Model Aircraft 2018-01

EXCLUSIVE

MIG MASTERCLASS

MODEL AIRCRAFT EXTRA Grumman F9F Panther

(NAA) MUSTANG P-51D IN KOREA

SUPERSONIC

FIREBAR! SOVIET YAK-28

SPLINTER SAAB JA-37 Viggen

Saudi Striker

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Printed in UK

RAF TORNADOES GULF WAR

JANUARY 2018

combat zone

Vol 17 Iss 01 £4.75

Tornado IDS

08/12/2017 17:41

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08/12/2017 16:57

P-51D Cockpit

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08/12/2017 17:38

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CONTENTS

39  Model Aircraft Extra ‘Blue Racers’ Panther

Jezz Coleman builds a VF-123, F9F-2 using the 1:72 HobbyBoss kit with Hataka Colours

Model Aircraft Extra 58 Hunting Hun Danumurthi Mahendra shows you how to produce an authentic finish on the 1:48 Trumpeter F-100C Super Sabre

More and More!

I

t has been another feature packed year for Model Aircraft, and it has been my privilege to bring to these pages some quite exceptional builds from a plethora of talented modellers from around the globe. The recent IPMS Scale Modelworld event also reinforced the sheer breadth and heights that the hobby is now reaching, with not only an array of breath-taking models on the competition tables, but also the superb array of builds on the club and association stands! Also, modellers armoury has never been so full, as the range of kits, accessories, decals, reference books and especially paint and weathering products available, is quite eyewatering! Perhaps the old saying ‘you never had it so good’ is becoming a little frayed now, but it remains true, as the flow of new materials into the hobby continues apace. For this month, MAM is once again full of inspirational projects and reference materials, and we have some terrific builds from the likes of Gerry Doyle with his Saudi Tornado,

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Jay Blakemore with his Bf 109, and James Ashton with his sublime splinter scheme Viggen. A couple of large scale-builds to look out for come from Andrew Root, with his ‘Doodle Bug Destroyer’ and ‘Black Spitfire in Egypt’ builds, and also, our Model Aircraft Extra feature this month looks at a classic US Navy ‘fighter of the fifties’, the Grumman F9F Panther. Elsewhere, we have another ‘double’ with two builds from Sebastian Perez, and Ian Gaskell does an excellent job on the 1:48 Bobcat Yak-28P ‘Firebar’. So, can I thank you for your support and company over the past twelve months, and I look forward to bringing you even more in 2018!

12  Casemate Competition

Hot Skies Over Yemen

46  COMBAT-ZONE - Operation Granby - RAF Tornadoes at War

Andy Evans looks at the role of the GR.1 in the Gulf War

Happy modelling

Andy

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

5 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 01

26  Doodle-Bug Destroyer Andrew Root builds the 1:32 Pacific Coast Models Spitfire Mk.XIV

6  Saudi Striker Gerry Doyle builds a colourful version of the 1:48 HobbyBoss Tornado IDS

14  COMBAT EDGE – ‘Soviet Silver Machine’

Ian Gaskell builds the 1:48 Bobcat Yak-28P ‘Firebar’

52  Black Spitfire in Egypt 64  Ground-Pounding Andrew Root builds the 1:32 Gunslinger Hasegawa Mk.Va of the 73rd Operational Training Unit, based at RAF Fayid in 1944

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Sebastian Perez builds the 1:48 Eduard F-8 Crusader

20  Supersonic Splinter!

30  Eagle Eyes

James Ashton builds the 1:48 Tarangus SAAB JA-37 Viggen

Jay Blakemore converts Eduard’s ‘old tool’ 1:48 Bf 109G-6 into a G-6/U3 

68  A Well-Weathered ‘Valion’

74  MIG Masterclass ‘Mustang in Korea’

Sebastian Perez details the 1:48 Hasegawa A-4C Skyhawk in the markings of VA-15

Mario Serelle uses Ammo by MIG products to paint and weather the 1:72 Airfix F-51D

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TORNADO IDS

Saudi Striker Gerry Doyle builds a colourful version of the 1:48 HobbyBoss Tornado IDS Tornado IDS

A

Tornado in RSAF camouflage colours has been in the back of my mind for over two decades, so when the opportunity for this build presented itself I jumped at it. I had a HobbyBoss kit in the stash and, with a quick ten-minute search on the Internet I had furnished myself with a set of Print Scale decals for a Saudi machine. I liked the idea of the HobbyBoss kit, because of the option to leave everything open and have the flaps fully extended. I concluded that this, plus the colourful Saudi scheme would make for a very busy model indeed. Because of the detail you get with the kit, I intended to make this a straight-from-the-box build. The build started with the ejector seats, which only needed the inclusion of some harnesses from my ‘sparesbox, and careful painting to bring them up to an acceptable standard. I painted all cockpit parts Xtracrylic Medium Sea Grey, and once dry a coat of Alclad Aqua Gloss was added, before some dry brushing with the base colour mixed with Silver. I then picked out the myriad of switches and knobs with Citadel Acrylic paint. The TV Tab screens were painted Blue, and then overpainted with Tamiya Clear Yellow. After another coat of Aqua Gloss, I gave

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Manufacturer: HobbyBoss Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 80353

everything a pin-wash of Black/Brown oil paint diluted well with white spirit. I then popped a drop of PVA into each dial face to glaze it up. When all the cockpit sub-assemblies brought together it all looked good and busy! Next I made up the nose section, and with care it went together with no filler required. I was worried about the fit of the intakes but I fears were unfounded, as they all slotted together well. Then I made up and painted the exhaust section. The thrust reverser ‘buckets’ were a highlight of the kit for me, with some nice etched pieces to bring the whole assembly together. I painted all parts in

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

7 SAUDI STRIKER various shades of Alclad shades, and Uschi van der Rosten Metal Powder and left them aside until needed. I then turned my attention to the wings. Each wing is made up of no less than eight parts, and this all fitted very well. I was leaving the wings fully extended as I wanted to have the flaps and slats deployed, and it’s a good job too, as there is no real option in the kit for having them swept without cutting and reworking the skirts. The wings, as well as intake trunking and main wheel wells were then fitted to the bottom section of the centre fuselage. It took a fair amount of adjusting and clamping to get everything aligned, but eventually, I got it as good as I could. I also had to fill the rear the horizontal stabiliser area, and then the tail was assembled and a wipe of Mr Putty Liquid was added along the joint. Filler was again employed between the

The HobbyBoss kit gives you the option to leave everything open and have the flaps fully extended

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nose to main fuselage sections however, alignment was good, although I did have a tough time getting the horizontal ‘stabs’ to stay in place. The glazing was then dipped in Johnson’s ‘Future’, and when cured they were masked and fitted (the main canopy section being tacked down with dots of PVA for painting). I primed the model with Mr Surfacer 1000, and when this had cured I rubbed it down to a smooth finish with Micro Mesh. I then pre-shaded using Tamiya White and German Grey. This was again rubbed down. The I used Xtracrylic Light Aircraft Grey for the exposed sections of the slats, flaps and wing fold. I then carefully masked these areas. I then

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8

TORNADO IDS

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

9 SAUDI STRIKER

applied several thin coats of Tamiya Desert Sand mixed with a tad of White, and left this to dry overnight. Then out came the Panzer Putty to form the tight demarcation between the camouflage colours. For the darker brown I mixed Tamiya NATO Brown and Flat Earth 50:50. This in turn was masked and Tamiya Dark Green applied. I then masked off again for the Black, and I must say things were really starting to take shape. I then gave the model several coats of Aqua Gloss in preparation

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for decals. The Print Scale decals performed well, however, I did find the detail a bit vague and they were slightly out of register. Another coat of Aqua Gloss was applied to seal in the decals, before the main panel lines were given a light spray of well diluted Tamiya Smoke. This was also used for the sooty dark area on the tail which is synonymous of the Tornado. I then pinwashed all the panel lines with Brown/Black oil paint diluted with White Spirit, and left this too settle overnight, before adding a coat of Alclad Semi-Matt Varnish. When this was touch dry I fitted all of the sub-assemblies, and my build was complete.

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10

TORNADO IDS

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Saudi Tornadoes

O

n 25 September 1985, the UK and Saudi Arabia signed the Al Yamamah I contract including, amongst other things, the sale of forty-eight Tornado IDS and twenty-four ADVs. The first flight of a RSAF Tornado IDS was on 26 March 1986, and the first Saudi ADV was delivered on 9 February 1989, and Saudi Tornados undertook operations during the Gulf War. In June 1993, the Al Yamamah II contract was signed, the main element of which was forty-eight additional IDS aircraft. In September 2006, BAe Systems were contracted to upgrade up to eighty RSAF Tornado IDS aircraft to keep them in service until 2020. The ‘Tornado Sustainment Programme’ (TSP), will equip the IDS fleet with a range of new precision-guided weapons and enhanced targeting equipment, in many cases common with those systems already fielded by the UK’s Tornado GR4s. MA

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08/12/2017 17:48

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08/12/2017 17:48

12

CASEMATE COMPETITION

Yemen

Competition

M

odel Aircraft has got together with Casemate Publishing to bring you an exclusive monthly competition to win one of their latest military titles. Founded in 2007, Casemate UK is a major specialist publisher and book distributor in the UK, European and Commonwealth markets.

The publishing arm of Casemate is one of the leading publishers in the fields of military history, defence studies, and military science worldwide. Casemate’s publishing list covers subjects as diverse as Roman History, Napoleonic Wars and the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts of today.

So for your chance to win a copy of: Hot Skies Over Yemen – Just answer this simple question:

What was the designation of the Yemeni BAC Strikemasters? A) Mk.80 B) Mk.81 C) Mk.82

Send your entries to... Model Aircraft/Casemate Yemen Competition Media House, 21 Kingsway, Bedford, MK42 9BJ Or email: [email protected]

Competition Rules Employees/volunteers working for SAM Publications Ltd, Casemate Publishing and associated companies or their families are not permitted to enter. Entries are limited to one per person/household. No correspondence will be entered into. The judges’ decision is final. Winners’ names will be published in a future edition of Scale Military Modeller International. All entries must reach Media House by 26th January 2018, when the prize draw will take place.

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08/12/2017 17:53

SAC-0

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48344 P-51D Mustang Landing Gear (Ax)

72148 Tupolov Tu-134, Crusty-B Landing Gear (AM)

14427 C-5B Galaxy Landing Gear (Rod)

(replacement for 1/48 Airfix 2017 mold) MSRP $12.95

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Landing gear for over 650 (and counting) different aircraft!

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08/12/2017 16:08 17:53 07/12/2017

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COMBAT EDGE – YAK-28

COMBAT EDGE

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Yak-28 ‘Firebar’ Combat Edge

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he Yakovlev Yak-28 was a swept wing, turbojet-powered combat aircraft used by the Soviet Union. Produced initially as a tactical bomber, it was also manufactured in reconnaissance, electronic warfare, interceptor, and trainer versions, known by the NATO reporting names Brewer, Firebar, and Maestro respectively. Based on the Yak129 prototype first flown on 5 March 1958,

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it began to enter service in 1960. The Yak-28 was first seen by the West at the Tushino air show in 1961. Western analysts initially believed it to be a fighter rather than an attack aircraft — and a continuation of the Yak-25M, — and it was designated ‘Flashlight’. After its actual role was realized, the Yak-28 bomber series was redesignated ‘Brewer’. The Yak-28 had a large mid-mounted wing, swept at fortyfive degrees. The tail plane set halfway up the vertical fin, with cut-outs to allow rudder

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movement. Slats were fitted on the leading edges and slotted flaps were mounted on the trailing edges of the wings. The two Tumansky R-11 turbojet engines, initially with 57kN thrust each, were mounted in pods, similar to the previous Yak-25. The wing-mounted engines and bicycle-type main landing gear (supplemented by outrigger wheels in fairings near the wingtips) were widely spaced, allowing most of the fuselage to be used for fuel and equipment. It was primarily subsonic,

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COMBAT EDGE

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COMBAT EDGE – YAK-28

although Mach 1 could be exceeded at high altitude. The Yak-28’s design continued the highly traditional, no-frills approach consistent with other Soviet turbojet-powered aircraft of the period. The fuselage was tubular in its general shape with a pointed nosecone assembly, framed canopy. The Yak-28 was born as a medium-class tactical bomber and initially delivered in the basic, limited production Yak-28-designated form. This was followed by the Yak-28B ‘Brewer-A’ bomber variant which added weapon-assisted radar functionality and support for Jet-Assisted Take-Off (JATO) pods, the latter for quick-reaction take-

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offs. Another tactical bomber form was the Yak-28L ‘Brewer-B’, which installed a groundbased targeting system, production of this model peaking at 111 examples. The Yak-28I ‘Brewer-C’ integrated an on-board ground mapping radar with targeting system for improved tactical value. Production of this mark totalled 223 units. Yak-28P ‘Firebar’ became the dedicated long-range, missile-armed interceptor which could be called upon, in relatively short order, to take on marauding Western bombers or spy planes. The type was born in 1960 and entered service as soon as 1964. These

versions lacked the internal bomb bay of their tactical bomber brethren which allowed for more on-board fuel. An interception radar was standard and fitted in the nose cone assembly while integrated with the aircraft’s missile-only payload. Production resulted in 435 aircraft. The Yak-28P was withdrawn in the early 1980s, but trainer and other versions remained in service until after the fall of the Soviet Union, flying until at least 1992. The reconnaissance and ECM aircraft were eventually replaced by variants of the Sukhoi Su-24. MA

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COMBAT EDGE – YAK-28

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Soviet Silver Machine Ian Gaskell builds the 1:48 Bobcat Yak-28P ‘Firebar’

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s soon as I heard that a new kit from Bobcat Models was going to be a Yak-28P ‘Firebar’, I knew that I would end up building one. If you’ve any hint of Thunderbirds in your childhood, you’ll understand. The Yak-28 has that Gerry Anderson look about it! In the box, there’s plenty of plastic, and the detail is very good. You can to build it with an early version nosecone, or the longer, late nosecone. There is even a choice of canopies too. Although you are a limited to natural metal finish schemes, there are loads of marking options on the decal sheet. As far as aftermarket extras are concerned, there wasn’t much available, but I did manage to find a nice pair of suitable NeOmega resin seats. The first task, was

to start on the cockpit. This is very well detailed, straight-from-the-box, and the NeOmega resin seats were well worth it. The cockpit and seats were painted in Grey, with instrument panel facias picked out in Black. The switches and buttons were dry-brushed with a Light Grey, and where necessary, some Red. The large display, for the Weapons Officer, was painted with Tamiya Clear Green, over Gunmetal. A small amount of weathering was done using UMP Dark Dirt Wash, and was lightly dry-brushed with Aluminium. Some Alclad Aqua Gloss was used on the dials.

