First and Best for Reference and Scale

July 2017 4.75

Volume 39 Issue 05
www.scaleaircraftmodelling.com

IBGs New Kara

Leading the Blind Naval Gazing Operation Pedestal

Scaling Down Global Hawk Golen Age Counterfactuals Part Four Ju 88A-4
Miniwings New Tool in 1/144 P.1121 and P.177N in 1/72 Zvezdas Kit in 1/72
Military & Civil Aviation Military Weapons & Equipment Naval Vessels

Raptors All F-15 & F- Allied Fighters WW2 Air War Archive. The Hurricane Hawkers Messerschmitt CHIG Sky Pilot to Pacific War How the Airframe Extra No.7
16 Aerial Combat Aircraft Designs by Experimental Units Fighter Legend Bf 109 E the Glider Pilots of United States Fought The Suez Crisis
Victories D McCarthy Claes Sundin of Hitlers Condor T Holmes Reveals the R Peczkowski Arnhem M Vockins Back J Harrison Empires End
Detailed historical Offering a host of dif- Legion : German Hurricane in all its Illustrated story of the Story of a choir boy Commemorating the R Franks Covers the
photographic survey ferent colour schemes Aircraft in Action glory from fascinating eveolution of the Emil who became a country 75th anniversary of background prior to
of all individual Israeli and detailed notes this During the Spanish first-hand accounts version of Germanys parson and took part the Battle of Midway, the conflict and aerial
and American F-15 bookazine contains Civil War L Franco from the men who most famous WWII in Operation Market this volume looks in operations by all sides
and F-16 aerial com- more than 200 highly Examines the history of flew her with truly Fighter aircraft. Garden as Glider Pilot detail at the defining until the ceasefire on
bat victories. detailed colour profiles. the men and machines. breathtaking images. Colour/B&W photos. Regiment Chaplain. naval engagement. 7th November 1956.
HB 192pp 42.99 SB 130pp 7.99 SB 93pp 14.99 HB 256pp 30.00 HB 144pp 19.00 HB 192pp 25.00 SB 130pp 6.99 SB 82pp 9.95

Junkers Military
X Planes 3 North Lattaque silencieuse Nordic Airpower 8 Douglas XB-19 An Aircraft of World War The Luftwaffe in Dornier Do 215 Combat Aircraft 120
American X-15 La capture des ponts Saab 29 Tunnan The Illustrated History Two M Chambers Colour From Glory Luftwaffe and Other Ju 52/3m Bomber and
P Davies Explains the belges de Veldwezelt, Ultimate Portfolio of Americas Would- Drawing on a multi- to Defeat 1942-1945 Operators 1938-1945 Transport R Forsyth
technology behind the Vroenhoven et J Jorgensen Contains Be Intercontinental tude of photographs, C Cony Nearly 400 M Olrog This new The all-metal Junkers
worlds most important Kanne par les paras more than 500 high Bomber W Wolf diagrams and US gov- colour photographs book describes the Ju 52/3m enjoyed a
prototype and research allemands, le 10 mai quality photos of the Looks at this enig- ernment reports this reveal fascinating Do 215s operations solid reputation
aircraft, their often 1940 O Gonzalez Tunnan in service with matic bomber, a Flying book reveals the his- detail on the planes with the Luftwaffes amongst its crews and
dangerous flight-test FRENCH TEXT. Lav- the air arms of Swe- Laboratory that was tory of this innovative and the men of the secretive Aufklrungs- the troops and para-
careers and how their ishly illustrated. This den and Austria. With the precursor to Amer- aviation company and Luftwaffe, as they gruppe Ob.d.L., in troopers who used
successes and failures book focuses on the text covering technical icas first interconti- its many key aircraft progressed from wartime operations in and depended on it.
influenced frontline planning, capture and and operational history, nental bomber, the that played a vital role seeming invincibility to the West and in civil This book details its
aircraft development. defence of the bridges brief unit histories in- Continental B-36 in the war. 222 Black utter defeat. 400 rare disguise in preparation service as a bomber
Profiles, B&W photos. over the Albert Canal. cluding unit badges. Peacemaker. and white photos. colour photos. for Operation Barbarossa. and transport.
SB 80pp 12.99 HB 240pp 38.99 HB 200pp 44.00 HB 128pp 42.99 HB 176pp 25.00 SB 160pp 19.99 HB 272pp 50.00 SB 96pp 13.99

Sea Vixen XP924

The Worlds only
From Jet Provost to Best Foot Forward MDF Scaled Down 6 Canberra Boys SMI Library 19013 Airworthy Sea vixen The Air Staff and Tiran Wrecks TWR-1
Strikemaster: A The Autobiography The Blackburn Fascinating B-25J Mitchell in L Gaylard A brief his- the Helicopter Tiran 4/5/6 Wrecks in
Definitive History of Of The RAFs Other Buccaneer Royal Accounts from the Combat over Pacific tory of the Sea Vixen British Military the IDF - Part 1
the Basic and Legless Fighter Pilot Navy, RAF & South Operators of an & CBI M Katarzynski since entering service Helicopter Projects M Mass A new series
Counter-Insurgent C Hodgkinson Only AFrican Air Force English Electric Reference album doc- in 1959, this book is C Gibson Lavishly which looks at tank
Aircraft at Home two men succeeded S.Mk1, S.Mk 2 & Classic A Brookes umenting the use of devoted to the history illustrated, this book wrecks of the IDF. As
and Overseas as WWII operational S.Mk 50 A Evans A detailed and fasci- B-25J in combat over of bringing Sea Vixen examines the origins they finished their
D Watkins Complete fighter pilots in the History of the nating history of an the Pacific and China XP924 back to airwor- of the Flying 6 tonner; service, tank wrecks
history of the Hunt- RAF after losing both Buccaneer covering outstanding aircraft Burma India theatres thy condition and the The Household Air were brought to the
ing/BAC Jet Provost legs. This is the story operators, colour alongside illuminating of war. Contains well team maintaining her. Cavalry; FILTH; Roto- army base where they
and Strikemaster. of Colin Hodgkinson. schemes and more. anecdotes. captioned photos. Also available as SB. dyne Zulu and more. rusted away. Colour.
HB 224pp 20.00 HB 223pp 19.99 SB 96pp 14.99 HB 208pp 20.00 SB 108pp 15.99 HB 100pp 22.99 SB 48pp 12.99 SB 80pp 26.99

SS10249 UH-1 Huey

in action D Doyle
Chronicles the use of
15 different versions
Wing Masters 117 The Aviation Batailles Aeriennes 80 Damaged Library of Armed Berlin Blockade Warship 2017 39th of the Huey from its
Mai/Juin 2017 Historian Issue 19 Le Blitz La Luftwaffe Weathered & Worn Conflicts 1 Air Soviet Chokehold volume J Jordan prototype through the
FRENCH TEXT. This The Pacific Express, sur les Iles Brit- Models Magazine Combat During and the Great Allied Contains a diverse current use of the
issue: Spitfire Mk.VIII; the Fleet Air Arms anniques 1er Partie New publication which Arab-Israeli Wars Airlift 1948-1949 range of articles de- UH-1Y Venom, a ver-
1:72 Ki-67 Hiryu 1945 Far East Ferry FRENCH TEXT. First looks at weathered J Marszalkiewicz G Tonder Details all voted to the design, and satile helicopter in the
Peggy; 1:32 Me 163 B Route; Flying the 748 part from 1st January and worn effects in a Air combat during the aspects of the Berlin service history of the global war on terror.
Komet and more. plus much more. to 31st March 1941. variety of models. Israeli-Arab wars. Blockade and Airlift. worlds combat ships. Colour/B&W photos.
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NEWS BY SORGE

and covers construction in nineteen stages. plastic, a clear sprue and highly detailed set of
Pictorial diagrams guide the modeller through photo etch. The photo etch covers what looks
the build with colour call outs provided in Gunze like a completely new cockpit to previous
Sangyo Mr Colour references only so some cross versions and obviously depicts the FUG radar
matching will be required for other paint brands. equipment, the upward firing guns and the rest
Paint and decal placement guides are placed in of that emerging technology the Luftwae
the centre of the instruction booklet and cover crammed into these late aircraft.
six dierent machines in a variety of camouflage Four decal options are included, three aircraft
markings plus a guide for all the ordnance. carrying the distinctive FUG array on the nose
The plastic kit parts are housed on nine runners and one without. These aircraft also have
and feature crisply moulded details with fine versions of the large flame-dampeners fitted to
recessed panel lines in a pale grey styrene. A their exhausts and should look really striking
smaller clear sprue contains the canopy that can when built.
be posed open. Detailing is good throughout This looks like the perfect release for anyone
but the ejection seat caught my eye. This is with a passion for Luftwae aircraft and I cant
made up from a number parts and from the wait to get the thing started!
illustrations looks good. A plastic version of the
engine is included and the modeller can pose
the rear section of the fuselage open at the
maintenance break to show the innards to good
eect.
The leading edge slats and rear flaps can be
shown deployed on each wing but before
committing to glue it would be worth checking
the position of the wing sweep from reference
photos if posing them deployed on the ground
for a parked aircraft.
The real highlight must be the mass of weapons
provided in the kit. These cover no less than four
of the main sprues and feature a multitude of
weapons.
Having a quick look through the instruction
booklet there are a couple of areas of concern
for me. The first is the fact the fuselage is split
into six sections oering a separate nose, centre
and tail section along with the spine to match.
Getting this to align could be problematic if the
kit assembly sequence is followed. Making two
complete fuselage halves first may be a better
approach. Other than perhaps finding a way to
add the undercarriage at the end of the build
the rest of the instructions look to deal with the
build in a logical sequence.
A well-presented model that features a pleasing
amount of detail right out of the box.

KITTYHAWK Until next time...

Fitter by Far Rick Greenwood

Scale: 1/48
Kit No: 80144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: KittyHawk
Hannants/ Stevens International
KittyHawk are still a relatively new company in
the modelling world, and some of their past
releases have ticked the correct boxes in terms
of subject matter. Their latest oering, the
Sukhoi SU-17 Fitter K, is no exception. A modern
tooled and well detailed kit of this type will be a
welcome addition to many modellers
workbench, whether casual builder or Russian
aircraft enthusiast.
A nicely rendered piece of digital artwork adorns
the rather large box top, while side profiles of
the jets included on the decal sheet can be
found on the box sides. Lifting the box lid
reveals its precious contents to be well packaged
and protected in plastic bags.
Two decal sheets were found lurking at the
bottom of the box and these look to be well
printed, with cockpit instruments and some
other items making up the contents of the
smaller. An etched metal fret contains some
small airframe items and a set of seat belts. The
instruction booklet features thirty four pages
EDUARD
Night Music
Bf110G-4
Scale: 1/72
Kit No: 7094
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
The history of the Bf110 series is well
documented, from its early failings in the Battle
Of Britain to its rebirth as a highly eective night
fighter variant. Its the later version that this new
Eduard kit addresses and it looks like a nice
addition to their already large range of 110s.
The box contains no less than seven sprues of
FREIGHTDOG MODELS
Nose for a Nose
Freightdog Models are oering a little
rhinoplasty for correcting a pair of older but not
forgotten 1/72 classics. Whilst there are newer
kits of the DH Sea Vixen in this scale, it is still
good to see that some of the older ones out
there are not completely forgotten as many of us
probably have one of these kits tucked away in
our collections, so this cheap and cheerful resin
upgrade can correct the shaping around the
nose easily. Set 72106 provides a complete new
resin nose section, complete with details, for the
NF.14 variant of the Meteor released by both

4 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Matchbox and Xtrakit, as the kit
nose is apparently incorrect in its
length. Both will be welcomed by
those wanting to inject a little extra
into any building of these classic
British jets.
72105 DH Sea Vixen FAW.2
corrected nose (for Frog/Novo kits)
72106 Gloster Meteor NF.14
corrected nose (for
Matchbox/Xtrakit kits)
www.freightdogmodels.co.uk
HORIZON MODELS
Redstone Rising
Mercury Redstone
Scale: 1/72
Kit No: 2004
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Horizon Models
www.horizon-models.com
The Mercury Redstone made
history on 5th May 1961 when it
propelled Astronaut Alan B.
Shepard into space to become the
first American to do so, whilst
strapped into the capsule mounted
atop the Redstone Booster MRLV.
This short venture into space lasted
a mere five minutes of
weightlessness before it was time
to re-enter the Earths atmosphere
and land back in the Atlantic
Ocean. The feat was repeated some
months later when Virgil Grissom
was launched into space aboard
Liberty Bell 7.
The Mercury Redstone was 25.5m
in length, 1.78m in diameter and
had a range of 400 miles and was
powered by a single Rocketdyne A-
7 engine rated at 78,000lb thrust
being fed by ethyl alcohol liquid
oxygen.
This new kit from Horizon follows sheet covering a mass of jets.
on from their Convair Atlas, Bullseyes products are to be sold
Mercury Atlas and Mercury exclusively through Sprue Brothers
Spacecraft releases and contains website, and can be viewed
three sprues of grey injection through Facebook under Bullseye
moulded plastic, two etched metal Model Aviation:
frets, two decal sheets and one
assembly/marking/painting 48001 F/A-18C VFA-81 Sunliners
This sheet oers no less than nine
booklet. The kit contains parts and
decals to make any one of three Hornets of VFA-81 with national
Mercury Redstone Versions: markings and stencilling for three
aircraft. The single A5 sheet is
MR-BD 24th March 1961
packed and the instructions come
MR-3 5th May 1961 in the form of three full colour A4
MR-4 21st July 1961 double-sided sheet giving full
colour profiles of each jet covered,
Having been fortunate enough to
review all of the previous releases both port and starboard with
from Horizon models I did not think complete details for decal
twice at snapping this one up for placement. The set covers the units
review as the last kits were superb deployment to The Gulf on board
models to build and I have no USS Saratoga during January and
reason to suspect that this one will February 1991 for Operation Desert
be any dierent. Storm.
Horizon are gradually expanding 48002 Guard Eagles F-15B/C/D
their portfolio so maybe one day Eagle
we will see the Saturn 5 released by This impressive follow up oers no
them, and how about a new less than fourteen assorted F-15s
Shuttle then? One can only hope! from ANG units, including three
aircraft in the sand/brown
Andy McCabe
camouflage scheme. Instructions
come in the form of five double-
sided A4 sheets printed on
high-quality stock in full colour
while the decals themselves are on
two sheets, one approximately A4,
oering individual markings for the
aircraft covered and including the
impressive tail art for the Oregon
ANG examples, while the second
smaller sheet oers full stencilling
and generic markings for four
aircraft. This set is sized to fit the
Great Wall Hobby kits.
48003 Aggressor Vipers. F-16C/D,
64 AGRS 414 CTS Nellis AFB
Another enormous package, this
time weighing in with markings for
eighteen aircraft. The instructions
this time cover nine double-sided
A4 sheets and the single large decal
sheet has stencilling and generic
markings for eight machines as well
as the mass of codes and serials for
the individual aircraft. Sized to fit
the Tamiya kit this is another
impressive and comprehensive
performance from Bullseye.
48004 Desert Storm Vipers 388
TFW, Al Minhad, Desert
Shield/Desert Storm
Another ten aircraft are covered in
this A5 sized package. Like the
other releases it oers a mass of
information and reference material
on five double-sided A4 sheets. All
BULLSEYE the aircraft oered are in the
On the Mark! sinister three tone grey scheme
that suits the type so well with tail
Some very impressive new sheets codes and unit badges provided
arrived from Bullseye for review. All throughout.
cover modern US subjects in 1/48
and mark an impressive debut. All in all a flying start from Bullseye.
Bullseye have their roots in Be sure to check out the products
Afterburner, so readers will be at Sprue Brothers website, and if
aware of the quality and level of you are looking for Eagles and
research to be expected. What is a Vipers then keep an eye on this
real eye-opener is the sheer scale of space as more are sure to follow.
the material in hand, with each www.spruebrothers.com
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 5
NEWS BY SORGE
RODEN
Vickers VC-10 K4 Type 1170
By Andy McCabe
Scale: 1/144
Kit No: 72121
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Valom
Pocketbond/Squadron
This kit follows up on Rodens
previously released VC-10 kits in
B.O.A.C, South African Airlines and
the VC-10 K-3 Tanker versions. This
kit features seven sprues of grey
injection moulded plastic, one clear
sprue, one decal sheet, one set of
masks, one set of assembly
instructions and one colour
painting and marking guide with
paint references for Vallejo paints.
The parts have very finely engraved
panel lines, while the clear parts
include cabin windows for which
there is a set of masks for each and
every window. Decals are supplied
for one aircraft, ZD241 of the Royal
Air Force.
Andy McCabe
N.A. B-45C Tornado
By Andy McCabe
Scale: 1/72
Kit No: 72121
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Valom
Hannants/UMM-USA
The North American B-45C Tornado
was the very first American four
engined jet bomber. Three
prototypes were ordered on 8th
September 1944 and production
commenced on 2nd January 1947.
The four General Electric J-35A-4 jet
engines were housed in tandem
6 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
pairs under each wing and gave the and without turkey feathers. While
aircraft a range of 1,000 miles and a the complete parts look okay for
maximum speed of 570mph. The the scale, the partly closed turkey
modified version, the B-45C, was featherless items seem crude and
launched in 1949 and featured very basic and will probably need a
modified J47 turbojets plus other resin aftermarket replacement to
modifications such as strengthened be in keeping with the rest of the
canopy and glass. kit.
The B-45 flew combat missions Cockpit detail is good with raised
during the Korean war and was instruments and switches depicted
later modified to be capable of on the instrument panels and side
carrying nuclear warheads. These consoles. Decals are also supplied
aircraft were subsequently moved as an alternative. Given the nice
to the United Kingdom in 1952. detail work in the cockpit then the
A total of ninety six B-45 aircraft canopy is a little disappointing
were built, with a crew of four, pilot, being a single part item and quite
co-pilot/navigator, bombardier and thick.
tail gunner. Decals are provided for three
The Valom kit consists of three airframes, all sporting SJ tail codes,
and includes comprehensive stencil
sprues of Brown and one clear
sprue of injection moulded plastic, data. They are printed by Cartograf
four resin parts, one acetate film, so quality should not be
two decal sheets, one etched fret compromised.
and one assembly/painting guide. The kits instruction booklet is of
The plastic parts are nicely exploded view type with paint call
moulded and feature recessed outs being referenced to six major
panel lines. Decals are supplied for paint brands. Construction looks
two aircraft: strange as some items are broken
NA B-45C s/n 48-010 Wright down into separate parts such as
Patterson Air Force Museum the front of the conformal fuel
tanks.
NA B-45C s/n 48-001 4925 TG,
1952 A bit of a mixed bag with this kit as
This is another nice unusual kit most of the detail is outstanding
from Valom of an interesting but let down by some basic items
aircraft and not one I am familiar the jet cans being one of the most
with which makes it even more annoying. They are a major part of
welcome. the airframe that can clearly be
seen at the back end and deserved
Andy McCabe to be better represented.
The breakdown of some items
seems unconventional but the
reasoning behind this wont be
apparent until the build is
underway. If the fit of the sections
ACADEMY is good then there shouldn't be any
A Striking Eagle real problems and a nice looking
rendition of the Mud Hen will grace
Scale: 1/72 the display shelf.
Kit No: 12550
Rick Greenwood
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Academy
Pocketbond/Squadron
New from Academy is their F-15 E
in 1/72. This is a new tooled kit,
done along the same lines as their
F4J Phantom. Eliminated this time
are the multicolour parts but still
present are the rather large
attachment/location pins holding
things together. The eight sprues
feature the dark grey plastic parts
that are contained in plastic bags.
The upper fuselage surface features
some truly stunning surface detail
that compares well to the likes of
Tamiya and is repeated over the
rest of the kit. The ejector seats and
intake ramps are provided as SPECIAL HOBBY
separate parts seemingly cut from Aufklarer
another sprue, no doubt part of the
Scale: 1/48
moulding process but it does look
odd inside their plastic bags and Kit No: 12550
when depicted as single parts on Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
the sprue map. Manufacturer: Special Hobby
Two types of exhaust nozzle are Hannants/Squadron
presented to the modeller, with Resulting from a cool bit of
 E D I TO R I A L

THIS MONTHS FEATURES:

20. Operation Pedestal

Chapter Four

F
irstly a couple of brief
Friday 14th August 1942 apologies for little
spanners in the works last
20 And
Modelling the Axis
month. A batch of magazines
went out of the print shop
incorrectly collated, so while the
Bombers content was complete some
Zvezdas Ju 88A-4 in 1/72 pages were not in sequence. No
By Stephen J Di Nucci egg on the Editorial face for that
one as it happened after I had
signed the issue o, however there is no such
excuse for incorrectly crediting the Aircraft in
Profile piece. It was, of course, authored by Bob
26 26. Dumbos Back
New Tool Barracuda from Special
Bowers. Apologies to Bob and we look forward
to his next in depth study and will be sure to
Hobby spell his name correctly when we run it
By Colin Pickett On to this issue. Lots of things to be happy
about in the industry at the moment. My
favourites in recent weeks have included
Miniwings splendid little Global Hawk, or not
so little in fact as the actual machine is the size
32. Weapons for the World of a small airliner. Miniwings transition into
Modelling the Global F.1
32 Mirage F.1 in Ecuadoran and
injection moulded kits has been interesting to
watch, and has certainly added more scope
Jordanian Markings and interest to the ever growing phenomenon
By Yoav Efrati that is 1/144.
In 1/72 the arrival of IBGs splendid little
PZL-23 has thrown the editorial workbench
into turmoil and rekindled that interest in all
37. Aircraft in Profile things Polish that was regularly fired up in the
Dassault Mirage F.1 past by the arrival of articles by his late friend
Mr Wojciech Butrycz. IBG are better known for
37 Part Two
By Gary Madgwick
their 1/72 and 1/35 military subjects of course,
but last years splendid little RWD-8 paved the
With Colour Profiles by Mark Rolfe way for these latest releases, which this
modeller has seized upon with some
excitement. How far will he get this time? Two,
maybe even three models built before that
55. Colour Conundrum Trumpeter Defiant tempts him too much and
he starts stockpiling for yet another great
Phantom Finish unfinished collection.
Royal Navy F-4K Phantom FG.1s
55 1966-1979
By Paul Lucas
Trumpeters Defiant turned up courtesy of
Pocketbond and has set my fingers itching. It
looks such an elegantly engineered simple
With artwork by Mark Rolfe build, and its all black! The prospect of a quick
build and an even quicker finish are proving
hard to resist at the moment of writing but
time, as ever, is not on my side so we will have
to see what happens on that front.
58. A Crucial Carp
Meanwhile everyone else has been building
A New Look at the Kara fantastic models and this issue is full of them.
58 By Gary Hatcher All this and the latest Shipping Forecast! Multa
et mira. Enjoy!

By Gary Hatcher
60. Naval Gazing Editor
Counterfactuals from the
Golden Age Distributed to the UK and International news trade by
By Tony Grand Intermedia
http://www.inter-media.co.uk/
60 Subs-Section:
He 51 by Gary Hatcher, Sub-Cutaneous
via MarketForce (UK) Limited
110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU
http://www.marketforce.co.uk/
by Paul Lucas and F-14D Tomcat by Kitti
Tatsumaki STORE FINDER
Books-A-Million, Inc. presently operates over 200 stores in 18
Cover Illustration appears by kind permission of states and the District of Columbia. To find the store nearest
IBG. Seep review on Pages 58 - 59 of their your location visit:
www.booksamillioninc.com/store_finder/index.html
1/72 PZL.23 Karas

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 7

NEWS BY SORGE
collaboration between Special
Hobby and ICM we have seen
newly tooled variations of the
Junkers Ju 88 in 1/48. Following on
from the recent Ju 88 C-2/4 boxing
we now have the recce airframes of
the Ju 88 D-2/4 in this package.
Featuring the plastic parts of ICMs
excellent Ju 88A-5 kit, this has been
supplemented with a number of
resin parts as well as two new
plastic sprues from Special Hobby,
one grey and one clear, in order to
complete the conversion. The
breakdown of parts looks to be well
thought out allowing maximum
utilisation of the moulds for
dierent variants without
compromising on the ease of build.
Surface details consist of finely
recessed panel lines, which are
bang up to the modern standards
expected in kit design. Internal
details are very well represented in
the cockpit and exposed areas such
as undercarriage bays. Two well
moulded Jumo engines are
included, which can be exposed as
the cowlings can be posed open if
required, although a little
embellishment would be needed.
Three dierent marking options are
featured in full colour A4 painting
and decalling plans, being
Luftwae aircraft from Norway and
North Africa, as well as an airframe
from the Royal Hungarian Air Force.
Karl Robinson
LUCKY MODELLERS
Kinetic Releases
Scale: 1/32
Kit No: 3204
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Kinetic Models
www.luckymodel.com
Kinetics kit is a rebox of the
Academy kit boxed with Scale
Aircraft Conversions White Metal
undercarriage and new decals. The
rather large box contains no less
than twenty sprues of grey
injection moulded plastic, two clear
parts, one set of metal gear legs,
one instruction booklet and three
decal sheets. The plastic parts are
very nicely moulded with crisp
clear recessed panel lines and
detailing, while the three decals
sheets are produced by
Wintervalley Decals for the
Canadian versions, Fightertown for
the US versions and Cartograf for
the weapons.
Decal option provided for:
F/A -18C, United States Navy,
VFA-25
8 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
F/A-18D, United States Marine
Corps, VMFA-225
F/A-18A, Canadian Air Force, 409,
Cold Lake
F/A-18B, Canadian Air Force
Aerospace Engineering Test
Establishment, Cold Lake
The instructions have colour call
outs for Gunze, Lifecolor, Humbrol,
Testors, Revell and Vallejo.
The addition of the Scale Aircraft
Conversions white metal landing
gear legs is a bonus as this will be a
heavy model when finished and
will rely on this sturdy
undercarriage.
This is a big model and will look
mightily impressive when finished I
have no doubt.
C-2A Greyhound
Scale: 1/48
Kit No: 48025
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Kinetic Models
www.luckymodel.com
Kinetics Greyhound followed on
from the initial Hawkeye releases
and comprises sixteen sprues of
grey and one clear sprue of
injection moulded plastic, one
decal sheet, one colour etched fret
and one instruction booklet. Colour
call outs are given for Mr Color, Mr
Hobby and Vallejo paints. There is a
full interior supplied for the cockpit
and cabin/cargo bay. Decals are
supplied for two aircraft:
C-2A Bu.No. 162161, VRC-30, USS
Ronald Reagan, 2010
C-2A Bu.No. 162166, VAW-120,
2009
The aircraft can be portrayed with
its wings folded if required, which is
a good idea to save space as it is
quite a big model in this scale.
The kit has been around for a few
years but this is the first time it has
landed on my doorstep and it is
one I am looking forward to
reviewing.
Andy McCabe
SPECIAL HOBBY
Hughes MD-520N NOTAR
Scale: 1/72
Kit No: 72348
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Special Hobby
Hannants/Squadron
Back in 2010 I chanced upon some
AZ Models kits of the small Hughes
500 series of helicopters. Intrigued,
because they were far removed
from the usual AZ fare, I bought a
couple and was well impressed to
find two kits in each box. Cutting a
long story short, they were nice
enough kits, although axing the
very thin glazing to the rest of the
model was, erm, challenging, to say
the least. Fit wasnt good and the
glass needed to be flush with the
airframe and free from glue smears.
When this new Special Hobby kit
came up for review, Im sorry to
admit that that I didnt rush to
volunteer, with memories of those
short run kits still fresh and myself
feeling particularly lazy. However
the editor decided to pass it to me
as I did say that Id build anything.
I must say that Im now well
chued, having opened the box
and seen the content up close. For
starters, the doors and fuselage
pod are moulded in very, very clear
transparent styrene, complete with
the fine detail that is more able to
be reproduced in this material.
Definitely not short run.
Marvellous, I thought to my smiling
self. A fresh blade for the cutting of
the masking tape and Im in
business. It was only then that I
noticed two sets of precut masks.
Outstanding and Im cooking on
gas, with one set of masks for the
exterior, another for the interior!
At this point of the review, I needed
to go and have a nice sit down and
a cup of tea and to gather my fifty
percent wit quotient. Special
Hobby are not best known for their
helicopter kits, Cobras aside, but in
this instance they have
supplemented the well moulded
styrene with some six pieces of
superbly cast resin and a photo
etch fret of twenty three pieces.
Doing a bit of research, as you do, I
found that the kit is based upon a
series of Hughes helicopter kits,
originally released by Profiline back
in 2010. This range covered a
variety of Hughes 500s and I
noticed that the sprues contain a
plethora of surplus parts, obviously
intended for other versions of this
busy little chopper.
The decals are of the usual very
high standard now expected of
Special Hobby. However, with the
possible exception of the Belgian
police option, are all quite
mundane. That said, I do like the
look of the all black British
machine. Of note, the grills present
on the real thing are represented
by decal.
So to conclude, Im looking forward
to building this one. Thanks to
Special Hobby for the opportunity.
Bruce Leyland-Jones
NEWS BY SORGE

EDUARD
Bunny Fighter Club
This month our worthless varmint
is sporting some dashing nose art
to celebrate the release of Eduards
Bf 110 as a F, with Wespen markings
in a PROFIpack edition. He may find
El Alamein in time for the second
battle
Not a member of the Bfc yet?
Joining up will get you a 15%
Permanent Club discount at
Eduards Store, unique valuable
Club kits and accessories, even
better prices at Eduard events
stand and a BFC T-shirt with unique
design and special barcode (used
for event discounts). This exclusive
T-shirt will only be available to
members of BFC. You also get free
entry fee on E-day - check out the
website for full details.
www.eduard.com/bfc/

COPPER STATE MODELS
Armstrong Whitworth FK.8 (mid
production)
Scale: 1/48
Kit No: K1030
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Copper State Models
www.copperstatemodels.com
The FK.8 or Big Ack as it was known was one of
the most widely used workhorses used by the
RFC / RAF after the BE series and RE8. Around
1700 were built by Armstrong Whitworth and
Sanderson before March 1919. Despite this, very
few kits have ever been produced of this type
and ohand I can only think of the 1/72 Pegasus
short run tooling, which has long been out of
production. To rectify this situation Copper State
Models has released a pair of kits depicting the
mid and late production versions of the aircraft.
This is the third of the new generation of CSM
models, which are predominantly produced in
injection moulded plastic rather than the resin
that Copper State originally favoured. This is also
the first to be completely under control of the
new management.
The kit itself is a true multimedia product,
containing plastic, photoetch and resin parts.
The injection moulded plastic parts are supplied
on four sprues and the first thing that strikes you
is the size of the aircraft as the wings in
particular dominate one of the two larger sprues

10 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K

within the box. The plastic itself is cleanly
moulded and its cad origins are very apparent
by the sharpness and consistency of the detail.
While both the released kits depict the later
round nosed version of the aircraft, the fuselage
has been designed to have a PE nose section,
presumably to make the earlier square nosed
version easy to produce without extra tooling
costs. The detail on the parts is excellent and I
particularly like the stitching detail on the
fuselage. The small parts such as machine guns,
instrument panel and plastic engine are
extremely well done and as good as anything I
have seen from the likes of Eduard and Wingnut
Wings. The only negative I can find is that the rib
tape detail on the upper wing is a little on the
heavy side, however because of the sharpness of
the detail this should be easy to rectify with a
piece of light grade sandpaper.
The kit also contains three sheets of photo etch
the large sheet contains the majority of parts
including that rounded nose and a rather nice
wicker seat. A smaller spare sheet provides two
extra noses on what I think is a very slightly
thicker grade of PE. This is a nice touch and
allows the modeller to have a few practice runs
at getting the rounded shape right. There is also
a very small, thicker piece of PE featuring control
horns and the characteristic AW branding that is
so prominent on the nose of the Big Ack. In
addition to the plastic engine, the current kits
contain a resin version of the Beardmore, which
is more complex to build but will ultimately be
be superior to the plastic engine.
NEWS BY SORGE
The kit contains four decal options including the
machine in which Alan McLeod won his VC. As
with many British RFC aircraft of the period the
four options are fairly similar to each other with
all four being mainly PC10 on the upper
surfaces.
Copper State Models have done a good job
researching this model, which is reflected in the
level of interior detail matching up with the few
period photos of the type that exist. One very
slight omission is that while the kit contains a
camera mount at the rear of the observers
position no camera is supplied.
The FK8 has always been a favourite of mine and
at first glance Copper State Models appear to
have done a sterling job. There are no definitive
drawings of the type, the most commonly
available being Ian Stairs Windsock drawings,
which are not one of his most accurate. As such
CSM have had to work from the ground upwards
to produce this model and the results are
extremely impressive. I cant wait to get started
on my kit. Many thanks to Edgar Leipinsh and
Copper State Models for this review sample.
Dave Hooper
JULY 2017 VOLUME 38 ISSUE 05 11
CZECH OUT
Global Hawk
Miniwings Latest Plastic
By Huw Morganh
M
any people, myself included, suppose
that the use of Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAV) is a pretty new
phenomenon. In fact the concept stretches back
to World War I, where attempts were made to fly
lightweight, unmanned aircraft to attack enemy
strongpoints. World War II developed these ideas
with a number of radio controlled or
preprogrammed aircraft being used by both
sides in the conflict, most famously the
Luftwae's Mistel series, but it wasn't until the
Kit No: FR0033 USA's involvement in Vietnam that the use of
Scale: 1/72 robotic aerial devices really took o (literally!)
with heavy deployment of reconnaissance
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
drones like the AQM-34L Firebee based
Manufacturer: Frrom-Azur Lightning Bug over hostile territory and some
Hannants/UMM-USA use of unmanned assault aircraft. Like most
fields of electronic and computer related
development, UAV evolution has been
unbelievably rapid in the last couple of decades
with current capabilities in navigation,
autonomous decision making and reliability
being utterly staggering.
The history of the Global Hawk goes back to
around 1988 when the USAF and CIA became
interested in UAVs with long range and
extensive loiter time to replace manned
platforms like the U-2 and SR-71, the first really
successful type being the RQ-1 Predator of 1996.
Development of a larger, higher performance
airframe with a sophisticated sensor package
was entrusted to Teledyne-Ryan, later absorbed
into Northrop-Grumman, and the RQ-4A, which
flew first in 1994, looked like a sailplane but was
powered by a Rolls-Royce AE3007H turbofan,
this combination giving it a ceiling of 65,000ft
(19,000m) and an endurance of around thirty six
hours. Only sixteen of the -A version were built
for the USAF, before being superseded by the
RQ-4B with wingspan increased by 5m and a
number of structural changes. The airframe is
surprisingly large, being 44.4ft (13.5m) in length
and with a 130ft (39.9m) wingspan. The RQ-4B
12 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
has been developed into the MQ-4C Triton for
the US Navy.
Miniwing's Global Hawk continues the firm's
expansion into injection moulded plastic
production and like the firm's Cessna Bird Dog, is
packaged in a ziploc bag stapled to a simple
card backing carrying the painting instructions.
The twenty plastic parts are very cleanly
moulded, although typical of the scale, the
panel lines are rather heavy. The long slender
wing halves are very nicely done, and naturally,
there's no cockpit or canopy. My early issue bag
was for a NASA marked example in mostly white
with light grey nose. Unfortunately the NASA
scheme is slightly at odds with the plastic, which
represents the later, long span RQ-4B, while both
aircraft operated by NASA were ex USAF RQ-4As
(actually the first and sixth airframes of the initial
batch of sixteen) and were fitted with twin
wheel main gear, rather than the single wheel
units in the kit.
For once construction doesn't start with the
cockpit! Although Miniwing's instructions
consist only of a single exploded diagram, the
sequence is pretty straightforward. Before
gluing the fuselage halves together, the engine
fan needs painting and installing, and some
nose weight needs adding. One gram is
recommended, but that felt a bit light so I put in
about four grams, for which there's plenty of
room. Despite the absence of location pins, the
fuselage fits together neatly, needing minimal
clean up and only a little filler on the underside.
Careful carving with a sharp knife can refine the
intake and jet exhaust apertures. The long wings
fit with solid location tabs and I set mine
propped up for the glue to dry fully. With the
butterfly tail planes fitted the airframe is about
done, I left o the ventral strakes since they
weren't seen on the -A. It's at this point that one
realises just how big these things are in real life.
Despite the marking/airframe inconsistency I
went ahead with the NASA scheme for the

purposes of the review. Halfords grey primer, a
dash of Halfords white primer, both polished,
and a satin white using a 50/50 mix of Tamiya X-
2 and XF-2. The pale grey nose was done with Mr
Hobby H308, which I had in the airbrush for
another job, and which on reflection is a bit too
dark. The decals behaved themselves and went
on without diculty, although some of the
smaller script is a bit smudged.
The undercarriage is straightforward. I
thinned the kit's plastic gear doors rather than
try to replicate their compound curves in brass
and I added some rudimentary retraction jacks
Eduards Weekend Butcher Bird in Forum
Kit No: 7430
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
since they're quite visible on parked aircraft.
There are no antennae oered in the kit,
although most variants had some
protuberances.
Although this is a nice kit of a fascinating
evolution of aerial reconnaissance technology,
the NASA version just doesn't do it for me, so I'll
probably be rebuilding mine as a US Navy MQ-
4C Triton, with the extra radar bumps, the
infrared nose scanner and the white/engine grey
scheme. If I was to do the NASA version again, I'd
backdate it to a -A by clipping the wings 15mm
each side, narrowing them to adjust the chord,
Focke Wulf
Fw 190A-8/R-2
Weekend Edition
By Geo Cooper-Smith
T
he A-8 was the most important of the A-
series (fighter) variants and constituted the
bulk of Fw 190 production during the latter
stages of the war. Various field kits were available
to personalise your Fw 190 and this kit actually
includes the parts and markings for an R-2 (two
30mm cannons to replace the outboard 20mm
cannons) and an R-8 (as the R-2 but with
additional armour and canopy glass).
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
CZECH OUT
modifying the main gear to take twin wheels,
and adding the T-shaped UHF aerial and pitot
probes.
Conclusion
This is a nice kit from Miniwing, whose entry
into plastic moulding looks to be set fair. The
NASA markings chosen are attractive albeit
slightly inappropriate for the kit as presented.
USAF, NATO and Luftwae versions are all
available, which will no doubt be more self
consistent.
The stages arent numbered but start with the
cockpit, which includes side consoles with raised
detail and upper and lower instrument panels
with decals. There are also decals for the
seatbelts. Once this had been painted, dry
brushed and given a wash it all looks very
eective.
The second stage is assembly of the fuselage.
There is a very basic engine, which is all that is
needed due to the ducted cowling with its fan.
However, bringing the fuselage parts together,
and I hesitate to use the word halves as there are
a lot of separate cowl parts to come, requires
care as the only point they actually touch on the
topside is behind the cockpit. In order to ensure
this assembly dried square I dry fitted some of
the front panels and left them in place.
Stage three is the fixing of the main wing spar
13
CZECH OUT
into the lower once piece wing, which is
followed by the undercarriage bay detail. This
required several dry fits to ensure the correct
location. The upper wings halves are then
axed. The inboard cannons are also shown as
being fitted at this stage but I left these o,
being absolutely certain they would get broken
o when joining this wing assembly to the
fuselage. They are also a little lacking in crispness
so were replaced with Albion Alloys brass tube.
The fourth stage is the adjoining of the
fuselage and wing assemblies. This was not as
good a fit as expected and required some
whittling away of the top of the wheel well (part
89), otherwise the wing wasnt suciently snug
to the fuselage. This was followed by several
bouts of filling and sanding with the inevitable
loss of some detail. I am also not convinced by
the dihedral required (too much) for the wings
to give the best fit to the fuselage. The upper
fuselage and cowling parts are also attached at
this stage. The rudder, ailerons, cowling front
and tail planes then follow.
The fifth stage covers the undercarriage. I
painted and part assembled these and set them
to one side until the end of the build. I liked the
separate hubs and tyres, which made the
process of painting easy. The axing of the main
wheel legs into the underside of the wing is not
by a proper lug and appears to rather substance
but once everything is in place its actually pretty
solid. The angle at which all this needs to be set
is shown in a front view diagram in the
proceeding stage over the page.
The sixth stage adds the under belly fuel tank,
which requires the addition of a brass pin to aid
in locating and axing, and the outboard
cannons, which were also improved by
replacement with Albion Alloys brass tube. Some
delicate parts, such as the underside aerials,
were left o until the very end of the build.
The final stage is the axing of the windshield
and canopy along with the propeller. There are
Kit No: 7436
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
Aftermarket: Eduard 672 101
Fw 190A-5 Fuselage Guns
Focke-Wulf
Fw-190 A-5
Heavy Fighter
Weekend Edition
By Andy McCabe
14 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
separate mouldings for open and closed
canopies. As I had rashly chosen the R-8 version,
two small additional clear panels had to be
axed to the main canopy. Yikes! After some
thought, and no little trepidation, this was
successfully achieved by placing two dots of
semi-hard white glue to tack them into place,
followed by an application of fresh white glue.
There are two colour options:
A8-R8 of Werner Gerth, II(Sturm)/JG3, July
1944
A-8/R-2 of Paul Lixfield, 6./JG 300, late 1944
The colour call outs are for Gunze acrylics or
enamels, with RLM numbers where applicable.
The decals are gossamer like and settle down
very well, even without setting solution, but can
stick to themselves and dont like to be moved
much, so plenty of water was used to assist with
T
his Weekend Edition consists of two grey
and one clear sprue of injection moulded
plastic, two decal sheets and one
instruction booklet. Colour call outs are for
Gunze paints throughout. The decals are nicely
printed with markings for two dierent aircraft.
Also supplied for this review was the Brassin
fuselage gun set, which has fifteen resin parts
and one etched fret in the box. All of the pieces
have superb detailing to them, even in this
smaller scale.
The build begins by spraying all of the cockpit
interior parts with Mr Hobby H416 RLM66 Black
Grey and then the detail is painted to bring out
the superb moulding, which when completed
with the decals looks pretty good straight from
application of the decal. There is a separate
diagram for the extensive additional sheet of
stencils. I didnt apply all of these as I thought in
1/72 it would look rather overdone.
Conclusion
All in all I found this to be a pretty satisfying,
exquisitely detailed and finely engineered kit.
However I do wonder whether the parts make
up, done to allow as many variants to be
extricated from the moulds as possible, has gone
a little too far and as a result compromises the
fit. I also wonder if some of the problems
encountered were due to the construction
sequence. To this end I have cajoled the editor
into providing me with another weekend edition
(the A-5 version) of this kit. Ill report back in due
course
the box. Decals are supplied for the instrument
panels and the seat belts. The cockpit tub is then
inserted into one fuselage half.
Work now commenced on the Brassin
fuselage gun set. All of the parts were sprayed
with Mr Hobby H70 RLM02 Grey first and then
assembled. The rear part of the engine was
sprayed matt black and then the whole
assembly, minus the guns, was built up and
fitted into the fuselage half. The two fuselage
halves were then glued together.
The wing spar was now glued to the lower
wing section and the upper wheel well inserts
installed on the same. The two cannon were
fitted onto the wing and then the two upper
wing halves were fitted to the lower wing. When
CZECH OUT
this assembly was added to the fuselage I found
the fit of the parts exact and no filler was
needed.
The rudder, tail planes and ailerons were now
fitted and the engine front was painted and
inserted into the hole in the front fuselage. The
windscreen and cockpit canopy were now
masked and the windscreen glued into position.
The canopy was dry fitted using Maskol and
then the model was given a coat of grey primer.
The underside and fuselage sides were then
sprayed with Lifecolor UA-074 RLM76 Lichtblau,
which when dry was masked o and then the
upper wings, tail planes and fuselage were
sprayed with Lifecolor UA-508 Grauviolet,
Kit No: 7439
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
Focke Wulf
Fw 190A-5
Light Fighter
Weekend Edition
By Geo Cooper-Smith
The A-5 was the first of the slightly stretched
A-series being relatively lightly armoured and
having just two 7.92mm machine guns in the
fuselage and two 20mm cannon in the inner
wing positions. As a consequence it was some
500lb lighter than the A-8 version previously
reviewed.
I wont repeat wot I rote for the A-8, but will
instead concentrate on the dierences, although
the (not numbered) construction sequence is
slightly dierent towards the end.
I started with stages 1 (the cockpit) and 3 and
4 (fitting out of the lower wing) first. As I
indicated at the end of the previous build, the
16 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
followed by Lifecolor UA-507 RLM74 Graugrun.
The underside of the nose and rudder were then
masked o and sprayed yellow.
The decals were now applied and no
problems were encountered or expected during
their application. Colour options supplied with
this kit are:
W.Nr.7334, Oblt. Josef Wurmheller, 9./JG 2,
Vannes, July 1943
W. Nr, 5868, Oblt, Max Stotz, 5./JG 54, Eastern
Front, summer 1942
Final assembly now commenced by
assembling and fitting the undercarriage and
prop and then painting and fitting the resin
guns to the upper fuselage.
main issue was the construction of the front part
of fuselage, which is split across three stages.
Completing stages 1, 3 and 4 allowed me to
assemble the whole of the front fuselage,
including the lower cowling, which is included
as part of the single piece lower wing, in one go.
They were simply all fitted into place and then
liquid cement was carefully run into the joins. I
must say I found it all much better and easier by
this alternative route, and it was all square and
rock solid after an overnight stay on the
workbench.
I was also able to determine that the problem
fitting the wings in the previous build was
probably due to inaccurate location of the wheel
bay (part 90) during stage three and it nearly
Oblt. Rolf Strohal, Stab I./JG 1, Deelen, the
happened again. This appears to be because all
the other parts of the undercarriage bay have
clearly indicated location points, with arrows
and blue shading for the contact points. The
wheel bay does not and it actually needs a little
fettling to make sure it fits properly. I know I got
it right this time as the wings were a far better fit
Conclusion
This is a very impressive model straight from
the box and the additional Brassin gun set adds
to the detail. The fit of the parts is excellent and
no filler was needed during the build. Even in
this smaller scale for me it is a very neat Fw-190
and no problems were encountered during the
build whatsoever.
Eduard produce some very finely
manufactured kits and the addition of their
Brassin range means that the aftermarket parts
fit precisely into the plastic kits without any
modification. This kit is no exception and is
another stunning addition to their range.
first time with no filling and sanding needed.
The seventh stage includes the undercarriage
wheel covers on this version and they were not
nearly as easy to fit as the main undercarriage.
Firstly the doors themselves have a very small
contact patch with the fuselage and secondly
the attachment point at the fuselage end of the
retraction arm is not at all clear. Oh, and I broke
the fuselage stirrup again as it is a most
delicately moulded part but ever so vulnerable,
as is the wing pitot, which is very long.
There are no under belly or under wing
attachments on the A-5 and far fewer aerials too.
Once again there are two colour options:
Netherlands, April 1943
Stab JG 54, Pskov, Soviet Union, spring 1943
The colour call outs are for Gunze acrylics or
enamels, with RLM numbers where applicable. I
chose the former, as the camouflage of the latter
looked almost impossible. However the masking
 CZECH OUT

