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

VOL.17 ISS.210 JANUARY 2023

Editorial:
Editor: Brett Green
Publisher: Alan Harman
VOLUME 17. ISSUE 210. JANUARY 2023 Administration: Gordon Angus
Advertising Manager: Alan Harman
alan@doolittlemedia.com

REGULARS Art:
Editorial Design: Peter Hutchinson
P.32 A VERY SHORT WAR Advertising Design: Peter Hutchinson
P04 - NEWSLINE Airfix 1:72 Short Sunderland Mk. I
P06 - COMMENT by Chris Wauchop Advertisement and circulation:
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REVIEWS Andreas Dyck creates a 1:32 / 1:35 scale Battle
E-mail: alan@doolittlemedia.com
of Britain diorama
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Airfix 1:48 Avro Anson London, EC1A 9PT.
Tel: 020 7429 4000
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The latest decals for your masterpiece. P.54 GALLERY Newstrade:
Classic Airframes 1:48 Avro Anson by Brett Green Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue,
FEATURES Bournemouth, BH3 7BW.
P.58 A MUSTARD KIT Tel: 01202 586848 E-mail: tim@selectps.com
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January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 3
This month’s round-up of all that’s new in the world of aircraft modelling...
THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY LIMITED
www.airbrushes.com
BRAND NEW AIRFIX 1:24 SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK.IXC SUPER KIT
Incorporating incredible levels of detail, it is an Airfix
Super Kit like no other, the new 1:24 Supermarine
Spitfire Mk.IXc is now available.
It is no secret this impressive new tool has taken
the spotlight this year and when you see the kit in
detail, it is very easy to see why. It is also the first
Airfix Super Kits to be made in the UK since 1981,
making this announcement especially unique.
Arguably the most impressive of all Spitfire kit
representations ever released, this 1:24 scale new
tool includes:
● Early and late intakes and breech blisters
● Clipped wings
● Two elevator types
● Intricately detailed cockpit
A legacy which is as strong today as it was during
the wartime years; an aviation classic and the last
major Merlin engine-powered variant of the Spitfire,
the Mk.IXc is possibly one of the most important in
the entire Spitfire production, going on to see service
past D-Day and into the post-war era.
With each a fascinating story behind them, this
4 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
new tool release includes five schemes, giving you
the option to choose between Johnnie Johnson’s
mount or something completely different, such as the
French Air Force Reconnaissance Spitfire.
These schemes include:
● Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc, Aircraft flown
by Squadron Leader “Johnny” Plagis, No.126
(Persian Gulf) Squadron, Royal Air Force
Harrowbeer, Devon, England, July 1944. (A)
● Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc, Aircraft flown by
Flight Lieutenant Ian Keltie, No. 402 Squadron
“City of Winnipeg”, Royal Air Force Kenley, Surrey,
England, March 1943. (B)
● Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc. Aircraft flown
by Wing Commander James Edgar “Johnnie”
Johnson, No.402 Squadron “City of Winnipeg”,
Royal Air Force Kenley, Surrey, England, Summer
1943. (C)
● Supermarine Spitfire MkIXc Aircraft flown by
Captain Garth Jared, Commanding Officer, 309th
Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, United
States Army Air Force, Italy, December 1943. (D)
● Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc, GR 2/33 “Savoie”,
Armee de L’Air, Luxeuil-Les-Bains, France, early
1945. (E)
The new 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc
comprises some of the finest detail in Airfix history
and we are extremely proud to bring this newly tooled
kit to market.
With a wingspan of 469mm, measuring 397mm
in length, 150.8mm high, this stunning kit includes a
total of 433 parts and is ranked at a skill level 4, ideal
for modellers looking for a new challenge and those
looking to advance their modelmaking skills.
Hornby Hobbies Limited is a toy and hobby
product manufacturer that was founded in the early
1900’s. Hornby Hobbies Limited portfolio of brands
include: Hornby – model trains, Scalextric – slot car
racing, Airfix – plastic model kits, Humbrol – paints
and craft product, and Corgi – die-cast models.
In addition to these iconic British brands Hornby
Hobbies Limited also owns a number of international
brands including: Lima, Rivarossi, Jouef, Pocher and
Arnold.
Website: www.airfix.com | Facebook: /OfficialAirfix
| Twitter: @Airfix | Instagram: @OfficialAirfix
January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 5
 THE SHOW MIG
Jonathan Mock looks at the future of model shows in the post-Covid landscape
riting about model shows
W while actually attending a
model show feels like a bit of
a meta moment so beloved
of Christopher Nolan’s movie
‘Inception’ - a reality within a reality. Amazingly,
this isn’t being written at the IPMS (UK) Scale
Model World at Telford but at the local Bristol
Model Soldier Society ‘Bugle Call' in Nailsea,
Somerset, literally just over the hill from me.
Being one of the last model shows of the
season it offers a chance to reflect on the
scene as a whole and ponder their future.
The return of Scale Model World was a
welcome respite from the dark times we
seem to be living in as the effects the Covid
19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the energy
crisis, fuel costs and the knock-on economic
downturns continued to be felt. `I say ‘return’,
obviously there was a show in 2021 but it
was - pardon the pun - a scaled back version
compared to the triumphs of previous years
and while many who attended enjoyed the
chance to be at *a* show, many remarked
that it didn’t feel quite up to speed again, a
sort of diet version of the real thing, a factor
necessitated by the need to spread the show
for social distancing reasons.
Certainly a lot of people stayed away
in 2021 - myself included after a 34 year
unbroken run - and there were gaps in
6 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
trade participation. 2022 felt like a return to
the pre-pandemic days but there were still
omissions, notably a lot of European Union
traders and clubs who felt that the red tape
caused by Brexit was too much hassle to deal
with - likewise British participation in European
shows has also apparently dipped.
For my part I tried to time my walks
around the show during the quiet moments,
usually early in the morning and later in the
afternoon, the rest of the time I was kept more
than busy running modelling demos on the
Hobby Company stand where people were
poring over the new 1:48 F-35 from Tamiya
which was announced mere weeks before
and immediately flew into a storm over the
depiction of the RAM panels. Having now
seen the kit in the flesh and actually run my
fingers over the raised detail I didn’t find it as
heavy handed as initial photos suggest, but of
course modellers being modellers, the heated
arguments over this continue to rage, mostly in
lieu of people seeing the actual kit - cest la vie.
Another star attraction of the show was the
Kotare 1:32 Spitfire Mk.Ia, the brainchild of
Richard Alexander and other former Wingnut
Wings employees. This kit showed some
ingenious breakdown of parts and attention to
detail so redolent of Wingnut, hopefully it will
be reaching the shops by the time you read
this and one can only wish Richard and co all
the best with this new venture.
Talking of Spitfires, Airfix had test shots and
built examples of their magnificent 1:24 Mk.IX,
perhaps one of the most requested kits in
recent times. The surface detail, with its mix of
raised and recessed fastener, rivets and panel
lines - not to mention stressed skin effects - is
a thing of beauty. Similarly they had examples
of the 1:48 Avro Anson on show which also
has some delicate depictions of stressed
plywood and is a surprisingly bigger aeroplane
than you’d at first imagine.
Kinetic also had a presence at the show
and were displaying their all-new 1:48 F-16A
and C which appears to have laid the ghosts
of their initial release which was met with feral
hostility by some modellers almost throwing
a protective ring around the Tamiya kit.
Raymond Chung was a delight to talk to and
was always willing to speak to people about
his kits.
Sadly absent was Revell whose large and
illuminate glass display case was always a
focal point of the show and similarly there were
other absentees - Eduard, Special Hobby,
Model Art etc… - brought on by Brexit or the
war in Ukraine. While the show wasn’t entirely
devoid of overseas participation, it certainly
seemed less than in previous years, which
somewhat diminishes the “international” part of
the IPMS name.
GHT GO ON
Bugle Call is a rather smaller and more
intimate affair compared to the heady heights
of the 1970s and 80s when it filled the Corn
Exchange in Bristol’s St Nicholas Market and
later an entire floor of Bristol’s Watershed
venue. Still healthily attended though with
a good trade support, it’s a last chance for
modellers to stock up before the inevitable
onset of Christmas - it’s also a useful
opportunity to write an OpEd!
In fact it was a conversation at the show
with Mike Holloway, formerly of Reheat
Models, who planted the seed for this OpEd -
what of the future?
Mike was mentioning that lot of show
organisers are starting to feel up against it
as venues put up their prices to cover their
own increasing costs in terms of energy,
rents and insurance. Certainly there have
already been a couple of casualties on the
2023 calendar and situations like this can
become a vicious circle that can spiral out of
control. Obviously the only people who know
the balance sheets are the event organisers
and they will always juggling to keep a show
affordable but also profitable, or at least not
too loss making. Of course, modellers being
modellers, there will always be a very vocal
minority who paint the hobby in their image
and think prices - of kits, books, magazine
etc - should be 1970s levels of affordability
or whatever decade they’re locked into.
Talk of relocating shows is always met with
the elephant in the room response of “to
where”? Easier to demand change, not
quite so easy to actually offer a practical,
costed, accessible and economically viable
alternative.
And of course it goes without saying that
if you have a local model show then do your
best to support it. I don’t know how often I’ve
heard the line “it was a good show, shame its
gone” from people who then confess to not
having been to it for years. I think we all fall
into the habit of thinking “well there’s always
next year” only to find the show - and often
the people we see there - are longer around.
If anything, the last two years - now
approaching three - have taught me to take
nothing for granted and to treat everything as
a bonus. Perhaps it’s a sentimentalism from
my own brush with Covid, but sitting here
in the waning autumn light of a November
afternoon, I really don’t want the show to end
but to wring every last second I can from it.
And with that, I’m going to wrap this up,
have another cup of tea, go walkabout
and wish you all - especially our friends in
Ukraine - a healthy, peaceful and productive
2023.
See you out there. ■
 TRANSFER LIST

XTRADECAL
www.hannants.co.uk

As we kiss 2022 goodbye it is worth looking back at what that year brought
to us modellers. In the case of new decal sheets, some of the US suppliers
have been busy with new sheets, especially for jets with colourful schemes.
Xtradecal’s rate of new sheet issues has not been as frequent as in past
years. We suspect that the dreaded covid is still slowing things up. Most of
Xtradecal’s sheets landing on Hannants’ web site over the last few months
have been reprints, bringing back some old favourites that have been out of
print for some time. These are very welcome as Xtradecal cover many British
subjects that do not appear on other’s lists. We recommend keeping an eye
on Hannants’ web site when looking for schemes for your latest build. What
may have disappeared may well have reappeared.

CONSOLIDATED B-24J LIBERATOR (SHEET NO. X72082)

The main scheme on this set is the return of an old sheet with spectacular
markings. Here are the choices.

01 B-24J 44-40973 ‘The Dragon and His Tail’ with the 43rd Bomb Group
at le Shima, an island off Japan in August 1944. Liberators carried some
spectacular artwork but this must the most spectacular and ambitious. The
main part of the artwork is on the forward fuselage but the tail of the Dragon
runs all along the fuselage. As the artwork was being applied while the
aircraft still continued missions, photos show the Dragon in various stages
of application. These options are provided on this sheet. This Liberator was
flown in a natural metal finish.
02 B-24J, 44-40268, ‘Kentucky Belle’ with the 706th Bomb Squadron based
at Bungay in Suffolk, England. Again, the overall scheme was natural metal
with yellow tail fins. Artwork appeared on both sides of the nose, a pin-up
on one side and a text design on the other.
03 B-24J, 42-99990 ‘Short Snorter’ with the 579th Bomb Squadron at RAF
Wendling in Norfolk, England. This Liberator was camouflaged with the
standard US scheme of Olive Drab on the upper surfaces and Neutral
Gray undersides. Pegasus artwork appears in red on both sides of the
nose and the tail fins are painted white.

The main sheet comes with a small sheet of stars and bars for one
Liberator.