Yak-28P ‘Firebar’ Manufacturer: Bobcat Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 48001

I added a set of NeOmega seats……

…and the cockpit painted up very well

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COMBAT EDGE

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COMBAT EDGE – YAK-28

Despite its age, the Yak-28P still looks futuristic!

Next up, was the fuselage assembly. This was very straightforward, as were the wheel bays and undercarriage. The instructions say to assemble the undercarriage into the bays at this point. This means that you are going to have to work around protruding undercarriage legs for the remainder of the build. I chose to leave them out, and try and work them in at the end. The choice is yours. Anyway, the undercarriage was assembled, and painted Grey. They were given a little bit of weathering, then set aside for later. The wheels were then put together, and painted with Green centres, and the tyres, Mission Models Tyre Black. They were given a Mud wash, and cleaned off, and put with the undercarriage legs, for later

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installation. Moving on to the engine casings. One left hand casings fit was good, with just a small misalignment on one side that needed to be ‘encouraged’ into place. The right-hand side, however, had a huge gap on the fuselage side, where it meets the wing. So, plenty of filler was required. Once this was sanded down, the engine casing was looking much better. The wings were then fitted to the fuselage, and the fit here is very good. Just a little bit of sanding at rear end of each of the wing roots, and they fitted straight into the wing root recess without any fuss. I then spent time masking off the canopy, and cockpit opening, and getting ready for a bit of primer. For the priming, I used UMP’s excellent Black Primer. I left that a good twenty-four hours, to cure fully. Then I started on the main colours sing Vallejo’s Metal shades. Building up the colour in light coats, until I was happy with coverage, this then left to dry fully. Again, at least a day

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COMBAT EDGE – YAK-28

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Working on the engine nacelles

A little filler was needed here and there UMPs Black Primer started the paintwork ….masked as necessary

For the main colours I used various Vallejo Metallic shades…..

The nose and tail were painted Green….

….and after a coat of Gloss the decals were added

While the gloss was curing, I set about building the missiles

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COMBAT EDGE – YAK-28

is ideal. My next job was to start masking-off different areas, panels, and openings. This was done in stages, as I used three other metal colours. This was a time-consuming task, masking, spraying, letting that dry, then repeat for the other metal shades. The result was a good variation in the appearance of the metal finish. I then masked off the nosecone, tail, and leading edge of the engine intake, and anti-reflective area in front of the cockpit. The nosecone and the top of the tail were sprayed Green, and Black for the anti-reflective areas. With the main painting done, I laid down some Alclad Aqua Gloss, in preparation for the applying the decals. While the gloss was curing, I set about building the missiles. You get two R-98 AA-3 ‘Anab’ semi-active radar homing missiles, and two K-13A AA-2 ‘Atoll’ short range IR missiles. The R-98 bodies come in two halves, and there are two larger, and two smaller fins to attach to each. One R-98 comes with a clear seeker head, which I applied a small amount of Tamiya Clear Smoke to the rear surface. The K-13’s are one piece, with two of each, larger and smaller fins, that need attaching. Each of these also has a clear seeker head, which also had some Clear Smoke applied.

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The R-98’s were finished in red, and the K-13’s in White, and their decals applied. A small amount of light weathering was done, and the missiles were ready to be mounted on to the highly-detailed pylons. The Bobcat decals are good, and they conformed well to the shaping, and a little bit of Micro Set and Sol was

used, just make certain they stayed in place. Once they were dry, some Aqua Gloss was used to seal them in. A wash was next, and again, I used UMP’s Dark Dirt. I cleaned any excess, then gave everything a couple of coats Matt. For the weathering, I used, Tamiya’s Weathering Master Sets, and to begin I used their Gunmetal and Silver. First, I toned down, and blended in the decals, then showed signs of fading on the Red Star insignias. Other shades used were Oil Stain, for leaks and runs around the engine areas, and Soot for general dirt and streaks on the overall airframe. The weathering was sealed with some more matt varnish. With the varnish dry, I set about fitting the undercarriage. As I was doing this at this later stage, I had to trim the locating pins, for the main legs. Getting them to fit was awkward, but managed to get them in place okay. The wheels were then fitted to the legs, and the stabiliser legs fitted the wing tips. The pylons were then fitted, and onto them, the missiles were attached. The masking was then removed from the canopy sections, and the main canopy set in place, in the open position. I really enjoyed this build, and whilst the colours, and markings, are not 100% accurate, I think it’s built up into a fantastic kit, and despite the subjects age, the Yak-28P still looks futuristic! MA

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SUPERSONIC SPLINTER

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Supersonic

Splinter

SAAB JA-37 Viggen Manufacturer: Tarangus Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: TA4803

It surprised me that I never actually got around to doing what must be one of the best camouflage schemes applied to any aircraft – until now!

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T

he Tarangus Saab Viggen kit caused quite a stir when first released a couple of years back, as this was a subject that many a modeller, including myself was eager to see in a modern tooling. For myself, it was a case of wanting to do that glorious Swedish splinter camouflage scheme. Although the base kit is respectable with fine recessed panel lines and a good level of engineering. There are now many aftermarket parts available, both photo-etch and resin to turn the base kit into a spectacular showpiece. The main producer of add-ons for this kit are a Swedish company called ‘Maestro Models’ and basically I have added pretty much everything they produce, including the must have set of splinter camouflage paint masks. The resin parts consist of ‘Pilot Replicas’ Ejection Seat and RAT. Then ‘Maestro Models’ Canards and Wheel Wells, along with the rudder and control surfaces and finally not forgetting the weapons hardpoints. These are complemented

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SAAB JA-37 VIGGEN

James Ashton builds the 1:48 Tarangus SAAB JA-37 Viggen The wheel wells from Maestro are truly spectacular and benefit from a wash to highlight all the glorious detail

An absolute must have are some die cut masks for the Splinter Camouflage

with interior and exterior etched frets that add detail to the cockpit, the fuselage antennae’s, the airbrakes, and also, the exhaust and reverse thrusters. These were then augmented with an Aires Sidewinder and Sparrow weapons set (more on those later) and finally ‘Master’ brass pitot tubes and angle of attack probe. This was certainly not going to be a weekend build! The quality of the kit is short run but not of the old-school variety. The panel lines were crisp and well defined and the fit of the main parts is excellent, even though modular in nature. It is a good idea to have a large clear space to work in as you need to be able to have the resin and etch instruction sheets laid out alongside the kit one. Essentially, I decided to follow the main instructions and work on each section in a logical progression as it is very easy to lose track of your progress. With all the resin parts to attach quite a bit of preparatory surgery is required such as on the wings, canards and rudder. The fit of the canards was very impressive as they were perfectly moulded to the contours of the fuselage. The wheel wells are also very spectacular with an eye-catching amount of plumbing detail on display, and these are a drop fit replacement for the kit parts. This is the main reason I have left the main undercarriage doors open as they are normally closed when the aircraft is on the ground. It was with great relief and is a testimony to the quality of these aftermarket

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SUPERSONIC SPLINTER parts that the airframe went together without any problems requiring only a minimum of filler on the underside join of the wings to the fuselage. I have always been a big fan of complex and attention-grabbing camouflage schemes, and it surprised me that I have never actually got around to doing what must be one of the best put on any aircraft. It is possible to make your own masks for the Swedish splinter scheme as many of my colleagues have done. Most of whom are now in recuperation facilities, so to save my sanity I invested in a set of die cut Kabuki tape masks from ‘Maestro’. These are very good but not totally foolproof, they will still need to be placed and adjusted with care and forethought, while following the

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Mr Paint Lacquer is airbrush ready and dries to a very smooth durable satin finish which is ideal for decals The sheer amount of superb quality aftermarket parts for this kit will keep the most ardent super detailer happy

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23 SAAB JA-37 VIGGEN

comprehensive colour instruction guide. This model continued to be a kit of firsts for me as I chose to use the authentic Swedish Colours range produced by ‘Mr Paint’. These superb Lacquer paints are fantastic! Airbrush ready they go onto a primed surface very smoothly and dry to a durable satin/eggshell finish. Starting with the Black I progressively applied the masks as each lighter colour went onto the model. I must say that when I peeled off the masks for the big reveal it was one of the most satisfying moments of my model making experience. I mentioned earlier about the weapons sets from Aires, that you will notice from the pictures are missing. This is not due to any problem with the beautifully cast parts that we have come to know are the hallmark of Aires resin, rather it is because of a strange omission on the part of Tarangus. The kit does have hardpoints for the weapons but strangely enough no launch rails? I could only find two in my spares drawer so sadly I decided to leave them off. Happily, I have heard from

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Maestro models that they are producing a full resin set, hurray!! The story is not over yet. This has been a very satisfying and rewarding build from start to finish, the base kit is superb and the quality of the substantial amount of aftermarket parts available means you can put together a very accurate and highly detailed model of this striking cold war warrior from Sweden. MA

08/12/2017 17:55

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26

SPITFIRE MK.XIV

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Doodle-Bug

Destroyer Andrew Root builds the 1:32 Pacific Coast Models Spitfire Mk.XIV

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uring the summer of 1944, a new weapon appeared over the skies of Southeast England, and this was the first of Hitler’s ‘vengeance weapons’, the V1 ‘Doodlebug’. With a cruising speed of around 350mph, only the latest and fastest RAF fighters would have a sustained chance of destroying such a weapon. Several aircraft were returned from Normandy to counter this threat, and these included Hawker Tempests, Mosquitos and of course the Mk.XIV Spitfire, with their new Rolls Royce Griffin

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV Manufacturer: Pacific Coast Models Scale: 1:32 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 32015

There are very few options that exist for a 1:32 five bladed Spitfire, but this is one of the best

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

27 DOODLE-BUG SPITFIRE engines, which allowed them to chase and destroy the ‘buzz bombs’. In all, Allied aircraft destroyed around 1000 V1’s, with many more hit by anti-aircraft artillery. This was the second Pacific Coast Models Spitfire I’ve built, so I knew what to expect. The interior was well detailed, with resin side panels and etched parts to be set, and the fit was very good for a relatively small manufacturer. The airframe assembly was pretty straightforward, with the wings and tail going together without any issue, but be sure to fit the cockpit floor correctly, as it can easily catch on the wing assembly. When deciding on a colour scheme for this aircraft, from the six options given, I chose a Spitfire of No.91 Squadron, based at West Malling, who were responsible for 189 ‘Doodlebugs’ destroyed. I usually use Tamiya Grey Primer, but decided to try a Gloss Black Primer for this build, which I think improved

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SPITFIRE MK.XIV

the paint tone. The tried and tested method of Blu-Tac was used for the camouflage, and having been impressed with the Hataka paint used on my previous build, I decided to use them again, employing HTK-AS07, as these paint sets are a great way of buying colours for a specific build.  The invasion stripes came next, and the real stripes were eighteen inches wide, so the 1:32 equivalent is 14.38mm, this was measured and masked with Tamiya tape, with the White section being painted first, and then the two Black stripes were painted on top. There is a constant debate over

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29 DOODLE-BUG SPITFIRE the painting of invasion stripes, with most modellers including myself using masking tape, but in reality, the ground crews used brooms and brushes, with the stripes having very rough edges. A few modellers paint them this way, but I didn’t want to tarnish a well painted build.  The kit decals went on very well, after a coat of future, with a little Micro Sol used to pull the decals over the rivets. Alclad Matt varnish was then used to finish the paint job. The propeller and landing gear were last to be fitted, followed by the removal of canopy masking. I was really pleased with this build, and the kit is very good indeed, with excellent interior and surface detail. There are very few options that exist for a 1:32 five-bladed Spitfire, but this is one of the best.  MA

