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SCALE
UK £5.99 / CAN $15.99 / US $15.00
March 2024  Volume 46  Issue 01

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AIRCRAFT 100
PAGES Dornier Do 24
Scale Plans and Colour Profiles

MODELLING
ISSN 2631-7214
13
0 2

9 772631 721449

EarLy zErsTOrer
Eduard’s Bf 110
backdated

LEOPARD SPOTTING – BOPHUTHSTSWANA AIR FORCE  CHINESE STEALTH FIGHTERS IN 1/72  FAIREY GANNET – OPTIONS IN SCALE
FRANCO’S FIGHTER – HA-1112-M1L BUCHÓN  BIG HAVOC – HK MODELS A-20G IN 1/32  IPMS UK, NEWS, REVIEWS, AND MORE ...

Wildcat Conversion The Swoose Part 2 Highland Goose

F4F-4 to Martlet IV Early B-17 conversion Gannet AS.1/AS.4
Eduard in 1/48 Monogram/Koster in 1/48 Airfix new tool

First and Best for Reference and Modelling

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 9
1/48
SH48200
M48008
NC.701 Martinet Siebel Si 204E/Aero C-3B Bomber MASK

1/48
SH48224

AH-1Q/S Cobra M48016

‘IDF Against Terrorists’ AH-1Q/S Cobra Inside/Outside MASK

1/72 SH72428

M72050
Heinkel He 59B Heinkel He 59B MASK

facebook.com/specialhobby | www.specialhobby.eu | www.cmkkits.com

CONTENTS

SCALE
AIRCRAFT THIS MONTH’S FEATURES
MODELLING
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 CONTENTS

EDITORIAL

EARLY WAR FORTRESS 14

The Swoose Part 2
One for the Show
By Harvey Low By Gary Hatcher

A ‘HIGHLAND GOOSE’ ON THE LOOSE 20

I
t seems Gannets are
still very much flavour
Bill Clark tucks into Airfix’s new 1/48 winged delicacy and savours the result. of the month here at
the moment, and with
NOT SO MUCH OF A DOVE 26 the new Airfix 1/48
tool attracting so much
Franco’s Fighter attention it seemed
By Huw Morgan only fair to throw some
1/72 kits into the mix for balance , so thanks to
EARLY ZERSTORER 30
:

John Bisset for his Workbench submission. Bill

Clark has built up the new kit in record time,
Eduard’s Bf 110C backdated to a ‘B’ so we have Gannets enough for everyone
By Jon Tabinor in this issue – unless you are waiting for
something injection moulded in 1/32, in
LEOPARD SPOTTING 36 which case someone somewhere is probably
making a 3D kit even as we speak. Such is the
A History of the Bophuthatswana Air Force nature of the hobby these days – you can no
By Daniel Kowalczuk longer rely on being able to complain about
something not existing, because the odds are
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY 41 that by now it probably does.

Building Current Chinese Fighters Not necessarily in mainstream injection

By Tony Grand moulded plastic of course, but nothing is
impossible these days, not even that 1/24
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE 45 Skua, although a comprehensive search
of Hall 7A at this year’s Nuremburg Toyfair
Dornier Do 24 suggests that it’s time is not yet come. Plenty
By Jon Tabinor. Scale plans and colour profiles by Sam Pearson of interest though, as I hope is refelected in
our news pages this month. As ever it was
COLOUR CONUNDRUM 58 good to meet our friends and partners in
the industry, and happily the dates this year
Front Line Fairey Battles 1936 – 1941 Part 2 allowed for a more relaxing transition from
By Paul Lucas. Colour profiles by Sam Pearson copy to print. Nuremburg has not been the
only show in the editorial calendar in recent
WORKBENCH 62 weeks. The annual Harrogate Model Club
outing to Bolton was most enjoyable, and
A Gaggle of Gannets found the club on its usual form, with a good
By John Bisset turnout of members. Thanks to Mr Bruce
Leyland-Jones, Mr Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett, and
MODS TO MAKE A MYTHICAL MARTLET! 66
surly teenager Mr Hugo Hatcher for taking
the old man out for the day and ensuring
Converting Eduard’s 1/48 F4F-4 to a Fleet Air Arm Martlet IV with Wing Fold he didn’t buy anything too silly. He once
By Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett came home from one of these events with
an enormous 1/72 vacform Nimrod, which

CRY, ‘HAVOC!’ BUT KEEP THE DOGS LEASHED FOR THE MOMENT. 70
he knew even as he paid for it that he would
never build, so it’s as well to have some level
Gordon Scott wonders if it’s more than a feeling as he tackles HKM’s 1/32 huge Havoc heads around when he’s exposed to piles of
cheap plastic.

So congratulations to IPMS Bolton for another

excellent start to the year. It seems to get
With: bigger and busier every time. Better start
Updates - our monthly news round-up section with new product previews and reviews 6 building something now for the next one …
Books - with Ernie Lee 92
IPMS UK Column with John Tapsell
Show Diary
94
96
Subscribe Now
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Coming Next Month 97 www.guidelinepublications.co.uk
and look at our range of print and digital
subscription options or call +44 (0) 1582
668411. In the meantime I’m always happy
to discuss this or any issues arising from the
magazine so feel free to drop me a line on:
Cover Image: Eduard’s Bf 110c (ref. 8209) gary@guidelinepublications.co.uk
by Jon Tabinor

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 5
UPDATES

By Sorge

Nuremburg Fallout UK importers Bachmann were able to confirm these being a 1/32 Hs 123, a new-tool Blackhawk
further impending kits from Academy based on in 1/48, and a 1/48 all-new B-26 Marauder for
By Jack Trent. Photos by Michael Hase
the former Minicraft toolings, which of course 2024 release. Looking further ahead by all
Academy now control. The KC-135 in 1/144 looks accounts there will be a new 1/48 Hs 129, and
While the international toyfair remains an
to be next in line from this source. tucked away at the back of the catalogue for a
enormous event in an enormous venue our own
little piece of it has scaled back to a dozen or so 2025 release, a 1/72 CH-54 Tarhe.
Eduard provided us with a presentation, outlining
traders camped out in Hall 7, with an equivalent
their plans for the year, which will include a P-51B Moving on to Special Hobby we were able to
number of traders making meetings on the fly
release in May, a reboxing of the Hasegawa 1/72 enjoy the sprues for the new 1/72 Battle, along
without a fixed base. As ever SAM elected to
B-26 in June, a 1/72 P-51D in July, while August with boxart for the releases that will follow the
set up base camp in the Presse Zentrum-Ost,
will see a 1/48 B-17F 100BG Limited Edition, based initial Frrom-Azur packagings. New toolings
thus allowing our tireless staff a fair bash at the
on the HK Models plastic, for which Eduard will be announced include a 1/72 DH.94 Moth Minor, and
hospitality (which included hot soup for lunch
tooling up a new nose. October will see the 1/48 some late two-stage Mosquitoes, also in 1/72.
this year), without them having to walk too
P-40E, although it was suggested this might be on
far too attend such meetings and parleys as
sale at Eday first in September. So while not quite a wheelbarrow full of
constituted their agenda.
surprises, the commitment and energy of those
Italeri always put on a good display, and this year exhibiting suggests that whatever the coming
The following notes are compiled from the
was no exception, although the only new tool year may hold in terms of famine, war, and
confused and illegible scrawls our hotshot
likely to surface is the 1/32 Macchi C.200. ICM, plague, there will be some decent kits around to
reporters brought back from the Messe, and may
just round the corner, had more lined up in the enjoy whilst it unfolds …
be regarded as ‘some of the highlights’ of the
way of new kits, with at least three jaw-droppers,
coming year, rather than a comprehensive and
all-inclusive agenda …

Airfix, of course, had no surprises, as they were all

announced the previous month, but it was good
to take a look at the new toolings. We were able to
extract something approaching an admission that
there might be another surprise announcement
at some point, but as everyone had assumed that
would be the case already it’s hardly news.

6 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 7
UPDATES
Arma Hobby
www.armahobby.com
Next up from Arma is the 1/72 F-6C Mustang,
another addition to their P-51 range. The kit
includes masks, markings for three aircraft, and
of course all the detail and finesse achieved in
previous boxings from Arma.
Eduard
www.eduard.com
This month’s releases from Eduard:
82161 Bf 109G-10 WNF/ Diana 1/48
8148 I-16 type 10 1/48
7044 L-39C Albatros 1/72
8483 Fokker D. VIIF 1/48
84198 Spitfire Mk Vb early 1/48
8 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
ICM
www.icm.com.ua
This month sees another boxing of the 1/35
CH-54, with figures and diorama items as ‘Phu
Bai Combat Base’. The CH-54A heavy helicopters
in Vietnam were mainly used for transport and
occasionally for carrying M-121 high explosive
bombs. These bombs were modified with an
extended nose fuze to detonate about 3 feet
above the ground, effectively clearing forests for
helicopter landing sites.One notable operation
involved a CH-54A helicopter from Phu Bai Air
Base, also known as Camp Hochmuth, in central
Vietnam. This boxed set includes the aircraft,
crew and technician figures, as well as M8A1
airfield slabs to provide the base.
Elsewhere, of course, the blast of that 1/48
Marauder is still echoing around the Toyfair.
Looks like it’s going to be a beuaty too …
MiniArt
www.miniart-models.com
The next issue of the 1/48 P-47 Thunderbolt will
be as a P-47D-30RA.
Special Hobby
www.specialhobby.eu
Thanks to Special Hobby for the recent arrival of
new kit releases – here are some in-box reflections
from our review team:
SH72489 CASA 212-300/400 ‘Long-Nosed
CASAs’
This latest 1/72 issue from Special Hobby arrived
in a stout top-opening box, which withstood
the efforts of the post office to do it harm. First
impressions are very favourable. All the parts are
cleanly moulded, with no flash or imperfections
that I could see. The quality of the parts is, I
feel, outstanding. The decal sheet is beautifully
printed, with options for three aircraft, from
lesser-known force: South Africa, Venezuelan
Navy and Argentine Coastguard.
As the sprues cover a variety of ‘212 variants
there are some bits that are not needed – in fact
this is the first time ever where I’ll dump more
bits than I need to build the model. By my count
seventy-seven parts aren’t needed, and only
sixty-nine used to build the dash 300 or 400
aircraft. Your spares box is in for a treat.

There is no interior detail in the fuselage, but as
the tail ramp doesn’t open, and the windows
are very small, you wouldn’t see it anyway. No
doubt the aftermarket my remedy this situation
at some point. The decal sheet is very nicely
printed, with some lovely bright colours for
options B and C (Venezuela and Argentina). The
de-icer boots are included on the sheet, saving
us a potentially tricky masking job. A nice touch
Special Hobby!
Special Hobby have already started to add to the
aftermarket supplies for the CASA. The back of the
instruction book offers a masking set and a set of
drooped flaps. I’m sure there will be more. When
perusing a certain website, I see that Caracal
Decals have a decal sheet in preparation as well.
In summary, this looks like a quality product
that will easily build into a very nice replica of
a neglected aircraft. Recommended to all. With
thanks to the Editor for the chance to review the
model, and to Special Hobby for a class act.
Bob Ward
SH72487 Gloster Meteor TT Mk 20
Special Hobby have reboxed and updated their
excellent 1/72 Meteor NF.11/12/13 to allow the
production of the target towing variant, the TT
Mk 20. Alongside the neatly engraved plastic
parts spread across five medium grey sprues
the kit also includes some very finely printed
3D parts in salmon pink, which are contained
in a small blister pack to keep them safe. These
parts include the winch unit and winching gear
for the target including the framework for the
underside. The clear parts are crystal clear and
defect free, held in their own bag for protection.
As with previous releases the cockpit is fully
appointed with just a set of harnesses being
needed for the seats. Markings include WM159
of the Fleet Air Arm FRU between 1966 to 1968
and WM148 of the RAF based in Exeter during
1969, both in silver over that wonderful yellow
and black striped underside. Royal Danish Air
Force TT.20 No.508 in silver and Orange is joined
by the privately-owned SE-DCF of contract
company Svensk Flygtjanst AB, again in Silver
and orange making for a colourful collection.
This is rounded up with a stencil placement
diagram, which will prove highly useful.
Those of you shuddering at the thought of
masking all that glazing on the canopy will
be pleased to know that the mask set for the
NF.11/12/13 (Ref. M72031) is perfect for this kit
too, and well worth hunting down.
Whilst the main plastic parts will be familiar
to Meteor modellers, as will the need to take
careful steps to ensure a tidy build, the addition
of the target towing parts makes for a rare treat.
UPDATES
Certainly a model that will add a touch of colour
to any line-up of post war aircraft, and it is great
Sword
www.swordmodel.cz
to be able to build a TT.20 straight from the box
rather than having to resort to scratch building
Glorious news for Gannet fans as Sword have
the various bits of ancillary equipment.
announced a 1/48 kit of the unloved AEW
Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett variant. The kit is expected in April.
SH48231 T-2 Buckeye ‘Anniversary Markings’
For those not familiar with the Buckeye, virtually
every single jet-rated Navy pilot from 1958 until
2004 sat in its office at one point. With 46 years
of service under its belt with the US Navy this
aircraft is apparently still operational with the
Hellenic (Greek) Air Force as a trainer – that’s
66 years! Fitting then I suppose that there
have been a good number of boxings of this
venerable little jet from Special Hobby – the
latest that landed on my doorstep is the T-2
Buckeye ‘Anniversary Markings’ edition.
The boxing presents two options: a very
patriotic red white and blue ‘Spirit of 76’ marking
option for the United States Bicentennial, while
equally interesting is a camouflaged option
celebrating the 40th anniversary of 363 MEA
– Mira Ekpedefsis Aeros (Air Training Squadron)
from 2021.
Instructions are as you would expect with Special
Hobby – iconographic, neat and with well called-
out colour notations. Diving into the box, you will
note a plethora of resin parts for the cockpit, and
the detail is great. With the very visible interior,
even if you decide on a closed canopy, the resin, Kotare Models
along with the coloured etch instrument panels www.kotare-models.com
provided will make for a great result.
Kotare are pleased to announce that their first
The surfaces of the model are engraved with non-Spitfire release will be a Bf 109K-4 in 1/32
some very fine panel, line and riveting detail. (ref. K32009). In development for release late
Some flash is evident on the nicely moulded 2024/2025. Additionally, work is well underway
parts, but it is not as bad as I had anticipated on various other all-new subjects which Kotare
and where it is present, as always, a quick part will announce in due course.
cleanup will do.
In summary this should build up into a decent
model, but given it’s somewhat short-run origins
will take additional time and care. My particular
concern is the fit of the large, multi-media
cockpit into the fuselage so this may mean some
departure from the instructions and perhaps a
little surgery to get things aligned correctly…
watch this space.
Sean Mayers
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 9
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The first of 3 volumes of War of Attrition Latvian 15th SS Kharkov, Feb-Mar guard Action of Soviet subjects of specifically designed to spahwagen (6-Rad)
reminiscences of the Bat- 1967-73 Vol.3 Division in Pomera- 1943 A Isaev the 12th Lancers, the Great Patriotic fulfil certain functions. With both black & white,
tle of Arnhem, Operation B Norton Richly illus- nia Jan-Mar 1945 Based heavily on inac- Dunkirk 1940 War - Layering Despite this, they did not and colour photos.
MARKET. The entire series trated with photographs, In Arctic blizzards cessible Soviet records, Dunkirk is ingrained into Techniques A Wilder last many years after the Camouflage schemes
is lavishly illustrated with maps, charts and tables, between January and this book presents a the British consciousness The author manages to war, perhaps due to the and tactical markings,
wartime and post-war the reader will find new March 1945, the Latvian lively account of a pivotal that it has come to epit- capture a dynamic range complexity of their main- plus profile drawings.
photos, plus detailed details and correction 15th SS Division tried battle on the Eastern omise the very essence of detail and weathering tenance, limited armour, Plus much more. German
maps of various stages of of previously published to stop the Red Army Front, illustrated with of Britishness at times of effects on the military and the vulnerability of and English Language
the battle. ‘facts’. sweeping advances. photographs and maps. national hardship. vehicles he finishes. the cargo area. book.
HB 460pp £49.95 SB 90pp £19.95 HB 444pp £35.00 SB 140pp £25.00 SB 256pp £25.00 SB 312pp £44.99 HB 132pp £29.99 SB 232pp £32.99

51383AVI 03907MIL 04744MIL 13651AVI 13729AVI 38977MIL 40398MIL 43597MIL

Lockheed Black-
bird: Beyond the
Secret Missions
The Missing Chap-
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Using recently declassi-
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renowned expert Paul
Crickmore updates his
definitive account of the
SR-71 and A-12 Oxcart
programme.
HB 528pp £60.00
Panhard Automi-
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FRENCH TEXT. The AML
and its variants have
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countries and still serves
today. This book pays
tribute to an already
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contributed significantly
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interests.
HB 192pp £44.00
CHAR AMX 30 - 30B,
30B2 ET Derives
FRENCH TEXT. The first
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service in 1967. Their
chassis was the origin
of a complete family of
machines, some of which
are still in service today,
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HB 192pp £44.00
Asia@War 49: Into Latin America@ PK Cameraman The Age of the Main The Vistula-Oder
The Endless Mist War 38: Operation No.2: 12.SS-Pan- Battle Tank - West- Offensive I Baxter
Vol.1 M Piegzik Sheepskin - British zer-Division Hitler- ern Tank Develop- The Vistula-Oder offen-
Covers the events of Military Interven- jugend T Cockle ment 1960-75 D Taylor sive was a massive Soviet
Operation AL from the tion in Anguilla Features photos taken by Examines the history of Army operation on the
Japanese raid on Dutch 1969 M Lord SS-KB Wilfried Woscidlo the first Western Main Eastern Front and paved
Harbor and the invasion Constituting a neglected and PK-KB Bernhard Battle Tanks in the con- the way for the Battle of
of Attu and Kiska to the and unusual chapter of Kurth depicting the text of the 1960-1975 Berlin. Its main objective
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Adak, and is illustrated history for those readers zer-Division; Hitlerjugend, evolution of successful the River Oder, bringing
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SB 98pp £19.95 SB 82pp £19.95 HB 88pp £47.99 HB 302pp £59.99 SB 128pp £24.95

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Target Hong Kong :
A True Story of U.S.
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S.K. Bailey Brought
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HB 366pp £25.00
Europe@War 38:
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Story of the US ships that
went to the Mediterra-
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Solomons Air War
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SB 192pp £35.99
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Air Campaign 42:
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UPDATES
Armory
Cover for the carrier that never was
Me 109 T-1 / 2
Kit No: 14309.
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
www.armorymodels.com
Perhaps fortunately
for the Allies,
Germany never
completed its only
aircraft carrier the
GRAF ZEPPLIN. As
the ship was being
built carrier-specific
aircraft intended
for it were however
developed and flown,
including a folding-
wing Ju 87 Stuka, to be escorted by a carrier
fighter derived from the then-current Me 109E.
The resulting Me109 T (T for ‘Traeger’ or carrier)
featured extended wings for shorter take-off
distances, an arrestor hook and catapult spools.
The wing did not incorporate folding as the
deck lifts were designed from the outset to
accommodate its full width. Feisler built some
seventy examples, some ten initial conversions,
the rest being new-build. With the carrier project
stalled the aircraft were issued to land-based
units operating in Norway and Helgoland where
the T’s better ability to cope with short runways
and cross winds was of most use.
Armory’s kit is, unsurprisingly, their previous
109E tooling with a new one-piece wing. There
is now a little flash evident but nothing serious
and there are a number of things that set this
apart. There are for instance three alternative
spinners, and the clear sprue incorporates three
different styles (early, middle and late) of canopy
in both open and closed options. There is also an
option for centreline bomb or drop tank. A small
brass fret supplies landing gear covers, bomb
fins, mass balance weights for the ailerons, and
of course the tailhook.
The real star of the package however is the
decal sheet. No less than fourteen options are
provided, four of them ‘hooked’ T-1s – so it’s
just as well you get two complete kits in the
box. Said box incidentally is worthy of mention.
A relatively thin colour lid covers a sturdy
‘postal’ inner box that will keep the contents
from damage by all but the most determined
postal service.
Previously only available as a very hard to find
Gashapon the T fills another gap in the Bf 109
lexicon in 1/144 scale, which now extends (with
admittedly varying degrees of accuracy) from
‘A’ to ‘K’
Mike Verier
12 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Items such as seat parts with or without
Airfix harnesses make the choice to add aftermarket
www.airfix.com
parts a breeze, whilst the instructions contain
hints as to additional holes and other easy
North American B-25C/D Mitchell 1/72 (Ref
tasks you can add to increase the level of detail
A06015A)
further. The clear parts are scale thickness and
crystal clear, meaning that all the effort put into
the cockpit will be visible.
The instruction manual is a work of art and
reference source in itself. Those of you with
experience of Wingnut Wings kits will recognise
the style and there’s no problem with that. These
instructions take that style as the basis and then
add in lots more information.
Airfix’s 1/72 B-25 is a welcome re-release in any
guise. This issue differs from previous ones in the
The kit includes decals for three different aircraft,
fact that it is moulded in the slightly harder dark
with each being given a two page spread in the
grey plastic. The kit features a detailed cockpit,
A4 instructions including a full history, four-view
wheel wells and bomb bay as well as a wide
colour diagrams and photographs of the actual
range of options when building including raised
aircraft for reference. The decals, by Cartograf,
or lowered undercarriage, open or closed crew
are sharply printed with great colour density as
hatches, and raised or lowered flaps to name but
one would expect.
a few. Construction looks to be straightforward,
following the clear colour instruction book.
Recommended references include the superb
Wing leader guides to the Mk I Spitfire, numbers
Overall the Mitchell looks to be well thought
one and twenty-six, which will allow you to ensure
out and designed, with a good level of detail
greater accuracy when painting and weathering.
meaning it should make for an enjoyable project.
This really is the Spitfire modeller’s dream
Decal options provide a choice between a
package. An impressive kit, which really does
USAAF aircraft in desert markings, serial number
deserve to be built.
41-13207 of 445th Bomber Squadron based
in French Morocco during 1943, or an olive
Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett
drab machine in Russian service with the 1st
Squadron, Uman Airfield, Ukraine, during 1944.
Airfix show great attention to detail on this
second option, even supplying templates in
the instructions to allow you to represent the
oversprayed US markings. The decals themselves
are thin and in perfect register so should pose
no issue.
Airfix give this kit a level three difficulty rating
and that looks to be right, being pitched at the
modeller with a couple of kits behind them.
Kotare Models
www.kotare-models.com
Kotare Supermarine Spitfire Mk I (Early) 1/32
(Ref. K32004)
The Kotare Spitfire Mk I series of kits has been
well received, and rightly so, with the promise of
high quality and accuracy being delivered in one
box. This kit depictss the very first operational
Spitfires of No.19 Squadron RAF with their
two bladed propellers and much less complex
overall look. In order to do this Kotare supply a
specially-developed sprue of twenty-five parts
for the earlier versions as well as the correct
canopy styles on the clear sprue.
The level of detail in the interior alone is
impressive, with all the controls and cabling
either supplied as moulded parts or noted in
the instructions so they can be added. The parts
are totally defect and flash free, with the test
fits that were carried out confirming that the
fit is excellent. The surface detail is exquisite,
with raised rivet detail and plating depicted in
sharp relief. Kotare have leaned away from the
accepted norms of detailing and focused on
unashamed accuracy.
 The famous twin-engined supersonic jet F-5E Tiger II
in the markings of the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marines,
South Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Brazil
and Thai Air Forces.
#11182 • Freedom Tiger F-5E • Photo-etched pre-painted parts
• Plastic parts AFV Club • Die-cut masks for easy painting
• Brassin 3D print parts for added detail • Decals for 8 marking options

73-00878, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 2023

renovation at The Aviation Museum Kbely,
Prague, Czech Republic

73-00878, 63rd Tactical Wing, RVNAF, Bien Hoa, Maj. Lenny Bucko, NSFTIP, US Marines, MCAS Miramar,
South Vietnam, 1974 California, USA, 1983

VFC-13 „Fighting Saints“, US Navy, NAS Fallon, VFA-127 „Royal Blues“, US Navy, NAS Fallon,
Nevada, USA, 1998 Nevada, USA, 1993

F-5E, 73-00897, USAF, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, 1º/14º GAV „Esquadrão Pampa“, FAB,
65th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, 1981 Canoas AB, Brazil, 2005

425th Squadron, 58th TFTW, Luke AFB, US Air Force, 211 Squadron, Wing 21, Royal Thai Air Force, Ubon AB,
Arizona, USA, late 70s Thailand, late 90s

Bf 108 1/48 #8078 Spitfire Mk.IXc 1/48 #8281 Bf 109G-2 1/72 #70156 Fw 190A-5 1/48 #84118

www.eduard.com M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 13
B-17D ‘SWOOSE’
Early War Fortress
B-17G Flying Fortress
Kit No: 85-5600
Scale: 1/48
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Monogram
PAINTING BEGINS!
I
n part one, I dealt with the construction of this
famous B-17D. With this done and the model
prepped, it was time to start painting. But
first I applied a solid primer coat of Mr Finishing
Surfacer 1500 Black. Any imperfections revealed
by this were taken then care of. Painting of the
model now had to take into account its colour-
scheme history.
The Swoose, like other B-17Ds at the time, was
delivered unpainted in natural metal. National
markings consisted of white stars on blue
roundels with central red dots, with the rudder in
red and white stripes. Early photos show her with
the number ‘21’ on the tail fin (to coincide with
her manufacture number 2125), with markings
14 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Painting the oldest
surviving B-17 The Swoose
Part 2 By
Harvey Low
B-17C/D Conversion
Scale: 1/48
Type: Vacform
Manufacturer: Koster
www.resin2detail.com
Although not a photo of B-17D-BO Flying
Fortress 40-3097 itself, this B-17D shows the
NMF delivery scheme the The Swoose arrived
in the Philippines wearing.
of the 11th Bombardment Group. These aircraft,
however, were hastily re-painted when at Clark
Field between April and November 1941 with
an olive drab colour on all topsides, and flat
black on the undersides to prevent the sun from
reflecting from her metal surfaces. The red dots
on the roundels were hastily painted out, as were
the gaudy rudder stripes. These measures were
necessary given there was no natural cover for an
unpainted B-17!
The Swoose upon return to California from
It should be noted that there are no records
Australia. The rear fuselage was replaced in
or colour photos that confirm a specific paint
Australia, and she was named The Swoose
colour for the aircraft other than a testimonial
after the song ‘Alexander the Swoose’ by Kay
in Herbert Brown’s book Odyssey of a B-17 – The
Kyser, about a bird that was ‘half swan, half
Swoose, which mentions the green as a “swampy
goose: Alexander is a swoose’. An emblem on
green and brown”.
her fuselage can just be made out.

Suffice it to say that these early colours were
notorious for their quality, with loose standards
of application making them prone to severe
weathering. I therefore decided to mix my own
colours. I found Tamiya Flat Olive Drab (XF-62) a
good match for US Dark Olive Drab 41 (FS34087).
Medium Green 42 (FS34092) was also used at the
time, matching Tamiya Olive Drab JGSDF (XF-74)
closely. I also created a homebrew olive drab mix
using equal parts of Tamiya Olive Drab (XF-62),
Khaki Drab (XF-51), Flat Earth (XF-52), and JGSDF
Brown (XF-72).
I think it’s possible to state that this is a
model that would be hard to over-weather!
This is The Swoose on arrival back in the USA
showing her state.
In June, having reached the safety of
Australia, 1942 40-3097 became the personal
transport of Lt. Gen George Brett, and as such
wore his Three Star General plates.
Once back in the USA, stripped back to NMF
with the flags of nations she’s visited applied,
she embarked on a war bond tour. She
continued to serve as the General’s personal
transport until December 1945, when Brett
himself flew her last operational flight
from LA to Kirtland Field, New Mexico, for
recycling disposal.
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE. 12 ISSUES FROM JUST £59
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WEATHERING
This model is a beast in size, providing a huge
palette for weathering. Photos confirm that
The Swoose sported a haphazard, uneven paint
application that quickly faded, chipped, and
weathered. Massive paint chips show mostly
around the engines and on the undersides
(there is speculation this is most likely due
to the paint being water-based). No photos
exist of her upper wings, so the chipping and
weathering on these areas was entirely my
own interpretation. The rest are based on
high-quality photos by famous photographer
Johnny Florea, and I did my best to replicate
the chipped pattern seen in these.
The natural metal finish was applied in two
thin coats of Tamiya Bare Natural Metal (AS-
12) right out of the can. This gave a tough
base for subsequent camouflage applications
and weathering. The fabric control surfaces
were masked and painted with Tamiya Flat
Aluminium (XF-16).
Here are the masks in use. The white was
applied first, then the ‘star’ mask was applied,
then the blue areas were painted using
Tamiya Insignia Blue (XF-17) with a touch of
Flat blue (XF-8).
Here is the port wing now ready for camo
paint! This is what The Swoose would have
looked like on arrival in the Philippines.
M A R C H 2024
B-17D ‘SWOOSE’
For the chipping I used the hairspray technique,
applying two thin coats of L’Oreal Studio Silk
& Gloss Volume Hairspray (but most any will
work). A full explanation with demonstrations
can be found online at many scale model how-
to websites, but I’d recommend using Tamiya
acrylics for chipping, as my experiments with
AK and other acrylics are not as effective as they
do not dissolve as well as Tamiya. I always thin
the Tamiya paint to be chipped with Tamiya’s
retarder and only some thinner.
I didn’t use the Koster national insignia decals,
as photos show the tips of the real white stars
‘touched’ the edges of the blue roundels’ outer
edges. Koster’s decals don’t, so I designed
and cut my own masks using a Silhouette
Cameo 4. I also created masks for the US
ARMY lettering, instead of decals, to minimise
the potential of decal silvering. These were
painted in pure black to contrast the lighter
grey-blacks used for the camo paint.
Since the field-applied camo colours were
uneven, and showed some of the original
metal finish underneath, I took the time to
mask and airbrush the original black walkway
stripes on the wings.
I painted the undersides first, directly over
the NMF, using two lighter grey-blacks
rather than pure black for better scale effect
– a black-brown using Tamiya Black (XF-1),
German Grey (XF-63) and NATO Brown (XF-68)
in ratio of about 3:1:1, and a darker grey-black
using equal parts of Tamiya Black and IJN
Grey (XF-75).
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 15
B-17D ‘SWOOSE’
I used LePage Fun Tack, the Canadian version
of Blue Tack, to mask the underside colours
and create a solid, but soft, line between
upper and lower colours.
It’s also important to let the applied paint
stand for a couple of hours before starting the
chipping, but don’t let the hairspray and paint
overlay sit unchipped for more than three days
or so, as I find it then difficult to dissolve. My
chipping pattern was random but its execution
followed some rules like concentrating more on
leading edges, engines, and panel lines where
there was more wear. I have no ‘secret’ to the
chipped pattern – your eye will tell you what
works and what does not.
As an exception that proves the rule, the rudder
and ailerons were chipped using Mission Model
paints as they ‘chip’ differently to Tamiya’s
yielding a scuffed effect rather than a flaked
effect. The Mission Model paints used were
NATO Black (MMP-035) for the underside, US
Army Olive Drab Faded 1 (MMP-020) for the top
of the wing ailerons, and US Army Olive Drab
Faded 2 (MMP-021), and US Army Olive Drab
Faded 3 (MMP-023) for the rear horizontal and
vertical control surfaces.
Here are the topsides all ‘hairspray’ chipped, before weathering. This takes time to do and it’s best
to do a little, walk away and then come back. The Internet is the perfect place to find tutorials for
this technique but as ever, practice is the key ‘because it’s worth it!’.
16
4 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
The base colour for the upper surfaces
was applied in random broad patterns,
concentrating on some areas more than
others, and allowing walkways and underlying
NMF now to show through in places.
Some panels seemed to fade faster than others,
while surfaces were not a consistent colour
finish, worn in different random patterns and
colour variations. For these effects, I chose to
weather my model using oil paints, applying
oils in layers and blending them in a technique
much like a figure painter. Since The Swoose
had a replacement tail, I painted this area with
more vibrant lighter green shades, to give an
impression of a grafted-on tail.
EXHAUST AND OIL STAINING
B-17s had very distinctive dirty exhaust and oil
staining. The top-wing was mostly oil leaked and
vented from pipes from the upper part of the
engine. Photos show the staining to be random
as it came out from the nacelles, spreading
back widely and then splitting around the wing
intercooler vents to create narrower tracks that
trailed and dissipated off the wing trailing edge.
In my discussions with the noted expert Dana
Bell, we both agreed that The Swoose likely
had a top camo scheme of multiple colours –
not as an intentional disruptive pattern, but
more likely through repair and touch-ups.
I therefore used white, yellow, and black to
create several variations of the base Olive Drab,
with Medium Green 42 sprayed in random
patterns for further interest.
A close review of period photos also reveals
staining between the vents, not emanating
from them (a commonly misunderstood thing
on B-17s I’m sure. Ed). This was caused by
the disrupted airflow flowing around each
individual vent depression, because the
intercoolers did not create any dirty exhaust
efflux by themselves.
I pondered for a long time how I could
accomplish such an effect, and came up with
a solution that involved using small plastic
fences inserted into each vent that I could
airbrush around.
The underwing staining was mostly from
exhaust from the turbochargers, mixed with
a generous flow of grease and oil from the
nacelles. B-17s were one of the dirtiest aircraft
due to the notorious leakiness of their Wright
R-1820 engines.
I noticed that most photos showed the inboard
engines on the underside created more staining
than the outboard ones, which was perhaps due
to the configuration of exhaust piping and air-
flow. The engine areas themselves also suffered
from heat distress.
My oils for the weathering process. A card
palette will leech oil from the paints, which
speeds up drying and makes them more
useful for the modeller.

