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TO CREATE THE BEST AIRCRAFT MODELS 5 NEW BUILDS

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SUB MET www.doolittlemedia.com
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A S KING October 2022
M E! £5.25 / Issue 207
TAP

1:48 KIT BUILD

LATE WAR SALLY

REVELL / TAKARA 1:72 MITSUBISHI TYPE-
97 HEAVY BOMBER KI-21-II (SALLY)

DARK ENIGMA REVELL 1:32 MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 G-10 ERLA PRODUCTION

PLUS: ALL THE LATEST KITS l ACCESSORIES l DECALS l BOOKS

 How to contact us:
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Contents Model Airplane International. The Granary, Doolittle Lane,

Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, England

VOL.17 ISS.207 OCTOBER 2022

Editorial:
VOLUME 17. ISSUE 207. OCTOBER 2022 Editor: Brett Green
Publisher: Alan Harman
Administration: Gordon Angus
Advertising Manager: Alan Harman
REGULARS alan@doolittlemedia.com
P.32 DARK ENIGMA
P04 - NEWSLINE Revell’s 1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 Erla Art:
P06 - COMMENT by Chris Wauchop Editorial Design: Peter Hutchinson
P65 - NEXT ISSUE Advertising Design: Peter Hutchinson
P66 - FINAL THOUGHTS… P.42 KIT PREVIEW Advertisement and circulation:
REVIEWS Eduard 1:48 F4F-3 Wildcat Model Airplane International, The Granary, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Beds, LU6 1QX.
P.44 DORTENMANN’S WURGER Tel: 01525 222573
P.8 TRANSFER LIST E-mail: alan@doolittlemedia.com
Choices, choices - what decals will you chose to Jason Brewer’s Eduard 1:48 scale
build something different? Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 Distribution:
Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue,
P.12 IN PRINT P.50 LATE WAR SALLY London, EC1A 9PT.
Revell / Takara 1:72 Mitsubishi Type-97 Tel: 020 7429 4000
What books will inspire you this month?
Heavy Bomber Ki-21-II (Sally) by Harvey Low
Newstrade:
FEATURES Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue,
P.56 THE NEXT GENERATION Bournemouth, BH3 7BW.
P.14 KIT PREVIEW Brett Green Planet Models 1:48 scale Tel: 01202 586848 E-mail: tim@selectps.com
Eduard 1:72 Avia S-199 Mezek Heinkel P.1077 Julia
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Model Airplane International is published monthly by Doolittle Media, The Granary, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Beds, LU6 1QX. Entire Contents © 2022 Doolittle Media, Reproduction in part or whole of any
text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the content of Model Airplane International is accurate, the publishers
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advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising sales department of MAI.
October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3
This month’s round-up of all that’s new in the world of aircraft modelling...
AIRFIX
www.airfix.com

ALL-NEW AIRFIX 1:48 BUCCANEER

Arguably one of the biggest releases this year
for Airfix is the brand new 1:48 Scale Blackburn
Buccaneer S.2C/D. The highly sought after 1:48th
scale model comes with folding wings, an opening
airbrake, engine panels, a detailed cockpit, and
intake covers as well as crew access ladders. This kit
also comes with a selection of armament; 2 x Royal
Navy 2-inch rocket pods, 4 x 1000lb retarded bombs,
4 x 1000lb free fall bombs, 1 x Martel missile TV
guidance pod, 2 x Martel Missiles (TV) and 2 x Martel
missiles (AR).
This kit is Skill Level Three and it comes with
four scheme options, all which tell the story of the
Buccaneer.
This mighty Buccaneer kit is made up from 291
pieces. Once built, the length is an impressive
40.2cm and the width is 28cm.
More information is available via www.airfix.com

THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY DOOLITTLE MEDIA

www.airbrushes.net http://adhpublishing.com/shop/

LIFECOLOR PAINTING GUIDE VOL.3 NEW SQUADRON IN ACTION

FROM THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY
Two new Squadron
Following the launch of Lifecolor’s first two Painting Guides, The Airbrush “In Action” titles
Company is pleased to announce Lifecolor’s Painting Guide Vol.3. by David Doyle
This unique book series includes essential information for painting, - F-14 Tomcat In
weathering and finishing scale models to the highest level while getting the Action and F-111
best of Lifecolor paints and products. Aardvark in Action
SRP: £10.99 inc.VAT (10.99 ex.VAT) - are available
Thanks to The Airbrush Company for the information and images www. now from Doolittle
airbrushes.net Media http://
adhpublishing.
com/shop/

4 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 ROAD TRIPS
Jonathan Mock reports on his modelling-related travels
t’s amazing how abnormal the new normal
I can feel, even when trying to return to
normality - if that makes sense.
In early August I met up with the former
Editor of this magazine - Spencer Pollard -
when he visited Bristol. We started the day the
way most sensible people do, with breakfast
in the charming Cafe on the Square in historic
Sea Mills that sits close to the edge of the
River Avon and the Severn Beach railway line.
Our first port of call was Antics model shop in
Bristol and the ever sociable Mr Andrew Hills.
Antics is the former ‘Modellers Den” that was
relocated 30 years ago when Fairfax street
was demolished and redeveloped as part of
the Galleries shopping centre, which itself
now faces an uncertain future. Antics however
is safely away from all that and continues to
thrive.
As always I was amazed at the flow of new
products since I’d last visited, certainly it’s
impossible to keep up with the the pace of
things mentally let alone physically in terms
of building new models, a far cry from the
wastelands of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Eduard’s new 1:48 Wildcat had just arrived
and it was with superhuman restraint that I
didn’t succumb, mostly because my modelling
dance card is already full. I did manage to
bag some AK 3rd Gen paints to try out and a
few other consumables, working on the basis
that tools are something I will always use
regardless of the project in hand. Well that’s
the theory. Spencer similarly stocked up on
some Mr Colour paints and a few tools.
Our short walk from Antics took us through
the historic and beautiful St Nicholas Market
and the Corn Exchange, the scene of my first
6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
Bristol model show in 1978, as outlined in last
month’s piece. The conversation flowed about
old model shows and their changing nature,
including our own thoughts on the upcoming
Scale Model World and how we’d adapted to
returning to events in ever present shadow
of Covid 19. Pausing to visit one of Banky’s
famous pieces of street art - “man hanging
from a window” in Frogmore Street - we
decided to make use of the time afforded us to
go for another model shop, this time Jadlam
Racing in Glastonbury.
The hour drive was a chance to take in the
beautiful Somerset countryside, skirting Bristol
airport and down into Cheddar (yes, where
the cheese comes from). The conversation
meandered as we covered various topics,
some even model related. I was marvelling
at Spencer’s ‘Century Series’ of Monogram
models including the 1:48 F-101 Voodoo
featured in last month’s issue and this segued
into the Scale Models feature in 1975 that
covered the (then) new 1:72 F-15 Eagles from
Monogram, Revell and Hasegawa.
We chatted about his technique for
highlighting raised panel lines without actually
rescribing them - as covered in the F-101
article - which is a neat trick I’m waiting to try
out on a suitable vintage project in the future.
We talked about our influences, Spencer’s
recent ‘Legacy’ projects and rued how we’d not
set a “10 day challenge” recently, something
we initiated during the first lockdown of 2020.
We both professed more enthusiasm for
tackling older kits, or kits from our respective
childhoods, than modern day models. Now this
may seem odd, and certainly we both enjoy
state-or-the-art products like the next person,
but it is perhaps fuelled by a deep seated
desire to build the stuff we could never find
or afford back then. Certainly right now I’m
building the original 1970 Airfix 1/24 Spitfire
Mk.I and, while it has its challenges, part of
me can’t believe that I’m actually making one
myself after all these years.
As with most good conversation, the time
blinked by, aided by various local landmarks
like the Wells reclamation yard that has a
Bristol Bloodhound and anti-aircraft-gun in
their grounds (?!) - they used to have a T-34
tank, but that’s another story… One place we
did want to visit but which was alas closed
that day was the Sea Harrier FA/2 that sits in
a barn just outside of Wedmore. I’d visited it
a few weeks earlier, purely by chance, having
decided to go to Glastonbury via the moor
roads with my friend Tara. We saw a sign that
said “visit the Sea Harrier” and both pulled a
face thinking they meant marsh harrier and it
being a bird hide of sorts (the Somerset levels
are a bird-rich habitat home to various raptor
species). After pulling a u-turn we came face
to face indeed with a Sea Harrier FA.2 that a
local farmer had bought at an auction - even
better I was allowed to scale the ladder and
sit in the cockpit! As I eased my way into the
confines of the “office” it struck me that this
was the first time I’d ever sat in any Harrier
cockpit and the various switches and dials
seemed oddly familiar to me having modelled
and drawn decals for SHARs down the years.
I also became very aware that the descent on
the ladder is more vertiginous than it looked
from the ground!
But with the SHAR off the menu for Spencer,
the towering presence of Glastonbury Tor
meant we’d reached our destination for
that day. Stopping off in the excellent
Abbey Tea Rooms for lunch and arguments
over whether it’s jam first on a cream
tea (Spencer says it is cream first - he’s
wrong). Jadlam was its usual delight. We
both noted how their model section had
expanded since last time and spent a good
hour browsing the shelves, Spencer again
picked up some supplies and I plugged some
gaps in my tools and consumables. I made
a mental note of their range of Aoshima
cars, something I’d promised myself to try
when the opportunity arose and again the
breadth and quality of the kits on sale was
a testament to how resilient this hobby has
been in recent years. Certainly there was a
steady flow of people coming in and buying
stuff, a factor helped by their excellent
location just off the main A39 road and the
copious free parking.
With time pressing we reluctantly had to
call it a day and head back to Bristol to beat
the rush hour. We both joked we should have
recorded the conversation for a podcast
because it really was a solid flow of easy-
going chat and it seemed in no time that
Glastonbury Tor had receded in the rear-view
mirror and we were crossing Brunel’s the
iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge back into
Bristol and remarking that we must do this
again.
A few weeks later my new annual pass
for the West Somerset Railway arrived and
I was chomping at the bit to return to this
fabulous steam railway. Since I started visiting
the WSR regularly in 2019 - only to be cut
short by Covid - I’d rekindled a love affair with
the colours and architecture of railways, as
mentioned in these pages previously. That
trip, with my friend Fiona, was a blazing hot
day and to be steaming through the rolling
hills of the Qauntocks one moment, then
be skirting the coast of the Bristol Channel
is what makes this such a special line, with
various beautiful and quirky stations in
between. Our destination was the terminus
at Minehead and the view when you exit
the train of North Hill rising in front of you is
magnificent. No matter what time of the year
I visit, rain or shine, hot or cold, you always
get a sense of adventure awaiting. I didn’t
need to go far for this as there is an excellent
second hand book shop on the platform and I
zeroed in at once on a copy of ‘How to go Car
Modelling’ by Gerald Scarborough - bingo!
This was one of the Patrick Stevens Ltd
books that I didn’t own and was a companion
volume to Chris Ellis’ ‘How to go Plastic
Modelling’ - I really can’t go anywhere without
that book calling me back.
Gerald’s name will be familiar with
anyone who read his conversion articles
in Airfix Magazine in the 60s and 70s plus
he authored various Airfix Modelling Guide
books for PSL and also their Classic Aircraft
range that was tied into the 1/24 ‘Superkits’.
Gerald’s influence is massively ingrained into
me, so much so that I still find myself using
offcuts of hardboard as a modelling surface
when the mood takes me.
On the train ride back I dipped in and
out of Gerald’s book and while much of the
scene has changed considerably, a lot of
Gerald’s writing and advice (much like Chris
Ellis) still rings true today. We may have
surrounded ourselves with new methods
of removing parts and cleaning them up,
new adhesives, certainly new paints and
lots of fabulous add-ons using technology
that would have seems like something out
of Star Trek to a modeller in the 1970s,
but the basics remain the same and there
is something cathartic reading modelling
prose from a much simpler era. Quite what
a modeller from the 1970s would make of a
model shop in the 2020s one can only guess
at, certainly they’ll recognise some of the
same kits, even the same box art, but the
rest would probably seem bewildering. And
for all the fuzzy comfort nostalgia brings, I
know which era of modelling I prefer and it’s
the one looking forward not back - though
there’s no harm in visiting the past.
In the meantime, Spencer and I are
planning another possible future meet-up
- this time to the Frome Model Centre or
possibly the Scale Model Shed near Yeovil -
and I’m also checking the calendar for when
I can next zip down to Taunton and board the
WSR.
‘Find adventure in everything’ was some
advice given to me a long time ago and I try
to adhere to it as much as the exigencies of
life allow. Certainly if I’d not taken a different
route to Glastonbury that day in July, I’d have
never found a Sea Harrier in a barn.
Now that’s adventure! ■
 TRANSFER LIST

FURBALL AERO DESIGN

hannants.co.uk

We have another recently released sheet from Furball with further sets of
colourful Super Hornet decals. This is set five and provides the markings for
ten more Super Hornets. As well as the tightly-packed large decal sheet, there
is a half-size stencilling sheet, enough to complete at least two models and
two small sheets of black printed items. The instructions come on six colour-
printed two sides of A4 sheets. Our list below describes what comes in this
superbly produced set.

