modelling world: 11/01/2013 - 12/01/2013

Friday, November 29, 2013

Aeroplane 01/2014

Croye Rothes Pithey came from Scheepersnek, Natal, South Africa, where he was born on August 19, 1895. After his schooling (he also learnt fluent Zulu) he became an accounts clerk for a chartered accountants firm in Johannesburg between February 1916 and May 1917, at which time he enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps in South Africa, signed up by one of the many recruitment officers touring the colonies for would-be aviators. He sailed for England where he began his flying training and after gaining his RFC wings was posted to France, being assigned to 52 Sqn. The squadron was equipped with Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 two-seat reconnaissance machines, referred to by some First World War airmen as "flying coffins". Like a number of aircraft built by the Royal Aircraft Factory, they were wonderfully stable in the air, and so ideal for crews looking down to observe movements on the ground, from which to take aerial photographs of the terrain or to direct artillery fire. Unhappily, its inherent stability was a liability if German single-seat fighters made hostile moves against them, or even if confronted with an opposing enemy two-seater.

Britain At War 12/2013

DURING THE First World War many countries and communities sought to eradicate all associations with Germany, and Australia was as quick as any other to Anglicize anything that sounded Germanic. Even the popular cake the Jam Berliner was
renamed the Kitchener Bun. It has been reported, however, that campaigners in South Australia are considering reviving the German titles of some locations whose names were changed. The effects of the anti-German sentiments following the outbreak of war in 1914 were often profound. In South Australia, for example, a German-language newspaper, as well as schools and clubs, were closed down. Many residents of German descent were interned or imprisoned. Other “Germans” lost their jobs, leaving their families in financial difficulties. Hermann Robert Homburg, born 1874 in Norwood, a suburb of Adelaide, to a father who had arrived twenty years earlier, was forced to resign in 1915 – and he was the Attorney-General. Homburg wrote of a “campaign of lies and calumnies against me ... because I am not of British lineage”. Germanic place names in Australia became to be seen as offensive and the names of a large number of locations were changed. This was not done on a whim; in South Australia, for example, it was a carefully-considered operation undertaken by a Nomenclature Committee.

BBC History 11/2013

It is one of the most tantalising and controversial passages in the entire Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. In the same year, says the entry for 1002, “the king gave an order to slay all the Danes that were in England. This was accordingly done on the mass-day of St Brice; because it was told the king, that they would beshrew [curse] him of his life, and afterwards all his council, and then have his kingdom without any resistance.” More than a millennium later, the St Brice’s Day Massacre remains one of the most blood-curdling events in English history. The king in question was Æthelred II, known to generations of children as the Unready – which really meant ‘ill-advised’. For years the king had been struggling to cope with Viking raids on England’s shores. Often Æthelred paid the raiders off and allowed them to settle in the eastern part of his country, known as the Danelaw, where Scandinavian settlers already used Danish language and law. But shortly after the turn of the new century, the king’s patience ran out.

Military History Monthly 11/2013

Why do we remember Waterloo but forget Leipzig? The answer, of course, is that Waterloo was a mainly British battle fought just across the Channel, whereas Leipzig was a battle of Austrians, Prussians, and Russians in the heart of Europe. Both were great defeats for Napoleon and the French Empire. But Waterloo was a relatively small battle against a recently restored Napoleon. Leipzig, on the other hand, was almost certainly the biggest battle ever fought up to that time. Half a million men, representing four Great Powers, struggled for four days to determine the fate of Europe. The total cost was almost 100,000 casualties. Fought 200 years ago this month, Leipzig fully deserves its epithet: it was a true ‘Battle of the Nations’. Julian Spilsbury is our guide to the battle this issue. On a completely different scale, but equally fascinating, is Andy McDonald’s analysis of Gate Pa in 1864, when 250 Maori tribal warriors routed a far larger British army equipped with batteries of modern artillery. The British appear to have learned no lessons from this defeat.

