Fokker E.III - Windsock Datafile No. 15, by P.M. Grosz, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 3rd Ed., 28 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 0-948414-19-7; $10.00.
It is not surprising that the third printing of Grosz's Windsock Datafile No. 15--devoted to the Fokker E.III--appears at about the same time as his "pre-quel" about the earlier Fokker Eindeckers. The E.III monograph is unchanged since it first appeared in 1989. Basically, rising numbers of World War I aviation history enthusiasts and the increasing value of the earlier editions, as evidenced by on-line auction prices, made it economically feasible for the publisher to reprint what has become a classic work about the most popular of the Fokker mid-wing monoplane fighters. As the author notes, aside from an article on the Fokker E.III that appeared in the journal of "Cross & Cockade (Great Britain)" in 1981, there had been "no modern works specifically dealing with the Fokker E.III." Thus, through three printings, this monograph remains the authoritative work on the subject and is highly recommended.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
Fokker D.VIII - Windsock Datafile No. 25 by P.M. Grosz, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 3rd Ed., 36 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 0-948414-29-4; $10.00.
Aviation history buffs interested in the final development in the Fokker monoplane fighter series will be well served by the latest reprinting of Grosz's Windsock Datafile No. 25--covering the high-wing monoplane Fokker D.VIII, also known as the E.V. This monograph contains excellent photos, complemented by a knowledgeable text and fine 1/48th and 1/72nd-scale drawings and color side views of representative aircraft. Just about every aspect of the aircraft and its development is noted. Hopefully the latest Grosz Datafile and reprints will generate a furious outcry among aviation historians for Grosz to get going on the definitive (if even monster-sized) book about all German aircraft developed and flown during World War I.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
SHORT 184 - Windsock Datafile No. 85 by J.M. Bruce, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 40 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-36; $9.10 plus postage.
Gone are the days, fortunately, when monographs and magazines were devoted to what seemed to be a 'favored few' classic aircraft types. Granted, a number of recent astute publications have shown us there is still more to be learned about the S.E.5, Fokker D.VII and other popular Austrian, French, Italian and Russian aircraft. But what about other significant aircraft, coverage of which is found mainly in massive works such as J.M. Bruce's 'British Aeroplanes 1914-1918' and 'Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One' by Peter M. Grosz, George Haddow and Peter Schiemer. Happily, the lesser-known aircraft types are at last being recognized. Four cases in point are the latest offerings in the Windsock Datafile monograph series.
It should come as no surprise that two of the experts noted above, J.M. Bruce and Peter M. Grosz, authored two of the latest monographs. The other two Datafiles in this group are by Italian researcher Gregory Alegi, who has a growing reputation in the literature of Italian aircraft and air operations of 1915-1918.
The Short 184, the subject of Datafile No. 85, is one of those ubiquitous types that shows up so often readers think they have read much about the ungainly-looking seaplane with the square-sided pontoons. But, as the monograph points out, the Short 184 is so recognizeable because 'it served in various forms from 1915 right up to the Armistice and beyond.' Especially noteworthy is that aircraft No. 842 'was the first ever aeroplane to torpedo an enemy vessel in action.'
submitted by Peter Kilduff
MACCHI M.5 - Windsock Datafile No. 86 by Gregory Alegi, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 36 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-37-8; $9.25 plus postage.
It's a different story with the Macchi M.5, detailed in Datafile No. 86. The Italian single-seat flying boat looks familiar because the Nieuport-Macchi creation, admittedly, was derived from the design of the captured Austro-Hungarian Lohner L.40 aircraft. But the real story began when Vice Ammiraglio Paolo Thaon di Revel returned as Chief of Staff of the Royal Italian Navy [Regia Marina] on 17 February 1917. Thaon di Revel saw how 'the growth of [Italian] naval aviation had lagged behind' army aviation and immediately concentrated on correcting the situation. Initially, his conclusion led to more orders and further development for the Macchi M.5, the result becoming 'the first seaplane which could best landplane fighters and the most widely-produced flying boat fighter of all time.' As told and illustrated with many not previously seen photos by Gregory Alegi, the story of the Macchi M.5 and peripheral naval aviation developments fills many gaps in an area of World War I aviation history that has so far received disproportionate little coverage.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
ALBATROS B.I - Windsock Datafile No. 87 by P.M. Grosz, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 33 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-38-6; $9.25 plus postage.
