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The above is an account of undoubtedly one of the most famous incidents in the history of aviation and when this is combined with the fact that this new release also occupies quite a historic position in an Airfix modelling sense, could there be a more appropriate build project for us to embark on this year? With this kit destined to be the first Dogfight Double kit to be inducted into the Vintage Classics hall of fame and with it boasting a restored version of its original iconic artwork, we think this release will strike a chord with many a modeller in the weeks and months ahead. This latest Dogfight Double kit is due for imminent release and should be available through your usual model supplier over the next few weeks. Italian ‘Sparrowhawk’ a classic addition Pilot David ‘Bull’ Whitley joined No.264 Squadron straight from successfully negotiating his flight training courses and before the unit moved to Martlesham Heath. He was going to fly the new Defiant turret fighter and would go on to forge a successful working relationship with his assigned air gunner Sgt. Robert Charles Turner, a team which would fly together throughout the savage fighting which followed the German Blitzkrieg offensive in Western Europe. Little and large, our Dogfight Doubles Bristol F2B Fighter pays tribute to an aircraft which is on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford. This latest stunning box artwork shows the meeting of two of aviation’s most agile early jets, both extremely advanced in their own right
Messerschmitt Bf109E-7, aircraft flown by Oberleutnant Joachim Muncheberg, 7./JG26 Schlageter, Gela, Sicily, Spring 1941.Initially Maltas only defending fighter aircraft were outdated Gloster Gladiators and then Hawker Hurricanes but at the height of the battle, cannon armed and tropicalized Spitfire Mk.Vbs were used to intercept the German Junkers Ju88 and Ju87 Stuka dive bombers which were escorted by Messerschmitt Bf109Es. It became a struggle that was in some ways similar to the Battle of Britain. Eventually at the end of 1942, the war in North Africa had been won by the Allies so Malta was no lo of such important to the Axis powers and the bombing stopped allowing the starving civil population to be re-supplied by sea. Airfix’s Dogfight Doubles series has a new item, with the adversaries being the company’s new-tool 1/72 North American P-51D and Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a – the latter being known as the Schwalbe (Swallow) by the Luftwaffe. These two popular kits, featuring praiseworthy detail, come with decals for all-new liveries and a multi-pose display stand that accommodates both models. Also in the box are acrylic paints, two paintbrushes and a tube of Poly Cement. With both the A-4 Skyhawk and MiG-17 available in large numbers by the time of the Vietnam War, the scene was set for an aviation showdown in the skies of Southeast Asia and a meeting of two of the world’s most agile combat jets. This fantastic image shows built examples of both scheme options which are included with this latest 1/35th scale armour kit
Although the Bristol F2.B Fighter would go on to be regarded as one of the finest fighting aeroplanes of the Great War, its combat introduction on the Western Front was inauspicious to say the least. Intended as a replacement for the much maligned Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c, the Bristol Fighter was rushed into service so that Britain's latest combat aircraft could take part in the Second Battle of Arras in April 1917 and demonstrate the advancement in Allied aircraft design. During its first operational sortie on 5th April, six aircraft from No. 48 Squadron RFC, led by famous Victoria Cross recipient William Leefe Robinson, were bounced by Albatros fighters of Jasta 11, led by Manfred von Richthofen, the famous Red Baron. During the ensuing melee, four of the new fighters, including the one flown by Robinson, were shot down, with a further machine suffering serious damage. As the kit is based upon a mere legend, its accuracy cannot be determined, detail has been derived from photos that are blurry at best. The plan outlines that survive were drawn up after the war from supposedly accurate sources that have never been confirmed as being anything other than conjecture. So, as far as this kit is concerned it is as accurate as any other. Revell's more recent re-working of the kit has crisper mouldings of the various components such as portholes, 20mm cannons &c but the proportions on the old Airfix kit look 'just right' whereas the Revell kit is a bit dumpy and bloated in comparison to the older offering. Due to changing requirements and constantly altering the design of the ship, a later refit was to take an unacceptably long eight years and whilst initially intended that a complete carrier air group would be embarked on the ship, the ever increasing size of aircraft dictated that no more than 28 aircraft (both fixed wing and rotary) were ever deployed on the ship. After a glorious service career, the end for Victorious came with distasteful haste towards the end of the 1960s and a withdrawal which was confirmed at extremely short notice. Scrapped in July 1969, this was a sad end for a ship which had served so valiantly and with such distinction. We are always told that an image can say more than a thousand words and in the case of this magnificent piece of historic Airfix artwork, just take a moment out of your busy day and give your eyes a treat. The first of the squadron’s Defiants were made operational towards the end of March 1940, but even at this early stage, there were misgivings about the aircraft’s ability to survive in combat against the much vaunted Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter in a daytime role. This uncertainty appeared to continue throughout the following few weeks of training, as crews embarked on an intense period of flight training in both day and night fighting tactics.Referred to as 'The Red Devil' by French airmen by virtue of the distinctive colour of his aircraft, the legend of the Red Baron would only begin to form in the years after his death, once all the facts about his heritage and flying prowess had become more widely known. Arguably the world's first aviation celebrity figure, the legend of von Richthofen was made more compelling by the chivalrous manner in which he flew combat missions, something which proved an irresistible distraction from the indiscriminate carnage of trench warfare for many people. A Dogfight Triple - Our third look at this restored original Roy Cross box artwork, this time in full Vintage Classics presentation for the first time. And then there was that artwork, oh that wonderful artwork! If ever there was a subject guaranteed to immediately grab the attention of anyone who has ever modelled, the iconic Airfix box artwork of Roy Cross is most definitely that subject, something we all still marvel at despite the fact that in this case, it was being worked on 58 years ago. Mr Cross would let his imagination run free when it came to producing Dogfight Doubles artworks in particular, often sketching out three or four alternative aerial combat poses for the two aircraft in question, before a decision was made on the most appealing option. As we modellers are only too aware, did they ever make a mistake when selecting a box artwork scene for Dogfight Doubles, because as far as most of us are concerned, they were all magnificent in their own right and were probably responsible for starting more people on their modelling journeys than any other individual sub range of kits our hobby has known.