Royal Air Force - The Official Annual Review 2014

The year 2013 marks the 95th Anniversary of the world’s oldest independent air force – the Royal Air Force. Throughout the Service’s proud history we have been at the forefront of world-changing advances in aviation science and technology, and have aspired to develop an innovative mind-set in our airmen and women. As I look forward I am keen to reinforce this mindset, as people are not only at the heart of our capability, they are also central to the development of our future capabilities and, indeed, critical to defining how we will fight in the future in the defence of the United Kingdom and our interests abroad. The brave airmen of No. 617 Squadron who took part in the historic raids on the Ruhr Valley dams 70 years ago demonstrated vividly the Royal Air Force’s innovation. While Barnes Wallis’s bouncing bomb exemplified an ingenious solution to a wartime problem, the airmen of No. 617 Sqn still had to develop a way to deliver this innovative weapon with precision effect. They were, of course, successful, earning ‘The Dambusters’ label in the process, but in addition to raw courage, this daring operation required complex planning, ingenuity and flawless airmanship – all of which involved Royal Air Force personnel pushing the perceived technological boundaries of their equipment.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Scale Military Modeller International 12/2013

The Tiran 5 was a product of the iDF's ability to re-engineer equipment recovered from the battlefield, and during 1967 when they fought battles against their surrounding Arab neighbours in what became known as the 'Six-Day War' many Russian built T-55's were captured. These tanks were later modified with upgraded parts, including the 105mm L5 guns, better diesel engines, additional turret storage and additional machine guns, and these became known as the 'Tiran 5' and were then used in action during the 'Yom Kippur War' of 1973 fighting against their previous owners! They continued to be used well into the 1980s before being retired for training purposes and later sold on to South America and the Lebanese Army where they are still in use today. The Tamiya kit comes in a sand coloured plastic rather the usual green of the original T-55 release, and contains pretty much most of the original sprues plus a couple of additional ones that make up the new parts. So, lets begin. We start with the lower hull by adding the axles and ensuring they are aligned, and we follow this with the front and rear hull plates and details, and some blanking parts are included for the rear hull where the original fuel tank carriers went.

Scale Aviation Modeller International 12/2013

The Saab what? Those of you who have bought this magazine for the Mustang on the cover be of good heart. There is indeed an article in here on the A-36 Apache - Mr Dick Clark's excellent rendition of the Italeri issue of the Accurate Miniatures' tooling, a kit as good today as it was when first released round about the time I gave up photographing the sad remnants of the railway network and took up modelling after a lapse of some twenty years or more. This article is a shameless piece of signposting for our excellent new Datafile release, which I can thoroughly recommend, but is also present here as it is a fine out-of-the-box build of an up-to-the-minute kit release by one of the mainstream names you can expect to see on the High Street shelves - if any such still exist in this day and age. Mr Clark's work also appears in sister magazine Model Aircraft this month, where his Do 17/Defiant/Bf 109 trio make for a cracking read, and I am only disappointed that I couldn't feature it in both titles.

Model Aircraft 12/2013

In 1911, the Greek Government appointed French specialists to form the Hellenic Aviation Service. Six Greek officers were sent to France for training, while four 'Farman' type aircraft were ordered. All of the six graduated from the Farman school in Étampes near Paris, but only four served subsequently in aviation. The first military flight was made on May 13,1912 by Lieutenant Dimitrios Kamberos and in June he flew 'Daedalus', another Farman aircraft that that had been converted to a seaplane, setting a new world average speed record of 68mph and with it the foundations of Greek Naval Aviation. During September of the same year, the Greek Army also fielded its first squadron - the 'Aviators Company'. On October 5, 1912, Kamberos flew the first Greek combat mission, a recce flight over Thessaly on the first day of the Balkan Wars, and during the same day a similar mission was flown by German mercenaries in Ottoman service in the Thrace front against the Bulgarians. The Greek and the Ottoman missions flown during the same day were the first military aviation combat missions in a conventional war. In 1930, the Greek Aviation Ministry was founded, establishing the Air Force as the third branch of the Armed Forces, and eventually the Hellenic Army Air Service and Hellenic Naval Air Service were amalgamated to form the Hellenic Air Force.