The oil paints give me greater control over
colour modulation by targeting smaller
areas with thin glazes of oils to give a 3D
‘see-thru’ effect. I was careful to apply the oil
paint around bare metal spots to keep these
cleaner, although I’d done some prior airbrush
modulation of panel lines too.
THOSE LITTLE DETAILS
The Swoose emblem decal on the Koster kit
sheet is incorrect. The decal is just black and
white, whereas the real one clearly shows a
brown-coloured body and perhaps yellow for
the bomb, so these were painted in by hand
on the decal using medium brown and yellow.
A little tip I now discovered was always to
check old decals – my Koster decals looked
great on the sheet, but when I tested a spare
one it disintegrated on application. I brushed
Microscale Liquid Decal Film (MI-12) on top of
the emblem while still on the original sheet, and
it then went on without a problem, reacting well
with both Micro Sol and Set.
These are my first choice for replicating
heating and staining on exhaust pipes and
turbochargers. Several shades were used to
replicate the variegated heat staining.
Who does not want a B-17 that will go
through an authentic start-up and shut down
son et lumiere show?
To create the staining airflow around the
intercooler exhausts, I made tiny ‘fences’
from thin plastic strip. Each one had two
strips with the upper one angled. No two
were alike in angle.
LIGHTING AND SOUND
Magic Scale Models make superb realistic light
and sound kits for many scale models, and
the service support is excellent too. Their set
was for the 1/48 B-17G but in my opinion was
acceptable for this project. If you decide to use
these products, you need to think carefully
about where the motherboard and wiring will
go, as each model will differ. It sounds obvious
but I tried to ensure that the speakers faced
upwards as this gives better sound and when
it comes to anything that will be permanently
installed inside the model, test them before you
install them permanently – LEDs for example.
Once they are in though, you can reinforce wire
attachments with five-minute epoxy glue, but
keep any and all glue well clear when inserting
the props into their tiny motor hubs as any
adhesive on the hub will stiffen rotation. Finally,
break your modelling habits here and follow
the instructions precisely. Take your time too, as
there are lots of parts.
To recreate the wing and fuselage oil, grease,
and exhaust stains I used a selection of
washes and paints, moving from lighter tints
at left to darker ones at right.
Read the instructions!
M A R C H 2024
B-17D ‘SWOOSE’
Once the ‘fences’ were taped to the vent areas,
I then airbrushed the oil/exhaust stains down
and around them.
THE SWOOSE THAT WAS NEVER
COOKED!
I always wanted a 1/48 scale B-17, and while
this project was undoubtedly the most complex
I have ever undertaken, it was worth every
minute. The Swoose was my choice due to
her now being restored in Dayton, Ohio and
her service record, which by any standard is
impressive. She took part in the first mass flight
of land-based bombers across the Pacific, was
first in combat after the attack at Pearl Harbor,
and conducted the first night-bombing raid by
the US Air Army Force. Moreover The Swoose set
the first speed record between Australia and
Hawaii, and has the longest continuing flight of
a B-17 with four trans-Pacific crossings. Lastly,
and by no means the least, she was the longest
serving B-17 of World War II. Not bad.
Although the model now rests in my collection,
I freely admit I would love to donate her to the
United States Air Force Museum to sit beside the
original Swoose. One day perhaps…
For small fuel spills, and stains near fuel caps these
certainly are ‘the word’. I applied them thinly and
then concentrated them in certain areas to show
areas of pooling or high contamination.
The Magic set needs to be built into the model
while it’s under construction and must be
allowed for while painting and handling too.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 517
B-17D ‘SWOOSE’

18 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 19
1/48 FAIREY GANNET

A ‘Highland Goose’
On The Loose

Bill Clark tucks into Airfix’s new

1/48 winged delicacy and savours the result.

FAIREY GANNET AS.1/AS.4

Kit No: A11007
Scale: 1/48
Type: Injection moulded
Manufacturer: Airfix
www.airfix.com.

I
f I’m being totally honest, Fairey’s Gannet was
not an aircraft I was that knowledgeable about.
While I had a basic understanding of what it
was and did, it wasn’t enough for me to be able
to build a model of it, so to satisfy my desire for
information I did some research, which in turn
set me off on a tangent where I also learned a lot
about the Gannet sea bird too …
Northern Gannets are the largest seabird in the
North Atlantic with a wingspan of up to two
metres. They are infamous for (allegedly) having
voracious appetites and can dive into the sea
at speeds of up to 60mph. The word Gannet
derives from Old English Ganot meaning ‘strong
or masculine’. The Gannet is a rather graceful
creature, and anyone seeing them skimming
a few feet above the sea will appreciate this,
whereas, I think it’s fair to say that Fairey’s
design was somewhat less than graceful. In
fact, ungainly would describe it reasonably
well, but of course good looks wasn’t its raison
d’etre was it?
The modeller opens the box to find excellent decals, well written and logical instructions and a
full colour marking guide. Standard for Airfix now and a sign they’ve really upped their game.
Developed to meet a 1945 Royal Navy wing double-folding system, to allow this wide-
requirement for an advanced carrier-based spanned aircraft to be stored aboard the Royal
turbo-prop anti-submarine hunter killer, it was Navy’s relatively small aircraft carriers. Some 348
intended to counter the expansion of the Soviet Gannets were built and also flew with the navies
submarine force at the start of the Cold War. The of Australia, West Germany and Indonesia.
Gannet was equipped with the latest detection
equipment to seek out submarines and an array Airfix’s new kit is moulded in the now familiar
of weapons to destroy them. Highly effective darker-grey polystyrene, with surface detail as
in its role and popular with its users, its unique good as I have encountered on an Airfix kit. It
appearance was largely due to the innovative features some 334 parts spread over seven dark
Armstrong-Siddley Double Mamba power plant. sprues, and one clear. Some parts are of course
In essence this was two gas turbine engines superfluous, depending on which building
mounted side by side sharing a common options the modeller chooses. These include an
gearbox, but operating independently from open and fully-loaded weapons bay with the
each other, and driving their own individual bombs, depth charges or torpedoes, and with or
contra rotating propeller. Another feature was its without the wing-mounted rocket projectiles.

20 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K

The wings can be modelled folded in the
characteristic Z-shaped arrangement or fully
open, for which two sets of wings are supplied
so no cutting is required. Flaps can also be
deployed, although this is restricted to when
the wings are fully extended. Those who want
a flying Gannet will be happy to know the rear
radome can be shown in the open position, the
undercarriage can be built retracted, and Airfix
provides a crew of three. No stand is included
though, so you’ll be holding it for a while!
Before removing plastic from the sprues, I find
it’s generally a good idea to have a plan of
which build options you are going to choose
and with that in mind, construction begins
with the innards. The first task was to build the
bomb-bay. The front undercarriage bay fitted
onto this, a spar-box was added, and the first
twelve-gram portion of nose-weight installed
into a thoughtfully-provided small box. With this
secured, the cockpit floor could then be added,
followed by further details in the form of side
panels, instrument panels and seats.
Transparent parts are well moulded and very
clear. The wingtips are a nice feature and
canopies can be posed open as well as closed.
Construction started with the bomb bay
along with the spars. These play an important
structural element to the model. Note the tray
for the initial dozen grams of weight.
Nose weight part two. An additional fifty-five
grams is recommended here giving sixty
seven in all. Airfix states this is a minimum to
avoid a tail sitter, so be warned.
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The Gannet AS.1 had a crew of three. Two
facing forward and the second observer facing
rearwards. Each of their stations is adequately
detailed and pretty much everything was
painted black, although the pilot’s bucket seat
is brick red. No seat harnesses were provided so
I fashioned some from masking tape. Painted
blue, they gave some three-dimensionality to
the otherwise Stygian cockpit. With the cockpit
done, this sub-assembly was added to one of
the fuselage halves. The spars fitted snugly into
the pair of slots, and a reassuring ‘click’ told me
that the fit was good. Prior to adding the other
fuselage half, an additional fifty-five grams of
weight has to be fitted. Airfix provides another
smallish box, but the only thing of sufficient
weight that would fit in this box would be
depleted uranium, and I was out of this.
So the box was discarded, and I stuffed as much
lead as I could into the space. Airfix print a
warning on the front page of the instructions
about the amount of weight needed so don’t
scrimp on the ‘plumbum’, and don’t forget to
wash your hands after dealing with all that lead.
The harder, darker grey styrene is now the norm
on Airfix kits and holds fine detail very well.
The cockpit floor and consoles are then
added, then the seats are detailed with
harnesses made from painted masking tape.
Doubtless etched sets will be available soon.
Airfix tells you where this second weight box
should sit, but I couldn’t fit enough in it, so
just crammed more into the space with a
plastic bulkhead to hide it all.
M A R C H 2024
1/48 FAIREY GANNET
With another satisfying ‘click’ the other fuselage
half slipped effortlessly over the spars producing
a nice, chunky fuselage. The radome was then
installed fully retracted as befitting a machine on
its undercarriage.
At this juncture a final decision has to be made
about whether to wing-fold, or not to wing-fold.
I’m very much a modeller that prefers the latter,
as it retains the aircraft’s overall elegant shape
(and let’s face it the Gannet needs all the help it
can here). That said, given the wing-folding order
of the Gannet, one could feature the starboard
wing folded and the port wing unfolded, as if
the model was frozen in time mid-sequence.
Having chosen the appropriate set of wing parts,
some internal construction was required. The
main wheel bay walls actually fit inside a shaped
box, which provides some structural integrity, as
do two further strengthening boxes further out
in the wing. Prior to adding these, the holes for
the rocket projectile attachment stubs needed
to be drilled out. The wings were then eased
over the existing spars and once again clicked
into place. A small amount of Tamiya extra-thin
cement was then applied to secure everything.
There’s plenty of small parts too. The levels of
detail in the kit are excellent throughout.
Some very good side walls are added next.
Airfix provides placard decals for these to add
a touch of colour.
The fuselage closes nicely over those
reassuringly-large wing spars. Fit throughout
is very good.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 21
1/48 FAIREY GANNET
Flaps were then dealt with, and I chose to have
mine deployed to add a bit of visual interest.
The control surfaces could then be added along
with the clear-plastic wingtips. These house the
navigation lights, and can be painted in clear red
and green later.
Each tailplane was built up easily enough and
the detail is excellent, but it’s important to follow
the instructions to ensure the correct finlets are
installed. Those added above are much larger
than those below.
Wheel well bay parts. The wheel wall inner
facias are attached to a pre-formed frame
to make a very sturdy set up. Two other
strengthening boxes make for very rigid wing
assemblies.
The wings slide effortlessly over the spars and click into place, making
for an extremely robust airframe (like the original).
The radome can be posed extended and
deployed, or retracted and stored. Note that
the model wouldn’t rest on its wheels with the
radome down – it’s an inflight only option.
22 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Next I was onto the Gannet’s ‘beak’ – its
propellers and spinner. The Double Mamba’s
frontage was added to the rear of the nose
intake part. The propellers parts are moulded
to fit onto a trapped central shaft and each set
designed to rotate individually, although they
are not geared in any way (thankfully) to try and
mimic the real thing’s counter rotation. This is
an area where it was far better to paint all the
relevant parts prior to construction. The spinner
parts were initially given a coat of white paint,
masked and the dark blue added. Needless to
say it’s also far better to add all this at the end of
construction and painting.
If you want to add the underwing rockets,
don’t forget that the relevant holes require
opening up!
The bomb bay can be portrayed closed, but if
you want it open, Airfix offer two armament
configurations. I opted for two 18” Mk 30
Torpedoes and the five T.1946 Sonobuoys.
These all fit onto pylons that attach onto the
framework detail of the cavernous bomb bay. I
painted the bay in Sky after applying a coat of
black prime, which provided some nice depth
to the detail. The torpedoes were painted silver
with a blue band and red stripe – the latter
from the kit’s decal sheet. The sonobuoys were
painted black and orange, and the armament
certainly adds a splash of colour to the open
bomb bay.
Airfix provides totally separate parts for the
folded-wing option, complete with the inside
fold details too. A very nice touch.
The ‘tailfeathers’ were tackled next, and
have over-and-under tabs to give a firm fit.
The finlets also have interlocking crenulated
tabs too, to lock them into place.
A captive rotating pin is used to mount the
contra-rotating propellers. The reverse of the
nose part has a ‘Double-Mamba’ engine front
added to show some internal detail.

While I was ‘doing’ the weapons I assembled and
painted the wing-mounted rockets. Their bodies
were black with olive drab for the warheads. The
kit’s red decal stripes were then added. The kit
instructions also suggest a pair of rather rotund
pylons as another underwing option. I duly
added these but further research suggested
these might have only been applicable to RAN
Gannets, so they were unceremoniously hacked
off later, the area cleaned up and repainted.
The kit’s three markings options are all in the
familiar colour scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey
over Sky for which Airfix suggests Humbrol Extra
Dark Sea Grey (123) and Beige Green (90). Both
are good matches, although I used my preferred
Xtracrylix versions.
Decals are given for a Gannet AS.4 of 849 Naval
Air Squadron (NAS) HQ training flight at RNAS
Culdrose circa 1959, an AS.4 of 815 NAS on HMS
Ark Royal in 1958, and a Gannet AS.1 of 847 NAS
Airfix provides both inner and outer bomb bay
door skins. That prevents sink marks during
moulding from an otherwise thick single part.
I used my favourite Xtracrylix paint for the
Sky on the underside, and the top EDSG too,
although Airfix’s suggested Humbrol colour is
a good match too.
The contra-rotating prop bits after painting.
Note that the front and rear prop blades are
shape-keyed to their backing plates so you
can’t mix them up. Another nice touch.
at RAF Nicosia on Cyprus 1957 and still wearing
ID stripes from the Suez Crisis at the end of
1956. These stripes should have been yellow
and black, and Airfix instructions mention the
well-publicised lack of the proper yellow paint at
the time suggesting that white or a cream shade
might have been employed instead – the choice
being left to the modeller.
I have found that when using Xtracrylix, a good
clean and primed surface is paramount.
While fit is very good, it’s not perfect and I
needed to clean up around the top of the
nose after the engine front was added.
Black primer was applied to the bomb bay.
This provided some shading and depth to
show off the superb detail when the final
shade of Sky was applied.
I decided to arm my Gannet fully with
Torpedoes, Sonobuoys and rockets. The
latter had two-piece heads and needed a
little clean up.
The undercarriage parts are finely detailed
and are shown here painted and weathered,
ready to be added.
M A R C H 2024
1/48 FAIREY GANNET
With this in mind, Tamiya grey primer was
applied in a series of two or three very thin coats.
This had the advantage of drying very quickly,
so the Sky lower surfaces were then applied.
Careful masking followed and the Extra Dark Sea
Grey could go on.
I decided to show the flaps extended, to provide
a bit of interest. This option isn’t appropriate for
a model with folded wings though.
I attached the bomb bay doors here, but it
might have been better to attach them later,
as one was reluctant to stay in place during
the decalling sessions. Note the wing pylons,
which seem to be Aussie only, and were later
removed.
Plenty of masking is needed as the
demarcation between the colour is precise
and somewhat fiddly around the fin and
finlets. Time present on masking well is
always rewarded though.
The weapons add quite a splash of colour to
the underside of the finished model. The wing
rocket launchers are separate to the rockets
so could be installed empty too.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 23
1/48 FAIREY GANNET
A gloss coat then sealed everything in, in
preparation for the marathon decalling session.
A modern Airfix kit wouldn’t be a modern Airfix
kit without its plethora of decals! I find the
whole process quite therapeutic, but it is time
consuming. I tend to start with the National
Markings, the aircraft’s personal ‘ID’ are next, and
then I embark on the long process of the smaller
stencils. One of the walkway decals disintegrated
on me. I’d applied Micro Sol and Set to bed it in,
but my clumsy handling saw it lift, secured to my
hand.I tried to save the decal but to no avail, so
24 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
the walkway area was masked off, and painted
black. The decals are in fact, as ever with Airfix
nowadays, excellent.
The kit’s undercarriage legs are chunky affairs,
but they have to be to hold the weight of this
bird. The legs were painted Sky with silver oleos,
the main wheel hubs were also silver, and I
painted the nose wheel hubs dark blue to match
the spinner. With the undercarriage legs and
doors installed along with the bomb bay doors,
various smaller items could be attended to, such
as small antennas.
Prior to adding the cockpit glazing, a coat
of satin varnish sealed all the detail in. I also
applied a thin wash of Flory Dirt to the sides and
rear but wanted this model to be reasonably
clean. I managed at one stage to break off the
end of the arrestor hook. This was consumed by
the dreaded ‘carpet monster’ (surely for a naval
aircraft it’s the Karpet Kraken? - Editor), so a new
one was fashioned from a length of brass rod
and the hooked part from Airfix’s Hunter GA11. It
wasn’t perfect, but needs must!

I thoroughly enjoyed this kit. The detail Airfix
provides is quite exquisite, in fact each kit seems
to improve on those that preceded it, which
augurs well for the future. At the time it was
announced, some modellers bemoaned the fact
that the AEW3 wasn’t being produced. But given
the appeal of this type and its adaptability in
producing a COD.4, T2/5 or ECM.6, this version is
a sound selection from the team at Margate.
1/48 FAIREY GANNET
This builds up into quite a spectacular bird. With
its wings extended you can perhaps see a bit
of a resemblance to its feathered namesake,
but maybe without the grace and elegance. I’d
certainly recommend this kit as something to
feather your modelling nest with, and I think I
might need another to build up my ‘Gannetry’ –
though next time with those feathers folded.
Nice one Airfix!
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 25
BUCHÓN

NOT SO MUCH
OF A DOVE

Franco’s Fighter
by Huw Morgan.

HA-1112-M1L Buchón ‘in camouflage’

Kit No: #7668
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection moulded plastic
Manufacturer: AZ Model
www.azmodel.cz

O
ut of the devastation of the Spanish
Civil War, the victorious Nationalist
government set about rebuilding its
military capability, including its Air Force. Three schemes are offered, two in service in Dark Blue and one that appears to be a post-
retirement camouflaged demonstrator.
One leg of this reconstruction was the rather
anticipatory signing in 1942 of a deal with
from the UK with a Rotol propeller, and the chin commonality with at least the later versions of
Messerschmitt to licence-build the Bf-109G with
intake required by this engine resulted in the the Bf 109 that I was able to compare the kit
the engines, instruments and weapons provided
characteristic, slightly cartoon profile of the with. The kit comes on two frames of soft grey
from Germany. In the event, the production
nose. The final developed version, the HA-1112- plastic holding sixty-three parts with one frame
pressures in Germany as the war became
M1L (Buchón – a male Dove in Spanish), was distinctly specific to the Buchón and the second
increasingly desperate meant that only twenty-
introduced to active service in 1954 and was in having the more generic parts. There are two
five partial airframes and only half the drawings
use in Spain until 1965, although doesn’t appear small clear parts for the one-piece canopy and
were provided, forcing Spain’s indigenous
to have been used in combat to any extent. the internal head armour. The parts are typical
aircraft manufacturers Hispano Aviación to
Several airframes had movie debuts as ersatz Bf of AZ, reasonably moulded in the bulk, but
look at alternatives. Initially, a modified Bf
109s in blockbusters like the Battle of Britain. with lots of mould seams and a definite leaning
109 airframe was fitted with a Hispano-Suiza
towards the short-run end of the market, there
HS 89-12Z engine, which was reasonably
AZ have a long line of Bf 109 versions in their is some nice engraved detail but typically, no
successful and designated HA-1109-J1L. By
catalogue, so although a Buchón n issue would location pins.
1951 a developed version was powered by a
appear inevitable, in fact there’s relatively little
Rolls-Royce Merlin 500/45 bought as surplus

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

Three schemes are offered, two for 71. Escuadron
at Los Rodeos on Tenerife in 1958 in overall
dark blue and a camouflaged airframe from
Aeronautique provencal Victor Tatin in 1965,
which is olive green and dark green over azure
blue, probably a post-retirement demonstrator.
The build is pretty conventional, starting as ever
with the cockpit, which has a combined floor
and rear bulkhead and to which is added the
seat pan, control column and rudder pedals.
The forward bulkhead carries the cover for
the motorkanone, although this would be
potentially inaccurate, since the design with the
Merlin or Hispano-Suiza engines would have
precluded fitting the gun. The whole cockpit
and fuselage interior was painted in RLM66 grey
and the sidewall and instrument panel detail
picked out in various Vallejo and Citadel colours
before giving the whole lot a varnish coat in
preparation for a detailing wash. There are no
seat belts offered so a generic Luftwaffe fighter
set from Eduard was fitted instead.
The fuselage halves fit around the cockpit with
the usual issues in getting the best alignment in
the absence of location pins although with care,
the end result isn’t bad. Fitting the upper nose
piece emphasises the differences to the standard
Bf109 arrangement, with a higher propeller line,
absence of cowl guns, and the prominent chin
intake. The one-piece canopy is classic Bf109
with quite heavy framing and small panels. It
isn’t as clear as the best out there so it’s worth
rooting through the spares box. While masking
from scratch wouldn’t be too difficult, in this
case a Peewit set (ref. M72012) designed for the
Special Hobby kit was used for convenience,
although it’s likely that other Bf 109 sets would
be pretty close.
Wing construction is conventional too, made up
of a one-piece lower panel and separate uppers,
and while it’s often the case that the best fit at the
wing root is achieved by adding the upper panels
after the lower one is glued in place, in this case a
trial assembly suggested that building the wing
up before fitting the fuselage would work well
enough. Both wing halves have serious knockout
marks, which potentially interfere with the fit,
so need to be removed, and the wing internal
structure is completed by adding the radiator
housings and their optionally-positionable exit
flaps. Specific to the Buchón are the wing fences
placed at around half span, and although there
are no scribed marks to show where, just inboard
of the leading edge slats looked right.
Whilst the instructions would have the builder
add the undercarriage at this point, it was left

The kit comes on two frames of 71 parts, with a single one-piece canopy.

The decal sheet includes a seat harness and the black lining on the
cowling.

Engraved surface detail is excellent. Sidewall detail is nicely moulded directly onto the fuselage halves.

The inner wings have the large knockout marks often seen on AZ kits,
and which need to be removed to allow the parts to fit. The completed cockpit is typical of the Bf109 family.

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BUCHÓN

The characteristic longitudinal joint line on the spine was reinstated The masks for the fuselage stripe are included in the Peewit set and are
by scribing, using thick vinyl tape as a guide. a neat touch. More masking will be applied around them just in case!

off in anticipation of the handling involved in
painting and decaling. The horizontal tailplanes
are called up as almost a final addition, these
having tongues to fit into recesses in the
fuselage and interestingly suggesting an
alternative fitting of tailplane struts à la early Bf
109, which weren’t fitted to the Buchón. These,
together with different weapons represent a
movie version, which would need different
markings, a related boxing for which would be
the ‘Air Show special’ kit (ref. AZ7670), which has
three notional Luftwaffe markings. The Spanish
Buchón habitually carried four double-deck
launchers for unguided rockets, which were very
delicate and quite difficult to clean up.
For the airframe chosen, that of Mapi 71o5, of 71
Escuadron, Los Rodeos, Tenerife, Canary Islands.
1958, painting is very straightforward, being a
single overall blue. The model received the usual
grey primer courtesy of a Halfords rattle can
and after some remediation and polishing, the
rudder was painted white and masked and the
final colour was sprayed in several thin coats of
Mr Hobby Blue Angels Blue (H328). These aircraft
were essentially peacetime flyers, so no serious
weathering was contemplated, only relatively
modest fading of the blue upper surfaces as a
nod to the Iberian sun. The overall blue marking
schemes include a shaped black stripe running
rearwards from the exhaust stubs, and although
these are provided as decals, the Peewit masking
set also includes masks to spray them, which was
the option chosen here.
Finishing off was the addition of the typical
Bf109-style undercarriage, which was given lead
wire brake lines, and adding two of the four
rocket launch rails (I’d broken one!) and a pair of
rockets on each.
This is a tidy enough kit from AZ of an
interesting variant in the Bf 109 family
although it does need a bit more work than
some of the market leaders. Thanks to AZ for
the review sample.

28 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Scale 1/48

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 29
1/48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110B-1
Jon Tabinor
backdates Eduard’s 1/48
re-issue of Messerschmitt’s
famous Zerstörer
bIg MOuThEd bErTha
Bf 110C
Kit No: 8209
Scale: 1/48
Type: injection moulded
with photoetch and masks
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
A
couple of months ago, the editor sent
me Eduard’s re-released 2007-vintage Bf
110C. In the box it all looked very nice,
but it has a certain reputation for badly-fitting
engine nacelles, although I believe Eduard
fiddled with these in later boxings to improve
things. As it seemed I might be wrestling with
fit, and given my penchant for alternatives,
I started to think about a conversion to the
earlier Bf 110B version. Like the Bf 109B, C and
D, early 110s were powered initially by Junkers
Jumo 210 engines while the more powerful
Daimler Benz DB601 was put into production.
This gave the Bf 110B, the Bertha in German
military phonetics, big chin-radiators and small
oil coolers. I quickly purchased Valiant Wing’s
excellent reference on the Bf 110 as it included
plans for the Bertha and details that were
proving hard to source online. Coupled with
the B’s rounded wingtips and slightly different
spinners, it looked a tantalising possibility and
the new features seemed simple enough.
30 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
The radiator areas to remove for the blanking
panels. Removing the forward curved lip
makes for a simpler joint with a supporting tab.
The rest of the model could be built from the box,
which even included parts for early C versions
applicable to the B (the original 2007 boxing
made use of these, but this later reissue doesn’t).
Most of the conversion work was in the wings
and nacelles. I started by removing the lower-
wing locations for the C’s radiators and added
plastic card ledges to fit new Plasticard blanking
panels – even the radiators’ rear fairings on
the flaps weren’t too difficult to deal with. I
was happy that the overall shape of the upper
forward cowlings seemed the same for both
variants, and quickly determined that I could
modify the kit’s lower cowling parts to become
the new Jumo undersides, by literally squashing
them flatter and filling the oil-cooler trough.
To create the new radiator housings I cut flat
Plasticard panels and curved them over a thick
Plasticard bulkhead, which would serve as the
front face of the radiator itself.
The radiator fairing’s front intake section had
a compound curve, so small darts were cut
into the flat panel. It was bent to shape while
taped into place over the bulkhead and set
using gel superglue.
Nacelle halves have 2.5 mm removed aft of
where cowling was. I use a sliver of Dymo tape
as a guide, scribed along – almost through it,
then razor sawed it away.
Superglue and talc filler mix was then used to
blend the intake shape both outside and inside.
The flaps at each housing’s rear were cut away
to add later and the slope inside them made
by bending the nacelle undersides up a little.
I did this with the unglued nacelle halves just
taped together, as it was easier to make the cuts
required with access to the nacelles’ insides too.
The Jumo was slightly shorter than the DB601,
so I truncated the nacelles by cutting away the
cowlings from them and removing a 2.5mm
wide strip of nacelle behind.
The new radiator bulkheads had already been
shaped to fit inside the nacelle fronts to support
them, and together with two stout tabs glued
inside, rejoining things wasn’t difficult. I glued
the rear pieces of each nacelle first, then slid
them onto the taped-together wings. The
fuselage was taped too, and the wings taped
onto that to create a mocked-up airframe. Each
joined cowling front was fitted to its nacelle rear
and aligned to be square, both in plan and front
elevations. The ready-formed radiator fairings
could now be added to the nacelles.

I felt they needed some more internal support,
so a false rear-bulkhead was made to provide
this. Eduard stainless steel mesh was cut to make
the radiators’ front matrices and glued in place.
The radiators’ flaps would totally hide their rear
faces so these were left blank.
Nacelle conversion overview. The modified
halves show the cutout areas for the rear of the
new radiator housing, while the lower cowling
has been flattened and filled. (That’s superglue
and talc filler at the top, all you Scarface fans).
The new bulkhead helps form the radiator
housing shape and gives internal support.
Blanking infills for the wing are being test
fitted here.
A composite pic to show how the housing is
filled inside and out smoothing its shape.
The old underside has its oil-cooler troughs
filled and makes the Jumo nacelle’s new
bottom.
Wing tip rounding. Plans were useful here as
the shape is not a true semi-circle but a very
subtle curve. This is the thick core attaching to
the two brass rods.
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Much filling followed, followed by much
sanding, followed by ‘much words’ when further
filling was needed. Actually, given my highly
unscientific work methods, it all worked pretty
well. Rescribing panel lines and adding new
ones was laborious because I kept forgetting
panels that needed filling or moving, so I ended
up going over areas several times. I also realised
the exhaust bases needed adding, so once cut
to match the shortened cowlings, they were
superglued in, filled and sanded to blend in.
New locations for the Jumo exhausts were then
marked and drilled. This was all much simpler to
do because the nacelles were still separate from
the wings giving easy access to both sides. The
Bf 110B had prop spinners with rounded tips
and small air inlets. Lacking two Bf 109E blunt-
capped spinners (the simplest way to create
them I’d say in retrospect), I glued brass tube
into the kit ones. Then I gobbed on superglue
and talc filler, chucked them into my cordless
‘Not-Dremel’ and spin-sanded them to shape.
The new radiator housing is cut and gently
bent round the bulkhead. Ledges are cut into
the nacelle side to allow it to fit flush. Hatch
flap areas will be removed, and the front is
already darted for bending.
Steel mesh for the radiator matrix plus the
second faux-bulkhead added for the housing
to glue to, which maintained its shape by
stopping it springing up at the rear.
The central core is attached along the wingtip
centreline, and then bulked out with more
Plasticard either side.
M A R C H 2024
1/48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110B-1
Eduard have you add delicate undercarriage
support struts through holes in the main gear
wells before joining the wing halves. Fearing
these wouldn’t survive the incredible amounts
of dry fitting going on, I backed the holes
with Plasticard and decided to fit them much
later. A tip for anyone building the kit, stock or
otherwise here – open up all the holes in the
undercarriage bays a little with a slightly wider
drill bit. It makes life oh-so-less awful later. I
installed the wing-radiator blanking panels and
filled any gaps. The deep valley that was the flap
hinge caused endless trouble here, and despite
my efforts it’s still not perfect. The wing halves
had little to align them to each other, so I fitted
small brass rods in each wing-root tab to act as
stout locators. Once joined the wings were left
to dry thoroughly.
The Bf 110B fuselage is by contrast, simplicity
itself. It’s the same as the early C version, so
the gunner’s position needs to have the earlier
fairing, which allowed the defensive MG-15 to
roll down to starboard for stowage.
Here the housing is taped in position with
plastic vees superglued into the darts to form
and set the front shape.
The Bf110 C wing and nacelle at front, and
the B at rear. Cleaner aerodynamics and more
powerful DB601 engines in the C raised speed
from 268 to 336mph!
The resulting triple stack is slightly thicker
than the wing, allowing it to be sanded down
to shape perfectly.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 31
1/48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110B-1
Removing the rear control surfaces was fiddly
with those internal mass balance arms, but the
result gave a little animation to the otherwise
slippery but somewhat plain fuselage.
The early-style gunner’s rear decking had a
trough to stow the MG-15 gun. This is in the
kit as it was used on early C’s as well as the
B. Like many parts it needed a little filler to
blend in.
The plastic shims added along the lower
halves of the wings to increase the dihedral.
Nacelles added and filled. This outer edge
took a bit of work because the removal of the
radiator housing left a small, thin gap. Note
the wheel-well wall rib inserts that stiffen the
whole area up.
32 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
I assembled as many cockpit parts into
subunits as I could to ease painting. Sidewalls
were attached into the fuselage to stop any
gaps showing.
The nose is not the kit’s best area, requiring
shims, removal of location tabs and some
form of internal support for the gun barrels if
you want to add them later.
With wings on and tape setting the dihedral,
the wonky tail was revealed. The fix was a
lollipop-stick jig to hold the tailplane level
while it set (with the wings at any rate).
Hot plastic-melting cement is a godsend here
as the gap is big. My ‘anti-tip’ device for the
bottle is a roll of old Revell masking tape.
Eduard’s etch does the job here nicely with
a little careful painting and washes to give a
not-too-grubby finish.
Exhaust base shortened and added at top.
Filled and blended in the middle and then
being redrilled at the base for the new
exhaust locations. The awful rescribing was
redone a few times.
Spinners for the B are unique, and lacking
anything better as a base, I filled the kit’s ones
and sanded them on my motor tool.
Carb intakes were carved from soft sprue. The
shape is somewhat deceptive and it took a
few hours before I was happy with them.

