Even though the classic de Havilland Tiger Moth has to be considered one of the most important aircraft in the history of British aviation, it rarely receives the popular respect it deserves and is usually in the shadow of more glamourous types, such as the Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland’s own Mosquito. Despite this, without the availability of thousands of Tiger Moths to train a constant stream of pilots for military and civilian service, Britain and her Commonwealth would have been in real trouble during WWII and most pilots who would go on to fly the numerous Allied aircraft types of the Second World War would have ‘learnt their trade’ on this classic training aircraft.

Coming from a successful line of biplane designs, the DH.82 Tiger Moth made its first flight in October 1931 and was the result of the Company’s founder wanting to produce an aircraft superior to its predecessors, whilst possessing enough appeal to attract interest from several different aviation sectors. Its success resulted in an immediate order from the RAF, who viewed the aircraft as an ideal primary trainer for pilots beginning on their flying careers and destined to fly their latest front line aircraft. Their modest original order was followed up by several subsequent orders and as the world descended into conflict in 1939, the Royal Air Force would have around 500 Tiger Moths on strength. Many more examples were owned by flying clubs all over the country and many of these would also being pressed into military service, due to the need to train as many new pilots as possible. With its growing reputation, the aircraft also secured many overseas orders, ensuring that the de Havilland production lines were fully committed in supplying this superb aircraft.

From the perspective of the student pilot, the Tiger Moth was a relatively stable and forgiving aircraft to fly, with few handling vices and generally supportive of the odd silly mistake. It has been described as an ‘easy aeroplane to fly but a difficult one to fly well’, which seemed to have made this the ideal aircraft to serve as a primary/basic trainer for large numbers of future pilots destined for the war effort. As Britain prepared for invasion during the early summer of 1940, there were plans for the gentle natured Tiger Moth to show a much more aggressive side and support the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots they had previously trained. ‘Operation Banquet’ called for the use of every available aircraft in the defence of Britain’s coastline, attacking any potential invasion force by all means at their disposal. This would see even the most unlikely of aircraft equipped with bomb racks and given a new offensive capability. Should a German invasion have been attempted, there would have been the very real possibility of swarms of bomb laden Tiger Moths raining fury on the enemy troops below, as Britain used every means in her power to ensure the failure of such a cross channel incursion. Thankfully, due in no small part to the qualities of this effective pilot maker and the resolve of the Royal Air Force, German invasion plans were indefinitely postponed following the Luftwaffe’s inability to score a decisive victory during the Battle of Britain.

With many Tiger Moths remaining in airworthy condition, it is interesting to consider that this famous basic training aircraft is still doing the same job today as it did during its service introduction in the 1930s. The magnificent Tiger Moth allows potential Warbird pilots the opportunity to gain valuable experience flying a ‘taildragger’ aircraft, before eventually moving on to display the Spitfires and Mustangs which thrill the crowds at Airshows all over the world.

An aircraft which has been responsible for training thousands of pilots and allowing thousands more to enjoy experience flights, the Chipmunk took over this important responsibility from the venerable Tiger Moth from 1950 onwards. One of the longest serving RAF types, the Chipmunk still provides training and currency support for pilots of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

The Mk XII was the first production version of the Spitfire to use the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. The Griffon was a development of the 'R' sprint engine used in the Supermarine Schneider Trophy racing seaplanes of the late 1920s and early 1930s.

As the battle hardened, Bf109 fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe began operations against Britain following the Dunkirk evacuation and they were at a disadvantage for the first time. With only enough fuel for limited time over England, any mechanical issue or damage during combat resulted in their capture at best and certainly helped hasten an end to their war.

As the least effective of the RAF’s interceptor fighters at the start of the Battle of Britain, it is interesting to note that the Boulton Paul Defiant actually entered service much later than either the Spitfire or Hurricane, but was quickly relegated to nightfighter operations when it became obvious the extra weight of the power operated turret made the aircraft a relatively easy target for Luftwaffe fighters.

The rugged and reliable Hawker Hurricane was arguably the most important fighter aircraft available to the Royal Air Force at the beginning of WWII.  Easier to produce and more forgiving to fly than the more glamorous Spitfire, the Hurricane was available in much greater numbers than any other fighter at the time of the Battle of Britain and proved decisive in securing eventual victory for the pilots of the RAF.

