Category: History
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Tupolev SB 2 – Part Four – Taipei
It is unfashionable nowadays to think of air raids from mainland China on Taiwan. But there was a time when it was a good idea… As when the Soviet Volunteer group that operated these bombers for the Nationalist Chinese Government essayed to fly to Taipei and bomb newly-arrived Japanese aircraft at the airfield before they…
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Čmelák – Part Four – Flying Fertiliser
I was fascinated with the instruction sheet for this Czech model as it detailed the service life of the Z-37A agricultural aircraft. It would appear that they are used for crop dusting and spraying in equal measure in middle Europe and are in some areas of the west as well. The planes are working for…
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Airfix Junkers 87 – Part Five – Partisan
The Junkers 87 used by the Luftwaffe was terrifying enough – but as a captured dive bomber in the hands of Marko and Miloš…Eeeeek. The aircraft was captured by Yugoslav partisans in Feb 1945 when the two German crew landed by mistake at the wrong airfield. It was subsequently flown in battle by the partisans…
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RCAF Wellington Mk II – Part Six – Dortmund Or Bust
Not ” or ” as it happened…” and “… This aircraft – airframe W5390 – started out from RAF Pocklington near York on the night of April 4, 1942 – heading for Dortmund. This city, close to Essen, Duisberg, and Dusseldorf was very heavily bombed…nearly all the time. Well, W5390, wearing LQ*X code and flying…
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Looks And History
This so often devolves into ” or ” rather than ” and “. Aircraft are designed by people with different senses of aesthetics. Add to this the different operational requirements, purchasing wishes, and actual manufacturing ability, and you can see why there have been so many flying duds. In some cases the crash of the…
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Good Ol’ Boyz
Recently I completed a scale model of a Finnish fighter plane from the period of WW2. It was a good kit and the camouflage colours went well; two shades of green on the top and a light blue underside. I was able to add the Finnish Air Force insignia on the wings and fuselage as…
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Dewoitine D.500 – Part Two – Aeronavale
It is a pity that the development of the French Navy’s air arm was cut short by being the country being defeated on the land. It would have been interesting to see them engaged with the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean. As it was, the two sides might have been evenly matched. This version of…
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RWD 5bis – Part Three – Bon Dia
Or Dzień Dobry, if you are just starting out. Because this little 450Kg light plane flew from Warsaw to Brazil. Not in one leap, nor in one day, but it started and finished a winner. For a long time the lightest aircraft to cross the Atlantic. The model is also a winner, and will take…
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Vickers Viscount – Part Four – Smooth Success
My internet enquiries have failed to turn up a list of names given to the Vickers Viscount aircraft flown by Trans Canada Airlines and then by Air Canada – just a corporate change. However they were titled, they seem to have been quite a success on the Northern American routes – passengers noting the smooth…
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RWD 5bis – Part One – The Dollar Flier
I have no idea where the original owner of this kit obtained it. Like as not, it was sent to the UK during the Warsaw pact era as a foreign-currency earner and was probably sold quite cheaply. I obtained it for a dollar – rough cardboard box and all. I have had a number of…
The Little World 