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Conversion parts to create a 1/48th scale model of Prone Nose Meteor F8

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Brigade Models C/O 62 Periwinkle Close Sittingbourne ME10 2JU

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 17

CZECH OUT
of the engine cowling, which is in black and
white stripes with a yellow underside,
apparently to aid identification and allow the
unit to form up again quickly after an attack, was
a challenge. I initially tried it by eye and it looked
very bad. Consequently I resorted to some basic
geometry and calculated the circumference of
the engine cowling at its widest point and
narrowest point and measure the point of
transition. I then transferred these dimensions to
Kit No: 72198
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Special Hobby
Hannants/Squadron
Super Sabre
Nakajima Ki-115 Tsurugi
By Bob Foster
The Kamikaze were symbolic of the desperate
situation that Japan found herself in during the
closing months of World War II. Thousands of
young volunteers met their deaths attempting
to turn back the Allies by deliberately flying
aircraft loaded with bombs into enemy ships. In
early 1945, the Japanese High Command was
making plans for the defence of the home
islands and instructed Nakajima to design and
construct a fleet of cheap, single seat aircraft
specifically for the Kamikaze mission, and the Ki-
115 was born. Built largely from wood and steel,
the Ki-115 was designed to be powered by
stocks of old, obsolete radial engines from the
1920s and 1930s. Despite ambitious plans to
produce 8,000 aircraft per month from small
workshops only 100 or so were produced and
none saw combat before the Japanese surrender
in August 1945.
Special Hobby have recently rereleased their
1/72 kit of this diminutive aircraft as a limited
run, which consists of a single grey sprue with
the main airframe parts, one clear sprue, a small
18 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
masking tape, cut to shape and applied to the
cowling. Simple!
But the one thing I didnt much like with the
chosen version was that the inside of the
fuselage crosses were painted grey and yet the
decal sheet does not provide these even though
it provides the black in filled crosses of the other
version. I reasoned these were probably painted
in at some stage and so I applied the white
crosses followed by a piece of clear decal film
photo etch fret and a small set of resin parts that
includes a bomb, the engine and exhaust pipes.
The kit features fine recessed panel lines, and
while with this sample there was some evidence
of flash around some of the smaller parts it was
nothing that couldnt be cleaned up with a few
swipes of a sanding stick.
As with most aircraft kits, the build begins
with the cockpit. This is a simple aair, reflecting
the very basic layout of the real aircraft. All parts
were given a coat of Alclad black primer
followed by Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green (IJN),
and some seatbelts were added to the seat. The
kit includes a set of etched belts, however I had
recently acquired Eduards excellent photo etch
IJA seatbelts in 1/72, so I chose to add these to
the kits seat. The cockpit was then added to the
fuselage but when I came to join the two halves
of the fuselage together I discovered that the
instrument panel did not fit. After several
attempts to install the panel I could not get it to
fit in the correct location and still be able to
close the fuselage without major surgery to both
it and the inside of the fuselage halves, so I
reluctantly decided to leave it out of the aircraft.
This was disappointing, but because the cockpit
opening is so small and dark it doesnt detract
from the finished model.
After assembly of the fuselage, construction
painted the same dark grey as the camouflage
and cut to shape. As with the A-8 build I didnt
apply all of the stencilling as I thought in 1/72 it
would look rather overdone.
Applying what had been learned during the
A-8 build most definitely helped here. As a
consequence I now like this kit even more
second time around and it is really good to end
up with both a heavy (A-8/U-2) and light (A-5)
version of the best of the Luftwae fighters.
turns to the wings. Like the rest of the kit, and
indeed the prototype, these were a simple aair
consisting of a lower wing and fuselage that is
married to two upper wing sections and then
glued to the bottom of the fuselage. These parts
were cleaned up and assembled, then glued to
the airframe. The fit was excellent, particularly
along the wing root, and only a small amount of
filler was required underneath the fuselage just
behind the semi recessed bomb bay. Next the
horizontal and vertical tails were added, and the
airframe was set aside while construction turned
to the engine.
Special Hobby has provided a finely detailed
representation of the Nakajima Ha-35 radial
engine in cast resin, along with separate resin
exhaust pipes. The engine cowling itself is
moulded in plastic in two halves, which fit
together well without any major seams. The
engine was sprayed with Alclad Steel and
installed in the cowling, followed by the
separate exhaust pipes. The pipes themselves
are exceptionally small and took some patience
to fit in place, but once they are installed they do
look the part. I did however manage to lose two
of them to the dreaded carpet monster. The
whole engine assembly was then added to the
front of the airframe, which was then masked up
ready for painting.

The real Ki-115 was a simple aircraft, and the
examples that were captured by the Allies at the
end of World War II were left in their natural
metal finish with only basic Hinomaru markings.
To replicate this the kit was sprayed with Alclad
grey primer followed by Alclad Aluminium,
which was then masked to allow the black
antiglare panel to be sprayed onto the nose with
Tamiya X-1. The kits instructions called for the
ailerons and tail section to be sprayed grey-
green to represent fabric covered sections, and
although this colour dierence was not apparent
from available photographs I decided to mask
and spray them with Tamiya XF-76 to add some
colour and break up the overall aluminium finish
of the aircraft. The exhaust pipes were then
picked out with Tamiya X-10 Gunmetal and the
whole airframe received a coat of Tamiya Clear
ready for the Hinomaru decals. The completed
airframe was then set aside as the build moved
to the undercarriage.
As the Ki-115 was designed for one-way
Kamikaze missions, it was originally intended to
have a basic undercarriage that would fall away
on take-o. However when tested this proved to
be problematic so a basic fixed undercarriage
was provided consisting of two main wheels and
a tailskid. Special Hobbys representation of this
undercarriage is perhaps a bit thicker than it
should be in scale, however given the limitations
of injection moulding this isnt too noticeable.
The legs and wheel hubs were sprayed with
Alclad Steel and the tyres finished in Tamiya X1
before they were carefully assembled and added
to the underside of the wings. The tailskid was
also sprayed in Alclad Steel and attached to the
rear fuselage. The aircraft was now largely
complete, needing only its propeller, bomb and
canopy to be attached.
The bomb itself is provided as a fine resin
casting and was cleaned up without any major
issues. It was sprayed with Mr Hobby H52 Olive
Drab and glued into the recessed bomb bay on
the underside of the fuselage. The propeller and
hub were assembled and sprayed with Tamiya
XF-64 Red Brown, then added to the engine. I
found it necessary to open up the locating hole
for the propeller slightly, but otherwise it went
together without any major issues. The
completed airframe was then given a final coat
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
CZECH OUT
of Tamiya Semi-Gloss Clear before adding the
small two-piece canopy, which was painted with
Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluminium prior to fitting. The
real aircraft were fitted with a small telescopic
bombsight that protruded through the
windscreen, and on my sample this required a
hole to be drilled into the canopy to fit it. Not
wanting to damage the very small canopy, I
decided to leave this part o. No weathering was
added to the aircraft, as in reality these aircraft
flew very little during the war and the majority
remained unused.
Limited run kits can sometimes be dicult to
assemble, but Special Hobbys Ki-115 is a simple
kit that is keenly priced and builds into a good
representation of this unusual type. While
perhaps not for the beginner, it is certainly not
beyond the skills of the majority of modellers
and fills an interesting gap in World War II
Japanese aviation. While I have highlighted
some minor fit issues with the kit, they are not
dramatic and do not detract from the completed
model. This is definitely a kit I would recommend
to anyone looking to add something interesting
and a bit dierent to their collection.
19
M A LTA O N A P E D E S TA L
The Air and Sea Battle
Chapter Four
Friday 14th August 1942
B
y first light on the
fourteenth the only two
merchant ships still afloat
and not yet entered into Valettas
Grand Harbour were the freighter
Brisbane Star and the tanker Ohio.
The Brisbane Star, damaged by
a torpedo during the evening of
the twelfth, had been unable to
keep up with the main convoy,
and completely unescorted, her
master Captain Riley had decided
to chart his own course down the
coast of Tunisia. On the
thirteenth they spotted a U-boat
whilst in the Gulf of Hammamet.
This was successfully evaded
after many hours of clever
navigation through a series of
o-shore shallows, whilst always
remaining within Vichy French
territorial waters. In the evening a
Vichy patrol boat came out to
meet them and this put a shot
across the ships bows. Two
ocers came on board, but
Captain Riley talked his way out
of trouble, and incredibly the
ship was allowed to continue. In
the early hours of the fourteenth
the Axis renewed their attempts
to find the ship, and at possibly
around 06.30 she was
approached by S.79s of 30
Gruppo BT, it seems engaged on
armed reconnaissance, at least
two of them from 56 Squadriglia
plus possibly other elements out
from Sciacca, Sicily. By now
however the ship was within
range of Maltas Beaufighters. An
S.79 was shot down by a
20 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Beaufighter from 235 Squadron
and another was lost whilst
landing on Pantellaria. Later,
probably also during the
morning, Brisbane Star was
reported to have been bombed
by three Cant Z1007bis from 29
Gruppo BT, 63 Squadriglia from
Chinisia Sicily, but without result.
Already benefiting from
Beaufighter escort, Brisbane Star
was soon able to obtain both
Spitfire and Naval escort, and the
ship put safely into Valetta
without further mishap later that
day.
Not so the Ohio however,
which now expected the
undivided attention of the Axis
air fleets. There was in the event
only one further attack on the
ship, but the Axis found a new
dimension introduced; Malta was
by now so close at hand, the
island was actually in view from
the afternoon onwards, and
Spitfires were undertaking
constant patrols over the ship.
With still no headway of her
own made, the destroyers Penn,
Bramham and Ledbury were
attempting to tow the Ohio into
Malta when an attack began to
develop. At 10.50 five Stukas
from 102 Gruppo, possibly a
mixed force of both Ju 87B and
Ju 87R, led by Capitano Antonio
Cumbat of 239 Squadriglia out
from Gela, Sicily hove into view,
and proceeded to attempt
bombing approaches. One Stuka
was shot down by a Spitfire and
Cumbats own machine later
force landed in the sea, but one
aircraft at least managed to
penetrate the defences and near
missed with a large bomb in
Ohios wake, causing more
damage to her stern. Ohio
struggled on, low in the water,
physically supported by her
destroyers and at a snails pace,
and it would only be well into the
following day that she would
eventually sail into Valetta.
The fact that the Ohio failed to
attract further attention was
without doubt a very serious
mistake on the part of the Axis
forces. The reason for this seems
to have been that the Germans
believed all the remaining
merchant vessels had reached
harbour, and although the
Italians seem to have been less
convinced, both now regarded
Force X, the code name for the
remaining escort force that had
turned back towards Gibraltar at
16.00 on the 13th August, as their
primary target. Force X steamed
through the night westward at all
speed, in spite of unsuccessful
attacks by at least one Italian E-
boat and by the Italian
submarine Granito, and by
daybreak on the fourteenth they
had cleared well beyond the
Sicilian Straits and found
themselves in the vicinity of La
Galite island.
Shortly afterwards, starting at
07.30 and persisting through to
09.10, a force of seventeen Ju 88s
appeared and made attacks on
Force X, principally upon the
cruiser Kenya, but the only
success appears to have been the
By Stephen J Di Nucci
defenders AAA fire bringing
down a Ju 88.
At 10.30 up to fifteen Ju 88s
and thirteen Ju 87Ds began to
put in more attacks, one bomb
striking Kenya with minor results,
but there was a further Axis loss
when a German Stuka also
succumbed to AAA.
The Stukas were those of
I./StG.3, which carried out attacks
throughout 12-14th August, from
Trapani and Sciacca on Sicily.
I./KG.54 and its Ju 88As had been
on Sicily since perhaps 21st June.
They were out from Gerbini on
the 14th August and made
repeated attacks from 11-14th
without loss. Stab/KG.54 had
been at Catania, Sicily since
December 1941, but Ive seen no
evidence that it flew against
Pedestal and its duty at this time
may have been mainly
organizational. Stab/KG.77 and its
Ju 88s had been at Comiso, Sicily
since 30th June, and II./KG.77 and
III./KG.77 had detachments of Ju
88s at Comiso or Gerbini,
probably both, by 12th August.
All three Gruppen joined in the
attacks during the period 12-14th
August but whether each carried
out attacks on all three dates is
not fully clear, but it is known
that II./KG.77 attacked both
Pedestal itself and Force X on
14th August.
At midday fresh attacks on
Force X began to develop, this
time by Italian bombers and
torpedo bombers from Sardinia,
Sicily and Pantellaria, but a fierce
AAA barrage broke up the

Bomber units operating against Pedestal and Force X on 14th th August
tABle 7
Unit Subordinate Unit
29 Gruppo BT* 63 Squadriglia
30 Gruppo BT * 55, 56 Squadriglie
38 Gruppo BT * 49, 50 Squadriglie
51 Gruppo BT * 212, 213 Squadriglie
102 Gruppo BaT ** 239 Squadriglia
105 Gruppo AS*** 254, 255 Squadriglie
109 Gruppo BT * 258, 259 Squadriglie
130 Gruppo AS*** 280, 283 Squadriglie
132 Gruppo AS*** 278, 281 Squadriglie
KG.26 6/KG.26
KG.54 I./KG.54
KG.77 Stab, II, III./KG.77
StG.3 I./StG.3
* BT: Bombardamento Terrestre ground bomber
** BaT: Bombardamento a Tuo dive bomber
*** AS: Aerosilurante torpedo bomber
formations and there is no record
of any successes, in spite of
Italian claims to the contrary.
Once again the defenders had
the best of it, a minimum of
seven S.79s suering damage,
one source noting that one crash
landed in Tunisia. In the first wave
were fifteen SM.84s from Cagliari
Elmas, Sardinia. These aircraft
were part of 32 Stormo and are
recorded in some sources as
having carried out level
bombing. However the Stormos
two Gruppi was tasked from May
1942 with carrying out
combination attacks of both
bombing and torpedo bombing,
and if both its Gruppi were
involved, that is 38 Gruppo BT and
89 Gruppo AS, it is possible that
not all fifteen aircraft were level
bombing. Joining this attack
were eight S.79sil from 132
Gruppo AS who were outbound
from Pantelleria, and four S.79sil
from 105 Gruppo AS out from
Castelvetrano, Sicily. Eight aircraft
Arrival of the Brisbane Star in the Grand Harbour at Valetta, Malta. Bristane Star had been torpedoed
and damaged on 12th August. She proceeded independently to Malta where she arrived on 15th
August having avoided German, Italian and Vichy French forces and despite severe damage
M A LTA O N A P E D E S TA L
Specific bombers known to have been used against Pedestal on 14th August
tABle 8
Type Unit Code letters Serial Remarks
Type Remarks
Ju 88 4/KG.77 3Z+FM ? Shot down by AAA
Cant Z1007bis Possibly also 62 Sq
Ju 87D-3 3/StG.3 S7+BL ? Shot down by AAA
S.79 Two lost
S.79 30 Gruppo 56-?? MM22184 Shot down by fighter
SM.84 Possibly also 89 Gr Ju 87R-5 102 Gruppo 239 ? Cap. Cumbat. Ditched
Cant Z1007bis Possibly both Sq bombers were driven o and all Several published sources
Ju 87R. Ju 87B? Two lost three of the escorts were shot when describing the actions of
down by Spitfires of 126 14th August fail to dierentiate
S.79sil Squadron. A large formation of clearly between attacks on the
SM.84 up to thirty three Ju 88s and Brisbane Star, on the Ohio and on
fourteen Ju 87s had also lifted o Force X, and this author must
S.79sil from Sicily, but it seems these himself confess to some diculty,
S.79sil failed completely. However five especially as regards Force X.
SM.84s from 32 Stormo were able Even now some of the details
He 111H-6 to penetrate through to Force X remain confusing when
later in the afternoon when the comparing dierent sources. I
Ju 88A-4 No losses
ships were o Cap Bougaroun, have however worked hard to
Ju 88A-4 One lost but none of these were lost in the present the known facts as
ensuing action. clearly as I could.
Ju 87D One lost
collectively from 109 Gruppo BT
and 130 Gruppo AS also joined.
These attacks persisted until at
least 13.25. One source records
that a RN destroyer sighted three
Fiat BR 20 bombers, but I have
not seen this substantiated, and
at times BR 20 was used as a
generic term for Italian bombers,
so this may be the explanation.
In the early part of the
afternoon a group of three,
possibly five, He 111 torpedo
bombers, presumably once again
from 6/KG.26, escorted by
nineteen Italian Reggiane Re
2001s plus four German Bf 109s
set out from Sicily. Poor visibility
developed and it seems that
none of these managed to sight
By 14th August Brisbane Star and the tanker Ohio were the only
Force X. The ships radar plotters
merchant ships from the convoy that were still aiming for the
watched the aircraft carrying out comparative safety of Valettas Grand Harbour. Brisbane Stars
their searches amongst the cloud adventures on this particular day of the operation were fairly
and mists with amusement. The remarkable. How the ship reached Malta more or less intact on 15th
He 111s and just three of the Re August is one of the unsung sagas of the Mediterranean War, but its
2001s managed to approach story is generally overshadowed by the arrival of the crucial tanker, Ohio
Force X, but at about 15.15 the
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 21
M A LTA O N A P E D E S TA L
Zvezdas Junkers Ju 88A-4
Kit No: 7282
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Zvezda
The Hobby Company/Dragon USA
Z
vezdas kit is moulded in a soft grade of
light grey polystyrene. The surface detail
on the fuselage and flying surfaces is
recessed and restrained, and Zvezda also
provide three excellent crew figures. The rudder
has the straight line leading edge, putting this Ju
88A-4 into the early period category, later A-4s
having the top of the rudder extended forward
into what had been the head of the fin. The kit
also has separate parts for the dorsal EZ-6
direction finding antenna, another feature
beyond early A-4s. The Ju 88s continual
development of gun options for defence is well
known, but here Zvezda scores perhaps a little
less well as although theres an MG 81J gun for
each of the bulged positions at the rear of the
cockpit, what looks to be an MG 15, part F6, for
the windscreen and a twin MG 81Z for the Bola
position at the rear of the ventral gondola, there
is no nose gun and no other options in the box.
At the time I started to build my model there
were no accessory sets for the Zvezda kit so I
acquired Aires set 7138 for the Italeri kit. There
are twenty seven resin parts and about sixty
etched oering a very complete cockpit. The
Zvezda kit has an overall floor, without any
access downwards into the ventral gondola.
Correcting this was unavoidable. It was already
looking like the kit would accept the Aires bits,
so I began by cutting out a rectangle in the
bottom of both fuselage halves, sucient to
accept the crew entry area of Aires cockpit floor,
part RP23.
Once the four principal components of the
Aires cockpit were epoxied into position, I could
start on the smaller details. I noticed that the
Aires set makes no mention of the Ju 88s Lofte
bomb sight. I was aware that the Ju 88A-1 was
fitted with this equipment but I could find no
reference to say it was fitted to the A-4. Anti
shipping Ju 88s usually operated in dive bomb
mode, but I couldnt bring myself to believe that
this alone was enough for the Lofte sight to be
deleted, so I assembled Zvezda parts E11 and
E32 and fitted the completed unit just to the
right of the pilots right side rudder pedal. The
22 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Ju 88 cockpit was famously cramped, especially
in 1/72.
Next in line for attention was Zvezdas
fin/rudder because there are serious problems
with the shape, being much too fat towards the
top, too short and too squared o. Zvezdas
instruction sheet mostly replicates the error but
some of the drawings do show the correct
profile. I was faced anyway with some extra work
here as I wanted to depict an aircraft with the
later style rudder, so I drew on a pencil line to
mark out the horizontal where the new rudder
breaks the old shape, and cut o the top of the
fin. I now added a rectangle of Plasticard of
slightly less thickness than the cut end of the fin.
This was attached with generous brush fulls of
liquid cement and then left for many days to dry.
After that a process of scraping and sanding
brought up the corrected shape, finishing with
scribing tools etc. to obtain the new rudder
outline.
The engine halves require great care as the
mating surfaces are very slim, butt jointed and
without location aids. Whats more, Zvezda do
not suggest an order of assembly. My own
approach was to join the engine halves and then
join them to the nacelles, but I ended up with
some minor filling and sanding at the vertical
joins so maybe a better way would be to
assemble the engines around the rebate at the
front of the nacelles. Either way, what is certain is
that the engines require perfect alignment,
otherwise there are problems with seating the
exhaust manifolds.
The joins at the wing root, top and bottom,
were almost perfect, but I did not add the bomb
racks until I was fully satisfied. Finally, an oddity
of this Zvezda kit is a large trim tab protruding
beyond the trailing edge of each aileron. I
couldnt find any evidence for this on any Ju 88
variant anywhere, and lopping these o and a
tidy up was a simple matter. The tailplanes
completed the major assembly.
I had already given consideration as to how I
would go about fitting the defensive MGs. How
on earth was I going to attach the Aires ammo
By Stephen J Di Nucci
feeds and chutes, at the one end to the MGs and
at the other end inside the cockpit, and then
later add the canopy? Eventually I realized it was
not actually necessary to obtain fixings at the
MG ends as they would be hidden by the armour
plate inside the rear cockpit windows. I would
attach only inside the cockpit, but making sure
of course that the gun ends of each item would
fit snugly and without snagging once the
canopy was later added.
Aires parts RP27 and PP30 make up the twin
MG 81Z for the Bola position at the rear of the
ventral gondola. I intended to leave the Bola
open, so a fixing of the ammo feed was
necessary only at the magazine end, from which
I hung a length of ammo as if awaiting
connection to the guns. The MG 81J gun in the
windscreen is provided by Aires, together with
its cross mounted ammunition bin in the
forward cockpit, but here attaching ammo feeds
and chutes both to the gun and to the bin
seemed this time unavoidable, but even more
dicult, requiring virtually ship-in-a-bottle skills.
To my relief I read that many pilots dispensed
with the windscreen MG 81J because the bulky
ammo bin blocked too much forward view. I
guessed that this might be at its most common
with crews engaged in the dive bombing of ship
targets, so I reverted thankfully to a simple drum
fed MG15.
I could now make a start on the cockpit
glassware, firstly part G1 and then the gondola
fairing, parts G9, G10, G12 and G13.
I could now give the model my customary
toothbrush scrub with warm water and a light
solution of washing-up liquid to remove grease
and dust, finishing with cold water to reduce the
chance of leaving limescale deposits as I live in a
hard water area. I then began preparing the
remaining cockpit glass. The main canopy is
broken down by Zvezda into three parts so as to
allow for an eective representation of the rear
bulged section, and I found that the parts
assembled neatly with a fine brush, applying
careful light applications of liquid cement. The
inside of the completed main canopy was given

several coats of Klear because I wanted to
represent some of the armoured panels in the
rear with block decal. This worked well, although
two layers of decal were required to prevent any
see-through. The Klear also ensured there would
be no clouding, as I planned to use superglue to
fix the rearward MG 81J guns into the kidney
windows. I used the Aires guns, but at this stage
with the barrels first removed and saved. Once
the windscreen gun was fixed into place the
main canopy and the nose glass part G3 could
be added and the model was now really looking
the part.
I used Eduards canopy masks CX 261 for the
Zvezda kit. The fit of the vast majority of the
items was perfect, especially the panels
designed for the nose transparency, and only a
few of the rest needed slight shape correction. It
never ceases to impress me how Eduard
organize their panel masks as the layout is
always entirely logical and very helpful to the
modeller. Masking of the wheel wells followed,
and then finally the sticky-out bits, in particular
the sway braces for the bombs, the pitot probe
and the canopy antenna mast. The Ju 88s tall
mast for me is a notable characteristic of the
aircraft, but Zvezdas mast was a
disappointment, being nearly half the height it
should be. I discarded it and made my own from
a pin with the point filed away and a drilled
plastic collar seating onto the canopy. I also used
a pin to replace the kits pitot tube.
I decided that I would model 3Z+FM, white F
from 4/KG.77, shot down on 14th August. I was
however bereft of any images of this specific
aircraft and resigned myself to a partial
reconstruction. Large parts of KG.77 had
transferred from France to Italy around 30th
June 1942 wearing of course European colours,
but evidently many aircraft soon
received an application of RLM
79/78. I based my
reconstruction upon colour plate 22 in John
Weals Osprey Combat Aircraft No. 75, and I
decided to finish my model in RLM 79 sand
uppers and RLM 78 blue undersides, with the
white theatre fuselage band, white wing tips and
white spinner tips. As for markings, Airdocs set
ADM 72011 furnished fuselage codes. I had no
black outline white letters and so decided to
take a little artistic license by using a plain black
letter on the port side, a practice that in reality
was not that rare. For a pair of black Fs
underwing I used the 9mm option from Fantasy
Printshops sheet FP901.
Airdoc do not feature any aircraft from KG.77
so I was short of some fuselage badges. Initially I
had hoped that DP Caspers 1/72 sheet 72002
featuring the Pedestal convoy might be useful as
it actually includes Ju 88A-4 3Z+KS from
8/KG.77, however there are no badges. Caspers
Ju 88 exhibits the reduced size fuselage codes
and a wavy line camouflage, both of which
suggest a slightly later war machine. Indeed one
authoritative source claims summer 1944 for this
particular aircraft, and so for me Caspers 1942
incarnation of 3Z+KS is in a certain amount of
doubt. Techmods sheet 72142 eventually came
to the rescue, oering KG.77 badges suitable for
two dierent Gruppen within KG.77. It is
recorded that II Gruppe of KG.77 used a badge
edged in yellow, but the closest that Techmod
gets to this is one edged in white. I seriously
considered amending Techmods badges by
overpainting in yellow, but in the end I
chickened out.
As for fuselage, wing crosses and
swastikas I had planned to rely on
Airdoc ADM 72011, but I was surprised
to find that these items were badly
out of register and so instead I
stuck with the Techmod sheet.
Above the wings crosses
without
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
M A LTA O N A P E D E S TA L
the black lining appeared to be required. These
also were not easy to find, and in the end I
resorted again to Techmod, after first trimming
away the unwanted black edging. Techmod also
oer a nice selection of maintenance markings
etc. and I used several of these. By the way, I
ought to mention that using items from Zvezdas
kit decal sheet seemed a non starter as my
Zvezda kit dated back to 2009 and the carrier
film was already beginning to adopt a yellowed
appearance.
I started painting with a coat of RLM 02 over
the transparency areas to ensure a window
frame show through of the interior colour, and
then an all over coat of Hannants Xtracolor X214
RLM 78 blue to cover the areas of filler and to
provide an even undercoat. I always use enamels
and never use a matt undercoat and once
painting has started there is no way I would
normally contemplate any more rubbing down,
whether or not constructional flaws get
revealed. I actually should have done so on this
occasion though as the ventral gondola is
helpfully moulded as a whole transparency, but
this hid a poor join between the two halves of
the gondola. Next I preshaded panel lines, first
with a black wash applied by brush actually into
the lines themselves, and then with the airbrush.
I now went back to the RLM 78, but this time
only to the undersides, and trying hard not to
cover the preshading overmuch.
I had planned to use Extracolor X209 RLM 79
Sandgelb for the upper
23
M A LTA O N A P E D E S TA L
surfaces, but upon adding my usual white spirit
thinner to the mixing jar the paint would not
accept the thinner and within minutes the
pigment had separated out and lay there in a
congealed mess. I ordered another tin, but with
the exact same result. I then decided to mix my
own colour using paint already in my stock,
adding plenty of Xtracolor X14 Red Arrows Red
to X102 Vietnam Tan. I could probably have
added even more red for a richer colour, but at
least I have a Ju 88 that looks well exposed to
the eects of the sun. Whilst this mix was still in
my airbrush, I added some light grey to add
further random interest to the preshade, and to
simulate heat streaking trailing back from the
engines.
I painted the propellers in a lightened matt
black with the spinners in RLM 70 black-green.
The noses of the spinners were due for a coat of
white, which I had decided to airbrush. This
required a mask, and I made this from a
rectangle of thin Plasticard, with a hole punched
into the middle. The hole was then enlarged
using a roll of abrasive paper until the correct
diameter was achieved. The mask was placed
over the nose of each spinner, resting against
the prop blades, and fixed in place using small
spots of Maskol, followed when dry with a line of
Maskol to ensure that the airbrush would not
creep the white onto the RLM 70. Masks were
also made for the prop blades. I then turned to
Humbrol and thinned a gloss white with a spot
of light grey to alleviate the brightness, and
airbrushed both the spinners and the white
panels beneath the wing tips. The white theatre
fuselage band was however applied by decal,
drawing upon the white and yellow banding
options in ADM 72011. This applied fairly well in
spite of the compound curvatures, although not
a perfect result. Next time I will paint it instead.
24 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
It was obvious from wartime photographs
that well used Ju 88s show excessive amounts of
exhaust staining. Not unexpectedly, staining
trails backwards on both sides of the engines,
but with the Ju 88 there is often more to it than
that. Further staining is evident both above and
below the exhaust manifolds, but limited to a
triangular shaped area bounded by about thirty
degrees above and below the manifolds, and
trailing backwards from the foremost point of
the exhausts. Some aircraft also show staining
on top of the engine nacelles, emanating from
the panel line where the engines meet the
wings. I decided to go for all of these, but of
course masking was required first, using rolled
sausages of White-Tack for the sides of the
nacelles. I then mixed up a grubby, mainly black
brew and airbrushed, making sure to include the
tailplanes, both above and below. I finished the
stage with some further post weathering, using
spirit based washes, chiefly underneath and at
the margins of the flaps, ailerons and elevators.
I was now in a position to start adding many
of the larger final items. I had already flatted and
painted the main wheel tyres, so these could
now be fitted, along with the main gear doors. I
then flattened the tail wheel tyre by rubbing it
on a sheet of sandpaper and painted the tyre.
The tail wheel doors and props were also
added. I added the
underwing dive brakes
now, too. Many Ju 88s,
especially earlier period
aircraft, require these
brakes to be added much
later because the
underwing crosses are
placed beneath the
brakes, but I
had already worked out that that wouldnt be
the case this time. An all over coat of matt
varnish now followed then it was time to remove
the scrap sprue handholds from the engines and
then to paint and highlight the engine faces
followed by removal of all the rest of the
masking.
The four 250kg bombs in Zvezdas kit were
used straight out of the box. Initially I had
painted them in blue, but then later realized that
this calibre of weapon was usually finished in
dark colours so I used RLM 71. The manhandling
of unarmed bombs by ground crew was often
not that respectful, and many ended up dirty or
scued well before they reached the underside
of an aircraft. I attempted to replicate the scus
by spot sanding suciently to reveal rough
patches of the lighter colour underneath. I had
fitted Zvezdas sway braces way back, in fact at
the same time as the bomb racks, although I
later wished I had not done so as they got in the
way of masking the inner sides of the engine
nacelles at the paint stage. It was also now
evident that it would have been wise to have
lopped a sliver from the end of each screw down
bolt, because the bombs needed persuasion to
sit in their proper positions. I found a certain
amount of give in the sway braces, but each
bomb had to be pressed hard down whilst the
superglue was setting.
With most handling now out of the way, I
could turn my attention to the last significant
component, the Bola 81Z gun
position at the tail end of the
ventral gondola. The Bola
cupola itself is a
separate

item in the Zvezda kit, and also in the Italeri kit,
and I wanted to display this in the open position.
For crew entry and exit a ladder is fixed to the
cupola, but only the Italeri kit has the ladder. I
considered robbing the ladder from my Italeri
kit, but in the end decided not to do so as I was
concerned about snagging the end whilst
transporting the model. The cupola was already
painted inside and out, and now only needed
the twin MG 81Z guns to be added. I used the
guns from the Aires set, part RP27, but I found
that this needed to be chopped into several
pieces to fit it either side of the aperture in
Zvezdas cupola, although I must admit to
chopping too little as the gun barrels ended up
overly long. The ring sight part PP30 was also
added. I fitted the completed cupola by
removing a tiny area of paint from both hinge
points, and then used poly cement for an
admittedly flimsy join. When dry this was firmed
up by the fitting of the short stay that props
open the cupola, made from scrap rod and
attached with tiny spots of superglue.
Ring sights were now added to the other guns
and I replaced the trailing antenna on the left
side of the fuselage, for the third time.
Red/green nav lights in gloss red and gloss dark
green were touched into the wing tips. I always
think that a nice set of antenna wires can help
bring a model to life and as usual I rigged mine
using heat stretched transparent sprue. I had
predrilled a small hole in the leading edge of the
fin, and this end of the main wire was
superglued first and allowed to dry thoroughly.
The forward end of the wire was then lightly
tensioned over the tip of the antenna mast. A
tiny drop of superglue followed and then
amputation of the unwanted section. I had also
predrilled holes in the fuselage for the two down
wires, but I attached these only to the main
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
M A LTA O N A P E D E S TA L
antenna wire. It wasnt necessary to obtain a
fixing where the wires pass down through into
the fuselage and I reasoned that in the event of
having to eect any repairs to the wires, the
fuselage location holes would always remain
clean and unsealed. Note also that the fuselage
entry holes for the down wires are not on the
centre line, but are in fact slightly oset to the
right. My first ever Ju 88 was now finished.
As far as Im concerned, this kit from Zvezda
comes recommended. I purchased mine in 2009
and it probably represents one of Zvezdas first
successful attempts to reach the top flight. Yes,
the overall cockpit floor and the rogue aileron
trim tabs are oddities. The fin/rudder shape is
even odder, but Im sure these things are unlikely
to put o most modellers. Published reviews of
Zvezdas latest products clearly show the
company to be now consistently producing
stunning kits.
25
B A R R AC U D A
Dumbos Back
Special Hobby Fairey Barracuda Mk II Home Fleet
By Colin Flying Pickett
Kit No: 72306
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Special Hobby
Hannants/Squadron
All of the main paints
used on the exterior came
from Vallejos dedicated
set for FAA types
F
irstly I must apologise for the title, as being
a product of the seventies I simply cannot
hear the word Barracuda without being
The well-appointed interior for the three man
thrown back to the beginning of the classic song
crew
by the Barracudas, Summer Fun, when the car
salesman is being taught to say the word
Barracuda, and I am even humming it as I type
this.
Back to the subject of the article, the much
maligned Fairey Barracuda, an aircraft which it
seem has become the epitome of poor aircraft
design and function. However the Barracuda was
a very capable aircraft when operated and
handled in the correct manner, even finding
favour with some crews and being responsible
for the Tirpitz being put out of action during
Miniature landing light installed
World War II, enabling its final destruction by the
RAF. In fact its chief critics seem to have based
their comments on the early reports of the
aircrafts career before all of the issues and
operating procedures were ironed out, and in
retrospect it can actually be considered one of
the Fleet Air Arms most successful aircraft when
its operational history is studied in context.
Special Hobby produced a similarly much
maligned 1/72 kit many years ago, and have
seen fit to replace it with a completely new and
much improved kit, which is something that
modellers of Fleet Air Arm aircraft such as myself
are very pleased to add to our line-up of torpedo
and bomber aircraft.
Wing under surface displaying preshading
and a thin coat of Sky Type S As with any build, my first stop is to go to my
bookshelves and find some references to anchor
my build to and in this case I used the ever
faithful Warpaint number thirty five on the Fairey
Barracuda, alongside Mushroom Models Orange
Number 8117 on the same subject by Matthew
Willis.
I often find it pays to make the choice of the
aircraft you plan to build early on in the project
The underside as this will often dictate which parts you will use
displaying that during construction, and rather than forcing a
torpedo snap decision I do prefer to take my time.
Two decal options are provided with the kit,
26 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
and as the name of the kit suggests, these both
reflect the types use by the home fleet on the
attack on the Kreigsmarine Battleship, Tirpitz:
LS556 (or LS550 depending on your
references) of 829 Naval Air Squadron, based
on HMS Victorious during May 1944
BV937 of 830 Naval Air Squadron, from HMS
Furious, 3rd April 1944
I chose the first option, partly because of its
distinctive Hells Bells nose art. I also decided to
install the torpedo provided at this point as
although the instructions suggest that the
aircraft was armed with 1,600lb bombs during
the strike on Tirpitz, the kit depicts a time when
it had a kill marking showing a bomb hit on
Tirpitz, so unless the crew were overtaken with a
feeling of clairvoyance it would be safe to say
this shows the aircraft in the period immediately
after Operation Tungsten, therefore meaning
that I was free to choose which ever stores
option I wished, and I simply couldnt resist.
The interior of the kit is well appointed, with a
set of harnesses being the only addition from my
spares box, though there is always room to add
extra detail if the mood takes you. The fuselage
halves closed up with no issue and to be honest
the kit almost fell together, and if youve built
older Special Hobby kits youll be impressed with
how far they have come with this release as it
simply does not compare. The only areas of issue
I had were the two supports for the horizontal
tail surfaces, which were too long and required
remeasuring and shortening to get them to
comply with those seen in suitable photographs,
while the small infill parts that fill in the gap left
for the later exhausts were a questionable fit and
needed some filler to make them look flush, so
not exactly disasters.
There was a slight gap inside the cooling flap
underneath the engine, and as this would be a
problem to fill I simply used a piece of very thin
plastic card to bridge the gap and form a level
surface without the need to resort to any filling
or sanding. Actually I didnt use any filler beyond

that already mentioned in the
entire build.
The landing light aperture in the
port wing is well detailed but lacks
an actual light, so I added a single
lens from a set by Little-cars to
make good this shortfall.
Whilst glazing is provided for the
small windows below the main
canopy adjacent to the pilots seat I
simply couldnt fathom how to get
them in place and mask them
without losing them as they are
quite miniscule, so opted to leave
these out and form them from
Deluxe Speed Bond blobbed into
place with a sharpened cocktail
stick and stretched across the
opening. Until then I decided to
leave the apertures open, as surely
nothing is going to get in those
tiny holes, is it? I was to regret that
decision as a small plug of foam
rubber would most likely have
prevented the small amount of
debris entering the cockpit and
placing itself inconveniently on the
inside of the transparency. Lesson
The Bay Window for the navigator is
just visible under the wing. Which
other aircraft from this period has
such a room with a view?
This top view displays the
large wing area and flaps
that allowed slow speed
carrier landings
learned possibly.
The injected canopy is an
excellent fit, and required nothing
in the way of filler to get a tidy
edge to it, just the use of Speed
Bond to fix it in place, wiped with a
damp cotton bud to remove any
excess. I used left over parts of
mask sets from other kits to mask
the canopy on the Barracuda,
hopefully earning some green
points along the way. The canopy
areas were then airbrushed with a
coat of interior green, before the
whole Barracuda was primed using
Tamiyas grey primer, which was
then lightly sanded with fine
sanding sticks to ensure a blemish
free finish for the top coats of paint.
Once this was fully cured I then
airbrushed the panel lines in black
to preshade the areas and add to
the worn patina required for
combat aircraft of the period based
on my references.
Vallejo produce a boxed set of
eight ModelAir paints for FAA (Fleet
Air Arm Aircraft) 1939-1945 (71.147),
A general view of the
Barracuda confirms that
the poor thing is ugly
from every angle
which also has a useful colour chart
included. A quick study of this
confirmed that the colours quoted
in the instructions tallied up, so I
set about lightly airbrushing a coat
of Sky Type S (71.302) onto the
underside areas of the Barracuda.
Left overnight the aircraft was then
appropriately masked to receive a
coat of Extra Dark Sea Grey
(71.110). Masking was then applied
to mark out the camouflage
pattern to provide a hard edge
between the colours before Dark
Slate Grey (71.309) was finally
airbrushed on. I allowed this to
harden for an hour before
removing all the masking from the
Barracuda, just leaving that on the
canopy and transparencies in place.
Next up came a coat of Vallejo gloss
varnish to prepare the aircraft for
its decals.
The decals themselves are of the
high quality weve come to expect
from Special Hobby, and only the
larger roundels required the use of
decal softener to get them to
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
B A R R AC U D A
comply with the fine surface detail.
A further coat of gloss varnish
sealed the decals to the surface. I
then masked o the fabric control
surfaces and applied a light coat of
grey to them by airbrush to make
them slightly dierent from the
surrounding metal surfaces, before
I set about using Vallejos dark grey
wash (76.517) to provide some
needed wear and tear to the
aircraft. Using my airbrush I then
used a small amount of Vallejo
Brown Engine Soot from their
weathering range (73.818) to add
subtle exhaust stains. Finally I used
a silver watercolour pencil to add
chips to the leading edges and
access hatches to depict service
use, but not too much as these
tended to be painted over as soon
as practical to avoid issues with
corrosion from the salty
environment. Still the Barracuda
looked a little too tidy, so I carefully
added some streaking across the
airframe using heavily thinned
medium grey paint to soften the
overall feel, but stopped before
27
B A R R AC U D A
The extended
undercarriage
retraction strut is
clearly seen from
this angle
going too far, as its easy to get
drawn into the just a little bit more
trap and make the model
unrealistic, in my opinion.
With a coat of matt varnish
applied to seal all the weathering in
as well as tie the dierent elements
together, I settled down to add all
those fragile bits to the airframe.
First up was the undercarriage,
and after fixing the undercarriage
doors/main struts in place I found
that the retraction mechanism was
just too short for it to reach inside
the undercarriage bays fully. I
checked my references and the sit
of the aircraft looked right, so set
about cutting the middle section of
the retraction strut out, fixing both
ends in place so they lined up, and
then measured a new middle part
from appropriate thickness plastic
strip. A quick brush with some
silver paint and it is hard to spot the
modification, and it looks correct to
my eyes. A final bit of sparkle was
added to the telescopic oleo legs in
the form of a coat of chrome paint
28 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
from a 1mm Molotow liquid
chrome marker pen, which is a new
product to me, despite them
celebrating their twentieth
anniversary. Intended for the
graphic industry, this simply has to
be the most eective chrome
marker Ive used and I will be
making more additions with it in
the future.
The exhaust stacks were coated
with brown ModelColor paint
before receiving a follow up of Rust
Texture (73.821) to give a used
eect before being installed.
Next up came the various aerials
and antenna, which I fixed in place
with cyanoacrylate adhesive,
before finally using Ushi van der
Rosen rigging thread to form the
radio wires to the masts. I then
added a single glass isolator to the
wire from a drop of PVA glue. The
two small chin intake grills are a
touch over scale but I suspect that
a pair of the items from Brenguns
set of such things will be a good
replacement, so I will eventually
The upper surfaces bristle
with antenna and radio masts
hunt down a packet of these.
Finally I must turn to one of my
favourite parts of the kit, the
torpedo, a very simple but detailed
item that has a wooden stabiliser
attached to the tail, which I
reproduced by wood graining the
plastic part using various brown
and yellow acrylics before applying
a transparent mahogany (70.828)
finish. The main body of the
torpedo was first painted gloss
black primer before receiving a
coat of MetalColor Aluminium
(77.701) and a coat of Gloss
MetalColor varnish (77.657). The
black portion was painted with
NATO black (71.251) whilst the
propeller and fuse was picked out
in Brass (70.801) and once fitted it
looks quite convincing and adds a
bit of purpose to the Barracuda.
Conclusion
Im very pleased with the final
result as it looks every inch the
Barracuda, and whilst its the sort of
ugly that only a mother could love,
its got that purposeful stance with
an alternative twist that many
items of British military equipment
have.
Operation Tungsten was a high
risk mission, and a successful start
to the Barracudas operational
career, removing the serious threat
that the Tirpitz battle group posed
to allied shipping in the North Sea
and beyond, and it was the
Barracuda and their crews that
made this possible for the Fleet Air
Arm, whilst not forgetting that this
was also the start of the Chance-
Vought Corsairs operational career
too. This model was a highly
enjoyable project, not without
some very minor problems, but
nothing beyond the skill of the
average modeller, and makes for a
highly suitable and accurate model
of one of the major British naval
aircraft of World War II.
B-a-ra-ccu-dada!
 WA L K A R O U N D

