Category: Golden Age (1919-1939)

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Now Available: E-Flite’s New Ultra Micro Gee Bee R-2 RC Model

E-Flite has released their new ultra micro Gee Bee R-2 510mm BNF Basic RC model with AS3X and SAFE Select.

The E-flite UMX Gee Bee R-2 is ready to soar through the skies in more places and smaller spaces thanks to its handling that has more in common with a friendly sport model than a short-coupled golden age racer. Awe-inspiring with an authentic scale outline and abundant details such as flying wires plus a pilot, this replica offers handling so remarkably smooth, you’ll want to fly it every day. AS3X® technology works behind the scenes to help you enjoy the outstanding stability and control you always wanted but never thought possible in such a small airplane, let alone in a model of the Gee Bee. Optional-use SAFE® Select flight envelope protection technology delivers automatic self-leveling plus pitch and bank angle limits that make it possible to successfully fly such a unique design even if you’re an intermediate RC pilot. It also features a quieter and more powerful 2S and 3S compatible motor, along with a modified fuselage and stronger wing, designed to handle the extra weight, power, and speed when using 3S 280–300mAh batteries. Best of all, it arrives 100% factory-assembled and ready to bind to your favorite Spektrum™ DSM2/DSMX®-equipped transmitter so you can be flying in almost no time! And it all adds up to deliver a model of the classic Gee Bee that’s a dream to fly while offering an exciting and incredibly unique flight experience from large yards and small parks to sports fields and beyond!

As previously reported, the new model (EFLU61500) follows E-Flite’s recent release of a larger 1.0m Gee Bee R-2.

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RAF’s Interwar Activities Chronicled With Hundreds of Rare Photos

Coming soon from Jonathan Falconer and JJN Publishing is The RAF Between The Wars 1918-39 (The Photographic Archive): Policing The Empire

The book is a visual history chronicling the Royal Air Force’s imperial policing operations from 1918 to 1939 across British territories like Iraq, Palestine, Aden, and India. Featuring hundreds of rare archival photographs of aircraft such as the Vickers Vernon and Airco DH.9A, personnel, and campaigns against tribal unrest, it highlights the RAF’s evolution into a key imperial tool through tactics like air control for low-intensity policing amid post-WWI budget constraints.

The 144 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release scheduled for March 6.

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ICM Releases New Luftwaffe Pilot School Kit With Detailed Hs 123A Biplane

ICM has released a new Luftwaffe Pilot School model kit in 1/32 scale.

The Henschel Hs 123A served as a dive bomber and close‑support aircraft in addition to training duties. It featured all‑metal sesquiplane construction and was powered by a BMW 132 radial engine. The aircraft was armed with two 7.92 mm machine guns and around 450 kg of bombs, typically a 250 kg centerline bomb and smaller wing bombs. Entering service in the mid‑1930s, it was rugged, highly maneuverable, and able to operate from rough front‑line airfields, which made it effective in the Spanish Civil War and early Second World War campaigns despite being technically obsolete. With a top speed of about 340 km/h and excellent dive‑bombing characteristics, the Hs 123A earned a reputation for toughness and reliable close air support, remaining in service longer than originally intended until withdrawn mainly due to spare‑parts shortages.

The new release (32017) consists of three Luftwaffe cadets and an Hs 123A training biplane. It includes detailed uniform elements, accurate geometry and proportions, a detailed cockpit and fuselage and step-by-step instructions.

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E-Flite to Release Beechcraft D18/RC-45J 1.5m RC Model

E-Flite will soon release a new Beechcraft D18/RC-45J 1.5m RC model in PNP and PNF Basic versions.

Described as “the most convenient, capable, and easiest to fly scale model of one of general and military aviation’s most recognizable aircraft,” the offering is equipped with a twin brushless power system with specially tuned motors to deliver better-than-scale-like performance when using 3S 3200-5000mAh batteries. Even more speed and unlimited vertical performance is reportedly provided with a 4S battery – no modifications or upgrades required.

