05/2024

INFO Eduard is a monthly scale model-historical magazine published in Czech and English by Eduard Model Accessories since 2010. The magazine is available for free on the Triobo platform and can be downloaded in PDF format. Eduard is a manufacturer of plastic models and accessories with over 30 years of tradition. Throughout its history in the plastic modeling industry, Eduard has become one of the world's leaders. Further details about the company and its product range can be found at www.eduard.com. You can subscribe to the INFO magazine and receive product information for free at: https://www.eduard.com/cs/info-eduard/

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  INFO Eduard

  # 171

  e-magazine FREE Vol 23 May 2024

• Page 2

  INFO Eduard

  # 171

  e-magazine FREE Vol 23 May 2024

  © Eduard - Model Accessories, 2024

  FREE FOR DOWNLOAD, FREE FOR DISTRIBUTION!

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

  or graphic presentations can be used in another publication in any other media

  form or otherwise distributed without the prior written

  permission of Eduard - Model Accessories and authors involved.

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

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  eduard

  eduard

  MAY 2024

  CONTENTS

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

  Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21

  support@eduard.com www.eduard.com

  EDITORIAL

  KITS

  ARTICLES

  BOXART STORY

  OVERLORD: D

  -

  DAY MUSTANGS Limited 1/48

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late Weekend 1/48

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late Weekend 1/72

  Game Changer

  “Monoplan de chasse allemand”

  The Last Flight of L-39C Albatros 0440

  When You Need to Grab the Handles…

  Letecká vojna nad Ukrajinou

  -

  Čierny mesiac pre ukrajinské

  letectvo i PVO

  A challenging day

  The second landing

  D

  -

  Day plus two

  eduard

  eduard

  BRASSIN

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED SETS

  SPACE

  BUILT

  ON APPROACH

  –

  June 2024

  TAIL END CHARLIE

  P-51B 1/48

  Bf 109K-4 1/48

  A6M3 Zero Type 32 1/48

  Albatros D.V 1/48

  4

  6

  42

  46

  84

  98

  110

  122

  128

  145

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  EDITORIAL

  Dear Friends,

  now is the Time of the Mustang. It has been

  a clear focus for us here for more than half a year,

  but you, our customers, are only just beginning

  to appreciate this fact now. In mid-April,

  we shipped our preordered P-51B 1:48th scale

  Royal Class kits and the Limited Edition ‘Overlord:

  D

  -

  Day Mustangs’ items. Against our original

  plan, we were a week late, and only dispatched

  the last shipments on Monday, April 22. This has

  also delayed our shipping retail orders, however

  by now all who ordered should have their kits at

  home and can judge whether we have rendered

  the surface details and especially the wing skin

  correctly. Personally, I really have no doubt,

  but I understand that someone may entertain

  a different viewpoint. I decided to write an

  article on this topic, not because I feel a need

  to defend our design philosophy regarding

  the surface of the kit, but simply because it is

  a technically and historically interesting topic,

  and also because I have accumulated a lot of

  information about it. I calculated that I've seen

  48 Mustangs throughout my life so far, and I've

  flown in one. Although I will honestly admit

  that I did not inspect the surface of the wing of

  the latter machine, because there was no time

  for it before the flight and I no longer had the

  physical ability to do so afterwards. However,

  I did inspect and document the wing of about

  half of the others. With that in my arsenal, and

  also armed with a lot of other material, I decided

  I was well equipped to tackle such an article.

  But the queue includes two articles before it,

  so please be patient, it will take me a while yet.

  Mustangs Today and Tomorrow

  The next step with the 48th scale P-51B

  Mustangs will be to continue to stock the

  Limited Edition ‘Overlord: D

  -

  Day Mustangs’, and

  in August, we'll add the P-51B Profipack kit to

  the rotation. That'll be one of the new items at

  the IPMS Nationals in Madison. In November, we

  will be introducing another limited Edition kit,

  ‘Aces of the Eight’. With all that going on, the

  72nd scale cousin is getting ready to make its

  first appearance. The P-51D Royal Class kit is

  currently on preorder, which we will stop taking

  next week on May 8th, the anniversary of the

  end of the Second World War. Those preorders

  will be going out in the second half of June.

  For the 72nd scale P-51D, we will have

  a different preorder setup for the Royal Class

  and the first Limited Edition releases. The 48th

  scale P-51B Royal Class and Limited Edition kits

  were sold at the same time, with both items

  being available through preorders. And both had

  the same release date and for the most part the

  same composition of marking options. This will

  not be the case with the 1:72nd scale releases.

  Only the Royal Class boxing and its associated

  items will be offered via preorder. The ‘Aces of

  the Eighth’ Limited Edition kit, which, like the

  Royal Class P-51D, will be released in a Dual

  Combo format, meaning with two complete sets

  of plastic, is slated for an August release and

  will not be available for preorder, and will have

  its own set of markings. As the name suggests,

  it will be dedicated to the aces of the USAAF

  8th Air Force. Overtrees will, of course, be

  available for both kits so you'll be in a very

  good position to pamper yourself with marking

  options, which, for the Mustangs, is incredibly

  varied. Really, this aircraft is absolutely

  exceptional in that regard and you can believe

  me that we will not waste any opportunity to

  offer colorful and historically very interesting

  kits that perhaps deserves it more than any

  other!

  The 1:72nd Royal Class P-51D will only be

  available for preorder through our e-shop, and

  will not be released for regular sale. We will

  supply them to retailers one time only, so it

  will be possible to buy it that way as well. But

  even then, retailers will not be able to restock

  this item because we will only produce the

  exact quantity that we will have in preorder

  form from our e-shop customers and our

  retailers. This means that both our e-shop and

  our retail partners will provide a short window

  INFO Eduard4

  May 2024

• Page 5

  for purchasing the Royal Class kit, and the

  opportunity to purchase will not be repeated.

  I assume that this and future kits of the Royal

  Class series will gain exclusivity, and the

  opportunity should not be missed.

  New Releases for May

  So to bring the focus of my editorial to our new

  releases for May, the main point of interest will

  be the 48th scale P-51B Mustang that makes up

  the ‘Overlord: D

  -

  Day Mustangs’ Limited Edition

  kit. It is therefore a very ‘stripe themed’ item, but

  a milestone anniversary of such an important

  event as the Allied invasion of Normandy doesn’t

  come around very often, so we could not help but

  dedicate a completely new item to this historical

  event. In addition to the Mustang, there are also

  two Weekend kits, one in 48th and one in 72nd,

  dedicated to the Spitfire LF Mk.IXc as it pertains

  to the invasion. We will continue to focus on the

  invasion next month, in which the anniversary

  actually falls, with a Spitfire Mk.Vb with four

  D

  -

  Day marking options to the range of invasion

  aircraft, to be released in the Weekend line. This

  month among new items, there are no reissues.

  You probably won’t be too surprised to find

  that, when it comes to new accessory items for

  May, most are dedicated to the P-51B. However

  there are also new sets for the FM-1 Wildcat

  from Tamiya, the MC.200 Saetta from Italeri, the

  F-14A from Great Wall Hobby and the Buccaneer

  from Airfix, all of which are in 1:48th scale. The

  assortment is a little bit less in 72nd, where we

  bring you sets for the Fiat CR.32 from Italeri

  in the form of photoetched and masks, and

  seats for the L-39 Albatros from Eduard in the

  Brassin range. Also in the Brassin line, I would

  like to draw your attention to two 48th scale

  cockpits and a set of undercarriage bays for the

  F-16C from Kinetic. We also have a set of USS

  Sangamon 1/350 photoetched for the Trumpeter

  offering. The Sangamon Class of escort carriers

  were unique and interesting, being four ships

  converted from tankers. The USS Santee, one

  of the Sangamon Class ships, pioneered the

  operation of separate squadrons of an escort

  carrier and several destroyers in the Atlantic in

  the summer of 1943. Also worth noting are the

  four new rivet sets in the Edie the Riveter line.

  Historical and Other Articles

  We can't imagine today’s newsletter without

  the now standard historical articles, can we?

  Of course, today's issue cannot and does not

  miss an article focused on the P-51B Mustang.

  It's called ‘Game Changer’ and it was written

  by Tom Cleaver. Miro Barič has submitted his

  26th edition covering the air war over Ukraine,

  we have a write-up describing the experience

  of ejecting from an L-39 Albatros by David

  Sochacký, and Tomáš Dedera will introduce

  you to the L-39 seat from a technical point

  of view. The historical articles also include

  a breathtaking photo gallery of a captured

  Fokker E.III by Jan Bobek. And of course we also

  have the obligatory Boxart Stories, describing

  the events depicted on the boxart of the Limited

  Edition kit ‘Overlord: D

  -

  Day Mustangs’, about the

  P-51Bs of the 352nd Fighter Group and about

  both of the LF Mk.IXc Spitfire releases.

  In May, we will be attending two shows: one in

  Zagreb, Croatia, and the other in Saumur, France.

  Both events are scheduled for the same dates,

  May 18th and 19th. If you find yourself in the area,

  we invite you to stop by!"

  And that will just about wrap it up for me this

  month. Happy reading and happy modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc

  EDITORIAL

  INFO Eduard

  5

  May 2024

• GAME CHANGER

  During September 1943, rumors abounded among the pilots in the fighter groups regarding things to come. When Chesley Peterson returned to take command of the 4th Fighter Group, he told the pilots that there was a new airplane in the works. Steve Pisanos recalled him saying, “They’re coming up with a new fighter that will be far superior to he P-38 and P-47, a kite that can be used for long-range escort.” That rumor became reality on September 26, 1943, when Pisanos returned from escorting B-17s to Les Andelys in northern France. “I taxied into the dispersal area only to find a P-51 Mustang with a four-bladed propeller parked on the grass across from my stall.” Pisanos was familiar with the Allison-powered RAF Mustang I, having flown one for 40 hours in OTU training and then another 40 operational hours with 268 Squadron before transferring to 71 Eagle Squadron. He met the pilot, Captain Jack Miller from VIII Fighter Command staff, who had flown the new Mustang to Debden, in the squadron operations office. “He told me it was equipped with a Merlin engine and that it was on loan to our group for the pilots to fly and evaluate it.”

  Adapted from “Clean Sweep: Adapted from “Clean Sweep:

  VIII Fighter Command Against VIII Fighter Command Against

  the Luftwaffe 1942-45"the Luftwaffe 1942-45" Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

  Major James A. Goodson (in cockpit), CO of 336th Fighter Squadron was known in the spring of 1944 as “King of the Strafers,” credited with 15 aerial and 15 ground victories.

  (USAF Official)

  GAME CHANGERGAME CHANGER

  During September, 1943, rumors abounded

  among the pilots in the fighter groups regarding

  things to come. When Chesley Peterson returned

  to take command of the 4th Fighter Group,

  he told the pilots that there was a new airplane

  in the works. Steve Pisanos recalled him saying,

  “They’re coming up with a new fighter that will

  be far superior to he P-38 and P-47, a kite that

  can be used for long-range escort.” That rumor

  became reality on September 26, 1943, when

  Pisanos returned from escorting B-17s to Les

  Andeleys in northern France. “I taxied into the

  dispersal area only to find a P-51 Mustang with

  a four-bladed propeller parked on the grass

  across from my stall.” Pisanos was familiar

  with the Allison-powered RAF Mustang I, having

  flown one for 40 hours in OTU training and then

  another 40 operational hours with 268 Squadron

  before transferring to 71 Eagle Squadron. He met

  the pilot, Captain Jack Miller from VIII Fighter

  Command staff, who had flown the new Mustang

  to Debden in the squadron operations office.

  “He told me it was equipped with a Merlin engine

  and that it was on loan to our group for the pilots

  to fly and evaluate it.”

  A week later, the Mustang was released for

  flying. Pisanos recalled, “I was more familiar

  with the Mustang than anyone else in the group.

  When Captain Miller saw I had 80 Mustang hours

  in my logbook, he turned it over to me.”

  Pisanos found the new airplane to be

  “everything I hoped it would be.” After checking

  himself out for 15 minutes, “I dropped down

  on the deck and decided to make a pass over

  Debden, clocking some 450 miles per hour.

  As I passed over, I zoomed up and rolled left and

  right. Then I did a loop, after which I buzzed the

  runway a few more times.”

  Everyone was interested in the new fighter.

  Over the next two weeks Don Blakeslee flew it

  several times, as did Don Gentile, Jim Goodson,

  Deacon Hively and Duane Beeson. All were

  effusive in their praise of the flying qualities of the

  new Mustang. Steve Pisanos recalled, “Everyone

  was paying attention to the P-51. When I was in

  268 Squadron, flying Allison-powered Mustangs,

  those of us with experience in Spitfires talked

  about how wonderful the airplane would be with

  a Merlin up front.”

  While U.S. Air Attache Thomas Hitchcock

  worked with Rolls-Royce in early 1943 to mate

  the Merlin and the Mustang, Edgar Schmued and

  his team at North American also began planning

  such a powerplant upgrade. Hitchock’s report

  on the performance of Rolls-Royce’s Merlin-

  powered Mustang X test bed, which gave an

  80 mph speed increase and a doubling of effective

  combat altitude, provided North American with

  all the evidence it needed to convince the Air

  Force to support the work. Word of the first flight

  of the P-51B in Los Angeles spread through the

  world of Air Force fighter pilots like wildfire. The

  pilots of the Fourth had been unanimous in their

  verdict it was the best fighter any had flown.

  On October 8, 1943, the 354th Fighter Group

  was declared operational and boarded the train

  for the five day trip from California to New Jersey.

  October 20 the men were went aboard the troop

  transport HMS Athlone Castle. Ten “fortunately

  uneventful days” later they arrived in Liverpool

  on November 1. After three days at ancho waiting

  for the fog to lift, the ship docked and the 354th

  went ashore in England. Once ashore, they were

  trucked to Greenham Common. The morning of

  November 11, 1943, the first four P-51B Mustangs

  were flown in. The 354th would be the first

  fighter group anywhere to fly North American’s

  new fighter.

  356th Squadron commander Major James

  O. Howard later remembered, “On November

  13 we were sent to our new base at Boxted,

  near Colchester. At first, it looked like we were

  going to be very comfortable in this English

  countryside setting. However, we were no

  more settled in than the rains came, and the

  whole base became a giant quagmire. The

  conditions were so bad it made it difficult to

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard6

  May 2024

• Page 7

  do the work of converting to the Mustang.”

  The pilots of the 354th group were ecstatic to

  be given the Mustang. The group historian later

  wrote that after only one day of test hops, “they

  realized that they had the best airplane of the

  war to work with.” To honor their good fortune,

  a vote was taken and the 354th adopted the

  name “Pioneer Mustang Group.”

  On December 1, the pilots were considered

  proficient enough to fly their first mission in the

  ETO, a “Rodeo” fighter sweep over Belgium and

  the Pas de Calais flown by 24 P-51s led by Don

  Blakeslee, with group commander Lt. Colonel

  Harold Martin flying as Blakeslee’s wingman.

  Takeoff was at 1429 hours and they returned

  70 minutes later at 1549 hours, with the only

  excitement having been one flak hit on the plane

  flown by Lieutenant Lane of the 356th Fighter

  Squadron. The 354th had established a record,

  flying its first combat mission only 20 days after

  its first combat aircraft was assigned to it and

  27 days after arriving in England.

  The Mustangs had been modified by VIII

  Technical Command when they arrived in

  England with an additional gas tank mounted

  immediately behind the pilot in the fuselage

  on the Center of Gravity that could carry

  an additional 90 gallons. When filled, pilots

  discovered the airplane was slightly tail-heavy,

  which restricted maneuverability. Operating

  procedures were modified so that a pilot took off

  with gas fed from the wing tanks; once airborne

  they would switch to the cockpit tank to burn off

  that fuel before reaching enemy territory; when

  that was empty, they would switch to the drop

  tanks until they were either empty or the enemy

  was engaged. The fuselage tank was invaluable.

  The Mustang had the range on internal fuel only

  to fly to targets in western Germany the P-47

  had only been able to reach in the weeks after

  the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission in August

  when the fighters were finally equipped with the

  108-gallon drop tank. A P-51B carrying two of

  those drop tanks could reach Berlin.

  When it was announced that a fighter group

  in the newly-established Ninth Air Force, which

  had recently transferred to England from North

  Africa to become the USAAF tactical air force

  in the coming invasion, Eighth Air Force fighter

  leaders were shocked. VIII Fighter Command’s

  General Kepner immediately protested that

  a fighter like the Mustang, with a vulnerable

  liquid-cooled engine and a radiator that only

  needed one minor-caliber hit to be put out of

  action, was exactly what was not needed in

  action over a battlefield in a ground support

  mission. For VIII Fighter Command, the P-51B was

  the solution to the problem they had faced since

  the command first began flying missions. Tests

  conducted between P-51Bs and captured Bf-109

  and Fw-190 fighters demonstrated the Mustang

  was competitive in ways the P-47 would never

  be. Above 25,000 feet, the Mustang was superior

  to the Fw-190 in all flight regimes, only being

  out-rolled by the early versions of the Wurger;

  it was more maneuverable than the Bf-109 at

  all altitudes, and its equal in all other aspects

  of high altitude performance. Don Blakeslee told

  Kepner “The Mustang is a long-range Spitfire!”

  Both Blakeslee and Chesley Peterson begged VIII

  Fighter Command to let the Fourth be the first

  VIII Fighter Command group to take the Mustang

  to war.

  No one in England could understand the

  decision not to send the fighter to the Eighth;

  the decision had been made in the Pentagon,

  by officers in Materiel Command who had no

  knowledge of or dealings with operational

  realities. The Merlin-powered Mustang was

  declared a “tactical fighter” because both the

  RAF and USAAF had decided the earlier, Allison-

  powered Mustangs would be used in the tactical

  roles of battlefield reconnaissance, ground

  strafing and dive-bombing. The decision to send

  the Mustang to the Ninth Air Force was based

  on bureaucratic precedent, if it was based on

  anything.

  The first thing VIII Fighter Command did on

  discovering the Mustang had been assigned to

  Ninth Air Force was to “go to the top” and get an

  agreement that, while the group would remain

  a part of Ninth Air Force administratively, the unit

  would operate under the control of VIII Fighter

  Command until the invasion. When they learned

  ARTICLES

  Colonel Don Blakeslee, commander of the 4th Fighter Group, promised VIII Fighter Command he could

  transition the group from P-47s to P-51s in 48 hours. The group became the leading exponents of the Mustang.

  (USAF Official)

  INFO Eduard

  7

  May 2024

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  that the 363rd Fighter Group, also assigned

  to the Ninth Air Force, was second in line to

  receive Mustangs, VIII Fighter Command put the

  engines of military bureaucracy into overdrive

  to insure that the rest of the Mustangs went to

  the Eighth Air Force as they became available.

  Additionally, the RAF had received P-51Bs, which

  were called the Mustang III in that service, and

  was in process of equipping four veteran Fighter

  Command squadrons with the new fighter. RAF

  Chief Sir Charles Portal agreed to send these

  units to support VIII Fighter Command as soon as

  they were operationally qualified.

  The need of the Mustang for over-the-target

  support was so great that the 354th group

  participated in their first escort mission over

  Germany on December 5, a record for arrival-

  to-first mission timing in VIII Fighter Command.

  The group sent 36 P-51s, again led by Don

  Blakeslee with group commander Martin flying

  wing, escorting bombers striking airfields

  around Bordeaux. The 55th 34 P-38s along with

  the 354th’s 36 Mustangs for target cover, though

  the Luftwaffe failed to come up. On December

  11, the 354th suffered their first loss during

  a mission to Bremen, though no enemy fighters

  were encountered. On December 13 the 354th

  ce lebr ated th eir fir st mo nth wi th the P- 51 by s ending

  36 Mustangs to fly target cover over Kiel, their

  first trip to Germany. The 354th finally met the

  enemy in combat during the escort mission

  to Bremen on December 16 and claimed one

  Bf-110 shot down by 2nd Lieutenant Lt. Charles

  F. Gumm of the 355th squadron. Colonel Martin

  led this all-354th mission. On the way home,

  the 353rd squadron’s 2nd Lieutenant Glenn

  T. Eagleston became the first pilot to survive

  bailing out after he managed to get across the

  Channel and almost to the English coast after his

  Mustang had been damaged by the rear gunner of

  a Bf-110G he claimed as a probable. Fortunately

  for him, he was spotted by the crew of an RAF

  rescue launch just as he touched down in the icy

  waters and was plucked aboard after only five

  minutes of what he later said was, “The coldest

  I ever was in my life.”

  A third mission to Bremen on December

  20 saw the group contribute 47 P-51s led by

  Colonel Martin to an escort force of 26 P-38s and

  418 P-47s; the 546 B-17s and B-24s made thid the

  largest mission so far in Eighth Air Force history.

  Over the target, James Howard spotted three

  Bf-109s. One made the mistake of pulling up

  under a B-17 as he completed his gunnery pass,

  giving Howard the chance to close in from four

  o’clock. While still out of range, he fired a burst

  to scare his opponent away from the bomber as

  the pilot positioned for another attack. Howard

  rapidly closed the Bf-109 from dead astern.

  When it filled his gunsight, he fired a two-

  second burst and it emitted heavy black smoke.

  ARTICLES

  Duane Beeson was leading ace of the 4th‘s 334th Fighter

  Squadron. His P-51B was named “Boise Bee” in honor of his

  hometwon, Boise, Idaho. The dark areas on the airplane are

  residue from the cocooning done to protect the airframe on

  its trans-Atlantic delivery voyage. (USAF Official)

  Debden air station was home of the 4th Fighter Group. It was a pre-war RAF air base, and the 4th was assigned

  there in 1942 when they were still the Eagle Squadrons of the RAF. (USAF Official)

  Captain Don Gentile (l) and his crew chief, T/Sgt

  John Ferra (r) of the 4th Group’ 336th Fighter

  Squadron. (USAF Official)

  1st Lieutenant John T. Godfrey (l) with his dog Lucky

  and crew chief T/Sgt Ed Krantz. Godfrey flew missions

  as Don Gentile’s wingman and the two were hyped by

  VIII Fighter Command Public Relations as the famous

  “leader” and “wingman” during the “Ace Race” publicity

  stunt in early 1944. (USAF Official)

  INFO Eduard8

  May 2024

• Page 9

  Back at Boxted after their return, his wingman,

  Lieutenant H. B. Smith reported that he saw parts

  fly off the Bf 109 before the engine exploded and

  it fell away in an uncontrollable vertical dive.

  The 354th claimed three victories but suffered

  their first combat losses when three Mustangs

  failed to return, including Major Owen Seaman,

  commander of the 353rd squadron, who went

  down over the North Sea after his fighter had

  been damaged over the target.

  On December 22, the group escorted bombers

  to Osnabruck and Münster. The P-51 at this

  point was not reliable, and suffered numerous

  instances of engine problems forcing a pilot to

  abort the mission that were later traced to the

  poor combination of British aviation gasoline

  and American spark plugs. On this mission,

  20 Mustangs were forced to abort due to rough

  engines.

  On October 23, 1943, the officers and men

  of the 357th Fighter Group went aboard the

  RMS Queen Mary in New York harbor with

  11,000 other Allied troops, headed for England.

  The liner dropped anchor in the Clyde on October

  29 and the men of the 357th soon made the

  acquaintance of the English train system, when

  they were transported to their base at Raydon

  Wood in Suffolk. On December 19, a well-worn

  RAF Allison-powered Mustang II arrived for

  use in conversion training, In the next ten days,

  14 P-51Bs arrived. The 363rd squadron’s Flight

  Officer Chuck Yeager recalled, “It only took me an

  hour in one to be convinced I was among the most

  fortunate pilots in the world, that I was assigned

  to fly this airplane.”

  Air Force bureaucracy again had the 357th and

  their Mustangs intended for the Ninth Air Force,

  but this changed in one of the first decisions

  General Dwight Eisenhower made after his

  arrival in England as Supreme Commander,

  Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHEAF). The 357th

  was transferred to VIII Fighter Command, with

  IX Tactical Air Command receiving the new

  P-47-equipped 358th Fighter Group.

  The missions in December, 1943, had shown VIII

  Fighter Command could now provide effective

  cover to the bombers. Paraphrasing Winston

  Churchill, it wasn’t the beginning of the end, but it

  was the end of the beginning.

  Symbolic of the major changes coming in VIII

  Fighter Command, Don Blakeslee took command

  of the 4th Fighter Group on New Year’s Day, 1944.

  He told the pilots what he expected of them:

  ‘The Fourth Fighter Group is going to be the top

  fighter group in the Eighth Air Force. We are here

  to fight. To those who don’t believe me, I would

  suggest transferring to another group. I’m going

  to fly the arse off each one of you. Those who

  keep up with me, good. Those who don’t, I don’t

  want them anyway.” Steve Pisanos later recalled,

  “If anyone had any doubts, it was clear from

  Colonel Don’s statement that the gloves were

  coming off in 1944.”

  ARTICLES

  1st Lieutenant Ralph “Kidd” Hover (in cockpit) was the 4th’s leading “eccentric.” He joined the RCAF on a lark with

  friends after a party in Detroit where he was a professional boxer. He transferred to the USAAF after training and

  was assigned to the 334th Fighter Squadron, where he scored a victory on his first mission, an unheard-of event.

  (USAF Official)

  “Snoot’s Sniper,” a P-51B of the 352nd Fighter Group, known as the

  “Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney” for the group’s distinctive blue

  nose marking. (USAF Official)

  INFO Eduard

  9

  May 2024

• Page 10

  On January 11, 1944, former Flying Tiger ace

  James O. Howard demonstrated what the P-51B

  was capable of. The weather over central

  Germany cleared that day, allowing VIII Bomber

  Command to send 663 B-17s and B-24s to bomb

  the A.G.O. Fleugzeugwerke A.G. at Oschersleben,

  the main center of FW-190 production;

  the Junkers Fleugzeug und Moterenwerke at

  Halberstadt, which was producing wings for

  Ju-88s; and three plants in Brunswick operated by

  Muhlenbau Industrie A.G. engaged in production

  of Bf-110s. Only the formation that would strike

  the Focke-Wulf factory at Oschersleben would

  have fighter escort in the target area. This was

  the 354th’s assignment.

  Weather over England made take-off and

  assembly difficult. The enroute weather

  deteriorated so badly that the 3d Air Division’s

  B-17s and the 2nd Air Division’s B-24s were

  recalled. By the time the recall was made, the

  B-17s of the 1st Air Division were 50 miles from

  the target. The leading combat wing of the 3rd

  Air Division was so deep in enemy territory when

  the recall was received that its commander

  decided to continue on to the primary target.

  With the targets only 60 air miles from Berlin,

  the Luftwaffe controllers feared the capital

  was finally the goal of the American force.

  The Luftwaffe’s reaction demonstrated the

  Jagdwaffe had lost none of its ability to exact

  heavy losses on a deep bomber penetration by

  daylight. Indeed, it appeared they had improved

  their tactics.

  The P-51s of the 354th group rendezvoused

  with the Oschersleben force to find themselves

  in the midst of these attacks. Howard, the most

  experienced pilot in the group, was leading.

  He later recalled, “We climbed to 25,000 feet

  through a couple of cloud layers and on a course

  directly to our rendezvous point. As we crossed

  the coast of Holland, it was a clear day, with the

  sun shining brightly. Down below, snow covered

  the ground. The outside air temperature at my

  altitude was minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit...

  As we reached the bomber stream, I realized

  it was under intense attack by enemy fighters.

  I saw no friendly fighters.”

  After shooting down a Bf-110G, Howard saw

  a Bf-109s. “I applied the throttle and raked my

  guns in his direction from about 150 yards. I could

  see flashes from my slugs hitting the fuselage.

  It spewed smoke and fire and spun down out of

  control.” An instant later, an Fw-190 flew in front

  of Howard. “I pulled up after it in a chandelle.

  I was less than a hundred yards behind and

  ready to let him have it when the pilot suddenly

  ARTICLES

  “Li’l Kitten” a P-51B assigned to the 357th Fighter Group, the first

  Mustang-equipped group assigned to VIII Fighter Command. The

  “Malcolm hood” the fighter is equipped with greatly improved the

  pilot’s visibility from the cockpit. (USAF Official)

  On April 8, 1944, Don Gentile became the top-scoring American ace in Europe. On April 13, following his final

  mission, Gentile made repeated high speed passes for newspaper and newsreel reporters in his Mustang,

  “Shangri-La.” He struck the center of the Debden runway, which was higher than either end, destroying the

  Mustang in the process. He then went back to the U.S.A. for a war bond tour. (USAF Official)

  INFO Eduard10

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  jettisoned his canopy and bailed out.” The battle

  was far from over, as Howard defended the 401st

  Bomb Group in what is considered one of the epic

  fights any American fighter pilot was ever in.

  According to the official account, Howard was

  up against 36 enemy fighters and was the only

  American fighter in position to oppose them.

  He flew straight at them, attacking first one, then

  another as he twisted and turned for several

  minutes in their midst. His “one man air force”

  attack forced the enemy fighters to break away

  and saved the B-17 formation.

  After forcing several enemy fighters to

  break of their attacks, Howard closed on one of

  the lead 401st B-17s. He was now down to one

  working machine gun. “I had already been with

  the bombers for nearly thirty minutes, and there

  were still enemy planes around. So I decided to

  bluff by making feints in their direction to scare

  them off. I still had the one gun working.” Howard

  chased away a persistent Ju-88 three times

  before the enemy dived away for good. “After the

  Ju-88 finally dived away, I saw no more enemy

  planes So I set course for England, picking up

  a couple stray P-51s as I did.”

  The 354th claimed 18 destroyed, eight

  probably destroyed and 16 damaged, with no

  American losses. The actual losses for the

  three formations that bombed targets were 60

  missing and presumed shot down by fighters or

  flak. Howard himself claimed two destroyed, two

  probables and two damaged.

  On February 14, each of the Fourth’s three

  squadrons received a P-51B when the fighters

  were delivered to Debden. Blakeslee informed

  the pilots he expected all to check out in the

  new fighter between flying combat missions.

  There would be no down time to permit pilots to

  transition en masse.

  The Mustang was so easy to fly that little

  thought was given to extensive conversion

  training before entering combat. When the 352nd

  Fighter Group received their new Mustangs on

  April 7, 1944, pilot Robert “Punchy” Powell

  remembered, “We were coming back from

  ARTICLES

  Johnny Godfrey (l) and Don Gentile after the March 4, 1944 Berlin mission failed due to bad weather. The 4th had

  adopted their red nose marking on March 1, but Gentile and Godfrey left the front of their spinners white as an

  identification. Blakeslee told them to have the noses painted by the next mission on March 5. (USAF Official)

  P-51Bs of the 354th “Pioneer Mustang” group take off

  from their base at Boxted, England in the Spring of

  1944. (USAF Official)

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  a mission and when the field came in sight,

  we saw all these P-51s parked there.” On landing,

  Powell was informed by his crew chief that he

  was expected to take one of the Mustangs for an

  initial flight in 30 minutes. Powell was surprised

  and initially resisted the idea of not even

  studying the flight manual. “But that’s what we

  did. Our engineering officer showed me how to

  start it, and the next thing I knew, I was at 15,000

  feet. To get the feel of it, I did some tight turns,

  a chandelle in both directions, and a barrel roll.

  I tested the stall by putting the wheels down,

  cutting power and bringing the nose up till she

  stalled. I was surprised by how stable it was.

  I went back and landed and we flew our first

  mission in the new planes the next day.”

  Berlin had been listed as an especially

  suitable target in USSTAF’s original assignment

  of priorities issued in January. The purpose

  of attacking Berlin was not just to destroy the

  several important industries located within

  the city, or to shake the enemy’s morale. The

  desire was to goad the Luftwaffe into defending

  a target, so the defenders became targets of the

  fighters escorting the bombers, inflicting losses

  of pilots as well as aircraft. If there was a target

  the Germans could not ignore regardless, Allied

  planners believed it was Berlin

  Since January, the P-51's range had been

  extended. The P-51 with two 75-gallon tanks

  had an escort range of 650 miles, and with two

  108-gallon tanks that range was 850 miles;

  no target in Germany was out of range. The only

  holdup was a bottleneck in the supply of P-51s.

  By March 1, VIII Fighter Command had a second

  Mustang unit, the 4th Fighter Group flying their

  first Mustang mission on February 28. There

  were now some 150 P-51s available to the 354th,

  357th and 4th groups. The airplanes were still

  not fully reliable as the “bugs” were worked

  out and changes made on the production line.

  North American opened a second production

  line for the fighter in their Dallas, Texas, factory

  in addition to those produced in Los Angeles.

  the weather that had closed in at the

  conclusion of Big Week didn’t really open up all

  that much through the month of March. It took

  three tries to get the maximum force over Berlin.

  On March 3, the first Berlin mission was

  launched, but the bombers ran into steadily

  worsening weather over the North Sea. On March

  4, 29 B-17s of one combat wing got through the

  weather and bombed the Berlin suburb Klein

  Machnow, but the rest of the force had to turn

  back or bomb targets of opportunity in the Ruhr.

  Steve Pianos later remembered, “Eight Mustangs

  from our squadron and almost an equal number

  from the other two squadrons had to abort for

  various mechanical problems.” Finally, March

  6 saw the Eighth Air Force over Berlin The 354th

  managed to arrive with 33 P-51s after suffering

  15 aborts, led by James Howard; they claimed

  eight. The 357th claimed 20 victories, the group’s

  first “Big Day.” The Fourth claimed 15. Of the 600

  bombers that hit the city, 60 were. The Eighth

  returned to Berlin on March 8 with 623 bombers

  escorted by 725 fighters; 37 bombers and

  18 fighters were lost. On the third mission, flown

  on March 11, the defenders didn’t show up. Eighth

  Air Force replaced their losses by mid-month.

  The Luftwaffe never replaced their crucial

  losses of experienced pilots..

