High Flyer

Historical Background

In January 1939 the Soviet VVS issued a specification for a high-altitude fighter with inline engine. The aircraft, initially designated I-200 was designed by the Polikarpov Design Bureau. When Nikolay Polikarpov fell out of favour with Stalin, the Soviet authorities created a new Experimental Construction Section headed by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. Further work on the I-200 was assigned to the two and were later recognised as its designers. Now known as the MiG-1, the aircraft was designed using wood and steel tubings to minimise the usage of light alloys. It had some serious defects however, including inadequate visibility while taxiing, heavy controls, poor longitudinal stability and easily entering into an unrecoverable spin. Continual improvements were done throughout the production run but were not immediately implemented on the production line. Instead, they were incorporated into the fourth prototype. After testing and passing State acceptance trials, they were incorporated in the 101st I-200/MiG-1 built and the aircraft was now renamed MiG-3. The first MiG-3 was completed on 20 December 1940.

The changes however resulted in an aircraft over 250 kg heavier than the MiG-1, which reduced maneuverability and field performance. Despite that, the MiG-3 can fly at 640 km/h at 7,200 meters - faster than the Bf 109F-2. However speed decayed to 505 km/h at sea level while the 'Friedrich' could do 515 km/h. Unfortunately the low and medium levels were where most aerial combat took place on the Eastern Front where the MiG lost its speed advantage. The loaded weight of the MiG was also higher than the Bf 109 and it was less maneuverable due to its higher wing loading. Despite being designed as a high-altitude fighter, it has poor climb rate. Aerial gunnery was also difficult because of instability at high speeds. Standard armament consists of a single UBS 12.7 mm machine gun and two 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns. Considered underpowered, 821 aircraft were then fitted with a 12.7 mm UBK machibe gun pod under each wing - this further lowered the speed by 20 km/h at all altitudes. Some pilots decided to remove the extra weapons. Other aircraft were armed with just the ShKAS machine guns but were fitted to carry RS-82 rockets.

On 22 June 1941, most of the MiG-3s delivered to the V-VS were placed within the Leningrad, Baltic, Western, Kiev and Odessa Military Districts. These aircraft fought at a disadvantage as combat took place at medium and low altitudes. Plus, shortage of ground attack aircraft forced it into that role, for which it was totally unsuited. By the time of the commencement of Operation Taifun, most V-VS MiGs were transferred to the PVO where their lack of performance at low altitude was not so serious. Even so, none of the MiGs remain with the PVO by January 1945. 3,400 units of the aircraft were built. Production was terminated in 1942 following Stalin's telegram to the directors of Zavod N.1 demanding increased production of Il-2 Shturmoviks. Despite its bad reputation aces such as Aleksandr Pokryshkin scored their early victories while flying the MiG-3. 

The Kit

Trumpeter was (and still is) a very profilic producer of model kits especially in the period between the mid-noughties until mid-2010s. They first came up with a model of the MiG-3 in 1/48 scale, an 'Early Version' of the MiG-3 in 2007. This was followed by the 'Late Version' in 2008. The 82 parts are spread among five sprues, one of them in clear plastic. Surface detail is generally nice and crisp although the fabric representation on the control surfaces look exaggerated. The infamous Trumpeter rivet is not as prominent in this (cf. their 1/72 Thud kit) - probably because of the larger scale. The interior is quite OK although the tubular frame is moulded-on with the side walls. Details on the instrument panel is somewhat ambiguous at the bottom of it. The front fuselage is made up of four parts and I suspect some struggle during assembly (more on that later). The decals provide markings for three aircraft:

- Winter-camouflaged 'Black 7' with 'For Stalin!' slogan. This aircraft was shown with additional guns in nacelles underneath the wings but the relevant parts are not included in the kit;

- 'White 12' in green with black nose; and

- 'White 95' in two-tone green.

Construction

As usual with aircraft kits, work started at the cockpit. And as per my usual style, the parts were painted while still on the tree. While Trumpeter has GSI H70 (RLM02) as the interior colour (and for the entirety of the cockpit), I chose to paint it blue-grey using a mix of Tamiya XF-22 RLM Grey and X-14 Sky Blue. The instrument panel is supposedly entirely in black but I chose to have just the instrument faces in that colour. The side boxes and some details were also painted Flat Black. The radio rack was also painted and assembled. The tail wheel was glued into place before closing the up the fuselage - otherwise it will be impossible to do so with the fuselage halves mated. Guess what? The lower half did not want to meet, leaving quite a sizeable gap which need to be addressed with putty. The placement of the radio deck in the instructions is very misleading and might confuse a modeller (it should be behind the pilot's seat, not inside the canopy fairing!).

The wing assembly is next. The upper and lower wing halves were cemented without fuss. The inserts for the wing root intakes fit OK with the rest of the wing although I suspect some fiddly handling during the mating of the wing assembly with the fuselage. The wing was then mated to the fuselage - it was a very tight fit but a bit of wedging here and there allowed the wings in place. As expected, some filling was needed between the intake insert and the wing root. The rear of the wing assembly also need to be in line with the corresponding surface on the rear fuselage as there were no hook or projection whatsoever to secure the two areas. Because of its position, the radiator faces and the intake and exhaust areas were painted first before assembly. The upper nose fairing did not fit exactly with the main assembly - but that's Okay as apparently many of the real aircraft have the same characteristics!

Painting and Decalling

After deciding to do 'Black 7', I proceeded to paint the lower fuselage first. Trumpeter suggested Gunze H20 Light Blue - a colour which I don't have in hand. To approximate AII Light Blue, I used Tamiya XF-23 Light Blue and gradually add XF-8 Flat Blue until looks about right. The upper fuselage need to be painted a base colour first, for the white camo to stick. I used XF-5 Flat Green. masking material was applied to the wing roots, weapon troughs and the leading edge of the wings before the upper fuselage was sprayed Tamiya TS-27 Flat White. The diagonal red patch at the wing tips were painted a mix of Vallejo Flat Red and Flat yellow to approximate the recommended Insignia Red. The decals were then applied. They are thin and lie nicely upon the surface. They are however translucent and this showed up like a sore thumb when the fuselage red stars were laid on the black arrow flash. To reduce the discrepancy, I trimmed numbers 9 and 5 from the red stars for option 3 of the markings and applied them over the original stars.

