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Dora Wings Set to Release New Tool 1/48 TP-63E Kingcobra

Dora Wings / Arsenal Model Group has announced that its new tool 1/48 TP-63E Kingcobra model kit will be released sometime in early January.

As previously reported, the two-place Kingcobra was constructed by Bell for internal use. the machines were a modification of the P-63E-1 which saw radio equipment relocated into the armament bay to accommodate a second cockpit behind the engine. Two examples were ultimately built bearing civilian registrations NX41963 and NX41964, both of which will reportedly be represented in the new release.

The company also plans to release additional 1/48 and 1/72 versions of the P-63 A/C/E – several of which will reportedly be available by the end of the month.

(Dora Wings via AeroScale and BritModeller)

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Memphis Belle Restoration Progress Captured in New 360 Degree Images

The USAF Museum in Dayton is in the final stages of restoring the iconic B-17F “Memphis Belle” and has recently released two 360 degree images capturing the progress.

As previously reported, the machine is scheduled to make its public debut in the museum’s WW2 gallery on May 17, 2018, where it will reportedly be surrounded by interactive displays, rare archival film footage and many personal artifacts which have never before been on display at the museum.

The Memphis Belle (S/N 41-24485) became the first the first U.S. Army Air Forces heavy bomber to complete 25 missions and return to the U.S., where it flew across the country to promote war bonds and boost morale. Further attention was directed toward the aircraft when it became the focus of a 1944 William Wyler documentary and later a 1990 feature film.

Click below to check out the new images.

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Trumpeter to Release New Tool Fairey Firefly, F-106B Delta Dart Kits

Trumpeter has announced two new tool model kits for 2018 in the form of a 1/48 Fairey Firefly Mk.1 (05810) and 1/72 F-106B Delta Dart (01683).

The Firefly was introduced in 1943 as a carrier-based fighter and went on to see widespread service which continued well into the postwar period, with the last examples operating into the 1960s. The Delta Dart was introduced in 1959 and became the last dedicated USAF interceptor. The type never saw combat and concluded its service operating with Air National Guard units and acting as research / test aircraft as well as drones.

Details about the new kits are scarce, but both are expected to be released in February. Box art depicts the Firefly in the colors of DK477 of 766 Squadron, which operated from RNAS Lossiemouth circa 1949, while the F-106 art depicts 72514 as it appeared while serving with the New Jersey Air National Guard.

Click below to check out the images.

Continue reading Trumpeter to Release New Tool Fairey Firefly, F-106B Delta Dart Kits

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Kermit Weeks Details Restoration of CAC Boomerang Damaged During WW2

Shortly after completing a video series detailing his trip to Vintage V-12s, Fantasy of Flight owner Kermit Weeks is back with a new installment of “Kermie Cam” that sees him in Australia checking up on his CAC Boomerang project.

The aircraft (S/N A46-174) was originally built by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation and delivered to the RAAF in January 1944, serving with 4 Squadron. In May of that year, the machine suffered a ground loop at Cape Gloucester Airfield in Papua New Guinea (pictured above) and was deemed too far gone to repair, resulting in its remains being abandoned at Nadzab.

In the 1970s, Charles Darby visited the site and discovered remnants of roughly 30 aircraft, including the center section of A46-174, which was salvaged. In the 1980s Kermit Weeks acquired the machine and placed it on display prior to beginning restoration. In 2015, the aircraft arrived at Matt Denning’s shop at Caboolture Airport, Queensland, where work is now underway.

Kermit’s visit to the site will be presented in four parts, all of which will appear here as they become available. Click below to check out the series as well as an additional photo of the aircraft following its accident.

Continue reading Kermit Weeks Details Restoration of CAC Boomerang Damaged During WW2

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GoPro Footage Takes You On a Flight Aboard a Gnome-Powered Fokker D.VIII [Video]

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Using a pair of GoPro cameras, Christopher Ford captured remarkable on-board footage of Brian Coughlin’s Fokker E.V/D.VIII as it flew over New York’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in 2015.

This Gnome rotary-powered aircraft is the second of three Fokker D.VIII replicas Brian has built over the years. His first is now part of a private collection in California, and his third, the most accurate of the trio complete with lozenge printed fabric and accurate wing streaking, was just recently completed.

