WINDSOCK Worldwide 30/1
By Jim Schubert
Volume 30, Number 1
Spring 2014
World War Centenary
Beginning with this first issue in this centenary year of the beginning of WWI Windsock will be emphasizing events and subjects of that dreadful time for the next four years. I suppose it goes without saying that is exactly the same thing WS has been doing since the first issue in spring 1985.
The very scholarly, in depth article by Alan Toelle and Lance Krieg on French Five-Color Camouflage in Model Form is the feature of the most substance in this issue and is worth careful study by serious modelers of WWI subjects. This fine, provocative article is well illustrated with 15 color photos, one of which is an unretouched Autochrome from the 1914-18 period, an eight-view color rendering of the colors as applied to a SPAD XIII, a line drawing and a B & W photo.
The 100 Great Warplanes feature, which began in the last issue, completes its coverage of the first subject, the Rumpler C.III.
Great War Paint No. 12 focuses on the Sopwith Tabloid with a color photo of a repro in flight, three B & W photos from 1913-15 and a two page center-spread of color renderings in 14 views of Tabloids.
The rest of this 36 page, all-color issue is comprised of the usual good stuff: Frontline News, Readers' Gallery, Logbook Entries (book reviews), On the Transfer List (decal reviews), In Your Old Kitbag (kit reviews) featuring in 1/72: Encore (Rodent) O.E.F. Albatross D.III, HRM Phoenix C.I; in 1/48: Special Hobby Morane-Saulnier A.1, Copper State Models Sopwith Dolphin, Salmson-Moineau S.M.1 and the Gas Patch Salmson 2-A2, which is truly a Wingnut Wings quality kit in 1/48th scale and in 1/32: two WNW Salmson 2-A2s and the DH.9. The Salmson 2-A2 reviews are enhanced with five, color photos of the Science Museum, in London's, peculiar Salmson manufactured, Swiss designed Canton-Unné water-cooled, nine-cylinder radial with its individual copper water jackets. The logic behind a water-cooled radial eludes me. The DH.9 review includes six color photos of the Armstrong-Siddely Puma engines held by the Science Museum and the Royal Museum of Military History in Brussels. Accessories follows and the issue is wound up with four and a half pages of ads.
This issue is great as are all issues of Windsock. Visit the Albatros Publications website for full details on subscriptions.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.