07/2025

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• Strana 1

  INFO Eduard

  e-magazine FREE Vol 24 July 2025

  # 185

• Strana 2

  INFO Eduard

  e-magazine FREE Vol 24 July 2025

  # 185

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• Strana 3

  eduard

  eduard

  JULY 2025

  CONTENTS

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

  Mírová 170, Obrnice 435 21

  support@eduard.com www.eduard.com

  EDITORIAL

  KITS

  BRASSIN

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED SETS

  SPACE

  BUILT

  ON APPROACH

  –

  August 2025

  TAIL END CHARLIE

  ARTICLES

  BOXART STORY

  Tales of Iwojima Limited 1/48

  A6M2-K ProfiPACK 1/48

  Bf 110D Weekend 1/48

  IJN Aircraft Carrier Deck WWII 1/48

  F-14B 1/48

  MiG-21bis 1/72

  Bf 109G-10 Erla 1/48

  Tales of Iwojima

  Fate of Gruppenkommandeur´s plane

  Air War in Ukraine

  -

  Naval Drone Destroys Russi-

  an Fighter Jet

  Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai

  With Bf 110 in the Far North

  4

  8

  28

  30

  48

  58

  64

  76

  82

  92

• Editorial

  Times are very turbulent right now, and it’s a lot like the saying about how the situation on the battlefield changes minute by minute goes. As soon as I announced the release of the F-18C based on Kinetic plastic in the last newsletter, we learned that the moldings would not arrive in time for us to release the kit as a September new release. Since our release schedule is full to the end of the year, we will have a little trouble finding a new release date. We haven't set onet yet, so that piece of information will have to wait for a bit. What I will tell you is that the replacement for the Hornet is the 1:48th Ju 88 A-4 founded on the ICM kit.

  Good evening, Dear Modellers

  Times are very turbulent right now, and it’s

  a lot like the saying about how the situation on

  the battlefield changes minute by minute goes.

  As soon as I announced the release of the F-18C

  based on Kinetic plastic in the last newsletter,

  we learned that the moldings would not arrive

  in time for us to release the kit as a September

  new release. Since our release schedule is

  full to the end of the year, we will have a little

  trouble finding a new release date. We haven't

  set onet yet, so that piece of information will

  have to wait for a bit. What I will tell you is that

  the replacement for the Hornet is the 1:48th

  Ju 88 A-4 founded on the ICM kit.

  Otherwise, everything is going more or less

  according to plan. The new items for July are at

  the retailers, and we have also launched their

  sale on our e-shop. We have a small hitch with

  the Bf 110 D, which is currently unavailable on

  our e-shop, but I expect it to be back on sale

  by the end of this week. The reason is that we

  are missing three plastic sprues that we did not

  have time to produce, because our press shop

  is currently a bit overloaded with demand for

  other kits as well. First off, we need to produce

  sprues for the new 48th scale P-40N, which

  we will be packing this week, so that we can

  start sending out pre-orders for the Royal Class

  P-40N next week and pack the rest of these kits

  for retailers. In total, we need a little over 7,000

  units, and to make matters worse, we need

  another 2,000 for the pending Limited Edition

  issue with the somewhat complicated name of

  ‘15,000’, which is about the famous P-40N with

  lots of attractive markings used by some of the

  units flying Curtiss fighters. We have this ready

  as one of the items for this year's IPMS USA,

  which must make its way to America no later

  than the week after next. From this, you can see

  that we still have a lot to do and that we are

  definitely not bored.

  We are also working on molds for our planned

  new releases for the fall. We have more or

  less all the molds ready, eight in total, for the

  MiG-21F, which is in 48th scale. They have not

  all been tested yet, but I expect that we will be

  able to do that by mid-August. Molds for the

  S-199 are also in production, which we should

  have ready for the beginning of September. For

  the MiG-21F, it is already clear what will happen

  with the introductory Limited Edition release,

  dedicated to the service of this type in the

  Czechoslovak Air Force. It will be released as

  a special with a book by Martin Janousek, it has

  been written, language and style adjustments,

  as well as proofreading, are

  underway, and the typesetting

  is being prepared. The book will

  be published in Czech, we will

  not be translating it into other

  languages. The design of the

  decals has also begun. Pre-sale

  will start on Friday, July 18th,

  and will end on July 31st. The

  size of the production run will be

  determined by the results of the

  pre-orders, where the pre-orders

  from our e-shop and orders from

  retailers will be added together.

  This is the same principle that we use for the

  kits released in the Royal Class series. It follows

  from the fact that you do not necessarily have

  to buy this kit from our e-shop, but you can buy

  it later from your retailers, if your retailers

  stock it. At the same time, you do not have to

  buy this kit just to have the MiG-21F. Another

  MiG-21F kit with the same moldings is planned

  as a November release, which will premiere at

  E-day in Litomerice on October 3rd and 4th.

  We have received questions about whether it

  will be possible to order the S-199 as part of the

  MiG-21F pre-order. This option seems logical,

  given that the S-199 should premiere at E-day

  as well, which is only about two weeks after the

  pre-paid MiGs are to be shipped. However, this

  will not be possible. The fact is that the molds

  for the S-199 will be completed and fine tuned

  only at the beginning of September, and the

  same goes for the decals, instructions and other

  accessories, which can only be completed after

  we have the final moldings at our disposal. And

  all this is practically impossible to make it to

  the planned date of shipping the pre-ordered

  MiG-21Fs. We will not be able to get the S-199

  into the boxes until the end of September, and

  when I say at the end, it will really be sometime

  on September 30th, if not even October 2nd, just

  before E-day. It will be exciting to have the S-199

  at E-day, we will have to try very, very hard. Of

  course, we will keep you informed about the

  progress of our efforts, and we will also show

  the progress of our efforts live at various events.

  For the first time, we would like to present

  the S-199 and the MiG-21F in Pilsen at the

  Plzensky Velbloud exhibition, at the beginning

  of September at the now traditional meeting in

  Prostejov, and just before E-day in Prague. So if

  EDITORIAL

  INFO Eduard4

  July 2025

• Strana 5

  you go to E-day to get the S-199s and the MiGs,

  you will definitely not be disappointed.

  In my editorial in the last newsletter,

  I promised you that the sale of the book for the

  100th BG would start in June, and unfortunately

  I am not able to keep this promise. The reason,

  I would say, is administrative. It turned out that

  we do not have the option to set synch the VAT

  for books in our data transfer system from the

  e-shop to the accounting and invoicing system.

  It may seem like an easily solved issue to you,

  and it probably is a relatively easily solved issue,

  but it is precisely these types of issues that can

  cause significant damage. Here in the Czech

  Republic, this is not a fundamental problem,

  we have zero VAT on books. At least for now,

  I am afraid that sooner or later some minister

  of finance will think that something needs to

  be done about it and make some money from

  it. The current problem is in the ingenious OSS

  system, which is the charging of VAT from sales

  in the e-shop to EU countries. This means that

  when selling to individual EU countries, we

  have to charge customers the VAT of the given

  country, and in each country, customers, their

  citizens, have to pay the charged VAT to each EU

  country once every 3 months. Payment is made

  through the clearing center, and a statement is

  sent showing how much money is to be sent to

  each country. Just to ensure that it is not all to

  easy and to ensure that all countries report this

  properly, we have thirteen different rates for

  books in the EU, starting with the zero Czech rate

  and ending with the 18 percent as the Hungarian

  rate. When this madness broke out years ago,

  we made a mistake and had the option of setting

  only one VAT rate for each country programmed

  into our two interconnected systems. We

  somehow overlooked the possibility of multiple

  rates at the time, and now we have caught up

  on that oversight. We ordered the modifications,

  but don't ask how much it will cost, and I don't

  know when it will be ready, debugged and

  initiated, I hope it might be ready by August.

  I hereby apologize for my mistake, and I promise

  that we will start selling immediately as soon as

  this precarious situation is resolved. You know,

  regulations must be followed, order must be

  maintained!

  It's like those little swastikas. In some

  countries they are allowed to be in pictures,

  and in others they are not. We have already

  explained how we deal with this - to some

  customer displeasure, we do not put them on

  our boxart at all. But now something unpleasant

  has happened to us. The author of the box art

  on the Bf 110 D painted swastikas on the tails

  of both flying Bf 110 Ds. Nice, double-lined,

  really precisely done. A joy to look at. The

  product manager who was supposed to catch

  it didn't, and about eight other people who

  could have noticed it, didn't, which is quite

  unlikely, but unlikely things just happen, and so

  we have boxes with a total of eight swastikas

  on them. Which is ripe for throwing the boxes

  away and reprinting them. Of course, this is

  bad for the environment and uneconomical,

  so my colleagues decided to cover the

  hackneyed boxes. Katka made up stickers, nice,

  camouflaged ones, and our gentlemen covered

  the boxes that are supposed to be sold in the

  EU with stickers covering the offending symbols.

  The boxes that are supposed to go to countries

  outside the EU, or rather to countries that have

  not completely banned the representation of

  the symbol, are not covered. I'm looking forward

  to someone in the warehouse changing them

  over, sending the covered boxes to Japan, and

  the uncovered boxes to Germany. And you, my

  friends, especially don't tear off the stickers.

  On the one hand, you'll be breaking the law, and

  on the other hand, you'll be depriving yourself of

  a future rarity. You know how it is with stamps

  or coins. The most valuable ones are those that

  someone once printed with a mistake, and then

  reprinted it as best they could. There's a certain

  probability that something similar will happen

  with building kits. So consider these painted

  Bf 110 Ds as a great and amazing investment

  opportunity! Of course, they won't be easy to get,

  as you probably remember from the introduction

  to this article, Bf 110 Ds are currently sold

  out and unavailable, and when they become

  available again, they’ll be gone very soon.

  If this sounds like a Donald Trump crypto-

  savvy move, no, it really isn't. You can't make

  that kind of money on hackenkruezes, even

  if you piled eighty-eight of them onto that box.

  Happy Modelling

  Vladimir Sulc

  EDITORIAL

  IN JUNE, OUR RANGE OF 3D PRINTERS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED.

  INFO Eduard

  5

  July 2025

• Strana 6

  Highlights EMD 06/2025

  Operation Spider’s Web

  Current Affairs / Miro Barič

  The greatest one-time combat loss of strategic bombers since World War II. That is the result of Ukraine’s Operation Spider’s Web,

  in which eight Tu-95MS bombers, among other aircraft, were destroyed. This surpasses even the highest one-day losses

  of American strategic bombers during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

  Swedish Naval Forces

  World Naval Forces / Petr Uzsák

  Today’s instalment of the series is dedicated to a navy with an unbroken tradition

  spanning over five centuries, making it one of the oldest in the world. It was foun-

  ded by King Gustav Vasa in 1522 and has since remained a permanent component

  of the Swedish Armed Forces. Historically, Sweden has been one of several coastal

  states bordering the Baltic Sea, giving it a long and rich maritime history.

  For more than two centuries, Swedish policy was based on neutrality. The last

  military action abroad occurred in 1814, when the Swedish army, as part of an

  international coalition, helped defeat Emperor Napoleon, followed that same year

  by a short war with Norway, by then a French ally. Since then, Swedish troops

  have not fought abroad but have taken part in operations under the United Nations

  flag. However, the long-term verbal assaults on Swedish neutrality by the Soviet

  Union, the threat of invasion across the Baltic Sea, and more recently the policies

  of Putin’s Russia toward Scandinavian countries, have intensified over the past

  decades. The final impetus was the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At that point, both

  Finland and Sweden said “enough” and applied for NATO membership, which they

  soon obtained.

  NEW ON

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• Strana 7

  USS Block Island CVE-21, part 3

  History / Vladimír Šulc

  After suffering heavy losses in the convoy battles of May 1943,

  the U

  -

  Boat Command withdrew German submarines from the North Atlantic

  and concentrated on attacking convoys in the Central Atlantic. These con-

  voys, marked UG (United States to Gibraltar), UGS (United States to Gibraltar

  Slow Convoys), and UGF (United States to Gibraltar Fast Convoys), traveled

  between the United States and the Mediterranean. The first convoys

  departed from New York and Hampton Roads, Virginia, in November 1942

  as invasion convoys to support the landings in North Africa (Operation

  Torch), ending in Casablanca. The USS Block Island entered its final year

  of combat service...

  The Leyte Gulf Zero

  Model & Story / editorial staff, Paolo Portuesi

  The Battle of Leyte Gulf took place from October 23 to 26, 1944, and was

  the largest naval battle of the Second World War. Some authors even

  consider it to be the largest naval battle in history. It occurred in connection

  with the American landing on the Philippine island of Leyte, following

  the U.S. decision on which invasion route would be prioritized, Taiwan

  or the Philippines. During this clash, one naval aviator flying a Zero wrote

  a new chapter in the history of warfare.

  The latest section, Model & Story, showcases the fascinating combination

  of a masterfully assembled model and the history of the aircraft that

  inspired it.

  Who Shot Down Rolf?

  History / Chris Goss

  Rolf’s first kill of the Second World War was a French Mureaux 113

  of GAO 1/506 on 10 September 1939, followed by a Fairey Battle of 150 Sqn

  on 30 September 1939. His next kill was not until 14 May 1940 when he shot

  down three French and a single British aircraft in one day. By the end of the

  Battle of France, he had shot down eight aircraft (the last two when he was

  acting Gruppen Kommandeur of III./JG 53 following the shooting down and

  capture of his good friend Werner Mölders on 5 June 1940). Returning to

  2./JG 53 for the Battle of Britain, Hauptmann Pingel shot down two more RAF

  aircraft before he was posted to command I./JG 26 on 22 August 1940 when

  command of JG 26 was given to Major Adolf Galland.

  Rolf Pingel's combat luck ran out during the Kanalkampf in July 1941.

  To this day, there is still debate about what actually happened during his

  crash landing on the coast of the British Isles. An article by Chris Goss

  provides the answer.

• Tales of Iwojima

  Operating from three runways on the island of Iwo Jima, the VLR (Very Long Range) Mustangs of the United States Army Air Forces 7th Fighter Command were able to use the extended range of the P-51 to fly to and from the mainland of Japan for escort and ground attack missions. The 15th, 21st, and 506th Fighter Groups (FG) formed this force of P-51’s, often sending one hundred-plus aircraft to Japan. Fighting not only the enemy, but also enduring harsh weather issues, environmental hazards of the island, and lack of incoming intelligence and supplies, the FGs persevered and contributed a great deal to victory in the Pacific. In addition to the 51 VLR missions to Japan, their operations also included 171 strike missions to the Bonin Islands and over 10,000 hours of Combat Air Patrol around Iwo Jima.

  HISTORY

  VERYVERY LONGLONG RANGERANGE Brian Walter

  Operating from three runways on the island

  of Iwo Jima, the VLR (Very Long Range)

  Mustangs of the United States Army Air Forces

  7th Fighter Command were able to use the

  extended range of the P-51 to fly to and from

  the mainland of Japan for escort and ground

  attack missions. The 15th, 21st, and 506th

  Fighter Groups (FG) formed this force of P-51’s,

  often sending one hundred-plus aircraft to

  Japan. Fighting not only the enemy, but also

  enduring harsh weather issues, environmental

  hazards of the island, and lack of incoming

  intelligence and supplies, the FGs persevered

  and contributed a great deal to victory in the

  Pacific. In addition to the 51 VLR missions to

  Japan, their operations also included 171 strike

  missions to the Bonin Islands and over 10,000

  hours of Combat Air Patrol around Iwo Jima.

  The 15th FG was formed before the war and

  was involved in combat at Pearl Harbor.

  The 15th FG was essentially created for the

  defense of the Hawaiian Islands, however

  they did deploy in P-39s and P-40s to the

  Central Pacific, including Canton and Baker

  islands. While combat activity was relatively

  quiet there, the group played a central role in

  Operation Flintlock; the Gilbert and Marshall

  Islands campaign. The 15th FG, now comprised

  of the 45th, 47th, and 78th Fighter Squadrons

  (FS) arrived on Iwo Jima on March 7th, 1945

  before US occupation was complete. Their first

  missions involved close air support of Marines

  on the island. Flying from South Field (Airfield

  #1), the 15th FG also began missions to the

  Bonin Islands, which were located about 150

  miles north of Iwo Jima. This small group of

  Japanese territories included Haha-Jima and

  Chichi-Jima, well-known as the location US

  president George H.W. Bush was shot down in

  his TBF Avenger.

  Joining the 15th FG early on was the 21st FG

  who would fly from Central Field (Airfield

  Tales of Iwojima, boxart by Piotr Forkasiewicz, kit No. 2152

  INFO Eduard8

  July 2025

• Strana 9

  HISTORY

  #2). Activated in April of 1944, the 21st FG

  absorbed the 46th FS and 72nd FS (previously

  attached to the 15th and 318th FGs) as well

  as the newly formed 531st FS. The group was

  declared operational for tactical combat on

  March 24th, 1945 from Iwo Jima. Just two days

  later, the 21st FG along with the 549th Night

  Fighter Squadron (NFS) bore the brunt of

  a Japanese Banzai attack of about 250 soldiers.

  The 21st FG suffered 14 killed and 50 wounded.

  The total casualties among all units involved

  in this attack was 44 killed and 88 wounded.

  Shortly thereafter, the 21st FG got their chance

  to strike back with their first mission to Chichi-

  Jima, sending 32 P-51’s to attack a radar

  installation.

  On April 7th, 1945, the first VLR mission was

  flown. This mission achieved several historic

  records: it was the longest flight mission over

  water to hit a target, the longest mission ever

  flown by P-51 Mustangs, and the first time

  land-based fighters had invaded the skies

  over Japan. The mission itself was an escort

  of B-29s from the 73rd Bomber Wing attacking

  the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Plant in Tokyo.

  More than ninety P-51s from both the 15th and

  21st FGs departed Iwo Jima and rendezvoused

  with their B-29 navigator aircraft that led them

  to the bomber force over the coast of Japan.

  The Mustang pilots stayed with the bombers,

  only attacking Japanese aircraft when they

  threatened the B-29s. Even so, they scored

  21 enemy fighters destroyed, with 6 probable

  and 10 damaged. Only three B-29s were lost:

  2 to anti-aircraft fire and 1 to a Japanese bomb

  dropped on the formation. Both XXI Bomber

  Command and Seventh Fighter Command were

  very pleased with the results.

  After more VLR missions to Japan and attacks

  on the Bonin Islands, the 506th FG joined the

  fight on May 16th, 1945, as they were waiting

  for North Field (Airfield #3) to be completed.

  The 506th FG was formed in October 1944 in

  Lakeland, FL, specifically for the VLR mission.

  This new group included the 457th, 458th, and

  462nd FSs and immediately started training for

  the long-range flights. The group consisted of

  combat veterans, stateside pilot instructors

  and new replacement pilots who had all

  logged many hours in the P-51 by the time they

  deployed. The 506th FG immediately started

  flying Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and on May 18th,

  the 462nd FS sent 12 P-51s with 500 pound GP

  bombs to attack Chichi-Jima. Due to weather

  issues, the first VLR mission for the group

  was executed more than a week later. On May

  28th, 1945 the 506th FG sent 53 Mustangs for

  a strafing attack on Kasumigaura airfield in

  the Mito area of Honshu, Japan.

  Shortly thereafter, one of the worst non-combat

  losses during the war for the US occurred on

  June 1st, 1945. The objective was for all three

  fighter groups to provide escort for more than

  400 B-29s on a bombing mission to Osaka City,

  Japan. 148 P-51s from all three groups took

  off from Iwo Jima to join with their “mother

  hen” B-29s navigators. About 350 miles into

  their journey, they encountered a monstrous

  storm front. Due to the uncertainty of the

  navigating B-29s, an inexperienced weather

  observer, and some say pressure to move on

  with the mission because of several previous

  weather aborts, the Mustangs were led into

  the deadly front. By the end of the catastrophe,

  only twenty-seven P-51s prevailed to complete

  their mission. Twenty-four pilots and their

  Mustangs were lost, not one to enemy fire.

  A typical VLR mission was a substantial

  combined effort that included several

  branches of the US military. Every mission

  started with a B-24 weather plane flying the

  route 6-10 hours before the mission, as well as

  a B-29 flying approximately 100 miles ahead of

  the main force to report on the current weather.

  Then, once the Mustangs took off, navigator

  B-29s led the P-51s to and from the Japan

  mainland, as precision navigation in a single-

  seat aircraft flying completely over water was

  impractical. Several P-61 Black Widows would

  also act as navigators, flying about an hour

  north of Iwo Jima to accompany Mustangs

  to the rendezvous point. The P-61s also

  returned any spare aircraft not needed for the

  mission. B-24s also often participated in these

  missions as communications relay aircraft.

  All the aircraft often would then be able to

  assist in air-sea rescue of downed pilots.

  Along the route from Iwo Jima to Japan and

  back, the US Navy and the Army Air Sea Rescue

  coordinated a minimum of 5 rescue stations.

  These stations would be composed of surfaced

  submarines at the two- or three-points closest

  to Japan, destroyer ships on the remaining

  stations, and airborne Dumbo aircraft circling

  overhead. When a Mustang pilot discovered

  that they could not make it back to Iwo due to

  Two North American P-51 Mustangs „Tiny Gay Babe“ and „Three of a Kind“ on parking are, Iwojima, Bonin Islands.

  Sleek North American P-51 „Mustangs“ parked along the Number 2 strip on Iwojima in the Bonin Islands.

  25 March 1945.

  INFO Eduard

  9

  July 2025

• Strana 10

  HISTORY

  damage or aircraft malfunction, they would be

  vectored to the nearest rescue station. At the

  last rescue station, four P-51s were assigned

  on every mission to provide top cover for the

  surfaced submarine about 10 miles off the

  coast of Japan. The navigating B-29s circled

  off the coast and waited until they had between

  15 and 20 P-51s before starting their return trip

  to Iwo. Once the Mustangs got close enough to

  Iwo Jima, P-61s would again be able to assist in

  navigation, as well as having Army amphibious

  vehicles prowling the Iwo Jima beaches ready

  for any pilots having to ditch close to the island.

  As for the P-51 aircraft itself, all three fighter

  groups flew standard block P-51D-20-NA

  and P-51D-25-NA Mustangs, with a few

  modifications that were made to enhance the

  airplane on the VLR missions. The most visible

  and arguably most important modification

  was the “Uncle Dog” homing beacon system.

  Twin antenna masts for the AN/ARA-8 VHF

  homing adapter were installed on the spine

  of the fuselage of the P-51s. The normal

  AN-104-A radio antenna mast was then moved

  to the underside of the aircraft, centered in

  front of the wheel wells. The navigator “Mother

  Hen” B-29s transmitted a homing beacon

  to and from Japan, which the P-51’s system

  would pick up and convert to an audio signal

  consisting of the International Morse Code

  letter’s “U” or “D”. Guided by the transponder

  beacon, the pilot turned his aircraft to follow

  a steady tone in his headset of both letters to

  indicate they were on course. The signal was

  also transmitted from Iwo Jima from the top

  of Mt. Suribachi to aid with navigation to the

  island. The Uncle Dog modifications were done

  ‘in theater’ by the groups, with the last P-51 on

  Iwo receiving the installation in mid-June 1945.

  This new system required some training for

  the pilots. Also modified was the SCR-695 IFF

  (Identification friend or foe) transmitter, which

  was placed in the cockpit, behind the normal

  SCR-522 radio command set. In doing so, the

  battery was moved from its normal placement

  behind the SCR-522 to inside the engine

  compartment. A small air scoop for cooling

  was then added on the port side of the fuselage,

  just above and before the leading edge of

  the wing. The P-51 was also equipped with

  AN/APS-13 Tail Warning system but many

  pilots turned it off and some squadrons

  removed it altogether. The purpose of this

  system was to indicate the presence of aircraft

  in the rear, which when detected lit a warning

  lamp in the cockpit and rang a bell. Besides

  these modifications, crew chiefs found it

  necessary to deal with the constantly blowing

  dust and dirt by covering up as many of the

  openings on the P-51 as possible. Covers were

  used on the front cowl vents, machine gun

  barrels, as well as on the shell case ejection

  chute openings on the underside of the wings.

  On the VLR missions, the P-51s always

  carried either 110 or 165 gallon drop tanks.

  The 110 gallon tanks were used as the main

  drop tank for missions, while the 165 gallon

  tanks were mainly used for carrying rockets

  and Air Sea Rescue top cover sorties. Because

  of the oversized nature of both tanks, sway

  braces were used to help support them. These

  braces were mainly constructed while on Iwo,

  initially made out of leftover plywood found on

  the island. However, there were problems with

  these as some warping or bending of the wood

  could cause the tanks to not release properly.

  Scrap metal was then used by engineering

  sections to furnish proper type braces for the

  110-gallon tanks. Because of flying mostly over

  water, Capt. Jim Tapp and Capt. Vic Mollan of

  the 78th FS constructed a droppable rescue

  kit, which was later codenamed “Josephine”.

  The kit, which included an A-3 life raft,

  survival radio, rations, and visual signal

  equipment, was placed into a modified 110

  gallon drop tank. The tank would be released,

  separate, and parachute the contents to the

  downed pilot. In addition to the drop tanks and

  Josephine, 500 pound general purpose bombs

  were used in attacks on the Bonin Islands and

  early on close air support missions. In May

  1945, a few squadrons like the 78th and 531st

  started installing rocket launchers on their

  P-51s. However, due to the lack of available

  rocket kits, not every Mustang in all squadrons

  were equipped with them by the end of the war.

  The P-51s were able to carry a maximum of

  three 5 inch rockets under each wing with the

  7th Figther Command personnel push a North American P-51 Mustang toward the dispersal area at an airfield on

  Iwojima, Bonin Islands. July 1945.

  North American P-51 Mustangs, returning from a mission over enemy territory, peel off for a landing

  at an airfield on Iwojima, Bonin Islands. Far in the distance, another flight of fighters comes into sight.

  Mustangs are parked alongside the runway.

  INFO Eduard10

  July 2025

• Strana 11

  HISTORY

  165 gallon drop tanks to account for the extra

  drag. Another obstacle to overcome was the

  introduction of the new K-14A gunsight. Pilots

  had no previous training on how to use it and

  parts for the gunsights were not in supply until

  late summer 1945.

  Between April 7th and August 14th, 1945,

  a total of 51 Very Long Range missions were

  flown with 41 being effective. There were

  9 non-effective weather aborts and 1 missed

  escort meeting. Weather was a major factor,

  and besides the 9 mission aborts, many other

  missions were delayed or changed before the

  P-51s ever took off. While each effective VLR

  mission had an average flight time of 7.3 hours,

  reports of pilots flying more than 8 hours and

  landing with only several gallons of fuel left

  was common. When the 7th Fighter Command

  was given the directive that they would be

  tasked with escorting the B-29s from the

  Marianas, that is exactly what they prepared

  and planned for. However, it was soon apparent

  once the VLR missions started that escorting

  the B-29s would not be needed as the

  Japanese began to keep most of their aircraft

  on the ground, hidden and safe, realizing the

  strong possibility of a full US invasion of their

  homeland. The 506th FG, for example, had only

  seen a maximum of 40 enemy aircraft in the

  air at one time and that was in the beginning of

  June. Out of the 51 VLR missions only 14 were

  of the escort type with only 3 occurring in July

  and August. The 7th Fighter Command then

  turned to having the P-51s attack targets of

  opportunity in Japan on the surface. And while

  not the most ideal platform for ground attack,

  the P-51 performed admirably in the 39 VLR

  strike missions to Japan. In their somewhat

  short participation in the war, 7th Fighter

  Command racked up an impressive tally of

  225 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air, with

  56 probable and 119 damaged. On the ground

  they claimed 219 destroyed and 450 damaged,

  as well as hundreds of surface vessels,

  locomotives and railroad cars, buildings and

  hangers, and radio/radar stations. Those

  numbers, however, did come with a cost of the

  lives of 107 pilots.

  A North American P-51 Mustang comes in for a landing

  on a runway at an airfield on Iwojima, Bonin Islands, after a mission

  over enemy-occupied territory. July 1945.

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  11

  July 2025

• Strana 12

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  Introducing the Latest

  In Quality Airbrush Paint

  Since 1968 Squadron has been offering model kits

  and accessories from top manufacturers from

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  Squadron continues the tradition of quality selection

  and service for today’s model Kit building community.

  Head over to Squadron.com to see why modelers

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• Fate of Gruppenkommandeur´s plane

  On the fateful 30 April 1940, I./ZG 76 lost its first Gruppenkommandeur. It was Hptm. Günther Reinecke, who was in the function since first May 1939 and led the Gruppe in the first combats of the WWII. During the combat flight, he was accompanied by Oblt. Hans Jäger. About the flight which was absolved between 19:53 and 21:12, Jäger wrote in his logbook the following remark: “Crashed Reinecke at 20:40, visibly hit by pursuing bomber in ground flight.“ It was this exact encounter with an RAF Blenheim, that became fatal for Hptm. Reinecke. Shortly afterward, the command of I. Gruppe was taken over for ten days by the Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel, Oblt. Werner Hansen. Hansen was replaced then by Hptm. Werner Restemeyer on 11 May 1940.

  HISTORY

  Photograph 01 shows Werner Restemeyer in

  rank of Oberleutnant, and thus was created

  prior to 1. August 1936, when he was already

  promoted to Hauptmann, and naturally prior to

  service with I./ZG 76. Werner Heinrich August

  Restemeyer was a son of Werner Restemeyer

  and his wife Carolina, a family living at Höxter.

  Young Werner finished the secondary grammar

  school in March 1925 and in summer of that

  year joined "Sicherheitsdienst" (Security

  Service). On 15 October 1928 joined practical

  training for the Lufthansa at Staaken.

