Albatros Productions, Ltd.

Windsock Datafile, No. 127, Lohner Type M

by George Haddow

Reviewed By  Clare Wentzel, IPMS #1096

MSRP: : £10.80 from the publisher. Web Site: www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk Datafile number 127 from Albatros Productions, Ltd. covers the Lohner Type M flying boat. This datafile is authored by George Haddow. Mr. Haddow is a well known author and master modeler who specializes in World War One aircraft, primarily those of the Austro-Hungarian empire. He has written several monographs, including some of the original Profile Publications and was a collaborator in the mammoth reference volume "Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One". The Jakob Lohner Werke of Vienna started producing aircraft early in the 20th century and received wide notice in 1910 with their design of the Pfielflieger (Arrow Flyer) biplane. The name related to the fact that the wings were swept back. In 1913, Lohner produced the prototype of the Type M, a two place flying boat biplane (probably more accurately a sesquiplane) with elegant swept wings and a streamlined hull. When Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in 1914, one of the Type M flying boats started performing reconnaissance flights and in August, dropped two bombs on enemy facilities, the first offensive action taken by the Austro-Hungarian Naval Air Force. Early in the development of the Model M, Lohner started development of a slightly larger airplane, the Type L, the most widely used flying boat of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. This 32-page book contains over 70 large black and white photos. As usual, detailed 1/72 and 1/48 scale drawings are included along with three, colored profile drawings on the rear cover. The three-view drawings show the minor differences between the three variants of the Type M. No cockpit details are shown although there is a good photo of a hull without covering. The book format includes a detailed written narrative of the airplane covering it's development and wartime usage along with seemingly photos of virtually all of the Type M aircraft. The photos do not necessarily always relate to the words on the same page but the total package provides a great history of the airplane. As far as I know, the only model of the Lohner Type M is a resin kit. There have been several models of the later Type L. From a modeler's standpoint, we would buy this book based on an interest in aviation history. It is well worth the money from that standpoint and, who knows, maybe a more readily available kit will be produced sometime in the future. This book is well recommended for all aviation enthusiasts who are fans of World War One. The photos alone are worth the price of the book. For the modeler, you may just want to keep your collection complete on the assumption that a modern kit of this petite, good-looking flying boat will be issued in the future. It is always tough to find the reference material after the kit comes out. A big thank you to Albatros Productions Ltd. for providing the sample for review. Information on this book and other datafiles is available from the publisher on their website – www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk. The books are also available from many other hobby shops and aviation booksellers.

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