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Albatros Productions, Ltd. |
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Breguet 14 Windsock Datafile Special |
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by Alan D. Toelle |
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Reviewed By Clarence E. Wentzel, #11478 |
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MSRP: £23.00 from the publisher. $42.00 from Wise Owl. This is the latest in the series of Windsock Datafiles published by Albatros Productions, Ltd. Because of the content, this book is issued as a special. It contains added pages with more information and more color profiles. I have always had a general interest in the Breguet 14 but had never really studied it in any detail until receiving this book. I was aware that the American forces had used the Breguet during the First World War but I did not realize the number of variations that existed. During a production run of a little over two years, 6510 units were produced. The Breguet 14 was used by the French Bombardment and Army Support squadrons as well as the air forces of the United States, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Finland and Czechoslovakia. The airplane was produced by eight different manufacturers, featured four different engines with several radiator configurations, three different wing designs and two different relations between the cowling and the fuselage. Fortunately a chart is included on page 13 which sorts out most of these variations. The author clearly has produced a labor of love. In many of his comments, he indicates new information that he has uncovered along with areas where he has made an intelligent deduction. The 84-page monograph includes chapters on: Operations, General Arrangement, Production, Armament, Wings, Motors and Cowlings and Painting. In total, 142 good quality photos are included along with 32 profiles. Also included are drawings of different bombs carried by the Breguet 14. The chapter on motors and cowling is particularly detailed, showing which propellers are used with different variations, cowling differences, radiator designs and exhaust configurations. Spectacular. The chapter on painting provides color references in RGB, CMYK and Methuen coordinates for various Breguet 14 color schemes. Also included are examples of the different scripts and fonts used for lettering by the different manufacturers. Normally, Windsock Datafiles include an excellent set of three-view drawings. These have been used, legally and illegally, by manufacturers as a design basis for their models. In the case of this Datafile, a specific three-view in not included and in fact, the author indicates that most previous drawings of this aircraft have been wrong. Instead, the author indicates that the profiles are drawn accurately and can be used as a reference. In all of the major variants, plan views of the wings and stabilizer are included. I do, however miss a conventional three-view drawing to try to figure out the rigging. I also would have liked to have some really good cockpit and instrument panel photos. Some information if provided but it is sparse. I was very impressed and pleased with the book. It is somewhat pricey but I can recommend this book without reservation for all WW I aviation enthusiasts. It provides exceptional information and is easy to read and understand. This book will allow modelers to dig out their Breguet 14 kits and get them started. It is also time for a new, modern kit of the Breguet 14 although with the variations pointed out in this book, the designers job will be difficult. Well recommended. A big thanks to Albatros Productions Ltd. for the sample. The book is available from the publishers for £23.00. They can be contacted at; http://www.windsockdatafilespecials.com/. Windsock Datafiles are also available from Wise Owl Magazines in the US. |
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