Info EDUARD
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{"cz":"Info EDUARD"}
{"cz":"Měsíčník o historii a plastikovém modelářství.","en":"Monthly magazine about history and scale plastic modeling."}
03/2024
I know I’m not alone, when a concept and its associated assumptions turn out exactly opposite to what the expected outcome was. The last time it happened to me was a month ago in Nuremberg.
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INFO Eduarde-magazine FREE Vol 23 March 2024# 169Page 2
INFO Eduard# 169e-magazine FREE Vol 23 March 2024© Eduard - Model Accessories, 2024FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!This material may only be used for personal use. No part of the textor graphic presentations can be used in another publication in any other mediaform or otherwise distributed without the prior writtenpermission of Eduard - Model Accessories and authors involved.Editorial and Graphics - Marketing department, Eduard - Model Accessories, Ltd.Page 3
eduardeduardMARCH 2024CONTENTSPublished by Eduard-Model Accessories, spol. s.r.o.Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21support@eduard.com www.eduard.comEDITORIALKITSBRASSINPHOTO-ETCHED SETSSPACEHOW TO WORK WITH 3D PRINTS IN MODELINGBUILTON APPROACH–April 2024TAIL END CHARLIEHISTORYBOXART STORYFreedom Tiger Limited 1/48Bf 109G-2 ProfiPACK 1/72Fw 190A-5 Weekend 1/48Spitfire Mk.IXc late ProfiPACK 1/48 Re-releaseBf 108 ProfiPACK 1/48 Re-releaseUSS ARIZONA 1/350KURFURST 1/48FREEDOM TIGERThe Kbely F-5INTERVIEW WITH PETR JEZEKTigers in Gioia del ColleAir War in Ukraine-Demise of GiantsHigh above the frontWith a brick in the pantsOver the Normandy RooftopsEfta Einak48384262788870100104122Page 4
I know I’m not alone, when a concept and itsassociated assumptions turn out exactly oppositeto what the expected outcome was. The last timeit happened to me was a month ago in Nuremberg.You may remember what I expected from the fairfrom my previous editorial. Virtually nothing cameof my skeptical predictions. Not that the fair isback to where it was in the old days before covidlockdowns, but it was significantly livelier, moreinteresting and ultimately more fun and usefulthan I would have dared to expect. I would ventureto guess that among the vendors who participated,I am not alone in my adjusted assessment. Amongother things, the situation from last year wasrepeated, that conversations and meetings weremuch warmer, friendlier and more open than atany time in the past. Maybe it's just my feeling,but it seemed like we enjoyed seeing each otheragain, in many cases even after several years.It was the type of thing that leads you to realizehow those people you maybe took for grantedand didn't think anything special of grew closerto your heart and you understand just how muchyou missed them. That led in turn to conversationsopening up and that can only be good. Otherwise,everything was at least a bit different. For examplealmost nowhere in the venue, in any restaurant,at any stand, could you pay cash, everything hadto be paid for by plastic. And the steaks, thosewonderful steaks I have written about in the pastthat were being served up at a little stand betweenthe halls, were turkey instead of the earlier pork.But, at least, they were back.This year, our long run of Model of the Yearawards from Modell Fan came to an end. It will bethe first time in thirty years that we left withouta medal. But, don’t mistake that for me bitchingabout it. Take it more as a sign of how things arechanging. I could even take it from an optimisticpoint of view, and entertain the possibility that wehave exited the mainstream competition and arein a league of our own. But coming back down toearth, it's more likely because we stopped sendingModell Fan samples, so really, we asked for it!March New ReleasesThe new items for March have already beenon sale for a week. Of all the seventy-five newreleases in March, we devoted the most time andeffort out of everything we did to the FreedomFighter kit. This is a 1:48 scale F-5E Tiger II, withmoldings from the Taiwanese firm AFV Club.A large chunk of real estate is also dedicated to thisaircraft in today's issue of the newsletter. Thereare two articles and one interview that directlyfocuses on it. You can see this as a significantimbalance, but the plane is worth it. Of course, theothers too, whether it's the 48th scale Fw 190 A-5in the Weekend line or the 72nd scale Bf 109 G-2,the successor to the recently sold-out LimitedEdition Wunderschöne neue Maschinen Pt.2.The 1:48th Profipack Spitfire LF.Mk.IXc, one of themost successful kits we've ever released, returnsyet again in the form of a reissue, and after a longtime, so does our 48th Bf 108, a part of which, theengine, once became the first computer-generatedmodel at the turn of the century used for theproduction of an injection molded kit.As usual, some of the accessory items releasedare for our own new kits, so there are masks forboth the Bf 108 and F-5E, as well as photoetchedand Space sets. These include not only sets forcurrent new releases, however, and among thenew sets in the Brassin range are several largeritems for previously released kits, such as cockpitsfor the 1:48th Bf 109 G-10 (WNF) and Fw 190 A-8/R2,not to mention the engine for the 72nd scale Bf 109G-6.We also have several collections of sets fromour varied lines designed for models released byother manufacturers. For example, we have thepopular Gannet from Airfix and another heavyhitter, the F-35B from Tamiya, covered. Amongother things, we offer a set of masks for sprayingthe RAM panels on the surface of the latter. Anotherset collection is designed for the Hurricane Mk.IIbfrom Arma and the F4U-1 and 2 Corsair from thenew Chinese company Magic Factory. For theiraircraft debut, they chose a concept similar toour Dual Combo format, which intrigued me. It issaid that the phrase ‘the greatest form of flatteryis imitation’ applies to the Chinese, so we shouldbe pleased with their approach, right? We alsohave a new printed cockpit for the F-16C Block 301:48 from Kinetic, and a whole range of larger andsmaller sets in all of our accessory lines.P-51B Mustang 1:48Currently, we are finishing up two 1:48th scaleP-51B Mustang kits that are officially new itemsslated for May. As of today, we are missing twosprues that we expect will be completed andsuccessfully fine-tuned around mid-March.We will release the new Mustang in two editions.The first will be a Limited Edition kit calledOverlord: D-Day Mustangs. The kit will be releasedin a Dual Combo format, with two sets of sprues,masks and photoetched, and will be dedicated tothe P-51B and Mk.III Mustangs participating in theAllied landings in Normandy in June, 1944. The kitEDITORIALINFO Eduard4March 2024Page 5
can be built with both the standard side openingcanopy version (birdcage) or with a modifiedversion known as the Malcolm Hood. There will bea total of ten decal options, including one BritishMustang Mk.III.The second kit will be directly derived from theLimited Edition kit ‘Overlord: D-Day Mustangs’.It will be the P-P51B Mustang Royal Classrelease. The basis will be the same as for theaforementioned kit. Two sets of plastic, two ofphotoetched and two of masks will be a part ofits contents. The basic decal sheet and schemeoptions will also be the same. But there will besome significant differences. There will be onemore decal sheet with four more options: DominicS. Gentile's ‘Shangri-La’, Duane W. Beeson's ‘BoiseBee’, both from the 4th Fighter Group, along withRobert Eckfeldt's ‘Bald Eagle’ and ‘Lou III’, flownby Thomas Christian of the 361st Fighter Group.In addition to this, the kit will also include aselection of Brassin accessories, which will be twoversions of the 3D printed seat with integrated seatbelts, two sets of exhausts and two sets of wheels.The kit will also include a Space line badge withthe USAAF 8th Air Force insignia, a magnet anda painting, with the same motif used in the box artfor the Overlord: D-Day Mustangs kit. The author ofthe painting will be Piotr Forkazsewicz. The boxingwill be a classic Royal Class package in the samestyle as the previous Royal Class P-51D Mustangin 1:48th.There will be a pre-order event for both. Each ofthem will have a slightly different sales format thatwill be followed. The Overlord: D-Day Mustangs willhave a 15% discount applied to the basic pre-orderprice, which will apply to anything a customerorders concurrently with this item. All P-51B andOvertree additionals slated for release in May willalso be on offer with the pre-order. The Overlord:D-Day Mustangs kit will then go on regular sale inMay and will be available across our retail network.The Royal Class offer will follow a differenttemplate. It will be sold only at the base pricewithout a discount on its own, but will act asa discount trigger for other items purchased withit. So if you pre-order the Royal Class kit alongwith other items, you'll get a pre-order discount onthose other items, but not on the Royal Class kit.Of note is the fact that the Royal Class boxingwill only be available for pre-order either fromus or from our selected partners who will beparticipating in this event. We will only produce asmany kits as are pre-ordered, no more.The pre-order window opens on March 8th foreleven days, closing on Monday, March 18th. We willcontinuously inform you about the event and itsconditions, as well as kit content descriptions andprogress towards availability on our social medianetworks and also by mailings before the start ofthe pre-order event.P-51D Mustang 1:72We will be launching a corresponding pre-order event for the 72nd scale P-51D Mustang atthe end of March. It too will be in two formats, asa standard Limited Edition kit called ‘Men O'War’,and as a Royal Class ‘P-51D Mustang 1:72’. Bothkits will be Dual Combo type and the markings willbe based on the 1:48th Royal Class P-51D packagewe released five years ago. The 72nd Royall Classitem will again have several bonus features inthe form of Brassin sets, a picture, a badge anda package-specific decal sheet offering furtherscheme options. Pre-order conditions will be thesame as for both P-51B 1:48 kits. Pre-order of the1:72nd scale P-51D will start on March 29th and endon April 8th.B-17F Flying Fortress 1:48Although the 1:48th scale Flying Fortress isn'tdue for release until August, we're aiming to bringit to Madison, Wisconsin for the IPMS USA Natstaking place in mid-July. Nevertheless, it is timeto write something about this project now, becausethe first mentions caused quite a stir and broughtforth many questions. So today I offer you at leastthe basic facts about this project:• The project is being developed under theworking name ‘Bloody Hundreth 1943’ and is beingdeveloped around the B-17F in 48th.• The following release will carry the name‘Bloody Hundreth 1944’ and will be based aroundthe B-17G in 48th.• The first of these two is expected to be releasedin August 2024.• The projects are being developed in cooperationwith Hong Kong Models (HKM) and the 100th BombGroup Foundation (100th BGF)• The plastic will be supplied by HKM• Because the HKM kit has only one of manypossible variations of the nose (the oldest, suachas the one that was on the Memphis Belle),we have designed other versions so that we couldinclude later configurations.• The molds for the noses will be made by HKMbased on our designs. HKM will produce and supplythe finished product.• We are working closely with the 100th BGFregarding historical data as well as licensing oftrademarks held by 100th BGF. The 100th BG isone of the few, if not the only, US joint militaryaviation unit whose tactical insignia, the D withina square, and other related items are subjects ofa registered trademark.• An important role in the project is beingplayed by our colleague Jan Zdiarský, who isthe link between Eduard and the 100th BGF.In addition to being an employee of Eduard, he isalso a member of the 100th BGF. Mr. Zdiarský, who,among other things, functions as the chief editorof our newsletters. He is also the curator of the oftmentioned museum dedicated to the air battle overthe Ore Mountains on September 11th, 1944, andhas prepared materials for the development of thenoses and gathered reference materials for thecreation of the decals and color schemes, and willput together summaries for those color schemesas well as articles related to this project that willappear in our forthcoming newsletters.• The Air Battle of the Ore Mountains museum, asmentioned, is devoted to the events of September11, 1944, when during the mission to Ruhland, the100th BG lost thirteen B-17Gs, mainly over the townof Kovářská and its surroundings.B-17 Flying Fortress Accessory ItemsAlso associated with the B-17, and the BloodyHundred, is the Masters of the Air series currentlyrunning on Apple TV+. Due to the series, andI'm pretty sure it is due to the series, we've hada significant increase in requests to re-releaseout of production accessory items for the B-17 ofvarious kit manufacturers and scales. We havedecided to comply with them and put these setsback in our range. You might be surprised thatthere are more than 160 such items! They havebeen on sale since last week and you can find themin our e-shop.Profiles of the two P-51Bs whose illustrations will be featured on the cover of the premiere limited editionof the P-51B "Overlord: D-Day Mustangs.ÚVODNÍKINFO Eduard5March 2024Page 6
ArticlesAs I mentioned earlier, three articles todayare dedicated to the F-5E Tiger II. Included isthe article ‘Freedom Tiger’, a brief summary ofthe development and history of the Northrop F-5by Richard Plos, the article about Kbely’s F-5describing the F-5E in the collection of the AviationMuseum in Prague-Kbely by its curator MiroslavKhol, and an interview with the restorer of thisexhibit by Mr. Petr Ježek, which was conducted andwritten up by me.Boxart Stories are a matter of course in ournewsletters. Jan Zdiarský's Boxart Story, whichis linked to the Spitfire LF Mk.IXc kit, takes you toNormandy in the summer of 1944. Honza Bobekprepared three Boxart Stories: the one coveringthe Fw 190A-5 is dedicated to the type’s fightagainst four-engine bombers in the summer of1943. Details of one of the last battles undertakenby JG 54 commander Hannes Trautloft aredescribed in the Bf 109 G-2 article, and the BoxartStory for the Bf 108 describes how Theo Blaich'sdesert-camouflaged aircraft is related to the film‘The English Patient’.In addition to these, this month’s newsletterbrings you a report from Tiger Meet 2023 byJaroslav Špaček, an article about the worksurrounding 3D printing by Jakub Nademlejnskýand, of course, another installment of the air warover Ukraine by Mir Barič.The last mentioned is already very long, muchlonger than we would all like. Needless to say,we have entered the 24th month of this barbaricRussian war. We've read a lot in recent weeksabout how tiring this thing has become, aboutRussia's overwhelming superiority, the West'sweakness and incompetence, and Russia'sresilience. Regardless of who actually originatesthis information and who floods our free mediaspace with it, I want to say screw all that crap!We're all sick of the damn war. It cost us all, it costus money especially in the West, and believe me,it cost us a lot of money at Eduard, because thedrop in sales that came immediately after theRussian attack in February 2022 and continues tothis day clearly correlates closely to this war. Butthis war is costing Ukraine thousands of humanlives and causing immeasurably greater materialand moral losses. The only way out is to defeatRussia, drive it out of Ukraine, and prevent it fromany further aggression. It will still cost us a lot ofeffort, blood and money, but we must not give up,otherwise we and our elected politicians will paydearly for our capitulation and failure. The worldmay change, but basic rules do not. And the mostimportant of the basic rules is that there is a heavyprice for weakness and failure.Other NewsSo that the newsletter intro doesn’t take on toomuch of a doom and gloom feel, I do have a few bitof good news to share.We bought a new injection molding machine.Upgrading never hurts, and buying new equipmentis at least as useful as buying new tanks in thesetumultuous times. The new old Leopards that theACR (Army of the Czech Republic) received area good example and should also be put to good use!We received a shipment of Gunze products,and this week's restock is going on sale. In themeantime, however, all other stocks of this rangehave dropped, so we are sending another orderinto the GSi dispatch center in Germany. But wehave no clue as to when it will arrive.Another bit of good news is that we will be atseveral shows in March. Next weekend we are inVerona, Italy and the weekend after, we will be inBytom, Poland. The very next week, March 23, weare at the Panthers Cup in Prague at the Prosekshow, where Fredy Riedl from Special Hobby andI will have a Q & A session, so I cordially inviteyou to a friendly chat. Finally on Easter we willbe in Prostějov for the Easter Prostějov Show.At the very least we should have pre-production48th scale Mustangs at Prosek and Prostějov toshow off. If we succeed and everything turns outas it should, then we will produce a pre-premiereedition, like a semi-Weekend in a white box withonly instructions and a small label. If you decidethat this item might be for you, don't hesitate, thislittle thing will have its value and another of thosebasic rules of life and the universe is: he whohesitates, loses!The 1:48th scale Mirage IIIC is back in theProfipack range under the catalog number 8103.We have packaged the last 530 pieces. The rulefrom the previous paragraph also applies here!And finally, the news of the day. As of tomorrow,March 5th, I will be answering questions frommodelers in the Ask Eduard thread on Hyperscale.You can ask me anything you want there, and I willanswer what I want! Sounds fair. Should be good…Happy Modelling!Vladimir SulcMarkings of two Spitfires Mk.V by Polish pilots that will be part of a special very limited edition offeredat the show Bytom, Poland, 16-17 March 2024.Eduard banner on Hyperscale.ÚVODNÍKINFO Eduard6March 2024Page 7
We will be thereFreedom Tiger
Sleek and compact, the twin-engine fighter developed by Northrop gave many countries access to modern supersonic technology. Modernized F-5Es fly under different designations in the air forces of several countries to this day, although the origins of the type can be traced back to the mid-1950s.
