ALL THE INFORMATION YOU’LL EVER NEED

TO CREATE THE BEST AIRCRAFT MODELS 4 NEW BUILDS

INSIDE
KIT BU ILD

YAKETY YAK
ONE FOR BEGINNERS! GET
THE BEST FROM ZVEZDA’S
S
IBER
EXCELLENT 1:48 YAK-1B.
S U BSCIRNSIDE
FOR TAILS
DE

www.modelairplaneinternational.com

November 2019
£4.75 / Issue 172

KIT BUILD

HIGH-FLYING
NINE
SIMPLE TECHNIQUES
TURN EDUARD’S 1:48
SPITFIRE MK.IXC INTO
A HIGH-ALTITUDE
INTERCEPTOR.

KIT BUILD

FORK-TAILED DEVIL WE BUILD TAMIYA’S BRAND-NEW 1:48 P-38 LIGHTNING.

KIT BUILD

LARGE SCALE LANCASTER

JUST HOW IMPRESSIVE IS HKM’S 1:32 KIT? WE TAKE A DETAILED LOOK… 9 771747 504069
 How to contact us:
Contents Tel: 01525 222573
Model Airplane International. Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
VOLUME 14. ISSUE 172. NOVEMBER 2019 Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, England

VOL.14 ISS.172 NOVEMBER 2019

Editorial:
REGULARS P28 YAKETY YAK! Editor: Spencer Pollard
Russell Mardling builds Zvezda’s 1:48 Yak-1B. spencer@doolittlemedia.com
P04 - IN THIS ISSUE Publisher: Alan Harman
P06 - COMMENT P34 FORK-TAILED DEVIL Group Editor: Marcus Nicholls
P08 - NEWSLINE Well, it’s here - Tamiya’s latest 1:48 kit, the Administration Manager: Hannah McLaurie
P78 - EVENTS DIARY Office Manager: Paula Gray
P79 - CONTACT DETAILS beautiful P-38 Lightning. Spencer Pollard, takes Advertising Manager: Richard Andrews
P81 - NEXT ISSUE a detailed look at an early sample, to bring you a richard@doolittlemedia.com
P82 - FINAL THOUGHTS… specially extended review.
Art:
REVIEWS P46 …IT GIVES YOU WINGS! Editorial Design: Peter Hutchinson
Advertising Design: Peter Hutchinson & Alex Hall
Alan Firbank photographs Red Bull’s stunning
P12 KIT BOX P-38 Lightning. Advertisement and circulation:
Which models will you be building over the Model Airplane International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane,
coming months? P48 HIGH-FLYING NINE Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX.
Jason Brewer turns Eduard’s Spitfire Mk.IXc into a Tel: 01525 222573
P18 Transfer List high-altitude interceptor. E-mail: sean@doolittlemedia.com
Which decals will you chose to build something
just a little different? Distribution:
P58 LARGE SCALE LANCASTER Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue,
P26 ONE, ONE, FOUR FOUR NEWS John Wilkes builds HKM’s incredible, 1:32 kit. London, EC1A 9PT.
All that’s new for fans of this increasingly Tel: 020 7429 4000
popular scale. P70 IN COLOUR
Alan Firbank captures the BBMF’s Lancaster in all Newstrade:
Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue,
P54 KIT PREVIEW of its wonderful glory! Bournemouth, BH3 7BW.
Spencer Pollard takes an in-depth look at Tel: 01202 586848 E-mail: tim@selectps.com
HKM’s 1:32 Lancaster, ready for John Wilkes’ P72 RETRO HIGHLIGHTS…
detailed build. AND HARRIERS! Subscriptions:
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Old Sarum opens its doors, to reveal its secrets. Website: www.modelairplaneinternational.com

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Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3

IN THIS ISSUE...
Welcome to the October issue of your favourite
aircraft modelling magazine!
n this issue we are unashamedly some feverish questions as to what scale

I concentrating on two important kit

releases above all else: Tamiya’s
1:48 P-38 Lightning and the HKM
1:32 Lancaster.
There is always a buzz around a new
Tamiya aircraft release, mainly because
they are so infrequent. When they do
appear though, the modelling world often
Written by enters a period of excitement that is
unmatched by releases from elsewhere.
Spencer Pollard Several months ago, a tantalising image hit
the Internet, showing what appeared to be
the nose of a Lightning and there followed
the kit would be, what versions would be
offered and more importantly, when it was
to be released. Well, we had our answer
when Tamiya announced that they would
be releasing a number of ‘white box’ kits
at the 2019 IPMS USA Nationals and then
would be offering similar kits to the press
to build for magazines such as this. And
so we waited and then the kit arrived and
it was all hands to pump, the results being
seen in this issue…
Though I don’t want to preempt my
feature, I think that I can say that the kit

4
is everything that we hoped it would be, accurate,
superbly detailed and moulded to a degree of
finesse that’s hard to process. The fact that it is also
incredibly easy to build given the problems that have
often befallen previous kits of this aircraft, only adds
to the thrill that you feel as you complete the contents
of the box. This month’s feature will take you through
all you need to know about this important release, our
feature beginning on page 34.
The second major build, deals with Hong Kong
Models’ 1:32 Lancaster B.Mk.I. Hong Kong Model’s
kit seemed be in the planning and production for
some time before the kit finally appeared at the
end of 2018, but once it did arrive, modellers were
certainly keen to take a closer look and as the year
progressed and shows started to roll around, more
and more appeared on both club stands and model
competition tables. For this issue, John Wilkes has
spent no little time completing his sample and though
as he would readily concede, it has taken longer than
he would have liked, the completed model bears
testament to both his skills as a modelmaker and to
HKM for their abilities to translate the shape of this
iconic aircraft in miniature. His feature begins on
page 58.
This then is the November issue of Model Airplane
International. We hope that you enjoy it and that we
see you next month. ■
 MODEL TV
Jonathan Mock looks at how scale modelling has made it’s
mark on television down the decades.
ou wouldn’t think a TV
Y show about railway
modellers making
layouts would be the
thing broadcasters
would be itching to make in
21st century Britain, and yet
Channel 5’s ‘Great Model
Railway Challenge’ has become
something of a sleeper hit with
audiences, resulting in a second
series which has just started
broadcasting in the UK.
The concept of the show is very
simple and follows the format of
other programmes like the ‘Great
British Bake Off’; contestants are
set a challenge and have a limited
amount of time to deliver. In this
instance three teams have three
days to build a layout from scratch
6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019
based on their interpretation of
a theme, such as “British TV”
which resulted in one layout
with a WW1 flavour based on
‘Blackadder Goes Forth’, another
sci-fi with lots of ‘Doctor Who’
references etc. Teams are also
given a “scratchbuild challenge”
of incorporating three random –
and distinctly non-model railway
– items into the layout with the
winner given extra points. They’re
also marked on the functionality of
their layouts and the quality of the
workmanship.
Obviously the show is designed
to build in a little tension due to
the short timetable and there are
the inevitable disasters such as
trains breaking down, special
features not working and team
members falling out.
But this isn’t the first attempt to
bring modelling to the attention of
a wider audience, one could argue
that the BBC children’s TV show
‘Blue Peter’ could take that crown
with some of their homemade
projects including items like
making dioramas using household
items on the cheap, but in terms
of an actual show dedicated to the
art(s) of scale modelling that again
has to the go the BBC with ‘Model
World’ presented by the avuncular
figure of Bob Symes, or Robert
Alexander Baron Schutzmann
von Schutzmansdorff to give him
his full and proper title. Bob was
a friendly Father Christmas figure
with a cheerful face and great
big white beard and whiskers,
you could not help be won over
by his easy charm and infectious
enthusiasm. Whatever Bob
reported on – and he became
fixture on shows like Tomorrow’s
World in the UK - he always did it
with a twinkle in his eye.
His interest and love of all
things modelling led to the
BBC commissioning a series
of 30 minute shows (the
aforementioned ‘Model World’) in
the mid 1970s and topics ranged
from model railways (his first love)
to radio control boats and aircraft,
figures and plastic modelling. The
figure modelling segments were
notable for featuring the work of
Roy Dilley who was the (then)
president of the British Model
Soldier Society. Roy’s ingenuity
and abundant talent were demonstrated in
two instances, one where he converted an
Airfix 1:32 Multipose figure into a younger Bob
Symes in tropical Royal Navy whites (Bob
was an RN veteran who commanded Motor
Torpedo Boats in the Mediterranean), the
other a conversion of a 54 mm 95th Riflemen
(also Airfix) into a soldier of the Indian
Mutiny of 1857. Armed with little more than
plastic strip and his “liquid plastic” (chopped
sprue in a solvent), Roy created miniature
masterpieces that still stand up today.
Bob would present a follow-up show -
‘Model Magic’ - made by Ulster TV and
broadcast by CH4 in the early 1980s. Even
though the emphasis was more on working
models, it was still good to have some
modelling-related television at a time when the
model magazines were mostly gloomy about
the state of the hobby, at least from the plastic
side of things.
For the best part of three decades that was
all television had to say about scale modelling,
aside from the occasional references in
comedy shows like ‘A Bit of Fry and Laurie’
(available on YouTube) and ‘Paul Merton –
The Series’ that had a sketch of a man with
a 1:48 Airfix Mosquito who then painstakingly
creates… a replica of the box!
Aside from a BBC documentary about
Hornby in 2007 it wasn’t until former Top Gear
presenter – and self-confessed modelling
geek – James May started his ‘Toy Stories”
series in 2009 (by Plum Pictures for the BBC)
that modelling found a niche on television
again. The first episode was titled “Airfix” and
followed a dual narrative of James looking into
the history of the brand and meeting familiar
faces like Roy Cross and Trevor Snowden,
while at the same time creating a 1:1 scale
Airfix Spitfire “kit” that would be assembled,
painted and eventually displayed at the Royal
Air Force Museum Cosford alongside a replica
James May pilot figure.
Other episodes covered Lego, Plasticene,
Hornby, Scalextric and Meccano, while
there were some one-off specials about a
model railway running the distance between
Barnstaple and Bideford in North Devon; a
glider flying across the Bristol Channel from
Ilfracombe (also Devon) to Lundy Island; a
working full-size Meccano motorbike and a
competition between Action Man and Sindy
dolls to see who could break the sound barrier
by being launched via a rocket and returning
by parachute. There was a follow up book,
complete with a chapter on building the
Airfix 1:72 Spitfire XIX by a Somerset-based
modeller, writer and designer…
James would return with some Christmas
specials ‘James May's Top Toys’ and ‘James
May: My Sisters' Top Toys’ before coming
full circle with ‘James May's Big Trouble in
Model Britain’ which followed the restructuring
of Hornby and the release of the big 1:24
Airfix Hellcat at Scale Model World 2018.
Here was our hobby on prime time television,
being seen by millions on viewers and as with
the previous shows, model shops reported
spikes in sales of the various brands featured,
which goes to show that even though some
modellers rankled at the way the hobby was
being portrayed in James’ laconic, often self-
deprecating way, all publicity is good publicity.
Which brings us up to date with the Great
Model Railway Challenge on CH5, which, it
could be fair to say, seems to have taken its
inspiration from the popularity of James May’s
shows and things like ‘Bake Off’. To this end it
would be hard to see how a broadcaster could
make similar shows on military or aircraft
modelling because layouts by their very nature
tend to be large and busy, whereas an hour
long show on people making single models
just doesn’t have the same appeal, or indeed,
televisual impact. About the closest you could
get – and I’ll claim my royalties upfront just in
case – would be the “Great Model Space Ship
Challenge” where teams are given a basic
set of materials, boxes of kit parts and a brief
to build an 8ft model to a particular theme,
say “Eco-ship” or whatnot. It’s tenuous at the
very least! The only other possible version
would be the “Great Diorama Challenge” but
the problem with both these ideas is that they
lack the animated aspect of a working model
railway, which is where ‘GMRC’ scored with
viewers.
And there is the quandary – as much as
we modellers would like to see a serious TV
programme about our hobby, the process,
techniques etc., it’s going to be as dull as
ditchwater for the general viewing public.
There have been some mutterings amongst
hobbyists that shows like James May’s and
‘GMRC’ sometimes take a rather flippant
approach and that they’re being made fun
of – I don’t see it that way, merely that TV has
to find a hook to engage the wider audience
rather than satiating the needs of a niche set
of viewers.
One only has to go onto YouTube to see
how some earnest videos made by well-meant
modellers can sometimes end up – literally
– like watching paint dry. Then there are the
gems like Martin Kovac’s ‘Night Shift Modeller’
which is not only perhaps one of the most
professional looking modelling channels out
there (across the board, from production to
the modelling quality), but he knows how
to get to the point, often with a delicious
dose of humour that makes his videos
utterly compelling viewing. In many respects
YouTube has picked up where Model World
left off and – ironically - it’s also where you
can find most of the Model World and Model
Magic shows as well as jewels like a newsreel
featuring the late Hammer Films actor Sir
Peter Cushing – yes Grand Moff Tarkin himself
from the Star Wars films – and his passion for
painting and collecting model soldiers.
Perhaps more importantly, 45 years on
from when Model World first appeared, the
hobby scene has never been more exciting
in terms of new products, the quality of kits,
the breath of subject matter and the sheer
quality of modelling out there, not to mention
communities on forums, social media and
YouTube.
Bob Symes sadly passed away in 2015 at
the ripe old age of 90, but for a generation
who grew up with his grandfatherly presence,
mention of his name usually brings a smile
of recognition and warm memories of the
mellifluous tones of Burt Bacharach’s ‘Trains
and Boats and Planes’ tumbling out of the TV
speakers.
Now, how do you make liquid sprue again..?
This month’s round-up of all that’s new in the world of aircraft modelling...

AIRFIX
www.airfix.com

THE MIGHTY BUCCANEER, HITS THE DECKS…

he mighty Blackburn Buccaneer was one of

T the most capable low-level strike aircraft of the

Cold War period, originally entering Royal Navy
service in 1962 to counter the significant threat of
a massive Soviet Naval expansion programme.
Rather than face the crippling cost of building new ships of
their own to meet this threat, British thinking at the time was
to use their new strike jet to destroy the Soviet ships with a
combination of conventional and nuclear weapons. Capable
of extremely high speeds at low level, the Buccaneer proved
to be the ideal aircraft to keep the Warsaw Pact countries
on their toes, even though the performance of the first
Buccaneers to enter service was affected by a lack of power
from their two de Havilland Gyron Junior engines.
Operating from the decks of Britain’s relatively small aircraft
carriers, the Buccaneer had to be tough and its rugged, no
nonsense design approach was underlined rather effectively
by the aircraft’s manufacture and flight testing procedure.
Constructed at Blackburn Aviation’s Brough facility, each

AVAILABLE FROM doolittlemedia.com

8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

assembled Buccaneer was transported by road, pulled
behind a truck on its own undercarriage. They would
make a journey of around 16 miles down winding
country lanes and across bridges with sharp bends to
the company’s Holme-on-Spalding Moor facility, where
they would undergo final checks and flight testing.
Addressing most of the issues which prevented
the early aircraft from realising their full potential,
the Buccaneer S.2 was a much improved platform,
boasting a modified wing, increased fuel capacity and
a pair of powerful Rolls Royce Spey engines. This
new variant provided the Fleet Air Arm with a truly
exceptional strike aircraft, which excelled in the low
level environment in which it was tasked to operate.
One particularly useful design feature for an aircraft
which operated mainly over water was the type of
ejection seat fitted in the Buccaneer – in the event of
a ditching, the seat would still fire even if the aircraft
was submerging. As the Royal Navy retired their
larger carriers in 1978, their much loved Buccaneers
were transferred to the care of the Royal Air Force,
who were already admirers of the many qualities
possessed by this aircraft and grateful for this increase
in their inventory. At its peak strength towards the end
of the 1970s, the Blackburn Buccaneer equipped no
fewer than six Royal Air Force Squadrons.
This new 1:72 kit is now available from all good
model shops, or via the Airfix website noted above.
We will be taking a detailed look at this very fine kit in
more detail next month.
KIT BOX

REVELL
www.revell.de

MIG-25 RBT FOXBAT B

Revell/Materials: IM/Kit No. 03878-0379/Availability: All Good Model Shops/Price: £24.99
ontinuing their collaboration with ICM, Revell has now blessed This iteration of the Mig-25 “Foxbat” carries the designation RBT, denoting that

