WINDSOCK 29/5
By Jim Schubert
September/October 2013
Publisher: Albatros Productions
Binding: Magazine
Pages: 36
Windsock has been published for 28 years since spring 1985 and it just keeps getting better and better with each issue. The big news in this issue is the conclusion of Lance Krieg's Modelling Master Class series of insightful, fact-filled, how-to articles on modeling. Kudos to Lance for assembling the series and to Ray for publishing it. For those of us who have become addicted to the series there is a heartening note in this issue saying, "We are planning a revised version of Lance's series as a future Modelling Special..." Great! Sign me up for a copy to go on the bookshelf right next to John Alcorn's Scratchbuilt! and The Master Scratchbuilders.
The weird, one-off Aviatik 30.24 Triplane is the featured "Rara Avis" in this issue.
In this installment, The Great War Paint series presents part two of coverage of foreign and civil SE5a airplanes. I was hoping for definition of the colors of the modified SE5a raced by "Dangerous Dan," Dudley Watt but I am still searching.
Part two of Ray's opinion piece, Colored Thinking, continues his in-depth observations of the physical quirks, dents, dings, warps, bends, misalignments and other anomalies that so commonly exist in WWI vintage airplanes. His point being that we modelers typically skip over depicting these quirks because we think they won't look right to the casual viewer of our work. I think he's right that we don't model these quirks for that reason. If we do, it looks like we made a mistake, messed up or were inept.
Ed Boll gives us a brief, one-page report on the 2013 IPMS-USA nationals from the perspective of our WWI interests.
The cover article, An Nth Degree "Ninak," presents an over-the-top execution of Wingnut Wings' beautiful 1/32kit of the DH-9A. The builder has applied every doo-dad, accessory, extra equipment, spare part and such that was ever, or could ever have been, added to a Ninak in service in Mess Pot. In my opinion it's a mess. Unbelievable! He had fun doing it and that's all that matters but it's not my cup of tea.
Two pages of decals reviews, and four of kit and accessory reviews along with a Readers' Gallery, an Editorial, two pages of Book reviews and two of ads complete this 36 page issue.
Thanks to Ray Rimell of Albatros Productions for providing the review copy.
Go to the Albatros Productions website for everything you need, or want, to know about Windsock magazine and Windsock DataFiles.