AMMO of Mig Jimenez | Encyclopedia of Aircraft Modelling Techniques Volume 2: Interiors and Assembly

Reviewed by Kevin Futter

Spanish firm AMMO of Mig Jimenez specialises in finishing products for scale models, and also publishes The Weathering Magazine. The company's publishing endeavours have now been expanded with the release of Volume 2 in an ambitious series entitled Encyclopedia of Aircraft Modelling Techniques. The series is authored by well-known Spanish modeller Diego Quijano, with five volumes planned in all. Volume 2 focusses on interiors and assembly.

This title weighs in at 160 pages, and despite its Spanish provenance, the text is in English throughout (it's also available in Spanish). There are a fewer typos and expression errors compared to Volume 1, which is good to see, and those that persist neither interfere with comprehension nor detract from the quality of the information delivered. I'd still like to see further improvements in this area, but am pleased to see a more diligent approach already bearing fruit.

The content itself is presented as a series of magazine-style photo-essays, and is broken up into two main sections, each with four sub-sections (note that the section numbering continues from Vol. 1):

  1. Interiors
    1. Landing Gear
    2. Scratch-built Interior Details
    3. Piston Engines
    4. Jet Engines
  2. External Assembly
    1. Fuselage Assembly
    2. Wings Assembly
    3. Detailing
    4. Masking

Section 1: Interiors

This section, at nearly 100 pages, comprises the bulk of the book. The emphasis throughout is on details, whether enhancing them, painting them, or scratch-building them. While each of the four subsections has a particular focus, all of the hints, tips, and techniques provided are applicable much more broadly than just those topic areas.

The photography is crisp and clear, and sequenced in a thoughtful manner designed to guide the reader through the task being described. The progression from basic raw materials through to painted masterpiece is highly illuminating, not to mention highly inspirational! Quijano is a modeller of considerable skill.

It's worth noting that there's a heavy emphasis on the type of paint effects that have come to be known as the Spanish School - unsurprising given the Spanish origins of both author and publisher.

One aspect of Volume 1 that I found oddly disconcerting was the faux crumpled effect printed on each page as a background pattern. I'm glad to report that Volume 2 has dispensed with this design conceit, and readability is much the better for it. It's also pleasing to note that reader feedback is taken seriously by the company. Kudos to all involved!

Section 2: External Assembly

The section comprises the remainder of the book, and I think the title is something of a misnomer, as it deals primarily with adding external details to your model. Sure, there are handy primers on gluing and gap-filling techniques, along with tips for achieving a good fit of parts. But there are also some very useful sections on scribing, rivetting, adding navigation lights, and much more besides.

Conclusion

This series is an ambitious undertaking, and Volume 2 is as impressive as Volume 1. It's pleasing to see fewer typos and errors in the copy, as well as the elimination of the distracting crumpled page effect. There are hints and tips here aplenty, and something to learn or be inspired by, no matter your current level of modelling skills. Highly recommended! And I'm already looking forward to Volume 3: Painting.

Thanks to AMMO of Mig Jimenez for the review sample.

© Kevin Futter 2015

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This review was published on Saturday, August 08 2015; Last modified on Sunday, August 09 2015