C us with the Mig-25 RBT ‘Foxbat’. Not so long ago you would have
purely looked upon ICM as the epitome of short run kits, fairly
crude, taking a lot of work to get them to an acceptable standard.
But that was then and this is now, and things have most definitely
changed for the better I’m pleased to say.
it is the reconnaissance version, carrying four cameras within underside of its long
needle-like nose, along with other reconnaissance specific equipment. What im-
mediately struck me was the size of this aircraft and those massive engines. Even
in 1:72nd scale it’s large, being about the same size as a 1:48th scale F-16.
Upon emptying the contents of the standard Revell, end-opening box, you will

be met with what can only be described as a
substantial amount of plastic, with 146 parts
spread over eight sprues. These parts are
well rendered with exquisite recessed panel
lines and rivet details, which are on par with
the likes of Tamiya and Eduard. There is not
a hint of flash or mould slippage to be found
anywhere. In fact, I was hard-pressed to find
the mould seam running down the nose gear
strut, nor could I find any ejector pin marks
that marred detail, or which would hinder
the fit.
The instructions are well laid out in
Revell’s modern format, being in full colour
and very easy to follow - which is just as
well, because the construction of this kit is
anything but conventional! My only criticism
of the instructions would be that of the paint
colour call-outs; these only relate to Revell
paints and the mixing of them to get the
correct colours. I understand that Revell don’t
want to promote competitor’s products, but
they could at least tell us what colours the
aircraft actually wears.
There are no fuselage halves as you
would normally see, instead, separate upper,
lower and sides are joined around the full-
length intakes, engine exhausts and internal
bulkheads, which form the box-like structure
of the main fuselage. Onto this, the cockpit,
nose section and wings fit. A very hasty test
fitting of the major components revealed no
obvious problems and it was refreshing to
VERDICT
I love collaborations between manufacturers, specifically between Revell and ICM, as it brings a lesser-known company’s product to a much larger audience. It
stimulates the hobby, giving the more obscure subjects a platform. However, I would recommend having a few kits under your belt before attempting this one,
if only due to the fuselage construction. However, all things considered, this is a great kit of a real bruiser of an aircraft and one, that I am looking forward to
building.
1:72
see that most joints fell along panel lines,
considerably easing the build. The construc-
tion of the twin tail planes is particularly well
done, ensuring that they can only be fitted at
the correct angle.
Detail in the gear bays is to a good
standard, along with the cockpit, with its side
consoles and instrument panel all benefit-
ting from some finely printed decals. The
only thing required that isn’t supplied, are
seatbelt’s for the KM-1M ejection seat. The
canopy and windscreen are moulded sepa-
rately allowing you to display it open, should
you so desire.
To round the package off there is the decal
sheet, allowing for two different airframes to
be modelled. Option A being ‘Red 04’, of the
Soviet Air Force whilst based at Krzywa in
Poland (No date specified), option B being
‘Red 46’ of the Russian Air Force in 2012 (
no location specified). The only hint of origin
for the decals, is the indication that they
were printed in Italy, which usually points to
them being produced by Cartograf, a sure
sign of good quality.
The MiG-25 comes in any colour you want
as long as its grey, but these aircraft are
far from visually boring with most, if not all,
carrying the signs of heavy use and weather-
ing. That grey will serve as a great canvas
onto which you can experiment with various
weathering techniques.
Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 11
KIT BOX

REVELL
www.revell.de

AVRO SHACKLETON MR.3

Revell/Materials: IM/Kit No. 03873/Availability: All Good Model Shops/Price: £36.99
he Avro Shackleton: 100,000 rivets flying in close formation as it from the earlier AEW.2 featuring a redesigned fuselage cabin and crew stations

T was colloquially known to its crews, was a long-range maritime and

coastal patrol aircraft derived from the Avro Lincoln which could
in turn, trace its family lineage back to the famous Avro Lancaster
bomber from WW2.
The MR.3 variant, the subject of Revell’s latest kit, was a considerable upgrade
with much better sound proofing and crew comfort for the 12hr+ sorties they could
endure on a regular basis. Externally, the design was also a departure from the
tail-dragger configuration with a brand-new forward fuselage featuring a tricycle
undercarriage with associated gear bay and doors, as well as wingtip fuel tanks for
the extended range. The other, not so obvious difference were the Viper turbojet

12 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November

October 2019
2019
 1:72

engines that were married to the outer Griffon engines for extra thrust for take-off
and to provide extra altitude (these were itted to the phase 3 aircraft, the Shackle-
ton being regularly upgraded in phases during its life).
Following on from the previously released AEW.2, these features are all
included by Revell on a new runner, along with the different nose gun unit and
associated guns. The remainder of the kit’s plastic parts are the same as seen
as seen before, including a fully detailed airframe, antenna array and separately
moulded control surfaces. Also included in this MR.3 kit is a fully detailed weapons
bay and doors which also feature internal details, though curiously, no stores...
The kit follows a conventional breakdown, with a vertically-split fuselage
(though the nose fuselage sections will need care to ensure they line up correctly
to hide the joins to the main fuselage halves) and horizontally split wings with a
four-way wing spar structure to aid alignment when itting the wings as well as
adding structural integrity. The Rolls-Royce Griffon engine nacelles and ubiquitous
six blade contra rotating propellers are all faithfully reproduced, though painting 24
propeller tips with their familiar red and white striped tips could test even the most
ardent modeller.
This will without doubt be a tail-sitting model given that the tricycle undercar-
riage is well forward of the centre of gravity, to this end Revell note that 30g of
weight should be added. Personally I would err on the cautious side and cram
in as much as you can to ensure those nose wheels touch the deck! Fortunately
there is rather a large void just forward of the cockpit into which this can be added
and not be seen on the completed model, also the nose gear leg is a fairly sub-
stantial one piece moulding to bear that extra weight.
Two markings options are given; one for a ‘phase-two’ machine of No. 206
Squadron, RAF Kinloss in Scotland in 1965 and the second for a ‘phase-three’
machine featuring those Viper turbojets with No.42 Squadron RAF St. Mawgan in
Cornwall in 1970. Both options are overall Dark Sea Grey with a white upper fuse-
lage spine, the former also featuring bright red wing tip tanks which add a splash
of colour. The decals look to be well-printed, though not as sharp as they could be
and they do feature a semi-matt carrier ilm which could prove troublesome for the
unaware.

VERDICT
Overall this looks to be a nice upgrade from the AEW.2 from 2015 featuring all the relevant upgrades. There is a little lash here and there and some of the rivet
moulding is a bit soft along the fuselage edges. The internals are neat and tidy with well-appointed seats and crew stations. The truth, like all models, will be in
the building and we will be bringing you a fully-detailed build of this new kit in due course.
This is a large aeroplane and even in 1:72 the wing span in just over 50 cm so if you have the space, this looks to be a truly impressive mode! (Mike Williams)

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 13

KIT BOX
1:72
REVELL
www.revell.de

PANAVIA TORNADO ECR TIGERMEET 2018

Revell/Materials: IM/Kit No. 03880/Availability: All Good Model Shops/Price: £16.99
a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinders , a pair of drop tanks along with a BOZ-100 chaff/lare

T
he Revell 1:72 Tornado is still probably the best of the bunch of
available kits of this wonderfully ubiquitous fast jet, though looking
at this re-issue it is clear the moulds are starting to suffer as there
was a lot of flash evident around some of the parts, so this will
require a fair amount of clean up during construction. Despite the
apparent wear of the moulds this kit is still as good as it ever was, a detailed
cockpit for the scale, though this could probably benefit from some detailing
with aftermarket seats at the very least and excellent undercarriage details
are apparent.
The overall appearance of the kit exudes inely engraved panel lines and details
on the main fuselage and wing sections. The canopy can be posed open with the
stay rod included as seen on parked aircraft, the undercarriage can be extended
or retracted though there are no crew igures included. The wings can swing if
desired and the pylons can move with the stores which include 1 x HARM missile,
pod and an ECM jamming pod.
As always with the Revell ‘Tiger Meet’ kits, the decals are the scene-stealers.
They really are superb and with my previous experience of these special schemes
from Revell, they will it the model perfectly and settle easily and without hassles.
Only one marking option is included: Tornado ECR 46+57 – Tigermeet 2018,
Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51 – Schleswig-Jagel AB
The overall appearance of the kit exudes inely engraved panel lines and details
on the main fuselage and wing sections. The canopy can be posed open with the
stay rod included as seen on parked aircraft; the undercarriage can be extended
or retracted though there are no crew igures included; the wings can swung if
desired and the pylons can move with the stores which include 1 x HARM missile,
a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinders , a pair of drop tanks along with a BOZ-100 chaff/lare
pod and an ECM jamming pod.

VERDICT
With care and some gentle clean up of the aforementioned lash, this kit will still build up into a nice replica of the Tornado Tiger Meet - especially given those
amazing decals. (Mike Williams)

14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:32
REVELL
www.revell.de

FOCKE-WULF FW190A-
8/R-2 “STURMBOCK”
Revell/Materials: IM/Kit No. 03874/Availability:
All Good Model Shops/Price: £35.99

T
his is a re-boxing of the 2015 kit originally
issued as an Fw190F-8 and then
subsequently re-released as an A-8/R11
night fighter. The kit remains as fantastic
as ever, with a fully detailed BMW 801
radial engine which is where the majority of the
detail is in this kit, made up from two banks of
cylinders, pushrods, exhaust collectors and hollow
exhaust tips. There is also a fully-detailed upper
gun bay all of which can be seen as the cowing
panels can be left off or posed open.
The Sturmbock was the up-armoured interceptor
version of the Fw190A with 30 mm cannons in the
wings and was designed specifically to attack the
American daylight bomber raids. These details
are included though the thickness of the armoured
canopies shows the limitation of the injection moulding
process, as they look a little distorted from what looks
like shrinkage from the moulding process.
The whole kit appears beautifully detailed with
engraved panel line details and fasteners, though it
is somewhat lacking in rivet details over the airframe,
but this could be easily added in this scale should the
modeller want to.
The cockpit is excellent with rudder pedals, control
column and seat all faithfully reproduced along with
the two-tier instrument panels, both of which have
decals supplied for the dial faces etc. Decals are also
included for the seatbelts though in 1:32 these are
probably best replaced with some photo-etched or
fabric aftermarket items, as the decals will look a little
‘flat’.
The wings feature a one-piece lower full span unit
to which a spar section and undercarriage bays attach,
again, these are well detailed and should look great
installed and painted and weathered to taste. All flying
control surfaces are separately moulded allowing you
to pose them as you wish.
A nice inclusion is the display stand with a
substantial base unit and a yoke type attachment point
to the undersides of the wings. Notes are included in
the instructions as to which holes to open up, should
you wish to install the stand.

Two markings options are included:

● Fw190A-8/R-2 “Sturmbock”, WkNr.682204, 5./JG
300, Lobnitz, October 1944.
● Fw190A-8/R-2 “Sturmbock”, WkNr.680718, 12./
JG.3, Barth/Germany, May 1944.

The decals appear to be cleanly printed with

excellent clarity and full stencil data included.

VERDICT
This appears to be a nicely detailed kit with excellent engine and cockpit included. The stand is a neat touch though a crew figure is conspicuous by its absence for
an in-flight display. It would appear to be one of the best kits available of the famous Butcher Bird in 1:32 scale with lots of details straight from the box but this is
of course open to interpretation for those detailers and/or scratchbuilders out there. (Mike Williams)

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 15

KIT BOX
1:72
EDUARD
www.eduard.com

FOCKE-WULF FW190A-8
Revell/Materials: IM/Kit No. 70111/Availability: All Good Model Shops/Price: £14.99

F
w190A-8 was probably the most widely produced variant of the
ubiquitous Würger during the war, so it is an obvious choice for
Eduard to include this in their Profipack line up of their exquisite
1:72 kits.
If you have not seen or built the Eduard 1:72 Fw190 then you are in
for a real treat. From a detail and ease of build point of view they are just outstand-
ing kits that it will be very difficult to better. Finely engraved panel and rivet details
abound, along with variant specific details like aerials and propeller all included.
There are 60-odd parts not for use on the packed runners.
The design is very well thought-out allowing for easy assembly without com-
promising on details given the finesse of the PE parts included. Throw in the little
pre-cut masks for the canopy and windscreen and it really is the perfect package.
These kits are like little jewels and as such need care when assembling; tweezers
are a must!
Markings for five different aircraft are included with a complete set of stencil
data decals accompanying the national and unit markings.
● ‘Blue 8’, IV./JG 5, Herdla, Norway, Spring 1945.
● ‘Blue 13’ Maj. Waletr Dahl, Stab/JG 300, Juterbog, Germany, December 1944.
● ‘White 2’, Uffz. Julius Handel, IV./JG 54, Poland, August/September, 1944.
● ‘White 6’, Lt. Gustav Salffner, 7./JG 300, Lobnitz, Germany, March 1945.
● ‘Black 10’ W Nr 380352, I./JG 11, Darmstadt, Germany, Spring 1945.

VERDICT
The phrase ‘Small but perfectly formed’ could have been written specifically for these kits from Eduard, they really are absolutely astonishing kits for the money.
(Mike Williams)

16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 TRANSFER LIST

ILIAD DESIGN
www.iliad-design.com

NAVAL T-BIRDS (SHEET NO. 72012)

Iliad adds another great sheet to their list of 1:72
sheets, this time with five contrasting schemes for the
Lockheed TV-2 (the US Navy designation for the T-33).
All of the main markings and insignia are supplied so
you could produce all five should you wish to do so.
At the bottom of the sheet we see a small number of
stencilling items.
● TV-2 138977 ‘146’ based at NAS Glenview,
Illinois. The scheme is overall natural metal with an
International Orange band around the rear fuselage and
black anti-glare panel on the upper nose.
● TV-2 131885 ‘ZZ 29’ Drone Controller with the
Guided Missile Group 1 in mid-1959. The fuselage and
part of the tip tanks were painted Engine Grey with
orange/yellow wings and tail surfaces and International
Orange bands on the wings and rudder.
● TV-2 131777 ‘MV 8’ with the US Marine Corps
Squadron 32. The finish is overall natural metal with a
black anti-glare panel.
● TV-2 137952 ‘109’ with the Naval Air Training Unit
at NAS Glynco, GA. The scheme is overall glossy Grey
FS16440 with a black anti-glare panel.
● TV-2 141532 ‘532’ with the US Marine Corps and
MCAS El Toro in October 1961. Most of the fuselage and
half of the wings were painted glossy white with the
nose, rear fuselage and wings in fluorescent red/orange.

CESSNA L-19/O-1 BIRD DOG (SHEET NO. 48035)

Plenty of choice of markings for your 1:48 Bird Dog,
including some unusual international schemes. Six from
which to choose and again, all you need to produce
all six.
● O-1A Bird Dog 14846 with the Kansas Army National
Guard in 1968. The overall colour is Olive Drab with bold
yellow and white lettering.
● L-19 ‘751’ with the Pakistani Army’s 11th Army
Aviation Squadron. The scheme is overall weathered
Dark Green.
● L-19 ‘1002’ with the South Korean Navy in the early
1960s. The scheme is thought to be Light Grey, similar
to FS 16473 with a black anti-glare panel on the upper
nose.
● O-1A ‘14617’ with the US Army Reserves. The finish
is a clean and glossy Olive Drab with a black anti-glare
panel on the upper nose.
● L-19 0-12744 with the US Army’s 203rd Recon
Airplane Company ‘Hawkeyes’ in South Vietnam in
1968. The finish is a well-weathered overall Olive Drab
and black anti-glare panel.
● L-19 H-1001 with Japan’s Hoantai, the predecessor
of the JASDF in 1952-54. This aircraft is finished in
overall Yellow (approx. FS 13538) with a black anti-
glare panel on the upper nose. The familiar Japanese
roundels appear on the wings with the Hoantai cherry
blossom insignia on the fuselage sides.
Thanks to Iliad Design for supplying their new sheets for
review. The sheets are available from Hannants in the
UK or direct from Iliad via iliad-design.com.

LIFELIKE DECALS
www.lifelikedecals.sakura.ne.jp

Lifelike Decals have been busy producing four sets of decals for 1:72 B-25 Mitchells. Many of the following feature
colourful nose art and mission markings.
For those not familiar with this Japanese decal producer, these sets are produced to the highest standard and come
with probably the best historical notes we see in any sets of decals.

NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL PT.1 (SHEET NO. 72-039)

● B-25C-NA, 41-12905 ‘Tokyo Sleeper’ with the 405th
BS/38th BG in New Guinea in March 1944. The basic
scheme is Olive Drab over Neutral Grey with a Dragon’s
Head artwork covering most of the nose.
● B-25J-5-NC, 43-27957 ‘Bugs Bunny’ with the 823rd
BS/38th BG in the Philippines in July 1945. The scheme
is the standard Olive Drab over Neutral Grey with a large
Tiger’s Head artwork on the nose and a bit further back
towards the wing, Bugs Bunny artwork.
● B-25J-10-NC, 43-28145 ‘Eatrallita’ with the 71st
BS/38th BG in the Philippines in June 1945. Again, the
paintwork is Olive Drab over Neutral Grey. There is a
large Wolf’s Head artwork on the nose.
● B-25J-25-NC, 44-30284 with the 822nd BS/38th BG
on Morotai Island in August 1945. This is a rare overall
natural metal Mitchell with large Dog’s Head artwork
on the nose.
● B-25D-15-NC, 41-30597 ‘Hardships/Hack’ with the
38th BG at Clark Field in the Philippines in June 1945.
After being retired from combat the camouflage paint
was removed and the aircraft used for moving cargo
and personnel to and from Australia. The nose artwork
features some of the nose art from the above Mitchells.

