E-Magazine FREE Vol 22 May 2023

INFO Eduard
# 159
e-magazine FREE Vol 22 May 2023

INFO Eduard
e-magazine FREE Vol 22 May 2023
# 159
© Eduard - Model Accessories, 2023
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MAY 2023
CONTENTS
4 EDITORIAL
6 HISTORY
The Red Combat Flyer
Spitfires for Malta
In a year and one week
32 BOXART STORY
One shade of Gray
The Star of Africa
The last victim
28 KITS
F6F-5 Hellcat late ProfiPACK 1/48
SPITFIRE STORY: MALTA DUAL COMBO Limited 1/48
MiG-21MF Interceptor Weekend 1/72
Bf 109F-4 Weekend 1/48
Fokker Dr.I ProfiPACK 1/48 reedice
Fw 190F-8 ProfiPACK 1/72 reedice
56 BRASSIN
74 PHOTO-ETCHED SETS
82 BIG ED
92 BUILT
F4F-4 Wildcat early 1/48
Z-526AFS Akrobat 1/48
98 ON APPROACH – June 2023
118 TAIL END CHARLIE
Published by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.

Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21 eduard
support@eduard.com www.eduard.com
EDITORIAL
Good Day, Dear Friends is the management of the upper parking lot for
We are at the beginning of May, and so the exhibiting modelers, where the surface quality
competition season is revving up nicely. We have should be better this year. This year we will
just had the traditional Moson event and the Kit take more control over who parks where, and
Show takes place in Kopřivnice on Saturday, after last year's experience we will limit the
so it´s a good time to talk about this year´s freedom of choice of a parking spot to a certain
E-day. E-day 2023 takes place on Saturday, extent. It may sound dramatic, but it will be of
September 23 at the Tankodrom in Milovice and general benefit. And thirdly, we will push for the
we will be following the same scheme as last improvement of the catering, which is not under
year, meaning that exhibiting modelers begin our control, but we will still push for an increase
on Friday afternoon and will include the early in its quality, as well as the speed of service.
evening program. We haven't exactly defined And that is about it for E-day for now, so on to
what that will be yet, but we have interesting May news.
possibilities and I have no doubt that Friday's
program will be at least as good as last year's. KITS
It will be the same on Saturday, and we will be We don´t have any super-hot off the presses is still another Spitfire Mk.V themed LE kit in
sticking to our long-standing tradition of holding premieres for May, but you will still find some the game, dedicated to Czechoslovak pilots
our “The Pot” Q and A session, a “one on one” noteworthy pieces in the collection of four new in the RAF, but it certainly won´t be this year.
with a special guest, and a flight demonstration releases and two reissues. In the ProfiPACK Likewise, there is also a similar Limited Edition
which is bound to be very popular as it always 1:48th range, we have prepared a new edition of item dedicated to Poles, but the same applies
is. This is also being discussed right now and the Hellcat, a late version of the F6F-5. There is here, too. So “Malta”, as this item is called, is
the options are attractive. These are the parts a new collection of color markings, five of the definitely the last Spitfire Limit Edition release
that were successful last year and we will not six are Hellcats from various US Navy aircraft this year. The story of the defense of Malta is
make any fundamental changes to them. Then carriers, deployed in the last year of the war in a magnificent one of monumental proportions,
there are the points that were not quite as the Pacific, the sixth machine is a 1951 French interspersed here with other types of aircraft,
successful. This was the shuttle service from Indochina Hellcat. such as the Bf 109. And also, next month,
the railway station in Lysá nad Labem, and this In the Limited Edition 1:48th range, we have when we release our long-awaited Bf 109 F in
year we will improve it and pay more attention probably the last of this type dedicated to the 1:72nd, in the Limited Edition Wunderschöne
to its organization. Another point to improve on Spitfire Mk.V. Maybe not the very last, as there Neue Maschinen boxing, something else Malta
related will appear as well. Maltese Spitfires
are colorful not only in the stories of the planes
and their pilots, but also in their camouflage
schemes and markings, as you can judge on the
pages dedicated to this item in today´s edition
of the newsletter. If Maltese Spitfires interest
you, you can expand your knowledge about them
thanks to one of today´s historical articles. Its
author, Michal Krechowski, was, among other
things, the product manager responsible for
the development of this kit. He did this job
enthusiastically and very well, because Spitfires
in general, including Spitfires in Malta, are his
lifelong passion.
We also have two Weekend releases. In 72nd
scale, returning to the MiG-21MF Interceptor
version, lovingly dubbed “the Greyishs” here
in the Czech Republic. The nickname naturally
comes from the grey coloring of these MiGs as
delivered, which were the most powerful fighters
of the Czechoslovak Air Force at the time. They
were also the longest-serving of all the MiGs
here, and the best maintained airframes were
upgraded to MiG-21MFN standard in the 1990s
and served until the arrival of the Gripen.
The second May Weekend release is the 48th
scale Bf 109 F-4. The striking boxart image
4 INFO Eduard May 2023

shows one of the four marking options, an guns in 1:48th, exhausts for the Spitfire Mk.IX in popular feature today. This month, we have an
airplane flown by Hans-Joachim Marseille, the 1:24th, and German rudder pedals in 32nd, to article by Miro Barič about the fate of the USS
Star of Africa, and another star is included as large kits such as the engine for the F4F-3A Hornet and other aircraft carriers during the
well, that of Hermann Graf. There are a further Wildcat, and a cockpit, flaps and engine for the battles for the Solomon Islands. Next, we have
two equally colorful machines. Now, you can Rufe. Prints everywhere you look. For me, this an article “The Red Baron” by Jörn Leckscheid,
argue that there are already God knows how is a nice result of our campaign for innovation. bringing several new insights relating to the
many 109s out there, but the simple fact that you In addition to the mentioned sets, in today´s personality of the most successful fighter pilot
can’t ignore is that there is a market for all of collection you will find an exhaust nozzle and of the Great War, Manfred von Richthofen. I have
them, and they just don’t get old. After all, the a seat for the F-35A in 1:48th from Tamiya, already mentioned the Malta Spitfire project by
main reason for releasing this Weekend kit is a radar for the 48th scale F-16 from Kinetic and Michal Krechowski, in addition there are three
the fact that at the moment all our Bf 109 F kits a gun bay for our Wildcat covering the F4F-4 Boxart stories: One shade of Gray about the MiG-
in 48th are sold out, and the same is true of the variant. There are also two small 1:35th scale 21MF, The Last Victim about the scene depicted
Bf 109 G-2 and G-4. So in the coming months AFV sets and some new LööK items as well. on the Profipack Fokker Dr.I box (both by Richard
you can expect these types as well among new In the Space range, we have eight new Plos) and Star of Africa about Hans-Joachim
items. I just hope it won´t cause confusion with sets, mainly for 48th scale models. Among Marseille by Jan Bobek.
the pending wave of 72nd scale Fredericks and photoetched and masks, there are collections And that will be it for me for this month.
Gustavs. And they´re even nicer than the current that are geared to the F-86D and PV-1 kits from I wish you a pleasant evening and hope that our
quarter scale kits, believe me. I´m building one Academy, the Mi-17 from AMK and flaps for our newsletter will be a good reading companion to
of the first ones here right now. Rufe, all in 1:48th scale, as well as the CH-54 in you.
As a reissue, we have the Fw 190 F-8 in 1:72nd, 1:35 from ICM and the P-40B in 1:32nd by GWH.
which is a straight reissue in the current type There is one set is for the USS Missouri in 1:350, Happy modeling!
of packaging, and we did not make any major and there is also one single set in 72nd, a ZOOM Vladimír Šulc
changes to it compared to the original release. for the MiG-21MF, which is, of course, intended to
The 1:48th scale Fokker Dr.I didn´t see any complement the Weekend kit mentioned above
radical changes either, but it does feature new in the new kit release paragraph. Additionally,
box art, depicting the last aerial victory of the there are four new BigEds, two BigSins and
Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. three LöökPlus sets to consider. As usual, you
can find a thorough description of all sets on the
ACCESSORIES pages dedicated to May releases.
In the Brassin range, this month we have, for the
first time in our history, all new products made ARTICLES
exclusively by 3D printing. They range from small The article section of our newsletter, dedicated
items such as magazines for Vickers 97 machine to history and technology, is probably its most
F-35A exhaust nozzle PRINT
May 2023 INFO Eduard 5

HISTORY
Text: Jörn Leckscheid
The Red Combat Flyer

Manfred von Richthofen
When asking a regular person on the street
to name a famous soldier from the First
World War, the answer is most likely going
to be “The Red Baron”.
The full name and title of the person behind Richthofen family were actually “Freiherren”. more commonly called “Ilse”, were to be joined
this moniker was Manfred Albrecht Freiherr The translated term gained popularity in post- by two more brothers: Lothar was born two years
von Richthofen, who was born on May 2, 1892, war times, especially when cartoonist Charles after Manfred, and Karl Bolko Alexander, usually
in Breslau as the second child and first son of M. Schulz had his cartoon character “Snoopy” called by his second name, completed the quartet
Kunigunde and Albrecht von Richthofen. The fighting imaginary dogfights against the “Red in 1903. By then, the von Richthofen family had
term “Red Baron” was bestowed upon as the Baron” in his equally imaginary Sopwith Camel in moved from Breslau to Schweidnitz.
Anglo-American translation of his Prussian the 1960s and 70s. In August of the same year, at the age of 11,
rank of nobility: The male members of the von Manfred and his sister Elisabeth (born 1890), Manfred was obliged to join the Cadet Academy at
Photo: author's collection
Manfred von Richthofen (left) chats with Jasta 10 commander and fellow Pour le Mérite ace Lt. Hans Klein during the First Fighter Competition in Berlin-Adlershof
in January 1918. Von Richthofen held Klein in high regard and valued his leadership qualities.

HISTORY
Wahlstatt, about 50 kilometers west of Breslau,
at the explicit wish of his father. While viewed
from todays´ perspective, this decision may
seem harsh. However, for the firstborn son of
a Prussian nobleman, this was a pretty common
start into a military career in Imperial Germany.
Young Manfred was, by his own accounts, not
overly keen on the strict discipline that was
demanded there from the young cadets. Moreover,
the Cadet Academy was located in a former
monastery, which must have been somewhat
intimidating on an 11-year old boy. Besides, being
a very small town with the total population
numbering just a few hundred, Wahlstatt was
not the most inviting of places. Manfred was
blessed with a very sturdy physical constitution
and generally good health Bolko recalled after
the war. Much to his dismay, this meant that he
never missed one day of school due to illness.
So, after having completed his six years there,
he was relieved to advance to the Prussian Main
Senior Cadet Academy at Gross-Lichterfelde,
just south-west of Berlin, in 1909. There he felt
much more like a human being, as he described
it himself. For example, the Royal Botanical
Garden was located there, and Berlin was just
a stone throw away. Two years later he graduated
as an officers candidate, and at Easter 1911 he
became a professional soldier, having joined the
Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 1 “Kaiser Alexander III. von
Russland”. There he was commissioned on 19
November 1912, and he described this event as
being the proudest moment of his life.
Manfred had enjoyed horse riding since his
childhood and had plenty of opportunity to
practice his skills during the holidays at his

much-beloved Grandmother´s estate. During the
summer holidays, which he and brother Lothar
usually spent there, they were greeted with the
words “here you are free to do whatever you
want”. Of course, this was a more than welcome
change from life at the Cadet Academy, and the
boys made the very best of their freedom while Major Albrecht von Richthofen visited his sons at their unit on numerous occasions. Here he is enjoying
they could. Besides riding, young Manfred also a cigar while speaking to Manfred.
developed a strong inclination for hunting, and
the combination of these two traits would serve
him well while later flying single-seater aircraft.
425/17, Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen,

CO of JG 1, Cappy, France, April 1918
This is the appearance of Richthofen’s Dr.I 425/17, in which
the Red Baron achieved his last two victories on April
20, 1918. The aircraft by that time already had the insignia
repainted in accordance with the order issued by the
Luftstreitkräfte on March 18, 1918. This called for a change
from “Iron” crosses to the “Balkenkreutz”. The day after the
final victory Germany’s most famous fighter was killed. The
aircraft depicted here did have the crosses repainted, but
the modification on bottom of the lowest wing was either
not yet completed or was done carelessly. Since red paint
must have been used in the modification of the crosses,
it is likely that the typically shaped scratches on the
port side of the cockpit were also painted over when the
crosses were changed.

HISTORY
had a chance to meet a certain Leutnant Oswald
Boelcke on 1 October 1915. At the time, Boelcke
had been credited with four aerial victories and
was already quite a bit of a celebrity, both at
the front as well as in the homeland. Meeting
this accomplished young flyer left a lasting
impression on Manfred, and the two would meet
again in the future.
But before that meeting would come about, he
was obliged to undergo formal pilot training
in order to fulfill his dream. On November 15,
1915, he began pilot training at Flieger-Ersatz-
Abteilung 6 at Döberitz, and he passed his exams
on Christmas Day.
His first posting as a pilot brought him to
Kampfstaffel 8 of Kagohl 2 on 16. March 1916. The

unit was then stationed at Mont, near Verdun,
and he would initially fly various types of aircraft
there, initially mostly two-seaters. But soon after
his arrival at the unit, a few Fokker Eindecker
single-seaters were taken on charge. This was
then a fairly new type of aircraft which was in
Anthony Fokker greatly valued the input he received from frontline pilots during the war, and of course the
leading German ace of one of these. Here he is pictured during his visit to the Fokker factory at Schwerin-Görries short supply, and von Richthofen was more than
in late May or early June 1917. happy to fly one of these. Unfortunately, on an
early flight the Oberursel engine failed, and the
Early military career Ersatz Abteilung 6 on 10. June 1915 for observer´s precious fighter was destroyed in the resulting
As a young cavalry officer, he was posted to the training. This course was rather short, as he crash. Luckily, the pilot escaped without severe
front with his regiment soon after the outbreak was posted to Feldflieger-Abteilung 69 on the injury.
of hostilities. Serving initially on the Eastern Eastern front as an observer just eleven days To make matters worse, his unit was transferred
Front, he was quickly transferred to Belgium. later. His next posting as an observer took him – so it was back to the Eastern Front for him on
But the initial war of movement turned into to Brieftauben-Abteilung Ostende, back on the 28 June, and there he would find himself piloting
trench warfare within months, and the cavalry Western front, following in the footsteps of some two-seaters again. Instead of carrying out fighter
officer found this kind of warfare not to be to his of his former comrades from FA 69. vs. fighter combat, his duty in the east consisted
liking. He was actively looking for a change. And, While he greatly enjoyed his time up in the air, he mostly of dropping bombs on Russian soldiers
like many other soldiers serving in his branch soon decided that occupying the back seat of an who were positioned roughly 30 Kilometers to the
of the military, he keenly eyed the fast-moving aeroplane was not totally to his liking. He longed east of his airfield at Kowel (now Kovel/Ukraine).
new weapons above their heads that were now to be really in control of the “winged horses”, and By his own accounts, he greatly enjoyed observing
carrying out the reconnaissance missions that the only place where he could accomplish this the effects caused by his bombs on the Russian
were previously the task of the cavalry. He longed was in the pilot´s seat. Pilot training was the next soldiers below, as well as peppering them with
to joined one of the new flying units. logical step for him, and before long he was given his machine gun during the odd strafing run.
His application for transfer to the “Fliegertruppe” unofficial flight training at his unit. While the transfer to the East may have seemed
was approved, and he found himself at Flieger During his time at the Brieftauben-Abteilung, he as a deal-breaker for his career as a fighter pilot
Needless to say that the first available example of the Fokker Triplane was made available to Manfred von Richthofen. Here Fokker F.I 102/17 is seen soon after arrival
at Jasta 11 during the last days of August 1917, with Anthony Fokker himself in the cockpit. MvR is seen third from right.

HISTORY
Photo: via Alex Imrie

On 30 October 1917, he crashed one of the early production examples of the Dr.I that had reached Jasta 11 just recently. He walked away from this incident without injury.
425/17 flown by Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen, CO of JG 1, Lechelle,

France, March 1918
Von Richthofen had his aircraft painted red since January 1917, when he flew an
Albatros D.III, which he called “Le Petit Rouge”. He continued this practice after
switching to Fokker Dr. I, which he used as commander of Jagdgeschwader
1. The famous Dr.I 425/17 was probably painted red at the factory. The quality
of the paintwork is evident in the photographs and would be hardly achieved
at the combat unit level. The area under the cockpit on the left side bore
significant scuffs.
Lothar (left) and Manfred von Richthofen show off their “Pour le Mérite”
in front of one of Jasta 11´s Fokker Dr.Is, likely in the spring of 1918.

HISTORY

The iconic Fokker Dr. I 425/17 in its initial stage of decoration, marked with Iron Following the issue of the order that instituted the change of the national marking
Cross national insignia. The smooth opaque application of the red paint indicate to the straight-sided Balkenkreuz insignia, these markings were modified
that it was most likely spray-painted in this color at the Fokker factory. accordingly.
at this point, a lucky coincidence caused it to have was finally able to really commence operations The definitive history of this celebrated
exactly the opposite result. then. Besides conducting frontline flights, flying Jagdstaffel will see the light of day sooner or
as a unit had to be practiced first, and Boelcke later and going into the many achievements of
Finally becoming a fighter pilot was instrumental in teaching his pilots all they Manfred von Richthofen as the commander of this
A major reorganization was taking place in the needed to know. unit, and later as the leader of Jagdgeschwader I,
Fliegertruppe in the summer of 1916. The first His tenure was to be tragically short, for he was would go far beyond the scope of this article. But
Jagdstaffeln, units solely equipped with single- killed as the result of a crash-landing that was it is safe to say that he transformed an entirely
seater fighter aircraft, were to be formed. The caused by a mid-air collision with the above- unsuccessful formation of pilots into the most
obvious choice of leadership for one of the first mentioned Lt. Erwin Böhme on 28. October. élite and highest scoring German Jagdstaffel
of these new formations was Hauptmann Oswald Yet the roughly eight weeks under Boelcke´s of the war.
Boelcke, by then the far highest scoring pilot in leadership were enough to turn Manfred into During the roughly 15 months that he lead Jasta
Germany. a highly competent fighter pilot. And from all we 11 and Jagdgeschwader I he added another
His status allowed him to hand-pick the pilots know about von Richthofen, he not only passed 64 victories to his tally, in spite of being away
that would serve in his new Jagdstaffel, and one on his knowledge to other pilots like his mentor from the front on several occasions for various
of his trips to pick those pilots resulted in another Boelcke did, but he also adapted Boelcke´s style reasons, and sometimes for fairly prolonged
meeting of the two men. of leadership. periods of times. The victories that he claimed,
Oswald Boelcke´s older brother Wilhelm was and that were confirmed to him, have come under
the commander of Kampfstaffel 10 of Kagohl 2, Taking command of Jagdstaffel 11 an unparalleled level of scrutiny over the past
a neighboring unit of Richthofen´s outfit near The chance to do just that arose for him when he century. While in some cases it was only possible
Kowel. And on a particularly hot summer day in was given command of Jagdstaffel 11 on January to find “likely” matches to his claims, it has not
August 1916 Boelcke and von Richthofen met again 15, 1917, three days after having been awarded been possible to categorically prove that one or
there. The great ace must have seen quite a bit of the “Pour le Mérite”, with his score standing at more them were illegitimate. One cannot help but
potential in the young Ulan pilot, as he was one of 16 confirmed victories. Already while he was wonder what would be left of the total number of
two Kagohl 2 pilots he selected as new members a member of Jasta 2, he had begun to use red as victories credited to some Entente fighter pilots
for his own Jagdstaffel, the other choice fell on his personal color on at least one of his fighters. if someone would take the trouble to put them
Lt. Erwin Böhme. He carried over this color to “his” Staffel, which under the same microscope.
Just three days later Manfred boarded the train soon adopted red noses as their unit markings. In the post-war years, and even fairly recently,
for yet again trip towards the Western Front, And soon his personal aircraft had larger and some authors have described Manfred von
and he arrived at the airfield of Boelcke´s newly larger sections painted red. Richthofen as ruthless, selfish, focused on
formed Jagdstaffel 2 at Vélu on 1. September 1916.
On the very same day, the first three aircraft
were also taken on charge by the new Staffel:
a Fokker D.III and a Fokker D.I were shipped over
from the local Armee-Flug-Park, while Vfw.
Reimann was transferred over to Jasta 2 from
Jasta 1 and brought with him an Albatros D.I.
While it is possible that the unit also had a single

Halberstadt D-type on hand in early September,
no photographic evidence of this has yet been
found. And while further new pilots seemed to
arrive on a nearly daily basis, the unit had to
make do with these three or four aircraft during
the first half of September.
Supposedly taken in the morning of 21. April 1918, this would be one of the last photos of Manfred von Richthofen
Then, on 16. September, six additional Albatros (fourth from right) before his fatal flight. Note the alarm bell just visible in the background of the photo, beween
fighters were delivered to the unit, and the unit the pilots and the tent on the right side.

HISTORY
The souvenir hunters had thoroughly taken apart Dr.I 425/17 when this picture was taken. The inner surface of the remaining fuselage fabric show no sign of
streaking, supporting the theory that at least the upper and side surfaces of this plane were just painted red at the factory.
collecting awards and even bloodthirsty. This 18th victory, the spar in the lower wing of his new newly developed types that were evaluated during
author has been lucky to know some historians Albatros D.III broke, and he was lucky to get to the the three fighter competitions in 1918 were to be
who still had the chance to speak to many of the ground alive. This problem occurred on a number test-flown by frontline pilots on those occasions.
man who served with and under him during the of other aircraft of the same type, and similar This turned out to be the preferable way to ensure
war. And none of these witnesses described him problems resurfaced on the later D.V soon after that the types that were chosen for production
in any such way. On the contrary, the attribute it reached the front. He was thus forced to switch would actually meet pilots expectations. This
seemingly most commonly attributed to him back to one of the older Halberstadt fighters was especially true for the Fokker D.VII, a type
was modesty. Very few photographs show him which had previously served with Jasta 11 until that was put into production at three factories
wearing more decorations than the Iron Cross, a fix to the wing problem could be worked out. (Fokker, Albatros and O.A.W.) as a result of his
Pilots badge and the Pour le Mérite, even during Besides the structural problems, the fact that approval. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to
visits of high-ranking officers at his unit. Had he new variants of the Albatros failed to bring about fly this aircraft in combat, as the first production
been an avid collector of decorations he would noticeable performance improvements also lead examples of the new Fokker biplane arrived at JG
have certainly been keen to show them off. And him to be increasingly disenchanted with the type. I just days after his fatal last mission.
flying single-seat aircraft with the purpose of
shooting down enemy airplanes had to result in Influence on aircraft development Abrupt ending to a stellar career
the deaths of many of his opponents – especially Photographs taken during 1917 document that he While the Triplane most commonly associated
since the Entente commanders had chosen to visited the Fokker, Pfalz and Roland factories in with MvR is his all-red Fokker Dr.I 425/17, he
deny their pilots the luxury of parachutes. He was order to keep himself informed about the latest apparently only flew this particular aircraft for
quite simply a product of the era that he grew up developments of these companies. One cannot a very short period of time. His last two victories
in, and the same is true for the combatants on the help but wonder if he was actively looking for were scored at the controls of this plane on 20.
other side. Judging these men by the standards a potential successor to the Albatros D-types, April 1918, but from late 1917 to early 118 he flew
of our current society after the passage of more which had essentially become the standard a surprisingly large number of Triplanes. Besides
than a century seems somewhat presumptuous. fighter of the Jagdstaffeln during 1917. While he this one, and the F.I prototype (102/17) that was
Much has been made of the fact that his final score scored many victories flying various Albatros shipped to him directly from the Fokker factory
of 80 confirmed victories made him the highest fighters, he always had reservations related to in late August 1917, he is documented to have
scoring pilot on either side, even though he died the single-spar lower wing design of the D.III – flown at least six further Dr. Is at various times:
almost seven months before the Armistice. While D.Va. Dr. I 114/17, 119/17, 127/17, 152/17, 161/17 and 477/17.
this is undeniably true, one has to keep in mind As early as July 1917 he wrote: “…Fokker… has two This listing does not claim to be conclusive, but as
that he was also an extremely talented instructor machines which are superior to the Albatros, but far as current research shows, of these triplanes
who passed on his knowledge to those who served they are not in production.” Here he is relating to only 425/17 may have been painted in an “overall
under him. Besides this, he was instrumental in the Fokker V.1 and V.2 prototypes, which he must red” scheme. And it was this particular plane in
constantly pushing aircraft manufacturers and have seen or even test-flown during a visit to the which the “Red Baron” was mortally wounded in
the Inspectorate of the German Flying Forces to Fokker works in Schwerin during either May or on 21. April 1918, after being hit by a bullet while
develop more advanced single seaters. June. These aircraft never went into production, flying at low altitude. By now, general consensus
Ever since joining Jasta 2 he had mostly flown but the ground-breaking cantilever wing design is that the fatal shot was fired at him by an
Albatros fighters, upgrading with each new was the main feature of all Fokker fighters that Australian machine gunner from the ground,
generations of these fighters from the D.I onwards. would enter series production later. a fate that befell several pilots on both sides of
On 23. January 1917, just as he was scoring his It was thanks to Manfred von Richthofen that the the front.

