Category: WW2 Era (1939-45)

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The Disappearance of R.E.P. Brooker DSO, DFC: Answering the Mystery and Controversy

Coming soon from Pen & Sword Books and author Malcolm Sutherland is A Fighter Pilot’s War: Battle of Britain, Far East, D-Day, & Germany – The Remarkable Career of Wing Commander R.E.P. Brooker DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar. The book is a detailed biography which reportedly provides the answers to the mystery and controversy surrounding Brooker’s disappearance in 1945.

Richard Edgar Peter Brooker left school and joined the RAF in 1937. He was posted to 56 Squadron and in 1940 he served for several weeks as personal assistant to Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, before flying throughout the height of the Battle of Britain. In the spring of 1941, promoted to Acting Squadron Leader, Brooker commanded No.1 Squadron during the Blitz; for this he was awarded the D.F.C. After being posted to Singapore late in 1941, where he led Nos. 232 and 242 squadrons fighting the Japanese invasion, he was evacuated on the last flight out of Bandoeng, Java, to Australia in March 1942. For his gallantry, determination in the face of heavy odds during the fall of Singapore, Brooker was awarded a Bar to the D.F.C. In the spring of 1944, Brooker became Wing Commander Flying of 123 Wing of Hawker Typhoons at RAF Thorney Island, in preparation for the liberation of Europe. Exhausted after an intensive spell of operational flying during and after D-Day, Brooker was taken off flying in July and sent to complete the Senior Staff Officers’ course at the RAF Staff College. At this time, he was awarded the DSO. In January 1945 Brooker became Wing Commander Flying of 122 Wing operating Hawker Tempest Vs, initially in Holland and then in Germany. In this period he was awarded a Bar to his DSO – but it was an award that was made posthumously. It was from Rheine-Hopsten in Germany that Peter took off on the evening, of 16 April 1945, and failed to return, just twenty-two days from VE Day. His aircraft and his remains have never been accounted for.

The 256 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for March 31.

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MiniArt Announces New Dorsal Fin P-47M Model Kit

MiniArt has announced a new addition to their line of 1/48 P-47 kits in the form of the P-47M (with dorsal fin).

The dorsal fin-equipped P-47M variant was a specialized late-WW2 modification of the P-47D bubbletop fighter, featuring a triangular fillet forward of the vertical stabilizer added to enhance directional stability after the redesigned rear fuselage caused yaw issues, as seen on later P-47D-40 models and retrofitted to some P-47Ms. Only about 130 P-47Ms were built, equipped with a high-output Pratt & Whitney R-2800-57(C) engine (2,800 hp with water injection) and improved turbo-supercharger for speeds up to 470-500 mph at altitude, optimized for intercepting V-1 buzz bombs and Me 262 jets while armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns.

The upcoming release is offered as a basic kit and will include two marking options. As of this writing a final release date has not been announced. Click below to check out additional images, including livery profiles.

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Spitfire Mk IXe SL633 For Sale: “Licensed and in Annual”

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Newly listed for sale is Spitfire Mk IXe SL633 (VH-RAF). The aircraft was restored by Historic Flying/Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) UK, circa 2007 – 2010 and has 134.9 hrs total time since restoration / 6.6 hrs since IRAN in 2024. It is powered by a RR Packard Merlin 266 with 28.1 hrs SMOH by Vintage V-12s / 6.6 hrs since IRAN 2024 by Vintage V-12s, CA, USA.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. IXe. The identities of this particular aircraft have included: SL633 (British Royal Air Force), DU-K and JT-10 (Free Czechoslovak Air Force), 20-42 (Israeli Air Force), and UB-425 (Myanmar Air Force which was originally formed as the “Burmese Air Force”). It was one of the last Spitfires produced via the Vickers Supermarine plant at Castle Bromwich, England… During July of 2023, SL633 suffered minor damage during a landing, roll-out accident in Washington State, USA. The Spitfire was subsequently sold and exported to Australia, where an IRAN and return to Airworthiness was carried-out by its current owner. SL633 was then placed on the Australian CASA Register as VH-RAF and remains airworthy.

