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Model Airplane International. The Granary, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, England

VOL.17 ISS.199 FEBRUARY 2022

VOLUME 17. ISSUE 199. FEBRUARY 2022 Editorial:
Editor: Brett Green
Publisher: Alan Harman
Administration: Gordon Angus
Advertising Manager: Alan Harman
REGULARS P.18 TORA TORA TORA! alan@doolittlemedia.com
Eduard’s 1:48 A6M2 Zero by Brett Green
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P66 - FINAL THOUGHTS…
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E-mail: alan@doolittlemedia.com
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P.12 IN PRINT by Mark Casiglia London, EC1A 9PT.
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Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3

This month’s round-up of all that’s new in the world of aircraft modelling...
BULLSEYE MODEL AVIATION
https://spruebrothers.com
Bullseye Model Aviation presents details of
BULLSEYE their next 1:48 scale release covering the
F-14A Tomcat.
1:48 FLEET The decals have been designed for the new
F-14 Late Tamiya kit.
TOMCATS #1 These will be exclusively available in the
USA from Sprue Brothers and elsewhere
internationally from The 48ers:
Fleet Tomcats Pt. I - Item No. 48-022
48-022 covers F-14As from Operation
Desert Storm. Markings are designed for the
new Tamiya “Late A” kit.
OVF-32 has 2 jets, their COs jet just
postwar in “show” colors. During the war it
was overpainted in water based paint which
was removed shortly after hostilities ended
and the “show” colors were restored. Gypsy
210 was a standard TPS scheme.
O F-33 C et. Mar ed as own by F-33s
CO CDR Dale “Snort” Snodgrass.
OVF-14 CAG jet
OVF-1 CAG jet.
Available very soon from Sprue Brothers in
the US and The 48ers overseas.
https://spruebrothers.com
https://the48ers.com/
Information and images provided by
Bullseye Model Aviation

BITSKRIEG
http://quickwheelstore.com/bitskrieg.html

BITZKRIEG 1:48 BF 109 A-E EXHAUSTS AND 1:32 BF 109 E SEATS

Bitskrieg has sent Preview information and images
for two new replacement exhaust stacks for the 1:48
scale Messerschmitts Bf 109 E kits from Wingsy and
Eduard.
These are available now from the Bitskrieg web
store at USD$6.25 each set.
Bitskrieg has also scaled up its resin
Messerschmitt Bf 109 A-E seats to 1:32 scale for the
Dragon it, but I am sure they would fit the Eduard
and even Hasegawa and Matchbox kits if you have a
couple of those older boxes in your stash.
Here is what Bitskrieg has to say about their new
seats:
“As always we try to deliver most faithful replicas
and base our designs on legitimate reference
materials, in this case we have used the original
documentation from the era and cross-checked it
with research pictures and measurements of a plane
captured in Spain made in CAGI (USSR).
Based on these materials we have prepared the
seat in three variants: one without attached seatbelts,
one with attached seatbelts and one with attached
seatbelts and an additional special cushion often
used by shorter pilots.”
Thanks to Bitskrieg for the information and images
www.quickwheelstore.com/bitskrieg.html

VENTURA PUBLICATIONS
https://venturapublications.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

PACIFIC CORSAIRS REVISED ED.

entura Publications has released a revised edition of their Pacific
Corsair” book.
It has a number of photos swapped out for new ones and perhaps
more important to modellers, the ma ority of colour profiles have been
tweaked based on better information or changing opinions.
Also, the artwork images here show the original and revised to
illustrate the ind of profile twea s that have been made.
The book is available to purchase online from Ventura Publications
www.venturapublications.com

4 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

IN MEMORIUM
It’s always sad to write obituaries, sadder still to have to write two - one professional, one personal
- but the passing of two extraordinary men deserves not just a commemoration but a celebration
MIKE MCEVOY was a name long known
to readers of Scale Aircraft Modelling
through his reviews and his popular
Tailpiece column. Mike was an ex-RAF
Hunter “driver” - callsign Monkey 113 -
whose career was cut short by the stroke
of a pen in a Defence White Paper review.
Though the decision would have clearly
rankled him and robbed him of his dream
ob - ying - Mi e did what Mi e always
seemed to do and face adversity with
the click of a tongue and carry on with
unbridled enthusiasm on to next challenge.
Mike was a prodigious modeller and long
time IPMS (UK) member whose initial
engagement with a edgling new model
magazine from Alan W Hall - Scale Aircraft
Modelling, in 1979 - was as IPMS liaison,
before he was given the opportunity
to write his now famous Tailpiece
column which ran for over decades and
encapsulated Mike the man and his
enthusiasm for the hobby. Those formative
years with Alan at the helm, Mike Keep
doing all the illustrations, Ian Huntley’s
research columns and Mike’s Tailpiece
were peak SAM, a core team that were
true pioneers.
Mike also turned his hand to reviews
and often his prose liked throw in a few
curved balls, but he always had a knack
of imparting crucial information. His review
of the 1/72 Fujimi British Phantom in 1987
had a profound effect on me, his opening
lines about “By all means read the rest of
this review; but if you’re short of time, go
out now and buy as many if these kits as
you can justify to your bank manager…”
were to come to fruition when I started
my first ob and splashed out the di ying
sum of £7.99 on that same kit in Bristol’s
Beatties shop. Similarly, I can remember
his disappointment at the Matchbox
1/72 Tornado F3 that same year and his
pragmatism at weighing up the mediocrity
of that kit with the fact that it was the only
game in town.
Other memorable reviews included the
Matchbox 1/72 Meteors where Mike built a
uartet, commenting on the need for filler
and much sanding, but taking in his stride
because he wanted to build eets of the
aircraft and use up the Modeldecal sheets
6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022
he d been hoarding. Similarly, Airfi s
1/72 Buccaneer S.2 from 1989 which
Mike acknowledged was a little basic and
behind the times, but he still tackled it with
a positivity. Mike wasn’t doing it to sell kits
or keep advertisers happy and by his own
volition he admitted he was never going
to win any competitions with his models,
but that wasn’t why he made them. His
reason was simple and very pure - sheer
enjoyment. His output was prodigious and
his love of the hobby infectious.
His Tailpiece columns were always a
joyous insight into Mike’s psyche and
usually the first stop when a new copy
of SAM hit the newsagents There are
so many memorable stories he told that
you could literally fill up a boo with
‘The Best of Tailpiece’ and then some.
I remember well his story of his ill-fated
1/48 Monogram F-101 Voodoo that he’d
ta en to the Ber hampstead offices to be
photographed and, upon placing the box
on the roof afterwards to root for his car
eys, the model decided to ta e ight in
a gust of wind only to fall foul of gravity.
Mike’s subsequent column about his
mental bloc of fi ing bro en models was
both insightful and entertaining. Certainly
Mi e s writing were - are - a huge in uence
on me and often when I sit in front of the
MacBook looking for inspiration, I’ll wonder
“what would Mike write about?”
Mi e s first love, the aw er unter
- his Hunter F4, XF317 - was never far
from his thoughts and his joy at being
reunited with it in Chile where it had ended
up serving as an FR.Mk.71A after being
demobbed from the RAF, was a pure joy.
The bond between pilot and aircraft was
almost paternal. XF317 is now preserved
at the Museo Nacional Aeronautico y Del
Espacio.
Mike passed away at the age of 85
over the weekend of December 3rd 2021.
The outpouring of affection and sense of
loss was telling. If there’s one overriding
description of Mike and his standing in the
hobby, it was this - he was was everyone’s
favourite modelling uncle.
Photo credit: Mike McEvoy © Rob Monfea
HECTOR HAMER was a family friend who I
came to know via his late son Sam, a fellow
pupil of mine at secondary school. Sam and
I were into writing comedy sketches, making
Super 8 sci-fi films and - naturally - model
making, a skill he’d picked up from his
father.
Hec was ex-Merchant Navy and his love
of the sea was evident by the fact that in the
1960s he bought a plot of land on the coast
and, over the course of a number of years,
built his own house while he and his young
wife Judy lived in a caravan. 50 years later
they still lived there, watching the shipping
coming in and out of the Bristol Channel. For
over 30 years I had a weekly appointment
with them, devouring tea and biscuits in front
of the fire in winter or sitting on the veranda
summer and listening to his stories of
seeing the world as a young mariner. At
the turn of the millennium he introduced
me to the Frome Model Centre where we’d
make the pilgrimage several times a year.
In 2009, short of his 80th birthday, he was
diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and
it looked like our adventures were over.
But he beat cancer - not once but several
times - and far from there being more days
behind us than ahead, we managed another
decade of trips to his favourite town and
shop, including one year of setting off in a
perfectly clear autumn day in my old 1994
Mini Cooper, and returning hours later
through snow drifts having had to pick our
way across the Mendips in the dark blizzard
conditions! A trip to Frome with Mr H was
always a pleasure and every minute was
treasured given how at one stage cancer
had threatened to end them.
He was also a massive tractor enthusiast
and collected kids and models of them, his
amazement at me being able to summon up
an item he’d been looking for on my iPhone
and order it in seconds was always fun. He
also spent decades restoring a vintage Muir-
Hill 3 dumper back to working condition, of
which I later made as model for him. Sadly
the 2020 Covid lockdown cut short one
last adventure - to the Newport Transporter
Bridge for his 90th birthday - and while I
was able to ma e eeting visits, including
delivering his birthday models of a Heller
1/24 Fergusson tractor and a 1/35 MiniArt
Lanz Bulldog - we were never able to enjoy
the same social hours in front of the fire that
we used to. Hec passed away peacefully
over the weekend of Nov 6th 2021 aged
91, his family lost a husband and father and
grandfather, I lost a mentor and a friend.
 TRANSFER LIST
AIR-GRAPHIC MODELS
www.air-graphics.co.uk
THUNDER OVER PAX RIVER - US NAVAL TEST PILOT SCHOOL PART 1. 1:72 SCALE ITEM NO. AIR72-016
Test and trials aircraft have always held a certain
attraction amongst modellers. Witness some of
the larger companies like Revell and Hasegawa
and more recently Sword, who have all produced
some weird and wonderful planes.
Their appearance and schemes are usually
eye-catching and add a colourful selection to a
collection.
This sheet, like the one recently reviewed on
British Military Test Aircraft, allows modellers to
put some interesting schemes on more familiar
US Naval aircraft.
The single decal sheet is beautifully printed
in gloss finish with perfect register, great colour
density and very little carrier film. Best of all, in
my humble opinion, they are on blue paper so
that the white bits its don’t disappear against
the background and so test my ageing eyesight!
Thanks Air Graphics!
8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022
The instructions are in a full-colour eight-
page A5 booklet with four views of each subject
and a few colour images, although I must say
some of these are a wee bit small (but I think
that producing these to a greater size would
make the instructions too expensive). Each
scheme has clear colour and decal placement
drawings and notes and indicate which decals
are to come from the donor kit. Again a list of
suitable kits is mentioned.
The aircraft covered are:
ONorthrop T-38C Talon 158198/10 of USNTPS
Patuxent Naval Air Station, 2018 in overall white
with red stripes on fuselage and wings, for the
Sword, Hasegawa or Pioneer/PM kits,
OF/A-18F Super Hornet 16554-1/00, ditto,
2014 in Dark Ghost Gray over Light Ghost Gray
with red fuselage stripe for the Academy or
Written by Alan Firbank.
Hasegawa kits,
OEurocopter H-72A Lakota, 166247/72 ditto in
2016 in same scheme as the Talon above for the
Heller or Revell kits,
ODHC-2/U-6A Beaver 151091/34, ditto 2016
again in the same scheme as the Talon with
black undercarriage, for the AIrfix or Hobbycraft
kits, and
ODHC-3/NU-1B Otter ditto in 2017 in the same
scheme, for the Hobbycraft kit , although that is
not mentioned on the sheet.
All-in-all an interesting set of schemes and
aircraft that will appeal to the naval aircraft
modeller looking for something a bit different
and colourful.
The sheet also mentions a few accessories
made by Air-Graphics that will enhance these
models.
Included is a very useful colour cross
reference card that lists all the colours used
on these aircraft and the model paint company
numbers for each. Manufacturers covered are
Humbrol, Xtracolour, Hataka, Model Master,
Gunze Sangyo, Tamiya and Lifecolor. Hataka
and Xtracolour produce all of them, with only
Humbrol coming close.
I would recommend this sheet to the
modeller who wishes to add these types of
aircraft to his or her collection.
Recommended
Graham Carter
Thanks to Air-Graphic Models for the sample
www.air-graphics.uk
AIR FORCES OF THE WORLD PART 5 - UPDATE SET
1:72 SCALE ITEM NO. AIR72-017
This three-sheet set allows modellers to produce replicas of ten modern aeroplanes from
a diversity of Air Forces across the planet.
The three sheets that make up this set are beautifully produced in gloss finish with
perfect register, great colour density and very little carrier film, except for the second
sheet of tail fin markings for the Turkish AF Phantom which has a single overall film -
curious!
Best of all, in my humble opinion, they are on blue paper so that the white bits, and
there are a few, don’t disappear against the background and so test my ageing eyesight.
Thanks Air Graphics!
Some schemes will require a few layer of decals to achieve the finished item. For
example the Aeronavale Rafale’s starboard tail marking is made up of four layers of decal!
I would be inclined to spray the white undercoat rather than use the decal provided.
The instructions are in a full-colour sixteen-page A5 booklet with four views of each
subject and a few colour images, although I must say some of these are a wee bit
small (but I think that producing these to a greater size would make the instructions too
expensive).
Each scheme has clear colour and decal placement drawings and notes and indicate
which decals are to come from the donor kit. A list of suitable kits is mentioned, along
with a list of suitable accessories produced by Air Graphics themselves.

