01/2022

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  Vol 21, January 2022Vol 21, January 2022

  ISSUE 143

  INFOINFO

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  INFO

  EDUARDEDUARD

  ISSUE 143

  © Eduard - Model Accessories, 2022

  FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!

  This material may only be used for personal use. No part of the text

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  permission of Eduard - Model Accessories and authors involved.

  Editorial and Graphics - Marketing department, Eduard - Model Accessories, Ltd.

• Page 3

  eduardeduard

  EDITORIAL

  JANUARY 2022

  KITS

  HISTORY

  BRASSIN

  PHOTO-ETCHED SETS

  BIGED

  RELEASE

  BUILT

  ON APPROACH

  January 2022

  February 2022

  A6M2 Zero Type 21 ProPACK 1/48

  Z-126 Trenér Limited edition 1/48

  Spitre Mk.Ia Weekend edition 1/48

  MiG-21SMT Weekend edition 1/48

  MiG-15bis ProPACK 1/72

  P-51D-5 Weekend edition 1/48

  TORA TORA TORA! 1/48

  Spitre Story: The Sweeps 1/48

  F-4B 1/48

  Bf 109E-7/Trop 1/48

  Trenér 1/48

  Tempest Mk.II late version 1/48

  Fw 190A-5/U12 1/48

  CONTENTS

  Spitre Mk.V

  The swag from the Houthulst forrest

  The Colors of Zero

  Tempest over Antarctica

  TAIL END CHARLIE

  4

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  60

  7

  86

  111

  113

  132

  154

  Published by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.

  Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21

  support@eduard.com www.eduard.com

• Page 4

  Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen

  Allow me to introduce today’s Newsletter, on

  this, the Eve of the Epiphany, marking the first

  to be posted for 2022, with the belief that the

  year will be a good one, will be successful, and

  that all upcoming obstacles will be overcome.

  We can probably count on these obstacles being

  many. Last year at this time, our forecasts for

  the year were not particularly rosy, and the end

  result is now plain for all to see. But really, the

  year didn’t end up being all that bad. Compared

  to the year previous, there was an anticipated

  decrease in sales, but it was not as dramatic as

  one would have anticipated last January. Sales

  dropped by somewhere in the vicinity of five

  percentile, and the most heavily hit department,

  kit production, fell by thirteen. At the start of

  the year, it looked significantly worse, when

  kit production dropped by forty percentile right

  from the get-go, inventory of plastic sprues was

  down to zilch, and rebuilding stock took a lot of

  time and energy throughout the balance of the

  year. The pre-fire range of our catalog has not

  yet fully recovered. Despite that, the last quar-

  ter of the year saw an average increase in sales

  of twenty percentile over the annual average

  of the year before, and last year’s average was

  surpassed in terms of the overall market, with

  November being the most successful month in

  our history with respect to overall sales. So, as

  far as I am concerned, things ended up well. Or,

  at the very least, with room for much optimism.

  We are going into the new year with the goal of

  exceeding last year’s output. So… How do we go

  about doing that?

  New Kits for January

  This year picks up where last year left off, with

  the Zero. This time around, it’s a ProfiPACK kit

  of the A6M2 Type 21. The marking options are

  more striking than they were with the Limited

  Edition Tora Tora Tora! kit, even though there are

  only five options in all. For one thing, they are-

  n’t monotone grey overall, although the one that

  is probably the most interesting for us Czechs,

  Saburo Sakai’s V-128, is in that scheme. Besides

  the brief look at the marking of the aircraft of-

  fered in the kit, I can highly recommend a more

  detailed study of the chosen pilots, their aircraft,

  and the stories behind them. It is certainly worth

  the time! You can take this ProfiPACK kit as a

  little teaser for the upcoming Zero themed Li-

  mited Edition kit named “Zero Zero Zero!”, which

  will feature ten options of fascinating subjects to

  choose from. There may even be twelve options,

  we are not quite sure yet. The Zero Zero Zero! is

  being prepared for the second quarter.

  A similar situation will hold true for January-

  ’s Z-126 Trener Limited Edition kit. As with the

  majority of Limited Edition kits released on the

  basis of our own sprues, this will be a Dual

  Combo kit, meaning that two complete sets of

  plastic will be included. We chose a mix of his-

  torical and current subjects for the marking op-

  tions, and these make a good impression. Truth

  be told, I originally had my reservations about

  the marking possibilities for this type, but I was

  wrong. In fact, there are plenty more interesting

  subjects left for future ProfiPACK and Weekend

  kits.

  There were to have been two Limited Edition re-

  leases in January. The second was the Tornado

  ECR in 1:48th scale, built around the Revell kit.

  However, we ran into a little stumbling block that

  was for us an issue, but turns out to be a bit of a

  bonus for you. We figured on a larger sheet, app-

  roaching the European A4 format (roughly co-

  rresponding to North America’s 8.5 x 11”), along

  with a smaller sheet to cover stencil data. As it

  turns out, there are actually three sheets, and

  each approaches A3 format (roughly 11 x 16” for

  you North Americans). As if that weren’t enough,

  the mask sheets that are included are also con-

  siderably larger than originally planned. It’s not

  only larger, but it’s also quite complex. So com-

  plex that its production had to be delayed due

  to the failure of one of our cutting plotters. The

  bottom line is that both of these kit components

  were delayed in production and the kit release

  has been moved to February. I would see this all

  as fairly good news for modelers. The bad news

  is that the production cost of the kit went up, but

  we raised the retail on it by the amount of the

  production cost increase only, meaning that the

  Tornado still presents a great value.

  In January, we also have two new Weekend kits

  coming out. These are the Spitfire Mk.Ia and the

  MiG-21SMT, both in 1:48th scale. We are also re-

  leasing a re-edition of the recently sold-out P-

  -51D-5 Mustang Weekend kit, and the ProfiPACK

  MiG-15bis in 1:72nd. The latter represents a revi-

  val of the MiG-15 line in 72nd scale in our range.

  This has prompted the question as to whether or

  not we plan on ever releasing the subject in 48th

  scale, and the answer is yes, we will. At some

  point...

  January Accessories

  As a direct result of the original intention of re-

  leasing the 48th scale Tornado ECR this month,

  we have several accessory items coming out

  for it first. As mentioned earlier, the actual kit

  is now slated for February. The correspondingly

  delayed release of its accessory items too would

  have meant absolute chaos within our system of

  notifying retailers of new items, and simply was

  not an option. It is built on the grounds of the re-

  lease of complete tables listing all new releases

  for retailers, a part of which also includes the

  release of the Distributor Newsletter, which

  many modelers download from our site as well

  to get a six week advanced notice of what’s co-

  ming down the pipes. At the moment when I

  decided for the postponement of the release of

  the Tornado ECR kit to February, the correspon-

  ding changes to these tables would have created

  massive chaos and a delay of detailed informa-

  tion for retailers. For this reason, we avoided

  changing the release schedule of these acces-

  sory items, despite the resulting minor confusi-

  on in the release sequence of them. I believe that

  our reasons are understandable.

  The Brassin lineup is extraordinary this month,

  because the majority of them, six out of the

  eleven, are 3D printed, while only five are cast

  resin. This is the first time this has happened,

  and is set to become the norm. It will have to

  wait till after February, though, because our 3D

  printing capacity will need to be dedicated to the

  printed production of parts for the USS Arizona

  EDITORIAL

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  kit in 1:350th scale. These will be included with

  the kit to the tune of 1500 units, and we will go

  into more detail on its release in next month’s

  newsletter. It will be quite a different matter in

  March. We took delivery of another two 3D prin-

  ters in December, one of which is calibrated for

  twice the resolution to produce much finer prints.

  Our range will still include resin cast parts, and

  the existing catalog of them will be preserved,

  but over time, cast parts will decrease in num-

  ber while printed parts will increase. This is the

  future of accessory items. It can be said with cer-

  tainty that printed parts will be able to do what

  cast parts cannot: to vigorously compete with

  photoetched brass items. We have seen the first

  examples of this to illustrate the point in the form

  of 3D printed landing flaps and Remove Before

  Flight tags. Those are also 3D prints, much like

  LooK and Space items, but printed on different

  machines.

  The printed parts for February are no tiny specks,

  meaning that they account for a substantial

  portion of production capability. Among them is

  an engine for the Zeke, a compact, single piece

  item that includes the cylinders and pushrods.

  Only the prop shaft is separate, and the plug

  wiring is supplied as photoetched brass. That’s

  the weakest link remaining, the infamous tangle

  of rectangle wires, but this will change shortly

  as well, because as we all know, you can’t stop

  progress. We also have the cockpit for the Z-226

  Trener which offers a typical range of versions

  associated with the Trener line, and another en-

  gine for the Camel, the Gnome Monosoupape 9N.

  It is also a compact little print, the advantages of

  which have already been brought to light. Very

  nice are the Panzerschreck 1 rocket launcher

  units for the Fw 190F, as are the Martin-Baker

  Mk.5 Ejection Seats for early versions of the F-4B

  Phantom II. That sixth set is the TSPJ Container,

  and that stands for Tornado Self Protection Ja-

  mmer, which makes this item pretty self expla-

  natory. I am under the impression that it is used

  exclusively with the ECR variant of the aircraft.

  There are, of course, many more accessory items

  being released in the various lines than those

  mentioned above. I will only mention a few of

  them, such as the two Space sets for the MiG-

  -21PF in 1:48th, which differ in the color of the

  main instrument panel and sidewalls and conso-

  les. Then there is the collection of photoetched

  sets for Zvezda’s 1:72nd scale C-130J-30, for Re-

  vell’s 1:32nd scale P-51D-5, and for Hobby Boss’s

  1:350th scale Gato sub. I am sure you will be able

  to find out more about our new products down in

  this newsletter without my guidance.

  Other New Items for 2022

  As known, the situation on the battlefield is al-

  ways changing. For example, in last month’s

  newsletter, I made mention of the upcoming F-

  -51D ProfiPACK, which has now evolved into a

  Limited Edition kit under the influence of the

  number of marking options included. This, in

  turn, is pushing another Limited Edition kit of the

  Mustang, the Red Tails, dedicated to the USAAF

  in Italy, to the latter half of the year. The release

  schedule of new items is constantly evolving, so

  all information described here regarding the se-

  cond half of the year needs to be taken with the

  understanding that significant changes may, and

  almost certainly will, arise. The situation was no

  different in 2021, even though the year was espe-

  cially unstable if only due to the mentioned De-

  cember 2020 blaze.

  The latter half of the year will see us continue

  on with the Spitfire Mk.V, with the Limited Edition

  Spitfire Story: Per Aspera Ad Astra, dedicated to

  the Spitfire Mk.Vc, to be followed by the Spitfire

  Mk.Vc ProfiPACK. The Spitfire Mk.I and Mk.II will

  make their appearance as Weekend kits, and the

  Spitfire Mk.VIII and Mk.IX will be re-issued as well

  as come in as new kits in both 1:48th and 1:72nd

  scale.

  We will also release new Trener kits. There is Z-

  -326/C-305 Limited Edition item planned for E-

  -day, and we can expect at least one Weekend kit

  of the Trener to appear over the final two quar-

  ters. Also planned for its premiere at E-day is

  the 1:48th scale S-199, while various versions of

  the S-199 will be released as ProfiPACK kits in

  1:72nd scale. There will also be more Zeros, in the

  form of a ProfiPACK A6M2-N Rufe float version

  and versions of the A6M3 Type 22 and Type 32 in

  further Limited Edition kits. The second half of the

  year will see the Zeros complemented with diffe-

  rent versions of the Wildcat. The Limited Edition

  kit dubbed “Guadalcanal’ will contain sub-vari-

  ants of the F4F-4, and just as the F4F-4, the F4F-

  3 will also be released as ProfiPACK kits.

  We’ll also make a return to the good ol’ Messer-

  schmitts and Focke-Wulfs. Day versions of the Bf

  109F and Fw 190A-2 and A-3 will be the focus of

  the Limited Edition release called ‘Wunderschone

  neue Machinen’, and at the very end of the year,

  we will round out the Wilde Sau trilogy with a kit

  dedicated to the Fw 190A.

  Following our experiences with the delivery of

  plastic from Asia last year, we are anticipating

  issues this year as well. For this reason, we are

  currently only planning one Hasegawa based Li-

  mited Edition release of the B-25J Mitchell, a so-

  lid nose strafer in 1:72nd. We are planning this one

  for August, same as the aforementioned Limited

  Edition Guadalcanal and Red Tails in 1:48th, and

  these plans are influenced by the timing of the

  IPMS Nationals in Omaha. We are fully expecting

  to accompany these kits to the event personally!

  Other planned out-sourced Limited Edition kits

  will originate from Europe. We are expecting a

  1:72nd scale Bf 109V-13/14 with plastic from Spe-

  cial Hobby, which will be combined with the Avia

  B.534 to form the Limited Edition kit dedicated

  to the 1937 Zurich Air Races. This is planned for

  September, because the Races of 1937 were held,

  if memory serves, in August. Not that I was the-

  re, mind you. It’s what I remember reading. The

  last out-sourced item is based on Zvezda’s 48th

  scale Mi-24V Hind, planned for E-day, and as you

  might expect, it focuses on Czechoslovak and

  Czech Air Force Hinds. The kit will again include

  the publication by Jaroslav Spacek. I am proba-

  bly not the only one who would dearly love to see

  the release of the MiG-21F-13 in the final quarter.

  In 48th scale, of course. Whether or not this will

  occur, it’s tough to say at the moment. There is

  still much to do on it. But there is also a lot of time

  between now and the end of the year, and hope is

  the last to die. And ultimately, history will conti-

  nue to be written after the final day of the year.

  Not Just Models Live On, so do Modelers…

  … and for this reason, we will dedicate ourselves

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  Panzerschreck 1 for Fw 190F PRINT

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  to various related support activities as well, such

  as the further development of the accessory li-

  nes, the continued publication of our newsletter

  and, as far as the epidemic allows, the hosting of

  model shows and contests, and other promotio-

  nal events. Our main attention will be focused on

  the development of the aforementioned 3D print

  accessories. At the moment, we are planning to

  put into service a new 3D print studio which will

  be only temporary, but will suffice for at least

  a year in supporting our 3D printers and supp-

  ort equipment. Things will largely depend on the

  development of our capacity requirements, and

  next year’s change from predominantly cast pro-

  duction to 3D printing will have a loud say in the

  matter. This will bear different types of fruit. As

  you may know, we are developing a line of decals

  encompassing raised rivets, and we would like

  to use the same technology for the development

  of similar products to represent other delicate

  surface features. And not just for aircraft kits.

  Over the course of the year, we want to dedicate

  a part of our production capacity to other seg-

  ments of the market, not just planes. 3D prints

  will look great on AFVs as well as on ships. That

  we are well able to design accessories for ship

  kits has been demonstrated in the design of our

  photoetched sets for them, I think. New acces-

  sory items for the USS Arizona will also be rea-

  lly nice. Just wait and see.

  With respect to our newsletter, I am hoping that a

  strengthening in the editorial team is just around

  the corner, which will lead to a higher level of

  professionalism in our work and its results. We

  have been approached by new authors, as can

  be seen in today’s issue. We are beginning to

  build up a nice stock of articles to publish. I also

  hope that we can get to a printed version of the

  newsletter. The last plan is to put out a printed

  yearbook of 2021’s newsletters as a single volu-

  me through the first half of the year, with a focus

  on the historical articles. Cross your fingers… If

  we can do this, it will be a significant step closer

  to a printed newsletter.

  And speaking of shows and contests, it is di-

  fficult to promise anything, because God only

  knows what is coming down the line. I tend to

  be on the optimistic side, but God may well be

  laughing at me. Either way, it is our plan to put

  on another outdoor event, the one which we

  will continue to describe as an “Intimate Walk-

  around” at the Line airfield. The program for the

  event has begun to take shape, and the timetable

  too, but as I say, it’s a tough one to predict accu-

  rately at this point. Either it doesn’t pan out and

  there will be further lockdowns that will postpo-

  ne E-day yet again, and that will see the Intima-

  te Walkaround take its place in the fall. On the

  other hand, it could all reverse in the spring, and

  then the event would be held somewhere at the

  beginning of the summer. The plan for E-day is

  the same as last year, assuming it will take pla-

  ce. It would see the premiere of the Czech Model

  Masters competition. We already have the cup

  for the overall winner... And if everything works

  out for the better, the epidemic goes away, and

  the Czech Police services completes their new

  training facility in Bublava, we’ll even hold our

  Iron Bunny event. We’ll leave the other events up

  to their respective organizers. Unfortunately, at

  the moment, it looks as though many of the old

  events won’t be resurrected, but maybe it’s not

  all bad as that. As long as the events that we

  were used to attending in pre-epidemic days be-

  gin to show up again (no pun intended), we will

  be coming back as well.

  Articles

  Immediately on the heels of the release of the

  Zero, there came about debates surrounding the

  colors of them, first and foremost of the grey.

  The development of the consensus of the colori-

  zation of the Zeke is described in Marian Holly-

  ’s article entitled “The Color of Zero”. If you are

  one to build the kit, and you know that it will be

  grey, just not sure of the flavor, then you should

  start with this article. It will at least help you in

  the orientation of the subject matter that is filled

  with as many myths and fictions as those su-

  rrounding the covid vaccines.

  The story of the Camel from the BFC113 kit and of

  his pilot is told by Richard Plos in his article “The

  swag from the Houthulst forest”. In this issue,

  we also have the fictional what-if read from Jan

  Bobek, “The Storm over the Antarctic”, marking

  the return of the exploits of Lt. Kleinkonig and

  describing some of the origins of related Tem-

  pest Mk.V color schemes. This is also the new

  Bunny Fighter Club Entry Model. The story is so

  densely populated with various historical figu-

  res that it strongly reminds me of my favorite

  science fiction novel, the First Day of the Valha-

  lla, which is an incredible work based on the no-

  tion that the Nazis win the Second World War,

  based on their success in opening the Gates of

  Valhalla and shift the earth’s axis. The remnants

  of Admiral Halsey’s American forces retreated

  to the Antarctic, where they re-established the

  United States and George Bush Sr. destroys a

  German submarine using a silver lighter and

  Vaclav Havel runs a young women smuggling

  ring that includes Marilyn Monroe from America

  to the Antarctic, because naturally, there was a

  shortage of women there. Jan Bobek is evidently

  going down a similar road which pleases me and

  I look forward to his fantastic continuation.

  I also put in a contribution of my own with my ar-

  ticle on the development of the Spitfire Mk.V and

  its technical development. If you plan on reading

  it, make yourself a big cup of coffee. It’s long and

  it’s not particularly easy to read. I am still reco-

  vering from the writing of it!

  I wish you all the best for the New Year with

  good health. The rest, including built and stashed

  kits, will come on their own!

  Happy Modeling!

  Vladimir Sulc

  In the end of 1940, the new aircraft were arriving at the units

  in their nal weapon and equipment conguration as full-ed-

  ged, fully functional combat aircraft. Earlier manufactured

  airplanes were continuously upgraded with the installation of

  armor and more modern equipment to meet the standards of

  the newly manufactured Spitres. However, during the same

  time, the modernized Bf 109 versions were arriving at the Ger-

  man Luftwae ghter units. The Spitres were able to keep up

  the pace with Bf 109E-7 quite successfully when they appeared

  in the fall 1940, but with the arrival of Bf 109F-1 and F-2 in the

  end of 1940 and beginning of 1941, the tables turned in favor

  of the Germans. In order to counter the growing German tech-

  nical supremacy, the Spitres’ performance had to be improved

  rapidly.

  A traditional way to increase the aircraft performance is to in-

  stall the more powerful engine. The rst attempt to develop a

  more powerful Spitre version was the project Improved Spit-

  re, later renamed Superiority Spitre, launched as early as the

  beginning of 1939. The prototype with the factory designation

  Type 330 and military one as Spitre Mk.III was ready for its

  maiden ight in March 1940. It was designed by modifying the

  standard Spitre Mk.I serial number N3927. The airframe was

  modied by installing a new Rolls-Royce Merlin RM 2SM engi-

  ne, the future Merlin XX, featuring a single-stage, two-speed

  compressor with the maximum output of 1,320 hp (1,037 kW).

  In order to accommodate Merlin XX, the engine bearers were

  strengthened and the nose lengthened by four inches.

  The wingspan was shortened to 9.30 meters by removing the

  wingtips and shortening the ailerons while the internal design

  remained unchanged. During the ight trials, the prototype

  apparently never reached the calculated maximum airspeed of

  644 kph at 6,400 meters, the maximum recorded speed is said

  to be 620 kph which was still an outstanding improvement in

  comparison to Mk.I performance. Air Ministry demanded that

  the large-scale production of Spitre Mk.III was accelerated,

  however there was a serious obstacle to this eort due to the

  complicated development of Merlin XX and teething troubles

  with its large-scale production. In the fall 1940, the available

  engines were utilized for Hurricane Mk.II and Deant Mk.II up-

  grades and they were also installed in Bristol Beaughter Mk.II,

  Avro Lancaster B Mk.I, Mk.III and Mk.IV and Handley Page Hali-

  fax Mk.Il and Mk.V. There were none left for Spitres and the

  idea of an accelerated, large-scale Spitre Mk.III production

  was silently swept under the table. The smaller series of photo-

  -reconnaissance Spitres PR Mk.III was manufactured under the

  same designation, mostly by converting Spitres Mk.I.

  Merlin 45

  Once the Merlin XX installation proved to be more and more

  complicated, in the end of 1940 Rolls-Royce company oered

  a feasible and fast solution in the form of parallelly developed

  and easier to manufacture engine Merlin RM5S later marked

  Merlin 45. It featured a one-stage, single-speed compressor op-

  timized for high altitudes, its output at 5,400 meters was 1,210

  hp (902 kW), some sources state rather optimistic, and to tell

  the truth, less probable output of 1,440 hp (1,074 kW). Merlin

  45 had the same dimensions as Merlin III powering Spitres Mk.I

  and its design enabled Merlin III upgrade to Merlin 45 standard

  by replacing the compressor. This facilitated the simple insta-

  llation into the current Spitre Mk.I and II airframes and the

  conversion of the already manufactured aircraft as well. RR

  company promised to supply 300 Merlin 45 by March 1, 1941

  and further 200 by April 1.

  The rst airframe to receive the new engine, modied from

  Merlin XX, was supposedly Spitre Mk.I K9788 on December 26,

  1940, in Boscombe Down. It was followed by PR Mk.III X4334,

  converted into the photo-reconnaissance version from Spitre

  Mk.I, which took to the air on January 13, 1941, from the Rolls

  Royce factory airport in Hucknall. Spitre Mk.I N3053, too tes-

  t-own on February 13, 1941, in Hucknall, was another conver-

  sion. Right after both airplanes were own over to Boscombe

  Down for further testing. The ight trials recorded the maxi-

  mum speed of 593 kph at 6,100 meters was recorded during

  the ight trials, climbing time to this altitude was 6 min and

  12 seconds and the operational ceiling 11,590 meters. The trial

  also discovered the problems with the constant-speed propel-

  lers De Havilland when oil in their control system was freezing

  at high altitudes. There were troubles with the Mk.II oil cooler

  as well as it was not ecient enough for the more powerful

  engine. Even though this was considered an interim solution, as

  the Spitre Mk.III production was still being planned, the order

  SPITFIRE Mk.V HISTORY

  In the course of 1940, the Spitre Mk.I large scale production at Supermarine company has been ne-tuned so it

  could meet the Air Ministry orders, supply the RAF Fighter Command combat units with the new aircraft and re-

  plenish the combat losses. The situation was similar at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory in Birmingham which after

  some initial organizational problems reliably supplied the ghter squadrons with license-built, and, compared to

  Mk.I, slightly improved Spitres Mk.II.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  In the end of 1940, the new aircraft were arriving at the units

  in their nal weapon and equipment conguration as full-ed-

  ged, fully functional combat aircraft. Earlier manufactured

  airplanes were continuously upgraded with the installation of

  armor and more modern equipment to meet the standards of

  the newly manufactured Spitres. However, during the same

  time, the modernized Bf 109 versions were arriving at the Ger-

  man Luftwae ghter units. The Spitres were able to keep up

  the pace with Bf 109E-7 quite successfully when they appeared

  in the fall 1940, but with the arrival of Bf 109F-1 and F-2 in the

  end of 1940 and beginning of 1941, the tables turned in favor

  of the Germans. In order to counter the growing German tech-

  nical supremacy, the Spitres’ performance had to be improved

  rapidly.

  A traditional way to increase the aircraft performance is to in-

  stall the more powerful engine. The rst attempt to develop a

  more powerful Spitre version was the project Improved Spit-

  re, later renamed Superiority Spitre, launched as early as the

  beginning of 1939. The prototype with the factory designation

  Type 330 and military one as Spitre Mk.III was ready for its

  maiden ight in March 1940. It was designed by modifying the

  standard Spitre Mk.I serial number N3927. The airframe was

  modied by installing a new Rolls-Royce Merlin RM 2SM engi-

  ne, the future Merlin XX, featuring a single-stage, two-speed

  compressor with the maximum output of 1,320 hp (1,037 kW).

  In order to accommodate Merlin XX, the engine bearers were

  strengthened and the nose lengthened by four inches.

  The wingspan was shortened to 9.30 meters by removing the

  wingtips and shortening the ailerons while the internal design

  remained unchanged. During the ight trials, the prototype

  apparently never reached the calculated maximum airspeed of

  644 kph at 6,400 meters, the maximum recorded speed is said

  to be 620 kph which was still an outstanding improvement in

  comparison to Mk.I performance. Air Ministry demanded that

  the large-scale production of Spitre Mk.III was accelerated,

  however there was a serious obstacle to this eort due to the

  complicated development of Merlin XX and teething troubles

  with its large-scale production. In the fall 1940, the available

  engines were utilized for Hurricane Mk.II and Deant Mk.II up-

  grades and they were also installed in Bristol Beaughter Mk.II,

  Avro Lancaster B Mk.I, Mk.III and Mk.IV and Handley Page Hali-

  fax Mk.Il and Mk.V. There were none left for Spitres and the

  idea of an accelerated, large-scale Spitre Mk.III production

  was silently swept under the table. The smaller series of photo-

  -reconnaissance Spitres PR Mk.III was manufactured under the

  same designation, mostly by converting Spitres Mk.I.

  Merlin 45

  Once the Merlin XX installation proved to be more and more

  complicated, in the end of 1940 Rolls-Royce company oered

  a feasible and fast solution in the form of parallelly developed

  and easier to manufacture engine Merlin RM5S later marked

  Merlin 45. It featured a one-stage, single-speed compressor op-

  timized for high altitudes, its output at 5,400 meters was 1,210

  hp (902 kW), some sources state rather optimistic, and to tell

  the truth, less probable output of 1,440 hp (1,074 kW). Merlin

  45 had the same dimensions as Merlin III powering Spitres Mk.I

  and its design enabled Merlin III upgrade to Merlin 45 standard

  by replacing the compressor. This facilitated the simple insta-

  llation into the current Spitre Mk.I and II airframes and the

  conversion of the already manufactured aircraft as well. RR

  company promised to supply 300 Merlin 45 by March 1, 1941

  and further 200 by April 1.

  The rst airframe to receive the new engine, modied from

  Merlin XX, was supposedly Spitre Mk.I K9788 on December 26,

  1940, in Boscombe Down. It was followed by PR Mk.III X4334,

  converted into the photo-reconnaissance version from Spitre

  Mk.I, which took to the air on January 13, 1941, from the Rolls

  Royce factory airport in Hucknall. Spitre Mk.I N3053, too tes-

  t-own on February 13, 1941, in Hucknall, was another conver-

  sion. Right after both airplanes were own over to Boscombe

  Down for further testing. The ight trials recorded the maxi-

  mum speed of 593 kph at 6,100 meters was recorded during

  the ight trials, climbing time to this altitude was 6 min and

  12 seconds and the operational ceiling 11,590 meters. The trial

  also discovered the problems with the constant-speed propel-

  lers De Havilland when oil in their control system was freezing

  at high altitudes. There were troubles with the Mk.II oil cooler

  as well as it was not ecient enough for the more powerful

  engine. Even though this was considered an interim solution, as

  the Spitre Mk.III production was still being planned, the order

  SPITFIRE Mk.V HISTORY

  In the course of 1940, the Spitre Mk.I large scale production at Supermarine company has been ne-tuned so it

  could meet the Air Ministry orders, supply the RAF Fighter Command combat units with the new aircraft and re-

  plenish the combat losses. The situation was similar at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory in Birmingham which after

  some initial organizational problems reliably supplied the ghter squadrons with license-built, and, compared to

  Mk.I, slightly improved Spitres Mk.II.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  for new Spitres was placed, or better said,

  the program for converting Spitres Mk.I

  and II into Spitres Mk.V was ordered.

