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DH.2 'Lanoe Hawker' 1:32 Wingnut Wings The DH.2 entered service in February 1916, putting an end to the 'Fokker Scourge' of Eindekkers that had been dominating the Western Front with their synchronized machine guns firing trough the propeller arc. Highly maneuverable, the DH.2 was a good fighter despite it's fragile looks. Lanoe Hawker was already an experienced ace and Victoria Cross holder when he took command of 24 Squadron, and led them to France in 1916. On 23 November 196, flying 5964 (the subject of this model) with 'A' flight, Hawker encountered Jasta 2 and in particular Manfred Von Richthofen flying a twin gun Albtaros D.II. A lengthy dogfight ensued, with Hawker eventually breaking off due to low fuel. Richthofen fired one last burst before his guns jammed, and Hawker was killed instantly, becoming the Red Barons 11th victim as 5964 crashed to the ground. Wingnut Wings have released some of their superb kits with equally high quality resin figures to depict famous aces and their aircraft. I just had to have the brilliantly sculptured figure of Lanoe Hawker, holding a map and with his coat slung over his arm. The figure is absolutely perfect, beautifully cast and a pleasure to assemble and paint. The DH.2 is a real beauty to build, but complicated to rig, and I was forever thinking I had finished when I spotted a bit I had missed. I think I have finished it now though, I will create a proper base and case for it, as it deserves to be properly displayed with the figure next to it. On with more photos: Weathering is subtle, I did some chipping around the cockpit area where the dark green was scuffed away to reveal the grey beneath. You may just notice the clear tube fuel gauge on the upper wing tank, showing the tank nearly full! I masked and pained the see through effect of the upper wing roundel on the under side of the wing. Sunlight from above would have created this effect as 5649 was delivered in clear doped lined, and later painted with dark green PC.10, painting around the roundels. Thanks for looking, John

Model in development - type ? - ref.32075 Source: http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3207 Engine V.P.

I was just looking through the Wingnut Wings kit listing and noticed there are a few gaps in the box numbers. 32032 and 32033 for instance are missing from the list. The 0/400 is 32039 so I wonder what may be in the pipeline. Assuming the numbers were assigned to a project we may have some larger kits on their way judging by the time the kit's have taken to reach an announcement, or lack of. The smaller kits seem to be released almost in number order, the exceptions are the bigger kits, Lancasters for instance. On a sadder note, maybe they just got canned.

Source: http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/productdetail?productid=3206&cat=5 - ref.32077 - Hansa-Brandenburg D.1 New model in development. Release date and subject TBA. Engine looks to be a Austro-Daimler 6 - so https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Daimler_6 There's another Hansa-Brandenburg D-1 kit in 1/32nd scale in design by Copper State Models: link V.P.

Hey everyone, One of the kits i currently have in my little stash is the Wingnut Wings Roland D.VIb. I plan to start on this model soon, when i've finished my current built of the WNW Fokker E.II. I'm slowly starting to gather aftermarket products for this model and one of the things i'm looking for for this kit are alternative decals / markings. I've been searching the web for a while now, but haven't been able to find any suitable 1/32 scale decals for the Roland D.VIb so far. Does anyone of you happen to know if these even exist? Also, i've been looking at several 1/32 scale WWI aircraft models of Roden. I've never actually owned one of their kits, but since they do have some very interesting models, i was wondering how the quality of these kits compare to Wingnut Wings. Are they even comparable? If any of you could share your experiences, that would be much appreciated. Thanks very much indeed! Dolf

Wingnut Wings is to release in September-October 2019 a 1/32nd Hannover Cl.II early (new variant) kit - ref. 32079 Source: http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3201 Released: https://shop.wingnutwings.com/ See also: https://www.themodellingnews.com/2019/09/wingnut-wings-forthcoming-new-32nd.html V.P.

Source: http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3203 New Wingnut Wings model in development for 2020 to be announced at the IPMS USA National Convention in Chattanooga on 7 August 2019 - ref. 32068 - Fokker F.1/Dr.1 Dreidecker - early - ref. 32069 - Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker - late Source: LINK Source: https://www.facebook.com/closetmodeler/posts/2570116823012499 V.P.