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BF 109G-6 INTO A G-6/U3

Eagle Eyes Jay Blakemore converts Eduard’s ‘old tool’ 1:48 Bf 109G-6 into a G-6/U3

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he original tool Eduard Bf 109G-6, needs little in the way of introduction from me. Much has been written in the modelling press and on the internet about the kits flaws since its release in 2014, but very little has been said about its virtues. In fact, if you can overlook the slight discrepancies in scale due to mistakes made with the measurements upon which the original mould was based, Eduard’s G-6 kit builds into a wonderful replica of the real thing. I am an unashamed fan of both it and Eduard’s more recent, re-tooled and accurate Messerschmitt G-6, beside which

Bf 109G-6 Manufacturer: Eduard Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 8268 Owl - R48039 Reconnaissance Conversion Set Aires- 4697. Cockpit Set  Eduard - ED648153 Exhausts HGW Models - 248009 Bf 109F, G, K Stencils.  Xtradecal - 48173 Messerschmitt Bf 109 Stab Part 2. 

the original looks all but identical. The level of exterior detail is second to none, with wonderful recessed panel lines and masses of subtle rivets that are amongst the finest I have seen. The internal detail too is superb and would doubtless be adequate for most modellers straight from the box, though I like the extra level of reality that comes from adding a resin cockpit. Having built two of the original G-6’s previously, I wanted to do something slightly different, and it was the release of a brand

new Xtradecal sheet #X48173, that gave me the impetus I needed to start. Featured on the sheet are fourteen interesting colour schemes for various versions of the Bf 109, including one scheme for a G-6/U3. This was the camera equipped aircraft flown by Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Kahler, the commander of NAGr.4 (Nahaufklärungsgruppe 4), featuring a striking combination of bright green chevrons and bars and a unique diving eagle unit badge, that I found irresistible. Also, newly released was a series of resin cockpit interiors for the

The Owl U3 conversion is a very simple yet effective way to convert a G-6 into something just that little bit different

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Eduard Bf 109 G series from Czech accessory manufacturer Aires, which I decided would be an interesting alternative to Eduard’s own resin replacement cockpits which I had used in my previous builds. The other item added to the build would be the wonderfully cast, resin exterior camera mount, manufactured by another Czech manufacturer, Owl Models, which is worthy of a review.  As mentioned above, Eduard produce an excellent resin cockpit in their Brassin range of accessories which is a direct replacement for the kit interior. The Aires cockpit set retails at less than half the price of the former and therefore offers a tempting alternative. The

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budget price is not a reflection on the quality of the resin or brass components, however, for the latter set oozes with sumptuous detail. The Aires set too is marginally easier to construct than the former, containing fewer resin parts and far fewer brass components that require bending to shape. There is no pre-coloured etch, like that included within the Eduard sets, but its absence is no great loss, as generally the printed colours used by Eduard are far from accurate. The Aires components were initially washed with white spirit to remove any surface residue, before the cockpit was partially assembled. I began the painting process by applying a coat of Alclad grey

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primer over which was airbrushed a generous coat of Polished Aluminium from the same manufacturer. Once the metallic coat was thoroughly dry, it was covered with a layer of RLM66 black/grey enamel. The partially dry enamel was then selectively ‘washed off’ areas that would have received wear on the real aircraft, revealing the aluminium beneath. The weathered effect was completed with the application of increasingly lighter shades of grey and buff, dry-brushed over every surface to replicate the worn paintwork of a used and abused cockpit. Some of the beautiful raised details were now picked-out in brighter colours, such as the multiple sections of wiring which were painted pale buff; the various control knobs in reds and yellows and the pressurised air system in blue. The six-piece, etched harness was added to the pilot’s seat, and the straps painted to replicate dirty fabric. As already mentioned, the Aires set does not contain the coloured, etched-metal of the Eduard set, but as I had some unused Eduard items amongst my

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many Bf 109 spares, I used a couple of printed placards to enhance the completed cockpit before applying a coat of matt, enamel varnish to give everything a uniform finish and to protect the paintwork during final assembly.  With the side-wall detail removed from the fuselage interior to make-way for the new cockpit, the fuselage halves can be cemented together. Before the cockpit tub can be inserted up through the gap in the fuselage floor, however, the control panel and the angled rear panel, featuring the door to the stowage compartment, must be fitted. The Aires, single-piece, resin rear bulkhead is nicely detailed, but is unfortunately slightly too short

to bridge the arch of the fuselage to the rear of the cockpit, leaving a gap that requires filler. The completed cockpit tub proved to be over-wide to fit comfortably into the confines of the fuselage, and so I was forced to run an electric burr over the sloping side-walls to thin the resin. This was a delicate task, and ruin was only a slip away, though once done, the cockpit slipped up and into position within the pre-assembled fuselage. I should, of course, have removed more plastic from the inner fuselage walls prior to assembling the two halves, but hindsight is a fickle ally and occasionally mend and make-do are the victors on the day. (Note: If using the Owl camera set, remember to add the small, resin camera control panel to the bottom edge of the main control panel before inserting the cockpit tub into the fuselage, as noted below).  Simple modifications can make all the difference, and there are one or two areas where Eduard’s G-6 disappoints. The inclusion of open air scoops and ports is a wonderful touch, and Eduard are to be congratulated

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33

from metal tubing also improves the look of the finished model. The main modification of this build was of course the camera bay. This was created by initially drilling a small hole in the lower fuselage which was widened to size using a flat, tapered needle file. The file was inserted into the hole and twisted, so that it acted rather like a gouge, cutting into the plastic until the hole was the correct diameter. The inner bay was created by simply rolling a strip of thin plastic card and capping it with a small disc also cut from plastic card. This was then inserted into the hole and glued in place with liquid cement. Once the airframe had been completed and the bay painted black, a tiny reflective lens was fixed inside to give the impression of a camera housed within.  The Owl, Bf 109 G/F Reconnaissance Conversion Set comprises of the exterior camera housing, a small resin control panel to add to the cockpit, and an acetate sheet with which to make the outer lens cover. The camera housing is flawlessly cast in a hard, black resin,

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EAGLE EYES

for the quality of their mouldings in these areas, but the lack of anything solid behind some of the larger openings needs attention. The spent-casing ejector-chutes in the lower wings is one such area, as are the gaping holes in the undercarriage bays that allows a view up and into the fuselage interior. These areas were boxed-in using scraps of plastic card. The wing-tip navigation lights also need attention, and replacing the simplistic, moulded impressions of lights with clear lenses containing coloured bulbs looks much more appealing. As the navigation lights are so small on a fighter in quarter scale, I tend to use CA glue to build-up the lenses, having first drilled a small hole into the wing-tip and inserting a short length of stretched clearsprue to act as a bulb. The inner lens is then painted with Silver paint or metallic lacquers, and the bulbs coloured with red and green enamels mixed with gloss varnish to give them a translucent appearance. The CA is then built-up slowly, one drop at a time and allowed to dry, before the resultant, shapeless lump is contoured and polished to a shine. Replacing the leading-edge pitot tube with one made

with a wonderfully thin and very delicate rim that protrudes from the body of the housing and wraps around the outer, forward edge of the camera aperture. This detail is easily damaged, however, and so I would advise fitting the camera housing towards the very end of the build to avoid having to re-build the rim, as I was forced so to do.  There is little to complicate the final assembly of the main components, and Eduard’s original-tool G-6 goes together with very little fuss and very little filler required. I added just a smear of Milliput – my favoured filler – around the rear section of the canopy to help blend it into the fuselage, and a further smear on the wing leading edges at the wing roots. The airframe was quickly ready for painting, therefore, and I began the process with a solid dark brown enamel base-coat on all external surfaces. Once dry, and having run a sanding cloth over the airframe to remove any dust and debris that might have settled onto the tacky surface as it dried, I applied the first camouflage colour. I began by applying the RLM 76 Lichtbleu, to the undersides and most the fuselage, leaving hints of the base-coat showing through at panel edges and in areas where I wanted to emphasise shadow or wear. Using torn paper masks, I then applied the RLM75 Grauviolet across the fuselage spine, wings and tailplanes. Finally, utilising cut paper masks with saw-tooth edges, I applied the distinctive RLM74 Graugrun pattern as detailed in the decal instructions. Colourcoats enamels were

used throughout. The camouflage only really started to come to life during the weathering process, which began with the application of highlights created by using diluted mixes of the original camouflage colours. The process continued after the decals had been applied with further highlights, that defused and filtered the original colours further to replicate the dust and wear that would have accumulated on the real aircraft during its service life on the Russian Front. Finally, a dark wash was used to emphasise all moving parts and access panels, avoiding the urge to run the wash into every panel line, as seems to be the trend these days.  For this build I had also obtained a set of HGW Models wet transfers, and having never used them before I was keen to see how they performed. Sheet number #48009, looked like any other quality decal sheet, except for

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BF 109G-6 INTO A G-6/U3

the very thin, gloss carrier-film that covered the entire surface of the sheet and which encompassed all the markings. Featured on the small sheet was a selection of national markings and unit markings and a complete set of stencilling for one aircraft. The sheet was beautifully printed and the delicacy of the stencils was particularly impressive. HGW wet transfers work in a slightly different way to traditional water-slide decals, in that once they are applied, the carrier film is removed leaving just the printed markings on the model. The initial application process is the same as with water-slide decals, and once the transfers are in place and all the excess water and adhesive

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has been wiped away and the transfers pressed firmly onto the model’s surface, they are left to dry and settle for between three and four hours. Now comes the exciting bit, for the carrier film, which by this time has curled up slightly at the edges, can be removed – or so the theory goes. In practice, however, it didn’t work quite as advertised. The Balkenkreuz on the upper wings and fuselage sides performed as anticipated, and the carrier film came away leaving most of the white outlines intact and in place. For the most part, the smaller items of stencilling simply came away along with the carrier film. Those that remained did look effective, and

the lack of carrier film would mean of course that there was no possibility of trapped air causing silvering around them, which is always a concern with traditional style decals that have large areas of carrier film. The traditional waterslide decals from Xtradecal sheet #X48173, were wonderfully thin and beautifully printed in glorious colours and in perfect register. As already mentioned, the large sheet contains more than a dozen marking options which include E, F, G and models serving on all active fronts. The decals performed faultlessly on application, and settled comfortably into the recessed detail in combination with Micro Set and Sol decal softening solutions. Those HGW items of stencilling which failed to work were replaced by decals from the Xtradecal sheet  In conclusion, there is very little that I can add about Eduard’s original tool G-6 that hasn’t already been said by myself and others. As for the Owl, U3 conversion, it is a very simple and effective way to convert a G-6 into something just that little bit different. MA

08/12/2017 17:59

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Created with

Fighters & Attack Aircraft of the Vietnam War AIRK-1IDE MODELLING GU £10.00 + P&P

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he use of air power in Vietnam would change the way wars were fought in the twentieth century and beyond. New technological advances and more sophisticated weapons made the Vietnam War a testing ground for the US military, and new tactics and approaches were used and to varying degrees of success, and introduced the attack helicopter as a vital weapon. Jet bombers and fighters were used extensively for the first time in the history of modern warfare, whilst a few older propeller driven aircraft also saw a resurgence. There are many differences of opinion regarding the effectiveness of the air campaign during the Vietnam War, however, for aviation historians, enthusiasts and modellers, the conflict in Southeast Asia produced a plethora of aircraft types, camouflage schemes, marking options and weapons loads. So now some of these eclectic types are brought together in this new ‘AirKraft Modellers Guide’, created by paint manufacturer Hataka, and HobbyZone, the people behind Scale Aviation Modeller International, Model Aircraft Magazine, and the Modellers Datafile book series. This guide to ‘Fighters

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M O D E L L I N G

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and Attack Aircraft of the Vietnam War’ is the first in a new series of books, and features no fewer than 20 build projects, which guide you through building such iconic aircraft as the F-4 Phantom, F-8 Crusader, B-57 Canberra, MiG-21 and F-100 Super Sabre, to name but a few. Brought to you by some of the best modellers around, each project shows you ‘how-to’ apply camouflage, add detail to the airframes, and looks at such areas as cockpits, weathering, decaling and painting ordnance, and details of the war roles of each type. This new book will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in modern combat aircraft, and particularly those involved in the Vietnam War!