Early RAF operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa saw small numbers of Hurricane Mk.I fighters pitted against vastly superior numbers of Regia Aeronautica aircraft.  They proved to be more than a match for anything the Italian Air Force could hurl at them, but the arrival of battle hardened Luftwaffe fighters in 1941 saw a change in fortunes.  Many of the Hurricanes were ‘Tropicalised’ and arrived in theatre with the chin mounted Vokes carburettor dust filter, which significantly altered the profile of the Hawker fighter.

The North American P-51 Mustang is viewed as one of the iconic American fighters of the Second World War. Designed to fulfil an RAF specification, the Mustang was transformed once the Rolls Royce Merlin engine was installed. The P-51D model's long range and excellent firepower made it a superb escort fighter, able to protect the bombers all the way to Berlin and back. The P-51 is recorded as being the top scoring Allied fighter of the war with 4,950 enemy aircraft destroyed. After the war the P-51D saw service in Korea and was used by some South American country's air arms until the early 1980s.

The first Curtiss Tomahawk fighters to arrive in Britain during the Second World War operated in the tactical reconnaissance role and were deemed unsuitable for fighter sweeps into German-held Europe. Later models incorporated several improvements and saw extensive service with the Western Desert Air Force.

Continuing the wartime development of the famous Supermarine Spitfire, the Mk.XIV saw the classic shape of Mitchell’s celebrated fighter paired with the awesome power of the new Rolls Royce Griffon engine. The resultant aircraft was superb and one of the RAF’s most capable fighters of WWII, proving particularly successful when employed against the V-1 flying bomb attacks which Germany launched against southern Britain, from the summer of 1944. 

The adoption of the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine provided the Spitfire with a significant increase in performance, but not without presenting Supermarine designers and pilots converting to the aircraft with a few challenges. Installation of the new engine in the existing Spitfire airframe required a redesign of both the front and rear sections of the aircraft and the use of a distinctive five bladed Rotol propeller. Pilots used to flying Merlin engined versions of the aircraft would find the Griffon turned in the propeller in the opposite direction and whilst the earlier aircraft tended to veer to the left on take-off, the Griffon powered machines would veer in the opposite direction – if the pilot forgot and applied their usual corrective inputs, their first flight could be a particularly short and uncomfortable one.

As the only British fighter type to remain in production throughout WWII, the Spitfire was constantly developed to ensure it remained at the forefront of fighter performance, with the Griffon powered aircraft being around 80 mph faster than the original Mk.I machines. With the purr of the early Merlin engines replaced by the throaty growl of the mighty Griffon, these later developments appear to be much more capable versions of the fighter than the classic early Spitfires, even though they are basically a development of them.

The Griffin powered Spitfire Mk.XIV possessed greater performance than that of the thoroughbred Mk.IX and therefore was superior to both the Luftwaffe’s Focke Wulf Fw 190 and the latest versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Taking part in air operations in support of and in the months following the D-Day landings, the Mk.XIV was used extensively by the 2nd Tactical Air Force, equipping all 20 of the Spitfire Squadrons that operated from the continent in the months between D-Day and VE-Day. Employed predominantly in an armed reconnaissance role, these fearsome fighters would search for targets behind German lines, attempting to disrupt both their retreat and their ability to send reinforcements to the current front line. Their speed also made them an ideal aircraft to help counter the growing Doodlebug threat endured by southern Britain in the months following Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings.

• Scheme 1: ‘Rotation Blues’ 67th FBS Korea
• Scheme 2: F51D 77 Squadron RAAF Korea 1951
• Scheme 3: J26 Mustang, Swedish Air Force

As arguably the finest fighter aircraft of WWII, the Mustang went on to be selected as the USAF primary piston engined fighter after the war, with all other types relegated to secondary roles, or withdrawn from service. The re-designation of USAF aircraft in 1948 saw the P for Pursuit change to F for Fighter, resulting in the Mustang becoming a North American F-51D

• Scheme 1: KM272 ‘Dooleybird’ 19 Squadron RAF 1945
• Scheme 2: KH676/CV-A Flg Off A F Lane, 3 Squadron RAAF Cervia Italy, April 1945

As the North American Mustang was developed as a direct result of a British Air Ministry requirement, it is somehow fitting that the RAF and Commonwealth air forces used the aircraft extensively during WWII. The British designation for the later P-51D version was Mustang IV, with the Dallas built P-51K, which used a different Aeroproducts propeller, referred to as the Mustang IVa.

