Scale Aviation Modeller International Vol.20 Iss. 06

D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

B-

er

DR SC 26 AW AL M IN E ar G au S! d

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THE BIG BUILD

VATER UND SOHN Mistel 1 Conversion

FEATURING

ONE WAY

TICKET C-47 DAKOTA SKYTRAIN

SAMPUBLICATIONS.COM Vol 20 Iss 06 June 2014 £4.25 Printed in UK

D-DAY

Diorama

MOSQUITO OPS Normandy, 1944

ASPECTS OF ADVERSITY Air activity on two fronts

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Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:55 Page 503

L.S.A. Models 151 Sackville Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3HD • Tel: 01273 705420

[email protected] • www.lsamodels.co.uk AIRFIX AI19002 Hawker Typhoon 1/24th ....................£99.99 ACADEMY 1:48 Scale TW12300 F-4D Phantom "ROKAF" .....................£39.99 TRUMPETER TM02867 Supermarine Attacker FB.2.................£23.99 TM02890 Westland Whirlwind ..........................£29.99 TM02847 J-8F Finback .......................................£34.99 EDUARD MAY RELEASES 648134 Ju 88 wheels late 1/48 Dra .......................£5.00 648135 MG 81Z gun 1/48   ....................................£5.00 648140 Bf 109G cockpit 1/48 Edu........................£20.50 648141 Bf 109G-6 engine and guns 1/48 Edu .....£20.50 648147 WGr.21 for Bf 109G 1/48 Edu....................£6.50 648148 Bf 109G cannon pods 1/48 Edu.................£6.50 648149 Bf 109G-6 wheels 1/48 Edu ......................£4.25 BIGSIN       SIN64811 MiG-23 M/MF 1/48 Tru........................£37.00 LEPTY / PE-SETS       00031 Template ovals & oblong STEEL tool tool....£5.00 00032 Template ovals STEEL tool tool ...................£5.00 00033 Mesh 6x6 square STEEL     ...........................£5.00 00034 Mesh 4x4 square STEEL     ...........................£5.00 32348 F-104G ext 1/32 Ita...................................£12.25 32817 F-104 C2 seatbelts FABRIC 1/32   ..............£17.00 36265 D9R Doobi ext 1/35 Meng.........................£20.50 36268 D9R Doobi int 1/35 Meng .........................£12.25 36270 D9R Doobi cooling slats 1/35 Meng ..........£17.00 48789 Jaguar GR.1 ext 1/48 Kit Hawk .................£12.25 48793 A3D-2 exterior 1/48 Tru............................£16.00 48797 MiG-25PD/PDS Foxbat ext 1/48 Kit Hawk.£17.00 48805 Su-2 ext 1/48 Zve......................................£15.00 48806 Su-2 landing flaps 1/48 Zve......................£17.00 48808 MiG-25 Foxbat intakes & F.O.D. 1/48 Kit Hawk£15.00 49066 Bf 109F/G seatbelts FABRIC 1/48 Edu .........£6.50 49643 Jaguar GR.1 int S.A. 1/48 Kit Hawk ...........£13.00

49669 MiG-25PD/PDS Foxbat int S.A. 1/48 Kit Hawk..£16.00 49678 Su-2 int S.A. 1/48 Zve ...............................£15.00 49680 MiG-25 Foxbat R-40 missiles 1/48 Kit Hawk £15.00 53109 USN sailors WWII S.A. 1/200   ...................£16.00 53110 USS Arizona part 4 - main top 1/200 Tru ..£15.00 53111 USS Arizona part 5 - railings 1/200 Tru.....£18.50 53112 USS Arizona part 6 – s/structure 1/200 Tru .£17.00 73505 Fw 190F-8 S.A. 1/72 Air ............................£10.00 73506 Vampire FB.5 S.A. 1/72 MPM....................£10.00 ZOOMY / ZOOMS       SS506 Vampire FB.5 S.A. 1/72 MPM ......................£5.00 FE643 Jaguar GR.1 int S.A. 1/48 Kit Hawk ...........£11.00 FE669 MiG-25PD/PDS Foxbat int S.A. 1/48 Kit Hawk..£10.00 FE678 Su-2 int S.A. 1/48 Zve................................£12.00 MASKY / MASKS       CX383 EE F.2A Lightning 1/72 Airfix ......................£4.25 CX386 Fw 190F-8 1/72 Airfix .................................£3.75 CX388 Vampire Mk.3/Mk.5 1/72 MPM...................£4.25 EX418 F-80 1/48 Hob Boss.....................................£5.50 EX419 RF-80 1/48 Hob Boss...................................£5.50 EX421 P-38L 1/48 Hob Boss...................................£6.50 EX423 MiG-23ML 1/48 Tru.....................................£5.50 JX165 T-6 Texan 1/32 Kit Hawk .............................£7.25 BIGY / BIG-ED sets       BIG5321 U-BOAT IXC 1/72 Rev.............................£42.50 BIG49100 F-4C 1/48 Aca ......................................£44.75 BIG49101 Me 410A-1 1/48 Meng ........................£31.50 BIG49102 L-29 DELFIN 1/48 AMK ........................£21.50 MODELY / KITS       8268 Bf 109G-6 1/48 Profi...................................£25.50 84126 MiG-21MF 1/48 W/end.............................£20.50 EDUARD JUNE RELEASES BRASSIN       635001 M2 Browning 1/35  ..................................£4.50 635002 MG 34 gun 1/35   ......................................£4.50 632037 US 500lb bombs 1/32  ..............................£7.99 648143 R-77 / AA-12 Adder 1/48   ........................£7.99

648151 AGM-65 Maverick 1/48   ...........................£7.25 648152 Fw 190 wheels early 1/48 Edu..................£4.50 648153 Bf 109G exhaust stacks 1/48 Edu ..............£4.50 632038 Spitfire Mk.I/II wheels 1/32 Rev................£7.99 672034 German Sub 8,8cm gun 1/72   ................£10.75 BIGSIN       SIN67203 MiG-15 1/72 Edu .................................£32.50 LEPTY / PE-SETS       00025 Mesh 6x6 Rhomb type STEEL     ..................£5.50 00030 Template Access STEEL tool ........................£5.50 00035 Mesh 4x4 Rhomb type STEEL     ..................£5.50 32350 Spitfire Mk.II landing flaps 1/32 Rev.........£16.00 32360 Spitfire Mk.II ext 1/32 Rev ........................£14.50 32814 T-6 seatbelts 1/32 Kitty ............................£10.75 32815 Bf 109G-10 Erla S.A. 1/32 Rev...................£16.00 32818 Spitfire Mk.II int S.A. 1/32 Rev..................£18.50 36259 HEMTT ext 1/35 Iti ....................................£22.50 36269 HEMTT int 1/35 Ita....................................£17.50 36274 M-985 HEMTT Armament 1/35 Ita ................TBA 36275 Ausf. B Tiger II upgrade set 1/35 Edu ............TBA 48810 F-80 landing flaps 1/48 Hob .....................£17.50 48811 F-80 ext 1/48 Hob.....................................£14.50 49679 MiG-23ML Flogger G int S.A. 1/48 Tru ......£16.00 49685 F-80 int S.A. 1/48 Hob ..............................£14.50 53115 USN deck crew WWII S.A. 1/200   .............£17.50 53116 USN officers WWII S.A. 1/200  ..................£17.50 72579 Fw 200C ext 1/72 Tru................................£10.75 72580 Fw 200 landing flaps 1/72 Tru ..................£16.00 73021 Remove Before Flight FABRIC 1/72   ...........£7.25 73498 Fw 200C int S.A. 1/72 Tru .........................£13.50 73500 EE F.2A Lightning S.A. 1/72 Air.................£13.50 73501 Hurricane Mk.I S.A. 1/72 Air......................£10.75 73502 Tiger Moth 1/72 Air ..................................£13.50 ZOOMY / ZOOMS       33136 Bf 109G-10 Erla int S.A. 1/32 Rev..............£12.00 33138 Spitfire Mk.II int S.A. 1/32 Rev..................£13.50 FE679 MiG-23ML Flogger G int S.A. 1/48 Tru.......£13.50 FE685 F-80 interior S.A. 1/48 Hob .......................£10.75

SS498 Fw 200C int S.A. 1/72 Tru..........................£10.75 SS500 EE F.2A Lightning int S.A. 1/72 Air..............£7.99 SS501 Hurricane Mk.I S.A. 1/72 Air........................£7.99 MASKY / MASKS       CX382 PBM-5/PBM-5A 1/72 Mini ..........................£7.99 CX384 Fw 200c 1/72 Tru........................................£7.99 CX385 S-61A Sea King 1/72 Cyb ............................£5.50 CX387 F-35A 1/72 Aca ...........................................£5.50 EX422 SH2-F 1/48 Kitty .........................................£7.25 EX424 Firefly Mk.I 1/48 Spec hob ..........................£7.99 EX426 F-84F 1/48 Hobby .......................................£6.00 EX430 F-15B/D1 1/48 GWH ...................................£6.00 JX162 Bf 109G-10 Erla 1/32 Rev ............................£7.25 JX166 A-6A 1/32 Tru..............................................£7.99 JX168 Spitfire Mk.II 1/32 Rev.................................£7.99 JX169 Gloster Meteor MK4 1/32 HK.......................£7.99 BIGY / BIG-ED sets       BIG5322 USS CA-35 Indianapolis 1/350 Aca ........£46.95 BIG3339 F-104G 1/32 Ita .....................................£55.00 BIG49103 Gloster Javelin FAW.9/9R 1/48 Air.......£49.00 BIG7285 F-35B 1/72 Fuj.......................................£23.50 MODELY / KITS       84138 Spitfire Mk.IXe 1/48 W/end ......................£16.00 8174 Fw 190A-5 1/48 Profi..................................£22.50 3715 Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. B Tiger II 1/35 Profi .........£40.00 1191 The Longest Day 1/48 Ltd Ed ......................£32.50 1190 Bicentennial Phantoms 1/48 Ltd ................£55.00

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Scale Aviation Modeller International June 2014 | Volume 20 | Issue 6

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Jan Bobek Richard Bolingbroke Paul Bradley Dick Clark Geoff Cooper-Smith Andy Evans John Fox David Francis Mike Grant Ernie Lee Andy McCabe Colin Pickett Chris Sandham-Bailey Alec Smith Jack Trent Tim Upson-Smith CONTRIBUTORS THIS MONTH

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t cannot have escaped readers’ attention that this issue contains some content related to the Allied landings in France in June 1944, an event of some significance in the timeline of World War Two and one that celebrates its seventieth anniversary this year. Stating the obvious to some, but it is very easy to forget that for many people around the world these events were simply something happening in a distant land and had little immediate impact. Furthermore, seventy years is a long time, and for younger readers the Normandy landings, and the equipment deployed therein, may hold little interest. How many of us building Airfix and Frog kits in the early

1970s, I wonder, would have been stimulated by the Boer War? World War Two for the bulk of our readership was very much in the recent past when we commenced modelling, and it has always featured heavily both in the modelling press and the industry. My own thoughts on anniversaries are mixed. Every day is the fifth, tenth, twentieth, twentyfifth, or some significant anniversary of something for someone, somewhere. June 1944 was a busy year for mankind so while we rightly remember those involved in that longest of days on the beaches and fields of Normandy, let us not forget too that in this same month Rome was liberated, navies clashed in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, B-29s

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504 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

Meteor F.4 Page 556

bombed mainland Japan for the first time, the siege of Imphal was broken and the Soviets commenced Operation Bagration, which some argue dealt the biggest single blow to German forces in the entire war. We cannot celebrate them all, every time a significant milestone is reached. We are right to remember D-Day in this manner, but let us not forget that just as the individual components of Overlord added up to a co-ordinated whole, so D-Day itself was part of a bigger picture, of a global strategy, and ultimately of a combined movement that united mankind to rid the world of some significant tyrannies. Of course this then paved the way for more – but that is another story…

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Contents

Contents SAMI Forward

SAMI Spotlight

524 504

THE BIG BUILD

Vater und Sohn The Beethoven Device – Mistel 1 in 1/32. By Gordon Scott

PHOTO ESSAY

536

CLARK’S FIELD

Mosquito Ops

One way Ticket

FB.VI operations with 305 (Polish) Squadron, Normandy, 1944. By Lechosław Musiałkowski

C-47 Skytrain. By Dick Clark

564 PREVIEWS An initial glance at this month’s kits received for preview

512

NEWS News and forthcoming products from around the world, including our At a Glance look at this month's new arrivals

518 CZECH OUT News from the Czech Republic SAMI Features

556 FIRST LOOK HK Models’ Meteor in 1/32 and Revell Supermarine Spitfire IIa By David Francis

528

Aspects of Adversity

542 CLASSIC PLASTIC Our Monthly look in the Attic. By Paul Bradley

That Longest Month – Airwars in June 1944. By Alec Smith

568 REVIEWS The review team look at more new and recent releases 576 ACCESSORIES New aftermarket releases this month from around the world 580 DECALS This month’s new releases SAMI Columns

520

SCALING DOWN

Sea Vixen Miniwings 1/144 D.H. Sea Vixen FAW.2. By Bruce Leyland-Jones

532 Longest Day Diorama Medway Modelling Club’s Overlord Tribute. By Kevin Nunn

546

MODELLERS PORTFOLIO

584

PAINT IT WITH TESTORS

586

BENCHMARKS

B-26 Marauder

C-47 Skytrain Page 536

Artwork and scale drawings by Chris Sandham-Bailey

D-DAY

Competition! Page 535

590 594 598

BOOK REVIEWS 580 MODELLERS AND FINALLY

Cover Illustration by John Fox www.design-phoenix.com www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Forward

The Big Build

The Beethoven Device – Mistel 1 in 1/32 By Gordon Scott

Vater T Sohn

his recycling thing isn’t new, is it? Just rebranded every few years. I first saw the Mistel 1 in model form in the early 70s when someone had exhibited a 1/32 example at the Model Engineering exhibition in London – I didn’t attend because in those days I was earning £7 a week and being a young chap had other pursuits in mind. I was however still making the occasional kit when not working or out with my mates, and I bought a copy of Scale Models with the Mistel on the front page and remember reading how the maker had used the Revell 109F and an MHW vacform Ju 88 (remember MHW?). I concluded that this was way beyond my

und

AIMS Mistel 2 conversion. The Mistel 2 combination employed the Fw 190 and was not appropriate for this project, so a ‘conversion of the conversion’ was required

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

AIMS’ set also provides the BMW engines necessary for the Mistel 2. The set is seen here in its original configuration on the manufacturer’s website

meagre financial means and that I’d probably botch the vacform, never having attempted one, but it made quite an impression on me. I did attempt a 1/72 build using Frog kits of the 109F and Ju 88 but wasn’t happy with it and like many others sat back and waited for something larger. Dragon came up with most of the goods some years later with their Mistel 2 and this was purchased, the Fw 190 put to other uses and a Hasegawa 109F mounted on top. It looked fine, in fact I still have it, but it wasn’t what I wanted. Some years later AIMS began producing 1/32 Ju 88 conversions after Revell’s bold step in producing a kit in that scale, so I was nearly there at last. I’d bought a couple at half price when Modelzone closed their shop in Birmingham and had them stashed so when I saw AIMS’ Mistel conversion at last year’s Nationals, hand interfaced with wallet and I bought one. The same day I saw Trumpeter’s 109G at half price and decided that my Mistel would be a late-war version as seen in Classic Publication’s book. When I got home and perused AIMS’ conversion I was a bit miffed as the support struts are for a Mistel 2 and the info provided is a bit thin on the ground. I also realised that it was for use with the newer A-4 not an A-1, still the quality of the kit was obvious and I

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Mistel 1 in 1/32

The

Build Brass fins have been attached to the warhead – a delicate task

Eduard’s components add a great deal of detail to the base kit and can be recommended Elements of the main gear and wheel wells detailed with Eduard's etched parts

The resin warhead fit is excellent – seen here the upper fuselage join Some of the crucial elements of AIMS’ conversion

TECH DATA

JUNKERS JU 88A-4 SCALE: 1/32 KIT NO: 03988

The kit tailwheel detailed up with Eduard’s Exterior set

reasoned that a man can’t have enough Ju 88s and that sooner or later a cheap A-4 would turn up on eBay. It wasn’t my intention to make this model for the magazine but in a casual email to Mr Hatcher I’d mentioned that after the Ju 188 and a rest I’d probably do this one when a cheap 88 came up… The quality of Trumpeter’s 109 is really very nice. I know people knock them, and sometimes rightly so, but credit where it’s due, and call me tight but I wasn’t going to pay £50 plus for the Hasegawa 109F and there’s not a lot of difference between Trumpeter’s F and early 109G kits. After reading Classic’s book it seems that most Fs were used in the R&D phase of the project then given over to training, with some being used operationally. Some Fs were given an uprated engine, technically making an unlisted G version (argue that one all you like!) and the one I chose is listed in different period photos as both an F and a G although neither image is that clear around the engine and it could easily be an F with the uprated engine. Apparently there are no clear images of these aircraft because anyone caught photographing this secret weapon would

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic MANUFACTURER: Revell GmbH & Co.KG

MESSERSCHMITT BF 109G SCALE: 1/32

The fuselage halves are cut to accept the AIMS warhead component

find themselves standing alone by a wall at the wrong end of a gun. I’d pretty much completed the 109 when I received a Ju 88A-4 from Revell, and I also received the Eduard Ju 88 etched sets with Brassin wheels so now I was duty bound to produce something half decent. Trumpeter’s 109 is a very early G with the mounting for the tropical sun umbrella. It’s fully riveted, comes with optional wing bulges, and has an engine and a decent interior, which I binned and replaced with an Aires cockpit. Overall fit is very good except in a couple of areas. If you install the undercarriage up you need to reduce the wheel and tyre width by 50% and remove the undercarriage leg to just under half its width to get them to fit flush with the wing. The windscreen was too narrow for the

Fit of the warhead to the undersides – nicely engineered and sitting snugly in place

fuselage and having other brands of 109 in store a trawl through the sprues revealed nothing else would touch both sides so I bought a Squadron vacform item after trying to spread the kit's and breaking it. The decals are great and overall I’m happy with it as a quick build. Codes came partially from AIMS' sheet and partially from spares, and it’s worth noting that in period images the underwing codes don’t match those on the fuselage. Revell's Ju 88A-4 is a tremendous kit

KIT NO: 02296 TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic MANUFACTURER: Trumpeter UK IMPORTER: Pocketbond

AFTERMARKET AIMS: Ju 88 Mistel 2 Conversion EDUARD: #32352 Junkers Ju 88A-4 exterior EDUARD BRASSIN: #632024 Junkers Ju 88A-4 wheels late

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Forward

The Big Build

The

Build although the splendid cockpit was not used, taking me straight to stage 32 of the instructions - the rear wheel bay. Hard won experience has shown me that the wheel-tofuselage attachment requires reinforcement, so I drilled the plastic pins out and superglued lengths of wire in and these haven’t let me down. On my Ju 188 build I detailed the wheel bay/fuselage with stringers and longerons but unless you pick it up and shine a torch in you can’t see them so this time I didn’t bother – I don’t enter competitions and am happy with this

A look inside the cockpit of Trumpeter’s Bf 109G The Bf 109 component of the Mistel – Trumpeter’s interior scrubbed up well with a little help

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

approach. Eduard’s etch brass comes into play here as does the Brassin tail wheel, and when complete looks very good. I then reverted to type and went a bit mad gluing together anything that would require sanding (wings, stabilisers, flaps etc.) and the resultant pile of sub-assemblies was put aside to harden. At this point I thought it was time to cut the nose off the kit and test fit AIMS' warhead. I chose my own line of attack, as the instructions leave it to your own discretion, and took the plunge. Miraculously the cut was square and after a bit of clean-up with sanding sticks the resin warhead was a very close fit. Buoyed up with enthusiasm I committed fuselage to glue then attached the warhead with superglue and left it to harden naturally as accelerator sometimes leaves the joint a bit brittle and I didn’t want this falling off when it was painted. Soon I was at stage 62, the engines, and these were assembled minus the exhausts, sanded with everything else and put aside for later. Stage 67 relates to the main gear legs and once again the plastic pins were removed, the locations drilled through and wire superglued to prevent them shearing later (no prizes for guessing how I learnt about this weakness). Eduard’s nacelle and leg improvement parts certainly do the job here and I will be using them on other builds. After fairing in the warhead to the fuselage the wings were attached. I’d managed to retain both kit wing spars, and a trial showed the fit was good and tight requiring a minimal amount of filler. The stabilisers also fit on spars and the fit here required no filler at all, indicating that they could be installed after the paint job. The following 40-odd construction stages relate to the canopy and armament and are very good but they’re not included in this build! Back to the plot, and things were getting

a bit intense. The struts are white metal and commendably the attachment brackets are made from brass and to scale. I thought long and hard trying to decide how long balancing another plane on these would last but decided to give them a go. The brass mounting plates were attached to the wings and fuselage with the brackets glued at 90 degrees. I began chain drilling a slot for the bracket in the end of a strut then remembered that the struts are for a Mistel 2, so out came the reference material and it became obvious that I’d be unable to use two of the struts and that the others would require a fair degree of surgery. The four front struts had no attachment points and it was going to be hard work drilling into them to get anything like a sturdy structure. AIMS make reference to making changes to the struts but the single drawing isn’t detailed and the only measurements given are at that the two central ones should be 20mm apart at the top. Much thought was given to the following procedure and whilst mistakes were made it all turned out well in the end. I decided that the white metal struts were not the way to go due to the amount of work required to obtain a sturdy structure so I pulled out some old Contrail strut lengths, used the Mark One eyeball and Classic’s book to judge the clearance between the top of the warhead and the 109’s propeller, cut the front wing struts to length, drilled into both ends and glued in a brass bracket. Once set I inserted a small length of wire through both wing and strut brackets to ensure the length was right and the wing bracket joint failed. Unperturbed I re-attached the bracket and tried again – same result. I removed the lower bracket from the strut and tried to fix it to the wing with epoxy and ended up with the same result. With much muttering relating loosely to how a man with only one head can be this stupid I removed the bracket from the end of the strut and drilled a hole for another length of wire (handy stuff for this build). Quite why I thought relying on a joint the thickness of the brass part's edge was a good plan still eludes me. Anyway, once the wire had set in the strut I drilled into the wing then glued the wing attachment bracket to the wire so that the wire was behind it when viewed from the relevant exposed side. The wire was inserted into the wing and proved to be very sturdy. Deciding against the flat brass nuts supplied by AIMS I glued a resin nut to the outward facing side of the strut

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Mistel 1 in 1/32

bracket and a nut and bolt to the inside face of the wire that effectively resembles the scale attachment the kit part aspires to, but without any breakage. The central/upper fuselage struts had wire inserted into the upper ends and chamfered on the inner side, the scale brackets were inset into the lower end, the fuselage brass attachment points were copied and replaced with plastic card, and then a resin nut and bolt was used to attach the lower end of the struts to the fuselage. The outer wing struts were attached to the wing and the chamfered ends of the inners secured at both strut tops. A piece of plastic card with two holes drilled 20mm apart took care of measuring the upper gap and all was left square to dry. After all this the rear wing-mounted struts were a doddle – just copies of the front ones. The 109 tail support strut was engineered in the same way, only a single piece of brass wire was used with plastic tube sheathing for the details. A deep breath was taken and the brass fins were added to the warhead. I advise you not to fit the ones either side of the colour demarcation line unless you want the trouble of re-attaching them when you remove the masking. And so to the paint. Dead easy! Tamiya light blue under surfaces, Vallejo air for the uppers, Vallejo gloss varnish was applied over the paint job and the decals - a mix of AIMS’ and Revell’s - were applied followed by a dark grey watercolour wash on the uppers and a burnt sienna colour on the lower surfaces. Another spray of satin on top and the weathering followed with a mix of neat watercolour paint (quicker drying time than oils) and Tamiya pigments, followed by a

Some thought went into providing stronger attachment points for the struts

Trial and error, frequent checks with references, and more trial and error… Scratchbuilt struts and anchor point – parts provided for the Mistel 2 differ from the #1 Finally the struts are finished, with addition cable and wiring from lead wire and Tamiya tape

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Forward

The Big Build

The tail support strut for the Bf 109

Eduard’s Brassin undercarriage finished to good effect

light coat of Vallejo satin varnish. Why I attached Eduard’s exquisite rendering of the FUG L 2 I’ll never know (age or stupidity–you decide) but it didn’t survive masking tape removal so Revell’s part was dug out and attached instead. The excellent Brassin wheels and tyres were painted and added, which only left attaching the 109. I used the plastic template I’d employed to set the upper struts and drilled two holes in the underside of the 109, test fitted, and breathed a sigh of relief. It not only fitted but

There is something faintly jerry-built about the Mistel 1, an effect captured nicely by the taped-up cables on the struts and the overall tatty appearance of the aircraft

Finished underside. AIMS’ warhead looking like it belongs Underside of the Bf 109 – fitting the gear in the raised position required some effort Brassin main gear finished and decaled

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was straight and steady and it was then I remembered I’d not installed any of the wiring attached to the struts, or the connecting plugs etc. between the two planes. Doh! More muttering ensued, relating again to stupidity, and I removed the 109, dug out the lead wire, and made some bundles, setting them with thin superglue. After some paint, Tamiya tape and strips of aluminium tape were used to attach the cables to the struts, two multi-plugs were modelled from scrap plastic with reference to Classic’s book, the ends drilled and glued to the wire bundles then the 109 was re-attached to finish the job. I have nothing but praise for the two donor kits, and Eduard’s etched and Brassin sets. The conversion is well produced and aspires to scale perfection. Sadly, due to the small mating surfaces of the brackets, I could not make it work out of the box, but that’s not to say you won’t be able too, so forewarned is fore-armed. I enjoyed this build. It’s different and yet familiar at the same time. They say first impressions count, and it must be true because after all these years I can still remember that modeller’s Mistel on the front cover of Scale Models magazine………

Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:55 Page 511

classic aviation from

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Barbecue summer predicted say the BBC, so BBQ with the BFC

in June 2014

A

s usual there is far more happening in the worldwide modelling industry than we can possibly keep up with – never mind getting everything built, and to make matters worse there have been some astonishing developments in that parallel universe inhabited by the armour modelling fraternity that have caused us to cast our eyes thither and covet things with tracks that it were better we had never known to be there. We shan’t go down that path here, but beware the works of ICM, for while our esteemed Editor has been embroiled in the run-up to the Do 215’s release, he has been exposed to a variety of fascinating 1/35 softskins that were not

available last time he went over to the dark side. What will the old fool do next? Hopefully the imminent arrival of an Eduard’s new Bf 109G-6 will keep him on track – not that that really amounts to much in terms of finished work on page. The best we can hope is that with his head firmly down in the fumes of his filthy workbench he won’t bother the rest of us and we can get on with the serious matter of producing this issue. And, of course, The News:

Subscribers’ Monthly Prize Draw – May 2014 Mr Baker, UK – Winner Mr Peddle, S Africa – Winner Mr Andujar, Spain – Winner Entry to the monthly prize draw is FREE to all subscribers

Minicraft Minicraft’s long-awaited tanker is now on sale in the UK, and is joined in the catalogue by a new boxing of the P-51D, also in 1/144. 14708 1/144 KC-135R Few aircraft in history can compete with the KC-135 for the title of the longest-lived aircraft in front line service. The KC-135 evolved from the first jet transport designed in the early 1950’s and continues to serve as the one of the primary transport and mid-air refueling aircraft for the United States Air Force. First placed in service in 1957, up-dated versions of the KC-135 are still flying after over fifty four years of service with many more years still to come. The KC135R serves both United States Air Force and Air The new kit is created

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from new tooling representing the KC-135R with re-fueling boom, optional wing pods, and all new ‘R’ engines. Decals printed by Cartograf represent two KC-135R aircraft in USAF markings, one representing the Illinois Air National Guard 2005 the other the 22’nd ARW from 2013. 14716 1/144 -51D By 1944 the P-51D was undertaking operations as a long-range bomber escort for operations against both Germany and Japan. This latest boxing offers builders the choice of three decal options printed by Cartograf, which includes the USAAF 8th Air Force, the Canadian Air Force Central Command in 1950 and 78 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force 1946.

