1/72 P-40M Warhawk ‘Involuntarily from Russia to Finland’
During the Second World War, the P-40M Warhawk fighter aircraft was used both by the USAAF and the air forces of the Allies. Over two hundres were also delivered to the Soviet Union. P-40M s/n 43-5925 White 23 saw only very brief service with the VVS (Soviet Air Force). When the new machine was being flown over to the unit, its pilot 2nd Lt. V.A.Revin got lost, landed by mistake on Finnish territory and both the machine and the pilot were captured. The Finnish military was reluctant to put the machine to operational service, Finnish pilots of HLe.Lv.32 were of the opposite opinion however, get the machine to airworthy conidion and flew it covertly, which eventually came to light and the Curtiss was officially approved for military use and flown until the end of the war.
The P-40M kit comes on three styrene sprues with one containing clear parts. All of which offer the top quality and detail overall. The decal sheet caters for the original markings of the Soviet-flown White 23 with red stars and silver tail, and the markings of the plane in two various Finnish schemes.
– superbly detailed model, very easy to build
– interesting colour schemes with breathtaking history
– separately available masks, accessory sets and figures
1/32 Westland Whirlwind FB MK.I ‘Fighter-Bomber’ Hi-tech kit
Not long before the outbreak of WW2, the British Air Ministry issued a requirement calling for two types of fighter aircraft, one light weight with machine gun armament and the other one with heavy cannon armament. To these requirements, the machine gun armed Hurricanes and Spitfires were designed, while to fit the second category, the Westland offered their Whirlwind twin engined ‘Cannon Fighter’. This type was eventually produced in more than a hundred examples and further production was ceased only by the shortage of the Peregrine engines. The Whirlwinds were deployed over the English Channel in fighter and ground attack missions. For the latter ones, the Whirlwinds were fitted with bomb racks and were designated FB Mk.I. This modification proved very successful and it became more than clear that the Whirlwinds suit these types of missions very well indeed.
Our model of the Whirlwind now comes in the Hi-Tech format and contains ten styrene sprues, one with clear parts, a fret of photo etched details, set of 3D-printed parts and also resin parts. These details improve the cockpit area substantially and also make it possible to leave the nose section open to show the four Hispano cannon armament to good advantage. The decal sheet offers markings for four green and grey RAF machines, two of 263 Sqn and the other two of 137 Sqn. One of the schemes has a title under the canopy and another one sports the striking black and white wing undersurfaces, the makrings carried for the Operation Stalker.
– top notch equipped model kit containing multi-material accessory sets
– two decal sheets
– eye-catching colour and marking schemes
1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is simply one of the synonyms for a proper fighter plane. A plane, which remained in service from 1936 until as long as 1954 with military of many a country.
It fought in the front line of the Spanish Civil War, saw the end of the war over Europe. The E version, or Emil as it is colloquially know, was the first of 109s to be powered by a DB 601 engine. It is unmistakably connected with the outbreak of the war, the attack on Poland, the Blitz over Western Europe, with operations over Scandinavia. The pinnacle of the career of the Emils was arguably the Battle of Britain, only to be followed in the significance by the type´s deployment over the Balkans, Africa and Malta. Until 1941, the 109Es had been the very best of fighter planes in service, along with the British Spitfire.
This month´s hot topic is the cannon-armed version, the Bf 109E-4, model cat.no. SH72439. The kit bring schemes of two German fighter aces, G.Schopfel and H.Wick who, flying from bases in Western Europe, took part in the Battle of Britain. The kit also contains two more options, these being Emils as operated over the Balkans a year later. Decals of Wick´s machine contain also the fuselage camouflage mottles consisting of a myriad of tiny brush-made blotches. The kit parts are laid out into two grey styrene sprues and one with clear parts. The kit offer the option to build the Emil either with the engine and fuselage machine guns cover panels open or closed. The wing flaps and slats can be posed in the down position, ailerons offer the option as well
highly accurate and extremely detailed model
easy build
option to display the engine in the open nose section
flaps and slats can be posed open too
accurate decals for four schemes, including full set of stencils
separately available are clear part and wheel painting masks
more detail sets being prepared
1/72 F-84F Thunderstreak ‘Operation Musketeer/Kadesh’
The F-84F Thunderstreak swept-wing jet fighter was a development of the Republic F-84G straight wing aircraft. Using a wing with the sweep along with a more powerful jet engine improved the performance to that of the F-86 Sabre. At first, the F-84F experienced several trouble with their power units, manoeuvrability as well as with corrosion. Later, after the outbreak of the Berlin Crisis and subsequent need to make the NATO forces more powerful, the F-84F jets started to equip many NATO air forces, including that of Germany and France, while earlier these planes were used mainly by the USAF and US Guard units. The first combat deployment the F-84F saw was during the Suez Crisis and the only air victories gained by the type were acieved by Turkish machines taking on Iraqi Il-28 bombers violating the Turkish air space.
The French F-84Fs were flown from French bases and during the 1956 Operation Musketeer also from bases in Cyprus and Israel. Those flying from Israeli bases temporarily wore the IAF national markings instead of the standard French roundels. This boxing of our highly detailed F-84F model offers one scheme of a machine flown in France plus two as taking part in the Operation Musketeer, one of which is with the Israeli stars.
– excellent and very nicely detailed model, builds like a dream
– extra large decal sheet with complete stencils
– colourful schemes
1/72 Fordson WOT2 E (15CWT) ‘Wooden Cargo Bed’
The WOT2 light-weight military lorry was in production with the British Ford company at Dagenham since 1939 and several versions of the type was constructed. The total production number reached some 60 000 examples which served with the British Army, RAF as well as with the Royal Navy until the end of the 1950s. In the war times, these vehicles offered support to British forces in Western Europe, Africa and elswhere too. Many units composed of overseas personnel also got these vehicles, for domestic modeller might be of interest that the WOT2s served with the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade. Some of the WOT2s were also captured by the Germans and were put to rather extensive use with the Wehrmacht. In the post war period, some of the WOT2s went further still to other armies.
The basis of the model is made from resin and it also contains a fret of etches and printed parts. The decals cater for a vehicle in use by the famous Desert Rats in Africa.
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