The sole surviving

XF-91 Thunderceptor,

XF-91 Thunderceptor
S/N 46-680, of the
two produced. This is
By Steve Muth the first prototype
and is on display at
Peregrine Publishing
the National Museum
All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by the author of the Air Force
with permission of the museum sta. outside of Dayton,
Ohio. The stainless
steel areas show up
very nicely as does
the olive drab anti
glare paint, the data
block and the rudder
markings
(Photograph
courtesy of David
Menard)

Cockpit port forward. Full instrument panel and

Looking back at the seat,
which is Interior Green. The
seat in the XF-91 was an
early type ejection seat
port sub panel. The windscreen interior is dull
black. The area is very colourful with red switch
guards, throttle quadrant and various red
warning lamps. In the throttle quadrant, the
inner lever is for the rocket engine while the
outer lever is for the jet engine

Cockpit starboard forward. Looking forward

into the cockpit from port shows the structural
sheet metal including the seat, control
column, floor, fuselage sides and rudder
pedals are interior green while the instrument
panel, instrument faces, electrical panels on
the consoles and windscreen are dull black.
The instrument dials are black with white
numbers and such. The top of the control
column appears to have been sawed o and
the radar scope and several instruments are
missing. The cockpit has not yet been restored

T
he XF-91 was designed at the time when
many dierent ideas were tried in an eort
to determine the best configuration for
supersonic speeds. In this case inverse taper of
the wings in a swept configuration was tried
along with rocket assist. The inverse tapered
swept wing was successful in reducing wing tip
stall speed making it possible to fly at speeds
significantly lower than then current swept wing
jet fighters. Additionally the thinness of the wing
at the wing root/fuselage junction reduced drag
and permitted a more even air flow along the
fuselage.
The first flight of XP-91 number one, 46-680,
occurred on 9th May 1949 with number two,
46-681, following on 14th October 1949.
Although initially fitted with a butterfly tail it
was later retrofitted with a conventional tail like
the number one ship. Number two was built
with the nose radome from the beginning.
Neither ship was able to show its full capability Cockpit starboard looking down. The
because of constant delays in getting the correct demarcation between the sheet metal
engines, particularly the rocket engine. When and the equipment panel is clearly shown
finally fitted with a substitute XLR11-RM-9 it
achieved Mach 1.07 on 9th December 1952.

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 29

WA L K A R O U N D

A port side view of the rocket and jet engine

throttle quadrant. The canopy latch is also
visible. This photo shows the colours quite
well. The outer throttle is for the jet while Port console. Note the blue-green
the inner throttle is for the rocket engine switch guard and the red knobs

Cockpit port. The markings on the Starboard main landing gear well
throttle quadrant can be seen in this roof inboard. Silver paint everywhere
photo even though it is a little fuzzy

The ejection seat and canopy opening

Nose landing
mechanism. The canopy is being held open
gear strut port
by a piece of wood. It appears that the
rear. The nose
portion of the canopy mechanism and seat
landing gear
visible to viewers on the ground has been
and wheel hub
given a cursory coat of interior green
have been
cosmetically
painted overall
silver. Note
also the nose
oleo is fully
compressed,
the torque link
disconnected
and the tyre is
smooth
(Photograph
Courtesy of
Lennart
Lundh)
Canopy interior looking aft. The canopy
interior is dull black

Nose landing gear well looking forward. You Nose landing gear roof. Yellow zinc chromate
Port main
can see where the green zinc chromate is visible behind some of the well sheet metal
landing gear
shows through where the sprayer missed (Photograph Courtesy of Lennart Lundh)
outboard.
some areas leading me to believe the nose
Again, all main
wheel well was green zinc chromate
landing gear
(Photograph Courtesy of Lennart Lundh)
struts, linkages
and hubs are
painted silver.
Here too the
oleos are fully
compressed
(Photograph
Courtesy of
Lennart
Lundh)

30 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 WA L K A R O U N D

This Aircraft Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio, where it is on surfaces of the landing gear doors were silver.
display today. Some of the photographs reveal zinc chromate
The only survivor of three examples built, the
yellow in the area of the nose landing gear
third being the structural loads test aircraft, is
trunion. The aft end of the fuselage skinning
S/N 46-680, the first one built. This aircraft, with Camouflage and Markings appears to be stainless steel to withstand the
its F-86 style nose radome, was the final test
The XF-91s were natural metal and not heat of the afterburner and rocket exhaust.
configuration for the proposed F-91B. The first
painted silver as the specimen is displayed at the Standard stars and bars were in the usual places,
flight was made on 9th May 1949. It had not yet
National Museum of the Air Force is. The anti upper left and lower right wings, and aft
been fitted with a rocket motor, afterburner or
glare panel colour is either black or olive drab fuselage. US Air Force and the serial number
the F-86 style nose radome. Three years later S/N
and tapered to a point at each end. The aircraft were on the fin and rudder while USAF was on
46-680 was fitted with its intended afterburning
as displayed currently has an olive drab anti the upper right and lower left wing surfaces, all
GE J-47-GE-17 jet engine and a XLR11-RM-9
glare panel but photos taken in 1974 show it to in black. There was a red warning stripe around
rocket engine. On 9th December 1952 it took o,
have been black at that time. Examining period the aft fuselage in the engine turbine area. All
climbed to 35,000 feet and levelled o for a
photographs has been an exercise in frustration. wheels, struts and linkages were silver. It appears
speed run. The aircraft easily went past Mach 1
In some photos it looks black but in others it that prior to going on outside display the entire
and hit Mach 1.07. It was the first non X-type
appears lighter, more consistent with olive drab. wheel wells, struts and landing gear door
aircraft to fly faster than
It is possible that it wore both colours at various interiors were simply sprayed all over silver.
the speed of sound in
times. My own opinion is that it was black, the Later, upon restoration, rather than cleaning up
level flight. On 9th May
same as the walk ways at the trailing edge of the the natural metal the aircraft has been painted
1955, the sixth
wing root. Wheel wells appear to have been silver overall and given an olive drab anti glare
anniversary of its first
silver but some areas may have been zinc panel.
flight, S/N 46-680 was
delivered to the then US chromate yellow. Certainly the inner

NACA High Speed Flight Research Station photograph of the Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor taken in 1951 on the South Base ramp at Edwards Air Force Base (NASA)

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 31

M I R AG E
Modelling the Global F.1
By Yoav Efrati
Sheet plastic shim is needed to fill an
excessive gap at the base of the rudder
The kit provided nose probes and blade
antenna were replaced with metal staples and
flat brass wire
Current Ecuadorian Mirage F.1JAs are
modified to carry Israeli made Rafael Python
IV air to air missiles. They require scratch built
down angled pylons to which kit rails were
attached using photos in the Syhart decal
instruction sheet for reference
Humbrol 34 flat white was used as a base coat
for Revell's yellow, which was also applied to
both sides of the lower fuselage ventral fins
and centreline fuel tank
32 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Sukhoi Down
Ecuadors FAE806
In February 1995 border clashes took place
between Ecuador and Peru to take control over
the Cenepa river in the south east of Ecuador.
The jungle terrain made it dicult to bring
heavy vehicles into the battle, so both sides
made use of attack aircraft and fighters. The
heaviest action took place between the 9-10th
February 1995. The Fuerza Aero Peru (FAP) made
use of Canberras, A-37s, SU-20/22s and Mirage
5P and Mirage 2000 fighters. The Fuerza Aero
Ecuadorian (FAE) countered with the A-37,
Jaguar, Kfir C2 and Mirage F.1JA fighter planes.
At 12.47 10th February 1995, two Mirage
F.1JAs and two Kfirs were scrambled from
Mariscal Lamar airfield, situated close to the
battle area. The Mirages were FAE807 flown by
Major Raul Banderas, and FAE806 flown by
Captain Carlos Uzcategui Soli. Major Banderas
acquired the first enemy fighter on his radar
scope barely eight minutes after taking o. The
aircraft his Cyrano IV radar detected were two
FAP Su-22Ms, flown by Lieutenant Colonel Victor
Manuel Maldonado-Begaza and Major Enrique
Caballero Orrego Poeta, of the FAP Escuadron de
Caza 111 Los Tigres. These cut the corner over
the border, penetrating as deep as sixteen
kilometres into the Ecuadorian airspace before
taking a course parallel to the boundary and
then descending to a level of 600m above the
ground in preparation for an attack against
Tiwintza. Banderas selected afterburner
accelerating and turning so to bring himself and
his wingman to a deep six oclock position
behind the two Sukhois. While doing so, his RWR
warned him that his aircraft was detected and
Kit No: 72289
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Special Hobby
Hannants/Squadron
tracked by FAP Mirage 2000P interceptors flying
overhead. At 13.15, ignoring the warnings,
Captain Uscategui approached to firing distance
and launched one R.550 Magic, starting what
was to become the first ever air-to-air combat
between two Mach 2 capable fighters in Latin
American history. His missile hit the Sukhoi
flown by Lieutenant Colonel Maldonado-Begaza,
forcing him to eject before his fighter crashed
into the jungle below. Meanwhile, Banderas
scored a hit on Orregos Su-22M as well, but the
sturdy Sukhoi continued flying. In a hurry
because of the warnings from his RWR, Banderas
swiftly selected the second Magic and fired
again, the missile this time cutting the Peruvian
fighter in two, the wreckage falling to the
ground. A while after the event, one of the
Peruvian fighters was identified as SU-20M
no.014 of Esc. de Caza 111, Los Tigres. Only after
the 1995 war did the FAE acquire a batch of sixty
Python Mk III air-to-air missiles for its Kfirs and in
1998 more capable Rafael Python Mk IVs were
acquired to equip the Kfir and Mirage F.1JA.
This, the third Special Hobby Mirage F.1 I have
built, is dedicated to Ecuadorian SU-22 killer FAE
806, which bore a flamboyant Cobra head on a
deep yellow and black checkered vertical fin
during the FAE's thirtieth anniversary. Markings
for this aircraft are found in Syhart decal sheet
72-060. Using photos provided in the decal
instructions, I scratch built a Python 4 pylon from
Evergreen Strip Styrene 168 (stock 2mm x
4.8mm x 28mm) and to the downward angled
pylon I added kit provided missile rails A68 and
A69. The Python 4 missiles were obtained from
Skunk Models IDF Weapons set SW-72001.
Aft fuselage cha/flare dispensers were
shaped from Evergreen Strip Styrene 166 (stock

2mm x 3.2mm x 9mm) using photos found in
the decal instructions. Cha dispenser decals
were taken from IsraDecal IAF-48, a 1/72 Israeli
F-16C/D decal sheet. Nose and vertical fin tip
RWR bulbs were furnished from Evergreen
round sheet plastic rod.
Ecuadorian Mirage F-1JAs do not have a taxi
light on the starboard engine intake, requiring
that the kit's intake recess be filled. The port
intakes forward facing light was drilled through
to accept a reflective lens during final assembly.
Ejection seats used in Ecuadorian Mirage F.1JAs
are the MB Mk6, which is not included in the kit.
A pair of Barracuda resin Mk 6 ejection seats
were graciously sent to me by my friend
Badescu Eduard. Wing tip Magic missiles rails
and centre line fuel tank were obtained from the
kit.
Colour Conundrum
Aztec decals were the first to issue a decal
sheet that featured markings for Mirage F.1
Sukhoi killers FAE 806 and FAE 807. The colours
called out in their instructions are FS 24096 dark
green, FS 24201 medium green and FS 27722 o
white for the undersurface. The colours called
out in Xtradecal's recent sheet 72-060 for the
thirtieth squadron anniversary Mirage F.1JA
no.806 are dierent with FS34258, 34079 and
36622 light grey called out instead. Colour
photos of Ecuadorian Mirage F.1s left me
indecisive about the actual colours used so I
opted to use the colours specified in the Syhart
colour anniversary Mirage FAE806 decal sheet.
For the undersurface grey and vertical fin
antennas I used Xtracolour X621 Czech MiG-29
Undersurface Grey, the deep yellow trim was
Revell 15 Daodil Yellow, for the FS 34258
medium green I used Revell SM362 Reed Green
M I R AG E
Mig's new Show Polish black putty has
excellent adhesion, which is great for a hard
edge camouflage, but is not suitable for the
soft edge hard camouflage pattern used on
the Mirage F.1
and for the dark green Humbrol 116 FS 34079.
For the wheel well door interior surfaces and
landing gear Testors Model Master 1781E
Aluminium was employed.
I first applied the lower surface camouflage
colour and used the same colour for the vertical
fin tip antenna fairings. Next the radome, wind
shield and canopy were sprayed flat black. Next,
the centreline fuel tank, vertical and ventral fins
with a sprayed on layer of Humbrol 34 flat white
as a base coat for Revell's No.15 yellow that
followed. The aircraft upper fuselage, horizontal
stabilizers and wings, including the lower Blu-Tack provides the soft edge desired. Liquid
portion of the wing leading edges, were sprayed mask is used to cover areas that remain light
Revell SM362 Reed Green. For the tight green
camouflage pattern demarcation I tried two
types of masking mediums, Blu-Tack and Mig's
Camouflage Masking Putty. The Masking Putty
was good for covering tight contoured areas,
but provided a hard demarcation line between
the colours. I found Blu-Tack to be ideal for
replicating the look of a tight over sprayed
camouflage pattern. The demarcation lines were
made by rolling up snakes of Blu-Tack and laying
them over the surface, using the kit's surface
detail features as reference. Areas that were to
remain medium green, were covered with liquid
mask.
After a coat of Klear the Syhart decals were
applied with the aid of Solvaset. The vertical and
ventral fin decals are oversized, requiring touch
up painting to fill the missing black chequered
Soft edge mask achieved with the Blu-Tack
areas in the fin. The snake decal is delicate and
thin, and mine tore when subject to Solvaset
evaporation. Fortunately, Syhart provides two
heads for each side of the fin, which corrected
the cracked decals and provided the correct
opacity and colour saturation. The upper wing
root white walkways stripes were too short in
length, requiring touch up painting to achieve
Hard edge result using the Mig black masking
medium
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 33
M I R AG E

the proper length. Once all the decals were

applied and coated with a layer of Klear, panel
line enhancement and weathering was
accomplished using oil paints. Clear two part
epoxy was used during final assembly of the
external stores, cockpit seat and canopy, landing
gears and doors.

Conclusion
Special Hobby's Mirage F.1 again proved itself
as a good basis for yet another flamboyant
variant of this type. I would like to see Syhart
reprint their beautiful Cobra FAE anniversary
decal sized to the new Special Hobby kit.

Over Jordan
Mirage F.1EJ in Desert Colours

F
ollowing peace between Egypt and Israel
in 1979, the RJAF chose the French made
Dassault Mirage F1 over the downgraded
General Dynamics F-16/79 oered by the United
States. Mirage F1CJ interceptors and F1EJ
ground attack versions of the Mirage F1 enabled
the phase out of Lockheed F-104A Starfighters
and Hawker Hunters, which previously filled
those roles. Also during that time period ageing
Northrop F-5A/Bs were replaced with more
modern Northrop F-5E/F airframes.
Following the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty,
the US recommenced full military relations with
Jordan and donated sixteen used General
Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons, twelve F-16As
and four F-16Bs. Deliveries commenced in 1997
and were completed a year later, which enabled
the Jordanian Air Force to replace their Mirage
F1CJ interceptors. Further purchase of F-16s
from Belgium enabled the Jordanian Air Force to
retire the ground attack Mirage F1EJ and the F-
5E/F.
The subject I chose for my fourth Special
Hobby Mirage F.1 build was a ground attack
desert colour camouflage F.1EJ that appeared in
European Air Tattoo events that took place in
the late 1970s and early 1980s. Although desert
camouflaged Jordanian aircraft participating in
these events appeared devoid of external stores
I opted to spice up my model armed for a
runway denial role carrying Durendal cluster
bombs, ECM/flare pods, fuel tanks and wing tip
Magic missiles for self-defence. Jordanian
Mirage F.1EJs are devoid of air-to-air refuelling
capability, so the kit's nose part B60 was chosen,
along with vertical fin C13. Jordanian Mirage
F.1EJs employ a Martin Baker Mk 6 ejection seat,
which was obtained from Barracuda Resins. To
fit inside the kit's cockpit, the seat pan bottom
was sanded down and soft brass wire was used
to make the overhead ejection rings. For ease of
installation after painting, the bottom of the joy

34 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
M I R AG E
stick was trimmed o, and the black painted
stick cemented directly to the ejection seat. Seat
and canopy were cemented in place using clear
two part epoxy, which does not fog clear parts
and seals any gaps between the canopy, sill and
wind shield.
Researching the Jordanian desert scheme for
the Mirage found conflicting colour information.
The colours most often quoted are FS 36622
lower surfaces with FS 20400 sand yellow, FS
30140 red brown and FS 34079 dark green upper
surfaces. From studying colour photos of the
colour scheme I opted for the following colours:
Revell 371 o white lower surfaces, Revell 88
sand yellow, Revell 381 red brown and Humbrol
116 dark green.
The basis for the markings of this aircraft is
Albatros Model Works The Dark Mirage decal
sheet, ALC-72010. Six Jordanian roundels are
provided in the sheet, all being 6mm diameter,
which are of the wrong size for the Jordanian
F.1EJ. Roundels required for the intakes should
be 7mm in diameter and the upper and lower
wing roundels of 10mm diameter. Another error
on this sheet are the vertical fin flags, which are
identical. Only the starboard side fin is correct,
having the black band on top and red triangle
facing forwards. The port fin flag I salvaged from
Carpena decal sheet 72.02. I used the Albatros
roundel for the intakes, but for the wings I
reverted to an old ESCI generic roundel decal
sheet. The ESCI decals were found to be
translucent, requiring application of two
roundels one atop the other to overcome the
dark colours of the upper wing surfaces. These
old decals have a clear film that cannot be
softened with decal softener to prevent
silvering. My first attempt at trimming the clear
film surrounding the roundel's outer colour
resulted in the decal edges crumbling apart. In
my second eort to apply the decals, I retained
the clear film and applied the decal over
a brushed on layer of Klear. To
eliminate the clear film
silvering, using a 000 brush
I carefully dry brushed
the clear film
surrounding
the
36 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
roundel with Testors
Liquid Glue. The liquid glue melted
the clear film that surrounded the decal
artwork. To protect the decal's brittle
edges from handling, I covered
them with another brush on layer
of Klear.
With the exception of the centreline bomb
rack and Durendel bombs, all other external
stores came from the kit. For a bit of colour, the
kit's fuel tanks were painted Testors Model
Masters Aluminium with the pylons 371 o
white. The kit's Magic missiles were painted
Humbrol 47 grey with silver forward section, 371
seeker, and 14 yellow and 381 red brown stripes.
The starboard wing ECM was painted Aluminium
and the left cha dispenser 47 grey with a dark
blue grey brush painted upper pattern. An Airfix
centreline bomb rack was widened by 1mm on
each side, using plastic strip, to enable
attachment of the bombs using brass pins. The
Durendel bombs were painted Humbrol 116
dark green with o white parachute ends and
yellow and silver decal stripes were used for
their markings. The model was airbrushed with a
coat of Klear prior to the application of a Burnt
Umber and Panes Gray oil paint wash diluted
with turpentine. After approximately a half hour
drying time in the hot sun, the model was
sprayed with a semi
matt mix of Klear,
Tamiya X21
Flat Base and
alcohol. Touch up
painting comprised the Humbrol 11
silver pitot, nose probes and
parachute fairing cap, starboard
wing tip dark blue and port
wing tip and vertical fin tip
bright red position lights. Two
part clear epoxy glue was used to
attach the port intake taxi and lower nose lights.
Conclusion
The fourth Mirage of my F.1 build series was
more enjoyable then the previous three due to
having learned the vices of the kit and finding
the yellow sand colour that is unique to the
Jordanian F.1EJ. I was disappointed with the
inaccuracies of the Albatros Model Works decal
sheet ALC-72010, and the poorly defined stars
oered by Carpena in their Jordanian roundels.
There is a place for a new accurately printed
Jordanian Mirage F.1 decal sheet or at least a
generic sheet including
roundels and numbers used
on Royal Jordanian Air
Force aircraft, which
will replace the
brittle ESCI decal
sheet.

ISSUE 17
By Gary Madgwick
A pair of Spanish Air Force
Dassault Mirage F.1Ms at Albacete
in the air superiority grey scheme
(Chris Lofting)
i
n Part one we looked at the development of
the Mirage F.1 and the roles the aircraft has
undertaken since its introduction with many
of the Air Forces it has flown with. in Part Two we
continue to explore the combat operations this
iconic aircraft has undertaken in its many years
of service.
NATO and the Spanish Air Force Ejercito
Del Aire
Spain became the second export customer
after Greece and the only other nATo country to
operate the Mirage F.1. Spain placed their first
order for fifteen F.1CE interceptors, designated
C.14A in Spanish service, in 1974 with delivery
between March 1975 and mid 1976. Further
orders followed including thirty F.1CEs and six
F.1BE two seaters known as CE.14As followed by
a further twenty two aircraft in the multi role
configuration known as the F.1EE-200 (C.14B).
After long and protracted negotiations for the
aircraft, Spain became one of the largest export
Spanish Air Force Mirage F.1BE. The
aircraft wears the original scheme of
sand, dark green and dark brown
over a pale grey undersurface
customers and only withdrew the aircraft during
2013 after thirty eight years of sterling service.
initial service entry was with the newly
created wing, Ala de Caza 14, based at Albacete
with Escuadron 141 Chico being the first
squadron to form. This was followed with the
second batch of aircraft by Escuadron 142 Dardo,
both undertaking the air defence role.
The F.1CE was equipped with a Thompson-
CSF Cyrano iV radar and was modified to carry
the AiM-9P Sidewinder missiles on the wing tips
together with the MATrA 550 Magic short-range
AAM and the MATrA r.530 medium-range
missiles. They also retained the two internal
DEFA 553 30mm cannons. These initial aircraft
were delivered in the original three tone upper
surface camouflage scheme of sand, dark green
and dark brown over a pale grey undersurface.
The advanced multi role C.14Bs were based at
Gandos/Les Palmas on the Canary islands with
Escuadron 462 Halcones of Ala de Caza 46 as part
of the Eastern Air Command Structure. The C-
AIRCRAFT in ProFiLE
14Bs featured upgraded equipment with new
computers, head-up display (HUD), SAGAM-
Kearfott inertial system, digital Cyrano iV radar
and a fixed refuelling probe. in addition to the
air-to-air weapons these aircraft could also carry
the external CC-420 30mm cannon pod, BAP100
bomblets, Durandal anti airfield munition
dispensers, CAM-1 multi store dispensers or the
Thomson-CSF TMV-018 Syrel ESM/ELinT pod.
These aircraft could easily be distinguished by
their blue/grey upper surface and matt
aluminium undersurface camouflage scheme.
The two seat trainers were finished in the three
tone upper camouflage with pale grey under
surfaces and retained most of the single seaters
capabilities.
By early 1992 all the Mirages were merged
into an enlarged Ala 14 including Escuadron 462,
which did not convert to the EF.18 Hornet until
1999. it was also during this time that a
standardised overall Light Air Superiority Grey
camouflage scheme with toned down markings
was introduced as the aircraft went through
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
major overhauls and/or upgrades.
The next chapter in the Spanish Air Force
Mirage F.1 operational history took place in 1992
when the Mirage III upgrade was scrapped and
thirteen second hand ex Qatari Air Force Mirage
F.1s were purchased. This comprised ten single
seat F.1EDAs and two twin seat F.1DDAs as one
aircraft crashed before delivery.
These aircraft wore their original Qatari colour
scheme of light sand, dark sand and medium
blue but had Spanish national markings and
squadron insignia applied. These aircraft were
initially based at Manises-Valencia with the
reformed Ala 11 until the base was closed in
1998 and the Mirages were then transferred to
Ala 14 at Los Llanos.
With the introduction of the ex Qatari aircraft
the complete fleet was redesignated with new
letter suxes. The original F.1CE became C.14A,
the twin seat F.1BE became CE.14A, the F.1EE
became C.14B and ex Qatari F.1EDA became
C.14C and twin seat F.1DDA became CE.14C.
A further four F.1Cs and a single F-1B were
purchased from the Arme de lAir as attrition
replacement aircraft.
During the late 1990s the Spanish Air Force
embarked on a major modernisation
programme, which included a service life
extension and upgrade incorporating new
digital avionics. The C.14Cs and CE.14Cs were
retired and used as a spares source as the
upgrade to these aircraft was deemed to be
uneconomical. After modernisation, the fleet
was again redesignated as F.1M for the single
seaters and F.1BM for the two seaters.
These modernised aircraft can be
distinguished by two small RWR receivers on the
leading and trailing edge of the fin and under
the fuselage. Between the ventral fins there are a
pair of AN/ALE-40 cha/flare dispensers.
With the arrival of the Eurofighter the days of
the Mirage F.1 were numbered and starting in
2013 they were gradually retired with the last
This view of a Libyan F.1ED after overhaul by Dassault gives an excellent idea of the camouflage scheme. All
Libyan aircraft wore the same basic colours but the demarcation varied from aircraft to aircraft (Rob Schleier)
aircraft leaving service in 2015.
Libyan Arab Republic Air Force
Libya was one of the first countries to order
the Mirage F.1, when in 1974 thirty eight aircraft
were requested including sixteen Mirage F.1EDs,
sixteen Mirage F.1ADs and six Mirage F.1BD twin
seat trainers. The F.1AD was operated in the
ground attack role and these were delivered
during 1978 and operated by 1011 Fighter
Squadron, which was then based at Okba Ibn-
Nafi AB near Tripoli. (ex Wheelus USAF Base).
The twin seat trainers were operated by the
same unit and were delivered between 1978 and
1979.
1012 Fighter Squadron operated the F.1ED
interceptor aircraft. These were delivered in
1978-79 and were also operated from the same
base, which was also the headquarters for the
Libyan Air Force.
The Mirage F.1ED aircraft were fitted with the
Cyrano IV-I radar and could be armed with the
MATRA R.350 and MATRA R.550 Magic AAM
six F.1EH-200 multi role fighters.
missiles.
The F.1AD was capable of carrying many
dierent ground attack weapons but the MATRA
Belouga BGL66 munition dispensers were often
carried as well as standard 250kg GP bombs. All
the Mirage aircraft carried the same camouflage
scheme of sand, mid green and dark green
upper surface with a light grey undersurface.
The demarcation lines on all the aircraft diered
from one aircraft to another.
Libyan National markings were worn on the
top and bottom of the wings, both sides and on
the fin. Most aircraft carried the squadron
insignia on either side of the fin although at least
one Mirage F.1BD twin seater was seen without
any squadron markings.
The Libyan Air Force was heavily involved in
numerous local conflicts in the region, in
particular with Chad and also buzzing the US
Navy Sixth fleet in the Mediterranean during the
This F.1BD was the only two seater left in
Libyan service by the time this photograph
was taken in 2009 (Rob Schleier)
early 1980s, which finally resulted in the
Americans attacking Libyan targets and airfields
on Tuesday 15th April 1986, in Operation El
Dorado Canyon.
By the time of the Libyan Revolution in 2011 it
is not known how many Mirage F.1 aircraft were
still flying and could actively take part in air
operations against the anti Gaddafi forces. Both
squadrons still had some active aircraft and
some of the Libyan pilots defected with their
aircraft to Luqa Air Base in Malta. At least two
aircraft were seen with the new Free Libyan Air
Force marking after the conflict had ended.
Royal Moroccan Air Force Al Quwwat al
Jawwiya al Malakiya Marakishiya
France had been involved in many North
African adventures over the years and had
maintained close links with many in the region
including Morocco. This resulted in the placing
of an order for forty five Mirage F.1 aircraft
during 1975. This comprised twenty five Mirage
F.1CH interceptors, fourteen Mirage F.1EH and
Initial deliveries were for aircraft destined for
the Arme de lAir after the Moroccan Air Force
worked in collaboration with the French in the
small skirmish against Algerian forces in the
Western Sahara.
Moroccan aircraft were fitted with radar
warning receivers and VOR aerials when
delivered and over the years were updated to
include new wing tip ECM pod on one wing,
flare dispensers to both sides above the ventral
fins, in-flight refuelling probes as well as avionic
updates during 1996-97.
Morocco developed in conjunction with
Dassault a new indigenous produced centreline
reconnaissance pod and modified the
underwing drop tanks to carry grenade
launchers similar to than seen on the Mirage IIIs.
Air defence missiles were the standard MATRA
R.530 and R.550 AAMs.

Moroccan Air Force F.1CH. National markings are carried top
and bottom on one wing, either side of the rear fuselage
and also on the fins. No Squadron insignia are carried
Two squadrons operate the Mirage F.1s, both
based at the Fifth Royal Air Force Base also
known as Sidi Slimane Air Base. This air base was
originally built during the early 1950s as a USAF
Forward Air Base for SAC and named Sidi
Slimane AB and handed over to the Moroccan
Air Force in 1963.
The two units are Escadron de Chasse Atlas
Squadron (Mirage F.1EH-200) and Escadron de
Chasse Assad Squadron (Mirage F.1CH).
All the aircraft wear the standard tan, mid
green and dark green upper camouflage scheme
with a light grey undersurface. National
markings are carried top and bottom on one
wing, either side of the rear fuselage and also on
the fins. No Squadron insignia are carried.
Ecuador Air Force Fuerza Aerea
Ecuatoriana
The only South American country to operate
the Mirage F.1 is Ecuador, which ordered sixteen
Mirage F.1Jas, similar to the F.1E, and two twin
seat F.1JE trainers during 1977, after they tried to
procure the IAI Kfir from Israel, a move that was
blocked by the US Government.
The aircraft were all delivered between
December 1978 and December 1979 and
operated by Escuadron de Caza 2112 Cobras,
which is part of Grupo 211, Ala de Combate 21
flying from Aerea Taura Air Base, Guayaquil.
Surviving aircraft went through a fleet wide
upgrade programme during the late 1980s and
early 90s, which included modifications to carry
Israeli made munitions including the Rafael
Python-3 AAM. The aircraft also carried standard
MATRA R.530 and R.550 AAMs as well bombs on
underwing pylons. The FAE was involved in the
short, thirteen day skirmish with Peru during
An Ecuadoran Mirage F.1JA during the joint
US/Ecuadoran exercise Blue Horizon '86. The Mirage
is armed with Matra R550 Magic 2 air-to-air missiles
1981 and also again in clashes during 1995
when it was reported that the Mirage F.1s shot
down at least one Peruvian Su-22 Fitter F.
All the Mirage F.1s wore the standard light
brown (green tint) and mid green upper
camouflage scheme with a light grey underside.
National insignia are carried on the top and
bottom of one wing and both sides of the fin.
Squadron markings are carried on both sides of
the intakes on some of the aircraft and many
have been seen with special markings. Not to be
forgotten is the Su-22 Kill marking on the nose of
FAE806.
The FAE Mirage F.1s have now been
withdrawn from service, only to be replaced by
the South African Development of the Mirage
F.1, known as the Cheetah.
Qatar Emiri Air Force Al Quwwait al
Jawwiya al Emiri Qatar
The last Gulf state, and also the last country to
operate new Mirage F.1s, was the small Gulf state
of Qatar when it ordered fourteen Mirage F.1s in
1979, comprising twelve single seat F.1EDAs and
two twin stick F.1DDA trainers. One additional
twin seater was acquired as attrition
replacement.
These entered service during 1984 as part of 1
Fighter Wing based at Doha Air Base with 7
Squadron.
The aircraft were fitted with BF radar warning
receivers and VOR aerials and configured to carry
the standard Mirage F.1 air-to-air weapons fit of
the MATRA R-550 and R-530 Magic I AAM. They
could also be configured for the tactical
reconnaissance role using the Dassault COR2
recce pod on the centre line station.
All the Qatari aircraft wore a standard
AIRCRAFT IN PROFIlE
camouflage scheme of dark and light sand over
a medium blue undersurface. National insignia
was carried both wings, top and bottom. On
both fuselage sides, just behind the intakes and
on the fin both sides.
In 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait in what was to
become the first Gulf War and with the coalition
forces ranged against Saddam Hussain, the
Qatari Air Force and the air base at Doha were
declared operational and used by the coalition
for strikes into Iraq. The Mirage F.1s began flying
local air defence missions including along the
border with Iraq. However, due to the threat of
misidentification with the Iraqi Air Force Mirage
F.1s, the Qatari aircraft were not flown on
combat sorties inside the combat zone of
operations.
By the mid 1990s the aircraft had been
exchanged with Dassault for new Mirage 2000-5
fighters. The ex Qatari aircraft were then sold to
Spain as attribution replacements.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
IRIAF
The last air force to acquire the Mirage F.1
acquired its aircraft during the first Gulf War in
1990 when twenty five Iraqi Mirage F.1 pilots
defected to Iran with their machines. This
included a number of Mirage F.1EQ multi role
fighters and four Mirage F.1BQ twin seat trainers.
The aircraft were initially based at Imam Reza Air
Base (TFB14) with 141 Tactical Fighter Squadron
but transferred to 102 TFS based at TFB10
Chahbahary/Konarak Air Base in 2012. The
aircraft all wore their original Iraqi Air Force
camouflage scheme for many years with just the
IRIAF national insignia painted over the Iraqi AF
markings.
During 2013 over twenty years after the
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Whats New on the Sea Front?
A
nd now for the shipping forecast, our
quarterly look at whats happening
in the world of naval modelling. This
section has been designed with more
regular aviation modellers in mind and
MIKROMIR
German Midget Submarine Molch
By Colin Flying Pickett
Kit No: 35-008
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: MikroMir
Hannants
T
he Molch (Newt or Salamander in German)
midget submarine is historically important
as it was the first midget submarine
operated by the Kriegsmarine, seeing service in
the Mediterranean and North Sea during the
latter half of World War II.
The single crew member sat between the
huge batteries in the front, and the single
electric motor mounted behind him, an item
that was closely based on the propulsion system
of the pair of G7e torpedoes the Molch carried.
Built by Weser in Bremen the first submarine was
delivered on 12th June 1944, with a total of
three hundred and ninety three craft being built
in total. The performance of the Molch was a
little lacking, with a range of forty miles (about
sixty four kilometres) at a maximum of five knots
or just under six miles per hour (9.3km/h). In
combat operations the Molch was found to be
ineective, even when operated in large flotillas
of twelve or more craft, resulting in huge
Kriegsmarine losses for very few allied ships
sunk, and it was eventually withdrawn from
front line service to be used as a training vessel
in preparation for more advanced equipment.
Despite the issues with the Molch and its
aims to introduce the reader to options and
opportunities for modelling that are not so
far removed from their own discipline. This
month we have another main feature in
1/35. In the meantime we invite all readers
successor the Biber, the Kriegsmarine continued
to operate numerous dierent midget
submarine designs until the end of the war.
For a long time the only available 1/35 model
Molch was the resin oering from Verlinden,
which was a waterline model depicting a half
sunken one, so MikroMirs injection moulded
release is very welcome indeed. The kit arrives in
a smallish blue box with a dramatic image of the
Molch in battle on the front. Inside three sprues
of grey plastic injected parts are joined by a
plastic base and a further sprue of injected
transparencies for the various vision portholes
and access hatch options. There are also two
sheets of etched brass parts and a further sheet
of decals.
I spent a short session cleaning up the parts
ready for use, removing the odd bit of flash and
occasional moulding marks and the like, prior to
painting the inside of the hull halves with a coat
of matt black paint just in case anything could
be seen through the small portholes.
The hull halves were joined together using
Tamiyas thin liquid fast drying cement, and held
together with masking tape overnight to make
sure things had fully cured. At the same time I
joined together a number of subassemblies such
as the torpedo halves, motor housing and
conning tower. A thin coat of filler, in this case
Mr Hobby White filler, was used to make good
the various joints, and sanded when dry to
reduce the bulk of the seams. A coat of Mr
Surfacer 500 revealed any obvious defects,
which were then dealt with. I then set about
bringing all the subassemblies together before
SHIPPING FORECAST
Edited by Sorge
interested in nautical modelling to drop us
a line if they have any builds they would like
to showcase
again filling and sanding all the seams and
joints.
I secured the rudder and stabilising surfaces
by use of a pair of brass pins in each part as I
suspected they would suer from my occasional
clumsiness during the rest of the construction.
The windows in the conning tower were a
little oversized so required individually cutting
down to ensure a good fit in each aperture.
Once I was happy with the fit and I had applied a
coat of Tamiya clear green to each window to
make it look much more like the substantial
reinforced thick glass normally used in such
situations, each window was fixed in place using
Deluxe Speed Bond acrylic adhesive and wiped
clean using a damp cotton bud. Finally, before
fixing the conning tower in place, the periscope
was installed using a short length of copper wire
to add strength.
Looking at various reference photographs
sourced on the Internet I decided that the
windows needed a more obvious frame to them,
so added one using thin plastic strip and the
aforementioned Tamiya adhesive. The windows
were masked using drops of Vallejo masking
fluid, teased into the corners using a cocktail
stick to ensure all the edges were sealed. A circle
of masking tape defined the boundary for the
glazing on the access hatch before the inner
edges were also sealed with Vallejo Masking
fluid.
The lower hull has two long strakes running
along it, and these are formed of folded brass
sections, something I found my old Mission
Models folding tool invaluable for. These are
SHIPPING FORECAST

held in place with small metal brackets and in
order to make these sturdier I scribed a series of
locating groves along the hull and in the
position of each bracket for them to fix into.
Once these had all been fixed in place using
cyanoacrylate adhesive with a dousing of kicker I
painted them with a coat of Mr Surfacer to fill
any gaps and prime the brass ready for painting.
I also added the etched brass hinges and catches
to the access hatch at the same time, along with
the edges of the tail, which are also brass strip.
I then sprayed the whole submarine with a
coat of Tamiya fine surface grey primer, which
was lightly sanded when dry ready for painting.
The kit comes with decals for a choice of five
dierent vessels, three based on the coast of the
Netherlands and two in Norway. As the best
images I found show craft abandoned on an
airfield in the Netherlands I chose to replicate
the start of their decay in my model. I preshaded
the hull with Vallejo NATO Black (71.251),
highlighting all the seams, ridges and edges to
the design, and then started to add my colours.
First o, and based on the colour descriptions
given by the instructions, I used a base coat of
Vallejo ModelAir light grey (71.050) and then
masked o the disruptive pattern using Tamiya
masking sheet, before airbrushing Vallejo
ModelAir Grey (71.051). With the masks removed
I then applied a coat of Vallejo gloss acrylic
varnish ready to start weathering.
A wash of Vallejo Dark Grey (76.517) was used
to bring out the various indentations and I then
started to apply streaks of rust using light brush
applications of Vallejo Rust wash (76.506) and
Dark Rust (76.507). Further brush applications of
Wet Eects (73.828) and Rain Marks (73.819)
completed the tired and abandoned look of the
Molch.
Finally a layer of Vallejo Weathering eects
Slimy Grime Light (73.823) was added to the
upper surfaces by airbrush to make it look as if a
coat of algae had started to establish itself,
adding to the worn eect. A last coat of Vallejo
Matt varnish brought things to a more realistic
sheen.
In contrast most of the torpedoes in the
pictures look to have sustained only light
weathering, so I first airbrushed them in gloss
black primer (77.660) followed by light coats of
MetalColor Aluminium applied at low pressure.
This was given overnight to dry fully before I
masked o the front portion of each torpedo
and then applied MetalColor Steel (77.712). A
coat of gloss MetalColor varnish (77.657) sealed
the finish in before a treatment of Dark Grey
wash was used to bring the detail out a little
more. Finally a light application of matt varnish
tied the torpedoes and Molch together a little.
All of the propellers were painted with Vallejo
ModelColor Brass (70.801). The torpedoes were
secured to the boat using two short lengths of
copper wire fixed in place with cyanoacrylate
adhesive to stop them going astray.
I found the small base a bit basic for display,
so hunted out one of a supply of wooden bases
Id bought cheaply at a model show. The Molch
was mounted on this base using two short bits
of brass tube fixed in place with long screws
through the base and into the bottom of the
hull, reinforced with cyanoacrylate adhesive.
The plaque was part of one of the sprues, which I
carefully removed, cleaned up, painted in a
suitable scheme and fixed in place with more
cyanoacrylate adhesive to add a final artistic
flourish to proceedings.
Although this model could be considered a
basic build, as with many subjects the final
painting and weathering can be used to add
some life to it, and this is an area I found to be
the most enjoyable part of the project. Its great
to see MikroMir producing a line-up of these
long ignored craft, and I look forward to
undertaking some of the more unusual and
distinctive later designs of both German and
Russian midget submarines and hope they turn
their attention to the British subjects soon.
www.mikro-mir.com