AIR WING ALL STARS NO. 5 – F/A-18E AND F/A-18F

(SHEET NO. 48082)
his main sheet provides the nose.

T options for eight single

seat F/A-18Es and a pair of
two-seat F/A-18F Hornets.
As well as the spectacular
main markings there is a good supply
of colourful stencilling items that do
not appear on the separate enclosed
stencilling sheet.
01 F/A-18E 168927 Blue 200 with
VFA-14 ‘Fighting Fourteenth’ on USS
Abraham Lincoln in 2019. Colourful
markings are applied to the standard
two-colour grey camouflage scheme.
The spine and tail fins are painted
Dark Blue with a top hat insignia
artwork carried on the outer tail fins
and full colour stars and bars.
02 F/A-18F 166917 Black 102
with VFA-102 ‘Diamondbacks’ on the
USS Ronald Reagan in 2020. This
two seat Hornet is the only one in a
toned-down low-viz scheme with a
subtle grey sunburst and rattle snake
on the tail fins.
03 F/A-18E 168363 Blue 200 with
VFA-27 ‘Royal Maces’ on the USS
Ronald Reagan in 2017. This Hornet
carries the standard scheme with an
impressive-looking armoured glove
holding a mace design on the tail
fins.
04 F/A-18E 168877 Blue 200 with
VFA-113 ‘Stingers’ on USS Carl
Vinson in 2020. A large attacking
stinging bee is illustrated on the tail
fins and the legend ‘Stingers’ appears
on the upper fuselage with full colour
stars and bars.
05 F/A-18E 166776 Blue 200 with
VFA-31 ‘Tomcatters’ on the USS
Franklin D Roosevelt in 2021. As
many will recognise, VFA-31 was a
squadron using F-14 Tomcats back in
the day and those familiar markings
are now applied to this Hornet.
06 F/A-18E 165783 Blue 300 with
VFA-146 Strike Fighter Squadron on
USS Carl Nimitz in 2015. This Hornet
carries a colourful design on the tail
fins with a painted blue sash around
07 F/A-18F 168929 Blue 200 with
VFA-94 ‘Mighty Shrikes’ on USS
Nimitz in 2021. This is probably the
most striking scheme provided in this
set. Red and Dark Blue areas appear
along the fuselage spine, tail fins and
centre-line fuel tank.
08 F/A-18E 168867 Blue 300 with
VFA-97 Strike Fighter Squadron
on USS Stannis on 2019. Time
has moved on with this unit, it now
uses F-35s. Their old Hornet wears
a colourful scheme with an eagle
carrying a shield artwork on the tail
fins.
09 F/A-18E 168471 Grey 400
with VFA-151 ‘Vigilantes’ on USS
Stennis in 2018. This Hornet carries
spectacular markings but all in
shades of grey, mainly Dark Gray FS
36081 on the usual two-tone grey
camouflage scheme.
10 F/A-18E 166828 Blue 400
with VFA-151 ‘Vigilantes’ on USS
Abraham Lincoln in 2021. The
contrast between this very colourful
Hornet and the one above from VFA-
151 could not be starker. The high-viz
Dark Blue and Yellow markings are
applied to the upper fuselage and tail
fins. There is a rare shark’s mouth
on a modern Navy jet adorning the
lower nose.
The final page of the instructions
shows where all the common stencils
belong and the colour demarcations.
As well as the selection of stencils on
the large decal sheet a copy of 48-
080 is included. As well as the stencil
decals a copy of the instructions from
48-080 would have been welcome
as supplied in the set reviewed
previously.
No doubt Hornet fans will be
spoiled for choice or looking to buy
more kits to go with this superb set.
The above decal sets were sourced
from Hannants of Lowestoft. See
their website: hannants.co.uk for
details and ordering. Alan Firbank

8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

ILIAD DESIGN
www.iliad-design.com/decals.html

SPECIAL OPS SKYRAIDERS. 1:48 SCALE. ITEM NO. 48019A

ne of Iliad Design’s The Vietnamese SPADs wear

O latest releases
is Special Ops
Skyraiders in 1:48
scale.
Six aircraft are covered - four
USAF and two Vietnam Air Force.
The four USAF subjects are
finished in SEA colours on the
upper surfaces. One has black
lower surfaces and no national
markings, while the other three
have white lower surfaces and an
interesting selection of markings
including one with a shark’s
mouth and another with colourful
tail markings.
non-standard finishes of browns,
tan and green.
Instructions are supplied on
a folded A4 sheet in full colour.
Four views of the USAF SEA
camouflage is included.
The decals are perfectly
printed. Colours and saturation
look good too.
This decal sheet from Iliad will
be a nice way to customise your
Tamiya 1:48 scale Skyraider kits.
Thanks to Iliad Design for the
review sample http://www.iliad-
design.com/decals.html
Brett Green

MESSERSCHMITT BF 109 G-6. 1:48 SCALE.

ITEM NO. 48002
lso available in with masking tape. Numbers 5,

A 1:32 with the same

six alternatives as
on this sheet, Iliad
provides markings for
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6s of 7./
JG 53 when they were based in
Sicily in 1943. Each aircraft bears
a unique “Pik As” man cartoon
relating to, one assumes, pilot
nicknames, events, or ‘in’ jokes.
Coming in the usual zip-lock bag
with an A4 colour instruction sheet,
the decals are crisply printed in
high gloss with minimal carrier film
and perfect register, the cartoon
images are particularly nice and
full national markings are provided
for four airframes. The aircraft
are numbered 3,5,6,7,8 and 9. All
aircraft are in the same colours of
Grey-green 74 and grey violet 75
splinter over 76 with yellow under
the nose and a white spinner
spiral which unfortunately is not
provided. This is a pity as it is the
most difficult marking to replicate
6 and 7 have lower demarcation
lines than the other three. Clear
location and colour details are
given on the double sided sheet.
This is an impressive set of
markings with the cartoons adding
that ‘something different’ to a
standard scheme. Recommended
to the Luftwaffe Bf109 addict.
Advantages: something a little
unusual, very well printed and
presented with clear instructions.
Disadvantages: none noted
although it would be nice to have
white spinner spirals.
Conclusion: a nice set of
markings for a familiar aircraft,
well presented and the cartoons
certainly add a flash of colour to
the fuselages.
Recommended to the mid-war
Luftwaffe Bf109 addict.
Thanks to Iliad Design for the
review sample http://www.iliad-
design.com/decals.html
Graham Carter

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 9

 TRANSFER LIST

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS
www.hussarproductions.com

AVRO LANCASTER. 1:48 SCALE. ITEM NO. HSD 48009

ussar Productions’ latest decal each fin. perfect register. Colours look authentic. They

H sheet covers three subjects for

1:48 scale Avro Lancasters.
These will be suitable for the HK
Models and Tamiya kits.
The first subject is a B.Mk.I, HW-V2,
attached to 100 Sqn RAF in April 1945. Codes
are Dull Red.
Next up is a B.Mk.III “Spirit of Russia”,
CA-R attached to 189 Sqn in October 1944.
Codes are Dull Red outlined in yellow, and the
individual letter is repeated on the outside of
Finally we have another B.Mk.III, “Uncle Joe
Again!”, JO-U attached to 463 Australian Sqn
in early 1945. Similar to the previous subject,
codes are Dull Red outlined in yellow, and the
individual letter is repeated on the outside of
each fin.
All three aircraft are finished in standard
are printed by Techmod.
Wing walk lines and trestle markings are
included on the decal sheet too.
This decal sheet from Hussar Productions
offers three high quality nose art options
for your 1:48 scale Tamiya or HK Models
Lancaster kits.
Bomber Command heavy bomber finish of Thanks to Hussar Productions for the review
Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces sample www.hussarproductions.com
and Night below. Brett Green
The 10” x 8” decal sheet is glossy and in

BARRACUDACALS
www.hussarproductions.com

SPITFIRE EARLY MARK AIRFRAME STENCILS. 1:72 AND 1:48 SCALES. ITEM NOS. BC72377 AND BC48374
resented in a clear zip-lock bag, pair of 250lb bombs.

P this sheet provides a mass of

stencilling for any Spitfire Mark I
through to Mark V

1:48 scales.
This set is available in 1:72 and

The sheet contains sufficient glossy

printed decals to complete one aircraft and
includes the white versions for an aircraft
with a black lower starboard wing. Also on
the sheet are the brick red patches that
covered the machine gun orifices and some
bomb markings for the Mk Vs that carried a
Such is the quality of these beautifully
printed decals that the stencils are readable,
even in 1:72 and include markings for the
spinner and the open cockpit access door.
An A5 sheet contains application and
placement details and, while it may take
a night or two to apply, I would thoroughly
recommend these to the modeller who likes
his model to be complete.
Thanks to Barracuda Studios for the
review samples www.barracudacals.com
Graham Carter

10 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 NEW 1:48
SCHEMES

Westland Lynx HMA8

/Mk.88A/Mk.90B
A10107A

The Mk8 naval variant of the Lynx

entered service with the Royal Navy
• Armament Included:
WESTLAND LYNX HMA8 in the early 1990s and has since gone – 4 x Sea Skua Missiles
No.815 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Portland, Royal Navy, Royal Naval Air
Station Yeovilton, Somerset, England, 2017.
on to provide them with an excellent – 2 x Mk.11 Depth Charges
maritime attack helicopter, performing
well in the anti-submarine role as well – 1 x 50-Caliber Machine Gun
as search and rescue.

• Option to build with the rotors and tail unit

open or folded

WESTLAND LYNX MK.88A • Various nose/sensor configurations

Marinefliegergeschwader 3 “Graf Zeppelin”, Germany, 2018
• Detailed cockpit

WESTLAND LYNX MK.90B

Søværnets Helikoptertjeneste (Danish Navy Air Squadron), 2013.