Military Illustrated Modeller 12/2013

The Tiger ll's first experience of combat was with the s.H.Pz.Abt. 503 (503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion) 1st Company, during the Battle of Normandy. The King Tigers of the '503 were up against Canadian forces during 'Operation Atlantic', which ran in conjunction with the British 'Operation Goodwood' of July 18th 1944. This sequence of well known photos shows an abandoned Tiger II (Porsche turret) of s.H.Pz. Abt. 503 and the Bergepanther that was towing it, after having broken down on the N816 Trun road (D916 today) near Vimoutiers. In the two very similar images it is being passed by a column of Canadian vehicles that includes a Universal Carrier, Staghound armoured car, Jeeps, trucks and a military motorcycle, possibly a Triumph 3HW. The tank is zimmerited and would have been painted in the standard three-colour camouflage of Dark-Yellow, Olive-Green and Red-Brown. The ladder on the side that distinguishes this particular vehicle might have been used for observation or simply for the crew to climb their Tiger's imposing hull in order to get aboard. The scene is ideal for dioramas as all the vehicles are available in 1:35 kit-form and any combination could be used to recreate the Canadian column and abandoned German AFVs.

Tamiya Model Magazine International 12/2013

A couple of years ago I was approached by a friend who mentioned that he had pitched my name to a guy interested in having a 1:24 Hurricane built up. 1:24? "Good lord" I thought. "Didn't my friend remember that I'm a 1:48 guy?" What did people do with 1:24 scale models? I imagined my cat sitting in the cockpit. My friend put me in contact with Jim, a Continental Airlines pilot. He explained that he had recently acquired the skeletal remains of Hawker Hurricane shot down in May of 1940 just off the coast of Dunkirk and was wondering if I could recreate the aircraft in a model. Jim had done quite a bit of research on the aircraft and even made a trip to England to speak with surviving family members and friends of the pilot, an early Battle of Britain ace, RHA 'Dickey' Lee. Richard Hugh Anthony Lee was born in London in 1917 and was educated at the famous Charterhouse School. He joined RAF Cranwell as a Flight Cadet in September 1935, graduating in July 1937. He survived the shoot down in P3311, only to be killed a short time later in another Hurricane while chasing several Bf'109s out to sea off the coast of England, northeast of Marston. Lee, who was only twenty-three at the time of his death, was one the leading scorers for No.56 squadron.

Airforces Monthly 12/2013

US GOVERNMENT officials confirmed that Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft carried out an air strike on the night of October 30/31 on the Syrian port city of Latakia. The target was a shipment of Russian S-125 (SA-3 Goa) surface-to-air missiles. Unconfirmed reports suggest that up to four aircraft undertook the raid. The weapons were reported to be en route to the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. Syrian rebels reported loud explosions, apparently from inside an air defence facility in the Snubar Jableh area of Latakia. Israeli aircraft have carried out several air strikes on Syria this year. In the first attack, on January 30, it is believed the target was a shipment of SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles in trucks next to the Jamraya Scientific Research Center in Damascus. Later, on the night of May 2/3, IAF fighters struck a shipment of weapons apparently destined for Hezbollah and reported to have been conventional surface-to-surface guided tactical ballistic missiles, possibly Iranian Fateh-110s, which were stored at Damascus Airport. Some reports suggest that IAF aircraft may have used stand-off weapons for the attack, remaining outside Syrian airspace and firing whilst still over Lebanon.

Classic Military Vehicles 12/2013

It is perhaps odd to think that, until 2013, it has been at least a couple of decades since there has been a running example of the A27M Cromwell in the UK. Whether with hindsight we would judge the Cromwell to have been a 'good' tank (whatever that means) when compared to its contemporaries is debatable, but it was historically important in a vehicle sense if only because it first went into action in Normandy in June 1944 with the Desert Rats, the 7th Armoured Division, and went on to become the most numerically significant British cruiser tank of WW2. Nevertheless, for too many years and despite there being examples in museums and overseas, we haven't had the opportunity to see or hear a Cromwell at full tilt in the country of its birth... until now. For at the inaugural War and Peace Revival last July, Rick Wedlock's Cromwell, the result of some three years of restoration work, made its public debut. The project started back in 2010 when Rick heard of a Centaur being offered for sale by dealer Ian Galliers. 'I thought I must have it,' recalls Rick, 'so took the morning off work and drove down to Shrewsbury to see it.