  In January 1931 absolved the Beobachterschule

  at Warnemϋnde and September of the same

  year was already in rank of Fähnrich. Since

  August 1936 he was in rank of Hauptmann

  in various Staffelkapitän functions at

  2./Kü.Fl. JGr. 136, 2./JG 134, 2./JG 142,

  2./ZG 142, 2./ZG 26. The outbreak of war found

  him in Jagdflieger Schule Schleissheim, but

  he was soon transferred to II.(J)/Tr.Gr. 186. In

  December re-entered 2./ZG 26 and briefly was

  acting as Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 26.

  On 14 December 1939, he was wounded in

  combat when he collided with one Blenheim

  over Borkum. After convalescence at the end

  of January 1940, he joined I./ZG 76.

  As a Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 76,

  Hptm. Restemeyer received aircraft with

  appropriate marking. His Messerschmitt

  Bf 110 W.Nr. 3156 of version D had installed

  modification R1 which was the underbelly

  fuel tank so called “Dackelbauch”. Plane wore

  code “M8+AB” in accordance to the Luftwaffe

  On the fateful 30 April 1940, I./ZG 76 lost its first Gruppenkommandeur.

  It was Hptm. Günther Reinecke, who was in the function since first May 1939 and

  led the Gruppe in the first combats of the WWII. During the combat flight, he was

  accompanied by Oblt. Hans Jäger. About the flight which was absolved between 19:53

  and 21:12, Jäger wrote in his logbook the following remark: “Crashed Reinecke at 20:40,

  visibly hit by pursuing bomber in ground flight.“ It was this exact encounter with

  an RAF Blenheim, that became fatal for Hptm. Reinecke. Shortly afterward,

  the command of I. Gruppe was taken over for ten days by the

  Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel, Oblt. Werner Hansen. Hansen was

  replaced then by Hptm. Werner Restemeyer on 11 May 1940.

  Peter Kaššák

  Fate of Gruppenkommandeur´s planeFate of Gruppenkommandeur´s plane

  INFO Eduard14

  July 2025

• Strana 15

  HISTORY

  standards for the Stab planes and as such also

  had a double chevron (“Doppelwinkel”) painted

  prior to the fuselage code. Photographs 02,

  03 and 04 show this aircraft prior to 29 May

  1940. An individual aircraft letter “A“ in green

  outlined by white color can be recognized on

  the fuselage. (photograph 02 credit: Marek

  Žatkovič)

  On 29 May 1940, I./ZG 76 engaged RAF fighters

  again. For them, it was the first time with

  modern Hurricanes. Twenty-six bombers from

  II./KG 30, I./KG 26 and KGr. 100 were heading

  towards the English vessels off Narvik in the

  early evening. The escort consisted of four

  Bf 110s from I./ZG 76, which started at 18:00.

  Nine Hurricanes of 46. Squadron crossed their

  way. Their priority was the ships’ defense. The

  British fighters managed to shot down three

  German bombers. Their next victim was one

  of the escorting Bf 110s. F/S Shackley downed

  a Bf 110 from Stab I./ZG 76. This German fighter

  crashed in flames west of Skaarland. Its crew

  escaped using parachutes. Pilot Oblt. Hans

  Jäger lost an eye in the incident. He and his

  Bordfunker Uffz. Helmut Feick were captured.

  They were sent to a prisoner of war camp in

  Canada sometime later.

  During the encounter, Hurricane pilots

  managed to hit another of the escorting Bf 110s.

  It, too, belonged to Stab of I./ZG 76 and was

  piloted by a new Gruppenkommandeur Hptm.

  Werner Restemeyer. He made an emergency

  landing at Trondheim with his damaged aircraft

  Bf 110 D-0/R1 W.Nr 3156 “M8+AB”. A wounded

  Bordfunker Uffz. Werner Eichert was pulled

  out of the plane´s cabin by ground crew. The

  first encounter with the Hurricanes was not

  the best for I./ZG 76.

  Photographs 05a and 05b are showing Hptm.

  Werner Restemeyer´s Bf 110 “M8+AB” at the

  repair stand at Vaerlose airbase in June

  1940. To confirm that this photo was taken

  in June 1940, we can point towards another

  plane in the background. It is Bf 110 D-0 W.Nr.

  3135“M8+FH” of 1./ZG 76, which was belly

  landed on 2 June 1940 at Ekne (Photograph

  06) and is waiting for repair as well. Photo

  of this airplane after its repair is one of the

  most known first installment ZG 76 photos

  provided by Bundesarchive (Photograph 07).

  It shows the Bf 110 on its wheels again, while

  the damaged Dackelbauch fuel tank was

  removed and aircraft waits to be retrofitted

  by another one. (photograph 06 credit: Marek

  Žatkovič)

  But to be back at “M8+AB”, another available

  photograph of this plane, photograph 08,

  captures “Schwarze männer” of the ground

  crew during the process of lifting up the

  damaged “M8+AB” W.Nr.3156 to be ready for the

  repair and installation of a new Dackelbauch

  fuel tank at Vaerlose.

  Meanwhile, very fierce confrontations of

  I./ZG 76 with the RAF fighters continued and

  culminated on 15 August 1940. The Adlertag

  was undoubtedly a black day for ZG 76. The

  Luftwaffe planners had anticipated that RAF

  INFO Eduard

  15

  July 2025

• Strana 16

  HISTORY

  units would be completely exhausted by

  massive attacks in the south and southeast of

  England. A major attack was planned on the

  same day, being directed at the northeast coast

  of England. The attack was to be undertaken

  by Luftflotte 5 forces, dislocated in Norway

  and Denmark. The command of the Luftwaffe

  anticipated an attack into an undefended area

  of England. Sixty-three He 111s from KG 26

  were to attack Dishforth and Linton-on- Ouse

  Airfields. Twenty-one long-range Bf 110D-1/

  R-1s from I./ZG 76 took off from Stavanger

  Airfield at about 11:35 with the task of escorting

  dispatched Heinkels. RAF radar operators

  detected the approaching danger at the right

  time. German command miscalculated. There

  were several fighter squadrons in the area,

  replenishing forces after the previous July

  fights. A final number of fifty-six Hurricanes

  and Spitfires from 41., 72., 79., 605. and

  607. Squadrons were airborne against the

  German raid. The sky was filled with airplanes.

  In such a peele-meele, eleven victories of the

  members of 2. and 3. Staffel were claimed.

  Lt. Helmut Woltersdorf made a double claim,

  when scoring his seventh and eighth victory,

  both Spitfires shot down East of Blyth. Double

  claim was reported also by Oblt. Reinhold

  Eckart over Flamborough. Although the

  I. Gruppe crews scored, the losses were much

  higher. Survivor of the action, Bordfunker Uffz.

  Otto Dombrowsky of 2./ZG 76 summarized the

  events of that day as follows:

  “It was a black day for I./ZG 76. We suffered

  heavy losses. Our orders: mission against

  England as protection for He 111s. The

  Gruppenstabschwarm with Hptm. Werner

  Restemeyer flew at the rear of the formation

  in order to intervene wherever the trouble was

  the greatest but they didn‘t get the chance.

  Long before the coast, we were surprised by

  Spitfires and Hurricanes which attacked us in

  vastly superior numbers.

  The Gruppenstabschwarm was the first to be

  engaged. We could see how they were broken

  up and Hptm. Restemeyer was shot down.

  We had to stay with the bombers and were in

  turn engaged in battle. Our protective circle

  was torn open and we were attacked from

  above and the left by a Hurricane. I shouted

  at my pilot Oblt. Gustav Uellenbeck to pull up

  to the left and was able to open fire at the

  Hurricane successfully as he dropped away to

  the left in a steep dive with a trail of smoke.

  When we got back to Aalborg we counted

  24 bullet holes. The direction-finding

  equipment, aerials - everything had been shot

  away.”

  The drama in the sky continued and

  Gruppenkommandeur ´s Bf 110 was shot

  down in the battle with 72. Squadron

  Spitfires and crashed into the sea near

  Durham. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Werner

  Restemeyer, and his Bordfunker Uffz. Werner

  Eichert, were both killed almost instantly, as

  some sources state, that his belly tank on

  Bf 110 “M8+AB” exploded when hit by enemy

  planes. The third crew member of their Bf 110,

  Hptm. Ernst-August Hartwich (photograph 09),

  a member of Funkhorchkomp. X Flieger Korps,

  flying as a special observer, also died. At first,

  he was registered as a prisoner, but later his

  status changed to dead.

  Shown Photograph 10 is one of the last known

  photos of Hptm. Werner Restemeyer. He died

  13 days short of his 34th birthday on 15 August

  1940. On 1 June 1941, he was posthumously

  promoted to Major, but only on 1 August 1944

  was he officially listed as Missing in Action.

  But the story of “M8+AB” W.Nr. 3156 seems

  to be a bit different as one would suppose.

  Unauthorized photograph 11 from eBay auction

  shows the Bf 110 D with W.Nr.3156 and partial

  code “M8+.” However, under the wings of this

  aircraft we can recognize the letter D. We

  suggest that it was photographed as “M8+DB”.

  This would lead to a conclusion, that Hptm.

  Restemeyer was not lost in this plane W.Nr.3156

  on 15 August 1940. It is highly probable that

  after his May accident Gruppenkommandeur

  received a new aircraft with code “M8+AB”,

  which may be the one shown on photograph 12,

  and his old W.Nr. 3156 was renamed to “M8+DB”

  and used within Stab I./ZG 76 for some time and

  possibly survived his original pilot.

  INFO Eduard16

  July 2025

• Strana 17

  HISTORY

  #8409

  Bf 110D

  1/48

  Product page

  Uncredited photo from online auction.

  Uncredited photo from

  online auction.

  INFO Eduard

  17

  July 2025

• Strana 18

• Strana 19

• Air War in Ukraine - Naval Drone Destroys Russian Fighter Jet

  In today's continuation of the series, we focus on the period from May 1 to May 31. Both sides intensified the drone war, with Russia especially increasing its activity in the latter half of the period. Ukraine, on the other hand, achieved another breakthrough: it became the first country in the world to shoot down a supersonic fighter jet using a missile launched from a naval drone – and they downed two at once.

  Miro Barič

  Naval Drone Destroys Russian Fighter Jet

  In today's continuation of the series, we focus on the period from May 1 to May 31.

  Both sides intensified the drone war, with Russia especially increasing its activity

  in the latter half of the period. Ukraine, on the other hand, achieved another

  breakthrough: it became the first country in the world to shoot down a supersonic

  fighter jet using a missile launched from a naval drone – and they downed two at once.

  Aerial War in Ukraine

  In the previous period, several videos

  appeared showing successful Ukrainian

  attacks on Russian radars and air defense

  missile systems. Ukrainians likely concluded

  that Russian air defenses had been weakened

  and launched a large-scale drone attack on

  naval and air bases in Crimea during the night

  from Thursday, May 1 to Friday, May 2. Explosions

  were heard in Sevastopol, Dzhankoy, Saki,

  Novofedorivka, and other locations. Ukrainian

  drones also attacked in the opposite direction.

  In Russia’s Stavropol Krai, 450 km from the

  front line, they hit base No. 33443 named

  Zvezda, used by Russian military intelligence

  (GRU) to intercept electronic communications

  from Western satellites.

  A similar attack occurred the following

  night, May 2 to 3. Ukrainians launched over 170

  drones, three Neptune cruise missiles, and

  eight Storm Shadow missiles. Also involved

  were 14 Magura naval drones. Targets were

  struck in Crimea and in Russia's Rostov,

  Krasnodar, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Krasnodar

  regions. One of the main targets was the naval

  base in Novorossiysk. And that’s where the

  breakthrough happened.

  Magura Equipped with AIM-9X

  Ukrainian military intelligence unit Group

  13 has been successfully using Magura naval

  drones for some time. Initially, they attacked

  only ships, but Russia began using helicopters

  and later fighters against the drones.

  So, the Maguras were fitted with machine

  guns and later air-defense missiles. Group 13

  has recorded 17 naval and aerial hits, of which

  15 were confirmed destroyed. Besides ships,

  they’ve destroyed two Mi-8 helicopters and,

  most recently, two Su-30 fighter jets.

  This naval drone comes in various versions.

  The Magura V5 is designed for ship destruction;

  the V7 version carries machine guns and

  missiles. The V7 is significantly larger:

  7.2 meters long and weighs 3,400 kg — two

  tons more than the V5. The larger size enables

  operation in rougher seas and bigger diesel

  tanks extended the range from 450 to 800

  nautical miles (about 1,500 km). The top speed

  is 39 knots.

  Previously, the Magura carried Soviet-made

  R-73 missiles. For this mission however, it

  was equipped with the latest US-made AIM-9X

  Sidewinder missiles. Using this missile during

  the night of May 2, over the Black Sea near

  Magura naval drones. V7 version is on the left, smaller V5 version on the right.

  UKRAINE

  INFO Eduard20

  July 2025

• Strana 21

  Novorossiysk, a Magura V7 drone struck a Su-

  30SM fighter jet from the 43rd Independent

  Naval Attack Regiment of the Russian Navy.

  Both pilots ejected and were rescued by

  a civilian cargo ship passing by. The next day,

  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

  announced that two Su-30 fighter jets had

  been downed — one near Novorossiysk and

  one over Crimea.

  Ukrainian Drones in Action

  Another major Ukrainian attack came on

  Wednesday, May 7, involving 447 drones

  and cruise missiles. Key military-industrial

  targets were hit — a rocket launcher factory

  in Tula and a fiber optics plant in Saransk.

  Drones also struck the Kubinka and Shaykovka

  airfields. There was a large economic impact

  due to the closure of civilian airports, affecting

  not only all four Moscow airports but also

  those in Samara, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod,

  and Perm. Passengers waited up to half a day,

  and long lines of planes formed on runways.

  A successful strike occurred on Sunday,

  May 11, when Ukrainian missiles hit a Russian

  command post in Rylsk, Kursk region.

  According to local witnesses, the strike killed

  many Russian soldiers. Among the dead was

  Colonel Alexander Danilov, deputy commander

  of the 40th Guards Marine Brigade, a veteran of

  Syria and a recipient of the Hero of the Russian

  Federation title.

  During the night of Friday, May 16, Ukrainians

  attacked several airfields and ammunition

  depots in Crimea. The depot in Perevalne

  continued to explode long after the strike.

  On Sunday, May 25, Ukrainian drones hit

  Migalovo airfield in Tver region. During the

  attack, Russian air defenses nearly shot down

  a civilian aircraft.

  On Wednesday, May 28, Ukraine launched

  a major strike involving about 300 drones.

  Targets included the Kronstadt factory

  in Dubna near Moscow (manufacturer of

  various types of drones), the N. P. Fedorov

  plant (aircraft and cruise missile parts), and

  the Raduga company (maker of Ch-series

  missiles). A microelectronics development and

  production plant in Zelenograd was hit as well.

  This photo of a Ukrainian Su-25 with AASM Hammer bombs was taken earlier this year.

  Deployment of these bombs is continuously increasing

  Wreckage of the Russian command post in Rylsk,

  Kursk region.

  Close-up of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles mounted

  on the Magura V7 drone.

  The shootdown of a Su-30SM near Novorossiysk, as seen through the camera of the Magura V7 naval drone.

  UKRAINE

  INFO Eduard

  21

  July 2025

• Strana 22

  Operator of a Russian Lancet drone attacked a civilian van in Sumy region, killing nine people.

  Russia Strikes Civilian Van

  Russia started slowly with its attacks

  but escalated them to unprecedented levels

  by the end of May. On Tuesday, May 13, they

  launched one of the smallest attacks since the

  war began — only 10 drones, all shot down by

  Ukrainian air defenses. Falling debris injured

  an elderly man.

  Just a few days later, on Saturday, May 17,

  Russia committed another atrocity: a Lancet

  drone struck a civilian van near Sumy. It was

  evacuating people fleeing a Russian attack in

  a border area. Nine people died on the spot,

  mostly elderly women. Among the dead was

  a family of three — father, mother, and

  daughter. Seven others were hospitalized with

  burns and fractures. All victims were civilians.

  The Lancet drone uses optical targeting via

  camera — meaning the operator clearly saw

  it was a civilian vehicle and deliberately

  targeted it.

  On Wednesday, May 21, a Russian missile

  hit a Ukrainian military training ground in

  Sumy region. Ukraine confirmed six soldiers

  dead and 10 wounded. Russians claimed 70

  soldiers killed, a destroyed ammunition depot,

  and 10 pieces of equipment — not supported by

  their own footage. Still, this is a major issue for

  Ukraine, as such attacks on training grounds

  and unnecessary troop losses are too frequent.

  It suggests commanders are not adapting

  to the evolving drone threat and fail at basic

  safety — a systemic flaw.

  Subsequent Russian attacks were focused

  solely on spreading terror among civilians.

  Durin the night of Saturday, May 24, Kyiv faced

  one of the biggest air raids since the war began.

  Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250

  drones. Ukraine shot down six missiles and

  128 drones. Another 117 drones crashed due

  to jamming or as decoys to overwhelm air

  defenses. Residential buildings and a shopping

  center were hit. Thirteen people died and over

  50 were injured.

  The following night, Sunday, May 25, was

  even worse. Russia launched 298 drones and

  68 cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine

  downed 45 missiles and 139 kamikaze drones;

  another 127 drones crashed. The remaining

  ones killed 12 people, including three children,

  and injured 70 more. Massive night raids

  continued for the third night. On Monday,

  May 26, Russia attacked with 355 kamikaze

  drones and nine cruise missiles targeting

  13 Ukrainian regions. Ukraine downed all the

  missiles and 288 drones. Increasing number

  of reports suggest that Ukraine is running

  out of surface-to-air missiles — possibly one

  aim of the escalating attacks. But the main

  goal is to pressure Kyiv and its Western allies.

  Notably, the first round of direct negotiations

  between Russia and Ukraine took place in

  Istanbul during this period. Moscow only sent

  minor officials who essentially demanded

  Ukraine's capitulation. When Ukraine refused,

  they threatened further escalation. Clearly,

  Russia's goal isn’t peace — it’s buying time to

  continue its war of conquest.

  Deliveries of F-16s and AASM

  Hammer Bombs

  On the ground front, Russia launched an

  attack on Sumy region. Despite heavy fighting,

  they made little progress, and Ukrainian

  forces continued raids into neighboring

  Russian Kursk region. Ukrainian defenders

  are effectively supported by aircraft using

  French-guided AASM Hammer bombs, which

  UKRAINE

  INFO Eduard22

  July 2025

• Strana 23

  This is just a fraction of the damage caused by Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities during the reporting period. The photos were published by the Ukrainian emergency

  services. Their personnel are often targeted in so-called "double-tap" strikes — intentional follow-up attacks on the same civilian location, meant to kill rescue workers.

  have proven very effective. France announced

  it will produce and deliver 1,200 of these

  bombs to Ukraine this year, compared to

  830 last year. Currently, France delivers about

  50 AASM Hammer bombs monthly. With a range

  of ~70 km thanks to rocket propulsion, they’re

  also resistant to Russian jamming attempts.

  The Netherlands delivered the last of

  24 promised F-16s to Ukraine during this

  period. Norway, which originally pledged six,

  increased its donation to 14, some of which

  have already arrived. The rest will follow by

  year’s end. Denmark pledged and delivered

  19 jets first. Belgium is behind on its 30

  promised aircraft, awaiting the introduction

  of U.S. F-35s. Belgium confirmed it will supply

  some retired F-16s for parts this year and

  begin delivering combat aircraft next year.

  F-16s are of critical value to Ukraine. Due to

  a shortage of air defense missiles, Ukraine

  must increasingly use fighter jets to defend

  cities. Austrian military expert Tom Cooper

  noted that Ukrainian pilots often take off

  twice per night. The fighters can shoot down

  kamikaze drones and cruise missiles — though

  it’s risky. Ukraine lost its third F-16 during this

  period. The first was lost last year, likely to

  friendly fire. The second was shot down in

  April, probably by a Russian S-400. Both pilots

  were killed.

  Aircraft Losses

  The latest F-16 loss occurred on Friday,

  May 16, at 3:30 a.m. The pilot was intercepting

  Russian cruise missiles, destroyed three,

  and engaged a fourth with his cannon when

  he reported an emergency. He steered the

  aircraft away from populated areas and

  ejected successfully. A rescue team found

  and evacuated him quickly. The cause is under

  investigation, but reports suggest debris

  from the missile he engaged might have hit

  the plane — similar incidents have previously

  destroyed Ukrainian MiG-29s and Su-27s.

  Besides this F-16, Ukraine lost only the

  civilian aircraft during the period. Around

  May 23, Russia struck an agricultural airfield

  at Kyslychuvata in Dnipropetrovsk region

  with a ballistic missile, destroying three

  An-2 biplanes. This was a pointless attack —

  satellite images show the planes hadn’t moved

  since the war began and likely weren’t flight-

  capable.

  The Military Watch site published images of

  Russian drone damage to a civilian aeroclub

  hangar at Zhytomyr airfield (120 km west

  of Kyiv) — an April 27, 2025, strike. Three or

  four propeller driven planes were destroyed,

  and five to six others damaged. Destroyed

  aircraft included Pipistrel Virus SW 100

  (UR

  -

  HUNT), Flight Design CTSW (UR

  -

  GIK),

  UKRAINE

  INFO Eduard

  23

  July 2025

• Strana 24

  Due to the short supplies for the air defense systems, older MIM-23 Hawk

  missiles have proven effective against Russian drones and missiles.

  Aftermath of the Russian drone strike on the civilian aeroclub hangar

  at Zhytomyr airfield, which took place on April 27, 2025.

  and PZL-110 Koliber 150A (N150AQ). A Piper

  PA-32-260 (N56131) was most likely damaged

  beyond repair. Both U.S.-registered planes

  belonged to German company QualitAir and

  had been stuck in Ukraine.

  Russia also suffered further losses besides

  the Su-30s downed by Magura drones.

  On Friday, May 23, around 2 p.m., a Mi-8

  helicopter crashed near Naryshkino in

  Russia's Oryol region while on a mission

  to hunt Ukrainian drones. The three crew

  members — Major Andrey Silantyev, Captain

  Ruslan Zhvanko, and Lieutenant Yegor Buchnev

  perished.

  Another loss was a Ka-52 helicopter,

  decommissioned and displayed at the gate

  of the Syzran Higher Air School in Samara.

  The helicopter had been damaged in combat

  and sent to Russia for repairs, but the damage

  was too severe. It now bears the number

  85 and commemorates the school’s 85th

  anniversary.

  UKRAINE

  INFO Eduard24

  July 2025

• Strana 25

  Mirage 2000 Still from a video showing

  a Mi-24 helicopter originally from

  the Czech Republic.

  Ukrainian

  Black Hawk

  in action.

  This Russian Ka-52 helicopter was damaged beyond repair during the deployment in Ukraine

  and now serves as a monument at the gate of the Higher Aviation School in Syzran,

  Samara region, Russia.

  UKRAINE

  INFO Eduard

  25

  July 2025

• Strana 26

• Strana 27

  Dunstable Business Centre, Office Suite No.2, Blackburn Road, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire LU5 5BQ

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

  All major credit cards accepted.

  Orders can be placed by mail, telephone, email or through the website.

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

  orders. Overseas readers pay postage at air mail printed paper rate.

  Warpaint on the web

  For more information and secure ordering please visit:

  www.guidelinepublications.co.uk

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  One of the great unsung fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force was

  Nakajima’s Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon). Codenamed ‘Oscar’ by the Allies, the

  aircraft was frequently mistaken for the Navy’s A6M2 Zero by those encountering it in

  combat, to the extent that it was widely referred to by its adversaries as the ‘Army 0’.

  Highly regarded in Japan, where it was much more widely recognised than the Zero, the

  Ki-43 was the only Japanese fighter from the Pacific War to see active service with other

  air forces, being supplied to both Thailand and Manchukuo by the Japanese, but also

  seeing use by France in Indochina, and by the air forces of Indonesia, the Republic of

  China, and North Korea, who pressed abandoned but airworthy airframes into service,

  some of which survived into the early 1950s. Author Daniel Kowalczuk has compiled a

  compelling narrative that puts the aircraft in context, describes its development and

  active service history in detail, and explains how it came to be so widely regarded by the

  Japanese – so much so that it is the aircraft of choice for producers of Anime rather than

  its better-known contemporary. With colour artwork by Sam Pearson.

  Nakajima

  KKii--4433

  HHaayyaabbuussaa//OOssccaarr

  By Daniel Kowalczuk

  Republic of China Air Force Ki-43-I P-5017,

  one of the Oscars that found its way into

  the Nationalist Air Force.

  WARPAINT SERIES No.147

  Master 12/03/2025 16:10 Page 50

  The US Navy’s experience in the Korean War showed the need for a new long-range strike

  aircraft with high subsonic performance at very low altitude that could penetrate enemy

  defences and find and destroy small targets in any weather. The Grumman A-6 Intruder was

  designed with these needs in mind and was a true bomb truck. From the jungles of Vietnam

  to the deserts of Iraq the Intruder proved its worth, able to catty a plethora of weaponry and

  pack a mighty punch. From the Intruder airframe the KA-6D tanker variant was derived, along

  with the specialised EA-6A Intruder and then the EA-6B Prowler, a sophisticated four-seat

  electronic warfare variant, packed with jamming equipment and electronics. Like the A-6, the

  Prowler was used by both the Navy and Marine Corps. After nearly thirty-seven years and

  with 693 airframes constructed, on February 28, 1997, VA-34 the Blue Blasters, retired the

  Navy’s last operational A-6E Intruders. The Navy retired its Prowlers in 2015, however, the

  Marines Corps carried on flying the EA-6B into the early months of 2019. Warpaint 146 is

  packed full of all the usual historical and reference material, with walkarounds of both

  Prowler and Intruder, colour artwork by Sam Pearson, and a well-paced narrative that places

  this essential aircraft in context and showcases its role in US naval operations over nearly sixty years.

  All these titles are available in printed format via our on demand printing service. Please contact our office for further information.

  £17.00

  Warpaint series No.147

  Orders from the world’s book

  and hobby trade are invited

  Previous Warpaint titles

  £19.00

  Warpaint series No.146

  Nakajima KKii--4433 HHaayyaabbuussaa//OOssccaarr

  Grumman

  AA--66

  IInntt

  rr

  uu

  dd

  eerr

  &&

  EEAA

  --

  66

  BB

  PPrr

  ooww

  lleerr

  GGUUIIDDEELLIINNEE PPUUBBLLIICCAATTIIOONNSS LLIIMMIITTEEDD

  Grumman

  AA--66

  IInnttrruuddeerr

  &&

  EEAA--66BB

  PPrroowwlleerr

  By Andy Evans

  Grumman A-6E Intruder Buno 155678 of VA-85

  Black Falcons based at NAS Oceana, seen

  onboard USS Am erica w hile a nchored in

  Stokes Bay, 25 September

  WARPAINT SERIES No.146

  46 Warpaint A-6 Intruder & EA-6 Prowler.qxp_Warpaint Master 22/12/2024 11:32 Page 58

  New

  release

  Warpaint 147 Ki-43 Hayabusa & 146 A-6 Intruder.qxp_Warpaint Advert 17/03/2025 15:35 Page 1

• Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai

  The aircraft of the Japanese naval air group Tsukuba (Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai) are probably known to many modelers because of the distinctive "Tsu" character on their tails. This training Kōkūtai underwent several organizational changes during its service. Toward the end of the war, it formed a fighter unit for homeland defense as well as several kamikaze units.

  #82218BOXART STORY

  The aircraft of the Japanese naval air group

  Tsukuba (Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai) are probably

  known to many modelers because of the distinctive

  "Tsu" character on their tails. This training Kōkūtai

  underwent several organizational changes during

  its service. Toward the end of the war, it formed

  a fighter unit for homeland defense as well

  as several kamikaze units.

  Its history began at Tomobe airfield, northwest

  of Lake Kasumigaura in Ibaraki Prefecture.

  In the early 1930s, the base was built on the

  site of a defunct sheep farm. Various army and

  naval units had previously operated from this

  area. In the summer of 1934, a detachment from

  the Kasumigaura Kōkūtai training unit started

  operations at the new base. This detachment

  conducted basic flight tests, after which successful

  naval academy graduates and non-commissioned

  officers were assigned to advanced training.

  In December 1938, a new naval training unit,

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai, was established from the

  Tomobe detachment. A year later, a detachment

  from Tsukuba at Hyakurihara airfield became the

  Hyakurihara Kōkūtai.

  In March 1944, a significant reorganization took

  place involving Tsukuba Kōkūtai. Its focus shifted to

  operational training on combat aircraft, and it took

  over equipment from the disbanded Ōita Kōkūtai.

  At the same time, it transferred its previous training

  aircraft to another naval unit, Tsuiki Kōkūtai (II).

  One of the many commanders of Tsukuba

  Kōkūtai from July 1944 was Capt. Chujirō Nakano,

  who had previously commanded Kōkūtai 201

  during defensive battles in the Rabaul area.

  Lt. Cdr. Yasushi Yokoyama also played a key role

  in the transition to combat aircraft training, taking

  over as head of training at Tsukuba Kōkūtai in July

  1944.

  With the introduction of single- and two-seat

  Zero aircraft, the grass runway at Tomobe was

  no longer adequate, and the unit relocated to

  Misawa airbase. In the second half of 1944, Tsukuba

  Kōkūtai also received Shiden (George II) fighters

  and in November formed a fighter unit composed

  of instructors. This unit first engaged the enemy

  on January 9, 1945, during a B-29 bombing raid on

  Tokyo, but did not shoot down any bombers.