Length 316mm Width 265mm Pieces 296

The (Vehicle/Aeroplane Model) is a product of Leonardo MW Ltd and all rights in it,
including its name, are hereby reserved. The models have been produced with the
permission and assistance of Leonardo MW lTD

Airfix.com The excitement is building

and all good retail stockists Official Product
IN PRINT
ModelArt
Aggressor Archives 03 2011-2021
modelart.jp
■ Published by Modelart.jp
■ Guide Price 2,900 yen or around £35
■ Japanese text throughout
■ 176pp softback, 297 x 210mm
T
hose modellers who take a close
interest in the modern Japanese Air
Force will love this book. As can be
seen from the title, this is the third in
this series and brings the history of
the Japanese F-15 Eagle’s amazing aggressor
schemes up to date. Book 1 covered schemes
from 1990 to 2003 and Book 2 2004 to 2010.
This one continues the story to last year.
While many of the Eagles remain with the
Aggressor squadron their paint schemes
change from time to time. I wish I could read
the Japanese text as the first pages appear to
describe how the schemes are applied as we
see photos of painters masking and spraying
their F-15’s top surfaces. As can be seen from
the superb photos in this book, some of the
paintwork is applied using masks with a hard
12 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
demarcation line and some are applied free-
hand with soft edges. All the special schemes
are applied over the standard Eagle’s Light
and Dark Ghost Grey paintwork. From the
modelling point of view, the complication is that
much of the special paintwork is applied over
the original paintwork but using masks over
the original stencils so that they are still visible.
This feature stands out on many of the photos
in this book. The special schemes vary to the
very simple to the complex.
Throughout the book, each scheme is
illustrated with several pages of top-quality
photos and best of all, a set of four-view colour
plans with solid colour patch references.
Unfortunately, the colour samples refer to
Japanese standards but look good enough
to serve as help towards looking for available
near match alternatives. There is a huge range
of schemes and colours with one of the most
surprising being towards the end of the book
with a distinctive tiger black and yellow pattern.
This Eagle would not look out of place at a
NATO Tiger Meet.
Hasegawa in particular re-release their F-
15DJ kits from time to time in these Aggressor
schemes and some decal suppliers also list
JASDF Aggressor F-15 sheets in their range.
Two Bobs include some Aggressor sheets in
the usual scales and DXM also list several in
their range.
If you are keen to buy a copy of this book or
the two earlier volumes, you need to get your
skates on as a limited number are imported
and can sell out quickly. We bought this one
from the Military and Aviation Book Centre and
at the time of writing, they still have copies of
all three in stock. This set of Model Art books
on the Japanese F-15 Aggressors are excel-
lent with some outstanding books on other
aircraft such as Phantoms and Tomcats in their
range.
 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

MMP Books

The Fighting Colours of Richard J.

Caruana – 50th Anniversary Collection
3: EE/BAC Lightning
bookworldws.co.uk
■ By Richard J. Caruana
Published by MMP Books
Guide Price £19.00
ISBN 978-83-66549-90-6
48pp softback, 210 x 297mm

R
egular readers will be familiar with the name
Richard J. Caruana as the talented illustrator
who is a regular contributor to Valiant Wings’
aircraft profiles we review regularly. Richard’s
coloured artwork has appeared in all their
books reviewed so far. As you can see from the title,
this is the third solo book by the author. The first was on
his home country, Malta and illustrates the aircraft fight-
ing over the islands during WW2, the second is a profile
on the mighty Saab Viggen.
The first five pages of this book consists of a short
history of the English Electric Lightning from the first
concept to retirement from service, illustrated with some
photos of Lightnings operating in the skies over Malta.
From page 8 we are treated to two Lightning side profile
artworks on each page beginning with a pair of F.1s
from 1960, the first being XM165 with No. 74 (Tiger)
Squadron. This was the colourful era of the RAF with
many Lightnings carrying coloured squadron insignia
and colourful tail fins. On the facing page, XM165 ap-
pears again with its tail fin painted black. Below this is
my favourite, a Lightning of 226 OCU at RAF Middleton
St. George (now Teesside airport), this was the aircraft
and scheme that sparked my interest in aircraft at the
station’s RAF Battle of Britain Day in 1963. Each profile
is captioned with a brief description of each particular
aircraft and notes on the markings and colours. In a
handful of instances, there is a small plan view of the
featured Lightning.
We see the progression of Lightning schemes from
natural metal airframes to those finished in Dark Green
on their upper surfaces, retaining their natural metal
undersides. Then came the period with a camouflage
pattern of Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey on the upper
surfaces with natural metal undersides. In their old age,
Lightnings turned Grey with a variety of schemes based
on Medium Sea Grey and Barley Grey, some with Dark
Sea Grey as part of the scheme too. Coloured tail
fins made an appearance on Lightnings towards their
retirement date.
Towards the end of the book, we move to exam-
ples of two seat Lightnings, T.4 with the rounded tail
fin tops and T.5s with squared-off fin tops, many
in colourful schemes. The final three pages show
examples of Lightnings belonging to Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia.
This book falls into the ‘short and sweet’ cat-
egory but great things come in small packages
and we love this Lightning colour profile show-
ing off this legendary jet at its best. We sourced
this book from the Aviation and Military Book
Centre (aviationbookcentre.com) but no doubt
other specialist book traders such as Avid
Reader (bookworldws.co.uk) will stock cop-
ies.
Alan Firbank

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 13

 A MULE IN MESSERSC
EDUARD PROFIPACK 1:48 MEZEK AVIA S-199 IN CZECHOSLOVAK AND ISRAELI SERVIC
EDUARD HAS KICKED OFF ITS AVIA S-199 FAMILY WITH A DUAL COMBO RELEASE. TH
he Avia S-199 is a propeller-driven
T Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-based
fighter aircraft built after World War II
utilising the Bf 109G airframe and a
Junkers Jumo 211F engine in place
of the original and unavailable Daimler-Benz
DB 605 engine.
It is notable as the first fighter obtained by
the Israeli Air Force, and used during the 1948
Fuselage halves are full length. Arab-Israeli War.
Biuilt in Czechoslovakia, with parts and
plans left over from Luftwaffe aircraft produc-
tion, the aircraft had numerous problems and
was generally unpopular with its pilots.
Czechoslovak pilots nicknamed it Mezek
("Mule"), while in Israel it was officially known
as the Sakeen ("knife" in Hebrew). In practice,
the aircraft was more often called Messer-
schmitt or Messer (which also means "knife",
in German and Yiddish).*
The Mezek in 1:72 scale
Some cockpit detail is moulded direct to the inside of the This is not the first time that we have seen a
fuselage halves. 1:72 scale S-199.
The Avia S-199 debuted in 1:72 scale with
the KP kit in 1977, and the same company
seems to have released a newly tooled kit in
2015.
In the Box
Eduard newest 1:72 scale kit is their Avia
S-199 in Czechoslovak and Israeli Service
Limited Edition Dual Combo.
The kit includes parts for two complete
models.
In total, the Dual Combo package comprises
188 parts in grey plastic, 20 parts in clear
The main cockpit tub piece. plastic, 2 x colour photo-etched frets, a die-cut,
self-adhesive masking sheet and decals for 12
marking options
Two different fuselage sprues are provided.
One of these is designed for the standard Erla
hood, while the other caters for the Czechoslo-
vakian clear vision, sliding blown hood.
Surface detail is just gorgeous. The mid-
dark grey plastic colour really shows off the
crisp recessed panel lines and rows of rivets.
Partial raised cockpit sidewall detail is
moulded onto the inside of each fuselage
half. This will be supplemented with additional
plastic parts and colour photo-etch.
Detail is very nice. The photo-etched fret is pre-coloured and
Stout locating pegs will ensure accurate rake and splay
for the undercarriage legs.
14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
offers a layered instrument panel, harness
straps, rudder pedals and other cockpit details.
Alternative plastic parts are provided in case
you don't like working with photo-etch. An
instrument panel decal overlay is also offered
as an option to painting the plastic panel.
External details are included too - a Morane
mast, a DF loop and mesh radiator faces.
Two photo-etched frets are supplied - one
for each model.
The fuselage is full length but is designed
with inserts for the upper and lower nose.
These permit different versions to be built. Two
styles of cannon bulge are included, as are
two lower nose inserts - one with a conven-
tional oil cooler housing and one with a narrow
raised fairing.
Wings are conventional and will look familiar
to anyone who has built Eduard's 1:48 scale
Bf 109 G kits. The lower half is full span, while
the uppers are split into port and starboard.
The long, late version wheel bulge is moulded
correctly into the upper wing with structural
detail moulded into the wheel well ceilings.
Wheel well sidewalls are a simple single piece
for each side.
Pay attention to the instructions here as you
may need to drill out holes for the version that
you are building.
The fuselage antenna mast is moulded onto
the top of the fuselage spine and the pitot tube
to the wing leading edge. These are inevitably
delicate and Eduard has provided insur-
ance in the form of a separate pitot tube and
antenna mast on Sprue C. I'll be cutting off the
moulded-on parts and using these separate
parts for my build. Thanks Eduard!
Options include under wing cannon
gondolas, two styles of centreline drop tank,
alternative covers behind the pilot's head - one
with the storage hatch and one with the battery
box cover, two styles of rudder, long or short
tail wheel struts, smooth or treaded tyres and
small lower wing bulges.
Unlike Eduard's 1:48 scale Bf 109 kits, the
S-199 undercarriage legs are moulded with
deep locating pegs that should guarantee a
robust join plus accurate splay and rake. I'd
like to see this nice design feature upscaled
for future Eduard Bf 109 releases.
Clear parts include the blown and Erla cano-
pies, isolated Morane mast base and more.
Alternative parts are offered for open and
 1:48 ‘Europe’s Number One Model Shops’
www.hannants.co.uk

ICM32038
1:32...........
£43.80

CHMITT’S CLOTHING
de Havilland
DH.82A
Tiger Moth
with bombs

ICE LIMITED EDITION DUAL COMBO. KIT NO. 2141

HE EDITOR CHECKS OUT BOTH KITS ICM32090
1:32...........
£49.80
Yakovlev
Yak-9T
(100% new
moulds)

The kit photo-

etched fret.

ICM48288
1:48...........
£59.80
Douglas
A-26C-15
Invader
with pilots
and ground
Clear parts.
personnel

This is the
sliding blown ICM48289
canopy 1:48...........
unique to the £67.80
Douglas ‘Jig
S-199. Do’ JD-1D
Invader
with KDA-1
drone

closed blown canopies. tensions from Eduard following this release - a

The parts are thin and clear. 1:48 scale Avia S-199 and a 1:72 scale family
of Bf 109 F/G/Ks.
Markings Eduard has really done their homework with ICM48302
Markings are supplied for a generous 12 this home-grown post-war development of the 1:48...........
Czechoslovakian and Israeli subjects. Messerschmitt Bf 109. With gorgeous surface £75.80
A big selection of schemes and markings textures, an impressive level of detail with no ‘Desert
are offered. compromise considering its small scale and Storm’.
The unique and national markings are sup- many useful options, this little gem will be hard North-
plied on two decal sheets. to keep in the box. American/
Rockwell
Two smaller sheets provide the stencil USD$54.45 looks like great value for two OV-10A and
markings. highly detailed multimedia kits too. OV-10D+
*Background text adapted from Wikipedia Bronco
Conclusion Thanks to Eduard for the sample 1991
I do hope that we will see the two logical ex- www.eduard.com ■
ICM72030
1:72...........
Eduard has also released a number of accessory and update sets: £15.20
■ 672285 - S-199 Exhaust Stacks PRINT USD$7.95 Tupolev
Tu-2T Soviet
■ 672285 - S-199 Wheels PRINT USD$7.95 torpedo
■ D72038 - S-199 Czechosolvak National Insignia Decals USD$5.95 plane
■ D72039 - S-199 Israeli National Insignia Decals USD$5.95
■ D72040 - S-199 Czechosolvak Stencil Decals USD$5.95
■ D72040 - S-199 Israeli Stencil Decals USD$5.95

ICM72140
1:72...........
£19.20
Mikoyan
MiG-29
‘Fulcrum’
The Ghost
Of Kiev of
Ukrainian Air
Force.

