03/2023

Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen, We’re closed. Although you are certainly able to view and study our March release listing within these pages or at our e-shop, any purchases will have to be postponed. I understand that this sounds a little nuts, but it is not the result of some underhanded marketing ploy. It is a function of the fact that we are moving our entire retail department. It is also the reason why no sales will be going through our e-shop for the next seven days. As you will have probably already noted, the new items were available for early purchase from last Friday, and they will be available from our retail partners as well.

• Page 1

  INFO Eduard

  # 157

  e-magazine FREE Vol 22 March 2023

• Page 2

  INFO Eduard

  # 157

  e-magazine FREE Vol 22 March 2023

  © Eduard - Model Accessories, 2023

  FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!

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

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

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  eduardeduard

  MARCH 2023

  CONTENTS

  EDITORIAL

  KITS

  BRASSIN

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED SETS

  BIG ED

  BUILT

  ON APPROACH

  –

  April 2023

  TAIL END CHARLIE

  HISTORY

  EVENT

  BOXART STORY

  Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP 1/48

  Bf 109E-4 1/72

  GUADALCANAL DUAL COMBO 1/48

  Bf 110G-2 1/72

  MiG-21bis 1/48 Re-release

  Avia B.534 IV. serie 1/48 Re-release

  Fw 190 A-8/R2 1/48

  Bf 109G-6 1/48

  Buccaneer S.2C/D 1/48

  Fw 190A-4 1/48

  Fw 190D-9 1/48

  The Cavalry Arrives - VMF-223 at Guadalcanal

  The air war over Ukraine

  Back to Nuremberg

  The Maltese Falcon

  Stukas under fighter command

  Wasps over the bay

  Virtue out of necessity

  The Calm Before the Storm

  Guardians

  4

  8

  20

  26

  40

  56

  74

  80

  86

  94

  111

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

  Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21

  support@eduard.com www.eduard.com

• Page 4

  EDITORIAL

  Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen,

  We’re closed. Although you are certainly

  able to view and study our March release

  listing within these pages or at our e-shop,

  any purchases will have to be postponed.

  I understand that this sounds a little nuts,

  but it is not the result of some underhanded

  marketing ploy. It is a function of the fact that

  we are moving our entire retail department. It

  is also the reason why no sales will be going

  through our e-shop for the next seven days.

  As you will have probably already noted, the

  new items were available for early purchase

  from last Friday, and they will be available

  from our retail partners as well.

  The move is being made from within the city

  of Most, where we suffered our fire claiming

  a lot of our plastic some two years and three

  months back, to a facility which we purchased

  just outside of the city last year and have

  been renovating for our needs. The village is

  called Sedlec, and borders an industrial park

  that houses, for example, a former brewery.

  That has long since been relocated. Our new

  facility is located about 4km from our head

  office in Obrnice. Our renovation is being

  done in steps. In January, immediately ahead

  of our departure for Nuremberg, we moved

  all of our plastic to the new facility which we

  call ‘the Barn’, but is officially labeled as ‘Hall

  No.2’. The relocation of the retail department

  is the second phase, and the third will be the

  move of the tool and press shops. This will

  include our design offices that fall under

  kit production. If everything goes as it has

  been up to now, that third phase should be

  complete by the end of the year. On the one

  hand, it complicates our life quite a bit, the

  third phase being the most complicated. The

  move of the heavy equipment will be the most

  logistically ambitious activity Eduard has ever

  embarked upon. It will also likely have an

  impact on the meeting of release schedules

  for the beginning of the year. This will mostly

  centre around the 48th scale S-199, but there

  will be a negative push against other projects

  such as the MiG-21F. But, there is the other

  hand, too, that will open up a more effective

  workspace for us, and not just with respect

  to the production of kits. The move will be

  to the benefit of the Brassin department

  as well, because the space freed up on the

  main floor of the main building in Obrnice

  will be allocated to them. This will give them

  somewhere between 6400 and 6500 square

  feet, and that will house their printers and

  other pieces of equipment very nicely!

  This is all still in the relatively distant future.

  And you know how plans are. They have

  an awe-inspiring ability to not go the way

  they’re supposed to, they have an ability to

  fail, and so on. At the moment, it’s the retail

  department’s turn to move on up, and we

  began this today. We moved all the furniture

  and the IT equipment and tomorrow we’ll

  pick up with packing up stock items from

  the shelves and the latter’s disassembly. So,

  keep your fingers crossed and please, be

  patient. If everything goes according to those

  aforementioned plans, we should be open for

  business again next Wednesday. If you need

  anything from us, you can still write. We will

  be on-line and answering questions. Just

  bear in mind that we will be rather busy and

  there may be a delay in our responses for

  a short while.

  Nuremberg

  The Nuremberg Toy Fair was different this

  year. From the point of view of our industry,

  it’s pretty simple to describe. It was small.

  All in all, there were six manufacturers

  represented: us, Special Hobby, Italeri,

  Airfix, Revell and Tamiya. There were some

  colleagues that produce accessory items

  present, AK Interactive, Vallejo, and Art Scale,

  which is also a retailer, but they do produce

  some masks and decals, along with some

  cutting saws. And that’s it. Beyond that…

  crickets. There was Zvezda, but they were

  in a bit of an undercover mode in an office in

  the service centre. In proportion to the new

  conditions, our table space was reduced and

  shared with Special Hobby. Retailers and

  journalists were fewer as well, and notable

  absences were Asian and American. But, it

  wasn’t as bleak as I am perhaps making it out

  to sound. There were fewer of us, but there

  was correspondingly more time for things.

  The discussions were not mechanically

  geared to business and there was a pleasant,

  friendly feel to it. There was also more

  general ‘chatter’, if you like. All in all, it was

  an interesting experience and I am happy for

  it. The atmosphere at this year’s Nuremberg

  Toy Fair reminded me of the old Chicago show

  RICHTA because, among other reasons, our

  exhibition hall at Nuremberg was, apparently

  for the first time, open to kids, and kids came!

  There were no Scout troops in attendance like

  in Chicago, but it was nice to see, regardless if

  it was because of the recent crisis or a simple

  organizational decision. It was a change and

  change is good. It wasn’t a revolution, but it

  was a step forward within the bounds of

  reason, and that is, in my estimation, the

  best way to move forward. Ultimately, what

  bothered me the most was the cold in the

  exhibition venue, and the stall that sold

  steaks on a bun that was closed. That was

  probably my greatest piece of enjoyment that

  I looked forward to. I will need to find another

  little gem to look forward to, and I am worried

  that this one will be tough to replace!

  Don’t fret too much if these little philosophical

  musings don’t give you all that much.

  A dedicated, in depth look at Nuremberg

  follows in the pages of this newsletter edition.

  New Releases for March – Kits

  Of all of our new releases, which total 86 this

  month, modellers most gravitate to new kits.

  This month, there is nothing that is super new,

  there is no kit taking a bow for its premiere,

  but even so, it is an interesting mix of scales

  and aircraft from various periods in history.

  INFO Eduard4

  March 2023

• Page 5

  One is dedicated to the pivotal battle during

  the Second World War that was Guadalcanal

  and contains the F4F-4 in two development

  configurations from that period. At the time,

  naval fighters were not particularly striking in

  appearance on either of the opposing sides,

  but in my view, we were able to come out with

  an attractive mix of interesting aircraft that

  are accompanied by, to the contrary, riveting

  stories. Among them is a Wildcat that was

  flown by ‘Pug’ Southerland in a legendary

  fight with Saburo Sakai. This event was

  already once depicted on the boxart for one of

  our A6M2 releases. Other scheme options are

  provided for Wildcats that were brought to the

  forefront by pilots such as Joe Foss, Stanley

  Vejtasa and Donald Runyon. There is a total of

  twelve of these options, and the kit contains

  two complete sets of plastic for versions of

  the Wildcat that marginally differed from one

  another. Truth be told, the differences only

  concern the fuselages, but they are there and

  you need to be aware of them. If these sets

  of plastic aren’t enough for you, we also have

  the Overtrees options. And while still on the

  Wildcats over Guadalcanal theme, we have an

  article penned by Tom Cleaver in this issue of

  the newsletter.

  The Second World War is our main focus of

  attention when it comes to kit production

  and our range reflects this. The 1:72 scale Bf

  109E-4 in the ProfiPACK line is generally, but

  not exclusively, about the Battle of Britain,

  while the Spitfire Mk.Vc Trop deals with the

  later battles over the Mediterranean, North

  Africa and Southeast Asia. It represents

  aircraft equipped with the tropical filter,

  either the Vokes or Aboukir types, and the

  markings are anything but boring. We have

  British, South African, Australian, American

  and even a Yugoslavian Spitfire. We did make

  a subtle change to the design of this kit with

  the addition of the wingtips that were typical

  for aircraft equipped with the Aboukir unit.

  I also consider the boxart for this kit rather

  unique, and what is interesting about it, as

  well as with our other boxarts this month, is

  detailed in the Boxart Stories sections of the

  newsletter.

  The Second World War theme is also

  expressed in the only Weekend kit release for

  March. Following on the heels of November’s

  Bf 110G-4, we have the Bf 110G-2 for March.

  In terms of camouflage schemes, this kit is

  no slouch either, but what sets this kit apart

  are the weapons options, and is different for

  each of the four marking options offered. We

  waited just shy of two years for the return

  to our range of the Bf 110 in the two main

  scales of 1:48 and 1:72. It was even longer

  for the Avia B.534. That one makes its return

  in the form of the B.534 IV Series in the

  ProfiPACK line. We should also manage to

  put out the B.534 III Series, and in the original

  boxes. Also being reissued in March is the

  MiG-21bis, also in the ProfiPACK line.

  New Releases for March – Accessory

  Items

  Of the 86 aforementioned new releases for

  the month, eighty of them fall under various

  accessory labels. Among them are some very

  interesting little items, often even unique, that

  provide a hint of the future. Among these, for

  example, is the cockpit for the 1:48 Mi-24V/

  Mi-35 in black form, which carries in its name

  PRINT & SPACE. This means that it is made as

  a 3D print with a small number of cast items,

  complemented by an instrument panel and

  other details made using 3D technology of the

  SPACE line. In April, we will release a set for

  the older and more traditional green version,

  common to Soviet era aircraft. I think that this

  combination is a fairly interesting concept,

  and with the advantages and features that

  it offers, will pique the curiosity of many

  modellers. For accessory items for model

  aircraft, this really is a new age, offering new

  opportunities and possibilities for improving

  your models, and certainly deserves a test

  drive at the very least. The colour sets include

  a small 3D printed item covering the ejection

  seat handle for the F-16A from Kinetic, also in

  1:48 scale. The set is called ACES II Ejection

  Seat Lower Handles PRINT 1/48 and it really

  is as noteworthy as it is small. If it does get

  noticed, and becomes popular, it will open

  the door for further development of the

  technology. Printed engines are falling into

  the realm of classic items, and are offered for

  the F-4F-4 Wildcat, along with a wheel well

  set for the same type and scale, and yes, for

  the Eduard kit in general, and for the above

  mentioned Guadalcanal item in particular. I

  would also like to turn your attention to the

  set of guns for the Beaufort Mk.I, which are

  beautifully and finely printed items as well.

  The collection also includes other interesting

  types of accessories. These cover, for

  example, the HKM B-25J in 1:48, in the form

  of masks, photoetched brass and SPACE

  sets, and the same can be said of the sets

  for the Revell B-24D Liberator and the

  F-16A MLU from Kinetic. A large collection of

  photoetched sets are designed for the Zvezda

  C-130J Hercules. So far, we have masks and a

  Space set for Zvezda’s Mi-8MT, while masks,

  photoetched and SPACE items are available

  for the 1:32 scale Hurricane from Revell and

  Spitfire Mk.IXc from Airfix. The latter, though,

  is in the bigger scale of 1:24. There is a mix

  of accessory items for Tamiya’s beautiful

  F-35A and, besides the wheels, I would point

  out the extensive masks for the RAM panels

  on the surface of Japanese and American

  aircraft which the kit offers as part of its eight

  marking options. Similar, but correspondingly

  simpler versions of these masks for the

  remaining marking options of the kit have

  been available since last month. These masks

  are produced using a different material from

  the one used in our canopy sets. Besides the

  advantages that this material offers for this

  type of application, they also differ in their

  black colour. With these two sets, we make

  a return to masks designed for camouflage

  schemes, national insignias and marking

  details. It’s not a one-off project, and we will

  continue with these sets primarily for kits of

  our own production. For the F-35A, we also

  have a BiGSin set of weapons.

  Of the increasingly popular SPACE line, we

  have eight new items for March. I would

  also like to point out two 3D printed sets for

  1:35 scale AFVs, and also the new LooK and

  LookPlus items.

  Articles

  Besides the articles already mentioned

  above, we have the next installment of the

  War Over Ukraine feature from Mira Maric.

  February 24th marked the first anniversary

  of the Russian attack on Ukraine. It came

  with a realization that we have ahead of us

  many months, if not years, of bloody fighting,

  the horrors of war and general gloom and

  doom. Regardless of how long it takes, it will

  end, and it must end if the world is to survive

  and maintain the values on which it stands.

  That means the defeat of Russia. After all, the

  Russians are working at it through their own

  tenacity.

  With the use of four formerly Czech Hinds

  by Ukraine, we have a connection, albeit

  a loose one, to Tomas Dvorak’s article covering

  the Mi-24/Mi-35 that takes a look at not just

  the technical details of these aircraft, but

  also examines the interesting circumstances

  surrounding their acquisition by

  Czechoslovakia, and later deliveries to the

  Czech Air Force. This is an article that, although

  it is very detailed, it remains very easy to read

  and has a good continuity. It may not appear

  yet in the English translation of the newsletter.

  The last of today’s articles deals with the

  sad news of the passing of Petr Samal on

  January 31, after a long illness. He led a ring

  of modellers that brought kids into the hobby

  and was also the head of the builders’ section

  of the SMCzR. Memories are offered by Fredy

  Riedel and Milan Mikulecký, and I think back

  on Petr fondly.

  Happy Modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc

  INFO Eduard

  5

  March 2023

• Page 6

  Memories

  Petr Šámal

  of

  On Tuesday, January 31, I was sitting with Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard

  in a restaurant near our hotel in Nuremberg. I was enjoying dinner

  and relaxing after a busy day, full of preparations of the stand at the

  fair. However, this relaxed mood was swept away by the news that

  hit me hard. Petr Šámal has died. He hadn’t been in good health for

  some time, but according to the reports I was getting, he had started

  to improve. So, it came like a bolt from the blue. After Petr Dousek

  and Radek Pavlíček, another great friend of mine had passed away ...

  by Alfred Riedel

  I met Peter sometime in late 1990 or early

  the following year. We were introduced

  by a mutual friend, my classmate Petr

  Šobíšek, at a model exhibition organized

  by the plastic model club Albatros. We

  got along in many things with “Šámi”,

  as we called him. Plastic modeling and

  interest in history were of course two

  of them. “Šámi” had knowledge as well

  as copious archives and was, like us,

  kind of “patient”. We became members of

  Albatros club and “Šami” became a bit of

  a mentor to us. After all, he was a bit older.

  Unlike me, a student at the time, and Petr

  Šobíšek, who was serving the alternative

  civilian service, “Šámi” was already

  making money and owned a car. Two years

  later, I started working at one MPM model

  shop in Prague while Petr Šobíšek was

  working at another MPM shop in a different

  Prague location. Thanks to his work at

  Prague Energy company (PRE), “Šámi”

  kept moving around Prague and very

  often stopped by one or the other store.

  A group of colleagues and their friends

  formed around both shops and “Šámi” was

  an important member of this group. At that

  time, he got a studio apartment in Písnice,

  so our group had a place to meet. Today

  I wouldn’t probably survive such lavish

  parties as those held there back then …

  We travelled together not only to attend

  model competitions, but also to do various

  trips including mountaineering. “Šámi”

  with his guitar, which he played with great

  skill, often took care of the entertainment.

  In fact, music was his other great hobby.

  Besides playing the instrument, he also

  collected records and his knowledge

  of good music was astounding.

  But time passed, “Šámi” settled down,

  got married, had a daughter and later

  a son. His son was born just a few months

  before mine. So, we would occasionally

  meet up with our families, usually at

  a modeling contest. Unlike “Šámi”, who

  was still working at PRE, I left MPM to

  eventually return to Special Hobby. So,

  I was also seeing “Šámi” professionally,

  because in the meantime he had become

  the chairman of the plastic modeling

  section of SMČR (Modelers association

  of Czech Republic) and was dealing

  with sponsorship issues. He took over

  the plastic model section in quite a bad

  shape, but thanks to his dedication,

  organizational skills and knowledge,

  the functioning of it has changed for the

  much better. At the same time, he led the

  children model club in Písnice and raised

  many new modelers. He took care of the

  children like a little grumpy, but very

  caring babysitter. Unfortunately, he did

  not take similar care of his health, which

  had fatal consequences. “Šámi” left too

  soon. I miss him.

  INFO Eduard6

  March 2023

• Page 7

  Whenever someone passes away, every-

  body tends to remember them in a good

  way. In the case of Petr Šámal, it’s easy

  for me, I really experienced him only in

  a good way. And I think that everyone who

  knew him in connection with his passion –

  plastic modelling – has it the same.

  by Milan Mikulecký

  I admit that I am not worth much as

  a modeler, the last time I finished a kit

  was some thirty-five years ago. When my

  children got to the age when it was time

  to start developing their fine motor skills,

  I had to admit self-critically that they

  would acquire rather negative habits

  under my guidance. Therefore, I called

  Vladimír Šulc from Eduard, saying that

  I would like to hire a modeler for my

  children who would introduce them to

  modeling in the twenty-first century. And

  Vladimír gave me the phone number of

  Petr Šámal, saying he runs a modeling

  club in Písnice near Prague. That’s how

  I first met Peter.

  What surprised me there? First of all, the

  number of children attending the club.

  And then that even though today’s children

  have a different attitude to authority

  than we had, Petr and his colleagues

  managed to “discipline” them without any

  severe means. And most importantly,

  that even for teenagers, Peter was an

  unquestionable authority. I understood

  that running a modeling club is not just

  about building the kits, but also about

  weekends spent at modeling contests,

  looking for sponsors or negotiating with

  the owners of the premises where the

  club operates. Petr was the soul and the

  engine of it all. But it didn’t stop there,

  as Petr also organized trips to various

  museums. Once I had an opportunity to go

  with them, it was the trip from Točná to

  the Military Technical Museum in Lešany.

  A driver for the historic Dodge WC 52,

  which was to take us to the museum and

  back, send us a last-minute apology. Well,

  it was Petr who got behind the wheel, and

  he bravely tackled driving a car without

  a synchronized gearbox and many other

  conveniences of modern cars.

  Peter, besides aircraft built in various

  scales, also liked the real ones. He

  himself used to fly in the Točná Aero Club,

  and when I offered him the opportunity to

  go flying, he did not refuse. Although a lot

  of time had passed since he himself had

  been a student pilot of Blaník glider, it was

  clear that he still had a feeling for flying.

  When he took over the controls, I did not

  have the slightest urge to correct his

  piloting in any way. We had the opportunity

  to fly together a Stearman, a Zlin C-305 or

  a Cessna C 180 in bush flying modification.

  Peter then surprised me, because he had

  bought each of these aircraft as a model,

  with the intention of building them in the

  exact livery we flew together. I don’t know

  whether he managed to realize his plan,

  the illness he eventually lost the battle for

  his life with came rather quickly (at least

  for me, as Peter didn’t talk much about his

  troubles) and in a form that caused him

  to be hospitalized in addition to the pain.

  I admit that we will all remember him

  as a tireless organizer with his typical

  smile. As a man who never refused help

  to anyone who asked for it.

  I have three children myself and I know

  how challenging it is to take care of them,

  to teach them something and to anticipate

  everything they might think of. That’s why

  I have lot of respect and awe for people

  who are spending time and lot of effort

  with children who might be strangers

  to them in addition to their own. Peter

  was one of them. He led them to a love

  of history, to patience, and taught them

  a whole range of skills that neither school

  nor their family could provide. All this in

  his spare time and with no expectation

  of remuneration. In today’s performance,

  money and success driven world, he was

  almost a person from another time. Peter,

  we’re gonna miss you here.

  INFO Eduard

  7

  March 2023

• Page 8

  HISTORY

  The sky over the Coral Sea was a deep

  blue with a few clouds on the morning of

  August 20, 1942, when a 14th Air Group

  H6K Mavis operating from the advance

  patrol base in the Shortland Islands began

  tracking a cruiser and two destroyers

  at 1020 hours, transmitting news of the

  sighting. At 1130, the Mavis reported the

  three warships were escorting an aircraft

  carrier when it sighted the auxiliary

  aircraft carrier USS Long Island (ACV-1),

  her deck loaded with aircraft. When the

  message from the Mavis revealing the

  presence of Long Island was received

  by Combined Fleet headquarters at Truk,

  Japanese commanders were elated, but

  they missed the significance of the carrier

  the Mavis had sighted, since they knew

  nothing of the existence of U.S. “auxiliary

  carriers.” To Admiral Yamamoto’s staff,

  it appeared Long Island was stalking

  Admiral Tanaka’s slow Reinforcement

  Group, which was steaming steadily

  toward Guadalcanal since departing

  Truk in two forces on August 16 and

  17. Long Island was beyond the range of

  any Japanese strike aircraft, but Tanaka’s

  fleet was in range of the unidentified

  American carrier. Vice Admiral Nishizō

  Tsukahara ordered Tanaka to turn away

  from Guadalcanal and turn directly

  toward Rabaul. If the Americans knew

  where he was, they might chase him and

  in so doing come within range of the 5th

  Air Attack Force’s Bettys.

  At 1340 hours, Yamamoto’s headquarters

  received a message from the Mavis in

  the next search sector over from first,

  reporting the presence of a second

  aircraft carrier and several surface

  escorts; in fact, this was Long Island

  and her escorts. The big flying boat was

  The Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat was the most significant

  fighter aircraft deployed in the fightings for Guadalca-

  nal. VMF-223 pilots were the first to land these aircraft

  at Henderson Field.

  Text: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

  Three prominent pilots of the first phase of aerial combat over Guadalcanal: Maj. John L. Smith, commander of VMF-223,

  Lt. Col. Richard Mangrum, commander of VMSB-232 and Capt. Marion E. Carl, XO of VMF-223.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  INFO Eduard8

  March 2023

• Page 9

  unnoticed by any American radars and

  eased within 40 miles of the carrier as it

  continued tracking her course.

  At 1400 hours Long Island reached her

  launch point off the tip of San Cristobal

  Island, 200 miles south of Guadalcanal.

  The strange-looking ship had begun life

  on January 11, 1940, as the C-3 cargo

  liner Mormacmail. Taken over by the

  Navy March 6, 1941, she had emerged

  from the yards with her superstructure

  removed and replaced by a 362-foot flight

  deck, becoming the first of a new class

  of aircraft carrier – Auxiliary Escort

  Carriers – which would over the next few

  years become the most numerous class

  of aircraft carriers in the world, by then

  known as CVEs, which their crews would

  claim stood for “combustible, vulnerable

  and expendable.” Long Island’s captain,

  Commander Donald Duncan, ordered full

  speed ahead. Black smoke poured from

  the horizontal funnels on her starboard

  side as Long Island’s single diesel engine

  strained to bring the ship to her maximum

  speed of 16.5 knots – half that of a fleet

  carrier.

  For Long Island and her precious cargo of

  F4F-4 Wildcats of VMF-223 and SBD-3s of

  VMSB-232, this was their second attempt

  to get to Guadalcanal. After less than

  a month in preparation following

  notification on July 5 that they were

  deploying to the South Pacific, the pilots

  and gunners had packed themselves

  aboard the little carrier in Pearl Harbor

  on August 2 and Long Island set sail

  unescorted into the great unknown of

  the war-torn Pacific. Their ground crews

  and other key personnel from MAG-23,

  and all the necessary ordnance, fuel, and

  supplies needed to begin air operations

  departed separately aboard the transport

  William Ward Burroughs.

  On August 9, 1942, completely unaware of

  conditions on Guadalcanal, Long Island

  had neared her launch point when Captain

  Duncan learned of disaster suffered in

  the Battle of Savo Island the night before.

  Duncan turned around and headed for

  the American base at Suva, Fiji, to await

  clearance to launch his cargo of precious

  aircraft and pilots. Upon arrival, he

  informed Admiral Robert Ghormley that

  most of the pilots were too green to be

  committed to combat. Ghormley bucked

  the matter to Admiral McCain, who ordered

  eight more experienced pilots transferred

  to VMF-223 from the well-trained but

  unbloodied Vila-based VMF-212, which

  would take 223's least-experienced pilots

  in trade and train them further. On August

  14, Long Island departed Suva for Efate to

  make the swap, but the VMF-212 pilots did

  not come aboard until the day before the

  ship departed for Guadalcanal on August

  18.

  To Guadalcanal!

  On the way out from Pearl, the Marines

  had worried about getting off the carrier

  while in the Pacific “doldrums” where

  there was no wind over the deck. Dick

  Mangrum recalled “we had no idea how

  far south this equatorial condition would

  be found, and considered ourselves

  fortunate to discover our destination

  was far enough south to be well away

  from this situation.” With the southeast

  tradewind adding another 10 knots to the

  breeze over the flight deck, the crews in

  the 12 new SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers

  checked the gear and equipment – spark

  plugs, starter cartridges, tool kits, even

  spare tires – they had stuffed in their

  cockpits the night before to support

  themselves for the two weeks they would

  be on their own before their ground crews

  arrived. The squadron was six airplanes

  short of its authorized strength because

  these 12 had been the only Dauntlesses

  available in the Ford Island fleet pool

  when Mangrum learned of their coming

  deployment. Each Dauntless carried

  a 500-pound bomb to supplement the

  small supply on Guadalcanal. According to

  Mangrum, “receiving orders to bomb-up

  our airplanes was an eye-opener to

  just how difficult things were where

  we were going.” Second Lieutenant

  Eugene Trowbridge noted in his offically-

  illegal diary (that he kept regardless):

  “A lot of excitement today as there are

  enemy subs all around, and today we get

  the new experience of being catapulted

  from the ship as the flight deck is too short

  to fly off. We are all set to leave. Engines

  warm and tested, baggage all secured,

  everything all set. Finally, we’re off.”

  T he f ligh t dec k crew p ush ed the f irs t bom ber

  into position. Bombing-232’s skipper,

  Major Richard. H. Mangrum’s 12 years as

  a fighter and bomber pilot and 3,000 flying

  hours, made him the most experienced

  of all 31 pilots in the two squadrons.

  Mangrum later recalled that “Our launch

  was delayed to the afternoon since the

  Japanese visited Guadalcanal at mid-day,

  and thus, arriving later, we were less likely

  to get an unfriendly reception from our

  fellow Marines.”

  Two minutes later, 2nd Lieutenant

  Lawrence Baldinus, a Polish expatriate

  and former Marine enlisted pilot who had

  been commissioned after Pearl Harbor

  HISTORY

  “Receiving orders to bomb-up our airplanes was an

  eye-opener to just how difficult things were where

  we were going.”

  (LtCol Richard Mangrum; VMSB-232)

  Captain USS Long Island, Commander Donald B. Duncan, on the deck of his ship while at anchor in Norfolk,

  Virginia, October 26, 1941. Note the installation of a makeshift mast.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  INFO Eduard

  9

  March 2023

• Page 10

  and was the most experienced pilot in the

  squadron after Mangrum, stood on his

  brakes and ran up his engine, then soared

  up to join his leader. Second Lieutenant

  Henry “Hank” Hise, a 22-year-old Texan

  who had graduated from flight school the

  previous May with a shade over 200 hours

  in his logbook, maneuvered his scout

  bomber on the deck as the crew hooked

  the airplane to the catapult. He and the

  other nine “nuggets” had never seen

  a Dauntless before they reported to the

  squadron in late June. A minute later, the

  force of the catapult caused Lieutenant

  Hise to forcibly pull back on his joystick,

  pulling the Dauntless’s nose high enough

  to nearly stall. He quickly jammed the stick

  forward and fought to keep the bomber

  out of the water. Regaining control, he

  joined up on Mangrum and Baldinus.

  The first of the 19 blue-grey F4F-4

  Wildcat fighters was pushed into position

  on the catapult. Squadron commander

  Major John L. Smith made a last-

  minute check of his engine and controls.

  Extremely intelligent and able, he had a

  demonstrated ability to adapt quickly to

  changed conditions; most who knew him

  said he often appeared to be in a bad mood.

  He had only flown fighters since a month

  before the attack on Pearl Harbor and

  had worked his young replacements hard

  since the squadron had been informed,

  they were headed for the South Pacific.

  He had never trained other aviators and

  never been in combat. Fortunately, he

  was a superb natural fighter tactician,

  a confident innovator who had

  painstakingly trained his men to survive

  against the otherwise unbeatable Zero.

  He later recalled those weeks spent

  working to prepare his novices for the

  unknown rigors of combat: “We all had to

  qualify on an aircraft carrier, which we did.

  We spent as much time as we could flying

  on Saturdays and Sundays and every

  other day, doing gunnery and dummy

  runs and anything that would help to give

  people quick experience or quick training.

  It was the first experience that I’d ever had

  trying to train anybody, but it seemed to

  me that gunnery was the most important

  thing, so we concentrated on gunnery

  more than anything else, which was

  a good thing after we found out where we

  were going.”

  The F4F-4 Smith flew was unlike its

  predecessor, the F4F-3; this Wildcat

  sported folding wings, allowing more of

  them to operate from an aircraft carrier.

  Armament was increased from four to

  six .50-caliber machine guns, increasing

  the weight of fire, though the ammunition

  load remained the same which reduced

  total firing time by 14 seconds, an eternity

  in air combat. Most Wildcat pilots did

  not see this as an improvement. The

  weight of the additional guns and the

  folding wings reduced the already-

  sluggish performance of the fighter

  even more. At Guadalcanal, the pilots

  would need every bit of warning time

  the coastwatchers could provide to

  struggle up to 20,000 feet in time to be

  in position for an attack on the incoming

  Japanese.

  Smith was followed in quick succession

  by Captain Marion Carl, newly-promoted

  to Executive Officer, and fellow Midway

  veteran Division Leaders Captains

  Clayton Canfield and Roy Corry and their

  young charges, who had an average of

  250 flying hours in their logbooks and

  were eight weeks out of flight school.

  At 1455 hours, Yamamoto’s staff received

  a report from the second Mavis that the

  carrier and its escorts were retiring

  south. Neither of the big flying boats had

  seen the launch of Marine Air Group 23 to

  Guadalcanal.

  With the Marine aircraft launched, the

  vulnerable carrier reversed course and

  headed out of range at full speed. The 31

  blue-grey airplanes headed north into the

  cloudy unknown.

  Two hours later, Guadalcanal hove into

  view. While Smith’s Wildcats flew cover,

  the SBDs landed. Mangrum followed

  a ground-control jeep to the dispersal

  area and jumped to the ground as soon

  as his plane's engine stopped. He had

  his hand wrung profusely by General

  Vandegrift, while thousands of thankful

  Marines shouted themselves hoarse and

  pounded one another black and blue in

  a thundering release of emotion. The

  cavalry had arrived.

  Lieutenant Gene Trowbridge later wrote in

  his diary: “[We] sight the [air]field at 1600.

  We are really welcomed by the troops

  as the Japs have been taking their time

  bombing them and they figure we will help

  them quite a lot. We are all bedded down

  for the night and get ready for a nice sleep

  when, bang, the whole world seems to

  explode. The Japs are coming and some of

  their cruisers and destroyers are shelling

  us and the troops. It was a trying first

  night. We are nervous and jumpy as there

  are snipers all around us, just waiting for

  someone to stick [his] nose out.”

  HISTORY

  Before taking off from the deck of the USS Long Island ...

  “It was a trying first night. We are nervous and

  jumpy as there are snipers all around us, just

  waiting for someone to stick [his] nose out.”

  (2/Lt Eugene Arthur Trowbridge; VMF-223)

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  INFO Eduard10

  March 2023

• Page 11

  Invasion on a Shoestring

  Once the Allied fleet had retreated from

  the Guadalcanal area following the defeat

  at Savo Island, the primary objective for

  the abandoned Marines was getting the

  captured Japanese airfield on the Lunga

  plain operational as quickly as possible.

  Without air support, they were completely

  at the mercy of Japanese aerial and naval

  attacks, and highly vulnerable to ground

  assault.

  Almost as soon as the runway had fallen

  into the hands of the 3rd Battalion, 5th

  Marines on August 8, the division air and

  engineering officers sized things up. They

  reported they could put down 2,600 feet

  of usable runway by August 10, and that

  another 1,200-by-160-foot section could

  be completed in the week after that.

  Rear Admiral Turner promised on August

  8 that aircraft would arrive on August 11.

  Unfortunately, when the fleet was forced

  to retire following Savo Island, they left

  with nearly all the 1st Engineer Battalion’s

  equipment that had yet to be unloaded.

  Construction of the airfield commenced

  August 9 when the 1st Engineer and 1st

  Pioneer battalions managed to gather

  sufficient gear to get started. A miserable

  15 percent of their equipment and supplies

  had been landed, with none of the heavy

  equipment making it ashore. Thus, they

  were forced to manhandle 100,000 cubic

  feet of earth fill to cover the depression

  in the center of the field that had been

  left by the Japanese, who had begun their

  construction at both ends and built toward

  the center.

  The engineers used a huge steel girder

  as a drag, while a captured Japanese

  road roller was used to pack the fill.

  Japanese gear contributed heavily to the

  small store of engineering equipment

  available to the Americans, though in

  general, the captured equipment was

  in poor condition; ingenious American

  mechanics kept it working hour after

  brutal hour in their race against time. The

  only earth-moving equipment was one

  angle-dozer the pioneers had managed

  to land. Dump trucks were nonexistent.

  The engineers performed incredible

  feats of improvisation as they overcame

  monumental difficulties.

  On August 18, eight Betty bombers arrived

  over Henderson in the largest air strike

  since August 9 as the 25th Air Flotilla

  began the aerial assault leading up to

  the first Japanese effort to land troops

  and retake the island. Forced to remain

  above 25,000 feet by antiaircraft fire,

  the bombers did little harm. But it was

  clear to all that the enemy was resuming

  HISTORY

  The hangar of the USS Long Island with the Wildcats and Seagulls on June 17, 1942. All aircraft are from VGS-1.

  A month later, this ship was carrying VMF-223 towards Guadalcanal.

  The Henderson Field area as it looked shortly after the Marines captured it.

  Marines building a defensive line on the perimeter around Henderson Field.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  INFO Eduard

  11

  March 2023

• Page 12

  HISTORY

  work and would be back. As yet nothing

  stood in their path. A three-ship convoy

  from Noumea arrived after the Japanese

  dparted. The ships brought five days of

  food, which, along with captured Japanese

  provisions, gave the Marines a two-week

  food supply. To stretch the supplies as far

  as possible, the Marines were limited to

  two meals per day.