Gotha UWD (32053) 1:32 Wingnut Wings Developed from the Gotha G.1 landplane (Wingnut Wings kit 32045 reviewed here) designed by Oskar Ursinus, the 'Ursinus Wasser Doppeldecker' (UWD) was completed in December 1915. Only one was ever built and was given the serial number 120. It underwent trials with the German Navy in January - February 1916 during which time it was modified with balanced ailerons, extra windows, and a 'probiscus' device in the nose for dropping bombs through. Sometime during 1916 (possibly March) UWD 120 was used operationally on a raid on Dover. Little else is know of its use, until it was written off in October 1916. The low mounted engines and high fuselage was to minimise the effect of engine-out induced yaw, by keeping them as close to the centre line as possible. In turn this meant moving the fuselage up and out of the way. Another unusual feature was that the crew were located in an armoured ‘bathtub’ that formed the forward section of the fuselage. The kit. Presented in Wingnut Wings classy silver edged box, the Steve Anderson artwork shows the UWD in flight, possibly near the white cliffs of Dover. The painting shows it being escorted by a Friedrichshafen FF.33 floatplane, so I really hope that Wingnut Wings are going to release one of those at some point. As with the similar Gotha G.1, the large box is packed full to the brim with parts. It is interesting to note that although both kits appear similar, the only common parts in each box are the sprues A and B, all the others are different. Apart from the fact that the UWD is on floats rather than wheels, it is also powered by different engines. It used the 160 hp Mercedes-Daimler D.III rather than the G.1's 150hp Benz Bz.III engines. Sprue A. This large sprue only just fits the dimensions of the box, containing a variety of parts common to both the landplane and seaplane versions of this kit, mostly concerned with fuselage and some of the flying surfaces. The rear fuselage has been moulded as a three sided section, of the bottom and sides. The top section fits onto this, and at a stroke eliminates any fuselage seams. Well technically the joins are along the top corners of the fuselage, but they should be a doddle to deal with. Careful gluing with thin cement run along the join by capillary action should mean virtually no/almost no clean up will be required. Full marks to Wingnut Wings for this one, flat sided fuselages are always a pain to eliminate the seams from if they are done in the conventional manner. Some very fine items are also included, such as pilots seat, framework, pipework, the throttles, instrument panel, and gun type camera. Construction starts with the cockpit, which is where many of these items will end up. Sprue B. Here we have all four main wing panels, and the horizontal tailplane. Again all is faultlessly moulded with very fine scalloped trailing edges, and delicate sagged fabric effect. Strut mounting holes are clearly defined, as are some small holes showing where to drill for rigging attachment points. (The struts themselves are cleverly moulded with ends that will only fit into the holes they are destined for). The lower wings have large tabs on them that fit to the large single center section from Sprue A, and automatically set them at the correct dihederal Sprue C. The smallest, containing the clear parts for the windows and windscreen. A new approach to packing has these inside a heat sealed plastic bag, and inside that they are protected by a wrap around of a'cling film' type sheet. All parts are beautifully thin and clear. Sprue D. There are two of these, holding the floats, cowling parts, struts, and other duplicated parts. The floats are moulded as a single unit of three sides, with a separate top pice, in the same way as the rear fuselage has been done. Again this makes construction a simple task and practically eliminates any joining seams. What is really apparent is the sheer size of these floats. They are enormous. I had a recently completed WnW Sopwith Camel nearby when doing the photos, and couldn't resist showing a comparison. Sprue E. Again there are two of these sprues provided, for the Daimler-Mercedes D.III engines. These are different to those in the Gotha G.1 kit, which has Benz Bz.III engines. I may have mention in previous reviews that I often start building these kits with the engines. They are so beautifully moulded and everything fits precisely, so you quite quickly have a little jewel of an engine ready for fitment later in the build. Note that the magnetos are not fitted until the engines are in place, as there are new ones with long control rods attached (G33 &G34) to reach up to the top wing. The only thing you may want to add is some ignition wiring from fine fuse wire. As this is an engine used by many aircraft, the same sprue appears in many of Wingnut Wings kits. This means that than half of the parts are not needed, including a set of four beautiful propellers that can go into the spares box. Sprue G. More floatplane specific parts, notably the forward fuselage 'pod' and a lot of struttery. There are various windows and openings in the 'pod' that make it quite different to that of the Gotha G.1. Page 21 of the instructions notes the parts to use or omit if making Option A1, in the 'as delivered status. It also states that you will need to fill in two of the nose windows, so a decision needs to made early on. The mouldings are absolutely beautiful, with sharply defined detail, great delicacy/finesse with some very fine parts, free of flash or sink marks, and no distortion or warpage. I showed them to a fellow modeller who was absolutely amazed, and speculated at how much work goes into designing and producing mouldings of this quality. Etch. For once this is quite small. The model only requires a lap belt for the pilot, and a cooling jacket for the LMG 14 Parabellum. A nice touch is a little brass plaque to display with the finished model. Instructions. If you have never seen a set of Wingnut Wings assembly instructions, then these will be a real treat. Printed on twenty four pages of heavy high gloss paper, it is as much a work of reference as it is an instruction booklet. The CAD drawings of assembly stages are interspersed with period photographs (thirty seven in all) of actual machines and their details. On thing I particularly like is the CAD drawings of completed sub-assemblies in full colour, as these are a great help in understanding how everything goes together. Unusually the whole biplane wing unit complete with floats, is built as single unit to which the fuselage is attached. Marking Options. Just one, as only one was ever built, but there are small variation if you wish. By leaving off the 'probiscus' filling in some of the nose windows, and using the unbalanced ailerons, you can build it as version A1. This is shown in the instructions, and represents the machine as it was delivered for trials. Version A2 is in the same colour scheme, and represents the aircraft as used in service. A. Gotha UWD 120, See Flieger Abteilung 1, March 1916. Decals. Printed by Cartograf, the sheet is dominated by the large 'cross pattée' markings, with dozens of smaller details for things like stencils and instrument faces. There are around twenty for the cockpit alone, and another forty four to go on the twenty two 10kg Carbonit bombs stored in the nose. The fine detail is beautifully printed and readable through a magnifying glass, and given that the cockpit area is highly visible on the finished model, it should all look fabulous. Conclusion. It must have made sense to produce this model alongside the Gotha G.1, but don't make the mistake of thinking that the only difference is that one comes with wheels, and the other with floats. This is a Wingnut Wings kit, so no corners will have been cut. If some parts differed between aircraft, then you get new parts on the sprue. So much so that only two of the eight sprues are common to both kits. Personally I really like this aircraft, it has all the things I like about early aviation. It was built at a time when ideas were being tried out,and 'The Rule Book' didn't really exist. Only now, 100 years later, do we find it strange looking, because we know what a conventional aircraft should look like. It will build into a large model, and is certain to provoke questions from anyone seeing it. It is not really one for the beginner, but if you have built any of Wingnut Wings two seater kits then this one should not give you any problems. It is just bigger, not any more complicated. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Gotha G.1 (32045) 1:32 Wingnut Wings Well I don’t think many of us saw this one coming, or even knew anything about the actual aeroplane. What a fascinating and yet strange looking contraption it is, with low mounted engines and high fuselage. The reason for this layout was to minimise the effect of engine-out induced yaw by keeping them as close to the centre line as possible. In turn this meant moving the fuselage up and out of the way. Another unusual feature was that the crew were located in an armoured ‘bathtub’ that formed the forward section of the fuselage. Three batches of six G.1’s were manufactured, the first six fitted with the 150 hp Benz Bz III engines as supplied in this kit. The first production aircraft arrived on the western front in the latter half of 1915. Little is known about its service history, but as was often the case in the Great War, it was one of those aircraft that was obsolete almost as soon as it entered service. One example was built as a seaplane, the 'UWD' which has also been kitted by Wingnut Wings and is Reviewed here. The kit. Packed in Wingnut Wings larger sized box, the lovely painting by Steve Anderson shows a couple of G.1's being defended by an Eindekker against an attacking RFC DH2. The artwork cleverly shows a close up of the main body of a G.1, whilst showing a full view of another in the near distance. Lifting the lid reveals eight individually bagged sprues, with barely any space left for anything else. Two of them are duplicated, Sprue E for the engines, and Sprue D for wheels, struts etc. All are moulded in the