Remember encyclopaedias? Those thick hardbound books that
you got as a kid that let you know about the world and all you needed to know
in your then young life? Don’t you wish that when you used your dad’s house
paints there was a bit more guidance on your favourite subject of modelling?
Well now MiG’s AMMO brand bring a
new set of five issues to make your own comprehensive Encyclopaedia on Model
aircraft making. We read “Volume 1:
Cockpits” and we thought you would like a look at it in our review…
Encyclopaedia of
Aircraft Modelling Techniques Volume 1: Cockpits
Publisher: AMMO of
Mig Jimenez
Written by: Diego Quijano,
Product No# A.MIG-6050
128 pages in English.
(vol. 1 of 5)
(vol. 1 of 5)
Available from the AMMO
site in single issues or a subscription which includes all 5 the
issues.
This is a new way of learning how to make models – all spread
over five volumes and each volume concentrating on one or two areas of aircraft
modelling. AMMO of Mig Jimenez has created this series with author Diego
Quijano at the helm, it all sounds rather promising. First let’s look at what
the book series will look like, then this volume before we walk you through
issue 1.
The five volume series will feature the same format right
throughout – this book comes in at 128 pages and ours is printed in English
although a Spanish language edition is also available. The lovely models and
the main areas of concern in each feature on the A4 portrait matted softcovers feature
through these books.
The format of the books is roughly a picture to a paragraph
of caption so there are not any large blocks of reading to get through. Indeed,
you can read this one in one or two afternoons (if you are not otherwise always
distracted like me) and the text is well written and never dull. In fact, I really
did appreciate the Author’s passion in the prologue. It really got me bursting
to read this book and get into my own kit. However, the book soon does settle
down to a picture/paragraph format like and SBS (Step by Step) model build
almost.
Well that is the overview of the book – the precise nature
of what is covered in this volume:
1.Tools and Preparation of Parts
Materials, Tools and Paints
Separating Parts from the Sprue and Cleaning Mould Lines
Removing Ejection Marks
2. Cockpits
Simple Cockpits
Advanced Cockpits
Wooden Cockpits
OK so let’s go through it all…
With any volume so all-consuming as this the author starts
at the start. He takes us through what is to the be the cornerstone of any good
modeller – his tools. I know you say “a poor tradesman….” and all of that – but
having the right key tools and understanding what they fully do is important,
especially in what I think is the target audience for these volumes. Twelve
pages are taken in describing the most basic of tools, knives, cutting snips,
cutting mats and saws, to sanding equipment and photo etch bending tools. We
progress to the chemical side with paints including lacquers and acrylics,
enamels and metalizer paints and varnishes.
We then go through and look at some of AMMO’s paints
including acrylics and specific aircraft sets before we look at the matching
washes. Streaking effects, filters and pigments with a few oils added in there
too. Now I don’t mind a bit of product recognition, but too much of one brand
is one thing that the makers of this book might look at addressing. Too much of
one thing and it becomes a sales catalogue and no reader likes to just see one
way of doing things. So Diego next time please keep it a bit more varied!
So you think we started at the beginning? Well let’s really
start at the start with Diego’s methods of part removal from sprues. He uses a
curved blade to trim some of these which I really never thought of before – it’s
worth a look always at the way others do the basics as you might learn
something (like I just did) in the process.
Diego shows us how he disguises and removes ejector marks
from quite sensitive places in the next few pages – a most useful kit to have
in your skillset nowdays as injection moulders are still forgetting to
eliminate these where visible.
We go on to section 2 next – first the practice of creating
simple, then advanced and then on to wooden cockpits.
It starts off rather simply like the title suggests. These
chapters on cockpits are however much more detailed then the first on equipment
and basic techniques. Firstly we look in
an SBS style at the detailing of a regular cockpit construction and more so the
painting, then instrument dials, pilot’s seats and seatbelts. The results are
said to be basic and I suppose they look like the best cockpits you ever saw
ten years ago – but times have changed and expectations have grown in that time.