  Allegedly, after the war, when he was

  questioned by American interrogators at the

  Nuremberg War Crimes Trial, Reichsmarschal

  Hermann Göring said "When I saw Mustangs over

  Berlin, I knew the jig was up." Whether he said

  that to his interrogators or anyone else is open

  to question, but the fact that American fighters

  did show up over Berlin, the capital of Nazi

  Germany on March 6, 1944, with the Luftwaffe

  failing to appear on March 11, was proof that

  the only question remaining was how long the

  Second World War would last. The winners were

  already known.

  ARTICLES

  Major James H. Howard (l), CO of the 354th group’s 356th Fighter Squadron was awarded the Medal of Honor for

  single-handedly defending the B-17s of the 401st Bomb Group from Luftwaffe attack over Ochersleben, Germany,

  on February 11, 1944, becoming the only fighter pilot in the ETO so honored. (USAF Official)

  1st Lieutenant Willian T. Whisner of the 352nd Fighter Group with his P-51B “Princess Elizabeth” in June 1944.

  (USAF Official)

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  FOTOLEPTY

• “Monoplan de chasse allemand”

  Fokker's Eindeckers, also known as monoplanes, were not revolutionary in their design. However, by mid-1915, they had surpassed their rivals by incorporating a machine gun with synchronized firing through the propeller arc. Understandably, the Allied forces were keenly interested in obtaining an undamaged Fokker E for examination.

  “Monoplan de

  chasse allemand”

  Fokker's Eindeckers, also known as monoplanes, were not revolutionary in their design.

  However, by mid-1915, they had surpassed their rivals by incorporating a machine gun

  with synchronized firing through the propeller arc. Understandably, the Allied forces

  were keenly interested in obtaining an undamaged Fokker E for examination.

  Jan Bobek

  When the legendary French aviator Roland

  Garros of Escadrille MS 26 was captured

  on April 18, 1915, the Germans discovered

  a machine gun, installed on his Morane Saulnier

  G fighter, designed to fire through the propeller

  arc, alongside metal wedges on the propeller

  blades. These wedges (in most cases) deflected

  projectiles to the side if the blades were hit by

  fire. The German Idflieg promptly decided it

  was necessary to equip their own aircraft with

  a similar device. To their surprise, they found

  that Anthony Fokker had already developed

  a superior technical solution, which was

  relatively advanced. Contrary to the legend that

  the synchronization device was designed within

  48 hours, Fokker's team had been working on

  this solution for approximately six months.

  Fokker based his design on a patent by Swiss

  engineer Franz Schneider, which was published

  in full in Flugsport magazine in September 1914.

  Fokker's new fighter monoplanes entered

  service with the E designation for Eindecker

  mit MG, meaning a monoplane equipped with

  a machine gun. The Fokker A.III and E.I entered

  combat service from the summer of 1915.

  Their mission was to engage enemy aircraft

  penetrating German territory and to provide

  escort for their own multi-seat machines.

  Occasionally, the “Fokkerpilots”, as their pilots

  were known, targeted observation balloons as

  well. However, they had to be cautious not to

  be forced to land in enemy territory. The Fokker

  Eindecker, inspired by the Morane Saulnier G, did

  not introduce revolutionary features in terms

  of manoeuvrability, rate of climb, or speed. Its

  primary advantage laid in the synchronization

  device, it was thus crucial to prevent it from

  falling into enemy hands.

  The Eindeckers' combat tactics and efficiency

  proved to be a nasty surprise for their enemies.

  Aircraft losses on the side of the Entente were

  increasing significantly, while the tactics

  employed by the Fokker pilots were gradually

  evolving. This period became known as the

  “Fokker Scourge.” In January 1916, the RFC

  command had to issue an order directing that

  reconnaissance machineswere to be escorted

  by three other aircraft in close formation to

  enhance defences. The order explicitly stated

  that the reason for this measure was the

  presence of Fokkers operating in groups of three

  and four aircraft.

  The British had several synchronization

  systems at their disposal: the Vickers-

  Challenger, Scarff-Dibrovski, Sopwith-Kauper,

  Ross, and Arsaid. Similarly, the French could

  utilize the Alkan system. However, a challenge

  arose as these devices were originally designed

  for the relatively heavy Vickers-Maxim type

  machine guns equipped with belt-fed magazines.

  Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) was the first machine of this type to fall almost

  undamaged into the hands of the French. The plane was captured on April 10, 1916,

  at Courmelois. Photo: Reinhard Zankl

  ARTICLES

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  The Royal Flying Corps and the French Air

  Service, on the other hand, favored the lighter

  Lewis machine guns with drum magazines.

  The Germans managed to keep the secrets of

  their Fokkers well-guarded for quite a long time,

  until April 1916. However, everything changed

  in a matter of days. Firstly, one undamaged

  machine fell into the hands of the RFC on April 8.

  This occurred due to an inexperienced pilot who

  was flying a brand new E.III 210/16 (c. n. 509) to

  his unit. Accidentally flying to the enemy side of

  the front, over surprised Australian soldiers and

  flawlessly landed at a British airfield. Subsequent

  comparative tests with the Morane Bullet

  revealed the Fokker to be inferior to its opponent

  in all parameters, and the myth of this German

  bogeyman began to dissipate. Today, this aircraft

  is on display at the Science Museum in London.

  According to some authors, the German airman

  in question should have been Gefr. Johann

  (Hans) Hvüres from FFA 5 or from the Bavarian

  aviation unit FFA 5b. However, no aviator by this

  name is listed in the casualty summary in the

  contemporary press. This is likely a mistake, as

  a pilot with a similar name, Uffz. Hans Hviires,

  was killed on April 26, 1916, along with his

  observer Lt. Georg Jesko von Puttkamer. Their

  aircraft, an LVG C from FA 5, was attacked by

  a Nieuport 16 flown by test pilot and future fighter

  ace Lt. W. J. C. Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick of

  The British secured an undamaged Fokker E.III two days before the French. The

  machine 210/16 (serial no. 509) landed on April 8, 1916, at the airfield near Renescure.

  In this picture, it already bears British insignia. All other photographs in this article

  depict machine 196/16 (serial no. 488). Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Immediately after the emergency landing, monoplane 196/16 (registration No. 488)

  garnered considerable interest from French soldiers. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  The technical design of the rear-view mirror mounting is noteworthy in this photo.

  Photo: L'Argonnaute

  In this photo, the marking 196/16 (serial no. 488) can be seen on the left side of the

  fuselage. Although this was a new machine when it fell into French hands, the marking

  on the right side of the fuselage has been partially removed. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Immediately after landing and capturing the pilot, French soldiers obscured the

  markings on the upper surfaces of the Fokker with branches. In this photo, and the

  next one, this can be seen on the left wing. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  ARTICLES

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  No. 1 Aeroplane Depot in Saint-Omer. The German

  crew was attacked three times in total, and after

  the machine crashed at Flêtre, the airmen on

  board showed no signs of life. The identity of

  the Fokker pilot who flew over the front and

  smoothly landed at the enemy airfield on April 8,

  1916, with 210/16 remains unclear.

  The second almost undamaged Fokker E.III

  fell into the hands of the French Air Service

  just two days later, on April 10, 1916, under

  equally strange circumstances. The event

  also had several eyewitnesses, and there

  were even two photographers present at the

  scene of the incident. One of them, Jacques

  Tournadour d'Albay enjoyed, besides taking

  his colleagues' portraits in the manner of

  Transporting the partially dismantled aircraft from the emergency landing site.

  This is likely machine 196/16 (serial no. 488). Photo: Greg VanWyngarden

  Nieuport 10 (833) of Esc. N 38, crewed by Sgt. Gustave Douchy (pilot) and S/Lt. Francois Roederer (observer),

  after a failed landing in a field near Courmelois on April 10, 1916. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) was apparently photographed on April 10, 1916, during transport from

  Courmelois to Châlons, where it was displayed to the public the following day. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Gustave Douchy of Esc. N 38 stands in front of a fighter

  aircraft Spad XIII. He claimed his first victory on April 10,

  1916, during a duel with the pilot of Fokker E.III 196/16 (se

  -

  rial no. 488), but his kill was not confirmed. This appren-

  tice blacksmith and former aircraft mechanic achieved

  his first confirmed victory on May 5, 1916, and by June

  1918 had added eight confirmed victories to his account,

  with a further eight not recognized. Photo: Gallica

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard16

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  a professional reporter, to capture events not

  directly related to his missions within the 11e

  régiment du génie (Engineer Regiment). Be it the

  aftermath of a dogfight in April 1916, a machine

  gun demonstration in the presence of authorities

  four months later, or even a cooking contest in

  The Somme during September of the same year,

  these episodes were thereby the objects of

  genuine photographic reports.

  On April 10, 1916, while participating in the

  establishment of a floating bridge across the

  canal from the Marne to the Aisne, Jacques

  Tournadour d'Albay witnessed a dogfight

  opposing a French biplane to a German Fokker,

  after which he took several pictures of the

  German Fighter.

  “We're going to work. During lunch (on the bank),

  we're flown over by a French biplane pursuing

  a "Boche" aircraft. A few minutes later the “Boche”

  comes back, stutters and lands near Courmelois.

  The French descends quickly and rolls over. The

  airman injured his knee. The Fokker's pilot and

  his aircraft are unharmed. It's a Fokker E.III

  N° 196/16, propeller type Gnome 2,46m pitch 0,25.

  I take a few pictures.” Thus he recounts the event

  on April 10, 1916. Let's also add that the propeller

  was, in fact, produced by company Garuda, as

  evident from both the technical report and the

  photos.

  This photographer's notes clarify the until then

  unresolved question of where the overturned

  Nieuport seen near the Fokker in the photos

  came from. The pilot of the Fokker supposedly

  was Uffz. Anton Rösler (Rössler) of FFA 22.

  He had been at the front for a short time, having

  been assigned to the unit on March 15, 1916, but

  had already endured three aerial battles and

  forced one French aircraft to land. His Fokker

  E.III 196/16 (c.n. 488) was brand new and had

  left the factory in Schwerin on March 26. On the

  fateful April 10, just before 11 am, he engaged in

  a dogfight with a Caudron from Esc. C 28 and was

  then fired upon by anti-aircraft gunners from

  the 7e section d'autos-canons de DCA. He was

  subsequently pursued by a Nieuport 10 of Esc.

  N 38, crewed by Sgt. Gustave Douchy (pilot) and S/

  Lt. Francois Roederer (observer). When they saw

  that the Fokker was landing on French territory,

  they attempted to land next to it and preventits

  pilot from setting the valuable aircraft on fire.

  However, upon landing, they overturned. Although

  their victory was not verified, Douchy later

  became a fighter ace with nine confirmed kills.

  There were enough French soldiers on the

  The original archive photo is credited with the note that the Nieuport crashed near the Fokker E.III serial no. 488. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  A series of photographs from Courmelois showing Uffz. Anton Rösler of FFA 22, presumably before marching into captivity at Châlons. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  ARTICLES

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  scene to prevent Rösler from damaging or even

  destroying the Fokker. The captured pilot initially

  refused to talk, but after marching 30 kilometers

  and enduring 48 hours without food in the prison

  in Châlons, he began to answer questions at

  the headquarters of the 2nd Army. Apparently,

  it was from this statement that the information

  emerged that his unit was a Fokker Kampfstaffel

  A, and he took off on a combat flight from an

  airfield west of Rethel. However, it seems that

  he deliberately provided incorrect information,

  as his actual unit was Feldflieger Abteilung 22 in

  Vouziers. He claimed that he was not shot down

  but had to land due to an ignition failure. Upon

  examination of the aircraft, it was found to have

  several hits in the wing, one hit in the propeller,

  and the fuel tank had also sustained damage

  from a projectile. The Fokker was equipped with

  a 100 hp Oberursel U.I engine.

  Aircraft 196/16 was exhibited in Saint-Mémmie

  on April 11, 1916, then the French authorities

  transferred it to the air park in Saint-Cyr.

  During the summer of 1916, it was located at the

  Pau flight school. It was adorned with French

  insignia, but during trials at the research facility,

  it sustained damage due to a malfunction of the

  synchronization equipment. The subsequent fate

  of this aircraft remains unknown to me.

  There is no further information available

  regarding Anton Rösler, again in the case of

  this pilot, his name cannot be found in the

  contemporary list of losses, which was yet

  meticulously maintained. Considering the

  scarcity of information regarding both pilots,

  the loss of these two closely guarded military

  aircraft within two days raises intriguing

  questions, to say the least.

  I would like to express my gratitude to Messrs.

  Ian Boudoulec, Gregory VanWyngarden, and

  Reinhard Zankl for their invaluable assistance in

  the preparation of this article.

  Sources:

  CONY, Christophe. Mission sans retour - Le « fléau

  Fokker » enfin démasqué! Avions N.237

  BAILEY, Frank W.; CONY, Christophe. The French Air

  Service War Chronology 1914-1918. Grub Street: 2001

  FRANKS, Norman; BAILEY, Frank; DUIVEN Rick.

  Casulties of the German Air Service 1914-1920. Grub

  Street: 1999

  GRAY, Barry; HENSHAW, Trevor; DAVIS, Mick; KELSEY,

  Mike. De Havilland DH2 and the men who flew them.

  The Great War Aviation Society: 2022

  HERRIS, Jack; SCOTT, Josef. Fokker Aircraft of WWI

  Volume 2 Eindeckers. Aeronaut Books: 2021

  MÉCHIN, David. The WWI French Aces Encyclopedia

  Volume 3 Coudouret to Fonck. Aeronaut Books: 2021

  RACINE, Olivier. Jacques Tournadour d’Albay (1885-

  1963) - Médecin militaire et photographe dans la

  Grande Guerre. ECPAD: 2012

  RYHEUL, Johan. KEKs and Fokkerstaffels; Fonthill

  Media Limited: 2014

  VAN WYNGARDEN, Greg. Early German Aces of World

  War 1. Osprey Publishing: 2008

  In this photo taken on May 30, 1916, a delegation from the Russian Parliament inspects Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) at the air park in Villacoublay. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  #8156 #8419

  Plastic kits

  Fokker E.III

  at Eduard

  ARTICLES

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  Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488)

  at Saint-Mémmie, April 11, 1916

  The day after the Fokker fell into the hands of the French, it was displayed at Saint-Mémmie near Châlons-sur-Marne. Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Navy

  A picture taken during the assembly of the aircraft after its relocation from Courmelois. Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Navy

  ARTICLES

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  The Fokker was equipped with a Garuda propeller. Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Navy

  The marking 196/16 was partially removed on the starboard side of the Fokker,

  despite being a brand-new machine. Photo: Archives municipales de Toulouse

  A photographer prepares to take pictures of the cockpit.

  Photo: Archives municipales de Toulouse

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  There is no white paint on the lower part of the rudder, and the serial number 488

  is clearly visible. The serial number is also dimly visible on the portside elevator

  and on the top of the aft fuselage. Photo: Archives municipales de Toulouse

  The Fokker exhibits very high-quality workmanship. In the right part of the picture, a

  bullet hole is clearly visible in the wing canvas. Photo: Archives municipales de Toulouse

  Photo: Grosz via VanWyngarden Photo: Grosz via VanWyngarden

  The sheet metal finish is almost artistic.

  Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Navy

  The aircraft was armed with a standard LMG08 machine gun with a wide-type

  sight. Photo: L'Argonnaute

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  Fokker E.III 196/16 was unusually equipped with an air-driven pump. The pump was mounted on a strut on the undercarriage and supplied fuel from the auxiliary

  to the main gravity tank. Photo: Grosz via VanWyngarden

  Although this was a brand-new machine, wear is already evident on the front of the engine cowling. Photo: National Museum of the U.S. Navy

  ARTICLES

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  Photo: Archives municipales de Toulouse

  Photo: Grosz via VanWyngarden Photo: Grosz via VanWyngarden

  From left: altimeter,

  compass, mirror and

  production plate remo-

  ved from Fokker E.III

  196/16 (serial no. 488)

  Photo: Grosz via

  VanWyngarden

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

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  May 2024

• The Last Flight of L-39C Albatros 0440

  I am writing this summary on the request of a friend, mechanic and modeller. With respect to the fact that it pertains to our own activities, I will refrain from naming names, since I am not sure that my former colleagues would be agreeable with their printing. Furthermore, I must admit that I am describing an event that took place some fourteen years ago, and I cannot locate my copy of the investigation report conclusions, resulting in my going strictly by memory. I have recounted this story so many times to so many people, that I suspect that some deviation from the actual reality of it is unavoidable. So, please forgive me if the following recount is less than perfect.

  I am writing this summary on the request of a friend, mechanic and modeller. With

  respect to the fact that it pertains to our own activities, I will refrain from naming names,

  since I am not sure that my former colleagues would be agreeable with their printing.

  Furthermore, I must admit that I am describing an event that took place some fourteen

  years ago, and I cannot locate my copy of the investigation report conclusions, resulting in

  my going strictly by memory. I have recounted this story so many times to so many people,

  that I suspect that some deviation from the actual reality of it is unavoidable. So, please

  forgive me if the following recount is less than perfect.

  The Last Flight of L-39C

  Albatros 0440

  David Sochacký

  L-39C coded 0440 (Serial Number 395306) during service

  st Náměšt nad Oslavou. [Photo: Milan Simr]

  (Photo: unless specified otherwise,

  the Author’s and Tomas Dedera

  Archives)

  It was Monday, July 12, 2010 and a hot summer

  day was expected, and the Flight Training Center

  (CLV) in Pardubice had scheduled a standard

  flight regime for this day. At that time, the

  rule was followed that if the air temperature

  rises above 33°C, flying was postponed. The

  temperature was rising quickly, so we held off

  on flights for a bit.

  By this time I was in my second year of training

  at the CLV and our average logged flight time in

  the L-39C was about 300 hours per pilot. It was

  generally expected that we would be posted to our

  parent unit at the end of the year and our training

  would slowly transition to a maintenance phase.

  This required a lot of repetitive tasks. On that

  given day, we were to perform some air combat

  with planned maneuvers, with me acting as the

  target and my colleague and friend in the role of

  intercepting fighter. According to the applicable

  CLV rules, an instructor pilot had to be on board

  the ‘target’ aircraft at all times. The three of us

  held off with our flight until the mercury began to

  drop again. Around three o'clock in the afternoon,

  the air temperature reached its maximum and

  began to gradually decrease, so we began to

  prepare for the flight.

  The pair took off at 1600h local time, and

  ‘Forty’ (as we affectionately called the airplane

  coded 0440) was one of the so-called ‘lazier’

  machines, so it flew as the target and at the

  same time led the pair to the training zone. Our

  training area was known as ‘Oscar’ and ‘Mike’

  within the Pardubice TMA (Eastern) jurisdiction.

  Immediately after arriving in the zone, we took

  up our positions and the simulated combat

  began. The task of the target in this type of

  exercise is to perform prearranged escape

  maneuvers, while the fighter, on the other hand,

  had the task of maintaining his advantageous

  position in the rear hemisphere of the target and

  continuously creating necessary conditions for

  a cannon engagement. Essentially, it’s a sort of

  a dual higher level aerobatics.

  The weather was almost perfect and after

  a while I realized that I had an instructor pilot

  behind me who would definitely like to ‘fight’ too,

  so I asked him if he wanted to fly around a bit.

  It was clear to me that he would not refuse the

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard24

  May 2024

• Page 25

  ‘Forty’ in its final form in front of the hangar of the Aviation Training Center

  in Pardubice. This photo was taken about a month before the crash.

  L-39C coded 0440 in 2003, during service with the 222nd Training Squadron at Base 22 of the Czech Air Force at Náměšt nad Oslavou. [Photo: Milan Simr]

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

  25

  May 2024

• Page 26

  offer, because sitting in the back is sometimes

  boring. I handed over control of the aircraft and,

  for a change, I was enjoying myself and all I had

  to do was watch the time and fuel. Everything

  went according to plan, my colleague in the

  fighter role fought like a lion and even did not

  allow such an experienced pilot as my instructor

  to get the better of him. I watched the fuel

  dwindle and we agreed to do one more maneuver

  before we headed for home. A couple of vertical

  climbs followed to stay out of the sights of

  the guy behind with a transition to scissors

  (alternating horizontal turns at relatively low

  speeds), and my mood was approaching a very

  relaxed state. Out of nowhere, there were two

  loud metallic bangs coming from the engine bay.

  I shifted my view to the instrument panel

  to see what was going on. My instructor, who

  was famously calm, said nonchalantly into the

  intercom: ‘probably the engine’. At the same

  moment when the red lights on the panel began

  to light up, the radio from the plane behind us

  said in an excited voice: ‘You're on fire, your

  engine is on fire!’. White smoke and a column of

  sparks flowed from the engine's exhaust nozzle.

  Although I was not in control at the moment,

  I reached for the engine control lever, slid it to

  the STOP position, immediately shut off the fuel

  supply and pressed the fire extinguisher button,

  exactly as we had learned from emergency

  procedure drills. It did not help. ‘You're on fire,

  you're still on fire,’ number two radioed. Just to

  be sure, I pressed the fire extinguishing button

  a few more times, even though I knew that the

  extinguishing system could only be activated

  once. That was the moment I was really scared

  like never before and if it wasn't for the instructor

  in the back seat, I probably wouldn't have dealt

  with anything more and would have punched out

  regardless of everything else.

  Fortunately, the situation calmed down and

  the engine finally stopped burning. We were at

  7000 ft, everything on board was working except

  the engine, but our landing strip was 30 km away.

  ‘I won't make it to the field’, said the instructor,

  who was still flying the plane, over the intercom,

  as if apologizing to me for the situation in which

  we found ourselves. ‘Prepare for ejection’ was

  his next order. I tightened all the straps that

  bound me to the seat and, by extension, to the

  parachute. This was followed by a roughly two-

  minute phase of relatively calm gliding, during

  which we reported an emergency on the correct

  frequency, the second aircraft was behind

  us the whole time communicating with the

  tower. The direction of our flight was a wooded

  area northwest of the village of Borohrádek

  designated for such situations, however, it soon

  became apparent that we would not be able to

  make it that far either. ‘So get ready...NOW, get

  out of here’. I straightened up in the seat, put

  my head in the headrest, squeezed the catapult

  handles with both hands, clenched all my

  muscles and pulled on the handles…

  It took about a second to be out of the airplane.

  I remember how the canopy blew away and

  the rush of warm air when the seat started to

  move. Everything worked correctly and I was

  parachuting somewhere between a field and

  a meadow. Meanwhile, my instructor remained in

  the cockpit, having to rebalance the aircraft as

  a relatively large amount of mass disappeared

  from the front after my ejection. My exit from the

  plane took place at a height of approximately 1000

  meters above the ground, while the instructor

  pilot ejected at approximately 300 meters, only

  after he made sure that the impact of the plane

  on the ground would be in an uninhabited area.

  We both escaped relatively unscathed. The

  pilot of the second plane also enjoyed a great

  workload, not only shadowing us the whole time

  and communicating with the tower, but after the

  plane hit the ground, he recorded its position for

  the benefit of the subsequent rescue operation.

  At the same time, he had to fight not only with

  obvious stress, but also with a lack of fuel.

  Fortunately, after circling the crash site a few

  times to make sure we were alive, he returned to

  base and landed safely.

  My decent with the parachute was definitely

  not a textbook event, and while trying to control

  the parachute, I began to bounce around like

  crazy and I hit the ground like a sack of rice.

  Immediately after landing, I turned on my phone

  and called my wife and the base that I was okay.

  I spread the orange canopy of the parachute over

  the ground so that it was clearly visible from the

  air. It didn't take long for a pair of JAS-39 Gripen

  aircraft from the NATINAMDS standby system to

  fly over the crash site. A few minutes later I saw

  first the yellow air ambulance helicopter and

  then the blue police helicopter. They landed at

  the crash site, which was about two kilometers

  away from me, and then headed in my direction.

  They landed in a meadow a hundred meters

  from my position. In addition to the rescuers, my

  instructor also welcomed me into the helicopter.

  He was in a good mood as always. We shook

  hands with obvious relief and it dawned on me

  that despite all the bad luck, it actually turned

  out really well.

  The bottom line of the accident was one

  destroyed aircraft and minor material damage to

  the forest cover, but no one was injured, which

  is probably why I can remember this event with

  a smile on my face. After all, it was an important

  experience and it did not affect my love for flying

  in a negative way.

  L-39 0440 in the care of ground personnel of the CLV at Pardubice.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard26

  May 2024

• Page 27

  The last photograph of Albatros 0440, taken from the gun camera of the ‘attacking’ aircraft during simulated combat on July 12, 2010.

  A view of the crash site near Holice in Eastern Bohemia, taken from the rescue helicopter.

  Putting out the fire

  after the crash.

  (Photo: iDnes)

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

  27

  May 2024

• When You Need to Grab the Handles…

  The VS - 1 BRI ejection seat serves as the pilot's workplace in the Aero L-39 C, ZO and ZA Albatros series of aircraft, and at the same time, is there in the event of an emergency situation requiring rapid egress of the crew. The emergency egress system of the aircraft includes two VS-1BRI ejection seats, an emergency ejection system of the cockpit canopies of both pilots, and ensuring the proper and functioning order of ejection of all components.

  ARTICLES

  Tomáš Dedera

  The VS - 1 BRI ejection seat serves as the

  pilot's workplace in the Aero L-39 C, ZO and ZA

  Albatros series of aircraft, and at the same time,

  is there in the event of an emergency situation

  requiring rapid egress of the crew.

  The emergency egress system of the aircraft

  includes two VS-1BRI ejection seats, an

  emergency ejection system of the cockpit

  canopies of both pilots, and ensuring the

  proper and functioning order of ejection

  of all components.

  Main Technical Data:

  • Seat weight: 80.2kg

  • Seat dimensions: w x l x h: 588 x 810 x 1188mm

  • Maximum G Limit on ejection: 17g

  • Maximum altitude of parachute deployment: 4,000m

  • Stabilizer chute area: 0.5m2

  • Main chute area: 50m2

  • Rate of decent of main chute: 6m/s

  • Minimum speed at zero height (for proper

  canopy separation): 150km/h

  • Maximum safe ejection altitude in vertical dive

  and at maximum 900km/h: 1,500m

  • Maximum weight of equipped pilot: 108kg

  • Weight of seat with pilot: 188kg

  INFO Eduard28

  May 2024

• Page 29

  ARTICLES

  URM-1 booster rocket engine from below

  Main Components

  of the VS-1 BRI System:

  1. Seat frame

  2. Headrest

  3. Dual Firing Handles

  4. Telescopic ejection mechanism

  5. Booster rocket engine

  6. Parachute system PL-70I

  7. ND-39 Pilot Emergency Pack

  8. Communication connection ORK-9A

  9. KP-27M Oxygen supply system

  10. Left and right gear link and seat ejection

  control levers

  11. Seat pan height adjustment

  12. Pilot restraint system

  13 . T hr us t vec tor adju st ment of the URM-1

  rocket motor

  14. Firing trigger for the VMP stabilizer

  parachute

  15. Seat stabilizing system

  INFO Eduard

  29

  May 2024

• Page 30

  ARTICLES

  Main Components

  of the VS-1 BRI System:

  1. Seat frame

  2. Headrest

  3. Dual Firing Handles

  4. Telescopic ejection mechanism

  5. Booster rocket engine

  6. Parachute system PL-70I

  7. ND-39 Pilot Emergency Pack

  8. Communication connection ORK-9A

  9. KP-27M Oxygen supply system

  10. Left and right gear link and seat ejection

  control levers

  11. Seat pan height adjustment

  12. Pilot restraint system

  13 . T hr us t vec tor adju st ment of the URM-1

  rocket motor

  14. Firing trigger for the VMP stabilizer

  parachute

  15. Seat stabilizing system

  INFO Eduard30

  May 2024

• Page 31

  ARTICLES

  Overall view of the PP

  -

  TVM charge.

  PP

  -

  TVM cross section.

  Ejection system ensures:

  - Emergency egress from the aircraft in any

  order (1. front canopy, front pilot, 2. rear

  canopy, rear pilot or vise versa)

  - Ejection of one crew in flight

  - Proper ejection sequence in both cockpits

  while preventing simultaneous ejection from

  both cockpits, simultaneous canopy jettison,

  or any combination thereof.

  Description of the Ejection Sequence

  Once the pilot has decided that an emergency

  egress from the aircraft is necessary, all that

  needs to be done is to pull on the ejection

  handles upwards to initiate the ejection

  sequence All other system activities are fully

  automatic and completely independent.

  - This leads to an electromagnetic initiation

  of the ejection sequence of the second pilot,

  starting with canopy jettison.

  - Initiation ignition of the URM-1 rocket engine,

  - Securing shoulder straps

  - Igniting the charges for canopy jettison

  The seat will begin to move upwards along

  its rails, and at the beginning of the ejection

  sequence:

  - The pilot’s legs are brought into the seat and

  secured within the first 1,000mm,

  - After 315mm, uncoupling of the ORK-9A

  communication link via static cable ‘II’

  (on the left side of the seat) and a switch

  to the KP-27M oxygen system,

  - After 800mm, the LUN 5820-8 (KAP-3P/39V)

  dynamic pressure device valve is disengaged

  and the LUN 5820-8 and LUN 5821-8 (AD-3/39)

  firing seat releases are triggered via a static

  ‘I’ cable on the left and right seat sides,

  - After 850mm, the electrical connection

  between the aircraft and the seat is severed

  via cable ‘Iia’ on the right side of the seat.

  After between 0.25 and 0.45 seconds after

  the severed connection, the second seat

  and canopy are armed.

  After the seats clear the aircraft:

  - At the 1500mm point, with the use of cable ‘III’

  located on the right side of the seat,

  the URM-1 rocket booster is initiated.

  - At 1680mm, the telescopic system has done

  its job and the URM-1 is responsible for

  continued acceleration of the seat.

  - At 2800mm, the stabilizer chute is deployed

  via cable ‘IV’ on the left side of the seat,

  - The seat stabilizing chute is deployed by

  the jettisoning of a weight and the seat with

  the pilot are slowed.

  - Following the expiration of the set time delay

  of the LUN 5820-8 and LUN 5821-8 ‘releasers’

  of the ejection seat unlock the torso and

  shoulder restraint locks as well as the foot

  restraint locks,

  Seat Release Sequence

  - The ejection handles are released,

  - The pilot, emergency pack and parachute

  are separated from the seat,

  - After 600mm, the automatic parachute

  release LUN 5932-8 (AD-

  3P/39) and the combined parachute release

  LUN 5931-8 (KAP-3P/39V) activate,

  - The PL-70I parachute is opened by the

  LUN 5932-8 automatic release, and the

  stabilization parachute is pulled out,

  - The LUN 5931-8 release unlocks the PL-70I

  parachute canopy bag retaining lock

  and withdraws the bag from the canopy

  of the PL-70I parachute and fills it with air,

  - The decent of the pilot with the main chute.

  Chute Release Sequence:

  The emergency system also allows for the

  jettisoning of the cockpit canopies without

  a subsequent seat ejection.

  To activate it, it is necessary to flip the lever

  of the emergency canopy jettison

  (on the ground, secured by locking device

  No. 1), located on the right side of the cockpit.

  Finally, the pyromechanism of the canopy(ies)

  will work and the seats will be unlocked.

  Total number and location of explosive

  charges in the rescue system of the

  L-39

  - Two PK-7T units (or PP

  -

  TVM) associated

  with the telescopic component of the system,

  - Four VMP-2M units for the chute deployment

  system’

  - Two 120-4-2785 (or VVPR) associated

  with the shoulder restraint system

  - Two URM-1 rocket boosters,

  - Two PK-3M-1 (or PP

  -

  POP) associated

  with the canopy jettison system.

  Note: The original charges were of Russian

  or Soviet origin. Over time, they were repla

  -

  ced by products of domestic Czechoslovak

  (Czech) oigin, manufactured by Explosia a.s. in

  Semtín (types shown in parentheses).

  Speed

  (km/h)

  Release LUN 5820-8

  Time (s)

  Release LUN 5821-8

  Time (s)

  v≤450 0,4 1,5

  v>450 Blocked 1,5

  Altitude (m) releaseLUN 5931-8

  Time (s)/Altitude (m)

  ReleaseLUN 5932-8

  Time (s)

  H≤4000 1,5 0,5

  H>4000 After deceding to 4000 0,5

  INFO Eduard

  31

  May 2024

• Page 32

  ARTICLES

  Overall view of VMP-2M charge.

  Overall view of VVPR unit

  Overall view of the URM-1 booster.

  Overall view of the PP

  -

  POP

  VMP-2M cross section

  VVPR cross section

  Partial cross-section of the URM-1

  PP

  -

  POP cross section

  INFO Eduard32

  May 2024

• Page 33

  ARTICLES

  The set of charges to which one of the two pilots who

  had to eject from the Aero L-39ZA Albatros aircraft

  coded 2341 owes his life, near the home of the 22nd

  Air Force Base at Náměšť nad Oslavou.

  From left: Two VMP - 2M, NVVPR, PP

  -

  POP and

  PP

  -

  TVM. Only the URM - 1 is missing in this shot,

  which remained with the seat. It is worth noting the

  marking of individual pyro cartridges with the fuselage

  number of the aircraft and the Roman numerlas

  ‘I’ - front cockpit and ‘II’ - rear cockpit.

  Arming Pins

  For ensuring safety during servicing of the

  emergency systems and maintenance on a whole,

  arming pins are used. These items negate the

  possibility of accidental firing off of charges in the

  various mechanisms where they are found. The pins

  are removed immediately before flight and replaced

  immediately after.

