Kit Previews A – D
Beech Bonanza
Beech Bonanza F33 by Minicraft 1/48 scale Kit No. 11670 Cost: $24.00 Decals: Two versions - both for a civilian airline training center Comments: Engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail; six-seat cabin with raised detail on instrument panel, separate control...
Beech C-45H Expeditor
Beech C-45H Expeditor by Hobbycraft 1/72 scale Kit No. HC 1389 Cost: $12.00 Decals: Two versions - U.S. Air Force, Canadian Air Force Comments: Engraved panel lines; no passenger cabin; interior consists of cockpit only History The Beech C-45 was one of the military...
Beechcraft TC-12 Huron
The Beechcraft C-12 Huron is the military designation for a twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air. C-12 variants were flown by the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The King Air is a highly successful aircraft, remaining in production continuously since its introduction in 1964.
Bellanca CH/J-300
The Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker was a rugged utility aircraft that first flew in 1929. During the 1930’s many aviators set world records flying the Pacemaker, including one (staying aloft without refueling) that remained unbroken until 1986. Popular with Alaskan and Canadian bush pilots, it logged many hours in the skies of the Pacific Northwest.
Berlin B-9
The Berlin B-9 was an experimental aircraft that tested the feasibility of a cockpit designed for a pilot in a prone position, significantly increasing his ability to withstand G forces encountered in combat. It was successfully test flown in the Spring of 1943 and led directly to the development of the Henschel Hs 132, which would have been the Luftwaffe’s only dedicated jet powered dive bomber.
Blackburn Shark
Modelcraft’s kit is a re-release of the Blackburn Shark initially released by Frog in 1968.
Blohm & Voss Ae 607
The Blohm & Voss Ae 607 was one of Nazi Germany’s second-generation jet-powered flying wing designs conceived in 1945. While it did not advance beyond the drawing board, it was to have a single Heinkel-Hirth HeS 011 turbojet engine identical to that intended for an advanced version of the Heinkel He 162. Armament was to be three Mk 108 30mm cannon, and four Ruhrstahl X-4 air-to-air missiles.
Blohm & Voss BV P.197
The Blohm & Voss BV P.197 was a design for a second-generation jet fighter intended to outperform the Messerschmitt Me 262. Smaller and lighter than the Me 262, it was expected to have a superior power-to-weight ratio and significantly higher top speed, in the range of 620 mph. Blohm and Voss were ready to begin production in August 1944, but a series of shortages of strategic materials, and an increasingly critical fuel situation, doomed the project.
Boeing 247
Boeing 247 by Williams Brothers 1/72 scale Kit No. 72-247 Decals: Two versions – United Airlines Flight Research aircraft; and the 247D racing version piloted by Col. Roscoe Turner and Clyde Pangborn in the 1934 MacRobertson Trophy Race (London to Melbourne). The...
Boeing 307 Stratoliner
The Boeing 307 Stratoliner was the first airliner with a pressurized cabin, entering service with TWA in 1940. A luxurious aircraft, it shared design components with Boeing’s B-17 bomber, notably its wing, and had a soundproofed, air-conditioned cabin and a complete galley. By day it seated 33 passengers; by night it accommodated 16 passengers in sleeping berths, with 9 more passengers in chaise-lounge chairs.
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
Boeing 377 Stratocruiser by Minicraft 1/144 scale Kit No. 14466 Cost: $16.00 Decals: One version, Transocean Airlines - High quality markings by Invisa-Clear Comments: Engraved panel lines History First flown on July 8, 1947, the Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser was at...
Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar
The Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar was a U.S. Air Force project established in 1957 and intended to put a re-usable “space plane” into space. It was the precursor to what we know today as the Space Shuttle, and had a virtually identical mission profile in terms of its means of achieving escape velocity, Earth orbit, and finally returning to Earth. Unlike the Space Shuttle, it was a purely military program whose mission profile included sabotage of Soviet satellites.
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk. I
A heavily armed “turret fighter” that saw action in the early months of WWII, the Boulton Paul Defiant soon began to be mauled by Luftwaffe fighters once German pilots realized it had no forward firing machine guns. Released by Airfix in 2014, the Mk. I Defiant featured all new tooling, engraved panel lines, and rich detail throughout the airframe.
Breda Ba 65
Breda Ba-65 A-80 by AZ Model 1/72 scale Kit No. AZ 7254 Cost: $28.00 Decals: Two versions, both for the Regia Aeronautica in Africa, 1940 Comments: Beautifully detailed engraved panel lines; photo-etch parts for engine and cockpit; resin cowl, radial engine, and...
Breguet 14 A2
Breguet Bre 14 A2 by AZ Model 1/72 scale Kit No. AZ 7204 Cost: $28.00 Decals: Three versions by Tally Ho - Two for French Air Arm reconnaissance aircraft; one for Czech Air Force circa 1919. Comments: Limited run kit, photo-etch details for cockpit and rear Scarff...
Breguet Br 693
The Bréguet Br 693 was a light twin-engine ground-attack aircraft operated by the French Air Force in World War II. It did not enter service until March 1940, the eve of the German invasion, and Armee de l’Air aircrews were still familiarizing themselves with it when they were thrust into combat. It was a modern bomber in some respects, but among its key deficiencies it lacked a bomb sight and was unfortunately of limited effectiveness.
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X
Bristol Beaufighter TF.X by Airfix 1/72 scaleKit No. A04019Cost: $17.00Decals: Two Versions - both RAFComments: NEW TOOLING; Engraved panel lines; detailed torpedo; option for full complement of eight 90 lb. rockets with separately mounted rails for each; optional...
Bristol Beaufort Mk. I
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber, a design based upon the vast experience gained from Bristol’s earlier Blenheim light-bombers. It was powerful and well-armed, leading to the Bristol Beaufighter, the aircraft which eventually replaced the Beaufort in its maritime strike role. In a daring torpedo attack on the night of April 6, 1941, a Beaufort badly damaged the German battleship Gneisenau as it lay at anchor in Brest Harbor.
Bristol Blenheim Mk. I
When the Bristol Blenheim entered service in March 1937, it was a signal that the British government had at last awakened to the threat of Nazi Germany and was beginning to build up the offensive capability of the Royal Air Force with the addition of this first, modern bomber. Although considered fast upon its debut, it was already showing signs of obsolescence by September 1939, but it had fulfilled its role as the vanguard of a new wave of bomber aircraft.
Bristol F2.B
Bristol F.2B by Roden 1/48 scaleKit No. 425Cost: $20.00Decals: Six versions - Three Royal Air Force, one Royal Flying Corps, Two Australian Flying CorpsComments: Highly detailed engine; detailed cockpit with Scarff ring, Lewis machine guns and Vickers gun; good...