Air Modeller Issue 51

When first announced I greeted the new 1:32 release from Tamiya with indifference as I was hoping for a Merlin engined aircraft, a Hurricane maybe, or perhaps even a Mosquito! On the other hand, I had thought that they may have tackled a 109; now that would be cool! The birdcage Corsair, as a modelling subject in this large scale didn't really enthuse me, that may have been due to the fact I still remember my efforts with Trumpeter's F4U-1A offering trying to shoe horn in a resin cockpit, correcting the exhaust layout and then tackling the 5mm gap at the trailing edge caused by a resin wheel bay set! When David offered me the chance to build this model for the magazine I had second thoughts. The more I pondered the more I got enthusiastic about the possibility; I did a bit of research and found some really heavily weathered land based USMC aircraft. Weathering is my passion and the more I looked, the greater the inspiration built up and the more enthusiastic I felt about the project. So a quick email to David and a plain white box winged its way down the A1. I say plain box as this was a pre production sample, complete with huge photocopied instructions! Just as I was about to start, Roy Sutherland of Barracuda Studios very kindly offered to send some of his resin and decal upgrades for the kit. I'll be showcasing those as I go so stay tuned.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Military Modelling Vol.43 No.12, 2013

Many methods can be employed to depict peeling paintwork, and I use a perhaps lesser-known, but simple technique that gives a realistic appearance to any kind of derelict wooden surface. I used a resin moulding of wooden planks for an example to demonstrate this method, but it works equally well with plastic or real wood. This particular item is part of an industrial building set in the background of a small-scale feature. As usual the work is presented as a step-by-step guide so you can clearly see the process. I've included some photos of other miniature buildings and painted signs I've treated using the same methods highlighted here. Photo 1. I made this façade in 1:48 scale years ago, when I first tested this method not only on the 'wooden' surfaces, but also with the painted-on café sign on the cement rendered wall. Photo 2. Old wooden planked doors like these are perfect reference subjects when trying out this technique in miniature. Photo 3. The work begins by choosing the right colours to simulate shades of bleached and worn wood as the general 'basic' tones. In reality this is not 'a shade', but several colours mixed together thus revealing plenty of variation. To imitate this aspect I used Humbrol matt enamels: Camouflage Grey 28, Light Grey 64, Chocolate 98, US Light Earth 119 and Light Grey 147.

Scale Modelling Step By Step Advanced

Has it really been a whole year since we published our first Scale Modelling - Step-by-Step? The magazine was hugely successful and received warmly by beginners and those returning to the hobby after a long break, but even old hands found something to inspire them... or valued the reminder of basic skills often forgotten. This year we took the decision to cater for more experienced modellers who wish to up their game' in terms of using after-market products and more advanced techniques. Scenic modelling is something we can all appreciate when studying a well-produced diorama or vignette, and the genre is explored here in terms of methods, scratch-building, weathering and how to portray natural and man-made environments in a convincing manner. Nothing enlivens a good model like a well-executed base and surrounding scenery. Many modellers will acknowledge the fact that our hobby has been invigorated massively by the advent of photo-etched metal and resin detail parts, mixed media kits and other forms of after-market products.

How To Build Tamiya's Aircraft

When I started building models as a child, the choice of kits available to me and my far from large pocket-money budget, were from Airfix, Matchbox and Revell. I remember clearly seeing these appear in my local post office and that rush of excitement when the time came to build another little masterpiece. Though these kits were great at the time, the arrival of a monthly magazine (Airfix), ushered in hitherto unknown ranges, Monogram, Heller and ultimately, Tamiya. It would be a while though before I would be able to enjoy any of these kits -especially Tamiya's excellent aircraft - but once I did, I knew I would be hooked for life. My first experience of a Tamiya aircraft kit was their original Harrier Jump Jet. I'd always been a fan of this aircraft - indeed, I still am! - so when the chance and the money became available to buy this kit, it was an opportunity not to be missed. When I had it in my hands and opened that box for the first time, I simply couldn't believe my eyes. Up until that point I'd only ever built small 1:72 aircraft kits, so this was a real step up. It was bigger of course, but the detail seemed extraordinary and there was an engine in there! I'd never seen an engine in a kit, let alone a jet! What a joy! Everything just seemed so exotic, with instructions in Japanese; little cartoon characters telling you how to build the kit; parts in their own little bags...