  Spitfire Mk.Va and Mk.Vb

  While the Spitres Mk.V, re-built at Rolls-

  -Royce, were trialed, the program of con-

  verting Spitres Mk.I was under way at

  Supermarine. In the middle of March 1941,

  another aircraft, X4922 built in Eastleigh

  at Spitre Mk.I assembly line, arrived at

  Boscombe Down. It already featured Merlin

  45 and was test-own on February 7. During

  the trials it was fully armed and equipped

  and reached the maximum speed of 603 kph

  at the altitude of 6,344 meters, to which

  it climbed in 7.1 minute. The operational

  ceiling was 11,499 meters. In Eastleigh, in

  the second half of February, a total of 23

  Spitre Mk.I airframes, mostly cannon versi-

  on Mk.Ib, received Merlin 45, thus becoming

  the rst Spitres Mk.Vb. Several airplanes

  were also produced with eight wing machi-

  ne guns and became the rst Spitres Mk.Va.

  Besides the engine, the equipment of these

  aircraft corresponded to Spitre Mk.I stan-

  dard including the smaller oil cooler with

  U-shaped intake which was the cause of

  higher oil temperature of the rst Spitres

  Mk.V and posed a certain risk of engine

  overheating. The rst unit to receive Spit-

  res Mk.Vb was No. 92 Squadron commanded

  by S/Ldr Jamie Rankin, which up until then

  was ying Spitres Mk.Ib. The rst Spit-

  re Mk.Vb X4257 was delivered to the unit

  on February 16, but since Rolls-Royce in

  Hucknall was gradually converting current

  Mk.Ibs, sent over from the unit, to Mk.Vb

  standards, No. 92 Squadron was fully equi-

  pped with “ves” only in the beginning of

  April.

  During March, the Supermarine assembly

  lines were switching to Spitre Mk.V produ-

  ction and by the end of the month 12 Mk.Vb

  and 26 Mk.Va were built, with Mk.I still in

  production. In April the Mk.V production

  was at the full speed resulting in 36 Mk.Va

  and 22 Mk.Vb completed. The last manu-

  factured Mk.I was R7257, also produced in

  April. By the end of May, the RAF squadron

  Nos. 54, 74, 603 and 611 were equipped

  with new Mk.V. The production at Super-

  marine ran until October 1942 and its nal

  output was 1,352 airframes out of which 94

  were versions Mk.Va, 780 Mk.Vb and 478

  Mk.Vc.

  The CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Facto-

  ry) launched the Spitre Mk.V production

  in June 1941 while it was fullling the

  contract for 1,000 Mk.IIs, signed on April

  12, 1939. Gradually the company received

  another eight orders to produce Spitres

  Mk.V, of which the last one, from May 1942,

  largely transitioned to the manufacture of

  modernized Spitres Mk.IX. Until the end

  of April 1943, the total production at CBAF

  reached 3,003 Spitres Mk.Vb and 1,474

  Spitres Mk.Vc.

  Since the summer 1943, the Mk.V produ-

  ction was under way at Westland compa-

  ny located in Yeovil in county of Somerset.

  Westland manufactured various versions of

  Spitre Mk.V until November 1943 and ulti-

  mately delivered a total of 140 Mk.Vb and

  495 Mk.Vc.

  In the summer 1943, the Mk.V production

  was under way at Westland company loca-

  ted in Yeovil, in the County of Somerset.

  Westland manufactured various versions

  Later production Spitre Mk.Vb featuring the asymmetrical lower bulges under the

  cannon well, tropical lter and a drop tank (photo: Simon Erland).

  Squadron Leader M Rook, Commanding Ocer of No. 43 Squadron RAF, and noted as

  the tallest pilot serving in the RAF at the time, poses with his Supermarine Spitre

  Mk.Vc, JK101 ‚FT-Z‘, at Jemappes, Algeria. The aircraft is tted with a Vokes tro-

  pical lter (photo: IWM).

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 9

  of Spitre Mk.V until November 1943 and gradually delivered

  a total of 140 Mk.Vb and 495 Mk.Vc. Except for several initial

  production Mk.Vb all Westland-built Spitres featured the inner,

  integrated armor glass. Westland-built Mk.Vc featured specic

  wing cannon upper covers shaped as bulges with attened sides

  and front not used by any other manufacturer.

  Spitfire Mk. V modernization

  During the two and half years of Spitres Mk.V production, the

  airframe was gradually developed and improved. Already at the

  beginning of manufacture they featured thicker armor in com-

  parison to Mk.I and Mk.II. The oil cooler was soon replaced with

  a larger one featuring a circular intake which was retroactively

  installed on the rst batch of Spitres Mk.V, converted from

  Mk.I and Mk.II, and became one of the features distinguishing

  Spitres Mk.V. At the same time the armament of eight 0.303

  Browning machine guns was abandoned. Only 94 Mk.Va, with

  such armament, were manufactured, while 6,370 Mk.Vb and

  Mk.Vc, armed with two 20mm Hispano cannons and four 0.303

  Browning machine guns left the assembly lines.

  The problems with weapons freezing at the higher altitudes per-

  sisted on Spitres Mk.V. Therefore, the weapons compartment

  heating was enhanced by introducing the heat from the engi-

  ne exhausts which was visually distinguishable by an additional

  pipe running through the exhausts, entering the engine cover

  from the last one and running through the fuselage and wing

  leading edge to the cannons. The exhaust pipes were gradually

  changed as well. The rst Spitres Mk.V featured the same ex-

  hausts as Mk.I and Mk.II. Then the various types of pipes with

  rectangular openings (sh tails) were introduced. In the end of

  production and after overhaul the “ves” received six indepen-

  dent exhaust pipes as featured on Spitres Mk.IX.

  Canopy

  The windshield, which originally featured the armored glass

  mounted on its outside, was in later “ves” modied so as the

  armored glass was integrated into it in a way that it was no lon-

  ger sticking out. The sliding portion of the canopy was modied

  as well. In the later production batches it was not only bulging

  upwards but to the sides as well (Malcom hood, modication nr.

  461). This new canopy lacked the small hinged window. Most

  Spitres were equipped with laminated pilot seats.

  Radio equipment

  The rst Spitres Mk.V converted from Spitres Mk.I were still

  tted with TR.9D shortwave radios with a wire antenna stret-

  ched between the antenna masts behind the cabin to the top

  of the rudder. The new-built production aircraft were alrea-

  dy equipped with the new TR.1133 and later TR.1143 VHF ra-

  dios, which replaced the older units from the summer of 1941.

  The TR.1133 and 1143 had no wire antenna, so the serial

  aircraft equipped with them had the antenna mast on top of

  the rudder deleted. Similarly, the rst of the converted Mk.Vs

  had the IFF R.3002 identication Friend or Foe device, soon

  replaced by the newer IFF device ARI 5000. Both had wire an-

  tennas between the fuselage sides and the leading edge of

  the elevator. The IFF antenna on later Spitres was located on

  the lower surface of the right wing half. From November 1941,

  the A.1271 radio navigation system for radio beam guidance on

  landing was also gradually introduced.

  Engine modifications

  Several engine versions powered Spitres Mk.V. Besides the

  essential Merlin 45, the high altitude Merlin 46 with a more

  powerful compressor providing higher manifold pressure at high

  altitudes.But the original assumption that the combats with

  Luftwae will move up to higher altitudes did not materialize

  and quite the opposite happened, many missions then took pla-

  ce at lower altitudes. So, the low altitude version Merlin 45M

  was developed and tuned for the optimal performance at low

  altitudes.

  The carburetor development is a story on its own. The origi-

  nal drawback of the Merlin III carburetors SU A.V.T.40, during

  negative G maneuvers an intermittent fuel supply interruption

  occurred, was partially eliminated by means of RAE restrictor

  a.k.a. Tilly’s orice, named after its inventor, Beatrice Shilling.

  But it was not a perfect solution. The problem was fully resol-

  ved by introducing a membrane-type carburetor designed by

  Rolls-Royce and introduced into the production in 1942. They

  were installed in Merlin 50 and 55 powering Spitres Mk.Vc.

  Propeller

  Spitres Mk.V manufactured at mother company Supermarine

  mostly featured De Havilland Hydromatic Type 5/29A, 5/39,

  45/1 and 45/4 propellers which diered primarily in a pitch.

  These propellers demanded careful maintenance and pitch

  control assembly tended to freeze at high altitudes. The same

  propellers were installed on Spitres Mk.V manufactured by

  Westland. Spitres Mk.V manufactured by CBAF were traditio-

  nally equipped with more reliable and popular propellers Rotol

  RX5/14 and RX5/24 with metal blades, later with propellers

  RX5/10 with wooden blades Jablo of a slightly smaller diameter

  (3.12 meters compared to 3.28 meters of metal propeller).

  Spitres Mk.Vc equipped with the four-bladed propellers could

  be encountered during the second half of the conict.

  Exhausts

  The early Spitres Mk.V featured the exhausts with straight,

  oval orice same as Spitres Mk.I. These were fairly prompt-

  ly replaced by new exhausts with attened orice known as

  shtail. Several variations of this type of exhaust are known.

  With the introduction of 20 mm caliber Hispano cannons to Spit-

  re Mk.Vb equipment it was found out that the current weapons’

  heating system using the oil cooler hot air was insucient and

  the cannons were freezing at the higher altitudes. Therefore,

  the heating was enhanced by the hot air from the pipe running

  through the exhausts exiting behind the last exhaust pipe, en-

  tering the fuselage in front of the fuel tank, running through

  the fuselage to the wing leading edge and further to the can-

  nons. These pipes were a trademark of Spitres Mk.Vb. Spitres.

  Mk.Vc received the electrical heating of the guns therefore

  the aforementioned pipe was missing from their exhaust sets.

  In theory because it can still be recognized in many Mk.Vc pho-

  tographs. These were probably Mk.Vc converted from Mk.Vb

  mating the new C wings with the old Mk.Vb fuselages

  Ailerons

  There were continuing problems with the fabric-covered aile-

  rons on Spitres Mk.V, dating back to Spitres Mk.I and Mk.II.

  Even though the all-metal ailerons were designed and tested

  in the end of 1940, in the middle of 1941 they were still not

  installed as a standard on the aircraft leaving the assembly li-

  nes. Therefore, not only Mk.Vs converted from Mk.I and Mk.II

  featured fabric-covered ailerons but the rst mass-produced

  “ves” as well. Only after the Air Ministry interference in June

  1941 the all-metal ailerons were introduced into the mass pro-

  duction which signicantly improved the dog-ghting ability

  of the Spitres that were equipped with them. This case shows

  the cumbersome process of implementing technical improve-

  ments into a large-scale production. The situation was so se-

  rious, and nonsensical, that the American units equipped with

  Spitres Mk.V supposedly replaced the fabric-covered ailerons

  with plywood-covered ones.

  Spitfire Mk.Vc

  Spitre Mk.Vc represented the logical combination of all gra-

  dual modications of the original Spitre design. Besides the

  modernized bulged sliding canopy and armored glass integrated

  internally into the windshield , the most important and funda-

  mental change was a newly-designed and strengthened wing

  (called the Universal wing or c type). Traditionally, the ability

  to house variety of weapons installations is considered a main

  advantage. These options were eight machine guns (variant a),

  two cannons and four machine guns (variant b) or four cannons

  (variant c only possible in the new c type wing but c isn’t the

  designation of this option). In fact, out of all these, variant b,

  two cannons and four machine guns, was absolutely dominant.

  Four cannons installation was rarely used because heavy ca-

  nnons had signicantly negative impact on the aircraft ight

  characteristics so if the four cannons had been installed at the

  factory regardless, usually two of them, mostly at inner locati-

  ons, were removed at the unit level. Variant a. was practically

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  9

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 10

  never installed on Spitres Mk.Vc. An important change was the

  introduction of the belt-fed Hispano II cannons allowing for lar-

  ger ammunition load (120 bullets per cannon as opposed to 60

  bullets with the older, drum-fed Hispano Mk.I (as on the earlier

  b type wing). These cannons were also less prone to jamming.

  The visual indication of their installation was a missing bulge

  under the cannon well which on Spitre Mk.Vb appeared in two

  forms, straight, symmetrical on the older airframes and kid-

  ney-shaped, asymmetrical on the newer aircraft. In comparison,

  the upper bulge above the cannon well on Mk.Vc appeared in at

  least three dierent shapes based on the anticipated armament

  variant and was also subject to a certain improvisation at the

  unit level. Another fundamental change was the landing gear

  re-design, featuring strengthened gear legs’ attachments and

  increased rake, moving the wheels 5 cm forward in compari-

  son to the older Spitre versions. This solution improved the

  aircraft stability during taxiing and ground maneuvers and

  was visually recognizable by a new, elliptical wheel well shape.

  Undercarriage retraction was already standard on all Mk.V Spit-

  res with a hydraulic pump driven by the engine. The wings and

  fuselage design were strengthened by the application of thicker

  sheet metal skin and later Mk.Vc batches featured ush rivets

  on the rear fuselage. The later aircraft also featured the hori-

  zontal tail surfaces with modied weight balance, pressurized

  fuel tanks, submersible fuel pump in the bottom tank and six

  single exhaust pipes on each side of the engine. Later Spitres

  Mk.Vc batches were almost exclusively powered by Merlin en-

  gines series 50 and 55/56 with membrane-type carburetor. Mo-

  reover, Merlin 55/56 featured the separate piston blocks. Their

  specic versions were distinguished by compressors tuned for

  the optimal output at various operational altitudes.

  Short wing/low level

  Spitfires LF Mk.V

  In the course of 1942, the number of both defensive and oen-

  sive, low altitude missions increased. It led to the requirement

  to modify Spitre Mk.V design in order to optimize their low al-

  titude performance. Low level Spitres LF Mk.Vb and LF Mk.Vc

  received Merlin engines series M (Merlin 45M, 50M and 55M)

  with smaller compressor diameter which gave the engine the

  highest output at low altitudes. In case of Merlin 45M it was

  1,585 hp (1,182 kW) at 838 meters altitude. Another modicati-

  on was the wing’s strengthening design by means of two strips

  on the wing upper surfaces above wheel wells area. Some of

  the Spitres LF Mk.V received “clipped wings”, in fact shorter

  wingtips reducing the wingspan to 9.8 meters. This modi-

  cation improved the rate-of-roll and moderately increased the

  maximum speed. The wingtips varied, both short and long ones

  could be installed. Therefore, the short wingtips do not deci-

  dedly identify the LF version.

  Auxiliary fuel tanks

  There were several types of auxiliary tanks of dierent ca-

  pacity developed in order to extend Spitre Mk.V range. The

  smallest one was 30gal (136 liters) tank introduced into service

  in September 1941 extending the range to 1167 km. It was fo-

  llowed by a larger, 45gal tank (204.5 liters). Both tanks were

  of so-called blister-type (also known as slipper-type) referring

  to the tank’s curved outline on the bottom and upper at sur-

  face mating with fuselage and wing’s center-plane. Both were

  droppable. The cylinder-shaped 45gal tanks were also used. In

  Malta, 44gal (200 l) cylindrical tanks from Hurricanes Mk.II were

  used, attached in pairs, next to each other under the fuselages.

  In the end of 1941, 90gal (409 l) non-droppable y-over tank

  was introduced extending the range to 1,988 km. In 1942 even

  170gal (773 l) y-over tank arrived extending the range to 2,334

  km, however at the cost of signicantly worse ight characte-

  ristics. Both of these tanks were of the blister-type, there was

  also a cylindrical 170gal y-over tank. In the actual operations,

  since the middle of 1942, the combination of 29gal (132 l) tank

  mounted in the fuselage behind the cockpit and a 170gal drop

  tank was used. This combination allowed an extended range to

  2,615 km at the maximum altitude of 4,575 m.

  Tropical filters

  In the dusty tropical and sub-tropical environments, the engi-

  ne was subject to potential damages caused by sucked-in dust.

  To lower this risk Vokes company designed a voluminous, fully

  covered lter which formed a typical chin under the aircraft

  nose. The worsened aerodynamics together with the lower

  pressure of the entering air on such modied aircraft resulted

  in the maximum speed drop by approximately 12 kph, which

  was actually better value than the anticipated drop by 37 kph.

  These tropicalized versions were quite widely used in both Me-

  diterranean and Far East theaters of operations. Tropicalized

  Early production Spitre Mk.V manufactured in October 1941 with symmetrical lower bulges under the cannon well, enlarged

  cooler, older canopy style with exterior armor and hinged window hatch. The aircraft still lacks the armament, it’s equipped with

  the De Havilland propeller and newer type of radio Tr.1133 (photo: Simon Erland).

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  10

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 11

  airplanes undergoing maintenance at No. 103 Maintenance Unit

  in Egyptian Aboukir, received the Aboukir type lter manufactu-

  red by this unit. They were better aerodynamically shaped and

  featured a louver which opened the lter on the intake only

  at critical ight stages when larger dust volume could be suc-

  ked in. Two versions of this lter are known. The majority of

  aircraft equipped with Aboukir lter were of Mk.Vc version and

  in the course of modications at No. 103 MU usually received

  the clipped wingtips and Rotol propellers as well.

  The shortened wingtips tted in Aboukir had a dierent shape

  to the conventional shortened wingtips of the LF Mk.Vb and

  Mk.Vc versions and did not have position lights tted. Some

  aircraft retained the original wing design with classic wingtips,

  and aircraft with extended wingtips for high altitude operati-

  ons, later used on the Spitres HF Mk.VIII, are also known..

  In combat

  Spitres Mk.V of all versions served in all combat areas prac-

  tically until the end of WWII. They bore the brunt of the RAF

  ghter oensive in 1941-1942 and became the main ghter

  type which in 1942 defended Malta against the intense German

  Luftwae as well as Italian Regia Aeronautica raids. Apparently,

  they were the most powerful ghters deployed during the Allied

  landing in North Africa and were of essential importance for

  the RAAF to modernize their equipment in the Far East. They

  did well during the build-up of the rst USAAF ghter groups in

  Europe and Mediterranean where two American ghter groups,

  31st FG and 52nd FG ew them until the end of 1944. They

  were own by pilots of many nations serving in RAF: Canadians,

  South Africans, French, Czechoslovaks, Polish pilots, Norwegi-

  ans, Belgium pilots and others. They were supplied to the Soviet

  Union under the Lend-Lease program, became the backbone

  of the Italian Air Force ghting on the Allied side after Italy’s

  surrender in 1943 and served in the air forces of many neutral

  countries such as Turkey or Ireland.

  Some hard truth in the end

  From the preceding outline of Spitre Mk.V development you

  may get the feeling that it was pretty logical, one precisely

  specied version replaced another one on the assembly lines,

  the performance and characteristics were gradually increased.

  In short a text-book step by step evolution. Unfortunately not

  so. As usual, reality is much more diverse than the best thou-

  ght out theory. The characteristics of the Spitre versions were

  intertwining. The development was not straightforward, on the

  contrary, it was rather turbulent. The airframes were gradually

  upgraded during the overhauls or regular maintenance. So we

  encounter the aforementioned Mk.Vc with the exhaust pipes

  for the weapons’ heating which were not supposed to be there

  or Mk.Vb with smooth leading edge featuring only the Hispano

  cannon barrel which is typical for Mk.Vc. Spitre Mk.Vb catego-

  rization into Early, Mid and Late is neither precise nor clear. In

  fact many airframes with the integrated armor glass, conside-

  red as Mk.Vb late, were manufactured earlier than the series

  of aircraft with the outer armor glass designated as Mk.Vb mid.

  Similarly if the airframe features the integrated armor glass it

  does not automatically mean it also features the bulged Mal-

  colm Hood sliding canopy. There were airplanes with the com-

  bination of the integrated armor glass and older sliding canopy

  with the attened sides and ventilation opening. And then we

  have tropical Spitres. Theoretically the vast majority of Spit-

  res Mk.Vb and Vc modied at No.103 OU in Aboukir were con-

  verted to LF Mk.Vb/c with the shortened wings. In fact many of

  these aircraft retained the standard non-clipped wing and we

  know about the aircraft with lengthened wings for high altitude

  operations typical for later versions HF Mk.VIII and IX. Much

  confusion still exists around the wing skin strengthening strips

  above the wheel wells. These were installed on the war-weary

  airframes when the skin degradation and fatigue cracks started

  to appear. These aircraft are typically the well-preserved muse-

  um exhibits. For that reason these strengthening elements are

  considered the integral parts of Spitre Mk.V design as well as

  Mk.I and Mk.II. Not true again. Actually it is very dicult, may-

  be even impossible to nd these strips on the wartime Spitres

  operational at the combat units. We could continue naming

  these types of anomalies indenitely. Let’s conclude this chap-

  ter on Spitre Mk.V development with the statement that as

  far as this aircraft is concerned nothing is impossible, features

  that are not supposed to be there are found and vice versa. But

  that’s the life I guess. Well, it’s not only a matter of life, it’s

  a matter of war as well. War is the true reason for this apparent

  chaos. However, it’s the chaos from today‘s point of view, point

  of view of the people in whose world the technical progress is

  fast but contained by certain conditions and norms or let’s say

  by the letter of law. This was completely dierent at the time

  of war. The whole life in the society, all manufacturing and

  the individual lives were subject to one single goal: the victory.

  Spitre Mk.Vc armed with four Hispano Mk.II cannons. Propeller is De Havilland, new canopy style with interior glass armor on

  the windshield and bulged sides of the canopy sliding portion. The aircraft supposedly carries an older type of radio Tr.9D (photo:

  Simon Erland).

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 12

  It was the goal cherished by the victorious nations decades after

  the end of hostilities and up until these days. Since the outbre-

  ak of the war, which some people naively expected to be short

  and easy, it was clear that the victor will be the tougher, more

  powerful and more creative one. It has been like that in every

  war as far as we can remember just due to some mysterious

  reasons people, including their top leaders, kept forgetting it

  to only re-learn those facts when the new conicts occured.

  The Second World War was no dierent in this aspect; it was

  however unique in its scale, persistence, damages and horrors

  it caused. Everyone involved was determined, tough and persi-

  stent, all nations that took part in it reached to the bottom of

  their resources despite dierent levels in casualties, suering

  of the soldiers and civilian population as well. As we know it

  was getting worse going further to the East. The aviation in-

  dustry reects the given period of time and this was identical

  on both sides of the front. You will nd the Spitre’s develop-

  ment mirror image in Messerschmitt Bf 109 development. The

  same motivations, same goals, same problems and same results.

  The greatest eort was made to produce as many aircraft as

  possible, with the best performance possible and surpass the

  enemy both in numbers and quality. There was the same eort

  on both sides resulting in the deadly race. Every innovation on

  one side triggered the innovation on the opponent‘s side, every

  increase in performance almost immediately caused the rapid

  reaction in the enemy’s camp. If we apply this principle to the

  competition between Spitre and Bf 109 it will be crystal clear.

  Just the scale of troubles experienced during manufacturing

  will be opposite on the timeline. With a fair amount of simpli-

  cation we can say that while in Britain, or the Allied side, the

  most serious problems were encountered at the beginning of

  the war, culminating during 1940-1942, things got streamlined

  towards the end of the conict when the material supremacy

  of the Allies was absolute. Of course the economical potential

  of the United States played a crucial role but we cannot unde-

  restimate the importance of the British industry and its share

  in the Allied manufacturing achievements. It was the opposite

  on the Axis side. Out of all countries Germany was best pre-

  pared for war and in 1940 lived in euphoria that its industries

  could supply the armed forces without problems until the victo-

  rious end. The breakpoint was reached however in the second

  half of 1942 with the opposite trend than in Allied countries.

  Even though the productivity of the German industry continued

  growing it was consistently falling behind the Allied industries

  and the supplies to the armies at the fronts were getting worse

  proportionally to improving supplies to the Allied armies.

  From this aspect some apparently illogical facts start to emerge

  in a dierent light. As an example, the aforementioned fabric-

  -covered ailerons on Spitres Mk.I and Mk.V remained in produ-

  ction long after the new, more eective all-metal ailerons were

  developed. They were approved for large-scale production in

  December 1940 but almost the whole rst half of 1941 Spitres

  were leaving the assembly lines with the fabric-covered aile-

  rons and in some combat units a large number of aircraft still

  featured these ailerons in late summer and fall 1941. During

  this time, typically pragmatic Americans, without any lengthy

  approval process, started to cover the ailerons on their Spit-

  res with the plywood. So this was happening almost a year after

  the all-metal ailerons were to undisputedly replace the fabric-

  -covered ones on manufacturing lines (one can hardly imagine

  the situation like this nowadays). If we however factor in all

  other facts of that period of time we will get another picture.

  What was happening then? The winter 1940/41 German bombing

  raids on Britain continued until the spring. The Spitres produ-

  ction however was seriously aected by the raid on September

  26, 1941 when the Supermarine plants in Wolston and Itchen

  were heavily damaged. This resulted in the production reorga-

  nization, component manufacturing had to be spread among

  the number of subcontractors and the aircraft nal assembly

  was being transferred to new locations. This of course caused

  a number of problems not only in manufacturing but also in the

  logistics which had to be dealt with promptly. Restarting the

  Spitre Mk.I manufacturing before the end of 1940 is from this

  point of view a miracle enhanced by a fact that the aircraft ma-

  nufactured were continuously improved. After New Year’s 1941

  Spitre Mk.V production was being launched. The goal was to

  improve Spitre performance to the level of the most powerful

  RAF ghter before Bf 109F started to appear at the front and

  soon even better and more dangerous FW 190A made their debut.

  At the same time RAF losses were mounting after commencing

  the permanent oensive in the spring of 1941 which created an

  enormous pressure on their replenishment. In such a situation

  the quantity beats quality and the manufacturer under pressure

  prioritizes fullling the orders at all cost. The requirement was

  to deliver the aircraft with a more powerful engine and more

  powerful weapons in sucient numbers to meet combat needs.

  The production met the goals however at the cost of the enor-

  mous problems. There was a shortage of everything, from labor

  force to material to means of daily consumption but time was

  in the shortest supply. In such a situation the fabric-covered

  ailerons were a minor problem for the manufacturers. Their

  production was going smoothly, it was well established, fabric

  was applied by highly skilled female workers and as such it was

  not a burden for the overall plant tasks. All-metal ailerons were

  a dierent cup of tea. Their immediate implementation would

  take away some capacity from the airframe production. While

  the responsible department would train for the new techno-

  logy it would result in the short supplies of the ailerons and

  for some time no deliveries at all. The personnel enthusiasm

  for technology change has never been great either. It’s been

  a problem since the Industrial Revolution and it remains the

  issue nowadays. People don’t like to change something that

  works and can put up a persistent and sophisticated resistance

  against the change. If you are a manager you are under the

  customer’s pressure and if you don’t want to get a heart attack

  you need to minimize the problems resolving the major ones

  rst addressing minor ones later. Big problem was new engines

  and heavier weapons installation. That had to be solved, it was

  a fundamental problem. The ailerons were a minor problem,

  the manufacturing was going smoothly, the airplanes were

  ying with them just ne so the problem was put on the back

  burner. The air force got their share of trouble while introdu-

  cing Mk.V into the operations such as engine overheating, guns

  freezing etc. therefore the ailerons and their limits were not

  really on the radar screen. Once these initial problems were

  resolved in the summer of 1941 the damned ailerons came back

  on the agenda and the air force demanded the thorough repla-

  cement of the fabric-covered ailerons for all-metal ones on all

  Spitres in service. So nally the manufacturers had to yield

  and implement the change. Does it make sense to you? It does

  to me, it sounds all too familiar. It is exactly the same with new

  technologies introduction in our company, with one exception,

  no one is dropping bombs on our heads and instead of RAF the

  modellers are yelling at us when something does not work at

  the rst shot. And nothing works satisfactorily for the rst time.

  We can go case by case and it will be the same story. Ridiculing

  it, talking about chaos and inability is not fair. Only us, people

  from the future, from our perspective of the over-educated and

  over-regulated smart heads living in comfort who have rather

  vague and Hollywood-distorted visions about the conditions our

  ancestors lived in and problems they dealt with. Once we get

  in-depth familiar with these conditions and put the historic

  processes and facts into the perspective, which we otherwise

  tend to judge separately, we will change our opinion. We will

  appreciate what our ancestors achieved and have to bow to

  them very low. And regardless of the nation we belong to. It do-

  esn’t matter if we speak about the British, Americans, Germans,

  Japanese, Czechs or Russians. In principle the stories are the

  same. Let’s respect and honour our ancestors and let’s make an

  eort not to lose the well-being, achieved thanks to their work

  and sacrices, because of our ignorance and arrogance.

  The following 47 gures will lead you through the Spitre Mk.V

  development depicting the details peculiar to each version.