  Henderson is Ready

  On August 19, CUB-1 and the 1st Engineer

  Battalion reported Henderson was fit

  to support air operations. The airfield

  was now 3,800-foot strip 150 feet wide,

  covered with gravel, with a dirt taxiway

  and parking area destined to become

  fields of mud in the many rainstorms. The

  airfield was surrounded by a tenuously

  held defensive line extending from Point

  Cruz on the west to the Ilu River on the

  east, leaving the field only a quarter mile

  from a mile-long piece of high ground

  that would come to be known in Marine

  history as “Bloody Ridge.” There were

  no protective revetments and aircraft

  maintenance would test American

  ingenuity throughout their time on the

  island. The only structure on the field

  was a wooden tower the Japanese had

  constructed which became known as

  “The Pagoda.” Time Magazine reporter

  Robert Sherrod, who landed with the

  Marines, described living conditions at

  the field as “appalling” with sleeping

  choices limited to mud-floor tents or

  dugouts, with slit trenches close by.

  Malarial mosquitos were numerous. The

  fliers would be issued Japanese mosquito

  netting, something the “mud marines”

  could only hope for. The facilities were

  crude, but Henderson Field was ready.

  It was just in time.

  Despite all the effort, Henderson Field

  could barely be described as an airfield.

  It was an irregularly shaped blob cut out

  of the island growth, half in and half out

  of a coconut grove, with a runway that

  was too short and too few revetments

  to protect the aircraft from shrapnel.

  In mid-September, several weeks after

  their arrival on the island, MAG-23 group

  executive officer Lt. Colonel Charles Fike

  finally wrote the August 20, 1942, entry

  in the group’s War Diary: “Upon arrival it

  was found that a servicing detachment

  of approximately 140 men, commanded

  by Ensign Polk, of CUB-1, were available

  for fueling, rearming, and servicing

  of aircraft. All fueling was done by means

  of hand pumps directly from drums.

  Rearming was done without the aid

  of bomb-handling trucks, bomb carts,

  or bomb hoists. The enlisted men

  of CUB-l, although willing and intelligent,

  had, for the most part, less than four

  months’ service, as a result of which

  they required the closest supervision.

  Considering the attending difficulties,

  Ensign Polk handled this situation

  remarkably well. His attitude was at all

  times cooperative.”

  To be continued...

  A major innovation in the F4F-4 version was the "So-Wing" folding system, designed by Leroy Grumman himself.

  Here, mechanics demonstrate the system’s space-saving capabilities on an aircraft belonging to VF-3 at NAS

  Kaneohe, Oahu, May 29, 1942.

  “We spent as much time as we could flying on Saturdays

  and Sundays and every other day, doing gunnery and

  dummy runs and anything that would help to give people

  quick experience or quick training.”

  (Maj. John L. Smith, VMF-223)

  Wildcats on Guadalcanal in the fall of 1942. A group of B-17s is overflying Henderson Field.

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage CommandPhoto: Naval History and Heritage Command

  INFO Eduard12

  March 2023

• Page 13

  HISTORIE

  12. ročník modelářské soutěže

  PANTHERS CUP

  Hlavní téma: KDYŽ HVĚZDY TANČÍ

  Kdy: 25. 3. 2023

  Kde: Novoborská 2, Praha 9

  Další informace: www.pantherscup.cz

  ať je tou vaší hvìzda smrti,

  britney spears nebo

  insignie amerického

  letectva...

  pøijïte nám dokázat,

  že ta vaše je ta nejzáøivìjší!

  téma letošního

  Pantherscupu je

  když hvìzdy tanèí.

• Page 14

  The new year started with so far, the

  largest one-time loss on the Russian

  side The Russian command demonstrated

  the great negligence when hundreds of

  drafted soldiers were concentrated in the

  unprotected and unreinforced building

  of the former high school in Makiivka in

  Donetsk region. All this regardless the

  fact that for several months the building

  exactly like this have been targets of the

  highly efficient missiles fired from the

  HIMARS rocket launchers. On the top of

  it, there was an ammunition dump in the

  building basement and uncamouflaged

  vehicles parked around the building. There

  was no secret that the building housed

  hundreds of soldiers. The result was

  a disaster at an unheard-of scale, even

  by Russian standards. On the New Year

  the building was hit by rockets and the

  carnage was topped by the explosion of

  the stored ammunition. The former school

  completely collapsed which is confirmed

  by videos published on the Russian

  channels. According to the Ukrainian and

  Western estimates between 300 and 400

  soldiers were killed. Even the Russian

  Department of Defense had to admit to the

  Makiivka attack. Otherwise, it covers up

  the Russian own losses. It was announced

  that 89 soldiers perished, the highest loss

  the Russians have admitted to so far. Such

  a Russian confirmation is unusual and

  indicates that the real losses were high

  in fact.

  A drive for an offensive

  Since the fall rains started practically

  everybody has waited for the weather

  change, for the ground to freeze, so as

  the larger scale operations could be

  resumed. The Ukrainians were on alert for

  the anticipated large Russian offensive.

  Unlike a year ago the massive attack did

  not materialize. The Russians have lost too

  many combat vehicles. Even though they

  are being replenished from the reserves

  the level of training of the drafted soldiers

  to operate this equipment is low and

  the whole logistics is in the shambles.

  Instead of the massive concentrations of

  its forces the Russian Army attempted

  the attacks executed by the smaller

  groups at the various sectors of the front,

  from the borders of the Kharkov region

  in the north to the Zaporozhe region in

  the south. After a half year long effort

  the Russians achieved a breakthrough

  at Bakhmut. In the beginning of January,

  they took advantage of the failed rotation

  of the Ukrainian troops and captured the

  little town of Soledar north of Bakhmut.

  After that the Ukrainians deployed the

  reinforcements and blocked the Russian

  advance. The pressure on the town

  continued from three different directions

  however and at this time Bakhmut was

  still holding on. The Russian attempts

  at capturing the city of Vuhledar further

  south of Bakhmut, failed spectacularly.

  The Russian troop were chaotically

  HISTORY

  Text: Miro Barič

  The air war over Ukraine

  Old ways pass to the New Year

  A Ukrainian A1-SM Furia drone with the designation 610 and serial number ACM13072 was shot down near Kreminnaya, Luhansk area, on January 31.

  During the reported period, from January 1 to February 1,

  2023, the offensive operations were expected by either side.

  The large-scale maneuvers however did not take place. The

  Russians stubbornly launched mass assaults against the

  well-fortified positions, with the poor results that could be

  expected.

  This Russian Ch-101 missile crashed after launch while

  still on its own territory near Ulan-Khola, 140 km from

  Astrakhan.

  INFO Eduard14

  March 2023

• Page 15

  HISTORY

  attacking across the huge, opened area,

  covered with land mines and under the

  covering fire of the Ukrainian defenders.

  The result were tens of combat vehicles

  destroyed and the whole units decimated.

  The armored fighting vehicles and tanks

  To stop these attacks and to prepare their

  own counter-offensive, the Ukrainians

  requested the modern armored equipment

  from their allies. The call was answered

  in January. First, in the beginning of the

  month. France committed to deliver

  AMX-10 RC wheeled combat vehicles

  armed with 105 mm cannon and after that

  Germany and the USA made their move.

  Germany will deliver 40 infantry combat

  vehicles Marder. The USA have delivered

  so far 109 proven M2 Bradley vehicles

  and others should follow. Besides

  these vehicles however the Ukrainians

  requested the third-generation main

  battle tanks. The call was answered in the

  end of the months when the Great Britain

  committed to deliver 14 Challenger 2 tanks

  and shortly afterwards the USA agreed to

  supply thirty Abrams tanks and several

  countries will deliver in total several tens

  of Leopard 3 German tanks. They will be

  delivered after the Ukrainian tank crews

  training is completed, currently under

  way in Britain, Germany and Poland.

  Long range

  For quite some time the Ukrainians

  demanded from the USA the supplies of

  ATACMS missiles with 300 km range for

  their HIMARS rocket launchers. It seems

  that the compromise was reached in the

  form of GLSDB ammunition with 150 km

  range. There is a problem though, these

  brand-new missiles are not yet in the

  USA inventory and their deliveries will

  not be possible sooner than in couple

  of months. GLSDB stands for Ground

  Launched Small Diameter Bomb. It was

  developed from GBU-39 SDB bomb which

  weighs 113 kilos. These small diameter

  bombs were designed in a way that an

  aircraft can carry several of them instead

  of one large bomb – and hit more targets

  during one mission. The bomb features

  the precise guiding system and extended

  range thanks to its gliding ability.

  Boeing and Saab Group cooperated in

  the development of the ground version

  of this weapon. They attached the rocket

  engine to the bomb which will launch it

  to the altitude on the ballistic trajectory.

  At that point the rocket engine will be

  dropped, the bomb will extend its wings

  and continue its gliding path. Its range is

  as long as 150 km. The weapon features

  several advantages. Thanks to its semi-

  active laser sight it can hit the moving

  targets within 100 km on the ground and

  as far as 130 km at sea. And thanks to its

  ability to maneuver and turn around in

  The crash of a Ukrainian Ministry of the interior H225 helicopter caused a major fire in the town of Brovary

  on January 18.

  Ukraine bought 21 H225 helicopters before the war.

  The machine gun in the nose appeared on several Ukrainian Mi-8s.

  INFO Eduard

  15

  March 2023

• Page 16

  HISTORY

  the air it can hit the targets behind the

  horizon, impossible for the traditional

  gunnery.

  In case the Ukrainians receive these

  weapons, they will be able to fire them

  from the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS

  rocket launchers already in their arsenal.

  Currently, they only have rockets with

  70 km range. Using the GLSDB

  ammunition, based on the current front

  lines, they will be able to hit the whole

  occupied region of Luhanks, Donetsk,

  Zaporozhye and Kherson regions and

  the upper third of Crimea. The Russians

  will be forced to relocate their bases,

  fuel, and ammunition dumps practically

  outside of the Ukrainian territory. Not

  even the moving trains and ships will be

  safe from these gliding bombs. At last,

  GLSDB is priced more favorably - it costs

  40,000 USD as opposed to 1 million USD

  for an ATACMS rocket.

  Sea Sparrow fired from the ground

  Soon enough another AA defense system

  will reach Ukraine – and let’s admit,

  it is urgently needed due to the continued

  Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian

  infrastructure. Following the systems

  such as Patriot, IRIS

  -

  T or NASAMS, part

  of those has been already delivered to

  Ukraine, in January the USA announced

  that one of their military aid packages

  will include Sea Sparrow rockets.

  This weapon, used for the ship’s AA

  defense, were modified for the ground

  deployment in Ukraine. RIM-7 missiles

  were developed in 1960s based on the

  air-to-air AIM-7 Sparrow rockets. While

  those were later replaced by AIM-120

  AMRAAM missiles, Sea Sparrow rockets

  development continued simultaneously.

  They are still used today resembling the

  original Sparrow only by the name.

  Sea Sparrow rockets were modified to

  be used in the modern vertical launch

  systems. They weigh 230 kilos out of

  which the warhead represents 41 kilos.

  Its airspeed is 4250 kph and range 19

  kilometers. Besides the aircraft, it can

  destroy the cruising missiles and certain

  types of rockets. They are radar guided.

  The Ukrainians will launch them from

  Buk systems modified for this purpose.

  The transfer of three reconnaissance

  NATO aircraft, known as AWACS, from

  Germany to Romania can be considered

  as an indirect form of support. It took

  place on January 1, and they are to remain

  near Ukrainian border for at least several

  weeks.

  AWACS is the designation of one of the

  systems these aircraft carry on board.

  They are known to public under this name

  however the official designation is AEW&C

  which means Airborne Early Warning and

  Control. For this purpose, NATO uses

  Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft operating

  from Geilenkirchen base in the Western

  Germany. USA and NATO reconnaissance

  aircraft were gathering the information

  even before the Russian attack on Ukraine.

  Since then, they have been flying outside

  of the Ukrainian airspace over Romania

  and the Black Sea. They are capable to

  find out when and how many rockets

  and cruising missiles the Russians

  fired. The operational space however is

  approximately 2,000 kilometers from the

  German base, distance the aircraft have

  to cover each way. After the transfer to

  the Romanian airbase in Otopeni near

  Burcharest, the flight to the Ukrainian-

  Romanian border is approximately 200

  kilometers long. The time they can spend

  on their mission expanded significantly

  as well.

  Secretary of State perished

  Most of the aircraft losses is linked to

  the intense fighting in Bakhmut area. The

  Ukrainians reported several helicopters

  (especially Ka-52) and aircraft (Su-25)

  shot down however their wrecks have

  not been visually confirmed. Only several

  losses of the drones could be verified.

  Su-25SM wreck carrying the bort number

  “blue 15” and registration RF-95152 was

  found in the Kherson area. The aircraft

  had been lost earlier but the images of

  its wreck were published only on January

  A moody night shot of a Mi-8 under preparations at a forward-field base. A spectacular shot of an unguided missiles firing from a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter.

  Economics professor Oleh Fedirets Ph.D. became an anti-aircraft gunner near Bakhmut.

  INFO Eduard16

  March 2023

• Page 17

  5. Obviously, a Su-34, which wreck was

  shown in the video on January 25 had

  been lost quite some time before. The

  Ukrainian forces lost several drones as

  well. On January 6, the mercenaries from

  the so-called Wagner group published

  a video which shows how they, firing the

  portable rocket launchers, hit an airplane,

  probably a Ukrainian Su-25. The following

  day, on January 7, the satellite images

  were published showing the crashed

  Ukrainian Mig-29. When and under which

  circumstances the airplane was lost

  remains unknown. On January 18, in the

  morning, a tragedy took place in the town

  of Brovary east of Kiev where an Airbus

  H225 helicopter crashed. 14 people were

  killed including the Ukrainian Secretary

  of State, his deputy and the state

  commissioner.

  Even before the conflict the Ukrainian

  Department of State bought 21 H225

  helicopters (originally Eurocopter EC225

  Super Puma). Deliveries started in 2018.

  They were used by the Governmental

  Rescue Service and the National Guard.

  The aircraft that crashed belonged to

  the rescue service and there were nine

  passengers on board – besides the crew

  members it was Secretary of State Denys

  Monastyrskyi, his first deputy Yevhenii

  Yenin, state commissioner Yuri Lubkovich

  and other department officials. The

  aircraft was enroute to Kharkiv. According

  to the eye witnesses the helicopter flew

  close to the ground but straight and there

  were no indications that it was having

  any problems. It flew three circles above

  the town of Brovary east of Kiev and

  then it suddenly started to descend, hit

  a kindergarten, and crashed next to the

  multi-family residential building. It was

  dark and foggy at the time of a crash

  which could have played a significant role

  in the tragedy. The kindergarten building

  was set on fire and had to be evacuated.

  Besides nine people in the helicopter five

  more people died on the ground, including

  a child. 30 people were injured out of

  which 12 were children.

  Till the end of January four more Ukrainian

  airplane losses were confirmed. On

  January 22, the mercenaries from the

  so-called Wagner group shot down

  a Mi-8 helicopter near Bakhmut.

  Its three-member crew was killed.

  On January 27, Captain Danylo Murashko

  was killed near Kramatorsk during the

  combat flight. He flew Su-25 from 299

  Brigade of Tactical Aviation. Another

  Mi-8 was shot down on January 30 near

  Novodarovka in Zaporozhiye region on

  a mission to supply the ammunition. Its

  three-member crew did not survive. On

  the last day of January, a Mi-2 helicopter

  crashed near Poltava it is far from the

  front line. Therefore, it can be considered

  a non-combat loss. Two-member crew

  47 years old pilot Vladyslav Stankevych

  and 46 years old commander Gennadii

  Butenko, perished in the crash.

  HISTORY

  A Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer was saved from a Russian Lancet kamikaze drone by a metal mesh.

  Footage of a crashed MiG-29 with blue-yellow coloring

  on its wings appeared on January 7.

  The wreckage of a Su-25SM with the fuselage number "Blue 15" and registration RF-95152, images of which were released on January 5.

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  HISTORY

  Captain Danylo Murasko was killed on January 27 during a combat flight near Kramatorsk.

  The crew of Captain Gennady Butenko and Lieutenant Vladyslav Stankevych did

  not survive the Mi-2 crash during a training flight on 31 January.

  Originally Slovak Mi-17 in Ukrainian service.

  Footage of the wreckage of this Su-34 was released on 25 Jan.

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  EVENT

  It has to be said right at the beginning that

  this year fair was different from the previous

  ones. There were significantly fewer

  exhibitors. In our market segment of plastic

  model kits, the fingers of just two hands

  would be enough to count the participants.

  However, count me in – Eduard/Special

  Hobby, Italeri, Tamiya, Revell, Airfix. What

  else? Let’s add to the credit the Art Scale

  Kit distributor and Zvezda, which had

  a stand in one of the tucked away booths

  due to the organizers’ restrictions

  against Russian companies. Any others?

  No, nobody else. Other companies from

  our business chose a more economical

  option and came only to have a look and

  go round the stands. And more than we

  expected stopped at our stand. Among

  them, even those we hadn’t counted on

  beforehand. Others didn’t come at all.

  For example, representatives from China,

  USA and Ukraine were missing, and the

  representation from Poland was also quite

  weak.

  But no wonder. The situation is not rosy,

  so many companies have opted for

  low-profile and very economical forms

  of participation. We also

  chose a more economical

  option than in the past, and

  as more attentive readers

  may have noticed above, we

  joined forces with a friendly

  company, Special Hobby,

  reducing our stand to only

  two-thirds of its former size.

  Of course, this led to more

  intensive communication

  with our colleagues from Special Hobby, so

  we were able to discuss further possible

  cooperation on future projects. However,

  when more visitors arrived at one point,

  the booth was a bit tight ... Nevertheless,

  we handled it without any problems. We

  also split our team into two parties and

  rotated with our colleagues after three

  days at the fair. Saving money is necessary

  nowadays!

  If you have not attended this fair in person

  in the past, I guarantee you would be

  impressed anyway. It’s a huge event, with

  2,843 exhibitors from 70 countries taking

  part this year, and over 62,000 visitors from

  136 countries visiting the fair over five days.

  But something in the mood was simply

  missing. Talking to other people in the

  industry, it was clear that they had mixed

  feelings about attending. As the number

  of exhibitors in the industry dwindles, the

  importance of the event for us and others

  is diminishing, and if the situation does not

  improve, we would at least be very hesitant

  to decide on participation in future years.

  However, as usual, there was a silver lining.

  In this case, thanks to the low participation

  of the companies from our business,

  we were able to conduct more intensive

  negotiations with visitors to our stand.

  Several very pleasant meetings took place

  in a friendly atmosphere with companies

  Back to Nuremberg

  After a long two-year hiatus caused by the COVID

  epidemic, the Eduard team was back to the

  Nuremberg Toy Fair once again. The event took

  place from February 1 to 5 and was held in sixteen

  halls of the local trade fair center.

  Alfred Riedel and Vladimír Šulc

  Jan Bobek and David Francis

  (Phoenix Scale Publications)

  Jan Zdiarský and Vladimír Šulc

  Text: Jakub Nademlejnský

  INFO Eduard20

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  EVENT

  from the industry, but also from outside

  the industry, which may have an impact

  on the future, for example on our future

  releases. For example, we arranged the

  reboxing of Su-25 Zvezda kit and sketched

  out the negotiations on reboxing of Airfix

  kits. Representatives of Airfix, Italeri or

  Revell liked our 3D prints or SPACE for

  a change, and so possible windows of

  closer cooperation are opening up for us

  in the future. As far as the design of the

  stands of these companies is concerned,

  Airfix was part of the huge Hornby

  presentation, where it had its own space

  among about ten brands that fall under

  Hornby. And you’ve got to get ready for

  their new Gannet in 1/48, they say it’s going

  to be cool! The Italeri booth reminded me

  of an Italian coffeehouse. Lots of round

  tables and chairs everywhere, a reception

  desk, and delicious Italian coffee or a shot

  of grappa, which gave the negotiations

  there a touch of Italian flair. The booth

  was dominated by two large display cases

  with built models featuring new releases,

  1/72 AMX and 1/32 Mc.202 graphics. Revell

  traditionally had a stand in Hall 12, among

  the dominant companies in the whole

  toy industry, such as Lego, Playmobil

  and Mattel. Revell revealed various new

  products for 2023, among which I would

  highlight the Gloster Meteor in 1/32 scale.

  The only representatives of the exhibiting

  companies that we didn’t exchange too

  many words with at the fair were from

  Tamiya. Their stand was by far the largest

  in our Hall 7A and was dominated by a

  track for RC models. So maybe next year ...

  The award ceremony of the Modellfan

  magazine with prizegiving of the Model of

  the Year awards is one of the traditions

  of the fair. This year the award went to

  our Wildcat in 1/48th scale. We are of

  course happy that our kit is among the

  chosen ones, but so many are awarded

  by Modellfan every year that it kind of

  degrades the whole thing. We already have

  a bowl full of medals and judging by the

  display cases of other companies, almost

  everyone regularly wins a medal for one

  Pavel Gerhart, Vladimír Šulc and Zdeněk Peroutka (MPM s.r.o.)

  INFO Eduard

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  Jan Bobek and Vladimír Šulc

  of its product. We chose to present the

  awards in the aforementioned bowl this

  year, as if we had placed them in the display

  cases, there probably wouldn’t have been

  much room left to present our products.

  To sum up, I would like to say that I was

  personally impressed by the magnificence

  and high level of organization of the fair,

  as it was my first time at this event. They

  say organization is a common thing in

  Germany, and it was demonstrated on the

  spot by the German police, who completely

  packed up the stand of a Chinese die-cast

  model seller in short time, and the owners

  of the stand then sat on a few boxes for the

  rest of the fair. It all was done supposedly

  because of plagiarism. In contrast, we

  had to pack our own things by ourselves

  on Sunday and arrived home safely. So,

  hopefully next year again!

  The Hornby stand which includes the Airfix stand.

  Presentation of new Tamiya products.

  EVENT

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  EVENT

  INFO Eduard

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  EVENT

  INFO Eduard24

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  EVENT

  INFO Eduard

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  The Spitfires Mk. Vb/Vc had their most

  glorious time during the battles for the small,

  but strategically important, island of Malta.

  One of the most successful Spitfires to fight

  there was the Mk.Vc serial number BR301.

  The aircraft came from a consignment

  of Spitfires taking off on May 9, 1942,

  from the carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) during

  Operation Bowery. Like most Spitfires

  from the Bowery delivery, BR301 had Dark

  Mediterranean Blue color applied to the

  upper surfaces while still on the aircraft

  carrier’s deck. But the original desert

  color scheme was slightly visible under

  this new paint. The lower surfaces were

  repainted in Sky Blue. This aircraft had also

  the national roundels overpainted with this

  color. The original four-cannon armament

  was reduced to two cannons, mounted in

  inner position in the armament bay and

  two inner machine guns. Codenamed

  UF

  -

  S, BR301 served first with No. 601 Sqn.,

  but its pilots achieved most of their success

  with it in July 1942 after transferring to No.

  249 Sqn. There it became the “aircraft of the

  aces”.

  P/O John McElroy (10 victories plus three

  shared in total) claimed one MC.202 with

  BR301 on July 7, one Ju 88 shared on July 9

  and one Bf 109 on July 13, damaging another

  one in the process. No. 249 Squadron

  Leader Richard Mitchell (5 + 3) shot down

  a Ju 88 on July 23, while F/Sgt John

  Rae (11 + 2) shot down a Bf 109 probably

  and a Ju 88, in addition to damaging

  a Re.2001 and a Ju 88 on July 27 and

  28. The greatest success with the BR301

  was achieved by Canadian pilot in the

  ranks of the RAF Sgt. George Beurling,

  who destroyed four opponents during one

  mission (two MC.202 and two Bf 109) and

  added one Bf 109 on July 27 two days later.

  For our boxart, created by Piotr

  Forkasiewicz, we chose to depict Beurling’s

  first kill. His victim, a Macchi MC.202, is very

  well documented both photographically

  (after the crash landing) and also by combat

  reports of the two combatants. Thanks

  to that, we know how it all went down:

  At 0855 hours on July 27, 1942, No. 249

  Sqn. sent out six Spitfires to join other

  six patrolling Spitfires from Nos. 126 and

  185 Sqn. A formation of seven Ju 88s,

  accompanied by more than forty fighters

  was approaching Malta, flying at 25,000

  feet (7,600 m). Beurling was the first to

  spot the enemy and radioed to warn the

  others: “Enemy aircraft at four o’clock,

  slightly below us!” He immediately

  launched an attack. The enemy fighters

  noticed Beurling’s action and went into

  a left climbing turn. Beurling then got on the

  starboard side of one MC.202 and fired his

  characteristic short burst.

  Beurling later recalled: “I saw four Macchis

  flying in a row and I focused on number 4.

  I fired a short burst that went into its engine

  and radiator.” The pilot of MC.202 Sergente

  Magg Falerio Gelli of 378-11 Squadriglia

  turned his aircraft towards home base,

  but immediately realized that the smoking

  engine would not last long enough. He

  therefore chose a place and belly-landed

  in a field outside Victoria on the island of

  Gozo. Later, when questioned, he said:

  “I saw a Spitfire firing at me, but I didn’t

  feel any impacts. I was performing evasive

  maneuvers and noticed that the engine

  temperature was rising rapidly. In an

  attempt to reach my base, I turned north,

  but soon realized I couldn’t make it as

  the oil tank and radiator had been hit. So,

  I turned back and landed at Gozo”.

  Some pilots and ground staff went to see

  Gelli’s Macchi. The aircraft was relatively

  intact, and the battle damage was consistent

  with Beurling’s report. The rudder was

  removed and the emblem of the 51° Stormo

  unit was also cut out of the fuselage as

  a war trophy. Beurling later posed with the

  trophies for photographs.

  During the five months of fighting in Malta,

  Sgt. George “Screwball” Beurling scored

  a total of 28 kills (including one shared) of

  Axis aircraft, becoming the most successful

  Allied pilot of the Battle of Malta. These

  achievements earned him another unofficial

  nickname: “Falcon of Malta”. It was meant to

  characterize his straightforward predatory

  instinct in combat.

  Spitfire BR301 was irreparably damaged

  on July 29 and decommissioned with

  54 flying hours.

  BOXART STORY #82126

  Text: Michal Krechowski

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  The Maltese Falcon

  INFO Eduard26

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  #7033

  BOXART STORY

  The Ju 87 Stuka units from the Battle of

  Britain period are mainly known for the

  heavy losses they suffered on August 18,

  1940. However, they returned to combat in

  early November. Their targets were once

  again Allied vessels in the Channel.

  One of the units that made it through the

  entire western campaign was III./St.G.1.

  It was formed in July 1940 from I.(St)/Tr.Gr.

  186, which was originally intended to be on board

  of the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. Gruppe’s

  commander, Obstlt. Walter Hagen became

  Kommodore of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 in

  mid-1940. His former Gruppe, under the new

  designation III./St.G.1, was taken over by

  Hptm. Helmut Mahlke, who served in the

  Luftwaffe from 1935 after previous service in

  the Navy.

  In early November 1940, well protected by

  fighters from III./JG 51 and from Galland's

  JG 26, Mahlke's unit made three attacks on

  allied vessels within sight of the British coast.

  In mid-November, III./St.G. 1 found itself in

  an unexpected situation. For organizational

  reasons, it was incorporated under the

  fighter command of Luftflotte 2, the so-called

  Jagdfliegerführer 2 (Jafü 2). Its commander

  was GenMaj Kurt-Bertram von Döring,

  a World War I fighter ace.

  Mahlke had legitimate doubts about how

  Jafü 2 would handle leading a bomber unit

  in attacking vessels. His fears were realized

  on the first deployment on November 14,

  1940. This is a transcript of a communication

  between the two staffs that began at 1100.

  The document is part of the St.G. 1 Chronicle

  in the Bundesarchiv collections: Jafü 2:

  “III./St.G.1 will attack: enemy convoy reported

  to have passed Dover in a north-easterly

  direction towards the Thames estuary.

  Fighter escort to join at 1445 on the Channel

  coast. Do not fly beyond Cape Margate due to

  limited range of escort fighters.”

  III./St.G.1: “When and where was the convoy

  sighted, how many ships and at what speed?”

  Jafü 2: “A formation of ships was sighted

  at 0900 off Dover, medium speed, easterly

  course.”

  III./St.G.1: “Then the convoy of ships will pass

  Cape Margate before we reach the target

  area. We request permission to deploy

  beyond Cape Margate in this case.”

  Jafü 2: “The Cape Margate restriction must be

  respected at all times.”

  III./St.G.1: “What is the alternate target if the

  ship group is not in the restricted area?”

  Jafü 2: “Then attack the other ships in the

  Dover-Margate section. If there are no ships

  there: the alternate target is the radio station

  at Dover.”

  III/St.G.1: “If we get to Margate and then turn

  towards Dover, we'll have the entire British

  fighter fleet on our tail! - Which radio station

  at Dover is to be the alternate target, we have

  3 radio stations here in the Dover files.”

  Jafü 2: “The one with the mirror” (“Spiegel”,

  German for mirror, a codename for radar)

  III./St.G.1: "Which one is it?”

  Jafü 2: “We don’t know that either. We will

  try to find out and tell you before the take-

  off. Otherwise, just attack the largest radio

  station in Dover.”

  Just as Mahlke predicted, they did not

  encounter a single ship on the flight to

  Margate. The formation of nineteen Stukas

  then proceeded to Dover, where it was

  attacked by five RAF squadrons. Some of the

  Stukas had as many as five enemies on tail.

  Yet some of them managed to drop bombs on

  Dover facilities. Stuka gunners claimed two

  victories and RAF fighters reported 16-4-5

  Stuka victories. A number of Stukas were

  hit, but only two were shot down and three

  more made emergency landings in France.

  Galland’s fighter escort arrived at the scene

  of the engagement 10 to 15 minutes late.

  Kommodore Galland, CO of 7./JG 26 Oblt.

  Müncheberg and CO of 9./JG 26 Oblt. Ruppert

  each claimed one Spitfire. However, the RAF

  lost only one Spitfire from No. 74 Sqn. and

  two others from No. 66 Sqn. were damaged.

  After a few days, a meeting between the

  staffs of Jafü 2 and St.G. 1 took place. In the

  process Mahlke and his commander learned

  that it was a mistake to disband the formation

  and try to escape from the Spitfires. After

  a subsequent exchange of views, Jafü 2

  no longer required the deployment of the

  Stukas, explaining that there were no fighter

  units available as escorts.

  Helmut Mahlke retired in 1970 at the rank of

  Generalleutnant and had not only 159 combat

  sorties in the Stuka but also a number of

  flights in the F-104 Starfighter in his flight log.

  He is the author of Stuka Angriff: Sturzflug,

  published in English as Memoirs of a Stuka

  Pilot.

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Marek Ryś

  Stukas under fighter command

  INFO Eduard

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  BOXART STORY #7468

  Early August 1943, the Bf 110 G-2s of II./ZG 1

  moved from Monte Corvino to Lanveoc-

  Poulmic. Command of II./ZG 1 passed to Hptm

  Karl-Heinrich Matern, Staffelkapitän of 4./ZG 1.

  II./ZG 1 was to be used countering increased

  Allied air traffic over the Bay of Biscay together

  with Ju 88 C-6s of V./KG 40 and Fw 190s

  of III./JG 2 and 1./Seeaufklärungsgruppe 128.

  August 21, 1943, saw the first victory when the

  Gruppe claimed a Liberator. This is believed

  to be from 311 Sqn. and was flown by Wg Cdr

  Jindřich Breitcetl – all eight crew perished

  but Uffz Georg Planer of 5./ZG 1 was lost

  in the combat.

  On September 11, 1943, Mosquitoes of 307

  Sqn. claimed to have destroyed a Bf 110,

  probably destroyed two and damaged one.

  Lt Dieter Bambauer of 5./ZG 1 was lost so was

  probably the victim of Flt Sgt Zbigniew Dunin-

  Rzuchowski. Five days later, II./ZG 1 intercepted

  B-17s attacking targets in western France

  claiming three, credited to Fw Klaus Schreuer

  and Oblt Arnold Dorka of 4. Staffel and

  Fw Emil Pfeiffer of 6. Staffel.

  A Liberator of 53 Sqn. flown by Flt Lt Tony

  Spooner was then damaged by Bf 110s between

  the Scillies and Lundy Island on September

  21, 1943 and three days later, the Gruppe

  suffered its heaviest losses to date. Despite

  Ofw Ruhland Zahn and Fw Hans Fuchs of 5./

  ZG 1 each claiming a Spitfire and Ofw Heinrich

  Börger and Uffz Peter Schölz of 6./ZG 1 claiming

  a Mitchell and a Spitfire, four Bf 110s, including

  those of Zahn, Fuchs and Oblt Arnold Dorka,

  were lost to Spitfires of Nos. 66, 313 and 610

  Sqn. No 98 Sqn. Mitchells were lost but 313 Sqn.

  lost three which included Sqn Ldr Jaroslav

  Himr.

  II./ZG 1’s time over the Bay of Biscay would

  now only last another three weeks. On the

  morning of September 27, 1943, Fw Klaus

  Schreuer of 4. Staffel claimed a Wellington

  and 30 minutes later, 5./ZG 1 got a second

  Wellington. The Wellingtons came from

  No. 612 Sqn. flown by Flt Sgt Robert Hyndson

  and No. 407 Sqn. flown by Wg Cdr John

  Archer, the latter having gone to search for

  a No. 407 Sqn. Wellington which had ditched off

  the Scillies returning from the Bay.

  Six days later, the Gruppe apparently claimed

  a Sunderland and a Typhoon. The former was

  possibly from No. 10 Sqn. RAAF captained

  by Fg Off Fred Lee while the latter was

  possibly a Hurricane of 1449 Flt flown by Flt

  Sgt Richard Adams which was reported shot

  down 35 miles south-west of the Scillies

  at 0900hrs.

  The end for II./ZG 1 came on October 8, 1943.

  At 0735hrs, seven Spitfires of No. 453 Sqn.

  took off on what was called an anti-Me

  110 patrol. At 0845 they came across eight

  Bf 110s and in the ensuing battle, Fg Off Harold

  Parker was seen to be shot down and Flt

  Lt Russell Ewins, having shot down a Bf 110,

  suffered engine failure and ditched. Parker

  was reported missing, but Ewins was rescued.

  Another four Bf 110s were claimed destroyed

  by Fg Off Patrick McDade and Plt Off Colin

  Leith. At 1330hrs, eight Bf 110s got airborne

  from Lanveoc-Poulmic looking for two

  aircraft lost that morning. No. 610 Sqn. were

  relieving a Mosquito circling Russell Ewin’s

  dinghy and at 1415hrs bounced the Germans.

  Fg Off Vincent Moody and Flt Sgt Bob Hussey

  each claimed a Bf 110 around 1415hrs. Finally,

  at 1445hrs, No. 66 Sqn. together with 453

  Sqn., got airborne to escort aircraft bombing

  II./ZG 1's home base. No. 66 Sqn. bounced eight

  to 10 Bf 110s off Brest claiming three Bf 110s

  destroyed, one probable and one damaged.

  The timings for II./ZG 1’s losses are hard

  to determine. There were some claims by

  6. Staffel as Ofw Heinrich Börger claimed

  a Mitchell, Fw Franz Meissl a Spitfire and

  Uffz Anders a P-47 around 1545hrs. During

  the day they lost 11 fighters with three more

  suffering varying degrees of damage. Those

  lost included Hptm Karl-Heinrich Matern (who

  would be awarded the Ritterkreuz the following

  day – he was possibly lost in the morning as

  Hptm Rudolf Wangner was leading the Gruppe

  later that day), Lt Hans-Bodo Busch (Adjutant)

  while Lt Hans Schmidtal, who was leading

  6. Staffel, was wounded. Lt Wolfgang Priebe

  and his radio operator from 4./ZG 1 were

  captured after being shot down by No. 610 Sqn.

  and their interrogation revealed much about

  the Gruppe but by then it was too late. Having

  suffered such heavy losses, one more coming

  on October 14, 1943, when Uffz Max Wichert

  of 6./ZG 1 crashed due to engine failure off

  the Ille D’Ouessant, in November, II./ZG 1, now

  commanded by Ritterkreuz winner Hptm Egon

  Albrecht, former Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel,

  withdrew to Wels where in July 1944 it was

  disbanded to become the Bf 109-equipped

  III./JG 76.

