EUROPE'S BEST-SELLING MODELLING MAGAZINE
ISSUE 50
'14 E D L L SCAWOR EL D MO
7
MODEL BUILDS
RE-RELEASED!
VEE - TAILED
TRAINER
JAN 2015 £4.20
We improve Aifix's re-issued Fouga CM.170 Magister
MAPLE LEAF AGGRESSOR
LEOPARD IN THE SANDBOX
TREMENDOUS TARHEEL
Kinetic Model Kits' F-5A
Italeri C2 MEXAS conversion
Hasegawa's P-47D Thunderbolt
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EDITOR'S DESK
WELCOME
Editorial
Editor: Assistant Editor: Editor's Secretary:
Chris Clifford Stu Fone Vanessa Smith
Contributors
Joerg Stange, Steve Abbey, Paul Cawte, Carl Schulze, Tony O’Toole, Jen Wright, Joe Maxwell, José Pires, Ian Hartup, Peter Johnson
Design
Art Editor: Group Art Editor:
Production Production Manager:
Tom Bagley Steve Donovan
Janet Watkins
Advertising
Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Group Advertising Manager: Brodie Baxter Advertising Manager: Tom Lee Production Manager: Debi McGowan
Marketing
Group Marketing Manager: Marketing Manager: Subscriptions Manager: Mail Order:
Martin Steele Shaun Binnington Ann Petrie Joan Harwin Liz Ward
Managing Director: Executive Chairman:
Adrian Cox Richard Cox
Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ, UK. Distributed by: Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PP. Tel: 020 7429 4000. Fax: 020 7429 4001. Printed by: Warners (Midland) plc, Bourne. Printed in England (ISSN 1471-0587).
Subscriptions Please refer to main advertisement within the magazine. All applications stating name, address, date to commence and remittance to: Subscriptions Department, Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, P0 Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK. Telephone/9.00-5.30 Monday-Friday GMT +44 (0) 1780 480404, Fax: +44 (0) 1780 757812 E-Mail:
[email protected] Airfix Model World (ISSN: 1471-0587) is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, P0 Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing offices. Readers in the USA can place subscriptions by visiting www.airfixmodelworld.com or by calling toll free 800-676-4049 or fax 757-428-6253 or by writing to Airfix Model World, 3330 Pacific Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, c/o Mail Right International Inc.,1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions. These are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from www.keypublishing.com The entire contents of Airfix Model World is © copyright, and no part of it may be reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher. “AIRFIX’’ is a registered trade mark of Hornby Hobbies Limited and is used under licence. We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication.
The average sale for the period Jan – Dec 2013 was 11,488 print and digital copies monthly.
I
WELCOME
write this editorial still hugely inspired by the fantastic modelling on show at IPMS UK’s Scale ModelWorld. While I’ve been a visitor to this event for more than two decades, it never fails to disappoint...and that’s from many perspectives. Of course, the competition area offers dazzling work across various genres, and this year’s best in show, a simply wonderful scratch-built ship in 1/76 scale, got me thinking. I wish I had a pound for every time I’ve heard the stock comments from some modellers, after they’ve seen such stellar modelling. They usually run along the lines of: “Oh, I might as well give up now” or “I’ll never be that good”. While sometimes said in jest, these comments (in my mind at least) are very negative because some people actually mean it. I myself can look at the best models in the world, knowing that with the time I actually have to play around with new techniques and stay ‘current’, I will probably never be able to emulate their quality. But I never feel like giving up and always find seeing this kind of work massively encouraging. The first thing I always want to do after SMW is to get building! I suppose the message I’m trying to impart is that we should never get downbeat about modelling, even when a particular build or method isn’t going as planned. Sure, many of us lead busy lives, with children and jobs, which all take their toll on ‘hobby time’, but that in itself is good enough reason to really make things count when we do get the chance to attack the plastic. Jen Wright’s splendid Fouga Magister ‘rejuvenation’ in this issue, is proof that it doesn’t actually take mind-boggling effort to produce scratch-built detail, with simple materials, and if many of us simply bit the bullet and tried it, it would become apparent that it’s not as difficult as it looks! It often just requires the individual to make a leap of faith and give it a try. Above all, though, we shouldn’t take our hobby too seriously. It is, after all, supposed to be pleasurable. As my friend Kev says: “It’s a hobby...get over it!”
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE! MAKE GREAT SAVINGS BY SUBSCRIBING TURN TO PAGE 68 TO FIND OUT HOW
Chris Clifford, Editor Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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CONTENTS INSIDE
60
ADVANCED BUILD CF-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER
REGULARS 06 News The latest happenings in the world of plastic modelling.
10 Show Scene A comprehensive and up-to-date calendar of model-related events.
58 Your Airfix Readers gets the chance to showcase their own Airfix builds.
68 Subscribe and save!
7 MODEL
80 On the shelf Thirteen pages of reviews bring you the latest modelling products.
98 Kit Court
BUILDS
Put forward your case to AMW AMW, as to why a particular ‘missing’ kit subject should be made available.
38
BATTLE AND BUILD TALLBOY LANCASTER
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
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CONTENTS
INSIDE
44
INTERMEDIATE BUILD FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
FEATURES 36
OUT AND ABOUT SCALE MODELWORLD
12 Photo Focus – Farewell Corsair Joerg Stange provides superb reference images from the Hellenic Air Force A-7 retirement.
VIEW MORE ONLINE airfixmodelworld.com
16 Basic Build – Tremendous Tarheel Hasegawa’s 1/32 P-47D ‘Bubbletop’ makes an eye-catching build subject for Steve Abbey.
24 Advanced Build – Dusty Leopard Paul Cawte marries a Legend Productions conversion set with Italeri’s old 1/35 Leopard to produce a Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS.
32 Photo Focus – MEXAS in Afghanistan Study the battle-hardened features of the Leopard MEXAS, via Carl Schulze’s superb in-theatre reference photos.
36 Out and About – Scale ModelWorld 2014 AMW reports from the World’s biggest modelling event, at Telford, UK.
VIEW MORE ONLINE airfixmodelworld.com
38 Battle and Build – Tallboy Lancaster B.Mk.I (Special) A Freightdog Models conversion enables Tony O’ Toole to produce a wellknown Tallboy Lancaster. Attacks on the Tirpitz battleship are also explained.
44 Intermediate Build – Butterfly Ball Airfix has re-released its 1/72 Fouga CM.170 Magister. Here, Jennifer Wright replicates an Irish Air Corps example, and adds extra detail.
52 In Focus – Fouga CM.170 Magister Joe Maxwell explains the history of the Fouga Magister in Irish service, and provides useful walk-round images.
60 Advanced Build – CF-5A In the second instalment of our look at the F-5, José Pires adds extra detail and a Canadian late-service scheme to Kinetic's 1/48 Freedom Fighter.
70 Intermediate Build – Suzuki RGV-R (XR-74) Ian Hartup gets the Pepsi Max feeling with Kevin Swantz’s 1988 bike, courtesy of Fujimi.
76 Exclusive Build – Angara Rocket Real Space expert Peter Johnson appraises LVM Studios’ new Angara-1.2PP booster, with an exclusive build.
24
ADVANCED BUILD LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
78 Out and About – Brampton Model Show Assistant Editor Stu Fone presents a photographic report from his own model club’s event. Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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NEWS BULLETIN
LATEST UPDATES
FLYING POPPIES
AIRFIX HAS marked the centenary of the beginning of World War One by re-releasing its 1/72 Shorts Tucano, in highly appropriate colours. The scheme is that of the 2014 Tucano Display Team, which painted its aircraft, ZF244, with poppies and ‘Lest We Forget’ titles. This is the original moulding of the kit, with no new parts, but the fresh and poignant livery offers a historic angle with which to portray this famous RAF trainer. Kit A73011 is also limited to just RAF Tucano ZF244, replicated by 2,000 units, which also makes it Airfix’s latest re-issue, is seen at 2014’s something of a collector’s item. Malta Airshow. (Ian Young)
STORAGE UPGRADE
HORNBY HOBBIES has completed a successful warehouse move to new facilities in Hersden, Canterbury, which will be run by specialist firm DS Logistics. All Airfix products, along with Hornby model rail, Humbrol, Corgi and Scalextric will now be stored and sent to retail from this state of the art, 100,000 sq ft facility, 60 per cent of which is fully racked and capable of holding 7,000 pallets. The remaining space is set up as a pick-pack operation that includes internet despatch and space for re-works. Three loading bays will ensure
REVAMPED BIG-J
WITH THE growing number of ship accessory sets now available, it was just a matter of time before major manufacturers started to incorporate them into their own kits. Revell’s Platinum Edition range has embraced the trend, and this re-release of the firm’s 1/350 USS New Jersey (05129) is perhaps the most comprehensive yet. Additions include two large photo-etched (PE) metal sheets, turned brass barrels for main and secondary armament, laser-cut wooden
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decking, turned brass jacks and masts and a length of anchor chain. The highlight has to be the
PE, with railings, ladders, antennas, radars, bow deck details and helicopter rotor blades among the many other finely rendered parts, and there are three double-sided A3-sized sheets of instructions for the extras. Consequently, many of the styrene components can be consigned to the spares box, while most of the remaining parts will require work to accommodate the brass and PE extras. A single colour scheme option is provided, for the New Jersey in 1982, following her then extensive refit. For more details visit: www.revell.de/en
the smooth operation of inbound containers from the Far East and India, and there is also a large yard to the rear of the warehouse for container unloading, which will negate road congestion into the site. Richard Ames, Hornby Hobbies CEO, said: “The move enables Hornby Hobbies to improve turnaround times and creates an infrastructure that provides a platform for growth, while improving our service to both consumers and customers. No jobs have been lost as part of the move.”
KIDDIES’ EARTH-MOVER
YET ANOTHER character from Disney’s film Planes: Fire and Rescue has been released in kit form by Zvezda. The bulldozer Avalanche (kit no. 2079) will be perfect for youngsters making their first forays into modelling, with its snap-together format and surprisingly good detail and fit. Seven runners (yellow/ orange/grey/green) offer enough parts to keep the interest without overwhelming the builder. Suggested for children aged 7+, this is great fun. Check out www.hobbyco. net for details on this and other kits in the range.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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NEWS BULLETIN
LATEST UPDATES
STUNNING ‘SIX’ MODELLERS WHO soldiered on for years with Monogram’s 1980s 1/48 F-106 Delta Dart can now rejoice in Trumpeter’s new version. While the older product was great for its time, it still has raised lines; not so on this new Trumpeter offering, though, which sports very fine engraving. Internal areas are impressive, with plenty of moulded detail in the undercarriage and weapons bays, and in the airbrakes. But those wishing to portray an early Delta Dart will have to ‘doctor’ the instrument panel, wait for a potential after-market replacement or scratch-build a new item, as the panel in this kit echoes the later version with tape-style instruments. Likewise, only the later ‘blown’ canopy features,
rather than the original unit with overhead framing. Overall, though, Trumpeter seems to have done a very good job and deft touches include a separately moulded in-flight refuelling receptacle, Ram Air Turbine and a respectable seat with photo-etched brass strap detail. Weapons comprise AIR-2 Genie, AIM-4A radar and AIM-4B/C infra red Falcons,
NEW THUNDERBOLT!
FANS OF Swedish aircraft and Cold War jets have been beside themselves with the prospect of an all-new 1/48 SAAB JA37 Viggen from Tarangus. The firm had already whetted our appetites for all things Flygvapnet with its quarter-scale Lansen kits (see AMW December 2013 for a build), 1/72 J29 Tunnan and, more recently, its 1/48 SAAB 91 Safir. Now, though, devotees of the imposing double-delta can rejoice as it was finally released at the IPMS UK’s Scale ModelWorld. Tarangus has upped its game considerably with this kit, as it is a world away from previous offerings; earlier products certainly had that limited run look (and fit), but this airdefence Viggen (kit no.TA4803), is more akin to a high-quality
mass-produced kit. Notable features include a beautifully rendered afterburner, delicate and neat surface engraving, an engine fan and full intake trunking, a convincing rendition of the internal thrust-reverser and a decent ejection seat (although no straps are provided). About the only niggle is that, aside from the fuel tanks, no stores are provided, but almost everyone ought to have spare Sidewinder and Skyflash (and rails) in the spares box. Decal-wise the quality is respectable, and the schemes represent bare metal, low-vis grey and that famous splinter livery. The inclusion of two seats, cockpit tubs and instrument panels points to another Viggen release in the future. Hurra! www.tarangus.se
but no 20mm cannon pack is supplied. With regard to markings, Trumpeter played it safe with two somewhat overrepresented Air National Guard schemes; it would have been pleasing to see variety here. The liveries are: 90044 (New Jersey) and 90060 (Florida). A two-seater is also on its way. For further details visit: www.pocketbond.co.uk
SHAR MARKINGS XTRADECAL now has these new 1/48 Sea Harrier FA.2 markings (X48140), printed with Kinetic’s kit in mind... although they’re just as suitable for Airfix’s offering. The selection is generous at 11 schemes, which portray early jets in Extra Dark Sea Grey, and later aircraft in Medium Sea Grey. Standout options include a carrier trials example with camerasighting marks and nose pitot, a shark-mouthed AIM-120 trials aircraft and a ‘special’ from 899 NAS with anniversary tail. The aircraft of 801 NAS, with black and white checked rudders and ‘Omega’ artwork, are also here...notable as this was the last SHAR unit.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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NEWS BULLETIN
LATEST UPDATES
{in brief}
CORKING ‘CONNIE’ UPGRADE
INVALUABLE CD IMAGERY
ACRYLIC RE-VAMP Gunze Sangyo (GSI) is in the process of re-formulating its Mr. Hobby Color paint range. Re-branded ‘Acrysion’, the acrylic shades now conform to stringent EU safety rules and, to that end, now don’t need to display any form of warning symbol because they are so ‘health-friendly’. Around 30 colours have been issued by GSI, in the traditional plastic-topped jars, along with thinner and airbrush cleaner in 110ml bottles. Eventually, all the original colours in the H-series will be replaced by Acrysion versions. For further details visit: www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk
CONTROL THE STORM Airscale has released a highly detailed set of waterslide instrument decals for Airfix’s hugely popular 1/24 Hawker Typhoon. The three main panels are dealt with as separate decals, and then most of the remaining dials and other cockpit instruments are also supplied as individual items so there are two installation options...and they are in colour. The set is priced £10.95, and for further details visit: www.airscale.co.uk
BIPLANES...EVERY MONTH
PLUS MODEL has arguably released the most complete update to an old kit yet seen, by taking Heller’s 1983-vintage EC-121 and ‘boosting’ it with 76 resin parts and five photo-etched (PE) metal frets. While there are no changes to the original styrene, which features raised panel lines and a basic level of detail, the extra parts completely transform the wheel wells, engine nacelles, cockpit and control surfaces. With five separate instruction sheets, assembly may get a little confusing at times, but the end results for this monster kit will be stunning. Also released in a basic form with just the
resin nacelles, separate update sets are available for those who already have the Heller kit. Four US schemes are provided on an excellent decal sheet: • EC-131Q, 0-30556, 966th AEW&C Sqn, 552nd AEW&C Wing, Keflavik, Iceland, 1969 • EC-131K, 137890, Pacific Missile Range, NAS Point Mugu, California, 1962 • EC-130K, 137889, Air Development Centre (NADC) Johnsville, Pennsylvania, 1963 • RC-121D, 55-126, 551 AEW&CS, December, 1962 For further details on this, kit no. AL7011, visit: www.plusmodel.cz
SOUTHEAST ASIA ARMAMENT
Great War specialist publisher Cross & Cockade has released its calendar for 2015. With 12 lovely artworks depicting many facets of World War One aviation, this is prime inspiration and useful at the same time. Artists include Paul Monteagle, Barry Weekley, Ivan Berryman and Thanasis Megaritis, and the subjects are wide and varied, from July’s BE12 stuck in a tree, to December’s Short 184 with a glorious sunset, there’s something for any Great War aircraft enthusiast. For further details, visit: www.crossandcockade.com BELGIAN KIT and after-market specialist DACO has launched a new range of 1/32 scale resin weapons for US Vietnam-era aircraft. Many items are expected in the coming months, but three passed to AMW during Scale ModelWorld include a BLU-32 Finned Napalm Canister (ASR3208), M35/M36 Funny Bomb cluster munition, and
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TWO OF the latest reference CDs from Aero Research only go to prove that there are still plenty of new images of old aircraft out there, buried in official and private archives. Reno racers have long been a favourite, whether it’s due to the crazy colour schemes, or the idea of pouring nitrates into the fuel to go even faster...it’s just cool! The period of 19861996 is represented on this Unlimited Racers disk (No.3010), which includes famous racing examples of the time such as P-51D ‘Cloud Dancer’, Sea Fury ‘Furias’ and Yak-11 ‘Perestroika'; there’s plenty of information for those that may have some of the HighPlanes kits in their stash. In total contrast the second CD focuses on the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, (No.1044), from the early snub-nosed E-2As to upgraded E-2Cs, which are still in service today. More than 150 images are enclosed on this CD, including colourful CAG aircraft. There are also heavily weathered Hawkeyes illustrated, that will test any modeller’s airbrushing and finishing skills should they choose to portray them in scale form. As a bonus, a selection of C-2 Greyhounds from the last 20 years also features. Now we just need a 1/72 model of this COD veteran too! Priced at US $12.95 each plus shipping, the CDs are available directly from Aero Research at: www.AeroResearchCDs.com Glenn Sands
rear-firing SUU-14A/A Submunition Dispenser (x3). All parts are in resin; the first two stores are ideal for the F-4 Phantom, while the third is associated with the A-1 Skyraider. As usual with DACO, the quality is excellent and exhibits impressive mastering and casting. Check out ultra.glo.be/daco/ for further details.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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NEWS BULLETIN
LATEST UPDATES
AIRBRUSH HOUSEKEEPING KEEPING ONE’S airbrush clean is a key element in obtaining good results. With this in mind, new items being sold by The Airbrush Company will go a long way to making this goal much easier. The first product is a simple stroke of genius; a soft, neoprene-like mat from Iwata (IWCL100) to accommodate airbrush parts while they’re being cleaned. The mat has raised edges to stop small and delicate components from rolling off and getting lost or damaged, and features cool cutaway artwork of an Iwata airbrush. Also now available is a new cleaning kit from
Iwata (IWCL-200), which is packed with items; it features a small bottle of Medea airbrush cleaner (for acrylic and enamel paint), a nozzle wrench, 50 pipe cleaners, Artool Studio Wipes, a tube
of Superlube and three extrasmall cleaning brushes. The real gem, though, is the LED magnifier for inspecting one’s airbrush parts, and this magnifies by x30 and x60. Full cleaning instructions are included. The final item is a re-styled bottle of Medea airbrush cleaner (I-6360-16) with invertable 360-degree nozzle, so one can stream or spray the cleaning fluid. There’s now no excuse not to have one's airbrush in sparkling, tip-top condition! The Airbrush Company is also offering, on a limited basis, free Crown Caps with any purchase of Neo for Iwata CN or BCN airbrushes. For further details, visit: www.airbrushes.com
‘MEATBOX’ SCHEMES 1950. Volume 2 (32055), has decals for VZ413/W, from 56 Squadron at Waterbeach, Cambs, in 1951 and VT420 from 263 Squadron, RAF Ackilngton, Northumberland, 1950. Both sets come with full stencilling and are priced £12.75 each. Available from: www.pheondecals.com AFTER-MARKET decal specialist Pheon has released two superb sheets for HK Models’ recent 1/32 scale Meteor F.4. Volume 1 (32054) offers markings for VZ420 of 1 Squadron, RAF Tangmere, and VT219/C of 63 Squadron, RAF Thorney Island, both in
BRITISH FIGHTER RESIN
FREIGHTDOG MODELS has five new and useful items in its resin parts range. Designed for Airfix’s recent 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vb (A05125), the firm now offers the following: a deeper tropical radiator, Aboukir filter and deeper chin cowling, 30gal slipper tank and de Havilland propeller spinner. And for Airfix’s new-tool Gladiators (A02052/A55206), there is a corrected tropical air filter (x2). For further details visit: www.freightdogmodels.co.uk
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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SHOW SCENE
DIARY DATES
SHOW SCENE
At-a-glance model and airshow calendar
Peterborough Scale Model Show Hosts:
Peterborough Scale Model Club
Address: The Voyager Academy, Mountsteven Avenue, Walton, Peterborough, PE4 6HX
1 MAR, 2015 THE VOYAGER ACADEMY
Times:
10am-4pm
Prices:
Adults £2, under-15s free
Tel:
N/A
Email:
alan.haines@virginmedia. com
Web:
www.peterborough scalemodelclub.co.uk
JAN 4
CROYDON AIRPORT AVIATION & MILITARY MODEL COLLECTORS’ FAIR
FEB 14
ON TRACK MILITARY MODELLING SHOW
FEB 15
NORTH DEVON MODEL SHOW
FEB 21
FLEET AIR ARM FEBRUARY MODEL SHOW
Hosts:
Acebell Aviation/Croydon Airport Society
Hosts:
On Track Shows
Hosts:
North Devon Model Society
Hosts:
Fleet Air Arm Museum
Address: Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent, United Kingdom, CT20 2DZ
Address: Fremington Village Hall, Higher Road, Femington, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3BG
Address: Fleet Air Arm Museum, RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, BA22 8HT
Times:
10am-5pm
Times:
10am-4pm
Times:
10am-5.30pm
Prices:
Adults £5, accompanied under-16s free
Prices:
Adults £3, 12-16 years (unaccompanied) £1.50, accompanied children free
Prices:
Adult £14, concessions £12, accompanied under-15s £10
Tel:
07703 003719
Tel:
01935 840565
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
www.fleetairarm.com
Web:
www.northdevonmodel society.co.uk MAR 21-22
SOUTHERN EXPO 2015 Peter Bagshaw, Robin Bellamy
Address: Hallmark Hotel, Purley Way, Croydon Surrey, CR9 4LT Times:
10.30am-3pm
Prices:
Adults £3, under-12s free
Tel:
N/A
Tel:
01737 822200
Email:
[email protected]
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
www.ontrackshow.co.uk
Web:
www.redhillairshow.co.uk
FEB 15
HUDDERSFIELD SHOW
Hosts:
IPMS Wakefield and District Branch
JAN 25
BOLTON IPMS SCALE MODEL SHOW 2015
Hosts:
Bolton IPMS
Address: St Joseph’s RC High School, Chorley New Road, Horwich, BL6 6HW (Just off Junction 6 of the M61)
Address: Huddersfield Sports Centre, Southgate, Huddersfield, HD1 1TW
Times: Prices:
Email:
Times:
10am-5pm
Prices:
Adults £4, concessions £2
10am-4pm
Tel:
01132893152
Adult £4, OAPs £3, under16s £2, family (2 adults and 2 children) £10
Email:
huddersfieldshow@ gmail.com
Web:
www.huddersfield modelshow.co.uk
[email protected]
KEY
E MODEL DISPLAY
)
m
MODEL COMPETITION AIRCRAFT DISPLAY
J
FEB 20-22
BRIGHTON MODELWORLD
Hosts:
Hosts:
Brighton Modelworld Organising Group
Address: Hornchurch Sports Centre, Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1JU
Address: The Brighton Centre, Kings Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2GR Times:
10am-5pm
Prices:
Adult £9.50, children £5.50, senior citizens £7.50, family (2+2) £26
Email:
info@brightonmodel world.com
Web:
brightonmodelworld.com
MILITARY DISPLAY
Times:
Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm
Prices:
Adults £3, senior citizens £2, children £1
Tel:
01708 726102
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
www.southernexpo.co.uk
REFRESHMENTS
AUTOMOTIVE DISPLAY
FREE PARKING
TRADE STANDS
AIRFIX ROADSHOW ATTENDING
IMPORTANT: It is worth noting that ALL events are subject to change or cancellation. This information has been collated from a variety of sources and was believed to be correct at the time of going to press. To advertise your event here, email:
[email protected]
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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PHOTO FOCUS
HELLENIC AIR FORCE A-7 RETIREMENT
This smart special scheme was revealed to the public during the official retirement ceremony at Araxos Air Base on October 17, 2014. The tail is adorned with squadron badges of all previous HAF A-7 operators; Miras 340, 345, 347, 335 and 336. Overall the HAF A-7 fleet logged some 440,000 flying hours over 39 years.