Finishing

The masking material was removed and the border between the white and the underlying green were cleaned / messed up further using dots of XF-2 Flat White and XF-5 Green. The model then received a neutral wash using Mr. Weathering Color Multi Grey. Pin wash was done using further application of the same some for the white areas and Ak Interactive paneliner for the lower fuselage. Exhaust marks were added using Tamiya Weathering Master Soot. The more fragile parts, such as the radio aerial, the rocket launchers, the main landing gear, tail wheel covers, propeller and the pitot tube were then cemented into place. Oh at this time, I realised that the main landing gear doors were scale-thick and the portion stuck with the gears were way simplified.. The model then was sprayed with Gunze Flat Top Coat. The masking for the clear pasrts were then removed, finishing the build.

Conclusion

While Trumpeter's MiG-3 kit is well moulded,and engineered, it was not a Tamiya, There wasn't really a problem with the build - you just need a bit of experience and this kit was not exactly suitable for entry-level modellers. The one particular unnecessary over-engineering is the radiator air intake - causing gaps if built according to instructions and fiddly to adjust if you add them after mating the wings to the fuselage. Fit was also slightly off with the kit, especially between the upper fuselage panel and the windscreen and the upper panel with the main fuselage. Nevertheless, overall, it is a good kit and should present no big challenge to seasoned modellers.

Gunboat Gustav

Historical Background

The Bf 109 has its origins in the 1933 study by the Technisches Amt (C-Amt) department of the Reichluftfahrtministerium. The study outlined four broad categories for future combat aircraft. One of them, Rüstungsflugzeug III, was for a single-seat fighter/short-range interceptor. The new fighter was to have a top speed of 400km/h at 6,000 meters, with a flight duration of 90 minutes. Power was to be provided by the Junkers Jumo 210 engine of 700hp. Armament would consists of a single 20mm MG C/30 engine-mounted cannon, firing through the propeller hub, or two cowl-mounted 7.92mm machine guns, or a single lightweight MG FF 20mm cannon with two 7.92mm machine guns.The aviation companies Arado, Heinkel and Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW), who was headed by Willy Messerschmitt, received the development contract in February 1934 whilst Focke Wulf received theirs in September of the same year. A proviso was made that the Jumo 210 engine would be interchangeable with the more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 600.

All participants were asked to deliver three prototypes for testing in late 1934. Messerschmitt's design, the P.1034 was begun in March 1934 and the first prototype was ready by January 1935. However the Jumo 210 engines were not yet ready. In order to get the competing prototypes into the air, the RLM acquired Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines allowing the P.1034 (given the RLM type designation Bf 109) to fly in May 1935. The Jumo engines were finally available in late summer 1935, allowing prototype V2 to be completed in October 1935. The Bf 109 eventually prevailed against its rivals, especially the Heinkel He 112; being faster, and having superior climb and dive performance. The Bf 109 was first shown to the public when prototype V1 was flown during the Berlin 1936 Olympics.

The Bf 109A was the first production version, powered by a Junkers Jumo 210B or D engine and armed with two cowl mounted MG 17 7.92mm machine guns. This was followed by the serial production Bf 109B, armed with the same armament although some aircraft were fitted with the engine mounted machine gun. Prototype V8 was fitted with two MG 17s in the wings and in prototype V8, 20mm MG FF cannons were fitted. Both Bf 109A and B models were tested under combat conditions during the Spanish Civil War. The A and B models were followed by the C, D and a major redesign in 1938 resulted in the E model. A second major redesign in 1939-1940 resulted in the F series. The Friedrichs have a streamlined nose with a half-elleptical spinner. The type also omitted the stabiliser support struts while all weapons were concentrated in the forward fuselage.

This was followed by the G ('Gustav') model, introduced in the middle of 1942. The initial variants (G-1 through G-4) only have minor differences with the F model but most notably the use of the more powerful (1,455 hp) Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine. Other modifications to the G included a reinforced wing structure, an internal bullet-proof windscreen, heavier and welded framing for cockpit transparencies and additional armor for the fuel tank. Odd-numbered variants were designed as high altitude interceptors with pressurised cockpit and GM-1 (nitrous oxide) boost while even-numbered variants were unpressurised air superiority fighter and fighter-bombers. Later variants (G-5 to G-14) were produced with uprated armaments and provision for factory-supplied equipment/weapons package known as Umrüst-Bausätze (adding the suffix '/U' to the aircraft designation). Field modification kits known as Rüstsätze were also available.  

Armament initially consist of a pair of 7.92 mm MG17 on the upper deck and a 20 mm MG 151/20 Motorkanone firing through the propeller hub. From G-5 onwards, the MG 17s were replaced with 13 mm MG 131s. As the latter has a larger breechblock, resulting in a bulged fairing, the Gustav was nicknamed Die Beule (the bulge). Additional Rüstsätze kit for bomber-destroying missions include R5 (two 30 mm MK 108 cannons in underwing pods) and R6 (two 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons in underwing pods). While increasing the Bf 109's lethality, it has an adverse effect on handling qualities, reducing its performance in fighter vs fighter combat. The G-6 can also be armed with a pair of Werfer-Granate 21 rocket system, intended to be employed at a stand-off range against Allied bomber formations.

While faster than the 'F' model, the Gustav was less maneuverable and its introduction into service coincides with the reversal in fortune for Germany, mainly fighting a defensive war. More than 10,000 Gustavs were built, making it the most numerous of Bf 109 variants. Apart from the Luftwaffe, the Bf 109G was also used by Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Romania. Spain also built licensed copies as Hispano HA-1112 while Czechoslovakia built copies as Avia S-99 and S-199.

The Kit

Hasegawa kit JT47 was a 1998 version of their 1997 'Bf 109G-6 'Hartmann'' kit which in turn was a modified version of the earlier G dan F series in Hasegawa's 1/48 stable. The parts were spread among nine grey and one clear plastic sprues with a number of parts being marked as 'not for use' (belonging to other marks of the Bf 109). Sprue B is absent as it represents the F/early G cowling with the smaller openings for the MG17 machine guns. The parts display Hasegawa's usual quality of nicely done details whether raised or engraved.  Decals provide markings for two kanonenvogels (Bf 109G with the R6 field modification kit):

1. Obersleutnant Alfred Grislawski, J.Gr.50; and

2. Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Bartels, 11./ JG27

The kit can also be made into a plain G-6 simply by leaving the MG 151/20 cannon pods off and using aftermarket decals (well, thank you, Capt. Obvious). 