  Text: Chris Goss

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Wasps over the bay

  INFO Eduard28

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  BOXART STORY

  #8232

  In the spring of 1998, a significant event

  occurred in the Finnish Air Force. The

  MiG-21BIS was retired from its arsenal and

  the replacement, the F/A-18C/D Hornet,

  marked a significant shift for Ilmavoimat.

  However, the road to this turning point was

  rather thorny.

  Finland was in a difficult situation after the

  Second World War. Fighting with the Red

  Army during the Winter War and then the

  Continuation War had significantly drained

  its resources and thrown the country into an

  alliance with Nazi Germany in its fighting for

  survival. Finland then fought against Germany

  in the Lapland War after the armistice with

  the USSR in 1944. The Paris Peace Talks in

  1947 limited the post-war development of the

  Finnish air force which was still using old

  Bf 109Gs in the early 1950s. The country did

  not have the funds for modern aircraft, among

  other things because of the reparations paid

  to the USSR. However, in 1952 the purchase

  of six Vampire Mk.52s was agreed by

  government and Ilmavoimat entered the

  jet era. But Vampires were obsolete, and

  the USSR was concerned about the lack

  of protection of its neighbour’s airspace in

  a deteriorating international situation.

  Soviets feared that it could become

  a “gateway” for a possible strike from the

  West. Finland was thus threatened that the

  USSR would use a provision in the 1948 Peace

  Treaty (YYA) to take over the protection of

  Finnish airspace, which would have

  negatively affected Finland’s international

  position. The result was the purchase of

  12 Folland Gnats in 1958.

  In the early 1960s, the Soviet Union attempted

  to persuade Finns to buy the aging MiG-19Ss,

  but Finnish pilots were already familiar with

  the Western machinery, including the J 35D

  Draken or Mirage IIIC thanks to test flights,

  and so the offer was declined. However, the

  financial capabilities of Finland did not allow

  the purchase of these types. On the contrary,

  the acquisition of Soviet equipment would

  have been advantageous due to the possibility

  of repaying it with supplies of goods.

  In October 1961, the USSR sent another note

  to Finland demanding increased protection

  of Finnish airspace, again with a threat of use

  of the provisions of the YYA. After this crisis

  was settled, the USSR offered Finland the

  MiG-21F-13 and on February 1, 1962, a contract

  was signed for the delivery of twenty aircraft,

  the first of which were delivered on April 24,

  1963.

  Just a decade later it was obvious that

  Ilmavoimat would need another upgrade.

  The Saab J 35 Draken was selected as

  a replacement for the Gnats and in the spirit

  of the ongoing policy of diversification, it

  was decided that the replacement for the

  MiG-21F-13 would be procured from the

  USSR. The Finns requested a presentation

  of the available types and were offered MiG-

  23MS and MiG-21bis. The MiG-23 was more

  expensive and its maintenance requirements

  were higher, while the MiG-21 was cheaper

  and already established in Finland. And

  that made the decision. In the autumn of

  1976, Captains Paavo Janhunen and Taisto

  Myöhänen were enabled to test-fly the type

  at the Krasnodar base and a year later

  a contract for 20 aircraft was signed.

  The first two MiG-21BISs landed at Risala

  on September 21, 1978. One of them, coded

  MB-114, was flown to the test center in

  Halli, the other, MB-111, was used for pilot

  conversion training at HävLLv 31 (31st Fighter

  Squadron). Subsequently, the fuselage

  designation of the MiG-21BIS was changed

  from MB to MG, and the remaining 18 aircraft

  were delivered in three batches during 1980.

  The MG-129, which is pictured on the boxart

  by Petr Štěpánek during a landing at Kuopio

  Air Base was part of the second delivery on

  July 17, as was its wingman on the painting,

  coded MG-124. In 1984, it was decided to

  purchase six more aircraft, so in total the

  Ilmavoimat operated 26 MiG-21BISs.

  All the delivered aircraft underwent avionics

  and instrumentation modifications by Valmet.

  The stenciling was translated to Finnish,

  the aircraft received VHF/COM radios and

  altimeters of Western origin, as well as

  VOR/ILS/DME systems and transponders.

  In January 1986, the MiG-21F-13s that had

  served with the Reconnaissance Squadron

  (TiedLLv) were retired and replaced by

  MiG-21BISs modified to carry reconnaissance

  and electronic warfare containers. The

  reconnaissance squadron was disbanded

  in 1996, and two years later all Finnish

  MiG-21BISs were gone…

  Text: Richard Plos

  Illustration: Petr Štěpánek

  Virtue out of necessity

  INFO Eduard

  29

  March 2023

• Page 30

  BOXART STORY #8192

  The Avia B.534 is one of the symbols of the

  determination of Czechoslovakia to stand up

  against the threat of Nazism that had gripped

  Germany, and the threat of its spread to other

  nations in Europe. The attempts to rip away the

  border regions of Czechoslovakia were obvious

  from the mid thirties and diplomatic rifts were

  the order of the day. A strong fighter force was

  the only way to deter German aggression from

  the air and to make negotiating meaningful. The

  Czechoslovak industry lacked the capacity to

  develop and especially to produce a fast, single

  engine fighter that could hold its own against

  the Bf 109 and the fast German bombers of the

  Luftwaffe. For this reason, the nation turned to

  the more multi-functional Avia B.534 biplane.

  The aircraft’s prototype, designed by

  Frantisek Novotny, first flew in May 25,

  1933. It displayed a very good rate of climb,

  excellent maneuverability, and, for that

  time, a good maximum speed, approaching

  250mph. Its performance exceeded those

  of its competition from Praga and Letov. The

  initial versions had an open cockpit which later

  was covered, and there was an evolution in the

  aircraft’s armament, engine cooling system,

  propeller and on-board equipment. The

  currently available kit represents the epitome

  of the B.534, not including the cannon armed

  Bk.534 which never saw the installation of the

  cannon firing through the propeller hub, and

  so production versions were only armed with

  three machine guns instead of four.

  The B.534 entered service at the beginning

  of 1935. AT the time of increasing tensions

  provoked by Germany, 27 aircraft were loaned

  by the army to border guard units. The main

  acceptance of the type into service took

  part in the immediate pre-war years, seeing

  a growth in numbers from 326 at the beginning

  of September, 1938 to 443 in March, 1939.

  The family tree of the type in production can

  be divided into four blocks, plus the planned

  cannon armed Bk.534.

  The B.534s played their role during both

  Czechoslovak mobilization periods in May and

  September, 1938. Their pilots were ready and

  willing to protect their freedom. As a result

  of the complete betrayal by Czechoslovakia’s

  legally bound allies Great Britain and France,

  culminating in the Munich Agreement and

  the dismemberment and occupation of

  Bohemia and Moravia, the B.534 never got the

  opportunity to put up a fight. In fact, the B.534

  became a welcomed prize for the Germans that

  pressed them into service in their own units

  and in those of their allies. The type was used

  by the Luftwaffe, primarily in the advanced

  training role, and was supplied to Slovakia and

  Bulgaria, as well as to a lesser extent, Greece.

  The exception to this are three B.534s that

  were used during the Slovak National Uprising

  against the Germans, an event that brought

  about the last air to air victory to be achieved

  by a biplane fighter in history.

  The painting by Martin Novotny takes us back

  to the summer of 1937, where the clear sky

  represents the fragile calm, but history tells us

  that storm clouds were gathering on the other

  side of the border. The aircraft bearing the

  serial number 534.208 was first flown on July

  1, 1937 by factory test pilot Oldrich Kosar, and

  two days later was handed over to Air Force

  reps. On July 13, 1937, the aircraft was ferried

  to Kbely, from where it made its way to the 2nd

  Aviation Regiment at Olomouc, and was later

  assigned to the 36th Flight.

  There, it served with this unit on September

  6, 1937, when during a formation flight

  over Hostynske Vrchy at 6,500m there was

  a collision involving two B.534s. Jaroslav

  Sodek, later to become a Czechoslovak

  member of the RAF, collided with aircraft

  serialed 208 while flying aircraft B.534.035

  as a result of being blinded by the sun. He

  collided with the second Avia from the left

  and from behind. The Flight Leader, flying that

  second plane, was Sgt. Julius Zaoral, who was

  able to nurse his plane back to Olomouc and

  land, while Sodek had to take to his chute. The

  damage to the aircraft flown by the Sergeant

  was restricted to both the upper and lower

  left wing and included the interwing struts.

  The aircraft was repaired and pressed back

  into service, only to be later taken over by the

  Germans.

  Although the B.534 by 1938/39 would not have

  the opportunity to stand up to the aggressor,

  the same could not be said of its pilots. They

  were, to varying degrees, involved in domestic

  resistance, and significantly left to oppose

  the Germans in foreign services of allies that

  took them to Poland, France, Africa, the Soviet

  Union, the far east, and most notably, Great

  Britain.

  That, though, leads to other events through

  history, with which you can get acquainted

  through other Eduard kits.

  Text: Jan Zdiarský

  Illustration: Martin Novotný

  The Calm Before the Storm

  INFO Eduard30

  March 2023

• Page 31

  BOXART STORY

  #11170

  When Operation Watchtower was launched

  on August 7, 1942, a “green hell” was waiting

  for the men of the 1st Marine Division

  under the command of Maj. Gen. Alexander

  Vandegrift on Guadalcanal. Though only 2,000

  Japanese stood against 6,000 Marines, their

  fanatical determination did not waver even

  after fighting for 36 hours, when American

  forces had captured most of the island,

  including the airfield under construction. The

  landing was strongly supported by naval and

  air forces, with the USS Enterprise’s pilots

  making 237 combat sorties that day, others

  added by the pilots from the USS Saratoga.

  After the Enterprise withdrew from the area,

  the aerial support weakened and the Marines

  on the island suffered intense bombing.

  No wonder they were eagerly awaiting the

  arrival of the fighters. Those arrived on

  August 20, when VMF-223 Wildcats landed

  at Henderson Field.

  Air combat and on-site accidents quickly

  reduced the numbers of aircraft and just

  ten days after arrival there were only five

  of the 19 Wildcats left. Even later, after the

  arrival of reinforcements, the numbers of

  airworthy Wildcats were rapidly decreasing.

  The pilots had no choice and no Wildcat from

  Guadalcanal can be attributed to a particular

  pilot. In the case of the GUADALCANAL

  Limited kit, we solved this in a jokey way:

  Where possible, we assigned a specific pilot

  to the aircraft he flew in a known event.

  The third most successful fighter of the

  campaign, Capt. Marion Carl, would certainly

  deserve “his” marking in the kit. But

  concerning the Wildcat often attributed to

  him, it’s complicated.

  The aircraft with the number 2 on the

  fuselage and nineteen kill marks under the

  cockpit (marking F) was most likely one he

  ever flew with. According to the testimony

  of historians who spoke with the famous

  ace, Carl said that this aircraft in the well-

  known photographs was in fact an “hangar

  queen” pulled out of the hangar at Espiritu

  Santo to be photographed with the hero by

  the media. For this purpose, the nineteen kill

  mark stickers were applied. The media then

  reportedly took a lot of pictures of Marion

  Carl at “his” Wildcat. But ...

  No matter how much you are searching,

  you won’t find a proof photo of Carl with this

  aircraft. Which is strange. In one famous

  photograph, a man is squatting on the wing,

  half undressed, wearing a crumpled cap.

  It’s said to be Marion Carl. But would a pilot,

  an officer, present himself to the media like

  that? Hardly ... In several other photos, sitting

  in the cockpit or standing on the wing is Tech

  Sgt R. W. Greenwood. The photo of him in the

  cockpit was published in Stars and Stripes

  magazine during the war. Firstly with the

  caption “unknown soldier in the cockpit of

  a Wildcat on Guadalcanal”. When the editors

  found out who it was through a letter from a

  sergeant’s fellow, they published the photo

  again, this time with his name. The mention

  of Guadalcanal remained and according to

  the sergeant’s son, his father never disputed

  that fact. But historians say this Wildcat

  never made it to Guadalcanal! But the picture

  with Greenwood shows the kill marks were

  worn out and the surroundings on the photo

  of the whole aircraft looks like Henderson

  field rather than Espiritu Santo airfield.

  What’s more, even the official US Navy

  archive dates the photo to February 2, 1943.

  At this time Carl was gone from Guadalcanal

  for some four months! So, there are many

  questions regarding this aircraft. It is

  sometimes also attributed to the CO of

  VMF-223, Maj. John L.Smith, because he

  achieved nineteen kills, which corresponds

  to the number of kill marks. But he was also

  no longer on Guadalcanal in February.

  We may never know the full truth about the

  Wildcat with number 2, but that uncertainty

  makes it an attractive option as well. We

  have, however, chosen other Wildcats for

  the boxart. The one in the background was

  “Swede” Vejtasa’s personal mount (marking

  A). For the foreground we have chosen an

  aircraft that was only marginally related

  to Guadalcanal, as it was used by 1/Lt. S.

  B. Folsom shortly after he left the island

  (marking H). But there are not many Wildcats

  with such a nice nose art, so it was an

  obvious choice. The author of the Wildcats on

  the boxart of the kit 11170 is Adam Tooby and

  he did a great job, which is supported by the

  graphics by Jan Zdiarsky. Twelve markings

  and two complete kits are what is waiting for

  the modeler inside the box ...

  Text: Richard Plos

  Illustration: Adam Tooby

  Graphic design: Jan Zdiarsky

  Guardians

  INFO Eduard

  31

  March 2023

• Page 32

  #82126

  Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP

  1/48

  ProfiPACK edition kit of British WWII fighter plane Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP

  in 1/48 scale. Kit presents tropical version of famous Spitfire Mk.Vc

  flying in the RAF, SAAF, USAAF and RAAF.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 6

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard32

  March 2023

• Page 33

  BR301, Sgt. George F. Beurling, No. 249 Squadron,

  RAF Hal Far, Malta, July 1942

  BR476, S/Ldr Jefferson H. Wedgwood, No. 92 Squadron,

  RAF LG. 173, Egypt, August–October 1942

  JG959, Lt. McClellan E. S. Robinson, No. 1 Squadron SAAF,

  Ben Gardane, Tunis, April 1943

  Spitfire Mk.Vc serial number BR301 was one of the most

  successful Spitfires fighting on Malta. The aircraft came

  from the batch of Spitfires flying off the aircraft carrier USS

  Wasp (CV-7) on May 9, 1942, during the operation Bowery.

  Like a majority of Spitfires delivered for the operation

  Bowery, BR301 had the blue shade of Dark Mediterranean

  Blue applied already on board of the carrier having the

  original desert scheme (Dark Earth and Middle Stone)

  shown slightly through. The lower surfaces were re-

  painted in Sky Blue including the national markings. The

  original armament consisting of four cannons was reduced

  to two in the wing inner gun bays and two machine guns

  were installed outwards. BR301 coded UF

  -

  S first served

  with No. 601 Squadron however its greatest glory awaited

  it at No. 249 Squadron where it was transferred. Here it

  became an “aircraft of the Aces”. Between July 7 and July

  13 P/O John McElroy claimed four aerial victories flying

  it and on July 27, a rising star, Sgt. George Beurling shot

  down four enemy aircraft in one mission and two days

  later he claimed another kill with BR301. During the month

  of July S/Ldr Richard Mitchell and F/Sgt John Rae claimed

  further kills. On July 29, BR301 was damaged beyond

  repair and struck of charge having flown 54 hours.

  Jefferson Heywood Wedgwood was born on May 28, 1917,

  in London. He was educated at Holyrood School, Bognor

  and Lancing Colleges. In March 1936 he joined the RAF

  and a year later he became a staff pilot at No. 2 Air

  Armament School in North Coates. After a brief stint at

  No. 65 Squadron, he was transferred as an instructor to

  No. 12 Group Pool in Aston Down. On July 18, 1940, Wedgwood

  was assigned to No. 253 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey

  with which he took part in the famous Battle of Britain.

  During the month of September, he destroyed a Bf 110 and

  cooperated in destroying five Ju 88s and three Do 17s.

  At the end of September, he was ordered to Vickers

  Supermarine where he flew as a Production Test Pilot but

  on October 10 he was transferred to the RAF Czechoslovak

  Depot in Cosford as a flight instructor. In January 1942

  he assumed command of the No. 92 Squadron in Digby.

  In February the unit was transferred to the Near East

  and in April it arrived in Egyptian Fayid. For several

  month the unit was without any airplanes and as of

  July 2 the pilots were attached to the No. 80 Squadron

  in the Western Desert to gain the operational experience.

  Finally, in the end of August 1942, the tropicalized Spitfires

  arrived. Between August 14 and October 29 Wedgwood

  destroyed eight Bf 109s and damaged another eight. For

  his accomplishments he was awarded DFC. On December

  17, 1942 he was on board of a Halifax Mk.II from No. 138

  Squadron as a passenger flying back to the Great Britain

  but the aircraft crashed near Żejtun on Malta. It is highly

  probable that it was shot down by a friendly AA fire and

  all on board perished. Jefferson Wedgwood is buried in the

  Navy cemetery in Capuccini on Malta.

  Pilot’s full name was McClellan Eric Sutton Robinson, and

  his usual nickname was “Robbie”. He was born on February

  26, 1919, in Johannesburg. His first operational unit was No.

  1 Squadron SAAF flying Hurricanes. He was assigned to the

  unit in August 1942 and remained flying with it for a year. On

  November 2, 1942, he achieved his first combat success when

  he shared victory over a Ju 87. After he converted to Spitfire

  Mk.V, between January and April 1943, he added another five

  victories to his score. After that he had bad luck for the first

  time when on July 14, 1943, he was shot down by a friendly fire

  of a USAAF P-38 and had to bail out over the Mediterranean sea.

  He got lucky though as he was fished out by the crew of a Greek

  destroyer. In September 1943, at the end of his tour of duty,

  Robinson was awarded DFC and sent back to the Great Britain

  where he assumed the post of a flight instructor at No. 11 OTU.

  On November 14, 1944, the bad luck struck again as he collided

  mid-air with one of his students flying Kittyhawk, crashed and

  was killed. All his personal Spitfires carried the inscription

  CireCooks on the port side which was the combination of his

  first name and last name of his fiancé. Number VI indicated

  it was the sixth airplane christened with this name. On April

  22, 1943, flying this aircraft, Robinson shot down two Bf 109Fs.

  During his combat career he shot down in total five enemy

  aircraft plus one probable and one aircraft damaged.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  33

  March 2023

• Page 34

  Lt. Luis T. Zendegui, 2nd FS, 52nd FG, 12th AF,

  La Sabala, Tunis, Winter 1942–1943

  MH592, S/Ldr Hinko Šoić, NOVJ No. 352 (Yugoslav)

  Squadron, Vis, Yugoslav, January–February 1945

  A58-137 (EE835), F/Lt David H. Hopton, No. 79 Squadron

  RAAF, Kiriwina, Trobriand Islands, October 1943

  One of the successful pilots flying with 2nd FS was Cpt.

  Luis Zendegui who scored his first victory on December 25,

  1942, during the dogfight with Mc.202. During his service

  with 2nd FS he was credited with three confirmed kills

  and he damaged another two enemy aircraft. Zendegui’s

  Spitfire carried the pilot’s name on the drop tank and

  the American flag on the fuselage sides. The original

  British cockades on wings and fin flash on the vertical

  tail surface remained intact. The squadron white codes

  QP were not yet applied on Spitfires during this period.

  Some sources assign serial number ER148 to this Spitfire,

  however it cannot be found in the database of the Spitfires’

  serial numbers.

  No. 352 (Yugoslav) Squadron was the first Yugoslav fighter

  unit established at Royal Air Force in Mediterranean

  during WWII. This unit is also known as the Prva Eskadrila

  NOVJ. In June it converted to Spitfires Mk.Vb/Vc and

  in August the unit was transferred to Italy to join RAF

  No. 281 Wing and provide the escort for the fighter-bomber

  squadrons. As of January 25, 1945, it was deployed to the

  forward base on the island of Vis. Due to the absence of

  the Luftwaffe aircraft the Yugoslav Spitfires had very little

  opportunities for the air combat and for the rest of war

  they flew the ground attack missions. Šoić’s Spitfire MH592

  sported the type “B” desert camouflage scheme and as

  the only Yugoslav Spitfire featured the Aboukir dust filter

  (the rest of the aircraft featured Vokes filters). Also, Hinko

  Šoić as one of very few Yugoslav pilots encountered the

  enemy aircraft and in the cooperation with another three

  pilots shot down a Henschel Hs 126 on March 20, 1945. In

  this Spitfire he flew 73 missions altogether, further six

  missions were flown by other No. 352 (Yugoslav) Squadron

  pilots.

  Spitfire serial number EE835 arrived in Australia on

  April 13, 1943. Before it was delivered to the combat unit

  it had been repainted in Foliage Green/Earth Brown/Sky

  Blue. In May it was handed over to the No. 79 Squadron

  RAAF as A58-137 and the code letters UP

  -

  T were applied.

  It was assigned to F/Lt David Hopton who christened his

  new Spitfire by the phrase “Down with everything” and

  had a naked girl painted on the port side of the fuselage.

  Hopton flew this Spitfire until November 28, 1943, when

  the fuselage drop tank was not released correctly and

  damaged the aircraft’s tail. The repaired airplane was

  returned to the service in October 1944, assigned to No. 85

  Squadron and coded SH

  -

  W. The camouflage was stripped,

  and it flew in the natural metal color finish. On February

  26, 1945, during the landing at Guildford, the pilot F/O

  B. O’Connell collided with another Spitfire and A58-137

  was struck off charge.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard34

  March 2023

• Page 35

  Recommended:

  for Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP 1/48

  481065 Spitfire Mk.V landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1207 Spitfire Mk.V seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644113 Spitfire Mk.V LööK (Brassin)

  648098 Spitfire wheels - 5 spoke (Brassin)

  648119 Spitfire wheels - 5 spoke, smooth tire (Brassin)

  648663 Spitfire Mk.V cockpit (Brassin)

  648664 Spitfire Mk.V wheels (Brassin)

  648666 Spitfire Mk.Vc gun bays (Brassin)

  648667 Spitfire Mk.V three-stacks exhausts rounded (Brassin)

  648668 Spitfire Mk.V three-stacks exhausts fishtail (Brassin)

  648669 Spitfire Mk.V six-stacks exhausts fishtail (Brassin)

  648671 Spitfire Mk.Vc undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648738 Spitfire Mk.V landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)

  D48088 Spitfire Mk.V stencils (Decal Set)

  Cat. No. 648671

  Cat. No. 644113

  Cat. No. 648666

  Cat. No. 648119

  Cat. No. 648667

  Cat. No. 648663

  OVERTREES

  #82158X

  Spitfire Mk.Vc/Vc TROP

  1/48

  Product page

  OVERLEPT

  #82126-LEPT

  Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP PE

  -

  Set

  1/48

  Product page

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  35

  March 2023

• Page 36

  GUADALCANAL

  Limited edition kit of US carrier based

  fighter F4F-4 Wildcat early and late

  production in 1/48 scale. Kit presents

  Wildcats from United States Navy and

  Marine Corps participating in the fighting

  for Guadalcanal.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 12

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  #11170

  1/48

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard36

  March 2023

• Page 37

  Lt. Stanley W. Vejtasa, VF-10, USS Enterprise,

  April 1943

  BuNo. 5192, Ens. Mortimer Kleinmann jr.,

  VF-5, USS Saratoga, August

  Capt. Joseph J. Foss, VMF-121, Henderson Field,

  Guadalcanal, October–November 1942

  Unusual surname and blond hair were equally responsible

  for the nickname “Swede” for Stanley Winifield Vejtasa,

  a man with strong Czech roots as a grandson of

  immigrants from then part of the Austria-Hungary

  Empire. He made himself famous when he managed to

  shoot down three Zeros while leading a formation of

  eight SBD-3s tasked with the air cover of the US ships

  during the Battle of the Coral Sea. This achievement

  gave him opportunity to join VF-10 fighting squadron

  as its Operations Officer. There he scored seven more

  kills during the Guadalcanal campaign on board of the

  USS Enterprise. After the war he enjoyed a great career,

  making him the Captain of USS Constellation and CO of

  the Miramar base. He retired in 1970 and died on January

  23, 2012, at the age of 98. The Wildcat No. 79 took over

  the starboard side panel with eight kill marks from the

  No. 19 (BuNo. 03417) Vejtasa used before. Ninth kill mark

  was added on November 13, when he shot down one

  huge Kawanishi Type 97 Mavis flying boat. Some of the

  Wildcats sported the kill marks on both sides, but only

  starboard of this Wildcat is known. This hangs question

  mark on their port side presence. Also, the white vertical

  rudder strip is not sure for the period of the early 1943.

  This is a reconstruction of the aircraft, assigned to and

  usually flown by Ens. Mortimer “Junior” Kleinmann. But

  on August 7, 1942, during the rush to take off against

  Japanese bombers as soon as possible, Lt. James Julien

  “Pug” Southerland jumped the plane and took it off against

  the enemy. He managed to shoot down two bombers but

  during the consecutive dogfight with Zero he learned his

  guns would not fire, probably due to the damage from fire

  by the tail gunner of the bomber. To make the things even

  worse, two more Zeros joined the fight. Pug was able to

  outmaneuver them, but the melee was spotted by Saburo

  Sakai. The Wildcat was hit by numerous shells from

  machine guns and cannons, but kept flying, until a Zero

  gave him a burst into the left-wing root setting it afire.

  “Pug” bailed out over the enemy territory of western part

  of Guadalcanal. Wounded and weaponless he managed

  to escape the Japanese soldiers thanks to the help of

  natives and was evacuated from Henderson Field on

  August 20, 1942. Later he added three more victories with

  F6F-5 and died in flying accident on October 12, 1949.

  Mortimer Kleinmann achieved two kills during the time

  USS Saratoga was taking part in Guadalcanal campaign.

  This is one of the Wildcats of VMF-121 the highest-scoring

  ace of the Guadalcanal campaign, Capt. Joseph Jacobs

  Foss, used during the combat missions. The Bureau Number

  is unknown, but we know Foss scored with nine different

  Wildcats. This speaks of itself as the Marine pilots on

  Guadalcanal did not have the luxury of assigned aircraft. Not

  even the best ones. The fierce combats, harsh environment

  and other factors made the Wildcats rather consumable

  goods, and the pilots simply jumped the closest airworthy

  aircraft. Joe Foss, former flying instructor, joined VMF-121

  on August 11, 1942 and was promoted to Captain on the same

  day. He arrived at Guadalcanal on October 9 and four days

  later scored his first victory, shooting down a Zero. His score

  was rising, as he shot down 16 enemies during October and

  prior to his farewell to the island his score raised to 23. He

  had to bail out himself on November 7 after shooting down

  one Rufe and two float biplanes and made it back to the base

  in three days. The VMF-121 left Guadalcanal on November

  19, but Joe returned to Guadalcanal for his final tour there

  from January 1 to January 26, 1943. Adding three more kills,

  he became the highest scoring USMC ace of WWII. After

  the war, he served in the South Dakota Air National Guard,

  which he helped to organize. Later he turned to politics and

  was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives

  but returned to the duty during Korean war. In 1954, Foss

  was elected Governor of South Dakota. He passed away on

  January 1, 2003.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  37

  March 2023

• Page 38

  BuNo.02062, Mach. Donald E. Runyon, VF-6,

  USS Enterprise, September 1942

  1/Lt. Jefferson J. DeBlanc, VMF-112/121, Henderson Field,

  Guadalcanal, January 1943

  Guadalcanal, Henderson Field,

  early 1943

  Donald Eugene Runyon was a petty officer Aviation

  Machinists Mate 1/c and he was so skilled he had officers

  for wingmen. He scored six times with Wildcat. This one

  served him well to get two of his victories at the very

  start of the Guadalcanal campaign on August 8, when he

  shot down Zero and Betty. A day before, he also shot down

  two enemies with aircraft BuNo. 02125. He joined VF-3 in

  December 1942 and stayed with the unit until April 1943.

  He did not achieve any aerial victories with the unit, but

  the things changed when he joined VF-18 based on the

  USS Bunker Hill in September 1943. There, already flying

  Hellcats, he added three more kills to finish the war with

  11 victories. He was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade)

  rank in May 1943 and to Lieutenant on July 1, 1944. He was

  a test pilot at Moffett Field from July 1945 to July 1946 and

  served with several units until July 1964, when he retired

  in the rank of Commander. The Wildcat BuNo. 02062 sported

  the unusual painting of the tombstone with 41 Japanese

  roundels symbolizing total score of the VF-6 during their

  fighting of Guadalcanal Campaign. Such a painting sported

  only nine Wildcats of the unit, the ones which stayed on the

  deck of the USS Enterprise on her route from the Solomons

  to Hawai. Other Wildcats were flown to USS Saratoga or to

  Guadalcanal.

  During his two tours of duty, Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc

  scored nine kills in the combats during the Guadalcanal and

  Okinawa campaigns. That made him 11th highest scoring

  Marines ace. During his mission on January 31, 1943, when

  escorting SBSs to attack Japanese ships, he detected

  a serious fuel leak, which made his return to base

  unlikely. He requested that rescue forces be altered and

  continued the mission, which resulted in a fierce combat

  with Japanese Ki-43 Oscars. DeBlanc managed to shoot

  down five of them but was wounded and had to bail out

  himself from his crippled and smoking Wildcat. After many

  mishaps he finally managed to get back to the base and to

  the hospital on February 12. This Wildcat also received an

  enemy burst. It happened on November 12, 1942, with 1/Lt.

  Sam Folsom at the controls. He managed to get it home and

  the Wildcat was repaired. Mechanics used white aircraft-

  fabric patches to cover the bullet holes, but the patches

  lost their white color soon in harsh, dusty environment…

  DeBlanc was one of the pilots to use it, although it was

  assigned to VMF-121, while he was a member of VMF-112.

  Although good photos of this Wildcat are available, there are

  many questions regarding its identity. Usually, the aircraft

  is referred to 1/Lt. Marion Carl of VMF-223 or the CO of

  this unit, Maj. John L. Smith. Both were bright stars of the

  early stage of the Guadalcanal campaign amongst USMC

  pilots. The VMF-223 was the first one to land on Henderson

  Field together with VMSB-232. From August 20 they were

  frantically fighting Japanese aircraft until late October.

  Carl got 16,5 of them, Smith 19. That’s one of the reasons

  this Wildcat is sometimes referred to latter, as it sports 19

  kill marks. But the photos are dated to February 1943 when

  the VMF-223 was gone from Guadalcanal. According to

  some sources, Carl himself stated this aircraft was a non-

  airworthy aircraft he used for photo session with media at

  Espiritu Santo, following the end of the tour on Guadalcanal

  (i.e., in second half of October). Together with a mechanic,

  they reportedly put 19 kill mark stickers on. But there are no

  photos of Carl with this aircraft or in the cockpit ... More to

  it, other photos show visibly stained kill marks, one of them

  dated to March 22, 1943. Conclusion? It might be operational

  aircraft changing units and sporting the kills of all the pilots

  flying it. Or it might be really used for some photo session

  on Espiritu Santo in late October, but repaired and sent to

  Guadalcanal, keeping these kill marks applied. There were

  repairs on the right wing and on the fuselage, while roundel

  on the upper side of the left half of the wing showed some

  damage.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard38

  March 2023

• Page 39

  Nose arts were rare on the Navy and Marines aircraft,

  especially during the Guadalcanal campaign, where was

  no time or resources to “play” with drawings. The Wildcat

  with the painting of Popeye on the port side of the engine

  cowling is one of rare exceptions, but it was not painted

  on Guadalcanal. In fact, the aircraft was part of the

  VMF-111 inventory, the unit which was operating on Samoa.

  Sam Folsom had the Popeye painted on the engine cowl

  when he was assigned to the unit as an instructor after

  his combat tour at Guadalcanal. The aircraft is sometimes

  portrayed with “winged” roundels, which is not correct.

  At the time the photographs of the Popeye Wildcat were

  shot, is still sported the original roundels. Folsom was

  rather inexperienced pilot when he was thrown with

  others of VFM-122 into the battle of the Solomon Islands,

  but he was progressing rapidly. He stayed there for three

  months and was wounded twice. He scored his first kill on

  November 11, when he shot down a Zero. Just a day later,

  he shot down a Mitsubishi Betty bomber and added another

  one to finish the war with three victories.

  Bill Leonard took part in the battles at Coral Sea and

  Midway, where he made himself an ace during his service

  with VF-42 and VF-3. In August 1942 he joined new VF-11

  squadron and became its Operations Officer. He served

  at Guadalcanal in 1943 and added two more kills to his

  tally. It happened on June 12, 1943, when he shot down

  two Zeros flying this aircraft and this achievement made

  him the ace. After his three-month tour in Guadalcanal, he

  was transferred to Samoa, ending his time with VMF-121.

  Leonard’s Wildcat sported the Sun Downers symbol painted

  on both sides as well as four kill marks (six after June

  12). The panels with the VF-11 symbol and port side under

  the cockpit were repainted, probably by fresh camouflage

  color. The same pays to the area of the fuselage code.

  BuNo. 12034, VMF-221, Henderson Field,

  Guadalcanal, February 1943

  1/Lt Samuel B. Folsom, VMF-121,

  Samoa, spring 1943

  BuNo. 11985, Lt. (jg) William N. Leonard,

  VF-11, Guadalcanal, June 1943

  This aircraft is usually attributed to 1/Lt. James E. Swett,

  a member of VMF-221. The squadron was based at Marine

  Corps Base Ewa on Oahu, Hawai in early 1943, from where

  they moved to the island of Espiritu Santo aboard the USS

  Nassau. Most probably during their stay at Espiritu Santo,

  various arts were painted on the vertical fins of some of

  the squadron’s Wildcats. In the case of No. 77, the painting

  was probably inspired by “Hairless Joe” from Al Capp’s

  strips made for L’il Abner satiric strips (it was painted

  on the port side only). The squadron was moving to

  Guadalcanal in stages from February 1943 and there the

  “tail arts” became a thorn in the side of the commanding

  officers. So, probably not long after arrival, an order

  was issued to remove all the paintings. Lt. Swett was

  a leader of one of flights of VMF-221. He took off for his

  first combat flight on April 7 when the Japanese made

  a massive raid, sending approximately 70 bombers

  against Guadalcanal, covered by more than hundred

  Zeros. More than a hundred of American naval and Army

  fighters took off to defend the island, and the most

  successful among them was Swett, who managed to

  shoot down seven Val bombers before having to bail out

  himself. This was his only encounter with enemy aircraft

  in the cockpit of a Wildcat, as he subsequently switched

  to the Corsair and achieved 15.5 kills during his 103 total

  combat missions in WW II.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  39

  March 2023

• Page 40

  Lt. (jg) Francis R. Register, VF-11, VC-21,

  USS Nassau, May 1943

  VF-11, Guadalcanal, May 1943

  Lt. (jg), Charles R. Stimpson, VF-11,

  Guadalcanal, June 1943

  Francis Ronald Register enlisted to Navy on February 17,

  1941, and joined the VF-3 squadron on January 4, 1942.