Bunny Fighter Club Get it while it’s Hot! New Members' edition Kit Out Now! By Flopsy La Pin If it has escaped your attention that a new members' edition kit is out to welcome you into the BFC, then here is a little reminder. The Bunny Racer is out now, and is available not only to existing members, but as the ‘entry kit’ to secure membership. Get on to www.eduard.com and sign up if you haven’t already done so, as this one is a corker! The new edition is a 1/72 double boxing of the remarkable little MiG15, and includes two completes sets of plastic sprues along with not only the usual extras that constitute the usual astonishing Eduard package, but a host of extras too, including Brassin cockpit, wheels and airbrakes, etched flaps and exterior set and fabric seatbelts. Oh, and if you are of a genteel disposition like the Editor, and circumspect about naked ladies on aeroplanes then don’t worry, as this kit even contains a bra – a 1/72

Academy Academy have released another ‘dogfight double’ boxing, this time including the Fw 190A-8 and the P-47D Razorback. Presumably this is part of the D-Day anniversary, as the Fw 190 carries Priller’s markings, and the Jug options for three aircraft in invasion stripes.

fabric one that is flown from the mast of one of the Bunny Racer options. Markings cover the Bunny Racer scheme, along with one North Korean and one Czech option. All this and a T-shirt too! Sign up now for the ultimate in collector’s packages…

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AT A GLANCE Eduard’s new Gustav is here! So is ICM’s Dornier. So is Trumpeter’s Whirlwind. So are the Mark I He 219s! It’s just like summer is coming. Oh it is…

Roden More interesting developments in 1/144 from Roden have included a couple of releases of their 1/144 Boeing 720B. This was the short- and mediumhaul variant of the well-known Boeing 707 passenger aircraft, first flown in 1959. It differed from its predecessor with a shorter fuselage, a wing with greater sweep angle and new engineering. Series production lasted from 1960 to 1969, and during this period 154 machines were built (sixty-five Boeing 720s and eighty-nine Boeing 720Bs). The later-build Boeing 720B aircraft had more powerful JT3D engines in redesigned nacelles. Additionally, it featured minor changes to its passenger emergency evacuation system. Despite the expectations of its developers, the type did not have the same success as the Boeing 707 and production was brought to an end. Apart from the use of these aircraft in the USA, some were sold in Germany, Israel, Ethiopia, Ireland and Pakistan. In some of these countries their service continued until the early 1990's. New boxings of the kit include #319 Boeing 720B ‘Pan American’

and a continuation of the series in special charter markings including aircraft used on tours by Elton John, Deep Purple and The Bee Gees. One further development of enormous interest is the announcement of another kit in processing of the Bristol Britannia (#312).

Cyber Hobby This should keep the Editor busy as well. Dragon/Cyber-Hobby have at long last announced another variant of the Bf 110 in 1/48. The current kit of the D has been available in three boxings, and is joined now by an E-2 Trop, another scaled down version of the 1/32 kit that has preceded it. #5560 1/48 Messerschmitt Bf 110E-2 Trop - Wing Tech Series The new kit, we are advised, features all-new parts for elements such as the revised engine nacelles with deep oil cooler housings and tropical air filters. Presumably a new nose will be

included with the intake, and the shorter tail fairing – although the profile artwork accompanying the press release shows four machines with extended tail housings. This could well be an oversight on the part of the art department, and if so would not be the first time decal and kit instruction sheets have allowed this particular ambiguity to confuse the issue…

Academy #12256 1/48 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-14 A Model #72249 1/72 Tupolev Tu-134 LOT AZ Model #74052 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 JG 52 Experten AZ Model #74053 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 JG 53 (Limited Edition) AZ Model #74054 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 JG 54 (Limited Edition) AZ Model #74059 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 Italian Service (Limited Edition) AZ Model #74065 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-1 ‘The First Gustav’ AZ Model #74066 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 Tropical AZ Model #74067 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 'Early Gustav' AZ Model #74069 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4 'Gustav 4' AZ Model #74070 1/72 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth Mk II RAF AZ Model #74071 1/72 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth Mk II RN AZ Model #74072 1/72 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth Mk II ‘International’ AZ Model #74073 1/72 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth Mk II ‘Other Users’ AZ Model #74074 1/72 Saiman 200, Italian AF, USAAF AZ Model #74075 1/72 Saiman 200, Croatian, Yugoslav, Italian AZ Model #74076 1/72 Spitfire Mk IXC Early AZ Model #74077 1/72 Spitfire Mk IXC ‘In Civil Service’ Avis #72013 1/72 Mikoyan MiG-8 Eduard #8268 1/48 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 ProfiPACK Eduard #84126 1/48 Mikoyan MiG-21MF Weekend Series HPH Models #32029R 1/32 Letov S-328 HPH Models #32031R 1/32 LF 107 LUNAK HPH Models #32033R 1/32 Fi 103 Reichenberg and Kugisho MXY-7 Ohka Model 11 ICM #48241 1/48 Dornier Do 215B-4 Italeri #1356 1/72 Airspeed AS.51 Horsa Mk I/II and British Paratroops Italeri #1362 1/72 Canadair CL-415 Kinetic Model Kits #48021 1/48 Northrop F-5B/CF-5B/NF-5B Kinetic Model Kits #48044 1/48 Grumman EA-6B Prowler with New Wing Kinetic Model Kits #48051 1/48 Fouga CM.170 Magister Kinetic Model Kits #48053 1/48 IAI F-21/Kfir C1 Kitty Hawk Models #32001 1/32 North-American T-6 Texan Kitty Hawk Models #80105 1/48 Sepecat Jaguar T.2/T.4 Kitty Hawk Models #80122 1/48 Kaman Seasprite Kovozavody Prostejov #7201 1/72 Zlin C-205 Kovozavody Prostejov #7202 1/72 Zlin Z-226M Trener 6 Kovozavody Prostejov #7203 1/72 Zlin Z-226T Trener 6 Kovozavody Prostejov #7204 1/72 Zlin Z-226B Bohatyr MARK I Models #14419 1/144 Heinkel He 219A-2 'Night Hunter' MARK I Models #14425 1/144 Heinkel He 219A-5 'Night Owl' MARK I Models #14427 1/144 Heinkel He 219A-7 'Night Fighter' Modelsvit #7208 1/72 Antonov An-10 'Ukraine' Plastic Planet Club #001 1/72 Martin 167 Maryland (ex MPM) Plastic Planet Club #002 1/72 Grumman Hellcat Mk II East Indies (ex Eduard) Plastic Planet Club #003 1/48 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1 (ex Eduard) Profil 24-models #24 1/24 Gloster VI Schneider Trophy race seaplane of 1929 Roden #056 1/72 Fairchild C-123B Provider Roden #319 1/144 Boeing 720B Pan American RS Models #92156 1/72 Airspeed Envoy with Cheetah engine RS Models #92158 1/72 Ryan NYP 'Spirit Of St Louis'; J-BACC RS Models #92160 1/72 Dornier Do 17K RS Models #9278 1/72 Re-released! Junkers Ju 86R Special Hobby #48146 1/48 Heinkel He 115 Scandinavian Service Special Hobby #72281 1/72 de Havilland Vampire FB.5 Special Hobby #72282 1/72 Hawker Sea Fury Mk 11 FAEC Silver Wings #32015 1/32 Boeing Stearman PT-13D/N2S-2 Sword #72079 1/72 EE/BAC Lightning T Mk 4 Sword #72080 1/72 EE/BAC Lightning T Mk 5 Trumpeter #02847 1/48 Shenyang J-8F Finback Trumpeter #02890 1/48 Westland Whirlwind Welsh Models #SL295R 1/144 Embraer EMB-135 Continental Express Welsh Models #SL304P 1/144 Lockheed L-188F Electra Atlantic Airlines Welsh Models #SL309R 1/144 Air Canada JAZZ Zvezda #7295 1/72 Sukhoi Su-27SM

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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Silver Wings

The Airbrush Company

The next 1/32 kit release from this source is a Boeing Stearman, a type that has just been celebrated in 1/48 as well by Revell. Good to see the old bird making waves at last!

The Airbrush Company are pleased to announce that they have been appointed the UK distributor for Wilder products of Russia. The Wilder range of modelling products includes: Weathering Powders, Texturing Effects, Washes & Filters, Primers & Fixers, Soldering Flux, Tweezers & Sanders, Masking Tak as well as a range of barrels and turrets for armour subjects. Check out the new range at www.airbrushes.com The jars of powders and paints are a generous 50ml, so represent excellent value for money when compared to the cost of similar products per ml. Many of these products are, of course, aimed at armour modellers, but some are multi-purpose, and it is worth checking out the range if weathering is your thing in particular.

Freightdog Freightdog are pleased to announce their latest resin sets in 1/72. These include a Harrier GR.9 TERMA pod, AMRAAM missile set, Dornier Do 335A improvement set for the HobbyBoss kit, Battle of Britain cannon armed fabric wing Hurricane (serial L1750) and single-stage Mosquito tropical intakes. More new sets will follow soon. Recent re-issued items include their popular Gods of Sea and Fire

3D Blitz

Hasegawa

Neptune and Vulcan decal sheet, RAuxAF Weekend Warriors, plus Hawker Hunter P.1109A decal and resin set, this item limited to 100 only.

Latest from Hasegawa for May 2014 release: • 01573 1/72 A-10C Thunderbolt II • 60135 Egg Plane MV-22 Osprey • 08236 1/32 Kawanishi N1K2-J Shidenkai (George) Late Version • 07377 1/48 A-4E Skyhawk ‘USS Midway’ • 02096 1/72 Spitfire Mk VII and Mosquito FB Mk VI ‘Operation Overlord’ Combo • 02097 1/72 Eurofighter Typhoon single-seater ‘JG 74 50th Anniversary’

A new name to us here, 3D Blitz have a 1/72 Pilatus PC 21 out in injection moulded plastic…

AMK AMK Models’ latest is looking good: AMK88001 1/48 IAI KFIR C2/C7 This new kit of the Israeli-built allweather, multirole combat aircraft can be finished as a KFIR C2 or KFIR C7 and includes a full range of external stores and weapons.

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• 07373 1/48 Fw 190A-5 ‘Japanese Army’ • 07376 1/48 Nakajima A6M2-N Seaplane (Rufe) ‘902nd Flying Group’ • 07375 1/48 Nakajima B5N2 (Kate) ‘Zuikaku Attacker’ • 02105 1/72 Mitsubishi T-2 CCV ‘ADTW’ • 02106 1/72 F-14A/B Tomcat ‘Jolly Rogers History’ (Two kits in the box)

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HobbyBoss

ICM

Latest development from this source is the Me 262B two-seater, sprues of which are now doing the rounds. The initial boxing offers two nice trainers, a move that is most welcome as the twoseater is widely perceived as a nightfighter, a role in which it saw little real use. No doubt the nightfighter version will follow… In the meantime that ‘White 1’ option looks good to me!

Readers will be awre by now of the new Do 215. Also arrived, though, is a new-tool 1/48 U-2/Po-2 (#48251).

Kitty Hawk Trumpeter Now available is the 1/48 Westland Whirlwind first exhibited at Nuremburg this year (#02890). The kit includes some seventy plastic parts, two transparent, and markings for two aircraft. Also in 1/48 is the new A-37 Dragonfly. Meanwhile on the Trumpeter website artwork is up for #02891, a 1/48 F-106 Delta Dart, while offered for presale to distributors is #3213, a 1/32 Ju 87A.

Plenty of interesting stuff on the way from Kitty Hawk, but where in all this frenzy is that rather splendidlooking Buccaneer? Still lurking…

Italeri New kit releases from Italeri this month have included a new edition of the 1/32 Starfighter, as well as some commemorative releases celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Arma Dei Carabinieri: • 2745S 1/48 Mustang Mk IVa • 2504S 1/32 F-104A/C Starfighter

• 1361S 1/72 AB 412 Arma Dei Carabinieri 200 Anniversary • 2739S 1/48 AB 205 Arma Dei Carabinieri 200 Anniversary www.sampublications.com June 2014

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Anigrand Latest resin in 1/144 from Anigrand: • # AA4087 Boeing B-17B/C/D Flying Fortress Includes bonus kits of the Bowlus XCG-7, Beechcraft UC-43 Traveller and Ryan XFR-1 Fireball. The Army Air Crops ordered thirty-nine first production model B17Bs. As the production line developed, Boeing engineers continued to improve upon the design and in 1940, the Army Air Crops ordered thirty-eight improved airframes as the B-17C. Twenty B17Cs were transferred to the RAF as Fortress Is, and used during the early stage of WWII. The remaining C

Kinetic Developments in the Kinetic range seem to include the 1/34 P-47 Bubbletop kit that was previously being tooled as part of the Vintage Fighters range. The kit is now available from LuckyModel at a very interesting price. Markings offer two aircraft. Elsewhere the 1/48 Sea Harrier FA.2 is coming along very nicely too…

West Norfolk Show West Norfolk IPMS presents their 5th annual model show at Downham Market Town Hall on Sunday 22nd June 2014. Opening times are 10am – 4pm and all proceeds go to Macmillan. www.westnorfolkipms.co.uk

This Month in Model Aircraft • Airwars Airarms - South America Part 3, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay • Convair C-131D in 1/72 • The Sunderland Mk I Part 1: in Service by Tony O`Toole • AZ Model's Airspeed Oxford w/Turret • Wilde Sau und Moskito-Jagd – The Luftwaffe’s single-engined night fighters. • AJ-2 Savage – The US Navy’s first Atomic Bomber • Academy’s 1/35 RQ-7B UAV • Overlord Onslaught – An Overview

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Choroszy New to the Choroszy range is #A217, the Schreck FBA 17 HMT 2 and #A218, the Schreck FBA 17 HE-2

• The North American Savage in Pictures • Workbench – Two different Hurricanes By Trevor Pask

models were modified to D models, with another forty-two D models being ordered. The early B-17 models proved to be unsuitable for combat use over Europe, until the first mass-production version, the B17E, entered service in the middle of 1942. Also due is the unique Vickers Windsor # AA4085, also in 1/144. Bonus kits include the Handley Page Manx, the Baynes Bat and the Vickers T432.

517-Pocketbond-0614-WP_Layout 1 16/05/2014 14:02 Page 1

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Czech News

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By Colin ‘Flying’ Pickett

Our monthly look at News from the Czech Republic MPM Francophiles will be very happy to see the 1/72 Azur Hanriot H-232 (#1172) become available again. Whilst MPM will soon be making numerous Great War era modellers’ dreams come true with the arrival of their 1/32 Bristol M1C monowing fighter in the Special Hobby range (#32057), a kit that looks to be in an advanced stage of development. A kit with much further to go in the development stakes is the Douglas (E)A-1E/F Skyraider ‘Spad’ in 1/72 (#72164). The engine baffles will poseable, either open or closed, the kit will include a large variety of external armaments, and it is intended that there will be Navy as well as USAF versions. Various radomes and canopy covers will be needed to address the variants. Detailed resin parts for the cockpits will also cover several different versions of the plane. Another future release edging

closer to the model shop shelf is the 1/32 Hawker Tempest Mk V (#32049) so be patient, it can’t be far away now. MPM have re-released their excellent 1/48 Seafire Mk III as a DDay anniversary tie-in kit 'D-Day Fleet Eyes' (#48128) depicting aircraft from the No.3 Naval fighter wing, undertaking gunnery spotting during the invasion. Also part of the D-Day celebration is the 1/72 Douglas Boston Mk.IIIA 'Over D-Day Beaches' (#72287), with markings for aircraft from 88 squadron RAF, which undertook the laying of the smokescreen used to help conceal the invasion force. On a larger scale is the issue of

the 1/32 T-33 T-bird over Europe (#32050) providing decals for US, German, French and Dutch aircraft, each ina flamboyant scheme. A more esoteric type coming is the IAR-37 'Rumanian Light Bomber' (#72290).

Eduard

JBr Decals

This month’s release list from Eduard revolves around the long anticipated 1/48 Bf 109G-6 kit (#8268). The Profipack release includes canopy masks, colour etch parts as well as decals for five different aircraft. Needless to say the kit can be further dressed up with a whole host of Brassin extras. Eduard eventually plan to follow this kit with the entire family of Bf 109Gs and Fs. The F will be here by autumn but Eduard plan to dedicate the next few months with the G versions, with the G-2, G-4, G-6 and G14. Following the proven Eduard path, these will be available as part of the popular Royal Class series. This edition will contain partss for two complete kits, fabric seat- belts, some Brassin accessories, specifically wheels, underwing cannon gondolas and

Another new name to these pages, JBr have a strictly limited number of 1/144 Mikoyan MiG-21UM Mongol B trainers for sale. The kits will contain the excellent Eduard MiG-21MF 1/144 scale kit and RetrokiT resin conversion joined by JBr’s decal sets. The first boxing (#001) will contain decals from JBR44017 MiG-21 Trainers pt.1, containing eleven choices for aircraft from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia, whilst the second (#002) is graced with decals from JBR44018 MiG-21 trainers pt. 2, and offers twelve decal choices for aircraft from Angola, Bangladesh, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda and Vietnam. Certainly a great way to add this iconic trainer to your 1/144 collection.

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

WGr.21 rocket pods, as well as sixteen decal options. Also included in the kit will be a beer glass, and part of the marketing program surrounding this kit will be the introduction of a beer, the ‘Black Gustav’, which, however, will not be included in the Royal Class boxing. In all likelihood, the most attractive bonus piece in this kit will be a piece of Bf 109G-14, Black ‘4‘, W.Nr.781308 from 10.?JG 4, shot down on November 9, 1944 in the Battle over the Ore Mountains. The piece of this Bf 109 hails from the same battle and general location as the piece of the Fw 190A-8 from that Royal Class kit released seven years ago. Back to this month’s releases, there will be two Limited Edition kits, both in 1/48. ‘Bicentennial Phantoms’ (#1190) will mirror the ‘Good Morning Da Nang!’ kit in many ways. The difference will come in the decal options that will

offer four F-4B/N commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The other Limited Edition kit will be the tried and true Spitfire Mk IX in invasion stripes entitled ‘The Longest Day’, and is being released to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Normandy invasion (#1191). This is not to be confused with the Weekend Edition offering of the Spitfire Mk.IXe (#84138). The list will then be rounded out by the rerelease of the popular Fw 190A-5 Profipack (#8174).

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Czech News

Sword

RS Models

By the time you read these words Sword’s surprise two seat 1/72 English Electric T.Mk 4 and T.Mk 5 Lightnings will have arrived in hobby shops ready for purchase and fondling. Finally we have a state of the art kit of this classic supersonic trainer. Xtradecal have been quick off the mark with two new decal sheets for the thing as well!

New from RS Models is a 1/72 kit of the Ambrosini SAI.207 (#92157), an aircraft developed from the Ambrosini SAI.7 racing and sporting monoplane after the light fighter concept had been proven with the Ambrosini SAI.107 prototype. Steffanuti designed the aircraft to have a lightweight structure and light armament to allow lowerpowered engines to be used, without unduly reducing performance. The first of three

MARK 1 Models Whilst Mark 1 continue to produce more and more 1/144 kits, their thoughts have turned to ways in which you can display your completed masterpiece. To this end they are happy to announce the forthcoming release of the following comprehensive list of 1/144 display bases: • Grassy Surface (#144074) • Helicopter Flight Deck (#14406) • Luftwaffe WWII Base – large (#14402) • Luftwaffe WWII Base – small (#14411) • RAF Airfield Display Base (rectangles) (#14401)

• RAF Airfield Display Base (squares) (#14410) • RAF Taxiway (#14403) • RN Helicopter Display Base (#14409) • Soviet Airfield Display Base (hexagons) (#14404) • Soviet Airfield Display Base (rectangles) (#14408) • Warsaw Pact Airfield Display Base (#14405)

AZ continue their assault on the expansive range of late model Bf 109s with the release of four new 1/72 kits, these being BF-109G-1 The First Gustav (#7467), Bf-109G-2 Early Gustav (#7466), Bf-109G-2 Trop (#7465) and Bf-109G-4 Gustav (#7469). We are happy to report that AZ will be continuing the ‘Joy Pack’ concept with their 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109G-5/Bf 109G6/Bf 109G-14 (#7703), providing three sets of sprues in a plain package without decals, the idea being to provide you with a canvas to use the spare marking options from your kits. A brilliant idea that we hope they continue to expand as their range of kits does. Fans of Japanese aviation will be pleased to hear of the re-release of AZ’s 1/72 Nakajima J9N 'Kikka', which will include decals for the

Kovozavody Prostejov

First Prototype and Second Prototype (#73086) Previously mentioned on these pages, we’ve been told that the promised 1/72 Cessna 150 (#73048) and Piper J-3 (#73049), will be released in the third quarter of this year whilst the fourth quarter will see the arrival of the Cessna 180 (#73057), Cessna 185 (#73058), Cessna U-17 (#73061), DHC Chipmunk T.10 with decals for RAF aircraft (#73069), DHC Chipmunk T.20 with decals for Foreign Air Forces, Ireland, Iraq, Denmark and Egypt (#73070), DHC Chipmunk T.30 with decals for Canada and Hungarian Republic (#73071), DHC Chipmunk T.10 with decals for British privately owned G-BCOY, GBCPU; Royal Navy WK634 and Portugese 1315 Academia Da Forca Aerea (#73072).

prototypes was completed and flown in the Autumn of 1940. This will be joined by a 1/48 kit of the Fokker D.XXIII (#48001), a twinengined single-seat aircraft with a tractor engine at the front and a pusher engine at the rear. The D.XXIII was a cantilever monoplane with twin tail units on booms. The pilot had an enclosed cockpit in between the tractor and pusher engines and a retractable tricycle landing gear. The programme was abandoned in May 1940 when the German forces invaded the Netherlands

RV Models

Finally a new kit release, which is a variation of the 1/144 Aero L-39V Albatros kit in the shape of a Letov KT-04 target drone and tow aircraft.

AZ Models

SAMI Forward

Joining RV Models celebrated line up of 1/72 Mig-21s is the M version, which will have no less than seven different decal options, covering the type’s operation in Indian, Sudanese, East German, Polish, and Soviet service. If the previous incarnations are anything to go by this kit will be a must have for modellers of Cold War era aviation.

The rejuvenated Kovozavody Prostejov (or KP to the linguistically challenged) Provide us with four completely new 1/72 kits of Czech trainers: Zlin C-205 Military Trainer (#7201), Zlin Z-226M Trener 6 (#7202), Zlin Z-226T Trener 6 (#7203) and Zlin Z-226B Bohatyr (#7204). It’s worth noting that the ‘new’ company are KP in name only and don’t own the rights to produce kits from the vintage moulds. However, they will be producing new kits of mainly Czech aircraft, which subjects remains firmly under wraps for now.

Plusmodel Plusmodel have announced a strictly limited edition of one thousand C-121 ‘Warning Star’ kits based on the Heller plastic with new step-by-step instructions, decals for four versions, including stencils and walkways, and new highly detailed resin engines along with a Photo Etch fret with aerials. The kit is expected to become available at the end of May or in June 2014. www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Feature

1/144

Sea Vixen Miniwings 1/144 D.H. Sea Vixen FAW.2 By Bruce Leyland-Jones Foxy Lady... ne of the joys of attending an airshow in the 1970s was to experience a Sea Vixen. This was beyond simply watching the thing flying about and was on a par with the Doomsday Scramble of the Vulcan, followed by the huge tin triangle tumbling over every inch of the available sky and the full reheat performance of the EE Lightning. The Sea Vixen was huge, was pointy and was very sci-fi, in a British, Derek Meddings kinda way. All three made your heart literally quiver, due to the power of their engines and their generally unfettered use of, during displays. (Oh, how times have sadly changed). In spite of its spectacular nature, the Sea Vixen has been, like too many other superb pieces of British aeronautical engineering, largely ignored by kit manufacturers. FROG had a go, long, long ago, with a fair representation of the D.H.110 and they

O

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followed this up with the Sea Vixen. Sadly, this was a modification of the D.H.110 tool and, as a result, suffered in accuracy. That said, Revell saw fit to re-issue this kit and we know that there is a plethora of aftermarket bits and bobs now available, to accurise the beast. MPM and Xtrakit released a new kit, but this has been the cause of much anticippointment, due to mediocre detailing and some serious shape issues, with the need for the aftermarket guys to come to the rescue once again. Cyber Hobby repeated the exercise a few years back, again creating a kit with poor detail and marked inaccuracies.

In the real Sea Vixen, both pilot and navigator sit deep within small, dark holes, all painted black. To their credit, Miniwings have provided in-scale seating and, on the decal sheet, there is a harness and instrument panel. Note that these are not referred to within the instructions and so may be missed. Whilst a lack of decal for the navigators seat may be appropriate, given that it is about to disappear from view forever, the details for the cockpit are worth installing

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D.H. Sea Vixen FAW.2

There are extensive walkway details over the main fuselage, and a lazier company might have simply produced a single decal. This would likely have had issues with silvering. Instead, each panel has its own decal and each decal fits its respective panel perfectly

So, Foxy Lady, it is in the sensible scale of 1/144 that I believe we finally get a truly lovely piece of Sea Vixen kittery. To date, I’ve had mixed experiences with Miniwings’ kits, and with FE Resin beforehand. The quality of the resin has been generally good and free from casting issues, but some detail has been soft and on occasion, panel lines have been excessive. Transparencies have been inconsistent, but decals have been consistently bad, being produced in such a way as to consist of a loosely assembled collection of coloured dots. This new kit addresses all of those issues and then some. It is beautiful and my chin is chapped from my dribble. To begin with, the resin is flawless and the fine panel lines are well cast. The complex shapes appear to be accurate and there is good detail, including a flight refuelling probe. Being solid resin, installing a noseweight could be problematic, so Miniwings have provided a small section of transparent rod for you to make an almostinvisible support strut. Fine plastic rod is also provided for the wingtip pitot tubes. The transparencies come in both resin and vacform format. The decals are proper decals, being clear, opaque and very much ‘in register’. Granted, there aren’t a huge number of parts to deal with, but the casting is exemplary and thought has gone into the engineering of the kit. The horizontal tailplane sits within sculpted recesses in the fins, and the wings have tabs, which then fit nicely into slots cut within the fuselage. The exhaust area is another nice piece of

moulded resin, but I felt it needed a little extra, so added some plastic tubing to represent the exhausts proper. Each boom is moulded so as to sit on top of the wings and, again, there was no significant gap. Modellers of twin-boom aircraft have their own methods of fixing everything up, so that all is suitably lined up and perpendicular. Very often, the method

Adding the wings to the fuselage gave an excellent fit and, without booms, the origins of this aircraft are suggested clearly enough

chosen is dependent upon the kit being built. For this particular kit, such is the quality of the moulding that it was simple enough to add one boom to the fuselage and then add the horizontal tailplane to that. Adding the second boom was easypeasy, lemon-squeezy and I’m a very cheerful Lepus.