Construction

As always, construction started at the cockpit. Hasegawa's cockpit consists of 10 parts; detail is so-so and I felt that more could be done by Hasegawa here (like the seat for example). The parts were painted RLM 66 Schwarzgrau using Tamiya XF-63 German grey whilst still on the sprue and were touched up after assembly. No decals were provided for the instrument panel but they do have raised detail here that can be dry-brushed to 'pop-up' the details (I didn't do it - I just dab white paints here and there as 'instrument faces'). The fuselage was joined using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. Afterwards the instrument panel and the completed cockpit were cemented into place. Certain access hatches on the starboard fuselage were puttied and sanded as per the instructions. The upper nose cowling was put in place although the machine gun barrels were left off for the time being. The supercharger air intake was assembled and cemented but the sand filter was left off as I have not decided which markings I intended to do at this time. There is also an errata sheet as the original instruction had the 'plain' beule placed on the right-hand side of the fuselage. 

Next, the wing assembly. I first painted the inside surface of the radiator cooler intake RLM 76 (the fuselage colour) and the grills in Mr Color 28 Steel. As the Gustav uses larger tyres, bulges were present on the upper wing surface and Hasegawa has you drill holes in order to accommodate the said bulges. This however resulted in marred wheel wells which need to be puttied over; I just let it be as nobody is going to lift the model up and peer underneath it! Extra panel lines were also needed to be engraved on the upper wing surfaces. There are faint lines at the area required so I placed a Dymo tape and engrave the new lines. The elevator trim tabs also needed modification and I simply place the tailplanes against the drawing in the instructions (they are in 1/48), mark the area and cut the excess plastic off.

Painting and Decalling

Both marking options have the standard Luftwaffe mid-war camouflage of RLM74/75/76. The model was painted overall RLM 76 at first, using the Tamiya mix of 7 parts XF-2 Flat White, 1 part XF-23 and 2 parts XF-66 Light Grey. By this time I really have to decide which marking to finish the model. I eventually chose Grislawksi's Gustav simply because he scored more kills than Bartels! With the selection process out of the way, the 74/75 pattern of Grislawksi's can be applied to the model. I originally wanted to use Vallejo Air but reverted to using Mr. Hobby RLM 75 as the Vallejo version is way too dark. I however think that Vallejo's version of RLM 74 is close enough and used it. As usual with mottled Jerman camouflage pattern, I tried to recreate the illusion of airbrush-applied mottling by varying the viscosity of the respective paints and from six feet away, it looks good enough! About the mottling - the instructions did not correspond with the box art and the finished example PLUS photos of the real plane! I should have followed my head!

As the kit dates back to 1998, the whites of the decals has that ivory shade and for my copy, suffers from some yellowing due to age. The former was left as it was but leaving the decals in direct  sunlight for several days helped cure most of the yellowing. Also, probably also due to age, the decals took a bit longer to come loose from the backing paper. There is also a mistake with the instructions as it has the skeletal Balkankreuz for Grislawski's plane (the photo on the box side has the black and white one). I simply Google for photos of the particular plane where it shows it having the Black-and-White Balkankreuz upon which I acted accordingly. The port wing Balkankreuz however flipped upon itself a bit and I was unable to flip it back correctly. I therefore had to retouch the cross with white paint and to make them look symmetrical, retouched the Balkankreuz on the starboard wing too!

Finishing

The model received some wash into the panel lines at first. This was followed by adding some weathering effects specifically some residue marks, exhaust soot and some paint chipping; the last were made mainly on the port wing root, leading edge of the wing and the propeller blades. I originally anted to add fuel spill effect on the drop tank but eventually decided not to. The smaller and more fragile parts were then cemented onto the model such as the gun barrels, the pitot tube, the radio aerial and even the gunsight (I prefer to cement the latter during the finishing process to avoid mishandling and loss inside the fuselage; besides, the cockpit opening is large enough to handle the part). A few more finishing touches aere like....painting the flying lights (which sometimes I forgot to do!). A final coat of Flat Clear finishes the build.

Conclusion

Hasegawa's Gustav 109s can still hold its own despite the introduction of the more modern kits from Eduard and Tamiya. The build is simple enough that novices can try their hand although more advanced modellers might want to dress up their model with aftermarket parts or use the newer kits. My issues with the kit  is concerned with the off-white colour of the decals and the lack of details in the cockpit. Oh, also don't trust the instructions 100%!

Gallic Spitfire

Historical Background

On 15 June 1936, the French Air Ministry promulgated the specifications for a new fighter aircraft. It called for an aircraft with a speed of 500 km/h at 4,000 meters, climb to 8,000 meters in less than 15 minutes and with take-off and landing runs not exceeding 400 meters. It was to be armed with two 7.5mm machineguns and one Hispano-Suiza HS.9 20mm cannon, or two such cannons. The private design firm led by Emile Dewoitine, whose D.513 design was rejected by the Armee de l'Aire in favour of Morane-Saulnier's M.S.406, responded by using a design utilizing the latest construction techniques and the most powerful engine at the time, the 890 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y-21 liquid-cooled engine. The original design was rejected after the specifications were uprated. The Dewoitine concern revised their design but the nationalisation of the French armaments industry in 1937 and continued changes in the manufacturing programs delayed the work on the aircraft, designated D.520. On 3 April 1938, the Air Ministry rewarded contract No. 513/8 to SNCAM (the state-owned consortium of which Dewoitine is now part of). 

The prototype eventually flew for the first time on 2 October 1938 but only reached 480 km/h while suffering from dangerously high engine temperatures. Further modifications, including changing to a newer -29 engine, three-bladed variable-pitch propeller and incorporating exhaust ejectors, finally allowed the prototype to reach its design speed. Two further prototypes include a larger tail, sliding canopy and longer undercarriage legs. They were also armed with a Hispano-Suiza HS.9 cannon in an engine mount and fired through the propeller spinner and two MAC 1934 7.5mm machine guns (one under each wing) were also fitted. A small tailwheel instead of a skid was fitted to the third prototype. Flight tests were successfully undertaken, resulting in a contract issued in March 1939 for 200 machines, powered by the -31 (later -45) version of the 12Y engine. A contract for additional 600 machine was issued in June but was later reduced to 510 in the following month.