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
SHOW REPORT
QUEENSLAND MODEL &
HOBBY EXPO 2022
The Editor heads to sunny Ipswich to visit the 2022 Queensland Model and Hobby Expo
T
he 2022 Queensland Model and
Hobby Expo was held on the
weekend of August 20 and 21
2022 at the Ipswich Events Centre,
Ipswich Showgrounds. This is the
second year that the show has been held at
this new venue west of Brisbane.
Last year’s show was limited by COVID
lockdowns but this year’s QMHE proved very
popular with more than 1,000 attendees on the
first day alone. Around 500 impressive models
graced the competition tables too. Entries
came from as far afield as Western Australia,
16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
South Australia and New South Wales.
QMHE is a co-operative annual venture
between local Queensland model clubs, but
entries are open to members and the public
alike.
The organising committee was clearly
delighted with this year’s event and they have
confirmed that the show will be held at the
Ipswich Showgrounds venue again in 2023.
An even greater number of models
appeared on club display tables. In addition
to the military models present, there were
plenty of aircraft, cars, trucks, figures and a
growing number of examples from the worlds
of wargaming, Gundam, anime and fantasy.
Plenty of traders were on hand, amongst
them Modelnerds, Firestorm Models,
Specmodels, Creative Models Australia,
Ronnel’s Hobbies and many more. The
canteen, serving hot food, was doing a roaring
trade too.
So if you’re in Australia anywhere near
sunny Queensland in August next year, drop
by – it’s well worthwhile! n
Welcome to QMHE 2022! Model tools and supplies were available on the weekend.

Plenty of kits too! New bases from Creative Models Australia.

The Sunday morning Swap and Sell was popular despite

the early start on a chilly morning.

Gundam, anime and fantasy was out in force too.

The tables were packed with impressive competition entries.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 17

Plenty of club displays.

SHOW REPORT
Convincing wood decals on Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Heinkel
He 162 A.

This PC-21 is 1:72 scale.

Military, aircraft and fantasy were all present.

A “What If” RAAF Tomcat.

Colorful Eduard 1:48 Fokker.

A dismantled 1:32 scale MiG.

Full engine detail was on display here. Needs a “Polish”.

18 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 Gorgeous painting on a 1:32 scale Trumpeter Skyraider.

Tamiya’s 1:32 scale F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair. 1:48 scale Petlyakov Pe-2 in a winter scene.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 19

KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY RAFAŁ LEBIODA

SEVENTY TWO
LOW FOR

ZERO Rafał Lebioda returns to complete Tamiya’s

20 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

1:72 scale A6M2b Zero
 1:72
SKILL LEVEL:
BEGINNER

SPECIFICATION:
Tamiya 1:72 A6M2b Zero. Kit No. 60780

T
he Japanese Zero is one of the
iconic fighters of the Second
World War. It was also one of the
innovative designs challenging its
Allied opponents and driving rapid
improvement in US fighters.
I dare say that the Zero silhouette is
synonymous with combat aviation of the time,
almost an icon also reflected in the popularity
of this silhouette in the modelling world.
The aircraft is the object of many
enthusiasts including modellers who want
to reproduce it from among the many scale
replicas available.
We have quite a wide choice between
model companies and also scales. Japanese
manufacturer Tamiya released this excellent kit
several years ago in 1:72 scale. One of them
came into my hands a few years ago to build.
Work on this model was not happy - I started
building the kit two years ago then shelved

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 21

 After painting, I glued the dedicated

KIT BUILD
Eduard photo-etched detail set
comprising the instrument panels and
other interior elements.

Most importantly, the contents are beautifully

designed and they fit together perfectly.

Immediately
after that, I glued
This always characterises the products of this company - the the seat belts to
elements fit perfectly making the construction of Tamiya kits the seat.
a great pleasure. I glued the cockpit parts using Mr. Cement S
glue, a thin penetrating glue. After gluing, I sprayed the kit with
primer followed by the recommended colours - Interior Green
from the Mr. Hobby palette.

After painting the interior and gluing the photo-etched parts, I applied a bit of upholstery using a thin brush and Super Metallic paint
from the Mr. Hobby range.

Next I can dirtied up the interior using a ready-made mix

from AMMO Mig in a shade of brown.

22 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:72
The cockpit also gets a similar dirtying
treatment. After this treatment, both
fuselage halves and the cockpit were
ready for pasting.

I trapped the cockpit inside

the closed the fuselage halves
using Mr. Cement S
glue assisted by a clamp
at the rear of the
fuselage.

After the glue was thoroughly set, I puttied the fuselage

join using Mr. Surfacer 1200 liquid putty.

After it had dried well, the

area was sanded and puttied
again until the desired effect is
achieved.

After assembling the engine cowl, I added a bit of upholstery

using a thin brush and silver paint. I also wiped the whole
engine with zero metals to give it the right look.

“After many
I detailed the motor with thin wire. I also painted the engine adventures in
and the whole thing was
dirtied up with a brown getting this
wash. The engine cover,
after being painted black, model of the
also gets a ding in a
similar way as above famous Zero
actually finished,
it was finally
able to join my
collection.”

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 23

I glued the wires with super glue after which I painted
the whole thing with Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black primer.
KIT BUILD

Finally, I apply the finished

specs from AMMO Mig in
“The Japanese Zero is one of the iconic
light grey for highlighting
the parting lines.
fighters of the Second World War.”

Once dry, these elements will be ready for final assembly

in the final stage of model construction.

The wing panels consist of three pieces: one bottom and two top.
I glued them together using thicker Tamiya glue and finally a thin
penetrating glue from Mr. Hobby, Mr. Cement S7. Once dry, I applied
liquid putty to the leading edge.

After preparing
the fuselage
beforehand, I was
able to join the
… After drying, the area was sanded with a file and wet wing panel using
sandpaper. Once the surface was smooth, I re-scribed the panel Mr. Cement S
lines with a razor blade and a tailor's needle. The middle part of penetrating glue.
the flap on the cockpit side was covered with Metallic Blue, as
was the underside of the fuselage.

I also painted the wheel recesses in the same colour and then secured them with paper and masking compound.

24 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:72
I also glued the rear horizontal stabilisers and then
covered it with Mr. Surfacer Grey Primer.

Before applying the base colour, I

applied pre-shading using heavily
diluted black paint (Tamiya, X-1) and
an airbrush. I painted dark lines/
streaks along the panel lines of the
airframe panel.

The Grey Primer made

it easier for me to
verify the quality of the
joints and catch any
surface irregularities. In
the next step, I applied
black primer to the model,
which was the base for
SM 201 silver Metalizer.
Meanwhile, I similarly painted
the propeller blades and cap.
Only after this step
did I apply the base
colour obtained from
a mixture of Green
Gray IJN (XF-76) and
Light Gray (H338)
paint.

After finishing painting with the base colour, I sealed the whole
thing with glossy clear varnish (GX100 series from Mr. Hobby;
66). After it had dried, I started applying the decals, supporting
myself with the marking scheme in the assembly instructions and
the decals’ undercoating and softening agents.

When painting, I tried to fill in the centres of the panels,

wanting to leave a delicate accent for the previously
applied shading.

As soon as the decals settled on

the surface and dried, I applied
two coats of matte varnish.

Selected elements (e.g., horizontal stabilizers) I painted

with a lighter shade of the base colour for greater color
differentiation, helping myself with a piece of masking
cardboard.

25
KIT BUILD

I planned to make a slightly worn copy Zero, so applying chipping with a thin brush and metallic I applied delicate marks of chipping to appropriate places exposed to rubbing and damage - the
paint was the right thing to do at this stage of the work. sides of the fuselage at the level of the cockpit, fragments of the wings on the way to the cockpit,
the area around the inspection hatches; also on area around the wheel well recesses.

In the meantime, I prepared the clear parts for masking by cleaning them and then applying Dirt was applied using ready-made products from AMMO Mig in Dark Brown and Dark Mud shades.
dedicated masks (Montex Mini Mask kit). I attached the clear parts to this model separately, a bit The wash on the airframe was done using various shades of wash.
differently than I normally do. I also added a bit of shadig to the top, sides and underside using a
thin brush and a base colour, XF-76 and H338.

I rubbed off the excess wash using cotton buds and a soft cloth. After rubbing the excess wash off, I corrected the application on selected areas of the wing flaps
and fuselage to enhance the effect.

26 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:72
it only to return to it this year. It sometimes
happens among modelers that projects are
postponed or rescheduled for another time,
often due to other projects popping up or
simply due to a lack of time or will!
The neat box contains quite a few parts
for this scale. After gathering the necessary
documentation and inspecting the contents,
I set about assembling the lovely miniature.
First, I determined the paint scheme from
those available in the box and the method of
display - open cockpit of an aircraft stationed
on the aircraft carrier Akagi.
After preparing the necessary tools for
assembling the aircraft, I got down to cutting
out the first elements and gluing them
together. I carried out the construction of the
model according to the instructions, bearing in
mind, however, possible deviations from time
to time.

Dry pastels were applied in the next step using light

brown, earthy and sandy shades.

I applied the pigments with a brush and fixed them with white spirit. I wiped off the excess Finishing this stage is the application of a thin layer of matte clear varnish.
with cotton buds.

I partially wiped off the excess pigments by rolling a cotton swab soaked in white spirit, The final stage of assembly is the previously prepared small parts of the aircraft. I glued the small
obtaining interesting effects of irregular staining. elements of the landing gear…

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 27

KIT BUILD

…and the engine to the cowl. Before installing the engine and cowl, I applied soot-coloured dry pigments, replicating the typical
dirtiness of this part of the airframe.

I mounted the wheels - previously slightly flattened - together with the cowlings in their place using Contacta Clear cement from Revell helped me fix the windscreen into its proper
super glue. Similarly, the drop tank had been previously painted and worn. place. These were painted with the base colour with the help of masks.

The windscreen gives the right shape

to the beautiful silhouette of the Zero.

28 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:72
The antenna mast and line were made from a
fibre from a pair of pantyhose.

I secured these with super glue, carefully setting

them in place. The last element glued to the
airframe was the propeller with the spinner cap.
The A6M2b was now ready and I could move on
to the photo shoot.

It was a lot of fun to work

on this model. After many
adventures in getting this
model of the famous Zero
actually finished, it was finally
able to join my collection.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 29

 ft
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KIT BUILD
BUILT AND PAINTED BY CHRIS WAUCHOP
INTRODUCTION AND IN-BOX TEXT BY BRETT GREEN

DARKChris Wauchop adds detail

to Revell’s 1:32 scale
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10
Erla Production
N

nce upon a time, not really all This was a fair assumption based on side below the port side of the canopy was

O that long ago, it was commonly

believed that there was a variant
of the Bf 109 G-10 fitted with the
DB605AS engine. In fact, quite a
number of books included reference to the "Bf
109 G-10/AS".
examination of wartime photos. A number of
very late-war Bf 109 G-10s were observed
with the streamlined "asymmetrical" cowl but
without the characteristic lower chin bulges.
These aircraft also shared another trait - the
crescent-shaped fairing on the fuselage
substituted with a simple, flat rectangular
panel.
Subsequent research uncovered the true
story. These aircraft were powered by the
DB605D engine like the rest of the Bf 109
G-10 family. However, they were the subject

32 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:32
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:
Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 Erla Production.

NIGMA
Kit No. 04888

PAINTS USED:
l Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Color- H-65 RLM70
Black Green, H-70 RLM02 Grey, H-417 RLM76 Light Blue,
H-421 RLM81 Bron Violet, H-422 RLM82 Light Green,
H-24 Orange Yellow, H-23 Shine Red, H-15 Bright Blue.
l Tamiya Acrylic- XF-1 Flat Black, XF-2 Flat White, X-18
Semi Gloss Black, XF-Dark Grey, XF-64 Red Brown, XF-3
Flat Yellow, XF-7Flat Red.
l Tamiya Lacquer- LP-70 Gloss Aluminium.
l Windsor & Newton Galleria- Matt Varnish.

MATERIALS AND AFTERMARKET

ADDITIONS:
l Various Evergreen plastic rod, strip and card.
l Fine copper wire.
l Lead foil and wire.
l Gunze Sangyo- Mr Surfacer 500 liquid filler, Mr Metal
Primer and Mr Mark Softer.
l Vallejo Acrylic Resin Plastic Putty.
l HGW Micro fibre fabric seat belts for Messerschmitt
Bf109G-10 No.132542.
l Prismacolor PC949 Metallic Silver pencil.
l Albion Alloys fine brass wire and tube of various sizes.
l Invisible mending thread.
l Tamiya Masking Tape of various sizes.
l Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, Tamiya- Extra Thin Quick
Setting Cement.
l Revell Contacta Professional plastic glue.