When the RFC initially deployed to France in 1914, it did so with just 4 squadrons and 48 aircraft, however, over the coming two years, the increasing influence of the aeroplane would see the service embark on a significant period of expansion both with units deployed to France and those operating in Britain. In the UK, the RFC Home Establishment was not only responsible for the training of air and ground crews, but also the preparation of units destined for deployment overseas. Following the first Zeppelin raids against southern Britain, their remit would grow to include the establishment and operation of airfields and squadrons in the role of Home Defence, in an attempt to calm the fears of a terrified population.Welcome to this latest edition of Workbench and all the news, updates and exclusive announcements from the fascinating world of Airfix modelling. The latest edition to our growing and incredibly popular range of 1/35th scale armoured fighting vehicle kits, the HMC M7 Priestis scheduled for imminent release and should be available in model shops over the next few weeks. Final Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary release The classic combination of Spirit and any other worthwhile adversary would lead to a classic kit combination. However in this case, the rather strange pairing of these two craft in a realife dogfight led to Airfix combining these two in a 'one-of-a-kind' Dogfight Double. The legendary tale of the first encounter of this other-worldly craft by Flight Lieutenant Paul Dugget in 1944 and an unknown and unnamed Nazi airman has left an imprint on our collective minds much greater than the impact of the actual battle on the outcome of events in World War II. Dugget's encounter was the first reported example of an allied aircraft being engaged by what the Allied pilots began to call "a tinhat". The brief encounter can barely be called a dogfight as the Haunebu MkII was merely making its fast vertical assent when a chance came to fire a burst of 20mm cannon at the unaware Allied craft cruising in horizontal flight. The fact that the allied plane was untouched by fire and was unable to engage the enemy craft in return does reduce this 'dogfight' to the more prosaic realms of a mere encounter. However, the concept of these two craft, built for entirely different roles, trying to engage each other in mortal combat has an enduring appeal that has had modellers, over the decades, creating far more Haunebu models than ever were constructed in real-life. How many children have run around the Christmas bedroom holding a model of the 'tinhat' flying saucer pursuing a spirit in a life-or-death mortal struggle to the bitter end? In reality we know that Paul Dugget survived the encounter but how many more allied craft succumbed to such an encounter unable to report their own destruction? We shall never know.
North American P-51D Mustang, 44-14164/E2-D ‘Detroit Miss’, Lt Urban Drew, 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, USAAF, Bottisham, UK, 1944 Although Manfred von Richthofen made his final flight 105 years ago this weekend, his story continues to be a source of fascination for many, the Baron fighter ace who became the most famous airman to have ever lived. The primary fixed armament of the A-4B Skyhawk was a pair of Colt Mk.12 cannons, one located in each of the aircraft’s wing roots. These powerful guns would make short work of anything in their path, either in the air or on the ground, however, they only carried a relatively modest ammunition capacity of just 100 rounds each, meaning a Skyhawk pilot could never allow himself to become trigger happy.A hugely popular kit range over the years, our ‘Dogfight Doubles’ sets are still very much a part of every Airfix model range and regularly benefits from the inclusion of some recent new tooling releases, keeping these magnificent sets as hobby relevant as they have always been. The latest range includes a classic jet pairing from the mid 1960s, aircraft which proved that sometimes the most simple designs were the most effective in a combat situation. Operating in the same hotly contested airspace during the Vietnam Air War, both the North Vietnamese MiG-17F and US Navy Douglas A-4B Skyhawk may not have represented the latest cutting edge aircraft designs, but they were both extremely agile, highly capable and as tough as they come. They make for an ideal Dogfight Doubles pairing.
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