Mini World MINA7221A

Model Aircraft Extra 4. Building the North-American P-51D Mustang. WAS £14.99. TEMPORARILY SAVE 1/3RD!!! Marrying an American dive-bomber design and a British engine, the North-American P-51 Mustang became one of the greatest fighters of World War II. The iconic P-51 was a World War II single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber that also saw service in the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North-American Aviation (NAA) in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission. The Purchasing Commission approached North-American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Rather than build an old design from another company, North-American Aviation proposed the design and production of a more modern fighter. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October. The Mustang was designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine, which had limited high-altitude performance in its earlier variants. The aircraft was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber (Mustang Mk I). Replacing the Allison with a Rolls-Royce Merlin resulted in the P-51B/P-51C (Mustang Mk III) model and transformed the aircraft's performance at altitudes above 15,000ft, without sacrificing range, allowing it to compete with the Luftwaffe's fighters. The definitive version, the P-51D, was powered by the Packard V-1650-7, a license-built version of the two-speed two-stage-supercharged Merlin 66 and was armed with six .50 calibre M2/AN Browning machine guns. From late 1943, P-51Bs and P-51Cs (supplemented by P-51Ds from mid-1944) were used by the USAAF's Eighth Air Force to escort bombers in raids over Germany, while the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force and the USAAF's Ninth Air Force used the Merlin-powered Mustangs as fighter-bombers, roles in which the Mustang helped ensure Allied air superiority in 1944. The P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theatres, and during World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed some 4,950-enemy aircraft. At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang, by then redesignated F-51, was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters, including North-American's F-86, took over this role, the Mustang then became a specialised fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. In Model Aircraft Extra #4, some 15 P-51 Mustang 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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Building the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt Big, powerful, and truly a juggernaut of an aircraft, resulting in its appropriate nickname 'Jug', the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the really great warplanes of its generation. Alongside the superlative North-American P-51 Mustang and the twin-engined Lockheed P-38 Lightning, it was one of the three principal fighter types which the US Army Air Forces (USAAF) successfully operated in the later stages of World War Two. The initial production version was the P-47B, and examples of this type started to reach the USAAF's 56th Fighter Group in June 1942. The first really combat-ready model was the refined and slightly longer P-47C, which entered service later in 1942. Like all front-line P-47 versions it packed a formidable punch of four 0.5in M2 Browning machine guns in each wing, although early models did not carry the wing pylons that became so important later in the Thunderbolt's combat career. The first P-47C examples to reach Britain for the US Eighth Army Air Force did so in December 1942, followed by what became the main combat model of the Thunderbolt, the P-47D, in April 1943. Weighing in at some 15,000lb (6,804kg) fully loaded and powered by the R-2800-59 Double Wasp of 2,000hp, the P-47D was a big, powerful beast. Water injection introduced for some versions of the R-2800 would see even greater power on demand when needed in aerial combat. All of these early Thunderbolts had the 'razorback' high line rear fuselage pioneered with the P-35 and P-43, with a rearwards-sliding heavily framed cockpit canopy. Although the USAAF at first saw the Thunderbolt as a high altitude interceptor, its main initial role very soon became that of daylight bomber escort with the England- based Eighth Air Force, which was in great need of escort fighters for its B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators that were increasingly facing stiff Luftwaffe fighter opposition. he Thunderbolt helped to turn the tide for the US daylight bombing offensive during 1943 and early 1944, with a number of P-47 pilots gaining impressive scores in air-to-air combat against Luftwaffe fighters. Eventually the appearance of the Merlin-engined P-51B Mustang and later versions of the superb Mustang long-range fighter resulted in the Eighth Air Force almost completely re-equipping its fighter groups with the P-51, but the Eighth's 56th Fighter Group continued to fly the Thunderbolt right up to the end of the war in Europe in May 1945. The Eighth Air Force also pioneered the P-47 for air-to-ground operations as a part of its policy of taking the fight to the Luftwaffe, and additional to this the Thunderbolt eventually equipped several fighter groups specifically for fighter-bomber operations within the tactical England-based US Ninth Air Force. The P-47 proved to be a formidable fighter-bomber due to its impressive eight-gun armament, bomb load and ability to survive enemy fire. The underwing pylons that proved so useful for long-range fuel tanks were equally at home carrying a 500lb (227kg) bomb (one under each wing), and the Ninth Air Force in particular used this capability to devastating effect against German tactical targets before and after D-Day. 'Razorback' Thunderbolts additionally equipped USAAF units in Italy, the Pacific (including exceptional use by the Fifth Air Force), and the China-Burma-India theatre (CBI). Continuing development of the P-47 design led to the adoption later in P-47D manufacture of a cut- down rear fuselage spine and all-round vision 'bubbletop' canopy. This resulted in a further series of later Thunderbolt versions with even greater range and capabilities, but many 'razorback' P-47s nevertheless continued in service right to the war's end " some pilots in fact preferring the 'razorback' to the later models particularly for their better directional stability. Other important users of the Thunderbolt in World War Two included the Soviet Union, the RAF and the Free French. This seventh book in the highly successful MA Extra Series contains fourteen showcase and step by step model builds and will be a must for any P-47 aficionado!

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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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Airspeed Oxford and Consul By William Harrison 52 pages With more than 8,750 built the Oxford was a well thought-out design that was based on their Airspeed Envoy, a similar shaped twin-engine executive aircraft that was used in the early 1930s but the more advanced design of the Oxford suited the military requirement for a three-seat training aircraft. The Oxford was a low-wing cantilever monoplane of advanced design and was produced for the training of pilots in handling modern, multi-engine bomber aircraft. Wooden construction was employed throughout making for a simpler design and easier repairs. Provision was made for instruction in pilot training, aerial photography, navigation, aerial photography, and bombing training. An Armstrong-Whitworth gun turret could be installed for training in aerial gunnery. After the War the Consul was conceived as a small airliner, chiefly converted from ex-military Oxfords with more than 160 rebuilt. These quickly sold to potential airline operators and were eventually used in many countries, some changing hands four or five times. The Oxford and the Consul were relatively safe flying machines and with thousands of bomber pilots undertaking their flying training in the type it played a major part in the RAF's war effort, and is widely regarded as a design the manufacturers could be proud of. This book is written by William Harrison with artwork by Sam Pearson.

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