  The focus is on the changes made in comparison to the pre-

  vious version. The common features are usually not described

  and commented on, however exceptions can be found in some

  gures.

  Enjoy studying the following references.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  SPITFIRE Mk.V DEVELOPMENT

  Figure 1:

  1. De Havilland Hydromatic Type 5/39 constant speed propeller

  2. Exhausts feature straight tubes of the same type as on Mk.I

  and Mk.II

  3. 2 in thick outer armor glass mounted on the windshield

  4. Rear mirror

  5 Convex canopy with a ventilation opening

  6. Transformer located on the fuselage bulkhead behind the

  headrest

  Figure 2:

  This view pictures Spitre Mk.V converted from Spitre Mk.Ia by Merlin 45 engine installation into the Spitre Mk.Ia airframe.

  10. Merlin 45 engines already lacked the Cowman pyro starter,

  engine cowling is missing the starter’s cover bulge

  7. TR.9D radio antenna masts for antenna wires. Some airframes

  were still equipped with these radios, some were already fur-

  nished with new TR.1133 radios without antenna wires

  8. 12V electrical socket

  9. The original smaller oil cooler with U-shaped air intake

  Spitfire Mk.Va

  Spitre Mk.Va

  Spitre Mk.Va

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 3:

  11. The fabric covered ailerons. Large number of Mk.Va and Mk.Vb

  Spitres still featured the fabric covered ailerons. Signicant

  portion of Spitres Mk.V, converted from Spitres Mk.I, featu-

  red them as well.

  14. Eight 7.7 mm caliber Browning machine guns

  Spitre Mk.Va,

  conversion

  from Mk.Ia

  Spitre Mk.Va

  (photo: Simon Erland)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 15

  Spitre Mk.Va,

  conversion

  from Mk.Ia

  Figure 4:

  9. The original smaller oil cooler with U-shaped air intake

  11. Fabric covered ailerons

  12. Exhausts for the weapons hot air heating

  Spitre Mk.Va with tropical lter Vokes

  (photo: Simon Erland)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 16

  Figure 5:

  13. All-metal ailerons

  Spitfire Mk.Vb early

  14. Eight 7.7 mm caliber Browning machine guns

  15. Larger oil cooler with the circular air intake

  Figure 6:

  1. Rotol RX5/24 constant speed propeller

  2. Straight exhausts

  3. 2 in thick outer armor glass mounted on the windshield

  4. Convex sliding canopy with a ventilation opening

  5. TR.1133 radio antenna mast without antenna wires

  6. Rudder missing antenna mast

  7. 20 mm caliber Hispano Mk.1 cannons

  8. Older, smaller oil cooler with the U-shaped air intake. These

  coolers were replaced on the assembly lines with new, larger

  oil coolers with a circular air intake and were retro-tted to

  the airframes initially manufactured with smaller coolers

  Spitre Mk.Va,

  new production

  Spitre Mk.Vb early,

  conversion from Mk.Ia

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 7:

  7. 20 mm caliber Hispano cannons

  8. Older, smaller oil cooler with the U-shaped air intake

  9. Fabric covered ailerons

  10. Longer, narrow, symmetrical bulges on the guns well lower

  cover

  11. 7.7 mm caliber Vickers machine guns

  Spitre Mk.Vb early,

  conversion from Mk.Ia

  Spitre Mk.Vb early

  (photo: Simon Erland)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 8

  12. All-metal ailerons

  13. Larger oil cooler with the circular air intake

  Figure 9

  14. Bulges on the cannon well upper cover

  Spitre Mk.Vb early

  - new production

  Spitre Mk.Vb early

  - new production

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Spitfire Mk.Vb mid version

  Figure 10

  1. Rotol RX5/24 constant speed propeller

  2. Fishtail exhausts

  3. 2 in thick outer armor glass mounted on the windshield

  4. Convex sliding canopy with the ventilation opening

  5. TR.1133 radio antenna mast without antenna wires

  6. Rudder missing the antenna mast

  7. 20 mm caliber Hispano cannons

  8. Larger oil cooler with the circular air intake

  Figure 11

  9. All-metall ailerons

  10. Bulges on the cannons well upper cover

  Spitre Mk.Vb,

  mid version

  Spitre Mk.Vb,

  mid version

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 12:

  8. Larger oil cooler with the circular air intake

  11. Asymmetrical bulges on the guns well lower cover

  Spitre Mk.Vb,

  mid version

  Spitre Mk.Vb mid

  (photo: Simon Erland)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 13

  12. Shortened wing tips (LF Mk.Vb). They were used on all Spitre

  versions.

  Spitfire Mk.Vb late

  Figure 14

  1. Rotol RX5/24 constant speed propeller. Various types of propel-

  lers were used.

  2. Fishtail exhausts with a pipe for hot air guns heating

  3. Inner (integrated) armor glass on the windshield

  4. Larger rear mirror. Various types of mirrors were used.

  5. Bulged sliding canopy missing the ventilation opening

  6. TR.1133 radio antenna mast without antenna wires

  8. 20 mm caliber Hispano cannons

  9. Larger oil cooler with the circular air intake

  Spitre LF Mk.Vb,

  mid version

  Spitre Mk.Vb late

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 15:

  9. Larger oil cooler with the circular air intake

  10. Asymmetrical bulges on the gun well lower cover

  Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop late with Vokes dust filter

  Figure 16:

  1. Vokes dust lter. Vokes lters were used on all Spitre Mk.Vb

  and Mk.Vc versions

  2. Large tropical oil cooler.

  Spitre Mk.Vb late

  Spitre Mk.Vb Trop late with

  Vokes dust lter (late)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 23

  Figure 17:

  11. Vokes type dust lter

  2. Large tropical oil cooler (it is not the same as the „Larger oil

  cooler with the circular air intake“, see 9. on g.14)

  Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop late with Aboukir type 1 dust filter

  Figure 18:

  1. Type 1 (older) Aboukir dust lter

  2. Unchanged front lower engine cowling

  3. Large tropical oil cooler

  Spitre Mk.Vb Trop late

  with Vokes dust lter

  Spitre Mk.Vb Trop late

  with Aboukir type 1 dust

  lter

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 19:

  1. Type 1 (older) Aboukir dust lter

  2. Unchanged front lower engine cowling

  3. Large tropical oil cooler

  Figure 20

  1. Lengthened wing tips for high altitude operations (HF.Mk.Vb)

  Spitre Mk.Vb Trop late with

  Aboukir type 1 dust lter

  Spitre HF Mk.Vb Trop,

  late with Aboukir

  type 1 dust lter

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 21:

  1. Lengthened wing tips for high altitude operations (HF.Mk.Vb)

  Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop late with type 2 Aboukir dust filter

  Figure 22:

  1. Type 2 (later) Aboukir dust lter

  2. Modied lower engine cowling

  3. Shortened wing tips for the low level operations (LF.MK.Vb)

  4. Large tropical oil cooler

  Spitre Mk.Vb Trop late

  with type 2 Aboukir dust

  lter and shortened

  wing tips

  Spitre HF Mk.Vb Trop,

  late with Aboukir

  type 1 dust lter

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 26

  Figure 23:

  1. Aboukir type 2 (later) dust lter

  3. Shortened wing tips for the low level operations (LF.MK.Vb).

  Wing tips manufactured in Aboukir depot featured a specic

  shape and were not equipped with the position lights.

  4. Large tropical oil cooler

  Spitre LF Mk.Vb with tropical lter and shortened wing

  tips Aboukir (photo: IWM via Wikimedia Commons)

  Spitre LF Mk.Vb Trop late

  with type 2 Aboukir dust

  lter and shortened

  wing tips

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 27

  Figure 24

  Spitfire Mk.Vc

  3 . Aboukir type Spitre Mk.Vb shortened wing tips for the low

  level operations (LF.MK.Vb)

  Figure 25

  1. New C type wing

  2. New landing gear with increased rake

  11. Exhausts missing the pipe of the guns hot air heating system

  Spitre Mk.Vc

  Spitre LF Mk.Vb Trop late

  with type 2 Aboukir dust

  lter and shortened

  wing tips

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 28

  Figure 26:

  1. New C type wing

  3. 7.7 mm caliber Browning machine guns

  4. Design to accommodate either 20 mm cannon or 12.7 mm

  machine gun

  5. 20 mm caliber Hispano belt-fed cannons

  6. Two piece gun well cover with narrow bulge on the inner part

  7. Flat upper wing skin missing the bulge above wheel well

  Spitre Mk.Vc

  Spitre Mk.Vc. This aircraft was manufactu-

  red by Westland factory in September 1942.

  (photo: Simon Erland)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 29

  Figure 27:

  8. Hot air weapons heating system replaced with the electrical one

  9. Cannon wells covers missing the large bulge

  10. New wheel well with slanted side walls and elliptical outline

  Spitre Mk.Vc

  Spitre Mk.Vc

  (photo: Simon Erland)

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 30

  Spitfire Mk.Vb and Mk.Vc landing gear and wheel wells comparison

  Figure 28:

  1. Spitre Mk.Vb landing gear

  2. Spitre Mk.Vc landing gear. The change in rake resulted in the

  wheel location 5 cm forward of the wing span axis compared to

  Spitre Mk.Vb and dierent wheel well outline.

  Figure 29:

  1. Spitre Mk.Vb circular outline wheel well

  2. Spitre Mk.Vc oval outline wheel well

  Spitre Mk.Vb

  Spitre Mk.Vc

  Spitre Mk.VcSpitre Mk.Vb

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 31

  Spitfire Mk.Vc (Westland)

  Figure 30:

  1. Dierent versions of Rotol propeller used

  Spitre Mk.Vc Westland

  12. Large pentagonal bulge over the gun well, typical for West-

  land, license-built Spitres

  A Westland built Spitre Mk.Vc with large large West-

  land type bulges and two smal Malta type bulges on the

  wing upper surfaces. Note the heating pipes back to the

  exhaust (photo: Simon Erland).

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 32

  Spitfire Mk.Vc with four 20 mm Hispano cannons

  Figure 31:

  1. 7.7 mm caliber Browning machine guns were not installed

  Spitre Mk.Vc, 4 cannons

  2. Four Hispano Mk.2 cannons in the weapon wells

  3. Weapon wells upper covers feature large oval bulge

  Spitre Mk.Vc with four

  Hispano Mk.II cannons

  (photo: Simon Erland)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 33

  Figure 32:

  4. Weapon wells lower covers missing little bulges and shell ejec-

  tion openings

  Spitre Mk.Vc, 4 cannons

  Spitre Mk.Vc with four

  Hispano Mk.II cannons

  (photo: Simon Erland)

  5. Weapon wells covers featuring two shell ejection openings

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 34

  Spitfire LF Mk.Vc

  Figura 33:

  1. Standard LF Mk.V shortened wing tips

  Drop tanks

  Figure 34:

  1. 30 gallon drop tank. All later Spitre versions were equipped

  with these tanks. Spitre Mk.Vc in the picture features Vokes

  dust lter and four 20 mm Hispano Mk.2 cannons

  Spitre LF Mk.Vc

  Spitre Mk.Vc Trop (Vokes) with 30 gal drop tank

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 35

  Figure 35:

  1. The same aircraft with 90 gallon drop tank attached

  Figure 36

  1. 90 gallons drop tank

  Spitre Mk.Vc Trop (Vokes) with 90 gal. drop tank

  Spitre Mk.Vc Trop (Vokes)

  with 90 gal. drop tank

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 36

  Spitfire Mk.Vc Malta

  Figure 37:

  1. Four Hispano Mk.2 cannons. Many MK.Vc Spitres delivered to

  Malta were equipped with four cannons. During the combat

  deployment two cannons were usually fairly quickly removed

  and the aircraft operated with two cannons only. If two 7.7 mm

  caliber Browning machine guns were added at the same time

  cannot be conrmed from the available records.

  2. Vokes dust lter

  3. Large tropical oil cooler (not all aircraft featured it)

  Figure 38:

  4. A bulge on the upper wing skin. It was documented on several

  Malta deployed airframes. Their purpose remains unknown

  Spitre Mk.Vc Malta

  Spitre Mk.Vc Malta

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 37

  Spitfire Mk.Vc late

  Figure 39:

  1. Exhausts feature the individual pipes, typical for later Spitres

  Mk.IXc

  2. A number of Westland-built airframes featured the ush-riveted

  rear fuselage as opposed to the standard raised rivets used

  Figure 40:

  1. Skin reinforcement above the wheel well. These reinforcements

  were not only installed on Spitres Mk.V but on the other Spit-

  re versions as well, typically after their overhaul having accu-

  mulated a certain number of ight hours. The skin reinforce-

  ment prevented the skin damage in the wheel well area where

  it was extremely stressed during the takeos and landings and

  there was a risk of its collapse due to the fatigue

  Spitre Mk.Vc late

  Spitre Mk.Vb with skin reinfor-

  cement above the wheel well

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 38

  Spitfire Mk.Vc with bomb attachments

  Figure 41:

  1. Underwing bomb attachments with 113 kilos bombs. Under the

  fuselage attachment for 226 kilos bomb was also used.

  Figure 42:

  1. Underwing bomb attachments with 113 kilos bombs

  Spitre Mk.Vc with

  bomb attachments

  Spitre Mk.Vc s pumovými

  závěsníky (FB Mk.Vc)

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• Page 39

  Spitfire Mk.Vc late with bomb attachments

  Figure 43:

  1. Underwing bomb attachments with 113 kilos bombs

  Spitfire Mk.Vc Trop with Aboukir type 2 dust filter

  Figure 44

  1. Rotol propeller

  2. Lower engine cowling modied

  3. Shortened wing tips for the low level operations (LF.Mk.Vb)

  4. Aboukir type 2 (later design) dust lter

  5. Large tropical oil cooler

  Spitre Mk.Vc late with

  bomb attachments

  Spitre Mk.Vc Trop

  with Aboukir type

  2 dust lter

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Figure 45:

  1. Rotol propeller

  2. Lower engine cowling modied

  3. Shortened wing tips for the low level operations (LF.Mk.Vb)

  4. Aboukir type 2 (later design) dust lter

  5. Large tropical oil cooler

  The Spitre Mk.Vb ER622 of No. 40 Squadron SAAF was manufactured at the

  CBAF factory in September 1942. It served in North Africa sporting shortened

  wingspan tted with Aboukir-type wingtips and Aboukir-type tropical lter.

  It was decommissioned from the RAF on 30 April, 1943, and was sold to Turkey

  in February 1945. Note the gun heating pipe behind the rear exhaust pipe, typi-

  cal for the late Spitres Mk.Vb (phto: IWM via Wikimedia Commons).

  TO BE CONTINUED...

  Spitre Mk.Vc Trop

  with Aboukir type

  2 dust lter

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 41

  Spitfire Mk.V

  SPITFIRE STORY:

  Southern Star

  1/48 Cat. No.11157

  Release 02/2022

  Cat. No. 11153

  Cat. No. 11149

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  January 23, 1918, was quite an important day

  for the 3rd RNAS. Raymond Collishaw, already

  a well-known ace, assumed command of the

  unit replacing Lloyd Breader. Collishaw on that

  day seemed to be too busy with the command

  transfer to personally lead the unit on its missi

  -

  on. This task was assumed by Ft.Com. Armstrong

  flying the Camel B7193. Flying with him were F.Lt.

  Anderson (B6241), F.Lt. Hayne (B3785), F.lt. Ire

  -

  land (B6242), F.S.Lt. Britnell (B3809), F.Lt. Pierce

  (B3858), F.S.Lt. Youens (B7184) and F.S.Lt. Bawlf

  (B6417). Their mission was to patrol the line Os

  -

  tende, Thorout and Roulers which was some ei-

  ght minutes of flight away from their base in Bray

  Dunes (five kilometers East of Dunkirk). They en

  -

  countered the German formation at approximate-

  ly four pm right over Houthulst forest.

  RNAS Headquarters report later stated that: “Ei

  -

  ght (Sopwith) Camels from No.3 Squadron (RNAS)

  were conducting the offensive sweep south of the

  line Ostende, Thorout and Roulers. Over the Hou

  -

  thulst forest our formation encountered seven

  enemy airplanes. Four D.F.W. (two-seaters) and

  three fighters (new type)”. This mention of a “new

  type” may have caused a frequently repeated

  error. Various articles and books started to pub

  -

  lish the information that on that day the British fi-

  ghters clashed with new Fokkers D.VII. It was not

  possible though. At that time only prototype test

  flights commenced at Adlershof as a part of the

  first contest for the new German fighter and D.VII,

  the ultimate winner, did not even exist in its final

  configuration, only as V.11 prototype. The deploy

  -

  ment of its successor, D.VII, took place almost

  four months later…

  As a matter of fact, on that day the German fi

  -

  ghters took off in their old Albatros D.Vs and

  newer, but not-so-new Pfalz D.IIIs and engaged

  in combat with Camels. The formations broke

  down to the individual duels. F.Lt. George B. An

  -

  derson later stated in his combat report that he

  had shot down one D.F.W., which was confirmed,

  but also that all three German fighters had been

  shot down. That was inaccurate since all of them

  returned to the base. Things were different as far

  as the British were concerned. One Camel was

  missing, and Armstrong had omitted this fact in

  his report… The missing aircraft, Camel serial

  B7184 was flown by a young, rather inexperien

  -

  ced F.S.Lt. Hubert St. John Edgerley Youens.

  An unlucky pilot

  At the time of these events Jasta 7 was without

  its commander. Not that he was killed. Josef Carl

  Peter Jacobs was one of the experienced combat

  fighters, and leaders who were invited to Adler

  -

  shof to participate in the aforementioned contest

  for a new fighter aircraft which commenced on

  January 20 and was scheduled until Februa

  -

  ry 12. In the middle of January Jacobs traveled

  to Adlershof then. He entrusted the leadership

  to his deputy and Carl Degelow was among his

  pilots. At that time a fairly experienced flier who

  joined the unit in August 1917 he could not claim

  a single confirmed kill to his credit as a fighter

  pilot. It seems he had a hard luck since he clai

  -

  med several unconfirmed victories. On January

  23 over Houthulst forest however he claimed

  a victory which he believed could not be doub-

  ted. What could be possibly a better proof than an

  enemy aircraft grounded behind the frontline and

  its captured pilot?

  It was a dreary, cloudy Wednesday on January 23, 1918,

  and a trio of Jasta 7 Pfalzs took off from the airport in

  Belgium Aertrycke for another of countless sorties to the

  nearby Houthulst forest, witness to many air brawls. Eight

  Camels from the 3rd Navy Squadron headed in the same

  direction. The German ghters were escorting four D.F.W.

  bombers and Brits having spotted them intended to stop

  their mission.

  TEXT: RICHARD PLOS

  Photo: sbírka Jörna Leckscheida

  HISTORY

  The swag from The swag from

  the Houthulst the Houthulst

  forrestforrest

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• Page 43

  Degelow did have one kill to his credit from the

  time of his service with FA(A) 216 which was a re

  -

  connaissance unit. Many historical sources state

  that this claim with FA(A) 216 was not confirmed

  but according to Degelow’s memoirs it was sli

  -

  ghtly different. Let's make a little detour at this

  point…

  Detour nr.1: One whole out of two halves

  After twenty months spent in the trenches and

  six months in the pilot training, on December 31,

  1916, the young reserve Lieutenant (Lieutenant

  der Reserve) Carl Degelow was in the officers’

  car of the military train traveling from the training

  and replacement unit Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung

  6 (FEA 6) located nearby Dresden to the frontal

  combat unit Flieger-Abteilung (A) 216 which was

  the Royal Wurttemberg reconnaissance flight

  operating the Albatros C.V scouts in the French

  Somme sector. After several months of the routi

  -

  ne flying the reconnaissance missions started to

  be boring for Degelow. When he was conducting

  another photo reconnaissance with his observer

  Kurten on May 22, he spotted the French twin

  -

  -engine Caudron G.IV doing the same over Laon

  on the German side of the front. The observer ho

  -

  wever pointed his hand towards the home base.

  “Again, I pointed to the French plane and, thrott

  -

  ling back on the engine, I shouted to my comrade:

  “Let’s go after him!” Generally, two-seater pilots

  were enlisted men and the observers were offi

  -

  cers, thereby establishing a relationship in which

  the pilot was a “driver”, while the observer was in

  charge of the airplane and made all major deci

  -

  sions on the mission. But Kürten and I were both

  reserve officers of equal rank, so there was little

  he could say if I wanted to delay going home long

  enough to have a look at the Caudron,”

  recalls Carl Degelow in his autobiography “Black

  Fokker Leader”.

  After the observers exchanged several machine

  gun bursts and the French turned home, Dege

  -

  low decided to engage his forward firing gun and

  heavily damaged the Caudron with its bullets. The

  final hit was delivered by Kurten’s fire. The airpla

  -

  ne crashed near the small town of Berrieux, right

  behind the front lines on the French side. Three

  days later the situation repeated itself. Again, they

  encountered a Caudron above the front although

  this time, together with Kurten, they were eager

  to fight. The enemy however was not looking for

  confrontation and fled immediately. Kurten did

  not get to fire his gun. As a true fighter pilot De

  -

  gelow on the other hand pursued the enemy and

  shot it down with his forward firing gun. FA(A) 216

  commander, Oblt. Creydt told Degelow that both

  himself and Kurten will be credited with two kills,

  which Degelow opposed because mathematically

  it would mean he destroyed four enemy aircraft.

  In the end each crew member was credited with

  two half kills i.e., one full victory.

  Barely two weeks later Degelow and Kurten cha

  -

  llenged the French scout again but this time the

  duel was a tie and the German crew returned

  home with badly damaged aircraft. This was too

  much for the unit’s commander and strongly “re

  -

  commended” they stick to their mission and not

  risk the loss of the precious photographic mate

  -

  rial due to the similar adventures. In the coming

  days Degelow did not keep his dissatisfaction

  with such an order for himself which resulted

  in another reprimand from the commander. This

  time he learned about the “punishment” in the

  form of transfer to a fighter unit. He was expected

  though that during the period of processing all

  formalities he will be a “good boy” and not engage

  in any further antics. “To ensure the latter, I was

  paired with another observer, a Regular Army

  Oberleutnant who was quick to inform me that he

  was my superior officer and, as such, definitely in

  charge of the airplane at all times,” recalled De

  -

  gelow later.

  Detour nr.2 : Troubles

  On a rainy Monday of June 31, 1917, Ltn.d.Res Carl

  Degelow boarded the open truck and wrapped

  in a raincoat set on the journey to Valenciennes,

  home of the Jagdstaffelschule I i.e., a training

  Jasta for the future fighter pilots. He arrived as

  a participant in two air victories however with

  a single kill to his credit…

  Pilots with the prior combat experience under

  -

  took only two weeks of the fighter training so in

  mid-August Degelow already headed to Jasta 36

  commanded by Walter von Bulow. He was on va

  -

  cation at that time and his deputy Ltn.d.Res Hans

  Hoyer was in charge, whom Degelow described

  as a prototype of a stiff, cold Prussian. After only

  four days he kicked Degelow out of the unit… Whi

  -

  le practicing the shooting at the ground targets

  Degelow wounded another pilot who was at that

  time on the ground fixing the targets. Degelow did

  not perform the prescribed inspection flight over

  the target area as ordered (supposedly he did

  not hear the instructions while starting the engi

  -

  ne) and eager to prove himself he attacked right

  away. The wounded pilot survived however De

  -

  gelow had to pack and leave and no one from the

  whole flight came to say goodbye… An Inglorious

  return to Valenciennes awaited him. He thought

  his aviator’s career was over but as it turned out

  he was only to wait there for a new assignment

  which was with Jasta 7 “ruled” by Josef Jacobs.

  Degelow reported to him on August 21 and his

  new commander was interested in his Caudron

  kills as well as a Jasta 36 incident. “We will go

  through this only once and will never speak about

  it afterwards, agreed?” Jacobs supposedly pro

  -

  posed to the newcomer who, much relieved, na-

  turally agreed. According to his memoirs he was

  very impressed by the new commander.

  A deer against the odds

  Degelow’s first sortie took place on the following

  day but success in shooting down the enemy kept

  escaping him. When eight Jasta 7 Albatros D.III

  took off for a reconnaissance mission on Sep

  -

  tember 3 Degelow was among the pilots. Their

  formation encountered the enemy group of Bris

  -

  tol F.2B Fighters, Camels and Spads. Germans

  claimed five kills in total, one was to be credited

  to Degelow whose victim, Sopwith Camel, supp

  -

  osedly made an emergency landing West of Di-

  xmude. Ultimately this victory was not credited

  to him, nor Sopwith 11/2 Strutter on December

  8 which he chased together with Jacobs who

  claimed one Camel. Both supposedly shot down

  aircraft disappeared from German fighters’ sight

  behind the front lines where they may have made

  an emergency landings, but they did not appear

  in the loss reports and so Degelow had to wait

  for his second kill (first as a fighter pilot) fur

  -

  ther. Only four days after Jacobs led a patrol over

  Houthulst forest. The Germans were outnumbe

  -

  red by 10 Squadron RNAS Camels and according

  to Jacobs' report Degelow shot down one enemy

  plane. “A lucky day for Jasta 7 because we shot

  down three enemy aircraft one of which landed

  undamaged in our territory. Camel pilot, Flight

  Sub-Lieutenant Clark, a 20 years old Canadian,

  was our guest that night and left a strong im

  -

  pression on us,” wrote Jacobs in his diary. Two

  out of three claims were finally confirmed by 4th

  Army Headquarters. They were credited to Horst

  and Bilik. Degelow came short again and it was

  no surprise he was rather frustrated by this row

  of unconfirmed kills. To boost his confidence,

  and maybe to help his comrades to identify his

  airplane in the air as well, he had the fuselage of

  his new Pfalz painted black and per his request

  one very talented mechanic from his flight pain

  -

  ted a white deer on both sides of the fuselage, an

  emblem of Weisser Hirsch quarters in Dresden

  where, in the local hospital, Degelow was reco

  -

  vering from his wounds he suffered in trenches

  in 1915. He flew this aircraft on January 23, 1918,

  when around four o’clock in the afternoon he and

  his comrades encountered the superior number

  of British Camels.

  Photo: RNAS

  Photo: sbírka Jörna Leckscheida

  Hubert St. John Edgerley Youens as a young and “green”

  RNAS pilot.

  Carl Degelow after being awarded Knight’s Cross with

  Swords of the Hohenzollern House Order (Königlicher

  Hausorden von Hohenzollern) on August 9, 1918. It is the

  one on the top of Degelow’s chest.

  HISTORY

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  Victory! Or not?

  “We were patrolling the area over Houthulst Fo

  -

  rest, the scene of many, many aerial combats.

  On this day, however, the weather was not very

  welcoming as clouds and haze lowered the vi

  -

  sibility. For this reason, the watchword from our

  flight leader was: ‘Keep a sharp look out!’ We had

  already cruised over the ‘required’ sector of the

  Front and were on our way home when, from out

  of the sun, a flight of British Sopwith Camels sud

  -

  denly pounced on us. A number of individual du-

  els soon developed, and I found myself engaged

  with a fellow who had caught me by surprise. This

  pilot, who did not seem too well acquainted with

  the location of the frontlines, belonged, as we la

  -

  ter learned, to a group of Dunkirk-based fighter

  pilots whom we called the ‘Armstrong Boarding

  School’. The fellows were all young and inex

  -

  perienced, having just arrived from England. To

  gain frontline experience, they were assigned to

  various sectors of the Front and indoctrinated in

  the manner of an English boarding school, hence

  the name we gave the group. They were always

  welcome adversaries, as their lack of experience

  allowed us to trick them into situations that made

  them easy prey for us,” recalls Degelow in his

  memoirs as he, according to his own words, fina

  -

  lly forced his inexperienced opponent to land on

  the German side of the frontline. So the situation

  from December 12th repeated itself.

  “As was our custom, we sent a car to pick him up

  and bring him to our airfield, where, in courteous

  fashion, he could spend the day with us as an ho

  -

  nored guest.”

  It turned out that the pilot was the aforementio

  -

  ned, twenty years old Sub-Lieutenant Hubert St.

  John Edgerley Youens. His youthful look was a bit

  spoiled by the bloodied nose and black eyes su

  -

  ffered during the hard landing. Degelow went to

  pick his victim up personally and as he recalled

  during the ride to the German airfield, and then

  to the castle Wijnendale, the pilots’ lodging, the

  British young man was rather depressed. Ho

  -

  wever, in the castle’s colorful environment and

  after hot soup and glass of wine he relaxed and

  with more glasses of wine the lively conversation

  developed.

