What is going on with the Italian Secret Projects Book?

Just a small update on ISP. Material for the book is still being turned into Midland which has set the release date of the book sometime into 2013. Still, the delay has meant that new data and information is getting worked into the text, so, in that sense, it is a good thing.

So, stay tuned. ;D
 
JC Carbonel said:
Airfix people used to say "no gun, no sales" and Heller people said "a well known manufacturer and a well-known pilot, that's assured sales".
JCC
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Speaking of Heller, and this is a bit off-topic for this thread, is there any chance that your book on the Heller Musee range of kits will be issued in an English-language edition by Histoire & Collections? I'm sure there is a market for the book in English, and I will order one immediately if it is published that way. But I will not buy a French-language edition under any circumstance.

(BTW, I am enjoying the Matchbox book - in English, of course.)
 
Off - topic : Heller book

the Heller books are considered to be of French interest only by Histoire & Collection so not translated (actually in view of the poor quality of the translation, I think the next one H&C wants to do in English, I'll do it in English first and let them translate...into French)
So if there is a perceived need for translation of the Heller books, this should be brought to the attention of Casemate (the H&C agent in UK) so that they could tell so to H&C.

Thank you for the kind words about the Matchbox book.

Note to the moderators : perhaps it would be wise to separate the "French secret projects" thread from the "Italian secret projects" thread ?

JCC
 
JCC, I think having separate threads would be a good idea. I am not familiar with the "out there" projects you mentioned, but I think of some of the ones in Modelstories. It seems to me that some of these projects were not only unbuilt, but scientifically impossible as well. For pre-WWII, this can be a problem. While currently there are about only a dozen or so entities that can design and build a fighter aircraft, small outfits such as Martin-Baker, etc could create buildable projects and be somewhat financially sound. The problem is separating these outfits from the Stavattis of the day. I like to see the unbuilt projects as much as anyone, but perhaps a cutoff point be proposals from serious people that were given serious consideration by the appropriate ministry?
 
Hello Royalbulgaf !

basically I should keep with established aircraft-building companies. But that does not mean that silly stuff will be totally deleted. Some big names in industry did write silly proposals from time to time....

JCC
 
hesham said:
Hi,

there is also many unknown old designs;

such as Ambrosini SAI-25 fighter,SAI-8 recce flying boat,SAI-9 recce bomber,
SAI-503 fighter,Breda Ba.92 & Ba.93 trainers,BZ.401 light recce bomber
seaplane,BZ.408 float version of BZ.308,CANSA FC.11 trainer,FC.14 developed
from FC.12,CANT Z.1003 land version of Z.506C,Z.1017 torpedo bomber,
Z.510 recce float bomber,CMASA BS.12 four engined seaplane,CMASA
J.S.54 flying boat,Macchi MC.203 recce seaplane,MC.300 fighter,
Piaggio P.25 biplane,P.110 recce seaplane and Umbra AUT.45 bomber.
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Also;


Ambrosini SAI-504 fighter,Breda Ba.67 dive bomber,Ba.94 recce,Ba.99
bomber,Ba.100 fighter,Ba.202 attack aircraft,Ba.204 fighter & Ba.210
developed from Ba.201,CANSA CT-24,CANT Z.510 recce seaplane,Fiat
CR.23,CR.35,CR.44,CR.50,CR.55,BR.26,BR.30,BR.5,R.5,R.23 & R.25,
Macchi M.31,MC.91,MC.97 & MC.301,Piaggio P.117,Savioa-Marchetti
SM.96,SM.97 and SM.99.
 
All,


I come as the bearer of bad news. Unfortunately, the book has run into a difficulty in terms of the content being completed. The situation at present is that the publisher is going to review what material was received and if it is worth continuing with.


Once I hear back from the publisher, I'll be sure to update here.


Cheers,


Ed
 
Hikoki1946 said:
All,


I come as the bearer of bad news. Unfortunately, the book has run into a difficulty in terms of the content being completed. The situation at present is that the publisher is going to review what material was received and if it is worth continuing with.


Once I hear back from the publisher, I'll be sure to update here.


Cheers,


Ed
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Hi Ed, that's very sad to hear ! :-[ ... but just one question: is this "review" only related to Your book or a general reviewdone by Ian Allen for all current "projects" ?

Deino
 
I can't speak for other books through Ian Allan. It is common knowledge that they are in some dire straights. This isn't the reason for the review of Italian Secret Projects, though. Also, the editorship at Ian Allan has assured me that the sequel to Japanese Secret Projects will be published.


In this book's case, it is a matter of content not being delivered on time and the subsequent delay which has landed the book on the rocks.


There may yet be hope but I don't want to tip my hand just yet.


