Category: WW2 Era (1939-45)

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First Look: Test Build of MiniArt’s New Tool Fw 190D-9 (Mimetall)

MiniArt has released the first test build photos for their upcoming, new tool Focke-Wulf 190D-9 (Mimetall) basic kit in 1/48 scale.

As previously reported, the upcoming release (48040) will include an accurate exterior with finely reproduced panel lines and rivets, detailed cockpit with instrument panel and seat, optional open or closed canopy and marking options for two aircraft of Jagdgeschwader 301.

Click below to check out additional test build images.

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How to Build a Spitfire: A Masterclass in Engineering and Inspiration

New from David Price is How to Build a Spitfire, which marries the story of how the author built a replica Spitfire in his garden with the plane’s operational history.

In April 2018 David Price, dedicated aviation museum volunteer and author of The Crew and Mosquito Men, decided to build a Spitfire replica in his back garden. In How to Build a Spitfire he juxtaposes the story of the ups and down of his own ambitious project to recreate an icon of British aviation with a narrative of the development of the Spitfire itself, focusing in particular on the production of the aircraft and its various component parts – including the Merlin engine. The story includes incredible testimonies from workers in the Supermarine factory in Southampton and in other Spitfire production facilities.

Bringing together the sometimes light-hearted tale of a personal quest, enthusiastically pursued, with an authoritative account of the technical workings of a war-winning weapon, and the stories of the men who flew it, How to Build a Spitfire is a distinctive and affectionate homage to an enduring symbol of British engineering genius and national resilience.

The 320 page book is available in hardcover, Kindle and audiobook formats.

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Eduard Releases Limited Edition Dual Combo Spitfire Mk Vb With 11 Liveries

New this month from Eduard is a limited edition, dual combo Spitfire Mk.Vb kit in 1/72 scale.

“Spitfire Story: The Sweeps” (2154) includes Eduard plastic parts and decals, pre-painted PE parts, a painting mask and marking options representing 11 aircraft flown by RAF pilots of different nationalities who were fighting over the occupied west part of Europe.

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Eduard Releases New “Hybrid” Avia S-199 Kit With Plastic and Resin Parts

Among Eduard’s January new releases is a Avia S-199 bubble canopy Hybrid” model kit in 1/48 scale.

The aircraft is a late modification of the Czechoslovak-built derivative of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 that replaced the original framed canopy with a clearer, more modern-style “bubble” hood to improve pilot visibility, especially to the rear and sides. This variant retained the S-199’s Jumo 211 bomber engine and generally poor handling but offered a better field of view than earlier S-199s with standard canopies, and it appeared only in relatively small numbers near the end of the type’s service life.

The kit (948012) includes Eduard plastic parts and decals with a painting mask and marking options for six aircraft. A number of resin parts are also included, such as the cockpit, wheel wells, exhausts, barrels, antennas, air intake and undercarriage.

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How To Fly A Spitfire: A Nut-and-Bolt Guide to the World’s Greatest Aircraft

Coming soon from publisher Frances Lincoln and author Hattie Hearn is How To Fly A Spitfire: A Nut-and-Bolt Guide to the World’s Greatest Aircraft, which takes readers into the cockpit of the legendary Supermarine Spitfire to discover what it really takes to fly Britain’s most iconic fighter.

First flown in March 1936 and operated decisively throughout the Second World War and beyond, the Spitfire is considered a mechanical work of art. Its elegant elliptical wings, powerful Rolls‑Royce Merlin engine, and pivotal role in the Battle of Britain have secured its place in history, and in the hearts of aviation enthusiasts worldwide.

How to Fly a Spitfire takes you on a fascinating, hands‑on tour of this remarkable machine. Much more fun than an overly technical manual, it offers a readable, richly illustrated and step‑by‑step walkthrough of the Spitfire’s controls and systems, giving a unique impression of what it was like to actually pilot one.

The 192 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release slated for April 7.

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Now Available: ICM’s New Tool Do 217K-2 With Fritz-X

ICM has released their new tool Do 217K-2 model kit in 1/48 scale.