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1/144

The beast is all-white below and the weapon pylons are positioned in such a way that they do not interfere with underwing serial numbers. With this in mind, I went ahead and installed pylons and undercarriage, trusting upon a steady hand later, for painting the tyres. Miniwings have done their research and I was appropriately instructed upon the placement of the undercarriage doors. These are, by the way, suitably thin and are moulded on both faces, should you wish to have all doors a-dangling. Supplied for ordnance are a pair of Red Top missiles and a pair of rocket pods. A pair of fuel tanks complete the load. Two coats of Humbrol H130 were then applied to the belly of the beast. Whilst the transparency over the navigator was a simple affair, I had a dilemma as to which canopy I should use for the pilot. In the end, I went for the vacform. However, having

de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2, 899 NAS, HMS Eagle, 1971-1972

masked it up and cut it out, I discovered that I had failed to take into account the complex shapes found at the front end and, as a consequence, fit was poor. Forewarned, you may have a better result than me. So I ended up with the resin piece. This is clear and did have the advantage of being able to be filed, so as to facilitate a good fit. With the white good and dry, it was masked off and H123 then applied, as Extra Dark Sea Grey. I have to say that the decals were superb in every respect, and congratulations to

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Miniwings in choosing their supplier. Final touches were to add the refuelling probe and pitots and to insert the transparent rod, suitably cut to length, into its awaiting recess. Job done and I love the Sea Vixen and am well impressed by Miniwings and their take on the subject. Now if only the 1/72 boys could do so well...

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New machine guns on 1/32 scale

New prices on machine guns

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SAMI Feature

Photo Essay

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Mosquito Ops FB.VI operations with 305 (Polish) Squadron, Normandy, 1944 By Lechosław Musiałkowski

3

05 Squadron converted from Mitchells to Mosquitos from December 1943, when the first T.III dual control aircraft was delivered. As the Mosquito had a crew of only two, many experienced flyers from 305 Sqn were reposted in December to 300 Sqn, then about to convert onto Lancasters. Experience gained during training and combat sorties on Mitchells was also useful for those aircrew members who were posted to 1586 (Special Duties) Flight where they would fly Liberators. Mosquito crews, composed of just the pilot and navigator, had to perform the duties of a multi-man crew. Targets assigned to Mosquitos, compared to those attacked by Wellingtons or Mitchells, were small and often well camouflaged and concealed. The crew had to locate them on the ground and then bomb and strafe the target in the first pass. As opposed to their previous bomber types the new aircraft were very fast, sensitive to the controls and they climbed fast. Flying the Mosquito, compared to the Wellington or Mitchell, was like flying a race car compared to a truck. May combat flying totalled 291 hours and ten minutes. From the first days of June the squadron awaited the invasion of the continent, and personnel were ordered not to leave the airfield area. On the night of 3 June the crew of Flt Lt Józef RawiczSzabuniewicz and Flt Lt Jan Marczewski made an experimental bombing of a target

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through clouds using the ‘Gee’ device. Their Mosquito SM-B NS846 dropped four 500 lb bombs on a German airfield at Dreux in France and returned to Lasham without problems. A reconnaissance Mosquito sent the next day confirmed the effectiveness of the bombing on the airfield. From 3 June, according to orders received, the squadron personnel applied black and white bands on the wings and fuselages of their Mosquitos, the wellknown invasion stripes or AEAF stripes (for Allied Expeditionary Air Force). On the night of 4 June seven crews were sent to bomb

railway stations on the Bayeux-Caen line. Strong anti-aircraft fire failed to inflict any damage and the seven Mosquitos carried out their task and returned to base. On 6 June, when Operation ‘Overlord’ commenced, 305 Sqn had fourteen Mosquito FB.VIs. In the evening they were all sent on a ‘Night Ranger’ to attack trains, railway stations, bridges and troop concentrations. The fourteen machines returned safely to Lasham, but this was not the end of operations that night. Five crews took off again at fifteen-minute intervals. These five Mosquitos completed

Mosquito FB.VI SM-N NS844. Date unknown, but the fuselage retains full D-Day stripes. This aircraft was seriously damaged during a combat sortie over Germany on the night of 24 February 1945, when flown by the British crew of F/Sgt H. J. Cutler and Sgt H. Cohen Mosquito SM-C NS927 with invasion stripes beneath the wings and fuselage. It was often flown by the crew of Sgt S. Frąś & Sgt A. J. Mikołajczak

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Mosquito Ops

Mosquito SM-F NT193 of the British crew of F/Sgt F. D. Hawkins & F/Sgt E. P. Waring at Lasham. The aircraft was also flown by Polish crews of Sgt J. Halkiew & Sgt T. Pytel and Flt Lt M. Kałuża & Fg Off Z. Groszek. Note the bomb on the underwing rack, and partial D-Day stripes on the fuselage. In this and other photos it is clear the wing stripes do not wrap around the leading edges, and it is possible that no upper wing stripes were present

their missions and returned to base with no damage. The following night nine crews operated individually in the same area as before. Mosquito SM-R LR275 was shot down at La Croix. Its crew, W/O Wilhelm Cesarz and Fg Off Ludwik Jaksztas, were killed. Ten Mosquitos performed a successful attack on the railway station at Mesidon on the night of 8 June. Two nights later four Mosquitos used the ‘Gee’ radar to bomb St Savens station and La Haye du Puits railway hub through clouds. Nine other crews bombed the railway station at Mesidon. On the night of 12 June twelve crews participated in operation no.283. Mosquitos took off individually at intervals of fifteen minutes or so. Mosquito SM-Z HR143 with the crew of Fg Off Juliusz Bilau and Fg Off Józef Kocoń failed to return. This was the first combat sortie by the crew. The aircraft most probably crashed into the English Channel. During three subsequent nights 305 Sqn Mosquitos were despatched over Normandy for similar missions. On 21st June 305 Sqn flew two operations (nos.292 and 293). Seventeen crews were sent for the first one, to attack railway transport north of Paris and heading towards the Normandy front line. Nineteen Mosquitos took off for another operation the same night. The target was the Conde-sur-Vire railway station and also railway transport. Five Mosquitos were sent on operation no.296 the night of 24 June. German troop concentrations in the forest at La Pleche were illuminated with flares and attacked. After a two-day break, used for necessary technical inspections of the machines, combat operations were resumed on the night of 27 June when 305 Squadron sent seventeen Mosquitos on operation no.297, in two waves at 23.00 and 5.15. A successful attack was carried out on German troops in a forest, on eight troop units on roads and thirty trucks. German anti-aircraft fire was inaccurate and all crews returned to Lasham. 305 Sqn completed June 1944 with 271 night sorties and a daylight one during

twenty-five missions. July operations commenced with attacks on targets similar to those in June. In June, July and August 1944 the Mosquitos of 305 Sqn were active and effective over the invasion area and its surrounds, by day and night. They played their role in the suppression of troop movements and rail transport, and had strategic successes in their operations against the training centre and major fuel storage depot. For the rest of the war, 305 Squadron ranged far and wide over

Loading the bomb bay of a 305 Sqn Mosquito FB.VI

AEAF (Allied Expeditionary Air Force) stripes, three white and two black bands, on a Mosquito FB.VI, individual code V, serial unknown. Note that the wing stripes do not overlap the leading edges

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Photo Essay

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Mosquito FB.VI SM-W HP913 with an impressive number (70) of bomb symbols on the nose

occupied Europe and Germany, causing havoc but losing many brave crews in the process. The major role of Polish airmen in the Battle of Britain is well known and recognised – they also played a significant role in bomber, tactical and coastal operations, throughout the war. For the full story of 305 Squadron bomber operations, flying Battles, Wellingtons, Mitchells and Mosquitos, see the forthcoming MMP book Bomber Aircraft of 305 Squadron, by Lechosław Musiałkowski, from which the above excerpt is taken. Available from all good bookshops, or online at www.mmpbooks.biz

Mosquito SM-W HP913. When flown by the crew of Plt Off T. Wilczewski & F/Sgt Z. Haas over the Ruhr on the night of 25 November 1944 it was hit by antiaircraft fire. The electrical system was damaged and both airmen baled out over Champagne. Several days later they returned to the squadron

Mosquito SM-M NT227 in flight with external fuel tanks. Invasion striping on the fuselage only, with the squadron code letters (SM) overpainted, but the serial number of the aircraft left visible. This machine was used by the crew of F/Sgt Antoni Mierzwa & Fg Off Edward Panek during a combat sortie on Christmas Eve 1944 at Kassel

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Mosquito Ops

Profiles All aircraft are in the standard production finish of Medium Sea Grey overall, with Dark Green bands on the upper surfaces

Mosquito FB.VI SM-A LR303. Lasham, 27/28 July 1944. Aircraft armed for operation no.316 with eight rockets on launchers under the wings. Additionally two 500 lb bombs were carried in the bomb bay.

Mosquito FB.VI SM-C NS927. Lasham, 1944. It was most often flown by the crew of Fg Off J. Wielgosz and F/Sgt M. Perycz

The name ‘Janka Kituś’ (‘Jane Kitty’) on the starboard side of NS927. A rare case of nose-art on a 305 Sqn Mosquito.

Mosquito FB.VI SM-M NT227 with the Wing Commander’s pennant, Epinoy, December 1944. It is interesting to note that the full D-Day stripes are still present on the fuselage, even at this late date.

NT227 nose markings, which differ port and starboard

Mosquito FB.VI SM-W HP913. Lasham,1944. When applying the invasion stripes the serial number was overpainted on the aircraft, leaving just the last digit on the port side. The aircraft was most often flown by the crew of Fg Offs A. Gertner and W. Andruszko. A log of seventy operations was marked on the aircraft

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D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

SAMI Feature

EVERY MODEL TELLS A STORY By Alec Smith

ASPECTS OF ADVERSITY June 1944, Air Activity On Two Fronts

J

une 1944 is a date that is memorable to many people of many nations, partly due to the Allied Nations instigating a series of landings on French beaches to open a second front against occupied Europe, to hasten the end of the conflict. The first landings had occurred in Italy almost a year prior to those in France and from there the long hard slog up Italy

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into the erroneously described soft underbelly of Europe had begun. However, an important event occurred on almost the same day as the French landings - the capture of Rome. Rome was the first mainland capital to be liberated, and at the same time the first of the old Axis capitals to fall. Unfortunately the activities over Italy have generally been overlooked in comparison with those over France. Here I hope to give a little insight into various aircraft from several nationalities performing similar tasks over the two fronts and with an interesting and uncommon link for them. However, I do not intend to go into lengthy details on the builds but give a covering taste with highlights where needed. Rome was liberated on June 4th 1944, so I shall start things there. Thanks to the book Air War Italy 1944-45, I was able to identify certain aircraft and units complete with some markings that were active on this date and the following couple of days. The first model is a Bristol Beaufighter

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NF.VI, from 600 Sqn RAF. One or more of these were active over Italy and in particular the Rome area on the night of 3rd to 4th June 1944. One claimed at least a single ‘kill’ that night (possibly a Ju 88). For this I used Hasegawa’s excellent Beaufighter model along with decals from Print Scale. The reference I was using lists only the squadron and crew names for the Beaufighter, so the one chosen is representative of type and unit.

Aspects of Adversity

T

he Hasegawa Beaufighter kit goes together very easily, and includes parts for several versions dependent on the boxing available. Unfortunately some issues did not have the correct ‘hedgehog’ flame damper exhausts, so for this build these came from High Planes as part of their resin upgrades series. The Print Scale decals offer ‘A’ from 600 Sqn, ( which I think was actually one of the CO’s aircraft with an impressive ‘kill’ tally on the nose) with the early style exposed aerial fit, and coded ‘6 A’ (600 Sqn used the numeral 6 instead of two letters, a common style in the Mediterranean Allied Air Force). The scheme is the standard night fighter scheme of Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey. The decals from Print Scale are nicely printed and very thin, but solid in colour density.

T

he second model is a Savoia Marchetti SM.79 from Gruppo Buscaglia of the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR). Ten aircraft from this unit attacked Allied shipping in Gibraltar on the night of the 4th. The attack was reportedly a success from the ANR reports or a mere nuisance from the Allied reports. This is a subject that can be easily modelled thanks to Italeri supplying a model of the subject. The version is an SM.79 series III, and was built essentially from the box. For those who have not built one of the Italeri SM.79 kits, they are typical of releases by Italeri from the early 2000s, with good levels of detail and clean mouldings, but made with quite thin plastic that needs a little care when assembling. The subtle differences for this version over the more commonly seen earlier series are covered by the tooling and include a new flat

floor instead of the bomb aimer’s gondola, solid panels and new guns for the side windows, along with new exhausts with long flame dampers. The model does build up nicely as long as care is taken, and is not rushed. Fortunately the painting and decaling is very straightforward, due to the simple scheme the aircraft carried. The scheme options are Italian Medium/Dark Green over either Black or Light Grey. I went with the Green over Black as that would fit better with one used on the night raid. The decals were as per the kit, and performed well.

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he third subject is that of a Messerschmitt Me 410A-3 of 2.(F)/122, which had an aircraft coded F6-QK performing the unit's 3,000th mission on the morning of June 6th. For this I used the Fine Molds kit, as this is the only tooling that covers the Reconnaissance A-3 version if you get the right boxing, and as a bonus has

D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

decals for one of the F6-QKs that existed. It should be pointed out that certain sources malign the Fine Molds Me 410 kit for having oversize engine nacelles; this is not a debate that overly concerns me, as to my eye they look about right with the beefy look of the original. The model itself is nicely engineered with a good level of detail in most areas, and goes together in an enjoyable and satisfying way straight from the box. Unfortunately the model is greatly let down by the decals that are included in the box. Those supplied by Fine Molds have a larger main sheet that contains all of the basic markings that go on each and every version they box, plus one or two small specific decal sheets that only contain the codes etc of a particular aircraft. The main decal sheet on the whole was quite usable; the same cannot be said for the small sheet. I had virtually all of the code letters break up on me in one way or another. Fortunately I had the recent 4+/Mark I Dozen Set book on the Me 210/410 with decals, and it included the option I was doing (or at least one with the same codes there were several F6-QKs). These decals, fortunately, were excellent. All of the Recce A-3 aircraft were built and flown in the standard mid-war Greys (RLM 74,75,76) which is a scheme that suits it. The tail band was supplied as a decal that broke up, so that was painted, and at the same time I added white to one half of each spinner. Whether this is correct I do not know, but it is hinted that some of the unit's aircraft had them.

M

odel number four is also a reconnaissance aircraft and is the link subject, a de Havilland Mosquito PR.XVI of 60 Sqn SAAF. The base kit is Tamiya’s excellent Mosquito Mk IV kit with the addition of new twin-stage Merlin nacelles in resin from Blackbird Models. The model was built as per the PR.IV version provided for by

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the boxing, but with the intention of simply substituting the new resin nacelles. The final change needed for the PR.XVI was to use the ‘paddle’ blade propellers. I managed to find a picture of the real aircraft in flight, which enabled me both to finalise my subject choice and also helped with certain detail points. One important one was the canopy, as the real aircraft had a standard bomber style canopy, without the extra blister on the top seen on most Mk XVIs. The picture also confirmed the serial number (MM386) the yellow spinners (In Italy 680 Sqn RAF and 60 Sqn SAAF shared facilities and neither used codes for their aircraft, but coloured the spinners red for 680, yellow for 60) and interestingly a full set of ‘Distinctive Markings’, or to you and I ‘Invasion Stripes’. This was due to the aircraft flying longrange missions into Germany, where they would meet other Allied aircraft from the Channel front, and were required for the benefit of rapid identification, to comply with the current regulations. Although the picture caption did not include a date it is likely to be early June, and the aircraft would have been marked this way around the 5-7th June onwards. The stripes I hand painted in order to give them that slightly ragged look of the real ones applied in the field. Usually it would appear that the CO’s aircraft had nicely masked stripes in practice. The few decals used were a mixture of the Tamiya kit decals and Modeldecal 8” serials.

T

he link of the Mosquito now brings the tale of models over to the Channel Front, so I shall continue with another Mosquito, and the second night fighter, this time a Mk XIX. The subject is an NF.XIX of 157 (Special Duties) Sqn RAF, part of 100 Group. Again the Tamiya kit was used as the basis, but with the broad propellers again as per the changes from the kit, which depicts either an NF.XII or

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XVII. From memory I believe the differences between the marks were generally internal and were dependent initially on who built the radar; and then higher power Merlins hence the broader blade props. The decals however came out of the older Airfix kit. The model was built straight out of the box, with no extra parts other than alternatives that were included on the sprues, and is simply a delight of a kit. It is also worth mentioning that both Mosquitos were built with the later style plain wheel hubs all round. The decals as mentioned came from the older Airfix kit, and although nicely printed for register, and easy to use, were not printed with sufficient density, so the base camouflage is showing through the stripes. Had they not come with stripes I would have painted them, and may yet overcoat the white. The camouflage depicted is reminiscent of the night fighter schemes used in the MTO with the black (Night) underside, in contravention of the rules of the time. (And one wonders how comfortable the white stripes made the crew feel at night).

Aspects of Adversity

F

inally the last model of the ‘tale’ and to finish along the same lines as we started, is another Beaufighter. This time the subject is a Mk X from 455 Sqn RAAF. Once again the model used was the Hasegawa kit, and built straight out of the box with one of the options supplied. This one, however, did have the required whitemetal exhausts, so no extras were used. I did use the alternative part for the cannon ports in order to portray it prior to a mission with red doped covers to all gun ports. I have left the wing machine gun ejector ports and painted the leading edge red, as I have not been able to confirm if the real aircraft did or did not have them (I have yet to find a definitive answer on the fitting of wing guns to Mk X and XIs, some pictures seem to show them fitted, others do not). The kit decals were used here and despite being scratched went on without a hitch, even if the fuselage roundels are printed slightly out of alignment. Once again I handpainted the stripes. Both this and the Mosquito NF.XIX do not have a date within

the available information, but both would have flown as depicted from fairly early in June 1944, and even if they did not actually fly on June 6th are representative of other aircraft of their type that did. There you have it - a snap shot of six aircraft fulfilling three roles over two fronts, and used by the Air Forces of five nations over a very short but highly important point of WW2.

EVERY MODEL TELLS A STORY

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SAMI Feature

Diorama

D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

Just a little piece of ‘Overlord’ in memory to those who gave

Longest Day Diorama Medway Modelling Club’s Overlord Tribute

Two Spitfire Mk IXs chasing the sneak raider, a Ju 88A-4 from 11./LG1 based at Chièvres (France) during June 1944

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am lucky in that due to a few twists of fate I - and thus the modelling club I am a member of, The Medway Modelling Club (MMC ) - was approached by Mr Darrell Burge, head of marketing of Hornby/Airfix, to undertake the construction of a D-Day second front diorama that would form part of a special exhibition in the new extension to the Hornby Visitor Centre located at Hornby headquarters Margate. We had previously assisted Darrell with a

Scale Aviation Modeller International

similar request that ended up in the Mail on Sunday colour magazine back in 2008, which marked the 25th anniversary of the club’s foundation rather nicely along with the 65th of D-Day . That project began as providing a few Dday models for a photo shoot. The original plan was for a cloth covered in sand about the size of a table top. It became a 2.2m x 2m display with a beach assault and air cover! Great fun for the club members, who built the models, painted the figures and created the diorama. This time the diorama was required to include beach landings, the push inland, the use of heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, photo reconnaissance, gunnery spotting, combat air patrols, dogfights, and air resupply, covering much of the air campaign in its many guises. It would, as the real undertaking had done, need sea, land and air components to do the actual event some justice.

By Kevin Nunn

We had 3m x 8m of air space to illustrate the support to the beach landings, attacks on the German armour/forces sent to repel the landings, the use of heavy bombers diverted from their usual strategic role, and other air activities. Being an Airfix project the models we used were from the current Airfix range. We began the project in October 2013 with a target date for completion set for late January 2014. At the October club meeting I outlined what I had been asked to do and requested volunteers. Along with the club members I also roped in a few modelling mates - even one from Belgium to help build the models. Subjects included ships, landing craft, AFVs/softskin vehicles, artillery, figures, buildings, terrain and of course the aircraft. The club has around fifty members, the majority aircraft modellers, who build in many scales and cover all subjects in all the popular and not so popular scales. Thus

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D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

One of the new Airfix C-47A/Ds about to drop its cargo of reinforcements/supplies

B-24 with a Bf 109G closing on its tail

Longest Day Diorama

Two new Airfix Dakotas on the way in, in front of an information wall board

The heavies, supporting the operations on the ground

Bombs gone!

thankfully a very broad church of aircraft modelling mates to ask for help! In fact too many, so I focused on only a few whom I was confident would produce what was required. One of them, Terry Plaw, has built a great collection of Spitfires in 1/72, one of each Mark and one from each user squadron, plus the one-offs. Yes, we all plan do to do this, however his is the only collection I have ever seen completed and so he got the job for most of the Supermarine Spitfire builds I required. I wanted Mk IXs for combat air patrols over the beach and general area, other marks for gunnery spotting for the naval offshore gunnery support, photo reconnaissance and even one force landed fairly close to the front line. Terry and I both found a picture of this incident, whilst carrying out research, which showed a pretty well undamaged Spitfire crash landed alongside a road between some

ploughed fields, with a column of Sherman tanks passing on the road alongside in a convoy. The caption for this picture stated the aircraft received minor damage due to the landing but had to be written off due to the wing nearest the road being run over by very heavy tracked vehicles! We took the occurrence and added some general crash interest (perhaps the fire engine should have been an army fire service Bedford QL - on my wish list for the next incarnation of the excellent Bedford QL twin set with the Bofors gun tractor? Just a thought). With Terry briefed and left to create twelve-plus Mk IXs and the other Spitfires, I now needed to find builders for heavy bombers, a cab rank of Typhoons, some transport aircraft and not forgetting the other side - fighters and sneak raiders. As luck would have it Airfix’s new-tooled Typhoon Mk IB, along with the new Fw 190s and last year’s new-tool Bf 109Gs gave me great bait to lure some more of the aircraft

modellers into the building. Mind you, I was happily surprised when one Brian Marsh (a few of you reading this, will recognise the name of a renowned aircraft modeller, the other half of Brenda Marsh, or B. Marsh their favoured title used at many IPMS Nationals back in the 80s and 90s in order to confuse the judges as to who had made the entry) offered to create all the Typhoons I needed. Along with these they ended up supplying the Ju 88 sneak raider and some Spit Mk Vbs. The heavy bombers were provided by other club aircraft modellers, however it took some arm twisting to get them to somehow show the bombs dropping out of the bomb bay of a Lancaster and attempt to show the aircraft engines working. It amazed me how many modelling mates of long standing, had never used the clear plastic disc with fuzzy lines painted on, to represent a propeller in motion to aid the impression of flight. Yes a bit childish perhaps, but hey! The whole concept was

Gunnery spotter Spitfire running in over the beachhead to spot for the guns offshore

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SAMI Feature

‘Tiffys’ attacking

Forced landing

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Diorama

to give younger modellers inspiration as to what models can look like once built (hung from the ceiling?) and displayed. It did not stop with the bombs dropping and props turning, though. I also wanted rockets firing from at least two ‘Tiffys’, and parachutists exiting from Dakotas. Well, as some of the pictures show, I got most of my wish list. The paratroops jumping proved a bridge too far as we only got the new-tooled Airfix Dakotas at the last minute so they are on their way to drop supplies/reinforcements further forward if the Bf 109s or Fw 190s do not interfere. Not forgetting the American commitment to the air battle! We have a B-24 Liberator in combat with two Bf 109Gs. Lots of German fighters? Well yes - but did the Luftwaffe have any aircraft to fight with by this time in the war? Yes they did. The myth of only two

Scale Aviation Modeller International

D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

planes buzzing the beach (Me 108s in lieu of Bf 109s In the film The Longest Day) being the Luftwaffe’s only contribution to the air campaign over Normandy is just that, a myth. Sadly both the Allied and German records show how many aircraft from both sides were shot down or damaged. So if you are near Margate here down

south, why not pop into the Hornby Visitors Centre www.hornbyvisitorscentre.com and take a look at what we achieved both in the air and on the ground - all 24 sq metres(12ft x 18ft) of it! Kevin Nunn is President of the www.medwaymodellingclub.co.uk

Hawker Typhoons of 198 Squadron spiralling down from the cab rank!

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D-DAYon

Competiti

SAM Publications Limited are pleased to announce an exclusive competition for one lucky reader to win an Imperial War Museum Book, containing replica D Day memorabilia documents, plus a DVD featuring the Film D-Day: Assault on Fortress Europe

D-DAY REMEMBERED FROM THE INVASION TO THE LIBERATION OF PARIS BY RICHARD HOLMES Filled with information on key personnel, weapons and military units, this fascinating book is enhanced through the inclusion of more than 35 facsimile documents.

RRP £50.00 QUESTION: Which American State gave its name to the one of the invasion beaches on 6th June 1944.

A: Omaha B: Ohio C: Oregon Please send Answers on a Postcard to Media House, 21 Kingsway, Bedford, MK42 9BJ, UK Or email: [email protected]

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SAMI Columns Clark’s 1/48Field

D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY The unlimited canvas of

Clark’s Field By Dick Clark

ONE WAY

TICKET

C-47 Dakota Skytrain

The model ready for painting

By Dick Clark TECH DATA

H

aving an interest in WWII re-enactment, my wife and I became involved in the ‘Wings and Wheels’ event at the former RAF Upottery, high up on the Blackdown Hills in east Devon. This event commemorates the part that this small airfield, a satellite field to RAF Dunkerswell, played in the momentous events of June 6th 1944. Just before midnight on the 5th, eightyone C-47s took off from the Upottery runway to join an airborne armada of over 200 similar aircraft, delivering over 3,000 US Paratroops behind the German fortifications of ‘Utah’ beach. Among that number were ‘Easy Company’, since immortalised in Stephen Spielberg’s moving TV series. The event at Upottery sowed the seed for this project; discovery of the FCM decal set depicting one of the C-47s that flew from Upottery that night, and Italeri’s re-release of this venerable kit in plenty of time for DDay tribute builds, helped the seed to germinate. This is the result.