One of the last take-offs of the venerable Corsair. The retirement of the type from HAF service relegates another great aircraft manufacturer to the history books, as these were the very last active-duty aircraft produced by Vought, famous for types such as the F4U Corsair and F-8 Crusader.
FAREWELL C RSAIR! Hellenic Air Force Corsair II operations ended in October 2014. These images, taken by Joerg Stange at the retirement event, are the perfect reference for Greek A-7 builds How’s that for weathering? The HAF A-7s were famous for their rather grimy appearance...testimony to the type’s heavy use at low level over the Aegean Sea. From a modeller’s perspective, serious weathering on a Greek A-7 build would not be out of place!
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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PHOTO FOCUS
HELLENIC AIR FORCE A-7 RETIREMENT
Still wet with dew, this TA-7C glistens in the early-morning sun. 156753 is one of two airframes recently repainted in the original delivery scheme, which all 50 A-7Es and 18 TA-7Cs bought in 1993 wore initially. The 336 Mira flagship seen at Araxos an October 16; this aircraft visited the UK for a final time in July 2014, for Fairford’s Royal International Air Tattoo. Decals for this special scheme are readily available from Icarus Productions. The author would like to thank the following for their assistance: HAFGS Spokesman Col (P) Alexandros Marinos, 336 Mira CO Maj Apostolos Papadopoulos and all at 116th Combat Wing, Araxos.
This view of the well-weathered TA-7C 156767 reveals another ‘trademark’ of HAF Corsairs. The radar warning receiver fairing on the tail must have been a favourite perch for birds, and a realistic model of a Greek Corsair could feature streaks of defecation!
VIEW MORE ONLINE airfixmodelworld.com
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT
Tremendous Tarheel H
Steve Abbey brightens his day with Hasegawa’s colourful P-47D in 1/32 scale
Hasegawa’s kit parts made for a reasonably detailed cockpit, but the seat shown here has already been thinned to a more reasonable thickness.
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asegawa’s Limited Edition kit was the fourth 1/32 release of the firm’s P-47D Thunderbolt ‘Jug’ since 2007. From the decal sheet it could only be built as ‘Tarheel Hal’ – an aircraft flown by Lt Davis of the 358th Fighter Group, 366th Fighter Squadron, with the 9th Air Force in Europe during World War Two. The kit contained nearly 200 parts on 21 plastic runners, plus three sets of poly caps. Of these, three sets of propellers, wing inserts and an alternative gunsight were not required. A 12-page instruction booklet and large decal sheet completed the package.
The usual start A modestly detailed floor, with sidewalls and instrument panel formed the basis of a reasonably well-defined cockpit. In order to achieve a more realistic finish, both sides and rear
of the seat were thinned, and then sanded smooth. All these parts were undercoated with Tamiya X-32 Titanium Silver followed by a layer of Gunze H58 Interior Green, which was then rubbed off with a small sponge (to simulate wear and tear) while still damp. The addition of after-
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT The addition of after-market seat straps improved the look of this relatively modest cockpit.
openings in each fuselage half to ensure the wings were fixed at the correct angle. Openings for belly tank supports were made, while
MODEL SPEC
market seat straps from Eduard improved the look of an otherwise empty seat. Shadowed areas in the cockpit were applied with AK Interactive’s AK 025 Fuel Stains, thinned with lighter fluid. Xtracrylix RLM 66 was used as ‘scale black’ on the instrument panel as well as various boxes, while coloured marker pens highlighted several switches around the cockpit, and drops of gloss varnish were added to glaze the instrument dials. Cockpit parts were built to sit on a cleverly designed one-piece spar box, which had front and rear spars integrally moulded; these passed through
The cockpit tub sat on a cleverly designed one-piece spar box, with front and rear spars moulded in situ. Before the fuselage was closed, openings for belly tank supports were cut, and poly caps and auxiliary exhausts were inserted.
P-47D Thunderbolt ‘Tarheel Hal’ By:
Hasegawa
Stock Code: 08218 Scale:
1/32
Price:
£64.99
Available from: Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT The fuselage strake needed a dash of filler to blend it into the vertical tail and body.
A decent amount of detail adorned the wheel wells, which were painted Tamiya Yellow Green before they received a wash of AK Interactive Fuel Stains.
Parts for the supercharger slotted in without any trouble. Minimal filler was required to neaten the front fuselage seam.
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poly caps and auxiliary exhausts were inserted before the fuselage was closed. So they could be filled together, the supercharger exhaust and ventral tail strake were added at this point. The horizontal stabilisers were clipped together through the fuselage to form a strong join, with just a touch of glue needed to hold them in place. Undercarriage bays were painted with Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green and put aside to dry before preparing the wings. To accept the wing pylons, holes were drilled in the lower side of each wing, while raised detail was trimmed away and sanded flush. Then, separate panels with dive brakes and integrally moulded landing light recesses were added, before the completed wheel bays. Time was taken to fill the long sink marks on the top surfaces and, after the wing halves were glued together, each machine gun panel required minimal sanding to conform to the wing shape, before the wingtips were cut out to take the glazed navigation lights. The wings were slotted into
place finally and, with masking tape to hold them at the correct angle, they were set aside to dry. Only a little filler was needed to blend the upper wing surfaces to the fuselage, unlike the lower join, which needed a fair amount of filler and sanding to achieve a suitable finish.
Front and centre Hasegawa included two simple one-piece moulded cylinder banks, which were painted with Tamiya XF-16 Aluminium, and a wash of Tensocrom TSC208 Smoke was used to accentuate the detail. Black-painted pushrods and gearbox painted in Lifecolor’s Neutral Grey 43 were added in front of the cylinders (and in the process, most of the engine detail was hidden). The nine-part engine cowling was put together next. Firstly, the intercooler ducting under the power unit was glued to the lower panel and all inside surfaces were painted Interior
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT
Long sink marks left by the moulding process were duly filled and sanded smooth.
Green. On full-size Thunderbolts the engine cowlings had an anodised coating, and this was reproduced by Tamiya’s XF-56 Metallic Grey. A hefty enginemounting ring held the side panels in position while the engine was inserted, followed by the top panel. Closed cooling flaps were used and primed in white… although Hasegawa did supply an alternative open version in the kit. After careful masking, the engine cowling was primed with several light coats of Vallejo White Primer. On inspection, it seemed the engine unit sat a little high on the fuselage front. To remedy this, plastic was removed from the mounting spigot in front of
the fuselage and, after further fettling, a perfect position was achieved. Undercarriage legs were put together and painted aluminium before they were attached to the undercarriage doors, which were pre-painted with Interior Green. At this stage a decision had to be made on whether to have the flaps up or down, as Hasegawa supplied separate hinges for each position. After opting for the deployed position, each unit was painted aluminium, decaled and then put aside; it was easier to handle the model by the wing roots without the flaps in place. The rather flatlooking belly tank was pushed into place and two P-38 Lightningstyle auxiliary tanks were chosen for the wing pylons, rather than two bombs.
The upper wing-to-fuselage joins needed just a very small amount of filler…. …but the lower join required much more work.
Painting and decorating A grey primer coat was applied then sanded smooth, before several layers of Tamiya X-16 Aluminium, diluted 75:25 with Tamiya X-20A thinner, were misted on the model. A few drops of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black were added to the aluminium and, with the aid of reference photos, different panels were masked and sprayed to create subtle changes of colour. Later on, this mix had several more drops of Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT
The engine mount and side panels were added…
All parts to be finished as natural metal received a Tamiya X-16 Aluminium undercoat.
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black added, to create much darker panels that covered the supercharger panels along the lower fuselage. Tamiya tape protected the front fuselage and wings, (the exposed metal panels behind serial numbers each side of the fin were almost
…followed by the top panel.
overlooked!) before the tail area was sprayed with Tamiya X-6 Orange. After more masking, Lifecolor UA523 US Olive Drab was used to paint anti-glare panels along the upper fuselage. Last but not least, the red/white/ blue decals that formed the scalloped edges of the blue area in front of the cockpit were traced and transferred to Tamiya tape, to mask the fuselage sides. After the masks were burnished on the model, several coats of Gunze 328 Blue Angels Blue were then used to achieve a dark blue finish. The engine pod, with the cowling flaps masked, was sprayed Gunze Mr. Color H4 Yellow and when this was dry, the rear part was masked and the front panels painted Mr. Color H3 Red. In readiness for the decal stage, the whole model was given several misted layers of
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT
Tamiya X-16 Aluminium, diluted 75:25 with Tamiya X-20A thinner, was misted over a lightly sanded grey primer coat. The finished sub-assembly sat a little high on the fuselage, and so minor sanding and scraping was required.
Alclad Aqua Gloss Varnish before the engine and propeller were positioned. To replicate the highly colourful livery, Hasegawa supplied a large number of white stars in three sizes, and scalloped piping for the fuselage and wing roots (which had a tendency to break apart during application). Decals for the engine cowling flaps, however, included strips of red/white/ blue piping with stars in place... or for the more adventurous, with just the stars. There is some controversy concerning the aircraft’s name ‘Tarheel Hal’. The manufacturer has produced the large decal with yellow script on a white background, while references showed these were in fact, at one stage, orange on a yellow field. A wash of Tamiya X-24 Clear Yellow easily changed the background colour and the same company’s X-26 Clear
Masked front fuselage and wings; the cut-outs for serial numbers each side of the fin were almost forgotten...and sprayed Tamiya X-6 Orange. A few drops of black were added to the aluminium to create a darker colour on the supercharger panels.
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BASIC BUILD
P-47D THUNDERBOLT
Several coats of Gunze 328 Blue Angels Blue were needed to achieve the desired blue finish.
AK Interactive weathering pigments were used to create subtle staining around the undercarriage areas.
Without care, the large ‘Stars and Bars’ could split easily during application, due to their size.
Orange was used to pick out the lettering. As well as national markings and codes, Hasegawa included plenty of stencils and data panels. Most of these settled easily, but those on the intercooler exhaust doors on the fuselage sides needed a little persuasion with Micro Sol setting solution. After a clean-up, the model was given another coat of Alclad varnish to seal the decals. Finally, to replicate the aerial wire, a hole was drilled into the vertical tail and fuselage, and then a length of knitting-in elastic was stretched between the two and fixed with Superglue.
Great from the box
Hasegawa supplied the ‘Tarheel Hal’ lettering as yellow on a white background. However, references suggest it had orange lettering painted over a yellow ground.
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Hasegawa’s rendition of the Pratt & Whitney P&W R-2800 Double Wasp engine was rather impressive, considering there were so few parts. This thought was echoed in the cockpit and wheel wells, too, where the modeller's painting skills are needed to do justice to the integrally moulded detail. It does demonstrate, though, that to achieve a good representation, one doesn’t have to spend a small
fortune on after-market resin or photo-etched metal. On the cost front, always a contentious issue these days, Trumpeter’s 1/32 P-47D retails at around £5 more ❚ than Hasegawa’s.
Recommended References Republic P-47 Thunderbolt ‘Bubbletop’ by Robert Peczkowski (MMP), ISBN: 9 788361421 27 6 American Warplanes of WWII, edited by David Donald (Aerospace Publishing), ISBN: 1 874023 72 7 Aircraft Archive Vol. 1 Fighters of WWII (Argus Books), ISBN: 0 85242 939 8
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RECOMMENDED:
ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
Dusty Leopard Paul Cawte converts Italeri’s old Leopard 1 A5 into a cool Canadian desert cat
L The opening stages dealt with the lower hull and suspension units, and here these are seen completed. Test-fitting the hull. The hatched areas must be removed to enable Legend's MEXAS package to fit.
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ike many modern armies, Canada considered replacing its tank fleet after seeing the apparent future lying with wheeled armoured vehicles such as the Stryker/LAV. A war that demanded heavy armour was not even envisaged; but this was to change following the deployment of Canadian Armed Forces to Afghanistan in spring 2006. In theatre, Canadian troops were confronted by Taliban insurgents operating in a conventional fashion...occupying dug-in defensive positions, with routes into these areas covered with direct fire and improvised explosive devices. In this scenario the tank can provide great protection to ground troops, with its ability to bring accurate, heavy firepower to the battlefield instantly. Its capacity to reach locations inaccessible to wheeled vehicles makes it an invaluable tool. Tanks can avoid potential ambush sites and have the ability to create their own access points into
defended compounds. Lessons learned in Afghanistan led Canada to renew its tank fleet with the Leopard 2A6M CAN and 2A4M CAN, in a move away from its intended reliance on wheeled vehicles. Canadian Leopard C2s and later Leopard 2A6Ms and A4Ms carried out constant combat operations until their withdrawal in July 2011.
C2 MEXAS The subject of this build, the Canadian Leopard C2, came into existence when the Canadian army upgraded its Leopard C1 tank fleet in the late 1990s.` This was achieved by fitting surplus Bundeswehr Leopard 1A5 turrets (which offered advanced night-fighting capabilities) on the hulls of its existing Leopard C1s, and the resultant vehicle was designated Leopard C2. When Canadian Leopards were deployed to Afghanistan in October 2006 they had been fitted with the Modular Expandable Armour System (MEXAS). At the time this build began, the only way to create
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
legendary resin Legend’s conversion offered two bubble-wrapped bags of resin parts, a sheet of photo-etched (PE) metal and lengths of brass rod and wire of various gauges. String was supplied for use as tow cables, but this was replaced with brass picture-hanging wire as, from experience, this behaves more realistically and is not so prone to fraying once cut. The instructions were on a double-sided A4 sheet with colour photos of the parts at various stages of construction. The components were excellent and cast with crisp detail, but unfortunately the small GPS antenna on the turret armour was broken in this set and required re-making with plastic strip. This was only discovered later on in the build so it’s uncertain as to whether it was missing from the start.
The front section of armour was fitted first; this served as a good guide for the placement of other parts.
Leopard C2 MEXAS conversion set By: Legend Productions Scale 1/35 Stock code: LF1272 Price: £32:04 Available from: Lucky Model www.luckymodel.com
Test-fitting the small corner sections of armour, which had a moulded lip to ensure positive alignment.
a 1/35 Leopard C2 MEXAS was by using a Legend Productions after-market conversion set for the Italeri/Revell Leopard 1 A5. This product was chosen due to its relatively low cost and easy availability. Fustratingly, though, within weeks of starting the project Takom released a completely new-tooled 1/35 Leopard C2 MEXAS...typical! After the Legend set was ordered
an auction site search produced an Italeri Leopard 1 A5 kit. Decals were sourced from Echelon, which has printed at least three sheets for the MEXAS Leopard, and each provides markings for a specific troop. Set ECHD356051, with markings for 3rd Troop, was used here. While eagerly awaiting the arrival of these packages, research began. The Leopard club website is a great source for all things
concerning this tank, and offers an excellent download on the MEXAS Leopard (fact file LFF03). This provides the modeller with a short history of the tank and a very useful section on individual markings and stowage carried.
Unfortunately, research can reveal shortcomings with the model chosen for one’s project. It was realised that Legend’s update depicted a vehicle as delivered to Afghanistan, but prior to actual deployment. To address this
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
Trial fitting of the front idler wheels revealed that a large amount of resin would need to be removed if the tracks were to fit.
This comparison of the side armour panels shows the amount of thinning required to allow correct fitting, once the wheels and tracks were in place.
MODEL SPEC
issue would have taken extra time and money so it was decided that it would just have to be slightly inaccurate. But, Legend has since addressed this issue with the release of an update set (LF1273), which contains additional parts for a combat-ready vehicle. Incidentally, the newly released Takom kit also depicts a precombat-deployed vehicle and so would also benefit from Legend's parts. Set LF1285 is designed specifically for this model.
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It fits! With all the cutting finished, all parts were given a final dry-run to ensure accurate placement.
The lower hull and tracks were painted and weathered, because once the resin parts were fitted these areas would be inaccessible.
Italeri’s kit Kit manufacturers have, until this year, favoured the Leopard 2 tank, with Italeri’s (also re-boxed by Revell)...the only choice available for a reasonably accurate Leopard 1 in 1/35 for many years. Upon opening the box one was confronted with four light grey runners, ‘rubber-band’ tracks and a small piece of mesh material. The detail lacked the refinement of more modern releases but, all things considered, it appeared
to be a reasonably accurate representation. This modeller, however, was blissfully unaware of any of the kit’s issues, coupled with the fact that the majority of the tank would be hidden by the resin conversion.
Starting off When beginning any resin conversion, all parts require careful removal from their casting blocks and cleaning-up; slow and methodical is key here, as resin is
brittle and can snap easily. It was apparent immediately that while the photos and numbering of parts was clear, there was no actual build information, so thorough checking to ascertain exactly which parts of the donor kit were required, and the best sequence for fitting the resin pieces, was necessary. Construction began with the wheels, lower hull and suspension and this was straightforward. Strangely, Italeri chose to mould
Leopard 1A5 By:
Italeri
Stock Code: 1/35 Scale:
6481
Price:
£25.00
Available from: Second-hand market
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
The rear side armour plates required removal of certain strengthening bars on the inner face, to ensure a good fit and prevent them showing when the tank would be viewed from the rear.
a series of grooves around the tyres, which needed filling. The upper hull required a little surgery to enable the fitting of the MEXAS armour, in the form of cutting away the front fenders. Removal of the raised engine grilles on the rear deck was also undertaken at this stage...not strictly necessary as, although slightly more refined, the PE parts were not a huge improvement over the integrally
moulded detail. The upper hull displayed subtle raised outlines to aid tool and equipment placement, but these were filled despite being almost entirely covered with the side armour.
Bring on the resin When working with this medium it is important to test-fit twice and glue once; cyanoacrylate was the adhesive of choice here, but
A host of photo-etched metal and smaller resin parts were fitted to the tank; the only additions were wiring to the headlights and driver’s periscopes, while brass picturehanging wire replaced the nylon cord supplied by Legend.
this afforded little time for the adjustment of parts. The front armour plate was fitted first as this assisted with accurate placement of the other parts of the hull armour. The small corner blocks of armour (parts 6 and 7) were fitted next and these had a lip at the bottom, which ensured they aligned with the front armour. Large pieces of side armour
(parts 2 and 4) were then testfitted to ensure everything would mate properly. All went smoothly until luckily, before any glue was applied, one of the front idler wheels was positioned. It was obvious that there was insufficient clearance between the bottom of the parts and the wheel for the fitting of the tracks. With all the wheels and tracks
Although the small corner sections proved incredibly fiddly, the rest of the parts fitted smoothly.
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS The small hatch on the turret side (part 201c) was removed eventually, to assist in the fitting of the resin components.
Removing the rear grilles on the engine deck required delicate Dremel work, and if done at the start this process would have been considerably easier. It was debated if this was a necessary amendment, as the moulded kit parts appeared more than sufficient.
The resin mantlet (parts 9, 16, 17) sub-assembly was added, but it was important to get this centred and horizontal when viewed from the front.
in place, the previously perfectly aligned parts were no longer as such, and so the corner blocks and side armour just would not fit.
Back to the drawing board
A large casting block was attached to the side turret armour components, and this required careful removal.
the handy lip (from parts 6 and 7) removed, alignment of the components was extremely difficult, and in the end the side armour was used to effectively sandwich the corner blocks against the front armour
It was realised that firstly all the components of the running gear would require painting, as there would be no way of fitting them once the side armour was in place. Tamiya NATO Green XF-67 and dust-coloured pigments were applied to the hull and wheels, while the tracks were sprayed a rusty brown shade and the rubber track pads were painted black.
Large quantities of resin were removed from the rear of the corner blocks and side armour parts, with a Dremel tool and sanding sticks. With
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS section. During one of the many frustrating test-fits everything looked about right, and thin glue was run around the pieces holding them in place; much work but completed in the end. Once this was achieved, actual placement of the remaining parts was easy – the only chore was that of constantly checking the instructions to ensure nothing had been missed. The only additions were wires that led to the headlights and the driver’s periscopes.
The turret Fitting the turret armour was easier than that on the hull; it comprised four large pieces of resin, with several smaller additions. Those wishing for 100% accuracy should coat the top of the turret, stowage bin and side MEXAS blocks with an anti-slip layer. The first piece fitted was the large rear turret bin, which thankfully dropped into two slots already present on the kit parts, for accurate alignment. The underside of the turret bin
was hollow (presumably to reduce weight) and should ideally be covered with thin plastic card. The front mantle armour was fitted next, which consisted of three pieces (parts 9, 15 and 16). The rear bin and main gun were good visual aids to help with placement, but care was required to ensure horizontal alignment when viewed from the front. Once these two components were attached, fitting the remaining armour was straightforward. The side armour blocks (10 and 11) were cast as single units, which made them easy to use despite the necessary prior clean-up. A small hatch on the turret side (201c) was removed, as this prevented a flush fit with the turret. Once in place the long process of attaching the smaller resin parts, bolt heads and a host of brass handrails (which all required individual folds) could begin. Plastic strip replaced the brass rod for the turret stowage racks, as this was easier to cut and position. Despite being a laborious
The completed turret: despite the numerous resin bolt heads and brass handles, nothing was as difficult as creating guard rails for the smoke discharges.
Numerous wire handles were bent to shape and fitted. Cutting brass rod for the turret side racks proved fiddly, so was replaced with plastic...considerably easier to cut.
process, it was nothing compared with the stress involved in attempting to bend the brass rod to represent guardrails for the smoke dischargers; a challenge not for the faint hearted. The cupola-mounted FN machine gun was well detailed but incredibly delicate, and would
arguably be better replaced by an injection-moulded item; its thin resin barrel was bent and despite several attempts at straightening, the barrel still looked slightly wonky. The ammo box also needed to be attached at 90 degrees to the gun, otherwise the resin
Conversion completed, but a considerable amount of resin, brass and time was required. There’s always the Takom MEXAS kit if one wants a quicker build! Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
References
Canadian Leopard C2 MEXAS in Afghanistan MPA00, by Anthony Sewards, Rick Saucier and Miroslav Hraban (MPA Publications). See book review on p.81 of this issue. Leopard fact file LFF03 Leopard C2 MEXAS in Afghanistan By Anthony Sewards Available to download via www.leopardclub.co.uk
ammunition belt would not fit as demonstrated on this model.