Had I looked properly at the Valiant Wings book,
I’d have seen that the B cockpit was somewhat
different to the C – a bit less consoled, a bit
more ‘thirties’ – but I didn’t see the drawings
until I’d built and painted it all. To save time, and
reasoning they wouldn’t be fitted in an aircraft
at rest, I omitted all the cannon and machine
gun magazines from the cockpit. I also attached
the side walls to the fuselage sides first, as I was
worried that the instruction’s directions to build
them into a tub might give a gappy appearance
when inserted. As ever, Eduard’s photoetch
provided more than adequate extra detail,
although the cockpit parts had a lot of mould
seams that needed scraping away. Indeed many
parts were just starting to betray their age in
this fashion, with a little mould misalignment
noticeable on some finer parts too.
One area where something really hasn’t aged
well is the upper and lower nose section’s fit. A
lip moulded into these supposedly attaches to
the front of the fuselage, but it’s ill-defined and
fouls the fit rather than aids it. Ditto with the
tabs to align the top to bottom. I sanded them
all off and used the gun platform as the locator.
With all the shortened exhausts superglued
on, I sanded them back to give a uniform
outer appearance and then spent ‘some time’
finessing them with a scalpel tip and Swiss files.
Underwing oil coolers were made from
Plasticard and detailed using spare grills from
the kits PE set. The carb intake is added too
and holes drilled in the nacelle sides following
references.
Painting this scheme is really just careful
masking. It’s time consuming but patience
gives a nice sharp finish. The rear of each
spinner was painted in 71 Schwarzgrun later
as that seemed to match other units.
Beforehand I added a Plasticard guide inside to
support the gun barrels (why would you add
whole guns, then seal up the nose, so they can
be broken off ). It all needed filling and sanding
of course, as did the panel inserts under the
fuselage for the cartridge shutes
Back to the wings, and the final part of the
Bf 110B makeover, the rounded wingtips. I
copied these from the book’s plans onto 1mm
thick plastic sheet, then trimmed away the C’s
squared wing tips. Brass tube was inserted into
holes drilled in the wing ends and the new ones
slipped onto them in notches, fixed with gel
superglue. Thinner plastic sheet was super glued
either side of this central core to bring it up to
the wing’s thickness, and it was sanded to shape.
Amusement followed when the wings were test
fitted to the fuselage. With nacelles dry fitted, it
transpired the dihedral required to square them
to the ground, viewed from the front, was more
than their tabs produced.
Finishing touches on the radiator housings.
The flaps at rear were a pain to install as they
both curve and angle in. The intake support
rod at the font was the finishing touch giving
a characteristically gap-toothed look.
A simple improvement for any 110 model is
to add brass blast tunnels for the two 20 mm
cannon, otherwise the area is rather open.
Just superglue in and then sand back.
HiPM’s 25 year old 1/48 P-51H decal sheet had
the exact yellow colour I needed to match the
Mr Colour 04 Gelb spinners. Xtradecal white
strip was applied first, then the yellow cut
slightly narrower.
M A R C H 2024
1/48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110B-1
I added shims of Plasticard to the lower halves of
each wing joint, which forced them ‘up’ enough
to align the nacelles. While this was setting, I also
tested the tailplane alignment and it was wonky.
Now this could have been me getting the wing
dihedrals uneven, but I triple checked this and I
think the fuselage at the rear slightly misaligns
pushing one tail plane up and t’other down.
A jig made from lollipop sticks allowed the tail
empennage to set up level, and the fuselage
top where they attached was filled and sanded
flat. I’d removed ailerons and rudders already,
to reattach them at a slight offset adding a
small touch of interest. The Bf 110 is a rather
sleek beast, and needs its serpentine slinkiness
disrupting to give it a bit of life – well to my eyes
at least.
‘All we hear is radio Ja, Ja!’ Wiring was quite
visible in the central canopy from the aerial
to the radio apparatus, so it was added from
stretched sprue and scrap. The other bits are
in the kit which is a nice touch.
I colour tested several mixes before I was
happy with ‘my’ 70 and 71 colours. I claim no
accuracy other than they look right against
each other, are tonally close but chromatically
different. My 65 Hellblau is probably too
bright but looks nice!
The unmodified exhaust is still on the sprue
nub here, with a modified one tacked atop.
The finished item looks OK in photos (but so
do I). I should have planned this area better.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 33
1/48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110B-1
With wings and tail set, filled and made good, I
could finally add the nacelles. By trimming back
the internal leading edge that each nacelle slips
over, I found the nacelles would push back just
a tad more for a slightly better fit. I used EMA
Model Plastic Weld for these joints as it’s extra
hot and helps fill gaps with solvent-melted
plastic. The joins around the undercarriage-
bay sides were awful though. They are springy
and don’t fit until you add the detailed inner
wheel-well walls, which firm things up restoring
calm to the frazzled modelling brain. Because
I’d removed the C version’s underwing radiators,
some filling was required along each nacelle’s
lower outside edge where it met my infill.
The small wing oil coolers were scratch built and
installed, and the large carb intakes atop each
nacelle were carved from some large-diameter
soft-plastic sprue I found and glued in place.
More filling, sanding, re-scribing and priming
now followed (if this were a theatrical show, the
curtains would close here and you could all have
an ice cream or stiff drink).
34 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
A final coat of Mr Finishing Surfacer 1500 Gray
showed it was ready for paint. I’d pondered the
markings for a while, but as the B’s operational
schemes were all 70/71 splinter over 65, I felt
I had time. It would really be down to what I
could find in terms of codes and unit insignia.
Fortunately Grzegorz Mazurowski (that’s Mr
Arma Hobby, and a damn fine chap) had seen
my efforts and mentioned a Bf 110B was shot
down on 3 September 1939 at Nadma, near
Warsaw by a PZL P.11c flown by Lt Wojciech
Januszewicz. It was L1+FL from 3(Z)/LG1 and
flown by Grzegorz’s namesake Unteroffizier
Sigismund Mazurowski with navigator
Unteroffizier Günter Lother, both of whom died.
Januszewicz fought four 110s that day, and also
shot down two Ju 87s before escaping Poland
to France, and then to Britain to fly with 303
squadron. He died on 5 October 1940, flying
Hurricane P3892, when he was shot down in
flames by Bf 109s over Stowting in Kent.
Usefully Techmod had a sheet for the same unit’s
Bf 110C with codes that could be cobbled and
the wolf’s head nose insignia.
The white-outlined yellow ‘F’ codes would
need to be made from decal stock. So I had an
operational machine with history, and more
I had markings. Camouflage was airbrushed
using a selection of Gunze and Tamiya lacquers.
I mixed my own versions of all three shades as
the ones I had from the bottle didn’t seem quite
right, especially when all paired. Painting was
relatively simple, if masking-tape intensive, and
I kept wear and tear to a minimum reasoning
that the aircraft was barely three days into the
war and would have been looked after well
beforehand (Zerstörer units were elite bodies in
the Luftwaffe, so their mounts were pampered).
After a couple of gloss coats, Techmod’s
decals went down. I’ve had no problem with
them before but these were temperamental
when it came to setting solutions and water
temperature. Eventually I found that a brief dip
in very hot water maintained their flexibility and
that AMMO Ultra Decal Set 1 and 2 got them to
snuggle in without shrivelling up, or cracking, or
randomly shedding their carrier film!

By contrast each ‘F’ was six pieces of decal strip
and though fiddly, was without issue. I made the
top wings’ ones too small, but they were set solid
by the time I noticed. I made sure the underwing
black ‘F’s were larger though. Another gloss
seal, some light oil washes and a semi-matt
varnish top coat gave a finished airframe. I’d
already painted the undercarriage and props.
The canopy had been masked and painted and
the collapsable gun mount detailed. Even the
wooden section on the aerial mast was done
and I’d installed some extra radio wiring inside
the canopy to prove the Funkgerät was very
much non-WiFi back then. Plain sailing then, just
the exhausts to add…
… I knew the exhausts were different but had
assumed I could flip the upward-pointing outer
exhausts from left to right, so all four sets pointed
down. A little trimming of their length would
give the right look. Not quite. Close inspection
showed the Jumo’s exhausts didn’t angle back
as much as the DB601’s, nor did they stick out
as much. My ‘flip and clip’ job became far more
complex as each exhaust was cut to a new angle
and had its attachment end shortened. I lost
three and had to carve new ones.
1/48 MESSERSCHMITT BF 110B-1
I’d thought it was an afternoon’s work: it took
a day and a half. Some sanding and repainting
followed, which is a polite way of saying I
swore a lot. I bet not many people can say that
installing this kit’s undercarriage was actually
light relief, but after the exhausts it was. To be
fair to Eduard, it looks complex but fits well if you
are patient, as do the undercarriage doors.
From there it was canopies, guns, DF finder and
Lorenz towel-rack aerial on. Small wingtip lights
were added from tinted PVA. Even rigging the
aerial wire twice didn’t seem too bad a task to
finish off – pull the elastic thread taught enough
to look ‘scale’ and the aerial bends back in a
verboten ‘go-faster’ fashion. All done and sitting
there it does look really good. The early-war
thin Balkenkreuz, the splinter camo, the yellow
third-Staffel markings all combine with those
big radiators to give it a suitably, and subtly, Also includes parts/decals to model Swiss “Rega” version
different look to the Bf 110 we all know. It was a 04969 Airbus H145 ADAC Air Rescue, 1:32
lot more work than I’d anticipated and, in truth,
just finishing it was a relief. Would I do it again?
Nein, der Zerstörer für mich ‘is over’!
Many thanks to Eduard for the kit and to
Grzegorz Mazurowski for the additional
reference material.
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03813 Dassault Mirage 2000C, 1:48
Parts are pre-coloured, so do not have to be painted
03653 Messerschmitt Bf109G-6 (easy-click), 1:32
Features working lights and sound. Parts pre-coloured
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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 35
BOPHUTHSTSWANA AIR FORCE
Leopard Spotting
Leopard Spotting
A History of the
Bophuthstswana Air Force
By Daniel Kowalczuk
The leopard and crossed spears – the official
emblem of the Bophuthatswana Defence
Force and Air Force.
The national flag of Republic of
Bophuthatswana was prominently visible
on all types of aircraft.
The official flag of the Bophuthatswana
Defence Force, conversely, was never
displayed on any of the Bophuthatswana
Air Force inventory.
F
or a brief period of time in the late 1980s
and early 1990s military aircraft enthusiasts
were able to observe the development of air
forces in the proxy ‘homelands’, a vain attempt
by apartheid South Africa to legitimize its
policies of race segregation. To tackle a subject
as politically sensitive as the mere existence of
any of the four nominally independent armed
forces within the borders of the Republic of
South Africa at this period is a very difficult task.
This article addresses the Bophuthatswana Air
Force as a historical curiosity in postcolonial
Africa, and a very fascinating curiosity for that
matter indeed.
SOUTH AFRICAN ‘HOMELANDS’ –
MILITARY OVERVIEW
The four homelands granted full ‘independence’
by Pretoria (Ciskei, Transkei, Venda and
Bophuthatswana) developed fully-fledged
36 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
armed forces, in some instances including
such sophisticated units as paratroopers,
Special Forces, and functioning air forces.
The governments of the homelands tried to
portray themselves as separate countries, even
attempting to establish international relations,
not always in line with Pretoria. Three out of
the four (Bophuthatswana, Ciskei and Transkei)
had their own national civilian airlines, one of
the reasons being that in case of emergency
their aircraft were to be used in militarised
operations, hypothetically fully controlled by
South African Air Forces. These homelands
also developed postal services, with highly
collectible stamps, providing a useful source of
income for their governments.
For military enthusiasts, scale modellers,
historians and military artefacts collectors the
South African homelands provide the whole
spectrum of studies: full regalia, badges, patches,
medals and uniforms. The air forces all had
their unique markings and so on. ‘Independent’
homelands were absorbed into the Rainbow
Nation after the elections of 1994 and the
collapse of the old order.
REPUBLIC OF BOPHUTHATSWANA
IN BRIEF
By far the most complicated of all the
homelands, and divided into no less than seven
separate enclaves, Bophuthatswana exemplified
the widely used term ‘bantustanisation’ (the
unequal distribution of land and the consequent
dispossession and economic disempowerment
of the black majority by a variety of
‘legal’ means). Bophuthatswana covered
approximately 40,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi) in Cape
Province, Transvaal and Orange Free State. Six
of the enclaves were located relatively close
(three in Cape Province and three in Transvaal).
The seventh enclave was in the Orange Free
State, hundreds of kilometres away - squeezed
between the municipality of Bloemfontein and
the independent country of Lesotho.
A Pilatus PC-7 exhibited during an air show.
Pretoria in general tried to avoid homelands
sharing international borders with recognised
countries. However, one of Bophuthatswana’s
enclaves bordered Botswana (by far the
least dangerous of the then-South Africa’s
neighbours). Two other enclaves were practically
suburbs of Pretoria itself (the notorious
townships of Rankuwa and Mabopane), with
others providing cheap labour for Rustenburg
and Bloemfontein.
These arrangements were actually contradicting
the very idea of separation, but real-politik
prevailed here over racially-motivated theories.
The government in fact, added various pieces of
land into Bophuthatswana during its existence,
like the seventh enclave and the famous city of
Mafeking - the later after an actual referendum
in 1980.
The capital city, Mmabatho, was situated in
the enclave bordering Botswana. In 1990 the
population was estimated at approximately 2.4
million, with Tswana, Afrikaans, and English all
constitutionally granted the status of official
languages.
BOPHUTHATSWANA’S ARMED FORCES -
BACKGROUND
When the South African government was
planning for internal security services in
the newly established ‘fully independent’
homelands, they justified it by allegedly citing
the example of the British colonial authorities.
Pretoria was planning to follow broadly the same
road map as the British Empire in Swaziland,
Lesotho, and Botswana after granting them
independence.
It should be borne in mind that the armed forces
of Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Transkei and Venda
only existed for nineteen years (1975-1994).
Even more impressive is the fact, that despite
this relatively short (and very turbulent) period,
some formations of these security forces reached
a level of training and efficiency far higher than

most of the ‘recognised’ armed forces in the
countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.
REPUBLIC OF BOPHUTHATSWANA
TIMELINE
1961 - Creation of the ‘homeland’ for the Tswana
nation, ruled by the Tswana Territorial Authority
1971 - Nominal self-rule
1972 - First elections to the TTA
1977 - Lucas Mangope, the chairman of the
Bophuthatswana Democratic Party, becomes
first and only president, after securing a majority
in elections
1988 - Military coup led by Rocky Malebane-
Metsing of the People’s Progressive Party.
Metsing was president of Bophuthatswana for
one day
1990 - Popular unrest, sometimes described as a
‘second coup’
1994 - The ‘Bophuthatswana Crisis’, a third
coup and the collapse of the Republic of
Bophuthatswana.
Mangope deposed and Bophuthatswana
incorporated into the new, democratic, South
Africa.
BOPHUTHATSWANA DEFENCE FORCE -
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
The land element of the BDF came into being
very early, in 1976. The initial purpose of setting
up the security forces in Bophuthatswana was to
fulfil mainly ceremonial duties, with basic security
provided for the government as well. These
humble beginnings saw the establishment of the
Bophuthatswana National Guard unit, with a half-
company of 125 soldiers. In December 1976, 250
selected volunteers formed cadres for the future
BNG/BDF under the control of South African
Defence Force (SADF) North-Western Command
at Potchefstroom. Out of that initial pool, only half
were later selected to be commissioned into the
BNG proper. All of them were recruited from the
Batswana ethnic group.
Under political pressure, the SADF and the
Bophuthatswana government were both rushing
for the BNG to be ready for the Independence
Day events scheduled for 6 December 1977. The
uniforms, equipment, small arms and ceremonial
guns, were all borrowed from the SADF and
the whole unit was roughly thrown together
under the command of SADF NCOs, with the
sole aim of being ready to participate in the
Independence Day parade. The main problem
for the BNG was money, which was in such
short supply that they had not been assigned
their own barracks and were stationed within
presidential office buildings.
Slowly but surely the BNG was transformed
into the Bophuthatswana Defence Force,
officially being established on 30 November
1979. In charge of this embryonic organisation
was a man well familiar with the reality of
Bophuthatswana - Brigadier Riekert, since
1977 official military advisor to the president
of Bophuthatswana Lukas M. Mangope, and
seconded by the SADF. Riekert became Minister
of Defence, with English speaking SADF Colonel
Jack Turner as BDF Chief of Staff (Note: the first
BOPHUTHSTSWANA AIR FORCE
European language for the vast majority of the
BDF’s native NCOs and officers was, like everywhere
in South Africa, English, and not the universally-
hated Afrikaans).
Much later, in 1990, three military areas were
finally fully established:
• 1st Military Area, in which the main unit
was the 1st Infantry Battalion (based at
Molopo) and the BDF Parachute Battalion
(at Lehuru Tshe).
• 2nd Military Area. The main unit here
was the 2nd Infantry Battalion (based
at Mankwe), with a group of company
strength at Bafokeng military base and
the same at the base at Odi. A pair of Pilatus PC-7s during a training flight.
(Press photo)
• rd
3 Military Area was organised around
the bases at Thaba’Nchu and Taung in
company strength. There was a plan
to establish a 3rd Infantry Battalion,
scheduled to be based in this area.
BOPHUTHATSWANA AIR FORCE
One should remember that the establishment
of a viable air element of the BDF was due to
planning, logistics and implementing by the
SAAF (South African Air Force), however the
choice of actual aircraft had nothing to do with
The CASA C212-300 Aviocar in camouflage
the latter’s inventory, with the exception of the
markings. Towards the end of the Homeland’s
ubiquitous Alouette III helicopters. In fact the
existence this machine was repainted in a
‘shopping list’ for quickly expanding the BDF air
dark green colour scheme).
component could be summed up as ‘we buy any
plane’, to paraphrase a certain UK advertising
campaign of recent years.
This was of course determined by the trade
embargo implemented on South Africa’s ruling
government by anti-apartheid countries across
the globe, but this ban had its ‘leakages’, as the
development of the SAAF through the sanction
years proved, and the same was to be the case
for Bophuthatswana.
Buying mixed aircraft from various sources
(France, Spain, West Germany / Germany, USA and The Pilatus PC-6, purchased in March 1990,
Switzerland) resulted in a logistical nightmare. was a well-known and appreciated ‘safari
Not only spare parts, but also essential materials taxi’ in Africa.
such as lubricants, oils etc, were very often not
interchangeable. The only exceptions here were
the Alouette III helicopters, still present in the
SAAF inventory, and therefore it was possible to
get SAAF support in this matter.
The story of the air element of the BDF is truly
remarkable. Within twelve years (1982-1994),
it evolved from a liaison/communication air
component of the BDF (established 19 March The Pilatus PC-6, purchased in March 1990,
was a well-known and appreciated ‘safari
1981) to the Bophuthatswana Air Force,
theoretically and practically capable of deploying taxi’ in Africa.
airborne Special Forces units and paratroopers.
ROTARY-WINGED ASSETS
The first BDF Air Component aircraft was the
‘bush taxi’ of the Rhodesian War - the Alouette
III, acquired in 1981 and followed by another
example two years later. In Bophuthatswana
its purpose was to provide support for the
expanding land element of the BDF, as well as The Panteravia P68B Observer. The biggest
transporting military and civilian/government selling point for the BDF was the fully-
personnel. However, due to its restricted glassed cabin affording an excellent field of
capacity for providing the latter, the BDF Air observation.
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 37
BOPHUTHSTSWANA AIR FORCE

Component expanded further. For Rhodesians

and South Africans the Alouette was the
workhorse of all wars in the region fought from
the late 60s to the late 80s. The two aircraft
operated by the BDF were T200, acquired 5
October 1981 and damaged in a crash on 21
August 1985, and T240, acquired 1983.

Soon after the acquisition of the second

Alouette, the need to serve the country’s
dignitaries resulted in the purchase of an AS355F
Ecureuil helicopter, acquired 29th September
1982 and sold 17th July 1992. This was to serve
the Bophuthatswana Air Component (since 1987
‘Air Wing’) until it was replaced by a SA365N1
Dauphin, acquired 27th May 1987. The latter
became the personal aircraft of President Lucas
Mangope, so it remained in civilian livery.

More important purchases of rotorcraft

were the MBB BK117A-3 helicopters, T250
and T260, which were incorporated into the
Bophuthatswana Air Wing in 1987. This allowed Detailed map of the Republic of Bophuthatswana, clearly showing the fragmented territory of
the BAW to undertake airborne operations at this homeland.
squad level, with the additional advantage
of being able to transport wounded soldiers,
in the BDF, patrolling vast protected areas on
to provide medical help in remote areas and
anti-poaching duties, and transporting BDF
support anti-poaching patrols. The BK117
and governmental dignitaries to more remote
helicopters were taken over by the SAAF in
locations within and outside the territory of
1994, being incorporated into the famous 15
Bophuthatswana.
Squadron SAAF (special operations unit).

Important from a modelling standpoint is that ADVANCED TRAINING AND COIN

apart from taking off the Bophuthatswana
national markings on becoming part of the
SAAF, these helicopters stayed in the same
camouflage as applied during their homeland
service. The two ex-BAW BK117s were not the
only helicopters of this type inherited by the
‘new’ SAAF. Other homelands also used them
before 1994, and an additional eight examples
were passed to the SAAF’s 15 Squadron: three
from Ciskei, and two each from the former Venda
and Transkei air forces.
LIAISON AND LIGHT
RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
In 1982 the government was debating
which aircraft within its budgetary capacity
would be most suitable for longer distance
communication flights and military
reconnaissance. The secondary role would be to
patrol the vast areas prone to poaching, a task
much easier from the air. Finally, two American
Helio Couriers were added to the inventory in
March 1982. These soldiered on, largely without
controversy, for the next three years.
1982 was also important in other aspect. The
BDF Air Element incorporated surely the most
original of all of its inventory – the twin-engine
Panteravia P68B Observers, which were very
peculiar machines indeed. The biggest selling
point for the BDF was the fully-glassed cabin
(including nose) affording an excellent field of
observation. Secondary factors were short take-
off and landing. Neither airframes remained until
the end of Bophuthatswana’s existence, being
sold on commercial markets in 1991.
Conversely, the Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter
purchased in March 1990 was a well-known
and appreciated ‘safari taxi’ in Africa. The single
Swiss-made aircraft enjoyed rather dull service
AIRCRAFT
Three Pilatus PC-7 Turbos were delivered
in January 1990 and arguably became the
propaganda ‘poster boys’ of the Bophuthatswana
Air Force. They ended up plastered all over
aircraft magazines worldwide. The actual reason 10th Anniversary postcard, depicting an
for buying them was to enable the advanced Alouette III in action.
training of pilots in semi-combat operations,
mainly COIN and the pursuit of poachers.
The three PC-7s also showcased the
Bophuthatswana Air Force’s existence at various
exhibitions and air shows in South Africa, their
pilots presenting them in formation, though not
however advanced enough to be classified as a
proper acrobatic team.
In many air forces the PC-7 is also an important
step in preparing future jet fighters pilots,
but this was obviously not the case in
Bophuthatswana. Curiously enough, the SAAF
subsequently ordered as many as sixty of the 10th Anniversary postcard showing a
type, initially assigned to the SAAF’s Central BK117 during a low flying exercise over
Flying School in Langebaanweg. Following the water.
demise of Bophuthatswana the three PC-7s
saw only very brief service at Langebaanweg,
presumably because the SAAF’s machines were
PC-7 Mk II Astras. All three were later exchanged
with Pilatus for a single new PC-12
TRANSPORT AND PARATROOP
AIRCRAFT
The two heaviest military-grade aircraft
employed were the CASA212 Aviocar and
the Airtech CN235, both acquired with BDF
paratroop training in mind. The first example,
a CASA212-200, was purchased directly 10th Anniversary postcard showing the
from Spain in April 1985, and in 1988 it was Pilatus PC-6 flying over a clearly very dry
followed by the upgraded CASA212-300 field of crops.

38 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 GREAT WORLD
OF SMALL AIRCRAFT
ALL NEW MODELS FROM METAL MOLDS - PRODUCTION 2023

! !
(

!
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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 39
79
77
BOPHUTHSTSWANA AIR FORCE

version. The CASA212-200 was painted in the

‘traditional’ brown-olive/green camouflage
of the Bophuthatswana Air Force, while the
CASA212-300 had a dark green scheme applied,
together with much larger national insignia, in
comparison to its smaller cousin.

The story behind the biggest of the three

- Airtech CN235 T330 - is truly remarkable.
This airframe’s factory serial number was 001,
and was an actual demonstration aircraft,
purchased by Bophuthatswana directly at the
Paris Air Show in 1989. How much this was
influenced by the SAAF wanting to evaluate the
type for possible future acquisition, and how
much was an independent decision, remains to
be revealed.

BDF PARACHUTE BATTALION
By far the most tactically advanced and
interesting unit of all homelands’ security
forces, the BDF parachute battalion consisted
of one (reinforced) parachute company and
two infantry companies. The very existence of
such an advanced unit in the ranks of the BDF
is a testament to their level of military training.
The BDF paratroopers commenced their courses
in 1989 at the SADF base in Bloemfontein. In
1993, one year before the end of the BDF as an
organisation, the first paras received their BDF
wings after completing their course at the BDF’s
Mmabatho Air Base. The paras used both the
CASAs and the Airtech CN235, the later with
a capacity of forty. Thus the BDF was able to
conduct platoon-size operations.
VIP AND CIVILIAN AIRCRAFT
For long and overseas flights, the
Bophuthatswana government purchased
three aircraft. The biggest, and the ‘flagship’,
Grumman Gulfstream G1159, was assigned
as personal presidential aircraft to Lucas
Mangope. Two others were a Cessna 550
Citation II and a Cessna Caravan. All had civilian
registration numbers (the Cessna Caravan was
registered in South Africa).
Before the official ‘incorporation’ of Mafikeng
into the territory of Bophuthatswana, there
was a small airline operating called Mafikeng
Air Service (1978-79). Likewise in Mmabatho
the Mmabatho Air Service was operational
up until 1986. These were later merged into
Bop Air, which in turn in 1994 (the year of
Bophuthatswana’s demise) became known as
Sun Air – servicing the gambling capital of South
Africa, Sun City. In 1999 Sun Air was liquidated.
POSTAGE STAMPS
In 1990, for the 10th anniversary of the
Bophuthatswana Air Force, the Bophuthatswana
postal authorities printed a series of
commemorative stamps and cards. These five
items (showing the Alouette III, BK117, PC-
6/7 and CASA 212) are invaluable reference
for painting models. All pictured aircraft are
in full colour and the photos themselves
are of excellent quality. Earlier, in 1986, the
Bophuthatswana postal service also printed a
series of four stamps depicting civilian aircraft.
Commemorative postcard with stamps promoting Bop Air, the civilian airline of Bophuthatswana
founded in 1986, after the merging of two smaller, local air services.
INVENTORY
T100 - Helio H295 Courier, acquired 17.03.1982
T110 - Helio H295 Courier, acquired 17.03.1982
T180 - Panteravia P68B Observer, acquired 1983,
sold 01.1991 Panteravia P68B Observer, as it appeared in
T190 - Panteravia P68B Observer, acquired 1983. (courtesy of aeropinakes.com)
7.04.1982, sold 01.1991
T200 - Alouette III, acquired 5.10.1981, damaged
in crash 21.08.1985
T240 - Alouette III acquired 1983
T250 - MBB BK117A3 acquired 27.05.1987
T260 - MBB BK117A3 acquired 27.05.1987
T300 - CASA C212-200 Aviocar, acquired CASA C212-300 in the scheme it carried by
24.04.1985 1994. (courtesy of aeropinakes.com)
T310 - CASA C212-300 Aviocar, acquired 1988
T320 - Pilatus PC-6, acquired 03.1990
T330 - Airtech CN235, acquired 9.01.1991
T400 - Pilatus PC-7 Turbo, acquired 01.1990
T410 - Pilatus PC-7 Turbo, acquired 01.1990
T420 - Pilatus PC-7 Turbo, acquired 01.1990
AS355F Ecrureuil acquired 29.09.82 sold 17.07.92 BK117 in action with 15 Squadron of the
South African Air Force. It is not clear if the
SA365N1 Dauphin acquired 13.09.89 example on the photo is an actual ex-
Bophuthatswana Air Force machine, however
it has the correct camouflage, although this
CONCLUSION might also have been applied after 1994 to
BK117s incorporated into the SAAF from
The politically doomed project of segregating other homelands air forces.
the nations of South Africa failed miserably,
and for many tragically, however it has left a
legacy of four small air components of proxy
armies, fascinating for military enthusiasts, scale
modellers and historians alike.
The biggest and most advanced of them
was the Bophuthatswana Air Force, buried in
history books forever when the Republic of
Bophuthatswana ceased to exist during a bloody
coup in 1994 – but that is a different story.
Pilatus PC-7 T420 was acquired in 1990, and
was later exchanged with Pilatus, along with
its two fellows, for a PC-12.

404 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 CHENGDU J-20

Through a
Building Current
Chinese Fighters By Tony Grand Glass Darkly

Chengdu J-20
Kit No: 720010 Into the lower half you fit the intake ducts and The nicely fitting main gear bays – as long as
Scale: 1/72 the three undercarriage bays. Best to paint you want to pose the doors open.
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic the former before you cement them together
- and cement the main gear in the bays before confirming suggestions that the plane is
Manufacturer: Dream Model fitting the latter in the fuselage. Both are
www.hannants.co.uk intended for China’s growing fleet of aircraft
possible to do later but it is very fiddly. carriers. Having bought the Trumpeter kit, I
pondered converting it to the latest version

I
thought I would build something different,
is speculation based on what information has but as I’ve only seen two photographs and a
not from the Golden Age of Flight, not an early
been allowed out. ‘They walk more than they three-view drawing, which may or may not be
post WWII might-have-been, and not even not
talk’ as one observer has put it. This, of course, accurate, I decided against it and built it OOB.
a 1960s should-have-been. Something right up
to the minute - a stealth fighter. Ah, I hear you is all a long-winded way of saying I am trusting
Dream Models as to accuracy and the build is Both kits come in strong boxes with removable
say, a F-22? A F-35? Nope … a J-20. Enter the
OOB, and while parts of the design of the J-20 lids - always a bonus - and the instructions are
Mighty Dragon, manufactured by the Chengdu
appear to resemble the F-22 and its stealthy in both cases clear, with useful colour call-outs
Aircraft Corporation.
curves (possibly as the result of an alleged for Mr Color. Having said that, there is a kind of
major hack of Lockheed Martin’s computers), erratum sheet in the J-20 box, which calls out the
There are quite a few kits of the PLAAF’s first
these similarities could be skin deep as, some camouflage colours, otherwise lacking from the
entry into the 5th generation ring - Anigrand,
maintain ‘the angularity on the jet inlets and kit. Let me say at this point that the kit has been
Bronco, Dream Model, and Trumpeter in 1/72,
wings remains quite different, and the J-20 lacks designed to go together very straightforwardly,
Trumpeter in 1/48 twice, one in ‘beast mode’
all-aspect stealth’. Moreover, it seems the Indian and all errors mentioned below are entirely my
(an expression I find annoying for some reason),
Air Force has claimed it can track the J-20 using own fault. The fuselage (including the wings)
a Meng kit in 1/200, Trumpeter in 1/144, and
the Su-30MKI’s electronically scanned ‘Phazotron is split in two horizontally and the lower half
two egg-plane look-alikes. These are all single-
Zhuk-AE’ radar. of the nose is a separate unit. The kit allows
seaters. A two seater prototype (the J-20S,
you to have the very sizeable ventral and
which may have the second crew member as a
Well, that’s as may be. At this point, I decided side-mounted weapons bays either open (with
dedicated weapons system operator, perhaps
to go for broke and build the second extant missiles) or closed. Dream Model clearly expect
to shepherd ‘loyal wingmen’, as prospective
Chinese stealth fighter, the plane variously you to go for open bays, as some fettling with a
high end drone clusters are named these days)
numbered the FC-31, J-31 or most recently file is necessary to get the toothed ends of the
has flown and Dream Model have issued a kit,
the J-35, and variously named the Gyrfalcon, doors to fit into the equivalent notches on the
available from abroad. I would have liked that
Snowy Owl or Falcon Hawk. Have you got that? fuselage. A minor snag.
kit but the price and postage made me wince. I
went for the Dream Model single-seater, as I had It is being developed by the Shenyang Aircraft
Corporation. It was initially a private venture Into the lower half you fit the intake ducts and
seen favourable in-box reviews.
(whereas the J-20 stems from an initiative by the the three undercarriage bays, avoiding the
People’s liberation Army Air Force). It appeared mistakes I made. Mistake one - I cemented
Before building, I like gathering information, as a
in public first at the 2014 Zhunai Air Show. together the two halves of the intake ducts
result of which I have a lot of books, magazines
That version is kitted by Trumpeter in 1/72. In before painting them. Mistake two - I omitted to
and a good acquaintance with the Internet. With
2016 a quite radically altered version appeared, cement the main gear in the bays before fitting
PLAAF aircraft, the pickings are slim so far as
obvious differences being a pronounced hump the latter in the fuselage. Both are possible to
books are concerned, Andreas Rupprecht being
behind the cockpit and differently shaped fins. do later but it is very fiddly. The cockpit is basic
the go-to man. He expresses his gratitude to two
In 2021, another iteration of that appeared but quite adequate. There are representations
online forums, which are useful but where, given
with a catapult bar and wing folds, apparently of the throttle and side control levers (pointy
China’s tight security, much of the discussion

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 541
CHENGDU J-20

tweezers needed to get these into place) and

decals for the side consoles and instrument
panel displays. The clear-moulded head-up
display is nicely done and the ejection seat (with
photoetch seatbelts) is basic but fits nicely. The
cockpit rim is a separately moulded unit into
which the cockpit bath fits snugly. Once that
is done, the fuselage halves can be assembled.
To do this, I masking-taped the halves together,
tacked them with superglue at a few points, to
ensure that sharp radar-reflecting edge, then ran
Tamiya Extra Thin cement along the remainder
of the join. The canards (which have a marked
dihedral), vertical stabilisers and the ventral fins
were then fitted. The canopy fitted snugly and
we were good to go.
The nose gear bay and leg in place. Don’t The cockpit includes the throttle and side
Now, the instructions give two camouflage forget to add nose weight before you close control levers and decals for the side consoles
options - a splinter pattern or a two-colour the fuselage. and instrument panel displays. The clear-
WWII-style (I’m sure there’s a more technical moulded heads-up display is nicely done and
term). I chose the latter, for which Aircraft Grey the ejection seat is basic but fits nicely.
and Dark Sea Grey are specified. Rather than Mr
Color, I used Xtracrylix ADC Grey (XA1138) and
Hataka Dark Sea Grey (HTK-A144), brush painted,
following the patterns on the instructions.
Decals are provided for two J-20s and include
low viz national markings, serials, a lot of tiny,
low viz stencils and what I take to be covers
on sensors. The stencils I left on the sheet, as
they would be invisible. The decals are of good
quality, thin but strong, and I laid them down
on a coat of Klear, sealing them in with Winsor
and Newton Galeria satin varnish. For the frame
The stealthy exhaust nozzles. It’s worth getting
separating the two sections of the canopy, I used The main construction complete shows the
to know these aircraft as chances are sooner or
a strip of black decal. J-20 to be quite a large aircraft.
later the News is going to be full of them …

Shenyang J-31 Gyrfalcon (Airshow China 2014)

Kit No: 01666
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Trumpeter
www.bachmann.co.uk

T
he Mighty Dragon being camera ready,
I moved on to the Gyrfalcon (prizes for
anyone who knows how to pronounce that
correctly). There are upper and lower fuselage
halves, with the top of the nose section moulded
into the upper half. Having recently built another
Trumpeter kit, I wasn’t expecting any problems
but this kit was produced by Trumpeter’s B team,
I reckon. Most of the parts fit well but there are
some snags. The weapons bay doors need a fair
amount of sanding and filing to fit closed and I
had to sand off a millimetre or so from the outer
surface of the main undercarriage bays to get
the upper and lower fuselage halves to fit snugly.
Having said that, there are nice points, like the
intake ducts blanking plate, and the cockpit is
much like that of the J-20, with decals for the
instrument panel and side consoles, itsy-bitsy
throttle and side controller, and an ejection
seat similar to that in the J-20, with photoetch
seatbelts (are Dream and Trumpeter part of the
same organisation?).