Model Engineer 11/2013

Gerard Dean writes: It seemed like a good idea at the time - combine my new found Solidworks 3D cad design skills with a passion for model building to make the iconic slab sided German Tiger Tank. What could be easier than spending a few evenings on the PC, emailing the DXF files of to my friendly laser cutter and awaiting delivery of a flat pack Tiger. The idea was to click the flat pack parts together, touch them with a mig welder and prepare for paint - it was be done by Christmas. That was 2003 and I doubt that Santa Clause will see it fully finished when he pops down the chimney come Christmas 2013. Tiger 141 finally rolled down my driveway under electrical power in 2009. Aside from the clanking tracks that took a year to machine, the sound emanating from her was truly underwhelming. A sound generator was considered for a few seconds, until I pulled out a 25cc OHC four cylinder motor built many years before and left to gather dust.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Jets 12/2011

By the early 1980s the trusty Jet Provost (JP) fleet was growing a little tired and it was clear that a replacement would be needed before the decade was over. The most common variant still in service was the T.5, which had first entered service in September 1969 and the vast majority of the 110 machines that were delivered had been modified to T.5A standard (with updated avionics) by the mid-1970s. Even at this point, the Minister of Defence was seriously considering the idea of re-sparring the entire JP fleet. Still on the table right up to the final tendering stage, the motion was finally dismissed when it was made clear that the RAF would be left with a trainer powered by a thirsty and under-performing Viper turbojet. In addition, the aircraft would still have outdated avionics and a poor ratio of support man-hours compared to flying hours. From the arrival of the Hawk, the leap from the Jet Provost to the next stage of pilot training saw many students fall by the wayside when their ability should have been addressed at an earlier stage.

Jets 01/2012

On the steps of Number 10 Downing Street in October, 2011, British Prime Minister David Cameron took a measured stand in announcing the death of the former leader of Libya, Colonel Gaddafi. There was no triumphalism in his speech, no sense of mission accomplished. Citing Lockerbie, the death of Police Constable Yvonne Fletcher and the supply of arms to the Irish Republican Movement, he highlighted a relationship that existed between these international acts of terrorism and the United Kingdom. His implication was clear. No matter what you thought of the situation, the UK had reasons to be thankful that Gaddafi was gone. For the Prime Minister this was a moment of quiet satisfaction. He had fought and won his first war and it had not cost the life of a single British serviceman. It had been a huge gamble. The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) had only just cut major elements from the defence budget. To a background of derision from many armchair strategists, HMS Ark Royal and the Harrier fleet had been retired early. The decision to abandon the Nimrod MRA.4 program was the subject of specific criticism. It seemed perverse to cut the UK's Long Range Maritime Patrol (LRMP) capability when Somalian pirates enjoyed the freedom of the Indian Ocean.

Military Machines International 12/2013

What do you get if you cross a Goliath Sd.Kfz. 302 with the rear of a Kettenkrad and the business end of a Sherman Crab? Not sure? Neither were we, but HDT Global's Protector comes close and all in a package no bigger than Postman Pat's van. Spotted at London's recent arms fair the Protector is designed to clear paths and carry heavy equipment for foot patrols. Currently under development with the US military as part of an ongoing programme to combat lEDs, HDT claim the Protector has been tested successfully in the harshest of environments. While justifiably cagey about how many dark-suited Lords of War had opened their cheque books during the show, MMI is assured the Protector is coming to a conflict near you soon. The only thing likely to keep it out of Afghanistan is the planned American downscale. The Protector can be dropped off by truck or helicopter with the troops it's supporting and trundle beside them at a walking or running pace. The Protector has no combat role other than mobile cover and can be used to transport two battle casualties for helicopter evacuation when fitted with stretchers.

