INFO Eduard

# 170

e-magazine FREE Vol 23 April 2024

 INFO Eduard
e-magazine FREE Vol 23 April 2024

# 170

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 APRIL 2024

CONTENTS
4 EDITORIAL

6 ARTICLES
Gardening the Danube
All About the Bays
Air War in Ukraine - Summary of the Second Year of Conflict
1/72ND SCALE MODEL KIT L-410 TURBOLET
BY GAVIA AND KP
Hartmann's Gustav

39 BOXART STORY
African intermezzo
"My dear Fokker"
A Hell of a Morning

44 KITS
Gustav pt.2 Limited 1/72
F4F-4 Wildcat late ProfiPACK 1/48
Fokker E.III Weekend 1/48
MiG-21PFM ProfiPACK 1/48 Re-release
F6F-5 Hellcat ProfiPACK 1/72 Re-release

66 BRASSIN

78 PHOTO-ETCHED SETS

90 SPACE

100 BUILT
Albatros D.III 1/48
Sparviero 1/48
Spitfire Mk.Vc

106 ON APPROACH – May 2024

122 TAIL END CHARLIE

Published by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.

Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21 eduard
support@eduard.com www.eduard.com
EDITORIAL
Good evening, dear Friends,
We've had a hectic March. I understand that
it might not seem that way to you, but every
bar looks different from the dining room than
it does from the kitchen. In order for the view
from the dining room, in other words, from you,
the customers, to be positive, the staff in the
kitchen (us), has little choice but to be very busy.
So, hectic is good. The goal of the kitchen staff is
to have a dining room full of satisfied guests, and
that is also the case with us. A proven method is
to bring new ideas and new stimuli to the table.
In our case, we also launched a mobile canteen,
with which we went to one exhibition every week
through March. We've never done that in the past.
There was some doubt as to whether or not it In Prostějov, our exhibition and production repeated, because the new releases for May will
was even manageable, and it turned out to be activities were closely related. During March, be on sale there, and they will again be mainly
just that. So we set out for Verona, Bytom, Prosek we completed all the molds for the P-51B about the Mustang!
and Prostejov, and all in all, the time and effort Mustang in 1:48th, we also completed other
invested was well worth it, certainly at least for operations necessary for the release of kits, April Releases
those of us who attended and prepared those such as the design and start of production of In April, we are releasing another Gustav,
exhibitions. Our customers liked it, they looked decals, instructions, photoetched, masks and the a Limited Edition kit dedicated to the late versions
satisfied, no one complained, so we will continue basic Brassin sets. So right now we're ready to of the Bf 109 G-6 and Bf 109 G-14. I understand that
with our event participation program. The rest of release the Mustang, and we've been hitting the the 72nd scale kits are perhaps getting a little old
the year will be a little more subdued and in April, market in March to see what customers think. for some people who see them as nothing special,
we are going to only one exhibition, in Moson. And customers like it, which is very positive but I'd say that the opposite is, in fact, true. The
But I won't be there, I'm going to a wedding on news after two years of no one ripping down version of the Bf 109 G, which the kit is dedicated
the same date. Martina Kurakovais getting walls to get at new kits. This is also new to to, has not been taken seriously by anyone yet,
married, and she is a shareholder in Eduard, our operations. At the beginning of March, pre- really. There are some G-14 kits out there, but
making her my business partner, and is also the orders of the Royal Class P-51B took place with they are quite old, and the late G-6 versions,
chief technologist of our tool shop, the lady who an unexpectedly good result, which saw us reach the Erla canopy and tall rudder machines, or
is largely responsible for the appearance of our almost 4000 ordered items. This is significantly a combination of the two, have been more or
kits. She is marrying Mr. Ladislav Jonáš. This is more than the usual sales of kits of this series less avoided by most serious manufacturers.
the man who designed, among others, the Focke- released so far. It shows that the modellers' However, we will not be accused of dropping
Wulf Fw 190 and all the Spitfires that Eduard demand for the restoration of the Royal Class line the ball on these aircraft. If we're going to make
has produced. He is also responsible for the has a solid foundation and that I was wrong to these Messerschmitts, we're going to make them
MiG-21s, including the upcoming MiG-21F. Now underestimate the call. We then took a hundred properly. As well as the Wildcat, one more of
he's constructing another sweet little item, but boxes of this tasty little Mustang morcel in white which, the late version F4F-4, we are releasing
I won't tell you what that is just yet. We will have boxes to Prostejov, where we sold them all, plus in Profipack form (1/48th) also in April, along with
plenty of time for that later. 54 Overtrees. In Moson, similar activities will be the Fokker E.III in the Weekend line, and again, in
1:48th. Plus a lot of photoetched, masks, Brassins
and other accessories, as you will see as you
scroll down the pages of this month’s newsletter.

Hyperscale
As promised, I started a discussion on
Hyperscale. The beginning was quite a rush, and
I admit that I found it difficult to keep up, but now
things have simmered down a bit. I'd say we get
along with the modelers rather nicely, I've only
had two minor misunderstandings so far, and
that's better than it was in my early days other
forums. The only snag is one thread where we
are dealing with how the wing should look on
the Mustang. It's about whether it should be
completely smooth or whether it can have panel

4 INFO Eduard April 2024


lines like we have. This is a vast topic that would
be worth an in-depth article. So I have quite
a lot of background for this, to tell the truth,
I have been dealing with the topic for almost
ten years. I have hundreds, maybe thousands,
of photos reviewed, lots of articles and other
sources, 48 Mustangs that we went over in great
detail and one flight in a Mustang in the back
seat. I admit that at the time, I didn't really look at
how this particular machine’s wing surface was
treated, because when I climbed into it, my main
concern was to shove my 190 cm and 120 kilos
frame into that slot behind the pilot's seat, and
when I was climbing out of the cockpit after the
flight, I really couldn’t see straight for a while
and it was all I could do to stand on my feet. You
can see from this that the priorities of historical
research can be different at different times, and
it was kind of the same with that wing surface on
the Mustang. I'd say in general it was that they
polished the wing first on most units and then
they dropped the practice in general because
they had other things to worry about, plus they
found out that if you hang additional tanks under
the wing, you can polish to your heart’s content,
but it won't fly any faster anyway. You can do the
same for your models. If you don't like our panel
lines, putty, sand, polish and spray paint them.
This will make your building experience all the
more authentic because you will be working just
like the workers and technicians on the North
American production line. If you note that we
have panel lines on the wing of our releases, then
our Mustang is actually no different from other
kits already released, and I recommend that you
take a good look at the kit first and do not make
hasty judgments, because I am sure that there
are some very fundamental differences between
ours and theirs. It's just something completely
different than what you get from anyone else.
I admit that I had the urge to write an article on
the subject of Mustang wings, but I have already
promised our editor-in-chief so much that I don't
know when I will deliver all that I have already
April 2024
EDITORIAL
committed to. So I will stick to my original plans We also have two historical articles in this
and not jump to other topics. We're not going to issue of our newsletter. The Danube article
make any changes to our Mustang wing now, and by Peter Kaššák is about mine laying in the
we couldn’t even if we wanted to, and we don’t, Danube in 1944, the other by Jan Bobek is about
because we are confident that our interpretation the downing of Erich Hartmann and one of his
is the best, given available references. Bf 109s. In addition, we have three shorter but
engaging Boxart stories, about the Wildcat, the
Articles Hellcat and about the Fokker E.III. And I wrote
That brings me to today's articles. We have a travelogue about a research trip to Italy in which
another installment of the Air War over Ukraine I participated as the main driver and expedition
series by Mira Barič. The author confided in us leader, Jakub Nademlejnský as the coordinator
that he receives various hateful and aggressive and Stan Archman as the main researcher. In this
letters. It is clear that they are not from way, I think we achieved par with the recognized
supporters of Ukraine. We are supporters of standard makeup of various expeditions of other
Ukraine and we stand behind our author. At the institutions, whether sporting or academic.
same time, we also express our sincere regret And that is it from me today.
for the victims of the terrorist attack on the
Moscow concert hall and express our sincere Happy Modelling!
condolences to the survivors and the victims of Vladimir Sulc
this barbaric act. At the same time,
however, we also think that if the
Russian security forces can arrest
a person on the street with a banner
or a quote from the constitution in
a matter of minutes, they should
also be able to take action against
terrorists in less than an hour. Here
in the decadent West, our security
forces can do that. On the other
hand, quoting the Constitution or
protesting against the government
are fundamental rights for us.
INFO Eduard 5
ARTICLES

Gardening the Danube

mining the Europe’s second
largest river in April 1944

Peter Kaššák

Ground crew of 70 squadron B flight posing at their base with the ‘cucumbers’.

With a length of 2,845 km, the crews of the American 15th
Danube is the second-longest United States Army Air Force.
river in Europe after the Volga. In 1944, approximately 88
On almost 2,415 km (from Heavy Flak Batteries protected
Kelheim to Sulina) the river this complex, with 604 heavy
is navigable for international flak and 840 light flak guns
cargo transport. On its aimed at the American combat
way from the Black Forest boxes of bombers. Operating
(Germany) to the Black Sea at maximum efficiency, it threw
(Romania and Ukraine), the into the air against US planes
Danube passes by or through some 600 shells every three
ten riparian states, which seconds.
makes it the most international But it was not only Austrian
river in the world. refineries that were using
The complex of oil refineries the Danube as a transport
situated near Vienna was one of route. The Apollo oil refinery in
the biggest in Austria and due Bratislava represented in 1944
to its strategic position close to an important oil-producing
the River Danube guaranteed facility as did oil refineries
easy access for the importation in Hungary such as Szony,
of crude oil from Romania and Pétfürdő, Almásfűzűtő, Pét and
elsewhere. Floridsdorf, Wiener refineries in Budapest (Fanto,
Neustadt, Moosbierbaum, Shell, Koolaz and Hungary
Lobau, Schwechat and Kagran Petroleum Co.). Further
became infamously known to downstream were the Kuçovë
refinery, Doiceşti and the oil
storage depot at Targoviste,
Bulgaria, Brod refinery in
Yugoslavia, and finally the well-
known refinery and depots at
Ploesti, in Romania.
The smooth functioning of the
Danube transport system was
crucial for Germany, so its
disruption was highly desirable
for the Allies. Two main options
presented themselves to the
allied planners in Italy. One
involved the destruction of the
oil refineries, port facilities
and other infrastructure. The
other required the interdiction
of Danube river traffic by
mining. Both options would be
resorted to as the USAAF and
RAF sought to cut Germany
off from its much-needed
Romanian oil.

6 INFO Eduard April 2024


During the first period during which the
moon was full or near full, mining operations
were planned on eight nights, but sorties flown
on only three, weather conditions making
accurate minelaying impossible on the rest.
The first operation, on 8/9 April, was carried
out as planned, but that on the following night,
described in the 205 Group Operations Record
Book as ‘Completion of Mining in Danube’ was
cancelled, as was what would have again been
a ‘Completion’ on 10/11 April. On 12/13 April,
mining was successfully carried out, but a repeat
the next night was cancelled. Success came
again on 14/15 April, but yet another repeat, on
15/16 April, had to be cancelled. The cancellation
of the early ‘Completion’ drops was unfortunate,
in that it gave the German authorities time to
begin planning counter-measures.
205 Group scheduled a major raid on the
Tököl airfield, Budapest, on 8/9 April 1944,
but this was cancelled late in the day, so the
Group’s first mining operation was the only one
undertaken that night. Two Wings operated, 231
Wing dispatching twenty Wellingtons from 37 and
70 Squadrons, and 240 Wing three Liberators
of 178 Squadron, their designated ‘beds’ in the
Danube lying between Bazias and Belgrade.
Preparation for what was, for 205 Group,
an entirely new operational experience was not
without its difficulties, the Group Operations
Record Book April summary stating:
‘Gardening’ operations commenced in April
1944, and the River Danube was mined with
approximately 200 mines, Mark IV and V. Difficulty
was experienced in obtaining the necessary
slings, suspension bands, and bomb beams; and
the necessary experienced electrical personnel
specialized in the preparation of the mines.
The electrical personnel were eventually flown
from the Middle East the day prior to the operation.
It seems likely that the ‘electrical personnel’
came from squadrons in Egypt specializing in
minelaying and anti-shipping operations, such
as 38 Squadron, though the actual briefing was
carried out by Royal Navy personnel.
Vickers Wellington LN640 ‘A’ of 70 Squadron. In the background a B-17 of the 15th Air Force is landing.
April 2024
ARTICLES
Ten Wellingtons of 37 Squadron were detailed that developed almost immediately after take
to mine the Danube, laying ‘cucumbers’ in off. The crew turned back and landed at Celone at
a three-mile bed east of Belgrade, but one did not 22:30, as instructed, with mines on board. Seven
operate because of magneto failure. The other planes, LN640 “A” of F/Lt. H.C. Bownas, MF194
nine were airborne at Tortorella between 20:20 “F” of F/Sgt. D.C. Twigg (RAAF), LN985 “K” of F/O.
and 20:27 hours. Three crews, LN920 “C” of W/O C.O. Ellison (RAAF), HE694 “L” of F/Sgt. P.D. Nihill
J.C. Bailey (RAAF), MF139 “K” of Lt. M. Britz (SAAF) (RAAF), LN489 “O” of F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF),
and ME872 of F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF), were LN870 “U” of F/Sgt. H. Pollard and LP126 “Z” of
forced to abandon their tasks, F/Sgt. Johnson’s F/Sgt. A.S.R. Ross (RAAF) claimed to have planted
encountering severe electrical storms, while their ‘cucumbers’ in the correct gardens, seeing
W/O. Bailey’s and Lt. Britz’s crews were unable to parachutes and noting the splashes, but F/Lt. L.M.
identify crucial pinpoints. All three brought their Mason and crew in LN851 “Y” slightly overshot
mines back. F/O. Pagram’s crew laid its mines and may have planted in a neighbouring garden.
six miles west of the prescribed bed. The rest, Mining was carried out between 22:29 and 23:10
LP182 of F/Sgt. G.D.E. Adamson, HE518 of F/Lt. from a height of 250 to 500 feet, crews planting
R.M. Cranchey, HZ814 of W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF), sixteen 1600lb Mk.III and IV mines.
JA522 of F/Sgt. J.C. Macallum (RAAF) and JA531 Four rear gunners strafed barges, Sgt. M.W.
of F/Lt. C.H. Muggeridge, did so in the prescribed Maddick in LN640 firing 2000 rounds near
areas east of Belgrade between 22:27 and 23:21 Omoljica and Starčevo, Sgt. A. Roberts in LM870
hours from between 400 and 500 feet. F/Sgt. 1000 rounds at Ritopek, and Sgt. Graysmark, rear
Johnson’s aircraft landed at Tortorella at 23:35, gunner in HE694, 1000 rounds at a fair-sized
the remainder between 00:48 and 01:47. vessel near a neighbouring garden. The greatest
Ten Wellingtons of 70 Squadron were detailed success, however, was achieved by Sgt. E.R.
to mine the Danube and took off from Tortorella Butcher in LN985, who opened fire on six barges
between 20:20 and 20:41. In fairly good weather, being towed by a tug. The tug cast off its tow on
though some cloud, nine crossed the Dinaric being attacked, which appeared to cause some
Alps and pinpointed the River Sava and Belgrade. consternation on the barges.
LP130 “D” (F/Sgt. G.J. Custance) experienced P/O. Gibson and crew failed to return.
engine overheating and rising oil temperatures The remaining eight crews landed at Tortorella
between 00:39 and 01:40.
Vickers Wellington B.Mk.X LP139 “B” of 70
Squadron ditched in the Danube after having the
starboard engine set on fire by light flak while
mining between Belgrade and Bazias. Two of
those who died, navigator F/O. Jeffrey J.K. Burr
and air gunner Sgt. Clifford J. Selby, were buried
locally, but reinterred post-war in Belgrade War
Cemetery, the former in grave 9.A.A4 and the
latter in 9.A.B.5. But W. Operator F/Sgt. Frank
Dadd, also interred locally at the time, at Pencevo,
is buried in Cassino War Cemetery, grave
XVII.C.22. It seems F/Sgt. Dadd was recovered
from Pencevo by the American Military, who
believed he was an USAAF pilot, and buried in the
Naples US Military Cemetery. Later, however, the
body was identified as that of F/Sgt. Dadd and in
INFO Eduard 7
ARTICLES

1948 was handed over to the British authorities

for re-burial. The Partisans were organized on the initiative of
The two survivors, pilot P/O. J.A. Gibson and Tito following the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in
air bomber F/O. W.R. Elvin, made contact with April 1941, and began an active guerrilla campaign
against occupying forces after Germany invaded
Chetnik irregulars , and forty days later were
the Soviet Union in June. A large-scale uprising
evacuated from Yugoslavia by C-47, returning to
was launched in July, later joined by Draža
their squadron. Both went on to complete their Mihailović's Chetniks, which led to the creation of
tour of operations with 70 Squadron. the short-lived Republic of Užice. More information:
Air bomber Elwin reported upon return and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chetniks
report has been filled as follows:
“Whilst on a mining operation over the Danube,
East of Belgrade at approximately 22:45 hours,
aircraft while losing height to 200 feet over the
river, was hit by a light gun believed situated
on an Island near Pancevo. Fire broke out in the
starboard engine, and the Captain decided to
ditch. The two mines on board were immediately
jettisoned (in the correct “bed”), and before
the bomb doors could be closed, the aircraft
hit the water in a shallow dive. It immediately
filled with water and within a few minutes was
completely submerged. There was no time to
take up ditching stations, and only the captain
P/O Gibson and Bomb-aimer F/O Elvin are
known to have survived. They escaped through
the pilot´s escape hatch, P/O Gibson suffering
only slight facial abrasion, though F/O Elvin had
dislocated one shoulder and sprained the other
arm. It was extremely dark and by the time the
two men came to the surface the aircraft had
completely submerged. P/O Gibson found the
dinghy floating, right side up, and managed to
swim to it whilst F/O Elvin floated in his “Mae later discovered, these villagers on the south saw only one German truck, as they kept away
West”. After a struggle, they both succeeded in of Belgrade were overwhelmingly Chetnik from main roads, using secondary roads whose
climbing aboard and then attempted to find the supporters and bitter opponents on the partisans. surfaces were indescribably bad and were
W/Op F/S Dadd whose cries they had heard after About 1 am. A Chetnik N.C.O. entered, had them therefore avoid by the Germans.
surfacing. By this time, however, they had floated take off their clothing and don local garbs, and With their interpreter, they travelled by bullock
a considerable way downstream and nothing drove them by bullock cart to the Chetnik district cart to a village some seven hours journey
could be heard or seen of the W/Op. Of the other leader in another village. This leader and his staff South West where F/O Elvin was attended by
two members of the crew, nothing was heard – one of whom spoke French with P/O Gibson – a local doctor who did not cure the dislocation
after the aircraft submerged, nor did the two treated them very well, fed them, and introduced – not put right until he reached the British party.
survivors hear anything further whilst they were them to the local brew of plum juice. All medical supplies seemed to be very limited.
with the villagers in the district. They did hear The following morning, to avoid any possibility At this village they stayed two nights, living as
rumors, however, that Germans were working to of detection, they were taken into the hills, usual in a local commandant´s house.
salvage the aircraft from its position in the center where they met an American divinity student The following day the Major, who appeared
of the river. who told them he had been studying for the during the evening of previous day, sent them
As they had great difficulty in steering the Orthodox Priesthood for some time. He acted with a strong escort to the boundary of his district,
dinghy, they blew whistles as they were still as their interpreter for two days, during which after which two bodyguards continued with them,
in the center of the river, and eventually were time they were often questioned about Britain´s continuing South-West and putting up at villages
sighted by a man who came out in a punt and attitude towards the Chetnik and Partisans, the each evening, travelling often on foot though
collected them and their dinghy. They tried to general complaint apparently being that supplies sometimes by cart or horseback. Everywhere
prevail on him to search for other members of of arms and ammunition were no longer being they were well treated, until eventually they
the crew, but failed, and learnt later that he was dropped to the Chetniks. Later on, they found reached a British Mission H.Q. who passed details
unwilling to risk being seen by Germans from the that the Chetniks, whilst well disposed to Britain, of their escape to the outside world.
left (i.e. North) bank. dared not openly resist the Germans for fear of Apparently a number of these Missions were
They were taken to the nearest village where reprisals on their villages, though they kept a being recalled at this time, and plans were
they rested for a time in the school room, being sharp look-out and were always well informed discussed for leaving the country. The proposal
treated quite well by the villagers through of German movements. Above all, they seemed to make their way across country was turned
conversation was extremely limited as they had to hate and to fear the Partisans and took down, as the Chetniks would not allow them to
no interpreter. Fortunately, the B/A thought it every opportunity of fighting against them. It is pass into regions controlled by the Partisans,
better to discover the local political sympathies interesting to note that during the whole time and indeed disapproved of their intention to leave
before asking to be taken to Tito, for as they they were in Yugoslavia, P/O Gibson and F/O Elvin the country and of Britain´s increasing support

8 INFO Eduard April 2024


of Tito. The next alternative was escape by air. As a last Squadron airborne that night for
P/O Gibson was taken to a level patch of pasture Gardening mission was 178 Squadron. Three
on a hill top and asked whether he considered Liberator crews took off from Celone between
it practicable for use as a night landing ground 20:50 and 21:00 hours, detailed to mine the
for Lysander. He considered that it was, but as River Danube near what the geographically-
some hitch occurred in the pans for receiving challenged compiler of the squadron Operations
Lysander co-operation, he eventually heard that Record Book said was Bucharest, but which
three transport aircraft were to attempt the job. was actually Belgrade. Between 23:28 and 23:39
Gooseneck flares etc. were dropped to them, hours, from a height of between 125 and 500 feet
M.A.P.R.W. aircraft took photos of the landing the three crews dropped 12 x 1000 lb. Mk.V mines
ground, and Gibson was made officer in charge as designated, the Liberators, on this first mining
of night flying. raid, carrying only four mines each, instead of the
The party now consisted of 109 men, as several six that were carried thereafter.
American airmen had bailed out nearby and joined On debriefing, W/Cdr. D.C. Smythe and his
the “mission”. After three nights work – most of crew, flying in BZ947 “N”, described in detail the
it interesting and exciting as aircraft were taking sequence they followed in this, the squadron’s
off on a short improvised landing ground (filled to first mining operation:
capacity) – the whole party was safely evacuated. “23:15 hours – arrived at target area. Orbited
P/O Gibson boarded the last transport together to port and lost height to 2500 ft flying up river
with the British C.O.” as far as the island of Cibulski [44°48N: 21°12E].
Turned to port again and flew back along Danube
heading west losing height to 200 ft near island
of Okilova [44°46N: 21°12E]. 23:28 hours, 180 ft –
mining run on heading 210°. IAS [Indicated Air
Speed] 170 mph. All mines dropped in one stick
with three second spacing... All four parachutes
seen to open and splashes observed as mines fell
in Danube, making fountains of water.”
F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis and his crew (plane BZ930
“S”) also dropped in one stick, but S/Ldr. R.A.
Brown (in plane BZ929), making his first run at
23:32, found he could only drop two mines before
the aircraft passed over land, and so turned to
port and flew down river again in order to repeat
the mining run, dropping his second pair of mines
at 23:39. Interestingly, there seems to have been
no hard and fast requirement as to the height at
which the mines were dropped, or a prescribed
speed, since while W/Cdr. Smythe dropped from
180 feet at 170 mph, S/Ldr. Brown chose to drop
Personal photo of William R. Elwin taken in 1945 from 300 feet at 180 mph, and F/Lt. Lewis went
upon return from the war.
lowest of all at 125 feet. Crews experienced slight
Photo taken in Yugoslavia in 1944. From left to right are standing unknown Photo of the 37 Squadron crew, in which flew W.R. Elwin – standing as second
chetnick, pilot Jacobsen (unidentified crew), William Elvin and another from right.
unknown chetnick.
April 2024
ARTICLES
machine gun or antiaircraft fire from barges and
tugs north and west of Dubovic and Dubovska
Ada islands and the crew of BZ930 decided to
investigate after turning away from its mining
run. Observing several small vessels, the crew
attacked from 200 feet, the tail gunner fired about
1000 rounds, the mid upper gunner 400 rounds
and the beam gunner 200 rounds. All observed
the rounds ricocheting off the vessels. The crews
landed at Celone between 01:20 and 02:00.
In the morning of 9 April 1944, river traffic
on the Danube was paralyzed. Among the first
victims was the 650 hp. passenger steamer
Tulln of the D.D.S.G, which was sunk at kilometer
marker 1150 at 07:45. Six of those on board died.
D.D.S.G. also lost a tug on the 9th, but this was
just the beginning. ‘Gardening’ was to badly affect
this large transporting company in the next seven
months. Another death was reported on tanker X
of the Slovak company S.D.P., which was sunk at
km 1128 along with a Serbian police boat.
After three nights on which mining was
planned, but abandoned, better weather meant
that mining operations could be resumed on the
12th by the three squadrons involved in the first
mining operation on 8/9 April. 205 Group’s major
scheduled operation that night was an attack
by sixty-five crews from the three Wellington
wings on the Ferencváros Marshalling Yards
at Budapest, but seventeen Wellingtons from
231 Wing and twelve Liberators from 240 Wing
were detailed to mine between Backa Palanka
and Futog, east of Novi Sad, while five 231 Wing
Wellingtons mined further east, between Bazias
and Belgrade.
Eleven Wellingtons of 37 Squadron took off
from Tortorella between 22:30 and 22:40, seven
detailed to lay mines in the Danube between
Gardinovci, near Novi Sad, and Surnik, and four
between Bazias and Belgrade, near Dubravica.
Seven crews, including crews of W/O. J.C.
Bailey (RAAF) in Wellington LN920 “C”, F/Sgt. J.
INFO Eduard 9
ARTICLES

