Airfix 1:72 A50135 Dogfight Doubles Spitfire Mk1a and Messerschmitt Bf109e-4 Military Aircraft Gift Set,White

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North American P-51D Mustang, 44-14164/E2-D ‘Detroit Miss’, Lt Urban Drew, 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, USAAF, Bottisham, UK, 1944 Due to changing requirements and constantly altering the design of the ship, a later refit was to take an unacceptably long eight years and whilst initially intended that a complete carrier air group would be embarked on the ship, the ever increasing size of aircraft dictated that no more than 28 aircraft (both fixed wing and rotary) were ever deployed on the ship. After a glorious service career, the end for Victorious came with distasteful haste towards the end of the 1960s and a withdrawal which was confirmed at extremely short notice. Scrapped in July 1969, this was a sad end for a ship which had served so valiantly and with such distinction. Fokker Dr.1 425/17 is without doubt one of the most famous aircraft in the history of flight, the aircraft in which Manfred von Richthofen scored his final two aerial victories against British Sopwith Camel fighters on 20th April 1918 and also the machine in which he met his death the following day. The origins of No.39 Squadron began with No.19 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron and how in February 1916, they were assigned to fly Home Defence duties, protecting the greater London area. In April, the unit was renumbered No.39 (Home Defence) Squadron, initially based at Hounslow, but also operating from satellite airfields at Hainault Farm and Suttons Farm. In August 1916, the Squadron's 'A Flight' relocated to North Weald, where they were joined by the rest of the Squadron early the following year. The next edition of Workbench is due to be published on Friday 24th July, when we will have more interesting features from the world of modelling.

Initially, the aircraft assigned to home defence squadrons were not really suited to the task at hand, taking aircraft such as the much maligned BE2c from training units and pressing them into service, however, more capable aircraft such as the Bristol F2B Fighter were soon allocated to these units. Although Germany's Zeppelin offensive certainly posed the potential for widespread and indiscriminate destruction and indeed kept the population of Britain terrified, the actual effectiveness of these raids was questionable at best. With the Zeppelin force proving incredibly expensive to maintain and drawing huge resource away from the front lines, more bombing raids were actually mounted against Britain by Gotha Bombers, even though their shorter range limited incursions to the southern counties of Britain and London. When the RFC initially deployed to France in 1914, it did so with just 4 squadrons and 48 aircraft, however, over the coming two years, the increasing influence of the aeroplane would see the service embark on a significant period of expansion both with units deployed to France and those operating in Britain. In the UK, the RFC Home Establishment was not only responsible for the training of air and ground crews, but also the preparation of units destined for deployment overseas. Following the first Zeppelin raids against southern Britain, their remit would grow to include the establishment and operation of airfields and squadrons in the role of Home Defence, in an attempt to calm the fears of a terrified population. Pilot David ‘Bull’ Whitley joined No.264 Squadron straight from successfully negotiating his flight training courses and before the unit moved to Martlesham Heath. He was going to fly the new Defiant turret fighter and would go on to forge a successful working relationship with his assigned air gunner Sgt. Robert Charles Turner, a team which would fly together throughout the savage fighting which followed the German Blitzkrieg offensive in Western Europe.Bristol F2B Fighter E2581 initially served with No.1 Communications Squadron at Hendon, but was later transferred to No.39 Squadron at North Weald in a Home Defence role. Interestingly, she is now preserved and on display as part of the Imperial War Museum's collection at Duxford. Both of these magnificent ships were popular additions to the Airfix model range and their inclusion in the growing Vintage Classics range has been welcomed by many. We are pleased to announce that both are now ‘on the water’ and scheduled for imminent release. An armoured minister of wrath

And then there was that artwork, oh that wonderful artwork! If ever there was a subject guaranteed to immediately grab the attention of anyone who has ever modelled, the iconic Airfix box artwork of Roy Cross is most definitely that subject, something we all still marvel at despite the fact that in this case, it was being worked on 58 years ago. Mr Cross would let his imagination run free when it came to producing Dogfight Doubles artworks in particular, often sketching out three or four alternative aerial combat poses for the two aircraft in question, before a decision was made on the most appealing option. As we modellers are only too aware, did they ever make a mistake when selecting a box artwork scene for Dogfight Doubles, because as far as most of us are concerned, they were all magnificent in their own right and were probably responsible for starting more people on their modelling journeys than any other individual sub range of kits our hobby has known.

Manfred von Richthofen’s final Fokker Dr.1 Triplane 425/17 was produced specifically for the famous ace between the end of 1917 and the beginning of 1918. As the mount of one of the world’s most famous airmen and a hero to both the Luftstreitkräfte and the German people, the construction of this aircraft was to a particularly high standard and was reported to have benefitted from superior quality fabric covering. It also sported the latest version of the interrupter gear mechanism which allowed the aircraft’s two Spandau Maxim machine guns to fire through the arc of the propeller, following the sightline of the pilot. It was also noted that the engine was of a higher build quality than other similar machines which had fallen into British hands and had been evaluated.

If you don’t have either of these kits, which have already enjoyed previous separate outings (and been subjects of full builds in Airfix Model World), they are little gems, with good panel line engraving, moulded tyre tread patterns and many other pleasing embellishments. Above: Fine panel line engraving is just one feature on the Me 262 kit parts shown here and (below) the P-51D. There’s plenty of detail all round. Welcome to this latest edition of Workbench and all the news, updates and exclusive announcements from the fascinating world of Airfix modelling.

Airfix’s Dogfight Doubles series has a new item, with the adversaries being the company’s new-tool 1/72 North American P-51D and Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a – the latter being known as the Schwalbe (Swallow) by the Luftwaffe. These two popular kits, featuring praiseworthy detail, come with decals for all-new liveries and a multi-pose display stand that accommodates both models. Also in the box are acrylic paints, two paintbrushes and a tube of Poly Cement. Although Manfred von Richthofen made his final flight 105 years ago this weekend, his story continues to be a source of fascination for many, the Baron fighter ace who became the most famous airman to have ever lived.