Continue reading GoPro Footage Takes You On a Flight Aboard a Gnome-Powered Fokker D.VIII [Video]

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Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 5): The 1910 Wright Transitional Flyer

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The Wright Experience in Warrenton, Virginia is home to an outstanding collection of Wright Flyer reproductions created over 25 years of meticulous study into Wilbur and Orville Wright’s engineering and fabrication practices.

Thanks to the generosity of Wright Experience team member E. Scott Rawlings, we are sharing a collection of images detailing many of these machines, which are currently available for sale or lease.

Part 1 of this series examined the team’s 1902 Wright Glider, while part 2, part 3 and part 4 featured their outstanding replica of the 1909 Military Flyer. This week we examine the team’s reproduction of the 1910 “transitional” Flyer that employed a forward canard and aft elevator.

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1912 Lohner Taube Project Update [Feature]

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In 1912, Michel Fithian’s grandfather, Robert Eyb, was part of the first group of pilots undergoing training in the newly formed aviation division of the Austrian-Hungarian empire and was flying a newly developed model F “Taube”, designed by Igo Etrich and built by the Lohner Company in Vienna. The military ordered 14 aircraft, which were labelled with names starting with “A” – his was the “ASRA”. Michel is building a full scale replica of that particular airplane, which is seen above performing its first engine test in 2014. He has kindly provided EarlyAero.com with the following update.

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Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 4): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer (Concluded)

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The Wright Experience in Warrenton, Virginia is home to an outstanding collection of Wright aircraft reproductions created over 25 years of meticulous study into Wilbur and Orville Wright’s engineering and fabrication practices.

Thanks to the generosity of Wright Experience team member E. Scott Rawlings, we are sharing a collection of images detailing many of these machines, which are currently available for sale or lease.

Part 1 of this series examined the team’s 1902 Wright Glider, while part 2 and part 3 featured their outstanding replica of the 1909 Military Flyer. This week we conclude our look at the 1909 machine’s construction and offer two videos providing an overview of the replica and a demonstration of its engine.

Continue reading Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 4): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer (Concluded)

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Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 3): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer (Continued)

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The Wright Experience in Warrenton, Virginia is home to an outstanding collection of Wright aircraft reproductions created over 25 years of meticulous study into Wilbur and Orville Wright’s engineering and fabrication practices. The image seen above, showing a period photograph blended with a Wright Experience reproduction, is said to illustrate the team’s mission statement.

The pedigree of our research is the few existing artifacts that exist in museums, period photographs and the few surviving aircraft that were “restored” in the past to prevailing standards at the time. There are no blueprints for Wright aircraft. Using period photographs and CAD we have been able to recreate for reproduction most of the Wright aircraft. This effort incorporates the orientation of each piece of hardware to match the period photos, the correct fabric, the correct dimensions and original method of construction with new materials the same as the original materials. Never has there been an attempt to modify, improve or change in any way what exists in the photos.

Thanks to the generosity of Wright Experience team member E.Scott Rawlings, we are sharing a collection of images detailing many of their machines, which are currently available for sale.

Part 1 of this series examined the team’s 1902 Wright Glider, while part 2 featured their outstanding replica of the 1909 Military Flyer. This week we will continue our look at the 1909 machine, focusing on its construction and the painstaking efforts the team has made to create the most historically accurate aircraft possible.

Continue reading Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 3): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer (Continued)

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Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 2): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer [Feature]

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The Wright Experience in Warrenton, Virginia is home to an outstanding collection of Wright aircraft reproductions created over 25 years of meticulous study into Wilbur and Orville Wright’s engineering and fabrication practices.

Thanks to the generosity of Wright Experience team member E.Scott Rawlings, we are sharing a collection of images detailing many of these machines, which are currently available for sale.

In part 1 of this series, we examined the team’s reproduction of the 1902 Wright Glider. This week we look at the 1909 Wright Military Flyer – the first aircraft accepted by the United States Army Signal Corps.

Continue reading Aircraft of The Wright Experience (Part 2): The 1909 Wright Military Flyer [Feature]