TOOLS USED:
l MDC Rivet making tool.
l Tamiya Plastic Scriber.
l Culiau Customizer Professional Engraving Pen.
l Lots of cutters, scalpels, drills, tweezers, clamps and
sanding materials.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 33

1 9
KIT BUILD
1: Revell’s box art. 2: Revell’s fuselage halves have been
moulded to depict short or tall tail variants. 3: The characteristic
curved fuselage fairing may be seen here. 4: Panel line detail is
very fine and a little shallow in places. 5: Separate leading edge
slats are offered. These may be posed deployed or retracted.
6: Panel lines on the wings are better defined. 7: The plastic
instrument panel is very nice and comes up a treat with the
addition of decal dials. 8: Inserts are supplied for the large
wheel covers on the upper wings. 9: Nice and accurate detail
moulded onto the ceiling of the main wheel well inserts.
10: Three different styles of tall rudder are included. 11: The
other two rudder styles. Check your references carefully.
2 10 12: Gun troughs look pretty good – maybe just a millimetre or
two too close together. 13: The split between the top and bottom
of the spinner is not on a natural panel line and will be a bit of
pain to eliminate. 14: The separate landing flaps. 15: One of the
two clear sprues. 16: The second clear sprue includes a cockpit
fuel line – nice touch.

of an attempt at the Messerschmitt Erla

production facility to further streamline the
front end of the bulging fighter.
3 11 The oil cooler was made wider and
shallower, and the plumbing was redesigned.
This led to a new wider and shallower oil
cooler housing, and permitted the lines of the
lower forward cowl to be smoothed, eliminating
the cheek bulges. The main cowl contours
were modified too, as were various panels.
This, in turn, led to different shapes for the gun
troughs. A new, larger supercharger intake was
installed. The squared-off port-side fairing was
another key identifying factor.
4 12 Luftwaffe researcher Jean-Claude Mermet
labelled this the "Type 110 cowl". This was not
a Luftwaffe designation, but is a convenient
way to name the cowl in the absence of an
official designation. These days, the type is
more commonly referred to as Bf 109 G-10
Erla.
In can be argued that the Erla-built G-10
was the ultimate Bf 109. It was lighter in
weight, more streamlined and actually
5 13 performed better than the Bf 109 K-4, making
it the fastest of all the Messerschmitt Bf 109s.
It would appear that all Erla built Bf
109G-10s had the tall tail, but photos show
that they could be fitted with every possible
combination of short/tall tailwheel strut and
narrow/wide wheels and upper wing bulges.
Early Erla G-10s also had the canopy-mounted
antenna mast.

In the Box
6 14 Revell’s 1:32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10
Erla shares a number of sprues with the G-6

7 15

two marking options.

The kit decal sheet offers

8 16

The kit cockpit with a fair bit of extra detail added. The under detailed kit rudder pedals were replaced with the better items from the
Hasegawa Bf 109 G-10 kit.
Cockpit painted and weathered with the beautiful HGW micro fibre fabric seatbelts added to the seat.
kit released mid-2013. It comprises 175 light
blue grey (including 31 marked not for use); 12
clear styrene parts; markings for two aircraft.
This is the first time that an Erla-production
Bf 109 G-10 has been produced as a
mainstream kit in any scale.
Unlike the G-6, Revell has moulded full-
length fuselage halves for this Erla G-10. This
means that the only fuselage insert is the
upper gun trough, so there will be less work
aligning and filling join seams.
The starboard fuselage spine is moulded
with three filler hatches. These should all be
there - you won't need to fil and sand any of
the filler hatches on this model.
Another nice feature is that the new large
wing wheel bulges are not separate stick-on
parts but fully formed on the top and bottom
surfaces of the inboard upper wing panels.
Also, the internal wheel well sidewalls are
split into three parts plus wing spar on each
side, resulting in a realistic depiction of the
undercarriage bays.
Surface features are fine, comprising mainly
recessed panel lines. Recessed rivets are
used sparingly. I like the fabric texture on the
control surfaces, which is raised and depicts
tape strips and stitching.
All control surfaces, including the leading
edge slats and even the front radiator ramps,
are separate. The rudder, elevators and
ailerons are hinged and may be built to be
October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 35
1:32
The kit joystick with some extra detail added.
moveable when the model is complete, and
the separate leading edge slats may be glued
in the raised or lowered position.
The cockpit is quite well detailed straight
from the box. It is made up from a modest 19
parts, but the result is really impressive. The
fuel line that runs along the starboard sidewall
is provided as a clear part, so the inspection
panel may be masked off during painting.
Harness straps are moulded in place on the
seat pan and rear bulkhead. Also interesting
is the wing spar, which is attached directly to
the bottom of the cockpit floor. The only areas
that really need are the simplified gunsight and
rudder pedals.
Outline accuracy appears to be very good.
The fuselage length is correct, and the nose
captures the smooth appearance of the real
thing. The specific attributes such as the
integrated square panel on the port side of the
fuselage, the streamlined front bottom corners
of the nose and the Erla oil cooler housing are
all captured by the kit.
The machine gun troughs correctly depict
the Erla style - in-panel pressing with an
elongated tear-drop shape. Comparing the kit
troughs with drawings in Luftwaffe Verband
magazine Issue No. 13, the spacing looks
okay, although they may be just a millimetre or
two too close together.
Being such a specific version, there are
fewer options than the G-6, yet there are more
than the instructions actually mention. These
undersold options are:
l three rudder styles (rounded bottom
corner; squared-off bottom corner; and
"flattened cone" reinforced rudder). All three
are moulded with fabric texture and are fitted
with two fixed trim tabs and one Flettner tab. At
least some Erla G-10s were fitted with wooden
KIT BUILD
Interior installed. Decals for the instrument dials were sourced from an old Hasegawa 109 decal
sheet. Each dial face was cut out and applied separately.
rudders with the rounded bottom corner. If your
chosen subject has a wooden rudder it won't
be difficult to sand off the fabric texture.
● long and short tail wheel strut and
alternate tail wheel well fairings
● wide and narrow main wheels, with two
choices of narrow wheel and tyre style. All the
wheels look really good.
Some Erla built G-10s also featured rudders
with no trim tabs. It will be a very simple matter
to cut the kit trim tabs off to depict this version.
As always, consult your references for the
specific attributes of wing bulges, tail wheel,
antenna mast and rudder.
“Revell’s 1:32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10
Erla shares a number of sprues with the G-6 kit
released mid-2013.”
The kit’s chin radiator is noticeably too shallow so I replaced it with the corresponding deeper part from the Hasegawa 109 kit.
36 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
Revi gunsight from the Hasegawa 109 G-10 kit (with a bit of extra detail added) was used in place of
the underwhelming kit offering.
Considering early Erla-produced G-10s
were fitted with the narrow main wheels and
short tail wheel strut, it is a pity that the small
wheel bulge insert was not included in the box
as well. They are the only pieces needed to
represent an early Erla G-10.
So the news is generally very good although
there are a number of areas that could have
been done better, and most of these are
hangovers from last year's G-6 kit.. The
circular front of the supercharger intake is thin
The kit’s very narrow exhaust stacks were replaced with
and some details are absent; the propeller the broader Hasegawa offering. This required a bit of
blade profile is not quite right (I assume that surgery to make them fit which included thinning of the
these are supposed to be the wide VDM9- exhaust shrouds, which I was going to do anyway. Also
12159A blades, which more resemble a broad the end of each stack was carefully hollowed out.
breadknife - take a look at Ultracast's accurate
1/48 scale VDM-9 blades to see what I mean),
A new push rod for the rudder’s trim tab made from
brass wire and tube replaced the kit part. The fine
wire loop near the top of the tail fin makes for a very
secure attachment point for the radio antenna wire. A
corresponding loop was added to the fuselage just behind
the cockpit opening for attaching the other end of the
wire.
The small scoops on either side of the nose were very
carefully hollowed out using my motor tool and a sharp
scalpel blade. Note also rivets added to spinner.
 1:32

This shot shows the initial application of the camo colours and the JG27 green Reich Defence band. Weathering is also well underway and you can also see that the entire model has been riveted.

Decals have now been applied but as I couldn’t find any appropriate decals for the fuselage
Balkenkreuz and Red 13, I cut masks and sprayed them on. The speculative W.Nr. on the tail was
made by cutting individual numbers from the kit decal sheet. The insulators on the antenna wire
were made by cutting 2.5mm lengths of 0.5mm x 0.3mm brass tube and threading onto the nylon
mono filament. Once in position each one was secured with a tiny drop of CA glue.
while the small cowl scoops and exhaust
ejectors are moulded solid. The exhausts are
Patchy bare metal too short (in height) and the oil cooler intake
lower wings with is undersized too. The shapes of the 300
wingtips, ailerons litre drop tank and ETC rack have not been
and horizontal tail
surfaces in RLM76. depicted perfectly either.
All weathered with The spinner shape looks good, and it
my black/brown correctly depicts the tapered "keyhole"
mix. openings for the propeller blades. However,
the split between the top and bottom of the
spinner is not on a natural panel line and will
be a pain to eliminate, especially if you want to
apply a spiral decal.
Fortunately, most of these issues may be
addressed by after-market parts. Eduard
offers a replacement cockpit that will be 95%
suitable, resin hollowed exhaust stacks and
brass undercarriage legs. Barracuda Studios

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 37

KIT BUILD
offer replacement wheels and have new
propeller blades and other improvements too.

Markings
Markings for two aircraft are included:

l W.Nr. 491446, Maj. Erich Hartmann, JG

52, April 1945. I assume that this aircraft is
supposed to be finished in a scheme of RLM
75 Grey Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green upper
surfaces (also possibly RLM 74/75) over
RLM 76 Light Blue, although the instructions
indicate the unlikely combination of RLM 74
and 83 on the uppers.

l W.Nr. 152016, JG 300, Praha-Kbely, May

1945. Once again, probably not RLM 74 and
83 on the upper surfaces. This one may have
been either RLM 74 and 75 Greys (or RLM
75 and 83) on the nose and the wings, with
a solid application of RLM 81 Brown Violet
and/or RLM 83 Dark Green on the fuselage
and possibly the tops of the wings and the Open canopy securing strap and spring were made from very fine copper and brass wire. Securing loops for the radio antenna wire
and safety harness buckles were also made from fine wire. DF loop was made from a narrow strip of flat P/E brass from the spares box.
tailplanes. An interesting one, this!

The decals are in register and colour “The kit’s very narrow exhaust stacks were
saturation looks good. Full stencil data is
provided. The markings are flat in finish. n
replaced with the broader Hasegawa offering.”

38 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:32

This machine had been quoted as being Black 13 however, by this time, 2./JG 27 was only using red tactical numbers.” Claes may be wrong about the Red 13 but I think it looks great on this scheme.

Red 13 of 2./JG27, Schwerin-Görries/ Germany, mid-April 1945. Claes Sundin (whose beautiful illustration of this aircraft was my main inspiration for this build) states “that
this Bf 109 G-10 was found intact, belly-landed in a field. The W.Nr. on its rudder is a qualified guess as it is known that the Gruppen flew this type of G-10 from the 151XXX
block and some of them were camouflaged in this overall scheme of RLM 81/82.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 39

KIT BUILD
Given the black and white treatment to try and match
my black and white reference photo shows how it could
easily be interpreted as Black or Red “13”.