HISTORYRichard PlosSkoshi F-5C Tigers topping up froma KC-135 tanker prior to hitting NorthVietnamese positions. Photo: USAFSleek and compact, the twin-engine fighter developed by Northrop gavemany countries access to modern supersonic technology. Modernized F-5Esfly under different designations in the air forces of several countries to thisday, although the origins of the type can be traced back to the mid-1950s.In 1954, the Northrop company team went ona long journey through NATO countries. Aviationwas just entering the supersonic age, and theAmerican manufacturer wanted to determine whatkind of aircraft was deemed most suitable forAllied nations. The team returned with a numberof findings, on the basis of which the study ofa light supersonic aircraft was started in 1955,which would be relatively cheap, low-maintenanceand capable of operating from short runways.Development began in 1956, under projectdesignation N-156F with two non-afterburningYJ-85-GE-1 engines (9.34 kN or 2100lbs thrust each)being chosen to power it. The first prototype tookoff on July 30, 1959, at Palmdale Airport in Californiawith factory pilot Lew Nelson at the controls, andthe speed of sound was already broken duringthat flight. Other prototypes were subsequentlyinvolved in the tests, which were equippedwith a fire control radar and five hardpointsfor missiles, though these aircraft lacked guns.This was reconsidered and a pair of 20mm cannonwere installed instead of the radar. The lack ofa radar made the production F-5A aircraft suitableprimarily for attacking ground targets with limitedoptions for engaging enemy aircraft, yet the USDepartment of Defense announced that it hadselected this aircraft for its Military Assistanceto Allies (MAP) program. The aircraft receivedthe official designation F-5A Freedom Fighter onAugust 9, 1962, and the two seat counterpart wasdesignated F-5B. The US Air Force itself was notinterested in the project, until someone realizedthat the USAF could use a two-seat version toreplace the aging T-33. So in June 1956 it wasannounced that the USAF would purchase theF-5B export version, to be designated as the T-38.Additionally, the USAF borrowed twelve F-5As fromthe MAP program in October 1965 and equippedthe 4503rd TFW with them, which then movedto Vietnam to test these aircraft under combatconditions. The program was named Skoshi Tiger(Little Tiger) and its pilots used a slightly modifiedF-5A, designated F-5C. They undertook more than3,500 combat sorties from Bien Hoa Air Base,losing two aircraft in the process. Although theprogram was considered a success, it was more ofa political gesture than a serious consideration forthe type's inclusion among USAF types. From April1966 the aircraft continued operations with the10th Fighter Commando Squadron, with the numberof aircraft increasing to seventeen. Aircraft fromthe Skoshi Tiger program were then acquired bythe Philippine Air Force. Another user of the F-5Ain the conflict was the South Vietnamese Air Force,which received 100 F-5As and F-5Bs.MiG-21 AdversaryHowever, the absence of a radar representeda fundamental limitation of the F-5A's capabilities,One of the first F-5Es, serial number 11420. Photo: USAFINFO Eduard8March 2024Page 9
HISTORYand the advent of the MiG-21 made it necessaryto arm America’s allies with sufficiently powerfulaircraft capable of air combat. Therefore, theInternational Fighter Aircraft (IFA) programwas announced, for which Northrop prepareda thorough modernization of the F-5A.The prototype designated F-5A-21 received morepowerful GE J85-21 engines, each with a maximumthrust of 19.12 kN (4,300 lbs). These, together withthe need for more voluminous fuel tanks, requireda lengthening and widening of the fuselage.The wings received an increase in area by wayof the addition of the LERX, or Leading Edge RootExtension, which improved the maneuverability ofthe aircraft. Modeled after the Canadian licensebuilt and modified CF-5, a two-position frontlanding gear was introduced. In the extendedposition, the wing angle of attack was de factoincreased and thus the take-off run was shortened.Another significant change was the installationof the Emerson Electric AN/APQ-153 fire controlradar, which significantly expanded the possibilitiesof combat use against aerial targets. It was alsopossible to install other avionics equipmentaccording to customer requirementsThe first F-5E, as the aircraft was now designated,took to the air on August 11, 1972, and a two-seatvariant designated F-5F was also developed.It flew for the first time on September 25, 1974 andreceived an extended nose, which, unlike the F-5B,allowed for the installation of at least one cannon.The two-seat version received the EmersonAN/APQ-157 radar, which was a development of theAN/APQ-153 intended for two-seat aircraft withdual controls. Both radars have the same range ofapproximately 18 km (11 miles).Following the Skoshi Tiger program, the F-5Ewas named ‘Tiger II’ and the Williams Based 425thTFS received its first aircraft on April 6, 1973.This unit was reactivated in 1969 and tasked withtraining Vietnamese personnel for the F-5A andsubsequently the F-5E. After the US withdrewfrom Vietnam, it continued to train personnel fromcountries that purchased the F-5E/F. The unitcontinued in this mission until 1989, when sales ofthe Tiger II were discontinued.An RF-5E ‘Tigereye’ reconnaissance version wasalso developed, with appropriate equipment in thenose displacing the radar and one of the cannons.Subsequent upgrades to the F-5E included theEmerson AN/APG-69 radar, which was a successorto the AN/APQ-159, however most users chosenot to use this option for financial reasons.The exception was the Swiss Air Force and USAFaggressor squadrons.Continuous ImprovementsThe F-5E underwent a number of upgrades, themost significant of which was the introductionof the new Emerson AN/APQ-159 radar witha range of about 36 km (22 miles), replacing theoriginal AN/APQ-153. A similar radar upgradewas also proposed for the F-5F, with a derivativeAN/APQ-159 type to replace the AN/APQ-157.However, this upgrade was not implemented.In total, Northrop produced 792 F-5Es, 140F-5Fs and a dozen RF-5Es. Other aircraft wereassembled overseas from components suppliedby Northrop. In Malaysia, 56 were manufactured inthis way, in Switzerland 90, in South Korea 68 andin Taiwan, 308.Various versions of the F-5 remain in service withseveral air forces. Singapore has approximately49 modernized and redesignated F-5S (single-seat)and F-5T (two-seat) aircraft. The upgrade includesa new GRIFO radar, upgraded cockpits with multi-function displays and compatibility with the RafaelPython and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.With the help of Elbit, modernization programswere implemented in Chile and Brazil. Calledthe F-5 Plus, the Chilean upgrade included thenew Elta 2032 radar and other improvements.The Brazilian program, the result being designatedF-5M (Modernized), is armed with PythonVs coupled with the DASH helmet system and thenew GRIFO radar, cockpit displays and navigationelectronics. Brazilian F-5Ms can also carry IsraeliDerby missiles.AggressorsNo branch of the US military uses the F-5 incombat, but this type has proven itself very wellin the role of enemy aircraft for advanced pilottraining. It is operationally very efficient, the priceper flight hour is roughly one-third that of theF/A-18, and it has similar dimensions to the MiG-21.F-5Es served with the US Air Force from 1975to 1990, the Marine Corps purchased former USAFaircraft in 1989, and the US Navy operated F-5Es atThe Naval Fighter Weapons School at NAS Miramar,with VF-127, VF- 43 and VF-45. ‘Top Gun’ receiveda total of ten F-5Es and three F-5Fs for the enemyaircraft role.The F-5E/F was gradually renewed andmodernized, including machines bought fromSwitzerland. These were designated F-5N aftermodernization and received upgraded avionicsand other improvements. Gradually they receivedenlarged LERXs and also a new radome, nicknamed‘sharknose’ for its flatter shape. This was introducedprimarily to improve flight characteristics at highangles of attack and to improve spin recovery.Switzerland sold a portion of their F-5E/Fs to the United States, retaining the rest to this day. Photo: WikimediaA trio of F-5Es of the 527th TFTS operating in 1983 out of RAF Alconbury. Photo: USAFINFO Eduard9March 2024The Kbely F-5
The Aviation Museum of the Military Historical Institute located in Kbely focuses on building a collection of aircraft flown by Czechoslovak and Czech pilots. Beyond that focus, there are also foreign aircraft in the collection, of which the Northrop F-5E Tiger II probably has the most complicated history. In the past, only a few insiders knew about its existence in Czechoslovakia.
Miroslav Khol,VHU Aviation MuseumThe Aviation Museum of the Military Historical Institute located in Kbely focuseson building a collection of aircraft flown by Czechoslovak and Czech pilots.Beyond that focus, there are also foreign aircraft in the collection, of which theNorthrop F-5E Tiger II probably has the most complicated history. In the past,only a few insiders knew about its existence in Czechoslovakia.The development of the F-5 began at Northropunder the designation N-156 with the aim of creatinga supersonic fighter aircraft (later to becomemultirole) that would meet the conditions of easyoperation and maintenance. In April 1962, the USDepartment of Defense announced the selectionof the aircraft for the Military Assistance Program(MAP). US allies from the North Atlantic TreatyOrganization (NATO) and the Southeast Asia TreatyOrganization (SEATO) requested a supersonicfighter at an affordable price. In August 1962, theaircraft received the official designation F-5A fromNorthrop. Although all airframes produced were tobe part of the supplies for MAP, the USAF ‘borrowed’twelve of them for combat evaluations in Vietnam.Development continued into the F-5E, which hadmore powerful engines, a widened fuselage, a largerwingspan with larger wing-to-fuselage transition,increasing lift. To improve maneuverability,automatic leading edge flaps were installed in thewing.The F-5E variant also served the South VietnameseAir Force at the end of the conflict between Northand South Vietnam. Aircraft produced in 1973 weredelivered to the 536th and 540th Fighter Squadronsbased at Bien Hoa. The aircraft bearing the serialnumber 73-00878 was first flown in December1973 and delivered to Vietnam in the spring of1974. Interestingly, the beginning of its service lifedocumentation dating from June, 1974 has beenpreserved in Czechoslovakia and survives to thisday. Before the end of the conflict in Southeast Asia,it flew 153 hours and 30 minutes.After the fall of South Vietnam, a lot of equipment,including aircraft, fell into the hands of the victoriousNVA. F-5A/B aircraft along with about thirty F-5Esfell into the hands of the newly unified communistVietnam. Vietnamese F-5s initially served alongsideMiG-21s in combined air regiments and were popularwith pilots for their qualities. Joint operationsalongside Soviet equipment, however, presentedlogistical problems, and especially the increasingshortage of ammunition and spare parts forcedtheir gradual retirement. That meant that war bootyequipment began to find its way to friendly states.An offer to hand over an F-5 aircraft toCzechoslovakia was made at the end of spring,1980. At that time, a team of technicians from AeroVodochody and the Motorlet company was operatingin Vietnam, which was in charge of supporting atleast a part of the Aero L-29 Delfíns then in use there.Among other things, these technicians were sent toBien Hoa, where the remaining F-5 aircraft werelocated. There they were to check the condition ofthe donated aircraft and determine the possibilityof its transport to Czechoslovakia. However, dueto poor planning of the transport, it was delayed,but available documentation was supplied toCzechoslovakia. Another chance for transportarose during the delivery of L-39C Albatros trainingaircraft to the Vietnamese Air Force. On the basis ofthe original American documentation, preparationswere made that enabled the transport toThe F-5E is pulled out of the museum's storage hangar (which today houses the 1925-1938 exhibit) under the watchful eye of the head of the exhibit, Colonel JaroslavJanečka (in a brigadier's uniform) in the eighties. [photo: VHÚ Aviation Museum]THE KBELY F-5HISTORYINFO Eduard10March 2024Page 11
Czechoslovakia. After the L-39C was assembled inVietnam, the original transport crates were modifiedto move this valuable cargo to Czechoslovakia.The machine was flown by a Vietnamese pilot inMarch 1981 to Da Nang. Prior to the flight, the originalinsignia was painted over with black paint, and theaircraft was on its way to Czechoslovakia.Under great secrecy, the machine was deliveredto state owned Aero Vodochody, and its constructionand systems were subjected to intensive researchby our engineers and technical staff. The airframewas gradually disassembled and the individualparts and equipment were distributed to companiesin the aviation industry. At this point, it should bementioned that Czechoslovakia was not the onlycountry to which an F-5 from Vietnam arrived.The first was, of course, the Soviet Union in 1976,followed by Poland a year later.At the beginning of 1982, the head of the Aviationand Cosmonautics Exhibition of the Military Museum,Colonel Jaroslav Janečka, also learned about theexistence of the F-5E and officially requested thetransfer of the aircraft to the museum’s collection.However, he was informed by Aero managementthat the machine incomplete and that researchwas still being carried out on it ‘to obtain detailedinformation about the structural and technologicaldesign of the airframe...’. However, the followingyear, a single General Electric J85-GE-21 enginedairframe was secretly transferred to Kbely underthe cover of darkness. Colonel Janečka recalledthat for transport to the museum, the airplanewas disguised using plywood to resemble an L-39Albatros. After the end of testing, the museum staffunderstandably began to search for any missingcomponents that were supplied to the firms involvedin examinations of them. The most involved in thewhole thing was a restorer named Jan Klaban,who managed to acquire a number of instrumentsand other items over the years, including theantenna of the Emerson Electric AN/APQ-153 radar.Unfortunately, many things, especially smalleritems, were left behind and had found their way toprivate collections. This understandably hinderedthe consideration of a possible renovation, becausebefore 1989 it was almost unthinkable to get themissing components elsewhere.Until 1990, the aircraft was kept in storage, hiddenfrom the public, and it was only that year that it waspresented for the first time in an outdoor exhibitionto open the museum season. Years of exposure in theopen air had a noticeable effect on its appearance,especially its surface finish. It first appeared in themarkings of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam andthen those of the earlier South Vietnam.In January 2023, a public tender was announced,the subject of which was to renovate the aircraftin the collection of the Military Historical Institutein Prague for museum and exhibition purposes.The description of the actual process of the workcarried out by Česká Aviatická is described inthe interview with Petr Ježek within the pagesof this newsletter. The refurbished F-5, includingpreserved accessories, will be unveiled to thepublic at the opening of the 2024 museum seasonon May 4th.References:- DRENDEL, Lou. F-5 in action. Squadron Signal Publ.Carrollton, 1980- FOJTÍK, Jakub. Československý F-5E Tiger II.Hobby Historie 34, s. 48-50- JOHNSON, Frederick A. Northrop F-5/F-20/T-38.WarbirdTECH vol. 44. Specialty Press, NorthBranch, 2006- LAKE, Jon. Northrop F-5. World Air Power Journalvol. 25, s. 46-109- THOMPSON, Warren. Skoshi Tiger, Wingsof Fame vol. 5, s. 4-23- TÝC, Pavel. Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger II.L+K 25-26/2002, s. 82-91F-5E on the apron of the Kbely airport during the installation of the outdoor exhibit,April 2005. [Photo: Miroslav Khol]F-5E in the outdoor exhibition of the Aviation Museum before renovation. Thedifferent distribution of the camouflage fields on the fuselage and the removablerear section are clearly visible, indicating that they came from a different airframe.This distribution of color fields was also preserved during the renovation.[Photo: Miroslav Khol]HISTORYINFO Eduard11March 2024INTERVIEW WITH PETR JEZEK
Petr Jezek, 46, is an aircraft restorer. Aircraft are his lifelong passion and hobby. Between 2016 and the end of 2023, he worked for Ceska Aviaticka located at Kbely in Prague, where he was involved in the restoration of historic aircraft. Over the last year, and along with his colleague Zdenek Dvorak, he worked on the museum’s American Northrop F-5E Tiger II. He left the company at the end of 2023 and has been working for the Military Historical Institute of the Kbely museum. Besides aircraft, he also has a soft spot for cars manufactured by Saab.
HISTORYINTERVIEW WITHPETR JEZEKPetr Jezek, 46, is an aircraftrestorer. Aircraft are his lifelongpassion and hobby. Between 2016and the end of 2023, he worked forCeska Aviaticka located at Kbelyin Prague, where he was involvedin the restoration of historicaircraft. Over the last year, andalong with his colleague ZdenekDvorak, he worked on the museum’sAmerican Northrop F-5E Tiger II.He left the company at the end of2023 and has been working for theMilitary Historical Institute of theKbely museum. Besides aircraft,he also has a soft spot for carsmanufactured by Saab.How did you come to restore aircraft?I got into aircraft restoration in 1996, as a soldierin the basic service. I was assigned to the aviationmuseum in Kbely with Mr. Jan Sýkora. At thattime, the Šmolík Š-2 aircraft was being restored.My very first job on this aircraft was to repair theobserver's machine gun swivel mount.I had no idea that basic military service couldprovide work at the museum in Kbely. I wouldlike that too! Did you spend a year there and thenwent to civilian life? Or did you stay there afteryour service obligations were met?I served in the aircraft repair squadron at thebase in Kbely. I had my duties there, serving asa supervisor and worked on aviation technology.When I wasn't needed, I spent my free time in theworkshop at the aviation museum. During my timeat the museum, I met and became friends witha number of people who shared the same affinityPetr Jezek (right) and Zdenek Dvorak with the restored Northrop F-5E Tiger II in front of Ceska Aviaticka hangar at Prague Kbely. Photo: Petr Jezekby Vladimír ŠulcINFO Eduard12March 2024Page 13
INTERVIEW WITHPETR JEZEKHISTORYfor vintage aircraft as I did. After my militaryservice ended, I went to the aviation museumwith these friends in my free time and helpedwith everything that was needed for free. Thatlasted almost twenty years, with a couple ofbrakes in between.Was this with Mr. Janečka still serving as themuseum’s curator, or was he gone by then?I remember the founder of the Aviation Museumin Kbely, Colonel Janečka. I talked to him severaltimes when I entered the museum. But he wasno longer on active duty during my tenure.Did your military service provided you withyour first exposure to the museum at Kbely?Were you not there prior?As a visitor, many times. My father used to takeme to the museum as a boy. My dad worked atLOK (Kbely Aviation Repair Shop) on, amongother things, renovations of exhibits for theAviation Museum. For example, he participatedin work on the C-11, CS-92, Meteor, Vampire,and the An-2. He showed me the Phantom, forexample, shortly after the British had flown itto Kbely. So I just kind of stumbled around, andnow I have ‘airplanes’ as a family diagnosis.How many restorations have you got underyour belt?Just for the Military Historical Institute,I participated in the renovation of the Su-7,Su-22, Su-25, F-4S Phantom II, F-5E Tiger II,Aero Ae-45, C-104, Mi-1 and the Aero C- 3B.This also includes some free maintenance ofairplanes and helicopters for the Kbely Museum,just out of my love of airplanes.Fourteen-year--old Petr Jezekon the museum’sPhantom. PhotoPetr JezekThe Kbely Phantom FG.2. Photo Petr JezekINFO Eduard13March 2024Page 14
