Aircraft, and nothing but aircraft, is the remit of Aces High Magazine. Each issue stands on one theme - trainers, twin-engined types, torpedo aviation, the Normandy invasion, French jet fighters, the Gulf War, captured machines. The articles take the form of build reports, carrying the reader from the first modifications to the kit through to the finished surface. Alongside the numbered run there are compilation and monographic editions. A few notes on choosing follow.
The single-topic approach has a concrete benefit: one edition shows several models from the same setting, built by different people using different methods. It becomes clear very quickly what matters about the subject and where approaches diverge. With aircraft that usually shows up in two places - the surface finish, and the transitions between camouflage colours.
Part of the run covers the Second World War, part post-war and modern aviation. The choice is more than thematic: machines of the thirties and forties carry fabric, matt finishes and pronounced staining, while modern jets have smooth gloss surfaces on which the same weathering simply cannot be used.
To learn one specific skill, look for the edition that addresses it - distinguishing fabric from metal convincingly, say, or painting training schemes with their broad high-visibility bands. Subjects with large areas of a single colour suit beginners, because mistakes are easy to correct.
Selection volumes gather the best of earlier issues. They work well as an entry point if you do not know the series and want to see whether the style suits you before filling out the run.
For historical reference behind a scheme see Kagero aircraft books, and for finishing technique in depth, The Weathering Magazine.