Colour confusion? Due to the large amounts of dust gathered on these tanks, one could be forgiven for thinking that Canadian Leopard C2s were painted sand, but it is in
and tracks were masked with Clingfilm and the rest of the model received Halfords’ Grey Plastic Primer; this helped to highlight any errors and created a good starting point for further colours. The tank was then pre-shaded with Tamiya NATO Black XF-69, concentrated along panel lines and areas where shadows would occur naturally. NATO Green was then sprayed over the entire vehicle, followed by a coat of Johnson’s Klear in preparation for the decals.
With the wheels and tracks masked with cling film, the whole model was sprayed with Halfords primer.
Unit identity Echelon’s decals performed flawlessly and, with a little Gunze Mr. Mark Softer, bedded down brilliantly, with no silvering. Following this, the vehicle was given a second protective coat of Johnson’s Klear and once dry, all the smaller details were picked out carefully, and a red air identification panel was fashioned from Kneadite putty. This was placed on the last rear turret bin
behind the commander. Brass rod aerials were fitted, and three water bottles from Meng (SPS-010) were attached with Tamiya tape to the commander’s aerial; these bottles were not for thirsty crew members, but to carry infra-red glow sticks for nocturnal operations, the sticks being visible through dust clouds.
Weathering Photos of Leopards in Afghanistan reveal heavy layers of dust. The dust on some tanks appeared almost as if it had chipped off, so in an attempt to replicate this effect, hairspray was applied to the whole tank, followed by a dusting of Tamiya Wooden Deck Tan XF-78. By using the hairspray technique, this was
fact Chemical Agent Resistant Coating (CARC) Green; this paint is engineered to be decontaminated easily after exposure to chemical and biological agents. For modelling purposes, Tamiya NATO Green was a perfect match and required just a little lightening for true scale effect. The previously painted wheels
Tamiya NATO Green XF-67 was sprayed over the entire tank, followed by a protective coat of Johnson’s Klear.
Black pre-shading helped to highlight panel lines and create shadowed areas.
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ADVANCED BUILD
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS Decals have been applied and smaller details painted. The water bottles on the aerials were not for thirsty crews, but contained infra red glow sticks for nocturnal operations. The aerial recognition panel was created with Kneadite putty.
Following a coat of hairspray, Tamiya Wooden Deck Tan XF-78 was dusted over the horizontal surfaces and up the sides and rear. Paint was chipped away carefully from around hatches and areas used for crew access. The model awaited just a few items of stowage and a final dusting with pigments, to look like a well-used Afghanistan vehicle.
chipped away carefully with the aid of water. The end result was not quite as planned and perhaps required more practice, but it looked acceptable. Coolboxes and water bottles are a common feature on all modern AFVs. Here, the coolbox was taken from Meng’s Equipment for Modern US Military Vehicles
set (SPS-014), while Real Model and Tamiya provided the card water and MRE boxes; micron tape replicated securing straps. It was a shame Meng had not moulded the coolbox handles separately, as the securing straps nearly always pass through them. A spare PE ammunition belt was placed hanging from said box.
The resin item was quite rigid and as mentioned previously, the angle at which the box had been attached prevented it from feeding properly into the machine gun. A final act was the application of pigments to the horizontal surfaces, and the addition of a few footprints. The majority of
Canadian Leopards also had four fold-up crew cots attached to the turret. These were intended to be fitted and were found in Tamiya’s Modern US Equipment set (35266); they were painted and put aside for inclusion when the project was finished, but quite where they were stored still remains to be seen!
Pros and cons With the release of Takom’s C2 Leopard MEXAS (TAK-35003), the days of Italeri’s Leopard and Legend’s conversion could be numbered. Legend's resin displays more subtle detail, but the requirement of a donor kit and after-market decals make it rather costly. In addition, if one wishes to depict a combat-ready vehicle, Legend’s update
would also be required. Ultimately, the Takom kit and Legend update is more cost-effective and accurate. That said, if one already has the Italeri kit this would be an eye❚ catching conversion. Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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PHOTO FOCUS
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS The Canadian Leopard C2 with MEXAS add-on armour served under fire in southern Afghanistan, between 2006 and 2011. This vehicle is fitted with a dozer blade kit and was seen during a patrol in March 2011. (All Carl Schulze)
mexas IN AFGHANISTAN Get your Canadian Leopard MEXAS detailing just right with our selection of walk-round reference photos
MEXAS armour covers the whole of the front three-quarters of the Leopard C2. This image shows the armour attached to the left side of the hull. Note the excessive wear and tear resulting from constant operations in Afghanistan.
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To allow the fitting of a dozer blade kit, the vehicle features Track Width Mine Plough (TWMP) or Mine Clearing Roller System (MCRS) attachment points on its MEXAS armour; the upper and lower glacis plates have to be removed.
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PHOTO FOCUS
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
A 7.62mm x 51 C6 General Purpose Machine Gun is installed in a sliding mount on the ring of the loader’s hatch.
The gunner’s main sight is situated in front of the commander’s hatch. This stabilised sight incorporates a laser rangefinder and thermal imaging system. Note also the outlook of the commander’s sight, and that of the forward-looking periscopes situated around the commander’s hatch.
Rear of the turret’s right-hand side; the rack and straps are used to store equipment such as rucksacks, tents and camp beds, while the round container holds the barrelcleaning brush for the 105mm L7A3 rifled main gun.
Detail shot of the right fender, which shows the thickness of the MEXAS armour side skirts.
The smoke grenade discharger system of the Leopard C2 MEXAS comprises two banks of four launch tubes each. They are installed at the front of the turret sides.
Left drive sprocket. On each side of the MEXAS there is a drive sprocket, seven pairs of road wheels, an idler wheel and four return rollers. Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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PHOTO FOCUS
LEOPARD C2 MEXAS
Three brackets for jerry cans are attached to the turret’s rear. An air-conditioning unit can be installed in the tan-coloured housing on the left side.
Here’s the top of the gun mantlet. Note the cut-out for the 7.62mm x 51 C6 GPMG co-axial machine gun on the left.
Leopard C2 MEXAS tanks were employed in Afghanistan fitted with dozer blade kits, Track Width Mine Ploughs (TWMP) or Mine Clearing Roller Systems (MCRS). Here, a vehicle fitted with TWMP can be seen in the vicinity of Masum Ghar. Note the thermal blanket covering the turret and hull.
The large turret box at the rear is divided into several compartments. Anti-slip coating is applied to the compartment covers, but it does wear as seen here.
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The mirror of the muzzle reference system is situated on top of the muzzle of the 105mm L7A3 gun.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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20/11/2014 12:01
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MODELLING THE F-4 PHANTOM
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Produced by the Airfix Model World team, Scale Modelling F-4 Phantom is a new 100-page guide, vital for anyone contemplating scale kit builds. Fascinating history text, reference photos and colour illustrations accompany five fantastic model builds, in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scales. Features Include: Tamiya 1/32 F-4J This is built as an RAF F-4J (UK), with accompanying text by former Phantom navigator Ian Black. Academy 1/48 F-4C Our expert uses this recent kit to portray a MiG-killer in later US Air National Guard colours.
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OUT AND ABOUT
SCALE MODELWORLD 2014
A HIGH CLASS AFFAIR
The newly formed Scottish Aviation Special Interest Group brought a splendid array of models, depicting various subjects based in Scotland over the years. A few surprises lay among them.
This incredibly clever (and large) 1/72 scale Vietnam diorama on a club table depicted a napalm explosion after the store was dropped by an A-4 Skyhawk. We still don’t know how the modeller did it! Airfix announced an all-new 1/72 Heinkel He 111P2 at Telford. Light Radar (LIDAR) scanning means it will be the most accurate on the market.
A well-deserved Gold went to Andrew Anquetil's clever 1/32 Battlestar Galactica scene, which employed a trio of Viper spacecraft undergoing maintenance. Much scratch-building was employed.
Y
et another Telford has come and gone, and the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable as always...but the proceedings seemed rather more sedate this time around. Any follow-up to last year’s splendid 50th anniversary
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bash would appear quieter in comparison, but in actual fact the quality of exhibits was still incredibly high on club/special interest group tables, and in the competition area. With more than 800 entries, one was treated to simply stunning modelling from many genres, and it fell to
Nigel Heath brought a superb collection of helicopter builds on the Aberdeen Modellers’ Society table. His H-21 in Japanese colours featured scratch-built detail and LEDs inside!
a scratch-built ship to secure the Best in Show award. Barry Sharman’s 1/76 scale Normandy 1944 Admiralty Coastal Salvage Vessel was truly a work of art; it also took the White Ensign Models Trophy and, of course, won Gold in the ships category. As always, Airfix’s faithful
followers were keen to know about new releases, and the firm announced three new 1/72 toolings, two of which have employed 3D Light Radar (LIDAR) scanning to ensure the utmost accuracy...rivetcounters watch out! One subject is an all-new Westland Sea King HC.4, due in the fourth quarter of
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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OUT AND ABOUT
SCALE MODELWORLD 2014
AIRFIX’S LIDAR SCANNING
Also new for 2015 is Airfix’s fresh tooling for the Boulton Paul Defiant in 1/72 scale... available as a classic boxing and in a ‘Dogfight Double’ with the firm’s Do 17.
A flawless metal finish made this 1/48 Airfix Gloster Javelin a standout entry, which secured Gold in Class 12, the Airfix Trophy and Farnborough Silver Jubilee award for its builder, Spencer Pollard.
In essence, LIDAR scanning uses laser light to accurately map the surface of an object in three dimensions, which results in a high-definition 3D computer image of the subject. This image can then be fed into Airfix’s CAD system, allowing incredibly detailed models ‘mapped’ directly from an aircraft or vehicle, rather than re-creating the shape from other sources such as blueprints or photographs. The laser scanner is placed around the asset in as many as 40-50 positions, from the ground and a raised platform such as a scissor-lift, to obtain the best coverage. The scanner rotates, sweeping the area with a laser, which takes measurements constantly throughout the scan. As many as 5 million points are mapped in each sweep to produce a 3D image with detail as small as a fraction of a millimetre. The next step is to align all of the separate scans, then clean out unwanted material such as the surrounding area, people and any errors caused by reflective and refractive surfaces such as glass and mirrors. Finally, this 'point cloud' is then converted into a solid polygonal mesh object, ready to use as a template for the Airfix CAD system. Amazing!
VIEW MORE ONLINE airfixmodelworld.com ‘Humour in the Face of Adversity’ was the name of this stunning 1/32 scale vignette, by Philip Ware. It depicted a scene from a real Great War photograph, which involved a Pfalz DXII, and won a well-deserved Gold. The scene was based around a Wingnut Wings kit.
Just to show that Scale ModelWorld is all about variety, this entry in the competition was breathtaking. Entitled ‘Doktor Orpheus Odonata’s Odonopter’ the model was built by Peter Buckingham from a 1/35 Industria Mechanika kit. It won Gold in Class 69.
2015; the complex shape of this legendary helicopter made it a prime candidate for painstaking LIDAR scanning at HMS Sultan in Gosport, Hants. The other LIDAR-scanned subject is the Heinkel He 111P2, due in the third quarter of 2015. Initial research by Airfix revealed existing
more parts are recovered from the site. The third announcement was that of a 1/72 Boulton Paul Defiant, but this has not been afforded the LIDAR process. It will replace Airfix’s original kit to the delight of World War Two RAF fans. Airfix took the opportunity to carrying out research and
drawings of the type to be poor, so the team travelled to Norway in January 2014 to LIDAR-scan a restored He 111, which crash-landed on a snowy hillside in 1940, where it remained until its discovery in 1943. The aircraft was recovered from the hillside in the 1970s, and its restoration continues today as
examine original drawings, and the only surviving Defiant (at Hendon) to produce this fresh tooling. More new kits and re-releases will be announced at the end of December 2014, so keep checking forthcoming issues of AMW for news and exclusive builds! ❚ Chris Clifford
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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BATTLE AND BUILD
TALLBOY LANCASTER
Tony O’Toole marries Freightdog resin with Airfix's Lancaster to create a famous Tallboy-toting aircraft
T
he new Airfix Lancaster in its Dambuster format has received rave reviews, and subsequent releases of the B.II and B.I(FE) will enable modellers to build most of the early variants. After-market specialist Freightdog has been quick off
the mark in relation to Avro’s finest, and its recent resin set allows the building of another important variant…the 12,000lb Tallboy carrier. This package comes complete with bulged
MODEL SPEC
Freightdog provided the necessary parts to convert any Airfix Merlin-engined Lancaster kit into a Tallboy bomber. The main set included the bomb and retaining chain, bulged bay doors and the SABS. Also used were Freightdog’s Smooth Main Wheels for Lancasters and new engine intake scoops. Avro Lancaster B.III (Special) The Dambusters By:
Airfix
Stock Code: AX09007 Scale:
1/72
Price:
£29.99
Available from: Airfix, www.airfix.com
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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BATTLE AND BUILD
TALLBOY LANCASTER
Interior detail was excellent throughout, and required only basic painting followed by careful dry-brushing to produce excellent results. Only minor changes were made, namely to omit the H2S box from the navigator’s station and maps were added to the table.
bomb bay doors, Tallboy bomb and stabilised automatic bomb sight, although the latter was only used by 617 Squadron.
The aircraft One of the most famous Lancasters to carry the Tallboy,
and the subject of this article, was W4964/WS-J, named ‘Johnnie Walker – Still Going Strong’…based on period advertising for the famous malt whisky. Built by Metropolitan Vickers at its Mosley Road Works at Trafford Park, Manchester, it joined 9 Squadron at RAF
Once the fuselage halves had been joined (with the mid-upper turret blank), the undercarriage bay formers were added to the wing spars. Horizontal stabilisers were added at this stage and two depressions in the upper fuselage, which replicated the escape hatch windows, were marked for drilling later.
Bardney, Lincolnshire during April 1943, and completed 107 missions, although only 104 were recorded on the nose. Painted alongside the bomb tally were the ribbons of four Distinguished Flying Medals, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, a 1939-45 Star, a Swastika for a
fighter kill, a searchlight and a Russian star to commemorate landing in the Soviet Union. The last bomb painted on the fuselage was larger than usual to commemorate the Tallboy dropped against the German battleship Tirpitz during Operation Paravane; fittingly, this was its last operational mission, as the aircraft subsequently became ground instructional airframe 4922M. Despite its war record, W4964 was not considered for preservation and was scrapped, but thankfully part of the rear fuselage survived and can now be seen at Newark Air Museum, Lincolnshire, UK.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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BATTLE AND BUILD
TALLBOY LANCASTER
The kit began to look more like a Lancaster once the lower wings were in place; the cut-outs on the trailing edge allowed the flaps to be fixed either in the raised or lowered position, an option not available in Revell’s or Hasegawa’s offerings. With the decision to fill the rather deep panel lines, this kit would require a considerable amount of filling and sanding to obtain a smooth finish.
The upper wing sections added, along with the outer nacelles...although the instructions directed the modeller to fit the undercarriage legs before attachment of the inner nacelles. It was decided to leave them off until after the painting stage, as they were easily damaged. Further filler was required along the upper fuselage, where the halves needed clamping, filling and sanding to achieve an acceptable result.
Assembling the engine nacelles was a delight, as these went together with minimal fuss. To avoid confusion, each nacelle was marked with the relevant stage number from the instructions. At this point, paddle blade propellers had been fitted, but subsequent research indicated that the subject aircraft actually had the earlier needle-type blades, which required a swap of parts.
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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The bomber night camouflage scheme was brush-painted with Humbrol enamels before being set aside to dry. Gloss varnish was then applied in preparation for the decals. While the majority of the stencilling and walkway markings were from the kit, spares from a Revell offering were required for the serial numbers, fuselage codes, bomb tally and nose artwork. It was noted that the kit-supplied carburettor intakes lacked detail at the front and appeared too small, so rather than modify the kit parts, Freightdog resin items were used instead. Exhaust shields were left off as a reference photo, taken shortly after Operation Paravane, indicated that W4964 had them removed for this sortie. After two coats of matt varnish, the model was weathered with brushed-on pigment powders and dry-brushing techniques with enamels, which included the prominent exhaust staining across the top of the wings.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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BATTLE AND BUILD
TALLBOY LANCASTER
Lancaster B.Mk.I W4964 ‘Still Going Strong’ of 9 Squadron had a distinguished service life of more than 100 missions, and is seen in this image with one of its crews. (Malcolm Lowe Collection)
Tony O’Toole details the attack by Avro Lancasters on the troublesome battleship Tirpitz
G
ermany’s Tirpitz was a constant threat during World War Two, and caused the Royal Navy to retain significant elements of the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow. It also represented a major threat to the Arctic convoys but, moored at Alta fjord in northern Norway, she was outside the range of UK-based bombers...to target the battleship they would first have to deploy to Russia. On September 11, 1944, 38 Lancasters from 9 and 617 Squadrons, led by Wing Commander `Willie’ Tait, deployed from RAF Lossiemouth to a Soviet airfield at Yagodnik on Operation Paravane. Each aircraft carried either a 12,000lb (5,443kg) Tallboy bomb or a full
load of 400lb (181kg) ‘Johnnie Walker’ magnetic anti-shipping mines. Accompanying them was a single Mosquito for weather reconnaissance and two Liberators carrying ground crew and essential spares. Atrocious weather over the destination resulted in 11 bombers missing the small airfield and landing or crash-landing elsewhere, thankfully without fatalities. Four days later a reconnaissance mission by the Mosquito reported clear skies over Alta fjord; the mission was on.
Second attempt Twenty-seven Lancasters took off to attack Tirpitz, 20 carrying Tallboy bombs, the remainder with Johnnie Walker mines. The
‘Still Going Strong’ with its Johnnie Walker nose art was one of the Lancaster B.Mk.Is specially configured to carry oversized bomb loads, and featured an impressive mission tally on its forward fuselage. (RAAF via Malcolm Lowe)
Germans detected the attack and were able to obscure the ship with a massive smoke screen, which forced the bombers to release their weapons from 13,000ft (3,962m), but Johnie Walker mines were dropped inside the torpedo nets in the hope that they would simply drift into Tirpitz. Two 9 Squadron Lancasters had hang-ups during their bombing runs. P/O Scott tried four times to release his Tallboy, only for the weapon to fall clear shortly before the aircraft landed at RAF Lossiemouth! Unfortunately, one aircraft was lost, along with its seven-man crew; however, one Tallboy bomb, purportedly dropped by Wg Cdr Tait’s Lancaster, hit Tirpitz squarely in the bow section and caused extensive damage. If only the Allies had realised it, this single hit, combined with the previous destruction of dry-docks capable of handling the vessel, effectively ensured Tirpitz could
never again function as a fullyoperational warship. As towing Tirpitz in the open sea would have been suicidal at this stage of the war, basic repairs were made and the once mighty warship was towed south to Tromsø, to serve as a floating gun battery to defend against an Allied invasion of Norway. This placed the vessel within reach of Scotland-based Lancasters...but only just. To achieve the necessary range, the aircraft were modified by removing the mid-upper turret and most of the armour plating, adding extra fuel tanks in the rear fuselage and fitting Merlin 24 engines to provide sufficient power to cope with the extra weight. Two further missions were mounted: Operation Obviate on October 29, although no weapons were dropped due to cloud, and Operation Catechism, on November 12, which resulted in several hits and caused Tirpitz ❚ to capsize.
With its famous Johnnie Walker nose art and the name ‘Still Going Strong’, Lancaster B.Mk.I W4964/WS-J of the RAF’s 9 Squadron exhibits the colourful markings worn by this famous unit in the latter months of World War Two. (Pete West © 2014)
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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20/11/2014 12:07
For The Month of December Massive Stock Clearance Sale
UP TO 30% OFF ALL PLASTIC KITS IN STOCK UP TO 50% OFF SELECTED RANGES Such as • Aires-CMK Resins-MPM-Special Hobby • Eduard Etch - LSA Castings • Scale Aircraft Conv undercarriages • All resin /etch / barrels and accessories Postage will be charged on all mail orders
TEL: 01273 705420
www.lsamodels.co.uk
New Releases and special orders will not be included in this offer, No products will be held in reserve for Customers without prior payment. "Prices subject to change and at the discretion of LSA Models" *Price discounts are not available on any new releases
INTERMEDIATE BUILD
FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
BUTTERFLY BALL Jen Wright employs simple scratch-building to update Airfix’s re-released Fouga Magister
Transferring measurements from the plans was simplicity itself with dividers. Resting one edge against the wing root (or in another panel line), then drawing the divider along, produced a faint but easily visible mark. This was then followed with the scribing tool to create new panel lines. Old versus new: The freshly re-scribed wing looked vastly superior when compared to the heavily raised original surface detail.
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he Fouga CM.170 first flew in 1952 and was actually a replacement for an earlier, underpowered design for the French Air Force. Its development absorbed the work with gliders done by Robert Castello and Pierre Mauboussin, and this was evident in the graceful lines and long, high aspect ratio wings, while the butterfly tail made it instantly recognisable. An immediate export success, Magisters served with many overseas air arms, including that of Ireland. The Irish Air Corps received six refurbished Magisters in 1975 and operated them with No.1 Fighter Squadron until the last aircraft was finally retired in June 1999. In 1987 Ireland’s Silver Stars aerobatic team was formed, and in 1997 won the Lockheed Martin Cannestra trophy for its display prowess.
T
Retro plastic Airfix’s Fouga Magister was originally released in the mid-1970s and was a kit of its time, with raised panel lines and heavy rivets in places. This re-release, though, reveals that the moulds still appear to be in good condition. The 56 parts were crisply moulded for the most part, with little flash evident, although there were some sink marks on the wings. The Editor’s brief for this build was to show what could be done with an old kit, and this involved a full panel line re-scribe and scratch-
built detail. Good references being essential, a copy of the excellent Max Decals book on the type was acquired beforehand. Initial work was done on the wings as they were the easiest parts to re-scribe. The 1/72 plans in Max Decals’ book were photocopied for ease of use, and to save the publication from damage (it was the Editor’s after all!). Although the kit parts compared favourably with these plans in all areas, most of the panel lines were relocated slightly in the end. The main span-wise panel line was scribed first, with the original raised line employed as a guide. Following that, the wings were sanded thoroughly with Wet and Dry paper to remove all raised detail and eradicate surface imperfections. Any remaining sink marks were filled and sanded before the remaining re-scribing.
MODEL SPEC
All of the actual scribing was done with an Olfa P800 scriber. Following an existing panel line here on the wing was much more easily carried out by pushing the scriber, rather than pulling it. Apart from templates, no guides were used.
Fouga CM.170 Magister By:
Airfix
Stock Code: A03050 Scale:
1/72
Price:
£10.99
Available from: Airfix, www.airfix.com
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
KIT COLOUR SCHEMES The re-release included decals for Irish Air Corps aircraft 220, the last Magister to serve with that air arm, and a three-tone camouflaged Belgian Air Force machine from Bierset Station Flight.
No wingtip lights were included, so chunks of clear styrene were glued into position and sanded to shape. Note the coloured bulbs, represented prior to fitting and shaping by drilling a small hole into the rear of the clear styrene, which was then filled with clear green and red paint.