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: 1338 TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic MANUFACTURER: Italeri

known kit I have not devoted too much time to the build. I added some of the Airwaves cockpit etch, but very little can be seen so I didn’t go too much to town here. The hold of the aircraft features basic troop seating and I’m sure there could be a lot more detail added but, again, unless I were opening up

ALSO USED

The Model This is an old moulding, though it seems difficult to track down its exact origins. Probably originating with Italieri, before they dropped the ‘i’, it has been reboxed by Airfix several times, as well as Revell, Esci and possibly others. It seems it was one of the first kits to feature recessed panel-lines, so the rather heavy nature of these may be forgiven. Having said that, I have built an earlier Airfix boxing and I suspect that Italeri have refined the tools somewhat for this release as I feel the lines are rather finer (although that could be my eyesight getting older!). It is a fairly simple build with little to cause problems, and as it is such an old and well-

AIRWAVES set #AC72-190, DC-3/C-47 Dakota/Skytrain TRUE DETAILS set #72021, C-47/DC2/DC-3 Wheel Set Circumferential Tread FCM DECALS set #7228, C-47 Skytrain ALBION ALLOYS 0.2mm Nickel Silver Rod

The Airwaves etch set, with the Little Cars etch folder - a brilliant tool - the brass shim and my first plastic card attempt at a flap, then a finished brass version, a blank, folded piece and the kit flap I used as a template

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D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

Clark’s Field SAMI Columns

The etched and scratchbuilt flaps add a nice touch to a simple model Now the black areas have been sprayed and masked off in preparation for the undersides to be painted grey

After a light coat of grey primer the white areas were sprayed, then masked off. Further filling was required along the top of the fuselage

the large cargo door, I wouldn’t worry too much. I did add the Airwaves rack for the utility steps opposite the side door as this is a visible feature. The transparencies benefit greatly from sanding and polishing to remove the flaws in the moulding, and the fuselage joint seams needed a fair bit of filling and sanding. The major modification I decided to make to this kit was to drop the flaps, since the Airwaves set included ribbing detail for them. The Airwaves instructions suggest removing the kit flaps, then adding the detail to them. However, I didn’t feel this would offer a very good result, the flaps being far too thick. My first attempt involved making up new flaps from plastic card and strip, and adding the ribs to this, but after making one up I felt this wasn’t the best solution after all. Then I remembered a sheet of thin brass shim I’ve had for years, languishing in the bottom of a box of miscellaneous modelling ‘stuff’. I cut pieces of shim out, slightly deeper than the flaps, to allow a leading edge, which I folded up with my brilliant Little Cars etch folder. I then added the etched ribs to this; still a fiddly job, but the end result looks great, and the finished flaps fit perfectly into their recesses with a bead of superglue. The kit offers a choice of three types of

The wing and tailplane edges, and the vertical fin have been sprayed Dark Green and masked off ready for the final coat of Olive Drab.

engine-top intake, but doesn’t make it clear which you need. References are essential for the particular airframe you are modelling in order to get this right, and even then it might not be easy to determine. I went with the illustrations accompanying FCM’s decals and chose the longer option. So if it’s wrong, blame them, not me! The fiddliest part of this build is fitting the windscreen transparency. It might be worthwhile fitting it to one side before joining the fuselage halves, though if you get the alignment even slightly wrong you’re likely still to have problems. The trouble is it is all too easy to let it fall inside. It shakes out easily enough, but it is frustrating. As I often do with transparent parts, I got it in place then ran Klear into the join by capillary action; this seals the part in without risk of fogging. With basic construction complete I masked the transparencies with Bare-Metal Foil, the engines with masking tape and the hole I’d drilled and filed out where the astrodome fits with masking tape wrapped around the tip of a cotton-bud. Cunning, huh? I stuck some masking tape inside the edges of the side-

door frame and temporarily fitted the door in place for painting.

Painting and Decaling

Queuing up to board the Skytrain to Occupied Europe - re-enactors at Upottery

The model was given a light all-over coat of Hycote grey auto-primer, after which the white areas were sprayed with white Hycote primer (I find the initial grey coat means far less white is needed than if the white is sprayed directly onto the plastic). The primer coats revealed more filling work needed along the top fuselage seam, but fortunately not where the white invasion stripes needed to be masked off. Next the black invasion stripes and the de-icer boots were sprayed with Hycote Matt Black. This was giving me a very patchy airframe, which helped to give a faintly

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SAMI Columns Clark’s 1/48Field

The model after being glossed, ready for lining and decaling

uneven tone to the later Olive Drab coats, but before the upper surface colours were sprayed, the underside received a coat of Humbrol 64 Matt Light Grey. After masking the undersides off the wing and tailplane edges, these and the tail fin received a coat of Humbrol 163 Dark Green. These edges were then masked and the rest of the upper surfaces sprayed with Humbrol 155 Olive Drab. After unmasking the model was given a couple of coats of Tamiya TS13 Gloss Clear. This gave me a lovely smooth, shiny surface on which to lay my decals. A panel wash was applied, using a grey shade underneath and a dirty near-black above. I left the invasion stripes unlined (except around the cargo door) to give the impression of their being freshly painted, and then I was ready to start decaling. And that’s when the trouble started! The FCM decals are beautifully printed and the only fear I had was that the white might not be truly opaque, and they come away from the backing really easily. After that … well, they are very thick and very shiny, and not at all keen to conform to curved surfaces, which is a bit of a problem on an aircraft that has no flat surfaces at all. I used more Micro Set and Sol than I’ve ever used before, and still they wouldn’t settle down. I had to cut the larger decals to get rid of wrinkles, applying yet more Micro Sol to encourage them to be a little bit smoother, but still the decals silvered really badly. I was right about the white areas, too, although this was only really a problem on the fuselage side stars-and-bars. I doubled these up on the starboard side and used matching examples left over from another Italeri kit on the port side. These also made an interesting check against the FCM decals, going onto exactly the same finish without any problems whatsoever, which rather confirms in my mind that it wasn’t my surface preparation that was at fault. This is further borne out by the propeller decals, where I made extra-sure of a perfect surface yet still had silvering problems. Because of these adherence problems I omitted most of the stencil decals. All in all, this was a disappointing aspect to a build in which I was taking great pride. I hadn’t realised until I was well into the build that ‘Kilroy is here’ is quite a famous C47; there are easier ways to achieve this model including, I believe, a straight-fromthe-box build of the Trumpeter 1/48 kit. Working towards the final finish, I brushed on a coat of Johnson’s Klear to seal

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

D-DAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY

The wheel wells and flap inner surfaces have been hand-painted Tamiya Zinc Chromate Yellow

in the decals, hoping that capillary action might draw the Klear under the decals, thus reducing the silvering. Maybe it helped, but not a lot. So finally the model was sprayed with Tamiya TS-80 Matt Clear.

The ghost of Upottery’s control tower stands alone at the old airfield.

Conclusion

Final Assembly I modified the main undercarriage legs with more of the Airwaves etch set, although the cross-braces are not an especially good fit, needing some trimming to get in. The legs and actuators were pre-painted and fitted, then the True Details resin wheels, with very convincing flats, were eased into place. Next up were the aerials, and here was another conundrum. It seems C-47s carried all sorts of different aerial fits, and it is quite difficult to pin down the correct variation for any given airframe, especially for invasion versions when so many aircraft were assembled for one operation. The two aerials under the forward fuselage seem to be universal, as do (I think) the two sets either side of the cockpit, but the fuselage-top to tail-fin aerials are very confusing. There is a C-47 in preservation painted up as ‘Kilroy’, but preserved airframes are no good as guides for wartime examples because modern aerial fits are so different. In the end I went with a fit illustrated in an old set of drawings that I think may be contemporary, which I found online. The aerial wires themselves were made from Albion Alloys 0.2mm nickel silver wire; the 0.1mm may be closer to scale, but that’s like trying to model with hair! The exhaust pipes were hollowed out using drills and a #11 scalpel, painted with Citadel Chain Mail and dry brushed with Revell Aqua Color Blue at the hot end and Rust at the dirty end. I think they look pretty good. The open side door was glued on with CA glue and hinges made from scrap.

Last pieces to go on were the Astrodome and wing lights, and the Airwaves etched utility steps, ready for the boys to climb aboard!

This is a simple kit, if you want it to be, but there is plenty of scope for ‘improvement’. I have to do another one before Airfix’s new tool makes it largely redundant, as I have the Eduard etch set to play with next time. Berlin Airlift, I think! The silvering of the decals was a shame, because in every other respect the FCM set's are lovely (the set also offers two Forca Aerea Brasiliera bare-metal and white examples). If you like a challenge, or you’re good with decals that fight back, go for it!

Footnote Interior shot of a C-47 – plenty of scope for adding detail if that is your choice…

The Upottery D-Day +70 event is on 21st/22nd June 2014. Go to www.southwestairfields.co.uk for full details. You might even see this model there!

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SAM-F-111-Mosquito-Mustang-DPS-June-2014_Layout 1 16/05/2014 14:16 Page 1

The North American

P-51 Mustang By Malcolm V Lowe he North American P-51 Mustang is one of the most wellknown fighters of World War II. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and later as a ground attack fighterbomber and went on to serve in nearly every combat zone during WWII, and later fought in the Korean War. The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-170 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance and was first flown operationally as the Mustang Mk I by the RAF in the role of a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber. The later addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustang's performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, giving it an ability that matched or bettered the majority of the Luftwaffe’s fighters at altitude. The definitive

T

part 1

version, the P-51D was powered by the Packard V-1650-7 a license-built version of the Merlin 60 Series, with a two-stage, two-speed supercharged engine and was armed with six .50 calibre M2 Browning machine guns. In the first of two volumes on the P-51, acknowledged author Malcolm V Lowe looks at the genesis of the P-51 and the Allison engined versions, detailing the NA.73X Prototype, the A-36 Apache/A-36 Invader, and the early P-51’s in US and RAF Service. This is all backed up with Colour Artwork by Andy Evans, fold-out Scale Plans, Understanding the Subject, Technical Diagrams and Specifications, Airframe Walk Arounds, Modelling the Mustang in Popular Scales and a comprehensive Kitography, listing all available kits, decals and accessories.

THE HAWKER

THE SUPERMARINE

HURRICANE

SPITFIRE

his is the latest re-edition from the pioneering Datafile series, and sees the very welcome return of the Hawker Hurricane to the catalogue. This second edition, while retaining all the original historical and scale modelling content unabridged, is now expanded to 176 pages and includes additional model builds and notes covering the significant new toolings that have appeared in the years since the original publication, along with an updated list of currently available kits. Out of print for many years, this second edition marks a welcome return for the very best modelling reference on the famous World War Two fighter.

Part 1: Merlin Powered

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Secure online ordering at

his Second Edition, while retaining all of the original modelling content unabridged, has now expanded to 192 pages and includes additional model builds and notes covering the significant new toolings that have appeared in the years since the original publication, along with an updated list of currently available kits. Out of print for many years, this Second Edition marks a welcome return for the very best modelling reference on the famous World War Two fighter.

T

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CLASSIC Plastic

In association with

The completed and painted cannon bay – note the tiny tools just to the right of the open panel The cockpit opening isn’t large, but the added detail is quite visible under the large canopy

Edited by Paul Bradley

Monogram 1/48 Hawker Typhoon By Paul Bradley

A

s this issue of SAMI sees a concentration on D-Day, I thought I’d add a little classic of my own to the mix – the Monogram 1/48 Typhoon, a kit I built some years ago. The Typhoon was a descendant of the famous Hurricane fighter, and was designed as an interceptor. Unsuited for that task, it became one of the premier ground attack aircraft of World War II and the peak of its success was, perhaps, the Battle for Normandy and the Falaise Pocket, where the type wreaked havoc with German units. The Monogram kit dates from 1969, yet even after forty-five years it stands as a good, inexpensive alternative to the Hasegawa/Italeri

542 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

offerings, although lacking the detail of those. The forty-odd parts are cleanly moulded and feature Monogram's usual fine raised lines. Accuracy is pretty good with no major outline faults, although the canopy is perhaps a little large and the tailplanes are of the earlier, smaller area, which may affect the subject you model. The cockpit is pretty sparse, including only a basic seat and panel. I scratchbuilt the entire thing - tubular framing, the instrument panels and all - and heavily modified the kit seat. Even with the big bubble canopy closed, the cockpit is very visible, so close attention to detail will pay off. PE cockpit detail sets for this kit are now available if you aren’t inclined to do it yourself.

I scratchbuilt the entire interior, including this plastic rod framework The port cannon bay was opened up and fully detailed

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Classic Plastic

In association with

I also opted to open up one of the 20mm cannon bays in the wing. The details for this were entirely scratch built, with heavy reference to wartime photos, using various types of plastic card, strip and rod, and fine wire. The excellent Typhoon and Tempest at War (Ian Allen), or Francis Mason's Hawker Typhoon and Tempest are both thoroughly recommended in this respect. The open panels feature representations of the quickaction panel fasteners around the edges. I even carved tiny tools to sit next to the open panel, as if an ‘erk’ had left them there while searching out a quick cuppa. I’m pretty sure my eyesight has never recovered… The fit of the major parts is excellent, with just the smallest amount of filler needed on the tailplane joints. The undercarriage detail is fair, but the underwing rockets will need

WWI Models

A

some work if used (and who would build a late Typhoon without them?). The rockets' tail fins are grossly over-thick and at the wrong angle, the bodies are a little anaemic, and the rails lack detail. I decided to model the aircraft as if it had just returned from a mission, so

relieving myself of the chore of trying to correct the RPs, but I did do a bit of work on the rails. The decals are the biggest letdown, being fit only for the bin. In later issues, these are for one late-1945 option with a checkered blue and white tail band. They are thick, glossy and show distinct signs of the screen printing process. I bought one of Aeromaster's Storms in the Sky series to replace them. I initially chose to depict TP-F, an aircraft of 198 Sqn, RAF, in France during late June 1944, with nose art, an inscription and red individual code letters. I later discovered that the decals are inaccurate, so I re-marked the model as a machine of 609 Sqn. Despite these issues, this is still a nice kit that can make a fine model with a bit of TLC – I certainly enjoyed the challenge and am pleased with the results. Of course, it has been superseded by Hasegawa's kit (naturally, released shortly after I completed this model!) and this is now available in an Italeri box, just in time for the 70th anniversary. Being about one-third of the price of those kits, the Monogram offering certainly offers good value, but many modellers who opt for the cheaper kit will wish to replace the decals and improve the cockpit. It’s up to the individual whether this work comes from your spares box or from scratchbuilding, or buying aftermarket to eat into the money saved by not buying the newer kit – ‘you pays your money and takes your choice!’

By Arjen Reijs

rjen Reijs from the Netherlands recently bought a SAMI issue at the aviation hobby shop near Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, and responded to my appeal for WWI models to feature in this column. Here are two of his models: Airfix 1/72 Sopwith Pup - I bought this kit more than twenty-five years ago, but never got around to building it. I had been a very active builder during my early teenage years, but gave it up for other pursuits. A couple of years ago, now in my late forties, I started building again, focusing mainly on 1/72 WWI, Pioneer and Biplanes of the 1920s and 30s. As I had not been active in kit-making for so many long years, I was stunned how the hobby had progressed with the avalanche of aftermarket PE parts and decals and the sheer quality of recent releases. The kit is really old but with some patience a decent model can be built. Airfix tried to

replicate fabric structure on the wing surfaces which looks totally unconvincing, so this was sanded off. The kit provides cockpit details in the form of a seat and instrument panel. I added the fuselage frame by including compression struts out of plastic rod. Seatbelts from Eduard’s PE set ‘British WW1 seatbelts’ were added. The construction of the fuselage was uneventful and easily completed. I added ammunition chutes from plastic rod. The air intake of the Le Rhone rotary engine was made from plastic rod. On trial fitting, I found out that the rudder edge would not line up with the fuselage. The depression on the fuselage was deepened to lower the stabilizer and thereby align the rudder. I used Pheon decals to depict a machine from 46 Sqn flown by Capt ASG Lee. The decals are really excellent and I can recommend them. They really enhance the model. For rigging I used an American product

Arjen’s Pup with added extra interior detail Pup sub-assemblies ready for construction

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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CLASSIC Plastic

In association with

Both models in an advanced state of completion

called ‘Wonder wire’. This is a ceramic material that can be snapped off at the required length with a knife. It is stiff and can be easily manoeuvred into place and ‘glued’ with satin varnish. This leaves no stains. All in all, I am pleased with the results. The Pheon decals really make the model come alive and it is a great addition to my 1/72 line-up of WWI models. The Revell Nieuport 28 - The Nieuport’s main claim to fame was that it was the first operational fighter of the US Air Service during WWI. Many US aces such as Rickenbacker, Campbell and Meissner started out in the aircraft. The French were not interested in the type, finding it inferior to the SPAD XIII. This is an old kit. It dates from the 1960s and it shows. I like the aircraft for its graceful lines and just had to build one to add to my collection. The kit is basic, to say the least. There is no cockpit detail, so I built it from plastic rod and sheet. A seat was added from the spares box and Eduard PE French seat belts added. I used the 160 Gnome rotary from the box and although it is a bit basic the cowling opening is small, so little detail

can be seen and no more detail was needed. The kit’s struts are much too thick and need to be replaced with plastic sheet items, using the drawings in Windsock’s Datafile as patterns. The kit’s undercarriage is toy-like and a new one was made from plastic sheet. I used many parts from Eduard’s Nieuport 17 kit such as the wheels, Vickers guns, PE windshield and prop. The Nieuport 17 prop has the same profile so it could be used for the 28. A serious omission, though, is that it is too short. I glued small pieces of plastic sheet to the tips of the prop to enlarge it, with putty to fill the seams. Finally, I sanded the whole thing, which takes a bit of care in this small scale. I painted the prop brown overall and added depth by washing the prop in a darker brown to simulate laminations. The prop boss was painted silver and washed with diluted black. The kit’s cowling is much too angular, so I sanded it to the correct shape. The build was quite straightforward except for the upper wing. I had a hard time aligning the top wing but finally succeeded. I decided to use the kit’s decals as there is

The finished Pup Note the recruitment posters on the wings

Markings are for 46 Sqn, RFC

The two models sit beside a modern Eduard Fokker Dr.1

The Nieuport was finished in colourful USAS markings

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

little to choose in aftermarket decals for the Nieuport 28. It depicts Eddie Rickenbacker’s no 12, 94th Aero Squadron, USAS, complete with recruitment posters plastered onto the wing’s upper surfaces. Colours of WWI aircraft cause much debate. The USAS Nieuport 28s were painted in the French five-colour scheme for which I used Humbrol 98 Dark Brown, Xtracolor X812 Beige, Humbrol Light Green 226, Model Master 1710 Dark Green and the underside was painted SM314 Buff. The model was gloss varnished and the decals added. When I visited the La Fert Alais airshow in France, the original SPAD XIII present there displays a satin sheen rather than an all-matt one, so I decided to use satin for my model too. The rigging was again made from wonder wire. With the inclusion of the Eduard Nieuport 17 parts a nice model can be achieved. I have also included a photo with the Pup and N28, and a Fokker Dr.1 triplane - the latter is the recent Eduard one. Many thanks to Arjen for this contribution. If you have some WWI classics you’d like to share, please email me at paul@sampublications

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Classic Plastic

In association with

The broken Wellington II – where and when?

The Modelcraft boxart

The clock on the mantel – a Smith IIIB, I believe

LES’S WIMPY

The Clock on the Mantel

M

y next project will be somewhat different from the usual monthly tales of self-induced plastic-based incompetence. Very different, in fact, as it will be a true story based on actual events. Let me explain; some twenty years ago I was kindly entrusted by family members to be the custodian of the bomber clock you see in the attached picture (It is a Smith IIIB 24hour Chronoflite, I believe - PB). In addition I was given a couple of old black and white photographs, also attached, and a name of Leslie Fisher. The clock is said to have come from the sad-looking Wellington you see in the pictures. The airman in the photo is LAC Leslie Fisher of the Royal Australian Air Force (Service Number AUS 26691), and it is believed he was a member of that crew. Les survived and passed away in Australia in the early 1980s. He was a very distant uncle by marriage, hence the reason I now have the clock and the pictures. Apart from him being, obviously from the photo, a more ‘mature’ member of the forces, I know absolutely nothing more than this about him. Should any readers have any information on either the Mk II Wellington shown in the pictures (serial unknown), or

The parts are believed to originate with Frog – can anyone confirm this?

By Andy Hazell

indeed on Les himself, it would be very much appreciated. Please contact me via Mr. Bradley at [email protected] For the next two decades that is how things rested, with the clock, having been repaired by a good friend in the trade, occasionally wound up and ticking away on the mantelpiece. Finally, a couple of months ago, on returning home in the early hours and struggling to calculate exactly how few hours of sleep were available before the daily torture of the Ohdark-thirty alarm call, I had a bit of a revelation. Looking very closely at the photographs of the downed Wellington, it dawned on me that this was no ordinary ‘Wimpy’ - it was fitted with Merlin engines. It was obviously a relatively rare Mk II, of which only 400 were manufactured. So, we have a Wimpy Mk II sat rather dejectedly, and judging by the tropical kit of the personnel, on a beach somewhere in the Mediterranean. This got me thinking, I know the aircraft type and I have a name and service number. How much more information could be uncovered? Therefore I seemed to have a new challenge, with some elements of ‘Wreck Detectives’ meets ‘Who do you think you are?’ mixed with a bit of ‘Find My Past’ thrown in for good measure! Oh yes, and something about needing to build a plastic aeroplane as well! On the subject of the model, no kit of the Mk II Wellington is currently available or indeed seems to have been issued at any time, so a conversion with some scratch building and added cross-kitting seemed to be the only option. I picked up an old Airfix Wellington B.III and I already had been given a scrap Matchbox Lancaster by ‘Primer’ Pete Stott, which would supply a pair of Merlins, so all set and ready to go? Well not quite. While surfing a well-known online auction website, up pops a Wellington Mk II! The kit was eventually purchased for a very

LAC Leslie Fisher, RAAF – does anyone have any more details?

The resin engines and props included with the kit

reasonable sum, other bidders dropping out at about a tenner. It arrived three days later and was essentially a Mk Ic by Modelcraft but with resin upgrades for the Merlin engines and props. The pedigree of this kit is unknown, even PB was stumped at first. On viewing some sprue shots, Mr. Bradley believes it is probably the old Frog moulding with added resin extras. The plan will be to build up the Wellington over the next couple of months, but in addition, during each instalment I will try to discover and unravel a little bit of the history behind both the aircraft and indeed the man himself, Leslie Fisher.

Individual code is ‘X’ – does anyone know the serial or squadron? Another view of the forlorn Wimpey

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MODELLERS Portfolio

B-26 Marauder

B-26B Marauder in flight

B-26B-55-MA Marauder 42-96165, 599th Bomb Squadron, 397th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force, December 1944

Modellers Portfolio

No Visible Means…

Modelling the B-26 Marauder

B-26F Marauder demonstrating highly polished metal finish

P

erhaps one of the most pleasing of medium bomber designs, the ‘flying prostitute’ (the tiny wings suggested no visible means of support) has been served well in some quarters by the model industry, but not so in others. Certainly in 1/144 the type has never been far away from the marketplace, with sundry boxings of a broadly similar tooling appearing over the years. As with so many older 1/144 kits this is a nice build apart from ‘dated’ transparencies. Kits-World have made the prospect more interesting of late with new decal releases in this, and other scales. In 1/72 the recent Hasegawa tooling has offered a pricey but attractive alternative to the old Airfix and Frog kits. This latter has done the rounds in various Eastern European boxings, while the Airfix kit is no doubt bubbling under awaiting a revisit. Valom released several early variants in the scale, which while not

By Jack Trent

quick builds do address some of the more interesting versions of the type. Two 1/48 kits have appeared, from Esci and Revell-Monogram. Both offer raised panel lines and some fit issues, but on the whole are sound kits, neither offering any advantage over the other. A new modern tooling would not go amiss, of course, but so far none are on the cards. A Royal Air Force Martin Marauder over Banja Luca

In 1/32 there is little scope, although there was a kit discussed by WingXL, round about the time they were parting company with the Chinese end of the operation that went on to become HK Models. No doubt something will appear in due course – after all it is more manageable in size than the B-17 or B-25 and eminently suited to the scale.