42 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 CHENGDU J-20

To cement the upper and lower fuselage

halves, I used the same technique as for the
J-20 but with much more masking tape to hold
things together. I am pleased to say that the
undercarriage fitted nicely after assembly of the
fuselage. Likewise the exhaust cans, though this
caused the model to be a tail-sitter, and there
is no warning of this in the instructions. As the
model was fully closed up by now, I tucked a
small amount of lead sheet into the port intake.
Now, the photos of the FC-31 I have seen appear The intake ducts blanking plate in place.
to show an overall black finish and indeed the
instructions call out tyre black. Not having that in
stock I went for Hataka Night Black (HTK-A041).
This is satin, so after the decals had gone on, I
gave it an overall coat of Humbrol matt varnish.
The FC-31 lower fuselage. The pencil-hatched
areas show where I removed plastic to get the
The decals are quite sturdy, though a little thin for
two fuselage halves to fit together.
my taste, but they went on well over Klear. The fin
art, of the gyrfalcon stooping on its prey, is nicely
done. For the framing of the two part canopy I
used black decal strip. Finally, I fitted the nose
boom, left off till now to avoid damage. It was I used quite a lot of masking tapes to hold
good to go down a road less travelled with these the upper and lower fuselage halves in place
builds. These are substantial aircraft (the J-20 while cementing them together.
some 69 feet in length and the FC-31 some 57
feet) and show the Chinese Air Forces as one to be
reckoned with. It seems that some 200 of the J-20
are in service and according to US and Chinese
military sources they have already encountered
the US Navy’s F-35s in the East China Sea area.

REFERENCES
Several books on Chinese military aviation by The Chinese Blackbird finished and ready for
Andreas Rupprecht, found on Amazon. decaling.
The weapons bay doors fit where they touch …
Online searches.

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 43
MODELLERS NOTES
U
nsurprisingly the Dornier Do 24 flying
boat has not been as exhaustively kitted
as some aircraft types, being a creature
of relative obscurity. There are, however, one or
two perfectly acceptable alternatives, although
sadly so far no mainstream kit in 1/144, and at
present it seems the only options in this scale
are diecasts.
A quick look at the Scalemates listings for 1/72,
on the other hand, is a little more encouraging,
although most of the boxings you’ll find are
based on the same 1978 Italeri kit. This has
been boxed subsequently by Revell, Testors,
and several times by Italeri, who upgraded
the moulds for their 2017 release, so it might
be worth looking out for a later kit with this
in mind if you want to build one. Reviews of
this particular release suggest it has a mix of
engraved panel lines and raised riveting detail,
a small photoetched fret, and an impressive
Dornier Do 24 By Jack Trent
44 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
decal sheet with options for French, Spanish,
and two Luftwaffe machines. Accuracy depends
on which particular website you are reading and
who thinks they know best, but it does seem to
build up well with care, and has refreshingly few
parts for an aircraft of its size in this scale. There
are traces of other kits in the scale: FROG, by all
accounts, had one in the pipeline that was never
completed (ref. F281), and AA Models apparently
broached the subject in the 1970s.
In 1/48 the Fonderie Miniatures kit from 1992
is probably the best known, although an
early MPM/HML tooling was released in 2001.
The reissue of this kit seems to have been on
Special Hobby’s ‘to do’ list for some time, and
we can only await with interest and see if and
when it appears.
Needless to say the type has yet to appear in
1/32 or larger. Time will tell …
As far as accessories go there have been a few,
pretty much all for the Italeri kit in 1/72, but
most are currently out of production. If you do
want to go to town in 1/72 then AIMs released
both interior and exterior sets, which seem
pretty comprehensive, while Blackbird Models
offer a handy conversion for a Dutch Navy Do
24K. Quickboost provide a set of exhausts,
Squadron do a vacform canopy, and Eduard
produced a fret in 1993, if you can find it! Eduard,
Kit Mask, and Montex have all released mask
sets for the Italeri tool. The 1/48 FM kit seems to
have been self-sufficient, so nothing seems to be
listed in this scale.
Decalwise both 1/72 and 1/48 have been
catered for, with sheets in the smaller scale from
Carpena, DK, DP Casper, Dutch Decal, Maestro,
Print Scale, Ronin, and Xtradecals, among
others, while in 1/48 Flevo and Maestro are
names to look out for.
 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

ISSUE 94

• Aircraft •
in Profile
The Dornier Do 24
By Jon Tabinor

C
laude Honoré Désiré Dornier was born on
14 May 1884 in Bavaria. After graduating
from the Munich Technical University
in 1907 he worked for Zeppelin Airships in
Friedrichshafen on the Bodensee, where his
talent impressed Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin.
He quickly became the Count’s scientific advisor
and developed some of the first stressed-skin,
all-metal monocoque aircraft, before starting his
own company.

Dornier Flugzeugwerke was created in 1923

and built its reputation with a range of large,
all-metal flying boats and land-based airliners.
The 1924 Wal (Whale) was used on many
record-breaking long distance flights, while Dornier 24 prototype V.3 was first to fly and subsequently taken on as X-1 into MLD service.
the twelve-engined Do X set size and weight
records. Restrictions imposed by the Treaty
of Versailles meant Dornier’s aircraft were
actually built outside Germany in Switzerland,
close to the German border, and other nations
licence-built them too. In the Netherlands,
Aviolanda built the Wal’s military variant, the
Do 16, and then its successor the Do 18, for the
Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (the MLD,
Marineluchtvaartdienst).

Worried about Japan’s expansion towards their

East Indies colonies, in 1935 the MLD issued a
requirement for a longer ranged three-engined
seaplane with a speed of just under 200mph.
Germany’s RLM also wanted a replacement for
their Do 18s but politics ensured they picked a
rival design – the Blohm & Voss BV 138, while the
Dutch selected Dornier’s design, the P.14, and
signed contracts. The RLM allowed this project
to continue as the Dornier Do 24 and work The Luftwaffe’s V1 and V2 prototypes used Jumo diesels in large nacelles. While reliable the engines
progressed quickly on two Dutch prototypes were unresponsive and underpowered.
V3 and V4, while the Luftwaffe’s two, V1 and V2
limped along.

Dutch machines were powered by 880hp Wright

1820 F52 Cyclones (to give commonality with
Dutch East Indies Air Force Martin 139 and
166 bombers) and quickly showed excellent
sea-handling abilities and flight performance.
Dornier’s trademark fuselage-side pontoons
stummeln (stubs) removed the need for outboard
floats and provided extra room for fuel. V3, the
first prototype first flew on 3 July 1937, and
three months later with minor modifications it
was accepted by the MLD as the first Do 24K-1
operational aircraft. In Dutch service aircraft
were known as ‘X-Boats’ and V3 thus became Her
Majesty’s Flying Boat X-1. Prototype V4 flew in
February 1938 and became X-2.

The elegantly-curved fuselage of the Do 24 had

nine watertight compartments with bunks and D-A+EAV, A captured and newly finished Do-24K-2 in its Seenotdienst ‘red cross’ initial scheme,
a galley to cater for the crew of five or six on the takes off from Lake Zwischenahn on test.
long-range missions for which it was intended.
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
Armament was a single 7.7mm machine gun
in each Alkan turret in the bow, the stern and
amidships, but from X-13 onwards the midships
turret was replaced by a French SAMM turret
with a 20mm Hispano HS404 cannon. 1200kg of
bombs or depth charges could be carried under
the wings giving a useful payload. Three engines
were specified to give good performance with
one ‘out’ (which had ruled out the otherwise
excellent Consolidated PBY). While Dutch licence
production for ninety-six aircraft slowly got
underway, the order for six aircraft from Dornier
was upped to thirty as the need to reinforce
colonies accelerated.
Dutch Do 24 production soon fell behind as the
monocoque, stressed-skin construction used
in its airframe was relatively unfamiliar. Dutch
plans were for all but the first six to be the next
version, the Do 24K-2, powered by 1100hp
Cyclone R1820 G102 engines with additional
fuel. But only one of these was completed and
delivered, together with the six K-1s, before
Germany captured the production line in May
1940. The thirty Dornier-built machines were
all K-1s and had been supplied by November
1939. The war did not stop these deliveries, as
the Netherlands were considered neutral by Nazi
Germany (right up until they invaded!).
In contrast to the Dutch version, the Luftwaffe’s
two prototypes limped along without much love.
The fuel-efficient, reliable 600 hp Jumo 205C
diesels specified by the RLM seriously affected
performance. Even so, pilots still reported
excellent air and sea handling despite the sluggish,
unresponsive and underpowered engines.
Cockpit of a Do-24K-1. Note the central watertight
door to access the bow with its fold down top to ease
communication but maintain a seal.
(Netherlands Institute for Military History)
The Luftwaffe’s anointed preference, the Bv 138,
was proving to be seriously unstable but the two
diesel-engined Do 24s were sidelined into cold-
weather trials and testing new equipment. They
finally proved their worth during the Norwegian
campaign in April 1940 flying-in supplies, and
then operating in the casualty evacuation role in
support of German forces in Narvik.
When Germany captured the Dutch Aviolanda
facility in 1940 they acquired a production line of
modern German-designed flying boats superior
to the types being built at home. Moreover
many were in advanced stages of completion
with engines ready too. Teutonic hubris decided
that the aircraft should be used, not in their
proper sea reconnaissance role, but to equip the
Seenotdienst (sea rescue service). This had been
using He 59 biplanes, and Do 18s, but both were
slow and somewhat unsuited to the role.
The Germans ordered as many Do 24s to be
finished as possible using the stored Cyclone
engines. Modified for air-sea rescue with
additional side hatches and hoist, they were
redesignated from K-2 to Do 24N-1. Engines
would be replaced by 860hp BMW 135N radials
as spares of the Cyclones dwindled. Initially
tested unarmed in a high-visibility, pseudo
red-cross paint scheme like other Seenotdienst
aircraft, the RAF refused to accept these
aircraft as non-combatants and continued to
shoot them down. Operational aircraft were
now camouflaged and rearmed with German
7.92mm weapons, but retained the French
cannon turret.
The Germans finally selected the plentiful
1,000hp BMW Bramo 323R-2 Fafnir radial to
power all further new aircraft, calling this the Do
24T-1. The T had slightly increased fuel capacity
over the K/N and the T-2 version saw Hispano
cannon changed to a Mauser MG151/20 gun.
The T-3 replaced this with an MG151/15 in an
armoured German-designed turret, while later
ones had bow and stern guns upgraded to
MG151/13s. Altogether 240 T models were built
– most from Aviolanda, but Fokker also made
twenty five, and a further forty-seven were built
by SNCAN (Société Nationale de Constructions
Aéronautiques du Nord) in France, who built
forty more post-liberation in 1944, giving a
grand total of approximately 330 Do 24s of all
versions. One Do 24 was tested with a circular
electromagnetic minesweeping ring but nothing
came of this, and the work was left to Ju 52 and
BV138s so fitted.
German use of the Do 24 was restricted to its
Seenotdienst units, however the scope of their
operations expanded as the war progressed
to include supply and casevac as well as sea
rescue. English Channel and Atlantic missions
were often undertaken to rescue U-Boat crews
as well as downed airmen, but as the war
progressed and air superiority was gained by
the Allies, missions became far more hazardous.
One unlucky Do 24 had the ignominious
distinction of being shot down (or perhaps sunk
is more accurate, as it was on the sea) by B-17s
dispatched to search for two allied airmen!
 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24 V3 D-ADLP, as seen during sea trials, Einswarden, September 1937.

Do 24K-1 X-12, Groep Vliegtuigen 3, Marineluchtvaartdienst, Ambon, late 1938.

Do 24K-1 X-14, Groep Vliegtuigen 3, Marineluchtvaartdienst, Morokrembangan, early 1939.

Do 24K-1 X-32, Marineluchtvaartdienst, seen at the Aviolanda Factory in Papendrecht, October 1939.

Do 24K-1 X-10, Groep Vliegtuigen 2, Marineluchtvaartdienst, Sorong, 1940.

AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24K-1 X-13, Groep Vliegtuigen 4, Marineluchtvaartdienst, Sambas, February 1941.

Do 24K-1 X-30, Groep Vliegtuigen 5, Marineluchtvaartdienst, Morokrembangan, February 1942.

Do 24K-1 X-24, Marineluchtvaartdienst Australia Detatchment, Sydney, June 1942.

Do 24N-1 D-APDA, Seenotkommando 1, Norderney, August 1940.

Do 24N-1 D-AEAV, Seenotstaffel 4, Travemünde, December 1940.

 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24T-1 KK+UT, Seenotstaffel 2, Brest-Poulmic, 1941.

Do 24N-1 KD+GA, Seenotstaffel 6, Syracuse, April 1942.

Do 24N-1 KK+UP, Seenotstaffel 6, Syracuse, December 1942.

Do 24T-2 CM+IS, Seenotstaffel 3, Schellingwoude, 1942.

Do 24T-2 CM+IV, Seenotstaffel 8, Lake Tobechytske (Ortasli-See), Crimea, early 1943.

AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24T-3 DJ+ZM, Seenotstaffel 7, Athens-Phaleron, 1943.

Do 24T-3 A3+EE, 3. KG 200, Bug (Rügen), March 1945.

Do 24K-1 A49-5, No. 41 Squadron RAAF, Townsville, 1943.

Tp24 F2-90, F2 Wing, Swedish Air Force, Hägernäs, circa 1946.

Do 24T-3 2, Escadrille 30S, Saint Mandrier, circa 1946.

 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24T-3 HR.5-8, 51 Escuadrilla de Salvamento, Ejército del Aire, Pollensa, Mallorca, early 1950s.

Do 24T-3 HR.5-6, 51 Escuadrilla de Salvamento, Ejército del Aire, Pollensa, Mallorca, 1953.

Do 24T-3 HR.5-1, 58 Escuadrilla de Salvamento, Ejército del Aire, Pollensa, Mallorca, 1960.

Do 24T-3 HD.5-2, 804 Escuadrilla de Salvamento, Ejército del Aire, Pollensa, Mallorca, 1966.

Hollandgrijs White RLM 72 Grün RLM 73 Grün RLM 65 Hellblau Sky Blue
(Vallejo 71.044 RLM 02 Grau) (Vallejo 71.001 White) (Vallejo 71.263 RLM 72 Grün) (Vallejo 71.256 RLM 73 Grün) (Vallejo 71.255 RLM 65 Hellblau) (Vallejo 71.306 Sky Blue)

Donkergrijs Melkwit Natural Metal Yellow Dark Ocean Blue Dark Sea Grey
(Vallejo 71.091 Signal Blue*) (Vallejo 71.103 RLM84 Graublau) (Vallejo 71.063 Silver RLM01 (Vallejo 71.078 Yellow RLM04) (Vallejo 71.295 USN Sea Blue*) (Vallejo 71.273 Ocean Grey*)
(Metallic))

      * denotes appropriate match

AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Dornier Do 24
Drawings by Sam Pearson

Do 24K-1 Port Profile

Do 24K-1 Starboard Profile

Do 24T-1 Port Profile

Do 24T-3 Port Profile

Do 24T-1 Front View

1/144 Scale
Metres
Feet Enlarge by 200% for 1/72 Scale
 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24T-1 Upper View

Do 24T-1 Lower View

AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

By 1944 Messerschmitt 410s had taken over the

search role, with Do 24s being used to make just
the rescues. The Me 410s were far more capable
of defending themselves and the Dornier too. In
the Northern Atlantic, around Norway, the Do
24’s tough construction was severely tested, as
it often had to set down in extremely heavy sea
conditions. More than one lost its tail doing so
and was forced to limp home as a boat, with its
watertight compartmentalised fuselage saving
it from sinking. (Rear gunners were instructed
to remain well forward when landing so were
usually safe too.) Once more, as Allied Mosquito
and Beaufighter operations over northern seas
increased, several Do 24s were lost.

Having proved their worth in the west,

three squadrons of Do 24s accompanied
the Wehrmacht into the Mediterranean and
Black Sea and were instrumental in rescuing
downed aircrew, especially during the intense
operations around Malta. Once again as Allied
air supremacy prevailed, these units suffered Do-24K-1 of the MLD at anchor at Surabaya, East Java late 1941. The Hispano 404 cannon in the
more losses. When Italy capitulated in 1943 and midship turret is clearly visible. (Netherlands Institute for Military History)
Germany took over occupation of many Greek
islands from their former allies, Do 24s were
vital in ferrying troops and supplies around the
Aegean and Adriatic. In the Black Sea, Dorniers
performed coastal reconnaissance as well as
rescue duties. In 1943 when German fortunes
ebbed they were used to support troops in the
Kuban bridgehead, following their defeat and
withdrawal from the Caucasus, and then again in
the evacuation of the Crimea in 1944. As Soviet
forces pushed west and south around the Black
Sea, and former allies like Romania changed
sides, the Do 24 units were forced back into the
Aegean around northern Greece.

It was a similar story in the Baltic where initial

operations took place under the aegis of
Luftwaffe and Finnish air supremacy, which was
ceded as the war turned against Germany. In
August 1944, another Me 410 search and escort
squadron was formed on the German Baltic
coast but its operations were limited by then-
common fuel shortages. In the dying days of the
war, Do 24s saw much use evacuating German
civilians from besieged Baltic ports and the Do 24K-1 under construction in 1937 at Friedrichshafen, one of the thirty ordered direct from
Courland peninsula, as they fled Soviet forces. Dornier while Dutch production was started. (Netherlands Institute for Military History)
The last missions were actually flown after the
German surrender such was the desperation to
escape the Russians.

Special operations unit KG 200 also employed

the flying boats. Usually this was to insert agents
behind Soviet lines, but in March 1945 four were
deployed in a last gasp ‘suicide’ mission to blow-
up bridges over the Vistula in Poland to slow the
Russian advance. This came to nought when one
was destroyed by a marauding P-51 while taxiing
to join its TNT-stuffed fellows.

On the other side of the globe, Dutch Do 24s

had already seen considerable action. Deliveries
to the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) had stopped
after the Germans had overrun the Netherlands,
but not before thirty-six K-1 and a single K-2
(X-36) had arrived by freighter. The concurrent
lack of spares gradually began to have a
serious effect on operability though and PBY
Catalinas were ordered to make up the shortfall.
Nonetheless twenty-four ‘X-Boats’ were used by
eight Groep Vliegtuigen (GVT – Aircraft Group) Escaping MLD Dorniers finally found work in Aussie hands. Here Do 24K-1 ‘X-9’ is seen as RAAF
with six on ops and two under maintenance at A49-4 with No.41 Squadron, coded DQ-G.
any one time.
 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Do 24 X-1 to X-12 were used for training as they

only had machine gun dorsal turrets rather than
the cannon, while the sole K-2 was reserved for
the MLD’s commander when also not training
crews. Assigned to provide reconnaissance
and bridge gaps between Dutch naval units,
Dorniers were deployed all along the Indonesian
archipelago, operating from small auxiliary
bases. Six larger seaplane bases were still in
various states of construction when Japan
attacked. Mostly operating alone on long patrols,
the Dorniers occasionally also flew in threes
making bombing attacks on Japanese ships.
Several were lost during Japanese attacks on
Do 24K-2 ‘X-40’ was renamed KD+GJ and used as a development aircraft for Bramo 323 Fafnir-powered bases but it was not one sided – Dutch Dorniers
Do 24T models. Note the different carburettor intake under the cowl and reshaped prop spinners. sank several ships, including a destroyer, and
even bombed Davao in the Philippines when the
Japanese planned to use it as a springboard to
invade the eastern East Indies.

Losses to Japanese A6Ms mounted though

as air superiority was lost and eventually, as
the Japanese took control of the archipelago,
remaining Dutch units escaped over the Timor
Sea to Western Australia, most ending up in
Broome by March 1942. Several were caught on
the ground there by a surprise attack by A6Ms
resulting in much loss of life. The remaining
Dorniers, by now somewhat war-weary, were
bought and overhauled by the RAAF and
pressed into service at a time when ‘needs must’.

Mostly flown by 41 Squadron RAAF, the Dorniers

did not see active service but were used in
operational areas around eastern New Guinea,
mainly as transports and then in the search and
rescue role. With little experience of operating
a German flying boat and few spares, RAAF
Dorniers soldiered on until May 1944 when
they were retired and most scrapped. The front
end of one survived to become a children’s play
attraction, and then a houseboat. It was restored
and is now displayed at the Lake Boga Flying
Boat Museum in Victoria.

Immediately post war, the French government

wanted its aviation industry back up and
running, so authorised continued production of
German types built in France during occupation
– one of which was the Dornier. As a result
SNCAM delivered around forty new aircraft to
the Aéronavale, who used them for long-range
The engine can be contrasted with the smaller intakes and spinners seen here on a Cyclone- transport as well as search and rescue, in which
engined MLD K-1. (Netherlands Institute for Military History) role British ASV radar was sometimes installed.

The aircraft served throughout the nineteen

forties, but as the war in French Indochina
drained resources, serviceability of these home-
based Dorniers waned, and the type was retired
from use in the early fifties. Five airframes were
offered to Spain but the deal never materialised
and by 1954 all had been scrapped.

Spain was a long-term user of the Do 24.

Germany had asked Spain to form a neutral
air-sea rescue squadron earlier in the war.
Although nothing came of this, in 1944 twelve
aircraft were transferred to the Spanish Air
Force to save increasingly depleted Luftwaffe
manpower. These served well into the nineteen
fifties in the western Mediterranean and along
the North African Atlantic coast. As serviceability
decreased, aircraft were cannibalised to keep
The only known picture of Do 24MS (Minensucher Mine Search) was probably taken after the war at others flying, but the final three did not actually
Stavanger in the markings of Seenotstaffel 5. retire until nineteen sixty-nine.
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Sweden also operated a pair of Dorniers. One SPECIFICATIONS (FOR DO 24T-1)

was interned in 1944 and the other arrived
in May 1945 with German soldiers seeking Length: 22.05m Range: 2,900km
sanctuary. Following demands, they and the
Wingspan: 27m Service ceiling: 7,500m
Dornier were handed over to the Soviet Union,
and it seems the flying boat was used in Siberia Height: 5.7 m Time to altitude: 2,000m in 6 minutes, 4,000m
for several years. The fate of the soldiers was Empty weight: 9,400kg in 13 minutes 12 seconds
almost certainly less pleasant. Norway flew two Armament:
Max takeoff weight: 18,400kg
Do 24s immediately post war on mine-clearing 1 × 20mm Hispano HS.404 or MG151 cannon in
duties. Operated by their German crews with Powerplant: 3 × 1000hp Bramo 323R-2 Fafnir
dorsal turret
Norwegian officers they did valuable service 9-cylinder air-cooled radials with emergency
boost to 1200hp 1 × 7.92mm MG 15 machine gun in nose turret
for a year until being scrapped. The RAF also
evaluated three captured Dorniers until 1947 Maximum speed: 1 × 7.92mm MG 15 machine gun in tail gun position
when they too were scrapped. 330km/h at 2,600m, 290km/h at sea level Up to 1,200kg ordnance under wings

The last Do 24 was the Do 24ATT of 1983,

which sought to create an amphibious,
economical aircraft. An ex-Spanish airframe
was rebuilt with retractable undercarriage to
make it an amphibian, and fitted with Pratt &
Whitney PT6A-45B turboprops in a new wing
of advanced design. Completed in 1983, after
testing it went into a museum. In 2004 it was
bought and flown on a global tour by Dornier’s
grandson, Iren, to promote UNICEF. Three
complete Dorniers also survive in museums in
Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

The graceful Do 24 has two unusual

distinctions: while other Luftwaffe aircraft
were also built in occupied countries, the Do
24 was the only one never to have been built
in Germany. It was also the only flying boat to
be operated by both sides during World War
II (the Fokker TVIII and Heinkel 115 are both
floatplanes) and it gave faithful, excellent
and long service to all who used it – a true Stores pylons and under wing details on an MLD Do 24K-1. (Netherlands Institute for Military History)
testimony to Dornier’s reputation.

Dornier Do 24 of the Spanish Air Force in 1944

over Mallorca.
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 57
COLOUR CONUNDRUM
Front Line Fairey Battles 1936 – 1941 Part 2
By Paul Lucas
A
fter the Munich Crisis was over, on 10 January
1939 HQ Bomber Command enquired of its subordinate units
whether the private funds of any unit had been drawn upon to
replace the squadron badges ‘obliterated from aircraft under instructions
during the recent crisis and if so, what financial sums were involved?’ The
reply from RAF Harwell stated that with regard to 105 Squadron, ‘All crests
deleted not yet replaced, but further material will cost £1.0.0. supplied from
private funds.’ The badges were ultimately replaced by some units such as
103 Squadron, whose Swan motif can be seen in the grenade on the fin of
K9263 coded ‘GV-B’ in the illustration rendered here, only to be removed
once again at the end of August on the eve of the outbreak of war.
It has been said that Air Ministry Confidential Order A.14/1939 dated 28
August 1939 entitled ‘Identification of Aircraft’ stated that camouflage
was to be applied to all RAF aircraft and that serial numbers were to be
removed from below the wings on all operational machines. All the present
squadron badges and unit code markings were also to be removed and
replaced with revised codes forthwith.
The 10 Battle Squadrons of 1 Group that were to proceed to France as
part of the Advanced Air Striking Force began to deploy on 2 September
and following their arrival adopted 1-3-5 proportion Red, White and Blue
roundels under the wings. The exact date from which these markings
were applied is not currently known for certain, but Cypher X119, dated 22
September 1939, stated that all RAF aircraft, including Fighters, that had
to fly over France were to carry Red, White and Blue roundels on the under
surface of the wings.
The next modification in the Battle’s markings came courtesy of Signal
A.949 on 30 October stating that Red, White and Blue roundels were to be
carried on the fuselage of all RAF aircraft.
It is strange to note that while a considerable amount of time and effort
was spent on ‘cleaning up’ the Blenheim during the ‘Phoney War’ period, a
process that included introducing a new camouflage colour on the under
surfaces more suited to daylight operations, that nothing so specific seems
to have been done for the Battle. As a result, the Battles that fought with
the Advanced Air Striking Force in France during 1940 did so with their
original Night under surface camouflage still in place.
It seems that there was some discussion on this point within HQ Bomber
Command as an internal memo dated 13 December 1939 makes some
reference to ‘cleaning up’ Blenheims and the change in the colouring of
their under surfaces. The memo then goes on to say that there was no
quarrel with the Air Ministry over this ruling as long as the ‘grey blue’
painting was confined to Blenheims and Battles, but that the Command
would have to ‘watch it if this type of painting is later extended to other types
of our aircraft.’
The application of some sort of colour more suited to flying in daylight
also appears to have been briefly discussed within the AASF. Following
tactical trials between a Hurricane that had its under surfaces finished in
the then current half Night and half White scheme, and a Bf 109 that had
Farbton 65 on its under surfaces, an AASF memo dated 8 May 1940 made
the observation that:
58 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Battle Mk I K9263, No. 103 Squadron, RAF Benson, August 1939.
It is thought that the Swan is handed, facing forward on both sides
of the aircraft. It appears to be black, with white wingtips in a Blue
grenade frame. The pre-war codes ‘GV’ were changed to ‘PM’ on the
outbreak of war.
‘S/Ldr Halahan in his report in paragraph 7 points out that the ME 109
owing to its better under camouflage is much more difficult to spot
than the Hurricane.
S/Ldr Halahan suggests that the undersurfaces of the Hurricane should
be painted a duck egg blue. I feel that our bomber and reconnaissance
aircraft used by day might also be painted this colour as it would render
them less conspicuous when viewed from underneath.’
This was of course far too late for any further action to be considered, let
alone acted upon as the storm was about to break.
There does not appear to have been any prospect of a change being
made to the Battle’s camouflage scheme on the production line. At an
Air Ministry meeting on 15 March 1940 there was a review of the present
position with regard to the introduction of the new smooth ‘Type S’ finish.
In section 4.6, ‘Other points’of the Minutes of the meeting, paragraph 4.6.1.
‘Types of Aircraft to have improved finish’ it was stated that:
‘It was thought that on such types as the Anson and Battle no special
effort should be expended to obtain improved finish.’
One minor modification in the camouflage scheme of some ASAAF Battles
is the over painting of some of the long canopy between the two cockpits
with either Dark Green or Dark Earth, presumably in an attempt to cut
down the ‘glint’ of the perspex in sunlight. Neither when, nor how widely
this practice was adopted is known.
While the camouflage scheme of AASF Battles remained unchanged, a
significant change in their markings was made in early May 1940, just
before the German attack. By this time, the Hurricane Fighter Squadrons
based in France had adopted Red, White and Blue stripes on the rudder,
apparently at the behest of the French. In early April 1940, the Air Ministry
had sought the views of the Air Officers Commanding all the operational
Commands including the British Air Forces in France with regard to the
application of further identification markings on the tail surfaces of British
aircraft. The matter was finally resolved by signal X740, dated 1 May 1940,
that specified that a Yellow ring was to be added around the fuselage
roundel and that Red, White and Blue stripes were to be added to the fin at
the earliest possible moment.
The day after the German attack commenced, 11 May, the Air Ministry
found it necessary to dispatch a further Signal, X.740. The relevant parts of
this stated that:
‘My X.485 1/5/40 amplified as follows. Fin markings of three vertical
strips need not necessarily occupy the whole fin. Width to be such as to
be clearly visible. On no account are hinge points or movable surfaces
to be painted.
 Battle Mk I K9264, No. 103 Squadron, Advanced Air Striking Force, Bétheniville, circa March-April 1940.
This Battle is one of those that seem to have had the ‘A’ Scheme applied to the fuselage but the ‘C’ Scheme
applied to the upper surface of the main planes. Like K9322, the upper wing roundels of K9264 appear to be
much lighter than usual. The White segment of the fuselage roundel looks as though it might have been ‘toned
down’. Note the painted over canopy and revised ‘wartime’ code combination.
B Fuselage roundels. With slim fuselages roundel
to be reduced in size each colour proportionately to enable yellow circle
equal width to blue circle to be added without encroaching on upper
or lower surface of fuselage. Temporarily to obviate excessive work on
operational aircraft existing roundels may be outlined with narrow
band of yellow.’
DUCK EGG BLUE UNDER SURFACES?
Following the fall of France, most Battle squadrons were re-equipped with
other types of Bomber aircraft, although some squadrons retained their
Battles for a period and operated them by night in the ‘Battle of the Barges’
against the build-up of German shipping in the channel ports prior to the
proposed invasion of Britain. During this period instructions were given
during August that the size of the fin marking should be 27 inches high
and 24 inches wide, each stripe being 8 inches wide where the fin was big
enough to accommodate it, and the under surfaces of Bomber aircraft
such as the Battle could now be either ‘matt black or duck egg blue at the
discretion of Commands.’
By the end of 1940 however, only three RAF squadrons remained equipped
with the Battle. These were 88 and 226 Squadrons based in Northern
Ireland and 98 Squadron in Iceland. According to Owen Thetford in his
book Camouflage of 1939-42 Aircraft published in 1946, ‘Many Battles were
put on the strength of Coastal Command during the summer of 1940, and
these machines had the undersurfaces painted duck-egg blue.’ On page 36 he
then cites L5596 of 88 Squadron, coded ‘RH-A’ as having a ‘duck-egg blue
belly.’ Unfortunately there is no photograph to back this up. Despite the
lack of photographic evidence, some Battles must have had ‘duck-egg blue’
under surfaces during late 1940 and early 1941 because there is a small
amount of correspondence that makes reference to them.
On 11 January 1941 HQ 41 Group in Maintenance Command sent a
Postagram to the Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP) with a couple of
questions related to the recent issue of AMO A. 926/40 entitled ‘Aircraft
Colouring and Recognition Markings’ dated 12 December 1940. The
second of these concerned the remaining operational Battles.
The Postagram stated:
‘2) With reference to the colouring of the under surfaces of Battle
aircraft, we have been definitely instructed by the Air Ministry to hold
operational Battles in reserve behind the three squadrons which are
retaining the Battle for the time being.
It is not proposed to paint these yellow underneath with national
marking for non operational aircraft, therefore your instructions as to
the correct colouring for these aircraft will be appreciated.’
In their reply, dated 25 January 1941, the MAP made reference to the
Postagram of 11 January before going on to state that :
‘We have been unable to find from which Air Ministry Department your
instructions were issued to hold operational Battle aircraft in reserve
and DOR has no knowledge of this requirement.
Will you please get the department concerned to confirm that these
aircraft are still to be held against operational needs and if this
confirmation is received the aircraft should have the undersurfaces
painted blue, similar to Army Co-operation aircraft.’
COLOUR CONUNDRUM
On 30 January 1941 41 Group wrote back to the MAP stating that as Battle
squadrons were re-armed, the reserves were to be allowed to gradually
drop until a total of 36 aircraft were held behind 98 Squadron, which would
be the only Squadron still operating the type.
At the time that this letter was written, two other squadrons were waiting
to be re-armed and therefore currently a total of 68 aircraft were being
held behind the three squadrons. The correspondence seems to have
come to an end at this point.
The MAP’s reference to the Battles having ‘the undersurfaces painted
blue, similar to Army Co-operation aircraft.’ is interesting, but it is not clear
whether the MAP meant a specific shade of blue or were simplifying the
then popular colloquialism ‘duck-egg blue’. The prevalent instructions for
Army Co-operation aircraft were those set out in AMO A.926/40 as referred
to previously. Here it was stated that Army Co-operation aircraft could be
either ‘matt black’ or ‘duck-egg blue’ at the discretion of commands to meet
operational requirements. New-build army Co-operation aircraft were to be
produced with ‘duck-egg blue’ (Sky type S) under surfaces. Sky appears to
have started to become available to Service units through the usual supply
chain in late December 1940, so it is possible that some of the Battles that
were flown by these three Squadrons did eventually receive Sky under
surfaces. Without further documentary or photographic evidence it is
impossible to be sure however.
The Battles based in Northern Ireland were employed on coastal patrols
until 226 Squadron moved to Wattisham to equip with Blenheim Bombers
in May 1941, followed by 88 Squadron who moved to Swanton Morely to
operate Boston Bombers in July 1941. 98 Squadron remained active with
Battles in Iceland until July 1941 when the squadron was disbanded and
most of its aircraft were sent to Canada for training purposes.
SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE BATTLES IN EAST AFRICA
No.11 Squadron South African Air Force (SAAF) formed in December 1939
at Watkerloof as an Army-Co-operation Squadron equipped with Hawker
Hartbees before moving to Kenya in May 1940. The squadron re-equipped
with Fairey Battles in the summer of 1940 and after the entry of Italy into
the war, played a significant role in the East African air war against the
Regia Aeronautica in Southern Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland under the
administrative control of Air Headquarters East Africa.
Between the summer of 1940 and May 1941, when the Squadron was
absorbed into 15 Squadron SAAF, 11 Squadron used some 27 Battles,
which were allocated SAAF serial numbers 901-920 and 922-927 inclusive,
along with 929. These aircraft are comparatively poorly documented in
photographs, but they do appear to have carried a number of interesting
colour schemes and markings during their service.
Initially, the Battles entered service looking much like the Battles that
were serving with the RAF in the UK with Temperate Land Scheme
camouflage on the upper surfaces and Night on the under surfaces. The
first change appears to have been the addition of Red (or Orange) and
Blue National marking Is to the under surfaces of both main planes. There
is also some photographic evidence that some Battles had a Red (or
Orange) and Blue National marking I surrounded by a Yellow ring on the
sides of the fuselage. Both of these markings were unusual compared to
normal RAF practice.
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 59
COLOUR CONUNDRUM Battle Mk I serial unknown, coded 'R', No. 11 Squadron SAAF, East Africa, circa September 1940.
The photograph upon which this illustration is based is of such poor quality that it is impossible to discern which
camouflage pattern was carried by this Battle, let alone the serial number. It is shown as being camouflaged to
the ‘A’ scheme. The under surfaces are shown as being Light (Middle East) Blue with 2-5-7 proportion Orange,
Blue V.B.2 and Yellow roundels.
Some Battles can also be seen to have had their fin
markings applied in such a way that they were vertical when the aircraft
were on the ground, but appeared to slope forwards when the aircraft
were in the air.
The second change was instigated by a letter dated 20 August 1940 that
was sent from HQ RAF Middle East to a long list of recipients that included
AHQ East Africa, No.1 (B) Brigade Headquarters SAAF and 11 Squadron
SAAF entitled ‘Aircraft Recognition – Camouflage’. This letter stated that:
‘It has been decided that the lower surfaces of all Bomber aircraft (other
than Bomber Transport) and Fighter aircraft are to be camouflaged
pale blue in order to render them less visible when viewed from below.
Supplies of the special sky blue dope are en route from the United
Kingdom but in view of the very considerable delay likely to elapse
before these supplies reach the Middle East, experiments have been
carried out with a view to improvising locally a suitable dope.
Tests carried out locally indicate that the dope produced locally is
better than the Air Ministry dope from the point of view of colour
being of a darker shade and consequently more suited to the type of
blue sky prevalent in the Middle East. Supplies of this dope are now
in the process of manufacture and distribution, the order of priority
being as follows:’
AHQ East Africa was the penultimate organisation on the priority list.
This was followed on 25 August by a letter from HQ RAF Middle East to
AHQ East Africa. The first part of the letter was a summary of the proposed
changes across a multitude of operational roles that as far as the Battles
were concerned simply confirmed the impending change to Light (Middle
East) Blue. The second part was headed ‘Aircraft Markings’ and stated that:
‘A number of aircraft operating in EAST AFRICA are incorrectly marked,
the correct markings are as follows:-
1. A blue ring surrounding a red or orange centre. – On the upper
surface of the wing tips.
2. A blue ring surrounding a white ring and the latter surrounding
a red or orange centre – On both sides of the fuselage. On the lower
surface of the wing tips of all aircraft except Night Bombers.
3. Vertical stripes of red or orange, white and blue. – On both sides of
the fin, blue nearest rudder, width to be such that markings are
clearly visible.
Markings to be vertical when Aircraft is in flying position.
4. Yellow circles – Roundels on both sides of the fuselage of all aircraft
and roundels on the lower surface of the wing tips of Fighter aircraft
to be encircled with a yellow strip.
5. Communication Aircraft – Lower surface of mainplane, fuselage
and tail plane to be yellow as for Training Aircraft.
6. Fighter Aircraft – The lower surface of the starboard plane and half
the under surface of the fuselage to be painted white, corresponding
side to be painted black. Bi-plane fighters will have the under-surface
of both top and bottom port mainplanes to be coloured black.
7. General Reconnaissance Aircraft. – General Reconnaissance Aircraft
are those specially designed for and employed on Sea
reconnaissance such as Flying Boats, Hudsons and Ansons.
60 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
NOTE Red will be used for aircraft of the R.A.F. & K.A.A.G. and Orange for
aircraft of the S.A.A.F.’
Whether this was in part a response to the unusual marking of the SAAF
Battles referred to above is not known, but it does confirm that Orange was
supposed to be used in the national marking of SAAF aircraft.
A month or so later, a further change in the colour of the under surfaces
was instituted. On 24 September 1940 a letter was sent from HQ RAF
Middle East to a wide range of recipients that once again included AHQ
East Africa, No.1 (B) Brigade Headquarters SAAF and 11 Squadron SAAF
entitled Aircraft Recognition – Army Co-operation. This letter stated that:
‘1. Up to the present silver has been the standard colouring for the
under-surfaces of army co-operation aircraft and it is intended that this
should remain unaltered in the case of aircraft primarily designed for
this type of work , (i.e. Lysanders, Hardies and Hartbees, etc.).
2. The forthcoming introduction of fighter type aircraft into army
co-operation squadrons, and the possible formation of ground attack
units for operation in forward areas, necessitates a decision as to the
type of colouring to be applied to the under-surfaces of such aircraft,
which may operate in either role in conjunction with ground forces.
3. It has, therefore been decided that fighter type aircraft permanently
employed on army co-operation or ground attack duties, will have their
under-surfaces coloured black and white. This will enable them to be
readily identified as friendly and will render them easily distinguishable
from normal fighter aircraft having their under surfaces painted blue.
4. The colouring of fighter type aircraft will therefore be, as follows:-
(i) All normal fighter units , other than those employed on the defence
of certain specified areas (at present Alexandria, Cairo, Suez and Haifa)
pale or Middle East Blue.
(ii) Fighters engaged in the defence of areas specified above – Black
and White.
(iii) Fighter aircraft in army co-operation units – Black and White.
(iv) Ground attack aircraft – Black and White.’
A number of questions arise out of these documents. Taking them in the
order in which they arise in the documents quoted above, the first relates
to the hue of the colour named ‘Light (Middle East) Blue’. This has been
the subject of discussion in a previous ‘Colour Conundrum’ article entitled
‘Middle East Blue’ that was originally published in SAM Vol.38 No.3 of May
2016 and reprinted in Colour Conundrum Compendium No.1 published in
2021. Since that article was written, no new information has come to light
on the subject, so it is only possible to repeat the suggestion made in the
‘Middle East Blue’ article that it might have looked something like FS 35450
or BS 381C No.172 Pale Roundel Blue. In NCS 1950 terms, something like
NCS S 1040-R80B might be considered representative.
The second question relates to the colours used in the national markings.
In South Africa, there has been a long standing question as to the shade
of blue that was used in the national markings, with the possibility that a
somewhat brighter shade of blue than the usual British shade might have
been used, being procured from the South African branch of Lewis Berger.
This idea seems to centre around the use of a dyestuff named ‘Solway Blue’
in the South African Flag that was introduced in 1928.
 Battle Mk I 925, No. 11 Squadron SAAF, East Africa, circa October 1940.
COLOUR CONUNDRUM
Battle 925 ‘K’ is another example of a mismatched ‘A’/ ‘C’ camouflage scheme. In this
instance the matter is further complicated by what appears to be a partial repaint. The
photo that this illustration is based on shows the Dark Green segment at the top of
the fin and the port tail plane to have been over painted with a lighter colour, possibly
Light Earth. In contrast, the upper surface of the port main plane shows the Dark Earth
segments to have been over painted with the lighter colour. Battle 925 ‘K’ is thought to
have been finished in the half black and half white scheme as shown here. The under
wing roundels seem to have been retained on this scheme upon its introduction from
late September 1940 but might have been subsequently removed.