Did you work on those seven planes and thehelicopter at your previous employ in Kbely?What was the most interesting part of it?Yes, under my previous employer. It isimpossible to say which project was the mostinteresting. These were all airplanes that I hadadmired in the museum and had no idea I wouldever get this close to them. I enjoyed workingon all of them.Which do you enjoy the most? Jets, props,biplanes or helicopters?I enjoy variation, so everything. After workingon a jet, I look forward to a biplane.Do you know what it will be specifically?It will be an aircraft from Hangar No.18. For now,I can’t say any more, but that will be revealedshortly on the Facebook page of the museum,where the progress of the project will be posted.Was the renovation of the F-5E any differentthan the renovations of other aircraft you'veworked on?All renovations follow approximately the samecourse, although each one is different at thesame time. What was exceptional about the F-5Ewas that most of the parts had already beenremoved from the aircraft during examinationby Aero Vodochody in the eighties. It was upto us to clean the parts that had been storedin crates for forty years, restore them, and findtheir correct place in the airplane.Was this with the help of manuals or some typeof documentation, or was deduction a tool?There was precious little documentation togo by. The greatest help to us were severalcontemporary photos from the examinationsand tests conducted by Aero, and a summary ofthese was written by Ing. Vlček that survivedin the archive. The Internet provided somedocumentation as well.Did you make any contact with other museumsor manufacturers?We did, but the work went faster than thecommunication with other institutionsprogressed. But we hope that the establishedcontacts will bear fruit and the F-5E will becompleted on our acquiring the missing partsthere still are.What is left to do there?Some cockpit equipment is missing, such asa scope, mirrors and a few small parts, and thenthe ammunition guide to the cannon and theboarding ladder. And probably the biggest itemis the General Electric J-85 engine. We'll seeif these missing parts can be found over time.Were those parts already missing when theplane arrived in Czechoslovakia, or were theylost here?The plane arrived in Czechoslovakia complete.Some of the missing parts did not return afterthe plane was examined at the companies towhich they were sent, and some were lostduring storage of the aircraft at Aero Vodochodybefore being transported to the aviationmuseum in Kbely.Perhaps the biggest problem is the engine, orcan one be sourced easier than the little things?As for the small things for the cockpit, they canbe found. It’s harder to source items that weretypically used exclusively in the F-5. But eventhat has a solution. It's a little harder still withthe engine. They are certainly available, butit is already a larger unit, so acquisition andtransport are a bit more difficult.What was the condition of the exhibit when youtook it over for renovation?It was in surprisingly good condition for the factthat the exhibit had been displayed outdoors forthirty years. Some corrosion on the outer panelswas present along with rusted over screws, butnothing serious. The internal structure wasin good condition. You could see that qualitymaterials were used on the airplane.Is it true that the Kbely F-5E is assembled fromtwo different airframes?It does appear to be that way. The distributionof the camouflage colours on the tail of theaircraft is a mismatch with the forward section,leading to the conclusion that the two sectionsprobably do not belong together. We suspectthat the back end of our F-5E is in Poland, ondisplay at the Aviation Museum in Krakow, andwe have the Polish counterpart.But this is not certain?Unfortunately, no. The production plate thatwould be conclusive is missing from ourairframe Someone must have swiped it overthe years. But there is still hope that there isa label on the Krakow F-5E. If the serial numbermatched our machine, our suspicions wouldstill be confirmed.Any desire to go to Krakow?Desire? Yes! Time? Not so much!Aero Ae-45 before restoration. Photo: Petr JezekAero Ae-45 after restoration. Photo: Petr JezekHISTORYINFO Eduard14March 2024Page 15
What is the state of the F-5E’s armament?Only the Ford M39 cannons survived withrespect to the F-5E. It is said that they came toCzechoslovakia including ammunition. The AIM-9Sidewinder missiles were also said to have beendelivered, but where they ended up is unclear.The renovated aircraft has its cannon installed?Yes, both of them.That’s fantastic! And missiles?Currently, the F-5E sports Soviet R3s mountedon the missile rails. It is interesting to notethat they mounted onto the rails without anyproblems. But they should prove to be onlytemporary. We anticipate that the aircraft willbe displayed with Sidewinder mock-ups in thefuture.From your responses, it sounds like therenovation was actually pretty routine.Were there any out of the ordinary snagsencountered?It wasn't routine. Every reconstruction presentsits own problems. The stencil data on theairplane were probably the biggest. At first,when the restoration was being planned, wewere convinced that there would be only a few.We couldn't have been more wrong. In the end,there were over three hundred such items.What was your reference source for thestenciling on the aircraft?The bulk was obtained from an examination ofthe surface of the aircraft. Some labels hadbeen preserved, at least to some extent. Somewere only discernible under lighting at differentangles. And those that were discernible onlypartially or not at all were found in publicationsor using the internet.I'm a little confused that you didn't contactthe manufacturer or other aviation museums.We have very good experience with museums.There is always someone to advise us onvarious problematic matters, especially if theyhave the aircraft in their collections.If we got into trouble, we would, of course,contact other institutions. But I think wemanaged it. But the option to contact bothNorthrop Grumman and other museums wasavailable to us.So I understand. Helping yourself is of coursethe right solution. Now it is fair to admit to thereaders that I already know what I am about toask you now.The original stencil data on the F-5E had theirown specifics, they were not sprayed overa template, as modellers would probably expect.How did you go about restoring them?After deciphering the text of each stencil, theywere photographed and then processed intoa drawing by a graphic artist. It took about fourmonths of work in total. We had no problem withlarge numbers and inscriptions. The problemarose with inscriptions and tables, where thefont size was around one and a half millimeters.The original decals on the F-5E were screenprinted at the Northrop factory. This would havebeen a solution for our project, but in the volumeof many individual prints that we needed, it wasfinancially nonviable. Therefore, we had to lookfor another solution.I already know you made them as decals.Why did you choose them?We decided on the decal option mainly becauseit presented the possibility of small fonts andthin frames. This would not be possible with anyother available technology.Why did you decide on Eduard decals?We decided on Eduard decals because, amongother things, their decals have a relatively thinlayer of varnish that does not spoil the final look.As is well known, the varnish can be peeledoff. On the surface of the F-5E, you can seethat you peeled the clear varnish off some ofthe labels and left it on on others. How did thevarnish peeling go for you?Yes, that clear layer removes quite easily.But unfortunately, in some places, we left it inplace until the next day, and then the peelingbecame a bit problematic. It was due to ourinexperience with this technology. Later, welearned our lesson and applied the decals insmaller quantities, allowing us time to peel offthe carrier film.Ford M39 20mm cannon installation in Kbely’s F-5E. Photo: Petr Jezek.AIM-9 Sidewinder mock-ups, built on the basis of the Soviet R-3 copy. Photo: Vladimir SulcHISTORYINFO Eduard15March 2024Page 16
The markings look authentic on the plane andthe result is excellent. However, the decalswould, of course, be very large froma modeling point of view. The ink is thin andhas a tendency to chip and tear even in smallerareas on this scale. How difficult was it toapply them?At the beginning we struggled with it a bit, butwith increasing experience it was no problemto apply even the large decals. Sometimes,it was necessary to work in pairs, and we hadto correct some of them. Since we expectedproblems, we had duplicates of every stencilmade.Were the decals overcoated in any way?Yes, the entire airframe was overcoated afterthe stencil data was applied with a clear coat..It suits her well. But I still have it in my headthat F-5Es were matte, the Kbely airplane issemi-gloss now after the renovation. How doyou see it?Yes you are right. Going by photos of F-5sin Vietnam, the machines were very matt.But at the request of the VHÚ staff, we chosea seventy-five percent matt finish.What is your opinion on the rate of renovationsof the museum’s exhibits? For example, I amnot really a big fan of a complete renovationand repaint of the entire plane using currentcolors. I prefer the planes to stay in theirThe stencil data as it appeared on the unrestoredaircraft. Photo: Petr JezekNew stencil data post-restoration. Photo: Vladimir SulcNew stencil data post-restoration. Photo: Vladimir SulcHISTORYINFO Eduard16March 2024Page 17
original livery. They seem more authentic tome, and especially more valuable as exhibits.Each exhibit must be approached individually.Unfortunately, most of the exhibits get to us insuch a condition that there is no other optionnot involving a complete repaint. But there arealso exceptions such as the Su-7, Su-22, MiG-23and 29, and Mi-1. I also see an overall rebuiltaircraft as somewhat sterile, without history,but sometimes there really is no other way.I understand. We are now collaborating onthe reconstruction of a Stuka wreckage toairworthy condition, and with this project,it is clear that there is no other way. It willbe essentially a newly built piece. But if theplane is in good condition, I wouldn't touch thesurface. For us, as a kit manufacturer, suchauthentic exhibits are priceless!It seems to me that every museum plane yieldsmany new items when it's restored. I once sawseveral boxes of such things that came out ofa Marauder restoration. In addition to a pile ofFlak shrapnel, there was a pack of cigarettes,a newspaper from 1945, and the skeleton ofa rodent. Do you find such remains in airplanestoo?Since we are working on exhibits froma slightly different period, our findings are notparticularly interesting. Most of the time it isa fastener that dropped down to irretrievablelocations or some coins. Our F-5E, although ithad photographic evidence of surface damagefrom the Vietnam War, cleaning the interior ofthe fuselage found nothing to cause the damage.What was the extent of the F-5E renovation?The scope of the renovation was generally nodifferent from other renovations. Simply put,we documented the condition of the aircraft,cleaned all available areas, removed paint fromthe surface of the aircraft, repaired the airframe,restored and reassembled the surviving parts,and finally painted the aircraft. It sounds simple,but behind it lies almost a year of hard work.It seems to me that you had it done incrediblyquick. Was this the work of just the two of you?Two people worked on the plane, but weoutsourced some work to external collaboratorsand companies. After all, we can't do everything,and we don't have time for some operations, sowe outsourced them to subcontractors. In total,we worked on the Tiger for almost ten months.From a restorer's point of view, what is thedifference between the Russian and Americanschools of design?Each has its strengths and weaknesses.My opinion is that Eastern Bloc tech was built forrougher handling and that's why it's so robust.The western technique I have experience withseems more subtle, but at the same time morethoughtful and easier to maintain. But it's mypersonal opinion that not everyone may agreewith.I would tend to agree. Aircraft differ from oneto the next, but all are beautiful.Ano. Pro mě jsou všechna letadla, na kterýchjsem pracoval, krásná. I když mi třeba před tímkrásná nepřišla. Ale když si je můžete osahat,vidíte jejich tvary i z jiných úhlu, začnou se líbit.It’s kind of like with women, isn’t it?As a happily engaged father, I can't comment onthatThank you for the interview.Mi-1 in the collection of the VHU prior to restoration. Photo: Petr Jezek Same item post-restoration. Photo: Petr JezekKbely’s Northrop F-5E Tiger II after renovation. Photo: Petr JezekHISTORYINFO Eduard17March 2024Page 18
Photo: Petr Ježek and Vladimír ŠulcHISTORYRESTORATION PROCESSF-5E ORIGINAL STATEINFO Eduard18March 2024Page 19
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Tigers in Gioia del Colle
Thirty-five years after the Tigers last met in Italy at the base in Camari, Gruppo XII,, they again hosted the annual NATO Tiger Meet, this time armed with Eurofighters. This is part of the historic 36° Stormo, the 36th Wing, whose history dates back to just before the Second World War, when it was established at Milan on February 1st, 1938. A total of 21 squadrons from 14 countries participated in this year's NTM with a total of 67 combat aircraft, 9 helicopters and 4 support machines, namely KC-130J and KC-767 aircraft, AWACS from the 1st NATO Squadron out of Geilenkirchen, and a GFD Learjet for the simulation of threats in the framework of radio electronic warfare. Here, we take a look a the most interesting participants in the following photo report.
Jaroslav ŠpačekSenior NTA AdvisorPhotos by Uli Metternich,Katsuhiko Tokunaga, Remo Guidi.This EF-2000 Typhoon from the German 74th Squadronwas awarded the best adorned Tiger aircraft.The other Italian unit that is a member of the NTA (NATO Tiger Association)is Gruppo 21, which is based at Grazanissa. In its arsenal, the old Agusta--Bell 212 helicopters were replaced last year with the modern three-engineAW-101 Merlin modified for Combat SAR missions, which is called theHH-101A Caesar. The history of this unit is more than interesting. It wasestablished on May 25th, 1918, and for a long time it was a ‘winged’ squad-ron (a unit using fixed wing aircraft). From 1963, it was based at CameriAirport and was armed with the F-104 Starfighter of various versions until1996. It was then re-armed with leased British Tornado F.3 aircraft. On July29th, 1999, the squadron moved to Gioia del Colle Air Base, where it wasdisbanded on March 1st, 2001 and it was this squadron that was the ‘real’Italian Tiger squadron... However, it was subsequently reactivated on March23rd, 2006 at Grazanisse to become a purely helicopter unit armed with theabove-mentioned rescue AB-212COs. This photograph of the machine beforesunset shows one of the first helicopters delivered, which were blackin colour, while newer acquisitions have been delivered in grey.Thirty-five years after the Tigers last metin Italy at the base in Camari, Gruppo XII,,they again hosted the annual NATO TigerMeet, this time armed with Eurofighters.This is part of the historic 36° Stormo,the 36th Wing, whose history datesback to just before the Second WorldWar, when it was established at Milanon February 1st, 1938. A total of 21squadrons from 14 countries participatedin this year's NTM with a total of 67combat aircraft, 9 helicopters and4 support machines, namely KC-130Jand KC-767 aircraft, AWACS from the1st NATO Squadron out of Geilenkirchen,and a GFD Learjet for the simulationof threats in the framework of radioelectronic warfare. Here, we takea look a the most interestingparticipants in the followingphoto report.Tigers in Gioia del ColleTigers in Gioia del ColleHISTORYINFO Eduard26March 2024Page 27
The organizing unit Gruppo XII was already established in May, 1917 at the Belluno airfield and has been using the prancing horseemblem ever since. It can use tiger symbolism because its 351st Squadriglia has a white tiger in its emblem. This also leads to thewhole unit being proudly called ‘Tigri Bianche’. The EF-2000 Typhoon aircraft have been used by the squadron since 2007. For thisyear, the unit has prepared its flagship aircraft with an attractive tiger motif on the tail and on the upper surfaces of the wing and,of course, on the canard surfaces. Noteworthy are the green eye on the left and blue on the right, the Italian national insignia onlyon the left wing and the inscription LEONARDO.Representing the CzechRepublic, the 211th TacticalSquadron from Čáslav tookpart in this year's exercise,which arrived with foursingle-seat JAS-39Cs,including a newly painted(actually ‘defoliated’, as itwere) aircraft coded 9244"Cyber Tiger". The quartetwas complemented bya fifth, two-seat airframe.Due to the large size of theoperating space, displayswere conducted in pairs,with the, and the two placeversion with a trio of droptanks. Detail of the tail on‘Cyber Tiger’, showing theopen door of the APU.HISTORYINFO Eduard27March 2024Page 28
‘Cyber Tiger’ in flight. The design of this year's coloring was created with thehelp of AI, and the execution was by way of painted adhesive placards.The Bavarian Tigers, as they callthemselves, have devoted a lot ofenergy to the preparation of theiraircraft at Tiger meets in recentyears. And this approach of theirsbrought them the highest trophy thisyear in the form of the Silver Tigeraward. From the picture you cansense the joy when receiving thetrophy.At this year's Tiger Meet, the Hungarianspresented Gripen in a modified schemefor the first time ever. On both sides ofthe rudder, it carried a graphic of anaggressive-looking cougar, referencingthe ‘Puma’ Squadron logo, which hascarried on this tradition since theSecond World War. That is why thesquadron was renumbered from 59/1to 101/1 at the beginning of this year asa direct reference to the 101st FighterDivision, which with its MesserschmittBf-109s was responsible for the defenseof Hungary's airspace and recorded 396kills during the conflict at a cost of 69pilots. Also dating from the WW II era isthe motto that is applied to the left sideof the rudder in English ‘Led by courage,escorted by luck’ while the other sideof the rudder is written in Hungarian asseen in this photo.HISTORYINFO Eduard28March 2024Page 29
The ECE 01/30 ‘Côte d'Argent’ test unit from Mont-de-Marsan is part of the CEAM (Centre d'Expertise Aérienne Militaire) and in Gioidel Colle had the opportunity to test new equipment on their machines. The unit sent three F4.1 standard Rafales and three Mirage2000D RMVs (Mid-Life Renovation) to the NTM. It may seem that the Mirage is by now hopelessly outdated, but the opposite is true.It is intensely enough deployed that the NATO Tiger Meet allowed the French the opportunity to test the new equipment using theM2000D RMV. The same held true for Rafale F4.1, whose testing was mainly focused on the use of the new Visor Scorpio Helmets fortargeting anti-aircraft missiles, but also for air-to-ground communication. Both aircraft have the same markings on the tail, silver onthe left, gold on the right. Members of the unit also won a prize for the best so-called ‘skit’, a short story or skit about the life of thesquadron, either at home or at the Tiger Meet.HISTORYINFO Eduard29March 2024Page 30
On Friday, after the morning mission, a total of 41 planes and helicopters lined up on the runway to perform the so-called Elephant walk.Landing of a 2. Staffel Austrian Typhoon from Zeltweg. This was the first time the unit had ever been to a Tiger Meet with their aircraft.This unit in the NTA replaced the canceled JTS, the training squadron of the Austrian Air Force with their famous Saab 105OEs.However, since it was not just a rearmament to newer technology, but a Tiger tradition taking over a completely new entity (eventhough defacto all Typhoon pilots went through at least a short stay at the JTS school), the 2nd Staffel had to go through a two-yearperiod of trial membership (probationary membership), however, as of this year, it can be proud of its now full member status.HISTORYINFO Eduard30March 2024Page 31
the 51st TLG already has in its arsenal. The task of suppressing enemyair defenses SEAD (the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses mission)will then gradually be taken over by a currently developed versionof the Typhoon ECR aircraft.The German Luftwaffe is slowlystarting to retire the Tornados,as their reconnaissance role isslowly being taken over by Heronunmanned aerial vehicles, whichThe French army regiment EHRA.3 is the only Tigerunit belonging to a structure of ground troops. For thisyear's NTM, the GCJ fuselage-marked helicopter wasrepainted red and given the competition number ‘3’.This was intended to evoke an affinity with Italian RedFerrari Super Sports. The unit even took photos of thishelicopter flanked by two racing red Ferraris beforeflying to Italy.The Turks of the 192nd Filo, after a longer hiatus due to the complex situation within the Turkish Air Force after the failed attemptto depose President Erdogan on June 15th, 2016, participated this year with three F-16Cs, one of which was interestingly blue-red incolor, the other carried the older yellow-black colors. Thanks to the constant presence of flying personnel in red overalls, the Turkswon the award for best Tiger dress.HISTORYINFO Eduard31March 2024Air War in Ukraine - Demise of Giants
Beriev A-50, Ilyushin Il-22M, and Il-76M. These are three large aircraft that the Russian Air and Space Forces lost during the period covered by the current continuation of articles on the air war over Ukraine. The Il-22M, in the middle of these, managed to land at a base, but its damages are so extensive that it won't return to the air.