As previously reported, the Do 217K-2 was a specialized variant of the German Dornier Do 217 bomber, developed during World War II to carry the heavy Fritz X radio-guided anti-ship bomb. To accommodate this advanced weapon, the K-2 featured a significantly increased wingspan (24.8 meters) and was the heaviest in the series at 16,850 kg, making it well suited for precision attacks against naval targets. Its battlefield debut saw it play a crucial role as an early platform for precision-guided munitions, notably leading to the sinking of the Italian battleship Roma.

The new kit is touted as an accurate reproduction of the aircraft’s geometry with two Fritz-X bombs / racks and marking options for three aircraft: Do 217K-2, III./KG100, Marseilles-Istres, Summer 1943; Do 217K-2, III./KG100, Marseilles-Istres, Autumn 1943; Do 217K-2, Major Bernhard Jope’s aircraft, III./KG100, Marseilles-Istres, Autumn 1943.

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Mosquito Night Hunters: The Daring RAF Intruders Who Terrorized the Luftwaffe

Coming soon from Air World and author Jeremy Walsh is Mosquito Intruders – Target Europe: The RAF’s First Elite Night Raider Units

Using diaries, first-hand accounts, official records, and contemporaneous sources, the book chronicles the elite RAF Mosquito intruder squadrons—Nos. 23, 418, and 605—that conducted daring low-level night operations across Europe during WW2, targeting Luftwaffe airfields to intercept returning enemy bombers and fighters. The narrative traces the concept’s origins in the Battle of Britain, evolving from early Defiant and Boston aircraft to the superior de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito FB VI and NF II by mid-1943, highlighting the squadrons’ exceptional ‘Battle Honours’ in defending Malta, supporting Sicily’s invasion, aiding the Dambusters’ Dortmund-Ems Canal raid, spearheading D-Day attacks, and countering V1 flying bombs under charismatic fighter ace leadership. Featuring vivid portrayals of the Mosquito’s beautifully balanced design, speed, firepower, and resilience that earned aircrew reverence, the book immerses readers in these high-stakes missions’ development, execution, and pivotal role in Allied victory.

The 272 page, hardcover title is currently available for pre-order with a March 30 release.

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Eduard Releases New P-51B / C Birdcage Mustang Model Kit

New for January is Eduard’s Weekend Edition P-51B/ C Mustang (Birdcage Canopy) model kit in 1/48 scale.

The kit (84209) includes Eduard plastic parts and decals with marking options for four USAAF aircraft, including “Ding Hao!” of 354th FG / 9th AF, “Lambie II” of 487th FS / 352th FG / 8th AF, “Lady Beth III” of 307th FS / 31st FG / 15th AF and “Anvil Chorus III” of 26th FS / 51st FG.

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MiniArt to Release New Thunderbolt Mk I Model Kit

MiniArt will soon release a new Thunderbolt Mk I Royal Air Force Basic Kit in 1/48 scale.

The offering (48033) represents P-47 aircraft in RAF service during WW2 and includes highly detailed plastic parts and marking options for two aircraft: “Desperate Dan” of 258 Squadron and “36” of 73 Operational Training Unit. The Basic Kit format offers a straightforward and enjoyable build while preserving accurate external features.

As of this writing, it appears a final release date has not yet been announced. Click below to check out additional images.

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The Navigator’s Letter: WWII’s Hidden Bond Ignited by One Doomed Flight

Soon to get its U.S. release is the new book The Navigator’s Letter: The True Story of Two WWII Airmen, a Doomed Mission, and the Woman Who Bound Them Together from author Jan Cress Dondi. The book deals with the costliest US air raid of WW2, which occurred over Hitler’s oil fields at Ploesti, Romania on August 1, 1943. It brings to light one of the best untold and dangerous stories of the war, chronicling a moving and heroic story of patriotic duty, familial bonds, brotherhood, and love.

A true story, The Navigator’s Letter is a tale of uncanny coincidences: two friends from the same small Illinois town; both joined the Air Corps; both became navigators; both were assigned to B-24 Liberators; both flew missions over Europe; both of their planes were forced down over Ploesti; and both went missing-in-action.

Intertwined with events of WWII, the story follows the two B-24 navigators coursing through wartime, both with ties to the same woman. Their lives unfurl with the Air Force’s darkest day, Operation Tidal Wave. It was the first-ever zero-altitude air raid, which lead to Operation Reunion, the largest evacuation by air in history repatriating 1,162 POWs from Romania back to American air bases in Italy.

The 400 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release scheduled for February 10.

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