List your reference books!

[cgutzmer]

I am looking at building up my library of reference materials for various liveries. I would like to know what books anyone has on any genres. Please specify if they include color profiles in preferably multiple views.
Thanks!
Chris

[Darwin]

Chris, when my father-in-law passed on, I inherited a little book he had called "Hunters in the Sky - a visual guide to world war II aircraft." I suspect that many of the illustrations are a bit generic, but it does have some great reference material on the various country insignia, and many of the cammo schemes in use, along with some decent drawings of the most popular engines used. While leafing through it, I noticed a very nice livery for the Fokker D-XXIII. You might drop a hint to your designers that this particular aircraft is greatly under-represented in the paper modeling world. I've only run across one model of it, and it is pretty poor quality by today's standards.

[Fishcarver]

Chris: I have a couple that might be interesting to you:

"Germany's Secret Weapons of WW II" by Roger Ford (Brown Books, London, 2000) ISBN 1-897884-61-3

"The World's Strangest Aircraft" by Michael Taylor (Regency House Publishing,1996) ISBN 1-85627-869-7

Jim

[cgutzmer]

Thanks guys! I will check them out.

Darwin - Roman usually hits me up before he starts a new design just to make sure no one else is working on it. I will suggest it to him when we chat next!
Chris

[Bomarc]

Chris

If you can find them, the old Arco-Aircam series covered a lot of models and eras. Long out of print, they are still available in used books stores, for example:

ARCO-AIRCAM AVIATION - Aeroplane Books

Rather dated, but packed with lots of color profiles and photos.


POST EDIT: Here's a listing of all the volumes in the series and what they covered:

Aviation Book Series - Arco-Aircam Aviation Series

Mike

[member_3]

Any of the Osprey "Aces" and "Units" books are good. SAM publications in England has many excellent series. Cross & Cockade magazine and "Over the Front" are excellent for WW1. Military Aviation Monthly and Scale Aviation Modeler (both from SAM Pubs) are excellent sources of both color schemes and modelling tips. Any of the Harleyford books (long out of print) and the Putnam Books "_______ Aircraft since 19XX" series are good also when you can find them. The old Profile Publications pamphlets are still nice as are the Squadron/Signal books in various series. If your interest is more modern, International Air Review has excellent photo and painting coverage of modern aircraft. Other publisher with excellent technical reference books are Flying Buffalo, Kagero, Mushroom Pubs and Albatros Publications (of Windsock fame). I'm sure I have missed some but that's what came to mind without going to look in the bookcases...

And especially good for the RAF/FAA/USAAC between wars period are three of the On Target Specials by The Aviation Workshop Publications Ltd - "Wings of Silver", Wings & Waves" and "Wings of Stars." These are chock full of profiles (and muti-views when needed) and are superb references for aircraft colors of that period.

[cgutzmer]

super! my collection (in my head) is already growing!
Thanks
Chris

[Yale]

You caught me at a bad time, Chris, as so many of my books still are boxed up in the garage. But to me, the all-time best reference for a model aircraft designer is "Flying Colors," by Green and Swanborough -- 4- and 5-view pictures of multiple color schemes for hundreds of aircraft, from WWI to modern times. Readily available via Amazon, Barney Noble, etc.

A wonderful recent reference is "In the Cockpit" -- interior photos of 50 aircraft from the Smithsonian's collection. Also readily available -- and I think a sequel's due out very soon.

Not so available is the 1960s series Profile Publications, each dedicated to a specific aircraft -- about 12 pages, with a color 5-view on the inside front cover, and additional color profile views on the inside back cover. One of those garage boxes has the 80 or so that I managed to acquire way back in college, but it's anybody's guess when I might find it.

In that regard, now that we're retired, my wife makes lots of noise about simplifying our lives and getting rid of lots of stuff -- including books. I'm not about to hand over great reference works to Goodwill. But if there were a Papermodelers.com library, I might be able to make a modest donation. Let me know if this inspires any ideas.

Yale

[cgutzmer]

ok - just bought flying colors on ebay thanks!
Chris

[mchale]

hi i have a whole bunch of books i got illustated encyclopedia of military aircraft ,military hardware of ww2 , pt boats in action, vosper mtbs in action ,schnellboote's in action , us mosquito fleet , early elco pt boats ship plans
aircraft anatomy of ww2, modern military aircraft anatomy
i have a couple mucsle car books