  Numerical designations of the pins:

  1. Pin for emergency canopy jettisoning system

  2. Pin for initiating charges on the right side

  of the seat

  3. Pin for the shoulder strap tightening system

  4. Pin for the telescopic ejection mechanism

  5. Not used

  6. Pin for initiating charges on the left side of the seat

  7. Pin for cover jettison

  Pin insertion procedure in both cockpits:

  Prior to pilot leaving the aircraft:

  - Pin No.7 into the canopy jettison mechanism

  - Pin No.4 into the telescopic ejection mechanism

  - Pin No.3 into the shoulder strap tightening system

  - Pin No.1 into the emergency canopy jettison

  After pilot leaves aircraft:

  - Pin No.2 into the tie rod system on the right side

  of the aircraft

  - Pin No.6 into the tie rod system on the left side

  of the aircraft

  Schematics of various phases of L-39 ejection during different flight conditions.

  The rear cockpit – bulkhead with charge mechanism.

  Pin No.7 in position for the canopy jettison on the rear canopy

  frame.

  INFO Eduard

  33

  May 2024

• Page 34

  ARTICLES

  Position of Pins Nos. 2 and 3 on the VS-1 BRI seat:

  Pin No.3 in cross section of the shoulder strap tightening system

  Pin No.2 tie rod system on the right side of the seat

  A view of the VS-1 BRI headrest from above.

  Pin No. 6 in the tie rod system on the left side of the seat

  (Z.X) VMP pyromechanism with a weight to open the SP-70 stabilizer parachute

  (at the top of the photo)

  Pin No. 4 screwed into the telescopic mechanism

  Pin No. 3 in the pyromechanism for tightening the shoulder straps

  Pin No.1 position in the front cockpit

  Pin No.1 in the emergency canopy jettison lever on the right side (in the direction

  of flight)

  1. Lever for canopy jettison with Pin No.1

  2. Handles for emergency release of the pilot from

  the seat,

  3. Handle for unlocking the seat-canopy connection,

  enabling direct catapult through the canopy glass,

  4. Switch for arming the handles and disarming

  the second pilot

  5. Dual ejection handle

  6. Lever for loosening shoulder straps

  7. Adjustment wheel for quick adjustment of the angle

  of the URM-1 rocket motor (according to the weight

  of the fully equipped pilot),

  8. Locking/unlocking lever for the canopies.

  INFO Eduard34

  May 2024

• Page 35

  ARTICLES

  9. Headrest

  10. Pin No.3 for shoulder strap tightening

  11. A cup with a ball of static cable ‘0’ used for unlocking

  the seat's telescopic firing mechanism after the cockpit

  canopy has been jettisoned,

  12. Screw type Pin No.4 in the telescopic mechanism

  13. Charge mechanism of the VMP-2 stabilizing chute,

  part of the chute system SP-70I,

  14. SP-70I stabilizer chute

  15. Straps connecting the stabilizer chute to the seat,

  16. Canopy lock/unlock mechanism (four units on each

  canopy frame)

  17. Pin No.7 in the canopy jettison system,

  18. Charge for canopy jettisoning,

  19. Pin No.6 in the tie rod system on the left side

  of the canopy

  20. Seat height adjustment

  21. A triangular warning label that centrally integrates

  all safety devices and is the last item to be removed

  from the seat after unlocking all pyromechanisms,

  22. The marking ‘1’ in blue indicates the seat in the front

  cockpit, ‘2’ - in the rear cockpit.

  Thanks to Ing. Leoš Čermák for views of pyroprospecies

  and their intersection views.

  INFO Eduard

  35

  May 2024

• Air War in Ukraine - Black Month for Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defense

  After capturing Avdiivka last month, the Russian advance significantly slowed down from March 1 to March 31. Following heavy losses, they had to rebuild the offensive potential of their units. However, they resumed their pressure at the end of March. The Kremlin was in a hurry to take advantage of the time before Ukraine received the expected assistance.

  Miro Barič

  Air War in Ukraine

  Black Month for Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defense

  Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters at forward bases.

  During this period, the blocking of American

  military aid for Ukraine by Republican

  congressmen continued. Europe also

  significantly delayed its deliveries, and

  promises could not stop Russian tanks and

  aircraft. A bright spot was the Czech initiative to

  purchase artillery ammunition from countries

  outside Europe. Around 20 countries joined

  this initiative, providing funds for ammunition

  purchases. However, it will take some time to

  deliver the ammunition to the front.

  During this period, Ukrainian troops not only

  lacked artillery and mortar shells but also

  began to run out of missiles for air defense

  systems and other ammunition. This factor

  contributed to Russians inflicting higher

  losses on Ukrainian equipment than before.

  Russian reconnaissance drones operate deep

  in Ukrainian territory practically without

  resistance, identifying targets that are then

  engaged by artillery, missiles, or attack drones.

  During this period, Russians achieved their

  first confirmed destruction of an HIMARS

  rocket launcher. Lancet drones also destroyed

  the second wheeled self-propelled howitzer

  Zuzana 2 out of approximately ten pieces that

  Slovakia had delivered so far. However, the

  most serious loss was part of a Patriot air

  defense battery. Ongoing Russian glide bomb

  attacks forced Ukrainians to risk moving

  their air defense systems closer to the front

  line. The risk did not pay off, and on Saturday,

  March 9, a video surfaced showing a Russian

  attack on a Patriot battery convoy. The convoy

  had stopped during transit, and its commander

  was awaiting further orders. Before orders

  arrived, Russian drones spotted the convoy and

  guided an Iskander ballistic missile towards it.

  Ukrainian armed forces did not comment on

  this attack or the extent of the damage, but it

  appears that two or three launching devices

  and one technical support vehicle, likely

  a power generator, were destroyed. According

  to unofficial sources, crews of destroyed

  vehicles lost their lives.

  Ukrainian Losses

  The Ukrainian Air Force also suffered

  significant losses during this period. On Friday,

  March 8, a MiG-29 was shot down near the

  village of Shevchenko in the Pokrovsk district

  of the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian aircraft

  was hit by an R-77 missile from a patrolling

  Russian Su-35S fighter. The MiG-29 caught

  fire after being hit and fell almost vertically to

  the ground. The pilot failed to eject. Lieutenant

  Colonel Andriy Tkachenko of the 114th Tactical

  Aviation Brigade was killed.

  On Tuesday, March 12, Russians managed

  to intercept three Ukrainian helicopters from

  After capturing Avdiivka last month, the Russian advance significantly slowed down from

  March 1 to March 31. Following heavy losses, they had to rebuild the offensive potential of

  their units. However, they resumed their pressure at the end of March. The Kremlin was in

  a hurry to take advantage of the time before Ukraine received the expected assistance.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard36

  May 2024

• Page 37

  Debris of a Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter shot down on March 17 near Lukashivka

  in the Sumy region.

  Ukrainian MiG-29 shot down on March 8 near the village

  of Shevchenko in the Donetsk region.

  Series of shots documenting a Russian attack on three Ukrainian helicopters

  at a forward base near Novopavlivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where two

  aircraft were destroyed on March 12.

  the 12th Independent Army Aviation Brigade

  at a forward base near Novopavlivka in the

  Dnipropetrovsk region. They attacked with

  cluster munitions. Two Mi-17V-5 helicopters

  were destroyed, while the third Mi-8MT

  escaped. Two Ukrainian pilots, Captain Yaroslav

  Kava and Captain Andriy Bakun, lost their lives.

  In the Kherson region in southern Ukraine

  on Sunday, March 17, another Ukrainian Mi-8

  helicopter was shot down by portable rockets.

  The burning aircraft continued flying low above

  the ground, and two crew members jumped out,

  surviving with injuries. The pilot who enabled

  them to jump, however, did not survive. He was

  Vitaliy Plekha from the 16th Independent Army

  Aviation Brigade.

  On the opposite side of the battlefield, near

  Lukashivka in the Sumy region in northern

  Ukraine, near the border with Russia, a Mi-24

  helicopter was shot down on the same day,

  March 17. Russian soldiers managed to hit it with

  a portable missile, reportedly a 9K333 Verba.

  At least one crew member did not survive the

  subsequent crash. This incident was related to

  helicopter operations and its loss, tied to the

  activities of Russian volunteer units fighting

  on Ukraine's side. They comprise a diverse

  mix of individuals with various motives – from

  Russian right-wing extremists to minority

  members seeking independence from Russia.

  In the past, they have made several forays into

  Russian border villages, but always quickly

  withdrew back into Ukrainian territory. This

  time was different. Russian legions, supported

  by tanks, occupied at least two villages and

  fought on Russian territory for a whole week.

  One of these villages on Russian soil, Kozinka in

  the Belgorod region, was completely destroyed

  by bombing and artillery. This was intended

  to prevent Russian volunteers fighting on

  Ukraine's side from establishing a permanent

  presence there.

  Second Black Hawk

  During these operations on Russian soil,

  Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) used

  two Black Hawk helicopters. It was previously

  known that only one was in Ukrainian service.

  The first helicopter is a former U.S. Army

  UH-60A, originally serial number 80-23439,

  which received civilian designation N60FW

  after being retired from military service.

  The machine underwent a general overhaul

  and modernization by Ace Aeronautics from

  Alabama. The helicopter retained its civilian

  blue and black coloring, which made it

  identifiable. The second Black Hawk has an

  overall green color, Ukrainian national symbols

  on the sides, and white identification stripes

  on the tail. It bears the emblem of military

  intelligence aviation and the number 0420 on

  the nose. The Ukrainians likely obtained it from

  one of the private companies in the West.

  The last known loss during this period was

  a strike on a training L-39 Albatros aircraft at

  Kulbakino base in the Mykolaiv region. It was

  destroyed there by a Russian Lancet drone, and

  the video was released on Wednesday, March

  20. It is unknown whether it was an airworthy

  aircraft or a decoy. Albatros was covered by

  a protective netting at the base, suggesting

  it could have been an operational aircraft.

  However, such netting increases the realism of

  a decoy.

  ARTICLES

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  May 2024

• Page 38

  Russian drone Lancet hit a Ukrainian L-39 Albatros at Kulbakino base

  in the Mykolaiv region on March 20.

  Illustrative photograph of Ukrainian Mi-17 helicopters.

  Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters at forward bases.

  Crash of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter in the Kherson region on March 17. Two

  crew members managed to bail out, but the aircraft commander perished.

  Ukrainian Mi-24P helicopter under the care of ground personnel and its pilot in action.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard38

  May 2024

• Page 39

  Russian Losses

  During the observed period, the Russian Air

  Force lost one Su-27 fighter jet, which crashed

  into the Black Sea near the port of Sevastopol

  in occupied Crimea on Thursday, March 28.

  The burning aircraft spiraled down, and although

  the circumstances of its loss are unknown,

  it likely fell victim to its own air defense.

  The pilot ejected and survived.

  Not directly related to the war in Ukraine was

  the loss of an Il-76 transport plane on Tuesday,

  March 12, near Ivanovo Severny Air Base,

  approximately 250 km northeast of Moscow.

  An engine fire broke out during the flight, and

  the engine later detached completely. The

  pilots attempted to reach the airport, but the

  aircraft crashed into the forest. All 16 people

  on board perished – eight crew members

  and eight passengers, who were members of

  another crew from the 117th Military Transport

  Aviation Regiment.

  In Transnistria, a breakaway region of

  Moldova, the Russian army lost a Mi-8 helicopter

  marked with "yellow 04" on Sunday, March 17.

  However, this incident was the result of Russian

  provocation. Kremlin propaganda released

  a video claiming the helicopter exploded after

  being hit by an enemy drone. In reality, the

  helicopter had long been decommissioned and

  had been stationary for years. It was destroyed

  by an explosive device placed on board, and the

  drone footage was poorly edited.

  Ships at the Bottom

  Further losses were suffered by the Russian

  Black Sea Fleet. On Tuesday, March 5, the patrol

  ship Sergei Kotov from the Project 22160 class

  fell victim to a concentrated attack by a swarm

  of Ukrainian drones. This was a new ship

  that entered service only in July 2022. It was

  94 meters long with a displacement of 1,700

  tons. Onboard, it carried a 76mm caliber gun

  and machine guns. It could also carry Kalibr

  missile containers. Near Feodosia in Crimea,

  it was struck by multiple drones and sank.

  Along with it, a Kamov-type helicopter (Ka-27

  or Ka-29), standard equipment for ships of this

  class, likely also went down.

  The crew of the Sergei Kotov defended

  themselves with automatic weapons, but to

  no avail. BBC interviewed the commander of

  the Ukrainian intelligence unit that controls

  drone operations, responsible for the sinking of

  five Russian ships. Russian sailors use tracer

  ammunition to aim better at night. However,

  this also aids drone operators in evasive

  maneuvers because they can see where the

  Russians are shooting. Magura V5 drones

  have a range of 800 km and carry 250 kg of

  explosives. Their flat shape does not protrude

  high above the water. Made of plastic, they

  are harder to detect by radar and emit little

  heat, making them undetectable by thermal

  cameras. Operating at a speed of 80 km/h

  and measuring only six meters long, their

  presence at night is difficult to detect. During

  a single attack, multiple drones coordinate,

  increasing the likelihood of hitting targets. The

  entire operation lasts several days as drones

  cover distances of hundreds of kilometers.

  Operators must maintain control throughout.

  Consequently, operators are exhausted after

  the operation and require breaks for rest.

  On Sunday, March 24, the Ukrainian Air Force

  conducted a massive Storm Shadow / Scalp-EG

  cruise missile attack on occupied Crimea. The

  communication center of the Russian Black Sea

  Fleet was destroyed. Three ships in Sevastopol

  harbor were damaged. The landing ship Jamal

  listed heavily after being hit and was towed

  into dry dock. The second landing ship Azov

  was likely only slightly damaged after a missile

  missed and exploded on the pier next to it. The

  spy ship Ivan Churs narrowly avoided one hit

  as a missile struck the pier behind it, creating

  a large hole in the deck. Satellite imagery

  reveals these observations, but the full extent

  of the damage is unknown. Belbek Airport

  was also targeted, with Ukrainian sources

  claiming three Su-27 fighters were hit. One was

  destroyed, and two were damaged. However,

  this claim could not be verified.

  In addition to Scalp-EG missiles, Ukrainians

  also use another French weapon. In January,

  French President Emmanuel Macron promised

  hundreds of AASM HAMMER guided bombs to

  Ukraine. They were first used in early February,

  and in March, footage of MiG-29 fighters with

  these weapons emerged.

  Originally Czech Mi-24 helicopter in Ukrainian service. Slovak Mi-17 helicopter in Ukraine. Originally numbered 0847.

  krainian military intelligence now operates two Black

  Hawk helicopters.

  ARTICLES

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• Page 40

  AASM stands for Armement Air-Sol

  Modulaire, meaning Modular Air-to-Ground

  Weapon. The significance of the second

  abbreviation, HAMMER, is Highly Agile Modular

  Munition Extended Range. It is a kit that

  transforms ordinary unguided bombs into

  highly precise weapons. A guidance module

  is attached to the bomb's nose, and a rocket

  motor is attached to the rear. The basic kit is

  intended for 250 kg bombs, with a range of over

  70 km after release. Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters

  carry them on special racks previously used for

  similar weapons like JDAM ER.

  Destroying the Infrastructure

  In addition to military targets on the front,

  Russia also attacked civilian infrastructure

  in the hinterland during the observed period.

  On Thursday, March 21, Kyiv and Kharkiv were

  targeted by 29 cruise missiles and two Kinzhal

  and Iskander-M missiles. Ukrainian defenses

  intercepted all missiles, but falling debris

  caused damage, resulting in five deaths in

  Kharkiv.

  This attack was likely a test to ascertain the

  current positions of Ukrainian air defenses.

  On Friday, March 22, a much larger attack

  occurred, the largest since the war began. One

  hundred fifty-one missiles and drones targeted

  critical Ukrainian infrastructure, with defenses

  intercepting only 92 – mostly drones and

  cruise missiles. Russia deployed 12 Iskander-M

  missiles, seven Kinzhal missiles, five Kh-22

  missiles, and 22 S-300 missiles in ballistic

  mode. All 46 missiles hit their targets, partly

  because they avoided areas covered by Patriot

  systems. For example, the largest Ukrainian

  hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River

  in Zaporizhia was hit by ten missiles, destroying

  the plant, which will take years to repair.

  On Saturday, March 23, Russians took

  a minor break, sending only about 30 Shahed

  drones, most of which were shot down.

  On Sunday, March 24, they launched nearly

  60 missiles and drones. One missile penetrated

  the Polish airspace, spending 39 seconds there

  before turning back. This has happened several

  times in the past. Russia likely aims to use

  Polish airspace to attack the Lviv area from an

  unexpected direction. Consequently, the Polish

  Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the

  Russian ambassador, who declined to appear.

  Russian Su-27 fighter crashed into the Black Sea near Sevastopol port in occupied Crimea on March 28.

  The ship „Sergei Kotov“ became a target of the Ukrainian naval drones on March 5.

  The helicopter carried on her deck likely sank with it.

  Mi-8 helicopter "yellow 04" in a photo from the Transnistrian Ministry

  of Defense during its operational service.

  Two crews perished in the crash of an Il-76 near

  Ivanovo Severnyj base in Russia on March 12.

  Mi-8 helicopter "yellow 04" after being destroyed. It was a Russian provocation; the helicopter had been parked in one place for years.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard40

  May 2024

• Page 41

  Night battle of

  the Ukrainian

  126th Territorial

  Defense Brigade

  against drones.

  Nočný boj

  ukrajinskej 126.

  brigády teritori

  -

  álnej obrany proti

  dronom.

  Ukrainian police securing debris from a downed Shahed drone.

  Russian missiles on March 22 destroyed the

  largest Ukrainian hydroelectric power plant

  on the Dnipro River in Zaporizhia.

  Ukrainians use these mock ups as decoys.

  ARTICLES

  INFO Eduard

  41

  May 2024

• Page 42

  BOXART STORY

  Strong winds brush the surface of the sea, and

  the tops of the waves are decorated with white

  foam. But not even the elements can compete with

  the thousands of vessels heading for the Normandy

  shores that morning. The sound of aircraft engines

  makes the men on board look up. As many of them

  plead with God to protect them, the hundreds of

  planes heading for the coast will try to do the same...

  The D

  -

  Day, the Allied landings in France,

  represented the deployment of an enormous force.

  This included the 352nd Fighter Group and its three

  squadrons the 328th FS, 486th FS and 487th FS.

  Their Mustangs, which the entire group had only two

  months earlier re-equipped to, were adorned with

  blue bows. They have been nicknamed the "Blue-

  nosed Bastards of Bodney" for them and the base

  from which they operated.

  Midnight briefing

  Early in the morning of June 5, 1944, it is clear that

  something is going to happen. Missions are planned

  and then cancelled, flight operations are scarce, and

  by 3:30 in the afternoon the entire base is closed.

  The enlisted men are ordered to guard the perimeter

  and man the anti-aircraft guns.

  Several aircraft return from a mission over

  mainland Europe in the early afternoon, and the

  pilots learn immediately upon landing, from their

  mechanics, that there is an order to paint white and

  black stripes on all aircraft. So, cans of paint are

  distributed on individual stands and everybody able

  to pick up a paintbrush starts the work. This is about

  ninety Mustangs so the ground staff must do their

  part. In contrast, the pilots are told to rest during

  the day and get as much sleep as possible because

  a very early morning mission is planned. Rice

  pudding, among other things, is served for dinner.

  It turns out it is contaminated with salmonella, and

  soon several pilots and mechanics find themselves

  in a somewhat unusable state ...

  The briefing takes place at midnight and the

  pilots learn what they had more or less suspected.

  The invasion is here! It’s obvious that it’s going to be

  a busy day, as evidenced by the base surgeon’s words,

  he tells the pilots that he’s tasked with keeping them

  in the air until the beaches are fully secured. Even

  at the cost of having to give them some “pep pills”

  (amphetamine). In the end, that won’t be necessary,

  even though the pilots will spend up to 16 hours in

  the cockpits of their Mustangs. The adrenaline and

  the knowledge of the importance of what they’re

  doing will help. Watching hundreds of landing craft

  below them is an unforgettable and highly emotional

  experience. They are well aware that it is up to

  them to protect the 160,000 men on board from the

  deadly attacks of the Luftwaffe, and that they must

  destroy as much enemy equipment and manpower

  as possible.

  You can get an idea of what it must have looked

  like during the flyover of the landing zone from

  Piotr Forkasiewicz’s boxart for Limited kit No. 11181.

  It shows the aircraft of Capt. Henry White of the 328th

  FS and Lt. Carlton Fuhrman of the 466th FS.

  Fire at anything that moves!

  First combat mission of the entire 352nd FG

  is scheduled for 02:00 and the 486th Squadron is

  the first to take to the air. The next two will follow

  30 minutes apart. Thus, at 2 a.m., four mustangs line

  up on the runway, wing to wing, with experienced

  pilots in cockpits taking deep breaths and moving

  the throttles forward. The darkness is cut by the

  roar of Merlins driven up to maximum revs and

  the first flight takes off into the night sky. Just half

  a minute later, the second flight is ready to take

  off. The darkness, to which daytime fighters are

  not accustomed, makes orientation difficult and

  they deviate from the runway centerline to the right.

  Lt. Bob Frascotti suddenly sees the silhouette of the

  newly constructed control tower in front of him. It is

  the last thing he ever sees, for in the next second his

  Mustang shatters against it and explodes. It is the

  first aerial casualty of the entire Operation Overlord.

  The resulting fire then eases the takeoff orientation

  for the others at the cost of this tragedy.

  Most pilots fly three missions during D

  -

  Day. On the

  first, they fly to an area about 50 miles south of the

  beaches, where they join hundreds of other Allied

  fighters. The goal is to create an impenetrable barrier

  from ground level to more than 9,000 feet, preventing

  German aircraft to reach the landing beaches.

  Then, during the second and third missions, the

  “Bodney Bastards” scurry at low altitudes over land

  with a clear mission: Fire on anything that moves and

  heads for the beaches. The Mustangs destroy trucks,

  buses, carriages hauling guns and enemy manpower.

  The French Resistance has told people in the area to

  stay indoors all day if possible and not to go out at all,

  and especially not to go on the roads to minimize the

  risk of civilian casualties.

  The fighting on the beaches continues, but the

  work of the daytime fighters ends at dusk. Many

  more casualties will be needed, but nothing can stop

  the Allied forces. And the “Bodney Bastards” will

  return to their usual business of escorting bomber

  formations over Germany. In less than a year, it will

  all be over...

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  A challenging day

  Text: Richard Plos

  #11181

  INFO Eduard42

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• Page 43

  #84199

  BOXART STORY

  British fighter pilot “Johnnie” Johnson is one

  of the most significant figures in the history of

  air warfare. With 41 victories (34 solo and 7 in

  cooperation), he became the most successful

  Allied airman fighting the Luftwaffe in Western

  Europe. However, his journey to the cockpit of

  the Spitfire was by no means straightforward.

  He faced a number of rejections along the

  way and had to overcome the side effects of

  a pre-war rugby injury. From the end of 1940,

  he became fully involved in the combat

  activities of No. 616 Squadron RAF, and within

  its ranks in 1941, he scored 6.5 individual aerial

  victories and received a DFC .

  In July 1942 he was appointed commander

  of No. 610 Squadron RAF and led it into combat

  over the Allied landings at Dieppe in August

  1942. During this operation he was credited

  with shooting down an Fw 190, as well as 1/3 of

  a Bf 109 and shared damaging another Fw 190.

  In March 1943, he became commander of the

  Canadian Wing at Kenley (later redesignated

  No. 127 Wing RCAF). While in command of the

  Wing, he scored 14 solo victories and five more

  in cooperation by the autumn of that year.

  He took the helm of the No. 144 Wing RCAF in

  March 1944 as Allied forces prepared for the

  Normandy landings. By that time, the Allies

  had already conducted a number of successful

  landing operations in the Pacific, Africa, Sicily,

  and Italy.

  The Western Allied forces, backed by

  American industry, which had become the

  proverbial “Arsenal of democracy”, were able

  to execute the Normandy landings in June 1944,

  as well as the Saipan landings, accompanied by

  a naval and air battle in the Philippine Sea.

  On the Eastern Front, the Soviets launched

  Operation Bagration in late June 1944, during

  which they inflicted the greatest defeat in

  German military history on Nazi forces in

  the territory of Belarus. This success would

  not have been possible without the massive

  material assistance of the Western Allies.

  Johnson was the most successful fighter

  pilot in the UK on active service in the spring of

  1944. At the time of the Normandy landings, his

  No. 144 Wing was one of the finest units of the

  2nd Tactical Air Force, and Johnson's squadrons

  were the first units to operate from liberated

  territory in France. This gave them an advantage

  over their colleagues who were still based in

  England, allowing the experienced Canadians

  to engage the enemy far more frequently. They

  duly took advantage of these opportunities.

  Thus, Johnson supported a second landing in

  France, but this time without retreat.

  During that period, Johnson added nine more

  individual victories to his account. He scored

  the first kill of the streak on June 16 after

  9 p.m. northwest of Villers-Bocage. However,

  this encounter was proof that the German

  adversaries were far from defeated. Although

  their fighter units had been weakened by

  the systematic Allied campaign directed at

  them in the first half of 1944, there were still

  experienced leaders and wingmen in their

  ranks. It was only in the following months of

  fighting over Normandy that exceptionally

  heavy losses were inflicted on these units.

  A typical mission of the fightings in June

  1944 was assigned to a formation of eight

  Fw 190 A-8s from I./JG 1 in the evening of that

  day. The pilots were tasked with flying to the

  area near Valognes, where their objective was

  the free pursuit and attack of enemy ground

  columns. Upon their return, they encountered

  Johnson's formation in the Vire-Falaise area

  and successfully shot down four Spitfires of

  No. 443 Squadron RCAF. Only one of the airmen

  survived, and among the deceased were

  Squadron Leader J. D. Hall and Mexican pilot F/O

  Luis Perez-Gomez. The German airmen claimed

  six victories, with Lt. Anton Piffer claiming his

  34th and 35th victories, while their 6th victories

  were claimed by Uffz. Dobrat and Uffz. Rathofer.

  Piffer was killed in action the following day.

  Johnson, in one of his books, recalls this

  fight with respect for his opponents. Johnson

  struck his adversary low above the ground,

  recording it with gun camera, causing him to

  crash without a chance to bail out. The pilot,

  Fw. Alois Wenke of 2./JG 1, remained missing

  along with his Fw 190 A-8 “Black 2”. The other

  German pilot, Uffz. Fritz Hofmann of 3./JG 1, was

  wounded but saved by parachuting from his

  “Yellow 6”. However, it is not clear whether his

  aircraft may have been hit by one of the downed

  pilots of No 443 Squadron RCAF or by S/L H. W.

  McLeod, who scored a Bf 109 in that area that

  evening.

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  The second landing

  INFO Eduard

  43

  May 2024

• Page 44

  BOXART STORY

  The Allied landing in Normandy stands as

  one of the major turning points of the Second

  World War and simultaneously represents

  a significant milestone in the history of warfare.

  The successful execution of this operation

  would not have been possible without the air

  supremacy gradually established by the Allies

  in the air battles over Western Europe during

  the first half of 1944. It was in the battles over

  Normandy that this superiority was crucially

  demonstrated. On June 6, 1944, which has

  become synonymous with D

  -

  Day, Allied air

  forces flew an incredible 14,000 combat sorties

  over the battlefield.

  Obstlt. Priller, Kommodore of JG 26, is

  considered the first German airman to

  reach the landing zone, having flown with

  his wingman over the invasion beach before

  9:00 am. Despite the breathtaking number of

  invasion craft, the Germans believed until the

  evening that this was merely a diversionary

  operation and that the main landing would

  occur elsewhere. However, Priller was not the

  first airman to intervene against the invasion

  force. In fact, in the early hours of the morning,

  Fw 190 Gs from I./SKG 10 were dispatched

  against the Allied gliders. This unit, engaged

  in night attacks against targets in Britain,

  logically undertook combat sorties at dawn.

  However, during their first sortie, the pilots of

  I./SKG 10 did not locate the enemy aircraft.

  In the second morning sortie, they managed

  to shoot down four Lancaster bombers around

  5:00 am and additionally spotted the invasion

  force.

  The Luftwaffe, unprepared to defend against

  such an invasion operation in this area,

  deployed parts of the fighter units of JG 2 and

  JG 26 to the fight during the day. Additionally,

  ground attack Fw 190s from SG 4 and Ju 88 C

  heavy fighters from I./ZG 1 were also deployed.

  The total number of Luftwaffe combat sorties on

  the first day of the invasion represented about

  one percent of the number of sorties flown by

  their opponents. It was not until the evening

  that air reinforcements from Germany were

  moved to the Normandy battlefield, resulting in

  1,100 fighter aircraft on the airfields of northern

  France 24 hours later. However, less than three

  hundred of these were capable of deployment

  due to the chaotic transfer and maintenance

  shortcomings.

  The first Allied pilot to shoot down an enemy

  aircraft in the invasion area on June 6, 1944,

  was F/O J. A. Houlton of No. 485 Squadron

  RNZAF. He encountered an obstacle on take-off

  and swiftly switched from his personal aircraft

  to a Spitfire LF Mk.IX (MK950). At approximately

  3:30 pm, he successfully downed one Ju 88 C-6

  fighter of I./ZG 1 and another in cooperation with

  three other pilots near Caen. The Spitfire pilots

  of Belgian No. 349 Squadron RAF shot down

  two more and damaged several. The Germans

  of 2./ZG 1 lost two Junkers planes, and none of

  their crews survived. A third Ju 88 from this

  Staffel returned to base with 10% damage, but

  all three crew members sustained injuries. Two

  more machines were reportedly lost by 1./ZG 1.

  However, defensive fire from one of the Ju 88

  crews shot down one of the Belgian Spitfires.

  No. 485 Squadron RNZAF was part of No. 135

  Wing of the RAF, alongside colleagues from

  No. 222 and 349 Squadron RAF. On June 7, its

  squadrons lost two Spitfires, one of which was

  accidentally shot down by Allied flak. John

  A. Houlton took off for combat again on June 8

  in his personal Spitfire ML407, designated OU

  -

  V.

  He flew it on a sortie with No. 135 Wing in the

  evening, conducting a low-level patrol.

  Allied pilots encountered a group of about

  twenty Fw 190s and twelve Bf 109s near Caen,

  each carrying bombs under the fuselage.

  Top cover was provided by the No. 349 Squadron,

  while fighters from No. 222 Squadron and 485

  Squadron engaged the Germans. After a wild

  chase, the Spitfire pilots claimed seven aircraft

  shot down and another seven as damaged,

  without suffering any losses themselves. The

  dramatic moments of this evening air combat

  were captured in box art by Piotr Forkasiewicz.

  Further details on Spitfire ML407, including

  its current whereabouts, can be found in the

  historical text accompanying the kit.

  The identity of the unit with the Messerschmitt

  Bf 109 is unclear, but in the case of the Fw 190,

  it was most likely the III./JG 54 “Grünherz”,

  which had moved to Normandy the previous

  day. One aircraft, an Fw 190 A-8/ZY, WNr. 170644,

  “White 2”, was lost in this fight, with its pilot, Fw.

  Wilhelm Müller, sustaining injuries. After this

  battle, the German pilots reported two victories.

