World War I Modeling Mailing List Information and Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)
World War I Modeling Mailing List Information and Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ)
Charter:
The World War I modeling mailing list exists for the purpose of
distributing information about building models in any scale with
subjects from World War I. This includes but is not limited to:
Airplanes, Tanks and other ground vehicles, figurines and ships.
It is an unmoderated mailing list that is maintained by Allan
Wright (aew@wwi-models.org). Opinions are those of the
individual contributors and not those of The University of New
Hampshire.
Table of Contents:
I. Important List Information
1. Subscription Information - How to subscribe, unsubscribe or
change your settings
2. Posting Articles
a. How to post
b. Seeing your own posts
c. Changing over to the digest
d. Verifying that the list is 'UP'
3. Archive information
II. Known WW1 Aviation Periodicals and Subscription Information
1. Cross & Cockade International
2. Over the Front (The League of WW1 Aviation Historians)
3. WW1 Aero (WW1 Aero)
4. Windsock
III. Other WW1-oriented Email Lists
1. WWI-L: WW1 General History
2. "Virtual" Over the Front Chapter
IV. Mail Order Sources
V. Between the Wars Discussion
VI. Commonly used Acronyms
VII. Aircraft Rigging
VIII. Scale Conversions for Photocopy Purposes
IX. Sources for Scale Plans
X. Known Problems with Model Manufacturers
XI. Photo Submissions and copyrights
I. Important List Information
1. Subscription Information
The World War I modeling mailing list uses 'mailman' software running on
a linux server. To subscribe to the list simply visit this web page:
http://www.wwi-models.org/mailman/listinfo/wwi and fill out the form in
the section marked "Subscribing to WWI". You will pick a password and
select daily digests or immediate mail mode.
Once subscribed you can visit this page at any time and enter your e-mail
address and password in the bottom section which will allow you access
to a form that will allow you to change your settings, e-mail address
or even unsubscribe from the list. If you lose or forget your password
the system will e-mail it to you if you fill out the very bottom of the
form and submit it.
2. Posting Articles
Simply mail an E-mail message to wwi@wwi-models.org - the
message will be sent directly to all subscribers of the mailing
list. Be careful when responding to mail from the list - if you
want the response to go to the whole list you may have to
explicitly tell your mailer to do so. Using the Reply function of
your mailer might send the response only to the original poster.
Posts to the wwi-models mailing list may contain up to four (4)
photo attachments of no more than 800x600 pixels. Subscribers are requested
to post no more than one (1) post per day with image attachments. Posting
subsequent messages with additional photos of the same subject should be
limited to additional detail shots as requested by other members, or
additional follow-up photos of further modeling progress after a significant
amount of time has passed. All other image submissions can be made
through the list's on-line image submission system which allows members
to post model images to their personal gallery on the wwi-models.org
website. Only images of models or subject matter relating to list
content (WWI-era) are acceptable.
3. Archive Information
Past articles are archived and may be accessed via the World Wide
Web (WWW) at the following URL: http://wwi-models.org This
page also contains other information about WWI modeling.
List Author and Maintainer: Allan Wright (aew@wwi-models.org)
II. Known WW1 Aviation Periodicals and Subscription Information
1. Cross & Cockade International (C&CI)
Membership Secretary
6 Cowper Road
Southgate
London N14 5RP
England
Cost is 19.00 UK pounds per year surface mail (about US$31.00).
Note: membership is also available from Over the Front (see
2. below)
2. Over the Front (OtF - The League of WW1 Aviation Historians)
P.O. Box 2475
Rockford IL 61132-0475
USA
U.S. subscription rate is $37.00 (for 4th class mail). For
1st Class or overseas rates, please contact Dick Bennett, our
membership secretary. E-mail is: 104635.1603@COMPUSERVE.COM
Note: you can subscribe to C&CI at the same time you subscribe
to OtF. Cost: An additional US$30 surface mail, US$45 air
mail.
3. WW1 Aero (WW1 Aero)
15 Crescent Road
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601-4490
USA
Cost is minimum US$30.00 per year, surface mail.
4. Windsock (Albatros Publications)
Albatros Publications Ltd.
10 Long View
Berkhamsted
Herts HP4 1BY
United Kingdom
III. Other WW1-oriented Email Lists
1. WWI-L: WW1 General History
WWI-L is an unmoderated list for the discussion of the history of
World War I. Although the primary focus of the list is the
1914-1919 time period, discussions of events leading up to the
Great War and its aftermath (i.e., Balkan Wars & the Russian
Revolution) are also permitted and encouraged. As a scholarly
list, WWI-L does not permit commercial postings.
To subscribe to WWI-L, send the following message:
To: listproc@raven.cc.ukans.edu
subscribe WWI-L Firstname Lastname
Where Firstname = your real first name, and
where Lastname = your real last name.