The aircraft covered are:

ONHIndustries NH90NFH ‘N233’, 860 Sqn, Netherlands Naval Aviation Service, 2018 in
overall FS26640 Light Grey - the circular badge is unmarked on the second sheet and will
need careful cutting to as it is completely covered in film, for the Revell kit,
ONHIndustries NH90NFH Caiman, ‘4’ of Force maritime de l’aéronautique navale, France,
2019 in light Compass Grey with Dark Compass Grey patches, for the Revell kit,
OEurcopter AS565 Panther ,’505’ of Force maritime de l’aéronautique navale, France ,
2016 also in light Compass Grey with Dark Compass Grey patches, for the Dream Models
kit + conversion,
ODassault Rafale M ’37’ of French Aeronavale , France, 2019, in overall Dark Gull Grey
with dark blue port tail and an amazing ‘100ans’ logo on the starboard side, for the Revell,
Hobbyboss or Italeri kit,
OMcDonnell Douglas F-4 2020 T Terminator, 70296, of the Turkish AF in 2018 in Gunship
Grey uppers with Light Compass Grey under, wing tips, and nose forward of the engine
inlets, with a complex ’60 years’ decal on the tail, for the Fujimi, Hasegawa or ECSI kit,
OMcDonnell Douglas F/A-18D Hornet M45-01 of 18 Sqn, Malaysian AF, 2017 in overall
Ocean Grey with black sections on tail, fuel tank and spine for the Academy, Fuji or
Hasegawa kit,
OGeneral Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon ‘40317’ Royal Thai AF in 2016, in Gunship
Grey over Light Compass Grey with a black tail embellished with a snazzy cobra
decoration for the Revell, Hasegawa, Academy or Italeri kit with a few Air Graphics
accessories,
OPilatus PC-21, A54-045 of 4 Sqn., RAAF, 2020 in overall Light Compass Grey, for the 3D
Blitz kit with some corrections from Air-Graphics and HPM,
OWestland Seaking Mk.43B ‘073’ Royal Norwegian AF , Norway, 2014, in overall white
with Gloss Fluorescent Red-Orange fuselage stripes and patches on nose and tail, for the
Airfix or Revell kit with suitable accessories, and
OKaman SH-2G(I) Seasprite, NZ3603 of 6 Sqn, Royal NZAF in 2019, in overall Light Grey
with a mass of low-vis stencils, for the Airfix or ClearProp Models kit.

All-in-all an interesting set of schemes and aircraft that will appeal to the aircraft
modeller looking for something a bit different and some are colourful. The sheet also
mentions a few accessories made by Air Graphics that will enhance these models.
Included is a very useful colour cross reference card that lists all the colours used on
these aircraft and the model paint company numbers for each. Manufacturers covered are
Humbrol, Xtracolour, Hataka, Modelmaster, Gunze Sangyo, Tamiya and Lifecolor. Humbrol,
Gunze Sangyo , ModelMaster and Xtracolour produce nearly all of them.
I would recommend this sheet to the modeller who wishes to add these types of
aircraft and air forces to his or her collection.

Recommended
Graham Carter

Thanks to Air-Graphic Models for the sample www.air-graphics.uk

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 9

 TRANSFER LIST
RED ROO MODELS
www.redroomodels.com
MILNE BAY TRIO P-40E KITTYHAWKS, 75 SQUADRON RAAF MILNE BAY 1942
1:72 SCALE ITEM NO. RRD7240
The actions of 75 and 76 squadrons in defending
Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia against the
Japanese sweeping south was the stuff of legends and
this sheet allows the modeller to produce some of the
well-documented aircraft from 75 Sqn.
Milne Bay and the operations of both 75 and 76
squadrons in harassing the enemy was crucial in the
slowing and later withdrawal of Japanese forces.
This small (100x50mm) sheet of quality high gloss
decals covers three ex-USAAF P40E Kittyhawks that
were received by the RAAF between May and July 1942.
The decals have been screen printed and each decal
is printed with its individual carrier film (i.e., there is no
continuous carrier film over the entire sheet).
The eight A4 page booklet gives the background to
the Milne Bay operations, individual aircraft histories
and detailed colour and marking information, especially
variations that apply to each one as they changed
through time. These aircraft were painted in US
approximations of Australian colours.. Each aircraft is
covered in great detail with period photos, camouflage
10 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022
TESTING TIMES - BRITISH MILITARY TEST AIRCRAFT PART 1
1:72 SCALE ITEM NO. AIR72-018
Test and trials aircraft have always held a certain
attraction amongst modellers, witness some of the
early Revell and Airfix kits such as the SR53, P1127,
Stiletto and Rotodyne, and more recently companies
like Maintrack and Mach2 have produced kits of
some weird and wonderful planes. Their appearance
and schemes are usually eye-catching and add a
colourful selection to a collection. This sheet, and
others in the series, allows modellers to put some
interesting schemes on more familiar aircraft.
The two sheets that make up this set are
beautifully produced in gloss finish with perfect
register, great colour density and very little carrier
film.
Best of all, in my humble opinion, they are on
blue paper so that the white bits its don’t disappear
against the background and so test my ageing
eyesight! Thanks Air Graphics!
The instructions are in a full-colour twelve-page
A5 booklet with four views of each subject and a
few colour images, although I must say some of
these are a wee bit small ( but I think that producing
these to a greater size would make the instructions
too expensive).
Each scheme has clear colour and decal
placement drawings and notes and indicate which
decals are to come from the donor kit.
Air-Graphic Models Item No. AIR72-018 - British
Military Test Aircraft Part 1 by Graham Carter: Image
Again a list of suitable kits is mentioned,
although some of these may be hard to find these
days. The aircraft covered are:
ODH104 Devon C.1. VP975 from the Royal Aircraft
Establishment (RAE), Farnborough, 1964 in white
and silver with lower fuselage and upper wings in
Oxford blue for the A-Model kit,
OWestland Whirlwind HAR.5 XJ445 , RAE as above
in 1968 in red over cream colours, for the Airfix or
Italeri kits,
colours and marking diagrams and notes, all drawings
are in full colour.
The three aircraft are:
OA29-99/P - ‘Cleopatra’ - in two different marking
options,
OA29-133/S - ‘Polly’ - in three different markings
variations, and
OA29-136/N - ‘Stardust’ - again with three marking
variations.
This is a well-researched and presented sheet as we
have come to expect from this Aussie company and it will
allow modellers of RAAF aircraft to produce an accurate
75 Sqn Kittyhawk.
Recommended
Graham Carter
Thanks to Red Roo Models for the sample
www.redroomodels.com
OAvro Anson T.21 VS562 of Aerospace & Armament
Experimental Establishment (AAEE), Boscome Down,
1962 with white roof, silver overall and red fuselage
stripe and dayglo and patches over the wings and
tail, for the Aeroclub kit,
OHarvard IIb, KF183 AAEE as above in 1968, in
overall yellow for AIrfix, Heller or Eduard kits,
OBeagle Basset XS743 of ETPS, Boscombe
Down in 1990, in white, Light Aircraft grey and red
scheme, for the AIrfix kit,
OGloster Javelin FAW.9 XH897 of Fighter Test
Squadron AAEE in 1970 in that great red and white
scheme for the Airfix or ancient FROG/Novo kit,
OHawker Siddeley HS125 XW930 of RAE, Bedford,
1982 in Light Aircraft Grey, white and red with blue
cheat line for a modified AIrfix kit, and
OFolland/HS Gnat T.1 XP505 of RAE, Bedford in
1982 in Red, White and Oxford Blue colours and
great long yellow and black striped probes sticking
out of nose and both wing-tips, for the modified
Airfix kit.
The sheet mentions a number of available or
proposed additions/conversions from Air-Graphics
that will enable the aircraft to be produced.
As mentioned in the earlier reviews, a very useful
colour cross reference card that lists all the colours
used on these aircraft and the model paint company
numbers for each.
I am a huge fan of this type of aircraft and look
forward to adding to my collection - I’ve already
pulled out my Aeroclub T.21, AIrfix Basset and Gnat
kits to contemplate their starts!! If this is also your
‘thing’, then this is a highly recommended sheet.
Recommended
Graham Carter
Thanks to Air-Graphic Models for the sample
www.air-graphics.uk
IN PRINT
Squadrons No. 49
The Supermarine Spitfire Mk I
The Beggining (sic), The Auxiliary Squadrons
www.raf-in-combat.com
■ By Phil H. Listemann
■ Illustrations by Gaetan Marie
■ ISBN: 979-1096490-82-0
T
his is a 52-page case-bound A4
‘bookazine’ with a glossy card cover
and is the latest in this long series of
editions covering specific s uadrons
using a variety of Allied fighters and
light bombers during WWII. It contains 47
pages of information on semi-matte paper and
5 more that are either blank or advertise other
volumes. What shame that the editors did not
pick up the glaring spelling mistake on the
cover and title page!! Surely a spell-checker
would have picked up “beggining”…
This volume covers the RAF’s Auxiliary
s uadron use of this aeroplane, from the start
of the war until June 1940 when most were
replaced with Mark IIs. The volume starts
with a brief outline of the prototype and early
development of the Spitfire and includes a
12 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022
SAMPLES FOR REVIEW
Please send all items for review to the following address: Model Airplane
International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX,
United Kingdom. Companies in the European Union should also add our VAT
number, which is GB 789 7020 84
couple of familiar photos and glossary of terms.
The s uadrons covered are 6 , 6 3, 6 9,
6 , 6 and 6 6. The main part of the volume
is concerned with these s uadrons, and each
is treated with a variable coverage looking at
a their actions, bases, and personnel. Each
is accompanied by tables of battle claims,
and aircraft losses due to action or accidents,
interspersed with useful photos of aircraft
and personnel . Photos are all in B , of a
reasonable size and come from public and
private sources. Captions and back-stories are
interesting. Quality is a little variable depending through a couple of camou age and mar ing
upon the originals, but are interesting in that changes, especially the undersides and these
they often show casual scenes around the are shown in the profiles and in one page loo
planes. There follows an ‘In Memoriam’ table at the underside variations.
of details of the pilots who lost their lives while
ying with these s uadrons. Recommended
The volume then concludes with seven Graham Carter
e cellent colour profiles of representative
aircraft from the s uadrons by Gaetan Marie of Thanks to Phil Listemann for the review sample
BravoBravo Aviation. These early Spitfires went www.raf-in-combat.com