  In mid-February, the unit received 24 additional

  Zero fighters and had nine operational Shiden

  aircraft. Around the same time, Tsukuba Kōkūtai

  pilots clashed with U.S. Navy aircraft during raids

  on the Kantō region on February 16 and 17. Despite

  losing 14 aircraft, the Japanese pilots claimed

  11 American planes shot down during the two

  days. In a similar engagement on February 25,

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai lost eight aircraft but claimed five

  victories. After the battle, only nine operational

  fighters remained.

  At the same time, Tsukuba Kōkūtai was ordered

  to form a special kamikaze attack unit. Initial

  training took place at Kashima Kōkūtai, and by the

  end of March, eight special attack units had been

  formed.

  On March 30, twelve aircraft from Tsukuba

  Kōkūtai were detached and moved to Izumi airbase.

  Their mission was to provide air cover for the

  battleship Yamato during Operation Ten-Ichi Go,

  a one-way voyage to Okinawa on April 6 and 7, 1945.

  Japanese planes were deployed for conventional

  and kamikaze attacks against Allied vessels

  pursuing Yamato. Among the ships hit were the

  aircraft carrier USS Hancock, the battleship

  USS Maryland, and the destroyer USS Bennett,

  which was heavily damaged.

  Simultaneously, the Kikusui I kamikaze

  campaign against ships around Okinawa began.

  On its first day, April 6, a special attack unit

  from Tsukuba Kōkūtai participated in kamikaze

  attacks. By June 1945, another seven kamikaze

  units formed from Tsukuba Kōkūtai were deployed.

  From early May, Shiden aircraft began escorting

  these missions, increasing the Tsukuba Kōkūtai’s

  strength to 96 aircraft.

  At the end of May, Shiden pilots managed to

  shoot down two B-29 bombers. During June, they

  also engaged long-range Mustang fighters over

  the Kantō area. In the final weeks of the war,

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai was relocated to Katori airbase in

  preparation for an anticipated enemy invasion.

  After the war, the three-story concrete building

  of the former Tsukuba Kōkūtai headquarters at the

  disbanded Tomobe base was used as a school and

  later as an administrative building for a hospital.

  In 2011, during hospital expansion and trans-

  formation into a mental health facility, space was

  freed up for a room dedicated to the history of

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai. In 2013, demolition of the original

  headquarters building was planned, but the same

  year a museum of the unit was instead established

  inside. In 2018, the museum moved to a neighboring

  building, and the original headquarters was

  declared a protected cultural monument by the city

  of Kasama. The exhibition, which commemorates

  the history of the base and Tsukuba Kōkūtai,

  includes a replica of a Zero fighter aircraft.

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai

  INFO Eduard28

  July 2025

• Strana 29

  #8409

  BOXART STORY

  When two Bf 110s landed in neutral Sweden on

  September 1, 1941, it was a welcome opportunity

  for the Swedes to thoroughly examine the aircraft.

  At that time, they were considering licensed

  production of this type. One of the aircraft flipped

  over during an emergency landing, but the other

  landed smoothly near Tärendö. On the rudder of

  this Messerschmitt were marked eight victories

  achieved against British and Soviet opponents,

  and the aircraft was piloted by Lt. Felix Maria

  Brandis. The Swedes took at least eighty photos

  of Brandis’ aircraft and its details.

  At the beginning of 1941, Felix Maria Brandis

  served with a Bf 110 unit that was organizationally

  subordinated to JG 77, which was equipped

  with Messerschmitt Bf 109s. The designation

  of Brandis’s Staffel, after some initial changes,

  settled as 1.(Z)/JG 77, with the letter Z standing

  for Zerstörer (destroyer, heavy fighter). The unit

  was based in Norway, and its task was to counter

  British bombers.

  Already at the start of 1941, Brandis had a stroke

  of luck when, on 27 January, he and his radio

  operator Gefr. Matthias Gans managed to escape

  unharmed after ditching following an engine fire.

  In the following months, Brandis shot down three

  British twin-engine bombers. After the start of the

  attack on the Soviet Union, during operations over

  Murmansk in July, he added to his tally a Soviet

  bomber and two fighter aircraft. The unit operated

  against the Soviets from the Norwegian base at

  Kirkenes, near the Finnish and Soviet border.

  However, the German pilots were not warned by

  their intelligence officers about the intensity and

  accuracy of Soviet anti-aircraft defenses. Later,

  Bf 110 crews admitted that, had they been informed,

  they would have chosen different altitudes for

  certain phases of their combat missions. Enemy

  flak hit Brandis’ aircraft on July 17, 1941, during

  Stuka escort mission against Varlamovo. Brandis

  had to ditch in Petsamo bay, and this time his

  gunner, Gefr. Gans, did not survive.

  An unexpected opponent appeared on 30

  July in the form of Royal Navy aircraft from

  the carriers HMS Furious and HMS Victorious.

  The British launched a raid on the ports of

  Kirkenes and Petsamo, losing twelve Albacores

  and four Fulmars in the process. The Germans

  deployed nine Bf 109s, four Bf 110s, and even

  nine Ju 87 bombers in interception. The German

  side, including anti-aircraft gunners, claimed

  28 enemy aircraft shot down. Felix Brandis added

  two Albacore bombers to his tally.

  Brandis scored another victory, this time over

  a Soviet fighter, on 15 August. Although it was

  his ninth confirmed kill, only eight victories were

  marked on the rudder of his aircraft.

  On 1 September, the event mentioned at the

  beginning, Lt. Brandis led a formation of four

  Bf 110s in an afternoon attack on the Murmansk

  railway. On the return leg, two aircraft made

  emergency landings near Alakurtti due to fuel

  shortage but were only lightly damaged. Felix

  Brandis and the pilot of the remaining aircraft lost

  orientation due to severely reduced visibility.

  The crew of Uffz. Rudolf Reitz and Uffz. Guntram

  Weigl overturned during a gear-down landing on

  a small island, and it took the Swedes quite some

  time to get both airmen out of the aircraft. Their

  plane was a Bf 110 E-1 (WNr. 4113) with the code

  LN+KR. Brandis, with Uffz. Alfred Harnach as his

  gunner, managed a smooth landing. Their aircraft

  was also an E-1 version, serial number 4114, and

  bore the fuselage code LN+FR. All the airmen

  later recalled that their internment was very

  comfortable, including boat outings.

  After the aircraft and crews returned to

  their unit, Lt. Brandis achieved another victory,

  shooting down a Polikarpov I-16 on 15 September.

  But the following day, Brandis once again crash-

  landed his aircraft. This time, his gunner was Uffz.

  Weigl, who had been in the second crew during

  the crash landings in Sweden. Brandis was

  flying a Bf 110 D-0 (WNr. 3170) coded LN+HR, and

  had even taken a war correspondent onboard.

  The aircraft had two victory marks on its rudder,

  as it was usually flown by Ofw. Mundig as his

  personal mount. This very aircraft is depicted on

  Antonis Karydis’s box art. During a combat flight

  over the Kola Peninsula, Brandis’ Messerschmitt

  was hit in the left engine. He managed to bring the

  damaged aircraft back behind friendly lines but

  had to make an emergency landing in the tundra.

  Fortunately, German mountain troops observed

  the final phase of the flight, located the crew, and

  brought them to their command post.

  By the end of 1941, Lt. Brandis achieved four

  more victories against Soviet fighters, but on

  February 2, 1942, he died in a crash on an icy

  surface in poor visibility. His gunner, Fw. Herbert

  Baus, survived with injuries. By that time,

  Felix Maria Brandis held the rank of Oberleutnant

  and was the commander of his Zerstörerstaffel,

  which had in the meantime been redesignated as

  6.(Z)/JG 5.

  Illustration: Antonis Karydis

  With Bf 110 in the Far North

  Text: Jan Bobek

  INFO Eduard

  29

  July 2025

• Strana 30

  #2152

  Tales of Iwojima

  1/72

  The Limited edition kit of US WWII fighter P-51D

  in 1/72 scale. Focused on machines from 15th FG,

  506th FG, 21st FG used for very long range missions.

  The box contains plastic sprues for two complete kits

  P-51D Mustang.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 12

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  KITS 07/2025

  Dual Combo

  Product page

  INFO Eduard30

  July 2025

• Strana 31

  P-51D-25, 44-73382, Lt. Col. John W. Mitchell, CO of 15th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, Summer 1945

  P-51D-20 s/n 44-63483, Maj. Gilmer L. Snipes, CO of 45th FS, 15th FG,

  7th AF, Saipan, February 1945

  Lt. Col. John W. Mitchell assumed command

  of the 15th FG few days after the previous CO,

  Lt. Col. Jack Thomas was killed during an

  attack on the Kagamigahara airfield on July 19,

  1944. John Mitchell achieved eight kills while

  flying P-39 Airacobras and P-38 Lightnings on

  Guadalcanal. As the CO of the 339th FS, John

  W. Mitchell led the flight of P-38F Lightnings

  of the 339th FS to shoot down the aircraft with

  Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto aboard on April 18,

  1943. He is credited with three victories during

  the VLR sorties. Annie Lee was a 78th FS aircraft

  and sported marking with glossy black propeller

  spinner, black wing tips and tail tips. Note the

  non-standard two-digit fuselage number.

  Gilmer L. Snipes achieved the first kill of the

  45th FS on October 23, 1943, when he shot down

  an H8K Emily flying boat over Gilbert Islands

  in the cockpit of P-40N. He became the unit’s

  CO on April 4, 1944. The 45th FS arrived at

  Iwojima on March 7, 1945 and provided aerial

  support to the allied forces and also flew ground

  attack sorties against Chichijima and Hahajima.

  Snipes is credited with a Ki-44 Tojo on the first

  VLR Mission on April 7, 1945. He left unit on April

  16, 1945, returning to the USA. Tom-Cat shows

  the early unit marking with black bordered

  slanted green stripes on the wing and tail and

  green/black/green stripped spinner. Note the

  squadron badge, the Indian rides a P-51, not

  P-40, as it is often shown. Note the single

  antenna mast.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  31

  July 2025

• Strana 32

  P-51D-20, 44-63483, Maj. Robert W. Moore, CO of 45th FS, 15th FG,

  7th AF, Iwojima, August 1945

  P-51D-20, 44-63420, Capt. Eurich L. Bright, 47th FS, 15th FG,

  7th AF, Iwojima, Summer 1945

  Major Robert W. Moore became the top scoring

  fighter ace of the VII Fighter Command with

  12 confirmed kills. He achieved his first kill,

  a Mitsubishi Zero, over Gilbert Island on January

  26, 1944, but most of his aerial victories were

  achieved during his service with 78th FS.

  He led the 45th FS since July 19, 1944, and then

  he overtook also the Mustang s/n 44-63483,

  named then Stinger VII. Stinger VII wore the

  simplified late unit marking with green wing

  and tailplane tips and green propeller spinner.

  Note the green painted undercarriage door.

  Pilots of the 47th Pursuit Squadron were

  credited with seven kills during Japanese attack

  on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. At the time

  the unit was still part of Hawaiian Air Force.

  Three and a half years later, on March 6, 1945,

  47th FS was the first unit of VII FC which arrived

  to Iwojima. Eurich L. Bright achieved his three

  kills during the first VRL mission over Japan

  on April 7, 1945, shooting down Ki-61, Ki-45 and

  A6M5 Zero. Later, on May 25, 1945, he shared

  a Zero together with George Petrouleas. The unit

  markings were most probably very dark blue,

  not black as it is often suggested.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard32

  July 2025

• Strana 33

  P-51D-20, 44-63984, Maj. James B. Tapp, CO of 78th FS, 15th FG,

  7th AF, Iwojima, May 1945

  P-51D-25, 44-73407, Maj. James B. Tapp, CO of 78th FS, 15th FG,

  7th AF, Iwojima, Summer 1945

  During attacks on Tokyo vicinity airfields on

  May 25, 1945, the 7th AF Mustang pilots fired

  unguided HVAR rockets for the very first time.

  A quartet of thusly armed Mustangs was part

  of a force that included initially some 128

  fighters, but a mere 67 aircraft found their mark.

  The flight of HVAR-armed Mustangs was led by

  Maj. James Buckley Tapp, who hit a hangar with

  his rockets at Matsudo Air Base and then shot

  down a Ki-44 Tojo in aerial combat. This was

  his 7th kill, while his first four happened during

  the first escort mission of B-29 Superfortresses

  bombers over Japan on April 7, 1945. Margaret

  IV sported the early unit marking, with yellow/

  black spinner, six-inch black band around the

  nose, yellow/black strips on the horizontal and

  vertical tailplanes, and black outlined yellow

  wing tips, with “The Bushmasters” unit badge on

  both sides of the forward fuselage.

  Maj. Tapp became the first USAAF ace to gain

  all his kills during VLR missions. His fifth victim

  was a Ki-61 on April 12, 1945. Unfortunately, Tapp

  also damaged the Mustang of his wingman,

  Lt. Fred W. Whitte, who bailed out, but his pa-

  rachute didn’t open, and the pilot died. With

  a total of eight confirmed kills and two damaged

  enemy aircraft, Maj. Tapp ranked second among

  Mustang pilots of the VII Fighter Command. The

  Margaret V replaced Margaret IV in the line of

  Tapp’s aircraft and wore the late squadron mar-

  king with yellow wing and tailplane tips and

  yellow propeller spinner. Unit badge was not

  painted. Curiously part of the black vertical tail

  band remained painted on the vertical stabilizer.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  33

  July 2025

• Strana 34

  P-51D-20, 44-63451, Lt. Robert J. Louwers/Lt. John E. Montgomery III,

  46th FS, 21th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

  P-51D-20, 44-63733, Maj. Paul W. Imig, CO of 72nd FS, 21st FG,

  7th AF, Iwojima, March 1945

  As this aircraft was shared by two pilots,

  it was also double-named. It was Mary Alice on

  starboard and My Miss Moe on portside. Mary

  Alice was Robert Louwers wife’s name, the girl

  was painted from an Esquire magazine picture.

  Such painting was quite rare among the 46th

  FS aircraft, most of them were marked just

  with black-outlined blue vertical tail strip, black

  outlined wing and horizontal tail tips and blue

  spinner with black outlined nose of aircraft,

  which was the same style as the other 21st FG

  squadrons where the other squadron colors

  were white for 531st FS and yellow for 72nd FS.

  One interesting detail is that Louwers served

  also as photography officer for 46th FS yet he

  flew nine VLR missions to Japan and one over

  Chichijima.

  Major Imig, a veteran of VII FC, named his

  Mustang for his girlfriend and later wife. Dede

  Lou completed altogether 26 missions flown by

  various pilots from Airfield No.2. Paul Imig left

  the squadron in mid-May and returned back to

  the USA. He spent some three years overseas,

  having been a P-39 Airacobra pilot of the 333rd

  Squadron on Canton Island in late 1942. The 72nd

  FS as well as the whole 21st FG operated less

  colorful Mustangs than the aircraft of some

  other units. The black bordered yellow strips

  on vertical tail, black bordered yellow wing and

  horizontal tailplane tips, yellow spinner, black

  outlined nose, a name of the plane on the nose

  side under the exhaust, that´s it.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard34

  July 2025

• Strana 35

  P-51D-25, 44-73623, Maj. Harry C. Crim (later Flt.Off. Theo Gruici), CO of 531st FS,

  21st FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, July/August 1945

  P-51D-25, 44-73379, 2nd Lt. William G. Hetland/ Lt. Hinkle, 457th FS,

  506th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, June 1945

  My Ach’in was delivered from Guam in late May

  1945 as a replacement for destroyed aircraft.

  Flown by Major Harry Crim it was his second

  aircraft at 531st FS. Harry Crim, the CO of 531st

  FS was an old-timer who flew P-38s over Tunisia

  in the MTO in 1943 and became top-scoring pilot

  of 21st FG with six aerial victories. He claimed

  his first kills, Ki-45 and Ki-61, on April 7, 1945,

  during the well-known VLR Mission over Tokyo.

  Later on August, My Ach’in was flown by Theo

  Gruici, who replaced the mission symbols with

  another pin-up girl on the starboard side of the

  aircraft. The number 300 was replaced while

  the aircraft was moved to Guam to no. 3623 after

  the end of the war.

  When the 457th Fighter Squadron was activated

  on October 21, 1944, the Allied offensive in the

  Pacific brought American bombers within

  striking distance of the Japanese homeland.

  With the capture of Iwo Jima in March 1945, the

  U.S. Army Air Force gained an outpost to provide

  fighter escort for long-range B-29 bombers.

  Late the following month, the 506th Fighter

  Group, consisting of the 457th, 458th, and 462nd

  Fighter Squadrons, arrived. On Iwo Jima, the

  506th Fighter Group, in addition to assisting

  in the defense of the island, participated in VII

  Fighter Command’s attacks on enemy-held

  neighboring islands. One of the Mustangs used

  by the 457th Fighter Squadron was an aircraft

  named “Lil Ole Meanie II”, which was regularly

  flown by Lt. Hetland and Lt. Hinkle.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  35

  July 2025

• Strana 36

  P-51D-20, 44-72579, Capt. J. B. Baker Jr., 458th FS, 506th FG,

  20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

  P-51D-20, 44-72587, 2nd Lt. William G. Ebersole/2nd Lt. James R. Bercaw,

  462nd FS, 506th FG, 20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

  Captain J. B. Baker Jr shot down a Ki-44 during

  the escort sortie over Nagoya and Kobe area

  on June 23, 1945. He was also credited with

  J2M Raiden probably destroyed during another

  raid to Tokyo area, when the Mustangs strafed

  the airfields east and northeast of Tokyo.

  The 506th Fighter Group struck Katori and

  strafed Yachimata and Miyakawa. Based on

  No. 3 Airfield, the marking of Mustangs of 458th

  FS squadron consisted of 4-inch wide angled

  dark blue stripes but the replacement aircraft’s

  tails were painted in solid blue except vertical

  rudder. Note the Luftwaffe style spiral on the

  spinner and an attractive archer emblem on the

  right side of the aircraft.

  This Mustang was shared by 2nd Lieutenants

  Bill Ebersole and James Bercaw. Bill Ebersole,

  the youngest pilot of the 462nd FS, arrived to

  Iwojima’s east side No. 3 Airfield on May 1945,

  at the time of the last night attacks of the

  remaining Japanese soldiers on the island.

  Ebersole flew his first combat sortie over

  Chichijima on May 15, 1945 and flew the first

  VLR Mission among his total 10 on June 7, 1945,

  which was an eight-hours long escort sortie

  over Osaka. He was credited by Zero destroyed

  on ground during the attack on Hyakurigahara

  airfield on June 26, 1945 and also destroyed

  small transport ship Sugar Dog type on early

  August. His final strafing mission was flown

  against Tachikawa on August 5, 1945, only one

  day before the atomic bomb was dropped on

  Hiroshima.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard36

  July 2025

• Strana 37

  674014 P-51D-15+ LööK (Brassin)

  674017 P-51D-15+ LööKplus (Brassin)

  672359 P-51D exhaust stacks w/ fairing PRINT (Brassin)

  672360 P-51D wheel bay PRINT (Brassin)

  672361 P-51D Hamilton Standard propeller PRINT (Brassin)

  672365 P-51D-15+ cockpit PRINT (Brassin)

  672366 P-51D wheels diamond tread (Brassin)

  672367 P-51D wheels oval tread (Brassin)

  672368 P-51D wheels cross tread (Brassin)

  672369 P-51D wheels block tread (Brassin)

  672370 P-51D wheels diamond tread 2 (Brassin)

  672371 P-51D wheels block tread 2 (Brassin)

  672372 P-51D seat PRINT (Brassin)

  672375 P-51D 110gal fuel tanks PRINT (Brassin)

  672376 P-51D 165gal fuel tanks PRINT (Brassin)

  672377 P-51D gun sights PRINT (Brassin)

  672379 P-51D gun bays PRINT (Brassin)

  672384 P-51D undercarriage legs PRINT (Brassin)

  672389 P-51D engine PRINT (Brassin)

  672413 P-51D seat w/ integral belts PRINT (Brassin)

  3DL72037 P-51D-15+ SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  CX664 P-51D US national insignia (Mask)

  CX665 P-51D surface panels (Mask)

  For Tales of Iwojima 1/72

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  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  37

  July 2025

• Strana 38

  #82218

  A6M2-K

  1/48

  The ProfiPACK edition kit of Japanese

  two-seat trainer version of the WWII fighter

  aircraft A6M2-K in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 6

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: yes, pre-painted

  painting mask: yes

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard38

  July 2025

• Strana 39

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai, Tsukuba Base, Japan, 1944

  probably Kōkūtai 332, Japan, 1945

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai training unit was separated

  from Kasumigaura Kōkūtai in December 1938.

  Over the time, the focus of training provided by

  the unit changed. In November 1944, Tsukuba

  Kōkūtai assigned experienced instructors to

  form a fighter squadron equipped with Zero

  and Shiden aircraft. This squadron engaged in

  combat with B-29 bombers and U.S. carrier-

  based aircraft as early as January and February

  1945. At the end of March 1945, Tsukuba Kōkūtai

  was ordered to form its own Kamikaze units,

  designated Tsukuba-tai No. 1 to No. 6. However,

  the last two Kamikaze units were staffed

  by Zero pilots from Kōkūtai 721. In July 1943,

  a regulation was issued that, among other

  things, mandated that training aircraft deployed

  in combat operations or based in areas where

  the enemy was active should be painted

  like combat aircraft. In practice, this led to

  the repainting of already-produced A6M2-K

  trainers. One such aircraft was Tsu-415, which

  is known from a photograph showing it with

  a yellow-orange coating on all surfaces.

  However, in a later photograph, it appears

  camouflaged with dark green paint on the upper

  surfaces, while the original paint and markings

  on the tail remained unchanged.

  This trainer aircraft, found in Japan at the

  end of the war, was captured on a color slide.

  The machine was likely assembled from at least

  two aircraft. In the photograph, it is clearly

  visible that the undersides of the wings are

  largely left unpainted, but part of the wing and

  the underside of the fuselage are painted in

  a yellow-orange color. The color of the

  undersides of the horizontal tail surfaces is not

  very clear in the photo, so it is possible they were

  left unpainted, or painted gray, and it cannot be

  ruled out that parts of them were also painted

  yellow-orange. From the photo, it is not entirely

  clear which part of the propeller assembly was

  left on the aircraft. It is possible that it is part

  of a spinner, painted in dark green. The aircraft

  likely belonged to a training squadron that

  was part of the Kōkūtai 332. When this IJN air

  group was established in August 1944, it was

  equipped with interceptors and two-seat float

  reconnaissance planes. Later, it was equipped

  with Zero fighters, J2M Raiden interceptors, and

  J1N1 Gekkō night fighters. It participated in the

  defense of the Philippines and defended Japan

  against B-29 bomber raids.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  39

  July 2025

• Strana 40

  Kōkūtai 205, Taiwan, 1945

  Ensign Daiji Matsufuji, Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, 1st Shichisei-tai,

  Kanoya airbase, Japan, April 1945

  This aircraft was captured by Chinese forces in

  Taiwan at the end of World War II. It is a trainer

  aircraft that originally belonged to the armament

  of Kōkūtai 205. This unit was formed in early

  February 1945 from personnel of various units

  who had been evacuated from the Philippines.

  The unit's official strength was 144 Zero fighter

  aircraft, divided among Hikōtai 302 (based in

  Taichū/Taichung), Hikōtai 315 (Tainan/T’ai-nan),

  and Hikōtai 317 (Shinchiku/Hsinchu). After the

  American landing on Okinawa, the Japanese

  command decided to use all air units in Taiwan

  for special attack (Kamikaze) operations.

  For this purpose, two forward command posts

  were established for Kōkūtai 205 on the islands

  of Ishigaki-jima and Miyako-jima. The Kamikaze

  unit detached from Kōkūtai 205 was named

  Taigi-tai (Noble Cause Unit). It was deployed

  from April to June 1945, primarily targeting

  Royal Navy vessels. Taigi-tai claimed hits on

  the aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS

  Indomitable.

  From April 3, 1945, a total of eight special attack

  units with the battle name Shichisei were

  organized from the airmen serving in Genzan

  Kōkūtai (II) and Hikōtai 306 (part of Kōkūtai 721).

  Lt. Miyatake, who was 24 years old at the time,

  led the 1st Shichisei-tai in an attack on a convoy

  off Okinawa on April 6, 1945. During that day,

  eleven other airmen from Genzan Kōkūtai (II)

  sacrificed their lives along with him. They took

  off successively in four formations. They were

  among the 524 aircraft of special attack units

  and escort fighters from IJN and IJA sent against

  Allied vessels off Okinawa as part of Operation

  Kikusui I. The U.S. Navy lost destroyers USS Bush

  (DD-529) and Colhoun (DD-801) and other ships

  were severely damaged. Shichisei units were

  sent against ships off Okinawa, Yoronjima, Kikai,

  and Tanegashima islands in several missions till

  May 14. Only one of them returned to base due

  to bad weather. The depicted Ke-427 aircraft

  was apparently assembled from two airframes

  with differently applied paint schemes. During

  a special attack mission on April 6, it was likely

  piloted by Ensign Daiji Matsufuji.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard40

  July 2025

• Strana 41

  Tainan Kōkūtai (II), Tainan airbase, Taiwan, summer 1944

  Kōnoike Kōkūtai, Kōnoike airbase, Japan, 1944

  The designation of this training unit is the

  Katakana characters "Ta" and "I". The dark

  green paint on the upper surfaces indicates that

  the aircraft has been overhauled. The machine

  was acquired from funds raised by the Tokyo

  Fruit and Vegetable Commercial Association.

  The second Tainan Kōkūtai was established

  in April 1943 as an operational training unit.

  Its home base was again Tainan, as with the

  previous unit of that name, which became

  Kōkūtai 251 in late 1942. When Allied air raids

  on Taiwan began in the second half of the war,

  the airmen of Tainan Kōkūtai (II) joined in its

  defense. They fought both four-engine bombers

  and their escort fighters based in China as

  US Navy aircraft. Its first commander was

  Capt. Shigematsu Ichimura, who was

  commander of the 14th Kōkūtai in China in 1940.

  The most famous instructor who served with the

  unit was CPO Takeo Tanimizu, an ace with 18 kills

  to his credit. In January 1945, a special attack

  unit was organized from part of the Kōkūtai

  and participated in Kamikaze missions.

  The Kōnoike Air Group was established in

  mid-February 1944 and conducted training

  activities until mid-December 1944. Among its

  instructors were, for example, Warrant Officer

  Shigeo Sugi-o, who had over 20 victories to

  his credit, Warrant Officer Momoto Matsumura

  (13 victories), and Lieutenant Sumio Fukuda

  (11 victories). The latter two perished in October

  1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf as members

  of carrier-based fighter units. Already during

  the fighting in the Philippines, Kōnoike Kōkūtai

  selected a number of volunteers from its ranks

  for special attack (Kamikaze) missions. The final

  phase of training for these Kamikaze pilots was

  completed in Taiwan. The Kōnoike base had two

  main runways measuring 1,800 and 1,400 meters

  in length and also had a number of smaller

  runways. During the autumn of 1944, the Kōnoike

  airfield became the first of several bases for

  the 721st Air Group, which was preparing for

  the deployment of MXY-7 Ōka rocket aircraft.

  In mid-February 1945, the airfield was the target

  of a devastating air raid by U.S. Navy aircraft.

  Some concrete shelters still survive in the area

  around the base to this day.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  41

  July 2025

• Strana 42

  OVERTREES

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  A6M2-K

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  481162 A6M2-K landing flaps (PE

  -

  Set)

  491522 A6M2-K upgrade set (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1526 A6M2-K seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  648694 A6M2 engine PRINT (Brassin)

  648722 A6M2 exhausts PRINT (Brassin)

  648763 A6M2 engine complete PRINT (Brassin)

  3DL48219 A6M2-K SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  3DL48232 A6M-2K seatbelts SPACE (3D Decal Set)

  EX1112 A6M2-K TFace (Mask)

  For A6M2-K 1/48

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  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard42

  July 2025

• Strana 43

• Strana 44

  #8409

  Bf 110D

  1/48

  The Weekend edition kit of German WWII

  twin-engine heavy fighter aircraft Bf 110D

  in 1/48 scale.

  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: 4

  decals: Eduard

  PE parts: no

  painting mask: no

  resin parts: no

  Product page

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard44

  July 2025

• Strana 45

  Bf 110D-0, W.Nr. 3170, Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis & Uffz. Guntram Weigl, 1.(Z)/JG 77, Petsamo, Finland, September 1941

  Bf 110D-0, W.Nr. 3181, 4./ZG 2, Gyancourt, France, July 1940

  Felix-Maria Brandis was born on September

  9, 1919, in Ahaus. He joined the Luftwaffe on

  September 14, 1939. On September 1, 1941, he

  was forced to land in Sweden with a Bf 110E-1

  (W.Nr. 4114) when he got lost on return to the

  base and run out of fuel. He returned from

  internment in Sweden on September 7, 1941.

  On September 16, 1941, Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis

  and Uffz. Guntram Weigl flew the LN+HR (usually

  flown by Ofw. Karl Munding, the two kill marks

  on the rudder were his own) on combat mission

  over Murmansk. Returning to Petsamo base,

  they were hit by anti-aircraft fire in the left

  engine over the Kola Peninsula. During the

  subsequent emergency landing, LN+HR was

  destroyed but its crew escaped uninjured. On the

  nose of the aircraft was painted the emblem of

  the Zerstörerstaffel in the form of a dachshund

  with a Rata (Polikarpov I-16) in its mouth.