HISTORYMiro BaričAir War in UkraineDemise of GiantsBeriev A-50U in an propaganda image from the Russian Ministry of Defense.Il-22M tail with the designation RF-95678 riddled with shrapnel.Beriev A-50, Ilyushin Il-22M, and Il-76M. These are three large aircraftthat the Russian Air and Space Forces lost during the period coveredby the current continuation of articles on the air war over Ukraine.The Il-22M, in the middle of these, managed to land at a base, but itsdamages are so extensive that it won't return to the air.After a series of successful Ukrainian attacksdisabled a significant portion of the Russian airdefense radars in Crimea, the Russians deployedthe Beriev A-50 early warning and controlaircraft over the Sea of Azov from the beginningof January. The aircraft carries a large radardish on its back with a range of about 600 kmagainst airborne targets. The plane moved alongthe same route every day, flying oval patternswith dimensions of 20 x 50 km over the sea,culminating in the north near the coast closeto the port of Berdyansk. This mistake allowedUkrainians to set up a trap on the evening ofSunday, January 14, most likely using the Patriotsystem. The A-50 was shot down approximately130 km from Ukrainian positions. PAC-2 missilesfrom the Patriot system have a range of about160 km against aircraft. A fast and well-maneuvering fighter could likely avoid them atsuch a distance. However, a slow and high-flyingtarget like the A-50 can be shot down even at theedge of the range.Firstly, it should be noted that Russia officiallydid not acknowledge any loss - as always.However, Ukrainians intercepted a report fromthe pilot of a Russian Su-30 fighter, who at thattime and location observed the fall of a burningaircraft into the sea. Russian sources statethat there were 12-15 crew members on board,and none of them survived. Details about thesepilots gradually began to emerge on Russiansocial media. The first information released wasthe name of the aircraft commander, ColonelVyacheslav Levchenko. His wife stated thatPhotos: Ukrainianarmed forces,social media and otherpublic sourcesINFO Eduard32March 2024Page 33
HISTORYshe was informed that her husband, along withthe entire crew, was missing. Levchenko wasa prominent pilot, participating in a militaryparade in Moscow's Red Square in 2020.Later, the names of other crew memberswere added - Major M.A. Kvasov, who was thenavigator of the aircraft, Major A.S. Shadrov,Captain D.A. Kutuzov, Captain M.S. Bolyasnikov,and First Lieutenant A.I. Izmaylov. This is nota complete list, as half of the names are stillunknown. Relevant Russian channels initiateda donation to aid the families of the deceasedpilots, indirectly confirming the loss of theaircraft.In the following information, various sourcesdiffer. Initially, it was stated that the shot-down aircraft had the designation RF-50601and the fuselage number "red 50." Accordingto later information, it was the A-50U with thedesignation RF-93966 and the fuselage number"red 37." It belonged to the 610th Center forCombat Training and Retraining of Air Personnelbased in Ivanovo, northeast of Moscow.It is unknown how many usable A-50aircraft remain in the Russian Air Forceinventory - estimates range from two to eight.One was damaged earlier in February 2023at the Belarusian Machulishchy airport. Localpartisans hit the radar and electronic hump onthe back of one A-50 with drones. The aircraft'sfuselage itself was not damaged, and the planelater flew for repairs. What is certain is thatafter the latest loss, A-50s stopped operatingover the Sea of Azov and relocated to the Rostovregion beyond Russia's original borders. Thismeans they are safe from Ukrainian missiles butalso that the range into Ukrainian territory hasdecreased by about 200 km.Two at OnceOn the evening of January 14th, Ukrainiansachieved a double hit. In addition to the A-50,they also hit the Il-22M, which was movingin its vicinity. This is a flying command andcommunication post based on the old four-engine IL-18 turboprop aircraft. Its role was totransmit information gathered by the A-50 crewfurther, as it has more powerful communicationequipment for this purpose. The Il-22M wasriddled with shrapnel after the hit, with engineshit and casualties on board. Despite this, it didnot catch fire, remained airborne and landedat Anapa Airport in the Krasnodar Krai on theRussian side of the Sea of Azov. "I urgentlyrequest an ambulance and firefighters," wasthe pilot's emergency call, which was alsointercepted by Ukrainians.Specifically, it was the Il-22M-11SURT with thedesignation RF-95678, belonging to the 1338thtest center. Its commander, Major Viktor Klimov,succumbed to injuries caused by shrapnel.The second pilot was also injured but managedto make an emergency landing. According toUkrainian sources, the second casualty onboard was Colonel Burmistrov. Photographs ofthe tail of the aircraft, riddled with holes, werepublished. The aircraft is deemed irreparable.Did it Carry POWs?The third giant that the Russian air forcelost during the observed period was the Il-76M,which crashed on Wednesday, January 24th,near the village of Jablonove in the Belgorodregion. There is a video capturing its demise.It shows a smoke cloud after the explosion ofan anti-aircraft missile, the rapid descent of theaircraft, and a subsequent fiery explosion on theground. However, the incident is surrounded bythe greatest uncertainties of all three cases.Ukraine stated that the aircraft was carryinga load of missiles. According to some sources,it was in Iran the day before, returning throughSaudi Arabian and Egyptian airspace andaround Cyprus. Russia, however, declared thatbesides the crew, there were also 65 Ukrainianprisoners of war and three guards on board.The Russian secret service immediatelycordoned off the crash site, not allowing civilianrescuers in. Only a few shots leaked showingwreckage of the aircraft but no dozens of corpses.On that day, a prisoner exchange was supposedto take place. The first exchange took place onJanuary 3rd after a long hiatus that lasted untilAugust 2023. 230 Ukrainians returned home,including defenders of Snake Island, 45 peoplewho were considered dead, and six illegallydetained civilians. In the opposite direction,248 Russian prisoners set out. The exchangeplanned for January 24th did not take place afterthe Il-76 was shot down. Russian media releaseda list of prisoners who allegedly died on boardthe aircraft. However, it included 17 peoplewho had already been exchanged on January3rd - an obvious forgery.Moreover, the aircraft was heading away fromBelgorod. It was shot down 60 km northeast ofthe city. If it was supposed to bring prisoners,why was it flying in the opposite direction?The Russian side stopped mentioning theallegedly killed prisoners after a few days, andexchanges of prisoners continued uninterruptedin the following months. According to allavailable information, it is more likely that therewere no Ukrainians on board. Only the names ofthe six dead Il-76 crew members were published.They were Captain Stanislav Bezzubkin,Captain Alexey Vysokin, Officer Vadim Khmirev,Lieutenant Andrei Pilyev, Senior Warrant OfficerIgor Sablinsky, and Sergeant Sergey Zhitenev.All six had a joint military funeral. There aresome inconsistencies about the identity of theaircraft, but according to The Military Watchportal, it was the aircraft with the designationRF-82868 from the 117th regiment of the militarytransport aviation.Non-Combat LossesIn addition to the three giants, the RussianAir Force suffered several non-combat losses.At Chelyabinsk Shagol Airport in the Urals,a Ukrainian saboteur attempted to set a parkedSu-34 fighter-bomber on fire. This occurredon January 3rd in the middle of the night usinga Molotov cocktail inserted into the engine'sintake. The incident was recorded entirely.The extent of the damage is unknown becausethe video ended when the fire ignited. However,for preventive reasons, the incident shouldWreckage of Il-76M shot down near the village of Jablonovo. Notice the numerous holes from shrapnel.INFO Eduard33March 2024Page 34
necessitate an engine replacement, meaning theaircraft would be out of operation for some time.On Sunday, January 28th, footage of theemergency landing of another Su-34 wasreleased. It is unclear where and when theincident occurred. The main landing gear did notdeploy, and the aircraft landed only on the frontlanding gear. It can be seen that the navigatorhad already ejected before and landed ona parachute.During the observed period, there wasalso the emergency landing of a helicopter.An Mi-8MTV-5 with the designation RF-92064and fuselage number "red 21" collided with powerlines on Wednesday, January 17th, during a flightin the Russian Bryansk region. With a broken tailrotor boom, it ended up in a ditch next to the road,but the fuselage remained intact, and the crewescaped unharmed.At least some of these accidents areattributed to the war, leading to neglect ofmaintenance and increased stress and fatigueamong pilots. The situation is even worsein Russian civil aviation. Sanctions preventforeign companies from providing serviceand spare parts for aircraft used by Russianairlines, leading to an increase in malfunctions.The Wall Street Journal reported that whilethere were 36 incidents involving passengeraircraft in Russia in 2022, in 2023, there wereat least 74. According to Ukrainian intelligence,based on secret data obtained from the Russianstate authority Rosaviatsiya, the actual numberof accidents in 2023 was much higher, exceeding200. At the turn of the years, incidents occurredin Russia where passenger aircraft had to return,make emergency landings, or did not take off atall, practically every day.On the Ukrainian side, there was oneloss during the observed period. On Friday,January 5th, during a combat flight, MiG-29pilot Vladyslav Zalistovsky with the callsign"Blue Helmet" perished. He served in the 114thTactical Aviation Brigade. He was 23 years oldand had graduated from the aviation facultyof the National University of Air Force of IvanKozhedub in Kharkiv in 2021.The circumstances of his deathare not known, but he was likelyshot down.Russian Air RaidsThe Russian bombing offensiveagainst Ukrainian cities, whichbegan at the end of December,continued into the second day ofJanuary. On Tuesday, January 2nd,early in the morning, the Russiansreleased 35 Iranian Shaheddrones to map the positions of theUkrainian air defense. All 35 droneswere shot down by the Ukrainian airdefense.Subsequently, 16 Tu-95MSbombers took off, releasing70 low-flying cruise missiles.MiG-31K aircraft launched10 Kinzhal missiles, and Su-35sjoined in with four Ch-31P missiles againstradars. From ground launchers, the Russiansfired 12 Iskander ballistic missiles and S-300missiles.In total, Russia sent at least 134 missilesand drones to Ukraine. Ukraine claimed to haveshot down 107 of them. Ukrainian air defense,for example, claimed the destruction of all10 Kinzhal missiles. There is a video showingthe fall of one of them into the Dnieper Rivernear residential buildings. However, none ofthe Iskanders and Ch-31P missiles were shotdown. On the contrary, 59 Ch-101 and Ch-555low-flying cruise missiles were destroyed,as well as three Kalibr missiles launched froma ship or submarine. This was their first usesince September of the previous year, indicatingthe deep crisis of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.The Russian attack on January 2nd primarilytargeted the Kyiv area in the morning, resultingin three dead and 27 injured. In the evening,the bombardment continued in Kharkiv, wherea school building was hit.No collateral damage...However, not all Russian missiles reachedSu-34 during an emergency landing without the main landinggear. Note that the navigator is already "out."Russian Mi-8MTV-5 with the designation RF-92064 after a crash in the Bryansk region.Ukrainian pilot Vladyslav Zalistovsky died on January 5 duringa combat flight in the MiG-29. His callsign was "Blue Helmet."Shahed drone shot down during Russian attackson Ukraine.HISTORYINFO Eduard34March 2024Page 35
Ukrainian territory. It is worth recalling the wordsof the Russian Armed Forces spokesperson fromthe conclusion of the previous part. In responseto allegations (supported by photos and videos)that Russian missiles were destroying manycivilian targets, at the end of December, he onceagain stated that Russian armed forces preciselytarget their objectives, and there is no collateraldamage. Karma returned to him on the secondday of January. In the Russian Voronezh region,approximately 150 km from the Ukrainian border,a powerful explosion shook a village early in themorning on Tuesday, January 2nd. The Russianarmy had to admit that "there was an abnormalrelease of aerial munitions over the village ofPetropavlovka." The spokesperson also addedthat there were no losses. The second claim wasnot true. Local authorities initially stated thatsix houses were damaged, and four people wereinjured. When a video from the affected villageappeared, they had to admit that nine houseswere damaged, with four of them reduced tobare walls without roofs. Some Russian medialater reported that four people died in the village.However, information spread on Russian socialnetworks that the accident claimed as many as11 lives and left 21 injured.On the next day, Wednesday, January 3rd,a glide bomb FAB-500 was found near Belgorodin Russia. With deployed wings, it landed ina field and did not explode.The same incident as in Petropavlovka wasrepeated in Russian-occupied Luhansk regionin less than a week, on Monday, January 8th.This time, an aircraft dropped an FAB-250bomb on the city of Rubizhne. Fortunately, noone was harmed. This is in response to theofficial Russian claim that "there is no collateraldamage."In general, the intensity of the Russianbombing offensive has been decreasing. Mostof the Kremlin's missiles were used up at thebeginning of the month, and gradually, dronesbegan to play a significant role again. However,Ukrainian air defense is also starting to wear outand is not achieving the same success as before.All too often, a significant portion of the enemy'sattack assets penetrates the defense and hitstargets. It seems that Ukrainian air defense alsoneeds to conserve ammunition due to restricteddeliveries from the West.Attacks on Russian TargetsHowever, Ukraine did not wait for Russianairstrikes and initiated its own air offensive.On January 4th, Ukrainian pilots launchedStorm Shadow low-flying missiles fromSu-24M aircraft targeting locations in Yevpatoriaand Sevastopol in the occupied Crimea. Radarsystems and the communication center of the31st air defense division were hit.The Ukrainian secret service releaseda video in early January showing the attack ofits drones on two Russian Pantsir-S1 air defensesystems near Belgorod. This was apparentlyin response to Russian claims that Ukrainianswere attacking civilian targets in the Russiancity of Belgorod. By the way, as mentioned in theprevious section, residents of Belgorod wereposting photos and videos showing rockets ortheir parts from Pantsir-S1 systems hitting theirhomes or yards.On January 5th and 6th, the Saki airbase inthe occupied Crimea was repeatedly targeted.According to pro-Russian social media, the firstattack killed 23 Russian soldiers. In the secondattack, the penetrating warhead of the StormShadow missile destroyed an undergroundcommand post. The number of casualties variesin different sources, but it is confirmed thata lieutenant colonel, Alexander Chernobrivyy,died in the bunker. He was a Su-30SM pilot anddeputy commander of the 43rd separate assaultUnexploded Russian gliding bomb FAB-500, found in a field near Belgorod on January 3.Pilot Su-30SM, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Chernobryvy, who died on January 6 during an attack on the commandbunker at the Saki base.HISTORYINFO Eduard35March 2024Page 36
regiment of the Russian naval aviation.In addition to military bases, Ukrainianstargeted Russian energy infrastructure.In January, at least four large oil and gasterminals used by Russia for exporting theseraw materials were hit—from the oil terminalin Tuapse on the Black Sea coast to the gasterminal in Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea coast.The latter attack is noteworthy for its distancefrom Ukraine. Drones were operating nearSt. Petersburg, which is 1100 km from theUkrainian border, for three consecutive days.If Emmental were a registered trademark,Russian air defense would probably have longfaced a lawsuit for the abuse of a registeredname—such is its porosity. Drone attacks onSt. Petersburg culminated on January 21st inUst-Luga. After the strike, a large fire brokeout, forcing the terminal to suspend operations.In addition to attacks on terminals, fuel depotswere also targeted. They were attacked onJanuary 19th in the Bryansk region. Localauthorities claimed that two drones were shotdown, and no damage occurred. However, videosimmediately showed several large fuel tanks inflames, with firefighters desperately trying toprevent the spread of the fire to other tankers.Ukrainians also targeted military production.On January 17th, there was a powerful explosionat a chemical plant in the city of Shakhty in theRostov region. Two months earlier, a privatecompany that collaborated with the RussianMinistry of Defense had rented premises inthe factory for drone production. According tosome sources, the building was hit by a missile,followed by an extensive fire. On Saturday,January 20th, Ukrainian drones targeted thecities of Tula, Orel, and Smolensk. The repairplant in Smolensk, which produces low-flyingCh-59 missiles, was attacked. One phenomenonthat is worth mentioning is that during winter2022/23, the Russians ridiculed Western Europein a TV commercial claiming that withoutRussian gas, people would freeze to deathand starve. The commercial showed scenes ofa family having to eat their hamster and the like.Well, in Slovakia, we have a saying: "Whoever digsa pit for someone else falls into it themselves."Because exactly what the Russians predictedfor Europe last winter happened to them thiswinter. A bit of this was also contributed byUkrainians because on Wednesday, January10th, there was a massive power outage inOmsk after an attack on a substation, and onThursday, January 18th, something similarhappened in Belgorod and Crimea. However,Russian infrastructure massively failed inJanuary even without Ukrainian involvement.The reasons were freezing temperatures, poormaintenance due to inadequate funding causedby the transition to wartime production, anda shortage of personnel due to mobilization.The combination of these three factors causedone district heating pipeline after another to burstin Russia. Multi-family houses were flooded withwater, which promptly froze. People couldn'tstay in their homes, affecting not only neglectedrural areas but also districts in Moscow.Propaganda in ActionAfter Ukrainians claimed the shooting downof seven Russian planes in the Kherson regionat the end of December (with at least four killsconfirmed), there was a significant reduction inthe aerial bombardment of Ukrainian outpostson the left bank of the Dnieper River in the firstweek of January. For the entire first week ofJanuary, only two bomb attacks were recorded,while Russians had sometimes dropped up toa hundred bombs daily before. Instead, Russianbombers shifted their focus to Avdiivka.But a tale that spread in Russian media isworth mentioning. A Russian pilot claimed that12 Ukrainian F-16 fighters were shot down inthe first week of 2024, and he personally shotdown three of them. He stated that although theF-16 is a good aircraft, it belongs to the 1980s,while modern Russian aircraft have a clearadvantage, with the Su-34 even surpassingthem by two classes. The biggest problem withthis story is that Ukraine doesn't have any F-16s.Pilot training is still ongoing, and the only reportregarding F-16s in the observed period was thatthe Netherlands would deliver an additional sixalongside the promised 18.The only Western aircraft currently usedby Ukraine is an older Black Hawk helicopterobtained through a private American companyand three even older Sea King helicoptersfrom Britain. Their number will soon increaseas Germany has promised to deliver six SeaKing helicopters. They are intended for patrolmissions over the Black Sea. Additionally,Ukraine is relying on its own efforts and hasintroduced several modernized Mi-2 helicoptersinto its arsenal.Russian authorities released a photo of extinguishing the Usht-Luga gas terminal near St. Petersburg.A Ukrainian drone flew more than 1100 km to hit it.Fire at a fuel storage facility in the Bryansk region. According to the initial report from Russian authorities,there was no damage, and two Ukrainian drones were shot down, likely directly above the fuel tanks.HISTORYINFO Eduard36March 2024Page 37
Mi-2AM-1 helicopter designed for the evacuation of the wounded. It is described with the namesof people and company names that made donations to obtain these helicopters.Mi-2MSB-1 medical evacuation helicopter made in Ukraine.Its medical equipment is from Switzerland. It can transport threelightly wounded individuals, or one severely wounded and twolightly wounded, or one patient in critical condition.HISTORYINFO Eduard37March 2024Page 38
BOXART STORYIn Eduard INFO magazine we have alreadywritten twice about Hannes Trautloft and hisJagdgeschwader 54 “Grünherz”. The first timewas in August 2010, and the article describedthe beginning of the combat career of thislegendary aviator. The second article waspublished in July 2023, focusing on JG 54 firstwinter campaign in Russia. In March 1942,JG 54 received the first Bf 109s of the F-4 version,but this rearmament did not require significantorganizational measures. Night fighter flightsbecame a new task for JG 54 from May 1942,during which it achieved sixty victories. For thispurpose the Bf 109s were fitted with a drop tankunder the fuselage.However, the transition to the G-2 versionwas more complicated. First to rearm to thenew Gustavs was I./JG 54 in June, followed byII./JG 54 in July and III./JG 54 was the last toswitch to the G-2 version in late July/August.The rearmament took place one Staffel at a timeat Jesau airfield in East Prussia. This placedTrautloft in a difficult situation. JG 54 duringthis period supported ground troops facingSoviet attempts to break through the frontfrom Leningrad, through Demyansk, Dugino anddown to Orel. This was a stretch of over 800kilometres and parts of JG 54 acted literally asa fire brigade, assisting ground troops in themost critical parts of the battlefield. There waseven a situation when at Leningrad the onlyGerman fighter unit was a single Staffel fromJG 54.Under the command of Trautloft´s Stab wasalso I./JG 51 and briefly in the second half ofAugust 1942 also I./JG 52. Trautloft's priorityduring this hectic period was probably notto obtain a new version of the 109s for hisStab. During July, Stab/JG 54 had only oneMesserschmitt Bf 109 F-4 still in service.Trautloft did not take delivery of six brand newBf 109s for his Stab flight until early August.These were G-2s, and three of them are listedin the loss reports with serial numbers fromproduction block 10,000 of the Erla plant. Blackand white as colour photographs of Trautloft'smachine in three-colour camouflage on theupper surfaces are known from this period. Thisaircraft is interesting in that it is fitted witha canopy that matches the G-1 version witha pressurized cockpit.After a two-month scoring break, HannesTrautloft scored his first victory on Gustav onAugust 5, 1942, when he shot down a Pe-2 bombersoutheast of Shimsk near Lake Ilmen at 18:35German time. What is remarkable about thisaerial combat is the altitude at which Trautlofthit the enemy. The report states that the Pe-2was hit at 6,500 metres, which is highly unusualfor air combat at this time on the Eastern Front.There were no other aerial engagements in thisarea on that day. With the help of researchersNick Hector and Danny Case, it was possible toidentify the crew involved. They belonged to the6th ODRAE, which was a separate long-rangereconnaissance unit subordinated to the 6th AirArmy.The crew consisted of st. lt. Viktor GavrilovichPodkolodnov, ml. serzh. Fedor FedorovichLopatochkin and st. lt. Gavril GeorgievichGoncharov. During the preparation of theboxart by Marek Ryś, we managed to findphotos of Podkolodnov's aircraft. It had theidentification number 2 and the patrioticinscription “Osoaviakhim Chuvashii”. The Pe-2was purchased from a fundraiser of the workersof the Ishley district of the Chuvash ASSR, whichraised a total of 2.3 million rubles for variousmilitary equipment during July and August1942. Osoviakhim was an association for aidingdefense, aviation and chemical constructionindustry and was involved in the training ofhundreds of thousands of military specialistsduring World War II. It is not entirely certainthat the machine with the number two was shotdown by Trautloft, but it cannot be ruled out.Its photograph was published in the Sovietpress in the autumn of 1942.Although the Pe-2 was shot down overterritory occupied by the Germans, Podkolodnovmanaged to avoid capture and returned to his unit.For his service he was twice awarded the Orderof Lenin and twice awarded the Order of the RedBanner. St. lt. Goncharov, who had previouslyserved with the 514th PBAP, did not survive.The last crewman, ml. serhz. Lopatochkinwas also a former member of the 514th PBAP.He is listed as missing, but one source sayshe was captured. The reconnaissance flight ofthe 6th ODRAE was rather an exception in thesummer of 1942. After heavy casualties, this unitparticipated minimally in combat activities fromJuly to mid-September. At the end of the year itwas disbanded and its personnel and equipmenttaken over by the 72nd ORAP.Illustration: Marek RysHigh above the frontText: Jan Bobek#70156INFO Eduard38March 2024Page 39