familiar neutral grey plastic with pin sharp detail, flawless surface finish, and no sink marks or other moulding flaws. Also included is a large decal sheet and a small brass etched sheet, along with Wingnut Wings superb instruction manual. Nothing else gives you that sense of anticipation and delight that opening a Wingnut Wings kit does, and as always this one delivers in full. Time to take a look. Sprue A. This large sprue only just fits the dimensions of the box, containing a variety of parts common to both the landplane and seaplane versions of this kit, mostly concerned with fuselage and some of the flying surfaces. The rear fuselage has been moulded as a three sided section, of the bottom and sides. All the framework is in there, along with some ejector pin marks, but none of this will be seen once assembled. The top section fits onto this, and at a stroke eliminates any fuselage seams. Well technically the joins are along the top corners of the fuselage, but they should be a doddle to deal with. Careful gluing with thin cement run along the join by capillary action should mean virtually no/almost no clean up will be required. Full marks to Wingnut Wings for this one, flat sided fuselages are always a pain to eliminate the seams from if they are done in the conventional manner. Some very fine items are also included, such as pilots seat, framework, pipework, the throttles, instrument panel, and gun type camera. Construction starts with the cockpit, which is where many of these items will end up. A lot of detail is provided and I have counted nineteen little instrument and placard decals to be placed to enhance all of this, and that is not counting the sixteen decals to place on the optional internal bomb load. Sprue B. Here we have all four main wing panels, and the horizontal tailplane. Again all is faultlessly moulded with very fine scalloped trailing edges, and delicate sagged fabric effect. Strut mounting holes are clearly defined, as are some small holes showing where to drill for rigging attachment points. The struts themselves are cleverly moulded with ends that will only fit into the holes they are destined for). The lower wings have large tabs on them that fit to the large single center section from Sprue A, and automatically set them at the correct dihederal Sprue C. The smallest one in the box, in clear plastic this holds the single windshield. It comes wrapped in a small sheet of plastic, itself contained in small plastic bag, so is well protected. Sprue D. Throughout the build there are many items that are required in duplicate or multiple times, such as wheels and struts. Sensibly all these parts are collected together on one sprue that has half the number required. It is then simple to provide two identical sprues to cover the full amount of items needed. There are bombs, guns, cowling parts, tail fins & rudder, a choice of two different styles of wheels, and parts for a tail support trestle. All the mouldings are of the same high quality expected of Wingnut Wings. The two 'D' sprues are unique to this kit and not shared with similar looking UWD floatplane. Sprue E. Again there are two of these supplied for the Benz Bz.III engines. These are my favourite part of any Wingnut Wings kit and I often go out of sequence and start my builds with them, as they are such a pleasure. The mouldings are superb, with nut and bolt details worked out to perfection. If making it up with all the cowling panels glued in place, there is nothing more that you need add. But if you want to display one or both of the engines with the cowlings off, you may want to add some ignition wiring. This goes from the magnetos to a 'sleeve' channel along each side of the cylinder bank. Then individual lengths come out along the sleeve to each spark plug. The instructions actually have photographs from the original engine manual showing both sides, where the wiring is very well shown. Th rest of the sprue contains gun rings and propellers that are not required and can go straight into the spares box. Sprue F. Another large one that fills the box. Again this is unique to the G.1 and not shared with the UWD floatplane kit, as you might have expected. The forward fuselage 'pods' on the two types had significant differences, so in their usual uncompromising way Wingnut Wings have made completely different mouldings for the two kits. Etch. There are various permutations of LMG/14 Parabellum and LMG/08 Spandau machine guns fitted to the five marking options, so the etched fret contains jackets for all three, along with the sights. A set of seat belts are provided for the pilot, as the only crew member given them. A nice touch is the little brass plate with the Wingnut Wings logo and 'Gotha G.1' etched in relief. These look quite good if the lettering is painted with enamel as you don't have to be very precise with the edges. After a couple of hours just go lightly over it with a cotton bud soaked in white spirit, and clean off any excess. Hey presto! you have a neat little brass plaque to place by your finished model. Instructions. If you have never seen a set of Wingnut Wings assembly instructions, then these will be a real treat. Printed on twenty eight pages of heavy high gloss paper, it is as much a work of reference as it is an instruction booklet. The CAD drawings of assembly stages are interspersed with period photographs (thirty seven in all) of actual machines and their details. On thing I particularly like is the CAD drawings of completed sub-assemblies in full colour, as these are a great help in understanding how everything goes together. As mentioned earlier, alternative parts are provided for the guns (Parabellum, Spandau, Becker), early or late wheels, 20kg or 50 kg Carbonit bombs, Reschke or Integral propellers, different arrangement of cockpit coamings, dual or single core radiators, as well as several minor details. Construction is unusual, with the biplane wings & engines being built as complete unit, and then joined to the completed fuselage. A full rigging diagram is provided, with front and rear three-quarter views distinguishing between bracing wires and control wires. Marking Options. Markings are provided for five individual airframes, all in the same basic field grey with light grey forward fuselage pod. Choices cover machines from the start of the G.1's service in July 1915 up until it's last use in September 1916. Option A actually has 2 variations depending upon whether you fit the truly odd looking 'Bomb dropping cage' that it was fitted with for part of its career. A. Gotha G.1 10/15, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7 Sonderstaffel S.1, July to late 1915. B. Gotha G.1 11/15, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7 Sonderstaffel S.1, late 1915 to early 1916. C. Gotha G.1 13/15, Feld Fleigerabtelung 37, September 1915 D. Gotha G.1 41/15, Kagol 1, late 1915 E. Gotha G.1 41/15 "Feodora", Feld Fleigerabtelung 37, September 1916? Decals Printed by Cartograf, all are in perfect register with good colours and perfect register. The majority of the sheet is covered with various Iron Cross and serial number markings. There are however a large number of small details, beautifully printed and readable under a magnifying glass. Conclusion As you may have gathered, Wingnut Wings have also released a kit of the Floatplane version, the UWD, and only Sprues A and B are common to both kits. Wingnut Wings have set something of a trend for issuing unusual and unexpected models alongside their more mainstream releases of Fokker, Albatros and Sopwith types. The Gotha G.1 must surely be the most unusual of the lot, like something Heath Robinson might have designed. For me this is a large part of the interest I have in Great War aviation, where design rules were not yet very firmly set and the only way to try out new ideas was to build them. The G.1 looks so odd to modern eyes because we now have a fixed idea of what a 'correct' aeroplane should look like. Perhaps only the Handley Page Heyford came close in replicating this layout, but even that had the engines on the top wing in a more conventional fashion. Full Marks to Wingnut Wings for producing such a wonderful model of this strange looking aircraft. It is well up to their world class standard, and I am sure will be a delight to build, if a little more involved than a single engined biplane. Get one to go with your Taube, Albatros B.II, and Eindekkers! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hey everyone! Well, here goes for my first build & first "in progress" post on this forum=> as mentioned in my very first introduction post, I'm back into modelling after about 10 years inactivity in the hobby and i chose Wingnut Wings Fokker E.II "Max Immelmann" as my very first kit to get things started again. Quite a challenge as there are many firsts involved with this build: first 1/32 scale model, first WW1 aircraft model, first time working with EZ line, first time working with turnbuckles etc. But i love the quality of this kit and with enough time and patience, i think i'll be able to turn it into something presentable. I also bought a couple of extra's with it which i read would be a real add on: 1/48 Gaspatch Type C turnbuckles for in the cockpit (this smaller scale looked better in the cockpit based on the pictures i saw in the construction manual). 1/32 Gaspatch Type C & One end turnbuckles Albion SilverNickel tubes 1/32 Master Spandau 08 1/32 Master ammunition feeder for Spandau 08 I'm a slow builder, so please bear with me. I'll try to post new photo's when i've made some progress. First photo's below are of the kit itself with some of the extra's + the first parts i'm currently busy with. The cockpit is coming along nicely with some EZ line used for the pedals + i've tried to paint some of the "wriggly" pattern on the engine cowling parts using a combination of Humbrol matt Aluminium and Testor's Chrome Silver. I don't use an airbrush as i've always painted by hand, so the smooth transitions between colours is rather difficult to achieve. But with a combination of acrylics, enamels, oils and inks, i should be ok for a decent finish of all the parts. Best regards, Dolf