The outbreak of war in September 1939 resulted in a new contract which brought the total order to 1,280 while the Aéronautique Navale ordered another 120. The first production D.520 flew in October 1939. The production aircraft have the rear fuselage extended by 51cm, redesigned engine cowling panels, the curved, one-piece windscreen replaced with one containing an optically flat panel and armour plate behind the pilot's seat. The production-standard armament consist of an engine-mounted Hispano Suiza H.S 404 20mm cannon and four MAC 1934 M39 7.5mm machineguns in the wings. Despite the improvements, the first batch of 520s failed acceptance tests due to insufficient top speed and troublesome cooling. Redesigned compressor intakes and modified cooling pipes improved the latter while propulsive exhaust pipes cured the former. As a result, the type was not declared combat ready until April 1940.

As the aircraft was not operationally ready until the stated time, Group de Chasse I/3, the first unit receiving the D.520, only used them for training. By 10 May 1940, 228 were manufactured but the Air Force only accepted 75, with the rest being sent back to the factory to be retrofitted. Only GC I/3 was fully equipped and on 13 May, they clashed with the Luftwaffe, shooting down one He 111 bomber and three Hs 126 observation aircraft without loss. The rapid fall of France meant that only four more groupes de chasse and three naval escadrilles equipped with the type before France's capitulation. Of the eight units, only GC I/3, II/6 and II/7 and AC1 saw action. Against the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica, the Dewoitines claimed 114 kills (plus 39 probables) while losing 85. By the time of the armistice in June 1940, 437 D.520s had been built with 351 delivered. 165 were evacuated to North Africa while another three escaped to Britain. In April 1941, German authorities allowed the Vichy government to resume production of 1,000 aircraft. As part of the agreement, 550 D.520s were ordered to replace all single-seat fighters in service. The Vichy D.520s were in action against the Allies during the Syrian campaign in June-July 1941 and also against Operation Torch in November 1942.  The aircraft was also used by the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica.

The Kit

Rather surprisingly (as French WW2 aircraft were rarely kitted by the mainstream manufacturers), Tamiya came up with the kit of the D.520 in 1996 as part of their 1/48 renaissance in the 1990s. There were just 45 parts in dark grey sprue and 5 more in clear styrene. Although obviously some compromises had to be made to ease construction, the level of detail is adequate for the average modeller. Some options are available such as separate canopies and positionable radiator shutter and flaps. There is also an option for a different radio aerial but you have to check your references first before using the alternate aerial. The particular kit used here was the 2011 re-release with new decals and the addition of a Citroen Traction 11CV (to avoid licensing fees, it was simply dubbed 'staff car'). Actually I don't do car models (except for that single 1/24 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X) especially in 1/48 but perhaps it could be used as an introductory kit for my son. The alternate radio aerial is now shown to be used for two of the marking options available in the kit. Speaking of which, they are:

1. Adjudant Chef  Bouton, GC II/3 Dauphine, 2 Escadrille , June 1940
2. Adjudant Chef Denis Ponteins, GC II/7, 3 Escadriile, June 1940
3. Sous Leutenant Pierre Le Gloan, GC III/6, 5 Escadrille, Spring 1942

The decals are quite thick however but the red in the French roundel has been corrected (the red was more burgundy in the earlier release). As a matter of interest, the original Tamiya kit also include markings for Le Gloan's earlier plane, aircraft No.277.

Construction

As usual with aircraft kits, work started at the cockpit. And as per my usual style, the parts were painted while still on the tree. The interior was not painted XF-24 Dark Grey as suggested by Tamiya but a custom mix of XF-17 Navy Blue and XF-8 Flat Blue which may or may not match the dark blue of the real aircraft. The seat back was painted XF-49 Khaki while the seat cushion was painted a mix of XF-10 Flat Brown and XF-64 Red Brown (to imitate the colour of leather). There should be an opening at the top corners of the seat, between the frame and the canvas seat back. It should be drilled out but I left them as they were. The instrument panel was painted Flat Black as per the instructions. The decals were then applied on the instrument panel and they fit nicely over the raised detail, especially after receiving a dash of Mr Mark Softer. The completed cockpit was then sandwiched betwen the two fuselage halves

Although Tamiya instructed the modeller to cement the exhaust manifolds at this time, I left them off as it might complicate matters during painting. The wing halves were cemented with no problems encountered. Some care had to be taken when fitting the wing to the fuselage to avoid gaps, especially towards the rear (a tiny gap did appear at the rear joint but easily filled with super glue). The flaps, which can be positioned in the down or up positions (cut off the tabs if you want them in the 'up' position) were left off at this time as I wanted them in the 'down' position. The tailplanes fit without any issues. The lower nose fairing however did not fit well, resulting in gaps at the wheel well and on one side of the fuselage. The radiator fairing was assembled, the grilles painted first with Mr Color Silver and then cemented to the fuselage. Finally the nose was cemented. I couldn't find the supplied poly cap; thankfully I still have leftovers from previous Tamiya kits and found one which matched the slot.

Painting and Decalling

Before painting can be done, the choice of markings has to be made beforehand. All three are interesting but I was quickly drawn by the Armee de l'Aire de Armistice's garish red and yellow stripes on Leutnant Le Gloan's plane. I was also intrigued by the story of the pilot, who fought for both the Allies and the Axis. He joined the service in 1931 and at the outbreak of war, he served in GC III/6, flying Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters. He shot down his first victory, a Dornier Do 17P on 23 November 1939. He shot down three more enemy aircraft (another Do 17P and two Heinkel He 111) before the squadron re-equipped with D.520s and moved to Southern France. On  13 June, Le Gloan shot down two Italian BR.20 bombers, achieving 'ace' status. Two days later he shot down four Italian CR.42 fighters and another BR.20. GC III/6 was later withdrawn to Algiers and following the fall of France, the unit became subordinated to the Vichy government.

In May 1941, the squadron was transferred to Syria. On 8 June 1941, he shot down his first Allied fighter, a Hawker Hurricane. By 5 July, he had claimed five Hurricanes and a Gloster Gladiator and thus can claim a unique record of becoming an ace for both sides. GC III/6 was then withdrawn back to Algiers. Following Operation Torch, French forces in North Africa returned to the Allied fold. GC III/6 the re-equiped with P-39 Airacobras and it was in this aircraft that Le Gloan met his end on 11 September 1943. The engine of the Airacobra malfunctioned at Le Gloan tried to make a wheels-up emergency landing. However being used to external tank-less French fighters, he probably forgot the drop tank of the aircraft which should be jettisoned before landing. The remaining fuel in the tank exploded, destroying the aircraft and killing Le Gloan instantly. He was just 33.