COASTAL CRAFT
Coastal Craft History Volume
Four
The Fairmile A, B and C
Author: Mark Smith
Publisher: Mark Smith
ISBN: 978 09930 934 32
Format: Paperback, Landscape,
48 pages
While we have received
overwhelming support for the
occasional inclusion of this section,
editorial policy remains mindful of
the need to try and keep matters as
accessible to aviation minded
readers as possible. Ship modelling
of course generally covers 1/200
and smaller, but as and when we
are invited to look at aircraft
compatible scales and subjects we
do like to take the matter in hand.
Coastal Crafts range of 1/72 resin
boats is a source of particular
delight, and this latest book may
well be the item that tips the
balance for some, oering as it
does an attractive and fascinating
look at some very interesting
subjects.
This is essentially a book of
colour profiles, based on original
drawings by John Lambert,
detailing the colour schemes and
equipment of the Fairmile A and B
type motor launches, and C type
motor gun boat. Format is
landscape and the profiles oered
in 1/84, which may seem a little
obeat to readers rooted in 1/72
but it allows excellent use to be
made of the page space with
artwork generously spread out over
the double page width. The
amount of data provided is
phenomenal, and with kits
available there is enough
inspiration in this volume to keep a
modeller happy for years.
These fascinating and bite-sized
vessels were conceived shortly
before World War II when the British
industrialist Noel Macklin
submitted to the Admiralty an
innovative plan for the series
production of a motor launch. The
design used prefabricated parts,
which allowed various small
concerns, such as furniture and
piano manufacturers, to produce
the individual components. These
components could then be
assembled in separate shipyards.
The hull was to be made of double
diagonal mahogany planking with
plywood frames divided into nine
watertight compartments.
The Admiralty rejected the
concept, and so the prototype was
built as a private venture. In July
1939, two months before the
outbreak of war, the Admiralty had
a change of heart and awarded
Macklin a contract to build eleven
further Type A Fairmiles.
The first vessel ML100 was not
completed until May 1940 because
of handling problems at low
speeds, although the subsequent
boats had all entered service by
July. Their role was to be
antisubmarine escorts in coastal
waters, but once the better Fairmile
B motor launches began to enter
service in the autumn of 1940, the
Type A boats were converted to
minelayers.
While the Type A had been
designed entirely by Fairmile, the
Type B design had come from Bill
Holt of the Admiralty based on the
lines of a destroyer hull and the
detailed design and Fairmile took
on production. Like all their designs
it was based on total prefabrication
so individual components could be
contracted out to small factories for
production and these arranged as
kits that would be delivered to
various boatyards for assembly and
fitting out.
Altogether approximately 650
boats were built between 1940 and
1945. Like the A Type, the B Type
were initially intended as
submarine chasers, so the boats
were fitted with ASDIC sonar as
standard. Their main armament
initially reflected their
antisubmarine focus, with twelve
depth charges, a single QF three
pounder Hotchkiss gun aft and one
set of twin 0.303in machine guns.
As the war moved on, the vessels
were adapted to other roles and
the armament was modified and
upgraded such as the replacement
of the three pounder with one or
more 20mm Oerlikon cannon and
removal of the ASDIC dome for
more clearance as minesweepers.
Some boats were configured as
motor torpedo boats.
The first Fairmile B motor launch
was completed in September 1940.
All boats were essentially the same,
although they could be adapted to
serve in several roles by the
expedient of having predrilled rails
on their decks spaced to allow the
fitting of various types of
armaments.
During the Siege of Malta they
were used to sweep a narrow
channel ahead of heavier
minesweepers, which widened the
channel. The heavier minesweepers
were initially the remnants of the
Malta trawler force, then fleet
minesweepers that arrived with a
convoy from Gibraltar. The launches
were able to pass over the mines
whereas many trawler losses had

Rodens Classic Heinkel
By Gary Hatcher
Heinkel He 51B-1
Kit No: 452
Scale: 1/48
Type: Injection Moulded
Plastic
Manufacturer: Roden
Pocketbond/Squadron
W
hen Rodens Heinkel
appeared in 2015 it
came as something of a
surprise. There had been little
advance warning and it appeared
with little fanfare. Odd,
considering its importance in the
overall scheme of things for
modellers of the early Luftwae.
Of course the type has been
kitted in 1/48, and very ably by
Rodens parts are nicely tooled
with moulded detail on the
cockpit side walls
RECEIVE EXTRA EIGHT PAGES FREE
Classic Airframes, although these
kits do have issues and are not
currently available. Special Hobby
have recently reboxed this tooling
as a float equipped B-2, but this
new tool from Roden is
everything one could have
wished for in terms of
engineering and fit.
My own modelling relationship
with the type goes back five or six
years to the sudden arrival of an
Osprey book for review, Aces of
the Spanish Civil War. I was on my
way to the US convention in
Omaha and took it for essential
reading on the plane. By the time
I arrived in Omaha I was hooked
on the type and was pleased to
discover a pile of Classic
Airframes kits at bargain prices on
the Sprue Brothers stand. I even
subsequently got as far as
decalling the model but
abandoned the project eventually
due to errors made in
construction that had
irredeemably compromised it.
The old problem of changing
plans mid build had caused me to
Eduards etched details make a
big dierence to the cockpit
interior
try stripping and repainting it and
I had made a mess...
So I was determined to do a
better job this time. Roden
certainly provide a fine set of
parts and while some of the sprue
gates look a little on the heavy
side they clean up well and the
main components fit beautifully. I
had acquired Eduards etched set
and masks, which I would regard
as an essential addition to any
modelling project, but mindful of
the open cockpit I was obliged to
make an extra eort on this build
as there is no distorting
transparency to blend it all into a
pleasing impression.
I followed my usual procedure
of assembling all the cockpit
parts that could be painted
together in the base colour, in this
case RLM02. Very little of the etch
is unpainted in this case, and
while the butt joints on the
cockpit framing looked a little
complex to assemble accurately it
all went together fairly easily. I left
the seat o until after painting
but the support bars it rests on
Assembling the cockpit framing.
This looks harder than it actually
turned out to be
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
SAM SUBS SEC TION
can be added to the framework.
With everything assembled I was
able to spray Lifecolors RLM02
and then add in the colour etch.
The finished assembly looked
excellent and with the moulded
detail inside the fuselage halves
makes up into a passable finished
result. Apart from a couple of
stretched sprue wires I added
nothing to the kit parts and the
etch.
The only issue I came up
against was the cockpit door,
which is provided as a separate
part and does not fit closed. I
trimmed it to fit, which was a job I
could have done without, and
ended up filling and rescribing
the joins. Modellers wishing to
pose it open can add the Eduard
parts to the inside of it, but as
they are barely discernible with it
closed I left them o. Not for the
last time I found myself wishing
the manufacturers had moulded
the part in situ and allowed
modellers the option of removing
it if they wanted it open.
On to the main airframe
The completed frame is a solid
separate structure that can be
built up and finished before
adding to the fuselage
1
SAM SUBS SEC TION
The cockpit door was a poor fit
and needed a bit of fettling
Setting the lower wing part in
position. I found it needed
taping up securely and leaving
but the fit was good once cured
The rudder is not a bad fit but
the hinge line is too deep to use
a decal over. I decided painting
would be the best option
White primer needs to go over a
uniform grey surface. Here the
model is ready for the blue to be
sprayed on
2 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
The instrument panel and
surround with painting complete The completed cockpit insert
Eduards colour etch instrument
and ready for installation with all the colour etch added
panel
Things cleaned up remarkably Getting the control surfaces in
The only area I needed to use quickly. The exhausts have been place in the raised position was a
filler was around the joins of the omitted and the inserts that they chore but rewarded a little
underside insert and nose protrude through glued in place careful work
By separating the exhausts from Here the wing has been cleaned
their mounting bar they can be up and the hinge line for the The airframe primed grey with all
added at the end of the build aileron much tidier blemishes cleared up, prior to
white primer in preparation for
the blue nose and upper
fuselage
The exhausts undergoing
painting and treatment with
pastels. The ends are not hollow
which is a shame, but I
remember the anguish of tidying
up the resin parts with the
Classic kit, none of which had
been cast cleanly. Hopefully a
resin replacement set will appear
that can be retro fitted in the
same fashion as the kit parts
SUBSCRIBE ONLY 49.50 FOR 12 ISSUES
 SAM SUBS SEC TION

Testing the size of my masks for

the tail band
Sources state light blue but Masking up the blue was a little
Huge sigh of relief with the
none seem to be more specific. tricky as there is little correlation
upper wing in place...
Mr Hobbys H25 Sky Blue seemed between the side and plan
a close match to colour profiles I profiles on the Aeromaster sheet.
found, but was just a little too The pattern was a best guess,
dark. I found an old pot of Revell particularly at the base of the fin
Aqua acrylic that seemed to fit
the bill. This had been mixed up
some years ago when I was
failing to complete the Classic
Airframes kit and had survived
the interim remarkably well
Lifecolors Shades of Black is a
really handy set to have around
the workbench

With the red sprayed the band

can be masked. Like the blue,
resources are a little vague on
the precise shade of red
involved, and few decal sheets or
profile arts can agree
Hatakas Spanish Civil War set
provided the RLM63. Paint was
decanted into a spare bottle and
thinned with the companys own
brand thinners

Masking in place for the white

circle on the tail. The swastika sits
over a very busy area on the kit
but fortunately it all settled
nicely and looks fine on the
finished model
Decals now in place. The
Aeromaster sheet performed
faultlessly

Aeromasters sheet was

The red tail bands are included
on the Aeromaster sheet but
with such a prominent hinge line
in the rudder I had decided
painting was the preferred
option
Although out of print
Aeromasters sheet can still be
found on the second hand
market. The sheet oers two He
51s and two early Bf109s
produced in conjunction with
the Classic Publications
Jagdwae book Birth of the
Luftwae, and features aircraft
covered in the book. My initial
attempt at the Classic Airframes
kit was inspired by this volume
and was initially the first step in a
collection that was to cover the
entire series of some forty books.
Now years later I seem to have
finished the first model at last
and can proceed to the next
Now we start the rigging. After a
day or so I settled into a routine
and the task became less
onerous as I progressed. In fact
the more I did, the better it
looked, and the more excited I
became at the prospect of the
finished model

My gunsight and coaming bear

only an approximation to reality he finished model rigged and
but to my mind are better than The painted tail band and ready. I am hoping I wont come
the blank blue featureless area swastika decal look smart from a to regret the thickness of my
that was there before safe distance rigging wires in due course

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SAM SUBS SEC TION
construction, and this went together with
considerably less than the expected filling and
sanding round the wing roots and centre
section. The rudder and tailplanes were added
to the mix and I turned my attention to the
cowling, the top and front of which are
separate, as are the insert into which the
exhausts sit. Having just finished the AMG Bf
109, which requires some dexterity round this
area, I was anticipating diculties getting
everything to fit properly but I found a cheat
online that made matters a lot easier. Steen
Arndt, on the Aeroscale site, has made a great
job of this kit and recommends separating the
exhausts from their mounting and inserting
them after painting. This is actually far simpler
than you might suppose, as they can be cut
simply and cleanly and remain in one piece.
This allowed me to build up the cowling and
nose quickly and easily without having to
work around them in situ and also allowed me
to paint the stacks separately and fit them
much later in the project.
While the nose end was underway I had
also assembled the upper wing and tailplanes.
These are nice mouldings but unfortunately
all the control surfaces are separate, which is
fine if you want them dangling and posed at
angles, but if you dont then the fit is
compromised. I removed all the lugs from the
upper wing to allow a flush fit and after some
sanding and blending they fitted pretty well. I
dropped a tiny length of stretched sprue into
each hole to replace the actuators and on the
whole it looks much better. Some careful
sanding allowed me to get the tailplanes
assembled. I was planning a red tail band for
the rudder so wanted as flush a fit as possible,
but it became apparent that with the parts
provided I was not going to be able to use a
decal here. I fitted the part as well
as I could, and it does look pretty
4 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
good, but decided the red band was going to
have to be painted.
By now I had the fuselage, lower wings and
spats all together and was ready to move on
to the next stage. Rodens kit only provides
options for Spanish Civil War aircraft, while I
wanted to do a colourful pre-war machine
and to this end had acquired Aeromaster
sheet 48457 Birth of the Luftwae Part Two
from Tall Paul the decals man, the presence of
whose emporium at any model show is an
immediate and powerful lure. This includes
two He 51s in traditional colours, one blue and
one red, although this latter is for a He 51A-1
so not applicable to the current kit (I would be
obliged if anyone would explain the external
visible dierences between the He 51A and
the He 51B. I gather it is a matter of
strengthened undercarriage but would
welcome more information). The blue option
is a well-documented machine from JG 135
with a light blue upper fuselage and cowling. I
had tried to apply this to my Classic Airframes
build before, after having finished it first in an
overall light grey Condor Legion scheme and
deciding it looked bland and uninteresting.
Trying to spray the blue along the upper
fuselage under the wing had been such a
chore that I decided to paint the Roden kit
before adding the upper wing and struts,
mask it, and save myself a headache.
Accordingly I applied grey primer to the entire
airframe until I had a smooth uniform finish,
then added white primer on top of this. I took
the opportunity to mask up and paint the tail
band at the same time.
Once the blue was safely applied and
masked it was time to add the upper wing.
This was achieved ungracefully, but
the struts seem to
SUBSCRIBE ONLY 49.50 FOR 12 ISSUES
locate well enough and I managed to get it all
in place without too much glue and crucially
without messing up the masked blue upper
fuselage. There is no easy way in my
experience of adding upper wings to biplanes.
It really depends on the nature of the struts,
their locating points, and how skilled the
individual modeller is with things like jigs and
accurate measurements. Personally I am
hopeless, so I fitted all the struts in place with
Revell Contacta in as approximately accurate a
position as possible then added the top wing
before they were set. This ham fisted approach
aorded a couple of fraught moments but I
was able to skew the wing into the correct
position and leave it to set wedged up against
a couple of paint jars. I apologise to those
experts for whom the correct techniques work
every time but I work within my limitations...
Upper wing in place and everything set
solid I was able to continue with the painting
and finishing. This firstly involved Halfords
grey primer all over, followed by a couple of
coats of RLM63, for which I deviated from my
usual Lifecolors, as they do not make one.
Hataka recently issued a set for the Spanish
Civil War which includes RLM63, a grey-green
not hugely dissimilar to Slate Grey and RLM02,
but a little lighter. It looked vile initially, but in
situ with decals and the red and blue trim I am
very pleased with the result. Hatakas paint
sprayed beautifully. I decanted some into an
empty Humbrol pot and diluted it with their
own thinners and experienced no problems
whatsoever.
Painting completed I
removed the
masking and
was hugely
relieved to
see the
blue intact.

The decals went on very nicely too, with just
the usual Micro Sol and Set to settle them,
although I did use a dash of Daco Red to the
swastikas where they had to settle over the
join on the rudder.
Decalling completed there were a few jobs
that needed attending to before I turned my
attention to rigging, a task I was dreading.
Firstly the wheels needed fitting. I had painted
them separately and was planning on cutting
o the lugs inside the spats and settling them
onto a lump of Milliput until they were in the
correct position. Test fitting however they
simply snapped into place in the spats and
even rotate, so that was painless. The exhausts
were next, and these had been painted with
Lifecolors Burned Black from their set LC-CS27
Shades of Black. This set has a thousand uses,
and the Tire Black in particular is an essential
addition to all my model builds. The Burned
Black oers a nice purple tinted shade that
just needed some dry pastels brushed onto it
to give a satisfactory result. The painted
exhausts sat easily into the holes in the
cowling and I moved onto the windscreen and
cockpit coaming.
This is an area that needs a little attention. I
found a good image of the cockpit on the
Internet and there seems to be leather
padding along the front of the cockpit rim,
with a pad directly in front of the pilot,
approximately in the position the pilots head
would hit in the event of a rough landing, so a
sort of early airbag if you like. I built up a bead
of PVA glue for the coaming and added a
small rectangle of plastic strip for the
headrest. Inelegant but with my receding
eyesight it passes muster and is considerably
better than the conspicuous lack of
anything that went before.
I used Eduards masks on
the windscreen. This
small
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transparent part has a hole in it for the
gunsight, but no parts are provided for this
essential piece of equipment, either in the kit
or on the etched Eduard fret. No doubt
gunsights were removed from parked aircraft,
so the kit is not necessarily inaccurate in this
regard, but there would presumably have
been some means of mounting it visible, and I
was troubled by the empty expanse between
the cockpit rim and the windscreen so elected
to scratch build a part myself. The usual
plaintive request to a colleague thank you
Mr Neil Robinson established that the
instrument in question was the Revi 3a/b. I
found some excellent images online of this at
www.deutscheluftwae.de. My part is a rough
approximation, painted with Humbrol
Metalcote Polished Steel with a spare etched
ring sight from an Eduard fret. I am sure some
of our aftermarket experts could make a
better job in resin for this instrument,
applicable to a number of aircraft types that
will no doubt be kitted in the not too distant
future once manufacturers run out of Luft 46
ideas. How about it Brengun? Right up your
street I would have thought...?
With all the little odds and ends handled I
had no further excuses for delaying the
rigging. Now there are a number of useful and
easy ways of accomplishing this using elastic
thread, but looking at images I decided the
bulk of the bracing wires on the He 51 were of
a fairly industrial thickness for which the
filigree nature of Uschi Van Der Rostens
exquisite thread would be inappropriate. It
would have to be stretched sprue to obtain
the necessary thickness, not to mention
variety of sizes involved. The night before
rigging commenced I prepared myself a sprue
pallet. I stretched a number of lengths to
varying thicknesses, fixed them all by one end
to a piece of masking tape and sprayed them
all over with Halfords Matt Black. This then
provided me with enough material to do the
entire aircraft.
Its not such an onerous task once you
get down to it, and Roden
have made it easier
by providing
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
SAM SUBS SEC TION
lugs on the struts or dimples in the fuselage,
spats and wings where the various wires need
to go. I established a method of glueing one
end of a piece approximately the right length
then pulling it with tweezers and trimming
the end carefully, bit by bit, until the length
was exact. This was then glued in place and a
heated scalpel used to tighten it up. It took
three days but I got there in the end.
Rigging transformed the model, and having
completed this one I am now looking forward
to tackling the B-2 float plane that Roden
subsequently released, complete with
beaching trolley. Rigging done the final task
was to add the aerial, from Uschis medium
thread, and glue on the prop. The model was
finally finished and I was very happy to have it
done.
Conclusion
Rodens kit assembles very nicely. The
cockpit detail is excellent from the box and
the whole build was filled with delightful
moments when things went right and I found
myself with less work than I had expected. The
addition of Eduards etch makes a real
dierence to the view through the cockpit
aperture, and their masks were very useful too
when it came to the fiddly job of painting a
tiny windscreen.
Thanks to Roden for kitting this machine so
nicely. There is a vast array of early Luftwae
machines and trainers that could do with a
new injection moulded kit such as the Fw 56,
the He 45 and the Ar 68 to name but a few.
The 1930s colour schemes are attractive and
interesting and with decals available from
Print Scale as well as Aeromasters old sheet
there is plenty of scope for starting a nice
collection.
I learned a lot from this build, and I am
currently not scared of rigging biplanes. I have
Classic Airframes Ar 68 half built in the loft,
where it has languished for a good
few years. It may be time to
retrieve it and see if I cant get a
companion for the Heinkel before
the fear returns.
5
SAM SUBS SEC TION
SHOWCASE
The Indisputable Leader
of the Gang...
By Kitti Tatsumaki
Kit No: 80278
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded
Plastic
Manufacturer: HobbyBoss
Creative Models/Squadron
6 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
T
he Grumman F-14 Tomcat has
been one of my favourite
fighter jets for as long as I can
remember. This sleek supersonic
fighter, with its unmistakable
variable sweep wings, is recognized
all over the world. The planes
famous features also inspired a
well-known Japanese animation
company to adopt its design, which
in turn spawned beautiful aircraft
concepts that were both ground
breaking and ahead of their time. In
my hands I now have a HobbyBoss
1/72 F-14D Super Tomcat, which I
will be building and finishing with
VF-2 Bounty Hunter CAG markings.
The kit comes on eight light grey
sprues including two for the body
halves, one clear sprue for the
canopy, HUD and two other parts,
along with a set of decals for
both the aircraft and its
missiles.
There is also a wonderful double
sided printed sheet showing the
painting schemes and markings for
all the three possible options that
came with the box. During test
fitting I was pleasantly surprised
that the parts fitted so well. Its
almost as if the model does not
need any cement! Furthermore I
did not need to refine nor sand the
model, a process which is very time
consuming and can really take up a
good part of an evening.
I began building the model by
starting with the cockpit as usual
since this is the most enjoyable
part. After spraying Mr. Hobby 317
on the interior and letting it dry, I
started to detail the instrument
panels using the manufacturers
decals. I was dismayed
SUBSCRIBE ONLY 49.50 FOR 12 ISSUES
to learn that the clear canopy had a
long seam line in the middle,
though with some careful sanding
and polishing using Tamiyas
Polishing Compound the seam line
was history. How did I do that? I
started with the coarse grade first,
to remove most of the seam line
and smooth the surface. The
medium grade improves the
smoothness, and finally the fine
finishing compound more or less
polishes the canopy to a clear
sheen. Before I was done with the
cockpit area, I raised both ejection
seats a little higher to match those I
have seen on most reference
photos.
As
far as
landing
gears go, I
added some extra
details in the form of
hoses and cabling so it
looked more realistic and
busy. Now comes the nose
area which is something new to
me. I needed to add
some weight to it, which
was vaguely indicated in
the assembly manual. With
some fishing leads and a
marble as my weights, I just kept
adding them one by one until the
plane stopped doing wheelies.
Once the nose had sucient
weight I used a fast drying two
part epoxy to seal them in place,
which prevents everything from
rolling around inside.
With the fuselage, wings
and tail fins assembled the
aircraft was now ready for
the painting stage. I
began by preshading
the panel lines with
Gaia Notes 032

Ultimate Black. Using Gunze 315
FS16440 as the main colour, I
did some light random
spraying so as not to
cover the earlier
Ultimate Black
preshadings
completely.
This trick
will make
the fading eects look more
natural. Finally, with a combination
of Tamiya XF-2 Flat White and XF-10
Flat Brown, I did some colour
balancing. Once I was satisfied I
sealed the model with Mr. Color
GX100 Super Clear III to prepare it
for the next stage, decalling, after
which another coat of Super Clear
III was added to protect the decals.
I used AK2072 Panel Liner for
Grey and Blue Camouflage for
panel lining and washing. This
product is a very simple but very
eective. All I had to do was just
apply the enamel based wash,
leave it to dry for about thirty
minutes and then clean the excess
with a cotton bud. As for the
hydraulic fuel stains on both the
wings and fuel tanks, I used both
AK2039 Kerosene Leaks & Stains
and AK 084 Engine Oil. For each
layer of weathering and wash, I
protect them with Super Clear III.
This is a very challenging
stage for me because
once they are sealed,
there is no going back and you
can only correct the current layer.
So getting the eects right is very
important.
Finally we reach the post
shading stage. Here I
used Tamiya XF-1 Flat
Black, XF-2 Flat
White and
AK2071
Panel
RECEIVE EXTRA EIGHT PAGES FREE
SAM SUBS SEC TION
Liner
for Brown and
Green Camouflage.
One nice fact about them is
that they are enamel based and will
not aect the previous layer, which
is protected by the lacquer based
Super Clear III. And if youre not
happy with the eects done on the
current layer, you can wash them
away with AK Odorless Thinner, X-
20 Enamel Thinner or even Zippo
lighter fluid. Then you have a fresh
clean slate to work on again. Think
of every Super Clear III coat as a
new canvas.
The final stage saw the model
receive a top coat of semi gloss.
And now for the finale, polishing
the canopy. After removing the
canopys masking, I polished it
again with Tamiya fine polishing
compound and for the finishing
touch, both sides of the canopy
was cleaned with an antistatic
window cleaner to ensure a crystal
clear finish.
And with that my F-14D Super
Tomcat of the VF-2 Bounty Hunter
from the USS Constellation 2003
was completed.
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 7
SAM SUBS SEC TION
British National Marking Colours 1915 1945
T
he origin of the roundel as the national
marking of British military aircraft was
covered in the September 2016 issue of
Scale Aircraft Modelling, which related the story as
far as January 1915 and the use of colours V.R.1
(Varnish Red No.1) and V.B.1 (Varnish Blue No.1).
Over the next year both of these colours fell from
use with there apparently being a V.R.2 and a
V.W.2 (Varnish White No.2) before the advent of
the colours that were used from at least January
1916 to the end of the First World War and
beyond.
On 10 January 1916 the Assistant Director
Military Aeronautics at the War oce in London
wrote to The General Ocer commanding 1st
Brigade RFC Expeditionary Force enclosing a list
of Dope, Varnish and Paint Materials
manufactured at the Royal Aircraft Factory. This
list included V.R.3 'Red varnish for designs'; V.W.3
'White varnish for designs, used only on parts
which have been coloured with P.C.10' and V.B.2
'Blue varnish for painting the blue parts of
national designs on doped fabric'. It is interesting
to note that the V.W.3 component was supposed
to be omitted from the clear doped under surface
roundels leaving the creamy o-white of the clear
doped linen to provide the 'white' component of
the marking.
These finishes were included in Royal Aircraft
Factory Doping Scheme 'A' dated 4 August 1916.
Colour Varnishes for Designs.
25. The colour varnishes to be used on Raftite are as
follows:-
Red varnish V.R.3.
White ,, V.W.3.
Blue ,, V.B.2.
In terms of modern colours, V.R.3 can be
equated to BS 381C No. 538 Post Oce
Red/Cherry (FS 595B FS 31136) and V.B.2 can be
equated to BS 381C No. 108 Aircraft Blue (FS
35056) whilst V.W.3 was an 'Arctic' or 'Appliance'
white.
Following the decision to eliminate the White
Component from the roundels of Night Flying
machines on 30 July 1918, a letter of that date
was sent to Nos. 1 and 2 Aircraft Depots from
GHQ RAF stating that
In
future
all night
flying
machines
that are overhauled by you will
have the following markings on the planes and
nacelle.
The markings as now put on day flying machines
will be used, with the exception that the white ring is
done away with, and the red circle and blue ring
extended outwards and inwards so as to meet in the
centre of the space now occupied by the white ring.
The white circle at present used on night flying
machines is abolished. Vertical stripes on the rudder
will not be put on night flying
machines.
8 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
There is no need to alter machines that have been
completed or that are received from England.
Thus was born the red and blue night flying
roundel with a red centre which was two fifths of
the overall diameter of the roundel.
It would appear that the colours V.R.3 and V.B.2
were employed for this purpose as though the
first mention of a 'dull' red and 'dull' blue shade is
made in connection with the camouflage scheme
for the Sopwith Salamander in July 1918, nothing
seems to have been done to introduce these
colours to service before sometime around 1922.
Evidence for this is provided by the provisional
Vocabulary of Stores issued in April 1920 where
Section 33B 'Aircraft Paints and Dopes' only list
Blue V.B.2 33B/3, Red V.R. 3 33B/4 and White V.W.3
33B/5. The earliest reference made to 'dull' red
and 'dull' blue as standard colours in a primary
source document currently held by the author is
in British Engineering Standards Association
British Standard for Aircraft Material 2 D. 103 'Air
Ministry Nitro Dope Coverings and Identification
Colours' dated March 1922.
This Standard lists V.R.3 whose pigment was to
consist of Lithol Red, V.W.3 whose pigment was to
be Zinc Oxide and V.B.2 whose pigment was to
consist of a mixture of Ultramarine Blue and Zinc
Oxide so as to match the Standard along with
V.N.R.5 (Varnish, Night, Red No.5) whose pigment
was to consist of Red Iron Oxide and V.N.B.6.
(Varnish, Night, Blue No.6) whose pigment was to
consist of a mixture of Ultramarine Blue, Carbon
Black and Zinc Oxide so as to match the Standard.
The use of these colours was set out in BESA
British Standard Specification 2 D.104 'Air Ministry
Doping Schemes' dated December 1922 where
the use of V.R.3, V.W.3 and V.B.2 was specified for
Aluminium finished day flying machines. For
some reason 2 D.104 rearranged the
nomenclature so as to read 'Red N.V.R 5' and 'Blue
N.V.B.6', which were to be used on NIVO finished
night flying machines.
According to the late Bruce Robertson, 'Red
N.V.R 5' and 'Blue N.V.B.6' were added to the RAF
Vocabulary of Stores with the reference numbers
33B/2 for the Red where it replaced a reference for
Benzol and 33B/6 where it replaced a reference
for Raftite No.2 in the original April 1920 edition.
From the beginning of
the RAE's
camouflage trials
in 1933, it was
recognised that the
use of White in the national markings would tend
to nullify the camouflage finish. For this reason,
the 'Night Flying Roundel' of 2-5 proportion using
Red V.N.R. 5 and Blue V.N.B. 6 was supposed to be
used in conjunction with all the trial camouflage
schemes.
SUBSCRIBE ONLY 49.50 FOR 12 ISSUES
By Paul Lucas
The form of national markings to be employed
on the new camouflage schemes was decided
upon at a meeting held at the Air Ministry on 13
February 1936 where it was decided that the
wartime marking would consist of the 'Night
Flying Roundel' whilst in peacetime, a Yellow
outer ring would be added to the existing
national markings to increase their visibility for
reasons of flight safety. Paragraph 'g' of an RAE
'Note on the Camouflage Painting of Aeroplanes'
dated 19 March 1936 headed 'Identification
marks' stated that the position and external
diameter of identification rings was to be in
accordance with Air Ministry Standard Instruction
Sheet No. 4 and that the relative diameters and
colours of the rings were to be as follows:-
D1 Yellow (V.Y.1)
D2 Dull Blue (V.N.B.6) = D1 x 5/7
D3 White (V.W.3) = D1 x 3/7
D4 Dull Red (V.N.R.5) = D1 x 1/7
This document clearly and unambiguously
identifies the shades of Red and Blue to be used
on camouflaged aircraft as being the 'dull' Red
V.N.R.5 and 'dull' Blue V.N.B.6. In due course as
camouflaged aircraft became the norm, the old
BESA nomenclature fell from use and these two
colours became ocially designated 'Red' and
'Blue' though they would often continue to be
referred to colloquially as 'dull red' and 'dull blue'.
Following the introduction of cellulose
materials to DTD83A in December 1935, the
aircraft manufacturers were informed of the
materials for use on fabric components to this
specification in a memo dated 14 July 1936 as
follows:
b) Identification colours:
Dope Red 33B/73-74
White 33B/75-76
Blue 33B/69-70
Yellow 33B/77-78
The first 33B reference number was for a half
gallon container whilst the second was for a one
gallon container. These 33B reference numbers
then remained current until DTD 83A was
superseded by cellulose materials to DTD 751-754
in June 1945.
Because it was
originally intended that
the older biplanes would
remain in their original
finish, V.R.3 and V.B.2 were
provisioned to DTD
83A for use on
Aluminium
finished day flying types.
These colours were allocated the Vocabulary of
Stores reference numbers 33B/67-68 for V.B.2 and
33B/71-72 for V.R.3. These colours do not appear
to have been provisioned for Stores to DTD 308 or
DTD 314.
Despite it being the Air Ministry's intention that
V.N.R.5 Red and V.N.B.6 Blue be used in the
markings of camouflaged aircraft, not every
aircraft manufacturer seems to have understood
this, and the DTD was still sending out Technical
Circulars as late as November 1941 exhorting the
Resident Technical Ocers at the manufacturers
to use the correct colours.

been caused by the leading ship
hitting a mine. Many were built as
rescue motor launches with small
sickbays aft of the engine room
coaming, and classified as RML
(Rescue Motor Launch). Several
more were converted to use as War
Oce ambulance launches with
larger sickbays.
Canada built eighty boats. These
were built to slightly dierent
specifications and used as escort
vessels. Eight of these (ML392-399)
were built by Le Blanc for the Royal
Navy. These eight boats were
transferred under Lend-Lease to
the US Navy, because US coastal
protection had been depleted by
transferring ships to the Royal Navy
for convoy work. The US Navy used
them as submarine chasers until
their forces could be built up.
Author Mark Smith has really
pushed the boat out with this one.
Highly recommended to any
readers looking to branch out but
reluctant to tackle any of the
smaller scales.
www.coastalcraftmodelsuk.com
TETRA MODEL
WORKS
We have received some
remarkable sets from Tetra Model
Works, specifically for the
impressive 1/350 Merit HMS Ark
Royal, as well as a couple of generic
armament sets that allow defensive
armament to be super detailed. A
look at the website suggests there
is much more on oer and anyone
tackling the carrier will do well to
invest in some of these superb sets:
SA-35009 1/350 Royal Navy Fleet
Aircraft Set One
While this set is ideal for the Ark
Royal it will of course be applicable
to any carrier from the period that
embarked the subject aircraft. This
is essentially a set of parts for
Swordfish, Fulmars and Skuas, and
includes some amazing details. All
three types get wing fold details
and canopy/windscreen framing as
well as prop blades both stationary
or spinning. These latter pieces will
look good once painted up but the
most impressive components are
the complete strut/rigging parts for
the Swordfish. Parts provided allow
all three types to be depicted with
wings open or folded, which in the
case of the Fulmar looks like a fairly
involved piece of work but the
engineering of this set is such that
all of the modifications required
can be eected with a minimum of
fuss.
I would regard this set of parts as
essential for anyone tackling the
Merit kit. Highly recommended.
Limited Edition 1/350 Octuple
two pounder Pom Pom
This set oers a mass of detail for
four 8 barrel gun stations. Barrels
are included from turned brass and
are remarkably finely produced.
This is not an add on as the parts
provided allow the complete gun
station to be built from the etch
provided.
Limited Edition 1/350 Vickers .50
Machine Gun
This set, like the previous item,
oers parts to build up the
weapons stations from scratch, and
includes more tiny turned brass
barrels. Phenomenal detail! The
availability of items like these are
enough to make any modeller
consider the possibilities now
available in this scale
www.tetramodel.com
EDUARD
New sets from Eduard oer some
exquisite details for the new 1/200
HMS Hood:
53187 HMS Hood part one AA
guns & rocket launchers
53188 HMS Hood part two
radars
Trumpeters kit is a truly
impressive piece of engineering,
but in this scale it really needs the
kind of detail that etch can add. No
doubt Eduard will be going further
down this path
Hannants/Creative Models/Sprue
Brothers/Squadron
www.eduard.com
SHELF ODDITY
So far we have focussed on
larger scales, 1/72, 1/350 and the
like, but if you are not daunted by
the smaller stu then one source
that will be of invaluable assistance
to you is Shelf Oddity. We have
covered their remarkable 1/144
aircraft sets elsewhere in this and
other issues, but when it comes to
nautical matters they really do have
some excellent products.
The specific set received for
review is a tiny set of parts oering
generic details for Imperial
Japanese Navy vessels in 1/700 but
the full range covers much, much
more:
SO70037IJN Ultra Fine Rigging &
Mast Equipment Set
Includes rigging lines, railings,
radars, antennae and more. Make a
big dierence in a little scale!
Shelf Oddity do not provide
assembly instructions but these are
all available to download from the
website. UK importer Coastal Craft
make a practice of printing and
including instructions with some of
these sets so check out the
available range from their website
too.
www.shelfoddity.com
www.coastalcraftmodelsuk.com
REVELL
Some interesting items on the
horizon from Revell, with an
upgrade of the 1/144 Fletcher just
around the corner:
05150 1/144 Fletcher Class
Destroyer Platinum Edition
05152 1/700 Container Ship
Colombo Express
05606 1/96 USS United States
05699 1/72 Black Pearl Pirate Ship
www.revell.de/en
SHIPPING FORECAST
HASEGAWA
A whole flotilla is due from
Hasegawa, along with a number of
etched detail sets for their own kits:
30044 1/700 Japanese Navy
Battleship Mikasa 1902, full hull
40061 1/350 Japanese Navy
Battleship Mikasa The Battle of the
Yellow Sea, full hull
40076 1/350 Agano IJN Light
Cruiser, full and waterline
40077 1/350 Agano IJN Light
Cruiser Class etched parts
(handrails etc)
40078 1/350 Agano IJN Light
Cruiser Class etched parts (bridge,
crane, funnel cap etc)
40079 1/350 Agano IJN Light
Cruiser Class etched parts (catapult,
flight deck, airplane parts)
40094 1/350 IJN Destroyer Type
Koh Nowaki etched parts
40096 1/350 IJN Aircraft Carrier
Hiyo, full hull
40097 1/350 IJN Aircraft Carrier
Hiyo etched parts
43345 1/700 Furutaka Japanese
Navy Heavy Cruiser, waterline hull
CH121 1/700 JMSDF DDH Izumo,
full hull
QG57 1/350 Shimakaze IJN
Destroyer late type etched parts
QG69 1/350 JMSDF DDH Kaga
etched parts
WL032 1/700 JMSDF DDH Kaga,
waterline hull
WL120 1/700 Hyuga, waterline hull
WL461 1/700 Japanese Navy
Destroyer Yugumo, waterline hull
WL462 1/700 Japanese Navy
Destroyer Hayanami, waterline hull
Amerang/Hobbico
SHIPPING FORECAST
SQUADRON/SIGNAL
New books on nautical subjects
from Squadron:
Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers
(In Action Series)
This is an expanded edition with
more photos, updated content and
over twenty more pages. Currently
the most capable and sophisticated
destroyer class in the world, the
Arleigh Burke class had its
beginnings in the mid 1970s, the
result of a Naval Sea Systems
Command (NAVSEA) research
project. In the years following the
Vietnam War, cost and size
constraints were dominate factors
motivating the design process. The
new ship had to be eect as an
antisubmarine escort for the carrier
battle groups, but also able to
engage and neutralize airborne
threats. The new ship was also
intended to replace older ships of
several classes due for replacement.
The book is Illustrated with over
200 colour photographs.
Landing Craft Air Cushioned (In
Action Series)
In 1966 a Landing Craft
Coordinating Group was assembled
to discuss and draft specifications
for a new landing craft. The work
resulted in the Patrol Air Cushion
Vehicle (PACV) that saw service in
the Vietnam War. By 1970 designs
for an Amphibious Assault Landing
Craft (AALC) were on the drawing
board. The US Navy ordered the
first three LCACs February 1982.
LCACs move over rocks and other
beach obstacles and have reduced
susceptibility to damage from
mines. The crew consists of five
enlisted personnel; a Deck
Engineer, a Load Master, a
Navigator, an Engineer and a Craft
Master. LCACs are not given names,
only pennant numbers to
dierentiate between them. With
an originally specified thirty year
life expectancy, LCACs would have
begun to retire in 2004 but for a
major Service Live Extension
Program (SLEP) begun in 2001. The
book is packed with more than 240
vivid colour photos, comprehensive
tables, colour profiles and detailed
line drawings.
www.squadron.com
TOMS
MODELWORKS
New products out from Toms
may not necessarily appear ship
related, but as they are in 1/700 it
seems appropriate to include them
here as they are most likely to
appeal to modellers working in that
scale. The new items oer a variety
of aircraft types in the scale, and
while we would hesitate to
recommend loading a carrier deck
with B-52s the Stearman and Texan
might not seem so out of place.
Detail is amazing in this scale and
the outlines beautifully replicated
in 3D printing:
1/700 Stearman N2S Primary
Trainer (x4)
1/700 SNJ Texan Advanced Trainer
(x4 Gear Down)
1/700 B-57B Canberra (x3)
1/700 B-52D Stratofortress Bu
1/700 F-105D Thunderchief
Thud (x3)
1/700 S-75 Dvina (SA-2 Guideline)
Transporter (x2)
1/700 S-75 Dvina (SA-2 Guideline)
w/Launchers (x4)
www.tomsmodelworks.com
MK. I DESIGN
Another excellent upgrade for
the Merit USS Hornet is this set of
etched and resin details for the
aircraft. Set 20012 oers some fine
details including bomb bays for the
B-25s, as well as fuel tanks and
other ordnance for the other
machines. A particularly nice touch
is the fret of prepainted propellers
complete with manufacturers
logos.
Hannants
ICM
S015 Grosser Kurfurst (full hull &
waterline) World War I German
Battleship
Latest from ICM is this 1/700 kit
oering a choice of full hull or
waterline to model this famous
WWI battleship.
Hannants/Stevens Internationa
ZVEZDA
9058 SSBN Borei Nuclear
Submarine
New in 1/350 from Zvezda is
Project 955, or Borei, the latest class
of nuclear powered ballistic missile
submarine operated by the Russian
Navy, intended to replace the Delta
III, Delta IV and Typhoon classes.
The class is named after Boreas, the
North wind.
The launch of the first submarine
of the class, Yury Dolgorukiy, was
scheduled for 2002 but was
delayed because of budget
constraints. The vessel was
eventually rolled out of its
construction hall on 15 April 2007
in a ceremony attended by many
senior military and industrial
personnel.
On 2nd December 2010 the
second Borei class submarine,
Alexander Nevskiy, was moved to a
floating dock in Sevmash shipyard.
There the final preparations took
place before the submarine was
launched on 6th December 2010
and began sea trials on 24th
October 2011. On 15th December
2009, a Defence Ministry ocial
announced that the laying down of
the fourth Borei class submarine
had been postponed from
December to the first quarter of
2010. The reason for the delay was
said to be organizational and
technical reasons. The fourth ship
of the class will be constructed
under a new 955A modification,
which will include major structural
changes. Starting from the fourth
hull, all submarines of the Borei
class will have twenty missile tubes
each. If armed with the Bulava
missile with ten warheads atop
each, a single Borei class SSBN
could then carry 200 warheads, as
much as the entire nuclear arsenal
of the United Kingdom.
The contract for five 955A
submarines was delayed several
times due to price dispute between
the Russian Ministry of Defence and
the United Shipbuilding
Corporation. The contract for
modified 955A was finally signed
on 28th May 2012.
The first 955A submarine, Knyaz
Vladimir, was laid down on 30th
July 2012. Russian president
Vladimir Putin attended the
ceremony. Three additional 955A
submarines were laid down in
2014, one in late 2015 and one in
late 2016.
The Hobby Company/Dragon
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
aircraft entered service, they were put through a
major upgrade by the Iranian aircraft industry
under what is known as Project Habibi to return
the aircraft to front line service. As part of this
upgrade the aircraft have sported a smart new
Light Grey and Light Blue colour scheme and
some have been seen with new 102 TFS/10 TFB
markings on the fin.
Mirage F.1 Combat Ops
There are not that many modern jet aircraft
that have seen as much combat as the Mirage
F.1, with over forty plus years service with
multiple air arms in so many hotspots all over
the globe:
South African Bush and Border Wars
The first large scale military involvement in a
conflict came with the South African war with
Angola during 1976. This became known as the
Angolan Bush War when the SAAF launched
Operation Reindeer following SWAPO incursions
into South West Africa. The SAAF Mirage F.1AZs
from 1 Squadron and Mirage F.1R2Zs of 2
Squadron were deployed to AFB Ondangwa, a
Forward Operating Base in SWA.
The war escalated over the next few years and
in 1979 the South African government
authorised pre-emptive strikes against the
SWAPO positions inside Zambia, from which the
SWAPO guerrillas had been permitted to mount
border raids. These raids were codenamed
Operations Rekstok and Safran.
As the Mirage F.1 pilots gained valuable
combat experience, the range of missions
increased to include long-range, deep strike
missions in Angola using Mk.82 bombs, SNEB
rocket pods and the internal cannons.
Other missions over the long border war
included strikes into Mozambique against ANC
forces around Maputo under Operation Skerwe.
Combat operations using the SAAF Mirage F.1
aircraft went on until 1988, twelve years after the
initial combat debut. Only two aircraft were lost
in combat and the type claimed at least two air-
to-air kills, both by Major Johan Rankin.
Morocco and the Western Sahara
The next incident that saw the Mirage F.1 in
action was during 1978 when the Moroccan Air
Force used the aircraft against the Algerian
Forces and Libyan backed guerrillas. Both
Moroccan Air Force Squadrons were operated
from their main base at Sidi Slimane and also
from a FOB in the northern part of the former
Spanish Sahara at El Aioun Air base. The aircraft
flew a wide range of missions against Polisario
forces including tactical reconnaissance, ground
attack and close air support (CAS). They also flew
on occasions in the air defence role if required.
At least three aircraft were lost in combat
A Qatari pilot performs a preflight check on his Mirage F.1EDA
prior to taking o on a mission during Operation Desert Storm
during the ten years of the conflict, all being
shot down by SA-8 SAMs.
Sponsored Terrorism Libya, Chad and
France
It was during the early 1980s that Libya and
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi became actively
involved in sponsored terrorism throughout the
Middle East and also around the world, which
led to the American strikes on Libya in 1986 and
the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over
Lockerbie on 21st December 1988.
However before this Libyan Air Force Mirage
F.1ADs were heavily involved in the civil war in
neighbouring Chad. These were deployed to the
large air base at Maaten al-Sarra in Southern
Libya.
These aircraft were first deployed during 1981
as ground attack aircraft, used against the
opposing forces of the Chadian Government.
Further actions took place up until 1983 when
the French Arme de lAir became more overtly
involved in the region and sent further troops
and aircraft. The French named this Operation
Manta and it consisted of SEPECAT Jaguar As in
the ground attack mission supported by Mirage
F.1Cs as air support.
For a time it looked as though there would be
air combat between rival F.1s but the Libyan Air
Force held back their high value Mirage F.1
assets in case they needed to be involved in the
growing threat from the American Sixth Fleet
then actively policing the Libyan Air Force and
Navys aggression in the Mediterranean.
By the autumn of 1984, a ceasefire was agreed
in Chad and both the French and Libyan forces
withdrew. This did not last long as by 1986
Gaddafi was up to his old tricks and again
supported the rebels in Chad. France was swift
to act and launched Operation Epervier in
February 1986. Again the Mirage F.1Cs were
Mirage F1BQ of The Islamic Republic of Iran
Air Force (Sharam Sharifi)
tasked with supporting the Jaguar undertaking
the ground attack role. The French Mirage F.1Cs
were based for a short while in the Capital City of
NDjamena.
After a reduction in tension the French
deployed military forces including Mirage F.1Cs
and Jaguar As to neighbouring friendly states.
Trouble flared up again during 1987 and the
Mirage F.1Cs of EC5 based at Bangui Air Base in
the Central African Republic were involved with
a strike on the Libyan Air Base of Ouadi Doum.
The operation was to damage the airstrip
located in northern Chad, a strip 3,800m long,
built by the Libyans between November 1984
and October 1985. Ouadi Doum had great
strategic importance, as only from here in Chad
could Libyan bombers attack Chad's capital city.
More important still were the political aspects
of the strike as Ouadi Doum was a symbol of
Libyan duplicity in the conflict. The French
government intended by this action to send a
message to their African friends and foe alike,
proving their determination to confront Libyan
expansion.
The Mirage F.1CRs of ER33, also based at
Bangui, carried out both pre and post strike
reconnaissance missions over the airfield using
Raphael recce pods on their centre line stations.
By late 1987 Chad, with backing from France
and Zaire, invaded Libya and recaptured
disputed territory from the rebels. This brought
about an end to the conflict although Libyan
aircraft still flew over flights at regular intervals.
The French Air Force has maintained a presence
in the region with the Mirage F.1C and F.1CR
undertaking operational deployments.
Middle East Conflicts Iraq versus Iran
1980-88
This bloody confrontation between the
neighbouring countries kicked o when Iraq
invaded Iran on the 22nd September 1980 and
lasted until August 1988. The war followed a
long history of border disputes between the two
countries, and was motivated by Saddam
Hussains fears that the Iranian Revolution of
1979 would inspire insurgency among Iraq's
Shi'ite majority, as well as Iraq's desire to replace
Iran as the dominant Persian Gulf state.
The Iraqi Air Force was only just taking
delivery of its new Mirage F.1EQs when war
broke out, but it was not long before they were
in the thick of the fighting. The first thirty two
Mirages were assigned air interceptor duties and
were often engaged in air-to-air combat with the
Iranian aircraft. It was reported that Mirage F.1s
had shot down eighteen Iranian aircraft
including Phantoms, F-5Es and even a F-14
Tomcat.
The F.1EQs also escorted Iraqi aircraft on
bombing missions and conducted
reconnaissance missions, flying from temporary
FOBs close to the front line and also from
Qayyarah Air Base.

