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World Air Power Journal


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Can anyone tell me a bit about this publication?

As far as I can make out it was published quarterly, maybe in both hardback and softback and ran from 1990 to 2000. Can't find much about the typical content though. Did see a copy on ebay that listed some brief content notes in the description and stated F-14 Tomcat (58 pages). Was wondering if it's a good reference for modellers.

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If you can get hold of them, yes! IMHO they area good read on interesting stuff like unit histories or in depth articles on types - I have the first 4 as they contained articles about a/c I was actually modelling at the time.

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Ok, I'll take a punt on a copy. They seem to go for around £12-15 a copy although some, such as what appears was the last edition, 43, that I saw listed for around a ton!

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A typical WAPJ would carry:

  • news about developments in military aviation - new purchases, unit movements, base closures (this sounds much deeper than it actually was - it wouldn't be anything like as finely detailed as Navy News, for example)
  • two or three short articles about newly developed aircraft or specific missions
  • a detailed look at a particular aircraft type, including a list of users
  • another, more in-depth article about a specific unit, or a specific role / mission operated by some air arm or other
  • possibly some coverage of an air campaign, if one was around
  • a "variant briefing" covering every version of a selected aircraft type
  • an "operator briefing" covering every user of a selected type
  • an analysis of a selected country's air arms - or, for the larger countries, one of them. This basically amounted to a list of units, bases and types operated
Not all of these features would be in every issue; generally the variant and operator briefings occupied the same space.

The great distinguishing feature of all this is a wealth of high-quality photographs showing current colour schemes and equipment fits ("current" for the time, of course). The in-depth aircraft article usually carried enough good photos and information to be useful in building a model, including the development of the type. The operator briefings and air arm analyses were usually well enough illustrated to be helpful too, although they could never purport to show every detail.

The parallel publication about historical aircraft, Wings of Fame, was largely similar. The main difference was that it had less news (!) and more about markings; the air arm analysis was usually an overview of a single decade for a single air arm.

The two were then merged into International Air Power Review, which managed to combine the main features of both, with the mix changing from issue to issue.

I have the full set, except possibly for the very last issue of IAPR (I've not managed to pin down yet which the last issue actually was). I've used them a lot in modelling. I always thought they were pretty good value - effectively about £3 a month for a great deal of content. Well worth picking up if you can find them, but don't overpay. WAPJ in particular is very much of its time and a lot of spilt milk has gone under the bridge since its final issue. For example, the article I re-read recently about the A-6 said confidently (in 1993) that it was going to remain on US carrier decks well into the foreseeable future ... £12-£15 a throw sounds about right, especially if it's the hardback.

Edited by pigsty
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Thanks for the detailed summary Sean. I will pick up a copy each of WAPJ and WoF. Having had a look on Amazon, IAPR is notably more expensive, going from anywhere between 30 and 80 pounds a copy! Looks like you're sat on a small fortune there mate!

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I've got a few of them, you can usually pick them up quite reasonably second hand at model shows. Well worth getting them if you come across them.

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I have nearly all these soft books plus the Wings of Fame, same format/publisher.

Very good content also benefit no advertisments,all information.

A website for you here The Aviation Index . com this has a listing of contents for these books plus many more.

Edited by dwh
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I would heartily endorse the comments regarding the quality of World Air Power, Wings of Fame and International Air Power Journal. Authoratitive writing, excellent use of colour photos and illustrations and nicely laid out on high quality glossy paper. Inevitably a lot of the then current material will now be outdated but for modelling purposes and indeed general interest I think any of the publications suit in addition to being a good read.

From memory the subscription price for the softbacks was £48 per year which I thought was incredibly good value. I am fortunate enough to have complete sets of all three as well as a good number of the hard back books which came from the same publishing house and adher to the same high standards as the quarterlies.

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It took me a while to get rid of my WAPJ on this board, with only a few people interested despite very low prices, but they did all go. I suspect a similar low interest for Wings of Fame, despite their quality.

Last year I got hardcover editions of volumes 19 & 20 of "Wings of Fame" for a fiver each. :evil_laugh: (From Abebooks non the less... :wicked: )

There is an ebay.co.uk seller that has loads of new copies of both WAPJ and WoF available in either hardcover of softcover, but second hand copies occasionally turn up for sale in the same site, very cheap (as low as a couple of quid).

Last issue of IAPR was 27.

Some time before Christmas, the editor sent a letter to current subscribers that the long awaited Vol. 28 is at the printers and will soon be on sale.(Of course cynics were quick to suggest that he's only looking for fools to sign up for subscriptions or to renew their existing ones.)

Edited by Panoz
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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

I actually have 40 volumes of 'World Air Power Journal' including the first and final volumes - All in really good, if not perfect condition. They are great for general interest and very detailed. I would consider selling them though as I need the space!

PM me if anyone is interested

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  • 3 years later...

Just found this thread whilst searching for an Index for the WAPJ. Have just picked up the first 25 issues complete with slip cases for £20 !!! the website www.theaviationindex.com does not appear to work , anybody got another link or a pdf index they can share ?

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WAPJ actually published an Index periodically (From memory I have two, one for Vol 1-20 and another for 21-40)

Just stashed around my library, the index for Vol. 1 to 16 came with Vol. 17 (at least it is still shrinkwrapped to mine).

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WAPJ was also sold in annual compendiums (4 quarterly editions merged into 1 hard cover book) I've got a few of these, together with a full set of Wings of Fame and an almost complete set of IAPR (it was a full set but my nephew borrowed 1 for a school project he was working on and it never came back to me). They also produced some other great reference books F-4 Phantom - Spirit in the Skies springs to mind, and one covering the F-14 Tomcat in some detail too.

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...(it was a full set but my nephew borrowed 1 for a school project he was working on and it never came back to me). They also produced some other great reference books F-4 Phantom - Spirit in the Skies springs to mind, and one covering the F-14 Tomcat in some detail too.

What did you do with that nephew ?

Yep, that F-14 book is quite nice, it was my most expensive book until I finally obtained STH.

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