Calvert-Fisher in LN958, Lt. M. Britz (SAAF) in They flew on for a few more miles, but no more
LN924, F/Sgt. H.C.M. Johnson (RAAF) in ME572, were sighted.
F/Lt. J.F. Fisher in MF196, Lt. D.R. Hjelm (SAAF) ‘Better head for home now, Lee’, said Riggy.”
in LP182 and F/Sgt. J. Evans (RAAF) flying in Nine crews landed at Tortorella between 03:11
LN799 successfully laid twelve 1000 lb. mines in and 04:20.
the Danube in the area between Gardinovci and Ten aircraft of 70 Squadron, LF640 “A” piloted
Surnik from a height of between 100 and 200 by F/Sgt. G.B. Sinclair (RAAF), LN699 “C” with
feet. HF477 (W/O. E.D. Upson (RAAF)) and ME875 Lt. N.K. Weekes (SAAF), LP130 “D” with F/Sgt.
(F/Lt. R.M. Cranchey) both had a mine hang up and G.J. Custance (RAAF), MF194 “F” with Sgt. D.H.R.
on return, at 04:20, landed at Foggia Main, with its McPherson (RAAF), LN985 “K” with F/Sgt. H.
longer runway, with the mines on board. Pollard, HE694 “L” F/Sgt. K.E. Turley (RAAF),
The four crews detailed to mine between Bazias LN479 “O” with F/Sgt. R.P.F. Gelle (RAAF), NP135
and Belgrade all did so successfully, laying their “T” with F/Sgt. J.R. Turvey (RNZAF), LN870 “U”
mines from a height of 300 to 500 feet. with F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin (RAAF), LP126 “Z” with
Pilot P/O. D.C. Burcham (plane JA472) F/Sgt. R.P. Case and LN851 “Y” manned by crew
described his feelings as he undertook his first of F/Lt. K.G. Hubbard, were detailed to plant
mining operation: mines between Palanka and Stari Futag, west
“It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating of Novi Sad. In addition, F/Sgt. Custance and
of trips. Having crossed the mountains at 10,000 crew, foiled on the earlier mining raid by engine
feet, we then pinpointed our ‘garden’ and dived problems, were detailed to plant in the ‘old’ Rear Gunner of 37 Squadron. [Photo: E. Robertson]
down to 2000 feet above the hazily moon-lit river, bed east of Belgrade. All eleven crews took off
feeling rather vulnerable as we had no idea what from Tortorella between 22:40 and 22:54 and beds and between 02:55 and 03:46 sixty-five
was cooking-up along the dark river banks. In the approached the target in good weather, admiring 1000 lb. Mark V mines were laid successfully
event nothing happened and we were able to drop the snow-capped Dinaric Alps en route. Between from a height of between 80 and 500 feet. The
our two mines! (Macdonald pp. 15–16) 01:00 and 01:45 hours crews successfully planted crew of Lt. W.J. Van der Merwe (SAAF) flying in
The Operations Record Book states that the a total of twenty 1000 lb. Mk.V and two 1600 lb. BZ932 had one mine hang up. It was jettisoned
rear gunner of JA531, Sgt. Blyth, fired 200 rounds Mk.VI mines from 80 to 400 feet successfully. safe over the Adriatic. Several crews reported
at barges, but Maurice Lihou, who was captaining Two crews, F/Sgt. Turvey’s and F/Sgt. difficulty in identifying the drop zone because of
JA531, recalls, in It’s Dicey Flying Wimpeys Custance’s, encountered opposition south of flooding, and F/Lt. D.A. Eardley and his crew in
Around Italian Skies, pp. 68–9, that the air bomber, Masbar, which, although slight, was sufficiently EV939 abandoned the operation after searching
Sgt. Antiel, also attacked the barges from the accurate to hole F/Sgt. Turvey’s aircraft in several for the drop zone at 1500 feet for more than thirty
front turret: places and damage the intercom. Nonetheless, minutes. Two of its six mines were jettisoned safe
“In the brilliant moonlight they found their he and his crew successfully completed their over the Adriatic.
vegetable patch (target area). Flying low along mining run. Seven crews strafed barges, reporting hits,
the Danube with the riverbanks rising on either Crews landed at Tortorella between 03:05 and the .5 inch machine guns carried by the Liberators
side of them, they could clearly see motor traffic 04:35. having much more penetrative power than
with dimmed headlight moving along; they must Detailed to mine the River Danube between the .303 inch machine guns of the Wellingtons.
belong to an enemy convoy they concluded. They Backa Palanka and Futog, west of Novi Sad, Several crews made prolonged strafing attacks,
laid their deadly traps and continued flying low twelve Liberators of 178 Squadron took off from Lt. Van der Merwe’s crew, for instance, raking
at 200 feet over the river. To Lee [Lihou] it was Celone between 23:59 and 00:31, each carrying barges with machine gun fire for 12 minutes.
a tremendous thrill. six mines. Eleven crews located the designated The most spectacular results, however, were
‘Lets see if we can find some barges to shoot obtained by the crews of EV820 “R” (Lt. T.E. Knight
up’, suggested Lee. ‘Want to go into the front (SAF)) and EV822 “V” (F/Lt. J.H.C. Lewis). In the
turret, Len?’ latter Lt. Knight’s mid upper and beam gunners
‘OK. Skipper’. It wasn’t long before the first attacked and set fire to a 100 ft. long vessel,
barges came into sight sitting low in the river, believed to be a tanker, which blew up. EV820’s
chugging along leaving a telltale wake of white gunners attacked another tanker, which also
foam behind them. They were much bigger than blew up, setting fire to a row of six ships, leaving
Lee had expected, he counted eight of them, four the river covered in burning oil and the resulting
lots of two side by side. explosions visible 85 miles away.
‘Got them in your sights Len? Then go to it first. On the return flight over the Adriatic, Lt. N.E.
Are you ready at the back, Jock?’ Hayman’s crew (in EV962) spotted red very
Len needed no second bidding, the burst of flares fired from the sea, which they reported
machine gun fire filled the aircraft and as they at debriefing. Group Flying Control was advised
flew on over the barges it was Jock’s turn in the and the outcome was the rescue the following
rear gunner’s turret to have a go, he also let rip. morning of S/Ldr. C.F. Mervyn-Jones and his
‘What about a second run chaps?’ asked Lee. 40 Squadron crew, returning from an attack on
‘OK by us Skipper’. the Ferencvaros Marshalling Yards, Budapest,
They turned, flew alongside of the riverbank, which had ditched out of fuel after flak damage.
turned again and flew on them from the rear.
There seemed to be no one on board. They did F/Sgt. B.E. Marstin RAAF, who captained LN870
a second run over them, both turrets in action. on this raid. [Photo: AWM]

10 INFO Eduard April 2024

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Other participating crews which were not

mentioned due to nonproblematic flights were Lt.
J.N. Hall (SAAF) in BZ928, Lt. G.C.E. Gibson (SAAF)
in BZ929, Lt. J.G. Schuurman (SAAF) in BZ930 “S”,
Lt. J.F. Young (SAAF) in BZ946 “L”, W/O. J. Strenach
(RAAF) in BZ947 “N”, F/Lt. E.F.S. May in EV825 “D”
and F/Sgt. A.L. Steele in EV841. All crews landed
at Celone between 05:43 and 06:30.
Newly planted ‘cucumbers’, as the mines
were often called in the RAF slang, found their
victims again. On the 13th, seven ships were sunk,
including B.L. tanker 778, N.F.R’s Hotin and the
M.F.T.R. tug Grof Szapary Gyula lost at km 1466.
Aboard the tug ten people lost their lives.
Originally, for the night 14/15 April 1944 the M.F.T.R. tug Grof Szapary Gyula lost on 13 April 1944 at km 1466.
205 Group scheduled a major attack on the Turnu
Severin Marshalling Yards in Romania, but this was
cancelled, and in its place modest-sized raids by
the three Wellington wings were mounted against
shipping and harbor installations at Piombino,
San Stefano and Leghorn. One Wellington from
236 Wing was also detailed to carry out a leaflet
drop (‘nickelling’) over Romania. It was therefore
only the Liberators of 240 Wing that operated
upon what was to be the final mining operation
of the first full moon period, and easily the least
successful.
Between 22:00 and 00:01, 178 Squadron
dispatched eleven crews to mine the Danube near
Jiul, in Romania, with six of them detailed to drop
leaflets over Romanian cities prior to mining. Two
aircraft crashed shortly after take-off and of the
remaining nine only one, EV959 “T” of F/Lt. D.A.
Eardley, managed to locate the designated bed
with any certainty. Of the rest, two (BZ932 “Y” of Lt.
W.J. Van der Merwe and BZ946 “L” of Lt. J.F. Young,
both SAAF) mined the Danube, though uncertain
as to where, while W/O. Strenach’s crew (in BZ930
“S”) dropped their mines 15 miles south of Craiova
in the river Jiul after they could not locate the 178 Squadron RAF Liberator being armed with mines.
Danube. In all, thirty Mk. 5A mines were laid
between 03:20 and 03:44 from a height of 50 to Orbited to find Danube but still unsuccessful. same way as ‘S’. ‘S’ turned to port. Height 4000
200 feet. The other crews of Lt. H. Hosken (SAAF) Flew South and made astrosight which gave ft – fighter’s height 3000 ft. Unidentified aircraft
in BZ947 “N”, F/Sgt. A.L. Steele in BZ929 and aircraft at 43°05’N: 22°47’E at 03:05 hours. This then lost. After losing unidentified aircraft spent
F/Sgt. W.A. Molyneux in EV822 “V were defeated gave aircraft too far South of Danube to mine at least one hour searching for Danube. Aircraft
by a combination of haze and a waning moon low before 03:20 hours. Decided to abandon operation. flew at 300 ft following rivers to see if they
in the sky, conditions worsening as the night Fifteen minutes later another astrofix confirmed flowed into the Danube but was unable to find it.
progressed, with crews unable later to identify the other one. 04:16 hours – two mines jettisoned 03:44 hours, 200 ft – mines dropped in Jiul River
the Danube, despite having used it successfully from rear bay at position 42o04’N: 18o32’E from from Craiova which is fairly large. Unable to find
as a pinpoint earlier, en route to nickelling. Two 9000 feet on heading 260°.” Danube owing to evasive action, bad visibility,
aircraft successfully dropped leaflets over W/O. Strenach and his crew had to contend not black night and haze.
Ploesti, and one each over Bucharest and Craiova. only with difficult weather, but also with enemy Returning aircraft landed at Amendola
Returning crews all highlighted the difficult opposition: between 05:50 and 06:40.”
weather conditions and the efforts they had “01:54 hours made a complete circuit of Two aircraft of the 178 Squadron were lost that
made to locate the designated drop zone. Ploesti – searchlight shot up and caught aircraft night. Consolidated Liberator B.Mk.VI EV825 “D”
S/Ldr. R.A. Brown’s crew, flying in B-24 BZ928, for straight away. Light stayed on for approx. 30secs took off normally but crashed shortly afterwards,
instance, reported: then moved off then another repeated. Master one kilometer east of San Marco. The cause was
“Tried to find Danube after dropping ‘nickels’ searchlight held aircraft, the others swinging never established. All crewmembers, including
but unsuccessful. A town brightly lit up and all towards aircraft’s course passing on to the master. pilot Lt. Harold E. Rogan (SAAF), navigator Sgt.
pinpoints coincided with Turnu Măgurele but Evasive action taken and searchlights lost. 02:20 Denis A. Bennett, Air Bomber Sgt. Bernard E.
Danube could not be located. Moon was giving hours en route back to Danube. A single radial- Hart, Wireless Operator Sgt. John C.W. Martin,
poor illumination as it shone just above haze. engined aircraft (unidentified) observed flying Flight Engineer Sgt. George H. Evans, Air Gunner

April 2024 INFO Eduard 11

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Being inspected by the pilot, Liberator EV962 “F” of 178 Squadron suffered minor repairable damage.
This plane flew a ‘gardening’ operation on 14/15 April 1944.

Sgt. James Atkinson and Air Gunner Sgt. John B. The dead are buried in Bari War Cemetery, Crew of B-24 EV820 “R”. Upper row right Sgt.
Baskerville were killed and are buried in Bari War Lt. Shaw in grave XV.C.8, P/O. Wishak (who is Pollington, in the middle row left Sgt. Patterson and
Cemetery, Lt. Rogan in grave XV.C.7, Sgt. Bennett listed in the 178 Squadron ORB as Warrant Officer, right Sgt. Pain. Below them are sitting left 2nd Lt.
Shaw and right W/O Wishak. It is a cut off from bigger
in XV.B.38, Sgt. Hart in XV.C.38, Sgt. Martin in the unit not having then been advised of his phot, and the upper left airman was not a member of
XV.C.6, Sgt. Evans in XV.C.13, Sgt. Atkinson in commissioning) in grave XV.C.2, and Sgt. Birch in the crew. [credit: Wishak family via P. Vančata].
X.C.33 and Sgt. Baskerville in XV.B.39. grave XV.C.9.
Consolidated Liberator B. Mk.VI EV820 “R” took The newly laid mines made the Danube even
off at approximately at 23:50 hours and was last more dangerous, since previously laid mines
seen climbing away from the runway. About two had yet not been swept and the list of victims
hours later navigator Sgt. J. Patterson, arrived was growing every day. Among the victims of
at the aerodrome on foot. It appears that almost the newly laid mines were the M.F.T.R. passenger
immediately after take-off the aircraft lost steamer Erszebet Kiralyne lost on 15 April, the
height and crashed, killing three men including motor barge Ressel lost on the 30th and the S.O.R.
pilot Lt. Keith Shaw (SAAF), Air Bomber P/O. tug Vojvoda Putnik lost on 2 May.
Michael Wishak (RCAF) and Flight Engineer Sgt.
Raymond H. Birch. Patterson, who was badly cut
about the head, was knocked out, and when he
came to consciousness, he found he was lying on
the ground alongside the aircraft.
After doing what he could for the other injured
members of the crew he saw the aerodrome
Beacon flashing about 2 miles away and started
to walk towards it. On his arrival, the ambulance
with Medical Officer and crash tender left
immediately for the scene of the crash. It was
found that three members of the crew had
been killed. The aircraft did not catch fire and it
crashed in open country, which accounted for the
crash not having been discovered earlier.
Beside navigator, survivors of the crash were Pilot Officer Michael Wishak was born in
Czechoslovakia in 1921. His parents moved to Canada,
Wireless Operator Sgt. R.C. Pain, Air Gunner Sgt. where in August 1941 Michael joined the RCAF. On 17
H.F. Pollington, and Air Gunner Sgt. E. Gollings. March 1944 he was assigned to 178 Squadron.

12 INFO Eduard April 2024

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The first mining in April apparently caught the

enemy unprepared, as minesweeping equipment
was totally inadequate. Traffic came to a halt
over the greater part of the river, and, although
the enemy succeeded in developing its counter
measures within a few weeks, subsequent
mining in May and June again increased the
problem. It appears that the enemy experienced
little difficulty in his actual sweeping operations,
as the mines in use were not of a complicated or
particularly modern type, but the intensification
of mining after mid-July made it impossible
for the available sweepers to meet the strain
imposed upon them.
There can be no doubt as to the outstanding The 1000 h.p. motor barge D.D.S.G. Ressel, which was lost on 30 April 1944 at km 1552,0.
success of 205 Group ‘Gardening’ operations.
Overall, between April and August 1944, the
volume of traffic on the Danube was reduced by
some 60 to 70 per cent. The enemy was forced
to deploy, along a considerable length of the
river, great quantities of anti-aircraft equipment,
including balloons and guns as well as trained
crews to man them. Skilled minesweeping crews,
both naval and air, were diverted to the Danube
at a time when their services could ill-be spared
elsewhere. Finally–and most important of all,
considerable aid was given to the Russian Forces
in their westward drive, when the transport of
German reinforcements to the Eastern Front
suffered long delays.

(a slightly modified and enriched excerpt of a text

from book: “Gardening by Moonlight” from Peter
Kaššák and David Gunby, available at lulu.com)

M.F.T.R. passenger steamer Erszebet Kiralyne.

April 2024 INFO Eduard 13

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Before leaving Most, we washed our company van,
nicknamed Mayer. Our colleagues did not hand it
over to us in a completely presentable condition.
Don’t panic people, I am not going into detailed
descriptions surrounding the Battle of the Bay
of Biscay, Danzig Bay or even the Bay of Pigs.
They’re not the type of Bays I have in mind. I am
more geared towards a good discussion of the
wheel bays of our new 48th scale P-51B Mustang.
The 3D design of our P-51B Mustang in 1:48th
was led by our chief designer Stan Archman
who worked on it together with designers Tomáš
Fikar and Robert Theiner. The construction was
completed at the beginning of last summer,
and the files were transferred over to our
technologists, elevating the project to the next
stage, allowing Stan to focus his attention on the
P-40 Warhawk project. Part of the preparation
included scanning several aircraft in Texas,
which we combined with our trip to the IPMS USA
Nationals in San Marcos. This is a town located
just north of San Antonio. The first USS Texas, an
ironclad of 1892, was renamed the San Marcos
in 1911 to allow her original name to be used for
the new USS Texas, a New York-class battleship
that survives to this day and was in for repairs
14 INFO Eduard
Vladimír Šulc
All
About the Bays
at the Galveston docks at the time of our visit.
The first USS Texas, already under the name
USS San Marcos, ended up worse, shot up as
a practice target on the shoal of Theang Strait
in Chasepeake Bay, but I already wrote about
that once. Interestingly, a significant moment in
the development of our 48th scale P-51B project
occurred at San Marcos.
Stan was showing off a 3D model of the
Mustang in San Marcos, and on that occasion
he learned from one of the modelers, John
Ferdico, that his wheel well design suffered
a major flaw. He had based it around the well of
the P-51A, or rather all Mustangs with the Alison
engine. But the P-51B did not have wheel bays
like the P-51A, in fact having more in common
with the wells of the P-51D, though not being
idential. It basically comes down to the engine.
The hoses leading from the radiator to the engine
are routed lower on the Alison powered aircraft Standa Archman constructing.
than those using the Packard Merlin, where they
were higher up, closer to the ceiling of the wheel
bay. Thus, it was clear that we had a problem
April 2024

and that we needed to find documentation for the
P-51B wheel wells. Not that we didn't have such
documentation before, but our sources featured
P-51A bays. Getting photos and drawings of the
right bay was not easy, but thanks to John Ferdic,
Ed Mautner, Billy Crisler and Brian Niklas, we
got access to some during September. And so,
shortly after E-day, Stan was able to begin the
redesign of those damn wheel wells.
But another complication arose. As the work
on tooling up progressed, the time for the
redesign of the wells began to get away from us
a bit. If we were to complete the entire project by
April and officially release the first kit of the new
Mustang in May, the tooling for the last mold, the
one incorporating the parts of the protagonist of
this essay, the wheel well, had to be finished by
October. The basic prerequisite for meeting this
deadline was the completion of the redesign in
the first week of October. And that was exactly
the time we were scheduled to travel to Italy.
Jakub Nademlejnsky in CH-47 Chinook in Volandia.
A nice four-hour traffic jam
on the way to Bergamo.
April 2024
There we needed to see another P-40, in this case
a P-40F, and above all, we had an appointment to
scan a Macchi C.205 at the Leonardo factory near
Varese, a visit to the museum in Vigna di Valle,
where they also have other Macchi fighters, and
we were supposed to end the Italian part of the
trip at a local model exhibit in Bergamo. It was
practically impossible to cancel the trip.
Stan decided to work on the redesign during
the course of the trip. He bought a 12V voltage
converter for the car's electrical system to
220V, which is needed to power his laptop.
We loaded the scanner, boxes of kits needed
for the exhibition, our luggage and a supply of
coffee, and the team of Vladimír Šulc, Jakub
Nademlejnský and Stanislav Archman headed
out on the first leg of our trip, Cheb-Munich-
Bregenz-Vaduz-Varese. From the driver's point
of view, the first part of the journey from Most to
the German border beyond Cheb went smoothly,
only strange mouse clicks and dark cursing
Standa Archman after work at the hotel in Varese.
The author at an artistic pizza in Varese.
A cement truck overturned across
the highway, stranding both
directions until the spilled load
was removed.
ARTICLES
could be heard from the back of the car. Before
Regensburg, however, the situation calmed
down, and during a break in Vadus, Stan looked
relatively optimistic, and it seemed that the well
would acquire the right proportions during the
journey, but a wrench was occasionally thrown
into the mix. For example, he reduced the
sensitivity of the mouse to the lowest possible
level, because hitting an icon while moving
the mouse inside of a moving car, noting that
the Siemens NX program utilizes such icons,
is really a very difficult activity. We normal non-
designers do not notice the tiny vibrations driving
can generate or how relevant they can be in such
an endeavor. Another problem was unexpected
braking, because he didn't have the laptop fixed
to anything, and it had a tendency to drift away
uncontrollably when braking. The laptop also
had a tendency to heat up significantly, another
thing that one doesn't fully realize when working
with a laptop normally.
INFO Eduard 15
ARTICLES

Landing gear bay for P-51A

Landing gear bay for P-51B/C

During the trip, we received word that the
C.205 scan was being moved up by a day.
So we extended our stay in Varese, which wasn't
exactly easy because there was some apparently
important cycling event going on in Varese
the next day and the hotel was full of racers,
coaches and service team members. We used the
extra free day to visit the Volandia Museum on
the grounds of the former Caproni factory near
Milan’s Malpensa Airport and the town of Stresa
on Lake Maggiore, where I completed one matter
that I had not managed to during my stay in
Stresa two years earlier. Stan did not go with us.
He stayed at the hotel and worked on his wheel
bay design. Unfortunately, at that time his new
design team, we can call it the ‘P-40 Operational
Group’, was already starting the design of the 3D
model of the P-40E, and they urgently needed
to go over some things. This took up four hours,
so after Jakub and I returned from Stresa, the
well was still not finished. So we went to dinner.
We placed our faith in a ‘modernist’ pizzeria
with design-oriented types of pizza whose
names none of us have ever heard before and
will probably never hear again. Colleagues didn't
like their pizzas, and I forgot what I actually
had on mine. There were definitely anchovies,
and even got extras in a can. There are always
crossroads of decisions with any design stuff.
Truth is, the box, with only two anchovies left in
it, looked a bit like the wheel well of the Mustang
in Stan’s background photos. Actually, the thing
resembled the wheel well of a Mustang whose oil
cooler had been shredded by flak while strafing
somewhere over Germany. But that also could
have been the wine. In any case, we still didn't

The Ansaldo SVA 5 in Volandia is a scaled-down replica (90%), built by Professor
Antonio Angelucci in 2001. It was built after the original, machine serial number
11721, which is in the collections of the museum in Vigna di Valle. This exhibit has
been in Volandia since July 2022, when it was donated to the museum
by Professor Angelucci's son Giuseppe.
The Savoia-Marchetti S.55 flying boat is of great importance to Italian aviation not
only because of its unique design (it was a flying catamaran), but especially because
of the long-distance flights that the crews of these machines undertook both alone
and in large groups. The first of such flights was the "flight of the four continents",
in which Colonel Francesco de Pinedo and his crew flew across Africa to South
America, from there to the USA and back to Europe via Canada. The route of the
flight was 46 960 km long. This was followed by flights of large aircraft formations,
led by Marshal Balbo. The first flight across the Mediterranean (25 May - 2 June
1928) involved 61 flying boats, 10 of which were of the S.55 type. These were later
followed up by Balbo's transatlantic flights, the first of which was a flight of 14 S.55s
in 1930. S. 55A, crewed by Umberto Maddalena and Stefano Cagna, made
a significant contribution to the rescue of General Umberto Nobile's expedition that
was wrecked in the Arctic in the summer of 1928.
The exhibit in Volandia is a 1:1 scale replica that is still being worked on

We have already met a Macchi C.205 in Volandia.

