This is Model Art Magazine’s Imperial Japanese Navy Warships Scalemodel Album. As with the regular Model Art Magazine, this is printed in Japanese with some English subtitles.

This special issue is chock-full of photographs of built scale models. It features ten magnificently built scale models. Some of them are a Yamato in 1/350th, Nagato in 1/350th, and Akagi in 1/350th, as a few examples. Each ship has several pages dedicated to it with a multitude of color photographs for each.

After the main gallery, there is a section devoted to some of the build notes of each model. These are highlighted with black and white photos of the models during their construction.

While the price may seem a little steep for a photo album of built models, if you have an interest in IJN subjects you would find this issue interesting.

I would like to thank Model Art and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this fine magazine.

The Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Windsock Worldwide is the first issue of Volume 29, and it continues to deliver the best all-around information about modeling WWI aviation subjects to be found in any publication. The images on the cover clearly indicate that this issue focuses heavily on aircraft recently kitted by Wingnut Wings, but be assured, the publication does not slight other WWI aviation subjects.

Inside, the first regular column, the Reader’s Gallery, presents photo coverage of a 1:6 scale electric-powered flying model of a Hansa Brandenburg D.1, and a Wingnut Wings RNAS Sopwith Pup. Then, following Front Line News and Logbook Entries (that reviews three new titles), Lance Krieg continues his WWI Modeling Master Class with Chapter Eight: Details (Part 3), providing more invaluable advice on creating and adding a wide variety of small details important to any model.

History

This paperback provides specific information on 16 different Messerschmitt Bf-109F’s, mainly those operating on the Russian Front, including views from either side, a top view, and drawings of the undersurfaces of the wings. A short account describing the airplane, its pilot, and any other particulars that might be of interest to modelers is also provided, in both English and Polish.

Decals

There are two decal sheets providing markings for the aircraft in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 scales. These are produced by Cartograf and so are of the highest quality. The finish is glossy, so the use of some Dullcote is probably in order. In addition, these sheets have individual markings only, but no maintenance markings, crosses, or tail swastikas, so these will have to be obtained from other decal sheets. Fortunately, these types of decals are readily available from many sources, so you can use these sheets to do all 16 aircraft if you like.

Squadron Signal’s latest Walk Around title deals with the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The book is presented in its typical 80-page softcover landscape format. You can also get the book in hardcover format for an additional $10. It is chock full of clear and well presented color and black & white photos which provide not only overall long-shots, but the typical Walk Around up-close detail shots. All photos are accompanied by descriptive captions, although I did find an error to the caption of a photo on page 58 which describes the photo as a Marine loading an Mk-82 Snakeye, when in fact, he is loading ammo for the 20mm gun. Otherwise, all seems in order.

Model builders of military vehicles and aircraft have come to rely on Kagero Publications for well-researched reference books. Their Topcolors series provides builders with a pairing of detailed color profiles of specific military vehicles or aircraft in a softcover book packaged with decals needed to reproduce the subjects covered within the publication. Topcolors 12 Eastern Front (Part 1) focuses on the camouflage and markings of (drum roll please…) forty-four different military vehicles that the Polish People’s Army used on the Eastern Front from 1943 to 1945. This 26-page all color book is presented in a larger (landscape) format than most previous Topcolors books and, because of the number of subjects that are covered, it comes with a clear sleeve containing two large-size decal sheets.