Schiffer Military, Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Legends of Warfare Series
A-6 Intruder (7 September – 8 September 1940)
www.schifferbooks.com
■ By David F. Brown
■ ISBN: 978-0-7643-6276-7
T
he Grumman A-6 Intruder played
a key role as the Navy and Marine
Corps’ Night and All-Weather Attack
aircraft serving from 1963 until its
retirement on 28 February 1997 when
A- 5, the first and last Intruder s uadron,
was retired at NAS Oceana, VA, completing 38
years of service.
The Intruder, a veteran of the Vietnam to the
Gulf Wars, was a victim of changing US Navy
re uirements, advancing technologies and the
need to reduce the different aircraft assets within
a carrier air wing (CVW). Its history is remarkable
in its daring missions behind enemy lines, often
as a single ship, to attack key military targets.
The Intruder’s chapter in Naval Aviation History
is now closed, but the Intruder story is well
captured in author David F. Brown’s new book
from Schiffer Books, Legends of Warfare series.
The book covers the origin of the A-6 from
the initial Department of Defense D D re uest
for a new carrier based night, all weather attack
aircraft as a replacement for the US Navy’s
aging piston engine AD Skyraider. Author Brown
follows with the resulting YA2F-1 prototype, its
development program and is well-illustrated with
images of the prototype Intruders. He continues
through the life of the A-6 with each subse uent
chapter dedicated to the next model change
and upgrade that evolved during its nearly
four decades long history, ending with the last
model, the A-6F, of which only 5 were built. That
program was canceled before production could
begin in favor of the proposed A-12 program, it
too being cancelled.
Following the many model changes of the A-6,
Brown adds a nicely detailed section featuring
each Intruder s uadron beginning with ATC
at NAS Patuxent River and continuing with all
the attac s uadrons. Each s uadron is well
illustrated with color images during various time
periods.
Chapter 9, Combat Operations, naturally
begins with the Vietnam War, when VA-75
Sunday Punchers was the first Intruders to
begin combat operations from the deck of the
USS Independence (CVA-62) off the coast of
‘Europe’s Number One Model Shops’
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Fiat CR.42CN, WWII Italian Night Fighter
ICM ICM32037 1:32 .....................£41.80
de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth with WWII RAF cadets
South Vietnam during the summer of 1965.
Brown covers the deployment of additional
Intruder s uadrons as they entered the war and
integrates period s uadron patches among the
many images illustrating this chapter. Brown
continues with the Gulf Wars, highlighting the
numerous operations that followed, and is
ICM ICM32044 1:32 .....................£47.80
well-illustrated with images of Intruders that Gloster J-8 Gladiator, WWII Swedish Fighter
participated in these combat operations some
showing the missions marks applied to the
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back to World War 2. These being an indication
not only of the number of missions own, but
also as a reminder to the dangers the air crew
experienced in the prolonged combat One
forgets how important the Intruder was and the
many combat operations that it participated in
during its long and distinguished career.
I think the reader will enjoy this as a historical
reference enhanced by the high uality
images and recommend it for both the aviation
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a welcome addition to your library.
ICM ICM32060 1:32 .....................£52.60
Recommended Bell AH-1G Cobra (early production
Donald Linn
ICM ICM72178 1:72 £25.80
Thanks to Schiffer for the sample Mikoyan MiG-25PU, Soviet 2 seat Training
Aircraft
ICM ICMDS4802 1:48 £25.80
WWII RAF Airfield Diorama (Spitfire Mk.IX,
Spitfire Mk.VII, RAF Pilots and Ground
Personnel (7 figures)
H.G.Hannant Ltd,
Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ, England.
Open from 09.00 to 17.30 Monday to Saturday.
Phone: 00 44 (0)1502 517444 (8 lines) 0845 130 72 48 local rate
from UK phones only (NOT mobiles)
Fax: 00 44 (0)1502 500521 E-Mail: sales@hannants.co.uk
FULL-SIZED REFERENCE – A6M2 ZERO TYPE 21 CLOSE-UP

A6M2 ZERO
TYPE 21 CLOSE-UP
BRETT GREEN GETS UP CLOSE TO THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL’S A6M2 ZERO TYPE 21

he Australian War Memorial holds e used this machine while serving with the fficer arren Cowan, Pilot fficer David

T a rare and significant A6M ero

Type

Hall.
as part of its collection
on public view in the Main Aircraft

This aircraft was own by the fourth

ran ing apanese air ace, Saburo Sa ai.
Rabaul-based Tainan Flying Group (Tainan
Ko utai in une- uly 94 .
It was probably while ying this aircraft
over Buna, ew Guinea, on uly 94
that Sa ai shot down an RAAF Loc heed
udson M IIIA A 6 own by Pilot
Taylor, Sergeant Russell Polac and
Sergeant Lauri Sheard. A 6 was
spotted over Buna by nine Mitsubishi A6M
eroes of the Tainan Kaigun Ko utai, led
by Sa ai. Rather than attempt to evade the
eroes, the udson made a very sharp

14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1

1: The Australian War Memorial’s A6M2 Zero Type 21 is suspended from the ceiling in the dimly lit Aircraft Hall. 2: A good view of the propeller assembly and the engine cowling. 3: A front on view of the
Zero’s intakes – one located on the bottom of the engine cowling and one just aft on the centreline of the fuselage. 4: The assembly sequence of the AWM’s Zero landing gear covers is incorrect. The
lower cover, the one for the wheel, should overlap the upper cover. This is why those horizontal stripes are on the upper cover. They act as gauges for the amount of squat when the plane is sitting on the
ground. Clearly this won’t work as shown (thanks to John Ferguson for this information). 5: The smooth rear fuselage.

Issue 199 -www.modelairplaneinternational.com 15

FULL-SIZED REFERENCE – A6M2 ZERO TYPE 21 CLOSE-UP
)8//6,=(
 

6: Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero Type 21 takes off from the aircraft carrier Akagi bound for Pearl Harbor. 7: A view of the starboard cockpit console of an A6M2 that crashed into Building 52 at Fort Kamehameha
during the attack on Pearl Harbor, killing the pilot.

turn, and came straight at the Zeros with all
guns blazing. For the next 10 minutes Cowan
and his crew fought a turning dogfight, one
against nine. Years later Sakai recollected
that “I saw the gunner throw his hands up and
collapse. Without the interfering stream of
bullets from the turret, I closed in to 20 yards
and held the gun trigger down, aiming for the
right wing. Seconds later, ames streamed
out and spread to the left wing.” The aircraft
caught fire and crashed in ungle near the
coastal village of Popogo. Many years after the
Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero wreck abandoned at Munda Airfield, Central Solomons, 1943. Although it is a later variant, the sun-bleached IJN Grey Green is of interest.
war's end, Sakai asked Australian researchers
to help him identify the then unknown
Australian pilot and crew.
In 1997, Sakai wrote to the Australian
government, recommending that Cowan
be "posthumously awarded your country's
highest military decoration". The suggestion
was re ected on the grounds that all such
recommendations had been closed at the
war's end.
At an as-yet unknown date, the aircraft was
damaged, and abandoned on the airfield at
Gasmata Island. In 1976 it was shipped to
Australia and subsequently acquired by the
Australian War Memorial. It was restored
on behalf of the Memorial by the apprentice
school at RAAF Forest ill, agga over a five
year period and returned to the AWM in 1986.
Its first public display was at the Bicentennial
Airshow at RAAF Richmond, New South
Wales (NSW), in 1988.
Descriptive text courtesy of Australian War
Memorial https://www.awm.gov.au ■
KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY BRETT GREEN

TORA TORA
P A R T O N E - IN B O X A N D AS S E M BLY
Brett Green gets his hands on an
early example of Eduard’s brand new
’s
A6M2 Zero Type 21. Is this Eduard
best kit yet? Read on…

18 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:
Eduard 1:48 Tora Tora Tora! Limited Edition Dual Combo.
Kit No. 11155

TOOLS AND MODELLING

PRODUCTS USED:

A TORA!
O Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
O Revell Contacta Cement
O Gator’s Grip Acrylic Glue
O Selley’s Super Glue
O Tamiya Surfacer
O Zip Kicker (super glue accelerator)
O Tamiya Masking Tape (Yellow Kabuki tape)
O Tamiya White 2mm Masking Tape for Curves
O Iwata HP C Plus airbrush