COMMONWEALTH TRAINERS (SHEET NO. X72143)

This is another niche sheet from Xtradecal
with subjects that you will be lucky to find
elsewhere for types of aircraft that only rarely
given attention from kit manufacturers. All eight
sets of markings are clearly separated with a
dotted line and national markings accompany
each set.
01 Avro Anson Mk. 1, 6054 ‘K’ with No. 4
Bombing and Gunnery School at Ontario,
Canada circa 1940-1943. The scheme is a
camouflage pattern of Dark Green and Dark
Earth with Silver undersides. Large parts of
the upper wings, rear upper fuselage and tail
planes were painted Trainer Yellow.
02 Avro Anson Mk. 1, W2531 with No. 8
Service Flying Training School at New
Brunswick in Canada in September 1941. This
is an eye-catching scheme based on overall
Trainer Yellow. Most of the Yellow is covered
with 14-inch wide black stripes on the upper
surfaces. The undersides are left in plain
Yellow with roundels and large code letters
and numbers.
03 Fairey Battle Target Tug, 1649 ‘6’ with an
unknown unit in Canada, 1940. Again, the
scheme is overall Trainer Yellow with 30-inch
Black bands on the fuselage, upper and lower
wings.
04 Spitfire Mk.IXc, Mj216 ‘FCW-F’ with the
Empire Flying School at RAF Hullavington
in Wiltshire, 1946-49. The camouflage is the
standard day fighter pattern of Dark Green
and Ocean Grey on the upper surfaces and
Medium Sea Grey undersides. Much of the
rear fuselage was painted Trainer Yellow.
05 Airspeed Oxford Mk. 1, AS680 ‘64’ with
No. 35 Elementary Flying Training School,
at Manitoba in Canada in 1942. Although the
basic camouflage scheme is Dark Earth and
Dark Green, much of it is not visible apart
from on the upper wings. Large parts of the

8 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

fuselage and undersides are painted Trainer
Yellow.
06 Airspeed Oxford Mk. 1, PG943 ‘T’ with the
Fighter Command Instrument Training Flight at
RAF Tangmere in 1948. The scheme is similar
to that on the Oxford above.
07 Airspeed Oxford II, 3538 (ex BG365) with
24 Air School, Standard Beam Approach
Flight, SAAF, Gauteng in South Africa in 1945.
This Oxford is mostly carrying a natural metal
finish with Trainer Yellow undersides. Wide
black stripes are painted on the sides of the
fuselage, the rudder is Yellow and engine
covers are painted Black.
08 North American Harvard IIA, 7470 (Ex
EX821) with 62 Air School (Central Flying
School) at Bloemspruit, South Africa in 1945.
The fuselage is left in natural metal with
Trainer Yellow wings. Black stripes cover the
upper wings and along the fuselage with a
Black painted forward fuselage and engine
cowling.

HS BUCCANEER S.2 COLLECTION PT1 (SHEET NO. X48228)

Two lovely new sheets from Xtradecal with the recent 1:48 Airfix Royal Navy
Buccaneer in mind and hopefully the RAF Buccaneer with the bulged bomb
bay to follow in the not-too-distant future. Twenty schemes to choose from
spread over the two-part sets for Buccaneers. Each set comes on two sheets,
the second sheets carry the large under-wing codes.

01 Buccaneer S.2, XV867, ‘655/LM’ with No. 736 Naval Air Squadron at RAF
Lossiemouth in 1970. The scheme is overall glossy Extra Dark Sea Grey with
hi-viz roundels, blue ‘665’ on the nose and the squadron’s badge on the tail.
02 Buccaneer S.2B, XV345, ‘XV1/2’ with No. XV Squadron RAF when at RAF
Laarbruch in West Germany in 1979. A wraparound pattern of Dark Sea Grey
and Dark Green applies to this Buccaneer with a bulged bomb bay.
03 Buccaneer S.2, XN977, ‘230’ with No. 801 NAS when embarked on HMS
Victorious in 1966. This aircraft is in the original Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
scheme of glossy Extra Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with White
undersides.
04 Buccaneer S.2, XW550, ‘X’ with No. 16 Squadron RAF when at RAF
Laarbruch, West Germany in 1977. A pattern of Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green
was applied to the upper surfaces with Light Aircraft Grey undersides.
05 Buccaneer S.2, XV337, ‘612/LM’ with No. 803 NAS operating from RAF
Lossiemouth in 1971. Overall satin Extra Dark Sea Grey was applied to this
aircraft with white ‘612’ on the nose and a checker-board patten band on the tail
fin.
06 Buccaneer S.2, XT277, ‘H’ with No. 809 NAS on HMS Hermes in the 1960s.
An experimental overall ‘Squirrel Grey’ was applied. Roundels were the hi-viz
type and white ‘320’ was applied to the nose.
07 Buccaneer S.2, XT281, ‘281’. The squadron is not identified but a German
Air Force ‘Boelche’ badge was zapped on to the left air intake. This aircraft
had a bulged bomb bay and the scheme was a wraparound pattern of Dark
Green and Dark Sea Grey.
08 Buccaneer S.50, G-2-1 with the South African Air Force in the 1970s. The
upper surfaces were Dark Sea Grey with PRU Blue undersides.

Roundels in both UK styles are supplied for one Buccaneer and a set of
SAAF national markings completes this set.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 9

 TRANSFER LIST
FAA/RNZAF CORSAIRS (SHEET NO. X48141)
01 Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, NZ5632/32 ‘Kathleen’ with No. 14
Squadron, RNZAF at Iwakuni in Japan in 1946. The paintwork was
overall Glossy Sea Blue with large three-colour roundels.
02 Vought Corsair Mk.II, JT260, ‘P54’ with No. 757 Naval Air Squadron
when on HMS Unicorn in July 1944. The scheme is the attractive Fleet
Air Arm camouflage pattern of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate
Grey on the upper surfaces with Sky Type ‘S’ on the undersides. P54
appears in large red characters on the rear fuselage.
03 Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, NZ5632/32 with No. 14 Squadron,
RNZAF based at Bofu in Japan in 1948. This is the same aircraft as
described in 01 finished in overall Gloss Sea Blue but with different
style roundels.
04 Vought Corsair Mk.II, JT634, ‘137/P’ with No. 1834 Naval Air
Squadron, Fleet Air Arm on HMS Victorious in 1944. The scheme is
as described in 02 but with large S.E. Asia national markings, a cross
between stars and bars and RAF roundels in an effort to avoid blue-on-
blue attacks.
HS BUCCANEER S.2 COLLECTION PT2 (SHEET NO. X48229)
Twelve more great Buccaneer schemes. We
will mention the ones that need the larger
bomb bay. Two of the twelve are particularly
eye-catching.
01 Buccaneer S.2B, XX895 with No. 208
Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth. This grey
Buccaneer with a bulged bomb bay is painted
Medium Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with
Barley Grey lower wings and pale roundels.
02 Buccaneer S.2, XN981, ‘981’ also with No.
208 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in late
1983. This one also has a bulged bomb bay is
finished in a wraparound camouflage pattern
of matt Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green.
03 Buccaneer S.2, XT275, ‘235/H’ with No.
801 NAS when on HMS Hermes in 1970.
This Fleet Air Arm Buccaneer was in overall
glossy Extra Dark Sea Grey with three-colour
roundels and blue ‘235’ on the nose.
04 Buccaneer S.2, XX901, ‘901’ with No.
216 Squadron at RAF Honington in 1994.
This aircraft had a bulged bomb bay and the
standard wraparound Dark Sea Grey and Dark
Green camouflage pattern.
05 Buccaneer S.2, XV344 ‘325’ with No.
809 Squadron Naval Air Squadron at RAF
Lossiemouth in 1969. The scheme is overall
glossy Extra Dark Sea Grey with a colourful
unit badge on the tail fin and blue ‘325’ on the
nose.
06 Buccaneer S.2, XX901 with No.
208 Squadron normally based at RAF
Lossiemouth. This Buccaneer had a bulged
bomb bay. The scheme was a special for
participation in the Red Flag meet in Nevada
in 1977. Special Cream was overpainted
on some of the Dark Green areas on the
Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey wraparound
camouflage pattern.
07 Buccaneer S.2, XV869, ‘869/4’ with No.
208 Squadron at RAF Honington in 1981. This
Buccaneer with a bulged bomb bay was in
the standard Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey
wraparound scheme with a large white figure
10 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
‘4’ on the rudder.
08 Buccaneer S.2, XV333, ‘234’ with No. 801
NAS when based at RAF Lossiemouth in
1967. Overall glossy Extra Dark Sea Grey was
the scheme.
09 Buccaneer S.2B, XW986 with the
Aeroplane and Armament Experimental
Establishment at RAF Boscombe Down in
1974. This spectacular scheme was seen at
Air Tattoo. Much of the airframe was painted
Golden Yellow with Dark Green nose, rear
fuselage and some parts of the wings with
White lower wings and fuselage. XW986 was
applied in large black text on the bomb bay.
10 Buccaneer S.2, XW529 at the Royal Aircraft
Establishment at RAF Boscombe Down in
1980. The scheme was a pattern of Dark Sea
Grey and Dark Green on the upper surfaces
with Light Aircraft Grey on the undersides.
11 Buccaneer S.2, XN977, ‘230’ with No.
801 NAS when on HMS Victoria in 1966.
The paintwork was the early Royal Navy
Buccaneer scheme in glossy Extra Dark
Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with White
undersides. The unit’s badge appeared on the
tail fin with ‘230’ in black numbers on the nose.
12 Buccaneer S.2, XN975 with the Royal
Radar Establishment at RAF Pershore in
Worcestershire in 1976. This Buccaneer may
have been with the Fleet Air Arm originally
as the scheme is basically glossy Extra Dark
Sea Grey on the upper surfaces with White
undersides with three-colour roundels. Much
of the rear fuselage was painted Signal Red
as was the nose from just forward of the
windscreen.
Thanks to Hannants of Lowestoft for supplying
a selection of their latest Xtradecal sheet for
review. See their website: hannants.co.uk for
details and ordering.
Alan Firbank
November 2022
IN PRINT
WING LEADER PUBLICATIONS
Avro Lancaster Part 3. Mks II, VI, X, Type 464
and B.I (Special) 1942-1945
www.wingleader.co.uk
■ By Peter Allam
■ Published by Red Kite/Wingleader
■ Guide Price £19.95
■ ISBN: 978-1-908757-29-6
■ 80pp softback, 210 x 297mm
N
umber 18 in this superb Photo
Archive series was launched at
Telford on the Wing Leader stand
and is the third in this series to take
a close look at Avro Lancaster types.
Lancasters are a hot modelling subject at the
moment as could be seen from the number of
1:32 examples built and on the tables at the
show. Peter Allam is a new recruit to the list of
skilled authors writing books for this series. As
an aircraft engineer and the son of a wartime
Lancaster pilot, Peter is well-qualified to be
writing this book. The Lancaster versions listed
in the title are the more niche types and do not
attract much attention in profiles of the type.
This book is especially useful to those that
are intending to build a Dambusters or Grand
Slam Lancaster kit that are available in the
popular scales.
This book follows the pattern set by the
previous ones. One of the best features are
the red arrows pointing to interesting features
in the photos that are then described in the
Please send all items for review to the following address: Model Airplane
International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX,
United Kingdom. Companies in the European Union should also add our VAT
captions. The photos are from various archives
and have been enhanced using modern photo
processing software that can lift previously
hidden detail from the shadows areas. Mk. II
Lancasters can be easily distinguished by their
Hercules radial engines, replacing the Rolls
Royce Merlins. There was a fear that supplies
of Merlins could become a problem so the
modification to the power plants was thought
to be an insurance against shortages. As well
as the change of engines, other detail changes
are indicated using the arrows and explanatory
captions. All very useful should you be looking
to detail a kit.
Before reaching the famous Lancaster
versions that took part in special operations,
the book takes a close look at Lancasters
built in Canada. Many of these would be
operated by Canadian crews based at airfields
around North Yorkshire. Surviving Canadian
Lancasters would return to Canada after the
war with their crews.
The final 40 pages of the book concentrates
on the Lancaster specials that were used on
the dams raid and the Grand Slam carrying
aircraft. Unlike the Lancasters built to carry
Barnes Wallis’s Upkeep bouncing bomb, the
Grand Slam carriers were used on several
targets. The massive Grand Slam and Tallboy
SAMPLES FOR REVIEW
number, which is GB 789 7020 84
bombs were the only bombs at the time that
could make an impression on some hard
targets. These final pages provide some great
photos that show how the aircraft weathered,
all good for modellers. Some very useful
photos show the beefed-up undercarriage and
changes of tyre type. One of the Lancaster B.I
(Specials) shown in the photos is translated
into an excellent colour profile. The changes
from the standard Lancaster are clear to see
with the nose turret removed and the area
faired over, the mid-upper turret removed,
the change of profile around the bomb bay
area and a return to an early war day bomber
colour scheme.
Those with a Lancaster kit will find the three
Lancaster profiles invaluable when building
your models. These books are excellent and
highly recommended.
Thanks to Wingleader for supplying their
Number 18 in their Photo Archive series for
review. See wingleader.co.uk for ordering or
specialist book suppliers such as Bookworld
Wholesale/Avid Reader who are the UK
distributor of Red Kite/Wingleader books.
Alan Firbank
November 2022

