Spotlight on Albatros Fighter Aircraft of WWI
MMP Books
S u m m a r y |
| Publisher and Title: |
Spotlight on Albatros Fighter Aircraft of WWI
by Dave Douglass
MMP Books |
| Media: |
Soft cover, A4 format |
| Price: |
£19.00
available online from MMP Books' website |
| Review Type: |
First Read |
| Advantages: |
Large format; superb artwork; variety of colour schemes; all major variants of the D series represented.. |
| Disadvantages: |
Only the port side of each aircraft illustrated |
| Conclusion: |
As the title suggests, this hardback publication puts the spotlight on Albatros fighters of WWI. It is not a history of the type’s development or of its role in the German Air Service. It is profile book that illustrates the various colours and markings that decorated this famous aircraft. The artwork is first-class and all production versions are covered. Unfortunately only pilot and unit information is supplied with each aircraft. That’s a pity because the publication could have been a lot more than just a “picture” book.. |
Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner
HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com
The Albatross fighters of WWI were some of the most colourfully decorated aircraft in the German Air Service.
So it comes as no surprise that they have been the subject of many profilers over the decades. One such illustrator is Dave Douglass whose work will be well known to those that have visited the Aerodrome Forum.
This book is a collection of his work which started in 2011. There are 41 different images spread over 44 pages. The artwork is superb and it’s clear that Douglass has an obsession with Albatross Scouts. The attention to detail is excellent. One example is the depiction of the water header tank associated with Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia’s D.I. It portrays the scarcer frontal version as opposed to the more common type that was positioned above the cylinder heads.
The range of aircraft is excellent with the D.I, D.II, D.III, D.V, and D.Va all being covered. There’s a diversity of colour schemes as well as an example in British hands.
Aficionados will recognise most of the livery displayed and the large A4 format is the perfect way to showcase it. However, I did come away wishing for something more.
Each profile only gives the port side of the aircraft but in many cases it’s clear that markings were applied elsewhere to the airframe. It would have been nice to have additional artwork showing the Jasta colours on the tailplane and/or personal motifs on the wings.
Although each profile has a caption naming the pilot and their unit, a little history of either the man or his machine would have added more appeal. Many of the subjects could easily have accommodated this, thus further drawing the reader into the subject matter. Yes, it may have doubled the size of the book but considering the modest number of existing pages, one wouldn’t have thought it a major hurdle.
Despite the above, this is a great “picture” book.
It provides some splendid eye candy for the WWI aircraft modeller with good attention to detail.
However, if you wish to know more than just the basics about the profiled aircraft and their mounts, then you’ll have to search elsewhere.
Thanks to MMP Books for the review sample
Review Copyright © 2015 by Rob Baumgartner
This Page Created on 19 July, 2015
Last updated
20 July, 2015
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