A thoroughbred fighting aeroplane, the P-51D Mustang was produced in greater numbers than any other variant and introduced a number of improvements over earlier models. With a new wing design, teardrop canopy and lower rear fuselage, the P-51D was the mount of many USAAF aces and became the primary US fighter in the European Theatre, following its introduction in mid 1944.

A variant of this famous fighting aeroplane which was the result of a desire to produce a 'Super Spitfire', the Mk.XVIII was a further refinement of the Rolls Royce Griffon powered Mk.XIV, but one which incorporated a number of improvements over its predecessor. In addition to several cockpit enhancements for the pilot, the Mk.XVIII also benefitted from increased fuel carrying capacity and strengthened wings, allowing it to carry either rockets or bombs in addition to its cannon and machine gun armament. With a total production run or 300 aircraft, the RAF would receive two versions of this fighter, the F.Mk.XVIII fitted with the standard E wing and the FR.Mk.XVIII, which included a camera for photo reconnaissance work. Too late to see service during WWII, these powerful Spitfires did see action as part of 'Operation Firedog' and actions against Communist guerrillas during the Malayan Emergency.

A gleaming silver steed flown by the most capable and intrepid young men Britain could call upon, the Bristol Bulldog was one of the most important British aircraft of the inter-war period, when powerful biplane fighters unquestionably ruled the skies. Initially developed as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the Bulldog was the brainchild of accomplished aircraft designer Frank Barnwell, the man behind the successful Bristol F2B Fighter of the Great War, and was a light, all-metal and fabric-covered fighter, powered by a 440hp Bristol Jupiter engine.

The Bulldog was armed with a pair of forward-firing Vickers 0.303" machine guns mounted on either side of the cockpit, but ultimately never fired its guns in anger during a relatively short seven-year period serving with Fighter Command. Although it was the most capable fighter of the day, the Bulldog was more closely associated with challenging formation flying and spectacular aerobatics, with the Royal Air Force thrilling huge crowds at airshows and pageants around the country, as they demonstrated the effectiveness of a modernising air force. 

What the Bulldog did do was help advance Britain's aviation industry towards the production of the sleek, monoplane fighters which would contest the Second World War, as it highlighted the fact that biplane designs were fast approaching their zenith. Perhaps the most famous incident involving a Bristol Bulldog proved to be a rather unfortunate one, when an accomplished, but rather headstrong RAF pilot performed unauthorised low-altitude aerobatics for a group of onlookers and a private civilian aerodrome in Berkshire. 

Flying so low that the wingtip of his fighter struck the ground during a manoeuvre, the Bulldog cartwheeled across the airfield, inflicting catastrophic injuries on the pilot - that pilot was future Second World War RAF ace and inspirational national hero Douglas Bader.

Brace yourself for a stealthily guarded FAA revelation!

A masterpiece of the skies, and now your Airfix workbench, the Supermarine Seafire returns to our range after a ten-year absence.

The XVII was the first of the Seafire variants to feature a cut-down rear fuselage and distinctive teardrop-style canopy. The aircraft could carry a heavier weapons load thanks to reinforced construction, with both fuel tanks and rockets under the wings. This plane flew on the frontline until the early 1950s when it downgraded to training duties.

The Navy’s answer to the ever-popular Spitfire, this masterpiece astounded the world with its unrivalled performance in the most demanding of conditions. It effortlessly operated from aircraft carriers, making it a formidable presence over land and sea. Folding wings allowed it to take off swiftly and land on the decks of naval vessels, extending its reach and influence over the ocean.

The awe-inspiring design ensured agility and speed, boasting sleek, aerodynamic contours radiating elegance and boosting manoeuvrability. This machine reached top speeds of approximately 378 miles per hour (608km/h), giving pilots an unyielding advantage.