The aircraft is located in Brisbane, QLD, Australia and is available for GBP £2,950,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

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

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Eduard Releases New ProfiPACK Bf 109 G-6 With 5 Liveries

New this month from Eduard is a ProfiPACK Edition Bf 109 G-6 model kit in 1/48 scale.

The release (82167) represents examples with standard canopy and rudder. It includes Eduard plastic parts and decals, pre-painted PE parts, a painting mask and marking options for five aircraft.

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Das Werk to Release New Tool, “Highly Detailed” Me 262 Kit

Das Werk has announced the upcoming release of a new tool Messerschmitt Me 262 in 1/32 scale.

The new kit (32003) will reportedly include easy build engineering with a single piece lower wing, fully posable flaps, slats and control surfaces, and highly detailed cockpit, wheel wells and Mk 108 cannon bays. In addition, the company will be releasing a separate, complimentary set of three German WW2 mechanics usable in maintenance scenes with lifelike poses.

As of this writing, the exact release dates have not yet been announced. It is only stated that they will be released “later this year.” Click below to check out an additional image.

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Three Volume Set Examines P-51 Variants in Detail and Scale

Newly released from author Bert Kinzey is P-51 Mustang in Detail & Scale, Part 3: P-51D and Subsequent Variants, the final book in a trilogy of titles covering the P-51 Mustang in the Detail & Scale Series of books. Part 1 provided a look at the early Allison-engined Mustang variants, and Part 2 covered the first of the Merlin-powered versions up through the P-51C. This final part takes a look at the late single-seat Mustang variants from the P-51D and its near twin, the P-51K, through the P-51H.

The book begins with a brief historical summary of the development and operational use of these later versions of the P-51. This is followed by a chapter that is divided into eight sections, each of which takes a closer look at one of the later variants. This includes the fighter variants and the photographic-reconnaissance versions derived from them. But the primary emphasis and focus of each title in the Detail & Scale Series is an extensive look at the details of the aircraft. The Late Mustang Details chapter is divided into two sections: one on the P-51D and P-51K, and a second on the P-51H, which illustrates the differences and similarities of this, the final single-seat Mustang variant to enter production, compared to the more numerous and better-known P-51D and P-51K. In all, the huge details chapter contains more than 150 photographs. These are a combination of scores that were taken specifically for this publication and many vintage photographs from North American’s archives and other sources. As with all books in the Detail & Scale Series, the last section is devoted to scale modelers. It provides a good look at the many kits of these late Mustang variants now available in all the standard modeling scales, as well as some classic older kits.

P-51 Mustang in Detail & Scale, Part 3, has 305 high resolution photographs, 266 of which are in full color, with 16 drawings and seven color profiles.

The 102 page publication is currently available in paperback format and will likely be an indispensable resource for modelers and P-51 enthusiasts.

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Airfix to Release New Westland Lysander Mk.III “Special Duties” Kit

As part of their 2026 range, Airfix will be releasing a new Westland Lysander Mk.III Special Duties model kit in 1/48 scale.

In 1941, the RAF issued a requirement for around 40 of their Westland Lysander communications aircraft to undergo modification in support of a new clandestine role, which they described as ‘Special Duties’. The aircraft had defensive armament removed and have their range increased by adding a larger oil tank internally, and an external 150 gallon fuel tank under the fuselage.

The gunner’s compartment was also modified by adding a rear-sliding single piece canopy, and room to accommodate up to three people inside. A robust ladder was fixed to the port-side fuselage to allow passengers to quickly enter and exit the aircraft when they were engaged in this new ‘Spy Taxi’ role.

The new kit (A07117) is based on Airfix’s 2025 new tool Lysander (A07116 / eBay product link), but will feature newly tooled components specific to the ‘Special Duties’ version, including a rear cockpit access ladder, 150-gallon internal auxiliary fuel tank, ventral 150-gallon long-range fuel tank, rear passenger seating, New spinner, IFF Mk.III lower-rear aerial and a female agent figure. The kit is currently expected sometime this summer. Click below to check out newly released renderings.