40 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 SQUADRON
BOoKS
39008 B-25 MITCHELl 10268 F-111 AaRDVARK 10267 F-14 TOMCAT
NEW
ONLINE NOW

NEW
ONLINE NO
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NEW
ONLINE NOW

WWW.DOOLITTLEMEDIA.COM
E. enquiries@doolittlemedia.com
T. +44 (0) 1525 222573
Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, Great Britain
EDUARD 1:48 F4F-3 WILDCAT PROFIPACK. KIT NO. 82201
THE EDITOR GETS UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH EDUARD’S BRAND NEW 1:48 SCALE F4F-3 WILDCAT
he Grumman F4F Wildcat is an
T American carrier-based fighter aircraft
that began service in 1940 with the
United States Navy, and the British
Royal Navy where it was known as
the Martlet.
First used by the British in the North Atlantic,
the Wildcat was the only effective fighter avail-
able to the United States Navy and Marine
Corps in the Pacific Theatre during the early
part of the Second World War. The disappoint-
ing Brewster Buffalo was withdrawn in favour
of the Wildcat and replaced as aircraft became
available.
With a top speed of 318 mph, the Wildcat
was outperformed by the faster 331 mph, more
manoeuvrable, and longer-ranged Mitsubishi
A6M Zero. However, the F4F’s ruggedness,
coupled with tactics such as the Thatch Weave
and hit-and-run manoeuvres using altitude
advantage resulted in a claimed air combat
kill-to-loss ratio of 5.9:1 in 1942 and 6.9:1 for
the entire war.
Lessons learned from the Wildcat were later
applied to the faster F6F Hellcat. While the
Wildcat had better range and manoeuvrability
at low speed, the Hellcat could rely on superior
power and high speed performance to outper-
form the Zero.
In addition to production by Grumman, Gen-
eral Motors / Eastern Aircraft produced 5,280
FM variants of the Wildcat.
Grumman’s Wildcat production ceased in
early 1943 to make way for the newer F6F
Hellcat, but General Motors continued to
produce Wildcats for both U.S. Navy and Fleet
Air Arm use.
Even when the Wildcat was obsolescent as
a front line fighter compared to the F6F Hellcat
or the much faster F4U Corsair, it remained
adequate for small escort carriers against
submarine and shore threats. These relatively
modest ships only carried two types of aircraft,
42 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
DEBUT W
the Wildcat and GM-built TBM Avenger. The
Wildcat’s lower landing speed and ability to
take off without a catapult made it more suit-
able for shorter flight decks.*
*Historical summary adapted from Wikipedia
F4F-3 Wildcat
The F4F-3 was the first variant to see combat,
in the guise of the Martlet Mk.I in Royal Navy
service.
Compared to later variants, the F4F-3 had
four wing-mounted .50 cal machine guns, a dif-
ferent cowl and radiator flap arrangement, and
non-folding wings.
The F4F-4 entered service in 1941 but its
performance was noticeably inferior to its
lightweight predecessor and it was initially
unpopular with pilots.
In the Box
It is always exciting to lift the lid of the first kit
in a brand new family from Eduard.
Eduard’s debut 1:48 scale release depicts
the first Wildcat to see combat - the F4F-3.
This all new 1:48 F4F-3 Wildcat ProfiPACK
edition comprises 131 parts in grey coloured
plastic (including 31 marked not for use), 26
parts in clear (12 marked not for use), a colour
photo-etched fret with 61 parts; a self-adhesive
masking sheet and markings for six aircraft.
Subtract optional parts from these numbers
and we are looking at a surprisingly modest
total of plastic parts.
However, this does not imply any compro-
mise in detail.
Indeed, detail is excellent. The cockpit is
built up from plastic and photo-etched parts.
With its tubby fuselage, there is plenty of
space to build the cockpit up from the bulk-
heads to the accurate see-through floor, pilot’s
foot rails, busy side consoles, rudder pedals
and the instrument panel.
Colour photo-etched parts are supplied
for the instrument panel, but alternative dial
decals are offered as an option if you prefer.
The crisply pre-painted panels for the side
consoles are another highlight, as are the
impressively shaded harness straps. Alterna-
tive straps are supplied for pre-war and early
(lap belts only) or later wartime (shoulder and
lap straps) variants.
The firewall doubles as a rigid base for the
wing spars.
The engine mounts are made up from three
cleverly designed pieces that plug directly into
the back of the engine. With careful handling
this should be an impressive looking structure.
The instructions recommend that you trim
a little from the inside of the lower fuselage
window opening before gluing the clear pieces
in place. Ignore the instructions at your peril!
The textures on this model are superb -
perhaps their best yet.
I really like the stretched fabric effect on
the control surfaces, along with rib tapes and
stitching detail.
The combination of recessed and raised
rivets on the fuselage is a nice touch too. It
is very subtle - more of a touchable texture
than an obvious feature. The lines of recessed
rivets are particularly fine.
Parts breakdown is conventional. The
upper and lower wings are split into port and
starboard halves. They will slide onto the stout
wing spars later in the assembly sequence. All
control surfaces are separate.
There was discussion some weeks ago
about raised gun access panels on the upper
wings.
Having the model in front of me right now,
the raised panels are very restrained. They are
even hard to see under the unforgiving glare
of my big Bowens strobes, carefully angled to
pick up the effect. It is so subtle that you really
have to look for it.
The characteristically spindly undercarriage

WILDCAT
is built up from a number of fine plastic parts.
Their assembly is clearly illustrated in the
instructions.
Main wheels are moulded with radial tread
and a separate covered hub. The tyres are not
bulged or flattened.
Two styles of tail wheel are supplied - one
with a pneumatic tyre and another with a
smaller solid rubber type.
The engine is simply broken down into four
parts - two rows of cylinders, a ring of push
rods and crankcase cover. Ignition harness is
not included.
You are also offered the choice of three
different forward cowls and two side cowl-
ings. Cowl flaps are closed on all options. The
instructions advise which parts are applicable
to what marking option.
Wing mounted bomb racks are optional. The
wing machine guns are not hollowed out at the
end but the cooling jackets feature deep holes
that look great.
Three antennae on the lower fuselage are
supplied as flat photo-etched parts. I’ll be re-
placing these with fine metal rod. Check your
references for the correct location of these.
The clear sprue is free from distortion.
There are a number of options here, including
different parts for open and closed canopies.
A windscreen with a hole to accommodate a
telescopic sight is also provided.
Instructions are supplied in a 16 page sta-
pled A4 booklet. As you’d expect, the diagrams
are logical and easy to follow.
Markings
Markings are supplied for six schemes with
some interesting and varied markings from
pre-war to Pacific warrior.
The decal sheets are perfectly printed by
Eduard.
A small errata sheet is also included.
Six colour four view diagrams and historical
1:48
Surface textures are beautifully subtle, especially the
recessed rivets.
One of the upper wing halves.
notes are included for all of the schemes.
Eduard After Market Accessories
To coincide with the kit’s launch, Eduard has
also released ten after-market upgrade sets in
resin, 3D printing, photo-etch and more:
■ EX878 - Canopy Masks
■ 481086 - Landing Flaps
■ 644172 - LOOK Colour Instrument Panel
incl. Harness and 3D Printed Parts A number of optional parts are included.
■ 648766 - PRINT 3D Printed Exhausts
■ 648767 - PRINT 3D Printed Wheels (Early)
■ 648769 - PRINT 3D Printed Gun Barrels
(x6)
■ 648777 - PRINT 3D Printed Cockpit
■ 648779 - BRONZE Undercarriage Legs
■ 3DL48076 - SPACE Late Version Cockpit
Detail Set (3D printed and photo-etched)
■ FE1290 - STEEL Seat Belts
I am sure that we’ll be seeing more acces-
sory releases in the near future too!
Conclusion
The first all-new release in Eduard’s Wildcat
family, this 1:48 scale F4F-3 is simply a beauti-
ful model.
Eduard has not rested on its laurels - I think Cylinder detail.
the subtle fabric and recessed textures on
display here are their best yet.
The cockpit is a gem right out of the box, but
the inclusion of colour photo-etch in this debut
ProfiPACK edition will lift it to even greater
heights.
From day one Eduard has also released a
slew of multi-media update sets for the cock-
pit, undercarriage, wheels, guns and more,
so you can decide for yourself whether to go
straight from the box or super detailed.
This is another winner from Eduard - I can’t
wait to start mine!
Thanks to Eduard for the sample. ■ The rib tape and stitching texture looks great.
The clear sprue.
Photo-etched parts are included.
KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY JASON BREWER

DORTENM
WURGER verybody has that one subject that tickles their fancy more than any

E other, and for me that is the Fw190. I built several Tamiya Wurgers
but steered clear of the previous tooling of Eduard 190s due to their
complexity. When they announced a simplified new tool I was thrilled
and have built several already. I'm more of a fan of the 190 D, but
until Eduard updates that kit as well I'll be sticking to A's. For this build I chose
Dortenmann's 190A-8 and would love to do his 190D-9 to go with it.
Barracuda Studios' Cockpit Snapshot Updgrade set was used for the office.
I love these snapshot sets as they add a lot of detail and interest to the cockpit
with minimal work compared to a full resin cockpit. The cockpit was painted up
with Tamiya acrylics, details picked out with Vallejo, and a few Airscale placard
decals added for extra interest. A beautiful instrument panel from Yahu was the
cherry on top.

44 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
Intermediate

SPECIFICATION:
Eduard 1:48 Fw 190 A-8. Kit No: 82147
Materials: IM Plastic

BEFORE STARTING:

MANN’S
● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
● Tamiya Masking Tape
● Sprue Cutters
● Tweezers
● Cyanoacrylate Glue
● AK Modelling Grey Putty
● Future floor polish
● AMMO Ultra Glue

PAINT USED:
Jason Brewer adds some aftermarket to ● AK Real Colors
● Tamiya Color Acrylics
Eduard’s new generation 1:48 Focke-Wulf ● Vallejo Model Color
Fw 190 A-8 ● AK-Interactive Paneliners
● AK-Interactive Matte Varnish

AIRBRUSH USED:
● Iwata HP-B Plus

ACCESSORIES USED:
● BarracudaCast Cockpit Snapshot
● BarracudaCast exhaust
● BarracudaCast wheels
● Ultracast spinner/prop
● Master gun barrels
● Montex paint masks
● EagleCals decals

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 45

KIT BUILD

The BarracudaCast Cockpit Snapshot Upgrade is an excellent way to add a lot of detail in the most The cockpit painted up looks the part! Shame so much of it is hidden on the finished model with 190’s.
important areas without all the work involved in a full resin cockpit.

BarracudaCast's exhaust painted

up is a nice little upgrade. The Ultracast spinner required
some modification to fit, but
was worth the effort for the
extra accuracy and detail.

The white of the insignia as well as the blue tail band and yellow
lower cowl were painted first then masked before camo.

“Eduard’s Fw190 A family is

fantastic and I look forward to
building many more.”

Assembly was straightforward and pain
free. The only issue I have had with these kits
is needing to add a small shim of plasticard
between the lower wing and bottom of the rear
fuselage, but that's not uncommon. I added
BarracudaCast exhaust and wheels for some
extra accuracy and detail, and replaced the
spinner/prop with one from Ultracast. The
spinner was designed for the Hasegawa kit so
some modification was necessary, but it was
worth the effort.
Paint was next, and I've been using the
new AK Real Colors paints lately. These
spray as easily as Tamiya acrylics and dry to
a nice satin finish like Mr Color lacquer but
without the smelly fumes. The RLM shades
are spot on to my eye, they are my new
favourite paints. The insignia and tailband
were all sprayed on with Montex masks. I used
EagleCals decals for the rest of the markings
and stencil decals.
Weathering was minimal since this plane
looked well-kept in period photos, so I limited
myself to some minor scratching and chipping
and subtle washes with AK-Interactive
Paneliners. Exhaust stains were always
prominent so I didn't hold back there. The

46 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48
The camouflage was painted using AK Real Colors paints.

EagleCals were used for the

remainder of the markings.

final finish was AK's Matte Varnish which dulls
things down but still leaves a nice sheen that
doesn't hide the highlights and shadows on the
curves and bulges of the airframe.
Eduard’s Fw190 A family is fantastic and I
look forward to building many
more. I certainly have plenty on
my to-do list, and I'm stashing away
many kits in the closet! Now if we could just
get them to update the Fw190D... ■

AK-Interactive's Paneliners make the subtle

surface details pop.