  “My knowledge of English, which I had improved

  while in America a few years before the war, and

  a frequent Pröstichen! (Cheers!) appeared to help

  him forget the sorrow of defeat. The candles were

  lit and soon no one could tell whether we were

  in a German Kasino or an English club. After the

  meal, our guest seemed at ease and a few shots

  of whisky completed the task of loosening his

  tongue. Mr. Youens then declared to us that he

  was musically inclined and performed fairly well

  on the violin. So, we had a violinist – but no violin.

  Just then, the cook, who had been following the

  conversation through the half open door, sud

  -

  denly shouted that Monteur (mechanic) Schmitz

  had brought back a violin when he returned from

  leave. ‘Let’s have it,’ I said and this ‘Stradivarius’

  was brought forth. It was in relatively good con

  -

  dition, except that it lacked an A string. ‘Never

  mind,’ said Tommy. ‘I have one right here.’ With

  that, he drew from his wallet at least two com

  -

  plete sets of strings for his favorite instrument.

  It seems that before taking off the Englishman

  had put these necessary parts into his pocket to

  be prepared for any eventuality. Mr. Youens busied

  himself stringing his fiddle and I took my place at

  the piano to assist him in tuning the instrument.

  Within ten minutes the international orchestra

  was ready to begin and as the opening piece we

  played the German national anthem, ‘Deutsch

  -

  land über Alles’. To the delight of all present, my

  partner played the song with as much intensity of

  feeling as if it were ‘God Save the King’. Our guest

  gave us pleasure the entire evening and helped

  us pass the time with his musical entertainment.

  Eventually, we did play the British national an

  -

  them and every German in the room stood at

  respectful attention as a sign of comradeship be

  -

  yond the bounds of national or political affiliation.

  Thus, a battlefield defeat was transformed into

  a human victory.”

  When the party was over Youens was escorted

  to his bedroom with nailed windows and in addi

  -

  tion he was asked to surrender his suspenders

  and boots. To escape without boots holding your

  pants at the same time doesn’t sound feasible… In

  the morning Youens had breakfast with Jasta 7

  pilots and then he was picked up by a car from the

  Army Interrogation Unit. His visit was recorded

  in Jasta 7 chronicle as follows: “A double victory.

  On the one hand the hard-fought air battle that

  ended victoriously; and, on the other hand, the

  musical pleasure that the loser so bountifully and

  cordially provided us.”

  For Degelow however the whole event ultimately

  came to a bitter end. Not even the victory over

  Youens was credited to him because there was

  Wijnendale (Wynendaele) castle which at the beginning of 1918 served as comfortable accommodation for Jasta 7 pilots.

  Holzminden POW camp in which Hubert Youens was kept until the end of the war.

  A group of British POWs in Holzminden’s camp. Youens is standing

  at the extreme right.

  Photo: archiv autora

  Photo: archiv Simona Youense

  Photo: archiv Simona Youense

  HISTORY

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 45

  no sufficient proof it was his fire which forced

  a British pilot to make an emergency landing. It’s

  quite possible that the verdict was correct. Why?

  Because Hubert Youens himself recounted the

  whole event to his son. And he told this father´s

  story to his son Simon. “Grandpa supposedly said

  that he had landed due to the engine failure not

  because he had been shot down,” claimed the

  grandson of the former fighter pilot…

  In the end Degelow made up for his bad luck

  more than enough. Only two days later he was

  credited with one Bristol F.2b from 20th Squadron

  and till the end of hostilities the later Jasta 40 co

  -

  mmander (since July 11, 1918) accumulated thirty

  victories in total.

  Missing for three months

  After his departure from Jasta 7 and interroga

  -

  tion that followed, Hubert Youens went through

  several POW camps until he settled at Lower Sa

  -

  xony camp Holzminden. His family had no infor-

  mation about him for three months and on April 8

  they received a letter from Admiralty confirming

  he was alive and German POW. He returned back

  home in December 1918 and died in 1942 from

  a heart attack. His son was 19 years old at that

  time and only in the 1980s learned about Dege

  -

  low’s autobiography where one whole chapter

  was dedicated to his father. His grandson Simon

  Youens recalls: “My father was slightly irritated

  that Degelow referred to my grandfather as Ca

  -

  nadian. I recently discovered why this may have

  occurred. Flight Commander Armstrong referred

  to in the combat report was the Canadian Ace F.C.

  Armstrong and perhaps Degelow, knowing this

  fact, assumed that all the pilots of the ‘Armstrong

  Boarding School’ were Canadian.”

  Actually, Armstrong was only a C flight leader, but

  the fact is that during that period of time ten out

  of eighteen squadron pilots were Canadian natio

  -

  nals. Degelow’s error doesn’t come as a surprise,

  the whole No.3 Squadron RNAS was considered

  Canadian by Germans. Credit goes to the author,

  publisher or translator to English, Peter Kilduff

  that in later editions of Degelow’s memoirs this

  error was corrected and Youens is simply refe

  -

  rred to as “Tommy” which was a general term for

  a British Empire soldier. The Youens family hails

  from High Wycombe (London’s North-West out

  -

  skirts) so they are English. Let’s mention that you

  can find Youens Road in this neighborhood. Ho

  -

  wever, it’s not named after Hubert Youens, an avi-

  ator, but after Frederick Youens, an infantryman…

  Detour nr.3, last one: A hero

  Hubert Youens was not the only family member

  fighting in the Great War. His cousin, Frederick

  Youens served with the 13th company of the Dur

  -

  ham light infantry regiment. He held a tempora-

  ry rank of Sub-Lieutenant and was short of one

  month of his twenty-fifth birthday when he was

  killed on July 7, 1917. On that day, wounded him

  -

  self, in the chaos following the German attack, he

  organized a Lewis machine gun team defense

  when close to firing post with crew ready to fire

  a German bomb (or grenade) landed. Quick wi

  -

  tted and without hesitation Youens grabbed it and

  threw it over the wall where it exploded harmle

  -

  ssly. In a while another one landed. Youens jum-

  ped after it again and tried to throw it away to

  a safe distance to save his comrades. He was not

  lucky this time. The bomb exploded in his hands

  and shortly after Frederick succumbed to his

  wounds. For his bravery he was posthumously

  awarded the British highest military decoration,

  Victoria Cross.

  Youens Road in High Wycombe is named after Frederick Youens.

  Frederick Youens, Hubert’s cousin who perished

  in Belgium trenches.

  Photo: Google Maps

  The notice dated April 8, 1918, informing the family that

  Hubert Youens was captured and is alive.

  A telegram announcing the home coming of the lost son.

  Photo: archiv Simona Youense

  Photo: archiv Simona Youense

  Photo: archiv Simona Youense

  HISTORY

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 46

  Unexpected (and undelivered) invitation

  On December 12, 1970, in Hamburg Johannes Carl

  Gamm sat down at the typewriter. He was wri

  -

  ting to Major A. A. Waterhouse who at that time

  was an officer in charge of the public relations at

  the British Ministry of Defense. “Dear sir, (...) I am

  approaching You with a request to you, which may

  seem rather extraordinary, but in my opinion not

  impossible to fulfill. The problem is as follows: I’d

  like to find out a whereabouts of a British First

  World War pilot named Youens whom a friend of

  mine, Herr Carl Degelow, would like to invite to

  his 80th birthday (...)” The celebration was to take

  place on January 5, 1971 in Hamburg but Hubert

  Youens, whom the invitation was addressed to

  was already deceased and the letter reached his

  son only in the 1980s. “Father said had he recei

  -

  ved the letter he would have attended the cele-

  bration in place of his father,” said Simon Youens.

  In the end the celebration did not take place, Carl

  Degelow died on November 9, 1970, two months

  before his eightieth birthday… It would have been

  an interesting meeting for sure had it taken pla

  -

  ce. Two veterans of harsh fights who one evening

  forgot they were enemies with whiskey, music

  and candles light might repeat it again. And this

  time as real friends.

  The fate awaiting the Youen’s captured Camel

  B7184 was the same as that of many other

  captured Camels. In the beginning of 1918 this

  aircraft was no longer a secret for IdFlieg ho-

  wever the Germans would not miss the oppor-

  tunity to test an almost intact aircraft powered

  by the potent BR.1 engine. The original marking

  was partially left intact, partially alternated. The

  cockades on the wings were replaced with cro-

  sses, on the top in the white square covering the

  cockade. On the bottom the parts of the cocka-

  des still visible after overpainting with crosses

  were deleted. The fuselage cockade disappeared

  under the coat of white paint, same as the cro-

  sses on the top wings. The rear fuselage sides

  were painted black. The horizontal stabilizer was

  marked with black and white stripes which was

  Jasta 23b airplanes’ marking. The engine cowling

  and wheel discs were left in blue color, quite po-

  ssibly because this was a Bavarian unit and blue

  is the main color of Bavaria's emblem. The third

  squadron insignia, a white eagle painted on the

  fuselage sides right after the cockpit was pre-

  served too. This resulted in a fairly colorful and

  unusual Camel appearance.

  No details of this aircraft's fate shortly after the

  capture are available, it reappears at Jasta 23b

  though. When and under what circumstances

  this airplane showed up at this unit remains unk-

  nown as well. Many sources however state that

  the unit’s commander, Lt.Otto Kissenberth sco-

  red one victory in it on May 16, 1918. Among many

  interesting facts about this important personality

  of the German WWI aviation the most frequent-

  ly mentioned are his reading glasses which he

  wore while flying. He was not the only German

  ace to do so, the others were for example Wal-

  ter Kypke, Kurt Wintgens or Fritz Otto Bernert.

  More interesting, and even more relevant to our

  story is that Kissenberth was a college-educa-

  ted technician. He studied mechanical enginee-

  ring first at university in Grenoble graduating at

  the technical university in Munich. He was very

  interested in aircraft design and joined aviati-

  on already in 1914. He was one of few German

  aces who fought from the very beginning till

  the very end of war and survived. Similar to Ja-

  cobs and Degelow he had his aircraft fuselage

  painted black and, in his case, decorated with

  a large alpine edelweiss. Kissenberth started

  his fighter pilot career in a quite impressive way

  when still being a member of KEK Ensisheim

  shot down three enemy aircraft on October 12,

  1916 (two Farmans and one Breguet V). Until May

  16, 1918, when he allegedly scored a victory in

  Camel B7184, he accumulated 18 (according to

  some sources 19) aerial victories. By the way, to

  clarify some facts let’s mention the Trevor Hen-

  shaw book which claims he flew another Camel

  (B7230) captured on March 10, 1918.

  Regardless which Camel it was, there are se-

  veral reasons that make its combat deployment

  doubtful. The Germans had quite a lot of captu-

  red enemy aircraft in their fighter units’ inventory

  nevertheless they were not used in combat. They

  were at pilots’ disposal to test the enemy’s air-

  craft flight characteristics or to develop the right

  tactics in the mock dogfight.

  Every such flight however had to be approved

  A captured Camel in hands of German personnel.

  Photo: sbírka Jörna Leckscheida

  Otto Kissenberth, Jasta 23b commander, was a college

  educated technician and a successful fighter pilot despite

  his eyesight deficiency. It’s highly improbable that he ever

  shot down any S.E.5a flying a captured Camel.

  HISTORY

  In the foreign serviceIn the foreign service

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 47

  by the superior command first and also the lo-

  cal AA gunners had to be informed because by

  then they would have proved their rather inti-

  midating efficiency. The AA batteries crew reco-

  gnized the aircraft by their silhouette since the

  national markings were often invisible due to the

  sunlight. Therefore, it was really important that

  the AA gunners were informed about the flight

  activity of a “friendly” Camel. The aircraft silhou-

  ette was crucial for the fighter pilots as well.

  At some flight attitudes or against the sunlight

  they were unable to recognize the national mar-

  kings either. Every flight with a captured airplane

  from the unit close to the frontlines was rather

  risky and the idea of flying combat missions,

  even leading them in a captured Camel looks ra-

  ther improbable.

  Not a single combat report of the British pi-

  lots who participated in the dogfight on May 16

  mentioned any Camel with German crosses.

  Such an aircraft would not have escaped their

  attention for sure. In total eight pilots from Jasta

  23b engaged in combat with fifteen opponents

  from 64 Squadron which was by the way all this

  Jasta could muster at that time. Both formati-

  ons clashed between Arras and Douai at 10:30

  and the fight lasted approximately half an hour.

  It was a typical melee with many isolated du-

  els when it was difficult or rather impossible to

  maintain the situational awareness. The British

  reported combat with twelve instead of eight Al-

  batrosses and claimed nine (!) kills. The British

  reports are abundant with testimonies about the

  enemies in uncontrollable spins, smoking and

  crashing; in fact, on that day Jasta 23b lost only

  one pilot, Heinrich Kullmer. He crashed after

  his wing collapsed and it was unclear if it was

  due to enemy fire or excessive load during the

  combat maneuvers. Kullmer’s Albatros crashed

  on the German side of the front line, near Sailly-

  -en-Ostrevent and after the enemy aircraft wi-

  thdrew Kissenberth landed at the wreck to find

  out if Kullmer, one of the most popular Jasta 23b

  members, survived. Sadly, he was dead.

  Kissenberth himself claimed one S.E.5a shot

  down. It was Lt. S.B. Reece aircraft who man-

  aged to perform the emergency landing with his

  S.E.5a (C1859) on the friendly side of the the front

  between Tilloy and Neuville Vitasse. As mentio-

  ned above, it is highly doubtful that Kissenberth

  achieved this victory flying the captured Camel.

  What is certain though is that two weeks later, on

  May 29 Kissenberth had a serious accident.

  Shortly after the take off the Camel’s engine fai-

  led and Kissenberth suffered the wounds which

  did not allow him to return to combat flying.

  He continued to serve though as a commander of

  Schleissheim Pilot School. He did not enjoy pe-

  acetime for long, on August 3, 1919, he was killed

  in a mountain climbing accident in Bavarian Alps.

  The crashed Camel B7184, manufactured by Cla-

  yton & Shuttleworth company and delivered on

  December 12, 1917, was completely destroyed

  and its career of serving two masters ended.

  By the way, it was in the inventory of his original

  unit, No.3 (N) Squadron RNAS, for nine days only

  and served much longer with the enemy.

  Credits

  My thanks to Simon Youens, Jorn Leckscheid

  and Jan Bobek for their advice, opinion, and re-

  ference to the relevant sources.

  Peter Kilduff: Black Fokker Leader; Carl Degelow, The First

  World War´z Last Airfighter Knight, Grub Street Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1906502287

  Roger Gunn: Raymond Collishaw and the Black Flight;

  Dundurn Toronto, ISBN-13:9781459706606

  Bruno Schmäling, Winfried Bock: Royal Bavarian Jagdstaffel

  23, Aeronaut Books, ISBN-13:978-1935881636

  Trevor Henshaw: The Sky Their Battlefield II, Expanded Editi

  -

  on, Grub Street Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-1898697305

  www.theaerodrome.com

  www.pprune.org

  Sopwith Camel B7184 as it appeared during its “service” with

  Jasta 23b. The Bavarians seem to have liked the blue decorati-

  ons, so they decided to keep them. The cockades on the upper

  wings were overpainted with white paint and completely deleted

  from the doped linen of the lower surfaces.

  HISTORY

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  HISTORY

  So, was it a very light grey as featured in a me-

  morable profile by Mr. Balous in “Letectví a Kos-

  monautika” (Aviation and Cosmonautics) magazine

  in 1968? By the way, a series of articles published

  in L+K, “Zeros over Pacific” (adopted from the book

  Samurai! by Martin Caidin and Fred Saito) for the

  next fifty years got me deeply interested in Japa

  -

  nese aviation and the air war in the Pacific and Far

  East. I am sure there were quite a few of us from

  that generation. At that time, and political system,

  the access to the information about such topics

  was rather restricted. Regardless, “pirate” copies

  of Maru Mechanics, Koku-Fans or Thorpe’s books

  were made on xerox copiers with their stinking

  paper. By the way, late Donald W. Thorpe was pro

  -

  bably the key figure in the Japanese WWII aircraft

  coloration and markings research in the world out

  -

  side of Japan. Freelance writer, illustrator, compu-

  ter engineer and an avid member of IPMS residing

  in California was the first in late 60s to mid-70s to

  introduce the system into Japanese colors and ca

  -

  mouflage schemes Even though largely superse-

  ded nowadays, its many schemes and camouflage

  colors stood the test of time until today. Thorpe’s

  nomenclature was used by other researchers, na

  -

  mely Robert C.Mikesh, at that time curator of Nati-

  onal Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. Se-

  emingly I deviated from grey Zero. What did Thorpe

  conclude in this particular case then? He designa

  -

  ted the camouflage scheme as O5 (O for overall)

  and color as N10 (N for Navy) light grey which is

  slightly “cooler” than FS 26493 and in RGB it is

  a perfectly neutral grey! This was not a departure

  from all-grey Zero image held by the modelling co

  -

  mmunity, cinema industry (movies such Tora! Tora!

  Tora!, Final Countdown or Midway) or the general

  public.

  What did the Pacific war veterans, many of whom

  were still around and eye-witnessed Zero appea

  -

  With the surprise release of Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero plastic mo-

  del in 1/48 scale by Eduard the interest in this airplane, and it

  can be said in Japanese WWII aviation as well, skyrocketed.

  One of the most frequent inquiries by the modeling commu-

  nity, and I dare to say worldwide, is what those correct colors

  applied to Zero actually were. Easy answer, isn’t it? Overall

  grey of course! Well, yes, but there are at least hundreds of

  shades of grey.

  TEXT: MARIAN HOLLY

  The Colors of The Colors of ZeroZero

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  HISTORY

  rance, have to say to it? Both written reports and

  oral accounts varied quite a bit, ranging from grey,

  through white to even silver colors. In fact, sigh

  -

  tings of Zero in “mustard”, “clay” or “khaki” colors

  were recorded. No particular attention to this se

  -

  ems to have been paid. Of course, there were Zero

  relics in US and other countries museums and in

  private collections. It seems however that the time

  for their detailed examination has not arrived. How

  were the things on the other side of the globe, in the

  birthplace of the famous Zero, Japan? I confess, in

  those years I did not have access to the actual, reli

  -

  able information. I dare to make a rather wild guess

  that the consensus was very similar to that one in

  the West - grey, relatively light, maybe slightly blu

  -

  ish color. What leads me to this opinion are the co-

  lor profiles in the Koku-fan, Aireview or Maru-Me-

  chanic magazines and special issues which I could

  rarely put my hands on and which rather invariably

  represented Zero in overall grey color. I was par

  -

  ticularly impressed by Rikyu Watanabe’s artwork.

  As I learned much later, he was one of few very in

  -

  terested in the Japanese WWII aircraft colorarion.

  When I arrived in the USA on business in 1991, I had

  much improved access to the relevant information

  and found out that there was no ground-breaking

  change in the perception of Zero color i.e., grey, or

  whitish grey, almost white.

  “Two Japanese Air Forces” and their color stan

  -

  dards

  Why was Zero, and other military aircraft for that

  matter, painted at all? Well, not because of the nice

  looks, that’s for sure, military organizations are not

  in that business. The first reason was anticorro

  -

  sive protection. After large-scale introduction of

  the light metal alloys into the aircraft design in the

  1930s it was initially believed that they will resist

  the elements far better than wood and fabric de

  -

  signs of the recent years. However, the aggressive

  salty air on the board of the air carriers, extreme

  heat and air moisture in Asia proved it all wrong.

  Japan was seeking solutions which took the form

  of various special coatings utilizing the experien

  -

  ces of the aeronautical industries of the leading

  industrialized countries including Germany. The

  second purpose of painting the aircraft is its ca

  -

  mouflage i.e., lowering its visibility both in the air

  and on the ground. For this purpose, the air forces

  of the developed industrial countries developed

  a range of preferred colors which, once approved,

  had to match the standard (etalon) within certain

  tolerances. It was ANA in the USA for example, or

  RAL in Germany, Tavola 10 in Italy or even “Albom

  Nakrasok” (color catalogue) in the Soviet Union.

  In the 1930s Japan already belonged to the group

  of industrialized countries and its approach to co

  -

  lor standards was no different. It developed color

  standards for both of her military air forces. Yes,

  both, similar to the USA, Japan created the naval

  air force (IJNAF

  -

  Imperial Japanese Naval Air For

  -

  ce) and army air force (Imperial Japanese Army Air

  Force) as totally independent entities. Since Zero

  was ordered, and exclusively used by IJNAF let’s

  take a closer look at “Kaigunkōkūkiyo Toryō Shiki

  -

  betsu Hyōjun, Kariki 117 Bessatsu” i.e., Paint Iden-

  tification Standard for Naval Aircraft, Supplement

  to Provisional Regulation 117, further kariki 117 only.

  By the way, IJAAF standard was named Ko-kaku

  39 and colors were assigned numbers from 1 to 43.

  I may revisit this matter in another article. I hope

  for the occasion of the new 1/48 Eduard model of

  Nakajima Ki-43! A proposal designated 8609 was

  created merging both standards (similar to ANA in

  the USA) effective February 1945. How it was actu

  -

  ally applied remains uncertain.

  Kariki 117 is in fact a catalogue of colors grouped

  alphabetically, for example group B are reds, C ye

  -

  llows, D greens, H browns, J greys. How it actually

  looks you can see here.

  The specific shade has its number therefore the

  code for “ash grey” (hai iro) for example is J3. We

  will talk more about this color later. If you go back

  to the first paragraph I wrote about the “consensus”

  that Zero was grey. No mention of any standards.

  Why? Nobody knew about them? Well, it depends,

  who we are talking about. Several copies had been

  found in Japan and some people had access to

  them however due to “various reasons” they did not

  share the discovery with the “West”. Until the begi

  -

  nning of the 1990s the aviation enthusiast and late

  researcher Katsushi Owaki “revealed the secret”

  to fellow enthusiasts in America. Because of it he

  became an “outcast” in the community of the Japa

  -

  nese researchers. Another big problem with kariki

  is that up until now we don't know how exactly the

  IJNAF Headquarters chose the particular shades.

  No sufficient documentation nor corresponden

  -

  ce have been found so far. Or we still don’t know

  about it in our hemisphere (see “case kariki 117”).

  Our contemporary knowledge has to rely on the re

  -

  verse approach then - after analyzing the artifacts,

  wrecks, secondary correspondence etc. assign the

  particular color from catalogue to them.

  “The Great Ame-Iro Wars”

  In the beginning of 1990s, the information and opini

  -

  ons started to appear challenging the fact that the

  Zero color was just ordinary “neutral” grey i.e., from

  black and white pigments only. In 1993 Dai Nippon

  Kaiga in their Aero Detail series published the mo

  -

  nograph nr.7 on Zero fighter. The author was Shige-

  ru Nohara, another aviation enthusiast and writer

  of Japanese aviation books published mostly by

  Model Art company. In this book, in the camouflage

  and markings section perhaps for the first time

  the kariki 117 nomenclature was used (J3 hai-iro

  and D1 green) but even more importantly the term

  “ame-iro” i.e., caramel color was used which was

  supposedly the result of the original J3 grey being

  overpainted with clear, slightly brownish varnish

  (caramel) for better anticorrosive protection. Sin

  -

  ce then the theory has been discarded. It doesn’t

  make sense. Why put another protective layer over

  the already existing, apparently anticorrosive coat

  of J3?

  But “the cat was out of the bag”, as we will see la

  -

  ter. Sometime in 1994, during the period of internet

  and personal computers explosion, a gentleman by

  the name Dave Pluth founded the website www.j

  -

  -aircraft.com. It was a “golden age” of Japanese

  aviation studies. It was frequented by personalities

  such as James Long, Don Thorpe, Osamu Tagaya,

  Ryan Toews, Henry Sakaida and others. I could

  not wait to come back home from work to read all

  that information I could only dream about for the

  past thirty years. Among visiting researchers were

  also late James Lansdale, who later acquired the

  website, late David Aiken and Nicholas Millman.

  Lansdale, an avid Japanese aircraft relics collector,

  retired teacher living in Florida, left a strong mark

  on the Zero coloration research. After polishing

  the surface of one of the Zero skin fragments with

  toothpaste the color changed to darker, olive grey,

  “ame-iro” which led to the conclusion it had been

  the original paint color applied by the manufactu

  -

  rer. The top color of the relict was an “oxidized

  ame-iro”, mainly severely ‘chalked’ top layer due

  to greater proportion of titanium dioxide pigment.

  The underlying colour, protected from UV exposu

  -

  re by the chalked layer is invariably slightly darker

  and yellower/browner than the original paint co

  -

  lor. Lansdale contacts in Japan included Nohara.

  In 1998, in Model Art nr.510 he published that the

  original Zero color had been “ame-iro” and supp

  -

  orted it with various photographs of the relics. He

  also presented a hand-brushed 1/72 Hasegawa

  plastic model of A6M2 painted in this color. That

  The first Zero the Allies were able to test, was DI-108 which belonged to Fighter Squadron of aircraft carrier Ryūjō. It was manufactured on February 19, 1942, and its serial number was

  4593. Its pilot, Tadayoshi Koga, was killed in crash on June 4, 1942, during the attack on Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. It was a relatively new aircraft carefully maintained and

  stored in the lower deck of the aircraft carrier. The American report A.I.2(g) nr. 2103, describing the captured aircraft, states that its color was "glossy grey-green".

  Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  HISTORY

  “stirred the pot” in Japan where, as it seems, the

  majority of people very much preferred the image

  of the light grey Zero.

  “The Wars” were fought over the actual color

  appearance and, as I said in the second paragra

  -

  ph, its accurate identification in kariki 117. At this

  place I just must mention David Aiken, the former

  director of the Pearl Harbor aviation museum, gre

  -

  at Japanese aviation enthusiast for which he was

  given the nickname “Captain Kamikaze” by his Te

  -

  xas IPMS chapter fellows. For some reason David

  focused on Zero color description by its designer

  Jiro Horikoshi - hairyokushoku, literally grey

  -

  -green. David fell in love with the word green. In the

  “wars” he claimed it was M1 from kariki 117 which

  is in the group of grey-green colors and similar to

  RAF interior grey-green. He compared Zero color

  to the color of pistachio nuts in direct opposition to

  Lansdale’s theory of “yellow mustard” color. Until

  the last moment David promoted “grey-green” ba

  -

  sed on the teachings of his “sensei” in Japan. Many

  times, he was asked to share the knowledge from

  the “mysterious sensei” but silence was the re

  -

  sponse. I have to confess I myself challenged him

  to it, at least three times. David relied too much on

  the online images, including images of Tamiya paint

  bottles, rather than any analysis of actual paint. His

  “heritage” was preserved, however. He had man

  -

  aged to convince the leadership of the Pearl Harbor

  museum to paint the restored A6M2 (rather poorly,

  in my opinion) in the infamous “pistachio green”.

  The effort has also been made to identify “ame-iro”

  as I2/I3 tsuchi-iro (color of the earth) from kariki

  117. These colors are literally yellow-brown ones,

  and the grey tone is not that apparent. In the end

  “The Wars” ended and peace was signed with the

  clause that the color was “olive-grey”, somewhere

  between FS16350 and FS34201, but lighter (FS=

  -

  Federal Standard) and the best equivalent is RAL

  7034 Gelb Grau (yellow-grey). Based on Nicholas

  Millman’s (see below) opinion, analysis and re

  -

  search RAL 7034 is the closest match to the ori-

  ginal color.

  The science steps in

  Namely color science. I had no idea about it all tho

  -

  se years prior. One can learn new things through

  hobbies, correct? Earlier I mentioned the name Ni

  -

  cholas Millman. As a participant in “the wars” he

  was initially skeptical a bit. As a paint color and

  coatings specialist from the UK, a great enthusiast

  of the Japanese and other Asian countries' aviation

  (see his blog www.aviationofjapan.com) took the

  scientific approach. The color is a result of the pig

  -

  ments it contains and their binder. If we perform

  the chemical analysis of a well preserved sample,

  we will find out its pigments and binder composi

  -

  tion and can perform “Jurassic Park” on any paint

  colors i.e., bring it “back to life”. Nicholas was in

  -

  volved in the process. Largest quantity of pigment

  was white (titanium dioxide), then small propor

  -

  tions of carbon black and chrome yellow. Yellow-

  -brown tinting of urushi-type resin binder on white

  pigment played a certain role as well. The paint

  was re-created and looked very close to the best

  preserved samples of the “amber grey”, between

  FS16350 and FS34201 with a “fugitive” green cast.

  Why these pigments? As mentioned earlier, even

  though Japan possessed a well-developed paint

  industry, it was still learning from the other develo

  -

  ped countries, including Germany.

  Before 1940 there were problems with the binder

  stability and paint yellowing. It could have been a

  reason why Japan bought the German license for

  special paints for light metal alloys. It cannot be

  just a coincidence that “amber grey” designated J3

  SP (SP = special paint for light metals, to differen

  -

  tiate it from the ordinary grey) by Millman, used on

  Zeros on the manufacturing lines, resembled the

  German RLM 02.