In this case it is a fiberglass replica.

16 INFO Eduard April 2024

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The Volandia Museum is built on the site

of the Caproni factory, founded in 1910.

Jakub Nademlejnsky got some additional

data about SF-260 for our colleagues
at Special Hobby.

have our well and time was running out.

The next day, October 4th, the Macchi C.205
Veltro was scanned. A beautifully restored
example stands in the entrance hall of the
administrative building at Leonardo, formerly
Aermacchi, on the outskirts of Venegono
Superiore. The machine is repaired to essentially
an airworthy condition, but it is evidently not
expected to ever fly again. Aermacchi owned an
airworthy Veltro that was severely damaged in
a crash. The crash damage prevented the
machine from being repaired to airworthy
condition again, so it was refurbished for static
display purposes for the museum, and the
company traded it with the National Technical
Museum of Milan (Museo nazionale scienza
e technologia Leonardo da Vinci) for another
Veltro that was in good airworthy condition. In the lobby of Leonardo's office building is, of course, the original Macchi C. 205V. Working on such a machine is
However, after the repair work was complete a sheer joy!

April 2024 INFO Eduard 17

ARTICLES

The Mustang's undercarriage shaft design was a walk

in the park compared to the Veltro shaft.

at Aermacchi, the management of the company

did not allow any further flying, given the
rare nature of the specimen, and the Veltro
ended up in the entrance of the administration
building, where we spent a good half day with it.
We scanned the critical parts, which is the
usual procedure, because it doesn't make sense
for us to scan the entire plane. We do the main
part of the design work of the basic 3D model
according to drawings, but we verify the shapes
of critical parts, such as the nose, tail section,
wing-fuselage transition, wingtip shapes and
wheel wells according to the data obtained by
scanning. We use the scanner in the next stages The Veltro has beautifully detailed workmanship.

The undercarriage legs are articulated parts with lots of fine details. They are always
A good old measure tools always comes in handy when working on such a project. a challenge for the designer.

of the development of the kit, especially when
checking the finished mold, when we scan
the mold and compare the shape of the parts
with the 3D pattern model. The introduction of
this method saves us tens to lower hundreds
of working hours that we used previously for
necessary fine tuning. The scan, interrupted by
lunch in the cafeteria and carried out with the
enthusiastic interest of the local staff, did not
finish until after four in the afternoon, we said
goodbye to our hosts and set off south to the
Piana delle Orme area near Anzio.
Since we were leaving Venogona Superiore
after four in the afternoon and had almost 750
kilometers to go, it was clear to us that we
weren't going to arrive at our hotel at any decent
hour before midnight, and we didn't.. But the
administrator was kind to us. Stan, who had
been designing very responsibly even during
this leg of the journey, declared that he wanted
to live in a single room by himself and that he
would continue to do the work at hand, because
tomorrow, which at that moment meant today,
our technologists needed to have the design
in their computers. Otherwise, there would be
a problem in meeting the time schedule. In the
morning at breakfast it was clear that he had
really been plugging away through the night. At
breakfast, Stan reported that he uploaded the
files to the company network at half past four in
the morning.
A P-40L was waiting for us at the museum
in Piana delle Orme. We didn't do any scanning
there, we just needed to take a good look at the
nose and compare it to the nose of the P-40E
and N. It's all about the engine; as you know, the

18 INFO Eduard April 2024


P-40F and L had a Packard Merlin engine, versus
the Alison engine that powered the other P-40s.
So we assumed that there would be a different
cowling on the F/L and we needed to verify that.
The museum at Pianna delle Orme is dedicated
to the history of the Allied landings at Anzio, but
also has a section dedicated to the development
The exhibitions in the Piana delle Orme museum are designed as large dioramas. Such is the case for the halls dedicated to the Anzio landings.
The outdoor display features aircraft of the
post-war Italian Air Force. The aircraft are
in very good condition, this licensed Fiat
F-86K Sabre serial number MM53-8299
is beautifully restored. Before becoming
a museum exhibit, it served for many
years as a gate guard at Milano-Bergamo
Orio Airport.
April 2024
ARTICLES
of agricultural technology and a section a number of significant exhibits, of which we
dedicated to post-war aviation with a large were, of course, particularly interested in the
proportion of aircraft of the Italian Financial aforementioned P-40L. It is also displayed as
Guard (Guardia di Finanza), an armed branch part of a diorama. This is a wreck recovered
in Italy with significant air and naval assets. from the sea in very good condition.
The exhibits dedicated to the Anzio landings are
interestingly designed as dioramas and contain
The diorama also incorporates the P-40L. A P-40L-15CU, serial number 42-10857,
with tactical designation X49, belonging to the 86th FS/ 79th FG (12th AF), named
"Gipsy Rose Lee," landed for engine failure on the beach at Capoportiere on
31 January 1944. The pilot, Lt. M. Mauritz was captured. The aircraft laid in the
sea off the coast for many decades. In 1998 it was recovered from the sea,
and is now the only surviving example of the P-40L.
INFO Eduard 19
ARTICLES

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, serial number MM80074, ex US NAVY N7486C, is apparently the only surviving Harpoon in museums outside the United States.

The outdoor exhibit includes a collection of machines from the Italian Financial Guard, Also from the Financial Guard is this Breda-Nardi NH-500MC licensed helicopter.
Guardia di Finanza. This Piaggio P-166 visited Prague on October 17, 2007. As an owner Another machine of the same type and in the same colouring, but of course with
and rider of a Piaggio scooter, I have a personal relationship with this brand! a different fuselage marking, is in the collections of the Volandia Museum.

A P-40L-15CU, Serial Number 42-10857, coded

X49, belonging to the 86th FS/ 79th FG (12th
AF) and named ‘Gipsy Rose Lee’, landed due to
engine failure on the beach at Capoportiere on
January 31st, 1944. The pilot Lt.M.Mauritz was
captured. The aircraft lay in the sea off the coast
for decades, was recovered in 1998, and today it
is the only preserved example of a P-40L.
From Pianna delle Orme, we moved 120
kilometers north to the edge of the town of Vigna
di Valle on the shores of Lake Lago di Braciano,
to the Museum of the History of Military Aviation
(Museo storico dell` Aeronautica Militare di
Vigna di Valle).
Here too, we were interested in Macchi
fighters, and this museum boasts all three main
types of Macchi series fighters, the C.200, C.202
and C.205. In the case of these exhibits, there is
some doubt about their 100% authenticity, while
in the case of C.205 these doubts are certainly
justified. Our plan for this summer's trip to the Collection of Macchi M racing seaplanes M.39, M.57 and M.72

20 INFO Eduard April 2024

 ARTICLES

United States is to scan critical parts of C.200

and C.202s in American museums. There’s
a C.200 in Dayton, Ohio, and a C.202 at the
NASM in Washington, DC. For many years it
hung in a museum building in the city, near the
National Mall, and is currently scheduled to be
dismantled at Steven F. Udwar-Házy at Dulles
Airport in Chantilly. We are already very familiar
with this facility.
In any case, the museum in Vigna di Valle
is worth a visit regardless of the condition of
the machines mentioned above. After all, you
wouldn't know anything was wrong with them
as a regular visitor anyway, the planes are
very nicely restored and in excellent condition.
However, I am sure that as modelers, you would
suspect this in our kits, especially if you were
given the necessary information by an expert The Lohner L-1 is associated with the most successful Austro-Hungarian naval aviator Gotfried von Banfield,
taken at his word, and that word may even be who scored 6 kills in a Lohner L-1 with fuselage designation L16. The machine in the museum in Vigna di Valle,
given prior to a kit release, as it often is. with the fuselage designation L127, reached Italy on 3 June 1918 after the defection of its two-man crew, which
landed in the port of Fano. The machine is very well preserved, having undergone a complete refurbishment in
The C.200-205 series fighters are not the only 1988. A total of 93 aircraft of this type were built, the L127 being one of 24 produced in Hungary by UFAG.
Macchi aircraft in Vigna di Valle. They have this
stunning collection of three Macchi M.39, M.57
and M.72 floatplanes racers. These are wonderful
machines, built for the then famous Schneider
Cup. On October 23rd, 1934, pilot Francesco
Agello set a world record of 709.209 km/h in an
M.72 with two counter-rotating propellers and
powered by a twenty-four-cylinder Fiat AS.6
engine with an output of 2,300hp. However, the
maximum speed of this machine is stated to be
711.426 km/h! These Macchi birds aren't the only
seaplanes in the museum, after all the museum
is built on the grounds of a former seaplane base.
Here you will also find another Fiat C.29 racer,
as well as a huge three-engine Cant Z.206 and
a wonderful Austro-Hungarian Lohner L-1, which
can be taken as one of the themes in Vigna di
Valle with a Czech or Czechoslovak connection.
Another such item is a replica of the gondola
of the airship Italia, which in 1928 under
the command of Umberto Nobile set out on
The Caproni Ca-3 heavy three-engined bomber on display at Vigna di Valle was purchased by its pilot, Casimiro
a journey to the North Pole, only to be wrecked Buttini, after his retirement from the Italian Air Force, reportedly for 30 000 lire and stored in his barn, from
in a storm on May 25th, 1928, about 100 km where it was bought by the Italian Air Force for museum purposes in 1958. Another original piece of this type is
in the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, and a replica, built at the Aircraft Repair Shop in
north of Northeast Land, one of the islands of
Trencin, is on display at the museum in Piešt'any, Slovakia.
the Svalbard archipelago. Of the sixteen crew
members, eight people were saved during they also have a documentation center of this mention this much in Vigna di Valle, and if they
a dramatic rescue operation in which the famous fascinating story of human courage, the desire do, I missed it. But even so, this exhibit has
Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen for knowledge and sacrifice to save human lives, an incredible history behind it. This machine,
disappeared without a trace, along with the where various remains of Nobile's expedition, a survivor of World War I, was bought after
operation’s commander Umberto Nobile, his dog his personal library and archives, are stored. We its retirement by its pilot Casimiro Buttini,
and the mascot of the expedition, a Fox Terrier didn't have time to do that, and you can only go reportedly for 30,000 lire, stored in a barn,
named Titina and the Czech scientist František there after prior ordering, so I have to go there from where it was purchased by the Italian Air
Běhounk. I was mesmerized by Běhounk's at least once more. Force for museum purposes in 1958. I confess at
book ‘Castaways of the Polar Sea’ as a boy and The third, but this time Czechoslovak or, more this point that this plane is one of my all time
I wanted to be a polar explorer, which I was later precisely, Slovak connection, is the Caproni Ca-3 favorites. I've admired it like a ravenous cat
somewhat introduced to by the Italian-Soviet three-engine bomber. One of the founders of the several times in Dayton, Ohio, and I'll be gazing
film ‘Red Tent’ from 1969, with Peter Finch in the first Czechoslovak Republic, a Slovak scientist, into its gorgeous eyes again this year, and we've
role of Nobile and Sean Connery in the role of aviator and the first Minister of Defense of the even started designing it as a kit at Eduard.
Amundsen. My later experiences with winter newly formed Czechoslovakia, General Milan The design is in progress but momentarily hidden
maneuvers in Šumava during my military service Rastislav Štefánik, died on this type of aircraft in a drawer with our designer Karel Mišák.
were completely brought out. In Vigna di Valle, while returning to his homeland. They don't

April 2024 INFO Eduard 21

ARTICLES

And there are so many more treasures to
explore, including such one-of-a-kind pieces
as Italy's first Caproni-Campini jet from 1942 or
the SPADA engine that killed Francesco Barraca,
and they also have a Fiat CR-32, which is another
aviation love of mine. As you can see, I am
a multiple bigamist when it comes to airplanes,
and as I see now, many of my loves are Italian
ladies. I strangely didn't realize that before. Either
way, I have plenty of reasons to keep coming
back to Vigna di Valle, and I highly recommend
you all go there when the opportunity presents
itself in your own travels. Take a look at the
photo gallery for inspiration.
From Vigna di Valle we left for Viterbo for
the evening, we slept in the small historic town
of San Martino al Cimino, and the next day we
passed through Viterbo, another historical gem
of Bagnoregio and one absolutely perfect four-
hour Italian traffic jam, caused by a cement
truck overturned all along the highway, tarriving
in Bergamo shortly before midnight. Stand had
stopped his design work by then, the wheel
bay was already in the possession of and being
worked by technologist Venca Pospíšil, and Stan
was able to use his technological skills to track
down the owner of our room, who only left an
angry message on the doorbell saying that he
only accepts guests until 5:00 p.m. This was also
successful, the angry lodger turned out to be
a very friendly piano teacher who devotedly took
care of us for the rest of our stay in Bergamo.
The modeling competition was small but nice.
The Italian modelers gave us a warm and friendly
welcome, and the closing party with them and
a local mountain band is unforgettable and
indescribable. If you want to experience it, go
to the competition in Bergamo in October, and
when you're gluing the wheel well into your new
Mustang, put on some Italian classics, preferably
Bella Ciao by Goran Bregovic or some Pavarotti!

The Hispano-Suisa 8a engine from SPAD VII, which was used to kill the most The Macchi M.72 reached a top speed of 711.426 km/h.
successful Italian fighter of WWI, Francesco Barraca.

The Fiat CR-32 Chirri on display at Vigna di Valle is a Hispano HA-132L built in Spain.

22 INFO Eduard April 2024

 ARTICLES

Fiat CR-42 Falco The Macchi C.200 Saetta will be of great interest to us again this summer
at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

Macchi C.205 Veltro in Vigna di Valle is not completely restored. For example,
both wing halves have the same span. In fact, each half of the wing of C.205 had
We will be equally interested in the Macchi C.202 Folgore at the Steven F. Udwar a different span. It was a solution to eliminate the effect of propeller torque,
Hazy Center in Washington DC. a characteristic of Macchi's C.200/202/205 series fighters.

April 2024 INFO Eduard 23

ARTICLES

A view of the Badoni hangar. Behind

the Macchi C.205 and C.202 is the
three-engined Fiat G.212 transport.

Fiat G.55 Centauro The CANT Z-506S Airone makes a monumental impression in the museum display.
This multi-purpose seaplane, introduced in 1935, lasted in service for almost a quarter
Savoia-Marchetti S.79 Sparviero unfortunately blends of a century despite its wooden construction, the last examples being retired from
in the display due to its all-green paint. service in 1959.

Vigna di Valle also has

a very valuable collection
of jet aircraft.

Not to be missed is the perhaps

ubiquitous SF-260 in Italy.

24 INFO Eduard April 2024

 The famous twin-engined supersonic jet F-5E Tiger II
in the markings of the US Air Force, US Navy, US Marines,
South Vietnam, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Brazil
and Thai Air Forces.
#11182 • Freedom Tiger F-5E • Photo-etched pre-painted parts
• Plastic parts AFV Club • Die-cut masks for easy painting
• Brassin 3D print parts for added detail • Decals for 8 marking options

73-00878, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, 2023

renovation at The Aviation Museum Kbely,
Prague, Czech Republic

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

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

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

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

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

www.eduard.com
ARTICLES

Air War in Ukraine

Summary of the Second Year of Conflict
Miro Barič

Two years have passed since the senseless war began, we don't know how it was. I wasn't in Auschwitz
either, yet I know who was the embodiment of
bringing nothing but devastation, bloodshed, and ruin to
evil there and who was the victim – the same
all involved. Therefore, in today's continuation, we will look applies to Bucha or Mariupol.
not only at the traditional monthly period (this time from And if you don't like my alleged "Western
February 1st to February 29th) but also at the summary of propaganda," there's a simpler solution – follow
the spokesman for the Russian Ministry of
what happened in Ukraine in the second year of the conflict.
Defense, Konashenkov. In the summer of 2022,
But first, allow me a personal address. he announced the destruction of 40 HIMARS -
out of less than 20 that were delivered at that
During these two years, I've learned a lot which would lead to immediate peace. Unlike time. By the way, in the last observed period,
about various people around me, but also calls for the capitulation of defenders, which the first evidence appeared that the Russians
about myself. For example, that I am a war would only lead to the destruction of Ukraine at least damaged two HIMARS with a missile.
instigator, relishing in senseless killing, and and Ukrainians themselves. At the beginning of March, they managed to
am an activist paid by the West to spread There's no point in reacting to various demonstrably destroy the very first HIMARS -
Western propaganda. "whataboutisms". However, I insist that lies but that will be in the next installment of the
Well, perhaps I am a war instigator in the are not opinions, and I certainly won't respect article. It won't be missing from it because my
sense that from the beginning of the war, I have them. I also reject claims that relativize the alleged "Western propaganda" doesn't conceal
insisted that the aggressor cease attacking, truth by saying that none of us were there, so it...

Residential building in Avdiivka destroyed by a Russian rocket.

26 INFO Eduard April 2024


On February 10, Antonov An-124-100M named "Be
brave like Okhtyrka" landed at Harrisburg International
Airport in Pennsylvania. The aircraft with registration
UR-82008 belongs to Antonov Airlines. It brought
two M142 HIMARS rocket launchers for repair to the
USA. One of them likely had its right front wheel torn
March 2023
During this period, Poland and Slovakia
delivered MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Warsaw provided at least four aircraft in March,
with another 10 scheduled to be delivered the
following month. Slovakia provided 13 units,
three of which were without engines and
suitable only as a source of spare parts. Only
four out of the remaining ten aircraft flew to
Ukraine under their own power (numbers 2123,
6124, and 6627 in gray-green camouflage and
0921 in digital camouflage). The flight from
Sliač took place on March 23rd. The remaining
aircraft were transported by ground.
A serious incident between Russian and
Western armed forces occurred on March
14th. Two Russian Su-27 fighters attacked an
American MQ-9 Reaper drone in international
airspace over the Black Sea and caused it to
crash by hitting its propeller.
Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jets showcasing blue-yellow paint on their underside.
April 2024
ARTICLES
off by a mine explosion and damaged the lower part
of the cabin. The other one has at least 16 shrapnel
impacts in the cabin, both front windows cracked,
and both front tires damaged. These are the first two
demonstrably damaged HIMARS out of 39 delivered.
April 2023 from the beginning of May. The first Russian
Kyiv became the target of rocket shelling "undestructible" missile Ch-47M2 Kinzhal was
again on April 28th after 51 days of peace. This shot down on May 4th in the early morning
happened on the day when the Slovak President over Kyiv. The Russians tried to overwhelm
Zuzana Čaputová and the Czech President Petr the Patriot with a large number of missiles to
Pavel were visiting the Ukrainian capital. Both destroy it. In such a mass attack on May 16th,
had to take cover in an air raid shelter. Ukrainians shot down another six Kinzhals.
In addition to Ukraine, Russia also Ukrainians also used the Patriot defensively,
bombed its own territory when on April 20th, and on May 13th, they set a trap for a Russian
a Su-34 mistakenly dropped bombs on the city group flying to bomb the Ukrainian Chernihiv
of Belgorod. region with gliding bombs. However, the whole
Ukrainian drones attacked the fuel depot of group was shot down on their side of the border,
the Black Sea Fleet in the city of Sevastopol in the Russian Bryansk region. It included
on April 29th, destroying approximately half of one Su-34, one Su-35, and at least two Mi-8
the tanks. helicopters modified for electronic warfare.
Such losses were admitted by the Russians
May 2023 themselves. According to the Ukrainians,
At the end of the previous month, two another Mi-8 helicopter was shot down -
Patriot system batteries arrived in Ukraine a total of five aircraft at once.
and were involved in the defense of the capital In May, there was also the first use of
INFO Eduard 27
 ARTICLES
British-French Storm Shadow / SCALP-EG
cruise missiles. Ukrainians launch them
from modified Su-24 aircraft. They also used
ADM-160 MALD decoys alongside them.
At the end of May, the Russians managed
to capture the ruins of the destroyed city of
Bakhmut, which had been fought over for
almost 10 months. However, Ukrainians began
counterattacks around the city, and fighting
for Klyshchivka, located south of Bakhmut,
continues to this day.
June 2023
In the early days of June, the Ukrainian
counteroffensive began in the south of the
country in the Zaporizhia region. However, it
progressed slowly from the start against well-
fortified Russian positions with numerous
minefields. Two days after its start, on June
6th, fearing a possible crossing of the Dnieper
River, the Russians blew up the Kachovska
Dam north of the city of Kherson. This caused
a huge humanitarian and ecological disaster.
At the end of the month, mercenaries from
the Wagner group who led the main charge
(and also the losses) in the battle for Bakhmut,
rebelled. Their leader, Prigozhin, seized
Rostov-on-Don on June 23rd. He hoped to
capture Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and
Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov, whom
he had long publicly criticized. However, they
managed to escape from Rostov just before.
On the next day, Wagner's columns headed
towards Moscow. They occupied one city after
another and shot down six Russian helicopters
and one Il-22M aircraft - a flying command post.
However, Prigozhin halted his mercenaries
200 km from Moscow. Shortly afterward, they
also withdrew from Rostov in exchange for
an alleged promise of impunity. As a result,
the coup failed, and Wagner's forces as
a significant force came to an end.
28 INFO Eduard
Two-seater MiG-29UB from the Ukrainian 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade taking off from a highway.
July 2023
The Kerch Strait Bridge leading to the
occupied Crimea became the target of another
naval drone attack on July 17th. At least one
road section was damaged. At the same time,
the grain agreement, which allowed the export
of Ukrainian agricultural products to the
world, expired. Russia began attacking grain
depots and port infrastructure not only on the
Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea but also on the
Danube River near the borders with Romania.
During his month, Ukraine began receiving
cluster munitions from the USA for its artillery.
August 2023
Denmark, the Netherlands, and subsequently
Norway announced this month that they would
supply F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However,
after the necessary training of pilots and ground
personnel, Ukrainians will start receiving
them only in 2024. Altogether, it could be about
70 aircraft in the F-16AM Block 20 MLU version.
In August, the Crimean Peninsula became
the target of serious Storm Shadow missile
attacks. Several bridges were hit, and at least
two S-400 system batteries were destroyed.
Ukrainian drones also attacked airports on
Russian territory. At Soltsy-2 base, a Tu-22M3
bomber caught fire, and at the Pskov airport,
two Il-76 transport aircraft were destroyed,
and two more were damaged.
Exactly two months after the attempted
coup by Wagner mercenaries, revenge came.
During a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg,
a civilian Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy 600 was
shot down. Prigozhin and other Wagner leaders
died aboard. Two surface-to-air missiles
likely hit the plane, although the official
Russian version is that the passengers were
playing with a grenade during the flight, which
exploded.
Loading of the unguided rockets into Mi-24P
helicopters.
Ukrainian Mi-24P helicopters
during a combat mission.
April 2024
 ARTICLES

Storm Shadow missile on the pylon of a Ukrainian

Su-24.
September 2023
Ukraine scored a strategic victory over
Russia in the Black Sea. It managed to lift
the Russian blockade and resume grain
exports independently. It continues to do so
today and in greater volume than before the
grain agreement allowed. On September 13th,
the Minsk landing ship and the Rostov-on-
Don submarine were destroyed by Storm
Shadow missiles in the dry dock at the port of
Sevastopol. Subsequently, on September 22nd,
the Sevastopol headquarters of the Black Sea
Fleet was also destroyed in the same way. It
preferred to move its ships further east.
Russia began using Lancet drones with
longer range, hitting several Ukrainian
aircraft at airports near the cities of Kryvyi
Rih and Mykolaiv. The results of the attacks
were monitored by Russian reconnaissance
drones. Their operations dozens of kilometers
Mobile machine gun in action against drones.
behind the front line continue to cause
problems for Ukrainians to this day.
October 2023
The month began with another terrible
Russian war crime. During a mourning
gathering held at the funeral of a soldier in
the village of Hroza in the Kharkiv region,
an Iskander missile was launched. It killed Night time interception of the drones.
59 people - 36 women, 22 men, and one child.
A UN investigation confirmed that all victims
were civilians, and Russia bears responsibility
for their deaths.
Ukraine received ATACMS missiles with
a longer range, and on October 17th, they were
used against Russian helicopter airfields in
Berdiansk and Luhansk. Russian armed forces
lost 46 helicopters.
On the ground, a stalemate occurred.
The Ukrainian advance to the south halted
in the Robotyne and Verbove areas after
reaching the third - main Russian defense line.
Conversely, the Russians launched their own
massive attack on Avdiivka near Donetsk.
Shot down Iranian-made Shahed drone sporting black
November 2023 paint for night missions.