  Felix-Maria Brandis scored a total of fourteen

  victories during his time on the Eastern Front,

  comprising five British opponents (including

  two Fairey Albacores) and nine Soviet aircraft.

  The 1.(Z)/JG 77 was deployed in northern Europe

  to fight against both British and Soviet forces.

  Lt. Brandis was killed on February 2, 1942, with

  a Bf 110E-2 (W.Nr. 2546) LN+AR when his aircraft

  crashed in bad weather while returning from

  a combat flight near Olanga.

  This is so far the only known example of

  a Bf 110Dbelonging to II./ZG 2 equipped with

  the additional fuel tank under fuselage,

  so called Dackelbauch. The II./ZG 2 was created

  in July 1940 from I./ZG 52 and kept its original

  emblem, a white dragon in black shield.

  The unit also kept its original fuselage codes

  of I./ZG 52. Camouflage consisted of RLM 71, 02

  and 65. Unit lost its Gruppenkommandeur, Major

  Harry Carl, on August 16 after combat with RAF

  fighters over the Channel. He got killed together

  with his gunner Uffz. W. Maier in a crash landing

  near Beauzeville, France. The commander of

  the 4. Staffel was Hptm. Hans Peter Külbel,

  former policeman and pre-war commander

  of military flying school. On August 11, 1940,

  he was appointed temporary commander of

  I./ZG 2. However, on next day he was shot down

  and killed alongwith his gunner Uffz. F. Budig

  by RAF fighters off Portsmouth. His body was

  washed ashore on September 18 near Boulogne.

  Due to heavy losses the II./ZG 2 was disbanded

  in September 1940, including 4./ZG 2.

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  45

  July 2025

• Strana 46

  Bf 110D-2, W.Nr. 3406, 9./ZG 26, Trapani, Sicily, Spring 1941

  Bf 110D-0, W.Nr. 3156, Hptm. Werner Restemeyer, Stab/ZG 76, Stavanger-Sola, Norway, May-June 1940

  During MTO operations in the summer of

  1941, Luftwaffe aircraft received recognition

  markings consisting of white fuselage bands

  and, in some cases, also a white tail. A rooster

  emblem adorned the nose of aircraft serving

  with 9. Staffel. Besides that, the III./ZG 26

  emblem consisting of a ladybug in a white

  square was also carried. As a carryover of

  previous service, the nose was in yellow, as was

  the yellow horizontal stripe on rudder. Aircraft

  of this Gruppe were the first fighters of the

  Luftwaffe employed over Africa. They happened

  to become the longest serving aircraft in the

  MTO theatre of operations, as they were used

  up to mid-1943.

  The first unit equipped with Bf 110Ds during the

  Norwegian campaign was I./ZG 76. The aircraft

  carried an older variant of the camouflage with

  sharply bordered areas of RLM 70/71 on the

  upper surfaces and RLM 65 on the lower ones.

  The aircraft shown used an under-fuselage

  external tank, after which the aircraft were

  nicknamed Dackelbauch (dachshund belly).

  On August 15, 1940, the M8+AB, flown by Hptm.

  Werner Restemeyer, Uffz. Werner Eichert and

  radio specialist Hptm. Hartwich, escorted

  He 111 in a raid on Dishforth and Linton-Upon-

  Ouse. At 12.30pm it was intercepted and

  shot down by Spitfires from No. 72 Squadron.

  The Bf 110D M8+AB crashed in flames into the

  sea off the coast of Durham, killing the crew.

  648161 SC 250 German bombs (Brassin)

  648264 SC 50 German WWII bombs (Brassin)

  648602 Bf 110C/D radio equipment (Brassin)

  648607 Bf 110C/D/E exhaust stacks (Brassin)

  EX753 Bf 110D TFace (Mask)

  For Bf 110D 1/48

  RECOMMENDED:

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  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard46

  July 2025

• Strana 47

  #8803

  IJN Aircraft Carrier Deck WWII

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  plastic parts: Eduard

  marking options: none

  decals: no

  PE parts: no

  painting mask: no

  resin parts: no

  1/48

  Product page

  KITS 07/2025

  INFO Eduard

  47

  July 2025

• Strana 48

  BRASSIN

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seat belts for B-24D in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Hobby Boss

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seat belts for UH-60A in 1/48 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: ICM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644310

  B-24D LööK

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  644311

  UH-60A LööK

  1/48 ICM

  Product page

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  INFO Eduard48

  July 2025

• Strana 49

  674034

  Fw 190A-3 LööK

  1/72 Tamiya

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seat belts for Fw 190A-3 in 1/72 scale.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 3 sets for B-26G in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: ICM

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

  - undercarriage wheels

  - painting mask

  644312

  B-26G LööKplus

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  INFO Eduard

  49

  July 2025

• Strana 50

  BRASSIN

  674039

  P-51D exhaust stacks w/ fairing LööKplus

  1/72 Tamiya

  Collection of 4 sets for P-51D in 1/72 scale.

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

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

  - undercarriage wheels

  - exhaust, stacks

  - painting mask

  Product page

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

  Recommended kit: Eduard

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

  - undercarriage wheels

  - pilot seat

  - painting mask

  Product page

  644313

  Fw 109A-4 LööKplus

  1/48 Eduard

  INFO Eduard50

  July 2025

• Strana 51

  BRASSIN

  635039

  Sd.Kfz. 251/6 Ausf. C radio equipment PRINT

  1/35 Dragon

  Brassin set - radio equipment for Sd.Kfz. 251/6

  in 1/35 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Dragon

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 31 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  Brassin set - bomb racks for B-26B

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

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: ICM

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  6481012

  B-26B bomb racks PRINT

  1/48 ICM

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  51

  July 2025

• Strana 52

  BRASSIN

  6481104

  Fw 190A-4 cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - cockpit for Fw 190A-4 in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

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  Set contains:

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  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  Brassin set - the undercarriage legss for P-40E

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

  a tail wheel leg. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 6 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  6481074

  P-40E undercarriage legs PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  INFO Eduard52

  July 2025

• Strana 53

  BRASSIN

  6481115

  Lysander wheels

  1/48 Airfix

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Lysander

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

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

  Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 2 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Product page

  Brassin set - exhaust pipes for A6M5 Zero

  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: no

  - painting mask: no

  6481118

  A6M5 exhausts PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  53

  July 2025

• Strana 54

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - flare dispensers for UH-60 in 1/48 scale.

  The set consists of 6 dispensers. Made by direct

  3D printing.Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: ICM

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 6 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  6481119

  UH-60 flare dispensers PRINT

  1/48 ICM

  6481120

  Lysander Mk.I ammo magazines PRINT

  1/48 Airfix

  Brassin set - ammo drums for Lysander Mk.I

  in 1/48 scale. The set consists of 8 amo drums.

  Made by direct 3D printing.Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Airfix

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 9 parts

  - decals: no

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  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  INFO Eduard54

  July 2025

• Strana 55

  6481121

  Japanese 800kg bomb PRINT

  1/48

  Brassin set - 800kg bomb for Japanese WW2 bombers

  in 1/48 scale. The set consists of one bomb. Made by

  direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble, replaces plastic

  parts.

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - cockpit for P-40E in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 21 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  6481124

  P-40E cockpit w/ late seat PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  55

  July 2025

• Strana 56

  BRASSIN

  Brassin set - ejection seat for MiG-21 in 1/72 scale.

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

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 3 parts

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  672417

  MiG-21 seat PRINT

  1/72 Eduard

  672418

  MiG-21 seat w/ integral belts PRINT

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  Brassin set - ejection seat for MiG-21

  in 1/72 scale. Made by direct 3D printing.

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  Set contains:

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  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Product page

  INFO Eduard56

  July 2025

• Strana 57

  BRASSIN

  Collection of 5 sets for Fw 190A-4 in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  - engine & fuselage guns

  - cockpit

  - wingroot gun bays

  - landing flaps

  - propeller

  All sets included in this BIG SIN are available separately,

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

  SIN648140

  Fw 190A-6

  1/48 Eduard

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  57

  July 2025

• Strana 58

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  JULY 2025

  H39 French Light Tank

  1/35 Tamiya

  #36536

  INFO Eduard58

  July 2025

• Strana 59

  DB-7 Boston III

  1/48 HKM

  #491534

  #FE1534

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  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  DB-7 Boston III bomb bay

  1/48 HKM

  #481166

  INFO Eduard

  59

  July 2025

• Strana 60

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  Jaguar GR.1/GR.1A

  Barracuda

  1/48 Airfix

  1/48 Trumpeter

  #FE1537

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  INFO Eduard60

  July 2025

• Strana 61

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  A-10C

  1/72 Great Wall Hobby

  #73851

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  INFO Eduard

  61

  July 2025

• Strana 62

  PHOTO

  -

  ETCHED

  F-35A

  1/72 Revell

  #73852

  #SS852

  INFO Eduard62

  July 2025

• Strana 63

  REVI č.146/2025 54 REVI č.146/2025

  va. „Vúter ý 20.č ervence t.r. p o 16. hodi ně bylo nu ceno pro por uchu

  motoru n ouzově přistáti na polích blíže okresní sil nice ke Krchlebům

  dopravní létadlo německé Lufth ansy linky Mnichov– Praha– Vratislav,

  zn. Siberfuchs (si c.) D- UBIQ apře sto, že vtě chto mís tech je vel mi nepř í-

  znivý teren, přistálo bez nejmenší neho dy. Vlétadle se nalézali 2 letci

  a2 pas ažéři, kteří ovšem museli další cestu nastoupit r ychlíkem. Oba

  letci, jakož ilétadlo bylo ihn ed podrobeno prohlídce zdejšího četnict va.

  Přistání bylo zřejmě senzací nejen pro Staňkováky, ale lidi ze širokého

  okolí, kteří se sbíhali na místo přistání až do večerních hodin ai ve

  středu ave čtvrtek, kdy kovový pták byl rozebrán avlakem odveze n do

  Mnichova. Letecké přistání nenatropilo na polích tolik škod, jako sami

  zvěda vci, jak už při podo bných ne hodách b ývá. Vkr átké dob ě po přist á-

  ní se dostavili na místo zástu pci vojenského iokresního úřadu .“

  Zfotografií vyplývá, že stroj byl na m ístě demontován azřejmě po

  železnici vrácen do Něme cka. Vkvětnu 1940 přešel kLuf twaffe azpo-

  čátku sloužil uJagdfliegerschule 3 vGrove, později slouž il ke kurýrním

  letům u štábu Jagdgeschwader 27 vRusku. Pro nedostatek ná hradních

  dílů byl odstaven na letišti Ljuban uLening radu vzáří1941, kde byl za-

  nechán při ústupu na jaře 1942.

  Náhradní stroj odstartoval zMnichova o dva dny později v6.15 ráno

  22.července1936. Stroj Ju 160 D-0 W.Nr. 4246 měl instalovaný motor

  BMW Hor net 132E-2 W.Nr. 59570. Společností Lufthansa byl letoun

  převzat teprve 24. dubna1936 a nesl pojmenování „Hyäne“. V 7.30

  přistál na let išti Praha-Kb ely, kde vystoupili 4 cestující. V7.50 pok račo-

  val vdalším letu do Vratislavi. Na palubě z ůstala jen dvoučlenná osádka.

  Další okolnosti zachycuje v yšetřovací spis č.j. 333/63 založený

  5. srpna 1936 referentem Ing. Františ kem Chváta lem z oddělen í Bb

  odboru letecké skupiny Ministerst va veřejných prací.

  Spis začíná rukou psaným dokumentem: „Dne 22.července t.r. sdě lilo

  do odd Bb, asi o 11 h., ředitelství st. leti ště „Praha“, že uHořic vPod-

  krkonoší havarovalo dopravní letadlo něm. spole čnosti Luf thansa při

  letu zPrahy d o Vratislavy. Při ha várii zahynuli oba letci… Odd Bb po

  dohodě s přednostou letecké sk upiny k místu nehody vyslalo ihned

  komisi za účelem vyšetření ka tastrofy. Komise sestávala: vrch. techn .

  komisař Ing. F. Chvátal, pře dseda, v.t. kom. Ing. V. Verner azkuš. pilot

  Jar. Mareš.“ Brzy odpoledne ve 13.15 ob drželi voddělení Bb ještě tele-

  fonát Dr. Dočkala zMinisterstva vnitra sdalšími detaily: „Dn es 22.čer-

  vence1936 startovalo německé letadlo zn . „DULUR“ v7.50 hod. ze

  Gbel do Breslau . Pilotoval Neubrand , telegrafista Haupt – bez cestují-

  cích. V8.14 hod. zachytily Gbely volá ní SOS tohoto letadla… V11 hod.

  hlásilo četnictvo zHra dce Král., že letadlo se zřítil o na kotě 463 uobce

  Chlomek. Obě dvě osob y byly zabity, letadlo úplně roztří štěno.“

  Spis byl uzavřen a založen

  4.září1936. Obsahoval samostatný

  vyšetřovací spis z 3. sr pna 1936

  vypracovaný Ministerstvem pošt

  a telegrafů, pod které spadala

  pražská zaměřovací stanice. Dále

  hlášení Velitelství četnické letecké

  hlídky v Hradci Králové z 23.čer-

  vence 1936, pri márně adresované

  nadřízenému Min isterstvu vnitra ,

  azápis z výslechu svědků havárie,

  který provedla četnická stanice

  v Cerekvicích, a fotografickou

  přílohu. Závěrečný třístránkový

  protokol podepsaný techniky Ing. F. Chvátalem a Ing. V. Vernerem

  shrnuj e: „Komis e ministers tva veřejný ch prací pro vyšetření havárie

  letadla dostavila se na místo nehody 22 .července v 15. hod . Trosky

  letadla nebyly již ve stavu, ja k letadlo dopadlo na zem, nýbr ž byly– prý

  zrozkazu nějakého pána zokresního úřadu– shrnuty na několik hromad

  amotor svrtulí byl ze země vykop án.“

  Další text obsahuje popis místa havárie: „Místo nehody je mladš í les

  zvaný Buk ovina… Letad lo vlétlo do lesa asi 200 m od již ního okraje.

  Směr vlétnutí je jihovýcho dní. Prvá stopa je na 10 m vysoké borovici jíž

  je uražena kor una. Dále ve směru vlétnutí jsou přeráženy st romy stále

  níže a asi 12m od zmíněné borovice je vzemi asi 1,5m hluboká jáma

  široká asi 2,5m. Zní byly vykopány trosky motor u avrtule přeražená na

  dva kusy. Dále ve směr u vlétnutí d o vzdálenosti asi 30m od jámy jsou

  stromy p řeráženy u země, jiné jen odřeny aohn uty a mezi nimi jsou

  trosky leta dla– spleť zohýbaných a pomačkaných plechů propletená

  zbytky různých ve dení a armatur. Rozbité části předku trupu, kabiny

  apodvozku nacházejí se úplně vpředu , části nosného systému aocas-

  ních ploch po celé délce místa dopadu… Roztříš těná těla pilota ateleg-

  rafisty byla nalezena m ezi troskami vpředku trupu abyl o velmi obtížno

  určit kolik a osobá m náleže jí. Pal ubní př ístroj e byly úp lně zni čeny. Na le-

  zeny byly zmačklé hodink y pilota atelegrafisty. Ručičky prvých hod inek

  Celkem je známo 47 vyrobených kusů, ale objevují se ta ké

  neurčité údaje o pokračování výroby upravené vojenské

  verze Ju 160 C-0.

  Osudy dvou strojů zpředposlední, dubnové dodávky se

  na lince Mnichov – Pra ha – Vratislav fatálně proťaly

  sčeskou historií. Ráno 20.července1936 odstartoval zMnichova dopr avní Junkers

  Ju 160 Silberfuchs společnosti Deutsche Lufthansa kpravidelnému letu přes Prahu

  do Vratislav i. Pro techn ickou závadu byl al e nucen nouzově př istát vpol i uStaňko-

  Nouzové přistání 20. července 1936 u Staňkova v západních

  Čechách zachycuje série fotografií.

  V květnu 1940 převzala „Silberfuchs“ Luftwaffe a obdržel kmenové označení

  RC + KO. Jak snímek kuriózně prokazuje, tradiční pojmenování „Silberfuchs“

  bylo ponecháno i v období vojenské služby.

  Na starém drážďanském letišti Heller vznikla

  série reklamních fotografií čerstvě dodaného

  stroje D-UVOX „Rotfuchs“.

  20 REVI č.146/2025

  20 REVI č.146/2025

  REVI č.146/2025 21

  REVI č.146/2025 21

  Ing. Pavel Vančata

  Sestřelen u Arrasu

  Jedním z novousedlíků voblasti kanadských prér ijních provincií se

  vlétě 1906 stal Fran k Pawlitza narozený 31.července1886 ve slezské

  obci Šumbark, která je dnes jednou změstských čá stí Havířova. Vroce

  1910 získal kanadské občanství a17. května1915 se ve městě Swift

  Current oženil sA nnou Tucek (* 20.srpna1889 ve Zruči nad Sázavou).

  Vlétě 1916 spolu se synem Albertem (* 4.února1916) žil i na vlastn í

  farmě v katastru obc e Pittville vprovincii Saskat chewan. Vnásledují-

  cích letech do rodiny přibyli ještě tři potomci: Vera Rose (* 1.l istopa-

  du 1917), Elvyn Joseph (* 30. září 1921) a Francis Harold

  (* 30.ledna1924).

  Nás budou zajímat osudy syna Elvyna, který v letech 1927 až 1935

  navštěvoval základní školu v Baxtervi lle a další tři roky studoval

  zdomova formou distančn í výuky. To již rodina vlastnila farmu v obci

  Abbey, stále vprovincii Saskatchewan, na k teré po ukončení školní do-

  cházky zůstal pomáhat .

  Dne 6. února1942 si tento dvacetiletý mladík modrých očí asvětle

  hnědých vlasů měřící 180 cm podal př ihlášku do Royal Canad ian Air

  Force (RCAF). Přísahu složil 1.května1942 vNo. 5 Recruiting Centre

  ve městě Regina vprovinci i Saskatchewan, odkud ještě t éhož dne odjel

  kNo. 2 Manning Depot sídlícímu v Brandonu vsousední provincii Ma-

  nitoba. Zde se zněj stal nováček se služebním číslem R163640 vhodnos-

  ti Aircraftman 2

  nd

  Class (AC2) a byl zař azen do skupiny určené do

  výcviku na pilota s alternativou na navigátora. Od 29. srpna dostal

  měsíční neplacené volno, aby mohl pomoci skl idit úrodu na rodinné

  farmě. Následně 23. října odjel do Edmontonu v provincii Alberta, kde

  tři dny nat o zahájil základ ní výcvik u No. 4 Initia l Traini ng School

  vrámci kurz u č. 65, který končil 1.ledna1943, kdy byl povýšen do hod-

  nosti Leadi ng Aircraft man (LAC). S výsledným hodnoc ením 74 % se

  umístil až na 90. m ístě mezi 105 nováčky: „Než narukoval, pracoval na

  otcově farmě. Jeho bratr slouží jako rotmistr uarmády. Prů měrný spor-

  tovec. Český půvo d– 2. generace. Mlad ík zfarmy– amb iciózní– bude

  se hodně snažit. Pom alu se učí– upravený. Doporučen na po ddůstojní-

  ka. Alternat ivně radiotelegrafista-střelec.“ Jeho sen stát se pilotem se

  rozplynul, neboť nehledě na uvedené doporuče ní byl př eřazen do výcviku

  na bombometčíka.

  Na zařazení do další fáze výcviku vyčkával v Edmontonu, a než

  kněmu stačilo dojít, byl 30.ledna hospital izován vnemocnici na základ-

  ně a26. února nastoupil dvoutýdenní zdravotní dovolenou. Na několik

  dnů se vrátil kNo. 4 ITS, odkud 21.března odjel na řádnou dovolenou.

  Zní se 3.dubna hl ásil uNo. 7 Bombing & Gunner y School (B & GS) na

  základně Paulson vprovincii Ma nitoba.

  Kurz pro bombometčí ky č. 79 zde probíha l mezi 5. dubnem až

  25. červnem 1943. Během prakt ického bombardování na létal na dvou-

  motorových letounech Avro Anson 46 h 50 min ve dne a4 h 30 min

  vnoci a shodil celkem 121 pum ve dne a 16 vnoci. P ři bombardování

  zmalé v ýšky dosahoval prů měrné odchylky 61 ya rdů (56 m) az velké

  výšky 167 yardů (153 m). Vrámci střeleckého výcviku strávil 16 h mani-

  pulací se střeleckými věžemi na zemi apoté dalších 15 h 5 min nalétal na

  letounech Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke, přičemž vyst řílel 3 700 ran

  a dosáhl průměrné úspěšnost i 10 % zásahů. S hod nocením 77,5 %

  skončil na 9. místě mezi 38 kadety. Podle i nstruktorů byl průměrným

  bombometčíkem astřelcem apo dokončení výcvik u ho doporučili ke

  jmenování do důstojnické hodnosti.

  ZPaulsonu odjel vden ukončení kurzu a druhý den se h lásil uNo. 1

  Air Observer School vMaltonu, Onta rio. Vtamní m navigačním kurz u

  č. 79 probíhajícím od 28. června do 6.srpna 1943 si vedl velm i dobře

  (obdržený počet bodů/maximá lní možný počet bodů): základy letecké

  navigac e (161/200), rozpoz návání let ounů (211/250), pr aktick á signali za-

  ce (250/ 250), te orie let eckého průzk umu (113/150) , teori e leteck ého foto -

  graf ování (111/150) , prakt ická nav igace ve dne (219/30 0), prak tická na vi-

  gace v noc i (140/200), bombardování (215/300), praktické lete cké

  fotografování (133/200). Zpozemních předmětů obdržel známku 84,6 %

  spolu shodnocením: „ Nadprůměrný. Jasně chápe vše, co se od něj vy-

  žaduje . Navigac e dobrá.“ Jeho práci ve vzduchu po odlétání 26 h 45 min

  ve dne a17 h 20 min vnoci na Ansonech instruktoři ohodnoti li známkou

  70,7 % s doplňujícím komentář em: „Nadpr ůměrný. Dobrý navigátor

  vnoci. Pracoval velmi d obře.“ Slavnostní předán í odznaků novopeče-

  ným bombometčíkům proběhlo 5. srpna az dvaatřiceti absolventů jich

  dvanáct dostalo doporučení ke jmenování do důstojnické hodnost i. LAC

  Pawlitza byl podle svého služebního záz namu dnem 6. srpna 1943

  zařazen do odbornosti Air Bomber a ke stejnému dni byl povýšen do

  hodnosti Sergeant (Sgt). Nicméně 30.srpna byl se zpětnou platností o d

  6.srpna jmenován do důstojnické hodnosti P ilot Officer (P/O) aobdržel

  nové důstojnické služební číslo J28966.

  Ve dnech 7. až 20. srpna čerpal dovolenou p řed odjezdem do zámo ří

  apoté zamí řil kNo. 1 „Y“ Depot do př ístavu Halifax. Zde se 26.srpna

  nalo dil aub ritsk ých břeh ů přist ál oše st dnů poz ději. Od 2.zář í se nac há-

  zel ve stavu No. 3 (RCAF) Personnel Reception Cent re vjihoanglickém

  Bournemouthu.

  Mezi 2. listopadem a20. prosi ncem 1943 prodělal P/OPawlitza dopl-

  ňující výcvik na letounech Anson u No. 1 (Observer) Advanced F lying

  Unit na letišti Wigtown ve Skotsku. Následujícího dne se hlásil do kurzu

  č. 13 uNo. 82 Operational Training Unit (OTU) na základ ně Ossington,

  kde operační výcvik probíhal na dvoumotorových bombardérech Vickers

  Wellington B Mk.III a Mk.X. Z de se stal členem šestičlenné osádky

  složené zpříslušníků RCAF, kteří se sice všichn i narodili vKanadě, a le

  většina znich měla kořeny vEvropě:

  pilot P/O William Wallace Proudfoot (J27626) – rodiče pochá zeli ze

  Skotska;

  navigátor P/OJoseph Art hur Murphy (J28035)– rodi če byli rodi lí Kana-

  ďané;

  bombometčík P/OElvyn Joseph Pawlitza (J28966)– rodiče měli český

  původ;

  radiotelegrafista Sgt Enrico Joseph Simonato (R183691) – rodič e emi-

  grovali zItálie;

  střelec P/OAlbert Edward Hall (J37151)– otec pocházel zAnglie, matka

  zNizozemska;

  střelec P/O Peter Koleda (J37149) – rodiče se naro dili v západní část i

  Uk raji ny.

  Během cvičných letů osádku P/OProudfoota potkala d robná nehoda.

  Vsobotu 18.března1944 ve 20.25 Wellington B M k.X LN543 utrp ěl

  lehké poškozen í během pojíždění ke startu knoční mu cvičnému letu,

  osádka vyvázla nezraněn a: „Letoun zahájil pojíždění stlakem 140 liber

  vbrzdá ch a vyjel ze stojánky (č. 33). Po přejetí vzletové a přistávací

  dráhy zastavil . Poté pokračoval po pojezdové dráze vedoucí p aralelně

  se vzletovou apřistávací dráhou 22 , kde opět zastavil, aby dal př ednost

  jinému letounu. Dále jel směrem kmístu pro kontrolu podvozku, kde se

  mu nepodař ilo zastavit a pokračoval v jízdě zmír ného svahu ještě asi

  70 yardů přímým směrem, dokud jed no kolo podvozku nenarazilo d o

  4 stopy vysoké zídk y, okterou se zastavil. Po in cidentu bylo zjištěno, že

  tlak v brzdách klesl na 10 liber.“ Velitel Training Wing No. 82 OTU

  W/Cdr W. D. Ferris označil za viníka nehody P/OProudfoota, který měl

  nalétáno sa mostatně 207 h, z toho 66 h na Welling tonech: „Pilot e vi-

  dentně běhe m pojíždění příliš používa l brzdy a nekon troloval tlak

  vbrzdách. Spotřeba vzduchu byla normální , tj. 7 lb/sq. in. Lze se dom ní-

  vat, že pilot při po užívání brzd a kontrole tlak u nebyl dosta tečně obe-

  zřetný, zvláště když pojezdová dráha vtomto místě kles á, apojížděl moc

  rychle.“ Současně doporuči l vepsat do jeho zápisníku letů pokárání za

  „hrubou nedbalost“.

  Zbývající část operačního výcviku do 2.dubna proběhla už bez mimo-

  řádných událostí. P/OPawlitza na Wellingtonech nalétal 56 h 10 min ve

  dne a40 h 5 min vnoci a během té doby provedl: sedm cvičných bom-

  bardování ve dne (28 pum) adalších osm cvičení za t my (28 pum); čtyři

  cvičné střelby ve dne (jedna na terč tažený za dru hým letounem atři na

  cíl vm oři, cel kem 1 200 ra n) atři cvičné střelby za tmy na cí l vmoři (600

  Department of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada, PL-31182

  Library and Archives Canada

  Chris McLean collection

  Library and Archives Canada

  ▲ Na snímku pořízeném v roce 1944 na letecké základně „kdesi v Anglii“ je

  zachycen LAC Frank Thompson, motospojka od No. 427 Squadron RCAF, ve

  společnosti tří sličných příslušnic umělecké jednotky „RCAF Blackouts“ pořáda-

  jící představení pro spojenecké vojáky. V pozadí stojí bombardér Handley Page

  Halifax jedné z kanadských perutí spadající pod velení No. 6 (RCAF) Group.

  ◀ Vyrovnaná řada letounů Avro Anson

  zachycená pravděpodobně na letišti

  Malton, kde sídlila No. 1 AOS. Vpo-

  předí parkuje Anson sériového čísla

  RCAF 6044 sindividuálním písmenem

  „D“, dříve sloužil vRAF pod sériovým

  číslem R3470. No. 1 AOS jej obdržela

  21.května 1940, mezi 15. červencem

  a25. zářím 1942 prošel generální opra-

  vou u firmy de Havilland Canada, po

  níž se vrátil zpět kjednotce. V násle-

  dujících letech ho kvýcviku používaly

  ještě No. 4 AOS aNo. 31 B & GS. Na

  konci války měl nalétáno 3 359 h 45 min.

  Druhý Anson vřadě za ním nese na pří-

  di individuální písmeno „A“ spolu se

  znakem No. 1 AOS.

  Elvyn Joseph Pawlitza na oficiálních portrétech RCAF, vlevo jako nováček, vpravo

  v důstojnické hodnosti P/O po dokončení výcviku bombometčíka v Kanadě.

  32 REVI č.146/2025

  Martin Pospíšil

  REVI č.146/2025 33

  Mustangy na konci světa

  Mustangy na konci světa

  - 311. Fighter Group v Barmě a Číně

  - 311. Fighter Group v Barmě a Číně

  1. cást

  1. cást

  Jedinou stíhací sk upinou USAAF, která během 2. světové války ope-

  račně používala většinu verzí letounu North American Mustang, byla

  311. Fighter Bomber Group později přejmenovaná na 311. Fighter Group.

  Vjejí výzbroji se postupně vyst řídaly verze A-36A aP-51A s motory

  Allison, P-51B/C/D/Kiprůzkumné F-6C/D/Ksmotory Merlin. Vnašich

  končinách nepříliš známá skupina působila bě hem války vjihovýchodní

  Asii vprostoru nazývaném CBI (China Bur ma India).