'Wonga Bonga' Sopwith Camel F.1 1:32 Wingnut Wings. The Sopwith Camel hardly needs any introduction, as one of the most successful fighters of the First World War and the mount of may aces. This is the superb Wingnuts Wings kit 32074 Sopwith F.1 Camel "Clerget", Reviewd here which comes with five different finishing options. It is a difficult choice as they are all so good and I ended up buying another kit as I couldn't decide on just one! In the end I went for this one as it had a natural metal cowl area, varnished ply cockpit area, and the fin with the Sopwith factory markings on, plus the name Wonga Bonga' on the side. The 'Wonga' refers to the Gotha bombers that apparently made that engine sound 'wonga-wonga-wonga' etc, and the 'Bonga' is the Camel itself, knocking the Gothas out of the sky. It was based at RNAS Manston from July to August 1917. It is a lovely kit, to the usual exceedingly high standard that Wingnut Wings set. I would not say that it is one of the easier kits to build, the cabane struts are vulnerable to being knocked off during the build, so care is necessary. Fortunately I kept all four of mine intact, and the danger is passed once the top wing is on. A few 'In progress' pictures to give some idea of how much interior detail is included. The cabane struts are moulded integrally with the fuselage side frames. The rigging is stretched sprue. Wooden areas are Griffin Alkyd oil paints over Tamiya 'Deck tan'. This is my second WnW Camel build, and I like this kit so much I still have three more in the stash! Thanks for looking John

