Officially the No.

1 International Aircraft Modelling Magazine

September 2022 • £5.50

Volume 44 • Issue 07

www.guidelinepublications.co.uk

Turbo Mustang Conversion

• Scaled Up Sentry
• Spitfire markings – Operation Jubilee • What’s on the Workbench?
• Buccaneer S.1 conversion - Airfix and Aerocraft • IPMS UK, News, Reviews, and More…

Classic Plastic Ultimate Junkers Mirage IIIC Shachak

Douglas A-20 Havoc Ju 388 conversion Special Hobby in 1/72
Matchbox revisited AIMS in 1/32 Test shot build

First and Best for Reference and Modelling

CO N T E N T S

T h i s m o n T h
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STORE FINDER
Books-A-million, inc. presently operates over 200 stores in 18
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www.booksamillioninc.com/store_finder/index.html 66 71

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
’ S F E A T U R E S EDITORIAL
Bush Warrior 14
Cavalier Mustang III - Eduard’s 1/48 Mustang with Halberd Models’ conversion
By Jon Tabinor

A Particularly Golden Oldie 20

Airfix’s 1979 Huricane revisited
By Brian Derbyshire

Bantam Bomber 22
Douglas A-4B Skyhawk in 1/72 By Gary Hatcher
By Stephen J Di Nucci

L
ong-standing readers will have noticed that
these editorials repeat the same handful of
Matchbox Reloaded 26 themes in a cycle, occasionally interspersed
with something a little more off the wall to break
A-20 Havoc
up the pattern and lull the readership into
By Jose Luis López thinking that the Editor has an original thought
in his head. Be assured it is not so, and so we
Spitfire Jubilee 32 return this month to one of our default themes
with all the comfortable familiarity of a dog
Modelling the early Mk IX from the stash in the attic
coming back to a favourite lamp post.
By Neil Robinson
I am occasionally asked by readers how I can
justify running features on kits that have been
An early Flying Banana 37 out of production for decades, and both this
The Gyron-Junior Buccaneer S.1 in 1/72 month’s beautifully executed Sea Hurricane by
Brian Derbyshire, and the Matchbox A-20 by
By Bill Clark
Jose Luis López, illustrate my reasoning
perfectly. There are thousands of these kits out
Aircraft in Profile 41 there, either in our attic stashes, or changing
Airspeed Oxford hands regularly, and many modellers – if not
most – are as likely to choose something from
By Jan Polc the distant past for their next project as a brand
Scale plans and colour profiles by the Author new state of the art kit fresh out of a factory in
Prague. Kits may go out of production, but there
Colour Conundrum 54 are comparatively few vintage kits that you can’t
find at least one boxing of if you really try. Thus
Daylight Camouflage for Aeroplanes of the RFC and RAF 1917-1918 nothing goes out of fashion, and everything is
Part 1 relevant.
By Paul Lucas Of course if we can get hold of a test shot for a
brand new release then we will prioritise it –
Scaled Up 58 hence Yoav Efrati’s Special Hobby Mirage this
issue, which nudged something else off the
The Changing Of the Guard menu - but in the overall scheme of things the
Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 in RAF Service Editor’s 1/72 Matchbox Fairey Seafox, 39 years
By Des Brennan old and still the only kit in town, will equally be
accorded page space in due course, assuming he
Special Hobby Mirage IIIC Shachak 66 has something more intelligent to say about it
than ‘here is a kit what I built’. Readers are invited
Test shot built to speculate how old the wretched thing will be
By Yoav Efrati by the time it finally does make it onto the page.
Rest assured, it’s going well but it’s one of those
Workbench 71 kits where one scratch-fix lead to another, and
we haven’t got past the many missing details on
1/32 JU-388L-1 conversion the cowling yet, some of which have evaded
By Gordon Scott photographers so consistently that not even the
‘Flying’ Pickett archive can clarify matters.
With: Whatever your choice of kit, scale, or genre,
Update – our monthly news round-up section with new product previews and reviews 6 the team have made the usual effort to include
something for everyone. I hope you enjoy this
Books – with Ernie Lee 86 month’s content.
IPMS UK Column with John Tapsell 88
Coming Next Month 99

Cover Image: Eduard’s P-51D-20 Mustang (ref. 84176) with

Halberd Models’ conversion by Jon Tabinor (see page 14).

SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 5

U P D AT E S

By sorge

AcAdeMy
www.bachmann.co.uk
A couple of reboxings from Academy have included another release of
the ever-welcome Accurate Miniatures Dauntless tooling:
pKAy12350 1/48 UsN sB2U-3 ‘Battle of Midway’
Limited edition Battle of Midway boxing. Includes paint masks for clear
parts and photoetch along with a choice of two markings.
pKAy12576 1/72 UsAF F-104c starfighter ‘Vietnam War’
Lockheed's supersonic tactical fighter in US Air Force service from 1958.
The C-type's last US active duty was from late 1965 to mid-1967 during
the Vietnam War. The kit includes markings and serials for USAF, ROCAF
(Taiwan F-104G) and JASDF
(Japan F-104J) aircraft

AirFix
www.airfix.com
A busy period for Airfix with new toolings coming to the marketplace,
but also some very welcome re-issues, notably the 1/48 Lynx (ref.
A10107A), a kit comprising almost 300 parts and unique in this scale. The
kit offers markings for British, Danish, and German aircraft.
Also now available is the new 1/48 Blackburn Buccaneer S.2C/D (ref.
A12012). Arguably, one of the biggest releases this year for Airfix the kit
comes with folding wings, opening airbrake, engine panels, a detailed
cockpit, and intake covers as well as crew access ladders. This kit also
comes with a selection of armament; 2 x Royal Navy 2-inch rocket pods, 4 Air-GrAphic Models
x 1000lb retarded bombs, 4 x 1000lb free fall bombs, 1 x Martel missile TV www.air-graphics.uk
guidance pod, and 2 x Martel Missiles (TV) and 2 x Martel missiles (AR). Now this looks like a project! Big Planes’ kit with a dedicated resin
The decal sheet offers four marking options. detailing set …

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
U P D AT E S
U P D AT E S
arma hoBBy
www.armahobby.com
The role of the Hurricane in the Dieppe
operation has often been overlooked so it is
good to see Arma addressing this with a
dedicated boxing of their superb 1/72 kit
marking the 80th anniversary of the operation.
By 1942 the Hurricane was obsolete and ‘Jubilee’,
19 August 1942, was the type’s last major
operation in Europe. Eight squadrons took part,
equipped with five different versions of the
BattlE oF Britain -
thE PEoPlE’s ProjEct
www.battleofbritainpeoplesproject.com
A nationwide search for untold stories about the
Battle of Britain has been launched by author
and historian Dilip Sarkar MBE as he sets out to
write the ultimate book about the event that
changed history. The work is being published by
Pen & Sword in association with the Battle of
Britain Memorial Trust, custodians of the
National Memorial to the Few at Capel-le-Ferne
in Kent, with the aim of including previously
Eduard
www.eduard.com
1/48 F4F-3 Wildcat Profipack (ref. 82201)
By Jon Tabinor
Eduard’s new 1/48 F4F-3 Wildcat has splashed
down in the UK, and it looks pretty impressive
too! Using this kit the modeller can make any
version of the dash-3, the initial-production
model of the Wildcat, as the parts include
optional cowlings to make all types of cooling-
flap variation while different nose rings cater for
both internal and external carburettor intakes,
and intercooler duct differences. Even a dash-3A
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
aircraft, including the Mk IIA, IIB, IIC, and the
Canadian-made Mk X (converted to Mk IIB
standard and essentially identical), and even
three Mk IA veterans. Their task was to attack
ground targets, destroy German artillery and
support the attacking infantry. These missions
were so important that squadrons without
ground-attack training were assigned them. The
Hurricane squadrons fulfilled their tasks with
devotion, fighting over the Dieppe beaches from
dawn, mostly performing three sorties each in
force. After Dieppe Hurricanes saw less use in
untold stories from around the country.
‘The central story of the Battle of Britain is
relatively well known, but it goes much wider
than just the bravery of the men who took to the
skies to defeat the Luftwaffe,” the author
explained. ‘The aim of this project is to unearth
all the other stories. Tales of groundcrew, of
volunteers, of factory workers and family
members who ‘did their bit’ on the ground while
the fighters tackled the threat in the air. These
are stories I want to tell as part of a
comprehensive history of perhaps the most
important battle fought by this country in the
can be created with a little work (which means
so can a Fleet Air Arm Martlet Mk III). The F4F-3’s
non-folding, four-gun wings are well captured.
Both external, and internal detail is, as one
would expect, petite and sharply moulded with
photoetch to gild the lily further. The clear parts
include a telescopic gunsight-equipped early
windscreen, and there's a slightly wider open-
canopy option too. Six markings are offered: a
pre-war USN ‘Yellow Wing’ machine, the overall
Light Gray scheme with 1940 Louisiana war-
manoeuvres crosses, and then a range of
Blue-Gray over Light Gray options covering the
marking variations used in the early period of
the West, but they still remained the core of
forces in Africa and Burma, and also fought
effectively on the Eastern Front, where almost
2,000 of them were sent under Lend-Lease.
The kit contains two sets of plastic parts (each
for the Mk II A/B/C version), two sets of
photoetched, two sets of 3D printed accessories
(cannons, exhausts, mirrors, mesh frame for
carburettor inlet), two sets of 3D printed 500lb
bombs (four bombs), and decals with eight
marking variants from Operation Jubilee. These
accessories will not be available separately.
whole of the 20th century.’
Those with stories to tell or material that could
be included in the ultimate Battle of Britain
reference work are
invited to head to
the Battle of
Britain: The
People’s
Project
website where
their stories
can be
submitted.
the war in the Pacific by both the USN and
Marine Corps.
Eduard have also released enough aftermarket
parts for the model to sink a flat top! These
include cast-brass undercarriage legs, a 3D-
printed full cockpit, resin exhausts and wheels,
as well as seat belts, masks, landing flaps, ‘Space’
instrument panels and resin gun barrels.
This is the first boxing of what we hope will be as
comprehensive a coverage as Eduard offered the
Hellcat. Stay tuned for an in-depth build in the
next issue!
U P D AT E S

BUNNY FIGHTER
CLUB
www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk
Check out the full range of ‘Bunny
Lady’ kits and T-shirts, featuring the
Tempest Mk V from 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/

ICM
www.icm.com.ua
New items are available from ICM:
#48302 1/48 ‘Desert Storm’, US aircraft
OV-10A and OV-10D+, 1991
#32038 1/32 DH. 82A Tiger Moth with
bombs, WWII British training aircraft
#48288 1/48 A-26C-15, Invader with
pilots and ground personnel

ITALERI
www.italeri.com
comprising over 300 parts. The F-35B with its
STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing)
capability has been specifically designed to
operate from modern aircraft carriers such as the
British HMS Queen Elizabeth or the Cavour, the
flagship of the Italian Navy. The US Marines
Corps plan to deploy the F-35B in both attack
and ground support roles. The STOVL version is
powered by the Pratt & Whitney afterburning
turbofan and its swivel nozzle, which directs the
thrust of the engine. Due in part to its
operational flexibility, its advanced on-board
technology, innovative design and performance
features, the F-35 Lightning II is already a
landmark aircraft in the world of 21st century
military aviation.
Italeri’s kit looks stunning in the box. The level of
detail throughout looks superb, and the decal
sheet offers options for seven aircraft. Definitely
one of the key releases this year so far.
Reissues from Italeri this month have included
the 1/72 F-5A Freedom Fighter, boxed with an
impressive decal sheet covering six aircraft.
Italeri meanwhile have been celebrating their
60th anniversary, which has included some
interesting package deals, notably a ‘multi-buy’
offer on helicopter kits. Check out the website
for full details as these offers may be transient.

10 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
U P D AT E S
U P D AT E S

reveLL
www.revell.de
03822, airbuS a400m aTLaS ‘raF’
The latest iteration of the massive Airbus A400M
‘Atlas’ transport in 1/72 is an RAF machine. The
completed kit measures a whopping 626mm in
length and will include markings for a 2016 100th
anniversary aircraft out of Brize Norton, plus
alternate markings to depict a current Spanish Air
KineTiC modeL Force airframe.
www.kineticmodel.com
Biggest – quite literally – news this month comes
from Kinetic Model whose C-17A Globemaster III in
1/72 (ref.72003) is in the final tooling process and
expected for release in 2023.

roden main task was to carry and deliver a nuclear

www.roden.eu
Roden have announced their next release, a
North American AJ-1 Savage in 1/72 (ref.
#063). The Savage was a US carrier-borne
bomber designed in the 1940s. The aircraft's
weapon, which at that time, due to its size,
had to be deployed by the aircraft near the
target zone. Series production began in 1949
and continued until 1952, after which the AJ-
2, a greatly improved version, appeared.

Lysander which had been designed in the

KovoZávody proSTějov
www.kovozavody.cz
KP Siebel Si 204D 1/72 (ref. KPM0331)
The Si 204D was utilised as a Trainer and Liaison
aircraft by the Luftwaffe, seeing service after the
war with the Czechoslovakian Air Force as the Aero
C-3AF. This is a welcome rerelease of the KP kit,
featuring delicate surface detail, engraved to
represent the various rivet and panel details. Ninety
five parts grace the medium grey plastic sprues
whilst a further fifteen clear components are
packed in their own bag for protection. The interior
has a good level of detail including sidewall and
rear cabin detail. The main cabin is devoid of any
seating although this can either be scratch built or a
curtain mocked up at the windows and cabin
divider. Various options are included on the sprues
for other versions but these are clearly marked in
the colour instruction booklet. It is worth noting
that the parts do not have any locating pins so
careful alignment is the order of the day along with
reinforcing with wire in high stress areas such as the
wings and undercarriage.
The decal options included provide for three
different aircraft these being:
Si 204D BM+JP, FFS A/B, Brandenburg-Briest March
1945.
Si 204D Previously DL+NT repurposed by the Swiss
Air Force with red and white identification stripes.
Si 204D White 3 of the Hungarian Air Force with
yellow identification stripes.
Each of the aircraft are painted in RLM 71/RLM70
over RLM76 undersides with their own local
idiosyncrasies for identification purposes. The
decals are sharply printed with minimal carrier film
so shouldn’t cause any issues during application.
This is a well-detailed kit of an interesting and often
ignored WWII type which should see the more
experienced modeller achieving a highly
acceptable model.
pre-war days for army co-operation, close
support, artillery observation and liaison
roles were in fact ill-suited for real operations.
Lighter types with the ability of very short
take offs and landings proved much more
successful. Arguably the most famous of all
types of this category is the L-4 Grasshopper,
developed from the originally civilian J-3 Cub.
This first boxing captures the Grasshoppers’
combat journey beginning with the
Operation Torch, the Allied landing in Africa,
SpeCiaL Hobby through the landings in Italy and Normandy,
www.www.specialhobby.eu
to the US airfields in western Bohemia,
This is one we’ve been waiting for …
Czechoslovakia, where the Grasshoppers
SH48218 L-4 Grasshopper ‘From Africa to ended their WW2 combat service.
Central Europe’ 1/48 Two styrene sprues are joined by one clear
It quite soon became clear to the US military, parts sprue and a decal sheet with markings
as well as the British RAF, that the rather large for four airframes. This is the first new tool of
and complicated types such as the O-47 or this important aircraft in over fifty years!
TrumpeTer
www.bachmann.co.uk
With things getting busy in the
Taiwan Strait Trumpeter’s recent
releases may be of topical interest:
pKTm05819 1/48 Harbin Z-19
Chinese Light
reconnaissance/attack Helicopter
This light gunship helicopter
developed by Harbin Aircraft Corp for
the PLAAF first flew in May 2010.
Powered by two twin turboshaft
engines, it features four main rotor
blades and is equipped with a gyro-
stabilised sensor chin turret. The kit
includes four sprues, a choice of two
colours and a parts count of some
130+.
PKTM05826 PLAAF J-10C Vigorous
Dragon
Multirole fighter aircraft with
distinctive DSI air intake (Diverterless
Supersonic Inlet). The kit features
twelve plastic sprues, markings for
two aircraft and over 230 parts.

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

VFR MODELS
www.vfrmodels.co.uk
VFR have released a 1/72 Beagle Pup. The main
box subject is G-AVDF, which is the original
prototype Pup restored to flight in 2020 by a
group in Turweston. It was always the intention
of Beagle to make a military version of the Pup
to replace the Chipmunk in particular. Earlier
proposals for this were superseded following the
interest of the Swedish Armed Forces in 1967
when they assessed the Pup 150. In
consequence the design was improved
WOLFPACK
www.wolfpack-d.com
Now available from Wolfpack is the F-22A Raptor
'Edwards AFB' Premium Edition Kit (ref.
WP17210). This comprises Academy’s plastic,
with over 100 parts, along with photoetch and
resin updates and three markings for the USAF
Experimental Unit in Edwards AFB. A canopy
IPMS USA NATIONAL
CONVENTION
By Walter Schlueter
Third times the charm, people say, but for the
Fort Crook chapter of IPMS USA, four times is
their four leaf clover. This is the fourth time this
chapter has hosted an IPMS National
convention. The 2022 IPMS USA National
convention was held at the La Vista convention
center in La Vista Nebraska. This show did very
well due to the crowds in both contest and
vendor rooms and the people socializing in the
atriums and breakout rooms. The vendors
seemed to be doing a booming business as both
vendor rooms were constantly humming. The
international vendors that attended included
Special Hobby, Guidelines Publications,
Casemate Publications, and Eduard. Eduard had
the new Wildcat kits that seemed to be
U P D AT E S
significantly and evolved into the Beagle B.125
Bulldog with a 200 hp (150 kW) Lycoming
engine.
VFR have been working on two kits of the
Beechcraft Baron, an aircraft that has been in
constant manufacture for sixty-one years yet
never seen a kit in any scale. Kits will cover the
Baron 55 (short, including early models with flat
windshields and short nosecones) and the
capacious 58. The Baron is big in Brazil, where its
long trans-Amazonian legs clearly win the day -
so there'll definitely be a Brazilian scheme
in there.
mask is included.
Wolfpack are in the final design stages of their
1/72 F-5E/F Tiger II kit. This is a 3D kit of the US
Navy and US Marine Corps F-5N, including the
CATM-9 and ACMI Pod. Wolfpack are considering
many options and variations such as basic
radome and shark nose types, LERX, extended
tail fin, external fuel tanks and refuelling Probe.
doing well.
As for the contest itself, there were 2,808 models
competing.
One of the evening events was ‘Night at the
Museum’ - an opportunity to spend the evening
at the US Air Force Strategic Air Command
Museum without all the tourists around. This
event gave the attendees the chance to do
things like crawl under the planes to take up
close detail pictures and explore the vehicles up
close without the crowds that are normally
found. One of the planes under restoration is the
Vulcan bomber
The show seemed to be a rousing success with
an impressive number of attendees, models on
the tables, seminars, events to keep attendees
involved, etc. Kudos to the host chapter. If you
want to prepare for the next two years now,
2023 is San Marcos Texas and 2024 is Madison
Wisconsin. Hope to see you all there!
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 13
HORSE TURBOPOWER
Jon Tabinor assesses Halberd’s 1/48 conversion, creating a horse to crow about.
Cavalier Turbo Mustang III
Used with P-51D-20 Mustang Weekend
1/48 kit from Eduard (ref 84176)
Scale: 1/48
Type: Resin conversion with decals
Manufacturer: Halberd Models
www.ebay.com/str/halberdmodels
A composite shot showing the fine resin flash
that needs removing, and the small pour stubs.
The fine surface detail is noteworthy too.
Tweaking this depth-setting pin inside the
wing will allow the top wing to match the wing
root perfectly once the underside join is
perfected too.
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
A
ugust 1977, somewhere over south-
eastern Angola, Captain Tinus Du Plessis
banked his Voëltjie sharply and observed
the blazing trucks in satisfaction as they cast
flickering shadows over the scrubby veld. He’d
heard that the story of how the euphemistically
named Bureau of International Technical
Evaluation in Pretoria had managed to ‘acquire’
The lower wing needs this area removed to fit
the new fuselage. The over-stressed centre
support in the undercarriage well didn’t survive
and was removed soon after.
The tip tank being test fitted. Note the flared
panel line, which must be followed accurately
when cutting, if the tank is to fit.
the plans for the Cavalier Turbo-Mustang a few
years before was worth a few beers and a good
laugh. But however BITE had managed it, the
several dozen Swaartkraaie that Atlas had built
for the South African Air Force were proving
their worth chewing up the enemy in the long,
and increasingly fierce, bush war being fought in
the northern areas of southern Africa.
The South African designers had increased
the fin area of the Swaartkraai (Cape Crow), and
added an exhaust diffuser to counter MANPAD
systems. They’d modified the canopy opening
and rear cockpit, installing a rearward-facing
seat so that an observer/FAC could sometimes
come along. Although it was empty on today’s
strike mission, his job was to help spot heavily
disguised enemy positions and call in additional
ground forces. It wasn’t lost on Captain Du
Plessis that his father had flown a P-51 in Korea
too, but that had had a Merlin, while the new
Test fitting the wing to ensure a good fit. The
asymmetric rear join needs care to make sure
the wing drops in properly and is flush to its
resin surround..
The tip tank tip is a separate piece. Using a blob
of Blu Tack is an easy way to hold it when
supergluing it in place.

The stock-cockpit floor with raised rear
section where the fuel tank would normally
go. A ‘rumble seat’ is fitted here for the normal
Turbo Mustang but it’s very cramped!
Checking the new cockpit’s fit and seeing
where the canopy now needs to slide back to.
The opening for the plastic one-piece fin fillet
is evident here too, as are the kit’s multiple
ordnance holes which are different to the
ones needed.
My fin fillet
addition, with the
initial pinned-fin
tip. You can see how
one might assume
it will all line up,
even with a small
chunk missing.
one had a lot more horses under the hood with
its more efficient turboprop. Pilots appreciated
that for its endurance, relatively low noise
signature, decent weapons carrying ability and
manoeuvrability. They'd nicknamed it Voëltjie,
pronounced ‘Fulky’, which meant ‘little bird’ in
Afrikaans, and like the real Cape Crow it was
proving very tenacious at winkling out its prey
from the rough terrain. Rumour was that the
Cuban regulars they sometimes opposed called
it El Caballero del Diablo, or just El Cab-Diab, The
Devil’s Horse, which also seemed more than apt.
Or so my wholly fictional backstory goes.
Having reviewed Halberd Models’ resin
conversion for the Merlin-engined Cavalier
My additions to the conversion involved
dropping the rear floor and installing a rear-
facing seat, plus observer’s gubbins, like
binoculars and RT equipment for FAC and
army-cooperation work.
Even the Weekend Eduard kit supplies decals
to allow this instrument panel to be made.
A happy accident meant I was saved further
embarrassment, and I still had the chunk of
rudder I’d erroneously removed.
F-51D Mustang/ Mustang Mk 2 in Scale Aircraft
Modelling Volume 43, Issue 6, August 2021, the
editor had sent me their Cavalier Turbo Mustang
III conversion and I’d been looking for potential
subject matter to do it justice. The prototype’s
SEA camo and lack of operational markings
didn’t really inspire, but the more I thought of
the South Africans ‘borrowing’ the plans to build
their own, the more I liked the idea of the
potential colour scheme, and the counterfactual
history seemed plausible too.
Designed to be used with any of Eduard’s
excellent 1/48 Mustang D, K or Mk IV kits,
Halberd’s green resin is cast with no flaws and
beautiful detail that matches the donor kit
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
HORSE TURBOPOWER
Opening up the wing for the extra resin
hardpoints. Halberd gives measurements for
these to space from the usual location
between the guns. Follow the central panel
line, not the leading edge one or your pylons
won’t be square to the centreline.
So much for a modern Dark Gull Gray cockpit.
It looked more like the Heinkel 219’s. A bit of
weathering and detail painting gives the
sense of a well-used workspace though.
A new fin tip was scratchbuilt, probably a tad
taller and more raked at the top than it
warrants. It did however give the area a less
‘Forties’ look and visually balances the long
nose.
perfectly. For my imaginary Cape Crow I
deviated from the resin and kit parts only by
addition rather than replacement, so this build
will hopefully be just as useful to the builder of
the stock conversion too. The conversion centres
around two areas: two new full-fuselage halves
with turboprop engine and propeller; and new
tip tanks for the wings. Extra hardpoints and
some aerials are provided, as is a small decal
sheet for the prototype N6167U.
My resin fuselage halves were warp free but
did have a small amount of excess resin ‘flash’ on
several of the edges and some small pour stubs,
which needed a little work with a new scalpel
blade and small sanding block to clean away.
15
HORSE TURBOPOWER

The kit’s excellent wheel well detail comes alive with some washes. Note My invented exhaust IR diffuser, which could double as a mediaeval mace.
the fit of the rear wing join now, and joint clean up underway on the The filler on the wing root looks far worse than it was, as it’s yet to be
fuselage seams. wiped away.

Lovely thin propeller blades from Halberd were easily snipped away using Self-inflicted filling on the windscreen canopy leading edge. A lesson to
cutters. The circular disc at each blade base locates snugly into the hub. check work more frequently when sanding away obstructions.

The primer layer is one and anti-glare panels
sprayed dark grey. The whole tail has been
painted PRU Blue ready to mask off. The camo
scheme was inspired by the SAAF’s Mirage
F1AZ’s later pattern.
The initial sandy brown top colour was
worked into to create fading and shading, The
olive green disruptive pattern has been
marked by pencil, again based on the Mirage
F1AZ scheme.
I used BluTack to mask the underside colour. I
didn’t go as high as the Mirage’s late-pattern
demarcation line but opted for something a
little more fluid and undulating.

The opening for the tailwheel needed some care
in particular. The rear edge of resin that accepts
the plastic wing is keyed to its asymmetric
mating shape and needs trimming too. I found it
useful to check the fit of it to the wing centre as I
did this. It’s nothing drastic but just worth taking
care with so the wing locates flush. The front-
lower fuselage section of the single-piece kit
lower wing needs removing to fit the resin and if
done carefully this will give a very neat fit. I
checked the fit of the top plastic wings to the
resin fuselage wing roots, and they matched
very well, although a slight tweak of the plastic
depth-setting pin was required on one wing to
get it to match perfectly, but it was very, very
slight.
I also thought it a good idea to remove the
Eduard wing tips now to test the fit of the new
resin tip tanks. They fit the wing tip well but
make sure you follow the panel line of the wing
tip rather than just cutting straight across. The
panel line flairs out as it goes rearward and this
is followed by the resin part. I found a little work
with a flat Swiss file on the plastic cuts to refine
this shape gave a very good contour match. The
depth of one wing tip side seemed a little thicker
than the other, so one tank was a perfect match
and the other had a very slight step. I ignored
this as it seemed the effort required to rectify it
wasn’t worth it. The tip tanks themselves are
handed (each mating area follows the laminar-
flow cross section of the wing, which is different
on the top than bottom) and I marked each port
or starboard to ensure I’d have things in the right
place when I attached them. The kit wing could
now be assembled and the undercarriage bay
painted as per the instructions. Extra holes need
drilling for the additional hardpoints if you want
them, but this is a simple task.
My Cape Crow needed a little extra work in
the cockpit to install the new rearward facing
seat. I cut and dropped the raised rear cockpit

16 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
 HORSE TURBOPOWER

Xtradecal’s Canadair Sabre Collection sheet (X48216) provided the SAAF

Mr Colour’s metallics are excellent, and the intake lip around the markings as well as the code numbers and tip-tank flashes. Both the
propeller really looks the part when treated like this. latter were cut out and borrowed from the RAF 92 Squadron option.

… and then blended into the background using a soft brush lightly
AMMOs Oilbrushers are an easy way to add some fading. The oil paint is dampened with odourless spirit. More varnish seals this in when you are
applied to the matt-varnished paint scheme…. happy with the finish.

The weapons set’s sway

braces can be modified to
use on the Mustang pylons
with some careful
trimming, as shown here...

ICM’s weapons set was used to add some bite. I decided that Dark Earth
was a better colour for the rocket pods than white, given the ‘low and
slow’ nature of my made-up aircraft’s operations..

The pylons themselves also need some trimming to allow the braces to Final modifications to the canopy allow it to ‘open’ much further back. It
fit in such a way that the ordnance doesn’t hang off them way too low. has to be plausible ‘whiffery’ after all, doesn't it?

SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 17

HORSE TURBOPOWER
floor (where the fuel tank would be) to create
more room for my 1/48 observer to function
efficiently. The plastic kit’s alternate seat was
installed here and some details were invented to
add to the side walls. Don't forget to add the
fuselage cross member behind the forward seat,
or your cockpit opening will be a little too
flexible for its own good. I did and worried about
the flex – It did actually cause one wing root to
crack open a tad. I rang more changes by
painting the cockpit in a more modern-looking
Dark Gull Gray rather than interior green, but all
it did was look more Germanic.
With the cockpit and tail-wheel bay installed,
the fuselage halves were joined using gel-type
superglue to act as a gap filling adhesive. The fit
was very good in reality but the joint still needed
some clean up. Halberd provide a space in the
fin’s front for the Eduard fin fillet to locate, and
this was the only area of the conversion that
required really careful test fitting. Even then I
needed a little filler to blend things. I decided I
wanted a very ‘un-Mustang’-shaped fillet, so I
added Plasticard and filler to give the area an
unusual look. None of this affected the fit
though. There is a separate resin upper fin and
rudder tip to extend the height. I failed to notice
that a portion of the resin fin had cracked off
because it had cracked so neatly, I assumed it
was the join. As a result,
when offering up the
rudder, I thought it
needed the top trimming
to fit, so amputated it
above the mass
balance.
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
I reinforced the area with two brass pins and
then slipped on the new finely-cast resin top
only to discover it was short in chord because of
the missing fin section. My blushes were saved
when I dropped the fuselage and the resin tip
cracked off and shattered. I still had the excised-
rudder top, so this was re-glued and a new
Plasticard fin tip was fashioned. The plastic
tailplanes fit their resin locations very well,
needing just a smear of Mr Dissolved Putty to
eliminate any small fissures that were left.
The main wing could now be glued in place,
again using gel superglue. One wing root had a
virtually seamless fit, but the other needed some
filler to tone down what was more of an overly
pronounced panel line than gap. While the filler
dried, I modified the large turboprop exhaust by
adding an utterly spurious IR exhaust shield. I
postulated this might diffuse and angle exhaust
gases up rather than down and into the beady
thermophilic eye of a waiting SAM-7. The resin
exhaust fits well into its large recess, but when
you finally install it, you need to insert it at the
correct angle or it will splay out too much.
The propeller blades are very finely cast, and
the prop hub itself needs just a little sanding to
reduce its base’s circumference to fit into the
engine nose ring, which itself fits the fuselage
perfectly. I drilled a smaller hole into this so I
could friction-fit a Mission Models Micro-Chisel
to use as a painting mandrel. My forward
windscreen-cum-fuselage-surround fitted the
resin fuselage well, but I actually sanded the
plastic part’s front too eagerly to remove the
mould stub, so had to fill this area to make good.
With that, I masked off the wheel wells and
cockpit and sprayed a couple of coats of Mr
Surfacer Primer to blend the resin and plastic.
Painting was undertaken using MRP, Mr Colour
and Tamiya lacquers. This was mostly a painless
process, but I did find that despite careful
cleaning and priming, my propeller and
prop blades showed an
alarming
propensity to
shed paint when masking tape was removed.
Solvent-based lacquer paint at that too, so I
ended up brush-painting them ‘very carefully’.
If you intend to hang ordnance on any of the
kit or new resin wing pylons, be warned that
there are no sway braces in either kit (Eduard
mould theirs integrally with their tanks or
bombs). Fortunately, the ICM US Aviation
Armament set (ref.48406), from which I purloined
both LAU-10A ‘Zuni’ and LAU-69A rocket pods,
has small braces that can be modified to work.
The resin propeller blades fit positively into
recesses in the spinner although you will need to
set your own blade pitch. Final modifications,
post-painting and decalling, involved adding
Heath-Robinson-type telescoping canopy guide
rods. I decided these were required so the
canopy could open much further rearwards to
let the observer get in easily, and more
importantly get out quickly should that be
required. Two resin ‘swoosh’ blade aerials are
supplied to give a very seventies and Jason King
rakish-look to the fin from above. I lost one and
had to cut a replacement from Plasticard.
Undercarriage and doors are all as per
Eduard’s model. When I built their VLR P-51 the
wheel legs were a simple fit, but they fought me
a little here and I don’t know why, although I
suppose user error is highly likely.
And that was that. I’m not usually a big fan of
‘Whiffery’ as there’s so much real aviation history
that’s strange enough to entice, but inventing a
cogent back story really helped here and gave
me the impetus to build the model. Halberd’s
resin conversion fits its parent plastic well.
Whether built as the real prototype, or finished
as something from the boundless depths of your
imagination, it is a great conversion and would
easily be suitable for a modeller making a first
attempt at what my truck modelling friends call
a ‘transkit’.
And as Captain Du Plessis might well say
too, with a big thumbs up, ‘Lekker!’
SEA HURRICANE
The first job was removing the flanges from
the wheel wells.
Jig made to aid wheel well construction –
there are three more of these kits in the stash
awaiting attention!
The wheel well has now been roofed with
thin card.
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
By Brian Derbyshire
Kit No: 02067
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Airfix
www.airfix.com
T
his kit is certainly an oldie, and I've recently
found that it's considerably more golden
than it has been given credit for, provided
that you're prepared to do some work on it. It is
in fact almost perfect as regards outline
accuracy, except for a touch of excess chord out
towards the wingtips.
This adventure really began with the Eduard
re-issue of Arma's superb Hurri, and its etched
bits. In reviewing this combination, it was (and
remains) my intention to start with something
like ‘I'll use the etch (because this is a review) but
only if it's better than the existing moulded
plastic.’ Well, the first bit I looked at was the
wheel well roof, and it wasn't.
The crude exhaust and panel detail need
some attention.
Too good to waste though, especially as the
1979-vintage kit has no wheel well roof at all.
Let's check, I thought, and of course I got carried
away. I cleaned off the tabs around the wells and
made a jig to guide the construction of the
wheel bay walls, and to guide the positioning of
the strips of Plastruct with which they were
detailed. This was worth doing, because I've still
got at least three of these kits in stock. I roofed
the completed bay with thin card At this stage
the upper and lower wing halves, and the well,
are not yet cemented - the bit of etch in
question was inserted and the whole thing
reassembled once the fit was properly adjusted.
Then I forgot to photograph it again...
The rest of the kit needed a complete re-
scribe, especially of the flaps, ailerons and gun
panels, which were too narrow, too tapered, or
just plain in the wrong place. I'd already made
acetate jigs for the gun bays. The fuselage
panelling and crude exhausts needed work too. I
tarted up the interior with nice bits left over
from other kits, but not too much - the only
things you can see through the closed canopy
are the seat, control stick, and gunsight. Ditto for
propeller and exhausts - the latter from the
Revell IIB, as you get two sets. Wheel well and
undercarriage retraction jackery, like the wheel
bay walls, was copied (sort of ) from the latest
Airfix rag-wing (more jigs) and brake pipes
added from thin wire. The wings are still a bit
broad at the tips, but there are only twenty-five
hours in a day!
More jigs constructed to bend wire to shape
for brake lines and for assembling
undercarriage retraction jacks..

Looking good (enough) - so what
scheme? The Arma kit is slated for the
BoB, but we're coming up to the 80th
anniversary of Pedestal, so why not a
SHUR? The grooved belly and arrester
hook were in stock from yet another
Airfix release, but they're too big. I used a
small drill (in a pin chuck, with flat end
outwards) as a gouge, which worked fine.
In fact the biggest snag was getting the
yellow leading edges right, and the next
was not having the right code letters in
stock. The best I could find are a wee bit
thick, though they measured OK on the
SEA HURRICANE
sheet. Incidentally, this aircraft has been
the subject of colour drawings, and by
reputable people too, but if you fancy
this scheme you must work from the
photograph!
So here we are, a Sea Hurricane Ib. The
Mk I was obsolete as a day fighter by
mid-1941, and it has been further
handicapped by catapult spools, arrester
hook, and the odd missing fairing. It's off
to join Operation Pedestal aboard HMS
Victorious in August 1942. Magnificent
maybe, but no way to run a war.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 21
A - 4 B S K Y H AW K
Bantam Bomber
Kit No: A03029
Scale: 1/72
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Airfix
www.airfix.com
K
nown widely as the ‘Bantam Bomber’ and
the ‘Scooter’, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk
could carry a load of ordnance and stores
out of all proportion to its size, and it proved to
be capable of significant development. Of
course, it was well timed to be immersed fully in
the conflict in Vietnam. Its small stature was
useful in avoiding many shoot-downs, but even
so, a huge total of 195 were lost in combat
between 1964 and 1973.
The Airfix kit represents the second variant of
the Skyhawk, the A-4B (the A-4P in Argentina)
also known as the A4D-2 until 1962. This was not
the first ever Skyhawk from Airfix, but their
earlier kit, an A-4A/A4D-1 also in 1/72 scale,
dated from way back in 1958! The new kit was
greeted with some excitement when it was
released in 2012; it was a welcome kit of an early
The model is just about ready for its
windscreen and canopy, although the stubby
Airfix blade antenna has yet to be cut away
and replaced.)
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
Douglas A-4B Skyhawk in 1/72
By Stephen J Di Nucci
Photographs: Phil Jones
Skyhawk, plus of course the Airfix renaissance
was already well under way, so much was
expected.
And there was little to disappoint. The kit is
moulded in Airfix's now customary light blue
soft polystyrene, but the detail and recessed
panel lining is crisp. The representation of the
rows of access panels on the upper wing is
second to none. For some modellers, the current
Airfix style of lining on some of its new products
is sometimes a little strong, and it certainly has a
different character to some other market
leaders. You might want to make sure that you
don't over emphasise the panel lining at the
weathering stage but, make no mistake, today's
Airfix kits are satisfying to build and look good. I
found the fit of parts to be excellent - I actually
gasped out loud a couple of times. Decals are
good, too, with minimal film at the edges.
Work begins as usual with the cockpit. There's
a nosewheel box/cockpit tub with integral side
consoles, back bulkhead, main panel, stick, and
ejection seat. Instrumentation is via decals. The
seat is only in four parts, but rather good with
separate top and bottom cushions, so I decided
against an aftermarket seat - in fact, apart from
decals and Bullpups, my model was pretty much
as per box. I did, however, cut and paint some
seat belts from wine bottle foil, added over the
top of Airfix's rudimentary moulded belts, and I
found I could tuck the ends away behind the
cushions before adding them to the seat. Much
later I added a face blind handle, from scrap
photoetch, to the head of the seat. Airfix
recommend Humbrol Medium Grey (145) for
the cockpit, but I have issues with guidance
sheets claiming overly dark colours in modern
day cockpits, and used something a little lighter.
Underneath is my replacement arrestor hook
shaft. I slightly regretted adding the jet nozzle
at an early stage, as it could have been
painted first and left off until final assembly.
Fuselage and Wings
Once the cockpit, tailpipe, and engine
compressor/duct assemblies were complete,
and noseweight added, the fuselage halves
could be closed. I airbrushed white inside the air
intake shells, and the fuselage areas behind,
before adding the shells. These need careful
positioning to get the best result, but even so a
wipe with an abrasive might be necessary to get
a fully smooth fuselage line. It's when you get to
the one-piece lower wing and the individual
upper wing sections that you realise just how
good the fit of this kit really is. The bête noir for
many kits is that meeting between the wing and
the fuselage, but here that essential line up and
down each wing root was perfect. A very little
filler and rub down was required under the front
and rear fuselage where the lower wing
cuts across.
Skyhawks at rest were frequently seen with
their leading-edge slats extended. Airfix again
do well with separate slats, but until they are
actually in place, care is needed with the slat
guides extending off the wing leading edges.
They are, however, more robust than most. After
a stupid amount of excess thought, I added the
slats after painting, not before! There are also
separate air brakes, but they were not frequently
left open so I decided on closed brakes. A little
work with abrasives was necessary as initially I
couldn't get a perfect fit.
Stores and Landing Gear
Airfix provide a centreline auxiliary tank, two
wing tanks, and a choice of three types of
bombs: low drag, iron, and some very nice
Snakeyes. The A-4B was the first Skyhawk variant
A general view of the underside showing the
Hasegawa Weapons Set launch shoes in place.
They are shown here upside down, and later
had to be removed and re-assembled. Small
areas of filler are showing up in white.

A close-up of the nose. The inside areas of the
intakes had to be painted before assembly.
Notice the very clean line along the wingroot.
The undersurface white is done, and I’ve
masked off ready for the light gull grey.
to be wired up for the Bullpup missile, and I
thought it would be interesting to fit a couple on
the wing pylons (the A-4B had no outer wing
pylons), which would consign the Airfix wing
tanks to the spares box, although the pylons
were still necessary. I drew my Bullpup AGM-
12Bs and launch shoes from Hasegawa's
Weapons: IV set (ref. X72-4), although I have to
confess that I wasn't fully confident with the
shoes, and it's possible they are USAF only, not
USN/USMC. Live Bullpups seem mostly to have
been coloured white, and they were mounted
well forward on their shoes.
The Airfix landing gear is well detailed and fits
the location points nicely. I was slightly
concerned about the rearward slant of the main
gear legs, but references quickly showed that
Airfix have it dead right. With white
undersurfaces and white gear and bays, I elected
to fit much of the gear before the paint stage.
Not so the nosegear though, which was painted
separately due to the
integral wheel. The
A-4B had
nosewheel
steering, and
Airfix have
the
Components waiting for some airbrushed
white. Also on the handle are parts for a
couple of Esci Skyhawks.
It wasn’t necessary to mask off the entire
underside as the wing would provide a certain
amount of masking. Notelet pads are brilliant
for 1/72-scale models.
steering arm as a separate part; I found it was
possible to fit it to the gear leg before painting
and before assembly to the model.
Canopy and Other Parts
Before the paint stage I attached all the
pylons, the long main gear doors, the main gear
legs, and the tailplanes, all of which showed
more perfect fit. One slight error in the Airfix
instruction sheet concerns the nose gear long
door, which needs to be set back slightly to the
rear of the indicated position.
The Airfix canopy and windscreen, like
everything else, fits nicely, although I did find a
slight step on the top line where the screen
meets the canopy, but this was probably me. I
may have pressed down too hard on the canopy
while the Poly was drying. Care is needed when
preparing the canopy, as there's a sprue
attachment smack between the canopy hinges.
Care is also needed when attaching the
windscreen. In 1/72 there's sometimes very little
space between the inside of the screen and the
instrument shroud. I like to use Liquid Poly, but it
must be applied into seams very sparingly,
otherwise it will use capillary action to bridge
across gaps and completely ruin things. Both
Eduard and Montex have canopy masks for
the Airfix kit. I used the Montex
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VoluME 44 • ISSuE 07
A - 4 B S K Y H AW K
All masked up and ready for the paintshop. A
piece of cocktail stick keeps the front off the
deck.
Annoying, but I had to re-mask in order to
complete the white areas of the wing and
tailplane tips. Airfix’s guidance sheet doesn’t
have this quite right.
set (ref. SM 72204). Montex materials adhere
strongly to plastic, but nowhere near so well to
themselves if you should need to overlap. In my
experience, the fit of Montex masks to the
transparencies normally tend to be perfect, but
when not they don’t have much give or stretch.
With all masking and most handling finished,
and the model already washed and fully dried
(prior to fitting the glassware), it was time to add
the refuel probe, and here I found it best to
reduce the back of the attachment tab slightly.
The arrestor hook suffered a bit from the soft
plastic and a central sprue attachment, and it fell
in half. I salvaged the ends, joined them to the
model, and then cut a section of Microrod to fit
between. Airfix's blade antenna to the rear of
the canopy is far too stubby, and had to be cut
away and a replacement fashioned.
Paint and Decals
I wondered whether to go counter-intuitive
and start the paint stage with the grey, but in
the end, I went traditional and began with the
white, using a roughly 66% - 33% mix of
Humbrol gloss and matt whites for the
undersides, plus a tiny spot of colour to ensure
the white wasn’t overly brassy. Masking off the
white was next,
remembering a minimal
grey wrap-around
for all leading
edges.
23
A - 4 B S K Y H AW K
For the
upper surfaces I used my
favourite Xtracolor,
choosing Light Gull Grey (X137).
The painting diagram led me astray as regards
the white areas of the ailerons and elevators,
which in 1:1 scale extends onto the tip areas of
all four surfaces. Not so the Airfix paint plan,
however. With both the white and grey
completed, I tried to repaint the tips by hand,
but white is notoriously difficult to match hand
against airbrush applications, and it wasn’t good
enough. A re-mask and respray was the only
option, and I also used white decal strips.
Xtradecal (see below) also tried to lead me
astray, as their paint plan showed wing flap
areas in white rather than grey, but I noticed that
one while in the middle of my original mask-up.
Airfix have two options on their decal sheet:
an A-4B of VA-95 (Green Lizards) and an A-4P of
the Argentine Air Force (the latter complete with
an extra radar ‘saddle’ part for the upper
fuselage). I've read that the decals perform very
well, but for myself, I couldn't resist a scheme
from one of the two A-4B sheets released by
Xtradecal. I chose markings for VA-15 (Valions) in
1966, from sheet X72-151, which was smart and
busy with mission markings and badges, in
particular the famous Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club
badge. One small gremlin is that Xtradecal show
both black and grey for the anti-dazzle nose
panel. I chose to believe the black as Airfix have
a black decal. The temperature sensor on top of
the nose has to be carefully removed before
beginning. The decal was reluctant to conform
to all of the compound curves, however, and I
had to lop off the ‘horns’ and apply them
separately. I also had to take a sharp scalpel to
some creases, followed by some extra Microsol.
Incidentally, later Skyhawks had a slightly more
extensive anti-dazzle panel
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
than as
provided by
Airfix, and quite
often grey rather
than black. A-4Bs did not
normally have the small black nose cap that
most later variants showed.
Xtradecal provide a red band for each of the
intake lips, integral with the red warning
pennant. However, I doubted the ability of the
decal to deal with all the compound curves, so I
hand painted the lips. I separated off the
pennants and applied them individually. The
remaining red band I then used on the inside of
the lips, not the outside. Xtradecal advise that
4918 did not carry the usual modex on the
starboard wing.
Not having modelled a Skyhawk for many
years, I had forgotten how difficult the decal
stage can be. The biggest challenge is the
national insignia over the vortex generators on
top of the port wing. I’m a massive fan of the
ability of even ancient Microscale decals to
conform to anything, so first off, I tried one of
their ‘star-n-bars’. In those days there were loads
of carrier film, so I trimmed the decal closely, but
too close, and I got colour break-up at the
edges. I should have persevered with a fresh one
and a less close trim, but instead tried a
Superscale star. Superscale also have excellent
adherence, but this was a much newer sheet
with the more modern minimal carrier film, and
was probably not that much thinner than the
Xtradecal alternative I was trying to ignore. My
technique was simply to use separate
applications of Microsol, allow to dry, press
down hard with a pulpy finger, more Sol, let dry
and so on, and meanwhile pricking the decal
with a needle to allow the Sol to penetrate. First,
though, I had applied two coats of
Johnsons Klear/Future, even though
the decals were going down
onto Xtracolor’s gloss
finish. My results
were only fair, I’m afraid, and
I had to touch in some tiny spots of
paint where decal damage and loss
had occurred.
Earlier Skyhawks had their fuselage insignia
on the nose, so there were further issues with
getting the next decal to conform around the air
refuelling pipe. This was much easier - I
attached the main part of the decal first,
ensuring it tucked down into the upper crease
of the pipe, while at the same time keeping the
lower part of the decal ‘flying’ unattached. Once
dry, I could bend the lower part around the pipe
and get it tucked into the lower crease, with
some Klear as fixative.
Early USN jets were kept fairly clean, and
together with the undersurface gloss colour,
washing helped to cut down on salt damage,
although no doubt they were less clean during
combat cruises off Vietnam. Even so, my
weathering amounted to only restrained panel
line washes, using gloss dark brown, and a slight
dirty-up underneath. The Airfix panel lining
accepted the washes nicely. It might seem odd
to use a gloss colour for a wash, but the pigment
in gloss paint is usually ground much finer. The
final throw with the airbrush was a satin varnish.
Final Assembly
I could now add the remaining gear doors,
the nose wheel, the main wheels, and the gun
muzzles. Also included in the final assembly
were the Bullpups and leading-edge slats. The
slats gave unexpected difficulties. I must have
bent one or two of the extension horns slightly
during earlier work, and with the slats already
attached, had to bend things into a symmetrical
appearance on both sides. Luckily nothing
broke, and the last job was to reinstate the
temperature sensor back on top of the nose
anti-dazzle panel.
My references weren’t clear as to whether
there were nav lights at the wing tips for A-4Bs.
Later A-4s certainly had them, but I had already
used Airfix’s decal repeater lights above and
below each wing tip, and decided that maybe
that was all there was to it.
Conclusion
The build quality of this kit is excellent, I
haven’t had such a straightforward build of
anything for quite some time. It was very
refreshing. I’ve got a Buccaneer and a Mitchell
waiting in the stash and am now looking
forward to them.
C RY H AV O C
The Bare Necessities Of Life Will Come To
Jose Luis López heads back down memory lane,
buzzed by a green hornet
Douglas Boston IV / Havoc A-20G
Kit No: PK-120 Orange Range
Scale: 1/72
Type: Plastic kit (moulded in three
colours, with stand)
Manufacturer: Matchbox
D
o you remember Matchbox when you
were a child? The colour schemes on the
back of the box with the clear plastic
window tantalising you with those multi-
coloured parts? The way you felt when you got
home with one of their models bought from the
local shop with your pocket money? In just a few
hours, you’d glued it all together (who cared
about panel lines, flaws or the
perfect fit of the pieces) and
painted it with whatever you could
find. No worrying about the right
colours, no worrying about the
decals – I used to mix the most
attractive ones from the sheet all
together. Varnish? What was varnish?
What was a panel wash? Silvering
effect on the decals? That was just
an extra shiny and nice effect!
Once the kit was finished, I
played with it for a while
and any antenna,
machine guns
and
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
propellers were the first victims of my ‘air
operations’. Then I started thinking about the
next kit. I was happy, just incredibly happy.
Are we really enjoying our hobby as we did
when we were young? This question struck me,
and over beers with my friend, a crazy idea
formed. The challenge of making a Matchbox kit
was settled upon with my friend Luciano
Rodriguez. We both decided to make two
different aeroplane models from this famous
brand. No need to correct the basic model kit,
no worrying about the (in)famous trench-digger
panel lines, dimensional inaccuracy or the filling
of huge gaps between joins. These would be
literally built ‘out of the box’, but painted with
modern products using ‘fancy-schmancy’
techniques yet without any worries about
historical accuracy. And if a problem couldn’t be
solved, we would not fret, but just keep on
modelling. These would be kits built for pure joy,
not for a contest!
The Douglas Havoc A-20 (PK-120) was
released in 1978 when I was seven years old. I’d
managed to get an original release from a friend
and the wonderful box
art, the three-colour
plastic, the instruction
sheet … my mind
instantly reverted back
You
to reminiscence,
revisiting emotions.
The surface was a mix of raised and recessed
panel lines while the fit of the pieces was far
from perfect. Perhaps they’d deformed a little
after forty years of enduring many temperature
changes while sitting in the box? Transparent
parts were very thick and there was absolutely
no detail in the cockpit save for a seat and ‘that’
pilot (the same pilot for all their aircraft no
matter what nationality!). The decals were
heavily damaged, but I managed to repair them
partially using Microscale Liquid Decal Film. I
actually bought some aftermarket ones from
Kits-World but I think they got lost in the post in
the chaos of the Covid pandemic. Or perhaps
the ‘ghost of modelling past’
intervened to ensure I had
no other choice but to
go with the box art.

Three colours of plastic, duotone instructions,
a can of fizzy drink, flares, and its straight back
to 1978!
The instructions said ‘Light Grey’ so that’s what
was used. I did actually airbrush black around
the lower areas to make it less noticeable in
the end.
Joint lines needed filling just like any model.
The lack of detail on the undercarriage, or in
their bays led me to close all the gear doors…
I’d decided I wanted a very weathered model
and pre-shading was the first step, using dark
grey for the underside and dark greens on the
top
Once dry and with the masks removed an
extremely thinned coat of the original Olive
Drab was applied to blend the colours. Period
photos often show very little contrast
between the two shades.
C RY H AV O C
The famous trench panel lines that became
‘almost’ synonymous with Matchbox.
The pilot was
painted with a No need to worry about embellishing the
fine brush, but cockpit. A seat is all our ‘experienced’ pilot
the thick clear needs to control his plastic mount. Note the
parts meant I clever way all three colours were used though,
didn’t need to to provide some unpainted interest.
be too
fastidious here
either.
Assembly was a case of ‘glue, fill, sand, fill
again and sand some more’, then repeat! Most
… and build the model in a flying pose. Lots of the joins were less than tight so wings and
more filling followed. tailplanes had to be held until set.
A thin coat of AMMO FS23070 USAAF Olive
Drab (A.MIG-237) was used for the top colour
and then lightened by twenty percent with AMMO’s Titans Hobby Light Grey primer
New Iraqi Army Sand (A.MIG-029) to add (TTH102) was used, which is like Tamiya’s but
lighter tones. I then added more Sand to apply comes in a bigger can. This blended
highlights and more variation. everything together and gave a good base for
painting.
After more herculean masking to produce the
wavy edged demarcation for the Neutral Gray
undersides, AMMO Dark Gray Blue FS15102
(A.MIG-229) was applied. Then I mixed it with
white to produce several shades. I masked
some of the filled panels, like the bomb bay The Medium Green splotching was laboriously
doors, and sprayed a different shade to masked off and AMMO FS34092 Medium
delineate them. Green (A.MIG-238) applied.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 27
C RY H AV O C

The effect works really well in 1/72 scale, and

what could have been a sea of dull grey In some cases it was a case of cutting masks
actually has a lot of variation and ‘life’. In an effort to revive and conserve the forty and painting the markings later on though.
year old decals I coated them with Microscale The white tail code, and blue and white fin
Liquid Decal Film. were cases in point.

Chips and scratches were applied next using

not only silver, but also a pale grey and a pale
olive. I concentrated on areas around hinges
and hatches, and toned down some of the
silver with a light overspray of Olive Drab too.
In 1/72 scale all this needs to be restrained
and not overdone
After sealing everything with a coat of Tamiya
Clear (X-22) several shades of AMMO panel line
wash were used to highlight details and pull
out some of the recessed panel lines more.
Different shades of wash were used on the
upper surfaces. These are easy to wipe away
from the acrylic-coated surface using a cotton
bud or brush dampened with thinners, or
even your finger.

The Liquid Decal Film was partially successful, but the ‘stickers’ (to give
them their correct 1978 appellation) took almost three days to bed
down properly, even under constant tsunamis of modern decal-setting
solution.
More dirt and weathering was applied using a photoetched stencil mask
with AMMO shaders airbrushed through it. These darken as they dry, so
were applied in thin layers and allowed to dry completely, so their final
tone could ‘develop’, before any more was added.

These pencils are soluble in water so can also be worked, blended and
Caran D'Ache pencils were now used to define certain hatches and panel pulled over the paint using a moistened bud or brush to create more
lines, as well as add more scratches and dirty streaks. subtle effects.

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
 C RY H AV O C

Conclusion
This was a journey
back to the time for me
when modelling was simply just
that. There was no waiting for the
‘perfect’ detail set, searching online
for that one historical picture
showing an obscure detail, or
fretting over finding the perfect
Federal Standard paint match. I
just built the kits however I could,
and enjoyed them.
Nowadays, we often have
shelves full of ‘old kits’ or just ‘now
not the best kit’ of a subject. I
suspect we are often our own
worst enemy. So although
hindsight can often actually not be
such a wonderful thing – especially
when viewed through rose-tinted
(no RAL match needed!) spectacles
– sometimes you really do need to
go back to your roots to relearn
just why you started modelling in
the first place.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 29

JUBILEE SPITFIRES
SPITFIRE JUBILEE
To commemorate the 80th anniversary
of Operation ‘Jubilee’, Neil Robinson
considers a trio of Spitfires that took
part in the disastrous amphibious
assault on Dieppe on
19 August 1942.
All model photography
by Bill Newton
A
s most readers may already know,
Operation Jubilee was a large-scale
amphibious assault on the German-
occupied port of Dieppe in northern France,
euphemistically described as a ‘reconnaissance
in force’ to test the enemy’s defences and
reactions to an invasion. Over 6,000 infantry,
predominantly from the 2nd Canadian Division,
supported by Churchill tanks, took part,
delivered by specialised landing craft.
In the event, Jubilee was a disaster, with some
3,600 soldiers killed, wounded or becoming
PoWs, together with the loss of many of the
tanks and landing craft. With a few exceptions,
the ground forces failed to achieve their
objectives, and most were trapped on the
beaches for hours. Some intelligence was
gathered, but the cost was prohibitive. In fact, all
that really could be said of the operation was
that lessons were learned that influenced the
success of the D-Day landings two years later.
Air cover for Jubilee was provided by RAF
Fighter Command. Fifty-six fighter squadrons
were involved, of which forty-five were
equipped with Spitfires, including six squadrons
– four British and two Canadian – flying some of
the earliest Mk IXs. During Operation Jubilee, the
RAF lost 106 aircraft, many of them Spitfires,
against the loss of forty-eight Luftwaffe aircraft
Early IXcs during Jubilee
Before we get on to the modelling bit, a brief
Comparison views of four of the fuselages of
injection-moulded kits, from the top:
Hasegawa, Aeroclub, ICM and Eduard.
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
account of the introduction of the Spitfire Mk IX
into RAF service may be of interest to readers.
Originally intended as a stop-gap design to
counter the Luftwaffe’s then newly introduced
Fw 190A, which was proving to be superior to
the Merlin 45-engined Spitfire Mk V, the Spitfire
Mk IX was rather rushed into service pending
the development of the ‘mainstream’ Merlin
66/70-engined Spitfire Mk VIII, whose
production line was being set up at the
purpose-built Castle Bromwich facility near
Birmingham.
To bring the Spitfire Mk IX into service as
quickly as possible, Rolls Royce at its Hucknall
facility near Nottingham and Vickers
Supermarine at its Eastleigh and Chattis Hill
factories, developed various ways of modifying
existing Spitfire Mk V airframes to take the
bigger Merlin 60 series engine, which was some
nine inches longer than the Merlin 45 powering
the Mk V, primarily due to the two-stage, two-
speed supercharger arrangement separated by
an intercooler at the rear of the engine block.
This required the Mk V’s engine bearers to be
extended and strengthened, resulting in a
lengthened nose.
Rolls-Royce at Hucknall tackled the
modifications by cutting oval-shaped holes into
the cowling top panel to clear the engine and
the framework over the rocker box covers, which
were then covered by fairings, resulting in the
cowling top being marred by a pair of ‘lumps’
The Hasegawa kit’s fuselage (top), the Loon
Models’ resin fuselage halves (middle) and
Heritage Aviation Models’ solid resin fuselage
(bottom)
Modelling the
early Mk IX
from the stash
in the attic
just above and to the rear of the exhaust
manifolds. Supermarine concentrated on
producing the jigs for the definitive
components, and in doing so also managed to
design a much ‘cleaner’ means of stretching the
Mk V’s cowling by adding sections of sheet
metal to the Mk V’s existing side and underside
cowling panels and wing roots.
Additionally, the Merlin 60 series engine’s
intercooler also needed its own radiator, so the
cigar-shaped oil cooler under the port wing was
modified, which resulted in the oil cooler
radiator and half the main coolant radiator being
fitted under the port wing and the intercooler
radiator and the other half of the main coolant
radiator under the starboard wing, enclosed in
identical symmetrical housings under both.
Both the Rolls-Royce-modified and
Supermarine-built Spitfire Mk IXs retained the
small teardrop blister behind the spinner on the
starboard cowling, which was one way of
identifying them when compared to the
production Castle Bromwich-built Mk IXs which
lacked this feature.
The first Mk IXcs were delivered to No 64
Squadron, based at Hornchurch in June 1942,
and by the middle of August three more
squadrons had been re-equipped with the Mark
– Nos. 401 and 402 (RCAF), and 611 (RAF)
Squadrons – and all four units were involved in
Operation Jubilee.
Parts layout of the Aeroclub Spitfire Mk IX
Fuselage Correction Set, designed for the
Hasegawa kit. Aeroclub’s correctly shaped
spinner was not included in with this set but
could be purchased from them separately.