The story of the Albatros B.I, recounted in Datafile No. 87, covers another widely-seen but not well understood German two-seat reconnaissance aircraft. In an ideal world, if there is such a phenomenon, Peter Grosz would have produced 'THE' definitive work on German aircraft long ago and readers would be able to trace the development of the Albatros two-seaters and their German competitors within one volume. In the absence of that master work (which, hopefully, is in progress), there is at least a number of Grosz-authored Datafiles and other articles and monographs to begin such a comparison. The current treatment of the Albatros B.I is consistent with Grosz's usual high standard of research, lucid writing and wonderful photos. (And, overall, it is hard to find new words of praise for the outstanding scale drawings found in the Datafile series.) Of particular interest are photos such as one on page 11, pointing out an Albatros B.I later used as a training aircraft and equipped with 'large wooden wheels to save rubber.' Modellers will especially appreciate the full-color back cover showing B.I types in various national markings.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
ANSALDO A.1 - Windsock Datafile No. 88 by Gregory Alegi, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 37 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-39-4; $9.25 plus postage.
The Ansaldo A.1 (Datafile No. 88) is an interesting example of wartime politics creating its own expedient. When the Perrone brothers, who owned Ansaldo, were informed that the SV part of the successful SVA aircraft design belonged to the Italian government, the Perrones' next design was the purely Ansaldo A.1. Its resemblance to the earlier SVA fighters is obvious. The A.1 served for most of the last year of World War I and, as this excellent monograph notes, saw service with Polish, Russian, Latvian and Mexican air arms.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
Siemens-Schukert R.I - Windsock Datafile No. 89 by P.M. Grosz, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 36 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-40-8; $9.25.
It was only a matter of time before Peter M. Grosz, a frequent contributor to the Windsock Datafile series, would produce a monograph about one of the German Riesenflugzeuge [giant airplanes]. Grosz and George W. Haddow co-authored the landmark book about World War I's largest aircraft, 'The German Giants--The German R-Planes 1914-1918', and have updated it several times since it first appeared in 1962. Thus, Grosz's text and chronology of the Siemens-Schuckert "giants"--from the R.I through the R.VII--is a further refinement of his published work on the massive Siemens-Schuckert two-engined bombers. Featuring plans in 1/48th, 1/72nd 1/144th scales prepared by Haddow based on material from the Siemens archival material as well as from Grosz's extensive files, this well-illustrated monograph is surely the ultimate consideration of the SSW R.I through R.VII. The reviewer was particularly impressed by a two-page (11-3/4" x 16-1/2") spread of a single high-quality photo showing the SSW R.II 2/15 undergoing completion in the factory in October 1915. This photo, which includes a factory worker standing by the fuselage, provides a stunning view of the massiveness and intricacy of the airplane and offer perspective to scenes of the same airplane after it crashed at Döberitz in 1918.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
Sopwith B.1 & T.1 Cuckoo - Windsock Datafile No. 90 by J.M. Bruce, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 32 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-41-6; $9.25.
Whatever opinion you may have of Sopwith aircraft, they certainly bore an odd assortment of names: "Pup," "Camel," "Dolphin," "Snipe"--and now "Cuckoo." Designed to succeed the Sopwith 1½ Strutter (did we mention odd names?), the naval variant of this two-bay biplane was among the first true torpedo strike aircraft of World War I. By the Armistice on 11 November 1918, however, the "Cuckoo" was unable to display the promise it offered during texts. The story of this unusual aircraft is told in Windsock Datafile No. 90 by World War I British aircraft authority Jack Bruce and is well illustrated with high-quality photos, crisp 1/72nd and 1/48th-scale drawings, as well as color side views of representative aircraft.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
Fokker E.I/II - Windsock Datafile No. 91 by P.M. Grosz, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 32 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-46-7; $9.50.