18 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL PT.2 (SHEET NO. 72-040)
Five more fine sets of marking for Mitchells. As well as
the decals there is a small sheet of masking material for
one of the aircraft. All are Mitchells with the glazed nose
but only one retains the clear areas, all of the others had
their nose windows over-painted.
● B-25D-10-NC, 41-30278 ‘Hell’s Fire’ 500th BS/345th
BG at Nadzab, New Guinea in May 1944. The paintwork
is Olive Drab over Neutral Grey with a white band
around the fuselage. There is a shark’s mouth on the
nose, nose art and artwork on the tails.
● B-25D-15-NC, 41-30592 ‘Mexican Spitfire’ with
the 498th BS/345th BG at Nadzab, New Guinea in April
1944. Apart from the cowling ring colour, this Mitchell is
much the same as No. 1.
● B-25D-5-NC, 41-30058 ‘Lucky Bat with the 499th
BS/345th BG at Port Moresby 1943 to 1944 when at
Dobodura. This same Mitchell is shown in two schemes
based on Olive Drab over Neutral Grey. The earlier
scheme has a clear nose with nose art. At the later date
the glazing has been over-painted and the bat artwork
covers all of the nose.
● B-25D-5-NC, 41-30036 ‘Old Baldy’ with the 498th
BS/345th BG at Nadzab, New Guinea in April 1944. “Old
Baldy’ is a stylised eagle that adorns all of the nose on
the standard camouflage scheme.

NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL PT.3 (SHEET NO. 72-041)

Four Mitchells on this sheet, all with glazed noses and
with pin-up nose art.
● B-25J-1-NC, 45-3955 ‘Problem Child’ with the
82nd BS/12th BG at Fenny in India in March 1945. The
scheme is standard Olive Drab over Neutral Grey.
● B-25J-1-NC, 43-27543 ‘Form 1A/Dear Arabella’ with
the 381st BS/310th BG in Corsica in early 1945. This
is another example of an aircraft being operated in a
natural metal finish. There is different pin-up artwork on
each side of the nose.
● B-25C-15-NA, 42-32530 ‘Rosie’ with the 487th
BS/340th BG at Pompeii in Italy in March 1944. This
Mitchell suffered damage while parked on the airfield
when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in April 1944. It was repaired
and flown again in a camouflage pattern of Olive Drab
and Dark Brown on the upper surfaces with the usual
Neutral Grey undersides.
● B-25J-1-NC, 43-27696 ‘Baby Blue Eyes’ with the
446th BS/321st BG in Corsica, September 1944 to
January 1945. This Mitchell comes in the standard
Olive Drab over Neutral Grey scheme but in four
subtle marking variations with changes to the mission
markings board and nose art. A small masking guide
sheet is supplied for the surrounds to the nose art.

NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL PT.4

(SHEET NO. 72-042)
Four more Mitchells, two in natural metal, three
with glazed noses and one with the guns nose.
● B-25D-15-NC, 41-30669 ‘Chow Hound/
Fat Cat’ with the 500th BS/345th BG in the
Philippines in December 1944. This Mitchell
was in a natural metal finish with large ‘Chow
Hound’ artwork on the nose and the unit’s
American Indian emblem on the tails.
● B-25D-15-NC, 41-30606 ‘Chow Hound
Junior/Fat Cat’ with the 501st BS/345th BG.
This version of ‘Chow Hound’ carried similar
artwork to the above with a variation on the
American Indian badge on the tail fins. Again, a
natural metal finish applies to this aircraft.
● B-25J-5-NC, 43-28016 ‘Male Call’ with to
390th BS/42nd BG in New Guinea in 1945. We
see pin-up artwork on the nose and a large
shield on the tail fins. The scheme is Olive Drab
over Neutral Grey.
● B-25J-20-NC, 44-29509 ‘My Buck’ with the
17th RS/71st RG in the Philippines February to
July 1945. We see pin-up artwork on the nose
and flying comet artwork on the tail fins. Again,
the paintwork is the standard Olive Drab over
Neutral Grey.
Thanks again to Lifelike for sending their
excellent new Mitchell sheets for review this
month. For more information see their web
site: lifelikedecals.sakura.ne.jp. You will find
an English version of the site for those not
fluent in Japanese. Lifelike recommend buying
through local stockists but contact them if you
have difficulties. Their decals are stocked by
Hannants if you are looking to buy any of the
above sheets. (Alan Firbank)

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 19


BDAC MODEL SHOW
WE VISIT THE BOSCOMBE DOWN AVIATION COLLECTION MODEL SHOW AT OLD SARUM AIRFIELD, SALISBURY.
aving created a reputation as
H a ‘must-attend’ event in only
its fourth year, the Boscombe
Down Aviation Collection
(BDAC)’s model show on
the 11th of August didn’t disappoint the
enthusiasts that made the trip to Old
Sarum airfield. With more local model
clubs attending than in previous years,
early Sunday morning saw a flood of club
members enter the museum in order to
set-up their displays. This year, this took a
little longer than normal as many individuals
could be seen sneaking a quick look at some
of the exhibits, and taking those all-important
cockpit reference shots, before things
became too busy!
The museum’s staff were on hand to help
exhibitors find their tables and also direct
traffic as the car park started to fill up just
before the show’s 10am opening time.
The aviation collection itself is remarkable
and the museum is one of the few in the
Just part of the stunning collection of
cockpits that the museum owns. In the
foreground is one of the NBC drop tanks
that were carried by the RAE’s Hunter
to simulate a chemical attack on army
units operating on Salisbury Plain during
the Cold War.
TEXT AND IMAGES BY GLENN SANDS
UK where the staff are more than happy to
provide help if a visitor wants to experience
what it’s like sitting in a fast-jet cockpit. A few
of the staff are even modellers and in terms
of detail requests, for instance, in order to
take reference photographs, they know
exactly what aircraft builders need.
Looking beyond the staggering collection
of cockpits on displays, it’s the smaller items
which are just as fascinating. The display
of aircrew clothing from the Cold War era,
means that there now should be no excuse
for painting a pilot figure incorrectly! And
for those of us waiting for the 1:72 Wasp
kit to appear, the example at the museum
is completely accessible to be able to
photographed to the smallest detail. It’s now
just a case of waiting to see whose 1:72 kit
arrives first.
As in the past, the relaxed atmosphere of
the event yet again allowed the day to take
on the feel of a large model club, rather than
a show. Throughout the day like-minded
modellers could be heard swapping ideas
and techniques in order to get that greater
level of realism to their builds. And, of course
there’s the kit and book bargains to be
had, of which there were many! Collectakit
was busy throughout the day, with many
modellers finally able to purchase that long-
sought after kit, while others rummaged
through the large boxes of conversion kits
and decals. S+M Models had their latest
1:72 Canberra variant for sale and owner
Mel Bromley was on hand to say what else
‘might be released’ in time for Telford.
Clubs from IPMS Portsmouth, Gloucester,
Farnborough along with The Early Risers
Model Club, Lincoln Model Club, West Berks
Scale Model Club along with many more
put on a fantastic display and showed that
the recent hot British summer hadn’t slowed
modelling output down for some.
Once again it was a great model show
held in a fantastic historic location. Thanks to
Sandy Beattie for his help on the day.
IPMS Salisbury had a huge display of fighters from all periods including this Hobbyboss 1:48 US Well technically, it is a jet fighter? A 1:24 Angel Interceptor built from a resin kit by Andrew Prentis
Navy F/A-18C in the colours of VFA-131 “Wildcats” built by Steve Saville. of IPMS Farnborough.

Given the test background that many of the ‘real exhibits’ had it was only appropriate a display of Cold War era US Navy aircraft from the 1970-80s period were colourful and these two 1:72 models,
test related model aircraft should be present. These came courtesy of Roger Ling of IPMS Salisbury. tucked away on one of the club tables, were rather eye-catching.

MiG-21s in a desert schemes always look great and make a change from the all too familiar Mick Ellis made a few modifications to Revell’s large Tornado kit to depict a true incident where the
natural metal finish. This Syrian Air Force example had nicely detailed cockpit and a perfect jet collided with a VW van while on the taxiway.
airbrush finish.

FRADU Hunters may have long gone, but they’re not forgotten by IPMS Dorset with this lovely Only retired from the Boscombe Down’s QinetiQ fleet last year, the Alpha Jets wore this high
finished 1:48 GA.11, completed with some very subtle weathering on the fuselage. visibility black and white scheme for their trials and test work.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 21

Details, details, details where else will a museum allow A Royal Navy Wasp cockpit, showing the overall blue/grey finish and the What every Hunter, Swift of Javelin fighter pilot was wearing
you to shoot their exhibits this close? A Hawk T.1 front large roof- mounted sighting system for the anti-ship missiles carried on during the Cold War. Note the multitude of different colours to
cockpit illustrates all the colours and various panels that fuselage-mounted pylons. the flying and G-suit and the colour of the seat’s straps.
can be added to model, depending on your skill level.

A nicely-finished pre-war Vought Kingfisher in 1:48. A twist on a piston-engined classic. A 1:48 Sea Fury FB.II finished in the colours of the Royal Navy’s
Historic Flight in 1989, at the time it was a firm favourite on the airshow circuit in the UK.

Airfix 1:72 U-2 kits aren’t seen at many model shows and this example was finished in the colours Reference’s don’t come much better than this. A Lightning F.2A forward fuselage with a very
of Gary Powers aircraft on his ill-fated flight on 1 May 1960 over Russia. complete cockpit and ejection seat – now there’s no excuse to make a model of the RAF’s Cold
War legend.

22 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

ONE, ONE, FOUR, FOUR NEWS
Roy Kinsella rounds up some of the latest releases from this increasingly
popular aircraft scale. This month he looks at ...

RETROWINGS
www.retrokitonline.net
FW-190D-9 COCKPIT DETAIL SET (FOR 1/144
PLATZ AND EDUARD KITS) - RW44175
The guys at RetroWings/Retrokits have been working hard all
summer and we are starting to see this pay off with some juicy new
releases coming our way this autumn and winter. To start with we
have a nicely detailed and very affordable detailed cockpit for the
recently released Eduard and Platz Fw190 kits. You can purchase
these items and more direct from the Retrowing website.

MARK 1 MODELS
www.4pluspublications.com
After picking myself up off the loor here I thought it best to quickly dust
myself off and get to work writing about the news just coming out of
Mark I Models which has knocked me sideways! As I write this the guys
are just releasing a mouthwatering array of new releases!
First up we have the a series of Hawker Siddeley Harriers, replicating
GR.1, GR.3 and AV-8A/Cs Just as you thought it was safe to stand
up again we also learn that Mark I are also releasing a series of
Starighters as well. This is the venerable Revell kit reboxed, but if truth
be known there was very little to improve on with this kit and I have no
doubt the 1:144 scale modelling world will welcome these kits with open
arms.
For both the F-104 and Harrier releases, Mark I have offered a very
tantilising and generous amount of different decals options. The
Starighters are also “2 in 1” kits which is great news. Let’s take a
look at each of the Harriers in this issue and we’ll take a look at the
Starighters, next month…

HARRIER GR.1/AV-8A/AV-8C “FIRST GENERATION” - MKM14486

The irst release in this series of ‘irst generation’ Harrier features the GR.1 and AV-8A/C. Colour schemes included in the kit:

l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.1, XV741, White XV741, Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), MoD/RAF, Boscombe
Down Air Base, Wiltshire, UK, lown by Flt.Lt. T. Lecky-Thompson during the Daily Mail Transatlantic Air Race, May 1969.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.1, XV759, No.233 OCU (Operational Conversion Unit), RAF,Wittering Air Base, Cambridgeshire, UK, 1971.
l AV-8A Harrier (Hawker Siddeley Harrier Mk.50), BuNo 158707/WH12, White 12/Black WH, VMA-542 (Marine Attack Squadron 542) ‘Tigers’, US
Marine Corps, MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina (detachment MCAS Yuma, Arizona), USA, 1974.
l AV-8C Harrier (Hawker Siddeley Harrier Mk.50), BuNo 159374/KD14, White 14/KD, VMAT-203 (Marine Attack Training Squadron 203) ‘Hawks’,
US Marine Corps, MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, USA, mid-1980s.

24 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:144

HARRIER GR.1/VA.1 MATADOR “VTOL/STOL FIGHTER” - MKM14487

Colour schemes included in the kit:

l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.1, XV782, Black D, No.4 Sq., RAF, Wildenrath Air Base, Germany, 1972-73.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.1A, XV755, Red 20, No.1(F) Sq., RAF, Wittering Air Base, Cambridgeshire, UK, during Exercise ‘Sky Mist‘,
Scotland, winter 1972/73.
l VA.1 Matador (Hawker Siddeley Harrier Mk.53/AV-8S), VA.1-3, 01-804, Black 4, 008 Esc. (Sq.), Spanish Navy (Arma Aerea de la Armada
Española), Naval Station Rota, Spain, early 1990s.
l AV-8A Harrier (British Aerospace Harrier Mk.55), ex-VA.1 Matador, 161176 (ex-VA.1-8), Black 3108/8, No. 301 Sq., Royal Thai Navy (Kong Thap
Ruea Thai), alternating between Royal Thai Naval Base U-Tapao and HTMS Chakri Naruebet (CVH-911), 1997.

HARRIER GR.3 “LASER NOSE” - MKM14488

Colour schemes included in the kit:

l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XZ130, Red 27, No.1(F) Sq., RAF, Wittering Air Base, Cambridgeshire, U.K., during Exercise ‘Cold Winter‘,
Bardufoss Air Station, Norway, March 1979.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, ZD667, No.4 Sq., RAF, Gütersloh Air Base, Germany, late 1980s.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XZ990, Black F, ‘Foxy’, No.1417 Flt., RAF, Belize Airport, Belize, Central America, 1990.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XV809, Yellow AF, No.3(F) Sq., RAF, during Exercise ‘Match Coat‘, Gütersloh Air Base, Germany,
September 1984.

HARRIER GR.3 “OPERATION CORPORATE” - MKM14499

Colour schemes included in the kit:

l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XV789, Red 32, No.1(F) Sq., RAF, HMS Hermes, FOB (Forward Operating Base) Port San Carlos and Port
Stanley Airport, during ‘Operation Corporate’, the Falkland Islands, May-June 1982.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XZ963, Red 14, No.1(F) Sq., RAF, HMS Hermes, FOB (Forward Operating Base) Port San Carlos and Port
Stanley Airport, during ‘Operation Corporate’, the Falkland Islands, May-June 1982.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XZ972, Red 33, No.1(F) Sq., RAF, HMS Hermes, FOB (Forward Operating Base) Port San Carlos and Port
Stanley Airport, during ‘Operation Corporate’, the Falkland Islands, May-June 1982.
l Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.Mk.3, XZ989, Red 07, No.1(F) Sq., RAF, HMS Hermes, FOB (Forward Operating Base) Port San Carlos and Port
Stanley Airport, during ‘Operation Corporate’, the Falkland Islands, May-June 1982.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 25

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KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY RUSSELL MARDLING

YAKETY YAK

One for he Yakovlev Yak-1 was a single seat Soviet Yak-1B was
beginners, we
take a look at
Zvezda’s reissue
of the Accurate
Miniatures 1:48
T fighter that first flew in January 1940. It was
a manoeuvrable and fast aircraft which had
a composite wooden structure that made it
easy to maintain with an engine that proved
to be very reliable. The 1b had a new bubble canopy
with a lowered rear fuselage, increased armour and
it had a single 12.7 mm(0.5 in) Berezin UBS. Plus up
something I was
very much looking
forward to getting my
teeth into. As Accurate
Miniatures has such a
reverence in the model world I
was hoping this would be an enjoyable build.
rated electrical and pneumatic firing weapons system. Upon opening the box you are faced with five light
Yak-1B. Let the A total of 4188 were built. grey plastic runners and one clear. The parts are
construction crisply moulded and virtually flash free. Surface detail
begin... In The Box is very good with fine panel lines and rivets. The fabric
Zvezda’s release of the former Accurate Miniatures covered fuselage halves are well represented too.