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37 MA EXTRA – PANTHER

Model Aircraft Extra

An F9F-2 Panther of VF-71, piloted by Lt RP Yeatman, firing HVAR rockets

The Grumman F-9F Panther

T

he Grumman F9F Panther was the manufacturer’s first jet fighter and one of the US first successful carrier based types. A single-engine, straight-winged day fighter, it was armed with four 20mm cannons, and could carry a wide assortment of air-to-ground munitions. The Panther was used extensively by the Navy and Marine Corps in the Korean War, and was also the first jet aircraft used by the Blue Angels. Total F9F production was 1,382, and the design evolved into the swept wing Grumman Cougar. Development studies at Grumman for a jet-powered fighter aircraft began near the end of World War II, just as the first jet engines emerged. In a competition for a jet-powered night fighter for the US Navy the Douglas ‘Skyknight’ was selected over G-75 two-seat, design, with Douglas being issued a contract on 3 April 1946. The Navy also issued a contract to Grumman for two Model G-75 experimental aircraft on 11 April 1946, being given the Navy designation XF9F-1, in case the ‘Skyknight’ ran into problems. Grumman

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An F9F-5 Panther of VF-154 ‘Flaming Panthers’ on board the USS Princeton operating in the waters off Korea during May 1953

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38

THE GRUMMAN F-9F PANTHER

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space within the wings and fuselage for fuel for the thirsty jet, permanently mounted wingtip fuel tanks were added, which incidentally improved the fighter’s rate of roll. It was cleared for flight from aircraft carriers in September 1949, and during the development phase, Grumman decided to change the Panther’s engine, selecting the Pratt & Whitney J48-P2, a license-built version of the RollsRoyce RB.44 Tay. Armament was a quartet of 20mm guns, the Navy having already switched to this calibre (as opposed to the USAF which continued to use 12.7mm M2/M3 guns). Also, the Panther was armed with underwing air-toground rockets and up to 2,000lb of bombs. From 1946, a swept-wing version was considered and after concerns about the Panther’s inferiority to its MiG opponents in Korea, a conversion of the Panther (Design 93) resulted in a swept-wing derivative of the

Grumman F9F-2 Panthers of Advanced Training Unit ATU-206 at NAS Pensacola in 1956

An F9F-2 Panther from VF-52 ‘Knightriders’ prepares for launch from the USS Valley Forge off Korea on 19 July 1950

soon realised the G-75 was a losing design but had been working on a completely different, single-engine day fighter designated the Grumman G-79. In a bureaucratic manoeuvre, the Navy did not cancel the G-75 (XF9F-1) contract but changed the wording to include three entirely different G-79 prototypes. The G-79 became the Grumman F9F Panther. The prototype Panther, flown by test pilot Corky Meyer, first flew on 21 November 1947. American jet engines available at the time were not considered sufficiently reliable, so the Navy specified the imported Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, built under license by Pratt & Whitney as the J42. Since there was insufficient

Two F9F-2Bs of VF-721 over Korea

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39 MA EXTRA – PANTHER

change from the humid environment of piston-powered aircraft. Despite their relative slow speed, Panthers also managed to shoot down two Yak-9s and seven MiG-15s for the loss of just two F9Fs. The first MiG-15 was downed on 9 November 1950 by Lt Cmdr. Amen of VF-111, flying an F9F-2B. Panthers were withdrawn from front-line service in 1956, but remained in training roles and with US Naval Air Reserve and US Marine Air Reserve units until 1958. The Navy’s Blue Angels used the Panther for four years, from beginning in 1951. Some Panthers continued to serve in small numbers into the 1960s.

F9F-2 Panthers from Marine Major James ‘Buzz’ Sawyer’s VMF-115 ‘Able Eagles’ taxi down the runway at Pohang, Korea, on 15 March 1953

Panther, the F9F Cougar, which retained the Panther’s designation number. The Panther was the primary Navy and USMC jet fighter and ground-attack aircraft in the Korean War, flying 78,000 sorties and scoring the first air-to-air kill by the Navy in the war, with the downing of a North Korean Yak-9 by Lt (JG) Leonard H. Plog. F9F-2s, F9F-3s and F9F5s, as rugged attack aircraft, could sustain operations, even in the face of intense antiaircraft fire. The pilots also appreciated the air-conditioned cockpit, which was a welcome

F9F-2 Panther of VF-72 ‘Hawks’, goes up the elevator on the USS Bon Homme Richard

An F9F-2 Panther VF-52 ‘Knight Riders’ aboard the USS Valley Forge in July 1950

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THE GRUMMAN F-9F PANTHER

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Grumman F-9F2 Panther Photos courtesy of Luc Colin

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41 MA EXTRA – PANTHER

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THE GRUMMAN F-9F PANTHER

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43 MA EXTRA – PANTHER

‘Blue Racers’ Panther Jezz Coleman builds a VF-123, F9F-2 using the 1:72 HobbyBoss kit with Hataka Colours

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eing the thrifty person that I am, I like to make full use of any materials or paint that I have in my arsenal. One of the great about the many paint sets from Hataka, is the many aircraft combinations that can be painted from just one set! Many modellers have our nemesis with certain colours, and mine has always been anything that is painted in Dark Blue. I have tried many various manufacturers of paints and as I have become accustomed to using Hataka for some of my previous builds I thought I should face my fears!

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Grumman F9F-2 Panther Manufacturer: HobbyBoss Scale: 1:72 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 87248

The kit I decided to use for this was going to be the 1:72 HobbyBoss F9F Panther, which has some very nicely moulded

parts, a two-piece canopy and fine recessed panel lines and rivet details. Firstly, the cockpit walls and interior parts, along with the wheel bays were painted with Zinc Chromate, followed by quick Gloss coat and a Dark Green wash. The small aft engine insert was painted Gun Metal and added, along with the cockpit and front wheel bay. The fuselage halves were then glued together with a really nice fit. The wings were also a breeze to assemble, and almost a perfect fit. Finally, and before I got

The ejector seat was detailed with Hataka Blue Line shades

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THE GRUMMAN F-9F PANTHER

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MODEL AIRCRAFT DECEMBER 2017

45 MA EXTRA – PANTHER

down to the painting stage, the ejector seat was detailed with Hataka Blue Line shades, which by the way are probably some of the finest brush-dedicated paints I have used. This was installed and the canopy was positioned in the closed position and masked up. The entire model then received a Black base, prior to a light marble coat of Light Grey. Next came the dreaded Dark Blue! However, I was pleasantly surprised with the coverage of the paint, as the pigment was very strong, and in no time at all the Panther was starting to come together. The trick I found, was to not apply the paint to heavily, as just a few light passes build up the density just enough

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to allow the marbling to show through. Once this had been put aside to dry overnight decals were applied and once set I added a Gloss coat ready for some weathering. For this, I had to do something a little different than usual, and I made up a mixture of pure White oil paint mixed with White Spirit, and then carefully applied this along the beautiful recessed details, removing any with a cotton bud. This really brought the model to life, by highlighting the panels on the very dark paintwork. Once all the smaller

components, like the undercarriage and the gear doors were attached, all that was left to do was to give the entire model a sealing coat of 50:50 Matt and Satin varnishes, and once dry the canopy mask was removed to complete the build. I must say before starting this build I was very conscious about my issues in painting Dark Blue, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results, and the Hataka paints made it very easy. MA

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COMBAT-ZONE

ZA809/BA ‘Awesome Annie’ carrying a pair of LGBs CREDIT: Steve Morris

Operation Granby RAF Tornadoes at War Andy Evans looks at the role of the GR.1 in the Gulf War

F

or the RAF, Desert Storm could he truly described as the ‘Tornadoes war’. Representing three-quarters of the British air attack force at the opening of hostilities, the GR.1 strikers undertook assaults on Iraq’s war machine, hitting its airfields, weapon storage sites and communications centres. Despite early misfortunes – the aircraft emerged from the conflict with its reputation immeasurably strengthened. In addition to bombing, the aircraft hastily, yet successfully, introduced a couple of untried systems, then still under development, such as the ALARM anti-radar missile and the TIALD laser designator. Following the announcement that Jaguars and Tornado F3 fighters were on their way to the Gulf, on 23 August 1990 it was further announced that Tornado GR.1s would leave their German bases and head for the Gulf.

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The former RAF Muharraq - now Bahrain International Airport - was first to receive GR.1s when a dozen aircraft left Bruggen, on 27 August 1990. A second squadron of Laarbruchbased aircraft, but with Marham crews, began arriving there on 19 September, but repositioned to Tabuk, in far north-western Saudi Arabia, from 8 October onwards. A further twelve Bruggen aircraft arrived on 3 January 1991. The reconnaissance element, provided by Laarbruch, was of six GR.1As ferried to Dhahran between 14-16 January. At Muharraq No.15 Squadron, led by Wing Cdr John Broadbent was the lead squadron, although crews for the fifteen GR.1s on the base were provided by Nos 9, 17, 20, 31 and 617 Squadrons. Tabuk’s lead squadron was No.16, under the leadership of Wing Cdr Travers Smith, assisted by a large section of No.20 Squadron and other crews from Nos. 2, 9 and

14, plus Nos.13 and 617 Squadrons later on. On station at Tabuk were fifteen Tornados, of which seven were equipped to carry ALARM missiles as an alternative to the usual bomb load. Dhahran had fifteen GR.1s and six recce GR.1As, and its RAF component came under the command of Group Captain Cliff Spink who, unlike his two fellow base commanders, was an air defence rather than ground attack flyer. Also at Dhahran, No.31 Squadron led by Wing Cdr Jerry Witts was reinforced by personnel from Nos. 9, 14 and 17, plus Nos.2 and 13 Squadrons from the reconnaissance world. Each base made eight aircraft constantly available in two flights of four, with the remaining aircraft being held in reserve or undergoing servicing. After a 15th January ultimatum went unheeded, plans for the first RAF combat missions were launched. For the Tornado force this meant being equipped with

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

47 COMBAT-ZONE

A trio of Tornadoes refuel from a VC-10 tanker over the Gulf CREDIT: RAF

two JP233s, two Sidewinder AAMs and two large drop-tanks. Thus, on the 17th January Jerry Witts of No.31 Squadron led four aircraft from Dhahran and John Broadbent led out eight similarly equipped aircraft from Bahrain, all bound for Tallil airfield in south-east Iraq. Taking the defences by complete surprise, the Tornados scattered their JP233s over the base’s parallel runways and associated taxiways, then made for home without loss, gliding hack into their bases from out of the dawn sky. For many Tornado crews, this was their first taste of flying the aircraft with two JP233s aboard, and to their dismay they discovered that their hitherto docile mounts began to fly, as one pilot commented, ‘like pigs’! The second attack wave of the day was not so fortunate. Four Tornados from Muharraq were sent to Shaibah, close to the city of Basra, for a daylight lofting attack of 1,0001h bombs. Flt Lts ‘John’ Nicholl and John Peters of No.15 Squadron, flying ZD791, were hit by AAA, causing one of their Sidewinders missiles to explode, forcing them to eject. Shaibah ‘jinx’ would strike again that night when the Marham contingent from Muharraq sent four aircraft there and four more to Ubaydah bin al Jarrah, all of them armed with JP233. The Ubaydah bin al Jarrah formation took off at

midnight, the Shaibah wave two hours later, their shorter journey demanding only one pre-attack refuelling from a VC-10. To keep the defending radars off the air, Tabuk-based Tornado GR.1s, with the new ALARM anti-radar missile patrolling the area. As the Tornados sped towards Shaibah, they relied only on the radar altimeters to keep them 200ft above the desert, and a map to locate the electricity pylons to the north and east of the field. All weapons were released satisfactorily as the Iraqi gunners were still gathering their wits, but three minutes later ZA392, flown by No.27 Squadrons commander, Wing Cdr Nigel Elsdon, was seen to crash into the ground having been hit by a SAM, killing both the pilot and his navigator, Fit Lt ‘Max’ Collier. The Ubaydah bin al Jarrah raid also had its share of heart-stopping moments. Having taken on fuel at above 10,000ft, the Tornadoes dropped to 300ft, crossing the Iraqi border and steadily descended to 200ft during a black and uneventful low-level flight of thirty minutes over the desert. The target was sighted in a blaze of anti-aircraft activity a full five minutes before the attack went in, the softening-up force having also woken up the defenders. Flying parallel to the runway, the formation was in ‘card four’, the leading pair

Ground crew load JP233s onto the waiting jets CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

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The ‘Granby’ Tornadoes all wore the ‘Desert Sand’ colour scheme CREDIT: RAF

two miles apart, the trailing pair thirty-seconds flying time behind them. Turning towards the airfield, the spacing was closed to one mile and the interval to fifteen seconds, then further tightened to ten. With one minute to go, Flying Officer Ingle and Flt Lt McKearnan in ZD744 felt a bump and thought they had been hit, but the aircraft continued to fly, albeit reluctantly. At 550kt the Tornados swept over the runway, Nos.1 and 2 dropping their JP233s at one-fifth and three-fifths distance along its length, whilst the others unloaded their wares at the two-fifths and four-fifths points. After turning for home, Ingle was having difficulty flying his aircraft and could not maintain control above 350kt. Eventually finding the tanker, he could only maintain formation by adopting a forty-five-degree wing sweep, but managed to complete the journey to Muharraq without further incident. Inspection later showed that a birdstrike had removed a large section of the port wing’s leading edge, so the aircraft was patched up and flown back to Bruggen for repair. A mere three days later, it was re-delivered to the Gulf and went on to complete thirty-five missions, most of them from Tabuk. The following night, 18-19 January, more Muharraq Tornadoes armed with JP233 visited Tallil

Messages were also applied to ordnance! CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

