Phil32 Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Guys and girls! The time has come to start putting my foreseen BoB collection together. That being the case I'm after opinions as to the 'best' kit for each aircraft type in 1/72. My personal opinion of 'best' is the kit with the most accurate profile from across a room, if that swings anything. So far i'm thinking: Spitfire i - airfix Spitfire ii - ? Hurricane i - airfix Gladiator - airfix Blenheim i and iv - airfix Defiant - airfix Wellington - ? Hampden - ? Whitley - airfix Bf109 - tamiya? Bf110 - ? He-111 - airfix Do-17 - airfix Ju-88 - revell Ju-87 - ? New airfix one? An airfix heavy list so far, though with their revival and ww2 seeming to be their specialist area now perhaps not a surprise. I know very little of Italian types, and may well be missing other significant British / German types - please pitch in on that! Fw-200? Any interesting aftermarket decals that would represent different pilot nationalities also would be of interest if anyone has thoughts. If this provokes a long a deep discussion - good! Cheers all :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Hi Phil, I'll start the ball rolling with the Eduard Bf10 - a beautiful kit and a pleasure to build... for the Wellington I've got the Trumpeter Mk.1 which looks to be a very nice kit and builds well from what I've heard. For the Ju87 Airfix is probably worth waiting for if you want a B-1 but you might prefer the Revell/Italeri kit for a B-2... For the Hampden you have the choice between the Airfix (very old) or the Valom (expensive and has a reputation as being hard to build). The series 2 Airfix Spitfire gives the optional cowling bulge for a Mk.II. AFAIK there is no suitable FW200 kit for the earliest type used in the BoB period, but I live in hope that I will be proven wrong. Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Beema Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Eastern Express Backburn Skua.. Needs a detailing kit as I think it's the only toy in the box.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Pavla and Special Hobby both did a 72nd Skua that's far and away superior to ye olde Frog kit. Not sure about the Wellington but you've a choice of Airfix or Valom for the Hampden. Bf 109? Tamiya, ICM or new Airfix tool. Bf 110? Eduard Bf 110C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil32 Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Seeing the Skua mentioned makes me think Swordfish. Not a direct BoB participant but nonetheless an aircraft that would have been very prominent in the Kreigsmarines planning during the period. Valom - vacform kits iirc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 The Special Hobby Skua is a little beauty, it goes together really nicely - they do an equally nice Roc too, if your interest reaches that far. I think Airfix for the Swordfish, without a doubt. Valom produce short-run injection-moulded kits, I think the Hampden was one of their early efforts. For the Corpo Aereo Italiano, I'd suggest Italeri for the Fiat CR.42 and Fiat BR.20, AML for the Fiat G.50 and The old Supermodel kit for the Cant Z.1007. The DP Casper transfer set "Operation Cinzano" contains relevant markings for all of them. Cheers Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Beema Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Pavla and Special Hobby both did a 72nd Skua that's far and away superior to ye olde Frog kit. Cheers Wooksta - didn't know there were other Skuas. Will be looking at the 1/48 ones later in the year.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 (edited) Wellington - ? Ju-88 - revell Just what I'd add to the fine suggestions already made. Trumpeter is the only Wellington which comes close to accuracy. It has a few problems in the shape of the engine nacelles, which knock on to make the undercarriage too narrow. The fuselage shape is however, spot on, with decent and accurate detail. Some will suggest the MPM kit as a viable alternatiive, however there are very dramatic errors in the outline of the fuselage, entirely fictitious cockpit detail, on top of which it's a tricky kit to get together. I built one, I won't waste the effort on another. Revell's Ju-88 is an absolutely superb kit, however it's available only as an A-4 variant in bomber form. An A-1 or A-5 would be more appropriate for the Battle of Britain period. Zvezda have the latter covered, a nice kit in it's own right, but lacking the level of detail provided by Revell. Cheers, Bill. Edited December 27, 2015 by Heraldcoupe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil32 Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Whats the external difference between an A4 and an A1 / 5? I.e. is it a simple task to convert the A4 so it looks like an A1/5? I ask because theres a Revell one already in the stash... I might hold fire on the Hampden... its a long project ahead with my build rate, so who knows whats around the corner! Who really expected a new Whitley?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWM Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 A1 has shorter wings and lack of air intakes below engines (and small difference in air cooler) and both A1/A5 have canopy with single MG, whereas A4 has more bubled rear of main canopy with two separate MGs. A1/A5 can be done from Zvezda A5 kit Regards J-W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawk Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Some will suggest the MPM kit as a viable alternatiive, however there are very dramatic errors in the outline of the fuselage, entirely fictitious cockpit detail, on top of which it's a tricky kit to get together. I built one, I won't waste the effort on another.. So did you ever finish that white FAA Wellington? I always assumed you'd given up in disgust as I did with my Italeri Wellington X (same kit, folks) around the same time. If so, photos please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRK4m Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 A1 has shorter wings and lack of air intakes below engines (and small difference in air cooler) and both A1/A5 have canopy with single MG, whereas A4 has more bubled rear of main canopy with two separate MGs. A1/A5 can be done from Zvezda A5 kit Regards J-W In very short words A-5 is a long (i.e. A-4 and later) span derivative of A-1. All details concerning canopy, coolers, intakes, MGs, a.s.o. for A-1 and A-5 are the same. Thus making A-1 from otherwise not bad Zvezda kit needs just shortening the wingtips (and ailerons). ICM Bf 109E is a Tamiya clone with right (i.e. longer) fuselage. Best Bf 110C comes from Eduard, Ju 87B from Fujimi, Do 17Z from Airfix (but Do 215B from ICM and Do 17M/P from RS) and Hampden from Valom. After adding Special Hobby Skua, Revell Ju 88A-4, four Corpo Aereo Italiano kits (following instructions by Stew Dapple) and