It’s also equipped with an exclusive Spektrum Avian Dual 40-amp Smart Lite ESC, which can provide a variety of real-time power system telemetry data with both Smart and non-Smart batteries via compatible receivers (including the AR631+ installed in the BNF Basic version) and Spektrum AirWare-equipped transmitters. The BNF Basic version is also the only Twin Beech model equipped with enhanced AS3X+ and optional-use SAFE Select technologies, making it the easiest to fly D18/RC-45J yet. Factory-finished in a highly visible and fully painted white with orange Navy trim scheme, the lightweight yet durable, composite-reinforced EPO airframe features an abundance of scale detail — molded-in panel lines and hatches, antennas, exhaust stacks, a pilot figure, and more. Included functional flaps, twin rudders, and LED navigation lights elevate your experience to the next level. Factory-installed electric retracts with durable metal components making it possible to take off from a wide variety of surfaces, including paved runways, packed dirt, and even grass. The unique 3-piece wing design makes storage and transport as convenient as possible, as the center section houses the main gear, and all sections feature innovative hands-free connections. Best of all, because no glue is required for final assembly, you can have the Beechcraft D18/RC-45J 1.5m ready to fly in less time than it takes to charge a battery!

The model is currently slated for release later this month. Click below to check out a promo video for the upcoming release.

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E-Flite to Release Ultra Micro 510mm Gee Bee R-2 RC Model

On the heels of their new 1.0m Gee Bee R-2, E-Flite is gearing up to release an ultra micro 510mm BNF Basic example with AS3X and SAFE Select.

AS3X technology works behind the scenes to help you enjoy the outstanding stability and control you always wanted but never thought possible in such a small airplane, let alone in a model of the Gee Bee. Optional-use SAFE Select flight envelope protection technology delivers automatic self-leveling plus pitch and bank angle limits that make it possible to successfully fly such a unique design even if you’re an intermediate RC pilot. It also features a quieter and more powerful 2S and 3S compatible motor, along with a modified fuselage and stronger wing, designed to handle the extra weight, power, and speed when using 3S 280–300mAh batteries. Best of all, it arrives 100% factory-assembled and ready to bind to your favorite Spektrum DSM2/DSMX-equipped transmitter so you can be flying in almost no time!

The upcoming release boasts an authentic scale outline with abundant details including flying wires and a pilot. It is currently slated for release later this month. Click below to check out a promo video.

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From Sopwith Camel to Harrier: Hawker’s Naval Fighters Chronicled in New Book

The naval fighters of Sopwith and Hawker will take center stage in author Christopher Budgen’s upcoming book Hawker’s Naval Fighters: Camel to Sea Harrier, released by Pen & Sword.

In 1912, TOM Sopwith transitioned from running a flying school to manufacturing aircraft, leveraging his nautical interests to create designs purchased by Britain’s Royal Navy. The onset of the First World War solidified the Sopwith Aviation Company’s reputation with aircraft like the Sopwith Camel widely used onboard the ships of the day. After the war, cancellations of government orders forced Sopwith Aviation into liquidation, However, a new company, the HG Hawker Engineering Company, was quickly formed, having been named after Sopwith’s test pilot, Harry Hawker. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Hawker produced designs that continued to be purchased by the Royal Navy, being used on the early aircraft carriers as well as the larger vessels of the fleet. With the outbreak of the Second World War, the RN’s Fleet Air Arm found itself woefully unprepared for battle, having mainly biplanes and slow monoplanes with which to face the modern German fighters and bombers. As a temporary solution, Hawker adapted the Hurricane into the Sea Hurricane. Hawker later developed advanced piston-engine fighters like the Fury and its naval counterpart, the Sea Fury, which saw action during the Korean War and Suez Crisis in 1956. The Sea Fury was succeeded by Hawker’s first jet, the Sea Hawk, marking the Fleet Air Arm’s transition into the jet age. The Sea Hawk also served the Indian Navy during its conflicts with Pakistan. Hawker’s successful Hunter, although primarily for the RAF, was used by the Royal Navy for land-based operations. Meanwhile, Hawker’s next design, the ground breaking Harrier, was ordered as the Sea Harrier; it saw action during the Falklands War, and, in due course, in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and in Iraq. From its earliest days then, the Hawker Aircraft Company has supplied winning designs to the Royal Navy and to many navies overseas, a feat that few other companies could match.

The 232 Page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release scheduled for April 30.