Heritage Aviation Models’ Early
Spitfire Mk IX correction set for
the Hasegawa kit.
Port side view of BR600 SH•V of No.64 Squadron, RAF, based at Hornchurch and flown by Flt Lt Don Kingaby on
Operation Jubilee. One of the Mk Vc conversions fitted with the ‘smoother’ Supermarine-designed cowling,
identified by an extra vertical panel line just behind the exhaust manifolds and a transverse panel line under the
cowling. Also note the camouflage demarcation of the Dark Green on the port side nose area, which followed
an acutely angled line down the cowling terminating just in front of the wing root leading edge and was a
feature of many of these early Mk IX conversions.
Brigade Models’ Spitfire Mk IX
Nose and Tail Set is still available,
either direct from Brigade
Models, or from Hannants (ref.
BRIG 4802).
Modelling an Early Spitfire Mk IXc
I think it is universally accepted that Eduard,
with its range of Merlin 60/70-engined Spitfire
Mk VIII/IX/XVI kits, is now the ‘go-to’
manufacturer for modelling Spitfire Mk IXs in
1/48 scale, but, what about those of us who may
already have unfeasibly large stashes of earlier
Spitfire Mk IX kits tucked away in the loft? We
can’t just ignore them or throw them away can
we, so what to do?
Way back in 1999, well before the release of
the Eduard kits, Ocidental released a Spitfire Mk
IXc based upon its previous Spitfire Mk IXe
mouldings, which had some serious dimensional
and cross-section problems in the nose area. To
their credit, Ocidental did try to re-master the
moulds to rectify these nose errors and while the
Mk IXc was an improvement it still didn’t look
quite right.
ICM were next, in 2001, with the first of their
range of 1/48-scale Merlin 60/70-engined
Spitfires, starting with the Mk IXc, with
subsequent releases covering the Mk VII, VIII, LF
IXe, and a low-back XVI. ICM’s Spitfire Mk IX was
accurate, but early releases were plagued with
moulding flaws and sink holes in visible places. A
full, multi-part, Merlin engine was included, and
the inside faces of the cowling panels were
deeply scored to allow them to be cut off to
display the engine in place. Eventually the
quality control improved, and
subsequent/current issues of the kit no longer
have the moulding flaws.
Also released in 2001 was Hasegawa's Spitfire
Mk IXc, following on from the company’s Spitfire
Mk Vb, HF VI, and Seafire Mk Ib range. Despite
being beautifully moulded and well detailed,
sadly, the kit was blighted with a noticeably
short fuselage, both fore and aft of the cockpit
area, which also threw the wing position out,
and the spinner was too long. Later, Hasegawa
released other versions of the Merlin 60/70-
engined Marks, including the Mk VII, VIII, and IXe,
all based on the original Mk IXc toolings and all
suffering from the same length (or lack of it)
problem.
Then in 2007, Airfix released a range of ‘new-
tool’ Spitfire kits, including a Mk I, a Mk Vc, a
Seafire III, a ‘high-back’ Mk IXc/XVIe, and a
Limited Edition ‘low-back’ XVIe. Designed and
moulded to a limited budget, during a lean spell
in the company’s history before Hornby took the
iconic British brand under its wing, they all
suffered from various shortcomings, including
the Mk IX, which was boxed as a Mk IXc/XVIe.
The wing, rudder, and tailplanes had thick
trailing edges – the separate flaps, which were
nice but unnecessary as the Spitfire only
deployed them briefly on landing or taking off –
exacerbating the problem. The propeller blades
were too thin and the 20mm cannon fairings (of
which there were three styles) were a bit narrow
and slab-like. The canopy parts were a bit too
thick for this day and age as well.
So, prior to the release of the Eduard kits in
2013, the most accurate kit of the Spitfire Mk IXc
(or Mk VII, VIII, LF IXe, and a low-back XVI) was
the ICM offering.
Note: I have purposely not included the
Monogram Mk IXc, which originates from 1962
and is typical of early Monogram aircraft kits –
very basic and sparsely detailed – or the
Otaki/Arii/Airfix Mk VIII, dating back to 1975,
which, despite being generally accurate in shape
and featuring engraved surface panel lines, had
sparse cockpit interior detail, thick cockpit
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
JUBILEE SPITFIRES
BR600 was finished in the
then standard Day Fighter
Scheme of Dark Green and
Ocean Grey upper surfaces,
(to the A Scheme pattern),
with Medium Sea Grey
undersides, with a Sky rear
fuselage band and Sky
spinner. Of note is No.64
Squadron’s usual practice of
placing the squadron codes
to the rear of the fuselage
roundel on both sides.
glazing, and was lacking the underside ‘gull
wing’, although a decent model could be made
from it, even to convert it into a Mk IX.
Another solution was to fall back on the
aftermarket industry. In 2003, Loon Models
released a 1/48-scale ‘No Cut’ full fuselage
conversion for the Hasegawa Spitfire IX. The set
(ref. LO48208) included full-length resin fuselage
halves to replace the Hasegawa kit parts directly,
a pair of ‘single-angle’ elevators, to replace the
Hasegawa kit’s ‘double angle’ elevators, a
truncated carburettor intake of the type fitted to
early Spitfire Mk IXs, and a correctly shaped
spinner. Early style ‘broad’ cannon blisters were
also included. Loon Models managed to correct
a good bit of the Hasegawa kit’s short fuselage
problem (mainly from aft of the cockpit area)
but not completely. Loon Models also released a
Spitfire Mk VIII fuselage correction set, (ref.
LO48209), featuring the sub-type’s retractable
tailwheel well.
Initially Aeroclub released a 1/48 limited-run,
injection-moulded, nose cowling section (ref.
BMK802) in two halves, specifically designed to
fit the Hasegawa Spitfire IXc, then followed this
up in 2008, by releasing a full-length 1/48
Spitfire Mk IX Fuselage Correction Set (ref.
K839/V188A), designed for the Hasegawa kit.
Sadly now long out of production and rare, the
set comprised fourteen parts in the company’s
trademark low-pressure injection-moulded
plastic, featuring two accurate full-length
fuselage halves with interior detail, alternative
lower cowling panels (with either the earlier
standard ‘short’ carburettor intake or the later
‘large’ integral Aero Vee carburettor intake), and
optional rear fuselage inserts for either the Mk
IX’s flush rear fuselage or the Mk VIII’s tailwheel
33
JUBILEE SPITFIRES
Underside view of BR600 showing the cowling underside with
transverse panel line across the cowling underside, just to the rear of the
third Dzus fastener from the spinner, early broad mouthed/truncated
carburettor intake, and symmetrical radiator housings under both wings.
Spitfire Mk IXc, BS119, YO•A of No 401 Squadron, RCAF, based at Lympe
for Operation Jubilee. This model was again made using a Hasegawa kit
as a basis, but this time mated to a full length Aeroclub Spitfire Mk IX
replacement fuselage.
BS119 retained Medium Sea Grey under surfaces. Again, the cowling
underside featured the transverse panel line just to the rear of the third
Dzus fastener from the spinner.
well and doors. Also included was a fuselage centreline-mounted thirty-
gallon cigar-shaped drop tank. Aeroclub’s correctly shaped spinner was
not included in this set but could be purchased from them separately.
Then, in 2008/2009 Heritage Aviation Models released a resin ‘Early
Spitfire Mk IX’ correction set for the Hasegawa Spitfire Mk IX. Only available
for a short while, it comprised a full one-piece fuselage, a new spinner,
cowling underside with the early broad mouthed/truncated carburettor
intake cast integrally, a separate longer standard carburettor intake, a
trapezoidal-shaped central nose/wing underside plug, a pair of broad
cannon blisters, a pair of weighted mainwheels with separate five indent
main wheel hubs, and a pair of ‘single-angle’ horn balance elevator
tailplanes. Unfortunately, as with the Loon Models set, the resin fuselage
appears to have been mastered on the Hasegawa (short) fuselage and as a
result was also still a little short.
Finally, around 2010, Brigade Models released a ‘Spitfire Mk IX Nose &
Tail Set’ (ref. BKC 48002), comprising an injection-moulded corrected
length engine cowling (in halves) and a solid fin with the broader chord
pointed rudder. Originally a by-product of Brigade Models’ discontinued
twin-seat Spitfire T.9 conversion, this set is still available, either direct from
Brigade Models, or from Hannants (ref. BRIG 4802).
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
Comparison views of the early ‘broad mouthed/truncated’ carburettor
intake (left) fitted to early Mk IXs, and the previous, standard carburettor
intake.
One of the reasons I wanted to model this particular aircraft was the
small cartoon character ‘Jiggs’ painted on the port cowling side, which
was featured on the Canadian, WaterMark decal sheet.
The other reason I wanted to model BS119 is that it would appear that it
was finished in a non-standard, experimental high altitude, upper
surface camouflage scheme of Medium Sea Grey and Dark Sea Grey
giving the aircraft an ‘overall blue appearance’ as described by the pilot,
Flt Lt Morrison.
Building the Models… at Last!
I actually built these models ‘a year or two ago’ (sic!), but HM Queen
Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee made me realise that it was also the 80th
anniversary of Operation Jubilee and led me to take them out of their
storage boxes, dust them off and reminisce how I made them ... and
whether they could pass muster in 2022.
Selecting three Hasegawa Mk IXs from the loft, I decided to ‘use them
up’ using Aeroclub and Heritage Aviation correction sets that were also
languishing up there. One model was fitted with the initial Aeroclub Mk IX
injection-moulded nose, another with a full Aeroclub injection-moulded
‘Fuselage Correction Set’, and the third with a Heritage Aviation resin ‘Early
Spitfire Mk IX’ correction set, all of which were specifically designed for the
Hasegawa Mk VIII/IX range of kits.
Aeroclub Spitfire Mk IX Correction Nose
Despite the fact that the Hasegawa Mk IX has its fuselage dimension
problems, it is beautifully moulded, exquisitely detailed and literally falls
together, so it’s such a pity that it’s not quite right. However, chopping off
the nose and fitting an Aeroclub ‘Spitfire Mk IX Correction Nose’, does go at

least part way to rectifying some of the kit’s
faults.
Prior to gluing the Aeroclub nose halves
together, I carefully scribed a vertical panel line
on both cowling sides, just to the rear of the
exhaust manifold slot, down to the underside
cowling panel line. Then I scored a transverse
panel line across the cowling underside, just to
the rear of the third Dzus fastener from the
spinner. These additional panel lines
represented the cowling extension features of
the Supermarine-supplied components fitted to
many of these early conversion Spitfire Mk IXs.
To maintain the integrity of the kit’s wing-to-
fuselage join, I cut the Hasegawa nose off along
the firewall panel line. I then cut along the top of
the kit’s fuselage wing root fairings, trimmed off
the wing root fairings from the Aeroclub nose,
and slotted it on to the Hasegawa fuselage,
which thankfully resulted in a perfect fit.
A necessary additional operation concerned
the Hasegawa Mk IX’s wings. They are moulded
with the small flat teardrop-shaped bulges on
the wing upper surfaces above the mainwheel
wells, which were introduced post-war when the
mainwheels were slightly canted on their axles
to better operate off tarmac rather than grass,
runways. Carefully slicing off the main section of
the bulge with a sharp knife, then sanding
smooth the surrounding area and restoring any
affected panel lines, soon reverts the wing back
to its wartime standard. The wings were then
assembled and attached to the fuselage.
The Hasegawa kit only offers the larger Vokes
Aero Vee ‘Universal’ carburettor intake fairing,
moulded integrally with the cowling underside,
which is how it was made on the real aircraft.
After fitting the Aeroclub nose, a small
trapezoidal gap on the underside of the central
wing/under fuselage area, immediately behind
the new nose, is left exposed, where the rear
part of the kit’s under cowling panel fits. I filled
this gap with a plastic card wedge and sanded it
smooth to blend in with the rest of the
underside contours. The deeper truncated
carburettor intake, which came from an old
Airwaves resin conversion set, was then fitted.
Aeroclub also produced a correctly
proportioned spinner with propeller blades
moulded on to the separate back plate to match
the Aeroclub nose that I used.
The tailplanes in the Hasegawa kit represent
the later enlarged ‘double-angle’ elevator horn
balance style, so I altered them by scoring in a
new straight single-angle horn balance line,
then filled-in and sanded smooth the redundant
enlarged horn balance engraved line. The rest of
the kit went together as per the instructions, but
I trimmed the main undercarriage leg covers to
match the type of oleo leg that didn’t have the
forward-facing scissor links. The five-indent hub
mainwheels, fitted to these early Mk IXs, were
borrowed from a Hasegawa Spitfire Mk Vb kit.
I finished this model as Spitfire Mk IXc, BR600,
SH•V of No.64 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, in
which Flt Lt Don Kingaby shot down an Fw 190
on the afternoon of 30 July 1942, which crashed
on the outskirts of Boulogne, to claim the
Spitfire Mk IX’s first kill.
BR600 was finished in the then-standard Day
Fighter Scheme of Dark Green and Ocean Grey
upper surfaces, to the A Scheme pattern, with
Medium Sea Grey undersides, and a Sky rear
fuselage band and Sky spinner. The model was
painted with Hannant’s Xtracrylix paints
throughout: Ocean Grey (X1006), Dark Green
(X1001), Medium Sea Grey (X1003) and Sky
(X1007).
It is worthy of note that most of these early
Spitfire Mk IXs appear to have the Dark Green
pattern in a fairly well-defined demarcation,
with little or no overspray, possibly indicating
the use of spray mats, so I kept the colour
boundaries fairly tight. All the markings came
from the spares box, mainly generic AeroMaster
and Xtradecal sheets.
Aeroclub Spitfire Mk IX Fuselage
Correction Set
The second model I made was completed
using the Aeroclub Spitfire Mk IX Fuselage
Correction Set. I fitted Aeroclub’s standard lower
cowling panels, with the standard carburettor
intake, which I had to remove carefully to fit the
deeper truncated carburettor intake, again from
the old Airwaves resin conversion set. The
Aeroclub spinner/propeller blades are not
included but were available from Aeroclub
separately, as were the single-angle elevator
tailplanes and white metal exhaust manifolds
that I used.
I finished this model as BS119, YO•A of No 401
Squadron, RCAF, flown by Flt Lt Donald
Morrison. This aircraft was based at Lympe in
August 1942, and was flown by Flt Lt Morrison
on the 19th, during Operation ‘Jubilee’.
Unfortunately, after successfully intercepting
and hitting an Fw 190, as he followed it into thin
cloud, the Fw 190 suddenly exploded, covering
his windscreen with oil and peppering the
Spitfire with debris, causing damage to the
radiators. The engine rapidly overheated and he
realised BS119 wouldn’t make it back home, so
he decided to bale out. He landed in the
Channel and thankfully was rescued by boat an
hour or so later.
BS119 was another one of the Mk Vc
conversions fitted with a ‘smooth’ Supermarine
cowling, with the vertical panel line just behind
the exhaust manifolds and the transverse panel
line under the cowling, which I accordingly
scribed on.
Although the standard Day Fighter Scheme
was Dark Green and Ocean Grey upper surfaces,
with the Mk IXc’s Merlin 61/63-engined
superchargers designed cut in at high altitudes,
it would appear that certain units tasked with
top cover sorties, experimented with modified
colour schemes and BS119 may well have been
one of these, as, according to Flt Lt Morrison’s
recollections, ‘the aircraft had a non-standard
camouflage scheme – Medium Sea Grey and
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
JUBILEE SPITFIRES
Dark Sea Grey, giving it an overall blue
appearance...’ so that’s how I painted my model,
in overall Medium Sea Grey with a Dark Sea Grey
disruptive pattern on the upper surfaces (to the
A Scheme pattern).
The markings I used were from WaterMark’s
Canadian Spitfires 1940-1942 (ref. 48001), which
was originally released in 1996. The aircraft
features a small cartoon character, ‘Jiggs’, from a
popular American comic strip, painted on the
port cowling side. The Sky codes and all the
national markings were otherwise standard, and
they also came from the aforementioned
WaterMark sheet.
Heritage Aviation Full Resin Fuselage
As with the Aeroclub fuselage, the Hasegawa
cockpit interior parts are designed to be used
within the Heritage Aviation cockpit, which is
fine as long as you don’t want to super detail the
area. The solid resin engine cowling area just
allows the instrument panel (part A17) to fit in
but fouls the rudder pedals (part G21) so I left
them off.
The fit of the Hasegawa wings to the resin
fuselage was good, as indeed it should be, being
based on the Hasegawa fuselage, and no undue
problems were encountered. The post-war
mainwheel clearance blisters on the Hasegawa
kit wing upper surfaces were again sanded
smooth, and the Heritage Aviation resin single-
angle horn balance elevator tailplanes fitted
perfectly. I separated the elevators from the
tailplane and re-fixed them slightly deflected
upwards. I also animated the tailwheel a bit, by
cutting off the castoring fork and wheel from the
main leg and re-attached it angled to one side.
The photograph on the Heritage Aviation set’s
box top is the well-known shot of No.611
Squadron’s Spitfire Mk IXcs in formation, taken
circa August/September 1942, with BS435, FY•F
in the foreground. This was another airframe
originally destined to be a Mk Vc, but it was
modified by Supermarine at their Chattis Hill
factory and fitted with a Merlin 60-series engine
and featured the stretched cowling with
additional panel lines. This seemed a good
enough reason for me to finish my model as that
aircraft.
The model was again painted in the standard
Day Fighter Scheme, using Xtracrylix Ocean Grey
and Dark Green to the A Scheme pattern, with
Medium Sea Grey under surfaces and Sky
spinner and rear fuselage band. Being a
Supermarine conversion, the camouflage
demarcation of the Dark Green on the port side
nose area, followed an acutely angled line down
the cowling, terminating just in front of the wing
root leading edge. Again, all the markings came
from generic AeroMaster and Xtradecal sheets.
BS435 only served with No.611 Sqn and was
lost on 5 February 1943, being shot down into
the sea off Boulogne, by an Fw 190 from 5./JG
26, while being flown by the Squadron CO Sqn
Ldr Hugo Armstrong (RAAF).
Spitfire Mk IXc, BS435,
FY•F of No 611
Squadron, based at
Redhill, Surrey in
August 1942.
35

B
est modelling news this year, for me
anyway, was the announcement from
Airfix that a brand-new 1/48 Blackburn
Buccaneer S.2 i would at last replace their old,
and somewhat jaded previous issue. I have high
expectations of this kit, certainly if it’s as good as
some of their recent issues and indeed their 1/72
Buccaneer issued a few years ago. I think that
there will be an awful lot of contented modellers
out there this year.
Modelart’s sheet has been carefully stashed
away for a few years.
Eduard's 'Zoom' sets make a big difference to
any model for a minimum fuss and outlay.
So, rather than sit around twiddling thumbs,
waiting, and waiting, I thought I’d whet my
appetite a bit and have a look at the 1/72 kit and
see what opportunities there were for modelling
something a bit different. My immediate
thoughts turned to the earlier Gyron Junior
powered S.1 version, as I had, safely stashed
away, Modelart’s decal sheet featuring various
S.1s, just sitting in its envelope waiting for this
very occasion.
Previous attempts at building an S.1 might
have seen me use Airfix’s ancient NA.39 kit as a
source for the different parts, and I seem to recall
a basic resin set from Maintrack, for Airfix’s older
S.2, but the need for either has now been
nullified as Aerocraft Models have issued a
dedicated conversion kit in resin featuring the
Gyron’s narrower intakes, such a feature of
the S.1.
Airfix's plastic parts were a welcome update
on all existing 1/72 Buccaneer kits when it was
finally released in 2019.
White metal seats
courtesy of Chota Sahib.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
B U CC A N E E R S .1
The Gyron-Junior
Buccaneer S.1 in 1/72
By Bill Clark
Airfix’s Kit
I really like Airfix’s approach to their newer
releases. This Buccaneer replaces their earlier,
1980s vintage kit and features a much more
structured approach to the build. The earlier kits
tended to feature a more simplistic approach,
but the newer breed feature structures to build
upon. This is certainly the case with this kit, it
having bulkheads where the engine parts fit
into, or through. The fuselage builds up around
this, and the nose and tail units are added to
provide the overall airframe.
So far two versions have been issued by Airfix,
namely a Fleet Air Arm S.2C and an RAF S.2D, the
latter having an additional sprue for the different
stores carried. Between the two kits any frontline
Buccaneer S.2 can be built, the main differences
being pylon location, bomb bay and radar pods.
Aerocraft’s resin is nicely cast and makes for a
tidy and straightforward conversion.
Light Admiralty Grey added to the cockpit parts.
37
B U CC A N E E R S .1
Airfix's lower fuselage part, with area to be
removed highlighted ...
... lower parts
removed.
The engine tubes are
added to the lower section.
A distinctive
Buccaneer
rear end
taking shape.
Aerocraft’s conversion set consists of the two
intakes, compressor blades, and a blanking
plate, for the intakes to sit upon.
The Build
The cockpit tub is more than adequate in this
scale. The seats are a bit ‘chunky’, typical really of
these newer kits, but are generally accurate and
with a bit of care can be made into reasonable
examples. I had a pair of white metal seats,
issued may years ago by a company called Chota
Sahib, which I used. I expect that there are resin
seats commercially available that could also be
employed.
I also used Eduard’s PE ‘Zoom’ (refs. SS742 and
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
... and Airfix's upper fuselage part with
hatched area to be removed.
I really like Airfix's 'structural build' approach
to construction.
The upper
fuselage
section is
now
added.
Eduard's photoetched
enhancements certainly
bring the cockpit tub to life.
SS743). These pre-coloured parts really bring the
cockpit to life. The grey used for the panels is a
bit darker than the Dark Admiralty Grey it should
be, but it looks fine once weathered. In fact, the
slight contrast in shades adds a bit to the
authenticity.
The constructed cockpit fits on top of the
front wheel gear bay, and this in turn fits snugly
into one of the cockpit halves. With nose weight
added (I used lead pieces superglued and
encased in Milliput inside the radome) I could
add the two halves together. As a part of the
conversion, the fairings for the intakes need to
be removed, which I did at this stage.
The rear fuselage can be built more-or-less as
Upper parts
removed ...
The kit’s bulkhead is used, though the
compressor blades need removing.
Aerocraft describe the amendments required
for the shorter exhaust panels.
Chota Sahib's white
metal seats have been
painted and detailed
and test fitted.
per instructions, though some amendment
should be made to the exhaust fairings, as these
were smaller on the S.1. Aerocraft provide parts
for this separately, but also provide dimensions
for the alteration should you wish to tackle this
yourself, which is precisely what I did.
The airbrake can also be built up. I opened the
lightening holes with a scalpel tip and drill bits
and Eduard’s photoetch fascia was added, to
provide a little bit of depth.
On to the Serious Butchery …
The main difference between the two types is,
of course, the intakes. The larger Spey versions
need removing and Aerocraft’s instructions

Cockpit components ready to be joined up.
One pointy
Buccaneer nose.
The new intakes have been added, and a
degree of sanding and filling has been
undertaken.
With the upper wings added, a coat of grey
primer was added to highlight any blemishes.
provide dimensions for this. I’d suggest cutting
much less away and trial fitting as you go,
removing a bit at a time. I didn’t and managed to
cut away, probably a millimetre or two, too
much. I could repair this easily enough with
Milliput, but I really should have taken a bit
more care.
With the parts removed from the intakes, the
nose can be added to the centre section, and I
could than add the resin ‘walls’ to fill the void.
Once these are in place the new intakes can be
added on the new walls. Now, don’t forget to
add the turbine blades, will you? I was in such a
rush that I actually forgot on one side, only
I've added the cockpit tub to a fuselage half.
Note the lead weight.
I've added the nose to the fuselage
construction. Note the gaping void.
With the tail unit added the S.1 was taking
shape.
With the gear bay and 'opened' bomb bay
pre-painted and masked off, the lower surface
white was applied.
realising my mistake once I was sanding down
the superglue filler! FOD/Intake blanks were
added later to hide this. On the upside, it adds a
bit of colour, I guess.
I also managed to sand away a bit too much
plastic from the nose section, so had to resort to
adding some fine Milliput to correct my error. As
a consequence, I had lost the panel detailing in
this area, which necessitated a ‘re-scribe’ job,
using a template cut from plastic card as a guide.
This was not a particularly easy operation with
the intakes on.
The outer wings were added, I had
contemplated having them folded up, but in
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
B U CC A N E E R S .1
Milliput is added to encase the lead weight.
The resin blanking plate has been added.
Eduard’s
photoetch
overlay is a
great
enhancement
to the kit.
In preparation for the Extra Dark Sea Grey
upper surfaces the canopy and radome have
been masked off. I used a mixture of colours
to get the correct shade of Radome Tan.
doing so, I think that you miss the overall shape
of an aircraft. So, with wings down, we had a
Buccaneer shape appearing.
Stores
I had initially contemplated fully loading my
S.1 with internal bomb bay-mounted 1000
pounders, along with another two on the wing
pylons, plus the large slipper tanks. I added the
latter, but they didn’t look very convincing, they
were designed to fit Airfix’s plastic, rather than
Aerocraft’s resin, so the slight shape anomaly
would necessitate filler. Additionally, looking at
contemporary photographs, it seems that the
39
B U CC A N E E R S .1
Masking disks were used to ensure no bleed
through on the decals..
tanks were rarely carried on the S.1.
I therefore removed the tanks and repaired
the glue marks. The kit features a pair of 1000lb
bombs and a pair of RN rocket pods. Again, I
could find no photos of the latter being carried,
so in the balance of fairness, left the pylons off,
which was, actually, quite prototypical.
Colour Scheme
Initially S.1s were painted in an overall white
‘anti-flash’ scheme with pale red and pale blue
roundels and serials. The upper surfaces latterly
received glossy Extra Dark Sea Grey upper
surfaces, retaining the pale national markings. I
applied a good couple of coats of Tamiya white
primer to the whole model, with grey primer
added later to the upper surfaces. When I was
happy that all blemishes had been filled and
corrected, I cut disks to place where the roundels
would go, to avoid any bleed through of the
EDSG and White. The lower surfaces were then
masked off and Xtracrylix EDSG applied
(XA1005). I airbrushed this using my Evolution
airbrush at 15-20psi . Now I know a lot of
modellers have issues with Xtracrylix paints, but
for me they are my go-to. They can be fragile and
need a good clean surface to apply them to, but
I find if they are thinned adequately (I use my
own concoction of 50:50 IPA/Distilled water and
a drop or two of acrylic flow enhancer) they
perform really well. I tend to apply the paint at a
ratio of 75% paint 25% thinner. To clean the
airbrush, I use another 50:50 mix of IPA and
windscreen washer fluid. The silver leading
edges were added at this stage. Once happy
with the paint scheme I added a good couple of
thin coats of Tamiya Clear (X-22) thinned with
Gunze’s Self-Levelling Thinner in preparation for
the decals.
40 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
With the masking removed a very smart Navy
uniform emerged.
Decals
Considering the age of the decals, I’m pleased
to report that they settled really well on the
glossy surface. I added some Micro Set/Sol to
ensure good adhesion and to remove any excess
air below, to avoid any chance of silvering,
however, when preparing the model for
photography, some silvering did become
apparent. Not sure why... ah well...
Undercarriage
The undercarriage units are quite a
straightforward construction. The main wheels
have ‘flats’ moulded in and can only fit one way
onto one half of the gear leg, thanks to small
locating lugs. Detail here is more than adequate
in this scale, though, of course, the brake lining
and such can easily be added from fine lead wire
is so desired. In all honesty, you can’t see that
much anyway.
I had pre-painted the parts prior to assembly.
You will note that they are in a garish shade of
yellow. This was my attempt to replicate the
golden/yellow protective grease used on the
units, evidenced in some photos. I’m not 100 per
cent certain that the shade is perfectly correct,
but it serves as a representation of the real thing,
if nothing else.
The Clamshell Airbrake
Another unique feature of the Buccaneer is
the ‘Clamshell’ airbrake. The kit’s parts required
all the external surface strengthening plates to
be removed. This was relatively easy to do with
wet n’dry paper. The ‘lightening’ holes were
opened-up and photoetch brass
overlays added. These
Nose art
applied..
were painted in a shade of yellowy tan, similar to
the undercarriage legs, but given a good wash of
grime later to provide an impression of depth.
Completion
I applied a couple of coats of satin varnish, to
tone down the high glossiness of the Buccaneer,
followed by some ‘dirtying-up’ of the undersides,
using Flory Models excellent ‘Dark Dirt’
(FMW002). A waft of grimy black was sprayed on
to portray the exhaust stains on the rear
fuselage. I tried not to overdo this, as the FAA
seemed to keep their Buccaneers clean. The
canopy had been pre-painted and small ‘Sealant’
strips applied using very thin masking tape. The
pitot tube was added using a fine needle.
Conclusion
This is a model I have wanted to build for a
long, long time, and now thanks to Airfix,
Aerocraft and Model Art I have been able to do
so. The conversion is relatively simple, but care is
required. I made a few errors in the build, which
proved frustrating at times. That was down to
me though.
I’d certainly recommend this conversion to
anyone with an interest in the Buccaneer, or
indeed to Fleet Air Arm Modelling. In fact, I’d
suggest that the S.1 is a must have for any such
Naval collection. That said, the main event for
me this year will be Airfix’s 1/48 S.2. I wonder if
anyone is planning an S.1 conversion set for that.
I certainly hope so!
 AIRCRAFT iN PROFiLE

ISSUE 76

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford – The Silent Workhorse By Jan Polc

The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was the direct predecessor of the Oxford. Czechoslovak Airlines deployed it on the regular Prague to
Moscow route. Thanks to its performance, the aircraft was nicknamed Russian Express in Czechoslovakia. (Jan Polc collection)

T
he two great conflicts of the Twentieth
Century created a number of famous
aircraft on whose illustrious wings many
pilots created their reputations. But in every air
force there were less-glamorous aeroplanes that
‘did their duty’ in the background. One such
unassuming workhorse was the Airspeed AS.10
Oxford, whose quiet work helping airmen to
earn their spurs ultimately helped achieve
victory for the Allies.
in the second half of the 1930s, the Air
Ministry created Operational Requirement 42,
which eventually resulted in Specification
T.23/36 to Airspeed for multi-engine training
aircraft. Only founded in 1931, the company had
not yet supplied any aircraft to the RAF.
Prototype L4576 in flight on 19 June 1937. This Oxford was However, it had a trump card in its hand – a
withdrawn from service with the RAF in 1954. (Jan Polc collection) development of its successful AS.6 Envoy. This
eight-seat passenger aircraft had been
developed as a heavier, twin-engined version of
Airspeed's Courier, a single radial-engined light-
transport aircraft. As the two shared much of
their design, development was relatively
straightforward. Confidence in the project had
been high enough to display the machine to the
public at Farnborough only a week after its first
flight. Production had started even before this
though, with Airspeed initially working closely
with British engine manufacturer Wolseley
Motors, who were both a key supplier and early
customer for the Envoy.
The Air Ministry's decision to approach
Airspeed, a relatively young manufacturer, was
undoubtedly influenced by the existence of the
Envoy, and by the fact that Airspeed had the
Oxford NZ1222 '102' after taxiing into the headquarters building at RNZAF Wigram, widest experience with retractable landing gear
Christchurch 6 Feb 1943. Minor damage was sustained. (Photo RNZAF Official) of any manufacturer in the UK at the time (the
Courier was the first British production aircraft to
AIRCRAFT In PROFILE