Combat Aircraft Monthly 12/2013

SOUTH KOREA is set to re-launch the bidding process for its F-X Phase III fighter competition after the sole contender, the Boeing F-15SE, was sensationally rejected during a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-Jinon on September 24. Boeing had looked to be a shoo-in for the $7.3-billion contract after elimination in August of the rival Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 3 and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. DAPA conducted bids with the three contractors between June and August, but only the F-15SE came within the budget stipulated for 60 aircraft. However, the selection of the Boeing product had always been controversial. Former Republic of Air Force chiefs of staff told the government they considered the F-15SE lacking in stealth, which they judged a pre-requisite for countering North Korea's burgeoning nuclear program. According to DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyung, the committee made the decision to drop the F-15SE bid after 'in-depth discussions on the security situation and the combat environment based on assessments of the jets' mission capabilities and prices.'

Airfix Model World 12/2013

By the time this issue is published it'll be time for IPMS Scale Model World, better known as 'Telford' to the seasoned visitor. In fact, as you read this Editor's Welcome you may even be midway through drawing up a Telford wish list, or be at the show itself surrounded by carrier bags and chatting with friends. The halls will probably be echoing with the hum of a thousand modelling-related conversations, while the club displays are no doubt inspiring you to get modelling again that evening. Meanwhile the quest to match newly purchased kits with new decal sheets and resin accessories, and recently published reference books, may be causing that feeling of being back in an exam hall at school. But it's all part of the modelling extravaganza and hopefully, once home, you won't experience that sinking feeling of having missed a purchase. Among the modellers I know I often hear: "I'm not going mad this year, I'm only getting what I really need - honestly." I'll wait and see what they actually buy. There can be a lot of 'really need' purchases.

Model Military International 12/2013

At the end of World War One, Germany was forced into a series of reparations to the Allied nations and was also deprived of much of its wartime industry. It was not allowed to have an air force, and the size of the army was held to only 100,000 men. The Weimar Republic of Germany in the 1920s cleverly used the restrictions of the Versailles Treaty to build the best trained army in Europe. Learning from their defeat, and far more willing than the victorious Allies to adopt new ways of waging war, the Reichsheer (army) pioneered new ways of motorising military units, using cars (disguised as tanks and armoured cars) for training. All of these early vehicles were standard commercial civilian automobiles. The 1920s economic calamity in the Weimar Republic, with unbelievable levels of inflation and near-total debasement of the currency, inhibited the full development of these new military tactics, but planning went ahead. The Great Depression of the early 1930s extended the poor economic conditions, but the accession of the Nazi party to national power under Adolf Hitler led to a renunciation of the Versailles Treaty and the open intention to rearm Germany. The Nazi government started conscription with a major expansion of the military, development of new tanks and military vehicles and in 1935 established the new Luftwaffe (air force).

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Jets 02/2012

English Electric Lightning F.6 XS897 was rolled out by 29 (Reserve) Squadron at RAF Coningsby on Friday December 9, 2011. The aircraft served with 5, 11, 56, and 74 Sqns between 1967 and 1988 but has been modified and painted to replicate Lightning F.3 'XP765' that served with 29 Sqn during the 1960s and 70s. The aircraft has been loaned to the squadron by the Lakes Lightning organisation. Mr Neil Airey, the aircraft's owner, said: "We were incredibly pleased to be able to assist 29 Squadron, and be in a position to supply the Lightning to them." The renovation of the aircraft has been supported by among others, BAE Systems, and Retro Aviation. Speaking as the aircraft was unveiled by Station Commander, Group Captain Martin 'Sammy' Sampson the Officer Commanding 29 (R) Squadron, Wing Commander AI Seymour said, "As OC 29, I'd like to say thank you to all of you; it is your hard work and goodwill which has been instrumental in bringing this magnificent beast to the condition it is in today." Squadron Leader (Rtd) Clive Rowley flew XS897 during his career as a pilot in the RAF. He recalled: "When we finished on the Lightning and moved to the [Tornado] F.3, many of us felt that although the F.3 turned into a fine aircraft, it wasn't the natural heir to the Lightning. The Typhoon truly is, and therefore it is tremendous to see a second Lightning airframe here at Coningsby, the home of the Typhoon."