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Modellers Portfolio

B-26 Marauder

B-26B 41-17790 437th BS/319th BG 41-17790 wears a factory fresh scheme as it was on a ferry flight from Iceland to Scotland, having been assigned to the 437th Bomb Squadron on 3rd October 1942. Due to false radio signals sent by the Germans the Marauder force landed at Noord Beveland, Netherlands

B-26B 41-17790 Luftwaffe Having been captured by the Germans 41-17990 had Luftwaffe markings applied, covering the US insignia, and was evaluated and operated by the Luftwaffe until it was recaptured by the Allies two years later

B-26B 41-31577 ‘Elmer’ 553rd BS/386th BG An unusual Marauder, which wore very little in terms of markings or decorations including the Bomb Group tail markings. Elmer shows the hastily and unevenly applied invasion stripes on the fuselage

B-26 41-31773 ‘Flak Bait’ 449th BS/322nd BG Flak Bait holds the record for having flown more missions in the European Theatre than any other American aircraft with a total of 202 (possibly 207) missions. Flak Bait had many panels replaced. The invasion stripes were washed off but not totally removed. The profile depicted is before the 200th mission had been flown

Colour artwork by Chris Sandham-Bailey/Inkworm www.inkworm.co.uk

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Modellers Portfolio

B-26 Marauder

B-26B 41-31987 ‘Hell's a Poppin II’ 555th BS/386th BG Hell’s a Poppin II was part of the 386th Bomb Group, which was based at RAF Great Dunmow, Essex. The aircraft was standard Olive Drab over Neutral Grey with extensive stains and weathering. Bomb Group markings were a horizontal yellow band on the tail

B-26B 41-32025 ‘Panchita Del Rio’ 575th BS/391st BG Standard scheme with the 391st BG yellow triangle on the tail

B-26B 42-96138 ‘By Golly’ 598th BS/397th BG Natural Metal Finish, Olive Drab anti-glare panels on nose and inside engine cowlings. With the invasion stripes painted over an Olive Drab base coat, a thin gap was left around the code letters. By Golly was attacked by fighters and written off on 9th July, 1944

B-26B 42-96152 ‘Missouri Mule II’ 598th BS/397th BG The invasion stripes were intended to be temporary and in many cases were only partially removed such as with Missouri Mule II, which had the white cleaned off the wings and upper fuselage. As well as the fuselage, the engines were also named

Colour artwork by Chris Sandham-Bailey/Inkworm www.inkworm.co.uk

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Modellers Portfolio B-26B Side

1/72 Scale Plans B-26 Marauder

B-26A Side

Scale Drawings by Chris Sandham-Bailey/Inkworm www.inkworm.co.uk

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MODELLERS Portfolio

Plans

1/72 Scale Plans B-26 Marauder

B-26B Underside

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Modellers Portfolio

B-26B Top

B-26B Front

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Modellers Portfolio

B-26 Marauder

B-26B 42-96153 ‘The Joker’ 596th BS/397th BG The Joker is unusual as it had a red cheat line running the length of the fuselage and red engine cowlings. The invasion stripes were still on the fuselage though somewhat weathered when it was photographed at the Peronne Advanced Landing Ground in January 1945

B-26B 42-96154 ‘Little Lady’ 596th BS/397th BG Standard NMF scheme with the nose art on a painted panel on the nose. Having completed 97 combat missions Little Lady crashed whilst landing at the 410th Bomb Group Base at Bretigny, France on 24th February, 1945 with G. Brendle at the controls. By this stage the invasion stripes had been considerably worn, especially on the upper surfaces

B-26B 42-96165 ‘The Big Hairy Bird’ 599th BS/397th BG A well known and documented B-26, several colour photographs exist of this aircraft. Despite spending most of the war as part of the 397th BG, The Big Hairy Bird was transferred to the 387th BG in the latter stages of the war in Europe

B-26B 42-96191 ‘The Milk Run Special’ 597th BS/397th BG The Milk Run Special took part in two missions on the 6th June, according to Tech Sgt. Bob Bollinger, the waist gunner. The first mission was at 06:30 when Omaha Beach was bombed, the aircraft receiving flak damage from a German 88mm. The second mission was at 12:30 when two bridges were attacked inland to hold up German reinforcements

Colour artwork by Chris Sandham-Bailey/Inkworm www.inkworm.co.uk

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Modellers Portfolio

B-26 Marauder

B-26B 42-96205 ‘Hamilton Hey Maker II’ 558th BS/987th BG Hamilton first served with the 397th BG where the diagonal tail stripe and nose art were applied. Having been transferred to the 987th BG the Bomb Group band of diagonal stripes overpainted the old marking. However the invasion stripes had been removed from the upper surface by this stage

B-26B 42-96220 ‘Man-O-War IV’ 555th BS/386th BG Whilst returning from a mission on 8th June, 1944, Man-O-War crash landed at the 386th BG base at RAF Great Dunmow. The aircraft was repaired and returned to flying only to be shot down by AAA on the 7th October, 1944 whilst on a raid to Germany

B-26B 41-2107666 ‘Barracuda’ 495th BS/344th BG Retaining the all-over NMF, Barracuda lost the upper white invasion stripes as the war progressed. The white triangle with black outline of the 344th BG is on the tail. In late 1944 it was forced to land at an emergency strip in France due to battle damage, the landing causing further damage to the nose wheel. By this stage it had completed 75 missions

B-26C 41-34946 ‘The Yankee Guerilla’ 555th BS/386th BG The Yankee Guerrilla undertook its first mission on 9th October 1943 and completed 130 before crashing whilst returning from an abandoned mission on 5th October 1944. Standard scheme with the serial and 386th BG horizontal bar in yellow

Colour artwork by Chris Sandham-Bailey/Inkworm www.inkworm.co.uk

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Modellers Portfolio

B-26 Marauder

B-26C 42-107614 ‘Lady Luck III ‘ 454th BS/323rd BG A Marauder of the 323rd BG with a horizontal white band with black edging on the tail. The white invasion stripes from the upper surfaces and wings had been removed by the time Lady Luck was lost on 23rd December 1944 due to hydraulic damage

B-26B 42-95857 ‘Shootin’ In’ 454th BS/323rd BG Shootin’ In had the outline broken up by further camouflage added to the upper surfaces and tail in either RAF Green or Medium Green. Having completed 135 missions the aircraft survived the war only to be scrapped in 1946 at Landsberg, Germany

B-26 MkI FK375 ‘Dominion Revenge’ 14 Sqn RAF Based in Egypt 14 Sqn operated over the Western Desert in a variety of roles including torpedo bombing on Mediterranean shipping, and the aircraft were camouflaged accordingly. Standard upper surface of Mid Stone and Dark Earth and it is probable that the underside would have been Azure Blue

B-26 Mk III HD611 A Apple 39 Sqn RAF Converting to the Marauder at the end of 1944, 39 Sqn were part of the Balkan Air Force, supporting Marshal Tito in the medium bomber role. Due to air superiority and possibly to save weight the Marauders had the side guns removed. The nose gun was also not carried as it was by then non-essential and frequently caused damage to the glazing. A for Apple completed 34 missions before the end of the war. All the aircraft retained their original paint scheme instead of having RAF camouflage applied

Colour artwork by Chris Sandham-Bailey/Inkworm www.inkworm.co.uk

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556-58-FL-Meteor-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:23 Page 556

Available via

SAMI Spotlight First Look

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First Look 1/32

SCALE

Little and Large Meteors Building HK Models 1/32 and 1/144 Meteor F.4 TECH DATA

By David Francis and Mike Cook

SCALE: 1/32

L

ast month we previewed HK Models' Gloster Meteor and it looked like it would make an easy and painless build, so filled with confidence I picked the most complicated scheme I have ever attempted as well as adding a resin aftermarket correction set that would mean quite a lot of cutting, but more of that later. Unsurprisingly we start with the cockpit, and the moulded detail here is first rate and captures the haphazard appearance of the original very well, and British cockpits of this period can hardly be described as ergonomic. Most of the cockpit is painted in shades of black with a light dry brushing with metal shades to show areas of wear. A one-piece decal is supplied for the instrument panel but you are far better off replacing these with Airscale instrument dials inside the moulded instrument bezels with a drop off gloss varnish over them to represent the glass.

556 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

KIT NO: 01E05 MANUFACTURER: HK Models TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic

The cockpit seat represents a bucket type with a cushion on the base, which is how most of the planes on display today are shown. But in service the base of the seat was scooped out for the pilot’s parachute, which became his cushion until the introduction of ejection seats on the F.8. I am sure the aftermarket will correct this in due course but for now my seat was made up from the back of the kit seat joined to the base section of an item in my spares box, I think originally from a MiG-3? Who’s going to know! The kit does not supply any representation of the seat belts so I added a Sutton harness from Eduard’s new fabric range produced in

cooperation with HGW. A nice touch from HK Models is the cast metal nose weight which as well as ensuring the plane sits firmly on its wheels also acts as the roof on the nose undercarriage bay. After spending a couple of hours on the cockpit the rest of construction occurred at an amazing rate with the fit of parts being as good as you can get, especially the wing-tofuselage which was virtually seamless on every joint. Even the addition of the Fisher Corrected intake set was easy, following the very explicit instructions, which explain exactly where you need to cut the kit's wings to fit the replacement resin intakes. One thing not mentioned is that you also need to trim some of detail of the engine bulkheads so they do not foul the new parts. If your cuts are accurate the amount of filler needed is minimal and the improvement in appearance is obvious when compare to an uncorrected kit. Another benefit is that the intake is totally seamless and includes the wing spar as part of the resin casting, which will save a lot of tricky filling.

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Available via

www.pocketbond.co.uk

First Look

SAMI Spotlight

My answer to correcting the seat

The completed tub

The difference in shape between the kit and Fisher’s intakes is obvious

Play putty was used to mask the inside of the canopies

With painting in shades of grey and black the cockpit looks very nice

The Eduard cloth seat belts drape realistically

The kit supplies all the control surfaces, flaps and air brakes as separate parts, which is very nice as it means that you can animate your model and also add some individuality by slightly deflecting them. The undercarriage legs include large mudguards, which will make for an interesting painting challenge as you cannot fit the wheels onto the legs after painting. However there is an answer if you use a set of Scale Aircraft Conversions replacement legs as the white metal axles can be spread slightly to add the wheels after assembly as well as adding strength to the complete assembly. The decals in his kit are thick, glossy and printed in the wrong colours. Fortunately a number of manufacturers like Alley Cat, Kitsworld and Xtradecal have all issued replacements, but I was drawn to Dutch Decals’ sheet, which supplies markings for both overall silver and camouflaged machines. My choice features one of the most complicated schemes for a Target Tug with camouflaged upper surfaces, yellow and black striped undersides, yellow bands on the wings and around the rear fuselage and a red nose finished with a blue nose cap and fin top.

To say that I was worried about painting this complicated scheme was a bit of an understatement, but it actually went very smoothly though I feared I was going to run out of masking tape. I used Xtracolor paints, which dried to a really glossy finish, which is perfect for applying decals. The decals appeared to go on perfectly but I had made a big mistake in failing to apply any setting solutions, lulled into a false sense of security by the high gloss finish of the paints. When I applied my Alclad matt varnish all of the stencils had silvered where air was trapped under the clear parts of the decal. In

Deflected control surfaces add interest to the model Only a small amount of filler is needed on the intake if you have cut it in the right place

my case with a deadline approaching all I could do was to touch up as best I could and add a bit of restrained weathering to try and disguise my error and hope that others learn by my mistake. My original intention was to build the

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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Available via

SAMI Spotlight First Look

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A coat of primer to check that all the seams are perfect The SAC white metal legs clean up easily

Special Edition Extra

1/32 kit out of the box and you could certainly have fun doing so, but to make it accurate the Fisher intakes and aftermarket decals are the minimum that you require, while the SAC legs make painting a lot easier as well as adding the strength of metal. Would I build another? Of course I would and as Fisher are already hard at work producing masters for other variants, including the night fighters, I am sure another Meteor will be working its way down my bench in the future.

Measure and mask, I left the drop tank off and added it after painting The air goes blue

558 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

The first edition boxings of this kit have a small yellow sticker which tells you that a 1/144 scale model is included in the box. At the RAF Cosford model show I was showing off the just-arrived Meteor when a member of the public asked what I had planned for the 1/144 kit. ‘Not my scale so probably destined for the spares box’, was my reply, ‘unless you want to build it’. And he did…

1/144 Gloster Meteor By Mike Cook

This delightful little model comes in just five parts plus a two-piece stand. The model is beautifully moulded in both grey and clear on the same sprue with some of the finest surface detail I have ever seen in this scale. This kit builds in minutes and with a quick spray of Humbrol polished aluminium from a can it was almost finished. The only disappointment was the lack of decals, so you have to turn to the spares box for these. As there is no undercarriage provided the model has to be mounted on the stand provided.

Kits with yellow stickers also include this 1/144 kit

Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:55 Page 559

KINGKIT

THE ORIGINAL KIT DEALER (Est. 1983)

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www.kingkit.co.uk NEW

ADDRESS!

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TEL: 01952 586 457 e-mail [email protected] www.kingkit.co.uk

MAGNA MODELS Scale Model Aircraft Kit Manufacturers

Magna Models, Buzon 27, Trapiche 29719, Malaga, Spain. Tel: 0034 951 066 690 MAGNA MODELS - Scale Model Aircraft Manufacturers, 14 Fernhill Close, Blackwater, Camberley, Surrey, GU17 9HD. Tel 01276 33667 Email [email protected]

BOMBER TO TRANSPORT CONVERSIONS 6272 7372 9272 0272 2772 3472 4872 5072 5272 7572 7672 7972 8172 8972 9172

Lancastrian (Airfix) C D4 £19.00 7072 Boeing/SAAB B17(Academy) C D2 £19.00 8472 Liberator Mk1/11 includes complete wings (Academy) Fairey Firefly T7 £18.75 0472 Blackburn Firebrand TF3/4 * £18.75 3172 Short Sturgeon TT2/3 * £26.50 3572 Supermarine Swift F1 D £19.95 4572 DH Dove/Devon Srs1-7 * D2 £26.25 5172 Percival Sea Prince T1 *D £26.00 6572 Gloster F.5/34 £18.75 6972 DH Flamingo £29.00 7772 S A Twin Pioneer D6 £35.00 8072 Short Belfast C1 D £107.00 8572 DH Dove Srs1(Dan Air) D £26.00 9072 Short Sperrin *D £87.00 9872

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C D5 C D3 Civil * C D3

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£19.00 £19.00 £31.50 £18.75 £18.75 £26.50 £20.95 £19.95 £98.00 £19.00 £23.25 £26.00 £90.00 £107.00 £87.00

NEXT RELEASES: 1148 Miles Master Mk IA.  1248 Miles Master Mk I. 0148 0448 0648 0848 0248

0548 Miles Master Mk11 4D Miles Martinet TT1 * D2 £34.00 0748 Martin Baker MB2 Blackburn Firebrand TF11 D £40.00 0948 DH Sea Devon 2D Hunting Percival Sea Prince *D £45.00 1048 Boulton Paul Balliol T2/T21 * D4 Miles M20 Mk1 £32.00 Blackburn Firebrand TF5 3D £40.00 *= Optional parts; C= Conversion; D= Decals; 2, 3, 4, etc= Number of decal options Payment by cheque, IMO etc. Credit cards not accepted. Above prices include postage & packing in UK. EU add 15%, Rest of the World add 25%

£34.00 £32.00 £46.00 £45.00

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First Look 1/32

SCALE

Revell Supermarine Spitfire IIa (TEST SHOT) I By David Francis

t is always a privilege to open a box containing a set of test shots, filled with a little trepidation as to what you will find, as the quality and colour of plastic used can vary considerably from the type you find in the finished product and detail can vary from non-existent to full production standard. Well, this example of the new Revell Spitfire has none of these issues, and I guess this is a final shot as the quality of plastic and detail are exactly the same as you would expect to find in a state-of-the-art 21st century model kit. In fact the only thing not supplied to full production standard is the instruction booklet, which is a photocopy and is missing all the health and safety blurb and type history. So we’ll start with the cockpit, and this is very well detailed for a plastic kit, with nearly fifty separate parts required for assembly. Some really nice touches are that the holes on the bulkhead are holes, not moulded circles or small recesses as on many kits. Detail parts like the throttle match photographs well and though a one-piece plastic part is not going to rival a multi-part resin item many modellers will be happy with the results that can be achieved with careful painting. The pilot’s seat is made up from eight parts and includes the separate flare rack located on the front of the seat, and fortunately they have decided not to try and reproduce the seatbelts so you can add your own Sutton harness from your favourite aftermarket manufacturer, or scratch build your own. Now for the downside - during the design process the instrument panel has been reversed so the nicely moulded dials, bezels and switches are on the wrong side, and this error is repeated on the decals. But to be honest you really have to know your Spitfires or have a good reference book (like the

560 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

recently reissued SAM Publications Datafile on the Merlin-engined Spitfire variants) to hand. Moving onto the main fuselage you have a mix of very fine recessed rivet detail combined with raised details for items like the screw heads around the engine cowlings, and to some these may appear over scale but to my eye will look acceptable under a coat of paint and certainly this mix of raised and recessed details represent what you see on a real airframe. However one area where you will have to use some wet and dry paper is on the tail control surfaces. These feature raised ribs, while the fabric surfaces are normally very smooth with little evidence of the rib detail beneath. All of the control surfaces are separate parts as are the flaps, which enables you to add a little bit of realism to your model by deflecting them slightly. One thing I really liked about this kit is that the exhausts are moulded in two parts so the fishtails have open ends, avoiding a tricky drilling job or the purchase of aftermarket parts. It is little touches like this that show how far Revell have come in recent years, however as with a number of their kits they do throw the odd engineering split at you - on this kit this is found on the undercarriage struts which are moulded in to two one-piece sections with a joint two thirds up the leg, which is a built-in weak spot, so I would advise making sure that after gluing you leave plenty of time for it to cure before putting any weight on the legs. The clear parts are super clear and will not distort any detail work you do inside the cockpit, and include a separate armoured windshield. The decal sheet looks very nice and is the equal to anything sold by the aftermarket, and as well as a good selection of stencils provides the red dope panels that fit over the

TECH DATA SCALE: 1/32

KIT NO: 03986

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic

MANUFACTURER: Revell GmbH & Co.KG

gun barrel openings. Markings are supplied for two aircraft, both in a scheme of Dark Earth and Green over Sky with a white tail band. • Supermarine Spitfire IIb, P7489, QV-J, 19 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Fowlmere, June 1941 • Supermarine Spitfire IIb , P7665, YT-L, 65 squadron, Royal Air Force, Kirton in Lindsey, July 1941

Conclusion Just like their recent Messerschmitt Bf 109G the new Spitfire replaces an older-generation Hasegawa kit that had been previously been reboxed by Revell. The new model shows the benefit of thirty years of improvement in plastic moulding and for most modellers will produce a nice replica out of the box. It will also act as a base to which you can add as many aftermarket parts as your pocket will allow, and so far Eduard have announced no fewer that five items for this kit including etched brass details, resin wheels and masks, while Scale Aircraft Conversions are at work on a set of replacement metal legs. That brings us to the price, and at £22 this kit is an absolute bargain as many manufacturers’ 1/48 kits cost more than this one. And even throwing all the aftermarket at the kit you will still spend less than a Japanese manufacturer’s late mark Spitfires. Even better - the separate wing tips and lower nose section point to future variants to come, and I am really hoping someone may look at producing some early PR Spitfires based on this kit. Our thanks to Revell for supplying the test shot ahead of the kit’s planned release, which should be about the time this issue of SAMI hits the shelves of your local newsagent.

Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:55 Page 561

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564-Previews-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:34 Page 564

SAMI Spotlight Previews

Previews

DC-9-15 Federal Aviation Administration TECHNICAL DATA SCALE: 1/144 KIT NO: 14413 PRICE: £21.50 US$44.95 DECAL OPTIONS: 1 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Reissue TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 40, Resin 27 MANUFACTURER: Fly UK IMPORTER: Hannants US IMPORTER: Stevens International

Sukhoi Su-27M Flanker B

DC-9-51 Eurofly

TECHNICAL DATA

TECHNICAL DATA

SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: 7295

SCALE: 1/144 KIT NO: 14425

PRICE: £18.99 US$22.95

PRICE: £21.50 US$44.95

DECAL OPTIONS: 3

DECAL OPTIONS: 1

PANEL LINES: Recessed

PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Reissue

STATUS: New Tooling

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic

PARTS: Plastic 40, Resin 27

PARTS: Plastic 157, Clear 6

MANUFACTURER: Fly

Fly Models’ range of DC-9s now offers a wide choice with kits including alternative fuselage and engine parts where necessary to build the various configurations. Bodies are solid with all glazing offered as decals, and small resin parts for blade aerials and the like are provided.

Lavochkin La-11

MANUFACTURER: Zvezda

UK IMPORTER: Hannants

TECHNICAL DATA

UK IMPORTER: The Hobby Company

US IMPORTER: Stevens International

SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: SK7215

US IMPORTER: Dragon USA

PRICE: €39.00 DECAL OPTIONS: 3 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: New Tooling TYPE: Resin PARTS: Resin 23, Metal 3, Vacform Clear 2, Etched 37 MANUFACTURER: Steelwork AVAILABLE FROM: www.steelwork-models.de

Designed as successor to the La-9 as a long range fighter escort for the Tu-4 bomber, 1,182 machines were produced and served in the Soviet Union, China, North Korea and

Roland C.II

Dornier Do 215B-4

TECHNICAL DATA SCALE: 1/32 KIT NO: 32026 PRICE: US$99.00 DECAL OPTIONS: 5

TECHNICAL DATA

PANEL LINES: Recessed

SCALE: 1/48 KIT NO: 48214

STATUS: New Tooling

PRICE: £24.99 US$59.95

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic

DECAL OPTIONS: 4

PARTS: Plastic 295, Clear, Etched 8

PANEL LINES: Recessed

MANUFACTURER: Wingnut Wings AVAILABLE FROM: www.wingnutwings.com

The quality of the plastic on these latest releases is truly stunning and is even an improvement on Wingnut’s previously high standards - as an example the Ocarina exhaust is actually hollow along the entire length of the exhaust pipe. Truly amazing. Each kit comes with the usual

comprehensive mini-reference book that Wingnut call instructions and five marking options with decals printed by Cartograph. In the Roland C.II kit the options are predominantly plain aircraft in shades of blue, white and doped linen. In the C.IIa kit all the aircraft are in three-tone upper camouflage over light blue lowers. These kits are available with free postage direct from the manufacturer or at a higher price from a number of retailers around the world.

Roland C.IIa (Late) TECHNICAL DATA SCALE: 1/32 KIT NO: 32041 PRICE: US$99.00 DECAL OPTIONS: 5 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: New Tooling TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 330, Clear , Etched 9 MANUFACTURER: Wingnut Wings AVAILABLE FROM: www.wingnutwings.com

564 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

Indonesia. Markings cover three aircraft from the Soviet VVS and one plane from the PLAAF.

STATUS: New Tooling TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 210, Clear 13 MANUFACTURER: ICM UK IMPORTER: Hannants US IMPORTER: Squadron

It’s here – and far sooner than expected! This first boxing of the 1/48 Do 215 looks to be a very exciting prospect indeed, and while we are mindful of the difference between how it looks in the box and how it behaves on the workbench, this kit is starting off streets ahead of its nearest competitor, and the parts layout looks both comprehensive and nicely engineered. Full

interior and bomb bay seem to be included, as well as a bombload and the main fuel tank, while the transparencies look good and a number of parts are included for further options as yet to be confirmed, although a night fighter is by all accounts ready for release. Markings cover four machines, three Luftwaffe and one Hungarian, with France, Finland, and the Eastern Front all covered. A welcome release in a much neglected field. ICM are to be congratulated on this release and we’ll look forward to further editions.

565-SpecialEast-SAMI-0614-WP_Layout 1 16/05/2014 14:01 Page 1

RENAISSANCE 1/32 CAUDRON C561

90.00 €

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39.90 €

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26.90 € 59.90 € 18.90 € 29.90 € 24.90 €

YAKOVLEV UT-1 TRAINING

30.00 €

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EDUARD 1/72

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52.90 € 52.90 € 44.05 € 44.05 €

RODEN 1/48 PILATUS PC-6 B2/H4 TURBO PORTER

FOKKER D.XXIII DUTCH FIGHTER

30.00 €

KITTY HAWK 1/32

RS MODEL 1/48 42.90 €

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34.90 € 38.03 € 52.60 € 43.04 €

LETOV LF-107 LUNAK DE HAVILAND DH.103 HORNET

59.90 €

HPH 1/32

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MASTER MODEL 1/48 HURRICANE MK.IIc HISPANO MK.II 20mm HURRICANE MK.IIc HISPANO MK.I 20mm TYPHOON MK.Ib LATE CANNONS TYPHOON MK.Ib EARLY CANNONS A-10 THINDERBOLT II GAU-8 GUN

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ADMIRAL 1/72 AIRSPEDD OXFORD MK I/II INTERNATIONAL 21.97 € AIRSPEED OXFORD MK I WITH TURRET 21.97 € AIRSPEED OXFORD AS.10 21.97 €

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14.90 € 17.96 €

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79.26 € 79.26 € 79.26 €

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AZUR 1/72 D.H. VAMPIRE MK.5 ARMEE DE L’AIR PZL P11C FIRST SHOTS

MASTER BOX 1/32 RAF PILOTS

19.97 € 19.97 € 19.97 € 19.97 €

14.90 € 29.90 €

CORPUS FIGURES 1/48 US WWI PILOT N° 1 US WWI PILOT N° 2

44.90 € 40.03 € 46.06 € 60.10 € 50.06 € 50.06 € 50.06 €

FW 190D-11 CORSAIR F4U-7 FRENCH NAVY REPUBLIC F-84F THUNDERSTREAK RF-80A SHOOTING STAR GRUMMAN A-6A INTRUDER

MIG 15 PROFIPACK BF 110 C-6

99.00 € 219.90 €

KITTY HAWK 1/48 SH-2 SEASPRITE SA 365 DAUPHIN II MIRAGE F-1 CT/CR MIG-25 PD JAGUAR GR.1 / GR.3 MIRAGE F.1B SEPECAT JAGUAR A

DORNIER DO-26V-2 LUFTHANSA DORNIER DO-26D LUFTWAFFE TUPOLEV TU-134 AEROFLOT TUPOLEV TU-134 LOT VERSION TUPOLEV TU-134 INTERFLUG MBB Bo-105 ANTONOV AN-8 AEROFLOT

ULTRACAST 1/48 SOVIET PILOT WWII

SWORD 1/72 LIGHTNING T.MK.4 LIGHTNING T.MK.5 F2H-2P PHOTO BANSHEE F2H-2 BANSHEE

AMODEL 1/72

30.00 €

ITALIAN KITS 1/48 3 ITALIAN PILOTS WWII

25.90 € 26.99 € 26.99 €

SAIMAN 200 DH 82 MK II ROYAL NAVY DH 82 MK II RAF DH 82 INTERNATIONAL DH 82 OTHER USERS AIRSPEED OXFORD T.1 BF 109 G-14 EARLY BF 109 G-6/R6 BF 109 G-5 EARLY BF 109 G-6 BF 109 G-6 OVER FINLAND BF 109 G-8 RECCE

14.90 € 14.90 € 14.90 € 14.90 € 14.90 € 19.57 € 15.90 € 15.90 € 15.90 € 15.90 € 15.90 € 15.90 €

KORA 1/72 HAWKER AUSTRALIAN DEMON TRAINER HAWKER AUSTRALIAN DEMON AT WAR HAWKER HART TRAINER RAF SILVER HAWKER HART TRAINER RAF YELLOW HAWKER HART COMMUNICATION RAF HAWKER HARDY RAF SERVICE HAWKER HARDY BELGIAN CONGO

19.50 € 33.90 € 33.90 € 33.90 € 26.90 € 26.99 € 19.56 € 19.56 € 19.56 € 19.56 € 19.56 €

BRENGUN 1/72 50.06 € 50.06 € 50.06 € 50.06 € 50.06 € 50.06 € 50.06 €

HOBBY BOSS 1/72 F2A BUFFALO BF 110 FIGHTER TUPOLEV TU-2 BOMBER MACCHI MC 200 SAETTA RAF GLADIATOR P-38L-5/LO LIGHTNING

RYAN NYP SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS DORNIER DO 17F DORNIER DO 17E DORNIER DO 17K AIRSPEED ENVOY CHEETAH ENGINE LOCKHEED P-38D HENSCHEL Hs-132 HENSCHEL Hs-132 BOMBER BELL TP-39Q AIRACOBRA TRAINER REGGIANE RE 2005 P-51H USAAF

BV-40 GERMAN GLIDER SPITFIRE Vb MESSERSPIT SPITFIRE Vb FLOATPLANE HAWKER TYPHOON Mk.IB LATE PROD HAWKER TYPHOON Mk.Ib MID PROD TYPHOON Mk.Ib EARLY CAR DOORS TYPHOON Mk.Ib EARLY / MID CAR DOORS

12.90 € 16.90 € 16.90 € 18.56 € 18.56 € 18.56 € 18.56 €

HR MODELS 1/72 9.53 € 10.93 € 10.93 € 8.53 € 9.53 € 9.53 €

PHONIX C-1 LATE HUNGARY PHONIX C-1 YUGOSLAVIA PHONIX C-1 DRONT FMV E1

21.97 € 21.97 € 21.97 €

SBS MODELS 1/72 LATECOERE 28.3 COMTE DE LA VAUX

WEB SITE WITH PAYPAL SECURE ORDER 24H/24H • ALL USUAL CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED • CURRENT STOCK LEVELS IN REAL TIME THESE ARE JUST A SELECTION OF THE 24,000’S OF HARD TO GET KITS WE HAVE • ORDERS ARE USUALLY DESPATCHED ON THE SAME DAY IF IN STOCK

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90.20 €

566-CreativePreviews-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:33 Page 566

SAMI Spotlight Creative Times

Sponsored by Creative Models www.creativemodels.co.uk

Creative Times A selection of new releases now available

From Creative Models

P-39L/N ProfiPACK TECHNICAL DATA SCALE: 1/48 KIT NO: 8066 PRICE: £15.99, US29.95 DECAL OPTIONS: 5 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Reissue TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 127, Clear 6, Etched 45 MANUFACTURER: Eduard AVAILABLE FROM: Creative Models www.creativemodels.co.uk

A new reboxing of one of Eduard’s older kits, and looking good with markings for five machines:

Bf 110C-6 Limited Edition TECHNICAL DATA • P-39N, s/n 4218354, 345th FS, North Africa/ Sardinia, late 1943 • P-39L, s/n 42-4514, 91st FS / 81st FG, Tunisia, September, 1943 • P-39N, 110th TRS/71st TRG, Gusap airfield, New Guinea, spring, 1944 • P-39N, Flown by Grigori A. Rechkalov, 16th GIAP, spring 1945 • P-39N, Flown by Nikolai G. Sobolev, 21st GIAP, April 1943

SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: 2115 PRICE: £26.99 US$49.95 DECAL OPTIONS: 2 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Revised Issue TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 162, Clear 12, Etched 55, Resin 5, Masks MANUFACTURER: Eduard AVAILABLE FROM: Creative Models www.creativemodels.co.uk

Now for the first time the C-6 is available in 1/72 in a compact but comprehensive package offering resin parts for the gunpack and all the usual trimmings. Markings offer a nightfighter and a camouflaged machine from the Battle of Britain era.