Wingnut Wings is to release a 1/32nd Sopwith Pup (new variant with Gnome rotary engine) kit - ref. 32055 Source: https://www.facebook.com/tetramodel/photos/a.2474802349220072/2476899552343685/?type=3&theater V.P.

I understand next month will be Wingnut Wings 10th Anniversary. To mark the occasion, two new kits have been announced on their website. These can be Pre-Ordered and should be available from late April or early May according to the website. http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3198 http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3199 I wonder if they will also use the anniversary as an opportunity to release a bit more information about the Handley Page 0/400 and Avro Lancasters. Maybe box art, or colour schemes.

Wingnut Wings is to release in April-May 2019 1/32nd Gotha G.1 & Gotha UWD kits - ref 32045 - Gotha G.1 http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3198 - ref 32053 - Gotha UWD http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3199 V.P.

Hi just thought I'd post my latest build which I finished last night. I think I'm getting a bit better with each build, though am still very much experimenting with weathering. It took me a while to decide on the colour scheme for this, then plumped for the red scheme near the end. This is the kit with the Manfred Von Richtofen figure which I haven't built as yet as I dont think I could do it justice when painting. Had a bit of an issue when fitting the propeller and spinner as my engine was slightly too high so have bodged it a bit. Also made a right pigs ear of rolling the photo etched machine guns. I keep meaning to buy an airbrush but as yet haven't done so but am still learning new things when brush painting. I used spray can primer on the wings and brushed primer on the fuselage and these have given a different finish and texture. I do enjoy messing about with different wood painting techniques, a lot of the time just winging it and experimenting. Overall I am happy with how it turned out but more importantly I really enjoyed it, which is the main thing I think. One day I'll take a good picture. Cheers, Martin.

