Airfix AX00501

Grumman F-14 Tomcat "Top Gun". F-14s from the motion pictures 1986 "Top Gun" & 2022 "Top Gun: Maverick"

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Building the Supermarine Spitfire The iconic Supermarine Spitfire, the most strategically important British single-seat fighter of World War II. The Spitfire, renowned for winning victory laurels in the Battle of Britain along with the Hawker Hurricane, served in every theatre of the War and was produced in more variants than any other British aircraft. The Spitfire was designed by Reginald Mitchell of Supermarine Ltd., in response to a 1934 Air Ministry specification calling for a high-performance fighter with an armament of eight wing-mounted 0.303-inch machine guns. The airplane was a direct descendant of a series of floatplanes designed by Mitchell to compete for the coveted Schneider Trophy in the 1920s. One of these racers, the S.6, set a world speed record of 357 miles per hour in 1929. Designed around a 1,000-horsepower, 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine (later dubbed the Merlin), the Spitfire first flew in March 1935. It had superb performance and flight characteristics, and deliveries to operational Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons commenced in the summer of 1938. A more radical design than the Hurricane, the Spitfire had a stressed-skin aluminum structure and a graceful elliptical wing with a thin airfoil that, in combination with the Merlin's efficient two-stage supercharger, gave it exceptional performance at high altitudes. The version of the Spitfire that fought in the Battle of Britain was powered by a Merlin engine. Faster than its formidable German opponent the Bf-109 at altitudes above 15,000 feet and just as manoeuvrable, Spitfires were sent by preference to engage German fighters while the slower Hurricanes went for the bombers. More Hurricanes than Spitfires served in the Battle of Britain, and they were credited with more 'kills,' but it can be argued that the Spitfire's superior high-altitude performance provided the margin of victory. Meanwhile, Supermarine was developing more-capable versions of the Spitfire driven by progressively more-powerful Merlin's. The eight 0.303-inch machine guns gave way to four 0.8-inch automatic cannons, and by war's end the Spitfire had been produced in more than 20 fighter versions alone, powered by Merlin's of up to 1,760 horsepower. Though outperformed by the German Fw-190 on that aircraft's introduction in 1941, the Spitfire restored parity the following year and eventually regained the advantage. It remained a first-line air-to-air fighter throughout the war. Spitfires were used in the defence of Malta, in North Africa and Italy, and, fitted with tail hooks and strengthened tail sections, as Seafires from Royal Navy aircraft carriers from June 1942. Spitfires helped to provide air superiority over the Sicily, Italy, and Normandy beachheads and served in the Far East from the spring of 1943. Fighter-bomber versions could carry a 250 or 500lb bomb beneath the fuselage and a 250-pound bomb under each win One of the Spitfire's most important contributions to Allied victory was as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft from early 1941. Superior high-altitude performance rendered it all but immune from interception, and the fuel tanks that replaced wing-mounted machine guns and ammunition bays gave it sufficient range to probe western Germany from British bases. n late 1943 Spitfires powered by Rolls-Royce Griffon engines developing as much as 2,050 horsepower began entering service. Capable of top speeds of 440 miles per hour and ceilings of 40,000 feet, these were used to shoot down V-1 'buzz bombs.' During World War II, Spitfires were exported in small numbers to Portugal, Turkey, and the Soviet Union, and they were flown by the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe. When production ceased in 1947, 20,334 Spitfires of all versions had been produced, 2,053 of them Griffon-powered versions. Fighter versions of the Spitfire were withdrawn from RAF service during the early 1950s, while photo-reconnaissance Spitfires continued in service until 1954. In Model Aircraft 'Extra Special' #6, the biggest book of this series some 22`Spitfire build projects will be included, in a 'how-to' format, and continue this fantastic series modelling guides from MA Publications, the new name in scale modelling.