  While still on USS Saratoga, he changed the unit for VF-6

  and saw combat in the Eastern Solomons. He managed

  to shoot down two aircraft on August 24, one of them

  identified as Zero and the other strangely as “Me 109”.

  After the Saratoga was torpedoed on August 31, he joined

  VF-5, based at the Guadalcanal, and added two more

  victories on September 12 and 13. Two weeks later he

  entered the prominent club of fighter aces by shooting

  down two Zeros and prior to leaving the “Death Island”,

  he added two more victories and one probable. On March

  23 “Cash”, as was his nickname joined his old VF-3 unit

  but was detached to Composite Squadron 21 (VC-21) just

  four days later. On board of USS Nassau, he was set to

  participate in the Aleutian Campaign, but perished there in

  the flying accident. The aircraft he boarded the USS Nassau

  sported seven kill marks from the Gauadalcanal, and the

  white stripes on the horizontal and vertical stabilizers,

  distinguishing the aircraft of the fights for Attu Island.

  Register’s diary describing in the raw manner the harsh

  living on Guadalcanal is available on Internet.

  As there were not too many possibilities and opportunities

  to adorn the aircraft with any personal paintings, the

  Wildcats on Guadalcanal were uniform regardless the

  unit. But there were some attempts to make the aircraft at

  least a little bit specific by easier means. This F4F-4 is an

  example as the page from the 1943 Esquire calendar with

  the January girl painted by the famous Alberto Vargas was

  glued to the port side of the engine cowling. More to it,

  on starboard side the inscription “Nylorac” was painted

  (a slang word meaning somebody who gets close personally,

  then betrays and hurts you). The short movie shows

  Lt. Gordon Cady standing by this Wildcat, but it is the only

  indication about any link between this Wildcat and him.

  The VF-11 was divided into flights of four aircraft and Cady

  was leading the second one, which assigned his aircraft

  number 5, while No. 17 was the aircraft of the leader of the

  5th flight, Lt. Raymond “Sully” Vogel. But Vogel damaged

  his Wildcat in the collision with the aircraft of Lt. (jg)

  Maxwell on May 2, 1943 and “the new No. 17” might be

  the Nylorac … Cady shot down two Zeros and Vogel added

  another one kill in the same combat on June 7.

  Charles Russell Stimpson was 16-victory ace, ranking

  him eighth in the Navy list of aces, sharing this position

  with Ira Kepford. Stimpson enlisted in the Navy on June

  17, 1941, the pilot training followed. He joined newly formed

  VF-11 in the summer of 1942 and served with the unit until

  February 1945. He served at Guadalcanal from May to July

  1943, achieving six victories there. His maiden fighter

  success came on June 16, when he shot down four Vals

  flying this aircraft. According to some sources, he was

  flying Wildcat BuNo. 12163 at the time. Four kill marks

  were applied under the cockpit of the aircraft named

  “Missie” of the unknown BuNo. It might be the 12163 but it

  is not certain. Stimpson shot down two Zeros in July 1943

  in the cockpit of the same aircraft and added ten more

  kills in 1944, while still with VF-11 but flying Hellcats. After

  serving as a flight instructor from April to September

  1945, he was released from active duty on October 11, 1945.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard40

  March 2023

• Page 41

  Recommended:

  for GUADALCANAL 1/48

  481093 F4F-4 landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1290 F4F seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644164 F4F-4 LööK (Brassin)

  648756 F4F 42gal ventral drop tank PRINT (Brassin)

  648769 F4F gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)

  648779 F4F undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648803 F4F-4 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)

  648815 F4F-4 wheels early (Brassin)

  648816 F4F-4 wheels late (Brassin)

  648817 F4F-4 landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)

  648818 F4F-4 folding wings PRINT (Brassin)

  648820 F4F-4 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)

  648828 F4F-4 engine PRINT (Brassin)

  648829 F4F-4 wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)

  3DL48090 F4F-4 SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX904 F4F-4 TFace (Mask)

  OVERLEPT

  #11170-LEPT

  GUADALCANAL PE-set

  1/48

  Product page

  Cat. No. 644164

  Cat. No. 648756

  Cat. No. 648820

  Cat. No. 648828

  Cat. No. 648817

  Cat. No. 648815

  Cat. No. 648803

  Cat. No. 648769

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  41

  March 2023

• Page 42

  Bf 109E-4

  ProfiPACK edition kit of German WWII

  fighter plane Bf 109E-4 in 1/72 scale.

  plastic parts: Hobby Boss

  marking options: 6

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  #7033

  1/72

  Product page

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard42

  March 2023

• Page 43

  WNr. 5819, Obstlt. Adolf Galland, CO of JG 26,

  Audembert, France, October–December 1940

  WNr. 1559, Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar,

  CO of 7./JG 27, Carquebut, France, July 1940

  WNr. 5587, Ofw. Fritz Beeck, 6./ JG 51,

  Wissant, France, August 1940

  Adolf Galland, the ace and future General, flew the

  portrayed Emil during through fall of 1940 up to the

  beginning of 1941. He was CO of III. Gruppe at the time,

  later he took command of the entire JG 26. The tactical

  markings on the aircraft kept pace with these promotions.

  The standard camouflage of RLM 02/71/65 was darkened

  on the fuselage sides with RLM 02/71. The yellow cowling

  was complemented by the yellow rudder which also

  sported kill marks. The surface area of the original RLM

  65 was not large enough for them, and so the yellow

  was oversprayed with fresh RLM 65 for the next row of

  kill marks. The most typical changes for WNr. 5819 at this

  time came with the personal emblem of Mickey Mouse

  and most of all the installation of the ZFR-4 telescope

  (installed together with the regular Revi). It didn’t serve

  as an actual sight as it did for the identification of distant

  aircraft. After the death of Werner Mölders Galland

  replaced him as the German fighter force commander

  (General der Jagdflieger). Later he became famous for

  locking horns with Hermann Göring. He established JV 44

  at the end of the war, the unit well known for its Me 262 jet

  fighters and colorful Fw 190Ds. Galland managed to shoot

  down 104 enemy airplanes and was awarded with Knight

  Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.

  The future Knight Cross with Oak Leaves recipient Wilhelm

  Balthasar was born on February 2, 1914, in Fulda. In 1933 he

  joined Reichswehr, in 1935 he was transferred to Luftwaffe

  by his own request and underwent the pilot training. During

  the Spanish Civil War, he initially served with bomber and

  reconnaissance units, since September 1937 with fighter

  detachment of the Legion Condor. In March 1938 he returned

  to Germany. At the outbreak of World War II Oblt. Balthasar

  served as 1. Staffel JG 1 commander. This unit saw combat for

  the first time during the offensive against The Netherlands,

  Belgium and France. It was the time when Balthasar

  demonstrated his marksman skills as he shot down 23

  enemies during the Western Europe campaign. As of June 5,

  1./JG 1 was re-designated as 7./JG 27. On September 1, 1940,

  he was promoted to command III./JG 3 and in the air battles

  over the Southern England he achieved further seventeen

  kills. In the meantime, on February 16, 1941, he was appointed

  Commanding Officer of JG 2. Balthasar run out of his luck

  during the combat with the RAF fighters over Aire on July 3,

  1941. In the dive, the wing of his Bf 109F-4 wing collapsed and

  Balthasar perished at the impact with the ground. Balthasar’s

  aircraft, camouflaged in RLM 71/02/65 colors, carried the

  non-standard marking on the engine cowling. There is

  a unit marking painted under the windshield, kill markings

  are painted on the vertical tail surface and rudder.

  Simple but effective camouflage adorned this aircraft that

  was shot down with Ofw. Fritz Beeck at the controls in the

  vicinity of East Langdon shortly after noon on August 28,

  1940. It was during the second escort mission of the day

  that culminated in combat with RAF fighters in which the

  engine of Yellow 10 was hit. After an unavoidable forced

  landing, the aircraft, in relatively good shape, was made

  otherwise by civilian vandals and allied soldiers before

  it could be inspected by RAF experts. Light blue sides of

  the RLM 02/71/65 fuselage scheme were sprayed with the

  upper surface colors. Yellow identification colors, typical for

  mid-August 1940, were applied to the wing tips, horizontal

  tail surfaces, and top portion of the fin. Because the aircraft

  in question belonged to 6. Staffel, tactical numbering and

  the background II./JG 51 “Gott strafe England” emblem were

  yellow. Three victory marks on the left side were in white.

  It is not out of the question that these also appeared on the

  right side, but documentation is lacking.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  43

  March 2023

• Page 44

  WNr. 5901, Oblt. Walter Fiel, CO of 8./JG 53,

  Le Touquet-Etaples, France,

  September 1940

  Lt. Josef Eberle, 9./JG 54, The Netherlands,

  August 1940

  WNr. 2060, Lt. Hans Guse, 2.(J)/LG 2, Tudora,

  Soviet Union (Republic of Moldova today),

  July 1941

  After the Luftwaffe tactics changed during the Battle

  of Britain, when the bombing of London and Southern

  England was switched to night operation, the decision

  was made to use certain Staffels in the fighter-bomber

  roles and to lure RAF fighters into combat. One of these

  units was 8. Staffel JG 53 commanded by Oblt. Fiel. On

  October 2, during his unit’s attack, he was attacked

  by superiority of Spitfires. His aircraft was damaged

  and made to force-land nearby the little town of East

  Peckham in the Kent County. The pilot was taken

  a prisoner of war. The camouflage in RLM 71/02/65

  colors was supplemented by the gaudy marking in the

  form of yellow engine cowling and rudder. The original

  aircraft’s marking was probably oversprayed with

  RLM 70 color, the unit marking, originally located on

  the engine cowling, was overpainted in the red stripe

  wrapping around the whole engine cowling.

  A very interesting camouflage was created in the

  summer of 1940 by the ground staff of JG 54 on many

  of unit’s aircraft in an attempt to darken the light blue

  fuselage sides of their Bf 109Es. To achieve such an

  effect, they sprayed vertical to diagonal stripes with

  RLM 71 paint. The standard scheme of RLM 02/71/65

  was applied along with the quick identification

  elements. The period scheme was applied to Yellow

  13 with which Lt. Josef Eberle managed to cross the

  Channel and belly land in France despite personal

  injury on August 12, 1940. The wingtips and fin of

  Eberle’s aircraft were painted RLM 27 Yellow, which

  was lighter than the color of the spinner, tactical

  number and background of the III./JG 54 emblem. The

  white color cannot be ruled out on the wingtips and

  fin as well. The bottom wing RLM 65 color extended

  marginally to the upper surface. Some sources

  erroneously identify this aircraft as an E-3. Despite

  having tempted fate once over the Channel, Eberle

  was not as successful on October 9, 1940, when he lost

  his life in combat with RAF fighters.

  Like JG 77, Lehrgeschwader 2 was withdrawn from

  the combat operations after the end of the Greek

  campaign for rest and rearmament, which was to take

  place in Belgrade. This was followed in mid-July by

  a move to Romanian territory, where LG 2 equipped by

  Messerschmitts Bf 109E (some in the fighter-bomber

  configuration) was on alert to be deployed against

  the Soviet Union. It joined Operation Barbarossa in the

  early hours of July 22. The Black 10, which retained its

  camouflage from the battles over Greece and Crete

  and was equipped with a tropical filter, was shot down

  on July 10, 1941, by Soviet I-16s. The pilot is still listed

  as missing in action. The markings of the aircraft are

  complemented by the insignia of I.(J)/LG 2 under the

  windshield and 2.(J)/LG 2 on the side behind the fuselage

  cross.

  Recommended:

  for Bf 109E-4 1/72

  D72030 Bf 109E stencils (Decal)

  OVERTREES

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  Product page Product page

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard44

  March 2023

• Page 45

  Bf 110G-2

  Weekend edition kit of German WWII twin-engine multi role aircraft Messer-

  schmitt Bf 110G-2 in 1/72 scale. This version of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 was

  used in the role fighter-bomber, fast bomber and destroyer, often used again-

  st Allied heavy bombers, equiped with WGr. 21 rockets or BK 3,7 cannon.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: no

  painting mask: no

  resin parts: no

  #7468

  1/72

  Product page

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  45

  March 2023

• Page 46

  Bf 110G-2/R7/M2, 6./ZG 1, Brest, France, August 1943

  Bf 110G-2/R3/M1/M5, 7./ZG 26, Fels am Wagram, Austria, May 1944

  Bf 110G-2/M1/R7, 5./NJG 200, Nikolayev, Soviet Union, September 1943

  In August 1943, 6./ZG 1 moved from Sicily to Brest,

  France, where the unit was tasked with escorts of

  German submarines on their way across the Bay

  of Biscay to the Atlantic. The standard camouflage

  scheme of RLM 74/75/76 colors was darkened on the

  fuselage sides with patches of the same colors. The

  unit’s emblem was a drawing of a wasp on the nose,

  additionally supplemented on the left side of the

  fuselage under the cockpit by a drawing of a witch on

  the S9+LP. The color of the 6. Staffel was yellow hence

  the aircraft code is yellow and the same applies

  to the color of the spinner. The aircraft had also

  a white stripe on the fuselage in front of the tail

  surfaces, which was a remnant of the unit’s time

  on the Southern Front in Italy.

  Due to the intensification of Allied air raids from Italy

  on the southern areas of the German Reich, 7./ZG 26

  was relocated to Fels am Wagram airfield in May

  1944. The unit’s aircraft had the tips of the spinner

  and the third letter in the code painted white, which

  was the color of the 7. Staffel. The black code letter

  K was painted also on the bottom of the wingtips. The

  3U+KR sported a white fuselage stripe in front of the

  tail surfaces and white bottom of wing tips. Both were

  the designation of aircraft operating on the southern

  front. Two MK 108 guns of 30 mm caliber mounted in

  the nose were the Rüstsätze 3 kit add ons. Additional

  armament were WGr. 42 rocket launchers under the

  wing.

  In September 1943, 5./NJG 200 was based on the

  airfield near the town of Nikolayev in Ukraine.

  The pilots were tasked with night interception of

  VVS (Soviet Air Force) aircraft. This machine was

  camouflaged with standard RLM 74/75/76 colors.

  The distinguishing color of 5. Staffel was red hence

  both the codes and the tips of the propeller cones

  were painted so. The aircraft had a yellow stripe on

  the fuselage in front of the tail surfaces, which was

  a distinguishing feature of machines operating on

  the Eastern Front and in the USSR.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard46

  March 2023

• Page 47

  72729 Bf 110G-2 (PE

  -

  Set)

  SS798 Bf 110G-2 Weekend (PE

  -

  Set)

  672013 Bf 110G wheels (Brassin)

  672115 SC 50 German WWII bombs (Brassin)

  672292 Luftwaffe rudder pedals PRINT (Brassin)

  CX644 Bf 110G-2 (Mask)

  Bf 110G-2/R1, 4./ZG 76, Wertheim, Germany, October 1943

  Dispersed Zerstörer units were called up from all over

  Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to be incorporated

  into the defense of the Reich. ZG 76 was rebuilt in southern

  Germany with the use of the personnel of training and

  reconnaissance units and ZG 76 stayed there through

  the winter of late 1943/44. Its aircraft were armed with

  a 37 mm BK 3.7 cannon under the fuselage and WGr. 42

  rockets to scatter American bomber formations. On

  October 4, 1943, the American Eighth Air Force attacked

  targets in Frankfurt am Rhein. II./ZG 76 encountered the

  stream of bombers alone and shot down four American

  bombers. But they encountered the American 56th

  Fighter Group afterwards and without their own fighter

  escort nine Bf 110s were shot down in the ensuing battle.

  Eleven of the downed crews were killed and seven

  wounded. The introduction of the American long-range

  fighter escort meant a large increase in losses for the

  Zerstörgeschwader units. In November 1944, 4./ZG 76 was

  disbanded and its pilots were retrained on the Bf 109,

  subsequently transferred to the 9./JG 54 fighter unit.

  Recommended:

  for Bf 110G-2 1/72

  Cat. No. 672292

  Cat. No. 672115

  Cat. No. 672013

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  47

  March 2023

• Page 48

  #8232

  ProfiPACK edition kit of Soviet Cold War aircraft

  MiG-21bis in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 6

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  MiG-21bis

  1/48

  Re-release

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard48

  March 2023

• Page 49

  MiG-21BIS, c/n 75084300, HävLLv 31, Kuopio airbase, Finland, 1980 – 1981

  MiG-21bis, c/n 75080880, 1 Pucki DLMW, Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej,

  Gdynia-Babie Doły, Poland, late 1997

  MiG-21bis, c/n 75061874, 47 Pápa Harcászati Repülő Ezred, Pápa airbase,

  Hungary, 1991

  This aircraft was accepted for service on July 17, 1980 and

  assigned to 31 Fighter Squadron (Hävittäjälentolaivue 31,

  abbreviated HävLLv 31). It became the last of six Finnish

  MiG-21BIS fighters to be modified for reconnaissance tasks.

  After the modification, the aircraft was assigned to TiedLLv

  (Reconnaissance Squadron) and following its end of service it

  was used as a teaching aid at the Technical School located at

  the Kuopio Air Base. The aircraft is shown as it appeared between

  1980 and 1981 before being upgraded by western avionics, which

  included cockpit instrumentation. Unlike other users, Finland

  used capital letters for designation of their MiGs, that’s why it is

  written as BIS here as well.

  This aircraft was delivered to Poland on March 22, 1980 and was

  assigned to the 1 Pucki Dywizjon Lotniczy (Air Division) of the

  Polish Naval Forces. The emblem on the tail surface indicates

  service with the 2nd Eskadra (Squadron) of the Division. The

  look of the plane evolved over time, and in 2001 it flew with

  a sharkmouth and a tiger motif on the brake chute housing.

  MiG-21bis, serial number 75061874, served with the 47

  Combat Regiment (Harcászati Repülõezred). In 1991, it received

  a temporary white coloring on the rear of the fuselage and

  a portion of the bottom. In this guise, it took part in DACT

  (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) exercises, in which the opposing

  aircraft pitted againt each other were of differing types. Later, it

  was assigned to the “Sky Hussars” demonstration team. In 2006,

  it was mothballed and put in storage at Papa, and in 2007, it was

  sold into the private collection of Gerhard Neumann Museum at

  Niederalteich in Germany.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  49

  March 2023

• Page 50

  MiG-21bis, Tactics & Air Combat Development Establishment,

  Jamnagar airbase, India, September 1986

  MiG-21bisD, c/n 75002075, 22 eskadrila lovačkih zrakoplova, Pula airbase, Croatia, 2008

  MiG-21bis, No. 3 Air Base, Graf Ignatevo, Bulgaria, from 2002

  The aircraft coded C2305 was assigned to the Center for the

  development of tactics for aerial combat and served there during

  September 1986. The front of the aircraft referred to its former

  user, No. 4 Squadron of the IAF. This unit was dubbed “Oorials”

  after the local type of mountain sheep. Together with the unit’s

  motto, “Honor over Death” this symbolizes stamina, strength, and

  a fighting spirit. The colorful paint scheme of Indian MiGs was

  used during one of the military exercises.

  This aircraft was one of a number of MiG-21s purchased in the

  first half of the nineties despite a UN embargo from the Ukraine.

  The first unit to use the aircraft was the 22 eskadrila lovačkih

  zrakoplova (Fighter Squadron) based at Pula. In 2003, this was

  one of eight MiG-21bis aircraft to be modernized in Romania by

  Aerostar to MiG-21bisD standard. Later, the plane was observed

  at Zagreb, Tchakovec and Zadar. It carries a typical camouflage

  scheme for the modernized bisD aircraft.

  MiG-21bis serial number 75094114 was delivered to Bulgaria in

  1983. The first user of the aircraft was the 19 Fighter Regiment.

  From 2002, it served at Air Base No. 3 based at Graf Ignatevo,

  where the MiG-21s shared the base with the more modern

  MiG-29s. The last MiG-21bis delivered directly from the factory

  was retired from the Bulgarian Air Force in 2015, while the

  second-hand aircraft from the Soviet Air Force delivered in 1990

  were retired in 2000.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard50

  March 2023

• Page 51

  OVERTREES

  OVERLEPT

  #8234X

  MiG-21bis

  1/48

  #8232-LEPT

  MiG-21bis PE

  -

  Set

  1/48

  Product page

  Product page

  Recommended:

  for MiG-21bis 1/48

  48704 MiG-21 ladder (PE

  -

  Set)

  48994 MiG-21 surface panels (PE

  -

  Set)

  48999 MiG-21bis exterior (fotolept)

  491036 MiG-21bis interior (fotolept)

  644033 MiG-21bis LööK (Brassin)

  648026 MiG-21 wheels (Brassin)

  648030 MiG-21 seat late (Brassin)

  648050 MiG-21BIS interior (Brassin)

  648051 MiG-21BIS exhaust nozzle (Brassin)

  648082 R-60 / AA-8 Aphid (Brassin)

  648049 MiG-21 wheel wells (Brassin)

  648064 MiG-21 late airbrakes (Brassin)

  648080 MiG-21 undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648490 MiG-21 F.O.D. (Brassin)

  3DL48026 MiG-21bis SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  Cat. No. 644033

  Cat. No. 648050

  Cat. No. 648051

  Cat. No. 648490

  Cat. No. 648080

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  51

  March 2023

• Page 52

  #8192

  Avia B.534 IV. serie

  1/48

  ProfiPACK edition kit of Czechoslovak fighter

  aircraft Avia B.534 IV. serie in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  Re-release

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard52

  March 2023

• Page 53

  B.534.208, 36th Fighter Squadron, Air Regiment 2, Olomouc Airfield,

  Czechoslovakia, Fall 1937

  B.534.186, 34th Fighter Squadron, Air Regiment 4, Hradec Králové Airfield,

  Czechoslovakia, Summer 1937

  B.534.239, 45th Fighter Squadron, Air Regiment 3, Piešťany Airfield,

  Czechoslovakia, July 1938

  This aircraft is representative of the camouflage scheme

  used by Avia at the end of the Thirties, prior to the Munich

  Crisis. Upper surfaces are khaki, lower are silver doped,

  typically a matted shade. The lower surface of the upper

  wing is also khaki. The blue and white Moravian eagle

  identifies the aircraft as belonging to the Air Regiment 2,

  while the letter G identifies membership within the 36th

  Squadron, and the numeral 1 specifies the aircraft within

  the Squadron. The blue tipped spinner was also a squadron

  identifier, although this was not an official marking.

  This aircraft is known to have crashed on September 6,

  1937, piloted by četař (Sergeant) Julius Zaoral, following

  a collision with another Avia B.534.35, with svobodník

  (Private First Class) Jaroslav Šodek at the controls.

  B.534s of the Air Regiment 4 are among the more striking

  within the pre-war Czechoslovak Air Force. The color details

  are not known for certain, and this arises from uncertainties

  regarding the remarking of squadrons at the end of the

  Thirties. These could have been either blue and yellow or

  green and yellow. The colors on the wheel spats would

  be consistent, and so would, likely, the lower prop blade

  bandaging. This aircraft is known from photographs likely

  taken during the course of 1937, when attached to 34th

  Fighter Squadron, which utilized blue and yellow trimming.

  In January 1938, she was re-designated as belonging to

  50th Fighter Squadron, with the fuselage code K. Coded D,

  she was then attached to 42nd Squadron, which used green

  and yellow colors. The aircraft has a tail skid instead of a tail

  wheel. The lower surface of the upper wing is silver doped.

  This aircraft carries the standard Czechoslovak

  camouflage scheme from the late Thirties. The

  lower surface of the upper wing is in khaki, and the

  spinner is yellow. The aircraft was documented on

  a photograph dated July 14, 1938, when it suffered

  light damage while flown by desátník (corporal)

  Baláš. At the time, these aircraft carried no squadron

  codes. The Air Regiment 3 was the only one that was

  located in Slovakia prior to the outbreak of the war.

  After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Air Regiment

  3 aircraft were incorporated into the services of the

  newly formed Slovak Air Force. In this service, Avia

  B.534s took part in combat operations in Poland and

  later in the Soviet Union. In August 1944, the Slovak

  National Uprising saw the remaining Avias take part

  in anti-German operations.

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard

  53

  March 2023

• Page 54

  B.534.217, Combined Squadron of Slovak National Uprising, Tri Duby Airfield, Slovakia, September 1944

  In the fall of 1944, the Slovak National Uprising saw

  the use of several Avia B.534s. This specific aircraft

  is the only one photographically documented with

  the national markings used during the uprising.

  These were composed of the original Czechoslovak

  roundels with the addition of the Slovak two-pronged

  cross. The markings on the right wing are oriented

  incorrectly with the red field on the right side,

  i.e. directed away from the fuselage. Also, blue field

  pointing upwards on the rudder is wrongly oriented.

  It has not been conclusively determined weather

  or not the lower wing markings lacked the Slovak

  crosses. The aircraft carries the typical camouflage

  scheme of khaki upper surfaces and silver doped

  lower (gray respray of the lower surfaces for this

  aircraft is unlikely) and with khaki undersurface of

  the top wing. The aircraft was noted to have been

  rather heavily weathered. The tip of the spinner was

  either khaki or possibly also heavily weathered.

  Propeller blades were black on both sides. The top

  of the nose was likely also khaki, and not yellow.

  All photographic evidence suggests that the sliding

  portion of the canopy was missing at the time of the

  Slovak National Uprising.

  OVERTREES OVERLEPT

  #8192X

  Avia B.534 IV. serie

  1/48

  #8192-LEPT

  Avia B.534 IV. série PE

  -

  Pet

  1/48

  Product page Product page

  Recommended:

  for Avia B.534 IV. serie 1/48

  3DL48108 B.534 IV. serie SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  KITS 03/2023

  INFO Eduard54

  March 2023

• Page 55

  www.eduard.com/bfc

  BUNNY BUNNY FIGHTERFIGHTER

  CLUB

  Eduard's special membership club for all modeling enthusiasts!

  15% Permanent Club discount at Eduard Store – you will receive permanent 15% discount on all Eduard

  products and also discount on various other non-Eduard products. Fixed, permanent, forever!

  Unique valuable Club kits and accessories – you will gain access to unique and nowhere else to be sold

  products, specially made for BFC members.

  Even better prices at Eduard events stand – do you know that Eduard usually has huge discounts on

  their products at fairs and events all over the world? BFC members will have even higher discount at

  these events.

  Club T-shirt – you will receive fancy BFC T-shirt with unique design and special barcode

  (used for event discounts). This exclusive T-shirt will be only available

  to the members of BFC.

  Free entry fee on E-day – you will not have to pay a penny to visit Eduard's E-day.

  That means lot of fun at E-day for two days and entry kit, absolutely free!

  * E-day - INTERNATIONAL SCALE KIT EXHIBITION - IPMS Czech Republic Championship

  BOX CONTENT:

  Plastic parts, Marking options 6, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin

  parts (two different types of wheels, landing flaps, dust filter with

  eyelid, intake ring and RP-3 60lb rockets), 3D decals for main and si

  -

  dewalk instrument and control panels with photo-etched details and

  seat belts.

  BOX CONTENT:

  Plastic parts, Marking options 4, Decal Set, PE parts, Maska, Brassin

  parts (undercarriage wheels, cockpit, exhaust nozzle, FOD).

  How to become a member of BFC?How to become a member of BFC?

  Simply by purchasing the Activation product. You will be given 15% discount on (almost) every Eduard

  product in your shopping cart. To apply this discount, the Activation product has to be in your shopping

  cart. Activation product is excluded from this calculation.

  Activation products:Activation products:

  Tempest Mk. V + T-shirt 1/48MiG-21MF + T-shirt 1/72

• Page 56

  634031

  Bf 109G-2 LööKplus

  1/32 Revell

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for Bf 109G-2 in 1/32 scale.

  Recommended kit: Revell

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards

  & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - exhaust stacks

  - undercarriage wheels

  Product page

  Collection of 3 sets for Z-326 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644197

  Z-326 LööKplus

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard56

  March 2023

• Page 57

  635023

  WWII German NOTEK headlights PRINT

  1/35

  Product page

  Brassin set - NOTEK headlights for German WWII AFV

  in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 12 pcs of NOTEK

  headlights. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 12 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - showels for German WWII AFV

  in 1/35 scale. The set consists of 3 showels.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  635025

  WWII German shovels PRINT

  1/35

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  57

  March 2023

• Page 58

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for Buccaneer S.2C/D in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin

  dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - ejection seats

  - undercarriage wheels

  644199

  Buccaneer S.2C/D LööKplus

  1/48 Airfix

  Collection of 3 sets for Beaufort Mk.I in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: ICM

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644200

  Beaufort Mk.I LööKplus

  1/48 ICM

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard58

  March 2023

• Page 59

  BRASSIN

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for Anson Mk.I in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644202

  Anson Mk.I Löök

  1/48 Airfix

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboards

  and STEEL seatbelts for Mi-24V w/ black-painted

  interior (Mi-35) in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / Zvezda

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644201

  Mi-24V black (Mi-35) LööK

  1/48 Zvezda

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  59

  March 2023

• Page 60

  644203

  F-35A LööK

  1/48 Tamiya

  BRASSIN

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for F-35A in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no.

  Brassin set - the engine for F4F-4 in 1/48 scale.

  The cowling are included. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 35 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  648828

  F4F-4 engine PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard60

  March 2023

• Page 61

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Anson

  Mk.I in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tailwheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648835

  Anson Mk.I wheels

  1/48 Airfix

  Brassin set - the wheel bay for F4F-4 in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648829

  F4F-4 wheel bay PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  61

  March 2023

• Page 62

  648836

  ACES II ejection seat lower handles PRINT

  1/48

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - ejection seat for F-16 in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 5 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  648837

  F-16 ejection seat PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  Product page

  Product page

  Brassin set - pre-painted lower handles for ACES II ejec-

  tion seats in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the 5 handles.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 5 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard62

  March 2023

• Page 63

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for F-35A in

  1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheels and

  a nose wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic

  parts. Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648839

  F-35A wheels

  1/48 Tamiya

  Brassin set - black-painted cockpit for Mi-24V (Mi-35)

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / Zvezda

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - resin: 46 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  - SPACE 3D decals: yes

  648838

  Mi-24V cockpit black (Mi-35) PRINT

  1/48 EDUARD/ZVEZDA

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  63

  March 2023

• Page 64

  648840

  Beaufort Mk.I guns PRINT

  1/48 ICM

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - guns for Beaufort Mk.I in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: ICM

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - radiators for Anson Mk.I in 1/48 scale.

  The set consists of two radiators. Made by direct 3D prin-

  ting. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648841

  Anson Mk.I radiators PRINT

  1/48 Airfix

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard64

  March 2023

• Page 65

  Brassin set - 75gal drop tank and a rack for P-39Q

  in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Arma Hobby

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  672309

  P-39Q 75gal drop tank PRINT

  1/72 Arma Hobby

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - the 500lb bomb and a bomb rack

  for P-39Q in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Arma Hobby

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: eys

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  672308

  P-39Q 500lb bomb PRINT

  1/72 Arma Hobby

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  65

  March 2023

• Page 66

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 6 sets for F-35A in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - AIM-120C AMRAAM (2 sets)

  - AIM-9X

  - AIM-132 ASRAAM

  - GBU-12 bomb

  - GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  SIN648100

  F-35A armament

  1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  2x AIM-120C AMRAAM

  GBU-12 bomb

  GBU-31(V)1/B JDAM

  AIM-132 ASRAAM

  AIM-9X

  INFO Eduard66

  March 2023

• Page 67

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for Fw 190A-8 in 1/48 scale. Reco-

  mmended kit: Eduard

  - undercarriage wheels

  - undercarriage legs BRONZE

  - landing flaps PRINT

  - cockpit PRINT

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  SIN648101

  Fw 190A-8 ESSENTIAL

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  wheels

  undercarriage legs BRONZE

  landing flaps PRINT

  cockpit PRINT

  INFO Eduard

  67

  March 2023

• Page 68

  3DL32012 Hurricane Mk.IIb SPACE 1/32 Revell

  easy

  application

  Product page

  3DL32013 Spitfire Mk.IXc SPACE 1/24 Airfix

  Product page

  INFO Eduard68

  March 2023

• Page 69

  3DL48107 F-16A MLU SPACE 1/48 Kinetic

  3DL48108

  B.534 IV. serie SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  69

  March 2023

• Page 70

  SPACE

  3DL48109 F-35A SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  3DL48110 B-24D SPACE 1/48 Revell

  Product page

  INFO Eduard70

  March 2023

• Page 71

  SPACE

  3DL48111 B-25J glazed nose SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48112

  Mi-8MT SPACE 1/48 Zvezda

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  71

  March 2023

• Page 72

• Page 73

  DECAL SETS

  D48110

  B-25J stencils

  1/48 HKM

  D48111

  Su-25 Russian stencils

  1/48 Zvezda

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  73

  March 2023

• Page 74

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  MARCH 2022

  Spitfire Mk.IXc

  1/24 Airfix

  23036

  23037

  Spitfire Mk.IXc

  seatbelts STEEL

  INFO Eduard74

  March 2023

• Page 75

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  32481

  331006

  Hurricane Mk.IIb landing flaps

  Hurricane Mk.IIb

  1/32 Revell

  1/32 Revell

  INFO Eduard

  75

  March 2023

• Page 76

  72728

  73795

  C-130J exterior

  C-130J cargo floor

  1/72 Zvezda

  1/72 Zvezda

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard76

  March 2023

• Page 77

  73794

  73796

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  C-130J interior

  C-130J cargo

  seatbelts

  1/72 Zvezda

  1/72 Zvezda

  SS794

  C-130J

  INFO Eduard

  77

  March 2023

• Page 78

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  73797

  C-130J cargo interior

  1/72 Zvezda

  491336

  B-25J glazed nose

  1/48 HKM

  INFO Eduard78

  March 2023

• Page 79

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  491336

  B-25J glazed nose

  1/48 HKM

  FE1336

  FE1337

  B-25J glazed nose

  B-25J glazed

  nose seatbelts

  STEEL

  INFO Eduard

  79

  March 2023

• Page 80

  BIG ED

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.

  BIG33148 Bf 109G-2/4 1/32 Revell

  BIG33149

  Yak-9K 1/32 ICM

  321002 Bf 109G-2/4

  33338 Bf 109G-2/4 seatbelts STEEL

  JX299 Bf 109G-2/4

  321003 Yak-9K

  32479 Yak-9K landing flaps

  33340 Yak-9K seatbelts STEEL

  JX301 Yak-9K

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard80

  March 2023

• Page 81

  BIG49360 Beaufort Mk.I PART I 1/48 ICM

  491318 Beaufort Mk.I

  EX908 Beaufort Mk.I

  FE1319 Beaufort Mk.I seatbelts STEEL

  Product page

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

  but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30%.

  BIG ED

  BIG49359 Mi-4 1/48 Trumpeter

  491320 Mi-4

  EX910 Mi-4

  FE1321 Mi-4 seatbelts STEEL

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  81

  March 2023

• Page 82

  MASKS

  IT FITS!

