Airfix Westland Lysander Mk.III Special Duties (1:48)

Westland Lysander Mk.III Special Duties (1:48) Product Info: This remarkable 1:48 scale model kit of the Westland Lysander Mk.III Special Duties aircraft consists of 197 parts and provides an accurate depiction of one of the RAF's most audacious aircraft used in secret operations. Ideal for modellers aged 8 and up with intermediate skills, this kit replicates the unique alterations made to about 40 Lysander communication planes in 1941 for covert missions aiding the French Resistance. Key Features: -197 piece model kit at 1:48 scale with 316mm wingspan -Skill level 3 - suitable for intermediate modellers aged 8 years and above -Three authentic paint schemes included -Precise depiction of Special Duties modifications including external fuel tank and access ladder -World War Two era RAF aircraft -Detailed features including modified gunner's compartment with rear-sliding canopy -Represents unarmed variant configured for secret agent transport operations History: In 1941, the RAF set a requirement for the modification of around 40 Westland Lysander communication aircraft to undertake a new secretive role, termed 'Special Duties'. The aircraft were stripped of defensive weaponry and had their range extended by installing a larger internal oil tank and an external 150-gallon fuel tank beneath the fuselage. The gunner's section was altered with the addition of a rear-sliding single-piece canopy, allowing space for up to three individuals. A sturdy ladder was attached to the port-side fuselage, enabling swift boarding and disembarking for passengers during their new 'Spy Taxi' missions. Flying under the cover of night and with the assistance of the French Resistance, specialised crews courageously piloted these unarmed planes across the English Channel, transporting agents at significant personal risk to all involved. These operations were vital to the eventual success of the Second World War.  

Airfix Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIA (1:48)

Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIA This Bristol Bulldog Mk.IIA is a secret release that will inspire aviation model-makers. This legendary aircraft has three scheme options to choose from, so you can decorate your 1:48 scale model kit in a variety of ways. 3 Scheme Options: A: No.23 Squadron, Royal Air Force Kenley, England, 1931. B: 'C' Flight Commander, No.3 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Abyssinian Crisis, East Africa, 1935. C: No.32 Squadron, Royal Air Force Kenley, England, 1935. - Plastic Kit Requires Glue & Paint to Complete - Skill Level 3 - 138 Pieces - 1:48 Scale

Airfix Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc - Flying Dray 'Beers Away' (1:24)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc - Flying Dray 'Beers Away' This Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc kit in 1:24 scale includes all the parts you need to replicate the beer-carrying Spitfires, the ‘Flying Drays’. Build your own morale-boosting Second World War aircraft and create a lasting tribute to the heroes of war. We've also added in some additional resin parts, essential for enhancing the story of your model. These include two beer barrels with lids, two nose cones, two bomb racks and a slipper tank. And every kit comes with an Airfix pint glass, so you can raise your own morale while modelling. - 448 Parts - 3 Scheme Options - Skill Level 4 - 1:24 Scale  

Airfix Bristol Bulldog Mk.II (1:48)

Bristol Bulldog Mk.II - 1:48 Scale Includes: - Plastic kit - Cockpit interior details - Pilot  - Engine and exhaust parts - Prop details - Wing and strut detailing - Gun mounted gun turret - Fixed undercarriage - Waterslide transfers/decals for the following:   - A)  Bristol Bulldog Mk.II, No. 3 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Upavon, Wiltshire, England, 1929.   - B) Bristol Bulldog Mk.II, No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force Upavon, Wiltshire, England, 1930.   - C) Bristol Bulldog Mk.II, Fighter Squadron, No. 1 Flying Training School, Royal Australian Air Force Point Cook, Victoria, Australia, 1930s - Kit requires glue and paint to complete Not included - Length - 15.9cm - Width - 21.4cm - 120 parts - 1:48 Scale Aircraft information: A gleaming silver steed flown by the most capable and intrepid young men Britain could call upon, the Bristol Bulldog was one of the most important British aircraft of the inter-war period, when powerful biplane fighters unquestionably ruled the skies. Initially developed as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the Bulldog was the brainchild of accomplished aircraft designer Frank Barnwell, the man behind the successful Bristol F2B Fighter of the Great War, and was a light, all-metal and fabric-covered fighter, powered by a 440hp Bristol Jupiter engine. The Bulldog was armed with a pair of forward-firing Vickers 0.303" machine guns mounted on either side of the cockpit, but ultimately never fired its guns in anger during a relatively short seven-year period serving with Fighter Command. Although it was the most capable fighter of the day, the Bulldog was more closely associated with challenging formation flying and spectacular aerobatics, with the Royal Air Force thrilling huge crowds at airshows and pageants around the country, as they demonstrated the effectiveness of a modernising air force.  What the Bulldog did do was help advance Britain's aviation industry towards the production of the sleek, monoplane fighters which would contest the Second World War, as it highlighted the fact that biplane designs were fast approaching their zenith. Perhaps the most famous incident involving a Bristol Bulldog proved to be a rather unfortunate one, when an accomplished, but rather headstrong RAF pilot performed unauthorised low-altitude aerobatics for a group of onlookers and a private civilian aerodrome in Berkshire.  Flying so low that the wingtip of his fighter struck the ground during a manoeuvre, the Bulldog cartwheeled across the airfield, inflicting catastrophic injuries on the pilot - that pilot was future Second World War RAF ace and inspirational national hero Douglas Bader.