T
he Mitsubishi A6M “Zero” was a
long-range carrier-based fighter
aircraft manufactured by Mitsubishi
Aircraft Company, a part of
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and
operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from
1940 to 1945. The A6M was designated as
the Mitsubishi avy Type carrier fighter, or
the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen. The A6M was
usually referred to by its pilots as the Reisen,
“0” being the last digit of the imperial year
2600 (1940) when it entered service with the
Imperial avy. The official Allied reporting
name was “Zeke”, although the name “Zero”
(from Type 0) was used colloquially by the
Allies as well.
The Zero is considered to have been the
most capable carrier-based fighter in the world
when it was introduced early in World War II,
combining excellent manoeuvrability and very
long range. The Imperial Japanese Navy Air
Service (IJNAS) also frequently used it as a
land-based fighter.
At the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor,
5 eros were active in the Pacific, 3 8 in
first-line units.
The carrier-borne Model 21 was the
type encountered by the Americans. Its
PAINTS AND FINISHING
PRODUCTS USED:
O Tamiya (acrylic): X-18 Semi-Gloss Black; X-23 Clear
Blue; X-25 Clear Green; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-2 Flat White;
XF-64 Red Brown; XF-76 Grey Green (IJN); XF-88 Dark
Yellow (2).
O Tamiya Spray Can –Grey Primer; AS-12 Bare Metal
Silver.
O Gunze Mr Hobby Aqueous Hobby Colour: H81 Khaki;
O Gunze Mr Colour lacquers: 57 Metallic Blue-Green; 71
Midnight Blue.
O Gunze Mr Metal Colour: 217 Gold.
O AK Interactive Xtreme Metal: AK479 Aluminium.
O Mr Hobby Mr Color Leveling Thinner 400.
O Vallejo Model Color (acrylic): 70865 Oily Steel; 919
Foundation White; 70953 Flat Yellow; 70957 Flat Red.
O Vallejo Panzer Aces (acrylic): 301 Light Rust; 337
Highlight Ger. (Black)
O Winsor & Newton Galeria Flat Varnish
O Prismacolor Silver Pencil
O Tamiya Weathering Pastels Sets A and B
O Future Floor Polish

Thanks to Eduard for the sample.

Eduard kits are available online from their website
www.eduard.com

“It is always a treat to

welcome a brand new
tooling from Eduard, and
they have been running
in overdrive lately
with an eclectic mix of
esoteric and well-known
subjects.”

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 19

KIT BUILD

Eduard’s Dual Combo Limited Edition debut Zero boxing

contains two full kits.

Surface textures are superb.

I didn’t have the metallic blue-green shade in a single bottle so I started with a silver base coat followed by two coats
of Tamiya X-23 Clear Blue.

tremendous range of over 2,600 kilometres
(1,600 mi) allowed it to range farther from its
carrier than expected, appearing over distant
battlefronts and giving Allied commanders the
impression that there were several times as
An assembly jig is supplied for the seven-piece engine
cowling. many Zeros as actually existed.
In early combat operations, the Zero gained
a reputation as a dogfighter, achieving an
outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by mid-
1942 a combination of new tactics and the
introduction of better equipment enabled Allied
pilots to engage the Zero on generally equal
terms.
By 1943, the Zero was less effective against
newer Allied fighters due to design limitations.
The cowling sides.
It lacked hydraulic boosting for its ailerons
and rudder, rendering it e tremely difficult to
manoeuvre at high speeds.
By 944, with Allied fighters approaching the
A6M levels of manoeuvrability and consistently
e ceeding its firepower, armour, and speed,
the A6M had largely become outdated as a
fighter aircraft. owever, as design delays
and production difficulties hampered the
introduction of newer Japanese aircraft
models, the Zero continued to serve in a front-
line role until the end of the war in the Pacific.
During the final phases, it was also adapted
for use in kamikaze operations. Japan
produced more Zeros than any other model of
combat aircraft during the war.*
In the Box
It is always a treat to welcome a brand new
tooling from Eduard, and they have been
running in overdrive lately with an eclectic
mix of esoteric and well-known subjects. Did
anybody ever think that we would see a world-

I thought that the

The centreline fuel tank features raised rivets and weld blue should be
beads. tinted with Tamiya
Clear parts XF-25 Clear Green.
include quite I was pretty happy
a few parts with the result.
r
marked not fo
g
use, suggestin
more variants
on the way in
the future.

The colour ph
oto-etched fre
dresses up th t
e already very
cockpit with a nic
layered instru e Twelve marking
panel, switch ment
pa
consoles, harn nels, radio, options are offered,
ess straps an all for Pearl Harbor
much more. d
raiders.
 1:48
Sprue attachments extend beyond the mating surfaces on the fuselage and wings. A pair of sprue cutters was used to
remove the majority of the waste plastic. The small amount of ragged plastic was cleaned up with a new hobby blade.

class 1:48
scale Czech
Z-226MS
Trenér
and a 1:72
scale Zlin Z-37
Cmelak (Czech:
“Bumblebee”) crop
duster released alongside
Tempests, Foc e- ulf Fw 9 s, Spifires and
Bf 109s? Who knows - we may see a Fairey
Fruitbat yet!
Eduard continued this ambitious release
programme with another all-new kit in the
twilight of 2021 - a 1:48 scale A6M2 Zero Type
. This is the first in a family of Eduard eros. Cockpit sidewall fittings removed from the sprue and tidied up.
Eduard has launched this family with a
Note that the raised detail has
Limited Edition, Dual Combo been removed from some of the
boxes. This will be replaced by
colour photo-etched panels.

Eduard offers folded colour photo- The kit’s plastic perforated seat is
etched parts for the quadrants but I impressive.
preferred the look of the kit’s plastic
parts. The photo-etched chain for the
trim wheel was used though.

boxing that supplies two

complete kits in the one box.
Eduard’s Tora Tora Tora!
boxing contains two full
new-tool 1:48 scale A6M2
Zero Type 21 kits, which
are each made up from Cockpit floor and
associated parts.
141 parts in medium grey
coloured plastic, 23 parts in clear,
a colour photo-etched fret and a self-adhesive
die-cut mask. 32 of the grey parts and ten of
the clear are marked not for use, so the actual
parts count is quite modest.
Instructions with a four page illustrated
history section plus decals for 12 aircraft that Assembly of the cockpit
participated in the Pearl Harbor attack are also sub-assemblies is
underway.
included.

Plastic cockpit sidewall

structure and side
console. Once again, I
chose to retain the raised
detail on the console and
the levers.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 21

KIT BUILD
Surface texture is everything we have come
to expect from Eduard - just gorgeous. There
are very fine and crisply recessed panel lines,
rivets and fasteners. There are also rows of
subtly raised rivets on the drop tan , plus
raised fabric rib stitching and wing panels. I attempted to match
These really add to the effect and the closer the colour of the photo-
you loo , the better it gets I can t see any etched panels with my
cockpit paint. I used a
moulding imperfections in my it. mix of Gunze Mr Hobby
Assembly starts in the coc pit. Some Aqueous Hobby Colour
structural detail is moulded onto the inside H81 Khaki and Tamiya
of the fuselage sides, and the front office acrylic XF-88 Dark
Yellow (2).
is enhanced with Eduard s e cellent colour
photo-etched parts. Separate parts are
supplied for the fuse bo , throttle uadrant,
radios, side console, bul heads and more.
These are built up in layers on the inside of the
fuselage halves.
The instrument panel may be finished with
either the supplied colour photo-etched parts
or decals. If you prefer, you could paint the
plastic parts yourself too the choice is
yours. The khaki cockpit parts were dry-
The one-piece seat is moulded with brushed with a paler mix.
full perforations and it loo s uite
acceptably thin. If you want thinner
still, Eduard is offering a 3D printed
seat as an aftermar et option.
Colour photo-etched harness The engine is made up from
straps are also included. ust seven parts including the
The cowl machine guns rear mount but detail is very
are also built into the crisp and fine. It should loo very
front of the coc pit. nice after careful painting and
The overall effect weathering.
should loo very Eduard supplies a cylindrical
busy when ig to help align the cowling parts
this is all during assembly. The cowl is made
in place. up from two sides, a top part with the
gun troughs moulded in place and
a separate inta e duct for the
bottom of the cowling. The ig
is a great idea. It offers the
best of both worlds nice
deep detail free from
sin mar s plus perfect
alignment if the ig is
used correctly.
The wings are
conventionally
Cockpit sidewalls
received the same presented as a full-
treatment. span lower section and
separate upper halves.
The wheel wells are built
up from five separate parts
that are glued to the inside of
the lower wing halves. ne of these
parts acts as a nice rigid wing spar. Additional
detail parts are also included for the wheel
wells.
Ailerons, elevators and rudder are all
separate parts. Flaps are moulded shut.
ing tip navigation lights are supplied as
clear parts.
A shading wash mixed from
The canopy parts are clear, thin and free
water, Future floor polish and
a small squeeze od Vallejo from distortion. The canopy may be posed
dark brown acrylic paint was open or closed one of the very few options
brushed onto the cockpit sub- in this it. Alternative parts are offered for open
assemblies.
or closed sliding section.

22 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

The rear bulkhead was also painted in
the transparent blue-green colour.
1:48

I masked off the

glossy lenses of
the instrument
panel and applied
a coat of flat
varnish to the rest
of the painted
parts.

The result is a highly detailed sidewall. My

studio lights accentuate the difference
between the photo-etched parts and
the painted cockpit. It doesn’t look that
Here, details have different in more natural light.
been picked out with
a fine brush.

Nice detail on
the multi-layered
The seat is instrument
mounted on two panel.
fine frames.

Starboard
sidewall
detail.

Self-adhesive die-cut masks are provided

for the canopy and the main wheel hubs.
Markings are provided for 12 aircraft,
all from either the first or second wave
attacks on Pearl Harbor.
Although I usually prefer to glue sidewalls The instructions offer four view
directly to the inside of the fuselage, this time
colour illustrations for all 12
I actually followed the instructions and glued
them to the cockpit floor. options, plus individual histories
for each subject.
The decal sheet is printed
by Eduard. Stencils are also
included on two separate
smaller sheets.
The floor and the
rear bulkhead
assemblies come
Construction
together. I built my Zero straight from the
box, right down to the kit decals.
There really is nothing much to
report. I mostly followed the order
of the instructions and I did not
encounter any problems at all.
I spent around half the construction
time working in the cockpit, but that that
effort was richly rewarded by the resulting
high level of detail.
The only small deviation I made from the
instructions was when I decided to use some
of the plastic cockpit parts instead of the
equivalent photo-etched parts.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 23

KIT BUILD Fit of both
sidewalls is
excellent.

The instrument panel

is trapped between
the front arms of the
sidewalls.

Almost the pilot’s

eye view.

The cowl
guns and front
firewall have
been fitted
here.

The ceiling for the

tail wheel well and
the arrestor hook are
designed to be trapped
between the fuselage
halves.

“Eduard has launched

this family with a Limited
Edition, Dual Combo boxing
that includes two complete
kits in the one box.”