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  D

  -

  Day plus two

  Text: Jan Bobek

  #7473

  INFO Eduard44

  May 2024

• Page 45

  1 Bristol Beaufighter £13.00

  2 Blackburn Buccaneer £13.00

  3 Junkers Ju 87 Stuka £13.00

  4 North American F-100 Super Sabre £13.00

  5 Hawker Typhoon £13.00

  6 Avro Shackleton £14.00

  7 Junkers Ju 88 £13.00

  8 Hawker Hunter £17.00

  9 Grumman F4F Wildcat/Martlet £13.00

  10 Vickers Wellington £13.00

  11 de Havilland Sea Vixen £13.00

  12 Fairey Swordfish £15.00

  13 Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor £14.00

  14 BAC Lightning £18.00

  15 Short Stirling £14.00

  16 Hawker Sea Fury £13.00

  17 Gloster Javelin £14.00

  18 Douglas Skyraider £14.00

  19 de Havilland Hornet and Sea Hornet £14.00

  20 Supermarine Seafire (Griffon engine) £15.00

  21 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley £14.00

  22 Gloster Meteor £20.00

  23 Fairey Gannet £15.00

  24 Dornier Do 217 £14.00

  25 Short Sunderland £14.00

  26 Bristol Blenheim £15.00

  27 de Havilland Vampire £20.00

  28 Fairey Firefly £17.00

  29 Hawker Sea Hawk £15.00

  30 Avro Vulcan £16.00

  31 RAF/RN Phantoms £17.00

  32 Douglas A-20 Boston/Havoc £17.00

  33 Heinkel He 177 £14.00

  34 Avro Lincoln £16.00

  35 Fairey Barracuda £15.00

  36 Handley Page Victor £16.00

  37 Gloster Gladiator £17.00

  38 Republic F-105 Thunderchief £15.00

  39 Supermarine Walrus £13.00

  40 Canadair/Commonwealth Sabre £16.00

  41 Fairey Fulmar £15.00

  42 Boulton Paul Defiant £13.00

  43 Lockheed F-104 Starfighter £18.00

  44 de Havilland Venom £15.00

  45 Martin B-57 Canberra £16.00

  46 Handley Page Halifax £17.00

  47 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo £15.00

  48 Westland Lysander £15.00

  49 Fiat G.91 £15.00

  50 Bristol Beaufort £15.00

  51 Lockheed Neptune £16.00

  52 Fairey Albacore £15.00

  53 Avro Anson £16.00

  54 Westland Whirlwind F.Mk I £13.00

  55 Hawker Tempest £14.00

  56 Blackburn Firebrand £14.00

  57 Handley Page Hampden £14.00

  58 Supermarine Swift £14.00

  59 Lockheed Hudson £14.00

  60 English Electric Canberra £20.00

  61 Savoia Marchetti S.79 Sparviero £14.00

  62 Handley Page Hastings £14.00

  63 Vickers Valiant £14.00

  64 Convair F-102 £15.00

  65 Westland Wessex £17.00

  66 Bristol Bulldog £13.00

  67 Folland Gnat and Ajeet £13.00

  68 Bristol Brigand £13.00

  69 Martin B-26 Marauder £14.00

  70 Vought Corsair £18.00

  71 Armstrong Whitworth 650/660 Argosy £14.00

  72 Vickers Supermarine Merlin Seafire £14.00

  73 North American B-25 Mitchell £15.00

  74 Hawker Siddeley Harrier £17.00

  75 BAe Sea Harrier £15.00

  76 Grumman Tracker/Trader/Tracer £17.00

  77 Curtiss P-40 £15.00

  78 Aer Macchi C.202-205 Folgore-Veltro £15.00

  79 Consolidated PBY Catalina £17.00

  80 Saab Draken £17.00

  81 Junkers Ju 52 £14.00

  82 BAC Jet Provost £17.00

  83 Fairey Battle £17.00

  84 Grumman F6F Hellcat £18.00

  85 Supermarine Scimitar £15.00

  86 Vickers Wellesley £15.00

  87 Grumman Avenger £18.00

  88 Lockheed T-33A £15.00

  89 Avro Lancaster £18.00

  90 Boeing B-17 £18.00

  91 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 'Fishbed' £27.00

  92 Grumman HU-16 Albatross £17.00

  93 Messerschmitt Me 262 £15.00

  94 Supermarine Attacker £15.00

  95 Westland Sea King £18.00

  96 Consolidated B-24 Liberator £27.00

  97 North American RA-5C Vigilante £18.00

  98 Avro York £17.00

  99 McDonnell Demon £17.00

  100 Republic F-84F and RF-84F £20.00

  101 de Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth £16.00

  102 Convair B-36 £16.00

  103 Avro Manchester £14.00

  104 General Dynamics F-111 & EF-111A £20.00

  105 Sopwith Pup £14.00

  106 Sikorsky S-55/H-19 & Westland Whirlwind £18.00

  107 Ilyushin Il-2 ‘Sturmovik’ £15.00

  108 Martin Mariner & Marlin £17.00

  109 Douglas C-54/R5D Skymaster & DC-4 £21.00

  110 Westland Scout & Wasp £16.00

  111 Vought OS2U Kingfisher £16.00

  112 Douglas A3D Skywarrior £20.00

  113 Panavia Tornado ADV £17.00

  114 McDonnell F4 Phantom II £25.00

  115 Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle £14.00

  116 Hawker Fury and Nimrod £17.00

  117 Douglas F4D/F-6 Skyray & F5D Skylancer £15.00

  118 NAA B-45 Tornado £16.00

  119 Grumman F9F Panther £15.00

  120 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 £17.00

  121 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk £26.00

  122 Albatros D.I - D.III £16.00

  123 de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk £15.00

  124 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 £17.00

  125 Bristol Britannia plus Argus & Yukon £17.00

  126 Grumman F-14 Tomcat £26.00

  127 Cessna T-37 ‘Tweet’ & A-37 ‘Dragonfly’ £21.00

  128 Bristol Scout £15.00

  129 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 £18.00

  130 Ilyushin Il-28 £18.00

  131 Auster

  in British Military & foreign air arm service

  £18.00

  132 Boeing B-52A-F Stratofortress £25.00

  133 Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota

  £25.00

  134 Aero L-29 Delfin £21.00

  135 DH.89 Dragon Rapide & Dominie

  £17.00

  136 Airspeed Oxford & Consul £18.00

  137 Douglas SBD Dauntless

  £28.00

  138 Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk £18.00

  139 de Havilland (Canada) DHC-2 Beaver £18.00

  140 North American OV-10 Bronco £28.00

  141 Vickers Viking, Valetta & Varsity £19.00

  142 Dassault Mirage F1 £19.00

  Warpaint Specials

  No.1 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt £19.00

  No.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 £25.00

  No.3 de Havilland Mosquito £25.00

  No.4 Cessna Bird Dog £12.00

  No.5 NAA P-51 Mustang and Derivatives £22.00

  No.6 Dambusters and the Lancaster £20.00

  WHAT’S IN A WARPAINT BOOK?

  All major credit cards accepted. Orders can be placed by mail, telephone, fax or through the website.

  (www.guidelinepublications.co.uk) Plus postage and packing on all orders.

  Overseas readers pay postage at air mail printed paper rate.

  For more information and secure ordering please visit:

  www.guidelinepublications.co.uk

  W

  W

  A

  A

  R

  R

  P

  P

  A

  A

  I

  I

  N

  N

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  B

  B

  O

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  S

  S

  de Havilland (Canada)

  DDHHCC--22 BBeeaavveerr

  By Adrian M. Balch

  A pair of U.S. Army L-20A Beavers, 53-2817 in

  Arctic colours and 56-06381 in standard gloss

  Olive Drab sceme in 1956. (Photo: de Havilland

  Canada/Aird archives)

  WARPAINT SERIES No.139

  North American

  OOVV--1100 BBrroonnccoo

  By Mike Verier

  'Triple nuts' the CO of VMO-2's aircraft, on the ramp at MCAS

  Camp Pendleton in 1987, freshly painted in the then-new three-

  colour camouflage. Like all D models 155499 was converted from

  a Vietnam era OV-10A. Subsequently upgraded to 'D+' '499 went

  on to serve in Desert Storm and is today preserved at Pima

  County Air & Space Museum. (Mike Verier)

  WARPAINT SERIES No.140

  p int Master 02/10/2023 18:50 Page 54

  Vickers

  VVIIKKIINNGG,, VVAALLEETTTTAA && VVAARRSSIITTYY

  In military service

  Adrian M. Balch

  Varsity T.1s, WL629-K & WJ917-AA, of RAF

  5 FTS near Oakington, Cambridgeshire in

  1968 (Author's collection)

  WARPAINT SERIES No.141

  p_Warpaint Master 28/12/2023 10:10 Page 54

  Dassault

  MMIIRRAAGGEE FF11

  By Andy Evans

  A French Air Force Mirage F1 returns to its mission

  after receiving fuel from a US Air Force KC-10

  Extender while flying over Afghanistan in support of

  Operation ‘Enduring Freedom’, on 25 November

  2010. (US Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

  WARPAINT SERIES No.142

  Master 19/03/2024 20:24 Page 58

  COMPLETE AND DETAILED HISTORY

  AIRCRAFT IN DETAIL PHOTOS

  AIRCRAFT COLOUR AND CAMOUFLAGE DRAWINGS

  AIRCRAFT COMPLETE PRODUCTION LISTS

  INDIVIDUAL AIRCRAFT, UNITS, SQUADRONS, SERIALS AND CODES

  AIRCRAFT COMPREHENSIVE SPECIFICATIONS

  Guideline Publications Limited, Dunstable Business Centre, Office Suite No.2,

  Blackburn Road, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5BQ

  Telephone: +44 (0)1582 668411, Email: kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk

  Warpaint Books Advert No 142.qxp_Warpaint Books Full List Advert 20/03/2024 09:56 Page 1

• Page 46

  #11181

  OVERLORD: D

  -

  DAY MUSTANGS

  1/48

  The Limited edition of the kit of the famous US fighter aircraft P-51B Mustang in 1/48 scale. The kit offers aircraft which took part

  in the operation Overlord. Marking selection covers American and British aircraft taking part during the D

  -

  Day and successive

  opeations in June 1944.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 10

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 05/2024

  Dual Combo

  INFO Eduard46

  May 2024

• Page 47

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6934, Capt. Henry White, 328th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF,

  Bodney, Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106472, Lt. Carlton Fuhrman, 486th FS, 352nd FG,

  8th AF, Bodney, Great Britain, June 1944

  The 352nd Fighter Group was formed on

  September 29, 1942 and activated three days

  later on October 1. Its first commander was

  Lt. Col. Edwin M. Ramage. The 328th, 486th, and

  487th Fighter Squadrons, all initially flying P-47s

  before rearming to P-51B, were part of the group.

  During June and July, the group moved from the

  USA to the UK. The first commander of the 328th

  Fighter Squadron was Capt. J. H. Posten, the most

  famous of the commanders was Maj. G. E. Preddy,

  the most successful American P-51 fighter pilot

  with 26.83 confirmed kills. Capt. Henry White flew

  a total of 89 operational sorties with the unit,

  recording two kills. He achieved the first on May

  28, 1944, and the second on July 18. The entire

  squadron scored 143 kills, 14 were destroyed

  probably and 35 damaged by its pilots on the

  ground during the war. Captain White’s P-51B bore

  the distinctive livery of “Blue-nosed Bastards of

  Bodney”, as the 352nd FG was nicknamed after

  the blue noses of its aircraft. On the left side

  forward of the cockpit, a painting of a girl in

  a red bikini and the name “Dallas Darling” adorned

  the nose. Full invasion stripes are portrayed here.

  The aircraft, named The Flying Scot II / Vicious

  Virgie J. G., was first assigned to Lt. Murdoch

  R. Cunningham, Lt. Carlton Fuhrman subsequently

  took it over and on September 12, 1944, it was

  written off on landing when it crashed into

  Lt. Glennn Wensch. The entire 486th FS shot

  down 114 enemy aircraft confirmed, five probably

  and 21 were damaged. Lt. Fuhrman, however, was

  not among the winners of any of the air combats.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  47

  May 2024

• Page 48

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6688, 1Lt. Arval J. Roberson, 362nd FS, 357th FG,

  8th AF, Leiston, Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51C-1-NT, s/n 42-103309, Lt. William B. Overstreet, 363rd FS, 357th FG,

  8th AF, Leiston, Great Britain, June 1944

  “Robby” Robertson joined the ranks of the Army

  Reserves in June 1942 and was officially an

  Army pilot on May 20, 1943. He was assigned to

  the 362nd FS, with which he subsequently flew

  76 missions. In all, he scored six confirmed

  victories over German fighters, with another

  remaining unconfirmed. During the Korean War,

  he credited himself with another 100 combat

  missions as a member of the 12th FBS/18th

  FBG. Already at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel,

  he added 26 more missions with the C-47.

  Robertson retired in 1973 as the last commander

  of Otis Air Force Base before its closure.

  His P-51B Mustang, serial number 43-6688, was

  the first of two aircraft named the Passion Wagon

  (the other was P-51D 44-13691), and Robertson

  achieved all of his kills with it.

  “Bill” Overstreet became particularly famous for

  his story of chasing a German Bf 109 through

  the arches of the Eiffel Tower. The dogfight was

  supposed to have taken place sometime in the

  spring of 1944, but it is questionable whether the

  passage through the Eiffel Tower actually took

  place. Nor is the exact date of the duel known,

  and there is no mention in German records

  of such a strange event as a fighter plane

  crashing into the streets of Paris ... Overstreet

  was, however, an aggressive and capable pilot,

  and on September 3, 1944, for example, he took

  part in a top-secret mission in which a remote-

  controlled four-engine bomber attacked a heavily

  defended German heavily protected submarine

  base hidden in the cliffs. He subsequently flew

  other secret missions in support of the French

  Resistance, often landing behind enemy lines.

  His Berlin Express, with which he was to fly under

  and through the Eiffel Tower, bore a partial coat of

  olive drab paint on the upper surfaces, while the

  sides and undersides were left in a natural metal

  and aluminum paint.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard48

  May 2024

• Page 49

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106448, Cpt. Henry W. Brown, 354th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF,

  Steeple Morden, Great Britain, June 1944

  P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106924, 2nd Lt. Ralph K. Hofer, 334th FS, 4th FG,

  8th AF, Debden, Great Britain, June 1944

  “Baby” Brown was a fighter ace with 14.2 kills,

  damaging three other aircraft. On the ground

  he destroyed 14.5 and damaged 10. He achieved

  four wins with the Thunderbolt, the others on

  the Mustang. He became the 355th FG’s fifth ace

  fighter on April 24, 1944, and by May 13, he even

  held the status of the most successful fighter of

  the entire group. Returning from leave, he then

  became the most successful fighter of the entire

  8th Air Force in late August after destroying eight

  aircraft on the ground and seven in the air in

  a 30-day period. Further increases in his score

  were halted by a German flak hit that forced

  Brown to make an emergency landing on

  enemy soil on 3 October 1944. His commander,

  Maj. Chuck Lenfest (5.5 kills), landed nearby to

  rescue him, but his Mustang bogged down in the

  mud and both pilots eventually fell into captivity.

  He remained in the service after the war and

  led the F-111 development program at Nellis AFB.

  Later he was commander of the 48th TFW and

  deputy commander of operations for the 7th AF

  during the Vietnam War. He retired in 1974 and

  died on 19 February 2008 at the age of 85.

  Light-hearted, perhaps undisciplined, but all

  the more courageous and charismatic was

  “Kid” Hofer, one of the USAAF’s most successful

  fighters. The nickname was based on his youthful

  appearance and flowing and by Army standards

  long hair as well as his prevailing good humor.

  Until his death, he destroyed 15 enemy aircraft

  in the air, damaging two and destroying another

  14 on the ground. On July 2, 1944, “Kid” participated

  in the escort of bombers to Budapest from the

  Italian base Foggia. Prior to reaching the target

  area, a group of Bf 109 entered the scene and the

  aerial battle started. Hofer’s leader had to make

  an emergency landing due to a malfunction and

  watched from the ground as a Hungarian Bf 109,

  sitting on the tail of his Wingman, opened fire.

  Hofer’s Mustang was apparently only damaged

  and so he tried to return to the base. Near Mostar,

  he decided to strafe a German airfield, his P-51B

  “Salem Representative” was hit by flak and “Kid”

  Hofer was killed.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  49

  May 2024

• Page 50

  P-51B-5-NA, s/n 43-6425, Maj. Jack T. Bradley, CO 353rd FS, 354th FG,

  9th AF, A.2 Criqueville, France, June 1944

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106647, Capt. John R. Brown Jr., 382nd FS, 363rd FG,

  9th AF, Staplehurst, Great Britain, June 1944

  Jack Bradley became an Army pilot with the rank

  of 2ndLt on August 27, 1942, and was assigned

  to the 384th FG/353rd FS on January 18 the

  following year. After moving to England, he

  achieved his first kill out of 15 confirmed (plus

  three probable and 12.66 damaged) on December

  20. With “Margie Maru” carrying code FT B, he

  achieved his first success on December 30, when

  he contributed a third of the damage to Do 217.

  Bradley was promoted to Captain in mid-January

  and took command of the 353rd FS at the end

  of the month. He kept the position until June 30,

  when he left for the USA for leave and took the

  post again on his return. He subsequently served

  as deputy CO of the 354th FG and at the end of

  the war, already at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel,

  became the CO. After the war he stayed with the

  Air Force, retiring from the Reserves in December

  1962. His Margie Maru is shown in a state where it

  bore the symbols of 15 kills, the invasion stripes

  on the fuselage were painted very carelessly.

  The aircraft was subsequently given the

  designation FT W and the name “Edgewood’s

  Entry”.

  Prior to the combat, John Brown had managed to

  destroy four aircraft and damage one in various

  accidents, so he claimed himself to be only three-

  fifths of an aircraft away from becoming a Luftwaffe

  ace. He flew successively in the 356 FG and 362 FG,

  both with P-47s, then briefly became commander

  of the 382nd FS/363 FG, flying the P-51B. He was

  shot down with his “Big Mac” on August 8, 1944,

  while leading a formation of eight P-51s in an

  attack on ships in Bedonet Harbor. It was his 99th

  mission. He made an emergency landing near

  Quimper after being hit by flak from a destroyer

  but managed to escape capture and slip back to

  the Allies within a week. He subsequently became

  commander of the 437th FS/414 FG, with which he

  moved to Guam, where he flew P-47Ns. After the

  war, he became an air attaché in Afghanistan and

  Pakistan, and completed a secret mission in the

  USSR. During his wartime career, he scored one

  aerial kill, destroyed four enemy aircraft on the

  ground, and damaged eight.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard50

  May 2024

• Page 51

  P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106763, Capt. George R. Rew, 374th FS, 361st FG,

  8th AF, Bottisham, Great Britain, June 1944

  Mustang Mk.III, FB382, S/Ldr Eugeniusz Horbaczewski, No. 315 (Polish) Squadron,

  RAF Coolham, Great Britain, June 1944

  The 361st Fighter Group was activated on January

  28, 1943, subsequently joining the 8th Air Force

  at RAF Bottisham, England. Initially flying P-47s,

  it rearmed to P-51s during May 1944. Although

  its pilots primarily provided long-range escort to

  bomber formations, they did not neglect attacks

  against ground targets, either by strafing or

  bombing. This is evidenced by one hundred of

  painted bomb symbols under the cockpit of the

  “Scarlet Kate” Mustang flown by Capt. George

  Robert Rew, who later commanded the 374th FS.

  The entire 361st FG achieved 226 aerial victories

  during World War II, and on the ground its pilots

  destroyed another 106 enemy aircraft.

  Eugeniusz Horbaczewski was born on September

  28, 1917, in Kiev and educated in Brest-Litovsk.

  He joined the Polish Air Force in 1937. In

  September 1939 he fled to France via Romania

  and from there he came to the UK. After

  completing his training with the RAF, he was

  assigned to No. 303 Squadron in late 1940 and in

  early 1943 was selected for a special Polish Flying

  Team, formed by Stanislaw Skalski and operated

  under umbrella of No. 145 Squadron. Over Tunisia

  Horbaczewski became the most successful pilot

  of this group, achieving five victories in less than

  a month. After the Team was disbanded he was

  assigned to No. 601 Squadron operating in the

  Mediterranean area and in early July to No. 43

  Squadron which he commanded from August.

  On his return to the UK in February 1944 he took

  command of No. 315 Squadron, flying Mustang

  Mk. III. On August 18, 1944, he was shot down in

  the Beauvais area and killed, having previously

  shot down three Fw 190s in the combat himself.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  51

  May 2024

• Page 52

  In the following gallery we want to

  present you the new sprues that are

  part of the 11181 OVERLORD kit. We have

  designed the 1/48 scale P-51B Mustang

  to take into account the comments made

  by modelers about the 1/48 scale P-51D

  Mustang. So we have changed the design

  of several subassemblies that we would

  like to present to you in the photos.

  P-51B highlights

  The F-sprue remains unchanged and is the same as in the P-51D 1/48 kit.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard52

  May 2024

• Page 53

  The K sprue contains parts for the standard canopy version.

  Sprue L contains parts for the Malcolm hood variant.

  We have decided to recreate the open canopy in one part, which will make it

  much easier for modelers to glue cleanly.

  We decided to make the open cockpit part in one piece with rails.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  53

  May 2024

• Page 54

  The M-sprue includes fuselage parts for the version without the fin fillet.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard54

  May 2024

• Page 55

  On the O-sprue you can find the wings, landing flaps and vertical stabilizers.

  The landing flaps are again offered only for

  the variant in the open (dropped) position.

  From the inside, the wing is pre-prepared for the installation of a Brassin gun bay kit (cat.no. 648997).

  Where the surface was not puttied, rivets were instead rendered.

  The wing surface is depicted without rivets where the aircraft actually had a flush surface.

  Elevator moving surfaces are available in two variants - canvas

  and metal.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  55

  May 2024

• Page 56

  The entire P-sprue contains cockpit parts only.

  There are 3 types of seats...

  ...also 2 types of cockpit

  sidewalls, one for the

  standard canopy version,

  the other for the Malcolm

  hood version...

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard56

  May 2024

• Page 57

  ...and also several sets of radios.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  57

  May 2024

• Page 58

  On the R-sprue we find parts for the main wheel bay assembly, and exhausts.

  The main wheel bay are completely redesigned. You can

  read the story of its construction in the article “All about

  the bays” in Info 04/2024.

  The exhausts

  are rendered

  withpre-

  -drilled holes.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard58

  May 2024

• Page 59

  The S-sprue includes propellers, radiator and small parts.

  We have redesigned the complete radiator assembly, including the missing plastic grille.

  In the kit we can also

  find 4 types of propeller

  blades and 2 types of

  spinner cones.

  Here again we find

  several variations of

  the cooling vents on the

  engine covers.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  59

  May 2024

• STEP by STEP

  P-51B 1/48

  STEP BY STEP

  STEP STEP

  BY

  built by Jan Baranec

  1/48

  P-51B

  INFO Eduard60

  May 2024

• Page 61

  STEP BY STEP

  I used the dashboard from the LÖÖK product line, catalog number

  644268.

  Right cockpit sidewall. Details are painted with a brush, edges are

  painted in a lighter shade.

  Left cockpit sidewall, painted using the same process.

  While it is more work to paint such a part, the one piece seat just

  sticks to the cockpit after painting. I painted the seat belts and

  padding with a brush.

  The Royal Class P-51B/C 1/48 package includes a 3D printed

  seat, which itself includes the pilot's harness.

  INFO Eduard

  61

  May 2024

• Page 62

  STEP BY STEP

  Assembled and painted cockpit. I decided to

  sand the floor paint to show the wooden base.

  INFO Eduard62

  May 2024

• Page 63

  STEP BY STEP

  Assembled cockpit glued into one part of the fuselage.

  Main landing gear bay assembled, painted and

  weathered. The bay is different from the one

  on the P-51D kit, it is redesigned, including the

  landing gear leg seating pin.

  INFO Eduard

  63

  May 2024

• Page 64

  STEP BY STEP

  After gluing the fuselage together, I scribed the rivets that were partly erased and the necessary maintenance doors for the particular version.

  A view of the assembled cockpit. You can see the seat very well. I finished the rivets on the engine cowling and made

  an imitation of the quick release screws.

  INFO Eduard64

  May 2024

• Page 65

  STEP BY STEP

  I also finished the rivets on the bottom of the fuselage.

  The part representing the machine gun

  barrels is very well molded with the

  wing halves.

  To mask the undercarriage bays I cut

  masks from kabuki tape according to

  the undercarriage doors.

  Assembled model before the first spraying.

  The plastic made radiator is already better

  compared to the P-51D. Just paint it and the

  result is satisfactory.

  View of the built-up LÖÖK instrument panel in the cockpit.

  INFO Eduard

  65

  May 2024

• Page 66

  STEP BY STEP

  Sprayed with gloss black Gunze GX2.

  Spraying with metallic

  paints from the Super

  Metallic range, specifically

  SM01 base spray, then SM01

  with a drop of black and

  then differentiating the pa-

  nels with SM03 and SM05.

  I sprayed the silver painted

  areas that were puttied and

  the tail moving areas with

  Gunze C8 paint.

  INFO Eduard66

  May 2024

• Page 67

  STEP BY STEP

  Spraying of engine covers

  with blue Gunze C65.

  I sprayed the US national insignia emblems using masks from

  EX1038 set.

  Preparation for spraying the invasion stripes.

  White masking.

  Black Gunze C33.

  Spraying with white Gunze C69.

  INFO Eduard

  67

  May 2024

• Page 68

  STEP BY STEP

  Final look after unmasking.

  INFO Eduard68

  May 2024

• Page 69

  STEP BY STEP

  To show the trim around the fuselage markings, I masked

  the markings with an overlap.

  I applied the decals according to the procedure

  in Info 02/2024, using the peel-off method.

  INFO Eduard

  69

  May 2024

• Page 70

  STEP BY STEP

  I represented the streaks using Abteilung oil paints.

  The abrasions

  are rendered with

  a brush and a dab

  of Vallejo metallic

  paint.

  I sprayed the exhaust streaks with Gunze

  C101 Smoke diluted paint.

  INFO Eduard70

  May 2024

• Page 71

  STEP BY STEP

  The spatter from the undercarriages is created using diluted Oilbrusher

  paint from Ammo.

  Assembled, painted and decaled small parts.

  Landing gear door with weathering.

  Painted and weathered exhausts from the Brassin set (cat.no.648992).

  I used masks from

  EX1036 set to paint

  the cockpit canopy

  – both outside and

  inside areas.

  Assembled and weathered pro-

  peller assembly. According to the

  period photos I have also recreated

  the scuffs on the spinner cone.

  Assembled and patinated Brassin wheels (cat.no. 648988).

  Assembled and painted landing gear legs.

  INFO Eduard

  71

  May 2024

• Page 72

  built by Jan Baranec

  #11181

  MARKING B

  1/48

  Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/48_scale_hangar/

  Accessories used:

  648988 P-51B/C wheels cross tread (Brassin)

  648992 P-51B/C exhaust stacks (Brassin)

  EX1036 P-51B/C framed canopy TFace (Mask)

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard72

  May 2024

• Page 73

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  73

  May 2024

• Page 74

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard74

  May 2024

• Page 75

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106472,

  Lt. Carlton Fuhrman, 486th

  FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, Bodney,

  Great Britain, June 1944

  The aircraft, named The Flying Scot II / Vicious

  Virgie J. G., was first assigned to Lt. Murdoch R.

  Cunningham, Lt. Carlton Fuhrman subsequently

  took it over and on September 12, 1944, it was

  written off on landing when it crashed into

  Lt. Glennn Wensch. The entire 486th FS shot

  down 114 enemy aircraft confirmed, five probably

  and 21 were damaged. Lt. Fuhrman, however, was

  not among the winners of any of the air combats.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  75

  May 2024

• Page 76

  Recommended:

  for P-51B/C 1/48

  #648997

  #648986 #648987

  FE1449 P-51B/C seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644268 P-51B/C LööK (Brassin)

  648986 P-51B/C wheels diamond tread (Brassin)

  648987 P-51B/C wheels oval tread (Brassin)

  648988 P-51B/C wheels cross tread (Brassin)

  648992 P-51B/C exhaust stacks (Brassin)

  648993 P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing (Brassin)

  648994 P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  648997 P-51B/C gun bays PRINT (Brassin)

  6481002 P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT (Brassin)

  3DL48177 P-51B/C SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX1036 P-51B/C framed canopy TFace (Mask)

  EX1037 P-51B/C Malcolm Hood canopy TFace (Mask)

  EX1038 P-51B/C US national insignia (Mask)

  OVERTREES

  #82107X

  P-51B/C Mustang

  w/o dorsal fin

  1/48

  Product page

  OVERLEPT

  #11181-LEPT1

  OVERLORD: D

  -

  DAY

  MUSTANGS 1/48

  Product page

  #648988

  #648992

  #644268

  #648994

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard76

  May 2024

• Page 77

  1/48

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late

  The Weekend edition kit of British fighter aircraft

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: no

  painting mask: no

  resin parts: no

  #84199

  Product page

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  77

  May 2024

• Page 78

  MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson, No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford, Great Britain /

  B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France, June 1944

  ML407, F/O John A. Houlton, No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron,

  RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

  When W/Cdr “Johnnie” Johnson returned to

  combat operations in March 1944, he assumed

  command of the newly formed Canadian

  Spitfire No. 144 (RCAF) Wing (Nos. 441, 442

  and 443 Squadron) operating as part of No. 83

  Group, 2TAF (Second Tactical Air Force). Its new

  personal Spitfire was the MK392, sporting the

  stylized personal codes JE

  -

  J. During the intense

  air battles of Normandy, No. 144 Wing was one of

  the best fighter Wings in the 2TAF and became

  the first Allied unit to have a permanent base

  in Europe (from June 12; forward airfield B.3

  Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer). However, as part of

  a unit reorganization, No. 144 Wing was disbanded

  in mid-July and Johnson assumed command

  of No. 127 (RCAF) Wing. With his Spitfire MK392,

  he increased his number of kills by a further

  12 aircraft, including four Bf 109s and eight

  Fw 190s, five of which he shot down during the

  June landings. During the Second World War,

  James Edgar “Johnnie” Johnson DSO & Two Bars,

  DFC & Bar made over 700 operational combat

  sorties and attacked enemy aircraft on 57

  occasions. He achieved 41 aerial victories, 34 solo

  and seven shared, three more shared probable,

  10 damaged, three shared damaged and one

  destroyed on the ground. This score made him

  the most successful Allied fighter ace against the

  German Luftwaffe on the Western Front.

  Spitfire serial number ML407 was built at Castle

  Bromwich as LF IXC and delivered on April 23,

  1944, to No. 33 MU. Six days later ATA pilot Jackie

  Moggeridge flew it to No. 485 Sqdn (RNZAF),

  with which it commenced operational service

  with the codes OU

  -

  V as F/O Johnnie Houlton’s

  personal aircraft. The ML407 was reconfigured

  to the Mk.IXE version while serving with No. 485

  Sqdn and Houlton shot down two Bf 109s and

  damaged one during the June invasion days.

  In all, he shot down seven aircraft during his

  wartime career, two of them shared. The aircraft

  itself served with six squadrons of 2TAF (Nos. 341,

  308, 349, 345 and 332 Squadron) during World

  War II, flew 176 combat sorties during which

  it logged 319 hours and the pilots in its cockpit

  shot down four aircraft and damaged one. After

  the end of the war, ML407 had an eventful career.

  In 1950 it was converted to one of six Type 509

  (T Mk.IX) two-seat trainers for the Irish Air Corps,

  where it served until July 8, 1960. It was stored

  in disassembled condition from 1962 to 1968 and

  sold for use in the film “The Battle of Britain”

  (although it did not appear in the film). In August

  1979 the aircraft was purchased by Nick Gracee

  and, after refurbishment, was flown under the

  registration G

  -

  LFIX on April 16, 1985. After Nick

  Grace’s untimely death in a car crash in October

  1988, ML407 was operated by his wife Carolyn,

  who sadly, like her husband, was tragically killed

  in a car crash in 2022. Today the aircraft is based

  at Duxford where it still flies in the period colors

  of No. 485 Squadron as OU

  -

  V.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard78

  May 2024

• Page 79

  MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron, RAF Selsey,

  Great Britain, June–July 1944

  ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron, RAF Harrowbeer,

  Great Britain, June–July 1944

  No. 341 Squadron was under the command of

  Capt. Michael Boudier as part of No. 145 (Free

  French) Wing operating with 2TAF from Merson

  Airfield with Spitfire Mk.IXC aircraft. With seven

  kills achieved in the ranks of Nos. 340 and 341

  Squadron between 1942 and 1943, Boudier was

  by then a well-known fighter ace. Spitfire MJ671,

  which Boudier flew regularly from February 19,

  1944, sported his personal emblem, a drawing of

  Popeye the Sailor smashing a swastika with his

  fist on the left side of the engine cowling. With the

  MJ671, Boudier participated in all pre-invasion

  and invasion actions of the Wing. His fateful day

  was July 9, 1944, when No. 341 Squadron clashed

  with Luftwaffe fighters. Boudier, flying a reserve

  aircraft, shot down a Bf 109 in the ensuing battle,

  but the next moment his own aircraft was

  accidentally shot down by an American P-47 pilot.

  Boudier was rescued by parachute and, although

  wounded in the leg, managed to evade German

  patrols, and walk 14 kilometers before contacting

  the Resistance. Three weeks later, however, he

  was arrested by the Gestapo in Rouen. He was

  imprisoned in poor conditions and sentenced to

  death after three months. However, his resolute

  and military attitude impressed the Germans, and

  he was eventually imprisoned in Germany, where

  he was liberated on April 29, 1945.

  John Agorastos “Johnny” Plagis was the most

  successful Greek pilot of the Second World War.

  His greatest successes came during the defense

  of the island of Malta in 1942, where he was one

  of the first Spitfire pilots to take off from HMS

  Eagle on March 6, 1942. In June he became

  Squadron Leader of No. 185 Squadron and scored

  12 kills during the fighting over Malta. After

  returning to Britain and recovering, he became

  Squadron Leader of No. 64 Squadron in April 1943.

  In mid-June 1944 he took command of No. 126

  Squadron and during the invasion days of July

  and August he scored his last three confirmed

  kills. His personal Spitfire Mk.IXc ML214 5J

  -

  K,

  which he flew with No. 126 Squadron, bore, like

  his previous Spitfires, his sister Kay’s name

  under the front plate, the symbols of kills and

  the narrow invasion stripes intended for high-

  altitude fighter aircraft. No. 126 Squadron was

  formed in Malta in June 1941 by renumbering

  No. 46 Squadron. The squadron operated in

  Malta during the Axis offensives of late 1941 and

  1942. In 1943 it continued to support the invasion

  of Sicily and for the rest of the year performed

  defensive duties with the Coastal Air Force.

  In April 1944 came the move to the UK where the

  unit, fully rearmed with Spitfires Mk.IXC, joined

  the ADGB, where it gradually became part of the

  wings from Culmhead, Harrowbeer and Bradwell

  Bay. In December, No. 126 Squadron moved to

  Bentwaters, where it became part of the Wing

  of long-range Mustangs, to which the unit was

  subsequently rearmed.

  49639 Spitfire Mk.IXc (PE

  -

  Set)

  49674 Spitfire MK.IXc late Weekend (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE840 Spitfire Mk.IX seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  644008 Spitfire Mk.IX late LööK (Brassin)

  648100 Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit (Brassin)

  648112 Spitfire Mk.IX engine (Brassin)

  648113 Spitfire Mk.IX gun bay (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)

  EX413 Spitfire Mk.IXc Weekend (Mask)

  Recommended: for

  Spitfire mk.IXc late 1/48

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  79

  May 2024

• Page 80

  #7473

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late

  1/72

  The Weekend edition kit of British fighter aircraft

  Spitfire Mk.IXc late in 1/72 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: no

  painting mask: no

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard80

  May 2024

• Page 81

  ML407, F/O John A. Houlton, No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, RAF Selsey,

  Great Britain, June 1944

  MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson, No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford, Great Britain /

  B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France, June 1944

  Spitfire serial number ML407 was built at Castle

  Bromwich as LF IXC and delivered on April 23,

  1944, to No. 33 MU. Six days later ATA pilot Jackie

  Moggeridge flew it to No. 485 Sqdn (RNZAF),

  with which it commenced operational service

  with the codes OU

  -

  V as F/O Johnnie Houlton’s

  personal aircraft. The ML407 was reconfigured

  to the Mk.IXE version while serving with No. 485

  Sqdn and Houlton shot down two Bf 109s and

  damaged one during the June invasion days.