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Douglas C-74 Globemaster By Nicholas M. Williams, 104 pages (88 in b&w, 16 in color), 141 b&w photos, 35 color photos, 22 illustrations. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 brought U.S. Army Air Corps strategists to the realization that a new global transport was needed to carry large loads over great distances. The Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California, also quickly saw this need and design studies were begun immediately on an expanded version of the company's DC-4. The "C-74 Project Group" adopted a design philosophy to produce a "no frills" transport able to accommodate at least two of the Army's T-9 tanks, two 105mm Howitzers, or two angle dozers. Douglas contacted the Air Corps early in 1942 to determine their interest and a letter of intent was issued in March 1942 for procurement of the Model 415A, now designated the C-74. A contract of over $50 million was signed in June 1942 for fifty airplanes. To speed its delivery to operational units, the C-74 was designed to be released without the benefits of an experimental or prototype model, all aircraft being designated as C-74s with design features following conventional "state-of-the-art" practice. Originally, powered by Wright R-3350 engines, a decision was made in March 1943 to switch to the new, mammoth Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major. The first C-74 was rolled out in July 1945 from the Douglas Long Beach factory. At rollout, the C-74 was the largest land-based transport in the world with a wingspan of 173 feet, length of 124 feet, and gross weight of 145,000 pounds. Able to carry 125 passengers, the C-74 was called the Globemaster as its 11,100-gallons of internal fuel gave it a maximum range of over 7,000 miles, enabling it to circumnavigate the world with only two refueling stops. In its final form, the C-74 was a remarkably efficient airplane, using a semi-laminar flow airfoil for its wings with a full-span flap arrangement. The pilots were enclosed by two teardrop-shaped, double-bubble canopies that provided them with a 360-degree view. Douglas had every intention of adapting the C-74 into a civil airliner once hostilities had ended. In 1944 Pan American World Airways ordered 26 examples of the civil version, the DC-7, for a route expansion program into Latin America. However, further development of this DC-7 design increased its gross weight to 162,000 pounds and the unit cost to $1.4 million and Pan American cancelled its order in October 1945, opting for smaller transports. The first C-74, 42-65402, made its maiden flight from Long Beach in September 1945, but with the end of World War II, most of the C-74 production order was cancelled and only 14 Globemasters were built. Unfortunately, during contractor demonstration flights the second Globemaster crashed. The fourth C-74 was subsequently diverted for static tests and its components tested to destruction at Wright Field, Ohio. Beginning in September 1946, the remaining twelve C-74s were flown for the next nine years by the Army Air Forces' Air Transport Command and the U.S. Air Force's Military Air Transport Service. Once in service, the C-74 Globemaster, based first in Memphis, Tennessee, then Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida, finally at Brookley AFB, Mobile, Alabama, set many records for tonnage carried. In November 1949, a C-74 flew the Atlantic to England with a record 103 passengers aboard. One Globemaster set several records during the Berlin Airlift, averaging over 38,000 pounds of cargo and setting a new Airlift Task Force utilization record by flying 20 hours in a 24-hour period. Until one C-74 was converted to the prototype C-124A and the Globemaster II became available, the C-74 was the only Air Force transport capable of carrying outsized cargo. After the C-74's retirement from service in 1955, several were purchased surplus and began flying for a contract air carrier, Aeronaves de Panama, hauling prize cattle from Denmark to the Middle East, horses to Singapore, and ships' parts and vegetables throughout Europe. Unfortunately, after the tragic crash in 1963 of one C-74 in Marseilles, France, the airline suspended operations and its C-74s eventually were scrapped. Today, no examples of this record-setting transport exist. This monograph of the C-74 Globemaster is written by Nick Williams, an award-winning author of over two dozen articles published in the Journal of the American Aviation Historical Society and publications in the U.K. Nick has written two previous books in Steve Ginter's Naval Fighters series as well as his 1999 book published in the U.K., "Aircraft of The Military Air Transport Service 1948-1966". His new book on the C-74 is the result of nearly fifty years of research, containing comments from several of the C-74's engineers as well as former Douglas and Air Force pilots.