In the port of Kerch on the occupied Crimea,

Former Czech Kub system in Ukraine
the Russian corvette Askold was destroyed
by Storm Shadow missiles on November 4th.
In November, Russians increased the intensity
of attacks with Iranian Shahed drones. They
helped them map Ukrainian air defense
positions. Allies were strengthening it before
winter. Germany supplied the IRIS -T system
and another Patriot, while Norway provided
additional NASAMS systems. Results from
the FrankenSAM program, which combines
elements of various systems - such as
American missiles with Soviet launchers or
Soviet radars with Western launchers, began
arriving from the USA
December 2023
The Patriot system delivered from Germany
became very active. On December 5th,
a Russian Su-24M was shot down near the
Snake Island while attempting to attack Odesa.
Both crew members died. The identity of one of
them was confirmed only now, he was Captain
Yevgeny Baterin. Subsequently, on December
17th, a Russian Su-25 was shot down, and on
December 22nd, three Su-34s were shot down
at once. On Christmas Eve, December 24th,
Ukrainians announced another Su-34 and one
Su-30 shot down.
The destruction of the Black Sea Fleet

April 2024 INFO Eduard 29

ARTICLES
This mobile machine gun shows 15 Shahed drones and
one Lance drone kill marks. It is not known whether
these are the achievements of one gun or the entire unit.
The erodynamic shields‘ test during the pre-flight
preparation of a Russian Su-25.
A Russian rescue unit, which on February 17, picked
up the downed pilot of a Su-35 fighter jet with a Mi-24
helicopter.
Captain Fyodor Graboveckiy, who was less fortunate
on February 19 and died in the Azov Sea after his
Su-35 was shot down.
30 INFO Eduard
continued as Storm Shadow missiles
were launched on December 26th at the
Novocherkassk landing ship in the port of
Feodosia. The explosion of carried ammunition
and subsequent fire contributed to its sinking.
At the end of December, Russia launched
the largest rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities
since the beginning of the war. 18 strategic
bombers participated in the raids on December
29th. In total, Russians launched 122 missiles
and cruise missiles and 36 drones. The attack
claimed 58 human lives and injured more than
160 people.
January 2024
Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities
continued. For example, on January 2nd,
a total of 134 missiles and drones were
launched. This attack also involved 16 Tu-95MS
bombers. However, Russians did not only
bomb Ukrainian targets. Their own munitions
increasingly fell accidentally on their own
cities and towns.
Russians suffered a significant loss in the
air on January 14th when an early warning and
control aircraft, Beriev A-50, was destroyed.
It crashed into the Sea of Azov. Along with it, the
airborne command and communication post
Il-22M was also hit. Despite being peppered
with shrapnel and having casualties on board,
it managed to make an emergency landing.
However, the aircraft is now considered
a write-off. Additionally, on January 24th,
a transport Il-76M crashed in the Belgorod
region after being hit by an anti-aircraft
missile. It is still unclear what or who it was
carrying.
February 2024
In the last month covered, two significant
events occurred. Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed popular
General Valeriy Zaluzhny from the position
of the highest commander of the Ukrainian
armed forces on Thursday, February 8th. He
was replaced by the former commander of
ground forces, General Oleksandr Syrsky.
Syrsky lead a successful defense of Kyiv in the
spring of 2022 and a rapid counteroffensive in
the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022. However,
he also led the battles around Bakhmut, where
many soldiers criticized him for mistakes in
rotation at the beginning of 2023. Zaluzhny is
to become the new Ukrainian ambassador to
Great Britain at his own request.
The second significant event was the
Ukrainian retreat from Avdiivka, which was
completed on Saturday, February 17th. It is the
first such success of the Russian army since
May 2023 when Bachmut fell. Russia paid for
it with tens of thousands of dead and wounded
soldiers and hundreds of destroyed pieces of
An image of the Russian A-50.
equipment. The fall of Avdiivka was mainly
contributed to by two factors - the limitation
of ammunition supplies from the West and
Russian aerial bombing.
The decision to withdraw from Avdiivka was
made earlier and began to be implemented
when Valeriy Zaluzhny was the commander of
the Ukrainian army. Ukrainians moved the 3rd
assault brigade to Avdiivka under the pretext
of rotation and strengthening the defense.
However, its real task was to cover the retreat
of other units. When the Russians realized what
was happening, they threw all their forces into
the attack. The result was chaos over which
neither side had any control. Small units mixed
in the ruins of the city and often had to fight
surrounded. Several wounded Ukrainians had
to be left behind during the retreat because
they couldn't move and couldn't be carried
away. Some fell into captivity, but others were
massacred by the Russians.
While last summer, Ukrainian artillery
managed to overcome the Russian in some
areas, in Avdiivka in the last period, it had to
remain silent due to a lack of ammunition. Its
deliveries from the EU are delayed, and those
from the USA have completely stopped due to
domestic disputes in Congress.
Russian mass attacks on Avdiivka, which
began in October 2023, seriously disrupted
artillery even before Russian soldiers
approached within the range of small arms.
Therefore, especially during the initial attacks,
Russians suffered significant losses. However,
nothing like this happened in the last weeks
before the fall of Avdiivka. Russian formations
could prepare for the attack undisturbed, and
Ukrainian infantry in defense could rely only
on their own weapons and the support of
Bradley armored vehicles, which emerged
from shelters to help them.
The second significant factor was Russian
aerial bombing. Shortly before the Ukrainian
retreat, around 50 glide bombs fell on Avdiivka
daily. Their accuracy was not high, but with
a weight of 500 kg, they caused damage
wherever they fell. In Avdiivka, they mainly
destroyed tall apartment buildings used by
Ukrainians for battlefield observation and
defense.
April 2024

Tail section of an A-50 that was shot down on February 23.
After the Ukrainian retreat, this bombing
began on the new defensive line and also near
Bachmut, where the Russians renewed their
efforts to advance westward. The number of
dropped bombs began to reach up to 100 daily,
and new glide bombs with a weight of up to
1500 kg appeared.
Russian Bombing and Losses
The insufficient deliveries of weapons and
ammunition also relate to Russia's ability to
bomb Avdiivka undisturbed for a long time.
Ukrainians do not have enough air defense
systems to effectively defend the entire front
line. Batteries of air defense systems were
moved to Avdiivka only in the second half of the
month to cover the end of the retreat. Among
them, the third battery of the Patriot system
stood out, which was supplied from Germany
at the end of last year. Ukraine previously had
On February 11, in the Voronezh region, the
transportation of a crashed Su-34 was filmed.
The circumstances of the incident are unknown.
April 2024
two batteries, one deployed for the defense of
Kyiv and the other for the defense of Odessa.
The advantage of the third German battery is
that its individual components are mounted on
trucks. American Patriot systems are mounted
on trailers, and even the highly trained crew
takes 30-40 minutes to prepare them for
relocation. The German battery can be moved
almost immediately. According to Austrian
military expert Tom Cooper, Ukrainians
may have further divided this battery into
smaller components by adding other guidance
radars to several launchers. Based on the
FrankenSAM program, it may also include
radars from originally Soviet systems, such
as the S-300. This division of the battery into
smaller elements allows coverage of a larger
section of the front.
Ukrainians already announced the downing
of two Su-34s and one Su-35 on Saturday,
February 17th. Claims continued almost on
a daily basis - on February 18th, another
Su-34 was claimed, on February 19th, one
Su-34 and one Su-35, on February 21st,
another Su-34, on February 27th, two Su-34s,
and during February 29th, three Su-34s were
Ukrainian Su-25M1K with tail number "blue 21".
ARTICLES
Major Valeriy Borovikov commanded the shot-down
A-50.
claimed consecutively. In total, twelve aircraft
were claimed to be shot down, but verifying
their downing poses a challenge. Russian social
media confirmed the loss of only two Su-35s.
Ukraine provided blurry videos as evidence of
the downing of two Su-34s. However, the fate
of the remaining eight claimed Sukhoi aircraft
remains uncertain. A definitive answer will
have to wait, similar to previous installments
of this series. In practically every part, some
photographic confirmation of loss from
previous months is mentioned - on both sides.
In the currently monitored period, damaged
Su-34s after emergency landings appeared in
footage, indicating events that surely occurred
sometime in the past, although it is unknown
which event they are linked to.
However, some insight into Russian losses
may be gleaned from satellite image analysis
of Russian airfields. It suggests that during
the period when Ukrainians claimed the
aforementioned shootdowns, six Su-34s did
not return to their bases.
Let's take a closer look at the confirmed
losses. On Saturday, February 17th, a Su-35
was shot down over eastern Ukraine.
INFO Eduard 31
ARTICLES
On February 7th, Major Vladyslav Rykov from the 299th
Tactical Aviation Brigade perished in a shot down
Ukrainian Su-25.
The pilot ejected, and he was rescued by
a Mi-24 helicopter crew on a combat search
and rescue mission (CSAR). After successfully
rescuing the Su-35 pilot, the helicopter unit
took a group photo, essentially confirming the
downing of the Russian fighter jet.
The second Su-35 was shot down two days
later, on Monday, February 19th. This time,
it crashed into the Sea of Azov near the village
of Rybacke, south of Mariupol. It was piloted
by Captain Fedor Graboveckyi. Although he
managed to successfully eject from the falling
aircraft, he died in the cold water before
rescue helicopters could reach him.
Another A-50
During this reporting period, in addition to
fighters and fighter-bombers, the Ukrainian air
defense was also successful in shooting down
another airborne early warning and control
aircraft, a Beriev A-50. Its demise on Friday,
February 23, was captured by several videos.
In one of them, the aircraft is seen descending
and releasing decoy targets, with two missiles
aiming at it. One missile managed to divert
away and exploded far behind the aircraft.
However, the second missile hit it, causing the
On February 17, near Robotyne, a Ukrainian Mi-17V-5 helicopter was shot down and two crew members were killed.
32 INFO Eduard
One of the confirmed casualties of the shot down
Mi-17V-5 is Vadim Pokatayev.
aircraft to fall in flames. Subsequent videos
showed a strong fire after the crash and the
detached tail of the aircraft on the ground,
confirming its identity immediately.
The A-50 crashed near the village of
Trudovaya Armenia on the Russian side of the
Sea of Azov, more than 200 km from the nearest
Ukrainian positions. The Ukrainian secret
service stated that it was shot down with the
help of a modified S-200 missile. After the first
A-50 was shot down in January, these Russian
aircraft began to move further away from the
front line. Ukrainians therefore sought ways to
successfully target them. Although old S-200
missiles had been retired, some versions of
this missile have a range of up to 300 km.
The downed A-50 had the designation
RF-50610 and the fuselage number "red 42".
It belonged to the 610th Center for Combat
Training and Retraining of Air Personnel. There
were at least 10 crew members on board, but
none of them survived. Among them were
Major Valeriy Borovikov, Major Alexander
Ruluk, Captain Alexander Provalov, Lieutenant
Valeriy Telmanov, and Sergeant Dmitry
Khrulev. For Russia, this is a significant loss
because it is not easy to manufacture such an
aircraft, and its crew consisted of specialists
with years of training that cannot be replaced.
Ukrainian Losses
Moving the air defense closer to the front
line carries increased risks, and Ukrainians
paid dearly for it. During the period under
review, they lost an S-300 battery, and on
February 26, the first NASAMS launch device
was destroyed in the Zaporizhzhia region.
During the period under review, Ukraine
demonstrably lost two aircraft. Firstly, on
Wednesday, February 7, a Su-25 from the 299th
Tactical Aviation Brigade was destroyed during
a combat flight. Its pilot, Major Vladyslav
Rykov, was killed. He was most likely shot
down by an R-37 missile fired from a Russian
Su-35 fighter.
On Tuesday, February 13, a Mi-17V-5
helicopter of the Ukrainian Army Aviation
was shot down in the Robotyne area of the
Zaporizhzhia region. Two crew members
were killed (one of them was named Vadim
Pokatajev), and a third crew member was
critically injured.
Additionally, the death of a Russian pilot,
Captain Maxim Kuzminov, who defected to the
Ukrainian side, may be mentioned. On August
9, he defected to the Ukrainian side with
a Mi-8AMTŠ helicopter marked RF-04428 and
fuselage number "red 62". Two other crew
members had no idea about his intention to
defect and were shot after landing. Kuzminov
was labeled a traitor in Russia, and intelligence
services sentenced him to death. In Ukraine,
he received half a million dollars and three
options to choose from: to fight for Ukraine, to
stay in Ukraine as a civilian, or to live abroad.
Kuzminov chose the last option and settled
in Spain. However, he violated the rules of
secrecy when he contacted his girlfriend. This
likely led to his location being traced, and he
was shot. By the way, during the period under
review, the identities of the remaining two
April 2024
 ARTICLES

crew members who died during his defection

were also revealed. They were Captain
Chushbacht Tursunov and Lieutenant Nikita
Kiryanov. Kuzminov's killing indicates that
Ukrainian efforts to persuade other Russian
pilots to defect are likely to be ineffective.

Ships at the Bottom

During the period under review, the
destruction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet
continued using naval drones. On Thursday,
February 1, a Tarantul-class missile corvette,
Ivanovec, was sent to the bottom, The ship
was attacked by a pack of Magura V5 drones,
which harassed her like voracious predators.
Gradually, two drones hit its rear section,
likely disabling its propulsion. Subsequently,
one drone caused a large hole on the port
side, into which the fourth drone then flew and
exploded inside the ship. The video also shows The Mi-8AMTŠ helicopter with registration RF-04428 and tail number "red 62", in which Russian pilot Captain
Maxim Kuzminov defected to the Ukrainian side on August 9, 2023.
an explosion on the starboard side. Thus, the
corvette was hit by at least five drones. At the 14, the same way, the landing ship Cézar The ship belonged to the Ropucha class and
end of the video, published by the Ukrainian Kunikov was destroyed off the coast of Crimea. sank exactly 81 years after the death of Major
military intelligence GUR, only the silhouette It was carrying cargo from Novorossiysk Cézar Kunikov, after whom it was named.
of the sinking ship protruding vertically above to Sevastopol when it was tracked down by He had been fatally wounded in the battles for
the water is visible. a swarm of Magura V5 drones. After several Novorossiysk and died on February 14, 1943.
Subsequently, on Wednesday, February explosions, the ship overturned and sank.

Maxim Kuzminov was shot dead in Spain in February.

Lieutenant Nikita Kiryanov, who died during Kuzminov's defection.

Captain Chushbacht Tursunov, who died during Kuzminov's defection.

April 2024 INFO Eduard 33

ARTICLES
1/72ND SCALE MODEL KIT
L-410 TURBOLET
BY GAVIA AND KP
In March of this year, the L-410 Turbolet kit in
1/72 scale was released under the Kovozávody
Prostějov (KP) brand and entered the market.
Upon comparing this kit's mouldings with those
of the Gavia kit of the same type and scale, we
have concluded that the KP kit is a direct copy
of the Gavia kit released in 1997. The KP kit was
created using plastic parts of Gavia kit based
on master model made by Michal Vlačilík and
Petr Podvala, the owners of Gavia company.
The author of the KP kit most likely utilized
mouldings that were acquired several years
ago by owner of KP, Mr. Petr Muzikant as part of
a delivery from the toolmaking company Pavel
Vandělík.
The ownership rights to the Gavia L-410
Turbolet 1/72 scale model, moulds, and mouldings
are outlined as follows:
The master model was created by Michal
Vláčilík and Petr Podvala in 1997, and they hold
the copyright to it.
• The mould was made by Pavel Vandělík and
is owned by his toolmaking company registered
under his name.
• The authority to use the mould for moulding
production is held by EDUARD - MODEL
ACCESSORIES, spol. s r.o. (Eduard) under
contracts with companies Gavia and Pavel
Vandělík.
• In practice, this ownership structure works
on the principle that if a third party, such as
Mr. Muzikant a few years ago, wishes to purchase
mouldings of this or another Gavia kit, they
can acquire them directly from company Pavel
34 INFO Eduard
Vandělík with the consent of Eduard.
• Should someone desire to utilize the original
master or mouldings for modification and create
a new master for mould production, they may
only do so with the agreement of the copyright
owners, i.e., Michal Vláčilík and Petr Podvala.
The mere purchase of mouldings does not
grant the purchaser the right to modify them,
create their own set of moulds based on a copy of
them, or sell their own kit based on the original
mouldings. We deem such practices unethical
and deceptive, particularly misrepresenting
a kit created in this manner as the author's own
project.
Michal Vláčilík, one of the authors of the Gavia
kit, assessed the level of similarity between the
Gavia and KP kits:
“A couple of days ago, I acquired a new plastic
kit of the Let L-410 Turbolet aircraft in 1:72
scale, released under the brand Kovozávody
Prostějov, located at Nad vápenkou 364, Křenice
u Říčan, 250 84, Praha - východ, with the ID
No.: 43643060. According to the trade register,
it belongs to the self-employed person Petr
Muzikant. Even before comparing both products,
I received information indicating that these
mouldings closely resemble our kit of the same
aircraft and scale, which we introduced in 1997
under our brand GAVIA. This kit marked our
inaugural release and shortly after its launch,
it received the Model of the Year award at the
1998 MODEL HOBBY show.
The original master model for our kit was
developed in our studio specifically for the
Michal Vláčilík
Petr Podvala
Pavel Vandělík
Vladimír Šulc
purposes of plastic kit production, as it was
commissioned by Let Kunovice, the company
manufacturing the actual L-410 aircraft. The
creation of the master model for our kit involved
collaboration with Let Kunovice's design
department and was based on drawings provided
by the aircraft manufacturer.
I opted to compare the mouldings of both kits
with the aim of describing the differences or
similarities between the two products. Here's
what I discovered:
1. Fuselage: Besides a slight alteration in the
bow side plan and a few engraved lines, the
mouldings are virtually identical.
2. The similarity in the shape of the windows
on the fuselages of both kits provides a clue
for assessing whether the KP mouldings are
a replica of the Gavia mouldings. These windows
were individually shaped by hand on the Gavia
kit mould, each possessing a unique shape.
Replicating these shapes precisely becomes
nearly impossible, but it appears that the
positions and shapes of the windows on both kits
are identical.
3. However, the KP kit features technically
primitive holes for affixing the windows to
the fuselage, accompanied with distinctive
flashings. This aspect, on one hand, complicates
the comparison of the fuselage parts of both
kits, albeit it is not impossible. On the other hand,
it renders the task of cleanly affixing the
windows to the fuselage essentially impossible.
The presence of flashings on the parts serves as
one of the indicators of a poorly executed copy of
April 2024
 ARTICLES

the original Gavia kit.
4. Wings: the only change is the joining of
the upper halves of the wing into one piece,
otherwise the mouldings are identical.
5. Horizontal tail surfaces: minor changes in
engraving, otherwise the mouldings are identical.
6. Landing gear nacelles: mouldings are
identical in shape and surface details.
7. Engine nacelles: mouldings are identical in
shape and surface details.
8. Interior (dashboard, floor, fuselage
bulkheads, seats, seat bases): the mouldings are
identical, only the floor of the KP kit is modified,
it is cut, while the floor of the cockpit is moulded
separately.
9. Small parts (propeller blades, propeller
sleeves, propeller covers): the mouldings are
identical.
In my assessment, upon comparing the two
sets of mouldings, it becomes quite apparent
that the KP mouldings are derived from a copy of
our (Gavia) original 1997 mouldings. Throughout
my career, I've developed numerous plastic kit
prototypes and encountered various instances
of more or less disguised copies of plastic
kits. However, in this instance, I must conclude
that the author of the KP kit either exhibited
significant laziness or lacked the capability
to conceal his process. Essentially, he utilized
our original mouldings without making any
substantial alterations or attempting to mask
the fact that he copied mouldings from a kit that
is 27 years old.
Following the release of the kit, testimonies
from associates of Mr. Muzikant surfaced online,
admitting to the method used in creating the
KP kit. Among other claims, they assert that
Mr. Muzikant “corrected and improved” the
original Gavia mouldings. Upon examining the
KP mouldings, I must assert that the mould from
which they are produced exhibits considerably
inferior technical parameters than our mould.
It fails to produce mouldings as clean as those
still achievable from the original mould of our
kit, which was created 27 years ago. There is no
room for discussion regarding any improvement
or correction of our original work.
I never anticipated that a manufacturer
of plastic kits would engage in evaluating
competitors' products. However, in this
particular instance, I feel compelled to provide
a brief assessment of the L-410 Turbolet 1:72 kit
marketed under the brand Kovozávody Prostějov:
I am utterly dismayed by Mr. Muzikant's
approach to creating his L-410 Turbolet 1/72 kit.
Not only does he show blatant disregard for our
rights and shamelessly exploit our work for his
personal gain, but he also deceives consumers
by claiming to offer a completely new kit made
from new moulds. While the moulds may indeed
be new, the resulting product is far from being
a genuinely new kit. It is, in fact, a low-quality
imitation of our own product, a kit produced by
our company, Gavia.”
Dear modelers and traders,
We implore you to carefully weigh the added
value of purchasing a KP kit and to contemplate
whether you wish to support an entrepreneur
who unscrupulously utilizes copies of others'
kits without the consent of their authors and
owners to develop his own products.
To scale modelling journalists and reviewers,
we request not to shy away from reviewing KP
kits. We urge you to truthfully and accurately
depict the distinctions and resemblances
between Gavia and KP kits in your evaluations.
Equally, we encourage you to candidly describe
the disparities in quality between the two
products.
Thank you for your attention and for adopting
a responsible approach to reviewing both kits!
Michal Vláčilík and Petr Podvala, owners of the
former Gavia company and authors of the Gavia
L-410 Turbolet 1/72 kit.
Pavel Vandělík, owner of the toolmaking
company Pavel Vandělík, creator and owner of
the mould for production of plastic parts for the
L-410 Turbolet 1/72 Gavia kit.
Vladimír Šulc, managing director of Eduard,
company with the rights to use the mouldings of
the L-410 Turbolet 1/72 Gavia kit.

Gavia KP

2. The similarity in the shape of the windows on the fuselages of both kits provides a clue for assessing whether the KP mouldings are a replica of the Gavia mouldings.
These windows were individually shaped by hand on the Gavia kit mould, each possessing a unique shape. Replicating these shapes precisely becomes nearly impossible,
but it appears that the positions and shapes of the windows on both kits are identical.