24 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 Tamiya tape and a small plastic
clamp was used to hold the parts in
place as the glue set.
1:48
The cockpit tub may
be inserted through the
opening in the bottom of
the fuselage.

Plenty of that lovely

detail will remain on
display under the open
canopy.

Rudder in place. The fit

of the fuselage halves
is excellent.

The main wheel

wells are simply
broken down but
nicely detailed.

paint shelves so I used a mix of Gunze Mr

The wheel well and walls glued into place.
Probably the most challenging aspect of
the build was matching the colour of the photo-
etched cockpit parts with my paints. Eduard’s
instructions suggest Gunze Mr Colour C55
Khaki and C530 IDF Grey 3 in a 50/50 mix.
I didn’t have either of those colours on my
This is how the five main wheel well pieces should align.
Hobby Aqueous Hobby Colour H81 Khaki and
Tamiya acrylic XF-88 Dark Yellow (2). The two
paints were mixed by eye until I was happy
with the result. My studio lights accentuate the
difference in colours between the photo-etched
parts and the painted cockpit but it looks better
in real life.
Fit of the model was excellent overall. No
more than a couple of smears of putty were
needed. The nastiest issue on the entire model
was one narrow gap underneath the port side
horizontal tailplane, and the only reason that
was there was because I did not completely
clean up some excess plastic on the mating
surfaces. My fault entirely.

Ailerons are separate parts.

My transparent blue-green layers were used here too.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 25

KIT BUILD
The wing and fuselage were brought together. Tamiya
tape was spanned from wingtip to wingtip to help the
flawless join at the wing root.

Horizontal tail plane parts were numbered in pencil to

avoid confusion during assembly.

Errata
Zero-fancier Ronnie Olsthoorn saw my
finished ero online offered some constructive
criticism. ere is what he said
The wheel doors and wells were the same
amber grey colour as the e terior, not aota e
Also, you appear to have used the pointy
a a ima spinner instead of the blunt
Mitsubishi one.
The ero s paint was glossy, by
the way. It would get matt over
time, though, but more so for
land-based units that stored
their eros in the open air.

The engine is made up from

only six parts. The cylinders
have received a wash of water,
Future floor polish and a few
drops of black paint.

Here are the seven main

engine cowl parts with the two
exhaust stubs. The assembly
jig is the cylindrical part at the
top of the photo.

26 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:48
The cowl parts are assembled around
the jig. Take care not to glue the cowl
parts to the jig!

Cowl finished! This is an

easy and very effective way
for the sometimes tricky job
of aligning cowl parts.

I like that the hinomaru are a different

red, but they should’ve been brighter, not
paler. These markings were the brightest red
available and even after 80 years relics show a
bright red colour.
PS. The aileron mass balances were
painted black, to indicate they were made of
steel.”
I checked and found that Eduard’s
instructions did direct for the wheel well doors
to be painted the camou age colour inside and
out, and that the gear legs should be painted
black so I have nobody but myself (and my
unseemly haste to finish to blame The model will remain in these
sub-assemblies until painting
is complete.

The completed engine.

You may wish to add an
ignition harness from fine
wire but I decided that I
could live without it. You
won’t see much through
the close cowl anyway.

Test fitting the engine, cowl and the painted

silver propeller assembly.
KIT BUILD
Intermission
Eduard’s 1:48 scale A6M2 Zero Type 21 is a
very impressive kit. In my opinion, the cockpit
is Eduard’s best to date, while surface textures
and fit match the lofty heights of Eduard s
other recent releases.
Some prior experience will be helpful due to
the kit’s photo-etch and some tiny plastic parts.
With the airframe now complete, I am
loo ing forward to painting my ero. ■

The muzzles of the cowl guns are masked with small slices of Here is the worst fit issue on the entire model - one tiny gap
Tamiya tape. underneath the port side horizontal tailplane because I did not
completely clean up some excess plastic. My fault really.

NEXT TIME
Next time Brett will describe
and weathering of his Eduard
painting
1:48 scale
A6M2 Zero Type 21.
 1:48

Next time I will describe painting and weathering of my

Eduard 1:48 scale A6M2 Zero Type 21.

Issue 199
144 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 29

MARINES JUMP JET
KINETIC MODEL KITS 1:48 AV-8A HARRIER USMC. KIT NO. K48072
THE EDITOR TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST IN KINETIC’S 1:48 SCALE HARRIER FAMILY – THE US MARINES AV-8A
The Harrier GR.1 was
exported to the United
States in the 1970s as
the AV-8A for use by
the US Marine Corps
(USMC).
The Marine Corps
accepted its first A -8A
on January 6, 1971 at
the Dunsfold Aerodrome,
The jet nozzles are movable after assembly. England and began
testing it as NAS Pax
River on January 26. The
AV-8A entered service with
the Marine Corps in 1971,
replacing other aircraft
in the Marines’ attack
squadrons.
Marines AV-8A/C Harriers
suffered many accidents, with around 40
aircraft lost and some 30 pilots killed during
the 1970s and 1980s.
Kinetic released their excellent 1/48 scale
Nice surface textures throughout. Sea Harrier FA2 in September 2014, followed
by an equally good Sea Harrier FRS.1 in
October 2015 then a two-seat trainer in 2017
and finally a arrier GR. 3 late last year.
Kinetic has now followed up with the logical
next step - the AV-8A Harrier USMC.
Kinetic’s 1/48 scale AV-8A Harrier USMC
comprises around 352 parts in light grey
plastic, 18 parts in clear and a photo-etched
fret. Markings for six aircraft are included.
The new parts, also in common for last
year’s GR.1/3, are moulded onto a revised
sprue. This includes the new fuselage halves,
The impressive upper wing part. alternative noses and more.
The fuselage is presented as two main
halves plus a separate alternative nose
cones. The it also includes the tall fin, the
R R fin and the original fin.
The wing boasts fine and sharp recessed
panel lines, and a nice smooth surface. The
old wing is included too, so make sure you
use the right one!
In common with Kinetic’s earlier Harriers,
surface detail looks very nice, with recessed
panel lines, vents and rivets over the
airframe.
The canopy features the detonation chord moulded Moulding quality is high with minimal
in place. ejector pin circles, seam lines or sink marks.
There is only a little fine ash to clean up
here and there.
Some of the moulding is really clever
too, notably the one-piece nozzles. All
four nozzles are connected by a rotating
mechanism.
The cockpit detail is nice straight from the
A modest photo-etched Six marking options box, with raised detail on the side consoles
fret is included. are included on the and instrument panels; and excellent
Cartograf-printed decal moulding on the sides of the ejector seat.
sheet. Photo-etched harness straps are also
included.
1:48
The canopy is split into windscreen and
opening section.
The latter features the prominent
detonation chords moulded into the top.
The stressed metal effect on the nozzle
blast shields looks great.
Optional parts are provided for open or
closed auxiliary blow in doors; open or closed
air bra es and the control surfaces and aps
are all offered as separate parts, allowing
them to be posed to taste. Landing gear
doors may be fi ed open or closed too.
The photo-etched fret provides additional
detail parts including scale thickness wing
fences, slime lights and harness straps.
Of the 350-odd grey plastic parts, 140 are
dedicated to ordnance.
You’ll have plenty of additional weapons to
add the spares box!
Decals are designed by Crossdelta and
luxuriously printed by Cartograf.
Finishes are all in the green and grey
disruptive camou age scheme with four
having hi-vis and two wearing low-vis stars
and bars. Two of the subjects also have
colourful rudder markings.
I also like that alternative national marking
decals are supplied for the open blow-in
doors.
Colour callouts are offered for AMMO Mig,
Vallejo, Gunze-Sangyo acrylic, Tamiya and
Humbrol paints.
This is another really nice Harrier from
Kinetic, and easily the best AV-8A out there
now.
Kinetic’s Harriers are well detailed, offer
many useful options and alternative position
parts, and provide a wealth of ordnance.
Engineering appears straightforward and it
should not be a difficult build.
At only USD$43.99, I think it is a bargain
too!
Thanks to Lucky Model for the sample
www.luckymodel.com
Time Takes It's Toll by Dennis Lee Gerber

The effects of
Wind and Rain on
Vintage Aircraft
"Time Takes It's Toll" is not just another Aviation
photo book. Most books show shiny refurbished
examples housed in indoor museums. This
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that have been parked outside for years out in
the elements exposed to the hot sun, wind and
rain. They take on a character and beautiful
patina that is stunningly amazing in all their
faded glory. This book also features some one
off examples of aircraft that are the last ones
is in existence. It includes propeller and jet
engine aircraft and some vintage helicopters.
Aircraft enthusiasts and modellers alike will
enjoy "Time Takes It's Toll", a very unique book
with some truly amazing photographs along
with descriptions of each aircraft.

358 pages and thousands of amazing photos

Purchase at pocketmags: Just

https://pocketmags.com/modellers-reference-library-magazine £13.99

Your purchase can be read on any of the following platforms Requires: iPad and iPhone devices running iOS 10.0 or above, Android should be:
Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) or above , Kindle Fire (Gen 3) or above, Windows 8 tablets,
Windows 8.1 Phones, and PC and Macs with a html5 compatible browser.
KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY RAFE MORRISSEY

Wildcat Da
Rafe Morrissey builds and Improves the Tamiya 1:48 F4F-4 Wildcat

32 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022


A
awn
s dawn broke on August 7,
1942, deck crew from the U.S.S.
Saratoga prepared James “Pug”
Southerland’s F4F-4 Wildcat
for the first sortie in support
of the invasion of Guadalcanal. Little did
Southerland now that he would score the first
aerial victory of the campaign, shooting down
a Japanese Betty bomber, only to battle four
Zeros to a draw with inoperative guns before
falling victim to famed Japanese ace, Saburo
Sakai. Southerland successfully parachuted
from his aircraft and the wreckage of his
Wildcat can still be found on Guadalcanal to
this day.
Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 33
1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE
SPECIFICATION:
Tamiya 1:48 Grumman Wildcat. Kit No. 61034
After watching the Timeline special on the
search for the wreck of Southerland’s aircraft,
I was hooked and decided I had to build
it. I was fortunate to find a set of mar ings
on an old Aeromaster sheet on Etsy. As
it happened, the Washington, D.C. IPMS
chapter ic ed off its first-ever group build on
Zoom and selected the 1:48 Tamiya F4F-4
as the subject. It was a perfect opportunity.
The group gathered on Sunday evenings
to build together online and exchange tips
and techniques. The following are some
of the learnings of those sessions that can,
hopefully, help you with your own Wildcat or
any WWII U.S. Navy aircraft project.
KIT BUILD
BEGINNINGS

The plan was to build the Tamiya Wildcat using the Eduard
photo-etch detail set. Most of this set is devoted to the cockpit.
By and large the cockpit detail is well done and there is only
one ejector pin mark that needs to be eliminated. The biggest
improvement is a photo-etch seat to replace the weakest kit
part which is oddly shaped and too small.
The Eduard seat comprises two parts. The majority of the
seat is easily folded from a large part after the seat pan is
curved over an appropriately sized cylinder and secured with
superglue. A metal seat provides an opportunity to have real
metal chipping by applying a liquid mask with a sponge before
painting. After dry brushing and washes, the final effect is very
realistic.
Another challenge with the kit is the fact that no detail is
provided for the fuel tank located between the lower cockpit
windows permitting light to show through them. To eliminate
this a baffle from thick sheet plastic can be created. I used a
riveting tool to add some detail, even though it will not likely be
seen but it was good practice. A Future wash of Tamiya XF-1
Flat Black and XF-64 created a weathered patina.