  As far as I remember the articles by the leading

  expert on Luftwaffe colors, Michael Ullman, Ger

  -

  man paints were of high quality, did not degrade

  quickly (did not yellow) and also did not chip off

  even without a primer application. In addition to the

  chemical analysis, we have some written records

  that corroborate the existence of the specially

  developed paint for the light aviation metal alloys.

  Zero maintenance manual states: “The paints to be

  used are transparent paint (light blue color) for the

  interior and special paint for light metals (grey rat

  color) for the exterior and the surface is to have

  a polished finish”. In kariki 117 there is a group

  L of grey colors designated “nezumi iro” i.e., rat (or

  mouse) color and L2 was compared to FS16350.

  by the Japanese historian and researcher Ryoichi

  Watanabe Then we have a supporting document,

  Kugisho report nr.0266 (Kugisho=Kaigun Kōkū Gi

  -

  jutsu-sho, Navy Air Technical Arsenal based in

  Yokosuka) about Zero camouflage trials which “Ar

  -

  senal” conducted in cooperation with Yokosuka Kō-

  kūtai (kōkūtai=IJNAF unit) between November 1941

  and February 1942. The report states that “the paint

  color currently in use for the Type 0 KanSen is J3

  (hai iro, ash or grey color) leaning slightly toward

  amber color (Ameiro)...” and “ame-iro'' is mentio

  -

  ned at least six times throughout the text. There-

  fore, we are led to the existence, and mass appli-

  cation of the amber grey (J3 SP) by the following

  triangulation:

  1. Examination of actual paint samples from many

  A6M2 and A6M3 model 32

  2. Evidence of the Kugisho report - consistent with

  The abandoned A6M3 Type 32 coded T2-157, which belonged to Kókútai 204, as captured by an Allied photographer on Munda Island in September 1943. Several interesting details can

  be recognized such as yellow leading edge stripe or blue-black anti-glare paint which was not only applied to the engine cowling but also to the cockpit deck and canopy frame interior

  surfaces.

  Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 51

  HISTORY

  the appearance of samples; and

  3. Evidence from contemporaneous eyewitness de

  scriptions - consistent with appearance of sam

  ples and the Kugisho report.

  Return of grey Zero?

  Sometime in the beginning of 2018 anime director,

  illustrator and Japanese aviation colors resear

  -

  cher, Sunao Katabuchi published in Rekishi Gunzo

  nr.147 an article where he quotes the paint color

  specifications for the aircraft manufacturing under

  IJNAF contract. Five colors from kariki 117 were

  approved including J3 hai-iro which can be descri

  -

  bed as neutral grey. Katabuchi considers this color

  as generally and widely applied and its “ame-iro”

  appearance as a result of the aging or chemical

  instability. No one seems to doubt the J3 applica

  -

  tion on Zeros. It was applied on one Zero (Yo-105)

  during the Kugisho camouflage experiments. The

  Zero units “in the field” must have had some stocks

  of this paint and it cannot be excluded that it was

  used after repairs. The chief Zero designer, Hori

  -

  koshi, however described the paint as “dimly shi-

  ning green ash”.

  Mr. Kenji Miyazaki and Taizō Nakamura collaborate

  with Mr. Katabuchi. You can find both of them on

  Facebook, where Mr. Nakamura in particular is very

  active being an avid Zero relics collector as well. It

  seems he was involved in the laboratory analysis

  of the surviving Zero color samples. He posted a

  lot of photographs and opinions which may be well

  worth checking. In 2007 Mr. Miyazaki wrote about

  shades of grey on Zeros but was not too specific.

  He doesn’t exclude the possible existence of “ame

  -

  -iro” or some other “khaki toned grey” applied on

  Zero but seems to prefer J3 grey as the only offi

  -

  cially applied paint color for Zeros. He thinks it's

  more probable that the color changed (yellowed)

  due to aging. In Kugisho report 0266 however “cu

  -

  rrently used hai-iro leaning toward ame-iro” is

  mentioned multiple times. Mr. Nohara, I mentioned

  earlier, stands behind his original opinion from 1998

  i.e., amber grey was Zero factory finish.

  A strong supporter of Katabuchi’s theories lives

  on the opposite side of the globe. Tom Hall from

  California (a very active member of j-aircraft.com

  in its beginnings) wrote a series of short articles

  on Facebook where he’s rather skeptical about

  Lansdale’s and Millman’s research. His supposed

  fluency in Japanese may give him an edge in obtai

  -

  ning some first-hand information from Japan. On

  the other hand, his opinion that “the color changed

  in the hangar at sunset” can be surprising. Regar

  -

  dless, the fact is that the current preference of Zero

  image in neutral grey caught “the second breath”

  and the further development will be interesting to

  follow. For example, in January 2022 a book by Miy

  -

  azaki and Nakamura will be released focusing on

  Zero colors analysis. Good news is that the subtit

  -

  les will be in English.

  What color for Zero then?

  First, do not get overwhelmed by the deluge of in

  -

  formation in cyberspace. For example the fairly nu-

  merous Japanese aircraft interest groups on Face-

  book are a cesspool of unreliable information. This

  article is an attempt at giving the Zero enthusiast

  a hand in sorting out this information and showing

  them the who, when, how and why. The treasure

  trove of the information, and not only on Zero, can

  be found on Nicholas Millman’s blog www.aviatio

  -

  nofjapan.com. The high value reference is his PDF

  “Painting the Early Zero-Sen” email Nicholas to

  purchase it.

  This is followed by Combat Colors No.9 which is an

  illustrated guide to Zero color schemes and mar

  -

  kings. Published in 2017 by Guideline Publications in

  the UK may be rather hard to find these days.

  Especially valuable is Millman’s specialist interest

  in color science and coatings. In the end the decisi

  -

  on how to paint your Zero is only yours. Despite all

  that research, science and facts Nick stated once:

  “Hardly ever any of us will be looking at factory fre

  -

  sh Zero on a sunny day”...

  But let’s not forget. Zero was not made entirely out

  of metal. All control surfaces (rudder, elevators

  and ailerons) were covered with fabric. Their paint

  color coating was of different chemical composi

  -

  tion resulting in slightly different color shade, si-

  milar to FS 36307, we may say J3 from kariki 117.

  Nakajima-built Zeros had these surfaces in slightly

  more bluish tone, close to FS 26314. I am aware that

  not everyone has access to Federal Standard 595B

  color swatches I frequently refer to. It’s not easy

  to obtain a set these days. From $25 I paid thir

  -

  ty years ago, the price went up to hundreds of US

  dollars with a reduced number of swatches.

  From the practical point of view then let me pro

  -

  pose some hobby paint mixes which appear to be

  close to amber grey (FS 16350/34201 but lighter).

  My personal preference is GSI Creos (Gunze) Mr.

  Color, C336 Hemp + C12 US Olive Drab, 25:1. One of

  the mixes Millman recommends is GSI Creos (Gun

  -

  ze) Aqueous Hobby, H336 Hemp + H70 RLM 02, 1:1,

  and it looks very authentic. Mission Model Paints

  MMP110, J3 SP is supposedly a great match to am

  -

  ber grey. I have no personal experience with this

  brand. For those control surfaces, especially for

  Nakajima-built Zeros, Mr.Color C35 IJN Grey looks

  very suitable.

  If you use other hobby paint brands, ask your mo

  -

  deling buddies for a sample of these mixes and you

  make your own shade. It is not necessary to be too

  pedantic, the goal is to replicate the “character” of

  the desired color.

  Photo: Fold3

  A picture from Atsugi base in Japan, taken in September 1945, captures Kókútai 302 aircraft. Even though the camouf-

  lage paint on some aircraft shows considerable weathering, the national insignia's red is in excellent condition. This

  paint was of high quality. During WWII there were at least three different shades of red, produced and applied to the

  national insignias and the units' markings.

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 52

  TEMPEST OVER

  ANTARCTICA

  Jan Bobek

  We have written about the Czech aviator Eduard

  Kleinkönnig several times on the pages of Eduard

  INFO magazine. He fought against giant birds in

  a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and a Curtiss P-40 in the Arctic

  Circle. Later, with the MiG-15 „Bunny Racer“ he sear-

  ched for dinosaurs during races around Africa. And fi-

  nally, he fought in the legendary „War of the Carrot“

  with the MiG-21 „Bunny Fighter“. We unexpected-

  ly tracked down this machine in Hungary about ten

  years ago. A hitherto unknown chapter of Kleinkönni-

  g‘s aviation career is his service in Tempest fighters

  aboard an aircraft carrier.

  Mar del Plata,

  November 1945

  The American admiral hurried on to the pier

  with a Secret Service agent and an Argenti-

  ne escort at his heels. He stared in disbelief at

  the rusting submarine being towed into the

  harbour by a US Navy destroyer.

  „Another U-Boot XXI! Shall I guess? Arma-

  ment dismantled, commander and crew re-

  fuse to talk.“

  „Exactly, Admiral. Like all previous cases...“

  „And where did we find them?“

  „They had an engine failure. They were off the

  island of South Georgia.“

  „Damn, that doesn‘t make any sense, what is

  everyone doing down south?“

  „Like the others we intercepted, it looks like

  they were carrying cargo and unloading it

  somewhere. Just like the Japanese did last

  month.“

  „Was that the submarine with the hangar on

  the bow?“

  „Yes, and she wasn‘t the only one. We think it

  was just the tip of the iceberg.“

  „Don‘t even talk to me about icebergs, have

  you heard what the British are building in Ca-

  nada?“

  „Yes sir.“

  „Looks like they‘re all going crazy and going

  on dates down here in the south!“

  Moscow, June 1946

  The atmosphere in the office of the military

  attaché at the British Embassy was rather

  gloomy.

  A British diplomat and his New Zealand co-

  lleague in Air Force uniform were reading

  intently from a file on the desk. Occasionally

  they glanced briefly at the visitor sitting in

  front of them, and then they looked at each

  other in disbelief. The visitor was beginning to

  look a bit uncertain.

  „Um, so you were at the base outside the

  Arctic Circle, right?“ the British officer finally

  asked.

  „Yes, sir, on the island of Kolguyev. „

  „Hmm... how long were you there?“

  „From the end of 1944, that‘s when the air-

  field was set up and we were there until April

  this year. Then the Russians occupied us.“

  „But you weren‘t taken prisoner, were you?“

  „No, they didn‘t, we thought we were meant

  to Siberia, but they needed us because... Well,

  there were some big animals there, they ne-

  eded to get rid of them. We had been killing

  them for almost two years already. So the Ru-

  ssians sort of kept us busy and let us fly for a

  few more months.“

  „And what kind of animals were they? Polar

  bears?“

  „No sir, something else, you know, I don‘t rea-

  lly want to explain it, it would sound strange.

  There were walruses, the occasional polar

  bear, but that was easy to handle. The Sovi-

  ets are doing some experiments with those

  walruses to breed them. And then there were

  some big animals, there were difficulties with

  them. They also killed the commander.“

  „Look, sir, sir...“

  „Kleinkönnig, sir, Eduard Kleinkönnig.“

  „Kleink... I can‘t even pronounce it properly.

  You‘re German, right?“

  „No sir, I am Czechoslovak. From Žatec.“

  „Well, I can‘t pronounce that either. You have

  a German name and you‘re Czech?“

  „Yes, many Czech people have it like that.“

  Tempest „Bunny Lady“ on patrol off

  the Antarctic coast in the summer

  of 1946/1947. In this form it was piloted

  by Ensign Eduard Kleinkönnig after the

  incident with the killer whales.

  Photo: IWM, retouched by Kateřina Borecká

  eduard

  52

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 53

  „James, there’s something strange about the

  name, isn‘t it?“

  But the New Zealand officer didn‘t find it

  strange.

  „Sir, the best Czech fighter was called Kuttel-

  wascher, he flew in the first squadron of the

  RAF. „

  „Oh my God, really? I can‘t even pronounce

  that, I‘d break my tongue.“

  „That‘s why he‘s called Kut. And this Closter-

  mann, whom I met in Paris last month, he is

  a Frenchman. From Brazil...“

  „Oh! Those continental nations have always

  been opaque. Well, then, I‘ll call you Eduard,

  if you do not mind. Look, since the Soviets

  have made you available that means they‘re

  no longer interested in you. You didn‘t end up

  in Siberia, and you‘re not a spy. We‘ve chec-

  ked that. You‘re Czechoslovakian, so you‘re

  our ally. I‘m suggesting that you needn‘t be

  afraid to tell us more or less anything about

  what you saw and did in the North. Let‘s start

  with what you flew there. Tell me...“

  „Nothing extraordinary sir, first the Messer-

  schmitt 109 and when the Russians came

  they gave us the Curtiss P-40.“

  „So you have experience with both German

  and Western equipment and you lasted two

  years in polar conditions? That‘s good for us.

  How come you joined the Luftwaffe?“

  „After the occupation, Žatec was a German

  border town, and I signed documents as a

  factory pilot for my job that contained some-

  thing I didn‘t understand properly, and then

  it went quickly.“

  „Where did you get military flight training?“

  „In the Protectorate, sir, basic and fighter.“

  „You speak decent English, where did you

  study?“

  „Self-Study. When you‘re up north for two

  years, half the year the sun is shining and half

  A block of pykrete. The image shows

  a 50 mm (2 inch) thick 50% mixture (by

  volume using shredded wood mulch) hit

  by a single 7.62 x 39 mm rifle round (lower

  impact mark) fired from 10 m (30 feet)

  which bounced off the surface. It took an

  additional 7 rounds (upper penetration

  mark) of 7.62 x 39 mm fired from 5 m (15

  feet) to penetrate the block.

  Photo: Wikimedia Commons

  Geoffrey Nathaniel Joseph Pyke was

  an English journalist, educationalist,

  and inventor. During the Second World

  War, Pyke proposed the newly invented

  material, pykrete, for the construction of

  the bergship Habakkuk (Habbakuk). He

  even proposed several inventions based

  on the use of pykrete and super cooled

  water. Due to Pyke‘s earlier disagree-

  ments with American personnel on Pro-

  ject Plough, he was excluded from the

  planning for Habakkuk in an effort to se-

  cure American participation.

  Photo: State Library Victoria

  the year it‘s night, you have to keep yourself

  busy somehow so you don‘t go crazy. We

  were also catching the radio from northern

  Canada.“

  „You didn‘t miss German radio?“

  „No, it was unbearable to listen to. There was

  always someone shouting madly that the Re-

  ich would win, that it had wonder weapons.

  And then when that bird killed our comman-

  der, I took over and we tuned to Canada. We

  also listened to Moscow, where at least it was

  clear where the front was. And we also caught

  Finnish radio, but nobody understood them.“

  „Well, you‘ll soon get to know the Finns. You

  mentioned wonder weapons, do you know

  anything about them?“

  „No sir, just what Goebbels kept shouting at

  us from the radio.“

  „I read here that you were a factory pilot in

  Prague. Did you see anything unusual at the

  airports there?“

  „And what would something unusual look

  like, sir? A Messerschmitt Schwalbe or a Ko-

  met is in every magazine a year after the war.“

  „Maybe something like a big flying disc...“

  „Disk? No, I haven‘t seen anything like that at

  Avia.“

  „Very well, James will help you deal with the

  formalities. I think I‘ll make you happy, you‘re

  going to Canada. And the war isn‘t quite over

  yet. But you‘ll find out soon enough. „

  Downing Street

  number 10, July 1946

  Churchill finished reading the report and lo-

  oked at the Foreign Secretary.

  „So the Americans don‘t want to use the ato-

  mic bomb and the Russians won‘t send us re-

  inforcements. Don‘t they realize what‘s going

  on?“

  „Mr Prime Minister, the Russians are having

  enormous difficulties with supplies, they have

  deployed the army. They have no one to send

  us.“

  „So we‘ve been sending materials and supp-

  lies to the Russians all through the war, and

  now we‘re on our own like in 1940.“

  „Prime Minister, we must take into account

  that Russia is again facing famine. The drou-

  ght has destroyed their crops. We may have

  to supply them again. But they have made

  some foreign pilots available to us for those

  new aircraft carriers. We‘re also trying to get

  volunteers from every country, like in 1940.“

  „Hmmm, what about the Americans? What

  did Truman‘s people say about the bomb?

  It would have solved it in one fell swoop. Do

  they understand that time is playing against

  us?“

  „They understand, Prime Minister. They will

  make available what they can. But the pro-

  blem is that the war is officially over and they

  have released a lot of people into civilian life. A

  lot of vessels have started to be dismantled. „

  „Then let them drop the damn bomb!“

  „They say it could raise ocean levels, there‘s a

  lot of snow and ice. And they also don‘t know

  exactly where it‘s going to topple. They‘ve lost

  almost all the reconnaissance planes they

  sent out there. „

  „Do we have any decoded enemy dispatches

  from ULTRA yet?“

  „Unfortunately not, Prime Minister. What was

  intercepted in the South cannot be safely

  sent over here.“

  „So Bletchley Park is basically useless to us

  now and we don‘t really know anything.“

  Churchill, in his dressing-gown, leaned back

  against the arm of his chair and watched the

  glass of whisky as the ice cubes melted in it.

  „The Prime Ministers of Australia and New Ze-

  aland call me on the phone every day, every-

  thing is upside down there. They are horrified

  and I don‘t blame them at all. Bloody bastard,

  that Hitler. He‘s done it. Too bad Attlee didn‘t

  win the election last year, I wonder what he

  would have done with this, a civilian!

  Lake Patricia, Canada,

  August 1946

  The seamen ashore loaded a large-caliber

  machine gun. The officer supervising them

  looked towards the large wooden vessel, then

  turned towards the international group of air-

  men.

  „Get down!“

  He also hid with them behind a rampart.

  „Fire!“

  There was the booming sound of a half-inch

  machine gun and the barrel began to spit

  glowing projectiles into the side of the ship.

  But the bullets bounced back. Some sent

  a geyser of water into the air or took to the sky

  with a scream, others ended up in the pro-

  tective wall on the shore or whizzed over the

  airmen‘s heads into the forest. The roaring

  stopped.

  „Stand up!“

  The astonished group rose from the grass

  and dusted off their uniforms.

  „What you just saw is a demonstration of the

  resilience of a ship made of pykrete,“ the offi-

  cer announced, enjoying the puzzled expre-

  ssions on the faces of his temporary subordi-

  nates. Then he added: „Pykrete is a mixture of

  ice and sawdust. „

  There were surprised comments in several

  languages.

  „Pykrete,“ the officer continued, „has about

  half the compressive strength of concrete,

  but three times the tensile strength! Questi-

  ons? Yes, Ensign Kleinkönnig?“

  „Sir, but a ship made of ice can‘t work, it

  would melt!“

  „And what do you see here on the lake, En-

  sign? Noah‘s Ark? Pykrete has excellent insu-

  lating properties. Now, let‘s move back to the

  classroom...“

  eduard

  53

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 54

  Downing Street number

  10, August 1946

  „Admiral Cunningham, are you telling me

  that the giant carrier has a top speed of seven

  knots and so do the two sister bergships?“

  „Yes, Prime Minister, we see this as a problem.

  We didn‘t count on her sailing south, across

  the equator, we‘re afraid she‘ll soften up a bit

  during the voyage.“

  „But the designers assured me that the ma-

  terial, the pykrete, is heat resistant and there

  are cooling units inside...“

  „You know designers, sir, they mainly counted

  on it operating only around the Arctic Circle.

  We‘re quite worried that HMS Habbakuk will

  shrink along the way and make the deck a

  swimming pool. There will be 200 aircraft on

  the ship, all fighters or bombers, but no sea-

  planes. „

  Churchill thoughtfully moved the ashtray

  a bit with a cigar.

  „Admiral, have you ever pushed an aircraft ca-

  rrier with one battleship while simultaneous-

  ly towing it with the another one?“

  „Sir, I‘ve never really done that. Especially not

  a 2,000-foot aircraft carrier made of iceberg.“

  „Then make it happen! You just have to cross

  the equator fast! We‘ve got HMS Vanguard

  completed, she‘s doing thirty knots. If you

  don‘t dare, I‘ll ask the US Navy! Summer starts

  in Antarctica in a few months, we‘ve got to be

  there in time to get the bastards. „

  Aircraft carrier HMS Ha-

  bbakuk, south of New-

  foundland, September

  1946

  The executive officer felt that he was about to

  break something in anger. „Clostermann re-

  ally pisses me off. I think we‘ll drop him back

  in Brazil. Try explaining to him again that he‘s

  not a Wing Commander, and he‘d better wri-

  te that book of his on his time off. So what‘s

  next for you, John.“

  „The Canadians are arguing with the Dutch.

  One wants to play hockey on board, the other

  is pushing for ice-skating competitions and

  has been discussing it for a long time. The

  Canadians hit the head of the commander

  of the American volunteers with the puck.

  He‘s in the infirmary, raving and talking about

  some Pittsburgh Penguins...“

  „They‘re going to see a lot of penguins soon.

  Okay, anything else?“

  „Finns protest that they have too small daily

  doses of coffee and want a sauna. The Nor-

  wegian mechanics have started building se-

  veral igloos on board.“

  „What, igloos?“

  „Yes sir, they say to make the road to the

  equator more, please wait, to say it right...

  To make the road more hygge. They promi-

  sed to dismantle them again before combat

  deployment.“

  „Any normal news?“

  „The New Zealand squadron with Tempests

  has finished painting the planes to the naval

  scheme, they are asking permission to paint

  rabbit skulls on the machines. They have the

  Czech Ensign Kleinkönnig with them, they

  seem to like him, they say it‘s in his honour.

  In his spare time he makes carrot spirit for

  them. He smuggled a lot of carrots and a dis-

  tillation column on board. He says they can

  distill anything in his country.“

  „OK, that‘s actually the first normal request

  I‘ve heard today, even though it sounds goo-

  fy. Let them paint it. But they have to save the

  white paint. We don‘t know what it will look

  like over Antarctica, we may have to paint the

  machines white. I‘m sure the Germans will do

  it, they said they did it each winter on the eas-

  tern front during the war.“

  Suddenly things on the desk shifted a few in-

  ches and the furniture in the cabin creaked.

  It was as if the ship had been rocked by so-

  mething big... Both men froze. The executive

  officer shook his head and pursed his lips in

  displeasure.

  „John, can you please ask the Vanguard

  bridge again, and emphatically, not to poke

  us from behind? I understand that they‘re

  one knot faster than King George V, who is

  towing us, but it‘s really getting on my nerves.

  I‘d like the captains of both ships to come to

  an agreement. We need to get this internati-

  onal circus in order. Otherwise we won‘t sur-

  vive the two weeks south. „

  White House, September

  1946

  President Truman was leaning against a

  large desk, looking at photographs taken by

  aerial reconnaissance. Around him were advi-

  sers, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary

  of State, the Commander of the Air Force, Ge-

  neral Spaatz, and Admiral Nimitz.

  Spaatz put on the table another picture of

  the landscape showing ice and snow.

  „Mr President, we have not yet reliably iden-

  tified this object, but it is very large. My colle-

  agues have some estimates of what it might

  be. „

  „Is it possible that it flies?“

  „We‘ve found a few of them, they look like

  airships, but they‘re much longer. We don‘t

  know exactly yet.“

  „What about those disks you were talking

  about last time?“

  „They are flying for sure, we have clear photos

  of them. We know they don‘t need an airport.

  But we don‘t know what kind of propulsion

  they use. Maybe it‘s a combination of pro-

  pellers for vertical takeoff and jet propulsion

  for forward flight. We‘re not sure yet. They‘re

  probably the same objects we‘ve seen over

  Europe. Foo Fighters. „

  „And rockets?“

  „They have several types of missiles, bigger

  than the V2. We‘ve even recorded flights abo-

  ve stratospheric level. Von Braun is success-

  fully continuing development.“

  „Why do we still know so little?“

  „Images are difficult to obtain. They‘ve got

  new anti-aircraft missiles, they‘ve shot down

  a few of our reconnaissance RB-29s, and the

  area is huge. We‘re looking for a needle in a

  haystack. They seem to be mainly close to the

  coast in New Swabia, because of logistics.“

  Nimitz placed the folders on the table, ope-

  ned them, and spread out the other slides.

  „We got this from our colleagues in the Air

  Force, probably something like a production

  hall or hangar. It‘s huge and well camouf-

  Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, with President Franklin D Roosevelt,

  and Winston Churchill during the Quebec Conference, 18 August 1943. It included a

  demonstration of the pykrete‘s resistance to gunfire as part of a presentation of the

  HMS Habbakuk project. Churchill was enthusiastic about the project.

  Photo: IWM

  laged from above. Look here, there‘s an ice

  sheet leading to it. We think they‘re trans-

  porting supplies by submarine under the ice.

  This area is important. It‘s somehow connec-

  ted to the giant objects. „

  „Do you at least have a theory as to what

  these objects are for?“

  Nimitz and Spaatz looked at General Leslie

  Groves of the Manhattan Project.

  „Mr President, I have consulted, confidentially

  of course, with the people from our project.

  Also with Mr. Einstein. And it‘s possible that...

  I mean, they believe these are spacecraft.

  While the war was going on, they managed

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  54

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 55

  Admiral Ernest J. King, USN, Comman-

  der in Chief, U.S. Fleet and Chief of Naval

  Operations, 1944 photo. King was glad to

  have survived the demonstration shoo-

  ting at the pykrete block at the Quebec

  conference. He was intolerant and suspi-

  cious of all things British, especially the

  Royal Navy. The Quebeck incident did

  not improve his opinion.

  Photo: U.S. Navy Photograph

  Conceptual design of the aircraft carrier HMS Habbakuk. The ship was constructed from

  iceberg and covered with a 12 metre thick layer of pykrete. The bergship was to have a high

  resistance to enemy fire as well as to the temperature of sea water. A 1/50th scale model of

  her was built in Canada in 1944.

  Foto: Wikimedia Commons

  Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten

  sitting at his desk, 1943. He was a gre-

  at supporter of the construction of HMS

  Habbakuk and the use of pykrete. At the

  Quebec Conference in 1943 Lord Mount-

  batten brought a block of pykrete along

  to demonstrate its potential to the ad-

  mirals and generals who accompanied

  Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roos-

  evelt. Mountbatten entered the HMS Ha-

  bbakuk project meeting with two blocks

  and placed them on the ground. One was

  a normal ice block and the other was py-

  krete. He then drew his service pistol and

  shot at the first block. It shattered and

  splintered. Next he fired at the pykrete to

  give an idea of the resistance of that kind

  of ice to projectiles. The bullet ricocheted

  off the block, grazing the trouser leg of

  Admiral Ernest King, and ended up in the

  wall.

  Photo: IWM

  to develop and manufacture these vessels

  and the antigravity drive here in seclusion.“

  „Gentlemen, that changes the situation! It lo-

  oked like a couple of bases of some German

  troops, but what you‘re saying is a major glo-

  bal threat!“

  „We didn‘t have enough information Mr.

  President, it‘s only since the last few weeks

  that we‘ve gotten images that changed our

  minds. „

  „And the British know about this? They‘re

  sending a fleet south. Byrnes, what do you

  know at the Foreign Office?“

  „Currently, Mr. President, Churchill thinks Hit-

  ler may have an atomic bomb there. That‘s

  why he‘s so nervous. He hasn‘t heard of the

  space program.“

  „That‘ll give Winston a heart attack! And they

  have a bomb?“

  „We don‘t know, we found some objects with

  radioactivity in Germany, but we‘re not sure.“

  Truman looked around. The atmosphere in

  the room was so thick it could have been cut.

  Finally, he looked at Nimitz.

  „Who did you send south?“

  „The aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt,

  commanded by Rear Admiral Apollo Soucek.

  Until now, we assumed we‘d make a few tar-

  geted raids with the British and be done with

  it.“

  The President shook his head in disbelief.

  „What are the British sending there?“

  „Ten of their regular carriers, each with about

  fifty aircraft. But they are counting on some

  of them being out of commission because

  of the climate. In addition, they have sent

  three huge bergships made of icebergs. They

  are called HMS Habbakuk, HMS Nahum and

  HMS Zephaniah, each with two hundred air-

  craft on board, including Tempests and Me-

  teors.“

  „Gentlemen, send in everything we have avai-

  lable in the Pacific, deploy jet fighters as well. „

  Aircraft carrier HMS Ha-

  bbakuk, north

  of the Antarctic coast

  near the zero meridian,

  October 1946

  The intelligence officer walked into the brie-

  fing room and headed straight to the front

  between the rows of seats where the pilots

  were sitting. As he passed them, the conver-

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 56

  sation gradually died down. He walked over

  to the board with the launch schedule for

  each patrol and hung a roll of paper with the

  layouts on top. It had wooden strips at the top

  and bottom, and so it unfolded easily on its

  own. The room hummed in surprise.