  In all, he shot down seven aircraft during his

  wartime career, two of them shared. The aircraft

  itself served with six squadrons of 2TAF (Nos. 341,

  308, 349, 345 and 332 Squadron) during World

  War II, flew 176 combat sorties during which

  it logged 319 hours and the pilots in its cockpit

  shot down four aircraft and damaged one. After

  the end of the war, ML407 had an eventful career.

  In 1950 it was converted to one of six Type 509

  (T Mk.IX) two-seat trainers for the Irish Air Corps,

  where it served until July 8, 1960. It was stored

  in disassembled condition from 1962 to 1968 and

  sold for use in the film “The Battle of Britain”

  (although it did not appear in the film). In August

  1979 the aircraft was purchased by Nick Gracee

  and, after refurbishment, was flown under the

  registration G

  -

  LFIX on April 16, 1985. After Nick

  Grace’s untimely death in a car crash in October

  1988, ML407 was operated by his wife Carolyn,

  who sadly, like her husband, was tragically killed

  in a car crash in 2022. Today the aircraft is based

  at Duxford where it still flies in the period colors

  of No. 485 Squadron as OU

  -

  V.

  When W/Cdr “Johnnie” Johnson returned to

  combat operations in March 1944, he assumed

  command of the newly formed Canadian

  Spitfire No. 144 (RCAF) Wing (Nos. 441, 442

  and 443 Squadron) operating as part of No. 83

  Group, 2TAF (Second Tactical Air Force). Its new

  personal Spitfire was the MK392, sporting the

  stylized personal codes JE

  -

  J. During the intense

  air battles of Normandy, No. 144 Wing was one of

  the best fighter Wings in the 2TAF and became

  the first Allied unit to have a permanent base

  in Europe (from June 12; forward airfield B.3

  Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer). However, as part of

  a unit reorganization, No. 144 Wing was disbanded

  in mid-July and Johnson assumed command

  of No. 127 (RCAF) Wing. With his Spitfire MK392,

  he increased his number of kills by a further

  12 aircraft, including four Bf 109s and eight

  Fw 190s, five of which he shot down during the

  June landings. During the Second World War,

  James Edgar “Johnnie” Johnson DSO & Two Bars,

  DFC & Bar made over 700 operational combat

  sorties and attacked enemy aircraft on 57

  occasions. He achieved 41 aerial victories, 34 solo

  and seven shared, three more shared probable,

  10 damaged, three shared damaged and one

  destroyed on the ground. This score made him

  the most successful Allied fighter ace against the

  German Luftwaffe on the Western Front.

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard

  81

  May 2024

• Page 82

  MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron, RAF Selsey,

  Great Britain, June–July 1944

  ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron, RAF Harrowbeer,

  Great Britain, June–July 1944

  No. 341 Squadron was under the command of

  Capt. Michael Boudier as part of No. 145 (Free

  French) Wing operating with 2TAF from Merson

  Airfield with Spitfire Mk.IXC aircraft. With seven

  kills achieved in the ranks of Nos. 340 and 341

  Squadron between 1942 and 1943, Boudier was

  by then a well-known fighter ace. Spitfire MJ671,

  which Boudier flew regularly from February 19,

  1944, sported his personal emblem, a drawing of

  Popeye the Sailor smashing a swastika with his

  fist on the left side of the engine cowling. With the

  MJ671, Boudier participated in all pre-invasion

  and invasion actions of the Wing. His fateful day

  was July 9, 1944, when No. 341 Squadron clashed

  with Luftwaffe fighters. Boudier, flying a reserve

  aircraft, shot down a Bf 109 in the ensuing battle,

  but the next moment his own aircraft was

  accidentally shot down by an American P-47 pilot.

  Boudier was rescued by parachute and, although

  wounded in the leg, managed to evade German

  patrols, and walk 14 kilometers before contacting

  the Resistance. Three weeks later, however, he

  was arrested by the Gestapo in Rouen. He was

  imprisoned in poor conditions and sentenced to

  death after three months. However, his resolute

  and military attitude impressed the Germans, and

  he was eventually imprisoned in Germany, where

  he was liberated on April 29, 1945.

  John Agorastos “Johnny” Plagis was the most

  successful Greek pilot of the Second World War.

  His greatest successes came during the defense

  of the island of Malta in 1942, where he was one

  of the first Spitfire pilots to take off from HMS

  Eagle on March 6, 1942. In June he became

  Squadron Leader of No. 185 Squadron and scored

  12 kills during the fighting over Malta. After

  returning to Britain and recovering, he became

  Squadron Leader of No. 64 Squadron in April 1943.

  In mid-June 1944 he took command of No. 126

  Squadron and during the invasion days of July

  and August he scored his last three confirmed

  kills. His personal Spitfire Mk.IXc ML214 5J

  -

  K,

  which he flew with No. 126 Squadron, bore, like

  his previous Spitfires, his sister Kay’s name

  under the front plate, the symbols of kills and

  the narrow invasion stripes intended for high-

  altitude fighter aircraft. No. 126 Squadron was

  formed in Malta in June 1941 by renumbering

  No. 46 Squadron. The squadron operated in

  Malta during the Axis offensives of late 1941 and

  1942. In 1943 it continued to support the invasion

  of Sicily and for the rest of the year performed

  defensive duties with the Coastal Air Force.

  In April 1944 came the move to the UK where the

  unit, fully rearmed with Spitfires Mk.IXC, joined

  the ADGB, where it gradually became part of the

  wings from Culmhead, Harrowbeer and Bradwell

  Bay. In December, No. 126 Squadron moved to

  Bentwaters, where it became part of the Wing

  of long-range Mustangs, to which the unit was

  subsequently rearmed.

  SS597 Spitfire Mk.IX seatbelts STEEL (Pe-Set)

  SS651 Spitfire Mk.IX radiator grilles (Pe-Set)

  672112 Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit (Brassin)

  672124 Spitfire Mk.IX top cowl late (Brassin)

  672126 Spitfire Mk.IX engine (Brassin)

  672134 Spitfire Mk.IX legs BRONZE (Brassin)

  3DL72015 Spitfire Mk.IXc SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  CX454 Spitfire Mk.IX (Mask)

  Recommended: for

  Spitfire mk.IXc late 1/72

  KITS 05/2024

  INFO Eduard82

  May 2024

• Page 83

  www.eduard.com/bfc

  BUNNY BUNNY FIGHTERFIGHTER

  CLUB

  Eduard's special membership club for all modeling enthusiasts!

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

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

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

  products, specially made for BFC members.

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

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

  these events.

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

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

  to the members of BFC.

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

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

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

  BOX CONTENT:

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

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

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

  -

  dewalk instrument and control panels with photo-etched details and

  seat belts.

  BOX CONTENT:

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

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

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

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

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

  cart. Activation product is excluded from this calculation.

  Activation products:Activation products:

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

• Page 84

  BRASSIN

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Gannet AS.1 and AS.4

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

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109 in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644263

  Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööK

  1/48 Airfix

  644266

  Bf 108 LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard84

  May 2024

• Page 85

  644267

  P-51B/C LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for P-51B and P-51C in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 3 sets for Fw 190A-7 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

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

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644243

  Fw 190A-7 LööKplus

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  85

  May 2024

• Page 86

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 4 sets for F-35B in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

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

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  - ejection seat

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644267

  F-35B LööKplus

  1/48 Tamiya

  674006

  Bf 109G-6 LööK

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard86

  May 2024

• Page 87

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 52

  (pre-1996 production) in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D

  printing. Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 14 parts

  - resin: 1 part, pre-painted

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for Bf 109F in 1/72 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  674007

  Bf 109F LööK

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  648972

  F-16C Block 52 till 1996 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  INFO Eduard

  87

  May 2024

• Page 88

  648973

  F-16C Block 52 from 1997 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  648984

  F-16C wheel bays late PRINT

  1/48 Kinetic

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - a cockpit for F-16C Block 52

  (1997 onwards production) in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 14 parts

  - resin: 1 part, pre-painted

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin 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: Kinetic

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 10 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard88

  May 2024

• Page 89

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648987

  P-51B/C wheels oval tread

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648986

  P-51B/C wheels diamond tread

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  89

  May 2024

• Page 90

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D

  printing. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic

  parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648992

  P-51B/C exhaust stacks

  1/48 Eduard

  648988

  P-51B/C wheels cross tread

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard90

  May 2024

• Page 91

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - exhaust stacks for P-51B or P-51C

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

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648993

  P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Brassin set - the undercarriage legs for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The legs are made of bronze.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 4 parts

  - bronze: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  648994

  P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  91

  May 2024

• Page 92

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - lift fan for F-35B in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Gannet

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

  and a nose wheels. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic

  parts. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  648996

  Gannet wheels

  1/48 Airfix

  648995

  F-35B lift fan PRINT

  1/48 Tamiya

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard92

  May 2024

• Page 93

  Brassin set - gun bays for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set

  consists of gun bays for both

  wings. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 20 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  648997

  P-51B/C gun bays PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  Brassin set - pilot seats for P-51B or P-51C

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

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  6481002

  P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  BRASSIN

  INFO Eduard

  93

  May 2024

• Page 94

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - ejection seat for L-39 in 1/72 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  672357

  L-39 ejection seats PRINT

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard94

  May 2024

• Page 95

  Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 160303, Hptm. Friedrich Eberle,

  CO of III./JG 1, Volkel, the Netherlands,

  November 1943 – January 1944

  Bf 109G-14, Hptm. Erich Hartmann, CO of I./JG 53,

  Veszprém, Hungary, February 1945

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 465437, Hptm. Franz Dörr,

  CO of III./JG 5, Gossen, Norway, May 1945

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 782205, Lt. Antal Szebeni,

  101/5. Vadászszázad MKHL, Börgönd, Hungary,

  October 1944

  Bf 109G-14/U4, WNr. 512382, Lt. Horst Schlick,

  4./JG 77, Schönwalde, Germany, November 1944

  www.eduard.com

  #2145

  Bf 109G-14, WNr. 464380, Maggiore Mario Bellagambi,

  CO of 5ª Squadriglia, 2° Gruppo Caccia ANR, Osoppo, Italy,

  March 1945

  Bf 109G-6, WNr. 165267, Majuri Eino Luukkanen,

  1/HleLv 34, Taipalsaari airfield, Finland, July 1944

  Bf 109G-14, Oblt. Rolf Schlegel, 10./JG 4,

  Jüterbog-Damm, Germany, March 1945

  Bf 109G-6/R1, Lt. Max-Bruno Fischer, Stab II./JG 3,

  Evreux-Fauville, France, June 1944

  Bf 109G-6, Lt. Anton Hafner, CO of 10./JG 51, Tilsit-East,

  the Soviet Union, August 1944

  The famous WWII German fighter Bf 109G-6 and G-14 in the service

  with German, Finnish, Italian and Hungarian units all over Europe

  The premiere of the new Eduard design and tooling

  Photo-etched and pre-painted parts for the finest detail

  Die cut masks for easy painting

  Decals for 10 marking options

  Option to purchase a separate set

  of Overtrees plastic parts., #70160X

  APRIL RELEASE

  1/72

• Page 96

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 5 sets for Su-25 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Zvezda

  - ejection seat

  - wheels

  - gun muzzle

  - slats & landing flaps

  - air brakes (early type)

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately, but

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

  SIN648125

  Su-25

  1/48 Zvezda

  Product page

  INFO Eduard96

  May 2024

• Page 97

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 6 sets for Bf 109G-6 in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - cockpit

  - engine

  - undercarrigae legs BRONZE

  - propeller

  - undercarriage wheels

  - radio compartment

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately, but

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

  SIN67223

  Bf 109G-6

  1/72 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  97

  May 2024

• Page 98

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  MAY 2024

  USS Sangamon CVE-26

  1/350 Trumpeter

  #53309

  INFO Eduard98

  May 2024

• Page 99

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard

  99

  May 2024

• Page 100

  Sd.Kfz. 251/18 Ausf. A

  1/35 ICM #36518

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard100

  May 2024

• Page 101

  FM-1

  1/48 Tamiya

  #481137

  #491443

  #FE1443

  #FE1444

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard

  101

  May 2024

• Page 102

  MC.200

  1/48 Italeri

  #481138

  #491447

  #FE1447

  #FE1448

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard102

  May 2024

• Page 103

  CR.32

  1/72 Italeri

  #73823

  #SS823

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  INFO Eduard

  103

  May 2024

• Page 104

  INFO Eduard104

  Březen 2024

• Page 105

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard

  105

  Březen 2024

• Page 106

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard106

  Březen 2024

• Page 107

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard

  107

  Březen 2024

• Page 108

  B-17 ACCESSORIES

  INFO Eduard108

  Březen 2024

• Page 109

• Page 110

  3DL48174 FM-1 SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48175

  Buccaneer S.2B SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  Product page

  Product page

  easy

  application

  INFO Eduard110

  May 2024

• Page 111

  SPACE

  3DL48176 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48177

  P-51B/C SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  SPACE

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  111

  May 2024

• Page 112

  3DL48179 MC.200 SPACE 1/48 Italeri

  Product page

  SPACE

  3DL48178 F-14A SPACE 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  Product page

  INFO Eduard112

  May 2024

• Page 113

  SPACE

  3DL72031 CR.32 SPACE 1/72 Italeri

  SPACE

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  113

  May 2024

• Page 114

  EDDIE THE RIVETER

  ER32004

  Surface panels

  1/32

  ER32005

  Single radial rows

  1/32

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard114

  May 2024

• Page 115

  This product is used to create raised

  rivets on rounded surfaces. It can be used

  for example on propeller cones, engine

  covers and engine radiators. How to work

  with these products can be found in

  INFO 08/2023.

  EDDIE THE RIVETER

  ER48010

  Single radial rows

  1/48

  ER72005

  Single radial rows

  1/72

  Product page

  stránka produktu

  INFO Eduard

  115

  May 2024

• Page 116

  BIG ED

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

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

  BIG5371 USS Iowa BB-61 1/350 Hobby Boss

  BIG49403

  Ki-21-I 1/48 ICM

  53302 USS Iowa BB-61 part 1 1/350

  53303 USS Iowa BB-61 part 2 1/350

  53304 USS Iowa BB-61 part 3 1/350

  491414 Ki-21-I 1/48

  FE1415 Ki-21-I seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX1004 Ki-21-I 1/48

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard116

  May 2024

• Page 117

  All sets included in this BIG ED are available separately,

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

  BIG ED

  BIG49404 Go 244B 1/48 ICM

  BIG49405

  SM.79 1/48 Eduard

  491417 Go 244B 1/48

  FE1418 Go 244B seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  EX1006 Go 244B 1/48

  481129 SM.79 bomb bay 1/48

  481130 SM.79 undercarriage 1/48

  481131 SM.79 rear fuselage interior 1/48

  FE1416 SM.79 seatbelts STEEL 1/48

  Product page

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  117

  May 2024

• Page 118

  MASKS

  EX1029 FM-1

  1/48 Tamiya

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace

  1/48 Tamiya

  EX1031 FM-1 US national insignia

  1/48 Tamiya

  EX1032 FM-1 US national insignia

  w/ red outline 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1033 FM-1 British national

  insignia 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1034 Buccaneer S.2B

  1/48 Airfix

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace

  1/48 Airfix

  EX1036 P-51B/C framed canopy

  TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1037 P-51B/C Malcolm Hood

  canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1038 P-51B/C US national

  insignia 1/48 Eduard

  EX1039 MC.200 TFace

  1/48 Italeri

  EX1040 F-14A windshield TFace

  1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  CX662 CR.32

  1/72 Italeri

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace

  EX1029 FM-1

  EX1034 Buccaneer S.2B

  EX1034 Buccaneer S.2B

  EX1029 FM-1

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace

  IT FITS!

  INFO Eduard118

  May 2024

• Page 119

  EX1036

  P-51B/C framed canopy TFace

  EX1036

  P-51B/C framed canopy TFace

  EX1038

  P-51B/C Malcolm Hood canopy TFace

  EX1038

  P-51B/C Malcolm Hood canopy TFace

  EX1039 MC.200 TFace

  EX1040 F-14A windshield TFace EX1040 F-14A windshield TFace

  EX1039 MC.200 TFace

  CX662 CR.32 CX662 CR.32

  MASKS

  INFO Eduard

  119

  May 2024

• Page 120

  RELEASES

  MAY 2024

  KITS

  PE

  -

  SETS

  ZOOMS

  MASKS

  11181 OVERLORD: D

  -

  DAY MUSTANGS Dual Combo 1/48 Limited

  84199 Spitfire Mk.IXc late 1/48 Weekend

  7473 Spitfire Mk.IXc late 1/72 Weekend

  53309 USS Sangamon CVE-26 1/350 Trumpeter

  36518 Sd.Kfz. 251/18 Ausf. A 1/35 ICM

  481137 FM-1 landing flaps 1/48 Tamiya

  481138 MC.200 landing flaps 1/48 Italeri

  491440 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix

  491441 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War 1/48 Airfix

  491443 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya

  491445 F-14A 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  491447 MC.200 1/48 Italeri

  73823 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

  FE1140 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix

  FE1441 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War 1/48 Airfix

  FE1442 Buccaneer S.2B seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Airfix

  FE1443 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1444 FM-1 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1445 F-14A 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  FE1446 F-14A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  FE1447 MC.200 1/48 Italeri

  FE1448 MC.200 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Italeri

  FE1449 P-51B/C seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Eduard

  SS823 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

  EX1029 FM-1 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1030 FM-1 TFace 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1031 FM-1 US national insignia 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1032 FM-1 US national insignia w/ red outline 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1033 FM-1 British national insignia 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1034 Buccaneer S.2B 1/48 Airfix

  EX1035 Buccaneer S.2B TFace 1/48 Airfix

  EX1036 P-51B/C framed canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1037 P-51B/C Malcolm Hood canopy TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1038 P-51B/C US national insignia 1/48 Eduard

  EX1039 MC.200 TFace 1/48 Italeri

  EX1040 F-14A windshield TFace 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  CX662 CR.32 1/72 Italeri

  BIG-EDBIG-ED

  BIG ED

  BIG5371 USS Iowa BB-61 1/350 Hobby Boss

  BIG49403 Ki-21-I 1/48 ICM

  BIG49404 Go 244B 1/48 ICM

  BIG49405 SM.79 1/48 Eduard

  INFO Eduard120

  May 2024

• Page 121

  NOVINKY

  BRASSIN

  LöökPLUS

  BIG SIN

  SPACE

  EDDIE THE RIVETER

  644263 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööK 1/48 Airfix

  644266 Bf 108 LööK 1/48 Eduard

  644268 P-51B/C LööK 1/48 Eduard

  674006 Bf 109G-6 LööK 1/72 Eduard

  674007 Bf 109F LööK 1/72 Eduard

  648972 F-16C Block 52 till 1996 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648973 F-16C Block 52 from 1997 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648984 F-16C wheel bays late PRINT 1/48 Kinetic

  648986 P-51B/C wheels diamond tread 1/48 Eduard

  648987 P-51B/C wheels oval tread 1/48 Eduard

  648988 P-51B/C wheels cross tread 1/48 Eduard

  648992 P-51B/C exhaust stacks 1/48 Eduard

  648993 P-51B/C exhaust stacks w/fairing 1/48 Eduard

  648994 P-51B/C undercarriage legs BRONZE 1/48 Eduard

  648995 F-35B lift fan PRINT 1/48 Tamiya

  648996 Gannet wheels 1/48 Airfix

  648997 P-51B/C gun bays PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481002 P-51B/C seat Type 1 PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  672357 L-39 ejection seats PRINT 1/72 Eduard

  644243 Fw 190A-7 LööKplus 1/48 Eduard

  644267 F-35B LööKplus 1/48 Tamiya

  SIN648125 Su-25 1/48 Zvezda

  SIN67223 Bf 109G-6 1/72 Eduard

  3DL48174 FM-1 SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48175 Buccaneer S.2B SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48176 Buccaneer S.2B Gulf War SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48177 P-51B/C SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48178 F-14A SPACE 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  3DL48179 MC.200 SPACE 1/48 Italeri

  3DL72031 CR.32 SPACE 1/72 Italeri

  ER32004 Surface panels 1/32

  ER32005 Single radial rows 1/32

  ER48010 Single radial rows 1/48

  ER72005 Single radial rows 1/72

  MAY 2024

  INFO Eduard

  121

  May 2024

• Page 122

  BUILT

  1/48

  built by Sam Dwyer

  #82166X

  Product page

  Bf 109K-4

  Accessories used:

  648778 Luftwaffe rudder pedals PRINT (Brassin)

  648902 Bf 109K-4 engine (Brassin)

  648903 Bf 109K-4 propeller PRINT (Brassin)

  648914 Bf 109K-4 wheels (Brassin)

  3DL48135 Bf 109K SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  INFO Eduard122

  May 2024

• Page 123

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard

  123

  May 2024

• Page 124

  built by Matěj Komárek

  #84191

  MARKING B

  A6M3 Zero Type 32 1/48

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard124

  May 2024

• Page 125

  c/n 3305, Kōkūtai 204, Buin, Bougainville island, January 1943

  This aircraft was manufactured by Mitsubishi,

  probably on November 25, 1942. The radio

  equipment has been dismantled due to weight

  reduction. At the same time, it was equipped

  with long-barrel guns and a later type rudder

  trim that could be operated from the cockpit.

  Previously known aircraft of this unit with

  yellow fuselage markings had identification

  numbers of values under 148. The wreckage of

  this aircraft was recovered by the Allies in May

  1944 off Kolombangara Island. The camouflage

  and markings would indicate that its pilot was

  leader of Chūtai of Kōkūtai 204 in early 1943. The

  first candidate could be Lt. Tatenoshin Tanoue,

  who was shot down in a dogfight with Wildcats

  from VMF-121 on January 15, 1943, while covering

  a convoy. However, the crash site is too far from

  the area where combat took place. The pilot of the

  aircraft may have been a Lt(jg) Kiyoharu Shibuya,

  who was lost on January 23, 1943, in dogfight

  with the Wildcats of VMO-251 while escorting

  the cargo vessel Toa Maru 2 and the destroyer

  Oshio.

  Product page

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard

  125

  May 2024

• Page 126

  BUILT

  1/48

  Albatros D.V

  buitl by Karel Pádár

  #8113

  MARKING B

  INFO Eduard126

  May 2024

• Page 127

  Albatros D.V, Ltn. Kurt Monnington, Jasta 18, early 1918

  This aircraft is a bit of mystery, as it is not clear,

  which pilot was flying it. It was assigned to Georg

  von Hantelmann for some time due to one mistake

  in a famous publication. Legendary German

  historian, late Alex Imrie believed this was the

  personal mount of Ltn. Otto Brandes, some other

  sources insist on Ltn. Kurt Monnington as the

  pilot of this one. Both are possible, as they both

  served with Jasta 18 at around the same time. Kurt

  Monnington, after his transfer from German army

  (Deutsches Heer) to air force (Luftstreitkräfte),

  served with FA62 before he was posted to Jasta

  15 in 1917. After the „great swap“ of the personnell

  with Jasta 15 orchestrated by Rudolf Berthold

  in March 1918, he became member of Jasta 18.

  There he scored his first victory on May 18, 1918,

  downing an SE.5a. He added six more to his

  fighter pilot account. The aircraft was painted in

  typical colours of the „new“ Jasta 18, i.e. red nose

  and blue fuselage. The aircraft had probably the

  upper wing changed from another aircraft, which

  was painted in camouflage colors instead of the

  printed Flugzeugstoff (so called Lozenge). Also,

  the rudder was changed after some damage.

  Product page

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard

  127

  May 2024

• Page 128

  ON APPROACH

  JUNE 2024

  644264

  F4U-1A LööK

  1/48 MAGIC FACTORY

  644269

  P-47D-30 LööK

  1/48 MINIART

  644271

  FM-1 LööK

  1/48 Tamiya

  648270

  I-16 Type 24 LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  BIG49406 F-35B 1/48 Tamiya

  BIG49407 Gannet AS.1 1/48 Airfix

  BIG49408 Gannet AS.4 1/48 Airfix

  BIG49409 Hurricane Mk.IIb 1/48 Arma Hobby

  644264 F4U-1A LööK 1/48 Magic Factory

  644269 P-47D-30 LööK 1/48 MINIART

  644270 I-16 Type 24 LööK 1/48 Eduard

  644271 FM-1 LööK 1/48 Tamiya

  648910 F-4E parachute PRINT 1/48 Meng

  648983 Beaufort Mk.I engines PRINT 1/48 ICM

  648989 P-51B/C wheels block tread 1/48 Eduard

  648990 P-51B/C wheels diamond tread 2 1/48 Eduard

  648991 P-51B/C wheels block tread 2 1/48 Eduard

  648998 Bf 108 wheels spoked 1/48 Eduard

  648999 Bf 108 wheels 1/48 Eduard

  6481000 F-35B cockpit PRINT 1/48 Tamiya

  6481001 P-51B/C 108gal drop tanks PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481003 P-51B/C seat Type 2 PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481006 P-51B/C Hamilton Standard propeller 1/48 Eduard

  6481007 P-51B/C Hamilton Standard propeller uncuffed 1/48 Eduard

  6481008 P-51B/C bazooka rocket launcher 1/48 Eduard

  653019 IJN Type 96 25mm AA gun (single) PRINT 1/350

  653020 IJN Type 96 25mm AA gun (double) PRINT 1/350

  644272 Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööKplus 1/48 Airfix

  674008 Bf 109G-2 LööKplus 1/72 Eduard

  674009 Bf 109G-4 LööKplus 1/72 Eduard

  SIN648126 P-38J engines 1/48 Tamiya

  SIN67224 F-35A armament 1/72 Tamiya

  BIG ED (June)

  BRASSIN (June)

  LöökPlus (June)

  BIGSIN (June)

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for F4U-1A in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Magic

  factory

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for P-47D-30 in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Miniart

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no.

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard and STEEL

  seatbelts for FM-1 in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seatbelts for I-16 Type 24 in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  PRELIMINARY IMAGES

  INFO Eduard128

  May 2024

• Page 129

  648910

  F-4E parachute PRINT

  1/48 Meng

  ON APPROACH

  Brassin set - a deployed parachute for F-4E

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

  Recommended kit: Meng

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  648983

  Beaufort Mk.I engines PRINT

  1/48 ICM

  648989

  P-51B/C wheels block tread

  1/48 Eduard

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

  Made by direct 3D printing. Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 16 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  INFO Eduard

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  ON APPROACH

  JUNE 2024

  648990

  P-51B/C wheels diamond tread2

  1/48 Eduard

  648991

  P-51B/C wheels block tread 2

  1/48 Eduard

  648998

  Bf 108 wheels spoked

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-51B

  or P-51C in 1/48 scale. The set consists of the main

  wheels and a tail wheel. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels

  for Bf 108 in 1/48 scale. The set consists

  of the main wheels and a tail wheel.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 5 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  INFO Eduard130

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  ON APPROACHJUNE 2024

  648999

  Bf 108 wheels

  1/48 Eduard

  6481000

  F-35B cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Tamiya

  6481001

  P-51B/C 108gal drop tanks PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Bf 108

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

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

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 5 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - cockpit for F-35B

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

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 16 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - fuel drop tanks for P-51B or P-51C

  in 1/48 scale. Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 6 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard

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  May 2024

• Page 132

  ON APPROACH

  6481003

  P-51B/C seat Type 2 PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - pilot seat for P-51B or P-51C

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

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  6481007

  P-51B/C Hamilton Standard propeller uncuffed

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - propeller for P-51B or P-51C

  in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resi: 9 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  6481006

  P-51B/C Hamilton Standard propeller

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - propeller for P-51B or P-51C

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

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resi: 9 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard132

  May 2024

• Page 133

  6481008

  P-51B/C bazooka rocket launcher

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - bazooka type rocket launchers

  for P-51B or P-51C in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 8 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  ON APPROACH

  653019

  IJN Type 96 25mm AA gun (single) PRINT

  1/350

  653020

  IJN Type 96 25mm AA gun (double) PRINT

  1/350

  Brassin set - single monunted 25mm AA gun for

  IJN vessels in 1/350 scale. Set consists of 20 guns.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 20 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - double monunted 25mm AA gun for IJN vessels

  in 1/350 scale. Set consists of 18 guns. Made by direct 3D

  printing. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 18 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard

  133

  May 2024

• Page 134

  Collection of 3 sets for Gannet AS.1 or AS.4 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Airfix

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

  - TFace painting mask

  - undercarriage wheels

  644272

  Gannet AS.1/AS.4 LööKplus

  1/48 Airfix

  ON APPROACH

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard134

  May 2024

• Page 135

  ON APPROACH

  Collection of 3 sets for Bf 109G-2 in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

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

  - gun barrels

  - propeller

  Collection of 3 sets for Bf 109G-4 in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

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

  - gun barrels

  - propeller

  674008

  Bf 109G-2 LööKplus

  1/72 Eduard

  674009

  Bf 109G-4 LööKplus

  1/72 Eduard

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard

  135

  May 2024

• Page 136

  SIN648126

  P-38J engines

  1/48 Tamiya

  Collection of 3 sets for P-38J in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - left engine

  - right engine

  - turbochargers

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

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

  ON APPROACH

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard136

  May 2024

• Page 137

  SIN67224

  F-35A armament

  1/72 Eduard

  Collection of 5 sets for F-35A in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  - GBU-12

  - AIM-120C AMRAAM

  - AIM-9X

  - AIM-132 ASRAAM

  - GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

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

  BRASSIN 02/2022BRASSIN 02/2022

  ON APPROACHJUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard

  137

  May 2024

• Page 138

  PE

  -

  SETS

  53310 USS Sangamon CVE-26 island 1/350 Trumeter

  32490 A-20J/K / Boston Mk.IV bomb bay 1/32 HKM

  32491 A-20J/K / Boston Mk.IV main wheel well 1/32 HKM

  321017 B5N2 1/35 Border Model

  321018 A-20J/K 1/32 HKM

  321019 Boston Mk.IV 1/32 HKM

  481139 TBD-1 landing flaps 1/48 Hobby Boss

  491450 B-24J cockpit & engines 1/48 Hobby Boss

  491452 TBD-1 1/48 Hobby Boss

  491454 B-26B Marauder cockpit & nose interior 1/48 ICM

  72737 SM.79 exterior 1/72 Italeri

  73824 SM.79 interior 1/72 Italeri

  ZOOMS

  33365 B5N2 1/35 Border Model

  33366 B5N2 seatbelts STEEL 1/35 Border Model

  33367 A-20J/K 1/32 HKM

  33368 A-20J/K seatbelts STEEL 1/32 HKM

  33369 Boston Mk.IV 1/32 HKM

  33370 Boston Mk.IV seatbelts STEEL 1/32 HKM

  FE1450 B-24J 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1451 B-24J seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1452 TBD-1 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1453 TBD-1 seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Hobby Boss

  FE1454 B-26B Marauder 1/48 ICM

  FE1455 B-26B Marauder seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ICM

  SS824 SM.79 1/72 Italeri

  MASKS

  JX324 A-20J/K 1/32 HKM

  JX325 A-20J/K TFace 1/32 HKM

  JX326 B5N2 TFace 1/32 Border Model

  EX1041 B-24J 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1042 B-24J TFace 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1043 B-24J US national insignia 1/48 Hobby Boss

  EX1044 B-26B Marauder 1/48 ICM

  EX1045 B-26B Marauder TFace 1/48 ICM

  EX1046 B-26B Marauder national insignia 1/48 ICM

  EX1047 TBD-1 TFace 1/48 Hobby Boss

  SPACE

  3DL32023 B5N2 SPACE 1/35 Border Model

  3DL32024 A-20J/K SPACE 1/32 HKM

  3DL32025 Boston Mk.IV SPACE 1/32 HKM

  3DL48180 B-24J SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

  3DL48181 TBD-1 SPACE 1/48 Hobby Boss

  3DL48182 Fw 190A-2 SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48183 B-26B Marauder SPACE 1/48 ICM

  3DL72032 SM.79 SPACE 1/72 Italeri

  3DL72033 B-26 Marauder SPACE 1/72 Eduard

  3DL53014 US Navy WW2 ensign flag for CVL, CVE, CL & DD SPACE 1/350

  EDDIE THE RIVETER

  ER32006 Double radial rows 1/32

  ER48011 Double radial rows 1/48

  ER72006 Double radial rows 1/72

  ON APPROACH

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard138

  May 2024

• Page 139

  ON APPROACH

  MARAUDER #2146 1/72

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard

  139

  May 2024

• Page 140

  ON APPROACH

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard140

  May 2024

• Page 141

  ON APPROACH

  Spitfire Mk.Vb OVERLORD #84200 1/48

  Slt. D.W. Barraclough, VCS-7,

  RAF Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire,

  United Kingdom, June 1944

  BM366, Cdt. J. M. Accart,

  No. 345 Squadron, RAF Shoreham,

  United Kingdom, June 1944

  BM327, F/Lt Tony Cooper, No. 64 Squadron, RAF Friston, United Kingdom, June 1944

  BL547, F/O Rick R. Richards,

  No. 401 Squadron, RAF Horne,

  Surrey, United Kingdom, June 1944

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard

  141

  May 2024

• Page 142

  Bf 109G-6

  1/72

  ON APPROACH

  #70159

  Bf 109G-6, WNr. 15919, Maj. Hermann Graf, CO of JG 50,

  Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany, September 1943

  Bf 109G-6/R6, Hptm. Anton Hackl, Stab III./JG 11,

  Oldenburg, Germany, January 1944

  Bf 109G-6/R6, Maj. Ludwig Franzisket,

  CO of I./JG 27, Fels am Wagram, Austria,

  January 1944

  Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 26048, Oblt.