Icons of Aviation US Legends: 8th Air Force Gift Set TECHNICAL DATA SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: 05794 PRICE: £26.99 US$TBC PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Reissue TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic MANUFACTURER: Revell

Spitfire Mk IXc Early (Weekend Edition) TECHNICAL DATA SCALE: 1/48 KIT NO: 84137 PRICE: £15.99 US$29.95 DECAL OPTIONS: 1 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Revised Tooling TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 195, Clear 14 MANUFACTURER: Eduard AVAILABLE FROM: Creative Models www.creativemodels.co.uk

566 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

AVAILABLE FROM: Creative Models www.creativemodels.co.uk

In an age of uncertainty when the marketplace is still awash with ‘classic’ toolings in modern boxings, sometimes with ‘New’ written on them, it is easy when considering this type of product to buy something that is a little more ‘classic’ than one might wish – particularly when the item is being bought by a non-modeller from a high street outlet where the staff have little or no idea of the content. This will invariably lead to some unsuspecting junior being given a plastic kit instead of the X-Box anticipated. What he or she then finds in the box may possibly be a profound experience. If it is a handful of 1960s vintage fragments that not even a museum would welcome, the level of disappointment is liable to escalate, and the logical alternative will be Minecraft. If, on the other hand, it is

something as exciting and well-produced as the contents of this box then maybe there will be a spark… Revell have packaged together three modern toolings, including the P-51B, the P-47D and the B-17G, added some paint and glue, and offer a very good value package that will reward the modeller with a neat little mini collection of the stars of the 8th Air Force. Well-conceived and with no unnecessary frills, this is an excellent package and ideal for anyone considering inflicting their habit upon an offspring!

Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:55 Page 567

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568-72-Reviews-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:32 Page 568

SAMI Spotlight Reviews

Reviews

1/72

SCALE

V-156F Vindicator ‘Aeronavale Service’ TECH DATA SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: A113 PRICE: £14.94 US$32.00 DECAL OPTIONS: 3 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: Revised Issue TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 50, Clear 2, Resin 8 MANUFACTURER: Azur UK IMPORTER: Hannants

T

he Vought Vindicator was a prewar US Navy design developed from a 1934 specification for a new reconnaissance, bomber and

US IMPORTER: Squadron

568 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

torpedo aircraft. Produced from 1937 the type was obsolete when used by the US in the 1942 Battle of Midway, but in 1939, before WW2 started, the French Aeronavale had purchased forty Vindicators. These differed from the American SB2U-2 versions with the deletion of the swing arm under the fuselage and the adoption of wing mounted bomb racks, dive brakes and French armament and equipment. Training was carried out on the carrier Bearn but subsequently the ship was declared obsolete so the Escadrilles became land based. Attempts to halt the German advances in 1940 resulted in the majority of Vindicators being lost in attempts to bomb

By Clive Duckworth the bridges over the river Oise, and an ensuing Axis raid on their airbase destroyed the remainder of AB-3’ s aircraft. The last French Vindicators were relocated to the south to fight the Italians, and their final raid was carried out by just 3 planes on June 17th 1940 against San Stefano. The kit from MPM/Azur comes in a topopening box with a colourful depiction of the Vindicator in French Navy markings. Inside there are three sprues of light grey plastic, one clear sprue and PUR parts for the machine gun, bombs and racks. The build commences with the detailed cockpit and includes the framing structure, seats, PUR machine gun and various small ancillary parts that provide a reasonable amount of interest visible through the large cockpit transparency. Twenty pieces go into the cockpit build and the framing is a particularly good point as this is visible on the finished model. The fuselage halves are then closed around this assembly and wing sections prepared for fitting. Note that more filing/sanding is required as the wheel wells are too deep to allow the wings to join together. Fit the clear part landing light plus the two pieces for the location of the undercarriage assembly, and the wings can be joined. I had to clamp the wing halves together after cementing as they were not a good fit. The engine sits inside the two-piece cowling plus the air intake. No provision is made for a turning prop and I also had to drill out the locating hole for the stub on the propeller to enable it to be fitted later in the build. Wings and tailplanes are fitted next

568-72-Reviews-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:33 Page 569

04929 P P-47D Thunde rbolt

and all of these needed some filing and easing to fit properly, as did the engine assembly, which needed a great deal of filing and scraping to enable even a reasonable fit. The four-piece main gear assemblies go together next but a better diagrammatic view is needed for correct positioning. The ‘info view’ included shows the completed parts but from the same angle as the exploded diagram, so other references need to be sought, particularly for the angles of the wheel legs and for the positioning of the covers that fit at the front of the legs as this also is not clear in the instructions. The PUR bombs and racks are quite fragile and the bomb fins and rack clamps broke when I attempted to cut them from the resin block, so the ones on the finished model are not from the kit. Next, only the PUR arrestor hook, plastic stub exhausts, canopy, radio mast and propeller are fitted. The canopy is a nice clear moulding but is in one piece so there is no provision for the machine gun to be posed in the firing position. Paint references are for Gunzo and the main colours are shown in the colour diagrams with four plan-views for the three aircraft options. Two are overall blue-grey whilst the 3rd has a brown and green mottled camouflage pattern over the blue-grey base.

After brush painting I applied two coats of Klear to reduce silvering before applying the decals, which have good opacity and apply well but are quite fragile and shatter easily if handled more than the minimum. As a result I would not advise softener but the decals settle well without. The parts and mouldings detail is very good as is the all-important clear and well fitting canopy. The build itself is not difficult and I did like the inclusion of the framing structure in the cockpit. It is a shame that the PUR parts are so fragile and broke up despite using care when trying to cut them off the resin blocks. They clearly are a major feature of the French version so if these are damaged you’ve lost some of the point of the V156F kit, but with a degree of effort and a reasonable amount of modelling skill you will get a good looking model of the Vindicator. Overall a good kit to make, particularly if interested in the different variants, and I did find it enjoyable to put together. Excellent that Azur has produced the French Navy variant with the addition of the decals for the carrier tests to complement the Vindicator in Kit #16 which provides both the other decal versions present in this kit.

O D E L K I T SE S
P L A ST I C M O N E Y P R IC AT P O C K E T M

untless 04934 SBD-5 Da

04928 P-51B Mustang

1 Corsair 04930 F4U-

Also Available: 04931 F6F-3 Hellcat 04932 P-40E Warhawk 04933 F4F-4 Wildcat 04935 P-39Q Airacobra

Available from your local Toy and Model retailer

Visit our international web site at www.revell.eu Revell GmbH, HP23 5AH. Tel: 01442 890285. Email: [email protected] © 2013 Revell GmbH. A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc. All rights reserved. Trade enquiries welcome.

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SAMI Spotlight Reviews

1/144

Boeing 737-204C

By Paul Janicki

TECH DATA

T

he Boeing 737 has been around for quite a while now and over the past forty or so years has grown to almost the length of a 707. Well, to me at least! Very widely used worldwide and many a passenger carried to various points around the world, the very first one I laid my eyes on was on approach to Gatwick and I had no idea what it was until I checked its registration in my trusty Civil Aircraft Registration book at the time. Coincidentally it was G-AXNB, one of the subjects of this rerelease by Airfix. Moulded in the current light grey plastic, the parts on inspection show their age a bit but not much compared to when I first bought the kit. You will need to prepare the parts well by cleaning up the edges and some flash to ensure a good fit. Unlike the original issue the cabin glazing strips are not included any more though the ‘punch’ to poke through the decal before fixing the glazing is still included. The only clear part is the windshield. So, the best way I found to over come the empty openings was to glue strips of plastic card to the insides of the fuselage halves and allow to dry. The doors and hold hatches can be fitted, but I found that all these needed to be tidied up and fitted with some filler around the edges. While the filler was open I filled all the window openings at the same time. A word of caution re the part numbering for the rear doors - the instructions have parts 2 and 3 transposed so they need to be fitted opposite to what is indicated. Naturally if you want the undercart down, nose weight will have to be added and there is room in the nose forward of the bulkhead, part 18. So far so good. The fuselage can be joined when enough weight is fitted. I opted to leave the windshield to the end just in case I needed more, which could then be slid through the opening. Still in stage 1, the wings, tailplane and engines can all be fixed in place before the next stage dealing with the undercart, which again I feel is best left until painting is done to avoid them being knocked off. The 3rd stage mainly deals with the wheels-up mode so is skipped and the model prepared for the painting stage.

570 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

SCALE

SCALE: 1/144 KIT NO: 04178 PRICE: £14.99 US$17.99 DECAL OPTIONS: 2 PANEL LINES: Raised STATUS: Reissue

Before I started any painting work, I glued the windscreen in position and blended it in with a smear of filler, readying it for priming. The glazing would be represented with black paint and silver stripe decals for the framing. More of this later. I set about priming the upper fuselage area with white, masked and then primed the rest in grey then applied my chosen metallic silver paint (Alclad Aluminium), masked the bare metal areas on the wings and then airbrushed the light grey areas on the wings. Masking removed, I sprayed on the gloss white to the upper fuselage. After a couple of evenings doing this work, it was time to allocate a couple of evenings for the decaling. There should be a light aircraft grey area covering the lower fuselage centre section and around the main wheel bays. This area is quite clear on photos of the real aeroplane but is not indicated on the four views in the kit instructions, but is easily added and followed around the distinctive ‘bulged’ areas. I added this once all other areas were satisfactorily done. Naturally I opted for the Britannia Airways scheme. The decals are the best I have seen

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 47, Clear 1 MANUFACTURER: Airfix AVAILABLE FROM: Creative Models

for a while in Airfix kits and look to be printed by Cartograph so quality is assured, but there are a couple of anomalies with one or two of the items. It might be that the door size on the starboard side of the nose on the kit is too small or the decal too big but the decal item was definitely a bit too tall. To rectify this I cut the top section just above the door porthole on the decal with a new round-edged scalpel blade with a gentle rocking motion and while the decal was still wet, I carefully moved the cut-away section lower down and lined up with the rest of the item. This made an improvement to the look and is worth noting. The other misgiving I had with the decals was that Airfix missed a trick by not including the windshield as a decal to match the cabin windows. At the very least, the silver framing would have helped no end. I noted this when examining the kit’s contents and decided then how to deal with it with paint and decal striping. The other option in the kit is N68SW of US airline Southwest, with tan or ochre, orange and red trim with white piping between these colours and the standard wing finish. Both schemes are quite retro to what we are accustomed to nowadays at airports but nevertheless welcome schemes to model. A nice touch to both schemes is the addition of some extra decals for patching up in case of mistakes. So there we have it. Despite the kit being old, it’s nice to see it again and it is well worthy of a place among any collection of airliners. It only took me three evenings to build and another three to decorate. It’s worth the extra effort! The result can be seen in the accompanying images. Enjoy!

SAM-MDF24-Mustang Part 2-Offer-Advert_Layout 1 16/05/2014 14:20 Page 1

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568-72-Reviews-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:33 Page 572

SAMI Spotlight Reviews

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SCALE

AH-1G ‘Marines’

By Peter Stott TECH DATA

T

his kit is the ‘Marines’ version of AZ’s latest range of Cobra kits. The kit comes packaged in an endopening box and inside are two light brown sprues of nicely moulded parts. Also included is a small sheet of photoetched metal which contains seat belts and various grilles, etc. The canopy came in a small bag to protect it. The parts feature recessed panel lines which are very nicely done, and have narrow sprue attachment points .Included on the sprues are left and right tail rotors and the ‘Toilet Bowl’, which was part of the Strella Suppression kit. This was a duct fitted over the jet pipe in order to avoid Soviet-made Strella heat-seeking missiles locking on. Although the early port side tail rotor is included, the early version cannot be built from this boxing (nose glazing and TAT-102 single minigun turret not included) .The weapons supplied are XM159 rocket pods and XM18 gun pods. The instructions have colour callouts using Humbrol reference numbers, although the main painting diagram is on the back of the box .There is an additional sheet with recommended improvements and amendments that accompanies the main instruction sheet. Finally there is a splendid decal sheet with three options to choose from. The instructions are reasonably good, but they are a bit sketchy in places, and a constant check of references is recommended. The build begins with the cockpit, which consists of a nicely done tub, a couple of decent seats and two finely detailed instrument panels. The photo-etched seat belts are impressive with careful painting. The cyclic is provided in the pilot’s position but the collective has to be made from stretched sprue. The colour callouts didn’t match my references, so I chose to stick with the colour photos provided in Gunslingers in Action, which may or may not be correct for a Marines version. When painted the cockpit looks pretty impressive and there is plenty of scope for superdetailing. I left off the gunner’s panel until later so I could fit it at the correct angle. A test

572 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: 7449 PRICE: £12.99 US$34.98 DECAL OPTIONS: 3 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: New Tooling

fit of the cockpit tub revealed that the rear bulkhead had a gap all the way around it and would need some filler Prior to joining the fuselage halves the etched grilles must be fitted internally to the maintenance panels, and these were an excellent fit. The jet pipe must be fitted at this point and displays fine turbine detail which looks good when painted matt black and dry brushed with silver. The fuselage halves have locating pins to aid alignment and the fit was very good. I left the lower panel off until later to allow nose weight to be added as required (not mentioned in the instructions). The fuselage was set aside to allow the glue to dry. I now focused on the canopy, and I thought it wise to fit the forward instrument panel at this stage. This needed a fair bit of sanding and fettling to get it to fit without fouling the canopy. The amendment sheet recommends chamfering the lower edges of the canopy, and to be fair only a light rub was necessary as the fit was excellent. This was masked and fitted with Glue & Glaze. The build now progressed rapidly with the fitting of the sponsons and weapon pylons, tail fin, chin turret and the skids. Once again no problems with the fit. I found five grammes of weight sufficient to prevent tail sitting; this was stuck in and the lower panel fitted. A blast of Humbrol grey primer and it was time to move on. The rocket pods and gun pods both have locating pins, which makes alignment a breeze, the fit once again excellent. I chose to leave off the end caps from the rocket pods to ease painting later. The main rotor

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 60, Clear 1, Etched 14 MANUFACTURER: AZ Models UK IMPORTER: Hannants US IMPORTER: UMM-USA

blades are well moulded, display fine detail and look the part. The tail rotor needed the mounting hole opening up a little to fit on its spigot. The paint instructions recommend the fuselage to be painted in Humbrol 105 Field Green (Humbrol refers to this colour as Marine Green) which looked pretty close to the correct colour and I had a tin in stock. The decal sheet is well printed and three options are provided: • AH-1G 15046, US Marines training unit1969 • AH-1G 15033 US Marines Vietnam 1969 • AH-1G 35046 414, HMA-773 US Marines Vietnam 1970 I chose the third option, mainly because I found a couple of photos of this Cobra on the internet. Unfortunately both photos show no weapons, but I fitted them anyway to show what is provided in the kit. The decals went on superbly and settled down without any setting solutions. Final assembly of the weapons and last remaining parts presented no issues. The main rotors were a tight fit in the fuselage, which is probably an advantage. The tail rotor was fitted with no more issues other than those previously noted . In my opinion this is a superb kit and is easily up to mainstream standard. It has a few minor faults, which are easily sorted, but don’t they all?

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Reviews SAMI Spotlight

1/48

Alpha Jet A/E

SCALE By Paul Gilson TECH DATA

F

inally, I’ve built an Alpha Jet! This goes back a long way, to the time my brother got the Matchbox Alpha Jet for Christmas and I so wanted one I can’t even remember what I had at that time, so when this one appeared on the review list your editor nearly lost a limb. The Alpha Jet is a German/French collaboration, by Dornier and Dassault, from the 1970s and was designed as a trainer/light attack aircraft with just under 500 being produced. The kit is moulded in light grey, slightly soft plastic, and my sample had a few areas where the plastic hadn’t fully filled the mould. The kit will produce a late model A or E – with two of the decal options being resold aircraft. Wingman models have released other variants by adding resin conversion/detail parts in the box with the basic Kinetic kit. Construction starts with the ejection seats and cockpit, which are reasonably well detailed and include etched brass seat harnesses. You have to decide early which variant you wish to build as there are optional parts at several stages. I was going with the QinetiQ Alpha Jet A as I’ve seen these several times. The build was actually quite quick and the diagrams reasonable, so I’ll stick to the exceptions. The airbrakes can be fitted open or closed and in the closed position they are

SCALE: 1/48

in the nose just to be on the safe side. Three decal options are given, and although the instructions don’t give any operators' details they can be found on the actual decal sheet:-

KIT NO: 48043 PRICE: US$29.98 £18.13 DECAL OPTIONS: 3 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: New Tooling

a terrible fit in the fuselage - time to get the filler out - and I did wonder if it would have been easier to fill the holes and just rescribe the panels. The diagram is also confused about when a flap is up or down, possibly because the build is shown inverted! I wasn’t using any of the underwing pylons or stores, but I tried them and they all fitted well. The lower fuselage was poorly moulded around the front of the main wheel wells and needed some filler to complete. The diagram also shows the main doors open, but actually these close up again once the undercarriage is down – with only the smaller doors left open – and here again the fit was poor. The jet outlet pipes appear fitted a page before they are actually shown numbered, as if this is when they should be installed. It wasn’t shown, but I added some weight

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 169, Clear 21, Etched 9 MANUFACTURER: Kinetic AVAILABLE FROM: www.luckymodel.com

• Alpha Jet A, QinetiQ, United Kingdom, in Gloss Black with White outer wings • Alpha Jet A of Discovery Air Defence Services, Canada, in a camouflage scheme of FS 35180 Gloss Light Blue, F36270 Gloss Medium Grey and FS 27874 Gloss White • Alpha Jet E, French Air Force in overall Gloss Black. I was doing the QinetiQ version so it was really a rapid spray job to create the black aircraft with white wings and then hand paint the undercarriage, flat black panels and other small details before applying decals. These are produced by Cartograph, are very good and sat very well on the gloss surfaces. The canopies were really clear, but for some reason when I removed all the masking I found the insides had misted up, so I drilled in through the nose wheel and injected a dilute solution of Klear. Once this drained they were better, but I’d still like to replace them. Despite my canopy disaster I really like the finished product. The few issues in construction were nothing too major and if you model open airbrakes would never show.

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Spotlight Reviews

1/72

SCALE

Tiger Moth

By Patrick Mizgala TECH DATA

T

his new airfix kit of the Tiger Moth is quite amazing. Almost no flash, and both wings are one piece- but you could shave with the upper wing trailing edges. Amazing! The moth is pretty tiny to begin with. and what is included for the cockpits is more than enough and includes two pilots, two seats, and control columns. All of these parts sit onto a center section. The two fuselage sides have very nice sidewall relief including tubing and throttles. Very nice. Color callouts are for Humbrol. I used British cockpit green for the interior and then used some dusting and washes to bring out the details. The instrument panels are flat but here are decals for the panels. While the fuselage was drying I added the radioator/fuel tank to the underside of the top wing, and with the fuselage dry I cleaned up the seams with a quick swipe from a sanding stick and flexi-file. The bottom wing was attached with superglue gel Now the dreaded adding of top wing to bottom wing and fuselage. I was a bit uptight about this part of the build but I need not have worried. The struts have a ‘disposeable’ cross member that keeps them straight and level. Also, the two cabane struts for the center section click into place on the bottom of the top wing along side the radiator/fuel tank. Very easy, very straight and very tight. I glued the main struts onto the bottom wing, allowed them to dry, then offered the two together. Everything lined up wonderfully. The inner cabane struts have recesses on

574 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

SCALE: 1/72 KIT NO: 01024 PRICE: £7.99 US$5.99 DECAL OPTIONS: 1 PANEL LINES: Recessed STATUS: New Tooling

each side of the fuselage. They almost snap into place, and when the wings were dry everything lined up. I cut out the cross members between the main struts and cleaned the nibs. The plastic is soft enough so this was no problem at all. The tail feathers were added with no fuss, as were the landing gear struts - three pieces and done. Nice and sturdy! Even the wheel hubs have the DH embossed. There are two windscreens that are both thin and clear. The neat little clear parts fit

TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic PARTS: Plastic 40, Clear 2 MANUFACTURER: Airfix AVAILABLE FROM: Creative Models

almost perfectly. Another plus for airfix. The instructions do show a more than basic rigging diagram, and using invisible thread and tiny brass rod I was able to trap the moth within a web. One problem I encountered was with the rigging for the control surfaces. No matter the angle of attack the lines touched the front of the horizontal tail surfaces. I thought that maybe Airfix had the control horns in the wrong place, but it seems that DH cheated. I found one image that shows what appears to be rollers on the leading edge of the horizontal tail planes. This gives the strange angle of the external cables. This I did retro fit after all was done. In conclusion - for the cost of two clown burgers and a drink you could have an amazing Moth!

Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:55 Page 575

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574-76-Accessories-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:30 Page 576

SAMI Spotlight Accessories

Accessories Plus Model Aero Line AL4036: 1/48 Pilot P-47 By Adrian Cowdry

Plus Model have added to their line of 1/48 Pilots with this exceptionally well-executed WW2 US Pilot ostensibly for the P-47 Thunderbolt. Often in 1/48 some detail can be a little lacking – particularly with some of the plastic injection figures, but Plus Model’s pilot figures offer a depth of detail that is superb and they require very little cleaning up before they are ready to paint. This latest pilot figure is cast in two pieces – left arm with parachute pack and rest of body. He is wearing the typical get up we expect for a WW2 US Fighter pilot – leather jacket, life vest, harness, and a side arm that his right hand is resting upon with a certain western flair. The flying helmet and oxygen mask are particularly well sculpted.

This figure will sit nicely with a P-47 but to be honest it would be acceptable with late mark Mustangs, P-38 Lightnings and pretty much any other USAAF fighter plane of the late war era, although the figure really is good enough to be a stand-alone subject, which will certainly take a place of pride on the modeller's shelf. The big question is – when will Plus Model release 1/32 and 1/24 pilot figures? www.plusmodel.cz

Steelwork Received for review this month is a meticulously cast little Breda machine gun in 1/72. The set provides the main body and barrel in resin with a tiny etched fret included offering two additional detail parts.

1/72 SA7226 Italian Breda SAFAT 7.7mm Aircraft Gun Based on the M1919 Browning machine gun, the Italian guns were chambered to fire locally-produced 7.7mm calibre ammunition.

Conclusion Steelwork offer some unusual items in their assorted ranges, many of them unique and many of them aimed at specialist subjects, so if you are looking for something a little different a visit to the website at www.steelwork-models.de can be recommended. Items are not currently available in the UK but the site has a shop section and all Steelwork’s products can be ordered online and PayPal is accepted.

576 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

WORK IN PROGRESS

Just Bases WWI Trench Section Scale 1/32 or 1/35 Just Bases is well known in the UK as a regular attendee of model shows around the country with their range of plain and varnished bases and hand made display cases. At ModelKraft they had a sample of a new product - a section of a World War One trench system including a cross section of a dugout. Now I will say that what we have here is a concept, and after taking feedback from modellers at the show they are going to carry out some modifications but I found this idea so inspiring that I felt it should be brought to wider attention. The base is made from laminations of MDF and the larger area is easily sufficient to display many different items like the recently announced WW1

armour from Takom and Tamiya or a crashed Wingnut Wings aircraft. The price is expected to be under £25 and if successful may lead to a whole range of bases, and it was suggested that it would be nice if these could be interconnected to produce a larger trench system. For more details of this range Just Bases have a website at www.just-bases.co.uk or can be contacted by telephone on 01803 558520. If you do not see a suitable base they can also produce custom-made bases to any size.

574-76-Accessories-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:31 Page 577

Accessories SAMI Spotlight

Eduard Brassin Looking at all the recent Brassin issues for the 1/32 Revell kit recently, it is clear that Eduard’s own newtool 1/48 kit is going to be the recipient for plenty of scaled down sets, and we look forward to these accordingly. Meanwhile the HK Models B-17 continues to get add-ons, with some beautiful superchargers this time round.

1/32

• 632032 F4U-1 engine for Tamiya kit • 632033 B-17 superchargers for HK Models kit • 632035 Bf 109G cannon pods for Revell kit

1/48

• 648133 Spitfire 30gal slipper tank for Eduard kit

1/72

• 672033 British WW2 bombs

Conclusion Brassin enables you to go to town on specific kits, but the generic weapon sets are also well worth taking a look at! The full range can be viewed at www.eduard.com In the UK the range is stocked by Hannants, LSA and Creative Models, while Squadron, Sprue Brothers, and a number of other large mail order stockists carry it in the US.

Brengun The latest batch of sets from Brengun covers all the major scales with a selection of etched brass sets. Starting in 1/144 for those with superb eyesight or really good glasses we have a detail set for the Attack/Mark I MiG-17 that covers not only the cockpit but also supplies new scale thickness undercarriage doors. In the same scale we have a super clear canopy for the Dragon A-6 Intruder. Moving up to 1/72 we have sets for RS Models’ P-51H and AZ Model's Bf 109G family, Fly’s Avia BH-21 and Tamiya’s Zero 32. In 1/48 we have the only set that includes resin in the shape of a new instrument shroud for the recent FLY Model Strikemaster. Finally in 1/32 scale we have a set that supplies thirteen etched brass landing lights suitable for many British single- or twin-engined types.

1/144 BRL 144093 MiG-17PF Designed for Mark I/Attack

1/48

BRL 144094 A-6 Intruder Vacform canopy Designed for Dragon

BRL48056 BAC 167 Strikemaster (Resin and Brass) Designed for: FLY Models

1/72

1/32

BRL 72069 P-51H Mustang Designed for RS Models

BRL32-015 British Landing Lights

BRL72070 Bf 109G-5, G-6, G-8, G-14 Designed for AZ Model BRL 72071 A6M3 Zero 32 Designed for Tamiya BRL 72072 Avia BH-21 Designed for FLY Kit

Conclusion The full range can be seen at the Brengun website at www.brengun.cz and they can also be contacted via mail at Chladkova 14, 616 00, Brno, Czech Republic.