  „Gentlemen, we have approached the coast

  of New Swabia. Our ship is part of the Royal

  Navy fleet that has joined the international

  forces in the secret allied operation Ice Age.“

  I‘ll make it short and clear: There are Nazis in

  Antarctica. We don‘t know how long they‘ve

  been there. But we know they‘re up to some-

  thing dangerous, and we have to stop them.

  Allied aircraft carriers and their escorts are

  cruising the entire Antarctic coastline looking

  for them. Unfortunately, we don‘t get much

  from American high-altitude aerial reconnai-

  ssance. The enemy has anti-aircraft missiles,

  effective even at high altitudes, and this has

  gotten our American colleagues into trouble.

  That‘s why it‘s your turn. We think the Nazis

  don‘t have enough conventional anti-aircraft

  weapons, so you have more chances to ga-

  ther intel and get back.

  You must examine every inch of our sector.

  Colleagues from units in Canada, Alaska, Nor-

  way, Finland and others who have experience

  in Arctic conditions are important. That‘s why

  we‘ve assigned them to individual squadrons.

  Keep your eyes peeled! Report the slightest

  anomaly. As you can see, the enemy has air

  assets you don‘t know yet. I‘ll get to that in

  a minute.

  Here is a Messerschmitt P.1101 jet, this is a

  Focke-Wulf Ta 183 and this is what a Heinkel

  P.1079 night fighter and a Gotha P.60 bomber

  look like. Unfortunately, we haven‘t yet found

  the airfields from which they operated. So we

  can‘t rule out such vertical take-off machines

  with rotating gondolas with jet propulsion.

  But you can also see other types.

  What we are sure of, however, are the flying

  discs that have so intrigued you. They are

  called Hauneburg-Geräte, or Haunebu for

  short. We have pictures of them in our area.

  Here, take them, let them circulate.

  The larger ones have a wingspan of several

  tens of metres, we don‘t know where they

  take off from and we don‘t know their speed,

  climb rate or armament. So you‘ll be flying

  patrols armed with rockets. We don‘t know

  how armoured the Haunebu are, so don‘t he-

  sitate to use rockets. You have standard survi-

  val gear for polar conditions. Our submarines

  and other vessels are cruising the area. Com-

  mandos have already landed on the coast. If

  you‘re shot down, we‘ll do everything we can

  to get you to safety. Our task force is on a sou-

  thwest course to get closer to this mountain

  range. That‘s where the enemy is said to be

  most active. The daytime temperature off the

  coast is about minus ten degrees Celsius. This

  time of year is summer here. The sun rises

  before 4:00 a.m., sets before 9:00 p.m. There‘s

  a 24-hour patrol schedule. Any questions? No

  questions? All right. Good luck, gentlemen!“

  The pilots began to rise from their chairs and

  the room filled again with the noise of con-

  versation. The intelligence officer turned to

  one of the groups.

  „Gentlemen of the 486th Squadron, ‚Bunny‘

  Kleinkönnig and ‚Eikka‘ Luukkanen, please

  come here. We have some questions for you.

  We‘ve picked up enemy radio traffic. Come

  and see if you recognize the call codes of any

  of your former Luftwaffe colleagues, so we

  know who we‘re dealing with. One of their

  commanders is on the radio as Eismeer 1.“

  Kleinkönnig and Luukanen looked at each

  other without a word.

  „Perkele...“

  Mountain base Cäsar III,

  mountains in New Swabia,

  October 1946

  In the vast concre-

  te hall, red lights

  flashed on the floor

  along the walls.

  Some of the mecha-

  nics were running to

  their shelters behind

  the armor plates.

  The heavy concrete

  door, as wide as the

  entire hall, began

  to lift with a creak,

  letting in cold air

  from the Antarctic

  valley. Finally, with a

  groan, it stopped at

  the ceiling. Outside,

  the floor of the hall

  became a platform

  several dozen meters

  long.

  The pilot‘s voice

  came from the wall-

  -mounted speakers, transmitted from a figh-

  ter flying nearby.

  „This is Späte, approaching from the South

  Pole direction, on the opposite side of the va-

  lley, speed two hundred, height six hundred,

  descending slightly. Make ready the arresting

  device.“

  The mechanics set in motion two hydraulic

  jacks and erected a huge structure in the

  centre of the hall across its entire width, it lo-

  oked like a gate with a large number of verti-

  cal strips of flexible fabric.

  „I‘m dropping to five hundred, landing gear

  extended, speed one hundred and fifty,

  deploying flaps. Visual contact with the han-

  gar. Is the Landungssignaloffizier in position?

  I don‘t see him.“

  The LSO had just run to a station that was lo-

  cated outside at the edge of the platform.

  „Major, the LSO is in position, wind speed two

  metres per second, blowing southeast.“

  „I‘m making visual contact, turning left to-

  wards the runway, slowing down to one hun-

  dred and thirty.“

  High above the wide valley, the slender fi-

  ghter seemed to be driving on an invisible

  bridge towards the rock.

  The LSO was giving flags instructions for lan-

  ding maneuver corrections. The Horten jet

  powered flying wing landed smoothly on the

  platform and passed into the bowels of the

  hangar through the opening under the huge

  doors. It began to close immediately after-

  wards.

  Inside, the Horten stopped with a distinct

  yo-yo effect against the restraint strips, and

  then the elastic bands pushed it back a little.

  The mechanics shouted with undisguised

  joy, „Goal!“

  Major Späte lifted the cockpit canopy and

  the ground crew provided him with a ladder.

  But Späte stood up in the cockpit and shou-

  ted loudly: „I‘ve got my first kill!“

  Another wave of cheers and an avalanche of

  questions about where and how it happened.

  „It was a classic, I saw two Meteors, they were-

  n‘t flying very high, they looked like they were

  on a reconnaissance. I guess they were tired,

  or a little dazzled from the white all around

  here. I attacked his wingman from an eleva-

  tion change, he took a close range hit from

  me on his left engine, immediately caught

  fire, rolled over to the left and Tommy jumped

  out. The other one got away in a dive. They-

  ‘re good at this, I already had plenty of speed

  Ice being cut for research on scale model of HMS Habbakuk. The construction was

  performed at Patricia and Jasper Lakes in Alberta, Canada.

  Photo: Library and Archives Canada

  The completed 1/50th scale model of HMS Habbakuk was

  disguised as a house on a lake. The pykrete was so tempe-

  rature resistant that the ship lasted three summers before it

  melted. Pykrete is still used today for the surfaces of Canadian

  airfield runways located above the Arctic Circle.

  Photo: Library and Archives Canada

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  Shots from Eduard Kleinkönnig‘s Tempest gun

  camera during a battle with torpedo carrying

  Haunebu flying saucers in October 1946.

  Photo: IWM, retouched by Kateřina Borecká

  and I didn‘t dare go over a thousand.“

  After the Major‘s words, there was cheering

  and applause, and someone promptly ope-

  ned a bottle of champagne.

  „Major, Lieutenant Woidich and Haunebu

  Two are about to arrive!“

  „Then I‘ll be glad to see that,“ Späte replied,

  toasting the mechanics.

  With a few pilots he walked across the hall

  where mechanics were untangling the twin-

  -engine flying wing from the arresting belts.

  The staff opened an armoured door in the

  wall leading to the next hangar. It was already

  bustling with activity.

  Surprisingly, the safety device was not erec-

  ted, the gate was already up and snow was

  flying inside.

  „This is Woidich, I have visual contact with the

  LSO,“ came from the speakers

  „Sir, but the LSO reports he can‘t see you!“

  Woidich laughed loudly into the radio. The

  personnel on the platform looked for him in

  vain in the valley.

  „Of course they can‘t see me, because I‘m

  above you!“

  Surprised, the LSO looked up with the other

  men and the signal flags fell from his hands.

  A few dozen meters higher, a huge grey-blue

  flying saucer slowly emerged from behind

  a rock massif. It could have been twenty me-

  ters in diameter. It made a dark, metallic reso-

  nating sound, and there was an ozone smell

  all around. No roar of piston or jet engines.

  You could see where the disc had a cabin

  with a downward view. The machine slowly

  descended under the pilot‘s experienced

  steering, while turning 180 degrees on a verti-

  cal axis so Woidich could see into the hangar.

  It was slowly moving inward only about two

  meters above the surface. When the hulking

  machine was in the middle of the hall, the

  LSO backing in front of it signalled with flags

  to reach a parking position. The landing gear

  legs slid out of the bizarre machine and the

  disc landed lightly on them. Then the reso-

  nating sound of the anti-gravity drive faded

  away and the machine loaded its full weight

  on the landing gear with a heavy metallic

  screech.

  From the bottom of the flying saucer, a ramp

  on the side swung down, and Lieutenant

  Woidich, two technicians and several scien-

  tists climbed out.

  „Major, I report successful completion of ano-

  ther test. We reached a speed of one thou-

  sand eighty kilometres per hour in level flight,

  but we did not break the sound barrier. That

  cabin up there needs a more aerodynamic

  shape and then it might be good.“

  Späte shook his head appreciatively.

  „During today‘s flight we reached a flight le-

  vel of fifty kilometres without any problems,

  it was something incredible to see.“ Then

  Woidich added: „It‘s definitely a world record.“

  „That gives our JG 400 something to cele-

  brate. Weissenberger and his Geschwader

  ‚Nowotny‘ will be envious,“ Späte replied, and

  Woidich enthusiastically added: „We will be

  happy to celebrate! And tomorrow we have

  weapons tests.“

  „All right, Woidich, I‘ll join you later, I‘m still go-

  ing to the meeting at Raumfahrt-Hauptquar-

  tier. I wonder if they‘ve got the big ship up in

  the air yet.“

  The next day, Cäsar III

  base area

  Four Tempests of New Zealand‘s 486th

  Squadron with rockets took off from the air-

  craft carrier. The formation flew over the va-

  lley at an altitude of 3,000 metres, searching

  for enemy activity on snow and ice and for su-

  spicious structures in the rocks. It was led by

  Squadron Leader Sheddan with Clostermann

  as wingman. Behind them flew Luukkanen

  and Kleinkönnig as altitude protection. Their

  machines wore individual letters S, C, L and K

  and the traditional stylized rabbit skulls. Kle-

  inkönnig‘s machine also had the inscription

  BUNNY LADY on the nose with a painting of

  a pin-up rabbit model.

  „Rabbit 1, I see Sand Cake down at 11 o‘clock,

  distance 5000 meters. My pair is attacking,

  you cover us.“

  The first two Tempests headed down to the

  suspected bunkers. Luukkanen and Klein-

  könnig, with the experience of the previous

  encounters, split up, now flying about 300

  meters apart and carefully observing the area

  above and below them.

  „Rabbit 1, missiles launched, target must have

  been deceptive.“

  High geysers of snow, earth and rocks rose

  into the air. No explosion of stored ammuni-

  tion or anything like that. Instead, 20 and 37

  millimeter flak came down the valley side. Af-

  ter a while, unguided 40 mm rockets joined

  in.

  „Rabbit 1, get out of here, Rabbit 2 follow me.

  Rabbit 3 and 4 stay up, watch out for rockets!“

  Kleinkönnig suddenly saw a shadow in the

  shape of an arrow-winged plane silhouette

  behind the leading pair. It was approaching

  fast. Now he could see the plane too. It was

  obviously painted white, but the sun‘s rays

  were reflected off the cockpit overlay.

  „Rabbit 4 to Rabbit 1, you‘ve got Jerry behind

  you on your six. About five hundred yards be-

  hind you.

  „Rabbit 3, attacking, Rabbit 4 cover me. We‘re

  going after him. Saatana!“

  Two Tempests, with sporadic flak salutes, ra-

  ced low over the terrain through the valley to-

  wards the coast. A sleek Messerschmitt P.1101

  was approaching from behind, while the two

  other Tempests were coming at full power

  from above.

  The planes were already above the frozen

  sea surface and Luukkanen got the Messer-

  schmitt in his sights and shouted, „Break!“

  Several things happened at that moment.

  Luukkanen damaged the enemy´s wing

  with his fire, but not seriously. Sheddan do-

  dged sharply to the left, Clostermann to the

  right. The Messerschmitt turned behind Clos-

  termann and hit him several times in the en-

  gine area and in the wing. The Tempest lost

  a little altitude, wobbled, but kept flying.

  „Rabbit 2, how are you?“ came over the radio

  from Sheddan, who was making a right turn

  low over the terrain towards his wingman.

  „I‘ve been worse. He‘s after you, I‘ll try to

  pepper him!“

  Luukkanen, who had gained height with Kle-

  inkönnig for the second attack, was unexpec-

  tedly hit on the wing. A 30 mm grenade tore

  a large part of the covering on the right wing

  and the machine started to roll to the right.

  He thought he had been hit by flak, but then

  he heard a surprised Kleinkönnig: „Rabbit 4

  to Rabbit 3, we‘ve been attacked by Haunebu

  from the sun! He‘s already below us, but he‘s

  climbing again!“

  Down in the valley, the P.1101 pilot took a ste-

  ep climbing turn and got into a good position

  to shoot at Sheddan.

  „Rabbit 1 to Rabbit 3 and 4, get out of here

  and try to lure that Foo Fighter away! We‘ll

  sort it out down here.“

  Clostermann was just trying to get his da-

  maged Tempest behind the intruding Me-

  sserschmitt. He was going to hit it with de-

  flection shot in right turn. But the German

  accelerated, tightened the turn and got away

  from him on a slight climb.

  „Rabbit 4 to Rabbit 3, how are you doing with

  the wing damage?“

  „Perkele, saatana, jumalauta!“

  „I see...“

  „Rabbit 1 to Rabbit 2 and 3. Return to the ca-

  rrier. Rabbit 4 will join me.“

  Clostermann‘s engine began to leave a thic-

  kening smoke trail.

  The Messerschmitt pilot had the upper hand

  over the allied aircraft and he turned them

  into practice targets for the Haunebu’s pilot

  with his 30-mm cannons.

  The fighting planes were now over the ice

  eduard

  57

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 58

  floes. Nearby were Allied vessels, which had

  come into play and began to honour the Ger-

  mans with a nasty and dense barrage of their

  Bofors. Although reluctantly, the two German

  airmen packed up for home in their Wunder-

  waffen.

  Luukkanen was in the worst situation after

  the fight. His aircraftperformance was dec-

  reasing and it was very difficult to control. „I‘ll

  have to land on the water!“

  „Good luck Eikka!“

  „Thanks, Bunny. It‘ll be like home after the

  sauna. No worries!“

  Finn landed his Tempest expertly on the wa-

  ter. His mae vest inflated immediately and

  the lifeboat quickly filled with air too. Everyo-

  ne was relieved to have the Finnish colleague

  in the raft.

  But no one expected a group of killer whales,

  which started to show great interest in the

  boat. Luukkanen had to use his gun to scare

  them off, but they were soon back.

  It was getting serious, the curious cetaceans

  tried to capsize the boat first and then one of

  them just bit through it. So Luukkanen en-

  ded up back in the water, trying to get to the

  nearest floe as quickly as possible. He succee-

  ded, but the killer whales kept attacking. They

  must have mistaken the man in the suit for

  a seal. They even jumped up on the ice pack

  to tilt it and knock their prey down. Luukka-

  nen stuck his knife into the crust to keep him-

  self from sliding down.

  It was clear to Kleinkönnig that rescue, in

  the form of a torpedo boat, was coming too

  slowly, so he decided to intervene. He started

  shooting at the killer whales. If he‘d fought

  giant man-eating penguins in the past, why

  not killer whales... The group of hungry ma-

  rine mammals were spooked by the gunfire

  and retreated to a distance,still waiting atten-

  tively.

  But the boat crew soon picked up the pilot

  and returned him to the aircraft carrier, cold,

  wrapped in blankets and with a cup of rum.

  He complained that he had not been given

  enough coffee. One or two sailors asked him

  to sign a newspaper with his picture on it.

  In the evening Squadron Leader Sheddan

  nodded his head in acknowledgement. „So

  from today on, you have the nickname „Lu-

  cky“ Luukkanen! And you, Kleinkönnig, get

  a killer whale‘s mouth painted on the bow of

  A United Service Organizations troupe posing with a Messerschmitt P.1101 at the

  Oberbayerische Forschungsanstalt, Oberammergau, Germany, in 1945. It was also

  with these fighters that Kleinkönnig and his fellow pilots clashed over Antarctica in

  1946 and 1947.

  Photo: Wikimedia Commons

  Commissioning of the U.S. Navy aircraft

  carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42)

  at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, New York City,

  on Navy Day, 27 October 1945. Crew and

  visitors crowd her flight deck, as the crews

  of other ships present man their ship‘s rails

  in her honour. The aircraft carrier on the

  opposite side of pier is USS Franklin (CV-13),

  under repair for battle damage received

  earlier in the year.

  Photo: U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage

  Command

  the Tempest. You‘ve really done a good job

  of that, considering the circumstances. We‘ll

  be flying joint patrols with Meteors of „Smo-

  ky“ Shraeder for future events. We gotta

  come up with something on those Germans.

  We‘ll also be joined by the USS Franklin D.

  Roosevelt. They‘ve got Bearcats and Phan-

  tom jets.

  Cäsar III base, after the ba-

  ttle with the Tempests

  Messerschmitt P.1101 stopped in a rock han-

  gar. The turbine was slowly running down

  and the mechanics began to swarm around

  the blue and white machine. An officer clim-

  bed out of the cockpit and inspected the hits

  in the wing from 20 mm Tempest shells.

  The disheveled and smiling Haunebu pilot

  approached from the next hall. He saluted

  impeccably and clicked his heels together.

  „Lieutenant Woidich, Colonel, welcome

  to our base and congratulations on your

  kill! I saw your Tommy land on the surface.

  I suspected that Eismeer 1 was you.“

  Theo Weissenberger shook his head. „Thank

  you, but I also saw yours fall into the water.

  I was already quite far away, but I definitely

  saw a geyser of water when he hit the sur-

  face. Congratulations!“

  „Your Tempest today was the first Geschwa-

  der ´Nowotny´ s victory in New Swabia?“

  „No, we‘ve already taken out a couple of B-

  -29s and seaplanes.“

  „When are you switching to Haunebu? It‘s an

  incredible machine!“

  „Perhaps next month. Our friends in the

  factories down there are doing great. Can

  I see the flying wonder?“

  „Of course, come on, I‘ll explain everything.

  We‘ve designed some aerodynamic modifi-

  cations for the new Haunebu III. This is the

  anti-G suit and here is the spacesuit...“

  Aircraft carrier HMS Ha-

  bbakuk, north of the An-

  tarctic coast, November

  1946

  Between the carrier group and the coast

  of Antarctica, which loomed on the horizon,

  a curtain of flak bursts alternately thickened

  and thinned. By the third day, attacks on Ger-

  man mountain airfields were under way, and

  Allied pilots were in the air several times a day.

  However, the Luftwaffe persistently attacked

  the alliance and sank several ships. Now and

  then a hit aircraft crashed into the sea, or

  a geyser of water rose into the air from an ae-

  rial bomb or torpedo.

  The deck of the giant aircraft carrier was filled.

  This time, Tempests from several squadrons

  were tasked with bombing additional lan-

  ding platforms in the rocks. Meteors provided

  fighter escort. There wasn‘t much chance of

  rockets and bombs making their way inside

  the hangars, but they managed to at least

  cover the surrounding area with rocks and

  damage the platforms. This also made life di-

  fficult for the Luftwaffe.

  Kleinkönnig started as Rabbit 5 with

  the young Norwegian wingman Torgeir.

  The squadron gathered in formation in

  a circle around the aircraft carrier and, under

  Sheddan‘s guidance, climbed to five thou-

  sand meters. It then headed south. Fairbanks‘

  meteors patrolled a thousand meters above

  them.

  As the British formation passed the coast,

  in the opposite direction, Helldivers, Bearcats

  and Phantoms from the US Navy flew at lo-

  wer flight levels. Some obviously damaged

  and lagging behind the others. Then the ra-

  dio went into a chaotic scream of American

  swear words. It turned out that German jets

  and a few Haunebus were heading towards

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 59

  Bunny Lady was inspired by Klein-

  könnig‘s girlfriend. His colleagues propo-

  sed the painting of carrot as part of the

  „nose art“, as a reminder of the distilled

  carrot juice produced by Kleinkönnig.

  the task force. The US Navy fighters were not

  in an advantageous position to attack and

  did not want to abandon their brothers. Hea-

  vy anti-aircraft fire was launched from the

  ships of the task force. The 486th Squadron

  was closest to the enemy, and Wing Com-

  mander Mackie, commander of the entire

  British formation, ordered Sheddan to attack

  with his squadron. The rest of the Tempests

  and escorts continued to the target.

  The New Zealand Tempests raced towards

  the surface, just above which the attacking

  Germans were coming. Sheddan first split

  the squadron into four flights and then allo-

  wed attacks in pairs. The enemy were hea-

  ding for the aircraft carriers HMS Habbakuk

  and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.

  Kleinkönnig alternated between checking

  the position of his enemies, the altimeter and

  the speedometer during the descent. The

  engine roared and the plane shook. At 3,000

  metres, the speedometer needle was appro-

  aching 800 kilometres per hour. Torgeir held

  on bravely a few hundred metres behind.

  Kleinkönnig carefully leveled off but missed

  two bombing Gotha‘s that were flying left to

  right with torpedoes under their wings. In his

  rear-view mirror he noticed that some Bri-

  tish colleague had opened fire on them. He

  continued towards the ships. The flak fire had

  thickened to the point that it was perhaps

  walkable. One Haunebu and two Gotha were

  violently spinning into the sea after the hits

  from ship guns.

  Around Kleinkönnig, his own flak was alrea-

  dy exploding, and he heard a few bangs as if

  a hammer had hit the plane.

  „Rabbit 6 to Rabbit 5, there‘s a Messerschmitt

  down at 10 o‘clock!“

  Indeed! The P.1101 flew the same course. „He

  can‘t just be here alone, he‘s covering some-

  one,“ thought Kleinkönnig. „Rabbit 5, I‘m go-

  ing to attack, watch your surroundings and

  watch out for bombers!“

  Kleinkönnig already had a target in his sights.

  Occasionally it was partially obscured by pu-

  ffs of flak, but he was quickly approaching the

  Messerschmitt from above and its 5 o‘clock.

  The German spotted the danger at the last

  moment and tried to roll to the right, but it

  was too late. The hits of Kleinkönnig‘s guns

  tore off his wing and the Messerschmitt jet

  disappeared in a tumble in the depths.

  „Good show!“ the wingman echoed.

  „Rabbit 5 to Rabbit 6, check the area, lest we

  end up like that mule.“

  Then Kleinkönnig noticed two shadows over

  the water, moving in the same direction as

  him. At first he thought it was the shadow of

  his pair, but then he realized how low the sun

  was and looked down on the other side. Two

  Haunebu with white and grey camouflage

  were flying towards the carriers.

  „Tally-ho!“

  The speedometer needle passed the 800

  mark.

  The Haunebu had torpedoes hanging from

  her bottom, Kleinkönnig knew they would

  have to slow down and stay on course for the

  target in order to drop their cargo. He was

  closing fast on both saucers. Flak of smaller

  calibers was already firing from nearby ships.

  The outlines of the carriers were rapidly inc-

  reasing in size.

  The flying saucers suddenly turned sharply to

  the left. Kleinkönnig didn‘t expect that and

  pulled Tempest up the climb. He went into

  a sharp bank to see what was happening.

  Then he realised that the German pilots had

  to reduce their speed considerably and there

  was no other way to do it than to reduce po-

  wer and brake in a tight turn.

  Both Haunebu‘s performed a 360 degree

  turn during the break off and re-set course

  for the carriers, this time at the correct spe-

  ed for torpedo drops. Kleinkönnig had not yet

  met the Haunebu bombers, but he suspec-

  ted that they might have at least a rear firing

  guns.

  He wasn‘t wrong, the German machines

  went into a slight descent and from their

  sterns red tracers with smoke trails began to

  converge towards the pair of Tempests.

  Torpedoes could be in the water any second.

  Kleinkönnig opened fire, and flashes and pu-

  ffs of smoke began to appear on the surface

  of the flying disc. Two geysers of water rose

  below, the torpedoes were on their way. The

  disk began to leave gray smoke behind it, but

  it hadn‘t had enough yet. But Torgeir took

  aim.

  Kleinkönnig targeted the second machine

  with fire and when he ran out of ammuni-

  tion, he came even closer and fired rockets.

  The disc exploded in a deafening detonation.

  Kleinkönnig looked back to find his wingman

  and saw the first flying saucer hit the water.

  From the reports on the radio it was clear

  that Sheddan, Clostermann, Luukkanen and

  others had shot down several torpedo bom-

  bers. HMS Habbakuk had taken two hits, but

  a layer of pykrete protected the ship. USS

  Franklin D. Roosevelt was more severly hit, lis-

  ting on her side. Her crew managed to right

  the tilt, but eventually Rear Admiral Soucek

  decided to drive between the ice floes to the

  shallow water and make the ship a stationary

  base off the part of the coast in Allied hands.

  The danger from enemy submarines was too

  great on the high seas.

  To be continued

  Ens. Eduard „Bunny“ Kleinkönnig, Naval Detachment of No. 486 Squadron

  RNZAF, Aircraft Carrier HMS Habbakuk, Antarctica, summer 1946/1947

  This machine was flown by the legendary Czech pilot in the international

  crew of the aircraft carrier HMS Habbakuk during the battles against the

  Luftwaffe over Antarctica in the summer of 1946-1947. The letter K is the in-

  dividual designation of Kleinkönnig‘s machine. He had his girlfriend painted

  on the side of the aircraft. The sharkmouth was added to the aircraft later,

  as a reminder of the rescue of Kleinkönnig‘s flight leader. After being shot

  down into the sea, he was attacked by killer whales, but Kleinkönnig fought

  off the predators. The naval scheme was painted on the unit‘s machines du-

  ring the voyage to Antarctica. Rabbit skulls were painted on all of the unit‘s

  machines in honor of Kleinkönnig. The machine was equipped with missiles

  for attacking od enemy jets during take-off.

  eduard

  59

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 60

  KITS 01/2022

  Product page

  A6M2 Zero Type 21 1/48 Cat. No. 82212

  Plastic parts Eduard

  Photo-etched set

  Paiting mask

  5 markings

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 61

  KITS 01/2022

  c/n 5379, PO1c Tsuguo Matsuyama, Hiryū Fighter Squadron, aircraft carrier Hiryū, December 7, 1941

  PO1c Saburō Sakai, Tainan Kōkūtai, Lakunai airfield, Rabaul, New Britain island, August 1942

  PO2c Kōtarō Koyae, Zuihō Fighter Squadron, Rabaul, New Britain island, April 1943

  During second attack against Hawaii the Hiryū aircraft carrier sent nine Zeros under the command of Lt. Sumio Nōno. His pilots

  attacked Kaneohe and Bellows bases, claiming two destroyed aircraft and one car. Third Shōtai was led by PO1c Matsuyama, who

  shot down in coopeartion with his wingman P-40s piloted by 2nd Lieutenants George Whiteman and Samuel Bishop of the 44th

  Pursuit Squadron. Matsuyama had combat missions with the 13th Kōkūtai in China on his account already. On February 25, 1938, as

  wingman of the legendary Sadaaki Akamatsu, he participated in shooting down four aircraft. During the raids on Ceylon on April 9,

  1942, Matsuyama's shōtai shot down a Blenheim Mk.IV, probably of S/Ldr Kenneth Ault´s crew, who was leading formation of No. 11

  Squadron RAF in an attack on Japanese ships. Matsuyama later served on the aircraft carrier Hiyō and was killed on April 7, 1943

  in combat with the Wildcats off Guadalcanal. The airplane BII-124 was shot down on February 19, 1942 during the raid on Darwin.

  After being hit by anti-aircraft fire, Seaman 1st class Hajime Toyoshima landed on Melville Island and was captured by Aboriginal

  Matthias Ulungura. Toyoshima was the first captured Zero pilot and used alias "Tadao Minami". He became one of the organizers

  of the largest prisoner escape in World War II. On August 5, 1944 at Cowra POW Camp he gave signal to escape. Total of 1,104 POWs

  attempted to espace, 231 were killed and four Australians lost their lives as well. Toyoshima was mortally wounded, so he lighted

  a cigarette and committed suicide.