Still a lot of people would like to come out with a result like this.
Indeed although he does a great job with the basics of
modelling you can see these basic techniques have much been surpassed with today’s
add-ons with extra seatbelts, cockpit dial fascia and photo etched materials.
It’s almost like Diego was holding something back previously as these advanced
techniques seem more like what we see nowdays from the best modellers.
While reading the section about closed cockpit I saw an
interesting passage. While showing us how to both close our cockpit and deal
with any problems of fit Diego mentions that often the more advanced levels of
detail you add might be lost to most onlookers. I know that he has something
here – but also noted is the completest in me who must make it as realistic as
possible – well there is something for both schools of thought here. Next we go
advanced…
Looking to the higher end of cockpit detail, this chapter
focusses on the improvements you can make to make your pit stand out from the
crowd. The preparation and installation of resin cockpits and the art of scratch
building parts and even whole cockpits is shown and it is indeed a level above
what we have seen in detail so far in the book. The detail of the F-104 cockpit
he nearly makes all by himself is really impressive.
The painting is taken to “a whole new level” (TV drama cliché)
in the Zero that Diego demonstrates with some deft painting, weathering and
chipping skills. Even if you don’t have his skill this book might set you on
the path towards his level.
Some might say that his painting is a little dark – but that
is personal preference I suppose as some will love the results. We also look at
a spitfire, a MiG-21 and an F-16 in this advanced painting section to show
these effects on different coloured and aged aircraft. 
We go more advanced with firstly, resin, then photo etched
and then scratch built instrument panels. Often though one of the more
important parts of a kit that you are going to show off and with good reason.
This part of the aircraft is often where people look at a lot and the realism
you display here is important. Diego cuts decals and plastic instrument film to
insert into these panels to create a neater IP and it’s good to see this in
action in an easy to follow format.
Seats and ejector seats are next explored in this advanced
manner. Not only the painting of the seats and the use of resin and alternative
mediums but the scratchbuilding of materials like seat cushions and straps for seatbelts
in plastic and tape are displayed.
Canopies can be tricky – but next we look at the mastering
of not only open and closed cockpit but the safe removal of any fit or seam
problems is discussed. The little block weathering strips are often a bugbear
for many modellers and the replication of these is talked about here also.
Lastly we look at the pilot that you put into the aircraft. How
to detail him and slightly change the pilot’s stature is discussed. However I would
like to see in the future(and there are other issues so fingers crossed) some scratch building or altering pilot figures both standing and seated. Also painting
realistic faces would be a VERY appreciated chapter as many aircraft modellers
do not get much practice with the human form.
With all of the WWI aircraft in the mix recently (especially
in large scales) we see the need for improved wooden cockpits on our models.
Diego takes us through his skills in this very subject with firstly enamel
painting of the wood grain….
Lastly we look at painting this grain with acrylics and with
pencils. This section also shows the finishing detail of these cockpits like
the dials and leather finishes. All of these chapters feature the use of washes
and extra painting of highlights as well for high and low lights in the cockpits
you want to recreate.
Well that is all for volume one in this series! I like what I see.
Although like I said there could be a little more variation of paints used and
some (hopefully) more work on the pilots and crews that make these aircraft
come to life. I like the way the author is passionate about his work and it
would be good to see more of his thoughts in the writing. The SBS sections are
really helpful and the book is easy to read.
I think this book is good for beginners and “experten” alike and I reckon we could
all learn something from it. The easy to look up reference can really be a
first stop for you if you have this book ready next to your workbench.
Issue two is already out and in our hands so we will get
reading that now to fill you in on what the companion volume 2 out of 5 has to
offer. We hope it’s just as good as this one.
Adam Norenberg.
Thanks to AMMO of Mig
Jimenez for the book – you can get yours (plus Volume 2: Interiors and
Assembly) from the AMMO
site in single issues or a subscription which includes all of the
issues.