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French Sopwith 1½ Strutter 1. Sopwith B1, number 185 of Escadrille Sop 107, which operated as part of Groupe d'Bombardmet 3 (Gb3) from June 1917 until re-equipping with Breguet 14s in late 1917. At a time and in circumstances unknown to the artist, this aircraft was captured dy the Germans. The unit lnsignia was based on the Egyptian goddess Buto. 2. Sopwith A2, 4189 of Escadrille Sop 5, which flew this type from September 1917 until re-equipping with Salmson 2s in July 1918, and was assigned to the 6 emo CA. (other sources say 33 eme CA) 3. Sopwith A2, 309 of Escadrille Sop 111, which operated as part of Groupe d'Bombardment 1(GB1). It received both single seat and two-seater versions in March 1917 and re-equipping with Breguet 14s in October. 4. Sopwith A2, number unknown of Escadrille Sop 24. This aircraft has a top wing Lewis gun and a To4 gun ring which was a French adaption of the British scarff ring. This unit replaced its Farman F4Os in mid - 1917 and re-equipped with Salmson 2s in March 1918. 5. Sopwith A2, number unknown of Escadrille 504. 6. The French-built Sopwith 1.A2 served in early March 1918 with Escadrille Sop. 24 in Toul. Some Strutters of this unit also carried a third Lewis machine gun above the upper mounting surface. It is possible that this aircraft also carried the armament of three machine guns at some period of its service. The unit was re-equipped with Salmson 2.A2 aircraft on March 14, 1918, and the unit designation was then changed to Sal. 24. The machine is completely in the color of the material with colored accessories. 7. Sopwith A2, number unknown of Escadrille Sop 36. This unit flew Sopwiths from July 1917 until June 1918, when it re-equipped with Spad 11/16s. During this period (Nov 1917 to April 1918). it saw service in Italy and was assigned to DAL. 8. Sopwith B.1 number unknown of Escadrille Sop 66 which was part of Groupe d'Bombardment 1 (Gb1). This unit exchanged its Caudron G4s for both single-seater and two-seater Sopwiths in March/April 1917, re-equipping with Breguet 14s in late 1917. The unit insignia was based on the Egyptian goddess Nekhbet. 9. Sopwith A2. number 2510 of Escadrille Sop222. This aircraft was fitted with a Lewis on the top wing. Sop 222 was assigned to the 10c Aimes and re-equipped with Breguet 14s in May 1918. 10. Sopwith 1 B2 Strutter, according to the insignia on the fuselage belonging to Escadrille Sop 29. Unfortunately without any other data. The Escadrille took over the Sopwith aircraft in January 1917 and flew them for practically the whole year. She mainly carried out depth raids in Alsace-Lorraine.

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Grumman F-14 Tomcat By Charles Stafrace. The US Navy embarked on the VFX fighter programme when it became obvious that the weight, engine and manoeuvrability issues plaguing F-111B, the naval variant of the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX), would not be resolved to the Navy's satisfaction. The Navy requirement was for a fleet air defence fighter whose primary role was intercepting Soviet bombers before they could launch missiles against the carrier battle group. The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX, which incorporated the US Air Force's requirements for a low-level attack aircraft that were not required by the Navy. Grumman came up with a solution in the form of their F-14 Tomcat, a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing aircraft. But what made the Tomcat head and shoulders above all other fighters was its AWG-9 weapons control radar married to the superlative AIM-54A Phoenix air-to-air missile. The Tomcat was all the US Navy required, and the F-111B episode was soon forgotten. The F-14A was the first version of the Tomcat, and it entered US Navy service in 1972 with VF-1 and VF-2 and first deployed overseas on USS Enterprise in 1974, gradually replacing the later versions of the F-4 Phantom on the US carriers' decks. The F-14A served only with one foreign air force, the Imperial Iranian Air Force which, after the 1978 revolution, came to be known as the Iranian Islamic Iranian Air Force. The Tomcat's role in Iran's war against Iraq from 1980 to 1988 is explained in detail. The Iranian, in its locally-improvised versions, is still in service. The F-14A version of the Tomcat inherited not only the AWG-9/AIM-54 system from the ill-fated F-111B but also its troublesome TF30 engine. In the US Navy it was only when the F-14B was re-engined with the more powerful and more reliable F-110-GE-400, as was also the F-14D, that the Tomcat really showed its true potential in the air. The Tomcat went on to serve on all US carriers of the Forrestal and Kitty Hawk Class of carriers and on all nuclear powered carriers built until 2006, the year when the Tomcat was retired from service. During the years it spent on deck, the Tomcat, in its F-14A, F-14B and F-14D versions, participated in all US interventions of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Horn of Africa, and distinguished itself not only as an interceptor fighter, but later also as a ground support and reconnaissance aircraft when the need for these two new roles were needed and when equipped with the LANTIRN and TARPS systems. The Tomcat's story was immortalised by the Hollywood production that made 'Tomcat' and 'Top Gun' household names, but in real life the Tomcat was truly a confirmed 'MiG-killer' and a 'Sukhoi-killer' in encounters with hostile Libyan opposition. Its exit from the US Navy scene in 2006 was a controversial one, as the aircraft was still considered a valuable asset to the fleet. However, its astronomical maintenance hours per flight hours and its ageing systems compared with the newer F/A-18 Hornet worked against it. All this is explained in detail in this new Warpaint title, a 124-page account of America's most famous fighter of recent times, that contains no fewer than 280 photos, ten pages of colour profiles, scale plans, fourteen information tables and a text that give exact details of every squadrons, details of all deployments with carrier, CVW, dates and destination, conversions to later versions, and many other information as now expected from titles by author Charles Stafrace, supported by superb artwork by John Fox.

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