Category: Golden Age (1919-1939)

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Arma Hobby Releases PZL P.11c Kit With 3D Printed Details, Four Liveries

Arma Hobby has released a new PZL P.11c “Pursuit Brigade” model kit in 1/72 scale.

The PZL P.11c was a Polish single-seat fighter of the mid-1930s, distinguished by its all-metal construction, high-mounted gull wings, open cockpit, and fixed landing gear. Powered by a Bristol Mercury radial engine, it reached about 375 km/h (233 mph) and carried two or four 7.92 mm machine guns. An advanced design when introduced, it had become obsolete as faster fighters entered service, yet remained Poland’s principal fighter when Germany invaded in September 1939, bearing much of the country’s air-defense effort against the Luftwaffe.

The kit (70018) includes includes fine 3D-printed details replacing the photo-etched parts from the earlier edition, and Cartograf decals with marking options for four aircraft representing all four squadrons of the Polish Pursuit Brigade: 111, 112, 113 and 114.

The kit is now available (Buy on eBay). Check out livery profiles and kit contents below.

Continue reading Arma Hobby Releases PZL P.11c Kit With 3D Printed Details, Four Liveries

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LukGraph Shares First Test Prints For Ambitious, Entirely New DH.89 Dragon Rapide Kit

LukGraph has shared the first test print photo for their “entirely new,” fully printed de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide project.

The DH.89 was a British twin-engine biplane airliner that first flew on 17 April 1934. Designed to carry six to eight passengers, it combined lightweight wooden construction with two 200 hp Gipsy Six engines, becoming one of the most successful British short-haul transports of the 1930s. During the Second World War, military versions served as the Dominie, principally in navigation training and communications roles. A total of 728 Rapides and Dominies were built, and many continued flying commercially after the war, notably on regional and island routes.

This is a complete redesign from the 1/32 Dragon Rapide LukGraph developed back in 2020, with “every curve, panel, surface and rivet carefully reconsidered.” Plans are to release the new kit in 1:72, 1:48, 1:32, and 1:24 scales. The 1/32 offering is especially ambitious, and will include four different boxings featuring around 15 different paint schemes in total. They note that the project is progressing very well with ongoing testing, printing and refining underway.

Click below to check out test print photo, as well as renderings.

Continue reading LukGraph Shares First Test Prints For Ambitious, Entirely New DH.89 Dragon Rapide Kit

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MiniArt to Release 1/48 Junkers F13 (Mid) in Italian, Czechoslovakian, Austrian and Bolivian Service

MiniArt has announced the upcoming release of a 1/48 Junkers F13 (Mid Production) in Italian, Czechoslovakian, Austrian and Bolivian Service.

The F13 was a pioneering all-metal airliner, with the mid-production versions helping to expand aviation during the 1920s and 1930s. Its corrugated duralumin construction, cantilever wing and enclosed four-passenger cabin offered a practical design for early commercial operations. In Italy, Transadriatica used the F13 on international routes, inaugurating its Venice–Klagenfurt–Vienna service in August 1926; in Austria, Österreichische Luftverkehrs AG (ÖLAG) operated the type on its developing airline network. Czechoslovak examples served both airline and military aviation organizations, while Bolivia’s Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano employed F13s to establish vital air links across difficult terrain. Together, these operators demonstrated the design’s adaptability to European transport networks and the demanding conditions of South American aviation.

The kit (48024) is described as highly detailed with fine exterior surface detail, photo-etched parts and four marking options. The kit is labeled as “coming soon,” although a final release date has not been announced. Check out box contents and livery profiles below.

Continue reading MiniArt to Release 1/48 Junkers F13 (Mid) in Italian, Czechoslovakian, Austrian and Bolivian Service

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Shuttleworth Provides Update on DH.88 Comet Restoration Plan, Fundraising Appeal Launched

Shuttleworth has provided an update on plans for their original de Havilland DH.88 Comet following an incident at their Flying Proms Air Show on August 15 that resulted in significant damage.

The organization states that they have reached an agreement in principle with their insurers that will allow detailed assessment and repairs to begin. A fundraising appeal has also been launched to help facilitate repairs, restoration and preservation. The goal is not only to return the historic aircraft to the air, but to do so in time for the time for the 100th Anniversary of 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia, which was won by “Grosvenor House” (G-ACSS) in 70 hours 54 minutes. This is the very aircraft Shuttleworth is now working to restore.

Our aim is to raise £250,000 over the next 18 months to ensure that G-ACSS not only flies again but emerges from this restoration with a more extensive spares holding to support its long-term operation for future generations to experience and enjoy.

As previously reported, the aircraft rolled over on landing at the event and the pilot was extracted and sent to the hospital, being discharged soon after. Full details on the restoration plan (and a donation link) can be found on Shuttleworth’s dedicated project page.

(via Shuttleworth Photo: Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Shuttleworth to Restore DH.88 Comet After Incident, Project Page Launched

Following an incident at Shuttlworth’s Flying Proms Air Show on August 15 that resulted in significant damage, The Shuttleworth Trust has announced their intention to restore their de Havilland DH.88 Comet back to airworthy condition.

The DH.88 was a remarkably sleek British two-seat, twin-engine racing aircraft designed by A. E. Hagg specifically for the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia. Built largely of wood with retractable landing gear, enclosed tandem cockpits, variable-pitch propellers, and two 230 hp Gipsy Six R engines, it represented an unusually advanced high-speed design for its day. Shuttleworth’s example, “Grosvenor House (G-ACSS),” is the very aircraft that won the roughly 11,300-mile race in 70 hours 54 minutes, helping make the DH.88 an enduring icon of 1930s aviation and an important influence on later de Havilland designs.