Jets 03/2012

The video lasts for a few seconds. The tank is not moving - seemingly unaware of its impending fate. A few seconds pass and it briefly disappears in a puff of smoke. It was a clinical end. As the smoke starts to clear it is evident that the nearby buildings are untouched by the precise nature of the strike. It was a scene that was to be repeated on many occasions in the course of Operation Unified Protector; the military campaign in Libya in 2011. The missile involved in the attack was the Dual-Mode Brimstone missile. In Libya in 2011 it was used as part of a comprehensive suite of weapons that allowed the RAF to conduct its military mission whilst reducing the risks to civilians that might happen to be in the area. The objective of the campaign was to protect the citizens of Libya who had rebelled against the Gadhafi regime and it was incumbent upon the aircrew executing the campaign to do all they could to avoid engaging targets where civilians might have been in close proximity.

The Armourer Militaria Magazine November/December 2013

Until the early 19th century, policing in Ireland was achieved through a patchwork of baronial constables appointed by the government and county grand juries. They were under the supervision of local magistrates, but subject to little control or discipline. These worthies were largely untrained, without uniforms, unarmed and, realistically, only capable of dealing with petty crime and minor disorder. In the face of serious disturbances, the ever-present British Army was quickly called upon. In 1812, the Government in Westminster appointed Sir Robert Peel as Chief Secretary for Ireland. Peel applied his zeal for organised law enforcement to Ireland, championing the Constabulary Act of 1822. As founder of the London Metropolitan Police in 1829, he used the experience to formulate the systematic organisation of a police force in Ireland, leading to the establishment of the Irish Constabulary in 1836. Under the central control of the Government administration in Dublin, detachments of the Constabulary were housed in barracks across Ireland. Their prime task was one of local security against insurrection, a constant concern to the British Government and local authorities. Consequently they were armed. As a quasi-military force, the Constabulary no longer had to call on the Army for support.

Flight International November 5, 2013

Terrain-warning settings on a Lockheed Martin C-130J were not adequate, failing to detect the presence of Sweden's Kebnekaise mountain before the Norwegian military transport fatally collided with the peak. All five occupants were killed as the aircraft, bearing tail number 5630, struck the snowy rock face at 280kt (518km/h), just 14s after levelling off at its cleared altitude of 7,000ft. It had been descending towards Kiruna on a service from Evenes, as part of the Cold Response exercise, on 15 March last year. Owing to the high latitude, above 60°N, there was no terrain database available for the forward-looking terrain-awareness system. Cockpit-voice recordings also revealed the crew had acknowledged the system was operating in tactical mode. This mode offers only "degraded" warnings of obstructions, says Swedish investigation authority SHK.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Flypast 12/2013

As the Focke-Wulf Fw 190's pilot banks to port, the menacing shape of the Supermarine Spitfire still fills the rear view mirror. The Allied fighter is just waiting for the right moment to open fire...but, instead, the Spitfire draws level and waggles its wings in an invitation to swap places. Thankfully for all involved, this isn't a scene from the latter years of World War Two but a recent one over the friendly skies of New Zealand. It was, in fact, the first time ever that a Spitfire and a Focke-Wulf 190 had flown together at a warbird airshow in the southern hemisphere. Two of the stars of the renowned Classic Fighters event at Omaka, New Zealand, were Spitfire IX PV270 (ZK-SPI) and FW 190A/8N ZK-RFR Stahlgewitter. Eagle-eyed FlyPast readers will have noticed the capital 'W' in the designation. Fox-Romeo is the prototype of the batch of new-build '190s created by Germany-based Flug Werk and the company's initials are used to denote its products. In 2009 the aircraft was purchased by the Chariots of Fire Collection based in Omaka at the northern end of South Island. Graham Orphan manages the collection and spent a lot of time and effort negotiating the purchase of the '190 and getting it shipped to New Zealand.

