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  1. Westland Lysander Mk.III (SD) (72023) 1:72 Dora Wings The Lysander was developed by Westlands in response to an Air Ministry requirement form and Army Co-operation aircraft in the 1930s. After interviewing pilots it was decided that field of view, low speed handling and a Short Take Off/landing aircraft would be needed. To accomplish this the Lysander would feature a high mounted wing with a large glazed cabin. The wing would feature fully automatic slots and slotted flaps. These would be complemented with a variable incidence tailplane. These would bring the stalling speed of the aircraft down to 65mph. The Lysander would enter service in 1938. However it was found that even when escorted by fighters the slow aircraft was an easy target for enemy fighters. Of the 175 aircraft deployed to France 118 were lost. After the fall of France other uses were sought for the aircraft though Coastal Patrol and further Army Co-operation were ruled out. due to the lack of aircraft in general Lysanders would fly patrols in case of invasion and would be equipped with light bombs if an invasion ever came. However this was not to be the end for this aircraft. In 1941 the RAF formed No. 138 (Special Duties) Squadron with the aim of delivering SOE Agents and supplies into occupied Europe, The Lysanders remarkable low landing speed and ability to land on unprepared surfaces made it an ideal aircraft for this role. Lysanders used in this role would feature no armament, a long range fuel tank, and a fixed entry ladder. A few aircraft were also used as Target Tugs. Overall 1786 aircraft were built including 225 manufactured in Canada. The Kit A new tool Lysander in 1.72 has been sadly lacking and thankfully Dora Wings have now resolved this. This is a new tool kit on five sprues of grey plastic, a clear spure, with resin and PE parts supplied. A good touch is the inclusion of masks for all that glazing! The kit is of the Mk III Special Duties aircraft. To start off with the sub assemblies for the belly fuel tank, internal fuel tank, and tailplanes are made up and put to one side. Construction then concentrates on the engine. This is quite detailed for the scale with many parts making up the finished engine. The internal frame structure for the main fuselage is then built up. This can then be installed in the main fuselage and it can be closed up. The glazing and rear part of the fuselage are then added to the main fuselage, the fixed boarding ladder is added, then the engine and propeller are added to the front. The main wings are then built up with the flaps being added. The main landing gear is then built up. There are 4 part main wheels with covers to each side of the wheel spats. A solid tail wheel is provided with its yoke. The wings, tailplanes, and rudder are then added to the main fuselage. The wheels spats and with braces are added along with the external tank to finish things off. Markings The decals are from Decograf and look good with no registration issues, there are three decal options provided; V9287 No.161 (SD) Sqn RAF Tempsford 1942 VS367 No.161 (SD) Sqn RAF Tempsford 1944 V9289 No. 357 Sqn, Burma 1945 Conclusion This is certainly a kit modellers of British WWII aircraft in 1/72 have been waiting for. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  2. Dora Wings has 1/72nd Bellanca CH-200/300 & 400 Pacemaker & Skyrocket kits in project and need your help. - ref. DW72001 - Bellanca CH/J-300 Record Flight - released - ref. DW72012 - Bellanca J-300 Liberty+Warsaw - released https://dorawings.com/1-72/bellanca-j-300 - ref. DW72013 - Bellanca CH400 Skyrocket - released https://dorawings.com/models/bellanca-ch-400-skyrocket - ref. DW72022 - Bellanca CH300 Pacemaker - released https://dorawings.com/1-72/bellanca-ch-300-pacemaker Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2014889655408268&id=1929101897320378 V.P.
  3. Dear fellow Britmodellers, here's my 1/72 Dora Wings Lysander Mk.III (SD), with decals from DK Decals sheet "No.161 (SD) Squadron". Painted with Gunze/Mr.Hobby acrylics, photographs by Wolfgang Rabel. A full build review will appear in an upcoming edition of Scale Aviation Modeller International.
  4. I bought this kit because I liked the red paint scheme and it is a very different aircraft than I normally build. I have now gone off the red paint scheme and I will look around for something else. Anyhow the kit's bits and bobs. Thanks for looking. Stephen
  5. Finished my latest build. 1/144 Dora Wings kit. Fantastic little kits, I modified and added details.
  6. After picking up some spare engines from the Dora Wings stand at IMPS 2019, I spotted this little beauty. I've always loved the lines and the dumpiness of the GeeBee's air frame. So as a birthday treat to myself, I purchased it. The full build log can be found here if you would like to look? GeeBee Build Log A great little kit, with some fitment issues. The photo etch parts, and especially the wing strengthening struts were particularly tricky and bent far too easily, Hopefully I managed to make them look at least half decent? Anyways....on with the pics....'cause I know that's why your here Just a little bit of weathering from the engine exhausts and cowling cover. Unfortunately the panel pin wash didnt quite work as well as I wanted it to. Will need to keep practicing that method. So, there we go! Hope you enjoyed the pics and the build log for the GeeBee? Any comments and tips for improvements I could make, please let me know. And with that, I shall leave you with this gem.....Buffy the baffoon of a kitten.....