The Magister was not fitted with ejection seats, so the kit seat bases were scooped out with a mini-chisel to better resemble the bucket seats of the original. A padded back pad was fashioned from lead foil, while generic photo-etched metal seatbelts came from an old Reheat set.
The painted cockpit tub fitted snugly once the lettering was removed, and the nosewheel bay was opened ready for added detail. This left a small shelf at the front, to which the nose undercarriage leg would be glued later on.
With dividers, measurements taken from the plan were transferred to the kit parts, and then new lines were engraved with an Olfa scribing tool; templates were employed to help with all the circular and oblong hatches. Fastener details were added where appropriate, with a pin held in an X-ACTO handle, but adding full riveting was eschewed since the Magister was such a smooth aircraft in reality (and the scale, in this case, was small). Final work on the wings centred
on boxing-in the wheel wells (see panel), and the addition of wingtip lights fashioned from clear styrene in the front of the fuel tanks.
Crew area Moving to the fuselage, the first work here involved the cockpit, which was moulded in one piece and with integrally moulded seats. Although the cockpit features were relatively heavy (and not particularly accurate), it was decided to work with them since the over-accentuation
Having opened the nose wheel bay, detail work was required. A rudimentary version of the real aircraft's framework was created with plastic rod, brass tube and lead wire.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
BOXING CLEVER Boxing in wheel wells can be a fraught process. Traditionally carried out with thin plastic card, much measuring and no small amount of skill is required to make a convincing job of it; especially in small scales. As the author is always happy to find an easier way, lateral thinking produced an simpler answer... plasticine! Of course, Milliput, or other epoxy putties could just as easily be used, but although the technique would be the same, they have the potential to make much more mess. Sculptor's plasticine (the type used in mould making), was simply squished into the aperture until it was full enough to stay in position. A new cocktail stick was then dragged around the outline carefully, which neatly removed the excess material to result in a perfect wheelbay wall.
The addition of jet exhausts was a noticeable improvement, and simple to do; 3mm aluminium tubing from Albion Alloys was cut into short lengths and glued into position. The alloy tubing was reamed out a little for thinner, true-toscale edges.
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would look quite effective under the closed canopy. The seats suffered from large ejector pin circles in the bases, which had to be addressed as no pilots were to be fitted. The real seats bore a strong resemblance to bucket seats akin to those in World War Two fighters, which didn’t stop at the shape, since those in the Fouga were a very similar colour to Spitfire seats. After scooping out the bases a little, padded backrest cushions were installed, and finally photo-etched (PE) metal seatbelts provided a touch of refinement. The rest of the cockpit was basically just black, which was dry-brushed a little with pale grey to ‘lift’ the details. Before the completed cockpit was fitted, work was carried out on the nosewheel
The canopy was covered in large rivets similar to those on the forward fuselage. To retain the slightly soft frame outlines, the canopy was scribed before all the rivets were sanded away.
bay, where a framework for the undercarriage was scratchbuilt, with reference photos as a guide...complete with upper nose undercarriage leg and a retraction jack. Lead substitute was wedged under the cockpit floor to prevent tail-sitting. After the fuselage was joined, the remaining construction was very fast, no filling being required. The last main build flourishes centred on hollowing out or re-making all the vents. This was a small point but it made a big difference to
Once the fuselage was together, it was time to remove all the raised detail for re-scribing. In reality, the Magister was a very smooth aircraft, so these large raised rivets really did have to go!
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
SMOOTH OPERATOR
It is a well-known fact that preparation is the key to an excellent paint finish, especially when painting metallic colours; but methods to achieve that preparation are perhaps less well known. Wet and Dry abrasive paper is a popular solution, but although it comes in fine grades, the paper is relatively inflexible and can cause grooving and noticeable scratches in a finish. The perfect tool for the job comes in the shape of two automotive refinishing products; 3M Trizact and Mirka Abralon. Trizact comes in 3,000-grade foam-backed pads, while Abralon comes in grades from 180 to 4,000. The foam backing makes them extremely forgiving during use, and the very fine grades can smooth even model paints without cutting straight through them. Cut into small squares, they are perfect for smoothing between coats of paint, or rubbing out overspray and orange peel. They are available from all good motor factors and online. For those who prefer more miniaturised products, similar systems are available in the Micromesh range.
the look of the finished model. Re-working the vents was achieved with lead foil; this extremely malleable material was formed easily over the existing moulded vent and then cut out. It was then a simple matter to slice off the original vent and replace it with the new item. Before the canopy could be fitted, modifications were made to address missing or incorrect details. Firstly, a bulkhead was created to go behind the rear pilot, along with a wine bottle foil rendition of the blind flying curtain. Behind this, the radios were re-built completely, since Irish aircraft did not use the same equipment as in the French version rendered by Airfix. Prominent wiring was added around the radios, along with the kit-supplied periscope. Finally, the canopy was fitted and after minimal smoothing with Gunze Mr. Surfacer, it was time for the painting to begin.
After sanding, progressively finer sanding sponges were used to polish the canopy to full clarity.
Convincing colours As is often the case, the initial act was to apply primer. This would provide a barrier against the solvents in the Alclad lacquer to follow, and to ensure that any remaining small scratches from sanding were filled. Halfords primer was used, although not directly from the aerosol as this would have produced far too thick a layer on a model of this size. Instead, the paint was decanted from the tin by fixing a straw to the nozzle, and then squirting paint into a suitable jar. When doing this, the paint must be left to de-gas for some considerable time; remembering not to seal the jar to allow the propellant gases
Detail changes were made before the canopy was fitted. New radios were made from plastic card, with lead wire for the cabling. Wine bottle foil replicated the blind flying hood, and the heat shield fitted to the inside of the rear canopy, above the radios. The last job before painting was to add finesse to the undercarriage doors. These were all thinned dramatically, as can be seen by comparing the modified doors in the front of the photo to the original doors at the rear. Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
Priming was necessary due to the amount of sanding and modification, and the planned use of lacquers. Experience with recent Airfix kits suggested the plastic was none too resistant to these, so decanted Halfords Grey Primer was applied via airbrush.
Next was a coat of white, which was absolutely essential for the following Day-Glo orange; Mr. Color 59 was used for the Day-Glo colour. In real life Day-Glo paint is very unstable and fades quickly. To represent this, the paint was sprayed more thinly on upper areas.
Irish Magisters were painted silver, not left in natural metal. The silver paint used was prone to fading until it looked more grey than silver. For this reason a custom paint mix was used, and consisted of Alclad Aluminium, Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Grey and XF-2 White.
After de-masking, the Day-Glo areas were sanded gently with very fine sanding pads, to enhance the faded effect in specific areas (to match reference photos). The faded, yet metallic sheen looked effective.
to escape. After application by airbrush, the primer was left to dry overnight and was then polished carefully with sponge-backed sanding pads as described in the accompanying panel. Although the silver could have been next, it was easier to mask if the high-visibility Day-Glo
suitable alternative which is listed in the instructions. After masking, the silver came next and this was muted deliberately by mixing in white and pale grey, in an attempt to match the faded appearance of the real aircraft. The addition of the grey and white also made the coverage of the silver much better, which helped when trying to cover the orange overspray. More
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panels went on first, so the next to be applied was the orange. It was vital to use a white base coat for the Day-Glo, as it is a semi-opaque paint so simply will not work without a dense white undercoat. The Day-Glo used was Gunze Mr. Color 59, which went on beautifully. Certain Mr. Color shades are not easy to obtain in the UK, but Humbrol makes a
masking was carried out for detail painting, and then a final coat of Johnson’s Klear was applied ready for the decals. As is now normal for Airfix, the decal sheet printing was impressive, with a myriad of tiny stencils that were printed finely enough to be believable in scale. After the decals were dry, a final varnish coat was mixed to an appropriate satin sheen,
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
FOUGA CM.170 MAGISTER
although various areas were glossed with Klear and yet others received a more matt finish. This was, again, in an effort to replicate in some way the relatively worn appearance of the real aircraft. This slightly shabby demeanour did not extend to the usual dirty style of weathering though, since the real aircraft were faded rather than actually being grubby...this is the reason for the absence of any panel line wash or filter application.
Nip and tuck Final assembly was not lengthy, as there were just a few small parts to deal with. The undercarriage was as supplied by Airfix, with one notable exception. The Magister nosewheel had an anti-shimmy tyre fitted, with its associated deep and wide central groove. Airfix’s wheel was missing this very noticeable detail, and so to remedy that, it was sawn in half with a razor saw. The halves were reduced somewhat by sanding, and then a plastic card disc was punched out at a slightly smaller diameter than the kit part. When glued back together, the three parts gave a reasonable representation of an anti-shimmy tyre. Flat spots were then carved into all three wheels with a scalpel, to give a weighted effect. Worthy of note here was the beautifully positive fit of the main undercarriage, which needed barely any glue for a solid finish. This continued with the previously thinned doors, with big solid pegs for locating them, and equally solid hinges for the inner doors. The last detail fitted to the undercarriage was a trio of remove before flight tags. These are as integral to a parked aircraft as a closed canopy or raised flaps; yet they are ignored robustly by the majority of modellers. They were simply small slices of lead foil painted red,
and then dirtied with a little brown wash once fitted. Returning to the top surface, the final touches were the two pitot tubes in front of the windscreen, and finally a 0.3mm wire whip aerial and a tiny antenna made from a slice of plastic card.
Make do and... For many modellers, this is a long awaited re-release by Airfix. Some may murmur that a new tool from the firm would have been welcomed, but it is important to realise that many older moulds are still very worthy in their own right. Also consider the fact that a recently released limited-run Fouga in the same scale costs twice as much. Working with an older kit in this way can very often be a hugely satisfying experience, and is a great way to hone one’s modelling skills. Hopefully this build has shown how something as simple as re-scribing can change the character of a finished ❚ model completely.
REFERENCE Fouga Magister an Irish Perspective, by Joe Maxwell and Radu Brinzan (Max Decals Publications), ISBN: 978-09562624-1-7
Extensive masking helped to paint the black lines around the engine nacelles, but this could also be done with black decal. Exhaust areas received Alclad Aluminium to represent natural metal heat shields. Then, the intakes received red paint and chipping.
With more than 60 tiny stencils to apply, decaling was far from speedy. Progress was not hindered by the decals themselves, however, as they were up to the high standard now expected from Airfix. Once the decals had dried, varnish could be applied. In keeping with the slightly muted and faded look, a satin finish was chosen. This was made from a 50:50 mix of MIG Ammo Satin Varnish and Johnson’s Klear...MIG’s varnish being quite matt on its own.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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While the aerobatic teams of Belgium and France were noted Fouga Magister operators, a lesser-known user was the Irish Air Corps' Silver Swallows. These aircraft from the team wear standard IAC colours, aside from the special forward fuselage badge, added in 1997.
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IN FOCUS
IRISH AIR CORPS FOUGA MAGISTERS
EMERALD ISLE
FOUGAS Joe Maxwell charts the history of the Fouga Magister in Irish Air Corps Service he Irish Air Corps (IAC) had operated the de Havilland Vampire T.55 two-seat trainer since 1956, but by 1973 it was clear that the useful life of the type was approaching its end. Air Corps’ Chief Technical Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel James ‘Jimmy’ Teague, was tasked with finding a replacement for the ageing
T
Vampires. Conscious of the problems that the Air Corps was experiencing in maintaining these aged aircraft, and ever mindful of stringent budget restrictions that were, at the time, a fact of life In Ireland, Lt Col Teague ‘s priority was to find an aircraft that was both cost effective and relatively easy to maintain. He drew up a shortlist of four types – the Fouga
All six Irish Air Corps Fougas are seen parked at Baldonnel. (Pat Cornally)
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Capt John Flanagan flies an armed Fouga near Gormanstown military range. Note the gun barrels in the nose. (IAC)
Magister, Cessna T-37C, Aermacchi MB-326 and BAC Jet Provost T.55. However, of the four types, just two were subsequently fully evaluated, these being the Fouga and the MB-326. By 1973, the Fouga Magister had been in service with the French Armée de l’Air for more than 15 years; minor modifications had also been made to the aircraft
and its systems as experience was gained on type. French personnel had expressed immense satisfaction with the Fouga to members of the IAC evaluation team, which had travelled to France to conduct a thorough examination of the type. An initial offer to supply six second-hand Magisters was received on May 15, 1973. Four of the aircraft were of German manufacture, having 1,200 airframe hours and 600 hours on their Marboré II, engines. This offer was rejected by the IAC, when it became clear that the four German-built aircraft differed significantly in detail from their French-built counterparts. Although this initial offer was rejected, the IAC remained interested in procuring the Fouga and proceeded with the evaluation of this type, together with the Aermacchi MB-326, in early 1974. A team of Air Corps pilots and engineers was assembled to conduct the evaluation and, during the course of the trial, it became clear that if the Magister was chosen there would be considerable advantages in utilising the Turbomeca Marboré VI engine...rather than the earlier
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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IN FOCUS
IRISH AIR CORPS FOUGA MAGISTERS Captain Peter McDonnell keeps an eye on team leader Capt Graeme Martin in 220, as they climb out for their display at RIAT in 1997. (Peter Hopkins)
Marboré II fitted to the particular aircraft on offer. Not only was there extra thrust available from the Marboré VI (an important consideration given that the Fouga Magister was considered by some to be underpowered), but the time between overhauls was doubled from 600 hours to 1,200 hours.
Six-aircraft deal On January 22, 1974 the Société National Industrielle Aérospatiale (SNIAS) provided a quotation to supply six Magisters to the IAC for a total cost of £1.5 million. There is no record as to the exact offer price on the rival Aermacchi MB326, but it was likely to have been well in excess of the Magisters’ price, since Aermacchi was offering brand-new aircraft rather than refurbished machines. On March 21, 1974 a deal was signed between the Irish Department of Defence and SNIAS head office in Paris for six Fouga CM.170-2 Super Magisters (the name Super Magister harked back to the advanced CM.173 of 1964, but in fact the aircraft purchased only used the engines proposed for that variant), with delivery of pairs of aircraft scheduled for November 1974, January 1975 and February 1975. The six aircraft offered to the IAC had interesting histories. Four had served with the Austrian Air Force (Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte). Purchased in 1959, the Fouga was operated by Austria until 1972, when it was replaced by the multi-role Saab 105. The Magisters, having accumulated between 1,000 and 1,500 hours on each airframe while in Austrian
Air Force service, were sold back to SNIAS in part payment for Alouette III helicopters and were subsequently put up for sale by the French company. The first Austrian AF aerobatic team (known as the ‘Silver Birds’) was formed in 1966; it flew four of the Magisters at air displays throughout Austria during 1967 and 1968, after which it was disbanded. The four former Austrian AF Fouga Magisters subsequently purchased by the Irish Air Corps originally wore the codes 4D-YJ, 4D-YK, 4D-YL and 4D-YU while in Austrian service, and all had been operated on occasion by the Silver Birds. But they would also become the mount for the IAC’s ‘Silver Swallows’ display team 20 years
later; it is surely a rare occurrence that a single aircraft ends up being used by two different military display teams during its operational lifetime, let alone four! The remaining two aircraft purchased from SNIAS had been part of a batch of six destined for Katanga in 1961, and in effect were sister ships to the aircraft used in attacks against Irish UN troops at Jadotville. However, they never made it into service with Katanga, as they had been the subject of a UN embargo. The aircraft had actually been transported by ship as far as Pointe Noire in Congo Brazzaville, but were then returned to Antwerp. Eventually they came into the possession of SNIAS, which was busy selling refurbished
Fouga Magisters throughout Africa, Asia and South America. Due to refurbishment delays, though, the delivery dates slipped by almost a year. While the first two were in service by September 1975, further hold-ups would slow the delivery of the second pair until February 16, 1976. Technical staff at Baldonnel worked wonders to keep the two remaining Vampires serviceable so that students could get up to 10 hours each on them, while other flight instructors were busy learning to operate the Fougas. It was a regular sight to see both Fougas and Vampires on the Baldonnel ramp up to March 1976, at which time the Vampire was finally withdrawn from service.
A tight formation loop over Baldonnel. (IAC) Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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IN FOCUS
IRISH AIR CORPS FOUGA MAGISTERS
Fouga 215 sports large wingtip ferry tanks, following its return from overhaul in France in 1987.
Training role Although the Fouga was operated by No. 1 Fighter Squadron (renamed Light Strike Squadron in 1980) they were shared on an ‘as needed’ basis with the Advanced Flying Training School when ‘Wings’ courses were being held. As experience in operating the Fouga grew, each class flew more hours on the type. The Fouga had replaced the Vampire in the advanced training role, and the IAC similarly replaced the Chipmunk/ Provost combination in the basic flying training role with the SIAI Marchetti SF260WE Warrior, and the first of these arrived in 1977. The combination of Marchetti/ Fouga for flying training was to last for more than 20 years until the withdrawal of the latter in 1999. The Marchetti was operated by the Basic Flying Training Squadron,
and students were expected to complete 150 hours on this type before moving to the Fouga for a further 50 hours in order to complete the ‘Wings’ course.
Military Exercises As the years progressed, the training value of having jet aircraft available for exercise scenarios came to be appreciated by the Army, which had a long standing commitment to UN peacekeeping operations in Lebanon. Irish troops were part of the UNIFIL force based in south Lebanon, close to the border with Israel, and when trouble flared between warring factions in the region it was not uncommon for bomb strikes to be carried out by Israeli aircraft in the Irishbatt area of operations. The Army realised it would be useful if troops preparing for overseas
deployment could be exposed to simulated air attack as part of their training. But it was not just the Army that benefitted from participation of the Fougas on military exercises, as the aircraft participated in several notable naval exercises through the years, including Exercise Dan Buoy IV in September 1981, in which two Fougas staged mock attacks on Irish Navy vessels operating in the Irish Sea. A similar exercise was carried out in September 1992, codenamed Red Tide, during which two Fougas flying from Cork Airport staged executed mock attacks on naval vessels operating off the Old Head of Kinsale, on the South Coast of Ireland.
Silver Swallows The Fouga Magisters participated in their first major public display on
August 26, 1979 when 216, 218, 219 and 220 flew a formation flypast at the Air Spectacular event at Fairyhouse race course. Although no aerobatics were flown at this stage, this was to be the first of many appearances by the Fougas at air displays at home and abroad. Instructors from Light Strike Squadron had performed aerobatic demonstrations at various airshows throughout Ireland for a number of years, following the Fouga’s introduction into service. However, for the 1987 display season the team was given a name, The Silver Swallows. Team members were drawn from Light Strike Squadron and practised in their own time at evenings and weekends. With each season the reputation of the team grew. It was not long before invitations were being received for the team to display at overseas events, and in 1989 the Silver Swallows topped the bill at an airshow in Newtonards, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. This was a breakthrough for the Silver Swallows, performing outside the Republic of Ireland for the first time. In 1990 the Silver Swallows received an invitation to perform an aerobatic display at RAF Brawdy in Wales, but the period from 1991-1995 brought a reduction in tempo for the team; flying displays continued but were fewer in number. The aircraft were getting old and the provision of spare parts was becoming
This Fouga’s Dayglo panels and tanks contrast highly with the lush Irish countryside below; Blessington Lakes sit in the background. (IAC)
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IN FOCUS
IRISH AIR CORPS FOUGA MAGISTERS the Armée De l ‘Air’s Patrouille de France and the Turkish Stars. However, 1997 was to be the year of the Irish and the Silver Swallows pulled off an extraordinary achievement by winning the trophy. The Silver Swallows ceased operations as a display team in 1997 but the Fouga remained in IAC service for a further two years. The decision had been taken to retire the aircraft individually as they came due for a scheduled inspection. The first to be effectively withdrawn was Fouga 219 which last flew on November 26, 1996 and was used as a spares source for the remaining five aircraft during the 1997 display season. Fouga 215 was withdrawn in November 1997, while no.216 performed its last flight on
Irish Air Corps pilots became highly proficient at formation flying, and the Fouga provided a steady platform. (IAC)
problematic. Nevertheless, efforts were made to ensure that the team spirit and high morale of the Light Strike Squadron would continue, in spite of these difficulties. Silver Swallows patches were designed and worn by team members. There was no shortage of enthusiasm to continue display flying, but the lack of available aircraft was a source of frustration to many. Towards the end of 1996 the writing was on the wall for the Fouga, as the IAC found it increasingly difficult to source spare parts. It was a testament to the skills of the technical staff that they were able to keep four out of six aircraft available, and on rare occasions even five out of six for flight training. Notwithstanding the difficulties of maintaining these aircraft as the decade progressed, it was a very busy period for the Advanced Training School and it was also during this period that the Fouga gained considerable public acclaim with the reforming of the Silver Swallows as a fourship formation. A full flying display programme was planned for the 1997 season, and there were plenty of overseas invitations for the team in what was likely to be the last full year in which the Silver Swallows would operate. The team was scheduled to display on three separate occasions in the UK; June 21 at RAF Woodford, July 19-20 at RAF Fairford and September 13 at RAF Leuchars in Scotland. There was also a display planned for September 6-7 at Florennes in Belgium.
IRISH AIR CORPS FOUGA MAGISTERS Manuf’ construction no.
Previous Operator ID
Irish Air Corps serial
Delivery Date
357
Austrian AF 4D-YK
215
11 Sep 1975
358
Austrian AF 4D-YJ
216
11 Sep 1975
359
Austrian AF 4D-YL (last flight in Austrian service Oct. 25, 1971)
217
16 Feb 1976
390
Austrian AF 4D-YU
218
16 Feb 1976
298
For Katanga but did not enter service
219
13 Nov 1976
299
As above
220
13 Nov 1976
RIAT Glory and wind-down The Royal International Air Tattoo (known almost universally as ‘RIAT’) is held annually at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, and is arguably the largest military airshow in the world. The Silver Swallows were invited to perform at RIAT on July 19-20, 1997 in front of a crowd estimated at more than 100,000 people, and with a large gathering of military
personnel from many nations. Little known outside the world of professional military aerobatic display flying, the Lockheed Martin Cannestra Trophy is awarded at RIAT each year to the best flying demonstration by an overseas participant. Previous winners have been many and varied, including both ‘solo’ displays and aerobatic teams; notable winners in the latter category have included the Italian Air Force’s Frecce Tricolori,
December 16, 1997. Fougas 217 and 218 carried out their last flights on February 26, 1998 and April 20, 1998 respectively. Fouga 220 continued to fly until June 1999. There was never a formal standdown of Light Strike Squadron. As the number of aircraft dwindled the personnel were re-assigned to other duties. Pleasingly, though, all six Fougas still exist in museums and in universities as ❚ instructional airframes.
Fouga 217 brakes hard at the end of the Silver Swallows’ award-winning display at RIAT, in 1997. (Peter Hopkins) Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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PHOTO FOCUS
IRISH AIR CORPS FOUGA MAGISTER
The Fouga's flaps move on rollers at the flap ends, running on guides at the ends of the wing ribs. Black strips prevent chafing between the flap and the wing.
In an emergency, these pull-handles on the forward fuselage jettison the canopies.
This front view of the main undercarriage leg shows the doors' offset.
FOUGA DETAILS
To accompany this issue’s build feature, AMW presents these handy Magister reference images
The Fouga's nose taxi light and striped VOR antennas are evident here.
