Help? Early '60s Magazine Format Book?

HispanoSuiza · 4 March 2006, 09:47 PM

As a kid i used to own a black & white publication detailing the exploits of many of the famous aces. As i recall it had a Fokker D VII in flight on the cover with candy-striped wings. Title was something like Aces of WWI. Guynemer, Bishop, Mannock, Luke, etc. Can any offer the correct title, would like to find a copy.

RAGIII · 4 March 2006, 10:06 PM

I do not know if this is the book you are thinking of but I have a "Similar" Book
from the 60s'. It is titled The Planes the Aces Flew. This has a profile of Udets DVII, and a Sptit*(&^ on the cover. Includes Drawings and text on Guynemer's SPAD, Bishops Nieuport, Springs SE5A, Vosss' Albatros,Rickenbackers SPAD, Udets Candy Striped DVII,Campbell's Nieuport, McCuddens SE5A,Barkers camel,von Richthofens triplane,Browns Camel,Collishaw's Triplane,then a bunch of aces aircraft from the second great conflict and Korea. Arco Publisher, by Len Morgan and R.P.Shannon.
RAGIII

HispanoSuiza · 4 March 2006, 10:12 PM

Thanks Rag III. I believe that is not the book. It dealt with WWI only & focused more on the flyers & their exploits than the planes. Thanks, tho. (As i recall Udets plane on the cover was in a steep bank to the left. There was also an Allied airplane shown but i'm not sure which. )

I started WWI a/c modeling at age 11 & about wore this magazine out.

saruffin · 5 March 2006, 05:27 AM

I believe the book you are referring to is Sky Fighters of World War. I have a copy and it is exactly as you described. It was one of my favorite early books.

It is Fawcett "How to Book" #484, which features stories about Roland Garros, Guynemer, Lufbery, Voss, Fonck, Udet, Mannock, E.W. Springs, Barker, and Luke. Most of the chapters were written by William E. Barrett. The book was produced by the staff of Cavalier magazine.

I have seen used copies for sale at air shows and seminars, so I think there may be copies available if you look hard enough. I'd start by checking e-Bay, half.com and do a google search it. Good luck!

Steve

saruffin · 5 March 2006, 05:53 AM

Here's what my tattered copy looks like:

Colin A Owers · 5 March 2006, 01:46 PM

The Fawcett press published Cavalier a "Men's magazine" and they did some very good stuff including a series on the aces of WWI. "Sky Fighters" was a compilation of these articles, but not all of them. The magazine also had paintings commissioned to illustrate the articles. Some were very dramatic but also very good in details, colours, etc. They also published Parker and Hastings first work on German losenge camouflage. Still worth chasing and obtaining.

Being a school kid at the time I used to have a hard time getting the lady in the second hand shop sell me the magazines as they contained nudes. I had to convince her it was the aeroplanes I was interested in! Imagine that today! How times have changed.

Colin A Owers

Taz · 5 March 2006, 08:46 PM

The companion Fawcett book, which also cost $0.75, was The First War Planes, also by William E Barrett. Lots of quite excellent photos with a bit of misidentification and outdated history. Both currently available from abebooks.com for $3.75-$12.50 or so. Both my copies are kind of yellowed from eight trips across the pond and back. Paper quality was not to Schiffer standards. Understandable for 6 bits price.

Taz
Terry Phillips

karrart · 5 March 2006, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taz

The companion Fawcett book, which also cost $0.75, was The First War Planes, also by William E Barrett. Lots of quite excellent photos with a bit of misidentification and outdated history. Both currently available from abebooks.com for $3.75-$12.50 or so. Both my copies are kind of yellowed from eight trips across the pond and back. Paper quality was not to Schiffer standards. Understandable for 6 bits price.

Taz
Terry Phillips

Yep- that little book was what really got me beyond "Fokker Sopwith Spad". I still have two copies from those days- one still with the cover and one without.....75 cents... a quick bike ride down to the local drug store and a new world opened up.
Robert Karr
www.karrart.com

HispanoSuiza · 6 March 2006, 02:16 PM

Thanks 4 the memories! Just now got one on Ebay, with your help.

HispanoSuiza · 6 March 2006, 02:32 PM

Picked up 1st War Planes also.