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Spotlight Accessories

Scale Aircraft Conversions This month we have only four new sets - not due to any reduction of work at SAC but due to the US Postal service proving to be just as good as the Royal Mail at losing items. Sadly for SAC this included a number of completed masters, so this month we have a bit of a US Navy theme with sets for Academy’s Tomcat and H-46 family in 1/48, while moving down to 1/72 Academy/Cyber Hobby’s SB2C

CH-46/HH-46 Landing Gear Product No: 48259 Designed for: Academy Price: $11.95

Helldiver gets the treatment. The only non-US subject is a set of legs for the recent 1/48 Su-2 by Zvezda

Su-2 Landing Gear Product No: 48259 Designed for: Zvezda Price: $14.95

1/48

1/72

F-14 Tomcat Landing Gear Product No: 48258 Designed for: Academy Price: $18.95

SB2C Helldiver Landing Gear Product No: 72086 Designed for: Academy Price: $11.95

Conclusion Next month we might expect a bumper crop of new subjects including a set of legs for the new 1/32 Revell Spitfire as well as the missing items from this month if USPS can find it! These items will be available to purchase in the UK from Hannants and www.oxonianplasticfantastic.co.uk while the manufacturers also have their own website at www.scaleaircraftconversions.com

Eduard As usual we see a wide range of etch and masks from Eduard in three major scales, with some notable recent releases covered in depth. One such is the AMK L-29, a type dear to Czech hearts, and a kit I must make it my business to acquire, especially now these sets have come on stream. Another 1/48 beneficiary is the Trumpeter Skywarrior, a handsome aircraft and definitely a worthy canvas for some extra detail. In 1/72 it is always good to see the recent popular Airfix kits getting the treatment – the Harrier GR.1 this month – while the range of fabric items is also expanded with a particularly useful set of Remove Before Flight tags, which are sure to prove popular. Of note this month are some tool sets, with stencils for scribing squares and rectangles, and some handy applicators for superglue. • 00026 Glue Applicator tool • 00028 Template oblongs & square • 00029 Template oblongs

1/32

• 32808 F-104 C2 seatbelts for Italeri kit • 32803 F-104G interior for Italeri kit

• 32806 N1K2-J Shiden Kai for Hasegawa kit • 32807 Remove Before Flight FABRIC • 32811 F-104 undercarriage for Italeri kit • 33131 F-104G interior for Italeri kit • 33132 N1K2-J Shiden Kai interior for Hasegawa kit

1/48

• 48764 A3D-2 bomb bay for Trumpeter kit • 48791 A3D-2 undercarriage for Trumpeter kit • 48801 L-29 Delfin exterior for AMK kit • 48804 Mirage F.1CT/CR exterior for Kitty Hawk kit • 49665 A3D-2 interior for Trumpeter kit

• 49675 Mirage F.1CT/CR interior for Kitty Hawk kit • 49676 L-29 Delfin interior for AMK kit • 49677 A3D-2 seatbelts for Trumpeter kit • EX415 L-29 Delfin masks for AMK kit • FE665 A3D-2 interior ZOOM for Trumpeter kit • FE675 Mirage F.1CT/CR interior ZOOM for Kitty Hawk kit • FE676 L-29 Delfin interior ZOOM for AMK kit

1/72

• 73496 Harrier GR.1 for Airfix kit • 73497 F-35A for Italeri kit • SS496 Harrier GR.1 interior ZOOM for Airfix kit • SS497 F-35A interior ZOOM for Italeri kit • CX347 F-35B masks for Fujimi kit

Conclusion As usual Eduard continue to make waves, and with so much happening all across the board it is good to see the quality of their products has not

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dropped at all. More and more essential items are appearing, and we can recommend a look at the website to anyone – you will be astonished at what is available now. The full range can be viewed at www.eduard.com In the UK the range is stocked by Hannants, LSA and Creative Models, while Squadron, Sprue Brothers, and a number of other large mail order stockists carry it in the US.

Mastered-Adverts-AV-0614_AV-0606 16/05/2014 13:56 Page 579

New Releases!

AC32031C

£9.00

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AC32032C

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AC32033C

£14.00

AC32034C

£14.00

T-6 Texan/ Harvard

T6-G Texan/ Harvard

AT-6 D Texan/ Harvard

SNJ4 Texan/ Harvard

Canopy Set for

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KittyHawk Kit

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KittyHawk Kit

2 Clear parts & Mask set.

6 Clears parts & Mask set.

6 Clear parts & Mask set. AC32036C

£5.50

Bf 109 Messerschmitt AC32035C £15.00

G-10 ERLA Small Wing

Bf 109 Messerschmitt

Bulges for Revell Kit

G-10 ERLA Upgrade Set for Revell Kit photo-etch included.

Email:[email protected] Phone Number: +44 (0) 1506 416 444 Postal Address: 11 Pinewood Place, Blackburn , Bathgate, EH47 7NX, West Lothian, United Kingdom

To be sure of future copies of Scale Aviation Modeller International, fill in your details and hand this form to your newsagent Please reserve/deliver* a copy of Scale Aviation Modeller International on a regular basis, commencing with the .......................................... issue *delete as appropriate

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SAMI Spotlight Decals

Decals Max Decals Following the release of a sheet in 1/72 for the type back at the beginning of the year, Max Decals now offer a selection of Fouga Magisters in 1/48, with the Kinetic kit in mind. As previously the sheet offers a mass of highly colourful machines, but this time is focussed on smaller nations. Full colour instructions are

provided, and the sheet covers no fewer than ten aircraft from eight different air forces. The decals are on two sheets. One very colourful piece containing all individual aircraft codes and numbers and national markings, while a second smaller sheet includes various stencilling, black, and day-glo stripes, as well as black anti-glare panels.

1/48 MAX4823: International Fouga Magister Selection • Fouga CM 170 Bangladesh Air Force 1989 • Fouga CM 170 Togolese Air Force 1980 • Fouga CM 170 Moroccan Air Force 1989 • Fouga CM 170 Cameroon Air Force mid1980s

• Fouga CM 170 Irish Air Corps #216 May 1983 • Fouga CM 170 Irish Air Corps Silver Swallows Aerobatic Team 1997 • Fouga CM 170 Senegalese Air Force #567 1990 • Fouga CM 170 Senegalese Air Force #559 1990 • Fouga CM 170 Fuerza Aerea El Salvador, mid-1990s • Fouga CM 170 Algerian Air Force, early 1980s

Conclusion

Fantasy Printshop are also connecting up with Airfile books and their first joint production will be the Hawker Hunter. For more

information on this and the rest of the range you can visit the website at www.fantasyprintshop.co.uk

With Kinetic’s beautiful double boxing now on the market this is a timely and fascinating release offering some colourful and unusual options, that are sure to appeal to fans of this aircraft. The Magister has been a long time coming in a modern injected kit in this scale – now we can line them up! Max Decals are available from the website at www.maxdecals.com

Fantasy Printshop Just received from Fantasy Printshop is a range of decals that will be of particular interest to anyone who builds Far East-produced kits of US subjects. I am not sure why but many companies from this region cannot get to grips with the proportions and colours of the US national insignia. Now Fantasy Printshop have released a range of national markings for WW2 USAAC and Post War in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scales. These are accurately printed and in perfect register and supply forty images in 1/72 and 1/48 and fifty-seven in 1/32, on two sheets in sizes from 14 inch to 43 inches, so suitable for most single-seat subjects.

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

1/72 FP710 USAF Post War Insignia FP713 USAAC Post War Insignia

1/48 FP711 USAF Post War Insignia FP714 USAAC Post War Insignia

1/32 FP712 USAF Post War Insignia FP713 USAAC Post War Insignia

Conclusion These are simple sets that are always useful to have in the spares box ready just in case they are needed, and priced from £4.95 to £6.95 they are also affordable.

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Decals SAMI Spotlight

Starfighter A very attractive sheet from Starfighter offering some early-war US Navy schemes, all with the prewar star with the red spot in the centre and red and white tail bands – except for the Mitchell of course! The theme of this sheet is hit and run raids in the Pacific during February – April 1942, and markings cover several aircraft types that participated in operations against Japanese Military bases and the Homeland between the Pearl Harbor attack and the Battle of Coral Sea. 72-142 USN Hit & Run Raids Feb-Apr 1942 • SBD-2 BuNo 2106, VB-2, 10th March 1942 • SBD-2 BuNo unknown, VS-6, 1st February 1942 • TBD-1 BuNo 0342, VT-6, 1st Feb 1942 • TBD-1 BuNo 0319, VT-5, 10th March 1942 • B-25B Mitchell, Lt Colonel Doolittle, April 1942 • F4F-3a BuNo 4031, VF-2 February 20th 1942

Conclusion

• F4F-3a BuNo 3986, VF-2 April 10th 1942 • F4F-3a BuNo 3976, VF-2 February 20th 1942 • F4F-3a BuNo 3914, VF-6 February 1st 1942 • SOC-1 BuNo unknown, February 1st 1942 (Gunnery direction at Wotje Atoll)

A well-presented and nicely thought out theme. Instructions are full colour and offer some useful references, as well as recommending kits. Available via Marks Models and Toys, 124 Highlander Road, Stephens City, VA 22655 or check out the website at www.starfighterdecals.com UK importer is Hannants.

Linden Hill Now available in both 1/48 and 1/72 this new sheet brings together an interesting collection of Type 94 MiG-21s from 1966 through to 1992 and features some notable MiG21PFMs from the Cold War era and its aftermath. The Czechoslovak and Soviet PFMs depicted represented both sides of the 'Prague Spring' protagonists in 1968, while in East German service the sheet offers the MiG-21SPS in both natural metal and camouflaged finishes. Further afield, we find two PFMs flown by the Mongolian Air Force, an associate member of the Warsaw Pact. After the local communists were driven from office, the Mongolians continued to fly a few MiGs well into the 1990s.

The sheet also covers the often overlooked southern Warsaw Pact Air Forces of Romania and Bulgaria, including Romania's famous 'Papagulul' (parrot) MiG-21, that flew as a test 'canvas' for the later MiG-21 Lancer A and B camouflage schemes.

1/48 LHD48035 Brothers in Arms 4: The MiG21PFM in Warsaw Pact Service and Beyond • MiG-21PFM Red 20 192 IAP IvanoFrankovsk, USSR 1968 • MiG-21PFM Red 01 192 IAP IvanoFrankovsk, USSR 1968 • MiG-21SPS Red 730, JG-8, Marxwalde, GDR, 1966-76 • MiG-21SPS Red 560, JG-1, Holzdorf, GDR, 1986-89 • MiG-21RFMM Red 8011, 86 RdeVB/BA, Fetesti, Romania 1970s • MiG-21RFMM Red 8110, 86 RdeVB/BA, Fetesti, Romania 1985-1990

• MiG-21RFMM White 8006, Fetesti, Romania 1995 • MiG-21PFM Red 35, 1/15 IAE, Ravnet, Bulgaria 1965-69 • MiG-21PFM White 77, 2/15 IAE, Balchik, Bulgaria 1980s • MiG-21PFM Red 002, 137th Air Base, Sainshand, Mongolia, 1982 • MiG-21PFM 012, 137th Air Base, Sainshand, Mongolia, Mid-1980s • MiG-21PFM Red 351 322 IAP, Bagram, Afghanistan 1978-79 • MiG-21PFM Red 352 322 IAP, Bagram, Afghanistan 1980-89 • MiG-21PFM Black 5408 1. SLP, 3 Letka, Plana, CSSR, 1968-69 • MiG-21PFM Black 5406 1. SLP, 3 Letka, Plana, CSSR, 1969-70

Conclusion This sheet is also available in 1/72 offering the same subjects. Fans of Warsaw Pact subjects might like to check out the rest of the wide range of fascinating subjects from this source. The sheet is well supported with notes on the instruction sheet and full colour placement diagrams are provided. Linden Hill clearly know their stuff and the impression one gets with this company is that they are an authoritative source, with plenty of interesting things up their sleeve. Check out the website at www.lindenhillimports.com

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SHOPPING CART 0 ITEMS IN CART Total Cost: £0.00

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We are now stocking Swann-Morton products on our website

Resinair Luftwaffe ETC-50 Bomb Rack

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1/48th Set Kit Number: RA4916 For use with Bf 109, Fw 190, Hs 123, Hs 129, Ar 196 and others, including F1-156 and Hs 126 with field modifications. LIMITED EDITION

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01-SAM-Ad-Pocketmags-ALL-Mar-2014_Layout 1 14/02/2014 13:41 Page 1

584-85-Testors-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:29 Page 584

SAMI Columns Testors 1/48

Sponsored by

www.testors.com

Paint it with

TESTORS

KC-135E TECH DATA

T

his is an all-new tooling from Minicraft and on initial inspection looks favourable. The kit is presented in a sturdy box with a lid, inside are five light grey plastic sprues and a bagged cockpit transparency. The parts feature recessed panel lines which are very nicely done, but sprue gates are heavy. There is no cockpit detail or bulkheads, but the undercarriage components look impressive and adequately detailed. The engines have some turbine detail included consisting of a front and rear fan. The cockpit transparency is crystal clear and well moulded although the panes don’t look quite right somehow. There are eyebrow windows but these look to be incorrectly positioned. The decal sheet is printed by Cartograph and features two options, both in grey. With the parts removed from the sprues the first job is the nose gear bay, which fits very well. The instructions call for ½oz weight (approx 14grams) to be installed. The fuselage halves were joined and the fit was good, and the wings went together

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

SCALE: 1/144 KIT NO: 14627 TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic MANUFACTURER: Minicraft

with no fuss, but the main gear bays are not boxed in. The fit of the tailplanes was good with just a tiny dab of filler applied. The cockpit transparency was a good fit at the front and sides but the rear edge needed filling to blend it in, and at this point the incorrectly positioned eyebrow windows were sanded off. The assembly of the main airframe components took less than an hour, after which progress proceeded slowly and involved a lot of work on the remains of the sprue gate and the ribbing on the rear fuselage. The engines presented yet another challenge, more sprue gate problems as the front engine cowls have four, positioned at 90 degrees around their circumference. These were carefully removed with the

razor saw and gently sanded to avoid the formation of flats. The interiors were painted gloss white. The fans were airbrushed with Alclad Aluminium then dry brushed with matt black to bring out the detail. Insertion into the cowls required more sanding to get them to fit. The rear turbine fan was installed and the engine halves joined, the front cowl attached and hey presto a complete engine. All the engines required filler to blend them with the wings.

584-85-Testors-0614_Layout 1 16/05/2014 13:29 Page 585

Sponsored by Aircraft Usage & Notes USAF Air Mobility Command KC-135 flat camo USAF Air Mobility Command KC-135 gloss camo Insignia Black (flat) Insignia Black (gloss) Insignia Blue Insignia Dark Gray Insignia Red Insignia White (flat) Insignia White (gloss) Metallic Aluminum Metallic Aluminum Metallic Dark Anodonic Gray Metallic Graphite Metallic Gunmetal Metallic Gunmetal Metallic Jet Exhaust Metallic Magnesium Metallic Silver Metallic Stainless Steel Metallic Steel Metallic Titanium USAF C-135 variant color NOTES: (~) = approximate Testors® Paints — KC-135 Colors

www.testors.com

Federal Standard 595a/b Metalizer Lacquers FS36173 FS16473 FS37038 FS17038 FS35044 FS36118 FS31136 FS37875 FS17875 1401 Aluminum Plate (Buffing) 1418 Aluminum (Non-buffing) 1412 Dark Anodonic Gray (Buffing) 1405 Gunmetal (Buffing) 1423 Gunmetal (Non-buffing)

Testors SAMI Columns

ModelMaster Enamels 2035 Air Mobility Command Gray 1731 Aircraft Gray 1749 Black 1747 FS17038 Black 1719 FS35044 Insignia Blue 1723 Gunship Gray 1705 Insignia Red 1768 FS37875 Insignia White 1745 FS17875 Insignia White 1781 Aluminum 1781 Aluminum Dark Anodonic Gray 2712 Graphite Metallic 1795 Gunmetal 1795 Gunmetal 1796 Jet Exhaust

ModelMaster Acryl 4614 German Uniform Feldgrau (~) 4693 Aircraft Gray 4768 Black 4695 FS17038 Black 4742 FS35044 Insignia Blue 4752 Gunship Gray 4714 Insignia Red 4769 FS37875 Insignia White 4696 FS17875 Insignia White 4677 Aluminum 4677 Aluminum

1790 Chrome Silver

4678 Silver

1780 Steel

4679 Steel

2039 Canadian Voodoo Grey

4244 5-P Pale Grey (gloss)

POLLY Scale Acrylics F505332 Ocean Gray 5-O F505061 RLM 76 Light Gray F505350 NATO Tricolor Black F414150 ATSF Blue F505382 US Gunship Gray F414128 Caboose Red F505011 White F414299 Aluminum F414299 Aluminum

4681 Gunmetal 4681 Gunmetal 4676 Jet Exhaust

1403 Magnesium (Buffing) 1402 Stainless Steel (Buffing) 1420 Steel (Non-buffing) 1404 Titanium (Buffing) FS16515

With the airframe assembled and the filling completed it was time for paint. The windscreen was masked. I should mention at this point that a decal is supplied for the cockpit windows if required. The undercarriage bays were airbrushed gloss white and masked when dry. There is the option to pose the inner doors open, mine were glued firmly shut. The model was then primed with grey primer and any lost panel lines were restored. The instruction sheet calls up FS36173 for the overall grey finish, and this was duly airbrushed on in several light coats and left to dry overnight. There are 2 options supplied: • KC-135E (57-1431) New Jersey Air National Guard, Tiger Meet, 2004 • KC-135E (61-0268) Kansas Air National Guard, 2004 I chose the latter option because I don’t really like Tiger Meet markings. The decals

F414296 Stainless Steel F505326 Pale Blue-Gray 5-P (gloss)

Ask your hobby shop for Testor® products — or visit www.testors.com

went on without too much fuss, however repeated application of decal solution was required to eliminate silvering on some of the titles. The orange band at the top of the fin wouldn’t meet up without leaving a gap at the rear. Eyebrow windows were added from black decal strip. As mentioned previously the undercarriage components are pretty impressive, although the front wheels look slightly oversize to me. The detail on the main wheels and struts is very good and the doors have some internal detail. The problem is, the main undercarriage legs won’t fit with the doors in position and vice versa. If the doors are hooked on first the legs are thrown out by around 30 degrees .The instructions also show the units fitted the wrong way round!!. I fitted the legs then sanded the doors to suit. The axle on the nose leg is too wide and thus needed reducing. The refuelling boom was fitted without incident.

The landing lights are represented as an engraved box, which warranted improvement. Out came the needle file to open them up, and two drill pips were then made to represent the lights. The areas were painted dark grey and the pips filled with silver paint then filled with Clearfix to form the lenses. Navigation lights were also added to the wingtips. In my opinion this kit represents a missed opportunity. Omissions like no cockpit detail and not even a bulkhead supplied, along with fit issues and heavy sprue gates that really shouldn’t be present on a modern newly-tooled kit seem at odds with the high price tag. That said, it does look impressive when finished. It isn’t a particularly difficult kit to build, more awkward and time consuming, but If KC135s float your boat and you’re up for a challenge, go buy one. This kit is recommended for experienced modellers.

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SAMI Columns Benchmarks 1/48

Sponsored by Hobbylink Japan

Benchmarks MPM’s kit, picked up for £19 at The Northern Show in 2013 – a rare example of an impulse buy actually getting onto the workbench

Initial construction proceeds with card shims filling some of the gaps. Cockpit interior detail was left as access is fairly easy – and I wanted to clean any debris thoroughly out of the aperture once the bulk of the filling and sanding was done

Fit was typical of an early Czech kit. I would question the surface detail – the wing centre section is presumably the same as included in the Fw 189A kit, and includes the camera port. I have been unable to find much data on the trainer, though, and certainly no accurate details of the undersides

Triple Threat No less than three kits face their destiny on the Workbench this month By Gary Hatcher

W

ith any amount of desirable kits looming, Benchmarks had stepped up the pressure this month to try and get something finished before the first of them rolls up. High on the agenda for the next year or six are ICM’s Do 215, Eduard’s Gustavs, HobbyBoss’ Bv 141 and Me 262B – I love the clunky look of the two-seater – and as if this were not enough not only has Dragon kitted the Bf 110E-2 Trop in 1/48, but another Holy Grail is bubbling under that will probably be here by November, so there is a great deal to do… One kit that has been nagging me for months has been the MPM Fw 189B that I picked up at the Northern Show last year. This finally made it onto the bench and has proved surprisingly painless, only failing to get completed because the overall RLM 02 scheme failed to inspire me, and it got sidelined at an advanced stage pending a strip down and a better job of touching up the rescribing and pre-shading. Unlike many that reach this point it may well get finished one day.

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

With the Fw 189 sidelined I cast around for something else to while away an idle weekend while awaiting the release of any of the aforementioned. Happening upon Italeri’s Ar 196, a closer look through the sprues suggested this might not be as complex a build as it looked – the more so as the canopy simply sits on top of the fuselage and requires little or no surgery to get it to fit. After the rigours of the Fw 189B’s lid, this seemed an easy and relaxing follow up! Now, this is not the first time readers will have heard this famous pronouncement. I frequently set out in a spirit of high endeavour only to crash in flames a little further down the line. In my defence it is invariably the canopy that is my undoing – either the quality of the part, the fit, or the difficulty of assembling several see-through bits of flimsy plastic without compromising their surfaces. Either I am too incompetent to do it, or my expectations are too high, as it keeps going pear-shaped. Italeri’s kit, I am pleased to note, features an exemplary fit of the transparent parts – and there is nothing else about any plastic kit that really scares me (except for badly-fitting struts

with no positive location points), so the game was on. And painless it was too. Eduard’s etch was used for the interior – although I did mix and match with some of the kit parts, but to date the cockpit is complete up to the level of the sills, with the navigation table, seats, gunsight, and some other breakable parts left out until after painting, and the aperture masked over. Cleaning up and sanding was minimal, with a little work at the wing roots, on the floats, and struts, and in particular on the cowling, but the kit built up remarkably well over four days, and is currently in the paint shop with the undersides sprayed while I agonise over which of the kit schemes to go for. Hopefully I shall come back to this kit in greater detail in a later issue. In the meantime – as usual – fate and the postman has intervened and an Eduard Bf 109G-6 has arrived – barely a day before the June issue goes to print. This offers the maximum window for finishing it in time for July. It would be rude not to try!

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Benchmarks SAMI Columns

Sponsored by Hobbylink Japan

The tailwheel well lacks detail, and walls were added from Milliput

One major blessing of this kit is that the transparencies are well cast and a reasonable fit

The kit has now been primed, filled, and sanded several times to a point where some rescribing is necessary, but otherwise we are ready to fit the interior and then the canopy

Test-fitting transparencies. The fit is deceptive – until they are masked and painted it is impossible to tell how well they will blend in. I wanted the nacelle to have a flush appearance, and ultimately a fair bit of filler was used to blend the glazing in

The pleasing lines of this unusual aircraft are apparent here

The interior detail provided is sparse. Five seats and a panel are pretty much it. MPM provide etched belts but I substituted Eduard’s colour parts. The bars at the top of the canopy section are my own addition, with blinds fabricated, to add some detail to what is a fairly sparse interior. The aircraft was used as a radio trainer, and a VIP transport, with five seats fitted. In the kit there is a large noticeable void in the middle of the nacelle, to which I added radio equipment, but this is entirely speculative. There was, presumably, a radio somewhere, but internal details of this variant are hard to track down

More work on the nacelle. Albion Alloys supplied the Flex-I-File, which proved a major aide in getting a smooth blending in of the glazing

In an effort to liven up the all-over RLM 02 finish I used the salt method. The aircraft was first sprayed with a darker shade of the colour, then rock salt was sprinkled on and a light misting of water applied. Once dry the lighter shade of 02 was sprayed on top. The salt was then washed off and a subtle ‘worn’ look was the end result

Somewhat blurred image showing how filler has had to be employed to build the nacelle up to the edge of the transparency where it was standing proud

Exhausts were drilled out and Albion Alloys’ tubing was used to fabricate stubs

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SAMI Columns Benchmarks 1/48

Albion offer a wide range of metal tubes and rod. This is 3mm aluminium tubing cut to length and superglued in place. It’s easy to use and looks great with a little preparation. I drilled out the ends a little to allow for thinner walls to the pipe prior to fitting them to the aircraft

Sponsored by Hobbylink Japan

Eduard’s kit has arrived – and found its way to the office where it is being worked on to the dismay of the cleaning ladies, who eye the open bottle of liquid poly on the Editor’s desktop askance…

Alignment is all very easy, and I am pleased to say the floats attached with very little effort. My only scratchbuilding on this kit was a flap at the front of the cooler intake – based on the Eduard item, a crucial piece of which I managed to lose

Italeri’s Ar 196. This kit built up remarkably quickly and is looking very nice indeed. Undersides have been sprayed here. My initial plan to fit the floats after painting was – quite sensibly – abandoned This is going to make for some interesting masking once I get round to painting the uppersurfaces! Seen here with neither cowling nor canopy the Ar 196 looks positively sporty

Humbrol’s new RLM colours are to be employed on the upper surfaces, and with this in mind were tested out on this abandoned Emil. RLM 72 and 73 are subject to a deal of disagreement online. At the end of the day the modeller has to make a decision that pleases them best. I opted for the Humbrol colours, although the darker shade was mixed 70 -30 with the lighter to tone things down a b it

The kit provides a beaching trolley – something I regard as mandatory for seaplane kits. CMK please take note – your He 115 is a magnificent piece of plastic, but it does need beaching gear! Canopies were masked effortlessly with Eduard’s masking set. There are a number of internal details on the etched fret to add to these so they were soaked in Klear prior to painting

The beaching trolley – wheels unpainted. The instructions suggest painting it RLM 72, but I like Mick Condra’s suggestion in his original review of the kit, that 02 is a better choice- possibly with white handrails

Quickboost’s resin armament set will be used once work re-commences

So far so good… will he make a hash of it before next month?

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Benchmarks SAMI Columns

Sponsored by Hobbylink Japan

The Essential Cut Swann Morton by Numbers

By Gary Hatcher

M

odellers are confronted with a bewildering array of possible tools and cutting devices – custom made knives with special handles, retractable blade, multipurpose gizmos and any amount of useful functional styles and shapes. For this modeller there is only one choice – the standard Swann Morton No. 3 scalpel handle, and a choice of two blades – or four at a push if you are really fussy… SAM Publications are now stocking the essential items from Swann Morton – for prices and availability of products tailored specifically to modelling needs see our ad elsewhere in this issue or on www.sampublications.com

Most essential is the No.10 blade. The curved tip is perfect for whittling off mould seams from undercarriage legs, cleaning up seams and joints in general, and in particular for trimming etched brass components off their fret. This latter function is particularly important, and nothing works quite like a No.10!

Place the fret on a ceramic tile – not a cutting mat as the brass will just bend on the softer surface. Roll the blade of the scalpel over the connecting point of the component and trim as close as possible. You may need a couple passes with a sanding stick to clean up the edge, but the blade will get the part off the fret with minimum fuss

If you want to cut a straight line the No.11 blade is the one. Make sure you use a steel ruler though – plastic or wood will get ‘whittled’ away and your straight edge will cease to be

If a lot of plastic needs to be hacked out you might call in the big guns – the 10a is a less subtle tool , but has its uses. Nothing you can’t achieve with a No.11, but the blade is less likely to snap if you are employing brute strength…

The 15 can also come in handy for trimming etch. Again not as essential as the No.10, but has its uses

Don’t throw your old No.10 blades away! The best possible pallet knife is a used scalpel blade. The flexibility and shape of the No.10 is particularly suited to smearing on the filler, and you can spread it on and tamp it down all in one elegant move – just search for the surgeon inside of you!