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OPERATION GRANBY

Who Ya Gonna Call? CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

air base. They were preceded one minute earlier by other Tornadoes lofting thousandpounders, fused for an airburst fifteen-feet above the ground. This served only to stir up a hornet’s nest and, after releasing their bombs, Flt Lts Dave Waddington and Robbie Stewart of No.27 Squadron in ZA396 were hit ‘in the face’ by a Roland SAM which they had tried unsuccessfully to out-manoeuvre. Pilot Waddington was knocked unconscious by the explosion from the missile, with Stuart using the command ejection system to catapult both men clear the stricken aircraft. At Tabuk, Wing Commander Travers Smith, CO of No.16 Squadron, was first away in ZA473 at 021 on 17 January, leading three more Tornados towards A1 Asad airfield, which was given the ‘JP233 treatment’ despite one of the aircraft returning early with technical trouble. A second wave also visited Al Taqaddum the same night, whilst eight JP233 bombers returned to A1 Asad. A tactic tried against H-3 airfield early on 18 January was to send in four ALARM aircraft sometime before, and accompany three JP233 Tornados with another four ‘ALARMists’. Despite having ALARM in their inventory, the Tornados found the Flak so intense that they were forced to abandon their attack, and therefore reluctantly brought their JP233s home. Use of 1,000lb bombs began from Tabuk on the evening of 18 February; these weapons were used in conjunction with the ALARM aircraft in defence suppression, whilst four more GR.1s made Tabuk’s last use of JP233. When a change of tactics became public on 21 January, there were unofficial reports that the losses being encountered by the JP233-armed aircraft were becoming unacceptable, and having kept the Iraqi airfields closed in the opening stages of the war, the time had now arrived to abandon these near-suicidal low-level missions, and switch to a safer operating altitude. The Tornado units’ JP233 missions gave way to loft attacks with free-fall bombs, but a lofting

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attack by eight Tabuk Tornadoes with 1,000lb bombs on a radar site claimed the lives of Squadron Leaders Garry Lennox and Paul Weeks from No.16 Squadron in ZA467, during the early hours of 22 January. The following day, Dhahran lost its only Tornado of the war, when Pilot Off Simon Burgess, the youngest RAF pilot in the conflict, and Squadron Leader Bob Ankerson of No.17 Squadron suffered the premature explosion of one of their own bombs. Squadron Leader Peter Battson and Wing Cdr Mike Heath of No.20 Squadron, who had been interviewed by a TV crew just prior to take-off from Tabuk inZD893 on the evening of 20 January, had deliberately ‘ditched’ the aircraft when it suffered a control restriction, and were subsequently seen on TV in a field hospital with a few cuts and bruises, very philosophical about their ‘adventure’. It was the Tornadoes at Muharraq that had been hit the hardest. On the second and subsequent nights of the campaign, Iraqi

guns continued to blaze at random, except that their operators had now learned to fire almost horizontally, so greatly increasing the danger to low-flying aircraft. Switching to medium altitude and using free-fall bombs, the Tornado GR.1 losses receded drastically, although the aircraft did not take kindly to medium level attacks. Optimised for precision delivery of weapons from low-level, it required new techniques of bombing to be introduced. Not least of these was revised software tor the weapons computer which was unable to cope with corrections it was now faced with. As a means of improving accuracy, dive-bombing was tried. Starting from at 24,000ft, the Tornado was rolled onto its back (to maintain positive-g) and dived at thirty-degrees, while the pilot acquired the target in his HUD. Pullout was achieved at about 16,000ft — still above SA-8 SAMs and most of the light flak - the aircraft’s computer then determining the correct moment of weapon release. Airfield targets were becoming mixed with petrochemical plants, fuel and ammunition storage, barracks and radar sites during the closing days of January, with Tabuk sending a six-ship up to drop thirty bombs a Scud missile test site on the 30th. The two TIALD laser designation pods if (described elsewhere) were rushed through trials for Gulf deployment, but something was needed immediately. On the morning of 23 January, RAF Lossiemouth was detailed to send six Buccaneers to the Gulf ‘with all haste’, to undertake laser designation duties with their Pave Spike pods, and the and the first Tornado/Buccaneer/Pave Spike mission was flown on 2 February, against the Al Samawah road bridge over the River Euphrates, when two Buccaneers and four Tornados armed with LGBs successfully struck home. Due to a lack of space, only three bombs could he carried, two in parallel at the forward point under the fuselage and

With love from the Fox and Hounds! CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

HAND PICKED FO Rpicked 2018 Hand

Andrew Rawlinsom Signed-off by:

Date:

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rsion),

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still frustrated. Another ten-minute circuit by the six-ship to give the cloud a little more time, and the opposite corner received its postponed strike. Having led the first Tornado mission from Tabuk, Wing Commander Travers Smith was also ‘in’ on the last raid, when four bombers and two TIALD carriers took off to attack Habbanniyah air base on 27 February. Unfortunately, No.16’s Boss had to return early with an unserviceable aircraft and so was not among the three which attacked at approximately 22.30hr dropping the final RAF bombs in Desert Storm. The Buccaneer-led force in the east ended the same day’s work in the late afternoon by attacking Skayka Mayhar airfield. Six more Pave Spike missions planned for the 28th were cancelled at 0300 local time because the first would have taken place after the ceasefire came into effect. Muharraq had already loaded Tornados with a new weapon, the American CBU-87 cluster bomb used previously by Jaguars, in preparation for missions on the 28th, but the first delivery by four aircraft onto a SAM site, augmented by two Buccaneers and four LGB Tornados was timed just ten minutes after the cease-fire, at 08:10 local, and was subsequently cancelled. The Tornadoes all wore the ‘Desert Sand’ colour scheme, retaining the black anti-glare panel atop the nose. The scheme extended to the pylons, wing-tanks and self-defence pods, and was broken only by the natural metal areas around the Mauser cannon. As could he anticipated, aircraft markings were at a premium. All Tornadoes carried an identifying tail code, either in white outline, solid black or black with a thin white border, containing either a single- or two-letter code, depending on the operating base. Individual aircraft serial numbers were white, positioned on the rear fuselage. The only other markings, apart from the red and white ejection seat triangles, were white ‘Rescue’ arrows on the forward fuselage

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the third at the rear centre. By 8 February, twelve Buccaneers were in theatre and flying for both the Dhahran and Muharraq bomber forces. The campaign to sever Baghdad’s communications with Kuwait slowed after 11 February, when airfields again came under attack. This time, however, individual HASs were hit with precision, for which it was soon established that two bombs per Tornado per-shelter was sufficient. Larger formations of four Buccaneers and eight Tornados were first tried against Al Taqaddum airfield on the morning of 14 February, and this became unduly complex. Despite variations in heights and approaches, the, defenders knocked down ZD717 with two SA-2 SAMs whilst the crew was pre-occupied with the attack, so double-sized raids were not tried again. Out to the west, Tabuk had to wait longer for its laser designators to arrive. There was a short, hut intensive campaign against ammunition dumps, petrol refineries and power stations during early February, ending with seven aircraft dropping thirty-five bombs on an artillery plant at Habbanniyah on the 10th. Later the same morning the TIALD designation pod was used for the first time, fast becoming the only means by which Tabuk-based aircraft released their bombs. With the exception of occasional bridge like the ones at Fallujah, Ar Ramadi and Al Samawah, it was Iraqi airfields which received the attention of the Tabuk TIALD force until the end of hostilities. Two TIALDs and four bombers had literally a lucky break when they approached H-3 Southwest airfield on 17 February. Tasked with attacking shelters at the east and west ends of the runway, during the first pass, the air base was obscured by cloud, which was seen to be clearing from the west, so the six Tornados made a ten-minute circuit. During their second pass, shelters at the western end were hit, but the eastern element was

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‘Debbie’, ‘Helen’, ‘Nikki’ and ‘Emma’ beneath their sun shelters CREDIT: Steve Morris

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OPERATION GRANBY and pale pink/blue roundels above the port and below the starboard wings, hut this was not standard on all aircraft. Modifications to the aircraft came under the umbrella of Gulf Updates, commonly known as ‘Phase One’, which were undertaken at RAF St Athan and at several front-line stations. There were twenty- three possible planned modifications, and nineteen new modifications known officially as ‘Special Trials Fits’. Few aircraft incorporated all the modifications and STFs, with eighteen and thirteen modifications being typical. The possibility of battle damage led to the incorporation of a long-planned modification to the Tornadoes fin-mounted fuel tank, with a nitrogen purging system being fitted to remove any fuel vapour once the tank was empty. The modifications also included uprated RB.199 Mk.103 engines. Sand ingestion caused a glass-like coating to form on the turbine blades, and to counter this several modifications were made to the engine. Single-crystal turbine (blades chemically milled) were added which gave them a longer life, and greater reliability, and to solve problems caused by sand build-up, cooling holes were made in the blades’ leading/trailing edges. Since the RAF aircraft would he operating as part of a force dominated by the USAF, all Tornado GR.1s had their Cossor SSR3100 Mk.X IFF equipment

ZA491/N ‘Nikki’ CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

ZD719/AD ‘Check Six CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

removed and replaced by a Mk.XII Mode 4 set. The aircraft were also provided with Have Quick secure voice radios and some carried a hand-held GPS receiver. Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) was also added to the engine intakes and the leading edges of the wings, tail planes and weapons pylons, but was less apparent than on the F3, as it was concealed beneath their Desert Sand colour scheme. Due to the perceived lack of tanker support, fifteen Sergeant Fletcher 28-300 refuelling pods were acquired from Germany’s Marineflieger, and nine dual control Tornado GR.1s modified to use them in a ‘buddy-buddy’ tanker role. Modified under STF 238, the conversion was undertaken at St Athan and the first aircraft to be so modified, ZA410, rolled out on 13 January 1991. As it turned out the aircraft were not required, and they remained in reserve. Most of the aircraft began to sport ‘nose art’,

ZD715/DB ‘Luscious Lizzie’ CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

courtesy of the ground crews. These ranged from the humorous to the risqué, and did not always meet with the approval of senior officers, as many of the characters’ names from the hit BBC comedy series ‘Blackadder’ were applied to the aircraft, but they were quickly removed! However, the varied artworks added a new dimension, and a lighter side to the conflict, and sent the aircraft spotter fraternity into a frenzy of activity! The ‘sharksmouth also put in a welcome appearance, and neatly suited the Tornadoes nose! MA

B

THE PANAVIA

TORNADO A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

IDS, ECR and ADV Versions by Andy Evans

M DF

29 TORNADO

ZD850/CL ‘Cherry Lips’ CREDIT: Andy Evans Collection

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For the full story of the Panavia Tornado the SAM Publications MDF 29 is the ideal source, and can be purchased from the SAM Shop www.sampublications.com

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SAM-M

THE PANAVIA

TORNADO MDF 29

A COM P REHENSI VE GUI DE

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TORNADO

£19.99 + P&P

By Andy Evans

B

Aircraft, but the arrival of the jet age brought a plethora of y today’s exacting military standards, the new aircraft into the skies. Many designers clung to the success of the Panavia Tornado is quite ‘traditional’ one-aircraft-one mission thinking, and therefore achievement, and one that made its tri-national air forces found themselves with numerous specialised programme one of the greatest feats of international fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. As budgets military and political co-operation of the 20th century. became tighter, many promising projects began to be Rather than being the proverbial ‘camel’ (otherwise discarded through financial or political pressures, and known as a horse put together by a committee), the several countries began to see the sense in committing to Tornado has proved itself to be a true thorough-bred, bi-national or tri-national military projects, or alternatively able to deliver ‘as advertised’ in all weathers. The were persuaded to ‘buy American’. In Europe, the growing latter has been the cornerstone of the Tornado’s Soviet threat post-War, led Britain, Germany and Italy to performance, when at its peak, it was one the NATO agree to produce a single aircraft type, that could fly a wide that could function by night, by day, in fog, in rain variety of combat missions, and yet still be tailored to meet or snow, and mount realistic offensive operations. the needs of the individual user nations. So was born the Tornado was conferred with an excellent radar, ‘MRCA’ - later Tornado - and a management company, powerful engines, the ability to carry a large warCover: Illustration Purposes Only Panavia Aviation, was created to oversee the project, which load at both low-level and medium altitudes, had a was for a swing-wing, low- level ‘bomb truck’, capable of defence suppression, superb short field ability, which offered a compromise between traditional stand-off laser designation, anti-shipping and reconnaissance tasks, with further runways and STOL performance. Many historians would doubtless say consideration for a dedicated interceptor variant. The programme was a triumph that the famous De Havilland Mosquito was the original Multi-Role Combat of co-operation, which incredibly faced few hitches and produced perhaps the greatest aircraft of its type. Proven in battle from the deserts of Iraq to the skies of Europe, as well as in keeping the peace, the Panavia Tornado has a singular history, and up-date programs has kept it flying onto the 21st Century. Now in the last years of its service life, was perhaps a good time to look back on what is, and remains a very fine aircraft, and this new Datafile from SAM Publications brings the Tornado story to life!