28 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
Intermediate

SPECIFICATION:
Zvezda 1:48 Yak 1B
Kit No: 4817
Materials: IM
Available From: All Eduard stockists
Price Guide: Approx. £22

MATERIALS USED:
Mr. Cement S
Alclad Grey Primer
Mr Surfacer 500&100
Tamiya Masking tape

PAINTS USED:
Tamiya Acrylics
XF-7 Flat Red
XF-63 German Grey
XF-18 Semi-Gloss Black
XF-1 Flat Black

Mr. Hobby Acrylics

H67 RLM65 Light Blue

ADDITIONAL PARTS USED:

Aries
Yak-1B resin wheels

Eduard
Yak-1B Zoom

Getting Started...
The build starts as usual with the cockpit. It
is a very well-detailed representation of the
real thing and is the best part of the kit in my
opinion. The tub consists of side and front
instrument panels and sidewall detail. The
pilot's seat was enhanced by Eduard's seat
harnesses from their “Zoom" range of etched
sets. The whole cockpit was painted with Mr.
Hobby H67 Light Blue. To enhance some of
the detail I added a wash and then drybrushed
details with Humbrol No. 11 Silver as well as
picking out the various knobs and levers.
Now it was the time to cut off and clean up
the fuselage halves. The cockpit sides were
painted in the same colour as the tub and they
too were given a wash to bring out the detail.
The nose radiator was represented with a
single part that was painted with Mr. Hobby
Gun Metal which was burnished once dry
to give it a lovely metallic finish.
This was attached together with
the cockpit tub. Attaching this was
a bit of a hit and miss as there was
nothing to glue it onto, no slots or
tab. I had to rely on the image in
the instructions and hoped it was an
accurate attempt. Then it was time to join
the fuselage halves together. Unfortunately,
the fit underneath the nose intake was pretty

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 29

KIT BUILD

Surface detail on this model is very nice and more than in keeping with more modern releases. The floor of the cockpit is modelled as seen here. Onto this part you glue rudder pedals, control
column and other details and then something clever happens...

...You fold the front panel upwards to create the final shape! This is a neat way of
ensuring that the detail remains sharp without the need for an extra part.

Cockpit components ready for painting. Note the finesse

of the outer frames and the exceptional detail.

poor. After clamping the halves together and
leaving it overnight for it to fully cure. I filled
the gap with Perfect Plastic Putty. I find this
product very user friendly and is good for
larger gaps plus any excess can be wiped
away with a wetted finger.
The fuselage has an upper deck which
forms the top of the fuselage. The fit wasn't
good, with a gap just forward of the rudder
that had to be filled and sanded, together with
the horizontal join line. Once all the filling and
sanding has been completed I used a rivet
wheel to reinstate the detail that was lost.
Wings And Things
The next step was to start assembling the
wings. This consisted of attaching a part that
forms the rear of the wheel wells. This was
then painted using XF-80 Light Grey. I then
had to make the decision on what to have
slung under the wings: I chose drop tanks. The pegs! Unfortunately, the rear assembly that
other option is installing rockets, three under represents the flaps that sit either side of the
each wing. So with the decision made I drilled rear radiator housing, exhibited fit issues.
the holes through the wings to accommodate Again, out came the filler followed by sanding.
them. The top half of the wings include the rest The leading edges were given the same
of the undercarriage detail that was painted treatment too. There is a separate part the
and weathered in the same manner as the rear represents the intake that
bay. has to be inserted in the
Now came the tricky part! The instructions leading edge of the
require you to glue the top half of the wings port wing root, but
to the fuselage first. A new approach in my once again there
experience and one that , if not done correctly is a fit issue.
will affect the dihedral of the completed wing. I Another problem
attached them accordingly making sure I was I encountered
careful lining up the join. Once satisfied with was the oil
the position of the upper wings. I left them cooler outlet
over night to dry properly. Next I attached door under the
the lower half, making sure of the alignment nose. The only
was correct. The whole assembly was held in way I got it to fit
place by clamps, in my case, my trusty clothes was cutting off

30 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019


Eduard straps add a touch of
finesse around the seat.
the hinge pins then sanding the sides enough
to finally get it to fit. The radiator outlet door
was not a problem thankfully and was attached
without any issues.
The separate ailerons fit nicely with no
problems and were glued in place using
superglue. Once all the filling and sanding
had been finished it was time for a coat of
primer. I used Alclad II Grey Plastic Primer and
Microfiller. This produces an excellent finish for
the subsequent paint applications.
Painting And Decals
I first sprayed the undersides with Mr. Hobby
H67 Light Blue which is a close match to the
colour the Russians used on their fighters
The completed cockpit,
painted and weathered as
described in the text.
1:48
Test-fitting the fuselage halves and lower wing.
Even at this stage it becomes apparent that
some adjustment will be needed...
...As will it around the
upper wings.
of the period. After painting the basic colour
I post shaded along the panel lines using a
slightly darker version of the base colour and
then a lighter version over the middle of the
panels.
Once dry, I masked off the demarcation
between the upper and lower surfaces. The
upper camouflage colours were sprayed with
Tamiya XF-25 Light Grey and XF-63 Dark grey.
I then sprayed a slightly lighter version of each
colour in over the top to tone down the colours very glossy and had an excessive amount of
that gave the model a slightly weathered look. backing film that I cut back as far as I could. I
I prepared the model for the decals by found them very thin and fragile, especially the
spraying it with a couple of coats of Alclad stencil decals and not easy to manoeuvre into
Gloss varnish which gave it a nice shiny finish. place. I would recommend that you source a
Once dry, I applied the decals. These were decent aftermarket decal sheet for this model.
The exhausts are also a clever piece of design. Though moulded as seen here, the middle section
(highlighted with an orange marker pen) is removed and then used to line the exhaust openings on
the insides of the nose, thus cutting down once more on unnecessary parts.
Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 31
KIT BUILD The fuselage is together
and any filling carried out.

The underside of the nose

fits poorly, needing some
adjustment, filler and
cleaning up.

The camouflage scheme is simple,

straightforward and fun to apply, Tamiya
and Mr. Hobby paints being used to All together now, the airframe has been
create the final finish. assembled and primed.

With that said once they had dried

and had been settled down using
my trusty Micro Set and Sol, they
looked quite convincing. A subtle
wash using Tamiya's excellent
Panel Line Accent Color, mine was
dark brown, brought out more detail.
With a final coat of Alclad Flat Varnish Glossed and decalled,
the model was almost done. the almost complete
model awaits a
matt coat and final
Finishing Off assembly.
With the airframe painted, it was time to
assemble and paint the propeller and
the undercarriage. The propeller
blades were painted flat black with
a drybrush of aluminium on their
edges, with the spinner painted red
for this relevant colour scheme.
The undercarriage legs are fairly
basic affairs that were painted XF-80
Light Grey with a subtle wash bringing out
any detail. The undercarriage doors were
then painted and had a wash applied as

32 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48

well. The kit wheels are nicely detailed but
I choose a resin set from Aries. These are
excellent and once painted really look good.
With the tailwheel painted and weathered,
they were attached to the model. This gave
me considerable difficulty. While the lateral
location is pretty fool-proof, the fore-aft
position allows for a lot of movement but as
long as you line them up with the already
attached undercarriage doors they should be
in the right position.
With the tailwheel attached it was time to
glue the final parts on, The pitot tube and the
aerial together with wire courtesy of Uschi
which looks true to the scale of this model.
Finally, I used a black pigment by Pinnacle for
the exhaust staining. ■

FINAL VERDICT
This model builds up to be a good representation of the Yak-1B, but it’s not without its faults. It’s an old
kit. (First released in 1998) but with patience and plenty of filler, it is worth it in the end.
Thanks to The Hobby Company for the sample built this month.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 33

KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY SPENCER POLLARD

FORK-TAILED We build the he announcement P-38 Lightning, modellers went

incredible Lockheed
P-38 Lightning,
using Tamiya’s
equally incredible
1:48 kit…
T and then subsequent
release of a new
aircraft kit by Tamiya
is always greeted with
enthusiasm by the modelling
world, so when they released
some teasing shots of a new 1:48
into overdrive wondering what the
kit would include when it finally
arrived., how accurate it would be
and more importantly, how easy it
would be to build...
Several months have passed
since those images first hit our

34 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
BEGINNER

SPECIFICATION:

D DEVIL
Tamiya 1:48 P-38F/G Lightning
Kit No: TA61120
Materials: IM
Available From: All Good Model Shops
Price Guide: £59.99

BEFORE STARTING:
Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
Gunze Sangyo Mr Cement S
Tamiya Masking Tape
Xuron Cutters
collective computer and phone screens, more information about the contents of the Tweezers
months during which, ‘white box’ box and how it all goes together. Swann Morton No.10 Scalpel & 10A Blades
examples of the kit have both been sold Plasti-Zap Cyanoacrylate Glue - thin and medium
at the IPMS US Nationals and latterly, In The Box viscosity
handed over to the press for reviews and In many ways, the kit mirrors the approach Gunze Sangyo Mr Filler Primer
builds. The kit that you see here is just seen in their much-vaunted F-14 Tomcat,
one of those packages and now that it is with similar levels of quality, detail PAINTS USED:
Tamiya Acrylics
complete, we can provide you with a lot and clever design ideas. Along with
AS-12 Bare Metal Silver
X-18 Semi Gloss Black
XF-1 Flat Black
XF-2 Flat White
XF-3 Flat Yellow
X-22 Clear
XF-85 Rubber Black
XF-53 Neutral Grey
XF-62 Olive Drab
XF-4 Yellow Green

Gunze Sangyo Mr. Hobby/Color

H52 Olive Drab(1)
GX Clear

Games Workshop Acrylics - colours for detailing

Vallejo Flat Varnish

Winsor & Newton Oil colours

Raw Umber
Paynes Grey
Mig Productions Abt 502 Oils
Starship Filth
Buff
Engine Oil

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 35

KIT BUILD
From the box, the cockpit is easy to assemble, well-detailed and fun to paint. Fully
annotated instructions guide the modeller through the colours needed to decorate the
cockpit, all of which were followed to the letter.

Tamiya colours were mixed to create the Interior Green shade

(Flat Green and Flat Yellow) and then all details picked out
with Games Workshop acrylics. Oil colour washes brought out
the detail and then added a layer of grime.

You could certainly add extra detail within the The larger cockpit components combine to create this cockpit
cockpit, but as it is, the detail is more than ‘bath’. The kit offers alternate instrument panels depending on
acceptable. Remaining features, seat, rear bulkhead version chosen, optional instrument decals then being used to
etc., are added during final assembly. complete the picture, this being the set-up for the P-38F chosen
for this build.

Detail within the nosewheel bay, is lovely. Colour here

those now familiar traits, if anything can be is Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver, weathered with Raw
taken from this kit and the build that we've Umber oil paint washes.
undertaken, it is that Tamiya have continued
with their simplistic approach to construction,
so much so, that as with the F-14, anyone
could build this kit and be awarded with a fine
replica at the end of the process. Anyone that
has attempted almost all of the previously
seen kits of this aircraft will tell you that to a
greater or lesser degree, they are difficult to
assemble and the odd design of the airframe,
tough to line up accurately. Not so here; As with the cockpit, the nosewheel bay is built up from a
number of interlocking panels.
the way that the Tamiya designers have
approached the breakdown of the kit is such
that everything drops into place with zero effort
being needed on the part of the modeller to
correct misalignments, the result be straight
and true, exactly as it should be.
The kit replicates the P-38F/G and in so The completed nosewheel bay. At this
doing, depicts the aircraft with the streamlined point the parts are not glued together.
Actually, they still might not be!
nacelles seen on these earlier aircraft.
Reducing the number of colour schemes
available to the modeller to almost one ––
unless to consider an unpainted demonstrator
–– the kit is unlikely to please anyone looking
for more garish schemes, but even so, the
results possible from it, are still attractive,
accurate and impressive, especially given
its size once complete. The Olive Drab over
Neutral Gray camouflage was particularly
prone to heavy weathering and so although

36 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48
Test-fitting the cockpit ‘bath’ onto the
large spar that runs the width of the inner
wings and fuselage.

There is a section of the spar that pokes through

the cockpit floor, so this needs to be painted
interior green to match the cockpit interior. Once
done, the spar can be glued in place within the
lower fuselage half.

In order to simplify the masking of the

nosewheel bay, the exterior surfaces
of the underside of the nose were
airbrushed in Neutral Gray before the
bay was fixed in place.

the markings may not be the brightest, there is
still plenty of scope for personalisation as can
be seen here –– just use your imagination and
away you go!
Across the board detail is superb, internal
areas being particularly well captured. Some
comments have been made regarding a lack
of nose guns and engines, but given that these
particular parts of the model are filled with
cleverly mounted ballbearings that keep the
completed aircraft on all three wheels, the lack
of such things is both understandable and to
be honest, welcome.
Construction begins with the cockpit. Here,
the kit includes optional instrument panels
and decorative dial decals for each of the
two variants on offer, as well as a completely
appointed tub, with floor, sidewalls, seat and
complex radio fit, all present and correct.
There are no seat straps in the kit, these
items being either represented using decals,
or in place on the nicely detailed pilot figure,
but given the extensive ranges of aftermarket
straps, this shouldn’t really be a problem.
With the cockpit done, attention turns to
the airframe beginning with a central spar
that sits in-between the large upper wing/
fuselage panel and then the separate lower
central fuselage and outer wings. This is a
welcome inclusion, as it stiffens up the wings
and removes any possibility of flex once the
booms are added. Along with that, the spar
also help to line up the nosewheel bay and
the cockpit, meaning that neither are glued in
place to the fuselage, only to the spar, which
in turn reduces any possibility of damage to
these already painted sub-assemblies. What
it also does is provide a loose bracket that in
conjunction with the upper nose, holds the first
of the kit’s three ball bearings in place - a neat,
simple and effective solution to keeping the
aircraft on all three wheels.
At this point it would be worthwhile
mentioning the quality of fit across the
whole of this model kit. Tamiya’s fit and

With the huge upper wing moulding test-fit in place, the spar can seen and how it stiffens up the As with the nosewheel bay and its surrounding fuselage colour, the upper cockpit sills need to be
assembly of the model thanks to its inclusion. painted, in this case with Interior Green. Washes and drybrushed layers of colour help to bring out
the wonderful detail.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 37

KIT BUILD

The P-38 is a notorious tailsitter, so the use of this clever ballbearing and mount, is a very welcome Here’s the ballbearing in place, within the now completed nose.
inclusion!

component tolerance is now legendary and The almost completed wings and
that is certainly the case here, with a level of fuselage. It will become something
perfection that’s simply astonishing. Take the of a theme within this feature, but
upper wings with their leading edge inserts, the fit is literally perfect!
for instance (these allow later variants to be
created for the kit and as such, don’t include
leading-edge navigation lights). Each one is
full-span and needs to be glued in place, the
break being along a natural panel line. Once
dropped in place and glue applied, the
joint is literally no different from all of
the other panel lines that decorate
the surface of the model, the
inserts’ delicately bevelled edges
creating a very subtle panel line
once in place. It’s an astonishing
feature of the kit’s design that so
many of the airframe components
break across actually panel lines,
which reduces cleaning up to almost
nothing. Indeed, the kits also points
out in the instructions that the joints
across the upper and lower surface of the
booms should not be cleaned up as these
exhibited joints on the real aircraft, reducing
clean-up even further.
Wings and central airframe complete, The kit supplies two different
attention turns to the two booms, their underfuselage drop-tanks,
wheel bays and the single-piece tailplane. these being the smaller 150
Gal items, a single 300 Gal
Though the instructions tell you complete the tank also being supplied for
turbochargers pertinent to each variant before use under “Miss Virginia”.
anything else, a different path was taken, the Note the large tab and
interiors of the two wheel bays being tackled socket joints between the
first, the booms joined and then the mounting
pylons and tanks.

plates for the turbochargers glued in place,

their detail being added after painting and
weathering had been completed. It makes
no difference which way you approach their With the nose and wings dealt with, we
construction, our route being taken to cut can turn our attention to the booms,
beginning as seen here, with the main
down on the number of parts that would need gear bays.
to be painted separately.
If the detail within the cockpit is pleasing,
that found inside the wheelbays is an absolute
delight! Seemingly as complete as possible
in this scale, the complex appearance of the
actual aircraft’s bays is replicated using a large
As with the nose, the booms
include ballbearings, the means
with which they are held in
38 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019 place, being seen here.
 1:48
number of parts that interlock so cleverly that
If the cockpit in the main, you almost need no glue to keep
interior is very
good, that found
it all together. Surface detail is stunning and
within each of the once carefully painted and weathered, the
main wheel bays, results are a real highlight of the kit - it’s just
is sensational. a shame that so little can be seen once the
Though much of
model is sat on its wheels!
this cannot be
seen when the As with the spar mentioned earlier, the
model is complete bays are constructed around large, single
and sat on its pieces that not only replicate the roofs of the
wheels, you have
bays, they also hold a ballbearing within the
to tip your hat to
the skill of the kit’s nacelle at the forward end of each boom. In
designers. combination with that dropped into the nose,
there is more than enough weight to balance
the completed model on its wheels without
compromising its look and accuracy.
The booms assemble easily and drop
precisely into place under each wing. The fit
is once again helped by joints that fall along
panel lines only a brushful of liquid glue (in
this case, Tamiya Extra Thin Cement) being
needed to complete construction. With the
booms in place, the tailplane simply slides
The complete through the fins, locking everything together.
wheel bays await Once again, liquid glue holds the parts in
their union with place, little more than a drop being needed.
the tail booms. Away from the main construction, there are
some intriguing inclusions, that though initially
seeming odd, do in fact work really well. One
of those is the depiction of the radiator faces
on the sides on the booms. Due to moulding
constraints, these are not detailed per se,
being only represented as smooth shapes that
are then completed with decals that depict
the mesh found on the front and rear faces of
each one. The decals fit perfectly and once
in place and then enclosed by the bulged
radiator fairings, look more than adequate
given the restricted view of each one through
the radiator openings.
Along with the grey plastic parts, the kit
also supplies –– obviously! –– a clear runner
that deals with the canopy and its alternate
upward, or side-opening mid section. The
Mentioned earlier, ballbearings are canopy on the Lightning is complex and
used in the kit to keep the model that is well replicated by Tamiya. The
on all three wheels. Here is one of windscreen and rear portion of the
those supplied to fit inside one of
canopy are both moulded as part
the tail booms.
of the upper fuselage, thus
ensuring that their joints are
once again along larger
panel lines –– welcome,
because the lower frames
are very small and thus
gluing them in place
without those large areas of
fuselage, more than tricky.
The depiction of the upward-
opening panel is made possible
thanks to a hinge that forms part
of the seat’s backrest, the clear
panel being glued to this hinge. Should
you wish to have the canopy closed, the hinge

The radiators that are found on the two booms feature radiator faces, but because
The four tail boom halves, with all they are not particularly visible, Tamiya has chosen to replicate their mesh faces
of the open areas painted following with decals rather than moulded detail. Initially, I was unsure how this would look,
the kit’s instructions. but one in place and the radiators complete, the effect is more than acceptable.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 39

KIT BUILD
In order to create other variants from this basic set of
moulds, the kit includes separate leading edge panels
that drop into the recesses shown in this shot...