3. However, the KP kit features technically primitive holes for affixing the windows to the fuselage, accompanied with distinctive flashings. This aspect, on one hand,
complicates the comparison of the fuselage parts of both kits, albeit it is not impossible. On the other hand, it renders the task of cleanly affixing the windows to the
fuselage essentially impossible. The presence of flashings on the parts serves as one of the indicators of a poorly executed copy of the original Gavia kit.

Gavia KP

4. Wings: the only change is the joining of the upper halves of the wing into one piece, otherwise the mouldings are identical.

April 2024 INFO Eduard 35

ARTICLES

Gavia KP

7. Engine nacelles: mouldings are identical in shape and surface details.

Gavia KP

Gavia KP

8. Interior (dashboard, floor, fuselage bulkheads, seats, seat bases): the mouldings are identical, only the floor of the KP kit is modified, it is cut, while the floor of the cockpit
is moulded separately.

The only change made to the fuselage is approximately

a 2 mm extension of the KP part. The KP mold
is placed under the Gavia's.

36 INFO Eduard April 2024

ARTICLES

Hartmann's
as documented by Ivan Lavrinenko in his book on the explained it by the fact that Hartmann apparently
fighting over Crimea in the period 1943-1944. did not see much importance in further combat and,

Gustav
I would venture to say that the credibility moreover, he had already achieved all the military
of Hartmann's victories declined as his career honours. After a fortnight, Hartmann handed over
progressed, and his claimed victories were least command of I./JG 53 to Hptm. Lipfert, who was
accurate when some significant milestone in his previously in command of 6./JG 52.
kills was approaching and there was a film crew and An interesting topic is the personal aircraft
photographers on the airfield. Günther Rall recalls that Hartmann used during this period. Marek
in his memoirs that he never wanted to appoint Ryś depicted it on the box art of the Gustav part
Hartmann to command a Staffel, and when Rall, as 2 kit. At the beginning of January 1945, I./JG 53 had
Kommandeur III/JG 52, was on leave, another officer two Bf 109 G-6/U4s, ten G-14/U2 (U2 is an error in
appointed Hartmann to command 9./JG 52 in Rall's unit´s monthly summary), sixteen G-14/U4 version,
absence. and two G-10/U4s. In several photos of Hartmann's
One of the Luftwaffe fighter units that fought machine, the battery cover at the rear of the cockpit
in Hungary in early 1945 was I./JG 53 under the is clearly visible, which should indicate the G-14
command of Maj. Jürgen Harder. He led this version. Erich Somavilla was using this plane as well
Jagdgruppe for almost a year and reformed it into and his logbook notes this aircraft as a G-6 version.
one of the most successful units in southern Europe. Somavilla's personal aircraft was the G-14/AS version.
However, on January 22, he had to leave it because A photograph of Hartmann's Bf 109 that I discovered
he was appointed Kommodore of JG 11 with bases in years ago in the Preussischer Kulturbesitz digital
Germany. The unit was briefly led by Hptm. Ernst, but archive shows that the machine has no intakes on
at the end of January Hptm. Erich Hartmann, who the sides of the cockpit under the windscreen of the
until then had led 4./JG 52 in Hungary as part of cockpit overlay, which identifies the Erla plant as its
II./JG 52, was appointed commander of I./JG 53. The manufacturer. According to some researchers, it is
command of I./JG 53 was his first opportunity to take a Bf 109 G-6 of the Erla factory of the 412xxx or 413xxx
command of a Jagdgruppe. Strangely enough, he series. I dare not confirm whether this is the case
was appointed to such a position outside of JG 52, for or not. Production of these series ended in August
he soon returned to his “home” unit, as commander 1944, and both the Bf 109 G-6/U2 and Bf 109 G-14 were
of I./JG 52 in Silesia. produced in the blocks mentioned. Anyway, when
Erich Hartmann pictured in the spring of 1944 after
During his short service with I./JG 53, Hartmann building scale model of this Hartmann´s aircraft as
being awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.
Photo: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe immediately ordered the upper surfaces of I./JG 53 per the instructions in the kit manual, use the correct
aircraft to be repainted with washable white paint, windscreen and also the bulge on the right side of
With 352 victories to his credit, Erich Hartmann is but he showed little interest in combat activity. This the engine cowling. Photos of the Hartmann aircraft
a fighter pilot whose name is known even to people was disappointing to his new subordinates. But they can be found on the Falke Eins blog by Neil Page.
who are not interested in the Luftwaffe. A significant
topic is the number of his victories and their
credibility. Of Erich Hartmann's first 100 victories,
31 claimed kills can be compared in detail with
Soviet losses, as the time and place of these kills are
known. I am basing this on a summary prepared by
Danny Case and Nick Hector. For these 31 victories,
it is impossible to trace on the opposing side
10 losses that match the circumstances of the alleged
shootdowns. In contrast, the 21 casualties that can
be identified represent more than 60% credibility
of Hartmann's victories from this period. A similar
analysis was prepared by Ivan Lavrinenko, focusing
on the 35 victories Hartmann claimed in the fighting
over Romania between May 31 and June 6, 1944.
The analysis revealed that, unlike many of Hartmann's
colleagues whose claims were very accurate,
in reality, this darling of propaganda shot down only
one aircraft in the above period, and another six to
seven Soviet aircraft may have fallen victim to either
Hartmann or other German pilots.
Hartmann's results in the battles over Hungary at
the turn of 1944 and 1945 were similar. Authors Dan
and Gábor Horváth published a detailed analysis of
these in their book “Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces
over Hungary 1944-45”. Their work shows that of
the 34 victories claimed by Hartmann in the battles
over Hungary, only seven can be documented that
he definitely achieved or may have participated in.
This is no more than a 22% credibility of his claims.
By comparison, Gerhard Barkhorn's claims were
Tulip markings were introduced by Hermann Graf on his aircraft in 1943. After he became Kommodore of
as accurate as 79% in the same period, and Helmut
JG 52 in the autumn of 1944, this pattern also appeared on several of Erich Hartmann's aircraft, as well as
Lipfert's victories have up to 93% accuracy compared on the machines of the Stab JG 52. During Hartmann's brief tenure with I./JG 53, the black tulip also adorned
to Soviet losses. Interestingly these two airmen had his personal aircraft with the Gruppe commander's markings. Following Hartmann's departure from the units,
lower accuracy of their claims in the earlier period, some of his tulip-patterned aircraft were reassigned and utilized by other pilots.

38 INFO Eduard April 2024

#82203
African intermezzo
Whoever stood on board the escort carrier
USS Cabot in April 1945 and had the opportuni-
ty to see the Hellcat flown by VF-29 commander
Lt. Cdr. “Bill” Eder, probably stared in disbelief
at the score that was marked on both sides of
the fuselage under the cockpit overlay. In addi-
tion to the symbols of nearly forty bombing mi-
ssions, there were seven Japanese aircraft shot
down, nine other Japanese planes destroyed on
the ground, and, rather unusually, three French
flags added.
Behind Eder was clearly a successful combat
career that had taken him beyond the Pacific.
From VF-29, which was reformed in the spring
of 1944, he built an outstanding unit that notched
113 certain victories and lost only five missing
and two killed pilots. Eder was not only the com-
mander of VF-29 at the time, but he also led the
entire Carrier Air Group of the USS Cabot.
Willard Ernest Eder was born on September
27, 1916, in Buffalo, Wyoming. He was descended
from German immigrants on his father's side.
Grandfather Olof was from Darmstadt, Upper
Hesse, and grandmother Dorothea, née Rehder,
was born in Holstein. On his mother's side, Eder
had Irish and probably German ancestry.
In 1938 he graduated from the University of
Wyoming with a degree in political science, in-
terrupted his service in the Army and joined
the Navy. At the beginning of the Pacific War, he
served in VF-3 aboard the USS Saratoga. After
she was torpedoed he was transferred to the
USS Lexington. This gave him the opportunity to
train and fight with the best naval fighter avia-
tors of the time, as the unit commander was Lt.
April 2024
John S. Thach and other officers included Edward
H. O'Hare.
During the Battle of Bougainville on February
20, 1942, Eder shared destruction of G4M Betty
of 4th Kōkūtai´s 2nd Chūtai, led by Lt. Masayoshi
Nakagawa. The formation of nine bombers was
completely destroyed and Eder received a DFC.
The legendary combat fought by Lt. O'Hare on the
same day, took place during a skirmish with the
1st Chūtai of the 4th Kōkūtai.
Eder became a member of VF-2 aboard the
USS Lexington in April 1942 and received the
Navy Cross for his performance in the Battle of
the Coral Sea, during which he scored one Zero
in combat with fighters from Shōkaku on May 8,
1942, and also scored one probable kill of a fixed
gear aircraft.
Eder's next unit became VGF-29, which was
established in July 1942 at NAS Norfolk under the
command of Lt. J. T. Blackburn, who later beca-
me commander of VF-17, a unit with Corsair fi-
ghters in the Solomon Islands area. VGF-29 em-
barked aboard the escort carrier USS Santee in
early October 1942 and became part of the task
force involved in the North African landings.
Allied forces landed in North Africa as part of
Operation Torch on November 8, 1942, including
Free French forces. Canada, the Netherlands and
Australia also participated with their naval ve-
ssels. The landings occurred in northwest Moro-
cco and in the Oran and Algiers areas of Algeria.
The aim of the operation was not only to land and
open a second front on African soil, but also to
pressure the forces of Vichist France to change
sides. The Americans were in a very strange si-
BOXART STORY
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
tuation. Not only were the French their traditio-
nal ally, but the U.S. government in 1940, unlike
the British, recognized the Vichy government. In
the Moroccan area, their opponents were French
pilots with Curtiss H.75 fighters, and the Ame-
ricans soon noticed emblem of a Sioux head on
their fuselages, the symbol of the American La-
fayette Squadron of World War I.
Experienced U.S. Navy aviators aboard four
aircraft carriers met unexpected resistance and
lost 46 aircraft during the three days of fighting,
albeit in part due to accidents or crews losing
their bearings. For instance Tom Blackburn
spent two days at sea after running out of fuel.
The USS Santee's suffered the highest losses,
losing ten Wildcats, four Dauntlesses, and se-
ven Avengers. One airman was killed, two were
wounded, and four were taken prisoner. Three
fighter pilots from VGF-29 received Silver Stars
for this operation, including “Bill” Eder, who de-
stroyed three French bombers on the ground.
VGF-29, later redesignated VF-29, participated in
anti-submarine patrols in the South Atlantic for
one year beginning in December 1942.
A large number of Vichy units switched to
the Allied side in the second half of November
1942. , but some naval officers, for example, did
not share this decision. The commander of the
submarine Le Tonnant attempted to torpedo an
American aircraft carrier, probably the USS Ran-
ger. The submarine then headed for Cadiz, Spain,
where its crew sank it.
INFO Eduard 39
BOXART STORY
"My dear Fokker"
Fokker monoplanes had become a significant
challenge for their opponents since the summer
of 1915 thanks to their synchronization device,
which bolstered the highly aggressive behavior
of their pilots. Fighter aces flying monoplanes
such as Wintgens, Boelcke, and Immelmann
became synonymous with what British
adversaries termed the “Fokker Scourge”.
However, Fokker's superiority was seriously
challenged in the spring of 1916 with the
introduction of new fighters like the Nieuport
11 and Airco DH.2.
One of the airmen who experienced this
transition period was Josef Jacobs. In August
1914, at twenty years old, he enlisted in the
air service. After training with FEA 3, he was
assigned to Feldflieger-Abteilung 11 in July
1915. From December 1915 onwards, he piloted
the Fokker A.I (A210/14) and the E.I (63/15)
equipped with an 80 hp engine. In January
1916, he conducted several training flights with
63/15, and on 13 January, he engaged a pair of
enemy aircraft. He attacked one of them from
a distance of 100 meters. Subsequently, his
target rapidly descended in a spiral near
Choisy-au-Bac, though the victory was not
confirmed. He encountered the enemy again
on February 1, 1916. Once more, he was not
officially credited with a victory, yet it appears
that the French indeed suffered a loss during
this encounter. Reportedly, it was a Caudron
from Escadrille C 28, and its crew, Sgt Joseph
J. Hiriat and Sgt René Jean, were taken prisoner
after crashing between German trenches.
In late February, Jacobs' Fokker was
40 INFO Eduard
equipped with a new 100 hp engine. However,
in early March, this machine suffered an
engine fire during a dogfight with a Farman
crew. Fortunately, he managed to land in time
to extinguish the fire. Another life-threatening
incident occurred on 13 March. While pursuing
a Caudron, Jacobs' Fokker was thrown
off balance by a gust of wind. The aircraft
plummeted tail-first, its engine died, and its
springs were broken. Despite the damage,
Jacobs eventually regained control and
performed an emergency landing in a freshly
ploughed field, causing his Fokker to flip over
onto its back. It was later revealed that the
“gust of wind” was actually caused by a German
anti-aircraft shell that narrowly missed Jacobs.
During that period, Jacobs was also piloting
the new Fokker E.III (608/15), and on March
1916, he successfully downed an enemy balloon.
However, his victory was apparently not officially
recognized, and Jacobs did not mention it in his
diary, which was unusual given the meticulous
care with which he maintained it. Nevertheless,
the balloon was indeed destroyed, belonging
to the 66° Cie d' Aérostiers, and the observer,
Sgt Armand Legube, sustained injuries.
By the end of March 1916, several fighter
monoplanes were detached from FFA 7, 11, and
39. From 1 April, a provisional Fokkerstaffel
West was established at La Ferme du Faux.
Jacobs joined this unit upon his return from
an extended leave in early May. Upon joining
the new unit, he was reunited with his 608/15
machine, which he affectionately referred to in
his diary as “my dear Fokker”. He had used this
#8419
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Adam Tooby
term previously, suggesting that he may have
been flying 608/15 since February 1916 with FFA
11.
With this aircraft, he also achieved his
first confirmed victory by shooting down
a Caudron G.4 of Escadrille C 30 on May 12,
1916. Although anti-aircraft gunners attempted
to claim the victory, only Fokker machine gun
hits were found in the wreckage of the Caudron.
Furthermore, Jacobs' claim was corroborated
by a French airman, MdL Hulin, after he was
captured the following day.
Jacobs received a new aircraft, a Fokker
E.III (339/16), on 9 June, but flew it only until
16 June when the engine was damaged due to
a lack of oil. Therefore, the situation depicted
on the box art by Adam Tooby regarding this
machine is rather hypothetical. Subsequently,
Jacobs flew with his old 608/15 until 8 July.
It appears that on 1 July, he attempted to attack
an enemy balloon with this Fokker, but due to
propeller damage, the attack was unsuccessful.
The E.III 339/16 was back with a new engine on
8 July. However, by August 1, 1916, Jacobs was
transferred to another aviation unit, much to
his displeasure. He returned to his original unit,
FFA 11, on 1 September.
For more detailed information on Jacobs
and his service on Eindeckers, I recommend
referring to the publications “Blue Max Airmen
Vol. 20” by Lance J. Bronnenkant and “KEKs and
Fokkerstaffels” by Johan Ryheul. Additionally,
Jacobs' diary, with comments by Stephen
Lawson, can be found in Cross & Cockade
International Vol. 27, No. 2.
April 2024
#7077
A Hell of a Morning
At first glance, there is nothing remarkable
about the illustration depicting Hellcats created
in 2011 by our colleague Petr Štěpánek. A group of
Hellcats from VF-27, led by Lt. “Brownie” Brown,
circles above the mothership USS Princeton. This
boxart, however, is tied to one of the most dramatic
moments in the history of the U.S. Navy's aviation
units. Twenty-seven-year-old Carl Allen Brown,
Jr. hailed from Texarkana, Texas, and joined the
Navy in 1941. After serving in the Aleutian area, he
was assigned to VF-27 aboard the USS Princeton
in May 1944. He scored 5.5 confirmed aerial
victories in the air battles over Marianas, over
Philippines, and off Taiwan by mid-October 1944.
The first combat action for VF-27, however,
was Operation Torch in North Africa in November
1942 aboard the USS Suwannee. Unit then
moved to the Pacific, operating from a land
base on Guadalcanal from February to July
1943 and scoring 12 victories. During her second
operational tour, VF-27 was reorganized at NAS
Alameda and embarked aboard USS Princeton
in May 1944. The toughest test awaited Brown
and his carrier during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in
October 1944.
It was the largest naval battle in human history,
involving two hundred thousand personnel on
board, some 300 vessels on the Allied side, and
approximately 70 warships of the Japanese Navy.
The Allied objective was to secure a landing on
the Philippine island of Leyte. The battle occurred
during several engagements between 23 October
and 26 October 1944. The Japanese failed to
prevent the landing and lost the aircraft carrier
Zuikaku, three light carriers, three battleships,
April 2024
ten cruisers and eleven destroyers. The Americans
lost one light carrier, two escort carriers, two
destroyers, and two escort destroyers. The battle
was overwhelmingly affected by the numerical
superiority of the US naval aircraft and the
experience of its aviators. The Japanese naval
and army air forces, weakened by the recent
fighting off Taiwan, were unable to counter this
onslaught, although the naval units resorted to
Kamikaze airmen tactics for the first time.
However, this was a hard won victory as
shown by the fate of VF-27 and USS Princeton
. This carrier, nicknamed “Sweet Pea”, was part
of Task Force 38.3. Japanese naval aviators
managed to locate the American force during the
first night , and at dawn of 24 October, a strike
group was sent against TF 38.3. A total of 105 A6M
Zero fighters, six more Zeros as fighter-bombers,
21 N1K George fighters, 38 D3A Val dive bombers
and 12 D4Y Judy bombers attacked. The Japanese
strike group, which was divided into several
formations, was met primarily by airmen from
VF-27 and VF-15 (USS Essex). It was in this fight
that Cdr. David McCampbell of VF-15 achieved
nine victories. VF-27, which was outnumbered
1 to 10 early in the fight, destroyed 36 enemy
fighters, with one pilot achieving six victories
in this engagement and three other airmen,
including Lt. Brown, claiming five kills. Brown,
however, had to break away from the fight with
a badly damaged machine, two shrapnel wounds
in his left leg and four Zeros behind him.
Returning to his mother ship, he was horrified
to find the “Sweet Pea” in flames. At 10:00 a.m she
had been hit by a bomb launched by the crew of
BOXART STORY
Text: Jan Bobek
Illustration: Petr Štěpánek
a lone dive-bomber Judy. Brown was successively
refused landing by the USS Lexington and the
USS Langley. However, he managed to contact
USS Princeton, which was trying to coordinate
a pickup by a destroyer if Brown ditched.
Eventually, colleagues from the USS Essex got in
touch and offered to allow Brown to land if he did
so immediately. Brown landed with the hydraulics
damaged, lowered the landing gear with the
emergency system, managed to release the
hook by hitting the ramp hard, and immediately
afterwards caught the first wire. For this action,
he was awarded the Navy Cross.
The bomb hit the hangar of the USS Princeton,
where the Avenger bombers were refuelled and
armed. Sixteen Hellcats were on board, but they
never had a chance to take off. The other nine,
which were still in flight at this time, landed on
other carriers. The light cruiser USS Birmingham,
commanded by Capt. Thomas B. Inglis and three
other vessels tried to help with the rescue and
firefighting. But collisions with the aircraft
carrier and other explosions aboard damaged her
saviours. After eight hours of raging fire, the USS
Princeton eventually sank following a last large
explosion. Total 108 of her crew were killed, but
241 men aboard the USS Birmingham were also
killed and 412 others were injured. When Capt.
Inglis was asked if he would have done the same
if he had known the risk to his cruiser, he replied,
“I should take the same action – providing the
same factors were involved and I had no crystal
ball.”
INFO Eduard 41
ARTICLES

USS PRINCETON – 24. 10. 1944

The light aircraft carrier USS Princeton (CV-23) was originally intended as the
Cleveland-class light cruiser Tallahassee. However, in early 1942, the purpose of the
vessel changed to that of an Independence-class light aircraft carrier. The Navy took
her over in early 1943, and in the fall of that year, she engaged with her carrier air
group in combat in the Pacific. Her battle name served as a reminder of the Battle of
Princeton, which occurred on January 3, 1777. It became one of two minor victorious
engagements that boosted the morale of Americans at the beginning of the War of
Independence. This photo shows her on her shakedown cruise in the summer of 1943
with Hellcat and Dauntless aircraft on deck. Fighters from VF-27 earned a total of
134 confirmed victories during their service on this ship.
Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

Princeton burning soon after she was hit by a Japanese bomb while operating off the
Philippines on October 24, 1944. This photograph was taken from USS South Dakota
(BB-57) at about 10:01 hrs. Crew of a D4Y Judy bomber that scored the fatal hit took
off from Mabalacat airfield in Central Luzon.
Princeton's port forward area, as seen from
Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command
USS Birmingham (CL-62) during attempts to
control her fires during the afternoon of 24
October. Note damage to Princeton's
40mm gun position and catwalk, caused by
Birmingham's Number Two 6/47 gun turret
as the two ships grind together. Also note
flight deck tractor partially hung up on
Princeton's deck edge, F6F and TBM airplanes
parked forward, floater nets and life rafts on
Birmingham's gun turret.
Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

42 INFO Eduard April 2024

 ARTICLES

Lt. Carl Brown, Jr., flying the Hellcat

“Paper Doll” of VF-27 aboard the USS
Essex, returned from a combat flight on
October 24, 1944, during which he shot
down five Zeros. The burning aircraft
carrier USS Princeton, from which Brown
took off in the morning, can be seen in the
background.
Photo: US Navy

The deck crew of the aircraft carrier USS Essex pushes

Brown's damaged Hellcat towards the other aircraft on
board to make space for the Hellcats belonging to their
own Carrier Air Group.
Photo: US Navy

The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Reno (CL-96) comes alongside the burning light aircraft carrier USS
Princeton to assist in fighting fires. USS Reno, at 17:46, took over the task of scuttling Princeton.
Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

April 2024 INFO Eduard 43

KITS 04/2024

GUSTAV pt.2 Dual Combo 1/72

#2145
The Limited edition of the kit of the famous German WWII fighter aircraft Bf 109G in 1/72 scale. The kit offers aircraft of G-6 late and G-14
versions. Marking selection covers all fronts of WWII where these “Gustavs” were fighting including airplanes from the Ilmavoimat (Finish
Air Force), Italian Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana and Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Királyi Honvéd Légierő).

plastic parts: Eduard

marking options: 10
decals: Eduard
PE parts: yes, pre-painted
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no