Trumpy Wellington you should turn your attention to Airfix, who's the winner hands down in all other cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I'm not sure whether the criteria for your project is to model the aircraft that were involved in the Battle of Britain or any aircraft that were in operational service in 1940. Personally I wouldn't include RAF bombers in the former list as the BoB was a defensive battle against the Luftwaffe bombing raids of the summer of 1940 going through to the Blitz, Other than that your list doesn't look too far out for me. As has already been said, you can get the Mk.IIa Spitfire from the Airfix box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heraldcoupe Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 So did you ever finish that white FAA Wellington? I always assumed you'd given up in disgust as I did with my Italeri Wellington X (same kit, folks) around the same time. If so, photos please. Ironically, after all the work in correcting and detailing it, I got a reaction in the paint and it started peeling from the fuselage. I couldn't bring myself to strip it back and re-finish, there was no enthusiasm left. Cheers, Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewerjerry Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Hi I would suggest Do 215, whirlwind,beaufighter, FW 200 cheers jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossm Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 You mentioned Italians, they did participate (unsuccessfully) from bases in Belgium, force as follows, with suggested kits... 80 x Fiat BR.20 - Italeri 50 x Fiat CR.42 - Italeri 48 x Fiat G.50bis - not much currently available but I'm sure there was a modern alternative to the ancient Airfix offering small detachment of CANT Z1007 - Supermodel - not sure if Italeri have re-released it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I think Italeri may have reissued one of the Supermodel Cant 1007 kits but IIRC it was the 'Bideriva' (twin-tail) version, not the 'Monoderiva' kit which is appropriate for the period - these do still turn up on eBay and generally fetch a good price, being the only kit available for this aircraft. The Airfix G.50 bis is not the right version for 1940 - bis indicating the 'modified' type - but you could probably get away with it... however one of the AML releases is a C.A.I. version (and most of the other releases apart from the bis and biposto versions contain all the relevant parts). The Zvezda Ju88A-5 is a lovely kit and includes the best crew figures I have ever seen, I shortened the wings using the Kagero Ju88 plans to make a A-1 which was remarkably easy since, as noted above, the kit contains the early-type rudder, engines and cowlings and glazing for the ventral gondola - the only part lacking is an unarmoured single-gun rear canopy, but the kit does include an unarmoured twin-gun rear canopy which was retro-fitted to some A-1s... in short you can save yourself most of the work for an A-1, or all of the work for a BoB-era Ju88A-5 if you can cobble together the correct transfers. Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil32 Posted December 28, 2015 Author Share Posted December 28, 2015 Just caught up with the latest responses - thanks to all, a wealth of info as always! My logic with including RAF Bombers is the fact that they existed and therefore posed a threat to German plans; there is also of course the part RAF Bombers played in swinging German strategic thinking in bombing Berlin. Whirlwind and Beaufighter hadn't yet entered my thoughts! Happily the research side of all this fascinates me!! If i'm understanding Ju-88's correctly - an A4 is technically appropriate as a few started entering the fray before the BoB was over, however the A1/A5 would be far more representative of the Ju-88 in the battle overall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leyreynolds Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 The Model Alliance On Target BoB book includes a wide selection of colour schemes/markings for the various a/c involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedbird Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I'm not sure whether the criteria for your project is to model the aircraft that were involved in the Battle of Britain or any aircraft that were in operational service in 1940. Personally I wouldn't include RAF bombers in the former list as the BoB was a defensive battle against the Luftwaffe bombing raids of the summer of 1940 going through to the Blitz, Other than that your list doesn't look too far out for me. As has already been said, you can get the Mk.IIa Spitfire from the Airfix box. I get where you're coming from, but it could be argued that while fighter command was defending our skies during the day, bomber command was hammering away at Hitlers invasion fleet in the Chanel ports by night . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis_C Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) Hurricane i - airfix Airfix's new tool Hurricane is an early fabric wing version.Virtually none of them took part in BoB. BoB Hurricanes were either newish metal-wing Mk.I or early Mk.I retrofitted with metal wing. Mk.IIa with more powerful engine appeared closer to the end of BoB. For metal-wing Mk.I you can choose Hasegawa. Choice for Mk.II is bigger - but I can not advise here. Edited December 29, 2015 by Dennis_C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 You mentioned Italians, they did participate (unsuccessfully) from bases in Belgium, force as follows, with suggested kits... 80 x Fiat BR.20 - Italeri 50 x Fiat CR.42 - Italeri 48 x Fiat G.50bis - not much currently available but I'm sure there was a modern alternative to the ancient Airfix offering small detachment of CANT Z1007 - Supermodel - not sure if Italeri have re-released it BR.20 also Revell (ex Italeri?) As an aside did any of these Italian aircraft ever get shot down during the BOB ? Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) According to the RAF museum website, about a dozen Italian aircraft were shot down. There's a very well-known photo of a CR42, guarded by Home Guard. Here's a link to the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpo_Aereo_Italiano (Edited to include Wikipedia link.) Edited December 29, 2015 by Beard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfgang Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Fw 200 in the BoB? Which role did it play? First time I hear about the Fw 200 participating in the BoB What about Sea Rescue planes like the Do 18, Do 24 or Heinkel He 59? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I seem to remember reading somewhere about Fw200's being used in night attacks... Liverpool in late August? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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