Heather Kavanagh

I managed to build it without too many tears. You are right, the clear parts were a pain. I found the nose parts a smidge too wide. My fallback option was to use the Falcon vacform bits intended for the Airfix Hampden! Anyway, it looks okay if you stand far enough back! Apart from the Battle, I know have a full set of early war British bombers.

Oh, that’s good to know. I won’t abuse it, though!

It has been far too long. If I have an excuse, it is that I lurk here regularly, but do most of my project updates on another forum. Also, many of my 1940 obsession builds are sadly not Airfix kits, and not really allowed to be seen here except in passing. Vickers Wellington MkIC, L7842 KX•T, No 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, RAF Bomber Command, Honington, Suffolk, October 1940. No 311 Squadron was a Czechoslovak-manned squadron of the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. It was the RAF's only Czechoslovak-manned medium and heavy bomber squadron. It suffered the heaviest losses of any Czechoslovak formation in the RAF. During the war 511 Czechoslovaks serving in Allied air forces were killed. Of these 273 (53%) died while serving with No 311 Squadron. The squadron was formed at RAF Honington in Suffolk on 29 July 1940, although RAF records give the official date as 2 August. It was crewed mostly by Czechoslovaks who had escaped from German-occupied Europe. Some were airmen who had trained with the Czechoslovak Air Force, escaped to France, served in the French Air Force in the Battle of France and then been evacuated to the UK. Others were soldiers who had served in Czechoslovak Army units in the Battle of France, been evacuated to the UK and then volunteered to transfer to the RAF Volunteer Reserve in order to serve in No 311 Squadron. The squadron was equipped initially with Wellington MkI medium bombers, which were soon replaced by Wellingtons of MkIA and IC. From 16 September 1940 the squadron was based at RAF East Wretham in Norfolk as part of Bomber Command's No 3 Group, whose commanding officer was Air Vice-Marshal John Baldwin. He said No 311 Squadron "put up a wonderful show" and had "the finest navigators in Bomber Command". On 6 February 1941, six of the squadron's Wellington MkIC aircraft took part in a raid on Boulogne-sur-Mer in German-occupied France. On the return flight one aircraft, L7842/T, the subject of my build, suffered navigation problems. Then it ran low on fuel, its commander Plt Off František Cigoš mistakenly judged that they were over England and he landed at Flers in northern France. Both the aircraft and its crew were captured. The Luftwaffe repainted KX-T in German markings and transferred it to its Erprobungsstelle (experimental and test facility) at Rechlin–Lärz Airfield in Mecklenburg. After the end of the war, 311 Squadron was disbanded as an RAF unit and became the 6 letecká divize ("6th Air Division") of the reformed Czechoslovak Air Force. The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its geodetic airframe fuselage structure, which was principally designed by Barnes Wallis. Originally to have been called the Crecy, the aircraft was renamed Wellington, one of two bombers named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the other being the Vickers Wellesley. Development had been started in response to Air Ministry Specification B.9/32, issued in the middle of 1932, which called for a twin-engined day bomber capable of delivering higher performance than any previous design. After initial success on day bombing missions at the start of the war, the Wellington and Hampden squadrons were switched to night operations after increasing losses to German defences. During 1943, it started to be superseded as a bomber by the larger four-engined "heavies" such as the Avro Lancaster. The Wellington continued to serve throughout the war in other duties, particularly as an anti-submarine aircraft. It holds the distinction of having been the only British bomber that was produced for the duration of the war, and of having been produced in a greater quantity than any other British-built bomber. The Wellington went on to be built in 16 variants and two post-war training conversions. The number of Wellingtons built totalled around 11,460 of all versions. On 13 October 1945, the last Wellington to be produced rolled out. (Information and data edited from the Wikipedia entries.) The Wellington kit was released in 2018, and is a joy to behold and build. I built it straight from the box, barring masking tape harness for the pilot, and included the entire internal detail as provided in the box. Painting was ColourCoats enamels, and Humbrol and Revell Aqua acrylics for detail work. I used an Eduard masking set for the clear parts, and design and made my own masks for the aircraft markings. The Wellington MkII has since also been released by Airfix, and is patiently waiting its turn on the bench. As part of my over-arching 1940 obsession, I decided 2023 should be the year I finally give Bomber Command some love. I had already built the Airfix Whitley, and the Blenheim MkIV, acquired both versions of the new-tool Wellington, a 1975 boxing of the Short Stirling, a Valom HP Hampden, Revell HP Halifax, and patiently waiting for the Ffrom Fairey Battle to complete the set. Stretching my rule that aircraft must be in squadron service during the period January to December 1940, I have allowed myself the luxury of including the Short Stirling, Handley Page Halifax and Avro Manchester, even though these aircraft were not truly fully operation until the beginning of 1941. When I finally complete it, I shall recount here how I decided to create an early Stirling Series 1 from the venerable Airfix kit. Something to look forward to!