he Gloster Meteor was the first
T British jet fighter and the Allies’ only
operational jet aircraft during the
Second World War.
The Meteor’s development was
heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet
engines, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle and
his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of
the aircraft itself began in 1940, although work
on the engines had been under way since
1936.
The Meteor first flew in 1943 and
commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with
No. 616 Squadron RAF. The Meteor was not a
sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but
proved to be a successful combat fighter.
Several major variants of the Meteor
incorporated technological advances during
the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors
were built to fly with the RAF and other
air forces and remained in use for several
decades. The Meteor saw limited action in the
Second World War. *
The Meteor F.8 in 1:72 scale
Considering the historic role played by the
Gloster Meteor, it is surprising that the recent
flood of new kit releases has not generated a
definitive, state-of-the-art injection moulded
plastic Meatbox in 1:72 scale.
Xtrakit released their 1:72 scale Gloster
Meteor F.8 in 2006. This was a really nice little
kit - well detailed, accurate and quite easy to
build too, thanks to sensible parts breakdown
and the absence of multi-media parts.
I built the kit myself shortly after its initial
release and I was very pleased with the result.
The full-span lower wing. Speed brakes are separate parts that may be posed open or closed.
14 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
SHOOTING
AIRFIX 1:72 - GLOSTER METEOR F.8. KIT NO. A04064
THE EDITOR EXAMINES THE ALL-NEW 1:72 SCALE GLOSTER METEO
This model has subsequently been
re-packaged by Special Hobby in various
versions.
Prior to the Xtrakit offering, it had been three
decades since any other 1:72 scale Meteor F.8
had hit the market.
So here we are in 2022 and the iconic
British brand Airfix takes its turn with this
classic British jet.
In the Box
This brand new 1:72 scale Gloster Meteor F.8
is packed in a typical Airfix top-opening box.
Inside are a modest 102 parts in medium grey
coloured plastic and nine parts in clear.
The plastic is darker, smoother and shinier
than other recent Airfix releases, which have
been a paler blue-grey shade and quite soft.
Surface textures are beautifully done with
fine, crisply recessed panel lines, raised
panels and other structural features where
appropriate. The engine covers feature lovely
fine raised rivets.
Construction begins in the cockpit with
nicely detailed sidewalls. Features are
moulded in place. This seems to me to be a
good compromise between detail and ease of
construction, particularly as the front office is
painted black and you won’t see much anyway.
The Martin Baker Mk.2 ejection seat is
made up from four pieces including a nice fine
pull handle above the pilot's head. Harness
straps are not moulded on place nor provided
as decals, so you are on our own there.
The small instrument panel features raised
dial and switch detail. Airfix also supplies a
decal to lay over the raised detail if you prefer
An optional seated pilot is included.
that to painting.
The instructions note that 8 grams of nose
weight are required to keep the front wheel on
the ground.
The nose gear leg and retraction
mechanism are attached to the front of the
cockpit tub then are covered by the nose cone.
Optional closed undercarriage doors are
fitted from the inside of the wing if you are
building your Meteor wheels-up. Closed nose
wheel bay doors are included too.
The seated pilot will come in handy with this
option. He looks a bit blobby in this greatly
magnified photo but I think he will look fine
when painted up.
The undercarriage bay front and rear walls
and the engine mounts are moulded as part
of main wing spars. The main undercarriage
sidewalls are slotted over the spars for a rigid
fit. Once the upper wing halves are in place,
the undercarriage bays should look great.
The engines feature full-length exhaust
tubes. The Rolls-Royce Derwent engine faces
have detail moulded in solid plastic. They’ll
come up nicely after careful painting and an
oil wash.
Alternative elevators are offered. One has
the standard trim tabs and the other has
extended tabs.
The rudder, elevators and ailerons are all
separate parts and may be posed to taste.
Speed brakes are separate parts too, and
may be posed open or closed.
More options for the intakes too. Airfix
supplies both the small diameter intakes as
well as the large (cut back) intakes.
Wing tanks and a conformal belly tank are
One of the fuselage halves.

G STAR
OR F.8.
also provided.
The wheels are broken down in an unusual
sequence. The hubs are moulded to the legs
and the tyres are hemispherical. Hub detail is
excellent. The top of the tyre halves slot into
the inside of the mudguards then each half of
the leg / wheel assembly are brought together.
It's hard to explain in words but clear enough
in the instruction illustrations.
Clear parts are supplied for the windscreen,
sliding canopy and landing light. Wing tip
navigation lights are moulded solid with the
wings.
The clear sprue also contains the early-style
canopy with the fairing covering the rear and
the later clear canopy.
Although not mentioned in the instructions,
the clear sprue also includes the Australian
ADF fairing (this sits on the spine aft of the
canopy), and what appear to be the clear nose
camera windows for an FR.9 or PR.10.
We don’t get rockets or rails, but there are
flashed over holes for these on the inside of
the lower wing halves.
Instructions are called out in 79 illustrated
steps in a 16 page stapled A4 booklet. Colour
directions are provided for the markings for the
many tiny stencils.
Markings
Three varied marking options are offered:
● Meteor F.8 WF714, 500 Squadron
(County of Kent), Royal Auxiliary Air Force,
RAF West Mailing, Kent, England, May 1953.
This aircraft is finished in overall High Speed
Silver paint with colourful tail and fuselage
Nicely detailed cockpit sidewalls. One of the upper wing halves.
1:72
The ejection seat is well detailed.
The wing spar.
markings.
● Meteor F.8 WL184 "X", 74 (F) Squadron,
RAF Horsham St Faith, Norfolk, England, July Large and small (cut back) intake parts are supplied.
1955. This aircraft is finished in High Speed
Silver paint on the lower surfaces and Dark
Green / Dark Sea Grey on the upper surfaces
with the "Tiger Markings" of 74 Squadron.
● Meteor F.8 EG10 "MN-S", 350 Squadron,
Belgian Air Force, Belgium, early 1950s. This
aircraft is finished in overall High Speed Silver
paint with Belgian Air Force markings.
The decals feature perfect registration, rich
colours and a glossy finish. The engine faces.
Full stencil markings are included.
Conclusion
This is a really nice kit with a relatively modest
parts count, a very high level of detail and
plenty of options in the box.
The quality of the plastic is good - smooth
and ready for a silver finish without any further
preparation.
Surface textures are fine too.
This kit pips the old Xtrakit / Special Hobby
kits to the post in terms of surface textures,
and boasts clearly superior detail. With long- Early canopy.
run locating pins and tabs, the Airfix kit should
be easier to build too.
Airfix's 1:72 scale Meteor F.8 is a nicely
detailed kit that should appeal to any early jet
age fans.
Kit purchased by reviewer from Hannants
www.hannants.co.uk
The later style canopy is also included.
The kit decal sheet offers three marking options.
KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY OLIVER PIESSL

IN ACTION WITH THE

HELBIG FLY
The Junkers Ju 88 in service with Lehrgeschwader 1
fter building several single- the Second World War. Originally designed

A engine fighters in a row, I was

motivated to build something
bigger. I quickly had the idea of
building THE Luftwaffe fighter par
excellence, the Junkers Ju 88, operating in the
Mediterranean. If you mention the Afrika Korps
and the Ju 88 in the same sentence, many
people will immediately think of a squadron
that also had the nickname "Africa Squadron",
Lehrgeschwader 1.
The Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was one of the standard
fighter aircraft of the German Luftwaffe during
as a fast horizontal and dive bomber, the
aircraft was also used as a long-range bomber,
torpedo bomber, minelayer, maritime or long-
range reconnaissance aircraft, for weather
observation, as a destroyer, night fighter, tank
destroyer or as a deep attack aircraft with
various modifications of the individual versions
A-T. With almost 15,000 aircraft built, the
production of this fighter aircraft was one of the
largest armament programmes of the German
Reich in the Second World War.
The Junkers Ju 88 A-5/trop
The term A-5/trop comes from the fact that

16 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023


YERS
the A-5s, which were initially deployed in the
Mediterranean, were adapted to the weather
conditions in the field and were subsequently
painted in sandy yellow. The later versions
A-10/11 were already fitted with the tropical
equipment at the Junkers factory and painted
accordingly in RLM79.
The Subject
The basis for a Ju 88 of the Mediterranean
war theatre is the ICM kit of the Ju 88A-11,
the tropical version of the sub-variant A-4.
After sifting through various publications, one
aircraft in particular caught my eye, featuring
the crew of Captain Joachim "Jochen" Helbig.
The picture shows the crew in front of a late
Ju 88A-5/trop (Werknr.:4371) with, for night
missions, heavily worn black undersides.
Furthermore, the identification letter E(white)
January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 17
1:48
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE
SPECIFICATION:
ICM 1:48 Junkers Ju 88 A-11. Kit No. 48235
ACCESSORIES USED:
Eduard
Item No. 49750 - Ju 88 A-5 Interior
Item No. 49783 - Ju 88 A-4 Seat Belts STEEL
Item No. EX527 - Ju 88 A-4 Masks
Brassin
Item No. 648609 - Do 17Z Bomber Guns
Vector
Item No. VDS48-099 - Ju 88 A-5 exterior set
Anyz
Braided Line (AN011); Line Connectors (AN016);
Nuts&Washers (AN019), Dials & Knobs (AN033);
Wire in various thicknesses, as well as Evergreen and
Plastruct profiles
PAINTS USED:
Colors: AK RealColors, MRP
Washings: AMMO PLW, Oilbrushers
Decals: Peddinghaus Decals, AirDoc and ICM
Building time around 240 hours

KIT BUILD
The reconstruction to the A-5 includes, among other things, the removal of the
engine nacelle exhaust ports, which is easily done with an etched saw.
Afterwards a 45 degree hole is necessary to
show the A-5 exhaust, the A-5 nacelle is ready.
can be seen on the bola, which
according to documents was not
Helbig's aircraft, as he was flying
the aircraft with the identification
L1+AM at that time as squadron
captain of the 4th /LG1. Nevertheless,
the L1+EM seemed to me to be the
most suitable model for my preference for
unusual schemes.
Building an Accurate Ju 88 A-5/trop
The most distinctive features of the A-5
compared to the A-4 are the mounting nacelles
of the Jumo 211B-1/G-1, which did not
have the dents on the lower engine covers.
Furthermore, the A-4 was already factory
equipped with reinforced gun emplacements,
as well as MG81/81z, whereas the A-5
was still equipped with MG15, the gun
emplacements of the late A-5 were built like
those of the A-4. Three further features were
Only in the second step did I start with the cockpit. In An overview of the prepared cockpit,
addition to etched parts and lead wire, the 3D printed the combination of all additional details
resin parts from Anyz are used to refine the cockpit. can be seen very nicely here.
“If you mention the
Afrika Korps and the
Ju 88 in the same
sentence, many people
will immediately think
of a squadron that
also had the nickname
"Africa Squadron",
Lehrgeschwader 1.”
18 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
Compared to the parts in the kit, these parts
from Vector Resin are much more delicate. The
installation of these is very simple, as they have the
same dimensions as those of the kit.
the different rudder, the tyres of the main
landing gear, the propeller blades, as well as
the radiator ring in the front area of the engine
blocks. The A-4 and A-11 kits include all the
parts to build an A-5 and A-10 respectively,
but I still decided to add a Vector set to better
detail the A-5 engine nacelles, as well as
various eduard sets to the kit. To avoid any
confusion when assembling the components,
the distinctive A-5 parts such as the fin and
engine nacelles are the first to be focused
on. Another detail that must be attributed to
an A-5 are the missing exhaust ports directly
under the wing joints. The versions up to A-5
had only exhaust pipes inserted here. These
can be easily made by sawing off the existing
exhaust pipes and drilling holes at an angle of
45° in the direction of the engine block. The
construction of the tyres and propeller blades
is done during final assembly or during the
drying process during painting.
The workplace of the four-member crew
is of particular interest to we modellers, as
you can see it very well and therefore can
add some details. The crew, consisting of the
pilot, observer, radio operator and gunner,
 1:48
The entire cockpit section was painted using AK REALCOLORS paints. The
advantage of these paints is that they do not require priming of the components,
but their odour is reminiscent of Gunze Mr. Colors and they must not be painted
without a mask and sufficient ventilation!

All previously mounted

coloured etched parts
are protected with the
help of Liquid Mask. After
painting, this can be
easily removed again.

Immediately after painting, a first

drybrush is applied to make reliefs and
details stand out better.

