modern mainstream kits in most scales. This book will be a huge help for anyone wanting to add extra detail or check the accuracy of what's in the box. Readers focusing more on the purely technical aspects of a vintage jet like the Meteor should also find plenty of interesting material in the clear photos.

The book is excellent value for money at its normal cover price, but WWP are currently offering it at a hefty 38% via their website - and it’s an absolute steal at 12 Euros. If you’ve got a Meteor in your stash, or are planning to buy one someday, I’d thoroughly recommend grabbing a copy at the discounted price while you can.

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