The aircraft rolled over on landing at the event and the pilot was extracted and sent to the hospital, being discharged soon after. Shuttleworth has launched a new, dedicated project page where you can stay up to date on the Comet’s progression.

(via Shuttleworth Photo: Airwolfhound from Hertfordshire, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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New Renders Detail Rare Birds Models’ Upcoming LeO H.246 Flying Boat

Rare Bird Models has released a series of renderings for their upcoming Lioré et Olivier LeO H.246 flying boat in 1/72 scale.

The H.246 was a French four-engine commercial flying boat developed in the late 1930s for Air France’s Mediterranean services, particularly routes linking southern France with North Africa. A high-wing parasol monoplane with a duralumin hull, it carried a crew of four and up to 26 passengers; its prototype first flew from Étang de Berre on 30 September 1937. Only six production aircraft were completed, and the war interrupted their intended civil role: examples served with Vichy French forces and, after capture, the Luftwaffe, while the surviving aircraft briefly returned to Air France service on the Marseille–Algiers route after 1945 before retirement in 1946.

The new renderings detail a “third possible option” representing F-AREN, which was captured by the Luftwaffe and used as a transport aircraft under registration 24+63. It was later deployed by KG200 in Norway. The armament includes 4 x MG15 in side positions and a MG13 in nose turret. As an additional option there will be 2 passenger salon interior versions – either with 11 x two stored stretchers or with 26 × seats for soldiers.

Click below to check out additional renders.

Continue reading New Renders Detail Rare Birds Models’ Upcoming LeO H.246 Flying Boat

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Scanning the Skies: Radar Research and Development Flying 1935-1977

Coming soon from Crecy Publishing and author Dennis Williams is Scanning the Skies: Radar Research and Development Flying 1935-1977

This book offers a detailed overview of a complex yet fascinating aspect of British aviation history, about which comparatively little has been published. The early development of radar in Britain culminated in the successful introduction of ground-based radar, which played a crucial role during the Battle of Britain. This was followed by the considerable challenges of designing airborne systems that had to be compact, lightweight, and energy-efficient. The widespread use of radar and other electronic systems (including countermeasures) made a significant contribution to the major operations of RAF Coastal Command in the North Atlantic and Bomber Command over Europe; these aspects are covered in detail. During the Cold War, development priorities included navigation and guidance systems for the V-bombers and guided missile projects. Equally important as the scientific advances were the aircraft on which these technologies were tested. A large part of the book is devoted to the aircraft types used in British radar research and development over five decades, from the modifications required for this specialized task and the airfields used to operate them to the operational procedures. The development of aircraft, on the one hand, and the radar and other electronic systems tested on them, on the other, combine to form a coherent history of aviation in the service of scientific research. The account essentially follows a chronological sequence and illustrates how the rapid development of airframes and engines, as well as the advances in electronics and later in computer technology, went hand in hand throughout the entire period under consideration.

The hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for October 31.

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British Commercial Aviation Development Told Through Detailed Accounts, Previously Unseen Photos

Coming soon from Key Publishing and author Roger Staker is Piston, Passengers and Payload, which follows the development of British piston-engine passenger and commercial transport aircraft between the end of the Great War and the early 1950s, when piston engines were superseded by jets and turboprops.

This period saw rapid change at a technological level, in response to an emerging market for transport of all types. It also witnessed the birth, failures and mergers of numerous air transport companies.

Flying was not without risks, Alongside the acknowledged successes that helped to make the world a smaller place, there were tragedies, Lessons learned from these contributed to the safer travel environment that we enjoy today. The pace of commercial aircraft development was given added urgency by World War Two, with many civilian aircraft pressed into military service: not all survived.

Featuring many previously unseen photos, this book is the story of a previously closed chapter in British aviation and offers detailed accounts of 17 manufacturers whose advanced designs paved the way.

The page book is currently available for pre-order with release set for September 30.

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The RAF’s Post-WW1 Operations, Fight For Survival Documented in New Book

Coming soon from Fonthill Media and author Vic Flintham is Royal Air Force Operations 1919 to 1929: How the RAF Secured Its Independence.

The Royal Air Force was just eight months old when the First World War ended. It then had to fight for survival against huge pressure from the Admiralty and War Office. The number of squadrons was swiftly reduced to a handful, but salvation came with the application of air control in India and mandated Iraq. In addition, Chief of the Air Staff Lord Trenchard laid strong foundations with the establishment of the Cadet College, Staff College and apprentice scheme, institutions not easily dismantled.

Throughout the first decade of its existence, the RAF, which then also controlled the Fleet Air Arm, performed operations in Somalia, Germany, Iraq, Palestine, Ireland, Russia, India, Turkey and China, while bringing into service new types of aircraft, albeit in small numbers. In the Middle East and Africa, it conducted and supported trailblazing flights, continually pushing the boundaries of what was achievable.

Royal Air Force Operations 1919 to 1920: How the RAF Secured Its Independence is the comprehensive story of the RAF in the 1920s, covering the service’s development at both home and abroad, including all its operations across the globe. Controversies, such as the RAF’s alleged use of chemical weapons in Iraq, are examined in detail, and some 350 photographs, many previously unpublished, bring the story to life like never before.

The 432 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for September 30.

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LukGraph Developing Heavily Detailed, Fully Printed 1/32 DH.89 Dragon Rapide

LukGraph has announced that they will be reintroducing their 1/32 de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide model kit in a completely redesigned form.

This isn’t just a reissue. It’s a brand-new project: refined, corrected, and heavily detailed to push the level of realism and build experience even further. Every surface, every line, every detail has been rethought to do justice to this iconic aircraft.

The kit will be fully printed (no casting) and will be offered in a variety of boxings with British military, Foreign military and civilian markings. As of this writing, a final release date has not yet been announced.

(via LukGraph)