Many will remember the Tanker War in the
Persian Gulf, which started when Iraq attacked
the oil terminal and oil tankers at Kharg Island in
early 1984 using Mirage F.1EQs armed with
Agave/Exocet missiles.
Saddam's aim in attacking Iranian shipping
was to provoke the Iranians to retaliate with
extreme measures, such as closing the Strait of
Hormuz to all maritime trac, thereby initiating
American intervention as the United States had
threatened several times to intervene if the Strait
of Hormuz were closed. As a result the Iranians
limited their retaliatory attacks to Iraqi shipping,
leaving the strait open to general passage.
Iraq declared that all ships going to or from
Iranian ports in the northern zone of the Persian
Gulf were subject to attack. They used the
Mirage F.1EQ and Super Frelon helicopters
armed with Exocet anti ship missiles as well as
MiG-23 fighters to enforce their threats. The
Mirages were credited with sinking thirty seven
oil tankers during the war as well as the highly
publicised raid on the USS Stark in May 1987,
which killed thirty seven American sailors when
an Iraqi Mirage F.1EQ fired two Exocet missiles at
the ship.
It was reported that forty Mirage F.1EQs were
destroyed during the eight year war, most being
downed by the F-14A Tomcat, although at least
two Mirages were shot down by F-4E Phantoms.
The Mother of all Battles? Iraq invades
Kuwait 1990-91
The next major conflict the Mirage F.1 was
involved in was again centred on Iraq. This time
the F.1s were used by multiple Air Forces in the
region.
Operation Desert Storm, as it became known,
created the biggest coalition of forces against
one nation since World War II. Saddam Hussein
totally underestimated the worlds resolve to
Ecuadorian Air Force Mirage F.1JA FAE-806, shown here with a Rafael Python
3 AAM, a Matra Magic 2 AAM, and an external fuel tank. The kill marking
represents the Peruvian Air Force Sukhoi Su-22M shot down by this
Zeltweg, Austria, 19th June 1997. This aircraft from EC 3/33, based at Reims wears the vanilla and
chocolate camouflage applied to some machines for operations in Djibouti, Africa (Rob Schleier)
restore the peaceful state of Kuwait to its people.
The coalition included Mirage F.1s from the Free
Kuwait Air Force, Qatar and France.
Fifteen Kuwaiti Air Force Mirage F.1CKs of 18
and 61 Squadron escaped from Ali al Salem Air
Base to Air Bases in Saudi Arabia just before the
Iraqi army overran the airfield. These aircraft
were initially deployed to Taif Air Base but later
transferred to Dhahran during January 1991.
Although initially grounded at the start of the air
war, the Free Kuwait Air Force Mirage F.1s and A-
4 Skyhawks were soon in the battle for the
Liberation of their homeland flying ground
attack sorties as well as air-to-air escort duties.
The French Air Force Mirage F.1 fleet was kept
on a high state of readiness for deployment and
was combat proven. It only took a few days
before the first aircraft began to arrive in theatre
when the Mirage F.1CRs of ER3/33 Moselle
landed at Al Ahsa Air base in Saudi Arabia. The
initial deployment was four aircraft but this was
soon joined by a further four aircraft from the
same wing. The French deployment was
codenamed Operation Daguet.
At the same time France had entered a
defence pact with the small neighbouring state
of Qatar, which also flew the Mirage F.1. On 17th
October 1990 eight Arme de lAir Mirage F.1Cs of
EC12 deployed to Doha under the codenamed
Operation Meteil.
The coalition held protracted negotiations
with Iraq and Saddam Hussain up until late 1990
but he refused to leave Kuwait. Consequently on
17th January 1991, the coalition launched Phase
One The Air War of Operation Desert Storm.
However it was not until 26th January that the
first Mirage F.1 strikes took place when four
F.1CRs performed their first bombing raid
against the Iraqi army.
The Mirage F.1CRs were one of the best
reconnaissance assets available to the coalition
as they used the Thompson-CSF RAPHAEL SLAR
(Sideways Looking Airborne Radar) pod. This was
one of the most important intelligence
gathering tools, especially in the weeks leading
up to the start of the war as it allowed the
Mirage to look deep into Iraq and Kuwait from
the Saudi side of the border, gathering vital
intelligence of troop and equipment
movements, especially concerning armoured
elements of the Iraqi army.
The French Mirage F.1Cs in Doha only
undertook local CAP missions and did not see
any action. However it is believed that the Qatari
Mirage F.1EDAs did undertake a number of
ground attack missions against Iraqi forces as
well as local air defence duties.
At the start of the invasion of Kuwait, Iraq had
sixty two Mirage F.1eQs and eleven Mirage F.1BQ
twin seat trainers still in service. A few ex Kuwaiti
aircraft could also have been captured but no
ocial figures have been released as to how
many and whether they were used operationally
during the war.
An Iraqi Mirage F.1 was the first aircraft to be
shot down during the war on 17th January 1991
by a USAF F-15C Eagle. Three others were also
lost on the same day and a further two more on
19th January. By 26th January the first Iraqi
pilots flying the Mirage F.1 had started to flee to
Iran and the ninth and last Mirage F.1 lost during
the war succumbed on 27th January, again to a
USAF F-15C Eagle
In Part Three, we will be looking at the Mirage
F.1 in action over the Balkans during the Balkans
Conflicts, Operation Enduring Freedom in
Afghanistan and the air campaign for the Freedom
of Libya.
Part Three will also cover the many stunning
special schemes worn by the Mirage F.1 and also its
participation in major NATO exercises around the
world including Red Flag and lastly its
participation and membership as one of the Tiger
Meet squadrons.
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CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M
Blackburn Buccaneer S. Mk 2, XT277/320/H, operated by No. 809 NAS aboard the carrier HMS Hermes, 1966. Finish is in BS 381c: 640 Extra Dark
Sea Grey (Vallejo 71.110 US Dark Grey) to the upper surfaces, with BS 381c: 638 Dark Sea Grey (Vallejo 71.405 BS Dark Sea Grey) to the lower surfaces. The
codes, Royal Navy titles, and ship identifier are in BS 381c: 111 Pale Blue, with the serials in White (Vallejo 71.001 White). The crest of 809 NAS is carried on
the engine intake.
I
n early 1959 an Admiralty Committee was
set up to look at the question of how
Britain's existing Aircraft Carriers should be
replaced. It was ultimately concluded that
HMS Ark Royal, HMS Eagle, HMS Victorious, HMS
Centaur and HMS Hermes should be replaced
by five new large Fleet Carriers. The first would
be required to replace HMS Victorious
sometime between 1970 and 1972 with the
whole class being complete by about 1980.
Because the Air Ministry wanted to use the
East of Suez role to justify the TSR.2 and other
land based aircraft as providers of air power in
the limited war role they opposed this plan
and as a result, the Admiralty actually
proposed the construction of four new
Aircraft Carriers in 1960. Whilst the then
Minister of Defence generally favoured the
Admiralty's intention to acquire new Aircraft
Carriers, he made it clear that support for the
proposals would only be forthcoming if the
Admiralty would join with the RAF in the
development of a common supersonic fighter
to replace the Sea Vixen and Hunter. This led
to the ill-fated P.1154 proposals which
ultimately gave way to the decision at the end
of February 1964 to acquire the McDonnell
Douglas F-4 Phantom, initially for the Royal
Navy as the Sea Vixen replacement and
ultimately for the RAF as well.
By the spring of 1963 the Admiralty had
decided that asking the Treasury for four new
Fleet Carriers was asking for trouble and that
asking for two would be a safer bet. At about
the same time that the decision to obtain the
F-4 Phantom was being taken, another
Admiralty Committee was considering the
names for the two new Fleet Carriers, which
were at that time being referred to using US
naval nomenclature as CVA-01 and CVA-02
where 'CV' was the hull designation for an
Aircraft Carrier and 'A' was the designation for
the Attack role. In a Minute dated 23 March
1964 it was proposed that the name of CVA-
01 should be HMS Queen Elizabeth and CVA-02
should be HMS Duke of Edinburgh. These
names were approved by HM The Queen
during April 1964.
The Treasury had other ideas however and
would only sanction CVA-01 Queen Elizabeth
and two modernisations, HMS Eagle and HMS
Hermes. This would keep a force of three
54 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Royal Navy F-4K Phantom FG.1s 1966 1979
Aircraft Carriers going throughout the 1970s
with at least one deployed East of Suez.
Following on from this decision in January
1965, the Royal Navy requirement for the F-4K
Phantom for the period 1968 1980 was
stated to be 146 aircraft. In July 1966 it was
proposed that the new F-4K Phantoms would
initially be deployed in an intensive flying
trials unit of six aircraft in March 1968 with the
first front line squadron forming from
September 1968. This squadron would then
embark in HMS Eagle in August 1969, being
followed by a second front line squadron to
embark in HMS Hermes in 1971-72 and a third
front line squadron to embark in CVA-01 HMS
Queen Elizabeth in 1972-73. A Headquarters
and Training squadron would also be formed.
As is now known, this plan failed to
materialise with CVA-01 HMS Queen Elizabeth
being cancelled in March 1966, HMS Hermes
becoming a Commando Carrier and HMS
Eagle being scrapped with HMS Ark Royal
being modernised to carry Phantoms instead,
which then served until 1979.
It is not known whether the Admiralty
Department's planning process got as far as
earmarking the number plates of the other
two front line squadrons to receive Phantoms
besides 892 Naval Air Squadron (NAS). In the
absence of hard evidence, it is suggested that
it is possible that the other two front line
squadrons to have received the Phantom
might have been 890 and 893 NAS both of
which were Sea Vixen squadrons in the mid to
late 1960s. Had everything gone according to
plan, it might be the case that 892 NAS might
have applied a version of its 'Fox and Moon'
motif to the tails of its Phantoms instead of
the now well known 'Omega' marking.
Camouflage Policy
Royal Navy policy for the camouflage and
marking of its aircraft in the mid 1960s was set
out in AP 119A 0600-1. The part relevant to
the colour scheme of the F-4K Phantom FG.1
was Section 4, Camouflage, Colour Schemes
and Identification Markings; Chapter 1, General
Notes on Camouflage Schemes and Colour
Markings; Paragraph 28, 'Royal Naval Aircraft.
Colour'. In view of the nature of the
conundrum that surrounds the colour scheme
of the Phantom, the following is a direct
By Paul Lucas
quote from the AP as the way that this is
worded is of some importance in assessing
the veracity of a secondary source, which will
be quoted in due course:
The following colour schemes will be applied
to R.N. aircraft in the production line. Aircraft
already in service are required to conform to the
new schemes only when they are refinished in
the normal course of maintenance.
(1) (a) Front line fighter and strike aircraft
(including night fighters and operational
aircraft in Training Squadrons, but
excluding the Buccaneer):-
Upper surface and top section of sides Extra
dark sea grey
Under surface and lower section of sides
White
Boundary between surfaces A point
approximately half way down the fuselage
(b) Buccaneer aircraft All white
(c) Front line fixed wing anti-submarine and
A.E.W. aircraft (including operational fixed
wing aircraft in Training Squadrons):-
Upper surface Extra dark sea grey
Side and under surface Sky
Boundary between surfaces Patt. No. 2
(fig.3)
By the time that this document was
published in 1966, first the Admiralty, and
then the Admiralty Department of the
Ministry of Defence had suspended the
practice of promulgating changes in naval
aircraft camouflage and marking policy in
Admiralty Fleet Orders and the Defence
Council Instructions that replaced them.
Instead, changes were to be promulgated
through Air Publication (AP) 2656A and its
replacement AP 119A. Unfortunately, the
Admiralty Department appears to have failed
to do this with any degree of regularity.
Evidence for this is the colour scheme
quoted above for the Buccaneer. The
Amendment List (AL) to AP 119 A-0601 from
which this quote is taken was prepared in
September 1966. By this time, the colour
scheme of the Buccaneer had been changed
twice from the all-White scheme as quoted
above, firstly to have grey upper surfaces as
described in sub-paragraph (a) by
Modification (Mod) 763 circa December 1963
 CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M

McDonnell Phantom FG. Mk 1, XT859/725/VL, operated by No. 700P NAS, based at RNAS
Yeovilton, May 1968. Finish is BS 381c: 638 Dark Sea Grey (Vallejo 71.405 BS Dark Sea Grey) to
the upper surfaces, with White (Vallejo 71.001 White) undersides. The fin carries the Phantom
spook marking on a Red background. The codes, serials and base identifier are in White.

and then to have an overall grey
finish to Mod 1218 circa summer
1966. Whilst the exact date of this
latter Mod is not currently known, all
grey Buccaneers were seen at an Air
Day at Culdrose and commented
upon as being something new by the
late Alan W. Hall in the September
1966 edition of Airfix Magazine.
The type of paint finish applied to
the Buccaneer was unusual amongst
naval aircraft in that from the
introduction of the Anti-Flash White
Scheme in 1962, the paint used was
an Acrylic finish to an interim DTD
Specification, DTD 900/4740. When
the grey was introduced to the upper
surfaces by Mod 763 in 1963, this
was to a new specification, DTD
900/4817. DTD 900/4817 then
continued to be specified for
application to Royal Navy Buccaneers
until at least 1971 if not later.
Attentive readers may have
noticed that up to this point, the
colour applied to the Buccaneer has
only been described as 'grey'. This is
because there would appear to be
some question as to exactly which
shade of grey was used by whom to
apply the grey finishes to both the
Buccaneer S.1 and S.2. This is
because of a discrepancy between
two dierent Air Publications with
regard to the colour name
nomenclature of 33B/1427.
AP 1086 RAF Vocabulary of Stores
Section 33B dated 17 November
1965 states that 33B/1427 is 'Paint
System Acrylic Finishing DTD 900/4817
Dark Sea Grey 1Gal. Container
Naval Aviation only'.
Contrary to this, AP
101B-1202-1A,
AL 50 for
the
Buccaneer S.2 dated November 1967
stated that 33B/1427 was Extra Dark
Sea Grey. This source also stated that
the radome was to be finished in ICI
F.152-R.823 Finish Extra Dark Sea
Grey and this ICI product code has
been confirmed as belonging to
Extra Dark Sea Grey by an ICI Product
Code listing, which also appends the
BS 381C number '640' to the
reference.
Whilst these two documents are
contradictory, there may be some
evidence to suggest that both of
these documents were correct at the
time that they were printed. This is to
be found in a number of
photographs which appear to show
some Buccaneers to be finished in a
two tone grey scheme where the
bottom half of the aircraft is finished
in a lighter shade of grey than the
top half and other photographs
showing several Buccaneers at the
same time appear to show some o be
finished in the lighter shade of grey
overall. In the past, the suggestion
has been made that this lighter
colour was the result of either a thin
over spray of Extra Dark Sea Grey
being applied over a White finish or a
trial of a new colour called 'Squirrel
Grey'.
Whilst this author has never found
any primary source evidence of a
colour called 'Squirrel Grey', the use
of a lighter shade of grey such as
Dark Sea Grey by the Service to
implement Mod 1218 to a Buccaneer
S.2 that had been finished in Extra
Dark Sea Grey and White by the
manufacturer would result in a two
tone finish exactly like that seen in
the photographs whilst those
Buccaneers that appeared to be a
lighter colour overall could have
been entirely repainted by the
Service using 33B/1427 Dark Sea
Grey.
Thus it might be the case that as
originally issued, 33B/1427 was
BS 381c: 640 Extra Dark
actually supplied by ICI as Dark Sea Sea Grey
Grey and that at some time between (Vallejo 71.110
November 1965 and November US Dark Grey)
1967, the colour of the contents of
33B/1427 was changed to Extra Dark
Sea Grey without changing the
Vocabulary of Stores reference
number. Perhaps no change was BS 381c: 638 Dark Sea
considered necessary because this Grey
was the only 33B item to DTD (Vallejo 71.405
900/4817 and it was only used by the BS Dark Sea Grey)
Royal Navy on a single type of
aircraft.
To summarise policy at the turn of
the year 1965/66, the Royal Navy was
supposed to promulgate changes in White
policy through the medium of AP (Vallejo 71.001
119A but was failing to do so White)
promptly and was finishing
Buccaneers with an Acrylic paint to
DTD 900/4817, which was listed in
AP 1086 RAF Vocabulary of Stores as
33B/4127 Dark Sea Grey. It was at
BS 381c: 241 Dark Green
about this time that McDonnell (Vallejo 71.324
Douglas were drawing up the BS Dark Green)
camouflage diagram for the F-4K
Phantom to meet British
requirements.
Phantom Finish
BS 381c: 538 Post Office
McDonnell Drawing No. 32- Red
000015 'Paint & Colour Requirements (Vallejo 71.084
F-4K Type Aircraft' was dated 28 Fire Red)
February 1966. This showed a
Phantom finished in grey and white
to what in British terms
corresponded to Pattern No.1.The
colour shade specification chart on Black
the drawing gives the upper surface (Vallejo 71.057
Black)
colour as MMS 405 Epoxy Enamel

RESCUE
OPPOSITE SIDE

McDonnell Phantom FG. Mk 1, XT868/001/R, operated by No. 892 NAS, aboard the carrier HMS Ark Royal, June 1977. Finish is BS 381c: 638 Dark
Sea Grey (Vallejo 71.405 BS Dark Sea Grey) to the upper surfaces, with White (Vallejo 71.001 White) undersides. The fin carries the Omega marking of 892
NAS on the fin, with a White and BS 381c: 538 Post Oce Red background. The codes, serials and carrier identifier are in White. The nose carries the
special markings applied for that years Queens Silver Jubilee.

JULY 2017 VOLUME 38 ISSUE 05 55

CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M
McDonnell Phantom FG. Mk 1, XT866/W, operated by The Phantom Training Flight (PTF), based at RAF Leuchars, mid-1970s. Finish is BS 381c:
638 Dark Sea Grey (Vallejo 71.405 BS Dark Sea Grey) to the upper surfaces, with White (Vallejo 71.001 White) undersides. The fin carries the badge of the
PTF which is based on the Omega marking of No. 892 NAS. The base identifier letter is in White. The serials are in Black.
Dark Sea Gray UK 33B/1527. The nomenclature
'Dark Sea Gray' appears widely across the
whole drawing. For example notation number
6 states Paint general Upper Surface of
Fuselage & Wings Dark Sea Gray. This is
expanded upon thus:
6. Apply MMS 405 Epoxy Enamel Colour No.
33B/1527 Glossy Dark Sea Gray per MAC
PS13415.
The colour shade specification chart on the
drawing also refers to XA5833 Dark Sea Gray
Corogard (EC 843) UK 33B/1527. This makes it
clear that McDonnell were using the term UK
33B/1527 as a colour reference because the
specification for the Corogard, which is
applied to the leading edges of the main
planes and air intakes, is a dierent material
specification than the Epoxy finish that is
being applied to most of the rest of the
aircraft. In Britain, the use of a dierent
material specification in this manner would
almost certainly have led to a dierent stores
reference number being quoted for the
Corogard finish to that of the Epoxy finish.
Some of the colour scheme details were
stencilled onto the exterior of the aircraft. In
the July 1971 edition of Scale Models
magazine, a photograph was reproduced that
showed the stencil on an unidentified Royal
Navy F-4K. Dated 29 October 1967, the stencil
stated that the exterior surfaces were finished
in MMS 405 Epoxy Enamel UK 33B/1527 Dark
Sea Gray and 17875 Insignia White, which
match exactly what it says on the drawing.
Thus it would appear that when new, Royal
Navy F-4K Phantoms were finished in Dark
Sea Grey on the upper surfaces.
Unfortunately, confirmation that the
Phantoms were Dark Sea Grey on the upper
surfaces has not been possible by cross
checking the drawing and stencil data with
other primary source documents. The obvious
course, to check the 33B/1527 reference given
on the drawings, suggests that no such
reference number existed at this time.
By 1965/66, the old four figure 33B
numbers such as '33B/1527' were being
replaced by a new seven figure combination
which began with the numbers '220'. For
example 33B/2202097 was given in the
November 1965 listing for a 1 gallon pack of
Extra Dark Sea Grey Cold Cure Epoxy to DTD
5555, which is thought to have been the
56 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
British equivalent of the US Specification MMS
405 Epoxy finish applied to the F-4K. Given
that this was the case, why was this 33B
reference not quoted on the drawing if it was
the intention that the Royal Navy F-4Ks were
to be finished in Extra Dark Sea Grey Epoxy?
Was it the case that the decision was made by
the Admiralty Department that the Phantom
would be finished in Dark Sea Grey as a
matter of policy, and if so, why?
Assuming that it was a deliberate policy
decision, perhaps the most likely explanation
as to why Dark Sea Grey was called for might
be the result of Treasury pressure for financial
economy by way of commonality with the
larger number of F-4s that were ordered for
the RAF. Perhaps McDonnell were able to
quote a lower price for painting the Phantoms
by way of an economy of scale in being able
to order a single large quantity of Dark Sea
Grey paint to be used on both RN and RAF
Phantoms as opposed to having to buy in two
smaller quantities of Dark Sea Grey and Extra
Dark Sea Grey, especially if the RAF was
prepared to accept MMS 405 FS 595 34079 in
place of Dark Green and 16440 in place of
Light Aircraft Grey on their Phantoms.
Both these FS colours would presumably
have been purchased in large quantities by
McDonnell for use on USAF and USN
Phantoms respectively, and it might have
been possible to bestow a gloss finish on the
FS 34079 finish by cutting and polishing it.
Unfortunately, the author has not come
across a painting diagram for the F-4M, which
might shed some light on the subject. It
might have been the case that Dark Sea Grey
was acceptable to the Admiralty in the short
term until the Phantoms could be refinished
in Extra Dark Sea Grey in the normal course of
their servicing.
Whilst Cold Cure Epoxy was a common
finish for front line Royal Navy aircraft, with
the exception of the Buccaneer at this time,
there does not appear to have been a 33B
reference for Dark Sea Grey to DTD 5555
during 1965/66. Indeed, as far as is currently
known, the only 33B reference for Dark Sea
Grey that the Royal Navy appear to have had
was 33B/1457 Dark Sea Grey to DTD
900/4817. In view of the similarity in the two
33B reference numbers, 33B/1427 and
33B/1527, might it be the case that the latter
is a typo caused by a finger slipping one space
to the right on a typewriter keyboard at some
point thus transforming Dark Sea Grey
33B/1427 into the apparently non-existent
Dark Sea Grey 33B/1527? That said, by the
early 1970s, there were some four figure 33B
numbers in the 1600s, so it is possible that
33B/1527 could have been allocated as Dark
Sea Grey between November 1965 and
February 1966. All that can be said with any
degree of certainty is that 33B/1527 does not
appear at all in any of the 33B listings held by
the author at the time of writing.
A further indication of Dark Sea Grey being
applied as a deliberate policy decision is
perhaps provided by an article that was
published in the September 1973 issue of
Scale Models. Entitled 'Aircraft Of the Fleet Air
Arm Ocial Colour Schemes' the stated aim of
the article was to ... provide an accurate
reference for the ocial colour schemes. It
should be noted that the accuracy is that of
early 1972 and immediately prior. The
introduction then went on to state that The
colour details are taken from information
supplied by various R.N. sources (all of whose
help is very gratefully acknowledged), and
numerical (3-figure) references are taken from
the BS. 381C colour range. It is not known
whether the BS 381C numbers quoted were
included in the original source material or
whether they were subsequently added by
the author of the article.
What follows is a direct quote from the
Scale Models article. Compare this text with
the quote taken from the 1966 edition of AP
119A 0601 given above:
1. Front-line Fighter and Strike Aircraft
(including night-fighters and operational
aircraft in training squadrons, but excluding
Buccaneer S.2 and F-4-K Phantom.
Upper surfaces: Extra Dark Sea Grey (640)
Under surfaces: White.
Boundary between surfaces a point halfway
down fuselage.
2. Buccaneer S.2: Extra Dark Sea Grey (640
overall, with Pale Blue (111) lettering.
F-4K Phantom: Upper surfaces, Dark Sea Grey
(638); Lower surfaces, White.
3. A.E.W. Aircraft (Gannet AEW Mk.3):
Upper surfaces: Extra Dark Sea Grey (640)
Lower surfaces: Sky (210)

McDonnell Phantom FG. Mk 1, XV587/010/R, operated by No. 892 Squadron, aboard the carrier HMS Ark Royal, June 1977. Finish is BS 381c: 638
Dark Sea Grey (Vallejo 71.405 BS Dark Sea Grey) to the upper surfaces, with White (Vallejo 71.001 White) undersides. The fin carries the Omega marking of
892 NAS on the fin, with a White and BS 381c: 538 Post Oce Red background. The codes, serials and carrier identifier letter are in White. Again, the nose
carries the special markings applied for that years Queens Silver Jubilee. Note the RAF camouflage on the starboard tailplane.
Boundary between surfaces: 1/3 from top of
fuselage.
The way in which the article is worded
strongly suggests that its author had access to
the relevant parts of AP 119-0601 as the
wording is in places virtually identical to
earlier editions held by this author such as
that quoted above. As can be seen, if the Scale
Models article is accurate, then it clearly and
unambiguously states that the F-4K Phantom
was finished in Dark Sea Grey BS 381C No.638
on the upper surfaces. The remainder of the
article has been cross checked as far as is
currently possible and has been found to be
accurate.
Fugitive Finish?
Having been delivered in Dark Sea Grey
Epoxy MMS 405, it would then be necessary
to maintain the finish. Exactly how this was
done is not known for certain, but it is known
that there were anti-corrosion kits in various
colours, including Extra Dark Sea Grey
intended to touch up slightly damaged Naval
aircraft paint finishes on the flight line and
hangar deck. That Dark Sea Grey does not
seem to have been available may not have
been important as far as the Phantom was
concerned given the apparently fugitive
nature of Extra Dark Sea Grey.
An example of this fugitive nature is
provided by a letter from the Ocer in Charge
Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory, RN Aircraft
Yard Fleetlands at Gosport to the Director
General, Aircraft at the Admiralty dated 13
March 1964. Entitled 'External Painting of
Naval Aircraft', the letter was principally
concerned with the results of trials carried out
to try and find a more durable paint finish
than that provided by the Cold Cure Epoxy to
DTD 5555 then in common use on Naval
aircraft. The letter stated:
This latter system which has been employed
since the Scimitar first came into squadron
service has given reasonably good performance
in temperate climates, but in the tropics has
suered severely from chalking and poor colour
retention, particularly in extra dark sea grey...
The letter concluded by recommending
that an Epoxy primer followed by an Acrylic
top coat be adopted in the future ...as is now
the case with the Buccaneer...
This recommendation was not taken up
immediately as in January 1966, AL 60 of
Naval Air Publication AP 4647A Volume 1
Book 1 for the Sea Vixen FAW1 recorded Mod
No. 1245 to introduce external finish to
Specification DTD 5555 Scheme 2. The reason
that the desired Acrylic finish was not
adopted between 1964 and 1966 for anything
other than the Buccaneer seems to have been
a shortage of supply of the necessary Acrylic
materials. According to an RAF document of
1975, this led to the universal adoption of
Polyurethane for all aircraft types. Whether the
term 'universal' applied to the Royal Navy is
open to question because as has been
mentioned previously, the Acrylic finish to
DTD 900/4817 was still being specified for the
Buccaneer in 1971. It is known however that
Polyurethane Extra Dark Sea Grey was
provisioned for the Vocabulary of Stores and it
is therefore possible that some types of naval
aircraft were given a Polyurethane finish.
If the Phantom was one of those types
aected and had its initial Epoxy finish
replaced by a Polyurethane finish, then the
colour of the aircraft was unlikely to have
been aected as Dark Sea Grey was available
in Polyurethane on account of it being widely
used by the RAF. As a matter of interest, all
British Phantoms were repainted at 23 MU at
Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, which was
one of the few Service painting facilities to be
equipped to apply and remove Polyurethane
finishes, processes that required stringent
health and safety precautions.
That the Phantom remained in Dark Sea
Grey until at least 1973 is suggested by the
advent of Selectively Strippable Acrylic
Finishing Scheme DTD 5599. The exact date of
the introduction of this scheme is not
currently known but a selection of colours to
this specification were provisioned for stores
and included in AP 119A-0601-1B, AL 17 of
December 1972. The complete list of these
colours which had BS 381C numbers
appended to them where applicable were as
follows:
Black
White
Trac Yellow 368
RAF Blue Grey 633
Olive Green (matt) 220
Light Stone (matt) 361
Dark Sea Grey 638
JULY 2017 VOLUME 38 ISSUE 05
CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M
Roundel Blue 110
Sky 210
Golden Yellow 356
Post Oce Red 538
International Orange 592
Light Aircraft Grey 627
Brilliant Green 221
All the colours available to this specification
at this time can have a Naval use attributed to
them and as can be seen, Dark Sea Grey 638 is
included. Notable by its absence from this list
is Extra Dark Sea Grey 640, but this was
presumably available to DTD 900/4817 as
specified for the Buccaneer. It could have
been subsequently provisioned to DTD 5599
at a later date.
Thus the Dark Sea Grey finish on the F-4K
Phantom FG.1 can be seen possibly to have
lasted until at least 1973. Whether it was
retained by every Phantom throughout its
naval career is open to question as it is
possible to find colour photographs of lines of
Phantoms where some are clearly a dierent
colour to the others. Likewise there are colour
photographs of Phantoms in company with
Buccaneers where the Phantoms appear to be
lighter than the Buccaneers and others where
they appear to be the same hue. Whether this
is the result of some aircraft being finished in
Dark Sea Grey whilst others have been
finished in Extra Dark Sea Grey or whether
some of the aircraft have been recently
painted whilst others have not and have had
their Extra Dark Sea Grey finish go fugitive is
impossible to say.
Some of 892 NAS's Phantoms were fitted
with tail planes and or flaps drawn from RAF
stocks that were finished in Dark Green and
Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with
Light Aircraft Grey on the under surfaces
during 1977. Whilst the Dark Green segments
of the camouflage are clearly visible in
photographs, any dierence in hue between
the grey areas of the tail planes and the rest of
the upper surfaces is dicult to make out due
to the angle of the tail planes and the
reflectivity of the glossy finish. Given the
known fugitive nature of the colours and the
variegates of photographic reproduction
processes, photographs of these aircraft are
inconclusive as to the finish actually applied
to the majority of the upper surfaces.
57
CRUCIAN CARP
Brand New Karas IBGs kit in 1/72
The sand coloured plastic sprues include a
nice selection of parts with fine recessed
detail
For a 1/72 kit the interior detail is
comprehensive and nicely engineered for
ease of assembly
The small sprue of parts dedicated to the
PZL.42, including the characteristic double tail
58 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
T
he 1930s saw some very charismatic
designs as growing tensions spurred
armaments development and many
nations struggled to make the transition from
biplanes to modern monoplanes. One of the
most handsome of these is the PZL.23 Karas
(Crucian Carp), an aircraft developed in 1931 to
replace the Breguet 19 and Potez 25 in Polish
service. The new recon bomber was based on a
proposed passenger aircraft that never saw
production, the PZL.13. The first series PZL.23A
was fitted with a Bristol Pegasus IIM2 radial
engine produced in Poland under licence but as
this engine proved to be unreliable the
subsequent PZL.23B was fitted with a newer
Pegasus VIII of 720 hp (537 kW).
The aircraft was a low-wing cantilever
monoplane of all-metal construction. The crew
of three consisted of a pilot, a bombardier, and a
rear gunner. The bombardier's combat station
was situated in a gondola underneath the hull,
where he could also operate an underbelly
machine gun. The fixed undercarriage was
enclosed in spats and bombs were carried under
the wings with a maximum load of 700kg
(1500lb).
Forty PZL.23As were delivered to the Polish
Air Force in late 1936. Due to engine faults, their
service ceiling was limited and they were used
only in the training role, being fitted with dual
controls. A total of 210 PZL.23Bs were delivered
from 1937 and it was these that became the
main armament of Polish bomber and
reconnaissance line squadrons.
By 1939, the aircraft was obsolete due to its
low speed and lack of manoeuvrability but at
the outbreak of World War II on 1 September
1939 it remained Poland's primary light bomber
and reconnaissance aircraft. PZL.23Bs were
operational in five bomber squadrons and seven
Army reconnaissance squadrons, each with ten
By Ken Allway
The PZL.23 is a striking
machine from any angle and
IBGs kit is a welcome arrival
aircraft. Notably on 2 September 1939, one
PZL.23B of the 21st Squadron bombed a factory
in Ohlau, the first bomb attack on the Third
Reich. PZL.23 bomber squadrons also attacked
German armoured columns.
It was partially the lack of fighter cover that
saw the type suer such heavy combat losses.
Many were shot down by German fighter
aircraft, but they also attacked German columns
from low level, making their aircraft vulnerable
to anti-aircraft fire.
At least twenty one PZL.23s were evacuated
in 1939 to Romania and subsequently used by
the Romanian Air Force against the USSR. Fifty
PZL.43s and PZL.43As were used in Bulgaria for
training until 1946.
Variants
P.23/I - Initial Prototype
P.23/II - Second Prototype
P.23/III - Third Prototype with improved pilot
vision from cockpit by repositioning engine and
pilot's seat. Basis for production of the PZL.23A
P.23A - Initial Production Model fitted with
Bristol Pegasus IIM2 radial engine. Forty
examples produced
PZL.23B - Fitted with Bristol Pegasus VII. Main
production model with 210 examples produced
P.42 - Single Experimental Model with
retractable bombardier gondola fuselage
position and double tail fins for improved
stability
PZL 43 - Improved export variant of the PZL.23,
powered instead by a Gnome-Rhne 14K engine
First production series, twelve built
PZL.43A - Second production series with more
powerful Gnome-Rhne 14N-01 engine, forty
two built
The second boxing from IBG
covers the unique PZL.42
prototype