Product page

44 INFO Eduard April 2024


Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 160303, Hptm. Friedrich Eberle, CO of III./JG 1, Volkel,
the Netherlands, November 1943 – January 1944
Friedrich Eberle, the commanding officer of III.
Gruppe of JG 1, was downed in this Bf 109G-6 on
January 30, 1944. The man who shot him down
was a Thunderbolt jockey, Lt. Robert Booth of
the 369th FS, 359th FG, a fighter ace with a total
of eight kills to his credit. Booth himself was
downed a few months later, on June 8, 1944 and
became a POW. Eberle was injured but survived
Bf 109G-6/R1, Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer, Stab II./JG 3, Evreux-Fauville,
France, June 1944
This aircraft was originally part of Geschwaderstab
JG 3 “Udet” and bore the designation of one of
the Kommodore’s wingmen. The white band on
the fuselage served as a quick identification
element for JG 3 within fighter formations on the
Western European battlefield. In early June 1944
Maj. Heinz Bär assumed command of JG 3 and he
replaced the aircraft in his Stab with Fw 190As
April 2024
the encounter with Booth and led III. Gruppe until
April 27, 1944. In July 1944, he was appointed the
CO of III./JG 4. Eberle led this unit in Operation
Bodeplatte, the attack on Allied airfields, on
January 1, 1945. He was court martialed for
cowardice but finally was acquitted of the charge
and survived the war with 33 kills. Eberle’s
aircraft had been marked with a double chevron
and transferred the original planes of his flight
to Stab II./JG 3, commanded by Hptm. Gustav
Frielinghaus (74 victories). However, at the
beginning of the invasion, the CO of II./JG 3 was
unfit for combat activities, and the Gruppe was
led during the move to Normandy by his Adjutant,
Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer. During the flight to Evreux
base, Fischer was the sole II./JG 3 airman to
KITS 04/2024
but in accordance with temporary orders, this
marking was painted over and the commander’s
aircraft was marked with a number. The JG 1
crest was painted on the left side of the cowling
only. The rear part of the fuselage was partially
overpainted with RLM 76 to tone it down.
arrive at the base due to poor weather conditions.
He faced a field court martial threat for this,
which was halted thanks to JG 2 Kommodore Maj.
Bühlingen. From the very first day of deployment
in Normandy, II./JG 3 conducted strafing attacks
against the invading forces. Fischer later became
the Adjutant of III./JG 4 and achieved a total of
three victories.
INFO Eduard 45
KITS 04/2024
Bf 109G-6, Lt. Anton Hafner, CO of 10./JG 51, Tilsit-East,
the Soviet Union, August 1944
Anton Hafner achieved a total of 204 victories,
all within the ranks of JG 51. He also fought with
the unit in Tunisia, where he was shot down and
wounded, but the vast majority of his successes
were achieved on the Eastern Front. He was
awarded the Knight’s Cross on August 23, 1943,
and received the Oak Leaves on April 11, 1944.
He became the commander of 8./JG 51 (later
Bf 109G-14, Hptm. Erich Hartmann, CO of I./JG 53, Veszprém,
Hungary, February 1945
Erich Hartmann, the fighter ace with the
highest number of claimed victories in history,
commenced his combat career with 7./JG
52 on October 10, 1942. He remained loyal to
JG 52 until the end of hostilities when he held
command of I./JG 52. His tally of claims ceased
at 352. In recognition of his achievements, he
was bestowed with the Knight's Cross with Oak
Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds on August 25,
46 INFO Eduard
redesignated 10./JG 51) in mid-May 1944. At that
time, III./JG 51 completed the rearmament from
Fw 190A to Bf 109G aircraft. Hafner, at the helm
of his Staffel, achieved 68 victories. His last fatal
engagement was on October 17, 1944, when he shot
down a Yak-9, but then crashed into trees east of
Schweizersfelde in East Prussia, apparently due
to a pilot’s error. He did not survive the impact.
1944. Post-war, he was handed over to the Soviets
by the Americans and was not released until 1955.
During the initial half of February 1945, he briefly
assumed command of I./JG 53. The young airmen
sought his guidance for experience and moral
support, yet Hartmann remained notably passive,
engaging in only one combat flight, during which
he claimed his 337th victory. The standard RLM
74 and RLM 75 camouflage had large white
The Bf 109 shown is one of three Hafner aircraft
that are photographically documented from
the summer and autumn of 1944, but its serial
number is unknown. The original Stab markings
on the sides of the fuselage appear to have been
painted over.
patches on the upper surfaces. A black, white-
lined tulip graced the nose, while a heart bearing
Hartmann's wife's name was added under the
cockpit on the left side. A yellow band denoted
the machines serving on the Eastern Front.
Additionally, a large yellow V on the left wing
distinguished Bf 109 from Romanian machines in
the area, as Romania at the time fought on the
Allied side.
April 2024

Bf 109G-6, WNr. 165267, Majuri Eino Luukkanen, 1/HleLv 34,
Taipalsaari airfield, Finland, July 1944
Eino Altero Luukkanen was born in 1909 in
Jaakkima and started his military aviation
service in 1930. In January 1938, he became
Adjutant of Lentorikmentti 1. During the Winter
War he commanded 3/LLv 24 and achieved
2.5 victories in Fokker D.XXI. From the beginning
of the Continuation War, he commanded 1/LLv
24 on Brewsters and achieved 14.5 victories. From
Bf 109G-14, Oblt. Rolf Schlegel, 10./JG 4, Jüterbog-Damm,
Germany, March 1945
After completing his fighter training, he was
assigned to 11./JG 2. With this unit, he soon moved
to the African battlefield, and before the end of
1942, he was reassigned to II./JG 53. Here, he
suffered an injury, and after recuperation, he was
directed to EKdo 16, a test unit designed to test
the Me 163 rocket fighter. By the summer of 1944,
April 2024
March 1943 he led LeLv 34 with Messerschmitt
Bf 109Gs at the rank of Major. Luukkanen was
awarded the Mannerheim Cross on June 18, 1944.
In the Bf 109G-6 (WNr. 165267) Eino Luukkanen
achieved his last, 56th confirmed victory.
His victim was a Soviet Yak-7 over Narvi, Karelia,
on August 5, 1944, during a battle with a formation
of six Il-2s and six Yak-7s from the 12 KIAP, KBF.
he was already serving with JG 4, specifically
its Sturmgruppe (II./JG 4), flying heavily armed
Fw 190A-8/R2s. Later, he flew with JG 4’s
III. Gruppe in Bf 109s. Before the end of the war,
he was transferred to III./EJG 2, flying the Me
262 jet, and his next unit was to be JG 7. In total,
he achieved nine victories. The aircraft, in the
KITS 04/2024
It was the only kill achieved with this aircraft,
which was delivered to Finland on June 23, 1943.
The original German WNr. is visible on the rudder.
At that time, it also carried wing nacelles with
MG 151/20 guns. It was written off after a crash
on August 25, 1947.
typical camouflage of the late Bf 109G-14s
produced in Leipzig at the Erla factory, had the
original markings repainted in fresh RLM 74 and
bore the emblem of JG 4 on the nose. The wide
bands around the rear of the aircraft were an
element for quick identification of JG 4 within the
units fighting in Western Europe.
INFO Eduard 47
KITS 04/2024
Bf 109G-14, WNr. 465437, Hptm. Franz Dörr, CO of III./JG 5,
Gossen, Norway, May 1945
Franz Dörr was born in Mannheim in 1913.
He served as a reconnaissance pilot during
the Polish and Western campaigns in 1939 and
1940. Dörr achieved his first kill as a member
of 1.(Erg.)/JG 3, shooting down a Wellington on
September 29, 1941. On January 1, 1942, this unit
was redesignated 7./JG 5, and in September
1943, he became its commander. In early August
Bf 109G-14/U4, WNr. 512382, Lt. Horst Schlick, 4./JG 77, Schönwalde,
Germany, November 1944
Horst Schlick was born in 1921 in Bartenstein,
East Prussia. From 1939, he served in I.(J)/LG 2,
which was redesignated I./JG 77 in January 1942
in Mariupol. Schlick was a seasoned veteran
who achieved two kills on the Eastern Front
and at least thirty more on the Mediterranean
and Western Fronts. He served most of the time
as a member of its 1. Staffel. Change came in
48 INFO Eduard
1944, he took command of III. Gruppe JG 5 and
held that position until the end of the war. On the
northern front, he scored 121 victories (although
some sources mention 127) in 437 combat sorties.
His tally was marked on the rudder of his personal
aircraft. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross on
August 19, 1944. The aircraft, manufactured at
the Erla factory, bore distinctive features of local
September 1944 when he took command of the
4. Staffel, with which he achieved his last three
victories. In the spring of 1945, he was transferred
first to training III./EJG 2, then to JG 7, equipped
with Me 262 jets. However, he achieved no further
success here. During the war, he participated in
480 combat sorties, during which he achieved
33 kills. The color scheme depicts Schlick’s
production such as distinct gun ducts on the
engine cowling and a small bulge on the right
side of the engine cowling. Though the serial
number is not proven, the camouflage matches
the markings of the 465xxx series. Aircraft of
this series are documented at Gossen, Norway in
May 1945. A small circle on the rear of the aircraft
identified it as serving with III Gruppe.
WNF-produced plane shortly after he achieved
his 31st kill. It is possible that this Bf 109 had the
engine cowling used on the machines produced
by Erla in Leipzig. The emblem on the rear of
the fuselage was the new designation for the 4.
Staffel aircraft, and the emblem on the nose was
Jagdgeschwader 77.
April 2024

Bf 109G-14, WNr. 464380, Maggiore Mario Bellagambi, CO of 5ª Squadriglia, 2° Gruppo
Caccia ANR, Osoppo, Italy, March 1945
After the declaration of Italian Social Republic
on September 18, 1943, a puppet state on the
territory of Italy occupied by German military
under the command of Benito Mussolini,
Germany allowed this Republic to establish its
own military force consisting of four divisions.
Its air force component called Aeronautica
Nazionale Repubblicana consisted of two fighter
plane groups (Gruppo Caccia), torpedo groups
(Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia) and several
Bf 109G-14, WNr. 782205, Lt. Antal Szebeni, 101/5. Vadászszázad MKHL,
Börgönd, Hungary, October 1944
This aircraft was produced in September 1944
at the Messerschmitt Regensburg plant and
was received by the Hungarian Fighter Group
101/II. From the end of 1944, the unit was involved
in combat against the Soviet Air Force and
occasionally engaged with American forces. The
W0+58 was flown by Lt. Szebeni, who achieved
a total of three victories by the end of the war.
April 2024
transportation squadrons. In 1945, both fighter
plane squadrons flew Messerschmitts Bf 109G-6/
G-10/G-14. The commander of 5a Squadriglia
(called Diavoli Rossi) was Maggiore Mario
Bellagambi, a fighter ace with 14 victories. In 1949
he was once again admitted to Italian air force
where he became Generale di brigata aerea prior
to his retirement. He died in Florence on June 25,
2001. Bellagambi’s 109 was camouflaged with RLM
74/75/76 colors. The Verde Oliva Scuro 2 color is
In the final months of the war, this unit also
received Bf 109G-10 and G-10/U4 aircraft. Szebeni
crashed one of these planes during a landing
at Szombathely on March 25, 1945. The “Black
4” rolled over on its back and was destroyed.
Lieutenant Szebeni, however, escaped unharmed.
He was also fortunate on April 14, 1945, during
a dogfight northeast of Vienna. A Soviet fighter
KITS 04/2024
applied to the stain under the red devil painting,
the emblem of 5a squadriglia. The rudder was
supplied by one of the subcontractors and bears
a camouflage consisting of RLM 81 and RLM 82.
The yellow outline of fuselage ANR marking was
either reversed or had yellow triangles around
the flag as compared to other aircraft.
hit his Bf 109G-10/U4 “Black 14”, causing it to
catch fire. Szebeni, flying low over the ground,
was unable to bail out. Consequently, he fired
the magazines of his weapons before the belly
landing, inadvertently hitting a Yak-9 that passed
in front of him. Szebeni managed to make an
emergency landing at Grafenwörth and returned
to the unit uninjured.
INFO Eduard 49
KITS 04/2024

Recommended:
for GUSTAV pt.2 1/72 #672347

672292 Luftwaffe rudder pedals PRINT (Brassin)

672324 Bf 109 SC250 bomb (Brassin)
672329 Bf 109 balance weights PRINT (Brassin)
672338 Bf 109G undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)
672344 Bf 109G radio compartment PRINT (Brassin)
672346 Bf 109G propeller PRINT (Brassin)
672347 Bf 109G-5/G-6 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)
672348 Bf 109G-5/G-6 wheels PRINT (Brassin)
672352 Bf 109G-6 engine PRINT (Brassin)
672355 Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)

#672346

#672338

#672344

#672352

#672329

OVERTREES Product page

OVERLEPT
#70160X #2145-LEPT1
Bf 109G-5/6/14 late Gustav pt.2
1/72 PE-Set 1/72 Product page

50 INFO Eduard April 2024

 KITS 04/2024

F4F-4 Wildcat late 1/48

#82203
The ProfiPACK edition kit of the US carrier based WWII fighter plane F4F-4 Wildcat late in 1/48 scale.
From the kit it is possible to build Wildcats of the US Navy operating in the Atlantic and Pacific and also
a fighter from the US Marine Corps.

plastic parts: Eduard

marking options: 6
decals: Eduard
PE parts: yes, pre-painted
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 51

KITS 04/2024
Lt.(Jg) William E. Eder, VGF-29, USS Santee (CVE-29), November 1942
Prior to his assignment to VGF-29, William Eder
fought with VF-3 at the Battle of Bougainville
and with VF-2 at the Battle of the Coral Sea.
He downed one Zero and shared a victory over
a Betty bomber plus one probable kill of a Val
bomber during these engagements. In all, Eder
BuNo.11992, Ens. Leroy Childs, VF-11, Guadalcanal,
May 1943
VF-11 was established at NAS North Island
California on October 10, 1942 and was equipped
with Wildcats. To emphasize its fighting spirit
and superiority over the Japanese, the squadron
chose the name Sundowners. The emblem
featured two Wildcats shooting down a rising
sun. From April to July 1943, VF-11 Wildcats
shot down a total of 55 enemy aircraft in aerial
combat at Guadalcanal. After returning to the
52 INFO Eduard
is credited with 6.5 kills of Japanese aircraft,
and he destroyed another 10 of them on the
ground. He also destroyed three French aircraft
during Operation Torch. The Wildcat that Eder
flew during Operation Torch wore standard
camouflage consisting of shades of Light Gray
U.S. and rearming with the new F6F Hellcat,
VF-11 embarked on the USS Hornet in October
1944 and joined the fighting. By February 1945,
her pilots had achieved 102 enemy kills in the air
and destroyed dozens more on the ground. With
this Wildcat was shot down Ens. Leroy Child on
May 6, 1943. He was last seen breaking away from
the formation and his body was never recovered.
He was posthumously awarded the Air Medal and
and Blue Gray, the insignia being complemented
by a yellow border on the fuselage and underside
of the wing. Below the cockpit, two kills and the
unit emblem were painted on both sides.
the Purple Heart. Wildcat number 16 was painted
in standard camouflage shades of Light Gray
and Blue Gray with a diffuse gradient of colors.
On both sides of the fuselage there were the white
lettering "JEANIE" and the unit emblem of VF-11
painted. The aircraft had numerous camouflage
repairs to the fuselage and wings.
April 2024

Lt. Philip H. Torrey Jr., CO VF-22, USS Independence (CVL-22), June 1943
The VF-22 unit was activated on September
30, 1942 and flew from the aircraft carrier USS
Indenpedence (CVL-22) during World War II. The
unit was flew F4F Wildcats, later F6F Hellcats.
The unit’s first commander was Lt. Philip H. Torrey
Jr. who commanded the unit until the summer of
1943. During the summer of 1943, Torrey became
VC-13, USS Core (CVE-13), August-September 1943
The Tacoma-built Bogue-class escort carrier USS
Core (CVE-13) was commissioned on December
10, 1942, and named after Core Sound. USS Core
operated on the west coast off San Diego, but
soon joined the Atlantic Fleet to take part in
the bloody war against submarines with TBF-1C
Avengers and F4F-4 Wildcats on board. Core’s
first combat cruise in the Atlantic lasted from
April 2024
the commanding officer of Fighting Squadron
9 (VF-9), operating from the USS Essex (CV-9).
In March 1944, he was transferred to Carrier Air
Group 9 (CAG-9) operating aboard USS Lexington
(CV-16) with F6F Hellcats. On February 16, 1945,
Torrey volunteered for his first mission which
was to fly over Tokyo. Over the target, however,
June 27 to July 31, 1943, during which VC-13 hit
a pair of submarines. USS Core and VC-13 scored
a total of four submarine kills by the end of 1943,
helping to end the good times of the German
U-boat fleet. The Wildcats on USS Core carried
an interesting combination of colors from the
factory blue-grey NS through light grey NS
as well as both the then-new ASWN I and II
KITS 04/2024
his Hellcat was shot down by a Japanese fighter
and Torrey fatally crashed in the village of Habu
near Narita. His Wildcat, which he flew with
VF-22, had a non-standard camouflage with
a third shade of Semi-Gloss Sea Blue applied to
the original older Blue Gray/Light Gray scheme
on the upper fuselage and wings.
schemes designed for the Atlantic. The aircraft
shown, with the black identification number
6 on the rudder, had a unique design of the unit
emblem painted on the fuselage with the number
13 inscribed on it. This made it a popular
background for photographs of VC-13 pilots.
INFO Eduard 53
KITS 04/2024
Lt. (jg) Dean S. Laird, USS Ranger (CV-4),
Operation Leader, October 1943
Dean Samuel “Diz” Laird was the only US Navy
ace with kills on both the Pacific and European
battlefields. He also served in the Korean War
and Vietnam War after the World War II. Laird
shot down 5.75 enemy aircraft in combat and
damaged one. Two of his victims were German
Ju 88 and He 115 aircraft, shot down in October
VMF-441, Nanumea, November 1943
Marine Fighting Squadron 441 (VMF-441) was
formed on October 1, 1942 at Tutuila, American
Samoa, from part of VMF-111 and flew F4F
Wildcats. By the end of May 1943, the entire
squadron moved to Funafuti in the Ellice Islands,
followed by another move to Nanumea Base on
September 28, 1943. The squadron moved back to
54 INFO Eduard
1943 near Norway during Operation Leader.
The others were Japanese aircraft. Laird flew
138 combat sorties during World War II and was
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and
the Congressional Gold Medal, among other
awards. He flew the F4F Wildcats and then the
F6F Hellcats and was assigned to the aircraft
Tutuila in December 1943, where it rearmed to the
F4U-1 Corsair. VMF-441 was also known as “The
Blackjacks”. The unit was credited with a total
of 49 aircraft shot down during World War II and
was inactivated after the surrender of Japan on
July 11, 1946. The Wildcat shown here wore non-
standard camouflage with a third shade of Semi-
carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) from November 1942
to March 1943. From November 1944 to March
1945, he operated from the USS Essex (CV-9).
In 1969, he was one of the three lead pilots in the
movie Tora! Tora! Tora! Laird helped reenact the
attack on Pearl Harbor during its filming and flew
approximately 164 hours during the production.
Gloss Sea Blue added to the original older Blue
Gray/Light Gray scheme on the upper fuselage
and wing surfaces. The nose of the aircraft was
decorated with a white “Little Joe” inscription on
the left side of the engine cowling with a dice
motif.
April 2024
 KITS 04/2024

Recommended: for
F4F-4 Wildcat late 1/48 #648818

481093 F4F-4 landing flaps (PE-Set)

FE1290 F4F seatbelts STEEL (PE-Set)
644164 F4F-4 LööK (Brassin)
648769 F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)
648779 F4F undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)
648803 F4F-4 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)
648815 F4F-4 wheels early (Brassin)
648816 F4F-4 wheels late (Brassin)
648817 F4F-4 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)
648818 F4F-4 folding wings PRINT (Brassin)
648820 F4F-4 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)
648828 F4F-4 engine PRINT (Brassin)
648829 F4F-4 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)
648853 F4F-4 gun bays PRINT (Brassin)
3DL48090 F4F-4 SPACE (3D Decal Set)
EX904 F4F-4 TFace (Mask)

#648779

#648829

OVERTREES OVERLEPT
#82203X #82203-LEPT1
F4F-4 Wildcat late F4F-4 Wildcat late
1/48 PE-Set 1/48
Product page
Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 55

KITS 04/2024

Fokker E.III 1/48

#8419
The Weekend edition kit of German WWI fighter
aircraft Fokker E.III in 1/48 scale.

plastic parts: Eduard

marking options: 4
decals: Eduard
PE parts: no
painting mask: no
resin parts: no

Product page

56 INFO Eduard April 2024


E339/16, Lt. Josef Jacobs, Fokkerstaffel West, June 1916
The advent of Fokker monoplanes armed
with synchronized machine guns brought
a fundamental change to the course of air
warfare from the summer of 1915. The original
assignment of these monoplanes to FFA
(Feldflieger Abteilung) field aviation units
changed in early 1916 when the first German
fighter units were formed. The Kampfeinsitzer
Kommando (KeK) was a grouping of pilots still
E105/15, Ernst Udet, KeK Habsheim, 1916
The most successful surviving fighter of World
War I was Ernst Udet, who started his flying
career with Feldflieger Abteilung 206, from
where he moved to FFA 68. There he was given
his first Eindecker, but he destroyed it due to an
engine malfunction during take-off. He was then
April 2024
belonging to the respective FFA but assigned
to fight enemy aircraft. Later, these pilots were
allocated to the official fighter units, the Staffeln,
in which many future aces grew up. One of them
was Josef Carl Peter Jacobs, who spent the first
year of his flying career as an observation pilot
in FFA 11, only to join Fokkerstaffel West in April
1916. He achieved his first confirmed victory in
May when he shot down a two-seat Caudron and
assigned an older example of the same type.
On March 18, 1916, Udet achieved his first aerial
victory. Later that year, FAA 68 was transformed
into Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Habsheim and
then became Jasta 15 on September 28. Udet’s
E.III was given paint of unspecified shade of
KITS 04/2024
possibly an observation balloon. His Eindecker
was given a coat of green paint on upper and side
surfaces, which was complemented by brown
patches, which camouflaged the aircraft not only
in the air but also on the ground. By the end of the
war, his tally stood at 48 victories. Jasta 12 was
formed from the Fokkerstaffel West personnel
on October 6, 1916, but Jacobs was transferred to
Jasta 22 just a month later.
green, which was complemented by an oblique
black and white stripe. For this, the black section
was later overpainted with a different shade of
green. The color scheme and decals offer both
variations.
INFO Eduard 57
KITS 04/2024

Gotthard Sachsenberg, MFFA I, April–November 1916

The second most successful fighter of the
German Navy started his flying career as an
observer in the Freiwilliges Marine-Fliegerkorps.
In December 1914, he was transferred to
Marine-Feldflieger-Abteilung I. In the first half
of April 1916, the unit took over this D.III number
LF196 and it most likely became the aircraft of
the then newly trained fighter pilot Gotthard
Sachnsenberg. The aircraft was left in gradually
accumulated oil stains and other dirt and,
according to photographs, was put "on its nose"
by its pilot during an emergency landing near
Ostend. We do not know when this happened,
but the aircraft was subsequently taken to the
airfield in a dismantled state and continued to fly
until the end of November, when most E.IIIs were
retired in favor of new Halberstadts.

Austro-Hungarian Navy, Abwehrflugstation Altura, Austro–Hungaria, 1918

Within the Austro-Hungarian Air Force and
Navy served Fokker E.IIIs with the designation
A.III. Some of them had the Austro-Hungarian
Schwarzlose machine gun installed instead of
the original German LMG. However, this was not
the case with this aircraft. This one was armed
with the LMG machine gun, but it was the Navy
version with simple gunsight and a slightly
different perforation of the barrel housing.
The A.III Fokkers were gradually withdrawn to
training units, where they served during the
last year of the war. This was also the case with
this aircraft, which served for training at Altura
airfield. There, on February 24, 1918, the Brno
native Leodegar Ustynek fatally crashed during
a training flight. When shooting on a target,
the engine failed, the aircraft lost speed and
crashed from a height of about 50 m. Interestingly,
there are two types of crosses used on the
aircraft. While on the wings there was an older
type, on the fuselage a newer one was used.
For the bottom surfaces, historians are inclined
towards a light blue color.

58 INFO Eduard April 2024

 KITS 04/2024

MiG-21PFM 1/48
#8237

Re-release
The ProfiPACK edition kit of Soviet Cold War
jet aircraft MiG-21PFM in 1/48 scale.

plastic parts: Eduard

marking options: 5
decals: Eduard
PE parts: yes, pre-painted
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 59

KITS 04/2024

921 Fighter Regiment, Vietnamese People’s Army Air Force,

Noi Bai airfield, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1968

This aircraft was flown by 921 Fighter Regiment
“Sao Do” (Red Star) in 1968. The first examples
of MiG-21PFM were delivered to this unit during
that year. Some sources say that this particular
aircraft was flown by Nguyen Van Coc, a fighter
ace credited with nine kills. The B&W photos of
this aircraft can be interpreted in several ways.
One of the theories says that green splotches
were sprayed on the upper sides. The splotches
were not sharp-edged, and the surrounding area
was also covered by the thin layer of the green
color. This gave this area light-green appearance.
The canopy frame and the antenna were left in
natural metal finish.

No. 7909, 11 Fighter Air Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force, Žatec airfield,
Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, March 1991

The No. 7909 MiG-21PFM was delivered to
Czechoslovakia on January 29, 1969. At the
beginning it was assigned to 9 slp (9th Fighter
Air Regiment); from April 1973 served with 1 slp.
From December 1982 onwards this aircraft was
flown by 11 slp. It was put out of operation in March
1991 and consequently flown to the disposal
site at the Vodochody airfield on March 20, 1991.
The coat of arms of Žatec town was painted on
the nose, the yellow band on the tail identified
the aircraft which was to be put out of operation.
The rest of the aircraft remained in natural metal
finish, which was a common practice regarding
this type.

