Roger Holden

As Airfix scanned the ex-SEAC/Indian AF B-24L in the RAFM, it seems highly likely that the next issue of the kit will be a B-24L with SEAC/ USAAF (CBI?) markings......

The stuff which yellows is cheapo PVC intended for short-life packaging. Whereas PET is much better quality material with anti-yellowing agents.

I'm guessing these are based on the Fly limited run tooling.

The race was won by MRS. M Haizlip. Jim and Mary 'Mae' Haizlip were a famous American flying couple and took part in many air races . Surrey Flying Services were the UK importer for a number of US types like the Beech Staggerwing.

Nice film. 0:22 is a Cessna C-34.

Glad they seem to have taken our comments on board and are now planning it in the popular scales .....

The too-tall turret is one of the Hasegawa kit's faults ( along with symmetrical framing on the nose transparency and the cowl fronts which have openings which are too small......).

Thanks .....very useful. The best detail photos of old F1 cars are often taken when they come up for sale or auction....

This looks like it's going to be the best 1/72 B-24 kit by some margin. The turrets look particularly good.....

It's proper name is the 'Basic Six' panel....

The Academy H is just their Consolidated- built J with an H-style nose turret. Most H models were built by Ford which has a completely different front fuselage, not just the turret. The H has not been accurately kitted at this point, so the Airfix kit breaks new ground in the B-24 stakes. Other defects with the Academy kit are too small engines and nacelles and a too tapered rear fuselage in plan view as they made the tail turret smaller diameter than the nose turret (!). Plus minimal interior. Not really a good starting point for an accurate Liberator. The Hasegawa kit, although a fairly good representation of a D and J is nevertheless far from perfect and this Airfix kit should set a new standard in 1/72 Liberators....

Great news ! I have suggested a Ford-built B-24H on their FB page for the last few years and they've finally obliged. Nearly half the B-24s built came from Ford, they were the most common used by the Eighth AF, but have not been properly kitted in any scale, as the Consolidated- built version is usually kitted. The Ford B-24H was based on the Hawaiian Air Depot's addition of a nose turret to a B-24, rather than Consolidated who designed a completely new nose. So they are quite different, with different metal work, turret, bomb aimer's windows and nose gear doors. Building an accurate Ford plane from a Consolidated one involves lots of work....

Arma kits have become ridiculously expensive and only their P-51B is equivalent to Eduard quality. Their others are good, but less so. Can't see an Arma P-51D selling if Eduard beat them to it. An Eduard 'Dual Combo' will be much cheaper than an Arma kit, with many more colour options, better quality instructions, box and coloured p/e. Plus you won't have to hack up the airframe to incorporate 3d parts which should have been part of the original planning ....

As the caption says, those aircraft are from the 2nd Observation Squadron, USAAC (there is no mention of Phillippine AF). I think the 2nd OS only gave up its O-46s in 1941, when they were replaced by the Curtiss O-52. Incidentally, the 10 O-52s of the 2nd OS were the only ones to see frontline US action, but I never found any photos in 40 years.....although there are written accounts.

I think that's the original issue Contrail kit. He later re-tooled it with the correct fuselage cross-section behind the wing which is nearly triangular, rather than oval.