All Era’s
A-4E/F Skyhawk
Douglas A-4E / F Skyhawk by Hasegawa 1/72 Scale Kit No. B9 Price: $9.25 History The Skyhawk first flew on June 22, 1954. Intended to fill the U.S. Navy’s need for a jet-powered light attack bomber that could replace the Douglas AD-1 Skyraider, the Skyhawk was a...
A-26C Invader
MPC’s 1970’s re-box of the Airfix kit bears raised rivet detail and a full cockpit and bomb bay — nose weights definitely needed for this WWII era warbird that was still flying in Vietnam.
AH-1J Sea Cobra
AH-1J Sea Cobra by Fujimi 1/48 scale Kit No. 5A-45 Cost: $19.95 Decals: Two versions - both U.S. Marine Corps Attack Squadrons Comments: Engraved panel lines and raised rivet detail; includes pilot and weapons officer figures; armament includes 7- and 19-shot 2.75...
Avro C102 Jetliner
The Avro Canada C-102 Jetliner, the first jet transport in North America, flew for the first time just four years after the end of World War II on August 10, 1949. The prototype could fly at 500 mph at a time when the comparable American airliner of the day, the piston-engined Douglas DC-6, cruised at 315 mph. No less an aviation luminary than Howard Hughes would mount an ill-fated effort to have the Jetliner license-built in the U.S. for his airline, TWA. The first American jetliner, the Boeing 367, would not take flight for another five years, and the first American jetliner to be commercially successful, the Boeing 707, would not enter service until 1958.
Avro Canada CF-100
The Avro Canada CF-100 was a long-range, all-weather interceptor that played a critical but often overlooked role in the defense of North America and NATO at the height of the Cold War. A home-grown product of the Canadian aviation industry, it was designed with two powerful Orenda engines and an advanced radar and fire control system. Upon entering service in the early 1950’s it was one of the few interceptors with all-weather capability, and was highly prized by NATO.
B-2 Stealth Bomber
B-2 Stealth Bomber by Revell-Germany 1/144 scale Kit No. 4070 Cost: $15.00 Decals: One version Comments: Raised and engraved panel lines; option for open or closed landing gear doors; engraved detail in one of two bomb bays with separately molded 2,000 lb. GBU-32 bomb...
Beechcraft Staggerwing
Finally succumbing to years of lobbying by Mrs. Claus, Old Saint Nick reluctantly retired his beloved Sleigh, and began the search for a new mount to take him round the world on Christmas Eve with the help of Marvin, an ingenious Elf with an unusual snow globe…
Boeing 247
Williams Brothers’ kit features a complete cockpit and cabin interior and authentic period decals. The Boeing 247 is widely regarded as the first modern airliner, featuring innovations such as de-icing boots for the wing leading edges and fully enclosed engine nacelles. It dominated American commercial air traffic for a full year, yielding in 1934 to the Douglas DC-2.
Boeing Model 314 Clipper
The Boeing 314 was America’s answer to the luxurious British Short Empire flying boats, and saw brief commercial service in the Summer of 1939.
Minicraft’s kit is a re-issue of the Airfix mold, and features detailed engines and markings for this last of the pre-WWII Clippers.
Boeing F4B-4
The F4B-4 was the U.S. Navy’s last biplane fighter and the last fighter producing by Boeing. It was also the plane that saw the phasing out of wood-and-canvas construction for American fighter aircraft. Under powered but forgiving, it was in service from 1929 to 1938. Monogram’s kit features realistic surface detail.
Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X by Novo/Frog 1/72 scale Cost: $12.00 Kit No. Unknown Decals: Comments: History The Bristol Beaufighter was designed from the Bristol Beaufort, a twin-engine medium bomber. The Beaufighter prototype first flew less than two months before the...
Curtiss Condor
The Curtiss Condor was the last biplane airliner built in the United States and a stop-gap venture intended to keep Curtiss Aircraft financially viable at a critical period in its history. Glencoe’s Condor is a re-issue of a 1954 ITC kit, featuring detailed engines and American Airlines markings.
Curtiss F11C-2 Goshawk
The Curtiss F11C-2 was specifically designed for the U.S. Navy as what would later be called a fighter-bomber. Descended directly from the Curtiss line of award-winning racing planes that gained fame in the late 1920’s, the F11C-2 was the pinnacle of design for a line of Curtiss fighters that had served aboard Navy carriers since 1925. It entered service with VF-1B aboard the carrier U.S.S. Saratoga in February 1933. A total of 27 of these aircraft served with the Navy, so its later fame outstripped its numbers, although it was a vital component of U.S. naval air power for a critical period during the 1930’s that saw the rise of multiple fascist dictatorships.
De Havilland DH 2
First appearing on the Western Front in December 1915, the de Havilland DH 2 had by June of 1916 helped the Royal Flying Corps wrest control of the air from the deadly Fokker Eindecker, a monoplane fighter of the Imperial German Air Service. Although the DH 2 dominated the air during the Battle of the Somme in the summer of 1916, given rapid fighter development at the time it was outdated by that December with the introduction of the German Albatros.
De Havilland DH.88 Comet
Airfix’ venerable kit of the winner of the1934 MacRobertson intercontinental Air Race remains popular but screams out for retooling of its ancient 1957 molds. The DH 88 was a direct ancestor of the de Havilland Mosquito of World War II.
De Havilland D.H. 100 Vampire
De Havilland D.H. 100 Vampire by Heller 1/72 scale Kit No. 221 Cost: $9.99 Decals: Two versions Comments: Old kit, basic cockpit, raised panel lines, simple construction; minor fit issues with canopy History Originally named the "Spider Crab," the De Havilland DH....