HISTORY
SPITFIRES FOR MALTA
Text: Michal Krechowski Photo: IWM
Battle of Malta took place from June 1940 days until four Hurricanes arrived as
Due to its strategic location till November 1942 and went down in a reinforcement. Consequently, the British,
at the crossroads of the history as the battle for the “unsinkable now fully aware of Malta’s importance
shipping lines between aircraft carrier”. In the beginning of the and its strategic value, started gradually
WWII this overlooked Mediterranean to reinforce the island defense with more
Gibraltar and Alexandria
island became one of the key spots of Hurricanes.
as well as Italy and North the battle for the Mediterranean and the For the whole year of 1941, Malta had to
Africa, Malta became a target battle of Africa as well as its strategic be defended against the concentrated
of the continuous enemy air importance was paramount. The aircraft, enemy attacks. The Axis powers bombed
attacks. During the WWII, in submarines and ships operating out of the island’s infrastructure focusing on the
order to defend the island, there were able to interrupt the supply port, airport and storage facilities. In the
routes to the Rommel’s Afrika Korps and meantime, the convoys headed for Malta
the British were forced to
in this manner to defend Africa, Suez were mercilessly pursued and destroyed
constantly deploy more and Channel, and valuable oil fields behind which in fact put the island under the siege.
more fighters and pilots to its it. It is well known fact that the mistaken On December 4, 1941, at night the German
“unsinkable aircraft carrier”. political and strategic judgement of the Luftwaffe launched the continuous
air commanders lead to the situation that bombing which lasted five long months
in June 1940 there were almost no fighter and intended to break the resistance
Initially the air defense was provided by aircraft based on Malta. Had not four of the Royal Navy and Air Force finally.
the obsolete Gladiators and Hurricanes. crated Sea Gladiators been accidentally At the end the plan to invade Malta, code
The much-desired Spitfires could only discovered the whole island’s air defense named Hercules, was hastily prepared.
be transferred to the island during the would have been non existing. One of The Field Marshall Albert Kesselring was
spring months of 1942. Newly delivered the aircraft was soon heavily damaged put in charge of the attacks on Malta. His
Spitfires Mk.Vb/Vc ultimately earned their and the pilots bravely defended Malta forces were clearly numerically superior
greatest glory defending this extremely with those three remaining airplanes over the defenders. The frequent bombing
strategically important island. against the enemy attacks for eighteen raids destroyed a major part of the British
HISTORY
aircraft on the ground and in the middle
of February 1942 the defenders were left
with only eleven airworthy Hurricanes. At
the same time the pressure to re-equip
the fighter squadrons defending the island
with Spitfire mounted.
Spitfires over Malta

In the middle of 1941 the Spitfire production
in its latest version Mk.V was not yet
meeting the Fighter Command squadrons
re-equipment requirements therefore the
British aviators in the Mediterranean and
(later) in the Pacific had to make do with
the obsolete types. Only in September
1941 the decision was made to dispatch
the first two Spitfire squadrons to North
Africa. The transfer started in February
of the following year. A portion of these
aircraft was re-directed to Malta. After
a year and half of the fighting the Keith Park in his personal Spitfire Mk.Vb at Safi
procedure of the fighters transportation to flap and wing that prevented the flaps to Airport on the occasion of the opening of the new
the besieged island was well established. close and in this rather primitive manner runway on May 15, 1943.
First the crated, dismantled aircraft were assured some 25 degrees setting. Once
transported to Gibraltar where they were Spitfire was safely airborne, the pilot fully
assembled and boarded on the aircraft dropped the flaps for a moment and the On May 9, during the following Operation
carrier. After the approach to Malta, the shims fell off. After that he retracted the Bowery, another 61 Spitfires were safely
airplanes took off directly from the decks flaps and continued in cruising flight. delivered. Immediately after the landing,
of the aircraft carriers Eagle, USS Wasp The first fifteen Spitfires were delivered to those were refueled, rearmed and took off
(CV-7) or Furious which immediately Malta on March 7 as a part of the Operation to counter the anticipated attacks. In the
after turned back. Except of one instance Spotter. Two weeks later another nine following days the heaviest dogfighting
when Eagle and USS Wasp (CV-7) sailed Spitfires followed (Operation Picket I). took place up until then and Spitfires
together (Operation Bowery) only a single In order to increase the transportation inflicted the heavy losses to the Axis
aircraft carrier sailed to Malta at a time. capacity, the American aircraft carrier powers.
In order to get Spitfire airborne off the USS Wasp (CV-7) was on loan to the
mere 200 m (660 ft) long flight deck it Britons. As a part of the Operation German obstinacy
had to place the landing flaps into the Calendar further 48 Spitfires were Despite this, Kesselring was convinced
take-off setting. However, the Spitfire’s delivered to Malta. However, very few of that the danger coming from Malta
pneumatically controlled flaps had only the freshly delivered aircraft survived defenders to German supply routes to
one setting – 85 degrees which was more than several weeks, sometimes North Africa had been eliminated and
actually a breaking setting for slowing they were lost in couple of days after the reported to the German High Command
down the aircraft during the landing. The landing and there were instances when that “there is nothing left to bomb”. The
solution was quite simple – wooden shims the aircraft was lost on the same day. The invasion of the island was thus postponed,
were inserted into the space between intensity of the fighting was tremendous and a substantial part of the Luftwaffe
and peaked during March–April 1942. was redeployed in the second half of May
During this period, the tonnage of the to support Rommel’s offensive in Libya.
The first Spitfire leaves the deck of HMS Eagle on
bombs dropped on Malta surpassed the Any further air offensive was thus laying
March 7, 1942. Codenamed Spotter, the operation
sent fifteen Mk.Vb Spitfires to the island, which
bombs tonnage dropped on London during primarily with the Italian Air Force.
were received by No. 249 Squadron upon landing. the Battle of Britain. The neutralization of Malta continued
HISTORY
Spitfire Mk.Vb, BP844, the first of nine Spitfires to
reinforce the RAF in Malta during Operation Picket
I, takes off from the deck of HMS Eagle on March
21, 1942. In its cockpit sits the commander of E
Squadron. J. “Jumbo” Gracie. BP844 was shot down
over Malta on April 2, 1942.
to be maintained mainly by the naval

blockade of the island, where defenders
were running low on supplies. The lack
of fresh water was unpleasant and food
rations were being reduced. Despite this
desperate situation, however, Malta was
not about to surrender.
When, during June, the Axis forces
experienced a resurgence of losses on
the supply routes to Africa, a renewed
air offensive was ordered. However, the
island managed to replenish Spitfire
numbers in the intervening time provided
during Operations Style and Salient, and
so once again the attackers met stiff
resistance from the defenders and again
suffered heavy losses. During July, the
Italian bomber air force was withdrawn
from the attacks, and in the second half of
the month only German bombers appeared
over Malta with a combined Luftwaffe and
Regia Aeronautica fighter escort.
Here comes Park

The failure of the renewed air offensive
was also significantly affected by the
change of the air force high command on
the island in mid-July. The command of
Spitfire Mk.Vc, BR344, 3oM, during an engine test
the air force defending Malta was taken the end of July, one hundred Axis aircraft
aboard USS Wasp during the delivery of Spitfires
over by AVM Keith Park. Park’s adversary, had been destroyed, greatly reducing to Malta under the code name Operation Bowery.
coincidentally, became Albert Kesselring the strength of the bombing offensive.
again. Park had been pitted against him When the enemy then switched to high-
in the Battle of Britain as commander flying fighter patrols, Park showed keen
of No. 11 Group. In his new position Park tactical insight. He limited the Spitfire operation Pedestal was dispatched during
immediately introduced a new tactic, the patrols to 20,000 feet (6,100 m), so that the August with a hitherto unprecedented
aim of which was to attack enemy bomber Bf 109s had to drop to an altitude where supplies load carried by 14 British and
formations over the sea between Sicily the defenders with Spitfires had the American merchant ships loaded with
and Malta and force them to drop bombs advantage in terms of the performance of ammunition, aircraft spare parts, fuel and
before reaching their target. The change in their aircraft. food. They were escorted by 36 warships,
tactics later proved to be a turning point, By August, however, the stock situation on including three aircraft carriers. The
as it was very successful and forced the the island was critical. The defenders were Axis powers understood the strategic
Luftwaffe to stop bombing in daylight. By running out of fuel and other necessary importance of this convoy and responded
stuff again and if they were not delivered with a coordinated air and naval attack to
to Malta by September, the island would prevent it from reaching Malta. Despite
probably have to surrender. With fuel in significant losses of merchant and escort
short supply, Park was forced to instruct ships, including the sinking of the aircraft
his pilots to save as much as possible. carrier HMS Eagle, sufficient supplies
When a Spitfire landed, it did not proceed were eventually managed to reach the
with engine on. The pilot immediately shut besieged island. Thus, in late August,
it down and the aircraft was pushed onto three squadrons of Spitfires were able
its stand. If the plane made an emergency to make a highly effective attack on three
landing, it had to be pushed off the runway Sicilian airfields, in which they shot down
immediately, even if there was a risk ten enemy aircraft and destroyed 29 on the
of further damage, just so that others ground with the loss of only two Spitfires.
A Spitfire Mk.Vc is transported by lift aboard the
aircraft carrier USS Wasp bound for Malta during didn’t have to circle the airfield and waste
Operation Bowery. valuable fuel. Indomitable Defenders
With all this in mind, the convoy of the September became the calmest period of
HISTORY
to the “spring board” for the Operation
Husky, i.e., invasion of Sicily. On the eve
of the operation there were 35 squadrons
with 600 aircraft based in Malta. The
capacity of the four existing airfields at
Luqa, Ta Kali, Hal Far and Qrendi was
expanded, and a fifth airfield, Xewkija,
was temporarily built for USAAF on the
adjacent Gozo archipelago. On July 10,
1943, this operation opened the way to
the liberation of the whole continent.
In just couple of days, the Allies captured
the solid supporting base on the Sicilian
soil and soon after the Allied aircraft
were transferred from Malta bases to the
liberated airfields in Sicily and Southern
Italy. Due to these changes the special
Malta camouflages became history.
Spitfires flew their further missions
An RAF ground crew refuels and rearms a Spit-
fire Mark Vc from No. 603 Squadron RAF at Ta
40 aircraft were damaged and 13 Spitfires carrying the standard camouflage
Kali airfield. The protective wall was raised from were destroyed on the ground. patterns only.
empty fuel cans and sandbags. In November the number of Luftwaffe
raids dropped significantly, with only 29
alerts during the month. With the intensity
the whole year 1942. The number of attacks of hostilities so drastically reduced, Allied
on the island dropped significantly, and convoys bringing essential supplies
for the whole month Spitfires took off for found it easier to reach the island and
only 38 scramble sorties. The important also brought material for repairs and
things, however, took place at sea. Thanks airfield construction. Malta’s survival was
to the success of the Pedestal convoy essential to the victory at El Alamein and
and ample fuel supplies in Malta, British the subsequent success of the land battle
offensive operations aimed at supply in North Africa.
routes for Rommel’s “Panzerarmee So much desired Spitfires therefore
Afrika” were once again in full swing. ultimately achieved the air superiority over
While the British were successfully the battlefield and thanks to them Malta
building up supplies in advance of the held on. Until the middle of November,
decisive battle, the Axis forces gradually when the air raids on Malta were recalled, Mechanics of the special assembly group at the
Spitfire Mk.V at Gibraltar. Behind them the fuse-
lost 20 per cent of all supplies sent by sea 385 Spitfires were dispatched to Malta
lages of Hawker Hurricanes can be seen in their
from Italy during September and as much during thirteen operations off the aircraft shipping crates. The Special Assembly Group was
as 44 per cent of supplies in October. carriers, 367 of them flew over to the set up at Gibraltar in July 1942 to assemble and
test fly aircraft transported from Britain and de-
Fuel shortages were particularly critical. island. During the heavy fighting, the
stined for Malta. The two earliest Mk.Vb Spitfires,
It was therefore decided to carry out Spitfire pilots were credited with at least EP720 and EP791, became part of the Operation
another bombing offensive against Malta 600 aerial victories. The most successful Train, the last delivery of Spitfires to Malta.
with the aim of re-securing safe shipping of them all, Canadian George “Screwball”
routes and eliminating it once and for all. Beurling scored 28 confirmed kills.
The offensive, also known as the October He was followed in distant second place
Blitz, was launched on October 11, and by “Paddy” Schade with 14 kills, Canadian
once again there were “dogfights” between Wally McLeod with 13 kills and “Slim”
Spitfires Mk.V, German Bf-109F/Gs and Yarra with 12 kills. A total of 41 Spitfire
Italian C.202s and Re.2001s. However, air pilots scored five or more kills during
superiority over Malta was by then clearly the fighting for Malta, earning ace status.
Spitfires Mk.Vb from No. 249 Squadron at Ta Kali
in the hands of the re-enforced British Almost one hundred of Spitfire pilots paid airfield, autumn 1942.
squadrons, while considerable fatigue the ultimate price during the combat.
was already showing on the German-
Italian side, as well as frustration and After the battle
wear and tear from the previous battles. During the first months of 1943 the air
The spectacularly planned October Blitz battle for Malta ceased. The defenders
lasted only seven days and was a clear won having destroyed more than
defeat for the Axis forces. During those a thousand of the enemy aircraft in
days, RAF pilots flew nearly 2,400 combat combat. Another sign of the change
sorties with their Spitfires, shooting down in the situation of Malta’s defenders was A trio of Mk.Vc Spitfires from No. 249 Squad-
ron waiting on the main runway at Ta Kali for
99 confirmed enemy aircraft, 51 probably the arrival of new Mk.IX Spitfires at the scramble, while a Bristol Beaufighter lands in the
and 122 aircraft damaged with the loss of end of March. The Mediterranean Island background.
24 Spitfires and thirteen pilots. In addition, was transformed from the besieged base
HISTORY
SPITFI RE SUPPLI ES AN D TH EI R CAMOUFLAGE

There is still no definitive information Blue but due to the shortage of this paint mouflage either at Gibraltar before embar-
about the precise color shades applied in there were aircraft painted in different king or immediately upon their arrival on
1942 however, based on the available data shades of blue. The lighter shade, Light the island. The quality of the paint appli-
analysis, study of the period photographs Mediterranean Blue, originally intended for cation was rather inferior to the factory
and factoring in the camouflage standards, the biplanes, was also used, then the naval finish. The coat of paint sometimes fully
the most probable aircraft appearance can Extra Dark Sea Grey, American Blue Gray covered the original paint work, in other
be determined. The camouflage schemes M485 and various colors from the ships‘ cases it was rather thin, and the original
of the Spitfires flown off the island varied stocks, initially not intended to be applied coloration showed through so the new
quite a bit. Initially the most suitable color on the airplanes. Spitfires from the later coating was more of the blue filter rather
was considered the Dark Mediterranean deliveries mostly received the “Malta” ca- than fully covering coat of paint.
March 7, 1942 April 20, 1942 Operation Bowery. Photographic evidence

OPERATION SPOTTER OPERATION CALENDAR from the embarking of the Spitfires
confirms both the desert camouflage in
Dark Earth, Middle Stone, Azure Blue or
Sky and the Navy camouflage in Extra
Dark Sea Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Sky.
According to the veterans’ recollections
The first Spitfires that reached Malta, and The oldest document promulgating the most of the Spitfires were repainted on
the first ones deployed outside of Britain, requirement for the new camouflage for board in some kind of blue or blue-grey
took off on March 7 off the Royal Navy aircraft the Spitfires delivered to Malta was the color. The application of the USN colors
carrier HMS Eagle. During the operation supplement Nr. 1 to M.E. Air Movement seems the most probable. Those are
code-named Spotter fifteen Spitfires Instruction No. 1 dated March 30, 1942. M-485 Non-Specular Blue Gray, applied
Mk.Vb were dispatched carrying 340 l (90 It stated that the Spitfires destined for to the upper surfaces of the twelve F4F
gal) drop tanks which enabled them to Malta were to be camouflaged in the new Wildcats assigned to the USS Wasp (CV-
extend their range for more than 1,000 km scheme of Dark Mediterranean Blue on the 7) CAP duties, and Deck Blue 20-B color
(650 miles) long flight to Malta. All fifteen upper surfaces and Sky Blue on the lower applied to the exterior steel deck as a part
Spitfires safely landed at Ta Kali airfield. surfaces. At the same time, the No. 601 of the aircraft carrier camouflage scheme.
No. 249 Squadron was the first to receive and No. 603 Squadrons personnel in Great There is a third option: both colors, M-485
the new Spitfires and three days later, on Britain was getting ready to be dispatched Non-Specular Blue Gray and Deck Blue
March 10, it flew its first combat missions to Malta with the full complement of 47 20-B could have been applied to maintain
against the Ju 88 formation escorted by new Spitfires Mk.Vc (including reserves). the upper surfaces camouflage pattern on
Bf 109. These aircraft were to be painted in the some Spitfires. In that manner the two-
new Malta camouflage but upon relaying tone blue-grey camouflage scheme would
March 21, 1942 the instructions they were simplified to have been consistent with the scheme on
OPERATION PICKET the “sea camouflage“ which was, logically the upper surfaces of the aircraft operating
Two weeks later another nine Spitfires anticipated as the camouflage applicable to on Malta at that time. The lower surfaces
Mk.Vb reached Malta in the same manner. the Fleet Air Arm aircraft and the aircraft color remained the standard shade of
Spitfires arriving in Malta during the were painted in that way at the factory. Azure Blue or Sky. 46 Spitfires aboard
operations Spotter and Picket were Once this mistake was noticed at Gibraltar USS Wasp and 18 aboard HMS Eagle were
camouflaged in the standard desert scheme the stocks of Dark Mediterranean Blue marked in the same way as the Spitfires
of Dark Earth and Middle Stone on the upper and Sky Blue were loaded together with from the Operation Calendar. The white
surfaces, the lower surfaces were painted the aircraft. The supplies however were numerals 3 or 4 on one side of the cockade
in either Sky or Azure Blue. The lower sufficient for repainting only the portion and the code letter on the other one.
surfaces color depended on the factory: the of the aircraft to be delivered. Out of forty An interesting event worth mentioning
aircraft manufactured at Supermarine had seven Spitfires on board of USS Wasp occurred during the Operation Bowery
Sky, those completed at Aircraft Servicing during the Operation Calendar twenty when the Spitfires took off from the USS
Units (ASU) had the lower surfaces in Azure seven were camouflaged at ASU with Royal Wasp. After the take off in his Spitfire
Blue. Upon the arrival in Malta the Middle Navy colors, the remaining twenty were BR126 X-3, the Canadian pilot, P/O Jerrold
Stone patterns were overpainted in a grey repainted with new “Malta” colors of Dark Alpine “Jerry” Smith found out that his drop
color which is said to have been a mixture Mediterranean Blue and Sky Blue. The tank was inoperable, and he was not able
of various shades. The exact color of this Spitfires on board received markings in to reach the airfield on Malta. He jettisoned
mixture remains unknown, but it’s believed white numerals 1 and 2 and a code lettter. his tank and received order to bail out of his
it was very similar to Extra Dark Sea Grey. Spitfire. Instead Jerry inquired about the
May 9, 1942 attempt to save the aircraft by landing it on
OPERATION BOWERY the aircraft carrier deck. After the captain
March 29, 1942 approved, he indeed tried to do it. His first
OPERATION PICKET II approach was too high and too fast however
The rather strong contrast of the desert his second attempt was successful and he
camouflage colors did not seem the best safely landed his Spitfire and stopped mere
scheme for flying over the sea. Therefore, six feet from the end of the flight deck. He
before embarking on the aircraft carrier at managed, as the first in the world, to land
Gibraltar, the third batch of seven Spitfires For years, based on the archive
photographs, it was speculated what color a Spitfire on the aircraft carrier and even
Mk.Vb had their upper surfaces overpainted without an arresting hook! For his deed
in the dark grey-blue color, probably Extra was applied to Spitfires Mk.Vc transported
on board of the USS Wasp carrier during the P/O “Jerry” Smith was unofficially awarded
Dark Sea Grey. the American Navy Wings from the flight
HISTORY
deck officer David McCampbell, the future upper surfaces: Deep Sky Blue and Dark destined for the Operation Torch (the
most successful USN fighter pilot who, as Slate Grey. Light Mediterranean Blue Allied landing in the North Africa). With the
a LSO (Landing Signal Officer) directed the was to be applied on the lower surfaces. General Eisenhower approval, however,
whole operation. Based on the surviving photographs it is 44 Spitfires were diverted to Malta (32 in
quite probable that some of eight Spitfires Mk.Vb on board of HMS Furious while 12
May 19, 1942 Mk.Vc and 24 Spitfires Mk.Vb participating aircraft in the version Mk.Vc flew directly
OPERATION LB in the Operation Pinpoint could have been from Gibraltar). Operation Train was
camouflaged in these new colors. the last mission to reinforce Malta with
Spitfires flying off the aircraft carrier.
July 21, 1942 These were finished in the standard
OPERATION BELLOWS camouflage scheme of Deep Sky and Dark
Slate Grey on the upper surfaces and Light
Even though no known photographs of Mediterranean Blue on the lower surfaces.
seventeen Spitfires Mk.Vc flying during the
Operation LB came to light it is assumed,
that they were repainted at Gibraltar in
Dark Mediterranean Blue on the upper Operation Bellows was the third mission
surfaces and probably the Azure Blue on during which the Spitfires were transported
the lower surfaces was also repainted from the United Kingdom directly to Malta,
with Sky Blue color. Thanks to the pilots’ bypassing Gibraltar. The operation was an
logbooks we know that these Spitfires integral part of the convoy Pedestal, the
were marked with the code letter C in famous mission to supply Malta. On August
front of the fuselage cockade and two-digit 11, 38 Spitfires Mk.Vb took off off the HMS Sources:
numeral behind it. For example, Spitfire Furious flight deck. All of them, except one,
BR107, delivered during the Operation LB, which was forced to make an emergency Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 082 –
was coded C-22 while BR108 carried the landing on HMS Indomitable, reached Malta Spitfire Aces
code C-20 and BR175 was marked C-51. Malta safely. Typically for Spitfires destined
for Malta, the coloration of the aircraft Air Marshal Sir Keith Park: Victor
June 3, 1043 participating in the Operation Bellows of the Battle of Britain, Defender
is questionable. Most of the airplanes of Malta – Murray Rowlands
OPERATION STYLE
were finished in the desert scheme
with Azure Blue on the lower surfaces, Sniper of the Skies: The Story of
a part of them however received the George Frederick “Screwball” Beur-
ling, DSO, DFC, DFM – Nick Thomas
naval camouflaged in Extra Dark Sea
Grey, Dark Slate Grey and Sky. The
Scale Aviation Modeller; May 21;
Altogether 31 Spitfires Mk.Vc were photographs of Spitfires delivered to Malta
A Malta Story Reprised – The Malta
embarked on the HMS Eagle deck for the during the Operation Bellows confirms Spitfires of 1942 by Paul Lucas
Operation Style. Of them, 27 reached Malta. repainting of the “desert” upper surfaces
Many surviving photographs of Spitfire in the workshops of the local Maintenance Scale Aviation Modeller; Nov 18;
BR305, which was delivered during the Command. It is highly probable that the A Malta Story concluded – The Malta
Operation Style, show that it had been upper surfaces repainting was done with Spitfires November 1942 – July 1943
finished in the Dark Mediterranean Blue/ only one shade of Deep Sky or Extra Dark by Paul Lucas
Sky Blue. Sea Grey or the new standard camouflage
scheme in Deep Sky and Dark Slate Grey Scale Aviation Modeller; Oct 18;
was applied. A Malta Story concluded – The Malta
June 9, 1942 Spitfires June – October 1942;
OPERATION SALIENT by Paul Lucas
Salient was the last operation during August 17, 1942
which the Spitfires camouflaged in Dark OPERATION BARITONE
Scale Aviation Modeller; Sep 17;
Mediterranean Blue and Sky Blue were A Malta Story Continued – Colloquial
delivered. In total 32 Spitfires Mk.Vc were Camouflage Malta Spitfires delivered
delivered during the June. After that, the air via Gibraltar 18 May to 17 August 1942
command on Malta (AHQ Malta) requested by Paul Lucas
the change in the coloration to be applied
to the newly delivered Spitfires. HMS Furious returned to Gibraltar from Scale Aviation Modeller; Aug 17;
her latest mission on August 12 and A Malta Story Continued – Operations
immediately embarked two Hurricanes Oppidan, Hansford and Bowery. USS
July 15, 1942
and 32 Spitfires. On August 16, she set sail Wasp’s Second Spitfire Delivery to
OPERACE PINPOINT
again and a day later 32 Spitfires took off Malta 24 April to 9 May 1942 by Paul
It is not exactly clear why the AHQ Malta
from her flight deck, 14 of them in version Lucas
decided to change their camouflage
Vc and 18 in version Vb. Twenty-nine of
requirements from a single blue color Scale Aviation Modeller; Jan 16;
them managed to reach Malta shores.
on the upper surfaces to the two colors A Malta Story – Spitfire Vc’s of Opera-
According to the period pictures the
pattern which included the lighter blue tion Newman & Calendar 13–20 April
camouflage of these Spitfire varied from
color shade. It might have somehow 1942 (Part 2) by Paul Lucas
the new scheme of Deep Sky and Dark
been related to the appearance of some
Slate Grey to the upper surfaces finished
Spitfires delivered during the Operation Scale Aviation Modeller; Dec 15;
in Dark Mediterranean Blue.
Bowery which carried two tone blue- A Malta Story – Spitfire Vc‘s of Opera-
gray scheme on the upper surfaces. The tion Newman & Calendar 13–20 April
new camouflage scheme, required by the October 30, 1942 1942 (Part 1) by Paul Lucas
AHQ Malta as of June 1942, resulted in OPERATION TRAIN
the adoption of two colors pattern for the The aircraft loaded on the decks of the Malta Spitfire Vs – 1942: Their Colours
OG.85 convoy ships were originally and Markings by Brian Cauchi
HISTORIE
SEARCHING FOR THE LOST