Super-detailers should note the colours and layout of the main wheelwell bays.
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Instrumentation in the Magister's cockpits changed little over the years. The piece of paper to the left of the gunsight mount is a compass correction chart.
Radio gear was housed under the aircraft's clear dome at the rear of the cockpit.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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Andrew Root presents his 1/24 Hawker Typhoon diorama
Andrew Root’s grandfather (second from right), the inspiration for this build, sits on the wing of a Hawker Typhoon at Advanced Landing Ground B.89 Mill, Holland, in February 1945.
I
’ve always had a great interest in this aircraft, because my late grandfather served in the RAF during World War Two as an armourer with 257 Squadron, on the Hawker Typhoon. As a novice modeller, whose last kit was made 18 years ago as a teenager (when all you needed was a few tins of Humbrol and a paint brush!), this new Superkit from Airfix seemed daunting. I’d never even held an airbrush before making this model, but YouTube videos did at least show how it was done. My main thought was how far kit production had come, as the surface detail was incredible and, as an aircraft engineer, it was great to see all the stressed skin and rivets. A lot of time was spent detailing the cockpit and interior, including the oil and fuel tanks, which gave me
good practice with the airbrush. Once the framework was complete I fitted the wing skins and fuselage, and it was at this point that the model’s large size became apparent. The whole model was primed, and then pre-shading was applied to all panel lines, while the camouflage was masked with Blu-Tack and the main airbrushing began. When the masking was removed I was almost shocked at the results...it had actually come out better than I could have imagined! As no markings for 257 Squadron were available, I had to take the code letters from three different sets. The diorama depicts armourers at work, which was my plan from the outset, to honour my late grandfather and all the ground crew who kept these aircraft flying. Andrew Root, Essex
Are you proud of a particular Airfix build? Then let AMW know by providing us with 200-250 words on the project and what was involved, along with 6-8 good quality photos against a clean white background. Photo file sizes should be 1Mb or larger. Please e-mail your submissions to the editor:
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975 RAF 2015 fp.indd 59
17/11/2014 12:33
ADVANCED BUILD
F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER
MAPLE LEAF
AGGRESSOR
Several gauges of copper/jewellery wire were used to add detail to the cockpit components and undercarriage bays. Seat belts and buckles were fashioned from tin sheet and wire.
The F-5A was a fast and effective fighter on a budget. Here, José Pires builds the Canadian version with Kinetic’s kit
W
ith the F-5A Freedom Fighter, Northrop Aircraft Corporation produced one of the world’s most agile and manoeuvrable twin-engined fighters. These characteristics were put to test by the US Air Force in the hostile environment of Vietnam, during the ‘Skoshi Tiger’ programme. As it proved cheap to procure and easy to operate and maintain, by 1965 the number of countries interested in the design grew steadily. In 1965, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) issued a requirement for a new tactical support fighter and among the contenders was the F-5A. The decision towards the Northrop design was influenced by the low initial cost, twin-engine reliability, proven serviceability and rapid deployment features. On July 14, 1965 an order for 115 CF-5As was issued by the Canadian government, and these machines
{60}
were to be built under licence by the country's Canadair firm.
A mixed bag The parts on the six runners were moulded cleanly in light grey plastic, which proved easy to work with. But despite being packed in a separate plastic bag, the clear parts on this example were marked with two perpendicular traces on the inside and outside of the canopy and windshield. Later on the build, these marks were polished out. There was also a small photoetched metal (PE) fret, which contained parts for
antennas and several optional parts concerning the chaff and flare dispensers (Dutch version). Two decal sheets were supplied; one with the main markings and a smaller item with stencils and
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ADVANCED BUILD
MODEL SPEC
F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER F-5A/CF-5A/NF-5A Freedom Fighter By:
Kinetic Model Kits
Stock Code: K48020 Scale:
1/48
Price:
US $22.99
Available from: Lucky Model, www.luckymodel.com
numerals to support the 16 colour scheme choices. The building sequence had specific parts callouts for the different variants that could be portrayed. Close attention must be paid in order to avoid bitter surprises, but more on this later…
Bodywork Firstly, all runners were cleaned with dishwashing liquid and water, to eradicate any traces of mould release agent. At this point, a detour from the build sequence provided by Kinetic
was taken; parts A1 and A12 were glued to the corresponding fuselage half, to ensure perfect alignment of the fuselage seam. Although the styrene parts offered acceptable detail, an assortment of copper/jewellery wire and scrap plastic were used to enhance the refinement of the cockpit sidewalls, ejection seat, canopy mechanism and on the main and front landing gear bays. These additions were glued with cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive in pre-drilled holes, to reinforce the attachment points. An oxygen hose was also fashioned from an old guitar string, which was bent and glued to shape, while the seat belts were made from wine bottle foil. Jewellery wire was used to create simple yet effective buckles.
Office decor Painting began with a layer of primer, in this case Vallejo 74062 Black Primer, to provide a good ‘key’ and depth. The main colour in the cockpit was Tamiya XF-20 Medium Grey, but highlights were achieved with XF-19 Sky Grey. The ejection seat cushion received US Dark Green and khaki accents, and the head rest was decorated with Lifecolor’s UA 088 Italian Mimetic Brown. The side consoles and instrument panel were painted
The cockpit parts were painted with Tamiya XF-20 Medium Grey and highlighted with XF-19 Sky grey. Oil wash enhanced the detail. Landing gear leg detail was accentuated with jewellery wire and plastic tubing. They were painted with the dry-brushing method, to ensure depth of finish. To ease the fit of the intakes, Gunze Mr. Surfacer 500 was used to blend them into the fuselage.
accordingly, varnished and then a wash of Burnt Umber and Lamp Black oil paints was applied to accentuate the detail. After overnight drying, this
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ADVANCED BUILD
F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER
Flaps were set in the lowered position. The wing-to-fuselage seam was perfect, and all that was required was a dash of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement.
Upper fuselage air intake faces were drilled, and then opened with a fresh scalpel blade.
work was duly sealed with several coats of matt varnish. All components expected to be painted aluminium were then prepared; to that end, front and main landing gear legs were assembled and detailed, along with the main wing assembly. The airbrakes were also built and the landing gear bay doors prepared. Vallejo polyurethane Black Primer was sprayed ahead of the aluminium paint. Once dry, these components were dry-brushed with Vallejo Model Air 71062 Aluminium, to render the desired metallic effect. This process allowed a high level of control on the shadows and dirty areas. And after a sealing layer of satin varnish, more Burnt Umber/ Lamp Black oil wash was applied over the aluminium, which further enhanced the recesses.
and port fuselage. Intake ducts were also assembled and, after the seams were neatened with abrasive paper on a toothpick, the entire sub-assembly was
Defining the shape With the front and rear parts of each fuselage half glued together, the side panels (D29 and D30) were glued on the starboard
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ADVANCED BUILD
F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER Mr. Dissolved putty was applied around the perimeter of part E21 and, when dry, was rubbed down with a Q-tip moistened in ethyl alcohol.
painted gloss white. The fuselage halves were then mated to enshroud the cockpit tub and front landing gear bay. Thankfully, the need for filler on this seam was almost non-existent. Closure of the under-fuselage section began with the addition of part E21. Although care was taken to align this component properly, the result was not perfect. The part seemed a tad small for its allotted area, therefore, Gunze Mr. Dissolved putty was applied around the perimeter of the part, and once dry was rubbed down with a Q-tip moistened with ethyl alcohol, to preserve the surface detail. Parts D7 and D8 also needed attention, and filler was used to blend them both to the fuselage and to part E21. The rear under-fuselage was a straight-forward affair, as the fit of part E22 was faultless. Moving forward to the wings, the flaps were glued to the previously assembled wing in the down position. Kinetic scored points here as alignment for raised and lowered flaps was provided.
The latter position was chosen, and the effect was pleasing. The completed wing was then married to the fuselage, but attention was needed on the join between the wing under-surface and the rear fuselage; the rear wall of the main gear bays must enter the slot provided on the edge of part E-22. Finally, the engine exhaust cans were painted internally with Humbrol Metalcote 27003 Polished Steel and, after two hours’ drying, the internal detail was polished with a Q-tip. Final steps during this phase consisted of drilling the faces of the air intakes present on upper and lower surfaces of the fuselage, as this simple procedure enhanced the model’s overall appearance. Several holes on the face of each intake were drilled with a 0.3mm bit, and then a fresh scalpel blade was employed to form the intake mouth.
Vallejo Model Air 71097 Grey Primer was airbrushed in thin layers over the entire airframe. This was followed by black and white to create depth.
Grey FS 36307 was represented with Lifecolor UA 113 Italian Light Blue Grey 1. The paint was airbrushed at low pressure and in thin layers, to avoid obliterating the preshading effect.
Glazing treatment As mentioned, the canopy and windshield were spoiled by two blemishes, inside and out.
Lifecolor UA 034 Light Grey represented FS 36251. The camouflage demarcations were set first, and the areas within then filled, with care taken not to over-saturate with paint.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ADVANCED BUILD
F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER Grey Lifecolor UA 145 French Blue Grey replicated FS 35237, to complete the Canadian Aggressor scheme.
The camouflage was airbrushed without masking, in a bid to match the soft demarcations evident in reference photos.
Highlights were applied with lightened versions of the camouflage shades, in a random pattern.
Therefore, the imperfections were scraped off with a scalpel blade. The next step involved polishing the canopy and windshield with finishing abrasives from the Mr. Laplos range, the last being 8,000 grade. The last step demanded polishing with toothpaste, which had the right amount of abrasive properties to restore clarity to the plastic. After being rinsed with fresh water, the clear parts were dipped in Johnson’s Future\Klear floor polish, which restored the shine and clarity. The windshield was fixed in place with white glue, and the fit was optimal. To mask the cockpit opening, the canopy was secured with thin strips of Blu-Tack; this also allowed the canopy to be painted and weathered with the
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rest of the airframe, thus reducing any unwanted contrast between the two. The landing gear bays and engine cans were masked with tape and foam, and the painting process began. Vallejo Model Air 71097 Grey Primer was airbrushed in thin layers over the entire airframe, airbrakes, pylons, landing gear doors and drop tanks. After allowing drying time, all panel lines, rivets and zones of shadow were pre-shaded with acrylic black paint, diluted with Tamiya X-20-A thinner. On the centre of the panels, and on areas supposed to be lighter, acrylic white was also sprayed, which created a good foundation for the main camouflage colours. This technique allowed variation of tone inside the same panels, to creating faded colours and more interest.
Painting: phase one One of the strong features of this kit was the number of colour schemes. In this case, choice fell on option 5, a Canadian CF-5A from 434 ‘Bluenose’ Squadron, painted with the three-tone ‘Ghost’ Aggressor livery, circa 1988. Unfortunately, Kinetic’s painting diagram had several errors, and the areas to be FS 36251 and FS 36307 were transposed. The latter colour was the first to be applied, via Lifecolor UA 113 Italian Light Blue Grey 1, at the relatively low pressure of approximately 11.6psi (0.8 bar), with care taken not to obliterate the pre-shading. Then came the FS 36251, in the form of UA 034 Light Grey. Note that the nose cone on this airframe should be painted FS 36251 instead of the suggested FS 36307.
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F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER Finally, The FS 35237 Gray Blue was applied, and UA 145 French Blue Grey proved a suitable match. Masking was then applied to the area surrounding the exhaust nozzles, before a 3:1 mix of Vallejo Model Air 71065 Steel and 71069 Rust was
airbrushed on the nozzles. The effect was enhanced later with several oil filters.
Phase Two: Volume Despite the effect already present on the main colours, the decision was made to enhance the apearance of the model’s surface. An equal blend of Lifecolor UA 113 Italian Blue Grey and UA 021 Light Grey was mixed and thinned heavily, and it was applied in a random pattern over the areas painted with Grey FS 36307. The centres of the panels were avoided at times, to prevent the result from appearing too uniform. The lighter version of FS 36251 was created with a 50:50 mix of UA 113 and UA 034, which was applied in the same manner. Then the contrast on the model needed to be enhanced, so the airbrush was loaded with heavily thinned Tamiya XF-54 Dark Sea Grey, and the areas around panel lines and even those in the centre of certain panels were treated. The decals were applied with tepid water and Micro Set/ Sol setting solutions; they performed perfectly, and conformed to all raised and engraved surface detail. Only at this stage in the build, though, was an instruction sheet error perceived. After a rigorous check of reference material, the previously opened square holes on the vertical tail had
Heavily thinned Tamiya XF-54 Dark Sea Grey was airbrushed on the areas around the panel lines and in the centre of selected panels. Despite the indication on the instructions, a part was added in error and had to be removed. Repair work was done with Milliput and abrasive paper, and the camouflage was re-applied with the aid of Post-it masks to protect the decal.
After the decals dried, the model was washed to remove setting solution, and sprayed with satin varnish as a foundation for weathering.
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F-5A FREEDOM FIGHTER to be filled and sanded flush! After allowing overnight drying, the model was washed gently to remove any decal setting solution, and was then treated to a protective coat of satin varnish.
Operational grime Burnt Umber and Lamp Black oil paints were mixed to a thin wash, which was applied neatly to all panel lines. After allowing an hour’s drying, a cotton bud moistened with turpentine was used to remove the excess. Weathering continued through the use of home-made oil paint filters, applied to much of the airframe and selected panels. Next, undiluted Lamp Black oil paint was applied to several panels and fuselage joint, and from these,
Grimy streaks were added with undiluted Lamp Black oil paint.
grimy streaks were created with a turpentine-moistened No.10 flat brush, dragged over the surface in the direction of the airflow. The airbrush was also used at this stage; A mix of Com-Art 20021 Transparent Smoke and 21021 Fertile Soil acrylic paints was sprayed lightly on several panel lines and structural details for extra life. The decals were
also muted accordingly with heavily thinned Transparent Smoke and, finally, bare metal effect was applied to the vertical and horizontal tail fins, and mainplanes, with a silver Prismalo I silver pencil.
Wrapping up The final stage of the build demanded detail painting on the refuelling probe, with Steel and Bright Brass shades. The pitot was also painted steel at this time. Navigation lights were also added and their fit was perfect. After a drying period, the previously painted undercarriage legs were glued in place with thick CA, as well as the respective doors and airbrakes. Wing pylons were also attached and loaded with two Mk.82 low-drag bombs, painted Olive Drab and drybrushed with Interior Green. The auxiliary fuel tanks were painted as per the rest of the model, and the ejection seat and canopy were duly installed. Kinetic’s great-value offering of the F-5A freedom Fighter provided a mostly trouble-free
build experience, with lots of fun. The parts were well moulded, and the detail more than enough to satisfy most modellers. As the F-5 equipped many air arms, plenty of schemes can be applied to this machine and the decal selection is more ❚ than generous.
Thin layers of Com-Art 20021 Transparent Smoke and 21021 Fertile Soil acrylic paint were sprayed on several panel lines and structural details.
Drop tanks were painted in the same method used on the aircraft itself. The bombs received Olive Drab with light green highlights.
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
PEPSI MAX Fujimi’s rendering of Kevin Schwantz’s 1988 Suzuki is built by Ian Hartup
T
hroughout the 1970s and 1980s Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha dominated the Grand Prix scene. For 1988, Suzuki had a developed version of its RGV-r 500 GP bike known as the XR-74 for Kevin Schwantz to ride. The machine was finished in the now iconic Pepsi red, white and blue livery
for the majority of the races. That era of the frankly scary 500cc GP bikes set a benchmark for motorsport madness, matched only by the legendary Group B Rally cars for its ferocity. The riders of the period are the stuff of legend; Schwantz, Spencer, Gardner, Rooney, Haslam...the names have resonance even now.
Debut offering Fujimi is not particularly well known for its motorcycle kits, having only recently entered this genre. So when the opportunity arose to build the firm’s recently issued kit of Kevin Schwantz’s legendary Suzuki RGV-r XR-74 it seemed daft not too! A selection of white and grey
plastic runners was supported by a bag of metal rods and in this release, a photo-etched (PE) metal fret. The PE, produced by KA Models of Korea, included grilles for the radiator and brake discs for front and rear wheels. Deviating from the instructions, the body panels and wheels were built with the intention of painting them before the frame and engine parts were tackled. However, there were issues with the fit of these components; the front and rear fairings were split front to rear with small inserts to bridge between them. The fit was not particularly good and much sanding and filling was required before a primer coat could be applied. The fuel tank was a three-part assembly that proved even more problematic. While the under section displayed an excellent fit with the upper halves they, however, fitted where they touched. What’s more, the join line ran through a recessed section on the top of the fuel tank, and removing this seam took considerable effort. Sanding the flat joins was fairly easy, but the recessed top of the tank required a good deal of careful work with folded Micromesh pads and tips of curved sanding sticks. To fill the gaps, a mix of cyanoacrylate (CA) and talc was skimmed into and over the area, and allowed to cure for several hours before it was sanded. This process had to be repeated several times due to the
Test-fitting of the engine block in the chassis; at this point the latter was not prepared at all for paint.
The carburettor shield and intake trumpets were shielded with a white fibreglass wraparound device. Fujimi moulded this in two parts, which made it tricky to align.
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74) Micromesh pads to a smooth and shiny finish. Several light coats of Zero Paints’ Brilliant White, followed by a coat of clear, provided a suitable basis for the forthcoming decaling.
The basic engine block was beautifully detailed, and really only required sympathetic shading with Alclad Aluminium colours to get the best results.
Brighten the experience
One must remove the plastic element of the rear brake disc structure, prior to fitting the PE components.
Careful surgery was required to get the PE front brake discs to fit the plastic centres. Despite this, the end result was definitely worth the effort.
Fujimi provided all of the racing livery on its extensive decal sheet, printed by Cartograf to the firm’s usual high standard. The decals on the main and rear fairings were, however, produced in large single pieces despite there being a number of vents and intakes on the panels. Despite this, after a couple of hours with a new No.10a blade in the scalpel, and broad flat brushes and a hairdryer, they were coaxed into place carefully. The end result was impressive, as the sheer quality of the decals shone through; they proved to be flexible, thin and beautifully responsive. After a suitable drying period, the decals were sealed not with a clear coat...but with a layer of wax. Gunze Mr. Hi-Coat wax was applied with a piece of lint-free cloth before it was buffed to a high shine, with the provided cloth that came with the bottle.
This image illustrates the filling and sanding required on the body panels. The tank, fairing and rear bodywork were test-fitted at this stage.
Powering on
MODEL SPEC
nature of the joins. During sanding and polishing, the opportunity was taken to correct the shape of the front edge of the rear cowling on the rider’s left side A few swipes with a course sanding stick, followed by polishing, proved to be all that was necessary. Once all filling and sanding was completed to satisfaction, a coat of Alclad grey primer was applied to check if any more work was required. After a few minor imperfections were dealt with, two coats of Alclad white primer were applied and when dry, polished with
With the body and wheels painted, attention turned to the rest of the bike. The basic engine block assembled in the usual manner and, while the joins were generally pretty good, a solid sanding block was employed to square
all mating surfaces where joins ran across them, due to the draw angles employed in the tooling. The various sub-assemblies were built and then mounted on cocktail sticks ready for priming with Alclad Grey. The instructions
called out all of the required colours with the usual Mr. Color/ Mr.Hobby shades but here, for the metallic shades required for the engine, Alclad paints were used exclusively. Satin black areas were painted with Mr.Color
Suzuki RGV-R (XR-74) 1988 ‘Pepsi’ By:
Fujimi
Stock Code: FUJ-141435 Scale:
1/12
Price:
£43.45
Available from: www.hiroboy.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
No.92...a rare paint in the UK at least. The carburettor shroud was a multi-part unit, which had to be built and painted separately (in an off-white shade) from the rest of the engine. For the review model, a mix of Mr.Hobby Flat White with a tiny drop of yellow
was employed to give the correct slightly satin cream finish of the fibreglass original. Once all of the sub-assemblies had been painted they were built into the completed engine. The level of detail was very good; not quite up to the standard of recent Tamiya
The engine fitted tightly and precisely. Unlike Tamiya, Fujimi opted to shun screws and utilised metal rods to align everything. As a consequence the model featured a much more appropriate finish.
or Hasegawa bike kits but still impressive...especially considering how little of it would be seen once the fairing was in place.
Wheels of steel The PE fret provided parts for the front and rear brake discs, and needed to be applied to modified styrene components. As seen in the accompanying photographs, careful trimming and sanding was required to enable the PE parts to fit to the plastic items; the PE discs were set to one side to be fitted later once the mounts had been painted appropriately. Radiator faces were also rendered in PE, but these proved to be a little too springy to be applied easily to the plastic core. They
were, therefore, annealed over a hot flame before being glued to the plastic parts later with CA. The rear trailing arm proved a little tricky to align correctly, as there was a lack of positive location points. So, the chain was therefore left to one side while the two parts of the rear arm were built, and the joins between them sanded smooth. The rear spring proved to be an overly complex way of dealing with this component. Unfortunately the result was a distinctly weak part of the kit, but with a little care and forethought, it proved possible to add the shock mount to the rear trailing arm once all the parts of the rear frame had been painted and assembled. To achieve this, parts D7 and D8 should be glued together and assembled with the rear frame. The flange moulded on the top of part D21 should then be removed to allow the part to slide into the aperture in the shocker body. Parts D1 and D2 were designed to locate the shock mount into the main frame and trailing arm; although the instructions failed to illustrate this clearly, the intention was that the small tongue created when D1 and D2 were glued together located into a slot in the base of the main frame part C6. Care must therefore be taken to ensure that C6 is located properly. The main frame was constructed from a selection of parts, and despite the intimation in the instructions, it could be assembled before the engine and rear frame were added. In fact, this was essential to allow it to be painted correctly. The instrument
The exhaust pipes, pre-painted in Alclad Steel, were fixed in place. Much effort could have been expended in masking these and adding ‘hot metal’ effects, but so little would be seen that it was deemed counter-productive.
Locating the main damper/shocker was fiddly; the author’s attempt at simplifying this process didn’t, in retrospect, help a great deal.
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SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
The left-hand side front corner of the rear fairing was shaped incorrectly for the 1988 Pepsi bike, so after careful study of reference photos it was marked with a pencil and re-shaped with sanding sticks.
frames, front and rear, be painted with Mr. Color Super Metallic SM08 Plate Silver. But this is another rare colour in the UK and so a suitable substitute was found in Zero Paints’ Mica Silver ZP-1047 which, sprayed from the bottle, provided a smooth and bright silver finish reminiscent of the real bike. Once the frame had dried, the engine and rear arm were added, along with the painted and decaled rear wheel and chain/sprocket. This led straight into the addition of the already painted and detailed radiator, which fitted to the frame with a clever ‘slide in and click’ system, whereby two neat braces aligned everything perfectly. Very neat!
