Bill Winter's New Book
The most prolific writer in the field of aeromodeling has turned out another great full-length book, which is expected to be in distribution by the time this issue reaches readers. AMA Executive Director John Worth gives us an inkling of its far-reaching scope.
About the Book
THE WORLD OF MODEL AIRPLANES covers the subject in depth with a tremendous array of photographs and drawings to illustrate the extensive text. The fact that this book is published by Charles Scribner's Sons is, in itself, a guarantee that the subject is dealt with in tremendous detail—they don't do any subject halfway.
Furthermore, the fact that AMA people collaborated with Bill Winter, former editor of Model Aviation magazine, assures that the book is accurate and all-encompassing. Bill Winter is the most prolific writer in the aeromodeling field, having authored many books and having been editor of many publications, including Model Airplane News, Air Trails, and Grid Leaks. He is also the designer of many dozens of models. No wonder he was one of the first to be inducted into the Model Aviation Hall of Fame.
But this is no book of nostalgia by someone looking back. It is a current treatise on the state of the art by an author who is still actively building and flying models of all types and sizes. As Bill is currently authoring monthly articles in this magazine under the title of "Just For the Fun of It," he is in the thick of things, talking and working with modelers all over the world.
This book tells all about what's happening and how to do it. The collection of illustrations is so comprehensive that it could stand on its own without the text. But with the addition of thousands of words, the total combination is the most complete source of information on contemporary model aviation that has ever been produced.
For anyone who wants to show others what our world of model airplanes is all about, this is the best product available. But more than that, it is any modeler's "bible" of what and how this world is. For neighbors you want to impress, or for your own pleasure and reference, this is a must book for your aeromodeling library.
AMA Involvement
The AMA staff was significantly involved with this book, including:
- Carl Wheeley
- Ross McMullen
- Vince Mankowski
- John Worth
I was also pleased to write the Foreword for the book, as follows:
Foreword (by John Worth)
Over the past seventy-odd years, almost a thousand books have been written worldwide about building and flying model airplanes. Until 1949 it was possible to explain with reasonable simplicity what this popular hobby was all about. Since the late 1940s, however, there has been a tremendous increase in technology and an accelerated growth of aeromodeling, which has resulted in books and magazines that are highly specialized, covering small fragments of a now comprehensive and complex picture. Involved today are advanced techniques of painting and finishing, improving engine performance, profound aspects of Radio Control, the art and science of Indoor Rubber-Powered Scale models, world-class competition Free Flight craft, all kinds of Control Line techniques, and so on. Although an overview is an ambitious approach in one volume, this work, the nineteenth by the author, provides the wide-angle vision necessary to encompass all that is now involved.
The challenge is twofold. A comprehensive book should provide a perspective of elements of the activity, without getting lost in details. Second, there is also a need to cover the subject for the wide range of ages likely to be interested, from youngsters to 80-year-olds, with a how-to-do-it background that shows that participation by all is possible. When one considers that the number of hobbyists is equal to the number of golfers—that is to say, millions—it is obvious that no book can detail every step in every procedure. But such a book can guide, and this one does, offering a unique overview of the world of model airplanes.
Having enjoyed this hobby/sport for over fifty years, and knowing that many others had done so during the earlier Wright-to-Lindbergh era, Bill Winter conveys aeromodeling's exciting history and its legacy. He describes the three families of models in detail, in order to provide an essential compass that directs the reader to a myriad of specialties. Every chapter, whether dealing with power plants, materials, construction, or flight techniques, relates as much as possible to the full spectrum of the modeling activity. This book also defines the avenues leading to even the most obscure aspects of the field, with effective source references—more than just places to buy products. Where does one find a club? Or the source materials that may be required for a beginner to expand interests and hone skills? What organizations exist to promote each of the numerous divisions of activity? Where do contests take place? The answers to these and other questions can be found in the information included in the appendices.
The author's work also leads readers to the Academy of Model Aeronautics, also known as the AMA, the national association for U.S. model fliers, which has thousands of members and hundreds of clubs. The AMA helps those who become interested in the hobby get together for information exchange and the most important ingredient of all—flying sites. Almost all of the models and people involved in this book are part of the AMA scene, which suggests that those who are 'turned on' by what they read here should also explore what the AMA has to offer: a monthly magazine providing more information about activities and how-to; liability protection for peace of mind concerning legal and safety matters; an activity calendar telling what, where, and when people fly; and many other benefits.
The World of Model Airplanes proves that there is far more to modeling than most people are aware of. The comprehensive treatment is a lot to absorb, but there is something here to please every interest, and only an author of Bill Winter's experience could have put it all together for us in such an enjoyable way.
John Worth, Executive Director Academy of Model Aeronautics
Ordering Information
Editor: The World of Model Airplanes, regularly priced at $19.95, is available for $16.00 from AMA HQ, Supply and Service Section, 1810 Samuel Morse Dr., Reston, VA 22090.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
