Sea King AEW Mk.2a

My Sea King AEW Mk.2a, as flown by 849 NAS aboard HMS Illustrious in 1988, is complete.

The AEW was developed during the 1982 Falklands War after deficiencies in airborne early warning cost the Task Force dearly.

This kit was released in 2010 using Airfix’s 1969 tooling, a far cry from the detail and quality of the 2015 retooled Sea Kings I’ve previously loved building. 

Currently this is the only Airfix kit with the radar attachment, which interestingly was provided on a separate sprue so I could have just used this on the later kit. However, once started, I just wanted to finish it as Airfix intended, it is after all a vintage classic even if not badged as such. It even had a hole for the old fashioned stand that I couldn’t resist using 

B24 D Liberator

My latest US Navy Dunkeswell B24-D Liberator is complete. 

This is Minicraft’s 1:72 scale kit in the colours of B-13 ‘N' Berlin Express of VB-103 piloted by Lt. Chet Rief and Bruce Higgenbothem, and was one of the first Navy Liberators to arrive at Dunkeswell, Devon in 1943. 

US Navy Liberators went through a variety of camouflage schemes during World War II and Berlin Express can be seen here sporting the early tri-color camouflage scheme. 

Unfortunately Berlin Express had a short operational history, crashing on 3 December 1943.

 

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The kit 

Brand: Minicraft Model Kits
Title: Consolidated-Vultee USAF B-24D Liberator
Number: 11612
Scale: 1:72
Type: Full kit
Released: 1998 | Rebox

Battle for the Atlantic

Minicraft's 1:144 scale B-24 LIBERATOR & Revell's  1:350 scale  TYPE VII C U-BOAT 

B-6 “T” US Navy Liberator B-24J sinking U-243, a Type VII C U-Boat, in the Bay of Biscay on 8th July 1944. 

Revell provide decals for U-96, Buchheim’s inspiration for Das Boot, sunk on 30 March 1945 at Wilhelmshaven during a US air raid.

Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk.XIX

My New Year Spitfire build is complete. The Spitfire is a real gem when looking for a simple quick build, and it didn’t let me down!

I used Airfix’s post war PRXIX kit and additional decals to create the aircraft PM655 ‘6C.W’ of Photographic Development Unit, 2nd TAF, RAF Benson in 1948 and Eduard’s cockpit set.

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The kit

Brand: Airfix

Title: Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk.XIX

Number: A02017

Scale: 1:72

Released: 2009 | New Tool

Type II U-Boat

 My Type II U-Boat U20 is now complete. 

U20 was commissioned in February 1936 saw service first in the North Sea prior to being transferred to the Black Sea. In an attempt to avoid an overwhelming British presence around Gibraltar and throughout the Mediterranean U20 was broken into sections to be transported along the Danube to the Romanian port of Galați. She was then re-assembled at the Galați shipyard and sent to her new home in the Black Sea to serve with the 30th U-boat Flotilla against Russian shipping. 

She met her end, scuttled on 10 September 1944, in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey. 

This 1:144 scale Type II is my second Revell U-Boat, the first being the 1:350 scale Type VII, both of which have been really nice to build, with what I think is some quality moulding and detail. I’m looking to use this in a B-24 Liberator diorama, so I’ve added a bit of poetic licence in applying an Atlantic colour scheme.

Type VII C U-Boat

My Type VII C U-Boat is now complete. This is U-96 as it was when it fought in the Atlantic between 1940-43. It met its end when it was sunk on 30 March 1945 at Wilhelmshaven by bombs during US air raid. 

During autumn 1941, war correspondent Lothar-Günther Buchheim joined U-96 for her seventh patrol. This experience was the basis for his 1973 bestselling novel Das Boot, which was adapted into the 1981 Oscar-nominated film.

The kit is Revell’s 1:350 scale which has some lovely detail considering its small size. I now need to decide if to use this or its 1:144 scale cousin in my B-24 Liberator diorama.

B24 J Liberator

 Just completed the first of a series of B-24 Liberators which flew from Dunkeswell, Devon, during WW2. 

This is US Navy B24 J Liberator B-6 “T” of VB-105, 1944-45. 

B-6 “T” was one of a few J-model Navy Liberators to retain the Emerson nose turret and a “high hat” upper turret. Note also the sea-blue replacement rudders. This aircraft was flown back to the US after the war. 

The model kit used in this build is the 1975 release of Airfix’s 1:72 B-24J Liberator with  generic decals from my stash. I scratch built the radar bubble replacing the belly gun turret and used Vallejo Air paints of White and US Navy Sea Blue to create, I hope, a passable likeness.

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The Kit

Brand:  Airfix
Title:   B-24J Liberator
Number:  05006-3
Scale:  1:72
Type:  Full kit
Released:  1975 | Rebox (Changed decals)