Halberstadt Cl.II & RE.8 “Harry Tate” (32804) 1:32 - Wingnut Wings Not only do Wingnut Wings produce outstanding kits, they also produce a number of ‘Duellists’ double kits which depict the actual aircraft that took part in a known and documented incident. The latest of these pairs their new Halberstadt Cl.II with the long out of production RE.8. The event took place on 9th June 1918, when the Schlasta 13 Halberstadt was being flown by the inexperienced crew of Kuesler and Mullenbach. Returning from a patrol, they were heading back to their own lines when they were intercepted by a 3 Squadron RE.8 being flown by Roderick Armstrong and Frank Mart. Armstrong and Mart forced the Germans down and captured the Halberstadt undamaged. Flown back to Britain and extensively tested, it formed the basis of a capture report in Flight magazine on 10 October 1918. The kit. In one of Wingnut Wings large boxes, lifting the lid reveals the two kits packaged side by side in their own compartments. The lid itself depicts the incident getting under way, with Armstrong flying the RE.8 and Mart aiming his Lewis gun firmly at the hapless Kuesler and Mullenbach in the Cl.II. Steve Anderson really does produce the most amazing artwork, telling the story and at the same time showing the aircraft to perfection. The Halberstadt Cl.II The parts are the same as provided in the Halberstadt Cl.II reviewed here with the exception of sprue F, which has been replaced with sprue G. This holds the parts particular to the 'Late' version of the CL.II, which had the LMG 08/15 Spandau moved from the port to the starboard side in front of the pilot, resulting in changes also to the instrument panel and cowlings. The RE.8. The RE.8 was the workhorse of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force, serving from mid-1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. More than 4,000 were produced by various sub-contractors, and it served widely in all theatres of the Great War. Regarded as a competent rather than great aircraft, perhaps the most telling comment is that it rapidly disappeared from service when the war was over, whilst its contemporary, the Bristol F.2B continued into the 1930’s. Sharing the other side of ‘The duellists’ box, the plastic sprues are all individually wrapped, and then sealed in another bag to keep them all together. I built the individual release of this kit back in 2014, so can perhaps add a little more to this review. In short, I had no problems whatsoever, it went together beautifully, and was a total pleasure to work on. On the real aircraft the interior is formed around a wooden framework, which is where assembly of the kit starts. There is a stunning amount of detail on all the parts, with ‘routing’ and metal brackets on the engine bearers being a nice touch. There are levers, wheels, ammo drums, oil & fuel tanks, wireless sets, etched brass belts etc. all to be painted and added to the main framework. The instrument panel is the best of the lot, an absolute gem, and very visible on the finished model. There are a fair amount of simple bracing wires between the frames. I used heat stretched sprue on mine, secured with white glue. The end result is outstanding, being a very satisfying and rewarding kit to build. I actually started my build with the RAF 4a engine, as engines are my favourite part of these kits. The real one is a V12, and a complicated (but interesting) looking piece of engineering. Wingnut Wings have made construction easy, the main assembly consists of a three part crankcase, with each cylinder being in two halves. Assembly is faultless, everything fits together like a dream. The only thing you have to do is plan your painting and assembly sequence, which really means assemble as much as you can without the cylinders on, paint them black and most everything else in silver before bringing it all together for final assembly. Even the ignition wires are provided as a bunched loom, so that is one less job that I normally do with fuse wire. Finishing it all off are those two great big steamboat like exhaust stacks. With engine and interior done the two fuselage halves can be brought together. The moulded stitching on the exterior is crisply done, and quite a big feature of this model as it runs virtually the whole length on both sides of the fuselage. After the lower wings are fitted, various other items are added to the fuselage exterior, such as the elevator control line cranks, and the Vickers gun with its Constatinesco synchronisation gear. The leather reinforcement patches for control line exit points are provided on the etched brass fret. The top wing is made up from a two part centre section, with the main planes being single moulding with separate ailerons. The centre section is moulded in clear plastic as several RE.8's had the inner panels covered in transparent Cellon, to improve upward visibility. However, it was not the case with the subject of this kit, so can just be painted over. These are big parts for single mouldings but are absolutely flawless, with no sink marks or any blemishes. The fabric and rib detail is done to perfection, and when assembled the upper wing becomes quite a big piece. I usually re-inforce the aileron mounts by drilling and pinning them with fine brass wire. It is not strictly essential, but I knocked the ailerons off a couple of my earlier completed builds whilst handling them, so prefer to do this nowadays. They are only fitted in the final stages of the build when all painting and decaling are done. Putting the top wing on is undeniably a stressful moment. The main thing is to test fit each strut into its socket and clear out any primer/paint/detritus to ensure a smooth fit. A nice touch is that the strut ends are all keyed to matching sockets, so you can’t get them wrong. When all is ready, use plastic cement such as Revell Contatcta to assemble it upside down, staring with the Centre section and working outwards. Carefully lift it to rest in the empty box, wing leading edges first, as shown in the instruction book. Next to go on is the undercarriage, and fortunately this is quite sturdy as by this stage the model will be becoming surprisingly heavy. The tyres have miniature lettering moulded on to them, but you will probably require a magnifying glass to read it all! Carburettors and cowlings need to be added, along with that superb, huge four bladed prop. The moulding is a work of art, it is all curves and twists, with super fine trailing edges. Finally the observers Scarff ring and Lewis gun are added to complete the model. The brackets on the Scarff ring are etched brass, as there really is no other way they could be done. I added cream painted fuse wire to represent the bungee cord on mine. The gun ring and a pair of underwing bomb racks are contained on sprue R, of which two are supplied. This is the standard 'RFC Armaments' sprue supplied in several kits, and also has Lewis and Vickers guns, various bombs and ammo drums that can all go in the spares box. It is one of the more complex of Wingnut Wings Kits due largely to the amount of rigging, but well within the capability of anyone who has completed a few 1/32 biplanes. There is nothing complex about it, it is just that there is a fair bit to do. Option 1. Halberstadt Cl.II 15342/17 'III' Kuessler & Mullenbach, Schlasta 13, 9 June 1918. Option 2. RE.8 D4689 'P' RC Armstrong & HJ Mart, 3 Sqn AFC, 9 June 1918. Decals. There are two sheets of decals, the larger one of A4 size containing the lozenge decals for the Halberstadt, and the slightly smaller one has all the individual markings for both aircraft. A small supplementary sheet is included for the RE.8, with a large letter 'P' for the upper wing, and tailfin serial number 'D4689' in plain white, as it was on the day of the incident depicted. (The main sheet has it in black edged in white, as per delivery to the squadron). Printed by Cartograf they look to be of excellent quality, with fine detail, good colours, and in perfect register. The 5 colour lozenge decal look particularly good, both the upper (darker) and lower (lighter) colours look just right to my eye. Also they are in 'cookie cutter' format, making application much easier. Some extra guidance on producing the typical Halberstadt 'stippled' finish is helpfully provided in Wingnut Wings website. Conclusion. This is another inspired pairing to add to the 'Duellists' series of double kits. Having a pair of aircraft linked together by the same story adds extra interest. It is especially intriguing that an RE.8 crew succeeded in capturing an intact Halberstadt, as it is so often portrayed as an inferior aircraft. It just shows that in the hands of a competent crew, it wasn't such a bad aircraft. Both are beautiful kits, and having built the original release of the RE.8 I can confirm that it is superbly engineered, and builds up without problems. It is also one of the most impressive finished models in my display cabinet. From the instruction booklet to the superb mouldings, the etched brass, the decals, the presentation, everything is done to the highest possible standard. It is great to have the RE.8 available again