2. "Virtual" Over the Front Chapter
The Over the Front (see III.2. above) Virtual Chapter was
instigated by Carl J. Bobrow. It is currently not run as a
listserv, but as a big editable address book (on each subscriber's
own e-mail system).
If you wish to join, send a note to Carl
and asked to be added (he maintains the master list of
subscribers).
You don't have to be a member of The League of WW1 Aviation
Historians to be a member of the OtF Virtual Chapter. The Chapter
is merely a list of WWI aviation history enthusiasts with e-mail
addresses.
IV. Mail Order Sources
Most known sources that deal with WW1 modeling can be found on
the web site, at
http://www.wwi-models.org/misc/mailorder.html
V. Between the Wars Discussion
It has been brought up on the list numerous times if there could
be discussion on Between the Wars (approximately 1919 to 1939)
subjects. Since this is a list devoted to WW1 modeling, large
discussions about this time period are to be avoided. However,
the list will allow a "feeler" message, where all discussion
afterwards goes to private email. So, for example, you want some
info on the Curtiss P-1, you would post a message to the list
(maybe designate in the subject that the subject is Between the
Wars or "off topic") and then anyone who wants to follow up on the
discussion will move it to private email.
The important thing to remember is to take the discussion off
list.
VI. Commonly used Acronyms
>From time to time, you may see the following acronyms floating
around the list. While most are considered "internet in
general", there are a few that are list specific.
AFAIK: As Far As I Know
BTW: By The Way
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
FWIW: For What It's Worth
IIRC: If I Recall Correctly
IMHO: In My Honest Opinion, or In My Humble Opinion
IMNSHO: In My Not So Honest Opinion
ROTFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing
RTFD: Read The F Directions
RTFM: Read The F Manual
RTMS: Read The Manual Stupid
SMBIKA: Stop Me Before I Kill Again
SWBU: Shake Well Before Using
SWMBO: She Who Must Be Obeyed
TETE: This End Towards Enemy
TIA: Thanks In Advance
TTFN: Ta Ta For Now
WTFDTM: What The FAQ Does That Mean
YMMV: Your milage may vary
In the same vein, there are a few abbreviations that should be
explained:
A-H: Austro-Hungary/ian
AEG: Allgemeinen Electrizitats Gesellschaft (Berlin, Germany)
Alb: Albatros
B.E.: Bleriot Experimental
C: French: Chasse or Pursuit (single-seat fighter)/ German: two-seat
recc.
CA: Crazy Glue (i.e. cyanoacrylate)
D: Doppledecker (German Biplane)
DFW: Deutsch Flugzeug Werke
Dr: Dreidecker (German Triplane)
E: Eindecker (German Monoplane)
Esc: Escadrille
F.E.: Farman Experimental
Fok: Fokker
G: Grossfleugzeuge (German Large airplane)
LFG: Luftfahrzeug Gesellschaft
LVG: Luft-Verkehrs Gesellschaft
LWF: Lowe, Willard, and Fowler (USA)
MS: Morane Saulnier
MoS: Morane Saulnier
N: Nieuport
Nie: Nieuport
P/E: Photoetched
RAE: Royal Aircraft Establishment
RAF: Royal Air Force
R.E.: Recconaissance Experimental
RFC: Royal Flying Corps
RNAS: Royal Naval Air Service
S.E.: Scout Experimental (originally Santos-Dumont Experimental)
SSW: Siemens-Schukert Werkes
T-M: Thomas Morse
In addition, the list has come up with some abbreviations to show
what one is currely working on. These are:
nb: Now Building, i.e. what is currently on the bench, and
actively being worked on
nu: Next Up; this shows what the next model is after the nb is
complete.
sitnf: Sometime In The Near Future; you see yourself working on
this model at some forseable future point.
fdtr: Further Down The Road; another model that you see yourself
working on, after the sitnf one.
np: Now Playing; some members are avid music listeners, sometime
listening to music while they build. This is what they are
currently listening to.
nr: Now Reading; this is the current book, article of periodicle
one is currently reading.
VII. Aircraft Rigging
Rigging models is always a tricky endeavour. You will get as
many ideas on how to do it as there are modelers. Each has their
own trick and techique; this section is to explain a few of the
more "common" ones, as well as provide a source for some of the
rigging material.
There are a few ways to rig your models. One of the favorites is
to drill holes all the way through the area where the rigging
will be. Glue the rigging in one of the holes, wait for it to
dry, then pull it through the other hole. Glue, again wait for
it to dry, then cut off the excess. Finally, if the parts need
it, fill the hole and continue.