The standard No. 3 handle. I keep three of these on the workbench, one with a No.11 blade, one with a No.10, and one as a filler knife – this latter has coloured tape round the handle for easy recognition

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SAMI Columns Books & Media

Books Wrecks & Relics – 24th Edition TECH DATA AUTHOR: Ken Ellis PUBLISHER: Crécy

USAF Collection No.7

ISBN: 978 08597 917 79 FORMAT: Hardback, 368pp

Anyone whose interest in aviation extends beyond the modelling bench will be grateful for this guide to all former military aircraft in various states of preservation, storage and private ownership throughout the UK. Covering more than 750 locations, over 700 types and over 5,000 aircraft are detailed, with information on accessibility, museum opening times etc. This is a vital touring guide to the aviation museums, warbirds, collections and relics of the British Isles. Chapters are laid out alphabetically by county enabling the reader to find locations quickly and easily and to find areas of specific interest wherever you

TECH DATA PUBLISHER: Aero Research Co. CAT NO: 1050 FORMAT: CD-ROM

Another collection of high resolution photos covering a wide range of US aircraft, this time 169 images in colour www.aeroresearchcds.com

happen to be. This is a useful and practical aide for anyone interested in tracking down and viewing Britain’s aviation heritage.

British Airways An Illustrated History TECH DATA AUTHOR: Paul Jarvis

F7U-3M Cutlass

PUBLISHER: Amberley ISBN: 978 14456 185 00 FORMAT: Softback, 160pp

Curator of the British Airways Heritage Collection, Paul Jarvis guides the reader through the story of the company from its

earliest origins to the present. In this fullcolour illustrated history, we see how the whole experience of flying has changed over the years: the aeroplanes, the interiors, the uniforms, the advertising and much more.

Assault from the Sky US Marine Helicopter Operations in Vietnam

TECH DATA AUTHOR: Steve Muth PUBLISHER: Peregrine Publishing FORMAT: CD-ROM

JG 54 Green Heart Fighters

TECH DATA

TECH DATA

AUTHOR: Dick Camp

AUTHOR: Marek J Murawski

PUBLISHER: Casemate

PUBLISHER: Kagero

ISBN: 978 16120 012 89

ISBN: 978 83628 784 37

FORMAT: Hardback, 320pp

FORMAT: Softback, 32pp

This work describes U.S. Marine Corps helicopter operations and evolution, throughout the Vietnam War. The author, a Vietnam veteran, uses his experiences as a company commander to bring the story to life by weaving personal accounts, afteraction reports and official documents into a remarkably readable narrative of service and sacrifice by Marine pilots and crewmen. An intense and highly readable account spanning the entire conflict in terms of helicopter usage, and invaluable both in terms of the information on operations and practices, and in terms of the inspiration it provides to any modeller approaching the subject.

590 | June 2014

Aircraft Walk Around CD #19

Scale Aviation Modeller International

www.casematepublishing.co.uk Martin Beadle

Features a comprehensive walkaround of aircraft at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola and the Wings of Freedom Museum. Includes all the usual walkaround shots and information and is a valuable insight into the aircraft, and an important reference for modellers. Available from Peregrine via [email protected] 001 (516)7591089

Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Grünherz (Green Hearts) was the second highest scoring wing of all time, with over 9,600 kills and seeing aces such as Walter Nowotny, Otto Kittel, Freiherr Peter Grunhertz, Hans ‘Phips’ Philipp, Gunther Lutzow, Emil ‘Bully’ Lang (Lang holds the record for most kills in a day, 18), MaxHellmuth Ostermann, Dietrich Hrabak, Werner Schroer and Hannes Trautloft pass through its ranks. This book gives a potted history of the unit, with colour artworks, historical images, and a narrative that places the unit in context. The decal sheet provided covers four aircraft in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32:

• Bf 109G-2, Blue 5, 7./JG 54, Smolensk, Russia, winter 1942/43 • Fw 190A-5, W.Nr.01501501, White 4, 1./JG 54, Russia, summer 1943 • Bü 131D-2, W.Nr.1683, KG+GB, 2./JG 54, Krasnogvardeysk, Russia, March 1942 • Bf 109F-2, White 9, 4./JG 54, August 1941 A fine addition to Kagero’s range, and some interesting schemes well worth considering. www.casematepublishing.co.uk Martin Parry

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Books & Media SAMI Columns

German Fighters

German Fighters 1939 - 1945

Volume I – The Messerschmitt Bf 109 1936-1945

Volume II – Bf 110, Me 210, Me 410, Fw 190, Me 262, Me 163, He 162 TECH DATA

TECH DATA

AUTHOR: Dominique Breffort

Book of the Month

PUBLISHER: Histoire & Collections

AUTHOR: Dominique Breffort

ISBN: 978 23525 033 47

PUBLISHER: Histoire & Collections

FORMAT: Softback, 192pp

ISBN: 978 23525 033 23 FORMAT: Softback, 144pp

With so many books on the market covering this subject it is sometimes difficult to decide which is most suited to one's needs. Certainly for the modeller this book is a remarkable combination of art and science, and with a brand new Gustav about to appear in 1/48 could not have been timed better. Technically the book is not an in-depth study of the type, and of the this is where its strength lies, as the historical and technical artwork detailing colours, sections are brief and to the point, markings, unit insignia, rank punctuating the main sections with markings, variants – it really is a text and diagrams of a brevity and one-stop supermarket of data for the clarity that while sufficient does not detract modeller that likes to build from the box from the meat of the book – André but add their own markings. Jouineau’s beautifully executed profiles. While this is a reissue of material from There are a great many of these, laid out original ‘Planes & Pilots’ publications from in sections from the prototypes up to the K, 2001 and 2002 it is heavily revised, with full captions and plenty of choices for massively increased, and makes for a book the modeller – not stinting on the B/C/D that will be my bedtime browsing for the either, which often gets short shrift thanks foreseeable future. to the lack of kits on the market. www.casematepublishing.co.uk There is so much in this book! Pages of GH

Book Month!

Like Volume I, this book revises and includes material from the popular ‘Planes and Pilots’ series, but the scope of this single volume is immense, and the presentation magnificent. Comprehensive coverage of the German fighter arm is offered with, again, all the useful data on colours and markings, with none of the in-depth technical material that is so often of little or no real use to the modeller. Historical notes are thorough, but again the focus is on the fine profile artwork, again by André Jouineau. Material is thorough, and includes German aircraft in foreign service, and in captured markings, so there really is something for everyone.

These two volumes add up to a comprehensive encyclopaedia of the Jagdwaffe, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. www.casematepublishing.co.uk GH

JG 53 Pik As TECH DATA AUTHOR: Marek J Murawski PUBLISHER: Kagero ISBN: 978 83628 789 49 Format: Softback, 32pp

A6M2-21 Zero

JG 53 is another of the Luftwaffe’s most celebrated units, seeing active service on both Eastern and Western fronts as well as the Mediterranean and North Africa. JG 53 also numbered Werner Molders among its pilots, as well as other ranking aces such as Erich Hartman and Franz von Werra. The decal sheet provided covers four aircraft in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32: • Bf 109E-1, White 12, Arkadiusz Wrobel, 2./JG 53, Rennes, France, August 1940 • Bf 109F-4Z/B, W.Nr.7473, White 3, Felix Sauer, 10 (JaBo)/JG 53, San Pietro, Sicily. March 1942

Aircraft Walk Around CD #33 TECH DATA AUTHOR: Steve Muth PUBLISHER: Peregrine Publishing FORMAT: CD-ROM

Features a comprehensive walkaround of the A6M2-21 Zero at the Fargo Air Museum. In actuality this aircraft is almost entirely a new build with a few original parts (like the landing gear) and an American Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engine from a DC-3, in place of the original Sakae 12. Parts from the original recovery were used as patterns for the new build aided by whatever documents and drawings were available. It is now owned by The Texas Flying Legends

Museum, and some modern navigation and communication equipment has been incorporated into the cockpit. Available from Peregrine via [email protected] 001 (516)759-1089

• Bf 109G-2 trop, Black 16, Ulrich Seiffert, 8./JG 54, Sciaccia, Sicily, April 1943 • Bf 109F-2, W.Nr.5434, Black 3, Joseph Wurmheller, 5/JG 53, Korowje, Russia, July 1941 Another fine volume, with an interesting selection of schemes covering a wide range of operational theatres. www.casematepublishing.co.uk Martin Parry

T-33A/RT-33A Shooting Star TECH DATA PUBLISHER: Aviation Collectables Company ISBN: 978 88905 231 51 FORMAT: Softback, 64pp

An attractively presented and beautifully illustrated monograph covering the Shooting Star’s service with the Italian Air Force. The book offer bilingual text and captions but is chiefly based around the photographs, which are extensive, and cover the full breadth of the type’s lengthy career in Italian skies. The latter years of service include a great many colour images, which demonstrate just how striking some of the schemes carried are, and these are underscored by the centre spread of colour profiles. As a modelling subject the T-33 has always been an interesting prospect. This book offers an interesting and hitherto underexposed angle of approach, and one that will reward the modeller with a very eye-catching result – aided by the

modellers' notes at the back of the book. Robert Carr

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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SAMI Columns Books & Media

Flight Gear

US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II

US Army Air Force Aviators in Europe 1942 - 1945 TECH DATA

TECH DATA

AUTHOR: Mathieu Bianchi

AUTHOR: Barrett Tillman

PUBLISHER: Histoire & Collections

PUBLISHER: Osprey

ISBN: 978 23525 030 26

ISBN: 978 17820 041 03

FORMAT: Hardback, 176pp

FORMAT: Hardback, 272pp

A fascinating guide to the flight clothing and equipment issued to American airmen in Europe, from August 1942 (the first bombing mission over France) to May 1945. Hundreds of period photographs and detailed pictures of surviving artefacts are included, introducing the reader to the evolution of this equipment, from the early use of British items, to local modifications, up to the latest technical breakthroughs. If you include figures in your models this book will help you paint the details correctly. If not it is still a fascinating volume and one packed with interesting snippets of information. Highly recommended. www.casematepublishing.co.uk Jack Trent

In a change from the usual Osprey format, this densely packed book provides a squadron by squadron historical account of the units that flew and fought in the Second World War. These are entered in numerical order with a historical account of service, notes on aces and high-scorers, as well as notable actions, deployments, and ships. The book also features a section on individual pilot biographies, as well as appendices and notes on aircraft and armament employed. A wide-ranging overview of US Marine Corps aviation in this defining period. Ian Peel

Baptism of Fire

Da Nang Diary

TECH DATA AUTHOR: Csaba B. Stebge

TECH DATA

PUBLISHER: Helion

AUTHOR: Tom Yarborough

ISBN: 978 19060 339 34

PUBLISHER: Casemate

FORMAT: Softback, 128pp

ISBN: 978 16120 022 0 FORMAT: Hardback, 356pp

Originally published in 1990, this book has now been revised and updated with 50,000 words of additional narrative and previously unpublished photos. It tells the story of how, in Vietnam, an elite group of Air Force pilots fought as the eyes and ears of the fast-moving jets as Forward Air Controllers. The low, slow-flying FACs achieved a unique birds-eye perspective on how the entire war in Vietnam unfolded. The author logged 1,500 hours of combat flying time, documented here in this gripping story telling of the rescuing of downed pilots, and hazardous extended missions directly overhead of the NVA. A thrilling and enjoyable read, and a real eye-opener into the way things were done before UAVs

were invented! www.casematepublishing.co.uk Martin Beadle

By mid 1938 Hungary was surrounded by hostile countries - Czechoslovakia, Rumania and Yugoslavia - and on the fourth side, since the Anschluss in March, by the Third Reich. To break this encirclement, it was necessary to restore the common border with their historical ally, Poland and this was achieved by the occupation of their former territory, SubCarpathia. This invasion of a border area of Slovakia by the Hungarians was considered by the Slovaks as a direct threat to their newly-found independence and a short but fierce clash started between the contending air forces. Hungarian Fiat CR.32s came up against Slovak Avia fighters and Letov reconnaissance and light attack planes, while Hungarian Ju 86 bombers raided the main Slovak air base. This grey area of European history is often overshadowed by events that

followed, so this book is an invaluable insight into the turmoil that preceded World War 2, in which some of the less celebrated aircraft types saw combat, and paved the way for more successful types that followed. Filled with rare unpublished images and excellent colour artwork this is a unique and valuable work of reference for anyone interested in the period. Brian Stone

Heathrow From Tents to Terminal 5

MiG-17 Fresco

TECH DATA

Aircraft Walk Around CD #22

AUTHOR: Ian Anderson PUBLISHER: Amberley

TECH DATA

ISBN: 978 14456 338 93

AUTHOR: Steve Muth

FORMAT: Softback, 160pp

PUBLISHER: Peregrine Publishing FORMAT: CD-ROM

Heathrow has altered beyond recognition since its earliest years when the first flights used temporary tents for arrivals and departures. Today, the airport has five terminals, a brand new control tower and plans for further expansion. Now one of the busiest airports in the world, seeing on average 191,200 passengers arriving and departing every day, it hosts eighty-four airlines and serves 184 destinations. This book charts the rise of Britain’s premier aviation hub, with plenty of

592 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

historical images and an informative narrative telling the full story in great detail. Martin Parry

As with others in the series this disc contains high resolution colour images showing all areas of the aircraft, and is largely based on the aircraft at the former Champlin Fighter Museum at Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. These were taken with the co-operation of the museum and good coverage of the cockpit and other usually inaccessible areas. If you are building the trumpeter 1/32, HobbyBoss 1/48, AZ 1/72 or Attack/Mark I

1/144 kits there will no doubt be something of interest for you on this disc! Available from Peregrine via [email protected] 001 (516)759-1089

593-Bookworld-SAMI-0614-WP_Layout 1 16/05/2014 14:01 Page 1

BOOKWORLD wholesale

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When Hungary got involved in the second world war, the WM-21 SÛlyom was the only Hungarian designed and manufactured plane in service with the Hungarian Royal Airforce. It was in widespread service as reconnaissance plane starting from 1938 onwards. In June of 1941, the machines failed to make in impression, mainly because of accidents and technical issues. The planes were diverted to the training role and were still used as such by May 1945.Black/White photo's, colour profiles, 45 pages

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Airframe & Miniature No.6

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Technical and Operational History Messerscmitt Me321, Me323 Gigant. This publication describes the history of the design, production and combat service of all versions of the Gigant, the glider (Me 321) and the motorized (Me 323), the largest glider and and transport aircraft of WW II.The book's 440 pages include 745 b/w photographs and 14 colour photographs, approximately 100 colour profiles (2D and 3D) of Me 321s, Me 323s and various versions of the Bf 110 and He 111Z aircraft that were used to tow the Me 321 glider, and 12 b/w technical drawings.

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Art of Modelling 03 Painting Techniques 30,5CM SFL BA?R Beginners: Trumpeter SBD 1/2 'DAUNTLESS' Techniques: MasterBox British MK I 'MALE' Tank Painting Techniques: Mig Productions KV-2X Heavy Walking Tank Techniques: Meng Models Achzarit Early Tip: Working with Vinyltracks Tip: How to construct round PE-buckets All modelling news.68 pages,full colour.

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Airbrush Essential Training DVD. This is an initiation DVD which shows the first steps using a double action airbrush,how to clean, basic maintenance, basic use.This DVD is designed to help the novel modeler and keep away his fears using this tool 57 min. In English narration.Produced by AK Interactive

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SAMI Columns 580 Modellers

The show was busy, with all halls thronged with punters throughout the day

Cosford Wins Again! Shropshire Scale Modellers, RAF Museum Cosford, Sunday 06th April 2014 By Geoff Cooper-Smith

Y

ep, they did it again and incredibly it continues to get both bigger and better. Based on the geographical spread of clubs and traders (a good number of which do not appear at Scale ModelWorld) this is without doubt a national show, such is the draw, and it is all too evident that finding space for everyone could become an issue if it continues to expand at the current rate. Once again 580 Modellers were in the ‘Experimental Hall’, which has had a bit of makeover to allow the EAP (is it me or does it look very like a Eurofighter?!) to be squeezed in with the other exhibits. I don’t know about the other halls, as I didn’t get out much, but ours was full to the gunnels for much of the day. So if

Winner of Class 1, a beautifully finished 1/72 HobbyBoss Fw 190 with no added extras apart from excellent imagination

you are only able, for some unintelligible reason, to attend just one model show in the year, make it Cosford; entrance is free and everyone is interspersed amongst some of the most interesting, unique and beautifully preserved exhibits in the world. The really

Winner of Class 2, is this 1/48 scratchbuilt Zlin Chelak (Yeah, I was none the wiser either), which looks rather agricultural

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Scale Aviation Modeller International

good thing is, even though the amount of stuff on sale beggared belief, the museum’s own shop seemed to get just as much benefit as the traders from the event. Once again the competition was beyond compare with an extremely large number of entries, all of excellent quality, and incredibly 580 Modellers took a first in one of the two aircraft classes yet again. Even more incredible is this time it was at the other end of the scale: a £4.99 HobbyBoss Fw 190 on a stick, which just goes to show you don’t have to spend ££££ to win a class at a major model show! To say our Mark Housley, who seems to be having quite a bit of competition success at present, was extremely happy (as he also took third in the diorama class with his Polish Aircraft Museum), would be an understatement!. Good news too was the number of ‘young ‘uns’ who had come to the show with their parents and were obviously really enjoying the experience, meaning ‘pester power’ was extremely prevalent. They were

There is much modelling reference material besides the aircraft; this is a Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior as used in the DHC-2 Beaver

kept in check by the Star Wars reenactors out in force (sorry couldn’t resist), there being no fewer than four such ‘posses’ roaming around during the course of the day. Finally, the quality and size of the host club display, which included that of several affiliated organisations, just has to be commented on, along with the fantastic attitude of the museum staff, which made the whole experience so complete.

Show News It only seems like yesterday, but incredibly this year sees IPMS Staffordshire Moorlands holding their 4th annual model show on Sunday 6th July. Despite being held in July, usually the same weekend as the Waddington Air Show and the Wimbledon finals and the British Grand Prix and often on a scorching hot day (helped by the presence of a bar at lunchtime!), it is a persistent little blighter and can be considered an established show which already

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580 Modellers

SAMI Columns

UK Model Show Calendar Compiled by Geoff Cooper-Smith of 580 Modellers

Shows in June and early July 2014

My favourite competition entry, which was unfathomably (get it?!) unplaced was this diorama of a ditched TBD-1 Devastator

‘owns’ its slot in the model show calendar. I highly recommend a visit to the show if you are at a loose end on the day and I am sure the organisers will value your custom; come say hello to the 580 crew too, who have been there since the beginning. A week before the Staffordshire Moorlands show sees the only recently announced Suffolk Model Show, which is an attempt to get a show going once again in Ipswich. This is part of the Ipswich Transport and Model Festival, which sounds like a simply grand idea and will hopefully succeed, leading to more occurrences in the future. It is heartening to hear that all the shows that have been reactivated over the past couple of years have been successful and are to continue for the foreseeable future. New shows seem to be having similar

Saturday 31st May IPMS Salisbury

Sunday 22nd June West Norfolk IPMS

presents their Annual Scale Model Show at Wyvern School Sports Hall, Church Road, Laverstock, Salisbury, SP1 1RE. Doors open at 9.30am and the show closes at 4.30pm. Admission is £3 per adult, £1.50 per child, £8 for a family. There is free parking, refreshments, tombola, a junior make-andtake and an open competition. For further details visit www.salisburymodelshow.co.uk.

present their Vth Annual Model Show at Downham Market Town Hall, Downham Market, PE38 9JS. Doors open at 10am and the show closes at 4pm. Admission is £2 adult, £1 under 16’s, with all proceeds going to MacMillan. There is Tombola, refreshments, a make-and-take as well as an open competition. For further details visit www.westnorfolkipms.co.uk.

Sunday 01st June IPMS Tyneside

Saturday 28th June East Neuk Model Club

present The Northern Model Show at The Parks Sport Centre, Howdon Road, North Shields, NE29 6TL. Doors open at 09.30am and the show closes at 4.30pm. Admission is £3.50 adult, £1.00 Children and OAP. There is plenty of free parking and a large open competition. For further details please contact Rob Sullivan on 07880 884565 or [email protected].

presents their Scale Model Show 2014 at the Old Parish Centre, Short Lane, Cupar, Fife, KY15 5EQ. Doors open at 10am and the show closes at 4pm. There is a caf but no further details are available at present. To check for further details visit www.eastneukmodelclub.com.

Sunday 15th June The Miniature Armoured Vehicle Fighting Association

are pleased to announce the Suffolk Model Show at Greshams Sports and Social Club, Tuddenham Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 3QJ. Doors open at 10am and the show closes at 4pm. Admission is £1 or free if in possession of a ticket for the Ipswich Transport & Model Festival. There will only be local clubs exhibiting plus one or two traders. Further details can be obtained by e-mail: [email protected].

presents the MAFVA Annual Show & Competition, in association with the Duxford Military Vehicle Show, at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire, CB22 4QR. Entry to the museum gives full access to the show and the MAFVA event (see www.iwm.org.uk or call 01223 499 353 for admission prices – I counted 15 different ones last time I looked!), with open competition and all the usual facilities. For further details visit www.mafva.net/nationals.

Saturday 21st June Shepway Military Modelling Society presents their Summer 2014 Model Show at Hawkinge Community Centre, Heron Forstal Avenue, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent, CT18 7FP. Doors open at 10am and the show closes at 4pm. Admission is £1 per adult, 50p for under 16’s. There is a ‘bring and buy’ stall, a competition (including a 70th Anniversary DDay class), refreshments will be available and there is disabled access. For further details visit www.shepwaymilitarymodelling.wordpress.com

Sunday 22nd June Coventry & Warwickshire IPMS

A 1/48 PBY-5A of VP-44 looking rather out of water on the host club stand

success and this includes the Essex Modellers Show, which is a cooperative venture between five clubs, and will be held at Hannakins Farm Community Centre, Billericay (as previously) on Sunday 28th July; more details next month.

A simply beautiful Airfix 1/48 Javelin FAW.9, in the all-over silver of Squadron Leader George Beaton, on one of the host club tables

in association with the Midland Air Museum, present a spectacular Model Show and Open Cockpit Day at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry Airport, Rowley Road, Baginton, Coventry, CV3 4FR. Doors open at 10am and the show closes at 4pm. Normal museum admission applies, which is £6.50 adult, £6.00 OAP/Student, £3.25 child and £17.50 family. There is free parking, disabled access, and a caf. For further details please contact Peter Hyslop on 07756 195121 or e-mail [email protected].

Saturday 28th June Ipswich IPMS

Sunday 06th July IPMS Staffordshire Moorlands Model Club in association with 235 (City of Stoke-onTrent) Squadron Air Training Corps, present the Moorlands Model Show at the TA Centre, Martin Leake House, Stonor Street, Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 3HJ. Doors open at 10am and the show closes at 4pm. Admission is £3.00 adult, £1.50 Children & Concessions. There is an open competition, free parking, refreshments and a licensed bar. For further details contact the show manager, John Lingwood, on 01782 721463.

Saturday 13th July Little-cars.com along with HaMeX, present smallspace 3 (for all things space, science fiction and fantasy) at the Village Hall, Newport Road, Hanslope, Buckinghamshire, MK19 7NZ. Admission is £2 per adult with accompanied children (16 and under) free, with all profits donated to the village hall. For further details visit www.hamex.co.uk

If you would like your model show to be included in this calendar then please contact Geoff Cooper-Smith on 07841 417680 or at [email protected]

Nicely finished and posed Wessex HAS.31B of the Royal Australian Navy on the host's World Helicopter SIG table

www.sampublications.com June 2014

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Shop & Web Guide

Promote your company here and appear in all 3 titles – Scale Aviation Modeller International, Model Aircraft and Scale Military Modeller International – with a total 126,000 circulation. Contact Rebecca Harris on +44 (0)1234 224995 [email protected]

Jamieson’s Models

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Shop & Web Guide OXONIANS

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SAMI Columns And Finally

G-Up! T

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 Media House address. Neither the Editor nor any of the contributors are at Media House on a daily basis and the Editor asks for all enquirers to appreciate this fact and be patient. Please understand that the staff at Media House 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.

By Gary Hatcher

here is no pleasing some people. Hands are wringing and voices raised in digital complaint all across the forums – “do we really need another 1/48 Bf 109G” they cry, to which the logical responses are on the one hand, yes we do, and on the other, what if we don’t? If Eduard, in their wisdom choose to make one then how can it possibly affect us adversely? Going with the first point, the only real contender is Hasegawa’s kit, which is nice but not nearly as easy a build as you might suppose, thanks to the engineering of the front end, the simplified wheel wells, and the simplified interior detail. For the F the Zvezda kit is a hot contender, but again the engineering is designed for everything open, which doesn’t always make for an easy build. This new kit was on hand exclusively at the Milton Keynes Model Show, and looks to be a blinder in terms of fit and detail. The design favours a

Samples for Review Scale Aviation Modeller International is always happy to review new products 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 products reviewed within Scale Aviation Modeller International should send them directly to the editorial address and clearly mark them for the attention of the 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.

TECH DATA

Company/Suppliers Addresses & Enquiries Please note that the Editor and staff at Media House cannot help with general enquires about contact details for companies, importers or model shops whose products may be mentioned in Scale Aviation Modeller International 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 Editor nor contributors will undertake specific or general aviation research for enquirers. Thank you.

SCALE: 1/48 KIT NO: 8268 TYPE: Injection Moulded Plastic MANUFACTURER: Eduard

quick build, with the option of adding greater detail, for which Eduard’s own sets will be available by now. As for the other matter – simple. If you have a loft full of existing Gustavs and are happy with them, don’t buy it. The choice is yours… Thanks to the Milton Keynes club for sharing their sneak preview. More on this once we get our hands on a kit of our own…

Copyright Warning Due to the growing misuse and breach of copyright apparent on the web Media House 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 Media House. 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 Media House. Infringement is a breach of international law, so if you see items posted on the web from this magazine other than on the official Media House website (sampublications.com) please advise the publisher immediately.

Coming Next Month Next month SAMI offers the best coverage of new product in print, along with the usual broad spectrum of modelling subjects in a wide range of scales: • Clark’s Field - Scaling Down a Legend • Modeller’s Portfolio – Fiat G.91 Scale Plans and Profiles • The Big Build – Tamiya’s Zero in 1/72 • Trumpeter’s Attacker in 1/48 • Civil Aviation – Revell’s -800 in 1/144 Plus all our usual regulars and essential reading in the biggest and best on the market!

598 | June 2014

Scale Aviation Modeller International

© Media House 2014 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.

Scale Aviation Modeller International is published monthly by Media House and is distributed to the news trade on the second last Saturday of each month. Next on sale 26 June 2014

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