Category: WW2 Era (1939-45)

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Update: Airscale’s Upcoming 1/32 Dornier Do 17Z

Airscale has provided a new update on their upcoming Dornier Do 17Z in 1/32 scale.

…the decals arrived from Cartograph…..I tried the internal ones and they are just what I envisioned and top, top quality. Also the box art is finalised and the last mould is being completed next week for all the injection moulded parts, so I should have the test shots in 2 weeks – then it is test integration time with the 3D details, followed by 3D production. I hope to open pre-orders in the next couple of months and to have kits at Telford SMW

As previously reported, the Do 17 was a German twin‑engine light bomber, nicknamed the “Flying Pencil” for its slim, streamlined fuselage, which was originally designed in the early 1930s as a fast mail and passenger aircraft before being adapted into a military bomber for the Luftwaffe. It served extensively in the early years of World War II, taking part in campaigns over Poland, the Low Countries, France, the Battle of Britain, and the invasion of the Soviet Union, where it proved fast and maneuverable but gradually became obsolete due to limited bomb load and range.

Click below to check out a series of newly released images.

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MiniArt to Release “Highly Detailed” P-47M Thunderbolt Advanced Kit

MiniArt has announced the upcoming release of a P-47M Thunderbolt Advanced Kit in 1/48 scale.

The P-47M varint was a late-war, high-speed Thunderbolt built for fast interception, using an uprated Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine and featuring the dorsal fin on the rear fuselage to improve directional stability with the bubble canopy. It was the quickest production P-47, but engine teething troubles limited its combat use, and it saw service only briefly with the 56th Fighter Group in Europe.

The upcoming kit (48042) is described as “highly detailed” with realistic representations of the metal surfaces, rivets and panel lines. Three decal options will also be included. The company previously released a Basic version with two marking options (Buy on eBay)

As of this writing, the new advanced kit is said to be “coming soon.” Click below to check out a series of newly released renderings.

Continue reading MiniArt to Release “Highly Detailed” P-47M Thunderbolt Advanced Kit

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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.

Product Page

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Eduard Releases Royal Hybrid P-51B Kit With PE, Resin, 8 Liveries and Book

Eduard has released a new P-51B “Royal Hybrid” Mustang model kit in 1/32 scale.

The P-51B was the Merlin-powered, long-range version of the North American Mustang that transformed the aircraft into one of WWII’s best escort fighters. Entering combat in late 1943, it could protect bombers deep into Germany thanks to its excellent range and high-altitude performance, and it typically carried four .50-caliber machine guns in the wings.

The new release (932011) features Eduard plastic parts, PE parts, painting masks and resin parts (cockpit, undercarriage bays, wheels, guns, exhausts). Eduard decals are also included with marking options for eight aircraft of the of 8th and 9th Air Forces. An added extra is a pictorial book about service of the P-51B/C Mustangs written by Jan Zdiarský.

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Operation Amherst: The Last Airborne Operation of WWII

Coming soon from Pen and Sword Military and authors Joël Stoppels and Harold de Jong is Operation Amherst: The Last Airborne Operation of WWII, which covers the final airborne operation of WWII, detailing French paratroopers’ landings, rapid combat in Drenthe and Friesland, and subsequent liberation efforts in Groningen and beyond.

In preparation for the liberation of the northern part of the Netherlands, Operation Amherst was launched on the night of 7 to 8 April 1945. This last airborne operation of the Second World War was carried out by 702 French (SAS) paratroopers. The fighting developed quickly after the landings in the province of Drenthe and a part of southeast Friesland. Canadian and British forces would then engage in the liberation of Groningen and the Westerbork concentration camp, and the elimination of the Delfzijl Pocket.

The 224 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for October 30.

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Hobby Boss to Release New F4U-5N Corsair [Late] Night Fighter Model Kit

Hobby Boss is reportedly preparing to release a new F4U-5N Corsair [Late] Night Fighter model kit in 1/48 scale.

