Albatros Productions have recently released the latest addition to their Datafile series with Volume 2 of Colin Owers' study of the Albatros D.V / D.Va At War.

The softback monograph contains 40 pages, packed wth over 90 archive photos, new scale drawings and full-colour profiles.

The History section takes a refreshing look at the Albatros D.V by presenting the aircraft as seen from the Allied viewpoint, with coverage of captured machines, including the stories of the surviving original airframes in Australia and the USA.

Colours and Markings expands a general description of the Albatros's finish with specific examples reproduced from the original Allied reports that include details of the equipment and colours found on captured and wrecked machines.

An absolute must for modellers comes in the form of Martin Digimeyer's highly detailed new drawings printed in full in 1:72 and 1:48, with the interior views also reproduced in 1:32 to accompany the Wingnut Wings kits.

There's more useful data for modellers in two selections of shots of the second TVAL D.Va new-builds, with detailed photos of the first aircraft under construction, and close-up shots of the fuselage and tail of the second airframe that reveal many useful details, and particularly highlight the metal pinning in the varnished wood. Also shown are some rather pitiful surviving relics - a sad reminder of how much original and irreplaceable material has been lost for ever.

Accompanying the photos of TVAL's superb builds is an article by Gene De Marco describing the exacting research behind them, involving the scanning of a surviving airframe down to an accuracy of 0.001" - and how that data formed the basis of both the impressive new aircraft and the 1:32 Wingnut Wings kits. This is followed by a short section outlining Gene's impressions of flying the Albatros; almost a modern-day "pilot's notes", and a vivid description that conveys something a of the experience in a way that even the best WW1 flight simulations such as Rise of Flight struggle to match - just imagine taking off in a newly recreated airframe and discovering that the upper wing moves so much relative to fuselage that you fear some of the rigging must be missing!...

Finally, Ronnie Bar provides excellent new profiles for 7 aircraft, each accompanied by a detailed description and references for photos of the original machine. There's plenty to inspire Albatros modellers, with a mix of varnished wood, mottled and fully-painted fuselages, painted and lozenge-finished fabric surfaces - and, of course, some truly spectacular personal insignia.

Conclusion

Datafile 152 is the second of three new titles on the Albatros D.V/D.Va due this year from Albatros Productions and together with DF 151 forms a comprehensive study that deserves a place on the bookshelves of enthusiasts and modellers alike. Recommended.

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