Oxford AS277 in the all-yellow RAF trainer livery. Individual

number and serial numbers in Black. (Photo Roger Walker)

have such undercarriage). However, the

requirements for the new military trainer were
more complex. The design team, under the
leadership of Alfred Hessell Tiltman, retained the
concept and layout of the Envoy, but redesigned
the actual airframe, now designated the AS.10
Oxford, to enable the aircraft to perform a wide
range of training tasks. The proven Cheetah IX or
X engine was chosen to power the Oxford.
Produced from 1935 onwards, it was developed
by Armstrong Siddeley Motors Ltd. and based on
their Lynx and Panther designs. An air-cooled
radial seven-cylinder engine with a maximum
output of between 275 to 475hp depending on
the version, it also powered the Envoy, the Avro
626 and the Anson among others. In total, more
than 40,000 Cheetah engines were produced.
View into the Development of the prototype went fairly
spacious smoothly but the Airspeed had to solve other
cockpit of problems. The initial order called for 136 aircraft,
the Oxford and while not a high number, it was the largest
Mk I. (Photo bulk order Airspeed had ever received, and the
Roger Walker) company’s production line had to be modified to
meet the order without delay.
The first prototype, L4534, flew for the first
time on 19 June 1937, and just a week later was
presented to the general public at the annual
RAF Display at Hendon. A mock-up of a gun
turret, installed on the prototype for the
duration of the display, was testament to the
development still being undertaken. Testing
continued until September 1937 and the Oxford
performing almost flawlessly with only a few
minor adjustments needed, none of which
delayed the start of series production. There was
some concern about the durability of the glued-
joint wooden construction, in light of the often
heavy stresses put on training machines. These
proved unnecessary however and many Oxfords
were still airworthy after more than fifteen years
of service.
Two basic versions were planned. The Mk I
was seen as a more general-purpose training
aircraft equipped for teaching multi-engine crew
members their specialisations, and was therefore
equipped with a gun turret. The Mark II lacked
any turret but was instead fitted with dual
controls for pilot training. As most Oxfords were
ultimately used for pilot training, many Mk Is
were flown without a turret and determining the
The vast majority of Oxfords in pre-war livery had engine covers left in natural metal. Another version can be visually difficult. The 350hp
common feature was the cockpit framing in Black. (Photo Roger Walker)
Cheetah X engine, turning a two-bladed wooden
 AIRCRAFT In PrOfIlE

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, AS 680, 64, No.35 Elementary

Flying Training School, Neepawa, Canada 1942. Oxford
Mk I in a standard training aircraft scheme. Upper surfaces
in combination of Dark Earth and Dark Green, lower
surfaces in Trainer Yellow. The same colour was used for
the quick identification elements on the upper surfaces.
AIRCRAFT IN PROfILE

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, AR 756, 64, No.32 SFTS, Moose Jaw, Canada 1942. The Oxford trainers
delivered to Canada were either flown in the pre-war all-yellow livery or, like this aircraft, received Dark
Green and Dark Earth camouflage on the upper surfaces, while the lower surfaces were left in Trainer
Yellow. Serial number on fuselage sides in Light Grey, repeated on lower wing surfaces in Black.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, AS 168, 44, No.32 SFTS, Moose Jaw, Canada 1943/44.
Oxford number 44 was flown in Trainer Yellow on all surfaces. All letterings painted in
Black. Note that the cockades are in the correct combination of Type C and B while
the fin flash is of the older type.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, NZ 1376 (ex-NH 328), Air Headquarters Calibration Flight, Rongotai, New
Zealand, 1943. This aircraft was left in Trainer Yellow on all surfaces. To increase the visibility of the
machine, stripes in Red have been added to all surfaces. Serial numbers in Black only on the fuselage
sides. Canopy framing and antenna mast painted in Black.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, PG 943, T, Fighter Command Instrument Training Flight, Tangmere, 1948. Standard camouflaged Oxford
with identification stripe and triangles on the fuselage in Trainer Yellow. Individual markings and serial number on fuselage in White, the
latter repeated on lower wing surfaces in Black. Post-war cockades in bright colours applied to fuselage sides and lower wing surfaces
while wartime-style markings remained on upper wing and tail surfaces.
 AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Airspeed Oxford Mk II, P8832, Air Ambulance Unit, No.24 Squadron RAF, Hendon, 1940. The Oxford
trainers delivered to Canada were either flown in the pre-war all-yellow livery or, like this aircraft, received
Dark Green and Dark Earth camouflage on the upper surfaces, while the lower surfaces were left in Trainer
Yellow. Serial number on fuselage sides in Light Grey, repeated on lower wing surfaces in Black.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, NZ 1222, 102, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1940. Oxford 102 flew in the original
RAF livery - Dark Earth and Dark Green on the upper surfaces, lower surfaces painted in Sky. Distinctive
fields of Yellow were added to the fuselage sides, with stripes of the same colour on the lower wing
surfaces. Individual markings in Black. Serial number in Sky with thin Black trim.

Airspeed Oxford Mk II, P8833, Air Ambulance Unit, No.24 Squadron RAF, Hendon, 1943. The change of
national markings from type A to type C also brought a change of livery for ambulance Oxfords. The undersurfaces
were given a coat of Trainer Yellow. The style of the Red Crosses was also changed, and they were no longer
applied to the lower surfaces of the wings. Nurse Cavell lettering on the fuselage nose in White. Serials in Black.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, P6823, 54, No.14 Flying Training School, Cranfield, Great Britain, 1940.
Some Oxfords were flown after the trainer colour scheme change with the upper surfaces in Dark
Green and Dark Earth while Trainer Yellow extended high on the fuselage sides. Individual number
and serial numbers in Black. Note the old style of the fin flash.
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE

Airspeed Oxford Mk II, 3538 (ex BG 365), 64, No.24 Air School,
Standard Beam Approach Flight, Nigel, South Africa, 1945. The aircraft
is painted in Aluminium on upper surfaces, lower surfaces in Trainer
Yellow. Engine nacelles and stripes on fuselage in Olive Drab, triangles on
upper wing surfaces in a combination of Olive Drab and Trainer Yellow.
 AIRCRAFT IN PROFIlE

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, LW 926, 926, No.1 SFTS RAAF, Point Cook, Australia, 1944. This Oxford
delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force was given the Foliage Green and Earth livery on the upper
surfaces, with the lower surfaces painted in Trainer Yellow. Australian cockades in six positions, fin flash in
a combination of Blue and White. Serials in Black, repeated on lower wing surfaces. Individual number on
fuselage sides painted in Trainer Yellow.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, BM 754, 17, No.32 SFTS, Moose Jaw, Canada, 1942. Canada was quite safe from
the point of view of aircrew training throughout the war, so many Oxfords retained the typical livery of RAF
trainers from the pre-war period. This aircraft, painted in Trainer Yellow on all surfaces, was encountered by
Czechoslovak airmen later assigned to No.311 Squadron RAF during their training in Canada.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, T 1244, H5, No.6 SFTS, Little Risington, Great Britain, 1943. This aircraft used for training
purposes in the UK was painted with Dark Green and Dark Earth camouflage on the upper surfaces. For the lower
surfaces, the regulations specified the colour Trainer Yellow. Individual markings and serial number on fuselage sides in
White, the latter repeated on lower wing surfaces in Black.

Airspeed Oxford Mk I, L 4580, 15, No.3 FTS, South Cerney, Great Britain, 1938. In the inter-war period,
RAF trainer aircraft carried Trainer Yellow on all surfaces. Serial numbers, individual number and cockpit
framing in Black. Type A cockades in bright colours in six positions, no fin flash. Engine cowls retained in
natural metal. Fuselage band painted in Black.
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
Piper L-4s of the 8th Reconnaissance
Squadron carried the unit's emblem under the
cockpit. (Radek Pelikan)
Oxford NZ252 'B9' from No.1 SFTS, RNZAF Wigram over the Banks Peninsula, Christchurch late 1938.
Finish appears to be aluminium dope with polished metal cowlings. Bright roundel colours with bright
roundel blue fuselage cheatline with white ‘9’. Serial probably aluminium. (Photo RNZAF Official)
propeller, was settled upon to power the
production machines.
The first aircraft delivered quickly proved their
quality and even before completion of the first
batch Airspeed received another order. To fulfil
this, part of the production was handed over to
sub-contractors. A total of 8586 Oxfords were
actually built, and of these 4411 were produced
by Airspeed at Portsmouth, another 550 at the
Airspeed-run shadow factory at Christchurch,
Dorset opened in 1940. 1515 were built by de
Havilland at Hatfield, 1360 by Percival Aircraft in
Luton and 750 by Coventry-based Standard
Motors. 8751 were actually ordered but it seems
that an order for 156 of these were cancelled
and never built.
Deliveries began in November 1937, just in
time for the Royal Air Force to start the effective
training of combat crews for the new
Wellingtons, Hampdens and Whitleys. The pace
of deliveries was enough that by the outbreak of
war, Oxfords equipped four flying schools – No.2
at Brize Norton, No.3 at South Cerney, No.11 at
Shawbury, and No.14 at Cranfield. As other types
could be used for the training of gunners,
observers and other specialists, the Oxfords
tended to concentrate on pilot, navigator and
radio operator training, a role in which it was
unsurpassed and remained in throughout the
war.
The British Isles had already been considered
an unsuitable location for air training, not only
due to the possibility of enemy attack, and the
strain caused by increased wartime traffic at
airfields but also due to its unpredictable
weather! The British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan (BCATP) often called the Empire Air Training
Scheme (EATS) was developed calling for
facilities in the Dominions to train British and
each other's aircrews. Training could thus be
carried out in peaceful conditions, away from the
enemy, with Britain’s airspace left practically for
operational use only. As a result, Oxfords and
trainee crews soon found themselves in Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, and in South Africa too,
under the Joint Air Training Scheme. This ability
to train airmen overseas gave the Allies a
strategic advantage that greatly contributed to
their ultimate victory in World War II.
Even before the EATS scattered Oxfords across
the Empire, they had attracted the interest of
both the Royal Canadian and New Zealand Air
Forces. Both forces ordered and received a small
number of machines before the outbreak of
A trio of Oxfords equipped with gun turrets
for training air gunners. (Photo BAe Systems)
World War II. The Canadian order for twenty five
aircraft was completed in 1939, and these
machines found their way to the Central Flying
School at Trenton, and to No.1 SFTS at Camp
Borden. Ultimately the RCAF used just over 800
Oxfords as part of the training plan. The initial
order of five for New Zealand was completed
early in 1938 and they became part of No.1 SFTS
at RNZAF Wigram. Eventually though, under the
training plan, New Zealand operated 299
Oxfords between 1938 and 1952. Australia had
391 delivered as part of the EATS, and nearly 700
Oxfords also went to South Africa. More were
also used by RAF flight schools in Southern
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
The training program overseas meant flying
was conducted in virtually ideal meteorological
conditions. This brought the problem of
transitioning trained crews back to the, often far-
from-perfect, operational flying conditions of
typical British weather. Again, it was a job for
Oxfords – Advanced Flying Units (AFUs) were
formed back in the UK to give pilots and other
crew training in flying in less-than-ideal weather
conditions. Other Oxfords were used to train
flight instructors, a need that constantly
increased. An important use of the type in such

A formation of Oxfords in typical Royal
Australian Air Force colours. (Photo John Holmes)
inclement weather training was for non-visual
‘blind’ landing approaches using the Standard
Beam Approach system. The use of the system
required much training in instrument flying and
crew interaction. Eventually nearly a hundred
dedicated Blind (later Beam) Approach Training
Flights were established, and Oxfords became
the main type used by them. The yellow triangle-
marked Oxfords of these BATS flights quickly
spread throughout Britain. Oxfords also became
very popular as RAF squadron hacks due to their
pleasant handling. In 1943 Oxfords replaced the
Westland Lysander in Anti-Aircraft Cooperation
Squadrons serving as target tugs and radar
station calibration aircraft. This challenging and
dangerous task meant Oxford crews often found
The training of new pilots was not without accidents. The wooden canvas-covered
structure of the aircraft did not provide much safety for the crew. (Photo John Holmes)
themselves over an anti-aircraft battery under
fire, and though it was friendly, it was certainly
not pleasant. Oxfords remained in this role until
the early 1950s.
As a testament to its excellent design, the
Oxford was not greatly modified over the course
of its production. The exhausts were extended,
and cockpit heating installed, which was
especially appreciated by crews in the harsh
Canadian winters. Undercarriage covers were
also slightly modified, and later the installation
of Vokes dust filters for the engine carburettor
intakes became virtually standard. These were
installed retrospectively during maintenance
and repairs.
AIRCRAFT In PROFILE
Oxfords had originally been earmarked
variable-pitch propellers. Even though the
aircraft were eventually fitted with fixed pitch
ones, the cockpit contained a propeller-pitch
lever, which had to be moved from ‘Coarse’ to
‘Fine’ for landing. This placebo control was to
reinforce this important step for trainee pilots.
One Oxford, intended for testing Cheetah XV
engines, was given Rotol constant-speed
propellers and designated Mk III. It served in this
configuration for several years as a test-bed for
both Armstrong Siddeley and Rotol. Two aircraft
(P8832 and 8833) were converted to air-
ambulance aircraft by installing large fuselage
access doors and other related equipment.
These were used by 24 Squadron RAF to fly
AIRCRAFT IN PROFILE
Oxford Mk I L 4580 in the livery used before the Munich crisis in September 1938.
Identification stripe on rear fuselage in Black is the No. 3 SFTS designation. (Photo BAe Systems)
short-distance missions until the end of the war.
In terms of numbers produced, the most
important Oxford conversion was the Canadian
Mk V. During delivery of aircraft overseas, the
transport of airframes with engines fitted was
found to be wasteful of resources that could be
better used elsewhere for the war effort. In
addition the nine-cylinder Wasp Junior air-
cooled radial engine, manufactured by Pratt &
Whitney since the 1930s, was available in
Canada in large numbers. The more powerful
450hp American engines, married to Hamilton
Standard propellers, provided a 20mph increase
in top speed, and climb performance almost
doubled. After successful testing in 1941 using
Oxford AS592, a total of 192 were assembled and
used in Canada, and also later saw service
outside the American continent. The increased
power was particularly welcomed in the hot and
high conditions often found in Southern
Rhodesia and South Africa.
Far higher numbers were exported when the
Empire Air Training Scheme was introduced,
with hundreds more machines heading
overseas. These were effectively provided free to
use as part of the scheme, rather than sold as
export in the true sense of the word. Oxfords
were provided to allied or ‘friendly’ neutral
Oxford formation in Dark Green/Dark Earth over Trainer Yellow camouflage scheme. National
markings type C dates the photo to the second half of the war. (Photo John Holmes)
countries, such as Portugal, whose air force and
navy used six each from 1943 onwards.
RAF Oxfords in the Middle East were loaned to
the Royal Egyptian Air Force and the Turkish Air
Force was given fifty Mk1s in 1943. Three more
ended up in Iran, and six were given to the
Congo in 1944. RAF Oxfords in India later formed
the basis of 12 Squadron of the Royal Indian Air
Force after partition in 1947. The USAAF in
Britain was reverse lend-leased 137, which were
very popular in the role of ‘hacks’ or for
instrument flight training and even the USN
used two.
Some real exports came with the end of the
war. Newly liberated Governments turned to the
victorious Allies with requests for military
equipment, and Oxfords were freed for export
from war surpluses. The first deliveries went to
Holland with twenty-eight aircraft, while
Belgium had thirty donated by the RAF in 1949.
Twenty were bought by the Royal Norwegian Air
Force and put into service at Gardermoen flying
school. The Danes used forty-eight aircraft well
into the 1950s. The reconstituted Royal Hellenic
Air Force used thirty-three machines. Several
nations, such as Czechoslovakia or Israel, used
one or two aircraft, but the Union Of Burma
received fifteen in the late 1940s together with
some Consuls. Some were modified to carry
forward-facing machine-gun pods under the
central fuselage and Mk VIII ‘Zero-length’ RP
launchers under the outer wings.
Oxfords remained in service with the RAF in
the post-war period. They proved very useful
when the Gloster Meteor and de Havilland
Hornet were introduced, as It was necessary to
retrain fighter pilots used to single-engined
fighters in the piloting of twin-engined
machines. For training flying personnel, Oxfords
were also used by Royal Auxiliary Air Force
squadrons equipped with de Havilland
Mosquitos or Gloster Meteors. Many still found a
role in Station Flights, or as squadron hacks. The
last major use of Oxfords was during the Korean
War, when they were used in refresher courses
for demobilised aircrew that had been called-
up again.
The ‘Ox-Box’ was finally retired from seventeen
years of successful service with the RAF in 1954.
It had contributed in no small way to the Allied
victory with its demanding, yet unobtrusive
service. No flying examples survive today, but a
few static survivors remain in museums, to
quietly inform new generations of their
endeavours, just as they once taught many,
many more.
AIRSPEED AS.10 OXFORD MK I
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 3
Length: 34ft 6in
Wingspan: 53ft 4in
Height: 11ft 1in
Wing area: 348sq ft
Empty weight: 5,322lb
Gross weight: 7,500lb
Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley
Cheetah X radial engines, 350hp each
Maximum speed: 192mph
Endurance: 5.5hr
Range: 991km
Service ceiling: 23,550ft
Rate of climb: 1,340ft/min
Armament: one 0.303 in Vickers VGO ‘K’
machine gun in dorsal turret. 16 ×11.5lb
practice bombs carried externally
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CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M
Daylight Camouflage for Aeroplanes of the RFC and
RAF 1917-1918 ~ Part 1
By Paul Lucas
T
he early work to devise a suitable form of
camouflage for RFC aeroplanes that was
carried out by the Royal Aircraft Factory at
Farnborough in August 1914 leading to the brief
use of Disguise Colour D.8 was covered in the
Colour Conundrum article ‘Identification and
Disguise for the Royal Flying Corps’ that was
published in the September 2016 issue of SAM.
The subsequent widespread adoption of PC10
was discussed as part of the Colour Conundrum
article ‘Prelude to an Air Force’ that was
published in the April 2018 issue of SAM. Both
articles were republished in their entirety in
‘Colour Conundrum Compendium No.1’ in
November 2021.
Following the beginning of the introduction
of PC 10 from 1915, this became the most
common finish applied to day flying RFC
aeroplanes for the rest of the war. PC10 was not
viewed as a camouflage colour per se, but as a
preservative finish for the fabric covering of the
airframe that did, as a by-product, offer some
degree of concealment whilst the aeroplane was
flying at low level or stationary on the ground. It
was for this reason that some further attempts
were made to devise an effective camouflage
scheme for day-flying RFC aeroplanes operating
in specific roles prior to the Armistice in
November 1918. Two of these concerned Home
Defence aeroplanes operating over Southern
England and low flying aeroplanes operating on
the Western Front.
54 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
It should be noted by the reader that the
primary sources seen by the author on which
this account is based usually only describe the
colours employed in the colloquial terms quoted
here and for the most part are not accompanied
by surviving colour samples. For this reason it is
impossible to assign most of the colours
mentioned here, such as the ‘brown green’, ‘light
brown green’ and ‘light blue green’ that were
recommended for use in the Home defence
scheme of 1917 NCS 1950, FS 595, or indeed any
other equivalent colour values. Thus the colours
used in the accompanying artwork should only
be regarded as being representative.
The Home Defence scheme of 1917
The Home Defence scheme originated as a
result of the daylight Gotha raids on Britain
between May and August 1917. The Aircraft
Experimental Station at Orfordness was given
the task of devising a suitable daylight
camouflage for the defending Fighters that
might allow them to get closer to the enemy
aircraft without being seen, thus improving their
chances of effecting an interception.
The results of these trials were described in
Orfordness Report D/62 entitled ‘On the
camouflaging of aeroplanes, with particular
regard to their visibility for home defence
service at 10000ft. when viewed from 12000 ft.’
dated 18 July 1917. The report stated that
Spitfire Mk I, ZD-R, of No. 222 Squadron,
Hornchurch, August1940. An artefact taken
from the wreckage of another 222 Squadron
Spitfire suggests that some of this Squadron’s
Spitfires were finished on the under surfaces
with a colour that appears to match BS 381
No.1 Sky Blue.
comparative tests had been carried out at
Orfordness in July 1917 that consisted of
treating a number of machines with coloured
dopes according to the following schemes.
Scheme 1 comprised a one foot square black
and white check pattern that was found to be
plainly visible and a poor camouflage.
Scheme 2 comprised a larger 1 yard ‘distorted
square’ black and white check pattern. Again,
this was found to be plainly visible and
compared unfavourably with the khaki PC 10
finish that had been left on a portion of one
plane for comparison. Again the camouflage
effect was judged to be poor.
Scheme 3 comprised large irregular patches
of what are described as ‘dark khaki and light
khaki’ carefully chosen to break up the lines of
the aeroplane. Under the heading ‘Observations’
it was stated that:
The distorted lines were less familiar to the eye
than the silhouette of a machine doped in plain
P.C.10, so that this principle was retained in
subsequent schemes. It was considered advisable
to make the patches a little darker in shade and to
blend them at the edges. More green and blue
tones were also seen to be required.
This sounds very similar to the initial
camouflage scheme devised at the Royal Aircraft
Factory circa August 1914 that employed
Disguise Colour D.8 to bestow a two tone green

colour to the upper surfaces of an aeroplane.
Scheme 4 was the same as Scheme 3 but
utilised ‘Dark khaki and red brown.’ When flown
in company with Scheme 3, Scheme 4 was not
found to be so effective except ‘over shingle and
the like’.
Scheme 5 had the same pattern as Scheme 3
but was modified so that the pattern was
continued onto the side of the fuselage and
cowling. The colours used were described as
‘dark brown-green’ and ‘light blue-green’ along
with an indication of how the colours were
made. ‘Dark brown-green’ was made up of 6
parts P.C.10, 3 parts ‘green’, and one part ‘blue’.
‘Light blue-green’ was made up of 6 parts ‘blue’, 2
parts ‘green’ and one part ‘white’.
Under the heading ‘Observations’ it was
stated that:
The results were the best yet obtained as except
against the sky or clouds below, the machine was
the most difficult to pick up, particularly against
wooded country. It was decided to make the
shades somewhat lighter, however, as a
compromise between fields and woods. The
reflection from the propeller in some cases gave
away the position so it was decided to varnish the
propeller matt black. In certain aspects the shadow
of the top plane upon the lower one was rather
conspicuous: as an attempt to reduce this cast
shadow it was decided to employ the concave
reflecting surface of the top plane and to paint it
glossy dead white on its under surface.
Scheme 6 employed the same pattern as
Scheme 3 but replaced the dark khaki colour
with ‘dark brown green’ so that the machine was
finished in ‘dark brown green’ and ‘light khaki’.
This scheme was tried side by side with Scheme
5 but was not considered to be as good as the
blue element was missing and the contrast
between the two colours was too great.
Scheme 7 consisted of the same pattern as
that of Scheme 3 modified in accordance with
the findings of Scheme 5 that was continued
onto the side of the fuselage and cowling. The
colours used and their mixes were given as
follows. ‘Brown green’ was made from 6 parts
P.C.10, 3 parts ‘green’, 1 part ‘blue’ and 1 part
‘white’. ‘Light brown green’ was made up from 6
parts P.C.10, 3 parts ‘green’, 1 part ‘blue’ and 2
parts ‘white’. ‘Light blue green’ was made up from
6 parts ‘blue’, 2 parts ‘green’ and 2 parts ‘white’.
The propeller was matt black, the under surface
of the upper plane was gloss white and the
white band in the rudder was stippled with
‘brown green’.
The observations of this scheme are recorded
as follows:
This scheme gave the best results of all tried, and is
considered a good camouflage for the particular
service specified. The propeller glare was not to be
observed, and the shadows were somewhat
less visible.
The general conclusions of the report were
that Scheme 7 rendered the machine quite
inconspicuous when observed from 12,000 feet
against both land and sea in the Orfordness area.
It was apparent that no one method of
camouflage would be capable of universal
adoption since even a change in the weather
would call for a new scheme. It was thought that
the principles underlying Scheme 7 were,
however, correct, and its adoption was
recommended for Home Defence service. Three
aeroplanes were finished in this Scheme and
sent to France for trials.
Orfordness Report D/62 included an
illustration of Scheme 7 as applied to a Bristol
Scout. This was executed in monotone with
cross-hatch shading to show the different
colours. An attempt has been made to
reproduce the drawing here in colour, but as
Report E/30 does not contain colour samples,
the exact hue of the colours is a matter for
speculation. The report contains neither
photographs nor any mention of the serial
numbers of the aeroplanes involved in the trials.
Nor does it identify the three aeroplanes that
were finished in this scheme and sent to France.
Orfordness Report D/62 made no mention of
any national markings that might have been
applied during the trials or on the three aircraft
that went to France other than the mention of
the rudder striping as quoted above. In the
absence of any firm evidence it can only be
assumed that the markings usual for this period
were applied utilising the usual colours. These
were Red V.R.3, which corresponds to BS 381C
No. 538 Post Office Red, White V.R.3, and Blue
V.B.2 that corresponds to BS 381C No. 108
Aircraft Blue. That the three aeroplanes that were
sent to France to undertake the operational trials
did have something like the standard national
markings is suggested by a letter, reference
D/3255, that was sent to the Military Aeronautics
Directorate in London by Orfordness dated 27
November 1917.
Letter D/3255 was written in response to a
request from France that an attempt be made to
see what could be done in the way of
camouflaging an aeroplane without removing
what are referred to as ‘the identification disks’. In
the letter, Orfordness pointed out that the
camouflaging of the national markings called for
a compromise as to which was the most
desirable, to camouflage the machine as a whole
at the expense of possible doubt as to its
nationality or to leave the markings clear at the
expense of the general camouflage. Orfordness
was of the opinion that the decision as to which
was most important be left to the RFC in France
to decide.
For their guidance, Orfordness gave some
details of experiments that had been carried out
that had led to the conclusions that the red and
blue rings should be less vivid and made lighter
in tone than usual and that the white ring should
be made darker in tone than is usual. The
following dope mixes had been found to give
the best results of several schemes tried.
Red was to be made up from 6 parts V.R.3, 1
part V.B.2 and 1 part V.W.3.
White was to be made up from 4 parts V.W.3
and 2 parts green DV5.
Blue was to be made up from 12 parts V.B.2, 3
parts DV5 and 3 parts V.W.3.
It was suggested that if further camouflage
was permissible, the rings might be cross
hatched in the ‘light blue green’ that was made
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M
Hurricane Mk I,
N2359, YB-J, No.
17 Squadron at
Debden circa June
1940. N2359 is
shown with a less
saturated
‘production colour’
rendering of MAP
Sky Blue on its
under surfaces
based on the
facsimile colour to
be found in ‘British
Aviation Colours’.
up from 6 parts blue, 2 parts green and 2 parts
white in lines that were one eighth of an inch
wide spaced an inch apart.
Of these colours, V.R.3, V.B.2, and V.W.3 were
the standard identification colours already
described. The green colour is thought to have
been a Dyed Varnish, hence its ‘DV’ designation,
possibly similar in character to those utilised in
the formulation of Disguise Colour D.8 in 1914.
Unfortunately, the exact hue of this material is
unknown. Once again there are no known colour
samples of these identification colours and there
is no indication as to whether they were ever
applied to the three aeroplanes finished in the
daylight Home Defence scheme that were sent
to France, though presumably they must have
been applied to some sort of aeroplane at
Orfordness whilst they were being developed
and trialled.
The documents seen by the author at the time
of writing fail to throw any light on why this
camouflage scheme was not adopted either by
the Home Defence aeroplanes for which it had
been developed or more widely in France. With
regard to the Home Defence role, daylight
attacks by German aeroplanes ceased after 22
August 1917, and it may therefore have been
considered to be no longer necessary. With
regard to its use in France, one possible reason
that it was not adopted in the light of later
events might be that while what appears to have
been essentially a three tone green finish was
effective over the sea and English countryside
around Orfordness, it was less effective over the
broken ground of the Western Front.
Camouflage for Low Flying Aeroplanes
Work on the camouflage scheme that was
intended for use by low flying aeroplanes
operating on the Western Front was evidently in
hand by the turn of the year 1917 – 1918. A
Minute dated 9 January 1918 entitled ‘Present
position in regard to camouflage’ mentions both
Orfordness Report D/62 that is stated to be the
first Report issued from Orfordness on the
subject and Letter D/3255 referred to previously
that dealt with camouflaging the national
markings. The Minute then went on to discuss
another scheme, work on which was then in
hand under the supervision of a Camouflage
Officer from the Special Works Park in France in
consultation with a representative from the
Special Works School in London.
The Minute stated that though no report on
this latest scheme had yet been tendered, it was
understood to be the most successful tried so
far. That said, it was again stressed that no
effective camouflage was possible while the red,
white, and blue national markings remained as
they always showed up against the ground. It
was considered that the question of the national
markings should be put forward for re-
consideration with a view to at least toning
down the colours, especially the white. It was
also considered:
…well worthwhile raising the question whether a
black circle should not be adopted in place of the
red, white and blue; a mark of this kind might very
well be sufficiently distinct from a German Cross
55
CO LO U R C O N U N D R U M
Gloster built Hurricane Mk I, V6611, coded VY-U of No. 85 Squadron circa September 1940. In 1967 MJF Bowyer claimed the ‘… pale ‘blue’ shades
which, on some of the Hurricanes I saw at Debden and Duxford, were almost as dark as the azure blue of later years.’
and would not interfere with camouflage at
distances beyond 2000 ft.
An undated interim report on the trials
mentioned in the Minute of 9 January that
appear to have been carried out at Orfordness
during the period December 1917 to January
1918 entitled ‘Camouflage of low flying
machines against the ground: to be viewed from
above’ was being circulated to interested parties
by 27 January. This interim report opened by
stating that the average heights at which the
camouflaged machines were flown was between
500 feet and 1000 feet whilst being observed
from altitudes of up to 7000 feet. The report then
goes on to detail the schemes that were applied
to a number of different types of aeroplanes.
Unfortunately, the serial numbers are not
quoted, nor are any but the ultimate scheme
illustrated.
Scheme No.1 was applied to two BE.2cs. The
report described this scheme in the following
terms:
Colours:- Green (Bluish). Brown (dark). Cream.
Fairly large patches on top planes and top of
fuselage (about 24 patches covering the whole
area), with 1 ½” black lines between patches.
Patches arranged to break up lines of machine.
Rudder camouflaged.
Results. Quite good. Machine with identification
disks painted out often difficult to find over fields
and woods. Identification disks gave away position
of second machine.
Conclusions. Patches to be bigger and made
lighter; brown too dark; lines between colours to be
widened.
Scheme No. 2 was applied to a Bristol Scout.
This scheme was described as follows:
Colours:- Greenish grey. Stone colour. Grey blue.
Larger patches than in No. 1 about 15 in all; 3” to 4”
blue lines between colours. The grey blue used only
on rudder and sides of fuselage, giving only two
colours on planes. No identity disks, and rudder
camouflaged.
Results. General effect fairly good but rather cold;
greenish grey rather too dark. The larger patches
were found to be an improvement on No.1.
Conclusions. The whole scheme should be kept as
Gloster built Hurricane Mk I, V6611, coded VY-U of No. 85 Squadron circa September 1940. In light of Mr Bowyer’s comments V6611 is shown with
what is thought to be the original design colour of MAP Sky Blue on its under surfaces based on what is thought to be a sample of original paint in the
UK National Archives and two sets of MAP Colour Standard Booklets held by the RAF Museum.
56 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
high in tone as possible whilst maintaining
contrast between light and dark.
Scheme No. 3 was applied to at least one
BE.2e. The wording of the report quoted below
suggests that more than one machine received
this scheme, one with national markings and
one without:
Colours:- Green. Cream.
Large patches 15 in all, 3” to 4” blue lines between
colours. No identification disks on one machine
and rudder camouflaged.
Results. Effect of large patches distinctly good, but
the green seemed too green and the cream too
cold. The green might be kept brighter in tone.
Conclusions. All greens should be of a brownish
quality (colours of a neutral tendency). This would
appear to be confirmed by the plumage of birds,
which are open to attack by hawks etc from above.
Scheme No. 4 was applied to a BE.2c:
Colours:- Light brown. Green (khaki). Cream.
Large patches with 1 1/2” dark blue lines between
patches. Identification discs modified; the white
rings painted cream and rudder camouflaged.
Results. Distinctly good, but no definite conclusions
can be arrived at until the weather clears, as low
clouds prevented observation from any height.
It seems that it was at this point that bad weather
interfered with the trials as at the time that this
report was written neither of the final two Schemes
as described below had actually been flown.
Scheme No.5 was applied to a BE.9:
Colours:- Light Khaki green. Light earth.
Large patches with 1 ½” blue crinkly lines between
patches. The arrangement of patches is rather
different to previous schemes. The whole top of the
fuselage is left khaki, sides of the engine etc, all
light earth.
White of identification disks painted light earth, the
whole of rudder camouflaged.
Scheme No.6 had no aeroplane type given
for it:
Colours:- Brownish green. Light cream. Brown
earth. Van Dyke brown.
In this scheme the patches and lines are arranged
something in the manner of a birds markings. A
black disk is worked into the scheme for
identification.
As in scheme 5, no tests have been carried out.
The report concluded by stating that several
schemes had been prepared and that it was
hoped to be able to test them at the earliest
possible moment. Dull colours had now been
obtained and were considered to be
considerably superior in effect to the ordinary oil
colours that had been used in schemes 1, 2, 3
and 4.
It would appear that a précis of this report,
headed ‘Camouflage Experiments’ dated 28
January 1918 stated that a further number of
machines had now been painted under the
supervision of a camouflage officer from France
and tried in the air. The object was to find the
best combination of colours and design to
protect a machine flying at low altitudes
between 500 and 1500 feet from observation by
machines at altitudes of over 5000 feet with due
consideration being given to the nature of the
country to be dealt with. While ordinary oil
colours had been used for the trials it was
proposed in the future to try special paint that
would dry with a matt surface giving little or no
reflection.
The colours that were first tried were found to
be too dark and the patches were too small
whilst the absence of a dark dividing line
detracted from the camouflage effect. The
scheme that gave the best results to date
consisted of large irregularly shaped patches of
light green and cream, with a dark blue line
about 2 inches wide between them. It was
thought that a more pronounced light brown
and khaki tinted green would be an
improvement and that an absolutely flat or matt
surface was essential.
With regard to the national markings, because
the white rings stood out in strong relief, they
tended to catch the eye. It was thought that a
very light brown or grey could be substituted for
the white so as to not stand out in strong
contrast against the camouflage colours, but
would still allow the markings to be easily
recognisable once the aeroplane itself had been
seen. It was thought that some advantage might
be gained by making the blue darker and
dispensing with the symmetrical application of