  Friedrich Brock, 8./JG 54, Ludwigslust,

  Germany, January 1944

  Bf 109G-6/R6, WNr. 440190, Lt. Alfred Hammer,

  CO of 6./JG 53, Vienna-Seyring, Austria, February 1944

  Bf 109G-6, Oblt. Theodor Weissenberger, 6./JG 5,

  Idriza-Pleskau (Pskov), the Soviet Union, January 1944

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard142

  May 2024

• Page 143

  Oblt. Egon Mayer, CO of 7./JG 2, Théville,

  France, Summer 1942

  WNr. 0125281, Oblt. Siegfried Schnell,

  CO of 9./JG 2, Théville, France, June 1942

  WNr. 0122125, Oblt. Max Buchholz, CO of 5./JG 1,

  Katwijk, the Netherlands, Summer 1942

  WNr. 0125228, Ofw. Erwin Leibold, Stab I./JG 26,

  St. Omer-Arques, France, July 1942

  WNr. 0125310, Hptm. Josef Priller, CO of III./JG 26,

  Wevelghem, Belgium, June 1942

  ON APPROACH

  Re-Release

  Fw 190A-2

  #82146

  1/48

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard

  143

  May 2024

• Page 144

  L-29 Delfín

  1/72

  #7096Re-Release

  ON APPROACH

  a/c No. 2853, 1 Squadron, 11 Fighter Regiment,

  Žatec, Czech Republic, 1993

  3246, 3 Squadron, 1 Fighter Regiment, Planá Air Base,

  Czechoslovakia, 1969–1970

  378, 101 Fighter Reconaissance Wing, Szolnok Air Base,

  Hungary, Summer 1978

  N179EP, Reno AFB, United States of America,

  2009

  3250, International Fighter Pilots Academy,

  Košice, Slovak Republic, 1993

  JUNE 2024

  INFO Eduard144

  May 2024

• Page 145

  The versatility of the modeling world is

  entrancing. And I don't just mean the range

  of topics like aircraft, AFVs, dioramas,

  figures, SCI

  -

  FI or looking through scales.

  I'm referring now to the way modelers can

  come together, have fun, argue, admire, enjoy.

  Modeling communities are about friendship,

  nudging each other, sharing experiences,

  teaching beginners, camaraderie but also

  overscaled rivalries and therefore animosities,

  resentments, betrayals, words fulfilled or

  unfulfilled, diligence and laziness. Art and

  clumsiness. In short, scale modeling is

  a reflection of the real world, not only in the

  scaled-down reproductions we try to create,

  but also in all its essence.

  The point of view is of course different if

  you are a modeler or a manufacturer. Whether

  garage based or one with a big company and

  worldwide distribution. Yes, certainly our

  industry is seen differently by a person for

  whom it is a hobby that they sit down to two

  nights a week or by someone for whom it is

  their daily bread and who is an element in

  a system that has to provide work for dozens

  or hundreds of employees. And because, as

  we have said, modeling is a reflection of the

  real world, there is no shortage of rudeness,

  backstabbing, theft large and small, parasitism

  on the work of others and deception. Of course,

  it's up to us to decide how we feel about it,

  whether we turn a blind eye to such things or

  stand up to injustice.

  One of the most striking elements of

  modeling diversity is competitions. And

  they're not just an opportunity to compare

  your skills, they're places to meet, to discuss,

  to form communities, and a place to explore

  new things, practices, and ideas. For us as

  a manufacturer, it is important, even our moral

  obligation, to support model competitions. This

  can take many forms, the most common being

  sponsorship with prizes for competitions.

  And to highlight the fact that we and the

  organizers focus mainly on junior competitors

  would be just “carrying coals to Newcastle”.

  Every year we support several dozen

  competitions in the Czech Republic and abroad,

  some of which we also participate in as

  vendors and some of which we organize. Either

  as a company or our employees, as members

  of some model clubs. Unfortunately, we have

  to refuse a similar number of requests for

  support of competitions - we do not have the

  possibility to support all national competitions

  of district level, for example. Concerning

  the foreign ones, we mainly support those

  where there is some personal connection

  or historical experience. We don't ask much

  for our support, we have a few fairly simple

  conditions, the most demanding of which is

  probably the participation of the organizing

  club in E

  -

  Day in the form of a club show

  (which of course we don't usually require from

  foreign competitions organizers). Participation

  in E

  -

  Day also involves accepting our rules for

  club presentations and thus keeping it fair for

  all. During last year's E

  -

  Day, one of the clubs

  turned its display table into a sales corner,

  which not only led to an unpleasant situation

  during the event itself, but also to not receiving

  support, in the form of kits, from us for their

  fall contest.

  If you are an organizer of a modeling

  competition, especially in the Czech or Slovak

  Republic, do not hesitate to contact us.

  We will be happy to support the competition.

  Not only with kits and accessories for the

  winners’ prizes, we will also publish for free

  your competition leaflet in our Info magazine.

  We will clarify the rules and conditions in

  subsequent communication. However, I want to

  mention one of our rules now because it is new

  and many contest and exhibition organizers

  may not know about it. We have decided NOT

  to support such competitions where there

  will be any direct participation of AZ model,

  Admiral, Kovozávody Prostějov (I do not mean

  the original, real ones) companies, or any other

  brand associated with Mr. Petr Muzikant.

  We believe that dishonesty must be

  confronted and things must be called by their

  true names. For those who may not know

  exactly what I am writing about, what was the

  last drop in the proverbial cup in this decision,

  I recommend the article on pages 34-36 of the

  previous issue of Info.

  We will therefore not support those

  competitions and exhibitions that are

  supported by these brands in any way, or at

  which one of Mr Muzikant's companies has

  a sales or promotional stand. Please

  accept this. We do not prohibit anyone from

  cooperating with these companies, we only

  define the conditions of our own support.

  If any of you have the impression that the

  above is related to the reasoning in the first

  half of this column, I want to assure you that

  your impression is correct.

  We look forward to seeing you over the

  diversity of the modeling world and at future

  contests and model shows!

  SCALE MODELS COMPETITIONS AND THE COLORS OF THE WORLD

  Text: Jan Zdiarský

  INFO Eduard

  145

  May 2024

• Editorial

  
  

  Dear Friends,

   Now is the Time of the Mustang. It has been a clear focus for us here for more than half a year, but you, our customers, are only just beginning to appreciate this fact now. In mid-April, we shipped our preordered P-51B 1:48th scale Royal Class kits and the Limited Edition ‘Overlord: D-Day Mustangs’ items. Against our original plan, we were a week late, and only dispatched the last shipments on Monday, April 22. This has also delayed our shipping retail orders, however by now all who ordered should have their kits at home and can judge whether we have rendered the surface details and especially the wing skin correctly. Personally, I really have no doubt, but I understand that someone may entertain a different viewpoint. I decided to write an article on this topic, not because I feel a need to defend our design philosophy regarding the surface of the kit, but simply because it is a technically and historically interesting topic, and also because I have accumulated a lot of information about it. I calculated that I've seen 48 Mustangs throughout my life so far, and I've flown in one. Although I will honestly admit that I did not inspect the surface of the wing of the latter machine, because there was no time for it before the flight and I no longer had the physical ability to do so afterwards. However, I did inspect and document the wing of about half of the others. With that in my arsenal, and also armed with a lot of other material, I decided I was well equipped to tackle such an article. But the queue includes two articles before it, so please be patient, it will take me a while yet.

   

  Mustangs Today and Tomorrow

   The next step with the 48th scale P-51B Mustangs will be to continue to stock the Limited Edition ‘Overlord: D-Day Mustangs’, and in August, we'll add the P-51B Profipack kit to the rotation. That'll be one of the new items at the IPMS Nationals in Madison. In November, we will be introducing another limited Edition kit, ‘Aces of the Eight’. With all that going on, the 72nd scale cousin is getting ready to make its first appearance. The P-51D Royal Class kit is currently on preorder, which we will stop taking next week on May 8th, the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Those preorders will be going out in the second half of June.

   For the 72nd scale P-51D, we will have a different preorder setup for the Royal Class and the first Limited Edition releases. The 48th scale P-51B Royal Class and Limited Edition kits were sold at the same time, with both items being available through preorders. And both had the same release date and for the most part the same composition of marking options. This will not be the case with the 1:72nd scale releases. Only the Royal Class boxing and its associated items will be offered via preorder. The ‘Aces of the Eighth’ Limited Edition kit, which, like the Royal Class P-51D, will be released in a Dual Combo format, meaning with two complete sets of plastic, is slated for an August release and will not be available for preorder, and will have its own set of markings. As the name suggests, it will be dedicated to the aces of the USAAF 8th Air Force. Overtrees will, of course, be available for both kits so you'll be in a very good position to pamper yourself with marking options, which, for the Mustangs, is incredibly varied. Really, this aircraft is absolutely exceptional in that regard and you can believe me that we will not waste any opportunity to offer colorful and historically very interesting kits that perhaps deserves it more than any other!

   The 1:72nd Royal Class P-51D will only be available for preorder through our e-shop, and will not be released for regular sale. We will supply them to retailers one time only, so it will be possible to buy it that way as well. But even then, retailers will not be able to restock this item because we will only produce the exact quantity that we will have in preorder form from our e-shop customers and our retailers. This means that both our e-shop and our retail partners will provide a short window for purchasing the Royal Class kit, and the opportunity to purchase will not be repeated. I assume that this and future kits of the Royal Class series will gain exclusivity, and the opportunity should not be missed.

   

  New Releases for May

   So to bring the focus of my editorial to our new releases for May, the main point of interest will be the 48th scale P-51B Mustang that makes up the ‘Overlord: D-Day Mustangs’ Limited Edition kit. It is therefore a very ‘stripe themed’ item, but a milestone anniversary of such an important event as the Allied invasion of Normandy doesn’t come around very often, so we could not help but dedicate a completely new item to this historical event. In addition to the Mustang, there are also two Weekend kits, one in 48th and one in 72nd, dedicated to the Spitfire LF Mk.IXc as it pertains to the invasion. We will continue to focus on the invasion next month, in which the anniversary actually falls, with a Spitfire Mk.Vb with four D-Day marking options to the range of invasion aircraft, to be released in the Weekend line. This month among new items, there are no reissues.

   You probably won’t be too surprised to find that, when it comes to new accessory items for May, most are dedicated to the P-51B. However there are also new sets for the FM-1 Wildcat from Tamiya, the MC.200 Saetta from Italeri, the F-14A from Great Wall Hobby and the Buccaneer from Airfix, all of which are in 1:48th scale. The assortment is a little bit less in 72nd, where we bring you sets for the Fiat CR.32 from Italeri in the form of photoetched and masks, and seats for the L-39 Albatros from Eduard in the Brassin range. Also in the Brassin line, I would like to draw your attention to two 48th scale cockpits and a set of undercarriage bays for the F-16C from Kinetic. We also have a set of USS Sangamon 1/350 photoetched for the Trumpeter offering. The Sangamon Class of escort carriers were unique and interesting, being four ships converted from tankers. The USS Santee, one of the Sangamon Class ships, pioneered the operation of separate squadrons of an escort carrier and several destroyers in the Atlantic in the summer of 1943. Also worth noting are the four new rivet sets in the Edie the Riveter line.

   

  Historical and Other Articles

   We can't imagine today’s newsletter without the now standard historical articles, can we? Of course, today's issue cannot and does not miss an article focused on the P-51B Mustang. It's called ‘Game Changer’ and it was written by Tom Cleaver. Miro Barič has submitted his 26th edition covering the air war over Ukraine, we have a write-up describing the experience of ejecting from an L-39 Albatros by David Sochacký, and Tomáš Dedera will introduce you to the L-39 seat from a technical point of view. The historical articles also include a breathtaking photo gallery of a captured Fokker E.III by Jan Bobek. And of course we also have the obligatory Boxart Stories, describing the events depicted on the boxart of the Limited Edition kit ‘Overlord: D-Day Mustangs’, about the P-51Bs of the 352nd Fighter Group and about both of the LF Mk.IXc Spitfire releases.

   In May, we will be attending two shows: one in Zagreb, Croatia, and the other in Saumur, France. Both events are scheduled for the same dates, May 18th and 19th. If you find yourself in the area, we invite you to stop by!"

   And that will just about wrap it up for me this month. Happy reading and happy modelling!

  Vladimir Sulc

  
  

• A challenging day

  Text: Richard Plos

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Cat. No. 11181

  
  

  Strong winds brush the surface of the sea, and the tops of the waves are decorated with white foam. But not even the elements can compete with the thousands of vessels heading for the Normandy shores that morning. The sound of aircraft engines makes the men on board look up. As many of them plead with God to protect them, the hundreds of planes heading for the coast will try to do the same...

  The D-Day, the Allied landings in France, represented the deployment of an enormous force. This included the 352nd Fighter Group and its three squadrons the 328th FS, 486th FS and 487th FS. Their Mustangs, which the entire group had only two months earlier re-equipped to, were adorned with blue bows. They have been nicknamed the "Blue-nosed Bastards of Bodney" for them and the base from which they operated.

   

  Midnight briefing

  Early in the morning of June 5, 1944, it is clear that something is going to happen. Missions are planned and then cancelled, flight operations are scarce, and by 3:30 in the afternoon the entire base is closed. The enlisted men are ordered to guard the perimeter and man the anti-aircraft guns.

  Several aircraft return from a mission over mainland Europe in the early afternoon, and the pilots learn immediately upon landing, from their mechanics, that there is an order to paint white and black stripes on all aircraft. So, cans of paint are distributed on individual stands and everybody able to pick up a paintbrush starts the work. This is about ninety Mustangs so the ground staff must do their part. In contrast, the pilots are told to rest during the day and get as much sleep as possible because a very early morning mission is planned. Rice pudding, among other things, is served for dinner. It turns out it is contaminated with salmonella, and soon several pilots and mechanics find themselves in a somewhat unusable state ...

  The briefing takes place at midnight and the pilots learn what they had more or less suspected. The invasion is here! It’s obvious that it’s going to be a busy day, as evidenced by the base surgeon’s words, he tells the pilots that he’s tasked with keeping them in the air until the beaches are fully secured. Even at the cost of having to give them some “pep pills” (amphetamine). In the end, that won’t be necessary, even though the pilots will spend up to 16 hours in the cockpits of their Mustangs. The adrenaline and the knowledge of the importance of what they’re doing will help. Watching hundreds of landing craft below them is an unforgettable and highly emotional experience. They are well aware that it is up to them to protect the 160,000 men on board from the deadly attacks of the Luftwaffe, and that they must destroy as much enemy equipment and manpower as possible.

  You can get an idea of what it must have looked like during the flyover of the landing zone from Piotr Forkasiewicz’s boxart for Limited kit No. 11181. It shows the aircraft of Capt. Henry White of the 328th FS and Lt. Carlton Fuhrman of the 466th FS. 

   

  Fire at anything that moves!

  First combat mission of the entire 352nd FG is scheduled for 02:00 and the 486th Squadron is the first to take to the air. The next two will follow 30 minutes apart. Thus, at 2 a.m., four mustangs line up on the runway, wing to wing, with experienced pilots in cockpits taking deep breaths and moving the throttles forward. The darkness is cut by the roar of Merlins driven up to maximum revs and the first flight takes off into the night sky. Just half a minute later, the second flight is ready to take off. The darkness, to which daytime fighters are not accustomed, makes orientation difficult and they deviate from the runway centerline to the right. Lt. Bob Frascotti suddenly sees the silhouette of the newly constructed control tower in front of him. It is the last thing he ever sees, for in the next second his Mustang shatters against it and explodes. It is the first aerial casualty of the entire Operation Overlord. The resulting fire then eases the takeoff orientation for the others at the cost of this tragedy.

  Most pilots fly three missions during D-Day. On the first, they fly to an area about 50 miles south of the beaches, where they join hundreds of other Allied fighters. The goal is to create an impenetrable barrier from ground level to more than 9,000 feet, preventing German aircraft to reach the landing beaches.

  Then, during the second and third missions, the “Bodney Bastards” scurry at low altitudes over land with a clear mission: Fire on anything that moves and heads for the beaches. The Mustangs destroy trucks, buses, carriages hauling guns and enemy manpower. The French Resistance has told people in the area to stay indoors all day if possible and not to go out at all, and especially not to go on the roads to minimize the risk of civilian casualties.

  The fighting on the beaches continues, but the work of the daytime fighters ends at dusk. Many more casualties will be needed, but nothing can stop the Allied forces. And the “Bodney Bastards” will return to their usual business of escorting bomber formations over Germany. In less than a year, it will all be over...

• The second landing

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Cat. No. 84199

  
  

  British fighter pilot “Johnnie” Johnson is one of the most significant figures in the history of air warfare. With 41 victories (34 solo and 7 in cooperation), he became the most successful Allied airman fighting the Luftwaffe in Western Europe. However, his journey to the cockpit of the Spitfire was by no means straightforward. He faced a number of rejections along the way and had to overcome the side effects of a pre-war rugby injury. From the end of 1940, he became fully involved in the combat activities of No. 616 Squadron RAF, and within its ranks in 1941, he scored 6.5 individual aerial victories and received a DFC .

  In July 1942 he was appointed commander of No. 610 Squadron RAF and led it into combat over the Allied landings at Dieppe in August 1942. During this operation he was credited with shooting down an Fw 190, as well as 1/3 of a Bf 109 and shared damaging another Fw 190.

  In March 1943, he became commander of the Canadian Wing at Kenley (later redesignated No. 127 Wing RCAF). While in command of the Wing, he scored 14 solo victories and five more in cooperation by the autumn of that year. He took the helm of the No. 144 Wing RCAF in March 1944 as Allied forces prepared for the Normandy landings. By that time, the Allies had already conducted a number of successful landing operations in the Pacific, Africa, Sicily, and Italy.

  The Western Allied forces, backed by American industry, which had become the proverbial “Arsenal of democracy”, were able to execute the Normandy landings in June 1944, as well as the Saipan landings, accompanied by a naval and air battle in the Philippine Sea. On the Eastern Front, the Soviets launched Operation Bagration in late June 1944, during which they inflicted the greatest defeat in German military history on Nazi forces in the territory of Belarus. This success would not have been possible without the massive material assistance of the Western Allies.

  Johnson was the most successful fighter pilot in the UK on active service in the spring of 1944. At the time of the Normandy landings, his No. 144 Wing was one of the finest units of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, and Johnson's squadrons were the first units to operate from liberated territory in France. This gave them an advantage over their colleagues who were still based in England, allowing the experienced Canadians to engage the enemy far more frequently. They duly took advantage of these opportunities. Thus, Johnson supported a second landing in France, but this time without retreat.

  During that period, Johnson added nine more individual victories to his account. He scored the first kill of the streak on June 16 after 9 p.m. northwest of Villers-Bocage. However, this encounter was proof that the German adversaries were far from defeated. Although their fighter units had been weakened by the systematic Allied campaign directed at them in the first half of 1944, there were still experienced leaders and wingmen in their ranks. It was only in the following months of fighting over Normandy that exceptionally heavy losses were inflicted on these units.

   A  typical mission of the fightings in June 1944 was assigned to a formation of eight Fw 190 A-8s from I./JG 1 in the evening of that day. The pilots were tasked with flying to the area near Valognes, where their objective was the free pursuit and attack of enemy ground columns. Upon their return, they encountered Johnson's formation in the Vire-Falaise area and successfully shot down four Spitfires of No. 443 Squadron RCAF. Only one of the airmen survived, and among the deceased were Squadron Leader J. D. Hall and Mexican pilot F/O Luis Perez-Gomez. The German airmen claimed six victories, with Lt. Anton Piffer claiming his 34th and 35th victories, while their 6th victories were claimed by Uffz. Dobrat and Uffz. Rathofer. Piffer was killed in action the following day.

  Johnson, in one of his books, recalls this fight with respect for his opponents. Johnson struck his adversary low above the ground, recording it with gun camera, causing him to crash without a chance to bail out. The pilot, Fw. Alois Wenke of 2./JG 1, remained missing along with his Fw 190 A-8 “Black 2”. The other German pilot, Uffz. Fritz Hofmann of 3./JG 1, was wounded but saved by parachuting from his “Yellow 6”. However, it is not clear whether his aircraft may have been hit by one of the downed pilots of No 443 Squadron RCAF or by S/L H. W. McLeod, who scored a Bf 109 in that area that evening.

• D-Day plus two

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Cat. No. 7473

  
  

  The Allied landing in Normandy stands as one of the major turning points of the Second World War and simultaneously represents a significant milestone in the history of warfare. The successful execution of this operation would not have been possible without the air supremacy gradually established by the Allies in the air battles over Western Europe during the first half of 1944. It was in the battles over Normandy that this superiority was crucially demonstrated. On June 6, 1944, which has become synonymous with D-Day, Allied air forces flew an incredible 14,000 combat sorties over the battlefield.

  Obstlt. Priller, Kommodore of JG 26, is considered the first German airman to reach the landing zone, having flown with his wingman over the invasion beach before 9:00 am. Despite the breathtaking number of invasion craft, the Germans believed until the evening that this was merely a diversionary operation and that the main landing would occur elsewhere. However, Priller was not the first airman to intervene against the invasion force. In fact, in the early hours of the morning, Fw 190 Gs from I./SKG 10 were dispatched against the Allied gliders. This unit, engaged in night attacks against targets in Britain, logically undertook combat sorties at dawn. However, during their first sortie, the pilots of I./SKG 10 did not locate the enemy aircraft. In the second morning sortie, they managed to shoot down four Lancaster bombers around 5:00 am and additionally spotted the invasion force.

  The Luftwaffe, unprepared to defend against such an invasion operation in this area, deployed parts of the fighter units of JG 2 and JG 26 to the fight during the day. Additionally, ground attack Fw 190s from SG 4 and Ju 88 C heavy fighters from I./ZG 1 were also deployed. The total number of Luftwaffe combat sorties on the first day of the invasion represented about one percent of the number of sorties flown by their opponents. It was not until the evening that air reinforcements from Germany were moved to the Normandy battlefield, resulting in 1,100 fighter aircraft on the airfields of northern France 24 hours later. However, less than three hundred of these were capable of deployment due to the chaotic transfer and maintenance shortcomings.

  The first Allied pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft in the invasion area on June 6, 1944, was F/O J. A. Houlton of No. 485 Squadron RNZAF. He encountered an obstacle on take-off and swiftly switched from his personal aircraft to a Spitfire LF Mk.IX (MK950). At approximately 3:30 pm, he successfully downed one Ju 88 C-6 fighter of I./ZG 1 and another in cooperation with three other pilots near Caen. The Spitfire pilots of Belgian No. 349 Squadron RAF shot down two more and damaged several. The Germans of 2./ZG 1 lost two Junkers planes, and none of their crews survived. A third Ju 88 from this Staffel returned to base with 10% damage, but all three crew members sustained injuries. Two more machines were reportedly lost by 1./ZG 1. However, defensive fire from one of the Ju 88 crews shot down one of the Belgian Spitfires.

  No. 485 Squadron RNZAF was part of No. 135 Wing of the RAF, alongside colleagues from No. 222 and 349 Squadron RAF. On June 7, its squadrons lost two Spitfires, one of which was accidentally shot down by Allied flak. John A. Houlton took off for combat again on June 8 in his personal Spitfire ML407, designated OU-V. He flew it on a sortie with No. 135 Wing in the evening, conducting a low-level patrol.

   Allied pilots encountered a group of about twenty Fw 190s and twelve Bf 109s near Caen, each carrying bombs under the fuselage. Top cover was provided by the No. 349 Squadron, while fighters from No. 222 Squadron and 485 Squadron engaged the Germans. After a wild chase, the Spitfire pilots claimed seven aircraft shot down and another seven as damaged, without suffering any losses themselves. The dramatic moments of this evening air combat were captured in box art by Piotr Forkasiewicz. Further details on Spitfire ML407, including its current whereabouts, can be found in the historical text accompanying the kit.

  The identity of the unit with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 is unclear, but in the case of the Fw 190, it was most likely the III./JG 54 “Grünherz”, which had moved to Normandy the previous day. One aircraft, an Fw 190 A-8/ZY, WNr. 170644, “White 2”, was lost in this fight, with its pilot, Fw. Wilhelm Müller, sustaining injuries. After this battle, the German pilots reported two victories.

• Markings for P-51B 1/48

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6934, Capt. Henry White, 328th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, Bodney, Great Britain, June 1944

  The 352nd Fighter Group was formed on September 29, 1942 and activated three days later on October 1. Its first commander was Lt. Col. Edwin M. Ramage. The 328th, 486th, and 487th Fighter Squadrons, all initially flying P-47s before rearming to P-51B, were part of the group. During June and July, the group moved from the USA to the UK. The first commander of the 328th Fighter Squadron was Capt. J. H. Posten, the most famous of the commanders was Maj. G. E. Preddy, the most successful American P-51 fighter pilot with 26.83 confirmed kills. Capt. Henry White flew a total of 89 operational sorties with the unit, recording two kills. He achieved the first on May 28, 1944, and the second on July 18. The entire squadron scored 143 kills, 14 were destroyed probably and 35 damaged by its pilots on the ground during the war. Captain White’s P-51B bore the distinctive livery of “Blue-nosed Bastards of Bodney”, as the 352nd FG was nicknamed after the blue noses of its aircraft. On the left side forward of the cockpit, a painting of a girl in a red bikini and the name “Dallas Darling” adorned the nose. Full invasion stripes are portrayed here.      

   

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106472, Lt. Carlton Fuhrman, 486th FS, 352nd FG, 8th AF, Bodney, Great Britain, June 1944

  The aircraft, named The Flying Scot II / Vicious Virgie J. G., was first assigned to Lt. Murdoch R. Cunningham, Lt. Carlton Fuhrman subsequently took it over and on September 12, 1944, it was written off on landing when it crashed into Lt. Glennn Wensch. The entire 486th FS shot down 114 enemy aircraft confirmed, five probably and 21 were damaged. Lt. Fuhrman, however, was not among the winners of any of the air combats. 

   

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 43-6688, 1Lt. Arval J. Roberson, 362nd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF, Leiston, Great Britain, June 1944

  “Robby” Robertson joined the ranks of the Army Reserves in June 1942 and was officially an Army pilot on May 20, 1943. He was assigned to the 362nd FS, with which he subsequently flew 76 missions. In all, he scored six confirmed victories over German fighters, with another remaining unconfirmed. During the Korean War, he credited himself with another 100 combat missions as a member of the 12th FBS/18th FBG. Already at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he added 26 more missions with the C-47. Robertson retired in 1973 as the last commander of Otis Air Force Base before its closure. His P-51B Mustang, serial number 43-6688, was the first of two aircraft named the Passion Wagon (the other was P-51D 44-13691), and Robertson achieved all of his kills with it. 

   

  P-51C-1-NT, s/n 42-103309, Lt. William B. Overstreet, 363rd FS, 357th FG, 8th AF, Leiston, Great Britain, June 1944

  “Bill” Overstreet became particularly famous for his story of chasing a German Bf 109 through the arches of the Eiffel Tower. The dogfight was supposed to have taken place sometime in the spring of 1944, but it is questionable whether the passage through the Eiffel Tower actually took place. Nor is the exact date of the duel known, and there is no mention in German records of such a strange event as a fighter plane crashing into the streets of Paris ... Overstreet was, however, an aggressive and capable pilot, and on September 3, 1944, for example, he took part in a top-secret mission in which a remote-controlled four-engine bomber attacked a heavily defended German heavily protected submarine base hidden in the cliffs. He subsequently flew other secret missions in support of the French Resistance, often landing behind enemy lines. His Berlin Express, with which he was to fly under and through the Eiffel Tower, bore a partial coat of olive drab paint on the upper surfaces, while the sides and undersides were left in a natural metal and aluminum paint.    

   

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106448, Cpt. Henry W. Brown, 354th FS, 355th FG, 8th AF, Steeple Morden, Great Britain, June 1944

  “Baby” Brown was a fighter ace with 14.2 kills, damaging three other aircraft. On the ground he destroyed 14.5 and damaged 10. He achieved four wins with the Thunderbolt, the others on the Mustang. He became the 355th FG’s fifth ace fighter on April 24, 1944, and by May 13, he even held the status of the most successful fighter of the entire group. Returning from leave, he then became the most successful fighter of the entire 8th Air Force in late August after destroying eight aircraft on the ground and seven in the air in a 30-day period. Further increases in his score were halted by a German flak hit that forced Brown to make an emergency landing on enemy soil on 3 October 1944. His commander, Maj. Chuck Lenfest (5.5 kills), landed nearby to rescue him, but his Mustang bogged down in the mud and both pilots eventually fell into captivity. He remained in the service after the war and led the F-111 development program at Nellis AFB. Later he was commander of the 48th TFW and deputy commander of operations for the 7th AF during the Vietnam War. He retired in 1974 and died on 19 February 2008 at the age of 85.   

   

  P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106924, 2nd Lt. Ralph K. Hofer, 334th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF, Debden, Great Britain, June 1944

  Light-hearted, perhaps undisciplined, but all the more courageous and charismatic was “Kid” Hofer, one of the USAAF’s most successful fighters. The nickname was based on his youthful appearance and flowing and by Army standards long hair as well as his prevailing good humor. Until his death, he destroyed 15 enemy aircraft in the air, damaging two and destroying another 14 on the ground. On July 2, 1944, “Kid” participated in the escort of bombers to Budapest from the Italian base Foggia. Prior to reaching the target area, a group of Bf 109 entered the scene and the aerial battle started. Hofer’s leader had to make an emergency landing due to a malfunction and watched from the ground as a Hungarian Bf 109, sitting on the tail of his Wingman, opened fire. Hofer’s Mustang was apparently only damaged and so he tried to return to the base. Near Mostar, he decided to strafe a German airfield, his P-51B “Salem Representative” was hit by flak and “Kid” Hofer was killed.   

   

  P-51B-5-NA, s/n 43-6425, Maj. Jack T. Bradley, CO 353rd FS, 354th FG, 9th AF, A.2 Criqueville, France, June 1944

  Jack Bradley became an Army pilot with the rank of 2ndLt on August 27, 1942, and was assigned to the 384th FG/353rd FS on January 18 the following year. After moving to England, he achieved his first kill out of 15 confirmed (plus three probable and 12.66 damaged) on December 20. With “Margie Maru” carrying code FT B, he achieved his first success on December 30, when he contributed a third of the damage to Do 217. Bradley was promoted to Captain in mid-January and took command of the 353rd FS at the end of the month. He kept the position until June 30, when he left for the USA for leave and took the post again on his return. He subsequently served as deputy CO of the 354th FG and at the end of the war, already at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, became the CO. After the war he stayed with the Air Force, retiring from the Reserves in December 1962. His Margie Maru is shown in a state where it bore the symbols of 15 kills, the invasion stripes on the fuselage were painted very carelessly. The aircraft was subsequently given the designation FT W and the name “Edgewood’s Entry”. 

   

  P-51B-10-NA, s/n 42-106647, Capt. John R. Brown Jr., 382nd FS, 363rd FG, 9th AF, Staplehurst, Great Britain, June 1944

  Prior to the combat, John Brown had managed to destroy four aircraft and damage one in various accidents, so he claimed himself to be only three-fifths of an aircraft away from becoming a Luftwaffe ace. He flew successively in the 356 FG and 362 FG, both with P-47s, then briefly became commander of the 382nd FS/363 FG, flying the P-51B. He was shot down with his “Big Mac” on August 8, 1944, while leading a formation of eight P-51s in an attack on ships in Bedonet Harbor. It was his 99th mission. He made an emergency landing near Quimper after being hit by flak from a destroyer but managed to escape capture and slip back to the Allies within a week. He subsequently became commander of the 437th FS/414 FG, with which he moved to Guam, where he flew P-47Ns. After the war, he became an air attaché in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and completed a secret mission in the USSR. During his wartime career, he scored one aerial kill, destroyed four enemy aircraft on the ground, and damaged eight.

   

  P-51B-15-NA, s/n 42-106763, Capt. George R. Rew, 374th FS, 361st FG, 8th AF, Bottisham, Great Britain, June 1944

  The 361st Fighter Group was activated on January 28, 1943, subsequently joining the 8th Air Force at RAF Bottisham, England. Initially flying P-47s, it rearmed to P-51s during May 1944. Although its pilots primarily provided long-range escort to bomber formations, they did not neglect attacks against ground targets, either by strafing or bombing. This is evidenced by one hundred of painted bomb symbols under the cockpit of the “Scarlet Kate” Mustang flown by Capt. George Robert Rew, who later commanded the 374th FS. The entire 361st FG achieved 226 aerial victories during World War II, and on the ground its pilots destroyed another 106 enemy aircraft.      

  
  

  Mustang Mk.III, FB382, S/Ldr Eugeniusz Horbaczewski, No. 315 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Coolham, Great Britain, June 1944

  Eugeniusz Horbaczewski was born on September 28, 1917, in Kiev and educated in Brest-Litovsk. He joined the Polish Air Force in 1937. In September 1939 he fled to France via Romania and from there he came to the UK. After completing his training with the RAF, he was assigned to No. 303 Squadron in late 1940 and in early 1943 was selected for a special Polish Flying Team, formed by Stanislaw Skalski and operated under umbrella of No. 145 Squadron. Over Tunisia Horbaczewski became the most successful pilot of this group, achieving five victories in less than a month. After the Team was disbanded he was assigned to No. 601 Squadron operating in the Mediterranean area and in early July to No. 43 Squadron which he commanded from August. On his return to the UK in February 1944 he took command of No. 315 Squadron, flying Mustang Mk. III. On August 18, 1944, he was shot down in the Beauvais area and killed, having previously shot down three Fw 190s in the combat himself.

