Aircraft Modelling Book Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

Osprey continues to publish some nice modeling 'how-to' titles dedicated primarily to specific subjects as well as general knowledge primes. This new title is an impressive 'how-to' for aircraft modelers that really covers a nice range of subjects and levels of complexity. Part of Osprey's Masterclass series, this title is not designed to be a shelf reference. While the cover is hard, the pages are spiral bound so that the book will sit flat on your workbench on any page, allowing you to follow along with the material presented. This is a great touch as you won't have to hold the book open with one hand while modeling with the other.

This title is written and edited by author, modeler, and Hyperscale webmaster Brett Green. The title features not only Brett's modeling, but also the works of other skilled modelers that have that good mix of modeling skill and the ability to write. The table of contents explains the path taken by the author to help you become a better modeler:

• Building a state-of-the-art injection moulded kit straight from the box
• Building a new generation limited run kit
• Working with resin conversions
• Improving a simple snap-together kit
• Working with large-scale resin kits
• Building a current generation long-run injection-moulded kit
• Upgrading an older kit with resin cockpit and wing fold
• Converting a model kit the old-fashioned way
• Kitbashing two mediocre kits for a better result
• Improving detail on an accurate injection-moulded plastic kit
• Upgrade and conversion using resin and photo-etch
• Adding detail to an older kit
• Sources and references

The author and his contributors start off with kits you've seen at hobby stores such as the Tamiya 1/48 A6M5 Zero, Special Hobby/Classic Airframes 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vc, Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vb, Eduard 1/48 F6F-3 Hellcat, Monogram 1/48 B-25J Mitchell (backdated to a B-25D), and many more. Each project has a good selection of step-by-step color (sorry Brett) colour images and good narrative to show you how to get to the same results on each project. The author also interlaces some nice walk around photos of selected subjects to show you how a given set of details are supposed to look on the full-scale aircraft.

This is one title you must get for your workbench. Until you get the knack of certain techniques, you can always have the author's help within arm's reach and help you through any challenges or apprehensions you might face in the final stages of your project.

My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!