Cheers,


Ed







Hi Ed, that's very sad to hear ! :-[ ... but just one question: is this "review" only related to Your book or a general reviewdone by Ian Allen for all current "projects" ?

Deino
 
Well, it's certainly NOT the case of: "Too many cooks spoil the stew" (truly, the two best cooks conceivable are making it!) rather: "Too many ingredients spoil the stew?" :-\ You and SKYBOLT may have to jettison some 'ballast' to get the balloon off the ground? (Not my viewpoint at all, but the publisher?) cheers
 
It isn't so much as too much ballast but a question of the promised work not materializing. If the book runs as it is now with what we have, it honestly would not fit into Midland's "Secret Projects" series. Or if it is made to fit, it would delay production even more than it has been.


If Ian Allan/Midland decides to cancel the book and focus on the second Japanese secret project book currently underway, there may yet be a home elsewhere for the Italian x-plane publication.


Cheers,


Ed







Circumspect said:
Well, it's certainly NOT the case of: "Too many cooks spoil the stew" (truly, the two best cooks conceivable are making it!) rather: "Too many ingredients spoil the stew?" :-\ You and SKYBOLT may have to jettison some 'ballast' to get the balloon off the ground? (Not my viewpoint at all, but the publisher?) cheers
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Isn't it rather a case of "two many courses raise the bill"?!? ;D
 
Forget MIDLAND (w/this Italian project): try Schiffer Books(USA). Schiffer Books (as typical with US publishers) is more sloppy with their technical edification/formatting (than UK publishers) but give you more 'play-room' or 'fluff-room' for your content (but they'll leave more to you to discipline the presentation & proofreading). However, for these reasons, Schiffer Books get 'uneven' AMAZON-evaluations (at best)! MIDLAND/Ian Allen books - never do. Frankly, how many 'Yankee' aviation-publishers are there (compared with UK publishers) really trusted for technical-presentations (rather than just warstory-belching yarns and hanger-chummytalk)? Wasn't Schiffer Books' recent picture-book (on the Regia Aeronautica) an example of just that? (I reccommend Schiffer Books with caution.)

BTW, your second (follow-up) volume to Japanese Secret Projects presumes to already fit into their formatting-style: stay with them of course! (cheers)
 
It sure does that! My first book, Japanese Secret Projects, ended up being thousands of words over the contracted amount which did create a re-billing of the book in so far as production costs. ;D

Stargazer2006 said:
Isn't it rather a case of "two many courses raise the bill"?!? ;D
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Midland holds the rights to the book (by contract), so, I'm not able to shop it around. Only if they decide to scrap the book would I be able to. But I appreciate your insight. ;D

Circumspect said:
Forget MIDLAND (w/this Italian project): try Schiffer Books(USA).
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;D Some good news! Things are back on track with the book and the remainder of the material should be ready to go in the next few months. ;D
 
Actually Ed means that me myself am back on track... ;) ;D
 
Good persistence and cooperation (by all parties), at the very least. Sometimes the best dinners take longest to simmer and digest, but with patient industry (without ever needing to force it). Sometimes, it also helps to cooperate with some already preconfigured meals to-go. Often enough, one good thing at a time, is best. (Cheerios)
 
All material is expected to be in by the close of September 2012. Given the time it takes to compile and edit the work into the final product and print it, release is slated for the Fall of 2013. ;D
 
I wonder if there is any update on this book? Is it still on course for an autumn release date? It is one of the new books I am most looking forward to in 2013!
 
Skybolt has just a little bit left to get to the publisher and it should all be in their hands very soon. :D
 
Hi All.
Having read the questions re Italian Secret Projects I thought I had better tell you what I know.

Firstly, I understand that Marco (Skybolt) is not in good health - kidney problems I believe. You will have noted that he has not posted on the forum for some time! In fact a while back I e-mailed him and had no reply, so I have assumed that he is quite restricted in what he can do just now. Comments received from Ian Allan back this up (Marco - if you are reading this do please get in touch with me if you can - we all hope that you are on the mend!!).

As regards the book, I get the impression that most of the text has been handed over but there are still a lot of illustrations and drawings to come. In other words there is not enough to put the book together, so at the moment it is on hold. I hope Marco can resume work on it at some stage because I know Ian Allan are very keen to do it.

Very best wishes to you all. Sorry I am not in touch more often.
Tony Buttler.
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The book has been in hiatus for some time and has nearly been canceled. However, this month, work is underway to revive it and get it moving to completion. It has missed the 2014 release schedule so don't be looking for it until 2015 sometime. But this gives the parties involved time to complete the project and get it in print.

Wish I had better news but there is a very good glimmer of hope.
 
Not much right now. I've recently been working on Japanese Secret Projects 2 and the first completed book draft of it will be sent to me sometime in June for my review. Once that is done and the book is finalized, I can start in with ISP in earnest.
 

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