Needless to say, trying to run this down has proved to be impossible. An
Internet search suggests the possibility that the colours used in the South
African Flag were taken from the range of British Colour Council (BCC) colours
included in the British Colour Council Dictionary, but this does not contain a
colour called ‘Solway Blue’. It is also suggested that the bright blue originally
used could have been BCC 150 Lapis Lazuli, but that this eventually gave
way to BCC 218 Union Jack Blue. Where the truth lies is impossible to discern,
so because photographs often seem to show the blue on SAAF Battles as a
‘light’ shade, in the absence of any definitive evidence to the contrary, the
illustrations presented here show the ‘bright’ Blue V.B. 2 being used.
The next related question concerns the shade of Orange used by the
SAAF. Again, references to the South African Flag lead to the BCC Colour
Dictionary and Orange BCC No.57. Again, this fails to translate into a useful
reference for paint colour. Probably the closest contemporaneous colour
that can still be readily identified today is BS 381 (1930) No.57 Orange.
The same colour remains in BS 381C today as No.557 Light Orange. Once
again, in the absence of definitive information, this colour has been used to
represent the Orange of the SAAF markings.
The available photographs appear to show that this marking was generally
applied in a similar way to that which had been previously employed on
Fighters with the whole of the under surfaces to Pattern No.1 being treated
with Black to port and White to starboard with the demarcation line
running down the centreline of the aircraft.
This causes a number of problems in trying to identify which colour
scheme a Battle is carrying on the under surfaces at any one time. A port
side view with a dark coloured under surface could either be showing
Night under surfaces or Night and White under surfaces while a starboard
side view with a light coloured under surface might be either Light (Middle
East) Blue or Night and White.
The only certain way of telling whether an 11 Squadron SAAF Battle has
the Night and White finish on its under surface is to find a front perspective
view where both halves of the engine cowling under surface can be seen.
The problem with this sort of view is that the rear of the fuselage that
carries the serial number and any other markings that might identify that
particular Battle cannot be seen!

Given that No.11 Squadron SAAF was nominally an Army Co-operation
squadron, this might explain the variations seen in the colours that appear
to have been applied to the under surfaces of the Squadron’s Battles.
Initially, the Battles remained Night underneath because this is how
they had been supplied. Then came the instruction from HQ Middle East
Command to paint Bombers Light (Middle East) Blue. The Battles, were
still classed as ‘Medium Bombers’ and in no way could they be considered
to be ‘Bomber Transports’, so this instruction led to a number of Battles
being finished in Light (Middle East) Blue. Within a month however, new
instructions were issued to the effect that ‘Fighter type’ aircraft in Army
Co-operation units and ground attack aircraft were to have ‘Black and
White’ under surfaces. The Battle in terms of its appearance as a low wing
monoplane might be considered to be a ‘Fighter type’ aircraft and as a
Bomber, it was certainly engaged in ground attack work and 11 Squadron
SAAF was designated as an Army-Co-operation squadron, so it is perhaps
not surprising that a number of 11 Squadron’s Battles received the ‘Black
and White’ marking.
The national markings applied under the wings are of particular interest as
on the Night and White finish, both roundels can be seen to have a Yellow
surround. This idea was presumably carried over from the instructions of 25
August that Yellow circles were to be applied to the roundels on the lower
surface of the wing tips of Fighter aircraft, with the Battles being considered
to be ‘Fighter type aircraft’ serving with an Army Co-operation unit.
It is not known for how long the SAAF Battles in East Africa retained the
Night and White under surface finish. While Azure Blue was formulated in
December 1940, it is not thought that supplies of this new colour reached
Egypt before July 1941 at the earliest, and as a result it seems unlikely that
any found its way to East Africa fast enough to be applied any SAAF Battles
prior to their being withdrawn from service in August 1941.
The author would like to thank South African aviation historian Stefaan
Bouwer for generously providing the photographs on which the
illustrations of the SAAF Battles are based.

Dark Earth Dark Green Night

(Vallejo 71.323 BS Dark Earth) (Vallejo 71.324 BS Dark Green) (Vallejo 71.057 Black)

Medium Sea Grey White Light Earth

(Vallejo 71.307 BS Medium Sea Grey) (Vallejo 71.001 White) (Vallejo 71.291 US Earth Yellow*)

      * denotes appropriate match

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 61
WORKBENCH

Options in 1/72
By John Bisset

A Gaggle
of Gannets
L
ike our illustrious editor, I have something Two things stand out for me about that occasion; immediately shot off. The smoking aircraft
of a fondness for Fleet Air Arm aircraft, one was my clear memory of thinking as the skidded all the way past the crowd, slewed off
especially of the post-war period, and quite starboard wingtip carved a neat furrow in the to starboard onto the grass and as it slowed
particularly for the unusual and impressively earth ‘That’s not right’, at which point the pilot the second thing that impressed me was the
awkward looking Fairey Gannet, ever since realised this was all going wrong and sensibly speed with which the hatches were ejected and
watching the daily antics at RNAS Fulmar, when rolled the aircraft smartly level to impact the crew bailed out of the still moving wreckage. I
at its best there were two or possibly three runway, scattering radome pieces, radar parts, swear their arms and legs were already running.
separate circuits in operation - one for fast jets, and drop tanks all down the audience line. The XP226 was in fact repaired and served ashore
one for propeller aircraft like the Gannets and announcer hardly paused in his narrative, going and afloat for years after. She is preserved today.
one (I think) for helicopters. straight into ‘Crash on the airfield, crash on the What had happened incidentally was that the
airfield’ in a very calm voice, and the fire tenders pilot had done a couple of passes showing how
Unlike our editor I have never managed to well he could fly on one engine, then started up
paint the wrong side of a folded wingtip. My number two and turned in, just a little too soon,
personal spectacular Gannet clang was watching
through my camera viewfinder as AEW.3 XP226
did a belly landing right in front of me onto the
display runway at RNAS Fulmar, Lossiemouth,
during a display in the early Sixties, and then
totally forgetting to take the picture! In my
defence I was but a young sprog at the time.

Frog/Novo showing the first of the cockpit

Kit comparisons. From top – Trumpeter, Frog/
interior outline being added in Plasticard. Not
Novo, Revell, with radomes showing a range
much detail was subsequently required, as
of sizes. Note the undersized Revell overwing
the fairly thick transparencies hide a lot.
exhaust bulges. Overall, Frog produced a
good accurate outline. Not bad for the 1950s!

The kits - a variety of AS.1/4s plus an AEW.3 Trumpeter fuselage with bomb bay doors cut
kit, a wing fold conversion, and a vacform Frog/Novo cockpit cut-outs and the original open and Revell bay interior alongside for a
AEW conversion. Lots of choice. with crew moulded in, or on. first attempt at a fit.

62 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K

for his next run. Unfortunately No.2 was slow to
light, so the windmilling prop added drag and a
wingtip became a plough.
I built the original Frog Fairey Gannet Mk 1 of
course, around that time, along with several
other Frog FAA offerings. Over the years various
other Gannet kits have been added, amongst
my various naval aircraft hoardings. With the
promise of a new larger scale Gannet from Airfix,
apparently even with folding wings, this seemed
the time to resurrect a plan I’d discussed with
Gary some years ago to build up a number of
different Gannet kits and variants and write
them up for fun.
A rake through my stash and my stalled
part-built kit museum turned up part builds
of a Trumpeter Gannet AS.1/4 and a Novo
(ex-Frog) Gannet Mk 1 build with the in-situ
crew mouldings cut out ready for additional
fuselage detail to be added in plastic card. In
the stash I found an Alleycat resin wing fold set,
an old Aeroclub vacform AEW.3 fuselage set
with white metal detail parts, plus two Revell
Gannet AS1/4s, one more Novo Gannet Mk 1, a
Trumpeter Gannet T.2, and a new Sword Gannet
AEW.3, all, of course, in 1/72. I also had a built
1/48 Classic Airframes Gannet Mk 4, with an
Alleycat bomb bay detail set added. This was
built some years ago and is now slightly tatty, so
could do with refurbishing.
THE PLAN, VERSION 1
Clearly one of the modern kits would be most
appropriate for the Alleycat folded wings. That
set was designed for the Trumpeter Gannet, so
my part-built Gannet AS.1/4 would now be a
folded wing machine. That freed up the wings
to donate elsewhere. Since the Sword AEW.3
kit does not have extendable flaps, I decided
to mate the Trumpeter wings, with extended
flaps, to the Aeroclub vacform fuselage, this
giving me two AEW Gannets in differing
configurations. The Novo Gannet would be
completed with its improved fuselage interior
as a standard Mk 1, maybe with underwing
stores added to busy it up. The Trumpeter
Gannet T.2, Sword AEW.3 and one Revell
Gannet AS.1/4 would be built from the box.
That first plan didn’t last long. The more I
looked at the various kits, the more variations
there were and the more modifications turned
out to be needed, so after initially cutting and
sanding the Aeroclub vacform pieces, the AEW
machines were put aside. I had decided the
folded wing Gannet should also have its bomb
doors open. Originally I’d thought I’d have to
Trumpeter fuselage with a heavily cut back
Revell bomb bay fitted. The fit at the front
was fair, but because of Revell’s squared off
lower rear fuselage, a lot of tapering down
was needed.
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detail a bomb bay, however the Revell kits
include a bomb bay interior, behind normally
closed doors, so I decide to steal a Revell
interior for the Trumpeter kit. After all, they
were both AS variants so it should be easy.
Mistake. Perhaps the major oddity of the Revell
kit is the odd shape of the lower rear fuselage.
Whereas the real machine has continuously
curving contours narrowing towards the
underside and rear, Revell for some reason
decided it was more rectangular further back
with some mild curves around the edges. This
makes the whole lower rear end far too broad
and affects the rear of the bomb bay too, which
was notably wider than the Trumpeter fuselage.
A lot of sanding, filling and modifying was
needed before the Revell interior would fit.
What idiot thought up this modification idea?
It also became apparent that there were very
different ideas about the size of the ventral
dustbin, housing the radar. Ironically, it looks
as if Frog probably got this about right, being
only slightly undersize. Trumpeter was well
undernourished, while Revell, perhaps taking
advantage of their oversize rear, had a radar
dustbin just a touch too large. Wrapping a
thin piece of Plasticard around the Trumpeter
dustbin sorted that, with a new top cut from a
handy piece of old pen. Revell, like Trumpeter,
had made the radar hatch area separate from
the fuselage. Since I needed to reprofile that
area extensively, I decided to add Milliput to
the inside rear fuselage halves, do the same
to the hatch section, then aim to sand the
whole lot to a more reasonable shape with the
sections lightly held together. That proved too
challenging, and a second helping of Milliput
was needed so I then decided to abandon
the radar dustbin and complete the Revell
machine as a COD variant. That added a nice
colour variation, since many COD aircraft were
painted overall dark blue, with white lettering
and stencils. Since the Revell kit was the only
one that also showed the wing upper surface
bulges over the flap actuators, the all-dark blue
scheme would show this feature while also
minimising their slight oversize. I also decided
that the COD machine would have its flaps
deployed, again nicely shown off by the dark
blue scheme.
At this point I discovered that my part-built
Gannet AS.4 would need major re-work, because
the kit design provides for short wing spar
sections to be built in to strengthen the wing-
to-fuselage joint. These are not required for the
resin folded wing stubs, and also the resin parts
use the spar slots as a fitting guide.
Revell fuselage with added exhaust run bulges
roughly done with Milliput, prior to their being
reduced to a more prototypical outline.
M A R C H 2024
WORKBENCH
Next plan change: I decided to build the
Trumpeter Gannet trainer fuselage, without the
spars, for the folded wing AS Gannet and convert
the part built Trumpeter Gannet to the trainer
version. Easy. Actually, not quite. Changing over
the dustbin section for the trainer’s plain belly
was no problem, and the cockpits had only
minor differences to sort out, but it turns out
Gannets had, or may have had, two different
wiring loom bulges added to the upper fuselage
sides. Apparently the AS Gannet had a longer
bulge on the port side, presumably to service
more complex cockpit instrumentation. Peeling
off the already fitted bulge to refit on to the
other fuselage took time and care, plus a scalpel
and some blood.
By this stage I had of course completely lost
sight of the original plan simply to make one
folded wing Gannet and add some detailing to
the old Frog kit. Never mind, onwards with the
new plan.
THE MACHINES
Gannet T.5, Royal Australian Navy
(Trumpeter)
The trainer Gannet was now to be a RAN
machine in silver and yellow T-bands, because
my family tell me I have a tendency to overdo
the use of Dayglo. With the exception of the
prototype, all RN trainers were silver with red
Dayglo sections, and it seems the Bundesmarine
used red, possibly Dayglo bands.
The trainer aircraft was easy to complete, once
the wings with retracted flaps and the shorter
port side cable duct fairing had also been
added. The exhaust fairings are rather too long
and protrude too far, so those were lightly cut
back. After some light wet and dry sanding, the
whole machine was sprayed matt white, then
the T-bands were sprayed yellow. Once these
were masked off, a spray coat of silver was
added overall.
Matt black was added to the front fuselage for
the anti-glare panel and the canopy framing
painted silver on top of an initial underlining
of black. Finding Australian Navy decals of the
correct size took some work. Wing roundels were
no problem, though I first set the kangaroos
wrongly. Each kangaroo should face forward,
feet towards the fuselage. For the fuselage
roundels I used some roundels without red
centres and added some small red kangaroo
decal centres I had purchased from Roo Decals
about a year ago. At the time they were just a
possibly useful purchase, now they were ideal
- modelling is sometimes like that. The serials
and the station code I assembled from old
Modeldecal sheets.
Revell fuselage showing the initial rear fuselage
Milliput filler. Note the large quantity of lead
sheet inserted as far forward as possible.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 63
WORKBENCH
Gannet COD Mk 4, Royal Navy
(Revell)
To ring the changes on the Extra Dark Sea Grey
and Sky schemes most commonly seen, I had
elected to build my Revell Gannet as a COD
aircraft in overall dark blue. Making a COD
variant would be simpler than reinstating the
radome area of the reprofiled rear fuselage.
Another curiosity of the Revell kit was the
undersizing of the engine exhaust bulges on
the mid-fuselage, which were much too small.
Increasing the bulges was done with Milliput,
which allowed gentle moulding to shape with
a wet spatula. In the event I did slightly overdo
this, so some wet sanding back was needed
to get the finished effect I wanted. The Fairey
Youngman flaps were attached fully deployed,
as if the aircraft had just landed. Both Revell and
Trumpeter provided for these flaps, and their
prominent actuators. The final effect with flaps
fully down is impressive. Lots of built in drag to
aid carrier landing!
Being dark blue overall, all the stencils and
serial were of course in white, which required
some rooting around in my decal collection to
find suitable sizes. Some old Modeldecal sheets
from many years ago were useful, and I was
lucky enough to find two very small RN serials
in white, which only required two changes
of letter and number to match the modelled
aircraft. Trying to arrange a full set of individual
tiny letters and numbers to look straight enough
might have been beyond me. Although there
are many photographs available of Gannet COD
aircraft in different liveries and with various
station or unit allocation letters, there were
actually relatively few airframes involved, six in
total, which limited my options.
Gannet AS.1/4, Bundesmarine – in
flying configuration (Novo, ex-Frog)
I decided that since there were now several
Gannets to be built with wheels down, there
was little point in building new undercarriage
legs for the Novo kit. Instead, I would complete
it in a flying attitude. For a little more change I
opted for a Bundesmarine aircraft. I had already
cut out wheel wells, which meant that the
original kit’s main undercarriage, moulded
integral with the doors, would fit nicely into
the wells and leave the wheels visible as they
should be. After some fairly extensive sanding
of wheels and adjustment to the wells, that
worked satisfactorily. The addition of cockpit
detailing meant I could add crew figures to
the seats, ironically almost replicating the
original moulded on items. Still, these were
64
4 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
clearly separate and carefully painted to show
flying suits, helmet, masks and life jackets. I
painted their flying suits in the standard Fifties
blue-grey, though I now wonder whether the
Bundesmarine may have used orange fling suits,
as I seem to recall the Luftwaffe did. Perhaps the
story is that the aircraft is being flown during
their initial training period in the UK, possibly at
HMS Fulmar, in which case standard FAA gear
may have been worn.
Gannet AS.1/4, FAA - folded wings
(Trumpeter + Alleycat)
The Trumpeter AS1/4 kit was used as the basis
for this conversion, using Alleycat’s resin folded
wing set. The Gannet is something of a tail sitter,
as the real thing was, so plenty of weight was
glued into the front fuselage area, including
inside the nose wheel bay since the main
doors would be modelled closed, as in normal
operations. I rigged the slightly enlarged radome
part deployed, as if about to be serviced.
As described earlier, the addition of the Revell
bomb bay interior was more of a challenge than
I’d expected it to be, but had an extra benefit
once I’d sanded back enough to get the bay to
fit, and had opened up the bay doors on the
Trumpeter fuselage. Perhaps because of the
bomb bay and radome modifications, the final
model was, just, a tail sitter. Loading a notional
depth charge moulded in white metal into the
front of the open bomb bay solved that.
Because I knew that attaching the folded wing
sections would be the really tricky part, the
fuselage was completed, including the addition
of the undercarriage and painting and decaling,
before any wing assembly was done. As with the
Gannet trainer, the exhaust inners were cut back
to length. The resin wing sections were now
cut away and their edges trimmed and sanded
before painting and decaling, after which both
wing inner sections were glued to the fuselage.
The outer wing sections were a little tricky; it was
hard to be certain which surface was intended
to be the upper, and I did paint one tip in error
before spotting that. Varnishing after that to
make handling easier was what I should have
done; in fact I forgot until after my sticky fingers
had damaged one area of decal.
The Alleycat conversion has a series of very
fine resin mouldings of the hinges, cables,
levers and locking pins that are involved in the
wing hinging actions. Cutting those away from
their bases needed very careful work with my
finest modelling saw, dampened, and with the
whole lot contained in a large box just in case
of escaping parts. Once parts were removed, I
cleaned them up, then held them lightly back
in place on their bases with tape and stored
the lot in a small sealable poly bag; these were
parts so fine it would be easy to lose them, even
though I had sprayed them all silver beforehand
to help visibility. This build also used my largest
magnifying glass and light, bought some years
ago at Scale ModelWorld and seldom used since.
Now was the chance to show my lady why it was
a worthwhile purchase.
After drilling out some small recesses in the
wing fold areas, I attached actuating levers to
the outer wing sections with superglue, then
attached the outer wings to the mid sections. I
had drawn some sketch guides for myself to help
get the wingfold angles correct. Once the initial
attachment was made and the angles checked,
I added further struts and cable pieces to help
stiffen the join. The same process of drilling out
recesses and inserting initial joining pieces was
done for the centre sections and one folded
wing piece attached. It took several tries and a
lot of careful patient work holding everything
steady before I was happy with the positioning
of that first folded wing. Once done, the outer
wing folds appear almost to meet over the
fuselage centreline. The process was repeated
with the second folded wing, then once that was
stable, additional struts and cable pieces were
added to both sides. The final strengthening was
provided by the red-painted locking bars, which
the FAA used to provide additional security for
the folded wings during high winds.
The wing fold areas were then cleaned up and
painted to highlight some of the detail features
before final clean up with the addition of
undercarriage doors and the last stencil details.
On balance I was pleased with the final effect,
though I will be fascinated to see how the new
1/48 Airfix Gannet deals with this in plastic, which
will be much more forgiving than the very brittle
resin parts were. It needed to be done, even if the
combination of small brittle parts and finicky fit
nearly killed my modelling motivation for a while!
The final result, for now, is that I have four
completed 1/72 Gannets in various guises, to sit
with my old CA 1/48 Gannet in AURI colours.
Once I have recovered from Gannet overload,
I suspect I shall attack the new Airfix product
before completing my smaller Gannet collection
with a couple of AEW machines, one injection,
one vacform. It was worth it – just, but it took
much longer than I’d anticipated.
1/35 6008 AH-1G Cobra Upgrade Cockpit Set FOR ICM KITS

1/32 Hurricane Mk.II RESIN SETS FOR REVELL KIT

Q32412
Hurricane Mk.I/II
P32001 Q32410 Q32411 Main Wheels
Hawker Hurricane Gun Hurricane Mk.I/II Hurricane Mk.II (Four Spoke Discs)
Sight Mk.II Type (2 pcs.) Ejector Type Exhausts Fish Tail Type Exhausts and Tailwheel

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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 65
5
MARTLET IV
Converting Eduard’s 1/48 F4F-4 to a Fleet Air
Arm Martlet IV with Wing Fold
By Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett.
Mods to make a
Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat (Early)
Kit No: 82202
Scale: 1/48
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Eduard
www.eduard.com
E
duard’s series of Wildcats in 1/48 have,
quite rightly, received critical acclaim,
however the shortage of a Fleet Air Arm
specific range of boxings (to date at least) have
left those of us with a leaning in that direction
impatient and reaching for the modelling knife
with modification in mind. Having decided to
convert the Wildcat F4F-4 to a Martlet IV it made
sense to go all out and build a model with folded
wings too, which would mean minimal impact
on shelf space. It’s worth noting that a Martlet
is apparently a mythical bird that never lands,
constantly in flight for its entire life, so making a
Marlet with a wing fold has a certain element of
irony too.
My research informed me that the Martlet IV
varies from the Wildcat F4F-4 in a number of
minor ways and a number of changes were
66 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Martlet!
Martlet!
The basic kit interior is exceptional, with
the addition of the LOOK set adding an
impressive instrument panel.
needed to the base kit, although none of them
require major surgery:
Revised propeller without cuffs and addition of
a rounded spinner to reflect the installation of a
Hamilton-Standard item.
Removal of the intake from the top and inside of
the engine cowling.
Removal of the teardrop shaped fairing ‘bumps’
from each side of fuselage just in front of wing.
Installation of a late version Wright Cyclone
R1820-40B.
Mirror located on top of windscreen.
Additional antenna on top of fuselage.
CONSTRUCTION
My first step was to start preparing the wings
for the installation of the Eduard wing fold set
for the F4F-4 (Ref. 648 818). This does provide a
spare set of wing sprues just in case of accident
whilst dissecting the wing appropriately, as well
A closer view of the cockpit interior, showing
the highly detailed wheel well.
as when thinning the plastic as needed to get a
decent fit for the provided 3D printed internal
areas of the wing fold. The instructions clearly
show where to cut, and I used a 0.1mm chisel
repeatedly drawn through the panel line of the
wing joint to separate the parts. After marking
out the wing areas to be removed to allow the
3D parts to fit I again used a slightly larger chisel
to remove sufficient plastic before sanding the
area to provide a level surface. There are possibly
faster methods but this works best for me.
Whilst the ProfiPACK kit cockpit is well
appointed, the addition of the F4F-4 Look
cockpit set (Ref. 644164) includes a 3D printed
pre-painted instrument panel and resin
bulkhead as well as a set of photoetched
harnesses. This additional finesse of detail
does add to the realism and I thought it worth
the effort. Other than this I left the cockpit
untouched except for a minor amount of
weathering to bring out the detail.
The main spar, which passes through the
fuselage, needs cutting to allow the revised wing
stubs to fit. The instructions omit this.
 MARTLET IV

I found that 5mm from each side was sufficient
to allow the stub to fit whist also maintaining
alignment. Apart from this the wing fold
instructions are accurate and really need to be
followed to the letter.
The small teardrop shaped fairing ‘bumps’ each
side of the front fuselage were carefully sanded
away with the surrounding area protected with
masking tape to allow for any slips.
Modifications to the engine cowling included
the removal of the internal intakes using a
scalpel and then cutting the intake from the top
by cutting the panel lines with a razor saw. The
equivalent section was removed from a spare
cowl in the kit and glued in place before a small
amount of filler and sanding blended the new
part seamlessly. The main cowling only has one
set of flaps towards the top rear edge, which are
provided in the kit.
The replacement engine is a resin item by
Metallic Details to reflect the alternate engine
used in the FAA Martlet IV.
The inside of the engine cowling and tops of
each cylinder needed some modification to
allow it to fit, however these are hidden within
the cowling. A cone of card inserted in the front
of the cowl protected things during painting.

The teardrop bulge, shown in black on the right hand side, needs to be The kit engine (left) is fine for an F4F-4, but the Martlet IV used the
removed from each side of the fuselage in front of the wing. substantially different R 1820-40B.

The revisions to the propeller mean that just the hub is retained, with Alterations to the engine cowling result in a more streamlined item
altered blades and hub required. devoid of the top intake and interior scoops.

The wing fold set laid out ready for construction, showing the dissected The interior of the wing fold shows how much material needs to be
wing from the exterior. removed to allow the 3D printed sections and join to fit in place.

