Chris Ellis, ed. Airfix Magazine Annual (1971)

     Chris Ellis, ed. Airfix Magazine Annual (1971) The annual compilation of magazine articles together with new material appears to be a peculiarly British custom. This book illustrates the phenomenon nicely. It includes 18 articles, a quiz, and a selection from the magazine's photo pages. Airfix made mostly aircraft and military models; the articles deal primarily with these subjects. Histories of the prototypes, instructions for kit building, painting, and detailing, or design of dioramas form the bulk of the contents. One article describes “One Man’s Model Railway”. The book (and the magazine) encouraged serious, historically accurate modelling. Airfix went bankrupt in the late 80s or early 90s, despite attempts to expand its range by buying other model manufacturers. That makes this something of a nostalgia item, but it contains a good deal of useful information for anyone interested in its subjects. I’m going to try to sell it. ** (2007) Update 2913: I didn't sell it, but I did donate it to a book sale.