  Skupina byla založena k28. lednu 1942 na zá kladně Will Rogers Field

  vOklahomě jako 311. Bomb Group (Light) anásledně včervenci přezna-

  čena na 311. Bomb Group (Dive). Orok později 30.září1943 přišla další

  změna označen í tentokrát na 311. Fighter Bomber Group. Nový název

  odpovídal novému určení skupiny ijejí výzbroji, kterou od prosince1942

  tvořily letouny A-36A doplněné v červnu 1943 o P-51A. Podobnou

  změnou názvu prošly itř i ze čtyř podřízených perut í, unichž se navíc

  měnilo také číselné označení, t akže z382. BS se od září stala 528. FBS,

  z383. BS se stala 529. FBS az384. BS se stala 530. FBS. Poslední –

  čtvrtá 385. BS byla 30.září1943 zr ušena ajejí personál byl kompletně

  převeden kčerstvě vzniklé 459. FS spadající pod 80. FG.

  Výcvik skupiny vUSA probíhal zpočátku na dvoumíst ných střemhla-

  vých bombardérech Vultee Vengeance, proto bylo vnáz vu skupiny slovo

  Dive. Jednalo se o dosti neoblíbené letouny, na nichž došlo během

  výcviku k několika smr telným nehodám aani velení sjejich bojovým

  nasazením nepočítalo. Proto se stěmito letouny na bojiště skupina nikdy

  nevydala apřešla na daleko bojeschopnější Mustangy.

  Jako první vprosinci 1942 obdržela střemhlavé bombardéry A-36A

  1)

  .

  Jednalo se oprvní sériovou verzi stavěnou pro USAAF, protože předtím

  se vyráběly pouze Mustangy IaIA

  2)

  určené pro br itskou RAF. Celkem

  bylo vyrobeno adodáno 500 letounů A-36A, tovární označení NA-97.

  Mimo motoru Allison V1710-87 je cha rakterizovaly výklopné aerodyna-

  mické brzdy vkřídle určené ke snížení r ychlosti ve střemh lavém letu.

  Výzbroj byla tvořena dvojicí kulometů vpřídi adalšími čt yřmi vkřídle.

  Jednalo se první verzi Mustangu vyráběnou se závěsníky pro pumy nebo

  přídavné nádrže. Do výzbroje ji zařad ily 86. FBG (listopa d 1942)

  a27. F BG (první polovina roku 1943), obě působící vseverní Africe,

  aprávě 311. FBG. Posledně jmenovaná jednotka použila vbojích celkem

  40 kusů této verze.

  Druhou verzí Mustangu použ ívanou u 311. FBG byla ve stejném

  období verze P-51A (továr ní označení NA-99). To byla posled ní, nyní již

  čistě stíhací, verze Mustangu s motorem Allison (varia nta V1710-81)

  původně objed naná v počtu 1 200 kusů. Nakonec jich bylo vyrobeno

  pouze 310, protože se mezitím začaly vy rábět Mustangy verze P-51B

  smotory Merlin. P-51A měl výzbroj čtyř kulometů vkřídle azávěsníky

  již byly standardní výbavou. V rá mci USAAF je obdržela nejprve

  311. FBG anásledně 23. FG a1. Air Com mando Group. Tedy všechny

  uUSAAF operačně používané Mustangy verze P-51A sloužily voblasti

  CBI.

  Přechod na A-36A na konci roku 1942 zn amenal, že od 311. BG odešli

  všichni palubní střelci apiloti zahájili intenz ivní výcvik na nových jed-

  nomístných strojích. Na konci ledna1943 se skupina zúčast nila prvního

  velkého cvičení na území USA akoncem února byla prohlášena za boje-

  schopnou. Nicméně vzápětí přišel rozkaz převést co nejvíce personálu ke

  skupinám na africkém bojišti. Proto například u382. BS zbyli na začátk u

  dubna pouze dva piloti. Skupina byla doplněna nováčky, výcvik začal

  vpodstatě od nuly atrva l až do léta. Přesun skupiny na bojiště tak byl

  zahájen až na konci července1943, kdy přes Austr álii dorazila koncem

  září do Indie na zákla dnu Nawadihj.

  Zde byla 30.září přejmenov ána na 311. FBG apo té násled ovalo rozd ě-

  lení skupiny mezi několi k základen vúdolí Assam (oblast podél ř eky

  Brahmaputry známá především pěstováním čaje) na východě Indie. Ve-

  litelství a 530. FBS se počátkem října přesunuly na zákla dnu Dinjan,

  528. FBS na základnu Sookerating a529. FBS na základnu Mohannbarj.

  Letouny byly mezi perutěmi rozděleny tak, že 528. FBS měla všechny

  A-36A a529. spolu s530. FBS pak P-51A. Nicméně piloti často létali na

  strojích jiných perutí. 530. FBS sloužila především jako stíhací, ato jak

  kochraně vlastních A-36A/P-51A, tak ijako doprovodná pro bombardé-

  ry. Proto také její piloti dosáh li největšího počtu sestřelů vrámc i skupiny.

  Navíc Musta ngům s Allisony hrálo do karet i to, že stíhací operace

  v oblasti CBI probíhaly ve výrazně menších výškách než vz ápadní

  Evropě nebo Středomoří, aproto se z nich na tomto bojišti postupem

  času stala smrtící zbraň.

  Vté době byla fronta vBar mě stabilizovaná, především proto, že z de

  od července do října panovalo období

  monzunů, které výr azně omezilo

  většinu bojových operací. Nicméně

  obě strany se intenzivně připravovaly

  na další kolo bojů. V rámci USAA F

  odpovídala za let ecké operace

  voblasti Indie aBarmy 10. Air Force.

  Byla založena vúnoru 1942 aa ž do

  března 1943 odpovídala za celou

  oblast CBI. Založen ím 14. Air Force

  vČíně vbř eznu 1943 došlo kr ozděle-

  ní odpovědnosti. Většina skupin

  původní 10. AF zůstala v Číně abyla

  převedena ke 14. AF. Ztoho důvodu

  se 10. AF musela začít budovat vpod-

  statě od nuly.

  Stíhací složka 10. A F se od

  podzimu 1943 sklá dala z311. F BG

  s Mustang y a 80. FG vyzbrojené

  P-40N (88., 89. a90. FS) aP-38 (459.

  FS, ta byla 80. FG sice administrativ-

  ně podřízená, ale operovala sa mo-

  statně). Bombardovací skupiny

  zastupovaly 7. a308. BG(H) s B-24

  (ta dr uhá byla dočasně zapůjčena od 14. AF) a 341. BG(M) s B-25.

  Pozadu sdoplňováním nezůstali ani Britové, jejichž squadrony spadající

  pod South East Asia Com mand byly přezbrojovány na Spitfiry Mk.Vc,

  Mosquita aBeaufightery.

  Hlavním ajed iným protivníkem spojeneckého let ectva voblasti bylo

  japonské a rmádní letectvo, jehož standa rdní st íhačkou v Barmě byly

  letouny Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa patřící 50. a64. Sentai. Koncem

  roku je doplnily ještě 33. a204. Sentai. Lehké avelmi obratné Ki-43 byly

  vté době již z a zenitem své největší slávy asvým i výkony aslabou vý-

  zbrojí se nemohly měřit s novými spojeneckými letouny. Nicméně dí ky

  zkušeným pilotů m byly ještě stále nebezpečnými protivníky. Japonské

  bombardovací útvary byly vyzbrojeny typy Mitsubishi Ki-21 aKawasaki

  Ki-48. Také japonské armádní lete ctvo využilo přestávky vbojích kdo-

  plnění stavů, takže se voblasti objevily další typy letadel, jako stí hací

  Nakajima Ki-44 Shóki, Kawasaki Ki-45 Toryú (21. Sentai) nebo krátce

  v období cca dvou měsíců bombardér y Nakajima Ki-49 Donryú od

  62. Sentai.

  Hlavním cílem Spojenců voblasti bylo ochránit dopravní trasy mezi

  Indií aČí nou tak, aby bylo možné zásobovat čínské armády, které, byť

  nebyly b ojově příli š efektivn í, na sebe váza ly 25 japonských divizí.

  Velká část zásob byla dopravována letecky přes Himaláje (letecký most

  známý jako The Hump, tedy Hrb), což nebylo dlouhodobě ud ržitelné,

  aproto mělo na podzim 1943 dojít k několika ofenzivním a kcím, které

  Ilustrace/colour proles: Václav Hochmuth

  Rekonstrukce barevných schémat atext: Martin Pospíšil

  ▲ Údržba P-51A (v. č. 43-6109) od 311. Fighter Bomber Group na indické

  základně Kurmitola. Stroj má podvěšené dvě 75galonové přídavné nádrže nejstar-

  šího typu s vystouplými plnícími hrdly.

  USAAF

  ▲ Osobní letoun Jamese J. Englanda P-51A č. 75 (43-6077) pojmenovaný „Jackie“ je znám v několika podobách a některé detaily změn markingu se objeví i na fotogra-

  fiích v tomto článku. Jedná se o stroj 530. FBS (později 530. FS), pro kterou byly typické žluté vrtulové kužely a evidenční čísla od 61 do 90. Mustang zpočátku neměl

  na SOP číslo 75, následně se měnila poloha a tvar sestřelů před kabinou a stejně tak měnilo polohu i jméno pilota. Bokorys představuje letoun v podobě z období někdy

  po 14. květnu 1944, kdy England dosáhl svého osmého a posledního sestřelu v kabině P-51A (zbylé dva pak na P-51C). Tento a další Mustangy, kterým jsou věnované

  bokorysy v tomto díle, si můžete postavit díky obtiskům od firmy DKdecals (aršík č. 72093 nazvaný 10

  th

  AF Mustangs).

  USAAF

  Englandův P-51A č. 75 (43-6077) „Jackie“ v péči pozemního personálu. Za

  povšimnutí stojí číslo 75 na SOP, které na rozdíl od většiny ostatních strojů

  530. FBS není perforované.

  (Pokračování z REVI č. 145)

  Vdalších dnech naopak vzlétly Brandenburgy Fliegerkompagnie 19

  kpronásledování nepřátelských letadel. Napří klad 20. dubna 1917 letěl

  Lt.i.d.Res. Pürer za pozorovatelským kulometem letounu Hansa Bran-

  denburg C.I (Ph) 129.03 a o den později seděl vkokpitu prot otypu 20.09.

  Oba tyto lety však ambiciózní Pürer označil jako neúspěšné a ani je mezi

  bojové lety nepočítal, stejně tak jako start kpr ůzkumu na tr ase Görz –

  Merna 24. dubna 1917 sBrandenburgem 129.10, jelikož průzkumná mise

  nemohla být pro nízkou oblačnost uskutečněna, ačkoli letoun byl ve

  vzduchu 40 minut a uletěl 90 kilomet rů. Týž den se stejným letadlem se

  již podařilo průzkum provést, takže tento posled ní bojový let vdubno -

  vém výkazu bojových letů nesl teprve číslo 16.

  Do boje spř esilou italských stíhaček se BO Pürer do stal 3. června

  1917. Osádky tří Brandenbu rgů C.I Flik 19 protivníka identifikovaly jako

  šest Nieuportů a jeden Spad. Společně se podař ilo jeden Nieuport poslat

  k zemi za nepřátelskými liniem i poblíž Sober-Savogna. Josef Pü rer

  (4. vítězství) letěl ve stroji neznámého čísla s pilotem FP Zugsf. Karlem

  Reithoferem (2. sestřel), Brandenburg C.I (öAlb) 29.64 pilotoval

  FP Hptm. Adolf Heyrowsky (10. vítězství; pozorovatel BO Oblt. László

  Hauser, jeho 2. sestřel) a ve třetím blíže neident ifikovaném Brandenbur-

  gu seděli FF Korp. Eduard Szajkovits (1. vítězst ví) a d alší budoucí

  letecké eso BO Lt. Sándor Tahy (4. potvrzený sestřel).

  Průzkumný úkol pro 14. Infanteried ivision plnila letecká setnina č. 19

  také 19. června dopoledne. Formace tří Bra ndenburgů C.I sice neučinila

  nad f rontou žádná zásadní pozorování, nicméně byla napadena pěticí

  stíhaček Nieuport. Lt.i.d.Res. Püre r tehdy sdílel kokpit letounu 29.63

  společně sFP Zugs. Istvánem Fejésem, osádku Hansa Brandenburgu C.I

  (Ph) 129.42 tvořili FF Korp. Josef Schantl a BO Lt.i.d.Res. Michael

  Sawczuk, se strojem vojenského čísla 129.60 letěli FF Korp. E duard

  Szajkovits a BO Lt.i.d.Res. Friedrich Dechant. Po střetu se jeden zpro-

  tivníků zřítil za ita lskými pozicemi u Sober (Vertojba), podíl na sestřelu

  Podoba stroje Hansa Brandenburg C.I (öAlb) 29.64, s nímž získal BO Lt.i.d.Res. Josef Pürer 17. dubna 1917

  u Flik 19 své třetí vítězství. Během tohoto letu jej pilotoval FP Hptm. Adolf Heyrowsky, který v jeho kokpitu

  zaznamenal od dubna do června 1917 celkem pět potvrzených sestřelů, čímž z něj učinil nejen nejúspěšnější stroj

  své jednotky, ale podle dosavadních zjištění zřejmě vůbec nejúspěšnější Hansa Brandenburg C.I. Letoun dodaný

  k Flik 19 počátkem roku 1917 zaznamenal u setniny v průběhu služby několik úprav. Ještě v zimě létal stroj

  s držákem dynama pod vrtulí, bez stojanu pro hlaveň kulometu pozorovatele, který měl perforovaný plášť původně vodního chladiče hlavně, zatímco na pozdějších sním-

  cích je kulomet již zcela bez vodního chladiče, letoun má doplněný stojan kulometu a stejně jako 29.63 na horním křídle upravenou schránku pro dva kulomety, nikoli

  však identickou. V čelním krytu motoru také přibyly dva podélné výřezy pro lepší chlazení motoru, který tentokráte poháněla vrtule značky Germania. Stroj po většinu

  své bojové kariéry u Flik 19 létal také v původní barvě materiálu se zřetelným logem Albatros na kýlovce. Brandenburg 29.64 se ve stavu Flik 19/D nacházel ještě v říjnu

  1917. V březnu 1918 byl letoun zničen při havárii během školního letu u Flik 69/D, to však již nesl kamufláž na části povrchu.

  38 REVI č.146/2025 REVI č.146/2025 39

  Ilustrace/colour proles: Václav Hochmuth

  Rekonstrukce barevných schémat atext: Petr Aharon Tesař

  Josef Pürer, zapomenutý hrdina z Bad Schönau

  Josef Pürer, zapomenutý hrdina z Bad Schönau

  Esa k.u.k. LFT známá neznámá

  Petr Aharon Tesar

  ˇ

  Italský Nieuport 17, zachycený počátkem roku 1917 nad horským terénem. Právě

  nad stíhačkami typu Nieuport zaznamenal Josef Pürer od dubna do června 1917 tři

  potvrzená a jedno nepotvrzené vítězství.

  A stíhačkami Nieuport byl 19. června 1917 spolu s FP Zugsf. Fejésem donucen

  v Brandenburgu 29.63 k nouzovému přistání u Schönpass… Jedním z vítězů tohoto

  souboje bylo italské eso od 81ª Squadriglia sottotenente Flavio Torello Baracchini

  (na fotografii). Šlo o jeho 7. vítězství z celkem 21+11 a je velmi pravděpodobné, že

  toho dne letěl právě v kokpitu tohoto stroje Nieuport 17 s černým štítem na trupu.

  Dobový tisk přinášel zprávy zfron-

  ty, letectvo nevyjímaje, jednak

  o hrdinských činech a udělených

  vyznamenáních, jednak o ztrátách

  v boji. Celou půlstranu (s výjim-

  kou reklamy na cigaretový papír)

  věnoval vídeňský týdeník Das In-

  teressante Blatt z28. června1917

  letcům Fliegerkompagnie 19, sa-

  mozřejmě bez uvedení čísla setni-

  ny. Vlevé části můžeme pod por-

  tréty šesti příslušníků jednotky číst:

  „1. Leutn. Alexander Tahy, sestřelil

  tři letouny, vyznamenán Stříbrnou

  medailí za udatnost 1. třídy aSig-

  num laudis; 2. Hauptmann Adolf

  Heyrowsky, porazil čtyři nepřá-

  telské letouny, Řád železné koruny

  3. třídy, Vojenský záslužný kříž atři-

  krát Signum laudis; 3. Oberleutn.

  Artur Klose-Kuschel, sestřelil jeden

  Nieuport, Signum laudis; 4. Ober-

  leutn. Oskar Zeisberger, sestřelil

  jedno letadlo, Řád železné koruny

  3. třídy, Vojenský záslužný kříž 3. tř.

  advakrát Signum laudis; 5. Ober-

  leutn. Ladislaus Hauser, porazil

  dva nepřátelské aparáty, Vojenský

  záslužný kříž s válečnou dekorací

  a Signum laudis; 6. Leutn. Josef

  Pürer, sestřelil dva italské stroje,

  Signum laudis.

  Letecká setnina Hauptmanna Adolfa

  Heyrowskyho, která obzvláště vy-

  nikla během desáté Bitvy oSoču; letci útočili na nastupující Italy tím, že sestoupili na nejnižší možnou výšku aostřelovali nepřátelské řady kulometnou palbou.“

  Vpravé části se pak pod větším portrétem dozvídáme, že syn generála pěchoty von Langa, Oberleutnant Karl von Lang zletecké setniny Hauptm. Heyrowskyho sestřelil

  během Bitvy na Soči jedno nepřátelské letadlo aneporažen padl hrdinskou smrtí. Zdostupných zdrojů pak můžeme doplnit podrobnější informace, že pozorovatel Oblt.

  Karl Eugen von Lang získal svůj jediný potvrzený sestřel vkokpitu Brandenburgu 29.63, když 20.května1917 snejvětší pravděpodobností zasáhl stíhačku Spad 7 č. 4703

  italského esa tenente Fulco Ruffo di Calabria. Pilot letounu 29.63 FP Zugsf. István Fejés získal při téže příležitosti již svůj 3. sestřel. Oblt. von Lang zahynul ošest dní

  později. Během bombardovacího letu došlo ksamovznícení jedné zleteckých pum na palubě a osádka Brandenburgu 129.10 se zřítila na nepřátelské území poblíž Ver-

  tojba. Spolu svon Langem zahynul 26.května1917 ipilot FP Zugsf. Gyula Schmidt (3 potvrzená vítězství).

  „Type 29.64, Kontrollflug, Oblt. Laný, Oblt. v. Loeser, Flugfeld Aspern, 1917,“ uvádí popiska na zadní straně jedné z kopií této fotografie. Kontrolní let při převzetí

  Brandenburgu 29.64 uskutečnili důstojníci Fliegerarsenalu (Flars) pilot Oblt. Antal Lányi-Lanczendorfer a pozorovatel Oblt. Ewald von Loeser. Nový letoun byl stan-

  dardně vybaven dynamem pod vrtulí.

  sbírka Petr Aharon Tesař

  sbírka Petr Aharon Tesař

  sbírka Petr Aharon Tesař

  Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

  16 REVI č.146/2025 REVI č.146/2025 17

  Chukar II amožná i BQM-74C Chukar III. Osvědčily se nejen jako

  návnady, ale ijako průzkumné. Vjejich prospěch hovořila především

  cena, Chukar totiž stál výr azně méně než Firebee. Také vyžadoval méně

  obslužného personálu. Malé rozměr y ztěžovaly jejich případný sestřel,

  proto byly používány nad zvláště nebezpečnými oblastmi. Na straně

  druhé právě malé r ozměry omezovaly možnosti zástavby dodatečného

  vybavení anavíc měly Chuka ry poměrně malý dolet – cca 265 km. P ro

  lepší ří zení Chuka rů vyv inula firm a Elta naváděcí po čítač, který měl

  větší přesnost a spolehlivost než st arší systém, a navíc byl navržen pro

  nové činnosti, jako byl právě průzkum.

  Po zbytek se dmdesátých let Chu kary i nadále prováděly pr ůzkumné

  lety, ale byly používány ive své původní roli cvičných cílů. Ve cvičných

  scénářích byly jejich hlavní mi protivníky iz raelské baterie protiletadlo -

  vých systémů Hawk. Dále fungovaly jako rušičky elektron ických

  systémů protivníka, ale ani otét o činnosti nejsou známy podrobnosti.

  Podruhé byly Chukary masivněji pou žity vroce 1982 během První li-

  banonské vál ky. Známá je př edevším jejich účast na potlačení syrské

  protivzdušné obrany nad libanonským údolím Bikáa. Tentokrát byly

  před hlavn ími útočným i vlnami stí hacích bombar dérů nejprve zPh anto-

  mů aSkyhawků vypuštěny klam né cíle IMI Samson

  5)

  , po nich následo-

  valy Firebee a Chuka ry. Na rozdíl od Války Jom-Kippur izr aelské

  letouny nyní přilétly hned po vlně kla mných cílů apodařilo se jim zcela

  rozvrátit syrskou PVO vLibanonu.

  Význam Chukarů pro Cheyl Ha’Avir začal klesat spříchodem nové ge-

  nerace malých bezpilotn ích prostředků, kt eré vroce 1990 zc ela převzaly

  jejich průzkumnou roli. Vroli cvičných cílů pak dosloužily vroce 1995.

  Jako zajímavost na závěr je třeba uvést, že na zá kladě Chuka ru byla

  vyvinuta izraelská střela s plochou drá hou letu IMI Delilah. Střela je

  schopna vyčkávat vcílovém prostoru před potvrzením cíle. Její navádění

  je možné přes GPS ainerciální navigační systém. Do služ by byla zavedena

  vroce 1995 apoprvé byla bojově použita včervnu 2006 nad Libanonem.

  Bojové použití vUSA

  Druhým letectvem, které použilo Chukary

  v b oji bylo tr ochu překvapivě USAF. To

  použilo jako návnady verzi BQM-74C během

  Války vPerském zálivu vroce 1991 při úvod-

  ních leteckých útocích na Irák. Celý z načně

  improvizovaný projekt inspirovaný používá-

  ním Chukarů vIzra eli dostal kódové označení

  „Project Scathe Mean“.

  Chukary provozovalo pouze US Navy avté

  době k jejich vypouštění používalo několi k

  málo letounů DC-130 a dále lodní odpa lovací

  zařízení. Proč nebyly poskyt nuty Herculesy

  nebo proč US Navy nepoužilo lodě ke start u

  dronů, není z e zdrojů příliš jasné, ale pravdě-

  podobně nebylo možné do oblasti ty to pr o-

  středky dostat včas. Prot o US Navy poskytlo

  letectvu 44 BQM-74C, dvanáct provozuschop-

  ných pozemních odpalovacích zař ízení arake -

  tové startovací motory byly získány zBelgie.

  Čtyřicetičlenný tým specialistů USAF pro

  obsluhu dronů pocházel zpřed nedávnem rozpuštěných jednotek odpalo-

  vaných řízených střel (pře devším z 868. Tactical M issile Training

  Group). Během několika dní pak vznik la jednotka označená 4468. TRG

  (Tactical Reconnaissance Group). Vybavení útvaru se t aké řešilo tak ří-

  kajíc „ na koleně“, protože byla vybavena 26 upravenými n ákladními

  vozy získanými od ka lifornské komerční přepravní fi rmy, sady nář adí

  byly zakoupeny vhobbymarkete ch apoln í vybavení pocházelo zobchodu

  sválečnými p řebytky. Týmy prošly rychlým výcvikem a jednot ka byla

  vybavena upravenými BQM-74C, které lépe simulovaly pilotovaný

  letoun.

  Skupina byla naložena do tří C-5 advou C-141, které ji včetně komplet-

  ního vybavení přepravily na saúdskoarabskou zá kladnu K ing Kha lid.

  Odtud se přemístila ki ráckým hranicím , kde 7.listopadu 1990 zaujala

  pozice. Byla rozdělena na dva tý my, ten severní byl u místěn tak , aby

  ◀ ▲ ▶ Čtveřice fotografií BQM-74E nesených letounem DC-130A

  (BuNo 570497) na této a protější straně byla pořízena v roce 1992 během zkou-

  šek u Missile Targets Division of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division

  (základna NAS Point Mugu). (NARA a Northrop Grumman)

  ▲ ▶ Během operace Pouštní bouře v roce 1991 operovalo s BQM-74C jako klam-

  nými cíli poněkud netradičně USAF. Dvojice fotografií z operace ukazuje postave-

  ní 4468. TFG v poušti a odpal BQM-74C.

  Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman

  Dvouměsíčník o letadlech a letcích

  REVI – BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE ABOUT AIRCRAFT AND PILOTS has been published since 1994.

  The latest issue, number 146, has just been published.

  You will find articles about the Junkers Ju 160 “Hyäne” crash in 1936, as well as Northrop Chukar, the

  311th Fighter Group in Burma and China, Josef Pürer – the unknown ace of the Austro-Hungarian Air

  Force, British Austers in the Czech sky – an article about warbirds that still fly today, a model section that

  regularly brings information about new products on the model aircraft market … and much more.

  You can order not only the latest issue, but also older issues of the magazine here:

  More information about REVI magazine can be found at www.revi.cz, on Facebook or ask directly at the

  editorial office: redakce@revi.cz

  REVI Publishing also offers several publications, which you can also order from the above-mentioned

  e-shops or directly from the publisher.

  www.modelimex.cz

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  Cena: 199 Kč

  146

  Northrop Chukar • Mustangy na konci světa

  Britské Austery na české obloze • Sestřelen u Arrasu • Konec Hyäne

  Dvouměsíčník o letadlech a letcích Cena: 199 Kč

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  1/32 Tamiya

  JX337 A6M5 Zero national marking

  1/32 Tamiya

  EX1125 DB-7 Boston III

  1/48 HKM

  EX1126 DB-7 Boston III TFace

  1/48 HKM

  EX1127 Barracuda TFace

  1/48 Trumpeter

  EX1128 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A

  1/48 Airfix

  EX1129 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A TFace

  1/48 Airfix

  CX692 F-35A

  1/72 Revell

  CX693 F-35A RAM coating early

  1/72 Revell

  CX694 F-35A RAM coating late

  1/72 Revell

  CX695 A-10C

  1/72 Great Wall Hobby

  JX336 A6M5 Zero TFace

  JX336 A6M5 Zero TFace

  EX1126 DB-7 Boston III TFace

  EX1126 DB-7 Boston III TFace

  EX1126 DB-7 Boston III TFace

  EX1126 DB-7 Boston III TFace

  JX336 A6M5 Zero TFace

  JX336 A6M5 Zero TFace

  EX1125 DB-7 Boston III

  EX1125 DB-7 Boston III

  INFO Eduard72

  July 2025

• Strana 73

  MASKS

  EX1127 Barracuda TFace

  EX1129 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A TFace

  CX695 A-10C

  EX1127 Barracuda TFace

  EX1129 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A TFace

  CX695 A-10C

  EX1128 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A

  INFO Eduard

  73

  July 2025

• Strana 74

  BIG-EDBIG-ED

  RELEASES

  JULY 2025

  KITS

  PE

  -

  SETS

  ZOOMS

  MASKS

  2152 Tales of Iwojima DUAL COMBO 1/72 Limited

  82218 A6M2-K 1/48 ProfiPACK

  8409 Bf 110D 1/48 Weekend

  8803 IJN aircraft Carrier Deck WWII 1/48

  53324 USS Gambier Bay CVE-73 part 2 1/350 Hasegawa

  36536 H39 French Light Tank 1/35 Tamiya

  32495 A6M5 Zero landing flaps 1/32 Tamiya

  321025 A6M5 Zero interior 1/32 Tamiya

  481166 DB-7 Boston III bomb bay 1/48 HKM

  491534 DB-7 Boston III 1/48 HKM

  73851 A-10C 1/72 Great Wall Hobby

  73852 F-35A 1/72 Revell

  33380 A6M5 Zero seatbelts STEEL 1/32 Tamiya

  33381 A6M5 Zero 1/32 Tamiya

  FE1534 DB-7 Boston III 1/48 HKM

  FE1535 DB-7 Boston III US seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HKM

  FE1536 DB-7 Boston III British seatbelts STEEL 1/48 HKM

  FE1537 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A 1/48 Airfix

  FE1538 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Airfix

  FE1539 Barracuda 1/48 Trumpeter

  FE1540 Barracuda seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Trumpeter

  SS851 A-10C 1/72 Great Wall Hobby

  SS852 F-35A 1/72 Revell

  JX336 A6M5 Zero TFace 1/32 Tamiya

  JX337 A6M5 Zero national marking 1/32 Tamiya

  EX1125 DB-7 Boston III 1/48 HKM

  EX1126 DB-7 Boston III TFace 1/48 HKM

  EX1127 Barracuda TFace 1/48 Trumpeter

  EX1128 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A 1/48 Airfix

  EX1129 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A TFace 1/48 Airfix

  CX692 F-35A 1/72 Revell

  CX693 F-35A RAM coating early 1/72 Revell

  CX694 F-35A RAM coating late 1/72 Revell

  CX695 A-10C 1/72 Great Wall Hobby

  BIG ED

  BIG5377 USS Wasp LHD-1 PART 2 1/350 Trumpeter

  BIG49449 B-24D part I 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BIG49451 MH-60L 1/48 ICM

  BIG49452 Lysander Mk.I/III 1/48 Airfix

  INFO Eduard74

  July 2025

• Strana 75

  RELEASES

  BRASSIN

  LöökPLUS

  BIG SIN

  SPACE

  644310 B-24D LööK 1/48 Hobby Boss

  644311 UH-60A LööK 1/48 ICM

  674034 Fw 190A-3 LööK 1/72 Tamiya

  635039 Sd.Kfz. 251/6 Ausf. C

  radio equipment PRINT 1/35 Dragon

  6481012 B-26B bomb racks PRINT 1/48 ICM

  6481074 P-40E undercarriage legs PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481104 Fw 190A-4 cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481115 Lysander wheels 1/48 Airfix

  6481118 A6M5 exhausts PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481119 UH-60 flare dispensers PRINT 1/48 ICM

  6481120 Lysander Mk.I ammo magazines PRINT 1/48 Airfix

  6481121 Japanese 800kg bomb PRINT 1/48

  6481124 P-40E cockpit w/ late seat PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  672417 MiG-21 seat PRINT 1/72 Eduard

  672418 MiG-21 seat w/ integral belts PRINT 1/72 Eduard

  644312 B-26G LööKplus 1/48 ICM

  644313 Fw 190A-4 LööKplus 1/48 Eduard

  674039 P-51D exhaust stacks w/ fairing LööKplus 1/72 Tamiya

  SIN648140 Fw 190A-6 1/48 Eduard

  3DL32033 A6M5 Zero SPACE 1/32 Tamiya

  3DL32034 A6M5 Zero seatbelts SPACE 1/32 Tamiya

  3DL48230 DB-7 Boston III w/ US seatbelts SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48231 DB-7 Boston III w/ British seatbelts SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48232 A6M-2K seatbelts SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48233 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48234 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A seatbelts SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48235 Barracuda SPACE 1/48 Trumpeter

  3DL72066 A-10C SPACE 1/72 Great Wall Hobby

  3DL72067 F-35A SPACE 1/72 Revell

  JULY 2025

  INFO Eduard

  75

  July 2025

• Strana 76

  BUILT

  built by Jan Novotný

  Accessories used:

  491392 F-14B (PE

  -

  Set)

  FE1393 F-14B seatbelts STEEL (PE

  -

  Set)

  648069 AIM-7M Sparrow (Brassin)

  648237 AN/AAQ-28(V) Litening pod (Brassin)

  648293 F-14A ejection seat (Brassin)

  648530 F-14D wheels (Brassin)

  648915 F-16 exhaust nozzle GE F110 PRINT (Brassin)

  F-14B 1/48 Great Wall Hobby

  INFO Eduard76

  July 2025

• Strana 77

  BUILT

  INFO Eduard

  77

  July 2025

• Strana 78

  BUILT

  1/72

  built by Robert Szwarc

  #2151

  MARKING A + E

  Product page

  INFO Eduard78

  July 2025

• Strana 79

  BUILT

  MiG-21bis, c/n 75061904, 2 Fighter Squadron, Taszár Air Force Base, Hungary, 1993

  MiG-21bis, Free Libyan Air Force, Tobruk, Libya, November 2011

  Ground personnel from Taszár Air Base sprayed

  a special paint scheme on the MiG-21bis in 1992.