Baurnal Higher Air Force School, Kamen na Obi/Slavgorod airbases,

the Soviet Union, ca 1988

Three-digit numbers were used for aircraft flown
by Air Force schools in Soviet Union. The White
105 served with Barnaul Highter Air Force School
in late 80ties. The exact Regiment that flew this
MiG is not known. It belonged either to 59 UAP
(59th Training Air Regiment) based in Kamen na
Obi AFB or to 96 UAP that used Slavgorod AFB
as its home. The colorful camouflage was applied
during the service in the school. Note the large
area of the brown camouflage color under the
white fuselage number, where the former two-
digit number used by the frontline unit, the
previous operator, was overpainted.

60 INFO Eduard April 2024

 KITS 04/2024

Egyptian Air Force, Inshas air base, Arab Republic of Egypt, early 80´s

This aircraft is one of the few MiG-21PFMs flown about ten of them survived the war. The first itself. This aircraft was delivered to Egypt around
by Egyptian Air Force following the Six-Day War. and surprising Israeli aerial attack on Egyptian 1970 and took part in the US–Egyptian military
Prior to this Arab–Israeli conflict, total of 235 airbases on June 5, 1967, known as the Operation exercise Bright Star in 1982.
various MiG-21s were delivered to Egypt but only Moked, cost Egyptians about 90 of their MiG-21s

1 Eskadra of the 62 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego,

Polish Air Force, Poznan – Krzesiny AB, Poland, 1994

This aircraft had been delivered to Poland on
April 5, 1968 and served with 34. Pułk Lotnictwa
Myśliwskiego (34th Fighter Air Regiment). This
profile depicts the 6910 how it looked during
the service with 62. PLM. The tail marking was
applied in connection with 40th anniversary
of the unit establishment (1954 – 1994). In 1995
the unit designation was changed to 3. PLM and
according to this the number 62 in the unit badge
on the A/C nose was replaced with the new one.
This PFM was armed with GP-9 gun pod and
Monsun rack for two R-3S missiles. The aircraft
was oversprayed with thin layer of aluminium
coat.

Recommended: OVERTREES
for MiG-21PFM 1/48 #8239X
MiG-21PFM
49658
648026
MiG-21PFM interior (PE-Set)
MiG-21 wheels (Brassin)
1/48
648049 MiG-21 wheel wells (Brassin) Product page
648064 MiG-21 late airbrakes (Brassin)
648080 MiG-21 undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)
644090 MiG-21PFM LööK (Brassin)
644099 MiG-21PFM grey LööK (Brassin)
644102
644109
MiG-21PFM LööKplus (Brassin)
MiG-21PFM grey LööKplus (Brassin) OVERLEPT
3DL48172
3DL48173
MiG-21PFM grey SPACE (3D Decal Set)
MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE (3D Decal Set) #8237-LEPT1
D48018 MiG-21PFM stencils (Decal Set)
MiG-21PFM
PE-Set 1/48
EX638 MiG-21PFM TFace (Mask)

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 61

KITS 04/2024

F6F-5 Hellcat 1/72

#7077

Re-release
The ProfiPACK edition kit of US carrier
based WWII fighter plane F6F-5 Hellcat
in 1/72 scale.

plastic parts: Eduard

marking options: 4
decals: Eduard
PE parts: yes, pre-painted
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no

Product page

62 INFO Eduard April 2024

 KITS 04/2024

BuNo 70143, Cdr. David McCampbell, CO of CAG-15 USS Essex (CV-9),

October 1944

David McCampbell, commander of the Carrier Air Marianas Turkey Shoot on June 19, 1944, he shot He was twice awarded the Congressional Medal
Group 15, was the most successful fighter pilot down seven Japanese aircraft and a few days of Honor. “Minsi III” was lost in December 1944 in
within the US Navy. He achieved at least 20 of his later, on October 24, another nine during fight an accident when flown by another pilot.
34 victories flying this Hellcat. During the Great against a large Japanese numerical advantage.

Lt. Carl A. Brown Jr., VF-27, USS Princeton (CVL-23), October 1944

“Paper Doll” was the personal mount of Lt. (jg)
Robert Burnell. The distinctive shark mouth
painting was used on the earlier aircraft by
the squadron, and it appears here in a simpler
form. On October 24, 1944, during the Battle of
Leyte Gulf, Lt. Carl A. Brown intercepted a large
formation of enemy aircraft at a time when the
USS Princeton had suffered serious damage.
During the intercept, Lt. Brown was able to
down five of the Japanese aircraft but was hit
and injured himself. He landed on the USS Essex
(CV-9), as the Princeton was out of action. “Paper
Doll” was pushed overboard to make room for
other landing aircraft.

April 2024 INFO Eduard 63

KITS 04/2024

BuNo 72534, Ens. Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston, Jr., Lyttleton Ward,
VF-83, USS Essex (CV-9), May 1945

Starting from the end of January 1945, US Navy
aircraft in the Pacific carried striking geometric
symbols. Two white triangles belonged to aircraft
of the USS Essex. White 115 also sported an
emblem consisting of a skull and crossbones
and the inscription “Death and Destruction”.
The victory marks painted on the cockpit sides
possibly included all the success achieved by
the pilots who flew the plane. White 115 was
mostly flown by Ensigns Donald McPherson,
Bill Kingston, Jr., and Lyttleton Ward. The last
mentioned downed three Alfs and one Oscar
during one of the most concentrated kamikaze
attacks on TF-58 ships on May 4, 1945. During this
event Ward attained the ace status

Lt. Leo Bob McCuddin, VF-20, USS Enterprise (CV-6), October 1944

Famous Navy pilot Leo Bob McCuddin flew this Enterprise from April 1944. All five of his victories Class battleship and in the sinking of an escort
aircraft on many of his combat sorties. He flew were gained during his combat tour with destroyer during the Battle of the Philippine Sea
F6F Hellcats as a pilot with VF-20 from the USS VF-20. He participated in the attack on the “Fuso” on October 24 and 25, 1944.

Recommended: OVERTREES
for F6F-5 Hellcat 1/72 #7077X
F6F-5 / Hellcat Mk.II
73792
672038
F6F-3 (PE-Set)
US 250lb bombs (Brassin) 1/72
672203 F6F wheels (Brassin)
672345 F6F wheel bays PRINT (Brassin)
Product page

#672203 #672345
OVERLEPT
#7077-LEPT1
F6F-5 Hellcat
PE-Set 1/72 Product page

64 INFO Eduard April 2024

BUNNY FIGHTERCLUB
Eduard's special membership club for all modeling enthusiasts!

15% Permanent Club discount at Eduard Store – you will receive permanent 15% discount on all Eduard
products and also discount on various other non-Eduard products. Fixed, permanent, forever!

Unique valuable Club kits and accessories – you will gain access to unique and nowhere else to be sold
products, specially made for BFC members.

Even better prices at Eduard events stand – do you know that Eduard usually has huge discounts on
their products at fairs and events all over the world? BFC members will have even higher discount at
these events.

Club T-shirt – you will receive fancy BFC 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.

Free entry fee on E-day – you will not have to pay a penny to visit Eduard's E-day.
That means lot of fun at E-day for two days and entry kit, absolutely free!
* E-day - INTERNATIONAL SCALE KIT EXHIBITION - IPMS Czech Republic Championship

How to become a member of BFC?

Simply by purchasing the Activation product. You will be given 15% discount on (almost) every Eduard
product in your shopping cart. To apply this discount, the Activation product has to be in your shopping
cart. Activation product is excluded from this calculation.

Activation products:
MiG-21MF + T-shirt 1/72 Tempest Mk. V + T-shirt 1/48

BOX CONTENT: BOX CONTENT:

Plastic parts, Marking options 4, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin
parts (undercarriage wheels, cockpit, exhaust nozzle, FOD).
Plastic parts, Marking options 6, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin
parts (two different types of wheels, landing flaps, dust filter with
eyelid, intake ring and RP-3 60lb rockets), 3D decals for main and si-
dewalk instrument and control panels with photo-etched details and
seat belts.

www.eduard.com/bfc
BRASSIN
644258
F-5E LööK
1/48 AFV Club/Eduard
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for F-5E in 1/48 scale.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: AFV Club / Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

Product page

644259
F-35B LööK
1/48 Tamiya
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for F-35B in 1/48 scale.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Tamiya

Set contains:
- resin: 1 part
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

Product page

66 INFO Eduard April 2024

 BRASSIN

644260
Sea King HU.5 LööKplus
1/48 Airfix
Collection of 3 sets for Sea King HU.5 in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Airfix

- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

- TFace painting mask
- undercarriage wheels

Product page

644261
TBF-1C LööKplus
1/48 Academy
Collection of 4 sets for TBF-1C in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Academy

- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

- TFace painting mask
- undercarriage wheels
- seats

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 67

BRASSIN

644262
TBM-3 LööKplus
1/48 Academy
Collection of 4 sets for TBM-3 in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Academy

- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

- TFace painting mask
- undercarriage wheels
- seats

Product page

674004
Bf 109G-2 LööK
1/72 Eduard
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109G-2 in 1/72 scale.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 1 part
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

Product page

68 INFO Eduard April 2024

 BRASSIN

674005
Bf 109G-4 LööK
1/72 Eduard
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109G-4 in 1/72 scale.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 1 part
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

Product page

648970
F-16C Block 42 till 2005 cockpit PRINT
1/48 Kinetic
Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 42
(pre-2006 production) in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Kinetic

Set contains:
- 3D print: 14 parts
- resin: 1 part, pre-painted
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 69

BRASSIN

648971
F-16C Block 42 from 2006 cockpit PRINT
1/48 Kinetic
Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 42
(2006 onwards production) in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Kinetic

Set contains:
- 3D print: 14 parts
- resin: 1 part, pre-painted
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

Product page

648974
F-16C wheel bays early PRINT
1/48 Kinetic
Brassin set - wheel bays for F-16C in 1/48 scale.
The set consists of nose and main wheel bays.
Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

Set contains:
- 3D print: 10 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

Product page

70 INFO Eduard April 2024

 BRASSIN

648980
Su-25 gun muzzle PRINT
1/48 Zvezda
Brassin set - gun muzzle for Su-25
in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Zvezda

Set contains:
- 3D print: 1 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

Product page

648981
Su-25 airbrakes early PRINT
1/48 Zvezda
Brassin set - airbrakes (an early production type)
for Su-25 in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Zvezda

Set contains:
- 3D print: 4 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 71

BRASSIN

648982
P-38J right engine PRINT
1/48 Tamiya
Brassin set - right engine for P-38J
in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Tamiya

Set contains:
- 3D print: 48 parts
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details: yes
- painting mask: no

Product page

648985
F4U wheels
1/48 Magic Factory
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for F4U-1A
and F4U-2 in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main
wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Recommended kit: Magic Factory

Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: yes

Product page

72 INFO Eduard April 2024

 BRASSIN

672353
Bf 109G-2/G-4 engine PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - engine for Bf 109G-2 and Bf 109G-4
in 1/72 scale. The cownlings are included.
Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 18 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes
- painting mask: no

Product page

672354
Me 410 wheels
1/48 Airfix
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Me 410
in 1/72 scale. The set consists of the main wheels.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Airfix

Set contains:
- resin: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: yes

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 73

BRASSIN

672355
Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - gun barrels for Bf 109G-5 a Bf 109G-6
in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 4 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

Product page

672356
Me 410 exhaust stacks PRINT
1/72 Airfix
Brassin set - exhaust stacks for Me 410
in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Airfix

Set contains:
- 3D print: 8 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

Product page

74 INFO Eduard April 2024

 ty.qxp_
Warpa
int Ma
ster 28/
12/202
3 10:
10 Page
54

Orders from the world’s book

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

Vickers Vicker
s

Viking, Valetta & Varsity

WARPA

VIKING
INT SE
RIES No

, VALET
.141

TA & VA
In milit RSITY
servic
Adrian
M. Ba
lch ary
e
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington
Varsity
5 FTS T.1s, WL629
1968 near Oaking -K & WJ917
(Autho
r's col ton, Cambrid-AA, of RA
lection geshire F

bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. After the Second
) in

World War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines, pending the development of turboprop
aircraft like the Viscount. An experimental airframe was fitted with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets and first flown
in 1948 as the world's first pure jet transport aircraft. Military developments were the Vickers Valetta and
the Vickers Varsity. The Valetta was a military derivative of the Viking developed in transport and

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

Warpaint series No.140 £28.00

OV-10 Bronco
No.140
SERIES

North
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WARPAIN

orth Am
erica

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The full story of the first true Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, the OV-10 Bronco, still flying operationally after
nearly six decades of service, is told here for the first time in a bumper 104-page Warpaint. Detailed first-
serv ce Mus
on to
Air & Spa
County
r
e Verie
By Mik
hand information gathered over many years has enabled the author to bring together the many facets of
this remarkably versatile aircraft including pre-cursors, competitors and prototypes, through Vietnam and
combat service with some eleven US and foreign Air Arms, and its part in the development of modern
precision weapons, to its astonishing array of uses since. These include fighting drug cartels in Columbia,
fires in California, mosquitos in South Carolina, and ISIS in Northern Iraq. Also, finally covered in full and
accurate detail are the German ‘jet’ Broncos. The world’s largest restoration project and current training
of US and NATO JTACS bring the story up to date. De-classified information has made it possible to
detail for the first time all the long-nose D model conversions and all the Broncos that served in Desert
Storm, their preparation, the epic trans-continental deployment of one squadron by air, and the key role
played by the Broncos during the war. The detailed and revealing narrative is copiously illustrated
throughout with fully captioned photographs - many previously unseen- and backed by personal
accounts, Individual aircraft histories, airframe lists, scale plans and specially commissioned art work
with comprehensive colour scheme information.

Previous Warpaint titles All these titles are available in printed format via our on demand printing service. Please contact our office for further information.
1 Bristol Beaufighter £13.00 39 Supermarine Walrus £13.00 77 Curtiss P-40 £15.00 115 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle £14.00
2 Blackburn Buccaneer £13.00 40 Canadair/Commonwealth Sabre £16.00 78 Aer Macchi C.202-205 Folgore-Veltro £15.00 116 Hawker Fury and Nimrod £17.00
3 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka £13.00 41 Fairey Fulmar £15.00 79 Consolidated PBY Catalina £17.00 117 Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer £15.00
4 North American F-100 Super Sabre £13.00 42 Boulton Paul Defiant £13.00 80 Saab Draken £17.00 118 NAA B-45 Tornado £16.00
5 Hawker Typhoon £13.00 43 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter £18.00 81 Junkers Ju 52 £14.00 119 Grumman F9F Panther £15.00
6 Avro Shackleton £14.00 44 de Havilland Venom £15.00 82 BAC Jet Provost £17.00 120 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 £17.00
7 Junkers Ju 88 £13.00 45 Martin B-57 Canberra £16.00 83 Fairey Battle £17.00 121 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk £26.00
8 Hawker Hunter £17.00 46 Handley Page Halifax £17.00 84 Grumman F6F Hellcat £18.00 122 Albatros D.I - D.III £16.00
9 Grumman F4F Wildcat/Martlet £13.00 47 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo £15.00 85 Supermarine Scimitar £15.00 123 de Havilland (Canada) Chipmunk £15.00
10 Vickers Wellington £13.00 48 Westland Lysander £15.00 86 Vickers Wellesley £15.00 124 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 £17.00
11 de Havilland Sea Vixen £13.00 49 Fiat G.91 £15.00 87 Grumman Avenger £18.00 125 Bristol Britannia, Argus and Yukon £17.00
12 Fairey Swordfish £15.00 50 Bristol Beaufort £15.00 88 Lockheed T-33A £15.00 126 Grumman F-14 Tomcat £26.00
13 Focke Wolfe Fw 200 Condor £14.00 51 Lockheed Neptune £16.00 89 Avro Lancaster £18.00 127 Cessna T-37 A/B/C and A-37 A/B £21.00
14 BAC Lightning £18.00 52 Fairey Albacore £15.00 90 Boeing B-17 £18.00 128 Bristol Scout £15.00
15 Short Stirling £14.00 53 Avro Anson £16.00 91 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed' £27.00 129 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 £18.00
16 Hawker Sea Fury £13.00 54 Westland Whirlwind F.Mk I £13.00 92 Grumman HU-16 Albatross £17.00 130 Ilyushin Il-28 £18.00
17 Gloster Javelin £14.00 55 Hawker Tempest £14.00 93 Messerschmitt Me 262 £15.00 131 Auster in British Military & foreign air arm service £18.00
18 Douglas Skyraider £14.00 56 Blackburn Firebrand £14.00 94 Supermarine Attacker £15.00 132 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress £25.00
19 de Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet £14.00 57 Handley Page Hampden £14.00 95 Westland Sea King £18.00 133 Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota £25.00
20 Supermarine Seafire (Griffon engine) £15.00 58 Supermarine Swift £14.00 96 Consolidated B-24 Liberator £27.00 134 Aero L-29 Delfin £21.00
21 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley £14.00 59 Lockheed Hudson £14.00 97 North American RA-5C Vigilante £18.00 135 DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie £17.00
22 Gloster Meteor £20.00 60 English Electric Canberra £20.00 98 Avro York £17.00 136 Airspeed Oxford & Consul £18.00
23 Fairey Gannet £15.00 61 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero £14.00 99 McDonnell Demon £17.00 137 Douglas SBD Dauntless £28.00
24 Dornier Do 217 £14.00 62 Handley Page Hastings £14.00 100 Republic F-84F and RF-84F £20.00 138 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk £18.00
25 Short Sunderland £14.00 63 Vickers Valiant £14.00 101 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth £16.00 139 de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver £18.00
26 Bristol Blenheim £15.00 64 Convair F-102 £15.00 102 Convair B-36 £16.00
27 de Havilland Vampire £20.00 65 Westland Wessex £17.00 103 Avro Manchester £14.00
28 Fairey Firefly £17.00 66 Bristol Bulldog £13.00 104 General Dynamics F-111 & EF-111A £20.00
29 Hawker Sea Hawk £15.00 67 Folland Gnat and Ajeet £13.00 105 Sopwith Pup £14.00
30 Avro Vulcan £16.00 68 Bristol Brigand £13.00 106 Sikorsky S-55/H-19 & Westland Whirlwind £18.00
31 RAF/RN Phantoms £17.00 69 Martin B-26 Marauder £14.00 107 Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ £15.00
32 Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc £17.00 70 Vought Corsair £18.00 108 Martin Mariner and Marlin £17.00 Warpaint Specials
33 Heinkel He 177 £14.00 71 Armstrong Whitworth 650/660 Argosy £14.00 109 Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster & DC-4 £21.00 No.1 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt £19.00
34 Avro Lincoln £16.00 72 Vickers Supermarine Merlin Seafire £14.00 110 Westland Scout & Wasp £16.00 No.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 £25.00
35 Fairey Barracuda £15.00 73 North American B-25 Mitchell £15.00 111 Vought OS2U Kingfisher £16.00 No.3 de Havilland Mosquito £25.00
36 Handley Page Victor £16.00 74 Hawker Siddeley Harrier £17.00 112 Douglas A3D Skywarrior £20.00 No.4 Cessna Bird Dog £12.00
37 Gloster Gladiator £17.00 75 BAe Sea Harrier £15.00 113 Panavia Tornado ADV £17.00 No.5 NAA P-51 Mustang and Derivatives £22.00
38 Republic F-105 Thunderchief £15.00 76 Grumman Tracker/Trader/Tracer £17.00 114 McDonnell F-4 Phantom II £25.00 No.6 Dambusters and the Lancaster £20.00

All major credit cards accepted.

Warpaint on the web Orders can be placed by mail, telephone, email or through the website.
For more information and secure ordering please visit:
(www.guidelinepublications.co.uk) Plus postage and packing on all
www.guidelinepublications.co.uk
orders. Overseas readers pay postage at air mail printed paper rate.

GUIDELINE PUBLICATIONS LIMITED

Dunstable Business Centre, Office Suite No.2, Blackburn Road, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5BQ
Tel: +44 (0)1582 668411, Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk
BRASSIN

SIN648123
FM-1 ADVANCED
1/48 Eduard
Collection of 4 sets for FM-1 in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Eduard

- engine
- wheel bay
- landing flaps
- gun bays

All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

Product page

76 INFO Eduard April 2024

 BRASSIN

SIN648124
F-35B ARMAMENT
1/48 Tamiya
Collection of 5 sets for F-35B in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Tamiya

- AIM-120C AMRAAM (2pcs)

- GBU-12 bomb
- GBU-39 w/ BRU-61
- AIM-9X
- GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM

All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately, but
with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 77

PHOTO-ETCHED APRIL 2024
HMS Ark Royal 1939
1/350 I LOVE KIT
#53305; #53306; #53307; #53308

78 INFO Eduard April 2024

 PHOTO-ETCHED

April 2024 INFO Eduard 79

PHOTO-ETCHED

Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer

1/35 Takom
#36517

80 INFO Eduard April 2024

 PHOTO-ETCHED

MiG-29K
1/48 Hobby Boss
#491436
#FE1436
#FE1437

April 2024 INFO Eduard 81

PHOTO-ETCHED

U-2R
1/48 Hobby Boss
#491438
#FE1438
#FE1437

82 INFO Eduard April 2024

 PHOTO-ETCHED

OV-10D+
1/72 ICM
#73820
#SS820

April 2024 INFO Eduard 83

84 INFO Eduard Březen 2024
 B-17 ACCESSORIES

Březen 2024 INFO Eduard 85

B-17 ACCESSORIES

86 INFO Eduard Březen 2024

 B-17 ACCESSORIES

Březen 2024 INFO Eduard 87

B-17 ACCESSORIES

88 INFO Eduard Březen 2024

 easy n
3DL48168 U-2R SPACE
Product page
1/48 Hobby Boss
a p p l i c a t i o

3DL48169 MiG-29K SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

Product page

90 INFO Eduard April 2024

 SPACE

3DL48170 P-47D-30 SPACE 1/48 MINIART

Product page

3DL48171 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster SPACE 1/48 HKM

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 91

SPACE

3DL48172 MiG-21PFM grey SPACE 1/48 Eduard

Product page

3DL48173 MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE 1/48 Eduard

Product page

92 INFO Eduard April 2024

 SPACE

3DL72029 OV-10D+ SPACE 1/72 ICM

Product page

3DL72030 PBM-5A SPACE 1/72 Academy

Product page

April 2024 INFO Eduard 93

BIG ED All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,
but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30 %.

BIG5370 USS Nimitz CVN-68 PART II 1/350 Trumpeter Product page

53298 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 4 1/350
53299 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 5 1/350
53300 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 6 1/350
53301 USS Nimitz CVN-68 part 7 1/350

BIG33160 F-35B 1/32 Trumpeter Product page

32886 Remove Before Flight STEEL
321016 F-35B 1/32
33364 F-35B seatbelrs STEEL 1/32
JX322 F-35B 1/32

94 INFO Eduard April 2024

 All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately, BIG ED
but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30 %.