Cyano-talc filler The advantage of using CA such as Superglue and talcum as filler is two-fold; it dries quickly and can be sanded in less than an hour, but secondly, it does not react to the thinner in most forms of primer coats, which makes it ideal for bodywork preparation. The process is easy. Decant a small amount of thin CA into a suitable palette...the plastic lid from a Pringles tube is ideal. Add to this some talcum powder (any kind of cheap baby talc will do) and then mix the two into a thick paste; one may need to add more talc or glue to help to achieve this. Once the paste has been mixed to one’s satisfaction and chosen consistency, it can be applied to the relevant area with a suitable tool. Coffee stirring sticks are useful for this, especially the wooden type as they can be carved to a specific shape before use and this makes them highly versatile. Once the filler has been applied it can be left to dry naturally, or cured instantly with accelerant. Multiple layers are not an issue as the separate deposits will bond to each other.
Four candles!
The right-hand side of the rear fairing had a nasty sink mark on the top edge. This was easily dealt with via a shim of plastic strip. Interestingly, a second kit did not suffer from the same fault, suggesting this was an isolated issue.
The front forks built via a series of small and simple subassemblies; front wheel and brake discs, again with the PE parts left off until later, were engineered to ensure they aligned properly. A similar system was utilised on the fork bodies to ensure they fixed properly to the pre-painted mudguard and its mount. The only minor issue with the forks was that they were moulded with a seam all along their length, and careful sanding was required
to remove this. The handlebar bridge was engineered to ensure that the bars and fork bodies all located, and there was so little play that it became necessary to remove excess paint to make sure everything fitted as it should. The handle bars themselves were a neat multi-part affair, which
benefitted from careful painting before assembly. Note that the piping diagram on the reverse of the decal instructions was essential reading at this point!
Exhausted! The upper set of two exhausts on the real bike located inside the
cluster mount (parts D6, D7 and D27) should be added to the frame before painting, along with the bridge mount K1 and front fairing props D25 and D26. These last two pieces were handed and their correct orientated was essential, as the fairing would not locate properly otherwise. The instructions suggested that the
The handlebars were moulded in one piece and this was really the only let-down of the entire kit. Separate hand grips as per Tamiya would have made it far easier to paint and detail. Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
The forks, front wheel and brakes were constructed as a sub-assembly; the fit of the front hugger provided a heart-stopping moment or two, but in the end it was coaxed into place with a satisfying ‘click’!
The instrument panel mount fixed neatly to the main frame, but there was a little too much play in the join...which imparted slight twist into the front fairing attachment and this had to be dealt with later on.
Materials at a glance The rear wheel, still awaiting a gloss coat, was test-fitted to the rear suspension along with the PE rear brake assembly. A small amount of shimming was required to get everything to align properly.
Alclad (www.alclad2.com) Black and White Primers Various metallic shades MDC (www. modeldesignconstruction.co.uk) Gunze Mr. Hobby various colours Mr. Cement S Fine Compound F Tamiya (www.tamiya.com) Masking tape (various widths) Zero Paints (www.hiroboy.com) Brilliant White ZP-1026 Mica Silver ZP-1047 Pre-Mixed Clear Coat
The shift linkage was delicately moulded and fitted to the foot peg and shift lever very well. However, the attachment point for the lever was insufficient for the occasional load required in the handling of the model, and had to be repaired on numerous occasions.
{74}
Games Workshop (www.games-workshop.com) Citadel Washes, various colours
rear cowling, and this appeared potentially problematic at first glance. With this in mind, and with the cowling already assembled, painted and decaled, only one chance to get it right existed. The exhaust bodies were built and their seams sanded, before they were painted with Alclad Steel. Reference photographs did not show the heavily welded and weathered finish to be that prevalent on the real thing, so this was eschewed for the review model. The cans proved a little fiddly to tidy, so they were mounted in a mini-lathe and re-shaped with sanding sticks... but a mini-drill could suffice for those without access to a lathe. These parts were all handed, so do note which go where for later reference. The upper exhaust bodies were then glued in the frame and the adhesive was left to dry thoroughly before the cans were added. The upper cowl was then brought into play. Firstly, the rear-most section was slotted over the cans gently, making sure they aligned correctly in the mounts moulded inside the cowl. Once this was achieved, the main body of the cowl was pushed gingerly into place. In the end it proved to be an anti-climax, as there was sufficient spread in the part to allow it to clip over the pipes. The assembly of the lower exhaust
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INTERMEDIATE BUILD
SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
INTERMEDIATE BUILD
SUZUKI RGV-R (XR-74)
system proved even simpler... the only tricky aspect was to ensure it all aligned properly once the retention brackets were added.
Dressing up The main cowling and front fairing could then be fitted, but not before the little fiddly parts had been added to the frame. Foot pegs, gear shift and associated ‘bits and bobs’ all needed to be added. Some of the location points for these, though, proved to be an issue with holes that were undersized and the odd alignment problem reared its head at this late stage. A few minutes with a selection of minidrills did resolve matters fairly easily, but it was a pain in the short term. Typically, a paddock stand was provided and this was built and painted black. The remaining work proved painless and the resultant model belies the few minor issues it caused. Fujimi’s Suzuki RGV-r is a very good kit in isolation; its engineering is thoughtful and the detail sufficient, but it has stiff competition in this sector of the market as Tamiya and Hasegawa have also released newly tooled bikes from this era. Against that backdrop it just falls short of competing, which is a shame as the subject matter is unique. All of this considered, it is a kit to be recommended, simply due to the subject matter and the ❚ period it evokes.
The Pepsi logos on the main fairing required a great deal of careful hairdryer use to to settle them into the various vents and curves. A new No.10a blade and a stiff, flat brush supplemented the process.
The main fairing, with previously applied windscreen, was added to the frame. It began to look like a finished motorbike!
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EXCLUSIVE BUILD
ANGARA-1.2PP ROCKET
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The resin exhibited a slightly pebbly finish and soft detail...and every piece had a casting plug. Inclusion of a display base was thoughtful, though, as many rocket kits do not supply them.
MODEL SPEC
NT EH WE BM OO OT SH TE ER RL A FN OD R
Peter Johnson examines LVM Studios’ new resin Angara rocket kit, in an exclusive build feature
Once the casting plugs had been removed, the centres were hollowed slightly, to allow the edges to mate tightly. Key marks ensured that the sections were aligned properly with one another.
Angara-1.2PP Rocket “First Flight” By:
LVM Studios
Stock Code: 16030 Scale:
1/144
Price:
€44.50
Available from: lvm-studios.com
T
he Angara 1.2pp is the prototype of a family of rockets, designed to replace many of the Soviet-era examples still used to launch satellites and spacecraft. Launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on July 9, 2014, Angara’s sub-orbital test flight successfully paved the way for orbital launches later in 2014 or early 2015. LVM’s kit comprised 11 resin parts, an ALPS-printed decal sheet and a resin stand. The castings were well detailed, but they displayed a slightly pebbly finish, and the detail was quite soft and lacked sharp edges or definition. On the plus side,
there were no bubbles or voids on the pieces, and the cylindrical parts were not warped.
Ready for countdown The resin parts were cleaned with dishwashing liquid to remove any mould release agent, and allowed to air-dry. Each body section had a sizeable casting plug that had to be removed, and this was done with a razor saw...with just a little resin left to avoid damaging the mating edges of the sections. Coarse files and abrasive paper then finished the process. Once the plugs were flush, the centres were ground with a motor tool, which left a 1-2mm shoulder around the edge. This afforded
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EXCLUSIVE BUILD
ANGARA-1.2PP ROCKET plenty of surface area for the sections to be glued together, but avoided the problem of getting the ends perfectly flat. Medium abrasive paper was used to fettle each edge until the sections stood vertically; individually and when stacked together. Once the sections fitted properly, they were glued with cyanoacrylate, which was also used as filler where necessary. The two fins and external fuel pipe were added, but the rocket nozzle was left off until later. Then the fuel pipe was slotted into the body, but the join proved impossible to neaten Removal of the tab from the pipe, filling of the slot and attachment of the pipe to the end fairings would, ultimately, have produced a better result. The completed rocket was then sprayed with Tamiya Fine White Primer, applied in several light coats and sanded to smooth the surface. Although the instructions suggested the payload shroud should be grey, reference photos showed it to be matt white. And to avoid spraying the entire rocket with clear gloss, the surface was polished with Micromesh, only where decals would be applied. ALPS-printed markings are always prone to scratching, so the sheet was ovecoated with Microscale Liquid Decal Film to protect them. The decals were then cut out closely
Careful sanding ensured a perfectly straight body. The pieces were stacked to verify that all were true, before they were glued with cyanoacrylate; the same adhesive was also employed as filler for the inevitable gaps.
References Angara photo gallery http://www.b14643.de/ Spacerockets_1/East_Europe_2/ Angara/Gallery/Angara_1.2PP.htm Angara rocket family http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angara_ (rocket_family)
around the designs, and applied with Gunze Mr. Mark Setter; the large ‘Angara’ titles were left in one piece, but the setting solution ensured that the decal film disappeared, and there was no silvering. Portions of decal stripe from the spares box were used to add the stripes on the external fuel pipe. One of the most colourful areas of the rocket was the thrust structure. Tamiya XF-3 Flat Yellow was brushed around the nozzle to represent an insulation blanket, while Matte Aluminum Bare-Metal Foil was used to cover the thrust structure itself, with strips of the same firm’s Chrome applied to highlight the seams. The grey resin was the right colour for the engine nozzle, so it was left unpainted, but the entire model received a light coat of Model Master Acryl Semi-Gloss Clear to seal the decals, and the payload shroud was sprayed with clear matt varnish.
We have lift-off! This will be a quick and fun build for any real space fan. Stacking the multiple sections could prove slightly tedious for some, but the end result was a welcome change from the usual featureless tubes that characterise most rockets. Hopefully, LVM Studios will provide more versions of the ❚ Angara family in the future.
After painting, the areas where decals would be positioned were polished with fine Micromesh. The decals adhered well with Mr. Mark Setter and no silvering occurred. The thrust structure was covered with Matte Aluminum and Chrome Bare-Metal Foil, to represent the most colourful portion of the model. Decals from the spares box formed the bands around the external fuel line.
The payload shroud was matt-coated to match Internet reference photos, which provided contrast with the glossy booster. section. Note the softness of the detail on the upper stage.
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OUT AND ABOUT
BRAMPTON MODEL SHOW 2014
Brampton’s Derek Griffiths built this amazing United Nations in Cyprus diorama, complete with scratch-built base and two Italeri 1/72 models, the Whirlwind and Bell 47.
Jens Braden augmented Revell’s 1/144 Boeing 787 Dreamliner with decals from Lima November, to produce this stunning airliner displayed on the Chelmsford Model Club stand.
SPECIAL ST IVES A
popular and friendly event, Brampton’s well-established show attracted a broad fraternity of clubs, Special Interest Groups and traders, with Burgess Hall in St Ives filled almost to bursting with an amazing selection of models and dioramas. The ‘make and take’ table,
supported by Airfix, was popular with the younger modellers, and a tombola raised more than £300 for the local Hospice at Home charity. IPMS Milton Keynes deservedly won the ‘Best in Show display’ with a fantastic mix of armour, aircraft, figures and sci-fi on its table. ❚ Stu Fone
A truly striking model could be found with IPMS Rutland; Richard Middleton’s Esci 1/72 Sopwith Camel, which featured home-made decals.
Showing what can be achieved with old plastic, Bob Rowles from North Essex Modeller’s Club built this eye-catching civilian-registered Meteor Mk.IV from Frog’s 1/72 kit.
Tamiya’s 1/35 Steyr 1500A received extra detailing and stowage, before being beautifully weathered, courtesy of Nigel Cook from Norfolk Scale Model Group.
On the IPMS Barnett stand, careful painting and a delicate panel line wash made all the difference on Russell Mardlen’s magnificent 1/48 Roden USMC T-28B Trojan.
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Richard Middleton finished his Tamiya 1/12 Honda RC166 as ridden by racing legend Mike Hailwood, in the 1996 TT races.
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Airfix Ad 1 F_P.indd 1
13/11/2014 12:52
ON THE SHELF BOOKS
LIGHT, MEDIUM AND HEAVY reference information, combining 1 Group commanding officers with which stations were operated from, and by whom, the first and last operational sortie of each squadron, followed by a list of aircraft types and losses. From a modelling perspective, the final section, which provides a detailed breakdown of each squadron, is the most valuable. After a potted history of a squadron, the histories of each aircraft are provided. The number of aircraft listed FTR (failed to return) is the most sobering element, and reflects the heavy losses inflicted on Bomber Command. The narratives are complemented by a small imagery portfolio, which
includes each type operated by 1 Group during World War Two. This is a fascinating history, and, in conjunction with the other parts of this series, will be invaluable to anyone interested in either a specific squadron or Bomber Command as a whole. SF
BOOK SPEC
The exploits of Bomber Command during World War Two have been the subject of many narratives. In this the fifth in a series of operational records of bomber
groups, the author adds a new dimension by providing information on the aircraft as well as the crews. Having already dealt with 3, 4, 5 and 6 Group histories, the author turns his attention to 1 Group, and charts how it originated with ten squadrons of light and medium bombers, was disbanded for a short period, and ended the war with 14 squadrons of heavy bombers. The opening narrative provides chronology of all operations undertaken by 1 Group, with greater emphasis placed on 1943-1945, when Bomber Command was at its peak of activity. A short section then provides a series of
1 Group Bomber Command: An Operational Record By:
Ward, Harrison & Korcz
ISBN:
978 1473 821088
Price:
£25
Format:
240mm x 155mm
Available from: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
POLISH HOMAGE
BOOK SPEC
It is not often that a unit history is inspired by a fascination with the story of one individual, yet serves as homage to that person and all those who served with him. Here, the author has managed to balance these aspects perfectly, via a wonderfully informative and Bomber Aircraft Of 305 Squadron By:
Lechosław Musiałkowski
ISBN:
978-83-6142180-1
Price:
£35
Format:
A4
Available from: www.mmpbooks.biz
evocative history with a collection of images, many previously unpublished. The man in question is F/Sgt Gabriel Miłosz, who served on 305 Squadron as a photographer, photo lab assistant and head of the photographic section, and took many of the images. Formed on August 29, 1940 as the last of the Polish bomber units, 305 Squadron began operating Fairey Battles, before it re-equipped with Wellingtons, Mitchells and finally Mosquitos before disbanding on January 6, 1947. Miłosz’ photographs covered every aspect of squadron operations, from refuelling and re-arming, through to pre-flight checks and the inevitable crash landings,
while still finding time for the classic crew and unit portraits. Throughout, anecdotes provide a no-holds-barred account of operations and of the hazards and threats inherent in flying over occupied Europe, but also how the squadron mascot, a dog named Ciapek, would only respond to orders in Polish and snarled at anything in English! Accompanying this treasure trove of imagery is a series of excellent aircraft colour profiles by Marek Radomski, which often feature close-ups of the nose and/ or Polish national insignia, which were usually located forward of the canopy. For we modellers, the images provide numerous ideas for composing airfield
dioramas, while the detailed notes accompanying the photographs and profiles will aid greatly in replicating any 305 Squadron aircraft, regardless of the chosen scale. This is a fantastic collection, and rightly honours those who served with this squadron during its existence. SF
‘STRINBAG’ COLOURS
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the schemes on the type actually were. From the pre-war Aluminium and Cerrux Grey (which eventually also adopted colourful wing and fuselage
markings, akin to the RAF), to the advent of camouflage and its many permutations on the type, the ‘Stringbag’ is no slouch if one is looking for variety. Interesting examples include an Operation Torch aircraft with the associated stars in circles, the seldom-seen (on this type) desert livery (Middle Stone and Dark Earth over Night), and a postwar Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky. Various items of weaponry are also shown on the colour profiles and plan views, and the ‘Taranto’ and ‘Sink the Bismarck’ chapters offer potted histories of the associated actions. Perhaps
not a vital purchase if just one model is to be built, but if a series is contemplated the book will be highly informative and a great guide to Swordfish schemes in peace and wartime. CC
BOOK SPEC
Whether one’s focus is the recent new-tool Airfix Swordfish, or other examples, don’t begin the build activity until this book has been purchased. By respected modelling writer Neil Robinson, and with colour artwork by Peter Scott, this is a splendid and most useful collection of colour schemes... all with detailed captions on the airframes and their colours and markings. Anyone who has previously shunned the Swordfish as a build subject would do well to invest in this 76-page softback, as it ably shows just how varied
Fairey Swordfish in British, Canadian & Netherlands Service in World War Two By:
Neil Robinson
ISBN:
978 0957 551312
Price:
£21.99
Format:
A4
Available from: Airfile Publications
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SEND IN YOUR PRODUCTS FOR US TO REVIEW AT: Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, Units 1-4 Gwash Way Industrial Estate, Ryhall Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XP, UK
WORKMANLIKE TRAINERS 4,000 made. Each aircraft design receives meticulous attention, from development to flight characteristics, backed by an incredible collection of photographs and profiles, including those flying today. Production of Bücker aircraft continued throughout World War Two, including licence-built aircraft in Spain, Czechoslovakia and Japan. Expropriated by the Soviets in 1945, the Bücker factory at Rangsdorf was amazingly intact when Germany reunified in 1990, and now serves as a museum. A chapter is devoted to the ‘Bücker scene’ - those enthusiasts who maintain and fly these iconic designs, with clubs and associations located across the world. With the news that the
B&F Technick Vertriebs GmbH has acquired the production rights for Bücker’s Jungmann, the story will no doubt continue. Modellers will appreciate the detailed schematics and drawings which highlight the various changes in design; the appendices, which list every Bücker aircraft produced, will also be invaluable. SF
BOOK SPEC
In the world of aerobatic and training aircraft the name Bücker is legendary...although perhaps lesser known outside such circles. The authors have compiled an encyclopaedic history of this company and its aircraft, complete with a biographical
take on designer and company founder, Carl Clemens Bücker. An accomplished pilot, aircraft designer and industrialist, Bücker flew with the German Navy prior to World War One. After 13 years in Sweden as a consultant and test pilot, he returned to Germany in 1933, to launch Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH and designed its first biplane, the Bü131 Jungmann. Initially rejected by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, the Bü 131 Jungmann and its single-seat counterpart, the Bü 134 Jungmeister, quickly became the standard training aircraft for the Luftwaffe, but also sold internationally. A later design, the monoplane Bü 181 Bestmann, was even more successful, with more than
Fascination Bücker Aircraft By:
Klaus-Jochen Rieger and Christoph Rieger
ISBN:
978-3-98141241-3
Price:
€59.95
Format:
A4 hardback
Available from: www.aviationbookcentre.com
UPPER-CRUST PILOTS
BOOK SPEC
I first alluded to this excellent re-printed book, sub-titled ‘The Remarkable Story of 601 Squadron and the Flying Sword’ in last month’s Editor’s Desk... and how it had fuelled my current Battle of Britain research frenzy. The Millionaires’ Squadron By:
Tom Moulson
ISBN:
978 1783 463398
Price:
£25
Format:
241mm x 162mm
Available from: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
The author was a serving Royal Auxiliary Air Force pilot with 601 Squadron, from 1950-57, so was well placed to impart this fascinating tale. Basically, the defining factor of the unit was that in its early days, its pilots were recruited by the commander, the then Lord Grosvenor, and a stipulation was membership of London’s exclusive White’s Club. In common terms they were a posh lot, and got up to all manner of high jinks at weekends when on duty with the County of London Squadron. Famous names adorned the roster; Max Aitken, Sir Philip Sassoon, Loel Guinness,
Whitney Straight and Roger Bushell (mastermind of ‘The Great Escape). The story does a magnificent job of describing the pre-war ‘Silver Period’ and all its glamour, but it readily becomes apparent that the crucibles of The Battle of Britain and Malta were great levellers, and made no distinction between bluebloods and the common man... both bled the same in those wartorn skies. While the BoB section is enthralling, equally engaging for this reviewer was the text on Malta. A separate chapter explores the career and fate of ‘Great Escaper’ Bushell, and the closing stages are somewhat
tinged with sadness for the demise of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons. There is a small selection of photos, of pilots and aircraft, but the enjoyment here lies firmly in the words, which were inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable. CC
DESERT CATS cover the tanks in each of the troops deployed. Care has been taken to provide information on vehicle markings and call signs, as well as several views of the same vehicle. It is certainly clear that this publication has the
modeller/enthusiast in mind, as there really isn’t one aspect of the tank that hasn’t been covered. If any criticism could be levelled, it would be that the book lacks any history of the tank, how they were used and a timeline of any changes to the vehicles. Photos of tanks fitted with thermal covers and cooling units are often followed by those without, so it can get a little confusing as to how certain vehicles looked at any one time. Those issues are just ‘nice to haves’, though, and ultimately the book gives the modeller what is needed and that
is clear, large-format pictures showing colours, markings, weathering and stowage... superb. PC
BOOK SPEC
If one is planning to build a Leopard C2 MEXAS, the MPA Publications photo assistant is a must. This A4 sized softback is an excellent reference source, packed with clear full-colour photographs taken by Anthony Sewards and Rick Saucier, during their tours of Afghanistan. The book is split into individual chapters; a thorough walk-round followed by dedicated sections on mine-roller, mine plough and dozer tanks. Battledamaged vehicles and photos that show the full sequence of engine removal offer great diorama inspiration. The final chapters
Modellers’ Photo Assistant MPA003 – Canadian Leopard C2 Mexas In Afghanistan By:
A Sewards, R Saucier & M Hraban
ISBN:
N/A
Price:
€22
Format:
A4 landscape
Available from: www.realmodel.cz Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF
AIRCRAFT KITS
MONSTER MAVIS
DAZZLING TEUTONIC SPOOK
Scale:
1/72
Price:
£32.99
Available from: Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk
REPTILIAN ROTORS
A venerable moulding makes a welcome return, this time in the stunning type-retirement markings of Germany’s flight test outfit WTD-61. Revell’s F-4F offers reasonable detail...but a good Phantom can be made with after-market or scratch-building help; the less fussy will still have a fine replica straight from the box. Highlights include engraved panel lines and raised detail in the cockpit, and the seats are multi-part units with F-4F Phantom II WTD-61 moulded belts. Slat mechanism "Flight Test" fairings come as separate items, By: Revell and there are proper faces to the Item no: 04895 engines, but the grilles on top of the air intakes are poor, as are the Scale: 1/32 exhaust nozzles. A superb feature Price: £36.99 is the enormous array of SyhartAvailable from: designed decals, which are of afterRevell, www.revell.de/en market quality.
PRODUCT SPEC
completed model. The basic decal sheet provides two dark green/grey options, for aircraft numbers KEA63 and KEA59, assigned to the 901st Naval Flying Group.
PRODUCT SPEC
Japan’s fleet of flying boats provided sterling service during World War Two, so it’s a shame that the only available 1/72 scale kit of the H6K5 is Hasegawa’s vintage 1970s offering. As expected of a kit of this era, the surface detail is raised and includes innumerable rivets...and the interior is spartan. Four styrene runners have thick attachment points, so careful part removal is key. There are also sink marks, particularly on the wings, fuselage and crew Kawanishi H6K5 Type 97 figures. Hasegawa’s update provides Flying Boat Model 23 w/Radar a small fret of photo-etched metal for ‘901St Flying Group’ the nose-mounted radar antennas, By: Hasegawa with annotations in the instructions Item no: 02048 for adding rigging wires to the
DAMBUSTER BUG
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Hasegawa shows no sign of halting it’s re-release programme and, having already recently re-issued its F/A-18F mould with new decals, it now has this ‘Echo’ Super Hornet. The markings choice is a good one, though, especially as the firm has offered previous versions of VFA-195’s special 'Chippy Ho' schemes on its Legacy and Super Hornets. Easily the best examples of the type in 1/72 scale...but they are F/A-18E Super Hornet ‘Chippy light on weaponry similarly to other Hasegawa aircraft kits. The stores are Ho 2014’ limited to AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9X By: Hasegawa Sidewinder, fuel tanks and a FLIR pod, Item no: 02111 but twin-store carriers are provided Scale: 1/72 if one wishes to add bombs from other sources. Just the one livery is Price: £29.99 presented in this boxing, that of the Available from: • VFA-195 Commander Air Group, Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk USS George Washington, 2014.