Not available through Hannants, but if you search for Sovereign Hobbies and ColourCoats you’ll find a great range of enamels for modellers. I recommend a look at their range, which is suitable for airbrushing and brushing. I’m a just a satisfied customer of theirs, mourning the slow death of Humbrol.

Thanks Ratch! grinning

Hello everyone! It's been a long time since I popped up here. My excuse is Life™ and most of the models I've been working on haven't been Airfix kits. Anyway, after battling my way through Valom and Special Hobby, I decided it was time for a refresh. I chose the Beaufort kit from the stash. I wanted to represent the aircraft as it might have appeared early in 1940. I like the aluminium undersides and lack of yellow ring on the fuselage roundels. I could have simply built the model and used the kit transfers, but I like to push my skills a bit. The finished model is a No 22 Squadron, Coastal Command, aircraft. In fact, this was one that was lost with all the crew on a minelaying mission over the River Elbe on the night of 15 April 1940. I decided to create my own markings, using my Silhouette Cameo cutter and vinyl masking film. The kit was built entirely from the box, with homebrew masking tape seat harnesses and Eduard glazing masks. I used ColourCoats enamels for the airbrushed upper camouflage, and Revell Aqua for the brushed undersides. Humbrol acrylics were used for detail painting. While the real plane was used on "Gardening" or minelaying missions, I want to pose it in a cameo with a practice torpedo being loaded. I've built the bomb bay for this purpose. I've built the kit torpedo, and had a spare trolley from an Airfix Swordfish kit. I just need some suitable erks to populate the scene. I have to say, as many before me, the kit set some excellent standards for fit and finish. I really enjoyed the build process, and happy to have a top-notch modern kit of a Bristol Beaufort in my 1940 collection. A credit to the designer and the production team at Airfix.

Thanks, Chris. 😇

I have a bit of a thing about 1940. It began as an interest in building models of aircraft that were flown in the Battle of Britain, and has spread to encompass - so far - every combatant country in North Western Europe from 1 January to 31 December 1940. When that rich vein runs out, assuming I don’t start off on collecting the neutral countries, I’m off to the Mediterranean and North Africa for a bit. It has turned out to be an endlessly fascinating journey of discovery. I didn’t know Handley Page Heyfords and HP42 Heracles were still flying that year. I didn’t know the Belgian forces were flying imported Italian Fiat CR42s. I have been continually amazed by finding an aircraft type was operational in 1940, and then discovering a tiny manufacturer has produced a kit for it! Although Airfix has helped my quest by making new tools of Blenheims, Beauforts and Wellingtons, most of my stash is from other sources. That’s why you rarely see my efforts appearing here. A quick scan over the stash shows only ten Airfix boxes, and they’re not currently high on the build list. One day, they will be.

Yes, I know of that one. It’s what I normally do. I wondered if there should be a way to embed an image from a hosting site like Flickr. I think I’ve answered my own question, though! laughing

Sadly, there are no kits of much RAF 1930s ground support equipment. I kitbashed an Airfix Tilly, using drawings in the ancient Airfix Modelling RAF Vehicles guide from the 1970s. It’s since had Red Cross transfers applied. https://flic.kr/p/264Zbhx I also created a basic model of the Crossley IGL6 crash tender, from odd kit parts for a Crossley GS truck, bits of Airfix and odds from the Bits Box. It turned out okay, I think. https://flic.kr/p/264Zc9n I don’t know if those links will resolve to actual images. If not, you’ll have to click through. Sorry. Why isn’t there a way to embed or hotlink to images on this forum?

