Page 158 - Demo

158said, a forensic examination does reveal one or two updates. For instance, while the first edition listed only sixteen R%u00fcst%u00e4tze applicable to the Do 217; this list now runs to twenty8five, omitting only the R18. Do I have any reservations? Only two. While a mere photograph suffices for the %u2018foreign%u2019 types that have been included, I think we have been a little short8changed by not being provided with general arrangement drawings of the German aeroplanes that have been added, particularly the trainers built by Arado and B%u00fccker. Secondly, I think that the editor(s) took their eye of the ball while the designers were laying out the book, so we have most of the cutaways spread across two pages, creating a staple8in8the8navel effect, with important bits disappearing into the gutter; much better to have rotated them through 90o and reproduced them full8page landscaped. On the other hand, the text has been printed in a slightly larger point size, which makes the layout rather less cramped and easier to read, which will also have contributed to the increased page count. And so to the big question %u2013 bearing in mind the rather eye8watering asking price %u2013 is it worth it? There is something peculiarly attractive about the products of the wartime German aviation industry. Apart from the iconic mainstream Bf 109s, Fw 190s, Ju 87s and the like, there were all those quite remarkable jets. If, like me, you are fascinated by this stuff, then this book will provide you with a comprehensive work of reference and hours of contented browsing. But what of that price? When I invested in a first edition of this %u2018must have%u2019 book back in 1970, it cost me %u00a310. For the 308year old aircrew flight lieutenant that I was at the time, that represented about one8and a half day%u2019s gross pay and one had to have an extremely understanding wife to be permitted to blow that amount of the weekly housekeeping on a mere indulgence. I was fortunate enough to have one of those. Today, even allowing for the discounts to be gained by buying direct from the publisher, the three volumes (Vols II and III are not yet available) are going to set you back a total of %u00a3162. But that is only one day%u2019s pay for the equivalent flight lieutenant in 2010 so, despite the rather startling headline figure, in real terms, the new version is actually significantly cheaper than the original and, since it is also substantially larger, you get even more value per pound %u2013 even if you do need 162 of them. %u00093%u000e%u0006