#84118BOXART STORYOn the boxart of this March release, PiotrForkasiewicz has created a dramatic scenethat takes us back to the summer of 1943and the battles between the crews of Alliedfour-engine bombers and German fighters.There are a number of fascinating detailsin Piotr's painting and I recommend a closelook at it. The bomber belongs to the 303rdBomb Group, and the Focke-Wulf belongsto I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11. This unit wasformed in April 1943 from parts of JG 1. WhenAmerican daylight raids on Europe resumedin early 1943, the Luftwaffe command neededto strengthen the defence of the German Bightarea. The Luftwaffe gradually reinforced itsunits in Western Europe and built up new onesas well. After the initial shock of the US raidsthat began in the summer of 1942, the Germansdeveloped air combat tactics and a strategy ofdirecting their own fighter units against bomberformations to avoid Allied fighter escorts as faras possible.From JG 1, which, until then, was in chargeof the German Bight strategic area defence,were separated two Gruppen to shape thebasis of the sister unit JG 11. From I./JG 1 withMesserschmitts Bf 109 G was formed II./JG 11and from III./JG 1 armed with Focke-WulfsFw 190 A was formed I./JG 11.The Masters of the Air series shows theharsh realities of the service of bomber crews,but the situation of their opponents was notmuch easier. It was part of I./JG 11 that was theonly Luftwaffe unit to intervene against the raidon Norway on July 24, 1943, which was shownin the second episode of the series. The targetwas the submarine base at Trondheim and alsoHerøya with its nitrate plant and the aluminiumand magnesium plants, which were still underconstruction at the time. The raid took theGerman command by complete surprise. It wasso effective that the Germans had to quicklylook for another supplier of metals for aircraftproduction.A small group of Fw 190s under the commandof Staffelkapitän Hptm. Erwin Linkiewiczattacked the B-17s without success. Americangunners sent into the sea two Fw 190s. Bothpilots were killed, including the formationleader. As we know, one B-17 damaged by flakmade it back and another Flying Fortress fromanother unit took refuge in neutral Swedenwhere it was interned. Linkiewicz, a 30-year-oldfighter pilot, was born in Zabrze (Hindenburg)in Upper Silesia. His body was found washed upin Denmark on August 12, 1943, and was buriedat Frederikshavn.The raid was the first part of what was knownas the Blitz Week under the Operation Gomorrah.It was a series of bomber raids conducted ina coordinated manner over eight days and sevennights by RAF Bomber Command and the USAAFEighth Air Force. The British later referred toit as the German Hiroshima. German ports andmanufacturing plants were targeted (somerepeatedly). Approximately forty thousandresidents, soldiers, forced labourers from theoccupied countries and inmates perished.During this week-long Allied operation, I./JG 11shot down 16 B-17 bombers, lost five Fw 190sand two pilots. The I./JG 11 later distinguisheditself during the August raid on Schweinfurt,in which it scored seven B-17s, the highestnumber of victories by a single Jagdgruppe onthat day. Three of unit´s Fw 190s were seriouslydamaged. One of its blackest days wasFebruary 10, 1944 and the raid on Braunschweig.The I./JG 11 lost eight aircraft, four pilots werekilled and two were wounded. Although theAmericans lost 30 bombers in combat in verydifficult weather conditions, the fighter escorts,who, thanks to the auxiliary tanks, could alreadyprotect their big brothers deep into Germany,caused together with the bomber gunners theloss of fifty German fighters, 17% of the Germanmachines deployed.From the German point of view, the emblem ofthe 2./JG 11 perfectly described the situation ofboth warring sides. Pilot Franz Steiner createdthe drawing for himself. It shows a man doinga big job in an American top hat, but his trousersare pulled up around the hat. Steiner wantedto express what he thought about fightingbombers: “First we shit on them, and then weshit our own pants”. When in the summer of1943 the commander of the 2nd Staffel, Hptm.Schnoor announced a best design competitionfor his unit's emblem, among the entries wasSteiner's drawing, which his comrades enteredinto the competition without his knowledge.Schnoor chose this drawing with great interestand Steiner was given a leave of absence asa reward.Text: Jan BobekIllustration: Piotr ForkasiewiczWith a brick in the pantsINFO Eduard39March 2024Page 40
BOXART STORY #8281The activities of the RAF Fighter Command in thespring of 1944 were mainly focused on supportingAllied air superiority over the western part ofEurope and on blowing wide open the Western Front.The tasks of the fighters therefore consisted inescorting tactical and strategic bombers and, aboveall, in attacks on ground targets that supported themain adversary, the German Luftwaffe, as well asthe transport infrastructure.The Second Tactical Air Force was set aside withinthe RAF to coordinate the air force with groundforces, especially in the post-invasion period. Itsheadquarters was established on June 1, 1943, andmore than seventy squadrons from the fighter andbomber headquarters of the RAF (including all threeCzechoslovak fighter squadrons) were graduallyincluded in it.Changes to the structure required reorganizationat Fighter Wing level. Polish fighter squadrons werealso included in the new organizational structure, forwhich the 131st and 133rd Fighter Wings were created.While the 131st Fighter Wing consisted of Polish Nos.302, 308 and 317 Squadrons, the 133rd Wing had the306th, 315th and 129th (British) Squadrons underit. The 131st Fighter Wing flew British Spitfire Mk.IXsand the 133rd used Mustangs Mk.IIIs. The main task ofboth units was to support the invading troops directlyon the front line. This is also why troops were movedto the continent as soon as the situation allowed. TheSpitfire Mk.IXs were equipped with bombs weighing250 pounds under each wing, or 500 kg bombs underthe fuselage. Before and after the invasion, fighterplanes operated at ground level, where they wereeasier prey for German light and medium flak, butalso German fighter planes, especially in the pre-invasion period. Another significant opponent ofthese operations was the difficulty of comparativenavigation, flying purely according to maps, withoutthe possibility of support from operation centers andoften complicated by the unclear situation on thefront.In the period before the invasion, in additionto these ground attacks, Polish airmen from bothfighter wings also participated from time to time inthe search and destruction of V-1 missile launch sites,and the escort of American, also as RAF bombers. Thetasks were challenging. Many took off two or threetimes a day, the ground crews worked tirelessly frommorning to late evening or through the night to getthe planes ready for the next day.The Poles participated in the invasion itself onJune 6, 1944, in the form of repeated armed patrolscovering the disembarking troops. Similar tasks wererepeated in the following days. Already on the fifth dayof the invasion, the 302nd squadron became the firstPolish unit to land in liberated territory in northernFrance. The landing took place after a morning patrolover the combat area for refueling. The newly builtlanding strip (RRS-Rearming and Refueling Strip)was used for this. The Poles then continued theirpatrol before returning to their English base.In order for air units to be able to move to Francepermanently, demanding preparations had to beundertaken. Practically all airports on the westernpart of continent were damaged by previous Alliedbombings or by German units during evacuation.Often, it was the result of both. Build facilities for airand ground personnel, aircraft maintenance, armingand refueling presented significant challenges. Andalthough the engineer troops, following behind theinvading troops, did what they could, the desireof the ground troops to have their air support andprotection as close as possible could only be fulfilledafter several weeks. Provisional airstrips and oftenprimitive facilities were created in the front area.The 131st Fighter Wing, of which the 302nd Squadronwas a part, moved to France on August 3rd, 1944.Its temporary home was an airstrip in northwesternFrance designated B-10, near the village of Plumetotin northern Normandy. From there, the airmencontinued to attack German ground and naval forces.Conditions at Plumetot were difficult. Airmen sleptin tents, there was no protection for parked aircraft,significant when you consider that the base was stillwithin range of German artillery. Hot days filled theair with dust, while rainy days created ubiquitousmud. Combat activity was demanding, each squadronengaged in several combat operations a day.One of the members of the Polish 302nd ‘City ofPoznaň’ Squadron, who participated in its operationsfor a long time, was twenty-five-year-old W/O HenrykDygala, whose Spitfire LF Mk.IXc became the subjectfor Kateřina Borecká's box art for a kit of this type in2012. which we are currently producing as a secondre-release.In the following months, the 302nd Squadron,and with it the entire 131st Fighter Wing, undertookoperations in the campaigns to liberate WesternEurope and to occupy Germany, such as the Ardennesoffensive, the German Operation Bodenplatte, and theoperations in the north of Germany. The unit endedthe war at Base B-113 near Bremen. After the war,it was part of the British Occupation Forces, afterwhich it returned to Great Britain at the end of 1946.The 131st Fighter Wing was disbanded on January3rd, 1947. A large part of the Polish airmen decidednot to return to their homeland, for which they hadfought throughout the war, because it was alreadyclear that a communist future awaited them. Many ofPolish airmen therefore remained in the UK. One ofthem was W/O Henryk Dygala, who lived there untilthe age of 83.Illustration: Kateřina BoreckáOver the Normandy RooftopsText: Jan ZdiarskýINFO Eduard40March 2024Page 41
#8078BOXART STORYIt was January 21, 1942, and none of the Alliedsoldiers at Fort Lamy in Chad were expectinga bombing attack by a lone Heinkel He 111 comingfrom the south. The anti-aircraft defencesoffered no resistance at all, and after the raid itwas rumoured that the gunners were resting orplaying cards.The daring aviator who devised this attack wasTheo Blaich, a German pilot who had strong tieswith Africa. His life story could be the subject ofa film. He was born on April 5, 1900, in Tübingen,Germany. His mother was Katharina vonSchneegas, whose father was a jeweller workingfor the Russian Czar. The son Theodor (Theo) issaid to have become one of the youngest pilotsin the German Air Force in World War I. After thewar he went to Canada and illegally entered theUSA by swimming across one of the border lakes.Later he worked in South America for the UnionFruit Company, participated in the preparationof airfields for Pan American, and eventuallysettled as a plantation owner in Cameroon.In November 1935, he renewed his pilot'slicence in the UK in an Avro Club Cadet atthe Airwork School of Flying at Heston andacquired three aircraft in Africa, includinga Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun. He was alsoreportedly being considered as a candidatefor Governor of Cameroon. On a flight fromCameroon to Berlin, he crashed in the Sahara,probably greatly frightening his future wifeMargarete, as Blaich's route to Berlin was to thealtar. In November 1938 he flew his Bf 108 aroundpart of Africa, covering the 13620 kilometresin 39 hours of total flight time. This sportingevent received considerable press attention,but Blaich was already gathering information forthe German Air Force at the time.After the outbreak of the war he lost hisplantations and went to Germany, where he joinedthe Luftwaffe. In 1941, with the rank of Hauptmann,he became a member of Stab X. Fliegerkorps,which supported Rommel's campaign inAfrica. He was later assigned to the Stab ofFliegerführer Afrika. Blaich's knowledge of flyingover Africa was valuable and he was involved incovert operations. One of these was OperationPasha. This was the evacuation of General Azizel Masri, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian ArmedForces. El Masri was secretly collaborating withthe Germans and on June 7, 1941, near Cairo,a He 111 aircraft from II./KG 26 unsuccessfullytried to pick him up. On board, besides Blaich,was Abwehr officer and Count László EdeAlmásy de Zsadány et Törökszentmiklós, whosefate became the subject of the novel and film“The English Patient”.Blaich led Erwin Rommel to the idea of makingit difficult for the Allies to supply the Africancontinent by attacking the base at Fort Lamy(today's N'Djamena). He prepared the operationtogether with the crew of He 111 from II./KG 4 andItalian colleagues, but the action on 21 January1942 was greatly complicated by a sandstorm.They deviated from their route when flying to thetarget, so they flew to Fort Lamy from the south.The bombing attack was successful and thesmoke from the burning fuel and ten destroyedaircraft could still be seen 100 kilometres away.Flying back to the Italian desert base of CampoUno (Camp 1) at Bir Misciuro, the crew ran out offuel but made a successful emergency landing inthe desert. The experienced Blaich and his Italiancolleague, Roberto Count Vimercati-Sanseverino,decided to stay with the aircraft and hope forrescue despite a small water supply. Eventually,their German and Italian colleagues managedto rescue them, allegedly aided by a Germanamateur radio operator in Hamburg who pickedup one of the last transmissions of Blaich's crew.Blaich's group was given the designationSonderkommando Blaich and until mid-1942carried out patrols against Long Range DesertGroup, however without success. The unit's mottobecame the slogan “Efta Einak”, the equivalent ofthe German expression “Holzauge” (wooden eye),which became synonymous with the airmen´sobservation duty.Theo Blaich served with the long-rangereconnaissance 1.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 121 from December1942, later worked in aircrew training, servedbriefly with I./ZG 76 and in October 1943 wastransferred to the Stab of Fliegerführer Kroatien.From October 1943 to September 1944 he ledNachtschlachtgruppe 7, which operated in theBalkans with a motley mix of German and Italianaircraft. For his actions, Theo Blaich receivedthe Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. He died in 1975 inKaumberg, Lower Austria. You can read moreabout the raid on Fort Lamy on the Falke Einsblog.Text: Jan BobekIllustration: Martin NovotnýEfta EinakINFO Eduard41March 2024Page 42
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73-00878, 63rd Tactical Wing, RVNAF, Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, 1974VFC-13 “Fighting Saints”, US Navy, NAS Fallon, Nevada, USA, 199873-00878, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Renovation for the AviationMuseum Kbely, Prague, Czech Republic, 2023Apart of the “Skoshi Tiger” program, which duringthe Vietnam War represented the only USAFcombat deployment with F-5A respectively withmodified F-5C aircraft, the USAF never intendedto use this type. However, the F-5A and laterthe F-5E were used extensively by the SouthVietnamese Air Force, which adopted the aircraftin the standard four-color SEA (South East Asia)camouflage scheme. The aircraft were used asstrike aircraft, as the lack of radar limited the useof the F-5A for aerial combat. Only the deliveryof upgraded F-5Es, which had already arrivedat the end of the war, changed the situation.This aircraft was deployed by the SouthVietnamese Air Force from June 1974, and hadflown 153 hours and 30 minutes by April 1975,when it was taken over by North Vietnameseforces at the end of the war. After being putout of operation for some time, it was was usedagain from 1978 and in April 1981 it went toCzechoslovakia as a study example.The unit was established on September 1, 1973,as VC-13 (Fleet Composite Squadron) during thereorganization of the Naval Air Reserve Force.Initially armed with the F-8 Crusaders, thesquadron rearmed to the A-4 Skyhawks in 1974.It was then assigned to combat pilot trainingduties and moved to NAS Miramar, California,in February 1976. Redesignation to VFC-13 (FighterComposite Squadron) occurred in April 1988, thesame year it also transitioned to A-4F aircraft,which it replaced with F/A-18As in August 1993.Just three years later, however, it replaced themwith F-5Es and moved to Fallon AFB to take overthe adversary role from VFA-45 and VFA-127Squadrons. In December 2022, the squadronrearmed to the F-16C. The aircraft shown hereflew in 1998 in a “Blue Scheme” consisting oftwo shades of blue to simulate the appearanceof modern Russian aircraft. This is also matchedby the red stars on the vertical fin. The pilotis listed as Cdr Jim “Guido” DiMatteo, formercommander of the adversary squadron in Top Gunand son of wartime pilot Dominic Dee DiMatteo,who flew Hellcats in VF-11 and subsequentlyBearcats and Corsairs in the Korean War(he turned 100 in 2021).After the aircraft of serial number 73-00878 wasdelivered from Vietnam to Czechoslovakia in1981. At the time, it had flown only 236 hours and20 minutes. It was stationed at Aero Vodochodyfactory and kept in secrecy. There its designand systems were studied. It was graduallydisassembled, and the individual componentswere handed over to the relevant companies,including the armament and targeting systems.Later on, the largely incomplete airframe withonly one engine was handed over to the AviationMuseum in Kbely, where it was put on display inan external exhibition, thus further deteriorating.Thanks to the efforts of the staff of the KbelyAviation Museum and the Česká aviatická (CzechAviaton) company, Malešice Aircraft Repairsstate-owned company, almost all importantcomponents were found and recovered, sothe aircraft could be carefully restored to thecondition in which it was received in 1981.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard43March 2024Page 44
Maj. Lenny Bucko, NSFTIP, US Marines, MCAS Miramar, California, USA, 1983VFA-127 „Cylons“, Capt. Jerry B. Singleton, US Navy, NAS Fallon,Nevada, USA, 199373-0897, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, 65th Fighter Weapons Squadron,US Air Force, Nellis AFB, USA, 1981Naval Fighter Weapons School does not operateany standard squadron for the purpose ofsimulating adversary aircraft tactics. The aircraftused there are part of the Naval Strike and AirWarfare Center based at NAS Fallon. The aircraftshown here, in desert camouflage, was flownby Maj. Lenny “Toado” Bucko in 1981, one of thecombat instructors in the “Top Gun” program.The vertical fin sported an emblem depictinga MiG-21 in a gunsight pattern.The original name of the VFA-127 was “RoyalBlues”. The unit used it until 1980, but with thetransition to the adversary role it was changedto Cylons in 1981. The name comes from theBattlestar Galactica series (broadcast from1980), where the Cylons represented intelligentrobots hostile to human race, capable of takingon human form. In June 1993, Capt. Jerry B. “Hook”Singleton, took the command of Strike FighterWing Pacific and it was the right of the holder ofthis high post to choose the aircraft he would fly.One of them was this F-5E, emblazoned underthe cockpit on both sides of the fuselage with theinscription COMSTRKFIGHTWINGPAC. Singletondied on August 13, 2014, at the age of 67 aftera 30-year long career as a naval aviator. He wasa true renaissance man, according to his memoirs.The aircraft he chose bore a desert camouflagescheme and Iraqi insignia, which was more thana hot topic shortly after the first Gulf War.The U.S. Air Force developed a number ofcamouflage schemes during the use of the F-5Eaircraft, which were given their own names.The aircraft shown here was the only one to carrythe color scheme named “Frog”. This scheme wasdefined in an order dated February 27, 1980, andwas intended to resemble the coloring of theSoviet frontline MiG-23s and MiG-27s. Accordingto official sources, this scheme was neverapplied to any aircraft, but the 73-0897 was moreor less painted according to the aforementionedorder. We are not sure about when it received thislivery, but it was surely sporting these colors aslate as February 14, 1981.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard44March 2024Page 45
425th Squadron, 58th TFTW, Luke AFB, US Air Force, Arizona, USA, late 70s211 Squadron, Wing 21, Royal Thai Air Force, Udon Ratchathani AB,Thailand, late 90s1º/14º GAV “Esquadrão Pampa”, FAB, Canoas AB, Brazil, 2005After the end of the Vietnam War, undeliveredF-5Es remained in USA sporting the SEAcamouflage consisting of two shades of green plussand on upper surfaces and grey on the lower ones.The aircraft were taken over by squadronsthat served in the Agressor role. Because theAmericans sometimes called the Vietnamese by theunflattering term Gomers (slang for stupid fellows),this marking was also given the Gomer Schemedesignation. It was actually the first marking of theAggressor F-5Es, though unlike subsequent ones,it did not represent any particular enemy.The Thai Air Force has been using F-5 aircraftthe longest of all Asian operators (Indonesia,Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwanare the others). The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF)obtained their first F-5s in 1966 and it waspart of a contract that allowed the presence ofUS forces in Thailand during the Vietnam War.These aircraft served with 13 Squadron, whichsubsequently became 103 Sqn. In 1978, the firstof 35 F-5Es ordered were delivered. By the mid-1980s, half of the aircraft had undergone avionicsupgrade. After F-16 deliveries began, the F-5Eswere gradually moved to the 211 Sqn, 701 Sqn and904 Sqn, which serves as aggressors in the ThaiAir Force. The aircraft carry the standard liveryof two shades of blue-grey, with the avionicschanges represented by different antennae. Theyare also equipped with the RWE sensors.This aircraft was given this livery in 2005 asa celebration of the 58th anniversary of the PampaSquadron of the 14th GAV (1st Squadron, 14th AirGroup). In the beginning, the unit used P-40s ofvarious versions, which is commemorated bythe drawing of exhausts with flames flickeringon the nose of the F-5E, as well as the grille,typical of the P-40 versions M and N. The parrotwith the .50 machine gun, whose drawing isa variation of the cartoon character José Carioca,created by Brazilian cartoonist José Carlos deBrito, is the note of the “old times”. The motto“Já te atendo, tchê” can be translated as “I’llbe right with you!” The unit received its firsttwelve F-5Es on November 26, 1976, after aone-year hiatus caused by the retirement ofthe Thunderbird fighters. These aircraft weregradually replaced by a total of 22 F-5Es of thesecond delivery starting from October 13, 1988.In 2005, a portion of the F-5Es were significantlyupgraded to the F-5M version. These aircraft areexpected to remain in service beyond 2030.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard45March 2024Page 46
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Bf 109G-2, Maj. Johannes Trautloft, CO of JG 54, the Soviet Union, August 1942Bf 109G-2/R6, WNr. 13531, Hptm. Hermann Graf, CO of 9./JG 52,Pitomnik, the Soviet Union, September 1942Hannes Trautloft started his combat career inthe Spanish Civil War. He flew the Bf 109s andparticipated in the development of tactics for thisfighter. He fought in the Polish campaign as wellas in France and managed to achieve at least onevictory in every campaign. On August 25, 1940,he assumed command of JG 54. He led thisfighter unit through Operation Barbarossa, theattack on the Soviet Union, and in subsequentcombat til July 5, 1943. Trautloft was credited with58 victories, and he was awarded the Knight’sCross on July 27, 1941. His personal aircraftsported a non-standard camouflage scheme. It isnot clear which colors were used by JG 54 duringits deployment to the Soviet Union. One theorysupported the notion that the scheme consistedof RLM 70, 02 and 76. The “middle green” color wasmixed from RLM70 and RLM02 shades. Note theremnants of RLM 76 color around the swastika.This aircraft was equipped with pressurizedcanopy, typical for G-1 or G-3 versions. Some ofthe stencils, including the “Do Not Walk” lines,were covered by tape prior to overspray andso they stayed visible.Hermann Anton Graf was born on October 24,1912. He trained as a locksmith and was a keenfootballer in his youth. Later he took up gliding andwas drafted into the army in 1939. He served withJG 51 from July 1939 and was a fighter instructor inthe first half of 1940. In July 1940 he was assignedto 9./JG 52 and took part in the fighting over Greeceand Crete in April 1941. He achieved his first aerialvictory on August 4, 1941, near Kyiv and thingsbegan to change. In January 1942, Graf receivedRitterkreuz for his 45th victory and in March hebecame CO of 9./JG 52, the so-called “KarayaStaffel”. He achieved his 100th victory on May 14,1942, shot down his 150th enemy on September 4,and on September 26 became the first Germanfighter to surpass the 200 victory mark. For theseaccomplishments he received the Brilliants tothe Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.He later commanded units of the Erg. Gr. Ost,JG 50, JG 1, JG 11 and JG 52. He was handed over tothe Soviets by American forces after the surrenderand returned from captivity in December 1949.The aircraft WNr. 13531, manufactured at theWNF factory, had darkened paint scheme on thefuselage, probably with the use of RLM 70 color.The left side of the rudder showed the symbolsof the kills. Decal sheet provides two options.The rudder with 172 kills, which bears a dullcamouflage or rudder with light spots in the RLM76 colour and 202 kill marks.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard48March 2024Page 49