PZL.43B - Improved version, powered by a 980
hp (731 kW) Gnome-Rhne 14N-01 engine
The Karas in Scale
Like it or loathe it there is no doubting the
PZL.23 is a significant combat aircraft from the
WWII era, and well worthy of a place in any
collection from the period. The aircraft has been
kitted before both in 1/72 by Heller, whose 1979
tooling has done the rounds and appeared
under various labels, and in 1/48 by Mirage
whose 1/48 series of kits covers the type
exhaustively and in some style. Now IBG have
released the first pair of kits oering a new
modern tooling in 1/72 and it is very welcome
indeed.
The kit comes on eight sprues of sand
coloured and one sprue of clear plastic. A small
etched fret is included with both boxings,
oering some fine cockpit details and gunsights,
while the instrument panel is provided with a
decal. Both kits are broadly similar, with type-
specific parts included on smaller sprues.
Moulding is very sharp and fine with recessed
panel lines and a cockpit oering some beautiful
detail:
#72505 PZL.23A Karas Polish Light Bomber
The complex cluttered interior of the Karas is
nicely depicted by the collection of parts oered,
with the ventral gondola separately. Some thirty
parts make up the interior, a mix of etch and
plastic, with the upper decking nicely tooled
with all the lightning holes in place. The open
dorsal gun position will allow a good view down
During September 1939 114 PZL.23s were flown by
front-line units, but the attrition rate was high, caused
largely by the inability to repair the aircraft, resulting in
many being abandoned after receiving combat damage
CRUCIAN CARP
One of many images of
abandoned and derelict
aircraft on the fields of
Poland in the aftermath of
the German invasion
Parts are provided in the Karas kit for
unspotted undercarriage, although little
indication as to their use is given in the
instructions
into the interior to the gondola below and very
little has been left to the imagination. The only
omission is seatbelts, which would have been a
welcome inclusion.
The single option on the decal sheet is for an
aircraft from the Polish Air Force College, so
whether or not the bomb load provided in this
The clear sprue is nicely produced with well-
boxing is appropriate for this specific aircraft will
defined framing
require further research. The aircraft is provided
with gun cameras for the cockpit roof and dorsal
gun and the package seems to oer a nice
introduction to the type. I will have to find
further reference materials to ascertain what
precisely constitutes the dierences between
the PZL.23A and B and the PZL.42. The kit does
seem to include the dual controls for the
position immediately behind the pilot, and I
notice these are included with the PZL.42 kit as
well. The small etched fret oers some cockpit
details seat frames, trim wheel and
No doubt further kits will be in the pipeline
the PZL.23B of course and looking further ahead gunsights, but unfortunately no seatbelts
the export-version PZL.43.
#72509 PZL.42 Polish Light Bomber
This kit oers all the detailed interior of the
Karas but omits the gondola and includes a
dedicated sprue for the tail parts.
Being a unique prototype the PZL.42 includes
only one marking option, this being for the sole
aircraft constructed and trialled at Deblin in
1939.
Following on from the RWD-8 kits, IBG look
set to build up a collection of Polish types long
in need of modern tooling. We can only look
forward to what happens next!
This sprue, unique to the Karas boxing, holds
the gondola, tail and the gun cameras
The instrument panel in IBGs kit includes no
raised or recessed detail but a decal is
provided
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 59
CO U N T E R FAC T UA L
Modelling two could have beens from the golden age of British jets
O
ften, when I set out on a
build and hence an article, I
have a story or at least a
hook on which to hang the finished
product, so to speak. (Great
Helmsman: Whats the old fool on
about this time? TG: Patience, GH...)
In this case, rather than a story, it
was two planes that I find really
cool coming together in the jigsaw
of the Land of Could Well Have
Been. First, the Saunders-Roe
SR.177 naval version, the
Freightdog kit of which Id had on
the shelf for a few years. And then
the Hawker P.1121. A few years ago
Id converted the S&M kit of the
latter into the P.1121B version, a
plane that was sort of in the frame
for the place that went to the TSR.2.
I had thought that that was it for
working on that kit, but at Telford
2016 I saw that Mr S&M had it on
his stand. Reader, I bought it, just
because its cool. Then the jigsaw
piece joining the two; Paul Martell-
Mead and Barrie Hygates Hawker
P.1103 & P.1121: Camms Last Fighter
Projects, which came out in 2015.
The 1950s were truly the Golden
Age of the British jet. However it
can be argued that there was too
much gold, or rather it was
constantly less than clear what the
gold, in the form of designs, should
60 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Hawker P.1121
Kit No: SMK 72-04
Scale: 1/72
Type: Resin
Manufacturer: S&M Models
www.sandmmodels.co.uk
be expended on. Unfortunately the
funds available for putting these
designs into service were in inverse
proportion to the creativity on
show, and perhaps more
importantly, this ten years or so
after the end of World War II was a
period of such political and military
fluidity that it was not at all clear
what kinds of aircraft were needed.
Indeed if Mr Sandys was to be
believed, we could cross fighters
and bombers o the list. Hence this
article. These builds are an
indulgence, ignoring all that and
representing these planes because
I like them. Not least the colours,
EDSG and white, and you know the
Great Helmsman is a pushover for
those...
P.1121N
Id not heard of this one until I
leafed through Martell-Mead and
Hygates book. They have a 1958
original Hawker three view drawing
of this naval strike variant of the
1121, a painting of it in RN colours
and another of it in US Navy
colours, the latter because it seems
the US Naval Attach visited
Hawker in 1957 to gather
information on it. I was very
tempted to build it in that finish
but I decided to keep the P.1121N
and the SR.177 as an RN pair. So far
as I can see, the P.1121N project
was not in response to a specific
Operational Requirement.
SR.177
This aircraft is well-known to
many, from that remarkable kick
starter of much whatifery, Derek
Woods Project Cancelled, not least
the photo of the nearly complete
mock-up. The SR.177 was a 1950s
project to develop a combined jet
and rocket powered interceptor
aircraft for the RAF and the Royal
Navy. It was an enlarged
development of the Saunders-Roe
SR.53, which was itself an
experimental combined jet and
rocket interceptor aircraft. The
SR.177 would have had nose
mounted airborne interception
radar, and a more powerful turbojet
engine than the SR.53. In addition
to British interest in the aircraft, the
German Navy had also expressed
their interest in the project and
closely evaluated its progress with
an eye towards its potential
procurement. Famously Germany
and other European nations
eventually purchased the Lockheed
F-104, in the infamous Deal of the
By Tony Grand
P.177N Fleet Fighter
Kit No: FDR72002
Scale: 1/72
Type: Resin
Manufacturer: Freightdog
www.freightdogmodels.co.uk
Century. Operational Requirement
OR.337, to which the SR.177 was
being built for the RAF, was
cancelled as a result of changes in
Britain's military policies, as set out
in the 1957 Sandys Defence White
Paper. The prospects for the
relatively small orders for Germany
and the Royal Navy were thus
weakened, and the withdrawal of
the Germans eectively killed the
RN deal. I wont bother you with an
account of the confusion sewn in
Germany by contradictory
messages from the UKs Ministries
of Defence and Supply. Tony Buttler
covers this admirably. At
cancellation approximately ninety
percent of the first prototype
SR.177 had been completed. This
and the jigs and other items were
stored for several years while
attempts were made to revive the
project, in a possible sale to Japan.
Nothing more came of that and the
prototypes were scrapped.
The Kits
The S&M P.1121 kit captures well
the overall shape of the original. As
in the kit I purchased some six years
ago, the starboard half is slightly
narrower than the port. This doesnt
show in the finished article and I
 CO U N T E R FAC T UA L

The revised
T.7 nose
fitted to
the P.1121
fuselage

The Xtrakit T.7 fuselage with the Su-24 cockpit The T.7 and P.1130 nose removed, showing
and Freightdog P.1130 nose cone where it will be fitted to the P.1121 fuselage
New fin
blended in
Intake moved forward and half fuel tank Side view of
fitted to form recess for Red Beard or tank lengthened fuselage

Fuselage being
Wings and
made good
tailplanes
fitted

P.1121N with tanks and PJ Productions Matra

AS-37s. Red Beard on ground

Further work
on nose

Improvement of SR.177N nose Ventral tank from cannibalised Final stages of filling and
with scrap styrene half fuel tank reshaping

couldnt think of a simple way of
correcting it. Did I say that the
P.1121N has side by side seating for
pilot and WSO? After letting the
brain have a go at this, perusing the
drawings, I reckoned I could use
the nose from Xtrakits Hunter T.7,
lopping o the P.1121 forward
fuselage and blending that of the
T.7 into the remaining P.1121 body.
Considering this further, I decided
the T.7 cockpit tub was a bit
minimal for a top end strike aircraft,
so I looked on the Hannants
website for a side by side
replacement. What popped up was
the Pavla substitution for the Italeri
Sukhoi Su-24. My final purchase
before starting the conversion was
the Freightdog Hawker P.1130 All
Weather Fighter Project conversion
set, to modify the T.7, as the
replacement nose cone in that set
looked like a shoo-in for that of the
P.1121N.
The only available SR.177 kit is
the Freightdog item, produced by
Anigrand with Fantasy Printshop
decals. I bought the version with
RN markings. A look at the kit and
comparison with drawings on the
Web and in books in my library
suggested it could be built more or
less out of the box. A few
modifications were made, which Ill
come to.
P.1121N
The first job was to reduce the
outside dimensions of the Pavla
Su-24 cockpit tub with the sanding
drum on my mini drill, till it fitted
snugly in the cockpit area of the T.7.
I then glued together the halves of
the T.7 fuselage, with the tub in
place. Next came joining the P.1121
fuselage halves, and working from
the three view drawings, I decided
where to make the cuts to remove
the T.7 and P.1121 noses. Having
made them I superglued the T.7
nose section to the truncated
P.1121 body and blended them
together with styrene sheet and
Green Stu, from time to time
comparing the new assembly with
the drawings.
An obvious dierence between
the basic P.1121 and the P.1121N is
the larger fin on the latter. Gluing a
copy of the new fin outline, from a

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 61

B A R R AC U D A
blown up scan of the drawings, onto thick
styrene sheet, I prepared a blank and superglued
that in place. More sanding and fettling soon
blended it in nicely. The ventral air intake comes
as a separate moulding, nicely done but lacking
the boundary layer splitter plate, which I added
from brass sheet. Now the intake on the P.1121N
is mounted further forward than that on the
original and this is simple to simulate, only a
little bit of trial and error reduction of the upper
surface of the intake wedge being needed to get
it to conform the fuselage further forward.
Having glued it in place I carried out more
surgery to produce the ventral recess, which on
the N would have been occupied by a Red Beard
special store, or quite likely a fuel tank. In the
spares drawer I found a half fuel tank of the
appropriate size, drew round its outline on the
planes belly, removed a chunk of resin with a
circular saw blade on my mini drill and glued the
half tank in place. It was then blended and
sanded into shape. The gaps left by moving the
intake were made good with styrene and filler.
One dierence between the two P.1121 marks
was that what I take to be the exits for the
boundary layer bleed were also moved forward.
This was beyond me at the time of building, as I
have not been a well man, and so it remains as
an obvious error. The wings and tailplanes were
now added, both being of the same size as on
the single seat fighter, making sure to get the
tailplane dihedral correct. Wings and tailplanes
were all mounted on lengths of brass wire for
strength. Finally I added a triangle of thin
styrene scrap where the windscreen would meet
the nose, to help blending in.
I sprayed the plane now with Tamiya Grey Fine
Surface Primer (my favourite) and rectified any
lumps and bumps highlighted. I know, I thought,
as the undersides are white, Ill use Tamiyas
White Primer. The Law of Unintended
Consequences came into play. For some reason,
although the grey primer had cured for days, the
white crazed and did so again after being
sanded and resprayed. It was almost a case of
Controlled Flight into Terrain... After a second
62 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
fine sanding I left it, as no ones looking at the
underside except me. I used a couple of coats of
Mr Hobby Aqueous 333 Extra Dark Sea Grey
applied by brush for the upper surfaces. Having
finished the paintwork with a bit of touching up
I added the bang seats, using the items for the
Su-24 as they were rather nice, then fitted the
Hunter T.7 canopy, it being a close
approximation to the P.1121N canopy. I
considered moulding a new item, but reckoned
there would be tears before bedtime. I used
Xtradecal strip for the framing.
Time to fit the undercarriage and
undercarriage doors, and at this more than late
stage, a covering for an IFR probe, made from
styrene tubing, cut in half lengthways. As this
was a strike aircraft, for decals I used Model
Alliance Decals MA-72101, containing a set for a
Buccaneer S.Mk 2 of 801 Squadron, Ark Royal,
1967. The decals went on a treat. With hindsight I
should have applied the fuselage roundels to
the rear, which is the normal Hawker position I
now gather. As it is the nose is quite crowded.
For stores I decided on two of the four
underwing tanks provided by S&M and two PJ
Productions Matra AS-37s. As with the SR.177, I
added a scratch built arrestor hook.
SR.177
As this is an Anigrand produced kit I knew
more or less what to expect, pretty high quality
but the usual idiosyncrasy of wide side consoles
in the cockpit, allowing only just enough room
for the bang seat widthwise. I usually cut up
some spare cockpit etch to fill the consoles but
decided not to do that on this occasion, as there
would be little visible through the relatively
small canopy. I shall not spend a great deal of
space describing the build as it was so
straightforward, only the modifications I made.
The first of these was building up the top
surface of the radome, as compared with all
drawings it is too low. I used scrap styrene and
Green Stu to build it up and sanded it down
appropriately. Secondly, at least one version of
the plane, the German ground attack version,
had a ventral tank and I used a half fuel tank
from spares to simulate that. The third change
was the fairing over of the rocket nozzle
aperture above the jet exhaust, as I believe from
my reading that the Spectre rocket motor would
soon have been dispensed with, in favour of a jet
with increased thrust, and the rocket fuel
tankage used for more jet fuel. The IFR fairing on
the 177s port side seemed a little meagre and I
fitted styrene half tubing over it.
We were soon at the paint shop stage. I used
Mr Base White 1000 as both primer and top coat
for the white undersides and there were no
problems with that. The EDSG was brush applied
as before, and I then applied the kit decals. They
went on very easily and I just had to extend the
0 and the 4 on the port side with white Xtradecal
strip to take account of the IFR fairing. A vacform
canopy and a spare are supplied in the kit and it
was easy to trim one with nail scissors to fit.
Now I found one set of drawings showing the
SR.177N with a blown canopy. Again I decided
not to try moulding it, but the fact that Id raised
the line of the radome top raised the canopy at
the front, and by not painting all the frame lines I
approached a representation of the improved
visibility canopy. The final step was fitting the
undercarriage, the gear doors, the underwing
tanks and the tip mounted Red Top AAMs. Can
someone tell me what Squadron had the cutlass
as an emblem? Ive been unable to find it.
Conclusion
Apart from the trouble with the white paint,
these two builds were pretty straightforward
and Im pleased the with results. All our could
have beens...
References
Hawker P.1103 & P.1121, Camms Last Fighter
Projects by Paul Martell-Read and Barrie
British Secret Projects: Jet Fighters Since 1950 by
Tony Buttler
Airliner Showcase
REVIEWS
A selection of recent kit releases reviewed
Airbus A320
Etihad Airways
Kit No: 03968
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Revell GmbHi
www.revell.de/en
T
he Airbus A320 family also includes the
A319 and A318, short range airliners
designed and built in Europe by Airbus
Industries. The aircraft can accommodate up to
220 passengers and has a range of up to 6,500
miles depending on the aircraft type. The A320
can be powered by either two CFM56 or two IAE
V2530 jet engines. In excess of 6,200 aircraft
have been built and a new production plant in
Mobile Alabama began in 2013 to assemble the
A320 family.
In 2010 Airbus announced the launch of the
next generation A320 family with the A320neo
(New Engine Option) that will use either CFM
International LEAP-X or Pratt and Whitney
PW1000G engines. The A320E will also feature
swept wingtips, or sharklets, and improved
weight saving and cabin design.
The Revell kit contains two sprues of white
and one clear sprue and one stand of injection
moulded plastic, one decal sheet and one
instruction booklet. The parts feature nicely
engraved/recessed panel lines and very finely
moulded parts. The instructions are very clear
and concise and feature colour call outs for
Revell paints. The decal sheet has options for
64 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
multiple registrations of A320 aircraft operated
by Etihad Airlines and is superbly printed by
Daco.
The build begins by assembling the nose
wheel landing gear leg into the gear bay and
then fitting it into one of the fuselage halves and
then adding nose weight. The two fuselage
halves are then glued together and the
windscreen masked and fitted. There is no
cockpit detailing at all with this kit, which is not
a big problem as it cannot be seen in any case.
The wings were now assembled and then
glued to the fuselage along with the tail planes.
The engine interiors were painted, assembled
and fitted to the wings, the model given a coat
of white primer, and the main fuselage was now
sprayed. The Ethiad colour is a mixture of gloss
white, clear orange and silver. I am not sure that
the colour I mixed is correct, but it looks close.
The wings and tail planes were then sprayed
with Revell 371 Light Grey after which the upper
wing surfaces were masked and the corroguard
walkways sprayed with Revell 374 Grey.
The leading edges of the wings and tail planes
were then masked o and painted silver and the
By Andy McCabe
decals were then applied. These are printed by
Daco and are excellently manufactured with
superb colour clarity and density. They go on
without any problems and settle really well. Just
the one option is supplied although various
Ethiad Airlines A320 serial numbers can be used.
All have an identical colour scheme.
The undercarriage was now assembled and
painted and fitted to the model and finally the
navigation lights were fitted along with the
various aerials along the top and bottom of the
fuselage.
Conclusion
This A320 kit lacks the finesse of the Zvezda
kit in the same scale. It has no cockpit, which is
not really a problem, and the Zvezda kit includes
dropped flaps and a stand, but this aside it is still
a very nice model and looks very striking in its
Ethiad livery. The kit built up without any
problems and the Daco decals are excellent.
I can find nothing wrong with this release. It
assembles very nicely without the need for
excessive filler and the finished result is
excellent.

Kit No: 03946
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Revell GmbH
www.revell.de/en
Boeing 727-100
Germania
T
he Boeing 727 first flew on 9th February
1963. The aircraft can carry between 149
and 189 passengers and the -100 was the
first of the type to fly. The first airline to receive
the type was United Airlines on 29th October
1963 but the first passenger service was
completed by Eastern Airlines on 1st February
1964 between Miami, Washington DC and
Philadelphia. 572 -100s were built. The aircraft
was powered by three Pratt and Whitney JT8D-
1/7/9 turbojet engines and had a range of 2,250
nautical miles. It had a crew of three.
The aircraft is still in limited service today
although mainly in a freight carrying role. This
Revell kit is of a similar vintage having been
around for some time, in all probability fifty
years. The parts have raised panel lines and
detailing, but the decals are up to Revells high
standard. The instruction booklet follows the
customary style with paint call outs given
throughout the build where and when
necessary.
The build begins by fitting the two fuselage
halves together. If you want to display the model
on its undercarriage then nose weight is
required before you glue the two halves
together but as I was going to use the stand with
the undercarriage retracted I did not fit any nose
weight.
Having raised surface detailing makes cleaning
up the joints tricky, but they were not that bad
and not too much detail was lost. The build is
REVIEWS
quite quick and while the fuselage joints were
drying I assembled the wings, engines and tail
jet pipe. These were all then glued to the
fuselage along with the undercarriage doors and
tail plane. Despite the kits age only a small
amount of filler was required on the joints.
The model was now given a coat of white primer
and gaps or untidy joints were dealt with, and
then an all over coat of Appliance Gloss White
was sprayed on. When dry this was masked and
Revell 371 Light Grey was applied to the lower
fuselage, wings and tail plane. The centre of the
wings were then masked and Revell 374 Matt
Grey was sprayed on. When dry the masking was
removed and re-used to mask the leading edges
of the wings and tail plane, before silver paint
was applied.
The engines were now masked and the forward
edges painted silver while the rear jet exhaust
areas were painted with Mr Hobby H214 Dark
Iron, which bus up very nicely when dry.
The decals were now applied, the main cheat
line down the fuselage had to be cut around the
engines, a tricky task but worth the eort. The
rest of the decals were pretty straightforward
with the exception of the cockpit windows. Two
sets are supplied, either just the frames or the
frames filled in. Originally I opted for just the
frames but these are just a little bit too small for
the size of the openings and I could not get
them to sit properly, so I then used the filled in
ones. These are again a little bit too small but
with a lot of manoeuvring I got them into an
acceptable position.
One decal option is supplied with the kit which
is for Germania Airlines. This Airline operated the
727-100 in the late 1970s. Two dierent airline
registrations are provided for the two aircraft
that Germania Operated, D-AHLN and D-AHLS.
The stand was now assembled and painted and
fitted to the model.
Conclusion
This kit has been around for a long time and
does not have the finesse of the newer Airlines
kits in the Revell catalogue but it makes up into a
very nice model of the 727-100 despite its age.
The fit of the parts is generally very good but it is
the decals that make this kit as they drag a 1960s
kit into the modern era. The kit is very easy to
assemble and no problems were encountered,
and in fact from start to finish it took only two
days to complete. Still a nice model to make
despite its vintage.
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 65
REVIEWS
Kit No: 04945
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Revell GmbH
www.revell.de/en
Kit No: 7012
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Zvezda
The Hobby Company/Dragon USA
Boeing
777-300ER
T
he Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range)
features a higher maximum take-o
weight, increased fuel capacity that allows
for a maximum range of 7,830 nautical miles,
carrying 396 passengers in a two class seating
arrangement, raked and extended wingtips,
strengthened fuselage and wings and modified
landing gear. It is powered by two General
Electric GE90-115B turbofan engines and the
first aircraft was delivered to Air France on 29th
April 2004. To date the -300ER is the best selling
777 variant with over 635 delivered to thirty nine
dierent customers.
The Zvezda/Revell kit of the Boeing 777-
66 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
300ER features five injected sprues of plastic
parts (grey Zvezda and white Revell) and one
clear sprue, one decal sheet and one instruction
booklet. The parts are beautifully moulded and
have excellent detail, especially to the engines.
Decals are supplied for Boeing house colour
schemes only, which are quite eye-catching. A
stand is supplied should you wish to model the
aircraft with its undercarriage retracted, but this
is in the Zvezda kit only.
Work commences by assembling the cockpit
bulkhead onto the nose landing gear bay and
then gluing it into one fuselage half. Two small
intakes are then fitted into the lower fuselage
halves just forward of the wings and then the
two fuselage halves are glued together. There
are clear parts for the cabin windows but I prefer
not to fit these as they are a nightmare to mask
and easier to fill with Micro Crystal Klear later on.
The fuselage joint is very good along its
length, which on a large airliner model is good
news as it means there is not too much sanding
of the joints to be done.
The tail planes were now assembled cleaned
up and fitted to the fuselage followed by the
wings. The trailing edges of the wings and tail
planes are extremely well moulded and have an
almost exact scale thickness and shape, nice! The
Zvezda wings were very warped and would not
straighten properly no matter what I did, with
the plastic being a lot softer than the Revell kits
wings, which is a shame.
The cockpit windows were now masked and
fitted and these are another precise fit.
And now onto the engines. These are superbly
moulded and every bit as good as previous
Revell/Zvezda kit engines with very finely
moulded turbine blades that really do make a
huge dierence to an airliner model. I have said
this many times in my reviews and I make no
apologies for saying it again in this one.
The engines were now painted, assembled
and fitted to the wings. The rudder was glued
into position and various antennae fitted along
the fuselage and then the model was given a
coat of white primer.
The Revell fuselage was sprayed with
Appliance White and the wings and tail planes
with Revell 371Light Grey. These were masked
o and the lower fuselage masked using the
templates supplied in the instructions. This is
much easier than guessing where the wavy line
should be! Finally the upper fuselage was
masked of and Revell 51 Blue was sprayed onto
the lower fuselage.
The Zvezda fuselage is gloss white all over
which is easier.
The decals were now applied and on this
particular airliner they really transform the
model. The Zvezda ones are quite big and very
pliable and stretch really easily so care needs to
be taken with them. The Revell kit has more
decals on the sheet than Zvezdas but both sets
are well printed.
Work on the undercarriage now commenced.
The kits gear legs were replaced by Scale
Aircraft Conversions White Metal ones and the
kit wheels were fitted to these. The kits plastic
gear legs are superbly moulded with some very
fine detail but the SAC ones are sturdier and
stronger. The gear bay doors were now fitted
and the model was finished.
Conclusion
The 777-300ER is a very big aircraft and this is
evident in the 1/144 version of it. Airliner models
are getting better and better with every new
release and this one from Zvezda/Revell is no
exception. It does not feature the cockpit detail
that other recent airliner kits have but this is no
real issue as you cant see inside the cockpit
anyway.
The finesse of the moulding is very evident,
especially in the trailing edges, the
undercarriage and the engines, which makes
this in my opinion probably the best 777 kit in
this scale on the market.
This really is an impressive model of the 777-
300ER and is a must for any airliner modeller
whichever one you chose.
Swiss Farewell
Kinetics Special
Kit No: 48058
Scale: 1/48
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Kinetic
www.luckymodel.com
Mirage IIIS/RS
I
t seems now to have become common
practice for modern military aircraft to sport
special schemes for any occasion of
significance. This gives aftermarket decal
producers a chance to expand their market but it
can also give additional life to previously
produced kit subjects. One such adornment was
created for the retirement of the Swiss Airforce
Mirage IIIRS. Whilst I have never been too keen
on these schemes this subject appealed to me,
with no garish reds and yellows, just black
(anthracite), o-white and grey. It looks right.
Out of just over 1,400 Mirage IIIs produced,
Switzerland purchased just one directly from
Dassault for evaluation purposes. They then
went on to licence produce thirty six Mirage IIIS
(service entry 1967) and sixteen Mirage IIIRS
(service entry 1969) aircraft. The Mirage IIIS was a
single seat based on the Mirage IIIC, with
reinforced wings, airframe and undercarriage.
The reinforced airframes enabled the aircraft to
be moved by cranes within the confines of their
mountain cavern bunkers. The aircraft were
fitted with Hughes TARAN 18 radar and fire
control system, and were armed with AIM-4
Falcon and Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. The
Mirage IIIRS was a single seat all weather
reconnaissance aircraft with the radar replaced
by a camera nose carrying up to five cameras.
The kit comes in a largish sturdy top opening
box with full colour illustration and description
of options held within, either the Mirage IIIS or
Mirage IIIRS. The actual contents come as seven
carefully bagged sprues (including one
transparent) claiming to hold 180+ parts, of
which you will have quite a few left over, if you
construct any of the versions oered on the
decal sheet. It would appear that many other
Mirage III versions could be constructed from
the components provided. My choice of subject
was Mirage IIIRS R2110 Mirage Swiss farewell,
Stael 10, Forces Aeriennes Suisses, Schweizer
Luftwae, Buochs AB 2003.
The instructions come in the form of a sixteen
page A4 booklet covering twenty five stages of
construction, with four pages devoted to colour
schemes and decals, these being a Mirage IIIS
and Mirage IIIRS in standard service finish, along
with two Mirage IIIRS in retirement schemes, one
black over white, the other white over black.
Moulding for the basic aircraft was of a high
standard in light grey with fine engraved
panelling, however there was quite a large
amount of flash on the sprues that provide the
alternative components.
The decision as to which version you are
going to build comes early on, as you must make
a choice from the range of instrument panels,
along with nose configurations oered. As in the
full size examples, the kit comes basically as the
main structure, fuselage and wings, plus a
choice of nose configurations and under wing
tanks. The ordnance sprues are basically
redundant for these versions.
Construction for the basic airframe was quite
straightforward, with a good fit of parts and very
little filling required. Problems arose when it
came to the addition of the camera nose. For
whatever reason, I ended up with a nose section
that was of a slightly greater diameter than the
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
REVIEWS
By Martin Kershaw
front of the fuselage. This was somewhat of a
disappointment after such a smooth build of the
airframe. Much filing and scraping (and filling)
was required to get a reasonable fit of the
components, with subsequent loss of detail. In
hindsight it would have been better to deviate
from the instructions, by fixing the nose sections
to the main fuselage halves, splitting the camera
transparency into two halves, and fitting it into
the nose sections before closing the completed
fuselage halves. A lesson for next time if a similar
build arises. The canopy also proved to be a little
too wide for the cockpit aperture. But this was
easily cured with a little filing.
Kinetic suggest a mix of Humbrol 85 and 128
for the Anthracite upper, or lower, fuselage, with
a mix of Humbrol 130 and 128 for the lower, or
upper, areas. With Tamiya acrylics being my
preferred paints I gave the complete airframe a
light prime of Tamiya Fine Surface Primer
followed by Tamiya XF-63 German Grey for the
Anthracite upper surfaces, leaving the primer
untouched for the o white under surfaces.
Other detail was highlighted used Tamiya
acrylics. The whole airframe was then given a
coat of Humbrol Clear.
The decals for what appeared a complex
scheme went on remarkably well, with an
excellent fit over the compound curves and
vents although this would not have been
possible without the judicious use of Microscale
products, Micro Set for the initial application,
followed by multiple applications of Micro Sol to
fix the decals around the contours. After being
allowed to dry, the airframe was given a final
wipe down with basic H20, before the final finish
of Humbrol Matt Acrylic Varnish.
This being my first visit to a Kinetic kit I was a
little surprised, having considered Kinetic to be a
premium brand. The quality of the major
airframe and decals could not be faulted, but the
problems I had with the nose sections rather
dulled the overall experience. That said, the final
finished product gives an excellent
representation of an aircraft at the end of its
service life.
67
Fold Your Stuka
REVIEWS
Ju 87C Conversion
Kit No:
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
Aftermarket: Retrokits RW44111 resin
conversion for Eduard kit
www.retrokitonline.net
T
here are several Ju 87s
available in 1/144, but by far
the best are Eduards. First
produced around 2004 they have
since been rereleased as two-in-a-
box combos and are still widely available. Two
basic toolings, a B and a G, oer crisp and
accurate replicas of the Stuka, the dierent
engines, cockpit canopies and wings all being
accounted for. Being Eduard you also get brass
etch for the dierent tail plane struts, dive
brakes, machine guns, aerials, and bomb release
crutch. In the case of the G the etch includes
ammunition trays for the BK 37s. There is also a
mask provided for various markings, though
sadly not the canopy.
The B tooling was originally also released as
an R, and the two drop tanks remain on the
sprue so you still have the option, handy in this
case as the naval variant used the long-range
plumbing and drop tanks of the R. Likewise you
can easily produce a D from the longer
wingspan G tooling, about the only thing
missing from the basic kit being exhaust
muers for the night versions.
These are superb models, recessed detail is
fine and accurate and in the case of the B even
extends to the correct depiction of the big
68 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
upper nose intake, which is actually subtly
asymmetric when viewed head-on so be careful
not to correct it. Decals are excellent and oer
three dierent schemes for each type, all told
excellent packages. Having said this the toolings
date from a time when cockpits were not
considered important for 1/144 and there isnt
one, just a flat shelf to stand the canopy on.
Luckily models as good as this attract the
attention of the aftermarket, and Retrokit solved
that particular problem early on with a quite
superb resin cockpit (RW44049), which
transforms the model at very modest cost.
They have now followed up with a conversion
set for the folding wing Ju 87C intended for the
Kreigsmarines never completed aircraft carrier.
Quite a number of Ju 87C airframes were
produced in anticipation of the carrier
requirement, as indeed were Me109 Ts. The C
Stuka featuring wing folding, an arrestor hook
and catapult spools to allow for carrier use.
Embryo units were formed and trials conducted,
apparently quite successfully. Unfortunately the
carrier programme stalled and was eventually
abandoned, the remaining airframes being
issued to regular Luftwae units.
The actual conversion couldnt be easier. It
consists of new resin wings in four pieces
By Mike Verier
complete with fold detail. They simply replace
the kit wings. An arrestor hook is also provided,
which again just fits onto the fuselage ahead of
the tail wheel. By way of preparation I opened
up and deepened the various intakes around the
nose to give some depth, and of course opened
the cockpit recess, thinning the sidewalls to
accept the resin interior. A few moments with
the scalpel were also expended sharpening up
the slightly soft exhaust stubs.
Finally I let some clear sprue into the port
wing for the landing light cover and drilled the
starboard one for the pitot tube, which is given
on the etch but I prefer to use brass rod.
If there is one thing that could improve these
kits it would be really good vacform canopies,
preferably with an open option. The kit canopies
are acceptable but slightly thick and challenging
to paint without masks. In the absence of
alternatives the best way to hide the thickness of
the kit items is to paint the edges black before
attaching with a non solvent cement or canopy
fixative such as Clear-fix. The black prevents
internal refraction revealing the thickness of the
plastic.
The naval Stukas were also intended to
operate as torpedo carriers as an alternative to
their classic modus operandi and trials were

conducted, although as far as I can tell no
pictures survive. The later D variants would also
have been navalised in due course and pictures
certainly exist of one of these with a torpedo. In
view of this I decided to depict my model fitted
with such a weapon, if only to use the colourful
red/white stripes of a training round.
Accordingly a torpedo and ETC pylon came from
the spares box, from a Crown He111 I think. Its
not a fabulous replica and if I may be permitted
a large hint a really good torpedo from the
aftermarket community would be very much
appreciated, and applicable to a large number of
aircraft types.
The Cs all seem to have been painted as you
would expect with a 70/71 splinter topside and
65 blue underside. Factory codes seem to have
been applied but beyond that there is little to go
on. My references state that the second airframe,
V11, Werke Nr 4929, had the full wing fold and
naval mods. Originally D-ILDM it received the
service codes TV+QV. There are also pictures of
Werke Nr 0573/SH+DB en-route to trials in Italy
with the H on a white band. I decided therefore
to go slightly o piste and add speculative yellow
wing tips and rudder plus a single blue stael
letter on a white band to break up the otherwise
rather drab scheme.
Finally the kit etch provides some really
delicate boarding steps, the main aerial mast,
the under wing dive brakes and a surprisingly
convincing rear gun complete with ring sight. All
this was installed before the wings were finally
fixed in place. Once the wings are set one last
detail was required. Photos show a rod running
between the wing root and the folded section. It
is not clear if this is part of the actuating
mechanism or a ground lock so I added it from
brass rod painted red to cover both
eventualities.
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
REVIEWS
As you could actually apply this conversion to
either Eduard tooling there is scope for both
factual and what if options depending on your
preference. The improved naval Stuka would
have had the new engine and canopy of the D
but retain the shorter span wings.
As an aside the G tooling is every bit as good
and of course looks completely dierent from
the earlier 87s. If you favour this variant OWL
produce alternative resin unspatted wheels, a
common feature of Stukas on the Eastern Front.
Also available from OWL are detailed resin
replacements for the BK-37s and just to prove
that anything can be improved Master have
recently produced stunning turned brass gun
barrels for them.
This build also made me revisit an excellent
older tooling so it qualifies as a stash buster too.
Highly recommended, keep em coming!!
69
SCALE COMMUNIT Y

IPMS (UK) Column

Presented By Chris Ayre

I
count myself fortunate, on the whole, that I
lead quite a busy life. Im one of those
individuals that finds it dicult to just sit
down and chill. Relaxing in front of the
television really doesnt come easily to me - I can
rarely watch a 2 hour film unless Im at the
cinema (pretty rare) and not able to get up and
distract myself. So, although Ive been self-
employed for many years, I actually employ
myself in a variety of ways and every day is
dierent for me I realise that this working
lifestyle wouldnt suit everyone - some folks just
love routine - and I know only too well how the
phrase Jack of all trades. ends. I do okay
though and I actually like being on the go much
of the time although my various clients are
sometimes confused by my multi-faceted CV
We thought you were a photographer. We didnt
expect to see you here you shouldve said you
did exhibition design and other similar
comments, are not unknown. I really do need to
get my website sorted out. Still, I enjoy keeping
busy - but am I a busy fool?
Anyway, the consequence of all this, and its
relevance here, is that Im not much of a
modeller. By that I simply mean that I dont
spend any time on my hobby. I have the abilities
- I can put a kit together, modify or update it,
paint and decal to a decent standard, etc. Its just
that I dont. But I havent given up (honest).
There are, let me just count, seven (maybe
eight) unfinished models littered around my
modelling room and the fact that I refer to them
as unfinished suggests that I intend them to be
finished at some point.
Lets give this some thought why havent I
completed them already? Some of those models
have been pretty much untouched for - and Im
being honest now - a number of years. Apart
from the fact that I always seem to have other
things to do, why is it that I havent indulged in
my favourite hobby? Have I lost interest in
modelling? That would be an obvious
conclusion but I dont think thats the case. I like
to attend model shows and I still buy models -
and I still get that buzz of anticipation at the
thought of building my latest purchase - it just
doesnt happen. Is that it then? Is my hobby now
buying models? Have I become one of those
infamous collectors? It doesnt seem to be that
simple - Im not obsessive about it and there is
no pattern to my purchasing (yes John, I know
Ive got a lot of F-5s - theres no need to go on
about it).
Its true that I enjoy the social side of our
hobby. I attend my local Branch meeting
whenever I can and, as Ive mentioned in
previous columns, I like to get along to various
model shows around the country. I just love my
extended weekends at Scale ModelWorld in
Telford each November. All this fraternising,
however, isnt exactly modelling is it? In my head
I can picture myself sitting, as I used to, at my
modelling bench - fettling, gluing, trimming,
filling, painting, applying decals and all the other
things I was so fond of doing before creating!
Now, Im a creative person - its what I do in my
working life Im a creative to use that events, as Im almost out of space. We begin with
incongruous, slightly awkward title. Perhaps
thats the problem should I have a hobby that
isnt creative - a contrast to the things I spend
the rest of my busy life doing? I dont really think
thats the way to go - creativity is ingrained in
me. Its what I feel comfortable with. Its me. Amicale des Maquettistes de la Ctes des
So what I need then is a strategy. In order to
re-balance my life (I know all the jargon, see) Im
going to have to prioritise its about having a
positive mental attitude (told ya) and making
the decision to put my down time further up my
list of priorities. Simples (not sure thats jargon)!
Except that 1) I dont really do decisions and 2)
Im far too busy! Ill get there eventually - and
there is another factor that will play its part,
sooner or later. As I get older, being busy all the
time is starting to take its toll - I do feel tired
quite a lot of the time but, like many other self-
employed folk, I cant actually see retirement
coming along any time soon. Mind you, as I said
at the top, I cant sit still anyway.
IPMS Ocial
Before I move to Showtime, Id like to report a
bit of Society business. As mentioned last
month, the IPMS (UK) Annual General Meeting
took place in May and, as I intimated, we now
have five new full Members of the Society
Executive Committee. The new Honorary
Secretary is Rich Middleton
(secretary@ipmsuk.co.uk) and hes responsible
for the legal niceties of running an organisation
such as IPMS (I couldnt think of another way of
putting it). The IPMS Magazine has a new Editor
in Dave Berryman (editor@ipmsuk.co.uk) and I
know hes very keen to encourage Society
Members to contribute articles - so please do -
he will pay for publication. The new UK Liaison
Ocer is John White (uklo@ipmsuk.co.uk) and
he is the man to contact in regard to any Branch
and SIG matters. Roland Turner
(overseas@ipmsuk.co.uk) has taken on similar
duties, with a more worldwide remit, as the new
Overseas Liaison Ocer and last, but most
certainly not least, we have a new Membership
Secretary in the form of Cli Bassett
(membership@ipmsuk.co.uk). For those of you
renewing Membership - and for those interested
in joining the Society - Cli will be your first port
of call. Welcome to your new roles gentlemen - I
hope you enjoy the challenges ahead as IPMS
(UK) continues to grow.
Showtime
Ill just give you a quick rundown of Julys
an overseas show that is within fairly easy reach
of UK shores. The AMCL Salon 2017 takes place
at the Salle Polyvalente de Trflez, France over
the weekend of the 1st and 2nd (Trflez is in
Britanny). Celebrating the 10th anniversary of
Lgendes (AMCL), doors open at 10.00am and
further information can be had by emailing
thierry.maheas@wanadoo.fr
The following weekend is quite a busy one if
we include the Malaysian show (which I will as
you just never know, someone may get there).
On Saturday 8th, IPMS East Sussex hold their
Annual Model Show at the Civic Community Hall
in Hailsham (BN27 2AX). This is a joint venture
with East Sussex MAFVA and Hailsham and
District Scale Model Club, doors opening at
10.00am. Many club displays and trade stands
are complemented by a multi-class competition,
rae and prize draw. See hailsham-district-scale-
model-club.org for further details. The North
Somerset Model Show takes place, at The
Helicopter Museum, Weston-Super-Mare (BS24
8PP) on Sunday the 9th. You need to see the
Museum website for admission details
(www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk) but I can tell
you that this is a good show and doors open at
10,00am. You may also email
john.annegarn@sky.com for more details. The
Malaysian Miniatures Hobby Show 2017
occupies both days of this weekend and takes
place at the Hotel Cititel Penang in George Town.
This is a trade show, model display and model
competition, organised by IPMS Malaysia.
Contact Choo Huang Ming (IPMS Malaysia
President) on ipmsmalaysia@yahoo.com if youd
like to know more and, if you get there, please
consider sending me a report.
IPMS Romsey hold the 2nd annual Romsey
Scale Model Show on Saturday 15th of July, at
Ampfield Village Hall (SO51 9BJ) and there will
be around a dozen club displays plus traders.
See the website www.romseymodellers.co.uk for
more details. Sadly, the Midland Expo 2017 at
Leasowes Sports Centre, Halesowen (B62 8PJ) on
Sunday 23rd is being held under the banner of
The Last Hurrah and will be IPMS Birminghams

As mentioned in the column, I have trouble switching

o and this applies equally when Im on holiday. So,
whilst spending a few days in Cornwall recently, I
couldnt help paying a visit to RNAS Culdrose and I
bring you a couple of items of modelling interest. Heat
haze played havoc with the clarity of many of the
photographs I took but I wanted to include this one to
illustrate how dicult it can be to assess colour
schemes from photographs. These two Merlins appear
to be painted completely dierent colours - the truth
is that the closest one is in full sun whilst the one
behind is slightly shaded by light cloud if in doubt,
check (Chris Ayre)

70 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 SCALE COMMUNIT Y

As can be seen in these two images, the overall grey scheme is actually quite patchy and weathered but the main reason I want to show both of these
machines is for comparison. Note that ZH845, along with many other Merlin HM.2s, has a modification to the fuselage, just in front of the rearmost
window. Its to both sides and I had assumed that it was due to the HM.2 upgrade but ZH827 doesnt have it - can anyone tell me anything about this?
(Chris Ayre)

last ever Expo. The event runs from 10.00am to
4.00pm and your support would be greatly
appreciated. For up-to-date information please
see the show website
midlandexpo.blogspot.co.uk
The final weekend of July sees two quite
dierent shows with the first, the 5th
Carmarthen Modellers Club Model Exhibition,
being held at Carmarthen Town Library (SA31
1LN) on Saturday 29th. Doors open at 10.30am
and you can ask John Whitworth for more
information, via the email address
carmarthenmodellersclub@gmail.com. The
rather larger Essex Modellers Show takes place
on the following day at Hannakins Farm
Community Centre in Billericay (CM12 0SZ).
Hosted by IPMS South East Essex, IPMS
Hornchurch and Chelmsford Model Club, in
conjunction with MAFVA, doors open at
10.00am. Clubs should contact Jim Smith
(wiesnoop@yahoo.co.uk) and traders John
Drummond (drummond9@talktalk.net) to book
space.
Until next time, enjoy your modelling.
Chris
ipmsuk.org
Membership enquiries: Cli Bassett, West Barn,
Duken Lane, Wootton, Bridgnorth, Shropshire
WV15 6EA
Email: membership@ipmsuk.org or visit
ipmsuk.org/membership/ to join online.