Spitfire Mk II, P7666, EB-Z, named ‘Observer Corps’, of No. 41 Squadron, Hornchurch, November 1940. By November 1940 it is thought that Sky
was being applied to the under surfaces of new production aircraft such as P7666. Because supplies of Sky were still not available to Service users,
when the ‘duck egg blue’ spinner and tail band markings were introduced from 27 November 1940 these markings were applied using Sky Blue.
the markings by painting one in the middle and
one at the tip of the top planes. Experiments
were continuing and would be reported on at a
later date.
By 6 February, a further report had been
written. Unfortunately, the copy seen by the
author was incomplete, but the portion that was
found seems to continue where the interim
report discussed previously left off as a number
of further trial schemes are described as follows.
Scheme 7 was applied to a B.E.2e and featured
colours that were described as ‘light sand’,
‘reddish earth’, ‘khaki green’ and ‘vandyke brown’.
The scheme was described in the following
terms:
Patches arranged as bird markings: identity disks
white ring painted light sand colour but otherwise
normal and rudder taken into scheme. Vandyke
brown lines between colours.
This scheme was not considered to be as
good as Scheme No.6 because the markings
were too small and apt to merge at a distance of
5000 feet but the identification markings were
considered to be good.
Scheme No. 8 was also applied to a B.E.2e and
featured colours that are described as ‘dull khaki
green’, ‘light reddish brown’ and ‘light buff’. This
scheme was described as follows:
Large patches with a few small spots of dark
Vandyke brown on the light brown paches.
Vandyke brown between lines. One identity disk
only with white circle painted buff.
Scheme No.9 was applied to what is described
as an ‘Armstrong Whitworth’ employing colours
that are described as ‘reddish earth’, ‘light buff’
‘khaki green’ and ‘Vandyke brown’. In this scheme
the patches were applied as in Scheme No.6 but
the shade of earth was much more red and the
buff was much darker. No mention is made of
the identity disks, but a photograph of
Armstrong Whitworth FK. 3 A8103 that is
finished in one of these camouflage trial
schemes shows it to have a black disk with what
is possibly a white surround on the upper
surface of the upper port wing and another
‘toned down’ identity disk in a similar place on
the upper starboard wing.
Finally, Scheme 10 as applied to another
B.E.2e featured colours described as ‘dull khaki
green’, ‘light reddish earth’ and ‘dark brown earth’.
This scheme was described as having:
Patches arranged as in scheme No.5, but whole
scheme considerably lower in tone. One identity
disk with white of ring painted cream colour
(lighter than the lightest patches of scheme).
Scheme 10 was considered to be the best that
had been tried to this point and it would appear
that it was this Scheme that was being referred
to in a letter from Orfordness to the Military
Aeronautics Directorate dated 7 February 1918.
Headed ‘Re Camouflage’, the letter opened by
stating that a definitive camouflage scheme for
low flying aircraft had now been arrived at. A
BE.2e had been painted and flown at an altitude
of between 1000 feet and 1500 feet whilst being
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observed from above with the observers flying
at an altitude of between 7000 feet and
8000 feet.
In some cases the observing machines had to
descend to within 1000 feet of the camouflaged
machine in order to obtain visual contact and it
was found that if sight was lost it was only by
means of very careful observation that it was re-
acquired. The identification markings had been
modified by way of painting the areas that were
usually white a cream colour that did not unduly
attract attention but also made it possible to
identify the nationality of the aeroplane once it
had been seen. A second machine was in the
process of being painted exactly the same way
with the exception that the national markings
would be left as standard and it was suggested
that both of these machines should be sent to
France for comparative trials. Orfordness
requested that the Directorate make
arrangements for this to be put in hand and
stated that a full report on the experiments was
being prepared.
The suggestion that a black disc with a white
outer ring be adopted as the national marking
was rejected by GOC RFC in the Field in a letter
dated 16 February 1918. No reason for this
decision was given, but the letter went on to
state that it was considered that experiments
might be carried out to see the effect of the
asymmetric disposition of the identification
markings that had been made in the
Orfordness report.
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Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1 in RAF Service

By Des Brenna

Starboard side of Sentry AEW.1 ZH106/06 from No.8/23 Squadrons taxying in at RAF Leuchars in September
2005 showing standard No.23 Squadron markings carried on that side during both squadron’s pooled use,
along with the NAEWF crest on the nose and the white lettering and numbers from the earlier years of service.

B
oth the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy
acquired an Airborne Early Warning
capability in the early 1950s. For the Royal
Navy it was the General Electric AN/APS-20
radar-equipped Douglas Skyraider AEW.1
acquired in 1951 and replaced around a decade
later by the similarly equipped Fairey Gannet
AEW.3. These served on until the end of ‘cat and
trap’ carrier flying in the late 1970s, but the
Falklands War in 1982 saw a pair of Searchwater-
equipped Westland Sea King HAS.2(AEW)s
developed and into service within eleven weeks,
followed in time by the full production AEW.2.
These were later replaced by the improved
ASaC.7 which served on until 2018 pending the
Augusta Westland Merlin Crowsnest entering
limited service in 2021. For the RAF, however, the
process was neither quite so linear nor
as smooth.
The RAF and AEW
In 1952 a small number of Lockheed Neptune
MR.1s (the UK operated equivalent of the P2V-5)
equipped with AN/APS-20 radar were
reassigned from Coastal to Fighter Command to
serve initially with Vanguard Flight at RAF
Kinloss before becoming 1453 Flight at RAF
Topcliffe from 1953 until 1956, prior to the
Neptune being withdrawn the following year.
Thereafter, for a variety of reasons, the AEW
capability was dropped. Operationally, the RAF
was still considered primarily an overland force
for which the maritime AN/APS-20 was not
ideally suited due to ‘clutter’ generated in that
situation. More powerful radars would require a
larger, longer-ranged aircraft capable of carrying
a suitably sized control crew. Neither radar nor
aircraft was available through the home market
despite several sometimes quite fanciful
proposals. On economic grounds buying either
or both from the United States would have
adversely affected the fragile balance of
payments, while more generally there were
other budgetary pressures on the RAF. The
demands of supporting an airborne nuclear
deterrent, widespread global colonial and
Commonwealth commitments, and the
apparently endless replacement of sometimes
quite short-lived combat aircraft placed AEW
rather low on any list of priorities in the
post-war environment.
By the early 1970s, however, improvements in
the quality and quantity of Soviet-designed and
built aircraft left the UK vulnerable to potential
mass fighter-bomber raids via the Baltic and
Tu-95 ‘Bear’ bombers from Northern Russia
entering the North Atlantic around the North
Cape of Norway and through the Greenland-
Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) Gap. Capable of

Starboard side of Sentry AEW.1 ZH104/04 from No.8 Squadron about to taxy out on a Combined Qualified Weapons Instructors
Course at RAF Lossiemouth in September 2005 with squadron markings returned to that side following the previous pooled use
with No.23 Squadron, all lettering and numerals now in dark grey, and both No.54 Squadron and NAEWF badges on the nose.

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

Underside view of Sentry AEW.1 ZH102/02
from No.8 Squadron overhead RAF Leuchars in
September 2012 showing the wingtip LORAL
pods, displaced trailing HF aerials inboard, and
the CFM56 engines of the RAF’s E-3D as well as
the extended leading edge and trailing flap
arrangement along with the extensive aerial
fit along the ventral centreline.
unrefuelled flight from their home bases to
Cuba, the latter could thereafter approach the
UK from anywhere to the west. An AEW solution
was required and by coincidence a reduction in
Royal Navy fixed-wing carrier operations and the
introduction of the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod by
the RAF provided both surplus Avro Shackleton
MR.2 aircraft and AN/APS-20 radars from
redundant Fairey Gannet AEW.3s. Combining the
two resulted in the Avro Shackleton AEW.2,
which entered service with No. 8 Squadron in
1972 as a temporary measure that remained
operational until 1991. Although this made the
quickest and easiest use of available assets, the
UK aviation industry had continued to propose
several alternatives based on a wide range of
existing and proposed large military and civil
aircraft projects during the intervening period,
although none had been pursued. Many of
these featured the principle of Fore and Aft
Mounted Radar Scanners (FASS) with which
influential figures at the Royal Radar
Establishment (RRE) were somewhat fixated and
promoted as the oft-touted but rarely achieved
‘Holy Grail’ of making the UK a ‘world leader’ in
that (or any) technological field.
The Shackleton AEW.2 entered service with its
successor already being sought for which the
weird, wonderful and occasionally possible
continued to be promoted. Included among
these was consideration of the Grumman E-2
Hawkeye then operational with the US Navy,
although judged unsuitable by the RAF on
practical grounds of endurance and crew
comfort. While little could be done to alter the
latter, a uniquely British solution to the former
was seemingly put forward. Speed disparity
between the E-2 and the RAF’s Handley Page
Victor tankers along with the relative close
proximity of any fuselage mounted probe and
the Hawkeye’s engines were thought impractical
for conventional ‘probe and drogue’ Air-To-Air
Refuelling (AAR). Yet, reversing the process
whereby the E-2 trailed a hose line and the
Victor manoeuvred and maintained formation
behind to capture the drogue with its AAR probe
and then pumped fuel forwards was suggested
instead. Had an ‘E-2K’ ever come to fruition no
doubt this and other inevitable ‘Anglicisation’
modifications would have suitably delayed
production and multiplied costs. However, with
the E-2 as a non-starter consideration was
instead given to several different combinations
of its proven ‘Rotodome’ antennae, radar and
processing systems in a UK-produced airframe,
along with a far less practical choice of ignoring
all the existing technology and going instead for
a completely British solution using FASS
antennas. The outcome was inevitable and in
1977 the ‘world-leading’ Nimrod AEW.3 project
using a yet to be designed Marconi-Elliott radar,
processor and unproven FASS antennae was
given approval. Almost ten years later, in late
1986 following enormous amounts of money
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having been spent and with only a couple of
AEW.3 flying with radar equipment installed but
neither operating effectively nor consistently,
the programme was cancelled and the Boeing E-
3 Sentry ordered instead.
AWACS to E-3D Sentry AEW.1
The E-3 grew from the US Air Force’s 1963
request for an Airborne Warning and Control
System (AWACS) aircraft to replace the Lockheed
EC-121 Warning Star. After due consideration
Boeing based its proposal on the existing 707
airliner family rather than designing a complete
airframe for the task and this was accepted in
mid-1970. Initially Boeing intended replacing
the existing Pratt & Whitney JT3D engines but
those used on the development airframes
showed no loss of performance so they were
retained but in their slightly different TF33
military form. Westinghouse Electric Corporation
and Hughes Aircraft competed to equip the
aircraft, although Westinghouse was quickly
chosen to provide the dorsal Rotodome
irrespective of who supplied the radar. While
Hughes and its reputation for the radar on the F-
15 Eagle seemed to be the frontrunner for this
the contract was finally awarded to
Westinghouse partly because of their use of a
programmable computer system (developed
during the B-57G Tropic Moon programme),
whose software could be modified prior to
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Port quarter view of the nose and cockpit area of an aircraft (2010) with
white lettering stencilling etc. showing detail of the AAR Probe including
refuelling lights to the left of the aircraft identifier, nose undercarriage
and open bay doors, as well as open forward crew door and starboard
inboard engine. It can be seen that the ‘City of Lincoln’ crest, and No.8
Squadron ‘Fighter Bars’ are quite faded and that the airframe is generally
quite dirty.
Port side view of the nose and cockpit area of an aircraft (2012) with dark
grey lettering and yellow stencilling under power with forward nose
undercarriage bay doors closed. Note the freshly painted City of Lincoln
Crest, and No.8 Squadron ‘Fighter Bars’ although the aircraft itself is quite
dirty. Some of the dorsal and ventral aerial fit can be seen as can a
position light mid-fuselage below the Royal Air Force title.
lights, main undercarriage unit, and open centre fuselage main bay
doors below and open emergency exit above.
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
individual missions and provided enhanced below-the-horizon
performance. Ultimately the AN/APY-1 (or later -2) radar system had the
capacity to eliminate surface returns both overland and overwater, provide
both height and distance bearings, had a range of over 250 miles/400 km
and, depending on operating height, provided coverage of over 200,000
square miles/500,000 square km. With information displayed in a variety of
forms on fourteen consoles, and with a wide ranging communications
suite along with downlink capacity to other air and ground assets, the
aircraft was well suited to the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C)
role as it had become.
The first aircraft entered service with the USAF in 1976 and in addition
still serves with France, Saudi Arabia, the NATO Airborne Early Warning
Force (NAEWF), and, following their withdrawal from UK service, they are
entering service with Chile and the US Navy. Different operators have
made specific equipment choices and undergone different upgrades over
the years.
The E-3 Sentry had in fact been mentioned prior to the Nimrod AEW.3
selection but at that time existing platforms were only to be considered if
they were fully operational and proven, which at that time it was not.
Theoretically, following the Nimrod debacle, other options were open for
consideration, but the E-3 was in reality the only viable candidate and,
while left unsaid, it was perhaps the aircraft that the RAF if not the UK
Government had sought all along. For the RAF the variant chosen was
designated the E-3D Sentry AEW.1 and had a change of engine to the
wider bore CFM International CFM56 high-bypass turbofan as also used by
some other non-US operators. Additionally there were some UK-specific
equipment changes. These included the addition of an AAR probe offset to
the starboard side of the existing centreline boom AAR slipway, and fixed
wingtip LORAN ‘Yellow Gate’ ESM pods as carried on the Nimrod MR.2,
which involved relocating the High Frequency radio aerials to above the
wingtips instead of behind. Internal system changes included improved
maritime surveillance radar scanning capability, Joint Tactical Information
Distribution System (JTIDS), and Havequick 2 radio systems.
Sentry In RAF Service
Seven aircraft were delivered and allocated serials in the range of
ZH101-ZH107 (ZH108 was also set aside but never taken up) and they
entered service during 1991 at RAF Waddington as part of what would in
time be named the Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and
Reconnaissance (ISTAR) force. Initially the aircraft were operated by No.8
Squadron replacing the Shackleton AEW.2, but from 1996 their use was
shared with No.23 Squadron, a former Tornado F.3 operator. Each squadron
had its own command structure and personnel and their pooled use of the
aircraft was denoted by No.8 Squadron markings on the port side of the
aircraft and No.23 on the starboard. This practice ended for budgetary
reasons in 2009 when No.23 Squadron disbanded and the aircraft returned
to solely No.8 Squadron control and their markings alone. In 2021 No.23
Squadron was designated as the RAF’s first 'space squadron', and given
responsibility for day-to-day space command-and-control. In 2005 No. 54
Squadron, a former Jaguar operator, was designated as the Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operational Conversion Unit (ISROCU)
and unlike with other aircraft types it was responsible for had its unit
badge applied to the starboard nose below the cockpit. From 2008 No.56
Squadron as the Air Warfare Centre Command and Control Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operational Evaluation Unit (AIR C2ISR
OEU) assumed responsibility for that aspect of Sentry operations although
no unit markings were applied. The aircraft were also available to the NATO
Airborne Early Warning & Control Force (NAEW&CF) as required, subject to
UK commitments, and carried its crest below the cockpit on the starboard
side. In addition to this integration of the UK aircraft, RAF personnel served
as part of the multinational NAEW&CF itself providing aircrew, executive,
and support staff for its fourteen E-3As based at Geilenkirchen in Germany.
NAEW&CF membership alone had been previously considered as an
alternative to the purchase of the E-3D but contractual concerns and limits
these might have placed on purely national interest use of the aircraft
weighed against that.
In the AEW&C Role the Sentry was in an entirely different league from
the Shackleton with its seven-inch/eighteen-centimetre radar screens, wax
pencil markers, and shouted intercom/written note inter-crew
communications interpreting World War II technology. This was all done
while wearing flight helmets, parachutes and immersion suits crammed in
a darkened, poorly insulated aircraft vibrating from four deafening piston
engines and their contra-rotating propellers. Instead, on the Sentry crew
worked in flying suit ‘shirt-sleeve’ conditions with lightweight headsets in a
controlled environment with crew-rest facilities monitoring state of the art
daylight readable screens capable of sharing information electronically.
The Shackleton’s crew of nine or ten (with or without second navigator),

including six controllers/operators in the rear, increased to seventeen on
the E-3D with four flight crew, two technicians, and eleven
controllers/operators in the main cabin with the potential to carry relief
crew as required. Their duties were divided between a Mission Crew
Director, Fighter Allocator, three Weapons Controllers, Surveillance
Controller, two Surveillance Operators, Communications Operator, and
ESM Operator. Mission endurance on the CFM56 powered E-3D was
quoted as up to eleven hours without AAR.
Although entering service too late for Operation Granby over Kuwait
and Iraq in early 1991, the RAF’s Sentry made its first operational
deployment the following year when operating from Sicily in support of
UN sanctions over the former Yugoslavia. Thereafter in the following thirty
years of service it took part in every major UK military operation that
followed over the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and most recently Syria,
as well as supporting global exercises and deployments in addition to the
daily routine of UK Air Policing including major events such as the 2012
London Olympics. A quite probably sanitised demonstration of the Sentry’s
capabilities was witnessed during a major exercise at RAF Leuchars in
Scotland during a large Combined Qualified Weapons Instructor’s Course
in the early 2000s. There over fifty combat aircraft of various types were
taking part in a coordinated strike package at a variety of air defence,
airfield, supply and other relevant military targets spread over the width of
the country from Merseyside in the south to the Moray Firth in the north.
With its ‘radar bullseye’ over St. Abbs Head in the Scottish Borders, while
the aircraft itself was well out over the North Sea the Sentry downlinked
the live ‘big picture’ of both red and blue forces in graphic form to a large
screen showing every element as they progressed through the mission.
While I have no doubt that the information was downgraded for our
civilian eyes, it was none the less impressive for this and well-illustrated the
aircraft’s capabilities. Even in situations such as over Afghanistan with little
or no air threat, such capabilities made the aircraft an invaluable resource
in controlling airspace and ensuring communications for and between
multiple operators where terrain and lack of infrastructure would
otherwise limit it.
From 2011 the numbers of effective airframes had begun to dwindle
and for budgetary reasons none of the hoped for major upgrades had ever
taken place leaving the RAF fleet at a growing disadvantage when working
alongside allied equivalents. Despite this the 2015 Strategic Defence and
SCALED UP
Port main wing,
engines , rear fuselage
with rotodome, and tail
with No. 8 Squadron
markings of an aircraft
(2010) with white
lettering stencilling
showing the white
warning spiral on the
engine centre cone,
rotodome support
pylons, and antennae
markings. The fin top
HF ‘Spike’ and root pitot
can be seen, as well as
the vortex generators
along the top of the
main wing and under
the tailplane.
Security Review (SDSR) stated an intention to keep the E-3D in service until
2035 but this was reversed in early 2019 with the announcement that they
would instead be replaced by five Boeing E-7 Wedgetails from 2023,
although this order was reduced to three two years later. In early August
2019 the final Sentry operational deployment to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as
part of Operation Shader against Daesh in Syria and Iraq, which had also
supported Operation Fortis with the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 21
including HMS Queen Elizabeth, was completed when the aircraft involved
returned to RAF Waddington. Following this No.8 Squadron activity wound
down towards its eventual disbandment at RAF Waddington on 28
September pending a promised return as the Wedgetail AEW.1 operator at
RAF Lossiemouth in due course. At that time three Sentries remained on
strength, of which two were reported airworthy.
Usually such a withdrawal from service would have seen sufficient
personnel remaining on hand briefly until any aircraft could be delivered
either to their final resting place or new operator. The observant may,
however, have noticed that one or other of the survivors has regularly
taken to the air since (up to time of writing in June 2022) making neat
circles on radar tracking sites, usually as ‘SOLEX 01’, or more literally seen
drawing similar big signature contrails in the sky for hours on end. This has
been so that remaining aircraft remained airworthy and crew proficiency
was maintained pending their sale to the Fuerza Aérea de Chile and
thereafter providing necessary conversion training. The contract was
finalised early 2022, ground school began in March, and the first training
flights started in May with ZH103 and ZH106 still in No.8 Squadron
markings with ZH101 included as a spares source prior to deliveries
beginning in July that year. Prior to this ZH104 had been flown to Lake
Charles Chennault International Airport in Louisiana in early 2020 pending
sale to the US Navy in mid-2021 for conversion there to a TE-6B airborne
crew trainer to conserve hours on the operational Boeing E-6B Hermes
fleet, and should enter service during the second-half
of 2023.
Sentry AEW.1 Colours and Markings
The Sentry entered service with the Cold War already at an end and with
the RAF moving away from a decade-long practice of painting larger
aircraft in Camouflage Beige (often referred to as Hemp) to render them
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less conspicuous on the ground. Instead grey,

designed to render them less conspicuous while
flying at medium to high altitude, was in vogue
with overall Satin Camouflage Grey BS381c:626
being the shade of choice. This was notoriously
prone to weathering down to a matt finish and
susceptible to patchy fading and staining.
Possibly because of the size of the aircraft this
was less obvious on the Sentry than on smaller
aircraft until seen close-up and it was not until
the early 2010s, after twenty years of service,
that at least some of the fleet received a repaint.
One noticeable feature of what was a single
colour paint scheme was that in some conditions
there was a noticeable demarcation with a
slightly different tone on the lower fuselage from
a vague start in the area below the forward crew
door. Other than different shades of grey being
used for the nose radome and some other aerials
the major exception to the overall grey colour
scheme was the black rotodome with its wide
Lower starboard rear fuselage of an aircraft (2012) with dark grey lettering and yellow stencilling white central strip. As was typical for aircraft in
with the APU exhaust below the emergency exit, with the open intake hatch forward. Some of the the grey colour scheme, small low-visibility pale
ventral centreline aerial fit and a red position beacon can be seen below while the rear face of the blue/pink national markings were carried
wingtip LORAL pod with HF ‘Spike’ aerial beyond can be seen mid right of the image. although many of the safety markings were in
yellow instead of the more usual subdued tones.
Serials, ‘Royal Air Force’ titles, individual aircraft
identifiers in the 01-07 range corresponding
with serial (carried on the tail and centreline
above the cockpit windscreen) and some
servicing data were originally in white but later
changed to
dark grey.
Unit markings using emblems from the
squadron crest were applied in full colour on the
tail with a Sheathed Arabian Dagger for No.8
Squadron and an Eagle for No.23 Squadron.
Conversely, squadron colours in subdued tones
were carried in the form of ‘Fighter Bars’ either
side of the fuselage roundel with horizontal
yellow/blue/pink stripes for No.8 Squadron and
vertical blue/pink stripes for No.23 Squadron. As
previously mentioned, aircraft carried No.8
Squadron markings on both sides until 1996,
then No.8 to port and No.23 to starboard during
pooled use until 2009 before returning to No.8
on both sides until withdrawal in 2021. When
carried the No.54 Squadron badge (rear) and
Starboard wing looking inboard on an aircraft (2012) with dark grey lettering and yellow stencilling NAEWF&C badges (forward) below the starboard
with LORAL pod in the foreground, and displaced trailing HF ‘Spike’ aerial inboard. Note engine cockpit windows were in full colour, as was the
pods with exhaust and pylon detail, and lowered leading and trailing edge wing flaps, as well as City of Lincoln crest on a white background
some of the dorsal spine aerial detail. The aircraft is under power with the centre fuselage main below the port cockpit windows. During its
undercarriage bay doors closed. thirty years of service the Sentry was given
special markings to celebrate significant
Close-up of the anniversaries of its operating squadrons, usually
starboard nose area involving oversize representations of unit
of an aircraft (2005) emblems and colours around the tail and/or
with white lettering fuselage markings. These included No.54
stencilling, showing Squadron’s centenary in 2016 with a lion design
the AAR probe and on the tail and squadron crest on the rotodome
refuelling lights pylon although the few images available were all
offset towards the taken on the ground and seem to avoid
centreline, sealant identifying which aircraft was used. Just as the
around the cockpit Shackleton AEW.2s were named after ‘Magic
windows and Roundabout’ characters, so each of the E-3D
strengthening carried the name of one of the seven dwarves
panels between, from ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (Doc,
discharge strips Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, and
along the nose Bashful in serial order) originally in white below
radome, tagged the cockpit windows but latterly on the crew
covers on the air toilet wall.
data sensors below Unless stated otherwise all of the images used were
the cockpit, No.23 taken by the author at airshows or during exercises
Squadron ‘Fighter at RAF Leuchars, Lossiemouth and Kinloss. Close-
Bars’ on the fuselage, up detail shots are of different aircraft at different
and NAEWF Crest on times and places illustrating a variety of detail
the nose. marking styles.