A sense of completion accompanies Windsock Datafile No. 91. Devoted to the first two models of the Fokker Eindecker series, this monograph by Peter M. Grosz begins with a bold premise: "Despite a shelf of books on the subject, authoritative articles, personal reminiscences and countless hours of archival research, the truth remains that the history of Anthony H.G. Fokker's invention of machine-gun synchronisation and the first machine-gun armed fighters is almost totally bereft of primary documentation. It is unfortunate that such an important invention, which changed the course of the war in the air, should be based exclusively on secondary source material. Much of the documentation was destroyed when the German air force archive was incinerated at the end of World War II. Consequently various writers, to enliven the story, have resorted to fictionalised accounts and unsupported statements that, in turn, are reported as fact by more recent writers." In his Fokker E.I/II monograph Grosz's goal is to "present the latest research and reiterate the few hard acts regarding" the development of aircraft machine-gun synchronization and early Fokker fighter aircraft. This information-packed monograph is replete with text and little-seen photos to reinforce the author's points.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
MINI DATA FILES
Ansaldo Baby - Windsock Mini Datafile No. 15, by Gregory Alegi, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 13 pp., cardcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profile and appendix; ISBN 1-902207-30-8; $6.65.
The Ansaldo Baby aircraft, license-built copies of Sopwith Baby seaplanes, were in production in 1917 and 1918, although the author notes, they have remained "largely unknown in Italy itself." Ironically, when the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton restored the remaining British-built Sopwith Baby, it had to include original parts from an Ansaldo-built Baby. The monograph presents a fascinating story, very well illustrated.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
German Observers' Guns - Windsock Mini Datafile No. 16 by Harry Woodman, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 13 pp., cardcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings; ISBN 1-902207-31-9; $6.65.
Harry Woodman, author of the excellent book 'Early Aircraft Armament' (1989), focuses this time on non-pilot battle stations in German bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, and airships. From long-barreled 9mm Parabellum (Luger) pistols to Gast double-barreled machine-guns, Windsock Mini Datafile No. 16, is a thorough, well illustrated treatment of the subject. Perfect for weapons enthusiasts and highly instructional for other World War I buffs.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
Italian National Markings - Windsock Mini Datafile No. 17 by Gregory Alegi, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 13 pp., cardcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profile; ISBN 1-902207-33-5; $6.65.
Italian expert Gregory Alegi's second contribution to the new quartet raises interesting questions about the provenance of the SPAD 7C.I serial numbered 1635. While undergoing restoration to what is thought to be its original markings as a fighter of 77a Squadriglia, the aircraft was found to have French national and individual markings under its Italian paint scheme. Fortunately, as noted in Windsock Mini Datafile No. 17, good restoration-process color photos preserve the aircraft's earlier identity for subsequent study.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
DFW T28 Flea - Windsock Mini Datafile No. 18 by Peter M. Grosz, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 9 pp., cardcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profile and appendix; ISBN 1-902207-33-5; $6.25; all Windsock publications available in the U.S. from Wise Owl Worldwide Publications, 4314 W. 238th St. Dept WS, Torrance, CA 90505 (Tel: 310-375-6258).
Peter M. Grosz's account of the odd-looking DFW T28 prototype biplane fighter offers insight into the imagination of German aircraft companies. Aptly nicknamed Floh (flea), the DFW T28 had a profile remarkably like the stubby insect, although, as Grosz notes, the "wing structure was elegant and robust." Further, the T28 "attained a top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph) a notable achievement for only 100-horsepower which surpassed all other machines at the time." The latest Grosz opus provides an interesting look at an unusual aircraft.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
OTHER MONOGRAPHS
Sopwith Camel Squadrons, by L.A. Rogers, Albatros Productions Ltd. (U.K.), 2001; 57 pp., softcover, 8-1/4" x 11-3/4", photos, line drawings, color profiles and appendices; ISBN 1-902207-35-1; $19.00; all Windsock publications available in the U.S. from Wise Owl Worldwide Publications, 4314 W. 238th St. Dept WS, Torrance, CA 90505 (Tel: 310-375-6258).
Would-be "Camel" drivers will appreciate the new monograph 'Sopwith Camel Squadrons' by noted British markings expert L.A. Rogers. Complementing his earlier work on S.E.5/S.E.5a units (reviewed in Over The Front, Vol. 16, No. 1, p. 92), Rogers deals with each RFC/RNAS/RAF Camel squadron chronologically, from No. 3 to No. 213, as well as the American 17th and 148th Aero Squadrons. It is tempting to say that the 216 black and white photos (many new to this reviewer) and 78 color side-views of individual aircraft, as well as three pages of multi-view color profiles make this "the" monograph on Sopwith Camel markings. But, given the productivity of Ray Rimmel and Les Rogers, that distinction will hold only until they produce a second volume on the topic, as Rimmel's team has done before. So, it's worth "walking a mile for this Camel" for the moment, and biding one's time until the next one appears.
submitted by Peter Kilduff