M DF 29

TORNADO

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SPITFIRE MK.VA

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Black Spitfire in Egypt T

Andrew Root builds the 1:32 Hasegawa Mk.Va of the 73rd Operational Training Unit, based at RAF Fayid in 1944

he Spitfire is, of course, most famous for the Battle of Britain, but it saw service in every theatre of the war, with many marks and variants. As some MAM readers may already know, I’m building twelve 1:32 Spitfires to show just some of the marks and markings worn by this iconic aircraft throughout its life. So here is another of these builds, a gloss Black Mk.V in the markings of the Officer Commanding the 73rd Operational Training Unit, based in Egypt at RAF Fayid in the summer of 1944. Having seen a profile picture of this aircraft, I thought it would be a lovely one to build, and having already built the HobbyBoss Mk.V, I decided to go for the Hasegawa kit.  This being the first Hasegawa kit I’ve built, I was a little unsure, but several friends were full of praise for them, and of course, they were correct. The fit and detail are excellent, with lots of surface panel lines and rivets. The

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

53 BLACK SPITFIRE IN EGYPT

The decals case came via my ‘spares-box’

Spitfire Mk.Va Manufacturer: Hasegawa Scale: 1:32 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 08129

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SPITFIRE MK.VA

interior was rather basic, fortunately, I had a few etched spares from previous builds, and these included a full harness, which I think was a must. The interior was painted with Tamiya Cockpit Green, a great deal of time was taken with the instrument panel, painting all the details and switches. 

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The wings and tail sections were fitted with no real problem, other than the normal sanding.  For the paint, it seemed logical to use a Gloss Black Primer, I here used Alclad Gloss Black Base, which I must say, gives a superb finish. For the paint, I decided to use a Tamiya Gloss Black rattle-can, which was first warmed in water before use, just to reduce the chance of paint runs. A light coat was applied first, with a thicker gloss coat applied to get a high shine. The lightening flash was masked and

painted with Tamiya White. As a gloss paint was used, there was no need for a ‘Future’ coat before applying the decals, which in this case came via my ‘spares-box’. I decided not to weather this build, as I was really pleased with the gloss finish, and didn’t want to ruin it! This was a great kit, the fit was excellent, and I’d recommend a few aftermarket upgrades for the interior, but other than that, it’s highly recommended.  MA

08/12/2017 18:02

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Airbrushing and Weathering Techniques.

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The Weathering Magazine 21.Faded. Luftwaffe crash archive 11 The latest issue of The Weathering Magazine is entirely devoted to the effects of fading and discoloration. Within this release, you will see various examples of pale and faded finishes seen not only on tanks, trains, and submarines, but also on civilian and science fiction subjects.

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MDF 29 Panavia Tornado

Panavia Tornado has a singular history, and up-date programs has kept it flying onto the 21st Century. Now in the last years of its service life, it perhaps a good time to look back on what is, and remains a very fine aircraft, and this new Datafile from SAM Publications brings the Tornado story to life!

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£16.00

Air Modeller’s Guide to Wingnut Wings

If you are a fan of WWI aircraft then this is a book for you. Showcasing a selection of builds of the stunningly high detailed kits available from New Zealand based brand Wingnut Wings. Paperback,full colour,112 pages.

£19.50

Aircraft Modelling Essentials

This book focuses on WWII aircraft exclusivley with a strong relation to wingnut wings models. This books is full of thoughts ideas and techniques to get the best results from WWII airplane kits.

Aircraft Scale Modelling Guide. Aircraft included A-6E Tram Intruder, A-7E Corsair II, F-4J Phantom II, F-5E Tiger II Agressor, F-8E Crusader, F-14A Tomcat, F-18F Superhornet, F-21 Lion.A

With this Essential Techniques series we create a new way of learning modeling. This is a perfect series of books for those people who want to take the first steps in this hobby and for those who return to it after a while

Bell 47/H-13 Sioux Helicopter

A&M 10. The de Havilland Mosquito Part 2

The Weathering Aircraft Volume 7.Interiors.

£25.00

Famously pictured in the opening credits of the popular television series M.A.S.H., Bellís Model 47 helicopter was the first helicopter certified for civilian use in March 1946 and went on to serve a wide variety of military and civilian applications.

£17.50

YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www. bookworldws. co. uk Stockists of the following subjects: Aviation, Military, Naval, Modelling, Railway, Motoring Major credit cards accepted, UK cheques payable to Bookworld Wholesale Ltd

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USN Legendary Jets

Warpaint 113.Panavia Tornado

£28.99

The de Havilland Mosquito Part 2 contains208 pages, 40+ pages of technical information,20+ pages of walk-around images and technical diagrams,5+ pages of camouflage and markings,25+ pages of model builds and modelling information,200+ photographs including wartime images.

£18.95

£27.99

Introducing The Weathering Aircraft, your publication of choice focused on painting and weathering techniques for aircraft models, launches its seventh issue. We should not overlook interiors, so we have decided to show you how to paint and weather cockpits, wheel and electronics bays, and radio compartments.

£8.99

RAF Secret Jets of Cold War Britain

RAF: Secret Jets of Cold War Britain The West was stunned when the Soviet Union dropped its first atomic bomb in August 1949. In the wake of the Second World War, funding for the RAF had fallen away dramatically but now there was an urgent need for new jet fighters to meet the threat of Russian bombers head-on.

£6.99

V2 The A4 Rocket from Peenemunde to Redstone.

The A4 rocket, or V2 ñ ëVergeltungswaffen Zweií (Vengeance Weapon 2), was the most sophisticated weapon developed in Europe during the Second World War. From September 1944 to March 1945, launch teams fired more than 3,000 V2 rockets at targets in England, France, Belgium and even within Germany itself.

£50.00

MDF Scaled Down 7

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Front and EA-18G-Growler by Andy Evans. This new Scaled Down from SAM Publications brings the Super Hornet story to life.Paperback,Full colour,100 pages

£14.99

Aces High 11

We introduce you the 11th issue, the first number of the collection dedicated entirely to aircraft. The mythical Fw190. An indispensable issue for all lovers of aviation. For this special issue we have selected some articles of the highest quality of the best modelers in which they explain a lot of techniques on this iconic plane, with a careful layout and great photos.

£8.99

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F-100C SUPER SABRE

Danumurthi Mahendra shows you how to produce an authentic finish on the 1:48 Trumpeter F-100C Super Sabre

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he F-100 Super Sabre is one of my alltime favourite aircraft. Affectionately called the ‘Hun’, when I saw one in a magazine in the 1980’s I fell in love with its looks, particularly the metal discolouration in the exhaust area. The Trumpeter kit used here is the only ‘C-version’ available, and it has its flaws. A quick glance will tell you that the intake is off-shape, the tyres are too thin and large, the decals are inaccurate, the drop tanks are too short. But otherwise, the kit was quite easy to construct, it has a lovely exterior surface detail, and a reasonable interior. It includes options for different refuelling booms and exhausts, plus, you get four AIM-9Bs, twin launcher rails, and two traveling pods. Tackling the interior, I painted the exhaust XF-84 Dark Iron, the cockpit XF-83 Medium Sea Grey, and the instrument panels Flat Black. I used a Waldron ‘punch and die’ set to cut the dials from the decal sheet and stick them onto the instrument panels. The intake was dipped

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into a bucket of White house paint, and excess wiped away, and left to dry. There were few major parts other than gluing the fuselage, stabilisers, and wings, with just a little filling and sanding needed. I began to think what could make or break the kit was the burned and discoloured exhaust effects. Weighing my options, I decided to work on this area first, so after a primer coat of Mr Color GX01 Ueno Black, I immediately unloaded several thin coats of Alclad ALC119 Airframe Aluminium. Varying the metallic look was next, starting with ALC105 Polished Aluminium, followed by AK485 Pale Burnt Metal, AK484 Burnt Metal, AK487 Metallic Blue, and AK672 Pale Brass. Other shades were then thinly brushed on, like X-16 Purple, X-27 Clear Red, X-26 Clear Orange, and X-23 Clear Blue - including Burnt Blue and Burnt Red from Tamiya Weathering Master Set D. The SEA camouflage began by masking the clear canopy, intake, and all the metalwork at the rear. I had already covered the model with

F-100C Super Sabre Manufacturer: Trumpeter Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number:02838

Mr. Surfacer Black 1500, so it was just about choosing which paint I should spray first. I started by sequentially spraying Hataka Acrylic A016 Dark Green, A021 Medium Green, A012 Dark Tan, and A039 Camouflage Grey. I used Blu-Tac to help get that curved and feathered camouflage pattern. To my surprise, Tamiya acrylic thinner worked but I had to add a few drops of Tamiya Retarder to help the paint

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57 HUNTING HUN

Working on the cockpit

The Super Sabre is one of those subjects that give you a load of options for weathering

To produce the burned effect on the rear of the aircraft, first I applied a coat of Alclad Black……

…..and then Airframe Aluminium…

…then I began to add more discolouration….

….and fading…..

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…using various paints and oils…..

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F-100C SUPER SABRE

….and Alclad Xtreme Metallic’s….

flow better. Switching gear, I prepared the bombs, drop tanks, landing gear, ejection seat, wheel bays, and gun ports. Hasegawa Weapons set A provided the two pairs of M117 and Mk.84 bombs. They were quickly glued, painted, and weathered. I modified the kit’s 275 gal drop tanks to a 335 gallon versions by extending them by 14.3mm, using plastic tubes and two-part epoxy. I then painted the landing gear struts AK480 Dark Aluminium. All bay interiors were given an interior green of XF-4 Yellow Green mixed with XF-5 Flat Green. The canon ports were drilled, masked, and sprayed

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….and here is the finished look

X-10 Gun Metal. The Revell-Monogram F-100D kit provided the wheels and ejection seat. The tyres were then painted XF-85 Rubber Black, and the ejection seat Medium Sea Grey and Olive Drab, and these were then washed and dry-brushed accordingly. I was surprised by the smoothness of the paint surface and decided to add the kit’s decals without any gloss coat. However, the decals had accuracy issues. The tail numbers should have been

53-1737 – an aircraft that served with the 188th at Tuy Hoa Air Base - and not 54-1737 which was a Piper Super Cub, and be advised that the starboard tail number arrangement is placed backwards! Some of the smaller prints are off register and lack the correct stencils that you would commonly see on a

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

Hataka colours were used for the SEA camouflage

HUNTING HUN

camouflaged F-100C/D/Fs. If accuracy is an issue, I recommend getting an after-market decals or make your own. The Super Sabre is one of those subjects that give you a load of options for weathering, and with an aircraft that had served in actual combat, I had the opportunity to play with different materials to show a variety of effects. Depending on the level of wear and tear, panels were randomly treated with

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Here you can see some colour modulation being done on the undersides

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F-100C SUPER SABRE

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Toning down the decals

Adding some chipping with a sponge on the fuselage…..

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61 HUNTING HUN

….and wing tanks

The serial numbers are incorrect for a Super Sabre so needed a little adjustment

chipping, smudges, grime, leaks, and paint fade. It’s helpful if you have reference images of the actual aircraft in action to guide you on your work. Here are a variety of materials and approaches that I used. I applied a small

amount of Mr. Color #8 Silver and XF-4 Yellow Green interchangeably using a sharpened toothpick and sponges to replicate chipping on panel lines and rivets. Naples Yellow and Buff Titanium oil paints were heavily thinned

with Tamiya enamel thinner and applied with a wide brush to fade different panel areas. To create darker shades, I sprayed thin coats of XF-27 Black Green. The decals were also toneddown using the base green colour but heavily diluted with thinner. I used a variety of Panel Line Washes including A.MIG.1618 Deep Brown, A.MIG.1615

Adding grime and soot stains on the underside

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F-100C SUPER SABRE

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Stone Grey for Black, A.MIG.1613 Blue Grey, and A.MIG.1616 Orange Brown to accentuate different panel line shades and the interior of the wheel bay. The gun ports were frequently seen covered with gunpowder residue, and here I lightly sprayed Flat Black, X-19 Smoke and dusted over with A.MIG.3001 Black. To replicate fluid leaks on the drop tanks and the aircraft’s underbelly, I brushed A.MIG.1408 Fresh Engine Oil and A.MIG.1409 Fuel Stains. And then misting a layer of X-19 Smoke and XF-69 NATO Black. The wing walkways and tyres were randomly dusted with A.MIG.3013 Rubble. With everything now in place, it was time to flat coat the model. So, I used Mr. Color Super Matt which I decanted, add a few drops of Mr Leveling Thinner, and sprayed it through my airbrush. Almost there! With that done, it was time to finally install the accessories like

Painting and detailing the ordnance

bombs, drop tanks, wheel bay doors, and tyres. Installing the canopy had turned out more difficult than I would have expected. I wanted to show it in an opened position but there were no hinges. So, copper wires were drilled and I had to eye-ball actual images to correctly get the position and angle. I really enjoyed working on this project. I am very satisfied with how the results turned out, generally on the overall weathering and particularly on the discoloured metallic area. MA

An access ladder adds to the look

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F-8 CRUSADER

Ground-Pounding

Gunslinger Sebastian Perez builds the 1:48 Eduard F-8 Crusader

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he iconic F-8 Crusader served primarily in the Vietnam War in the air superiority role for the US Navy and in a close ground support role for the US Marines. For this build I am using Eduard’s re-boxing of the Hasegawa F-8 Crusader, complete with extra etch, resin and five lovely schemes printed up from Furball Aero Design. Even without the added extras, the Hasegawa kit is still the best 1:48 Crusader to date. As with nearly every kit I’ve built, it started with the cockpit and right away you are given the choice of using the kit detail, or replacing it with etch. I went with the etch option as you would see quite a bit inside when completed,

Ready for painting….