Jets 04/2012

Morayvia has successfully purchased Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2 XV244 and plans to take forward work originally started by the Nimrod Heritage Group to preserve the aircraft in Moray, Scotland. The Morayvia team, formed in May 201 I, is led by Mark Mair, Stan Barber, Bob Pountney and Sean McCourt. Morayvia is working with personnel of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), RAF Kinloss and 39 Engineer Regiment on storage of the Nimrod whilst ambitious plans for an Aerospace Centre at Kinloss are developed. XV244 is the last remaining Nimrod at Kinloss and is presently stored in a hangar, however, it will soon be moved to a more economic hard standing, close to the proposed Aerospace Centre. Whilst in storage it will be looked after by a team of volunteers, most of whom are former engineers, to ensure it is kept in the best condition possible. On the April 5, 1982 XV244 was one of the first two Nimrod MR.Is to deploy to Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island in support of operations to retake the Falkland Islands. The aircraft flew five sorties before being replaced by the more capable Nimrod MR.2 aircraft.

Jets 05/2012

On both sides of the Atlantic, airshow teams are forming to operate ex-Soviet Bloc jets. Last year saw the debut of the Heavy Metal Jet Team, which flew five Aero L-39 Albatros jets at airshows across North America, occasionally accompanied by a rare and exciting Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 'Fresco.' For the 2012 season the Florida-based team has received sponsorship from United Bank Card and has rebranded as the 'Black Diamond Jet Team.' The aircraft retain their distinctive arctic camouflage scheme and a second MiG-17 has joined the fleet. Making its debut in the 2012 season will be the newly-formed 'Red Steel Jet Team' from Texas. The team operates a trio of L-39s along with a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23UB 'Flogger.' This ex-Bulgarian VVS aircraft is registered N923UB and thought to be the only operational MiG-23 in the USA.

1914-1918 First World War - An Illustrated History

The First World War sits firmly in our collective conscience as a period of terrible human suffering and the loss of almost an entire generation of young men. Yet, paradoxical though it may seem, from that death and destruction there was much to be proud of. Women found employment and earned wages on an hitherto unprecedented scale. Men displayed a willingness to support their country and make sacrifices for their fellow men-in-arms as never before. The newly-independent countries of Australia, New Zealand and Canada forged their identities on the slopes of the Gallipoli Peninsula and Vimy Ridge. Many men found their voice through the graphic and evocative war poems that are still recited today. There were also great advances in technology. Aircraft began to play an increasingly significant role in warfare and the lumbering, clunking tanks began to dominate the battlefield.

Hornby Magazine Skills Guide - Weathering Vol.1

WEATHERING is a great pastime that I thoroughly enjoy. It's enthralling and I love immersing myself in a new project and developing a model from a showroom fresh example into something which has the looks of a real working locomotive in miniature. I started my journey into weathering in the 1990s when I was modelling in 'N' gauge. Back then it was a simple process for me which barely scratched the surface of the potential of this subject. In recent times I've grown my skills more than I thought I could. This is thanks to the support of Hornby Magazine weathering expert and co-author of this Weathering Skills Guide, Tim Shackleton. Listening to and learning from specialists such as Tim is perhaps the very best way of developing modelling skills and if you ever have the opportunity to discuss the subject first hand with a demonstrator at a model railway exhibition take the opportunity!

How To Build Tamiya's 1:32 F4U-1 Corsair

In early 1938, the United States Navy was in need of an all-new carrier-based fighter aircraft and made a request for design proposals. The Navy required an aircraft with a high top speed but a low stall-speed to allow for carrier landings; it would also need a long range for lengthy patrols over large areas of open ocean. In June of 1938, a contract was signed with the aircraft manufacturer Vought, a company that had a long affiliation with the US Navy between the wars with spotter aircraft and seaplanes. Rex Beisel led Vought's design team, assembled to create the company's two responses to the Navy's request; it was their second proposal, the XF4U-1, that would eventually become the legendary Corsair. Beisel was the only son of a coal miner from Cumberland, Washington, USA. He joined the engineering department at Vought in 1931 in the role of Assistant Chief Engineer and after writing a significant technical paper on the cooling of radial engines, he was promoted to General Manager.

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