Another popular method is to use a pair of architectual dividers
(found in any art or architect store) to measure the precise
distance of where the rigging is to be. Cut your rigging source
a little longer than what the dividers show, then through trial
fitting, cut the rigging to the exact length needed.
1. Stretched Sprue.
There are a lot of people who stretch sprue for rigging.
Stretching sprue becomes an art. To start, you want to get the
right color of sprue (most agree on a gray, or steel color), and
you want to get a lot of it. It is wise to practice first.
Start by holding the sprue above a lit candle, say two to three
inches. When the sprue gets warm, and starts to sag, pull it
*gently* until you have the desired thickness. After pulling, be
sure to keep the sprue away from the candle, otherwise the sprue
will melt.
Again, practice is important. There will come a time where
you'll be able to pull the same thickness consistently.
2. Real wire.
Some individuals use real wire for rigging. Depending on your
scale, you want to choose a thickness that looks like it's about
to scale. Note that just because a certain "brand" is listed
under a specific scale does *not* mean that "brand" can only be
used on that scale. Here are some ideas, plus their sources:
a. 1/72nd scale:
i. .006" Detail Associates Brass "Rod", product number xxxx
This is used in conjunction with a product called "Blacken It"
(unless you want to keep the rigging a bronze color), and both are
found in the model rairoad section of your hobby shop.
ii. .004" Carbon Steel Wire
This is availble through Sopwith Hobbies, P.O. Box 560442, Miami,
FL, USA, 33256-0442 (email is sopwith@worldnet.att.net). It comes
in a pack of three strands of 55" each strand for (as of 24 Oct
96) US$5.95 per pack. Add US$3.00 for postage and handling.
b. 1/48th scale:
.006" Ceramic "wire", product number xxxx
This appears to be available only through Precision Enterprise,
Inc. A pack containing x number of inches is US$5.95. Add
US$3.00 for postage on two packs.
VIII. Scale Conversions for Photocopy Purposes
To easily convert from one scale to another in regards to
reducing or enlarging drawings etc. using a photocopier, visit
http://www.wwi-models.org/misc/scalecon.html
and follow the instructions.
IX. Sources for Scale Plans
To help with the many questions regarding scale plans for a
particular subject, the list below provides most known sources of
scale plans. Note that this list is geared toward the plastic
modeler; however, it should be easy to take these plans and using
a photocopier reduce or enlarge to fit any scale (see Section
VIII. above).
1. Flying Machines Press
- Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One
ISBN 0-9637110-0-8 (1993)
- The Imperial Russian Air Service
ISBN 0-9637110-2-4 (1995)
- French Aircraft of the First World War
ISBN 0-9637110-4-0 (1997)
2. The German Giants 'The German R-Planes 1914-1918'
ISBN 0 85177 812 7 (1988)
3. Harleyford Series
- Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War
ISBN 60-11220 (1960)
- Reconnaissance and Bomber Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War
Library of Congress Card No. is 62-19912
- Marine Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War
Library of Congress Card No. 66-29190
4. Scale Aircraft Drawings Volume 1 - World War 1
ISBN 0-911295-02-X (1986) older drawings from Model Airplane News
some drawn as early as 1948
5. Windsock Datafiles
Series has both 1/72 and 1/48 scale drawings
6. Airplane Engine Encyclopedia, Angle, Glenn D., 1921 The
Otterbein Press. Try your inter-library loan.
7. Revell, Alex, High in the Empty Blue, ISBN 0-9637110-3-2
8. Sturtivant, Ray and Gordon Page, The S.E. 5 File, ISBN
0-85130-246-7
9. Sturtivant, Ray and Gordon page, The Camel File, ISBN
0-85130-212-2
10. Motorbooks International
- Aircraft Archive Aircraft of World War One Volume 1, ISBN
0-85242-983-5 (1989)
- Aircraft Archive Aircraft of World War One Volume 2, ISBN
0-85242-984-3 (1989)
- Aircraft Archive Aircraft of World War One Volume 3, ISBN
0-85242-998-3 (1989)
X. Known Problems with Model Manufacturers
Currently, one manufacturer seems to stick out from others with
questions generated on the list. Meikraft models is a good source
of WW1 limited run models; however, some people in the past have
had problems dealing direct with them. For more information about
Meikraft's ordering policy, please contact the list.
XI. Photo Submissions and Copyrights
The WWI Modeling page allows its members to submit photographs of both models
and actual WWI subjects for our model gallery and photo archive pages.
We frequently receive requests from other organizations to re-use photographs
for other web sites, publications, books and periodicals. We will defer
such requests to the original contributor and allow the original contributor
to retain the copyrights to their submissions as long as the original
contributor is available via e-mail either directly or through the WWI
modeling mailing list. Any submission belonging to an author that is no longer
available via these means becomes the property of the WWI modeling page and
its owner, Allan Wright.