  CX643 C-130J

  1/72 Zvezda

  CX644 Bf 110G-2

  1/72 Eduard

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose

  1/48 HKM

  EX926 B-25J glazed nose TFace

  1/48 HKM

  EX927 B-24D TFace

  1/48 Revell

  EX928 B.534 IV. serie TFace

  1/48 Eduard

  EX929 F-16A MLU

  1/48 Kinetic

  EX930 F-16A MLU TFace

  1/48 Kinetic

  EX931 F-35A RAM coating early

  1/48 Tamiya

  EX932 Mi-8MT

  1/48 Zvezda

  EX933 Mi-8MT TFace

  1/48 Zvezda

  JX305 Hurricane Mk.IIb

  1/32 Revell

  JX306 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace

  1/32 Revell

  LX007 Spitfire Mk.IXc

  1/24 Airfix

  LX008 Spitfire Mk.IXc TFace

  1/24 Airfix

  JX305 Hurricane Mk.IIb JX305 Hurricane Mk.IIb

  EX927

  B-24D TFace

  EX927 B-24D TFace

  EX927 B-24D TFace

  EX928 B.534 IV.

  serie TFace

  EX928 B.534 IV.

  serie TFace

  EX928 B.534 IV.

  serie TFace

  EX928 B.534 IV.

  serie TFace

  JX306 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFaceJX306 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace

  INFO Eduard82

  March 2023

• Page 83

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose TFace

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose TFace

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose TFace

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose TFace

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose

  MASKS

  JX306 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace JX306 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace

  INFO Eduard

  83

  March 2023

• Page 84

  RELEASES

  MARCH 2023

  KITS

  PE

  -

  SETS

  ZOOMS

  MASKS

  82126 Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP 1/48 ProfiPACK

  7033 Bf 109E-4 1/72 ProfiPACK

  11170 GUADALCANAL DUAL COMBO 1/48 Limited

  7468 Bf 110G-2 1/72 Weekend

  8232 MiG-21bis Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK

  8192 Avia B.534 IV. serie Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK

  23036 Spitfire Mk.IXc 1/24 AIRFIX

  23037 Spitfire Mk.IXc seatbelts STEEL 1/24 AIRFIX

  32481 Hurricane Mk.IIb landing flaps 1/32 REVELL

  53291 USS Alaska CB-1 part 3 1/350 HOBBY BOSS

  72728 C-130J exterior 1/72 ZVEZDA

  72729 Bf 110G-2 1/72 EDUARD

  73794 C-130J interior 1/72 ZVEZDA

  73795 C-130J cargo floor 1/72 ZVEZDA

  73796 C-130J cargo seatbelts 1/72 ZVEZDA

  73797 C-130J cargo interior 1/72 ZVEZDA

  321006 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/32 REVELL

  481101 B-25J bomb bay 1/48 HKM

  481102 B-24D exterior 1/48 REVELL

  481103 MiG-21bis exterior 1/48 EDUARD

  491332 F-35A 1/48 TAMIYA

  491334 F-16A MLU 1/48 KINETIC

  491336 B-25J glazed nose 1/48 HKM

  491338 B-24D cockpit 1/48 REVELL

  491339 B-24D nose interior 1/48 REVELL

  33343 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/32 REVELL

  33344 Hurricane Mk.IIb seatbelts STEEL 1/32 REVELL

  FE1334 F-16A MLU 1/48 KINETIC

  FE1335 F-16A MLU seatbelts STEEL 1/48 KINETIC

  FE1336 B-25J glazed nose 1/48 HKM

  FE1337 B-25J glazed nose seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HKM

  FE1338 B-24D 1/48 REVELL

  FE1339 B-24D seatbelts STEEL 1/48 REVELL

  SS794 C-130J 1/72 ZVEZDA

  SS798 Bf 110G-2 Weekend 1/72 EDUARD

  CX643 C-130J 1/72 ZVEZDA

  CX644 Bf 110G-2 1/72 EDUARD

  EX925 B-25J glazed nose 1/48 HKM

  EX926 B-25J glazed nose TFace 1/48 HKM

  EX927 B-24D TFace 1/48 REVELL

  EX928 B.534 IV. serie TFace 1/48 EDUARD

  EX929 F-16A MLU 1/48 KINETIC

  EX930 F-16A MLU TFace 1/48 KINETIC

  EX931 F-35A RAM coating early 1/48 TAMIYA

  EX932 Mi-8MT 1/48 ZVEZDA

  EX933 Mi-8MT TFace 1/48 ZVEZDA

  JX305 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/32 REVELL

  JX306 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace 1/32 REVELL

  LX007 Spitfire Mk.IXc 1/24 AIRFIX

  LX008 Spitfire Mk.IXc TFace 1/24 AIRFIX

  INFO Eduard84

  March 2023

• Page 85

  BIG-EDBIG-ED

  BIG ED

  BIG33148 Bf 109G-2/4 1/32 REVELL

  BIG33149 Yak-9K 1/32 ICM

  BIG49359 Mi-4 1/48 TRUMPETER

  BIG49360 Beaufort Mk.I PART I 1/48 ICM

  RELEASES

  BRASSIN

  LöökPLUS

  BIG SIN

  SPACE

  DECAL SET

  635023 WWII German NOTEK headlights PRINT 1/35

  635025 WWII German shovels PRINT 1/35

  644201 Mi-24V black (Mi-35) LööK 1/48 EDUARD/ZVEZDA

  644202 Anson Mk.I LööK 1/48 AIRFIX

  644203 F-35A LööK 1/48 TAMIYA

  648828 F4F-4 engine PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648829 F4F-4 wheel bay PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648835 Anson Mk.I wheels 1/48 AIRFIX

  648836 ACES II ejection seat lower handles PRINT 1/48

  648837 F-16 ejection seat PRINT 1/48 KINETIC

  648838

  Mi-24V cockpit black (Mi-35) PRINT & SPACE 1/4 8 E DUARD/ZVE ZDA

  648839 F-35A wheels 1/48 TAMIYA

  648840 Beaufort Mk.I guns PRINT 1/48 ICM

  648841 Anson Mk.I radiators PRINT 1/48 AIRFIX

  672308 P-39Q 500lb bomb PRINT 1/72 ARMA HOBBY

  672309 P-39Q 75gal drop tank PRINT 1/72 ARMA HOBBY

  634031 Bf 109G-2 LööKplus 1/32 REVELL

  644197 Z-326 LööKplus 1/48 EDUARD

  644199 Buccaneer S.2C/D LööKplus 1/48 AIRFIX

  644200 Beaufort Mk.I LööKplus 1/48 ICM

  SIN648100 F-35A armament 1/48 TAMIYA

  SIN648101 Fw 190A-8 ESSENTIAL 1/48 EDUARD

  3DL32012 Hurricane Mk.IIb SPACE 1/32 REVELL

  3DL32013 Spitfire Mk.IXc SPACE 1/24 AIRFIX

  3DL48107 F-16A MLU SPACE 1/48 KINETIC

  3DL48108 B.534 IV. serie SPACE 1/48 EDUARD

  3DL48109 F-35A SPACE 1/48 TAMIYA

  3DL48110 B-24D SPACE 1/48 REVELL

  3DL48111 B-25J glazed nose SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48112 Mi-8MT SPACE 1/48 ZVEZDA

  D48110 B-25J stencils 1/48 HKM

  D48111 Su-25 Russian stencils 1/48 ZVEZDA

  MARCH 2023

  INFO Eduard

  85

  March 2023

• Page 86

  BUILT

  Bf 109G-6 late series

  1/48

  Cat. No. 82111

  built by Ignat Pomazkov

  INFO Eduard86

  March 2023

• Page 87

  BUILT

  W.Nr.160303, Flown by Hptm. Friedrich Eberle, CO of III./JG 1, Volkel, November, 1943

  Friedrich Eberle, the commanding officer of III.

  Gruppe of JG 1, was downed in this Bf 109G-6 on

  January 30, 1944. The man who recorded the kill

  was a P-47D Thunderbolt jockey, Lt. Robert Bo-

  oth, of the 369th FS / 359th FG, a fighter ace with a

  total of eight kills to his credit. Booth himself was

  downed a few months later, on June 8, 1944 and

  became a POW. Eberle was injured but survived

  the encounter with Booth and led III. Gruppe until

  April 27, 1944. In July 1944, he was appointed the

  CO of III./JG 4. Eberle led his unit in Operation Bo-

  deplatte, the attack on Allied airfields on January

  1, 1945. He was court martialled for cowardice but

  finally was acquitted of the charge and survived

  the war with 33 kills. Eberle´s aircraft had been

  marked with a double chevron but in accordance

  with temporary orders, this marking was painted

  over and the commander´s aircraft was marked

  with a number. The JG 1 crest was painted on the

  left side of the cowling only. The rear part of the

  fuselage was partially overpainted with RLM 76 to

  tone it down.

  INFO Eduard

  87

  March 2023

• Page 88

  BUILT

  Fw 190A-8/R2

  1/48

  Cat. No. 8175

  Built by Ignat Pomazkov

  INFO Eduard88

  March 2023

• Page 89

  BUILT

  Accessories used:

  48840 Fw 190A-8 landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  EX505 Spinner spirals Fw 190A/F (Mask)

  Werner Gerth, II.(Sturm)/JG 3 “Udet”, July, 1944

  INFO Eduard

  89

  March 2023

• Page 90

  BUILT

  Buccaneer S.2C/D

  1/48

  Built by Mathias Becker

  Airfix

  INFO Eduard90

  March 2023

• Page 91

  BUILT

  49051 Remove before flight UK (PE

  -

  Set)

  491316 Buccaneer S.2C/D (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1317 Buccaneer S.2C/D seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  648814 Buccaneer S.2C/D wheels (Brassin)

  3DL48093 Buccaneer S.2C/D SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX907 Buccaneer S.2C/D TFace (Mask)

  Accessories used:

  INFO Eduard

  91

  March 2023

• Page 92

  BUILT

  Built by Paolo Portuesi

  Fw 190A-4

  1/48

  Eduard

  648152 Fw 190 wheels early (Brassin)

  648351 Fw 190A-4 cockpit (Brassin)

  648355 Fw 190A-4 engine & fuselage guns (Brassin)

  648366 Fw 190A propeller (Brassin)

  648367 Fw 190A-3/A-4 undercarriage

  legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  Accessories used:

  INFO Eduard92

  March 2023

• Page 93

  Built by Oliver Peissl

  Fw 190D-9

  1/48

  Eduard

  Accessories used:

  BUILT

  48651 Fw 190D-9 (PE

  -

  Set)

  648633 Fw 190F-8 cockpit (Brassin)

  648688 Fw 190D exhaust stacks (Brassin)

  EX328 Fw 190D Weekend (Mask)

  INFO Eduard

  93

  March 2023

• Page 94

  ON APPROACH

  APRIL 2023

  632189

  Hurricane Mk.II exhaust fishtail PRINT

  1/32 Revell

  632190

  Hurricane Mk.II wheels

  1/32 Revell

  634032

  Bf 109G-4 LööKplus

  1/32 Revell

  632188

  Hurricane Mk.II exhaust rounded PRINT

  1/32 Revell

  BIG33150 Tornado IDS 1/32 ITALERI

  BIG49361 Beaufort Mk.I PART II 1/48 ICM

  BIG49362 A-10C 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  632188 Hurricane Mk.II exhaust rounded PRINT 1/32 REVELL

  632189 Hurricane Mk.II exhaust fishtail PRINT 1/32 REVELL

  632190 Hurricane Mk.II wheels 1/32 REVELL

  635024 WWII German 10 ton jacks PRINT 1/35

  635026 WWII German wire cutters PRINT 1/35

  644205 A6M2-N Rufe LööK 1/48 EDUARD

  644206 B-25J LööK 1/48 HKM

  644207 F-16C Block 25 LööK 1/48 KINETIC

  648826 F4F-3 engine late PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648842 A-1J seat PRINT 1/48 TAMIYA

  648844 Anson Mk.I guns PRINT 1/48 AIRFIX

  648845 A6M2-N Rufe seat PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648846 A6M2-N Rufe exhaust PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648847 A6M2-N Rufe cannon barrels & cockpit guns PRINT

  1/48 EDUARD

  648848 A6M2-N Rufe folding wingtips PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648849 A6M2-N Rufe gun bays PRINT 1/48 EDUARD

  648854 F-16 exhaust nozzle P&W F100 PRINT 1/48 KINETIC

  648855 F-16 radar early PRINT 1/48 KINETIC

  648857 Mi-24V cockpit turquoise PRINT & SPACE 1/48 EDUARD/ZVEZDA

  672310 Bf 110E wheels 1/72 EDUARD

  672311 Bf 110E nose guns PRINT 1/72 EDUARD

  672312 Bf 110E cockpit 1/72 EDUARD

  644204 Anson Mk.I LööKplus 1/48 AIRFIX

  634032 Bf 109G-4 LööKplus 1/32 REVELL

  674003 P-39Q LööKplus 1/72 ARMA HOBBY

  SIN63216 Tornado IDS armament 1/32 ITALERI

  SIN648102 F-14D 1/48 TAMIYA

  BIG ED (April)

  BRASSIN (April)

  LöökPlus (April)

  BIGSIN (April)

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for Hurricane Mk.II in 1/32

  scale. Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Revell

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Hurricane Mk.II

  in 1/32 scale. The set consists of the main wheels and

  a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Revell

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Collection of 4 sets for Bf 109G-4 in 1/32 scale.

  Recommended kit: Revell

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards

  & Steelbelts),

  - TFace painting mask

  - exhaust stacks

  - undercarriage wheels

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for Hurricane Mk.II in 1/32

  scale. Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Revell

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard94

  March 2023

• Page 95

  635024

  WWII German 10 ton jacks PRINT

  1/35

  ON APPROACH

  Brassin set - 10ton jacks for German WWII AFV in 1/35 scale.

  The set consists of 3 jacks. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 15 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  635026

  WWII German wire cutters PRINT

  1/35

  644204

  Anson Mk.I LööKplus

  1/48 Airfix

  Brassin set - wire cuters for German WWII AFV in 1/35 scale.

  The set consists of 5 wire cutters. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 5 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Collection of 4 sets for Anson Mk.I in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - TFace painting mask

  - radiators

  - undercarriage wheels

  INFO Eduard

  95

  March 2023

• Page 96

  ON APPROACH

  APRIL 2023

  644205

  A6M2-N Rufe LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  644206

  B-25J LööK

  1/48 HKM

  644207

  F-16C Block 25 LööK

  1/48 Kinetic

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL seatbelts for A6M2-N

  Rufe in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for B-25J in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: HKM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for F-16C Block 25 in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  INFO Eduard96

  March 2023

• Page 97

  ON APPROACHAPRIL 2023

  648826

  F4F-3 engine late PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  648842

  A-1J seat PRINT

  1/48 Tamiya

  648844

  Anson Mk.I guns PRINT

  1/48 Airfix

  Brassin set - the engine for F4F-3 in 1/48 scale.

  The cowling are included. Made by direct 3D

  printing. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 36 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the seat for A-1J in 1/48 scale. Seatbelts

  are printed together with the seat. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - guns for Anson Mk.I in 1/48 scale. The set

  consists of the 4 guns. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard

  97

  March 2023

• Page 98

  ON APPROACH

  648845

  A6M2-N Rufe seat PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  648846

  A6M2-N Rufe exhaust PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  648847

  A6M2-N Rufe cannon barrels & cockpit guns PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - seat for A6M2-N Rufe in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - exhaust pipes for A6M2-N Rufe

  in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic

  parts. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - gun barrels for A6M2-N Rufe in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  APRIL 2023

  INFO Eduard98

  March 2023

• Page 99

  648849

  A6M2-N Rufe gun bays PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  648854

  F-16 exhaust nozzle P&W F100 PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  648848

  A6M2-N Rufe folding wingtips PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - gun bays for A6M2-N Rufe in 1/48

  scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 16 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - exhaust nozzle for P&W F100 powered

  F-16 in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  ON APPROACH

  Brassin set - folding wingtips for A6M2-N Rufe

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  APRIL 2023

  INFO Eduard

  99

  March 2023

• Page 100

  ON APPROACH

  Brassin set - nose radar for F-16 in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 5 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - turquoise-painted cockpit for Mi-24V

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard / Zvezda

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - resin: 46 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  - SPACE 3D decals: yes

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Bf 110E

  in 1/72 scale. The set consists of the main wheels and

  a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648855

  F-16 radar early PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  648857

  Mi-24V cockpit turquoise PRINT & SPACE

  1/48 Eduard/Zvezda

  672310

  Bf 110E wheels

  1/72 Eduard

  APRIL 2023

  INFO Eduard100

  March 2023

• Page 101

  ON APPROACH

  Brassin set - nose guns for Bf 110E in 1/72 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 13 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the cockpit for Bf 110E in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - resin: 25 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Collection of 4 sets for P-39Q in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Arma Hobby

  - LööK set (pre-painted Brassin

  dashboards & Steelbelts)

  - seat

  - exhaust stacks

  - gun barrells

  672311

  Bf 110E nose guns PRINT

  1/72 Eduard

  672312

  Bf 110E cockpit

  1/72 Eduard

  674003

  P-39Q LööKplus

  1/72 Arma Hobby

  APRIL 2023

  INFO Eduard

  101

  March 2023

• Page 102

  SIN648102

  F-14D

  1/48 Tamiya

  Collection of 4 sets for F-14D in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - undercarriage wheels

  - cockpit

  - exhaust nozzles

  - Remove Before Flight tags SPACE

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  ON APPROACH

  APRIL 2023

  INFO Eduard102

  March 2023

• Page 103

  SIN63216

  Tornado IDS armament

  1/32 Italeri

  Collection of 6 sets for Tornado IDS in 1/32 scale.

  Recommended kit: Italeri

  -AIM-9M/L Sidewinder

  - AGM-88 HARM

  - BOZ-107 pod (2 sets)

  - AN/AAQ-28(V) Litening pod

  - GBU-24 bomb

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

  but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.

  2x

  BRASSIN 02/2022BRASSIN 02/2022

  ON APPROACHAPRIL 2023

  INFO Eduard

  103

  March 2023

• Page 104

  PE

  -

  SETS

  23038 Spitfire Mk.IXc landing flaps 1/24 AIRFIX

  23039 Spitfire Mk.IXc engine & undercarriage 1/24 AIRFIX

  36498 M48A5 1/35 TAKOM

  36499 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf.C 1/35 ACADEMY

  36500 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf.C side stowage bins 1/35 ACADEMY

  481104 B-24D bomb bay 1/48 REVELL

  481105 A6M2b landing flaps 1/48 ACADEMY

  491340 Mi-8MT 1/48 ZVEZDA

  491342 F4U-1D 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  491344 A6M2b 1/48 ACADEMY

  491346 F6F-3 1/48 EDUARD

  491347 F6F-5 1/48 EDUARD

  53292 USS Missouri BB-63 1/350 HOBBY BOSS

  72730 F-14B exterior 1/72 ACADEMY

  73799 U-2C 1/72 HOBBY BOSS

  73800 F-14B 1/72 ACADEMY

  ZOOMS

  FE1340 Mi-8MT 1/48 ZVEZDA

  FE1341 Mi-8MT seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ZVEZDA

  FE1342 F4U-1D 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  FE1343 F4U-1D seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  FE1344 A6M2b 1/48 ACADEMY

  FE1345 A6M2b seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ACADEMY

  FE1346 Fw 190A-4 Weekend 1/48 EDUARD

  SS800 F-14B 1/72 ACADEMY

  MASKS

  CX645 UTI MiG-15 1/72 EDUARD

  CX646 U-2C 1/72 HOBBY BOSS

  CX647 F-14B 1/72 ACADEMY

  EX934 A6M2-N Rufe TFace 1/48 EDUARD

  EX935 F4U-1D 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  EX936 F4U-1D TFace 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  EX937 A6M2b TFace 1/48 ACADEMY

  EX938 Mosquito B Mk.IV / PR Mk.IV TFace 1/48 TAMIYA

  EX939 Fw 190A-4 1/48 EDUARD

  SPACE

  3DL48113 F4U-1D SPACE 1/48 HOBBY BOSS

  3DL48114 A6M2-N Rufe SPACE 1/48 EDUARD

  3DL48115 A6M2b SPACE 1/48 ACADEMY

  3DL72013 U-2C SPACE 1/72 HOBBY BOSS

  3DL72014 UTI MiG-15 SPACE 1/72 EDUARD

  ON APPROACH

  Spitfire Mk.IXc engine & undercarriage

  Mi-8MT

  M48A5

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  Spitfire Mk.IXc engine & undercarriage

  ON APPROACH

  Z-326/C-305 Trenér Master

  #82183

  1/48

  Z-326, No. 610, Kladno Aero Club, Kladno Airfield,

  Czechoslovakia, 1975

  Z-326MF, No. 918, Repülőiskola Nyíregyháza,

  Nyíregyháza Airport, Hungaria, 2020

  C-305, No. 604, Czechoslovak People’s Army,

  Czechoslovakia, 1965

  Z-326M, No. 609, private owners, Slaný Airfield, 2022

  Z-326, No. 902, private owner, Grossenhain,

  Germany, 2022

  Z-326, No. 894, Escadrille Orion, Marmande Virazeil,

  France 2013

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  March 2023

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  ON APPROACH

  RUFE 1/48

  #11171

  Dual Combo

  Yokohama Kōkūtai, Tulagi Island, Solomon Islands,

  August 1942

  5th Kōkūtai, Kiska island, Aleutians, August 1942

  c/n 15, Lt.(jg) Keizō Yamazaki, Kōkūtai 802,

  Shortland Island, February 1943

  Kōkūtai 802, Faisi-Poporang base,

  Shortland Islands, February 1943

  Kōkūtai 452, Bettobi Lake, Shumshu Islands,

  Kuriles, July 1943

  Kōkūtai 802, Emidj Island, Jaluit Atoll,

  Marshall Islands, October 1943

  Ensign Jin´ichirō Ozawa, Sasebo Kōkūtai,

  Sasebo Air Base, Japan, September 1944

  Kōkūtai 934, Ambon island, Moluku Islands, March 1944

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  Tempest Mk.V Series 2

  #84187

  1/48

  ON APPROACH

  EJ750, W/Cdr John B. Wray, CO of No. 122 Wing,

  B.80 Volkel, the Netherlands, December 1944

  EJ536, F/Lt Pierre H. Clostermann, No. 56 Squadron,

  B.80 Volkel, the Netherlands, beginning of April 1945

  EJ705, P/O Frank A. Lang, No. 80 Squadron,

  B.80 Volkel, the Netherlands, December 1944

  SN330, S/Ldr Colin H. Macfie, CO of No. 3 Squadron,

  Wunstorf, Germany, 2nd half of 1947

  APRIL 2023

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• Page 108

  ON APPROACH

  Fw 190A-4 w/engine flaps

  & 2-gun wings

  1/48

  #84117

  WNr. 0142481, Fw. Otto Kittel, 2./JG 54, Krasnogvardeyjsk,

  Soviet Union, February 1943

  Lt. Leopold Wenger, 10./JG 2, Caen-Carpiquet, France, February 1943

  WNr. 142317, Fw. Ludwig Seif, 11./SKG 10, Sidi Ahmed, Tunisia,

  January 1943

  Jaboschwarm I./JG 54, Krasnogvardeysk, Soviet Union, Spring 1943

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  Bf 110C-2, WNr. 3578, 9./ZG 26, Barly, France, August 1940

  Bf 110C-2, WNr. 3257, Hptm. Heinz Wagner/Stfw. Adolf Schmidt,

  CO of 4./ZG 76, Abbeville, France, August 1940

  Bf 110C-4, WNr. 2095, 4./ZG 1, Trier-Euren, Germany, June 1940

  Bf 110C-2, WNr. 3026, Lt. K. Koch, 1.(Z)/JG 77,

  Kirkenes, Norway, October 1941

  Bf 110C, 1./NJG 3, Benghazi, Libya, May 1941

  ON APPROACH

  Bf 110C

  1/48

  #8209

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• Page 110

  ON APPROACH

  UTI MiG-15

  Re-release

  1/72

  #7055

  6 Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment, Přerov Air Base,

  Czechoslovakia, summer 1974

  Soviet Union, 1960s through the 1970s Algerian Air Force, 1960s through the 1980s

  c/n 922226, Hävittäjälentolaivue 31, Rissala Air Base, Finland, late 1960s

  Indonesian Air Force, Jakarta-Kemajoran Air Base,

  Indonesia, 1960s

  APRIL 2023

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  March 2023

• Page 111

  Can you recall the first accessory set

  you bought for a kit? Frankly, I don’t. It

  has been quite some time… I only know

  I noticed the existence of photo-etched

  sets sometime in 1992, I would say, and

  also noted the nice, camouflaged small

  boxes stuffed with resin parts – detail sets

  by Verlinden, on the market. As far as I can

  recall, this producer was really “in” at that

  time. Amazed by the detail, the supplies of

  these sets, as well as of the typical flat

  packages with Eduard photoetch sets,

  kept growing in my private collection.

  I never kept any summary of what

  I spent my money on, leading to some

  funny moments when, on opening a kit

  box on which I planned to use my newly

  acquired accessories, I was met with the

  exact same pieces already staring back

  at me from within! Once I even managed

  to triple one accessory! By the way: who

  wants some nice Eduard Brassin wheels

  for the HK Models´ Meteor in 32nd at

  a very good price?

  The wheels are a good example of the

  “no-problemo” resin accessory, because

  if one doesn't make any fundamental

  mistake during the mastering and molding,

  than all should be OK. In this case, even

  typical resin shrinkage presents no

  serious problems. But it is a very different

  story when it comes to the parts which

  must be precisely combined with the

  plastic parts. I think everyone who has

  ever built a kit with resin accessories

  knows that: thinning, scribing, placing

  and, sometimes, shouting … Many of us

  also experienced a disappointment after

  opening the box only to find out there

  are just original plastic parts re-molded

  with several “easy-to-do-myself” details

  added. It is even worse when the price of

  such an “accessory” reaches the price of

  the kit and the installation of these resin

  parts requires more effort than to do the

  detailing using the original kit parts.

  And then, after years spent with cast

  resin sets, 3D printing emerged and the

  continual progress of this technology

  led the first enthusiasts to start trying to

  produce their own home-made parts (the

  more skilled and daring even made entire

  models of desired types). Manufacturers,

  well aware of what was happening, waited

  for the technology to mature enough to

  allow for sensible serial production and

  jumped at the opportunity when it did.

  Eduard did not stay aloof of this trend,

  of course, despite its well-established

  resin casting department. I remember

  the first attempts about two years ago,

  when colleagues were testing different

  materials for printing in search for the

  right one to use, the one giving the best

  possible results and was stable enough.

  And even then, I was impressed with the

  finesse of the printed parts. Today we

  have a herd of printers humming merrily

  along, running at full speed. And the small

  beauties produced by them make me want

  to start some super-detailed projects

  again, after quite a long time. For example,

  the Wildcat, where the wheel bay, engine

  and wing folding mechanism sets are

  really encouraging me to do it!

  Anyone who knows something about resin

  casting knows that a rubber mold does

  not survive forever and the last part to

  come out of it will not be exactly the same

  as the first one quality-wise. And also

  he knows, there are a number of factors

  that can affect the result, whether it’s the

  quality of the air bubble removal in the

  vacuum chamber, the mix of the material

  used, the temperature at which it is cast,

  and so on and so forth ... 3D production

  is quite a different world! Yes, even the

  printer can make a mistake occasionally,

  but it’s visible and the part is discarded

  during quality control. Otherwise, they’re

  just like each other, first and last. And

  since these parts do not shrink, one can

  also rely on their accuracy. In fact, some

  of the printed parts seem to fit better than

  the original plastic parts! And I think it’s

  a terrible shame that this manufacturing

  process isn’t fast and cost-effective

  enough to produce complete kits. It would

  eliminate the many constraints that limit

  the detail and sometimes also shape

  accuracy of parts produced using molds

  and injection molding machines.

  By the way, nowadays even metal parts

  can be printed with great precision, and

  perhaps the time is not so far away for

  printing molds. Such a technology might

  eliminate at least the milling, maybe even

  electrode discharging of the molds. Since

  it is possible to print, for example, H13 tool

  steel, it may only be a matter of time. Even

  in this case, 3D printing technology would

  bring a number of advantages apart from

  those mentioned.

  In any case, 3D printing is a revolution for

  our hobby, and in combination with other

  technologies, such as Mimaki printers in

  our case, it opens up a whole new world of

  possibilities for the production of perfect

  accessories. Many modelers keep saying

  we are in the golden age of modelling

  thanks to the constant flurry of new kits.

  But I think the real golden era is coming

  with the rise of 3D technology.

  Richard Plos

  THE GOLDEN ERA PRINTED

  INFO Eduard

  111

  March 2023

• Editorial

  
  

  Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

  We’re closed. Although you are certainly able to view and study our March release listing within these pages or at our e-shop, any purchases will have to be postponed. I understand that this sounds a little nuts, but it is not the result of some underhanded marketing ploy. It is a function of the fact that we are moving our entire retail department. It is also the reason why no sales will be going through our e-shop for the next seven days. As you will have probably already noted, the new items were available for early purchase from last Friday, and they will be available from our retail partners as well.

  The move is being made from within the city of Most, where we suffered our fire claiming a lot of our plastic some two years and three months back, to a facility which we purchased just outside of the city last year and have been renovating for our needs. The village is called Sedlec, and borders an industrial park that houses, for example, a former brewery. That has long since been relocated. Our new facility is located about 4km from our head office in Obrnice. Our renovation is being done in steps. In January, immediately ahead of our departure for Nuremberg, we moved all of our plastic to the new facility which we call ‘the Barn’, but is officially labeled as ‘Hall No.2’. The relocation of the retail department is the second phase, and the third will be the move of the tool and press shops. This will include our design offices  that fall under kit production. If everything goes as it has been up to now, that third phase should be complete by the end of the year. On the one hand, it complicates our life quite a bit, the third phase being the most complicated. The move of the heavy equipment will be the most logistically ambitious activity Eduard has ever embarked upon. It will also likely have an impact on the meeting of release schedules for the beginning of the year. This will mostly centre around the 48th scale S-199, but there will be a negative push against other projects such as the MiG-21F. But, there is the other hand, too, that will open up a more effective workspace for us, and not just with respect to the production of kits. The move will be to the benefit of the Brassin department as well, because the space freed up on the main floor of  the main building in Obrnice will be allocated to them. This will give them somewhere between 6400 and 6500 square feet, and that will house their printers and other pieces of equipment very nicely!

  This is all still in the relatively distant future. And you know how plans are. They have an awe-inspiring ability to not go the way they’re supposed to, they have an ability to fail, and so on. At the moment, it’s the retail department’s turn to move on up, and we began this today. We moved all the furniture and the IT equipment and tomorrow we’ll pick up with packing up stock items from the shelves and the latter’s disassembly. So, keep your fingers crossed and please, be patient. If everything goes according to those aforementioned plans, we should be open for business again next Wednesday. If you need anything from us, you can still write. We will be on-line and answering questions. Just bear in mind that we will be rather busy and there may be a delay in our responses for a short while.

  
  

  Nuremberg

  The Nuremberg Toy Fair was different this year. From the point of view of our industry, it’s pretty simple to describe. It was small. All in all, there were six manufacturers represented: us, Special Hobby, Italeri, Airfix, Revell and Tamiya. There were some colleagues that produce accessory items present, AK Interactive, Vallejo, and Art Scale, which is also a retailer, but they do produce some masks and decals, along with some cutting saws. And that’s it. Beyond that…crickets. There was Zvezda, but they were in a bit of an undercover mode in an office in the service centre. In proportion to the new conditions, our table space was reduced and shared with Special Hobby. Retailers and journalists were fewer as well, and notable absences were Asian and American. But, it wasn’t as bleak as I am perhaps making it out to sound. There were fewer of us, but there was correspondingly more time for things. The discussions were not mechanically geared to business and there was a pleasant, friendly feel to it. There was also more general ‘chatter’, if you like. All in all, it was an interesting experience and I am happy for it. The atmosphere at this year’s Nuremberg Toy Fair reminded me of the old Chicago show RICHTA because, among other reasons, our exhibition hall at Nuremberg was, apparently for the first time, open to kids, and kids came! There were no Scout troops in attendance like in Chicago, but it was nice to see, regardless if it was because of the recent crisis or a simple organizational decision. It was a change and change is good. It wasn’t a revolution, but it was a step forward within the bounds of reason, and that is, in my estimation, the best way to move forward. Ultimately, what bothered me the most was the cold in the exhibition venue, and the stall that sold steaks on a bun that was closed. That was probably my greatest piece of enjoyment that I looked forward to. I will need to find another little gem to look forward to, and I am worried that this one will be tough to replace!

  Don’t fret too much if these little philosophical musings don’t give you all that much. A dedicated, in depth look at Nuremberg follows in the pages of this newsletter edition.

  
  

  New Releases for March – Kits

  Of all of our new releases, which total 86 this month, modellers most gravitate to new kits. This month, there is nothing that is super new, there is no kit taking a bow for its premiere, but even so, it is an interesting mix of scales and aircraft from various periods in history. One is dedicated to the pivotal battle during the Second World War that was Guadalcanal and contains the F4F-4 in two development configurations from that period. At the time, naval fighters were not particularly striking in appearance on either of the opposing sides, but in my view, we were able to come out with an attractive mix of interesting aircraft that are accompanied by, to the contrary, riveting stories. Among them is a Wildcat that was flown by ‘Pug’ Southerland in a legendary fight with Saburo Sakai. This event was already once depicted on the boxart for one of our A6M2 releases. Other scheme options are provided for Wildcats that were brought to the forefront by pilots such as Joe Foss, Stanley Vejtasa and Donald Runyon. There is a total of twelve of these options, and the kit contains two complete sets of plastic for versions of the Wildcat that marginally differed from one another. Truth be told, the differences only concern the fuselages, but they are there and you need to be aware of them. If these sets of plastic aren’t enough for you, we also have the Overtrees options. And while still on the Wildcats over Guadalcanal theme, we have an article penned by Tom Cleaver in this issue of the newsletter.

  The Second World War is our main focus of attention when it comes to kit production and our range reflects this. The 1:72 scale Bf 109E-4 in the ProfiPACK line is generally, but not exclusively, about the Battle of Britain, while the Spitfire Mk.Vc Trop deals with the later battles over the Mediterranean, North Africa and Southeast Asia. It represents aircraft equipped with the tropical filter, either the Vokes or Aboukir types, and the markings are anything but boring. We have British, South African, Australian, American and even a Yugoslavian Spitfire. We did make a subtle change to the design of this kit with the addition of the wingtips that were typical for aircraft equipped with the Aboukir unit. I also consider the boxart for this kit rather unique, and what is interesting about it, as well as with our other boxarts this month, is detailed in the Boxart Stories sections of the newsletter.

  The Second World War theme is also expressed in the only Weekend kit release for March. Following on the heels of November’s Bf 110G-4, we have the Bf 110G-2 for March. In terms of camouflage schemes, this kit is no slouch either, but what sets this kit apart are the weapons options, and is different for each of the four marking options offered. We waited just shy of two years for the return to our range of the Bf 110 in the two main scales of 1:48 and 1:72. It was even longer for the Avia B.534. That one makes its return in the form of the B.534 IV Series in the ProfiPACK line. We should also manage to put out the B.534 III Series, and in the original boxes. Also being reissued in March is the MiG-21bis, also in the ProfiPACK line.