Although usually associated with the Wehrmacht’s feared ‘Lightning War’ attacks at the beginning of WWII, the Ju87B Stuka was also a highly effective maritime strike bomber. Capable of performing precision dive bombing attacks against any Allied vessel, the Stuka took a heavy toll of shipping in the English Channel, North Africa and in the Mediterranean. The Stuka also saw service with the air forces of Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, as well as remaining in Luftwaffe service throughout WWII.

The attack dive of the Stuka was so severe, that quite a number of automatic features had to be incorporated into the manoeuvre. At an altitude of approximately 15,000 ft., the pilot would locate his target through a bombsight window, which was located in the floor of the cockpit. His engine and propeller had automatic controls, to optimise the aircraft when in a dive, and an automatic trimmer would make the aircraft tail heavy, as the pilot initiated the dive. He would move the dive lever to the rear, which would limit the ‘kick’ of the control column and quickly begin a defined sequence of actions, which if done correctly, would see his ordnance detonate on his intended target. He quickly set the trim tabs, reduced the throttle and closed the engine coolant flaps. The aircraft would automatically become tail heavy and pitch over in a 180-degree roll, placing the aircraft in a steep nose-down dive – at the same time, dive breaks were automatically deployed, to reduce the speed of the dive, to a constant 360 mph. This was the point of no return – the attack sequence had begun.

As the strain on the body of the pilot increased, he still had much work to do. The angle of his dive could be checked by looking at a series of red lines on the side of his cockpit window and lining them up against the horizon – 60, 75, or 80 degree angle of attack. He would then look forward through the fixed gun sight, to line up his attack, before releasing his heavy main bomb - the optimum release height was indicated to the pilot, by a light flicking on in his altimeter. The bomb was carried on a large U-shaped cradle, which would swing down on release, throwing the bomb safely clear of the large propeller and on to the target. As all this action was taking place, the pilot would have certainly had at least a couple of reassuring glances at the red pins protruding up from the top of the wings, which informed him that the automatic dive recovery system was engaged, should he fall victim to a g-induced black-out. All this would have been taking place in just a matter of a few, frantic seconds!

Once the bombs had left the aircraft, it automatically began its dive recovery sequence. This was the point at which the maximum g loading on the crew would be felt and forces in excess of six times the force of gravity were regularly experienced, which could result in vision impairment at the very least. Once recovered and the nose of the aircraft was above the horizon, the dive breaks were automatically retracted, the throttle was opened and the propeller was set to climb – the pilot then quickly had to manually open the coolant flaps, to prevent the engine from overheating and then resume flying the aircraft. This was the point that the Stuka was at its most vulnerable, flying at low level, at relatively slow speed and in hostile territory. His rear gunner may still be blacked out and indeed the pilot might still be feeling a little light headed, but every anti-aircraft gun, rifle and enemy fighter in the vicinity would be taking pot-shots at them, from every angle.

Historically, the Gloster Meteor was Britain’s first jet fighter and the only Allied jet aircraft to see service during the Second World War.  The F.8 variant of the Meteor was perhaps the definitive incarnation of this famous aircraft and was the main RAF fighter throughout the 1950’s, until superseded by the Hawker Hunter.

As the first jet aircraft to see service with the Royal Air Force, the Gloster Meteor will always be seen as historically important.  A stable and reliable aircraft, the Meteor soon became outclassed as an air superiority fighter, but the effectiveness of the basic design allowed the aircraft to be used in a variety of other roles.  In combat with MiG 15 fighters over Korea, Royal Australian Air Force Meteors were found to be severely lacking as dogfighters and were to suffer at the hands of this diminutive Soviet fighter.  It was quickly relegated to ground attack duties, where it proved to be extremely effective.

• Livery A: No.111 Squadron, RAF North Weald, Essex, England 1954
• Livery B: No.85 Squadron, RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England 1968

Despite its rather ungainly appearance, the Supermarine Walrus was one of the most effective aircraft of its type ever built. Required to operate in particularly hostile environments, the Walrus was an excellent naval reconnaissance aircraft and became an invaluable air-sea rescue asset, responsible for saving the lives of many downed airmen.