The airframe is complete.

Though a complex shape,
the design of the kit is
such that the various
sub-assemblies almost
click together, everything ...The joint falling onto a panel line. Can you see the joint
falling on panel lines, or between the two parts?!
natural structural breaks.
Clean-up is minimal, the
instructions even telling
you not to clean up the
joint along the upper and
lower booms, as there
were joints on that part
of the real aircraft!

Just look at that detail! The undercarriage legs are

temporally in place to allow the model to sit belly-down,
without breaking the very delicate undercarriage door
actuators.

As with the nose, the areas surrounding the open

main wheel bays were sprayed with its exterior,
Neutral Gray paint, thus removing any need to
mask the bays during final finishing.

As with the main undercarriage legs, the nose gear can

be dropped in place without glued to support the model
as painting progresses.

As with their previously released F-14 Tomcat, the

undercarriage bays feature large tabs that locate each
one in place at the correct angle, adding much needed
strength along the way. Other manufacturers please
take note...

Given their innate simplicity, the propellors are rather complex in design, featuring four parts per hub that need to be
individually painted, weathered and then joined to the similarly finished, props. The pale blue hubs certainly add a splash of
colour to the model, Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue being used to finish each one, a slightly lighter version being used for the inner
plates to create a little variation. Oil paint washes brought out the detail. The props were painted in XF-1 Flat black with XF-3
Flat yellow tips. Following decalling, the blades were weathered with oils, before being chipped with a Prismacolor silver pencil.

The interior surfaces of the undercarriage doors were

40 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019 painted using the same AS-12/Raw Umber wash used
earlier within the gear bays.
 1:48
The undercarriage legs are very
neat and tidy, as are the wheels.
The legs were painted in AS-12 and
then washed with Mig Productions
Starship Filth and then around joints
and the brakes, Mig Productions
Engine Oil. Tyres are finished in
Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black and
then washed with a thin layer of
Humbrol Dark Earth, before being
drybrushed with Matt Black to bring
out the detail.

The kit includes a full set

of painting instructions,
decals and the canopy masks
seen here. The masks are not
pre-cut, needing to be carefully
removed from their backing sheet
with a scalpel. This is a remarkably
easy task and fit is perfect once in place
over the kit’s glazing.

is cut away and then a solid central section

The basic camouflage was applied
to the model using Tamiya acrylics,
Olive Drab and Neutral Grey.
Each colour was lighted and then
airbrushed on, neat versions of each
one being used to add shading.
Though out of the scope of this build
review, a random finish was added to
the model using the same FX Texture
templates and techniques seen
during my Airfix Spitfire Mk.XIV
and Eduard P-51D Mustang
articles published in
previous issues.
glued in place. Similarly, the side-opening
section is offered, though this time the side of
the canopy and its open section are moulded
as one part, the hinge for the previous choice
being removed as it’s redundant. Again, a
choice of a fully closed canopy is also offered,
using another central section. The picture is
completed with drop-down side panels and
then a sheet of canopy masks that you cut-out
to cover the delicate clear panels. Though this
sounds like a bind, the removal of the masks
is very easy, little more than a sharp scalpel
being needed to accomplish the task –– I
didn’t even use a ruler to guide the blade!
With construction and painting complete,
you have the choice of two individual aircraft,

ABOVE LEFT: The random finish made possible through the use of the Texture Templates, can be appreciated here. There is no real trick to this effect, just lots of differently toned layers, applied, one on
top of another. An attempt has also been made to replicate the marks left by the protective tape that was applied around the panels on the nose and nacelles. This was achieved using strips of Tamiya
masking tape, applied over the lines and then a darker olive drab and grey shade being careful sprayed over each strip dependant on where it fell over the camouflage. With the tape removed, the
appearance of protected strips can be seen, the effect being further accentuated with oils, during final painting and weathering. ABOVE MIDDLE: A close-up of the nose shows off the decals that have
been applied over a layer of Mr. Color GX Clear, as well as those taped lines discussed earlier. A sealing coat of Vallejo Flat sealed everything in ready for weathering. ABOVE RIGHT: The sharkmouth
markings on the booms are what really attracted me to this scheme, their ferocious appearance perfectly suiting the look of this impressive aircraft. The decals fit really well, though being in two parts,
need care to line up. As normal with Japanese decals, these were applied using Mr. Mark Softer, the results looking amazingly painted-on once sealed in place under a coat of matt varnish.
BELOW LEFT: Happy that the decals were dry, panels were masked off and then highlighted along their edges with a lighter shade of Olive Drab, mixed from Tamiya XF-62 mixed and XF-4 Yellow Green,
thinned with around 60% Mr. Color thinners. Again, this was carried out as randomly as possible until the surface of the model looked nice and busy. BELOW MIDDLE: In close-up, the surface of the
model and its multiple layers of paint, become all the more apparent. Though it looked good at this point, I chose to push the finish a great deal further in order to replicate the very heavy weathering
found on these aircraft in service. Time for some oil paint washes... BELOW RIGHT: Rather than define the panel lines on the upper surfaces with a dark wash, the impression of ingrained dirt was created
with lighter panel line washes, this time created with Mig Productions Buff oil paint, thinned with white spirit. The wash was applied particularly heavily over the surface of the wings and upper booms,
neat oil paint then being used to accentuate the lines further and create the illusion of a dusty, faded finish.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 41

KIT BUILD

With the lighter washes done and dusted –– literally! –– some staining could be added around the One of the distinctive features of wartime P-38s, was the wear pattern over the inner wings.
nacelles and upper wings. This was added to the model using neat Mig Productions Engine Oil, the Though I’d given thought to using more sophisticated methods to achieve this affect, I decided
paint being applied ‘neat’ and then blended in with a soft, flat brush. Starship Filth was also used to to simplify matters and use a Prismacolor silver pencil, this tool being used to add smaller chips
further define the panel lines around the nacelle and add depth and wear needed, additional staining. around panel lines and access panels over the surface of the model.

The sharkmouth decals were blended in to their surroundings with carefully applied oil paint I figured that these aircraft would be dusty, so mixed some Tamiya Deck Tan and Buff with some
washes, Mig’s Abt 502 Starship Filth being particularly useful around the nacelles, this colour also X-20A Thinners and then sprayed in thin layers over the underside of the wings, sides of the
being used to replicate the oil and fuel leaks seen emanating from one of the nacelle’s panels. booms and below the nose. Note how this colour has also created dusty appearance around the
undercarriage and tyres.

The edges of the taped areas were further accentuated with oils to make them stand out a little more. An overall view of the fuselage and inner wings reveals just how weathered this model is.
I’m pleased that I did the, because by the end of the weathering steps, they had all-but disappeared!

42 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019


The seat is place, as are the radios and their mounting frames. Seat straps came from a generic
Eduard set of US Air Force belts.
The completed propellers are a standout part of the finished model, their blue finish adding a
much-needed splash of colour. Note the difference in tone between the inner and outer hubs.
Deck Tan, heavily thinned was used to add the heavy exhaust staining. Once in place, Titanium White
oil paint was used to finesse the stains and imitate structure under the layer of grime. In photos I had
of P-38s in service, there appeared to be heavy, oily stains, around the inner radiators, so these were
added by carefully painting Mig Productions Abt 502 Engine Oil into place as seen here.
1:48
Painted and weathered to match their surroundings, the tanks are now in place, a drop of Tamiya
‘White Cap’ Cement being used to joint each one to their respective pylons.
Almost there - time to add the canopy!
Before fixing the turbochargers in place, the inner surfaces of their locations on the upper booms
were painted in a dark brown colour to ensure shadow beneath each one.
43
KIT BUILD
The completed model as built from Tamiya’s impressive
kit. In this shot the aerial wire has been fixed to the wrong
point behind the canopy, the end of it actually feeding
through the clear, rear panel and not the solid sectionl as
shown. This has now been corrected!

both finished in the same Olive Drab/Neutral

Gray scheme mentioned earlier. The choices
are as follows:

■ Lockheed P-38G “White 147” 339th

Fighter Squadron, 347th Fighter Group, 13th
Air Force, Operation Vengeance (attack
on Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's aircraft),
Guadalcanal, April 1943.
■ Lockheed P-38F “White 33” 39th
Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, 5th
Air Force, Port Moresby, Late 1942.

The decals are superb, being

well-printed and perfectly in register.
Along with the national insignia and
unit markings, the sheet also features
a large number of stencil marking for the
airframe, as well as for the propellers. It even
includes chrome decals that replicate the
unpainted undercarriage oleos, as well as
the polished panels on the inside faces of
each boom –– a nice touch. For this review
we chose to complete our model in the
sharkmouth-decorated, Port Moresby aircraft,
plenty of online images being found to aid in
our endeavours to create as prototypically
weathered a finish as possible. ■

44 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48

FINAL VERDICT
It almost goes without saying, but
this is a very fine new kit from
Tamiya. Straight from the box as seen
here, the kit builds into a wonderful
replica of one of WWII’s most
beguiling aircraft; add detail and
it will be show-stopper. But detail
and finesse aside, what it really
offers is the chance to build a kit
of this aircraft without any of the
alignment issues that have plagued
so many other kits over the years.
In conclusion, it’s highly-detailed,
beautifully moulded, accurate and
incredibly easy to build. What more
could you possibly want?!
Thanks to The Hobby Company for
sending over this early sample.

Issue 144 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 45

IN COLOUR
...IT GIVES YOU WINGS!
ALAN FIRBANK PHOTOGRAPHS RED BULL’S STUNNING P-38L LIGHTNING, ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF THESE
AIRCRAFT STILL FLYING AROUND THE WORLD.
The Flying Bulls fleet contains several aircraft that fall into
“
the 'priceless' category, but when it comes to rarity, nothing
comes close to the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Of the 10,037
P-38s manufactured by Lockheed, only 26 survive. And of
those, only 10 are airworthy.
The P-38 was a heavy fighter, designed to fly higher and faster
than its competition. It became something of an all-rounder, used for
bombing, ground attack, night-fighting, pathfinding, long-range escort
duty and photo reconnaissance. Its distinctive design, with a central
cockpit nacelle and twin booms housing the engines, entered operation
with the US Army Air Corps in 1941 and was the only US fighter aircraft
in mainstream production throughout WWII.
The Flying Bulls' P-38L, manufactured in 1944, has quite a history.
The -L derivative was the most numerous Lightning produced, with
3,923 aircraft manufactured. The designation P-38 F-5G-6-LO marks it
out as a Lightning built in the F-5G photo-reconnaissance configuration,
46 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019
in the sixth production block at Lockheed’s Burbank factory. It was
sold into civilian hands shortly after the end of WWII and, upgraded
with modified carburettors for water injection, began a second life in air
racing, winning various prizes.
In 1963, the plane was purchased by decorated WWII flier Marvin
'Lefty' Gardner, who gave the aircraft a white livery and a distinctive
presence at the Reno Air Races, where it performed for many years as
'White Lightnight'.
A spot of bad luck in 2001 saw an engine fire force the plane to crash
land in a Mississippi cotton field, where it sustained substantial damage.
The Flying Bulls saved it, though, restoring the plane to its former glory.
It’s now the only flying P-38 in Europe.” (Via Red Bull)
For more information on Red Bull’s fleet of aircraft, please visit their
website at: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/vintage-aircraft-flying-bulls
 FULL-SIZE

Issue 172 -www.modelairplaneinternational.com 47

KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY JASON BREWER

HIGH
FLYING
NINE
Eduard’s Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc, becomes a
high-flying interceptor.

hat's there to say about Eduard's

W Spitfire kits that hasn't already been

said? They are highly praised for
accuracy and fit, and rightly so. I
don't often build multiples of the
same kit, but this is my third Eduard Spitfire - so far.
This time around I wanted to do something a little
bit different, and in my research I came across this
early IXc in Medium Sea Grey over PRU Blue - a

48 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
Intermediate

scheme usually found on Mk.VIIs and a few moved on to the wings. These went together
Mk.VIIIs. effortlessly, and I love the fit and detail of
SPECIFICATION:
Eduard 1:48 Spitfire Mk.IXc Early
the gear bay assemblies. The fuselage and Kit No: 8282
Cockpit wings were then joined with Tamiya Extra Thin Materials: IM Plastic, PE
Eduard's kit cockpit is quite nice straight out Cement - not a bit of filler needed anywhere. Available From: All Eduard stockists
of the box, but I opted to enhance it with The same can be said for the Price Guide: £25.99
BarracudaCast's Snapshot cockpit set. lower cowl and intake, it was
This brilliant set ups the detail levels by all a joy to assemble. BEFORE STARTING:
replacing key elements of the interior There are only two Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
without requiring replacement of the areas of the kit Tamiya Masking Tape
entire cockpit. No thinning, scraping, or about which I can Sprue Cutters
carving required here! complain - the Tweezers
The office was given a base coat of
Cyanoacrylate Glue
multi-piece
Gunze Mr. Surfacer 500
Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green followed exhaust Future floor polish
by some fading using the base colour assembly Solvaset decal setting solution
with a drop of Tamiya XF-2 Flat White that requires Microscale Micro Kristal Klear
added. I mixed the base colour with you to install
Vallejo to both lighten the colour and the exhaust PAINT USED:
make it easier to paint by brush and before the Tamiya colour Acrylics
highlighted the framing and various details upper cowl, XF-2 Flat White
on the sidewalls. For the Bakelite seat I and the XF-7 Flat Red
mixed Tamiya XF-64 with a touch of XF-7 Flat two-piece XF-17 Sea Blue
Red to represent its signature colour. The upper cowl XF-18 Medium Blue
XF-19 Sky Grey
seat pad was brush-painted with Vallejo Black itself which
XF-63 German Grey
followed by a drybrushing of Vallejo gives you a XF-64 Red Brown
German Grey. tricky seam down XF-69 NATO Black
The BarracudaCast seat the middle which XF-71 Cockpit Green
has moulded belts and is difficult to clean XF-83 RAF Medium Sea Grey 2
includes a separate top up without destroying
piece of the harness that the fine rivet and fastener Vallejo Model colour:
goes to the headrest armour. detail. Luckily, Ultracast offers 70950 Black
I chose to cut the kit PE a clever solution for the exhaust. Their 70951 White
flared exhaust set includes replacements for
70957 Flat Red
harness and use it
70819 Iraqian Sand
instead since it the internal pieces that allow you to paint their 70995 German Grey
continues to detailed resin exhausts separately and install
the rear them at the end of the build. BarracudaCast AMMO of Mig Jimenez:
of the has a solution for upper cowl in the form of A.MIG 1614 PLW Neutral Brown
a one-piece resin part that even uses the kit A.MIG 092 Crystal Green
locator holes. Brilliant! A.MIG 093 Crystal Red
With the airframe together it was
time to install the radiators, control AIRBRUSH USED:
surfaces, wing tips, etc. Getting ready Iwata HP-B Plus
for paint I attached the windscreen and
rear canopy pieces, masked with Eduard's ACCESSORIES USED:
always excellent masks, and masked off the BarracudaCast cockpit snapshot
BarracudaCast 1-pc cowl
cockpit. Since Eduard provides a separate
Ultracast exhaust
cockpit. piece for a closed cockpit door, this was stuck Ultracast spinner/prop
The kit PE snuggly into place dry to ease masking off the Brassin wheels
instrument panel cockpit opening. Master's wonderful turned Master gun barrels
is nice and I simply gave it a brass gun barrels were attached with CA and
drybrushing treatment of Vallejo Neutral Grey the outer gun ports were drilled out as well,
to make the details pop. Other details were and it was time to get some colour on the bird.
in the cockpit picked out and some sponge
chipping using various Vallejo acrylics, then Paint and Markings
the entire sub-assembly was given a sealing Now on to the fun part. I generally don't use
coat of Future in preparation for washes. I a dedicated primer, per se, but I started off by
used the AMMO of Mig Jimenez 1614 Neutral giving the whole plane a light coat of Tamiya come together!
Brown wash for the cockpit and was quite XF-19 Sky Grey. The rivets are very fine For the markings I contacted Mal at Miracle
pleased with the results. Everything was then and I wanted to do as thin and few layers as Paint Masks for some custom cut masks
finished with AK's Ultra Matte Varnish. The possible to preserve them. The underside was based on my reference photos. These worked
Bakelite seat has a sheen to it, so I brushed sprayed with a custom mix of Tamiya XF-18 flawlessly. I also masked and sprayed the
on a few light coats of Future to give it the right Medium Blue and XF-19 Sky Grey. The top wing walk lines, a tedious but worthwhile step
finish. side was given a coat of XF-83 RAF Medium versus using decals. I sealed the paint with a
Sea Grey 2. Both colours were lightened and few light coats of Future and applied the kit-
Assembly a faded patchy finish was applied. And as provided stencil decals. I don't have the best
With the fuselage ready to close up, I easy as that, the scheme was really starting to of luck with Eduard's decals and had a few

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 49

KIT BUILD

BarracudaCast’s snapshot cockpit set is excellent, improving the most important and visible Painted up and weathered, the cockpit looks the part with the BarracudaCast items in place.
components with ease.