SHIPS WITH PAUL ALLEN
Source: Naval History & Heritage Command

IN A YEAR AND
ONE WEEK Text: Miro Barič
We spoke about the naval battles around Guadalcanal in the previous Aircraft carrier shortly
after completion at Hampton
article. The aircraft carriers also participated in them, however they Roads, Virginia, October 27,
1941
fought from the distance. Some of them were lost during the fighting.
One such loss was the USS Hornet, the last American aircraft carrier
completed before the attack on Pearl Harbor. She sank exactly one year
and one week after entering the service.
The first American carrier was USS Langley obsolete feature was a pigeon cage located efficient operations while Naval aviation was
(CV-1) that entered service in 1920. She came to between two rear cannons. The idea was that the technically advancing rapidly, she helped
life by rebuilding the coal transporting ship USS aircraft taking off of Langley will take a postal trained the first generations of naval aviators.
Jupiter which had been in service since 1913. pigeon on board which will deliver the message After she was completely outdated during 1936-
During the rebuild, eight double cranes were back to the ship. The pigeons were trained while 37, she was re-built as a seaplanes’ carrier. She
removed as well as both smokestacks, which Langley was being rebuilt at Norfolk shipyards was seriously damaged by the Japanese G4M1
up until then had stood next to each other, were and all seemed to work. After that, however, Betty bombers on February 27, 1942, while she
relocated to the port side where they stood in- when the ship set sail and the pigeons were was transporting Curtiss P-40 fighters to Java.
line. In that manner the space for the flight deck, released near Tangier Island they returned to After the crew abandoned her, she was sunk by
mounted on the tall supports, was created. Norfolk. After this blunder the pigeon cage was the escorting destroyers.
While Jupiter coal transport had 19 670 tons eliminated. It was also deleted from the plans
displacement, Langley aircraft carrier featured of the future carriers, USS Lexington and USS Bermuda Triangle
14 100 tons displacement only. The vessel length Saratoga. Langley sank as the last of her sister ships.
was 165 meters and the crew accounted for 468 Langley holds several “firsts” for the US Navy. She was the only aircraft carrier (the second
sailors. Langley carried 36 aircraft which could On October 17, 1922, the first take off from the planned vessel was cancelled after the
use one lift and one catapult. The armament aircraft carrier in the USA took place from her decision was made to rebuild Lexington and
consisted of 127 mm caliber cannons – two on deck as well as, on November 18, 1922, the first Saratoga) but as a former coal ship she had
the bow and two on the stern. They however catapult launched take off. Even though she was three sister ships. And all of them disappeared
could not be used for the AA defense. Another extremely slow (15.5 knots only) to perform without trace in Bermuda Triangle. Sometime

HISTORIE
after Mach 4, 1918, it was USS Cyclops with
306 sailors and passengers on board. She
was sailing from South America to Baltimore,
Maryland. She made a stopover in Barbados,
and it was the last time she was seen. In the
end of 1941, in the same area and on the same
route, within two and half weeks two remaining
sister ships disappeared. First, some time after
November 23, 1941, USS Proteus was lost and

after December 10, 1941, the sea swallowed USS
Nereus. There are several theories about the
ships’ demise. The design fault which weakened
the hull, and it broke under the combination of
a storm and cargo overload was considered. Or
they could have become victims of the German
submarines which themselves were sunk and
could not report their success. In neither case
the Germans recorded an attack on the ship
that would resemble any of those three vessels.
Their disappearance may remain without
US aircraft carriers Langley, Saratoga and Lexington (from bottom to top)
clarification forever.
Learning on the run

Another two vessels were full-fledged aircraft
carriers even though completed through a re-
build. The Washington Treaty from 1922, about
limitations of the Naval armament, practically
excluded building of new battleships and

battle cruisers. However, redesigning of some
of the half-built ships to the aircraft carriers
was permitted. In the USA this was true about
Lexington and Saratoga which entered the
service in 1937 as CV-2 and CV-3. Initially the
Navy was not clear about their purpose either.
Besides the airplanes they carried heavy anti-
shipping weaponry in the form of 203 mm caliber
cannons. However, the variety of exercises
performed on the regular basis taught the
Navy a lesson and they gradually worked out
the correct tactics for the aircraft carriers’ USS Ranger in the 1930s
deployment. It was learnt, for example, that
these ships needed to avoid encounter with the
enemy surface vessels therefore the 203 mm
caliber cannons were deleted. On May 8, 1942,
Lexington was sunk in the Battle of Corral Sea.
We spoke about her fate in the previous articles.
Despite various damages, Saratoga survived
the war and on July 25, 1946, was sunken at
Bikini atoll during the nuclear bomb tests. The
explosion took place barely 370 meters from
the aircraft carrier and despite her size (length

270.7 meters, displacement 37 000 tons) the
whole ship was lifted off the water surface. The
wreck lies in shallow waters and is accessible
to scuba divers.
The first American vessel, designed and built
from the beginning as an aircraft carrier was USS
Ranger (CV-4). The construction begun in 1931
and the ship entered service in 1934. The design,
however, had been under way since 1925, it is
before Lexington and Saratoga were completed.
Also based on the prior experience Ranger’s The aircraft carrier USS Wasp as she enters Hampton Roads, Virginia, May 26, 1942. In the background
design changed several times. Initially the flight is the destroyer USS Edison.

HISTORIE
deck was to be clean, same as on Langley. To Yorktown class on December 14, 1940, and entered service on
eliminate chimneys’ smoke interfering with the The Navy applied the experience from building October 20, 1941. The ship was 251 meters long,
aircraft operations six smokestacks (three on and deploying the previous vessels into building her standard displacement was 20 000 tons
each side) were designed as collapsible. During the next Yorktown class. The war games and full displacement reached 26 000 tons. The
the construction, however, the bridge was added. analysis clearly showed the necessity of fast powerplant, consisting of nine boilers and four
The smokestacks were already completed at aircraft carriers equipped with the large aircraft steam turbines possessed 120 000 HP (89 000
that time and their re-design would have been group on board. In addition, good anti-torpedo kW). Thus, Hornet could reach the speed of 32.5
too expensive, so they were left in the original protection of the hull was required. Therefore, knots. The flight deck measured 248x26 meters.
configuration. Ranger was relatively small, USS Yorktown (CV-5), USS Enterprise (CV-6) and The hangar below measured 166x19 meters and
222.5 meters long, her standard displacement USS Hornet (CV-7) were all built based on these was connected to the flight deck by three lifts.
was less than 15 000 tons and full displacement principles. The construction of the first two Hornet could carry 72 aircraft and the flight
less than 18 000 tons. It was also slower, 29.5 was launched in 1934, right after completion of personnel accounted for 851 people. The ship’s
knots. Lexington and Saratoga could reach Ranger. In addition, the USA managed to put USS crew was comprised of 86 officers and 1280
the speed of 33 knot. Therefore, Ranger was Wasp (CV-7) on the building schedule between sailors. Initially her armament was comprised
considered unsuitable for the Pacific battlefield Enterprise and Hornet. After Langley was of eight single barrel, 127 mm caliber cannons,
and for the most part of the war operated in rebuilt to the seaplanes’ carrier, the tonnage four twin barrel 28 mm caliber cannons and 24
the Atlantic. The German navy was considered limit opened and based on the treaties in place 12.7 mm caliber machine guns. In January 1942,
a weaker opponent than the Japanese navy. at that time the USA could use it for building the the machine guns were removed and gradually
Ranger took part in the operation Torch (landing aircraft carriers. It was not enough for the full- replaced by 32 single barrel 20 mm caliber
in the North Africa) and attacks on the German fledged Yorktown class and the result was kind cannons. Later a single four-barrel, 28 mm
targets in the Norwegian waters. She was the of her down-scaled version. The weight was caliber cannon was added increasing the total
only pre-war American aircraft carrier which saved at the cost of the anti-torpedo protection number of weapons of this caliber to twenty.
did not participated in the fight against Japan. which later proved costly for USS Wasp. Hornet’s
In 1946 she was struck of charge and in January construction begun in September 25, 1939, after Into the action in the Pacific
1947 sold to the scrap yards. WWII broke out in Europe. She was launched All the ships of these class, together with
Source: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation
The USS Wasp was the first aircraft carrier with an elevator at the edge of the flight deck. The aircraft, in this case an SB2U-2 Vindicator from VS-72 in June 1940,
was lifted in a semicircle by two arms on the sides of the elevator platform.

Source: United States Library of Congress HISTORIE
Source: United States Library of Congress

USS Wasp burning shortly before sinking on Sept. 15, 1942
Lexington and Saratoga, bore the brunt of the Japan. Hornet had her own aircraft stored under Dangerous submarines
fighting in the Pacific during the opening stages the deck and on this raid deep into the enemy In the previous article we spoke about the
of the war. Wasp operated in the Atlantic where waters was escorted by Enterprise. The plan Allied counterattack in the Solomon Islands and
she, in the summer of 1941, transported the was to take off 400 nautical miles (740 km) from naval battles around Guadalcanal. The aircraft
American P-40 fighters to Iceland and in April Japan. On April 18, 1942, however, the American carriers took part in this campaign on both
and May 1942 the British Spitfire fighters to fleet was spotted by a Japanese patrol ship and sides. The American carriers were Enterprise,
Malta. Only in June 1942 she transferred to the 16 bombers led by Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle Saratoga, Wasp and Hornet. The first three
Pacific. At the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, took off 600 nautical miles (1110 km) from covered the Guadalcanal landing on August 7,
Hornet was going through training at Norfolk. Japan. It was the first Hornet’s combat mission. 1942. At that time Hornet stayed in Pearl Harbor
In February 1942, during one of her training On April 30, 1942, Hornet set sail from Pearl in reserve in case she was needed elsewhere.
voyages, two twin-engine US Army AF B-25 Harbor to participate in the Battle of Corral Sea, While supporting the landings Wasp lost one
Mitchell bombers were embarked. To the great which was brewing and during which, on May 8, Dauntless and three Wildcats. One aviator was
surprise of the crew these two bombers took off 1942, Lexington sank. Hornet could not make it killed and another wounded. In exchange the
while the ship was on the open sea. The sailors on time, however, together with Enterprise and aircraft from Wasp destroyed 15 flying boats
understood the actual reason of this experiment Yorktown was part of the task force that set up and seven Rufe floatplane fighters on anchor
on April 2, 1942, when Hornet set sail from the trap for Japanese at Midway. On June 7, 1942, and a Rufe and a Zero in the air. The Avengers
Alameda, California, with 16 B-25 bombers Yorktown was sunk but Japanese Navy, but the and Dauntlesses attacked the ground targets
on the flight deck. Skipper Marc A. Mitscher enemy lost four large aircraft carriers and their with bombs.
informed the crew that they were going to bomb advance in the Pacific was stopped. In the evening of August 8, 1942, the American
Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan
127 mm gun on the sunken USS Wasp 28 mm four-barrel gun aboard the USS Wasp
Sunken Grumman Avenger aircraft near the wreck of the USS Wasp

Source: Naval History & Heritage Command HISTORIE

Wildcat of the Hornet on the seabed
A damaged Val dive bomber rushes at the USS Hornet on October 26, 1942. The torpedo bomber Kate takes
off after launching a torpedo.


A Japanese Val bomber shot down directly over the bridge of the USS Enterprise on August 24, 1942. 127 mm gun aboard the USS Hornet
aircraft carriers withdrew to refuel. Between to the rescue teams in an hour the fires were
August 15 and 20, 1942, Enterprise and put out and the flight operations resumed. The
Saratoga returned to cover the aircraft American aviators managed to locate Shōkaku
delivery to Henderson airfield on Guadalcanal. and Zuikaku and ultimately the enemy fleet
Simultaneously the Japanese navy tried to retreated from the area.

transport the reinforcements to the island. Wasp rushed to help Enterprise and Saratoga.
Several task forces set sail with the mission not Her airplanes shot down two Jake floatplanes
to only cover the transportation ships but also and one flying boat, but they failed to locate
counterattack and destroy the American ships the Japanese aircraft carriers. The disaster
around the island. The large aircraft carriers struck in the coming days. First, on August 31,
Shōkaku, Zuikaku and light carrier Ryūjō were 1942, Saratoga was hit by a torpedo and had
assigned to this mission. On August 24 and to withdraw for repairs. She was hit by I-26
The International Harvester tractor for towing aircraft
25, 1942 the encounter at the eastern Solomon submarine which later sank the cruiser USS remained aboard the USS Hornet after her sinking.
Island took place which came down in the Juneau about which we spoke in the previous
history as the third aircraft carriers’ battle ever. article. On September 15, 1942, ever bigger loss
Similar to the Battle of Corral Sea the Americans occurred. I-19 submarine launched six torpedoes
first discovered the light aircraft carrier. Ryūjō against the American group of ships. One hit the
was sailing ahead of the main force with the task battleship USS North Carolina, and another hit
of attacking the Henderson airfield. Saratoga the destroyer USS O’Brien, which sank later.
launched 38 aircraft against her and scored Three torpedoes struck Wasp and caused large
several bomb hits and possibly a torpedo one. fires and a series of explosions below the deck.
The seriously damaged ship sank during the When it became clear that the fires could not
night. The main Japanese force in the meantime be put out the ship evacuation commenced. In
attacked the American carriers. They focused the end 193 crew members and 45 aircraft went
on Enterprise which was hit by three bombs down to the bottom of the ocean.
dropped by Val dive bombers. However, thanks 28 mm four-barrel cannon on the wreck of the Hornet

HISTORIE
Therefore, the Japanese did not rush into action
neither and the next aircraft carriers clash in
the Pacific took place as late as in the summer
of 1944.
The wrecks were found at almost the same time.

Paul Allen was searching for USS Wasp wreck
since 2017. The search continued after his
sudden death on October 15, 2018. In 2019 R/V
Petrel research ship sailed several times and

her crew first announced that in January 2019
they discovered the USS Hornet wreck. It was
preceded by extensive research in the archives
where the reports from nine ships, which
witnessed Hornet demise, were found. This
information was plotted on the map and a grid
created which made it possible to deduce the
aircraft carrier position. R/V Petrel launched an
autonomous underwater robot and a remotely
controlled device equipped with a camera.
Both devices can submerge up to 6000 meters.
The Hornet’s wreck was discovered at the
Japanese heavy cruiser Chikuma during an attack by U.S. aircraft on October 26, 1942 first attempt. It lies upright at a depth of 5330
meters. Only a part of the stern had broken
The last battle before 1944 cruiser Northampton attempted to tow the ship. off and lies nearby. The pictures were taken of
During October 25 through 27, 1942, the Japanese Convinced that Hornet was already sinking the the International Harvester tractor which was
and American aircraft carriers clashed again in Japanese concentrated their second attack used to tow the aircraft. It survived not only
the Battle of Santa Cruz. Shōkaku and Zuikaku, wave on Enterprise. She was hit by two bombs the ship’s fire and the trip to the sea bottom but
as well as two light carriers Zuihō and Junyō and retreated with her escorts. Finally, Hornet after 80 years under the water looked in a good
faced Enterprise and Hornet. In the morning started to be towed and the crew feverishly condition.
of October 26, 1942, while searching for the worked to reinstate her own power. And then Only after a month later the R/V Petrel crew
enemy fleet two reconnaissance Dauntlesses the third wave of attacks arrived. The ship was announced that during the voyage in January
from Enterprise found Zuihō and hit her with hit by another torpedo and two bombs. The 2019 they also discovered the USS Wasp wreck.
two bombs which seriously damaged the Japanese surface vessels were approaching She lies in the depth of 4345 meters. The search
Japanese ship and eliminated her from the so the decision was made to sink the ship. It for her was more complicated since the precise
further fighting. The aircraft from both task was not that easy, however. While the rest of location was not known. The underwater robot
forces clashed on the way to attack each other’s the American ships retreated, the destroyers moved along the programmed six-mile route
ships and a series of dogfights took place. The USS Mustin and USS Anderson fired several and was emitting a low frequency sonar signal
American aircraft attacked in smaller groups. torpedoes and more than 400 127 mm caliber from both sides. In one run the robot was able
Ten Dauntlesses from Hornet carpeted Shōkaku shells into her hull. Not even that was enough. to cover an area of 40 nautical miles. After the
with bombs and hit her at least three times Both destroyers had to retreat as well while robot was retrieved, the obtained data were
(rather optimistic estimate was six times). At Hornet was still afloat and, in an hour and half, analyzed, and the crew returned to the promising
Midway such a punishment would have meant the main Japanese force arrived at the burning locations with another device equipped with the
ship’s demise, however, she escaped this time. wreck. The possibility to capture an American camera. Wasp too lies upright on the sea bottom
The bombs destroyed her flight deck and hangar aircraft carrier was tempting but then the but in the very muddy area. The hull was buried
below it, but there were no fully fueled and Japanese realized it was too late. On October up to the water line therefore the torpedo hit
armed aircraft as at Midway. Thus, the ship 27, 1942, at 01:35 the ship went to the bottom. It could not be determined. There are several
avoided the large fires. happened exactly a year and seven days since Avenger bombers to be found around the ship.
Another nice Dauntlesses from Hornet hit the she entered service. 140 dead sailors and 21 They slipped from the deck while the ship was
heavy cruiser Chikuma with two bombs. Three aircraft went down with the ship. sinking.
Dauntlesses from Enterprise added another Enterprise remained the only American combat
hit, and nine Avengers scored a torpedo capable aircraft carrier in the whole Pacific Source:
hit. The seriously damaged cruiser had to Ocean. Her crew even painted Enterprise vs. Hubáček, M.: Vítězství v Pacifiku. Praha 2003
withdraw from the battle. The Japanese, for Japan on her deck. After the temporary repairs Hrbek, I./Hrbek, J.: Námořní válka vrcholí; Praha 1995
a change, attacked in large formations. The she fought in the area around Solomon Islands
Enterprise task force was covered by rain until the spring 1943. During the fighting for Cbsnews.com
showers so the whole strength of the first Guadalcanal her aircraft were involved in warbirdnews.com
wave of attack concentrated on Hornet. She sinking of 16 Japanese ships. The Japanese navy nytimes.com
was hit by three bombs, two torpedoes and had more carriers at their disposal, however, news.usni.org-wasp
in addition two damaged Japanese bombers many of them were also damaged. Worse yet, news.usni.org.hornet
dived into her on purpose. Hornet stopped there was a shortage of well-trained pilots. history.navy.mil
without power, but the fires were put out Most of them were lost in the fighting in eastern
with the help of escorting destroyers and the Solomon Islands and Santa Cruz Islands.