The raised structures, which are now easier to Scratches and abrasions can be created
recognise, can be painted more efficiently. The very simply with a wooden pencil. The
switches, levers and buttons are then given their alternative would be the chipping method
typical colours. with a sponge and/or a fine brush.

had plenty of instruments at their disposal to not expect Tamiya

successfully guide the most modern fighter
aircraft in the world at the time into the mission
and back again safely. Since the glass cockpit
is highly visible, additional detailing in this area
is not in vain and is visually rewarded in the
finished model.
To enhance the nerve centre, lead wire,
plastic sheet, Eduard photo-etched parts and
3D printed resin parts from the Anyz portfolio
were used in addition to kit components. Even
before painting, these are assembled with
the kit parts as shown in the building plan.
This may seem absurd to some readers, but
this approach has produced good results for
me in the past. It goes without saying that
all coloured photo-etched parts must first be
protected with liquid mask and then painted
with the typical colours of the cockpit. After
removing the masks, all raised areas of the
cockpit get a rough dry brushing with light
grey paint. This effect also has the advantage
of making it easier to locate the areas for
subsequent detail painting. Finally, scratches
and dirt can be applied to give the whole thing
a little more reality.
Airframe and Base Coat
When considering an ICM Ju 88 you should
quality in terms
of accuracy
of fit. On the
other hand,
the price is
absolutely
fair, which
is more
important
today than ever
before. Assembling
the cockpit section is a bit
tricky and requires a steady hand.
Even before the fuselage is closed, the
tailwheel is given its usual paint job and
then inserted into the fuselage. Once the
fuselage is closed, the use of filler should
also be generously planned when assembling
the wings, for the reason mentioned above.
Before sanding, the cockpit must be closed
with the appropriate transparent parts to
avoid sanding dust. One advantage of the
ICM kit is that the plastic is very easy to work
with, which favoured the decision to provide
the entire model with rows of rivets and to
re-engrave accordingly. After the wings with
engine nacelles, which are then joined to the
fuselage, have been appropriately filled and
sanded, the previously filled joints can be
checked. To do this, it is advisable to paint
over the seam with the base colour in order to
check. This way you can be sure if rework is
necessary or if you can continue.
Since this is an aircraft from the
Mediterranean theatre of war, the identification
colours on the underside of the fuselage and
wingtips must be painted in white and the
undersides of the engine nacelles must be
painted in RLM04 for friend/foe recognition.
This is preceded by a pre-shading with
grey tones using spray stencils from the
77Propeller.com series to make the paint look
more lively. After masking off the previously
painted areas, the next step is to apply the
undercoat RLM65, also preceded by pre-

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 19

KIT BUILD
The final stage of weathering in the cockpit area is the
depiction of dust with the help of pigments. Once applied,
these are easy to fix with White Spirit.

shading. Although no primer is necessary,

this one from AMMO is light grey and
the pre-shading consists of grey,
white and dark grey layers, this
primer is part of the first coat
of paint. This approach to pre-
shading is only appropriate for
light colours, as dark colours
swallow them.
The topside colours
RLM70/71, on the other hand, are
applied directly without primer. First
the lighter colour RLM71 Dark Green,
this must cure for approx. 24 hours so that In addition to the
it can be masked off afterwards, followed by Even before all the other steps that follow the cockpit, the tail wheel
must also be painted
RLM70 Black Green. It is important that the varnishing, the base colours are now given a and inserted into one
first colour cures well, as you do not want to filter in different shades to make the varnish fuselage half before the
experience any unpleasant surprises when look more homogeneous, as can be seen two fuselage halves are
removing the masking tape. If, however, there in many original pictures. This can be done assembled.
are one or two spots where the paint comes using ready-mixed containers from various
off with the masking tape, these areas must manufacturers or by mixing the oil colours and
be touched up. Often this "faut pas" can be White Spirit yourself.
used to achieve realistic wear, in this case in
the sense of bullet damage. To do this, a clay Field Adaptations
similar to the base colour can be painted with This work is done with the help of spray
a brush on the previously created "damage" stencils from 77Propeller.com. Although
in a rectangular, square or round shape. this work is time-consuming and requires

The use of filler

should be calculated
into this kit from
the start as it
is absolutely as
it is absolutely
necessary.

a lot of time, it achieves the effect of an

irregularly opaque coating of RLM79 on a dark
background. AK-Interaktive has two shades
of RLM79 in its range; the first coat of paint
was applied with the darker RLM79
(1942) RC283 to create the basis for the
finer work that follows. It is important
in this first step that the basic
colours RLM70/71 still show through
sufficiently. The next step is certainly

One last look at the post-detailed cockpit,

as the following construction and painting
phases will not allow any more insight here
for quite some time.

The elaborately painted cockpit

with all details shortly before
assembly. The work is worthwhile,
as the glass cockpit makes it very
easy to see later.

20 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 As with the previous joints,
the three-part cockpit must be
treated with filler after it has been
1:48
assembled on the fuselage.

Based on a Kagero drawing from the TopDrawings series, all the rivet rows and rew-engravings
with the help of Verlinden stencils, Dymoband and corresponding engraving tools.

The model after completion of the structural work. It is advisable to check the joints that
have been filled beforehand by applying the base colour here as a check.

In order to obtain
the first colour
differences in the
lacquer when it is
painted later on it
is generally helpful
to pre-shade
light colours. The
spray stencils from
77propeller.com
are a very good help
for this.

Since the glass parts have not been painted from the
inside, these must be applied from the outside before the
actual privacy coating.
Due to the pre-shading, it is advisable to first paint a
grey base colour over the entire surface. The grey AMMO
primer is ideal for this purpose.
The result of the initially pre-shaded areas. Except for the engine nacelles on the
underside nacelles, the white surfaces remain as they are and can be masked off. These
are painted in RLM04, as they are necessary for the friend/foe identification.
the most time-consuming part of this project, the decals.
as it is now necessary to show the paint as Immediately after the painting a filter with
worn and lightened. To do this, it is advisable a light sand tone is applied to break the
to apply a highly diluted paint, in this case impression of the “chequerboard pattern”. In
RLM79 (1941) RC282, with a very fine nozzle addition, the undersides are also treated with
inside all the sheet metal joints, maintenance various washes from AMMO's PLW series. It is
flaps and rows of rivets in irregular intensity. recommended to use a dark brown tone for the
This work is by no means done in one wipe yellow signal colours of the engine undersides,
and should therefore be planned for at least as well as different shades of grey for the
three afternoons. Although the result now blue undersides and white wingtips. As far as
looks like a chessboard, the basis for an painted and first weathering incorporated, the
irregular-looking paint job has been created. model now gets a coat of glossy clear varnish
A practice the author likes to use is to give the to create a perfect base for the decals. In order
model a first wash before sealing and applying to transfer the markings of the 4th /LG1 to
January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 21
KIT BUILD

Now the different colours can be applied little by little with the help of stencils. In this case, these First, the lighter of the two shades of green is masked off after sufficient drying to then paint the
are high-contrast colours such as blue-black and a very light grey. remaining segments with RLM70.

In order to reduce the colour differences between the two tones, it is advisable to use various The representation of the camouflage carried out in the field is done
filters. There are various possibilities, one of which is the use of highly diluted oil paints. here using spray stencils from the 77Propeller.com series.

Thanks to the intensive preparatory work, the

actual painting of the underside colour RLM65 is
done relatively quickly with a 0.4mm nozzle and a
working pressure of approx. 1.2 bar.

A not uncommon sight of German

machines are repairs caused by bullet
damage, be it from fighters or Flak. The
author has hidden the real reason for
these in the text.

22 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:48
The benefits of this approach will only
become fully apparent once the entire
model has completed this step. Since
further work will follow, a somewhat
darker shade of sandy brown.
The first partial result of the elaborate painting process
using stencils is visible after just a few visible after just a
few steps. It is particularly important here to protect the
underside colour RLM65 with the help of masking tape.

A little more time-consuming but just as important is the

approach to the finished paint. For this purpose, a highly
diluted light sandy yellow tone is now used inside all the
panel lines and the maintenance flaps.
The basis has been created,
an aircraft originally painted in
RLM70/71 which in the field
was a makeshift Mediterranean
livery in the field, has been
If the sheet metal joints stand
completed.
out too much, you can treat
the whole model with a sand-
yellow, in this case PLW Dust,
filter. The difference before/after
is very well visible.

In the area of the engine nacelles, the degree of soiling

may be significantly higher, which is also the reason for a
wash with higher contrast.

the model, it was necessary to obtain various

decal sets. These were decals from the ICM kit
from AirDoc, as well as Peddinghaus decals.
With the help of the second volume of
the LG1 Chronicle, this marking variant was
created, which was also used by the
Helbig crew.
Once the decals were applied and
sealed with gloss paint, they were
adapted to the previous work. First
a pin wash, i.e. the targeted washing
along the sheet metal joints and rivet
rows, was carried out on the decals.
Afterwards, a further washing of all sheet
metal joints and rivet rows is carried out in a
medium brown tone. This can be done with an
extra premixed product or with highly diluted The remaining surfaces of the underside
oil paints. With this work, the basic weathering are washed with various shades of grey.
This further enhances the effect of the
or large-scale ageing work is completed. If inhomogeneous painting.
you like this effect, you could already skip
the following work and continue directly
with sealing the topsides with clear varnish.
However, for those who would like to work in
further weathering, especially in detail, the
next step is to use different products. First
of all, the areas that were maintained
to keep the aircraft airworthy, where dirt
accumulated and affected the ground
crew, get various traces of dirt. Such soiling
is achieved, among other things, by applying

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 23

KIT BUILD A factor that should not
be underestimated is the
condition of the substrate for
the decals. If you do not want
dark oil paints or, as here, a combination of oil to experience any unpleasant
paints and washes to the previously described surprises due to "silvering", it
areas with a brush and blending them after a must be highly glossy.
few minutes. Where there is light, there is also
shadow, especially with the machines in the
Mediterranean area it could be seen again and
again that they were strongly faded by the sun.
This effect can be achieved with an airbrush

Even after the decals have

been applied and sufficiently
dried, the entire model must
be protect with gloss paint.
A first washing is done after
this clear coat has dried.
and lightened paint or with oil paints. The
author decided to use the latter for this model
in order to explain this method to the reader in
more detail and to show that there are various
ways to get closer to the goal.
To do this, you need a lighter oil paint

To carry out further weathering work with the aid of oil paints and washes, a matt surface is Faded varnish, on the other hand, is created with light oil paints, also applied with a fine brush and
necessary. Dirt deposits are removed with dark paints applied with a fine brush. then rubbed in with a flat brush.

Scratches and abrasion, which make the base varnish stand out, are made with a dark wood pencil This alternative consists of treating the previously black scratches with a light wash using a black-
in the first step. Since black-green was not available, an alternative had to be created. green filter to make them look greenish again.

24 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:48

Streaks on the engine area can be visualised using various methods. One possibility is the so- This is then immediately removed with a cat’s tongue brush in the direction of flight. The pressure
called streaking method, starting with placing dots along sheet metal joints. Both oil paints and and the length of the streak can be varied according to personal taste.
prefabricated products are ideally suited for this.

The use of thinner is only necessary when the paint has already dried up or if you want to touch up The basis for the night camouflage paint is a large-area application using chipping fluid. To protect
the streaks on the flanks. the base colour, it is advisable to apply a glossy clear coat.

Afterwards, a bristle brush is lightly moistened to rub off
the black paint in the direction of flight. Depending on
your needs, you can do this intensity as required.
The moistened surfaces must be allowed to dry
sufficiently, otherwise the remaining paint may be
removed unintentionally. Afterwards, as in this case, you
can fine sanding pad, as shown here.
similar to the base colour and a fine brush.
The procedure is as follows; with a small
amount of oil paint on the tip of the brush, it is
applied to areas that have been exposed to
the sun. These areas are then blended with
a narrow flat brush; this effect can then be
carried out more or less intensively depending
on one's own taste. Scratches and abrasion
are created next to light colours, in this case
mainly with dark colours to let the underlying
primary colours RLM70/71 shine through.
For this purpose, as above, areas where
the maintenance staff was more intensively
engaged should be treated with higher
intensity. These are especially the areas of the
wing root, maintenance flaps and especially
filler necks for lubricants, coolants and fuels.
To intensify the highlighting of the
background colours, the previously treated
areas are given a pin wash using dark green
paint, in this case an acrylic filter. However,
any other colour, be it diluted oil paint or even
an enamel filter or wash, can also produce this
effect. In pictures of the Ju 88 from that time,
one can always see that in the area of the
engine nacelles there was a lot of oil, lubricant
and fuel streaks in addition to exhaust gases.
This should not be missing in such a used
model and can easily be shown in three steps.
All we need is oil or diluted enamel paint,
a pointed and flat brush and thinner. The
procedure for creating these streaks is quite
simple and can be reproduced in no time.
However, the basis for this is a sufficiently
dried matt surface. (Silk Matt also works)
First, the paint is dabbed on using small dots
along the sheet metal joints and areas where
the leaking medium is to be depicted. It is
important that the dots are not too large; the
size of a pinhead should be sufficient.
After only a few moments, this is then
blended with a flat or cat's tongue brush in
the direction of flight. Make sure that you
adopt a comfortable position, as the blending
should take place in one "sweep". If you are
not satisfied with the effect, you can clean up
the unsuccessful area with a brush soaked in
thinner and start again, even if it has already
dried. A little tip from the author: Be brave, it
didn't work for me either at first go!
The topside weathering is now complete
except for the exhaust traces. However, this
work is done only after the underside treatment
has been completed and thus shortly before
the model is finished.
Night Vision Protection
Pictures in the LG1 Chronicle show very
clearly that the aircraft had a black night-vision
shield in the summer of 1941 and that this
gradually became more and more worn. The
prototype of the model shown here is so worn