  
  

  New Releases for March – Accessory Items

  Of the 86 aforementioned new releases for the month, eighty of them fall under various accessory labels. Among them are some very interesting little items, often even unique, that provide a hint of the future. Among these, for example, is the cockpit for the 1:48 Mi-24V/Mi-35 in black form, which carries in its name PRINT & SPACE. This means that it is made as a 3D print with a small number of cast items, complemented by an instrument panel and other details made using 3D technology of the SPACE line. In April, we will release a set for the older and more traditional green version, common to Soviet era aircraft. I think that this combination is a fairly interesting concept, and with the advantages and features that it offers, will pique the curiosity of many modellers. For accessory items for model aircraft, this really is a new age, offering new opportunities and possibilities for improving your models, and certainly deserves a test drive at the very least. The colour sets include a small 3D printed item covering the ejection seat handle for the F-16A from Kinetic, also in 1:48 scale. The set is called ACES II Ejection Seat Lower Handles PRINT 1/48 and it really is as noteworthy as it is small. If it does get noticed, and becomes popular, it will open the door for further development of the technology. Printed engines are falling into the realm of classic items, and are offered for the F-4F-4 Wildcat, along with a wheel well set for the same type and scale, and yes, for the Eduard kit in general, and for the above mentioned Guadalcanal item in particular. I would also like to turn your attention to the set of guns for the Beaufort Mk.I, which are beautifully and finely printed items as well.

  The collection also includes other interesting types of accessories. These cover, for example, the HKM B-25J in 1:48, in the form of masks, photoetched brass and SPACE sets, and the same can be said of the sets for the Revell B-24D Liberator and the F-16A MLU from Kinetic. A large collection of photoetched sets are designed for the Zvezda C-130J Hercules. So far, we have masks and a Space set for Zvezda’s Mi-8MT, while masks, photoetched and SPACE items are available for the 1:32 scale Hurricane from Revell and Spitfire Mk.IXc from Airfix. The latter, though, is in the bigger scale of 1:24. There is a mix of accessory items for Tamiya’s beautiful F-35A and, besides the wheels, I would point out the extensive masks for the RAM panels on the surface of Japanese and American aircraft which the kit offers as part of its eight marking options. Similar, but correspondingly simpler versions of these masks for the remaining marking options of the kit have been available since last month. These masks are produced using a different material from the one used in our canopy sets. Besides the advantages that this material offers for this type of application, they also differ in their black colour. With these two sets, we make a return to masks designed for camouflage schemes, national insignias and marking details. It’s not a one-off project, and we will continue with these sets primarily for kits of our own production. For the F-35A, we also have a BiGSin set of weapons.

  Of the increasingly popular SPACE line, we have eight new items for March. I would also like to point out two 3D printed sets for 1:35 scale AFVs, and also the new LooK and LookPlus items.

  
  

  Articles

  Besides the articles already mentioned above, we have the next installment of the War Over Ukraine feature from Mira Maric. February 24th marked the first anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. It came with a realization that we have ahead of us many months, if not years, of bloody fighting, the horrors of war and general gloom and doom. Regardless of how long it takes, it will end, and it must end if the world is to survive and maintain the values on which it stands. That means the defeat of Russia. After all, the Russians are working at it through their own tenacity.

  With the use of four formerly Czech Hinds by Ukraine, we have a connection, albeit a loose one, to Tomas Dvorak’s article covering the Mi-24/Mi-35 that takes a look at not just the technical details of these aircraft, but also examines the interesting circumstances surrounding their acquisition by Czechoslovakia, and later deliveries to the Czech Air Force. This is an article that, although it is very detailed, it remains very easy to read and has a good continuity. It may not appear yet in the English translation of the newsletter.

  The last of today’s articles deals with the sad news of the passing of Petr Samal on January 31, after a long illness. He led a ring of modellers that brought kids into the hobby and was also the head of the builders’ section of the SMCzR. Memories are offered by Fredy Riedel and Milan Mikulecky, and I think back on Petr fondly.

  Happy Modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc

• Memories of Petr Šámal

  
  

  
  

  by Alfred Riedel 

   

  On Tuesday, January 31, I was sitting with Jan Zdiarsky from Eduard in a restaurant near our hotel in Nuremberg. I was enjoying dinner and relaxing after a busy day, full of preparations of the stand at the fair. However, this relaxed mood was swept away by the news that hit me hard. Petr Šámal has died. He hadn’t been in good health for some time, but according to the reports I was getting, he had started to improve. So, it came like a bolt from the blue. After Petr Dousek and Radek Pavlíček, another great friend of mine had passed away ...

   

  I met Peter sometime in late 1990 or early the following year. We were introduced by a mutual friend,  my classmate Petr Šobíšek, at a model exhibition organized by the plastic model club Albatros. We got along in many things with “Šámi”, as we called him. Plastic modeling and interest in history were of course  two of them. “Šámi” had  knowledge as well as copious archives and was, like us, kind of “patient”. We became members of Albatros club and “Šami” became a bit of a mentor to us. After all, he was a bit older. Unlike me, a student at the time, and Petr Šobíšek, who was serving the alternative civilian service, “Šámi” was already making money and owned a car. Two years later, I started working at one MPM model shop in Prague  while Petr Šobíšek was working at  another MPM shop  in a different Prague location. Thanks to his work at Prague Energy company (PRE), “Šámi” kept moving around Prague and very often stopped by one or the other store. A group of colleagues and their friends formed around both shops and “Šámi” was an important member of this group. At that time, he got a studio apartment in Písnice, so our group had a place to meet. Today I wouldn’t probably survive such lavish parties as those held there back then  … We travelled together not only to attend model competitions, but also to do various trips including mountaineering. “Šámi” with his guitar, which he played with great skill, often took care of  the entertainment. In fact, music was his other great hobby. Besides playing the instrument, he also collected records and his knowledge of good music was astounding.

  But time passed, “Šámi” settled down, got married, had a daughter and later a son. His son was born just a few months before mine. So, we would occasionally meet up with our families, usually at a modeling contest. Unlike “Šámi”, who was still working at PRE, I left MPM to eventually return to Special Hobby. So, I was also seeing “Šámi” professionally, because in the meantime he had become the chairman of the plastic modeling section of SMČR (Modelers association of Czech Republic) and was dealing with sponsorship issues. He took over the plastic model section in quite a bad shape, but thanks to his dedication, organizational skills and knowledge, the functioning of it has changed for the much better. At the same time, he led the children model club in Písnice and raised many new modelers. He took care of the children like a little grumpy, but very caring babysitter. Unfortunately, he did not take similar care of his health, which had fatal consequences. “Šámi” left too soon. I miss him.

   

   

  by Milan Mikulecký

   

  Whenever someone passes away, everybody tends to remember them in a good way. In the case of Petr Šámal, it’s easy for me, I really experienced him only in a good way. And I think that everyone who knew him in connection with his passion – plastic modelling – has it the same.

   

  I admit that I am not worth much as a modeler, the last time I finished a kit was some thirty-five years ago. When my children got to the age when it was time to start developing their fine motor skills, I had to admit self-critically that they would  acquire rather negative habits under my guidance. Therefore, I called Vladimír Šulc from Eduard, saying that I would like to hire a modeler for my children who would introduce them to modeling in the twenty-first century. And Vladimír gave me the phone number of Petr Šámal, saying he runs a modeling club in Písnice near Prague. That’s how I first met Peter.

  What surprised me there? First of all, the number of children attending the club. And then that even though today’s children have a different attitude to authority than we had, Petr and his colleagues managed to “discipline” them without any severe means. And most importantly, that even for  teenagers, Peter was an unquestionable authority. I understood that running a modeling club is not just about building the kits, but also about weekends spent at modeling contests, looking for sponsors or negotiating with the owners of the premises where the club operates. Petr was the soul and the engine of it all. But it didn’t stop there, as Petr also organized trips to various museums. Once I had an opportunity to go with them, it was the trip from Točná to the Military Technical Museum in Lešany. A driver for the historic Dodge WC 52, which was to take us to the museum and back, send us a last-minute apology. Well, it was Petr who got behind the wheel, and he bravely tackled driving a car without a synchronized gearbox and many other conveniences of modern cars.

  Peter, besides aircraft built in various scales, also liked the real ones. He himself used to fly in the Točná Aero Club, and when I offered him the opportunity to go flying, he did not refuse. Although a lot of time had passed since he himself had been a student pilot of Blaník glider, it was clear that he still had a feeling for flying. When he took over the controls, I did not have the slightest urge to correct his piloting in any way. We had the opportunity to fly together a Stearman, a Zlin C-305 or a Cessna C 180 in bush flying modification. Peter  then surprised me, because he had bought each of these aircraft as a model, with the intention of building them in the exact livery we flew together. I don’t know whether he managed to realize his plan, the illness he eventually lost the battle for his life with came rather quickly (at least for me, as Peter didn’t talk much about his troubles) and in a form that caused him to be hospitalized in addition to the pain. I admit that we will all remember him as a tireless organizer with his typical smile. As a man who never refused help to anyone who asked for it.

  I have three children myself and I know how challenging it is to take care of them, to teach them something and to anticipate everything they might think of. That’s why I have lot of respect and awe for people who are spending time and lot of effort with children who might be strangers to them in addition to their own. Peter was one of them. He led them to a love of history, to patience, and taught them a whole range of skills that neither school nor their family could provide. All this in his spare time and with no expectation of remuneration. In today’s performance, money and success driven world, he was almost a person from another time. Peter, we’re gonna miss you here.

  
  

• The Cavalry Arrives

  The Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat was the most significant fighter aircraft deployed in the fightings for Guadalcanal. VMF-223 pilots were the first to land these aircraft at Henderson Field.

  Three prominent pilots of the first phase of aerial combat over Guadalcanal: Maj. John L. Smith, commander of VMF-223, Lt. Col. Richard Mangrum, commander of VMSB-232 and Capt. Marion E. Carl, XO of VMF-223.

  
  

  VMF-223 at Guadalcanal

  Pt. 1

  Text: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

  Photo: Naval History and Heritage Command

  
  

  The Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat was the most significant fighter aircraft deployed in the fightings for Guadalcanal. VMF-223 pilots were the first to land these aircraft at Henderson Field.

  
  

  The sky over the Coral Sea was a deep blue with a few clouds on the morning of August 20, 1942, when a 14th Air Group H6K Mavis operating from the advance patrol base in the Shortland Islands began tracking a cruiser and two destroyers at 1020 hours, transmitting news of the sighting. At 1130, the Mavis reported the three warships were escorting an aircraft carrier when it sighted the auxiliary aircraft carrier USS Long Island (ACV-1), her deck loaded with aircraft. When the message from the Mavis revealing the presence of Long Island was received by Combined Fleet headquarters at Truk, Japanese commanders were elated, but they missed the significance of the carrier the Mavis had sighted, since they knew nothing of the existence of U.S. “auxiliary carriers.” To Admiral Yamamoto’s staff, it appeared Long Island was stalking Admiral Tanaka’s slow Reinforcement Group, which was steaming steadily toward Guadalcanal since departing Truk in two forces on August 16 and 17. Long Island was beyond the range of any Japanese strike aircraft, but Tanaka’s fleet was in range of the unidentified American carrier. Vice Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara ordered Tanaka to turn away from Guadalcanal and turn directly toward Rabaul. If the Americans knew where he was, they might chase him and in so doing come within range of the 5th Air Attack Force’s Bettys. 

  At 1340 hours, Yamamoto’s headquarters received a message from the Mavis in the next search sector over from first, reporting the presence of a second aircraft carrier and several surface escorts; in fact, this was Long Island and her escorts. The big flying boat was unnoticed by any American radars and eased within 40 miles of the carrier as it continued tracking her course.

  Captain USS Long Island, Commander Donald B. Duncan, on the deck of his ship while at anchor in Norfolk, Virginia, October 26, 1941. Note the installation of a makeshift mast. 

  
  

  At 1400 hours Long Island reached her launch point off the tip of San Cristobal Island, 200 miles south of Guadalcanal. The strange-looking ship had begun life on January 11, 1940, as the C-3 cargo liner Mormacmail. Taken over by the Navy March 6, 1941, she had emerged from the yards with her superstructure removed and replaced by a 362-foot flight deck, becoming the first of a new class of aircraft carrier – Auxiliary Escort Carriers – which would over the next few years become the most numerous class of aircraft carriers in the world, by then known as CVEs, which their crews would claim stood for “combustible, vulnerable and expendable.” Long Island’s captain, Commander Donald Duncan, ordered full speed ahead. Black smoke poured from the horizontal funnels on her starboard side as Long Island’s single diesel engine strained to bring the ship to her maximum speed of 16.5 knots – half that of a fleet carrier.

  For Long Island and her precious cargo of F4F-4 Wildcats of VMF-223 and SBD-3s of VMSB-232, this was their second attempt to get to Guadalcanal. After less than a month in preparation following notification on July 5 that they were deploying to the South Pacific, the pilots and gunners had packed themselves aboard the little carrier in Pearl Harbor on August 2 and Long Island set sail unescorted into the great unknown of the war-torn Pacific. Their ground crews and other key personnel from MAG-23, and all the necessary ordnance, fuel, and supplies needed to begin air operations departed separately aboard the transport William Ward Burroughs.

  On August 9, 1942, completely unaware of conditions on Guadalcanal, Long Island had neared her launch point when Captain Duncan learned of disaster suffered in the Battle of Savo Island the night before. Duncan turned around and headed for the American base at Suva, Fiji, to await clearance to launch his cargo of precious aircraft and pilots. Upon arrival, he informed Admiral Robert Ghormley that most of the pilots were too green to be committed to combat. Ghormley bucked the matter to Admiral McCain, who ordered eight more experienced pilots transferred to VMF-223 from the well-trained but unbloodied Vila-based VMF-212, which would take 223's least-experienced pilots in trade and train them further. On August 14, Long Island departed Suva for Efate to make the swap, but the VMF-212 pilots did not come aboard until the day before the ship departed for Guadalcanal on August 18.

  The hangar of the USS Long Island with the Wildcats and Seagulls on June 17, 1942. All aircraft are from VGS-1. A month later, this ship was carrying VMF-223 towards Guadalcanal.

   Before taking off from the deck of the USS Long Island ...

  The Henderson Field area as it looked shortly after the Marines captured it.  

  Marines building a defensive line on the perimeter around Henderson Field.

  
  

  To Guadalcanal!

  On the way out from Pearl, the Marines had worried about getting off the carrier while in the Pacific “doldrums” where there was no wind over the deck. Dick Mangrum recalled “we had no idea how far south this equatorial condition would be found, and considered ourselves fortunate to discover our destination was far enough south to be well away from this situation.” With the southeast tradewind adding another 10 knots to the breeze over the flight deck, the crews in the 12 new SBD-3 Dauntless dive bombers checked the gear and equipment – spark plugs, starter cartridges, tool kits, even spare tires – they had stuffed in their cockpits the night before to support themselves for the two weeks they would be on their own before their ground crews arrived. The squadron was six airplanes short of its authorized strength because these 12 had been the only Dauntlesses available in the Ford Island fleet pool when Mangrum learned of their coming deployment. Each Dauntless carried a 500-pound bomb to supplement the small supply on Guadalcanal. According to Mangrum, “receiving orders to bomb-up our airplanes was an eye-opener to just how difficult things were where we were going.” Second Lieutenant Eugene Trowbridge noted in his offically-illegal diary (that he kept regardless): “A lot of excitement today as there are enemy subs all around, and today we get the new experience of being catapulted from the ship as the flight deck is too short to fly off.  We are all set to leave. Engines warm and tested, baggage all secured, everything all set. Finally, we’re off.”

  The flight deck crew pushed the first bomber into position. Bombing-232’s skipper, Major Richard. H. Mangrum’s 12 years as a fighter and bomber pilot and 3,000 flying hours, made him the most experienced of all 31 pilots in the two squadrons. Mangrum later recalled that “Our launch was delayed to the afternoon since the Japanese visited Guadalcanal at mid-day, and thus, arriving later, we were less likely to get an unfriendly reception from our fellow Marines.”

  Two minutes later, 2nd Lieutenant Lawrence Baldinus, a Polish expatriate and former Marine enlisted pilot who had been commissioned after Pearl Harbor and was the most experienced pilot in the squadron after Mangrum, stood on his brakes and ran up his engine, then soared up to join his leader. Second Lieutenant Henry “Hank” Hise, a 22-year-old Texan who had graduated from flight school the previous May with a shade over 200 hours in his logbook, maneuvered his scout bomber on the deck as the crew hooked the airplane to the catapult. He and the other nine “nuggets” had never seen a Dauntless before they reported to the squadron in late June. A minute later, the force of the catapult caused Lieutenant Hise to forcibly pull back on his joystick, pulling the Dauntless’s nose high enough to nearly stall. He quickly jammed the stick forward and fought to keep the bomber out of the water. Regaining control, he joined up on Mangrum and Baldinus.

  The first of the 19 blue-grey F4F-4 Wildcat fighters was pushed into position on the catapult. Squadron commander Major John L. Smith made a last-minute check of his engine and controls. Extremely intelligent and able, he had a demonstrated ability to adapt quickly to changed conditions; most who knew him said he often appeared to be in a bad mood. He had only flown fighters since a month before the attack on Pearl Harbor and had worked his young replacements hard since the squadron had been informed, they were headed for the South Pacific. He had never trained other aviators and never been in combat. Fortunately, he was a superb natural fighter tactician, a confident innovator who had painstakingly trained his men to survive against the otherwise unbeatable Zero. He later recalled those weeks spent working to prepare his novices for the unknown rigors of combat: “We all had to qualify on an aircraft carrier, which we did. We spent as much time as we could flying on Saturdays and Sundays and every other day, doing gunnery and dummy runs and anything that would help to give people quick experience or quick training. It was the first experience that I’d ever had trying to train anybody, but it seemed to me that gunnery was the most important thing, so we concentrated on gunnery more than anything else, which was a good thing after we found out where we were going.”

  The F4F-4 Smith flew was unlike its predecessor, the F4F-3; this Wildcat sported folding wings, allowing more of them to operate from an aircraft carrier. Armament was increased from four to six .50-caliber machine guns, increasing the weight of fire, though the ammunition load remained the same which reduced total firing time by 14 seconds, an eternity in air combat. Most Wildcat pilots did not see this as an improvement. The weight of the additional guns and the folding wings reduced the already-sluggish performance of the fighter even more. At Guadalcanal, the pilots would need every bit of warning time the coastwatchers could provide to struggle up to 20,000 feet in time to be in position for an attack on the incoming Japanese.

  Smith was followed in quick succession by Captain Marion Carl, newly-promoted to Executive Officer, and fellow Midway veteran Division Leaders Captains Clayton Canfield and Roy Corry and their young charges, who had an average of 250 flying hours in their logbooks and were eight weeks out of flight school.

  At 1455 hours, Yamamoto’s staff received a report from the second Mavis that the carrier and its escorts were retiring south. Neither of the big flying boats had seen the launch of Marine Air Group 23 to Guadalcanal.

  With the Marine aircraft launched, the vulnerable carrier reversed course and headed out of range at full speed. The 31 blue-grey airplanes headed north into the cloudy unknown.

  Two hours later, Guadalcanal hove into view. While Smith’s Wildcats flew cover, the SBDs landed.  Mangrum followed a ground-control jeep to the dispersal area and jumped to the ground as soon as his plane's engine stopped. He had his hand wrung profusely by General Vandegrift, while thousands of thankful Marines shouted themselves hoarse and pounded one another black and blue in a thundering release of emotion. The cavalry had arrived.

  Lieutenant Gene Trowbridge later wrote in his diary: “[We] sight the [air]field at 1600. We are really welcomed by the troops as the Japs have been taking their time bombing them and they figure we will help them quite a lot. We are all bedded down for the night and get ready for a nice sleep when, bang, the whole world seems to explode. The Japs are coming and some of their cruisers and destroyers are shelling us and the troops. It was a trying first night. We are nervous and jumpy as there are snipers all around us, just waiting for someone to stick [his] nose out.”

   

  Invasion on a Shoestring

  Once the Allied fleet had retreated from the Guadalcanal area following the defeat at Savo Island, the primary objective for the abandoned Marines was getting the captured Japanese airfield on the Lunga plain operational as quickly as possible. Without air support, they were completely at the mercy of Japanese aerial and naval attacks, and highly vulnerable to ground assault.

  Almost as soon as the runway had fallen into the hands of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines on August 8, the division air and engineering officers sized things up. They reported they could put down 2,600 feet of usable runway by August 10, and that another 1,200-by-160-foot section could be completed in the week after that. Rear Admiral Turner promised on August 8 that aircraft would arrive on August 11. Unfortunately, when the fleet was forced to retire following Savo Island, they left with nearly all the 1st Engineer Battalion’s equipment that had yet to be unloaded.  Construction of the airfield commenced August 9 when the 1st Engineer and 1st Pioneer battalions managed to gather sufficient gear to get started. A miserable 15 percent of their equipment and supplies had been landed, with none of the heavy equipment making it ashore. Thus, they were forced to manhandle 100,000 cubic feet of earth fill to cover the depression in the center of the field that had been left by the Japanese, who had begun their construction at both ends and built toward the center.

  The engineers used a huge steel girder as a drag, while a captured Japanese road roller was used to pack the fill. Japanese gear contributed heavily to the small store of engineering equipment available to the Americans, though in general, the captured equipment was in poor condition; ingenious American mechanics kept it working hour after brutal hour in their race against time. The only earth-moving equipment was one angle-dozer the pioneers had managed to land. Dump trucks were nonexistent. The engineers performed incredible feats of improvisation as they overcame monumental difficulties.

  On August 18, eight Betty bombers arrived over Henderson in the largest air strike since August 9 as the 25th Air Flotilla began the aerial assault leading up to the first Japanese effort to land troops and retake the island. Forced to remain above 25,000 feet by antiaircraft fire, the bombers did little harm. But it was clear to all that the enemy was resuming work and would be back. As yet nothing stood in their path. A three-ship convoy from Noumea arrived after the Japanese dparted. The ships brought five days of food, which, along with captured Japanese provisions, gave the Marines a two-week food supply. To stretch the supplies as far as possible, the Marines were limited to two meals per day.

   

  Henderson is Ready

  On August 19, CUB-1 and the 1st Engineer Battalion reported Henderson was fit to support air operations. The airfield was now 3,800-foot strip 150 feet wide, covered with gravel, with a dirt taxiway and parking area destined to become fields of mud in the many rainstorms. The airfield was surrounded by a tenuously held defensive line extending from Point Cruz on the west to the Ilu River on the east, leaving the field only a quarter mile from a mile-long piece of high ground that would come to be known in Marine history as “Bloody Ridge.” There were no protective revetments and aircraft maintenance would test American ingenuity throughout their time on the island. The only structure on the field was a wooden tower the Japanese had constructed which became known as “The Pagoda.” Time Magazine reporter Robert Sherrod, who landed with the Marines, described living conditions at the field as “appalling” with sleeping choices limited to mud-floor tents or dugouts, with slit trenches close by. Malarial mosquitos were numerous. The fliers would be issued Japanese mosquito netting, something the “mud marines” could only hope for. The facilities were crude, but Henderson Field was ready. It was just in time.

  Despite all the effort, Henderson Field could barely be described as an airfield. It was an irregularly shaped blob cut out of the island growth, half in and half out of a coconut grove, with a runway that was too short and too few revetments to protect the aircraft from shrapnel. In mid-September, several weeks after their arrival on the island, MAG-23 group executive officer Lt. Colonel Charles Fike finally wrote the August 20, 1942, entry in the group’s War Diary: “Upon arrival it was found that a servicing detachment of approximately 140 men, commanded by Ensign Polk, of CUB-1, were available for fueling, rearming, and servicing of aircraft. All fueling was done by means of hand pumps directly from drums. Rearming was done without the aid of bomb-handling trucks, bomb carts, or bomb hoists. The enlisted men of CUB-l, although willing and intelligent, had, for the most part, less than four months’ service, as a result of which they required the closest supervision. Considering the attending difficulties, Ensign Polk handled this situation remarkably well. His attitude was at all times cooperative.”

  To be continued

  A major innovation in the F4F-4 version was the "So-Wing" folding system, designed by Leroy Grumman himself. Here, mechanics demonstrate the system’s space-saving capabilities on an aircraft belonging to VF-3 at NAS Kaneohe, Oahu, May 29, 1942.

  Wildcats on Guadalcanal in the fall of 1942. A group of B-17s is overflying Henderson Field.

• The air war over Ukraine

  During the reported period, from January 1 to February 1, 2023, the offensive operations were expected by either side. The large-scale maneuvers however did not take place. The Russians stubbornly launched mass assaults against the well-fortified positions, with the poor results that could be expected.

  A Ukrainian A1-SM Furia drone with the designation 610 and serial number ACM13072 was shot down near Kreminnaya, Luhansk area, on January 31.

  
  

  Old ways pass to the New Year

  Text: Miro Barič 

   
  

  During the reported period, from January 1 to February 1, 2023, the offensive operations were expected by either side. The large-scale maneuvers however did not take place. The Russians stubbornly launched mass assaults against the well-fortified positions, with the poor results that could be expected.

   

  The new year started with so far, the largest one-time loss on the Russian side The Russian command demonstrated the great negligence when hundreds of drafted soldiers were concentrated in the unprotected and unreinforced building of the former high school in Makiivka in Donetsk region. All this regardless the fact that for several months the building exactly like this have been targets of the highly efficient missiles fired from the HIMARS rocket launchers. On the top of it, there was an ammunition dump in the building basement and uncamouflaged vehicles parked around the building. There was no secret that the building housed hundreds of soldiers. The result was a disaster at an unheard-of scale, even by Russian standards. On the New Year the building was hit by rockets and the carnage was topped by the explosion of the stored ammunition. The former school completely collapsed which is confirmed by videos published on the Russian channels. According to the Ukrainian and Western estimates between 300 and 400 soldiers were killed. Even the Russian Department of Defense had to admit to the Makiivka attack. Otherwise, it covers up the Russian own losses. It was announced that 89 soldiers perished, the highest loss the Russians have admitted to so far. Such a Russian confirmation is unusual and indicates that the real losses were high in fact.

  This Russian Ch-101 missile crashed after launch while still on its own territory near Ulan-Khola, 140 km from Astrakhan.

  
  

  A drive for an offensive

  Since the fall rains started practically everybody has waited for the weather change, for the ground to freeze, so as the larger scale operations could be resumed. The Ukrainians were on alert for the anticipated large Russian offensive. Unlike a year ago the massive attack did not materialize. The Russians have lost too many combat vehicles. Even though they are being replenished from the reserves the level of training of the drafted soldiers to operate this equipment is low and the whole logistics is in the shambles. Instead of the massive concentrations of its forces the Russian Army attempted the attacks executed by the smaller groups at the various sectors of the front, from the borders of the Kharkov region in the north to the Zaporozhe region in the south. After a half year long effort the Russians achieved a breakthrough at Bakhmut. In the beginning of January, they took advantage of the failed rotation of the Ukrainian troops and captured the little town of Soledar north of Bakhmut. After that the Ukrainians deployed the reinforcements and blocked the Russian advance. The pressure on the town continued from three different directions however and at this time Bakhmut was still holding on. The Russian attempts at capturing the city of Vuhledar further south of Bakhmut, failed spectacularly. The Russian troop were chaotically attacking across the huge, opened area, covered with land mines and under the covering fire of the Ukrainian defenders. The result were tens of combat vehicles destroyed and the whole units decimated.

  The crash of a Ukrainian Ministry of the interior H225 helicopter caused a major fire in the town of Brovary on January 18.

  Ukraine bought 21 H225 helicopters before the war. Photo: Airbus

  
  

  The armored fighting vehicles and tanks

  To stop these attacks and to prepare their own counter-offensive, the Ukrainians requested the modern armored equipment from their allies. The call was answered in January. First, in the beginning of the month. France committed to deliver AMX-10 RC wheeled combat vehicles armed with 105 mm cannon and after that Germany and the USA made their move. Germany will deliver 40 infantry combat vehicles Marder. The USA have delivered so far 109 proven M2 Bradley vehicles and others should follow. Besides these vehicles however the Ukrainians requested the third-generation main battle tanks. The call was answered in the end of the months when the Great Britain committed to deliver 14 Challenger 2 tanks and shortly afterwards the USA agreed to supply thirty Abrams tanks and several countries will deliver in total several tens of Leopard 3 German tanks. They will be delivered after the Ukrainian tank crews training is completed, currently under way in Britain, Germany and Poland.

  Economics professor Oleh Fedirets Ph.D. became an anti-aircraft gunner near Bakhmut.

  
  

  Long range

  For quite some time the Ukrainians demanded from the USA the supplies of ATACMS missiles with 300 km range for their HIMARS rocket launchers. It seems that the compromise was reached in the form of GLSDB ammunition with 150 km range. There is a problem though, these brand-new missiles are not yet in the USA inventory and their deliveries will not be possible sooner than in couple of months. GLSDB stands for Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb. It was developed from GBU-39 SDB bomb which weighs 113 kilos. These small diameter bombs were designed in a way that an aircraft can carry several of them instead of one large bomb – and hit more targets during one mission. The bomb features the precise guiding system and extended range thanks to its gliding ability.

  Boeing and Saab Group cooperated in the development of the ground version of this weapon. They attached the rocket engine to the bomb which will launch it to the altitude on the ballistic trajectory. At that point the rocket engine will be dropped, the bomb will extend its wings and continue its gliding path. Its range is as long as 150 km. The weapon features several advantages. Thanks to its semi-active laser sight it can hit the moving targets- within 100 km on the ground and as far as 130 km at sea. And thanks to its ability to maneuver and turn around in the air it can hit the targets behind the horizon, impossible for the traditional gunnery.

  In case the Ukrainians receive these weapons, they will be able to fire them from the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS rocket launchers already in their arsenal. Currently, they only have rockets with 70 km range. Using the GLSDB ammunition, based on the current front lines, they will be able to hit the whole occupied region of Luhanks, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions and the upper third of Crimea. The Russians will be forced to relocate their bases, fuel, and ammunition dumps practically outside of the Ukrainian territory. Not even the moving trains and ships will be safe from these gliding bombs. At last, GLSDB is priced more favorably - it costs 40,000 USD as opposed to 1 million USD for an ATACMS rocket.

  The machine gun in the nose appeared on several Ukrainian Mi-8s.

  A moody night shot of a Mi-8 under preparations at a forward-field base.

  A spectacular shot of an unguided missiles firing from a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter.

  
  

  Sea Sparrow fired from the ground

  Soon enough another AA defense system will reach Ukraine – and let’s admit, it is urgently needed due to the continued Russian missile attacks on the Ukrainian infrastructure. Following the systems such as Patriot, IRIS-T or NASAMS, part of those has been already delivered to Ukraine, in January the USA announced that one of their military aid packages will include Sea Sparrow rockets. This weapon, used for the ship’s AA defense, were modified for the ground deployment in Ukraine. RIM-7 missiles were developed in 1960s based on the air-to-air AIM-7 Sparrow rockets. While those were later replaced by AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, Sea Sparrow rockets development continued simultaneously. They are still used today resembling the original Sparrow only by the name.

  Sea Sparrow rockets were modified to be used in the modern vertical launch systems. They weigh 230 kilos out of which the warhead represents 41 kilos. Its airspeed is 4250 kph and range 19 kilometers. Besides the aircraft, it can destroy the cruising missiles and certain types of rockets. They are radar guided. The Ukrainians will launch them from Buk systems modified for this purpose. The transfer of three reconnaissance NATO aircraft, known as AWACS, from Germany to Romania can be considered as an indirect form of support. It took place on January 1, and they are to remain near Ukrainian border for at least several weeks.

  AWACS is the designation of one of the systems these aircraft carry on board. They are known to public under this name however the official designation is AEW&C which means Airborne Early Warning and Control. For this purpose, NATO uses Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft operating from Geilenkirchen base in the Western Germany. USA and NATO reconnaissance aircraft were gathering the information even before the Russian attack on Ukraine. Since then, they have been flying outside of the Ukrainian airspace over Romania and the Black Sea. They are capable to find out when and how many rockets and cruising missiles the Russians fired. The operational space however is approximately 2,000 kilometers from the German base, distance the aircraft have to cover each way. After the transfer to the Romanian airbase in Otopeni near Burcharest, the flight to the Ukrainian-Romanian border is approximately 200 kilometers long. The time they can spend on their mission expanded significantly as well.

  A Polish-made Krab self-propelled howitzer was saved from a Russian Lancet kamikaze drone by a metal mesh.

  The wreckage of a Su-25SM with the fuselage number "Blue 15" and registration RF-95152, images of which were released on January 5.

  
  

  Secretary of State perished

  Most of the aircraft losses is linked to the intense fighting in Bakhmut area. The Ukrainians reported several helicopters (especially Ka-52) and aircraft (Su-25) shot down however their wrecks have not been visually confirmed. Only several losses of the drones could be verified. Su-25SM wreck carrying the bort number “blue 15” and registration RF-95152 was found in the Kherson area. The aircraft had been lost earlier but the images of its wreck were published only on January 5. Obviously, a Su-34, which wreck was shown in the video on January 25 had been lost quite some time before. The Ukrainian forces lost several drones as well. On January 6, the mercenaries from the so-called Wagner group published a video which shows how they, firing the portable rocket launchers, hit an airplane, probably a Ukrainian Su-25. The following day, on January 7, the satellite images were published showing the crashed Ukrainian Mig-29. When and under which circumstances the airplane was lost remains unknown. On January 18, in the morning, a tragedy took place in the town of Brovary east of Kiev where an Airbus H225 helicopter crashed. 14 people were killed including the Ukrainian Secretary of State, his deputy and the state commissioner.

  Even before the conflict the Ukrainian Department of State bought 21 H225 helicopters (originally Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma). Deliveries started in 2018. They were used by the Governmental Rescue Service and the National Guard. The aircraft that crashed belonged to the rescue service and there were nine passengers on board – besides the crew members it was Secretary of State Denys Monastyrskyi, his first deputy Yevhenii Yenin, state commissioner Yuri Lubkovich and other department officials. The aircraft was enroute to Kharkiv. According to the eye witnesses the helicopter flew close to the ground but straight and there were no indications that it was having any problems. It flew three circles above the town of Brovary east of Kiev and then it suddenly started to descend, hit a kindergarten, and crashed next to the multi-family residential building. It was dark and foggy at the time of a crash which could have played a significant role in the tragedy. The kindergarten building was set on fire and had to be evacuated. Besides nine people in the helicopter five more people died on the ground, including a child. 30 people were injured out of which 12 were children.

  Till the end of January four more Ukrainian airplane losses were confirmed. On January 22, the mercenaries from the so-called Wagner group shot down a Mi-8 helicopter near Bakhmut. Its three-member crew was killed. On January 27, Captain Danylo Murashko was killed near Kramatorsk during the combat flight. He flew Su-25 from 299 Brigade of Tactical Aviation. Another Mi-8 was shot down on January 30 near Novodarovka in Zaporozhiye region on a mission to supply the ammunition. Its three-member crew did not survive. On the last day of January, a Mi-2 helicopter crashed near Poltava it is far from the front line. Therefore, it can be considered a non-combat loss. Two-member crew – 47 years old pilot Vladyslav Stankevych and 46 years old commander Gennadii Butenko, perished in the crash.

  Captain Danylo Murasko was killed on January 27 during a combat flight near Kramatorsk.

  The crew of Captain Gennady Butenko and Lieutenant Vladyslav Stankevych did not survive the Mi-2 crash during a training flight on 31 January.

• Back to Nuremberg

  
  

  Text: Jakub Nademlejnský

  Photo: author 

  
  

  After a long two-year hiatus caused by the COVID epidemic, the Eduard team was back  to the Nuremberg Toy Fair once again. The event took place from February 1 to 5 and was held in sixteen halls of the local trade fair center.