  The purpose of the coloring was to represent

  the enemy aircraft in combat training. The color

  scheme shown here is a representation of the

  aircraft’s appearance at the 1993 International

  Air Tattoo in Fairford. The aircraft named Capeti

  (shark) 1904 is currently on display at the

  Szolnok Air Museum in a similar color scheme

  to the one it flew in 1992.

  The Free Libyan national army, under the

  leadership of General Khalifa Haftar, occupied

  several air bases after its formation, some of

  which yielded airworthy examples of aircraft

  abandoned by forces loyal to Muammar

  Gaddafi. One of these was this one, which

  was subsequently coded “800” and was flown

  by pilots of the Free Libyan National Army.

  The Free National Army, under Haftar’s

  leadership, added to their inventory aircraft

  from occupied airfields (MiG-21s, MiG-23s,

  Mirage F-1s and Su-22s) and purchased

  other ones from foreign sources (these again

  were MiG-21s and 23s, along with Mi-24/35

  helicopters). The camouflage scheme of

  this particular aircraft hails from the days of

  Khaddafi and was first displayed at Lavex in

  2007 in Tripoli. The upper and side surfaces of

  this plane were in sand, brown and green, the

  lower surfaces were painted a light blue-grey.

  The national insignias on the upper surfaces

  of the wing remained the pre-revolutionary

  Libyan ones.

  INFO Eduard

  79

  July 2025

• Strana 80

  BUILT

  Bf 109G-10 Erla

  built by Paolo Portuesi

  #82164

  MARKING C

  1/48

  INFO Eduard80

  July 2025

• Strana 81

  BUILT

  Lt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Schenk, CO of 2./JG 300, Borkheide, Germany, February 1945

  Friends and colleagues of Friedrich-Wilhelm

  Schenk came up with a nickname Timo-

  Schenko for him. It was a joke that took

  advantage of the name of Soviet Marshall

  Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko, and

  it quickly caught on to the point where the

  ground crew painted the name on the fuselage

  of Schenk's aircraft. Friedrich-Wilhelm Schenk

  flew with JG 300 from July 1944 up to March

  1945, when he was reassigned to JG 7 and flew

  Me 262 jet fighters there. During the Second

  World War, he achieved seven kills and after

  the war became Lufthansa pilot.

  Product page

  INFO Eduard

  81

  July 2025

• Strana 82

  ON APPROACH

  AUGUST 2025

  644314

  DB-7B Boston III LööK

  1/48 HKM

  644315

  Fi 156C LööK

  1/48 Tamiya

  BIG49450 B-24D part II 1/48 Hobby Boss

  BIG49453 Sea King HC.4 1/48 Airfix

  BIG49454 Mi-24A 1/48 Trumpeter

  BIG49455 A6M5 Zero 1/48 Fine Molds

  644314 DB-7B Boston III LööK 1/48 HKM

  644315 Fi 156C LööK 1/48 Tamiya

  644316 P-40N LööK 1/48 Eduard

  6481127 DB-7B Boston III wheels 1/48 HKM

  6481130 P-40N engine PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481131 P-40N gun bays (6 guns) PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481132 P-40N cockpit PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481133 P-40N radio compartment PRINT 1/48 Eduard

  6481134 P-40N wheels diamond tread 1/48 Eduard

  6481135 P-40N wheels cross tread 1/48 Eduard

  672416 E-2C wheels 1/72 Heller

  672419 Fw 190A wheels early 1/72 Tamiya

  644318 B-24D LööKplus 1/48 Hobby Boss

  644319 Lysander Mk.I/Mk.III LööKplus 1/48 Airfix

  644320 UH-60A LööKplus 1/48 ICM

  BIG ED (August)

  BRASSIN (August)

  LöökPlus (August)

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seat belts for Fi 156C 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 seat belts for DB-7B Boston III

  in 1/48 scale. Easy to assemble, replaces

  plastic parts. Recommended kit: HKM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details:

  yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  644316

  P-40N LööK

  1/48 Eduard

  LööK set - Brassin pre-painted dashboard

  and STEEL seat belts for P-40N in 1/48 scale.

  Suitable for N-1 to N-20 production blocks.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 1 parts

  - 3D print: 1 part

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes, pre-painted

  - painting mask: no

  PRELIMINARY IMAGE

  INFO Eduard82

  July 2025

• Strana 83

  ON APPROACHAUGUST 2025

  6481127

  DB-7B Boston III wheels

  1/48 HKM

  6481130

  P-40N engine PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  6481131

  P-40N gun bays (6 guns) PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for DB-7B

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

  wheels and a nose wheel. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: HKM

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - 3D print: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - engine for P-40N in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 41 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - gun bays with 6 guns

  (3 in each wing) for P-40N in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 30 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  INFO Eduard

  83

  July 2025

• Strana 84

  ON APPROACH

  AUGUST 2025

  6481132

  P-40N cockpit PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  6481133

  P-40N radio compartment PRINT

  1/48 Eduard

  6481134

  P-40N wheels diamond tread

  1/48 Eduard

  Brassin set - cockpit for P-40N in 1/48 scale.

  Made by direct 3D printing. Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 23 parts

  - decals: yes

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - radio compartment for P-40N

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

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - 3D print: 9 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: no

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-40N

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

  and a tail wheel (2 types). Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 6 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: yes

  INFO Eduard84

  July 2025

• Strana 85

  6481135

  P-40N wheels cross tread

  1/48 Eduard

  672416

  E-2C wheels

  1/72 Heller

  672419

  Fw 190A wheels early

  1/72 Tamiya

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for P-40N

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

  and a tail wheel (2 types). Easy to assemble,

  replaces plastic parts. Recommended kit: Eduard

  Set contains:

  - resin: 6 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: yes

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels

  for E-2C in 1/72 scale. The set consists

  of the main wheels and a nose wheels.

  Easy to assemble, replaces plastic parts.

  Recommended kit: Heller

  Set contains:

  - resin: 4 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  Brassin set - the undercarriage wheels for Fw 190A

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

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

  Recommended kit: Tamiya

  Set contains:

  - resin: 3 parts

  - decals: no

  - photo-etched details: no

  - painting mask: yes

  ON APPROACHAUGUST 2025

  INFO Eduard

  85

  July 2025

• Strana 86

  ON APPROACH

  644319

  Lysander Mk.I/Mk.III LööKplus

  1/48 Airfix

  644320

  UH-60A LööKplus

  1/48 ICM

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

  Recommended kit: Airfix

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

  - undercarriage wheels

  - painting mask

  Collection of 4 sets for UH-60A in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: ICM

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

  - undercarriage wheels

  - flare dispensers

  - painting mask

  644318

  B-24D LööKplus

  1/48 Hobby Boss

  Collection of 4 sets for B-24D in 1/48 scale.

  Recommended kit: Hobby Boss

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

  - undercarriage wheels

  - turbochargers

  - painting mask

  AUGUST 2025

  INFO Eduard86

  July 2025

• Strana 87

• Strana 88

  PE

  -

  SETS

  481167 P-40N landing flap 1/48 Eduard

  481168 Do 217K landing flaps 1/48 ICM

  481169 Do 217K undercarriage 1/48 ICM

  481170 Buffalo landing flaps 1/48 Tamiya

  491542 Do 217K 1/48 ICM

  491544 Buffalo US version 1/48 Tamiya

  491545 Buffalo British version 1/48 Tamiya

  72749 B-24J undercarriage & engines 1/72 Hasegawa

  73853 Hawk H-75A1/2 1/72 Arma Hobby

  73854 B-24J 1/72 Hasegawa

  ZOOMS

  FE1541 P-40N seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Eduard

  FE1542 Do 217K 1/48 ICM

  FE1543 Do 217K seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ICM

  FE1544 Buffalo US version 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1545 Buffalo British version 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1546 Buffalo US seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1547 Buffalo British seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya

  SS854 B-24J 1/72 Hasegawa

  MASKS

  EX1130 P-40N TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1131 Do 217K 1/48 ICM

  EX1132 Do 217K TFace 1/48 ICM

  EX1133 Buffalo TFace 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1134 P-40N US national insignia 1/48 Eduard

  CX696 B-24J US national insignia 1/72 Hasegawa

  SPACE

  3DL48236 DB-7 Boston III cockpit insulation SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48237 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A Remove Before Flighth tags SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48238 P-40N SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48239 P-40N seatbelts SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48240 Do 217K SPACE 1/48 ICM

  3DL48241 Buffalo US version SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48242 Buffalo British version SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL72068 Hawk H-75A 1/2 SPACE 1/72 Arma Hobby

  3DL72069 B-24J SPACE 1/72 Hasegawa

  ON APPROACH

  AUGUST 2025

  INFO Eduard88

  July 2025

• Strana 89

  PE

  -

  SETS

  481167 P-40N landing flap 1/48 Eduard

  481168 Do 217K landing flaps 1/48 ICM

  481169 Do 217K undercarriage 1/48 ICM

  481170 Buffalo landing flaps 1/48 Tamiya

  491542 Do 217K 1/48 ICM

  491544 Buffalo US version 1/48 Tamiya

  491545 Buffalo British version 1/48 Tamiya

  72749 B-24J undercarriage & engines 1/72 Hasegawa

  73853 Hawk H-75A1/2 1/72 Arma Hobby

  73854 B-24J 1/72 Hasegawa

  ZOOMS

  FE1541 P-40N seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Eduard

  FE1542 Do 217K 1/48 ICM

  FE1543 Do 217K seatbelts STEEL 1/48 ICM

  FE1544 Buffalo US version 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1545 Buffalo British version 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1546 Buffalo US seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya

  FE1547 Buffalo British seatbelts STEEL 1/48 Tamiya

  SS854 B-24J 1/72 Hasegawa

  MASKS

  EX1130 P-40N TFace 1/48 Eduard

  EX1131 Do 217K 1/48 ICM

  EX1132 Do 217K TFace 1/48 ICM

  EX1133 Buffalo TFace 1/48 Tamiya

  EX1134 P-40N US national insignia 1/48 Eduard

  CX696 B-24J US national insignia 1/72 Hasegawa

  SPACE

  3DL48236 DB-7 Boston III cockpit insulation SPACE 1/48 HKM

  3DL48237 Jaguar GR.1 / GR.1A Remove Before Flighth tags SPACE 1/48 Airfix

  3DL48238 P-40N SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48239 P-40N seatbelts SPACE 1/48 Eduard

  3DL48240 Do 217K SPACE 1/48 ICM

  3DL48241 Buffalo US version SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL48242 Buffalo British version SPACE 1/48 Tamiya

  3DL72068 Hawk H-75A 1/2 SPACE 1/72 Arma Hobby

  3DL72069 B-24J SPACE 1/72 Hasegawa

  ON APPROACH

  15,000th 1/48

  #11193

  AUGUST 2025

  INFO Eduard

  89

  July 2025

• Strana 90

  ON APPROACH

  Eyes of the Fleet

  1/72

  #2153

  BuNo. 163693, VAW-123 Screwtops,

  USS Enterprise (CVN-65), October 2005

  BuNo. 161346, VAW-121 Bluetails,

  USS George Washington (CVN-73), February 2004

  BuNo. 166503, VAW-120 Greyhawks, NAS Norfolk, United States, May 2010

  BuNo. 164483, VAW-124 Bear Aces, USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), May 2018

  AUGUST 2025

  INFO Eduard90

  July 2025

• Strana 91

  ON APPROACH

  Bf 109G-10 Erla 1/72

  #70162

  W.Nr. 151556, 13./JG 301, Stendal, Germany, February 1945

  W.Nr. 490617, Uffz. Gerhard Reiher, 8./JG 3,

  Alperstedt, Germany, November 1944

  I./KG(J) 6, Bad Aibling, Germany, May 1945

  W.Nr. 491353, Cap. Ugo Drago, 1

  a

  Squadriglia, 2

  o

  Gruppo, ANR, Aviano, Italy, February 1945

  2./JG 27, Grossenhain, Germany, April 1945

  Lt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Schenk, 2./JG 300, Borkheide,

  Germany, February 1945

  AUGUST 2025

  INFO Eduard

  91

  July 2025

• Tail End Charlie - New Czech Warbirds

  I can't say that I’m a frequent visitor to air shows, or that I have a clear overview of which historical aircraft are in flyable condition in which countries. One of my greatest experiences in this area was a visit to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia and a flight in a Stearman biplane over the sea coast. Naturally, as a passenger.

  I can't say that I’m a frequent visitor to

  air shows, or that I have a clear overview

  of which historical aircraft are in flyable

  condition in which countries. One of my

  greatest experiences in this area was a visit

  to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia and

  a flight in a Stearman biplane over the sea

  coast. Naturally, as a passenger.

  Compared to the number of airworthy

  historical aircraft in the USA or, for instance,

  in the United Kingdom, the number of WWII-era

  flyable aircraft in the Czech Republic is much

  more modest. We have about a dozen of them

  here at home, and they clearly show which

  part of history their operators and patrons

  are interested in. These are Allied aircraft.

  We even have two Mustangs. And in the first

  half of this year, two unique examples have

  joined this small air force.

  At the beginning of April 2025, a Hawker

  Hurricane Mk.I aircraft arrived in Prague

  from the United Kingdom. It is the aircraft

  P3351, which took part in the Battle of France

  and the Battle of Britain. Among others, it

  was flown by American volunteers serving in

  No. 71 Squadron of the RAF. It was later

  received by the Soviet Air Force, in whose

  service this Hurricane was shot down, made

  a forced landing, and was rediscovered many

  decades later.

  The team at Prague Točná Airport became

  interested in the aircraft at the time when

  it was being considered for conversion into

  a two-seater in the UK. Fortunately, this

  did not happen, and the unique Hurricane

  was carefully restored into the form of the

  legendary aircraft P3143 “NN

  -

  D” of the No. 310

  (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF from the time

  of the Battle of Britain. It was presented to

  the public at the end of April, where else but

  at Točná Airport. And I must say that I could

  not have chosen a better new identity for

  a Hurricane Mk.I of Czechoslovak unit. I highly

  recommend checking out the details of this

  project at the Prague Točná Airport website.

  The second rarity to arrive in the Czech

  Republic this year is an Avro Anson Mk.I

  with serial number MH120. It was presented

  to the public at the air show in Pardubice

  on June 1. It bears the markings of aircraft

  K6183, belonging to No. 206 Squadron RAF,

  in honor of the crew of P/O L.H. Edwards,

  who was shot down at the beginning of

  September 1939 during combat with a German

  Heinkel He 115. This type holds great symbolic

  value for Czechoslovak aviation history, as

  many bomber crew members trained aboard

  Ansons. Details about this aircraft can be found

  on the RAF Station Czechoslovakia website,

  including a very engaging video tour of the

  aircraft’s interior. It has been reconstructed

  with the highest degree of authenticity while

  also meeting the requirements of modern air

  traffic communication.

  A big thank you goes to everyone who made it

  possible for these two aircraft to find their way

  to the Czech Republic. I hope they will bring joy

  to aviation enthusiasts and the general public

  for many years to come, and I believe that the

  ranks of Czech warbirds will continue to grow

  in the future.

  NEW CZECH WARBIRDS

  Foto: Petr Kolmann

  Text: Jan Bobek

  INFO Eduard92

  July 2025

• Strana 93

  INFO Eduard

  93

  July 2025

• Editorial

  Good evening, Dear Modellers

   

  Times are very turbulent right now, and it’s a lot like the saying about how the situation on the battlefield changes minute by minute goes. As soon as I announced the release of the F-18C based on Kinetic plastic in the last newsletter, we learned that the moldings would not arrive in time for us to release the kit as a September new release. Since our release schedule is full to the end of the year, we will have a little trouble finding a new release date. We haven't set onet yet, so that piece of information will have to wait for a bit. What I will tell you is that the replacement for the Hornet is the 1:48th Ju 88 A-4 founded on the ICM kit.

   

  Otherwise, everything is going more or less according to plan. The new items for July are at the retailers, and we have also launched their sale on our e-shop. We have a small hitch with the Bf 110 D, which is currently unavailable on our e-shop, but I expect it to be back on sale by the end of this week. The reason is that we are missing three plastic sprues that we did not have time to produce, because our press shop is currently a bit overloaded with demand for other kits as well. First off, we need to produce sprues for the new 48th scale P-40N, which we will be packing this week, so that we can start sending out pre-orders for the Royal Class P-40N next week and pack the rest of these kits for retailers. In total, we need a little over 7,000 units, and to make matters worse, we need another 2,000 for the pending Limited Edition issue with the somewhat complicated name of ‘15,000’, which is about the famous P-40N with lots of attractive markings used by some of the units flying Curtiss fighters. We have this ready as one of the items for this year's IPMS USA, which must make its way to America no later than the week after next. From this, you can see that we still have a lot to do and that we are definitely not bored.

   

  We are also working on molds for our planned new releases for the fall. We have more or less all the molds ready, eight in total, for the MiG-21F, which is in 48th scale. They have not all been tested yet, but I expect that we will be able to do that by mid-August. Molds for the S-199 are also in production, which we should have ready for the beginning of September. For the MiG-21F, it is already clear what will happen with the introductory Limited Edition release, dedicated to the service of this type in the Czechoslovak Air Force. It will be released as a special with a book by Martin Janousek, it has been written, language and style adjustments, as well as proofreading, are underway, and the typesetting is being prepared. The book will be published in Czech, we will not be translating it into other languages. The design of the decals has also begun. Pre-sale will start on Friday, July 18th, and will end on July 31st. The size of the production run will be determined by the results of the pre-orders, where the pre-orders from our e-shop and orders from retailers will be added together. This is the same principle that we use for the kits released in the Royal Class series. It follows from the fact that you do not necessarily have to buy this kit from our e-shop, but you can buy it later from your retailers, if your retailers stock it. At the same time, you do not have to buy this kit just to have the MiG-21F. Another MiG-21F kit with the same moldings is planned as a November release, which will premiere at E-day in Litomerice on October 3rd and 4th.

   

  We have received questions about whether it will be possible to order the S-199 as part of the MiG-21F pre-order. This option seems logical, given that the S-199 should premiere at E-day as well, which is only about two weeks after the pre-paid MiGs are to be shipped. However, this will not be possible. The fact is that the molds for the S-199 will be completed and fine tuned only at the beginning of September, and the same goes for the decals, instructions and other accessories, which can only be completed after we have the final moldings at our disposal. And all this is practically impossible to make it to the planned date of shipping the pre-ordered MiG-21Fs. We will not be able to get the S-199 into the boxes until the end of September, and when I say at the end, it will really be sometime on September 30th, if not even October 2nd, just before E-day. It will be exciting to have the S-199 at E-day, we will have to try very, very hard. Of course, we will keep you informed about the progress of our efforts, and we will also show the progress of our efforts live at various events. For the first time, we would like to present the S-199 and the MiG-21F in Pilsen at the Plzensky Velbloud exhibition, at the beginning of September at the now traditional meeting in Prostejov, and just before E-day in Prague. So if you go to E-day to get the S-199s and the MiGs, you will definitely not be disappointed.

   

  In my editorial in the last newsletter, I promised you that the sale of the book for the 100th BG would start in June, and unfortunately I am not able to keep this promise. The reason, I would say, is administrative. It turned out that we do not have the option to set synch the VAT for books in our data transfer system from the e-shop to the accounting and invoicing system. It may seem like an easily solved issue to you, and it probably is a relatively easily solved issue, but it is precisely these types of issues that can cause significant damage. Here in the Czech Republic, this is not a fundamental problem, we have zero VAT on books. At least for now, I am afraid that sooner or later some minister of finance will think that something needs to be done about it and make some money from it. The current problem is in the ingenious OSS system, which is the charging of VAT from sales in the e-shop to EU countries. This means that when selling to individual EU countries, we have to charge customers the VAT of the given country, and in each country, customers, their citizens, have to pay the charged VAT to each EU country once every 3 months. Payment is made through the clearing center, and a statement is sent showing how much money is to be sent to each country. Just to ensure that it is not all to easy and to ensure that all countries report this properly, we have thirteen different rates for books in the EU, starting with the zero Czech rate and ending with the 18 percent as the Hungarian rate. When this madness broke out years ago, we made a mistake and had the option of setting only one VAT rate for each country programmed into our two interconnected systems. We somehow overlooked the possibility of multiple rates at the time, and now we have caught up on that oversight. We ordered the modifications, but don't ask how much it will cost, and I don't know when it will be ready, debugged and initiated, I hope it might be ready by August. I hereby apologize for my mistake, and I promise that we will start selling immediately as soon as this precarious situation is resolved. You know, regulations must be followed, order must be maintained!

   

  It's like those little swastikas. In some countries they are allowed to be in pictures, and in others they are not. We have already explained how we deal with this - to some customer displeasure, we do not put them on our boxart at all. But now something unpleasant has happened to us. The author of the box art on the Bf 110 D painted swastikas on the tails of both flying Bf 110 Ds. Nice, double-lined, really precisely done. A joy to look at. The product manager who was supposed to catch it didn't, and about eight other people who could have noticed it, didn't, which is quite unlikely, but unlikely things just happen, and so we have boxes with a total of eight swastikas on them. Which is ripe for throwing the boxes away and reprinting them. Of course, this is bad for the environment and uneconomical, so my colleagues decided to cover the hackneyed boxes. Katka made up stickers, nice, camouflaged ones, and our gentlemen covered the boxes that are supposed to be sold in the EU with stickers covering the offending symbols. The boxes that are supposed to go to countries outside the EU, or rather to countries that have not completely banned the representation of the symbol, are not covered. I'm looking forward to someone in the warehouse changing them over, sending the covered boxes to Japan, and the uncovered boxes to Germany. And you, my friends, especially don't tear off the stickers. On the one hand, you'll be breaking the law, and on the other hand, you'll be depriving yourself of a future rarity. You know how it is with stamps or coins. The most valuable ones are those that someone once printed with a mistake, and then reprinted it as best they could. There's a certain probability that something similar will happen with building kits. So consider these painted Bf 110 Ds as a great and amazing investment opportunity! Of course, they won't be easy to get, as you probably remember from the introduction to this article, Bf 110 Ds are currently sold out and unavailable, and when they become available again, they’ll be gone very soon.

   

  If this sounds like a Donald Trump crypto-savvy move, no, it really isn't. You can't make that kind of money on hackenkruezes, even if you piled eighty-eight of them onto that box.

   

  Happy Modelling

  Vladimir Sulc

   

  
  

• Tales of Iwojima

  Tales of Iwojima, boxart by Piotr Forkasiewicz, kit No. 2152

  
  

  VERY LONG RANGE

   

  Text: Brian Walter

   

  Operating from three runways on the island of Iwo Jima, the VLR (Very Long Range) Mustangs of the United States Army Air Forces 7th Fighter Command were able to use the extended range of the P-51 to fly to and from the mainland of Japan for escort and ground attack missions. The 15th, 21st, and 506th Fighter Groups (FG) formed this force of P-51’s, often sending one hundred-plus aircraft to Japan. Fighting not only the enemy, but also enduring harsh weather issues, environmental hazards of the island, and lack of incoming intelligence and supplies, the FGs persevered and contributed a great deal to victory in the Pacific. In addition to the 51 VLR missions to Japan, their operations also included 171 strike missions to the Bonin Islands and over 10,000 hours of Combat Air Patrol around Iwo Jima.

  The 15th FG was formed before the war and was involved in combat at Pearl Harbor. The 15th FG was essentially created for the defense of the Hawaiian Islands, however they did deploy in P-39s and P-40s to the Central Pacific, including Canton and Baker islands. While combat activity was relatively quiet there, the group played a central role in Operation Flintlock; the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign. The 15th FG, now comprised of the 45th, 47th, and 78th Fighter Squadrons (FS) arrived on Iwo Jima on March 7th, 1945 before US occupation was complete. Their first missions involved close air support of Marines on the island. Flying from South Field (Airfield #1), the 15th FG also began missions to the Bonin Islands, which were located about 150 miles north of Iwo Jima. This small group of Japanese territories included Haha-Jima and Chichi-Jima, well-known as the location US president George H.W. Bush was shot down in his TBF Avenger.

  Two North American P-51 Mustangs „Tiny Gay Babe“ and „Three of a Kind“ on parking are, Iwojima, Bonin Islands.

  
  

  Joining the 15th FG early on was the 21st FG who would fly from Central Field (Airfield #2). Activated in April of 1944, the 21st FG absorbed the 46th FS and 72nd FS (previously attached to the 15th and 318th FGs) as well as the newly formed 531st FS. The group was declared operational for tactical combat on March 24th, 1945 from Iwo Jima. Just two days later, the 21st FG along with the 549th Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) bore the brunt of a Japanese Banzai attack of about 250 soldiers. The 21st FG suffered 14 killed and 50 wounded. The total casualties among all units involved in this attack was 44 killed and 88 wounded.  Shortly thereafter, the 21st FG got their chance to strike back with their first mission to Chichi-Jima, sending 32 P-51’s to attack a radar installation.

  On April 7th, 1945, the first VLR mission was flown. This mission achieved several historic records: it was the longest flight mission over water to hit a target, the longest mission ever flown by P-51 Mustangs, and the first time land-based fighters had invaded the skies over Japan. The mission itself was an escort of B-29s from the 73rd Bomber Wing attacking the Nakajima Aircraft Engine Plant in Tokyo. More than ninety P-51s from both the 15th and 21st FGs departed Iwo Jima and rendezvoused with their B-29 navigator aircraft that led them to the bomber force over the coast of Japan. The Mustang pilots stayed with the bombers, only attacking Japanese aircraft when they threatened the B-29s. Even so, they scored 21 enemy fighters destroyed, with 6 probable and 10 damaged. Only three B-29s were lost: 2 to anti-aircraft fire and 1 to a Japanese bomb dropped on the formation. Both XXI Bomber Command and Seventh Fighter Command were very pleased with the results.

  Sleek North American P-51 „Mustangs“ parked along the Number 2 strip on Iwojima in the Bonin Islands. 25 March 1945.

  
  

  After more VLR missions to Japan and attacks on the Bonin Islands, the 506th FG joined the fight on May 16th, 1945, as they were waiting for North Field (Airfield #3) to be completed. The 506th FG was formed in October 1944 in Lakeland, FL, specifically for the VLR mission. This new group included the 457th, 458th, and 462nd FSs and immediately started training for the long-range flights. The group consisted of combat veterans, stateside pilot instructors and new replacement pilots who had all logged many hours in the P-51 by the time they deployed. The 506th FG immediately started flying Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and on May 18th, the 462nd FS sent 12 P-51s with 500 pound GP bombs to attack Chichi-Jima. Due to weather issues, the first VLR mission for the group was executed more than a week later. On May 28th, 1945 the 506th FG sent 53 Mustangs for a strafing attack on Kasumigaura airfield in the Mito area of Honshu, Japan.