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 25

KIT BUILD
With the help of acrylic pencils from the artist’s supplies,
even more specific wear marks in the form of scratches
are possible. Especially on maintenance flaps these look
very realistic.
With the help of various materials and special accessories
from the Anyz series, the details on the chassis and tyres
that cannot be overlooked.
Set in colour, small details stand out very nicely. Rims
and tyres are airbrushed, while smaller components are
painted with a brush.
Other add-on parts, as shown here, receive their typical
basic colours in white, RLM02 and RLM70 with the
airbrush.
The model looks a little more lively with slightly differently
aged add-on parts. This is especially obvious with the
spinners, as these already stand out from the model.
A realistic effect is achieved
by deliberately asymmetrical
representation of this
weathering method. As in
those days, one does not find
any uniformly dirty objects of
daily use.
Painting the typical Ju 88 exhaust
traces marks the end of the work on the
model. Now we can turn our attention to
the add-on parts.
out with regard to this night-vision
protection that the engine nacelles in
particular are largely free of it.
A picture of a fly-over also shows
that the subsequent visual protection
was very worn. A perfect pattern
for a modeller who likes to depict
weathered machines and thus one of
the reasons why exactly this prototype
was chosen. However, before working
on this retrofitted visual protection, the
prerequisites for it have to be created.
The chipping method using the so-called
chipping fluid or hairspray method is a very
good method to represent such a flown-
off surface. Roughly explained, a medium
(chipping fluid or hairspray) is painted onto
the already painted model, in order to treat it
afterwards with another colour, which is to be the following work will be done with acrylic
represented worn. This is then partially rubbed paints, the clear varnish should be water-
off with a tool soaked in water to let the base resistant during this work. Thus, the model
colour shine through again. So much for the receives a coat of glossy AK-RealColor Clear
theory, in practice this is often a bit more Lacquer Gloss RC502 on the undersides as
complex, which is the reason why we will shed a basis for the following work. After sufficient
some light on this. drying, usually 24 hours, one or two coats of
Since nobody wants to rub off the RLM65 chipping fluid are applied.
base colour when working on it, it is advisable It is worth mentioning here that although
to protect it with a glossy clear varnish. Since AMMO was used for this project, any other
Even shortly before
completion, it is important
to carry out the last steps
with the same motivation,
as these can often be
decisive for the success of
the entire project.

brand can also be used, true to the motto:
"what is there is used". Since the fluid dries
relatively quickly, the night vision protection
can be painted on immediately afterwards. It
is important that the paint is a water-based
acrylic paint.
The tools used to remove the top coat can
vary according to personal preference. Bristle
brushes, sanding pads, toothpicks and Q-tips
are suitable for displaying the worn surfaces.
It is essential to handle the tools carefully and
not to exert too much mechanical pressure
on the surfaces. With a bristle brush soaked
in water and then dried, the top layer of paint
is now carefully rubbed off in the direction of
Despite the all-glass cockpit, the
cockpit is still very visible, so it
is worthwhile to implement the
detail work carried out at the
beginning.
flight.
A little tip: as the fluid is dissolved by the
water, there is a risk that the entire surface will
come off the paint, so take breaks to allow the
paint and fluid to dry. Once all surfaces have
been treated with the bristle brush and dried,
the surface can be sanded with a fine dry
sanding pad. The surfaces should be treated
irregularly and, if possible, not symmetrically,
so that a natural effect is created.
To give the whole thing some life, it is
advisable to add various scratches to the
already effective effects using wooden pencils
or brushes. Especially with the markings and
bar crosses, i.e. the decals, this matches the
Issue 144
January
210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 27
1:48
In spite of the closed cockpit, the detailing is always
worthwhile the closer the viewer's eye gets, the
more noticeable the added components become
noticeable.
“ICM’s 1:48 scale
Junkers Ju 88 A-11 is
a great kit, which is
not easy to build, but
which can become a
real eye catcher when
finished.”
rest of the painted surfaces. Before moving on
to the finishing and add-on parts of this project,
it is advisable to protect the previous work and
give the model a uniform surface. This is done
with one or two coats of matt clear lacquer
from the AK-RC range, here RC500.
Last But Not Least
The exhaust traces mark the end of the
work on this project and are also the last
painting steps of this model. As can be seen
on pictures, the Ju 88 always had heavy
soot around and behind the engine nacelles,
which sometimes extended to the tail fin.
The implementation of these stains should
- www.modelairplaneinternational.com
KIT BUILD
therefore be well thought out, if one does not
want to put the work previously carried out in
the wrong light.
The exhaust plume is increasingly weaker
from the centre outwards, which should
also be shown on the model. Therefore, it is
advisable to first paint a highly diluted black-
brown mixture on the areas intended for this
purpose. The further you get into the centre
of the exhaust fumes, the stronger the soot,
therefore the colours should also be the more
accentuated, or less diluted. The add-on parts
of the Ju 88 are, due to their size, very visible,
which makes additional details welcome. The
landing gear is therefore replaced with various
materials such as lead wire and plastic sheet
and also refined with 3D printed resin parts
28 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
from the Anyz range. These are available in
various sizes and shapes and can be used
for almost any purpose, be it in the cockpit, a
maintenance bay, antenna parts and especially
in easily visible areas such as the landing
gear.
The propeller blades are from the kit,
whereas the spinners are from the Vector
engine set. They are colour treated with the
corresponding RLM colours like 02 grey for the
undercarriage parts and 70 black-green for the
propeller blades. The tyres on the other hand
get standard colours like dark grey and black.
As with the model, the weathering of the add-
on parts should be done accordingly, unless
you want to represent a recently renewed spare
part. When assembled, all the add-on parts look
Probably the most famous German bomber from
the Second World War in all its glory. ICM has
produced a truly beautiful model of this famous
aircraft. aircraft on its feet.
like a successful unit together with the model
weathered in the same style. The construction
of the model had to overcome various hurdles,
but these are quickly forgotten when looking at
the finished result.
Conclusion
ICM’s 1:48 scale Junkers Ju 88 A-11 is a great
kit, which is not easy to build, but which can
become a real eye catcher when finished. ICM
has achieved what has not been seen on the
market for a long time and with the models of
the Ju 88 has brought out a type of aircraft that
should not be missing from the showcase of
any model builder, especially those who love
the Luftwaffe. We should be very grateful for
this. ■
 1:48

From this perspective, it is

The characteristic exhaust traces, which sometimes nice to see that a monochrome
extend all the way to the treble fins, are very to the tail painting does not seem boring
fins. This is one of the most distinctive features of all at all. boring at all. In the case
Junkers Ju 88 fighter aircraft. of the LG1 Ju 88 there are also
enough prototype materials to
create a realistic ageing.

The Author:
Born on 19 March 1978, Oliver Peissl aka Erla's Werke has been enthusiastically practising plastic modelling since the age
of seven, with his first interest being the "modern" military jets and helicopters of the time. Today, more than 35 years later,
he devotes himself mainly to German aircraft of the Second World War in 1/48th and 1/32nd scale, occasionally building
a jet of all eras and nations. Since 2005 he has been working as an author for MODELLFAN and uses this occasion to
constantly improve the quality of his works.

One component of weathering that should not

be forgotten is the dust raised in the area of the
undercarriage. The dust in the area of the undercarriage
was unavoidable due to the weather conditions.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 29

 ft
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KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY CHRIS WAUCHOP

A VERY
SHORT WAR
Chris Wauchop converts the venerable Airfix 1:72 scale Short Sunderland Mk.III to a Mk.I.
his aircraft from No. 210 Squadron after their recent attack. They were quickly Werner Hansen and Leutnant Helmut Lent.

T RAF took off from Invergordon,

Scotland on the afternoon of 9 April
1940 for a reconnaissance flight
over the Oslo area of Norway to
gather information on German movements
spotted by the Germans at the captured
Fornebu Airport, near Oslo, and from there
two Messerschmitt Bf 110s of 1./ZG 76 were
scrambled to intercept.
The pilots of the 110s were Staffelkapitän
Lent later became a highly successful night
fighter ace.
The two shot down the Sunderland with
Hansen receiving credit for the victory. All but
one of the Sunderland’s crew were lost in the

I have done a little bit of

Photoshopping to this pic. I’ve
made the props look as though
they’re spinning and, if you look
closely, you can just see Uncle Cliff
having a quick look at us from the
navigator’s astrodome.

32 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:72
SKILL LEVEL:
EXPERT

SPECIFICATION:
Airfix 1:72 Short Sunderland Mk. III (converted to a
Mk. I). Kit No. 681

action which sadly included my best friend Bill

Young’s uncle, Sgt Pilot Jack Clifford Carpenter.
Bill has made a documentary called ‘A Very
Short War’ about this event which has been
screened several times over the years on
Australian television and it is really worth a look
if you get the chance.

The Conversion From a Mk. III to a Mk. I

The first step in this conversion was to backdate
the later smoother planing hull bottom to the
earlier stepped design. Unfortunately, I was so
consumed when carrying out this work that I
forgot to take any work in progress photos. All I
can say is that it turned out to be easier than I
thought thanks to the thickness of this old kit’s
plastic and after a fair bit of cutting, filing and
sanding only a few areas needed filling with
plastic card and a bit of putty.
This was all done before the fuselage halves
were glued together but they were frequently
dry fitted through the process to assure the
proper alignment of my work. Well, near enough
anyway. I did it all by eye. n

“All but one of the

Sunderland’s crew were
lost in the action which
sadly included my best friend Bill
Young’s uncle, Sgt Pilot Jack Clifford
Carpenter.”

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 33

KIT BUILD

Next step was to cut the two teardrop-shaped holes for the mid upper gun positions. Some internal There is some really good photographic reference of this detail if you want to go nuts but I chose to
detail was added using Evergreen plastic rod, card and shapes. keep it fairly simple.

Painted Interior Green. The spare Vickers K gun magazines were painted metallic black.

Some detail added to the cockpit sidewalls again using Evergreen plastic rod and strip and some Also note that plastic strip has been added to the top of the mounting rails for the cockpit floor. This
fine solder wire. was done to raise the main interior to a more accurate level.

This detail will never be seen but I know it’s there and now so do you. And the opposite side.

34 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:72

I did go a bit overboard with the main cockpit detail, but it

was quite a lot of fun to do.

The throttles and much of the other detail were scratch Painted with safety harnesses added. The Sutton harnesses were cut from 0.13 Evergreen plastic sheet which is quite malleable as
built from plastic. long as it’s not too old.

Instrument panel and throttle quadrant. The instruments

are from an old 1:72 P-51 Mustang decal sheet with
multiple sets of markings. Decals for two panels were cut
up to fit the space.

Cockpit detail painting complete.

Installed.

Bomb aimer’s window. The rectangle of white plastic should be
clear. It was painted to look that way later.
A new front door was cut from plastic card and glued over the
very faintly moulded kit detail. This shot also shows the round
Tamiya tape masks covering all the hull windows. The kit
windows are too large so the masks were cut about 0.5 mm
smaller in diameter. I think they should be even a bit smaller
than that.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 35

A view from the top.
KIT BUILD

The dorsal cut-outs and the top turret hole filled. Also The covers for the dorsal gun positions cut from 0.25 mm Some hinge and trim tab detail was added to the rudder.
note the small, round observation windows cut into the plastic card.
spine. These were painted black, and a corresponding
disc of clear acetate was added after the main paint job
was done.

The covers for the dorsal gun positions cut from 0.25 mm Some hinge and trim tab detail was added to the rudder.
plastic card.

The nose turret needed beefing up. This was done by

covering the entire kit part with 0.5 mm plastic card and
sanding it to the right shape.

The metal version.

These are the two Vickers K guns for the upper fuselage
cutouts. They are made from various bits of Evergreen
rod and strip with gun sights made from very fine wire. Guns and covers in place
They are very small. and a bit of the interior is
just visible.

The quad Browning for the tail turret and the single
Vickers for the nose. I managed to snap the barrel off the
Vickers gun pretty early on, so I replaced it with a much
sturdier metal version.

36 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:72

The kit’s prop blades were added to new, more accurate hubs The bombs and bomb racks with a bit of extra detail added. Bombs painted and ready to be attached to their bomb racks.
and much stronger shafts.

The tail’s beaching trolley with a bit

of extra detail added.

Most of the fiddly bits

painted, weathered and
ready for installation.

Painted, weathered and waiting for decals (thanks Brett).

This shot also shows the more accurate early engine
exhausts which I made using 2.5 mm plastic rod.
 1:72
KIT BUILD
It was at about this point of the build that I realised the
kit did not include the Pegasus engines’ supercharger
intakes. I made four by cutting up a row of 1:32
Messerschmitt Bf 109 exhaust stacks that I found in my
spares box. I reshaped them a bit, attached one under
each engine cowl and painted them silver. Looks a lot
better than nothing.

“The first step in this conversion

was to backdate the later smoother
planing hull bottom to the earlier
stepped design.”

The lower surfaces.