The model was painted according to Tamiya's instructions. The lower parts were painted a mix of 2 parts XF-25 Light Sea Grey and 1 part XF-2 Flat White. The grey portion of the upper parts were painted an equal mix of XF-25 and XF-23 Light Blue (the original release of the kit has a mix of 1 part XF-18 Medium Blue and 3 parts XF-53 Medium Grey). The green was a mixture of 2 parts XF-49 Khaki and 1 part XF-5 Flat Green while brown was straight XF-10 Flat Brown. The yellow nose cowl, spinner and rear fuselage present a challenge as with white, yellow is not an easy colour to apply and require several layers to make it opaque. I originally wanted to have a richer, deeper yellow by adding a bit of red but I decided to go for straight XF-3 Flat Yellow. The decals were then applied. They are quite thick and a number of decals broke over raised details. The decals for the tail required some cutting to position it accurately. The fuselage chevron tricolor stripe and the bottom red stripe were made as a single piece of decal. This may cause problem during application and I therefore cut it into three pieces for an easier handling. And as I was half-asleep by the time I did it, I read the instructions wrongly and have the upper left wing ID stripe at a shallower angle than it should be. By the time I realised the error, the decal can no longer be moved. Stupid boy!

Finishing

With a kit this simple, there wasn't really much to do at this stage. The landing gear however needed some trimming to the fairing and to the top of the gear itself so they can fit properly into the well. The aerials at the top and the bottom of the fuselage was cemented and so while the flaps were then permanently cemented into place. The torn areas of the decals were touched up using Tamiya paints (X-14 Sky Blue, XF-2 Flat White and a mix of X-7 Red and XF-3 Flat Yellow). The model then received panel line enhancement using AK Interactive Paneliner solution with thicker application being done on the borders of the control surfaces. The exhaust manifolds were painted Burnt Iron and afterwards Tamiya Weathering master 'Rust' was applied onto them. Tamiya Weathering Master 'Soot' was then applied on the fuselage to represent exhaust deposits and also propellant residue near the gun openings. Finally, an overcoat of Flat Clear was sprayed, finishing the build.

Conclusion

Tamiya's kit of the 'French Spitfire' is another prime example of Tamiya philosophy of having simple to build yet having great details (OK not that great but highly acceptable, except maybe for the cockpit and the landing gear). Even though a few problems arose during construction, in general the parts were very well-moulded and engineered. The subject matter is also welcomed as like French early war armour, there aren't that many choices and types kitted by mainstream manufacturers. As for the Citroen, it went into my to-be-build stash. 

Spitfire Part III : Most Numerous Of Them All

Historical Background

In 1931, Reginald J. Mitchell, the aeronautical engineer for Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd (later Vickers-Armstrong (Aircraft) Ltd) began working on a monoplane aircraft designed Type 300. The proposal was submitted to the British Air Ministry in July 1934 but was not accepted. Mitchell then revised the design, incorporating a faired, enclosed cockpit, oxygen-breathing apparatus, smaller, thinner wings and a new engine, Rolls-Royce PV-XII inline engine, soon to be known as the Merlin. In November 1934, detailed design work for the improved Type 300 was begun and in January 1935, the Air Ministry formalised the contract with Vickers-Armstrong and Specification F10/35 was issued around the aircraft. In April 1935, the original two 7.7mm Vickers machine guns in each wing was increased to four upon recommendation by Squadron Leader Ralph Sorley of the Operational Requirement section at the Air Ministry.

On 5 March 1936, the prototype, registered K5054 flew for the first time. The subsequent test flights found that the aircraft was good, but suffered from over-sensitive rudder and with a top speed of just 330mph. The latter was cured by using a better-shaped propeller, allowing K5054 to reach 348mph during its delivery flight to the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in mid-May 1936. Based on raw reports by test pilots, the Air Ministry placed an order for 310 aircraft on 3 June 1936. The aircraft was named 'Spitfire' by Vickers-Armstrong's chairman, Sir Robert McLean after the affectionate name he gave to his spirited elder daughter, Annie Penrose. The name was actually opposed by the Air Ministry and Mitchell himself, who favoured the name 'Shrew' but eventually Sir Robert's choice prevail. The first production Spitfire however only left the production line at Woolston, Southampton in mid-1938,as the Supermarine factory was working at full capacity producing Walrus amphibians and Stanraer flying-boats.

The Spitfire's fuselage was of streamlined, semi-monocoque design. The skins were secured by rivets: flush headed where uninterrupted airflow was required, and dome-headed elsewhere. But the most distinctive part of the Spitfire was its elliptical wings. The shape was chosen as it offered the best compromise between thinness (to avoid creating excessive drag) and the need to house a retractable undercarriage and armament and its ammunition. The wing tips were detachable, allowing it to be fitted with extended wingtips for the high-altitude fighter role (such as the Mark VI and VII) or fitted with fairings to create the 'clipped wing' versions for low-altitude work. Armament was eight .303 Browning machine guns, four in each wing. While they worked perfectly at low altitudes, they tended to freeze higher up, especially the outer two guns. The problem was not solved until 1938 when Supermarine added hot air ducts from the engine radiators to gun bays. Fabric patches were also doped on the gun ports to protect them from the cold, moisture and dirt until they were fired. Despite their numbers, the .303 machine guns were really too light to destroy enemy aircraft, especially larger bomber-type aircraft. Power for the Spitfire was provided by a Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 inline engine delivering 1,030 hp at 5,500 ft (Merlin II) or 1,310 hp at 9,000 ft (Merlin III). Subsequent variants of the Spitfire were fitted with more powerful versions of the Merlin and were then replaced with a Rolls-Royce Griffon for the later marks.

In late 1940, the RAF predicted the start of a new high-altitude bombing campaign by the Luftwaffe using pressurised Junkers Ju 86P bombers. As the high-altitude variant (the Mk VI) would take some time to be developed, an emergency measure was needed. Thus the Mark V was conceived. The Mk V was basically a Mk. I powered by a Merlin 45 engine incorporating a single-stage  supercharger. Power was rated at 1,440 hp at take-off. Improvements to the carburettor allowed the Mk V to make zero g maneuvers without any problems with the fuel flow which plagued the Mk. I.  Several Mk. Vs were converted Marks I and II airframes and they started joining line squadrons in early 1941. The Mk. VB with Merlin 45 and 'B' wing (one Hispano 20mm cannon replacing two inner .303 machineguns in each wing while retaining the outer two .303s) was the main production version. The round section exhaust stacks were replaced with the 'fishtail' type, allowing marginal increase in thrust. 

