Publisher: Valiant Wings Publishing
Airframe Workbench Guide No.1
Author: Libor Jekl
Price: £13.95 GBP plus P&P
ISBN: 978-0-9930908-4-4
Review by: Geoff Coughlin (November 2015)
108 pages, softback, high quality art paper
Our thanks to Mark at Valiant Wings Publishing for supplying our review sample… Get this useful title from their website now.
This is a new range of practical publications for scale modellers and is designed to help expand modellers’ skills base as they tackle new projects. Airframe Workbench Guides are designed to be used at a modelling workstation. Produced in a square format in full colour throughout, each guide is wire bound with text pages protected by laminated covers so that it can be used again and again..
The first in this new series covers building and finishing 1:72 scale model aircraft. The author Libor Jekl, is a modeller right at the top of his game with the ability to share his techniques and demystify the more complex processes of advanced model construction. Step-by-step images take the modeller through each process and explain in simple stages how to tackle modelling tasks that can baffle the most experienced of us.
Within 120 pages Libor covers the following topics:
- Rigging techniques
- Re-scribing
- Building a resin kit
- Creating rivet detail
- Camouflage paint weathering
- White distemper
- Fabric, wood and stripes
- Natural metal finish
- Kwik building – organise your builds.
There are many things I like about this book, not least that it is clearly focused on very practical scale modelling techniques. To be honest, given the range of topics covered and the limitations of still photography Libor has attempted to cover a lot of ground and what’s on offer is good. Some of you may feel that some techniques could be covered in greater depth and that’s always going to be a bit of an issue when you are trying to squeeze plenty of good content into a limited number of pages.
Recommended to all aircraft scale modellers
Geoff C.