All Era’s
Hughes H-1B Racer
On September 13, 1935, flying his purpose-built H-1 racer, Howard Robard Hughes Jr. set a new world speed record of 352 mph (567 kph) at Santa Ana, California. The H-1, also known as the Hughes H-1B, was designed with two sets of wings. A short set was built with a span of 7.6 meters (25 feet), designed to achieve maximum speed for the record flight. A separate long set of wings with a span of 9.2 meters (31 feet, 9 inches) was built to provide maximum lift in addition to speed for tackling the transcontinental flight that Hughes would attempt and conquer just 16 months later on January 19, 1937. Flying from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in 7 hours, 28 minutes, and 25 seconds, Hughes set a new speed record for transcontinental flight.
Polikarpov I-16
ICM’s I-16 features good surface detail and a complete engine that is hard to fit inside the cowling, and an inaccurate, box-like windscreen for its open cockpit that’s best replaced. Entering service in 1935, it was a state-of-the-art monoplane with fully retractable landing gear. It fought with distinction in the Spanish Civil War but was obsolete by 1939.
Polikarpov I-190
The I-190 was an experimental development of the Russian I-153 biplane fighter that never saw active service. Amodel’s I-190 features delicate engraved panel lines and skis.
Il-2m3 Sturmovik
Il-2m3 Sturmovik by Accurate Miniatures 1/48 scale Kit No. 3407 Cost: $25.00 Decals: One version - 566 ShAP (Battle Regiment) of the Soviet VVS, Summer 1944 Comments: Detailed construction; engraved panel lines, highly detailed cockpit and interior History The Il-2...
Junkers D.1
The Junkers D.1 was a German single-seat fighter that appeared in relatively small numbers in 1918 toward the end of The Great War. It was the world’s first all-metal, cantilver design, single-seat monoplane fighter. While monoplane fighters had first appeared during World War I as early as 1915, notably the French Morane Saulnier N and Germany’s Fokker Eindekker, Junkers was the first to produce one that featured an all-metal airframe and that did not require external struts or wire bracing to support either the wing or tail…
Junkers F.13
Designed and built in Germany during the closing months of World War I, Junkers F.13 was the first all-metal monoplane airliner and a truly modern aircraft for its time. Junkers’ first commercial airplane, it featured a cockpit accommodating two pilots and a fully enclosed, heated cabin seating four passengers in seats fitted with seatbelts, a never-before-seen innovation on motor cars, and used mainly on combat aircraft up to that time. It flew for the first time on June 25, 1919.
Junkers J.1
The Junkers J.1 was the first bomber of all-metal construction and was designed around an armoured fuselage intended to withstand heavy small arms fire. Eduard’s kit features a highly detailed cockpit, complete engine, and realistically detailed corrugated surfaces.
Kawanishi Type 94-1 E7K1
The Type 94 E7K1 was a three-seat, twin-float reconnaissance and spotter biplane that entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in 1937 and was intended to replace the Navy Type 90-3 reconnaissance seaplane, the Kawanishi E5K1.
Kayaba Type 4 Katsuodori
Kayaba Type 4 "Katsuodori" Ram-Jet Fighter by Meng 1/72 scale Kit no. DS-001 Cost: $15.99 Decals: Two versions - Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy Comments: Engraved panel lines; includes two complete kits History The Kayaba Type 4 Katsuodori was a...
Lightning F.2A
B.A.C. Lightning F.2A/F6 by Trumpeter 1/72 scale Kit No. 1650 Cost: $24.00 Decals: Two versions Comments: Engraved panel lines, very detailed cockpit, landing gear and missiles; choice of Red Top or Firestreak missiles. History For a history of the "Silver Beast"...
Lockheed Orion Model 9
The Lockheed Orion was an all-wood monoplane airliner that entered service in 1931, and seated six passengers. It was the first airliner with retractable landing gear, and with a top speed of 220 mph, was nearly 100 mph faster than contemporaries such as the Ford Tri-Motor.
Macchi Castoldi MC 72
The Macchi Castoldi M.C. 72 is the aircraft that set the absolute world speed record of 440 mph for racing seaplanes in 1934, a record which stands to this day, nearly ninety years later. First flown on July 16, 1931, the M.C. 72 was specifically designed to beat the British Supermarine S.6B in the 1931 Schneider Cup race. But its revolutionary Fiat V-24 engine, almost too hot to handle, was prone to catch fire in flight and forced a withdrawal from the race. For three years, Macchi’s engineers continued to perfect it until it was ready to for the attempt to set a new world speed record, achieving a speed that front-line military aircraft would not reach for another ten years.
Messerschmitt P.1101
Messerschmitt P.1101 by Dragon/DML 1/72 scale Kit No. 5013 Decals: Two versions - Luftwaffe 1945 Comments: Engraved panel lines, includes jet engine, photo-etch details for cockpit and radio aerial, Ruhrstall X-4 air-to-air missiles History The Messerschmitt P.1101...
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The MiG-15 was a single-seat, single-engine second generation Soviet jet fighter, built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau and first flown on December 30, 1947. Its design was heavily influenced by German aerospace research conducted during World War II, particularly that associated with the Focke Wulf Ta 183 Huckebein. This Russian jet shocked the West when it appeared in the skies of North Korea in late 1950, causing the U.S. to rush the North American F-86 Sabre into the theatre.
Dassault Mirage F.1C
The Mirage F.1C succeeded the Mirage III/5 jet fighter series to fulfill the Armee de l’Air requirement for a front-line interceptor and ground attack aircraft. Widely exported, it may be the only combat aircraft to have fought on both sides during the 1991 Gulf War. It served France’s air superiority requirement from 1973 to 1982, when it was phased out in favor of the Mirage 2000.
Morane 230
Heller’s Morane 230 was the standard trainer of the French Air Force in the 1930’s and features highly realistic fabric-over-frame effects, detailed engine, and a basic cockpit.