• Markings for Spitfire Mk.IXc late 1/48

  MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson, No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford, Great Britain / B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France, June 1944

  When W/Cdr “Johnnie” Johnson returned to combat operations in March 1944, he assumed command of the newly formed Canadian Spitfire No. 144 (RCAF) Wing (Nos. 441, 442 and 443 Squadron) operating as part of No. 83 Group, 2TAF (Second Tactical Air Force). Its new personal Spitfire was the MK392, sporting the stylized personal codes JE-J. During the intense air battles of Normandy, No. 144 Wing was one of the best fighter Wings in the 2TAF and became the first Allied unit to have a permanent base in Europe (from June 12; forward airfield B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer). However, as part of a unit reorganization, No. 144 Wing was disbanded in mid-July and Johnson assumed command of No. 127 (RCAF) Wing. With his Spitfire MK392, he increased his number of kills by a further 12 aircraft, including four Bf 109s and eight Fw 190s, five of which he shot down during the June landings. During the Second World War, James Edgar “Johnnie” Johnson DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar made over 700 operational combat sorties and attacked enemy aircraft on 57 occasions. He achieved 41 aerial victories, 34 solo and seven shared, three more shared probable, 10 damaged, three shared damaged and one destroyed on the ground. This score made him the most successful Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe on the Western Front.

   

  ML407, F/O John A. Houlton, No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

  Spitfire serial number ML407 was built at Castle Bromwich as LF IXC and delivered on April 23, 1944, to No. 33 MU. Six days later ATA pilot Jackie Moggeridge flew it to No. 485 Sqdn (RNZAF), with which it commenced operational service with the codes OU-V as F/O Johnnie Houlton’s personal aircraft. The ML407 was reconfigured to the Mk.IXE version while serving with No. 485 Sqdn and Houlton shot down two Bf 109s and damaged one during the June invasion days. In all, he shot down seven aircraft during his wartime career, two of them shared. The aircraft itself served with six squadrons of 2TAF (Nos. 341, 308, 349, 345 and 332 Squadron) during World War II, flew 176 combat sorties during which it logged 319 hours and the pilots in its cockpit shot down four aircraft and damaged one. After the end of the war, ML407 had an eventful career. In 1950 it was converted to one of six Type 509 (T Mk.IX) two-seat trainers for the Irish Air Corps, where it served until July 8, 1960. It was stored in disassembled condition from 1962 to 1968 and sold for use in the film “The Battle of Britain” (although it did not appear in the film). In August 1979 the aircraft was purchased by Nick Gracee and, after refurbishment, was flown under the registration G-LFIX on April 16, 1985. After Nick Grace’s untimely death in a car crash in October 1988, ML407 was operated by his wife Carolyn, who sadly, like her husband, was tragically killed in a car crash in 2022. Today the aircraft is based at Duxford where it still flies in the period colors of No. 485 Squadron as OU-V.

   

  MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron, RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June–July 1944

  No. 341 Squadron was under the command of Capt. Michael Boudier as part of No. 145 (Free French) Wing operating with 2TAF from Merson Airfield with Spitfire Mk.IXC aircraft. With seven kills achieved in the ranks of Nos. 340 and 341 Squadron between 1942 and 1943, Boudier was by then a well-known fighter ace. Spitfire MJ671, which Boudier flew regularly from February 19, 1944, sported his personal emblem, a drawing of Popeye the Sailor smashing a swastika with his fist on the left side of the engine cowling. With the MJ671, Boudier participated in all pre-invasion and invasion actions of the Wing. His fateful day was July 9, 1944, when No. 341 Squadron clashed with Luftwaffe fighters. Boudier, flying a reserve aircraft, shot down a Bf 109 in the ensuing battle, but the next moment his own aircraft was accidentally shot down by an American P-47 pilot. Boudier was rescued by parachute and, although wounded in the leg, managed to evade German patrols, and walk 14 kilometers before contacting the Resistance. Three weeks later, however, he was arrested by the Gestapo in Rouen. He was imprisoned in poor conditions and sentenced to death after three months. However, his resolute and military attitude impressed the Germans, and he was eventually imprisoned in Germany, where he was liberated on April 29, 1945.

   

  ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron, RAF Harrowbeer, Great Britain, June–July 1944

  John Agorastos “Johnny” Plagis was the most successful Greek pilot of the Second World War. His greatest successes came during the defense of the island of Malta in 1942, where he was one of the first Spitfire pilots to take off from HMS Eagle on March 6, 1942. In June he became Squadron Leader of No. 185 Squadron and scored 12 kills during the fighting over Malta. After returning to Britain and recovering, he became Squadron Leader of No. 64 Squadron in April 1943. In mid-June 1944 he took command of No. 126 Squadron and during the invasion days of July and August he scored his last three confirmed kills. His personal Spitfire Mk.IXc ML214 5J-K, which he flew with No. 126 Squadron, bore, like his previous Spitfires, his sister Kay’s name under the front plate, the symbols of kills and the narrow invasion stripes intended for high-altitude fighter aircraft. No. 126 Squadron was formed in Malta in June 1941 by renumbering No. 46 Squadron. The squadron operated in Malta during the Axis offensives of late 1941 and 1942. In 1943 it continued to support the invasion of Sicily and for the rest of the year performed defensive duties with the Coastal Air Force. In April 1944 came the move to the UK where the unit, fully rearmed with Spitfires Mk.IXC, joined the ADGB, where it gradually became part of the wings from Culmhead, Harrowbeer and Bradwell Bay. In December, No. 126 Squadron moved to Bentwaters, where it became part of the Wing of long-range Mustangs, to which the unit was subsequently rearmed.

• Markings for Spitfire Mk.IXc late 1/72

  ML407, F/O John A. Houlton, No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron, RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June 1944

  Spitfire serial number ML407 was built at Castle Bromwich as LF IXC and delivered on April 23, 1944, to No. 33 MU. Six days later ATA pilot Jackie Moggeridge flew it to No. 485 Sqdn (RNZAF), with which it commenced operational service with the codes OU-V as F/O Johnnie Houlton’s personal aircraft. The ML407 was reconfigured to the Mk.IXE version while serving with No. 485 Sqdn and Houlton shot down two Bf 109s and damaged one during the June invasion days. In all, he shot down seven aircraft during his wartime career, two of them shared. The aircraft itself served with six squadrons of 2TAF (Nos. 341, 308, 349, 345 and 332 Squadron) during World War II, flew 176 combat sorties during which it logged 319 hours and the pilots in its cockpit shot down four aircraft and damaged one. After the end of the war, ML407 had an eventful career. In 1950 it was converted to one of six Type 509 (T Mk.IX) two-seat trainers for the Irish Air Corps, where it served until July 8, 1960. It was stored in disassembled condition from 1962 to 1968 and sold for use in the film “The Battle of Britain” (although it did not appear in the film). In August 1979 the aircraft was purchased by Nick Gracee and, after refurbishment, was flown under the registration G-LFIX on April 16, 1985. After Nick Grace’s untimely death in a car crash in October 1988, ML407 was operated by his wife Carolyn, who sadly, like her husband, was tragically killed in a car crash in 2022. Today the aircraft is based at Duxford where it still flies in the period colors of No. 485 Squadron as OU-V.

   

  MK392, W/Cdr James E. Johnson, No. 144 Wing, RAF Ford, Great Britain / B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer, France, June 1944

  When W/Cdr “Johnnie” Johnson returned to combat operations in March 1944, he assumed command of the newly formed Canadian Spitfire No. 144 (RCAF) Wing (Nos. 441, 442 and 443 Squadron) operating as part of No. 83 Group, 2TAF (Second Tactical Air Force). Its new personal Spitfire was the MK392, sporting the stylized personal codes JE-J. During the intense air battles of Normandy, No. 144 Wing was one of the best fighter Wings in the 2TAF and became the first Allied unit to have a permanent base in Europe (from June 12; forward airfield B.3 Sainte-Croix-sur-Mer). However, as part of a unit reorganization, No. 144 Wing was disbanded in mid-July and Johnson assumed command of No. 127 (RCAF) Wing. With his Spitfire MK392, he increased his number of kills by a further 12 aircraft, including four Bf 109s and eight Fw 190s, five of which he shot down during the June landings. During the Second World War, James Edgar “Johnnie” Johnson DSO & Two Bars, DFC & Bar made over 700 operational combat sorties and attacked enemy aircraft on 57 occasions. He achieved 41 aerial victories, 34 solo and seven shared, three more shared probable, 10 damaged, three shared damaged and one destroyed on the ground. This score made him the most successful Allied fighter ace against the German Luftwaffe on the Western Front.

    

  MJ671, Cpt. Michael Boudier, No. 341 Squadron, RAF Selsey, Great Britain, June–July 1944

  No. 341 Squadron was under the command of Capt. Michael Boudier as part of No. 145 (Free French) Wing operating with 2TAF from Merson Airfield with Spitfire Mk.IXC aircraft. With seven kills achieved in the ranks of Nos. 340 and 341 Squadron between 1942 and 1943, Boudier was by then a well-known fighter ace. Spitfire MJ671, which Boudier flew regularly from February 19, 1944, sported his personal emblem, a drawing of Popeye the Sailor smashing a swastika with his fist on the left side of the engine cowling. With the MJ671, Boudier participated in all pre-invasion and invasion actions of the Wing. His fateful day was July 9, 1944, when No. 341 Squadron clashed with Luftwaffe fighters. Boudier, flying a reserve aircraft, shot down a Bf 109 in the ensuing battle, but the next moment his own aircraft was accidentally shot down by an American P-47 pilot. Boudier was rescued by parachute and, although wounded in the leg, managed to evade German patrols, and walk 14 kilometers before contacting the Resistance. Three weeks later, however, he was arrested by the Gestapo in Rouen. He was imprisoned in poor conditions and sentenced to death after three months. However, his resolute and military attitude impressed the Germans, and he was eventually imprisoned in Germany, where he was liberated on April 29, 1945.

   

  ML214, S/Ldr John A. Plagis, No. 126 Squadron, RAF Harrowbeer, Great Britain, June–July 1944

  John Agorastos “Johnny” Plagis was the most successful Greek pilot of the Second World War. His greatest successes came during the defense of the island of Malta in 1942, where he was one of the first Spitfire pilots to take off from HMS Eagle on March 6, 1942. In June he became Squadron Leader of No. 185 Squadron and scored 12 kills during the fighting over Malta. After returning to Britain and recovering, he became Squadron Leader of No. 64 Squadron in April 1943. In mid-June 1944 he took command of No. 126 Squadron and during the invasion days of July and August he scored his last three confirmed kills. His personal Spitfire Mk.IXc ML214 5J-K, which he flew with No. 126 Squadron, bore, like his previous Spitfires, his sister Kay’s name under the front plate, the symbols of kills and the narrow invasion stripes intended for high-altitude fighter aircraft. No. 126 Squadron was formed in Malta in June 1941 by renumbering No. 46 Squadron. The squadron operated in Malta during the Axis offensives of late 1941 and 1942. In 1943 it continued to support the invasion of Sicily and for the rest of the year performed defensive duties with the Coastal Air Force. In April 1944 came the move to the UK where the unit, fully rearmed with Spitfires Mk.IXC, joined the ADGB, where it gradually became part of the wings from Culmhead, Harrowbeer and Bradwell Bay. In December, No. 126 Squadron moved to Bentwaters, where it became part of the Wing of long-range Mustangs, to which the unit was subsequently rearmed.

• Tail End Charlie

  Scale models competitions and the colors of the world

   

  The versatility of the modeling world is entrancing. And I don't just mean the range of topics like aircraft, AFVs, dioramas, figures, SCI-FI or looking through scales. I'm referring now to the way modelers can come together, have fun, argue, admire, enjoy. Modeling communities are about friendship, nudging each other, sharing experiences, teaching beginners, camaraderie but also overscaled rivalries and therefore animosities, resentments, betrayals, words fulfilled or unfulfilled, diligence and laziness. Art and clumsiness. In short, scale modeling is a reflection of the real world, not only in the scaled-down reproductions we try to create, but also in all its essence.

  The point of view is of course different if you are a modeler or a manufacturer. Whether garage based or one with a big company and worldwide distribution. Yes, certainly our industry is seen differently by a person for whom it is a hobby that they sit down to two nights a week or by someone for whom it is their daily bread and who is an element in a system that has to provide work for dozens or hundreds of employees. And because, as we have said, modeling is a reflection of the real world, there is no shortage of rudeness, backstabbing, theft large and small, parasitism on the work of others and deception. Of course, it's up to us to decide how we feel about it, whether we turn a blind eye to such things or stand up to injustice.

  One of the most striking elements of modeling diversity is competitions. And they're not just an opportunity to compare your skills, they're places to meet, to discuss, to form communities, and a place to explore new things, practices, and ideas.

  For us as a manufacturer, it is important, even our moral obligation, to support model competitions. This can take many forms, the most common being sponsorship with prizes for competitions. And to highlight the fact that we and the organizers focus mainly on junior competitors would be just “carrying coals to Newcastle”.

  Every year we support several dozen competitions in the Czech Republic and abroad, some of which we also participate in as vendors and some of which we organize. Either as a company or our employees, as members of some model clubs. Unfortunately, we have to refuse a similar number of requests for support of competitions - we do not have the possibility to support all national competitions of district level, for example.  Concerning the foreign ones, we mainly support those where there is some personal connection or historical experience. We don't ask much for our support, we have a few fairly simple conditions, the most demanding of which is probably the participation of the organizing club in E-Day in the form of a club show (which of course we don't usually require from foreign competitions organizers). Participation in E-Day also involves accepting our rules for club presentations and thus keeping it fair for all. During last year's E-Day, one of the clubs turned its display table into a sales corner, which not only led to an unpleasant situation during the event itself, but also to not receiving support, in the form of kits, from us for their fall contest.   

  If you are an organizer of a modeling competition, especially in the Czech or Slovak Republic, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to support the competition. Not only with kits and accessories for the winners’ prizes, we will also publish for free your competition leaflet in our Info magazine. We will clarify the rules and conditions in subsequent communication. However, I want to mention one of our rules now because it is new and many contest and exhibition organizers may not know about it. We have decided NOT to support such competitions where there will be any direct participation of AZ model, Admiral, Kovozávody Prostějov (I do not mean the original, real ones) companies, or any other brand associated with Mr. Petr Muzikant.

  We believe that dishonesty must be confronted and things must be called by their true names. For those who may not know exactly what I am writing about, what was the last drop in the proverbial cup in this decision, I recommend the article on pages 34-36 of the previous issue of Info.

  We will therefore not support those competitions and exhibitions that are supported by these brands in any way, or at which one of Mr Muzikant's companies has a sales or promotional stand. Please accept this. We do not prohibit anyone from cooperating with these companies, we only define the conditions of our own support. If any of you have the impression that the above is related to the reasoning in the first half of this column, I want to assure you that your impression is correct.

  We look forward to seeing you over the diversity of the modeling world and at future contests and model shows!

  Jan Zdiarský 

• GAME CHANGER

  Major James A. Goodson (in cockpit), CO of 336th Fighter Squadron was known in the spring of 1944 as “King of the Strafers,” credited with 15 aerial and 15 ground victories. (USAF Official) 

  
  

  Text: Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

  Adapted from “Clean Sweep: VIII Fighter Command Against the Luftwaffe 1942-45"

   

  During September 1943, rumors abounded among the pilots in the fighter groups regarding things to come. When Chesley Peterson returned to take command of the 4th Fighter Group, he told the pilots that there was a new airplane in the works. Steve Pisanos recalled him saying, “They’re coming up with a new fighter that will be far superior to he P-38 and P-47, a kite that can be used for long-range escort.” That rumor became reality on September 26, 1943, when Pisanos returned from escorting B-17s to Les Andelys in northern France. “I taxied into the dispersal area only to find a P-51 Mustang with a four-bladed propeller parked on the grass across from my stall.” Pisanos was familiar with the Allison-powered RAF Mustang I, having flown one for 40 hours in OTU training and then another 40 operational hours with 268 Squadron before transferring to 71 Eagle Squadron. He met the pilot, Captain Jack Miller from VIII Fighter Command staff, who had flown the new Mustang to Debden, in the squadron operations office. “He told me it was equipped with a Merlin engine and that it was on loan to our group for the pilots to fly and evaluate it.”

  Colonel Don Blakeslee, commander of the 4th Fighter Group, promised VIII Fighter Command he could transition the group from P-47s to P-51s in 48 hours. The group became the leading exponents of the Mustang. (USAF Official)

  
  

  A week later, the Mustang was released for flying. Pisanos recalled, “I was more familiar with the Mustang than anyone else in the group. When Captain Miller saw I had 80 Mustang hours in my logbook, he turned it over to me.”

  Pisanos found the new airplane to be “everything I hoped it would be.” After checking himself out for 15 minutes, “I dropped down on the deck and decided to make a pass over Debden, clocking some 450 miles per hour. As I passed over, I zoomed up and rolled left and right. Then I did a loop, after which I buzzed the runway a few more times.”

  Everyone was interested in the new fighter. Over the next two weeks Don Blakeslee flew it several times, as did Don Gentile, Jim Goodson, Deacon Hively and Duane Beeson. All were effusive in their praise of the flying qualities of the new Mustang. Steve Pisanos recalled, “Everyone was paying attention to the P-51. When I was in 268 Squadron, flying Allison-powered Mustangs, those of us with experience in Spitfires talked about how wonderful the airplane would be with a Merlin up front.”

  Duane Beeson was leading ace of the 4th‘s 334th Fighter Squadron. His P-51B was named “Boise Bee” in honor of his hometwon, Boise, Idaho. The dark areas on the airplane are residue from the cocooning done to protect the airframe on its trans-Atlantic delivery voyage. (USAF Official)

  
  

  While U.S. Air Attache Thomas Hitchcock worked with Rolls-Royce in early 1943 to mate the Merlin and the Mustang, Edgar Schmued and his team at North American also began planning such a powerplant upgrade. Hitchock’s report on the performance of Rolls-Royce’s Merlin-powered Mustang X test bed, which gave an 80 mph speed increase and a doubling of effective combat altitude, provided North American with all the evidence it needed to convince the Air Force to support the work. Word of the first flight of the P-51B in Los Angeles spread through the world of Air Force fighter pilots like wildfire. The pilots of the "Fourth" had been unanimous in their verdict it was the best fighter any had flown.

  On October 8, 1943, the 354th Fighter Group was declared operational and boarded the train for the five day trip from California to New Jersey. On October 20, the men were aboard the troop transport HMS Athlone Castle. Ten “fortunately uneventful days” later they arrived in Liverpool on November 1. After three days at anchor waiting for the fog to lift, the ship docked and the 354th went ashore in England. Then they were trucked to Greenham Common. The morning of November 11, 1943, the first four P-51B Mustangs were flown in. The 354th would be the first fighter group anywhere to fly North American’s new fighter.

  Captain Don Gentile (l) and his crew chief, T/Sgt John Ferra (r) of the 4th Group’ 336th Fighter Squadron. (USAF Official)

  
  

  356th Squadron commander Major James O. Howard later remembered, “On November 13 we were sent to our new base at Boxted, near Colchester. At first, it looked like we were going to be very comfortable in this English countryside setting. However, we were no more settled in than the rains came, and the whole base became a giant quagmire. The conditions were so bad it made it difficult to do the work of converting to the Mustang.”

  The pilots of the 354th group were ecstatic to be given the Mustang. The group historian later wrote that after only one day of test hops, “they realized that they had the best airplane of the war to work with.” To honor their good fortune, a vote was taken and the 354th adopted the name “Pioneer Mustang Group.”

  1st Lieutenant John T. Godfrey (l) with his dog Lucky and crew chief T/Sgt Ed Krantz. Godfrey flew missions as Don Gentile’s wingman and the two were hyped by VIII Fighter Command Public Relations as the famous “leader” and “wingman” during the “Ace Race” publicity stunt in early 1944. (USAF Official)

  
  

  On December 1, the pilots were considered proficient enough to fly their first mission in the ETO, a “Rodeo” fighter sweep over Belgium and the Pas de Calais flown by 24 P-51s led by Don Blakeslee, with group commander Lt. Colonel Harold Martin flying as Blakeslee’s wingman. Takeoff was at 1429 hours and they returned 70 minutes later at 1559 hours, with the only excitement having been one flak hit on the plane flown by Lieutenant Lane of the 356th Fighter Squadron. The 354th had established a record, flying its first combat mission only 20 days after its first combat aircraft was assigned to it and 27 days after arriving in England.

  The Mustangs had been modified by VIII Technical Command when they arrived in England with an additional gas tank, mounted immediately behind the pilot in the fuselage on the Center of Gravity, that could carry an additional 90 gallons. When filled, pilots discovered the airplane was slightly tail-heavy, which restricted maneuverability. Operating procedures were modified so that a pilot took off with gas fed from the wing tanks, once airborne they would switch to the cockpit tank to burn off that fuel before reaching enemy territory, when that was empty, they would switch to the drop tanks until they were either empty or the enemy was engaged. The fuselage tank was invaluable. The Mustang had the range on internal fuel only to fly to targets in western Germany the P-47 had only been able to reach, in the weeks after the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission in August, when the fighters were finally equipped with the 108-gallon drop tank. A P-51B carrying two of those drop tanks could reach Berlin.

  1st Lieutenant Ralph “Kidd” Hover (in cockpit) was the 4th’s leading “eccentric.” He joined the RCAF on a lark with friends after a party in Detroit where he was a professional boxer. He transferred to the USAAF after training and was assigned to the 334th Fighter Squadron, where he scored a victory on his first mission, an unheard-of event. (USAF Official)

  
  

  When it was announced that the fighter group would be incorporated in the newly-established Ninth Air Force, which had recently transferred to England from North Africa to become the USAAF tactical air force in the coming invasion, Eighth Air Force fighter leaders were shocked. VIII Fighter Command’s General Kepner immediately protested that a fighter like the Mustang, with a vulnerable liquid-cooled engine and a radiator that only needed one minor-caliber hit to be put out of action, was exactly what was not needed in action over a battlefield in a ground support mission. For VIII Fighter Command, the P-51B was the solution to the problem they had faced since the command first began flying missions. Tests conducted between P-51Bs and captured Bf 109 and Fw 190 fighters demonstrated the Mustang was competitive in ways the P-47 would never be. Above 25,000 feet, the Mustang was superior to the Fw 190 in all flight regimes, only being out-rolled by the early versions of the Wurger, it was more maneuverable than the Bf 109 at all altitudes, and its equal in all other aspects of high altitude performance. Don Blakeslee told Kepner “The Mustang is a long-range Spitfire!” Both Blakeslee and Chesley Peterson begged VIII Fighter Command to let the "Fourth" be the first VIII Fighter Command group to take the Mustang to war.

  Johnny Godfrey (l) and Don Gentile after the March 4, 1944 Berlin mission failed due to bad weather. The 4th had adopted their red nose marking on March 1, but Gentile and Godfrey left the front of their spinners white as an identification. Blakeslee told them to have the noses painted by the next mission on March 5. (USAF Official)

  
  

  No one in England could understand the decision not to send the fighter to the Eighth; the decision had been made in the Pentagon, by officers in Materiel Command who had no knowledge of or dealings with operational realities. The Merlin-powered Mustang was declared a “tactical fighter” because both the RAF and USAAF had decided the earlier, Allison-powered Mustangs would be used in the tactical roles of battlefield reconnaissance, ground strafing and dive-bombing. The decision to send the Mustang to the Ninth Air Force was based on bureaucratic precedent, if it was based on anything.

  The first thing VIII Fighter Command did on discovering the Mustang had been assigned to Ninth Air Force was to “go to the top” and get an agreement that, while the group would remain a part of Ninth Air Force administratively, the unit would operate under the control of VIII Fighter Command until the invasion. When they learned that the 363rd Fighter Group, also assigned to the Ninth Air Force, was second in line to receive Mustangs, VIII Fighter Command put the engines of military bureaucracy into overdrive to insure that the rest of the Mustangs went to the Eighth Air Force as they became available. Additionally, the RAF had received P-51Bs, which were called the Mustang III in that service, and was in process of equipping four veteran Fighter Command squadrons with the new fighter. RAF Chief Sir Charles Portal agreed to send these units to support VIII Fighter Command as soon as they were operationally qualified.

  On April 8, 1944, Don Gentile became the top-scoring American ace in Europe. On April 13, following his final mission, Gentile made repeated high speed passes for newspaper and newsreel reporters in his Mustang, “Shangri-La.” He struck the center of the Debden runway, which was higher than either end, destroying the Mustang in the process. He then went back to the U.S.A. for a war bond tour. (USAF Official)

  
  

  The need of the Mustang for over-the-target support was so great that the 354th group participated in their first escort mission over enemy territory on December 5, a record for arrival-to-first mission timing in VIII Fighter Command. The group sent 36 P-51s, again led by Don Blakeslee with group commander Martin flying wing, escorting bombers striking airfields around Bordeaux. The 55th's 34 P-38s flew along with the 354th’s 36 Mustangs for target cover, though the Luftwaffe failed to come up. On December 11, the 354th suffered their first loss during a mission to Bremen, though no enemy fighters were encountered.

  On December 13, the 354th celebrated their first month with the P-51 by sending 36 Mustangs to fly target cover over Kiel, their first trip to Germany. The 354th finally met the enemy in combat during the escort mission to Bremen on December 16, and claimed one Bf 110 shot down by 2nd Lieutenant Lt. Charles F. Gumm of the 355th squadron. Colonel Martin led this all-354th mission. On the way home, the 353rd squadron’s 2nd Lieutenant Glenn T. Eagleston became the first pilot to survive bailing out after he managed to get across the Channel and almost to the English coast after his Mustang had been damaged by the rear gunner of a Bf 110 G he claimed as a probable. Fortunately for him, he was spotted by the crew of an RAF rescue launch just as he touched down in the icy waters and was plucked aboard after only five minutes of what he later said was, “The coldest I ever was in my life.”  

  Debden air station was home of the 4th Fighter Group. It was a pre-war RAF air base, and the 4th was assigned there in 1942 when they were still the Eagle Squadrons of the RAF. (USAF Official)

  
  

  A third mission to Bremen, on December 20, saw the group contribute 47 P-51s led by Colonel Martin to an escort force of 26 P-38s and 418 P-47s; the 546 B-17s and B-24s made this the largest mission so far in Eighth Air Force history.

  Over the target, James Howard spotted three Bf 109s. One made the mistake of pulling up under a B-17 as he completed his gunnery pass, giving Howard the chance to close in from four o’clock. While still out of range, he fired a burst to scare his opponent away from the bomber as the pilot positioned for another attack. Howard rapidly closed the Bf 109 from dead astern. When it filled his gunsight, he fired a two-second burst and it emitted heavy black smoke. Back at Boxted after their return, his wingman, Lieutenant H. B. Smith reported that he saw parts fly off the Bf 109 before the engine exploded and it fell away in an uncontrollable vertical dive. The 354th claimed three victories but suffered their first combat losses when three Mustangs failed to return, including Major Owen Seaman, commander of the 353rd squadron, who went down over the North Sea after his fighter had been damaged over the target.

  On December 22, the group escorted bombers to Osnabruck and Münster. The P-51 at this point was not reliable, and suffered numerous instances of engine problems, forcing a pilot to abort the mission, that were later traced to the poor combination of British aviation gasoline and American spark plugs. On this mission, 20 Mustangs were forced to abort due to rough engines.

  P-51Bs of the 354th “Pioneer Mustang” group take off from their base at Boxted, England in the Spring of 1944. (USAF Official)

  
  

  On October 23, 1943, the officers and men of the 357th Fighter Group went aboard the RMS Queen Mary in New York harbor with 11,000 other Allied troops, headed for England. The liner dropped anchor in the Clyde on October 29 and the men of the 357th soon made the acquaintance of the English train system, when they were transported to their base at Raydon Wood in Suffolk. On December 19, a well-worn RAF Allison-powered Mustang II arrived for use in conversion training, In the next ten days, 14 P-51Bs arrived. The 363rd squadron’s Flight Officer Chuck Yeager recalled, “It only took me an hour in one to be convinced I was among the most fortunate pilots in the world, that I was assigned to fly this airplane.”

  Air Force bureaucracy again had the 357th and their Mustangs intended for the Ninth Air Force, but this changed in one of the first decisions General Dwight Eisenhower made after his arrival in England as Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF). The 357th was transferred to VIII Fighter Command, with IX Tactical Air Command receiving the new P-47-equipped 358th Fighter Group.

  The missions in December 1943, had shown VIII Fighter Command could now provide effective cover to the bombers. Paraphrasing Winston Churchill, it wasn’t the beginning of the end, but it was the end of the beginning.

  Major James H. Howard (l), CO of the 354th group’s 356th Fighter Squadron was awarded the Medal of Honor for single-handedly defending the B-17s of the 401st Bomb Group from Luftwaffe attack over Ochersleben, Germany, on February 11, 1944, becoming the only fighter pilot in the ETO so honored. (USAF Official)

  
  

  Symbolic of the major changes coming in VIII Fighter Command, Don Blakeslee took command of the 4th Fighter Group on New Year’s Day, 1944. He told the pilots what he expected of them: "The Fourth Fighter Group is going to be the top fighter group in the Eighth Air Force. We are here to fight. To those who don’t believe me, I would suggest transferring to another group. I’m going to fly the arse off each one of you. Those who keep up with me, good. Those who don’t, I don’t want them anyway.” Steve Pisanos later recalled, “If anyone had any doubts, it was clear from Colonel Don’s statement that the gloves were coming off in 1944.”

  On January 11, 1944, former Flying Tiger ace James O. Howard demonstrated what the P-51B was capable of. The weather over central Germany cleared that day, allowing VIII Bomber Command to send 663 B-17s and B-24s to bomb the A.G.O. Fleugzeugwerke A.G. at Oschersleben, the main center of Fw 190 production; the Junkers Fleugzeug und Moterenwerke at Halberstadt, which was producing wings for Ju 88s; and three plants in Brunswick operated by Muhlenbau Industrie A.G. engaged in production of Bf 110s. Only the formation that would strike the Focke-Wulf factory at Oschersleben would have fighter escort in the target area. This was the 354th’s assignment.

  1st Lieutenant Willian T. Whisner of the 352nd Fighter Group with his P-51B “Princess Elizabeth” in June 1944. (USAF Official)

  
  

  Weather over England made take-off and assembly difficult. The enroute weather deteriorated so badly that the 3rd Bombardment Division’s B-17s and the 2nd Bombardment Division’s B-24s were recalled. By the time the recall was made, the B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Division were 50 miles from the target. The leading combat wing of the 3rd Bombardment Division was so deep in enemy territory when the recall was received that its commander decided to continue on to the primary target. With the targets only 60 air miles from Berlin, the Luftwaffe controllers feared the capital was finally the goal of the American force. The Luftwaffe’s reaction demonstrated the Jagdwaffe had lost none of its ability to exact heavy losses on a deep bomber penetration by daylight. Indeed, it appeared they had improved their tactics.

  The P-51s of the 354th group rendezvoused with the Oschersleben force to find themselves in the midst of these attacks. Howard, the most experienced pilot in the group, was leading. He later recalled, “We climbed to 25,000 feet through a couple of cloud layers and on a course directly to our rendezvous point. As we crossed the coast of Holland, it was a clear day, with the sun shining brightly. Down below, snow covered the ground. The outside air temperature at my altitude was minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit... As we reached the bomber stream, I realized it was under intense attack by enemy fighters. I saw no friendly fighters.”

  After shooting down a Bf 110 G, Howard saw a Bf 109s. “I applied the throttle and raked my guns in his direction from about 150 yards. I could see flashes from my slugs hitting the fuselage. It spewed smoke and fire and spun down out of control.” An instant later, an Fw 190 flew in front of Howard. “I pulled up after it in a chandelle. I was less than a hundred yards behind and ready to let him have it when the pilot suddenly jettisoned his canopy and bailed out.” The battle was far from over, as Howard defended the 401st Bomb Group in what is considered one of the epic fights any American fighter pilot was ever in.

  “Snoot’s Sniper,” a P-51B of the 352nd Fighter Group, known as the “Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney” for the group’s distinctive blue nose marking. (USAF Official)

  
  

  According to the official account, Howard was up against 36 enemy fighters and was the only American fighter in position to oppose them. He flew straight at them, attacking first one, then another as he twisted and turned for several minutes in their midst. His “one man air force” attack forced the enemy fighters to break away and saved the B-17 formation.

  After forcing several enemy fighters to break of their attacks, Howard closed on one of the lead 401st B-17s. He was now down to one working machine gun. “I had already been with the bombers for nearly thirty minutes, and there were still enemy planes around. So I decided to bluff by making feints in their direction to scare them off. I still had the one gun working.” Howard chased away a persistent Ju 88 three times before the enemy dived away for good. “After the Ju 88 finally dived away, I saw no more enemy planes. So I set course for England, picking up a couple stray P-51s as I did.”

  The 354th claimed 18 destroyed, eight probably destroyed and 16 damaged, with no American losses. The actual losses for the three formations that bombed targets were 60 missing and presumed shot down by fighters or flak. Howard himself claimed two destroyed, two probables and two damaged.

  On February 14, each of the Fourth’s three squadrons received a P-51B when the fighters were delivered to Debden. Blakeslee informed the pilots he expected all to check out in the new fighter between flying combat missions. There would be no down time to permit pilots to transition en masse.

  The Mustang was so easy to fly that little thought was given to extensive conversion training before entering combat. When the 352nd Fighter Group received their new Mustangs on April 7, 1944, pilot Robert “Punchy” Powell remembered, “We were coming back from a mission and when the field came in sight, we saw all these P-51s parked there.” On landing, Powell was informed by his crew chief that he was expected to take one of the Mustangs for an initial flight in 30 minutes. Powell was surprised and initially resisted the idea of not even studying the flight manual. “But that’s what we did. Our engineering officer showed me how to start it, and the next thing I knew, I was at 15,000 feet. To get the feel of it, I did some tight turns, a chandelle in both directions, and a barrel roll. I tested the stall by putting the wheels down, cutting power and bringing the nose up till she stalled. I was surprised by how stable it was. I went back and landed and we flew our first mission in the new planes the next day.”