Bf 109G-2, Fw. Anton Hafner, 4./JG 51, El Aouina, Tunis, December 1942Bf 109G-2/R6, WNr. 13949, Maj. Hans Hahn, CO of II./JG 54,Rjelbicy, the Soviet Union, January 1943Anton Hafner was born on June 2, 1918, in Erbachnear Ulm. In 1940 he successfully completed hisfighter pilot training. After the training he joinedJG 51 and remained with this unit for the restof his fighter pilot career. On August 22, 1942,he shot down his 60th enemy, which brought himthe Knight’s Cross – he received it the next day.At the beginning of November 1942, the II. GruppeJG 51 moved from the Eastern Front to Africa.On January 2, 1943, Anton Hafner was shot down.He survived and upon his return from hospitalhe joined the Stabstaffel JG 51. On May 15, 1944,he overtook the command of 8./JG 51. On October17, 1944, Oblt. Anton Hafner, the bearer of theKnight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, shot down his204th enemy, the Soviet Yak-7 aircraft. Duringthe battle, while performing a low flight withhis Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6, he hit a tree anddied in the crash. The aircraft of the II. GruppeJG 51 moved to Africa from the Eastern Front andwere camouflaged with RLM 74/75/76 colors.The yellow identification elements marking theaircraft operating in the Eastern Front wererepainted and substituted by white complementson the wingtips and on the tail of the fuselage.The rudder was adorned with the signrepresenting the number of Anton Hafner’svictories. Ahead of the fuselage number therewas an irregularity – a white horizontal bandmarking the aircraft of the II. Gruppe.Hans Hahn, a fighter ace and a holder of theKnight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, held a list ofcommand positions throughout his career. FromDecember 1939 he commanded 4./JG 2 andfrom October 29, 1940, he led III./JG 2. Startingon November 1, 1942, he took over command ofII./JG 54, and led this Gruppe until February 21,1943, when he was shot down and taken prisonerby the Soviets. He wasn’t freed until 1950. At thetime of his capture, he had attained 108 kills,66 of them were achieved on the Western Front.According to Russian sources, “Assi” Hahn wasshot down by Soviet ace Lt. P. Grazhdaninov.Hahn himself noted that after shooting downa La-5, he was hit in the port wing and suffering anoverheated engine, he was forced to land behindSoviet lines, where he was captured. His aircraftwas oversprayed in white on the upper and sidesurfaces to better suit the winter conditions.Double chevron and the horizontal bar on therear fuselage was the CO marking of II. Gruppe,and this Group’s unit emblem appeared below thewindscreen. The JG 54’s Green Heart (Grünherz)marking is also present. The spinner and the lowersides of the engine cowl were lightly sprayed overin white. Hahn’s aircraft was part of an exhibitionof captured machines in Moscow.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard49March 2024Page 50
Bf 109G-2/R6/Trop, WNr. 10805, Lt. Wilhelm Crinius, 3./JG 53,Bizerta, Tunis, January 1943Bf 109G-2/R6, WNr. 14810, Ofw. Rudolf Müller, 6./JG 5,Petsamo, Finland, April 1943A native to Hohenhausen, Wilhelm Crinius joinedLuftwaffe in January 1940. After his fighter pilottraining in February 1942, he joined 3. StaffelJG 53 and fought in Malta, in the Eastern Frontand in the North Africa. On September 23, 1942, hewas awarded Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves forshooting down 100 enemy aircraft. Till January 8,1943, he added 14 more shot downs. On January13, though, the fortune had changed her mind.His aircraft was hit during the battle with Spitfiresnear El Kala. Crinius suffered thigh injury anddue to the engine fire he was forced to performa water landing. The next day fishermen savedhim. After recovery he was sent to the POWcamp. After the World War Two came to an end,he worked as a CEO of German subsidiary ofPhillips, later as a chairman of the board of ErnstDüllmann GmbH. In 1989 he ran as a candidateof Deutsche Volksunion party for EuropeanParliament. He died on April 26, 1997, in Stuhr,Lower Saxony. Crinius’ “Gustav” was camouflagedin RLM 78/79 shades and sported patchesand patterns painted in RLM 80. Underneaththe fuselage number there was repaint of theprevious marking visible, most likely by RLM 78.The rudder sported the painting of the Knight’sCross accompanied by the victory marks.Rudolf “Rudi” Müller was born on November21, 1920, in Frankfurt am Main. During 1940,he underwent pilot training and was assigned to1./JG 77 in August 1941. He scored his first kill onSeptember 12, 1941, his victim was a Soviet I-16.In February 1942 he shot down two RAF bombersoff Norwegian coast. On March 21, 1942, the 6./JG 5was formed from Müller’s Staffel and the numberof his victories over Soviet pilots was steadilyrising during this time. Encounters took placeduring Luftwaffe attacks on convoys to and fromMurmansk and during multiple combats withSoviet forces in the area of the Vayenga airfieldor over the base of the JG 5 at Petsamo-Luostari.Rudolf Müller was awarded the Knight’s Crosson June 19, 1942, after achieving 46 victories.In a dogfight with the Hurricanes of the 609 IAP,he was shot down on April 19, 1943, on Sovietterritory, tried to escape with the help of wintergear, but was eventually captured. On October21, 1943, he was shot while attempting to escapefrom a prison camp.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard50March 2024Page 51
672321 Bf 109F/G external fuel tanks (Brassin)672323 Bf 109F/G wheels bays angular PRINT (Brassin)672325 Bf 109F/G exhaust stacks PRINT (Brassin)672326 Bf 109F/G/K gun pods PRINT (Brassin)672329 Bf 109 balance weights PRINT (Brassin)672338 Bf 109G undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)672339 Bf 109G-2/G-4 gun barrels PRINT (Brassin)672340 Bf 109G-2/G-4 wheels for plain wings PRINT (Brassin)672341 Bf 109G-2/G-4 wheels for bulged wings PRINT (Brassin)672342 Bf 109G-2 cockpit PRINT (Brassin)672344 Bf 109G radio compartment PRINT (Brassin)672346 Bf 109G propeller PRINT (Brassin)Recommended:for Bf 109G-2 1/72OVERTREES#70156XBf 109G-2/G41/72Product pageOVERLEPT#70156-LEPT1Bf 109G-2PE-Set 1/72Product page#672338#672342KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard51March 2024Page 52
#84118Fw 190A-5 light fighter1/48The Weekend edition kit of German WWII fighteraircraft Fw 190A-5 in 1/48 scale. The kit offersFw 190A-5s armed with two cannonsin the wings.plastic parts: Eduardmarking options: 4decals: EduardPE parts: nopainting mask: noresin parts: noProduct pageKITS 03/2024INFO Eduard52March 2024Page 53
Fw 190A-5, WNr. 2700, 2./JG 11, Husum, Germany, August 1943Fw 190A-5, WNr. 0152594, Maj. Hermann Graf, CO of JGr. Ost,Toulouse-Blagnac, France, April 1943Fighter unit 2./JG 11 was formed on April 1, 1943,from 8./JG 1. Its first commander was Hptm.Emil Rudolf Schnoor but in May the commandwas taken over by Oblt. Heinz Grosser. The firstbase of the unit was Husum airfield in northernGermany. The mission was to defend the cities ofHamburg and Hannover from American bombingraids. Members of the 2./JG 11 were engagedin dogfights with B-17s, which at the time flewwithout fighter escort. This later changed andthe missions were flown under the protectionprovided by P-47s and P-51s. We have beenunable to trace who flew the Fw 190A-5 WNr.2700. She was 60 % damaged on August 12 duringan emergency landing at Friedrichstadt due toa technical failure. The black 8 aircraft instandard RLM 74/75/76 camouflage had the2./JG 11 emblem on both sides of the nose.On the left side of the fuselage under the frontplate it has a red inscription Rübezahl (spiritof Giant Mountains on Czech-Silesian border).It is possible the pilot originated from this region(Krkonoše in Czech, Riesengebirge in German)and this was his way to express the relation tothe homeland. In front of the tail surfaces therewas a white stripe with red edging, which wasthe color of 2. Staffel.Hermann Graf, although flying with the Luftwaffealready from the start of the Second World War,didn’t fly combat missions until operations overCrete. His first victories were achieved over theplains of the Soviet Union with JG 52. He wasvery successful and in the space of thirteenmonths he would amass 202 kills over Sovietaircraft. On September 16, 1942, he was awardedGermany’s highest honor, the Knight’s Cross withOak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. After that,he was withdrawn from combat and made CO ofthe training unit JGr. Ost. After a short stint withJG 50, he was made CO of JG 1 in October 1943and on November 11, 1943, took over commandof JG 11. He stepped into the same role with hisformer JG 52 on October 1, 1944, which he wouldlead up to the end of the war. After the war,the Americans handed him over to the Soviets,who would not release him until December 25,1949. Hermann Graf died on November 4, 1988,in Engen. Hermann Graf flew two aircraft whileserving with JGr. Ost, an Fw 190A-4 and anFw 190A-5. The aircraft carried a red tulip motifon the yellow engine cowl, with a similar designbeing carried on the rudder with a scoreboardof his kills. Graf’s personal marking appearedon the rear fuselage on the left side, while theunit badge of an eagle teaching its young to flyappeared on the right side.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard53March 2024Page 54
Fw 190A-5, WNr. 410004, Oblt. Walter Nowotny, CO of I./JG 54,Orel, the Soviet Union, October 1943Fw 190A-5/U8, WNr. 01501353, Oblt. Kurt Hevler,Stab IV./SKG 10, Cognac, France, June 1943A German fighter pilot of Austrian origin anda native of Gmünd situated near the border withCzechoslovakia, Walter “Nowi” Nowotny wasa holder of the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves,Swords and Diamonds, and shot down 258 enemyaircraft over the course of 442 combat sorties.He was killed in an Me 262 Schwalbe in combatwith American escort fighters near an airfieldat Hesepe on November 8, 1944. “Nowi’s” aircraftgot a non-standard camouflage consisting oftwo shades of dark green, most likely RLM70 and RLM 71. The yellow wingtips of theundersides and yellow band round the fuselageidentified the aircraft flying in the Eastern Front.The JG 54 aircraft bore yellow band on thefuselage, underneath the fuselage crosses, andbottom part of the rudder was painted yellow aswell.On June 4, 1943, eighteen Fw 190s from IV./SKG10 with bombs under their racks headed towardsthe city of Eastbourne. The aircraft carryingGruppenadjutant markings was hit by anti-aircraft fire and turned back home. However, thedamaged engine could not supply the necessarypower and the pilot attempted the emergencylanding. That ended in the crash nearby thetown of Normans Bay which Oblt. Hevler did notsurvive. According to the period description ofthe crashed aircraft yellow rudder and bottom ofthe engine cowling were oversprayed in the blackirregular stripes. Kurt Hevler was born on July 21,1917, in Prague. The family later apparently livedin Germany, because already in August 1939 hehad the rank of Leutnant and from Septemberof the same year he served in the 10./JG 26.In the spring of 1940 he fought in the ranks of the5.(J)/Tr.Gr. 186 and on May 10 shot down a DutchFokker D.XXI near De Kooi. From 1940 to 1943he flew with 7./JG 77 and JG 27. From February1943 he was a fighter-bomber instructor with Erg.JGr. Süd. He was posthumously promoted to therank of Hauptmann on July 1, 1943. He is buriedat Cannock Chase.48949 Fw 190A-5 (PE-Set)48950 Fw 190A-5 landing flaps (PE-Set)FE863 Fw 190A seatbelts STEEL (Brassin)644002 Fw 190A-5 LööK (Brassin)648152 Fw 190 wheels early (Brassin)648373 Fw 190A Pitot tubes early (Brassin)648381 Fw 190A exhaust stacks (Brassin)648390 Fw 190A-5 cockpit (Brassin)648391 Fw 190A-5 engine (Brassin)648392 Fw 190A-5 fuselage guns (Brassin)648408 Fw 190A-5 engine & fuselage guns (Brassin)648436 Fw 190A-5 undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)SIN64843 Fw 190A-5 ADVANCED (Brassin)SIN64851 Fw 190A-5 ESSENTIAL (Brassin)3DL48047 Fw 190A-5 SPACE (3D Decal Set)D48029 Fw 190 A stencils (Decal Set)D48039 Fw 190A-5 national insignia (Decal Set)EX724 Fw 190A-5 TFace (Mask)Recommended:for Fw 190A-5 light fighter 1/48#648390KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard54March 2024Page 55
The ProfiPACK edition kit of the BritishWWII fighter aircraft Spitfire Mk.IXc lateversion in 1/48 scale.plastic parts: Eduardmarking options: 6decals: EduardPE parts: yes, pre-paintedpainting mask: yesresin parts: noProduct page1/48Spitfire Mk.IXc late version#8281Re-releaseKITS 03/2024INFO Eduard55March 2024Page 56
Spitfire LF Mk.IXc, W/O Henryk Dygala, No. 302 (Polish) Sqn.,ALG G10 Plumetot, France, August 1944Spitfire HF Mk.IXc, F/Lt Otto Smik, No. 312 (Czechoslovak)Sqn., RAF North Weald, United Kingdom, August 1944Spitfire LF Mk.IXc, S/Lt. Pierre Clostermann, No. 602 Sqn.,Longues-sur-Mer, France, July 1944The No. 302 (Polish) Squadron was one of the unitsthat participated in the invasion of Normandy inJune 1944. The D-Day Invasion Stripes painted onthe bottom of the fuselage and wings indicatedit as well. This aircraft was equipped with wingracks for 250Ib bombs. The pointed rudder wasfreshly painted and so the colors appeared darkerthan on the rest of the aircraft. Nose art paintingswere not common within the RAF, so this one,the girl sitting on the bomb, is one of exceptions.The Polish stencil right of the cockpit door“Wycierac obuwie” means “Wipe your shoes”.This Spitfire was flown by F/Lt Otto Smik, the COof B Flight of No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron.On the cockpit door 8.5 confirmed aircraft plusthree V-1 kill marks were painted as his personalscore of that time. Smik was flying this Spitfireduring July and August on strafing missionsover occupied Europe. He was shot down byAA fire during an attack on Gilze-Rijen Air Basebut survived and with the help of the Dutchresistance, he returned to Great Britain. Smikmet his fate on November 28, 1944, when he waskilled during attack on the Zwolle railway station.The camouflage and marking of this Spitfire weretypical for No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Sqn. with theunit badge painted on both sides of the cowling.Available photos do not reveal the type of therudder. The MJ296 could have had either therounded or pointed type.Pierre Clostermann, a famous French fighterace, became known worldwide thanks to hisbook “Le Grand Cirque” (The Big Show) as well.One of the aircraft he was flying during the warwas Spitfire MJ586. Clostermann’s score of sevenconfirmed, three probable and seven damagedenemy aircraft was portrayed below windshield.French sources credit Clostermann with 20 kills,but it has been a topic of debate for many years.The post war French figures are inconsistentwith those of wartime documentation in Britisharchives due to different methodology of thesetwo Air Forces. At the end of WWII, Clostermannflew Tempests with No. 3 Squadron RAF. Notethe squadron badge on both sides of the enginecowling.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard56March 2024Page 57
Spitfire LF Mk.lXc, F/O Desmond Ibbotson,No. 601 Sqn., Italy, Summer 1944Spitfire LF Mk.lXc, P/O Jerry Billing, No. 401 Sqn.,RAF Tangmere, United Kingdom, June 1944Spitfire LF Mk.lXc, P/O Jerry Billing, No. 401 Sqn.,France, July 1944MJ250 was flown by No. 601 “County of London”Squadron from July 1944. The unit was operatingfrom the airfields at Perugia, Loreto and Fano atthat time. The aircraft was used primarily for dive-bombing operations. MJ250 survived the war butwas scrapped shortly afterward. The MJ250 wasregularly flown by F/O Desmond Ibbotson, DFC& Bar who is credited with 11 confirmed and fourprobable kills plus five damaged aircraft. He diedon November 19, 1944 at the controls of SpitfireMH614. The camouflage colors of MJ250 wereremoved except for the upper engine and fueltank cowling. These parts seem to be taken fromanother aircraft which retained the camouflagecolors. Note the unit badge on the fin tip.Jerry Billing was one of many Canadians servingwith RAF. He volunteered in October 1942to help the Malta defense. After joining No. 185Squadron, he fought over the island until March1943, when he was downed by a Bf 109. Billingwas transferred to No. 401 Squadron in 1944.He downed a Ju 88 bomber and damaged twoFw 190s on June 7, 1944, the second day of theinvasion of Normandy. On July 1, 1944, his SpitfireML135 was hit by AA fire and Billing belly-landedin no-man’s land in France. He managed to getback to the UK with the help of a French family.After WWII, Jerry Billing re-enlisted in the RoyalCanadian Air Force and became an instructor.In 1951 he joined the Blue Devils, a Canadianaerobatics team flying Vampire jets. Billing leftthe RCAF in 1964, becoming DeHavilland test pilot.Jerry Billing was shot down at the controls ofML135 on July 1, 1944 and belly-landed sevenmiles south of Carentan, France. The D-Daystripes were left on the undersides only andthe female name “Dorothy” appeared under thewindscreen.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard57March 2024Page 58
OVERTREES#8289XSpitfire Mk.IXc late version1/48Product pageOVERLEPT#8281-LEPT1Spitfire Mk.IXc late versionPE-Set 1/48Product pageRecommended: forSpitfire Mk.IX late version 1/4848765 Spitfire Mk.IXc landing flaps (PE-Set)48766 Spitfire Mk.IX surface panels (PE-Set)49639 Spitfire Mk.IXc (PE-Set)FE840 Spitfire Mk.IX seatbelts STEEL (PE-Set)644008 Spitfire Mk.IX late LööK (Brassin)644067 Spitfire Mk.I late LööKplus (Brassin)648099 Spitfire exhaust stacks fishtail (Brassin)648100 Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit (Brassin)648109 Spitfire 500lb bomb set (Brassin)648112 Spitfire Mk.IX engine (Brassin)648113 Spitfire Mk.IX gun bay (Brassin)648119 Spitfire wheels - 5 spoke, smooth tire (Brassin)648120 Spitfire - radio compartment (Brassin)648124 Spitfire undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)648306 Spitfire Mk.IX top cowl late (Brassin)648748 Spitfire Mk.IX landing flaps PRINT (Brassin)3DL48029 Spitfire Mk.IXc late version SPACE (3D Decal Set)#644008#648748#648100KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard58March 2024Page 59
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Sonderkommando Blaich, Tripoli, Libya, January 1942France, May 1940Germany, September 1939Sonderkommando Blaich, named after itsCommander Hptm. Theo Blaich, was equippedwith He 111s and operated in Libya during 1942.This Taifun KG+EM also belonged to the fleet andwas modified for service in tropical environment.It also received a tropical camouflage of a sandcolor with green spots on the upper surfaces.The most interesting operation of this unit wasthe successful bomb raid on the Allied fuelstorage facility in For Lamy on January 22, 1942,in which this Bf 108 also played some role.This Bf 108 was painted with RLM 24 on theupper surfaces and RLM 65 on the lower ones.The snake was sprayed by RLM 65 with the useof a snake-shaped template over which the colorwas sprayed. The code letters were in RLM 05shade. Note the regular Taifun logo placed underthe canopy. The framing of canopy could be eitherRLM 05 or natural metal.The German pre-war colors were used tocamouflage this Taifun. Upper surfaces werepainted RLM 61, RLM, 62 and RLM 63 shades, theundersides were RLM 65. The new camouflagewas painted over the original factory colors andthus the stenciling was not visible.KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard60March 2024Page 61
Hungary, 1942–1944Stab I./JG51, Soviet Union, Winter 1942 - 1943This aircraft was painted in very unusualcamouflage scheme as the RLM 74, 75 and 76colors prescribed for fighter aircraft were used.This Taifun served probably in Hungary on theEastern front. The code letters ZS were eitheroversprayed or scraped off.The camouflage scheme consisted of RLM 70and 71 on upper surfaces and RLM 65 on lowersurfaces. The upper surfaces were overpaintedwith white splotches. The white was sprayed overthe edges of national insignia.OVERTREES#8054XBf 1081/48Product pageOVERLEPT#8078-LEPT1Bf 108PE-Set 1/48Product pageRecommended:for Bf 108 1/48FE1431 Bf 108 seatbelts STEEL (PE-Set)648256 Bf 108 wooden propeller (Brassin)3DL48166 Bf 108 SPACE (3D Decal Set)#648256KITS 03/2024INFO Eduard61March 2024Page 62
BRASSINLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboards and STEELseatbelts for Sea King HU.5 in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: AirfixSet contains:- resin: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yespre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboards andSTEEL seatbelts for TBM-3 in 1/48 scale. Easy toassemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: Academy / Accurate MiniaturesSet contains:- resin: 5 parts- 3D print: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no644249Sea King HU.5 LööK1/48 Airfix644253TBM-3 LööK1/48 Acade,yProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard62March 2024Page 63
644254I-16 Type 10 LööK1/48 EduardLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEELseatbelts for I-16 Type 10 in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- resin: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noBRASSINCollection of 3 sets for Sea King HAS.1 in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Airfix- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheels644256Sea King HAS.1 LööKplus1/48 AirfixProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard63March 2024Page 64
BRASSINCollection of 3 sets for Sea King HAS.5 in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Airfix- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheelsBrassin set - rudder pedals for Bf 109E in 1/32 scale.The set consists of 2 pairs of the pedals. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts.Set contains:- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no644257Sea King HAS.5 LööKplus1/48 Airfix632192Bf 109E rudder pedals early PRINT1/32Product pageProduct pageINFO Eduard64March 2024Page 65
BRASSINBrassin set - landing flaps and wing slats for Su-25in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: ZvezdaSet contains:- resin: 22 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - rudder pedals for Bf 109E in 1/32 scale.The set consists of 2 pairs of the pedals.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Set contains:- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no632193Bf 109E rudder pedals late PRINT1/32Product pageProduct page648928Su-25 flaps and slats PRINT1/48 ZvezdaINFO Eduard65March 2024Page 66
648969F-16C Block 30 cockpit PRINT1/48 Kinetic648975Tornado ejection seats1/48 RevellBRASSINBrassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 30in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: KineticSet contains:- 3D print: 15 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noBrassin set - ejection seats for Tornadoin 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replacesplastic parts. Recommended kit: RevellSet contains:- resin: 14 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard66March 2024Page 67
BRASSINBrassin set - a cockpit for Bf 109G-10 WNFin 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 16 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no648977Bf 109G-10 WNF cockpit PRINT1/48 EduardBrassin set - a cockpit for Fw 190A-8/R2in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 17 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted- painting mask: no648976Fw 190A-8/R2 cockpit PRINT1/48 EduardProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard67March 2024Page 68
BRASSINBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for F-35Bin 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main wheels anda nose wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: TamiyaSet contains:- resin: 3 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yesBrassin set - ejection seat for F-35B in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: TamiyaSet contains:- 3D print: 9 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yespre-painted- painting mask: no648979F-35B ejection seat PRINT1/48 Tamiya648978F-35B wheels1/48 TamiyaProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard68March 2024Page 69
BRASSINBrassin set - engine for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale.The cownlings are included. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 22 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: no672352Bf 109G-6 engine PRINT1/72 EduardProduct pageINFO Eduard69March 2024How to Work with 3D Prints in Modeling
In recent years, 3D printing has gained widespread popularity in the modeling industry, particularly for accessory production. A few years ago Eduard, too, embraced this technology, gradually replacing traditional casting methods with direct printing, constituting approximately 80% of our Brassin production.