The added Eduard detail takes Tamiya’s good basic cockpit detail to the next level. The harness straps are simple but effective.

34 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:48
CREATIVE FIXES
Another challenge of the kit is the large open landing
gear bay. While Tamiya provides a good level of detail,
some elements are omitted including the oil tank at the
top of the area which leaves a view of the fuselage seam
for the inquisitive contest judge.

Another missing detail is that Tamiya only includes one of the I couldn’t find plastic that was thick enough to work with but
intercoolers. Apparently, one was missing on the real Wildcat thin enough to replicate the radiator grill a hundred percent but
they used for reference and were faithful in reproducing what decided that since you can’t see both at the same time, close
they saw. I am surprised that Quickboost has not provided would be better than nothing.
a replacement in their line. The only option I could find was
included in an expensive Aires set. I decided to revert to scratch
building a replacement.

I connected the intercoolers with styrene tube and

faired in the connection points with talcum powder and
superglue and simulated connector rings with tape
secured with superglue.

A simple fix is to craft a tank. I shaped one from a

leftover casting block with a file and sanding sticks.

Painted and weathered

with the Future wash, the
assembly looks pretty
good. It also allows the
prominent intercooler to be
seen through the wheel well
The block I had was not quite tall enough to create the opening.
actual height of the tank but since it was so high up in
the bay, I didn’t worry about it.

As an experiment, I added some chipping and weathering Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 35

with AK pencils and simulated the raised detail on the
side.
KIT BUILD
DEFLECTIONS

One of the things the build group noted was that most period Cutting control surfaces is generally a relatively easy process The presence of the spar within the hinges makes it even
photographs show that the Wildcat’s elevators are drooped on but the unique hinge mechanism and integrated counterweight tougher. A close inspection of the Tamiya hinges reveals that
the ground. on the Wildcat make it much more challenging. they are surprisingly large when viewed from the side.

I traced the shapes of the top and bottom hinges on strips of sheet plastic. Note:
it is important to measure the height of the hinge point where it will attach to the
stabilizer to match the portions of the hinges moulded to the stabilizers on the top
and bottom.

One of the things the build group noted was that most period photographs show that the Wildcat’s elevators are
drooped on the ground.

The callipers are useful to make this measurement. Also, the stabilizer tapers so
both sets of hinges need to be carefully measured and the outer hinges will be
shorter. It was helpful to keep the hinges attached to larger pieces of plastic to
serve as a handle for the task of opening the spaces inside the hinge with a drill and
sharp #11 blade. Care is needed here and it took a couple of tries for some of them.

Next, I looked at the thickness of the hinge and the length and determined there could be a way to make the top Discs punched from sheet plastic would represent the spar. With the hinges
and bottom hinges from one piece of sheet plastic. complete, the elevator can be removed with a sharp blade and razor saw.

36 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:48

The next task is to glue the hinges to the stabilizer and then
bring the assembly together. Frankly, there are more things to
hold than two hands can manage.

I used the number 10 blade to chop down into the area of the counterweights after repeated scribes with the cutting blade.

“The basic fit of the kit is reflective of Tamiya’s high reputation.”

ASSEMBLY
TIPS The basic fit of the kit is reflective of Tamiya’s high reputation. Whenever possible, I like to take advantage of this and add a
generous amount of Tamiya Extra Thin and squeeze out a bead of molten plastic which, when dry serves to fill the seam.

To solve this, I used blobs of Blu-Tak putty. First, I drifted the

plastic discs through the hinges into the slots previously cut into
the elevators with the tip of a #11 blade and applied glue taking
care not to get glue on the hinges. Once these had set up for a
few minutes, the elevators were brought into the final position
and temporarily secured with more Blu-Tak and Tamiya Extra
Thin cement run along the entire join line and hinges. The final
assembly is surprisingly strong.

In the case of the spine, the panel lines for the life raft compartment need to be re-scribed. I like to use a needle in a pin vice to In other areas like the lower wing-to-fuselage joint, the fit is
establish the line and then deepen it with a razor saw. good enough to simply fill in the line.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 37

KIT BUILD
ASSEMBLY TIPS CONT...

Mr. Surfacer 500 is a good option for this as it can be applied
over the seam and left to dry and then removed with a Q-tip
dampened with Mr. Color Thinner. This avoids losing the rivet
detail from sanding.
Some of the rivets are lost in the process of sanding the lower
seam. I used Archer rivers to replace them. It is helpful to run
Future over the rivets lines when dry to firmly fix them to the
surface.
I didn’t want drop tanks on my model so used Perfect Plastic
Putty to fill the holes. I filled the holes and wiped off the excess
with my finger. When dry, I repeated the process leaving a
completely smooth surface with no sanding that would have
destroyed the surrounding rivet detail. Note that foam earplugs

LET THERE BE LIGHT

make a useful mask for the wheel bay openings.

There are a couple of approaches for the various lights that produce good results. For the lower Next, complete all of the priming and painting.
identification lights first, spray the area with a dark gray before any other painting. Then apply the
dots from the Eduard mask set that correspond to the lights.

Then, remove the masks from the lights and apply the masks that go around the openings. Add a The final effect works well for lights that are not illuminated and pleasingly catch the light from
dot of white for the yellow light and then spray Tamiya clear red, blue and yellow, thinned 50-50 certain angles. Painting the gray and masking at the beginning creates shallow depressions
with Mr. Leveling Thinner over each light in the respective position. allowing the finished lights to be level with the underside of the model.

38 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022


For the wingtip lights, I employed a tip learned from Brett
Green from his book on the Me-110. First, paint the light
a medium gray and then paint a dot of white.
When dry, overcoat with the appropriate Tamiya clear
color and the result is an appearance that tricks the eye
into thinking it is a clear bulb.
The first step is to prime the model with a light grey and
then spray a dark grey through the template moving the
airbrush and template to create a random pattern.
Keep the template a few millimetres from the surface to
avoid super hard edges and keep both the airbrush and
the template moving.
1:48
WEATHERING
WITH STENCILS
Another goal for the project was to use AK airbrush stencils to simulate the weathered patina of painted surfaces exposed to
the harsh ocean environment in the South Pacific. This effect can be accomplished with an airbrush but is time-intensive and
complicated. The airbrush stencils from AK allow a task to be accomplished in minutes that would otherwise take hours to complete.
Next overspray the area with the final colour. Keep the paint mix thin in a ratio of 1 part paint to 2 parts thinner. Apply thin even
passes and let each dry to determine how much the undercoat has been covered. The paint gets more opaque as it dries, so don’t
be fooled by the appearance of wet paint. Also, keep in mind the subsequent gloss coats and weathering will subdue the effect, so
don’t be timid. The effect can be toned down at the end with a thin coat of base colour. Here is a progression of three passes to get
to a good base effect.
Next, I applied a thin oil wash in the panel lines from a mix of Abteilung Smoke and Sepia heavily thinned with odourless mineral
spirits. I worked to keep the oil paint in the panel lines as much as possible with capillary action and worked any excess into the
surrounding area with a damp round brush in a stippling motion.
Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 39
KIT BUILD
For the control surfaces, I sprayed a thin mix of Tamiya Flat Black
and Red Brown, thinned 90 percent with Tamiya lacquer thinner
against a drafting tape mask to produce subtle shadows along the
hinge lines.
FINAL DETAILS
Another goal for this project was to work more with AK
weathering pencils that are new to me. I was intrigued at the
prospect of using the metal pencils for the engine.
I also used it to colour the prop hub
40 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022
WEATHERING
WITH STENCILS
The upper surfaces received the same treatment, however, I also lightened the control surfaces to simulate the faded effect
that fabric surfaces display in period photos. Remember that the control tabs on the elevators were metal, so need to remain
darker. I used the same wash to create a rendering around the engine and access panels, applying dots and then stippling over
the surface with a brush dampened with clean thinner.
I first sprayed the parts with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black I used a Prismacolor pencil for shinier highlights. I used the
thinned with Tamiya lacquer thinner to ensure the base colour red primer pencil from the AK set to colour the ignition wires. I
would be as sturdy as possible. Then I used the silver pencil for was pleased with the results and felt that the pencils provide a
the cylinders and used the graphite pencil for the highlights on greater deal of control than dry brushing or using washes over a
the accessory section. metal painted surface.
I used Vallejo Red Brown to paint the ignition wires from the Another product I have found useful is the Molotov Chrome
Eduard detail set to complete the engine. pens.
 1:48

I used a fine paintbrush to apply some of the chrome

pigment squeezed onto a piece of wax paper for the oleo
portions of the struts and the interior of the landing light.

I also had the opportunity to use a new line of mask sets

from Kit Masx out of Canada.

I was very pleased with the excellent results.

These are produced from thin vinyl material and also

include masks for the interior and exterior of the canopy
as well as the kit markings.

For the exhausts, I like to first paint an undercoat of

Alclad II Pale Burnt Metal and then overcoat with a
heavily thinned mix of Tamiya Rubber Black and Red
Brown until I get the right burnt tone I am looking for.
This allows the metal undercoat to show through but
also puts a matte surface for pastel chalks to darken the
insides of the exhausts.

One other tip is

to use beeswax
on the end of
a toothpick to
position small
parts like the
gunsight lens that
would otherwise
easily ping off of Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 41
tweezers.
KIT BUILD

42 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:48

FINAL VERDICT
One of my favourite things to do is get together with my modelling friends
and work on projects. This normally involves bringing a kit and some tools
to someone’s house. Zoom allows each member of the group to work in their
shop with all of their tools and modelling products at hand. I learned a lot
from the process and am looking forward to future group projects. It was a
great experience to bring Pug Southerland’s famous Wildcat to life!

Issue 199
144 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 43
 ft
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KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY MARK CASIGLIA

SPITFIRE DOW Mark Casiglia builds Tamiya 1:32

scale Spitfire Mk.VIII

“Painting the airframe

was straightforward with
Tamiya acrylics over black
primer using the black
basing method.”