The cockpit fits well against the fuselage sidewall. Time to close this puppy up! There’s plenty of weathering within this model - befitting a well-used aircraft.

The major airframe components spots of silvering that had to be addressed.

fit perfectly with no filler needed
anywhere.
Weathering
With this model I tried a few new-to-me
techniques, starting with creating some light
scratches in the wing root and around the
engine cowl with base colour mixed with
Vallejo White applied with a small brush. I
tried to keep it as random as possible, and
I'm pleased with the results. I added some
deeper scratches with Citadel Mithryl Silver
and some minor chipping in the wing root
using a sponge. To make the panel lines and
rivets pop, I turned again to AMMO's PLW
line of washes. I used the same 1614 Neutral
Brown wash that I used in the cockpit and it
performed equally well here.
At this point I gave the model a coat of
AK-Interactive's Ultra Matte Varnish. With the
model flat-coated, I unmasked the cockpit and
clear parts which is always my favourite part
of the entire build because the model really
comes to life.
Now I got started on the exhaust stains
and other grime. For the exhaust stain I used
Tamiya acrylics thinned with 91% isopropyl
alcohol. It would be more appropriate to refer
to it as tinted alcohol, as the ratio is at least

50 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48
Just about ready to
paint, the Barracuda
1pc cowl and Master
barrels in place.

The base colours

applied and
faded.

Markings and wing walk lines applied using Miracle Paint

Masks and Tamiya tape.

10:1 alcohol to paint. I start out with Tamiya
XF-64 Red Brown to make the initial outline
of the stain, slowly building up the effect. I
incrementally add small amounts of XF-63
German Grey as I move toward the heavier
part of the stain. The heavily thinned mix
provides lots of control over the effect. When
the Red Brown and German Grey mix is about
50/50, I airbrush random spots on the airframe
to simulate some dirt and grime, mostly around
the engine and the wing roots. AMMO's 1614
PLW was used once again for some leaks,
streaks, and spills.
Final Touches
The fiddly bits are all that remain now, most
of which I had painted along the way with
the rest of the model to avoid loading the

Light scratches were created using the base colour mixed with Vallejo Flat White, applied with a Some further chipping in the wing root.
small brush.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 51

KIT BUILD

Stencil decals applied,

along with the AMMO PLW
wash.

Final mock-up with

weathering completed, ready airbrush with the same
for final assembly. colour more times than
necessary. I used
Eduard's BRASSIN
resin 4-spoke wheels,
which were airbrushed
XF-63 German Grey
then the tires were masked
and the hubs were sprayed with my
PRU Blue mixture. After a coat of Future, the
wheels were given a wash of, again, AMMO
1614 Neutral Brown as well as a misting of
various browns on the sidewalls. Ultracast's
resin exhausts were given a Tamiya XF-69
NATO Black followed by washes of AMMO
Light Rust and a light dry-brushing of Vallejo
Neutral Grey. Ultracast's spinner and propeller
blades were direct replacements for the kit
parts - the blade tips were painted yellow and
masked off, then the blades were painted
with Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black, faded, with
XF-63 German Grey, before applying light
chipping with sponge-applied, Citadel Mithryl
Silver. I used the BarracudaCast resin cockpit
door, which is a nice improvement over the kit
plastic and shows nice depth and detail.

52 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:48

With everything ready, completion
was a matter of attaching all of the fiddly
bits. The gear legs fit into place with
a positive lock and sat at just the right
angle, and the tailwheel fit just as well.
The Ultracast exhausts slid right into
place and didn't even require any glue
to stay in place, though I used some
anyway. The canopy almost literally
"clicked" into place. Lastly, I used
AMMO's Crystal colours over silver for
the navigation lights, a brush-friendly
option that is quite convincing. ■

FINAL VERDICT
Eduard’s Spitfire Mk.IXc is still a lovely kit. It was a joy to build the third time around. I really like
the high-altitude markings and I think this is my favourite of my Spitfire builds to date. Next I need to
build the cut-back XVI!

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 53


Earlier this year we took a look at the then, newly released Hong Kong Models Lancaster, offering up our thoughts on the kit, its features
and detail. In order to prepare you for John Wilkes build feature, we thought it might be an idea to reprint that initial review, for those
that hadn’t seen it as part of the March issue. Here it is in full - we hope that you appreciate its appearance once more.
WE TAKE A DETAILED LOOK AT
THE HONG KONG MODELS LA
WRITTEN BY SPENCER POLLARD
In the Box
It’s awfully big of course, and not just the kit
itself, the suitcase-sized box that it arrives in
commanding attention before the lid is lifted
ready to examine the contents. Once you open
the box though the sheer size and scale of the
project that you are soon to face, becomes
all the more apparent. Clear your bench and
diary: this is one huge project to enjoy!
Being one of the first kits to arrive, ours
appeared to be a ‘Limited Edition’ offering that
also includes a bonus in the form of a clear
fuselage. I have reservations about this, but
can see that it will be useful for those wanting
to show of the kit’s interior, of which there is
plenty! The inclusion of clear parts offers up
several possibilities should you wish to use
them, keeping one half entirely ‘clear’, or
perhaps masking out specific areas to reveal
the interior on the side of the model that is not
the primary point of focus. Like I say, I have
reservations about the validity of this feature,
54 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019
NOTE:
but it’s certainly noteworthy. Now, back to the
kit...
Though HKM make something of the fact
that their kit is designed with all modellers in
mind and that simplicity has been their aim
from the off, this kit still includes 824 parts over
50+ runners, so don’t be fooled into believing
that this is a weekend project. That’s not to say
that the kit doesn’t include features designed
to simplify the process slightly (the wings for
instance are each moulded in large, hollow
sections) but in the main, what you see is a
traditional kit, albeit one that’s very large!
Work begins on the interior as you would
expect, the cockpit being the first point of call.
Detail here is well created and comprehensive,
the bomb aimer’s, pilot’s and navigator’s
stations all being present and in the main,
correct. Along with the neatly-defined structural
detail inside the fuselage halves, the cockpit
and associated areas feature delicate
structures and fittings that will repay careful
painting and weathering. Careful examination
of the smaller parts reveals further details and
in some cases, such as the instrument panels,
odd omissions, the instrument faces being
entirely smooth with seemingly nothing in
the way of decals to decorate each one. This
was the first of what would be a few points
of contention with this kit and its approach,
leaving me to feel that some details had been
rushed and this compromised as a result.
To offer the gauges as smooth panels on an
otherwise neat panel is one thing, to not offer
a decal to complete the picture quite another.
As with the seat straps that we will look at
later, the aftermarket will no-doubt deal with
this omission, but it nevertheless remains
noteworthy for those looking for a complete
picture from the box.
Though the cockpit comprises a large
number of small parts that combine to create
 1:32

ANCASTER B.MK.I
the seats, instrument panels, tables and other
paraphernalia, these sit on top of large and
rather bland floors that do little to capture
either the complexity or construction of the
originals. Here you are presented with perhaps
the clearest example of cost-cutting and
simplification and though little of these pieces
will be seen with the fuselage closed up, for
the asking price I would have expected rather
more complexity than that offered by HKM.
Along with the plastic parts within the
cockpit, the kit also includes a small fret of
photo-etch that includes some seat straps.
I have to say that much like the instrument
faces, these are less than impressive, being
flat and featureless, even careful painting
being unlikely to elevate their appearance
beyond the ordinary. It’s nice that they are
there but they do little to replicate the complex
belts found in the real aircraft and given the
material of their manufacture, they will be hard
use, difficult to paint and no-doubt difficult to
place realistically. By the time that you get
around to dealing with the interior of your build
I am sure that aftermarket belts will be ready
for sale, so I would suggest that they are used
rather than those supplied in the box.
Moving on from the cockpit, the instructions
deviate slightly from what seems like a
sensible constructional path to deal with the
tailplanes and fins. Traditional in design and
construction, these will be easy to build, the
inclusion of separate control surfaces and
rudders allowing options when it comes to the
final set-up of the model. I was taken by the
use of internal bracing struts that ensure that
the fin and tailplane halves don’t compress
and crack their joints during use. Similar
notes apply to the mainplanes, though as
mentioned earlier, their assembly is simplified
slightly thanks to their astonishing method of
moulding, huge, hollow parts being the order of
the day. It also may well be worth mentioning
at this point the quality of the surface detail,
delicate panel lines and embossed rivets
being HKM’s weapons of choice top replicate
the Lancaster’s fuselage construction. How
you feel about this depiction of the aircraft’s
panelling and rivets will no doubt be a very
personal thing, but there is no doubting the
excellence of the mouldings and the surface
detail that decorates each part, that surface
detail being some of the very best that I have
ever seen in a plastic aircraft kit.
As with the interior, the turrets are complex
and thanks to the myriad parts that seemingly
make up each one, likely to be time consuming
to build and paint, especially when the glazing
is a clear as it is in this kit and the interiors so
visible as a result. Once again, HKM flex their
muscles when it comes to the moulding of the
various parts, the .303 gun-barrels featuring
open muzzles and delicately incised cooling
vents along their lengths. As mentioned, the
glazing that sits atop each turret is incredibly
clear, the same being said for the huge cockpit
canopy. Along with the clarity of each piece,
the framing is also noteworthy, each structural
member being sharply defined without looking
out of place. Though I’m sure that masking
sets will be forthcoming, the frames are so well
depicted that masking using more traditional
methods will be relatively straightforward, if
not quick to complete! In terms of construction
the upper and nose turrets are split in two, the
joints being along natural panel lines, the tail
turret being a single piece that slides over the
completed interior detail before the other gun
barrels are carefully glued in place.
Having dealt with the fuselage, the
next main task is to assemble the wings,
the engines/nacelles and the complex
undercarriage. We’ve already dealt with the
wings themselves in terms of their moulding,
so we will leave that alone and move on
to the engines. The kit includes four RR
Merlin engines and their associated mounts.
Scanning the instructions it would appear that
you can mount the engines in place and then
show off as many as you want thanks to the
inclusion of separate cowling panels that can
either be left off to taste, or glued in place
to create a smooth nacelle. Detail around
the engines is fine and well-moulded with
almost 40 parts making up each one. Having
seen the completed model at least year’s
IPMS Scale Model World in Telford I couldn’t
help but think that the engines looked a little
under-detailed in terms of their finer features
with only the basics in place and that was
certainly confirmed with the kit to hand. What
is supplied is certainly a worthy attempt at
the Lancaster’s Merlin powerplants, but when
compared to Tamiya’s Mosquito for instance
the finished engines look somewhat naked.
Given the number of pipes and cables that
are missing from each one, they will certainly
benefit from additional work and the details
that will result from those hours at the bench.
Do that though, especially on more than one
engine and the results will be more in keeping
with the original and the scale in which it is
being replicated by this kit.
The interior of the inboard nacelles and
their undercarriage bays, legs and wheels
are similarly detailed, the basics being
undoubtedly there. Once again though, they
would benefit from additional pipework and
other fixtures and fittings, the wheels and
tyres looking particularly devoid of any fine
detail. I understand the approach to this kit
and that costs needed to be kept down, but it’s
in places such as this that the effect is more
akin to a high-end 1:48 kit than one offered in
1:32, with details that are depicted rather than
fully realised. That’s not to say that what is
supplied is poor, it isn’t, but there is a definite
the sense that with just a little additional time
and effort the results could have been far more
comprehensive and the resulting model, far
more realistic. Having said that, if you are a
modeller that’s happy to dish out for a kit such
as this, you will not likely be one that cannot
add what’s needed no matter how long it takes
to do so. Honestly, I doubt that many will build
this kit from the box...
The final aspect of this kit that needs to be
discussed is the bomb bay, its load of bombs
and something that rather takes the shine off
the kit: the number of ejector pin marks that
need to be dealt with. The bomb-bay in a
Lancaster is capacious and here that is well
replicated with a full load of bombs, including
a set of 500lb General Purpose bombs and a
single 4000lb ‘Cookie’. As with the other finer
details in this kit, you can’t help but admire the
moulding and be a little less impressed by the
detail. The Cookie for instance is little more
than a bland tube that exhibits absolutely no
surface features that point to its construction.
Similarly, the smaller bombs are little more
than basic shapes, rather than accurate
depictions of the weapons carried by not only
the Lancaster, but also other Allied aircraft of
the period.
And then we move on to those ejector pin
marks. Given HKM’s ability to mould extremely
complex shapes almost to perfection, the
appearance of so many ejector pin marks in so
many almost impossible to deal with locations,
was something of a shock. The upper ceiling
of the bomb-bay for instance is peppered with
them, these annoying blemishes appearing
between the ribbing almost 40(!) being found
on one single piece of the bay! The same
problems affect not only the interior of the bay,
but also the inner bay doors, flap bay interiors,
gear doors and interior surfaces and the inner
bomb-bay walls. All in all, for a kit of this price
and complexity, not a pretty picture. Though
most of the pin marks within the bomb-bay will
be hidden by the bombs, many will not so you
will either have to live with them, or spend time
carefully removing each one - a far from easy
task. I’m really at a loss as to why this was not
dealt with earlier and a decision taken to use
additional tabs – a la Dragon – to deal with any
issues that may have been needed during the
moulding of the kit, that resulted in so many
ejector pin marks being seen.
The construction of the kit is completed with
the completion of the propellers (standard and
paddle blades being supplied in the box), the
slotting of the wings into place, the flaps and
then control surfaces on the main wings. Small
aerials and other tiny features can then be
added ready for the painting of the camouflage
and add-on of the markings. The kit includes
two options, the choices being as follows:
● Lancaster B.Mk.I - R5868/OL-Q, No. 83
Squadron, RAF Wyton, June 1943.
● Lancaster B.Mk.I - R5868/PO-S, No. 467
Squadron RAAF, RAF Waddington, May 1944.
● Lancaster B.Mk.I - W4783/AR-G, No. 460
Squadron RAAF, RAF Binbrook, May 1944.
The decals, printed by Cartograf are superb
as you might imagine, being comprehensive,
well-printed and seemingly accurate in
colour and design. No-doubt as this kit hits
the shelves, options will be offered for the
hundreds of Lancaster that flew during WWII,
but in the meantime, these will be more than
acceptable...
So that’s our initial look - it’s over to John
Wilkes who will take you through the building
and painting of this amazing, plastic model
kit. ■

FINAL VERDICT
This is a very impressive kit that will build up into a huge and commanding replica once complete. As men-
tioned, though much of what’s on offer is impressive, there are compromises and they rather take the gloss
away from what could have been a stellar release. As it is, the modeller will be in for a long and involving
project that will not only require them to construct the 800+ parts that the kit contains, but perhaps add
to and correct some of the issues that we have mentioned.

Thanks to HKM for the review sample looked at this month.

56 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

KIT BUILD
BUILT AND WRITTEN BY JOHN “TIGGER” WILKES

LARGE SCALE
LANCAST ccasionally one wonders at large box arrived it was greeted by family Squadron RAF, Wyton, UK, June 1943

O the fact that model companies

are making such large models.
When the Lancaster was
announced from Hong Kong
Models some time ago I had to think long
and hard if I had anywhere to put such a
model. Fast forward to earlier this year and
members with expressions of what on earth
have you got there.
Opening the stiff card box with a painting
of a night operation Lancaster dropping its
load revealed some nearly 900 parts, all on
36 runners and complimented by a sheet of
etched brass. Two large decal sheets provide
● Lancaster B Mk I, R5868/PO-S, No. 467
Squadron (RAAF), Waddington, UK, May
1944,
● Lancaster B Mk I, W4783/AR-G, No. 460
Squadron (RAAF), Binbrook, UK, May 1944.

