Category: WW2 Era (1939-45)

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Interceptor! Spitfires to Foxbats: The Story of the World’s Finest Pursuit Aircraft

Coming soon from Key Publishing Ltd and author David Baker is Interceptor! Spitfires to Foxbats: The fastest chase planes with seconds to launch, which celebrates the fastest, most aggressive fighter aircraft ever built – the interceptors.

These are the aircraft designed to launch quickly, climb fast and catch intruders before they could strike – from Cold War nuclear bombers to modern cruise missiles. From the elegant Spitfire Mk XIV and the brutal MiG-25 Foxbat to the F-106 Delta Dart and F-14 Tomcat, this title tells the story of the world’s finest pursuit machines – how they were developed, how they flew, and how they fought.

The 116 page paperback publication is currently available for pre-order with release set for September 10.

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Cavanaugh Flight Museum Shares Progress Report on CASA 2.111E Restoration

Cavanaugh Flight Museum has provided an update on their 1950 CASA 2.111E one year after the aircraft was transported to Ezell Aviation of Breckenridge, Texas for restoration.

For those that may not know, the Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA CASA 2.111E is a Spanish license built German Heinkel HE-111. More than 200 2.111s were built. The museum’s CASA served in the Spanish Air Force and was featured in the 1969 movie ‘Battle of Britain’ and the 1970 movie ‘Patton.’ The museum acquired this CASA in 1995.

Work done so far is described as “impressive” with the aircraft being completely disassembled and the fuselage separated into three sections for inspection, repair and priming. All cockpit components have been removed for inspection, repair or rebuilding. A new instrument panel is in the process of being crafted which will house gauges for the Packard built Merlin engines that will replace the machine’s previous Roll-Royce 500-45 engines.

An 18′ tall jig has been made to mount the wings so they can be stripped and inspected. A smaller jig was also made for the stabilizers. As of this writing the right stabilizer has been completed and the left one is underway. In addition, the center section has also been stripped and repaired. New wing spars have also been fabricated. Work on the main landing gear struts and tail gear have been completed.

Currently the aircraft is expected to return to flight around 2029-30. Click below to check out the complete update along with photos of the progress.

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MiniArt to Release Fw 190D-9 Basic Model Kit With Distinctive JV 44 Liveries

Coming soon from MiniArt is a Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 JV 44 “Sachsenberg Schwarm” basic model kit in 1/48 scale.

The Fw 190D-9 “Doras” of JV 44’s Sachsenberg Schwarm, led by Lt. Heinz Sachsenberg, protected Adolf Galland’s Me 262 jets during their vulnerable takeoffs and landings in the final weeks of World War II. Operating from München-Riem and Ainring in spring 1945, these aircraft were marked with striking red undersides and white stripes for rapid recognition by German anti-aircraft defenses—making them among the Luftwaffe’s most famous late-war fighters.

The upcoming kit (48045) is described as “highly detailed” with realistic metal surfaces and panel details. Two marking options will also be included representing “Red 1” flown by Lt. Heinz “Heino” Sachsenberg and “Red 3” flown by Hptm. Waldemar Wubke. Check out kit contents and livery profiles below.

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Arma Hobby Releases “Next Generation” P-51D Mustang VLR Kit

Arma Hobby recently released their new P-51D Mustang “Very Long Range” (VLR) model kit in 1/72 scale.

P-51D Mustang VLR was a late-war version of the famous American fighter adapted for Very Long Range missions. Aircraft of this type operated from Iwo Jima, escorting Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers over Japan and carrying out long-range strike missions.

As previously reported, the kit (70073) is described as a “modern next-generation Arma Hobby kit” and a “highly accurate” representation. It features an additional VLR sprue with Pacific-specific equipment: 110-gallon underwing drop tanks, 150-gallon streamlined drop tanks from the P-38 Lightning, and rockets for strike missions. Additional features include a detailed cockpit, canopy masks and high-quality Cartograf decals with marking options for two aircraft: “Snortin’ Phyllie” (1st Lt. Herb Straughn, 531st Fighter Squadron, 21st Fighter Group) and “Little One” (1st Lt. Francis J. Pilecki, 458th Fighter Squadron, 506th Fighter Group). The kit also features a free 3D file with seat with harness, exhaust pipes, and gun barrels.

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WW2 Air Battles Over Hungary Detailed in New, Comprehensive, Richly illustrated Account

Coming soon from Helion and Company and author Dmitriy Khazanov is Air Battles over Hungary 1944-45 Volume 1: From Summer Skies to Autumn Firestorms: The Air War Over Hungary, 1944 – a “comprehensive, richly illustrated account” that surveys the escalating air war over Hungary in 1944, detailing fighter, bomber, and ground-attack operations across multiple nations and their human realities.

In the summer of 1944, Hungary found itself at the centre of a rapidly shifting front as Soviet forces surged westward and Allied bombing intensified. Air Battles over Hungary 1944–45 – Volume 1 offers a comprehensive, richly illustrated account of the escalating air war during this pivotal year, when the skies over Hungary became a deadly arena for fighters, bombers, and ground-attack aircraft from multiple nations.

This volume traces the development of the campaign from its early stages through to the final weeks of 1944. It explores in detail the operations and experiences of the Royal Hungarian Air Force, the Luftwaffe, the Red Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Drawing from a wealth of archival material, combat reports, memoirs, and previously unpublished photographs, the book reconstructs a dynamic and often chaotic picture of aerial combat as Hungary’s strategic importance grew. Continue reading WW2 Air Battles Over Hungary Detailed in New, Comprehensive, Richly illustrated Account

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Spitfire PR.XI PL983 Gets New USAAF Markings

The Aircraft Restoration Company’s Duxford-based Spitfire PR.XI PL983 (G-PRXI) has been given new, temporary markings in order to tell the wider story of reconnaissance Spitfires while giving a subtle nod to PL983’s postwar history, when it was gifted to the American Air Attaché use as his personal transport.