The F4U-5N Corsair [Late] is a radar-equipped night-fighter version of the ultimate piston-engine Corsair, the F4U-5, featuring a longer nose, all-metal wings, a raised cockpit, and a 2,450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-32W engine that made it the fastest carrier-based piston fighter (about 462 mph). Carrying an AN/APS-19 radar pod on the right wing, flame-dampened exhausts, and four 20 mm cannons, it traded a bit of performance for night operations but retained a heavy bomb and rocket load for night intruder and close-support missions. In the Korean War, F4U-5Ns with VMF(N)-513 and Navy detachments hunted “Bedcheck Charlie” Po-2s, attacked supply convoys and trains, and even produced the conflict’s only Navy ace, Guy Bordelon, who scored all five of his kills at night in an F4U-5N.

As of this writing, details on the new kit (80391) are nonexistent, although release is planned for some time in September.

(via AeroScale and Scalemates)

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Bird Men: The B-29 Superfortress and WW2 American Airpower

Coming soon from Mariner Books and bestselling author A.J. Baime is Bird Men: The Rise of American Airpower and the Machine That Ended World War II – A WWII History of American Airpower and the Superfortress That Changed the Course of the War.

Of all the feats of American ingenuity in World War II, perhaps none was as impressive in scale or vital to the Allied victory as the creation of American airpower. Just a few years before the start of World War II, the American military was stuck in the dark ages of aviation, with the U.S. Army’s Air Corps mainly focused, not on combat, but on mail delivery. Fast forward to end of the war, and America had launched the most impressive flying machine the world had ever seen: the B-29 Superfortress, a weapon so essential to ending the war that its research and development process cost more than the Manhattan Project. Continue reading Bird Men: The B-29 Superfortress and WW2 American Airpower

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First Look: Test Build of Arma Hobby’s New Tool Curtiss Hawk 81-A2

Arma Hobby has released the first test build photos (and additional sprue shots) for their upcoming, new tool Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 model kit in 1/72 scale.

As previously reported, the upcoming release (70094) is the first in Arma’s new family of 1/72 Curtiss Hawk 81, Tomahawk II and P-40B/C kits. It represents the export version of the Hawk 81-A2 operated by the AVG in China during 1941–1942. These aircraft wore a distinctive camouflage scheme based on British specifications and applied using American-made DuPont paints. Three Flying Tigers marking options will be included.

The model seen in the new photos was built straight from the latest pre-production test parts and was quickly assembled and left completely unpainted for a more detailed look at the plastic itself. The company states that these are still pre-production parts, and final evaluation is underway.

Shipping is currently planned for the second half of August. Check out additional photos below.

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ICM to Release 1/48 Lockheed Hudson Mk.III Kit: “100% New Molds”

In August ICM will release a “100% new molds” Lockheed Hudson Mk.III model kit in 1/48 scale (48331).

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.

Additional details have not yet been announced. Check out kit renderings below.

Continue reading ICM to Release 1/48 Lockheed Hudson Mk.III Kit: “100% New Molds”

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Dora Wings Releases P-66 Vanguard Kit With PE Parts, Multiple Liveries

Dora Wings recently released a new Vultee P-66 Vanguard boxing in 1/48 scale.

The Vanguard was an American single-seat, single-engine fighter designed in the late 1930s, originally intended for export to Sweden but later taken into U.S. service and then sent in larger numbers to China. It was a fairly conventional prewar radial-engine fighter with respectable speed and climb, but it was generally considered underwhelming in combat compared with better-known wartime fighters, so it ended up with a mixed reputation despite seeing real service.

The kit (48053) is touted as offering superb surface textures with crisp, recessed panel lines and fantastic overall accuracy. It includes PE parts, die cut canopy masks, new premium decals with marking options for multiple aircraft, including examples in including USAAF and Chinese Air Force service.

Check out the product page and box contents below.

Continue reading Dora Wings Releases P-66 Vanguard Kit With PE Parts, Multiple Liveries

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