The Gloster Meteor F.8 was a greatly improved version of Britain’s first operational jet fighter and arguably the definitive version of this classic aircraft. Seeing extensive service during the Korean War with No.77 Squadron of Royal Australian Air Force, the Meteor would be engaged in combat with the new Soviet produced MiG 15 jet fighter, which proved to be an extremely capable adversary.

The Gloster Meteor maintains a significant position in the history of the Royal Air Force, as it became Britain’s first operational jet aircraft. Not willing to risk this technology falling into the hands of the Germans, initial operations were confined to UK airspace, particularly in combatting the V-1 Doodlebug threat. Indeed, once Meteors were deployed to Europe in the latter stages of WWII, they were still forbidden to engage in combat with the Messerschmitt Me 262, so we will never know how these significant aircraft would have performed against each other.

In operation, the Meteor proved to be a delightful aircraft to fly and enabled pilots to make a relatively easy transition from piston engined aircraft to jet powered flight. Unlike the Messerschmitt Me 262, the Meteor also proved to be almost as reliable as the Spitfires and Tempests it was intended to replace and was even capable of being operated from relatively basic grass airstrips. Continually developed throughout its service life, the Gloster Meteor would remain in RAF service for many years, with a handful of target towing aircraft still operating in the 1980s.

Schemes:

• 1) XF418 4FTS Brawdy
• 2) XF509 4FTS
• 3) Dutch AF

As far as classic British jet aircraft are concerned, few would argue that the beautiful Hawker Hunter should be placed at the head of this group, entering RAF service in 1954 and still providing training support almost 40 years later. The definitive interceptor version of the Hunter was the Mk.6 and by the end of 1958, all of the RAFs day fighter squadrons in Britain and Germany were equipped with these aircraft 

Arguably one of the most significant aircraft of the inter war years, the Bristol Blenheim can trace its lineage back to a privately funded venture and a determination to place Britain at the head of the aviation world. Frustrated by a succession of aviation records achieved by overseas manufacturers, Lord Rothermere, owner of the Daily Mail Newspaper and keen observer of the aviation scene, invited Britain’s leading aircraft manufacturers to do something about the situation. Resolved to capture the civilian aircraft world speed record for Britain, he offered to fund the development of an aircraft capable of achieving this feat, which eventually resulted in the Bristol Type 142 taking to the air. This sleek, twin engined design was both beautiful to look at and extremely fast in the air, easily managing to capture a new world speed record for a civilian passenger aircraft. Setting a new mark of 307 mph, the new Bristol design gave Lord Rothermere what he had been desperately hoping for and he christened the spectacular new aircraft ‘Britain First’.

In widespread service with the Royal Air Force at the start of WWII, the Bristol Blenheim and its brave crews would be asked to shoulder a heavy burden in the months that followed, with a Blenheim mounting Britain’s first sortie of the war just 63 minutes after war was declared against Germany. Living up to the name ‘Britain First’ Lord Rothermere bestowed on his spectacular Bristol Type 142 civilian transport and inspiration for the Blenheim, these aircraft went into combat determined to show Britain’s defiance and determination to prevail in this second global conflict. Significantly, the pace of aviation development in the 1930s continued to increase and whilst the Blenheim was a ground-breaking aircraft design when it first entered RAF service, it was quickly outclassed by the latest breed of fast monoplane fighters. With relatively light defensive armament and weighed down with the equipment of war, gallant Blenheim crews would suffer terrible losses at the hands of the Luftwaffe, particularly during the early months of WWII.

• Scheme 1: HMS Birmingham 4th Cruiser Squadron 1938-40
• Scheme 2: 53.S.16, Flottille 53S, Aeronavale, Hourtin, 1945-48
• Scheme 3: N20 Irish Air Corps 1939-40

The reputation of the Supermarine company was built on their ability to design and produce effective and reliable marine and amphibious aircraft for civilian and military use. The Walrus was a perfect example of their expertise and underlined the strength of the aircraft by performing a loop at the 1933 Hendon Air Pageant, to the astonishment of the massed ranks of spectators.