“Weathering was minimal

since this plane looked well-
kept in period photos.”

Sealed with AK Matte Varnish and the cockpit

unmasked, the plane starts to come to life.

The exhaust stain was airbrushed using a heavily thinned

mix of Tamiya acrylics. Ready for final assembly!

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 47

KIT BUILD

48 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 49

The rocket exhaust area was painted flat black and masked
off before the main camouflage colours were applied.
KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY HARVEY LOW
LATE
WAR
SALLY
Harvey Low breathes new life
into an old kit.
itsubishi’s venerable Ki-
M 21 “Sally” was a mainstay
bomber of the Imperial
Japanese Army Airforce
in World War Two. But
like many aircraft, many variants existed
of the Ki-21. Photos show that some Ki-21
bombers were converted from bomber role
to passenger-transport. These aircraft had
additional passenger windows, with the
removal of the dorsal turret/greenhouse and
all armament. A number of Sally’s were found
at Gannosu Airfield in southern Japan with
such modifications, and designated the “Type
Mitsubishi Model 21” or M-21. This model
represents one of those aircraft.
The Kit
This kit is based on the vintage 1:72 Revell-
50 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022
Takara kit which was released way
back in 1972. This kit has never been
re-issued by Revell due to the alleged loss of
the original moulds at sea, thus fetching high
prices if you could find one. It was a kit way
ahead of its time though, with fine counter-
sink rivets and panel lines along with a “fit”
equal to a Tamiya kit! Although the shape of
the fuselage is slightly too wide and canopy a
bit flat, it still builds into a respectable looking
“Sally”, as proof of being the fifth one I have
built over the years!
As for Sally kits, MPM released a 1:72 Ki-
21-II version about twenty years ago, but was
a rare and more difficult to build due to it being
a limited issue kit (no locating pins). However
as of summer 2022 and after 50 years since
the Revell-Takara release, both Special Hobby
and ICM have finally announced brand new
injection-
plastic kits of
the Ki-21, thus “completing” the modern
representation of all the Japanese “heavies”
(apparently one is also being released in
1:48)! Let’s hope they do both early and late
versions as at this time of writing, there are
no models of the earlier Ki-12-I variant. Up
to this time, the only other Ki-21 Sally kits,
were Hasegawa’s diminutive 1:144 kit, along
with 1:48 offerings by Racoon Models (resin)
and Sanger (vacuform). So as a testament to
Revell-Takara for holding the standard for 50
years, I wanted to build this old kit as a salute
to the upcoming releases expected towards
the end of 2022/early 2023!
 1:72
SKILL LEVEL:
Intermediate

SPECIFICATION:
Revell / Takara 1:72 Mitsubishi Type-97 Heavy Bomber
Ki-21-II (Sally). Kit No. S39

“This kit is based

on the vintage 1:72 Revell-Takara
kit which was released way
back in 1972.”
51
KIT BUILD
The instrument panel was painted black with dials
highlighted in white other colours, with small lenses
made from Epoxy putty.

Box art

AK Gen3 paints were hand-painted to pick

out seats, seatbelts and instrumentation in
various colours.

Kora makes several decal and conversion sets for this
Revell Sally kit
top dorsal cover was not used as the kit part
(#62) fit much better with some minor mods
required. The same applies to the wheels. The
Kora resin engines and wheel well detail were
too soft in detail, so they were not used. In the
end, only the decals were used, which were
of very high quality and useful for other Ki-21
projects in the future!
The Interior
While the Revell Sally was a great kit of its
time, it suffers from a very simplified cockpit,
and no rear dorsal fuselage or wheel well
detail at all. I decided to only focus on the
cockpit as the landing gear would hide most of
any wheel well detail, and with the Transport
version, nothing can be seen of the interior aft
of the cockpit.
While you could detail the Revell cockpit
with parts from the spares box, I stole the
resin cockpit part that came from the MPM
kit, which was more accurate and detailed. I
had an old MPM Sally in my stash that I would
use the other parts for another Ki-21 project.
The resin MPM cockpit was simply sanded-
down which then fit very snugly into the Revell
fuselage! The basic colour is a dark blue-grey
common for Japanese bombers up to around
1943, of which I assumed this aircraft could
have been modified from. I used AK’s excellent

The decals were of very high quality and useful for

other Ki-21 projects in the future!

The Kora MC-21-II Conversion Kit

Kora makes several decal and conversion
sets for this Revell Sally kit. The one I used
for this project was #C72.112: Mitsubishi
MC-21-II Cargo. The Kora set includes resin
replacement parts for the top fuselage dorsal
cover, engines, engine nacelles, cowlings,
wheel well details, gear doors, and wheels.
While the engine nacelles and cowlings are
nice and have engraved panel lines, it has
no rivet detail that would match the Revell
kit surface details! Besides, the original kit
parts do not need replacement. Similarly the A new mask was created using my Cameo 4 vinyl cutting machine.

52 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:72

The only clear parts to mask on the transport version are the nose and cockpit canopy. I did not bother with masks for the Greenhouse.

This is the top fuselage part that replaces the greenhouse canopy/turret on these converted I sanded the four edges to precision with a flat file.
transport versions.

Hairanshoku Grey-Indigo (RC329). The only Software, carefully re-sized each frame to fit
part from the original kit was the instrument the Revell canopy, and then cut the new mask Primed.
panel which I cut an opening on the right- though my Cameo 4 vinyl cutting machine.
side to better reflect the original Ki-21 Sally The only clear parts to mask on the
instrument panel, which had this opening to transport version are the nose
allow wider access to the forward bombardier and cockpit canopy so I did
area. This was painted black with dials not bother with masks for
highlighted in white other colours, with small the Greenhouse.
lenses made from Epoxy putty.
AK Gen3 paints were hand-painted to The Exterior
pick out seats, seatbelts and instrumentation Modifications
in various colours. The wheel wells and The modifications to
engine cowling insides were airbrushed with make a Ki-21 into
Acrysion’s Metallic Blue-Green (N63). The a cargo-passenger
engines and landing gear were painted using version are relatively
Tamiya Lacquer Gloss Aluminum (LP-70), and simple, starting with
then a heavy black-brown oil wash was used the following easy
to bring out the details. modifications:
The canopy masks were custom made l Omit all armament
based on the Dead Design Canopy Mask for including bombs and
the MPM Sally kit (VM72-100). It should be any machine guns.
noted that this set will not fit the Revell kit, and l Cover the
doubtful the newer ICM and SH kits. Since no rear fuselage
set exists for the Revell kit, I scanned the Dead tip “stinger
Design mask into my Silhouette Design Studio MG” (#57) with
KIT BUILD
epoxy putty, and sand it smooth.
● Dispensed with the bomb sight (#48).
● Paint over all the windows on the rear
underside of the fuselage as these appear on
photos to have been covered (clear part #52).

The next modifications were a bit more

complex:
● Use part #62 (dorsal fillet), but fill in the
turret location hole by cutting a circle of
roughly the same diameter as the turret hole,
from part #56. Sand smooth. This will be the
top fuselage part that replaces the greenhouse
canopy/turret on these converted transport
versions.
● Carefully measure and cut-out three
passenger windows on each side of the
fuselage. See photos for location. I used
the modified dorsal fillet (#62) from the step
above, as the upper window frame edge. Here
is a tip: when cutting square openings such
as this, I start with a small drill-bit in a pin vise
to mark the centre position of the window.
I then use progressively larger drill-bits to
make the holes large enough where I switch
to a number.11 X-Acto blade to sharpen the
corners to make a square. I then sand the four
edges to precision with a flat file. The windows
would be created later using Micro Kristal
Klear, applied by toothpick to fill the hole. This
is a much cleaner effect than cutting and using
the acetate windows that come with the Kora Pre-modulation was applied over primer.
conversion set.
primed the model using Tamiya’s Fine Surface colour later, by misting several layers of the
Painting Primer Light Gray, right-out-of-the-can. I then base colour until they are not as stark, but
After sanding smooth all seams and checking applied some pre-modulation over the primer, retain enough contrast to see this effect once
for imperfections, I used a riveting tool (Rosie- by spraying fine black lines along the panel the camo is applied.
the-Riveter .40mm) to restore the rivets. I then lines. These will be blended into the final base The basic colour scheme is Japanese

“The modifications to make a Ki-21 into a cargo-passenger

version are relatively simple.”

To apply the camo pattern,

I used Gunze’s old Aqueous
Dark Green (H320) and IJA
Green (H60),

The fabric control surfaces were painted

with Tamiya JA Gray (XF-14). Some light
enamel filters were then applied over this
flat finish to provide some interest to this
single overall colour.

54 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022


Grey-Green overall, with Olive or Dark Green
mottling on the upper surfaces. I first applied
the overall Grey-Green base colour using
AK Hairyokushoku Grey-Green (RC328).
The fabric control surfaces were painted with
Tamiya JA Gray (XF-14). Some light enamel
filters were then applied over this flat finish
to provide some interest to this single overall
colour. The effect is more noticeable on the
underside so I spent more time with filters
underneath.
Here is where it gets challenging! The
camouflage pattern shown in original photos,
portray it as very haphazard and not consistent
in its real application. This could presumably
be the result of several ground crews painting
the camouflage in their own “style” (?). The
pattern is clear from photos that some are
squiggles while others are broader blotches,
but all seem to show tight spray patterns. To
apply this camo pattern, I used Gunze’s old
Aqueous Dark Green (H320) and IJA Green
(H60), but any Tamiya Olive or Dark Green
will also work. Just make sure the two greens
have a noticeable contrast as I wanted some
differences in camo green hue, to suggest
different paint stocks. Do small sections at a
time and be sure to use different styles from
tiny squiggles to circular blotches.
All my Hinomaru insignia were painted,
using a circle cutter and airbrushed on before
the camo was applied. I used Tamiya Flat Red
(XF-7) with a bit of Hull Red (XF-9) added for
an aged effect. I simulated two types of painted
propellers to suggest a replacement prop. The
left-side prop was weathered using the now
well-known “hairspray” technique, showing
reddish-brown chipped paint over NMF blades.
These small details help tell a story!
Weathering
While the aircraft I based this model on was
derelict, I wanted to do this bird while in its
operational state. Thus the weathering was
kept to a minimum with only a light wash of
Windsor Newton Raw Umber over a gloss
finish. The model was then protected with an
overall light coat of Mr Color UV Cut (GX113)
with a bit of gloss (GX112) added. Final light
chipping was applied using a silver metallic
Prismacolor pencil, and EZ-Line Black Fine
elastic rigging thread was used for the antenna
wire. The tires were painted a brown-black to
simulate rubber, with dirt/earth coloured oil
October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 55
1:72
washes and Vellajo’s Crushed Grass (#73.825)
for that home grass airfield look!
Conclusions
If you have this old kit… build it! While it
has some issues, it is a testament to the
engineering of this company back in the 1970’s
for such a fine kit that has held up so well
over the past 50 years! Until Special Hobby
and ICM release theirs, this old kit is still a
very enjoyable build and a memorable kit from
my childhood. I am hoping to see how these
new kits compare to this old soldier. Happy
“Japanese Aircraft” modelling!
References
There are only three good references on this
aircraft, with the latest Arawasi being the most
comprehensive:
● Eleftheriou, George. Arawasi Eagle Eye
Series No.3: Mitsubishi Ki-21 Sally / Fiat
BR.20 “Cicogna” in Hinomaru. Japan, 2021.
● Famous Airplanes of the World (#153): Army
Type 97 Heavy Bomber. Japan, 2013.
● Maru Mechanic (#29-7): Mitsubishi Type 97
Army Heavy Bomber (Ki-21). Japan, 1981. ■
KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY BRETT GREEN

THE NEXT
GENERATION The Editor tackles an old-school resin kit

56 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
Intermediate

SPECIFICATION:
Planet Models 1:48 scale Heinkel P.1077 Julia.
Kit No. 012

ACCESSORIES USED:
l Pilot figure from the spares box (originally from a
Trimaster kit)

TOOLS AND MODELLING

PRODUCTS USED:
l Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
l Revell Contacta Cement
l Selley’s Super Glue
l Zip Kicker (super glue accelerator)
l Araldite Two Part Epoxy Glue
l Milliput White Two Part Epoxy Putty
l Tamiya Masking Tape

PAINTS AND FINISHING

PRODUCTS USED:
l Tamiya Acrylic Paints –XF-1 Flat Black; XF-63 German
Grey;
l Gunze Acrylic Paints – H-XX RLM 76 Light Blue; H-XX
RLM 75 Grey Violet
l Tamiya Aerosol Paints– Fine White Primer; TS-34
Camel Yellow
l Future Floor Polish
l Testor’s ModelMaster Flat Clear Lacquer Finish
l Tamiya Weathering Master Set A

“Markings possibilities
for this paper project
were limitless, so I
chose a scheme that
I hoped would be
credible high-altitude
camouflage for an
interceptor attached
to JG 2 some time in
1946.”

