World War I Aeroplanes, Inc.

Skyways, The Journal of the Airplane 1920-1940 No.76, October 2005

Reviewed By  Rick Green, IPMS# 43343

MSRP: $42 "minimum" (4 issues) (amounts in excess qualify for tax deductions); www.skywaysjournal.org The publisher of this journal describes his business as "a tax-exempt service organization founded in 1961, devoted to "Those Magnificent Flying Machines of 1900-1940…and their enthusiasts…." There are actually two journals, Aero The Journal of the Early Aeroplane, and the subject Skyways, the latter of which covers the period 1920-1940. I accepted this review assignment in part because this period is my favorite aircraft era, and in part because one of the essays portrays the Stinson Model A Trimotor Airliner (with the "eyebrow"), which I love. The pages of the journal are printed on smooth finish medium stock, but with sort of a textbook look. All photographs are in black and white, and there are plenty of drawings. This particular issue contains 81 pages. Many different facets of aviation are covered in a typical Skyways issue. Here, for example, in addition to articles about three aircraft of the period, there are pieces titled "Models", "Oshkosh AirVenture 2005",  "Cockpits", " and "Aviation Movie Publicity Stills", etc. The one thing I didn't care for was "Models"; the author covered plastic aircraft in all scales, RC, and scale plans, among other things. I believe that the majority of model airplane builders likes to read about their particular niche, and does not desire a smorgasbord of every conceivable aspect of both static and flying models. I did indeed enjoy the article about the funky-looking Stinson. The subject is covered by means of airlines that used the type, and the colors put on the plane by those airlines. There are interesting sketches of the plane in profile and otherwise, and some drawings of the unique airline logos and lettering. One thing I found a bit odd was the text description of the placement of logos and letters ("US MAIL in white over AM14 in white was placed below the small square windows with the forward edge of the U centered under the square window"); truly, a picture paints a thousand words. As the publisher says that the journal is devoted to "enthusiasts", this is evidenced by the printing of very detailed scale plans (albeit in extreme miniature), many great photos of esoteric aircraft, mention of the proprietary "Master Materials List" ("a great source of drawings, manuals and reports on early aircraft"), book reviews, and "Wants and Disposals", including the offer of sale of real airplanes ("WACO PSO 1930 STRAIGHT WING project…$49,500"). I have always enjoyed the professional and seasoned treatment of the Golden Age of Aviation in Skyways. Clearly, the publication is a labor of love for the publisher, and he deserves the support of the many "enthusiasts" (including model builders) who depend on the unearthing of arcane information relevant to their interests. I sincerely thank World War I Aeroplanes, Inc. for providing IPMS/USA with a review copy of this impressive journal.

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