by: Ian Sadler [ ]
The book under review is the New Title “Westland Lynx in detail”; “Present Aircraft Line” Blue Series from Wings and Wheels publications. The address is RAK P.O. Box 35, 170 06 Prague 7, Czech Republic, the ISBN no is 80-86416-27-5. The Author is Jaroslav Spacek.
The cost varies from country to country and as this is a review sample I have no idea of the cost in the UK, so please check with your local book dealers as to availability and price.
 |  |
Published in the now familiar format of landscape and on very good quality paper, it has within its 48 pages 160 full colour photographs, the text is in English.
It has been divided into history of the helicopter how it came into being and what influenced its design. All the types and marks of helicopter are fully covered as separate chapters it is this attention to details that make this series of books so fascinating. It covers the add-on weapons and their attachment positions with clarity. The nationalities covered are British, all services, Dutch, Denmark, Danish, Nigeria, French, Portuguese, Germany, and Malaysian.
The level of detail that the author has gone into with the historical notes is truly staggering, it is a story in its own right, the many twists and turns that make up this part of the book rightly deserve a mention. How politics have influenced the outcome of many of the orders and also the subsequent failures of them as well. I started this review being a none aircraft person but now I feel I know it well. Also understanding the politics and rivalry of the countries involved a lot more.
The true quality of these books is in the attention to detail and the quality of the photographs, having worked on jet engines in the past, I wish the manuals that had been available to me at the time were to this standard, it would have made life a lot easier.
So if you are contemplating supper detailing any kit of the Westland Lynx or need information of the correct markings, and colours for the cockpit etc, this is the book you need. For anyone lucky enough and there are few who have to have the real one for restoration then this is must for your reference selves.
I have one tiny comment several of the photographs could have been published to a larger format for the layout of the markings etc.
I recommend this to all those who have serious interest in the Westland Lynx Helicopter, be it historian model maker or restorer, you will not be disappointed. For the American readers who for some reason have to have marks out of ten.
For the photographic content and quality it has to be a 10.
For the historical content and background notes again it has to be 10.
For overall appeal to modellers, historians, restorers I have to give it 9 because I feel some of the photographs could have been to a larger format.
Many thanks to Franti as always for the advance copy for review.
About Ian Sadler (IanSadler) Copyright ©2021 text by Ian Sadler [ ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.
| 
|
|
