Another new tool Airfix release slated for 2026 is a new tool English Electric Canberra B.2 in 1/72 scale.

The kit (A05065) chronicles the service of B.2 airframe WJ640 from 1968 to its retirement in 1981, showcasing the evolving RAF Canberra paint schemes of the era. It was designed based on Lidar scans and original drawings of the full-size aircraft, as well as research input from the Canberra Heritage Trust.

In addition to three livery options worn by WJ640, it will include over 170 parts, detailed cockpit and bomb bay and representation of 1000lb bombs. It is currently slated for release sometime this summer. Click below to check out newly released renderings.

[continue reading…]

A 1978 Mooney M20K 231 has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

The aircraft is based at KTVR and has been flown regularly on trips to the Florida coast, North Carolina, and throughout the mountains of Colorado, as well as Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. She flies exceptionally well and has never let us down—anywhere, anytime. That reliability is a true testament to the meticulous maintenance this aircraft has received. This is a turnkey airplane that needs absolutely nothing. Simply get in, fire up, and go fly with confidence and enthusiasm!

The aircraft is located in Tallulah, Louisiana and is currently available for US $199,000. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Coming soon from Air World and author Robin Adams is Flying Through a Nuclear Cloud: Twenty Years on the Frontline During the Cold War, which tells the unusual story of a frontline navigator who flew on Canberra, Shackleton and F4 Phantom squadrons between 1954 and 1974 as well as his involvement with nuclear weapon testing in 1956 and 1958.

It was during his time on Canberras that, in 1955, volunteers were called for ‘An Interesting Overseas Tour’. Robin Adams put his hand up. The task was to collect samples resulting from nuclear explosions. This, however, was only revealed to the volunteers after they had arrived in Australia.

On 19 June 1956 that Robin, then the navigator of Canberra WH976, took off from the RAAF Perth. Along with his pilot, Robin was about to be involved in the second and final nuclear test under Operation Mosaic – both explosions taking place at the Montebello Islands.

In 1957 Robin joined Coastal Command flying the Avro Shackleton. After this interlude, a year later he was back nuclear testing. This time it was at Christmas Island in the Pacific, with the awesome megaton H bombs of Operation Grapple Z. His task was to collect weather data and clear shipping from the potential danger areas. From 1963-1966 Robin was on 31 Squadron which, equipped with Canberra PR.7s, was stationed in Germany and tasked with day and night low-level photo reconnaissance. It was during this time that he was involved in a serious aircraft accident following a single engine approach at night.

By 1969 the front-line days were over for the Canberra, and Robin was posted onto the F4 Phantom as a Flight Commander on 14 Squadron. The squadron’s primary role was all-weather tactical nuclear weapon delivery to targets in East Germany, secondary roles being ground attack and air defence. Crews stood Quick Reaction Alert for twenty-four hour stretches, twice a month, in a hut, with a nuclear weapon loaded on the aircraft parked outside. Robin’s nuclear journey had gone full circle.

The 256 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release slated for March 30.

Product Page

On the heels of their recently announced Focke-Wulf 190D-9 (Mimetall) Basic Kit, MiniArt has revealed in their 2026 catalog that an advanced version is also on the way.

The 1/48 scale kit (48048) will reportedly include PE parts and three marking options, although additional details, including release date, are currently unknown. Thankfully, a few renderings have been released to give us a glimpse of the model, additional examples of which can be seen after the break.

[continue reading…]

A Fouga Magister has been spotted for sale. The listing states (in part):

As is where is. You can hire me to disassemble if you want and transport it on my custom built fouga moving trailer for an additional cost, or come spend a day or two of work, and fly it out. This is a complete jet I flew it about 18 months ago. It’s mechanically pretty good but cosmetically needs a lot of love, radios work but are old… This is a gift price for someone to get into their first classic jet. Located in Ridgeland South Carolina. Hell of a Price…

The aircraft is currently available for US $19,999. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos and details.