6. KVĚTNA 9–16.30 h
KULTURNÍ DŮM KOPŘIVNICE
25. ročník mezinárodní výstavy a soutěže
Mezinárodní soutěž plastikových a papírových modelů ve vyhlášených kategoriích
SOUTĚŽ MODELŮ SPECIÁLNÍ CENY „MORAVSKÝ KNIPL“

MLÁDEŽE DO 15-TI LET A „MORAVSKÝ ŠRAPNEL“
#7469 BOXART STORY
One shade of Gray Text: Richard Plos

Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
It´s August 28, 1992. I´m standing next to one of the five was already producing MiG-23s. And, as the Gorky of Delta team were Lt Col. Jiří Moutvička and Lt. Col.
Mi-24Vs of our Pilsen display box as we are preparing plant no longer produced the MFs either, the MiG-21bis František Bittner.
to our choppers´ startup procedure prior to the general being the standard product there, they manufactured The disaster in which Jiří Moutvička died was the first
rehearsal of our performance for tomorrow´s Airshow the “Grayishs” as side products for last-call MiG-21MF nail in the coffin of the Delta team. The next was the
in České Budějovice. The first APU sounds, but as I am orders by several countries. disbanding of the 9 Fighter-Bomber Regiment and the
in the fifth solo chopper there is still some time for us The “Grayishs” actually represented a kind of overhaul of the no. 2205 aircraft in November 1992.
to follow. With my foot on the footrest under the cockpit, intermediate type, as they carried several features Subsequently it served with the 82 Independent Fighter
gripping the edge of it, I can´t resist to watch the of the MiG-21bis version. For example, they differed Squardon in Mošnov and then in Čáslav, there already in
dynamic performance of a MiG-21MF. It roars through from the standard MFs by a different “periscope” the MFN version. Aircraft No. 2410 also served briefly in
the air on full throttle with the afterburner and starts (rear-view mirror), a different cockpit layout, in which Mošnov, but it did not see overhaul nor upgrade to the
a spectacular steep bank roll through the reverse a modernized KM-1M ejection seat was installed, MFN version and was handed over to the museum in
position. The seconds which follow are like a slow- a slightly different gun cover, and a different location Kbely, where it is still located today.
motion movie. In the reverse position, the aircraft pitches of the cartridge belt covers. In addition, oval panels As part of the repairs carried out at the beginning of the
the nose sharply and descends rapidly. The pilot tries to were missing on the upper side of the wing. This change 1980s in the Aviation Repair Shop Kbely, the “Grayishs”
get the aircraft back to normal position but having not was related to a different technological procedure
were repainted with a similar shade of a gray paint, the
enough speed it is now flat-falling rather than flying. for sealing the wing integral tanks. The Moscow plant
exception being aircraft No. 4175, which for unknown
The MiG disappears behind the edge of the distant forest first assembled the wing and then injected the liquid
reasons was painted in a slightly blue-gray shade.
and suddenly the big explosion cloud rises and its sound seal into the tank through the hole under the panels.
However, some of the standard MiG-21MFs also received
hits us a split second later … It´s clear there would be However, at Gorky they applied the seals during the
gray paint as a part of repairs, so not every MiG-21MF in
no point to start our engines. The crash was disastrous assembly of the wing and so they did not need the hole
a gray color is a “Grayish”. This nickname belongs only
as Lt. Col. Jiří Moutvička was killed. He was a member under the oval panels.
to the aircraft with fuselage numbers 2205, 2410, 2500,
of the Delta team, the group of three pilots and aircraft The Delta team was founded in the spring of 1992 by Lt.
which was performing MiG-21MF displays. He died in Col. František Hlavnička (who died in a car accident on 3008, 4003, 4008, 4017, 4038, 4101, 4127, 4175, 4405,
the cockpit of aircraft number 7709, the camouflaged August 13, 2019). This excellent pilot and later inspector 4421, 5494, 5508, 5512, 5581, 5603, 5612 and 9307. The
one and also the only standard MiG-21MF of the team. of piloting techniques at the Air Force Headquarters 2205, 2500, 3008, 4003, 4017, 4127,4175, 4405, 5581 and
The other two aircraft were examples of the last (already as a Full Colonel) had been demonstrating the 5603 were converted to the MFN version. Aircraft 3008
20-aircraft delivery of this type to Czechoslovakia. As MiG-21s since 1988, and it was his idea to spray paint the and 4127 were destroyed in the crash on October 10,
they were delivered in a light grey color, the nickname wing and fuselage of one camouflaged aircraft (7709) 2000, while No. 5494 was also lost in a previous crash
“Greyish” was logical. They all were produced by Plant and two “Grayishs” (2410 and 2205) with winged arrows (1980).
No. 21 in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod), which by that in the colors of the Czechoslovak tricolor. In addition, One of the two “Grayihs”" with striking Delta team
time was already producing a more advanced version the Delta team emblem was painted on the vertical graphics is depicted on Piotr Forkasiewicz´s boxart
MiG-21bis. Czechoslovakia decided not to introduce the stabilizer and the number 9 on the rudder represented for the kit Cat. No. 7469 in a low pass over the base.
latter, as it had already its fighter regiments on full the 9 Fighter-Bomber Regiment based in Bechyně. It may just be leaving for an airshow, and the pilot is
strength with MiG-21MFs. These were all produced by Together with František Hlavnička, who even at the end determined to show what this aircraft can do despite
Znamaya Truda Plant No. 30 in Moscow. However, at of his flying career considered himself a “young pilot” (in its age...
the time of the order for the last MiG-21MFs the latter the sense that he still had a lot to learn), the members

BOXART STORY #84188
The Star of Africa Text: Jan Bobek

Illustration: Marek Ryś
Hans-Joachim “Jochen” Marseille was born a positive assessment in December 1940. 17 of these were achieved in a single day,
in 1919 in Berlin and was a descendant of In December, Marseille was transferred to on 1st September. In September 1942, he
Huguenot immigrants. He came from a difficult 4./JG 52 under the command of Johannes was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann.
family background and had strong ties to his Steinhoff. Among “Jochen's” colleagues in this Marseille had versatile skills in both piloting
younger sister Ingeborg, who was murdered Staffel was Gerhard Barkhorn. But “Jochen” and gunnery. He did not hesitate to maneuver
in 1941, and “Jochen” was reportedly unable did not stay there long either, apparently the in enemy formation at low speed and to
to cope with her death. With 158 victories, he reason again being disciplinary problems. perform deflection shooting. He also tried to
became the most successful German fighter Steinhoff later commented: “Marseille was rescue downed enemy airmen in the desert
pilot fighting against the Western Allies. In constantly undisciplinned, but he was an and dropped news of their fate on the other
1938, he joined the Luftwaffe and one of his excellent flier. Something was wrong in his side of the front. Marseille was killed on 30th
instructors was Julius Arigi, one of the most family. He never wanted to see his father September 1942 at Sidi Abd el Rahman while
successful Austro-Hungarian fighters of the again.” jumping from his machine with damaged
First World War. In February 1941 he was transferred to engine. News of his death was carried even
On August 10, 1940 Marseille was assigned 3./JG 27. He had a brief deployment in the by the Allied press. A small pyramid was
to 1.(Jagd)/LG 2, which at that time fought Balkans with his new Staffel, but by April he erected at the site of the tragic end. He was
in the Battle of Britain. He flew as wingman had already scored his first victory in Africa. nicknamed the “Star of Africa” and Adolf
(Kaczmarek) of StFw. Helmut Goedert and When Marseille told his new Staffelkapitän, Galland called him “the unrivalled virtuoso
achieved his first victory on 24 August. He who was Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt, about among fighter pilots”. Marseille was known
gradually added six more enemy kills to his the difficulties he had had with his previous for his bohemian life, his relationships with
tally with this unit, but his Staffelkapitän, units, his new superior asked him, “And you famous female artists. He ran a bar in the
Oblt. Adolf Buhl had difficulty with him. want to become a big eagle here?” Marseille desert outposts called “The Blue Cave” and
A report he prepared on the young airman answered quite frankly, “The biggest!” his favorite song was “Rumba Azul”. In 1957,
on 6 September, after four weeks with the By the end of 1941 he had 36 victories to his a German-Spanish feature film “Der Stern
unit, shows that the undisciplined Marseille credit. He often scored several kills in one day. von Afrika” was made about him.
had been reprimanded, given three days After achieving his 50th aerial victory on 21st The question remains, of course, how
of light imprisonment and five days of February 1942, he was awarded the Knight's successful a fighter Marseille actually was.
detention. According to Buhl, however, Cross. He received the Oak Leaf Cluster in Researchers Dan Case and Nick Hector
Marseille flew with wisdom and courage. He early June after achieving his 75th victory, conclude that 135 kills can be documented
was honest and friendly with his colleagues and in the same month he also received the out of the Marseille´s total of 158 officially
and was above average intelligence. In Swords for his 101st aerial victory. In June certified and five unconfirmed victories.
difficult situations he handled himself with 1942 he was appointed commander of 3./JG Marseille thus has an 82.8 % accuracy rate
poise and aggressiveness, and after four 27. In early September 1942, after achieving for his claimed victories.
weeks he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd 126 victories, he received the Diamonds to
and 1st Class. The Gruppenkommandeur the Knight's Cross. Between 31st August 1942
Herbert Ihlefeld also gave him and September 26, he achieved 57 victories,

#8162 BOXART STORY
The last victim Text: Richard Plos

Illustration: Adam Tooby
The September morning of April 20, 1918, is still sends his aircraft into a steep-bank turn. He burning. David runs towards it, but the heat of
shrouded in a foggy haze when the cough of an finds himself facing the red Dreidecker that fired the flames won´t let him near the wreckage.
engine, revved up for the morning engine warm- at him. He tries to escape with even more violent The body of his CO is not inside and will never
up, cuts through the silence. Another hectic maneuvering, and at one point manages to get be found ... Then a red Dr.I flies over the grim
day of the German spring offensive starts at the red machine in his gunsight. He knows all scene and waves. Is Manfred von Richthofen
Cappy airfield for the JG I and its commanding too well who he´s dealing with, and after some honoring his victims, or is he trying to attract
officer Manfred von Richthofen. At Val Heureux of his bullets hit the fuselage of the opponent´s the attention of the nearby German soldiers
airfield, just some 30 miles to the northwest, aircraft, he wonders how great it would be if he, for future verification of his victories? We don´t
members of No. 3 Squadron RAF, led by twenty- a rookie who´s only been at the front for three know. He himself cannot know that the man on
four-year-old Major Richard Raymond-Barker, weeks, was the one to shoot down the famous the ground was his last victim, nor would he
are carrying out similar procedures. In the ace. But the fortunes are to change. The enemy ever know that he was a barely twenty-year-old
evening, these units will fight an air battle and is an all-too-experienced pilot. He escapes and David Greswolde “Tommy” Lewis from Southern
Manfred von Richthofen will achieve his last within seconds the hunter is the prey. One of Rhodesia. A native of Bulawayo who, as soon
two victories. One of his victims will be the Red Baron´s bullets shatters the compass, as his age allowed, made his way to the UK
commander of the British unit... another miraculously misses David´s head, hits and joined the ranks of the RFC. He graduated
Camels of No. 3 Sqn took off from Val Heureux his aviation goggles and knocks them off. Just from pilot school in April 1917, was promoted
under the lead of Capt. Douglas Bell, C Flight as miraculously, another bullet gets through to officer rank in June and served with
leader, although Raymond-Barker was also his pant leg, but only grazes the pilot himself. No. 78 (HD) Squadron before being transferred to
on patrol. When the formation was less than Then a few bullets hit the fuel tank. Even so, it´s No. 3 Squadron at the end of March 1918. After
three miles behind the front line, it was spotted a stroke of luck anyway, as only a small reserve being shot down over enemy territory, he spent
by pilots from Jasta 11. The fight began with tank is hit. Instead of a devastating explosion, it the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp
a frontal attack by both formations and at 18:40, “only” catches fire and Lewis immediately dives at Graudenz (now Grudziądz, Poland) and then
just seconds after the rivals engaged each his Camel. He plummets to the ground as flames returned to Southern Rhodesia. He farmed and
other, the main fuel tank of Raymond-Barker´s consume the fuselage´s canvas covering. It´s also worked in government administration and
Camel exploded after a direct hit. The one who a race against time to get to the ground before died on August 10, 1978, outliving his conqueror,
fired the bullet was none other than the Red the fire destroys the controls! A hard emergency who died the day after their duel, by more than
Baron. Three minutes later, von Richthofen “landing” at around 60 mph rips the poor Camel sixty years...
was attacking another opponent. It was Camel apart and the impact throws David out of the Adam Tooby´s boxart captures the moment after
number B7393 . And here we start with our cockpit. He briefly loses consciousness and Lewis´s Camel was hit. The young pilot turns his
story... when he regains it, he lies motionless for burning machine into a steep dive as the Red
Lieutenant David Lewis notices his commander´s a moment. Perhaps he´s reluctant to believe Baron watches his victim. The Dr. I of Werner
plane explodes, but doesn´t have time to watch he´s alive. He gets up and is astonished to find Steinhäuser, who also took part in the battle on
his fate. He attacks one of the enemies, but that, apart from minor burns, he is unharmed. April 20, can be seen in the background hunting
suddenly splinters fly off of one of his Camel´s A miracle! Less than 50 yards away, the another Camel. His Dreidecker is also part of
struts. He kicks the pedals, full throttle and wreckage of the Raymond-Barker´s Camel is the markings offered in the box.

KITS 05/2023
F6F-5 Hellcat late 1/48

#8229
Weekend edition kit of US naval fighter aircraft F6F-5
Hellcat in 1/48 scale. This version of the legendary
naval fighter was without a window in the fuselage
behind the cockpit
plastic parts: Eduard

marking options: 6
decals: Eduard
PE parts: yes, pre-painted
painting mask: yes
resin parts: yes, wheels
Product page

KITS 05/2023
Lt. Eugene A. Valencia, VF-9, USS Lexington, February 1945
One of the highest scoring naval fighter aces, day of the massive, combined strike on Rabaul, division started to reap the benefits of their
Eugene Anthony Valencia, made himself famous Valencia achieved three full victories plus one training. Valencia increased his score steadily
as leader of the “Valencia Circus”, which was shared. After one victory at the end of January from February 16, 1945, when he added his eighth
the name given to his division because of their 1944, he became ace with three Zeros shot down full victory near the Imba lake. At the end of the
ability to shoot down enemies and also thanks to on February 17. When back from his first combat tour, his score counted 23 confirmed enemies
their rather flamboyant demeanor. He was born tour, he worked with selected pilots on the tactics shot down, two probably and two damaged,
on April 13, 1921, in San Francisco and joined “Mowing Machine”, the idea he got during fights making him the third best US naval ace of WWII.
the US Navy in 1941. He was designated a Naval over Truk archipelago. In this tactic a pilot could He passed away in 1972.
Aviator on February 9, 1942, and after a stint as constantly be on the attack while his mates would
an instructor, he reported to VF-9 on board of USS be providing cover for him. The VF-9 returned to
Essex a year later. When November 11 came, the Pacific in January 1945 and soon after Valencia’s
Lt. Cornelius N. Nooy, VF-31, USS Belleau Wood, August 1945
Cornelius Nicholas Nooy was born on April 15, did not waste time and achieved his first aerial probably the emblem of NYSIA. This aircraft
1921, in Smithtown and became probably the victory on January 29, when he shot down one served several pilots to take commemorative
deadliest ornamental gardener in the world, Zero while another was classified as probable. In photos at the end of the tour and so all the logos
as he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the end he had 19 victories to his credit, ranking and names were temporary. As the unit’s symbol
Ornamental Horticulture from the New York State him the fifth most successful US naval fighter was usually placed in front of the windshield, we
Institute of Agriculture in 1941 and also became of WWII (rank shared with Alexander Vraciu and presume it was also the case of this aircraft. Nooy
one of the most successful Naval fighters. He Patrick Fleming) and the most successful fighter left active duty on December 28, 1945, and served
enlisted in the US Navy on March 18, 1942, and operating from light aircraft carriers. The Hellcat in the Naval Reserve, where he was promoted to
started his flight training on August 1, 1942. Four depicted here sports symbols of all of his victories Lt Cdr on February 1, 1952. He died of cancer just
and a half months later he was designated a Naval under the windshield and also his name and the a month before his 37th birthday.
Aviator and became member of VF-31. There he emblem of the VF-31. Between them, there was

KITS 05/2023
BuNo 70597, Lt. James L. Pearce, VF-17, USS Hornet, March 21, 1945
James Lano Pearce became not only a Naval return to west coast, where he helped to reform the next 15 years helped with the development
fighter but also a remarkable aviation personality. VF-17 from March 1944. He returned to combat of the North American Aviation aircraft. During
He enlisted with the Navy on July 3, 1941. After aboard USS Hornet (CV-12). He shared one Myrt this service he lost his left leg below knee in 1953
getting his “wings” and promotion to the rank of shot down on March 18, 1945 and his best day but kept flying. Another change came at the early
Ensign he served with VS-52 flying scout planes came on March 21, when he sent down two Betty stage of the Apollo space program. Jim Pearce
from Bora Bora, Society Islands, from December bombers and finally recorded 5,25 victories plus was placed in charge of test and check out of
1942 to July 1943. Following he was transferred 15 aircraft destroyed on the ground. After the the Apollo Command and Service Modules for
to VF-18 and he probably shot down a Zeke on war he was stationed at the Flight Test Division the Lunar program and remained at the Kennedy
November 11 in vicinity of Rabaul and shared at NAS Patuxent River until his departure from Space Center until 1967, when he decided to start
0,25 of the victory over a Betty on December 25, the Navy on August 27, 1948. He then continued his own business, which he run until February 9,
1943. A damaged Betty bomber on January 1944 his career of test pilot with Grumman, but just 2011, when he died.
was his last achievement with VF-18 prior to his after six months he changed employer and for
BuNo 72663, Ens. William A. Sinnott, VF-24, USS Santee, July 7, 1945
July 7, 1945, was not a lucky day for the escort landings on Okinawa from April 1 and helping nature of their tasks. Two months and two weeks
carrier USS Santee units VF-24 and VT-24. During British carrier forces to deny Japanese units to after the crash on the deck of USS Santee, the
the landing procedure the arresting hook of the use the airfields on the Sakishima islands. On VF-24 was disbanded on September 20, 1945. As
Hellcat flown by Ens William A. Sinnott broke, the June 16, USS Santee launched a fighter bomber a part of the Carrier Division 22, their Hellcats
aircraft cleared all the barriers a ran into parked mission against targets on Kyūshū, Japanese sported white tails and white rectangles on the
planes, causing a fire. Four Hellcats and two mainland. On June 19 the ship arrived at Leyte leading edge of the starboard wing’s upper side).
Avengers were jettisoned, six torpedo bombers Gulf and undergo minor repairs. She was in The aircraft of USS Santee were distinguished
were damaged and one of the pilots of the parked action again from July 1 and at the time of the by two yellow stripes on the rear fuselage and
aircraft was killed. VF-24 was on its second tour Sinnott’s crash was covering minesweeping on the wing, accompanying the white rectangle.
from March 27 to July 19. During this spell the operations west of Okinawa. During the whole Aircraft from USS Chennango sported one yellow
pilots were mostly tasked with ground attack second tour the pilots of VF-24 achieved just stripe, USS Suwanee two white stripes and USS
missions, as they were supporting the Allied three aerial victories, which was down to the Sangamon one white stripe.

KITS 05/2023
BuNo 72296 Lt. Louis A. Menard, jr., VBF-12, USS Randolph, February 17, 1945
Louis Arthur Menard, called Lou, joined the Navy the rank of Lieutenant on April 1, 1944, he was Menard flew Hellcat BuNo 72296 and a painting
on July 21, 1941. He was designated a Naval Aviator attached to the VF-12 and, on January 2, 1945, accompanying the interview with him portrays the
on January 31, 1942 and promoted to the rank of moved to its sibling squadron VBF-12. February 16 aircraft with tactical number 32. We thus assume
Ensign. His first combat deployment took him to was the day of his last victory. He shot down one it was the one Lou had to bail out from. Another
North Africa on board of USS Ranger as a member Judy, but the next day he had to bail out over the source states the aircraft was BuNo 72635 and
of VF-9. There he achieved one confirmed and one ocean and strong wind dragged him through the to make the things even more complicated, there
probable kill flying F4F-4 on November 9. A year water. The crew of the destroyer Taussig finally were two Hellcats with number 32 on board of
later, on November 11, he added two Zekes to his saved him. This ended his tour and he returned to USS Randolph. Which of them was this No. 32
tally still as a member of VF-9, but aboard USS the USA. He stayed in active duty until 1968, when Hellcat of VBF-12 is not clear. The decals offer
Essex. After shooting down a Kate on January 29, he retired in the rank of Commander. He was XO both BuNo. options.
1944, he made himself an ace as he shot down two of VF-33 from June 1953 and CO of VF-102 from
Kates and two Petes on February 17. Promoted to September 1954. Regarding the Navy loss list,
Flottille 1F, PA Arromanche, French Indochina, 1951
The French Navy bought 124 F6F-5s and fifteen its pre-war colony but faced the communists F8F Bearcat. Their Hellcats were painted in Gloss
F6F-5Ns between 1950 and 1953. The plane opposition led by Ho Chi Minh. The unit was Sea Blue and had a modified French roundel
equipped several combat units, including famous transformed into 11F on June 20, 1953, while back with an anchor. The aircraft sported the famous
wartime I/6 Corse and II/6 Normandie-Niemen in France, and sent back to French Indochina symbol of the Seahorse on the vertical stabilizer.
squadrons. The Naval 1F Flotille was another unit immediately. The Hellcats were also used by 54S, The appearance of the seahorse varied from
to convert to Hellcats and one of those fighting 57S and 59S training squadrons. French scrapped aircraft to aircraft.
in Indochina, where France tried to reinstate their Hellcats in 1960 and replaced them with the

KITS 05/2023
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KITS 05/2023
SPITFIRE STORY: MALTA DUAL COMBO

1/48
#11172
Limited edition kit of British WWII fighter aircraft Spitfire Mk.Vb
and Vc in 1/48 scale. From the kit you can build Spitfires fighting
in the defence of the island Malta.

marking options: 15
decals: Eduard
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no
Product page

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vb Trop, AB264, F/O Robert W. McNair, No. 249 Squadron, RAF Ta Kali, Malta, March 1942
The first three Spitfire Mk.Vb deliveries to Malta Sky, or Aircraft Servicing Units (ASU) which used down a Ju 87 and in November Sgt. Thomas
were conducted under the code names Spotter Azure Blue color. Upon arrival in Malta the Middle Kebbell shot down a Ju 88. Spitfire AB264 was
and Picket/Picket II. Spitfires that arrived Stone camouflage pattern was overpainted in one of 16 aircraft in of the first Spitfires delivery
in Malta during the Operations Spotter and Extra Dark Sea Grey. Spitfire AB263 was ferried to Malta which survived the campaign and
Picket were camouflaged in Dark Earth and to Malta by P/O Peter Nash on March 7, 1942, had a long service life. It served with No. 249,
Middle Stone on the upper surfaces, the lower during the Operation Spotter. On March 20, 1942, No. 185, No. 1435 and No. 229 Squadron. In May 1943
surfaces were painted in Sky or Azure Blue. The a Canadian pilot, Robert Wendell “Buck” McNair it was overhauled and handed over to the USAAF.
lower surfaces color depended either on the shot down a Ju 88, another Ju 88 probably and It finished its career in the Middle East.
manufacturing factory Supermarine, which used damaged another one. On March 25, Nash shot
Spitfire Vb Trop, EP122, Sgt. Claude Weaver III, No. 185 Squadron, RAF Ta Kali, Malta, July 1942
Spitfire EP122 arrived in Malta from HMS Eagle on Thompson at its controls shot down a Bf 109 shore in 1969. In the middle of 1970, the wreck
July 15, 1942, during the Operation Pinpoint and and Ju 88 and damaged another two Bf 109s. In was recovered. The initial restoration work was
was immediately assigned to the combat duty the beginning of 1943 EP122 was ordered to the done by Steve Vizard in Hampshire followed by
with the No. 185 Squadron. It became a regular No. 1435 Squadron where it flew carrying the code the Airfram Assemblies in Sandown, Surrey. The
mount of Sgt. Claude Weaver III who scored five letter L. On March 27, 1943, it made an emergency airframe was transferred to Biggin Hill Heritage
kills (4x Bf 109 and 1x Ju 88). He became the landing at the edge of the cliff in Dwejra Bay on Hangar for the completion. The first flight from
youngest Allied ace during the conflict. Later Gozo island. EP122 was afterward dumped over Biggin Hill took place in May 2016. The naval
EP122 became the personal mount of the Wing the edge of the cliff into the bay. EP122 wreck, camouflage and markings are authentic however
Commander J. M. Thompson who had the aircraft lying in 10 m depth, was discovered by scuba the typical tropical air filter is missing.
marked with his name initials JM-T. In October divers from the RAF Sub Aqua Club on the Gozo