38 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY ANDREAS DYCK

For you, the W

1:32 scale 80th t probably hasn’t escaped the notice of any aviation
Anniversary
of the Battle
of Britain
Diorama by
Andreas Dyck
I enthusiast that 2020 was the 80th anniversary of
the legendary Battle of Britain. While it was only 24
years before I was born, it emphasises to us how
quickly time flies. In the end, the Luftwaffe’s attempt
to conquer the British island failed with high losses.
The 1969 movie "The Battle of Britain" is remembered
fondly by many of us. This was a good enough reason to
The Idea
The idea for a diorama comes from looking through
old historical pictures, because you are interested in
a current topic or because you are so impressed by
a scene that you want to create a diorama of it. It is a
picture in 3D, so to speak.
I felt the same way after I discovered a great figure set
honour the Battle of Britain in a small diorama. from Polish company D-Day Miniature Studio. Matching

40 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023


War is over
the main theme, the cover picture shows
excellently designed figures and an Austin Tilly
with the subtitle "I shot them down".
The thoughts matured further and for me
personally, the only thing missing was the
matching distressed aeroplane for this scene.
The search Eduard’s 1:32 scale Bf 109 E-3.
Now the idea of the diorama is certainly
nothing new, but the great figures prompted
my decision to build it.
To liven up the scene a bit more I added
civilians, or rather country folk, from Miniart.
There is an original photo of an emergency
landed Bf 109 in England which shows a
similar scene, so this photo was actually more
or less the template of the diorama. This
means that my scene with White 7 is based on
an original photo, rather than totally fictitious.
January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 41
1:32/35
SKILL LEVEL:
INTERMEDIATE / EXPERT
SPECIFICATION:
Eduard 1:32 Messerschmitt Bf 109 E3 Weekend Edition.
Kit No. 3402
D-Day Miniature Studio 1:35 Figure Set “I Shot You
Down”. Kit No. 35147
Tamiya 1:35 British Light Utility Car 10HP. Kit No. 35308
Miniart 1:35 Civilians Western Region WWII.
Kit No. MB 3567
MATERIALS AND
ACCESSORIES USED:
● Etched parts: Eduard Weekend
● Grass materials: Ammo of Mig: Autumn Turfs, Pinewood
Forest Base Line, Green Line: various types of grass tufts,
wood repair filler from Molto.
PAINTS USED:
● Various Revell Aqua paints.
● 1:32 Colours: MRP RLM02, RLM70, RLM65
Construction time: approx. 100 h
 By dry brushing the folds with the corresponding lightened base colour, the

KIT BUILD figures appear more realistic. The figures appear more realistic. Light and shadow
effects are essential here.

The D-Day figures clearly speak for themselves. Painting

with acrylic colours follows a white primer coat.

I am certainly not a figure painting ace, but

after studying various instructions succeeded
in painting the figures. The figures from D-Day
are very well modelled with distinctive facial
features and a perfect drape of the clothes,
and painted almost by themselves, the figures
from Miniart fall qualitatively something, but
enliven the scene. (1, 2, 3)

The Pickup Service

I started with SKP Models’ 1:35 scale Tilly.
After a short time, I realised that this kit was In the case of the Miniart
such a bad fit that I didn't want to spend days country folk, the quality
on the complicated build and switched to the drops a bit, but they
Austin Tilly from Tamiya. liven up the later scene
enormously.
It is interesting to note is that the Tilly
(abbreviation for utility) was built by the car
manufacturers Morris, Hillman and Austin.
The Austin Tilly was not used by the Royal Air
Force during the Second World War. Only the
Hillman was used and it also differs minimally
in design.
The assembly was done without any
problems, the painting and the final weathering
was a lot of fun and allowed immersion into
the world of the weathering cult. First, all
parts were pre-painted in the base colour. The
chassis, axles and engine were quickly put
together and fit great.
The interior is nicely designed despite its
simple equipment.
The Olive Green XF-58 base colour from
Tamiya was lightened towards the top to

The basic elements of the small Austin

Tilly are quickly pre-assembled and
painted with the base colour.

42 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 Comfort looks different
1:32/35
nowadays. The dashboards
are included as decals.

Body and chassis are waiting for the wedding.

The small engine was not further refined, as it
will not be visible later.

The base colours are lightened

upwards to create light and shadow
effects, which are more interesting
in scale modelling always look
more interesting than a monotonous
uniform colour.

Irregularly applied small dots of

oil paint produce what is known
as oil dot weathering.

The oil paint was blended with a brush moistened in lighter

fluid to get a slightly weathered and dirty surface.

Dusty surfaces are best

created with heavily diluted
acrylic paint. The streaking
grimes can be achieved with
oil paint applied in spots,
which is blended from top to
bottom.

Raised and prominent parts were subtly dry-brushed with light grey
oil paint, adding depth and texture to the corresponding parts.

Headlights, turn signals and windshield wipers are taken from the SKP
kit and look much more realistic than the Tamiya parts.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 43

KIT BUILD

Preparation of the bullet holes succeed with a small cutter and low speed, but do not sand all the The top of the wing was also pre-treated from the inside. The number of bullet holes should not be
way through. exaggerated.

The thinly ground surface was carefully pressed in with a pointed object was carefully pressed in. A small salvo also caught the wing. The surface should not look like a sieve.

create some light and shadow effect.

A light oil-dot weathering makes the surface
look a bit livelier.
After applying the few decals, the little Tilly
was "dusted" a bit.
The rest of the work was limited to adding
the small parts like headlights and windshield
wipers, which I took from the SKP kit, as these
parts are better represented than those in the
Tamiya kit.

Construction of the Emergency-Landed

Bf 109
In the run-up to this project, some clarification
was necessary. Questions about what kind
of damage a Bf 109 had were answered
relatively quickly after viewing many original
photos. Of course, the bent propeller is a
prominent feature. In many cases, the canopy
was jettisoned shortly before the emergency
landing so that the pilot could leave the aircraft
as quickly as possible after the landing.
Interesting is also the antenna mast including
antenna wire, which flew away with the
jettison. Some bullet holes just in the area of The Bf 109 cockpit is widely known. For
the engine cowling were also logical. The main detailing I used a photo-etched upgrade
from Eduard.
landing gear was mostly retracted to avoid a
rollover on a field.

44 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023


The pleasantly soft plastic of the kit can be bent easily
over a paint brush handle...
...and finally remains in the desired shape.
A fine resin saw can be used to rework the lost surface
textures.
A small rivet wheel completes the rivets along the visible
centre seam. Details that will become obvious later and
should be taken into account.
The open cockpit impresses with its many small levers, lines and other small details. A large gap
on the engine cowling had to be reworked.
The instrument panel and the oxygen system show up
well in the open cockpit.
The elevator is shown
lowered. Note the fine rows of
rivets that distinguish the kit
and save a lot of work.
First, I added the bullet holes. A small
cutting wheel in the Dremel was used to
grind the thickness of the plastic extremely
thin. Caution though: use as low a speed as
possible, otherwise the plastic will melt.
After this step, the bullet holes were pressed
in from the outside with a sharp screw. Again,
work carefully so as not to overdo it. These
steps are essential before assembling the
fuselage and wings. Later attempts to place
bullet holes on a finished model will not be
successful!
Further construction of the model proceeded
quickly, especially since the engine was not
installed - it will not be visible later - and the
landing gear does not have to be installed
either. After assembling the cockpit, the
fuselage halves could be quickly glued
together.
After painting, pre-shading was used to create a lightly and diffused surface after painting. The
relatively new “Trinity Splatter” stencils are helpful here.
January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 45
1:32/35
The cockpit was
detailed with the
Eduard Zoom
photo-etched
parts, as it will be
easy to see later.
Another
important step
was to bend the
propellers. The
overall impression
on the finished model
stands and falls with this.
Attempts to bend old propellers from the spare
parts box realistically under the influence
of heat failed miserably. The plastic melted
too quickly and the propeller was ruined.
Fortunately, the plastic in the kit is pleasantly
soft and may be bent into shape very well over
a round tool, in this case a simple paint brush
handle. The plastic is simply overstretched
to such an extent that it later remains in the
desired shape.
After the glued-together fuselage halves had
cured, the usual finishing work of engraving
the fuselage seam and restoring the lost rivets
occurred.
The elevator was separated from the
tailplane and could be displayed lowered.
After the marriage of fuselage and wing,
there were still slight fit problems with the
one-piece engine cowling. Why, why, why I
KIT BUILD
The effect is still somewhat recognizable under RLM 65. Depending on how many layers of paint
you apply, you can control the intensity well.
could not fathom. This was probably due to a
construction error, since the quality of the kit
speaks for itself.
The Finish
Here it was necessary to strike the fine line
between completely exaggerated and a more
restrained and realistic depiction, especially
since this is an emergency landing aircraft.
The following considerations arose: An
46 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
With the new collection of shaders, which are available in different colour tones, one can create
interesting effects. In combination with a panel line wash, you can create light and shadow effects,
or even seemingly faded colours.
aeroplane with a landing speed of about 130
km/h and a weight of about 2.5 tons will hit a
field or an unpaved grassland and will swirl up
quite a bit of soil and make a decent furrow
in the field. This had to be represented on the
model as well as the diorama.
First, the new Trinity Splatter stencils from
Uschi van der Rosten were used, so to speak
a light pre-shading that will show diffuse aging
traces after a lightly glazing paint job with
All recessed panel lines and rivet rows were treated with
a finishing product.
Discreetly applied, the tools create vivid surfaces. Note
also the bullet holes, which were irregularly edged with
Single parts, like the slats and the aluminium paint to prevent chipped paint.
rudder, were painted separately
because they tend to break off during
subsequent handling.
The application of the exhaust track was done in three
steps that worked quite well. First, carefully mist on the
very heavily diluted all-purpose Tamiya Buff.
 1:32/35

This was followed by a layer of heavily diluted Flat Earth. The wings were also dusted. Ultra-thinned black represents the exhaust plume. The dust effects miraculously disappeared and
had to be reworked later.

A front line aircraft is allowed to look a bit battered. The first With a brush moistened in lighter fluid, I was able to blend the Since it did not really work out with the pre-shading, the
step in creating oil dot weathering on the wings was to apply a dots and a texture was created. Splatter Stencils were used again afterwards.
few irregular dots of oil paint dots with a toothpick.

RLM65. The effect was moderate as always
with my with pre-shading, because I usually
apply the varnish too thick!
Painting the underside was pure routine,
although none of it would be visible later.
This was followed by general techniques like
emphasising the rivet rows with a dark wash
and the recessed panel lines with the new
shader from Ammo of Mig. This is nothing
more than a very heavily glazed paint, but it
works great because it is very finely pigmented
and there are no unsightly speckles.
The complete base coat was done quite
quickly thanks to the excellent paint from MRP.
Panel line washing and shaders are now
part of the basic equipment of the expert
modeler and are used routinely.
A moderately heavy exhaust plume on the
fuselage then ended the finish for the time
being. The complete model still seemed too
clean to me, however. A light oil-dot
weathering and post-shading with
the Trinity Splatter stencils finally brought the
desired effect.
Landscaping and Diorama
The realistic representation of terrain design is
always an interesting topic, be it for a diorama,
or a small tabletop. Let's face it, what have
we seen there? From ...is that art, or can that
go away? ….to the absolutely
realistically designed
landscape, all possibilities

You can see the combination of

the various aging processes on
the finished model,. Note that the
final coat of matte clear varnish
softens all the effects relatively
strongly!

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 47

The arrangement of the objects on a diorama should be as diagonal as possible. After the thin application of the wood filler, the dirt road could be modelled somewhat. The tyre
tracks and shoe prints can be seen well.

Using components from the box of leftovers, marks could easily be added to the filler, which was The base colour consists of Tamiya Buff and Flat Earth and was applied with an airbrush.
not yet completely dry.

Gluing on the different types of grass required some patience. The arrangement should be as The damage to the earth was painted darker and makes everything look a bit more alive and varied
irregular as possible.