Newly released from author Steve Bond and Grub Street Publishing is RAF Boys in the Far East: True Tales of the RAF in India, South East Asia and Hong Kong.

For 82 years the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), which in 1918 became the Royal Air Force (RAF), maintained a permanent military aviation presence in the Far East. Throughout that time a huge variety of squadrons, flying many different aircraft types, together with all the necessary operational, technical and administrative support, took on all that was asked of them. The first RFC units arrived in India in 1915. RAF India grew substantially in the interwar period and throughout World War Two. Various changes in the command structure finally saw the creation of the Far East Air Force (FEAF) in June 1949, covering South East Asia and Hong Kong. In the 1960s the UK government decided to withdraw all forces East of Suez and on 31 October 1971 the FEAF disbanded and most UK forces withdrew from Singapore at this time. The last RAF unit to leave the region was 28 Squadron flying. They had been operating Whirlwind and Wessex helicopters in Hong Kong until the territory was handed back to China in 1997. RAF Boys in the Far East illustrates what it was like for those air and ground crew who were there by telling their stories in their own words, supported by explanation of the situations at the time and photographs primarily drawn from veterans’ own collections. The stories are as varied as the locations, the units and the personnel; everyday operations, exercises, triumph and tragedy, off duty time, and of course, the humour for which the RAF is renowned. Chapters focus on differing aircraft roles and their operations, including emphasis on the war years in India and Burma, and the Singapore era with actions such as Operation Firedog and the Indonesian Confrontation. Today those veterans who look back on their time served in the FEAF do so with a great deal of pride, and rightly so. This is their story.

The 256 page book is available in hardcover, Kindle and audiobook editions.

Product Page

Another new tool release announced by Airfix for 2026 is a Junkers Ju52/3mg4e in 1/72 scale.

The newly designed kit (A08022) faithfully replicates the corrugated surface texture on all external surfaces and includes fully detailed interior and engines, oil drum cargo load, wheel chocks for diorama models, options for machine gun armament and undercarriage with or without spats, slide molded canopy to ensure clear definition of window frames and multiple doors and hatches that can be posed open or closed to add life to the model. Decals include livery options for three aircraft.

The new kit is currently slated for release sometime this summer. Click below to check out newly released renders.

[continue reading…]

A 1941 Commonwealth Rearwin 180 Skyranger has been spotted for sale. The listing states:

This vintage 1941 Commonwealth Rearwin 180 Skyranger has been in a private hangar for many years and comes with complete log books. It was last inspected in 2015. See the log book pages in the photos. The hangar is on the grounds of the Arlington Municipal Airport in Washington. A classic American “taildragger” aircraft, popular for personal transport and training in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Light, high-wing monoplane, single-engine, a two-seater. Has a Continental engine. N34827

The aircraft is currently available for US $9,900 although offers are also being accepted. Click here to check out the eBay listing, which includes additional photos.

Coming soon from Air World and author R J Gorman is Defeating the Japanese Zeros: Lieutenant Commander John S. ‘Jimmie’ Thach: One U.S. Navy Pilot and his Part in the Victory in the Pacific , detailing how a brilliant U.S. aerial tactic overcame Japan’s deadly Zero fighter, turning Midway into a decisive Pacific victory.

Lieutenant Commander John S. “Jimmie” Thach of the U.S. Navy recognized the threat posed by the Zero and devised a tactic to counter it. With the Japanese preparing to attack Midway Atoll, Thach trained his pilots in the “Thach Weave,” a revolutionary formation designed to offset the Zero’s superior performance. This tactic proved highly effective in air combat and allowed Thach’s squadron to neutralize the Japanese advantage. The battle at Midway became a turning point in the Pacific War. The U.S. Navy’s victory, aided by Thach’s tactical innovation, crippled Japan’s offensive capabilities. After Midway, the Japanese would never win another major battle, while the Americans would never lose one, marking a decisive shift in the war’s outcome.

The 240 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release slated for January 30.

Product Page