With the receding threat of invasion, the RAF decided to go on the offensive (or as Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory put it 'leaning forward into France'). The new policy entailed fighter sweeps (called 'Rhubarbs') and bomber escort missions ('Circuses') over France and other occupied territories. The Spitfires used for these missions found themselves having the same tactical disadvantages as the Bf 109 units faced during the Battle of Britain, namely their rather short range. The 'F' versions now equipping Jagdwaffe units on the Channel coast have performance closely matching the Mark V of the Spitfire. The introduction of the Fw 190 gave further shocks to the RAF, being 25-30 mph faster while having better acceleration and rate of climb and not to mention more powerful armament, making the Fw 190 the highest scoring Spitfire killers. This hastened the introduction of the 'interim' Mark IX but in the meantime, some Mark Vs received 'clipped' wingtips (being the first Spitfire variant to have this option). The clipped wingtips allowed a greater rate of roll and airspeed at low altitudes.

The Kit

Hot on the heels of their Spitfire Mk.I, Tamiya came up with VB variant in 1994. The parts are spread among two light grey and one clear sprues and feature nicely engraved details. The clear parts include both armoured and non-armoured windscreens and two styles of the sliding portion of the canopy. The one problem I see with the kit engineering is that the cannon barrels were moulded together with the upper wings, increasing the risk of breakage. The wingtips are separate allowing modellers to chose between the normal and the clipped wingtips. While cockpit details are reasonable, there are no seat belts included, not even in decal form. Also, while the separate cockpit door (to depict it in the open position) has better details than the one moulded with the fuselage. The decal sheet includes the wing leading edge ID strip together with the machinegun muzzle patches (separate patches for the third option as it does not have the ID strip). Three marking options were provided:
1. SN-M/EN821, No.243 Squadron
2. SZ-X/BL479, No.316 Squadron*
3. AGM, Fighter Command, Wing Commander A.G Malan

*No.316 was a Polish Squadron (with squadron ID 'SZ'). Most if not all aircraft in the unit featured the Polish checkerboard pattern on the nose while this particular aircraft did not. It was actually the personal mount of Group Captain M.W.S. Robinson, Station Commander of RAF Northolt where No.316 was stationed at the time.

Construction

Before assembling the cockpit interior, I first painted the parts and the cockpit sidewalls British Interior Green using XF-71 Cockpit Green. Yes, it's a Japanese colour but to my eyes it looks similar to British Cockpit Green. The details were painted X-18 Semi-Gloss Black with instrument dials in XF-2 Flat White. Although Tamiya has the modeller paint the seat in the same green (with the cushion in X-18), photos show that the seat is actually red brown in colour (it was made of bakelite) and the cushion looks like Buff. hey were therefore painted XF-64 and XF-57 respectively. The pilot's office was then assembled and the scars were cleaned up and retouched. Things on the cockpit sidewalls were cemented and the fuselage halves were mated. As Tamiya expected the included pilot figure be used by everyone, no seat belts, even in the shape of decals, were included. The cockpit assembly and a bulkhead was then inserted from below. Although the tailwheel are to be inserted at this time according to the instructions, I chose not to. The tailplanes were then cemented onto the fuselage.

Rather than continuing with canopy assembly and exhaust manifolds as per the instructions, I jumped to wing assembly first. The two separate upper wing halves were cemented to the one-piece lower half. Decision has to be made here as to whether to finish the model as a regular or a clipped-wing variant. Fit was again excellent. The engine radiator, oil cooler and carburettor intake were then cemented. There is a bit of a fit problem however with the carburettor intake inlet and the main body. The wing assembly was then mated to the fuselage. Oops! I almost forgot - the wing reinforcement ribs on each upper wings need to be removed (they were museum additions). The lower nose cowling was then cemented into place, finishing the initial build.

Painting and Decalling

The camouflage pattern for all three marking schemes are the same so that simplify things. The Medium Sea Grey, Ocean Grey and Dark Green colours were done using Tamiya XF-83, XF-82 and XF-81 respectively. Only then I have to make up my mind as to which markings to do. With the clipped-wing option out of the picture (as I used the original rounded wing tips), that left me with either the anonymous No.243 Squadron machine or the one belonging to ace 'Sailor' Malan. It was rather obvious that I would choose Malan's plane. Adolph Gysbert 'Sailor' Malan was a South African who joined the RAF in 1935 and was confirmed as a pilot in 1937. he was posted to No.74 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch.At the outbreak of war, Malan was involved in the so-called Battle of Barking Creek, a 'blue-on-blue' incident on 6 September 1939. As leader of 'A' Flight which attacked the unfortunate Hurricanes of No.56 Squadron, Malan denied responsibility and instead blamed pilys under his command. The court eventually dismissed the case and acquitted all pilots involved.  

During Operation Dynamo, No.74 was one of the squadrons giving cover to the evacuation and on 28 June 1940, Malan was awarded a DFC, having achieved the ace status. On 5 July he rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and on 8 August, he was promoted to acting Squadron Leader and took charge of No.74 Squadron. It was around this time that Malan and other senior pilots decided to abandon the RAF's 'vic' formation and adopted the looser finger-four formation. On 13 August, he was awarded a Bar to his DFC. Malan commanded No.74 with strict discipline and also reluctant to hand out decorations. Apart from being a force to change the RAF's tactical fighter formation, Malan also developed a set of simple rules for fighter and was disseminated throughout Fighter Command.On 24 December he received a DSO and in July 1941 received a Bar to the Order. On 10 March 1941, he was appointed as the leader of the Biggin Hill Wing - one of the first persons so appointed. He was rested from active fighter duties in August of the same year by which he has amassed 27 solo kills, 7 shared kills, 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged, becoming the highest scoring RAF pilot at that time. He was transferred to reserve on 6 January 1942.

After tours to the United States and the Central Gunnery School, Malan was promoted to temporary Wing Commander on 1 September 1942. He was later appointed as the station commander for Biggin Hill and receiving promotion to war substantive Wing Commander on 1 July 1943. Malan however was keen to fly on combat operations, often ignoring the standing order for station commanders not to risk getting shot down. In October 1943, he became the CO for 19 Fighter Wing of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. Later he became the commander of No.145 (Free French) Squadron and led a section of the squadron during the afternoon of 6 June 1944 over the Normandy beaches. Malan resigned his commission in the RAF on 5 April 1946 while retaining the rank of Group Captain. He returned to South Africa and joined the anti-apartheid movement. Malan passed away on 17 September 1963 of Parkinson's Disease.