• Scheme 1: WL263 208 Squadron Malta 1957
• Scheme 2: WB116/G RAF 2 squadron 1956

As the armed reconnaissance version of Britain’s first operational jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor FR.9 was based on the F.8 fighter version of the aircraft and replaced Spitfires and Mosquitos in this role. The extended nose housed a Williamson F.24 camera, which could be positioned to fire either forward, port of starboard facing. Its range was extended significantly by the addition of external wing and ventral fuel tanks.

The service introduction of the Hawker Hunter F.4 in March 1955 presented the RAF with a more capable version of their sleek jet fighter, including a much needed increase in its internal fuel capacity. The F.4 also introduced the two distinctive streamlined chin blisters, which were designed to collect spent ammunition links from the guns, thus preventing potential damage to the aircraft.

When the first Bristol Blenheim Mk.I light bomber entered Royal Air Force service with No.114 Squadron at Wyton in March 1937, they not only replaced the squadron’s Hawker Hind biplane bombers, but also pointed to the future of a new, modern air force. Capable of speeds approaching 100 mph faster than its predecessor, the Blenheim was the most capable light/medium bomber in the world at that time and would be the benchmark for all future aircraft designs, including those it would soon be forced to meet in combat. During the early months of WWII, Blenheim crews would carry a heavy burden of strike operations against enemy targets, both from bases in the UK and in France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force and British Expeditionary Force. Being relatively lightly armed and with constant equipment additions increasing the aircraft’s weight, the Blenheim was no match for the modern fighters of the Luftwaffe and despite the heroic actions of a great many Allied pilots, the RAF suffered significant losses during this period.

The Westland Lynx is a British multi role helicopter that has seen service in both land based army forms as well as ship based naval variants. Entering service in 1977, the Lynx has since seen many upgrades and improvements throughout its service hostory. The Mk8 naval variant entered service with the Royal Navy in the early 1990s and has since gone on to provide them with an excellent maritime attack helicopter, performing well in the anti-submarine role as well as search and rescue and more recently anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. Fiercely armed with either missiles, depth charges or a heavy machine gun the Lynx is a formidable machine and is more than capable of taking on the best of the world's surface vessels as well as any potential underwater threat.

Entering RAF service some seven years after it had with the Royal Navy, the Blackburn Company received an initial order for 26 new aircraft, with RAF machines having a number of differences from their seaborne counterparts and designated S.Mk.2B. For an aircraft the Royal Air Force didn’t really want, the Buccaneer proved to be an exceptionally capable machine and by the time they were scheduled for retirement, they were reluctant to let them go. Although they were forced to take a naval aircraft they had originally dismissed, it didn’t take long before the camouflaged Buccaneers of the RAF began to show why this was definitely not a second rate aircraft option.

Scale: 1:48
Skill: 2
Flying Hours: 3
Number of Parts: 258
Dimensions (mm): Various

Between June 1940 and November 1942 the small but strategically important island of Malta, situated in the Mediterranean Sea, became the most heavily bombed place on earth when first Italian and then German bombers attempted to force the island to surrender.

Merchant shipping convoys were also attacked in an attempt to prevent the island being re-supplied with food and military equipment. Initially Malta’s only defending fighter aircraft were outdated Gloster Gladiators and then Hawker Hurricanes but at the height of the battle, cannon armed and tropicalized Spitfire Mk.Vbs were used to intercept the German Junkers Ju88 and Ju87 Stuka dive bombers which were escorted by Messerschmitt Bf109Es. It became a struggle that was in some ways similar to the Battle of Britain. Eventually at the end of 1942, the war in North Africa had been won by the Allies so Malta was no longer of such important to the Axis powers and the bombing stopped allowing the starving civil population to be re-supplied by sea.

Paint Scheme – Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb, No. 229 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Qrendi, Malta, December 1942 and Messerschmitt Bf109E-7, aircraft flown by Oberleutnant Joachim Muncheberg, 7./JG26 “Schlageter”, Gela, Sicily, Spring 1941.

Contents:
•    10 x Acrylic Paints
•    2 x Brushes
•    2 x Poly Cement
•    Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb: L195 x W232 - Pieces 151
•    Messerschmitt Bf109E-7: L183 x W205 - Pieces 107

Airfix Gift Sets are ideal for more advanced modellers and include glue, acrylic paints and brushes.