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
Special Hobby is giving AZmodel a run for its money with its Cobras. Splendid moulding with fine panel lines and rivets is apparent although the seats are basic (SH offers more refined resin options and PE cockpit details separately). Dial decals are offered for the instrument panels and there’s convincing moulded quilting on the rear bulkhead. Armament is comprehensive, with a minigun and ammunition sponson, XM-18 AH-1G Cobra Spanish & IDF gun pods and three styles of rocketBy: Special Hobby launcher. The detail on the smaller Item no: SH 72274 parts is impressive, and there’s even a towing-arm provided. The three Scale: 1/72 colour schemes include: Price: €17.60 • 007-8/Z14-8, Spanish Navy, 7 Available from: Escuadrilla, Rota, 1973-84 Special Hobby, • 01-702/Ha.14-2, Spanish Navy, 7 www.cmkkits.com Escuadrilla, Rota, 1973-84
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ON THE SHELF
AIRCRAFT KITS
PRODUCT SPEC
Special Hobby continues to delight with its growing range of lesser-known World War Two aircraft, and the IAR-37 is no exception. Comprising three runners (one clear), a photo-etched metal (PE) fret, instrument panel placard and 30 resin parts, this is a complex little kit, and the instructions even include guidance on rigging for the wings. Detail is superb, with the resin engine and 7.92mm Browning machine gun being notable for their casting. Given its bombing/ reconnaissance role, a full load of IAR-37 "Romanian Light 24 50kg bombs is included, with PE Bomber" bomb-racks. Even better, Special By: Special Hobby Hobby will also be releasing an Item no: SH72290 IAR-38, with its different engine and wing. Three Royal Romanian Scale: 1/72 Air Force schemes (olive green/ Price: €20 light blue) are provided: Available from: • White 40, 1944 Special Hobby, • White 16, Eastern Front, 1942 www.cmkkits.com • Black 6, 1939
MACH-BUSTER!
S&M Models is now importing the Glencoe Bell X-1B, which is actually the original Strombecker kit from 1958! Make no bones about it, this offering is very basic and has sparse detail, but for the nostalgic it’s a chance to challenge one’s scratch-building skills...and it’s the only kit of the type in this scale. For the unaware, the ‘B’ (81385) had a slightly different wing to the X-1A and it was used for thermal research. Unarguably, the best thing about this release Bell X-1B is the decal sheet, which is By: Glencoe Models beautifully printed and carries three schemes, all in polished Item no: 05120 aluminium but with subtle Scale: 1/48 differences in the markings. Price: £15 There are 'NACA' and NASA' Available from: titles for the vertical tail, along S&M Models, with stencils and the rich, red www.sandmmodels.co.uk 'Bell X-1B' name for the nose.
PRODUCT SPEC
EASTERN EUROPEAN SNOOPER
TERRIFIC TRI-MOTOR
KONKORDSKI!
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
Despite the prototype flying several weeks before Concorde, the Tu-144 was always in the shadow of its Anglo-French counterpart. The same can be said for kits of the aircraft, although ICM released its version in 2012...which has now been re-released by Revell. Detail is excellent throughout, especially the very fine engraved panel lines. Options for flying or wheels down modes are included, with a stand provided for the former and the infamous drooped nose and Tupolev Tu-144D complex landing gear faithfully By: Revell reproduced for the latter. Nine Item no: 04871 schemes are offered; however, only airframe numbers 77112 Scale: 1/144 and 77115 are applicable to the Price: £16.99 Tu-114D; the others are for Tu-114S Available from: airframes, which were fitted with Revell, www.revell.de/en different engines.
Rugged and reliable, the Junkers Ju-52/3M was one of Germany’s air transport workhorses during World War Two. The Revell release of this aircraft in 1/144 scale is the latest in a series of re-boxings of Eduard tooling, but containing different decal options. With a surprising number of parts, including optional landing skis for operating on snow, this will build into an excellent model, and the corrugated structure has been captured perfectly. Unfortunately, one aspect of the original release not included is the canopy mask, which is vital for the main ‘glasshouse’. Two schemes are provided on the busy decal sheet, one in arctic camouflage, the other in standard RLM 70/71/65 garb, Junkers Ju 52/3M although swastikas will need to be By: Revell obtained from other sources as Item no: 04843 none are included: • V1+LB Transportstaffel/VIII. Scale: 1/144 Fliegerkorps, Soviet Union, Price: £10.50 December 1942 Available from: • 7U+DR 2./KGrzbV 108, Norway, Revell, www.revell.de/en 1942 Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF
AIRCRAFT KITS
DIVE-BOMBING ‘BERTA’
TWIN-PROP HAULER
1/144
Price:
€14.95
Available from: Eduard, www.eduard.com
MULTI-ROLE RUSSIAN
PRODUCT SPEC
Anyone interested in Russian types shouldn’t miss Hasegawa’s Su-35S, which portrays the new multi-role Flanker with thrust-vectoring exhausts. This release is arguably the Japanese company at its best in 1/72 scale, as the detail is top-notch and, unlike most US aircraft offered by the firm, this release is packed with a huge arsenal: radar and infrared AA-10 Alamo, AA-12 Adder, AA-11 Archer, AS-17 Krypton, KAB 1500 bombs and B-8 rocket pods. Optional exhaust nozzles are given along with an open/closed canopy and moulded cockpit instruments. In Su-35S Flanker keeping with the up-to-date nature By: Hasegawa of the real aircraft, the schemes Item no: 01574 have the ‘BBC POCCИИ’ legends on the tails. The two main liveries Scale: 1/72 represent three-tone camouflage Price: £36.99 and the dark grey over blue: Red 04 Available from: and Red 07 given, along with Red Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk 03/06/11 and Black 01.
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stripes are poorly rendered and these areas are best painted. But nose-art features, though: 12572, 63rd TCS, 403rd TCG, Kimpo Air Base, Korea, 1952.
PRODUCT SPEC
Scale:
Roden’s new Boxcar should please cargo fans no end. Four styrene runners carry parts that possess very fine detail in places; good engraved lines, well-shaped propeller blades and reasonable engines. Flash adorns some components, and there are ejector pin marks in the undercarriage bay door recesses, but overall this is good stuff! The inclusion of miniguns (not for use Fairchild C-119C Boxcar here) points to a Vietnam gunship release to come. One colour scheme By: Roden is included but it’s attractive, with Item no: 321 red panels over bare metal, although Scale: 1/144 the decals for the red and white Price:
£21.99
Available from: Pocketbond, www.pocketbond.co.uk
NOCTURNAL BUTCHER BIRD
The Luftwaffe’s single-engined night-fighter force relied in no small way on the Fw 190. To mark the fact, Eduard has done a favour for German World War Two fans, with a re-release of its Fw 190 moulds and extra parts. The latter include radar antennas (two versions) and flame dampers for the exhausts. The ‘190 series from Eduard is good in general, although one must pay careful attention to the fit. Plus-points are the radial engine, nose gun bay and cockpit, and this in particular is boosted with coloured PE. Tape masks Fw 190 Nachtjäger are provided and the colour schemes Profipack are super: By: Eduard • Fw 190A-8/R11, White 9, Gunther Item no: 8177 Migge, 1./NJGr.10 Scale: 1/48 • Fw 190A-6/R11, W.Nr. 550143, White 11, Fritz Krause, 1./NJGr.10 Price: €37.45 • Fw 190A-6/R11, Black 8, II./JG 300 Available from: • Fw 190A-7/R11, Yellow 1/Red ‘N’, Klaus Eduard, www.eduard.com Bretschneider, 6./JG 300
PRODUCT SPEC
Orthofer, II./StG 77 • Ju 87B-2 Trop, A5+MK, 2.StG 1, Dernal, Libya, October 1941 • Ju 87B, 29•6, 5.J/88, Legion Condor, Catalania, Spain, January 1939
PRODUCT SPEC
Are you a Luftwaffe fan short on display space? If so, Eduard’s twin-pack of Stukas is ideal. Despite the small scale, the detail on these Ju-87Bs is impressive; very fine engraving is present and the canopies have subtle framing. Bombs and ETC racks, and fuel tanks are present, along with a small photo-etched brass fret with components for the centreline bomb rack, radio mast, gun sight, dive brakes and more. The decals are excellent and include the famous pink pig unit badge seen on J/88 Stukas in Spain, and a sharkJu 87B Dual Combo mouthed aircraft. The three markings By: Eduard options are: Item no: 4431 • Ju 87B-1, S2+AC/10, Maj Alfons
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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20/11/2014 12:29
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13/11/2014 12:53
ON THE SHELF
MILITARY KITS
BATTLEFIELD OBSERVATION
TANK DESTROYER
INTERNATIONAL BATTLE TAXI
could do with being replaced. Three camouflaged options are provided, two in desert-style shades and another in tan/black/green: • Iraqi Army, 2006 • Russian Army, 2005 • Syrian Army, October, 1973
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PRODUCT SPEC
The BMP-1 was the first purposely designed armoured personnel carrier. Italeri’s release is a re-boxing of the ageing Esci moulds, and as such is beginning to look long in the tooth, particularly when compared to Trumpeter’s more modern take on the subject. That said, the parts are reasonably well detailed and include weld seams on the upper hull. Tracks BMP-1 are in the form of link-and-length By: Italeri sections and although adequate, Item no:
6520
Scale:
1/35
Price:
£24.99
Available from: The Hobby Company, www.hobbyco.net
PRODUCT SPEC
Tamiya has updated its earlier release of the M10, to reflect the British version with 17 pounder gun, featuring an all-new runner for the turret and main armament, and replacing the die-cast lower hull with a five-part styrene version. To offset the decreased bulk, four metal weights are included for ballast. Detail is excellent throughout, with the turret interior being the standout feature, including Sten guns for the crew. The only shortcomings are the lack of figures and stowage – reference photos M10 IIC Achilles show the vehicle exterior festooned By: Tamiya with equipment, boxes, rope etc. Item no: 32582 Tracks are moulded as link-andScale: 1/48 length items, with crisply rendered chevron pads. Decals for a single Price: £16.50 Olive Drab option are provided: Available from: • S237811, ‘Chelsea’, 62 Anti Tank The Hobby Company, Regt Royal Artillery, I Corps, www.hobbyco.net Normandy 1944
WHEELED RECONNAISSANCE
Revell seems to have become the major provider of modern German armour subjects, and this re-release continues the trend. Early and late versions of this vehicle can be built from the kit, which comprises four runners, with a length of wire for the radio antenna and eight rubber tyres. While internal detail is practically non-existent, the suspension is excellent, with approximately 40 per cent of parts and almost half of the instructions devoted SpPz 2 Luchs A1/A2 to it. Four schemes are provided: By: Revell • A1, 4./Pz Aufkl Btl 2, Hessisch Item no: 03036 Lichtenau, 1980/1985 • A2, BrigSpZg 12, Übung Royal Scale: 1/35 Sword, 1990 Price: £22.99 • A2, Pz Aufkl KP 120, Macedonia, 1999 Available from: • A2, Multinationale Brigade Süd, KFOR, Revell, www.revell.de/en Kosovo, 2000
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
This artillery observer Panzer III Ausf.F variant is typical Dragon...from the huge array of parts to the excellent detail throughout. In total there are 22 styrene runners, three of which are transparent for the vision ports and commander’s cupola, and one photo-etched (PE) metal fret...though there will be a huge number of spares. There are a few idiosyncrasies, such as showing smoke dischargers in the instructions when they were not used Panzerbeobachtungswagen on this variant, and providing PE III Ausf.F (Sd.Kfz.143) clamps for the jack, but not including By: Dragon the jack itself. Track links are moulded Item no: 6792 beautifully in DS styrene and ably Scale: 1/35 capture the look and sag of the real items. A miniscule decal sheet provides Price: £49.99 for two options, a Panzer Yellow and Available from: red-brown camouflaged vehicle from The Hobby Company, Abt.500 on the Eastern Front, and an www.hobbyco.net unidentified Panzer Grey tank.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF
MILITARY KITS
MONSTER TRUCK
CRUEL LADY
BLAST FROM THE PAST
PRODUCT SPEC
A Cold War icon, the M-65 Atomic cannon is a limited edition re-release from Revell of the classic Renwal kit, originally from 1958. Besides the 280mm cannon, two transporter vehicles and five figures are included... this is a huge model, which measures more than two and a half feet and can be posed in firing or transit modes. One consequence of the kit’s age is a lack of clear styrene to represent vehicle windows, but otherwise the Atomic Cannon detail is good, albeit a little Spartan By: Revell/Renwal in places. The only real weakness is Item no: 85-7811 the figures, which are poor compared to today’s standards. A single Olive Scale: 1/32 Drab scheme is provided, but the Price: US $59.99 vehicle number isn’t representative Available from: of an M-65 – it’s a throwback to the Revell, www.revell.com original release, kit number M553.
PRODUCT SPEC
This great kit will appeal to novice and more experienced modellers alike. The Achzarit (Hebrew for ‘cruel’, with a female inflection) was built from 1987 and the Israeli project converted T-55 tanks into armoured personnel carriers. Meng offers well-detailed parts on seven styrene runners, and one clear for vision blocks; the firm's rendering excels, with a full internal corridor, excellent rear stowage frame and individual Israeli Heavy Armoured suspension swing arms. The upper Personnel Carrier Achzarit hull is festooned with fine features; Early engine screens, fuel filler points, By: Meng reactive armour, and the rear hatch Item no: SS-003 can be posed open. Extra side armour comes via photo-etched Scale: 1/35 brass, but the tracks are in vinyl. Price: £34.99 Three colour schemes are offered: Available from: • 1st Golani Brigade Creative Models, • 3rd company, unknown brigade www.creativemodels.co.uk • unknown brigade, Gaza, 2008
COLD WAR HAULER
Essentially the prime transporter of Soviet/WarPac forces, the Gaz-66 has been treated well by Trumpeter. A full chassis and engine offers great detail, along with a well-rendered cab interior and flatbed section. The latter can be built as an open unit with support Russian GAZ-66 Light Truck frame, but one also receives a moulded cover that fits directly onto the frame. By: Trumpeter Two frets of photo-etched brass offer Item no: 01016 refinements such as tie-downs, and the Scale: 1/35 vinyl tyres have a realistic muted finish and convincing tread. The decal sheet Price: £39.99 provides a registration plate and dial Available from: detail for the dashboard, but no other Pocketbond, markings are supplied. This is a worthy www.pocketbond.co.uk offering with much potential.
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
Kinetic’s Maxx Pro 4x4 MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle has a very high styrene parts count, four rubber tyres, and a single photo-etched (PE) metal fret. With a well-appointed interior and exterior, the kit has plenty of detail, including PE harnesses for the seats; one note, the windows will require treating with a greenish/blue clear coat to simulate the armoured glass installed in the real vehicle. Two different turret armament fits are offered, either a .50 cal machine gun 4X4 MRAP Armoured Fighting or 40mm grenade launcher. A small Vehicle decal sheet provides for two Sand Yellow schemes, although both have By: Kinetic markings for Pre-Deployment Training Item no: K61011 Equipment...these would not be present Scale: 1/35 for vehicles in Afghanistan or Iraq. Kinetic provides guidance on the best Price: US $39.99 colours to match the specific shade of Available from: Sand Yellow, with recommendations Lucky Model, for Tamiya, Humbrol, Model Master and www.luckymodel.com Vallejo paints.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF
MARITIME KITS
‘D’ CLASS DESTROYER
ROYAL NAVY DUO
Scale:
1/700
Price:
£35.99
Available from: Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk
POCKET-SIZED BATTLESHIP
Cyber-hobby’s double set is a clever re-boxing of the Skywave/ Pit-Road Type 42 Batch 1 and HMS Trafalgar kits, with added parts to enable a full-hull version of the destroyer to be built. Despite the original moulds being of late 1980s and early 1990s vintage respectively, there is no flash present, and the level of detail speaks volumes for the original kits being well ahead of their time. With just five styrene runners in total, this is not an HMS Newcastle Type 42 overly complex build, and the Destroyer (D87) and HMS majority of runner B will go Triumph Submarine (S93) unused, as this is generic to By: Cyber-hobby several US, UK and Japanese Item no: 7106 vessels. Additions include a single-piece lower hull for the Scale: 1/700 destroyer, and two Sea King Price: £20.99 helicopters, each with their own Available from: stand. Only a single option is Amerang, offered for each vessel, HMS www.amerang.co.uk Newcastle and HMS Triumph.
PRODUCT SPEC
be displayed in its full-hull form. Three scheme options are provided, for the first three vessels of this class, Daring, Dauntless and Diamond, D32, D33 and D34 respectively.
PRODUCT SPEC
HMS Daring and her five sister ships represent the most powerful destroyers the Royal Navy has ever operated. Cyber-hobby’s kit reflects the design of the real ship ably, and replicates the simple structure of a ‘stealthy’ vessel. Comprising four styrene runners and a small photo-etched metal fret, there are surprisingly few parts to this kit, although the level of detail is excellent, particularly for the scale. Full-hull and waterline options are offered, and modellers will gain sparesa-plenty from runner B, as only the HMS Daring Type 45 components for the diminutive Lynx Destroyer helicopter are used. The excellent By: Cyber-hobby styrene finial-type stand is included, Item no: 7093 which enables the finished model to
TERROR OF THE PACIFIC
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If one is a novice ship modeller, or thinking of starting out with maritime subjects, this all-new tooling of the famous Akagi is a splendid place to start...but more experienced ship fans will love it too. Nine styrene runners offer a wealth of lovely detail, even evident in an impressive way on the ship’s boats. The waterline-only format may disappoint some, but that aside it’s a superb kit. Structural ribbing is moulded into the interior under the flight deck, while the superstructure (moulded integrally with the ship’s hull halves) also displays much embellishment, such as deftly rendered potholes. Fine anti-slip surfaces and anchor chain enliven the foredeck, and 16 aircraft also feature; Type 21 Zero, Type 99 Model 11 and Type Aircraft Carrier Akagi 97 Model 3. Arguably, though, the By: Hasegawa jewel in the crown is the beautifully Item no: 227 moulded flight deck, with finely rendered planking. A ballast block Scale: 1/700 is included and the colour scheme Price: £29.99 portrays the vessel during the Available from: Battle of Midway, 1942. Aircraft Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk decals are also included.
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
Revell’s tiny battleships have been around for years, yet the mouldings show little sign of age. All of the parts, including the waterline hull and full-length deck/superstructure are on a single runner, with the majority of detail moulded onto the larger parts. The kit depicts the vessel as she was in 1944, with a full complement of anti-aircraft (AA) guns. With less than 30 components in total, this is an ideal model for beginners, as it offers quick assembly with easy-to-handle parts. Of note, alternative helicopters and boats Battleship USS Missouri are provided and these enable (WWII) the modeller to build Missouri as By: Revell she was configured in the 1950s, Item no: 05128 although this would require work to cut away the multitudes of AA Scale: 1/1200 guns. The single scheme offered Price: £7.49 is for Missouri in Measure 32/22D Available from: camouflage, with its sinuous Revell, www.revell.de/en colour demarcations.
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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Airfix Ad 3 F_P.indd 1
13/11/2014 12:54
ON THE SHELF FIGURES
AIR CAVALRY
THE COOLER KING
PRODUCT SPEC
By:
Plus Model
Item no:
AL4048
Scale:
1/48
Price:
€11.30
Available from: Plus Model, www.plusmodel.cz
German Infantry Bivouac By:
Dragon
Item no:
6695
Scale:
1/35
Price:
£16.99
Available from: The Hobby Company, www.hobbyco.net
Oman’s Adoo insurgency at the beginning of the 1970s has become the stuff of legend due to actions such as the battle of Mirbat. Here, Mitches offers a large-scale SAS sniper from Operation Jaguar in 1971, which was part of the related Dhofar rebellion. The figure sits on a rock outcrop (supplied as the base) with his rifle across his knees, and wears a laden rucksack; one can enliven the latter with an M79 grenade launcher also supplied. This is a hefty collection of resin, which is generally well detailed, and the troop’s head features the ‘gone native’ look with a scarf wrapped around it. Highlights include a very good telescopic sight. SAS Operation Jaguar W/L421 Sniper Rifle By:
Mitches Military Models
Item no:
200/11
Scale:
200mm
Price:
£65
Available from: Mitches Military Models, mitchesmilitarymodels.co.uk
By:
Mitches Military Models
Item no: B12 Scale:
200mm
Price:
£35
Available from: Mitches Military Models, mitchesmilitarymodels.co.uk
removed, and sanding of certain areas is recommended to obtain a smooth finish. Arms and hands are cast separately; the left hand is covered by the famous baseball glove, while the ball is gripped by the right hand. Creasing on the T-shirt will ensure interesting shading/shadowing, and the A2 flight jacket will test one’s leatherpainting prowess.
POUNDING THE REICH
BULLET-DODGING FOOTBALLER
Planning to build HK Models’ B-17 or B-25? Then look no further than this superb multi-part resin bombaimer figure, which represents the mid- to late-war period in the European Theatre. Much thought has gone into the subject and it’s versatile too, due to the four separate white metal heads, with good detail. They offer the following combinations: no oxygen mask, goggles down; no mask and goggles up; goggles down and mask on, and goggles up, mask on...a separate mask is included, as is a chest parachute. The casting and detail on the resin components is splendid, and much fun awaits those when it comes to replicating the leather flight suit convincingly.
This latest TW release upholds the high sculpting standards we’ve come to expect, but represents an extraordinary story. The charging figure, with PS gas hood and bayonetequipped rifle, depicts the famous ‘Footballer of Loos’; Rifleman Frank Edwards and his fellow soldiers actually passed a football between them as they attacked German lines...and through British gas! The sculpting and casting is top-notch, the highlight being the gas hood, but the football is neat too and makes this an evocative item. A photo-etched brass rifle sling is included.
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
Any number of vignettes or larger scenes could accommodate Dragon’s Zeltbahn shelter-quarter and trio of troops. Posed away from the fighting, one soldier smokes a pipe and stands with a rucksack, while another standing subject has a hand on one hip and the other raised to his cap. Both men wear knee-length boots but are in shirt-sleeve order with braces on the trousers. Dragon also offers a kneeling troop with an open bag laid flat. The Zeltbahn comes in two sections with a support pole, and exhibits good moulding. There are some heavy mould seams on the figures though. Small arms include the MP40, Kar98 and MG44.