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
S C A L E D U P K I TO G R A P HY
T
he only actual injection-moulded kit of the
E-3D Sentry AEW.1 in any scale was that
released in 1/72 by Airfix several times in
the early 1990s when both it and Heller were
part of the same multinational and shared a
number of moulds with each releasing variations
for their respective home markets with different
detail parts and decals where appropriate. In the
case of the E-3D, this had originated with the
mid-1980s Heller-produced Boeing 707, which in
turn had led to that company releasing their
USAF/NATO E-3A AWACS in 1987 (although with
civil JT3D engines rather than the military TF33
engines). This was also reboxed by Gunze Sanyo.
For their E-3D release Airfix had added UK-
specific parts, such as new wingtips with integral
LORAL pods and replacement over-wing HF
Aerial fairings, along with the common AAR
probe and CFM56 engines shared with French E-
3Fs, for which they perhaps also rather cheekily
included a decal option. During the late 1990s,
while still in association with Airfix, the kit was
re-released by Heller at least twice with the
additional parts but noticeably without an RAF
decal option. Subsequently, both companies
were sold-off separately and more recent Heller
releases have gone back to the original
USAF/NATO part options without the E-3D/F
sprue so quite possibly neither company has
rights to both elements. Combat Conversions
have offered a 1/72 resin conversion set
essentially covering the same parts as Airfix had
added for the E-3D, although possibly more
detailed, along with an extensive double decal
sheet with full stencilling as well as markings
options for aircraft in some of the Anniversary
schemes. Less extensive but perhaps the crucial
part of any conversion have been sets of four
resin CFM56 engines offered by Air Graphics,
64 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
Modelling the E-3D Sentry AEW.1
Contrails Conversions, DB Conversions, and
Flightpath, who also provide a photoetch set
with aerial overlays and details. Conversely if
considering cross-kitting a full set of injection
moulded CFM56 engine parts were released
with the 1995 AMT/ERTL KC-135R and its more
recent Italeri KC-135R and Heller C-135FR
reboxings.
Back in 2011 Welsh models released their
multi-media E-3D Sentry AEW.1 in 1/144 Scale
with vac-form fuselage, resin wings and detail
parts, along with a decal sheet including a No.8
Squadron Anniversary colour scheme. All the
injection-moulded kits in smaller scales have
focused on the related E-3A USAF/NATO variants
and in some cases have been re-releases of older
Boeing 707 kits with associated JT3D/TF33
engine issues. In 1977 Nitto released an E-3A in
1/100 scale based on its slightly older Boeing
707, which was subsequently re-boxed by Entex
Industries and Anmark, and seems to retain
original 707 features such as cabin windows, and
on more than one release has included optional
airliner decals. As far as I can see there are no
aftermarket CFM56 Engines available in this
scale, nor other kit subjects for cross-kitting the
engines although one eBay dealer does offer
what appears to be complete pairs of wings
each with an integrally moulded CFM56 engine
for what seems to be a ‘travel agent style’ late
Boeing 737 model but with no indication if these
are stock or leftover spare items. In 1980 Revell
released their 1/139 scale kit of the E-3A, which
has been re-released over half a dozen times
since under their own and the Revell Kiko label.
This was based on their original 1957 ‘fit the box
scale’ KC-135 Stratotanker kit and over the years
has been frequently released by the company
By Des Brennan
and its various global associates as such or as a
Boeing 707 although in reality this along with
the E-3 were several metres longer. There
appears to be no aftermarket as such for this kit
and with the scale disparity it comes down to a
matter of personal taste to use anything
available in 1/144 scale. In 2009 Minicraft
released the first of several USAF/NATO E-3
boxings including current service chin and
cheek fairings based on their earlier 1999 Boeing
707 airliner. A few years later the company also
started to release a Boeing KC-135 series in the
same scale, of which there have been two
boxings of the KC-135R with CFM56 engines,
which are available separately as accessory pack
14521BC. Alternatively CFM56engines in resin,
for a variety of aircraft types often in packs of
two and requiring pylons to be adapted, have
been released in resin by ATP, Bra.Z and finally
LACI who also include a four engine E-3D/F
specific set in their range.
As far as decals are concerned, the few
aftermarket sheets that have been produced
have been in 1/72 scale and possibly in view of
the kit situation are also no longer in production.
Model Alliance released Sheet MA72162 ‘RAF
ISTAR’s’ with three options for Nos.8/23
Squadrons aircraft including one Anniversary
scheme and one including the No.54 Squadron
and NATO AEWF badges. TwoSix Decals released
Sheet 72-81 with the No.8 Squadron 80th.and
Nos.8/23 Squadrons 90th.Anniversary schemes.
Finally Combat Decals would appear to have
released the two-part decal sheet included with
the conversion parts mentioned previously as
Combat Decals Sheet CD72-008 offering the
same Anniversary schemes covered by TwoSix
but with the full stencilling described.
S P E C I A L H O B B Y M I R AG E I I I P R E V I E W

Yoav Efrati builds and assesses

Special Hobby’s forthcoming
Mirage IIIC in 1/72

IIIC Shachak. As a test shot, the final parts may
differ slightly from the ones shown here. As such
this is really a build-preview of the upcoming kit,
rather than a kit review proper.
Special Hobby's initial release of their Mirage
IIIC is for the Israeli Shachak (Skyblazer or
Meteor) version. It has optional parts to build
any configuration of the Mirage IIICJ except for
the camera-nosed ‘recce’ versions. Optional parts
include two vertical fins, one with integrally
moulded ECM bulges above the rudder – an
option never offered in any Mirage IIIC kit. Both
the clam-shell exhaust Atar 9B, shorter Atar 9C
Dassault Mirage IIIC Shachak exhaust, and associated tail fairings are present.
Other options are early and late external probe
Kit No: SH72352 and antenna configurations.
Scale: 1/72 My test shot didn’t have the external stores
parts tree, so I sourced 1300 Litre underwing fuel
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
tanks from PJ Productions and an 880 Litre
Manufacturer: Special Hobby centerline supersonic fuel tank from IsraCast. I
www.specialhobby.eu also ‘borrowed’ wingtip actuator fairings from a
HiPlane Models Nesher and Shafrir II missiles and
decided to build the Squadron's highest scoring
Shachak - number 768.
Assembly begins with the cockpit, which is
well detailed for this scale. The cockpit is matt
black requiring some dry-brushing to highlight
the detail. The ejection seat is a five-part
assembly with separate seat cushions, which
facilitates the addition of seat belts. The joystick
and one-piece clear gunsight are also well
detailed and can be attached just prior to
closing up the canopy. The fuselage halves have
a well-defined cockpit location, which facilitates
ease of assembly while avoiding gaps at the
nose. The area above the deep and well-detailed
nose-gear bay was an excellent location to add
some nose ballast. I inserted a telescoping metal
rod and tubing into the nose cone to replace the
kit's, potentially fragile, plastic one. The teardrop
pitot tip was made using a drop of superglue,
sanded to shape after it had hardened.
Before closing the fuselage halves, the Atar 9B
clamshell exhaust halves were painted and

I
recently had the privilege of being the first rails from Special Hobby's Super Mystere/Sa'ar assembled, which left their joint line highly
model builder in the world to build a test shot kit. As the use of the Shafrir II was exclusive to visible, so I had to fill, sand and repaint the
of Special Hobby's newly-tooled 1/72 Mirage the 117 Squadron during the War of Attrition, I exhaust. I’d suggest cementing the halves

Cockpit and combing sprayed Mr. Surfacer 1500 Black and pitot joint line
A photo of Mirage IIIC ‘768’ in the markings of 117 First Jet Squadron sanded smooth, even with some dry brushing, Mirage cockpits in this
during the 1970-73 time period. scale are rather dark holes!

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
 S P E C I A L H O B B Y M I R AG E I I I P R E V I E W

A metal tube and rod was inserted into a piece of sprue prior to closing the fuselage halves. Note
the useful room for nose-weight stowage above the nose wheel bay.

Special Hobby’s depiction of the Martin Baker

Mk 4 ejection seat provides separate cushions,
an arrangement that facilitates the addition of
seat belts made of Tamiya Tape stripe.

To prevent the inadvertent breakage of the shock-cone tips, I cemented plastic strip behind them
Each engine exhaust-fairing half was as a reinforcement, which I trimmed to shape once dry.
cemented to its corresponding fuselage half
first to ensure a smooth fuselage contour was
maintained.

To avoid the centreline seam line seen in this

photo, the two-part Atar 9B clamshell
afterburner should be cemented, and the joint A small gap on the starboard-side intake base was filled using Plasticard. The port hand side was
line filled prior to painting. fine, so I’m puzzled as to what happened here.

together first and cleaning up the joint prior to
painting. The exhaust was painted using steel,
matt black, Revell Light Grey (371) and a mix of
the Light Grey with some green. The fuselage
halves and lower forward section were
cemented together using Tamiya Extra Thin
Cement, which forms an external ‘weld bead’.
After a couple of days hardening, this could be
sanded out without leaving a ghost-seam line.
With fuselage seam lines sorted, I was able to
assemble the intakes. When removing one of the
intake shock cones from the sprue, I
inadvertently broke the forward tip, as the
recessed panel line here makes it very fragile.
The solution to this problem is to cement plastic
rod underneath to strengthen it. I realize this
sacrifices a little accuracy to the tip when viewed
from the front, but I prefer this to it breaking off
later and being irreparable. Perhaps it’s not too
late to change the tooling to strengthen the
area? Next to be added was the vertical fin and
the forward-fuselage locating hole for it needed
to be opened up a little for this to fit.
On to the lower wing section, holes were
drilled for the pylons and control surface
actuator fairings. The lower wing has antennas
and reinforcement plates not applicable to the
Shachak, so these were scraped and sanded off
and the recessed detail reinstated with a razor
saw. The gun-pack panel insert for the Shachak is
part C14. Dry fitting showed it sat proud of the
surrounding surface, and even though I
increased the depth of its locating ridges it still
sat too proud of the surrounding surface after
painting. In retrospect, I’d suggest also thinning
the edges of the insert piece too prior to
attachng it.
The upper wing surfaces were a perfect fit to
the lower wing with no filler required at the
wing roots. The speed brakes and wing trailing
edge control surfaces are moulded integrally
with the upper wings and this simplifies
assembly and results in streamlined upper
surfaces and sharp recessed panel line detail. I
used thicker Revell Contacta cement to glue the
wings to avoid liquid cement warping the wings
due to internal pooling. This left a gap along the
leading edges of the lower wings, which was
filled with an acetone based filler. I could then
remove excess filler using nail-polish remover
(Acetone) and leave the details undamaged
The model’s main colour scheme was painted
using enamels, including Testors Model Master
Duck Egg Blue FS36622 (1722), and Xtracolor
Sand FS33531 (X105), Green FS34227 (X148) and
Tan FS30219 (X102). Landing gear, gear door
interiors, and intakes were silver. The fin tip and
leading edge antenna, along with the spine
antenna fairing, were painted Revell Light Grey.
Once dry the enamels were sprayed with a layer
of Pledge Future Klear gloss thinned with
alcohol for fast drying. The landing gear and
doors were then added and have a positive fit –
I did have to widen the wheel openings slightly
for the main gear legs to fit but this was due to
the use of thick superglue.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 67

S P E C I A L H O B B Y M I R AG E I I I P R E V I E W

Special Hobby provide an optional vertical fin with an ECM fit above the
rudder, which has not been seen before in any other Mirage kit.

A small gap on the starboard-

side intake base was filled
using Plasticard. The port hand
side was fine, so I’m puzzled as
to what happened here.

Dry fitting the fin

to the fuselage.
Ensure that the
attachment holes
are not obstructed
by any cement These lower wing antenna and reinforcement plates are not applicable
that dried during to the Shachak so had to be removed.
fuselage assembly.

Part C14 is the correct cannon pack for the Shachak. Scraping the inner The upper wing halves are accurately contoured, with sharp leading and
flanges shown in red still didn’t give a totally flush fit with the lower trailing edges. The sprue attachments are cleverly located at the wing
fuselage. Next time I’ll chamfer the panel’s underside edges too. roots and position lights to minimise potential damage from the clean-up.

As a test shot, no decals were supplied, so I
used IsraDecal sheet IAF-34. This was designed
to fit previous Mirage IIIB/C kit releases, so
perhaps unsurprisingly the red walkway
boundary stripes were found to be short, and
had to be extended using segments from
another sheet. Additional stencils were also
sourced from an AML Mirage IIIC kit. The decals
were applied using Future Klear as a surfacer and
protective layer, and this also protects the
enamel paint from the oil paint and mineral
spirits weathering process that followed. The
recessed details were enhanced using a well-
thinned wash of Payne’s Grey oil paint that gave
a subdued medium-grey panel line
enhancement. The addition of Burnt Siena to the
Payne’s Grey created some grimy oil stains for
the underside.
The model was now sealed with a matt coat
mixed from Tamiya Flat Base (X-21), Future Klear
and seventy percent isopropyl alcohol. The fuel
tanks were given a black primer coat followed by
a top coat of AK Polished Aluminium (AK481)
with their pylons in Revell Silver (90). Afterwards
they were sealed with a layer of Future Klear and
the panel lines washed with thinned enamel
matt black. The Shafrir II missile nose section was

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
 S P E C I A L H O B B Y M I R AG E I I I P R E V I E W

The wraparound upper-

wing leading-edge joint
line was filled with
AMMO putty and
cleaned up with acetone
(nail polish remover).

The fit of the upper

wing with the fuselage
is perfect too.

The canopy and

windshield are
thick enough to
withstand finger
pressure when
gluing them, yet
have glass-like
clarity. The
forward edge of
the windshield
does require
some slight
trimming to fit
perfectly though.
Despite my careful cleanup of the joints, I
still had to restore the leading edge intakes
(and the starboard forward intake) using
half-round plastic rod. The kit’s landing gear
and doors are simple to
attach with a positive
fit and alignment.
The characteristic Israeli
upper-surface camouflage
painted with Xtracolor paints.

An oil paint wash of Payne’s Grey oil provides a more subtle medium-grey Wiping away excess oil paint to varying degrees allows the modeller to
panel line enhancement that looks a lot more realistic than a darker one control how clean or dirty the aeroplane appears, and shows off the kit’s
would. Here it is just drying before being carefully wiped away. refined panel lines too.

first drilled to accept a reflective lens, prior to
painting it gloss white. The Shafrir II’s forward
and rear fins were made of a dark brown
composite material locally known as Makarta for
which Humbrol gloss Dark Brown (10) is a good
match. The rear fins’ stabiliser rollers were picked
out in silver. Two red bands were sourced from a
Hannants assorted-red-stripe decal sheet, while
the missile tip identification number came from
the IsraDecal sheet. Reflective lenses for the
lower nose, upper wing and Shafrir II missile
seeker heads were attached using 5-minute clear
epoxy, which was also used to cement the
external stores onto the model. The wing tip
triangular-position lights came from clear epoxy
too, painted clear red on the port and clear blue
to starboard. Finally the angled pitot on the port
side of the nose was attached.
Special Hobby’s kit firmly relegates this
company's ‘limited run’ reputation into the past,
and in my opinion places them amongst the
current leaders of the kit manufacturing
industry. Fifty-five years have passed since the
Shachak made history in the first three hours of
the 1967 Six Day War and it has been an elusive
subject for the model enthusiast ever since. Well,
I’d say the wait is over.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 69

S P E C I A L H O B B Y M I R AG E I I I P R E V I E W

Special Hobby's Mirage IIIC offers shape

accuracy and sharp finely recessed panel-line
detail. It is simple to assemble with excellent fit,
and offers multiple configurations (and weapons
options I am told). The modeller can build any
Shachak to have seen service with Israeli Air
Force between 1962 and 1982 with this kit.

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

My AIMS is True
Kit No: 03988
Scale: 1/32
Type: Injection Moulded Plastic
Manufacturer: Revell
www.revell.de
T
he Ju 388 was very nearly a ‘what if’ aircraft,
the pinnacle of the basic Ju 88 airframe
development programme. Initially borne
out of the fear of B-29s joining the USAF’s assault
on Germany, it was originally designed to be
used in the High-Altitude Fighter role but this
An overview of the AIMS conversion parts.
Ju 388L-1 Conversion in 1/32
By Gordon Scott
was subsequently changed to Reconnaissance
for the L variant and Heavy Night Fighter for the
J variant.
The Ju 388 was one of five aircraft types
(others being the Arado 234, Ta 154, Do 335, and
Me 262) earmarked for continued production in
order to enable the continuance of the
Luftwaffe’s efforts into 1946, and many hundreds
of both L and J variants had been ordered by
August 1944. However, due to manufacturer in-
fighting, political lobbying, official indifference,
ignorance, and Germany’s change of
circumstances, by March 1945 not a single Ju
388 of either variant was left on the order books
although approximately eighty Ls and just two
Js had been produced. Some were trialled at the
Luftwaffe’s’ EKdo but never reached the altitude
and performance promised, largely due to
engine and pressure cabin issues. 20/20
hindsight shows it was to RAF Bomber
Command’s advantage as the airframes and/or
components would probably have gone into
producing new Ju 88-G6 and G7 night fighters or
Ju 188s. Germany’s situation was summed up
pretty well in a letter from a German airman to
his mother when he said that the Luftwaffe had
total air superiority up to a height of two metres
AIMS’ comprehensive instructions and the
decal sheet offering seven aircraft.
Work started with necessary
modifications to the fuselage.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VoluME 44 • ISSuE 07
J u 388 l - 1
as he watched P-51’s destroy his airfield. So far I
have been unable to locate any record of
operational use of either the L or J variant.
I bought a first edition AIMS Ju 388L
conversion a few years ago from Hannants after
seeing it at Scale ModelWorld. I looked at it then
put it safely away, waiting for a Revell Ju 88 to
cut up at a reasonable price. The conversion kit
has a number of quite large resin parts; nose, tail,
engine cowlings, bodenweine under fuselage
pannier, a large etched brass sheet, two
vacformed canopies, a pair of Master gun
barrels, and a decal sheet with markings for
seven aircraft. The instructions are all in colour
on twenty-two A4 sized pages. All resin parts are
nicely cast with minimal clean up, all offering a
good level of detail.
I’ve built more than a couple of Revell’s Ju 88
A-1s and A-4s and this build uses the A-4 boxing,
primarily because the upper fuselage needs no
alterations - not much of it will be used though;
fuselage, wings, undercarriage, empennage and
a few cockpit details, and as enough has been
written about this kit already I won’t bore you.
Your spares box, of course, will benefit greatly.
Every modeller has their own method of
building a kit. I always plan to eliminate as much
AIMS’ replacement
tail parts are an
excellent fit.
71
J u 388 L - 1
The fit of the Bodenweine pannier is fairly
good, needing just a little trimming and filling.
Engine and undercarriage dry fit.
Upper engine mods.
awkward sanding as possible on a complete
airframe. I identify all the parts I can glue
together that will require joints sanding, have a
mass gluing session, then after twenty-four
hours a wet sanding session, before a good
clean up with washing-up liquid and hot water.
The resin parts had all the resin pour plugs
removed with a saw when wet to minimise
sanding dust. Then the parts were soaked in hot
water with some bleach added to remove any
release agent traces, rinsed, and left to dry on
kitchen towel.
Working with sub-assemblies enables me to
build in more-or-less any order that takes my
fancy and is a big help when storing the
completed aircraft. For this build I largely
followed AIMS’ instructions except for the
canopy as they pretty much mirror my own
method of construction. The resultant sub-
assemblies for this build were canopy,
empennage, wings, engines, undercarriage,
props, fuselage and cockpit.
I recommend that you begin with dry fitting
the canopy while the nose is still a separate part
because it’s easier to deal with when not part of
the fuselage. The vacformed canopies in my kit
did not have a well-defined cut line so much dry
fitting and many small cuts were made until I got
the fit as close as possible, but to get the nose
cap and canopy to meet at their interface I had
to reduce the height of the cockpit walls by
scraping with a new scalpel blade. The nose cap
was a bit too small for the lower fuselage so
thinking I had made a mistake cutting it out I
removed the other nose cap but the fit was the
same. Convinced I couldn’t have made exactly
the same mistake twice I carefully sanded the
resin nose back along its length until a good fit
with the nose cap was obtained. The two canopy
glazing frames/cabin pressure seals moulded to
the cockpit sides had taken a beating during the
fitting process so they were copied and replaced
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 excellent
AIMS engine
components
Extensions added to flying surfaces.
with plastic card secured with superglue. The
pair of moulded longerons from the front of the
wing root to the nose cap had also suffered
during the nose cap sanding process so what
was left was sanded off completely and replaced
with two strips of Halfords aluminium foil. The
canopy and nose cap were given two or three
separate dips in Klear and left to dry thoroughly
but weren’t particularly clear when dry so were
stripped off with Fairey power-spray and another
attempt to improve clarity made using Alclad’s
‘Klearcote’. This didn’t go at all well so the canopy
was treated to another Fairey power spray bath,
dried, and left as it was for the time being.
While you’re working on the nose it’s a good
time to drill out the location holes for the
extension/retraction jack for the cockpit entry
door, and to cut out then dry fit the two lower
cabin windows from clear plastic sheet.
Something you won’t find out until work on
the cockpit is well advanced is that you need to
remove parts of the starboard cockpit wall to
accommodate the three recessed boxes
attached to the rear of the brass sidewall, so
remove them now, as it saves having to remove
resin pieces and dust from the nearly complete
cockpit, as I had to.
So with the bare bones of the nose completed
I began work on the empennage. If my life
depended on it I can’t cut a straight line without
a ruler so if you’re accurate when removing the
plastic tail tips along their panel lines and
elevators you’ll avoid a lot of sanding. It really
helps stability if you drill holes in the resin tips
and install plastic rod or wire for joint re-
enforcement because if you don’t you’ll be
re-attaching the tips a number of times when
they break off whilst sanding the joint. With
these done the aileron extensions followed
without drama.
The wing upper and lower halves were joined
AIMS’ resin fan and engine block.
The resin cockpit has some
nice moulded-in detail.
then the resin tip extensions added. These have
good chunky tabs, which slot into Revell’s wings
resulting in a positive, strong union. Once set the
joints were sanded and just a hint of filler
applied along the seams. While sanding the
leading edge I managed to open a number of
small air bubble holes along the leading edge of
the resin extensions but these were easily
resolved using Perfect Plastic putty wiped off
with a barely damp finger once the filler had set.
With the wings together the undercarriage
bays were tackled. The Revell parts had their
cowling rings removed as per AIMS’ instructions,
then the resin cowlings were dry fitted and the
detached Revell bay sides were located and
glued to the wing followed by the wheel bay
door fairing. Once dry the resin cowlings were
removed for fitting later.
The undercarriage legs were assembled and
left to set because I wanted to drill some holes in
them. I’ve found out the hard way that these are
the kit’s weak points - look at them too hard and
the axle and/or upper locating pins snap so both
axle and the locating pins were removed and
holes drilled to accept short pieces of brass rod
to give a solid undercarriage. Once the legs were
painted, the towing links and brake lines were
added using lead wire then put aside for later
installation.
The fuselage came next and as can be seen
not much is actually used. I assembled Revell’s
parts minus the front wing spar and let them set,
and while waiting for the glue to cure I looked at
AIMS’ new tail. It’s very good but it requires the
two empennage spars inserting. AIMS
recommend either removing the thicker middle
part of Revell’s spar and enlarging the holes in
the tail section, and while either or both will
work, I simply replaced both spars with items cut
from plastic card set with superglue. AIMS’ resin
nose had Revell’s front wing spar inserted into
the rear and again superglued, then both were

The cockpit fully embellished with some
additions from an Eduard He 219 set.
The strengthened undercarriage. Revell’s parts
benefit from a little beefing up with brass rod.
left overnight to set. I use thick, odour free
superglue as the thin type makes my nose run
like a tap. I realise leaving it to set overnight
defeats the whole superglue ethic but I’ve found
that superglue setter tends to leave you with a
brittle joint and not being a ‘rush to get it
finished’ modeller I would rather have a more
robust, less brittle joint.
Once the plastic fuselage had set, I made the
two cuts front and rear then attached the tail
section, which fitted like a glove. The new nose
followed and required a small amount of
encouragement to get it aligned, but it fitted
well. Both were secured with superglue and then
left to set (the nose would have fitted that much
better if I could cut a straight line). The resin tail
fin had its base sanded flat then installed and all
was put aside to set.
I mentioned that I don’t have a lot of space to
display completed kits so for aircraft of this size I
always try to ensure that the wings, propellers,
and flying surfaces are removable. Once both
the fuselage and wings had fully set a number of
dry test fits were carried out to get the best wing
fuselage fit possible, the port wing fitted really
well straight away but the starboard wing
leading edge, as far back as the front spar,
needed a 10 thou insert to close a small gap
along the upper edge. The tail fin etc. fitted like
gloves.
Once the wing/fuselage, tail/fuselage
An aft view of the fully-
embellished cockpit.
The finished kit can be stored
in the original Revell box.
interface had been sorted out and separated my
attention turned to the bodenweine under
fuselage pannier. The moulded rear of the air
intake in the front stands above the level of the
bodenweine’s sides so it’s never going to lie flat
along the aircraft’s underside and I wasn’t going
to dig a hole into the fuselage to take it so I cut
that off. In late prototype/early pre-production
aircraft the voltage to the rear guns was
reduced, which cured an overheating problem
and the opening was simply plated over and
that’s what I did later in the build with
aluminium tape. I used a curved blade to thin
down the inside walls of the pannier to improve
the fit then gradually reduced the front and rear
curve until I arrived at a reasonable fit. It’s just a
tiny bit wider than the fuselage and after paring
away the inside edge I didn’t have much side
wall left to sand back from the outside, but after
filling the gaps up to the lower wing fillet you
lose the gap and can’t see this. The lower
periscope fairing was fitted and this required the
base filing to shape and some filler around it. I
did consider cutting out the two camera ports
and access doors but as it’s doubtful cameras
were ever fitted to a Ju 388 airframe I decided
against it.
The cowlings are well moulded, substantial
resin castings giving a good external
representation of the BMW 801 TJ units with
separate resin turbo intakes and etched cooling
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VoluME 44 • ISSuE 07
J u 388 l - 1
flaps. AIMS supply the same basic internal BMW
301 units found within the Ju 88G and Ju 188
kits as John quite rightly states that once the
propeller and cooling fan are located you can’t
see much behind them. The illustration on the
AIMS instruction sheet is very dark and can
barely be seen but making the fans with the
resin and etched parts is very easy. Holes are
already provided along the edge of the resin
backplate. Propellers came next. The hubs are
really good and were drilled to take short wire
supports to locate and strengthen the propeller
blade joint. Some of the resin blades had air
bubbles so I used a few plastic Revell blades
from the spares box, and once painted I defy
anyone to be able to tell which are plastic and
which are resin. Both were dry fitted then
removed for painting. The spinner caps require
the apertures widened to fit over the hubs.
Incidentally, the aircraft I modelled was found
with only the starboard spinner fitted so I’ve only
fitted one spinner cap.
The AIMS undercarriage doors had suffered a
bit in transit so I thought I’d use the Revell
undercarriage doors as these have good
attachment points and no fit issues. These
required the upper leading-edge corners to be
rounded off and some strengthening strips
added to the inside face - easily accomplished
using the AIMS parts as patterns. Once done they
were set aside to be painted and attached later.
73
J u 388 L - 1
So, what’s left? I constructed the tail wheel
components and removed the mudguard. It was
a bit of a fiddle to get them fitted into the resin
tail bay but by drilling holes into the bulkheads
and Revell’s mating points, and fitting short
lengths of wire, it is much easier to build and a
stronger assembly results.
That really just left the cockpit. An evening
constructing the three seats and then installing
the recesses into the starboard etched brass side
ensued. Once set the side wall was test fitted
and the need to remove resin from the sidewall
discovered. The pilot’s seat base had Revell’s
pedal brackets adjusted to fit instead of simply
extending the AIMS parts as per their
instructions and Revell’s seat springs/levers
added to AIMS multipart seat. Seatbelts came
from Eduard but AIMS supply them on the
etched sheet if you like painting your own. I
decided to install the engineer’s seat in its
operating position rather than stored between
the pilot and radio operator’s seats, then began
assembling the extensive brass sidewall details.
Eduard He 219 set parts helped to enhance the
cockpit with dials etc. AIMS and Revell decals
were used to fill the blank brass dials and some
scratch building generally improved the overall
look of the cockpit.
Once happy with the cockpit round three with
the canopy began. The mating surfaces are only
the thickness of the vacformed parts and they
were very flexible so I tacked the nose cap onto
the lower fuselage with dabs of Deluxe Glue ‘n’
Glaze window formula and once that had dried I
ran some superglue into the joint. Once dry a bit
more sanding and filling work was required to
blend the corners into the airframe, so, to
prevent the filler being seen from within, the
canopy frames were masked and painted. Once
dry the outer frames were masked and more de-
luxe filler was applied to the corners, then wiped
off with a damp finger until the step had gone
I dry fitted the canopy and although the initial
dry fit was good, I now had a gap along the front
central frame interface so a new blade was used
to remove material from the canopy bottom to
close the gap gradually. Once it was as close as I
could get it, it was removed, the panes were
masked, and the canopy frames sprayed RLM 66.
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
The other canopy was tacked into place with
Maskol as a cockpit mask and the main airframe
readied for painting. AIMS Show a number of
canopy moisture trap variations linked to decal
options on page 10 of their instructions but,
frankly, I was pretty much funned out with the
canopy at this stage so I used sponge to mask
the entrance hatch and then began to cut and fit
the two under fuselage windows in the nose.
These were framed with aluminium tape
embossed with a rivet wheel, then masked with
Maskol. Work then began on the entrance door.
The ladder, operating levers, and jack were
constructed from bits of wire. The etched brass
front plate was attached then the retraction
strap was made from a double thickness of
masking tape and fitted later.
AIMS provide an illustration of the Ju 188
camouflage pattern and state that it was
probably used by Junkers and I really can’t
disagree. The obvious discussion topic will be
were RLM 70/71 or 82/83 over RLM 76 used?
Looking at images of the prototypes it appears
to be a safe bet that 70/71 over 65 or 76 was
used on these whilst production aircraft appear
to have been turned out in the late war greens
and RLM 76. Looking at images of the preserved
aircraft it’s obvious that Junkers were still
producing fully primed and painted aircraft and
hadn’t taken the directions issued by the RLM
too seriously stating places such as
undercarriage bays, fuselage interiors etc. should
remain unpainted, so I began painting AIMS’
resin wheels Revell’s legs then the undercarriage
bay interiors. Airframe painting began with
Vallejo RLM 76 on the under surfaces followed
by the upper surfaces being masked to receive a
coat of Vallejo RLM 82 then RLM 83 respectively.
The canopy used as a cockpit mask was
removed and the painted one was attached to
the airframe and couple of thin coats of Klear
were sprayed over the entire aircraft followed by
a water colour burnt umber panel wash - this
dries faster than oils and is easily removable. This
was cleaned up and again sealed with Klear.
After twenty-four hours a mixture of AIMS’ and
Revell’s decals were used. The large AIMS crosses
are a bit brittle, however there was no silvering
and I always remove the clear decal from within
the crosses with a new blade once positioned on
the aircraft. A small amount of weathering based
on period images followed, bearing in mind
these aircraft weren’t flown much, if at all, in fact
delivery mileage by some was probably accrued
by being dragged by horses or oxen to the other
side of the airfield. Once dry the emergency raft
release line was installed using lead wire, then
the Masters gun barrels were added to the rear
turret. Everything was sealed with a final coat of
sprayed semi-gloss varnish, masking was
removed, and the entrance door, wheels,
propellers, antenna, masts installed. Finally the
PVE 11 globes were given a dunk in Klear and
added to complete the model.
Was it worth the effort? Well if you want a Ju
388 it’s the only way other than scratch building
that I’m aware of. This conversion relies on you to
put in some research, effort and modelling skills
to get the result you want, and like any other kit
it doesn’t build itself and you’ll have to use filler,
but very little. I don’t think it hurts to build
something rather than simply assemble
something, and this is a cracking first major
conversion kit to make because all you need are
basic modelling skills - cutting, gluing, filling,
and sanding. That’s it, nothing clever.
I always have an idea before I start a kit of how
it should end up looking when complete. This
one didn’t end up looking as I envisaged. I began
with the intention of completing a prototype
with standard splinter camouflage and regret
now not continuing with this as I think it would
look a far better aircraft, but the lure of late war
Luftwaffe schemes got the better of me and I’m
not really convinced by the finished colours. I
suppose I could re-paint it but not just now. I
found the canopy and nose cap cutting/fitting
trying but not difficult, but honestly that’s as bad
as things got. It’s a really good introduction into
resin conversions and I can say it was thoroughly
enjoyable. If you fancy trying something
different and don’t want to risk abandoning a
disappointing, half-finished project this is
exactly what you need. Well done Revell for an
excellent base kit that facilitates storage without
having to suffer bad joins when assembled, and
AIMS for an equally excellent conversion.
Recommended.
U P D AT E S
CMK
www.specialhobby.eu
Mosquito Undercarriage Wheels
1/72 (ref. 7510)
This set of three wheels, hubs, and
tailwheel undercarriage leg are
designed for use with the Tamiya
and Hasegawa 1/72 kits. The
mainwheel tyres feature
exceptional tread and sidewall
detail along with a suitable
weighted effect to replicate the
poise of the Mosquito at rest. The
wheel hubs are finely engraved
with fastening detail. The
tailwheel has the authentic anti-
shimmy groove around the centre
and is supplied with a black resin
undercarriage leg, which has a
higher level of detail than the kit
part. All of the parts are an
improvement over the standard
kit parts and well worth the
investment.
Mosquito Pilot and Navigator
1/72 (ref. F72378)
These two crew members are
designed to replicate a pilot and
navigator either approaching or
walking from their mosquito,
dressed in their standard issue
flight gear. The level of detail on
the figures is superb, with clear
expressions and natural poses.
Only very minimal clean-up of the
resin parts is required, prior to
careful painting, to make these a
real stand-out addition, which will
provide scale reference.
Mosquito B Mk XVI Control
Surfaces 1/72 (ref.7502)
Any aircraft model can be brought
to life with the addition of slightly
deflected control surfaces to
replicate the weight of the parts
and the effects of the wind on
them. This can pose an issue as
careful cutting and modification is
often required. This set of
eighteen resin parts allows you to
add extra detail to the Airfix
Mosquito B Mk XVI by replacing
the horizontal tail surfaces and
elevators, whilst careful cutting
allows you to add deflected
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
ailerons and flaps to the main
wings to complete the task. The
parts feature surface detail in
keeping with the kit parts so that
the new additions don’t stand out,
but compliment the kit
components. A simple but
effective way to add animation to
this excellent kit.
Lancaster Mk I/III Mainwheels
and Tailskid w/Wheel 1/48
(ref. 4450)
CMK have created a way to add
even more credible detail to the
1/48 HK Models Lancaster with
the addition of this impressive set
of wheels and hubs. The
mainwheels are perfect replicas of
the huge balloon-like tyres found
on the type, with raised surface
detail and tyre information whilst
also depicting the bulged effect
seen when the heavyweight
Lancaster is at rest. These are
joined by highly detailed hubs
featuring suitable fastening detail.
The tailwheel is similarly adorned,
supplied with a sharply cast
strong black resin undercarriage
leg. In all the set includes ten
cleanly cast resin components
that only need the casting blocks
removing to make for a
worthwhile upgrade over the kit
parts.
Canadair CL-13 Sabre Mk 4
Undercarriage Bays 1/48 (
ref. 4446)
A further addition to CMK’s
already impressive line-up of
upgrades for the Airfix 1/48
Canadair CL-13 Sabre, these
undercarriage bays are a great
way of adding more detail to this
well-received model kit. The set
contains fifteen highly detailed
parts including complete
replacement undercarriage bays
and revised undercarriage doors
along with replacement actuation
jacks. Whilst some modification to
the kit parts is required to allow
the resin parts to fit the end result
will easily make up for any time
expended.
KAZAN MODEL
DYNAMICS
www.kazanmodeldynamics.com
F-4B Phantom Wheel Wells
1/48 (ref. KAZ48010TAM)
Designed for the Tamiya family
of kits, Kazan’s new wheel wells
are a direct replacement for the
kit parts, meaning that there is
only the very minimum of
modification required to install
what is a significant upgrade
over the kit parts. All of the
seven parts supplied are 3D
printed in light grey resin with
enhanced surface detail and
cabling replicated to enhance all
three of the Tamiya Phantom’s
wheels wells.
U P D AT E S
RESIN2DETAIL
www.resin2detail.com
R-2800 (Early) Fast Fix 1/48 (ref. R2D48075)
Powering aircraft such as the Vought F4-U
Corsair, Grumman F6F Hellcat and Republic P-47
Thunderbolt amongst many others, this
impressive 1/48 replica of this exceptional power
plant adds a huge improvement in detail over
any kit item we’ve seen, requiring the simple
removal of print supports prior to installation.
The engine features all 18 cylinders as well as a
fine wiring harness and individual bolt detail.
R-1820 Radial Engine Front 1/48
(ref. R2D48220)
Designed as a simple 3D printed upgrade, this
set features a single-part front engine face
suitable for installation in a Boeing B-17 Flying
Fortress, Grumman J2F Duck, Curtiss P-36, or
Douglas SBD Dauntless. Don’t be fooled by the
simplicity though as the level of detail to be
found is superb, with a full ignition harness and
bolt head detail making this a worthy addition
to your model.
USAAF Oxygen Tanks Fast Fix 1/48
(ref. R2D48040).
A set of eight 3D printed USAAF-style oxygen
tanks to add to the interior of your model to
upgrade the kit parts or add additional detail.
The tanks feature a superb representation of the
surface indentations found on the full sized item
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
along with the seam lines found down each side.
B-17 Flying Fortress Control Columns and
Yoke Upgrade 1/48 (ref. R2D48217)
Two 3D printed control columns are included in
this simple to use upgrade set, allowing you to
replace kit parts with scale sized and thickness
components after simply removing and a clean-
up of the print supports.
F-82F Twin Mustang Night Fighter Exhaust
Upgrade 1/48 (ref. R2D48219)
An easy to install upgrade to the Modelsvit kit of
the F-82F, these 3D printed exhausts depict the
correct exhaust design and scale part thickness,
requiring simple removal of the printing base to
allow them to be installed.
P-36 Hawk Cowl and Engine Upgrade Fast Fix
1/48 (ref. R2D48221)
As the title suggests this set contains a complete
replacement cowling with opened cowl flaps at
scale thickness along with a replacement engine
front with exceptional detail. As with the other
items this is a 3D printed set and so the print
supports and base will need careful removal but
the end result will be well worth the minimal
effort when the increase in detail is considered.
B-26 Marauder Exhaust Upgrade Fast Fix 1/48
(ref. R2D48225)
A very simple upgrade that will add a much
improved exhaust outlet to your Marauder. The
box contains two underside cowl sections for
the engines with a scale thickness cooling flap
and exhausts on each to add an extra level of
realism.
B-26 Marauder Cowl and Engine Upgrade Fast
Fix 1/48 (ref. R2D48223)
A set of complete cowls and engines for the B-
26, which provide a huge leap forward in detail.
Both of the engines have a full ignition harness
as well as upgraded surface detail whilst the pair
of cowls have a reduced and more realistic
thickness to the parts. Well worth adding to your
Marauder to help bring it to life.
Avro Lancaster Seat without Belts Super
Deluxe 1/48 (ref. R2D48205)
This tiny box contains a very impressive set of 3D
printed parts in the form of a highly detailed
Lancaster Seat and control column along with a
new trim wheel and engine controls. Designed
as a direct upgrade over the kit components this
set really will help make of the super detailed
cockpit interior.
R-2600 Fast Fix 1/32 (ref. R2D32018)
Designed to be a simple upgrade for your
model, this box contains a highly convincing and
detailed R-2600 engine formed of a one piece
3D print. The engine is made up of the front row
of cylinders and ignition harness and should fit
in most models using this engine with minimal
modification.

