Kit Previews
Hangar 47 strives to provide historical information along with the details of the kit…enjoy.
Let L-200 A/D “Morava”
The Let L-200 Morava is a two-engine touring and light passenger aircraft of the 1960s, designed and produced by Let Kunovice in the Czech Republic, and featured at the Paris Air Show in July 1959. During the Cold War, not many light aircraft were exported from Eastern Bloc nations, but the L-200 was the exception, with 144 exported to 15 countries.
Lightning F.2A/F.6
Trumpeter’s Lightning, a 2009 release, gets high marks for detail and ease of assembly (save for rather fiddly landing gear), but has little space for nose weights, which are definitely required if you build it with the gear down. Great kit but a tailsitter without a creative approach to nose weights.
Lippisch P.13a
Lippisch P.13a by PM Models 1/72 scale Kit No. PM-224 Cost: $10.00 Decals: One version - Luftwaffe Comments: Simple construction, engraved panel lines, basic cockpit History The Lippisch P.13a was an experimental ramjet-powered delta wing interceptor designed in late...
Lockheed L-210-10
Lockheed’s L-210 was an unusual high performance turboprop VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) fighter design intended to protect naval convoys from enemy air attack, submitted in response to an RFP for the U.S. Navy Fighter Competition of 1950. While it led to Lockheed’s XFV-1 Salmon, the type never entered production due to the difficulty pilots had in landing it safely on its tail, and the steadily increasing performance of traditional jet fighters.
Lockheed L-212 Electra
Lockheed Model 212 by Special Hobby 1/72 scale Kit No. SH72094 Cost: $28.00 Decals: Four versions: 3 for Dutch East Indies, 1939-41; 1 for British Colonial Forces, India, 1942 Comments: Engraved panel lines; vacuform canopy and turret blister (one spare for the...
Loire 130
The Loire 130 was a French flying boat of WWII. Designed and built by Loire Aviation of St. Nazaire, it originated from a 1933 specification issued by the French Navy for a reconnaissance seaplane. First flown in November 1934, instability problems kept it from entering fleet service until 1938. A few saw service in Luftwaffe colors during the war, and a handful performed recce duties in the French Colonies, notably during the Franco-Thai War in early 1941.
Macchi Castoldi MC 72
Macchi Castoldi M.C. 72 by Delta 2 1/72 scale Kit No. 1 Cost: $15.00 - 20.00 Decals: One version Comments: Record-setting racing seaplane which continues to hold world speed record for its class; engraved panel lines; pilot figure included History The Macchi-Castoldi...
Macchi Castoldi MC 72 SBS
On October 23, 1934 , piloted by Francesco Agello, an MC 72 set the absolute world speed record for a piston-powered seaplane of 440 mph — a record which still stands over 80 years later.
Mansyu Ki-98
Mansyu Ki-98 by Meng 1/72 scale Kit No. DS-002 Cost: $26.50 Decals: Three versions, all 1945: Imperial Japanese Army; Macnchukuo Air Force; and Royal Thai Air Force Comments: Detailed exterior with engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail; raised detail on...
Martin Baltimore Mk. III/IV/V
The French government ordered 400 Martin Baltimores in early 1940 to replace its fleet of American-built Martin Maryland bombers. The French never received the aircraft due to the rapid, unexpected success of the German Blitzkrieg in June 1940. The Baltimores went to the British, who flew them in the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Martin-Baker M.B. 6
While it never got off the drawing board, the Martin Baker M.B. 6 was a late WWII night fighter version of the experimental M.B. 5 that might have outperformed the Spitfire, but the RAF opted for jets.
Marcel Bloch MB.155 C1
The Bloch MB.155.C1 was the final variant of the MB.150 series of fighters to enter production and see operational service during the brief period of hostilities in WWII before the French surrender in June 1940. Arriving in squadrons in the final weeks before the Armistice in June 1940, only nine were completed before the Armistice with Nazi Germany. It would have replaced the MB.152 in French service if France had remained in the war longer.
Messerschmitt Bf 109E
Bf 109 E-3/E-4 by Amodel 1/72 scale Kit No. 72117 Cost: $15.00 - 20.00 Decals: Seven (7) versions - Luftwaffe E-4/N piloted by Adolf Galland, 1940-41; Romanian Air Force E-3; Armee de l'Aire E-3, November 1939; Swiss Air Force E-3, Summer 1939; Yugoslavian Air Force...
Messerschmitt Bf 109 F
Messerschmitt Bf109F-4/B by ICM 1/48 scale Kit No. 48104 Cost: $15.00 Decals: 4 versions - all Luftwaffe Comments: Engraved panel lines; multi-part engine; detailed cockpit; separately mounted rudder and cowling; three-piece canopy History The Messerschmitt BF109 was...
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2
The Messerschmitt Bf 109G-2 was designed around the Daimler Benz DB 605 engine, capable of 1475 hp, a more powerful version of the 1350 hp-rated DB 601E that was the powerplant for the 109 F. Throughout the war there was a need to constantly improve the Luftwaffe’s fighters, but pilots felt that the 109G was a step backward from the 109F, as it sacrificed maneuverability for speed, a trade the RLM believed was worthwhile. Pilots preferred “the Franz.”
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 G series first appeared in February 1943. It was powered by a Daimler Benz DB 605 engine. The G-4 featured improvements such as an armored fuel tank and an internal bullet-proof windscreen, to beef up the 109’s protection while defending Germany against the escalating Allied bomber offensive.
Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6
Messerschmitt’s Bf 109G-6 was a mid-war effort to beef up the firepower and armor of a superlative fighter design that, by 1943, was past its prime. The G-6 for the first time carried the equivalent of heavy .50 caliber machine guns in addition to its 30mm cannon firing through the propeller hub. In this configuration it was sent up against Allied bombers, admittedly with often lethal results. But it was outclassed by the more capable Me 262 and Fw 190.
Messerschmitt Me 163
Nazi Germany’s rocket-powered point-defense interceptor terrorized Allied bomber crews and was nearly impossible to intercept, but had volatile fuels that could kill a pilot before takeoff….
Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet preceeded the twin-engined Me 262 jet fighter into service by roughly two months, and was the original point-defense interceptor, armed with two 30mm cannon and capable of speeds up to 560 mph. The rocket-powered interceptor was fueled by a volatile mixture that was at least as dangerous to its pilots as the Komet was to Allied bomber formations. It struck fear into Allied airmens’ hearts but had limited endurance.
Messerschmitt Me 163S-1
Messerschmitt’s Me 163S was an advanced trainer for new Komet pilots, operating as a glider with its rocket engine removed…