I
bought three second-hand Planet Models
1:48 scale Luftwaffe '46 kits around 2002
- the Focke-Wulf Flitzer, the Blohm und
Voss P.211 and the Heinkel P.1077 Julia.
This is the P.1077
The Heinkel P.1077 Julia was a rocket-
powered interceptor in which the pilot lay
facing forward, prone in the narrow cockpit.
The aircraft would be launched vertically and
land on skids. Despite the science fiction
appearance of this design, it was one of three
proposals under final consideration for the next
generation of Luftwaffe interceptors. Three
unpowered prototypes were nearly complete
by war’s end.
Planet Models’ 1:48 scale Heinkel P.1077
Julia comprises just ten parts in yellow
coloured resin plus a single vacform canopy -
no spare in case of slip-ups here!
I started working on this simple model on a
Thursday and had the entire project finished
and painted by Sunday night of the same
week. Preparing the parts took longer than
assembling them, as there were a few stout
and tricky casting blocks to contend with.
Detail in the cockpit is made up from just
two control tillers and a blocky instrument
cluster. Although little would be visible through
the semi-fishbowl canopy, I decided to add
a cable loom to the rear of the instrument
cluster, and a pilot lying on his belly.
The pilot was sourced from an old Trimaster
kit. His legs were moulded splayed and would
not have fitted in the narrow confines of the
Julia's cockpit, so I took the expedient route
and cut them off. In retrospect, it might have
been better to modify the legs, leaving them
intact so I could have cut out the large top
hatch, which would offer a good view of the
prone pilot and the cramped interior. Ah well,
maybe next time...

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 57

KIT BUILD
1: The Planet Models kit is all resin except for its vacform canopy. The kit is a decade old, and most of the resin parts are solid,
not hollow. This is the main fuselage piece. 2: The forward fuselage is split into top and bottom halves, but you couldn’t really call
the crude castings an interior. A raised rectangle suffices as a cushion for the pilot. The tail surfaces are nice and thin though.
3: The wings are cast as a full-span single part, including the downturned ends. This part is free from distortion and required only
minimal cleanup. 4: The canopy is supplied as a vacuum formed dome, although only a little more than half is actually used. Faint
cutting lines have been moulded to the vacform part. 5: Markings are supplied for two hypothetical aircraft. The Julia did not
proceed to production status before the war ended. 6: …and here is everything that you need to know about construction! Ten
resin parts plus the vacform canopy is all that is needed to finish this model.
1
Fit of the major components was less than The base colour is Gunze-Sangyo acrylic
perfect, but that is not too surprising for a H417 RLM 76, while the disruptive colour is
decade-old resin kit. White Milliput was the H69 RLM 75, masked with Tamiya tape.
perfect cure for wide gaps between the main The yellow-white-yellow RV band is
joins. masked, while decals were sourced from the
Markings possibilities for this paper spares box.
project were limitless, so I chose a scheme The flat finish is my favourite Testor's
that I hoped would be credible high-altitude Model Master Flat Clear Lacquer - sprays
camouflage for an interceptor attached to JG well, dries fast, and is genuinely flat. ■
2 some time in 1946.

In fact, cleanup of the resin parts will probably take significantly longer than basic construction. Here, a wedge of waste resin is being
cut from the top forward fuselage half with a JLC razor saw.

6 The big casting plug has been cut from the main fuselage piece with a bigger saw. Note that the raised area at the front of the part
has been left in place. This will act as a positive locating point for the two forward fuselage parts.

58 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48

The lower forward fuselage half was first glued to the main Test fitting suggested that the wing would sit a bit high in the The simple tail planes were assembled prior to attaching them
fuselage piece with super glue. Slower curing two-part epoxy saddle, so the area on the top of the fuselage was ground down to the fuselage.
glue could also be used for this job. It is thicker, but has better with a Dremel motor tool.
shear strength and stays workable for longer too.

I like to provide a guide and a positive gluing point for vacform canopies whenever possible. This After parts preparation, construction to this stage took about five minutes..
one was a bit tricky as all the mating surfaces are curved. A piece of soft tin wire was bent to shape
and glued to the top and bottom edges of the forward fuselage to form a lip on which to glue the
windscreen.

Given the Spartan nature

of the cockpit and the poor
visibility deep inside, the
The pilot figure was back of the instrument
painted with Tamiya panel was detailed with
and Valejo acrylics cables cut from thin tin
using a fine brush. He’s wire. These were super-
a bit rough close-up but glued into pre-drilled
he;s fine face-down in holes in the back of the
the cockpit! instrument panel.

I thought it would be nice

to have a pilot peeking out
of the cockpit. This is the
prone bombardier figure
from Trimaster’s 1:48
scale Me 262 A-2a/U2 kit.
His legs were moulded to
straddle the front wheel
well in the Me 262, so I cut
them off to permit him to
fit in the narrow confines of
the Julia’s cockpit.

The arms were glued in a

position where they could
hold the two side control
sticks. Note that two pieces
of plastic strip have been
glued inside the bottom
half of the fuselage nose to
give a more positive bond
with the top half.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 59

KIT BUILD

The interior of the cabin has been painted Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black, offering a nice contrast to the Only basic paint has been applied to the front of the instrument panel, as it will be completely hidden
instrument bright yellow instrument cabling. NATO Black is a bit darker than XF-63 German Grey, once the fuselage is closed. In retrospect, I really should have straightened the pilot’s legs rather than
and I wanted a very dark shade to hide the omissions in the rear of the cabin. cut them off. Then I could have opened the top hatch to offer a better view of the prone pilot.

A close-up view of the biggest gap, between the front and

rear fuselage sections.

The moment of truth – the top of the fuselage has been glued in place. These are a few gaps, but the fit is really not too bad
considering this is a pretty old chunky resin kit.

Milliput two-part epoxy putty is the best option for this

repair job. A small amount from each stick is rolled
into equal sized balls before they are thoroughly mixed
together. I roll the epoxy balls together between my
fingertips to achieve this.

The gap is filled with a thin sausage of the mixed Milliput,

which is then trowelled into place. In this case, the trowel
is a staple remover.

The pilot’s face, lifejacket and hands will be quite visible even after the windscreen is sealed in place. The cabling will be a nice
feature too.

60 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48

One of the advantages of Milliput over conventional solvent- Milliput has also been squeezed into the gaps at the side of the The model, filled and sanded. A few spots of Tamiya Surfacer
based plastic putties is that it stays workable for longer, and fuselage and in the undercut below the wing root. have also been applied to smaller gaps and pin holes.
may be shaped, smoothed and reduced with wet tools. In this
view, the excess Milliput has been completely removed with
nothing more sophisticated than a damp fingertip.

The tip of one of the wings was broken off while it was rattling The plastic was then simply sanded back until it conformed The windscreen was dipped in Future and allowed to dry before it
around in a storage box for years. The first step of the repair job with the profile and thickness of the original tip. I was originally was glued into place. This not only improved the sheen, but also
was to glue an oversized piece of plastic to the broken corner. planning to apply Milliput over the top of this, but this additional ensured that the fumes from super glue would not fog the plastic.
step proved unnecessary. To my great relief, the fit of the windscreen was pretty good.

Tamiya tape was used to mask the windscreen,

effectively defining the frames.

Tamiya TS-34 Camel Yellow was decanted from the spray

can and sprayed onto the rear fuselage using my Iwata
HP-CP airbrush. These would be the two outboard yellow As the model was destined to wear a fairly pale scheme, a primer coat of white seemed called for. This base coat doubled as the
stripes on the RV band. white section of the JG 2 RV band that I was planning to paint on the rear fuselage. This white band was masked with thin strips of
Tamiya tape.

“Planet Models’ 1:48 scale Heinkel P.1077 Julia

comprises just ten parts in yellow coloured resin
plus a single vacform canopy - no spare in case of
slip-ups here!”
October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 61
The rocket exhaust area was painted flat black and masked
off before the main camouflage colours were applied.
KIT BUILD

Gunze acrylics were used for the camouflage. The base colour was RLM 76. I assumed that this aircraft would operate as a high altitude interceptor, so a pale camouflage
scheme would be most likely. I also thought that very simple schemes would be employed in 1946,
so a hard-edged geometric pattern was masked with Tamiya tape.

RLM 75 Grey Violet was chosen for the second camouflage colour. This was broken up by streaks The tape was removed to reveal the final appearance, including the striking JG 2 RV band on the
and spots of a paler grey. rear fuselage. Black rectangles were painted onto the sides of the nose. These represent side
windows. I had not realised that these were windows prior to painting.

A coat of Testor’s Model Master Flat Clear Lacquer was

Decals were applied over a couple of coats of Future
followed by a sprayed highlighting of the panel lines and
floor polish. These simple markings were sourced from
some vertical streaks on the fuselage sides.
leftover decals.

62 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

 1:48
Underneath, the solid skids were streaked with thin lines
of dark brown paint, built up gradually until the desired
effect was achieved.

Next time I would definitely cut that big

top hatch out. It is likely that the top
panel would have been clear plexiglas
– similar to the Arado Ar 234 – had the
Julia reached operational status.

We can just see the pilot in

his resin cocoon. The cable
bundle is quite obvious though.
The small side windows were
painted gloss black to suggest
clear plexiglas.

Planet Models’ P.1077 Julia presents some challenges due to its

media and its age, but I think that we are fortunate to have a 1:48
scale model of this obscure yet significant prototype.

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 63

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 S ubscrib
NEXT ISSUE ay
SEE PA
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To d
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SO WHAT’S PLANNED FOR THE NEXT ISSUE?

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VERTICAL VIPER PART ONE BACKDATED SUNDERLAND

Karim Bibi builds Academy’s AH-1Z Cobra Chris Wauchop’s Airfix 1:72 Short Sunderland Mk. III converted to a Mk. I.

AMERICAN BEAUTY
HK Models’ 1:48 B-17G Flying Fortress
by Andreas Dyck oels

October 207 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 65

FINAL THOUGHTS

RAF’S RED ARROWS COMMENCE 2022 TRAINING

ew pilots at the Royal Air Force showcase the excellence of the RAF and secure the skies and protect the nation and its

N Aerobatic Team, RAF Scampton

get to grips with their new role as
display pilots for The Red Arrows.
The pilots go through hundreds
of hours of training to hone their skills to be at
the standard expected of the world-famous
Red Arrows. Officially known as the Royal
represent the United Kingdom both at home
and overseas.
The team consists of 11 pilots, nine of
whom fly in the display, and more than 100
support personnel and technicians.
Each of the pilots has previous fast-jet,
operational experience flying the Tornado,
interests, 365-days a year.
One of the world’s premier aerobatic teams,
the Red Arrows had completed nearly 5,000
displays, in 57 countries, by the beginning of
2019. Flying Hawk T1 jets, the team is based
at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. ■

Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows Typhoon or Harrier, enabling the RAF to Text and Images Crown Copyright 2022

66 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - October 2022

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