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

Italeri Boston III/ A-20B/C Havoc (1:48)

Boston III/ A-20B/C Havoc The twin-engine Douglas A-20 was developed by the American company to perform two main operational roles. Its airframe, featuring the distinctive mid/high-mounted cantilever wing, could be configured as a night fighter and attack aircraft by adopting a powerful weapon system in the forward nose section, or configured as a light bomber. The light bomber version achieved significant success not only with the U.S.A.F. but also with the British RAF, which renamed the Douglas aircraft "Boston." The nose of the Boston was glazed to accommodate the bombardier but retained the nosewheel tricycle landing gear, innovative for its time. It could carry up to 1,800 kg of offensive payload and was produced in large numbers, being employed by the RAF, various Commonwealth air forces, and some units of the Soviet Air Forces. - Plastic Kit Requires Glue & Paint to Complete - 1:48 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.