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www.guidelinepublications.co.uk +44(0)1582 668411 M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 67
MARTLET IV
The canopy is a superb fit, so I used the spare
items in the kit to act as masks for the cockpit
opening whilst I used the F4F-4 TFace masks (Ref.
EX 904) for the canopy I needed for the build
and so could mask both the outside and interior.
It really is worth the extra time to do this.
PAINTING
I used a black acrylic primer as a base coat
before airbrushing as this would allow me to
have a more weather beaten look by allowing it
to show through the subsequent colours. Black
is also a pretty unforgiving colour, showing all
the defects that I had made during construction.
Paint was selected from Vallejo’s Air War set
entitled FAA (Fleet Air Arm) Colors 1939-45 (ref.
71147). These paints have long been personal
favourites of mine, being airbrush ready as well
as having the right level of fine pigmentation.
The underside was coated with a thin layer of
strategically applied Sky Type S (ref. 71302) to
make it look worn. As soon as this was dry the
top surface was first coated with Extra Dark
Sea Grey (ref. 71110) before the camouflage
demarcations were masked and then the
remaining areas painted Dark Slate Grey (ref.
71309). I also painted the walkways in NATO
Black (ref. 71251). A coat of gloss acrylic varnish
then left the surface ready for decal application.
Decals were sourced from the Euro Decals
Interesting FAA Martlets/Wildcats sheet, which
provides a Martlet Mk IV in the form of FN148
‘9C.O’ from No.893 Naval Air Squadron whilst
based at Qrendi, Malta during 1943. The decals
have good colour density, which is useful
when it comes to laying them over the dark
camouflage, however this does have the payoff
of them being a little on the thick side so getting
them to conform to the surface contours and
detail was troublesome. It’s a hard balance for
a manufacturer to strike and so a little decal
softener helped the process along. One of
the surprises I found was that the instruction
profile for the decal sheet regarding FN148 was
incorrect as the aircraft markings 9C.O were
missing from the placement diagrams, along
with the serial numbers, which were actually also
missing from the decal sheet.
Skipping
forward to decal
application shows
how the Euro Decal
items need help to
conform to the shape of
the Martlet.
68 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
I had some suitable individual serial numbers
and letters from a Carpena sheet (ref. 48.48)
however the shape of the number 8 is not quite
right for this aircraft but is the closest I had in my
supplies so will do until I get a slightly squarer
item to suit.
Placement of the serial numbers was aided
by the inclusion of a profile of the aircraft in
question in Valiant Wings recent book on the
Wildcat and a photograph of a squadron mate
of FN148 in The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm,
which helped confirm general decal positioning
too. Weathering the Martlet took the form of a
thinned black oil pin wash added to the panel
lines and a range of thinned browns and dark
greys airbrushed in layers to simulate exhaust
and gun port staining. Chipping was added
using aluminium paint and a torn chunk of foam
rubber and a range of coloured pencils. I used an
airbrushed coat of VMS XXL Satin acrylic varnish
(ref. AX15S) to provide the final finish.
The final construction process brought all the
numerous components together including
installing the outer wings and hatches,
incorporating a pair of delicate winding handles
as well as Brassin F4F 3D printed gun barrels
(ref. 648 769) - a full set of six super detailed gun
barrels, which are an improvement over the kit’s
already excellent parts, even though a very small
amount of them can be seen.
In order to add strength to the undercarriage
I used Eduard’s F4F Bronze undercarriage legs
(ref. 648779), which supply a set of bronze
main undercarriage legs as well as 3D printed
supports and wheel well doors. This provides
additional detail over the kit parts as well as
adding robustness to a fragile looking set of
components. These were coupled with the
Brassin F4F-4 Wheels Early (ref. 648815), which
supplied a pair of weighted resin main wheels
as well as a series of three tailwheels so that it is
possible to match them to the aircraft you are
constructing. The set of wheel masks included
makes painting them much easier too. Revisions
to the propeller involved removing the existing
cuffed blades from the propeller boss and using
some suitable replacements from my spares box.
These needed a little reshaping before fitting to
the propeller boss.
The new spinner was shaped from a suitable
diameter section of sprue and fixed in place.
The retaining nut at the end was punched out
of some adhesive aluminium tape. Whilst falling
short of the high standards of the rest of the kit
the modified part just about passes inspection.
The kit exhausts were replaced with Brassin F4F-
4 3D printed exhausts (ref. 648 820) to provide
a pair of highly detailed exhausts, which are a
simple paint and install improvement.
The aerial wires were made from Ushi’s ‘Rig
that Thing’ thread and fixed in place in pre-
drilled locations. I did replace the mast on the
tail with a length of brass rod as I knew from
past experience that the kit plastic would not
withstand my clumsy interaction.
The photoetch fret in the kit includes an interior
mirror, which proved suitable to install as the
typical FAA exterior mirror so I repainted this
and fixed it atop the windscreen. The additional
antenna on top of the fuselage was formed of a
length of fuse wire fitted into a predrilled hole.
CONCLUSION
As with the newer Eduard kits, the overall fit
is excellent, with nothing in terms of filling
needed. The fit is very precise so the use of liquid
cement is a must. Any issues found were the
result of modifications I made to the original
kit parts to make it a Martlet IV. If I were to
have a gripe, it would be that the folded wing
needs a larger joint or more secure method of
installation as I did manage to knock the wings
off during the final construction phase.
Hindsight tells me I should have installed a
metal peg made from thin bar for strength. I
know that Eduard do have some Fleet Air Arm
boxings of the Wildcat in the pipeline, with
some showing up as decal options already, so
I suspect we will see a Martlet IV in the future,
however for now at least, this is the route that
needs to be taken to produce one using this
excellent kit at the basis. Not a huge amount of
effort, an enjoyable project, and well worth it in
my humble opinion.
Weathering
adds a further
dimension,
making the model
come to life.

REFERENCES
Grumman F4F Wildcat, Warpaint No.9, Glen
Phillips, Guideline Publications.
The Grumman F4F Wildcat (Including GM
FM-1 and FM-2), Airframe and Miniature No.22,
Richard A Franks, Valiant Wings Publishing, ISBN
978-1-912932-35-1
F4F Wildcat in Action, No.84, Squadron Signal
Publications, ISBN 0-89747-200-4.
F4F Wildcat, Vol.30, Bert Kinzey, Detail & Scale
Aviation Publications, ISBN 1-85310-607-8.
F4F Wildcat, Vol.65, Bert Kinzey, Detail & Scale
Aviation Publications, ISBN 1-888974-18-4.
M A R C H 2024
MARTLET IV
Grumman F4F Wildcat, Famous Airplanes of the
World No.68, Bunrindo, ISBN 4-89319-065-2.
Page 325, The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm,
Ray Sturtivant and Theo Ballance, Air-Britain
Publications, ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 69
1/32 DOUGLAS A-20G HAVOC
Cr y , H a v o c ! ’
Leashed for the Moment.
But Keep the Dogs
A-20G Havoc over Europe
Kit No: 01E039
Scale: 1/32
Type: Injection Moulded
Manufacturer: HK Model
www.bachmann.com
T
he Douglas A-20 Havoc began life as
the DB-7 light bomber in 1939 and was
subsequently ordered by the French. The
few that were delivered there were used with
some success against the Germans in 1940, and
when France surrendered, airframes awaiting
delivery were taken over by the RAF and initially
christened the Boston for all uses, and later
Havoc when used later in a night fighter/intruder
role. The A-20 served with the RAF, RAAF, SAAF,
USAAF and Russian air forces, and post war with
Brazil and Nicaragua. Originally fitted with a
glazed nose and open rear position with hand-
held guns, the later G and H versions evolved
into the six-gun solid ‘strafing’ nose and Martin
powered-operated turret version represented
by this kit.
Books play a large part in my hobby. A good
book will usually lead me to build its subject
70 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Eduard’s aftermarket helps spruce up the kit
cockpit, although as ever with pre-painted
parts, the colour match up can be tenuous.
Note the supplied nose weights, which are a
very good touch.
matter, as a sort of 3D history. Inspiration for
this build came from Rampage of The Roarin’ 20’s
(Wings Across the Pacific Volume III, by Lawrence
J. Hickey and Michael H. Levy with Michael J.
Claringbould, International Historical Research
Associates, 2002) about the A-20 and B-32 in
use with the 312th Bombardment Group. Not
modelling books per se, it’s a unit history, but
the information and personal stories contained,
plus the sheer number of contemporary photos
make them a ‘must have’.
Much has been said online about the kit’s ‘oil
canning’ effect moulded to give some variance
to the aircraft’s panels. It’s actually quite subtle
and panel lines and rivets are restrained. There
are 550 parts in the box, all moulded flash free,
with canopy and gun turret having additional
Gordon Scott
wonders if it’s more
than a feeling as he tackles
HKM’s 1/32 huge Havoc.
The turret problem. The clear dome just won’t
fit down over the turret ring, which means it
will sit too high.
clear plastic covers to prevent scratching. A
pair of metal nose weights are included, and
three decal options show the same aircraft at
different stages of its service with some stencils
and instrumentation. A small photoetched
sheet with appliqué nose armour, both RAF and
USAAF pilot seat harnesses, bomb fuses, and
exhaust shields completes the package. When I
mentioned to the Editor that I was making this
kit, he kindly sent me an ASK seat and harness,
along with their masks and gun barrels. Also
sent were Eduard’s interior set plus their Space
3D instrument decals and Löök cockpit interior.
I then bought the Zotz SWPA decal sheet (which
has a number of G-model nose art options), some
masks for the national insignia and a huge shark
mouth, Quickboost’s gun barrels and 3D-printed
ammunition, and Eduard’s resin wheel set.
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 71
1/32 DOUGLAS A-20G HAVOC
Unsurprisingly my build began with the cockpit
and there’s quite a few parts. The ASK seat was
tried but was just too deep to fit between the
control column and rear bulkhead so I used the
kit’s. I quickly began to see that a lot of the kit’s
design work would be largely invisible when
built – items of equipment that install below
the cockpit rear shelf can only be seen from the
open bomb bay for example. The instrument
panel has a single decal to go over the raised
dials with nothing for the side consoles, but
thankfully Eduard came to the rescue. The nose
undercarriage came next, along with the option
of fitting an RAF harness to the pilot’s seat, which
was odd bearing in mind the American harness
has already been shown fitted in stage one.
The nose-wheel bay also benefited from
Eduard’s etch and was simple to construct, but
fitting the nose leg now made it vulnerable to
damage, (yes, I broke it later). The cockpit should
locate onto four pins on top of the undercarriage
bay, but I left it loose for the time being for ease
of painting. It was all sprayed Vallejo Interior
Green (71010) then put aside overnight to set.
The following day the first real problem was
revealed when I test fitted the cockpit, nose
weights, and wheel bay inside the fuselage. If
I’d already glued the cockpit floor to the wheel
bay roof as per instructions, the cockpit’s rear
bulkhead would have fouled the moulded shelf
on both fuselage sides. There’s a gap behind
the cockpit rear shelf, so I simply cut off the
four locating pins and dry fitted the cockpit
to get the best sit. In fact I didn’t need to glue
it in place at all once the fuselage halves were
brought together.
Plasticard, new gun barrels, and 3D-printed
ammo all help spruce up the turret. Note the
bare plastic around the turret lip – part of the
sand and test regime to get the clear lid to fit.
… but wholly invisible if you add the bomb load. And yes, A-20 bomb bay door interiors were that
plain it seems!
72 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
The cockpit was supposed to be completed
later, but I decided now was the time to do it
and began installing some of the Eduard extras,
combining the etched fret with the 3D Space
decals, and was very pleased with the overall
effect. I found that carefully peeling the dry
items from the Space sheet with tweezers and
fixing them with a dab of PVA glue worked
really well. I used Eduard’s pilot’s seat belt as the
kit one is really basic, and I also used Eduard’s
gunner’s belt too, as one isn’t supplied in the kit.
And so to the turret. It all looked good on paper
and largely went together well until I added the
guns, painted it, and then tried to install the
turret glazing. It didn’t fit together. I ended up
with a gap between the turret rim and glazing,
but after many test fits the causes were found
to be the length of the gun bodies catching the
front of the glazing, and either the thickness of
the clear moulding and/or the thickness of its
mounting ring lip. Naturally, I only discovered
this after I’d constructed the turret and tried to
install the clear part.
So I began the repetitive process of progressively
filing down the mounting ring’s thickness, and
reducing the gun bodies’ length until the glazed
fitted. I had to drill out the central holes in the
ammunition-feed etched sprockets to get them
to fit over the pins moulded on their mount too.
It’s also much easier to paint the gunner’s seat
and fit the seat harness, then attach this to the
complete upper assembly instead of trying to
install a harness with the seat already attached.
I drilled the gun bodies to take the aftermarket
barrels, which are much better than the kit ones.
The moulded armour plate was also removed
and replaced with Eduard’s etched version.
With the turret fixed it’s clear that were it to
sit too high it would be very noticeable, as it’s
quite a slick installation. The slight wing join
is actually well disguised by the red walkway
decals too.
I used Eduard’s 3D-printed bullets, added
another Space decal, and then scratch built
the missing barrel draught shields. Looking at
Martin drawings, the slots in the glazing didn’t
have brushes installed, so the shields were made
from plastic strip. This was drilled for the barrels,
curved to fit the turret, and attached. The glazing
was then added to the ring and left to set.
The bombs and bomb bay came next without
issue. I drilled some lightening holes in the
structure but once it’s all together there’s not
much that can be seen, so I just installed the
bombs. A dry fit with the bomb bay, nose
wheel bay and cockpit ensued, and after a bit
of manipulation getting the bomb bay and
undercarriage together it was all a good fit. The
next stage was to finally finish the cockpit by
installing the internal bulkheads inside the rear
fuselage and the floor (painted like plywood).
This needed a couple of millimetres removed
from its rear section to help in closing the lower
fuselage around it, and went together with
a few loud ‘cracks’ – it still creaks every time I
pick it up. The area between the bomb bay’s
rear and the underside access hatch was a bit
concave, and needed a bit of filler to level it out,
as did a gap between the cockpit-raft storage
area and fuselage.
Next the empennage and elevators were built
and added, all without problem, (I started to
wonder if the kit designer just had an ‘off day’
when he did the turret, or someone else did
that bit), and then it was onto the nose. There’s
a load of detail, but even with every hatch open
you really can’t see the weaponry. For example
the upper ammunition runs have moulded
bullets, but are attached to the roof to fill an
open hatch and block the view. None of the
guns have ammunition belt feeds and simply
hang on bulkheads.
HKM gives a lot of bomb bay detail, which is
nice …
You can open a lot of nose panels for not
much reward, and do you really want to see
the nose weight?

If the underside door is left open all that’s seen are
the undersides of the middle two guns, and the
rear of the two lower weapon bays open to reveal
the bare, undetailed chasm between the metal
nose weights and inside of the nose-gear bay
wall, which seems odd given the time and effort
that must have been taken on all the nose interior
… that can’t be seen! Due to this lack of detail in
these lower gun bays, I closed them up and also
most of the separate panels. The exception was
the ammunition containers as these are the only
things you can see inside. Some aircraft also had
an additional vent on this gun cover, so I scratch
built that for extra interest.
The nose fits nicely onto the fuselage along a
panel line thus rendering the joint invisible. The
external etched armour plates were annealed
and wrapped around the nose without issue.
There’s actually a choice of armour plate for the
nose undercarriage doors between two etched
or plastic parts (numbered 2 and 3 on sprue H)
that have been omitted from the instructions.
Before adding the canopy, the gunsight was
installed, and this has a solid reflector glass. A
solid reflector glass - at this price with all those
already wasted, hidden details? My grumbling
became louder but one was made from clear
plastic sheet and fitted. This really typified this
kit as a ‘nice but’ kit, and the ‘buts’ hadn’t finished
either. The wheels have circumferential treaded
tyres but contemporary photos show diamond
pattern ones, so more expense and the Brassin
set was duly purchased. These were accurate and
streets ahead of the kit parts.
The bomb bay doors were left off to assist
masking and painting later, so that left the
engines and wings. The wings were a doddle,
but there’s a couple of ejector pin marks in the
inner flap, which are a real problem to fill and
sand. I installed some plastic sheet over them,
while the inner flaps are 2mm too short and
needed padding out. The undercarriage legs,
bays and engine nacelles go together well, with
separate engine air intakes that might indicate
other variants to come – a Boston perhaps?
I opted to leave just the ammo box access doors open, which at least have something interesting
inside. Note the scratch built small, white painted, extra gun-gas vent on the gun access door.
The engines are complex models but easy to
construct. Make sure the exhaust collector ring
is pushed as far forward as possible otherwise
there’s a gap when the cowling cooling gills are
attached to the nacelle. There’s a nice choice of
these gills, open or closed and they only fit one
way, so if they don’t fit you’ve got the wrong
cowling. I wired the engines with 0.3mm lead
wire, which was an exercise in eye strain but well
worth it. I also liked the way the wings attached
to the fuselage – it’s really handy for someone
like me who has limited storage space. They do
show a small gap along the upper edge that I
was unable to do much about though. HKM’s
B-25 also had a similar problem but reducing the
locking pegs’ height sorted it out with that kit.
The canopy was then masked using the ASK
set, but the two sliding canopy windows are
about the scale thickness of a tank periscope,
so out came the clear sheet again. I think the
aftermarket guys missed a trick here with their
cockpit sets, as an etched sliding-window
frame would look really good. The canopy
was attached and as the kit was still in sub-
assemblies, I could wave the airbrush at a
number of much smaller pieces around the
garage. As I was making a subject from the Zotz
decal sheet (and sadly the Green Hornet of old
Matchbox fame isn’t on it) painting began with
the white stripe across the tail fin. Tamiya Olive
Drab (XF-62), Khaki Drab (XF-51), and Vallejo
Medium Green (70850) took care of the upper
surfaces, and Tamiya Neutral Gray (XF-53) did for
the lower surfaces. This was then all sprayed with
three coats of Humbrol clear gloss varnish, ready
for decals.
Some aircraft from the 312th Bombardment
Group had a black anti-glare surround painted
around the rear turret, and red and white spirals
around the turret gun barrels. I’d chosen the
312th’s Sweet Lil Kitten from the Zotz sheet, so
using photos from my book as reference, these
were added. HKM’s decal sheet covers one
aircraft at three stages of its existence, with only
a small number of stencils.
M A R C H 2024
1/32 DOUGLAS A-20G HAVOC
The obvious manufacturer’s data panel seen
on all aircraft below the cockpit is missing, but
fortunately Zotz has this item. The kit decals
settled down into the details really well, but
to further prevent silvering, the clear decal
between the walkways was removed with a
new blade, after they had been firmly pressed
down onto the kit. Zotz’s decals also went on
without issue with the exception of the skull and
cross bones. After spoiling the correct set trying
to get it to conform to the nose contours, I’d
recommend punching out the skull’s eyes and
the black circles in the bones so you can locate
them over the gun barrel holes. I needed to
make a few cuts in the skull to get it to conform
to the nose contours, and used Microsol to settle
them down.
I was now really looking forward to finishing this
kit, so the painted sub-assemblies were brought
together. The wheels were weathered and
attached, and exhaust stains added with pastels.
Once bomb bay doors and undercarriage doors
had been added, the paintwork received a
faded, patchy effect with mixed amounts of the
camouflage colours. The masks were removed
and then the solid tail lights were drilled out.
Always fiddly, but always worth the fiddle.
Wiring up the ignition harness never fails to
add a lot of extra realism to any engine.
I opened up the sliding cockpit side windows
using clear plastic sheet, but some aftermarket
etch would really gild the lily here.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 73
1/32 DOUGLAS A-20G HAVOC
New ones were made with clear heat-stretched
sprue then the clear dome was installed over
them. The final battle was getting the lower
rear entrance door to fit. Coffin shaped, it fits
well in the closed position but if you want it
open, it won’t slide in due to its width even after
removing the moulded lip it sits on when closed.
After much trial and exasperation, and luck I
suspect, I sorted the problem out by slimming
the door’s width down.
Ultimately with any kit like this, the big question
is was it worth it? Cost is a subjective and
personal thing – I bought mine at a pre-release
price but it was still expensive when compared
with other kits of similar sized aircraft. I can’t
understand why so much unseen detail was
74 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
included, much of which remains hidden even
if you use a torch. I realise some people like just
knowing it’s there, and if you feel the need to
start cutting holes in the fuselage to see it then I
wish you luck.
The parts layout indicates other variants will
follow and we may even see a Boston. I’d hoped
that after spending a long time correcting their
1/32 Lancaster Dambuster kit, that this would
be a better effort. Accuracy wise, I think it is – it
looks every inch an A-20 when finished. It’s a
shame that a good number of the excellent kit
parts will never be seen, some of the construction
is annoying, and there are a number of obvious
gaffs and omissions that, I’m guessing, may be
due to replicating items from preserved aircraft.
The supplied aftermarket extras were great
though and I’d recommend all of them. If you
mix and match them too, it provides a great end
result. The question is, should you have to rely on
the aftermarket for accurate items like wheels etc
at this price though?
I got the impression that several people were
involved in the kit’s design, but no-one spoke
to each other and there’s that ‘but’ word again,
a word that characterises this kit for me. It’s
good, but, if I had to mark it I would give it
seven out of ten.
Many thanks to ASK and Eduard for the
aftermarket parts.
 Modellers Manual 5.
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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 75
REVIEWS

Special Hobby

Vautour IIB ‘French Jet Bomber’

By Andy McCabe

Kit No: 72415

Scale: 1/72
First impressions is of a very nicely detailed model
Type: Injection moulded plastic with lots of mixed media parts. The decals are
www.specialhobby.eu nicely printed and have a nice range of options,
and the assembly instructions clear and concise.
A coat of dark wash was added, and the decals
were placed into position. A coat of gloss varnish
then sealed them into place. The undercarriage
was then painted and fitted and the model was
finished.

T
he Vautour, or Vulture, was a twin jet-
powered bomber designed by Sud
Aviation in France in the early 1950s to
carry a Nuclear weapon but due to the lack
of radar and advanced navigation and attack
systems the aircraft was eventually replaced by
the more capable Dassault Mirage IV. 149 were
built and the aircraft first flew on 16 October
1950 and entered service in 1951. The primary
users were the French Air Force and the Israeli
Air Force. The aircraft was eventually retired in
1979.
The Vautour was powered by two SNECMA Atar
101E-3 Turbojets, one below each wing, which
could propel the aircraft to a max of Mach 0.9.
It had a crew of two and was armed with four
30mm DEFA Cannons. The aircraft had an internal
weapons bay that could carry a maximum of
2,725kg of bombs or a pack of 116 68mm rockets,
or a camera pack or 400 gal fuel tanks. It also had
four hardpoints underneath the wings.
The Special Hobby kit consists of four trees of
grey and one clear tree of injection moulded
plastic, one fret of photoetched parts, twenty-six
resin parts, one acetate sheet, one decal sheet
with marking for four aircraft and one assembly,
painting and marking booklet. Colour call outs
are for Gunze paints. There was also a set of
Special Hobby masks supplied with this review
kit (ref. M72036).
Work begins by spraying all of the interior parts
whilst still on their trees with matt black, the Decals are supplied for the following aircraft:-
cockpit seats were sprayed dark green and
• Vautour IIB No. 627/92-AP, 9We, Escadre de
the wheel well part with Tamiya Buff (XF-57).
Bombardement, Armée de l’Air
Assembly then began with the various parts of
the cockpit. The cockpit floor also doubles as the • Vautour IIB No.638, Armée de l’Air, RAF
forward undercarriage bay to which the forward Weathersfield, Great Britain, Armed Forces
and rear bulkheads were glued. Day, June 17, 1961
• Vautour IIB No.634/JD Escadron de
I then assembled the weapons operator’s Remorquage 05/106 Armée de l’Air, 1978
position, which is in the nose, and then fitted
• Vautour IIB No.6291/92-AN, 2/92e Escadre de
both of these assemblies into one half of the
Bombardement, Aquitaine, Armée de l’Air
fuselage. The aft wheel bay was then assembled
and fitted into the same fuselage half, and the
This is a very striking-looking aircraft and a very
two fuselage halves were then glued together.
nice model of it from Special Hobby, being a
mixed media kit including plastic, metal and
The rudder, two wings and tail planes were now
resin parts. It has a lot of nice detail to it. The
glued into position and I then assembled the
canopy can only be modelled closed but could
engines. These have resin parts for the engine
be opened by cutting it carefully to show the
front and rear along with wheel well inserts and
reasonably detailed cockpit with the etched
are quite nice little assemblies, which slot very
instrument panel and seat belts.
nicely into position on each wing.
When I look at the Vautour I can see elements
I now masked the windows using the die cut
of other aircraft types all brought together in
masks supplied for this review and then fitted
an airframe that looks typical of early Cold War
the clear parts to the fuselage. The model was
designs, and the Special Hobby kit captures
now given a coat of primer, any gaps addressed,
this perfectly. This is not a complicated model
and then a coat of gloss black was sprayed on
to make and it goes together very nicely, and
would make a nice entry level model for anyone
Once this was dry a coat of Alclad Polished
wanting to try a mixed media kit.
Aluminium (ALC-105) was applied.

76 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 77
REVIEWS
Rush Models
Ilyushin IL-62M
By Huw Morgan
Kit No: 144001
Scale: 1/144
Type: Injection moulded plastic
T
he Ilyushin IL-62M was an up-engined
version of the IL-62 airliner conceived
against an Aeroflot Specification in 1960,
which called for an intercontinental jet capable
of carrying up to 150 passengers over an un-
refuelled range of 11,000 Km (enough to get
from Moscow to Havana!). This rather challenging
specification for the day was met by a design
having four Soloviev D-30KU turbofan engines
(the non-afterburning versions of the engines in
the MiG 31) mounted in pairs at the rear of the
fuselage so as to keep the wing airflow as clean as
possible, together with a variable incidence T-tail.
At the time of its unveiling, its appearance caused
speculators to accuse the Russians of stealing
details of the Vickers VC 10 to form the basis of
the design. In fact, in time, these accusations
were completely refuted, and ironically, a number
of the IL-62M’s more advanced features were
incorporated in later versions of the VC 10. The
IL-62’s wing was relatively sophisticated, having
a number of lift-enhancing features, including
leading-edge slots, a dogtooth leading edge,
unusual in a civil aircraft, and a cambered droop
on the outer wing.
Of generally conventional appearance, the
IL-62M was unusual in having a lightweight
retractable wheeled strut at the rear of the
fuselage, which was deployed on the ground to
prevent tail-sitting under certain conditions of
fuel and passenger load. The IL-62M captured
a number of endurance and speed records and
formed the mainstay of Aeroflot’s fleet well into
the 1980s. Operated by several aligned countries
it was undeniably an important civil aircraft, and
significantly outlived UK and US equivalents.
78 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Rush Models are a new start-up company
in the Ukraine and this is their first model
release. Led by Ruslan Shylov, a web designer
and established designer of decal sheets for
Ukrainian model companies like Armory,
Dora Wings, AMP and others, this model is a
collaboration with ICM whose 2015 issue plastic
is in the box, and who get equal billing on the
build instructions. The decals are new, and
especially given Ruslan’s history, represent an
aircraft in the Ukrainian government scheme
used to transport the Ukrainian President to
international events (incidentally being flown by
Ruslan Shylov’s father).
The kit is pretty typical airliner fare, having a
vertically-split, thinly-moulded fuselage with
open window apertures for which clear inserts
(or decals for those who prefer to fill) are
provided. The wings and tail are conventional
upper and lower halves and the double engine
pods are rather simplified and have very shallow
detail for the engine front and rear faces. Two
schemes are provided of white over Aircraft
Grey, differing only in their registration codes,
and having Ukrainian yellow and blue cheat
lines. The kit’s instructions are lifted directly from
the equivalent ICM model and are therefore
pretty clear and unambiguous, and there’s a
colour marking guide that references Mr Hobby,
Tamiya, ICM and Hataka paints.
Construction is relatively straightforward,
and since there’s no cockpit detail to add, the
fuselage only needs the mounting for the rear
support prop to be included before closing up.
Experience of previous long, slender fuselages
suggested that some additional support should
be incorporated however, so plastic strip
flanges were added to the longitudinal joints,
and some scrap sprue used to make vertical
struts inside the fuselage, adding greatly to the
torsional stiffness.
I’d decided not to use the window inserts, since
they’re such a pain to mask, so the interior of the
fuselage was painted black to kill any internal
visibility and once glued up, was left to set fully
for 48 hours before cleaning up the long seams.
While the fuselage was curing the wing halves
could be joined, including adding the small
inserts for the wing root leading edge. These
don’t fit terribly well, seeming too small for the
holes in the wing, so they were tacked in place
along one edge and the inside flooded with
superglue to run into any crevices. The wing
halves go together well, but a trial fit to the
fuselage suggested that the clamping process
had flattened the curve of the upper surface, so
the wing root was propped up with a piece of
plastic strip.
The engine pods are straightforward, each being
made up of eight parts, with upper and lower
shells capturing rather simplified engine front
and rear faces, and having a two-piece fairing
to join to the fuselage. The horizontally-split
approach is understandable from a moulding
perspective, but is a nuisance when it comes
to cleaning up the joint on the inside of the
intake and exhaust openings - laboriously done
with a combination of superglue and Mr Hobby
dissolved putty (not mixed together!).
With all the main parts available but not
glued, a trial balance could be done, since
any mention of nose weight is absent in
the instructions. Whilst the tail prop would
do its job, this was only deployed in certain
circumstances, so I wanted the flexibility to
have it retracted. At this point of course the
fuselage was glued up, so any weight would
need to go in through the wing aperture and
be fixed just in front of the leading edge. The
balance showed that around 20gm would be
enough, which would translate to around 10gm
immediately behind the cockpit.
Hurricane Mk II B
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1/48

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 79
REVIEWS

The cockpit windscreen was added at this
point, before fitting the wing, so if it fell into
the fuselage it could be retrieved! It fits into the
letterbox slot with only a tiny bit of adjustment
and with no remedial work being needed.
Masking the tiny multiple panels is only just
feasible, but worth a try.
Time now to start the painting process, once
priming and remedial work was complete,
with Halfords grey for the wings and horizontal
stabiliser, and Tamiya fine White Primer for the
fuselage and engines. First colour was the red
wing and stabiliser tips, applied with an aerosol
of Halfords Nissan Red 526, which I happened
to have, and which could be masked quickly
to allow the wing, stabiliser and fin leading
edges to be sprayed with Mr Hobby Super Dural
(SM208). These too were duly masked and the
wing, stabiliser and lower fuselage painted with
Neutral Grey (H53), some minor highlighting
being carried out on panel centres since this
airframe would have been quite elderly and
well-used. Masking is straightforward, with
simple straight edges along panel lines, the
only bit needing some guesswork being the
curve at the upswept tail to match the yellow
and blue cheat line decals. For the white on the
upper fuselage, fin and engines I used my go-to
Halfords Appliance Gloss White, decanted from
the warmed can into a glass jar, allowed to sit
for 5 minutes to de-gas, and sprayed through
the airbrush. The decals are well printed, but are
very thin and very delicate. They ‘grab’ quickly
to the surface and give little opportunity for
re-positioning without tearing so it’s safer to use
plain water to place them (observant readers will
spot that one set of cheat lines are shorter than
the other).
This is a very typical airliner kit, and the ICM-
sourced plastic offers a credible rendering of
the type. The RUSH release makes the most of
the founder’s expertise in decal design, and
patriotism, offering a scheme unlikely to be
replicated anywhere else.
Thanks to Armory Models for the review kit:
www.armorymodels.com

Airfix

Airfix SR.N1
By Trevor Pask

Kit No: A02007V

Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection moulded plastic
www.airfix.com

T
he question of whether or not a hovercraft
is an aircraft is open to some debate.
This type of vehicle is certainly not a
conventional fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter.
However, the vehicles fly after a fashion on
a cushion of air, and the one commercial
hovercraft journey that I made, was described
as a ‘flight’. The two hovercraft kits that Airfix
produced were in their common aircraft scales
of 1/72 and 1/144, and in their contemporary
catalogues Airfix also listed the kits alongside
their aircraft so if we trust the judgement of this
classic kit manufacturer - as many do - hovercraft
are aircraft!
The Saunder Roe SR.N1. was the world’s first
hovercraft and Airfix produced this 1/72 kit more
or less when the vehicle was new in 1959. The
kit was in the range until the 1970s when it was
discontinued. One limited reissue occurred in
the early 1980s, but since then, it has been a rare
and sought after collector’s item.
Its reappearance in late 2023 as part of the Airfix
Vintage Classic range was an unannounced
surprise. Its return has been especially welcomed
by some sci-fi modellers. A huge number of the
kits were cannibalised by the special effects
teams working in the 1960s on Thunderbirds
and other Gerry Anderson puppet series.
The intake and central fan blades were used
in some futuristic aircraft designs as well as
vents on power station models. The T-shaped
components on the top of the model were
also seen as bits of equipment in the hanger of
Thunderbird 2, and were even used to detail
the clipboard used by the character Brains. All
interesting for people of a certain age - but what
of the kit?
Well, it is not a modern production, but it is an
impressive product for 1959. The mouldings
are clean and use the harder grey plastic that
is becoming more common in recent reissues.
There is a surprising level of detail in the kit.
Seat, instrument panel and control column detail
was rare on many other small 1/72 scale kits of
the period. The surface detail is chunky, but so
was the real vehicle, the weird industrial feel of
the model being enhanced by the fine moulding
of the supermarket trolly castor wheels and the
huge steering fins.
Some care is needed in assembly. Work is needed
to get the canopy to fit and the instruction sheet
has an error in that the two halves of the air
intake base (parts 4 and 5) should be positioned
on the model the other way around for an
exhaust pipe to appear on the correct side of
the model. This mistake was on the original 1959
instruction sheet reproduced by Airfix. That this
hasn’t been picked up in proof reading after
over 60 years for me adds priceless charm to
this kit. Hopefully the success of this reissue will
encourage Airfix to reissue their 1969 kit of the
SR.N4 - the equally mad grown up big brother
cross channel ferry development of the SR.N1.

80 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
GINTER BOOKS: Navy/Air Force
Telephone: (805) 584-9732
1754 Warfield Circle, Simi Valley,
CA 93063
www.ginterbooks.com
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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 81
REVIEWS
ARMA Hobby
Bell P-39N Airacobra
By Bruce Leyland-Jones
Kit No: 70056
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection moulded plastic
www.armahobby.com
A
ware of rapid developments amongst
monoplane manufacture, Bell decided
upon a relatively radical approach…
Responding to a 1937 USAAC request for a high
altitude, single-engine interceptor, designer
HM Poyer was so impressed by the 37mm
Browning Arms Company T9 cannon, Project
Leader Robert Woods decided to design the
aircraft around this. This in itself was a marked
departure from the usual practice of designing
aircraft around the engine (although Fairchild
later produced their successfully devastating
A-10 following a similar theme, some four
decades later).
82 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
Intending to have the gun firing through
the propeller hub, for sake of stability and
accuracy, the design resulted in the engine
being positioned behind the pilot, in what was
effectively the aircraft’s centre of gravity, and
a well-streamlined nose. Unfortunately, the
intended supercharger for the engine never
pleased officials, who preferred a less complex
arrangement and, as a consequence, the aircraft
performance at high altitude was poor. This
caused the Airacobra to be rejected by the RAF
and other air forces. However, the aircraft was
effective at medium and lower levels and was
much loved by the Soviets, who spent most of
their air war below the clouds.
The Bell Airacobra was the first fighter to have a
tricycle undercarriage. Access was via doors on
the side and, perhaps of more import to pilots,
the raised arrangement of the cockpit gave the
pilot a very good view forward and around the
aircraft. Because of the engine’s position, little
room was left for fuel and so, initially, range was
relatively poor. Use of drop tanks and suchlike
addressed this issue. Having the engine behind
the pilot and subsequent armour plating also
meant that it was effectively more protected and
enhanced the aircraft’s ground attack role.
After repeated modifications during its early
service life, the P-39N became the only mass-
produced version, with some 2,000 produced,
(more than half of which went to the Soviets
under Lend-Lease) and was gradually withdrawn
and replaced by Spitfires, Mustangs and
Thunderbolts from late 1943.
ARMA Hobby have now been active for a
whole decade, based in Poland and producing
superlative aftermarket accessories since
2013 and marvellous kits since 2014. With
each release, ARMA have shown innovation in
kit-making technique, readily applying slide-
moulding technology, for example and an
apparently unbound enthusiasm for each of
their chosen subjects, as evidenced by their
accuracy and attention to detail.
They’ve also earned multiple Brownie Points
from this particular modeller, for making their
kits available in a variety of packages, from basic
sprues-only, through to dual kits, stuffed to the
gunnels with etch and masks. This review is for
the second issue of their relatively new (2022)
Bell Airacobra.
As usual with ARMA, first impressions were
very good, with beautifully rendered engraved
detail and a fair definition of detail parts. I’d
describe the plastic as flawless. One welcome
innovation is the provision of nose weights,
in the form of three metal balls, which will sit
in a specially designed cradle. Unfortunately,
from experience, I have learned that the weight
provided is ever-so slightly insufficient, but I’m
getting ahead of myself.