R-2800 (Early) Fast Fix 1/32 (ref. R2D32050)
This set contains a one-piece print of the renown
R-2800 with a very impressive level of detail. The
engine shows only the first row of cylinders, but
the rear cylinders would be lost in the depth of
the engine cowl anyway. The ignition harness is
shown in its full glory, and in most cases this
should be a simple paint and glue exercise to
achieve a very believable engine installation.
Curtiss Helldiver Exhaust Upgrade 1/32
(ref. R2D32076)
This set supplies two exhaust ‘pods’ for the 1/32
Curtiss Helldiver. This modification supplies
exhausts of scale thickness to vastly improve the
look of this area.
Curtiss Helldiver SB2C-4 Main Cockpit
Superdetail Set 1/32 (ref. R2D32075)
A really superb set of detailed parts to upgrade
the Merit Helldiver kit. This set provides
everything you need to make the pilot’s cockpit
into a centrepiece of your model. From the
replacement sidewalls and cockpit floor to the
instrument panel and seat each part has been
produced to make for an outstanding model.
The set contains nine 3D printed components
and is well worth the investment to make your
Helldiver the very best possible.
J-29 Tunnan Scoops and Intakes 1/32 (ref.
R2D32085)
A set of four replacement intake scoops for the
1/32 Tunnan, which have a much more realistic
appearance due to their scale thickness. A very
simple cut and stick set that will make for an
improvement over the kit components.
J-29 Tunnan Cockpit Boarding Ladder 1/32
(ref. R2D32084)
A very neat addition to the 1/32 Tunnan, this one
piece boarding ladder will need removing from
its print supports before use, but will add some
additional interest to your model.
J-29 Tunnan Seamless Intake Upgrade 1/32
(ref. R2D32080)
Moulding and joint seams are the bane of the jet
modeller’s life, however this three part set helps
solve this for Tunnan builders. Moulding the
intake opening and trunking as a single part,
combined with a separate front engine face, this
should make for a simple upgrade over the kit
parts. A round FOD cover is also supplied to
place near your model to suggest maintenance
or start up procedures underway.
J-29 Tunnan F Afterburner and Exhaust
Upgrade 1/32 (ref. R2D32083)
Dealing with the other end of the engine, this
set includes three parts, the main exhaust outlet,
the rear engine face, and finally the afterburner
ring, to create a full and effective representation
of this area.
B-17 Flying Fortress Cockpit Seat Upgrade
Super Deluxe w/columns 1/32
(ref. R2D32067SD)
This impressive set contains two seats formed of
separate cushions, seat frames, and armour
plates coupled with a pair of replacement
control columns. As the parts are 3D printed the
dimensions are incredibly accurate and after
careful preparation should make for a superb
addition to any large scale B-17.
B-17 Flying Fortress Control Columns and
Yoke Upgrade 1/32 (ref. R2D32068)
This set contains a pair of 3D printed Yolks and
Columns of superb quality and detail making for
an effective upgrade for a 1/32 B-17.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07
U P D AT E S
B-17 Flying Fortress Pitot Tube and Aerial
Upgrade 1/32 (ref. R2D32079)
An improvement over any injection moulded kit
part, this set provides a set of pitot tubes and
aerials for a B-17 and being 3D printed they are
free from any seam or moulding defects.
B-17 Flying Fortress Boomerang Aerials
Antenna Upgrade 1/32 (ref. R2D32023)
A simple and impressive upgrade, this box
contains a single boomerang aerial for a B-17
with correct dimensions to make for a highly
realistic addition to any Flying Fortress.
Browning 0.303 Cal Machine Gun Upgrade
Double Pack 1/32 (ref. R2D32069)
Two impressively detailed Browning 0.303s,
suitable for installation in any aircraft so
equipped. Even the ammo feeds are hollow and
each gun has the barrel end hollowed out
meaning that these will make for a welcome
addition.
M2 Browning 0.50 Cal Machine Gun Upgrade
1/32 (ref. R2D32032)
A single 0.50 cal is suppled in this set, which also
includes the correct mount plate meaning that
installation should be an easy task. In addition to
a superb level of surface detail the ammo feed
and barrel are both hollowed out making for an
impressive addition to any suitable model.
Avro Lancaster Seat with Belts 1/32
(ref. R2D32062SD)
This impressive set contains no less than five
highly detailed 3D printed parts. These include a
replacement pilot’s seat with integrated
harnesses, a trim wheel and throttle quadrant,
armour plate, and control column. This will result
in a tremendous upgrade to any 1/32 Lancaster
in that highly visible cockpit area.
79
U P D AT E S

BRENGUN
www.brengun.cz
New items from Brengun this month:
1/144
BRL144176 Hawker Tempest Mk V Vacform Canopy (Mark I kit)
BRL144177 P-51D Vacform Canopy (Platz/Eduard kit)
BRS144061 BRDM-2 (full kit)
BRS144062 SA-9 Gaskin 9K31 Strela-1 (full kit)
BRS144063 9P122 Malyutka (full kit)
1/72
BRP72046 Kokusai Ta-Go (full kit)
BRL72267 WWII German antennas FuG-10 FuG-101 FuG-227 FuBi-2
BRL72268 Mi-24D internal additional fuel tank
BRL72269 Kokusai Ta-Go (Brengun kit)
BRL72270 US 110 gal drop tank
1/48
BRL48164 TER-9A triple ejector rack for F-16
BRL48165 US GP 100lb AN-M30A1 bombs (10pcs)
BRL48166 Focke Wulf Ta-154 (Revell kit)
BRL48167 Mi-24D internal additional fuel tank

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
U P D AT E S
ARMORY
www.armorymodels.com
The latest releases from Armory are now
available:
AR48003 - 1/48 Fairey Flycatcher British Interwar
FAA Floatplane Fighter, Early (Wooden)
AR ACA4826 - 1/48 R-1830 Twin Wasp aircraft
engine
AR AW48357 - 1/48 CH-46 Sea Knight wheels w/
weighted tyres, for Academy kit
AR AW48505 - 1/48 PZL W-3 Sokol wheels w/
weighted tires
AR AW72364 - 1/72 CH-46 Sea Knight wheels w/
weighted tyres
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
AR AW72510 - 1/72 PZL W-3 Sokol wheels w/
weighted tires
The following items have been announced, and
are available for pre-order from the website:
AR AW18401 - 1/18 Harrier GR.7/GR.9/AV-8B
wheels w/ weighted tyres, for HobbyBoss kit
AR AW24401 - 1/24 Harrier GR.1/GR.3/FRS.1/AV-
8A wheels w/ weighted tyres, for Airfix kit
AR AW32404 - 1/32 Harrier GR.1/GR.3/FRS.1/AV-
8A wheels w/ weighted tyres, for revell kit
AR AW32405 - 1/32 Harrier GR.7/GR.9/AV-8B
wheels w/ weighted tyres, for Trumpeter kit
AR AW48358 - 1/48 CH-21 Shawnee wheels w/
weighted tyres
AR AW48416 - 1/48 Harrier GR.1/GR.3/FRS.1/AV-
8A wheels w/ weighted tyres
AR AW48417 - 1/48 Harrier GR.7/GR.9/AV-8B
wheels w/ weighted tyres
AR AW72365 - 1/72 CH-21 Shawnee wheels w/
weighted tyres
AR AW72423 - 1/72 Harrier GR.1/GR.3/FRS.1/AV-
8A wheels w/ weighted tyres
AR AW72424 - 1/72 Harrier GR.7/GR.9/AV-8B
wheels w/ weighted tyres
AR AW14407 - 1/144 Harrier GR.1/GR.3/FRS.1/AV-
8A wheels w/ weighted tyres
AR AW14408 - 1/144 Harrier GR.7/GR.9/AV-8B
wheels w/ weighted tyres

ARCHER
www.archertransfers.com
Although usually associated with armour
modelling, Archer’s range of dry transfers and
accessories also includes aircraft-related
subjects. This latest release looks useful:
AR99081 US Air Force uniform patches (1948 -
1991) – for 1/32 and 1/35 scales
Available in two combinations, Official Blue and
Light Gray, and Low-Vis which, although rarely
AERO RESEARCH
www.aeroresearchcds.com
The latest CD release for September from Aero
Research is USAF Collection No.15, which
U P D AT E S
used and never officially authorized, were seen
on USAF enlisted personnel assigned to combat
zones during the Vietnam War. These are not
decals, dry transfers, vinyl stickers or printed
fabric. They are flexible, scale thickness fabric
textured appliqués with an indefinite shelf life.
Easy to apply and compatible with any paint
system.
Over 130 individual rank patches suitable for US
Air Force enlisted personnel from 1948 to 1991.
Comes with detailed application instructions.
contains 151 photos of USAF and Air National trainers, helicopters, and so on. As usual, this title
Guard aircraft, dating from the late 1940s to is available as either a hard CD or as two digital
2021. Most categories of USAF aircraft are PDF files delivered by email (with no shipping
covered, including fighters, bombers, transports, charges).
SCALE AIRCRAFT
CONVERSIONS
www.scaleaircraftconversions.com
New Product – August 2022
32165DH. 82A Tiger Moth Landing Gear (ICM)
48421Fokker G.1A Landing Gear (Mik)
48422Su-25 Frogfoot Landing Gear (Zev)
72197 G4M1/2A/E Betty Landing Gear (Has)
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 83
U P D AT E S
2022 and 2023 UK ShowS Geoff Cooper-Smith of 580 Modellers
M
ost unfortunate news is the cancellation of the East Riding of
Yorkshire Show (was the 04th September) by the organisers,
attributed to a number of traders not honouring their
commitments and thus making the show unviable. The club is making a
loss but hopes to be back with the show in 2023; let us hope this isn’t a
new trend as the increased cost of living starts to bite, both in terms of
getting traders and punters to show up.
7 august (Sunday) IPMS avon
Thornbury Leisure Centre, Alveston Hill,
Thornbury. BS35 3JB
Contact Alan Roffey: earthson1@outlook.com
21 august (Sunday) Boscombe down Model Show
Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Hangar 1,
Old Sarum Airfield, Old Sarum, Salisbury. SP4 6DZ
Contact Sandy Beattie on 07880 343256
27 august (Saturday) aberdeen Scale Model Show
(hosted by aberdeen Modellers Society)
Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, AB51 5XZ
Contact show@aberdeenmodellers.co.uk
03 September (Saturday) Medway Model Show
& 04 September (Sunday) Royal Engineers Museum, Prince Arthur Road,
Gillingham, Kent. ME7 1UR
Contact Kevin Nunn: brigaemodels@btinternet.com
4 September (Sunday) aSVC wombourne Scale Model Show
The Community Centre, Church Road,
Wombourne. WV5 9EZ
Contact Martyn Crowther:
martyn_crowther21@hotmail.co.uk
10 September (Saturday) South west Model Show – autumn 2022
The Tank Museum Bovington, Wool. BH20 6JG
Contact The Tank Museum: 01929 405 096
10 September (Saturday) west Cornwall Model Show
St Johns Hall, Alverton Street, Penzance. TR18 2QW
Contact Len Newman on:
newmanlen512@gmail.com
10 September (Saturday) Sutton Coldfield Model Show in association
& 11 September (Sunday) with Statfold Barn Railway
Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust, Ashby Road,
Tamworth. B79 0BU.
Contact Graham Wood on:
graham.a.wood@outlook.com
Note this is ‘Road, Rail & Ale event’ with pre-
booking required to attend
11 September (Sunday) Chiltern Model show
The Weatherley Centre, Eagle Farm Road,
Biggleswade. SG18 8JH
Contact Barry Wood: barrywood123@hotmail.co.uk
18 September (Sunday) wings and Things
University Academy, Park Road, Holbeach,
Spalding. PE12 7PU
Contact: IPMS.fenlandandspalding@gmail.com
18 September (Sunday) Blue Lamp Model Show
Tally Ho Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham. B5 7RN
Contact Rob Scott on 07872 511848
24 September (Saturday) Scale Scotland 2022
BT Murrayfield Stadium, Roseburn Street,
Edinburgh. EH12 5PJ
Contact Andy Canning: scalescotland5@gmail.com
25 September (Sunday) St Ives Model Show
(IPMS Brampton Scale Model Club)
Burgess Hall, Westwood Road, St Ives. PE27 6DW
Contact: bramptonshow@hotmail.co.uk
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
With things seemingly back to a new normal (cost of living increases
excepted), a scramble to claim dates for 2023 appears to have started, with
some shows already being advertised a year hence.
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.
01 october (Saturday) IPMS abingdon
Larkmead School, Abingdon. OX14 1BB
Contact Simon Fisher: jv44sf@gmail.com
08 october (Saturday) highland Scale Model Show
Morayvia, North Road, Kinloss. IV36 3YA
Contact: tomdocherty72@hotmail.com
09 october (Sunday) East Midlands Model Show
The Leisure Centre, Hinckley,
Argents Mead. LE10 1BZ
Contact John Arnold:
eastmidsmodelshow@hotmail.com
15 october (Saturday) REME 3rd annual Model Show
REME Museum, RAF Lyneham, Calne Road,
Chippenham. SN15 4XX
Contact: education@rememuseum.org.uk
22 october (Saturday) Showcase 2022
Icknield Centre, Icknield Way, Letchworth. SG6 1EF
Contact Rod Johnson at:
rodjohnson.mail@talktalk.net
23 october (Sunday) ModelBlitz 2022 (Falklands 40)
Royal Maritime Club, Queen Street,
Portsmouth. P01 3HS
Contact Ian Gaskill on:
ipms.portsmouth@gmail.com
23 october (Sunday) Lincoln Scale Model Show
Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School, Wrangby Road,
Lincoln. LN2 4PN
Contact the secretary at:
secretarylincolnmodelclub@gmail.com
23 october (Sunday) Yeovil Model Show
Westfield Academy, Stiby Road, Yeovil. BA21 3EP
Contact: yeovilmodelshow@gmail.com
12 november (Saturday) ScaleModelworld 2022
& 13 november (Sunday) 10 am to 6pm (4pm Sunday)
Further details to be confirmed
27 november (Sunday) army Flying Museum Enthusiasts Fair
& Model Show
Army Flying Museum, Middle Wallop,
Stockbridge. SO20 8FB
Contact the museum at:
eventassistant@armyflying.com
04 december (Sunday) London Plastic Modelling Show
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm,
Camden. NW3 2BQ
Contact Tom Foxon at:
tom@guidelinepublications.co.uk
04 december (Sunday) Midland air Museum winter Show
Midland Air Museum, Rowley Road,
Coventry. CV3 4FR
Contact: enquiries@midlandairmuseum.co.uk
2023 Shows
22 January (Sunday) IPMS Bolton
Premiere Suite, University of Bolton Stadium,
Burnden Way, Horwich, Bolton. BL6 6JW
Contact Rob Monfea: hawksig@gmail.com
BOOKS

Title: F2H Banshee Units; Combat Navy. By combining highly over ten years.
Aircraft 141 informative and engaging text The author details the ongoing
with period photographs, upgrade of the Banshee over its
Author: Rick Burgess along with colour profiles and service life as well as the units it
Publisher: Osprey Publishing illustrations provided by Jim served with and the missions it
ISBN: 978 1 47284 621 1 Laurier and Gareth Hector, undertook to provide a worthwhile
Format: Paperback the author provides an in record of this impressive aircraft. An
248mm x 185mm 96pp depth history of the Banshee ideal companion for the modeller of
www.ospreypulishing.com and its operational use. As a the Kitty Hawk, Sword, or Hobby Craft
key front line US naval asset kits, this title contains a wealth of
during the Korean War the sharply reproduced images alongside
T he McDonnell F2H Banshee proved to be a
highly successful first generation jet carrier Banshee continued to serve until
the dawn of the 1960s undertaking vital
absorbing personal accounts, while the
profiles will no doubt have you
aircraft serving as a fighter, night fighter, nuclear
operations during the Cold War including searching a back catalogue of
strike, and photoreconnaissance aircraft with the
operations over China and the Soviet Union for decal sheets.
US Navy, US Marine Corps, and Royal Canadian

Title: Air-to-Air Refuelling Aircraft times for thirsty fighters. In this book Chris text is coupled with a good
Author: Chris Gibson Gibson brings the development and history of array of both colour and
in-flight refuelling to life before providing a monochrome images to
Key Publishing
Publisher: provide an interesting
focus on the era when it really came into its own
ISBN: 978 1 52674 639 9 as a force multiplier, the Cold War, covering the record to work with.
Format: Paperback use of the technology employed by the former Although this subject is
245mm x 170mm 96pp Soviet Union as well as the US and NATO. The use often overlooked it is
www.keypublishing.com of Buddy Packs helped to widen the combat actually quite fascinating
radius of carrier fighters while the book also with Gibson providing a

T he role of air-to-air refuelling aircraft is vital in

a modern air force, be it providing fuel for
long range deployments or improving loiter
covers the use of air-to-air refuelling in the
conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq along with the
proposed use of drones as refuelling assets. The
credible and interesting
overview of the subject
in the book’s ninety six pages.

Title: Avro 748 dividing the book by the The number of operators of the Avro 748 is
Author: Barry Lloyd more predictable means of actually quite surprising and brings a
operators the author has whole host of reference rabbit holes to
Publisher:Key Publishing elected to follow. Of course the images are
Price: £15.99 compartmentalise based accompanied by well-written and
ISBN: 978 1 91387 087 4 on regions, which makes informative text, which helps to underpin
Format: Paperback for a fascinating and the images and their captions. This book
245mm x 170mm 96pp enjoyable blend of both makes for the perfect companion to the
www.wingleader.co.uk military and civilian superb Mark 1 1/144 model kit of the type,
users. These chapters providing information on the kit options as

T he Avro 748 was one of the success stories of

the British aircraft industry. Well over one
hundred period images help to bring the
colourful variety of users and operators of this
twin propeller airliner to the reader. Rather than
are then divided into
sections on each
individual airline or
well as offering a huge variety of new ideas
and conversions. A worthy addition to the
bookshelf of any civil aviation modeller or
military service using indeed those interested in the military
the 748 in that region. applications of this versatile aircraft.

Title: Fokker F.1/Dr.1 Vol 1 building the Meng kit, with additional colour scheme illustrations.
Author: Ray Rimell and information for building a DR.1 and the At the end of the book is a
F.1 also included. For anyone planning useful manufacturers’ list and
Richard Alexander on building one of these larger scale guide to web links and a
Publisher: Albatross WW1 Scale Model kits this book will prove very helpful. I bibliography.
Anthology Series also found the model paint This is definitely a book worth
Format: Paperback A4 76pp conversion/comparison chart to be of having if you are contemplating
www.windsockdatafilespecials.co.uk great use, in that it includes mixes for a build of a DR.1 or F.1,
Tamiya, Meng and Humbrol paints. especially in a larger scale. A lot
T his book is basically an illustrated list of the
available kits and suggested prices of the
larger scale kits in 1/32 and 1/24 scale as well as
Contemporary archive photographs
are also included with scores of
of extra detail and information
has been included.
close-ups, and there are over 300 Dave Smith
giving offering help and information about

Title: Dornier Do 217 – a combat previous two tomes, the six main chapters cover aircraft featured in the
and photographic record in design and development, introduction into book. The selection of
service in 1941, operational service as night photos is good, many of
Luftwaffe service bombers in the mid-war years 1942 to 1944, which are printed big
1941 - 1945 (#32) night fighters and glide bomb bombers, and enough to glean extra
Author: Chris Goss finally the type’s withdrawal from operational detail and information
Publisher: Classic Publications service in late 1944/early 1945. for modelling purposes .
ISBN: 978 1 90653 758 6 All the Do 217 sub-types are covered from the Whatever scale you
Format: Hardback A4 184pp earliest Do 217E-1s to the Do 217Ms and K-3s, model in, this is an
www.crecy.co.uk and Do 217J and N night fighters, with a excellent reference on
knowledgeable narrative text that is the type, and can be

T his is the latest book in Crécy’s Classic range,

(#32), and the third covering the Dornier
bomber series. Following a similar format to the
accompanied by scores of contemporary photos.
There are six pages of colour illustrations by J P
Vieria with references to the photos of the real
recommended.
Neil Robinson