so get this set while you can, you'll love it! Highly Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Halberstadt Cl.II (Early) 1:32 Wingnut Wings (32049) Announced a couple of months ago, Wingnut Wings have now released two boxings of the Halberstadt CL.II, in ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ versions. Designed in 1917as two seat escort fighter and ground attack machine, the CL.II served from July 1917 until the end of the war in November 1918. Of all wood construction, the CL.II was smaller than existing two seaters (‘C’ types) and lighter (the ‘L’ part of its designation). Consequently is had a good rate of climb, top speed, and manoeuvrability, with excellent communication possible between the closely located pilot and gunner. It proved to be popular with its crews and very effective in its designated roles. Some 700 were built by Halberstadt and a further 200 by Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (BFW). They were often attached to specialised ‘Schutzstaffel’ Protection Squadrons, whose job was to fly escort to traditional two seat reconnaissance and artillery spotting aircraft. Following their transition to the ground attack and infantry support role, they were renamed ‘Schlaststaffel ‘ Battle Squadrons. The Kit. Presented in Wingnut Wings familiar silver edged box, the glorious Steve Anderson painting depicts the ‘flame’ decorated Schusta 26b machine (options C) over the lines, about to receive attention from an approaching Sopwith Camel. Lifting the lid reveals the plastic components on four large and one smaller sprue, with a further small one holding the clear parts. The decals fill two large A4 sized sheets covering all the individual markings for five options, with a full set of five colour lozenge in upper and lower colours. As always the ‘icing on the cake’ is the superb instruction booklet in full colour. This is more than just a set of construction drawings as it contains period photographs of CL.II’s, showing detailed close ups where these help to illustrate particular details. Further photographs show some of the actual aircraft offered as options. The assembly drawings are beautifully clear, explain every step with clarity, and pointing out many of the variations that must be made for the particular aircraft chosen to build. One thing I always appreciate is the full colour sub assembly drawings, showing how the completed cockpit area should look. Not only does this remove any doubts, but it helps to plan the painting sequence for all the components. Construction begins with the cockpit, filled with lovely details like the fuel tank upon which the pilots seat is affixed, the compass, the pressurising pump, wire reel etc, finished off with etched brass seat belts and numerous little placard decals. The Telefunken Type D wireless and amplifier set is a little gem that I expect most modellers will want to install. A small number of control wires run down the cockpit sides, and can be replicated with the rigging material of your choice. The illustrations show exactly where they go. The Daimler Mercedes D.III engine can be built as one of three versions, a standard 160hp D.III, a 180hp D.IIIa, or a 200hp D.IIIau. The instructions make it very clear which parts are appropriate for which version, and are backed up with contemporary black & white photos, and full colour CAD drawings of the finished engine. A fixed LMG 08/15 Spandau machine gun is fitted on the port side in front of the pilot. Wingnut Wing provide a choice of two, one as solid plastic moulding, and the others with and etched brass slotted cooling jacket for higher detail. A similar choice is available for the observers LMG 14 Parabellum later on in the build. With the engine and interior built up, the two fuselage halves are joined together. Various ‘rivets’ and tabs need to be shaved off the exterior surface, as they are only appropriate to the ‘late’ version Halberstadt. This is a simple task to do, and clearly pointed out in the instructions. With the fuselage halves together, construction moves on to adding the lower wings and tailplanes, and that very distinctive gun ring over the observers cockpit. Very early machines (Options B & D) had a smaller rudder than later ones, and although the difference is subtle Wingnut Wings supply both. All the parts for the 'Early' version are on sprue 'F'. One little detail that I particularly like about German aircraft of this period is that several of them had a compass mounted out on the port wing, away from magnetic interference. This Halberstadt is one of them, and it makes an interesting and eye catching detail on the finished model, particularly as the decal for it is a little masterpiece that is fully readable under a magnifying glass. Struts and engine cowlings (complete with etched brass flash guard for scale thickness) are fitted next, in preparation for the multi-part upper wing being fitted. This comprises of upper and lower center sections halves, solid outer panels, and separate ailerons. The radiator detail is moulded into the center section parts, with lovely sharp definition. The fuel tank even gets a clear plastic sighting tube to fit on its top surface. The wings themselves have rib and delicate fabric ‘sag’ detail, with ultra fine trailing edges. No doubt the top wing will fit on flawlessly with everything lining up to perfection. One thing I learned early on is not to use cyano on the struts, but slower setting glue such as Revell Contacta. This gives you time to pop all struts fully into their sockets and check that everything is lining up as it should. Next up is the undercarriage, with the option of faired and unfaired axles. (I always use fine fishing line to rig the legs, and it is amazing how much strength this gives them, just like on the real thing). The kit supplies Neindorf, Garuda, and Axial propellers, with the instructions pointing out which one goes with each option. All are impressive mouldings with superb hub detail moulded in, and unlike many other manufacturers, there are no sink marks on the blade roots. The build is completed by fitting either an LMG 14 or LMG 14/17 machine gun for the observer, plus a choice of flare racks and cartridges to locate around the rear cockpit. There is even a choice of flare pistols to put inside. The rigging is at moderate level, as this is a single bay biplane. There are no double wires or awkward runs, so it should not present any difficulties using your preferred method of elastic line, fishing line, stretched sprue etc. Options. A. Halberstadt CL.II 5702/17 “3 Martha & Else”, Max Niemann & Rudolf Kolodzicj, Royal Prussian Schlasta 21, October 1918. B. Halberstadt CL.II “4 Rosi” Royal Bavaraian Schusta 23b, Early 1918. C. Halberstadt CL.II “4” Royal Bavaraian Schusta 26b, Early 1917. D. Halberstadt CL.II “1”, Fridolin Redenbach, Royal Bavaraian Schusta 27b, September 1917. E. Halberstadt CL.II “4 Dora”, Royal Bavaraian Schusta 27b, March 1918. Decals. Decals are printed by Cartograf, and are of the usual faultless quality. Everything is in perfect register with minimal carrier film and good colours. Two A4 sized sheets are provided, with the first covering all the different markings and detail items. It is always the little placards and instrument dials that impress me most, they are such perfect little miniatures and really add so much to the finished model. The ‘flame’ section for option C is wisely provided as the ‘fingers’ only, as it will be necessary to paint the forward section of the fuselage due to the compound curves. The second sheet contains a set of ‘upper’ and’ lower’ 5 colour lozenge in ‘cookie cutter’ format. This is a very helpful idea as the fabric on the CL.II was applied at 45 degrees, which would be a little awkward to do with strips of decal. Pay attention to the instructions, because only option E had the standard upper and lower lozenge fabric applied. C,D, and B had the ‘lower’ lozenge applied on the upper surfaces, with the lowers covered in bleached linen. Option A had yellow painted wings, but this would have been over the standard lozenge as per option E. Whether you want to do this or just omit the lozenge and go straight for yellow paint is your choice, but all of this is shown in the instructions. Halberstadt had an unusual method of painting the CL.II’s fuselage. Patches of greens, brown yellow and blue were covered with a ‘stipple’ effect. Wingnut Wings helpfully have a guide on their website showing how to achieve this with an airbrush set to low pressure. Both the ‘Early’ and ‘Late’ versions of this kit have an option in them that does not have this stipple finish, should you want to avoid it. Conclusion. Without a doubt, another masterpiece from Wingnut Wings. It has everything we have come to expect from them, attractive box art and packaging, flawless mouldings, superb decals, and instructions that are more like a detailed reference manual. This is a very good looking aeroplane with lots of interesting marking options. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that it quickly becomes one of their best sellers. Very Highly recommended  Review sample courtesy of

