Kit Previews A – D
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...
Bristol Scout
Like the French Nieuport 11, the Bristol Scout was originally a racing aircraft, and was among the first to be outfitted as a fighter, although it had no interrupter gear for its Lewis gun mounted outside the fuselage. The first Bristol Scouts appeared at the front in February 1915, assigned as escort fighters to squadrons with larger, two-man aircraft. British ace Albert Ball scored 4 kills in a single week flying the Scout, but the type was obsolete by Summer 1916.
Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B
The Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B was a two-seat, carrier- and land-based low-altitude strike aircraft, and was the first aircraft designed specifically for low-altitude, high-speed penetration of enemy airspace for precision delivery of conventional or nuclear weapons. Entering service with the Royal Navy in April 1965, the S.2 equipped six Fleet Air Arm (FAA) squadrons and operated from the aircraft carriers Ark Royal, Eagle, and Victorious.
Bucker Bu 131
Bucker Bu 131 “Jungmann” by MPM 1/48 scaleKit No. ?Cost: $12.00Decals: One version – Luftwaffe trainerComments: Historically significant kit, but limited run crude injection molding History In the early 1930’s, Germany was in need of a light sport aircraft that could...
F2A-3 Buffalo
Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo by Special Hobby 1/72 scale Kit No. SH72126 Cost: $20.00 Decals: Three versions, all for U.S. Marine Corps aircraft of VMF-221 stationed at Hawaii, later Midway, in mid-1942 Comments: Engraved panel lines; detailed cockpit with resin pilot's...
English Electric Canberra PR.9
The English Electric Canberra was the first jet-powered bomber to enter service with Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF). Developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement, it was intended to replace the versatile wartime de Havilland Mosquito. Given its speed and the high altitudes it could achieve with its large wing area, it was soon modified for reconnaissance work as well. The PR.9 was the final version.
SE-210 Caravelle
The Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravalle was one of the most successful European first-generation jetliners, serving from 1959 until 1996….
Alenia C-27J Spartan
The Alenia (originally Aeritalia) C-27J Spartan is a tactical military transport that has been in service with various nations since 1997. Designed and manufactured by Alenia Aermacchi, now part of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, it is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica’s earlier G.222, and has sometimes been called the “Baby Hercules,” — it is equipped with the same engines and other systems used on the larger C-130J Super Hercules.
CT-4A Airtrainer
CT-4A Airtrainer by Tasman Models 1/72 scaleKit No. NoneCost: $10.00Decals: One version - Royal Australian Air ForceComments: Short run kit; engraved panel lines; white metal parts for seats, landing gear, and airscrew; vacuform canopy History The CT-4 Airtrainer is a...
Culver PQ-14
The Culver PQ-14 was a WWII-era target drone derived from the Culver Cadet, a two-seat light monoplane that first flew on December 2, 1939 and saw decades of both civilian and military use. Operated during and after the war as a radio controlled target drone, the PQ-14B could be operated with or without a pilot. Built entirely of wood, it was designed for high performance with a six-cylinder Franklin engine and fully retractable tricycle landing gear.
Curtiss Hawk III
Curtiss Hawk III by Classic Airframes 1/48 scale Kit No. 446 Cost: $24.00 Decals: Two versions by Microscale - both Fuerza Aerea Argentina (Argentine Air Force) Comments: Engraved and raised panel lines, white metal parts for landing gear, resin cockpit and engine...
Curtiss Hawk 75A-4/ P-36 by AML
The largest export customer of the Curtiss Hawk 75 was France, which took delivery beginning in 1939 of the A-1,2,3 and 4 versions. Despite its deficiencies — it was not a truly modern fighter — it is credited with destroying 311 German aircraft during the Battle of France. The A-4 was the fastest of the series, with a maximum speed of 323mph (520km/h). Britain and the Commonwealth countries also put it to good use against the Japanese in the Far East.
Curtiss N-9H
Curtiss N-9H by Olimp 1/72 scale Kit No. P72-005 Cost: $12.00 Decals: Two versions - Both U.S. Navy (White 2475 at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, 1918; Black 25D-N-3 at Naval Air Station San Diego, 1921) Comments: Engraved panel lines; subtle stressed fabric over frame...
Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver
Obsolete when deployed to Samoa in April 1942 for anti-submarine patrol duty, the Curtiss SBC-4 was still the best aircraft available. The U.S. Navy, stretched thin in its efforts to counter Japanese advances in the Pacific in the weeks following Pearl Harbor, sent a Marine squadron of SBC-4’s to Tutuila Island while divebomber units serving with the fleet were receiving the new Douglas SBD Dauntless. VMO-151 held the line in the remote outpost for nearly a year before relief arrived.
Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep
The Curtiss-Wright AT-9 advanced trainer was used during World War II to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and twin-engine combat aircraft. The prototype first flew on October 16, 1940. In service the AT-9 was not easy to fly or land, making it ideal for teaching new pilots to cope with the quirks of high-performance combat aircraft coming off assembly lines at the time – such as the Lockheed P-38. Trainees either loved the AT-9 or hated it.
Curtiss-Wright CW-21A
The Curtiss-Wright CW-21A first flew in October 1938. It was a proof-of concept design promoting a small, lightweight interceptor that would be highly maneuverable, but that sacrificed armor protection for speed. With a powerful engine and only two machine guns, it was a concept akin to the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, but was rejected by the Army.
Curtiss-Wright SNC-1 Falcon
The Curtiss-Wright SNC-1 Falcon was a World War II era trainer for the U.S. Navy derived from the CW- 21 Demon, a similar but more powerful light fighter design. Flown for the first time in 1940, the sleek trainer impressed the Navy and led to production of 455 aircraft By war’s end, they had helped train scores of Navy fighter pilots, making a significant contribution to the Allied victory.