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vb Trop, EP706, P/O George F. Beurling, No. 249 Squadron, RAF Ta Kali, Malta, August - October 1942
A brilliant pilot and sharpshooter but rather on August 11, 1942 during the Operation Bellows. through. P/O “Screwball” Beurling had his kill
mysterious personality, Canadian George The original desert camouflage was repainted at markings painted on the fuel tank cover of his
Frederick Beurling achieved unbelievable the Malta Maintenance Command probably with Spitfire flown regularly between August 20 and
successes during the fierce fighting for Malta Deep Sky or Extra Dark Sea Grey color. According October 9. He flew 27 combat missions with it and
in 1942 where in the course of a half year he to the period pictures, the wing upper surfaces scored four out of his total 28 kills achieved in
scored 28 confirmed kills. Beurling’s Spitfire around the weapon wells were rather worn and Malta.
EP706 arrived in Malta off the HMS Furious deck the original desert camouflage was showing
Spitfire Vb, EP829, S/Ldr John J. Lynch, No. 249 Squadron, RAF Qrendi, Malta, February - May 1943
Spitfire EP829 was flown by S/Ldr Lynch from anniversary kill he had painted “Malta’s 1000” Axis transportation aircraft which supplied the
February to May 1943 with No. 249 Squadron and in white under the windshield. John Lynch was German and Italian troops in Tunisia. In July
was part of the delivery during the Operation Train born on February 3, 1918, in Alhambra, California. 1943 he was ordered to the USAAF but did not fly
which was the last Spitfire delivery to reinforce In 1941 he joined RAF and in September 1941 he combat. He returned to the United States where
Malta from the aircraft carriers. Spitfires were completed his pilot training at No. 56 OTU. His after the war end continued his service with the
finished in the standard Malta camouflage first assignment was at No. 232 Squadron. The USAF. In 1956 he became an operations officer
scheme with the upper surfaces in Deep Sky and following month he joined the No. 121 “Eagle” with the 49th Fighter-bomber Wing on Okinawa
Dark Slate Grey. EP829 initially flew with clipped Squadron and No. 71 “Eagle” Squadron where, on but shortly after, on March 9 he was killed in the
wings, later was operated with the full wingspan. April 17, 1942, he shared a victory over a Ju 88. aircraft crash in F-84G near Naha airport. During
The squadron commander insignia and five kill In November 1942 he was transferred to Malta his wartime career Lynch claimed in total 17 kills
markings, achieved by April 25, 1943, were painted and assigned to No. 249 Squadron with which he (10 individual and 7 in cooperation), one probable
on the fuselage fuel tank. Three days later, Lynch flew combat in the area. In the beginning of 1943, and two enemy aircraft damaged.
shot down two Ju 52 and scored 1,000th victory he was promoted to the squadron commander
for the Malta defenders. To commemorate this and achieved many successes against the

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vb, ER647, S/Ldr John R. Urwin-Mann, No. 126 Squadron, RAF Luqa, Malta, spring 1943
ER647 represents yet another of the camouflage The depicted ER647 was flown by the No. 126 in 1945 finished its career with the French AF.
schemes used in Malta where the factory applied Squadron commander, a Battle of Britain ace During his wartime career, John Roland “Jack”
Middle Stone was repainted with Dark Slate Grey. S/Ldr Urwin-Mann, who on January 28, 1943, shot Urwin-Mann scored 10 kills, two of them shared.
A Mk.Vb painted in similar way is documented down a Me 210 flying this aircraft. In February
in the color photographs by AVM Keith Park. 1944, ER647 was handed over to the USAAF and
Spitfire Vb Trop, ER187, Maj. Frank A. Hill, 309th FS, 31st FG, Xewkija, Gozo - Malta, beginning of July 1943
In the middle of 1943, Malta became a fundamental airport, also known as Ta’ Lambert, was built as different designs of the national insignia, with
“springboard” for the Operation Husky, an Allied the principal USAAF airbase during the Operation a yellow outline and also with the “wings” with
invasion of Sicily. The island became a key post Husky in the very short time of 12 days of the the red outline which fell into the period of their
mainly due to its support of the air operations. construction only to cease the operations after official application, from June 28 to the end of
There were five operational airfields on Malta, mere six months of the intense traffic. In June July 1943. A question remains if the new insignia
all of them occupied by the large numbers of the 1944 the land on which the airport was built was were painted for that ten days stay on Gozo or
British airplanes which impaired the operations returned to the original landlords and turned back in Sicily, where the 31st FG was transferred on
of the USAAF units. The only solution was to turn to the fertile soil. One of the Spitfires flying out of July 13, 1943. During his wartime carrier Maj.
the attention to Gozo, mountainous land which the airfield Xewkija in the beginning of July 1943 Frank Hill shot down in total eight enemy aircraft
is the part of the Malta archipelago. The area in was ER187, a personal aircraft of the commander including two shared victories, two probable and
Xewkija turned out to be the best solution despite and the most successful pilot of the 309th FS, he also damaged five enemy aircraft.
the negotiations with the local farmers. Xewkija Maj. Frank Hill. His Spitfire is known to carry two

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vb Trop, ER187, Maj. Frank A. Hill, 309th FS, 31st FG, Xewkija, Gozo - Malta, beginning of July 1943
Maj. Frank Hill’s Spitfire is known to carry two outline which fell into the period of the official painted for the ten days stay on Gozo or in Sicily
different designs of the national insignia, with application, from June 28 to the end of July 1943. where the 31st FG was transferred on July 13,
a yellow outline and with the “wings” with the red A question remains if the new insignia were 1943.
Spitfire Vc Trop, BR190, F/Sgt Virgil P. Brennan, No. 249 Squadron, RAF Ta Kali, Malta, May 1942
Spitfire BR190 arrived in Malta on April 20, 1942, in Queensland on March 6, 1920, and before the was attached to the No. 249 Squadron. Between
during the Operation Calendar. It carried the war practiced law. In November 1940 he joined March 17 and June 7 he scored seven kills. In July
naval camouflage which was on the board of RAAF and was sent to Canada for an advanced he completed his tour of duty with the No. 249
USS Wasp (CV-7) partially overpainted with so- training. In August he was ordered to the Great Squadron and flew back to the Great Britain. Here
called Malta blue. On May 5, at the controls of Britain where he continued his training with No. he served as an instructor with the No. 52 OTU
this unusually camouflaged Spitfire, F/Sgt Paul 53 OTU. In October he was assigned to the No. 64 until January 1943 and after that he set sail for
Brennan shot down a Bf 109. Spitfire BR190 flying Squadron but in the beginning of March he was home, Australia. On May 1 he was assigned to the
career however was very short. On May 14 it was transferred to Malta. On March 17 he flew off No. 79 Squadron RAAF in Laverton, unfortunately
destroyed during the bombing of the airport Ta the HMS Eagle deck to the island together with he did not fly there for long. On June 13, 1943, he
Kali. Virgil Paul Brennan was born in Warwick the first Spitfires delivery. After the landing he was mortally wounded in a crash near Garbutt.

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vc Trop, BP975, F/Lt Denis Barnham, No. 601 Squadron, RAF Luqa, Malta, April - May 1942
After the outbreak of the war, Dennis Barnham was preparing for the deployment to Malta. On Spitfire was painted in the US Navy Non Specular
joined RAF in April 1941. Initially he served with April 20, 1942, during the operation code-named Blue Gray used on the USS Wasp escort F4F
the No. 65 Squadron, in July he was ordered to Calendar, he flew off the American aircraft carrier Wildcats. Denis Barnham was an artist as well
the No. 609 Squadron and on December 30 he USS Wasp (CV-7) for the island. During April and and he often painted and drew sketches. Some of
was transferred to the No. 154 Squadron. In April May Barnham scored five aerial victories, all of his drawings were included in the book One Man’s
1942 he was promoted and assigned to the No. 601 them flying Spitfire BP975. On board of USS Wasp Window (William Kimber, 1956) he wrote after the
Squadron as a flight leader. At that time the unit (CV-7), over its original desert camouflage his war about his experiences from Malta.
Spitfire Vc Trop, BR126, P/O Jerrold A. Smith, No. 126 Squadron, USS Wasp (CV-7), May 1942
On May 9, 1942, after he took off in his Spitfire the end of the flight deck. He managed, as the first together shot down a Ju 88. On August 10, 1942, he
BR126 X-3, the Canadian pilot, P/O Jerrold Alpine in world, to land a Spitfire on the aircraft carrier took off in the order to search for some targeted
“Jerry” Smith found out that his drop tank was and without an arresting hook! For his deed minelayers. He was seen for the last time
inoperable, and he was not able to reach the P/O “Jerry” Smith was unofficially awarded the pursuing a Ju 88 on the course towards Sicily.
airfield on Malta. He jettisoned his tank and American Navy Wings from the flight deck officer Neither aircraft made it back to the home base.
received order to bail out of his Spitfire. Instead, David McCampbell, the future most successful His brother Rod was searching hours for him but
Jerry inquired about the attempt to save the USN fighter pilot who, as a LSO (Landing Signal did not find any sign of neither the body nor his
aircraft by landing it on the aircraft carrier deck. Officer) directed the whole operation. Jerry Spitfire. Jerry’s name is engraved on the Malta’s
After the captain approved, he indeed tried to do ultimately made it to Malta couple of days later memorial. During the Malta fighting he scored
it. His first approach was too high and too fast on May 19 with another batch of Spitfires during four individual kills and shared one.
however his second attempt was successful, and the Operation LB. In Malta, he met his brother
he safely landed his Spitfire mere six feet from Rod at the No. 126 Squadron and on July 18 they

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vc Trop, BR311, F/Lt Roderick I. A. Smith, No. 126 Squadron, RAF Luqa, Malta, October 1942
Spitfire BR311 arrived in Malta during the his last victory in Malta. During the defense of applied on board of USS Wasp, were overpainted
Operation Style on June 3, 1942 and successfully Malta, he shot down in total six aircraft. Rod Smith with Light Mediterranean Blue and assigned the
participated in the battle for the island. On August was a brother of Jerry Smith, and they fought code letters MK-L. On October 5, 1944, Rod Smith
14, flying this aircraft, S/Ldr W. J. Johnson shot together in the ranks of the No. 126 Squadron. became the first Allied pilot who shot down a Me
down two Macchi MC.202. Between October 12 BR311 coloration matched the recommended 262 jet. During his wartime carrier Rod Smith
and 25, P/O Nigel Park at its controls shot down Malta scheme in Dark Mediterranean Blue on scored 14 kills.
three Ju 88 and three Bf 109 and on October 25 the upper surfaces and Sky Blue on the lower
F/Lt “Rod” Smith shot down a Bf 109, which was surfaces. The original markings on the fuselage,
Spitfire Vc Trop, BR321, F/Lt John A. Plagis, No. 185 Squadron, RAF Hal Far, Malta, June 1942
Spitfire BR321 arrived in Malta on June 9 during and on March 7 he was one of the first pilots the No. 64 Squadron. In July 1944 he assumed
the operation Salient. It became a personal who flew their Spitfires to Malta from HMS Eagle command of the No. 126 Squadron and during
mount of F/Lt John Plagis who scored three during the Operation Spotter. Initially he flew with the Normandy landing he scored another three
aerial victories in it. John Plagis was born on the No. 249 Squadron where between March and victories. In December the unit was re-equipped
March 10, 1919, in Hartley, South Rhodesia. After May he shot down nine enemy aircraft, including with Mustangs and Johnny Plagis was promoted
the outbreak of war, he volunteered for the two shared victories. In the end of May he was to the Wing Commander. On March 27, 1945, he
Rhodesian AF but was rejected since he was dispatched to Gibraltar to help fly over a new flew cover for the bomber Mosquitos raiding the
still officially a Greek citizen. Therefore in 1940 batch of Spitfires during the Operation Style on Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. After the war he
he volunteered for RAF. In May 1941 he started his June 3. After the arrival he was transferred to commanded the No. 234 Squadron and the No. 266
pilot training at the No. 58 OTU in Grangemouth. the No. 185 Squadron as a flight A leader and Squadron flying the jet Meteors Mk.III. In May 1948
In the end of June, he was initially attached to until the end of June he shot down another three he retired from RAF and returned to Rhodesia.
the No. 65 Squadron, then he was transferred to opponents. In the beginning of July, he returned to During his wartime carrier John Plagis shot down
the No. 266 Squadron. In all his flight evaluations the Great Britain. In August he was ordered to the 15 aircraft individually, two in the cooperation and
he was graded as above average. In the end of No. 53 OTU where he was graded as exceptional. became the most successful Greek pilot of WWII.
January 1942, he was ordered to the Near East In April 1943 he returned to the combat flying at

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vc Trop, BR387, P/O John W. Yarra, No. 185 Squadron, RAF Hal Far, Malta, June 1942
John William “Slim” Yarra was born in Stanthorpe the Operation Picket I he flew Spitfire AB333 and Dark Mediterranean Blue on the upper surfaces
in Queensland on August 24, 1921 and before after landing on Malta he was attached to the and Sky Blue color on the lower surfaces. On July
joining RAAF in October 1940 he made living as No. 249 Squadron. After several successful combat 14, Yarra logged his last flight over Malta and
a printing apprentice. He completed his training missions, he was ordered to the No. 185 Squadron after that flew back to the Great Britain. After
in Canada between May and August 1941 and then which was short of pilots. In its ranks, he became some rest he was assigned as a flight B leader
he was dispatched to the Great Britain where he one of the most successful pilots in the defense of to the No. 453 Squadron RAAF. On December 10,
was attached to the No. 55 OTU. In October he Malta. In the course of three months he shot down 1942, he led his flight in the attack on the convoy
was transferred to Gibraltar. Consequently, he 12 enemy aircraft, out of which five while at the at the Dutch coast, north of Vlissingen, but his
took part in two attempts to fly Spitfires to Malta. controls of his personal Spitfire BR387. Yarra’s Spitfire was hit by the enemy AA fire and crashed
On March 7, during the Operation Spotter, as personal Spitfire BR387 landed in Malta on June into the sea. His brother became a fighter pilot
a replacement pilot, he had to return to his aircraft 9 during the Operation Salient. BR387 camouflage as well and same as brother “Slim” was killed in
carrier and back to Gibraltar. On March 21, during complied with the recommended Malta scheme in action.
Spitfire Vc, BR498, W/Cdr Peter P. Hanks, Luqa Wing, Malta, August 1942 – February 1943
Spitfire BR498 was delivered to Malta on August successful in BR498 was the No. 126 Squadron was assigned to the No. 1 Squadron. During the
17, 1942, during the Operation Baritone in the member, F/Lt William “Bill” Rolls who, during Battle of France and Britain he shot down seven
new camouflage scheme required by AHQ Malta the month of October 1942, shot down five Axis aircraft. Consequently, he flew with the No. 257
dated June 1942. It resulted in the adoption of the airplanes (three Ju 88 and two MC.202). BR498 and No. 56 Squadrons. From February to July
disruptive pattern of two shades for the upper served from the middle of February 1943 at the 1942, he commanded a Spitfire Wing at Coltishall.
surfaces, Deep Sky and Dark Slate Grey and No. 185 Squadron carrying GL-K code letters and In August he was transferred to Malta where
Light Mediterranean Blue for the lower surfaces. was equipped with the Vokes desert air filter. he assumed command of a Spitfire Wing at the
W/Cdr Peter Prosser Hanks, Luqa Wing In this configuration it was most frequently flown airport Luqa. Until the end of war, and afterwards,
commanding officer chose this airplane as his by the No. 185 Squadron commander, S/Ldr H. A. he held several service posts. In 1964 he retired
personal mount. At the controls of BR498, W/Cdr Grafts. Peter Prosser Hanks was born on July 29, from RAF.
Hanks scored four confirmed kills, two probables 1917 and in 1935 joined RAF. After he completed
and damaged four aircraft. Another pilot who was his pilot training at No. 6 FTS, in September he

KITS 05/2023
Spitfire Vc Trop, JK715, S/Ldr Evan D. Mackie, No. 243 Squadron, RAF Hal Far, Malta, June – July 1943
In the middle of 1943, when the air battle for Malta incoming No. 243 Squadron however was an Makie’s original occupation was a mechanic, so
was won, the island became a key base for the exemption as the unit altered coloration of its he was always interested in the maintenance of
supporting air operations. On June 11, the No. 243 Spitfires. According to the memoires of its pilot in his Spitfire. He obtained a set of exhausts from
Squadron was transferred from Tunisia to the Hal his book Spitfire Leader, before the arrival to Malta Spitfire Mk.IX and was pleased with the improved
Far airport. The unit, under the leadership of one his new personal Spitfire Mk.Vc JK715, which until performance. For the first time those exhausts had
of the most successful pilots in the Mediterranean, then sported the classic “desert“ camouflage, was been installed on his previous Spitfire ES347. After
S/Ldr Evan Mackie, during the following month repainted in olive green color on the upper surfaces it crash landed, Mackie removed the priceless
supported the Allied landing on Sicily during the which matched Dark Slate Grey frequently used on exhausts and installed them on his new JK715.
Operation Husky. With the change of the strategic Malta. During his tenure at the No. 243 Squadron, He finished his war career with a score of 23 kills
environment, the special Malta camouflages were Mackie at the controls of his JK715 flying out of including 3 shared victories, 2 probables and 11
not necessary anymore and became history. The the Hal Far airport, shot down five enemy aircraft. aircraft damaged.
RECOMMENDED: OVERTREES
FOR SPITFIRE STORY: MALTA 1/48 #82157X
Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop
1/48
481065 Spitfire Mk.V landing flaps (PE-Set)
FE1207 Spitfire Mk.V seatbelts STEEL (PE-Set)
644113 Spitfire Mk.V LööK (Brassin)
Product page
648640 Spitfire Mk.V engine (Brassin)
648663 Spitfire Mk.V cockpit (Brassin)
648664
648665
Spitfire Mk.V wheels (Brassin)
Spitfire Mk.Vb gun bays (Brassin) OVERTREES
648666
648667
Spitfire Mk.Vc gun bays (Brassin)
Spitfire Mk.V three-stacks exhausts rounded (Brassin) #82158X
648668 Spitfire Mk.V three-stacks exhausts fishtail (Brassin) Spitfire Mk.Vc/Vc Trop
1/48
648669 pitfire Mk.V six-stacks exhausts fishtail (Brassin)
648670 Spitfire Mk.Va/b undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)
648671 Spitfire Mk.Vc undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)
Product page
648738 Spitfire Mk.V landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)
3DL48031 Spitfire Mk.V SPACE (3D Decal Set)
OVERLEPT
D48101 Spitfire Mk.V national insignia (Decal Set)
EX914 Spitfire Mk.V TFace (Mask)
#11172-LEPT
# 648738 SPITFIRE STORY:
MALTA PE-Set
1/48
Product page

KITS 05/2023
MiG-21MF Interceptor 1/72

#7469
Weekend edition kit of Soviet Cold war jet fighter
aircraft MiG-21MF interceptor in 1/72 scale.

marking options: 4
decals: Eduard
PE parts: no
painting mask: no
resin parts: no
Product page

KITS 05/2023
1 Squadron, 9 Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, Bechyně, Czech Republic, September 1993
MiG-21MF serial number 96002410 was white triangle shaded in red and number 9 on September 10, 1993, this MiG flew its last sortie
manufactured on June 25, 1975. It flew with the the rudder in reverse colors. The stripe in the and then flew over to the Plzeň-Líně airport for
1 Fighter Air Regiment, 4 Fighter Air Regiment colors of the Czech tricolore (blue–red–white) permanent storage. Consequently, it was struck
and for a longest time with the 9 Fighter Air was spanning across the wing and widening off the military register and handed over to the
Regiment, respectively the 9 Fighter-Bomber Air toward the fuselage. On its ridge it was shaped depository of the Prague-Kbely Aviation Museum.
Regiment. In 1992 the striking colorful markings into an arrow. The “Twenty-ones“ painted this
were applied on this airframe consisting of the way were part of the display unit Delta Team. On
116 CBP (116 Combat Training Center), Privolzhsky, Soviet Union, May 1990
Despite the MiG-21MFs manufactured at Gorky to have flown the type was the 116 Combat and brown, supplemented by a sand shade. The
were intended for client states of the Soviet Training Centre, based at Privolzhsky Air Base, bottom surfaces were in blue-grey. This unit
Union several of these aircraft made it into near Astrakhan. The aircraft was camouflaged used the aircraft for combat training of pilots on
Soviet service, nonetheless. The only unit known on the upper surfaces in two shades of green completion of their basic part of the curriculum.
10 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego, Airport Łask, Poland, 1986–1993
The coloration of MiG-21MF number 8055 from the “Cracowian” times and depicts the both sides of the aircraft nose. Over the time
reflects the customs from 1980s. On the nose it stylized dragon with hat Krakushka (a part of the several modifications appeared differing from
is decorated with the insignia created in 1986 by Polish national costumes). The dragon also holds each other by small details such as missing eyes,
the initiative of the 10 Regiment‘s Headquarters. the shield with the white-red checkerboard and teeth, white mottles painted on the wings or
The regimental insignia adopts its symbolism a yellow light bolt. The insignia was painted on dragon’s body painted in white.

KITS 05/2023
Mogadishu Airport, Somali Air Force, Somalia, 1991
Somali AF MiG-21MFs sported the standard and lower surfaces in light blue color. The MiG- international forces found it abandoned at the
camouflage of the Soviet aircraft delivered to 21MF carrying bort number 226 was among a few Mogadishu airport.
Near East and North Africa – the upper surfaces survivors of the Ogaden war and was fairly well
painted in light sand color with green mottles preserved until the beginning of 1990s. In 1992 the
RECOMMENDED:
FOR MIG-21MF INTERCEPTOR 1/72
72689 MiG-21MF (PE-Set)
SS801 MiG-21MF interceptor WEEKEND (PE-Set)
672181 MiG-21MF exhaust nozzle (Brassin)
672182 MiG-21MF wheels (Brassin)
672185 R-3S missiles for MiG-21 (Brassin) # 672197
672186 R-3S missiles w/ pylons for MiG-21 (Brassin)
672189 UB-16 rocket launchers for MiG-21 (Brassin)
672190 UB-16 rocket launchers w/ pylons for MiG-21 (Brassin)
672191 RS-2US missiles for MiG-21 (Brassin)
672192 RS-2US missiles w/ pylons for MiG-21 (Brassin)
672193 MiG-21MF airbrakes (Brassin)
672195 SPS-141 ECM pod for MiG-21 (Brassin)
672197 MiG-21MF ejection seat (Brassin)
SIN67217 MiG-21MF armament (Brassin)
3DL72002 MiG-21MF SPACE (3D Decal Set)
D72015 MiG-21MF stencils (Decal Set)
CX511 MiG-21MF (Mask)
CX512 MiG-21MF TFace (Mask)
# 672193
# 672181
# 672189

KITS 05/2023
Bf 109F-4 1/48
#84188
Weekend edition kit of German WWII fighter
aircraft Bf 109F-4 in 1/48 scale.

marking options: 4
decals: Eduard
PE parts: no
painting mask: no
resin parts: no
Product page

KITS 05/2023
Bf 109F-4/Trop, WNr. 8673, Hptm. Hans-Joachim Marseille, CO of 3./JG 27, Quotaifiya, Egypt, September 1942
Hans-Joachim Marseille used this plane after his was forced to bail out. Hitting the rudder the fuselage sides as a non-standard finish. The
return from Rome and achieved 49 victories with after the emergency exit of the plane, he lost lower surfaces were sprayed with RLM 78 and the
this last of “Friedrichs” he used from August 24, consciousness, and his parachute did not open. camouflage was complemented by the markings
1942, to September 25, 1942. On September 30, Seconds later, Marseille died from the impact on of the aircraft operating on the Southern front,
1942, he flew the Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2/Trop the ground. After his death, WNr. 8673 was used by i.e., white wingtips, white propeller cone and
as he led escort mission of the 3. Staffel to cover 1./SG 2 but was hit by flak and lost southward of El a band on the aft fuselage of the same color. The
a squadron of Ju 87 Stukas. On the return leg, Alamein on October 22, 1942. The aircraft had the engine cowling bore the emblem of I. Gruppe
a smoke filled the cockpit, and Marseille upper camouflage color RLM 79 sprayed all over JG 27 on both sides.
Bf 109F-4, Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer, 8./JG 54, Siverskaya, Soviet Union, April 1942
The recipient of the Knight’s Cross, Hans-Joachim the fuselage sides were completed with RLM 70 was painted the JG 54 emblem – a green heart.
Heyer, was born on April 20, 1922, in Rehungen. and RLM 71 patches. The upper surfaces of the On the rudder, there were kill marks painted on
He served his entire aviation career as a member wing, the rear fuselage behind the cockpit and both sides. Hans-Joachim Heyer was shot down
of 8./JG 54 and scored his first kill on the first the horizontal tail surfaces were all painted in and killed near Leningrad on November 9, 1942.
day of the invasion to Soviet Union on June 22, white overpaint made by washable color. The He was posthumously awarded the Knight’s
1941. His victim was a Polikarpov I-15. Heyer’s III./JG 54 emblem was painted below the Cross on November 25, 1942. His score stopped
“Black 9”, which he flew from the spring of 1942, windshield on both sides of the fuselage. More at 53 aerial victories, all achieved on the Eastern
was camouflaged with RLM 74/75/76 colors and to it, on the left side under the cockpit there Front.
Bf 109F-4/Z, WNr. 7420, Lt. Hermann A. Graf, CO of 9./JG 52, Kharkov-Rogan, Soviet Union, May 1942
Hermann Anton Graf was born on October 24, 1912. He August 4, 1941, near Kiev and things changed. At the end propaganda campaigns, even a member of the Luftwaffe
trained as a locksmith and was a keen football player of January 1942, he received the Knight’s Cross for 45 football team. At the end of the war, he was leading
in his youth. Later he took up sailing and entered the kills, in May 1942, he achieved his 100th aerial victory JG 52 and retreated with the unit from East Prussia,
army in 1939. In the spring of 1940, he served in JG 51 and received Oak Leaves and Swords in addition to the through Silesia and into Bohemia. He surrendered on
and participated in the Battle of France. In April 1941, Cross. He was the fifth in line of pilots to be awarded May 8, 1945, in Písek (South Bohemia) to the Americans.
he fought over Greece and Crete, but did not record the Diamonds to the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves They promptly handed him over to the Russians and
any victories during this period. His first kill came on and Swords on September 29, 1942. Graf became part of Graf spent more than four years in captivity.