BIG49400 Hurricane Mk.IIc 1/48 Hobby Boss Product page

481128 Hurricane Mk.IIc landing flaps 1/48
491411 Hurricane Mk.IIc 1/48
FE1412 Hurricane Mk.IIc seatbelts STEEL 1/48
EX1000 Hurricane Mk.IIc TFace 1/48

BIG49401 P-47D-25 1/48 MINIART

Product page
491407 P-47D-25 1/48
FE1408 P-47D-25 seatbelts STEEL 1/48
EX997 P-47D-25 1/48

BIG49402 Fulmar Mk.I 1/48 Trumpeter Product page

491409 Fulmar Mk.I 1/48
FE1410 Fulmar Mk.I seatbelts STEEL 1/48
EX999 Fulmar Mk.I TFace 1/48

April 2024 INFO Eduard 95

MASKS IT FITS!
EX1021 U-2R
1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1022 U-2R TFace
1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1023 MiG-29K
1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1024 MiG-29K TFace
1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1025 P-47D-30
1/48 MINIART
EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace EX1021 U-2R
1/48 MINIART EX1022 U-2R TFace EX1022 U-2R TFace
EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III
Dambuster 1/48 HKM
EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III
Dambuster TFace
1/48 HKM
CX661 OV-10D+
1/72 ICM

EX1021 U-2R
EX1022 U-2R TFace EX1022 U-2R TFace

EX1023 MiG-29K
EX1024 MiG-29K TFace EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

EX1023 MiG-29K
EX1024 MiG-29K TFace EX1024 MiG-29K TFace

96 INFO Eduard April 2024

 MASKS

EX1025 P-47D-30
EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

EX1025 P-47D-30
EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace

EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster

EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace

EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster

EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace

CX661 OV-10D+ CX661 OV-10D+

April 2024 INFO Eduard 97

RELEASES APRIL 2024
KITS
2145 Gustav pt. 2 Dual Combo 1/72 Limited
82203 F4F-4 Wildcat late 1/48 ProfiPACK
8419 Fokker E.III 1/48 Weekend
8237 MiG-21PFM Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK
7077 F6F-5 Hellcat Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK

PE-SETS
53307 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 3 1/350 I LOVE KIT
53308 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 4 1/350 I LOVE KIT
36517 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer 1/35 Takom
481133 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster undercarriage 1/48 HKM
481134 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster landing flaps 1/48 HKM
481135 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster bomb bay 1/48 HKM
481136 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster radiators 1/48 HKM
491432 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART
491434 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster cockpit 1/48 HKM
491436 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss
491438 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss
72735 PBM-5A exterior 1/72 Academy
72736 PBM-5A bomb bay 1/72 Academy
73820 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM
73821 PBM-5A interior 1/72 Academy

ZOOMS
FE1432 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART
FE1433 P-47D-30 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 MINIART
FE1434 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster 1/48 HKM
FE1435 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HKM
FE1436 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss
FE1437 MiG-29K seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby Boss
FE1438 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss
FE1439 U-2R seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby Boss
SS820 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM
SS821 PBM-5A 1/72 Academy
SS822 PBM-5A seatbelts STEEL 1/72 Academy

MASKS
EX1021 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1022 U-2R TFace 1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1023 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1024 MiG-29K TFace 1/48 Hobby Boss
EX1025 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART
EX1026 P-47D-30 TFace 1/48 MINIART
EX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster 1/48 HKM
EX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace 1/48 HKM
CX661 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM

BIG ED
BIG5370 USS Nimitz CVN-68 PART II 1/350 Trumpeter
BIG33160 F-35B 1/32 Trumpeter
BIG49400
BIG49401
Hurricane Mk.IIc
P-47D-25
1/48
1/48
Hobby Boss
MINIART
BIG-ED
BIG49402 Fulmar Mk.I 1/48 Trumpeter

98 INFO Eduard April 2024

 RELEASES
APRIL 2024
BRASSIN
644258 F-5E LööK 1/48 AFV Club/Eduard
644259 F-35B LööK 1/48 Tamiya
674004 Bf 109G-2 LööK 1/72 Eduard
674005 Bf 109G-4 LööK 1/72 Eduard
648970 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
648971 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
648974 F-16C wheel bays early PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
648980 Su-25 gun muzzle PRINT 1/48 Zvezda
648981 Su-25 airbrakes early PRINT 1/48 Zvezda
648982 P-38J right engine PRINT 1/48 Tamiya
648985 F4U wheels 1/48 Magic Factory
672353 Bf 109G-2/G-4 engine PRINT 1/72 Eduard
672354 Me 410 wheels 1/72 Airfix
672355 Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT 1/72 Eduard
672356 Me 410 exhaust stacks PRINT 1/72 Airfix

LöökPLUS
644260 Sea King HU.5 LööKplus 1/48 Airfix
644261 TBF-1C LööKplus 1/48 Academy
644262 TBM-3 LööKplus 1/48 Academy

BIG SIN
SIN648123 FM-1 ADVANCED 1/48 Eduard
SIN648124 F-35B ARMAMENT 1/48 Tamiya

SPACE
3DL48168 U-2R SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss
3DL48169 MiG-29K SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss
3DL48170 P-47D-30 SPACE 1/48 MINIART
3DL48171 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster SPACE 1/48 HKM
3DL48172 MiG-21PFM grey SPACE 1/48 Eduard
3DL48173 MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE 1/48 Eduard
3DL72029 OV-10D+ SPACE 1/72 ICM
3DL72030 PBM-5A SPACE 1/72 Academy

April 2024 INFO Eduard 99

BUILT
Albatros D.III
#8114 Product page
built by Karel Pádár
Oblt. Rudolf Berthold, Jasta 18, Harelbeke, Belgium, September 1917
Shortly after taking command of Jasta 18, Rudolf
Berthold introduced a new livery for the unit’s
aircraft. It consisted of a red nose and blue
fuselage and possibly also of blue on the upper
surfaces of both wings. These were the uniform
colors of the infantry regiment with which
Berthold served before the war. The red and blue
livery was first applied to Berthold’s Albatros D.III,
built in Johannisthal, but during the autumn of 1917
100 INFO Eduard
Berthold flew one more Albatros, this one built in
Schneidemühl (O.A.W.). This aircraft carried the
same paint scheme, but it is likely that the upper
surfaces of the lower wing retained the original
camouflage paint. Berthold crashed this aircraft
under unclear circumstances, probably shortly
before suffering a devastating gunshot wound to
his right arm while flying a second Albatros on
October 10, 1917. This injury took him out of combat
1/48
for a long time and left his right arm permanently
paralyzed. After the war, Berthold formed his
own Freikorps infantry unit and fought against
the Bolsheviks. These battles proved fatal for him,
however, when he was attacked and lynched by
an angry mob in Hamburg as he retreated from
combat on March 15, 1919.
April 2024

D.1996/16, Lt. Hans-Georg Edward Lübbert, Jasta 11, La Brayelle, France, March 1917
This attractively colored Albatross D.III was
a personal mount of Edward Lübert during
his service with Jasta 11. According to the
interpretation of the black and white photographs,
the aircraft most likely bore a yellow and blue
fuselage livery, with the order of colors being
reversed on the left and right sides, as well as
on the rudder and vertical stabilizer. However,
the serial number was left unpainted on the
April 2024
wooden base on both sides. Lübbert was
wounded in combat with this aircraft on March
6, 1917 (shoulder gunshot wound) but managed
to land it and Manfred von Richthofen flew it
back to the unit. The Red Baron also borrowed
Lübbert’s aircraft on March 17 and scored his 27th
kill with it. Less than two weeks later, on March
30, Lübbert was shot down and killed, but he did
not fly this aircraft on that occasion. It remained
BUILT
with the unit until May 11, 1917, after which it was
used by Lt. Rudolf Hohberg of FF(A) 263 for photo
reconnaissance purposes. Edward Lübbert was
nicknamed Kugelfang (bullet catcher), as there
was perhaps not a single engagement from which
his aircraft did not bring some sort of damage.
On the D.1996/16 there are patches of shots-
through of the vertical stabilizer clearly visible.
INFO Eduard 101
BUILT
EDUARD

Sparviero
SM.79
1/48

#11179
MARKING A
built by Josef Choreň
Built video here.

Accessories used:
481129 SM.79 bomb bay (PE-Set)
481130 SM.79 undercarriage (PE-Set)
648963 Italian WWII torpedo A.130 (Brassin)

102 INFO Eduard April 2024


MM23838, Capt. Carlo E. Buscaglia, 281a Squadriglia, 132o Gruppo AS, Gadurra, Rhodes, summer 1941
Carlo Emanuele Buscaglia started his military
career with the 50a Bomber Squadriglia and in
the ranks of 252a Sq., he took part in a combat
baptism, a raid on the port of Marseille, on June
21, 1940. His fame began to rise after training for
torpedo attacks and his subsequent assignment
to 278a Sq. operating from El Adem. Tenente
Buscaglia hit the heavy cruiser Kent, the light
cruiser Glasgow and several transport ships
during his stay with the unit. On March 5, 1941,
281a Squadriglia was formed, and Capitano
Buscaglia was appointed as commanding
April 2024
BUILT
officer, subsequently becoming CO of the 132o taking off. His Baltimore exploded and Buscaglia
Gruppo in early April 1942. On November 12, 1942, succumbed to his injuries and burns the following
a Sparviero flown by Buscaglia was shot down day.
by a Spitfire and Buscaglia was declared dead.
However, he survived with severe injuries and
burns and was transferred to a POW camp at
Fort Meade, MD. After the surrender of Italy,
Allies offered him command of the 28o Gruppo
Bombardemento. Ironically, his former 132o
Gruppo, now operating on the ANR side, was
renamed 1o Gruppo Aerosiluranti Buscaglia.
On August 23, 1944, Buscaglia crashed while
INFO Eduard 103
BUILT

1/48
Spitfire Mk.Vc #82126
built by Mariusz Hasiuk
Product page

104 INFO Eduard April 2024

 BUILT

April 2024 INFO Eduard 105

ON APPROACH MAY 2024
644263
BIG ED (May) Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööK
BIG5371 USS Iowa BB-61 1/350 Hobby Boss
BIG49403 Ki-21-I 1/48 ICM 1/48 Airfix
BIG49404 Go 244B 1/48 ICM
BIG49405 SM.79 1/48 Eduard LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for Gannet AS.1 and AS.4

BRASSIN (May) in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces

plastic parts. Recommended kit: Airfix
644263 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööK 1/48 Airfix

ES
644266 Bf 108 LööK 1/48 Eduard Set contains:

G
644268 P-51B/C LööK 1/48 Eduard - resin: 1 part

MA
674006 Bf 109G-6 LööK 1/72 Eduard - decals: no
674007 Bf 109F LööK 1/72 Eduard - photo-etched details:
Y I
648972 F-16C Block 52 till 1996 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
yes, pre-painted
A R
IN
648973 F-16C Block 52 from 1997 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
- painting mask: no
M
648984 F-16C wheel bays late PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
648986 P-51B/C wheels diamond tread 1/48 Eduard
L I
RE
648987 P-51B/C wheels oval tread 1/48 Eduard
648988
648992
P-51B/C wheels cross tread 1/48 Eduard
P-51B/C exhaust stacks 1/48 Eduard
P
648993 P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing 1/48 Eduard 644266
648994
648995
648996
P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE 1/48 Eduard
F-35B lift fan PRINT 1/48 Tamiya
Gannet wheels 1/48 Airfix
Bf 108 LööK
648997 P-51B/C gun bays PRINT 1/48 Eduard 1/48 Eduard
6481002 P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT 1/48 Eduard
672357 L-39 ejection seats PRINT 1/72 Eduard LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109 in 1/48 scale.

LöökPlus (May)
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard
644243 Fw 190A-7 LööKplus 1/48 Eduard
644267 F-35B LööKplus 1/48 Tamiya Set contains:

GES
- resin: 1 part

BIGSIN (May) - decals: no

IM A
- photo-etched details:
R Y
SIN648125 Su-25 1/48 Zvezda yes, pre-painted
N A
SIN67223 Bf 109G-6 1/72 Eduard - painting mask: no
L IMI
PR E

648268 674006
P-51B/C LööK Bf 109G-6 LööK
1/48 Eduard 1/72 Eduard
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL
and STEEL seatbelts for P-51B and P-51C in 1/48 scale. seatbelts for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale. Easy to assemble,
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts. replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard
Recommended kit: Eduard
Set contains:
Set contains:
GE S - resin: 1 part

IMA
- resin: 3 parts - decals: no
Y
AR
- decals: no - photo-etched details:
- photo-etched details:
MIN yes, pre-painted

ELI
yes, pre-painted - painting mask: no

PR
- painting mask: no

106 INFO Eduard April 2024

 ON APPROACH

674007
Bf 109F LööK
1/72 Eduard
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109F in 1/72 scale.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 1 part
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

648972
F-16C Block 52 till 1996 cockpit PRINT
1/48 Kinetic
Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 52
(pre-1996 production) in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

Set contains:
- 3D print: 14 parts
- resin: 1 part, pre-painted
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details:
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

648973
F-16C Block 52 from 1997 cockpit PRINT
1/48 Kinetic
Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 52
(1997 onwards production) in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Kinetic

Set contains:
- 3D print: 14 parts
- resin: 1 part, pre-painted
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details:
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

April 2024 INFO Eduard 107

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

648984
F-16C wheel bays late PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - wheel bays for F-16C in 1/48 scale.
The set consists of nose and main wheel bays.
Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

Set contains:
- 3D print: 10 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

648986
P-51B/C wheels diamond tread
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B
or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main
wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: yes

648987
P-51B/C wheels oval tread
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for
P-51B or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists
of the main wheels and a tail wheel.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: yes

108 INFO Eduard April 2024

MAY 2024 ON APPROACH

648988
P-51B/C wheels cross tread
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B
or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main
wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: yes

648992
P-51B/C exhaust stacks
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - exhaust stacks for P-51B
or P-51C in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D
printing. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic
parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

648993
P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - exhaust stacks for P-51B or P-51C
in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

April 2024 INFO Eduard 109

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

648994
P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the undercarriage legs for P-51B
or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The legs are made
of bronze. Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- resin: 4 parts
- bronze: 2 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

648995
F-35B lift fan PRINT
1/48 Tamiya
Brassin set - lift fan for F-35B in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,
replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Tamiya

Set contains:
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no

648996
Gannet wheels
1/48 Airfix
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Gannet
in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheels
and a nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Airfix

Set contains:
- 3D print: 4 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: yes

110 INFO Eduard April 2024

MAY 2024 ON APPROACH

648997
P-51B/C gun bays PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - gun bays for P-51B or P-51C
in 1/48 scale. The set consists of gun bays
for both wings. Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 20 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes
- painting mask: no

6481002
P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - pilot seats for P-51B or P-51C
in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 1 part
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

672357
L-39 ejection seats PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - ejection seat for L-39 in 1/72 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,
replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

Set contains:
- 3D print: 2 parts
- decals: yes
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

April 2024 INFO Eduard 111

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

644243
Fw 190A-7 LööKplus
1/48 Eduard
Collection of 3 sets for Fw 190A-7 in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Eduard

- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboard & Steelbelts)

- TFace painting mask
- undercarriage wheels

112 INFO Eduard April 2024

MAY 2024 ON APPROACH

644267
F-35B LööKplus
1/48 Tamiya
Collection of 4 sets for F-35B in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Tamiya

- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboard & Steelbelts)

- TFace painting mask
- undercarriage wheels
- ejection seat

April 2024 INFO Eduard 113

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

SIN648125
Su-25
1/48 Zvezda
Collection of 5 sets for Su-25 in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Zvezda

- ejection seat
- wheels
- gun muzzle
- slats & landing flaps
- air brakes (early type)

All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

114 INFO Eduard April 2024

MAY 2024 ON APPROACH
BRASSIN 02/2022
SIN67223
Bf 109G-6
1/72 Eduard
Collection of 6 sets for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale.
Recommended kit: Eduard

- cockpit
- engine
- undercarrigae legs BRONZE
- propeller
- undercarriage wheels
- radio compartment

All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

April 2024 INFO Eduard 115

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

PE-SETS
53309 USS Sangamon CVE-26 1/350 Trumpeter
36518 Sd.Kfz. 251/18 Ausf. A 1/35 ICM
481137 FM-1 landing flaps 1/48 Tamiya
481138 MC.200 landing flaps 1/48 Italeri
491440 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix
491441 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War 1/48 Airfix
491443 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya
491445 F-14A 1/48 Great Wall Hobby
491447 MC.200 1/48 Italeri
73823 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

ZOOMS
FE1140 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix
FE1441 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War 1/48 Airfix
FE1442 Buccaneer S.2B seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Airfix
FE1443 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya
FE1444 FM-1 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya
FE1445 F-14A 1/48 Great Wall Hobby
FE1446 F-14A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Great Wall Hobby
FE1447 MC.200 1/48 Italeri
FE1448 MC.200 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Italeri
FE1449 P-51B/C seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Eduard
SS823 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

MASKS
EX1029 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya
EX1030 FM-1 TFace 1/48 Tamiya
EX1031 FM-1 US national insignia 1/48 Tamiya
EX1032 FM-1 US national insignia w/ red outline 1/48 Tamiya
EX1033 FM-1 British national insignia 1/48 Tamiya
EX1034 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix
EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace 1/48 Airfix
EX1036 P-51B/C framed canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard
EX1037 P-51B/C Malcolm Hood canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard
EX1038 P-51B/C US national insignia 1/48 Eduard
EX1039 MC.200 TFace 1/48 Italeri
EX1040 F-14A windshield TFace 1/48 Great Wall Hobby
CX662 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

SPACE
3DL48174 FM-1 SPACE 1/48 Tamiya
3DL48175 Buccaneer S.2B SPACE 1/48 Airfix
3DL48176 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War SPACE 1/48 Airfix
3DL48177 P-51B/C SPACE 1/48 Eduard
3DL48178 F-14A SPACE 1/48 Great Wall Hobby
3DL48179 MC.200 SPACE 1/48 Italeri
3DL72031 CR.32 SPACE 1/72 Italeri

EDDIE THE RIVETER

ER32004 Surface panels 1/32
ER32005 Single radial rows 1/32
ER48010 Single radial rows 1/48
ER72005 Single radial rows 1/48

116 INFO Eduard April 2024

MAY 2024 ON APPROACH

OVERLORD: D-DAY MUSTANG #11181 1/48

P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6934, Capt. Henry White,

328th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, Bodney,
Great Britain, June 1944

P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106472,

Lt. Carlton Fuhrman, 486th FS, 352nd FG,
8th AF, Bodney, Great Britain, June 1944

P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6688, 1Lt. Arval J. Roberson,

362nd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF, Leiston, Great Britain,
June 1944

April 2024 INFO Eduard 117

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

P-51C-1-NT, s/n 42-103309, Lt. William B.

Overstreet, 363rd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF,
Leiston, Great Britain, June 1944

P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106448, Cpt. Henry

W. Brown, 354th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF,
Steeple Morden, Great Britain, June 1944

P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106924, 2nd Lt. Ralph

K. Hofer, 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden,
Great Britain, June 1944

P-51B-5-NA, s/n 43-6425, Maj. Jack

T. Bradley, CO 353rd FS, 354th FG, 9th AF,
A.2 Criqueville, France, June 1944

P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106647, Capt. John

R. Brown Jr., 382nd FS, 363rd FG, 9th AF,
Staplehurst, Great Britain, June 1944

P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106763, Capt. George

R. Rew, 374th FS, 361st FG, 8th AF, Bottisham,
Great Britain, June 1944

Mustang Mk.III, FB382, S/Ldr Eugeniusz Horbaczewski,

No. 315 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Coolham, Great Britain,
June 1944

118 INFO Eduard April 2024

ON APPROACH MAY 2024

Spitfire Mk.IXc late #84199 1/48

MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson, No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford,

Great Britain / B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France, June 1944

ML407, F/O John A. Houlton,

No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron,
RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron,

RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June-July 1944

ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron,

RAF Harrowbeer, Great Britain, June-July 1944

120 INFO Eduard April 2024

MAY 2024 ON APPROACH

Spitfire Mk.IXc late #7473 1/72

ML407, F/O John A. Houlton,

No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron,
RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson,

No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford, Great Britain
/ B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France,
June 1944

MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron,

RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June-July 1944

ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron,

RAF Harrowbeer, Great Britain, June-July 1944

April 2024 INFO Eduard 121

SWAP MEETS, SHOWS AND CONTESTS…
This year, my exhibition team colleagues got
down to business pretty quickly. We have only
completed the first three months of this year
and we have already visited five events: the
toy fair in Nuremberg, the toy fair in Verona,
the modeling festival in Bytom, the Panthers
Cup modeling competition in Prosek and the
exhibition of plastic models at the event known
here as Easter Prostějov. I think this represents
a record, and if by some chance it doesn’t,
it was definitely a record performance for our
exhibition teams in March, with, apart from
the first weekend of the month, they were at
one event or another and believe me it was
a real buzz. And not only for us, but also for
all of our other colleagues who, in one form
or another, participated in the preparation for
the events, whether it was their work on pre-
orders, the preparation of goods that we took to
the events, and also the marketing department
that supports sales and coordinates transport,
accommodations and everything else that
needed attending to. And we do it because,
actually, we do enjoy coming out to you, our
customers. In addition, we often combine these
trips with the preparation of references for our
future projects, as was the case, for example,
during our trip to Italy in the fall, which you have
certainly already read about in Vladimír Šulc's
article in this issue.
This list is far from complete for the year
and will only grow! In addition to the already
traditional and well-established events, you
will be able to meet us, for example, at an
exhibition in Zagreb, Croatia, or at the tank
museum in Saumur, France. This year is a kind
of testing year for new exhibitions for us, and
so far I have to say that the visits we have tried
out as an experiment have proven themselves.
The toy fair in Verona was a pleasant surprise,
and our participation in Bytom was also positive
according to the feedback from our colleagues,
so I expect that we will participate in both
events next year as well.
To the contrary though, another traditional
event that Eduard has been participating in
for over thirty years surprised us this year in
a disappointing way. Let me return once again to
the Nuremberg Toy Fair this year. I wanted to take
a break from evaluating this event and wait to
see how other editors and other commentators
reacted to this year’s event. And you know what
I learned? Practically nothing. Not much at all
was written about Nuremberg. I read some
rather superficial reports, as if the authors
122 INFO Eduard
Text: Jakub Nademljenský
were not even at the fair, and the impression
was that the fair didn’t interest many. After all,
practically none of the companies in our field
announced any truly fresh, breathtaking news
at the show. Even we only repeated previously
announced projects. We held a conference at
our table for this purpose, where only three
guests showed up that were representatives of
the modeling public or the press. But through
their virtual absence, I learned something about
Nuremberg. Was there any reason to attend?
Does it actually make sense to participate in
such a fair anymore?
I think the organizers needlessly dealt
with matters that actually did not attract The team at the Eduard table at the Nuremberg fair
participants. A good example was this year's (from left Jan Zdiarský, Martin Ferkl, Vladimír Šulc,
allowing the general public admission to the Jakub Nademlejnský and Jan Bobek)
halls and permission for participants to sell
exhibited goods. The fair takes place from
Wednesday to Saturday, but I think we could
organize meetings and seminars where it would
be possible to discuss everything necessary
in just two days. Such informal discussions
at the tables would disappear and important
matters could be dealt with. We could discuss
other matters over a beer in the evening as well.
In short, instead of unnecessary incremental Table at the Panthers Cup contest.
(and unnecessary) innovations, the organizers
should rather think about decreasing the
costs of the exhibition spaces and shortening
the event, which would make the fair more
accessible, more attractive for a larger number
of exhibitors, and also for the people traveling
to the fair., who are constantly decreasing due
to the ever-increasing prices of the tables,
because it no longer makes any real sense for
them to attend. This would ultimately make the The table at Bytom.
fair more meaningful for other companies, the
press and the public, the numbers of which
could be reversed and increase.
But I also see no need to be exclusively
negative, either. We were still happy to be able to
meet representatives of a number of companies
from the industry, whom we have not seen in
Nuremberg for a few years due to covid. We had
several such meetings, because, apart from us,
ICM, Revell, Special Hobby, Miniart, Academy, Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.Vb Early prepared especially
for the Bytom Festival with extra Polish markings.
Gunze, Hobby Boss/Trumpeter (these sharing
a common table), Tamiya and Zvezda through so far, and I expect the trend to continue.
their Austrian representatives took part in the The next upcoming event is the exhibition in
fair. The participation of Ukrainian companies Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary, and I hereby
was a surprise for me personally, especially invite you all to our exhibit and tables and you
ICM, who’s presence despite the destruction definitely have something to look forward to, as
in Kiev, put a smile on my face. However, the we will bring along our limited edition 1:48th
other events this year have excited us greatly scale P-51B Mustang!
April 2024