The very busy cockpit of a Jet Provost T.3 XN503 the primary flying
instruments are located centrally within a white outlined panel.
Handy details for the new 1/72 Airfix kit perhaps? (Glenn Sands)

One of the full-size aircraft on display within the collection is this Hawker
Hunter F.6 XF375. During its career the F.6 served with the Empire Test
Pilots School in whose stunning colour scheme it has been restored
(Glenn Sands)

The forward fuselage of Sea Vixen FAW.1 XJ476, which spent its entire
career with the A&AEE at Boscombe Down. This trials work included a
detachment to the Long-Range Weapons Establishment at Woomera,
Australia in 1960 (Glenn Sands)

The Boscombe Down Aviation Sarum Airfield. has been fully restored to its original colours
The museum has nose sections from many of when serving with the Empire Test Pilots School,
Collection the Cold War aircraft that protected British it would certainly make a lovely model now

F
or modellers theres nothing like examining
the real thing, whether its an aircrafts
undercarriage bay, markings or perhaps
most important of all the cockpit. Such areas
provide a wealth of detail allowing colours to be
noted, extras that may need to be added to a
model and perhaps how the ejection seat straps
rest in the cockpit.
If you are seeking such details and are
interested in Cold War British aircraft theres no
better place to acquire this information than the
Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old
interests during the Fifties, Sixties and into the
Eighties along with some full-size aircraft as well.
Among the cockpits on display is the only
remaining Hawker Hunter F.2, WN890 and a look
inside shows just how complicated and gloomy
early jet cockpits were. Theres also a Sea Vixen
FAW.1 XJ476, an airframe that was used in the
Martel missile trials and wore an overall white
colour scheme. Many of the aircraft on show
have a connection with the Royal Aircraft
Establishment with the most stunning being in
my eyes, the Hawker Hunter F.6 XF375, which
wheres my 1/72 Revell kit?
Staed by volunteers, many of whom served
at the aircraft test establishments, visitors are
encouraged to take a look into the cockpits, and
if they wish sit in many of them.
The museum is an ideal source for reference
with many of the other displays illustrating the
size of the unique test fleet Britain had at one
time.
For further details visit:
www.boscombedownaviationcollection.co.uk

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 71

M A R K E T P L AC E K I T S
New Kits RouNd up
Academy 12226 1/48 Korean-
Aerospace-Industries-(KAI) KF-16D
Korean Air Force
Academy 12311 1/48 Mikoyan
MiG-21MF Soviet Air Forces &
Export
Academy 12315 1/48 McDonnell
F-4B/N VMFA-531 Gray Ghosts
Academy 12494 1/72 Bell P-39Q/N
Airacobra
Academy 12546 1/72 North
American F-86F Sabre Korean War
Academy 12547 1/72 Boeing
F/A-18E Super Hornet USN VFA-143
Pukin' Dogs
Academy 12548 1/72 McDonnell
F2H-3 Banshee USN VF-41 Black
Aces
Academy 12608 1/144 Grumman
F-14A Tomcat
Academy 12612 1/144 Sukhoi
SU-22 Fitter
Pocketbond/MRC
Arma Hobby 73005 1/72 PZL P.11/I
Prototype Pro-set
Hannants
A Model 72343 1/72 Piper Pa-47
A Model 72351 1/72 TB-1 & KP-1
Parachute version
Hannants/Stevens International
Anigrand Craftswork 2126 1/72
McDonnell YC-15 STOL Prototype
Hannants/Rareplane-Detective
Airfix 02017A 1/72 Supermarine
Spitfire Pr Mk XIX
Airfix 03080A 1/72 Messerschmitt
Bf-110C/D
Airfix 04053A 1/72 Fairey
Swordfish Mk I
Hannants/Stevens International
AZ Model 7556 1/72 DHC
Chipmunk T.10 RAF
AZ Model 7557 1/72 DHC
Chipmunk T.20 Foreign Users
AZ Model 7558 1/72 DHC
Chipmunk T.30 Canada
AZ Model 7559 1/72 DHC
Chipmunk T.10 with Lycoming
engine
Hannants/UMM-USA
Copper state Models 1030 1/48
Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8 Mid
production version
Copper state Models 1031 1/48
Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8 Late
production version - Premium
Hannants
decarli Model 7216 1/72 Cirrus
SR20/T53 USAF & French Air Force
Hannants
dragon 4637 1/144 Douglas X-3
Stiletto
dragon 5528 1/48 Junkers Ju-88A-
4 Schnell-Bomber
The Hobby Company/Dragon USA
eduard K11110 1/48 Vought F-8E
72 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Crusader
eduard K2116 1/72 Mil Mi-24 in
Czech and Czechoslovak service
eduard K70112 1/72 Focke-Wulf
Fw 190A-8/R2 ProfiPACK
eduard K7441 1/72 Grumman F6F-
3 Hellcat Weekend Edition
eduard R0015 1/48 Royal Aircraft
Factory S.E.5a Royal Class Edition
Creative Models/Hannants/
Squadron/Sprue Brothers
Great wall Hobby s4801 1/48
Mikoyan Mig-29 9-12 Late Type
Luftwae JG.73
Great wall Hobby s4805 1/48
Lockheed T-33A RoCAF
Great wall Hobby s4806 1/48
McDonnell F-15C Oregon ANG 75th
Anniversary USAF
Great wall Hobby s4807 1/48
Northrop P-61A Black Widow with
Ground Attack Weapons
Creative Models/Dragon USA
Heller 80310 1/72 Lockheed L-749
Constellation Air France
Creative Models/Stevens
International
iCM 72294 1/72 Focke-Wulf
Fw-189A-1 Hungarian & Bulgarian
Creative Models/Hannants/Stevens
International/Squadron
italeri 1390 1/72 Caproni CA.311
italeri 1395 1/72 Northrop F-5E
Tiger II Patrouille Suisse 50th
Anniversary
italeri 2768 1/48 Hawker Hurricane
Mk I Aircraft
The Hobby Company/MRC
Kovozavody prostejov 7278 1/72
Avia B-11
Kovozavody prostejov 7279 1/72
Avia BH-11
Kovozavody prostejov 7283 1/72
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXE RAF
Service
Hannants/UMM USA
Karaya 14406 1/144 Douglas DC-
9-15
Karaya 14407 1/144 Douglas DC-
9-32
Hannants
Miniwing-plastic 308 1/144 North-
American Harvard Mk II NZAF
Miniwing-plastic 309 1/144
Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B Global
Hawk USAF
Miniwing-plastic i310 1/144
Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B
Eurohawk Luftwae
Miniwing-plastic 311 1/144
Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B Global
Hawk/NATO 2Q/2017
Miniwing-plastic 312 1/144
Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B Global
Hawk NASA
Hannants/Rareplane Detective
MARK i Models 14465 1/144
Curtiss P-36 Hawk USAAC
MARK i Models 14466 1/144
Curtiss H-75/Mohawk III French &
British Fighter
MARK i Models 14467 1/144
Curtiss H-75 Foreign Pilots
MARK i Models 720-04 1/720
Zeppelin P & Q-class Night
Intruders
Hannants/UMM USA
pJ productions 721026 1/72
Dassault Mirage IIIE
pJ productions 721027 1/72
Dassault Mirage 5BA/BR
pJ productions 721028 1/72
Dassault Mirage IIIR/5F
Hannants
Roden 326 1/144 Bristol 175
Britannia African Safari
Roden 328 1/144 Vickers VC-10 K4
Type 1170 Tanker
Pocketbond/Squadron
Rs Models 92177 1/72 Heinkel He-
280 with Argus
Rs Models 92197 1/72
Messerschmitt Me-609 Zerstorer
(single cockpit version)
Rs Models 92198 1/72
Messerschmitt Me-609 Nachtjager
with FuG 217 and FuG
Hannants/UMM USA
Revell 03931 1/48 Mikoyan MiG-
25RBT
www.revell.de/en
sword 72054 1/72 Lockheed F-94B
Starfire
sword 72072 1/72 Lockheed T2V-1
Seastar
sword 72088se 1/72 Fairey
Gannet AEW.3
sword 72103 1/72 Kawasaki Ki-
102a Otsu (Randy)
Hannants/Sprue Brothers
tarangus 48007 1/48 Saab SH-
37/SF-37 Viggen
Hannants/Sprue Brothers
trumpeter 01652 1/72 Sukhoi Su-
34 Fullback
trumpeter 01678 1/72 Sukhoi Su-
33 Flanker D
trumpeter 02899 1/48 Boulton-
Paul Defiant Mk I
Pocketbond/Stevens International
Valom 72120 1/72 North-American
B-45A Tornado
Valom 72121 1/72 North-American
B-45C Tornado
Hannants/UMM USA
welsh Models Mt52R 1/144
Gulfstream C-37A USAF
welsh Models Mt53R 1/144
Gulfstream G.550 Shafit ELINT
version Israeli Air Force
welsh Models pJw93R 1/144 HS
Andover C Mk 1 RAF Middle East
welsh Models sL379R 1/144
Vickers Viking 1B decal livery EROS
or England
welsh Models sL380R 1/144 de
Havilland Heron 1B
welsh Models sL381p 1/144 BAE
ATP Manx airlines
welsh Models sL383R 1/144 Casa
212 TW Express & Pan-Am Express
Hannants
wingnut wings 32001 1/32
Junkers J.1
wingnut wings 32006 1/32 Pfalz
D.IIIa
wingnut wings 32023 1/32
Rumpler C.IV Early version
wingnut wings 32067 1/32 Fokker
D.VII (Fok) Early version
Hannants/Sprue Brothers
wingsy kits d5-02 1/48 Mitsubishi
A5M4 Claude Type 96
Hannants/Stevens International
Zvezda 7011 1/144 Ilyushin IL-76
The Hobby Company/Dragon USA
uK iMpoRteRs
pocketbond:
www.pocketbond.co.uk
01707 391509
the Hobby Company:
www.hobbyco.net
01908 605686
Hannants: 01502 517444
Creative Models:
www.creativemodels.co.uk
01354 760022
Amerang: www.amerang.co.uk
01482 887917
ultimate Modelling products:
wingnut wings:
www.wingnutwings.com
us iMpoRteRs
dragon usA:
www.dragonmodelsusa.com
626-968-0322
Linden Hill imports:
www.lindenhillimports.com 914-
734-9616
MRC: www.modelrectifier.com
732-225-2100
Rare-plane detective: www.rare-
planedetective.com
702-564-2851
sprue Brothers:
www.spruebrothers.com
816-759-8484
squadron: www.squadron.com
877-414-0434
stevens international:
www.stevenshobby.com
856-435-7645
uMM-usA: www.umm-usa.com
847-537-0867
M A R K E T P L AC E
XTRADECAL
This latest batch of releases is sure
to generate a lot of interest as it will
coincide with the imminent
releases of newly tooled kits from
Airfix of the B-25 Mitchell and
Phantom FG.1 in 1/72, plus the P-
51D in 1/48. These sheets provide a
number of alternative and
interesting marking options with
which to adorn these new kits, and
other older ones that many of us
will have lounging within our stash
of unbuilt kits. This new Mustang
collection is also scaled down on a
single sheet for 1/72 builders. More
Victors are added to the Xtradecal
collection with a second new sheet
covering seven dierent B.Mk.2 and
SR.Mk.2 aircraft, as well as a further
third instalment for the AEW
Shackletons featuring all aircraft
with cartoon character nose art
mainly from The Magic Roundabout.
Luftwae schemes are always
popular so a sheet of dierent
markings for the Junkers Ju 88, C-4
and D-2 variants, will sit nicely with
anyone picking up the recent kits
from both ICM and Special Hobby.
All of these new sheets are printed
by Microscale and available at the
retail price of 7.99, apart from the
Shackleton collection, being a
double A5 sheet set at 9.99, and
oer excellent value with the
number of options provided.
1/48
X48176 North American Bubbletop
P-51 Mustang Collection Part One
KH727 DJ-V 93 Squadron Italy
1946
44-13431 QP-E Little Eva Captain
J. Sully Varnell 2 FS, 52 FG USAAF
Italy 1944
NZ2419 19 2 (Wellington)
Squadron RNZAF late 1940s
9566 VC-FBN Experimental and
Proving Establishment RCAF
Uplands 1950s
EDUARD
This month Eduard go all out on a
number of kits in various scales
with Hasegawas new Emily getting
a generous helping of etch and
masks, Italeris 1/32 Mirage III E/R
receiving likewise, while in 1/48
Kittyhawks Su-17 is the chief
74 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
CA-18 Mustang A68-71 HU-A 78
Squadron RAAF 1946
X48177 North American Bubbletop
P-51 Mustang Collection Part Two
MM44236 4-28 10 Gruppo/4
Stormo Italy 1952
J-2113 Fliegerstael 21 Swiss AF
Dubendorf 1951
335 2 Flying Cheetahs Squadron
SAAF Korea 1952
916 Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti Haiti
1963
26031 16 Flygvapnet F16 Uppsala
Sweden 1945
X48180 1/48 Junkers Ju 88C-4
& D-2
Ju-88C-4 R4+BL 3/NJG 2 Lt Heinz
Volker Gilze-Rijen Holland 1941
overall black
Ju-88C-4 R4+HK 2/NJG 2 Fw.
Hermann Sommer overall black
Ju-88C-4 R4+WK 2/NJG 2 North
Africa overall black
Ju-88D-2 F9+CN 5(F)/122 Eastern
Front winter 1942/43 white
upper surfaces with RLM70/71
over sprayed over RLM65, yellow
wing tips, red spinners
Ju-88D-2 7A+MM 4(F)/121
Balkans 1941 RLM70/71/65
yellow trim
Ju-88D-2 5F-DM 4(F)/14 Eastern
Front RLM70/712/65 yellow
fuselage band and wing tips
Ju-88D-2 7A-FH 1(F)/122 Libya
1942 RLM79 Sand/RLM68
Ju-88D-2 Hungarian AF F9+15
1/1 Long Range Recce Squadron
Eastern Front RLM70/71/65
1/72
X72268 McDonnel Douglas
Phantom FG.1 Collection
XT866/W Phantom Post
Operational Conversion Unit RN
Leuchars 1970s
XT859 725/VL 700P NAS
Intensive Flying Trials Unit RN
Yeovilton 1968
892 Squadron on HMS Ark Royal
beneficiary. Of course there is
plenty more, with the usual Brassin
broadside, essential masks, new
seatbelts and weapons sets as well
as further upgrades to their already
comprehensive Crusader limited
edition.
Eduard really do oer something
Selection
XV567 011/R cross decking with
USS Saratoga 1969
XT872 005/R 1973
XT860 014/R 1976
XV590 001/R Colonial Navy cross
decking with USS Saratoga 1978
XT865 004/R 1978
XT872 004/R 1977
XT863 014/R 1977 with FAA
Jubilee nose flash
XT864 007/R 1975 with final
cruise nose flash
X72270 North American Bubbletop
P-51 Mustang Collection
KH727 DJ-V 93 Squadron Italy
1946
44-13431 QP-E Little Eva Captain
J. Sully Varnell 2 FS 52 FG USAAF
Italy 1944
NZ2419 19 2 Wellington
Squadron RNZAF late 1940s
9566 VC-FBN Experimental and
Proving Establishment RCAF
Uplands 1950s
CA-18 Mustang A68-71 HU-A 78
Squadron RAAF 1946
MM44236 4-28 10 Gruppo/4
Stormo Italy 1952
J-2113 Fliegerstael 21 Swiss AF
Dubendorf 1951
335 2 Flying Cheetahs Squadron
SAAF Korea 1952
916 Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti Haiti
1963
26031 16 Flygvapnet F16 Uppsala
Sweden 1945
2 Somalia AF Somalia 1955
X72271 Handley Page Victor B.Mk.2
SR.Mk.2 Collection
XH674 543 Squadron RAF Wyton
1970s green/grey
XH675 Wittering Wing late 1960s
green/grey
XL158 139 Squadron RAF
Wittering 1964 overall white
XL161 543 Squadron RAF Wyton
1960s green/grey
XM715 100 Squadron RAF
Wittering 1964 overall white
for everyone in every major scale. If
you have not yet sampled the
dierence the colour etch and belts
make to a project then do take a
closer look. As for the masks, time
saved and tidy results are worth
every penny you will spend on
them!
XM714 100 Squadron RAF
Wittering 1963 green/grey
XM717 543 Squadorn RAF Wyton
1986 green/grey
X72272 Avro Shackleton Part Three
Nose Art AEW.2s
WL741 41 PC Knapweed/Basil
WL745 46 Sage
WL747 48 Florence
WL754 54 Paul
WL756 56 Mr Rusty/Snoopy
WL757 57/8 Brian
WL790 90/8 Mr McHenry/Zebedee
WL793 93 Ermintrude/Dylan
WL795 95 Rosalie/ Zebedee
WR960 60 Dougal
WR963 63/8 Ermintrude/Parsley
WR965 65 Dill/Rosalie
X72273 N.A. B-25C Mitchell
Collection
30434/58 83BS 12BG Pink Petunia
USAAF North Africa 1942
sand/azure blue
N5-125/C 681 Squadron RAF
Burma 1943 overall Oxford blue
MA/E 681 Squadron RAF Burma
1943 overall PRU blue
FT/Jonah 681 Squadron USMC
1943 intermediate blue/light
grey
KL154/LV 111OTU RAF Nassau
1944 overall silver
41-12566/9B 489BS 340BG Legal
Eagle USAAF El Kabrit Egypt 1942
sand/olive drab/neutral grey
41-12848 5 Anti-Submarine BS
Westover Mass. 1942 olive
drab/white
41-13207/OH-7 445BS 321BG
French Morocco 1943 sand/azure
blue
42-83472/7F 487BS 340BG USAF
Tunisia 1943 sand/olive
drab/neutral grey
891/HO-891 418 City of
Edmonton Squadron RCAF
Edmonton 1950s overall
silver/fluorescent red/orange
trim
Hannants/Squadron
Brassin
1/32
632101 Sniper ATP
632102 MER
632103 TER
1/48
648301 Crusader air intakes for
Hasegawa kits

648302 Crusader exhaust nozzle
for Hasegawa kits
648317 Ki-61-Id wheels Tamiya
648318 SE.5a propeller four blade
for Eduard kits
648319 SE.5a radiator Hispano
Suiza for 4 blade prop for Eduard
kits
648320 SE.5a radiator Hispano
Suiza for 2 blade prop for Eduard
kits
648321 Ki-61-Id gun barrels Tamiya
1/72
672156 Spitfire Mk VIII cockpit for
Eduard kits
Eduard Etched Details and Masks
1/32
32403 Mirage III E/R exterior for
Italeri kits
32907 Mirage III E for Italeri kits
SCALE AIRCRAFT
CONVERSIONS
Another month, another great new
crop of white metal undercarriage
releases from Scale Aircraft
Conversions. In 1/32 the Kitty Hawk
OS2U Kingfisher kit is treated to
both undercarriage and beaching
gear in individual sets this month
while an improved set of landing
gear for the Hasegawa and Eduard
P-47D/N kits is included replacing
32908 Mirage III R for Italeri kits
32909 Mirage III E/R seatbelts
STEEL for Italeri kits
33166 Mirage III E for Italeri kits
33167 Mirage III R for Italeri kits
JX200 Mirage III E/R masks for
Italeri kits
1/48
48922 Su-17 M3/M4 exterior for
KittyHawk kits
48923 Su-17 M3/M4 FOD for
KittyHawk kits
48924 Su-17 M3/M4 air brakes for
KittyHawk kits
48925 F-8E upgrade set for Eduard
kits
49829 Su-17 M3/M4 interior for
KittyHawk kits
49830 Su-17 M3/M4 seatbelts
STEEL for KittyHawk kits
set 32015, which has now been
discontinued. Rounding out the big
scale is a set of legs for the fabulous
Italeri F-35A.
In 1/48 we have legs for the P-
47D/N, designed to fit the
Hasegawa release and subsequent
Eduard boxings of the same plastic,
plus the long and spindly legs for
the H-21C flying banana. The only
1/72 inclusion is for the 1997
moulding of Revells Messerschmitt
Me262.
49831 Bf 109G-6 for Zvezda kits
49832 Bf 109G-6 seatbelts STEEL
for Zvezda kits
FE826 Seatbelts Italy World War II
fighters STEEL
FE829 Su-17 M3/M4 ZOOM for
KittyHawk kits
FE831 Bf 109G-6 ZOOM for Zvezda
kits
EX551 Su-17 M3/M4 ZOOM for
Kittyhawk kits
EX552 Bf 109G-6 masks for Zvezda
kits
EX553 Su-25UB/UBK masks for
Smer kits
1/72
72650 H8K2 Emily nose interior for
Hasegawa kits
72651 H8K2 Emily rear interior for
Hasegawa kits
These sets are very well moulded
and designed as direct replacement
parts requiring no additional work
in order to fit to the designated kit.
These and other sets in the Scale
Aircraft Conversions catalogue are
available from Hannants.
1/32
32118 OS2U Kingfisher Beaching
Gear Kitty Hawk
32119 OS2U Kingfisher Landing
Gear Kitty Hawk
32120 F-35A Lightning II Landing
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
M A R K E T P L AC E
72652 H8K2 Emily exterior for
Hasegawa kits
72653 H8K2 maintenance
platforms for Hasegawa kits
73592 H8K2 Emily cockpit interior
for Hasegawa kits
73593 MiG-29UB Izdelye 9.51 for
Trumpeter kits
SS592 H8K2 Emily ZOOM for
Hasegawa kits
SS593 MiG-29UB Izdelye 9.51
ZOOM for Trumpeter kits
SS594 Seatbelts Italy WWII fighters
STEEL
CX482 MiG-29UB Izdelye
9.51masks for Trumpeter kits
CX483 B-17G antiglare panels (BO
& DL production) masks for Airfix
kits
www.eduard.com
Gear Italeri
32121 P-47D/N Landing Gear
Hasegawa/Eduard
1/48
48327 H-21C Shawnee Landing
Gear Italeri
48328 Macchi C.202 Folgore
Landing Gear Hasegawa/Eduard
1/72
72140 Messerschmitt Me 262
Landing Gear Revell 1997 kit
www.scaleaircraftconversions.com
75
M A R K E T P L AC E

PEREGRINE PUBLISHING were taken with the cooperation of the museum

XP-91 Thunderceptor Walk Around CD
Detailed Photo Essay on CD
By Steve Muth
Published by Peregrine Publishing, this CD on
the XP-91 Thunderceptor features detail colour
photographs aimed at the scale modeller and
aero enthusiast. Published in word and JPEG
format for near universal access and simplicity,
the author presents this unique aircraft, with its
inverse taper wings, in clear detail photographs
of the cockpit, landing gear, wheel wells, intake
and exhausts and other details of interest.
These photographs were taken of the XP-91
Thunderceptor at the National Museum of the
United States Air Force outside Dayton, Ohio
before the recent restoration. The photographs
sta, thus assuring adequate access to the
cockpit and other details This CD will make
an excellent reference for the any of the XP-
91 kits now on the market, particularly for
the 1/48 Lindberg kit.
This CD has captured this unique aircraft in
all its glorious detail and is the most
exhaustive detail reference yet published.
Priced at an aordable $12.00 each including
postage, these CDs may be ordered from Steve
Muth at Peregrine Publishing, 70 The
Promenade, Glen Head, NY 11545, USA, by
telephone on (516)759-1089, by FAX on
(516)759-1034 or email sgmuth@optonline.net.
Payment by check on a US bank in dollars or
PayPal. For foreign orders add $12.00 US dollars
for postage.

CMK Cockpit set for Airfix kit

CMK are churning product out at a
rate of knots these days, with
seemingly a huge wave of releases
every month in their various
product lines. First and foremost
are the familiar yellow blister packs
that oer such amazing value for
money. These are generally resin
sets with small etched frets and
cover a wide range of subjects and
styles, while the green Quick and
Easy range tends to feature a single
replacement part or set of parts to
update or correct an existing kit
component.
This months releases include more
of the exquisite figure sets in both
1/72 and 1/32 as well as a mass of
resin for kits both old and new.
Figure Sets
32318 Soviet Yak-3 Pilot running
towards his aircraft
72325 Czechoslovak pre World War
II pilots
72326 Barracuda Crew Members
Standing
CMK Resin Sets
4333 RF-84F Thunderflash 1/48
Camera Set for Tanmodel kit
4339 RF-84 Thunderflash 1/48
Undercarriage Bays for Tanmodel
kit
5115 A6M5c Zero 1/32 Tail Control
Surfaces for Hasegawa kit
5116 A6M5c Zero 1/32 Ailerons for
Hasegawa kit
7362 Harrier GR.Mk 7A 1/72
7363 Harrier GR.Mk 7A 1/72 Engine
set for Airfix kit
7364 Harrier GR.Mk 7A 1/72
Control Surfaces set for Airfix kit
7371 Harrier GR.9A 1/72 Engine Set
for Airfix kit
7372 Harrier GR.9A 1/72 Control
Surfaces for Airfix kit
7373 Harrier GR.9A 1/72 Cockpit
Set for Airfix
8054 MA-1A 1/48 USAF Starter Cart
CMK Quick and Easy
Q32275 Tempest Mk II/V/VI 1/32
Square Tread Pattern Main wheels
for Special Hobby kit
Q32276 Yak-3 1/32 RSI 4 Radio
Receiver for Special Hobby kit
Q48268 RF-84F Thunderflash 1/48
GY5/GT5 Seat with Harness for
Tanmodel kit
Q48269 RF-84F Thunderflash 1/48
GY5/GT5 Seat for Tanmodel
Q48270 RF-84F Thunderflash 1/48
Wing Flaps for Tanmodel kit
Q48271 RF-84F Thunderflash 1/48
Wing Ailerons for Tanmodel
Q48272 Boomerang/Wirraway
1/48 Wheels for Special Hobby kits
Q48273 Junkers Ju 88A-1/-5/C-2/-4
1/48 Early Main wheels and
Tailwheel
Q48274 Junkers Ju 88A-4 and later
/C-6/G 1/48 Late Main wheels and
Tailwheel
www.cmkkits.com

ILIAD make this a particularly useful sheet for Spitfire

The latest sheets received from Iliad oer some
excellent classic subjects.
1/72
72018 Air National Guard C-47s
This sheet oers four C-47s spanning the late 1940-60s
era covering utility aircraft from four ANG units:
C-47A 0-92079 Puerto Rico ANG post 1961
VC-47A 315568 Virginia ANG 1948
C-47A 315555 Nebraska ANG 1947-48
C-47A 330691 New Mexico ANG 1947-48
1/48
48003 Pre-war Spitfires
Some interesting markings for pre-war Spitfire Mk.Is
enthusiasts with aircraft carrying variations on the
Munich national markings and black and white under
surfaces in diering patterns:
Spitfire Mk I K9795 19 Squadron Duxford October 1938
Spitfire Mk I K9843 54 Squadron Hornchurch early
Summer 1939
Spitfire Mk I L1088 609 Squadron
Spitfire Mk I s/n unknown 19 Squadron Duxford May
1939
Spitfire Mk I K9927 14 Squadron Hornchurch May
1938
Spitfire Mk I s/n unknown 41 Squadron Catterick
1939
www.iliad-design.com

76 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 SECURE
2 MINUTE OVERNIGHT
WALK PARKING FOR
FROM TRADERS
CHALK NOMINAL
FARM TUBE 10.00
STATION
3RD DECEMBER 2017 SUNDAY

HAVERSTOCK SCHOOL PARKING FOR

VISITORS ON
24 HAVERSTOCK HILL, LONDON NW3 2BQ SITE NOMINAL
EASY 5.00 CHARGE
ACCESS TO Chalk Farm Tube Station
2 minute walk PER CAR ALL
Belsize Park Tube
THE HALLS, Station DAY
11 minutes walk
NO STEPS Railway Stations
Camden Road
OR LIFTS Overground Station
13 minutes walk
Kentish Town West
Overground Station
13 minutes walk SUNDAY FREE
PARKING FOR
ALL CLUBS &
TRADERS
HOTELS
WITHIN A 5
MINUTE WALK
PREMIER INN, GOOD, VIBRANT
HOLIDAY INN AREA OF
PLUS OTHERS LONDON
CAMDEN
MARKET
5 MINUTE WALK

EARLIER THE NEXT

ACCESS TO For trader and club reservations please contact Stella SHOW DATES
TRADERS & SUN 3RD DEC
CLUBS ON telephone: +44 (0)7540 153368
e-mail: tom@regallitho.co.uk www.guidelinepublications.co.uk 2017
THE SUNDAY Guideline Publications, Unit 3 Enigma Building, Bilton Road, Denbigh East, Bletchley, Bucks MK1 1HW
SUN 2ND DEC
S P E C I A L I S T
2018
S TA S H I N T H E AT T I C
By Trevor Pask
Wellington Mk1c
Kit No: 01626
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Trumpeter
Pocketbond/Stevens International
T
he Wellington is something of an unsung
hero of RAF types from World War II. The
aircraft was the mainstay of Bomber
Command in the first two years of war, and was
one of the few means with which Britain could
take the war back to Germany during that
period. Despite being designed in the 1930s,
and having an almost completely fabric covered
78 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
structure, the
aircraft was so
useful that it
remained in
production and
service until 1945. In
the later war period it
was mainly employed
in training duties and in less demanding
theatres, but despite this history, it has been
quite poorly served by the kit manufacturing
industry.
Until the arrival of MPMs kits, first released in
2002 and also boxed by Italeri, it was dicult to
construct an accurate 1/72 model of the aircraft.
Airfix, Frog and Matchbox had all attempted kits
of the type, which while good by the standards
of the day they were released in, were all
completely outdated to modern eyes. Along
with some other classic types such as the
Typhoon, the Wellington suered by being a
popular British type in the early days of the
injection moulding industry. Well-known aircraft
were typically among the earlier subjects a
manufacturer tooled up for. As moulding
techniques moved on, these original kits were
soon outdated, but the expense of retooling was
often prohibitive and so the original kits tended,
and still tend, to remain in production for years.
Investment in new toolings frequently has to go
to new kits in order to expand a manufacturers
range, so commonly the more famous a subject
was, the older and cruder a kit the modeller had
to work with. Eventually most subjects get a new
moulding, but because it was a classic British
type, the Wellington was ignored by the French,
American and Japanese manufacturers, so this
process of gradual updating was slower than
usual.
For years the best kit produced was the
Matchbox oering, which originated in the mid
1970s. The Matchbox brand is now associated
with a type of kit which was dimensionally
accurate, but quite crude in design and lacking
in detail even by the standards of the day. While
there are some grains of truth in this view, in my
opinion it is not justified by any means. Some
Matchbox kits were very innovative, and the
reissues that periodically appear in Revell boxes
are generally very worthwhile. The Wellington is
one of those subjects, and is still currently
available. Generally this is a better starting point
for a model of the Wellington than the current
Airfix kit which dates from the 1960s, but it is still
a hefty and chunky piece of moulding, which
demands a lot of work.
Following the release of the MPM tooling this
present kit finally arrived in 2007, courtesy of the
Chinese manufacturer Trumpeter.

Modellers have divided opinions about
Trumpeter kits. As a new manufacturer with big
aspirations, they needed rapidly to create a back
catalogue of kits. With the modern tool cutting
technology available to them, their output has
been phenomenal, and they are revisiting many
classic types such as the Wellington. All of this is
great news, but Trumpeter kits have a reputation
for being a little heavy, a little rushed in design,
and always containing at least one silly detail
mistake, the Matchbox of the 21st century if you
like.
The kit is very finely and crisply moulded, but
in common with every Trumpeter kit I have ever
seen, the gates holding the parts onto the
sprues are very thick and often larger than many
of the small detailed parts. This makes the kit
look cruder than it actually is, and the
impression is backed up by instructions, which
are incomplete and only give random and
inaccurate painting guidance. The decal sheet is
also a little average when compared with what
would be provided in a Revell kit for half the
price.
On the plus side, the Trumpeter kit contains a
wealth of internal detail, far more than can be
seen through the glazing. Virtually the entire
fuselage interior is present, as is the bomb bay.
No stores are provided, which is a pity, but the
potential for a super detailed kit is there. Also on
the plus side in my opinion is the very
pronounced surface detail. The Wellington was
predominantly a fabric covered aircraft, with the
fabric covering a complex geometric steel
framework. This internal structure is represented
in the kit by a level of slightly exaggerated
surface detail on the wings in particular. The
internal structure is indicated by wide raised
lines, and the fabric between by a slightly
sagging indentation. The net eect of these two
features is a very pronounced and curious
surface, which is certainly over scale. Some
reviewers commented adversely on this when
the kit was first issued. Strictly speaking they are
right as the detail is over scale, but I feel the
feature makes the model more distinctive, and
clearly suggests a fabric covered aircraft.
The Wellington was a relatively simple aircraft,
but construction of this model took me far
longer than I had anticipated. Partly this was due
to the amount of internal detail provided.
Virtually every detail in the fuselage, including
the toilet, is provided in the basic kit. Very little
of this can be seen through the glazing of the
completed model, but on the basis that it is
there, it is hard not to build these details in and
paint them accordingly. Unfortunately the first
shortfall of the kit becomes apparent at this
point, in that the painting details provided by
Trumpeter are utterly inadequate.
The interior of British World War II aircraft
tended to be a standard green colour. By virtue
of being a fabric covered bomber, the
Wellington was an exception to this rule, with
some areas being the standard green, some
black, some natural metal and some being brick
red due to the primer undercoat applied to
fabric covered aircraft of this period. Although I
knew that little would probably be seen on the
completed model, I had a go at being faithful to
my sources by initially painting everything flat
black. I then painted in the red areas, which are
everything that was fabric covered, with
Humbrol 133 Satin Brown, and the green areas,
mainly the crew areas, with 78 Cockpit Green. A
heavy dry brushing with Humbrol 11 Silver was
finally used to highlight the interior structure,
which was natural metal on many of the service
aircraft. With the interior painting completed, I
added some seatbelt straps using thin strips of
Tamiya masking tape. This feature is just about
noticeable on the pilots seat, but at least I know
it is there.
With the interior completed I encountered the
main design problems with the kit. Firstly the
front and rear turrets have to be completed, with
guns mounted and all painting done before the
fuselage halves are joined. This approach leaves
the problem of four very delicate machine guns
sticking out of the nose and tail for the rest of
the construction process. I taped them over, but
the model requires a fair amount of filling and
sanding, and a moments loss of concentration
could easily lead to one or more of these pieces
being broken o. The turrets also have to be
taped o to avoid the problem of dust getting
behind the glazing. A slightly dierent design
from Trumpeter would have avoided these
problems.
The second problem involves the bomb bay.
This is well detailed, but the location pins are
vague and it is very easy to assemble this area
incorrectly and create subsequent problems
with the fit of the two fuselage halves. I ended
up omitting several of the components in order
to achieve a reasonable fit, and even then the
bomb bay doors did not fit terribly well. I may
have been ham-fisted, but I suspect that the
design of the kit in this area is poor.
For a modern kit, a surprisingly large amount
of filler was required, especially around the nose
area, the canopy, the bomb bay area and leading
edges of the wings. In cleaning this up, it is
essential that any openings are taped over to
prevent dust from settling on the inside of any
glazing that may have been added. The upper
and lower wing halves are also surprisingly poor
fits, and require some heavy duty clamping to
achieve a good fit. These aspects are more
annoying than critical and are compensated in
part by the excellently designed wing to
fuselage joints, and the project can nevertheless
move quickly to the painting stage.
The decal sheet provided by Trumpeter
provides two options, both of which are in the
standard RAF night time bomber scheme of
Dark Green and Dark Earth with black under
surfaces. As a utilitarian night bomber type, the
Wellington rarely appeared in any other scheme
and any form of nose art was a rarity. Wanting to
do something a little more unique I did some
research and discovered a couple of decal sheets
from Tally Ho and Techmod respectively, which
provided alternative and interesting schemes for
the Mk1C. The Tally Ho sheet provides for a
captured aircraft in German markings with
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
S TA S H I N T H E AT T I C
yellow under surfaces, whereas the Techmod
sheet had an option for an aircraft operated in
North Africa with the standard scheme replaced
with brown and Mid Stone. I was tempted by the
German aircraft, but decided on the desert
scheme as it possibly oered more weathering
opportunities. The nose art was also an added
attraction.
An aerosol of Humbrol 33 Matt Black was used
as the primer/undercoat for the model when the
airframe construction was completed. This
revealed a few spots where more filler was
required. When this was cleaned up, a further
coat of the same shade was applied. Humbrol 27
Matt Dark Earth and 84 Matt Mid Stone were
used for the upper surface colours. The former
was airbrushed on, while the latter was hand
painted. The reason for the dierent approach
was that I was trying to replicate the very well
used and battered appearance many
contemporary photographs of Wellingtons seem
to show.
With the basic colours on, I painted in and
touched up details such as the engines,
undercarriage bays and the tail wheels, and then
applied two coats of Klear in preparation for the
decals. The Techmod decals were excellent and
responded well to both Micro Set and Sol. I then
dry brushed the model with Humbrol 121 Matt
Pale Stone both to emphasise the surface detail
and suggest a fine coating of dust, which would
have covered operational Wellingtons in the
Middle East. A coat of Humbrol Matt varnish
sealed everything in so I could handle the model
safely while I attached a number of details such
as aerials and mass balances to the control
surfaces. These details were then hand painted,
and the final painting task was to dust the model
lightly with an airbrush coating of Humbrol 63
Matt Sand mixed with 103 Matt Cream. This
mixture toned down the main colours, and again
suggested a fine dusty coating. A few paint chips
were finally applied with a gel pen around the
propeller and cowlings to complete the model.
Conclusions
Surprisingly, although I have been modelling
since I was a child, with only a break during and
either side of university, this was the first World
War II bomber project that I have ever
attempted. It was a little bit more involved than I
had originally envisaged, and on a couple of
occasions I put the model aside and completed
other builds. Sometimes when that happens a
model can be put aside permanently, but on this
occasion I persevered and I am glad that I did.
Yes there are faults, and a little bit more care
would have resulted in an improved modelling
experience. Too much filler is needed, the bomb
bay design is poor and the guns were almost
broken several times. The surface detail is also
over done, but on the finished model the eect
does not look out of place. As with the old
Matchbox kits, the exaggerated detail often
works. In the case of the Wellington, it has the
eect of emphasising the fact that the aircraft
was fabric covered, and eectively a generation
earlier than many World War II aircraft.
79
BOOKREVIEWS
French Secret Projects - Post War
Fighters
Author: J C Carbonel
Publisher: Crecy
ISBN: 978 19108 090 06
Format: Hardback, 278 pages
For a country
devastated by
war the French
aviation
industry soon
got back on
their feet,
with many
designs that
were both
innovative
and ground
breaking.
However
some of
this could
be due to
the fact that French
factories worked throughout the war building
aircraft for the Luftwaffe and I am sure that
designers would be planning for the day
when they would be liberated and they could
put into practice the designs they were
secretly working on.
Some of these were a little optimistic to say
the least. One such machine was the Matra R
100. Aircraft that had the power plant buried
in the fuselage driving propellers on the
wings were devised in World War I, although
in this case it was a twin boom design with
the power plants in the booms. These
powered a pusher contra-rotating propeller in
the fuselage. A number of prototypes of this
aircraft were apparently ordered but were
eventually cancelled in 1948. As with other
countries, the French began experimenting
with jet propulsion after the war due to the
availability of German jet engines. However
by the late forties they were experimenting
with modern aircraft designs, first with British
engines and then French designs. What
makes this book a little different is the fact
that a fair number of designs reached
prototype stage and many progressed into
production.
This book is packed with examples of French
ingenuity. Some were a little too innovative to
progress, such as the vertical take-off fighter
that resembled a flying barrel. That said if you
are into French aircraft you will spend hours
delving into the minds of the French
designers and just how they produced the
formidable fighter force we see today.
www,crecy.co.uk
Ernie Lee
Messerschmitt Bf 109E
Author: Robert Peczkowski
Publisher: Mushroom Model Publications
ISBN: 978 83652 812 34
80 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
A look at some of the latest publications
received for review Edited by Ernie Lee
Format: Hardback, 144 pages
This is the
second
expanded and
revised edition
of this book
and starts with
the very first
machines, the
prototypes.
There are
photographs
of the V13,
V14 and V15,
plus 1/72
side views
of all three. This is
followed by colour profiles of V14 and V15.
These, and all the profiles, are printed
vertically, which gives the reader the best
possible size. After a page dealing with the
preproduction E-0 we move to the E-1 and E-
3. This chapter has photographs and manual
drawings. There are also 1/72 three view scale
drawings and nine profiles. The author does
not intend to leave anything out, as there is
even a page detailing the Bf 109E-3a, the
export version.
We take a rest from variants at this stage to
have a few pages discussing bomb racks.
Included in this section is a 1/72 view of an E-
7 with SD-2 bomb container, complete with
bombs. But more about that later on. The rest
of the variants follow and that includes Swiss
built machines and foreign users. Altogether
there are thirty six profiles and there are sixty
five more pages to go.
All the rest of the pages are the in-detail
section. This is a combination of a mixture of
colour shots of preserved aircraft and manual
drawings. As you might gather from the
number of pages, the detail is pretty
extensive. It is certainly enough for the
average modeller. This is where the SD-2
bomb container is illustrated in more detail.
The coverage consists of four photographs
from the technical manual, which shows the
boxlike rack. The illustrations are certainly
explicit enough for the modeller to scratch
build it but unless you are a skilled
watchmaker you could have difficulty, even in
1/24 The antipersonnel bombs are suspended
below the rack. They look about four inches
long and there are at least ninety six of them,
so the best of luck.
Frivolity aside this is an excellent reference for
the modeller. I cannot see where else you
would get such a comprehensive and well-
presented book of this size for anywhere near
the price.
www.mmpbooks.biz
Ernie Lee
Westland Scout & Wasp - Warpaint 110
Authors: Adrian M Balch
Publisher: Guideline Publications
ISBN: 978 09968 754 31
Format: Paperback, 48 pages
This is the first
monograph of
this aircraft I
have come
across. It is a pity
that there
seems to be
only two kits, a
1/72 Scout and
a 1/48 Wasp
available.
However it
has not gone
unnoticed by
the
aftermarket
companies with decals for both scales
being provided for, plus a large number of
conversions etc. But lets not dwell on the
down side as perhaps this monograph will
get the model producers to think again?
As usual with the Warpaint series, we start
with design and development. When it comes
to operational service, this little helicopter has
been around. The author first deals with the
Scout, which has been used extensively by
the British Army among others. However
when it comes to the Wasp, this has also
found customers worldwide. The text is
accompanied by a large number of
photographs, most of which are in colour.
Among these are seven pages of close-up
detail. Some could help with super detailing
of your model, or maybe even put you off,
depending on your modelling skill.
Although there are few kits available you will
not be short of colour schemes. There are
thirty two colour profiles. Of the Scout these
include the British Army, Empire Test Pilots
School, Royal Marines, Bahrain Police,
Jordanian Royal Flight, the Australian Navy,
Uganda Police and a very special one
belonging to the Special Air Service. When it
comes to the Wasp, the Royal Navy was a big
user. There are at least two that served in the
Falklands in 1982, one of these is famous as it
attacked and damaged the submarine Santa
Fe on 25th April. However we must not forget
the export Wasps. The author, courtesy of
Richard Caruana, has also provided profiles of
examples from the Indonesian Navy, South
African Navy and machines used by Brazil, The
Netherlands, New Zealand and Malaysia. Add
to this 1/72 drawings and you have a unique
Monograph.
Now where can I find an old Airfix kit?
www.warpaint-books.com
Ernie Lee
Air Battle for Dunkirk
Author: Norman Franks
Publisher: Grub Street
ISBN: 978 19049 434 33
Format: Paperback, 224 pages
Where is the RAF? was the oft quoted
question asked by soldiers waiting on the
beach at Dunkirk, to where they had retreated
following the German blitzkrieg through
 BOOKREVIEWS

northern France, The Suez Crisis context the meat of the book, which is the
and where they model builds themselves. These, as ever, are
Empires End
were now being beautifully built and photographed and
Airframe Extra No.7
pounded by the provide a good cross-section of types and
Luftwaffe. Author: Steve A. Evans markings from the conflict, including:
The air forces Publisher: Valiant Wings 1/48th Meteor NF Mk 13 (Classic Airframes)
were there, as ISBN: 978 09935 345 77
Format: Paperback, 74 pages 1/48th N.A. P-51D (Hasegawa)
Norman Franks
Another fine 1/48th Republic RF-84F Thunderstreak (Tan
proves, detailing
addition to the Model)
the
outstanding series, this 1/72nd Meteor F Mk 8 (Xtrakits)
achievements time noted 1/72nd Sea Hawk FGA Mk 6 (HobbyBoss)
of the Allied 1/72nd Piper Cub (Kovozvody Prostejov)
pilots who
fought, using 1/72nd Il-28 Beagle (Trumpeter)
outmoded With the usual colour by Richard
tactics, against enemy pilots Caruana and plenty of period
who had earlier had easy victories over the photographs this book is a
Polish, Dutch and Belgian air forces. complete instant guide to the
The RAFs achievement reminds us just how affair, and can be highly
close Britain came to disaster in June 1940. recommended as a basis for
First published in 1983 the story may be an starting what can
old one, but an often overlooked and add up to a very
important part of the RAFs legend. Spanning fascinating
the period 26th May to 3rd June the chapters modeller Steve A. collection of
tell a blow-by-blow chronological account of Evans covers the models. Highly
events, backed up by appendices covering dramatic events of recommended.
relative strength and German fighter claims Autumn 1956 when www.valiant-
covering the period. British, French and Israeli forces wings.co.uk
clashed with Egypt over the Suez
With a new film on the period due this year Canal.
no doubt interest will be stimulated in
another forgotten campaign. Franks book will The book is, as usual, a modellers delight, with
go a long way towards setting the scene and enough history to set the scene but not so
ensuring credit is given where credit is due. much as to take the edge off the appetite. The
author tells the story concisely and provides
www.grubstreet.co.uk us with sufficient background to place in

JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 81

580 M O D E L L E R S

Shropshire Scale Modellers at RAF Museum Cosford, Sunday 2nd April 2017
By Geo Cooper-Smith

T
he Cosford show is undoubtedly one
of the highlights of the year. However,
due to circumstances beyond the
organisers control, in the form of a major
re-organisation of exhibits, this year saw
fewer traders and fewer club displays.
Consequently the show was fully booked
up by early December, which just goes
show the reputation it has and the respect
and reverence it is held in by all. As a result
the 580 were located somewhere dierent.
Having for several years been under the
wing of one of the smallest exhibits, the
Hunting H126 in the Experimental Hall, this
year we were located under perhaps the
largest, the Avro Lincoln B2 in the adjacent
hangar.
And you know what, it was actually
better. Although there was plenty to see
and do we all spent more time at the table,
talking to the punters and each other as
there wasnt too much to get round, which
has previously been something of a
challenge. We also actually looked more at
the exhibits, partly because there were
some new and interesting additions and
partly because some of the exhibits had
been relocated making them more
accessible. And for the first time your
columnist actually noticed and took time
to appreciate the room full of models and
dioramas that connects the two top
hangars. There are some real gems in there,
some scratch built and others beautifully
crafted from parts taken from the sites of
crashed aircraft.
The absence of the competition was a
disappointment, but all were forewarned
of this and actually the organiser, the
rather unassuming Gary Stevens, who has
been most ably running things for the host
club for several years, was refreshingly
forthright, open and honest during both
the lead up and on the day itself. So lets
hope that the show can continue, in
whatever shape or form, so that all can
continue to enjoy for a good while yet.