WHO DARES IN THE DESERT
USAF POW
USAAF Bombardier European Theater By:
Master Details
Item no:
32040
Scale:
1/32
Price:
US $14.95
Available from: Master Details, www.masterdetails.com
PRODUCT SPEC
Crew UH-1 Huey
LAY-UP POINT
{90}
While the box title doesn’t state it, this resin bust replicates the great Steve McQueen in The Great Escape. The likeness by sculptor Carl Reid is very good indeed, with handsome features and trademark grin in full evidence. All parts have casting stubs that need to be
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
These tough-looking dudes are the perfect accompaniment to a 1/48 Vietnam Huey build. Beautifully detailed in resin, their vests are packed with pouches and, for variety, one crewman wears a bandana while the other sports a peaked field cap. Holstered pistols and combat knives add to the aura, and the boots look convincing. We can almost smell that fresh napalm in the morning!
Corporal, 1St Bn London Irish Rifles, Loos 1915 By:
Tommy’s War
Item no:
TW54023
Scale:
54mm
Price:
£14
Available from: Tommy’s War, www.tommyswar.com
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
90_Figures.CC.indd 90
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Airfix Ad 4 F_P.indd 1
13/11/2014 12:55
ON THE SHELF
DECAL SHEETS
LEGEND: MARK TWO
By:
EagleCals
Item no:
EC#48-158
Scale:
1/48
Price:
US $16
Available from: Eagle Editions, www.eagle-editions.com
Spitfires that served far away from the European theatre always seem to have more interesting colour schemes. Iliad has exploited this fact to the full, with six cool liveries...most being that little bit different for one reason or another. Sure, there are standard SEAC examples but the white theatre bands and panels add contrast, although where things get exciting is via the fuselage-long red lightning bolt on a Dark Green Mk.VIII, a natural metal ‘VIIIc, and Indian AF aircraft...one with postindependence ‘Chakra’ insignia. The six options comprise: • LF VIII, MT703/AF-P, 607 Sqn,
available in 1/32 scale...for anyone with Revell's Mk.II. The scheme choices are: • P8088/NK-K ‘The Borough of Lambeth/Bette’, P/O Alec Lumsden, 118 Sqn, April 1941 • P7833/PK-K ‘Krysia’, 315 Sqn, summer 1941 • P7849/QV-J ‘Armagh’, F/L Walter Lawson, 19 Sqn, June 1941 • P7308/XR-D, P/O Bill Dunn (first Eagle Squadron ace), 71 Sqn, August 1941
FOR MUSTANGS AND MORE
PRODUCT SPEC
Fans of US aircraft of World War two should arm themselves with these handy markings, just in case any kit-supplied decals don’t hit the mark. Two sheets carry the following sizes: 14in, 15in, 20in, 25in, 30in, 35in, 40in and 43in... all are highly useful for any number of builds and individual aircraft types.
{92}
USAAC WW2 Insignia By:
Fantasy Printshop
Item no: FP715 Scale:
1/32
Price:
£6.95
Available from: Fantasy Printshop, www.fantasyprintshop.co.uk
Corresponding white backing patch decals for these are also available from Fantasy Printshop, under the code FP312.
PRODUCT SPEC
Spitfire Mk.IIa
SPITS IN THE HEAT
Spitfires Over India By:
Iliad Design
Item no:
48028
Scale:
1/48
Price:
US $12
Available from: Iliad Design, www.iliad-design.com
Imphal, May 1944 • LF VIII, JG560, Wg Cdr Frank Carey, AFTU, Amarda Road, 1944 • LF VIIIc, MD371/F, 3 (Indian) Communications Flight, 1946 • FR XIVe, NH786, SFTS, RIAF Ambala • FR XIVe, NH861/Q, 8 Sqn, RIAF, 1947 • Mk.XVIII, HS636/96, AFS (India), Ambala
MOUNTS OF ‘THE FEW’ Revell’s recent newtool 1/32 Spitfire has prompted a flurry of decal releases, and here’s one of Xtradecal’s sheets. On offer are markings for a trio of Spitfires in two styles of camouflage, but with three underside options, including the split Night/White. Due to the large nature of the markings no stencils are included, so one must rely on kit decals or after-market examples... but pleasingly, one of Pierre Clostermann’s aircraft features. Notes on propeller choice are also
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
There’s a pleasing mix of colours on the four RAF early-war liveries provided here, with Sky and Medium Sea Grey undersides and either Dark Earth and Dark Green or Ocean Grey and Dark Green on the uppers. Notable RAF pilots are also represented on this sheet, which displays excellent printing and provides stencils, national insignia and even the wing gas patch. Each scheme description offers information on insignia type and diameter (with notes on the individual aircraft), and the stencil placement diagrams are concise. The markings are also
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/ II Pt1 By:
Xtradecal
Item no:
X32053
Scale:
1/32
Price:
£7.99
Available from: Hannants, www.hannants.co.uk
included. Here are the options: • Mk.Ia, N3290/GR-U, 92 Sqn, Hornchurch, June 1940 • Mk.IIa, P8088/NK-K ‘The Borough of Lambeth/Bette’, 118 Sqn, Ibsley, May 1941 • Mk.IIa, TO-S, Pierre Clostermann, 61 Operational Training Unit, Rednal, November 1942
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF
DECAL SHEETS
This excellent new decal collection represents various Venturas from 34 Operational Training Unit Royal Canadian Air Force and early US Navy visitors...the common denominator being that all were seen on Canadian soil during World War Two. There are 11 subjects in total, and the camouflage runs from the RAF’s Temperate Land Scheme to Olive Drab and Neutral Gray, and USN Gray/Blue Gray shades; codes are in grey, yellow and white. The most pleasing aspect of this sheet is the beautifully detailed nose art, but the instructions are also very informative and offer much historical, camouflage and airframe information. Two aircraft are even fitted with skis, and this sheet is also available in 1/48 scale. Options include: • B.IIA, FD675/S2 ‘A. Hitler-Fancy Juggler’, 34 OTU, 1943-44
Here’s a generous and wellconsidered selection of markings for British-based aircraft flown by Dutch pilots during World War Two. Much variety is on offer, with types including the Spitfire, Typhoon/Tempest, Swordfish, Mosquito, B-25, C-47 and Halifax; there are 21 schemes in total which is great value, especially as one also gets national insignia. Nose-art is plentiful, with some examples on a small separate sheet (white backing for these sits on the main sheet). Examples include: • Spitfire Mk.Vb, AA866/YO-R, F/Lt Hugh Godefroy, 401 Sqn,
By:
Aviaeology
Item no:
AOD72030
Scale:
1/72
Price:
Can $13.39
Available from: Aviaeology, www.aviaeology.com
SPECIAL TONKA
PRODUCT SPEC
Got Revell’s new Tornado and want a decidedly different scheme on it?...then look no further than Syhart’s superb rendition of JaBoG 33’s celebratory livery on airframe 45+88, to mark 100,00 flying hours on the type. Pre-decal painting will be a doddle as the whole jet is black, but the markings, in pink, blue, red and yellow make for a dazzling example. Various stencils are supplied, along with the necessary national Tornado IDS 100,000h JaBoG 33 By:
Syhart
Item no: 48-077 Scale:
1/48
Price:
€12
Available from: Syhart, www.syhartdecal.fr
insignia; everything needed is here, including the under-nose Doppler panel, and horizontal stabiliser angle gradients. It’s a great option for those who love special schemes, and also available in 1/72 and 1/144 scales.
Dutchies in the RAF/FAA By:
Dutch Decal
Item no:
72072
Scale:
1/72
Price:
£11.99
Available from: Hannants, www.hannants.co.uk
1941-42 • Typhoon F.Mk.Ib, MN875/ EL-B, F/Lt ‘Bergy’ van Zinnicq Bergmann, 181 Sqn, 1945 • Spitfire F.Mk.IX, PL255/5R-A, F/O Jan Linze, 33 Sqn, 1944 • Mosquito F.Mk.XIII, Hk365/ME-Z, Christian Vlotman, 488 Sqn, RNZAF, 1944 • Halifax B.Mk.III, MZ50/C8-N ‘Bambi’, P/O Wijnbergen, 640 Sqn, 194-45 • Swordfish Mk.II, Ls437/S2, S Flight, 860 NAS, 1944-45
CALM BEFORE THE STORM Iliad’s thoughtful collection offers Hurricane fans an alternative to actual wartime schemes, with four styles of paint pattern on the undersides, and A/B pattern upper camouflage. Seven RAF liveries are provided (all Mk.Is), and there’s also a mix of fuselage/ wing roundel styles... and an aluminium Hawker demo/testbed airframe. Register and printing are good, and the yellow on the roundels isn’t too bright.
PRODUCT SPEC
Venturas in Canada 1
• GR.V, FN/974/K2, 34 OTU, 1943-46 • B.II, AE929/01 ‘Vivian’, 34 OTU, early 1944 • B.II, AE934/EX-Y, 34 OTU, late 1942 • B.II, AE860 (ski test) • B.II/PV-3, VP-82, US Navy, Newfoundland, 1943 • PV-1, 125-B-6, Lt (JG) T Kinaszczuk, VB-125, Newfoundland, 1943
PRODUCT SPEC
LOW COUNTRY FIGHTBACK
PRODUCT SPEC
LOCKHEED TWIN
Pre-War Hurricanes By:
Iliad Design
Item no:
72013
Scale:
1/72
Price:
US $12
Available from: Iliad Design, www.iliad-design.com
The choices are: • L1934/OP-D, 3 Sqn, July 1939 • L1568/S/73, 73 Sqn, 1938 • L1643/NO-B, 85 Sqn, 1938-39 • L1975/UV-K, 17 Sqn, 1939 • L1990/LR-R, 56 Sqn, 1939 • 315, 1 Sqn RCAF, 1939 • G-AFKX, Hawker (previously 56 Sqn) Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF
DECAL SHEETS
LOW-VIZ KITTIES
BLIGHTY’S TONKAS
By:
Furball Aero-Design
Item no:
48-036
Scale:
1/48
Price:
$19.99
Available from: Furball Aero-Design, www.furballaero-design.com
• F-14B, 162925/100/AA, VF-74 ‘Be-Devilers’, 1992 • F-14A (TARPS), 162695/100/AB, VF-102 ‘Diamondbacks’, 1993 • F-14A (Plus), 161599/100/NG, VF-211 ‘Fighting Checkmates’, 1991 • F-14A, 159002/100/NM, VF-191 ‘Satan’s Kittens’, 1987 • F-14A, 160667/100/NL, VF-51 ‘Screaming Eagles’, 1989
AUGSBURG EXPORTS
PRODUCT SPEC
If one is looking to give a very different look to a Bf 109G-6, look no further than Radu Brinzan’s new offering, which provides seven attractive Romanian ‘109s...perfect for Eduard’s recent kit, or any other G-6 in styrene form. Included are different versions with the cross or roundel national insignia, and either white or yellow theatre markings on the underside
{94}
Romanian Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 Part 1 By:
RB Productions
Item no: 48-017 Scale:
1/48
Price:
€10
Available from: RB Productions, www.radubstore.com
wingtips, fuselage and underside cowling. By Fantasy Printshop, the quality is very good and with decent register. The instructions also offer much information and colour four-views, and airframes with standard and Erla hoods are catered for. From the seven choices, some are: • Red 8 ‘Ţumpi Bumpi Floştomok!’, Grupul 1 Vânătoare, May 1945 • White 43a, 9 Vânătoare, Tecuci airfield, April 1944 • Blue 10, Escadrila 53, Grupul 7/9 Vânătoare, August 1944 • Yellow 1, Grupul 9 Vânătoare, Tecuci airfield, June 1944
PRODUCT SPEC
Air Wing All-Stars: Tomcats Part Two
If one can’t wait for Revell to issue its new 1/48 Tornado as an RAF machine or one simply wants alternative markings for any other ‘Tonka’ kit, look no further than Xtradecal’s Cold War selection. With all but one of the six options being from the 1980s, these are from the heyday of the East-West face-off, before the advent of boring low-vis grey! Just two sets of national insignia are supplied, but no stencils feature and these will have to be sourced separately. The frontline unit markings, though, when placed over the Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey Panavia Tornado GR.1/ GR.1A By:
Xtradecal
Item no:
X48-134
Scale:
1/48
Price:
£7.99
Available from: Hannants, www.hannants.co.uk
wrap-around, will look lovely. Options include: • ZD714/BE, 14 Sqn, RAG Bruggen, 1985 • ZA470/FL, 16 Sqn, RAF Laarbruch, 1984 • ZA60/CM, 17 Sqn, RAF Bruggen, 1985 • ZA411/AJ-S, 617 Sqn, RAF Marham, 1985
SPECIAL OPERATORS Having already covered early US Army 160th SOAR helicopters from operations in Somalia and the Persian Gulf, Floyd Werner now explores more of the unit’s assets from ‘Gothic Serpent’ and beyond, with MH-60L/Ks, MH-47E/Ds and ‘Little Birds’. Much is offered, with United States
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
Furball’s latest release is sized for Hasegawa’s F-14As and F-14Bs, but should fit most other 1/48 kits with a little care. All 11 options are CAG birds (100 or 200 Modex) in the tactical paint scheme of FS 36375, FS 36320 and FS 35237, with low-vis markings; sufficient stencils are included for two full aircraft. As well as the expected VF-84 and VF-143 choices, it is good to see VF-74 and lesserknown units such as VF-51 and VF-191 featured. The airframes include:
Night Stalkers Part 2 – Gothic Serpent to Present By:
Werner’s Wings
Item no:
48-06
Scale:
1/48
Price:
US $14
Available from: Werner’s Wings, www.wernerswings.com
Army legends, stencilling and tough-sounding airframe names. The printing is first rate and the colour instructions offer history notes from operations in Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Options include: • MH-6J, 81-23648, Somalia • A/MH-6M, 81-23634, Maj Matt ‘Bubba’ Worrell, Iraq, 2006 • MH-60L, 90-26276 ‘Dirty Deads’, Somalia, 1993 • MH-60K, 91-26377 • MH-47D, 85-24367
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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ON THE SHELF ACCESSORIES
Eduard
Item no:
648 173
Scale:
1/48
Price:
€7.45
By:
Red Zebra
Item no:
N/A
Scale:
1/48
Price:
£6
Available from: E-mail: redzebra100@ tiscali.co.uk
TIFFIE STORES
C-47 Landing Flaps By:
Eduard
Item no:
72588
Scale:
1/72
Price:
€22.95
Available from: Eduard, www.eduard.com
COOL CLUSTER BOMBS
Available from: Eduard, www.eduard.com
Eduard
Item no:
672 046
Scale:
1/72
Price:
€5.95
Available from: Eduard, www.eduard.com
British RP-3 Rocket With 60lb Sap Heads (Late, for Mk.III Rails) By:
Master Model
Item no:
AM-24-012
Scale:
1/24
Price:
€34.90
Available from: www.master-model.pl
Hasegawa’s weapons sets are useful, but at the same they’re ageing and not that comprehensive. Enter Wingman Models, with its superb resin and photo-etched (PE) brass SUU-30s...perfect for Vietnam F-4 Phantom loads. Six stores are provided (resin bodies/ tails, with PE fins), along with a well-printed decal sheet. The construction shouldn’t test experienced modellers.
PRODUCT SPEC
By:
Airfix’s Typhoon was always going to attract after-market activity. Arguably the best addition so far is this stunning set of rockets from Master Model. This package offers brass bodies and fins, turned aluminium heads, brass tail cones and firing leads, and plastic saddles. Decals are also offered. If one hadn’t already considered building Airfix’s giant Tiffie, these rockets may just be enough to tip the balance, they are that good; but the firm’s 1/24 Mosquito could be another recipient.
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
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C-47 Wheels
Hawker Typhoon Radiators By:
RB Productions
Item no:
RB-P24007
Scale:
1/24
Price:
€8
Available from: www.radubstore.com
TWIN-BOOM REFINEMENT
GOONEY BIRD GEAR
The fine tread on these neat resin wheels from Eduard makes them a classy addition for Airfix’s new C-47...but they could be adapted for use on older Italeri or Esci versions. Hub detail is excellent, there are flattened spots to portray aircraft weight and tape masks are also provided for neat painting/airbrushing.
After-market wizard and author Radu Brinzan has joined the Airfix Hawker Typhoon accessories melee with these exquisite photo-etched metal radiator grilles. With very fine mesh pattern, the parts fit directly onto Airfix’s kit plastic, including the centre-mounted oil cooler. Due to the highly refined nature of the components, RB recommends using Johnson’s Klear or varnish as adhesive, rather than cyanoacrylate.
PRODUCT SPEC
By:
Jackal Wheels and Tyres
The flaps are sizeable on a C-47, so these new and beautifully detailed items for Airfix’s 1/72 kit will be standout additions. Patience will be required because there is plenty of bending and folding (of delicate parts), but old hands with this medium will relish the challenge and, ultimately, the delightful results. Surgery on the kit plastic is necessary.
MAGNIFICENT MESH
SUU-30B/B (CBU-52/58) By:
Wingman Models
Item no: WMF 48021 Scale:
1/48
Price:
€16
Available from: www.wingmanmodels.com
MPM has released photo-etched metal details for its recent Vampire Mk.3. This small yet handy set includes pre-coloured instrument panel parts, seatbelts, head armour, rudder pedals, undercarriage bay/leg details, wheel hubs, intake louvres and extras for the throttle quadrant. Useful and good value.
PRODUCT SPEC
UB-16 Rocket Launcher
Great sculpting defines these replacement wheel/tyre units for Airfix’s Jackal. With chunky tread, fine circumferential detail on the sides of the tyres, and deftly rendered features on the wheels, these will add welcome refinement to the base kit.
EXTRA LIFT FOR THE DAK’
PRODUCT SPEC
PRODUCT SPEC
One of the most common stores seen on Soviet/Russian aircraft, the UB-16 is a good choice for model loads and these Eduard versions are highly detailed. They comprise resin main bodies and tail cones, with photo-etched brass plates between the two. A small decal sheet with Cyrillic stencilling is also included. Suitable for the L-39, Yak-28/38, MiG23/27 and Su-17/17/20/22.
CANINE BITE
PRODUCT SPEC
PODS OF PAIN
Vampire F Mk.3 By:
MPM
Item no:
K 72029
Scale:
1/72
Price:
€8.50
Available from: MPM, www.cmkkits.com
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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MODEL MART
CLASSIFIEDS
Tel: 01530 231407 www.aviationbookcentre.com Unmade or already built, any quantity, especially large collections, Will collect nationwide and pay best cash price.
Please call 01202-976974. or 07901-890461. Thank you.
Email:
[email protected]
PAGES OF TOOLS Perma-Grit Tools Tungsten Carbide Abrasives GREAT PRICES
www.pagesoftools.co.uk
[email protected] We now have the complete Pavla Resin and SAC undercarriage ranges in stock and on our website. You can also view and buy from our huge stock of Eduard kits, etch and Brassin, Aires, SAC, Pavla, Brengun, Valom, Quickboost, Rob Taurus, Amodel and many other hard to find manufacturers.
Fast and friendly service Easy to navigate webshop Large range of over 3500 models, figures, tools and accessories from Revell, Airfix, Italeri, Tamiya and many more, ready for immediate despatch Based in the Midlands since 2001 with worldwide shipping available
Web: www.models2u.co.uk Email:
[email protected]
Phone: 01543 433999
To advertise here T please call Tom Lee on 01780 755131
www.oxoniansplasticfantastic.co.uk
[email protected] - DON’T FORGET ALL UK ORDERS ARE POST FREE -
Numbers you can trust
All too often advertisers accept publisher’s statements on their performance. Our ABC Certificate shows we have been independently audited and gives credibility to support our claim.
Justify your marketing spend and get the exposure you’ve been promised. As you can see from our ABC Certificate our circulation is 11,488 for the period 1st Jan to 31st Dec 2013. See it, believe, trust it To advertise, call Tom Lee on 01780 755131 or email
[email protected]
or email
[email protected]
FOR ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES CALL TOM LEE ON: +44 01780 755131
For more information visit www.abc.org.uk or email
[email protected]
Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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KIT COURT
1/48 OV-10 BRONCO
A case by Mike Grant for a brand-new quarter-scale Bronco
(Glenn Sands Collection)
EXHIBIT 1
Hawk’s original 1/48 scale OV-10 has been around for almost 50 years, and has been re-issued by the likes of Italeri/Testors.
M
G: Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I’m about to prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the plastic model industry is guilty of gross neglect. Namely, it has failed to provide modellers with a decent kit of the North American OV-10 Bronco in 1/48 scale. Here’s an aircraft that performed stellar service for more than 25 years, yet all we have is the 1966 Hawk
release. Over the years it has masqueraded in various boxings – Italeri, Chematic, Testors – but it remains the same tooling with basic detail, raised panel lines, and dubious accuracy. Defence: Objection, your honour! Any self-respecting modeller with a modicum of skill and a scribing tool could make a show-stopper out of the Hawk kit. Judge: Hmm, over-ruled. Let’s see where this is going...
EXHIBIT 2
Scratch-building wizards can get good results from Hawk’s ageing kit. This example by US modeller David Aungst is splendid...but it took much work.
MG: Thank you, your honour. Look at the facts; the OV-10 has served in armed reconnaissance and observation, groundattack, forward air control, anti-insurgency, even civilian fire-fighting coordination. Then there’s the long nosed OV-10D with the camera turret, a perfect conversion set for some enterprising after-market company, not to mention super-detailed cockpit sets. Surely a new-tool Vietnamera Bronco would be a surefire money-maker for Roden, alongside its Mohawk, T-28D and Turbo Porter kits? Defence: Objection, calls for speculation. I don’t believe Mr Grant has any actual knowledge of Roden’s business model. Judge: Sustained. Stick to the facts, please. MG: Absolutely, your honour. Apart from the US, the Bronco has been flown by several small air forces such as Thailand, Colombia, Venezuela, Indonesia and the Philippines. Defence: Please, your honour... repetition! We’ve already heard about the Bronco’s many roles and variants. Judge: Over-ruled, I’m rather getting into this. Do you think anyone might release decals for one of the snazzy white NASA Broncos, Mr Grant? MG: Very likely your honour, I know of at least one after-market company that would be interested in such a sheet. But, I digress. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury,
the neglected OV-10 Bronco’s time has come. Follow your consciences, and rule for a 1/48 new-tool kit. I rest my case. Judge: Thank you Mr Grant. One more thing: can I suggest you spend more time at the modelling bench, and less time watching re-runs of ‘Law and Order’? MG: Guilty as charged, your honour… ❚
EXHIBIT 3
For now, anyone wanting to make even a half-decent Bronco with engraved panel lines, out of the box, can turn to Academy’s 1/72 offering. Some might think this scale lacks impact, though.
Hearings ...
If there’s a kit you’d love to see re-released or produced then state your case to the world via AMW. What you need to supply is 300350 words for a ‘reasonable’ case, a good quality photo and two to three high-resolution box-top scans to help illustrate the subject. AMW can’t promise a new kit by the end of the year, but the industry will definitely get to hear a ‘modeller’s case!’ email: chris.clifford@ keypublishing.com
THE NEXT ISSUE IS ON SALE JANUARY 2* *UK scheduled on sale date. Please note that overseas deliveries are likely to occur after this date.
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Airfix Model World www.airfixmodelworld.com
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