  Shortly thereafter, one of the worst non-combat losses during the war for the US occurred on June 1st, 1945. The objective was for all three fighter groups to provide escort for more than 400 B-29s on a bombing mission to Osaka City, Japan. 148 P-51s from all three groups took off from Iwo Jima to join with their “mother hen” B-29s navigators. About 350 miles into their journey, they encountered a monstrous storm front. Due to the uncertainty of the navigating B-29s, an inexperienced weather observer, and some say pressure to move on with the mission because of several previous weather aborts, the Mustangs were led into the deadly front. By the end of the catastrophe, only twenty-seven P-51s prevailed to complete their mission. Twenty-four pilots and their Mustangs were lost, not one to enemy fire.

  7th Figther Command personnel push a North American P-51 Mustang toward the dispersal area at an airfield on Iwojima, Bonin Islands. July 1945.

  
  

  A typical VLR mission was a substantial combined effort that included several branches of the US military. Every mission started with a B-24 weather plane flying the route 6-10 hours before the mission, as well as a B-29 flying approximately 100 miles ahead of the main force to report on the current weather. Then, once the Mustangs took off, navigator B-29s led the P-51s to and from the Japan mainland, as precision navigation in a single-seat aircraft flying completely over water was impractical. Several P-61 Black Widows would also act as navigators, flying about an hour north of Iwo Jima to accompany Mustangs to the rendezvous point. The P-61s also returned any spare aircraft not needed for the mission. B-24s also often participated in these missions as communications relay aircraft. All the aircraft often would then be able to assist in air-sea rescue of downed pilots. Along the route from Iwo Jima to Japan and back, the US Navy and the Army Air Sea Rescue coordinated a minimum of 5 rescue stations. These stations would be composed of surfaced submarines at the two- or three-points closest to Japan, destroyer ships on the remaining stations, and airborne Dumbo aircraft circling overhead. When a Mustang pilot discovered that they could not make it back to Iwo due to damage or aircraft malfunction, they would be vectored to the nearest rescue station. At the last rescue station, four P-51s were assigned on every mission to provide top cover for the surfaced submarine about 10 miles off the coast of Japan. The navigating B-29s circled off the coast and waited until they had between 15 and 20 P-51s before starting their return trip to Iwo. Once the Mustangs got close enough to Iwo Jima, P-61s would again be able to assist in navigation, as well as having Army amphibious vehicles prowling the Iwo Jima beaches ready for any pilots having to ditch close to the island.

  As for the P-51 aircraft itself, all three fighter groups flew standard block P-51D-20-NA and P-51D-25-NA Mustangs, with a few modifications that were made to enhance the airplane on the VLR missions. The most visible and arguably most important modification was the “Uncle Dog” homing beacon system. Twin antenna masts for the AN/ARA-8 VHF homing adapter were installed on the spine of the fuselage of the P-51s. The normal AN-104-A radio antenna mast was then moved to the underside of the aircraft, centered in front of the wheel wells. The navigator “Mother Hen” B-29s transmitted a homing beacon to and from Japan, which the P-51’s system would pick up and convert to an audio signal consisting of the International Morse Code letter’s “U” or “D”. Guided by the transponder beacon, the pilot turned his aircraft to follow a steady tone in his headset of both letters to indicate they were on course. The signal was also transmitted from Iwo Jima from the top of Mt. Suribachi to aid with navigation to the island. The Uncle Dog modifications were done ‘in theater’ by the groups, with the last P-51 on Iwo receiving the installation in mid-June 1945. This new system required some training for the pilots. Also modified was the SCR-695 IFF (Identification friend or foe) transmitter, which was placed in the cockpit, behind the normal SCR-522 radio command set. In doing so, the battery was moved from its normal placement behind the SCR-522 to inside the engine compartment. A small air scoop for cooling was then added on the port side of the fuselage, just above and before the leading edge of the wing. The P-51 was also equipped with AN/APS-13 Tail Warning system but many pilots turned it off and some squadrons removed it altogether. The purpose of this system was to indicate the presence of aircraft in the rear, which when detected lit a warning lamp in the cockpit and rang a bell. Besides these modifications, crew chiefs found it necessary to deal with the constantly blowing dust and dirt by covering up as many of the openings on the P-51 as possible. Covers were used on the front cowl vents, machine gun barrels, as well as on the shell case ejection chute openings on the underside of the wings.

  North American P-51 Mustangs, returning from a mission over enemy territory, peel off for a landing at an airfield on Iwojima, Bonin Islands. Far in the distance, another flight of fighters comes into sight. Mustangs are parked alongside the runway.

  
  

  On the VLR missions, the P-51s always carried either 110 or 165 gallon drop tanks. The 110 gallon tanks were used as the main drop tank for missions, while the 165 gallon tanks were mainly used for carrying rockets and Air Sea Rescue top cover sorties. Because of the oversized nature of both tanks, sway braces were used to help support them. These braces were mainly constructed while on Iwo, initially made out of leftover plywood found on the island. However, there were problems with these as some warping or bending of the wood could cause the tanks to not release properly. Scrap metal was then used by engineering sections to furnish proper type braces for the 110-gallon tanks. Because of flying mostly over water, Capt. Jim Tapp and Capt. Vic Mollan of the 78th FS constructed a droppable rescue kit, which was later codenamed “Josephine”. The kit, which included an A-3 life raft, survival radio, rations, and visual signal equipment, was placed into a modified 110 gallon drop tank. The tank would be released, separate, and parachute the contents to the downed pilot. In addition to the drop tanks and Josephine, 500 pound general purpose bombs were used in attacks on the Bonin Islands and early on close air support missions. In May 1945, a few squadrons like the 78th and 531st started installing rocket launchers on their P-51s. However, due to the lack of available rocket kits, not every Mustang in all squadrons were equipped with them by the end of the war. The P-51s were able to carry a maximum of three 5 inch rockets under each wing with the 165 gallon drop tanks to account for the extra drag. Another obstacle to overcome was the introduction of the new K-14A gunsight. Pilots had no previous training on how to use it and parts for the gunsights were not in supply until late summer 1945.

  Between April 7th and August 14th, 1945, a total of 51 Very Long Range missions were flown with 41 being effective. There were 9 non-effective weather aborts and 1 missed escort meeting. Weather was a major factor, and besides the 9 mission aborts, many other missions were delayed or changed before the P-51s ever took off. While each effective VLR mission had an average flight time of 7.3 hours, reports of pilots flying more than 8 hours and landing with only several gallons of fuel left was common. When the 7th Fighter Command was given the directive that they would be tasked with escorting the B-29s from the Marianas, that is exactly what they prepared and planned for. However, it was soon apparent once the VLR missions started that escorting the B-29s would not be needed as the Japanese began to keep most of their aircraft on the ground, hidden and safe, realizing the strong possibility of a full US invasion of their homeland. The 506th FG, for example, had only seen a maximum of 40 enemy aircraft in the air at one time and that was in the beginning of June. Out of the 51 VLR missions only 14 were of the escort type with only 3 occurring in July and August. The 7th Fighter Command then turned to having the P-51s attack targets of opportunity in Japan on the surface. And while not the most ideal platform for ground attack, the P-51 performed admirably in the 39 VLR strike missions to Japan. In their somewhat short participation in the war, 7th Fighter Command racked up an impressive tally of 225 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air, with 56 probable and 119 damaged. On the ground they claimed 219 destroyed and 450 damaged, as well as hundreds of surface vessels, locomotives and railroad cars, buildings and hangers, and radio/radar stations. Those numbers, however, did come with a cost of the lives of 107 pilots.

  A North American P-51 Mustang comes in for a landing on a runway at an airfield on Iwojima, Bonin Islands, after a mission over enemy-occupied territory. July 1945.

  
  

• Fate of Gruppenkommandeur´s plane

  
  

  Text: Peter Kaššák

   

  On the fateful 30 April 1940, I./ZG 76 lost its first Gruppenkommandeur. It was Hptm. Günther Reinecke, who was in the function since first May 1939 and led the Gruppe in the first combats of the WWII. During the combat flight, he was accompanied by Oblt. Hans Jäger. About the flight which was absolved between 19:53 and 21:12, Jäger wrote in his logbook the following remark: “Crashed Reinecke at 20:40, visibly hit by pursuing bomber in ground flight.“ It was this exact encounter with an RAF Blenheim, that became fatal for Hptm. Reinecke. Shortly afterward, the command of I. Gruppe was taken over for ten days by the Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel, Oblt. Werner Hansen. Hansen was replaced then by Hptm. Werner Restemeyer on 11 May 1940.

   Photograph 01 shows Werner Restemeyer in rank of Oberleutnant, and thus was created prior to 1. August 1936, when he was already promoted to Hauptmann, and naturally prior to service with I./ZG 76. Werner Heinrich August Restemeyer was a son of Werner Restemeyer and his wife Carolina, a family living at Höxter. Young Werner finished the secondary grammar school in March 1925 and in summer of that year joined "Sicherheitsdienst" (Security Service). On 15 October 1928 joined practical training for the Lufthansa at Staaken. In January 1931 absolved the Beobachterschule at Warnemϋnde and September of the same year was already in rank of Fähnrich. Since August 1936 he was in rank of Hauptmann in various Staffelkapitän functions at 2./Kü.Fl. JGr. 136, 2./JG 134, 2./JG 142, 2./ZG 142, 2./ZG 26. The outbreak of war found him in Jagdflieger Schule Schleissheim, but he was soon transferred to II.(J)/Tr.Gr. 186. In December re-entered 2./ZG 26 and briefly was acting as Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 26. On 14 December 1939, he was wounded in combat when he collided with one Blenheim over Borkum. After convalescence at the end of January 1940, he joined I./ZG 76.

  As a Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 76, Hptm. Restemeyer received aircraft with appropriate marking. His Messerschmitt Bf 110 W.Nr. 3156 of version D had installed modification R1 which was the underbelly fuel tank so called “Dackelbauch”. Plane wore code “M8+AB” in accordance to the Luftwaffe standards for the Stab planes and as such also had a double chevron (“Doppelwinkel”) painted prior to the fuselage code. Photographs 02, 03 and 04 show this aircraft prior to 29 May 1940. An individual aircraft letter “A“ in green outlined by white color can be recognized on the fuselage. (photograph 02 credit: Marek Žatkovič)

  On 29 May 1940, I./ZG 76 engaged RAF fighters again. For them, it was the first time with modern Hurricanes. Twenty-six bombers from II./KG 30, I./KG 26 and KGr. 100 were heading towards the English vessels off Narvik in the early evening. The escort consisted of four Bf 110s from I./ZG 76, which started at 18:00. Nine Hurricanes of 46. Squadron crossed their way. Their priority was the ships’ defense. The British fighters managed to shot down three German bombers. Their next victim was one of the escorting Bf 110s. F/S Shackley downed a Bf 110 from Stab I./ZG 76. This German fighter crashed in flames west of Skaarland. Its crew escaped using parachutes. Pilot Oblt. Hans Jäger lost an eye in the incident. He and his Bordfunker Uffz. Helmut Feick were captured. They were sent to a prisoner of war camp in Canada sometime later.

  During the encounter, Hurricane pilots managed to hit another of the escorting Bf 110s. It, too, belonged to Stab of I./ZG 76 and was piloted by a new Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Werner Restemeyer. He made an emergency landing at Trondheim with his damaged aircraft Bf 110 D-0/R1 W.Nr 3156 “M8+AB”. A wounded Bordfunker Uffz. Werner Eichert was pulled out of the plane´s cabin by ground crew. The first encounter with the Hurricanes was not the best for I./ZG 76.

  Photographs 05a and 05b are showing Hptm. Werner Restemeyer´s Bf 110 “M8+AB” at the repair stand at Vaerlose airbase in June 1940. To confirm that this photo was taken in June 1940, we can point towards another plane in the background. It is Bf 110 D-0 W.Nr. 3135“M8+FH” of 1./ZG 76, which was belly landed on 2 June 1940 at Ekne (Photograph 06) and is waiting for repair as well. Photo of this airplane after its repair is one of the most known first installment ZG 76 photos provided by Bundesarchive (Photograph 07). It shows the Bf 110 on its wheels again, while the damaged Dackelbauch fuel tank was removed and aircraft waits to be retrofitted by another one. (photograph 06 credit: Marek Žatkovič)

  But to be back at “M8+AB”, another available photograph of this plane, photograph 08, captures “Schwarze männer” of the ground crew during the process of lifting up the damaged “M8+AB” W.Nr.3156 to be ready for the repair and installation of a new Dackelbauch fuel tank at Vaerlose.

  Meanwhile, very fierce confrontations of I./ZG 76 with the RAF fighters continued and culminated on 15 August 1940. The Adlertag was undoubtedly a black day for ZG 76. The Luftwaffe planners had anticipated that RAF units would be completely exhausted by massive attacks in the south and southeast of England. A major attack was planned on the same day, being directed at the northeast coast of England. The attack was to be undertaken by Luftflotte 5 forces, dislocated in Norway and Denmark. The command of the Luftwaffe anticipated an attack into an undefended area of England. Sixty-three He 111s from KG 26 were to attack Dishforth and Linton-on- Ouse Airfields. Twenty-one long-range Bf 110D-1/R-1s from I./ZG 76 took off from Stavanger Airfield at about 11:35 with the task of escorting dispatched Heinkels. RAF radar operators detected the approaching danger at the right time. German command miscalculated. There were several fighter squadrons in the area, replenishing forces after the previous July fights. A final number of fifty-six Hurricanes and Spitfires from 41., 72., 79., 605. and 607. Squadrons were airborne against the German raid. The sky was filled with airplanes.

  In such a peele-meele, eleven victories of the members of 2. and 3. Staffel were claimed. Lt. Helmut Woltersdorf made a double claim, when scoring his seventh and eighth victory, both Spitfires shot down East of Blyth. Double claim was reported also by Oblt. Reinhold Eckart over Flamborough. Although the I. Gruppe crews scored, the losses were much higher. Survivor of the action, Bordfunker Uffz. Otto Dombrowsky of 2./ZG 76 summarized the events of that day as follows:

  “It was a black day for I./ZG 76. We suffered heavy losses. Our orders: mission against England as protection for He 111s. The Gruppenstabschwarm with Hptm. Werner Restemeyer flew at the rear of the formation in order to intervene wherever the trouble was the greatest but they didn‘t get the chance. Long before the coast, we were surprised by Spitfires and Hurricanes which attacked us in vastly superior numbers.

  The Gruppenstabschwarm was the first to be engaged. We could see how they were broken up and Hptm. Restemeyer was shot down. We had to stay with the bombers and were in turn engaged in battle. Our protective circle was torn open and we were attacked from above and the left by a Hurricane. I shouted at my pilot Oblt. Gustav Uellenbeck to pull up to the left and was able to open fire at the Hurricane successfully as he dropped away to the left in a steep dive with a trail of smoke. When we got back to Aalborg we counted 24 bullet holes. The direction-finding equipment, aerials - everything had been shot away.”

  The drama in the sky continued and Gruppenkommandeur ´s Bf 110 was shot down in the battle with 72. Squadron Spitfires and crashed into the sea near Durham. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Werner Restemeyer, and his Bordfunker Uffz. Werner Eichert, were both killed almost instantly, as some sources state, that his belly tank on Bf 110 “M8+AB” exploded when hit by enemy planes. The third crew member of their Bf 110, Hptm. Ernst-August Hartwich (photograph 09), a member of Funkhorchkomp. X Flieger Korps, flying as a special observer, also died. At first, he was registered as a prisoner, but later his status changed to dead.

  Shown Photograph 10 is one of the last known photos of Hptm. Werner Restemeyer. He died 13 days short of his 34th birthday on 15 August 1940. On 1 June 1941, he was posthumously promoted to Major, but only on 1 August 1944 was he officially listed as Missing in Action.

   

  But the story of “M8+AB” W.Nr. 3156 seems to be a bit different as one would suppose. Unauthorized photograph 11 from eBay auction shows the Bf 110 D with W.Nr.3156 and partial code “M8+.” However, under the wings of this aircraft we can recognize the letter D. We suggest that it was photographed as “M8+DB”. This would lead to a conclusion, that Hptm. Restemeyer was not lost in this plane W.Nr.3156 on 15 August 1940. It is highly probable that after his May accident Gruppenkommandeur received a new aircraft with code “M8+AB”, which may be the one shown on photograph 12, and his old W.Nr. 3156 was renamed to “M8+DB” and used within Stab I./ZG 76 for some time and possibly survived his original pilot.

  
  

• Air War in Ukraine

  Naval Drone Destroys Russian Fighter Jet

   

  Text: Miro Barič

  
  

  In today's continuation of the series, we focus on the period from May 1 to May 31. Both sides intensified the drone war, with Russia especially increasing its activity in the latter half of the period. Ukraine, on the other hand, achieved another breakthrough: it became the first country in the world to shoot down a supersonic fighter jet using a missile launched from a naval drone – and they downed two at once.

   

  In the previous period, several videos appeared showing successful Ukrainian attacks on Russian radars and air defense missile systems. Ukrainians likely concluded that Russian air defenses had been weakened and launched a large-scale drone attack on naval and air bases in Crimea during the night from Thursday, May 1 to Friday, May 2. Explosions were heard in Sevastopol, Dzhankoy, Saki, Novofedorivka, and other locations. Ukrainian drones also attacked in the opposite direction. In Russia’s Stavropol Krai, 450 km from the front line, they hit base No. 33443 named Zvezda, used by Russian military intelligence (GRU) to intercept electronic communications from Western satellites.

  A similar attack occurred the following night, May 2 to 3. Ukrainians launched over 170 drones, three Neptune cruise missiles, and eight Storm Shadow missiles. Also involved were 14 Magura naval drones. Targets were struck in Crimea and in Russia's Rostov, Krasnodar, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Krasnodar regions. One of the main targets was the naval base in Novorossiysk. And that’s where the breakthrough happened.

   

  Magura Equipped with AIM-9X

  Ukrainian military intelligence unit Group 13 has been successfully using Magura naval drones for some time. Initially, they attacked only ships, but Russia began using helicopters and later fighters against the drones. So, the Maguras were fitted with machine guns and later air-defense missiles. Group 13 has recorded 17 naval and aerial hits, of which 15 were confirmed destroyed. Besides ships, they’ve destroyed two Mi-8 helicopters and, most recently, two Su-30 fighter jets.

  This naval drone comes in various versions. The Magura V5 is designed for ship destruction; the V7 version carries machine guns and missiles. The V7 is significantly larger: 7.2 meters long and weighs 3,400 kg — two tons more than the V5. The larger size enables operation in rougher seas and bigger diesel tanks extended the range from 450 to 800 nautical miles (about 1,500 km). The top speed is 39 knots.

  Previously, the Magura carried Soviet-made R-73 missiles. For this mission however, it was equipped with the latest US-made AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles. Using this missile during the night of May 2, over the Black Sea near Novorossiysk, a Magura V7 drone struck a Su-30SM fighter jet from the 43rd Independent Naval Attack Regiment of the Russian Navy. Both pilots ejected and were rescued by a civilian cargo ship passing by. The next day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that two Su-30 fighter jets had been downed — one near Novorossiysk and one over Crimea.

   Magura naval drones. V7 version is on the left, smaller V5 version on the right.

  Close-up of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles mounted on the Magura V7 drone.

  The shootdown of a Su-30SM near Novorossiysk, as seen through the camera of the Magura V7 naval drone.

  
  

  Ukrainian Drones in Action

  Another major Ukrainian attack came on Wednesday, May 7, involving 447 drones and cruise missiles. Key military-industrial targets were hit — a rocket launcher factory in Tula and a fiber optics plant in Saransk. Drones also struck the Kubinka and Shaykovka airfields. There was a large economic impact due to the closure of civilian airports, affecting not only all four Moscow airports but also those in Samara, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm. Passengers waited up to half a day, and long lines of planes formed on runways.

  A successful strike occurred on Sunday, May 11, when Ukrainian missiles hit a Russian command post in Rylsk, Kursk region. According to local witnesses, the strike killed many Russian soldiers. Among the dead was Colonel Alexander Danilov, deputy commander of the 40th Guards Marine Brigade, a veteran of Syria and a recipient of the Hero of the Russian Federation title.

  During the night of Friday, May 16, Ukrainians attacked several airfields and ammunition depots in Crimea. The depot in Perevalne continued to explode long after the strike. On Sunday, May 25, Ukrainian drones hit Migalovo airfield in Tver region. During the attack, Russian air defenses nearly shot down a civilian aircraft.

  On Wednesday, May 28, Ukraine launched a major strike involving about 300 drones. Targets included the Kronstadt factory in Dubna near Moscow (manufacturer of various types of drones), the N. P. Fedorov plant (aircraft and cruise missile parts), and the Raduga company (maker of Ch-series missiles). A microelectronics development and production plant in Zelenograd was hit as well.

   This photo of a Ukrainian Su-25 with AASM Hammer bombs was taken earlier this year. Deployment of these bombs is continuously increasing.

  Wreckage of the Russian command post in Rylsk, Kursk region.

  
  

  Russia Strikes Civilian Van

  Russia started slowly with its attacks but escalated them to unprecedented levels by the end of May. On Tuesday, May 13, they launched one of the smallest attacks since the war began — only 10 drones, all shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. Falling debris injured an elderly man.

  Just a few days later, on Saturday, May 17, Russia committed another atrocity: a Lancet drone struck a civilian van near Sumy. It was evacuating people fleeing a Russian attack in a border area. Nine people died on the spot, mostly elderly women. Among the dead was a family of three — father, mother, and daughter. Seven others were hospitalized with burns and fractures. All victims were civilians. The Lancet drone uses optical targeting via camera — meaning the operator clearly saw it was a civilian vehicle and deliberately targeted it.

  Operator of a Russian Lancet drone attacked a civilian van in Sumy region, killing nine people.

  
  

  On Wednesday, May 21, a Russian missile hit a Ukrainian military training ground in Sumy region. Ukraine confirmed six soldiers dead and 10 wounded. Russians claimed 70 soldiers killed, a destroyed ammunition depot, and 10 pieces of equipment — not supported by their own footage. Still, this is a major issue for Ukraine, as such attacks on training grounds and unnecessary troop losses are too frequent. It suggests commanders are not adapting to the evolving drone threat and fail at basic safety — a systemic flaw.

  Subsequent Russian attacks were focused solely on spreading terror among civilians. Durin the night of Saturday, May 24, Kyiv faced one of the biggest air raids since the war began. Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones. Ukraine shot down six missiles and 128 drones. Another 117 drones crashed due to jamming or as decoys to overwhelm air defenses. Residential buildings and a shopping center were hit. Thirteen people died and over 50 were injured.

  The following night, Sunday, May 25, was even worse. Russia launched 298 drones and 68 cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukraine downed 45 missiles and 139 kamikaze drones; another 127 drones crashed. The remaining ones killed 12 people, including three children, and injured 70 more.

  Massive night raids continued for the third night. On Monday, May 26, Russia attacked with 355 kamikaze drones and nine cruise missiles targeting 13 Ukrainian regions. Ukraine downed all the missiles and 288 drones. Increasing number of reports suggest that Ukraine is running out of surface-to-air missiles — possibly one aim of the escalating attacks. But the main goal is to pressure Kyiv and its Western allies. Notably, the first round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul during this period. Moscow only sent minor officials who essentially demanded Ukraine's capitulation. When Ukraine refused, they threatened further escalation. Clearly, Russia's goal isn’t peace — it’s buying time to continue its war of conquest.

   This is just a fraction of the damage caused by Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities during the reporting period. The photos were published by the Ukrainian emergency services. Their personnel are often targeted in so-called "double-tap" strikes — intentional follow-up attacks on the same civilian location, meant to kill rescue workers.

  
  

  Deliveries of F-16s and AASM Hammer Bombs

  On the ground front, Russia launched an attack on Sumy region. Despite heavy fighting, they made little progress, and Ukrainian forces continued raids into neighboring Russian Kursk region. Ukrainian defenders are effectively supported by aircraft using French-guided AASM Hammer bombs, which have proven very effective. France announced it will produce and deliver 1,200 of these bombs to Ukraine this year, compared to 830 last year. Currently, France delivers about 50 AASM Hammer bombs monthly. With a range of ~70 km thanks to rocket propulsion, they’re also resistant to Russian jamming attempts.

  The Netherlands delivered the last of 24 promised F-16s to Ukraine during this period. Norway, which originally pledged six, increased its donation to 14, some of which have already arrived. The rest will follow by year’s end. Denmark pledged and delivered 19 jets first. Belgium is behind on its 30 promised aircraft, awaiting the introduction of U.S. F-35s. Belgium confirmed it will supply some retired F-16s for parts this year and begin delivering combat aircraft next year.

  F-16s are of critical value to Ukraine. Due to a shortage of air defense missiles, Ukraine must increasingly use fighter jets to defend cities. Austrian military expert Tom Cooper noted that Ukrainian pilots often take off twice per night. The fighters can shoot down kamikaze drones and cruise missiles — though it’s risky. Ukraine lost its third F-16 during this period. The first was lost last year, likely to friendly fire. The second was shot down in April, probably by a Russian S-400. Both pilots were killed.

   Due to the short supplies for the air defense systems, older MIM-23 Hawk missiles have proven effective against Russian drones and missiles.

  
  

  Aircraft Losses

  The latest F-16 loss occurred on Friday, May 16, at 3:30 a.m. The pilot was intercepting Russian cruise missiles, destroyed three, and engaged a fourth with his cannon when he reported an emergency. He steered the aircraft away from populated areas and ejected successfully. A rescue team found and evacuated him quickly. The cause is under investigation, but reports suggest debris from the missile he engaged might have hit the plane — similar incidents have previously destroyed Ukrainian MiG-29s and Su-27s.

  Besides this F-16, Ukraine lost only the civilian aircraft during the period. Around May 23, Russia struck an agricultural airfield at Kyslychuvata in Dnipropetrovsk region with a ballistic missile, destroying three An-2 biplanes. This was a pointless attack — satellite images show the planes hadn’t moved since the war began and likely weren’t flight-capable.

  The Military Watch site published images of Russian drone damage to a civilian aeroclub hangar at Zhytomyr airfield (120 km west of Kyiv) — an April 27, 2025, strike. Three or four propeller driven planes were destroyed, and five to six others damaged. Destroyed aircraft included Pipistrel Virus SW 100 (UR-HUNT), Flight Design CTSW (UR-GIK), and PZL-110 Koliber 150A (N150AQ). A Piper PA-32-260 (N56131) was most likely damaged beyond repair. Both U.S.-registered planes belonged to German company QualitAir and had been stuck in Ukraine.

  Russia also suffered further losses besides the Su-30s downed by Magura drones. On Friday, May 23, around 2 p.m., a Mi-8 helicopter crashed near Naryshkino in Russia's Oryol region while on a mission to hunt Ukrainian drones. The three crew members — Major Andrey Silantyev, Captain Ruslan Zhvanko, and Lieutenant Yegor Buchnev perished.

  Another loss was a Ka-52 helicopter, decommissioned and displayed at the gate of the Syzran Higher Air School in Samara. The helicopter had been damaged in combat and sent to Russia for repairs, but the damage was too severe. It now bears the number 85 and commemorates the school’s 85th anniversary.

  Aftermath of the Russian drone strike on the civilian aeroclub hangar at Zhytomyr airfield, which took place on April 27, 2025.

  This Russian Ka-52 helicopter was damaged beyond repair during the deployment in Ukraine and now serves as a monument at the gate of the Higher Aviation School in Syzran, Samara region, Russia.

  Mirage 2000.

  Ukrainian Black Hawk in action.

  Still from a video showing a Mi-24 helicopter originally from the Czech Republic.

• Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz

  Cat. No. 82218

   

  The aircraft of the Japanese naval air group Tsukuba (Tsukuba Kaigun Kōkūtai) are probably known to many modelers because of the distinctive "Tsu" character on their tails. This training Kōkūtai underwent several organizational changes during its service. Toward the end of the war, it formed a fighter unit for homeland defense as well as several kamikaze units.

  Its history began at Tomobe airfield, northwest of Lake Kasumigaura in Ibaraki Prefecture. In the early 1930s, the base was built on the site of a defunct sheep farm. Various army and naval units had previously operated from this area. In the summer of 1934, a detachment from the Kasumigaura Kōkūtai training unit started operations at the new base. This detachment conducted basic flight tests, after which successful naval academy graduates and non-commissioned officers were assigned to advanced training.

  In December 1938, a new naval training unit, Tsukuba Kōkūtai, was established from the Tomobe detachment. A year later, a detachment from Tsukuba at Hyakurihara airfield became the Hyakurihara Kōkūtai.

  In March 1944, a significant reorganization took place involving Tsukuba Kōkūtai. Its focus shifted to operational training on combat aircraft, and it took over equipment from the disbanded Ōita Kōkūtai. At the same time, it transferred its previous training aircraft to another naval unit, Tsukijō Kōkūtai.

  One of the many commanders of Tsukuba Kōkūtai from July 1944 was Capt. Chujirō Nakano, who had previously commanded Kōkūtai 201 during defensive battles in the Rabaul area. Lt. Cdr. Yasushi Yokoyama also played a key role in the transition to combat aircraft training, taking over as head of training at Tsukuba Kōkūtai in July 1944.

  With the introduction of single- and two-seat Zero aircraft, the grass runway at Tomobe was no longer adequate, and the unit relocated to Misawa airbase. In the second half of 1944, Tsukuba Kōkūtai also received Shiden (George II) fighters and in November formed a fighter unit composed of instructors. This unit first engaged the enemy on January 9, 1945, during a B-29 bombing raid on Tokyo, but did not shoot down any bombers.