Although no specific time was mentioned, I believed the markings in the Tamiya kit is for during his tenure as Biggin Hill Wing commander (or maybe later, when he was the Biggin Hill base commander as this option lack the wing leading edge ID strip and the armoured windscreen as base commanders were not expected to fly combat missions). The decals are fairly thick, causing visible bumps where the wing roundels overlap the walkway decals. I think that the fin flashes were too wide and need trimming to fit properly (which I did). I also believe that the instructions for the starboard wing walkway is wrong as it doesn't show the chordwise strip (the decal is on the sheet by the way) while the lengthwise strip goes all the way to the wing root (it was cut to the appropriate length before application). All decals then received an AK Interactive Decal Softener treatment. Ak Interactive Paneliner was the applied to the panel lines.

Finishing

The rest of the parts can now be cemented onto the model. I started by assembling the landing gear and then cementing them onto the model and was followed by the tailwheel to allow the model to stand on its own. This was followed by the exhausts, aerial, pitot and ID lights on the top and the bottom of the fuselage. The gunsight was cemented into place before the canopy was added. Speaking of the canopy, Malan's plane used the 'regular' rather than the armoured windscreen (probably for the reasons I mentioned above). As luck would have it, my old friend Murphy came back for a visit during this build - I managed to smear the windscreen with cement! While it can be sanded back, I left it as it was as a lesson to myself. Finally, the propeller assembly was fitted. A final coating of Flat Clear finishes the build.

Conclusion

Another 'easy' Tamiya Spitfire kit to build, just like their Mark I. Almost everything falls in place together with no fuss. Some modellers point out the inaccuracies of this kit (and also the Mark I) such as the fuselage being 'fat' around the cockpit and also a bit short. The wing is too wide at the middle and some issues with the wing curves. To my eyes the model still looks like a Spitfire V. Short of shooting a shrinking ray at an actual Spitfire, these mistakes which virtually all kits have, would still be around  and most of us would still be happy (save a small percentage who suffered from acute and incurable level of AMS).  

Achtung! Jabo!

Historical Background

Even before the Hawker Hurricane entered production in May 1937, its designer, Sydney Camm (later Sir Sydney) has started the design for its successor. Two designs, similar but larger than the Hurricane were drawn and were later known simply as 'N' and 'R' , as they were designed to use Napier's Sabre and Rolls-Royce's Vulture engines. Both used 24 cylinders in a 'H' configuration (Sabre) and 'X' arrangement (Vulture) and designed to produce 2,000 hp. Hawker submitted the designs to the Air Ministry in July 1937 but was advised to wait until a specification for a new fighter is issued. After further prompting by Hawker, the Air Ministry issued Specification F.18/37 in March 1938, asking for a fighter which would be able to reach 400 mph (644 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,600 m). It should be powered by a British engine equipped with a two-stage supercharger and armed with twelve .303 inch Browning machine guns with 500 rounds each, with provision for alternative weaponry.

With government sanction, Camm and his team officially started work on their prototypes. Aircraft R became Hawker Tornado, the development of which was terminated in 1941, following the failure and the termination of its Vulture engines (in Avro's Manchester bomber). Aircraft N was called the Typhoon and both it and the Tornado have their front fuselage structure made up of bolted and welded duralumin or steel tubes covered with skin panels while the rear fuselage was of flush-rivetted, semi-monocoque design. The skin panelling on the forward fuselage are large to allow easy access to the engine and other important equipment. The wing was designed with a small inverted gull-wing bend and with a thickness to chord ratio of 19.5% at the wing root. The thick wing possessed great structural strength, provided a lot of room for armament and fuel and also became a steady gun platform.The thickness however created a large drag rise, preventing speeds from exceeding 410 mph at 20,000 feet. Climb rate and performance also suffered above that height. Because of problems with the Napier Sabre, the Typhoon's first flight only took place on 24 February 1940. Further delays to the programme happened on 15 May 1940 when Lord Beaverbrook ordered that aircraft production would only concentrate on five types (Spitfire, Hurricane, Blenheim, Whitley and Wellington).

Nevertheless, on 3 May 1941, the second prototype, armed with four Hispano Mk II 20 mm cannons flew, as the prototype for Typhoon Mk.IB (the twelve MG-armed version was known as Typhoon 1A).The first production Typhoon first flew just three weeks later, on 27 May 1941. The introduction of the superb Focke Wulf Fw 190 outclassed the main RAF fighter at the time, the Spitfire Mk.V. Therefore, the Typhoons were rushed into service with No.56 and No.609 Squadrons. However, several aircraft were lost to unknown causes and the Air Ministry began consider halting the production of the Typhoon. In August 1942, a test machine was lost over Thorpe, killing the pilot. Investigations revealed that the elevator mass balance has torn away causing an intense flutter to the rear fuselage. This caused structural failure, tearing the tail away.  To overcome this problem (only partially as there were instances of the tail being ripped away until the end of the type's service life), 20 alloy 'fishplates' were riveted externally across the rear fuselage transport joint.

Another problem, the first actually, and also never fully solved, was carbon monoxide seepage into the cockpit. Despite the lengthening of the exhaust stubs and the sealing of the left cockpit access door (for the 'car-door' type), the problem remained and it became an SOP for a Typhoon pilot to use the oxygen mask from engine start-up to engine shut down. As originally designed, the Typhoon was fitted with a car-door style cockpit doors. This restricted the pilot's visibility and from November 1943 onwards, all production aircraft switched to the 'bubble' canopy, offering greater visibility. In order to have as many as possible bubble-canopied Typhoons for Operation Overlord, conversion kits were produced to convert many of the existing car-door Typhoons. Once operating from forward airfields in Normandy, it was found that the 80% of the dust clouds stirred by propeller wash consisted of hard, abrasive materials causing excessive wear and tear to the engine. A dome deflector was hurriedly designed and fitted. These however has the propensity of being thrown off whenever the engine backfired. They were soon replaced by a drum-shaped filter which has a 'cuckoo-clock' door at the front which opened when sensing pressure changes caused by the engine backfiring. Earlier, when it was determined that the Typhoon can carry loads up to 1,000 lb under each wing, a four-bladed propeller was adopted to increase take-off performance. It was also decided that the larger tailplane of the Hawker Tempest improved the handling characteristics of the Typhoon while carrying its bombload. However the modification programme took time and it was several months before the majority of the Typhoon received the four-bladed propeller and the enlarged tailplane.