You know that thing where you type out a clever passage of text, but get distracted before you submit it to the forum, and when you come back the site has crashed and lost all your work? Yeah, that. So, 2022 is turning out to be a year of filling in odd nooks and crannies in my seemingly never ending 1940 obsession. I hadn’t had the Heyford on my radar, only recently realising that several were still operational in a training role in 1940. I came to the conclusion the finite number of unbuilt kits in the wild meant I should seek one as soon as possible. As it happened, a fellow member of another modelling forum offered me his for next to nothing. It will now patiently wait its turn. Other gaps in my collection include Axis trainers, so this smart little Stosser arrived. Finally, today, I was delivered of a DH Flamingo. Thank you Valom for making kits of obscure planes! As I type, Special Hobby announced a 1/72nd Fairey Albacore, and Azur have the Fairey Battle covered. My cup indeed runneth over!

Well, as others have said, nothing there for me. I already have the Blenheim MkIVF, and don’t need another. On the other hand, that’s an impressive spread of kits which I hope does well for the company. On another forum, it was noted that there may be further announcements still to come, with yesterday as the headliners. There may yet be more vintage classics added, and watching the video I spotted that elusive 1/35th Austin ambulance box in the background at least once. I doubt there will be more new tools announced, though. So, who knows? The year is still young.

I realise that, but what does duplicating other company kits do to help? Better to work out where there are gaps, surely?

But John, Revell have kitted the Ju88 in most versions just recently. It’s a lovely kit.

An accurate Hudson wouldn’t come amiss.

Well, Azur-Ffrom have announced a 1/72nd Battle for spring 2022. That’s one off my wish list, so that really only leaves the Hampden - which is still available from Valom - and Avro Manchester - for which Blackbird Models makes a conversion kit for the Airfix Lancaster. smiley Most of the things in my wish list, which is very much late-1930s to the end of 1940, are available from elsewhere or so esoteric hardly anyone will bother trying to make the kit! I think I would put my request in for more ground support equipment for many countries, as well as better quality scale figures.

I have a vivid memory of helping my dad build the Fairey Rotodyne. I also recall a bagged Northrop F5 from Woolworths. The latest is a Lancaster B.MkII. Not my usual 1940 fare, but it’s going to be converted to a Manchester and donate a pair of engines to a Saro Lerwick vacuum formed kit.

blush

I no longer have any of the kits I built as a youngster. I restarted plastic kit modelling in the late 1990s, so the oldest extant built model I have is… This 1/72nd Monogram/Revell Dornier Do17Z-2 I built around 1997. I threw tons of aftermarket stuff at it, and it still holds up pretty well I think.

I finally made a start on the Special Hobby Blackburn Skua.

I’ve got three O gauge LNER Gresley coaches, plus a Special Hobby Avro Anson and Special Hobby Blackburn Skua. My expectation is nothing will get done on any of them this weekend!

Nicely done! I acquired one of these when they were released in the Vintage Classic range. It fails on my single scale rule for my collection, but I felt it was important to have an example of the HP42/HP45 in RAF colours for my 1940 obsession. I know there's a 1/72nd resin print kit of the type available, but the cost is prohibitive as far as I'm concerned. I'm quite attached to my kidneys. With the news Valom is moulding a De Havilland Flamingo, I wonder if they might be persuaded? I'm only half joking, but it would be a beast of a kit at 1/72nd scale, wouldn't it!

The other thing to remember about paints is they last for more than one model - provided you look after them. I have tins of enamel that have been with me for a couple of decades and seen me through dozens of models, so I’ve very much had my money's worth out of them.

The easiest way is, as you say, not to build biplanes! Perhaps I’m just finding it easier with more biplanes under my belt. I’ve just built a Revell Walrus, and the rigging with fine wire took a couple of hours. I’d prepared for it earlier in the build by drilling holes in various places. Actually doing it took far less time than I expected. I probably have five more biplane kits in my 1940 stash. Some of those will be a mite more fiddly than those I’ve already done. I have to say, though they can be expensive, I do recommend the SBS Model PE kits - if they’re available for the model you want to rig.

This form needs a "like" button.