   

  It has to be said right at the beginning that this year fair was different from the previous ones. There were significantly fewer exhibitors. In our market segment of plastic model kits, the fingers of just two hands would be enough to count the participants. However, count me in – Eduard/Special Hobby, Italeri, Tamiya, Revell, Airfix. What else? Let’s add to the credit the Art Scale Kit distributor and Zvezda, which had a stand in one of the tucked away booths due to the organizers’ restrictions against Russian companies. Any others? No, nobody else. Other companies from our business chose a more economical option and came only to have a look and go round the stands. And more than we expected stopped at our stand. Among them, even those we hadn’t counted on beforehand. Others didn’t come at all. For example, representatives from China, USA and Ukraine were missing, and the representation from Poland was also quite weak.

  But no wonder. The situation is not rosy, so many companies have opted for low-profile and very economical forms of participation. We also chose a more economical option than in the past, and as more attentive readers may have noticed above, we joined forces with a friendly company, Special Hobby, reducing our stand to only two-thirds of its former size. Of course, this led to more intensive communication with our colleagues from Special Hobby, so we were able to discuss further possible cooperation on future projects. However, when more visitors arrived at one point, the booth was a bit tight ... Nevertheless, we handled it without any problems. We also split our team into two parties and rotated with our colleagues after three days at the fair. Saving money is necessary nowadays!

  If you have not attended this fair in person in the past, I guarantee you would be impressed anyway. It’s a huge event, with 2,843 exhibitors from 70 countries taking part this year, and over 62,000 visitors from 136 countries visiting the fair over five days. But something in the mood was simply missing. Talking to other people in the industry, it was clear that they had mixed feelings about attending. As the number of exhibitors in the industry dwindles, the importance of the event for us and others is diminishing, and if the situation does not improve, we would at least be very hesitant to decide on participation in future years.
  

  However, as usual, there was a silver lining. In this case, thanks to the low participation of the companies from our business, we were able to conduct more intensive negotiations with visitors to our stand. Several very pleasant meetings took place in a friendly atmosphere with companies from the industry, but also from outside the industry, which may have an impact on the future, for example on our future releases. For example, we arranged the reboxing of Su-25 Zvezda kit and sketched out the negotiations on reboxing of Airfix kits. Representatives of Airfix, Italeri or Revell liked our 3D prints or SPACE for a change, and so possible windows of closer cooperation are opening up for us in the future. As far as the design of the stands of these companies is concerned, Airfix was part of the huge Hornby presentation, where it had its own space among about ten brands that fall under Hornby. And you’ve got to get ready for their new Gannet in 1/48, they say it’s going to be cool! The Italeri booth reminded me of an Italian coffeehouse. Lots of round tables and chairs everywhere, a reception desk, and delicious Italian coffee or a shot of grappa, which gave the negotiations there a touch of Italian flair. The booth was dominated by two large display cases with built models featuring new releases, 1/72 AMX and 1/32 Mc.202 graphics. Revell traditionally had a stand in Hall 12, among the dominant companies in the whole toy industry, such as Lego, Playmobil and Mattel. Revell revealed various new products for 2023, among which I would highlight the Gloster Meteor in 1/32 scale. The only representatives of the exhibiting companies that we didn’t exchange too many words with at the fair were from Tamiya. Their stand was by far the largest in our Hall 7A and was dominated by a track for RC models. So maybe next year ...

  The award ceremony of the Modellfan magazine with prizegiving of the Model of the Year awards is one of the traditions of the fair. This year the award went to our Wildcat in 1/48th scale. We are of course happy that our kit is among the chosen ones, but so many are awarded by Modellfan every year that it kind of degrades the whole thing. We already have a bowl full of medals and judging by the display cases of other companies, almost everyone regularly wins a medal for one of its product. We chose to present the awards in the aforementioned bowl this year, as if we had placed them in the display cases, there probably wouldn’t have been much room left to present our products.
  

  To sum up, I would like to say that I was personally impressed by the magnificence and high level of organization of the fair, as it was my first time at this event. They say organization is a common thing in Germany, and it was demonstrated on the spot by the German police, who completely packed up the stand of a Chinese die-cast model seller in short time, and the owners of the stand then sat on a few boxes for the rest of the fair. It all was done supposedly because of plagiarism. In contrast, we had to pack our own things by ourselves on Sunday and arrived home safely. So, hopefully next year again!

  
  

• The Maltese Falcon

  
  

  Text: Michal Krechowski

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz 

  Cat. No. 82126 

  
  

  The Spitfires Mk. Vb/Vc had their most glorious time during the battles for the small, but strategically important, island of Malta. One of the most successful Spitfires to fight there was the Mk.Vc serial number BR301. The aircraft came from a consignment of Spitfires taking off on May 9, 1942, from the carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) during Operation Bowery. Like most Spitfires from the Bowery delivery, BR301 had Dark Mediterranean Blue color applied to the upper surfaces while still on the aircraft carrier’s deck. But the original desert color scheme was slightly visible under this new paint. The lower surfaces were repainted in Sky Blue. This aircraft had also the national roundels overpainted with this color. The original four-cannon armament was reduced to two cannons, mounted in inner position in the armament bay and two inner machine guns. Codenamed UF-S, BR301 served first with No. 601 Sqn., but its pilots achieved most of their success with it in July 1942 after transferring to No. 249 Sqn. There it became the “aircraft of the aces”.

  P/O John McElroy (10 victories plus three shared in total) claimed one MC.202 with BR301 on July 7, one Ju 88 shared on July 9 and one Bf 109 on July 13, damaging another one in the process. No. 249 Squadron Leader Richard Mitchell (5 + 3) shot down a Ju 88 on July 23, while F/Sgt John Rae (11 + 2) shot down a Bf 109 probably and a Ju 88, in addition to damaging a Re.2001 and a Ju 88 on July 27 and 28.

  The greatest success with the BR301 was achieved by Canadian pilot in the ranks of the RAF Sgt. George Beurling, who destroyed four opponents during one mission (two MC.202 and two Bf 109) and added one Bf 109 on July 27 two days later.

  For our boxart, created by Piotr Forkasiewicz, we chose to depict Beurling’s first kill. His victim, a Macchi MC.202, is very well documented both photographically (after the crash landing) and also by combat reports of the two combatants. Thanks to that, we know how it all went down: At 0855 hours on July 27, 1942, No. 249 Sqn. sent out six Spitfires to join other six patrolling Spitfires from Nos. 126 and 185 Sqn. A formation of seven Ju 88s, accompanied by more than forty fighters was approaching Malta, flying at 25,000 feet (7,600 m). Beurling was the first to spot the enemy and radioed to warn the others: “Enemy aircraft at four o’clock, slightly below us!” He immediately launched an attack. The enemy fighters noticed Beurling’s action and went into a left climbing turn. Beurling then got on the starboard side of one MC.202 and fired his characteristic short burst.

  Beurling later recalled: “I saw four Macchis flying in a row and I focused on number 4. I fired a short burst that went into its engine and radiator.” The pilot of MC.202 Sergente Magg Falerio Gelli of 378-11 Squadriglia turned his aircraft towards home base, but immediately realized that the smoking engine would not last long enough. He therefore chose a place and belly-landed in a field outside Victoria on the island of Gozo. Later, when questioned, he said: “I saw a Spitfire firing at me, but I didn’t feel any impacts. I was performing evasive maneuvers and noticed that the engine temperature was rising rapidly. In an attempt to reach my base, I turned north, but soon realized I couldn’t make it as the oil tank and radiator had been hit. So, I turned back and landed at Gozo”.

  Some pilots and ground staff went to see Gelli’s Macchi. The aircraft was relatively intact, and the battle damage was consistent with Beurling’s report. The rudder was removed and the emblem of the 51° Stormo unit was also cut out of the fuselage as a war trophy. Beurling later posed with the trophies for photographs.

  During the five months of fighting in Malta, Sgt. George “Screwball” Beurling scored a total of 28 kills (including one shared) of Axis aircraft, becoming the most successful Allied pilot of the Battle of Malta. These achievements earned him another unofficial nickname: “Falcon of Malta”. It was meant to characterize his straightforward predatory instinct in combat.  

  Spitfire BR301 was irreparably damaged on July 29 and decommissioned with 54 flying hours.

• Stukas under fighter command

  
  

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Marek Ryś

  Cat. No. 7033

  
  

  The Ju 87 Stuka units from the Battle of Britain period are mainly known for the heavy losses they suffered on August 18, 1940. However, they returned to combat in early November. Their targets were once again Allied vessels in the Channel. 

  One of the units that made it through the entire western campaign was III./St.G.1. It was formed in July 1940 from I.(St)/Tr.Gr. 186, which was originally intended to be on board of the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. Gruppe’s commander, Obstlt. Walter Hagen became Kommodore of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 in mid-1940.  His former Gruppe, under the new designation III./St.G.1, was taken over by Hptm. Helmut Mahlke, who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 after previous service in the Navy.

  In early November 1940, well protected by fighters from III./JG 51 and from Galland's JG 26, Mahlke's unit made three attacks on allied vessels within sight of the British coast.  . In mid-November, III./St.G. 1 found itself in an unexpected situation. For organizational reasons, it was incorporated under the fighter command of Luftflotte 2, the so-called Jagdfliegerführer 2 (Jafü 2). Its commander was GenMaj Kurt-Bertram von Döring, a World War I fighter ace.

  Mahlke had legitimate doubts about how Jafü 2 would handle leading a bomber unit in attacking vessels. His fears were realized on the first deployment on November 14, 1940. This is a transcript of a communication between the two staffs that began at 1100. The document is part of the St.G. 1 Chronicle in the Bundesarchiv collections:

  Jafü 2: “III./St.G.1 will attack: enemy convoy reported to have passed Dover in a north-easterly direction towards the Thames estuary. Fighter escort to join at 1445 on the Channel coast. Do not fly beyond Cape Margate due to limited range of escort fighters.”

  III./St.G.1: “When and where was the convoy sighted, how many ships and at what speed?”

  Jafü 2: “A formation of ships was sighted at 0900 off Dover, medium speed, easterly course.”

  III./St.G.1: “Then the convoy of ships will pass Cape Margate before we reach the target area. We request permission to deploy beyond Cape Margate in this case.”

  Jafü 2: “The Cape Margate restriction must be respected at all times.”

  III./St.G.1: “What is the alternate target if the ship group is not in the restricted area?”

  Jaffa 2: “Then attack the other ships in the Dover-Margate section. If there are no ships there: the alternate target is the radio station at Dover.”

  III/St.G.1: “If we get to Margate and then turn towards Dover, we'll have the entire British fighter fleet on our tail! - Which radio station at Dover is to be the alternate target, we have 3 radio stations here in the Dover files.”

  Jafü  2: “The one with the mirror” (“Spiegel”, German for mirror, a codename for radar)

  III./St.G.1: "Which one is it?”

  Jafü 2: “We don’t know that either. We will try to find out and tell you before the take-off. Otherwise, just attack the largest radio station in Dover.”

  Just as Mahlke predicted, they did not encounter a single ship on the flight to Margate. The formation of nineteen Stukas then proceeded to Dover, where it was attacked by five RAF squadrons. Some of the Stukas had as many as five enemies on tail. Yet some of them managed to drop bombs on Dover facilities. Stuka gunners claimed two victories and RAF fighters reported 16-4-5 Stuka victories. A number of Stukas were hit, but only two were shot down and three more made emergency landings in France. Galland’s fighter escort arrived at the scene of the engagement 10 to 15 minutes late. Kommodore Galland, CO of 7./JG 26 Oblt. Müncheberg and CO of 9./JG 26 Oblt. Ruppert each claimed one Spitfire. However, the RAF lost only one Spitfire from No. 74 Sqn. and two others from No. 66 Sqn. were damaged.

  After a few days, a meeting between the staffs of Jafü 2 and St.G. 1 took place. In the process Mahlke and his commander learned that it was a mistake to disband the formation and try to escape from the Spitfires. After a subsequent exchange of views, Jafü 2 no longer required the deployment of the Stukas, explaining that there were no fighter units available as escorts.

  Helmut Mahlke retired in 1970 at the rank of Generalleutnant and had not only 159 combat sorties in the Stuka but also a number of flights in the F-104 Starfighter in his flight log. He is the author of Stuka Angriff: Sturzflug, published in English as Memoirs of a Stuka Pilot.

• Wasps over the bay

  
  

  Text: Chris Goss
  

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Cat. No. 7468

  
  

  Early August 1943, the Bf 110 G-2s of II./ZG 1 moved from Monte Corvino to Lanveoc-Poulmic. Command of II./ZG 1 passed to Hptm Karl-Heinrich Matern, Staffelkapitän of 4./ZG 1. II./ZG 1 was to be used countering increased Allied air traffic over the Bay of Biscay together with Ju 88 C-6s of V./KG 40 and Fw 190s of III./JG 2 and 1./Seeaufklärungsgruppe 128.

  August 21, 1943, saw the first victory when the Gruppe claimed a Liberator. This is believed to be from 311 Sqn. and was flown by Wg Cdr Jindřich Breitcetl – all eight crew perished but Uffz Georg Planer of 5./ZG 1 was lost in the combat.

  On September 11, 1943, Mosquitoes of 307 Sqn. claimed to have destroyed a Bf 110, probably destroyed two and damaged one. Lt Dieter Bambauer of 5./ZG 1 was lost so was probably the victim of Flt Sgt Zbigniew Dunin-Rzuchowski. Five days later, II./ZG 1 intercepted B-17s attacking targets in western France claiming three, credited to Fw Klaus Schreuer and Oblt Arnold Dorka of 4. Staffel and Fw Emil Pfeiffer of 6. Staffel.

  A Liberator of 53 Sqn. flown by Flt Lt Tony Spooner was then damaged by Bf 110s between the Scillies and Lundy Island on September 21, 1943 and three days later, the Gruppe suffered its heaviest losses to date. Despite Ofw Ruhland Zahn and Fw Hans Fuchs of 5./ZG 1 each claiming  a Spitfire and Ofw Heinrich Börger and Uffz Peter Schölz of 6./ZG 1 claiming a Mitchell and a Spitfire, four Bf 110s, including those of Zahn, Fuchs and Oblt Arnold Dorka, were lost to Spitfires of Nos. 66, 313 and 610 Sqn. No 98 Sqn. Mitchells were lost but 313 Sqn. lost three which included Sqn Ldr Jaroslav Himr.

  II./ZG 1’s time over the Bay of Biscay would now only last another three weeks. On the morning of September 27, 1943, Fw Klaus Schreuer of 4. Staffel claimed a Wellington and 30 minutes later, 5./ZG 1 got a second Wellington. The Wellingtons came from No. 612 Sqn. flown by Flt Sgt Robert Hyndson and No. 407 Sqn. flown by Wg Cdr John Archer, the latter having gone to search for a No. 407 Sqn. Wellington which had ditched off the Scillies returning from the Bay.

  Six days later, the Gruppe apparently claimed a Sunderland and a Typhoon. The former was possibly from No. 10 Sqn. RAAF captained by Fg Off Fred Lee while the latter was possibly a Hurricane of 1449 Flt flown by Flt Sgt Richard Adams which was reported shot down 35 miles south-west of the Scillies at 0900hrs.

  The end for II./ZG 1 came on October 8, 1943. At 0735hrs, seven Spitfires of No. 453 Sqn. took off on what was called an anti-Me 110 patrol. At 0845 they came across eight Bf 110s and in the ensuing battle, Fg Off Harold Parker was seen to be shot down and Flt Lt Russell Ewins, having shot down a Bf 110, suffered engine failure and ditched. Parker was reported missing, but Ewins was rescued. Another four Bf 110s were claimed destroyed by Fg Off Patrick McDade and Plt Off Colin Leith. At 1330hrs, eight Bf 110s got airborne from Lanveoc-Poulmic looking for two aircraft lost that morning. No. 610 Sqn. were relieving a Mosquito circling Russell Ewin’s dinghy and at 1415hrs bounced the Germans. Fg Off Vincent Moody and Flt Sgt Bob Hussey each claimed a Bf 110 around 1415hrs. Finally, at 1445hrs, No. 66 Sqn. together with 453 Sqn., got airborne to escort aircraft bombing II./ZG 1's home base. No. 66 Sqn. bounced eight to 10 Bf 110s off Brest claiming three Bf 110s destroyed, one probable and one damaged.

  The timings for II./ZG 1’s losses are hard to determine. There were some claims by 6. Staffel as Ofw Heinrich Börger claimed a Mitchell, Fw Franz Meissl a Spitfire and Uffz Anders a P-47 around 1545hrs. During the day they lost 11 fighters with three more suffering varying degrees of damage. Those lost included Hptm Karl-Heinrich Matern (who would be awarded the Ritterkreuz the following day – he was possibly lost in the morning as Hptm Rudolf Wangner was leading the Gruppe later that day), Lt Hans-Bodo Busch (Adjutant) while Lt Hans Schmidtal, who was leading 6. Staffel, was wounded. Lt Wolfgang Priebe and his radio operator from 4./ZG 1 were captured after being shot down by No. 610 Sqn. and their interrogation revealed much about the Gruppe but by then it was too late. Having suffered such heavy losses, one more coming on October 14, 1943, when Uffz Max Wichert of 6./ZG 1 crashed due to engine failure off the Ille D’Ouessant, in November, II./ZG 1, now commanded by Ritterkreuz winner Hptm Egon Albrecht, former Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel, withdrew to Wels where in July 1944 it was disbanded to become the Bf 109-equipped III./JG 76.

• Virtue out of necessity

  
  

  Text: Richard Plos

  Illustration: Petr Štěpánek

  Cat. No. 8232

  
  

  In the spring of 1998, a significant event occurred in the Finnish Air Force. The MiG-21BIS was retired from its arsenal and the replacement, the F/A-18C/D Hornet, marked a significant shift for Ilmavoimat. However, the road to this turning point was rather thorny.

  Finland was in a difficult situation after the Second World War. Fighting with the Red Army during the Winter War and then the Continuation War had significantly drained its resources and thrown the country into an alliance with Nazi Germany in its fighting for survival. Finland then fought against Germany in the Lapland War after the armistice with the USSR in 1944. The Paris Peace Talks in 1947 limited the post-war development of the Finnish air force which was still using old Bf 109Gs in the early 1950s. The country did not have the funds for modern aircraft, among other things because of the reparations paid to the USSR. However, in 1952 the purchase of six Vampire Mk.52s was agreed by government and Ilmavoimat entered the jet era. But Vampires were obsolete, and the USSR was concerned about the lack of protection of its neighbour’s airspace in a deteriorating international situation. Soviets feared that it could become a “gateway” for a possible strike from the West. Finland was thus threatened that the USSR would use a provision in the 1948 Peace Treaty (YYA) to take over the protection of Finnish airspace, which would have negatively affected Finland’s international position. The result was the purchase of 12 Folland Gnats in 1958.

  In the early 1960s, the Soviet Union attempted to persuade Finns to buy the aging MiG-19Ss, but Finnish pilots were already familiar with the Western machinery, including the J 35D Draken or Mirage IIIC thanks to test flights, and so the offer was declined. However, the financial capabilities of Finland did not allow the purchase of these types. On the contrary, the acquisition of Soviet equipment would have been advantageous due to the possibility of repaying it with supplies of goods. In October 1961, the USSR sent another note to Finland demanding increased protection of Finnish airspace, again with a threat of use of the provisions of the YYA. After this crisis was settled, the USSR offered Finland the MiG-21F-13 and on February 1, 1962, a contract was signed for the delivery of twenty aircraft, the first of which were delivered on April 24, 1963.

  Just a decade later it was obvious that Ilmavoimat would need another upgrade. The Saab J 35 Draken was selected as a replacement for the Gnats and in the spirit of the ongoing policy of diversification, it was decided that the replacement for the MiG-21F-13 would be procured from the USSR. The Finns requested a presentation of the available types and were offered MiG-23MS and MiG-21bis. The MiG-23 was more expensive and its maintenance requirements were higher, while the MiG-21 was cheaper and already established in Finland. And that made the decision. In the autumn of 1976, Captains Paavo Janhunen and Taisto Myöhänen were enabled to test-fly the type at the Krasnodar base and a year later a contract for 20 aircraft was signed.

  The first two MiG-21BISs landed at Risala on September 21, 1978. One of them, coded MB-114, was flown to the test center in Halli, the other, MB-111, was used for pilot conversion training at HävLLv 31 (31st Fighter Squadron). Subsequently, the fuselage designation of the MiG-21BIS was changed from MB to MG, and the remaining 18 aircraft were delivered in three batches during 1980. The MG-129, which is pictured on the boxart by Petr Štěpánek during a landing at Kuopio Air Base was part of the second delivery on July 17, as was its wingman on the painting, coded MG-124. In 1984, it was decided to purchase six more aircraft, so in total the Ilmavoimat operated 26 MiG-21BISs.

  All the delivered aircraft underwent avionics and instrumentation modifications by Valmet. The stenciling was translated to Finnish, the aircraft received VHF/COM radios and altimeters of Western origin, as well as VOR/ILS/DME systems and transponders.

  In January 1986, the MiG-21F-13s that had served with the Reconnaissance Squadron (TiedLLv) were retired and replaced by MiG-21BISs modified to carry reconnaissance and electronic warfare containers. The reconnaissance squadron was disbanded in 1996, and two years later all Finnish MiG-21BISs were gone…

• The Calm Before the Storm

  
  

  Text: Jan Zdiarský

  Illustration: Martin Novotný

  Cat. No. 8192

  
  

  The Avia B.534 is one of the symbols of the determination of Czechoslovakia to stand up against the threat of Nazism that had gripped Germany, and the threat of its spread to other nations in Europe. The attempts to rip away the border regions of Czechoslovakia were obvious from the mid thirties and diplomatic rifts were the order of the day. A strong fighter force was the only way to deter German aggression from the air and to make negotiating meaningful. The Czechoslovak industry lacked the capacity to develop and especially to produce a fast, single engine fighter that could hold its own against the Bf 109 and the fast German bombers of the Luftwaffe. For this reason, the nation turned to the more multi-functional Avia B.534 biplane.

  The aircraft’s prototype, designed by Frantisek Novotny, first flew in May 25, 1933. It displayed a very good rate of climb, excellent maneuverability, and, for that time, a good maximum speed, approaching 250mph. Its performance exceeded those of its competition from Praga and Letov. The initial versions had an open cockpit which later was covered, and there was an evolution in the aircraft’s armament, engine cooling system, propeller and on-board equipment. The currently available kit represents the epitome of the B.534, not including the cannon armed Bk.534 which never saw the installation of the cannon firing through the propeller hub, and so production versions were only armed with three machine guns instead of four.

  The B.534 entered service at the beginning of 1935. AT the time of increasing tensions provoked by Germany, 27 aircraft were loaned by the army to border guard units.

  The main acceptance of the type into service took part in the immediate pre-war years, seeing a growth in numbers from 326 at the beginning of September, 1938 to 443 in March, 1939. The family tree of the type in production can be divided into four blocks, plus the planned cannon armed Bk.534.

  The B.534s played their role during both Czechoslovak mobilization periods in May and September, 1938. Their pilots were ready and willing to protect their freedom.  As a result of the complete betrayal by Czechoslovakia’s legally bound allies Great Britain and France, culminating in the Munich Agreement and the dismemberment and occupation of Bohemia and Moravia, the B.534 never got the opportunity to put up a fight. In fact, the B.534 became a welcomed prize for the Germans that pressed them into service in their own units and in those of their allies. The type was used by the Luftwaffe, primarily in the advanced training role, and was supplied to Slovakia and Bulgaria, as well as to a lesser extent, Greece. The exception to this are three B.534s that were used during the Slovak National Uprising against the Germans, an event that brought about the last air to air victory to be achieved by a biplane fighter in history.

  The painting by Martin Novotny takes us back to the summer of 1937, where the clear sky represents the fragile calm, but history tells us that storm clouds were gathering on the other side of the border. The aircraft bearing the serial number 534.208 was first flown on July 1, 1937 by factory test pilot Oldrich Kosar, and two days later was handed over to Air Force reps. On July 13, 1937, the aircraft was ferried to Kbely, from where it made its way to the 2nd Aviation Regiment at Olomouc, and was later assigned to the 36th Flight.

  There, it served with this unit on September 6, 1937, when during a formation flight over Hostynske Vrchy at 6,500m there was a collision involving two B.534s. Jaroslav Sodek, later to become a Czechoslovak member of the RAF, collided with aircraft serialed 208 while flying aircraft B.534.035 as a result of being blinded by the sun. He collided with the second Avia from the left and from behind. The Flight Leader, flying that second plane, was Sgt. Julius Zaoral, who was able to nurse his plane back to Olomouc and land, while Sodek had to take to his chute. The damage to the aircraft flown by the Sergeant was restricted to both the upper and lower left wing and included the interwing struts. The aircraft was repaired and pressed back into service, only to be later taken over by the Germans.

  Although the B.534 by 1938/39 would not have the opportunity to stand up to the aggressor, the same could not be said of its pilots. They were, to varying degrees, involved in domestic resistance, and significantly left to oppose the Germans in foreign services of allies that took them to Poland, France, Africa, the Soviet Union, the far east, and most notably, Great Britain.

  That, though, leads to other events through history, with which you can get acquainted through other Eduard kits.

• Guardians

  
  

  Text: Richard Plos

  Illustration: Adam Tooby

  Graphic desing: Jan Zdiarsky

  Cat. No. 11170

   

  When Operation Watchtower was launched on August 7, 1942, a “green hell” was waiting for the men of the 1st Marine Division under the command of Maj. Gen. Alexander Vandegrift on Guadalcanal. Though only 2,000 Japanese stood against 6,000 Marines, their fanatical determination did not waver even after fighting for 36 hours, when American forces had captured most of the island, including the airfield under construction. The landing was strongly supported by naval and air forces, with the USS Enterprise’s pilots making 237 combat sorties that day, others added by the pilots from the USS Saratoga. After the Enterprise withdrew from the area, the aerial support weakened and the Marines on the island suffered intense bombing. No wonder they were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the fighters. Those arrived on August 20, when VMF-223 Wildcats landed at Henderson Field.

  Air combat and on-site accidents quickly reduced the numbers of aircraft and just ten days after arrival there were only five of the 19 Wildcats left. Even later, after the arrival of reinforcements, the numbers of airworthy Wildcats were rapidly decreasing. The pilots had no choice and no Wildcat from Guadalcanal can be attributed to a particular pilot. In the case of the GUADALCANAL Limited kit, we solved this in a jokey way: Where possible, we assigned a specific pilot to the aircraft he flew in a known event.

  The third most successful fighter of the campaign, Capt. Marion Carl, would certainly deserve “his” marking in the kit. But concerning the Wildcat often attributed to him, it’s complicated. The aircraft with the number 2 on the fuselage and nineteen kill marks under the cockpit (marking F) was most likely one he ever flew with. According to the testimony of historians who spoke with the famous ace, Carl said that this aircraft in the well-known photographs was in fact an “hangar queen” pulled out of the hangar at Espiritu Santo to be photographed with the hero by the media. For this purpose, the nineteen kill mark stickers were applied. The media then reportedly took a lot of pictures of Marion Carl at “his” Wildcat. But ...

  No matter how much you are searching, you won’t find a proof photo of Carl with this aircraft. Which is strange. In one famous photograph, a man is squatting on the wing, half undressed, wearing a crumpled cap. It’s said to be Marion Carl. But would a pilot, an officer, present himself to the media like that? Hardly ... In several other photos, sitting in the cockpit or standing on the wing is Tech Sgt R. W. Greenwood. The photo of him in the cockpit was published in Stars and Stripes magazine during the war. Firstly with the caption “unknown soldier in the cockpit of a Wildcat on Guadalcanal”. When the editors found out who it was through a letter from a sergeant’s fellow, they published the photo again, this time with his name. The mention of Guadalcanal remained and according to the sergeant’s son, his father never disputed that fact. But historians say this Wildcat never made it to Guadalcanal! But the picture with Greenwood shows the kill marks were worn out and the surroundings on the photo of the whole aircraft looks like Henderson field rather than Espiritu Santo airfield. What’s more, even the official US Navy archive dates the photo to February 2, 1943.  At this time Carl was gone from Guadalcanal for some four months! So, there are many questions regarding this aircraft. It is sometimes also attributed to the CO of VMF-223, Maj. John L. Smith, because he achieved nineteen kills, which corresponds to the number of kill marks. But he was also no longer on Guadalcanal in February.

  We may never know the full truth about the Wildcat with number 2, but that uncertainty makes it an attractive option as well. We have, however, chosen other Wildcats for the boxart. The one in the background was “Swede” Vejtasa’s personal mount (marking A). For the foreground we have chosen an aircraft that was only marginally related to Guadalcanal, as it was used by 1/Lt. S. B. Folsom shortly after he left the island (marking H). But there are not many Wildcats with such a nice nose art, so it was an obvious choice. The author of the Wildcats on the boxart of the kit 11170 is Adam Tooby and he did a great job, which is supported by the graphics by Jan Zdiarsky. Twelve markings and two complete kits are what is waiting for the modeler inside the box ... 

• Tail End Charlie

  
  

  The Golden Era Printed

  Can you recall the first accessory set you bought for a kit? Frankly, I don’t. It has been quite some time… I only know I noticed the existence of photo-etched sets sometime in 1992, I would say, and also noted the nice, camouflaged small boxes stuffed with resin parts – detail sets by Verlinden, on the market. As far as I can recall, this producer was really “in” at that time. Amazed by the detail, the supplies of these sets, as well as of the typical flat packages with Eduard photoetch sets, kept growing in my private collection. I never kept any summary of what I spent my money on, leading to some funny moments when, on opening a kit box on which I planned to use my newly acquired accessories, I was met with the exact same pieces already staring back at me from within! Once I even managed to triple one accessory! By the way: who wants some nice Eduard Brassin wheels for the HK Models´ Meteor in 32nd at a very good price?

  The wheels are a good example of the “no-problemo” resin accessory, because if one doesn't make any fundamental mistake during the mastering and molding, than all should be OK. In this case, even typical resin shrinkage presents no serious problems. But it is a very different story when it comes to the parts which must be precisely combined with the plastic parts. I think everyone who has ever built a kit with resin accessories knows that: thinning, scribing, placing and, sometimes, shouting … Many of us also experienced a disappointment after opening the box only to find out there are just original plastic parts re-molded with several “easy-to-do-myself” details added. It is even worse when the price of such an “accessory” reaches the price of the kit and the installation of these resin parts requires more effort than to do the detailing using the original kit parts.

  And then, after years spent with cast resin sets, 3D printing emerged and the continual progress of this technology led the first enthusiasts to start trying to produce their own home-made parts (the more skilled and daring even made entire models of desired types). Manufacturers, well aware of what was happening, waited for the technology to mature enough to allow for sensible serial production and jumped at the opportunity when it did. Eduard did not stay aloof of this trend, of course, despite its well-established resin casting department. I remember the first attempts about two years ago, when colleagues were testing different materials for printing in search for the right one to use, the one giving the best possible results and was stable enough. And even then, I was impressed with the finesse of the printed parts. Today we have a herd of printers humming merrily along, running at full speed. And the small beauties produced by them make me want to start some super-detailed projects again, after quite a long time. For example, the Wildcat, where the wheel bay, engine and wing folding mechanism sets are really encouraging me to do it!

  Anyone who knows something about resin casting knows that a rubber mold does not survive forever and the last part to come out of it will not be exactly the same as the first one quality-wise. And also he knows, there are a number of factors that can affect the result, whether it’s the quality of the air bubble removal in the vacuum chamber, the mix of the material used, the temperature at which it is cast, and so on and so forth ...  3D production is quite a different world! Yes, even the printer can make a mistake occasionally, but it’s visible and the part is discarded during quality control. Otherwise, they’re just like each other, first and last. And since these parts do not shrink, one can also rely on their accuracy. In fact, some of the printed parts seem to fit better than the original plastic parts! And I think it’s a terrible shame that this manufacturing process isn’t fast and cost-effective enough to produce complete kits. It would eliminate the many constraints that limit the detail and sometimes also shape accuracy of parts produced using molds and injection molding machines.

  By the way, nowadays even metal parts can be printed with great precision, and perhaps the time is not so far away for printing molds. Such a technology might eliminate at least the milling, maybe even electrode discharging of the molds. Since it is possible to print, for example, H13 tool steel, it may only be a matter of time. Even in this case, 3D printing technology would bring a number of advantages apart from those mentioned.

  In any case, 3D printing is a revolution for our hobby, and in combination with other technologies, such as Mimaki printers in our case, it opens up a whole new world of possibilities for the production of perfect accessories. Many modelers keep saying we are in the golden age of modelling thanks to the constant flurry of new kits. But I think the real golden era is coming with the rise of 3D technology.

  Richard Plos

  
  

• Markings for Spitfire Mk.Vc TROP 1/48

  BR301, Sgt. George F. Beurling, No. 249 Squadron, RAF Hal Far, Malta, July 1942 

  
  

  Spitfire Mk.Vc serial number BR301 was one of the most successful Spitfires fighting on Malta. The aircraft came from the batch of Spitfires flying off the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) on May 9, 1942, during the operation Bowery. Like a majority of Spitfires delivered for the operation Bowery, BR301 had the blue shade of Dark Mediterranean Blue applied already on board of the carrier having the original desert scheme (Dark Earth and Middle Stone) shown slightly through. The lower surfaces were re-painted in Sky Blue including the national markings. The original armament consisting of four cannons was reduced to two in the wing inner gun bays and two machine guns were installed outwards. BR301 coded UF-S first served with No. 601 Squadron however its greatest glory awaited it at No. 249 Squadron where it was transferred. Here it became an “aircraft of the Aces”. Between July 7 and July 13 P/O John McElroy claimed four aerial victories flying it and on July 27, a rising star, Sgt. George Beurling shot down four enemy aircraft in one mission and two days later he claimed another kill with BR301. During the month of July S/Ldr Richard Mitchell and F/Sgt John Rae claimed further kills. On July 29, BR301 was damaged beyond repair and struck of charge having flown 54 hours.

   

  BR476, S/Ldr Jefferson H. Wedgwood, No. 92 Squadron, RAF LG. 173, Egypt, August–October 1942

  
  

  Jefferson Heywood Wedgwood was born on May 28, 1917, in London. He was educated at Holyrood School, Bognor and Lancing Colleges. In March 1936 he joined the RAF and a year later he became a staff pilot at No. 2 Air Armament School in North Coates. After a brief stint at No. 65 Squadron, he was transferred as an instructor to No. 12 Group Pool in Aston Down. On July 18, 1940, Wedgwood was assigned to No. 253 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey with which he took part in the famous Battle of Britain. During the month of September, he destroyed a Bf 110 and cooperated in destroying five Ju 88s and three Do 17s. At the end of September, he was ordered to Vickers Supermarine where he flew as a Production Test Pilot but on October 10 he was transferred to the RAF Czechoslovak Depot in Cosford as a flight instructor. In January 1942 he assumed command of the No. 92 Squadron in Digby. In February the unit was transferred to the Near East and in April it arrived in Egyptian Fayid. For several month the unit was without any airplanes and as of July 2 the pilots were attached to the No. 80 Squadron in the Western Desert to gain the operational experience. Finally, in the end of August 1942, the tropicalized Spitfires arrived. Between August 14 and October 29 Wedgwood destroyed eight Bf 109s and damaged another eight. For his accomplishments he was awarded DFC. On December 17, 1942 he was on board of a Halifax Mk.II from No. 138 Squadron as a passenger flying back to the Great Britain but the aircraft crashed near Żejtun on Malta. It is highly probable that it was shot down by a friendly AA fire and all on board perished. Jefferson Wedgwood is buried in the Navy cemetery in Capuccini on Malta.