The new markings represent USAAF Spitfire PA892 “My Darling Dorothy” of the 14th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron / 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group. The markings were applied to represent the original RAF insignia being overpainted on base, “producing a subtle patchwork effect.”

From the moment we began marking out the stars and bars, it was obvious this scheme was going to have real presence. A Spitfire in American markings already catches the eye but there are plenty of details that make PA892 stand out even more. The yellow spinner gives the nose a bright flash of colour, while the hand-painted sign writing on the engine cowling adds that wonderfully human touch — the sort of detail that reminds you these aircraft were maintained, modified and personalised by real people working in real wartime conditions. Same with the red iron crosses, applied to acknowledge 30 photo sorties. Rather than looking too neat or factory-fresh, we applied with a makeshift stencil.

Click below to check out newly released images of the process and the finished product.

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Airscale Details 1/32 Bristol Blenheim Progress With New Renders

Airscale has released a new set of renderings for their upcoming Bristol Blenheim Mk IV kit in 1/32 scale.

As previously reported, the Mk IV was the principal later version of the Blenheim light bomber, entering production in 1938 with a longer, redesigned glazed nose that gave the bombardier more room and visibility, plus added armor and more powerful 920-hp Bristol Mercury XV radial engines. Flown by a crew of three, it could carry roughly 1,000 lb of bombs and served widely with the RAF during WW2 in Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Far East. Although fast by mid-1930s standards, it was increasingly vulnerable to modern fighters and anti-aircraft fire as the war progressed.

There will reportedly be an early version with the single VGO drum fed gun and no canopy blisters, and the later one with twin Brownings and blisters. Airscale’s latest update details the start on the B1 VGO turret, the tailfeathers and the Mercury engine. The developer states “lots more work ahead, but it is a wonderful aeroplane to work on.”

Check out additional renders below.

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SBD Dauntless: A Study of the U.S. Navy’s Vital WW2 Dive Bomber

Coming soon from author Ernest M. Snowden is SBD Dauntless: Naval History Special Edition, which builds on the expertise of the authors and historians of the Naval Institute Press to offer a study of this vital WW2 carrier-based dive bomber.

In 1942, half the aircraft spotted on an American carrier were SBD Dauntless dive bombers. From Coral Sea to Midway, they tipped over into near-vertical dives and released 1,000-pound bombs at close range against Japanese flight decks. Within minutes at Midway, three enemy carriers were burning, and by day’s end a fourth carrier was rendered a burning hulk. Across five carrier battles, SBD squadrons helped sink six Japanese flattops and more than 300,000 tons of shipping.

“The naval dive-bomber was to prove the hammerhead of the naval war,” wrote Naval Academy historian E. B. Potter. The tactic required an airplane built to dive steeply, hold steady as perforated brakes tore at the air, and survive the violent pullout. Ed Heinemann’s Douglas design did exactly that. Armor plates, self-sealing tanks, and more powerful Wright engines followed as combat exposed weaknesses and range limits.

Dauntless crews searched hundreds of miles of open ocean with little margin for error. Navy squadrons flew in every major carrier engagement of the Pacific War. Marine SBDs launched at Midway, then operated from Henderson Field during the struggle for Guadalcanal, striking ships and troop concentrations around the Solomons. The Army Air Forces’ A-24 Banshee saw combat in Java, New Guinea, and the Gilberts.

From its Gamma ancestry in the mid-1930s to its final carrier missions in 1944, the SBD stood at the center of the Navy’s early offensive―an aircraft built to dive hard, hit precisely, and change the course of an entire battle with a single attack.

The 116 page publication is offered in mook format (combination book / magazine) and is currently available for pre-order with release set for November 17.

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ICM Releases Lockheed Hudson Mk.III Model Kit: “100% New Molds”

ICM has released a “100% new molds” Lockheed Hudson Mk.III model kit in 1/48 scale.

The Hudson Mk.III was a light bomber and maritime reconnaissance aircraft derived from the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra airliner and built for the RAF just before World War II. This variant featured upgraded 1,200 hp Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines and a Boulton Paul dorsal turret with twin .303-inch machine guns, and was used extensively by the RAF, RAAF, and RNZAF for coastal patrol, anti-submarine work, and general reconnaissance from 1941 onward.

ICM recently released a brief, step by step instruction video detailing the assembly process for the new kit (48331). It appears to offer plastic sprues, painting masks and four livery options. Check out the video and product page below.

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Flying Pianos: The Eccentric Birth of British Aviation

Coming soon from Oneworld Publications and author Charles Spicer is Flying Pianos: The Eccentric Birth of British Aviation, which surveys the transformation of flight from genteel gentleman’s hobby to terrifying military force.

In the first few decades of the twentieth century British aviators went from gliding a handful of yards to crossing the Atlantic. Journeying from perilous ‘cotton-and-hope’ prototypes to the Spitfire, Flying Pianos…

Charles Spicer meets the cast of colourful characters who helped Britain take flight. There’s Hugh ‘Boom’ Trenchard, eccentric ‘father’ of the RAF; the glamorous Harriet Quimby – journalist, screenwriter and record-breaking pilot; and Grahame Christie, passionate aviator, spy and uneasy acquaintance of Hermann Göring. Charting the soaring highs and catastrophic lows of this technological revolution, Flying Pianos tells the remarkable tale of how Britain took to the skies.

The 400 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for October 1.

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