The cockpit is another of those lovely little
minikits, building up with a minimum of fuss
and containing plenty of detail. No etch or
3D-printed resin details are supplied with this
boxing, although as I’ve suggested previously,
such is the quality of the basic plastic that such
enhancements are not essential.
Regarding painting, besides Humbrol Hu81 for
the zinc chromate paint in the undercarriage
bays, the cockpit interior was painted in a ‘Bell
Green’, specific to that company. ARMA tell me
that Humbrol Hu149 is a close match. Given the
clarity of the supplied canopy and my intention
to display the model with the doors open, any
time spent in this area will be rewarded later on.
Whilst the cockpit paints were drying, I spent
a few moments removing the ejection towers
from the inner fuselage. Unlike the heavy, solid
towers of old, ARMA have another innovation
in that their towers are much smaller and, as a
consequence, far, far easier to remove. Decals
are provided for the instrument panel and
harness, and to facilitate the fitting of the former,
I sanded them smooth. I also took time to paint
the prop shaft a fetching shade of brass, as this
remains quite visible through the nosebay. I
also followed ARMA’s attention to detail, by
removing, as instructed, two tiny vents and a
small panel, using a teeny tiny bit of filler.
The engineering of this kit is rather splendid
and so attaching the cockpit and nosebay
sub-assembly to the fuselage was a cinch
and as is usual, sealing it all up presented me
with no problems. All that said, I know from
experience that such are the low fit tolerances
of the ARMA parts it is always essential that
the modeller ensures that all traces of sprue
gates, flash, or other potential mould flaws, are
removed beforehand. Do this and dry-fit before
committing to glue, practising how the parts fit
together and all should be well. Again, my kit
was free of any mould flaws, but sprue gates did
need to be cleaned off the parts.
Turning my attention to the wings, and after
adding a clever piece representing the rear
wall of the nosebay and blanking off the small
intakes at the forward wing root, I took the
The noseweight as provided.
opportunity to apply my previous experience in
building this kit.
As I’ve already mentioned, the supplied nose
weights are just not quite the weight required
for a truly stable model. Whilst you could replace
the metal balls with heavier lead, I’ve found
that there is space for a nice chunk of the old
plumbum just behind the aforementioned
‘clever piece’. Just be aware that you’ll still have
to add the fuselage and cockpit and so dry-fit, to
ensure that your added weight will not interfere
with the cockpit floor!
Assuming you followed my advice, you should
then find that the wing-to fuselage fit, and that
of the empennage, is truly superb. Note that the
elevators can be drooped according to personal
taste. More variety is offered below, with three
vent doors to add.
Time was then taken masking up the
transparencies, using the supplied masks. These
save a lot of time and, when done correctly,
exactly match the shapes for which they were
intended. ARMA do them correctly and even
provided for both inner and outer surfaces of the
door panes.
At this point in the build I turned to the
undercarriage! In essence, this was easy enough,
in spite of the nose gear appearing to be quite
complex. Painting the wheels was also easy,
given the supplied masks did what they were
supposed to do.
With the undercarriage in place, you get to find
just how effective, (or not), those metal balls
are, and it was at this stage of my previous build
that I learned that they weren’t. Not to worry…I
found a solution!
The kit comes with bombs and an underbelly
fuel tank and I found that I could add the
required weight to the tank, using Deluxe Liquid
Gravity. As the tank sits just slightly forward of
the main undercarriage, I’ve found that this is
sufficient to prevent any further tailsittery.
With the model built, it was time to slap on the
pigments and ARMA helpfully provide call-outs
The necessary extra weight installed.
M A R C H 2024
REVIEWS
for Hataka, AK RC, Humbrol, Ammo, Mr.Color,
Vallejo and Tamiya. I use Humbrol, so Hu155
provided my Olive Drab, with Hu176 for the
underside Neutral Grey and H34 for the white
highlights, intended to change the shape of the
aircraft to opposing fighters. Four decal schemes
are provided, including two Soviet aircraft, (one
apparently being a ‘Bonus’ scheme), one for a
late-war French Air Force machine and one for
a USAAF aircraft. As the latter sported sharp,
pointy teeth, I was like a pig in muck!
The decals behaved themselves beautifully,
although I confess to struggling a little with the
myriad of tiny stencils. Many would simply leave
these out, but I insist on getting my money’s
worth and adding what I feel is essential visual
‘noise’ to the aircraft. As I intended to display my
model with the doors ajar, I even applied the
tiny stencils ARMA had provided for the inside of
those doors.
My finished model represents a Bell P-39N of the
345th Fighter Squadron, USAAF, flying above
Sardinia-Corsica in the spring of 1944.
I’ve a lot of time for ARMA Hobby and this is a
wonderful little kit for a modeller to play with.
It has lots of accurate detail and the fit of parts
is superb, provided you take your time, follow
the instructions, and don’t just pay lip service to
the required basic modelling skills. I’ll happily
suggest that this is the best 1/72 kit of the
Airacobra on the market at the moment and
would recommend this to any modeller with
basic skills.
My only gripe would be the inadequacy of
the supplied nose-weight. I appreciate what
ARMA have tried to do there and, after my first
experience with the kit, thought it possible that
I was somehow at fault. However, building my
second P-39 I now know that the balls just aren’t
quite heavy enough. I suspect that one extra ball
may suffice, and could be placed where I added
my own weight.
Regardless, I’d be more than happy to build
more and offer my many thanks to ARMA for
their continued enthusiasm, innovation, and
excellent kits.
· V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 83
UPDATES
Eduard
www.eduard.com
The usual spread from Eduard this month takes
in both their own releases and others, with
plenty of photoectch and masks as well as a
huge tranche of Brassin for those super detailing
projects:
Brassin
Brassin sets tend to mix photoetch and resin to
provide the best in intricate interior detail, or
combine weapons and stores with just that little
bit more.
1/48
644239 F-16D Block 50 LööKplus (for Kinetic kit)
644247 Sea King HAS.1 LööK (for Airfix kit)
644248 Sea King HAS.5 LööK (for Airfix kit)
644250 Hurricane Mk. IIc LööK (for HobbyBoss
kit)
644251 P-47D-25 LööKplus (for MiniArt kit)
644252 SM.79 LööK (for Eduard kit)
648465 Bf 109G-10 WNF engine (for Eduard kit)
648933 J-35 Draken seat (for Hasegawa kit)
648934 J-35 Draken wheels Type 1 (for Hasega-
wa kit)
648936 P-38J port engine PRINT (for Tamiya kit)
648963 Italian WWII torpedo A.130 (for Eduard
kit)
648964 TBF/ TBM wheels w/ smooth tire (for
Academy kit)
648965 TBF/ TBM wheels w/ pattern (for Acad-
emy kit)
648966 TBM seats PRINT (for Academy kit)
648967 TBF seats PRINT (for Academy kit)
648968 J-35 Draken wheels Type 2 (for Hasega-
wa kit)
1 Man Army
www.1manarmy.be
New items have been added to the growing
range of masking and stencilling sets available
from this source. New products include two 1/24
sets offering basic markings and stencilling for
two popular kits in the larger scale:
24DET002 P-47D Basic masks and Stencilling set
(for Kinetic kit)
24DET018 Hawker Typhoon Ib ‘Car Door’ masks
and Stencilling set (for Airfix kit)
Also new to the range are two new sets of ge-
neric ‘dash’ lines, such as used to delineate safe
walking areas on the wings of German aircraft.
These offer a variety of styles, and are available
in both 1/72 and 1/48:
48GEN200 Generic Dash Lines, German Aircraft
72GEN200 Generic Dash Lines, German Aircraft
84 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
1/72
672319 Bf 109E rudder pedals early PRINT
672320 Bf 109E rudder pedals late PRINT
672350 Bf 109F engine PRINT (for Eduard kit)
672351 L-39 wheels PRINT (for Eduard kit)
Photoetch Sets
Eduard’s core photoetch details come as either
full sets offering comprehensive upgrades, or as
‘ZOOM’ sets, which offer only essential details,
usually with no surgery required on the kit, and
are an ideal introduction to the product if you’ve
not tried it before.
1/48
481129 SM.79 bomb bay (for Eduard kit)
481130 SM.79 undercarriage (for Eduard kit)
481131 SM.79 rear fuselage interior (for Eduard
kit)
491414 Ki-21-I (for ICM kit)
491417 Go 244B (for ICM kit)
FE1414 Ki-21-I ZOOM set (for ICM kit)
FE1415 Ki-21-I seatbelts STEEL ZOOM set (for
ICM kit)
FE1416 SM.79 seatbelts STEEL ZOOM set (for
Eduard kit)
FE1417 Go 244B ZOOM set (for ICM kit)
FE1418 Go 244B seatbelts ZOOM set (for ICM kit)
FE1419 Fokker D. VIIF ZOOM set (for Eduard
Weekend kit)
1/72
73817 Me 410A-1 (for Airfix kit)
SS817 Me 410A-1 ZOOM set (for Airfix kit)
Masks
Eduard’s finely cut kabuki mask sets come either
as basic exterior sets or ‘TFace’, which include
masks for the interior as well.
1/48
EX1004 Ki-21-I Masks (for ICM kit)
EX1005 Ki-21-I TFace (for ICM kit)
EX1006 Go 244B (for ICM kit)
EX1007 Go 244B TFace (for ICM kit)
EX1008 Fokker D. VIIF (for Eduard kit)
EX1009 Spitfire Mk Vb early (for Eduard kit)
EX1010 Bf 109K-4 tulip pattern & national
insignia
1/72
CX658 Me 410A-1 for (Airfix kit)
3D Decals
‘Space’ sets combine photoetch with textured
decals, for an even more realistic finish to your
cockpit interior.
1/48
3DL48156 Ki-21-I SPACE (for ICM kit)
3DL48157 I-16 Type 10 SPACE (for Eduard kit)
3DL48158 SM.79 SPACE (for Eduard kit)
3DL48159 Go 244B SPACE (for ICM kit)
1/72
3DL72027 Me 410A-1 SPACE (for Airfix kit)
Decals
1/48
D48115 F-104A/ C stencils (for Kinetic kit)
 ty.qxp_
Warpa
int Ma
ster 28/
12/2023
10:10

UPDATESPage
54

Orders from the world’s book

Warpaint series No.141 and hobby trade are invited £19.00

Vickers Vicker
VIKING
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INT SE
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.141

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Viking, Valetta & Varsity
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington
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bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. After the Second
World War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines, pending the development of turboprop
aircraft like the Viscount. An experimental airframe was fitted with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets and first flown
in 1948 as the world's first pure jet transport aircraft. Military developments were the Vickers Valetta and
the Vickers Varsity. The Valetta was a military derivative of the Viking developed in transport and

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training variants for the Royal Air Force. The Varsity was a versatile twin piston-engined aircraft
developed from the Viking and Valetta but with a tricycle undercarriage and ventral pannier for
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bomb-aimer training, among other changes. It was brought into RAF service in 1951 for crew
training as a replacement for the Wellington T10. The most outstanding quality of the Varsity was that
it could provide excellent training for pilots, flight engineers, radio operators, navigators and bomb
aimers simultaneously. The prototype Varsity T Mk I made its maiden flight on 17 July 1949. The RAF
took its first deliveries in October 1951 which went to No.201 Squadron, Advanced Flying School at
Swinderby, Lincolnshire. Production of the Varsity T Mk I for the RAF ceased on 28 February 1954 after a total of 163 had
been built, the type serving the RAF faithfully until being withdrawn from use in 1976. This Warpaint relates the history of all three types,
focussing on the military operators, as per the series title. It is profusely illustrated by over 100 top quality photographs, nearly all in colour from the
author’s extensive photograph archive and supported by the excellent colour profiles and plans by Sam Pearson.
0 Page 54
23 18:5
02/10/20
Master
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Warpaint series No.140 £28.00

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American OV-10 Bronco
The full story of the first true Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, the OV-10 Bronco, still flying operationally after
at

e Verie
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County
nearly six decades of service, is told here for the first time in a bumper 104-page Warpaint. Detailed first-
By Mik
hand information gathered over many years has enabled the author to bring together the many facets of
this remarkably versatile aircraft including pre-cursors, competitors and prototypes, through Vietnam and
combat service with some eleven US and foreign Air Arms, and its part in the development of modern
precision weapons, to its astonishing array of uses since. These include fighting drug cartels in Columbia,
fires in California, mosquitos in South Carolina, and ISIS in Northern Iraq. Also, finally covered in full and
accurate detail are the German ‘jet’ Broncos. The world’s largest restoration project and current training
of US and NATO JTACS bring the story up to date. De-classified information has made it possible to
detail for the first time all the long-nose D model conversions and all the Broncos that served in Desert
Storm, their preparation, the epic trans-continental deployment of one squadron by air, and the key role
played by the Broncos during the war. The detailed and revealing narrative is copiously illustrated
throughout with fully captioned photographs - many previously unseen- and backed by personal
accounts, Individual aircraft histories, airframe lists, scale plans and specially commissioned art work
with comprehensive colour scheme information.

Previous Warpaint titles All these titles are available in printed format via our on demand printing service. Please contact our office for further information.
1 Bristol Beaufighter £13.00 39 Supermarine Walrus £13.00 77 Curtiss P-40 £15.00 115 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle £14.00
2 Blackburn Buccaneer £13.00 40 Canadair/Commonwealth Sabre £16.00 78 Aer Macchi C.202-205 Folgore-Veltro £15.00 116 Hawker Fury and Nimrod £17.00
3 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka £13.00 41 Fairey Fulmar £15.00 79 Consolidated PBY Catalina £17.00 117 Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer £15.00
4 North American F-100 Super Sabre £13.00 42 Boulton Paul Defiant £13.00 80 Saab Draken £17.00 118 NAA B-45 Tornado £16.00
5 Hawker Typhoon £13.00 43 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter £18.00 81 Junkers Ju 52 £14.00 119 Grumman F9F Panther £15.00
6 Avro Shackleton £14.00 44 de Havilland Venom £15.00 82 BAC Jet Provost £17.00 120 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 £17.00
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10 Vickers Wellington £13.00 48 Westland Lysander £15.00 86 Vickers Wellesley £15.00 124 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 £17.00
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12 Fairey Swordfish £15.00 50 Bristol Beaufort £15.00 88 Lockheed T-33A £15.00 126 Grumman F-14 Tomcat £26.00
13 Focke Wolfe Fw 200 Condor £14.00 51 Lockheed Neptune £16.00 89 Avro Lancaster £18.00 127 Cessna T-37 A/B/C and A-37 A/B £21.00
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16 Hawker Sea Fury £13.00 54 Westland Whirlwind F.Mk I £13.00 92 Grumman HU-16 Albatross £17.00 130 Ilyushin Il-28 £18.00
17 Gloster Javelin £14.00 55 Hawker Tempest £14.00 93 Messerschmitt Me 262 £15.00 131 Auster in British Military & foreign air arm service £18.00
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19 de Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet £14.00 57 Handley Page Hampden £14.00 95 Westland Sea King £18.00 133 Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota £25.00
20 Supermarine Seafire (Griffon engine) £15.00 58 Supermarine Swift £14.00 96 Consolidated B-24 Liberator £27.00 134 Aero L-29 Delfin £21.00
21 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley £14.00 59 Lockheed Hudson £14.00 97 North American RA-5C Vigilante £18.00 135 DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie £17.00
22 Gloster Meteor £20.00 60 English Electric Canberra £20.00 98 Avro York £17.00 136 Airspeed Oxford & Consul £18.00
23 Fairey Gannet £15.00 61 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero £14.00 99 McDonnell Demon £17.00 137 Douglas SBD Dauntless £28.00
24 Dornier Do 217 £14.00 62 Handley Page Hastings £14.00 100 Republic F-84F and RF-84F £20.00 138 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk £18.00
25 Short Sunderland £14.00 63 Vickers Valiant £14.00 101 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth £16.00 139 de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver £18.00
26 Bristol Blenheim £15.00 64 Convair F-102 £15.00 102 Convair B-36 £16.00
27 de Havilland Vampire £20.00 65 Westland Wessex £17.00 103 Avro Manchester £14.00
28 Fairey Firefly £17.00 66 Bristol Bulldog £13.00 104 General Dynamics F-111 & EF-111A £20.00
29 Hawker Sea Hawk £15.00 67 Folland Gnat and Ajeet £13.00 105 Sopwith Pup £14.00
30 Avro Vulcan £16.00 68 Bristol Brigand £13.00 106 Sikorsky S-55/H-19 & Westland Whirlwind £18.00
31 RAF/RN Phantoms £17.00 69 Martin B-26 Marauder £14.00 107 Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ £15.00
32 Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc £17.00 70 Vought Corsair £18.00 108 Martin Mariner and Marlin £17.00 Warpaint Specials
33 Heinkel He 177 £14.00 71 Armstrong Whitworth 650/660 Argosy £14.00 109 Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster & DC-4 £21.00 No.1 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt £19.00
34 Avro Lincoln £16.00 72 Vickers Supermarine Merlin Seafire £14.00 110 Westland Scout & Wasp £16.00 No.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 £25.00
35 Fairey Barracuda £15.00 73 North American B-25 Mitchell £15.00 111 Vought OS2U Kingfisher £16.00 No.3 de Havilland Mosquito £25.00
36 Handley Page Victor £16.00 74 Hawker Siddeley Harrier £17.00 112 Douglas A3D Skywarrior £20.00 No.4 Cessna Bird Dog £12.00
37 Gloster Gladiator £17.00 75 BAe Sea Harrier £15.00 113 Panavia Tornado ADV £17.00 No.5 NAA P-51 Mustang and Derivatives £22.00
38 Republic F-105 Thunderchief £15.00 76 Grumman Tracker/Trader/Tracer £17.00 114 McDonnell F-4 Phantom II £25.00 No.6 Dambusters and the Lancaster £20.00

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Tel: +44 (0)1582 668411, Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 85
UPDATES

Bunny Fighter Club
www.eduard.com
Check out the full range of ‘Bunny Lady’
kits and T-shirts, featuring the Tempest Mk
V from the Bfc. Membership gets you a
15% permanent club discount at Eduard’s
online store, access to unique Club kits and
accessories, and even better prices at Eduard’s
trade stand at shows and events.
Membership also gets you a Club T-shirt with
unique design and special barcode (used for
event discounts).
This exclusive T-shirt will be only available to the
members of BFC. On top of all this you’ll get free
entry at Eduard’s annual E-day show, for both
days, and you’ll still get the entry kit.
Join now at www.eduard.com/bfc/

CMK
www.specialhobby.eu
1/72
129-Q72413 Tempest/Typhoon Early type
Wheels
This 1/72 set offers nicely detailed resin wheels
with weighted tyres for the Airfix kit. Designed
for the Typhoon and early Tempest Mk V kits.
129-Q72414 Tempest Late Type Wheels
Resin wheels for late mark Tempest Vs. Designed
for the Airfix kit
1/48
129-P48009 B-25B/C/D/G Mitchell Wings Air
Intakes Correction Set
Designed for the Accurate Miniatures/Academy/
Revell/Italeri kit, this correction set fixes one of
the most visible flaws on this popular model.
1/32
129-P32001 Hawker Hurricane Gun Sight Mk
II Type
Nicely detailed gun sight for the new Revell
Hurricane kit. Printed using clear material, the
set includes two pieces

129-P72009 Tempest Mk V Early Gun Barrels

3D-printed cannon barrels of the early type for
Tempest Mk V series I kits. For Airfix kits.

129-P72010 Tempest Mk V Gun Sight and

Seat Correction Set
Designed to correct the narrow pilot’s seat in the
1/72 Airfix kit, this 3D-printed correction set also
includes a gunsight.

129-P72011 Tempest Mk V Exhausts

3D-printed exhaust for Airfix’s Tempest Mk V kit
in 1/72.

86 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 Shesto products available now from the
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GP: PAB1000
GP: PBU1019/1 GP: PTW1131 GP: PFL1006
Dual-Grit Flexi Sanders x 3
Glass Fibre Brush (4mm) Pick & Place Tool (Fine) 6 Pce Warding File Set
(90x19x6mm)
£6.49 £7.00 £8.50
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GP: PDT0982 GP: PFL6040 GP: PKN4200

GP: PFL6020/B
Double Ended Spring Loaded Finger Sander Swivel Craft Knife
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£7.99
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GP: PKN3301 GP: PFL6020 GP: PFL6025 GP: PFL6010

Modelcraft Classic Spring Loaded Finger Sander Spring Loaded File Sander - Spring-Loaded Finger Sander
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£2.20 £7.00 £8.99 £5.50

GP: PTW5000
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4 Pce Stainless Steel
Sanding Bands (25mm) x 3 Sanding Bands (40mm) x 3 A4 Cutting Mat
Tweezers Set
£9.49 £9.49 £8.99
£10.00

GP: POP1763 GP: LC8085USB

GP: PPL6704 GP: PPL6703
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Flush Cutter Economy Sprue & Plastic Cutter
with 4 Lenses Magnifier Lamp
£10.00 £6.49
£10.99 £25.00

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available now from the
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We only accept UK cheques/postal orders, please make payable to Guideline Publications. Please allow 28 days for delivery.
Address your orders to: Guideline Publications, 6 Kensworth Gate, 200-204 High Street South, Dunstable, Beds LU6 3HS
Telephone: 01582 668411 Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk

www.guidelinepublications.co.uk
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 87
UPDATES

Aero Research Peewit W.Britains

www.aeroresearchcds.com https://peewit.wixsite.com/masky?lang=en www.wbritain.com

The February photo CD release from Aero
Research, USAF Collection No.17, covers 49 types
of USAAF and USAF aircraft from the 1940s to
the 21st Century. A total of 154 high-resolution
photos are included in this release. As with all of
these photo collections, this release is available
on a physical CD or as a PDF file sent by email
(which avoids postage charges) via the website.
New masking sets from Peewit cover a tempting
range of subjects – 1/144 modellers take note!
The sudden arrival of a canopy mask set for
Revell’s exquisite little Alpha might just be rea-
son enough to dust of the kit and start building
again …
1/72
72338 - AB 47J Super Ranger (LF models)
72339 - Aero Ae-45 / K-75 (Kovozávody Prostě-
jov)
72340 - Mil Mi-1 (A-model)
72341 - Zlin Z-42M (Hobby Boss, TOGA)
72342 - Aero Ae-145 (Kovozávody Prostějov)
1/48
48030 - Gannet AS.1 / AS.4 (Airfix)
48031 - KAI FA-50, TA-50 (Answer, Academy,
Wolfpack)
One range we were introduced to at the Nurem-
burg Toyfair, that has piqued our interest, is the
current ’Museum Collection’ series of aviation
figures from W.Britain. Britain’s, of course, will
be a name familiar to anyone who has even
dabbled at collecting figures and toy soldiers, as
the name is about as old and respected as it is
possible to get.
For those readers less familiar with anything
not born on a sprue the collection offers 1/30
scale pre-painted figures, and our attention was
drawn to some new releases covering USAF
aircrew, a subject fraught with interest at the
moment as we all tune in to ‘Masters of the Air’.
Check out the range on the manufacturer’s
website.

1/144
144045 - Alpha Jet (Revell)
144046 - Bristol Brigand B.Mk I (Valom)
144047 - Handley Page Hampden B. Mk I (Valom)

ANYZ
www.anyz.io/shop

New from Tom Anyz, and available through the

website, this new publication is an astonishing
look at a superdetailed engine in 1/24, and a
testament to the modelling skills of the author.
The detailed narrative unveils the intricate pro-
cess of elevating a standard kit to a masterpiece,
navigating the complexities of design, and
showcasing the artistry of the modeller.
Anyone wishing to take on a project in this scale
will find inspiration here, as well as some practi-
cal modelling tips and ideas on how to push the
boundaries of their hobby.
Italeri
www.italeri.com
Two aircraft releases from Italeri this month
are the Ju 87G-1 ‘Kanonnenvogel’ (ref. 2830S)
in 1/48, and the Me 410 Hornisse (ref. 0074S)
in 1/72. The latter type enjoying a renaissance
in popularity at the moment. Due soon is a
reboxing of the F-15E Strike Eagle in 1/72 (ref.
1475S), with new weapons and decals.

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

Laminar Flow Designs LFDL32-006 1/32 Spit-

Laminar Flow Designs fire Mk XIV Cockpit upgrade
www.wbritain.com
This set consists of thirty-seven resin parts with
LFDL32-002 1/32nd Spitfire Mk XIV ‘Dash- some duplicates to foil the carpet monster. The
board’ parts are 3-D printed resin and, again, come in
a sturdy box with the parts protected by a card-
Belgium-based Laminar Flow Designs have
board inlay, the actual parts further protected by
produced two Griffon Spitfire conversions and a
a 3-d printed cage.
couple of additional accessory sets in 1/32. The
present item consists of six resin parts, all 3-D
This is a remarkable item. I have never seen
printed, which come in a sturdy box with the
3-D printed parts of this calibre - I’m currently
parts protected by a cardboard inlay. The actual
using them on a Spitfire XIV conversion and, for
parts are further protected by a 3-d printed cage.
example, the throttle is approx. 4mm, has five
Full colour instructions complete the package.
components, and the levers work, while the
The box states that it is a downloadable product.
entry door has a crowbar that slides into the two
spring clips. Some parts are very small and I’ve
The parts are extremely well produced and
concluded a glasses upgrade is required. Highly
certainly resemble reference photos. There are
recommended.
many attachment points, but these are easily
removed with side cutters or a sharp knife blade
Watch out for a build featuring this product soon
after removing the protective cage. Instrument
…
faces are not provided.
Gordon Scott

Looking for something a bit...

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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 89
UPDATES

Eduard painting and decalling diagrams for the possible

Warpaint Books markings. These include eleven German, one
www.guidelinepublications.co.uk ‘Gustav’ pt. 1 Finnish, two Italian, and a Slovak aircraft.
Warpaint No. 141, Vickers Viking, Valetta & By Michael Hase
The interior of this model is a kit of itself
Varsity
Scale: 1/72 although unfortunately not too much will be
Author: Adrian M Balch Kit No: 2144 seen after construction. All special versions for
Publisher: Guideline Publications Type: Injection moulded plastic the gun-sight, gun-covers and internal armour
ISBN: 978-1-91675-915-2 www.eduard.com are provided and you will need to take care to
fix on a decal option/version before starting the
Format: Paperback 295mm x 210mm 56pp
respective build.
The Vickers Viking was born out of a need for
Fuselage and wings are excellently and correctly
a post-war airliner and was produced using
riveted with very, very, fine rivets – a feature that
a range of components from the Wellington
certainly will require thin layers of paint. Slats,
bomber, reducing development and production
flaps and elevators for the wing are moulded
costs. This, the latest of the Warpaint volumes
separately, but the tailplane comes as one part
follows the familiar route, charting the history
– why? Two types of tail structures with three
of the military use of the Viking family of aircraft
rudders for the G-6 and G-14 are provided, also
and their development into a very useful series
different cowlings for the different production
of transports and flying classrooms. The Author
types, Erla, MTT etc.
takes us on a heavily-illustrated tour of the
aircraft, mixing a huge number of colour and
Different tail and mainwheels are provided. The
black and white photographs from his personal
When a couple of years ago Eduard first started undercarriage is nicely constructed and allows
collection with a series of impressive colour
with their Avia S-199/CS-199 in 1/72 it was clear perfect alignment and angle. Two different
profiles, which are informatively captioned with
that the release of the standard Bf 109-types types of external fuel tanks, one bomb and the
all the detail you could hope for.
would only be a matter of time. Last year saw R6-cannons are in the kit, together with a vast
the advent of the – in my point of view – most selection of detail parts. Luckily the layout of
The text is highly educational, providing not only
beautiful sub-type, the ‘F’ or ‘Friedrich’, and a few the sprues allows almost trouble-free cutting of
the basic history of the types, but their service
weeks ago the first set of the G-5/G-6“was issued the parts.
and production histories in an interesting and
also as this limited dual combo set.
readable manner. Of course the military use of
The clear sprue includes all canopy versions
the Viking series wasn’t just restricted to the RAF
Let´s have a look into the box: used on the G- to K-versions, with canopies and
and international use is also covered for each
Two identical sets of three grey sprues and one armoured back-rest. The all clear fuel line for
type. A series of plans produced by Sam Pearson
clear sprue, all hard plastic, enable two G-5s the interior is included to enable the modeller
provide clear illustration of the differences
and/or G-6s, together with two etched sets for to show the clear part of this installation, too.
between the variants and an essential guide to
additional interior and exterior detail, and two Different Revi-types and clear parts for the
the modeller. The in detail section supplies a
sets of masks. A comprehensive, almost A4-size landing lights complete this sprue. Almost
good selection of interior and exterior images
large, set of decals for a total of 14 different needless to mention – masks and stencilling
to help you add additional detail to your model.
aircraft complete the contents of the sturdy top- decals, even in Finnish, are provided
The book is printed on high quality paper,
opening box. With regard to accuracy, detail and solution in
which helps to bring out the images in an ideal
plastic – together with the price – this is the One-
sharpness.
The instruction booklet alone is a compendium Oh-Nine-G version in 1/72. Full marks in almost
of 32 pages, beginning with a three-page history all points checked. No doubt Eduard and other
This is the essential companion to anyone tack-
covering the E to the G-6, followed by twelve aftermarket suppliers will add further details and
ling the older vacforms, or Valom’s impressive
pages of assembly instructions, with all the parts. It is ours to decide whether we will need
model and also provides an absorbing read for
options possible to build, and sixteen pages with these or not.
the aviation enthusiast as well. The book is a
testament to the adaptability of the basic Viking
design and its progression through to the Valetta
and finally Varsity airframes.

904 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
 Ask Distribution Knives and Blades available
now from GUIDELINE PUBLICATIONS SHOP !