Airfix Fairey Gannet AS1AS4 (1:48)

Fairey Gannet AS1AS4 Includes: - Highly detailed plastic kit - Extensive cockpit and interior detail - Pilots included - Distinctive prop/ blades - Body panelling and rivet detail - Optional undercarriage (Up or down positions) - Waterslide transfers/decals - Kit requires glue and paint to complete NOT included - 1:48 Scale  Aircraft information and history: An aircraft that must surely be considered one of the most distinctive types to have ever seen Fleet Air Arm service, the Fairey Gannet was as capable as it was unique and was significant as the only post-war military contract to be won by the famous Fairey Aviation Company. Arguably the most unconventional Fairey designed aircraft to enter full production, the Gannet was developed in response to a 1945 Royal Navy requirement for an advanced carrier-based, turboprop-powered anti-submarine hunter-killer, one which was rugged enough to withstand the rigors of operation at sea.  Intended to counter the recent expansion of the Soviet submarine fleet at the start of the Cold War era, the Gannet was equipped with all manner of the latest electronic detection equipment and if an enemy submarine was detected, it could be marked, tracked, and if necessary, attacked, using bombs, depth charges, rockets, and air-launched acoustic torpedoes. One feature of the Gannet which helped to give it a unique appearance was the adoption of its powerplant, the innovative Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba. This arrangement saw two gas turbine engines mounted side by side in the nose of the gannet, sharing a common gearbox, but both operating independently, each engine driving its own coaxially mounted, contra-rotating propeller. In addition to this, the engines could run on kerosene and even diesel fuel, which was safer to handle and less refined than traditional aviation fuels.  This arrangement provided Gannet crews with more than enough power for carrier operations, with the reassurance of two engines when embarking on long ocean patrols. Once in flight, the pilot could shut down one of the engines to conserve fuel and whilst this would reduce the Gannet's maximum speed, it would extend its loiter capabilities. Usually, a pilot would alternate engine use during a long patrol, running each engine for around an hour before swapping to the other engine - the engine mounted on the port side drove the front propeller. Another unique feature of the Gannet's design was its bi-folding wing system, something which was designed to allow this large aircraft to operate safely and to be stored aboard one of the Royal Navy's relatively small aircraft carriers. When a pilot engaged the wing unfold, this ingenious system not only prepared the wings for flight, but also automatically connected all flight control systems, hydraulic connections and fuel pipes to the main system, without any ground crew intervention.  In operation, there are reports that the Gannet was so rugged a design that when one aircraft lost the outer sections of both wings after performing a particularly violent manoeuvre, the aircraft still managed to make it back safely to its home carrier, something which can only have endeared the aircraft to its crews still further. The Fairey Gannet would prove to be an extremely rugged and highly effective anti-submarine aircraft, one which could carry an impressive array of offensive ordnance and one which was able to attack submarines either on the surface, or when submerged and trying to evade its attentions. Well-liked by air and ground crews alike, 348 Gannets would eventually be produced and in addition to serving with Britain's Fleet Air Arm, the aircraft would also see service with the navies of Australia, Germany and Indonesia.