  Saburō Sakai is best known Japanese fighter pilot, thanks to his memoirs and meetings with Allied airmen after World War II. He

  was born in 1916 and served from September 1938 with the 12th Kōkūtai in China. In October 1941, he was assigned to the newly

  organized Tainan Kōkūtai in Taiwan and took part in campaign heading South until he was wounded on August 7, 1942 off Gua-

  dalcanal. After recovering, he served as an instructor with Ōmura Kōkūtai, and later, despite bad eyesight, was combat deployed

  with Yokosuka Kōkūtai on Iwo Jima. At the end of war he served with Kōkūtai 343 (II) and Yokosuka Kōkūtai. He is listed as an ace

  with 64 victories, but Sakai himself claimed the number of his victories was lower. With the first two units he actually achieved

  12 individual victories, 8 shared and 4 probables. The V-128 was also flown by PO2c Arita and PO1c Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, who is

  credited with 87 victories. The color of the stripes is chosen from Sakai's recollection, but there are other interpretations, such as

  a black or yellow stripe on the fuselage. During a fighter escort to Guadalcanal on August 7, Sakai shot down Wildcat "F12" from

  VF-5 piloted by "Pug" Southerland in an epic dogfight. Sakai was later severely wounded in the face by fire from VB-6 Dauntless

  near Tulagi Island. After nearly five hours and more than 1,000 km, he managed to land back at Rabaul. Sakai died in 2000 after

  formal dinner with members of the US Navy.

  Petty Officer 2nd Class Koyae was born in 1923 in Miyazaki Prefecture and completed his flight training in November 1942. He

  was than assigned to the fighter unit of the aircraft carrier Zuihō in March 1943. In April, the unit moved to Rabaul and Koyae flew

  the aircraft during Operation I-gō. In this period, green paint was applied to Zeros in field conditions. It was usually painted by

  hand, the edges of the green fields being softened with thinner sometimes. However, according to the unit log, Koyae did not fly

  combat sorties in April 1943. In fact he did not encounter the enemy until November 1943 over Rabaul. During the same month he

  was transferred to Kōkūtai 253 at Rabaul and by early 1944 he was undergoing intense fighting. Upon his return to Japan, he was

  assigned to the Ōmura Kōkūtai. While on leave, on February 17, 1944, he spotted a Japanese bomber circling in the rain at night

  over the village of Goda, Miyazaki Prefecture. Koyae, with the help of the villagers, established a navigation signal and after some

  time he managed to guide the crew to right heading. For this achievment he received a written commendation from commander

  of Ōmura Kōkūtai. In July 1944, Koyae was assigned to Hikōtai 701 and fought in the defense of the Philippines. After returning

  to Japan, he was assigned to Hikōtai 701 (II) and served with Ōmura Kōkūtai at the end of the war. After the war he worked as a

  fireman and published his memories. According to the local press, he achieved 20 victories, but these may be victories achieved

  by fighter formations in which he took part.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 62

  KITS 01/2022

  Lt. Kunio Kanzaki, CO of Hikōtai 311 of Kōkūtai 381, Kendari airfield, Celebes island, May 1944

  Lt. Nobuo Miyatake, Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, 1. Shichisei-tai, Kanoya airbase, Japan, April 1944

  Kōkūtai 381 was established in October 1943 at Kendari Base on the island of Celebes. It was a mixed Kōkūtai with 48 fighter-

  -bombers (Hikōtai 602), 24 night fighters (Hikōtai 902) and 48 fighter aircraft in Hikōtai 311, the latter commanded by Lt. Kanzaki.

  During the 1944 he operated from bases on islands in Indonesia and the Philippines. Their most frequent opponents were U.S. Army

  aircraft. Kanzaki's unit used special phosphorus anti-aircraft bombs to attack enemy bombers. Kanzaki's aircraft, manufactured

  by the Nakajima company, has been reconstructed in the past with various color markings. It is assumed that the vertical tail sur-

  faces and part of the upper wing surfaces were painted the same color like lower surfaces. The front part of the engine may also

  have been painted grey or yellow. It is not entirely clear from the photograph of the aircraft whether the white stripes on the lower

  fuselage are joined. It may have been designed to improve the mutual identification of Army and Navy aircraft when fighting Allied

  fighters. Another reason for this camouflage may have been for easier identification during night fighter flights. For example,

  Lt. Kanzaki and his wingman shot down a B-24 of the 380th BG over Balikpapan on the night of January 12-13, 1944. Some aircraft

  of Kōkūtai 331 were also painted in the same upper and tailplane camouflage. Both units operated in one tactical group during part

  of 1944.

  From the April 3, 1945 a total of eight special attack units with the battle name "Shichisei" were organized from the airmen serving

  in Genzan Kōkūtai (II) and Hikōtai 306 (part of Kōkūtai 721). Lt. Miyatake, who was 24 years old at the time, led the 1st Shichisei-tai

  in an attack on a convoy off Okinawa on April 6, 1945. During that day, eleven other airmen from Genzan Kōkūtai (II) sacrificed their

  lives along with him. They took off successively in four formations. Their formation was part of the 524 aircraft of special attack

  units and escort fighters from IJN and IJA sent against Allied vessels off Okinawa as part of Operation Kikusui I. The U.S. Navy lost

  destroyers USS Bush and Colhoun and other ships were severely damaged. "Shichisei" units were sent against ships off Okinawa,

  Yoronjima, Kikai, and Tanegashima islands in several missions till May 14. Only one of them returned to base due to bad weather.

  Lt. Miyatake was born in Kagawa Prefecture and graduated from the Etajima Naval Academy in 1942. Before the mission, he wrote

  farewell letters to his mother and three sisters. His father was interned in Siberia at the time. Nobuo Miyatake was posthumously

  promoted to the rank of Commander. His aircraft from Nakajima production is designated "Ke-113".

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 63

  KITS 01/2022

  OVERTREES

  A6M2

  Cat. No. 82211X

  1/48

  Product page

  Product page

  Cat. No. 82212-LEPT1

  Recommended for A6M2 Zero Type 21

  481076 A6M2 landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1238 A6M2 seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644128 A6M2 LööK (Brassin)

  648693 A6M2 wheels (Brassin)

  648694 A6M2 engine PRINT (Brassin)

  648695 A6M undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648698 A6M2 seat PRINT (Brassin)

  3DL48050 A6M2 SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX821 A6M2 TFace (Mask)

  Cat. No. 644128

  Cat. No. 648694

  Cat. No. 648695

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 64

  KITS 01/2022

  Product page

  1/48 Cat. No. 11156

  Dual Combo

  Z-126 Trenér

  Plastic parts Eduard

  Photo-etched set

  Paiting mask

  10 markings

  eduard

  64

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 65

  KITS 01/2022

  Z-126, OK

  -

  JGT, No. 804, Ruzyně Aero Club, 1960

  Z-126, OK

  -

  DVG, No. 525, Příbram Aero Club, September 2021

  The “Yoghurt”, as the aircraft is nicknamed due to its matriculation, was manufactured in 1954 and on February 15, 1955 it was

  handed over to the Ministry of Defence for pilot training purposes. Later was handed over to the Svazarm organization (Union

  for civilian cooperation with army) and was operated mainly by Aero Clubs of Zbraslavice, Ruzyně or Letňany. Its career as Z-126

  version ended in 1982 and it was stored disassembled in the Letňany hangar. In 1998, OK_JGT underwent general overhaul and was

  also upgraded to the Z-226MS version by ZLIN

  -

  AVION Service company. At that time, "Yoghurt" also received a livery with yellow-

  -red triangles. The historical livery of OK

  -

  JGT as Z-126 was based on the scheme used for the Z-226A/AS aerobatic specials, with

  light blue color instead the white one.

  This aircraft was produced as Z-26 on August 30, 1950. As it was 38th aircraft of this type manufactured, it got military marking

  code UC-38 and served with military from 1950 to 1954. After that the aircraft was assigned to the Liberec Aero Club, converted

  to the Z-126 version and registered as OK

  -

  DVG on April 22, 1955. It flew like this until 1966, when it was considered too old and put

  out of service. Eventually it was noticed by František Altner, a Czechoslovak Airlines pilot, who brought the incomplete aircraft. He

  made overhaul of it on his own and registered it as OK

  -

  EKA at the end of 1970. When Ladislav Bezák emigrated at the end of 1971,

  however, Altner was banned to use the aircraft and sold it to the Svazarm (Union for civilian cooperation with army). In 1976, the

  aircraft underwent another overhaul and flew with the Aero Clubs in the Central Bohemia region, mainly at the airfields of Točná,

  Kladno and Příbram until 1981, when it was de-registered again due to its age. Thanks to the efforts of the members of Příbram

  Aero Club it was overhauled again in the mid-1990s by ZLIN

  -

  AVION Service and got its original markings. It was test-flown on

  September 2, 1997 and is in use by Příbram Aero Club until today. It is the only Trener that has retained manual crank start and

  is the oldest airworthy one as well.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 66

  KITS 01/2022

  Z-126, OK

  -

  JHD, No. 817, private owners, Chotěboř airfield, 2021

  Z-126, D

  -

  EYGL, No. 796, private owner, Straubing Airport, Germany, 2020

  This Z-126 was test-flown on March 3, 1955 and stored afterwards until February 1, 1957. At that time it was given the OK

  -

  JHD ma-

  triculation, and the military commission took over this trainer a week later. It was then used by Regional Aero Club Liberec. Due

  to its intense service, it had to undergo its first overhaul in 1959 by LOTN (Trenčín Aircraft Repairs). The second overhaul followed

  in 1966 and the third in 1974, this time at Aerotechnik Kunovice, where the aircraft received a brick orange livery with a dark red

  stripe. In this form it was serving until September 1979. A year later it was deleted from the register and remained disassembled

  in the hangar of the Liberec Aero Club where over the years became a spare parts source. Then, two members of the Chotěboř

  Aero Club found it there some 20 years later and decided to buy it and make it to fly again. They also wanted their Trener to be given

  a historically accurate marking. Their first choice was the design in which the Z-126 OK

  -

  IMB flew in the 1970´s in Chotěboř and

  neighbor Aero Clubs. However, as they lacked good reference materials, the choice fell on the color scheme based on the coloring

  of the aircraft of the famous Olomouc woman aerobatic group which was flying in 1957. The OK

  -

  JHD was test-flown in this form on

  October 13, 2007 in Otrokovice. Since then, it has been operated on the Chotěboř airfield and used not only by its owners but also

  by other pilots of the local Aero Club.

  The aircraft was manufactured in 1954 with wooden tail surfaces, but already as Z-126. It was handed over to the Svazarm (Union

  for civilian cooperation with army) on December 17 the same year. From that time on it was serving with Kralupy nad Vltavou, Gott-

  waldov and Holešov Aero Clubs (there until 1978). In 1992 it was bought by Emmax Uherské Hradiště company and a year later sold

  to a private owner from Strážnice. After overhaul by ZLIN

  -

  AVION Service in 1994, the OK

  -

  IGL was operated at Kunovice airfield

  and changed hands again around 2000. After a few years the owner sold it to German taker and the aircraft was given German

  matriculation D

  -

  EYGL, as more appropriate D

  -

  EIGL was not available.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

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  KITS 01/2022

  Z-126, OK

  -

  IFD, No. 739, Ústí nad Orlicí Aero Club, 1969

  Z-126, OK

  -

  IHQ, No. 778, private owners, Letňany airfield, 2021

  OK

  -

  IFD was first flown on July 26, 1954 and then headed to AK Liberec, where it was used for pilot training and glider towing. Sub-

  sequently it was also used in Ústí nad Labem and Most, from where it was bought by AK Ústí nad Orlicí. However, the aircraft had

  to be transported by land, as it was at the end of its lifetime period. It was overhauled by the LOTN (Trenčín Aircraft Repairs) and

  the original military green color was replaced by a more colorful marking. At the same time, a large logo of the then textile factory

  Perla, which sponsored the overhaul, appeared on the sides of the fuselage under the canopy. Overhauled OK

  -

  IFD was test-flown

  on September 1, 1970, but after Vlastimil Macek emigrated to Austria on a glider in July 1973, the Aero Club had to hand its Trener

  over. The OK

  -

  IFD then travelled through several Aero Clubs, changed colors several times, and finally ended up in Holešov Aero

  Club in 1982. There is one uncertainty with this marking, as the contemporary witnesses can´t decide whether the stripe on the

  fuselage and wing was blue or black. We provide decal for the blue version; black stripe can be airbrushed instead.

  This Z-126 was handed over to Ministry of Defence on February 21, 1955 as a C 105-243. On September 12, 1959, it was entered to

  the civil register under the OK

  -

  IHQ matriculation and put into service with the Svazarm Aero Clubs in Hořice, Plasy and Jičín. The

  latter used it until 1999. Later it was bought by private owners and the aircraft was given the livery of a 1950s military trainer as

  a part of an overhaul. Interestingly, the dashboards are painted red, and the aircraft has impressive radio equipment. OK

  -

  IHQ is

  based at the Letňany airfield nowadays.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 68

  KITS 01/2022

  Z-126, OK

  -

  IVA, No. 737, private owner, Slaný airfield, 2021

  Z-126, OK

  -

  HLK, No. 722, Kunovice Aero Club, 1970

  This aircraft was produced in 1954 and received the OK

  -

  IFB matriculation. It served with the Košice Aero Club from May 15, 1954

  and subsequently was used at Nitra airfield as a training aircraft for students of the College of Transportation in Žilina. After that,

  it was used by the Holíč Aeroclub. In 1992 the aircraft was at the end of its technical lifespan and transferred to Slušovice, where

  it was stored. Subsequently it was moved to Kunovice. Since 1998 it is in private hands. During 1999 - 2000 period it underwent

  a major overhaul at ZLIN

  -

  AVION Service and after that it was sold and operated again at the Kunovice airfield. In 2017, it changed

  hands again and is operated from Slaný airfield today, where it is stored in the hangar of the Točná Aero Club. The aircraft has

  a non-standard flash beacon on the top of the vertical fin.

  This Trener served with the army from February 5, 1954, when the Ministry of Defence took it over and used it as C 105-220. Later

  it was transferred to Uherské Hradiště and flew in Kunovice Aero Club, where in 1969 the powered flying was re-established. After

  reaching its technical life limit, it was stored in the depository of the Technical Museum Brno and handed over to the Brno company

  Šperlík later. Thanks to the company´s efforts, it was overhauled in Aerotechnik Kunovice. In August 2007, the aircraft had a severe

  crash in Vysoké Mýto. However, but it was repaired again and is still flying today in new elegant white and blue coloring. Attractive

  period coloring corresponds to the habits of the Kunovice Aero Club at that time, including the drawing of a “flying witch” on the

  nose.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 69

  KITS 01/2022

  Z-126, OK

  -

  IHO, No. 705, Brno-Slatina Aero Club, spring 1977

  Z-126T, OK

  -

  MFV, v. no. 168, Aeroklub Kladno, 2020

  The Z-126 of serial number 705 served with the army as C 105-234 from March 30, 1954. It was entered into the civil register on

  December 18, 1958 and served with the Brno Aero Club for many years. In the spring of 1977, it had only about five flying hours left

  in its service life, so the members of the Aero Club decided to “decorate” the aircraft a little. The shark's mouth motif was chosen,

  but when the then regional chief technician engineer of the Svazarm (Union for civilian cooperation with army) saw the work, he

  was not impressed and demanded the painting to be removed. However, the situation was saved by the regional chief of Svazarm,

  Colonel Holubář, who immediately declared that he wanted to fly the painted Trener first. And so, the new design was approved...

  Finally, this Trener was removed from the register on July 21, 1977.

  When the OK

  -

  JHA Z-126 Trener ended its service with Kladno Aero Club due to the end of its technical lifespan in November 2013,

  its engine together with the propeller and engine cowls were transported to ZLIN

  -

  AVION Service company in Otrokovice. In the

  same direction, the Z-226MS airframe of the OK

  -

  MFV matriculation headed to mate with OK

  -

  JHA´s parts to create new Z-126T.

  As part of this conversion, the newly built aircraft also received the original livery and OK

  -

  MFV matriculation. It was test-flown in

  January 2014 and is still flying with Kladno Aero Club. The “donor” of the engine and of other parts, OK

  -

  JHA, was manufactured in

  1955 and subsequently stored at the manufacturer´s premises before being handed over to the Svazarm on March 1, 1957. It was

  flown mainly at Točná and Kladno, where it ended its journey.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 70

  KITS 01/2022

  OVERTREES

  Z-126 Trenér Cat. No. 82186X

  1/48

  Product page

  Recommended for Z-126 Trenér

  FE1219 Z-126/226 seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644119 Z-126 Trenér LööK (Brassin)

  648679 Z-126/226 Trenér wheels (Brassin)

  3DL48044 Z-126 SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX827 Z-126 TFace (Mask)

  Product page

  Cat. No. 11156-LEPT1

  Cat. No. 644119

  Cat. No. 648679

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 71

• Page 72

  KITS 01/2022

  Spitfire Mk.Ia 1/48 Cat. No. 84179

  Plastic parts Eduard

  4 markings

  Product page

  eduard

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 73

  KITS 01/2022

  P9372, P/O Antony C. Bartley, No. 92 Squadron, RAF Croydon, Great Britain, March – April 1940

  L1004, F/Lt Alexander V. R. Johnstone, No. 602 Squadron, RAF Drem, East Lothian, Great Britain, May 1940

  Spitfire P9372 served with No. 92 Sqn from March 1940, when the unit changed their Blenheims Mk.If to Spitfires. Along with it, it

  took part in the evacuation from Dunkirk, when it was flown by Antony Charles Bartley, among other airmen. A native of Dhaka in

  what was then British India, he joined the RAF in 1939 and after training he was posted to No. 92 Sqn, with which he took part not

  only in covering the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force but also in the Battle of Britain. In March 1941 he was transferred

  to No. 74 Sqn for two months, where he had been training new pilots. He later flew as a test pilot with Supermarine and from

  August 1942 commanded No. 111 Sqn during its deployment to North Africa. He subsequently served as a staff member of No. 83

  Group and from October 1944 he took post at RAF Transport Command in the Far East. At the end of the war his score was 12 + 1

  destroyed, 5 probables and 8 damaged aircraft. After the war he held various positions in the British film and television industry

  and died on April 18, 2001. Spitfire P9372 served with No. 92 Sqn until September 9, 1940 when it was shot down near East Guildford.

  P/O W. C. Watlings, althoug injured, managed to rescue himself on parachute. The wreckage of the Spitfire was excavated from the

  crash site and displayed at Tonbridge Battle of Britain Museum. The parts were then acquired by noted Spitfirologist Peter R. Monk

  of Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar Ltd. There they have been on display on the hangar wall since 2016. On August 5, 2019, the project

  to restore P9372 to airworthy condition commenced and it was subsequently officially registered under the G

  -

  CLIH matriculation.

  Alexander Vallance Riddell Johnstone, better known as "Sandy" Johnstone, achieved his first combat successes in the cockpit of

  L1004 in late June and early July, when he shot down a He 111, a Ju 88 in cooperation and also damaged a Do 17. On July 12, he took

  command of No. 602 Sqn and increased his score by a further seven kills. In September 1941 he took command of No. 263 Wing in

  Beirut and in April 1942 became sector commander in Haifa, Palestine. As early as September 1942, however, he moved to Malta,

  where he became commander of Luqa airfield. In January 1943 he returned to operational flying as commander of Krendi Wing

  with Spitfire Mk.Vc. He commanded the Wing until the end of March 1943, then returned to Britain where he held various command

  posts until the end of the war. He ended the war with nine kills (7 + 2), 1 probable and 7 enemy aircraft damaged. Tests of the 1,645

  hp Merlin 32 engine were carried out on Spitfire Mk.I L1004 in late 1942. The tests were successful and the decision was made to

  install this powerplant in the existing Seafire Mk.IIC aircraft. The colour profile shows the appearance of the aircraft in the second

  half of May 1940, when the undersurfaces of the RAF fighters were painted black and white. A tricolour was added to the tail and

  cockades of type A1 were painted on the fuselage sides. From June 6, 1940 it was ordered that the undersurfaces of RAF fighters

  would be camouflaged with Sky paint.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 74

  KITS 01/2022

  X4036, P/O Robert F. T. Doe, No. 234 Squadron, RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire, Great Britain, August 1940

  R7057, P/O James H. Lacey, No. 501 Squadron, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire, Great Britain, May 1941

  Robert Francis Thomas Doe, a native of Reigate, Surrey, joined the RAF at the age of fresh 18 in March 1938. Training was followed

  by service with No. 234 Sqn from November 1939, with which he flew until almost the end of the Battle of Britain. On August 27,

  1940 he was transferred to No. 238 Sqn, with which he flew as Flight Leader in Hurricanes. On his return from rest, when he was

  training new pilots with No. 57 OTU, further activity followed, this time in faraway Burma with No. 613 Sqn. However, he flew with

  this unit for only two months, until December 1943, when he was commissioned to form No. 10 Sqn of the Indian Air Force. There

  he also served to the end of World War II. In September 1946, Robert Doe returned to the UK and held staff posts in the RAF until

  his retirement in April 1966, retiring with the rank of W/Cdr. He died on February 21, 2010.

  After the rearmament of No. 501 Sqn from Hurricanes to Spitfires in May 1941, Spitfire R7057, bearing the donation inscription

  "Caithness" (drawn on both sides probably in yellow) became the personal aircraft of "Ginger" Lacey, one of the RAF's most su-

  ccessful pilots with 28 kills to his credit. Czech pilot Sgt. Antonín Dvořák also flew several operational flights in its cockpit. From

  July this Spitfire served with No. 53 OTU RAF in Llandow. On August 12, 1941, R7057 and its pilot Colin Day were lost in an air crash

  near Glynneath.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 75

  R7057, P/O James H. Lacey, No. 501 Squadron, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire, Great Britain, May 1941

  KITS 01/2022

  481026 Spitfire Mk.I landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1112 Spitfire Mk.I seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644063 Spitfire Mk.I early LööK (Brassin)

  644064 Spitfire Mk.I late LööK (Brassin)

  644066 Spitfire Mk.I early LööKplus (Brassin)

  644067 Spitfire Mk.I late LööKplus (Brassin)

  648578 Spitfire Mk.I cockpit (Brassin)

  648579 Spitfire Mk.I wheels (Brassin)

  648580 Spitfire Mk.I exhaust stacks (Brassin)

  648581 Spitfire Mk.I gun bays (Brassin)

  648582 Spitfire Mk.I engine (Brassin)

  648589 Spitfire Mk.I undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  SIN64868 Spitfire Mk.I ESSENTIAL (Brassin)

  SIN64870 Spitfire Mk.I ADVANCED (Brassin)

  3DL48005 Spitfire Mk.I early SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  3DL48006 Spitfire Mk.I late SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  D48053 Spitfire Mk.I national insignia (Decal Set)

  D48064 Spitfire Mk.I stencils (Decal Set)

  EX709 Spitfire Mk.I TFace (Mask)

  EX713 Spitfire Mk.I (Mask)

  Recommended for Spitfire Mk.Ia

  Cat. No. 644063

  Cat. No. 648579

  Cat. No. 648580

  Cat. No. 648581

  Cat. No. 648578

  Cat. No. 648589

  Cat. No. D48053

  Cat. No. 3DL48005

  Cat. No. 648582

  eduard

  75

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 76

  KITS 01/2022

  MiG-21SMT 1/48 Cat. No. 84180

  Plastic parts Eduard

  4 markings

  Product page

  eduard

  76

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 77

  KITS 01/2022

  MiG-21MT, No. 96.40.15, Dolgoye Ledovo, Russia, early 1980´s

  MiG-21SMT, 515 IAP, Tököl, Hungary, late 1970´s

  This aircraft can be currently found at Dolgoye Ledovo on display, but the unit it served with is uncertain. The MiG-21MT (NATO code

  Fishbed K) was produced by the Moscow plant Znamya Truda in 1971, but only 15 of these aircraft were built, because pilots were

  very unsatisfied with performance and flying characteristics of the plane. It was developer as a response to foreign customers

  calling for longer operational range. More powerful R-13F-300 engine was installed as well as a big internal fuel tank of 900 liters

  volume in the fuselage ridge. This gave the MiG-21MT its characteristic hump appearance. Although the MT version was intended

  to be an export version, no customers were ever found.

  Yellow 31 was serving with the 515 Fighter Regiment in Tököl. The aircraft was delivered in natural metal finish, later on the aircraft

  of the unit were given camouflage and the tactical numbers were painted with white outline only. The aircraft was given protective

  grey painting on the bottom of the front section of the fuselage and was presented to delegation of Hungarian pilots, who were

  undergoing training for usage of special bombs at the time.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 78

  KITS 01/2022

  MiG-21MT, No. 96.40.14, Dolgoye Ledovo, Russia, mid 1980´s

  MiG-21SMT, 582 IAP, Chojna, Poland, late 1970´s

  Aircraft of serial number 96.40.14 was one of only fifteen MTs produced (factory designated “Izdelye 96B”). Some 12 of them were

  probably used by 66 APIB (Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment) based at Veshchevo, while three remaining were based at Kubinka Air

  Base for display to foreign delegates. It is possible that these aircraft also served with the No. 4 escadrille of 234 GIAP (Guards

  Fighter Air Regiment). This aircraft can be found at the airfield at Dolgoye Ledovo near Moscow today as a didactic aid and is part

  of the military department of MEI (Moscow Energy Institute - Technical University).

  The “Yellow 20” was serving with the 582 IAP located at Chojna Air Base in Poland. Aircraft of this unit were delivered in natural

  metal finish, later, during 1980´s they got camouflage markings. The aircraft was given protective grey painting on the bottom of

  the front section of the fuselage. The tactical number has slightly different outline for each digit. The aircraft sports also red badge

  indicating “outstanding maintenance”.

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  78

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 79

  MiG-21SMT, 582 IAP, Chojna, Poland, late 1970´s

  KITS 01/2022

  48704 MiG-21 ladder (PE

  -

  Set)

  648025 Rocket launcher UB-16 and UB-32 (Brassin)

  648026 MiG-21 wheels (Brassin)

  648030 MiG-21 seat late (Brassin)

  648038 MiG-21SMT interior (Brassin)

  648040 RS-2US / AA-1 Alkali (Brassin)

  648049 MiG-21 wheel wells (Brassin)

  648064 MiG-21 late airbrakes (Brassin)

  648080 MiG-21 undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648082 R-60 / AA-8 Aphid (Brassin)

  648125 R-3S / AA-2 Atoll-A (Brassin)

  648126 OFAB-100 Soviet bombs (Brassin)

  648127 OFAB-250 Soviet bombs (Brassin)

  648136 S-24 rocket (Brassin)

  648490 MiG-21 F.O.D. (Brassin)

  648445 R-13M missiles (Brassin)

  EX526 MiG-21MF w/ canopy seal (Mask)

  EX636 MiG-21MF TFace (Mask)

  Recommended for MiG-21SMT

  Cat. No. 648049

  Cat. No. 648082

  Cat. No. 648126

  Cat. No. 648445

  Cat. No. 648490

  Cat. No. 648080

  Cat. No. 648125

  eduard

  79

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 80

  KITS 01/2022

  Product page

  Re-release

  MiG-15bis 1/72 Cat. No.7059

  Plastic parts Eduard

  Photo-etched set

  Paiting mask

  5 markings

  eduard

  80

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 81

  KITS 01/2022

  c/n 613234, kpt. Oldřich Paldus, 15th Fighter Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force, Cottbus Airfield,

  German Democratic Republic, August 30, 1957

  No. 20 Squadron, Egypt., Late 1950s / Early 1960s

  c/n 1315376, ex 64th IAK, Soviet Union, Mid 1950s

  A group of three MiGs-15bis of 15 Fighter Regiment from Žatec Air Base took part in the 2nd Cultural and Sport Celebration orga-

  nized in Cottbus, German Democratic Republic from late August to early September 1957. The distinctive blue marking was applied

  on these aircraft especially for this event. During the display two aircraft, this No. 3234, and another MiG-15bis No. 3233 collided.

  No. 3234 lost the tip of its left horizontal stabilizer, but the pilot managed to keep control of the aircraft and was able to land sa-

  fely. After the 15th FR was disbanded, two pilots of its display team, Oldřich Paldus and Václav Polášek were transferred to 11 FR

  in 1958. Capt. Jaromír Palečný joined them in 1959 and as all of them were not tall at all, the display team was unofficially dubbed

  “Trio Prckos”( “The Three Shorties” in English).

  Egypt purchased a total of 110 MiG-15bis aircraft from Czechoslovakia. This particular one served with No. 20 Squadron of the Uni-

  ted Arab Republic Air Force. The United Arab republic was a federation of Egypt and Syria that lasted from 1958 to 1961. Egypt kept

  this name untill 1971. No. 20 Squadron was based at Deversoir, El Qabrit and Inshas air bases.