The Typhoon did not mature into a reliable aircraft until late 1942. It was at one point almost cancelled but for the strong urges of one of its champions, Squadron leader Roland 'Bee' Beamont of No.609 Squadron who also worked as Hawker's test pilot while being rotated from 'line' service. From late 1942 to early 1943, Typhoon squadrons were based on airfields on England's south  and south-east coasts to intercept the Luftwaffe's nuisance raiders (mainly Fw 190s carrying a single bomb) doing 'tip-and-run' attacks. The Typhoons (and also the first of the Griffon Spitfires) were successful in intercepting these raiders. However, the profile of Typhoon resembled a Fw 190 from certain angles, causing friendly fire incidents. This led to the Typhoons being marked with white noses, and later with black and white stripes under the wings. It was then realised that the Typhoon was more suited to the ground attack role rather than being a pure fighter. The powerful engine allowed it to carry two 1,000 lb bombs and the first 'Bombphoon' squadron, No. 181 was formed in September 1942. A year later, four RP-3 60 lb rocket projectiles were mounted on each wing. Although requiring more skills to use, a full salvo of the rockets from a single Typhoon was said to be an equivalent of a full destroyer's broadside.

The rocket-armed Typhoons formed the basis of the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force. Although interchangeable with bomb racks, line squadrons were specifically assigned as rocket- or bomb-armed units, in order to simplify logistics. It also allowed units to be proficient in one particular weapon. By the time Operation Overlord commenced, 2 TAF had 18 Typhoon squadrons (Fighter Command has another 9 for anti-raider duties). The Typhoon proved to be the most effective ground support aircraft, making interdiction raids against communication and transport targets prior to D-Day and giving direct support on D-Day and beyond. Despite a rather poor hit rate of the rockets, a combined bomb and rocket attack was devastating to the morale of German troops. The usage of air observers, acting as liaison between the troops in contact and air support further increased the effectiveness of Allied air support. Typhoons were used until the end of the war and were totally removed from the inventory in October 1945. 3,317 Typhoons were built, most of them by Gloster.

The Kit

Hasegawa released their first 1/48 Hawker Typhoon, a car-door version, in 1998. This was followed by the bubbletop version in 1999. As 'Kings of Reboxings' they re-released the two Typhoon types in the following years with different markings. The kit I used here was released in 2003. The parts were spread among 13 medium grey and one clear sprues, some poly caps plus the usual decal and instruction sheets. The parts, as usual, are well moulded and feature nice engraved surface detail. In order to save production costs, the main fuselage was moulded sans the mid-upper part. These were moulded separately so that Hasegawa can mould just the cockpit area for the car-door and bubbletop versions. The decal sheet provide markings for two aircraft:

- ZY-B / MN316, No. 247 (China British) Squadron

- HF-L / JR128, No.183 Squadron

Construction

As usual construction started at the cockpit. Hasegawa provided the basics of a Typhoon cockpit, including a separate tubular framework. There is some confusion about the colour of the cockpit but I decided to go with Hasegawa's recommendation of British Interior Green. The colour was a mixture of Tamiya XF-21 Sky, XF-5 Flat Green and XF-65 Field Grey. The assembly was then cemented to the right fuselage half, along with the XF-1 Flat Black-painted radiator. The fuselage inserts were then cemented to the respective sides of the fuselage halves.They fit OK to the main fuselage but when the fuselage were mated, there was quite a sizeable gap down the spine. which I couldn't eradicate fully. The two-piece horizontal tail was cemented together and mated to the fuselage with no fuss. After the cement has cured, I found that bubble-top Typhoons have flat black interiors with natural metal seats!

Before assembling the wings, holes were drilled into the lower wing half for the rocket pylons and the entry footstep. The upper wing halves were then mated to the lower half and the entire assembly was then cemented to the fuselage. While other modellers said there wasn't any problems here, I found a gap and each of the wing roots; but nothing too serious. The radiator flap was put in place and as usual, the landing gear parts were left off at this time.

Painting and Decalling

RAF tactical aircraft in Europe after 1941 were painted Medium Sea Grey (bottom) and a camouflage pattern of Ocean Grey and Dark Green. The paints I used for the colours are Tamiya XF-83 (Medium Sea Grey) and XF-81 (Dark Green). IPMS Stockholm suggested that XF-54 is a good match for Ocean Grey and that's what I use, although I modify it a bit by adding XF-18 Medium Blue. The ID band on the leading edge and propeller blade tips were painted XF-3 Flat Yellow. The prop spinner was painted XF-21 Sky while the blades were painted Flat Black. The wheel bay and landing gear were painted Gunze 8 Silver. Being invasion stripe-challenged, I chose the markings for HF-L. Looking at a photo HF-L/JR128 in flight, I noticed a slightly different camouflage pattern than suggested by Hasegawa, so I touched up the relevant areas and thankfully the tonal difference was not that apparent. The decals were then applied the usual way. There were also a number of stencils seen in the photo but was nowhere seen on the decal sheet.

Finishing

As usual, I started by assembling the landing gear and then cementing them to the fuselage. Because of the flat spot on the tire, the tail wheel was cemented first. The main wheels were then cemented and adjusted so that the flat area is well, flat to the surface.The rocket rails, which was painted separately were then fixed to their places under the wings, followed by the rocket projectiles. The propeller assembly was inserted into place and was followed by the canopy. A wash using watercolour sludge technique was used and the model received a layer of Flat Clear to finish. And one thing I didn't realise until the model was finished was that the starboard landing light has already been omitted and faired over on production, bubble-canopy Typhoons. Fairly typical of my builds...... 

Conclusion

Apart from older Monogram offering, I guess the Hasegawa Typhoons are the only game in town for that aircraft in 1/48 scale (the Italeri offering is a reboxing of Hasegawa kit). On the plus side, the kit has good overall detail, on the inside and on the surface. On the negative side, chief among them was that fuselage insert (although, I think, with careful handling, it might fit without problems). . And finally, the bad fit between the wing and the fuselage. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable build. And as a postcript, JR128, the aircraft I represented here did not served in No. 183 Squadron during the war - it only received the 'HF' code during trials with rocket launchers at Hawker's factory. It was transferred to No.181 Squadron on 7 August 1944 before being lost over Falaise on the 18th of the same month.