Hungarian Fighter Colours 1930-1945 Volume 1 & 2
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Authors: Dénes Bernád and György Punka
Publisher: Mushroom Model Publications
ISBN: 978-83-61421-71-9 (Volume 1), 978-83-63678-21-0 (Volume 2)
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 396 Combined
I have always been a big fan of small air forces, and one of the nations that percolates to the top for me is Hungary. Following the First World War and the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Hungary turned towards other nations to provide aircraft for their new air force. As such, their air force was filled with aircraft that was common, but featured unique and colorful markings that helped set them apart. Because of that, Hungarian aircraft were generally relegated to the books on those German or Italian subjects, and rarely received more than a passing glance from aviation authors and publishers. This has changed, and in a comprehensive way, with this newest two-volume set from Mushroom Model Publications covering Hungarian fighter colors of the inter-war and Second World War years.
The authors start out the first volume with a short overview entitled "Why This Book Needed To Be Written," and this is a poignant study that sums up color research in just about any non-Western air force. With so much misinformation and difficult research, it really requires a dedicated individual to prepare a definitive reference. With this series, we have not one but two such dedicated individuals, and through their efforts we now have what is easily the pinnacle of color research on Hungarian fighter aircraft during those tumultuous years.
The set begins with the immediate post-WWI years, with the Armistice and Treaty of Versailles creating a rather negative environment for aviation in Hungary. The Allied forces required the destruction of all aircraft and aircraft engines, and eliminated any military aircraft from operating in the country. Thus aviation in Hungary became solely the domain of civil aviation, and the former wartime aircraft that were either purchased afterwards or hidden away received civilian registration codes. While registered as civil aircraft, many did in fact train and operated for the military, and through that the Hungarian military was able to maintain at least some semblance of aerial operation.
In the late 1930s, though, with the threat of war looming, the Hungarian Air Force came out in the open as a full-fledged military force. Equipped with Italian and German aircraft, the Hungarian Air Force quickly established national markings to differentiate their aircraft in the skies over Europe. This initially featured a red, white, and green chevron but changed to tricolor stripes on the tail and a white cross in a black square on the wings and fuselage. By the end of the war, these bright colors had been toned down, but the basic cross/square concept remained consistent.
With the basic overview of colors and markings complete, the authors dive into the real challenge of identifying exactly what colors were used on Hungarian fighters during this time period. This involves examining period paint manufacturers and paint types, both indigenous and foreign. This section is quite comprehensive and does a very good job of describing the aircraft painting process of the 1930s and the many complex factors that were involved. Reaching a detailed understanding of the paint types helps a great deal in trying to decipher period photos of aircraft, as different paints react differently to varying conditions.
The remainder of the first volume and all of the second volume examine the individual fighter aircraft in detail. The first volume covers the Fokker D.XVI, AVIS, Fiat CR.20, CR.30, CR.32, & CR.42, and the Messerschmitt Bf 109D, E, and F. The second volume picks up where the first leaves off, covering the Heinkel He 112, Avia B-534, PZL. P.11a, WM-23, Reggiane Re.2000, Messerschmitt Bf 109G, Bf 110, Me 210Ca-1, and Focke Wulf Fw 190. Each aircraft receives a short historical overview of the aircraft in service with the Hungarian Air Force, followed by a detailed description of the colors and markings of the type. For some, the colors are consistent across the aircraft's life in the Hungarian Air Force, for others the type went through many color changes. The text covers each scenario thoroughly, providing an outstanding reference on Hungarian colors.
The written word is great, but no Mushroom Model Publication book would be complete without photos and illustrations, and this two volume set has you covered here as well. The photo documentation in these two books is simply stunning, and is easily the most comprehensive collection of Hungarian Air Force photographs in print today. Even more impressive is the fact that there are quite a few period color photos of aircraft, a definite rarity for World War Two subjects. Further adding to the great visual coverage are the profile illustrations, of which there are over 100 side and top views spread between the two volumes. These do an outstanding job of showing the evolution of camouflage and markings in the Hungarian Air Force throughout this era.
For anyone interested in Hungarian aviation, these two volumes are essential reading for understanding the colors and markings of Hungarian fighters. The authors have clearly poured a great deal of effort into understanding the process of aircraft finishing from beginning to end, and the result is a huge boon to aviation historians and modelers alike. My sincere thanks to Mushroom Model Publications for the review copies, and to the authors for undertaking this daunting effort and accomplishing the task with such outstanding results.