The small fence was created from coffee stirrers that were carved irregularly with a scalpel. The accessories market supplies lots of dried plants that can be coloured with a little imagination.
Diluted grey oil paint was used for the weathering effect. Quick-drying acrylic paints are the first choice.
 The finished diorama received an attractive border of pine slats
1:32/35
which was treated with a mahogany glaze. A small sign with an
appropriate title was created on the printer.

in between exist. If I look back at my previous
attempts, I have to admit that I still have a lot
to learn.
Diorama builders of military vehicles and
tanks are true artists in my eyes and have the
certain eye for the filigree design of various
landscapes.
Of course, nature is our best teacher.
Anyone who walks through the environment
with open eyes and consciously pays attention
to how diverse just a simple meadow looks will
be amazed.
But to the point: The variety of materials
available on the market of grass mats, grass
tufts, scattered grass, plants, etc. is enormous.
It also took me a few hours to decide what
materials I would use.
I chose a 5cm thick polystyrene plate as my
base plate. An approximate placement of the
emergency landed 109 that is in the centre of
the action was quickly found. Shortly before

The colleague of the British Homeguard cuts a very good figure in the truest sense of the word. The advertising sign is from Verlinden and is a small splash of colour on the diorama.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 49

KIT BUILD

Slightly pushed on soil in the front area of the model and on the wings lends a certain authenticity The front windshield, as well as the wings, were dusted with Tamiya Buff Dust.
to the action.

a small country lane and an adjacent fence
she has just, in the truest sense of the word
"scratched the curve".
A corresponding furrow was easily worked
into the Styrofoam. The earth floor was
represented with simple wood repair filler.
After a thorough drying time, tyre and footprints
can be worked into the still malleable filler.
Earth tones were easy to apply with the
airbrush, and the diorama began to take shape.
The vegetation in this case consists of at
least eight different types of grass, such as
tufts, small, dissected grass mats, scattered
grass and was mixed as much as possible to
avoid creating a boring homogeneous surface.
Conclusion
In my opinion, building a diorama is the

50 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:32/35

The figures from D-Day Miniature Studio are especially designed for the Austin Tilly from Tamiya. The astonished country folk enliven the scene enormously and are based on an original photo.
Strangely though, the female driver did not fit one hundred percent and was omitted.

supreme discipline in model building.
I like to remember a small tabletop with an
abandoned T-34 tank at an exhibition, which I
have not forgotten to this day.
Dioramas are small stories that stimulate
the imagination of the viewer. They make you
think, but they also make you smile. Profound, mind that the space demand is not to be
but also humorous, a diorama allows us to dismissed, because we do not all necessarily
dive into a world where we can break out of live in a 250 sqm house. ■
everyday life and dream.
One should not be put off by the time and
effort required, but you do need to keep in

Issue 144
January - www.modelairplaneinternational.com
210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 51
51

he Avro Anson was derived from
T the civilian Model 652 transport
aircraft. In 1936, the Anson earned
the distinction of being the both the
first monoplane and the first type with
retractable undercarriage in RAF service. The
Anson initially performed the anti-submarine
and reconnaissance roles but was relegated to
navigation and gunnery training duties as the
war progressed.
Perhaps its most important responsibility
was as the nursery to new pilots and aircrew
throughout the Commonwealth under the
Empire Air Training Scheme.
The Anson in Plastic
Despite its important role in the Second World
War and beyond, and a total production run in
excess of 10,000 examples, the Avro Anson
is a relatively neglected subject in styrene.
Before now, we have only had the Classic
Airframes / Special Hobby family in 1:48 scale
that debuted in 2006, the 1:72 scale Airfix Mk.I
kit that dates back to the early 1960s and the
2007 Special Hobby 1:72 scale Avro Anson.
The Classic Airframes / Special Hobby
1:48 scale Avro Anson was a nice kit. It was
made up from a very modest 51 parts in grey
styrene, 68 parts in cream coloured resin, 15
clear injection moulded parts and markings for
seven aircraft.
I built the kit in 2006 and was very pleased
with the result. However, the relatively small
number of plastic parts belies the complexity of
the kit. Experience with multimedia is definitely
The port side fuselage half.
52 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
UNIVERSA
AIRFIX 1:48 AVRO ANSON MK.I. KIT NO. A09191
THE EDITOR GETS A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT THE ALL-NEW AIRFIX 1:48 AVR
required before tackling this project due to its
extensive use of resin, lack of locating pins
and the big canopy parts.
In the Box
Airfix continues its commitment to neglected
British WWII aircraft subjects with this all-new
1:48 scale Avro Anson Mk.I.
The Airfix 1:48 scale Anson comprises 181
pieces in grey plastic, 20 parts in clear and
markings for three aircraft.
The plastic is darker, smoother and shinier
than other recent Airfix releases, which have
been a paler blue-grey shade and quite soft.
Surface textures are beautifully done with
convincing stretched fabric effect on the
fuselage, crisply recessed panel lines and
rows of rivets, plus a selected number of
raised rivets and structural features.
The wings feature impressive quilting / oil-
canning representing dimpled metal between
ribs. The consensus is that this is close to the
effect on the real aircraft. I think it looks great.
The Classic Airframes kit had raised strips
arranged in squares on their wings, but that
was not entirely correct.
The real aircraft was manufactured with
overlapping wing skin panels. These were
nailed to the rib caps and tape was applied
over the top. The tape had pinking – a zig-zag
pattern – on both edges.
It’s up to you whether to fill the dimples and
add thin pinked tape, but I will probably leave
mine as it is. I have seen photos of the finished
model and the effect is very subtle under a
The fuselage features convincing stretched fabric effect.
coat of paint.
The high level of detail in the cockpit is
justified by the high visibility inside the large
fuselage windows. Details include side and
ceiling frames, the instrument panel with detail
front and rear, two control columns, seats,
navigator’s table and radio gear.
The turret is well presented with nine parts
in grey and clear plastic.
Alternative roof panels are offered – one
with the turret and an optional part without.
The smooth roof is not used in this boxing.
The port and starboard elevators are
moulded as one piece with a rod in the middle
that will allow them to move after assembly.
Just be sparing with application of glue to the
horizontal stabilisers.
The engines are made up from eight pieces
each.
The engine cowlings are split into three
sections with seven separate bulges.
Alternative smooth cowlings are included in
the box but not mentioned in the instructions.
The lower wing is split into centre, port and
starboard sections that are glued together.
The instructions suggest that the completed
lower wing assembly is glued to the fuselage
before the upper wing is added. A stout wing
spar will ensure accurate dihedral.
Clear parts are well moulded, thin and
distortion free - very important for this
glasshouse canopy and fuselage.
Airfix has included both early sloped and the
later windscreen with the higher angle.
Different side window panels are included

AL TRAINER
RO ANSON MK.I
Three marking options are offered.
for each option too. The windscreen is
moulded to part of the forward fuselage, which
will make painting easier.
A clear two-part DF football and astrodome
are moulded to the clear sprue but these are
not required for the three marking options in
this boxing.
The shape of the model looks accurate
compared to published plans and
contemporary photographs.
Markings
Three varied marking options are included:
● Avro Anson Mk.I, MK-V, N9732, 500 Sqn.
RAF. Finished in Dark Earth and Dark Green
upper surfaces and Silver painted lower
surfaces.
● Avro Anson Mk.I, PP-B, RAAF Coastal
Command, finished in an experimental
scheme of Earth Brown and Foliage Green
The panting / quilting effect on the wings looks great. The engine cylinder parts.
1:72
Smooth cowlings are also on the sprues, but these are
not used for this boxing.
The front of the instrument panel. Decals are provided
for the dials.
upper surfaces and high demarcation white
on the fuselage sides. The code letters are
Light Slate Grey.
● Avro Anson Mk.I, H7, No.3 Training
Command, No. 31 General Reconnaissance Raised rear instrument detail is moulded to the back
School, RCAF, Charlottetown, Prince of the panel.
Edward Island, Canada, 1941. Finished in
Dark Earth and Dark Green upper surfaces
and Yellow lower surfaces.
Decals are glossy, printed in perfect register,
and colours look good.
Conclusion
Airfix’s 1:48 scale Anson is an impressively
detailed kit of one of the neglected workhorses
of the Second World War.
In my opinion, this is one of the best 1:48
scale Airfix kits yet released.
Kit purchased by reviewer from Hannants
www.hannants.co.uk ■
Late…
A wing spar will ensure the correct dihedral.
…and early windscreens are included.
The kit decal sheet is well printed and in register.
GALLERY - CLAS
CLASSIC AIRFRAMES’ 1:48 SCALE AVRO ANSON. KIT NO. 4120
THE EDITOR RECALLS HIS EXPERIENCE WITH BUILDING THE 2006-VINTAGE CLASSIC AIRFRAMES 1:48 SCALE AVRO ANSON E

areful preparation is the key to a task.

C
is essential.
successful and enjoyable project
when building any limited-run
kit. Absence of locating pins
and the inclusion of resin parts
means that clean-up and regular test-fitting

I started by preparing the resin parts.

There are no big casting blocks, but care is
required when removing the long resin inte-
rior sidewalls from their mounts. The engine
nacelles also merit special attention. These
parts should be cut as close to the casting
block as possible to avoid a flat-nosed ap-
pearance at the front of the nacelles. A thin
razor saw is the best tool for this delicate
Next, I cut all the plastic parts
from the sprues and cleaned
up sprue connectors with a sharp
hobby knife and a sanding stick.
Mating surfaces of the larger parts also
received a swipe with the sanding stick.
The jumble of parts was returned to the
box to await construction.
The cockpit sub-assemblies were first
on the workbench. I managed to break the
supporting beam for the navigator’s table, so
I replaced this with styrene rod. The single
thin leg supporting the radio operator’s table
looked a little precarious. I therefore drilled
a hole at its base and inserted a brass pin to

54 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:48

SSIC ANSON
EARLY VERSION

Classic Airframes supplies a detailed cockpit interior, including the characteristic tubular framework.

anchor this part to the cockpit floor. After con-

sulting reference photos, I also added a small
shelf behind the jump seat, and a fold-down
flap was glued to the side of the navigator’s ta-
ble. The photo-etched harnesses were installed
on the seats prior to painting.
The completed cockpit sub-assemblies were
first sprayed with a thorough coat of Tamiya
Flat Black followed by Polly Scale RAF Interior
Grey Green. The Interior Grey Green colour
was misted in several thin coats onto the parts
at a high angle, leaving natural shadow areas
in black. A pin point wash of Raw Umber oil
paint was applied to the edges of structural de-
tails and panels, representing grime and wear.
After the wash had dried overnight, details
were picked out with acrylic paints and a fine
brush. Chips and scuffs were simulated here
and there with a well-sharpened dark brown
artist’s pencil. The tubular framework is completed before the fuselage halves are joined.
I was a little concerned about aligning the
top and side resin frameworks, but my reserva-
tions were unjustified. The top framework lined
up quite well with the sides, and responded
quickly to super glue. My only deviation from
the instructions was to ignore the last row of
top frames, which would be completely hidden
under the fuselage deck in any case. The
completed cockpit, with its authentic tubular
framework, looks very impressive when glued

Test fitting the starboard fuselage half revealed a few

issues that needed addressing. The assembled cockpit
was slightly wide, resulting in a gap at the top fuselage
join; and the turret rode too high.
The extra time spent preparing the fuselage and canopy parts resulted in a near-perfect fit. A small step between the clear nose cone and the forward fuselage was quickly dealt
with using a hobby knife and sandpaper.

to the interior of the fuselage. the back of the starboard-side resin sidewall
Test fitting the fuselage halves revealed a with a Dremel motor tool fitted with a cutting
gap along the top centreline, suggesting that wheel. In fact, I broke through the resin on the
the cockpit was slightly too wide. I ground back last sidewall panel. This was not a problem,

The resin engine cylinders were further detailed

with pushrods cut from copper wire. The engine
nacelles must be carefully cut from their casting
block to avoid damaging the front of the parts.

Masking the big glasshouse canopy was a major task taking more than four hours. Tamiya masking tape was used
for this job.

Masking the turret took an hour.

 1:48

Here, the Dark Green disruptive coat has been completed and initial weathering has com- The airframe is transformed after the masking tape is removed from the distinctive
menced. A very fine mix of black-brown has been sprayed along major structural features canopy. The small round windows in the top of the nose have been filled with Krystal
and in random streaks and spots. The starboard wing has not yet received this treatment. Kleer.

though, as the plastic sidewall would be
behind the exposed resin frame. I also sanded
and beveled the edges of the plastic cockpit
floor. This was sufficient to deliver a gap-free
fit for the fuselage.
The balance of construction was surprisingly
fast. There were only a couple of areas requir-
ing special attention.
One of these areas relates to the turret.
The top resin framework for the turret interior
rests on a ridge inside a plastic part. The legs
of this framework should be trimmed to clear
this ridge. I suggest re-engineering the parts
so that they attach to the inside egdes of the
ridge, otherwise they will interfere with the fit
of the clear turret parts (ie, the turret will sit too
high).
Next, my canopy and windscreen parts were
fractionally too narrow at the base. To avoid
an unsightly step at the canopy sill, I glued
tiny scraps of styrene at intervals along the
top edges of the sill. This effectively spread
the base of the canopy and windscreen parts
when they were glued into place.
Finally, the location of the forward wheel
well bulkhead is a bit vague. As far as I can
tell, it should be glued roughly in line with the
leading edge of the wing as indicated in the
accompanying photo. This will ensure the cor-
rect location of the main undercarriage legs.
Construction was otherwise straightfor-
ward. The fit of the turret insert was less than
perfect, so I decided to fair over the join with
fine, half-round styrene. It seemed like a good
idea at the time, but it wound up looking way
overscale. Next time I will take the more con-
ventional putty route.
I added a spar from brass rod to reinforce
the join of the horizontal tailplanes. The fit of
the wings to the fuselage was so precise that a
spar was not required in this area.
I did manage to break off the antenna post
on the fin. This was replaced with steel wire.
The resin and plastic engines look great
straight from the box but I also added pushro-
ds from copper wire. After assembly, however,
the cylinders are almost completely obscured.
The crankcase looks good though!
Conclusion
Classic Airframes' 1:48 scale Anson is an
impressively detailed kit.
I was very pleased with the result but be
aware, the relatively small number of plastic
parts belies the complexity of this kit. You will
need a bit of prior experience before tackling
this or any other genuine limited run model. ■

Issue 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 57

KIT BUILD
WRITTEN AND BUILT BY SPENCER POLLARD

A MUSTARD
Kit!
he BAC Lifting-body Glider was
If you are looking to get into the art of
building resin kits with something simple and
straightforward, we have the perfect kit for you…
–– MUSTARD –– that was being developed option to carry a recovery rocket in the

T proposed to test the approach

and landing characteristics of
the full size Multi-Unit Space
Transport and Recovery Device
by the UK in the late 1960s. Planned to
be built cheaply using a welded steel
tubular structure covered in plywood, fitted
with a lightweight ejection seat, and the
tail. Undercarriage was to be fixed, using
existing light aircraft components (type not
specified).