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

Title: Battle of Malta;
June 1940–November 1942
(Campaign 381)
Author: Anthony Rogers
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978 1 47284 890 1
Format: Paperback
248mm x 185mm 96pp
www.ospreypulishing.com
T he Battle of Malta is often considered one
fought entirely in the air and whilst that
may account for the larger percentage of the
conflicts undertaken a huge amount of
additional actions took place. For nearly two
and a half years the island depended on a
restricted number of aircraft and anti-aircraft
Title: F-86A Sabre; Korea 1950–51
(Dogfight 4)
Author: Peter E. Davies
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978 1 47285 035 5
Format: Paperback
248mm x 185mm 80pp
T he combat between the F-86 and MiG-15
over Korea is considered legendary, being
the first large scale conflict involving jet
aircraft. The Dogfight range of books from
Osprey manages to mix the technical aspects
of the individual aircraft covered, the
complexities of the conflict they are
employed in (in this case the Korean War), the
BOOKS
guns for defence whilst being the island the book also
resupplied by a naval route, which contains a section
was under constant attack. The outlining the
author, Anthony Rodgers, aided by remaining artefacts
colour maps and graphics by from this period. A
Graham Turner, provides a worthwhile read and
balanced and informative record addition for anyone
of the conflict. As well as with an interest in the
providing background to the conflict surrounding
legendary resilience of the Malta and the
Maltese during the siege by axis Mediterranean region
forces the book also contains a
good number of useful and
during World War Two as
this book provides an
cleanly printed reference accessible and absorbing
images. As, no doubt, this look at the once
book will also become a travel beleaguered island and its
guide for the military minded visiting escape from Axis rule.
tactics involved in fighting the aircraft, as well an instant
as the personalities of the individual pilots. source of
This is a huge ask of any writer and yet with inspiration
careful crafting along with the use of carefully and
selected images coupled with clearly and information,
intelligently drawn illustrations they continue and a highly
to deliver. In this volume Peter Davies brings enjoyable
and
the F-86A Sabre to the fore, with the aid of
illustrations by Gareth Hector and Jim Laurier. absorbing
Carefully unpicking the dogfights undertaken
by the Sabre pilots over six chapters, along
read that
can only
result in
with the tactics used and using first-hand
accounts coupled with diagrams outlining the
step by step the progress of each battle, the desire to
author brings the conflict to life, explaining build
the advantages and disadvantages the F-86 models of this pair of
had over the MiG-15. For the modeller this is foes.
SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 87
IPMS UK
IPMS UK
By John Tapsell
(All images copyright John Tapsell)
The theatre of the USAF Thunderbirds extends
to their ground crews and service equipment.
Not exactly the sort of climate you'd expect
for a desert-dwelling Saudi Hawk.
I
f, like me you are or have been a regular
airshow attendee over the years then you will
undoubtedly have seen a number of different
military display teams. They bring a level of style
and panache to any such event and remain a
perennial favourite with the crowds. There have
been display teams, both official and unofficial,
almost as long as we have had powered flight.
Ultimately however, most national air forces
have settled on a single official team. These
provide not only the usual precision flying
spectacles but also formation flypasts at major
national events and 'fly the flag' as they regularly
mount tours to other countries around the
World.
Teams like the Red Arrows, Thunderbirds or
Blue Angels are household names, well known
to the wider public irrespective of their interest
(or otherwise) in aviation. To those of us with a
greater interest in aviation, it's easy to add
further teams to that list – the Patrouille de
France, Patrouille Suisse and Frecce Tricolori
spring to mind for European audiences, but
there are many others too. They usually carry
colourful paint schemes (redolent of their
national origins), which is in itself a refreshing
change from the many shades of grey popular
with air forces these days, vary in size from a pair
of aircraft to as many as ten, and neither are they
always fast jets.
Training aircraft are popular options because
they are lighter and cheaper to operate, whilst
generally being more agile. However, front line
jets are still common, lacking a little bit in the
agility department but delivering more power
and more 'presence'. Then of course there are the
teams that have chosen to go with high
performance civilian aerobatic designs that have
no pretence of a military application. Lest we
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
Thunderbirds are go - in close formation even
on take-off.
The spectacular livery of the Indian Air Force
Sarangs picked out against a darker sky really
shows it off.
forget, there are also a number of helicopter
display teams, further broadening the scope of
airframes used.
All this provides a vast array of choice for
modellers if they take an interest in display
teams. It is no coincidence that Airfix have
regularly kitted Red Arrows Gnats and Hawks, or
that Monogram and Revell have delivered
multiple examples of the Thunderbirds and Blue
Angels aircraft. There are also multiple examples
of many of the European teams from the likes of
Heller, Italeri, and Esci in their day. That's great
for the casual modeller, but leaves many gaps in
the aerobatic pantheon. Thankfully, many of the
other teams can be represented through the use
of aftermarket decal sets, assuming of course
there are suitable kits available.
If we take the Red Arrows as an example, their
current Hawk T1 is available in multiple different
scales from multiple different manufacturers,
often with the Red Arrows markings offered in
the kit. However, producing an 'accurate' kit isn't
that straightforward. For the real modelling
enthusiast, the constantly evolving colour
schemes for a single team can be just as
important as the different teams. Although the
Red Arrows have been flying the Hawk T1 for the
last 40+ years, the precise colour scheme has
changed regularly and the same is true of many
other teams.
Within IPMS (UK) we have long had a large
and enthusiastic Special Interest Group
dedicated to the intricacies of the world of
military display teams. They are the repository of
knowledge for a large and complex subject.
Their displays at Scale ModelWorld are always
interesting and varied, demonstrating just how
broad the options are. As a group, they also
represent the real power of like-minded people
A high speed pass from the Saudi Hawks –
the aircraft is a familiar one but the colour
scheme isn't.
The Chilean Air Force 'Halcones' operate the
Extra 300L, hardly a military airframe.
getting together, sharing information and
exploring a subject in detail, whilst never losing
sight of a sense of fun and enjoyment.
Over many years of attending airshows, I've
been fortunate to see many of the major teams
first hand – and a good number of more exotic
performers as well. However, that still leaves
many that I haven't had a chance to see. When it
comes to modelling, I much prefer the path less
travelled, so no Reds or Thunderbirds in my
collection. Instead, my current projects currently
include an Aermacchi MB326 in 'Roulettes'
markings, very much a personal project because
I remember seeing them in Australia as a kid.
Then there is a Saudi Hawk. Whilst they don't
have the profile of the Red Arrows, their overall
green Hawk T1 has clearly been inspired by the
Red's livery.
The other project I have planned is a South
Korean KAI T-50 in the markings of their 'Black
Eagles' display team. Thankfully, Academy have
kitted the aircraft and even offered it in the
'Eagles' livery, but the latter is not as easily
found. The team are performing in the UK again
in 2022, having previously been here in 2012.
Back then, I had a rare opportunity to see the
aircraft close-up and meet the pilots prior to the
Waddington Airshow, so that provided me with
a good selection of reference material.
However, when it comes to the Indian Air
Force's 'Sarang' (Peacock) helicopter display
team, the options for kits of the HAL 'Dhruv'
helicopter are non-existent unless you are
willing to go the 3D printed route, which is a
shame because their livery is stunning. Maybe I'll
just stick with fixed-wing aircraft and build a
Chilean 'Halcones' Extra 300L using the
Brengun kit …
 CO M I N G N E X T M O N T H

Coming Next Month A N D F I N A L LY…

I
n the next issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling the editorial team
present the usual eclectic mix of historical and reference
material, news, reviews, and, of course, the best in modelling
features, both out-of-the-box and beyond. Here are a few of next
Air-Graphic Models
month’s highlights: BAe Hawk 200 Conversion and
Detail Set 1/72 (ref. CS-20)
1 By Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett
Revell’s New Tool
Blackbird
SR-71 in 1/48
By Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett

2
Cuban Missile Crisis
Part 1: the build-up
By Stephen J Di Nucci with
Vic Flintham
Airfix U-2 conversion in 1/72
by Stephen J Di Nucci

3
Arctic Cobra
ICM’s kit in 1/32
by Ugur Kenel

4
Eduard’s Mezek
Modelling the ‘Mule’ in 1/72
By Rick Greenwood

T
his conversion set allows you to produce a 1/72 replica of the
single seat BAe Hawk 200 series of aircraft, which was offered as a
cost effective fighter and ground attack aircraft with part
commonality with the two seat training aircraft, making for ease of
maintenance and cost savings to potential customers.
5 The conversion is designed for the Airfix BAe Hawk 100 kit (ref.
Copper State Models’ A03073A), which is harvested for the rear fuselage and tail surfaces
1/32 Caudron G.III along with some of the smaller parts. The conversion itself provides the
rest of the parts needed, all of high quality resin. The most obvious
By Dave Hooper change is the replacement of the single seat nose section, which is
supplied with a fully detailed cockpit including a replacement Mk 10
ejector seat and control column. This is joined by a replacement main
wing with dropped flaps and wing tip missile rails, tail base ECM pack,
refuelling probe, revised intakes with navigation lights, replacement
undercarriage wheels, front undercarriage leg and doors, resin two part
6 canopy, and two vacuum formed canopies so you can choose your
preferred option. A three-piece dropped airbrake completes the
IAF Meteors Part 1 comprehensive package. The parts are well designed for ease of use, just
History and modelling needing a slight clean up before fitting to the adjusted Airfix parts. The
By Yoav Efrati instructions provided are in full colour, providing clear step by step
stages to make the process as simple as possible.
Decals aren’t included, however Air-Graphics have a wide selection in
their range and in particular their BAe Hawk in Worldwide Service Part 1
(ref. AIR72-019) sheet contains six options.
Plus Colour Conundrum, and all our usual Due to the nature of construction this would make for an ideal first
updates on kits, decals, and, accessories, book conversion project as well as a step into the realm of modelling with
reviews, columns, and more. resin components. Of course it also provides a model of the attractive
Please note – this contents list is speculative and the vagaries of deadlines and print Hawk 200 too so would be ideal for experienced builders of modern
schedules can sometimes result in the magazine’s contents changing later in production.
aircraft subjects.

SEPTEMBER 2022 • VOLUME 44 • ISSUE 07 89

NEW DECALS AZD72084 1:72 Blue Defenders: Mikoyan MiG-29S, Sukhoi Su-25M1, Sukhoi
Su-25UB & Sukhoi Su-27P1M from the Ukrainian Air Force, including
Airscale
those identified as lost during the war in Ukraine. £13.50
AS24RAFA 1:24 Full Colour RAF Instruments Remastered. Remastered in Full Colour £8.25
AZG144-008 1:144 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF national insignia £4.00
AZG144-009 1:144 McDonnell F-4 Phantom USAF roundels £4.00
Aztec AZG144-010 1:144 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF Part 2 national insignia £4.00
AZD14476 1:144 Pharaoh's Guardians 1 £13.50 AZG144-011 1:144 McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom USAF national insignia £4.00
AZD32059 1:32 Northrop F-5E/F-5F Mexican Air Force £18.99 AZG32-008 1:32 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF national insignia £10.00
AZD32076 1:32 Pharaoh's Guardians 1 McDonnell F-4E Phantom II from Egypt £18.99 AZG48-008 1:48 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF national insignia £7.99
AZD48073 1:48 Red Hunters Sukhoi Su-27, Su-30 & Su-35 from Russia, Angola, AZG48-009 1:48 McDonnell F-4 Phantom USAF national insignia £8.99
Egypt, Eritrea and Uganda £14.99 AZG48-010 1:48 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF Part 2 national insignia £7.99
AZD48075 1:48 Red Hunters Sukhoi Su-27, Su-30 & J-16D from Belarus, China, AZG48-011 1:48 McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom USAF Part 2 national insignia £8.99
Ethiopia, Malaysia and Venezuela £14.99 AZG72-008 1:72 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF national insignia £6.00
AZD48076 1:48 Pharaoh's Guardians 1 McDonnell F-4E Phantom II from Egypt £ 14.99 AZG72-009 1:72 McDonnell F-4 Phantom USAF national insignia £6.00
AZD48078 1:48 North-American AT-6 Texan Mexico. AT-6, AT-6B & T6G of the AZG72-010 1:72 Grumman F-14 Tomcat USAF Part 2 national insignia £6.00
Mexican Air Force £14.99 AZG72-011 1:72 McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom USAF Part 2 national insignia £6.00
AZD48079 1:48 North-American B-25J Mitchell of the Mexican Air Force £12.99
AZD48080 1:48 de Havilland DH.100 Mk.III & T.11 Vampire of the Mexican Air Force £14.99 Berna Decals
AZD48081 1:48 Shocking Sheriffs v2 Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk from the Mexican BER32079 1:32 Vought AU-1 & F4U-7 Corsair Aeronavale : Flottille 12F Aircraft
Policia Federal £14.99 Carrier La Fayette (Indochina - 1955), Flottille 14F (Indochina - 1954),
AZD48082 1:48 Fallen Hunters: Sukhoi Su-34 from the Russian Air Force and 15F Aircraft Carrier Arromanches (Suez - 1956) (4 schemes) £19.65
Russian Aerospace BER32080 1:32 Vought AU-1 & F4U-7 Corsair Aeronavale : Flottille 12F (Algeria &
AZD48083 1:72 Fallen Hunters 2: Sukhoi Su-25 from the Russian Air Force and Cuers-Pierrefeu - 1962-64), Flottille 14F (Algeria - 1963), 17F (Tunisia - 1962),
Russian Aerospace Force, including those lost during the war in Ukraine £14.99 Service Squadrons 10S & 57S (Algeria - 1960 & Frejus-Saint-Raphael -
AZD48084 1:48 Blue Defenders: Mikoyan MiG-29S, Sukhoi Su-25M1, Sukhoi 1957) (5 schemes) £19.65
Su-25UB & Sukhoi Su-27P1M from the Ukrainian Air Force, including BER72025 1:72 Re-printed! Dassault Mirage F.1M Ala de Caza 14, 14-09 Ocean Tiger
those identified as lost during the war in Ukraine. £14.99 Meet 08 Landivisiau (1 decoration) £9.70
AZD72058 1:72 Lockheed C-130 Hercules Mexican Air Force £13.50 BER72088 1:72 Re-printed! North-American T-28S French in Algeria : 51-7812 n'19 &
AZD72073 1:72 Red Hunters Sukhoi Su-27, Su-30 & Su-35 from Russia, Angola, 52-1199 n'13 of EALA 03/009 (12/72) Bone 1961, 51-3569 n'69 of EALA 03/005
Egypt, Eritrea and Uganda £13.50 Mecheria 1961, 51-3584 n'95 & 52-1231 n'20 of EALA 03/009 (7/72) Bone
AZD72075 1:72 Red Hunters II £13.50 1961, 51-3513 n'51 of EALA 03/004 Telergma 1961, & 51-3488 n'40 of EALA
AZD72076 1:72 Pharaoh's Guardians 1 £13.50 03/010 Batna 1961 £9.70
AZD72077 1:72 Mil Mi-26T Mexican Air Force £ 10.99
AZD72078 1:72 North-American AT-6 Texan Mexican Air Force £13.50 Eduard
AZD72079 1:72 North-American B-25J Mitchell Mexican Air Force £13.50 EDD48105 1:48 Gruman F-14A Tomcat (Tamiya) £10.80
AZD72080 1:72 de Havilland Vampire Mexico £13.50
AZD72081 1:72 Shocking Sheriffs v2 Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk from the Mexican Model Art
Policia Federal £10.99 MA7284 1:72 Falkland Islands Helicopters Royal Navy: Wessex HAS.3 - 737 NAS
AZD72082 1:72 Fallen Hunters: Sukhoi Su-34 from the Russian Air Force and (HMS Hermes / ' Humphrey'), Wessex HU.5 - 845 NAS, 847 NAS & 848 NAS,
Russian Aerospace Force, including those lost during the war in Ukraine £13.50 Sea King HAS.2A & HC.4 - 825 NAS & 846 NAS, Royal Air Force: Sea King
AZD72083 1:72 Fallen Hunters 2: Sukhoi Su-25 from the Russian Air Force and HAR.3 - 202 Squadron, Armee de l'Air: De Havilland Canada DHC.2 Beaver
Russian Aerospace Force, including those lost during the war in Ukraine £13.50 E.L.A.52 & E.L.A.54 (Indochina) £12.00

NEW KITS (HASEGAWA) £33.99 tuguese and Dutch £14.99

All kits are Injection moulded unless stated otherwise H2K72052 1:72 Re-released! Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk IAF KPM72341 1:72 Avia B-3 Bejk/Bull 'Military service"
(FUJIMI) £19.60 ex-KP/Kopro/Smer £11.50
Airfix KPM72342 1:72 Avia B-3 Bejk/Bull 'Racer"
AX02033A 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire F.22 £11.99 Hobby Boss ex-KP/Kopro/Smer £11.50
AX10107A 1:48 Westland Lynx HB87256 1:72 Douglas A-4M Skyhawk £32.99 KPM72343 1:72 Avia B-3 Bejk/Bull 'International"
Mk.88A / HMA.8 / Mk.90B £49.99 HB87268 1:72 Grumman F8F-1B Bearcat £12.99 ex-KP/Kopro/Smer £11.50
KPM72344 1:72 Albatros C.III
AZ Model IBG Models 'German Imperial Air Force" £17.99
AZM7819 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4 IBG72901 1:72 Mikoyan Mig-29 in Ukrainian Air Force. £27.80
'The Last Chance' re-box £17.99 Lukgraph RESIN KITS
AZM7820 1:72 Supermarine Seafang F Mk.31 ICM LUK3236 1:32 Lloyd C.V In German Service £149.25
re-tooled kit £17.99 ICM32038 1:32 de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth with bombs, LUK3236PRM 1:32 Lloyd C.V In German Service
WWII British training aircraft £36.50 Premium Set Includes 5 x A4 sheets
Clear Prop Models ICM48288 1:48 Douglas A-26C-15 Invader with pilots and woodgrain and "Autumn leaf" camo decals,
CP144002 1:144 Mitsubishi Ki-51 Sonia (2 in box) ground personnel £59.80 and masks (1mm rib strips), 3D printed
"Reconnaissance" Starter kit £17.99 ICM48302 1:48. US aircraft North-American/Rockwell OV-10A Austro-Daimler 165-180 hp Engine x
CP144004 1:144 Grumman OV-1A/JOV-1A Mohawk and OV-10D+ Bronco 1991 'Desert Storm'£75.80 1-separately boxed with 6 exhaust pipes
Starter kit £17.99 and water pipes, propeller, small interior
CP72024 1:72 Polikarpov I-16 type 5 (early version) Infinity Models and exterior parts, upper wing support,
Starter kit £19.80 INF3203 1:32 de Havilland DH-100 Vampire Mk.3 £76.99 gunner turret, guns, over 30 photo-etched
CP72025 1:72 Polikarpov I-16 type 5 (1938-1941) INF3204 1:32 de Havilland DH-100 Vampire Mk.5 £76.99 parts plus 3 paint schemes. £189.30
Starter kit £19.80 LUK3237 1:32 Lloyd C.V In Polish Service £149.25
Italeri LUK3238 1:32 Royal_Aircraft_Factory Be.2c British £149.25
Dream Model IT1236 1:72 BAe Sea Harrier FRS.1 Decals for 700A Flight, LUK3238PRM 1:32 Royal_Aircraft_Factory Be.2c
DM720007 1:72 Z-9D ASUW China Coast Guard £24.99 RNAS Yeovilton 1979 and Indian Navy 300 Premium set Includes 3D printed RAF-1
DM720017 1:72 Bell AH-1W Super Cobra £27.99 Squadron, INS Viktant 1982 £24.99 Engine, exhaust pipes and water pipes,
IT1441 1:72 Northrop F-5A Freedom Fighter £24.99 propeller, small interior and exterior parts,
Eduard guns, magazines, fuel tanks, 2 x wicker
EDK2139 1:72 North-American B-25J Mitchell with Kora armchairs, and all interior parts, over 100
solid nose GUNN's BUNNY (Hasegawa) £54.70 KORPK72154 1:72 Fiat G.50 Freccia Finnish Ski Service £32.30 photo-etched parts and markings for
EDK70141 1:72 Re-released! Mikoyan MiG-21MF KORPK72155 1:72 Fiat G.50bis/AS Freccia Ital.Fighter Bomber 8 aircraft £189.30
interceptor Profipack £18.20 £32.30
EDK82147 1:48 Re-released! Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-8 KORPK72156 1:72 Fiat G.50bis Freccia Croatian Service £32.30 Miniwing-Plastic
ProfiPACK £26.60 KORPK72157 1:72 Fiat G.50OR/N - G.50TER Italian Service MINI334 1:144 Back in stock! Westland Dragonfly
EDK82158 1:48 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc £32.30 HR.3/HR.5/WS-51 2 kits in the box, 4 decal
ProfiPACK £29.20 variants, Canopy masks £12.60
EDK82164 1:48 Re-released! Messerschmitt Kovozavody Prostejov MINI335 1:144 Back in stock! Westland DRAGONFLY
Bf-109G-10 Erla ProfiPACK £26.60 KP-CL7206 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX 'Sqn Leader Mk.1 French Navy 1 bagged kit, Canopy
EDK82201 1:48 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Johnny Plagis' £9.30 mask, 1 decal version £7.40
NEW TOOLING! £29.20 KP-CL7207 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-109E-7 'Reinhard Heydrich' MINI338 1:144 Back in stock! Sikorsky S-51 / RAAF 1
EDK8261 1:48 Re-released! Messerschmitt £9.30 bagged kit with canopy paint mask £7.40
Bf-109E-1 £26.60 KPM72231 1:72 Cessna U-17A Skywagon new tool £14.99 MINI355 1:144 Ouragan vs. de Havilland Vampire /
EDK8485 1:48 Sopwith F.1 Camel (Bentley) KPM72232 1:72 Cessna C-180/185 'Skywagon' new tool £14.99 Dogfight set 1Q/2022 2 plastic kits, 2 decals
Weekend edition £21.20 KPM72235 1:72 Cessna U-17B 'Military Skywagon' £14.99 versions, BOXED
KPM72287 1:72 Mikoyan MiG-23MF 'Danubian Floggers' new MINI356 1:144 MQ-9 NASA, bagged plastic kit with
FLY decals £19.30 3D printed resin POD. £9.50
YLF32018 1:32 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIa £62.99 KPM72321 1:72 Breguet Br.14A2 'France' re-tooled kit £17.99
YLF32027 1:32 Hawker Hurricane KPM72322 1:72 Breguet Br.14B2 'French service' re-tooled kit Planet Models RESIN KITS
Mk.IIc/Mk.IIC tropical £62.99 £17.99 PLA21148 1:48 Back in stock! GAL-48 Hotspur Mk.. £56.30
KPM72327 1:72 Salmson Sal.2A2 'USAAS Service' new tool
Hobby 2000 £17.99 Revell
H2K48013 1:48 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IA KPM72336 1:72 Henschel Hs-126B-1 'Luftwaffe" ex-Sabre RV3818 1:72 Eurofighter Typhoon Bavarian
(HASEGAWA) £35.40 £15.99 Tiger 2021 £26.49
H2K48014 1:48 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IA Trop KPM72337 1:72 Henschel Hs-126A/B-1 'Mediterranean" Spain RV3829 1:32 Messerchmitt Bf-109G-2/Bf-109G-4 £31.49
(HASEGAWA) £36.20 1953, RAAF 1942, Luftwaffe 1941 £15.99 RV3835 1:32 Piper PA-18 Super Cub Sports Plane £36.99
H2K48015 1:48 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIA KPM72338 1:72 Sopwith Triplane 'RNAS" £13.20
(HASEGAWA) £34.20 KPM72339 1:72 Messerschmitt Bf-108 'Taifun" ex-Fly £14.99 Roden
H2K48016 1:48 Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIA Trop KPM72340 1:72 Piper L-21B 'Super Cub" Japanese, Por- ROD346 1:144 Heinkel He 111Z-1 Zwilling. £25.99
 Eduard Eduard HobbyBoss IBG Models ICM
EDK2139 1:72 B-25J Mitchell GUNN's BUNNY EDK8485 1:48 Sopwith F.1 Camel (Bentley) HB87256 1:72 Douglas A-4M Skyhawk IBG72901 1:72 Mikoyan Mig-29 in Ukrainian ICM48302 1:48. North-American OV-10A and
£57.40 £21.20 £32.99 Air Force £27.80 OV-10D+ Bronco £75.80

ROD348 1:144 Convair NB-36H Crusader. £74.99 (two small, four big) (Italeri) £18.99 netic Model) £26.99
ROD349 1:144 USAF Boeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint £44.99 AZR48-009 1:48 Digital Instrument Panel for Lockheed C-130 BDOA48158 1:48 North-American/Rockwell OV-10А/
Hercules (Italeri) £12.99 OV-10D+ Bronco engine + machine guns
RS Models AZR48-010 1:48 Multiple Ejector Rack (MER) £9.99 (ICM) £26.99
RSMI92276 1:72 Junkers Ju-86P 4 decal v. for AZR48-011-8 1:48 P.G. 130 bomb (eight bombs) and Spanish BDOA72113 1:72 Lockheed C-130H Hercules
Luftwaffe, Great Britain £43.99 stencil £14.99 Hydraulics (Zvezda) £19.20
RSMI92277 1:72 Junkers Ju-86R 3 decal v. AZR48-012-4 1:48 BRP-250 bomb (four bombs) and Spanish BDOA48152 1:48 Grumman EA-6 Prowler engine
for Luftwaffe £43.99 stencil £10.99 (Kinetic Model) £22.50
AZR48-012-8 1:48 BRP-250 bomb (eight bombs) and Spanish BDOA48154 1:48 Grumman EA-6 Prowler big set
Takom stencil £14.99 (Kinetic Model) £53.80
TAK02151 1:35 V-1 Flying Bomb with Interior £32.99 AZR48-013 1:48 Pylon and Support for Argentinean Lockheed BDOA48155 1:48 De Havilland Vampire F.3 engine
TAK02152 1:35 V-1 Flying Bomb + Launch Site. C-130 Hercules (Italeri) £12.99 (Airfix) £26.99
Fieseler Fi 103 winged Vengeance or AZR48-014 1:48 Refueling Probe Lockheed C-130 Hercules BDOA48157 1:48 Lockheed-Martin F-16C Fighting
Retaliation Weapon 1 on Hellmuth Walter (Italeri) £13.99 Falcon engine (Tamiya) £22.00
Werke designed slotted-tube slingshot/ AZR48-015 1:48 Refueling Probe Northrop F-5EM/FM Brazil
catapult (Flugelbombe,Vergeltungswaffe £11.99 Eduard 3D printed Instrument Panel
1, "V-1", Schlitzrohr, Schleuder) developed AZR72-005 1:72 Northrop F-5 E/F-5F Seats (x two) £8.99 ED3DL48076 1:48 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat late (Eduard) £12.99
in 1939 at Peenemunde Army Research AZR72-006 1:72 Lockheed C-130 Hercules Seats (x three) ED3DL48077 1:48 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Centre on the north eastern tip of Germany £89.99 £10.99 Razorback (Tamiya) £12.99
AZR72-007 1:72 Stretching Set for Lockheed C-130 Hercules ED3DL48078 1:48 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Valom (two pairs) £20.99 Bubbletop (Tamiya) £13.40
VAL14425 1:144 Airco DH.9 (2) £20.80 AZR72-008S 1:72 Tires for C-130 Hercules (Wheels and Rims ED3DL48079 1:48 Focke-Wulf Fw-190A-8 (Eduard) £8.30
VAL14426 1:144 Albatros C.VII (2) £20.80 separated, two small, four big) £19.99 Aircraft detailing sets (etched)
VAL14427 1:144 Breguet 14A2 (2) £20.80 AZR72-009 1:72 Digital Instrument Panel for Lockheed C-130 ED481086 1:48 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat landing flaps
VAL14428 1:144 LVG C.VI (2) £20.80 Hercules £9.99 (Eduard) £21.20
VAL72152 1:72 Curtiss C-46D Commando AZR72-010 1:72 Multiple Ejector Rack (MER) £9.99 ED491288 1:48 Boeing EA-18G Growler (Meng Model) £21.20
'Operation Varsity' resin parts (engines) £69.99 AZR72-011-8 1:72 P.G. 130 bomb (eight bombs) and Spanish ED72722 1:72 Short Stirling Mk.III exterior (Italeri) £19.10
VAL72154 1:72 Curtiss C-46D 'Air National Guard' stencil £9.99 ED72723 1:72 Short Stirling Mk.III fuselage bomb
with resin parts (engines) £69.99 AZR72-012-4 1:72 BRP-250 bomb (four bombs) and Spanish bay (Italeri) £38.30
stencil £7.99 ED72724 1:72 Short Stirling Mk.III wings bomb
Zvezda AZR72-012-8 1:72 BRP-250 bomb (eight bombs) and Spanish bays (Italeri) £29.20
ZVE7284 1:72 Junkers Ju-88A-17/A-5 £21.99 stencil £9.99 ED73776 1:72 Short Stirling Mk.III (Italeri) £14.50
AZR72-013 1:72 Pylon and Support for Argentinean Lockheed ED73777 1:72 Saab J-35-E Draken (Hasegawa and
C-130 Hercules £9.99 Hobby 2000) £21.20
AZR72-014 1:72 Refueling Probe Lockheed C-130 Hercules ED73778 1:72 Saab J-35F/FS Draken
NEW ACESSORIES £11.99 (Hasegawa and Hobby 2000) £21.20
AZR72-015 1:72 Refueling Probe F-5EM/FM Brazil £9.99 EDFE1288 1:48 Boeing EA-18G Growler (Meng Model) £12.99
Attittude Aviation Aircraft detailing sets (resin) KAZT7201 1:72 Pilatus PC-7 £39.99 EDFE1289 1:48 Boeing EA-18G Growler seatbelts
BUC-24005 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire E-wing STEEL (Meng Model) £7.20
configuration (Airfix) £29.99 CMK/Czech Master Kits EDFE1290 1:48 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat seatbelts
BUC-24008 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire/Seafire Aircraft detailing sets (resin) STEEL (Eduard) £5.30
entrance door (Airfix) Resin+PE £7.99 CMK4429 1:48 Back in stock! McDonnell F-4B Phantom IFR EDFE1291 1:48 Douglas A-1J Skyraider seatbelts
BUC-24010 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire /Seafire broad The set contains parts portraying the open IFR STEEL (Tamiya) £5.30
chord rudder (Airfix) £15.99 compartment with the extended probe (Tamiya) EDFE1292 1:48 Sopwith F.1 Camel (Bentley) Weekend
BUC-24011 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire /Seafire rotol £4.70 (Eduard) £8.30
propeller (4-bladed) (Airfix) £27.99 CMK4442 1:48 Back in stock! Hawker Tempest Bomb Racks & EDFE1293 1:48 Zlin Z-526AFS Akrobat Weekend
BUC-24015 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire /Seafire 250 Lb Bombs. £10.20 (Eduard) £10.80
5-spoke wheels (Airfix) £15.99 CMK4415 1:48 Back in stock! German WWII Aircraft Mainte- EDSS776 1:72 Short Stirling Mk.III (Italeri) £10.80
BUC-24016 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire /Seafire nance Toolbox. £10.99 EDSS777 1:72 Saab J-35-E Draken (Hasegawa and
exhaust round stacks with shroud (Airfix) £15.99 Figures (resin) Hobby 2000) £8.30
BUC-24017 1:24 Supermarine Spitfire /Seafire Vokes CMF72369 1:72 Back in stock! Messerschmitt Bf-109E-4 Ace EDSS778 1:72 Saab J-35F/FS Draken (Hasegawa
Aero Vee Scoop (Airfix) Resin+PE £15.99 A. Galland and mechanic. £6.99 and Hobby 2000) £8.30
EDCX629 1:72 Short Stirling Mk.III (Italeri) £8.30
Aztec 3D printed resin Blackdog EDEX876 1:48 Boeing EA-18G Growler (Meng Model) £6.40
AZR48-005 1:48 Northrop F-5E/F Seats x 1 £10.99 Aircraft detailing sets (resin) EDEX877 1:48 Boeing EA-18G Growler TFace
AZR48-006 1:48 Lockheed C-130 Hercules Seats BDOA48150 1:48 AGM-28 Hound dog £26.99 (Meng Model) £8.30
(x three) (Italeri) £13.99 BDOA48151 1:48 Grumman EA-6 Prowler electronics radar (Ki- EDEX878 1:48 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat TFace (Eduard) £8.30
AZR48-007 1:48 Stretching Set for Lockheed C-130 netic Model) £22.50 EDEX879 1:48 Sopwith Camel (Eduard) £2.99
Hercules (two extensions/four pieces) BDOA48153 1:48 Grumman EA-6 Prowler rear electronic (Ki- EDEX880 1:48 Zlin Z-526AFS (Eduard) £8.30
(Italeri) £27.99 netic Model) £22.50 £ EDEX881 1:48 Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
AZR48-008C 1:48 Tires for Lockheed C-130 Hercules BDOA48156 1:48 Grumman S-2 Tracker bomb bay+radar (Ki- Razorback TFace (Tamiya) £8.30

Kovozavody Prostejov Roden RS Models Special Hobby Sword

KPM72235 1:72 Cessna U-17B ROD349 1:144 USAF Boeing RC-135V/W RSMI92276 1:72 Junkers Ju-86P SH72463 1:72 Gloster Meteor Mk.8/Mk.9 IAF SW72139 :72 North-American FJ-3/FJ-3M Fury
£14.99 Rivet Joint £44.99 £43.99 £22.50 £17.99
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