JAK NA 3D TISKY?Jakub NademlejnskýIn recent years, 3D printing has gained widespread popularityin the modeling industry, particularly for accessory production.A few years ago Eduard, too, embraced this technology, graduallyreplacing traditional casting methods with direct printing,constituting approximately 80% of our Brassin production.Removing Supports: Cut supports using a sharp scalpel, razor saw, or ultrasonic knife.The primary advantage of 3D-printedaccessories lies in their simplicity, withfewer parts enhancing user-friendlinessin terms of assembly. Unlike cast kits thatsuffer from shape instability due to molddegradation, 3D-printed parts maintaindimensional stability.Here's an overview of working with our3D prints, simple activities suitable formodelers of varying skill levels.The 3D printed parts are connected tothe base through printing supports. Thesesupports are typically terminated directlywith a rod in areas where the side is notvisible. When the supports are attachedto the visible side of the part, small ballsare added to the top of these supports toprevent them from chipping off along witha piece of the set's part during removal.How to Workwith 3D Printsin ModelingINFO Eduard70March 2024Page 71
JAK NA 3D TISKY?Sand the remaining supports with a fine grinder. Polish the part for a smooth finish.Cut through supports with the knife at a higher gear and low pressure.Trim any remaining residue with an ultrasonic knife.Procedure with an ultrasonic knife, such as the ZO-91 from HONDA Electronics.INFO Eduard71March 2024Page 72
JAK NA 3D TISKY?Trim any remaining residue with anultrasonic knife.Cleaning the Part: Use a grinder to clean the entire part,opting for a coarser grinder if the side is not a visible face.Finished cleaned part, ready for gluing or painting.For very thin parts, use a razor saw or ultrasonic knife instead of a scalpel. A razor saw or ultrasonic scalpel is better for such parts.For less critical areas, roughly trim supports with a scalpel or remove themwith a fingernail.After sanding, the part is ready to be installed in the model within a minute.INFO Eduard72March 2024Page 73
JAK NA 3D TISKY?I will also prepare the same part of the cockpit tub on F-16C 1/48 from Kinetic for gluing into the kit.Glue 3D print parts using superglue; solvent welding adhesives designedfor plastics won't work. As in previous procedures, I first drip a few dropsof superglue onto the coated paper after.With a few drops of superglue applied with a cut needle, I glue the cockpitinterior to the plastic airframe section.Degrease 3D printed parts with isopropyl alcohol before painting.I place the cockpit assembly into the model.INFO Eduard73March 2024Page 74
JAK NA 3D TISKY?Some parts may have a visible raster, due to technological reasons.This can be sanded first with a coarse and then with a fine grinderuntil smooth.Before spraying the part with paint, I recommend spraying the part with a few coats of Mr. Surfacer 1000 first.Now I can apply the paint and finish the cockpit by the classic way.Another option is to polish the spot with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol.It needs to be polished for a longer period of time. In areas that are difficult to sandor have details nearby, this procedure is appropriate. The material we use for 3D printfrom at Eduard is quite flexible, if you want to bend the parts, I recommend soakingthem in hot water beforehand to soften them.Product pageINFO Eduard74March 2024Page 75
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BRASSINCollection of 4 sets for FM-1 in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Eduard- cockpit- endercarriage wheels- undercarriage legs BRONZE- exhaustsAll sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30%.SIN648121FM-1 ESSENTIAL1/48 EduardProduct pageINFO Eduard76March 2024Page 77
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BIG EDAll sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30 %.BIG33159 AH-1G early 1/35 ICMBIG49396Mi-17 1/48 Trumpeter321015 AH-1G early 1/3533362 AH-1G early seatbelts STEEL 1/35JX320 AH-1G 1/35481126 Mi-17 cargo seats 1/48491401 Mi-17 1/48491402 Mi-17 cargo seatbelts STEEL 1/48FE1402 Mi-17 seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX993 Mi-17 1/48Product pageProduct pageINFO Eduard94March 2024Page 95
All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,but with every BIG ED set you save up to 30 %.BIG EDBIG49397 Sea King HAS.1 1/48 AirfixBIG49398Sea King HAS.5 1/48 AirfixBIG49399Sea King HU.5 1/48 Airfix491394 Sea King HAS.1 1/48491404 Sea King HAS.1 cargo interior 1/48FE1397 Sea King seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX989 Sea King 1/48491395 Sea King HAS.5 1/48491405 Sea King HAS.5 cargo interior 1/48FE1397 Sea King seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX989 Sea King 1/48491396 Sea King HU.5 1/48491397 Sea King HU.5 cargo seatbelts STEEL 1/48491406 Sea King HU.5 cargo interior 1/48FE1397 Sea King seatbelts STEEL 1/48EX989 Sea King 1/48Product pageProduct pageProduct pageINFO Eduard95March 2024Page 96
MASKSIT FITS!EX1011 F-35B1/48 TamiyaEX1012 F-35B TFace1/48 TamiyaEX1013 F-35B RAM coating1/48 TamiyaEX1014 Hurricane Mk.IIb1/48 Arma HobbyEX1015 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace1/48 Arma HobbyEX1016 Gannet AS.1/AS.41/48 AirfixEX1017 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 TFace1/48 AirfixEX1018 Gannet AS.1/AS.4national & a/c marking1/48 AirfixEX1019 F-5E TFace1/48 AFV Club/EduardEX1020 Bf 108 TFace1/48 EduardCX659 A-6A1/72 TrumpeterCX660 P-39 / P-4001/72 Arma HobbyEX1017 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 TFaceEX1017 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 TFaceEX1016 Gannet AS.1/AS.4EX1016 Gannet AS.1/AS.4EX1017 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 TFaceEX1017 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 TFaceINFO Eduard96Březen 2024Page 97
Dunstable Business Centre, Office Suite No.2, Blackburn Road, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5BQTel: +44 (0)1582 668411, Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.ukAll major credit cards accepted.Orders can be placed by mail, telephone, email or through the website.(www.guidelinepublications.co.uk) Plus postage and packing on allorders. Overseas readers pay postage at air mail printed paper rate.Warpaint on the webFor more information and secure ordering please visit:www.guidelinepublications.co.uk1 Bristol Beaufighter £13.002 Blackburn Buccaneer £13.003 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka £13.004 North American F-100 Super Sabre £13.005 Hawker Typhoon £13.006 Avro Shackleton £14.007 Junkers Ju 88 £13.008 Hawker Hunter £17.009 Grumman F4F Wildcat/Martlet £13.0010 Vickers Wellington £13.0011 de Havilland Sea Vixen £13.0012 Fairey Swordfish £15.0013 Focke Wolfe Fw 200 Condor £14.0014 BAC Lightning £18.0015 Short Stirling £14.0016 Hawker Sea Fury £13.0017 Gloster Javelin £14.0018 Douglas Skyraider £14.0019 de Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet £14.0020 Supermarine Seafire (Griffon engine) £15.0021 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley £14.0022 Gloster Meteor £20.0023 Fairey Gannet £15.0024 Dornier Do 217 £14.0025 Short Sunderland £14.0026 Bristol Blenheim £15.0027 de Havilland Vampire £20.0028 Fairey Firefly £17.0029 Hawker Sea Hawk £15.0030 Avro Vulcan £16.0031 RAF/RN Phantoms £17.0032 Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc £17.0033 Heinkel He 177 £14.0034 Avro Lincoln £16.0035 Fairey Barracuda £15.0036 Handley Page Victor £16.0037 Gloster Gladiator £17.0038 Republic F-105 Thunderchief £15.0039 Supermarine Walrus £13.0040 Canadair/Commonwealth Sabre £16.0041 Fairey Fulmar £15.0042 Boulton Paul Defiant £13.0043 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter £18.0044 de Havilland Venom £15.0045 Martin B-57 Canberra £16.0046 Handley Page Halifax £17.0047 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo £15.0048 Westland Lysander £15.0049 Fiat G.91 £15.0050 Bristol Beaufort £15.0051 Lockheed Neptune £16.0052 Fairey Albacore £15.0053 Avro Anson £16.0054 Westland Whirlwind F.Mk I £13.0055 Hawker Tempest £14.0056 Blackburn Firebrand £14.0057 Handley Page Hampden £14.0058 Supermarine Swift £14.0059 Lockheed Hudson £14.0060 English Electric Canberra £20.0061 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero £14.0062 Handley Page Hastings £14.0063 Vickers Valiant £14.0064 Convair F-102 £15.0065 Westland Wessex £17.0066 Bristol Bulldog £13.0067 Folland Gnat and Ajeet £13.0068 Bristol Brigand £13.0069 Martin B-26 Marauder £14.0070 Vought Corsair £18.0071 Armstrong Whitworth 650/660 Argosy £14.0072 Vickers Supermarine Merlin Seafire £14.0073 North American B-25 Mitchell £15.0074 Hawker Siddeley Harrier £17.0075 BAe Sea Harrier £15.0076 Grumman Tracker/Trader/Tracer £17.0077 Curtiss P-40 £15.0078 Aer Macchi C.202-205 Folgore-Veltro £15.0079 Consolidated PBY Catalina £17.0080 Saab Draken £17.0081 Junkers Ju 52 £14.0082 BAC Jet Provost £17.0083 Fairey Battle £17.0084 Grumman F6F Hellcat £18.0085 Supermarine Scimitar £15.0086 Vickers Wellesley £15.0087 Grumman Avenger £18.0088 Lockheed T-33A £15.0089 Avro Lancaster £18.0090 Boeing B-17 £18.0091 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed' £27.0092 Grumman HU-16 Albatross £17.0093 Messerschmitt Me 262 £15.0094 Supermarine Attacker £15.0095 Westland Sea King £18.0096 Consolidated B-24 Liberator £27.0097 North American RA-5C Vigilante £18.0098 Avro York £17.0099 McDonnell Demon £17.00100 Republic F-84F and RF-84F £20.00101 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth £16.00102 Convair B-36 £16.00103 Avro Manchester £14.00104 General Dynamics F-111 & EF-111A £20.00105 Sopwith Pup £14.00106 Sikorsky S-55/H-19 & Westland Whirlwind £18.00107 Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ £15.00108 Martin Mariner and Marlin £17.00109 Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster & DC-4 £21.00110 Westland Scout & Wasp £16.00111 Vought OS2U Kingfisher £16.00112 Douglas A3D Skywarrior £20.00113 Panavia Tornado ADV £17.00114 McDonnell F-4 Phantom II £25.00115 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle £14.00116 Hawker Fury and Nimrod £17.00117 Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer £15.00118 NAA B-45 Tornado £16.00119 Grumman F9F Panther £15.00120 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 £17.00121 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk £26.00122 Albatros D.I - D.III £16.00123 de Havilland (Canada) Chipmunk £15.00124 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 £17.00125 Bristol Britannia, Argus and Yukon £17.00126 Grumman F-14 Tomcat £26.00127 Cessna T-37 A/B/C and A-37 A/B £21.00128 Bristol Scout £15.00129 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 £18.00130 Ilyushin Il-28 £18.00131 Auster in British Military & foreign air arm service £18.00132 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress £25.00133 Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota £25.00134 Aero L-29 Delfin £21.00135 DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie £17.00136 Airspeed Oxford & Consul £18.00137 Douglas SBD Dauntless £28.00138 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk £18.00139 de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver £18.00Warpaint SpecialsNo.1 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt £19.00No.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 £25.00No.3 de Havilland Mosquito £25.00No.4 Cessna Bird Dog £12.00No.5 NAA P-51 Mustang and Derivatives £22.00No.6 Dambusters and the Lancaster £20.00The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellingtonbomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. After the SecondWorld War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines, pending the development of turbopropaircraft like the Viscount. An experimental airframe was fitted with Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets and first flownin 1948 as the world's first pure jet transport aircraft. Military developments were the Vickers Valetta andthe Vickers Varsity. The Valetta was a military derivative of the Viking developed in transport andtraining variants for the Royal Air Force. The Varsity was a versatile twin piston-engined aircraftdeveloped from the Viking and Valetta but with a tricycle undercarriage and ventral pannier forbomb-aimer training, among other changes. It was brought into RAF service in 1951 for crewtraining as a replacement for the Wellington T10. The most outstanding quality of the Varsity was thatit could provide excellent training for pilots, flight engineers, radio operators, navigators and bombaimers simultaneously. The prototype Varsity T Mk I made its maiden flight on 17 July 1949. The RAFtook its first deliveries in October 1951 which went to No.201 Squadron, Advanced Flying School atSwinderby, Lincolnshire. Production of the Varsity T Mk I for the RAF ceased on 28 February 1954 after a total of 163 hadbeen built, the type serving the RAF faithfully until being withdrawn from use in 1976. This Warpaint relates the history of all three types,focussing on the military operators, as per the series title. It is profusely illustrated by over 100 top quality photographs, nearly all in colour from theauthor’s extensive photograph archive and supported by the excellent colour profiles and plans by Sam Pearson.VickersVVIIKKIINNGG,, VVAALLEETTTTAA && VVAARRSSIITTYYIn military serviceAdrian M. BalchVarsity T.1s, WL629-K & WJ917-AA, of RAF5 FTS near Oakington, Cambridgeshire in1968 (Author's collection)WARPAINT SERIES No.141ty.qxp_Warpaint Master 28/12/2023 10:10 Page 54The full story of the first true Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, the OV-10 Bronco, still flying operationally afternearly six decades of service, is told here for the first time in a bumper 104-page Warpaint. Detailed first-hand information gathered over many years has enabled the author to bring together the many facets ofthis remarkably versatile aircraft including pre-cursors, competitors and prototypes, through Vietnam andcombat service with some eleven US and foreign Air Arms, and its part in the development of modernprecision weapons, to its astonishing array of uses since. These include fighting drug cartels in Columbia,fires in California, mosquitos in South Carolina, and ISIS in Northern Iraq. Also, finally covered in full andaccurate detail are the German ‘jet’ Broncos. The world’s largest restoration project and current trainingof US and NATO JTACS bring the story up to date. De-classified information has made it possible todetail for the first time all the long-nose D model conversions and all the Broncos that served in DesertStorm, their preparation, the epic trans-continental deployment of one squadron by air, and the key roleplayed by the Broncos during the war. The detailed and revealing narrative is copiously illustratedthroughout with fully captioned photographs - many previously unseen- and backed by personalaccounts, Individual aircraft histories, airframe lists, scale plans and specially commissioned art workwith comprehensive colour scheme information.All these titles are available in printed format via our on demand printing service. Please contact our office for further information.£19.00Warpaint series No.141Orders from the world’s bookand hobby trade are invitedNewreleasePrevious Warpaint titles£28.00Warpaint series No.140GGUUIIDDEELLIINNEEPPUUBBLLIICCAATTIIOONNSSLLIIMMIITTEEDDVickersVViikkiinngg,,VVaalleettttaa&&VVaarrssiittyyNorthAmericanOOVV--1100BBrroonnccooNorth AmericanOOVV--1100 BBrroonnccooBy Mike Verier'Triple nuts' the CO of VMO-2's aircraft, on the ramp at MCASCamp Pendleton in 1987, freshly painted in the then-new three-colour camouflage. Like all D models 155499 was converted froma Vietnam era OV-10A. Subsequently upgraded to 'D+' '499 wenton to serve in Desert Storm and is today preserved at PimaCounty Air & Space Museum. (Mike Verier)WARPAINT SERIES No.1400 Warpaint OV-10 Bronco.qxp_Warpaint Master 02/10/2023 18:50 Page 54Warpaint 141 Viking Valetta Varsity + OV-10 Bronco.qxp_Warpaint Advert 04/01/2024 20:05 Page 1Page 98