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so that meant sanding down any raised detail on the instrument faces. Once this was done I sprayed the cockpit tub and sidewalls H317 Grey and the instrument face, and the control column H012 Flat Black. After a few hours drying I used a Dark Brown wash to bring out any raised detail and to give it that dirty worn. Next up I tackled the air intake and main wheel bays, and both went to together with minimal fuss. It was at this point they ask you to make up the tail hook and install it on one side of the fuselage, but me being me, I decided just to add the tub at this point. Something I later regretted.  Before I could add the various parts into the fuselage side I added some small etched details to the cockpit side wall, plus I

F-8 Crusader Manufacturer: Eduard Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded with etch and resin Kit Number: 1110

….and weapons detailing

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65 F-8 CRUSADER

The Eduard cockpit set makes all the difference…

…as does the seat detail

For me there is only one scheme for the Crusader, and that’s from VMF-235 ‘Death Angels’ removed a tiny amount of the frame work on each side to make room for a large piece of etch. It’s also here you are told to drill out holes for the Zuni pylons and rear light. Then it was just the case of adding the cockpit, intake, landing bay and the large one-piece wing bay into one half of the body and button her up. Next it was onto the one-piece wing section and here you have the choice of having the control surface raised or deployed, I went with the former. The wing and control surfaces were a breeze to construct with only minimal clean up needed. I did run into one issue though with the front inner surface. So

to get it to sit in the deployed position, a lot of sanding was needed on larger side as it was being pushed out of place by the one-piece wing. After this the whole wing section was completed, it was on to adding different small etched panels onto the fuselage, gluing on the two rear stabiliser fins and the bottom half of the wheel bay.  At this point I’d decided to leave off the landing gear, horizontal stabilisers, rear engine intakes and burner can for ease of painting.  Before I could get to painting her, I need to install the front part of the canopy and the large photo etch panel that sits around the top

A marbling coat adds much to the finished look of the paintwork….

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of the cockpit frame. Here I added some small wires and plasticard rods to help busy this section up as it would be seen when complete. I painted this the same H317 I used on the cockpit and finally stuck the remaining photo etch detail to the side walls. Next, I masked off the front piece of the canopy and cockpit ready for priming, for this I used Mr Surfacer 1500 Black which gives you a beautiful smooth surface to paint on and being black I could use my favourite painting technique, black basing. The beauty of these 1950s -60s era Navy jets is that there are normally only ever two or three main colours, so because of that

…and works well on the upper and lower fuselage

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F-8 CRUSADER

As these birds were used in such harsh and demanding environments, weathering was a must…..

there was minimal amount of masking to begin with. The first colour was H316 Insignia White, which was built up in thin layers on the underside of the fuselage, wings, horizontal and vertical stabilisers and some control surfaces. The idea with black basing is to apply the colours in a random marbled effect, this creates a nice worn look to the area with shadows and highlighted showing through in different parts. Next up was the second colour, so after a quick mask of the white I applied H054 Light Gull Grey to the top of the fuselage and wings, again building the colour up in a random manner the same as before. After letting this dry for a few hours, I masked up the nose and forward part of the canopy, as this was to be painted H012 Flat Black. This was then put to one side and left to dry. Now it was the turn of the metallic parts starting with the area at the back of the fuselage. This was masked up and using AK Xtreme Metal Jet Exhaust, Burnt Metal, Steel, Pare Burnt Metal and Metallic Smoke was applied in thin layers to get the lovely worn burnt

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…especially on the undersides

effect you see. Next up was the afterburner can and engine intakes. The intakes were done using the same colours as before, but as the burner can was just a plug-in, so I just used Jet Exhaust for this part. Finally, it was the turn of the leading edges and for this I used the

Xtreme Metal Steel, then it was on to giving everything a Gloss coat ready for the decals. For this I used AK Shine Enhancer, which works perfectly as a clear coat and has the added beauty of being touch dry within fifteen minutes! 

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

67 F-8 CRUSADER

The decals were printed by Furball Aero Design…

For me there is only one scheme for the Crusader, and that’s from VMF-235 ‘Death Angels’, who operated close air support for the Marines, and operated from Da Nang Air Base. The decals were printed by Furball Aero Design, so I knew they wouldn’t be a problem and they didn’t disappoint, with lovely colour register and super thin carrier film made for an easy and enjoyable application. Even the large stared decals that wraps around the mouth of the intake didn’t pose a problem. Once everything had suitably dried I sealed the decals in with Vallejo Satin gloss. Then it was time for weathering, quite possibly my favourite part. So, to begin, I applied Ammo by MIG Dark Brown Wash to all the panel lines, rivets and raised detail. After letting this dry for a few minutes, I wiped the excess off in the direction of the airflow, leaving behind a dirty stained look to the aircraft. But as these birds were used in such harsh and demanding environments, I need to take the weathering up a notch. For this I turned to my AK interactive Streaking Grime, mainly

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….and they did not disappoint

the Dark Brown and Dark Black Green. With these I could get the battle hardened worn look that these birds would have got from flying many hundreds of sorties in all types of weather, and with that complete I set it aside to completely dry. While this dried I turned my attention to all the smaller parts, painting up the landing gear, undercarriage doors, Zuni Pylons and

the lovely Eduard Brassin MER pylons with H316 White, also applying H327 Insignia Red to the door frames. Adding the tail hook, which proved to be a nightmare getting it in the tub, building the canopy frame which was then painted in H012 Flat Black and painting up the Mk82 low-drag bombs with Tamiya Olive Green. Everything received a quick coat of Satin gloss before being stuck on to their respective point on the aircraft. Once everything was on, I used AK interactive Dust and Mud effects along the underside to show where all the dirt would have kicked up from take-off/ landing. Finally, I added same ‘Remove Before Flight’ tags to the pylons, the pitot tube to the nose, stuck the completed seat in and she was complete. MA

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A-4C SKYHAWK

A Well-Weathered

VALION

Sebastian Perez details the 1:48 Hasegawa A-4C Skyhawk in the markings of VA-15

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or this is build I’ll be using Hasegawa’s 1:48 A-4C Skyhawk of VA-15 ‘The Valions’. Construction began with the cockpit, and the detail out of the box is okay, but I wanted something a little busier, so I turned to Eduard’s lovely 1:48 Zoom Set for the cockpit, plus added lead foil to the side panels to create a fabric effect. After the appropriate detail was sanded off ready for the etch, I painted the instrument panel and control stick H012 Flat Black and the cockpit tub and sidewalls H317 FS36231 Grey. The fabric effects were then dry brushed with H338 FS36495 Light Grey to bring out the raised detail. While this was drying I stuck down the etch onto the instrument and control panels. The cockpit tub and sidewalls were then given a coat of Gloss ready for a pin-wash using Ammo by MIG Brown Panel Wash and AK interactive Dust Wash. Finally, I

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gave everything a quick coat of Matt to flatten the colours down, and stuck the completed cockpit into one half of the fuselage.

Next it was onto the duct assembly, and the front compressor blades. The duct was painted in AK Xtreme Metal Burnt Iron, and their Aluminum was used for the compressor blades. The blades were then masked off

I added the Eduard Zoom Set to the cockpit

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MODEL AIRCRAFT JANUARY 2018

69 A WELL-WEATHERED VALION

I turned to Eduard’s lovely 1:48 Zoom Set for the cockpit Light Gull Grey was used for the upper surfaces with Red interior trim

I used my go-to primer Mr Surfacer 1500 Black

A-4C Skyhawk Manufacturer: Hasegawa Scale: 1:48 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: 09153

and the air intake body was painted in H316 FS17875 White, and once everything was dry, the intakes were glued behind the cockpit and the duct was fixed at the back of the fuselage behind where the burner sat. Before the two body halves could be glued together there was the small matter of drilling open the holes for the boarding ladder and fuselage lights, then the two halves were fixed together. While the glue dried I started building the nose cone and added around 10 grams of lead shot to negate the chance of a ‘tail sitter’. Once this had been glued to the fuselage, I used Mr Surfacer 500 to fill any seams and gaps.

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White was added to the undersides

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A-4C SKYHAWK My attention then turned to building the wings, this consisted of a lower one-piece and two smaller pieces making up the top sides. The fit here was perfect with no seamlines or gaps showing at all, and the fit to the fuselage was so snug, it almost felt like a snap together kit! Next up was to add the different humps and bumps including the air intakes, engine air scoops and the fairing that sits just behind the exhaust on the underside. It’s at this point the instructions would have you build up and install the landing gear, but I find this is best left off until the very end. So the next part was to mask-up the canopy and glue it into place ready for priming, and for this I used my-go to primer Mr Surfacer 1500 Black. I use Black Primer because I like to apply the paint using the Black Basing technique, where you build thin layers in a marbled effect, letting the black primer show through. The first colour to follow was H316 FS17875 White sprayed onto the underside, adding H001 Flat White to random panels to act as highlights. At this point I started to come across pictures of Skyhawks with Anti Corrosive paint applied to different areas, so to replicate this I used H058 Interior Green, adding this along selective panels line to show some patching up. Finally, H316 was added in one last thin layer over the top to blend everything then. Once this had dried I masked off the bottom and applied the same techniques to the topside, using H054 Light Gull Grey, adding H001 Flat White to selective panels, then H058 Interior Green for the Anti Corrosive paint and finally blending it all in

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The kit decals went on without issue

Interior Green to show Anti Corrosive paint bleeding through

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71 A WELL-WEATHERED VALION

I applied AK Interactive Streaking Grime to random panels and rivets

with the first colour. The next step was to spray the insides of the landing flaps, bays and the leading edges, and for this I used H327 FS11136 Red. Lastly it was the turn of the anti-glare panel at the front, and for this I used H012 Flat Black, and once everything had been left to fully dry, I sprayed a couple of coats of AK Shine Enhancer for a glossy finish. Next up it was the decaling stage, and as noted my choice was and aircraft from VA-15

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and the markings all went on without any problems and were covered with another coat of Gloss. My attention then turned to the to the smaller sub-assemblies, including the fuel tanks, undercarriage and bay doors. H001 Flat White was used for the undercarriage with the tyres being picked out in H077 Tyre Black. The fuel tanks and bay doors were painted using H316 White, with H327 Red, brush painted along the outer rim of each door. After this had all dried I applied the relevant decals to the tanks and undercarriage, sealing them in with Satin gloss. Then it was straight into my favourite part, the weathering! I started this off with an Ammo by MIG Dark Brown, leaving it to dry for around ten minutes, before wiping the excess off in the direction of the airflow. Once this had dried I applied AK Interactive

Streaking Grime to random panels and rivets, again going in the direction of the airflow, and this left a nice dirty look to the model. I applied the same method to the underside, bays doors and fuel tanks. The tanks received some Ammo by MIG Fuel Stains around the filler caps, the undercarriage received a wash of Dark Brown plus some grime around the joins. Once this had all fully dried everything was then stuck into their respective positions, then all that was left was to apply some RBF Tags to the fuel tanks, probe, sensors and she was finished. MA

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MUSTANG IN KOREA

MIG Masterclass

Mustang in Korea Mario Serelle uses Ammo by MIG products to paint and weather the 1:72 Airfix F-51D

O

ne afternoon I was digging my accessories box out to find an old KMC resin detail set with various cockpit parts and a complete Packard-Merlin engine. This set was designed for the Hasegawa 1:72 Mustang, but I only had the new tool Airfix kit in my stash. I then saw a Preiser Mechanics and Pilots Set and thought – ‘why not, this could be fun’! After cleaning up the resin parts and removing their blocks I built the engine components and added a few wires and plumbing. The engine was then airbrushed with Black with details brush painted in Silver. The oil tank received a coat of A.MIG-221 Yellow Zinc Chromate with Silver details. Because of the size of these parts weathering was kept simple, with some light dry-brushing and dark washes to add volume to the details with just a few chips to represent wear. The engine, despite developed for the Hasegawa kit was not so difficult to fit into the Airfix

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fuselage. Before starting to work in the cockpit, I decided to push a little further in detailing this kit and added rivets to the fuselage. Moving onto the ‘office’, I discovered from my research that the cockpits of the F-51Ds used in Korea were painted in Black, but this new paint used to get chipped very easily. To represent this I first airbrushed the interior parts in A.MIG-220 Interior Green and then applied a coat of A.MIG-2011 Chipping Fluid. With the fluid dry to the touch a Black coat was applied. Then I moistened the surface with a little of water and started scratching the Black paint with a hobby knife revealing the Interior Green colour underneath. After painting the details. I used a Silver watercolour pencil to add a few more scratches to the cockpit, this time simulating the exposed metal. This Airfix kit presented no real fitting problems, and the fuselage and wings were quickly glued together. With the engine in place, I glued the cowling frames and brush