Just read an e-mail from Wingnut Wings that says there will be a new model announcement at the IPMS nationals on Sunday! No idea what that could be.

FE.2b Early My next project is the FE.2b early of Wingnut Wings in 1/32. The machine will be the FE.2b with the number 6352 “Baroda 15” from 23 Squadron in March 1916. His opponent was Immelmann, with his Fokker E.II I will build it afterwards. Until now, I did not find an original photo of this machine. If someone has a photo of this machine, so please put it into the forum. That would make me very happy about it. If somebody has the book about the FE2b from Cross & Cockade, which is out of stock, and the pdf not ready yet. Maybe. One thing more: You suggestion for the top color PC8. What did you use in opposite to PC10? In Hendon, RAF museum, I only saw the black FE.2b. Happy modelling

Hi everyone, thought I'd post my latest build. I really enjoy Wingnut Wings kits. Love to take my time and be methodical. There's a few mistakes, as normal. I was thinking for ages how to do the 'bullet' rigging, ended up doing it too low. It wasn't easy. I am quite happy overall but think next year I really have to think about getting an airbrush. The whole aircraft is slightly lopsided as well, which I've put down to a rough landing. My favourite part was the whicker chair, it's great to experiment with various colours. Also I think the propeller was my best wood effect so far, the wood inside the cockpit looked ok too but it's nearly invisible. Apologies for the photos, I can't seem to take a good one, never really tried before and didn't realise there was a knack to it. All the best, Martin

Hello Chaps, since my engine teaser '' Rollout'' several month ago i went on pretty slow but build up the cockpit and inner fuselage parts and hopefully can close the fuselage over the weekend...... Since this is not a classic ''Work in progress'', i'm building way too slow for that i will add further pics from time to time.... For now some cockpit shots, hope you like it... Cheers Hans Some Prop & Parts....

My first model from the Grat War Additives used Master Taurus The propeller was made by hand Painted Tamiya

UPDATE: The original Wingnut Wings project (2018) is now the hands of Border Model (2021) Three new Wingnut Wings kits in development to be announced at the All Japan Model & Hobby Show in Tokyo - 28-30 September 2018. Source: http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/ - ref. 32043 - Avro Lancaster B.Mk.I/III : 1/32 - http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3193 - ref. 32044 - Avro Lancaster B.Mk.III "Dambusters" : 1/32 - http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3194 - ref. 32062 - Halberstadt Cl.II (late) - see Britmodeller thread here: link - Scale: 1/32 - http://www.wingnutwings.com/ww/product?productid=3195 V.P.

I've finally finished the Camel. Full details are at my blog but here's some images build thread is here