This issue has 100 pages, sixteen more than the usual 84.It is also the first of these enlarged Bumper Issues for 2014, a year which sees the 100th Anniversary of the commencement of World War One in 1914 and also the 70th Anniversary of the Normandy D-Day Landings in 1944.To commemorate and remember these momentous events of the first half of the last century, Dave Wooley has supplied three special articles about the warships of the late-Victorian period and into the Great War.In the first, published here, he is examining the warships of the Royal Navy from 1895 to 1905, many of which then served in World War One, even though the pace of naval technology development meant that many were obsolete within a few years, but still giving valuable wartime service.

We also have a number of major and exciting Feature Articles.These include Part One of Dermot Curnyna€ s unique laser-cut PT18; a highly unusual model of Ecranoplan KM by Ashley Needham, who must be one of our most innovative and creative model makers; a full kit review by John Elliott of Bob About, an easy to build Footy yacht and Bill Langton is a welcome newcomer to these pages describing his fantastic nine foot long steam launch Falcon.In addition, Peter Whitehead returns with an article about clockwork model boats and Anthony Addams visits the National Museum of the Marine in Paris.

There are also all the regular features, plus a few more, so something for everyone with an interest in model boats as a hobby.Like the famous paint, the title on the cover is what we do, and hopefully rather well!

Paul Freshney - Editor