46 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022


WN UNDER
T
amiya’s 1:32 scale kits enjoy
an enviable reputation in the
marketplace, and for good
reason. This was my first of
Tamiya’s Spitfires, followed
by their Mk.XVIe and Mk.IXc. With each
build I learned a little more on how to best
approach the project.
Being Australian, depicting an RAAF
scheme appealed to me. The Barracudacals
Spitfire M . III Part I set provides decals for
five variants, including my chosen scheme
of A58-5 ava-Go- o own by Lt. orm
Smithells, 79th Squadron, RAAF Morotai
in Summer 1945. The aircraft depicts an
1:
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE
SPECIFICATION:
Tamiya 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII. Kit No. 60320
ACCESSORIES USED:
Eduard Interior Detail Set 33085
Eduard Exterior Detail Set 32264
Barracudacals Spitfire Mk.VIII Part I Decals BC-32008
Eduard Brassin resin patterned wheels ED 632130
TOOLS AND MODELLING
PRODUCTS USED:
Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
Revell Contacta Cement
Zap-A-Gap medium cyanoacrylate adhesive
Tamiya masking tape 6mm, 10mm and 18mm
3M low-tack green masking tape
elephant, with some contention over whether Ultimate Modelling Products sanding sticks
it was grey or pink, so both options provided in Tamiya files
the set. The elephant was the ground crew’s Evergreen styrene sheet
nod to Lt. Smithell s portly build. The term Mr Masking Sol Neo
“Hava Go” is Australian slang for applying Tamiya sanding sponge sheets
ma imum effort, and o was Lt. Smithell s Sparmax airbrushes
nickname. Holcroft sable brushes
Construction PAINTS AND FINISHING
The kit is a joy from the moment of opening PRODUCTS USED:
the box. Instructions comprise 72 panels in Ultimate Modelling Products black primer
Tamiya acrylic paint
what can only be described as a book. Also
Vallejo Metal Color paint
included is a handy booklet of reference Tamiya X-20A thinner
photos and explanations of the anatomy of Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color
the various Spitfire types. The model may be Tamiya acrylic paint retarder
Microscale Micro Gloss, Satin and Flat
Art Spectrum oil paints
Art Spectrum odourless solvent
Microscale Micro Set and Sol
Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby
Company Limited www.hobbyco.net
Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 47
KIT BUILD
The cockpit and inner walls with added detail from Eduard photo-etch.
displayed in both ying and par ed poses. The
landing gear position is interchangeable via
screws and magnetically attached parts. The
display stand is attached to an alternate drop
tan , with both drop tan s slotting in via pins
into hidden poly caps.
The coc pit is very detailed and benefited
from a little e tra detail provided by Eduard s
interior detail set 33 85. I also chose to
purchase Eduard s e terior detail set 3 64.
In each case, I didn t use all detail provided
according to perceived results of the effort-
needed versus advantage-gained e uation.
The interior paintwor was more or less
according the instructions, over blac ltimate
Modelling Products primer. alle o Metal Color
Dull Aluminium was used instead of AS- ,
and the pilot s Ba elite seat was custom
mi ed to what appeared more correct to my
eye rather than the suggestion of F-64 Red
The fuselage halves go together perfectly and clamps and tape help to keep some light pressure
applied as the adhesive cures.
48 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022
Brown. I used the it s PE harnesses which
are more than ade uate although lac ing in
some te ture and stitching detail compared
with something li e G fabric harnesses.
The coc pit tub fits securely into the
fuselage halves, which in turn are a oy to put
together. The plastic is firm and crisp and the
fit is awless. The rudder, hori ontal Stabilisers
and elevators go together ust as perfectly
and include metal rods and sturdy photo-etch
hoo s to allow secure insertion of movable
components being the rudder, elevators
and later on, the ailerons. The tail wheel
assembly is a neat, magnetically attached and
removable unit according to how the aircraft
will be posed. Typically, Tamiya provides a
metal rod which is embedded into the tail
wheel strut as reinforcement. This is repeated
for the main landing gear as well. These little
touches remind you of the uality of these
The wing root fit is beyond question. Tamiya clamps are useful for holding the flaps against the
wing for bonding.
The Eduard coloured photo-etch instrument panel looks
authentic inside the cockpit assembly.
Tamiya its and ustify the higher it price.
The wing assembly comprises the entire
lower wing surface across both sides so there
is no chance of a dihedral alignment problem.
Some minor wor is re uired to construct the
interior of the landing gear bays, and various
panels and hatches need to be cemented
into place on both the upper and lower wing
surfaces. Radiators can be constructed
with open or closed fairings, and are placed
onto the lower wing assembly. An internal
reinforcement spar serves to provide a positive
home for a forward fuselage reinforcement
panel which will also serve as a mount for the
engine assembly. Flaps can be constructed up
or down. It s uite well understood that Spitfire
pilots would be reprimanded for par ing their
aircraft with aps down, so I posed them up for
this build.
ith all the wing subassemblies in place,
 1:
The completed Rolls Royce Merlin engine ready to be
fitted into its mount.

The engine
assembly prior to
addition of a little
Eduard detail.

it was with a very reassuring click that the

fuselage was untied with the wings with a
faultless, gap-free joint. The landing gear was
assembled and I substituted the kit’s wheels
for patterned resin wheels from Eduard as
these RAAF Spitfires in the Pacific definitely
didn’t have smooth tyres. The resin wheels are
much easier to finish as well, compared to the
vinyl tyres in the kit.

The Merlin
The Rolls Royce Merlin engine is a kit in itself.
Everything assembled easily with typical
precise fit, and some items of photo-etch from
the Eduard exterior detail set were added.
Painting was according to instructions and XF-81 Dark Green 2 and XF-82 Ocean Gray Gloss clear coat, before masking and painting
followed by dry brushing with silver and a 2 over an underside colour of XF-83 Medium the characteristic white-wash areas of the
wash of Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color in Sea Gray 2. tail and wing leading edges. The challenge
grey for the black parts and brown for the rest. Everything was fully painted, including the was to figure out the best method to fade the
Once built, the engine assembly was bonded yellow leading edge of the wings and roughly whitewash away to simulate the worn areas
securely in place with Revell Contacta cement, overpainted RAF roundel areas of the fuselage shown in reference photos.
onto a secure mount at the forward part of the and upper wings, then coated with a Micro After some testing, I decided to use Tamiya
fuselage.
Despite an apparently perfect fit, and
perhaps lulled into a false sense of security
by the superb fit of everything up to that point,
I made the mistake of bonding the engine
assembly without the cowl covers taped into
place to verify perfect alignment during curing.
Once set, I was stuck with cowl covers that
fitted with small gaps that ultimately needed
to be closed with thin sections of Evergreen
styrene card.
Part of the problem is the underside cowling
which is removable and held in place with pins Thin sections of Evergreen styrene were added to correct After priming with Ultimate Modelling Products black primer,
inserted into buried poly caps. There is simply misaligned cowl panels due to inadequate test fitting of the pencil lines are drawn in anticipation of the first camouflage
engine assembly prior to bonding. layer.
too much elastic memory which doesn’t allow
finessing of the position of this part.
For my future builds, I cemented the lower
cowling into place and didn’t use the pins, as
well as bonding the engine to the fuselage with
the cowl covers taped securely in place, for
visual confirmation of the fit.

Painting
Painting the airframe was straightforward with
Tamiya acrylics over black primer using the
black basing method.
I used Tamiya’s vinyl tape for curves top
mask the colours, which were Tamiya colours The underside is mottled using the black basing method. The completed underside Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Gray 2
after application of blending layers.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 49

KIT BUILD

Tamiya XF-81 Dark Green 2 is the first camouflage paint layer to go down. Here we can see that Tamiya vinyl tape for curves is an excellent product for defining camouflage borders. Regular
there is some initial confusion about where the camouflage border should run. Tamiya tape helps to hold it down and stop it creeping as it has a little elastic memory, as well as
adding some protection from over-spray. Tamiya XF-82 Ocean Gray 2 is applied in an initial mottled
pattern, again following the black basing method.

XF-2 acrylic thinned with water, gently wet
sanded immediately after painting. This proved
effective in allowing the underlying paint to
show through and mimicking wearing of the
whitewash quite well.
On the wing roots, a sponge was used to
dab lightened base colour paint to simulate
wearing in areas where chipping didn’t go
right through to metal. Chipping was then
carried out over that manually using a metal
instrument and Vallejo Metal Color Dull
Aluminium and was carried through to other
areas as needed.
After a clear coat of Micro Satin, various oil
paints were used for a panel line wash, dirt
accumulation and general streaking as well as
the characteristic oil stains of the underside.

The completed camouflage

pattern. Note the use of the
flight stand as a handle for the
project during painting.

50 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:
The wing leading edges are painted in Tamiya XF-3 Flat
Yellow and the overpainted area to obscure original RAF
roundel is painted to appear slightly rough to reflect
having been over-sprayed in the field.

The fuselage has several areas of field-applied Ocean

Gray over-spray of RAF roundels and serial codes which
need to be reflected in the paintwork.

The walkway border lines were masked and painted using Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black.

The whitewashed tail is Tamiya XF-2 Flat White thinned

with water and wet sanded immediately after application
to allow show-through of the underlying paint. Note the
test mule in the background to establish proof of concept
before bringing it to the model.

The leading edges of the wings were also whitewashed

in the field and they wore heavily, showing both the
original camouflage colours and yellow edges. The lines were faded into the roundel over-sprayed area. This alone is justification for not using decals in this area, apart from
masking and painting being so simple. The Barracudacals decals are high quality and sit down very well.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 51

 KIT BUILD

FINAL VERDICT
This was a most enjoyable build
of an even more interesting and
aesthetic subject.

Wing root wear and tear was achieved first by dabbing lightened versions of the camouflage colours before manually adding chips
with silver paint applied with a hard pointed instrument.

Removing the panels reveals the beautifully detailed engine.

The bombs and the block tread tyres may be seen in this view.

52 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:

“The kit is a joy from the moment

of opening the box.”