KITS 05/2023
Bf 109F-4/Trop, WNr. 10145, Fw. Rudolf Müller, 6./JG 5, Petsamo, Finland, June 1942
Rudolf “Rudi” Müller was born on November the number of Müller’s victories over Soviet pilots Luostari. Rudolf Müller was awarded the Knight’s
21, 1920, in Frankfurt am Main. During 1940 he was steadily rising during this time. Encounters Cross on June 19, 1942, but was shot down and
underwent pilot training and was assigned to took place during Luftwaffe attacks on convoys to captured by Soviet forces on April 19, 1943. He
1./JG 77 in August 41. He scored his first kill on and from Murmansk and during multiple combats did not survive, as he was shot while attempting
September 12, 1941. His victim was a Soviet I-16. with Soviet forces in the area of the Vayenga to escape from a prison camp in Mordvinsk on
On March 21, 1942, the 6./JG 5 was formed and airfield or over the base of the JG 5 at Petsamo- October 21, 1943.
Recommended:
for Bf 109F-4 1/48
FE844 Bf 109F-4 Weekend (PE-Set)
644010 Bf 109F LööK (Brassin)
648282 Bf 109F wheels (Brassin)
648288 Bf 109F propeller LATE (Brassin)
648289 Bf 109F propeller EARLY (Brassin)
648291 Bf 109F landing flaps (Brassin) # 644010
648300 Bf 109F engine & fuselage guns (Brassin)
648308 Bf 109F undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)
3DL48028 Bf 109F-4 SPACE (3D Decal Set)
D48026 Bf 109F stencils (Decal Set)
EX535 Bf 109F-4 (Mask)
EX588 Bf 109F TFace (Mask)
# 648300
# 648308
# 648282

KITS 05/2023
Fokker Dr.I 1/48

#8162
ProfiPACK edition kit of legendary German WWI
triplane Fokker Dr.I in 1/48 scale.

marking options: 6
decals: Eduard
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no
Product page

KITS 05/2023
425/17, Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen, CO of JG 1, Cappy, France, April 1918
The Great War highest scoring ace and respected 79th victim and Capt. D. G. Lewis as 80th. Just of the hit in the chest of Manfred Richthofen. In
commander of Jagdgeschwader 1 achieved a day later, von Richthofen was in combat again. any case, on April 21, 1918, at 11.50, the final page
his last two victories flying this Dreidecker As he was hunting the Camel flown by Lt. May of in the life of Manfred von Richthofen had been
No. 425/17 on April 20, 1918. The aircraft had already No. 209 Squadron, Captain Arthur “Roy” Brown written … The aircraft depicted here had the
the national insignias adjusted according to the came to the latter’s aid, while at the same time, crosses already changed, but on the bottom of the
regulation issued by Luftstreitkräfte on March 18, infantrymen opened machine gun fire on the red lowest wing the paintjob was either not finished
1918, calling for the adoption of the Balkenkreuz triplane. It is not known who shot the fatal bullet or it was slovenly done. As red paint had to be
instead of Iron Cross. The penultimate and last which hit the “Red Baron”. The autopsy conducted used for crosses adaption, it is likely the typical
victims of “Red Baron” were two Camels of by a field surgeon indicated the mortal bullet was scratches on the port side of the cockpit were
No. 3 Squadron RAF: Maj. R. Raymond-Baker as shot by ground machine gun because of the angle overpainted during the process.
577/17; Lt. Rudolf Klimke, Jasta 27, Halluin-Ost, France, May 1918
As a member of FFA 55, Rudolf Klimke got his and Reintrop over London on June 7, 1917. After to land on the German side of the front but was
first kill on the Russian Front in 1916. In May 1917, that, Klimke underwent training at Jastaschule nearly killed during a bombing of the hospital,
flying an Albatros C.VII with FA 19, along with his I and was assigned to Jasta 27 in September 1917. where he was treated. He did not return to
observer, he conducted a lone night attack on There he gradually increased his kill count to a combat unit before the war ended.
London. After being transferred to Kasta 13/KG seventeen. On the same day he shot down his 17th
3, he was flying big Gotha bombers. A Sopwith victim, September 21, 1918, he was also seriously
fighter was shot down by crew of Klimke, Leon wounded by enemy fighter fire. Klimke managed

KITS 05/2023
479/17; Lt. August Raben, Jasta 18, Montingen (Montoy-Flanville), France, October 1917
August Raben was born on December 2, 1892. victories on September 26. He was then wounded by Freikorps after the war. His aircraft always sported
After the outbreak of War, he first served with the AA fire on November 17. After recovery, he took over black or white stylized raven for apparent reason, as
Feldartillerie Regiment Nr 55. He was transferred to the lead of Jasta 15, part of JG II, on March 14, 1918. It rabe is the German word for raven. This Dr.I was no
Luftstreitkräfte on April 18, 1916, and after completion was just six days prior to the “big swap” with Jasta exception. It is not sure which color were the wing
of pilot training, he was assigned to Kasta 25 in 18, which ended with Raben as CO of Jasta 18 and out struts. They lacked the stenciling and seemed to be
August 1916. His first fighter unit was Jasta 36, of the JG II assembly. As the “original” Jasta 18 kept of a lighter shade than red surfaces but darker than
which he joined on February 17 and after he gained their colors after becoming Jasta 15, Raben’s unit white ones. The original white fields surrounding the
experience, he was transferred to the newly formed had to opt for new ones: red for front of the fuselage older type of the crosses were overpainted with red,
Jasta 39 to become its CO on August 2. The unit was and wings and white for the rest. Raben shot down but the white background made the red look a little
then sent to Italy, where Raben achieved his first two two more enemies and continued as a member of bit lighter.
213/17; Lt. Friedrich P. Kempf, Jasta 2, Bavichove, Belgium, February 1918
Friedrich Paul Kempf was born on May 9, 1894, with which he served his entire career as a fighter meaning is “Do you remember me?” and these
in Freiburg. He entered military service in 1913, pilot (twice interrupted by stints with Jastaschule words were his typical zinger. He asked this way
interrupting his technical studies. In May 1915, I). Fritz Kempf distinguished himself more with even people he never met … More to it, he put his
he was transferred from the infantry to the his two Fokkers Dr.I than with his four kills (BE2e, name on the top wing to distinguish his Dr.I from
Luftstreitkräfte and served with bombing unit Pup and two Camels). His planes were similar in the others even more. The aircraft depicted here is
Kagohl 4 on both the Western and Balkan Fronts. appearance and carried the taunting inscription the first from two “Kennst mi noch?” ones. Friedrich
In April 1917, he was assigned to Jasta Boelcke “Kennscht mi noch?” on the medium wing. The Kempf survived both world wars and died in 1966.

KITS 05/2023
425/17 flown by Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen, CO of JG 1, Lechelle, France, March 1918
Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen is rightfully the Dreidecker for the short period of March and the highly coveted Pour le Mérite and was
considered the greatest fighter pilot of the First April 1918. He was assigned to the Luftstreitkräfte subsequently made CO of Jasta 11. In June 1917, he
World War as he knocked eighty enemies down on his own request in 1915 after his service with received orders to form Jagdgeschwader 1 from
prior to his death on April 21, 1918. No one knows a cavalry unit. He became an observer but when Jasta 4, 6, 10 and 11 units. He led this “wing” until
what his score might be, if the things went he met Oswald Boelcke, the impr fighter ace his death on April 21, 1918. Von Richthofen had his
a different way and he had the opportunity to fly charisma made him to request pilot training. On aircraft painted red from January 1917 when he
the Fokker D.VII in combat- a new fighter he liked completion of that, he became pilot of observer led Jasta 11 and flew the Albatros D.III. He carried
very much. On contrary to the general perception, aircraft, but after another meeting with Boelcke this practice over to the Fokker Dr.I which he flew
the Fokker Dr.I was not his typical mount, as he he joined the ranks of the newly formed Jasta as JG 1 Commanding Officer.
shot down only 17 out of his 80 victims while flying 2. In January 1917, von Richthofen was awarded
564/17; Lt. Werner Steinhäuser, Jasta 11, Avesnes-le-Sec, France, February, 1918
Werner Steinhäuser was born on June 29, 1893. another balloon on January 13, 1918, and SPADs from either Spa 124 or Spa 93. Steinhäuser
As a wartime pilot he first served with FA(A) 261 gradually increased his count to ten victories. He flew at least two Dreideckers. The first had the
where he achieved his first kill, when he shot was wounded when forced to land on March 17, fuselage band red with yellow crosses, on the
down an observing balloon on August 20, 1917. 1918, but recovered and got back to the action. In other one the colors were reversed as they were
Four months later he was reassigned to Jasta the morning of June 26, 1918, he was shot down in for the horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
11, where he started his career by destroying his Fokker D.VII and killed in combat with French

KITS 05/2023
Fw 190F-8 1/72 Re-release

#70119
ProfiPACK edition kit of German WWII fighter aircraft
Fw 190F-8 in 1/72 scale. Version F was used for attacks
against ground targets.

marking options: 5
decals: Eduard
painting mask: yes
resin parts: no
Product page

KITS 05/2023
5./SG 77, Cottbus, Germany, early March 1945
This aircraft was photographed at Cottbus airport sprayed in RLM 76, which was complemented 77. The significance of the red flash on the engine
in early 1945. It bore a standard camouflage on the fuselage bottom by a green-blue shade cowling is unknown.
scheme consisting of the RLM 74 and 75 colors of the RLM 76. The black horizontal stripe
on the upper surfaces. The lower surfaces were indicates the aircraft belonged to 5. Staffel SG
SG 2, Huingary, Winter 1944/1945
The standard camouflage of this aircraft of RLM yellow stripes forming a V on the wing. This marking German aircraft from the same types of Romanian
74 and 75 colors was covered with irregular white was introduced by Fliegerkorps IV after Romania aircraft, which became enemies.
patches on the upper and side surfaces. The yellow had crossed over to the other side of the conflict
band around the fuselage was complemented by and it was necessary to visually distinguish its own
1./SG 4, Piacenza, Italy 1944
During the time Schlachtgeschwader 4 operated color complemented with irregular olive spots. in the Mediterranean theatre was resprayed. The
in Italy, where the unit was part of efforts to slow This modification was done hastily in field aircraft belonged to the I. Gruppe and sported
down advancing Allied forces, its Fw 190F-8s conditions and led to partial respray of the unit´s emblem on the nose. The propeller cone
sported an interesting appearance. The upper insignia. Also, the white stripe on the upper side was probably black, complemented with a white
surfaces were painted over with sandy brown of the fuselage which indicated the unit operating spiral.

KITS 05/2023
WNr. 584592, SG 2 or SG 10, Neubiberg, Germany, May 1945
The yellow 14, belonging to II. Gruppe SG 2 or SG the lower surfaces were partly sprayed in RLM RLM 76. The bottom of the elevator appears dark
10 and left behind by Luftwaffe personnel at the 76. Similar to the Fw 190D-9s produced at the end in the photo, but this is down to the different angle
end of the war at Neubiberg, represents the Fw of the war, part of the lower wing surfaces were of its surface to the light source. A yellow band
190F-8 of the last production series. The upper left in bare metal for example, while the flaps, was sprayed around the nose, indicating attack
surfaces were painted in RLM 75/76/81/83, while ailerons and fuselage bottom were sprayed with aircraft of the Luftwaffe at the time.
SG 10, České Budějovice, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, May 1945
One of the aircraft left by Stab SG 10 and some of its the fuselage partially perished under the new paint. application of this stripe led to different widths of the
Gruppe at the airfield in České Budějovice was the Fw Shortly afterwards the yellow K got a replacement stripe and also to different positions of its application.
190F-8 marked with a yellow letter K. It sported signs tail surfaces in the standard grey-gray camouflage For this scheme, the yellow stripe appearance was
of camouflage modifications of some SG 10 aircraft at from a destroyed Fw 190. This was the reason for reconstructed according to the most common
the end of the war. The entire upper surfaces were the mismatch in the style of the applied crosses and occurrence within SG 10. It is worth noting the removal
brushed over with dark green RLM 83 or a very similar swastikas. By May 1945, the brush-painted green of the lower main landing gear wheel covers, which
color. As it was made in field conditions the green color was considerably worn. The identifying yellow was intended to prevent operational difficulties on
color interfered irregularly with the lower surfaces. Jabo stripe wrapped around the engine cowling. muddy airfields. The aircraft carried ETC 50 hangers
The insignia on the upper side of the wing and on Inconsistent interpretation of the regulation on the for four 50 kg bombs under the wings.
Recommended: OVERTREES OVERLEPT

for Fw 190F-8 1/72 #70119X #70119-LEPT
Fw 190F-8 Fw 190F-8 PE-Set
672080
672082
Fw 190A wheels late (Brassin)
Fw 190A-8 engine (Brassin) 1/72 1/72
672085 Fw 190A exhaust stacks (Brassin) Product page Product page
672086 Fw 190A propeller (Brassin)
672088 Fw 190A-8 engine & fuselage guns (Brassin)
672113 SC 250 German WWII bombs (Brassin)
672115 SC 50 German WWII bombs (Brassin)

BUNNY FIGHTERCLUB
Eduard's special membership club for all modeling enthusiasts!
15% Permanent Club discount at Eduard Store – you will receive permanent 15% discount on all Eduard
products and also discount on various other non-Eduard products. Fixed, permanent, forever!
Unique valuable Club kits and accessories – you will gain access to unique and nowhere else to be sold
products, specially made for BFC members.
Even better prices at Eduard events stand – do you know that Eduard usually has huge discounts on
their products at fairs and events all over the world? BFC members will have even higher discount at
these events.
Club T-shirt – you will receive fancy BFC T-shirt with unique design and special barcode
(used for event discounts). This exclusive T-shirt will be only available
to the members of BFC.
Free entry fee on E-day – you will not have to pay a penny to visit Eduard's E-day.
That means lot of fun at E-day for two days and entry kit, absolutely free!
* E-day - INTERNATIONAL SCALE KIT EXHIBITION - IPMS Czech Republic Championship
How to become a member of BFC?

Simply by purchasing the Activation product. You will be given 15% discount on (almost) every Eduard
product in your shopping cart. To apply this discount, the Activation product has to be in your shopping
cart. Activation product is excluded from this calculation.
Activation products:
MiG-21MF + T-shirt 1/72 Tempest Mk. V + T-shirt 1/48
BOX CONTENT: BOX CONTENT:

Plastic parts, Marking options 4, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin Plastic parts, Marking options 6, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin
parts (undercarriage wheels, cockpit, exhaust nozzle, FOD). parts (two different types of wheels, landing flaps, dust filter with
eyelid, intake ring and RP-3 60lb rockets), 3D decals for main and si-
dewalk instrument and control panels with photo-etched details and
seat belts.
www.eduard.com/bfc
BRASSIN
634033
Hurricane Mk.IIb LööK
1/32 Revell
LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
and STEEL seatbelts for Hurricane Mk.II in 1/32 scale.
Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Recommended kit: Revell
Set contains:
- resin: 1 part
- decals: no
- photo-etched details:
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no
Product page
634034
Spitfire Mk.IXc LööK
1/24 Airfix
and STEEL seatbelts for Spitfire Mk.IXc in 1/24 scale.
Recommended kit: Airfix
Set contains:
- resin: 1 part
- decals: no
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
644211
F-16A MLU LööK
1/48 Kinetic
and STEEL seatbelts for F-16A MLU in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Kinetic
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts,
- decals: no,
yes, pre-painted,
- painting mask: no.
Product page
644212
F-16C Block 42 till 2005 LööK
1/48 Kinetic
and STEEL seatbelts for F-16C Block 42 in 1/48 scale.
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
644213
F-16C Block 42 from 2006 LööK
1/48 Kinetic
and STEEL seatbelts for F-16C Block 42 in 1/48 scale.
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no
Product page
644208
A6M2-N Rufe LööKplus
1/48 Eduard
Collection of 4 sets for A6M2-N RufeI
in 1/48 scale. Recommended kit: Eduard
- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

- TFace painting mask
- exhaust pipes
- seat
Product page

BRASSIN
644209
Mosquito B Mk.IV LööKplus
1/48 Tamiya
Collection of 3 sets for Mosquito B Mk.IV in 1/48 scale.
Recommended kit: Tamiya

- undercarriage wheels
Product page
644210
F-16C Block 25 LööKplus
1/48 Kinetic
Collection of 4 sets for F-16C Block 25
in 1/48 scale. Recommended kit: Kinetic

- ejection seat
Product page

BRASSIN
624003
Spitfire Mk.IX exhaust fishtail PRINT
1/24 Airfix
Brassin set - exhaust stacks for Spitfire Mk.IXc
in 1/24 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Airfix
Set contains:
- 3D print: 12 parts
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: no
- painting mask: no
Product page
632191
Luftwaffe rudder pedals PRINT
1/32
Brassin set - rudder pedals for German WWII
aircraft in 1/32 scale. The set consists of 3 pairs
of pedals. Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,
replaces plastic parts.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 6 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
635027
WWII German towing cable eyes PRINT
1/35
Brassin set - towing cable eyes for German WWII
AFV in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 10 eyes.
Made by direct 3D printing.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page
635028
WWII German trench binoculars PRINT
1/35
Brassin set - German WWII trench binoculars
in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 5 binoculars.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 5 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
648827
F4F-3A engine PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the engine for F4F-3A in 1/48 scale.
The cowlings are included. Made by direct 3D printing.
Recommended kit: Eduard
Set contains:
- decals: no
- photo-etched details: yes
- painting mask: no
Product page
648850
A6M2-N Rufe cockpit PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - cockpit for A6M2-N in 1/48
scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Set contains:
- decals: yes
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no
- SPACE 3D decals: no
Product page

BRASSIN
648851
A6M2-N Rufe landing flaps PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - landing flaps for A6M2-N Rufe
Set contains:
- 3D print: 6 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page
648852
A6M2-N Rufe engine complete PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the engine for A6M2-N in 1/48 scale.
The separate cowlings are included.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
648853
F4F-4 gun bays PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - gun bays for F4F-4 in 1/48 scale.
The Set consists of gun bays for both wings.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page
648856
F-16 radar late PRINT
1/48 Kinetic
Brassin set - nose radar for F-16 in 1/48 scale.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 5 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
648858
F-35A ejection seat PRINT
1/48 Tamiya
Brassin set - ejection seat for F-35A in 1/48 scale.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 9 parts
- decals: yes
- painting mask: no
Product page
648860
F-35A exhaust nozzle PRINT
1/48 Tamiya
Brassin set - exhaust nozzle for F-35A
Set contains:
- 3D print: 4 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
648861
Lewis 97-cartridges ammo magazines PRINT
1/48
Brassin set - ammunition magazines for Lewis
guns in 1/48 scale. The set consists of 12 magazines.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
Product page

BRASSIN
SIN648103
F4F-4 ESSENTIAL
1/48 Eduard
Collection of 4 sets for F4F-4 in 1/48 scale.
- cockpit
- undercarriage legs BRONZE
- exhaust pipes
All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.
Product page

BRASSIN
SIN68104
F-16 armament w/ laser guided bombs
1/48 Kinetic
Collection of 8 sets for F-16 in 1/48 scale.
- AN/AAQ-28(V) Litening pod

- AIM-120C AMRAAM
- GBU-12 bomb (2 sets)
- Sniper ATP
- AN/ALQ-131 (deep) ECM pod
- GBU-49
- AIM-9M/L Sidewinder
All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately, but
with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.
Product page

easy n
3DL32014 P-40B SPACE
Product page
1/32 Great Wall Hobby
ap p l i c a t i o
3DL32015 CH-54A SPACE 1/35 ICM

Product page

SPACE
3DL48116 F-86D SPACE 1/48 Revell

Product page
3DL48117 Bf 110C SPACE 1/48 Eduard

Product page

SPACE
3DL48118 P-400 SPACE 1/48 Eduard

Product page
3DL48119 Mi-17 SPACE 1/48 AMK

Product page

SPACE
3DL72015 Spitfire Mk.IXc SPACE 1/72 Eduard

Product page
3DL72016 B-25J SPACE 1/72 Hasegawa/Eduard

Product page

PHOTO-ETCHED MAY 2023
CH-54A
1/35 ICM
321008

PHOTO-ETCHED
BRASSIN 02/2022
CH-54A seatbelts STEEL

33348
CH-54A
33347
CH-54A exterior
32482

PHOTO-ETCHED
PV-1
1/48 Academy
PV-1 exterior
481106

PHOTO-ETCHED

PHOTO-ETCHED
PV-1 undercarriage
1/48 Academy
481108

PHOTO-ETCHED
PV-1
1/48 Academy
491348 + FE1348
FE1349 PV-1 seatbelts STEEL
PV-1 bomb bay

481107

DECALS SET
D48112 Angel of Mercy 1/48 HKM Product page
B-25J-10-NC, 43-35982, 428th BS, 310th BG, 12th AF, Ghisonaccia,

Corsica, France, April 1945
The 310th Bombardment Group was activated in keep the ship on course with help of his co-pilot natural metal finish, so it had the horizontal band
March 1942 and designated as a medium bomber W. D. McLean, enabling the bombardier to drop on the vertical tail surfaces separated by black
Group consisting of four squadrons. Delivered the bombs on the target, the railroad bridge. The bands. The colors for 310th BG as well as for the
in June 1944, the 43-35982 ship nicknamed hits knocked out the hydraulic system and main 428th BS were yellow. The propeller spinner and
“Angel of Mercy” was flying with the 428th bomb gear, rear gunner A. S. Hatfield was wounded. The the front of the engine covers were of the same
squadron. She was one of 15 aircraft of the unit to crew decided not to risk the overseas flight to color. The nose art of the nurse with a bomb
fly the mission to the Rovereto on April 19, 1945. the home base at Corsica and opted for another under her arm was not accompanied by mission
She was hit by shell fragments from AA fire and base of the 310th BG at Fano, Italy, where they symbols on this aircraft.
badly damaged prior to the bomb dropping. Pilot- managed to land the ship with only nose landing
in-command, 1/Lt. W. S. McMillan managed to gear open. The “Angel of Mercy” ship was left in
B-25J-1-NC, 43-27716, 445th BS, 321st BG 12th AF, Solenzara, Corsica,