Airfix Vickers Wellington Mk IA C (1:72)

Vickers Wellington Mk IA C (1:72) Includes: - Detailed plastic kit - Cockpit detail includes pilots - Engine and prop detail - Optional undercarriage (up or down positions) - Turret detail - Waterslide transfers/ decals for two schemes:   - (A)    - (B)  - Kit requires glue and paint to complete NOT included - 1:72 Scale Aircraft information and history: The most capable medium bomber of the day was the twin-engine Vickers Wellington, which first flew in 1936 and entered RAF service with No.99 Squadron at Mildenhall in October 1938. The production aircraft bore little resemblance to the prototype aircraft and compared to contemporary medium bombers already in service, the Wellington appeared to be much more advanced in design and an aircraft feared by any potential enemy. Its sleek monoplane design and heavy defensive armament placed the new Wellington as one the advanced and capable medium bombers in the world. Perhaps the most significant feature of the Wellingtons design was the adoption of a geodetic construction method, which was developed by famous British engineer and inventor Barnes Wallis. Duralumin W-beams were used to form a metal lattice-work construction on to which wooden battens would be screwed, which would then allow the doped fabric outer skin of the aircraft to be attached.  The resultant fuselage was relatively light in weight but possessed great strength and whilst the method o construction posed challenged for companies engaged in manufacturing Wellington bombers, the inherent strength proved crucial when the aircraft was thrust into combat.  Capable of withstanding significant battle damage, numerous RAF Wellingtons managed to bring their crews back home, when the other bombers would have failed to do so.

Airfix Messerschmitt Me262A-1a/2a (1:72)

Messerschmitt Me262A-1a/2a Includes: - Plastic kit - Cockpit detail - Pilot included - Optional undercarriage (up or down positions) - Armament detail - New markings /Waterslide transfers/decals for:   A) Messerschmitt Me262A-1a, W.Nr110956 'White 17', flown by Obstlt. Heinz Bär, III./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2, Lechfeld, Bavaria, Germany, 29th April 1945.   B) Messerschmitt Me262A-2a, W.Nr.500200, flown by Fj.Ofw. Hans Frölich, 2./Kampfgeschwader 51, Fassberg, Lower Saxony, Germany, 8th May 1945. - Kit requires glue and paint to complete NOT included - 1:72 Scale Aircraft information and history: Representing the primary production variant of the Messerschmitt Me262 jet, the A-1A was the fighter-bomber version of the aircraft desired by Hitler, capable of being used as an interceptor, or configured to carry bombs and air-to-air mortars on nose mounted pylons.  With the aircraft’s powerful nose mounted cannons used to devastating effect against the massed formations of USAAF bombers attacking Germany, the offensive firepower of the jets could be further enhanced by the addition of R4M ‘Orkan’ (Hurricane) rocket packs under each wing.  Mounted on rudimentary racks made from wood, twelve R4M stabilised rockets could be carried under each wing, each one capable of bringing down an enemy bomber.

Airfix Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War (1:72)

Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War Condition Aircraft information and history: An aircraft which has to be considered one of the finest aeroplanes of the Second World War, the Hawker Tempest V could trace its design lineage back to the Hurricane fighters which proved so decisive during the Battle of Britain only two years earlier, but would represent the absolute zenith of piston engined fighter design. Indeed, when accomplished designer Sydney Camm was looking to produce his '˜Super Hurricane'™ replacement for the aviation saviour of the Battle of Britain, the aircraft he surely had in mind was the Tempest V. As it was, the Tempest is often confused with its predecessor in Royal Air Force service, the Typhoon, even though the two are very different aeroplanes.  The original fighter replacement for the Hawker Hurricane was the Typhoon, an aircraft which attempted to combine the most powerful piston engine available at the time with a small, yet strong and heavily armed airframe. Although intended as an interceptor fighter, it became apparent during development that the new aircraft would not be able to fulfil this role, as the thickness of the wing was not conducive to high performance at high altitude. In fact, the Typhoon would endure quite a troubled development and service introduction, to the point where cancellation of the programme was seriously considered at one time. Nevertheless, the Typhoon would eventually go on to find its aviation niche as a hard-hitting ground attack aircraft and one which would come into its own during the time of the Allied invasion of Normandy.  Aware that their Typhoon had great potential but was in need of improvement, the Hawker design team started work on a new fighter project, one which incorporated many of the same philosophies as Typhoon, but also, several significant modifications. Indeed, the new aircraft was initially referred to as the Typhoon Mark II, but this was changed to Tempest as the prototype aircraft'™s first flight approached. Although this was still a big aeroplane for a single engined fighter, its airframe was light and it would be powered by the massively powerful 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine, a powerplant which would give the new fighter spectacular performance. Making its first flight on 2nd September 1942, the new Hawker Tempest featured a newly designed laminar flow wing, which was much thinner than the wing used on its predecessor and allowed the new fighter to slip through the air at incredible speed.  At first glance, the Typhoon and Tempest do share many similarities, however, if you know where to look, it is not difficult to tell them apart. Without doubt, the wing is the most obvious distinguishing feature, as not only is this thinner than the one used on the Typhoon, it is also a completely different shape. With a straighter leading edge and more elliptical trailing edge, the Tempest'™s wing was designed for speed, even though it could still be used effectively in a ground attack role. Other Tempest design differences include a slightly longer nose and a tail section which appears to be much larger, with a more generous vertical stabiliser which features a pronounced dorsal fillet. During the prototype aircraft'™s maiden flight, it posted an impressive top speed of 477 mph in level flight, impressing both the design team and the watching Air Ministry.  The Hawker Tempest V entered Royal Air Force service in early 1944, with the first two squadrons to receive the type having both previously operated the Typhoon. It was thought that managing the incredible power generated by the Tempest'™s engine could pose problems for pilots converting from smaller aircraft types and that former Typhoon units would be best placed to negotiate its squadron introduction. In advance of the D-day landings, Tempests were being used in a similar ground attack role to the one being flown so effectively by Typhoon squadrons, however, should it be required to make the shift to air combat operations mid-mission, the Tempest was much more suited to this task. Possessing significantly greater range than the Typhoon, Tempests could loiter in the combat zone for longer periods, allowing offensive strikes deeper into occupied Europe, or allowing pilots to wait patiently for the Luftwaffe to come up and fight, where they could show them what their new fighter could really do.  As the fastest Allied fighter at low and medium altitudes, Tempest squadrons were held back for home defence duties in the weeks which followed the successful D-day landings, due to the onslaught of a sinister new weapon, the V-1 '˜Doodlebug'™ pulse jet flying bomb. The Tempest proved to be an excellent V-1 killer, using the speed of the fighter, effectiveness of its guns and bravery of its pilots to destroy large numbers of these terrifying weapons before they could wreak their havoc on British towns and cities. Britain'™s most effective force against these indiscriminate weapons, hundreds of Doodlebugs were shot down by the RAF'™s Hawker Tempest V squadrons, with Squadron Leader Joseph Berry proving to be the most proficient at this work, with no fewer than 61 V-1 '˜kills'™ to his name.  With the V-1 threat diminishing, the RAF'™s Tempest V squadrons were free to embark on aggressive seek and destroy missions into occupied Europe, using the speed, range and firepower of their latest fighter to great effect. Looking for potential V-1 launch sites and increasingly, the new German jet fighters which had started operating against the Allied air forces, the Tempest began to show that it was undoubtedly one of the most capable fighting aeroplanes in the world. Indeed, it has been reported that the aggressively flown Tempest was the Allied aircraft Messerschmitt Me262 jet pilots most feared during those early days of jet powered operations, particularly if they were caught during the landing and taking off phases of flight, when their jets were much more vulnerable.  There is no doubt that the Hawker Tempest V was a real brute of an aeroplane, fast, heavily armed and possessing performance which could better any fighter the Luftwaffe had in service, perhaps with the exception of the Me262 at full speed. Pilots who had experience flying both the Tempest V and its predecessor, the Typhoon, describe the difference as being like night and day - they actually said that it was like comparing a cart horse with a race horse. Although this seems a little harsh, as they flew the aircraft in combat, we should certainly bow to their judgement. Although appearing relatively late in WWII, the Tempest V still takes its place as one of the most effective piston engined fighters of the Second World War and was perhaps the '˜Super Hurricane'™ designer Sydney Camm had always envisaged developing. Includes: - Plastic kit - Cockpit detail - Optional undercarriage (up or down positions) - Wing and body detailing - 4x bladed prop - 2x sets of waterslide transfers/decals  - Scheme A: Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War, Aircraft flown by Leader H 'Poppa' Ambrose DFC, Commanding Officer No.26 Squadron, Royal Air Force Gatow, Germany , 1946.  - Scheme B: Hawker Tempest Mk.V Post War, No.80 Squadron, Royal Airforce Wunstorf (formerly Advanced Landing Ground B-11) Germany, 1946. - Kit requires glue and paint to complete (NOT included) - 1:72 Scale.