The plastic used is a medium grey with lots

the editor posted an image of the box on the markings for the following aircraft: of recessed surface detail, panel lines are well
social media, at which point I immediately presented, however, there are a couple of
offered myself to the build. When the ● Lancaster B Mk I, R5868/OL-Q, No. 83 errors which are simple to rectify including the

58 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:32
SKILL LEVEL:
Advanced

SPECIFICATION:
Hong Kong Models 1:32 Avro Lancaster B. Mk.I
Kit No: HK01E10
Materials: IM Plastic, PE
Available From: All Good Model Shops
Price Guide: £359.99

TER
We take a BEFORE STARTING:
Tamiya Extra Thin Cement
detailed look Tamiya Masking Tape
Kip Masking Tape
at Hong Kong MEK
Models 1:32 Avro Sprue Cutters
Tweezers
Lancaster B.Mk.I Cyanoacrylate Glue
Gunze Mr. Surfacer 500 Grey and Black
Future floor polish
Solvaset decal setting solution
dingy hatch which is on both wings, but should this kit for the build you see was to use the
Microscale Micro Kristal Klear
only be on the right. Some of the parts are excellent Airscale decals from that company’s
Ultra Violet Glue
made using multi-part moulds, which results cockpit set and replace the pilot’s seat
in things such as the main part of the wings harness. Assembly was completed with MEK
PAINT USED:
being one single part to which are added the glue as well as superglue and an ultraviolet Tamiya Acrylics
tip and moving parts. glue for the clear parts. Mr. Surfacer 500 Black X-19 Smoke
was used to show seams and rectify small XF-1 Flat Black
This Month’s Feature... gaps wherever the appeared although to be XF-2 Flat White
With this build instead of giving a blow by blow fair not much of this was used at all. ■ X-22 Clear
account it is presented as a photo montage
with captions. The only additions I made to Mr. Color
C361 Dark Green
C 369 Dark Earth

Mission Models
Interior Green

Windsor & Newton

Galeria Matt

AIRBRUSH USED:
Iwata HP-CH

ACCESSORIES USED:
Eduard Lancaster B.Mk.I Masking Set - JX225

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 59

KIT BUILD
Starting with the pilot’s seat, detail is quite reasonable - just remember that most of the insides will not
be seen again! Be careful with the armoured headrest (not shown) which I broke off several times.

In order to liven up the pilot’s seat I used a Sutton

harness from an old etched-brass Spitfire sheet
(a set is provided in the kit as seen on the seat,
but I preferred the look of the Eduard set seen
behind it).

The radio operator and

navigator’s stations are well
provided for and a quick
search on the web identifies
these instruments. Further
searches revealed the colours
for them too.

Further assembly of the

rear crew stations. In a
matter of minutes you will
have assembled plenty
of detail that just needs a
good paint job. As stated,
not much –– if any –– of
this will be seen in the
completed model! At least
I know it’s there - so
Eduard seat belts and the they say!
kit’s instrument panel. This
appears to be a bit of a
hybrid of panels that are not
100% a Mk.I

In order to dress the cockpit I

used several Airscale sets, along
with some decals from the same
manufacturer’s Lancaster update
(thank you Peter). These were then
given a drop of clear UV glue to
represent the glass faces of the
dials. The end result is actually very
nice when viewed from outside of
the finished model.

Everything starts to come together and you begin to realise how elevated the
pilot actually was within the cockpit. Lots of modellers have said the seat is
too big and others have stated the pilot’s floor is too high. Who knows? I was
building from the box, so I stuck with what was provided.

60 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 More from Airscale. Here we
also see some cockpit decals
1:32
from various sheets as well
as some from the Reheat
range. Careful painting adds
another level of interest. I use
oil paint applied with a pin
to the dials and switches to
represent the instructions.

The navigator’s station seems to be quite busy with lots of

radar equipment and a large plotting table. This could have
been detailed with so much more if I hadn’t been building it
from the box. The basic cockpit green colour is from Mission
Models with an overcoat of a Mr. Hobby green colour, lightly
dusted on. Weathering was carried out with more oils.

The nose-gun turret. I made a point of leaving the gun barrels off
until right at the end of the build. Whilst there are lots of ejector pin
markings I wasn't too worried as they would hardly be seen on the
finished model because of the turret’s black interior.

The tail gunner’s position was furnished

with four guns. There are two long
ammo feeds which run from further
forward in the fuselage this helping to
maintain the centre of gravity. I bought
the excellent and really useful Eduard
masking set, the first items from which,
can be seen here.

Follow the instructions in

the Eduard masks to
the letter and you will
not go wrong. I used
Humbrol Maskol to
fill in the voids of
the masks, Once
more I left the gun
barrels off until
final construction.

61
 The rear end of the flooring provides basic details, including a bunk,
ammo boxes and a toilet. On the forward bulkhead seen in the images,
there are three windows which would allow vision into the bomb bay
from the rear fuselage.

KIT BUILD

The bomb bay was large and the payload was very impressive
too, especially when compared to aircraft such as the B-17.
Eduard now offers a set dedicated to this area and I am sure that
it will help to fill this empty space. With a full bomb load I am
not sure that this would be worth using though, as very little of
it would be seen.

Floor, cockpit and bomb bay, all

attached to the right fuselage.
This early release of this kit came
with clear fuselage sections that
would show off that detail well; I
went with the solid parts adding
all of the clear windows along
the way.

1 2

3 4

62 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 Each main gear bay a modular assembly and there is
plenty of scope to dress it up and detail the results.
1:32

With so many curves and shapes around engine cowl I had visions of
nothing fitting, but I am more than pleased to report that everything fit
well and lined up without the need for filler. Each engine is complete
in the kit, but to save time and effort there is a choice of covered
engines where you do not need to build the engine and bearers.

Assembly of the main gear is straightforward. Resin

replacement tyres are now available and would add
greatly to this section. Some simple hydraulic lines
would be straightforward updates that most modellers
could easily complete without too much fuss.

Within the wheel bays is a large tank made from two parts.
This is the emergency air reservoir for lowering the gear. The
kit tells you to paint it red, but in most images I found it was
mainly interior green, The modular way in which this bay is
constructed makes it a strong drop-in section which in turn,
adds greatly to the strength of the wing.

1: There is little in the way of colour in the

back end, but the ammo feed chutes are one
item that benefit from some metallic paint to
liven things up. The yellow cage to the left of
the door is a bracket for a portable oxygen
system. Also in this view is the Elsan toilet
which I chose not to weather too much(!).
Marks from people walking through the Despite it looking complicated, this
compartment were achieved with oils and section assembled quickly and with an
weathering powders. appropriate glue –– in this case MEK
–– became rigid in no time. All of the
2: Hong Kong Models offer a full ‘heavy’ bomb leg supports slot into easily identifiable
load and all that is needed is assembly and mounting points and fit without any need
painting. There are some limited decals for the to open holes or remove material.
Cookie, but for the 500 pound weapons, there
was nothing. It wasn’t until later in the build
that a friend informed me that there should
be a yellow band on the nose of these which
were subsequently added.

3: Assembly of the tail surfaces was

straightforward and only presented one issue;
in essence there is a mix up in parts, with the
top left fixed section being the bottom right,
and visa versa. Just look at the panel lines
and you will see what I mean. I corrected this
error by simply swapping the errant parts
over so that the panel lines matched up on
both sides.

4: In order to line everything up, I taped a

metal ruler to the rear gunner’s position and
used that as a datum. Tape and superglue
were the weapons of choice to glue the parts
in place and attach them securely.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 63

KIT BUILD
One set assembled and the other almost done. Although this may look a little awkward to
assemble with its cross-beams and struts, it actually went together easily. Whilst it’s difficult
to describe and see in the images, the wings are essentially a single-piece moulding. To this is
added lots of parts which make it rigid, these parts include the outer wing panels, flap tracks,
engines and undercarriage bays.

Hong Kong Models provide four full engines with their associated bulkheads and
bearers. They also cleverly provide simple outer skins which can be used without
engines. Not shown in the instructions are sets of exhausts which can be used
without the engines installed. I could have easily added lots of wires and hoses,
but as this was from the box I stopped myself.

After a first round of painting things looked a little stark. Subsequent weathering and brushwork made things look far better, especially around the exhausts. This
assembly would become the far, lefthand engine, showing all of its mounting framework.

When it came to adding the separate wing tips (with incorrect trailing edge lights) I found that this
single part wing needed some support to match the profile of the wing tip. After a bit of lateral
thinking I chose a section of plastic tube and inserted it into the open end. With the wingtip held
loosely in position I was able to fiddle about until the tube supported the two parts and the wing
profile matched the tip. I carried this out on both wings, a little sanding being needed to get the
parts to match perfectly. Any details lost were reinstated before going any further.
From this shot you can see the joint of the wing to the fuselage and how impressive it was. The
joint is a clever ‘plug and socket’ affair that allows the wing to slide backwards, thus locking it in
place. A smear of Mr. Surfacer Black was all that was needed for the lower joints, I used superglue
to fill in any gaps on the upper wing joints. You will also see from the image that the joint of the
engine nacelle with gear bay was also a tight fit and needed little work to smooth in any joints.

Those bulged side windows on the canopy were always going to be an issue without an Eduard’s excellent masking set proved to be a worthwhile investment as this saved a huge amount
appropriate glue, so I went ahead and used some UV cured clear glue. I later removed these parts of time and effort masking all of those windows. Where there were oddities with compound curves,
before masking and reattaching them near the end of construction, once again with ultraviolet glue. I simply used Tamiya flexible tape and then some Humbrol masking fluid.
 1:32
5: I lost track of the amount of
masking tape I used on this
model but suffice to say, it was
a considerable amount! Here, I
have used Gunze Mr. Color C369
Dark Earth as the base colour
and to protect other areas I use
kitchen towel. All of the paints
were thinned with cellulose
thinners.
6: Masking using 3M flexible
vinyl tape and small sections of
Kip painter’s tape, allowed me
to spray the second camouflage
colour, Mr. Color C361 Dark
Green. Thinning was achieved
with cellulose thinners, the paint
5 6
being applied with my trusty
Iwata HP-CH.
7: I made my own masks for
the roundels and mixed a red to
match the decals offered in the
kit. Once the roundels were dry,
I masked them off in preparation
for the codes and serial numbers.
8: I reversed the masks as
there was very little room to
manoeuvre the tape at the
trailing edge of the wing. In
simple terms I painted a section
of the fuselage red then applied
the individual letters and
numbers, before spraying black
over the top of each one.
9: Removing masks is always
7 8
a moment I enjoy, especially if
I have managed to get no paint
under the tape. Luckily, I didn't
need to have to touch anything
up. The colour does look bright
here, but this matched to the
decals and after weathering,
toned down considerably.
10: I noticed that the red and
white was slightly low on
the port roundel. I fixed it by
sanding out the offending paint,
and respraying the damaged
paintwork.
11: All of the major painting is
complete and decals have been
applied over a coat of Tamiya
Clear. This was left to harden 9 10
for approx a week before some
weathering could begin. For
the first round I mixed up some
Payne’s Grey for the upper
surfaces and a light grey for the
lower surfaces. I wasn't sure
how the black would weather,
but in the end it looked fine.
12: With so much surface detail
available and images of wartime
Lancaster's being very dirty
(especially after this aircraft had
completed so many missions),
it was only appropriate to put a
wash on the model, any excess
being removed with some
kitchen towel.
13: The second round of 11 12
weathering was applied after
a coat of flat varnish. I mixed
up a tint of Tamiya clear 40%
thinners (alcohol) 55% and
the rest with Tamiya White.
This mix was sprayed through
a texture template create a
random pattern. Whilst it looks
a little too much in the image a
light sanding cut it back before
I defined the panel lines with
a highly diluted mix of Tamiya
Smoke X-19.
14: Yet another coat of flat
varnish, in this case Galeria Matt
from Windsor & Newton. This
needs to be well shaken and
lightly sprayed onto the model. 13 14
The varnish is thin enough to go
straight through the airbrush and
when dry, needs a few hours to
really harden. Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 65
KIT BUILD

Amongst my favourite products within the Lifecolor range, is a set of weathering paints as they Further materials used to recreate the oil leaks: AK Engine Grease over Tensocrom Oil. I worked
are spot-on for the exhaust staining. A basecoat of their Smoke is airbrushed on followed by Burnt from images of the airworthy Canadian Lancaster and replicated the streaks from an image I have.
Brown, then to top it off, a very light dusting of the White Oxide.

A finished model after 5 months!

66 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:32
The final things to weather
were the walkways on
the upper wings. Here, I
applied Mig Productions
weathering powders. I
simply mixed up some
of the powder with white
spirits then flicked spots
onto the walkway. This
was done with Brick dust
and an earth tone. Once
dry, I smudged it all with a
finger until most of it was
removed.

My admiration for the

aircrews who flew
in these magnificent
aircraft is immense and
the bravery of those
flying these weapons is
unimaginable. The rear
tail gunner’s position
was exposed and quite
vulnerable with little
protection. I used the
gun barrels from the
kit, but there is a good
replacement available
in brass which I am
sure would add to the
impressive kit. Tonal
variations in the paint
are all achieved with the
techniques described
previously.

Individual Rolls Royce

Merlins are provided
within the kit for each
engine, there is also a set
of outer cowl panels too.
This engine is from the
box, there being scope to
add further details should
you wish. Leading edges
were scuffed with a silver
watercolour pencil, the
same effect working well
on the propellors and
spinner too.

67
KIT BUILD

68 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 1:32

Issue 144
172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 69
IN COLOUR

A NATIONAL
TREASURE
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN MEMORIAL FLIGHT’S STUNNING LANCASTER, SHOWS OFF FOR THE CAMERA. PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALAN FIRBANK

70 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 FULL-SIZE

Issue 172 -www.modelairplaneinternational.com 71

SHOW…

RETRO-HIGHLIGH
AND HARRIERS!
WE VISIT YEOVILTON FOR THEIR INTERNATIONAL AIR DAY 2019.
IMAGES AND TEXT GLENN SANDS

72 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019


HTS...
he 2019 International Air Day at RNAS
T Yeovilton held on 13 July had the feeling of a
‘retro-airshow’ due to the aircraft on display.
Not only did the aviation enthusiasts have the
chance to see Harriers back at the Somerset,
naval air station, but a selection of classic Aéronavale
types were also in attendance, one of which was making
its UK debut.
Organisers have always managed to bring together
some aircraft which modellers have been keen to see
close-up, and this year was no exception. While for
many it was the sight and sound of the two Spanish
EAV-8B Harrier II Plus examples from 9 Squadron,
known as the ‘Cobras’, based NAS Rota in southern
Spain the topped the show. For me the privately owned
Breguet 1050 Alizé was the star. Parked in the static,
wings folded prior to its flying display, a wealth of
As its wings unfold, Sea Fury T.20 of Navy Wings taxies across the piano keys of Yeovilton’s main
runway. Display pilot Lt Chris ‘Goaty’ Gotke flew a stunning display with a series of high-speed passes
Issue 172 -www.modelairplaneinternational.com 73
FULL-SIZE
photographic reference material was available to those
patient enough with a camera.
Of course there’s not only the opportunity to
photograph the current types of the Fleet Air Arm,
but a number of exhibits are often brought out of the
museum to the static line-up. This means they can be
photographed in near ideal conditions. Handy for those
working on a 1:48 Airfix Sea Vixen or 1:72 F-4 Phantom
FG.1 in naval colours or a Cold War era Sea King.
The current process of navalising ex-RAF Merlin
HC.3s to Royal Navy HC.4 standards, which includes
folding main-rotors and tail boom was demonstrated by
a unique line-up Merlins in the static. The conversion
process was cleverly illustrated from the start, middle
and end of the process with different airframes actually
undergoing the process. The finished examples wear a
smart overall grey scheme with low-viz Royal Navy titles.
demonstrating the speed of the Korean War-era piston-engined fighter.
SHOW…

After more than ten years a Harrier was back in the ‘hover’ at Yeovilton. This Spanish EAV-8B Named ‘Dark Falcon’ and flown by Captain Stefan ‘Vador’ Darte, the solo display F-16AM begins its
Harrier II Plus VA 1B-37 from 9 Squadron, known as the ‘Cobras’, from NAS Rota in southern Spain take-off run.
was one of a pair that attended the air day.

It’s rare to see a C-17A Globemaster III in anything else but Air Mobility Grey, but this Qatar Emiri Air Taken out of the FAA Museum for air day static park, this is how Royal Navy Sea Kings looked
Force is the only one of eight, that serve with the nation to wear this spectacular airline style scheme. during the Cold War.