France, April 1945
Constituted as 321st Bombardment Group town in Pennsylvania). The pilot of the ship and Latin number 7 was added on the vertical fin on
(Medium) on June 19, 1942 and activated on June the Airplane Commander was 1/Lt. R. S. Elmer December 14, 1944. The ship sported Olive Drab
26, the crews of the unit prepared for overseas from December 1, 1944, to March 29, 1945. On color over the upper and side surfaces, as was
duty with B-25s. The 43-27716 ship got rather the March 30 Elmer overhanded her to 1/Lt. R. G. a common practice. Other surfaces were left in
amusing nickname “Shit house mouse” and had Rice, who brought “Shit house mouse” to the end natural metal finish. The outhouse was of brown
the missions marked by black mice. On the engine of the war. Until its 73rd mission the aircraft had color.
cowl there was an inscription “Quaketown” (the only the Roman numeral I on the tail, after then

DECAL
B-25J-1-NC, 43-3890, 82nd BS, 12th BG, 10th AF, Fenny, India, December 1945
Constituted as 12th Bombardment Group (Light) After spell with 9th AF in Mediterranean theater several other aircraft were named similarly. The
on November 20, 1940, the unit was activated on the group, nicknamed “Earthquakers”, moved painting was a job of Capt. Norman L. Harms, one
January 15, 1941. The crews trained with B-18, B-23 to India in February 1944 and was assigned to of the second pilots of the unit. The “Milk Run”
and PT-17 aircraft and patrolled the west coast 10th AF. The 43-3890 was nicknamed “Milk Run” ship was painted in standard camouflage of Olive
after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The with paintings of five small, adorable bulldogs. Drab upper and side surfaces with Neutral Gray
group was redesignated as Medium in December Bulldog was a squadron´s mascot, the term “Milk from bottom.
1941 and started flying the B-25s early in 1942. Run” was used for easy, low-risk missions and
B-25J-10-NC, 43-28152, 501st BS, 345th BG, 5th AF, Luzon, Philippines, February 1944
The 345th Bomb Group was first activated at 2/Lt Ted. U. Hart on the mission against Ensui There is no photo evidence of the port side of the
Columbia Army AB in November 1942 and was airfield and rail yard on Formosa. Due to ship, it is believed the beautiful and large nose
christened the “Air Apaches” in July 1944. It was a navigational error and bad weather the art was only on the starboard side (although
the first Air Force Combat Group to be sent to squadron missed the target and attacked sugar the warbird with both sides painting of heavily
the Pacific in WWII. The group consisted of four refinery and a brick plant at Mizukami and Meiji modified theme exists). The original painting
squadrons, as usual with the medium bomber instead. The “Apache Princess” was hit by AA fire was a masterpiece of work of gifted Sgt. George
groups, one of them, the 501st squadron, had the during attack and her left engine caught fire. M. Blackwell. The aircraft sported the older
nickname “Black Panthers”. The 43-28152 was After releasing the bombs, Hart feathered the variant of the Group´s badge, the head of the
assigned to the unit on October 22, 1944, and damaged engine, but the fire spread to the bomb Indian. It is possible it might be already replaced
shortly afterwards nicknamed “Apache Princess” bay and the aircraft crash landed into the rice by later simplified badge at the time it reached
and assigned to pilot Roman Ohnemus. The field. SSgt. Robert E. Bever was fatally wounded, its sour end.
ship was lost on May 27, 1945, when piloted by the rest of the crew survived and became POW.
B-25J-5, 43-27952, 823rd BS, 38th BG, 5th AF, Morotai, Indonesia, November 1944
The 38th Bombardment Group (Medium) was 20, 1943, as well as the 822nd BS, the two bringing John W. Lupardus as a pilot. The tiger´s head was
constituted on November 20, 1940, and activated the 38th BG to the full strength of four squadrons partly painted over the glass part of the nose of
on January 15, 1941, at Langley Army Air Base, again. The 823rd BS adopted the name „Terrible the ship, the camo colors were standard Olive
Virginia. The initial personnel were transferred Tigers“ and started to decorate their aircraft Drab and Neutral Gray. The lower part of the fin
from the 22nd Bombardment Group. The 38th BG correspondingly. It was also the case of the No. 952 was either green or blue. The blue was assigned
consisted of four squadrons, but two of them were ship, which was one of few with glass cockpit left, to the squadron, but the green was also used on
assigned to the 42nd BG after the Battle of Midway. as many B-25Js of the 38th BG were either original some aircraft as it did not intervene with markings
The 823rd Bomb Squadron was constituted and strafers with solid nose or modified with the glass of other squadrons (the 405th BS used also green
assigned to the 38th BG in New Guinea on April nose painted over. The “952” was assigned to Lt. color, but on the upper part of the fins

BIG ED All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,
but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.
BIG49363 Anson Mk.I 1/48 Airfix Product page

481099 Anson Mk.I landing flaps 1/48
481100 Anson Mk.I bomb bays 1/48
491326 Anson Mk.I 1/48
FE1327 Anson Mk.I seatbelts STEEL 1/48
EX917 Anson Mk.I 1/48
BIG49364 F-16C Block 25 1/48 Kinetic Product page

49103 Remove Before Flight STEEL
491328 F-16C Block 25 1/48
FE1331 F-16C Block 25/42 seatbelts STEEL 1/48
EX919 F-16C Block 25/42 1/48

All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately, BIG ED
but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.
BIG49365 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 1/48 Kinetic Product page

491329 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 1/48
EX919 F-16C Block 25/42 1/48
BIG49366 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 1/48 Kinetic

Product page
491330 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 1/48
EX919 F-16C Block 25/42 1/48

MASKS IT FITS!
JX307 CH-54A
1/35 ICM
JX308 CH-54A TFace
1/35 ICM
EX940 F-86D
1/48 Revell
EX941 F-86D TFace JX307 CH-54A JX307 CH-54A
1/48 Revell JX308 CH-54A TFace JX308 CH-54A TFace
EX942 Mi-17
1/48 AMK
EX943 Mi-17 TFace
1/48 AMK
EX944 PV-1
1/48 Academy
EX945 PV-1 TFace
1/48 Academy
EX946 Do 335A TFace
1/48 Tamiya
JX308 CH-54A TFace JX308 CH-54A TFace
EX940 F-86D EX940 F-86D

EX941 F-86D TFace EX941 F-86D TFace
EX941 F-86D TFace EX941 F-86D TFace
EX942 Mi-17 EX942 Mi-17

EX943 Mi-17 TFace EX943 Mi-17 TFace

MASKS
EX943 Mi-17 TFace EX943 Mi-17 TFace
EX944 PV-1
EX945 PV-1 TFace
EX944 PV-1
EX945 PV-1 TFace
EX945 PV-1 TFace EX945 PV-1 TFace
EX946 Do 335A TFace EX946 Do 335A TFace

RELEASES MAY 2023
KITS
8229 F6F-5 Hellcat 1/48 ProfiPACK
11172 SPITFIRE STORY: MALTA DUAL COMBO 1/48 Limited
7469 MiG-21MF Interceptor 1/72 Weekend
84188 Bf 109F-4 1/48 Weekend
8162 Fokker Dr.I Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK
70119 Fw 190F-8 Re-release 1/72 ProfiPACK
PE-SETS
53293 USS Missouri BB-63 part 2 1/350 Hobby Boss
32482 CH-54A exterior 1/35 ICM
321007 P-40B 1/32 Great Wall Hobby
321008 CH-54A 1/35 ICM
481106 PV-1 exterior 1/48 Academy
481107 PV-1 bomb bay 1/48 Academy
481108 PV-1 undercarriage 1/48 Academy
481109 A6M2-N Rufe landing flaps 1/48 Eduard
481110 Mi-17 cargo floor 1/48 AMK
491348 PV-1 1/48 Academy
491350 F-86D 1/48 Revell
491352 Mi-17 1/48 AMK
491353 Mi-17 cargo seatbelts 1/48 AMK
ZOOMS
33345 P-40B 1/32 Great Wall Hobby
33346 P-40B seatbelts STEEL 1/32 Great Wall Hobby
33347 CH-54A 1/35 ICM
33348 CH-54A seatbelts STEEL 1/35 ICM
FE1348 PV-1 1/48 Academy
FE1349 PV-1 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Academy
FE1350 F-86D 1/48 Revell
FE1351 F-86D seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Revell
FE1352 Mi-17 1/48 AMK
FE1353 Mi-17 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 AMK
SS801 MiG-21MF interceptor WEEKEND 1/72 Eduard
MASKS
JX307 CH-54A 1/35 ICM
JX308 CH-54A TFace 1/35 ICM
EX940 F-86D 1/48 Revell
EX941 F-86D TFace 1/48 Revell
EX942 Mi-17 1/48 AMK
EX943 Mi-17 TFace 1/48 AMK
EX944 PV-1 1/48 Academy
EX945 PV-1 TFace 1/48 Academy
EX946 Do 335A TFace 1/48 Tamiya

RELEASES
MAY 2023
BIG ED
BIG49363
BIG49364

Anson Mk.I
F-16C Block 25
1/48
1/48

Airfix
Kinetic
BIG-ED
BIG49365 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 1/48 Kinetic
BIG49366 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 1/48 Kinetic
BRASSIN
634033 Hurricane Mk.IIb LööK 1/32 Revell
634034 Spitfire Mk.IXc LööK 1/24 Airfix
644211 F-16A MLU LööK 1/48 Kinetic
644212 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 LööK 1/48 Kinetic
644213 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 LööK 1/48 Kinetic
624003 Spitfire Mk.IX exhaust fishtail PRINT 1/24 Airfix
632191 Luftwaffe rudder pedals PRINT 1/32 Revell
635027 WWII German towing cable eyes PRINT 1/35
635028 WWII German trench binoculars PRINT 1/35
648827 F4F-3A engine PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648850 A6M2-N Rufe cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648851 A6M2-N Rufe landing flaps PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648852 A6M2-N Rufe engine complete PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648853 F4F-4 gun bays PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648856 F-16 radar late PRINT 1/48 Kinetic
648858 F-35A ejection seat PRINT 1/48 Tamiya
648860 F-35A exhaust nozzle PRINT 1/48 Tamiya
648861 Lewis 97-cartridges ammo magazines PRINT 1/48
LöökPLUS
644208 A6M2-N Rufe LööKplus 1/48 Eduard
644209 Mosquito B Mk.IV LööKplus 1/48 Tamiya
644210 F-16C Block 25 LööKplus 1/48 Kinetic
BIG SIN
SIN648103 F4F-4 ESSENTIAL 1/48 Eduard
SIN648104 F-16 armament w/ laser guided bombs 1/48 Kinetic
SPACE
3DL32014 P-40B SPACE 1/32 Great Wall Hobby
3DL32015 CH-54A SPACE 1/35 ICM
3DL48116 F-86D SPACE 1/48 Revell
3DL48117 Bf 110C SPACE 1/48 Eduard
3DL48118 P-400 SPACE 1/48 Eduard
3DL48119 Mi-17 SPACE 1/48 AMK
3DL72015 Spitfire Mk.IXc SPACE 1/72 Eduard
3DL72016 B-25J SPACE 1/72 Hasegawa
DECALS
D48112 Angel of Mercy 1/48 HKM

GUNZE PRODUCTS - WEATHERING
WEATHERING COLORS
YAKUMO
These Yakumo Colors—Mr. Weathering Color and Mr. Weathering Paste-based weathering colors—
were supervised by the world-famous modeler, Mr. Mig Jimenez. The mud and dirt colors are made
with pigments that have been collected from all over the world.
WWII WESTERN FRONT

CAT.NO.: WY01
WY01 is a weathering paint set for German vehicles in the
WWII Western Front. Thin each color with the separately-sold
Mr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102); or MIG015 thinner
(YAKUMO thinner).
From a modeler’s perspective, Europe was the setting of many
of the most interesting battles of the war, including Normandy,
the Battle of the Bulge, Hungary, the Warsaw Uprising and the fall
of Berlin. On these fronts the Germans used several standardized
camouflage patterns, but each was always based on green and
brown camouflage colours over a dark yellow base (C039 dark
yellow, C041 red-brown and C070 dark green). Dust in summer and
dry mud were the most common effects seen in German vehicles.
In addition to the two products used to represent these effects,
the perfect wash tone is also included, and another for streaked
dirt stains. For the most complete finish, combine with SET
D-BASICS.
Product page
MIG DARK WASH MIG DARK STREAKING GRIME

001 Apply the wash with a fine brush to details, in panel lines, 002 Stroke well Draw vertical lines on vertical or sloped
and around hatches to enhance contrast and volume. surfaces with irregular shapes and different intensity,
Remove the excess with a clean brush moistened with then blend with a flat brush and YAKUMO thinner to
YAKUMO thinner. Let it dry 24 hours. soften. Let it dry 24 hours.
MIG DRY MUD MIG EUROPE DUST

003 You can apply the mud with a thick brush to the underside 004 Pigment colour to simulate dust effects, particularly
of the vehicle, the tracks, and the suspension. You can on the horizontal areas and around surface details.
also apply splashed earth effect with the mud product Apply the pigment dry with a brush and then moisten the
by the flicking a thick brush loaded with product using surface with thinner. Once dry, it can be moistened again
a toothpick. This will create mud splatter effects. Make and touched up to achieve the desired effect.
a few tests on an old model or a piece of paper before
trying it on the model. Let it dry 24 hours.
MIG
002
WWII EASTERN FRONT

CAT.NO.: WY02
WY02 is a weathering paint set for winter camouflaged vehicles
in WWII Eastern Front. Thin each color with the separately-sold
Mr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102); or MIG015 thinner
(YAKUMO thinner).
The Germans camouflaged their vehicles in the harsh Russian
winters with white paint to blend it with the snowy landscape.
A white vehicle needs a very special treatment of aging and dirt
to be realistic and credible. This special set for German winter
vehicles includes the necessary products to achieve a realistic
appearance in a winter environment such as the battles of Moscow,
Stalingrad, or the siege of Leningrad. This set is specially designed
for white camouflage applied on German panzer grey colour
(Panzer Grey - C040 German Grey, C513 „Dunkelgrau“, C514 „Grau“
etc). For the most complete finish, combine with SET D-BASICS.
Product page
MIG WINTER WASH MIG WINTER STREAKING GRIME

005 see MIG 001 for description 006 see MIG 002 for description
MIG MIG-007 - FRESH DARK MUD MIG MIG-008 - DRY EARTH

WWII AFRIKA KORPS

CAT.NO.: WY03
WY03 is a weathering paint set for model vehicles in the WWII Afrika
Korps. It can add realistic sand stains from the harsh weather
conditions of Africa to your scale model. Thin each color with
the separately-sold Mr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102);
or MIG015 thinner (YAKUMO thinner).
The landscapes of Tunisia or Libya were very harsh and hostile
environments for the vehicles of the German Afrika Korps (DAK).
The scorching sun and heat faded the colours quickly while
the dust was ubiquitous. The Germans over painted their grey
vehicles with various shades of sand colour (i.e. C039 Dark Yellow)
to make them less visible on the open desert plains. The product
included in this set allow you to apply washes, dirt effect, and large
accumulations of dust to give your model realistic look. For more
complete finish, combine with SET D-BASICS.
Product page
MIG SAND FILTER MIG DESERT WASH
009 Apply the filter over the entire surface of model uniformly for 010 Apply the wash with a fine brush to details, in panel lines, and around
a transparent and subtle effect, without letting the product hatches to enhance contrast and volume. Remove the excess with
accumulate in recesses and panel lines. Allow the filter to dry a clean brush moistened with YAKUMO thinner. Let it dry 24 hours.
for 24 hours.
MIG GRAY STREAKING GRIME MIG MIG-008 - DRY EARTH

BASICS
CAT.NO.: WY04
WY04 is a weathering paint set that can be used on various
military models including tanks. This set of paints can replicate
basic oil stains, chipped paint, and rust. Thin each color with the
separately-sold Mr. Weathering Colour Thinner (WCT101/102);
or MIG015 thinner (YAKUMO thinner).
Most German military vehicles showed certain universal
weathering effects, no matter the setting or time of the year. Tanks
or half-tracks usually showed chipped paint, rust effects, or large
areas of fuel stains soaked into caked dust or dirt over top. These
are the weathering effects that bring more life and realism to the
model, and that is the reason why you must pay special attention
when adding them. This universal set will allow you to create
extremely realistic effects on your models, no matter the location
or time of the year in which they are set. The colours and effects
are accurate for the cold Russian winter, the Normandy campaign
or the barren landscapes of the North Africa. Always use this set
in combination with one of the YAKUMO sets for military vehicles
in a specific setting.
Product page
MIG FUEL & OIL MIG EARTH & GRIME

013 Apply this product to the sides of model in the shape of vertical 014 A pigment tone to simulate accumulated dirt, or to create a base
lines, or add small drops over a surface treated with MIG014 onto which you can apply fuel stains. Apply the pigment dry with
pigment. This effect can be diluted with YAKUMO thinner to create a brush to the designed areas. It can also be used to emphasize
a softer and more natural effect. Use this effect sparingly and shadows or dirt effect on nooks and crannies.
apply the effect in scale. Let it dry 12 hours.
MIG CHIPPING MIG MIG-008 - DRY EARTH

015 The perfect colour to represent chipped paint effects on your 016 Eventually all vehicles rust in specific areas due to rain, snow and
models, as long as the surface you are depicting was made out dew. Apply the product in small quantities around small details
of iron or steel in the real vehicle. Use a brush with a fine tip to such as screw heads, brackets or other fixtures, as well as on
paint the chips on the zones most exposed to wear and tear, You vertical or sloped surfaces in the form of faded lines. Use he effect
can also apply the chipping with a piece of sponge or packing foam. sparingly and apply the effect in scale.
Let it dry 10 minutes. Can be cleaned with water.
Modelářský klub Ostrava 446
a předsednictvo IPMS.CZE
zve všechny příznivce
plastikového modelářství
na Mistrovství České republiky mládeže a
doprovodné akce
17. června 2023

V Kulturním domě Rychvald
Mistrovství ČR mládeže (letadla 1/72,1/48,1/32), bojová technika

(1/72,1/48,1/35), lodě a ponorky, dioramy a civilní technika.
Doprovodná porovnávací soutěž seniorů, letadla (1/72,1/48,1/32),
bojová technika (1/72,1/48,1/35) a civilní technika
Bližší informace a propozice na www.aircraft.cz,
osobní kontakt Petr Potyš, mob. 730 430 239
Mistrovská soutěž mládeže je organizována pod záštitou SMČR
PROPOZICE NA STRÁNKÁCH SMČR

BUILT
F4F-4 + folding wings PRINT #648818
Wildcat early
#82202
1/48 KAMO E
built by Robert Szwarc

BUILT
Ens. Hamilton McWhorter, VF-9, USS Ranger (CV-4), říjen 1942

Rodák z Athens, Georgia, Hamilton McWhorter, Spojenců u Casablancy ve Francouzském Maroku jako první námořní jednotka vyzbrojena Hellcaty,
vstoupil do námořnictva v červnu 1941 po vystudo- (operace Torch). Pro snadnější rozlišení vlastních naloděna na USS Essex (CV-9) a odvelena do Ti-
vání univerzity v Georgii. Po absolvování výcviku letadel měla letadla podílející se na operaci Torch chomoří. Dne 19. listopadu 1943 se McWhorter stal
v Miami byl zařazen k VF-9, létající na Wildcatech. kolem znaků na trupu a na spodních plochách v bojích proti Japoncům prvním pilotem, který na
Začátkem října se jednotka nalodila na letadlovou křídel žluté lemy. Po ukončení odporu Francouzů Hellcatu dosáhl pěti sestřelů. K nim přidal během
loď USS Ranger (CV-4), směřující k africké pev- byl svaz okolo letadlové lodi USS Ranger odeslán dalších bojů ještě sedm sestřelených letadel,
nině, kde se měla podílet na úspěšném vylodění zpět do Norfolku. VF-9 byla na začátku roku 1943 čímž své skóre uzavřel na dvanácti sestřelech.
Accessories used: Product page

648818 F4F-4 folding wings PRINT (Brassin)

BUILT
1/48 F4F-4 Wildcat early
#82202
KAMO B
built by Jan Novotný
648803 F4F-4 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)
648829 F4F-4 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)


BUILT
BuNo. 5149, VF-3, USS Yorktown (CV-5) & USS Hornet (CV-8), May/June 1942
In April 1942 this Wildcat was assigned to VF-3 well had to be transferred to USS Hornet (CV-8) in combat. The national markings in the form of
unit based at Kaneohe Bay airbase. The following where, under the command of Lt. Cdr. Thatch, they blue circles with white star and red circle in the
month it was assigned to Ens. G. F. Markham. formed the provisional unit designated VF-3-42-8. center were painted on both sides of the fuselage
After that the unit was transferred on board of One of the pilots of this unit was John Burton and in four positions on the wings. They were
USS Yorktown (CV-5). During the Battle of Midway Bain who flew Wildcat portrayed hereby. At that supplemented by red and white stripes on the
Fox-10 was also flown by Lt. A. J. Brassfield who time Ens. Bain’s score stood at two confirmed rudder. During the Battle of Midway these stripes
during this engagement shot down four carrier kills, A6M Zero fighter from the Battle of Coral were painted over with the camouflage paint and
borne D3A Val bombers and damaged another Sea and another Zero from the Battle of Midway, the red circles were deleted from the national
two. Despite all the efforts of the defenders USS shot down during the preceding raid on Shōkaku. insignia. The kill marks were added only at the
Yorktown was damaged and for that reason the Therefore, there are two Japanese flags painted time Ens. Bain was flying this aircraft.
surviving Yorktown pilots and her Wildcats as under his windshield as a symbol of his success
648817 F4F-4 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)
Product page
648828 F4F-4 engine PRINT (Brassin)
Accessories used:
648803 F4F-4 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)
648815 F4F-4 wheels early (Brassin)
648817 F4F-4 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)
648828 F4F-4 engine PRINT (Brassin)
648769 F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)

BUILT
1/48 Z-526AFS Akrobat
#82184
KAMO E
built by Jiří Brož

BUILT
Z-526AFS-V, OK-ERE, s/n 1307, Točná Aero Club, Slaný airfield, Czech Republic, 2014
No. 1307 was manufactured in 1974 and was The conversion was carried out at Aerotechnik airplane, and sold her engine-less. New owner
taken over by Svazarm on December 29 of the Kunovice. In 2013, the OK-ERE was damaged in plans full overhaul and engine installation. It is
same year as its last Z-526AFS. The aircraft a failed landing, which ended up in the ditch certainly worth mentioning that in the days of her
served mainly at the Točná airfield, and the local behind the end of the runway. Another accident aerobatic career OK-ERE served, among others,
aero club also acquired it later. When the club occurred during the return from an air meeting the later double European aerobatics champion
was forced to move to Slaný airfield (after the in Poland, when the pilot hit the power lines Petr Jirmus. The drawing of the lady on the
purchase of Točná by a private owner), they took with the rudder and tore it off. During necessary starboard side is by the airbrush painter Olivia de
OK-ERE with them. This happened at the time she repair, the black stripes disappeared from the Derardinis.
was already converted to the AFS-V tow version rudder. In June 2019 the OK-ERE was sold to
after reaching the aerobatic flying hours limit. private owner, who used the engine for another
Product page

