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Albatros Production |
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Windsock Datafiles #107 Pfalz D.III by P. M. Grosz |
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Reviewed By John Vitkus, #30013 |
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MSRP: £10.00 GBP Those of you familiar with the ever-growing collection of Windsock Datafiles from Albatros Publications will recognize their familiar white, large-format (½” X 8½”) softcover book printed on high quality glossy paper. You will not be disappointed. This is a new, revised release that replaces one of the original volumes which is now out of print. An excellent cover painting by Robert Karr adds to six first-rate color profile drawings, plus one top plan view. The color in this volume is rounded out by two excellent color photos of a reproduction D.III (built by Ray Hilborne in 1965), now owned by Peter Jackson, famous as the director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Movie fan that he is, Mr. Jackson finished his 1:1 scale aircraft in an overall lozenge scheme—historically bogus as a representative of a WWI fighter, but completely accurate as an aircraft used in the movie The Blue Max. The remainder of the book consists of 32 pages, filled with 64 sharp B/W photos and 10 full pages of detail drawings and tables. The highly readable English text details the history of the Pfalz company and the construction of the D.III, which like the Albatros and Roland designs, used a semi-monocoque fuselage and traditional wood & fabric wings. The author is clearly focused on the technical aspects of the design, outlining details of construction, testing, and production. Every construction detail is covered. In addition, excellent line drawings in both 1/72 and 1/48 are provided, making this reference indispensable for the super-detailer. As someone new to the Datafile series, I was surprised—and disappointed—at the lack of coverage of the airplane’s combat career. Even the section titled “The Pfalz D.III in combat,” merely covers the recommendations of pilots at the front for structural and design changes, not their combat experiences per se. Another limitation, in my view, is the focus solely on the early D.III model (approximately 260 built); the later D.IIIa variant is covered in another volume. This is another volume in a long line of Windsock Datafiles, and the quality and thoroughness is top-notch. The folks at Windsock clearly have a passion for their WWI flying subjects. Recommended as a comprehensive detail and construction reference of the Pfalz D.III, but note that those who seek descriptions of combat experiences will need to look elsewhere. Thanks to Albatros Productions, Ltd. via John Noack for the review sample. |
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