  This aircraft took part in the Korean War – the communist attempt to occupy the entire Korean peninsula. At the time it was mar-

  ked with red number 1976 on its fuselage. Back in the USSR, the number was simply overpainted with the yellow 30, as well as the

  fading North Korean insignia was freshly overpainted. As the North Korean national insignia was simply an extension of the Soviet

  red star, removing the white outline and adding the red and blue circles, only these circles (rather faded) were visible. The original

  star was simply overpainted with fresh outlined one. Based on photographic evidence, the insignia was applied on the fuselage

  only, but it is possible these were painted on the lower surface of the wings as well.

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  81

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 82

  KITS 01/2022

  c/n 0320138, 1st Squadron, 101st Reconnaissance Regiment, Szolnok, Hungary, 1972

  Maj. Mikhail Ivanovich Mikhin, 518th IAP, North Korea, May 1953

  This MiG was delivered together with another 29 aircraft in April 1962. These originally served with the Soviet Air Force and after

  the overhaul were supplied in the natural metal finish to Hungary. During the overhaul the aircraft c/n 0320138 had the upgraded

  wing installed featuring the landing light located at the left wheel well. The light was later covered with a sheet aluminum.

  In August 1968 this particular airplane participated in the Warsaw Pact armed forces invasion (except Romania and Albania) to,

  at that time, Czechoslovakia. Before the invasion it was marked with the red stripes which were later deleted. In March 1970 the

  aircraft was overpainted in the camouflage colors including all stencils. In September 1975 the airframe was struck off charge

  having logged 1535 flight hours and was abandoned at the Szolnok airbase.

  Mikhail Mikhin was born on October 25th, 1923 and right after the graduation from the high school he started his pilot training

  finishing it in the end of 1944. He did not manage to participate in any combat during the World War Two, however he participated

  in the air combat over Korea where he was deployed in July 1952 with the entire 518th IAP. The unit remained in the combat zone

  until the end of hostilities, Major Mikhin shot down 9 enemy aircraft in total (7 x F-86, 2 x F-84) for which accomplishment he was

  awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on July 14, 1953. He remained in the active service of the Red Army Air Force after the

  Korean War and retired with the rank of Major General in 1980. He passed away on March 25, 2007 in St. Petersburg.

  eduard

  82

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 83

  KITS 01/2022

  OVERTREES

  MiG-15bis

  Cat. No. 7059X

  1/72

  Product page

  Product page

  Cat. No. 7059-LEPT1

  Recommended for MiG-15bis

  72574 MiG-15 landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  72575 MiG-15/MiG-15bis exterior (PE

  -

  Set)

  672007 MiG-15 wheels (Brassin)

  672008 MiG-15 ejection seat (Brassin)

  672020 MiG-15bis airbrakes (Brassin)

  672024 MiG-15bis cockpit (Brassin)

  D72007 MiG-15 / MiG-15bis stencils (Mask)

  Cat. No. 672020

  Cat. No. 672024

  Cat. No. 672008

  eduard

  83

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 84

  KITS 01/2022

  P-51D-5 Mustang 1/48 Cat. No. 84172

  Re-release

  Plastic parts Eduard

  4 markings

  Product page

  eduard

  84

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 85

  KITS 01/2022

  44-13761, flown by Capt. Jack M. Ilfrey, 79th FS, 20th FG, 8th AF, USAAF Station 367 Kings Cliffe, Northamp-

  tonshire, Great Britain, Autumn 1944

  44-13597, flown by Lt. William E. Fowler, 487th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, USAAF Station 141 Bodney,

  Norfolk, Great Britain, September 1944

  Captain Jack Ilfrey became an ace in North Africa, where he claimed 5½ kills (and 2 damaged) while flying P-38F “Texas Terror”.

  He joined 20th FG, 79th FS at USAAF Station Kings Cliffe in England on April 20, 1944, serving as Ops Officer from June 14, 1944. He

  claimed two more Bf 109Gs on May 24, flying P-38J “Happy Jack´s go Buggy”. He was shot down behind enemy lines in France on

  June 12, but he successfully evaded capture walking and cycling 150 miles to Allied lines in Normandy with help of French civilians.

  He became 79th FS CO on September 7, leading the unit until December 9, 1944. He completed 142 combat missions over ETO and

  MTO. The 20th FG did not replace their P-38Js with P-51Cs until July 1944, changing them for P-51Ds shortly afterwards. The early

  Mustangs of the 20th FG are known to have upper surfaces overpainted with green color, probably with RAF Dark Green, with

  irregular splitting line between green upper surfaces and silver/natural metal bottom surfaces. The 20th FG was nicknamed “Loco

  Busters” because made significant number of attacks against railroad network.

  Lt. Col. John C. Meyer, acting CO of the 487th FS and the ace credited with 37½ destroyed enemy aircraft, claimed four of his 24

  aerial victories in cockpit of this mount on September 11, 1944. Stardust was originally a personal aircraft of Lt. William E. Fowler,

  nicknamed „Flaps“, who ended his combat tour just three days before Meyer´s four-victory raid. The Stardust was than assigned to

  Lt. Jack „Moose“ Landrum, who renamed it „Moose“. He was shot down and killed on October 24, 1944, while strafing at Hannover.

  The 352nd Fighter Group, based at USAAF Station Bodney, was fourth most successful FG of the 8th USAAF with 519 enemy pla-

  nes destroyed in the air and 287 on the ground, with 119 losses of their own. All three squadrons painted noses of their Mustangs

  with blue colour. In September 1944, the paint of the noses was changed from Medium Blue to the Dark Blue, which remained the

  Group´s color until end of the War. Note the light area over the fuselage national insignia of the Stardust, which is clear natural

  metal surface after the washing of the invasion stripes on the upper surfaces including the upper surfaces of the wings.

  eduard

  85

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 86

  KITS 01/2022

  44-13316, flown by Leonard K. Carson, 362nd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF, USAAF Station 373 Leiston,

  Suffolk, Great Britain, June 1944

  44-13317, flown by Capt. Donald R. Emerson, 336th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, USAAF Station 356 Debden,

  Essex, Great Britain, September 1944

  The second top scoring Fighter Group of the 8th USAAF and the top scoring FG equipped with P-51D Mustangs was 357nd FG,

  credited with 609 German aircraft destroyed in the air and 106 on the ground, with their own losses of 128 aircraft. The unit had 35

  aces, led by Major Leonard „Kit“ Carson with 18½ aerial victories. He became 362nd FS CO on April 8, 1945. The key to the succe-

  ss of the unit was its fighting academy, called Clobber College, where the experienced pilots taught the newcomers the fighting

  tactics. The 362nd FS received their P-51Ds just a few days before D-day. Most of the unit´s early Mustangs had upper surfaces

  camouflaged Dark Green with Neutral Grey bottom surfaces, or Dark Green upper surfaces over the aluminium/natural metal

  bottom surfaces with narrow border between green and NMF surfaces high on fuselage sides. The colors were probably RAF

  paints overtaken from RAF stock. The “Nooky Booky II” wears full D-day stripes, as the aircraft was delivered to the unit probably

  around June 6, 1944. The previous name of this plane was “Mildred”.

  The 4th FG was nicknamed Debden Eagles thanks to its home base and origins, as it was formed from RAF Eagle squadron (71st,

  121st and 133rd squadrons). After the incorporation into 8th AF the squadrons were re-named to 334th FS, 335th FS and 336th FS.

  As of April 1, 1943 their Spitfires were replaced by P-47s and in February 1944 these were changed for P-51s. Donald Emerson

  joined the ranks of 4th Fighter Group on March 9, 1944 and during the following eight months of duty he flew 89 sorties during

  which he was credited with 4½ enemy aircraft shot down. On December 25, 1944 he perished returning from the bomber escort

  mission when he spotted six Bf 109s. During the ensuing combat he descended close to the terrain and was hit by the anti-aircraft

  fire over the front. Pilot was probably killed, and his aircraft crashed nearby the town of Sittard in The Netherlands. However, he

  had managed to shoot down two of his opponents. Capt. Emerson had the fuselage port side of his Mustang decorated with boxing

  Donald Duck in resemblance to his first name. There are seven kill markings painted under the windshield. From the beginning of

  September, the invasion stripes on the upper wings and fuselage sides surfaces of the allied aircraft were deleted and left on the

  lower surfaces only.

  eduard

  86

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 87

  44-13316, flown by Leonard K. Carson, 362nd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF, USAAF Station 373 Leiston,

  Suffolk, Great Britain, June 1944

  44-13317, flown by Capt. Donald R. Emerson, 336th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, USAAF Station 356 Debden,

  Essex, Great Britain, September 1944

  KITS 01/2022

  FE1021 P-51D seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  648485 P-51D exhaust stacks (Brassin)

  648486 P-51D exhaust stacks w/ fairing (Brassin)

  648487 P-51D Hamilton Standard propeller (Brassin)

  648494 P-51D wheels diamond tread (Brassin)

  648495 P-51D undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648503 P-51D wheels oval tread (Brassin)

  648504 P-51D wheels cross tread (Brassin)

  648505 P-51D wheels block tread (Brassin)

  648511 P-51D wheels diamond tread 2 (Brassin)

  648512 P-51D wheels rhomboid treat (Brassin)

  648513 P-51D wheels pointed cross tread (Brassin)

  648514 P-51D wheels grooved (Brassin)

  648517 P-51D gun bays (Brassin)

  648522 P-51D cockpit (Brassin)

  648555 P-51D engine (Brassin)

  648570 P-51D gun sights (Brassin)

  648571 P-51D 75gal drop tanks (Brassin)

  648572 P-51D 108gal drop tanks (Brassin)

  SIN64865 P-51D ESSENTIAL (Brassin)

  SIN64869 P-51D ADVANCED (Brassin)

  D48033 P-51D national insignia (Decal Set)

  D48034 P-51D stencils (Decal Set)

  EX663 P-51D TFace (Mask)

  Recommended for P-51D-5

  Cat. No. 648522

  Cat. No. 648522

  Cat. No. 648571

  Cat. No. 648495

  Cat. No. 648511

  eduard

  87

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 88

  01/2022

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and

  STEEL seatbelts for Tornado ECR in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / Revell

  Set contains:

  - resin: 6 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painng mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Z-126 Trener in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  pre-painted

  - painng mask: no

  644136

  Tornado ECR LööK

  1/48 Eduard/Revell

  644119

  Z-126 Trener LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  88

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 89

  Brassin set - cockpit for Z-226 Trener in

  1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D prinng.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 20 part

  - resin: 13 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painng mask: no

  648705

  Z-226 Trener cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Product page

  eduard

  89

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 90

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Brassin set - the early undercarriage whe-

  els for F-16 in 1/48 scale. The set consists

  of the main wheels and a nose wheel.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painng mask: yes

  Brassin set - the engine for A6M2

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D prinng.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painng mask: no

  648707

  F-16 wheels early

  1/48 Tamiya

  648694

  A6M2 engine PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  90

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 91

  Brassin set - the ejecon seats for F-4B in 1/48

  scale. Made by direct 3D prinng. Easy to assem-

  ble, replaces plasc parts.Recommended kit:

  Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 8 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painng mask: no

  Brassin set - the late undercarriage wheels for

  F-16 in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a nose wheel. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plasc parts. Recommended kit:

  Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painng mask: yes

  648709

  F-4B ejection seat early PRINT

  1/48 Tamiya

  648708

  F-16 wheels late

  1/48 Tamiya

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  91

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 92

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Brassin set - a twin machine gun for SBD-5

  in 1/48 scale. Recommended kit: Accurate Minia-

  tures / Revell / Academy

  Set contains:

  - resin: 8 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painng mask: no

  Brassin set - the engine for Sopwith Camel

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D prinng.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painng mask: no

  648712

  SBD-5 twin machine gun

  1/48 Accurate Miniatures/Revell

  648711

  Sopwith Camel Gnome engine PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  92

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 93

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for

  SBD-5 in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the

  main wheels ans a tail wheel.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plasc parts.

  Recommended kit: Accurate Miniatures /

  Revell

  Set contains:

  - resin: 7 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painng mask: yes

  Brassin set - the Panzerschreck 1 rockets

  for Fw 190F in 1/48 scale. The set consists

  of 4 rockets and launchers. Made by direct

  3D prinng. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 20 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painng mask: no

  648713

  SBD-5 wheels

  1/48 Accurate Miniatures/Revell

  648714

  Panzerschreck 1 for Fw 190F PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  93

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 94

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Brassin set - Brish 1000lb retarded bombs

  in 1/72 scale. The set consists of 8 bombs.

  Set contains:

  - resin: 16 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painng mask: no

  Brassin set - the TSPJ pod for Tornado

  in 1/48 scale. The set consists of 1 pod.

  Made by direct 3D prinng.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / Revell

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painng mask: no

  672277

  British 1000lb retarded bombs

  1/72

  648715

  TSPJ pod PRINT

  1/48 Revell/Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  94

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 95

  Collection of 3 sets for Chipmunk T.10 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Airx

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644135

  Chipmunk T.10 LööKplus

  1/48 Airx

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Product page

  eduard

  95

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 96

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Collection of 3 sets for F-4B in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644137

  F-4B LööKplus

  1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  eduard

  96

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 97

  Collection of 4 sets for Spitre Mk.Va/b in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - cockpit

  - undercarriage wheels

  - exhaust stacks

  - undercarriage legs BRONZE

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30%.

  SIN64878

  Spitre Mk.Va/b ESSENTIAL

  1/48 Eduard

  BRASSIN 01/2022

  Product page

  eduard

  97

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 98

  SPACE 01/2022

  1/48 Eduard

  1/48 Eduard

  1/48 Eduard

  3DL48044 Z-126 SPACE

  3DL48053 MiG-21PF grey SPACE

  3DL48054 MiG-21PF SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

  eduard

  98

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 99

  1/48 Eduard/Revell

  1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48056 Tornado ECR SPACE

  3DL48057 F-14A late SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  1/48

  3DL48055 Bf 109E-7 SPACE

  Product page

  SPACE 01/2022

  eduard

  99

  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 100

  PHOTO-ETCHED JANUARY 2022

  P-51D-15 exterior 1/32 Revell (32475)

  P-51D-15 interior 1/32 Revell (32993)

  P-51D-15 1/32 Revell

  P-51D-15 1/32 Revell (32475)

  P-51D-15 interior 1/32 Revell (32993)

  P-51D-15 1/32 Revell (33292)

  P-51D-15

  1/32 Revell

  P-51D-15 interior 1/32 Revell (32993)

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• Page 101

  PHOTO-ETCHED 1/2022

  USS Gato SS-212 1941

  1/350 Hobby Boss

  (53278)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 102

  PHOTO-ETCHED 1/2022

  C-130J-30

  1/72 Zvezda

  C-130J-30 exterior 1/72 (72718)

  C-130J-30 interior 1/72 (73759)

  C-130J-30 cargo oor 1/72 (73760)

  C-130J-30 cargo seatbelts 1/72 (73761)

  C-130J-30 cargo interior 1/72 (73762)

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• Page 103

  PHOTO-ETCHED 1/2022

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 104

  Mosquito B Mk.XVI

  1/72 Airfix

  (73763)

  Mosquito B Mk.XVI 1/72 Airx (SS763)

  (73763)

  PHOTO-ETCHED 1/2022

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• Page 105

  PHOTO-ETCHED 1/2022

  OV-10A

  1/48 ICM

  OV-10A 1/48 ICM (FE1240)

  (491240)

  (491240)

  OV-10A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ICM (FE1241)

  (491240)

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• Page 106

  PHOTO-ETCHED 1/2022

  A6M2 landing flaps

  1/48 Eduard

  (481076)(481076)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 107

  A6M2 stencils

  A6M2 stencils

  1/32 Tamiya

  1/72 Tamiya/Airfix/Hasegawa

  Cat. No. D32017

  Cat. No.

  D72037

  DECAL SET 01/2022

  Product page

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 108

  53272 USS Intrepid CV-11 pt.1 1/350

  53273 USS Intrepid CV-11 pt.2 1/350

  53274 USS Intrepid CV-11 pt.3 1/350

  32991 AH-1G late 1/32

  33289 AH-1G late seatbelts STEEL 1/32

  JX279 AH-1G 1/32

  491225 Chipmunk T.10 1/48

  FE1226 Chipmunk T.10 seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX809 Chipmunk T.10 1/48

  BIG5363 US Intrepid CV-11 PART I 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG33139 AH-1G late 1/32 ICM

  BIG49312 Chipmunk T.10 1/48 Airx

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.

  Product page

  Product page

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 109

  481070 CH-47A rear ramp 1/48

  491229 CH-47A 1/48

  491230 CH-47A cargo seatbelts 1/48

  FE1230 CH-47A seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX813 CH-47A 1/48

  491227 F/A-18E 1/48

  FE1228 F/A-18E seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX811 F/A-18E 1/48

  BIG49311 CH-47A 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BIG49313 F/A-18E 1/48 Hobby Boss

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.

  Product page

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 110

  MASKS 01/2022

  EDUARD MASK IT FITS!

  JX284 P-51D TFace 1/32 Revell

  EX822 B-17G TFace 1/48 HKM

  EX823 La-11 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX824 Tornado ECR TFace 1/48 Eduard/Revell

  EX825 OV-10A 1/48 ICM

  EX826 OV-10A TFace 1/48 ICM

  EX827 Z-126 TFace 1/48 Eduard

  CX616 P-43 1/72 Dora Wings

  CX617 C-130J-30 1/72 Zvezda

  CX618 Mosquito B Mk.XVI 1/72 Airx

  CX616

  CX617

  CX617 CX617

  CX616 CX616

  EX822

  EX822

  EX822 EX822

  EX823

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 111

  KITS

  82212 A6M2 Zero Type 21 1/48 ProPACK

  11156 Z-126 Trenér 1/48 Limited edition

  84179 Spitre Mk.Ia 1/48 Weekend edition

  84180 MiG-21SMT 1/48 Weekend edition

  7059 MiG-15bis (reedice) 1/72 ProPACK

  84172 P-51D-5 (reedice) 1/48 Weekend edition

  PE-SETS

  53278 USS Gato SS-212 1941 1/350 Hobby Boss

  32475 P-51D-15 exterior 1/32 Revell

  32993 P-51D-15 interior 1/32 Revell

  481075 F-14A late exterior 1/48 Tamiya

  481076 A6M2 landing aps 1/48 Eduard

  491239 F-14A late interior 1/48 Tamiya

  491240 OV-10A 1/48 ICM

  72718 C-130J-30 exterior 1/72 Zvezda

  73759 C-130J-30 interior 1/72 Zvezda

  73760 C-130J-30 cargo oor 1/72 Zvezda

  73761 C-130J-30 cargo seatbelts 1/72 Zvezda

  73762 C-130J-30 cargo interior 1/72 Zvezda

  73763 Mosquito B Mk.XVI 1/72 Airx

  ZOOMS

  33292 P-51D-15 1/32 Revell

  FE1239 F-14A late 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1240 OV-10A 1/48 ICM

  FE1241 OV-10A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ICM

  SS759 C-130J-30 1/72 Zvezda

  SS763 Mosquito B Mk.XVI 1/72 Airx

  MASKS

  JX284 P-51D TFace 1/32 Revell

  EX822 B-17G TFace 1/48 HKM

  EX823 La-11 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX824 Tornado ECR TFace 1/48 Eduard/Revell

  EX825 OV-10A 1/48 ICM

  EX826 OV-10A TFace 1/48 ICM

  EX827 Z-126 TFace 1/48 Eduard

  CX616 P-43 1/72 Dora Wings

  CX617 C-130J-30 1/72 Zvezda

  CX618 Mosquito B Mk.XVI 1/72 Airx

  BIGEDS

  BIG5363 US Intrepid CV-11 PART I 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG33139 AH-1G late 1/32 ICM

  BIG49311 CH-47A 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BIG49312 Chipmunk T.10 1/48 Airx

  BIG49313 F/A-18E 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BRASSINS

  644119 Z-126 Trener LööK 1/48 Eduard

  644136 Tornado ECR LööK 1/48 Eduard/Revell

  648694 A6M2 engine PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  648705 Z-226 Trener cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  648707 F-16 wheels early 1/48 Tamiya

  648708 F-16 wheels late 1/48 Tamiya

  648709 F-4B ejection seats early PRINT 1/48 Tamiya

  648711 Sopwith Camel Gnome engine PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  648712 SBD-5 twin machine gun 1/48 Accurate Miniatures/Academy/Revell

  648713 SBD-5 wheels 1/48

  Accurate Miniatures/Academy/Revell

  648714 Panzerschreck 1 for Fw 190F PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  648715 TSPJ pod PRINT 1/48 Eduard/Revell

  672277 British 1000lb retarded bombs 1/72

  LookPLUS

  644135 Chipmunk T.10 LööKplus 1/48 Airx

  644137 F-4B LööKplus 1/48 Tamiya

  BIGSIN

  SIN64878 Spitre Mk.Va/b ESSENTIAL 1/48 Eduard

  DECAL SET

  D32017 A6M2 stencils 1/32 Tamiya

  D72037 A6M2 stencils 1/72 Tamiya/Airx/Hasegawa

  SPACE

  3DL48044 Z-126 SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48053 MiG-21PF grey SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48054 MiG-21PF SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48055 Bf 109E-7 SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48056 Tornado ECR SPACE 1/48 Eduard/Revell

  3DL48057 F-14A late SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  January 2022

  January releases

• Page 112

  BUILT

  TORA TORA TORA! 1/48

  built by Josef Blažek

  Cat. No. 11155

  marking H

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  BUILT

  Lt. Saburō Shindō, Akagi Fighter Squadron, second attack wave

  During the second wave, fighter escort of thirty-six Zeros was led by Lt. Shindō. Nine Akagi Zeros met no resistance in the air and destroyed two

  aircraft at Hickam. Shindō was born in 1911 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1929. He was assigned to the Omura Kōkūtai in 1935 and

  a year later went to the aircraft carrier Kaga. In 1940, he served in China with the 12th Kōkūtai during combat trials of the A6M2 fighter. Under his

  command, the first combat engagement occurred on September 13, resulting in 27 victories without loss. In November 1940, Shindō was trans-

  ferred to the 14th Kōkūtai in Hanoi. From April to December 1941 he was the Buntaichō of the Akagi fighters, but had to be hospitalized after the

  attack on Pearl Harbor. After recovering, he was appointed commander of Tokushima Kōkūtai in April 1942. From November 1942, as Hikōtaichō

  at Kōkūtai 582, he was involved in the fighting over Guadalcanal. From July 1943, he was Hikōtaichō with the Kōkūtai 204 in the same area. In late

  1943 and early 1944, he led fighters of the aircraft carrier Ryūhō and later served with Kōkūtai 653 and 203 in the defense of Taiwan, the Philippi-

  nes, and Japan. At the end of the war, he was Hikōtaichō at Tsukuba Kōkūtai. Shindó passed away in 2000.

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 114

  BUILT

  TORA TORA TORA! 1/48

  built by Paolo Portuesi Cat. No. 11155

  c/n 2266, PO1c Shigenori Nishikaichi, Hiryū Fighter Squadron, second attack wave

  Hiryū sent nine Zeros under the command of Lt. Sumio

  Nōno. His pilots attacked Kaneohe and Bellows bases,

  claiming two destroyed aircraft and one car. Zero of

  PO1c Nishikaichi was running low on fuel and he was

  looking for a rescue submarine off Niihau Island wit-

  hout success. After belly landing he was captured by

  a Hawaiian native who took his papers and weapon. The

  pilot persuaded several residents of Japanese descent

  to cooperate and managed to get free. He dismantled

  machine gun from the aircraft, set the machine on fire

  and threatened to kill the natives to force the return of

  the secret documents. During the December 13, he and

  a helper captured Mr. Benjamin Kanahele and his wife.

  A scuffle ensued during which Kanahele was shot three

  times by the pilot, but became so enraged that he killed

  him against a wall. The pilot's helper, Mr. Harada, co-

  mmitted suicide. It is known as the Niihau Incident. Mr.

  Kanahele received the Purple Heart and the Medal of

  Merit from the President of the United States. Nishikai-

  chi, whose fate was unknown to the Japanese side, was

  posthumously promoted two grades. Parts of Zero are

  on display at the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor.

  On the engine cover there was a service plate with the

  name of the mechanic PO3c Akimoto painted.

  Product page

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• Page 115

  TORA TORA TORA! 1/48

  BUILT

  built by Paolo Portuesi Cat. No. 11155

  Lt. Cdr. Shigeru Itaya, Akagi Fighter Squadron, first attack wave

  During the first wave Itaya led 43 Zero fighters, inclu-

  ding 9 from Akagi. Itaya's own Akagi formation shot

  down one sightseeing and three training aircraft. Then,

  at Hickam and Ewa bases, they destroyed about 25 air-

  craft and also attacked incoming B-17s. Itaya's wingmen

  damaged and set fire to a B-17C from 7th BG of Capt.

  Swenson´s crew with one passenger who did not sur-

  vive the attack. Itaya's wingman, PO1c Hirano, was hit

  by anti-aircraft over Fort Kamehameha and hit an ob-

  stacle while flying low over the ground, killing himself

  and four American soldiers. Itaya was born in 1909 and

  graduated from the Naval Academy in 1929. From No-

  vember 1936, he was the Buntaichō of the Ryūjo Fighter

  Squadron for one year. He then served with the 15th and

  12th Kōkūtai and from January 1940 he was Buntaichō of

  the Hiryū Fighter Squadron. In November 1940 he took

  over this position on the aircraft carrier Akagi, in Ap-

  ril 1941 he was appointed Hikōtaichō and remained in

  this position until the Battle of Midway. He was killed on

  July 24, 1944 in the Kuril Islands, at that time serving as

  a member of the staff of the Naval 51st KōkūSentai.

  He was flying aboard a G3M bomber towards Paramu-

  shir and was accidentally shot down by a Ki-43 fighter.

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 116

  BUILT

  built by Patrik Pěcha

  Cat. No. 11153

  marking C

  1/48

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 117

  BUILT

  BL973, F/Lt Stanislav Fejfar, No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron,

  RAF Hornchurch, Great Britain, March – May 1942

  Stanislav Fejfar, a member of Czechoslovak Air Force before the

  war, flew as a commander of 45th Fighter Squadron based in Slo-

  vakia during the Munich crisis. He scored his first two kills during

  the Battle of France as a member of Armee de l’Air flying MS.406

  with GC I/6. On July 12, 1940 he arrived in the Great Britain aboard

  the ship Neuralia. On September 9, he started his operational ca-

  reer as a Pilot Officer with No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF

  scoring his first out of three kills claimed during the Battle of Bri-

  tain. On July 21, 1941 he joined No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron as

  a F/Lt in the position of a B Flight leader. Stanislav Fejfar perished

  on May 17, 1942 in the cockpit of Spitfire Mk.Vb BL973 during the Ra-

  mrod 33 mission. He was shot down by Hptm. Josef Priller between

  Guines and Audebert in the northern France. Couple of days earlier

  Priller also shot down Sergeant Karel Pavlík, author of Pluto the

  Dog nose art on Fejfar’s Spitfire.

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 118

  BUILT

  1/48 Tamiya

  postavil Jan Novotný

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 119

  BUILT

  F-4B wheels (Cat. No. 648682)

  F-4B undercarriage legs

  BRONZ (Cat. No. 648700)

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• Page 120

  BUILT

  F-4B SPACE (cat.no. 3DL48040)

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 121

  BUILT

  Mk.77 bombs

  (Cat. No. 648223)

  LAU-10/ A ZUNI

  (Cat. No. 648226)

  AIM-9B Sidewinder

  (Cat. No. 648028)

  MER

  (Cat. No. 648227)

  TER

  (Cat. No. 648232)

  F-4B MARINES (Cat. No. D48095)

  F-4B stencils (Cat. No. D48094)

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  BUILT

  Bf 109E-7

  built by Robert Szwarc

  1/48

  Cat. No. 8264

  This marking is not inclueded in this kit.

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  BUILT

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 124

  BUILT

  1/48

  built by Luboš Zach

  Cat. No. 11152

  marking G

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 125

  BUILT

  Z-226B, OK

  -

  MQL, No. 283, Aero Club Kralupy nad Vltavou, Czech Republic, 2010

  This aircraft was manufactured as a Z-226B, it was operated as the Z-226B and still flies as the Z-226B…

  The aircraft of the serial number 283 was registered on April 10, 1959, and is unique because it has not

  undergone any conversion to different version. Incidentally, it is the last airworthy „Bohatýr“, as the Z-226B

  was nicknamed (meaning something as a strong hero). The OK

  -

  MQL served for many years in the Aero Club

  Kralupy nad Vltavou and was operated at the Sazená airfield. In 2015, it was bought by private Ikarus Gliding

  Club organisation and has its home at the airport in Dvůr Králové.

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  INFO Eduard - January 2022

• Page 126

  built by Matthias Becker

  Cat. No. 82125

  Product page

  BUILT

  Tempest Mk.II late version

  1/48

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  INFO Eduard -