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 53

KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY TOMASZ CHACEWICZ

THE FORGOTTEN
GULL-WING
FIGHTER
Tomasz Chacewicz
builds MK-Models’
1:72 scale PZL
P.8/I

54 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022


The model comes packed in a sturdy box.
“Both prototypes of the PZL P.8 were fitted with a distinctive semi-cone shaped windshield.”
Detail parts are supplied in photo-etch.
T
he PZL P.8 was the last inline-
engine fighter designed by ygmunt
Pulaws i, the inventor of the gull-
wing aircraft design, also nown as
Pulaws i wing or Polish wing .
The P L Panstwowe a lady Lotnic e State
Aviation or s constructed two prototypes
of the P.8 the P.8 I with ispano-Sui a Mc
engine, and P.8 II, fitted with the more powerful
Lorraine frs P trel Chasse engine. The
P.8 I was test own in August 93 . It turned
out to be e ual to the radial-engine P L
P. a, but the Aeronautics Department of the
Ministry of Military Affairs decided to produce
only radial engines, thus the P.8 remained a
prototype only. The death of ygmunt Pulaws i
in an airplane crash on March 93 , was
another nail in the coffin of the fighter.
There are only a few photos available, as
well as a number of drawings of both P L P.8
prototypes, but that did not prevent Marcin
Ku niar, a talented modeller from Lod in
Poland, from scratch building a scale
model of the P L P.8 I. Li e the previous
R D- R D- models by
the same builder, the P L P.8 I
had also been cast in resin,
supplemented with a
photo-etched fret and
decals, and released
as a short run, sold
mostly to friends of
the builder. I soon
became the
owner of one
of these sets.
The it itself
is ust perfectly
cast. ou won t find
any air bubbles or other wea nesses typical
of resin models. Detail is e cellent too, and
the recessed panel lines and rivets are very
subtle. It s worth mentioning that the landing
Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 55
1:
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE
SPECIFICATION:
MK-Model 1:72 PZL P.8/I
Sidewall detail parts are fitted here.
gear struts are strengthened with wire inserts,
embedded within the resin. hat s important
is that the it appears to be correct when
compared to scale drawings. The fuselage and
wing have correct shape and dimensions.
For reasons that are unclear to me, many
modellers are wary of resin its. I must say that
building such models isn t too different than
assembling in ection-moulded its. Moreover,
in most cases, we re rewarded by getting an
opportunity to enhance our collection with rare
and interesting sub ects.
Getting Started
I started by assembling the coc pit, which
consists of an internal framewor , oor, rudder
pedals, seat, instrument panel, and other small
pieces of e uipment, all provided as photo-
etched parts. nly the control column and
headrest were cast in resin. The completed
coc pit was primed with Tamiya - Blac .
hen the paint was dry, I airbrushed a layer
of Alclad II Airframe Aluminium over the inner
surfaces. The details were brush painted
with alle o acrylics. The paintwor was
secured by coating it with Sidolu oor wa .
It s a similar product, but not the same, as
ohnson s Future Klear, which is popular in
the est. My tests indicate that Sidolu is one
of the few gloss varnishes which don t tarnish
surfaces that are painted with Alclad, and also
don t reduce their metallic sheen. Afterwards,
I prepared a thinned mi ture of Maimeri
Classico Raw mber oil paint and lighter uid,
and applied this to all recesses, using a fine
brush. After the wash began to dry, I wiped off
the e cess with cotton buds and a cloth. I had
to be gentle so as not to rub off the mi ture
completely, but instead, creating soft shadows
in areas which would be less e posed to light.
I was now able to oin the fuselage halves
and attach the wing. For some time, no matter
whether I deal with a styrene or resin it, I use
 KIT BUILD
Raised rivet detail is included on the photo-etched
fuselage reinforcements.

The diminutive landing gear spat.

Photo-etched parts are also supplied for exterior structural features.

The control column and other tiny cockpit details.

The cockpit painted and installed.

The recessed panel lines and rivet detail is very subtly done.
and elevators. The main landing gear of the
kit consists of two wheels, their distinctive
fairings, and a few struts, whilst the tail is
supported only by a simple skid. This made
their assembly both fast and easy. Afterwards
I added some external photo-etched details,
wing and stabili ers struts, and the enturi
tube. The latter was soldered from sections
of thin brass wire. I also used sections of the
same wire to conjure up the bracing wires
of the landing gear, as well as a small crew
access step.
Painting
The painting stage was preceded by masking
the open cockpit with a piece of sponge and
removing any grease from the surface of the
kit. First, I sprayed alcohol over the model.
I followed this by airbrushing two thin layers
of Mr. Surfacer 1200. I next reduced the air

The tiny instrument panel, painted and weathered.

Poxipol two-part epoxy adhesive to connect

major parts of the kit, such as fuselage
halves, wings, and stabilisers. This glue is
really strong and bonds quite slowly (about
20 minutes), which allows me to make any
necessary adjustments, and position the parts
accurately. Some very small cavities and gaps
are filled with C.A. glue, and then smoothed
with sandpaper. In places where I couldn’t use
sandpaper as it would damage delicate panel
lines and rivets, I removed e cess C.A. putty
with a cotton bud soa ed in Debonder. A few
damaged panel lines were recreated using
a C ech-made Tiger ra or saw blade, whilst
some obliterated rivets were reapplied with a
home-made rivet tool.
My next step was to mount the tail. It was
slightly modified by de ecting the rudder Basic assembly is complete.

56 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022


Brass wire was used for bracing wires, pilot’s step and venturi tube. The completed model viewed from below.
pressure and carefully covered the
model with Tamiya X-1 Black, trying
to create a smooth surface and avoid
Painting and
finishing products the orange peel effect. This way, I
were gathered prepared the model for painting with
together. Alclad. You won’t have any problems
with these paints if the glossy black
primer is applied properly. The
external surfaces were airbrushed
with Alclad II Airframe
Aluminium. I achieved a
nice gloss mirror finish,
thereby looking almost
like the original aircraft
on the archive photos.
Almost was the keyword
here, as I had to mask
some areas with pieces
of Tamiya’s and AIZU’s
masking tape, and then
apply Model Master
1401 Aluminium Plate
here and there, following
the archive photo reference.
When the paints had dried, I
Two thin layers of Mr. Surfacer 1200 were sprayed over the entire model.
Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 57
1:
removed the masks and
sprayed a thin layer of
Sidolu oor wa over the
whole model.
Decals
It was time for decals.
Those included in the
kit were nicely printed,
but unfortunately
quite thick, thus
while applying them, I had
to use Aeromaster’s decal solutions quite
extensively. The Polish checkerboards from
the kit were replaced with similar markings
from Techmod’s decal sheet. I left the kit for
24 hours to ensure that everything would dry
completely.
The model still required some paintwork. I
started by post-shading recesses, as well as
some panel lines, with Tamiya X-19 Smoke.
Next, I painted some details with Vallejo
acrylics. The kit was now given a wash. I
used the same mixture as for the cockpit, and
applied it in a similar manner. During removal
This is an effective primer.
The deflected control surfaces.
KIT BUILD
of the excess wash, I damaged the aluminium
layer in a few places, but in doing so, I ended
up with some good, lifelike abrasions on the kit
surface.
Finishing Touches
Both prototypes of the P L P.8 were fitted with
The primed propeller and spinner.
a distinctive semi-cone shaped windshield. I
wondered how to make this for quite a long
time. aving attempted to fold up at pieces
of various acetate sheet, and then gluing them
to the kit a few times, I gave up because I was
not happy with the results.
Therefore, I made a mould from a piece of

“For reasons that are unclear to me, many modellers are

A piece of sponge was used to blank off the cockpit.
wary of resin kits.”

Next, the entire model was sprayed with Tamiya X-1 Black, trying to create a smooth surface and The external surfaces were airbrushed with Alclad II Airframe Aluminium.
avoid the orange peel effect as a base for Alclad.

I masked some areas with pieces of Tamiya

and AIZU masking tape.

58 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:

Lower surfaces were masked too. Model Master 1401 Aluminium Plate was then applied here and there.

When the paints had dried, the masks were removed to reveal this result. A thin layer of Sidolux floor wax was now sprayed over the whole model.

Micro Set and Micro Sol were used to settle the decals over the surface textures. The Polish checkerboards from the kit were replaced with similar markings from Techmod’s decal sheet.

The model was left for 24 hours to ensure that everything would dry completely. Post-shading of recesses, as well as some panel lines, were done with Tamiya X-19 Smoke.
KIT BUILD

Both prototypes of the PZL P.8 were fitted with a

distinctive cylindrical windshield. I made a mould from
a piece of plastic, which was slightly smaller than the
required windshield.

The effect on the upper surfaces…

Next, I heated a piece of binding film over a lit candle and

quickly stretched it over the mould. All I had to do now
was to cut off the excess and sand the edges to get a
perfectly shaped windshield.

…and below.
The windscreen was attached to the kit with Microscale’s
Micro Metal Foil Adhesive.
Check out the comparison
with a match stick. This is
a mall model!

The final touch was to add a few separately painted

details, such as the propeller.

60 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

A view from above.
1:
styrene, which was slightly smaller than the
required windshield. Next, I heated a piece
of binding film over a lit candle and uic ly
stretched it over the mould.
All I had to do now was to cut off the excess
and sand the edges to get a perfectly shaped
windshield.
I attached it to the it with Microscale s
Micro Metal Foil Adhesive. This glue isn t too
strong, but enables the parts to be joined with
no visible weld line.
The final touch was to add a few separately
painted details, such as the propeller. ■

For reasons that are unclear to me, many

modellers are wary of resin kits. I must
say that building this model wasn’t too
different than assembling injection-
moulded kits.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 61

GALLERY - THOROUG
EDUARD 1:48 NORTH AMERICAN P-51D-5 MUSTANG PROFIPACK. KIT NO. 82101
THE EDITOR OFFERS A PREVIEW OF HIS EDUARD’S FILLETLESS 1:48 SCALE P-51D -5 MUSTANG THAT APPEARS IN ISSUE 123
OF MILITARY ILLUSTRATED MODELLER MAGAZINE

built my model from a pre-release white

I box, but the equivalent production kit is

the P-5 D-5 Mustang ProfiPACK, Kit o.
8 .
I swapped out the undercarriage legs
for Scale Aircraft Conversions Item o.
483 3 P-5 D Mustang Landing Gear. This
set supplies white metal main and tail wheel
legs.
Apart from the landing gear legs and

62 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2022

 1:48

UGHBRED
the decals, the model was otherwise built
straight from the box.
Eduard’s nose chequer decals as sup-
plied in the kit were used for the nose as the
red was a good match for Tamiya Spray AS-
49 Bright Red that I used for the spinner.
The rest of the decals were from Bullseye
Model Aviation Item No. 48-011 – Yoxford
Boys #3. These are printed by Cartograf and
they performed perfectly.
Eduard’s 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang
kits are real winners. They are beautifully
detailed, a delight to build and look great
when finished. our biggest problem will be
choosing what colours and markings you
want to apply!
A big writeup of this model in detail ap-
pears in Issue 123 of Military Illustrated
Modeller magazine. ■

A detailed Feature Article on Brett’s P-51D Mustang appears in

Issue 123 of Military Illustrated Modeller magazine.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 63

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TORA TORA TORA PT.2 GABBY’S JUG

Brett Green paints and weathers Eduard’s 1:48 scale A6M2 Zero Type 21. Mark Casiglia builds and improves Hasegawa’s 1:32 P47-D Thunderbolt.

SUB KILLER
Leo Stevenson converts the big Hobby Boss 1:32 scale
B-24D Liberator into a British B-24 GR Mk V.

Issue 199 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 65

FINAL THOUGHTS

G.W.H. FLYING TIGERS CURTISS

ennings Heilig has sent photos of the plastic,

HAWK 81-A 2 PREVIEW J photo-etch and 3D printed parts, masks and

decals for their forthcoming release, the Curtiss
Hawk 81-A2 1:32 scale.
We will have more details upon release.