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From Biplanes to Jets: The RAF’s Long Watch in the Far East

Newly released from author Steve Bond and Grub Street Publishing is RAF Boys in the Far East: True Tales of the RAF in India, South East Asia and Hong Kong.

For 82 years the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), which in 1918 became the Royal Air Force (RAF), maintained a permanent military aviation presence in the Far East. Throughout that time a huge variety of squadrons, flying many different aircraft types, together with all the necessary operational, technical and administrative support, took on all that was asked of them. The first RFC units arrived in India in 1915. RAF India grew substantially in the interwar period and throughout World War Two. Various changes in the command structure finally saw the creation of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) in June 1949, covering South East Asia and Hong Kong. In the 1960s the UK government decided to withdraw all forces East of Suez and on 31 October 1971 the FEAF disbanded and most UK forces withdrew from Singapore at this time. The last RAF unit to leave the region was 28 Squadron flying. They had been operating Whirlwind and Wessex helicopters in Hong Kong until the territory was handed back to China in 1997. RAF Boys in the Far East illustrates what it was like for those air and ground crew who were there by telling their stories in their own words, supported by explanation of the situations at the time and photographs primarily drawn from veterans’ own collections. The stories are as varied as the locations, the units and the personnel; everyday operations, exercises, triumph and tragedy, off duty time, and of course, the humour for which the RAF is renowned. Chapters focus on differing aircraft roles and their operations, including emphasis on the war years in India and Burma, and the Singapore era with actions such as Operation Firedog and the Indonesian Confrontation. Today those veterans who look back on their time served in the FEAF do so with a great deal of pride, and rightly so. This is their story.

The 256 page book is available in hardcover, Kindle and audiobook editions.

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Arma Hobby Releases Renderings of New Tool Curtiss H-75A / P-36

Arma Hobby recently announced their planned kits for 2026, which include a new tool Curtiss H-75A / P-36 in 1/48 scale.

The Curtiss H-75A (often called Hawk 75A) was an export version of the American Curtiss Model 75/P‑36 Hawk fighter, a late‑1930s all‑metal, low‑wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit, sold in several subtypes (A-1, A-2, A-3, etc.) to foreign air forces—most notably France, which used it as the H‑75C1 with a Pratt & Whitney R‑1830 radial engine and 7.5 mm machine‑gun armament, and where it saw front‑line service and notable success in the early stages of the Second World War before being rendered obsolete by newer designs.

The company states that this upcoming release is a direct development of the Curtiss project we previously introduced in 1/72 scale (we assume this refers to their H-75 A1/A2 kit 70080 / eBay Product Page). The new tool offering is currently scheduled for release in Q2 of 2026. Click below to check out a selection of newly released renderings of the model.

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Now Available: “All New” E-Flite Gee Bee R-2 1.0m RC Model

E-Flite has released their “all new” Gee Bee R-2 1.0m RC model in PNP (EFL020575) and BNF Basic (EFL020550) versions.

As previously reported, the model is described as “a faithful replica of the iconic aircraft, featuring an abundance of scale detail along with modern features and technologies to deliver an unmatched flying experience. It assembles quickly and is sized to be easily stored and transported without disassembly. The Bind-N-Fly® Basic version is equipped with enhanced AS3X+® technology that smooths out the effects of wind and turbulence like never before, plus optional-use SAFE® Select technology that makes it easier to fly. Both versions include Spektrum digital, metal-geared servos, a 70A Smart Lite ESC, and a 4S-compatible motor.”

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DC-3’s Epic Milestone: 90 Glorious Years Soars Onto US Shelves!

Fonthill will soon release The Douglas DC-3: 90 Glorious Years, author Geoff Jones’ comprehensive history of the Douglas DC-3, exploring its military, commercial, and enduring global legacy.

In Douglas DC-3: 90 Glorious Years, Geoff Jones explores the rich history of the aircraft from its beginnings in Southern California in the 1930s, to its participation in military operations such as the D-Day Normandy Landings, through to its use as a commercial aircraft into the twenty-first century. The Airbus and Boeing operators of today have their DC-3 operations to thank for their current success, and numerous enthusiast organisations continue to keep DC-3s airworthy and fly them for their members. Ninety years on, the legacy of this extraordinary aircraft is as strong as ever.

The 176 page paperback is currently available for pre-order with release slated for January 15.

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