Model Aircraft 08/2013

The use of air power in the Vietnam War would change the way wars were fought both in the Twentieth century and beyond. New technological advances and more sophisticated weapons made the Vietnam War a testing ground for the US military, and new tactics and approaches were used with varying degrees of success. Air power would now be used as a bargaining tool and Vietnam also introduced the attack helicopter as a vital weapon. The conflict began with the training and advising of the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF), and culminated with the Christmas bombing of 1972, and saw the US involved in the skies of Southeast Asia for over fifteen years. Consistent with US military as well as political objectives, the air war in Vietnam gradually increased throughout the campaign and air components from all four military services were utilised. Jet bombers and fighters were used extensively for the first time in the history of modern warfare, and a new age of warfare dawned. The North Vietnamese, with the help of the Soviet Union, had developed an extensive air defence network, and as a result the US suffered heavy helicopter, aircraft and pilot losses throughout the war.

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Air International 08/2013

Major funding issues did not stop the South African Air Force's first live fire Air Capability Demonstration of the year, at the Roodewal weapons range on May 9. Bombs dropped, rockets flew and dust was stirred, but austerity was evident everywhere, especially in the absence of the pride of the Air Force - the Gripen. The aim of the demonstration was to use airpower for interdiction, surveillance, air support and in-field mobility to defeat a simulated enemy. It a so showed the air force's operational capabilities, readiness and ability to operate with other arms of service, most notably the army and special forces in this case. The Deputy Chief of the Air Force, Major General Gerald Malinga, said that the airpower demonstrated how the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) can promote peace and stability in South Africa as we as the continent - air force officials said that airpower was essential in conflict prevention and merely having air support or a perception of it can prevent conflict.

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Scale Aviation Modeller International 08/2013

When Tamiya announced a little over a year ago that they were to release the II-2 Shturmovik in 1/48 I was very tempted to go out and purchase one as soon as I could. Having built the Accurate Miniatures kit many years ago and knowing how good it was, if a little complex in its construction at times, I was intrigued as to how a well-known manufacturer like Tamiya would tackle such an important and influential aircraft. I, like many who model in 1/72, no doubt thought that it would only be a matter of time until it would be released in that scale. Well it took a while, but here it is at last, and I have to say it is a very fine piece of plastic engineering by Tamiya. The Russians, like many other nations, took a keen interest in the weapons and newly formed tactics being used in the Spanish Civil War. They were, after all, supporting the Republican side with tanks and aircraft and to a lesser extent men, mainly in an 'advisory role.' The numbers of aircraft supplied varies depending on source from 600 to 800 planes, and the lessons learned indicated a need for a new type of aircraft dedicated to the ground support role, tasked with infantry support in the roles of tank hunter and bunker busting.

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Scale Military Modeller International 08/2013

This is going to be quite a small diorama setting, determined in no small way by the size of the main subject - the 1:35 Ontos, and having just finished 'Marines in Hue City' by Eric Hammel where the aforementioned Ontos was used with devastating effect in the close-quarter house-to-house fighting, it seemed like a good place to start. With the model being quite small overall, I decided to raise the 'height' of the base so that the Ontos stands taller when displayed. So, starting with a simple picture frame, backing board was glued in place, followed by some sides made from sheet balsa, as this is cheap to buy and easy to work with. Polystyrene sheet was then stacked and glued into place to give a nice level and compact area to work on. Celluclay was then evenly spread over the top of the base, and here I find spreading on a fine layer of PVA glue first helps the clay stay in place. This was then smoothed over with a damp brush. Fine sand was then sprinkled over the base, and at this point I also pushed into position the wall section I planned to add later, so at least it had a flat area for its location.

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