  In mid-February, the unit received 24 additional Zero fighters and had nine operational Shiden aircraft. Around the same time, Tsukuba Kōkūtai pilots clashed with U.S. Navy aircraft during raids on the Kantō region on February 16 and 17. Despite losing 14 aircraft, the Japanese pilots claimed 11 American planes shot down during the two days. In a similar engagement on February 25, Tsukuba Kōkūtai lost eight aircraft but claimed five victories. After the battle, only nine operational fighters remained.

  At the same time, Tsukuba Kōkūtai was ordered to form a special kamikaze attack unit. Initial training took place at Kashima Kōkūtai, and by the end of March, eight special attack units had been formed.

  On March 30, twelve aircraft from Tsukuba Kōkūtai were detached and moved to Izumi airbase. Their mission was to provide air cover for the battleship Yamato during Operation Ten-Ichi Go, a one-way voyage to Okinawa on April 6 and 7, 1945. Japanese planes were deployed for conventional and kamikaze attacks against Allied vessels pursuing Yamato. Among the ships hit were the aircraft carrier USS Hancock, the battleship USS Maryland, and the destroyer USS Bennett, which was heavily damaged.

  Simultaneously, the Kikusui I kamikaze campaign against ships around Okinawa began. On its first day, April 6, a special attack unit from Tsukuba Kōkūtai participated in kamikaze attacks. By June 1945, another seven kamikaze units formed from Tsukuba Kōkūtai were deployed. From early May, Shiden aircraft began escorting these missions, increasing the Tsukuba Kōkūtai’s strength to 96 aircraft.

  At the end of May, Shiden pilots managed to shoot down two B-29 bombers. During June, they also engaged long-range Mustang fighters over the Kantō area. In the final weeks of the war, Tsukuba Kōkūtai was relocated to Katori airbase in preparation for an anticipated enemy invasion. After the war, the three-story concrete building of the former Tsukuba Kōkūtai headquarters at the disbanded Tomobe base was used as a school and later as an administrative building for a hospital. In 2011, during hospital expansion and transformation into a mental health facility, space was freed up for a room dedicated to the history of Tsukuba Kōkūtai. In 2013, demolition of the original headquarters building was planned, but the same year a museum of the unit was instead established inside. In 2018, the museum moved to a neighboring building, and the original headquarters was declared a protected cultural monument by the city of Kasama. The exhibition, which commemorates the history of the base and Tsukuba Kōkūtai, includes a replica of a Zero fighter aircraft.

• With Bf 110 in the Far North

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Illustration: Antonis Karydis

  Cat. No. 8409

   

  When two Bf 110s landed in neutral Sweden on September 1, 1941, it was a welcome opportunity for the Swedes to thoroughly examine the aircraft. At that time, they were considering licensed production of this type. One of the aircraft flipped over during an emergency landing, but the other landed smoothly near Tärendö. On the rudder of this Messerschmitt were marked eight victories achieved against British and Soviet opponents, and the aircraft was piloted by Lt. Felix Maria Brandis. The Swedes took at least eighty photos of Brandis’ aircraft and its details. At the beginning of 1941, Felix Maria Brandis served with a Bf 110 unit that was organizationally subordinated to JG 77, which was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109s. The designation of Brandis’s Staffel, after some initial changes, settled as 1.(Z)/JG 77, with the letter Z standing for Zerstörer (destroyer, heavy fighter). The unit was based in Norway, and its task was to counter British bombers.

  Already at the start of 1941, Brandis had a stroke of luck when, on 27 January, he and his radio operator Gefr. Matthias Gans managed to escape unharmed after ditching following an engine fire. In the following months, Brandis shot down three British twin-engine bombers. After the start of the attack on the Soviet Union, during operations over Murmansk in July, he added to his tally a Soviet bomber and two fighter aircraft. The unit operated against the Soviets from the Norwegian base at Kirkenes, near the Finnish and Soviet border.

  However, the German pilots were not warned by their intelligence officers about the intensity and accuracy of Soviet anti-aircraft defenses. Later, Bf 110 crews admitted that, had they been informed, they would have chosen different altitudes for certain phases of their combat missions. Enemy flak hit Brandis’ aircraft on July 17, 1941, during Stuka escort mission against Varlamovo. Brandis had to ditch in Petsamo bay, and this time his gunner, Gefr. Gans, did not survive. An unexpected opponent appeared on 30 July in the form of Royal Navy aircraft from the carriers HMS Furious and HMS Victorious. The British launched a raid on the ports of Kirkenes and Petsamo, losing twelve Albacores and four Fulmars in the process. The Germans deployed nine Bf 109s, four Bf 110s, and even nine Ju 87 bombers in interception. The German side, including anti-aircraft gunners, claimed 28 enemy aircraft shot down. Felix Brandis added two Albacore bombers to his tally.

  Brandis scored another victory, this time over a Soviet fighter, on 15 August. Although it was his ninth confirmed kill, only eight victories were marked on the rudder of his aircraft.

  On 1 September, the event mentioned at the beginning, Lt. Brandis led a formation of four Bf 110s in an afternoon attack on the Murmansk railway. On the return leg, two aircraft made emergency landings near Alakurtti due to fuel shortage but were only lightly damaged. Felix Brandis and the pilot of the remaining aircraft lost orientation due to severely reduced visibility.

  The crew of Uffz. Rudolf Reitz and Uffz. Guntram Weigl overturned during a gear-down landing on a small island, and it took the Swedes quite some time to get both airmen out of the aircraft. Their plane was a Bf 110 E-1 (WNr. 4113) with the code LN+KR.

  Brandis, with Uffz. Alfred Harnach as his gunner, managed a smooth landing. Their aircraft was also an E-1 version, serial number 4114, and bore the fuselage code LN+FR. All the airmen later recalled that their internment was very comfortable, including boat outings.

  After the aircraft and crews returned to their unit, Lt. Brandis achieved another victory, shooting down a Polikarpov I-16 on 15 September. But the following day, Brandis once again crash-landed his aircraft. This time, his gunner was Uffz. Weigl, who had been in the second crew during the crash landings in Sweden. Brandis was flying a Bf 110 D-0 (WNr. 3170) coded LN+HR, and had even taken a war correspondent onboard. The aircraft had two victory marks on its rudder, as it was usually flown by Ofw. Mundig as his personal mount. This very aircraft is depicted on Antonis Karydis’s box art. During a combat flight over the Kola Peninsula, Brandis’ Messerschmitt was hit in the left engine. He managed to bring the damaged aircraft back behind friendly lines but had to make an emergency landing in the tundra. Fortunately, German mountain troops observed the final phase of the flight, located the crew, and brought them to their command post.

  By the end of 1941, Lt. Brandis achieved four more victories against Soviet fighters, but on February 2, 1942, he died in a crash on an icy surface in poor visibility. His gunner, Fw. Herbert Baus, survived with injuries. By that time, Felix Maria Brandis held the rank of Oberleutnant and was the commander of his Zerstörerstaffel, which had in the meantime been redesignated as 6.(Z)/JG 5.

• Markings for Tales of Iwojima 1/72

  COL A

  P-51D-25, 44-73382, Lt. Col. John W. Mitchell, CO of 15th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, Summer 1945

  Lt. Col. John W. Mitchell assumed command of the 15th FG few days after the previous CO, Lt. Col. Jack Thomas was killed during an attack on the Kagamigahara airfield on July 19, 1944. John Mitchell achieved eight kills while flying P-39 Airacobras and P-38 Lightnings on Guadalcanal. As the CO of the 339th FS, John W. Mitchell led the flight of P-38F Lightnings of the 339th FS to shoot down the aircraft with Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto aboard on April 18, 1943. He is credited with three victories during the VLR sorties. Annie Lee was a 78th FS aircraft and sported marking with glossy black propeller spinner, black wing tips and tail tips. Note the non-standard two-digit fuselage number. 

   

  COL B

  P-51D-20 s/n 44-63483, Maj. Gilmer L. Snipes, CO of 45th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF, Saipan, February 1945

  Gilmer L. Snipes achieved the first kill of the 45th FS on October 23, 1943, when he shot down an H8K Emily flying boat over Gilbert Islands in the cockpit of P-40N. He became the unit’s CO on April 4, 1944. The 45th FS arrived at Iwojima on March 7, 1945 and provided aerial support to the allied forces and also flew ground attack sorties against Chichijima and Hahajima. Snipes is credited with a Ki-44 Tojo on the first VLR Mission on April 7, 1945. He left unit on April 16, 1945, returning to the USA. Tom-Cat shows the early unit marking with black bordered slanted green stripes on the wing and tail and green/black/green stripped spinner. Note the squadron badge, the Indian rides a P-51, not P-40, as it is often shown. Note the single antenna mast.

   

  COL C

  P-51D-20, 44-63483, Maj. Robert W. Moore, CO of 45th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, August 1945

  Major Robert W. Moore became the top scoring fighter ace of the VII Fighter Command with 12 confirmed kills. He achieved his first kill, a Mitsubishi Zero, over Gilbert Island on January 26, 1944, but most of his aerial victories were achieved during his service with 78th FS. He led the 45th FS since July 19, 1944, and then he overtook also the Mustang s/n 44-63483, named then Stinger VII. Stinger VII wore the simplified late unit marking with green wing and tailplane tips and green propeller spinner. Note the green painted undercarriage door.

   

  COL D

  P-51D-20, 44-63420, Capt. Eurich L. Bright, 47th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, Summer 1945

  Pilots of the 47th Pursuit Squadron were credited with seven kills during Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. At the time the unit was still part of Hawaiian Air Force. Three and a half years later, on March 6, 1945, 47th FS was the first unit of VII FC which arrived to Iwojima. Eurich L. Bright achieved his three kills during the first VRL mission over Japan on April 7, 1945, shooting down Ki-61, Ki-45 and A6M5 Zero. Later, on May 25, 1945, he shared a Zero together with George Petrouleas. The unit markings were most probably very dark blue, not black as it is often suggested.

   

  COL E

  P-51D-20, 44-63984, Maj. James B. Tapp, CO of 78th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, May 1945

  During attacks on Tokyo vicinity airfields on May 25, 1945, the 7th AF Mustang pilots fired unguided HVAR rockets for the very first time. A quartet of thusly armed Mustangs was part of a force that included initially some 128 fighters, but a mere 67 aircraft found their mark. The flight of HVAR-armed Mustangs was led by Maj. James Buckley Tapp, who hit a hangar with his rockets at Matsudo Air Base and then shot down a Ki-44 Tojo in aerial combat. This was his 7th kill, while his first four happened during the first escort mission of B-29 Superfortresses bombers over Japan on April 7, 1945. Margaret IV sported the early unit marking, with yellow/black spinner, six-inch black band around the nose, yellow/black strips on the horizontal and vertical tailplanes, and black outlined yellow wing tips, with “The Bushmasters” unit badge on both sides of the forward fuselage.

   

  COL F

  P-51D-25, 44-73407, Maj. James B. Tapp, CO of 78th FS, 15th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, Summer 1945

  Maj. Tapp became the first USAAF ace to gain all his kills during VLR missions. His fifth victim was a Ki-61 on April 12, 1945. Unfortunately, Tapp also damaged the Mustang of his wingman, Lt. Fred W. Whitte, who bailed out, but his parachute didn’t open, and the pilot died. With a total of eight confirmed kills and two damaged enemy aircraft, Maj. Tapp ranked second among Mustang pilots of the VII Fighter Command. The Margaret V replaced Margaret IV in the line of Tapp’s aircraft and wore the late squadron marking with yellow wing and tailplane tips and yellow propeller spinner. Unit badge was not painted. Curiously part of the black vertical tail band remained painted on the vertical stabilizer.

   

  COL G

  P-51D-20, 44-63451, Lt. Robert J. Louwers/Lt. John E. Montgomery III, 46th FS, 21th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

  As this aircraft was shared by two pilots, it was also double-named. It was Mary Alice on starboard and My Miss Moe on portside. Mary Alice was Robert Louwers wife’s name, the girl was painted from an Esquire magazine picture. Such painting was quite rare among the 46th FS aircraft, most of them were marked just with black-outlined blue vertical tail strip, black outlined wing and horizontal tail tips and blue spinner with black outlined nose of aircraft, which was the same style as the other 21st FG squadrons where the other squadron colors were white for 531st FS and yellow for 72nd FS. One interesting detail is that Louwers served also as photography officer for 46th FS yet he flew nine VLR missions to Japan and one over Chichijima.

   

  COL H

  P-51D-20, 44-63733, Maj. Paul W. Imig, CO of 72nd FS, 21st FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, March 1945

  Major Imig, a veteran of VII FC, named his Mustang for his girlfriend and later wife. Dede Lou completed  altogether 26 missions flown by various pilots from Airfield No.2. Paul Imig left the squadron in mid-May and returned back to the USA. He spent some three years overseas, having been a P-39 Airacobra pilot of the 333rd Squadron on Canton Island in late 1942. The 72nd FS as well as the whole 21st FG operated less colorful Mustangs  than the aircraft of some other units. The black bordered yellow strips on vertical tail, black bordered yellow wing and horizontal tailplane tips, yellow spinner, black outlined nose, a name of the plane on the nose side under the exhaust, that´s it.

   

  COL I

  P-51D-25, 44-73623, Maj. Harry C. Crim (later Flt.Off. Theo Gruici), CO of 531st FS, 21st FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, July/August 1945

  My Ach’in was delivered from Guam in late May 1945 as a replacement for destroyed aircraft. Flown by Major Harry Crim it was his second aircraft at 531st FS. Harry Crim, the CO of 531st FS was an old-timer who flew P-38s over Tunisia in the MTO in 1943 and became top-scoring pilot of 21st FG with six aerial victories. He claimed his first kills, Ki-45 and Ki-61, on April 7, 1945, during the well-known VLR Mission over Tokyo. Later on August, My Ach’in was flown by Theo Gruici, who replaced the mission symbols with another pin-up girl on the starboard side of the aircraft. The number 300 was replaced while the aircraft was moved to Guam to no. 3623 after the end of the war.

   

  COL J

  P-51D-25, 44-73379, 2nd Lt. William G. Hetland/ Lt. Hinkle, 457th FS, 506th FG, 7th AF, Iwojima, June 1945

  When the 457th Fighter Squadron was activated on October 21, 1944, the Allied offensive in the Pacific brought American bombers within striking distance of the Japanese homeland. With the capture of Iwo Jima in March 1945, the U.S. Army Air Force gained an outpost to provide fighter escort for long-range B-29 bombers. Late the following month, the 506th Fighter Group, consisting of the 457th, 458th, and 462nd Fighter Squadrons, arrived. On Iwo Jima, the 506th Fighter Group, in addition to assisting in the defense of the island, participated in VII Fighter Command’s attacks on enemy-held neighboring islands. One of the Mustangs used by the 457th Fighter Squadron was an aircraft named “Lil Ole Meanie II”, which was regularly flown by Lt. Hetland and Lt. Hinkle.

   

  COL K

  P-51D-20, 44-72579, Capt. J. B. Baker Jr., 458th FS, 506th FG, 20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

  Captain J. B. Baker Jr shot down a Ki-44 during the escort sortie over Nagoya and Kobe area on June 23, 1945. He was also credited with J2M Raiden probably destroyed during another raid to Tokyo area, when the Mustangs strafed the airfields east and northeast of Tokyo. The 506th Fighter Group struck Katori and strafed Yachimata and Miyakawa. Based on No. 3 Airfield, the marking of Mustangs of 458th FS squadron consisted of 4-inch wide angled dark blue stripes but the replacement aircraft’s tails were painted in solid blue except vertical rudder. Note the Luftwaffe style spiral on the spinner and an attractive archer emblem on the right side of the aircraft.

   

  COL L

  P-51D-20, 44-72587, 2nd Lt. William G. Ebersole/2nd Lt. James R. Bercaw, 462nd FS, 506th FG, 20th AF, Iwojima, July 1945

  This Mustang was shared by 2nd Lieutenants Bill Ebersole and James Bercaw. Bill Ebersole, the youngest pilot of the 462nd FS, arrived to Iwojima’s east side No. 3 Airfield on May 1945, at the time of the last night attacks of the remaining Japanese soldiers on the island. Ebersole flew his first combat sortie over Chichijima on May 15, 1945 and flew the first VLR Mission among his total 10 on June 7, 1945, which was an eight-hours long escort sortie over Osaka. He was credited by Zero destroyed on ground during the attack on Hyakurigahara airfield on June 26, 1945 and also destroyed small transport ship Sugar Dog type on early August. His final strafing mission was flown against Tachikawa on August 5, 1945, only one day before the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. 

• Markings for A6M2-K 1/48

   COL A

  Tsukuba Kōkūtai, Tsukuba Base, Japan, 1944

   Tsukuba Kōkūtai training unit was separated from Kasumigaura Kōkūtai in December 1938. Over the time, the focus of training provided by the unit changed. In November 1944, Tsukuba Kōkūtai assigned experienced instructors to form a fighter squadron equipped with Zero and Shiden aircraft. This squadron engaged in combat with B-29 bombers and U.S. carrier-based aircraft as early as January and February 1945. At the end of March 1945, Tsukuba Kōkūtai was ordered to form its own Kamikaze units, designated Tsukuba-tai No. 1 to No. 6. However, the last two Kamikaze units were staffed by Zero pilots from Kōkūtai 721. In July 1943, a regulation was issued that, among other things, mandated that training aircraft deployed in combat operations or based in areas where the enemy was active should be painted like combat aircraft. In practice, this led to the repainting of already-produced A6M2-K trainers. One such aircraft was Tsu-415, which is known from a photograph showing it with a yellow-orange coating on all surfaces. However, in a later photograph, it appears camouflaged with dark green paint on the upper surfaces, while the original paint and markings on the tail remained unchanged.

   

  COL B

  probably Kōkūtai 332, Japan, 1945

  This trainer aircraft, found in Japan at the end of the war, was captured on a color slide. The machine was likely assembled from at least two aircraft. In the photograph, it is clearly visible that the undersides of the wings are largely left unpainted, but part of the wing and the underside of the fuselage are painted in a yellow-orange color. The color of the undersides of the horizontal tail surfaces is not very clear in the photo, so it is possible they were left unpainted, or painted gray, and it cannot be ruled out that parts of them were also painted yellow-orange. From the photo, it is not entirely clear which part of the propeller assembly was left on the aircraft. It is possible that it is part of a spinner, painted in dark green. The aircraft likely belonged to a training squadron that was part of the Kōkūtai 332. When this IJN air group was established in August 1944, it was equipped with interceptors and two-seat float reconnaissance planes. Later, it was equipped with Zero fighters, J2M Raiden interceptors, and J1N1 Gekkō night fighters. It participated in the defense of the Philippines and defended Japan against B-29 bomber raids.

   

  COL C

  Kōkūtai 205, Taiwan, 1945

  This aircraft was captured by Chinese forces in Taiwan at the end of World War II. It is a trainer aircraft that originally belonged to the armament of Kōkūtai 205. This unit was formed in early February 1945 from personnel of various units who had been evacuated from the Philippines. The unit's official strength was 144 Zero fighter aircraft, divided among Hikōtai 302 (based in Taichū/Taichung), Hikōtai 315 (Tainan/T’ai-nan), and Hikōtai 317 (Shinchiku/Hsinchu). After the American landing on Okinawa, the Japanese command decided to use all air units in Taiwan for special attack (Kamikaze) operations. For this purpose, two forward command posts were established for Kōkūtai 205 on the islands of Ishigaki-jima and Miyako-jima. The Kamikaze unit detached from Kōkūtai 205 was named Taigi-tai (Noble Cause Unit). It was deployed from April to June 1945, primarily targeting Royal Navy vessels. Taigi-tai claimed hits on the aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Indomitable.

    

  COL D

  Ensign Daiji Matsufuji, Kamikaze Tokubetsu Kōgekitai, 1st Shichisei-tai, Kanoya airbase, Japan, April 1945

   From April 3, 1945, a total of eight special attack units with the battle name Shichisei were organized from the airmen serving in Genzan Kōkūtai (II) and Hikōtai 306 (part of Kōkūtai 721). Lt. Miyatake, who was 24 years old at the time, led the 1st Shichisei-tai in an attack on a convoy off Okinawa on April 6, 1945. During that day, eleven other airmen from Genzan Kōkūtai (II) sacrificed their lives along with him. They took off successively in four formations. They were among the 524 aircraft of special attack units and escort fighters from IJN and IJA sent against Allied vessels off Okinawa as part of Operation Kikusui I. The U.S. Navy lost destroyers USS Bush (DD-529) and Colhoun (DD-801) and other ships were severely damaged. Shichisei units were sent against ships off Okinawa, Yoronjima,  Kikai, and Tanegashima islands in several missions till May 14. Only one of them returned to base due to bad weather. The depicted Ke-427 aircraft was apparently assembled from two airframes with differently applied paint schemes. During a special attack mission on April 6, it was likely piloted by Ensign Daiji Matsufuji.

   

  COL E

  Tainan Kōkūtai (II), Tainan airbase, Taiwan, summer 1944

  The designation of this training unit is the Katakana characters "Ta" and "I". The dark green paint on the upper surfaces indicates that the aircraft has been overhauled. The machine was acquired from funds raised by the Tokyo Fruit and Vegetable Commercial Association. The second Tainan Kōkūtai was established in April 1943 as an operational training unit. Its home base was again Tainan, as with the previous unit of that name, which became Kōkūtai 251 in late 1942. When Allied air raids on Taiwan began in the second half of the war, the airmen of Tainan Kōkūtai (II) joined in its defense. They fought both four-engine bombers and their escort fighters based in China as US Navy aircraft.  Its first commander was Capt. Shigematsu Ichimura, who was commander of the 14th Kōkūtai in China in 1940. The most famous instructor who served with the unit was CPO Takeo Tanimizu, an ace with 18 kills to his credit. In January 1945, a special attack unit was organized from part of the Kōkūtai and participated in Kamikaze missions.

   

  COL F

  Kōnoike Kōkūtai, Kōnoike airbase, Japan, 1944

  The Kōnoike Air Group was established in mid-February 1944 and conducted training activities until mid-December 1944. Among its instructors were, for example, Warrant Officer Shigeo Sugi-o, who had over 20 victories to his credit, Warrant Officer Momoto Matsumura (13 victories), and Lieutenant Sumio Fukuda (11 victories). The latter two perished in October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf as members of carrier-based fighter units. Already during the fighting in the Philippines, Kōnoike Kōkūtai selected a number of volunteers from its ranks for special attack (Kamikaze) missions. The final phase of training for these Kamikaze pilots was completed in Taiwan. The Kōnoike base had two main runways measuring 1,800 and 1,400 meters in length and also had a number of smaller runways. During the autumn of 1944, the Kōnoike airfield became the first of several bases for the 721st Air Group, which was preparing for the deployment of MXY-7 Ōka rocket aircraft. In mid-February 1945, the airfield was the target of a devastating air raid by U.S. Navy aircraft. Some concrete shelters still survive in the area around the base to this day.

• Markings for Bf 110D 1/48

  COL A

  Bf 110D-0, W.Nr. 3170, Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis & Uffz. Guntram Weigl, 1.(Z)/JG 77, Petsamo, Finland, September 1941

  Felix-Maria Brandis was born on September 9, 1919, in Ahaus. He joined the Luftwaffe on September 14, 1939. On September 1, 1941, he was forced to land in Sweden with a Bf 110E-1 (W.Nr. 4114) when he got lost on return to the base and run out of fuel. He returned from internment in Sweden on September 7, 1941. On September 16, 1941, Lt. Felix-Maria Brandis and Uffz. Guntram Weigl flew the LN+HR (usually flown by Ofw. Karl Munding, the two kill marks on the rudder were his own) on combat mission over Murmansk. Returning to Petsamo base, they were hit by anti-aircraft fire in the left engine over the Kola Peninsula. During the subsequent emergency landing, LN+HR was destroyed but its crew escaped uninjured. On the nose of the aircraft was painted the emblem of the Zerstörerstaffel in the form of a dachshund with a Rata (Polikarpov I-16) in its mouth. Felix-Maria Brandis scored a total of fourteen victories during his time on the Eastern Front, comprising five British opponents (including two Fairey Albacores) and nine Soviet aircraft. The 1.(Z)/JG 77 was deployed in northern Europe to fight against both British and Soviet forces. Lt. Brandis was killed on February 2, 1942, with a Bf 110E-2 (W.Nr. 2546) LN+AR when his aircraft crashed in bad weather while returning from a combat flight near Olanga.

   

  COL B

  Bf 110D-0, W.Nr. 3181, 4./ZG 2, Gyancourt, France, July 1940         

  This is so far the only known example of a Bf 110D belonging to II./ZG 2 equipped with the additional fuel tank under fuselage, so called Dackelbauch. The II./ZG 2 was created in July 1940 from I./ZG 52 and kept its original emblem, a white dragon in black shield. The unit also kept its original fuselage codes of I./ZG 52. Camouflage consisted of RLM 71, 02 and 65. Unit lost its Gruppenkommandeur, Major Harry Carl, on August 16 after combat with RAF fighters over the Channel. He got killed together with his gunner Uffz. W. Maier in a crash landing near Beauzeville, France. The commander of the 4. Staffel was Hptm. Hans Peter Külbel, former policeman and pre-war commander of military flying school. On August 11, 1940, he was appointed temporary commander of I./ZG 2. However, on next day he was shot down and killed alongwith his gunner Uffz. F. Budig by RAF fighters off Portsmouth. His body was washed ashore on September 18 near Boulogne. Due to heavy losses the II./ZG 2 was disbanded in September 1940, including 4./ZG 2.

   

  COL C

  Bf 110D-2, W.Nr. 3406, 9./ZG 26, Trapani, Sicily, Spring 1941          

  During MTO operations in the summer of 1941, Luftwaffe aircraft received recognition markings consisting of white fuselage bands and, in some cases, also a white tail. A rooster emblem adorned the nose of aircraft serving with 9. Staffel. Besides that, the III./ZG 26 emblem consisting of a ladybug in a white square was also carried. As a carryover of previous service, the nose was in yellow, as was the yellow horizontal stripe on rudder. Aircraft of this Gruppe were the first fighters of the Luftwaffe employed over Africa. They happened to become the longest serving aircraft in the MTO theatre of operations, as they were used up to mid-1943.

                

  COL D

  Bf 110D-0, W.Nr. 3156, Hptm. Werner Restemeyer, Stab/ZG 76, Stavanger-Sola, Norway, May-June 1940             

  The first unit equipped with Bf 110Ds during the Norwegian campaign was I./ZG 76. The aircraft carried an older variant of the camouflage with sharply bordered areas of RLM 70/71 on the upper surfaces and RLM 65 on the lower ones. The aircraft shown used an under-fuselage external tank, after which the aircraft were nicknamed Dackelbauch (dachshund belly). On August 15, 1940, the M8+AB, flown by Hptm. Werner Restemeyer, Uffz. Werner Eichert and radio specialist Hptm. Hartwich, escorted He 111 in a raid on Dishforth and Linton-Upon-Ouse. At 12.30pm it was intercepted and shot down by Spitfires from No. 72 Squadron. The Bf 110D M8+AB crashed in flames into the sea off the coast of Durham, killing the crew.

• Tail End Charlie

  
  

  New Czech Warbirds

   

  Text: Jan Bobek

  Photos: Petr Kolmann

  
  

  I can't say that I’m a frequent visitor to air shows, or that I have a clear overview of which historical aircraft are in flyable condition in which countries. One of my greatest experiences in this area was a visit to the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia and a flight in a Stearman biplane over the sea coast. Naturally, as a passenger.

  Compared to the number of airworthy historical aircraft in the USA or, for instance, in the United Kingdom, the number of WWII-era flyable aircraft in the Czech Republic is much more modest. We have about a dozen of them here at home, and they clearly show which part of history their operators and patrons are interested in. These are Allied aircraft. We even have two Mustangs. And in the first half of this year, two unique examples have joined this small air force.

  At the beginning of April 2025, a Hawker Hurricane Mk.I aircraft arrived in Prague from the United Kingdom. It is the aircraft P3351, which took part in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. Among others, it was flown by American volunteers serving in No. 71 Squadron of the RAF. It was later received by the Soviet Air Force, in whose service this Hurricane was shot down, made a forced landing, and was rediscovered many decades later.

  The team at Prague Točná Airport became interested in the aircraft at the time when it was being considered for conversion into a two-seater in the UK. Fortunately, this did not happen, and the unique Hurricane was carefully restored into the form of the legendary aircraft P3143 “NN-D” of the No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF from the time of the Battle of Britain. It was presented to the public at the end of April, where else but at Točná Airport. And I must say that I could not have chosen a better new identity for a Hurricane Mk.I of Czechoslovak unit. I highly recommend checking out the details of this project at the Prague Točná Airport website.

  The second rarity to arrive in the Czech Republic this year is an Avro Anson Mk.I with serial number MH120. It was presented to the public at the air show in Pardubice on June 1. It bears the markings of aircraft K6183, belonging to No. 206 Squadron RAF, in honor of the crew of P/O L.H. Edwards, who was shot down at the beginning of September 1939 during combat with a German Heinkel He 115. This type holds great symbolic value for Czechoslovak aviation history, as many bomber crew members trained aboard Ansons. Details about this aircraft can be found on the RAF Station Czechoslovakia website, including a very engaging video tour of the aircraft’s interior. It has been reconstructed with the highest degree of authenticity while also meeting the requirements of modern air traffic communication.

  A big thank you goes to everyone who made it possible for these two aircraft to find their way to the Czech Republic. I hope they will bring joy to aviation enthusiasts and the general public for many years to come, and I believe that the ranks of Czech warbirds will continue to grow in the future.