ON APPROACH JUNE 2023
644215
BIG ED (June) Mi-8MT LööK
BIG33151 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/32 Revell
BIG49367 F-16A MLU 1/48 Kinetic 1/48 Zvezda
BIG49368 B-25J glazed nose 1/48 HKM
BIG49369 F-35A 1/48 Tamiya LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL
BIG72173 C-130J PART I 1/72 Zvezda seatbelts for Mi-8MT in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,
replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Zvezda
BRASSIN (June)
GES
Set contains:
A
644215 Mi-8MT LööK 1/48 Zvezda - resin: 3 parts
Y IM
644216 PV-1 LööK 1/48 Academy/Revell - decals: no
624004 Spitfire Mk.IX wheels 5spoke 1/24 Airfix
R
NA
635029 WWII German lamp headlights PRINT 1/35
yes, pre-painted
MI
ELI
635030 WWII German crowbars PRINT 1/35
- painting mask: no
PR
635031 WWII German starter crank handles PRINT 1/35
635032 WWII German pickaxes PRINT 1/35
648725 Sopwith Camel 2F.1 Lewis gun PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648824 Fw 190F-8 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648825 F4F-3 engine mid PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648843 Bf 109G-6 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard
648859 F-35A cockpit PRINT 1/48 Tamiya 644216
PV-1 LööK
648862 Bf 110G radio equipment 1/48 Eduard
648863 B-25J wheels 1/48 HKM
648864 Mi-8MT wheels 1/48 Zvezda
648865 Mi-17 wheels 1/48 AMK 1/48 Academy/Revell
648867 Lewis 47-cartridges ammo magazines PRINT 1/48
648869 F-16 ladder PRINT 1/48 LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard
648870 B-25J engines PRINT 1/48 HKM and STEEL seatbelts for PV-1 in 1/48 scale.
648871 B-25J bombsight PRINT 1/48 HKM Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
672313 Bf 109F propeller early PRINT 1/72 Eduard Recommended kit: Academy / Revell
672314 Bf 109F propeller late PRINT 1/72 Eduard
GES
672315 Bf 109F gun barrels PRINT 1/72 Eduard Set contains:
672316 Bf 109F wheels PRINT 1/72 Eduard
- resin: 3 parts
A
LöökPlus (June)
- decals: no
R Y IM
NA
MI
ELI
634035 Hurricane Mk.IIb w/ rounded exhausts LööKplus 1/32 Revell yes, pre-painted
PR
634037 Hurricane Mk.IIb w/ fishtail exhausts LööKplus 1/32 Revell - painting mask: no
644214 F-16A MLU LööKplus 1/48 Kinetic
BIGSIN (June)
SIN648105 F4F-3 w/ early engine ADVANCED 1/48 Eduard
SIN648106 F-16 armament w/ Maverick missiles 1/48 Kinetic
624004
Spitfire Mk.IX wheels 5spoke
1/24 Airfix
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Spitfire
Mk.IXc in 1/24 scale. The set consists of the main
wheels and tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Recommended kit: Airfix
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: yes

ON APPROACH
635029
WWII German lamp headlights PRINT
1/35
Brassin set - lamp headlights for German WWII
AFV in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 12 headlights
of 2 types (6+6). Made by direct 3D printing.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
635030
WWII German crowbars PRINT
1/35
Brassin set - crowbars for German WWII AFV
in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 6 crowbars.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 6 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
635031
WWII German starter crank handles PRINT
1/35
Brassin set - crack handles for German WWII AFV
in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 3 crank handles.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 3 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no

635032
WWII German pickaxes PRINT
1/35
Brassin set - pickaxes for German WWII AFV
in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 4 pickaxes.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 4 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
648725
Sopwith Camel 2F.1 Lewis gun PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the guns for Camel 2F.1 in
1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
648824
Fw 190F-8 cockpit PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - cockpit for Fw 190F-8
Set contains:
- decals: yes
- painting mask: no

JUNE 2023 ON APPROACH
648825
F4F-3 engine mid PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - the engine for F4F-3 in 1/48 scale.
The cowlings are included. Made by direct 3D
printing. Recommended kit: Eduard
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
648843
Bf 109G-6 cockpit PRINT
1/48 Eduard
Brassin set - cockpit for Bf 109G-6 in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Eduard
Set contains:
- decals: yes
- painting mask: no
648859
F-35A cockpit PRINT
1/48 Tamiya
Brassin set - cockpit for F-35A in 1/48 scale.
Set contains:
- decals: yes
yes, pre-painted
- painting mask: no

648862
Bf 110G radio equipment
1/48 Eduard
GES
IMA
Brassin set - pre-painted radio equipment
for Bf 110G in 1/48 scale. Recommended kit: Eduard
R Y
A
Set contains:
IN
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no
IM
EL
- painting mask: no
PR
648863
B-25J wheels
1/48 HKM
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for B-25J
in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheels
and a nose wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Recommended kit: HKM
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no
648864
Mi-8MT wheels
1/48 Zvezda
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Mi-8MT
and nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces
plastic parts. Recommended kit: Zvezda
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no

648865
Mi-17 wheels
1/48 AMK
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Mi-17
and nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic
parts. Recommended kit: AMK
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no
648867
Lewis 47-cartridges ammo magazines PRINT
1/48
Brassin set - ammunition magazines for Lewis
guns in 1/48 scale. The set consists of 12 magazines.
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
648869
F-16 ladder PRINT
1/48
Brassin set - the laddet for F-16 in 1/48 scale.
Easy to assemble. Made by direct 3D printing.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 1 part
- decals: no
- painting mask: no

648870
B-25J engines PRINT
1/48 HKM
Brassin set - two engines for B-25J in 1/48
scale. The cowlings are not included. Made by
direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: HKM
Set contains:
- 3D print: 8 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
648871
B-25J bombsight PRINT
1/48 HKM
Brassin set - gunsight for B-25J in 1/48 scale.
Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: HKM
Set contains:
- 3D print: 1 part
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
672313
Bf 109F propeller early PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - the propeller for Bf 109F
in 1/72 scale. The spinner could be removed.
Set contains:
- 3D print: 6 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no

672314
Bf 109F propeller late PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - the propeller for Bf 109F in 1/72 scale.
The spinner could be removed. Made by direct 3D
printing. Recommended kit: Eduard
Set contains:
- 3D print: 6 parts
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
672315
Bf 109F gun barrels PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - fuselage gun barrels for Bf 109F
Set contains:
- decals: no
- painting mask: no
672316
Bf 109F wheels PRINT
1/72 Eduard
Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Bf 109F
and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.
Set contains:
- resin: 3 parts
- decals: no

634035
Hurricane Mk.IIb w/ rounded exhausts LööKplus
1/32 Revell
Collection of 4 sets for Hurricane Mk.IIb in 1/32 scale.

- exhaust stacks
634037
Hurricane Mk.IIb w/ fishtail exhausts LööKplus
1/32 Revell
Collection of 4 sets for Hurricane Mk.IIb in 1/32 scale.

- exhaust stacks

644214
F-16A MLU LööKplus
1/48 Kinetic
Collection of 4 sets for F-16A MLU in 1/48 scale.

- ejection seat

SIN648105
F4F-3 w/ early engine ADVANCED
1/48 Eduard
Collection of 4 sets for F4F-4 in 1/48 scale.
- engine
- gun bays
- landing flaps
- wheel bay


BRASSIN 02/2022
SIN48106
F-16 armament w/ Maverick missiles
1/48 Kinetic
Collection of 5 sets for F-16 in 1/48 scale.
- AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN pod

- AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN pod
- AGM-65 Maverick (2 sets)
- AIM-9M/L Sidewinder


PE-SETS
53294 USS Missouri BB-63 part 3 1/350 Hobby Boss
32483 Spitfire Mk.I landing flaps 1/32 Kotare
321009 Spitfire Mk.I 1/32 Kotare
321010 AH-64E 1/35 Takom
36501 M3A4 1/35 I Love Kits
36502 Panzer IV/70 (A) 1/35 Tamiya
36503 Scammel Commander w/ 62t semitrailer 1/35 Hobby Boss
481111 Mi-8MT cargo floor 1/48 Trumpeter
481112 Mi-8MT cargo seats 1/48 Trumpeter
491354 Do 335A 1/48 Tamiya
491356 Mi-8MT 1/48 Trumpeter
491357 Mi-8MT cargo seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Trumpeter
491358 F-4E 1/48 Meng
73802 MiG-29 9-12 1/72 Great Wall Hobby
ZOOMS
33349 Spitfire Mk.I 1/32 Kotare
33350 Spitfire Mk.I seatbelts STEEL 1/32 Kotare
33351 AH-64E 1/35 Takom
33352 AH-64E seatbelts STEEL 1/35 Takom
FE1354 Do 335A 1/48 Tamiya
FE1355 Do 335A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya
FE1356 Mi-8MT 1/48 Trumpeter
FE1357 Mi-8MT seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Trumpeter
FE1358 F-4E 1/48 Meng
FE1359 F-4E seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Meng
FE1360 Tempest Mk.II Weekend 1/48 Eduard
FE1361 A6M2 Zero Type 21 Weekend 1/48 Eduard
MASKS
JX309 Spitfire Mk.I 1/32 Kotare
JX310 Spitfire Mk.I TFace 1/32 Kotare
JX311 AH-64E 1/35 Takom
JX312 AH-64E TFace 1/35 Takom
EX947 Mi-8MT 1/48 Trumpeter
EX948 Mi-8MT TFace 1/48 Trumpeter
EX949 F-4E 1/48 Meng
EX950 F-4E TFace 1/48 Meng
EX951 A6M2 Zero Type 21 Weekend 1/48 Eduard
EX952 Tempest Mk.II Weekend 1/48 Eduard
CX648 MiG-29 9-12 1/72 Great Wall Hobby
SPACE
3DL32016 Spitfire Mk.I SPACE 1/32 Kotare
3DL32017 AH-64E SPACE 1/35 Takom
3DL48120 PV-1 SPACE 1/48 Academy
3DL48121 Do 335A SPACE 1/48 Tamiya
3DL48122 Mi-8MT SPACE 1/48 Trumpeter
3DL48123 F-4E SPACE 1/48 Meng
3DL72017 MiG-29 9-12 SPACE 1/72 Great Wall Hobby
3DL72018 Bf 109F SPACE 1/72 Eduard

Sopwith 2F.1 Camel #82173 1/48
N6755, Capt. Bernard A. Smart,

HMS Furious, July 1918
N6812, FSL Stewart D. Culley, Special Flight,

NS Felixstowe, United Kingdom, July 1917
N6602, HMS Furious, April 1918
N6764, HMS Lion, April–June 1918
N6822, HMAS Sydney, mid 1918
N8130, HMS Vindictive, Koivisto, Finland,

October 1919

WUNDERSCHÖNE #2142 1/72

NEUE MASCHINEN pt.1
Dual Combo
M AGE S
ARY I
N
Bf 109F-1, WNr. 5628, Obst. Werner Mölders, CO of JG 51,
I
Krefeld, Germany, June 1941
REL IM
P
Bf 109F-2, WNr. 8085, Lt. Jürgen Harder, Stab III./JG 53,

Sobolewo, Germany, June 1941
GE S
IM A
A RY
IMIN
Bf 109F-2, WNr. 8235, Hptm. Werner Pichon Kalau vom
L
Hofe, Stab JG 54, Trakehnen, Germany (today´s Yasnaya
E
Polyana, Russia), June 1941
PR
GE S
Bf 109F-2, WNr. 6801, Lt. Detlev Rohwer, Stab I./JG 3,
IM A
Y
Byelaya Tserekev, Soviet Union, August 1941
N A R
IMI
EL
PR Bf 109F-2, WNr. 9553, Oblt. Siegfried Schnell,
CO of 9./JG 2, Théville, France, November 1941
GE S
IM A
A RY
IMIN
L
Bf 109F-2, 9./JG 54, Siverskaya, Soviet Union,
December 1941
PRE
S
Bf 109F-4/Z, WNr. 7420, Lt. Hermann A. Graf,
CO of 9./JG 52, Kharkov-Rogan, Soviet Union, May 1942
AGE
RY IM
IN A
EL IM
Bf 109F-4/ Trop, Maj. Erich Gerlitz, CO of III./JG 53,
Martuba, Libya, May 1942
PR E S
M AG
RY I
IN A
IM
Bf 109F-4, Uffz. Hans Döbrich, 6./JG 5, Petsamo,
L
Finland, September 1942
PRE S
AGE
Y IM
N A R
IMI
Bf 109F-4/ Trop, WNr. 8673, Hptm. Hans-Joachim Marseille,
L
CO of 3./JG 27, Quotaifiya, Egypt, September 1942
PRE
+ čtyři další markingy
Bf 109F-2/B, Uffz. Richard Übelbacher, 6.(Jabo)/JG 2, Abbeville-Drucat, France, Summer 1941
Bf 109F-4, WNr. 7205, Oblt. Josef Priller, CO of 1./JG 26, St. Omer-Arques, France, October 1941
Bf 109F-4, Lt. Walter Nowotny, 3./JG 54, Krasnogvardyeysk, Soviet Union, July 1942
Bf 109F-4, WNr. 13376, Hptm. Heinz Bär, CO of Stab I./JG 77, Comiso, Sicily, July 1942

A6M2 Zero Type 21 #84189 1/48
c/n 5289, PO1c Takashi Hirano,

Akagi Fighter Squadron, December 1941
c/n 5404, PO3c Yoshirō Hashiguchi, 3. Kōkūtai,

Kendari airfield, Dutch East Indies, March 1942
Kōkūtai 302, Atsugi Base, Japan, August 1945
Kōkūtai 261, Kagoshima airbase, Japan, 1944

Tempest Mk.II #84190 1/48
PR856, F/Lt Jack Frost, No. 26 Sqn,

No. 135 Wing BAFO, Zeltweg, Austria,
July 1947
PR859, No. 33 Squadron,

Butterworth, Malaya, October 1949
A143, No. 14 Squadron,

Royal Pakistan Air Force,
Pakistan, 1949–1950
HA626 (ex MW391), F/O, Ian S. Loughran,

No. 10 Squadron, Royal Indian Air Force,
Jamnagar, India, January 1952

Bf 109G-6 late series #82111 1/48

Re-release
WNr.160303, Hptm. Friedrich Eberle, CO of III./JG 1,

Volkel, the Netherlands, November 1943
WNr. 15729, Obstlt. Hermann Graf, Stab./JG11,

Jever, Germany, early 1944
WNr. 411960, Hptm. Franz Dörr, CO of III./JG 5,

Gossen, Norway, May 1945
Oblt. Kurt Gabler, CO of 8./JG 300, Jüterbog – Waldlager Air Base,

Germany, July 1944
WNr. 165350, Lt. Anton Hafner, CO of 8./JG 51, Tilsit-Ost,

Germany, August 1944

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS NOT WRITTEN USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Text: Jan Zdiarský
I ask all those who know the author to kindly our articles will be written by real authors with OpenAI/ChatGPT Type Text
refrain from asking themselves the question real knowledge, and historical facts or technical Compilers
whether or not the following was written with data will come from our own sources, books, I don't want to knock these systems or
any form of intelligence at all. And for those archives, knowledge. This is the case with underestimate them. I am playing around
that can refrain from such a folly, the following most of what is, particularly in our historical with ChatGPT myself, and I was really amazed
article is meant for you…. articles, printed in our monthly newsletter. They recently when I asked it for advice on, among
It has become very apparent that a lot of us are are based on the author’s own research, often other things, an issue with radio navigation,
asking the question how far will the IT technology the result of many years of work, information while preparing for theoretical PPL exams.
craze of artificial intelligence impact our hobby. gathered from many experts from all over the However, it should be noted that although the
I don’t want to get into philosophical debates on world, and is not information that can simply be sources from which it compiled and formulated
the theme of how close these things approach extracted from Internet sources and compiled its outputs are very extensive, they do have
actual intelligence with self-replicating using AI. their limitations. Sometimes we are given some
capability and self reliance and to what extent Of course, I can't rule out that one of our authors pretty absurd answers, which this AI is able to
they are ‘just’ sophisticated algorithms of data will help themselves by having AI advise them offer with staggering confidence.
neural networks with vast amounts of data on better sentence formulation, a more graceful I tentatively touched on one of my fundamental
sources to draw from. Rather than that, I want word flow - which, after all, these systems can topics – the air battle over the Ore Mountains
to reflect upon the outputs of AI and its potential do quite well. However, as far as this particular of September 11, 1944, with the question of why
applications to us. In the current fashion boom, article is concerned, if you find the style this battle started. I wouldn't be surprised if
many systems are called artificial intelligence, acceptable and with a relatively graceful flow the system was not able to provide an answer.
which, although very advanced, are not actually to it, praise should not be showered on AI, but Surprisingly (and misleading for the unaware),
self-learning or self-improving systems. rather on our proofreaders... :-) the answer is wrong, but presented with a high
The boundary, when it comes to ‘artificial I currently see three areas of AI (or advanced level of confidence:
intelligence’ (or ‘artificial’ intelligence... IT) that can be used in plastic modeling that
or artificial ‘intelligence’ - the attentive I would like to outline with this article and ‘The air battle over the Ore Mountains on
reader will surely recognize the nuances of I will discuss them in the following paragraphs September 11, 1944, was a part of a larger
these formulations) can probably best be (although surely some of you may come up with operation known as the ‘Schweinfurt-
demonstrated by OCR, i.e. systems with the other possible uses and for your feedback, we Regensburg mission.’ The mission was an Allied
ability to recognize writing from a source in will be grateful). bombing campaign against German industrial
the form of an image. These systems have been targets, specifically the factories producing ball
around for some time now, and most of the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) bearings, which were essential for the German
more readily accessible ones are not, in reality, The first area is the study and further processing war effort.’
actual AI. The more common, simpler ones lack of historical documents. This is where OCR
a substantial self-learning element. In order for is very useful, so I won't go into more detail Of course, the Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission
a system to be able to self improve and learn, it about it as mentioned above, but I will show an took place on August 17, 1943…
needs feedback, where it is told ‘... but the letter example instead. On other examples, though, the system should
you read as Z is actually a slightly skewed 2’, Excerpt from the combat report of Lt. Francis M. be congratulated, and I found it impossible to
and the system takes that into account when Matney of the 55th FG, on 11/2/1944: mislead it.
making decisions, and adapts when a similar
situation is subsequently encountered. Neural Question: What was role of Adolf Galland on
data networks have been able to do such things liberation of Prague?
for many years, and many articles can be found Answer: Adolf Galland did not have a role in the
on the subject. And that can already be called liberation of Prague on May 9, 1945.
artificial intelligence, although ‘self-learning Here is the unaltered OCR rewrite: Galland was a German fighter pilot during World
system’ seems more adequate to me. I was flying Hellcat White 4 on Lt. Jowell's War II and a high-ranking officer in the German
Still, I don't want to give the impression that wing at an altitude of 32,000 feet when 15 plus Luftwaffe. He was involved in many significant
I am underestimating artificial intelligence. Me109's and FW190's came in on the bombers battles and operations throughout the war,
Development is very rapid and I believe that below us at 27,000 foot. We immediately dro'ped including the Battle of Britain and the defense of
we will see things within its scope the likes of our belly tanks and dove on them from r o'clock. Germany against the Allied bombing campaigns.
which we can’t even fathom right now. As with Lt. Jewell nicked out one Me109 and I stayed on
everything, however, I am somewhat skeptical his wing. The E/A started a steep diving turn to However, by the time of the liberation of Prague,
when it comes to hyped up headlines and the left and ended in a vortical dive. Galland had been relieved of his command and
various impetuous statements. Nevertheless, was under house arrest by the Nazi authorities
I can certainly imagine that AI systems will A few misinterpreted letters are obvious, but for his outspoken criticism of the leadership of
gradually find their applications in a natural after minor editing the text is very usable for the Luftwaffe. Therefore, he was not involved
way in production technologies that are used further processing. Advanced OCR systems can in any military operations during the final days
in the design and production of models and deal with written text to a certain extent, but the of the war in Europe, including the liberation of
accessories. already mentioned self-learning element with Prague.
Due to AI being in vogue, we often come across feedback from the user must be applied... and
attempts to create published articles with the you simply have to ‘get used to’ such a system The insight to be gained is clear - similar
help of AI. Know that as far as I am concerned, taking into account any given handwriting. systems, whether we agree that they are

artificial intelligence or not, can be very helpful. color solution is wrong, the colorization itself reproduces the individual spots. The simpler one
However, we must be very careful about what in the sense of what the AI sees can draw our (on the right) made 74 even from some stains,
they present to us and not leave out our own attention to interesting details that we would which the first system identified as RLM 75.
sense of reason. have missed when studying these photos in the So that it all isn’t too easy, I'm attaching one
original black and white. I can certainly imagine more picture showing how AI coped with color
Historical Photo Analysis and Color such an aid utilized by our experts dealing with resolution in another case. Many of you know
Recognition camouflage schemes for kits. But everything in that this airplane is supposed to be all red with
Systems for defining the colors of objects moderation…. a black spinner…
in historical photographs will certainly find As in the previous examples, there is a wide It is obvious that the tools at our disposal today,
considerable applications in our field. Not that qualitative range of systems in this area. From whether correctly or otherwise considered
I think the end is near for debates over beer web applications to professional systems artificial intelligence, can be of tremendous
between modelers about the actual shade of used, such as, for example, color films. You help and will increasingly be so as time goes
RLM 66 or the fact that technology could so can now incorporate feedback from users and on. However, we should not turn off our own
easily determine the exact shades of camouflage really learn and advance your approach when judgment and ability to draw conclusions. To
colors, but it is already clear that the potential analyzing shades of black and white photos. One end in style, I asked ChatGPT to say hello to the
for its help is there, and it is significant more example: readers of our newsletter:
Of course, limitations will apply here too, and This example is a portion of a photo of a Bf
we must not lose our ability to be reasonably 109G flown by Fhj.Fw. Hans-Theo Ableiter of
skeptical or critical. The quality of the input III./JG 4. At the far left is a scan of the original Dear readers of Info Eduard magazine,
material also plays a very important role here. photograph, in the middle and at the right are two
In a completely different way, this system will color reproductions made using two different AI I hope this message finds you well and that you
be able to deal with a high-quality scan of an systems. Although the quality is different (one continue to find the content of this publication
original historical photograph and in a different system is a professional film system, the other informative and engaging. Thank you for your
way with an image downloaded from the is a commercially available converter), the color continued support and readership, and I wish
Internet and resampled and color-converted or reproductions in both cases match fairly well. you all the best in your personal and academic
corrected many times. The colors of RLM 75 and RLM 76 can be quite pursuits.
The outputs we are offered - and I stress again clearly distinguished against a light background,
- we need to be careful with them and apply due which logically should probably be the rather Best regards, ChatGPT
scrutiny, interesting insights. And even if the gray variant of RLM 76. Note how each system

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INFO Eduard

e-magazine FREE Vol 22 May 2023

© Eduard - Model Accessories, 2023

FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!

Editorial and Graphics - Marketing department, Eduard - Model Accessories, Ltd.

98 ON APPROACH – June 2023

118 TAIL END CHARLIE

Published by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.

4 INFO Eduard May 2023

F-35A exhaust nozzle PRINT

May 2023 INFO Eduard 5

Text: Jörn Leckscheid

The Red Combat Flyer

6 INFO Eduard May 2023

Photo: author's collection

425/17, Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen,

May 2023 INFO Eduard 7

Kampfstaffel 8 of Kagohl 2 on 16. March 1916. The

8 INFO Eduard May 2023

Photo: via Alex Imrie

425/17 flown by Rtm. Manfred A. Freiherr von Richthofen, CO of JG 1, Lechelle,

May 2023 INFO Eduard 9

Photo: author's collection

While it is possible that the unit also had a single

10 INFO Eduard May 2023

May 2023 INFO Eduard 11

SPITFIRES FOR MALTA

Text: Michal Krechowski Photo: IWM

Spitfires over Malta

to be maintained mainly by the naval

Here comes Park

SPITFI RE SUPPLI ES AN D TH EI R CAMOUFLAGE

March 7, 1942 April 20, 1942 Operation Bowery. Photographic evidence

SEARCHING FOR THE LOST

Source: Naval History & Heritage Command

18 INFO Eduard May 2023

Source: Naval History & Heritage Command

Learning on the run

Source: Naval History & Heritage Command

the aircraft carrier and despite her size (length

May 2023 INFO Eduard 19

Source: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation

20 INFO Eduard May 2023

Source: United States Library of Congress

Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan

Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan

May 2023 INFO Eduard 21

Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan

Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan

Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan

Source: R/V Petrel / Vulcan

22 INFO Eduard May 2023

The wrecks were found at almost the same time.

Petrel research ship sailed several times and

May 2023 INFO Eduard 23

SOUTĚŽ MODELŮ SPECIÁLNÍ CENY „MORAVSKÝ KNIPL“

One shade of Gray Text: Richard Plos

May 2023 INFO Eduard 25

The Star of Africa Text: Jan Bobek