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History of Fw 190 Jabo Units As Told By First-Hand Accounts, Private Photos

Soon to be released by Osprey Publishing is Malcolm V. Lowe’s Fw 190 Jabo Units in the West (Combat Aircraft, 160), an illustrated study of the Luftwaffe’s iconic Fw 190 Jabo units and their high-speed, low-level attacks on the south coast of England.

The service debut of the Fw 190 in the late summer of 1941 marked a quantum leap in the Luftwaffe’s capability to oppose the RAF on the Channel Front. Conceived to be purely a fighter, the type soon revealed its potential as a Jabo fighter-bomber, and the manner in which it was used matured from the ad hoc style of its early operations to highly effective ‘hit-and-run’ coastal raids. This progress was aided both by frequent refinements from Focke-Wulf and the development of sub-types designed specifically for air-to-ground operations, equipping the Fw 190 to deliver useful munitions loads and also to look after itself when meeting British fighter interception.

This engaging study sees Luftwaffe historian Malcolm V. Lowe chart the action-packed history of the Fw 190 Jabo force on the Channel Front. Following the aircraft from its origins to its successful strikes on valued targets on England’s south coast and eventual combat during D-Day, the text complements first-hand accounts from both Luftwaffe pilots and their RAF opponents with photographs from private archives and 24 specially commissioned profile artworks.

The 96 page publication is currently available for pre-order in paperpack and Kindle editions with release slated for February 24.

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LukGraph’s New Blackburn Shark Mk.II Will Come in Different Scales, Versions

LukGraph has announced the upcoming release of their new tool Blackburn Shark Mk.II model kit. The kit will be available in wheeled and float versions and in both 1/32 and 1/48 scales.

The Blackburn Shark Mk.II was a British carrier‑borne biplane torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the mid‑1930s, serving with both the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Powered by a 760 hp Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VI radial engine, it typically carried a crew of two or three and could reach about 150 mph with a range of roughly 600 miles while hauling either an 18‑inch torpedo or an equivalent bomb load. Developed from the earlier Shark Mk.I, the Mk.II incorporated reliability and systems improvements and was adaptable to both wheeled and floatplane configurations, operating from carriers and warship catapults. Entering service around 1935, it was soon overshadowed and progressively replaced in frontline roles by the Fairey Swordfish, but continued for several years in secondary duties such as training, reconnaissance, and target towing.

The upcoming kit will introduce what is described as “a new technological solution:” the wings and floats will be designed in split sections (upper and lower parts) to reduce the overall weight of the model, making the build more comfortable while maintaining excellent detail and quality.

As of this writing, further details (including release date) have yet to be announced. However a series of renderings have been released, additional examples of which can be seen after the break.

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Beaufighter vs German Flak Ships: An Illustrated History

On the way from Osprey Publishing and author Matthew Willis is Beaufighter vs German Flak Ships: North Sea and Mediterranean 1941–45 (Duel, 151), an illustrated study of RAF Coastal Command’s deployment of the Beaufighter against German supply lines in 1941 and the long-running ‘arms race’ with Kriegsmarine Flak ships that followed.

Crucial German shipping lines faced a new threat in 1941 when RAF Coastal Command debuted the iconic long-range Beaufighter. The aircraft and its subsequent Mk VIC and Mk X versions gave the Allies a tough, relatively fast and very hard-hitting platform for air attack on German convoys, and so it became essential for the Kriegsmarine to fit ever-heavier anti-aircraft batteries to its escort vessels, and even to develop specialist Flak vessels.

In this compelling study, naval aviation historian Matthew Willis chronicles the little-explored arms race that saw RAF Coastal Command and the Kriegsmarine engaged in a fierce battle of one-upmanship until war’s end. New artwork, rare archive photography and contemporary records of Beaufighter operations add depth to fascinating historical accounts, including the actions of the famous North Coates Strike Wing against shipping in the North Sea and the exploits of Beaufighter units tasked with severing Rommel’s all-important supply lines.

The 80 page, publication is currently available for pre-order in paperback and Kindle editions with release set for March 30.

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