This is a soft bound book of 26 pages on the Messerschmidt ME 163, Komet. Included is a sheet of decals in both 1/72 and 1/48 scale of the 163 as seen on the front cover. The cover is printed on heavy glossy stock and shows a Messerschmidt ME 163, Werk # 10061 in both top and side view. The book contains little text except for short descriptions of each of the 27 black and white photos that make up the front section of the book. The photos appear to have been taken at an unnamed museum in Europe. There isn’t an author of the book listed. However, the author of the technical drawing that makes up the final section of the book is listed as Marek Rys.

In between the black and white photos and the drawings are two facing pages of four views of ME 163 Werk number 10061, left and right sides and top and bottom views in color. The depicted aircraft was flown in April 1945 by LT Reinhard (Rudy) Opitz. This is the aircraft the decal sheet covers in both 1/72 and 1/48 scales. The decals appear thin and are well printed, and the colors are crisp. The swastikas are printed in 2 sections and will need to be assembled on the model. There are markings included for the hatches when the volatile fuel mixture, T Stoff and C Stoff fuel doors are located. The fuel was extremely volatile, and care was taken when refueling the aircraft.

This publication isn’t meant to be a stand-alone reference for the 163. It’s meant to augment other references you have in your library and information you may find on the web. To that end, it’s a very nice addition to any modeler’s library. The photos are crisp and clear and offer good evidence of an actual airframe. The color painting is very well done and shows the paint scheme in good detail. The drawings are also well done and precise. I’d recommend this publication to any modeler wanting to gather all the pertinent references when building a ME-163. The decals included are a nice bonus to go with a very nice publication and I appreciate them being included.

My thanks to Kagero and IPMS/USA for providing this sample for review.