  Berlin had been listed as an especially suitable target in USSTAF’s  (United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe) original assignment of priorities issued in January. The purpose of attacking Berlin was not just to destroy the several important industries located within the city, or to shake the enemy’s morale. The desire was to goad the Luftwaffe into defending a target, so the defenders became targets of the fighters escorting the bombers, inflicting losses of pilots as well as aircraft. If there was a target the Germans could not ignore regardless, Allied planners believed it was Berlin.

  Since January, the P-51's range had been extended. The P-51 with two 75-gallon tanks had an escort range of 650 miles, and with two 108-gallon tanks that range was 850 miles, no target in Germany was out of range. The only holdup was a bottleneck in the supply of P-51s.

  By March 1, VIII Fighter Command had a second Mustang unit, the 4th Fighter Group flying their first Mustang mission on February 28. There were now some 150 P-51s available to the 354th, 357th and 4th groups. The airplanes were still not fully reliable as the “bugs” were worked out and changes made on the production line. North American opened a second production line for the fighter in their Dallas, Texas, factory in addition to those produced in Los Angeles.

  The weather that had closed in at the conclusion of Big Week didn’t really open up all that much through the month of March. It took three tries to get the maximum force over Berlin.

  “Li’l Kitten” a P-51B assigned to the 357th Fighter Group, the first Mustang-equipped group assigned to VIII Fighter Command. The “Malcolm hood” the fighter is equipped with greatly improved the pilot’s visibility from the cockpit. (USAF Official)

  
  

  On March 3, the first Berlin mission was launched, but the bombers ran into steadily worsening weather over the North Sea. On March 4, 29 B-17s of one combat wing got through the weather and bombed the Berlin suburb Klein Machnow, but the rest of the force had to turn back or bomb targets of opportunity in the Ruhr. Steve Pianos later remembered, “Eight Mustangs from our squadron and almost an equal number from the other two squadrons had to abort for various mechanical problems.” Finally, March 6 saw the Eighth Air Force over Berlin, the 354th managed to arrive with 33 P-51s after suffering 15 aborts, led by James Howard; they claimed eight. The 357th claimed 20 victories, the group’s first “Big Day.” The Fourth claimed 15. Of the more than 600 bombers that hit the city, over 60 were lost. The Eighth returned to Berlin on March 8 with 623 bombers escorted by 725 fighters; 37 bombers and 18 fighters were lost. On the third mission, flown on March 11, the defenders didn’t show up. Eighth Air Force replaced their losses by mid-month. The Luftwaffe never replaced their crucial losses of experienced pilots.

  Allegedly, after the war, when he was questioned by American interrogators at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial, Reichsmarschal Hermann Göring said "When I saw Mustangs over Berlin, I knew the jig was up." Whether he said that to his interrogators or anyone else is open to question, but the fact that American fighters did show up over Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany on March 6, 1944, with the Luftwaffe failing to appear on March 11, was proof that the only question remaining was how long the Second World War would last. The winners were already known.

• “Monoplan de chasse allemand”

  Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) was the first machine of this type to fall almost undamaged into the hands of the French. The plane was captured on April 10, 1916, at Courmelois. Photo: Reinhard Zankl

  
  

  Text: Jan Bobek

   

  Fokker's Eindeckers, also known as monoplanes, were not revolutionary in their design. However, by mid-1915, they had surpassed their rivals by incorporating a machine gun with synchronized firing through the propeller arc. Understandably, the Allied forces were keenly interested in obtaining an undamaged Fokker E for examination.

   

  When the legendary French aviator Roland Garros of Escadrille MS 26 was captured on April 18, 1915, the Germans discovered a machine gun, installed on his Morane Saulnier G fighter, designed to fire through the propeller arc, alongside metal wedges on the propeller blades. These wedges (in most cases) deflected projectiles to the side if the blades were hit by fire. The German Idflieg promptly decided it was necessary to equip their own aircraft with a similar device. To their surprise, they found that Anthony Fokker had already developed a superior technical solution, which was relatively advanced. Contrary to the legend that the synchronization device was designed within 48 hours, Fokker's team had been working on this solution for approximately six months. Fokker based his design on a patent by Swiss engineer Franz Schneider, which was published in full in Flugsport magazine in September 1914.

  The British secured an undamaged Fokker E.III two days before the French. The machine 210/16 (serial no. 509) landed on April 8, 1916, at the airfield near Renescure. In this picture, it already bears British insignia. All other photographs in this article depict machine 196/16 (serial no. 488). Photo: L'Argonnaute

  
  

  Fokker's new fighter monoplanes entered service with the E  designation  for Eindecker mit MG, meaning a monoplane equipped with a machine gun. The Fokker A.III and E.I entered combat service from the summer of 1915. Their mission was to engage enemy aircraft penetrating German territory and to provide escort for their own multi-seat machines. Occasionally, the “Fokkerpilots”, as their pilots were known, targeted observation balloons as well. However, they had to be cautious not to be forced to land in enemy territory. The Fokker Eindecker, inspired by the Morane Saulnier G, did not introduce revolutionary features in terms of manoeuvrability, rate of climb, or speed. Its primary advantage laid in the synchronization device,  it was thus crucial to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

  The Eindeckers' combat tactics and efficiency proved to be a nasty surprise for their enemies. Aircraft losses on the side of the Entente were increasing significantly, while the tactics employed by the Fokker pilots were gradually evolving. This period became known as the “Fokker Scourge.” In January 1916, the RFC command had to issue an order directing that reconnaissance machineswere to be escorted by three other aircraft in close formation to enhance defences. The order explicitly stated that the reason for this measure was the presence of Fokkers operating in groups of three and four aircraft.

  Immediately after the emergency landing, monoplane 196/16 (registration No. 488) garnered considerable interest from French soldiers. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Photo: L'Argonnaute

  The technical design of the rear-view mirror mounting is noteworthy in this photo. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  
  

  The British had several synchronization systems at their disposal: the Vickers-Challenger, Scarff-Dibrovski, Sopwith-Kauper, Ross, and Arsaid. Similarly, the French could utilize the Alkan system. However, a challenge arose as these devices were originally designed for the relatively heavy Vickers-Maxim type machine guns equipped with belt-fed magazines. The Royal Flying Corps and the French Air Service, on the other hand, favored the lighter Lewis machine guns with drum magazines.

  The Germans managed to keep the secrets of their Fokkers well-guarded for quite a long time, until April 1916. However, everything changed in a matter of days. Firstly, one undamaged machine fell into the hands of the RFC on April 8. This occurred due to an inexperienced pilot who was flying a brand new E.III 210/16 (c. n. 509) to his unit. Accidentally flying to the enemy side of the front, over surprised Australian soldiers and flawlessly landed at a British airfield. Subsequent comparative tests with the Morane Bullet revealed the Fokker to be inferior to its opponent in all parameters, and the myth of this German bogeyman began to dissipate. Today, this aircraft is on display at the Science Museum in London.

  Immediately after landing and capturing the pilot, French soldiers obscured the markings on the upper surfaces of the Fokker with branches. In this photo, and the next one, this can be seen on the left wing. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  In this photo, the marking 196/16 (serial no. 488) can be seen on the left side of the fuselage. Although this was a new machine when it fell into French hands, the marking on the right side of the fuselage has been partially removed. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  
  

  According to some authors, the German airman in question should have been Gefr. Johann (Hans) Hvüres from FFA 5 or from the Bavarian aviation unit FFA 5b. However, no aviator by this name is listed in the casualty summary in the contemporary press. This is likely a mistake, as a pilot with a similar name, Uffz. Hans Hviires, was killed on April 26, 1916, along with his observer Lt. Georg Jesko von Puttkamer. Their aircraft, an LVG C from FA 5, was attacked by a Nieuport 16 flown by test pilot and future fighter ace Lt. W. J. C. Kennedy-Cochran-Patrick of No. 1 Aeroplane Depot in Saint-Omer. The German crew was attacked three times in total, and after the machine crashed at Flêtre, the airmen on board showed no signs of life. The identity of the Fokker pilot who flew over the front and smoothly landed at the enemy airfield on April 8, 1916, with 210/16 remains unclear.

  The second almost undamaged Fokker E.III fell into the hands of the French Air Service just two days later, on April 10, 1916, under equally strange circumstances. The event also had several eyewitnesses, and there were even two photographers present at the scene of the incident. One of them, Jacques Tournadour d'Albay enjoyed, besides taking his colleagues' portraits in the manner of a professional reporter, to capture events not directly related to his missions within the 11e régiment du génie (Engineer Regiment). Be it the aftermath of a dogfight in April 1916, a machine gun demonstration in the presence of authorities four months later, or even a cooking contest in The Somme during September of the same year, these episodes were thereby the objects of genuine photographic reports.

  Transporting the partially dismantled aircraft from the emergency landing site. This is likely machine 196/16 (serial no. 488). Photo: Greg VanWyngarden

  Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) was apparently photographed on April 10, 1916, during transport from Courmelois to Châlons, where it was displayed to the public the following day. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  Gustave Douchy of Esc. N 38 stands in front of a fighter aircraft Spad XIII. He claimed his first victory on April 10, 1916, during a duel with the pilot of Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488), but his kill was not confirmed. This apprentice blacksmith and former aircraft mechanic achieved his first confirmed victory on May 5, 1916, and by June 1918 had added eight confirmed victories to his account, with a further eight not recognized. Photo: Gallica

  
  

  On April 10, 1916, while participating in the establishment of a floating bridge across the canal from the Marne to the Aisne, Jacques Tournadour d'Albay witnessed a dogfight opposing a French biplane to a German Fokker, after which he took several pictures of the German Fighter.

  “We're going to work. During lunch (on the bank), we're flown over by a French biplane pursuing a "Boche" aircraft. A few minutes later the “Boche” comes back, stutters and lands near Courmelois. The French descends quickly and rolls over. The airman injured his knee. The Fokker's pilot and his aircraft are unharmed. It's a Fokker E.III N° 196/16, propeller type Gnome 2,46m pitch 0,25. I take a few pictures.” Thus he recounts the event on April 10, 1916. Let's also add that the propeller was, in fact, produced by company Garuda, as evident from both the technical report and the photos.

  Nieuport 10 (833) of Esc. N 38, crewed by Sgt. Gustave Douchy (pilot) and S/Lt. Francois Roederer (observer), after a failed landing in a field near Courmelois on April 10, 1916. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  The original archive photo is credited with the note that the Nieuport crashed near the Fokker E.III serial no. 488. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  
  

  This photographer's notes clarify the until then unresolved question of where the overturned Nieuport seen near the Fokker in the photos came from. The pilot of the Fokker supposedly was Uffz. Anton Rösler (Rössler) of FFA 22. He had been at the front for a short time, having been assigned to the unit on March 15, 1916, but had already endured three aerial battles and forced one French aircraft to land. His Fokker E.III 196/16 (c.n. 488) was brand new and had left the factory in Schwerin on March 26. On the fateful April 10, just before 11 am, he engaged in a dogfight with a Caudron from Esc. C 28 and was then fired upon by anti-aircraft gunners from the 7e section d'autos-canons de DCA. He was subsequently pursued by a Nieuport 10 of Esc. N 38, crewed by Sgt. Gustave Douchy (pilot) and S/Lt. Francois Roederer (observer). When they saw that the Fokker was landing on French territory, they attempted to land next to it and preventits pilot from setting the valuable aircraft on fire. However, upon landing, they overturned. Although their victory was not verified, Douchy later became a fighter ace with nine confirmed kills.

  A series of photographs from Courmelois showing Uffz. Anton Rösler of FFA 22, presumably before marching into captivity at Châlons. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  
  

  There were enough French soldiers on the scene to prevent Rösler from damaging or even destroying the Fokker. The captured pilot initially refused to talk, but after marching 30 kilometers and enduring 48 hours without food in the prison in Châlons, he began to answer questions at the headquarters of the 2nd Army. Apparently, it was from this statement that the information emerged that his unit was a Fokker Kampfstaffel A, and he took off on a combat flight from an airfield west of Rethel. However, it seems that he deliberately provided incorrect information, as his actual unit was Feldflieger Abteilung 22 in Vouziers. He claimed that he was not shot down but had to land due to an ignition failure. Upon examination of the aircraft, it was found to have several hits in the wing, one hit in the propeller, and the fuel tank had also sustained damage from a projectile. The Fokker was equipped with a 100 hp Oberursel U.I engine.

  Aircraft 196/16 was exhibited in Saint-Mémmie on April 11, 1916, then the French authorities transferred it to the air park in Saint-Cyr. During the summer of 1916, it was located at the Pau flight school. It was adorned with French insignia, but during trials at the research facility, it sustained damage due to a malfunction of the synchronization equipment. The subsequent fate of this aircraft remains unknown to me.

  In this photo taken on May 30, 1916, a delegation from the Russian Parliament inspects Fokker E.III 196/16 (serial no. 488) at the air park in Villacoublay. Photo: L'Argonnaute

  
  

  There is no further information available regarding Anton Rösler, again in the case of this pilot, his name cannot be found in the contemporary list of losses, which was yet meticulously maintained. Considering the scarcity of information regarding both pilots, the loss of these two closely guarded military aircraft within two days raises intriguing questions, to say the least.

   

  I would like to express my gratitude to Messrs. Ian Boudoulec, Gregory VanWyngarden, and Reinhard Zankl for their invaluable assistance in the preparation of this article.

   

  Sources:

  CONY, Christophe. Mission sans retour - Le « fléau Fokker » enfin démasqué! Avions N.237

  BAILEY, Frank W.; CONY, Christophe. The French Air Service War Chronology 1914-1918. Grub Street: 2001

  FRANKS, Norman; BAILEY, Frank; DUIVEN Rick. Casulties of the German Air Service 1914-1920. Grub Street: 1999

  GRAY, Barry; HENSHAW, Trevor; DAVIS, Mick; KELSEY, Mike. De Havilland DH2 and the men who flew them. The Great War Aviation Society: 2022

  HERRIS, Jack; SCOTT, Josef. Fokker Aircraft of WWI Volume 2 Eindeckers. Aeronaut Books: 2021

  MÉCHIN, David. The WWI French Aces Encyclopedia Volume 3 Coudouret to Fonck. Aeronaut Books: 2021

  RACINE, Olivier. Jacques Tournadour d’Albay (1885-1963) - Médecin militaire et photographe dans la Grande Guerre. ECPAD: 2012

  RYHEUL, Johan. KEKs and Fokkerstaffels; Fonthill Media Limited: 2014

  VAN WYNGARDEN, Greg. Early German Aces of World War 1. Osprey Publishing: 2008

• The Last Flight of L-39C Albatros 0440

  L-39C coded 0440 (Serial Number 395306) during service st Náměšt nad Oslavou. [Photo: Milan Simr]

  
  

  Text: David Sochacký

  (Photo: unless specified otherwise, the Author’s and Tomas Dedera Archives)

   

  I am writing this summary on the request of a friend, mechanic and modeller. With respect to the fact that it pertains to our own activities, I will refrain from naming names, since I am not sure that my former colleagues would be agreeable with their printing. Furthermore, I must admit that I am describing an event that took place some fourteen years ago, and I cannot locate my copy of the investigation report conclusions, resulting in my going strictly by memory. I have recounted this story so many times to so many people, that I suspect that some deviation from the actual reality of it is unavoidable. So, please forgive me if the following recount is less than perfect.

   

  It was Monday, July 12, 2010 and a hot summer day was expected, and the Flight Training Center (CLV) in Pardubice had scheduled a standard flight regime for this day. At that time, the rule was followed that if the air temperature rises above 33°C, flying was postponed. The temperature was rising quickly, so we held off on flights for a bit.

   By this time I was in my second year of training at the CLV and our average logged flight time in the L-39C was about 300 hours per pilot. It was generally expected that we would be posted to our parent unit at the end of the year and our training would slowly transition to a maintenance phase. This required a lot of repetitive tasks. On that given day, we were to perform some air combat with planned maneuvers, with me acting as the target and my colleague and friend in the role of intercepting fighter. According to the applicable CLV rules, an instructor pilot had to be on board the ‘target’ aircraft at all times. The three of us held off with our flight until the mercury began to drop again. Around three o'clock in the afternoon, the air temperature reached its maximum and began to gradually decrease, so we began to prepare for the flight.

  ‘Forty’ in its final form in front of the hangar of the Aviation Training Center in Pardubice. This photo was taken about a month before the crash.

  
  

   The pair took off at 1600h local time, and ‘Forty’ (as we affectionately called the airplane coded 0440) was one of the so-called ‘lazier’ machines, so it flew as the target and at the same time led the pair to the training zone. Our training area was known as ‘Oscar’ and ‘Mike’ within the Pardubice TMA (Eastern) jurisdiction. Immediately after arriving in the zone, we took up our positions and the simulated combat began. The task of the target in this type of exercise is to perform prearranged escape maneuvers, while the fighter, on the other hand, had the task of maintaining his advantageous position in the rear hemisphere of the target and continuously creating necessary conditions for a cannon engagement. Essentially, it’s a sort of a dual higher level aerobatics.

   The weather was almost perfect and after a while I realized that I had an instructor pilot behind me who would definitely like to ‘fight’ too, so I asked him if he wanted to fly around a bit. It was clear to me that he would not refuse the offer, because sitting in the back is sometimes boring. I handed over control of the aircraft and, for a change, I was enjoying myself and all I had to do was watch the time and fuel. Everything went according to plan, my colleague in the fighter role fought like a lion and even did not allow such an experienced pilot as my instructor to get the better of him. I watched the fuel dwindle and we agreed to do one more maneuver before we headed for home. A couple of vertical climbs followed to stay out of the sights of the guy behind with a transition to scissors (alternating horizontal turns at relatively low speeds), and my mood was approaching a very relaxed state. Out of nowhere, there were two loud metallic bangs coming from the engine bay.

  L-39C coded 0440 in 2003, during service with the 222nd Training Squadron at Base 22 of the Czech Air Force at Náměšt nad Oslavou. [Photo: Milan Simr]

  
  

   I shifted my view to the instrument panel to see what was going on. My instructor, who was famously calm, said nonchalantly into the intercom: ‘probably the engine’. At the same moment when the red lights on the panel began to light up, the radio from the plane behind us said in an excited voice: ‘You're on fire, your engine is on fire!’. White smoke and a column of sparks flowed from the engine's exhaust nozzle. Although I was not in control at the moment, I reached for the engine control lever, slid it to the STOP position, immediately shut off the fuel supply and pressed the fire extinguisher button, exactly as we had learned from emergency procedure drills. It did not help. ‘You're on fire, you're still on fire,’ number two radioed. Just to be sure, I pressed the fire extinguishing button a few more times, even though I knew that the extinguishing system could only be activated once. That was the moment I was really scared like never before and if it wasn't for the instructor in the back seat, I probably wouldn't have dealt with anything more and would have punched out regardless of everything else.

   L-39 0440 in the care of ground personnel of the CLV at Pardubice.

  
  

   Fortunately, the situation calmed down and the engine finally stopped burning. We were at 7000 ft, everything on board was working except the engine, but our landing strip was 30 km away. ‘I won't make it to the field’, said the instructor, who was still flying the plane, over the intercom, as if apologizing to me for the situation in which we found ourselves. ‘Prepare for ejection’ was his next order. I tightened all the straps that bound me to the seat and, by extension, to the parachute. This was followed by a roughly two-minute phase of relatively calm gliding, during which we reported an emergency on the correct frequency, the second aircraft was behind us the whole time communicating with the tower. The direction of our flight was a wooded area northwest of the village of Borohrádek designated for such situations, however, it soon became apparent that we would not be able to make it that far either. ‘So get ready...NOW, get out of here’. I straightened up in the seat, put my head in the headrest, squeezed the catapult handles with both hands, clenched all my muscles and pulled on the handles…

   It took about a second to be out of the airplane. I remember how the canopy blew away and the rush of warm air when the seat started to move. Everything worked correctly and I was parachuting somewhere between a field and a meadow. Meanwhile, my instructor remained in the cockpit, having to rebalance the aircraft as a relatively large amount of mass disappeared from the front after my ejection. My exit from the plane took place at a height of approximately 1000 meters above the ground, while the instructor pilot ejected at approximately 300 meters, only after he made sure that the impact of the plane on the ground would be in an uninhabited area. We both escaped relatively unscathed. The pilot of the second plane also enjoyed a great workload, not only shadowing us the whole time and communicating with the tower, but after the plane hit the ground, he recorded its position for the benefit of the subsequent rescue operation. At the same time, he had to fight not only with obvious stress, but also with a lack of fuel. Fortunately, after circling the crash site a few times to make sure we were alive, he returned to base and landed safely.

  The last photograph of Albatros 0440, taken from the gun camera of the ‘attacking’ aircraft during simulated combat on July 12, 2010.

  
  

   My decent with the parachute was definitely not a textbook event, and while trying to control the parachute, I began to bounce around like crazy and I hit the ground like a sack of rice.  Immediately after landing, I turned on my phone and called my wife and the base that I was okay. I spread the orange canopy of the parachute over the ground so that it was clearly visible from the air. It didn't take long for a pair of JAS-39 Gripen aircraft from the NATINAMDS standby system to fly over the crash site. A few minutes later I saw first the yellow air ambulance helicopter and then the blue police helicopter. They landed at the crash site, which was about two kilometers away from me, and then headed in my direction. They landed in a meadow a hundred meters from my position. In addition to the rescuers, my instructor also welcomed me into the helicopter. He was in a good mood as always. We shook hands with obvious relief and it dawned on me that despite all the bad luck, it actually turned out really well.

   The bottom line of the accident was one destroyed aircraft and minor material damage to the forest cover, but no one was injured, which is probably why I can remember this event with a smile on my face. After all, it was an important experience and it did not affect my love for flying in a negative way.

  A view of the crash site near Holice in Eastern Bohemia, taken from the rescue helicopter.

  Putting out the fire after the crash. (Photo: iDnes)

• Air War in Ukraine

  Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters at forward bases.

  
  

  Black Month for Ukrainian Air Force and Air Defense

  
  

  Text: Miro Barič

  
  

  After capturing Avdiivka last month, the Russian advance significantly slowed down from March 1 to March 31. Following heavy losses, they had to rebuild the offensive potential of their units. However, they resumed their pressure at the end of March. The Kremlin was in a hurry to take advantage of the time before Ukraine received the expected assistance.

   

  During this period, the blocking of American military aid for Ukraine by Republican congressmen continued. Europe also significantly delayed its deliveries, and promises could not stop Russian tanks and aircraft. A bright spot was the Czech initiative to purchase artillery ammunition from countries outside Europe. Around 20 countries joined this initiative, providing funds for ammunition purchases. However, it will take some time to deliver the ammunition to the front.

   During this period, Ukrainian troops not only lacked artillery and mortar shells but also began to run out of missiles for air defense systems and other ammunition. This factor contributed to Russians inflicting higher losses on Ukrainian equipment than before. Russian reconnaissance drones operate deep in Ukrainian territory practically without resistance, identifying targets that are then engaged by artillery, missiles, or attack drones.

   During this period, Russians achieved their first confirmed destruction of an HIMARS rocket launcher. Lancet drones also destroyed the second wheeled self-propelled howitzer Zuzana 2 out of approximately ten pieces that Slovakia had delivered so far. However, the most serious loss was part of a Patriot air defense battery. Ongoing Russian glide bomb attacks forced Ukrainians to risk moving their air defense systems closer to the front line. The risk did not pay off, and on Saturday, March 9, a video surfaced showing a Russian attack on a Patriot battery convoy. The convoy had stopped during transit, and its commander was awaiting further orders. Before orders arrived, Russian drones spotted the convoy and guided an Iskander ballistic missile towards it. Ukrainian armed forces did not comment on this attack or the extent of the damage, but it appears that two or three launching devices and one technical support vehicle, likely a power generator, were destroyed. According to unofficial sources, crews of destroyed vehicles lost their lives.

   

  Ukrainian Losses

   The Ukrainian Air Force also suffered significant losses during this period. On Friday, March 8, a MiG-29 was shot down near the village of Shevchenko in the Pokrovsk district of the Donetsk region. The Ukrainian aircraft was hit by an R-77 missile from a patrolling Russian Su-35S fighter. The MiG-29 caught fire after being hit and fell almost vertically to the ground. The pilot failed to eject. Lieutenant Colonel Andriy Tkachenko of the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade was killed.

   On Tuesday, March 12, Russians managed to intercept three Ukrainian helicopters from the 12th Independent Army Aviation Brigade at a forward base near Novopavlivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region. They attacked with cluster munitions. Two Mi-17V-5 helicopters were destroyed, while the third Mi-8MT escaped. Two Ukrainian pilots, Captain Yaroslav Kava and Captain Andriy Bakun, lost their lives.

   In the Kherson region in southern Ukraine on Sunday, March 17, another Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by portable rockets. The burning aircraft continued flying low above the ground, and two crew members jumped out, surviving with injuries. The pilot who enabled them to jump, however, did not survive. He was Vitaliy Plekha from the 16th Independent Army Aviation Brigade.

   On the opposite side of the battlefield, near Lukashivka in the Sumy region in northern Ukraine, near the border with Russia, a Mi-24 helicopter was shot down on the same day, March 17. Russian soldiers managed to hit it with a portable missile, reportedly a 9K333 Verba. At least one crew member did not survive the subsequent crash. This incident was related to helicopter operations and its loss, tied to the activities of Russian volunteer units fighting on Ukraine's side. They comprise a diverse mix of individuals with various motives – from Russian right-wing extremists to minority members seeking independence from Russia. In the past, they have made several forays into Russian border villages, but always quickly withdrew back into Ukrainian territory. This time was different. Russian legions, supported by tanks, occupied at least two villages and fought on Russian territory for a whole week. One of these villages on Russian soil, Kozinka in the Belgorod region, was completely destroyed by bombing and artillery. This was intended to prevent Russian volunteers fighting on Ukraine's side from establishing a permanent presence there.

   Debris of a Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter shot down on March 17 near Lukashivka in the Sumy region.

  Ukrainian MiG-29 shot down on March 8 near the village of Shevchenko in the Donetsk region.

  Series of shots documenting a Russian attack on three Ukrainian helicopters at a forward base near Novopavlivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region, where two aircraft were destroyed on March 12.

  Russian drone Lancet hit a Ukrainian L-39 Albatros at Kulbakino base in the Mykolaiv region on March 20.

  Crash of a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter in the Kherson region on March 17. Two crew members managed to bail out, but the aircraft commander perished.

  Illustrative photograph of Ukrainian Mi-17 helicopters.

  Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters at forward bases.

  Ukrainian Mi-24P helicopter under the care of ground personnel and its pilot in action.

  Originally Czech Mi-24 helicopter in Ukrainian service.

  Slovak Mi-17 helicopter in Ukraine. Originally numbered 0847.

  
  

  Second Black Hawk

   During these operations on Russian soil, Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) used two Black Hawk helicopters. It was previously known that only one was in Ukrainian service. The first helicopter is a former U.S. Army UH-60A, originally serial number 80-23439, which received civilian designation N60FW after being retired from military service. The machine underwent a general overhaul and modernization by Ace Aeronautics from Alabama. The helicopter retained its civilian blue and black coloring, which made it identifiable. The second Black Hawk has an overall green color, Ukrainian national symbols on the sides, and white identification stripes on the tail. It bears the emblem of military intelligence aviation and the number 0420 on the nose. The Ukrainians likely obtained it from one of the private companies in the West.

   The last known loss during this period was a strike on a training L-39 Albatros aircraft at Kulbakino base in the Mykolaiv region. It was destroyed there by a Russian Lancet drone, and the video was released on Wednesday, March 20. It is unknown whether it was an airworthy aircraft or a decoy. Albatros was covered by a protective netting at the base, suggesting it could have been an operational aircraft. However, such netting increases the realism of a decoy.

   Ukrainian military intelligence now operates two Black Hawk helicopters.

  
  

  Russian Losses

   During the observed period, the Russian Air Force lost one Su-27 fighter jet, which crashed into the Black Sea near the port of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Thursday, March 28. The burning aircraft spiraled down, and although the circumstances of its loss are unknown, it likely fell victim to its own air defense. The pilot ejected and survived.

   Not directly related to the war in Ukraine was the loss of an Il-76 transport plane on Tuesday, March 12, near Ivanovo Severny Air Base, approximately 250 km northeast of Moscow. An engine fire broke out during the flight, and the engine later detached completely. The pilots attempted to reach the airport, but the aircraft crashed into the forest. All 16 people on board perished – eight crew members and eight passengers, who were members of another crew from the 117th Military Transport Aviation Regiment.

   In Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova, the Russian army lost a Mi-8 helicopter marked with "yellow 04" on Sunday, March 17. However, this incident was the result of Russian provocation. Kremlin propaganda released a video claiming the helicopter exploded after being hit by an enemy drone. In reality, the helicopter had long been decommissioned and had been stationary for years. It was destroyed by an explosive device placed on board, and the drone footage was poorly edited.

  Russian Su-27 fighter crashed into the Black Sea near Sevastopol port in occupied Crimea on March 28.

  Two crews perished in the crash of an Il-76 near Ivanovo Severnyj base in Russia on March 12.

  Mi-8 helicopter "yellow 04" in a photo from the Transnistrian Ministry of Defense during its operational service.

  Mi-8 helicopter "yellow 04" after being destroyed. It was a Russian provocation; the helicopter had been parked in one place for years.

  
  

  Ships at the Bottom

   Further losses were suffered by the Russian Black Sea Fleet. On Tuesday, March 5, the patrol ship Sergei Kotov from the Project 22160 class fell victim to a concentrated attack by a swarm of Ukrainian drones. This was a new ship that entered service only in July 2022. It was 94 meters long with a displacement of 1,700 tons. Onboard, it carried a 76mm caliber gun and machine guns. It could also carry Kalibr missile containers. Near Feodosia in Crimea, it was struck by multiple drones and sank. Along with it, a Kamov-type helicopter (Ka-27 or Ka-29), standard equipment for ships of this class, likely also went down.

   The crew of the Sergei Kotov defended themselves with automatic weapons, but to no avail. BBC interviewed the commander of the Ukrainian intelligence unit that controls drone operations, responsible for the sinking of five Russian ships. Russian sailors use tracer ammunition to aim better at night. However, this also aids drone operators in evasive maneuvers because they can see where the Russians are shooting. Magura V5 drones have a range of 800 km and carry 250 kg of explosives. Their flat shape does not protrude high above the water. Made of plastic, they are harder to detect by radar and emit little heat, making them undetectable by thermal cameras. Operating at a speed of 80 km/h and measuring only six meters long, their presence at night is difficult to detect. During a single attack, multiple drones coordinate, increasing the likelihood of hitting targets. The entire operation lasts several days as drones cover distances of hundreds of kilometers. Operators must maintain control throughout. Consequently, operators are exhausted after the operation and require breaks for rest.

  The ship „Sergei Kotov“ became a target of the Ukrainian naval drones on March 5. The helicopter carried on her deck likely sank with it.

  
  

   On Sunday, March 24, the Ukrainian Air Force conducted a massive Storm Shadow / Scalp-EG cruise missile attack on occupied Crimea. The communication center of the Russian Black Sea Fleet was destroyed. Three ships in Sevastopol harbor were damaged. The landing ship Jamal listed heavily after being hit and was towed into dry dock. The second landing ship Azov was likely only slightly damaged after a missile missed and exploded on the pier next to it. The spy ship Ivan Churs narrowly avoided one hit as a missile struck the pier behind it, creating a large hole in the deck. Satellite imagery reveals these observations, but the full extent of the damage is unknown. Belbek Airport was also targeted, with Ukrainian sources claiming three Su-27 fighters were hit. One was destroyed, and two were damaged. However, this claim could not be verified.

   In addition to Scalp-EG missiles, Ukrainians also use another French weapon. In January, French President Emmanuel Macron promised hundreds of AASM HAMMER guided bombs to Ukraine. They were first used in early February, and in March, footage of MiG-29 fighters with these weapons emerged.

   AASM stands for Armement Air-Sol Modulaire, meaning Modular Air-to-Ground Weapon. The significance of the second abbreviation, HAMMER, is Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range. It is a kit that transforms ordinary unguided bombs into highly precise weapons. A guidance module is attached to the bomb's nose, and a rocket motor is attached to the rear. The basic kit is intended for 250 kg bombs, with a range of over 70 km after release. Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters carry them on special racks previously used for similar weapons like JDAM ER.

   

  Destroying the Infrastructure

   In addition to military targets on the front, Russia also attacked civilian infrastructure in the hinterland during the observed period. On Thursday, March 21, Kyiv and Kharkiv were targeted by 29 cruise missiles and two Kinzhal and Iskander-M missiles. Ukrainian defenses intercepted all missiles, but falling debris caused damage, resulting in five deaths in Kharkiv.

   This attack was likely a test to ascertain the current positions of Ukrainian air defenses. On Friday, March 22, a much larger attack occurred, the largest since the war began. One hundred fifty-one missiles and drones targeted critical Ukrainian infrastructure, with defenses intercepting only 92 – mostly drones and cruise missiles. Russia deployed 12 Iskander-M missiles, seven Kinzhal missiles, five Kh-22 missiles, and 22 S-300 missiles in ballistic mode. All 46 missiles hit their targets, partly because they avoided areas covered by Patriot systems. For example, the largest Ukrainian hydroelectric power plant on the Dnieper River in Zaporizhia was hit by ten missiles, destroying the plant, which will take years to repair.

   On Saturday, March 23, Russians took a minor break, sending only about 30 Shahed drones, most of which were shot down. On Sunday, March 24, they launched nearly 60 missiles and drones. One missile penetrated the Polish airspace, spending 39 seconds there before turning back. This has happened several times in the past. Russia likely aims to use Polish airspace to attack the Lviv area from an unexpected direction. Consequently, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador, who declined to appear.

  Night battle of the Ukrainian 126th Territorial Defense Brigade against drones.

  Ukrainian police securing debris from a downed Shahed drone.

  Russian missiles on March 22 destroyed the largest Ukrainian hydroelectric power plant on the Dnipro River in Zaporizhia.

  Ukrainians use these mock ups as decoys.