AFV Modeller Ltd

AIR Modeller Magazine, Nr.9

Edited by  David Parker

Reviewed By  Paul Bradley, IPMS# 35554

MSRP: GBP 6.00 Please see Jack Kennedy's review of issue #8 of this magazine, as most of the articles in this issue are Part 2 of series started in that issue. Like Jack, I was suitably impressed with the production quality of this magazine; it is very well put together. There are no ads, and this naturally contributes to the rather high cover price of GBP 6.00, or about $12 per issue; more if you are subscribing from the US, about $90 a year for 6 issues. However, if you like the subject matter, then it may well be worth the price. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of over weathered aircraft models - too many models look like maiden aunts with far too much make up on - and as such, I am not overly enthusiastic about this issue of Air Modeller. The editorial states quite plainly that this issue is devoted to heavily weathered aircraft, so these are models that have been purposely chosen for their scruffiness and general decrepitude, rather than a modeler going overboard with a new technique. Even so, it is a bit off putting. Having said that, the 1/32 MDC Typhoon DOES look quite nice and the weathering is appropriate for an aircraft in Normandy in July 1944 - dirty, weather beaten and generally scruffy! I was particularly impressed by the quality of the photography, and the many close up in-progress shots. These are very helpful when explaining techniques I haven't tried before. The important question is would I subscribe? On the basis of this one issue, probably not, but really that's a personal thing. I'd really need to see a few more to make a valid judgment. What is not in question is the high production quality and so I can recommend this if the subject matter is to your liking. This book is available from AFV Modeller Ltd; please visit their website (www.airmodeller.com) for subscription and pricing details. It is also available in the US through Wise Owl Publications. Our sincere thanks to them for the review sample.

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