RELEASESMARCH 2024KITSPE-SETSZOOMSMASKS11182 Freedom Tiger 1/48 Limited70156 Bf 109G-2 1/72 ProfiPACK84118 Fw 190A-5 1/48 Weekend8281 Spitfire Mk.IXc late version Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK8078 Bf 108 Re-release 1/48 ProfiPACK53306 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 2 1/350 I LOVE KIT481132 F-5E upgrade set 1/48 AFV Club/Eduard491420 F-35B 1/48 Tamiya491422 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/48 Arma Hobby491424 Gannet AS.1 1/48 Airfix491425 Gannet AS.4 1/48 Airfix491427 F4U-1A 1/48 Magic Factory491428 F4U-2 1/48 Magic Factory73818 A-6A 1/72 Trumpeter73819 P-400 1/72 Arma HobbyFE1420 F-35B 1/48 TamiyaFE1421 F-35B seatbelts STEEL 1/48 TamiyaFE1422 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/48 Arma HobbyFE1423 Hurricane Mk.IIb seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Arma HobbyFE1424 Gannet AS.1 1/48 AirfixFE1425 Gannet AS.4 1/48 AirfixFE1426 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 AirfixFE1427 F4U-1A 1/48 Magic FactoryFE1428 F4U-2 1/48 Magic FactoryFE1429 F4U-1A/2 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Magic FactoryFE1430 F-5E seatbelts STEEL 1/48 AFV Club/EduardFE1431 Bf 108 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 EduardSS818 A-6A 1/72 TrumpeterSS819 P-400 1/72 Arma HobbyEX1011 F-35B 1/48 TamiyaEX1012 F-35B TFace 1/48 TamiyaEX1013 F-35B RAM coating 1/48 TamiyaEX1014 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/48 Arma HobbyEX1015 Hurricane Mk.IIb TFace 1/48 Arma HobbyEX1016 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 1/48 AirfixEX1017 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 TFace 1/48 AirfixEX1018 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 national & a/c marking 1/48 AirfixEX1019 F-5E TFace 1/48 AFV Club/EduardEX1020 Bf 108 TFace 1/48 EduardCX659 A-6A 1/72 TrumpeterCX660 P-39 / P-400 1/72 Arma HobbyBIG EDBIG33159 AH-1G early 1/35 ICMBIG49396 Mi-17 1/48 TrumpeterBIG49397 Sea King HAS.1 1/48 AirfixBIG49398 Sea King HAS.5 1/48 AirfixBIG49399 Sea King HU.5 1/48 AirfixBIG-EDBIG-EDINFO Eduard98March 2024Page 99
RELEASEBRASSINLöökPLUSBIG SINSPACE644249 Sea King HU.5 LööK 1/48 Airfix644253 TBM-3 LööK 1/48 Academy644254 I-16 Type 10 LööK 1/48 Eduard632192 Bf 109E rudder pedals early PRINT 1/32632193 Bf 109E rudder pedals late PRINT 1/32648928 Su-25 flaps and slats PRINT 1/48 Zvezda648969 F-16C Block 30 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic648975 Tornado ejection seats 1/48 Revell648976 Fw 190A-8/R2 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard648977 Bf 109G-10 WNF cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard648978 F-35B wheels 1/48 Tamiya648979 F-35B ejection seat PRINT 1/48 Tamiya672352 Bf 109G-6 engine PRINT 1/72 Eduard644256 Sea King HAS.1 LööKplus 1/48 Airfix644257 Sea King HAS.5 LööKplus 1/48 AirfixSIN648121 FM-1 ESSENTIAL 1/48 EduardSIN648122 FM-2 ADVANCED 1/48 Eduard3DL48160 F-35B SPACE 1/48 Tamiya3DL48161 Hurricane Mk.IIb SPACE 1/48 Arma Hobby3DL48162 Gannet AS.1 SPACE 1/48 Airfix3DL48163 Gannet AS.4 SPACE 1/48 Airfix3DL48164 F4U-1A SPACE 1/48 Magic Factory3DL48165 F4U-2 SPACE 1/48 Magic Factory3DL48166 Bf 108 SPACE 1/48 Eduard3DL48167 F-5E SPACE 1/48 AFV Club/Eduard3DL72028 A-6A SPACE 1/72 TrumpeterMARCH 2024DECAL SETEDDIE THE RIVETERD48115 F-35B stencils 1/48ER48008 Surface panels 1/48ER72003 Surface panels 1/72INFO Eduard99March 2024Page 100
BUILT1/350built by Pavel Zimandl#LN01USS ArizonaUSS Arizona (BB-39), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Islands, United States, December 1941INFO Eduard100March 2024Page 101
BUILTINFO Eduard101March 2024Page 102
BUILT1/48built by Matthias Becker#11177MARKING BINFO Eduard102March 2024Page 103
BUILT9./JG 4, Flensburg airfield, Germany, May 1945On the cowling is painted the emblem of JG 4 witha knight's helmet. The machine probably belongedto 9. Staffel of III./JG 4. It is possible that its pilotwas Fw. Hans Braun, who used the same markedaircraft in late 1944. The Messerschmitt Bf 109K-4swere received by III./JG 4 in October 1944 andused along with the G-14 and G-10 versions.At that time, temporary commander of 9./JG 4 wasLt. Hans Klaffenbach (21 victories), who brieflyrepresented Hptm. Johannes Kaufmann (10 v.).Hans Klaffenbach became commander of JaboG32 with F-104s in 1964 and led it for eight years.In 1997 he was one of the most prominent guestsat the opening of the Museum of the Air Battle overthe Ore Mountains in Czech Republic, in which hetook part on September 11, 1944. Kaufmann ledhis unit from the end of January 1945 in battlesagainst the Red Army, and on several occasionshis unit escorted airmen in suicide attacks onbridges on the Oder River. His daughter was thefamous German actress Christina Kaufmann.Fuselage was probably painted in RLM 74 andRLM 75 with yellow-grey version of RLM 76.Vertical tail was painted in darker version of RLM74 and 75, the RLM 74 had a tinge of green. Wingwas painted with lighter shade of colors RLM 74,75 and 76.Product pageINFO Eduard103March 2024Page 104
ON APPROACHAPRIL 2024644258F-5E LööK LööK1/48 AFV CLUB / Eduard644259F-35B LööK1/48 Tamiya672005Bf 109G-4 LööK1/72 Eduard672004Bf 109G-2 LööK1/72 EduardBIG5370 USS Nimitz CVN-68 PART II 1/350 TrumpeterBIG33160 F-35B 1/32 TrumpeterBIG49400 Hurricane Mk.IIc 1/48 Hobby BossBIG49401 P-47D-25 1/48 MINIARTBIG49402 Fulmar Mk.I 1/48 Trumpeter644258 F-5E LööK 1/48 AFV Club/Eduard644259 F-35B LööK 1/48 Tamiya674004 Bf 109G-2 LööK 1/72 Eduard674005 Bf 109G-4 LööK 1/72 Eduard648970 F-16C Block 42 till 2005 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic648971 F-16C Block 42 from 2006 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic648974 F-16C wheel bays early PRINT 1/48 Kinetic648980 Su-25 gun muzzle PRINT 1/48 Zvezda648981 Su-25 airbrakes early PRINT 1/48 Zvezda648982 P-38J right engine PRINT 1/48 Tamiya648985 F4U wheels 1/48 Magic Factory672353 Bf 109G-2/G-4 engine PRINT 1/72 Eduard672354 Me 410 wheels 1/72 Airfix672355 Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT 1/72 Eduard672356 Me 410 exhaust stacks PRINT 1/72 Airfix644260 Sea King HU.5 LööKplus 1/48 Airfix644261 TBF-1C LööKplus 1/48 Academy644262 TBM-3 LööKplus 1/48 AcademySIN648123 FM-1 ADVANCED 1/48 EduardSIN648124 F-35B ARMAMENT 1/48 TamiyaBIG ED (April)BRASSIN (April)LöökPlus (April)BIGSIN (April)LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboardand STEEL seatbelts for F-5E in 1/48 scale.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: AFV Club / EduardSet contains:- resin: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEELseatbelts for F-35B in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: TamiyaSet contains:- resin: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL seatbeltsfor Bf 109G-4 in 1/72 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces plasticparts. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- resin: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noLööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEELseatbelts for Bf 109G-2 in 1/72 scale. Easy to assemble,replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- resin: 1 part- decals: no- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noPRELIMINARY IMAGESPRELIMINARY IMAGESPRELIMINARY IMAGESPRELIMINARY IMAGESINFO Eduard104March 2024Page 105
648970F-16C Block 42 till 2005 cockpit PRINT1/48 KineticON APPROACHBrassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 42 (pre-2006 production)in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: KineticSet contains:- 3D print: 14 parts- resin: 1 part, pre-painted- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yespre-painted- painting mask: no648971F-16C Block 42 from 2006 cockpit PRINT1/48 Kinetic648974F-16C wheel bays early PRINT1/48 KineticBrassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 42 (2006 onwardsproduction) in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: KineticSet contains:- 3D print: 14 parts- resin: 1 part, pre-painted- decals: yes- photo-etched details:yes, pre-painted- painting mask: noBrassin set - wheel bays for F-16C in 1/48 scale.The set consists of nose and main wheel bays.Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: KineticSet contains:- 3D print: 10 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noINFO Eduard105March 2024Page 106
ON APPROACHAPRIL 2024648980Su-25 gun muzzle PRINT1/48 Zvezda648981Su-25 airbrakes early PRINT1/48 Zvezda648982P-38J right engine PRINT1/48 TamiyaBrassin set - gun muzzle for Su-25 in 1/48 scale.Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble, replacesplastic parts. Recommended kit: ZvezdaSet contains:- 3D print: 1 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - airbrakes (an early production type)for Su-25 in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: ZvezdaSet contains:- 3D print: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noBrassin set - right engine for P-38Jin 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: TamiyaSet contains:- 3D print: 48 parts- decals: yes- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: noINFO Eduard106March 2024Page 107
ON APPROACHAPRIL 2024648985F4U wheels1/48 Magic Factory672353Bf 109G-2/G-4 engine PRINT1/72 Eduard672354Me 410 wheels1/72 AirfixBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for F4U-1Aand F4U-2 in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the mainwheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replacesplastic parts. Recommended kit: Magic FactorySet contains:- resin: 3 parts- 3D print: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yesBrassin set - engine for Bf 109G-2 and Bf 109G-4in 1/72 scale. The cownlings are included.Made by direct 3D printing.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 18 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: yes- painting mask: noBrassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Me 410in 1/72 scale. The set consists of the main wheels.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: AirfixSet contains:- resin: 2 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: yesINFO Eduard107March 2024Page 108
ON APPROACH672355Bf 109G-5/G-6 gun barrels PRINT1/72 EduardBrassin set - gun barrels for Bf 109G-5 a Bf 109G-6in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.Recommended kit: EduardSet contains:- 3D print: 4 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: no6442260Sea King HU.5 LööKplus1/48 AirfixCollection of 3 sets for Sea King HU.5 in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Airfix- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheels672356Me 410 exhaust stacks PRINT1/72 AirfixBrassin set - exhaust stacks for Me 410 in 1/72 scale.Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble, replacesplastic parts. Recommended kit: AirfixSet contains:- 3D print: 8 parts- decals: no- photo-etched details: no- painting mask: noAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard108March 2024Page 109
ON APPROACHCollection of 4 sets for TBF-1C in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Academy- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheels- seatsCollection of 4 sets for TBM-3 in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Academy- LööK set (pre-painted Brassin dashboards & Steelbelts)- TFace painting mask- undercarriage wheels- seats644261TBF-1C LööKplus1/48 Academy644262TBM-3 LööKplus1/48 AcademyAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard109March 2024Page 110
SIN648123FM-1 ADVANCED1/48 EduardCollection of 4 sets for FM-1 in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Eduard- engine- wheel bay- landing flaps- gun baysAll sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.ON APPROACHAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard110March 2024Page 111
SIN648124F-35B ARMAMENT1/48 TamiyaCollection of 5 sets for F-35B in 1/48 scale.Recommended kit: Tamiya- AIM-120C AMRAAM (2pcs)- GBU-12 bomb- GBU-39 w/ BRU-61- AIM-9X- GBU-31(V)1/B JDAMAll sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,but with every BIG SIN set you save up to 30 %.BRASSIN 02/2022BRASSIN 02/2022ON APPROACHAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard111March 2024Page 112
PE-SETS53307 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 3 1/350 I LOVE KIT53308 HMS Ark Royal 1939 part 4 1/350 I LOVE KIT36517 Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer 1/35 Takom481133 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster undercarriage 1/48 HKM481134 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster landing flaps 1/48 HKM481135 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster bomb bay 1/48 HKM481136 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster radiators 1/48 HKM491432 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIART491434 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster cockpit 1/48 HKM491436 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby Boss491438 U-2R 1/48 Hobby Boss72735 PBM-5A exterior 1/72 Academy72736 PBM-5A bomb bay 1/72 Academy73820 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICM73821 PBM-5A interior 1/72 AcademyZOOMSFE1432 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIARTFE1433 P-47D-30 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 MINIARTFE1434 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster 1/48 HKMFE1435 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HKMFE1436 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby BossFE1437 MiG-29K seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby BossFE1438 U-2R 1/48 Hobby BossFE1439 U-2R seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby BossSS820 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICMSS821 PBM-5A 1/72 AcademySS822 PBM-5A seatbelts STEEL 1/72 AcademyMASKSEX1021 U-2R 1/48 Hobby BossEX1022 U-2R TFace 1/48 Hobby BossEX1023 MiG-29K 1/48 Hobby BossEX1024 MiG-29K TFace 1/48 Hobby BossEX1025 P-47D-30 1/48 MINIARTEX1026 P-47D-30 TFace 1/48 MINIARTEX1027 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster 1/48 HKMEX1028 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster TFace 1/48 HKMCX661 OV-10D+ 1/72 ICMSPACE3DL48168 U-2R SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss3DL48169 MiG-29K SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss3DL48170 P-47D-30 SPACE 1/48 MINIART3DL48171 Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster SPACE 1/48 HKM3DL48172 MiG-21PFM grey SPACE 1/48 Eduard3DL48173 MiG-21PFM turquoise SPACE 1/48 Eduard3DL72029 OV-10D+ SPACE 1/72 ICM3DL72030 PBM-5A SPACE 1/72 AcademyON APPROACHAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard112March 2024Page 113
ON APPROACHGUSTAV pt.2 #2145 1/72Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 160303,Hptm. Friedrich Eberle, CO of III./JG 1,Volkel, the Netherlands,November 1943 – January 1944Bf 109G-6, Lt. Anton Hafner, CO of 10./JG 51,Tilsit-East, the Soviet Union, August 1944Bf 109G-6/R1, Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer,Stab II./JG 3, Evreux-Fauville,France, June 1944APRIL 2024INFO Eduard113March 2024Page 114
ON APPROACHBf 109G-14, Hptm. Erich Hartmann,CO of I./JG 53, Veszprém, Hungary,February 1945Bf 109G-6, WNr. 165267, Majuri Eino Luukkanen,1/HleLv 34, Taipalsaari airfield, Finland,July 1944Bf 109G-14, Oblt. Rolf Schlegel, 10./JG 4,Jüterbog-Damm, Germany, March 1945Bf 109G-14, WNr. 465437, Hptm. Franz Dörr,CO of III./JG 5, Gossen, Norway, May 1945Bf 109G-14/U4, WNr. 512382, Lt. Horst Schlick,4./JG 77, Schönwalde, Germany, November1944Bf 109G-14, WNr. 464380, Maggiore MarioBellagambi, CO of 5ª Squadriglia, 2° GruppoCaccia ANR, Osoppo, Italy, March 1945Bf 109G-14, WNr. 782205, Lt. Antal Szebeni,101/5. Vadászszázad MKHL, Börgönd, Hungary,October 1944APRIL 2024INFO Eduard114March 2024Page 115
ON APPROACHGustav Bf 109G-6 latebuilt by Luboš HenklAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard115March 2024Page 116
ON APPROACHGustav Bf 109G-14APRIL 2024INFO Eduard116March 2024Page 117
ON APPROACHGustav Bf 109G-6 lateAPRIL 2024INFO Eduard117March 2024Page 118
Fokker E.III1/48ON APPROACH#8419APRIL 2024E339/16, Lt. Josef Jacobs,Fokkerstaffel West, June 1916Gotthard Sachsenberg, MFFA I,April–November 1916Austro-Hungarian Navy,Abwehrflugstation Altura,Austro–Hungaria, 1918E105/15, Ernst Udet,KeK Habsheim, 1916INFO Eduard118March 2024Page 119
ON APPROACHF4F-4 Wildcat late #82203 1/48Lt.(Jg) William E. Eder, VGF-29, USS Santee (CVE-29),November 1942BuNo.11992, Ens. Leroy Childs, VF-11, Guadalcanal,May 1943Lt. Philip H. Torrey Jr., CO VF-22, USS Independence (CVL-22),June 1943VC-13, USS Core (CVE-13), August-September 1943Lt. (jg) Dean S. Laird, USS Ranger (CV-4),Operation Leader, October 1943VMF-441, Nanumea, November 1943APRIL 2024INFO Eduard119March 2024Page 120
F6F-5 Hellcat1/72#7077Re-releaseON APPROACHBuNo 70143, Cdr. David McCampbell,CO of CAG-15 USS Essex (CV-9), October 1944Lt. Carl A. Brown Jr., VF-27,USS Princeton (CVL-23), October 1944BuNo 72534, Ens. Donald McPherson, Bill Kingston,Jr., Lyttleton Ward, VF-83, USS Essex (CV-9),May 1945Lt. Leo Bob McCuddin, VF-20, USS Enterprise (CV-6), October 1944APRIL 2024INFO Eduard120March 2024Page 121
ON APPROACHRe-releaseMiG-21PFM#82371/481 Eskadra of the 62 Pułk Lotnictwa Myśliwskiego,Polish Air Force, Poznan – Krzesiny AB,Poland, 1994No. 7909, 11 Fighter Air Regiment, Czechoslovak Air Force,Žatec airfield, Czech and Slovak Federative Republic,March 1991Egyptian Air Force, Inshas air base,Arab Republic of Egypt, early 80´s921 Fighter Regiment, Vietnamese People’s Army Air Force,Noi Bai airfield, Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1968Baurnal Higher Air Force School,Kamen na Obi/Slavgorod airbases,the Soviet Union, ca 1988APRIL 2024INFO Eduard121March 2024Page 122