82 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K

Displaying your Dragon
H
aving heard something of the eort that
goes into a trader attending shows in
order to delight you, the show goer, with
chattels of delight, it is someone elses turn. 580
Modellers have kindly agreed to let us inside
their world and reveal how they go about things.
The following are their own words:
580 Modellers are a relative newcomer in the
world of Model Clubs, having formed in 2008 and
being formally launched at the Huddersfield show
of that year. They became aliated to the IPMS in
2012, this being at the request of the membership
who wanted to secure a place at Scale ModelWorld
every year! The operational model is dierent to
that of most others in that they exist to frequent
model shows (and this is the only time they
actually meet) and they also are neither a virtual
nor an Internet club. Tables are booked for a model
show and then set out in preparation for arrival of
the models, which have been arranged through an
initial email invitation, associated response and
subsequent request. This method of working can
adopt hardcore exhibitors, who tend to present at
every show, and the casuals or occasional who
have tried it once but didnt like it or just frequent
the table when it is local to them. There are no
joining or annual fees and all an exhibitor has to
do is respond to the invitation and bring the
models requested to the show. Only modellers who
display during the course of the year can display at
Scale ModelWorld and it has become something of
a tradition for us to change the display overnight,
sometimes significantly, at this event; this has
often drawn favourable comment from show
goers, who appreciate being given something
dierent to go over on the Sunday. Finally, models
can only be displayed for a maximum of twelve
months (after this they have to be retired) as it is
not considered appropriate for a show goer to see
the same models on the 580 display year after year.
Show attendance is by consensus of the
membership and so at the beginning of every year
a list of known shows is compiled and sent out. This
is actually the origin of the show listing that
appears in the magazine and is now also supplied
to numerous clubs and traders to help them plan
their show going year. From this the 580 Modellers
members decide which shows they would like to
attend. Some shows e.g. Huddersfield, Cosford are
slam dunks, others e.g. Avon, are attended most
years, while the remainder e.g. Scottish Nationals,
are either put to the members after a specific
request from the organisers or simply on a whim.
The aim is usually to attend around twelve to
fifteen shows a year, and although it is not always
possible, to have these reasonably well spaced
apart.
A typical show runs something like this.
Approximately ten days before a show an
invitation is sent out to all members via email with
pertinent information e.g. location, number of
tables booked, and a date and time (usually 2200
hours on the Thursday before the show) to respond
by. This allows sucient time for our Tablemeister,
Mr David Foxall, to determine which oerings he
has room for and the bases required (which are
provided by 580 Modellers as necessary). He
subsequently replies to those who have oered the shows at Bolton, Huddersfield, Crewe, Hinckley,
models and confirms which he would like them to
bring, this usually being completed by sometime
Friday night. On Saturday night all the materials
required for the display are loaded into the car,
along with models, various items for sale etc. and
the SatNav is programmed. There also tends to be
a function of arranging and facilitating car sharing
where possible we are nothing if not green! Then
early Sunday morning its o we go, heading to the
show with pick-ups on the way. The aim is to arrive
at the venue with at least 100 minutes for set-up
and it has actually become a pretty well-oiled
machine with various hands setting up the staging,
laying out the cloths, finding bases and labels, etc
all under the direction of Mr Foxall. And there is
always a Plan B (several in fact) to allow the
covering of various eventualities so that the 580
Modellers display is always the best it can possibly
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05
580 M O D E L L E R S
By Show Dragon
be. This includes the provision of stand-by models
and several other table-filling ruses (ever seen our
display with small models on big bases?) which
means at times we have even been able to help
organisers out by filling an adjacent table or so due
to a no show.
A quick cup of tea and maybe a bacon
sandwich, then its a sit down, or stand to the front
and await the opening of the show, with the first
two hours usually the busiest. Then we all take in
turns (this is usually choreographed to ensure there
is always one or two people in attendance to
answer any questions etc.) to have a wander
around the show, pick-up and bargains, chat with
other clubs, marvel at others creations, etc.
At the end of the show, everyone returns their
models to the safety of the transport containers
and then helps with take down and packing up.
The more (willing and) able members then take the
boxes of material to the car and it is loaded up. A
quick farewell with handshakes of congratulations
and to confirm all had a good time and everyone
sets o home.
To date this year 580 Modellers have attended
Stoke, Cosford and most recently the Scottish
Nationals, which will be the subject of a dedicated
column, hopefully next month. The associated
statistics to date are:
Shows attended: 7
Miles driven: 1,211
Hours driven: 28.5
Hours displayed: 31.5
Set-up hours: 12.7
Take-down hours: 7.3
Exhibitor days: 50
Model days: 220
If there is something you would like to
contribute (we are for instance missing a regular
show goer to gauge the level of their
commitment!) then please get in touch with
Show Dragon via theshowdragon@gmail.com
83
M O S Q U I TO
A Mossie with Style
Kit No: 72289
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Airfix'
Hannants/Squadron
T
he Airfix 1/48 Mosquito has been around
for some time but this most recent version
included three new sprues as well as the
old ones. The new sprues have recessed panel
lines whereas the old ones have raised detail. In
the box you get six sprues of grey and two clear
sprues of plastic, one decal sheet and one
instruction booklet.
The new sprues include fuselage, upper wings
and cockpit parts and are a big improvement on
the original. There are not that many panel lines
on the Mosquito as it was a predominantly
wooden aircraft so the old and new parts mix
fairly well.
The decal sheet contains vmarkings for two
versions and is nicely printed, while the
instructions have colour printed diagrams for
painting and decaling with colour call outs for
Humbrol paints.
Construction
The build begins by assembling the interior.
There are numerous aftermarket parts available
for the Mosquito including replacement cockpits
but I only used the Eduard FE242 Etched set and
Quickboost seats to replace the kit parts. The
rest of the cockpit was built straight from the
box and is pretty good.
84 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
With the cockpit painted, detailed and
installed in one of the fuselage halves, the
camera ports were opened out and the nose
side fuselage glazing installed using a product I
have not encountered before, G-S Hypo Cement,
which dries crystal clear and does not fog the
clear parts. There are two crew figures supplied
with the kit. I very rarely fit figures to my models
as they never look right by the time I have
painted them - they would be the ugliest crew in
the world if it were left to me
The tail wheel was installed and the clear
parts for the cameras glued into place and then
the two fuselage halves joined. The fit is very
good and no filler was needed.
Next stage was to assemble the cockpit
glazing, then mask and fit it to the fuselage
along with the nose glazing.
The bomb bay can be modelled open if
required but as this is a Photo Reconnaissance
version there would only be cameras in the
bomb bay so it was left closed. The main
undercarriage legs were now assembled and
fitted into their respective engine/undercarriage
fairings and set aside to dry.
The wings were now assembled and the
engine fairings fitted. There were some gaps
around the engine to wing parts that required
filling before the wings were fitted to the
fuselage. The wing to fuselage joints are not very
positive and need to be done one a time to
allow the cement to set firmly. Filler was needed
around these joints also, but a Mossie was
emerging.
The tailplanes were now assembled and fitted
to the tail and the underwing fuel tanks put
together. I forgot to open the holes out in the
wing to mark the location of the tanks so fitting
them was a bit of guesswork.
The upper engine cowls did not fit tight
against the upper wing parts and required
filling. After this was done the model was given a
coat of white primer, then the areas where the
D-Day invasion stripes are was sprayed matt
white. 12.5mm wide masking tape was cut and
applied and then matt black was sprayed onto
the stripes. When dry they were masked again
and Xtracrylix XA1008 R.A.F PRU Blue BS636 was
By Andy McCabe
sprayed on.
The decals were now applied, and no
problems were encountered during their
application so a coat of Johnsons Klear was
sprayed on followed when dry by a dark wash
and then a coat of FMR Matt Varnish. This is the
first time I have used this product and it sprays
very nicely. It is a bit thick for the airbrush but
can be thinned with water to suit. It dries quickly
and is as good as any acrylic matt varnish I have
used in the past.
Two colour options are supplied with the kit:
Mosquito PR.XVI, 544 Squadron, RAF Benson,
June 1944. PRU Blue overall.
Mosquito PR.XVI, 644 Squadron, RAF Dum
Dum, India 1945. Aluminium overall.
The masking was now removed and final
assembly began by fitting the wheels, then the
undercarriage bay doors, navigation lights,
props and finally the aerial on the top of the
fuselage. The last part was to fit the aerial wire,
for which I used EZ Line. This stretches up to
700% and is simply superglued into place and
looks much better than anything I have used
before.
Conclusion
This may be an old kit, well half of it, but it is
still a very good product and builds into an
impressive PR Mosquito in 1/48 for not a lot of
money really.
Cockpits are one of the areas that I tend to
spend that much more time and eort on, which
is why I added the Eduard etched set and the
Quickboost Seats. I did contemplate buying the
complete resin/etched set that is designed for
the Tamiya kit but the plastic parts in the kit are
not too bad. The only detail lacking really is the
cockpit side walls so in the end I just opted for
two upgrades. Not that much of the cockpit can
be seen so the extra cost of a complete resin
replacement may not seem worth it to some, but
we still do it anyway
The end result is quite eye-catching,
resplendent in its PRU Blue and D-Day invasion
stripes.!

SCALE
AIRCRAFT
MODELLING
VOLUME: 39 ISSUE: 04
July 2017 Proudly
Celebrating 38 Years!
www.guidelinepublications.co.uk
Published by Guideline Publications
& printed by Regal Litho
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The Legal Bits:
This Magazine is copyrighted material!
Scale Aircraft Modelling (ISSN 0956-1420) is sold through the
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material written or pictorial is copied from editorial or
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publishers. Guideline Publications accepts no liability for the
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understanding that it may not be returned unless postage is
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CO M I N G N E X T M O N T H
Model Show Listing
Next issue Compiled by Geo Cooper-Smith of 580 Modellers
For shows this coming month see the IPMS(UK)
column. If you would like your show promoted in
Planned for the Scale Aircraft Modelling this listing then please contact Geo at
580Modellers@gmail.com or on 07841 417680.
Volume 39 Issue 6: August 2017
Sunday 25th June 2017
Camohawk Ipswich IPMS present a Model Day at the
Willow Suite, Gresham Sports and Social Club,
Fifty Years From 312 Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, Suolk, IP4 3QJ.
Inspiration To Saturday 8th July 2017
Hailsham & District Scale Model Club present
Realisation their 4th Annual Show at the Civic Community
Hall, Vicarage Road, Hailsham,
The Grumman OV-1 East Sussex, BN27 2AX.
Mohawks Venture Into Sunday 9th July 2017
Camouflage North Somerset Modellers Society
(incorporating the North Somerset Branch of
By Des Brennan the IPMS) present their annual show at The
Helicopter Museum, Weston Heliport, Locking
Moor Road, Weston-Super-Mare, North
Somerset, BS24 8PP.
Saturday 15th July 2017
Cranberry Round Up Romsey Modellers present their 2nd Scale
Canberras in close up Model Show at Ampfield Village Hall, Morleys
Lane, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 9BJ.
and in scale Saturday 15th July 2017
By Tim Skeet HaMeX presents smallspace 6, for all things
Science Fiction and Fantasy, at Hanslope
Village Hall, Newport Road, Hanslope,
Buckinghamshire, MK19 7NZ.
Sunday 23rd July 2017
Little Brown Jug
IPMS Birmingham presents their Midland 2017
P-47 Walkaround Last Hurrah Model Expo at Leasowes Sports
Centre, Leasowes High School, Kent Road,
By Steve Muth Halesowen, B62 8PJ.
Saturday 29th July 2017
Figureworld 2017 at Oundle School, New
Street, Oundle, Northamptonshire, PE8 4EE.
Aircraft in Profile Saturday 29th July 2017
Carmarthen Modellers Club present the
Westland Wasp Carmarthen Modellers Exhibition at the Town
Library, King Street, Carmarthen, SA31 1LN.
By Richard Mason Sunday 30th July 2017
With colour artwork IPMS South-East Essex, IPMS Hornchurch, IPMS
Chelmsford and MAFVA Essex Branch present
and scale drawings by the Essex Modellers Show at Hannakins Farm
Mark Rolfe Community Centre, Rosebay Avenue, Billericay,
Essex, CM12 0SY.
Saturday 05th August 2017
IPMS Dundee presents the East of Scotland
Model Show 2017 at the Marryat Hall, Caird
Hall Complex, City Square, Dundee, DD1 3BY.
Jungly
Sunday 6th August 2017
Airfix Sea King HC.4 Boscombe Down Aviation Collection Model
Show at Hangar 1 South, Old Sarum Airfield, Old
By Keith Peckover
Sarum, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 6DZ.
Sunday 13th August 2017
IPMS Avon Plastic Model and Wargaming
Show at Thornbury Leisure Centre, Alveston Hill,
Colour Comundrum Thornbury, South Gloucestershire, BS35 3JB.
Saturday 26th August 2017
Another Malta Story Scale Scotland at the Hilton Edinburgh Airport,
Part One Edinburgh, EH28 8LL.
Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd September 2017
By Paul Lucas Medway Modelling Club presents their Annual
Show at the Royal Engineers Museum, Prince
All this and more plus the latest Arthur Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME4 4UG.
from the Newsdesk, the continuing Sunday 3rd September 2017
IPMS Bridlington and Wolds present the East
eorts of the Harrogate Model Club, Riding of Yorkshire Model Show, REX Pavilion,
and the usual Marketplace round up Drield Showground, Drield, East Yorkshire,
YO25 9DN.
and showcases. Sunday 3rd September 2017
Please note we receive a constant stream of IPMS Chiltern (incorporating Bedford
interesting and informative articles, and in the MAFVA) show at The Weatherley Centre, Eagle
interest of balanced and up to the minute coverage Farm Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire,
content may change at short notice. The above SG18 8JH **NEW SHOW**.
listing is provisional and may be subject to change.
JULY 2017 VOLUME 39 ISSUE 05 85
NEW DECALS Snake on fuselage. Data stencilling for both. 8.50
AC720059 1:72 North-American F-86E 39th FISq. RF-86A Project Ashtray 15th TRSq. 8.50
Authentic Decals AC720060 1:72 North-American F-86E Sabre (2) 112940 FU-940 38th FS, 51st FW
AD4872 1:48 Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback "Final Result" 14.99 Lt Col George I. Ruddell 'Mig Mad Mavis'; 91024 Arizona ANG with yellow
AD7275 1:72 Tupolev Tu-22KD/Tu-22PD/Tu-22RD/Tu-22U Blinder 14.99 Snake on fuselage. Data stencilling for both. 8.50
AD7276 1:72 Digital Fencer-bomber, Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-24M in digital camouflage 14.99
AD7277 1:72 Digital Fencer-reconnaissance, Ukrainian Sukhoi Su-24MR in Model Art
digital camouflage 14.99 MAGEN002 1:72 Re-printed and modified! Dayglo Orange Anti collision stripes for
AD7278 1:72 Soviet Sukhoi Su-24M Syrian war 9.40 Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet, Fouga CM.170 Magister, Dassault Mirage III
and solid colour 5.00
Boa Decals
BOA144104 1:144 Embraer ERJ-190 Ukraine Intl. (Revell) 5.99 Xtradecal
BOA144105 1:144 Embraer ERJ-190 Bulgaria Air (Revell) 5.99 X72268 1:72 McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 (10); XT866/W Phantom
Post-Operational Conversion Unit RN Leuchars 1970s; XT859 725/VL 700P
Caracal Models NAS Intensive Flying Trials Unit RN Yeovilton 1968; 892 Sqn on HMS Ark Royal
selection; XV567 011/R cross decking with USS Saratoga 1969; XT872 005/R
CD32019 1:32 North-American T-28B/D Trojan: Multiple US Navy T-28 options including
1973; XT860 014/R 1976; XV590 001/R Colonial Navy cross decking with
a colorful Bicentennial scheme and two USAF examples. 15.99
USS Saratoga 1978 with final cruise nose flash; XT865 004/R 1978; XT872 004/
CD32020 1:32 North-American SNJ Texan US Navy 13.99
R 1977; XT863 014/R 1977 with FAA Jubilee nose flash; XT864 007/R 1975 with
CD32021 1:32 USMC Bell AH-1W Whiskey Cobra Please note that this sheet is in
final cruise nose flash; 7.99
1/35 scale and intended for the MRC / Academy AH-1W kit. 13.99
CD48066 1:48 Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano turboprop aircraft flown by Brazil's
X72270 1:72 International North-American P-51D Mustang Bubbletops (11); KH727 DJ-V
national aerobatics team, the famed "Smoke Squadron"
93 Sqn Italy 1946; 44-13431 QP-E 'Little Eva' Capt J.Sully Varnell 2 FS, 52 FG
(Esquadrilha da Fumaca) 13.99
USAAF Italy 1944; NZ2419 19 2(Wellington) Sqn RNZAF late 1940s; 9566 VC-FBN
CD48099 1:48 US Navy North-American SNJ Texan Complete markings for four
Experimental and Proving Establishment, RCAF Uplands 1950's; CA-18 Mustang
post-war overall yellow US Navy SNJ-5/6 Texans. 11.99 A68-71 HU-A 78 Sqn RAAF 1946; MM44236 4-28 10 Gruppo/4 Stormo Italy 1952;
CD48117 1:48 F-16C "Dark Vipers" - Part 2 F-16C Block 40/42, Ohio ANG, Oklahoma J-2113 Fliegerstaffel 21 Swiss AF Dubendorf 1951; 335 2(Flying Cheetas)
ANG, South Dakota ANG 13.99 Sqn SAAF Korea 1952; 916 Corps d'Aviation d'Haiti, Haiti 1963; 26031 16
CD48123 1:48 USAF Early Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star. 77th FBS, RAF Wethersfield, Flygvapnet F16 Uppsala, Sweden 1945; No 2 Somalia AF Somalia 1955; 7.99
1954, Air Training Command, Tyndall AFB, 1954, 9th FBS, 1955, 514th FIS,
RAF Manston 1955 13.99 X72273 1:72 North-American B-25C Mitchell Collection (10); 30434/58 83BS, 12BG
CD72060 1:72 F-16C/D Dark Vipers Block 40/50/52 Minnesota ANG, Ohio ANG, "Pink Petunia" USAAF Nth Africa 1942 Sand/Azure Blue; N5-125/C 681 Sqn
Oklahoma ANG, South Carolina ANG, South Dakota ANG 13.99 RAF Burma 1943 Overall Oxford Blue;
CD72064 1:72 Lockheed F-104C Starfighter in Vietnam (10) 13.99 MA/E 681 Sqn RAF Burma 1943 Overall PRU Blue; FT/Jonah 681 Sqn USMC
CD72065 1:72 Lockheed U-2A/C "Dragon Lady" U-2A 56-6701, USAF - Air Force Flight 1943 ANA608 Intermediate Blue/ANA602 Lt Grey; KL154/LV 111OTU RAF
Test Center, USAF; U-2A 56-6715, USAF - 4080th SRW, 1960; U-2A 56-6703, Nassau 1944 Overall silver;
USAF - 4080th SRW, 1958; U-2A "N800X", Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); 41-12566/9B 489BS, 340BG "Legal Eagle" USAAF El Kabrit, Egype 1942 Sand/
U-2A "N803X", Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); U-2A 56-6682, USAF - 4080th Olive Drab/Neutral Grey; 41-12848 5th Anti-Submarine BS, Westover, Mass.
SRW, 1961; U-2F 56-6676, USAF - shot down over Cuba during Cuban Missile 1942 Olive Drab/White; 41-13207/OH-7 445BS, 321BG French Morocco 1943
Crisis (Maj. Rudolf Anderson's airplane); U-2A 56-6681, USAF - 4080th SRW; Sand/Azure Blue; 42-83472/7F 487BS,340BG USAF Tunisia 1943 Sand/Olive
U-2A 56-6722, USAF - "Project Hi-Cat", 1967; U-2C 56-6680, Drab/Neutral Grey; 891/HO-891 418 City of Edmonton Sqn RCAF Edmonton
USAF - 100th SRW, 1976 13.99 1950s Overall Silver/Flourescent Red/Orange trim 7.99

Microscale X72276 1:72 Dornier Do-24T (4), Luftwaffe J9+G Seenotstaffel 7 Mediterranean 1944;
AC480059 1:48 North-American F-86E 39th FISq. RF-86A Project Ashtray 15th TRSq. 8.50 Spain 51-7 Red Cross RLM72/73/65; Sweden Yellow 90 former CM+RY
AC480060 1:48 North-American F-86E Sabre (2) 112940 FU-940 38th FS, 51st FW defected from Seenotstaffel 81, natural metal overall; France Escadrille de
Lt Col George I. Ruddell 'Mig Mad Mavis'; 91024 Arizona ANG with yellow Servitude 30 St Mandrier 1945 overall white; 7.99

NEW KITS BAT72007 1:72 Siemens-Schuckert D.I late version 14.99 aircraft of the 1920s 11.60
KPM7279 1:72 Avia BH-11 Czechoslovak Sports plane of
A Model Aircraft kits (injection) Copper State Models Aircraft kits (injection) the 1920-30s 11.60
AMU72351 1:72 TB-1 & KP-1 parachute version 57.80 CSM1030 1:48 Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8 Mid.production KPM7283 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXE "RAF Service"
version - Premium - 49.99 incudes markings for RK 917, DB, G/Cpt Douglas
Academy Aircraft kits (injection) CSM1031 1:48 Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8 Late production Bader, North Weald 1945; MK 329, 144, J.E.
AC12311 1:48 Mikoyan MiG-21MF "Soviet Air Forces version - Premium 49.99 Johnson June 1944; ML 407, 485, John Houston,
& Export" 23.99 June 1944 12.60
AC12315 1:48 McDonnell F-4B/N VMFA-531 "Gray Ghosts" 44.99 Dragon Aircraft kits (injection)
AC12494 1:72 Bell P-39Q/N Airacobra (WAS AC2174) 6.99 DN4637 1:144 Douglas X-3 Stiletto Back in Stock Limited MARK I Models (2 kits in 1 box) Aircraft kits (injection)
AC12546 1:72 North American F-86F Sabre "Korean War" 15.99 Availability 14.99 MKM14465 1:144 Curtiss P-36 Hawk 'USAAC 13.99
AC12547 1:72 Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet USN VFA-143 MKM14466 1:144 Curtiss H-75/Mohawk III French AF, RAF 13.99
"Pukin' Dogs" 23.99 Eduard Aircraft kits (injection) MKM14467 1:144 Curtiss H-75 French AF, Vichy French AF,
AC12548 1:72 McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee USN VF-41 EDK70126 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI Bubbletop Finnish AF, Luftwaffe 13.99
"Black Aces" 15.99 ProfiPACK 16.20
EDK8207 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-110F ProfiPACK 48.50 Micro-Mir Aircraft kits (injection)
AIM - Rug Rat Resins Aircraft kits (resin) EDK84143 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 MTT Regensburg MM72-011 1:72 Miles M.57 Aerovan 25.99
RR4802002 1:48 Blue Steel missile. 36.00 Weekend edition 19.40
Miniwing-Plastic Aircraft kits (injection)
Airfix Aircraft kits (injection) Great Wall Hobby Aircraft kits (injection) MINI308 1:144 North-American Harvard Mk.II NZAF
AX02017A 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Pr Mk.XIX 9.99 GWHS4805 1:48 Lockheed T-33A "SHOOTING STAR" RoCAF 35.99 (ex Valom with new propeller) 7.99
AX03080A 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-110C/D 12.99 GWHS4806 1:48 McDonnell F-15C "OREGON ANG" MINI310 1:144 Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B EUROHAWK
AX04053A 1:72 Fairey Swordfish Mk.I 18.99 75th Anniversary USAF 56.99 Luftwaffe 8.40
MINI311 1:144 Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B GLOBAL
Arma Hobby Aircraft kits (resin) HPH Models Aircraft kits (resin) HAWK / NATO 2Q/2017 8.40
AH73005 1:72 PZL P.11/I Prototype Pro-set 32.40 HPH32042R 1:32 Aviatik-Berg D.I 139.99 MINI312 1:144 Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B GLOBAL
HAWK NASA 8.40
Anigrand Craftswork Aircraft kits (resin) ICM Aircraft kits (injection)
ANIG2126 1:72 McDonnell YC-15 STOL prototype to form the ICM72294 1:72 Focke-Wulf Fw-189A-1 WWII Axis PJ Productions Aircraft kits (injection)
C-17 Globemaster 139.99 Reconnaissance Plane 18.60 PJ721026 1:72 Dassault Mirage IIIE Injected plastic with
resin and photoetched parts. 32.40
AZ Model Aircraft kits (injection) Italeri Aircraft kits (injection) PJ721027 1:72 Dassault Mirage 5BA/BR Injected plastic
AZM48066 1:48 Re-release! Saab 29E/F Tunnan with decals IT1390 1:72 Caproni CA.311 25.99 with resin and photoetched parts. 32.40
for Swedish Air Force 24.60 IT1395 1:72 Northrop F-5E Tiger II Patrouille Suisse PJ721028 1:72 Dassault Mirage IIIR/5F Injected plastic
AZM7556 1:72 DHC Chipmunk T.10 RAF 12.80 50th Anniversary 15.99 with resin and photoetched parts 32.40
AZM7557 1:72 DHC Chipmunk T.20 Irish Air Corps, 1968, IT2768 1:48 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I 34.99
Royal Danish Air Force, Iraqi Air Force, Egyptian Revell Aircraft kits (injection)
Air Force. 12.80 Karaya Aircraft kits (injection) RV3931 1:48 Mikoyan MiG-25RBT 49.99
AZM7558 1:72 DHC Chipmunk T.30 Royal Canadian Air Force, KY14406 1:144 Douglas DC-9-15 - PH-DNA City of
Lebanese Air Force 12.80 Amsterdam, PH-DNB City of Brussell 16.99 Roden Aircraft kits (injection)
AZM7559 1:72 DHC Chipmunk T.10 with Lycoming engine KY14407 1:144 Douglas DC-9-32 - PH-DNG City of ROD326 1:144 Bristol 175 Britannia African Safari 31.99
Portuguese Air Force, Royal Navy and 2 x UK Rotterdam, PH-DNV City of Warsaw, PH-DNW ROD328 1:144 Vickers VC-10 K4 Type 1170 tanker 31.99
civilian Aircraft. 12.80 City of Moscow 16.99
Sharkit Aircraft kits (resin)
Bat Project Aircraft kits (injection) Kovozavody Prostejov Aircraft kits (injection) SHAR7287 1:72 George Caillette STATODYNE E 17.99
BAT72006 1:72 Siemens-Schuckert D.I early version 14.99 KPM7278 1:72 Avia B-11 Czechoslovak liason and training
Tarangus Aircraft kits (injection) F6F-3/F6F-5 Hellcat Diamond Tread Wheels set 4.99 ED648322 1:48 Matra R-550 Magic 8.40
TAR48007 1:48 Saab SH-37/SF-37 Viggen 64.99 ASQ48068 1:48 Vought F4U-1/F4U-4 Corsair/Grumman ED648325 1:48 M36 cluster bombs 9.70
F6F-3/F6F-5 Hellcat Block Tread Wheels set 4.99 ED672128 1:72 CBU-97 8.40
Trumpeter Aircraft kits (injection) ASQ48069 1:48 Vought F4U-1/F4U-4 Corsair/Grumman ED672152 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI gun bays (Eduard) 9.70
TU01652 1:72 Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback Fighter Bomber 48.99 F6F-3/F6F-5 Hellcat Ribbed Tread Wheels set 4.99 ED672157 1:72 Kawanishi H8K2 Type 2 Flying Boat New
TU01678 1:72 Sukhoi Su-33 Flanker D Includes Flight Deck ASQ48070 1:48 Vought F4U-1/F4U-4 Corsair/Grumman F6F-3/ Tooling guns (Hasegawa) 9.70
& 3 figures 35.99 F6F-5 Hellcat Ribbed/Diamond Tread Wheels set 4.99 ED672158 1:72 Kawanishi H8K2 Type 2 Flying Boat New
ASQ48071 1:48 Vought F4U-1/F4U-4 Corsair/Grumman F6F-3/ Tooling engines (Hasegawa) 35.60
Welsh Models Aircraft kits (resin and vacform) F6F-5 Hellcat Cross Tread Wheels set 4.99 SIN63209 1:32 Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 (Revell) 58.20
WHSL381P 1:144 BAE ATP Manx airlines 29.75 ASQ48072 1:48 Vought F4U-1/F4U-4 Corsair/Grumman F6F-3/ ED648326 1:48 Sukhoi Su-34 wheels (HobbyBoss) 9.70
Aircraft kits (resin) F6F-5 Hellcat Late Ribbed Tread (late '50s) set 4.99
WHMT52R 1:144 Gulfstream C-37A USAF VIP decals 52.30 HAD Model Aircraft detailing sets (resin)
WHMT53R 1:144 Gulfstream G.550 Shafit ELINT version - I Eduard Aircraft detailing sets (etched) HUN148019 1:48 Sukhoi Su-17M3/M4 'Fitter' Mach-cone
sraeli Air Force 54.99 ED32404 1:32 Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II exterior (Kitty Hawk Model) 7.30
WHPJW93R 1:144 HS Andover C Mk.1 RAF Middle East - (Italeri) 21.30 HUN132008 1:32 Mikoyan MiG-15 ejection seat (ID Models and
vacform fuselage, resin major parts and metal ED32405 1:32 Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II wheel Trumpeter) 6.40
undercarriage and propellers 32.20 bays & bomb bays (Italeri) 9.70
WHSL379R 1:144 Vickers Viking 1B decal livery EROS or ED32910 1:32 Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II interior Q-M-T Aircraft detailing sets (resin)
England 41.00 (Italeri) 19.40 QMTR32013 1:32 F.O.D. Version II. With DECALS F-4E/F-4F/F-4G
WHSL380R 1:144 de Havilland Heron 1B resin kit, with Sabena ED33168 1:32 Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II (Italeri) 9.70 /RF-4C/RF-4E Phantom (Revell) 12.60
decals 31.00 ED33169 1:32 Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II seatbelts QMTR32014 1:32 F.O.D. Version II. Without decals. F-4E/F-4F/
WHSL383R 1:144 Casa 212 - TW Express & Pan-Am Express - STEEL (Italeri) 5.20 F-4G/RF-4C/RF-4E Phantom (Revell) 8.40
resin kit with metal U/C & propellers 35.99 ED48926 1:48 Sukhoi Su-25UB/UBK exterior (Eduard, KP/ QMTR48005 1:48 F.O.D. F-15I Eagle IAF RED (Academy, Eduard,
Kopro, OEZ and SMER) 19.40 Great Wall Hobby GWHL4816, Italeri and Revell) 9.80
Wingnut Wings Aircraft kits (injection) ED49833 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-110F Nachtjager (Eduard) 22.60 QMTR48006 1:48 F.O.D. guards for F-15 Eagle USAF RED
WNW32001 1:32 Junkers J.1 118.99 ED49834 1:48 Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite (Academy, Eduard, Great Wall Hobby, Italeri and
WNW32006 1:32 Pfalz D.IIIa 78.99 (Kitty Hawk Model) 21.30 Revell). 11.60
WNW32023 1:32 Rumpler C.IV early version. 128.99 ED49835 1:48 Sukhoi Su-25UB/UBK interior (Eduard, KP/ Aircraft paint masks (self adhesive)
WNW32067 1:32 Fokker D.VII (Fok) "Early" 99.99 Kopro, OEZ and SMER) 22.60 QMTM32001 1:32 Standard canopy mask for F-4E/F-4F/F-4G
ED72654 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-31B/BM (Trumpeter) 12.99 (Revell) 8.99
Wingsy kits Aircraft kits (injection) ED73595 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-31B/BM (Trumpeter) 17.60 QMTM32002 1:32 Profi canopy mask double-sided F-4E/F-4F/
D5-02 1:48 Mitsubishi A5M4 "Claude" Type 96 carrier- ED73596 1:72 Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu T.100 Heavy Bomber F-4G (Revell) 14.60
based fighter IV 39.99 type II Helen (Hasegawa) 19.40 QMTM32003 1:32 Standard canopy mask for RF-4C/RF-4E
EDFE834 1:48 Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite (Revell) 9.99
Zvezda Aircraft kits (injection) (Kitty Hawk Model) 14.99 QMTM32004 1:32 Profi Mask double-sided for RF-4C/RF-4E
ZVE7011 1:144 Ilyushin IL-76 29.99 EDFE835 1:48 Sukhoi Su-25UB/UBK (Eduard, KP/Kopro, OEZ a (Revell) 15.50
nd SMER) 14.99 QMTM32005 1:32 F-4 Exhaust nozzles masks for F-4E/F-4F/F-4G/
NEW ACCESSORIES EDFE836 1:48 Sukhoi Su-25UB/UBK seatbelts STEEL RF-4C/RF-4E (Tamiya and Revell) 6.99
(Eduard, KP/Kopro, OEZ and SMER) 6.50 QMTM72004 1:72 Standard Canopy Paint Mask for F-4C/F-4D/
Aerobonus (by Aires) Diorama accessories (resin) EDFE837 1:48 Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite seatbelts F-4J Phantom (Italeri) 5.20
QAB320094 1:32 USAF F-2A Flightline maintenance shop trailer 25.40 STEEL (Kitty Hawk Model) 6.50 Aircraft wheels (resin)
EDFE838 1:48 Luftwaffe rudder pedals 3.99 QMTR32009 1:32 Weighted Wheels LATE for F-4J Phantom
AIM - Ground Equipment Diorama accessories EDFE839 1:48 Seatbelts France WWII STEEL 5.20 (Tamiya) 13.80
GE48029 1:48 Convair B-58 Hustler Crew Access Steps EDFE840 1:48 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXC/Mk.IXE seatbelts QMTR32010 1:32 Not Weighted Wheels LATE for F-4J Phantom
(Monogram and Revell) 53.10 STEEL (Eduard) 5.20 (Tamiya) 13.80
EDSS595 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-31B/BM (Trumpeter) 12.99 QMTR32011 1:32 Not Weighted Wheels EARLY for
Aires Aircraft detailing sets (resin) EDSS596 1:72 Nakajima Ki-49 Donryu T.100 Heavy Bomber F-4J Phantom (Tamiya) 13.80
AIRE2213 1:32 North-American T-28B Trojan air brake type II Helen (Hasegawa) 12.99
(designed to be 7.80 EDSS597 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXC/Mk.IXE seatbelts Quickboost (by Aires) Aircraft detailing sets (resin)
AIRE4715 1:48 Grumman F-14A Tomcat cockpit set (Tamiya) 24.30 STEEL (Eduard) 5.20 QB48764 1:48 Gloster Javelin FAW.9/FAW.9R antennas
AIRE4718 1:48 Lockheed P-38J Lightning control surfaces EDSS598 1:72 Luftwaffe rudder pedals 3.99 (Airfix) 3.50
(Academy and Eduard) 3.40 EDSS599 1:72 Seatbelts France WWII STEEL 5.20 QB48765 1:48 Gloster Javelin FAW.9/FAW.9R control
AIRE4719 1:48 Polikarpov I-153 Chaika control surfaces (ICM) 6.60 Aircraft paint masks (self adhesive) lever (Airfix) 3.50
AIRE4720 1:48 Cessna A-37B Dragonfly cockpit set (Encore EDCX484 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-31B/BM (Trumpeter) 7.20 QB48767 1:48 IAI Kfir C2/C7 antennas (Avant Garde) 3.50
and Monogram) 15.99 EDCX485 1:72 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress antiglare panels QB48768 1:48 IAI Kfir C2/C7 air scoops (Avant Garde) 3.50
AIRE7350 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe control surfaces (VE production) (Airfix) 8.40 QB48769 1:48 IAI Kfir C2/C7 pitot tube (Avant Garde) 3.50
(late) (Eduard) 3.40 EDEX548 1:48 Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Hien (Tamiya) 7.20 QB48772 1:48 Boulton-Paul Defiant Mk.I pitot tubes &
AIRE4710 1:48 McDonnell F-15B/F-15C/F-15D/F-15I Eagle EDEX549 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109F-2 (Eduard) 6.50 antennas (Airfix) 3.50
exhaust nozzles (Great Wall Hobby) 12.99 EDEX550 1:48 Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback (Hobby Boss) 7.20 QB48773 1:48 Boulton-Paul Defiant Mk.I undercarriage
AIRE4717 1:48 Gloster Gladiator wheels & paint masks EDEX551 1:48 Sukhoi Su-17M3/M4 (Kitty Hawk Model) 8.40 covers (Airfix) 4.80
(Eduard and Roden) 6.60 EDEX552 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 (Zvezda) 7.20 QB32188 1:32 North-American T-28B Trojan propeller
EDEX553 1:48 Sukhoi Su-25UB/UBK (Eduard, KP/Kopro, OEZ "A" (Kitty Hawk Model)) 4.80
Attack Squadron Aircraft conversions (resin) and SMER) 8.40 QB48771 1:48 Grumman FM-2 Wildcat engine (HobbyBoss) 4.80
ASQ72119 1:72 TS-11 R Novax conversion 2.50 EDEX554 1:48 Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite QB32189 1:32 North-American T-28B Trojan exhaust
ASQ72128 1:72 McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Night Attack nose (Kitty Hawk Model) 8.40 (Kitty Hawk Model kits 3.50
(Hasegawa) 3.99 EDEX555 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-110F (Eduard) 8.40 QB48766 1:48 Curtiss P-40B Warhawk exhaust (Airfix) 3.50
Aircraft detailing sets (resin) QB48775 1:48 Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Hien (Tony)
ASQ48073 1:48 Lockheed-Martin tailcone with drag chute Eduard Brassin Aircraft detailing sets (resin) exhaust (Tamiya) 2.70
(Tamiya) 6.99 ED632104 1:32 AIM-4G 10.99 QB48770 1:48 Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star gun
ASQ48067 1:48 Vought F4U-1/F4U-4 Corsair/Grumman ED648312 1:48 Grumman F-14A Tomcat cockpit (Tamiya) 28.99 barrels (HobbyBoss) 3.50

Academy AC12548 AZ Models AZM7556 Copper State Models Great Wall Hobbies Mark 1 MKM14466 Micro-Mir MM72-011 PJ Productions Roden ROD3281
1:72 McDonnell F2H-3 1:72 DHC Chipmunk CSM1031 1:48 Arm- GWHS4806 1:144 Curtiss H-75/Mo- Micro-Mir 1:72 Miles PJ721028 1:144 Vickers VC-10 K4
Banshee VF-41 T.10 RAF strong-Whitworth F.K.8 1:48 McDonnell F-15C hawk III M.57 Aerovan 25.99 1:72 Dassault Mirage Type 1170 tanker
15.99 12.80 Late 49.99 "OREGON ANG 56.99 13.99 IIIR/5F 32.40 31.99

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