58 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023


In The Box
This is a complete resin kit cast by CMR in the
Czech Republic. The kit also includes vac-form
canopies by Rob Taurus and decal options
for proposed RAE colour schemes, screen
printed by Fantasy Printshop. It’s a complete
kit that needs no further embellishment by the
modeller.
The first thing that strikes you about this kit
(apart from its small size!) is the cleanliness of
the components and the quality of the casting.
Mastered by Paul Lucas, I’m lead to believe
that this is a kit that was created ‘old-school’
January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 59
1:72
SKILL LEVEL:
BEGINNER TO
INTERMEDIATE
SPECIFICATION:
Freightdog Models 1:72 MUSTARD Lifting Body Glider
using plasticard and Milliput, rather than
computer design and 3D printing and that
creates a model kit that is distinctly old-school
in feel. That said, it’s testament to the pattern-
maker’s skill, that not only is everything super-
clean, the parts fit together extremely well,
easily on par with anything I’ve built before and
in many cases, far better! You will even find
locating pins inside the two fuselage halves,
something that is far from familiar in kits such
as this, all of which help to perfectly align the
fuselage halves as construction progresses.
 KIT BUILD
1
1: Freightdog’s BAC MUSTARD Lifting-body Glider is a fun project that even beginners to resin kits can enjoy. 2: The contents of
the kit. As you can see, this is a simple kit, that contains well-cast resin components, vac-form canopies and excellent decals.
3: The fuselage is supplied in two halves. Much of the cockpit interior forms part of the inner nose of each part. Detail is delicate
and fun to paint. 4: Smaller parts work in concert with the detail supplied inside the fuselage halves, those being seen here.
Each is beautifully cast and fits perfectly in place. 5: Decals and vac-form canopies. The decals offer sufficient markings to allow
you to complete your model in each a pale, or dark scheme. Printing and colours are both superb! The canopies are similarly
impressive, each being perfectly clear and if carefully removed from their backing sheet, they fit with almost no need for
adjustment or filling. 6: Here are those colour schemes mentioned in the instructions. Which one will you choose?

Construction begins with clean-up of the

parts and then the painting of the cockpit. In
keeping with practice of the day, the cockpit
was finished in ‘black’, here, replicated
with Tamiya German Grey dry-brushed
with Vallejo London Grey. To create a little
contrast, the floor was painted with AK 3G
Khaki to replicate a wooden structure.

4 have a curved, flowing shape, but that’s not

Construction
In terms of a project to enjoy, this one could
be attempted by almost everyone within the
hobby, the low number of parts and the close
tolerance between each small piece, making
it suitable for even a beginner to attempt.
You will find the need to use filler here and
there and then smooth the surfaces until you
something that will tax many modellers who
are looking to build this odd footnote from
aviation history.
Detail, what little there is, is neat and
tidy. Of course with no actual prototype to
examine, replicating actual panel lines is next
to impossible, but the designer has added
what seem to be appropriate both in terms of

The seat, instrument panel and rear bulkhead are tiny

parts that repay careful painting. These were all painted
with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics, the seat being sprayed
with Tamiya LP Flat Aluminium to create another layer of
contrast within our rather bland, grey cockpit. Note that
seat straps are moulded in place on the seat.

6
 1:72

With the cockpit painted, the fuselage halves could be joined. As is usual practice for me, the area The completed cockpit is neat and tidy, the painting that I carried out earlier on helping to bring out
surrounding the cockpit opening was sprayed in the outer airframe colour, thus cutting down on the kit’s delicate detail.
accurate masking later on.

panel breaks and control surface indentations.

Internally, there’s a very neat little cockpit with
Gaps were filled with AMMO
a separate seat, control column and bulkhead, Black superglue and then
all trapped inside the upper and lower fuselage checked with Mr. Surfacer
halves. 500. Once sanded smooth, the
With the fuselage halves joined you can model was sprayed with Tamiya
Flat Blue followed by a lighter
add the two fins and then deal with remaining layer of Light Blue. Once dry,
details. Though designed for unpowered flight, the whole model was coated
BAC’s Lifting-body Glider was also designed with several thin layers of LP
to feature a recovery rocket, so the kit includes Pure Blue and then left to dry
overnight.
an unpowered bullet fairing and an optional
rocket nozzle, the latter being used here. The
undercarriage can now be cleaned-up and
assembled. Tiny resin parts are never easy
to deal with, so extreme care needs to be
taken to ensure that those legs are readied for
use without damaging each one! Fortunately,
I managed to work my way through this kit
without any damage whatsoever, which was
either blind luck or evidence of skill: I’ll let you
choose which one you think it is!

Colours and Markings

With construction finished, you can decide
on a possible colour scheme. Freightdog

Here, the blue finish shows off some of the tones that were incorporated to help break it up a little. The decals are really impressive, being easy to apply and, once in place, sufficiently opaque that
Time for some decals! they are not affected by the underlying blue. Once dry, they were sealed in with several thin layers
of Tamiya LP Clear.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 61

KIT BUILD

considered this option but ultimately decided

The completely painted model. In keeping with the against it. Who I wonder, will be first to have
simplicity of the kit, I opted to approach the finish as a a go..?
beginner, with only washes in the panel lines being used
to accentuate the surface detail.
Final thoughts
This was a fun project that offered a much-
needed respite from other more
complex builds. As mentioned,
the quality of the kit its
components and basic
premise, make this build
more than suitable for a
beginner to this type of
modelling or a modeller with
experience who is looking for
something just a little more straightforward.
An unusual release, but one that I enjoyed
immensely. Thanks to Freightdog for the
sample built this month. ■

Though not suggested in the

suggests three different finishes in their kit: instructions, the ‘nosecone’ was
painted with AK 3G Rubber Black
yellow, blue and silver. All of these are based to further break up the blue
of finishing practices from the period so all paintwork.
would be a suitable choice, but really, you
can do what you want with the model,
as it remains a paper-project and
not an actual prototype. Though
those three options are pleasing,
there is another that you might
want to consider: plywood. The
actually aircraft would have been
a wooden aircraft, comprising a
wooden frame, over which were
applied plywood panels. This
would be challenging, but a superb
way of finishing this model with
either hand painting or decals, coming
into play. Had I had more time I may have

The model could now be completed by

cleaning up and painting the smaller details.
These were all straightforward to complete,
only the very delicate vac-form canopy
taking time to remove from its backing sheet
and then mask and paint.

62 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023

 1:72

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 63

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SUPERB SOPWITH SUPER SEASPRITE

Clayton Ockerby builds Eduard’s 1:48 scale Sopwith Camel. Kitty Hawk’s 1:48 Super Seasprite by Steve Pritchard.

SAD SALAMANCA
Andreas Dyck presents his 1:32 scale Revell
Heinkel He 162 diorama.

January 210 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 65

FINAL THOUGHTS
NEW APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER
MAKES ITS FIELD DEBUT
New Apache attack helicopter makes its debut in the field
T
he British Army’s new Apache AH-
64E Attack Helicopter has made its
first outing into the field.
Exercise Talon Guardian has
seen 3 Regiment Army Air Corps
take a 1,500km road trip over two weeks,
establishing itself at three separate locations
across the country to plan and execute attack
missions and maintain the state-of-the-art
helicopters.
3 Regt AAC’s commanding officer
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Wilsey said:
“Exercise Talon Guardian is a really significant
step forward for the British Army’s AH-64E,
which is the most advanced attack helicopter
in the world. We’ve been working hard to learn
how to fly and maintain the AH-64E; now
we’re getting the aircraft out into the field,
tackling the additional complexities of living,
planning, maintaining and operating in an
austere environment and developing how we
fight with it.
“As befits a new aircraft with vastly
improved capabilities, we’re not just going
back to what we did before. We’re beginning
to use all the new systems and capabilities,
and looking at the lessons of current
conflicts, adapting to ensure our relevance
and survivability. It is all about the basic field
craft in the air and on the ground. So, for how
we operate on the ground, it’s dispersing
and camouflaging our positions to prevent
66 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - January 2023
observation by drones and communicating by
data and over long range; and aircrew must
fly using natural cover and all the aircraft’s
sensors to counter air defence systems and
low-tech threats.
“We’ve learnt a lot and we’ll continue to
learn as we look to exploit the full capabilities
of this awe-some aircraft.”
The exercise saw 3 Regt AAC preparing
for its core role providing an aviation deep
attack battle-group, as part of 1st Avn Brigade
Combat Team, to 3rd (UK) Division, the British
Army’s war fighting division. In this role, the
AH-64E will be a key element of how the Army
fights in the coming dec-ades, as set out in
the Future Soldier programme.
The training started with the unit deploying
from its base at Wattisham Flying Station in
Suffolk to the rugged Otterburn Ranges in
Northumberland. Amid the area’s trademark
fog, rain and wind, aircrew tested themselves
on the air defence ranges of RAF Spadeadam
and hunted for artillery and armoured vehicles.
Staging through RAF Wittering in
Cambridgeshire, the unit then moved to
Bramley in Hampshire for the AH-64Es to
hunt on Salisbury Plain for Challenger 2 tanks
protected by air defence systems.
Apache pilot Captain ‘H’ said the switch to
the AH-64E from the Apache Mk.1 it replaces
was “like changing your mobile phone from a
Nokia 3310 to an iPhone 14”.
“The aircraft may look the same from
the outside, but everything’s changed
inside to bring improved capabilities in
sensors, flying performance, weaponry and
communications,” he said. “We’re able to
do our job so much better, because the new
aircraft means an expansion of the area over
which we can deliver effect - whether that’s
detecting and engaging threats or sharing
information with other aircraft or ground
callsigns.”
Throughout the exercise, Royal Electrical
and Mechanical Engineers technicians kept
the aircraft in working order, while ground
crew ran isolated Forward Arming and
Refuelling Points - the military equivalent of a
Formula 1 pit stop - to keep the aircraft’s fuel
tanks and weapons pylons full.
REME aircraft technician Lance Corporal
Chris Voller said: “We’ve learnt in the hangars
how to maintain the AH-64E for day-to-day
flying, bringing it out into the field is the next
step. We’ve had deal with working in all
weathers and keeping our tools clean, while
moving between locations means a lot of
packing and unpacking kit. But the Apache
is a battlefield aircraft, and this is where it’s
designed to be - it’s been good to get out to
train as we would fight.” n
Crown Copyright 2022
LIGHTNING
Thanks to extensive research, the A variant Model Kit Features
Model Kit No. 61124

of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II • Wingspan: 222mm

• Fuselage length: 326mm
comes to modellers workbenches • Realistically depicted Radar absorbent material (RAM) sections
• This kit can be-assembled with one choice of the three ordnance
patterns - stealth mode, air-to-air mode, and beast mode. Ordnance
parts can be-attached under wing
• Features realistic renderings of the following sections:
- Weapons bay inside details including depictions of wiring
- Engine nozzle, cockpit, and landing gear bays
- Martin-Baker US16E ejection seat (multiple-piece design)
- Ladder which extends from nose left side
- Nose under surface side details
- Y- shaped air intakes
- Engine nozzle (5-piece design)
- RCS (radar cross section) enhancers affixed to top and bottom
sections (two for each, four in total) during basic training exercises
- Boxes stored in nose landing gear bay
• Choose from open or closed weapons bay covers and canopy
(the latter is interchangeable), up or down flaps, and extended or
retracted boarding ladder
• Includes a realistically recreated seated pilot figure with
Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD) and various kinds of ordnance:
- AIM-9X Sidewinder x2
- AIM-120C AMRAAM x2
- GBU-12 Paveway II x4
- GBU-31 JDAM x2
• Transparent parts capture sensor windows
• Comes with nine marking options:
- U.S. Air Force
- Japan Air Self-Defence Force
- Royal Norwegian Air Force
- Royal Danish Air Force,
- Royal Australian Air Force
- Israeli Air Force
- Italian Air Force
- Republic of Korea Air Force
- Royal Netherlands Air Force
(Also, drag chute fairing component is-included only for the Royal
Norwegian Air Force.)
• Includes canopy masking stickers and a full-colour painting guide

1:48 Scale
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