I'm thinking of writing an on-line article aimed at owners/collectors of the "Aircraft of the Fighting Powers" series that was produced between 1940 and 1947 by HG Cooper and Owen Thetford and I need to clear up a few facts. I wondered if anyone on the forum could answer a few questions. For those who are not familiar with "AOTFP" it was a British produced book designed to give clear descriptions and high-quality three-view drawings of combatant aircraft for aircraft recognition and aeromodelling purposes (the 3 view drawings were usually to 1/72 scale). Bear in mind that scale aircraft modelling was an important tool in aircraft recognition (most crew-rooms were festooned with models of enemy and allied aircraft hanging from the ceiling). Production was so important to the war effort that it was exempt from the wartime restrictions for paper rationing. It is most notable for its "fold-out" plans for larger aircraft, the colourful dustjacket covers, the fantastic set of colour "chips" for camouflage colours on page XXIII of Volume 5. A volume was issued each year from 1940 until 1947. There was no duplication of content unless an aircraft had evolved to such an extent the original 3-view drawing was out-of-date. So the earlier volumes continued in print throughout that time. Regulars would buy the latest volume each year while you could buy the "whole set" up to that date. When people sell these books they often assume "Volume 1" should be the rarest, but this stayed in print the longest, so in fact, it is the later volumes 7, 6 and 5 that are the rarest. When the war was winding down on the home-front in 1944 and through into 1947 there was less and less call for the book, so they were purchased in smaller numbers. This meant that sets of 3, 4 and 5 books are quite common, but sets of 6 or the full 7 are much rarer. In 1976 the books were republished by Argus books, no doubt to meet the needs of collectors they seem to have released them in reverse order, they seem to have released volumes 7 and 6, but I've never seen any earlier reprints. These reprints do not have "fold-out" plans for larger aircraft, instead, they are printed to span adjacent pages, they also miss out the advertisements and the colourful paintings that adorned the preface. Also, they do not have the colourful dustjackets.
To my questions....
1. - Can anyone confirm that reprints in the 1970s were only of Volume 6 and 7? - Has anyone ever seen any of the other volumes in the reprint format?
2. - Does anyone have photos of the original dustjackets in good condition I could use to illustrate the article (if I end up writing it) - The ones on my original editions are either missing or in very tatty condition.
3. Has anyone any stories, anecdotes, memories of AOTFP?
4. Lastly, Any comments on its accuracy? (It had very dodgy descriptions and diagrams of some soviet and Japanese types in 1941/42).
Dinger
To my questions....
1. - Can anyone confirm that reprints in the 1970s were only of Volume 6 and 7? - Has anyone ever seen any of the other volumes in the reprint format?
2. - Does anyone have photos of the original dustjackets in good condition I could use to illustrate the article (if I end up writing it) - The ones on my original editions are either missing or in very tatty condition.
3. Has anyone any stories, anecdotes, memories of AOTFP?
4. Lastly, Any comments on its accuracy? (It had very dodgy descriptions and diagrams of some soviet and Japanese types in 1941/42).
Dinger
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