   

  JG959, Lt. McClellan E. S. Robinson, No. 1 Squadron SAAF, Ben Gardane, Tunis, April 1943

  
  

  Pilot’s full name was McClellan Eric Sutton Robinson, and his usual nickname was “Robbie”. He was born on February 26, 1919, in Johannesburg. His first operational unit was No. 1 Squadron SAAF flying Hurricanes. He was assigned to the unit in August 1942 and remained flying with it for a year. On November 2, 1942, he achieved his first combat success when he shared victory over a Ju 87. After he converted to Spitfire Mk.V,  between January and April 1943, he added another five victories to his score. After that he had bad luck for the first time when on July 14, 1943, he was shot down by a friendly fire of a USAAF P-38 and had to bail out over the Mediterranean sea. He got lucky though as he was fished out by the crew of a Greek destroyer. In September 1943, at the end of his tour of duty, Robinson was awarded DFC and sent back to the Great Britain where he assumed the post of a flight instructor at No. 11 OTU. On November 14, 1944, the bad luck struck again as he collided mid-air with one of his students flying Kittyhawk, crashed and was killed. All his personal Spitfires carried the inscription CireCooks on the port side which was the combination of his first name and last name of his fiancé. Number VI indicated it was the sixth airplane christened with this name. On April 22, 1943, flying this aircraft, Robinson shot down two Bf 109Fs. During his combat career he shot down in total five enemy aircraft plus one probable and one aircraft damaged.

   

  Lt. Luis T. Zendegui, 2nd FS, 52nd FG, 12th AF, La Sabala, Tunis, Winter 1942–1943

  
  

  One of the successful pilots flying with 2nd FS was Cpt. Luis Zendegui who scored his first victory on December 25, 1942, during the dogfight with Mc.202. During his service with 2nd FS he was credited with three confirmed kills and he damaged another two enemy aircraft. Zendegui’s Spitfire carried the pilot’s name on the drop tank and the American flag on the fuselage sides. The original British cockades on wings and fin flash on the vertical tail surface remained intact. The squadron white codes QP were not yet applied on Spitfires during this period. Some sources assign serial number ER148 to this Spitfire, however it cannot be found in the database of the Spitfires’ serial numbers.

   

  MH592, S/Ldr Hinko Šoić, NOVJ No. 352 (Yugoslav) Squadron, Vis, Yugoslav, January–February 1945

  
  

  No. 352 (Yugoslav) Squadron was the first Yugoslav fighter unit established at Royal Air Force in Mediterranean during WWII. This unit is also known as the Prva Eskadrila NOVJ. In June it converted to Spitfires Mk.Vb/Vc and in August the unit was transferred to Italy to join RAF No. 281 Wing and provide the escort for the fighter-bomber squadrons. As of January 25, 1945, it was deployed to the forward base on the island of Vis. Due to the absence of the Luftwaffe aircraft the Yugoslav Spitfires had very little opportunities for the air combat and for the rest of war they flew the ground attack missions. Šoić’s Spitfire MH592 sported the type “B” desert camouflage scheme and as the only Yugoslav Spitfire featured the Aboukir dust filter (the rest of the aircraft featured Vokes filters). Also, Hinko Šoić as one of very few Yugoslav pilots encountered the enemy aircraft and in the cooperation with another three pilots shot down a Henschel Hs 126 on March 20, 1945. In this Spitfire he flew 73 missions altogether, further six missions were flown by other No. 352 (Yugoslav) Squadron pilots.

   

  A58-137 (EE835), F/Lt David H. Hopton, No. 79 Squadron RAAF, Kiriwina, Trobriand Islands, October 1943

  
  

  Spitfire serial number EE835 arrived in Australia on April 13, 1943. Before it was delivered to the combat unit it had been repainted in Foliage Green/Earth Brown/Sky Blue. In May it was handed over to the No. 79 Squadron RAAF as A58-137 and the code letters UP-T were applied. It was assigned to F/Lt David Hopton who christened his new Spitfire by the phrase “Down with everything” and had a naked girl painted on the port side of the fuselage. Hopton flew this Spitfire until November 28, 1943, when the fuselage drop tank was not released correctly and damaged the aircraft’s tail. The repaired airplane was returned to the service in October 1944, assigned to No. 85 Squadron and coded SH-W. The camouflage was stripped, and it flew in the natural metal color finish. On February 26, 1945, during the landing at Guildford, the pilot F/O B. O’Connell collided with another Spitfire and A58-137 was struck off charge.

• Markings for F4F-4 Wildcat 1/48

  Lt. Stanley W. Vejtasa, VF-10, USS Enterprise, April 1943 

  
  

  Unusual surname and blond hair were equally responsible for the nickname “Swede” for Stanley Winifield Vejtasa, a man with strong Czech roots as a grandson of immigrants from then part of the Austria-Hungary Empire. He made himself famous when he managed to shoot down three Zeros while leading a formation of eight SBD-3s tasked with the air cover of the US ships during the Battle of the Coral Sea. This achievement gave him opportunity to join VF-10 fighting squadron as its Operations Officer. There he scored seven more kills during the Guadalcanal campaign on board of the USS Enterprise. After the war he enjoyed a great career, making him the Captain of USS Constellation and CO of the Miramar base. He retired in 1970 and died on January 23, 2012, at the age of 98. The Wildcat No. 79 took over the starboard side panel with eight kill marks from the No. 19 (BuNo. 03417) Vejtasa used before. Ninth kill mark was added on November 13, when he shot down one huge Kawanishi Type 97 Mavis flying boat. Some of the Wildcats sported the kill marks on both sides, but only starboard of this Wildcat is known. This hangs question mark on their port side presence. Also, the white vertical rudder strip is not sure for the period of the early 1943.  

   

  BuNo. 5192, Ens. Mortimer Kleinmann jr., VF-5, USS Saratoga, August 1942   

  
  

  This is a reconstruction of the aircraft, assigned to and usually flown by Ens. Mortimer “Junior” Kleinmann. But on August 7, 1942, during the rush to take off against Japanese bombers as soon as possible, Lt. James Julien “Pug” Southerland jumped the plane and took it off against the enemy. He managed to shoot down two bombers but during the consecutive dogfight with Zero he learned his guns would not fire, probably due to the damage from fire by the tail gunner of the bomber. To make the things even worse, two more Zeros joined the fight. Pug was able to outmaneuver them, but the melee was spotted by Saburo Sakai. The Wildcat was hit by numerous shells from machine guns and cannons, but kept flying, until a Zero gave him a burst into the left-wing root setting it afire. “Pug” bailed out over the enemy territory of western part of Guadalcanal. Wounded and weaponless he managed to escape the Japanese soldiers thanks to the help of natives and was evacuated from Henderson Field on August 20, 1942. Later he added three more victories with F6F-5 and died in flying accident on October 12, 1949. Mortimer Kleinmann achieved two kills during the time USS Saratoga was taking part in Guadalcanal campaign.           

   

  Capt. Joseph J. Foss, VMF-121, Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, October–November 1942

  
  

  This is one of the Wildcats of VMF-121 the highest-scoring ace of the Guadalcanal campaign, Capt. Joseph Jacobs Foss, used during the combat missions. The Bureau Number is unknown, but we know Foss scored with nine different Wildcats. This speaks of itself as the Marine pilots on Guadalcanal did not have the luxury of assigned aircraft. Not even the best ones. The fierce combats, harsh environment and other factors made the Wildcats rather consumable goods, and the pilots simply jumped the closest airworthy aircraft. Joe Foss, former flying instructor, joined VMF-121 on August 11, 1942 and was promoted to Captain on the same day. He arrived at Guadalcanal on October 9 and four days later scored his first victory, shooting down a Zero. His score was rising, as he shot down 16 enemies during October and prior to his farewell to the island his score raised to 23. He had to bail out himself on November 7 after shooting down one Rufe and two float biplanes and made it back to the base in three days. The VMF-121 left Guadalcanal on November 19, but Joe returned to Guadalcanal for his final tour there from January 1 to January 26, 1943. Adding three more kills, he became the highest scoring USMC ace of WWII. After the war, he served in the South Dakota Air National Guard, which he helped to organize. Later he turned to politics and was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives but returned to the duty during Korean war. In 1954, Foss was elected Governor of South Dakota. He passed away on January 1, 2003.              

   BuNo.02062, Mach. Donald E. Runyon, VF-6, USS Enterprise, September 1942

  
  

  Donald Eugene Runyon was a petty officer Aviation Machinists Mate 1/c and he was so skilled he had officers for wingmen. He scored six times with Wildcat. This one served him well to get two of his victories at the very start of the Guadalcanal campaign on August 8, when he shot down Zero and Betty. A day before, he also shot down two enemies with aircraft BuNo. 02125. He joined VF-3 in December 1942 and stayed with the unit until April 1943. He did not achieve any aerial victories with the unit, but the things changed when he joined VF-18 based on the USS Bunker Hill in September 1943. There, already flying Hellcats, he added three more kills to finish the war with 11 victories. He was promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade) rank in May 1943 and to Lieutenant on July 1, 1944. He was a test pilot at Moffett Field from July 1945 to July 1946 and served with several units until July 1964, when he retired in the rank of Commander. The Wildcat BuNo. 02062 sported the unusual painting of the tombstone with 41 Japanese roundels symbolizing total score of the VF-6 during their fighting of Guadalcanal Campaign. Such a painting sported only nine Wildcats of the unit, the ones which stayed on the deck of the USS Enterprise on her route from the Solomons to Hawai. Other Wildcats were flown to USS Saratoga or to Guadalcanal.

   

  1/Lt. Jefferson J. DeBlanc, VMF-112/121, Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, January 1943

  
  

  During his two tours of duty, Jefferson Joseph DeBlanc scored nine kills in the combats during the Guadalcanal and Okinawa campaigns. That made him 11th highest scoring Marines ace. During his mission on January 31, 1943, when escorting SBSs to attack Japanese ships, he detected a serious fuel leak, which made his return to base unlikely. He requested that rescue forces be altered and continued the mission, which resulted in a fierce combat with Japanese Ki-43 Oscars. DeBlanc managed to shoot down five of them but was wounded and had to bail out himself from his crippled and smoking Wildcat. After many mishaps he finally managed to get back to the base and to the hospital on February 12. This Wildcat also received an enemy burst. It happened on November 12, 1942, with 1/Lt. Sam Folsom at the controls. He managed to get it home and the Wildcat was repaired. Mechanics used white aircraft-fabric patches to cover the bullet holes, but the patches lost their white color soon in harsh, dusty environment … DeBlanc was one of the pilots to use it, although it was assigned to VMF-121, while he was a member of VMF-112.

   

  Guadalcanal, Henderson Field, early 1943

  
  

  Although good photos of this Wildcat are available, there are many questions regarding its identity. Usually, the aircraft is referred to 1/Lt. Marion Carl of VMF-223 or the CO of this unit, Maj. John L. Smith. Both were bright stars of the early stage of the Guadalcanal campaign amongst USMC pilots. The VMF-223 was the first one to land on Henderson Field together with VMSB-232. From August 20 they were frantically fighting Japanese aircraft until late October. Carl got 16,5 of them, Smith 19. That’s one of the reasons this Wildcat is sometimes referred to latter, as it sports 19 kill marks. But the photos are dated to February 1943 when the VMF-223 was gone from Guadalcanal. According to some sources, Carl himself stated this aircraft was a non-airworthy aircraft he used for photo session with media at Espiritu Santo, following the end of the tour on Guadalcanal (i.e., in second half of October). Together with a mechanic, they reportedly put 19 kill mark stickers on. But there are no photos of Carl with this aircraft or in the cockpit ... More to it, other photos show visibly stained kill marks, one of them dated to March 22, 1943. Conclusion? It might be operational aircraft changing units and sporting the kills of all the pilots flying it. Or it might be really used for some photo session on Espiritu Santo in late October, but repaired and sent to Guadalcanal, keeping these kill marks applied. There were repairs on the right wing and on the fuselage, while roundel on the upper side of the left half of the wing showed some damage.      

   

  BuNo. 12034, VMF-221, Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, February 1943

  
  

  This aircraft is usually attributed to 1/Lt. James E. Swett, a member of VMF-221. The squadron was based at Marine Corps Base Ewa on Oahu, Hawai in early 1943, from where they moved to the island of Espiritu Santo aboard the USS Nassau. Most probably during their stay at Espiritu Santo, various arts were painted on the vertical fins of some of the squadron’s Wildcats. In the case of No. 77, the painting was probably inspired by “Hairless Joe” from Al Capp’s strips made for L’il Abner satiric strips (it was painted on the port side only). The squadron was moving to Guadalcanal in stages from February 1943 and there the “tail arts” became a thorn in the side of the commanding officers. So, probably not long after arrival, an order was issued to remove all the paintings. Lt. Swett was a leader of one of flights of VMF-221. He took off for his first combat flight on April 7 when the Japanese made a massive raid, sending approximately 70 bombers against Guadalcanal, covered by more than hundred Zeros. More than a hundred of American naval and Army fighters took off to defend the island, and the most successful among them was Swett, who managed to shoot down seven Val bombers before having to bail out himself. This was his only encounter with enemy aircraft in the cockpit of a Wildcat, as he subsequently switched to the Corsair and achieved 15.5 kills during his 103 total combat missions in WW II.

   

  1/Lt Samuel B. Folsom, VMF-121, Samoa, spring 1943

  
  

  Nose arts were rare on the Navy and Marines aircraft, especially during the Guadalcanal campaign, where was no time or resources to “play” with drawings. The Wildcat with the painting of Popeye on the port side of the engine cowling is one of rare exceptions, but it was not painted on Guadalcanal. In fact, the aircraft was part of the VMF-111 inventory, the unit which was operating on Samoa. Sam Folsom had the Popeye painted on the engine cowl when he was assigned to the unit as an instructor after his combat tour at Guadalcanal. The aircraft is sometimes portrayed with “winged” roundels, which is not correct. At the time the photographs of the Popeye Wildcat were shot, is still sported the original roundels. Folsom was rather inexperienced pilot when he was thrown with others of VFM-122 into the battle of the Solomon Islands, but he was progressing rapidly. He stayed there for three months and was wounded twice. He scored his first kill on November 11, when he shot down a Zero. Just a day later, he shot down a Mitsubishi Betty bomber and added another one to finish the war with three victories.

   

  BuNo. 11985, Lt. (jg) William N. Leonard, VF-11, Guadalcanal, June 1943

  
  

  Bill Leonard took part in the battles at Coral Sea and Midway, where he made himself an ace during his service with VF-42 and VF-3. In August 1942 he joined new VF-11 squadron and became its Operations Officer. He served at Guadalcanal in 1943 and added two more kills to his tally. It happened on June 12, 1943, when he shot down two Zeros flying this aircraft and this achievement made him the ace. After his three-month tour in Guadalcanal, he was transferred to Samoa, ending his time with VMF-121. Leonard’s Wildcat sported the Sun Downers symbol painted on both sides as well as four kill marks (six after June 12). The panels with the VF-11 symbol and port side under the cockpit were repainted, probably by fresh camouflage color. The same pays to the area of the fuselage code.  

   

  Lt. (jg) Francis R. Register, VF-11, VC-21, USS Nassau, May 1943

  
  

  Francis Ronald Register enlisted to Navy on February 17, 1941, and joined the VF-3 squadron on January 4, 1942. While still on USS Saratoga, he changed the unit for VF-6 and saw combat in the Eastern Solomons. He managed to shoot down two aircraft on August 24, one of them identified as Zero and the other strangely as “Me 109”. After the Saratoga was torpedoed on August 31, he joined VF-5, based at the Guadalcanal, and added two more victories on September 12 and 13. Two weeks later he entered the prominent club of fighter aces by shooting down two Zeros and prior to leaving the “Death Island”, he added two more victories and one probable. On March 23 “Cash”, as was his nickname joined his old VF-3 unit but was detached to Composite Squadron 21 (VC-21) just four days later. On board of USS Nassau, he was set to participate in the Aleutian Campaign, but perished there in the flying accident. The aircraft he boarded the USS Nassau sported seven kill marks from the Gauadalcanal, and the white stripes on the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, distinguishing the aircraft of the fights for Attu Island. Register’s diary describing in the raw manner the harsh living on Guadalcanal is available on Internet.    

   

  VF-11, Guadalcanal, May 1943

  
  

  As there were not too many possibilities and opportunities to adorn the aircraft with any personal paintings, the Wildcats on Guadalcanal were uniform regardless the unit. But there were some attempts to make the aircraft at least a little bit specific by easier means. This F4F-4 is an example as the page from the 1943 Esquire calendar with the January girl painted by the famous Alberto Vargas was glued to the port side of the engine cowling. More to it, on starboard side the inscription “Nylorac” was painted (a slang word meaning somebody who gets close personally, then betrays and hurts you). The short movie shows Lt. Gordon Cady standing by this Wildcat, but it is the only indication about any link between this Wildcat and him. The VF-11 was divided into flights of four aircraft and Cady was leading the second one, which assigned his aircraft number 5, while No. 17 was the aircraft of the leader of the 5th flight, Lt. Raymond “Sully” Vogel. But Vogel damaged his Wildcat in the collision with the aircraft of Lt. (jg) Maxwell on May 2, 1943 and “the new No. 17” might be the Nylorac … Cady shot down two Zeros and Vogel added another one kill in the same combat on June 7. 

   

  
  

  Lt. (jg), Charles R. Stimpson, VF-11, Guadalcanal, June 1943

  
  

  Charles Russell Stimpson was 16-victory ace, ranking him eighth in the Navy list of aces, sharing this position with Ira Kepford. Stimpson enlisted in the Navy on June 17, 1941, the pilot training followed. He joined newly formed VF-11 in the summer of 1942 and served with the unit until February 1945. He served at Guadalcanal from May to July 1943, achieving six victories there. His maiden fighter success came on June 16, when he shot down four Vals flying this aircraft. According to some sources, he was flying Wildcat BuNo. 12163 at the time. Four kill marks were applied under the cockpit of the aircraft named “Missie” of the unknown BuNo. It might be the 12163 but it is not certain. Stimpson shot down two Zeros in July 1943 in the cockpit of the same aircraft and added ten more kills in 1944, while still with VF-11 but flying Hellcats. After serving as a flight instructor from April to September 1945, he was released from active duty on October 11, 1945.

• Markings for Bf 109E-4 1/72

  WNr. 5819, Obstlt. Adolf Galland, CO of JG 26, Audembert, France, October–December 1940

  
  

  Adolf Galland, the ace and future General, flew the portrayed Emil during through fall of 1940 up to the beginning of 1941. He was CO of III. Gruppe at the time, later he took command of the entire JG 26. The tactical markings on the aircraft kept pace with these promotions. The standard camouflage of RLM 02/71/65 was darkened on the fuselage sides with RLM 02/71. The yellow cowling was complemented by the yellow rudder which also sported kill marks. The surface area of the original RLM 65 was not large enough for them, and so the yellow was oversprayed with fresh RLM 65 for the next row of kill marks. The most typical changes for WNr. 5819 at this time came with the personal emblem of Mickey Mouse and most of all the installation of the ZFR-4 telescope (installed together with the regular Revi). It didn’t serve as an actual sight as it did for the identification of distant aircraft. After the death of Werner Mölders Galland replaced him as the German fighter force commander (General der Jagdflieger). Later he became famous for locking horns with Hermann Göring. He established JV 44 at the end of the war, the unit well known for its Me 262 jet fighters and colorful Fw 190Ds. Galland managed to shoot down 104 enemy airplanes and was awarded with Knight Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.

   

  WNr. 1559, Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar, CO of 7./JG 27, Carquebut, France, July 1940

  
  

  The future Knight Cross with Oak Leaves recipient Wilhelm Balthasar was born on February 2, 1914, in Fulda. In 1933 he joined Reichswehr, in 1935 he was transferred to Luftwaffe by his own request and underwent the pilot training. During the Spanish Civil War, he initially served with bomber and reconnaissance units, since September 1937 with fighter detachment of the Legion Condor. In March 1938 he returned to Germany. At the outbreak of World War II Oblt. Balthasar served as 1. Staffel JG 1 commander. This unit saw combat for the first time during the offensive against The Netherlands, Belgium and France. It was the time when Balthasar demonstrated his marksman skills as he shot down 23 enemies during the Western Europe campaign. As of June 5, 1./JG 1 was re-designated as 7./JG 27. On September 1, 1940, he was promoted to command III./JG 3 and in the air battles over the Southern England he achieved further seventeen kills. In the meantime, on February 16, 1941, he was appointed Commanding Officer of JG 2. Balthasar run out of his luck during the combat with the RAF fighters over Aire on July 3, 1941. In the dive, the wing of his Bf 109F-4 wing collapsed and Balthasar perished at the impact with the ground. Balthasar’s aircraft, camouflaged in RLM 71/02/65 colors, carried the non-standard marking on the engine cowling. There is a unit marking painted under the windshield, kill markings are painted on the vertical tail surface and rudder.

   

  WNr. 5587, Ofw. Fritz Beeck, 6./ JG 51, Wissant, France, August 1940

  
  

  Simple but effective camouflage adorned this aircraft that was shot down with Ofw. Fritz Beeck at the controls in the vicinity of East Langdon shortly after noon on August 28, 1940. It was during the second escort mission of the day that culminated in combat with RAF fighters in which the engine of Yellow 10 was hit. After an unavoidable forced landing, the aircraft, in relatively good shape, was made otherwise by civilian vandals and allied soldiers before it could be inspected by RAF experts. Light blue sides of the RLM 02/71/65 fuselage scheme were sprayed with the upper surface colors. Yellow identification colors, typical for mid-August 1940, were applied to the wing tips, horizontal tail surfaces, and top portion of the fin. Because the aircraft in question belonged to 6. Staffel, tactical numbering and the background II./JG 51 “Gott strafe England” emblem were yellow. Three victory marks on the left side were in white. It is not out of the question that these also appeared on the right side, but documentation is lacking.

   

  WNr. 5901, Oblt. Walter Fiel, CO of 8./JG 53, Le Touquet-Etaples, France, September 1940

  
  

  After the Luftwaffe tactics changed during the Battle of Britain, when the bombing of London and Southern England was switched to night operation, the decision was made to use certain Staffels in the fighter-bomber roles and to lure RAF fighters into combat. One of these units was 8. Staffel JG 53 commanded by Oblt. Fiel. On October 2, during his unit’s attack, he was attacked by superiority of Spitfires. His aircraft was damaged and made to force-land nearby the little town of East Peckham in the Kent County. The pilot was taken a prisoner of war. The camouflage in RLM 71/02/65 colors was supplemented by the gaudy marking in the form of yellow engine cowling and rudder. The original aircraft’s marking was probably oversprayed with RLM 70 color, the unit marking, originally located on the engine cowling, was overpainted in the red stripe wrapping around the whole engine cowling.

   

  Lt. Josef Eberle, 9./JG 54, The Netherlands, August 1940

  
  

  A very interesting camouflage was created in the summer of 1940 by the ground staff of JG 54 on many of unit’s aircraft in an attempt to darken the light blue fuselage sides of their Bf 109Es. To achieve such an effect, they sprayed vertical to diagonal stripes with RLM 71 paint. The standard scheme of RLM 02/71/65 was applied along with the quick identification elements. The period scheme was applied to Yellow 13 with which Lt. Josef Eberle managed to cross the Channel and belly land in France despite personal injury on August 12, 1940. The wingtips and fin of Eberle’s aircraft were painted RLM 27 Yellow, which was lighter than the color of the spinner, tactical number and background of the III./JG 54 emblem. The white color cannot be ruled out on the wingtips and fin as well. The bottom wing RLM 65 color extended marginally to the upper surface. Some sources erroneously identify this aircraft as an E-3. Despite having tempted fate once over the Channel, Eberle was not as successful on October 9, 1940, when he lost his life in combat with RAF fighters.

   

  WNr. 2060, Lt. Hans Guse, 2.(J)/LG 2, Tudora, Soviet Union (Republic of Moldova today), July 1941

  
  

  Like JG 77, Lehrgeschwader 2 was withdrawn from the combat operations after the end of the Greek campaign for rest and rearmament, which was to take place in Belgrade. This was followed in mid-July by a move to Romanian territory, where LG 2 equipped by Messerschmitts Bf 109E (some in the fighter-bomber configuration) was on alert to be deployed against the Soviet Union. It joined Operation Barbarossa in the early hours of July 22. The Black 10, which retained its camouflage from the battles over Greece and Crete and was equipped with a tropical filter, was shot down on July 10, 1941, by Soviet I-16s. The pilot is still listed as missing in action. The markings of the aircraft are complemented by the insignia of I.(J)/LG 2 under the windshield and 2.(J)/LG 2 on the side behind the fuselage cross.

• Markings for Bf 110G-2 1/72

  Bf 110G-2/R7/M2, 6./ZG 1, Brest, France, August 1943

  
  

  In August 1943, 6./ZG 1 moved from Sicily to Brest, France, where the unit was tasked with escorts of German submarines on their way across the Bay of Biscay to the Atlantic. The standard camouflage scheme of RLM 74/75/76 colors was darkened on the fuselage sides with patches of the same colors. The unit’s emblem was a drawing of a wasp on the nose, additionally supplemented on the left side of the fuselage under the cockpit by a drawing of a witch on the S9+LP. The color of the 6. Staffel was yellow hence the aircraft code is yellow and the same applies to the color of the spinner. The aircraft had also a white stripe on the fuselage in front of the tail surfaces, which was a remnant of the unit’s time on the Southern Front in Italy.

   

  Bf 110G-2/R3/M1/M5, 7./ZG 26, Fels am Wagram, Austria, May 1944

  
  

  Due to the intensification of Allied air raids from Italy on the southern areas of the German Reich, 7./ZG 26 was relocated to Fels am Wagram airfield in May 1944. The unit’s aircraft had the tips of the spinner and the third letter in the code painted white, which was the color of the 7. Staffel. The black code letter K was painted also on the bottom of the wingtips. The 3U+KR sported a white fuselage stripe in front of the tail surfaces and white bottom of wing tips. Both were the designation of aircraft operating on the southern front. Two MK 108 guns of 30 mm caliber mounted in the nose were the Rüstsätze 3 kit add ons. Additional armament were WGr. 42 rocket launchers under the wing.

   

  Bf 110G-2/M1/R7, 5./NJG 200, Nikolayev, Soviet Union, September 1943

  
  

  In September 1943, 5./NJG 200 was based on the airfield near the town of Nikolayev in Ukraine. The pilots were tasked with night interception of VVS (Soviet Air Force) aircraft. This machine was camouflaged with standard RLM 74/75/76 colors. The distinguishing color of 5. Staffel was red hence both the codes and the tips of the propeller cones were painted so. The aircraft had a yellow stripe on the fuselage in front of the tail surfaces, which was a distinguishing feature of machines operating on the Eastern Front and in the USSR.

   

  Bf 110G-2/R1, 4./ZG 76, Wertheim, Germany, October 1943

  
  

  Dispersed Zerstörer units were called up from all over Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to be incorporated into the defense of the Reich. ZG 76 was rebuilt in southern Germany with the use of the personnel of training and reconnaissance units and ZG 76 stayed there through the winter of late 1943/44. Its aircraft were armed with a 37 mm BK 3.7 cannon under the fuselage and WGr. 42 rockets to scatter American bomber formations. On October 4, 1943, the American Eighth Air Force attacked targets in Frankfurt am Rhein. II./ZG 76 encountered the stream of bombers alone and shot down four American bombers. But they encountered the American 56th Fighter Group afterwards and without their own fighter escort nine Bf 110s were shot down in the ensuing battle. Eleven of the downed crews were killed and seven wounded. The introduction of the American long-range fighter escort meant a large increase in losses for the Zerstörgeschwader units. In November 1944, 4./ZG 76 was disbanded and its pilots were retrained on the Bf 109, subsequently transferred to the 9./JG 54 fighter unit.

• Markings for MiG-21bis 1/48

  MiG-21BIS, c/n 75084300, HävLLv 31, Kuopio airbase, Finland, 1980 – 1981 

  
  

  This aircraft was accepted for service on July 17, 1980 and assigned to 31 Fighter Squadron (Hävittäjälentolaivue 31, abbreviated HävLLv 31). It became the last of six Finnish MiG-21BIS fighters to be modified for reconnaissance tasks. After the modification, the aircraft was assigned to TiedLLv (Reconnaissance Squadron) and following its end of service it was used as a teaching aid at the Technical School located at the Kuopio Air Base. The aircraft is shown as it appeared between 1980 and 1981 before being upgraded by western avionics, which included cockpit instrumentation. Unlike other users, Finland used capital letters for designation of their MiGs, that’s why it is written as BIS here as well.   

   

  MiG-21bis, c/n 75080880, 1 Pucki DLMW, Lotnictwo Marynarki Wojennej, Gdynia-Babie Doły, Poland, late 1997

  
  

  This aircraft was delivered to Poland on March 22, 1980 and was assigned to the 1 Pucki Dywizjon Lotniczy (Air Division) of the Polish Naval Forces. The emblem on the tail surface indicates service with the 2nd Eskadra (Squadron) of the Division. The look of the plane evolved over time, and in 2001 it flew with a sharkmouth and a tiger motif on the brake chute housing.

   

  MiG-21bis, c/n 75061874, 47 Pápa Harcászati Repülő Ezred, Pápa airbase, Hungary, 1991

  
  

  MiG-21bis, serial number 75061874, served with the 47 Combat Regiment (Harcászati Repülõezred). In 1991, it received a temporary white coloring on the rear of the fuselage and a portion of the bottom. In this guise, it took part in DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) exercises, in which the opposing aircraft pitted againt each other were of differing types. Later, it was assigned to the “Sky Hussars” demonstration team. In 2006, it was mothballed and put in storage at Papa, and in 2007, it was sold into the private collection of Gerhard Neumann Museum at Niederalteich in Germany.

   

  MiG-21bis, Tactics & Air Combat Development Establishment, Jamnagar airbase, India, September 1986

  
  

  The aircraft coded C2305 was assigned to the Center for the development of tactics for aerial combat and served there during September 1986. The front of the aircraft referred to its former user, No. 4 Squadron of the IAF. This unit was dubbed “Oorials” after the local type of mountain sheep. Together with the unit’s motto, “Honor over Death” this symbolizes stamina, strength, and a fighting spirit. The colorful paint scheme of Indian MiGs was used during one of the military exercises.

   

  MiG-21bisD, c/n 75002075, 22 eskadrila lovačkih zrakoplova, Pula airbase, Croatia, 2008

  
  

  This aircraft was one of a number of MiG-21s purchased in the first half of the nineties despite a UN embargo from the Ukraine. The first unit to use the aircraft was the 22 eskadrila lovačkih zrakoplova (Fighter Squadron) based at Pula. In 2003, this was one of eight MiG-21bis aircraft to be modernized in Romania by Aerostar to MiG-21bisD standard. Later, the plane was observed at Zagreb, Tchakovec and Zadar. It carries a typical camouflage scheme for the modernized bisD aircraft.

   

  MiG-21bis, No. 3 Air Base, Graf Ignatevo, Bulgaria, from 2002

  
  

  MiG-21bis serial number 75094114 was delivered to Bulgaria in 1983. The first user of the aircraft was the 19 Fighter Regiment. From 2002, it served at Air Base No. 3 based at Graf Ignatevo, where the MiG-21s shared the base with the more modern MiG-29s. The last MiG-21bis delivered directly from the factory was retired from the Bulgarian Air Force in 2015, while the second-hand aircraft from the Soviet Air Force delivered in 1990 were retired in 2000.

• Markings for Avia B.534 IV.serie 1/48

  B.534.208, 36th Fighter Squadron, Air Regiment 2, Olomouc Airfield, Czechoslovakia, Fall 1937 

  
  

  This aircraft is representative of the camouflage scheme used by Avia at the end of the Thirties, prior to the Munich Crisis. Upper surfaces are khaki, lower are silver doped, typically a matted shade. The lower surface of the upper wing is also khaki. The blue and white Moravian eagle identifies the aircraft as belonging to the Air Regiment 2, while the letter G identifies membership within the 36th Squadron, and the numeral 1 specifies the aircraft within the Squadron. The blue tipped spinner was also a squadron identifier, although this was not an official marking. This aircraft is known to have crashed on September 6, 1937, piloted by četař (Sergeant) Julius Zaoral, following a collision with another Avia B.534.35, with svobodník (Private First Class) Jaroslav Šodek at the controls.

   

  B.534.186, 34th Fighter Squadron, Air Regiment 4, Hradec Králové Airfield, Czechoslovakia, Summer 1937

  
  

  B.534s of the Air Regiment 4 are among the more striking within the pre-war Czechoslovak Air Force. The color details are not known for certain, and this arises from uncertainties regarding the remarking of squadrons at the end of the Thirties. These could have been either blue and yellow or green and yellow. The colors on the wheel spats would be consistent, and so would, likely, the lower prop blade bandaging. This aircraft is known from photographs likely taken during the course of 1937, when attached to 34th Fighter Squadron, which utilized blue and yellow trimming. In January 1938, she was re-designated as belonging to 50th Fighter Squadron, with the fuselage code K. Coded D, she was then attached to 42nd Squadron, which used green and yellow colors. The aircraft has a tail skid instead of a tail wheel. The lower surface of the upper wing is silver doped.

   

  B.534.239, 45th Fighter Squadron, Air Regiment 3, Piešťany Airfield, Czechoslovakia, July 1938

  
  

  This aircraft carries the standard Czechoslovak camouflage scheme from the late Thirties. The lower surface of the upper wing is in khaki, and the spinner is yellow. The aircraft was documented on a photograph dated July 14, 1938, when it suffered light damage while flown by desátník (corporal) Baláš. At the time, these aircraft carried no squadron codes. The Air Regiment 3 was the only one that was located in Slovakia prior to the outbreak of the war. After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, Air Regiment 3 aircraft were incorporated into the services of the newly formed Slovak Air Force. In this service, Avia B.534s took part in combat operations in Poland and later in the Soviet Union. In August 1944, the Slovak National Uprising saw the remaining Avias take part in anti-German operations.

   

  B.534.217, Combined Squadron of Slovak National Uprising, Tri Duby Airfield, Slovakia, September 1944

  
  

  In the fall of 1944, the Slovak National Uprising saw the use of several Avia B.534s. This specific aircraft is the only one photographically documented with the national markings used during the uprising. These were composed of the original Czechoslovak roundels with the addition of the Slovak two-pronged cross. The markings on the right wing are oriented incorrectly with the red field on the right side, i.e. directed away from the fuselage. Also, blue field pointing upwards on the rudder is wrongly oriented. It has not been conclusively determined weather or not the lower wing markings lacked the Slovak crosses. The aircraft carries the typical camouflage scheme of khaki upper surfaces and silver doped lower (gray respray of the lower surfaces for this aircraft is unlikely) and with khaki undersurface of the top wing. The aircraft was noted to have been rather heavily weathered. The tip of the spinner was either khaki or possibly also heavily weathered. Propeller blades were black on both sides. The top of the nose was likely also khaki, and not yellow. All photographic evidence suggests that the sliding portion of the canopy was missing at the time of the Slovak National Uprising.