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We only accept UK cheques/postal orders, please make payable to Guideline Publications. Please allow 28 days for delivery.
Address your orders to: Guideline Publications, 6 Kensworth Gate, 200-204 High Street South, Dunstable, Beds LU6 3HS
Telephone: 01582 668411 Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk

www.guidelinepublications.co.uk

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M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 91
BOOKS

Books with Ernie Lee

Title: F4F Wildcat; South Pacific
1942–43 (Dogfight 9)
Author: Edward M. Young (Author),
Gareth Hector (Illustrator)
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-47285-48-1
Format: Softback 248 x 184mm 80pp
www.ospreypublishing.com
the von Richthofen brothers amongst several images of the Sunderland helping to add detail
others. Five in-depth model builds are featured, where needed by using period images. Overall
including early and late 1/32 kits and the most this book makes for a fascinating read as well
recent 1/24 Meng release. Each build is packed as providing the perfect companion to anyone
with construction and painting information, looking to produce a model.
accompanied by under construction and
close-up detail photos and finished model
and diorama shots. Eighteen full-colour profile Title: Handley Page Halifax Part
illustrations, by Ronny Bar, provide details of
1- Early Merlin Variants
individual triplanes flown by pilots from various
(WPA 27)
Jastas, plus a centre-spread five-view (plan,
side and front views) of a very colourful Jasta Author: Peter Allam
27 machine with yellow cowling, rear fuselage

T
he Grumman Publisher: Wing Leader
F4F Wildcat and tail, and leading edges, based at Uitkerke
on the Flanders coast in May 1918. Again, all ISBN: 978-1-90875-739-5
entered into
wartime service with the illustrations have supporting photos and/or Format: Softback 300 x 210mm 72pp
the US Navy during references, and there are scores of contemporary
period photos throughout the book, most of www.wingleader.co.uk
1941, pitched against
Japan’s Zero-sen which are rare archive images, plus close-ups

fighters, and aircraft
with significant
performance
advantages. Despite
this the Wildcat
went on to prove itself a rugged and well-armed
opponent. In this book the Author examines
the operation of this rotund aircraft over the
South Pacific, considering the various aspects
that made it a legend. The book looks at the
development of this notable carrier aircraft as
well as its construction and weaponry, before
considering the tactics used by its highly trained
pilots to make it an effective combat aircraft. This
is backed up with some impressive illustrations,
including ribbon diagrams depicting individual
actions. Time is taken to look at some of the
more successful pilots with the text containing
various first-hand accounts. In additions a good
number of colour and bland and white images
O
ften overlooked in favour of the
of rotary engines in full colour. No matter what
Lancaster, the Halifax is given the Wing
scale you model in, if you’re contemplating
Leader treatment with this volume
making a Fokker Dr.I, either now or in the
dedicated to the early Roll-Royce Merlin-
future, this book is essential. Unreservedly
engined aircraft. Covering seventy-two pages
recommended.
and containing in the region of 120 wartime
Neil Robinson images in both black and white as well as colour
the book is packed with an intense level of data.
The images themselves have been enhanced
to allow the reader to get the best possible
Title: Sunderland vs U-boat; Bay of
look at the individual features of the aircraft,
Biscay 1943–44
including the levels of wear and weathering that
Author: Mark Lardas (Author), is common on a hard-worked combat airframe.
Jim Laurier (Illustrator) Opening with a handy timeline showing the
Publisher: Osprey Publishing production of the different variants and the
associated sub-contracted manufacturers,
ISBN: 978-1-47285-481-0
Bomber Command expert Peter Allam starts to
Format: hardback 208pp address the confusion that often relates to WWII
aircraft production.
www.ospreypublishing.com
The Prototype Halifaxes are first in line, with their

are included along with clear and well researched
captions. The author has produced a book that
brings the service of the Wildcat to life in an
absorbing and informative manner. Ideally timed
for those building either Eduard’s 1/48 or ARMA’s
1/72 offerings, with a good range of reference
photographs, this is an interesting and involving
account of the first of Grumman’s ‘Cat’ series of
aircraft and a worthy addition to the library of
those with an interest in the Pacific War.
Title: Fokker F.I/DR.I Vol 2
Author: Author: Ray Rimell, with
Richard Alexander
Publisher: Albatros Productions
Format: Softback 210 x 297mm 72pp
www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk
T
he ‘Duel’ series
individual features identified and explained,
from Osprey
joined by one of the collection of six colour
continues,
profiles and lists of modellers’ notes to help
bringing us a detailed
produce an accurate representation. The
examination of
chapter covering the interior of the aircraft will
the operations
definitely assist the detail-obsessed modeller,
undertaken by the
with a huge amount of useful photographs and
Shorts Sunderland Mk
information provided. The various production
III, fighting against the
variants and series are covered to almost
four different variants
obsessive levels, with the various period
of German U-Boat in
images joined by annotations and captions
the Bay of Biscay. The
making for a fascinating read. Attention to
book opens with a chronological order of events
items such as the different antenna fits and
prior to, during and after the main campaign
undercarriage variations depending on the
to help provide a full picture of the situation.
unit manufacturer will help the most ardent
This is followed by a detailed look at both of
Halifax modeller produce a project to be proud
the adversaries, including specifications and
of. As with previous Wing Leader titles there
illustrations of the weaponry used, highlighting
is barely an area of the aircraft that remains to
both the advantages and shortcomings each had.
be investigated, making for a comprehensive
The author also looks at the individual characters
survey of the early Merlin-powered aircraft with
involved and uses first-hand accounts to help
its distinctive nose turret and triangular tail
illustrate the drama of the situation. Discussions
surfaces. Definitely a recommended reference

T
his is the second on tactics used by both sides, to avoid contact
source for anyone undertaking a Halifax model.
volume in Albatros with the radar-equipped Sunderland in the
Productions’ case of the Germans, or make attacks against an
Fokker Triplane scale often elusive target in the case of the British, are
model anthology, included and really help to bring the subject to
covering the aircraft life. As always the illustrations provided are first
flown by a number class, helping the reader to further engage with
of pilots, including the subject, adding further value to the absorbing
Werner Voss, Ernst text. An ideal resource for the modeller, this book
Udet, Paul Baumer and contains a collection of interior and exterior

92 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
The world’s number one English-language aircraft modelling magazine
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Digital editions: pocketmags.com
M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 93
IPMS UK

I need that tactile experience of browsing There is no atmosphere online. It is clinical,

IPMS UK
By John Tapsell
through real items, in a real environment, talking
with real modellers, real traders and parting with
real money.
precise and lacks any real level of emotion
(indeed, emotions such as humour and sarcasm
are so often misinterpreted that it’s not even
wise to use them).
I’m not suggesting that online shopping is a
bad thing, far from it. It’s something I do on a Attending Bolton each year also rekindles my

M
id-January saw me making my way
semi-regular basis. I can buy stuff quicker, often interest in what other modellers are doing and
north to Bolton for what I consider to
cheaper and certainly from a much wider variety sets me up for the coming season of shows
be the opening of my annual modelling
of international sources than it’s possible to do around the country. Already the carefully laid
year. There are other great shows that take place
at a typical model show. What it lacks though is plans for my building schedule in 2024 have
at this time of year, but Bolton has become my
the real-time interaction with the people who bitten the dust. The completed models on
own traditional kicking-off point for the annual
support and drive our hobby. At Bolton I was the display tables have got the creative juices
cycle of events, buying, selling and general
able to browse the trader stands at my leisure, flowing and I’m diving down rabbit holes for
enjoyment.
looking for specific kits (none of which I found) subjects that haven’t previously interested.
and also adding to my already overflowing tool I hadn’t realised just how much I wanted to
It’s also a show where I don’t have to don the
chest and paint racks. build a drone for example, until I saw it there on
official IPMS yellow shirt as some of my fellow
another club’s table.
Executive Committee members fly the flag for
the Society. That means I can be an ordinary club
Seeing an example of the actual model on the
member for the day. Much as I enjoy the official
table, being able to chat with a modeller who
role that my IPMS position brings with it, there
bought and built it, has only served to increase
is an equal satisfaction in being with my mates
my temptation. Will I actually ever build the
in the club, being part of the club display and
drone? Possibly not but I have spent several
having the time to wander around the show
evenings sourcing
at my leisure. It’s
online research
too much to hope
and building up an
that IPMS business
image library as a
leaves me entirely
reference resource,
alone at any show
and that in itself
I attend, but that’s
is something I
as much of my own
have always found
making as anybody
enjoyable.
else’s.
My hobby is a living thing. It is shaped by the
Having hibernated for the winter, my trip up
input I get from sharing time and space with
the M6 and M61 offered the opportunity to
other modellers. Sometimes they’re old friends
re-connect with my hobby at a personal level.
but often they are people I’ve never met before.
The weather was kind in the morning but the
That for me is perhaps the single greatest
drive back down the M6 in the evening was a
pleasure that modelling gives to me.
much less pleasant experience. Despite that, the
The club display looked great and it
day was really enjoyable. I’ve spent the months
demonstrated the breadth of modelling
between Scale ModelWorld in November and
interests that can co-exist happily within one
Bolton in January largely cocooned in my
small group of like-minded people.
modelling den at home. It’s warm, it’s dry and
I’m surrounded by all the things I need for my
Part of what I like about seeing and talking
projects. Two or three club meetings in that
with many of our small traders is the fact that
period are my only face-to-face contact with
they have usually started out as modellers but
fellow modellers, but that’s fine because there
made the transition to trader, manufacturer
are many other distraction in December that
or importer (or all three in some cases). They
keep me occupied and entertained.
understand the hobby, they understand
modellers and whilst they are in this business to
In this day and age, I can buy pretty much
make a living, they are also enthusiasts at heart.
anything I want online so I don’t even need to
leave my comfy little pad. However, it’s a soulless
It is this personal interaction that drives
existence clicking a few buttons and waiting for
my enthusiasm for our hobby. Forums,
a package to appear.
Facebook and the Internet are great tools for
communication and commerce but they cannot
The IPMS Branch and SIG network is one of
replace the buzz that I get from immersing
the greatest strengths of IPMS (UK).
myself in the hobby.

Always making a statement with their My local club has a wide range of interests At any large model show, it’s the club displays
display is the Japanese Aviation Special and it’s something we like to emphasise that get the most attention and it’s the
Interest Group. whenever we put on a display. people that make the show.

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

INTRODUCING THE NEW CLASSIFIED PAGE: SCALE

AIRCRAFT MODELLING & MILITARY MODELCRAFT INT.
Secure a 6-issue advertising slot in BOTH magazines with double-size adverts (63x90mm) at a total cost of £150. Enjoy added perks of a FREE
web site banner on our UK & USA web sites, along with guaranteed editorial support! Don’t miss this chance to effectively get 2 magazines for
the price of 1. To advertise on this page contact tom@guidelinepubublications.co.uk and see your advertisement in both Military Modelcraft
int AND Scale aircraft Modelling. Act swiftly to maximize exposure and success.

Wide range of accessories to

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wildcatsmodels.com

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 95
SHOW DIARY
2024 UK SHOWS By Geoff Cooper-Smith of 580 Modellers
Q
uite an expansion this month; yours truly spent most of Sunday
afternoon at ScaleModelWorld (and wasn’t it fantastic - very much
back ‘on form’!?!) talking to numerous show organisers with some
34 shows already confirmed. More known to be on the way but not listed
here (out of courtesy) for a variety of reasons, including provisional dates,
no date confirmed as yet or searching for a new venue. It looks like 2024
will be a fantastic year for model show goers, with some new (Morecambe),
others ‘back from the dead’ (Peterborough & Milton Keynes) and some
notable changes Gloucester now September). 580 be at the now traditional
‘season opener’ at the yet again renamed TS Stadium in January.
2024 Shows
02nd March (Saturday) Aldingbourne ModelEx (Aldingbourne Modellers)
Aldingbourne Community Sports Centre, Olivers
Meadow, Chichester. PO20 3YA
Contact: aldingbournemodellers@gmail.com
03rd March (Sunday) Peterborough Scale Model Club Model Show
Stamford Welland Academy, Green Lane, Stamford.
PE9 1HE
Contact: Ken Almen (club secretary): 01733 321617
23rd March (Saturday) Spring Show (Guideline Publications)
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm,
London. NW3 2BQ
Contact Tom Foxon: tom@guidelinepublications.co.uk
07th April (Sunday) East Midlands Model Club Hinckley Show
Hinckley Leisure Centre, Argents Mead,
Hinckley. LE10 1A
Contact Alec Chinnery: alec.chinnery@sky.com
07th April (Sunday) Yeovil Model Show
Westfield Academy, Stiby Road, Yeovil. BA21 3EP
Contact Ken Bugler via: yeovilmodelshow@gmail.com
13th April (Saturday) Sword & Lance
Northern Echo Arena, Mowden Park RFC,
Darlington. DL2 1DL
Contact via: swordandlance.co.uk
13th April (Saturday) Poole Vikings Scale Model Exhibition (IPMS Dorset
& Poole Vikings Model Club)
Parkstone Grammar School, Sopers Lane, Poole.
BH17 7EP
Contact: ianwithsandra@yahoo.co.uk
27th April (Saturday) Scottish National Scale Model Show
& 28th April (Sunday) Live Active Dewars Centre, Glover Street, Perth.
PH2 0TH
Contact: scotsnats.org
12th May (Sunday) The Scale Model Show (Tangmere Scale Modellers)
Boxgrove Village Hall, The Street, Chichester. PO18 0EE
Contact: Tangmerescalemodellers@gmail.com
18th May (Saturday) Mildenhall Model Fair (Mildenhall Scale Model
Club)
The Jubilee Centre, Recreation Way, Mildenhall.
IP28 7HG
Contact: gswenko@btopenworld.com
25th May (Saturday) ModelKraft (Milton Keynes Scale Model Club)
Oakgrove Secondary School, Venturer Gate, Milton
Keynes. MK10 9JQ
Contact: secretary@mksmc.co.uk
01st June (Saturday) IPMS Salisbury Scale Model Show
Wyvern St Edmund’s Sports Hall, Church Road,
Laverstock, Salisbury. SP1 1RD
Contact: modelshow@ipmssalisbury.co.uk
96 W W W. S C A L E A I R C R A F T M O D E L L I N G . CO. U K
The intention is to keep the list of model shows as up-to-date as possible
so please contact Geoff Cooper-Smith at 580Modellers@gmail.com or on
07841 417680 to ensure your event receives the promotion it deserves.
02nd June (Sunday) The Northern Model Show (IPMS Tyneside)
Parks Sports Centre, Howdon Road, North Shields.
NE29 6TL
Contact: robsullivannms@gmail.com
08th June (Saturday) Figure World North
The Galtres Centre, Market Place, Easingwold,
North Yorks. YO61 3AD
Contact: colin.chandler41@btinternet.com
15th June (Saturday) Suffolk Scale Model Show 2024
Ipswich and District Indoor Bowling Club, 136
Rushmere Road, Ipswich. IP4 4JU
Contact via: facebook.com/IPMS.IPSWICH/
16th June (Sunday) MAFVA Nationals
Burgess Hall, Westwood Road, St Ives, Cambridgeshire.
PE27 6WU
Contact: cole.thomas@talk21.com
23rd June (Sunday) IPMS West Norfolk, West Anglia Scale Model Show
Littleport Leisure Centre, Camel Road, Ely. CB6 1EW
Contact: ipmswestnorfolkwasms@gmail.com
30th June (Sunday) Plymouth Model Show
YMCA (Plymouth Kitto Centre), Honicknowle Lane,
Plymouth. PL5 3NG
Contact Ken Cork via: ekcork@btinternet.com
18th August (Sunday) North Devon Model Show
The Park Community School, Park Lane, Barnstaple.
EX32 9AX
Contact: sera@staplesandvine.com
01st September (Sunday) Stoke Model Show
The Prestwood Centre, Staffordshire Show Ground,
Weston Road, Stafford. ST18 0BD
Contact: ipmsstokemodelclub@gmail.com
07th September (Saturday) Scale Scotland
Murrayfield Stadium, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh.
EH12 5PJ
Contact via: www.scalescotland.co.uk
15th September (Sunday) IPMS Farnborough Model Fest
Hart Leisure Centre, Emerald Avenue, Fleet. GU51 5HS
Contact: modelfest@virginmedia.com
22nd September (Sunday) Model Show Edition IV (IPMS Keighley)
Carlton Academy Keighley, Greenhead Road, Keighley.
BD20 6EB
Contact: keighleyplasticmodelclub@gmail.com
22nd September (Sunday) IPMS Gloucester Show 2024
Churchdown Community Centre, Parton Road,
Churchdown. GL3 2JH
Contact Jeff Brown: gundylunch@sky.com
29th September (Sunday) St Ives Model Show
(IPMS Brampton Scale Model Club)
Burgess Hall, One Leisure St Ives, Westwood Road, St.
Ives, Cambs. PE27 6DW
Contact: bramptonshow@hotmail.co.uk
AND FINALLY COMING NEXT MONTH

Beau on steroids – Bristol’s mighty Coming Next Month

Brigand
I
n the next issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling the editorial team present

D
esigned as a the usual eclectic mix of historical and reference material, news,
successor to reviews, and, of course, the best in modelling features, both out-of-
Bristol’s highly the-box and beyond. Here are a few of next month’s highlights:
successful Beaufighter
series the Brigand was
not to see service until
post-war, mostly ‘East
of Suez’. Although
1
only 147 were built it Valom 1/72
served into the late Bristol Brigand B Mk1 Vickers Valetta
1950s. Like the Beau
it had a number of Kit No: 14433 C.Mk 1
roles envisaged, its Scale: 1/144 By Tony O’Toole
armament potential Type: Injection moulded plastic
including cannon,
rockets, bombs and Manufacturer: Valom
torpedoes. www.valom.net

Most notably was its use against insurgents during the ‘emergency’ in 2
Malaya (as it then was). Brigands also served in Aden and in their twilight
years as training aircraft in a variety of guises.
Enter the Mentor
Sky Models 1/48
This initial release is the B Mk 1 with two marking options. Not mentioned
Beechcraft T-34C
anywhere in the instructions, a new fuselage and transparencies, are
incorporated in the tooling for a Buckingham. Given that Valom’s 1/72 lists By Jon Bryon
include this type as well as T Mk 4 and TF Mk1 Brigands additional releases are
hopefully to follow (a second B Mk1 boxing has already been announced).

Care will be needed in selecting the correct parts as the alternatives

extend to different engines and cowlings but the customary ‘not for use’ X
or shading notation has not been used. 3
The stout box contains two sprues one in grey plastic the other clear.
Second Time
Typical of Valom the detail is crisply incised and perfectly adequate Around
although the short-run nature of the tooling results in large sprue gates
that will need careful removal. There is a good cockpit interior with seats,
Aeropoxy 1/48
control column, instrument and side panel detail. The undercarriage is Bristol 138
delicately rendered and should result in a good replication of the aircraft’s
By Tony Grand
rather complex mechanism.

Attachment points for the wings and tailplane are a little vague and
attention to alignment will be repaid. A well-printed decal sheet offers
markings for two aircraft, a black and Extra dark Sea Grey 84 Sqdn aircraft in 4
Malaya, and a white-topped 8 Sqdn. Machine based at Khormaksar, Aden. Op Telescope
The aftermarket has already announced a set of masks for the canopy The Parachute Assault on
– a major feature of the Brigand - and it is to be hoped that sales merit the Suez Canal in 1956
the production of other variants covering this fascinating, if somewhat
unrecognised culmination of Bristol’s long line of twin engine bombers
and strike aircraft.
Mike Verier

5
Das Werk Junkers
EF126
By Gordon Scott

Plus all our usual updates on kits, decals and

accessories, book reviews, columns, and more.
Please note – this contents list is speculative and the vagaries of
deadlines and print schedules can sometimes result in the magazine’s
contents changing later in production.

M A R C H 2024 · V O LU M E 4 6 · I S S U E 0 1 97
www.hannants.co.uk ‘EUROPE’S NUMBER ONE MODEL SHOPS’

NEW DECALS HAD Models

HUN32099 1:32 Dassault-Mirage 2000C “40th anniversary of 1st Air Defence Group” £26.99
26 Decals HUN48148 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109E-1/Bf-109E-3/Bf-109E-4 (Kieki, Grace, Fortuna, Motti)
STS44415 1:144 Transmeridian Air Cargo Douglas DC-8-54F £13.20 £12.60
STS44416 1:144 IAS Cargo Airlines Douglas DC-8-50F £13.20 HUN48181 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6 “Erzsike” 66 £7.20
HUN72270 1:72 Lockheed C-130T Hercules ‘Fat Albert’ £16.20
Attittude Aviation
BUC-48004 1:48 Hispano HA-1112 M1L ‘Memphis Belle’ decal sheet £9.99 IsraDecal Studio
BUC-48005 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109G-2/Bf-109G-10/HA-1112 1990s Airshow Star £9.99 IAF-127 1:48 IAF - 50th Anniversary of Yom Kippur War, Special collection, Part 1 £27.99
BUC-72001 1:72 Hispano HA-1112 M1L ‘Movie Star’ decal sheet £7.99 IAF-128 1:48 IAF - 50th Anniversary of Yom Kippur War, Special collection, Part 2 £27.99
BUC-72002 1:72 Hispano HA-1112 M1L ‘Spanish Air Force’ decal sheet £7.99
BUC-72004 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109/HA-1112 1990s Airshow Star Decals £7.99 Lifelike
LL48017 1:48 Re-released! Messerschmitt Bf-109E/Bf-109G Part 3. (4) E Black A+- Oblt
Begemot Hesselmann JG/26 France 1940 RLM 02/71/65; G White 1 10(N) Moskito/Jagdgeschwader JG
BT48057 1:48 Sukhoi Su-30SM Flankers from Irkutsk. Decal pack with options to make all known 300 1944 RLM 74/75/76; Black << Heinz Bar 1/JG 77, yellow under nose, white tail band RLM
Su-30SMs - prototypes and all Su-30SMs from the Russian Air Force, Armenian AF, Belarussian AF, 74/75/76; Grey << Gunther Specht 1944 yellow tail band RLM 74/75/76 £9.99
Kazakh AF, Su-30MKI form Indian AF, Su-30MKA from Algeria AF, Su-30MKM from Malazian AF
and Su-30SME form Myanmar AF. £23.40 Zotz
BT72056 1:72 Polikarpov Po-2 family. Decal with opportunity make 79 marking variations of Po-2 ZTZ32085 1:32 Gerald “Jerry” Johnson: Ace of the PTO. This sheet features his Bell P-39D,
family aircraft’s all types, from next AF’s: Civil Avviation fleet and VVS RKKA, North Korea and Lockheed P-38F, P-38H, two different Republic P-47D’s, Curtiss P-40N, and three different P-38L’s.
Poland. £14.99 In all, you’ll A total of 10 different aircraft using the sheet, covering the combat career of 22-kill
BT72081 1:72 Sukhoi Su-30SM Flankers from Irkutsk. Decal pack with options to make all known ace Gerald R. Johnson from Adak, Alaska in 1942 through the end of the war. £30.00
Su-30SMs - prototypes and all Su-30SMs from the Russian Air Force, Armenian AF, Belarussian AF, ZTZ32087 1:32 Douglas A-20J in the ETO £29.99
Kazakh AF, Su-30MKI form Indian AF, Su-30MKA from Algeria AF, Su-30MKM from Malazian AF ZTZ48050 1:48 Gerald “Jerry” Johnson: Ace of the PTO. This sheet features his Bell P-39D,
and Su-30SME form Myanmar AF. £21.30 Lockheed P-38F, P-38H, two different Republic P-47D’s, Curtiss P-40N, and three different P-38L’s.
In all, you’ll A total of 10 different aircraft using the sheet, covering the combat career of 22-kill
Eduard ace Gerald R. Johnson from Adak, Alaska in 1942 through the end of the war. £25.00
EDD48115 1:48 Lockheed F-104A/F-104C Starfighter stencils (Kinetic Model) £5.80

NEW KITS ICM and German LW) ex-Heller/Smer £12.50

ALL KITS ARE INJECTION MOULDED UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ICM32045 1:32 Gloster Sea Gladiator Mk.II with Royal Navy SBK7030 1:72 Morane-Saulnier MS.230 (Belgium,
pilots £59.80 Czechoslovakia, France, Blue Max movie) ex-Heller/Smer
Academy ICM48228 1:48 Junkers Ju-88P-1 Tank Buster £59.80 £12.50
AC12361 1:48 Beechcraft T-34B Mentor “VT-5 Training Air SBK7033 1:72 Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-1/2 Jabo ex-AZ Models
Wing” £17.99 IsraDecal Studio RESIN new 3D printed parts £16.50
AC12631 1:144 Lockheed C-130J-30 Super Hercules, IDM-48104 1:48 Cessna 206 full kit, scale. parts, Resin and SBK7034 1:72 Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-2 ex-AZ Models, new 3D
1999-present £22.99 clear resin parts, Photo-etch and decals. Markings for the IAF, printed parts £16.50
Colombia Police and Skydive Gran Canaria. Multimedia kit SBK7035 1:72 Tupolev Tu-2S (Poland, Hungary) ex-ICM, new
Airfix including: 3D printed, resin, clear resin and photo-etch parts. 3D printed 4-blade props £22.30
AX05130A 1:48 Curtiss P-40B Warhawk £28.99 Decals sheet and assembly instructions £74.80
AX06015A 1:72 North-American B-25C/D Mitchell £33.99 Special Hobby
AX09182A 1:48 Gloster Meteor F.8 £46.99 Italeri SH72428 1:72 Heinkel He-59B £53.99
IT2767 1:48 Macchi C.200 XXI Serie £34.99 SH72464 1:72 Aero A-11HS ‘Finnish Export Version’ £19.80
Armory IT2830 1:48 Junkers Ju-87G-1 Stuka Kanonenvogel £37.99
AR14309 1:144 Messerschmitt Bf-109T plastic injected kit with Tamiya
PE parts, £12.40 Kinetic Model Kits TA61126 1:48 General-Motors FM-1 Wildcat/Martlet Mk.V.
K48133 1:48 Lockheed-Martin F-16C Block 52 Republic £34.99
AZ Model Singapore Air Force with markings for the Black Knights
AZM7869 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109E-0 “First Emils” £16.99 Display Team and Operational Jets £49.00 Unicraft RESIN
AZM7870 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109V-13/14 “Zurych 1937” UNI72176 1:72 Saab Lx Swedish jet interceptor project £40.00
£16.99 Kovozavody Prostejov UNI72181 1:72 Messerschmitt Me.P.1095 German 1943 jet
AZM7871 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109S “Schule Emil” £16.99 KPM72196 1:72 Sukhoi Su-22M4 ‘Warsaw Pact’ ex-Bilek £18.20 fighter project £40.00
AZM7872 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109S “Kampf-Zweisitzer Emil” KPM72197 1:72 Sukhoi Su-22M4 ‘International’ ex-Bilek £18.20
£16.99 KPM72429 1:72 Aero K-75 “Military” £17.80 Valom
AZM7873 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109T-2 “Toni of Lister base” KPM72430 1:72 Aero Ae-45 £17.80 VAL14433 1:144 Bristol Brigand B Mk.I ‘RAF overseas’ (1st
£16.99 KPM72431 1:72 Aero Ae-45S Super Aero Pt.I £17.80 release) £26.30
AZM7874 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109T-2 “Toni over the North KPM72432 1:72 Aero Ae-45S Super Aero Pt.II £17.80
Sea” £16.99 KPM72433 1:72 Aero Ae-145 £17.80
KPM72434 1:72 Aero Ae-145 Special Markings £17.80 NEW ACCESSORIES
Dora Wings
DW48054 1:48 Republic P-47C Thunderbolt with Ferry Tank Litaki Model Kit CMK/Czech Master Kits
with etched parts and resin weighted wheels £34.95 LMK72001 1:72 Soko J-22 Orao. Single-seat attack aircraft Aircraft detailing sets (resin)
DW72009 1:72 Fairey Delta FD.2 £23.95 £39.99 129-P32001 1:32 Hawker Hurricane Gun Sight MK.II (2 pcs.)
(Fly and Revell) £2.70
Eduard kits MiniArt 129-P72009 1:72 Hawker Tempest Mk.V Early Gun Barrels.
Aircraft kits (injection) MT48023 1:48 Republic P-47D-30RE Thunderbolt basic kit (Airfix) £2.70
EDK7044 1:72 Aero L-39C Albatros Profipack. PROFIPACK £44.99 CMQ72413 1:72 Hawker Tempest/Typhoon Early type Wheels
edition £12.99 with weighted tyres, (Airfix) £4.99
EDK8148 1:48 RE-RELEASED!!! Polikarpov I-16 type 10 Miniwing-Plastic CMQ72414 1:72 Hawker Tempest Late Type Wheels (Airfix)
ProfiPACK edition £25.50 All with 2 decal versions, canopy mask, and PE Parts £4.99
EDK8208 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-110G-4 Profipack edition MINI366 1:144 Bell OH-58A KIOWA / in Vietnam War £12.99 Eduard
£36.30 MINI367 1:144 Bell OH-58A KIOWA / over America £12.99 3D printed decal
EDK82161 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109G-10 WNF/Diana MINI368 1:144 Bell OH-58A KIOWA / over Europe £12.99 ED3DL48157 1:48 Polikarpov I-16 Type 10 (Eduard) £5.80
ProfiPACK edition kit £28.60 MINI370 1:144 Bell OH-58A KIOWA / Middle East £12.99 ED3DL48159 1:48 Gotha Go-244B (ICM) £9.20
EDK84198 1:48 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb early Weekend
edition £19.60 Revell Eduard
EDK8483 1:48 Fokker D.VIIF Weekend Series The Weekend RV3816 1:144 Airbus A330-300 ‘Lufthansa’ New Livery £32.49 Aircraft detailing sets (etched)
edition kit £19.60 ED491414 1:48 Mitsubishi Ki-21-I (ICM) £26.70
Sabre Kits ED491417 1:48 Gotha Go-244B (ICM) £17.20
Hobby 2000 SBK14008 1:144 Douglas DC-9-30 JAT ex-Fly, new decals ED73817 1:72 Messerschmitt Me-410A-1/U-2 (Airfix) £12.99
H2K32011 1:32 Focke-Wulf Fw-190D-9 Mid Production £15.20 EDFE1414 1:48 Mitsubishi Ki-21-I (ICM) £11.99
HASEGAWA + CARTOGRAF £46.99 SBK14009 1:144 Douglas DC-9-30 Swiss ex-Fly, new decals EDFE1415 1:48 Mitsubishi Ki-21-I seatbelts STEEL (ICM) £6.99
£15.20 EDFE1417 1:48 Gotha Go-244B (ICM) £7.99
SBK7029 1:72 Morane-Saulnier MS.230 (Slovak, Spanish, Greek EDFE1418 1:48 Gotha Go-244B seatbelts STEEL (ICM) £9.20
 AZ Model Dora Wings ICM
AZM7870 1:72 Bf-109V-13/14 “Zurych 1937” DW72009 1:72 Fairey Delta FD.2 ICM32045 1:32 Sea Gladiator Mk.II with figures
£16.99 £23.95 £59.80

Eduard Brassin IsraDecal Studio RS48-0450 1:48 TAURUS missiles (2 pcs) (Tornado, F-15, F/A-18,
Aircraft detailing sets (resin) Aircraft detailing sets (resin) Gripen, Eurofighter) £15.99 £13.32
ED644239 1:48 Lockheed-Martin F-16D Block 50 (Kinetic IC-48069 1:48 IAF Sikorsky CH-53GS/G main rotor conversion
Model) £29.50 (Revell) £10.80 Scale Aircraft Conversions
ED644247 1:48 Westland Sea King HAS.1 (Airfix) £11.99 Aircraft detailing sets (metal)
ED644248 1:48 Westland Sea King HAS.5 (Airfix) £11.99 Master SAC35012 1:35 MQ-8B Fire Scout Landing Skids (Takom)
ED644251 1:48 Republic P-47D-25 Thunderbolt (MiniArt) Aircraft detailing sets (brass) £22.99
£19.60 AM-24-020 1:24 De Havilland Mosquito - Pitot tube (Airfix) £4. SAC48446 1:48 Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Landing Gear
ED672319 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109E rudder pedals early AM-24-021 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc - Hispano 20mm (Academy) £22.99
PRINT £2.50 cannons in fairings (Airfix) £13.20 SAC48447 1:48 Mil Mi-17 Hip Landing Gear (Avant Garde
ED672320 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109E rudder pedals late AM-32-125 1:32 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat EARLY (pre-war) - .50 Models) £20.99
PRINT £2.50 Browning gun barrels with oblong holes & early Pitot Tube
SIN648119 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf-109K-4 ADVANCED (Eduard) (Trumpeter) £7.50 NEW BOOKS
£41.30 AM-32-126 1:32 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat LATE - .50 Browning
gun barrels with round holes & Pitot Tube (two options) Catalogues and lists
Falcon (Trumpeter) £7.50 CATAX24 Airfix Catalogue 2024 A78204 £8.00
Aircraft canopies (vacform) AM-32-127 1:32 Grumman F-14A Tomcat early version - nose CATICM24 ICM catalogue 2024
FA9193 1:72 Mitsubishi Ki-67 “Peggy” (Hasegawa) £5.99 tip & Angle Of Attack probe (Tamiya and Trumpeter) £4.90
FA9194 1:72 Martin B-26B/B-26C/B-26F/B-26G Marauder AM-32-130 1:32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIb - Browning .303 cal Double Ugly
(Hasegawa) £5.99 barrel tips & bead sight mount £7.99 FTC003 McDonnell-Douglas AV-8A/C, AV-8S and TAV-A/S in
FA9197 1:72 Dornier Do-17Z (Airfix) £5.99 World Wide Service 1971 - 2006 The Modellers’ to Aircraft
Quinta Studio Finish & Markings (USMC, Armada Espanola and Royal Thai
Freightdog 3D-Printed & coloured Interior on decal paper Navy) by Angelo Romano with Michael Grove. Sized A-4
Aircraft conversions (resin) QD48341 1:48 BACK IN STOCK!!! McDonnell F-4G Phantom landscape, softcover, English text and captions, 108 pages
FDR72159 1:72 Hawker Hunter P.1109A conversion This item early (Meng Models) £40.86 of content, over 190 hitherto unpublished images mainly in
is a scale resin conversion for use with the Revell Hunter F.6 QD48366 1:48 Junkers Ju-88A-4 (ICM) £21.60 colour, 8 colour profiles £27.95
or FGA.9 base kit (not included). The P.1109A was an early QD48376 1:48 Focke-Wulf Ta-152H (Zoulei-Mura) £12.99
production F.Mk.6 Hunter used as an aerodynamic test best QD72094 1:72 General-Dynamics F-16A MLU (Revell £8.60 FTC005 The McDonnell F-4C and RF-4C in Service of the
for the AI.20 radar equipped P.1109B, which could carry two QD72108 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-21PFM Emerald panels (Eduard) Ejercito del Aire Espanol 1971 “ 2002 by Salvador Mafe Huertas
Firestreak missiles. Set includes longer nose, straight leading £8.60 with Lee R. De Haven. Sized A-4 landscape, softcover, perfect
edges, improved nose undercarriage and main wheels QD72109 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-21PFM Gray panels (Eduard) £8.60 bound, English text and captions, 132 pages of content, over
and F.6 tailpipe (required if using the FGA.9 boxing as base QDS-48341 1:48 McDonnell F-4G Phantom early (Meng 220 images mainly in colour, 8 colour profiles £32.95
kit). Suitable decals for WW598, one of the two airframes Models) (SMALL VERSION) £22.32
converted can be found on FSD72020 British Testing GA Publishing
Colours.. £12.00 ResKit AW2002 Jet Provost T.3 Detailed modellers walkround of the
Aircraft detailing sets (resin) BAC Jet Provost T.3 trainer. A long time stalwart of RAF pilot
HAD Models RS32-0399 1:32 A/A42R-1 “Buddy” air refueling store (1 pcs) training. £10.80
Aircraft paint masks (self adhesive) (F/A-18, S-3, MQ-25, A-6, EA-6, A-7, A-4) £16.99 £14.16
MASK32001 1:32 Sukhoi Su-27B Ukrainian Digital camouflage RS32-0447 1:32 NAVY inboard pylons for McDonnell F-4 Squadron Signal
pattern paint mask (Trumpeter) the set includes 5 sheets A-5 Phantom (2 pcs) £16.50 £13.75 SQS10270 Convair B-36 Peacemaker in Action £26.99
mask £47.99 RS32-0449 1:32 GBU-12 (A,B) “Paveway I” laser guided bombs SQS10271 TBD Devastator In Action £32.50
MASK32003 1:32 Sukhoi Su-25 Ukrainian Digital camouflage (2 pcs) (A-7, A-4, F-4, A-6) £14.40 £12.00
pattern paint mask (Trumpeter) the product used for masking RS32-0450 1:32 TAURUS missiles (2 pcs) (Tornado, F-15, F/A-18, Valiant Wings Publishing
is made of self-adhesive (Tamiya) paper and contains pre-cut Gripen, Eurofighter) £24.99 £20.82 VWPAM-23 AM-23 The Junkers Ju-88 Part 1: V1 to A-17 plus
shapes for painting. Scaled to (Trumpeter) kit The set includes RS32-0451 1:32 AGM-45 “Shrike” missiles with LAU-34 launcher B-series-A Complete Guide to the Luftwaffe’s Legendary Twin
3 sheets A-5 mask £33.99 (2 pcs) (A-4, A-7, F-4, Republic F-105D/F-105G) £15.99 £13.32 by Richard A. Franks. £28.95
RS48-0399 1:48 A/A42R-1 “Buddy” air refueling store (1 pcs)
ICM (F/A-18, S-3, MQ-25, A-6, EA-6, A-7, A-4) £11.70 £9.75 Warpaint Series
Paint, Acrylic 12ml RS48-0447 1:48 NAVY inboard pylons for McDonnell F-4 WPS141 Vickers Viking, Valetta & Varsity In Military Service. By
ICM3050 1:32, 1:35, 1:48, 1:72 WWII British Royal Navy Aviation Phantom (2 pcs) £12.30 £10.25 Adrian M. Balch £19.00 56 pages £19.00
Acrylic paint set for (ICM) £7.40 RS48-0449 1:48 GBU-12 (A,B) “Paveway I” laser guided bombs
(2 pcs) (A-7, A-4, F-4, A-6) £12.30 £10.25

Litaki MiniArt Tamiya

LMK72001 1:72 Soko J-22 Orao MT48023 1:48 Republic P-47D-30RE Thunderbolt basic kit TA61126 1:48 Grumman FM-1 Wildcat/Martlet Mk.V
£39.99 £44.99 £34.99

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