F-51D Mustang Manufacturer: Airfix Scale: 1:72 Kit Type: Plastic injection moulded Kit Number: A02047 KMC #72-7011 - P-51D Mustang Update Set CMK #Q72-170 - P-51D Mustang Wheels Cross Tread Pattern

painted them in Aluminium. The original elevators were cut off and replaced by resin parts supplied in the KMC set, and the crude wheels were replaced by CMK parts. With the

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The cockpit received a coat of Interior Green and the engine compartment was painted in Yellow-Green primer

MIG MASTERCLASS

The engine received a Neutral Grey drybrushing to make the details show up while the oil tank received a Dark Wash to add some depth to the part

75

Chipping Fluid was sprayed on the cockpit area prior to painting overall Black

The interior received a coat of Rubber Black to depict the Black ‘office’ of a Korean War Mustang

After moistening the Black paint with water, a hobby knife was used to scratch the surface and reveal the Interior Green underneath

Dark Brown Wash was used to add depth and some dirt to the wheel wells The engine and the etched cowl frames needed some adjustments to fit perfectly in the fuselage

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MUSTANG IN KOREA

The fabric covered rudder was painted with a Matt Aluminium

After a Gloss Black coat, White Aluminium was used to replicated the painted Mustangs wings

Alclad Metallic paints are easy to use and provide a great finish

airframe completed the entire model was covered in Gloss Black and I started working with the metallic paints. My choice for this project was the Alclad/Ammo range, starting with White Aluminium on the wings. The fabric covered rudder was painted with Matt Aluminium and these parts were masked prior to the application of Polished Aluminium on the fuselage. Several panels were then masked and sprayed with different shades of Aluminium to complete the natural metal finish. Metallic paints may leave a small dust on the surface and this was easily cleaned

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A coat of Aqua Gloss was airbrushed to protect the finish, prior to painting the other details

with a soft brush before a coat of Aqua Gloss sealed this painting stage. Next the Yellow and Black markings were masked and airbrushed. I choose to use the decals supplied in the kit for famous ‘Was That Too Fast’ F-51D from 12th FBS/18th FBG based in Korea in 1952. Weathering started with paint chipping being applied on the spinner and propeller with

Detailing the propeller and spinner

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I choose to use the decals supplied in the kit for famous ‘Was That Too Fast’ F-51D from 12th FBS/18th FBG based in Korea in 1952

Model Aircraft Choice

We Recommend Ammo of MIG Products Used in This Build

MIG MASTERCLASS

The Mustang’s wings had their front half primed before being painted in the factory, and I decided to simulate paint chipping using Chromate Yellow on the leading edges

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• A.MIG-220 Interior Green • A.MIG-221 Yellow Zinc Chromate

• A.MIG-2011 Chipping Fluid • A.MIG-1617 Blue-Black Panel Line Wash

• A.MIG-1615 Stone Grey Panel Line Wash • A.MIG-1206 Dark Streaking Grime • A.MIG-1403 Earth Pigment

Adding some panel line washes

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MUSTANG IN KOREA a sponge. On the real assembly line, the front half of the Mustang’s wings were coated and primed before being painted in Aluminium, so I decided to replicate some Dirt and grime were added to the wing roots using Streaking Products

was used to replicate leaking fluids around the engine and landing gear areas. More Streaking Grime was then used to add dirt on the wing roots and A.MIG-1403 Earth Pigments added the appropriate effect to the tyres. Final weathering

was done using Silver, Black and Brown watercolour pencils. After gluing the landing gear and all the weaponry in place, the model was finished and I could start working on the other components of this small diorama. The figures came from the US Army Air Force 1942-45 Pilots and Ground Crew set from Preiser and the barrels, jerry cans and boxes came from an Italeri set. The Willys Jeep came from an Airfix kit (a full build article of the Willys Jeep was featured in September issue of SMMI). I had a lot of fun working on this project and I hope you enjoy! MA

chipping on the leading edges using a sponge and Zinc-Chromate Yellow to simulate the primer being exposed on these areas. A.MIG-1617 Blue-Black Panel Line Wash was then used to make all recessed details stand out, and A.MIG-1615 Stone Grey Wash was applied only over the Black areas. A.MIG-1206 Dark Streaking Grime

Adding pigments to the tyres

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Wing root weathering was complemented by pigments and watercolour pencils

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VOLUME 17 ISSUE 01

Produced by HobbyZone Limited under licence from SAM Publications 21 Kingsway, Bedford MK42 9BJ Telephone: +44 (0)1234 211245 Fax: +44 (0)1234 325927 Email: [email protected] PUBLISHER SAM Publications GROUP EDITOR Andy Evans EDITOR Andy Evans HobbyZone Limited, 21 Kingsway, Bedford MK42 9BJ Email: [email protected] ASSISTANT EDITOR David Francis ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andy Renshaw EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Mario Serelle EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Jezz Coleman EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENT Alan Kelley EDITORIAL CONSULTANT (EUROPE) Vitor Costa The above editorial email is ONLY to be used for editorial submissions. It is NOT for subscription payments or queries, back issues or Modellers Datafile orders. Please send all of these to [email protected] STUDIO MANAGER / DESIGN Jonathan Phillips SAM PUBLICATIONS EMAIL [email protected] Use this address for back issue orders, subscriptions or subscription enquiries or book orders. Note that we cannot undertake research into specific or general aviation queries and that there may be some delays in responses from the contributors, as they are not based at the editorial address. CONTRIBUTORS James Ashton; Jay Blakemore; Jezz Coleman; Danumurthi Mahendara; Sebastian Perez; Andrew Root; Mario Serelle ADVERTISING SALES Mark Willey Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1234 224992 PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION HobbyZone Limited PRINT PRODUCTION Printed and Bound in the UK DISTRIBUTION Warners Group Publications Plc The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH Telephone: 01778 391000 NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION BY disticor 695 Westney Rd South, Suite 14, Ajax, Ontario, Canada L1S 6M9 Tel: + 1 (905) 619 6565 Contributions and photographic material are welcome, but must be accompanied by adequate postage to cover return. HobbyZone Limited accept no responsibility for loss or damage to materials supplied.

And Finally...

Farewell Italian Atlantic

W

ith a ceremony held at Sigonella airbase the 41° Stormo (Wing) of the ItAF bid farewell to the Breguet BR-1150 (P-1150A) Atlantic, their trusty Maritime Patrol and ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) aircraft, which were retied after forty-five years of service and more than 250,000 flight hours. During the ceremony 88° Gruppo (Squadron) unveiled the final Atlantic special colour scheme aboard MM40118/41-03, and the unit is now transitioning to new P-72A, a military variant of the ATR 72-600.

© HOBBYZONE LIMITED 2018 Articles, photographs and drawings published in Model Aircraft Monthly are protected by copy­right. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without prior author­ity of the publishers. Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. HobbyZone Limited reserves the right to suspend or refuse any advertisement without giving reasons. Whilst every care is taken to avoid mistakes HobbyZone Limited cannot be liable in any way for any errors or omissions. Nor can the publisher accept respon­sibility for the bona fides of advertisers. ISSN: 2046-5386 HobbyZone Limited is a member of The paper used in this magazine is made from timber sourced from sustainable managed forests; the pulp is ECF (elemental chlorine free); the manufacturing mill is accredited with ISO14001 and EMAS for their environmental controls. SUBSCRIPTIONS Cheques/Money Orders in Sterling only made payable to HobbyZone Limited and sent to the address above. Credit card payment accepted by phone. Subscription Hotline +44 (0)1234 211245 AMERICAN SUBSCRIPTIONS Wise Owl is no longer selling subscriptions on behalf of HobbyZone Limited. Current Wise Owl customers can renew their subscriptions at the current rates directly with HobbyZone Limited: Subscription hotline +44 (0)1234 211245 – we are happy to call you back to take your order! Email ordering and customer support: [email protected] Website secure online ordering: www.sampublications.com Model Aircraft, Volume 17, Issue 01, January 2018 (ISSN: 2044-737X) published monthly by HobbyZone Limited, 2221 Niagara Falls Blvd, Niagara Falls NY 14304-5709. Periodical postage pending Niagara Falls NY. U.S. Postmaster. Send address corrections to Model Aircraft Monthly, PO Box 265 Williamsville, N.Y 14231 QUESTIONS TO CONTRIBUTORS If you have a question or query you wish to raise with any of the contrib­utors to this magazine, they should be made IN WRITING to the HobbyZone Limited address. Neither the Group Editor nor any of the contrib­utors are at HobbyZone Limited on a daily basis and the Group Editor asks for all enquirers to appreciate this fact and be patient. Please understand that the staff at HobbyZone Limited do not have access to the information you require and therefore cannot answer your questions on the phone. Please enclose a stamped SAE with all enquiries, if you anticipate a reply. Thank you. SAMPLES FOR REVIEW Model Aircraft Monthly is always happy to review new books within its pages. Any item which you feel is appropriate will be given due consideration for inclusion in the title. Any company, trade representative, importer, distributor or shop which wishes to have books reviewed within Model Aircraft Monthly should send them directly to the editorial address and clearly mark them for the attention of the Group Editor. Confirmation of receipt of the samples will be supplied if requested. For all international companies etc the above applies, but please ensure that the package is clearly marked for customs as a ‘sample, free of charge’ to reduce the risk of unnecessary delays. Thank you. COMPANY/SUPPLIERS ADDRESS DETAILS & GENERAL ENQUIRIES Please note that the Group Editor and staff at HobbyZone Limited cannot help with general enquires about contact details for companies, importers or model shops whose products may be mentioned in Model Aircraft Monthly if the address information is not included with the review etc. Please check the advertisements in this journal for all suitable UK sources and only contact the firm directly if it is noted that there is ‘No UK stockist’. We are sorry, but we cannot help with details of companies which do not advertise in this magazine. Also note that neither the Group Editor nor contributors will undertake specific or general research for enquirers. Thank you. COPYRIGHT WARNING Due to the growing misuse and breach of copyright apparent on the web, HobbyZone Limited hereby gives notice that no-one is permitted to reproduce in any way, (in original form or ‘modified’), anything published in this, or previous editions of this magazine. All design, layout and studio photography is the copyright of HobbyZone Limited. All profiles, scale plans and supporting photographs are the copyright of the individual authors. None of these may be used without prior written agreement from both the author/artist and HobbyZone Limited. Infringement is a breach of international law, so if you see items posted on the web from this magazine other than on the official HobbyZone Limited website (sampublications.com) please advise the publisher immediately.

Next Month in Model Aircraft – February 2018 SHAR School T.8 – Alan Kelley builds the new Kinetic Harrier trainer in an eye-catching all black scheme

Radar Raider – James Ashton details at the 1:32 Revell Fw190 A-8/R11 

Combat Edge – ‘From the Snake Pit!’ We look at the UH1Y Venom helicopter, with a full model of the 1:48 Kitty Hawk kit from Fred Vergneres builds the

X-Files Flight – Craig Boon looks at the 1:72 Platz X-47B UCAV

Daphne the Pirate – James Ashton looks at weathering the 1:32 Tamiya F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair Dawn of the Gustav – James Cann looks at the 1:48 Eduard Bf 109-G6 Early kit Fear the Bones – Ben Hinton delves into the 1:48 Hasegawa F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-103 Typically Tropical – Gerry Doyle builds the 1:48 Revell Spitfire Mk Vc

Aviation Datafile #1 – The Fairey Gannet MIG MASTERCLASS – ‘Victory 103’ - In the second of our ‘Jolly Rogers’ Super Hornet builds, Mario Serelle uses AMMO by MIG products to paint and weather the 1:48 Hasegawa kit Rising Sun Dive Bomber – Jean-Jacques Labrot builds the 1:72 Cyber Hobby Aichi Type 99 ‘Val’, from the Battle of Midway

Model Aircraft Extra – Martin B-57 Canberra Bombers in Vietnam – background details and full model builds from Mario Serelle and Mark Goldby

© HOBBYZONE LIMITED 2018 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted (including posting to a website) in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. MODEL AIRCRAFT IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY HOBBYZONE LIMITED NEXT ISSUE ON SALE 25TH JANUARY 2018.

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AVRO SHACKLETON AEW.2

A11005 AVRO SHACKLETON AEW.2 • New parts for this AEW.2 version

• AN/APS-20 Radome under cockpit • Shortened bomb-bay doors can be posed open or closed • Complete AEW.2 interior parts • Moveable contra-rotating propellers • Poseable control surfaces

AVRO SHACKLETON AEW.2 “Dougal”, No.8 Squadron, Royal Air Force Lossiemouth, Moray, north east Scotland, 1980. Aircraft now preserved at the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, England.

AVRO SHACKLETON AEW.2 “Ermintrude”, No.8 Squadron, Royal Air Force Lossiemouth, Moray, north east Scotland, 1979.

Length 370mm Width 508mm Pieces 242

Airfix.com

and all good retail stockists

Start as you mean to finish Official Product

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