The retro-feel was in abundance in the flying
display to, with the Army Air Corps Historic
Flight in attendance along with the Sea Fury
T.20 from Navy Wings, it could well have been
the 1950-60s for a brief period which these
classic helicopters and props filling the sky.
The crowd was quickly brought up-to-date
with a fly-by and display by the FAA’s latest
acquisition, the F-35B Lightning II. But, I am
sure that I’m not alone in thinking, if only it had
some more ‘colourful’ squadron markings on
it? You’re not alone - Ed.
While the fighters, both past and present
grabbed most of the attention, the sleek
looking P180AM Avanti belonging to the Italian
Navy, in a new overall grey scheme, complete
with minimal markings certainly looked fast just
sat there on the ground. The crew pointed out
that the familiar white and blue scheme was
now being replaced, so time for another decal
sheet for this sleek looking aircraft, perhaps?
The flying display at Yeovilton has always
been good, and this year was no exception.
Among the familiar F-16s and aerobatic
types were a three-ship formation display of
retired Aéronavale aircraft. Along with the
aforementioned Alizé was CM.175 Zéphyr
and a MS.760 Paris, all privately owned on
the French warbird circuit. An amazing display
where the elegant lines of the Zéphyr were
demonstrated to full effect.
The Army Air Corps Historic Flight brought
along their Scout AH1, Sioux and Beaver AL1,
let’s hope that maybe the Skeeter AOP.12
might get back with the Flight to complete the
set as it used to be back in the late 1980s.
Despite the Harrier no longer being flown
by the UK, it was clear that the ‘jump-jet’ still
has a place in many hearts of British aviation
enthusiasts. As the crowd rose to its feet and
watched the Spanish EAV-8B Harrier II Plus
perform its hovering routine, you could not
help but think back to the Sea Harrier FRS.1
days.
Once again organisers of the Yeovilton
Air Day are to be congratulated on a great
day that ticked all the boxes for the aviation
enthusiast and modeller. ■

Just look at all those details waiting to be

photographed – the brilliant Breguet Alizé, now
privately owned and the only example flying.

74 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019

 FULL-SIZE

A close-up of the special tail markings applied to both the EAV-8B

Harrier II Plus jets at the show. They were one of the stars at RIAT the
following weekend.
A rather unusual Merlin, ZK001 was originally delivered to the Royal Danish Air Force but returned to the UK in June
2007 for conversion to HC.3A standards. This was the helicopter that wore the Special Olympic colour scheme for
the 2012 opening ceremony.

The world’s only flying Breguet Alizé comes into land after its display.
After a ground-up restoration the aircraft returned to the air in May
2013, and was making its UK debut at Yeovilton.

A RN Wildcat HMA.2 from 815 NAS makes a high-speed pass along the crowd line. How long do we have to wait for
a kit of this remarkable helicopter?

Although the RCAF had to cancel its C-130 tactical demonstration,

the transporter flew a spirited display which ended with the Hercules
reversing back up the runway to exit onto a taxiway.

The sleek looking P180AM Avanti belonging to the Italian Navy. An

extremely rare visitor to the UK. The navy only has three in service for
Accompanying the Belgian Air Force solo display F-16, was FA-87 in more familiar colours. Unusual to see a
liaison and VIP duties.
complete lack of underwing pylons and drop tanks on a squadron machine.

Wearing the new overall pale grey scheme, a recently converted ex-RAF
Merlin, now designated an HC.4 by the Royal Navy. The conversion
includes a folding tail and rotor head along with a host of internal
software upgrades.
The Italian Air Force’s brand-new maritime patroller, the P-72A, based on the ATR 72-600 airliner was making its
show debut. The type replaced the Breguet Atlantics which retired in 2017.
 ft
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EVENTS DIARY
Model shows for 2019
October 19th 2019
Glasgow Model Show to be held
at Bellahouston Leisure Centre,
Bellahoustoun Leisure Centre,
Bellahouston Drive, Glasgow, G52 1HH.
The biggest 1 day show in Scotland with
nearly 200 tables. They have extensive
free on site parking, excellent disabled
access and the leisure centre cafeteria
has an excellent reputation. Although
the venue is close to Ibrox, Rangers are
playing away that day…
Contact: Bruce Smith on 0141 563 2098
October 26th 2019
Yeovil Model Show to be held at Bucklers
Mead Academy, Bucklers Mead Academy,
1 St Johns Road,Yeovil, BA21 4NH.
All types of model on display. Large
selection of traders. Demos of gaming,
airbrushing and figure painting. Hot and
cold refreshments, disabled access &
free parking.
Contact Ken Bugler on 07759 137000.
Email: yeovilmodelshow@gmail.com
November 9th 2019
The big one! Scale Model World 2019
to be held at The International Centre,
Telford, The International Centre, Telford,
Shropshire, TF3 4JH. IPMS(UK) proudly
announces the return of the world’s
greatest finescale model show. Car
parking, disabled access, refreshments,
club and special interest group displays,
trade stands, model competition (IPMS
78 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019
members only), demonstrations and kit
swap.
Contain IPMS UK.
Email: scalemodelworld@ipmsuk.org
Website: https://ipmsuk.org/ipms-scale-
modelworld/
November 17th 2019
Army Flying Museum Model Show 2019
to be held at Museum of Army Flying,
Middle Wallop
Stockbridge, SO20 8DY. Returning for its
11th show after taking a year out while
the Army Flying Museum underwent a
refurbishment is the Aircraft Enthusiast
Fair and Model Show. A popular show,
come along and take advantage of the
£5 reduction in the normal admission fee
and see the new look museum.
Contact: Army Flying Museum on 01264
883795.
Email: eventassistant@armyflying.com
November 24th 2019
Hamex 11 Kitswap 2019 to be held at
Hanslope Village Hall, Newport Rd
Hanslope, MK19 7NZ. This yearly kit-
swap is back a little earlier this year.
Bargains galore from the kit-swap tables
and traders. K-9 Cafe open all day
Kit-swap tables: £5; Trader Tables: £10;
Public Entry £2 End Time: 16:00 - Can be
earlier if all the bargains have gone!
Contact: Paul Fitzmaurice / Mat Irvine
on 01234 711980 and 01908 510191
respectively.
Email: info@hamex.co.uk
December 1st 2019
Midland Air Museum Winter Show to be
held at Midland Air Museum, Midland Air
Museum, Rowley Road, Coventry, CV3
4FR. The Midland Air Museum welcomes
you to their Winter Model show. This
is a small event just before Christmas
festivities, and will have a small amount
of Traders and a few selected clubs
within the museum itself. The museum
has a cafe and small gift shop, and
normal entrance fees apply. A great
opportunity to purchase all the things
your forgot to buy at SMW 2019!!
Contact Midland Air Museum on 02476
301033.
Email: enquires@midlandairmuseum.co.uk
February 16th 2019
The Huddersfield Model Show will take
place at: North Bridge Leisure Centre,
North Bridge Street,Halifax, HX3 6TE from
10am ’til 4pm. Adults: £4,
concessions: £3.
For further information please contact:
Geoff Milnes on: 01132893152
or 07879446554; or Alan Paul on:
07811358355. Email the show on:
huddersfieldshow@gmail.com or
visit the website on:
www.huddersfieldscalemodelshow.co.uk
CONTACTS
Contact details for companies featured in MAI this month...
Azur/Frrom
**See Special Hobby Ltd**
Albion Alloys
518 Wallisdown Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset
BH11 8PT
www.albionhobbies.com
Tel. 0044 1202 511232
Fax. 0044 1202 539967
Creative Models Ltd
Creative Models Ltd, Unit 6-10 Ind Est
Chatteris, PE16 6TG
Tel: +44 (0)1354 760022
Fax: +44 (0)1354 760037
www.creativemodels.co.uk
Eduard M.A.,
170 Obrnice, Obrnice, 435 21, Czech Rep
Tel: 420 35 6 11 81 86
Fax: 420 35 6 11 81 71
Email: info@eduard.cz
Hannants
Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft,
Suffolk, NR32 3LZ
Tel: 01502 517444. Fax: 01502 500521
www.hannants.co.uk
Hasegawa Corporation,
3-1-2 Yagusu Yaizu, Shizuoka 425-8711,
Japan
Tel: 81 54 6 28 82 41
Fax: 81 54 6 27 80 46
✆ ✉
Historie & Collections MARK I Ltd. Revell GmbH & Co., KG
5 avenue de la Ræpublique, F-75541 PO Box 10, CZ-100 31 Prague 10 – Abteilung X, Henschelstr 20-30,
Paris Cédex 11 Strasnice, Czech Republic D-32257 Bünde, Germany
Tel: 01 40 21 18 20 Tel: +420-241 765 158
Fax: 01 47 00 51 11 Fax: +420-241 765 158 Special Hobby Ltd
www.historieetcollections.fr Email: mark1@cmail.cz Mezilesi 718, Prague 9 193 00,
Czech Republic
The Hobby Company Limited Master Model www.cmkkits.com
Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes 71-126 Szczecin, ul. 26 Kwietnia 49/44,
MK5 8PH Poland. Tel: +48 0 503 072 624 Wydawnictwo Stratus s.c.
Tel: 01908 605 686 Fax: 01908 605 666 Email: info@master-model.pl PO Box 123, 27-600 Sandomierz 1,
Email: sales@hobbyco.net www.master-model.pl Poland
or enquiries@hobbyco.net Tel: 0-15 833 30 41
www.hobbyco.net Mushroom Model Email: office@stratusbooks.biz
Publications www.stratusbooks.com.pl
ICM Holding 3 Gloucester Close, Petersfield,
Borispolskaya 9, Building 64, Hants. GU32 3AX Trumpeter
Kiev 02099, Ukraine Tel: +44 (1)1730 265014 Wa San Development (Macau) Ltd
Tel/Fax: (+380 44) 369 54 12 Email: rogerw@mmpbooks.biz Rampa Dos Cavleiros No.9,
Email: export@icm.com.ua www.mmpbooks.biz Block 5, Floor 16, Flat AS EDF,
Jardim Sun Yick Garden,
Italeri S.p.A Pocketbond Ltd. Macaua
Via Pradazzo 6/B, I-40012 Calderara di POCKETBOND, Bachmann Europe PLC China
Reno, (Bologna), Italy Moat Way, Barwell, Leics LE9 8EY www.trumpeter.com
Tel: +39 051 72 60 37 Tel 01455 841756
Fax: +39 051 72 64 59 info@pocketbond.co.uk Wingnut Wings Ltd
Email: italeri@italeri.com PO Box 15-319,
Revell GmbH Miramar,
Lela Presse S.A.R.L. Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Wellington 6022,
29, rue Paul Bert, 62230 Outreau, France. Cheddington Lane, Tring, HP23 4QR New Zealand
Tel: 03 21 33 88 96 Tel: 0845-459-0747 www.wingnutwings.com
Fax: 03 21 32 00 39 Fax: 01296-660041
www.avions-bateaux.com. Email: ukbranch@revell.de
Email: info@avions-bateaux.com. www.revell.de/en
Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 79
EBUYERSGUIDEBUYERSGU
KIT KRAZY MODEL SHOP HANNANTS MODEL SHOP
Tel: 020 8298 7177
303 The Broadway, Bexleyheath, Kent DA6 8DT
Tel: 0208 205 6697 Fax: 01502 500521
Unit 2, Hurricane Trading Estate, Grahame Park Way, Colindale, NW9 5QW
NEW AND PRE-OWNED KITS, COLLECTIONS BOUGHT AND SOLD. OPEN 10.00AM - 5.30PM, THURS & FRI OPEN UNTIL 7.00PM
OVER 20 MAJOR BRANDS OF ARMOUR KITS IN PLASTIC AND RESIN, NO1 IN EUROPE FOR PLASTIC KITS AND ACCESSORIES
BOTH CURRENT AND OOP - 70P S.A.E FOR OUR LIST INCLUDING THE FULL RANGE OF TAMIYA (NOT RC)
Opening hours: 9-30am-5.30pm (Open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday) email: sales@hannants.co.uk www.hannants.co.uk
You can also find us at most major model and airshows throughout the year
1/2 MILE FROM
www.kitkrazy.com Up to 20% Discount on mail order RAF MUSEUM MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH

AVID READER
Tel: 01299 823 330 Fax:01299 829 970
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9.30 – 4.30 MONDAY TO FRIDAY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

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PHONE, WRITE OR VISIT US ONLINE.
FOR INFORMATION,
sales@aviationbookcentre.com www.aviationbookcentre.com CALL RICHARD ON - +44 1525 222573
MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH/PAYPAL/CHEQUES/CASH/POSTAL ORDERS RICHARD@DOOLITTLEMEDIA.COM

WEBDIRECTORYWEBDIRECTORY
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 S ubscrib
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BUCCANEERING SPIRIT GLAMOROUS GLENNIS

The editor takes an in-depth look at the brand-new Airfix 1:72 kit of this famous Ivan Jensen Taylor reworks Revell’s 1:32 Bell X-1, to create this very famous
Cold War jet. aircraft, in miniature.

THE HEART OF
THE STORM…
Nigel Poole takes the Eduard 1:48 Tempest
one step further, as he reveals its amazing,
Napier Sabre engine.

Issue 172 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 81

FINAL THOUGHTS

THE SUMMER OF

SPITFIRE
Written by Spencer Pollard

D
uring the summer of this year, the Royal Air Force
Museum Cosford paid homage to one of the most
iconic aircraft ever built with a programme of events and
activities dedicated to the Spitfire.
The Museum is home to a large collection of Spitfires,
including the world’s oldest. This summer it explored the history
of the Spitfire and the story of those RAF servicemen and women
who worked with this wondrous aircraft. Weekend festivals, thought
provoking storytelling, close views of real Spitfires, and a series
of nostalgic events including a Battle of Britain Day, transported
visitors back to a time when the Spitfire protected Europe’s skies.
Having missed the events, I was keen to take a look at one of
their exhibits, their gorgeous Spitfire PR.XIX (PM561), so I took a
lunch break several weeks ago and popped over for a coffee and a
chance to see this aircraft up close. I certainly wasn’t disappointed
by what I found, so couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures of the
aircraft, ready to perhaps create a model of it when I get a few
minutes.
I hope that you enjoy seeing some of my pictures, as much as I
enjoyed taking them!

See you next time. ■

82 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - November 2019


KIT PREVIEW
TAMIYA 1:48 LOCKHEED P-38 F/G LIGHTNING ● KIT NO. 61120
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE TWICE!
Tamiya have created an 100%, all new 1:48 kit of the
Lockheed P-38 F/G Lightning with wonderful precision.
T
he complex Lightning P-38 was one
of the most crucial fighters of World
War II for the Allied cause. The
pilot’s cockpit and weaponry sat in
a central nacelle flanked by twin booms
which taper back to the tailplane. Each
boom houses a turbocharged V12 engine
and the distinctive overall image led to it
being known by some as the Fork-Tailed
Devil or Gabelschwanz-Teufel.
In 1937 the Unites States Army
Air Corps requested a high-altitude
twin-engined single seat fighter to
intercept and attack hostile aircraft. The
ongoing success of the Lockheed design
meant that the P-38 had a notable impact
as a superior fighter-bomber in the Pacific,
Germany and the Mediterranean. The
carrying capacity, firepower, handling
and excellent range proved to be an
outstanding success.
Now, thanks to Tamiya’s new tooling,
this legendary Lockheed designed P-38F/G
Lightning from World War II is brought
back to life in the 1:48 Aircraft Series. ●
Tamiya kits are widely available from good model shops and online.
UK import and distribution by The Hobby Company Limited; www.hobbyco.net
Advertorial
Features:
•฀The฀P-38฀form฀has฀been฀accurately฀
replicated after extensive study sessions of
actual Lightnings
•฀The฀model฀has฀the฀ability฀to฀be฀assembled฀
with an open or closed canopy, with parts
for the sideways opening P-38F and vertical
opening P-38G designs.
•฀A฀curved฀canopy฀front฀has฀also฀been฀
recreated and included.
•฀Weights฀are฀provided฀to฀ensure฀the฀correct฀
stance of the model as a parked P-38.
•฀The฀model฀enables฀the฀construction฀of฀
either the P-38F or P-38G.
•฀Two฀150฀and฀300฀gallon฀Drop฀tanks฀are฀
included for P-38F and the more powerful
P-38G setup so that it was capable of
longer missions.
•฀The฀P-38G’s฀carried฀both฀a฀150฀and฀300฀
Gallon tank during Operation Vengeance.
•฀Highly฀detailed฀cockpit฀with฀decals฀for฀
the instrument panel and wheel control
column, plus raised details of the radio and
throttle box on the cockpit walls.
•฀Two฀markings฀options฀are฀offered;
-฀P-38F฀“White฀33”฀39th฀Fighter฀Squadron,฀
35th฀Fighter฀Group,฀5th฀Air฀Force
-฀P-38G฀“White฀147”฀339th฀Fighter฀
Squadron,฀347th฀Fighter฀Group,฀13th฀Air฀
Force
•฀Special฀metal฀effect฀decals฀are฀included฀to฀
recreate the interior and engine cowling
mirrors for the pilot to check landing gear.
“ It looks fantastic, it
really does. The surface
•฀A฀pilot฀figure฀comes฀with฀the฀kit. texture is everything that
•฀Canopy฀masking฀sheet฀is฀provided฀for฀
painting.
we have come to expect
•฀A฀full฀colour฀painting฀guide฀is฀also฀included. from Tamiya, restrained,
crisp and accurate...
(Brett Green) ”