  7. I picked this little gem up from IPMS 2019 from the @dora Wings stand and instantly wanted to build it. I've always had a fascination with this aircraft from the first time I saw one in the movie "The Rocketeer", flown by the main protagonist Cliff Secord.... so a little history on the worlds fastest and deadliest aircraft of the early 1930's... The 1932 R-1 and its sister plane, the R-2, were the successors of the previous year's Thompson Trophy-winning Model Z. Assistant Chief Engineer Howell "Pete" Miller and Zantford "Granny" Granville spent three days of wind tunnel testing at NYU with aeronautical engineering professor Alexander Klemin. The aircraft had a very peculiar design. Granville reasoned that a teardrop-shaped fuselage — especially as seen from directly above — would have lower drag than a straight-tapered one, so the fuselage was wider than the engine at its widest point. So on to the kit itself from Dora Wings This will be the early version of the GeeBee with out the extended tail behind the cockpit, but essentially the same aircraft of the R1 & R2 variants 5 sprue's in total with a tiny cockpit. The polymer feels similar to that used by Mikr Mir but feels solid with lots of detail You get a decent decal sheet to make either NR2100 or NR2101 with masks templates for the interesting paint scheme for the GeeBee. The photo etch plat is very nicely detailed too. Bit of a close up to the photo etch, detailing for the Wasp radial engine, the wing struts and the cockpit harness Very simple instruction sheet too, Construction should start on Sunday when I have a chance to put some decent time into it. Shouldn't take too long either? Thoughts and suggestions are always welcomed.
  8. Marcel Bloch MB.152 (Late) (48019) 1:48 Dora Wings The MB.152 stemmed from the MB.150 deign which lost out to the MS/406 in a 1934 competition to find a new fighter for the French Air Force. The MB.150 showed promise and that is why development was taken further. A new wing was designed and a more powerful engine was fitted. By the time WWII broke out about 120 were delivered, however they were not considered combat ready at the time. Problems with the tails had lead to them being stored pending modification. Despite these problems some aircraft were modified though they still demonstrated unfavourable flight characteristics. Although outmatched by Luftwaffe aircraft the MB.152 accounted for 188 aircraft for the loss of 86. The aircraft would subsequently be used be the Vichy Forces before being passed to the Romanian Air Force by the Germans. The only other Air Combat these would see was of the 9 sent to Greece (out of an order of 25). All of these would end up being destroyed though they did account for some German and Italian Aircraft in the defence of Greece. The Kit This is a new tool kit from Dora wings with 2 versions so far being produced, with this boxing being the latest one. The kit arrives on eight small sprues, a clear sprue, a sheet of PE and masts for the canopy (not shown). Quality is good with no defects of flash. Construction starts with the cockpit. The front bulkhead is mounted to the floor, the rudder pedals are added along with the flight controls and the seat. Belts are provided on the PE fret. Next up the propeller and fin/rudder are made up. All these sub assemblies can then be put to one side. Next up the engine is made up, there are two banks of cylinders along with a PE and other parts. Once made up it can be mounted to the firewall and the cowlings attached. The tail planes are then made up, as are the main landing gear. Again all put to one side. Internal parts are added inside the main fuselage and then the cockpit can be added in and the fuselage closed up. Wing roots are then added to the side of the fuselage. The wings are then made up. The lower one is made up from a centre section, and two sides, the uppers are left & right. Separate flaps and wing tip lights are provided. The main gear well is also built up in the middle of the lower wing. Guns, pitot and landing lights are also added along with the separate flaps. Now we can utilise those sub assemblies. The Tail, tail planes, engine and propeller are all added. The deck behind the cockpit is added and the glazing also added. This is only for a closed canopy. Lastly on the underside the main landing gear is added, along with the oil cooler, cannon magazine humps and the tail skid. The struts for the tail planes are also added though I suspect most modellers will do this at the same time as adding the tail planes/ Markings The decals have no makers name on them but look to be crisp, in register and with minimal carrier film. The whites look dense enough. Four options are included; No. 528 1 Esc GC 1/8. Claye-Souilly June 1940 No. 236 2 Esc GC 1/8. Velaine-en-Haye April 1940 No. 622 3 Esc GC 1/6. Chaleaurox-Care June 1940 No.672 GC II/9 Aulant Vichy Forces 1942 Conclusion This is a nice looking kit of a lesser known WWII type. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  9. After the 1/48th kits (link), Dora Wings is to release 1/144th Gee Bee Super Sporter R.1 & R.2 racers kits Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2154248744805691&id=1929101897320378 Length of the model -37mm. Wingspan -52mm !!! V.P.
  10. After the 1/48th (link) & 1/72nd (link) kits, Dora Wings is to release 1/144th Bell P-63A/C Kingcobra kits - ref. ? Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2183038905260008&id=1929101897320378 Test sprues V.P.
  11. After the 1/48th kits (link), Dora Wings is to release a 1/72nd Bell P-63 Kingcobra family. More: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2106721216225111&id=1929101897320378 - ref. 72005 - Bell P-63E-1 Kingcobra - ref. 72006 - Bell TP-63E Kingcobra - ref. DW72010 - Bell P-63A Kingcobra Racer (Sohio Handicap) Source: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2118881271675772.1073741866.1929101897320378&type=3 Box art V.P.
  12. Savoia-Marchetti S.55 (72015) 1:72 Dora Wings The S.55 was a double hulled flying boat designed and built by Savoia-Marchetti in Italy in the early 1920s. Unusually the designed accommodated the passengers and cargo in the twin hulls and the pilots in the wing centre section. The engines were also unusual in that they were a pair of inline engines mounted above the wing in tandem canted sharply up. The drove contra rotating propellers. The aircraft would become famous for a series of trans Atlantic flights in the late 20s and then the Italian Air Force taking a flight of 24 aircraft to the 1933 Chicago Centaury of Progress Exposition. The Aircraft would be used in a civil capacity in Italy, Russia and the US. Military users would be Italy, Brazil, Spain, and Romania. Only one aircraft survives today being located in Brazil, where bizarrely it was traded for Coffee Beans after its transatlantic fight there! The Kit Dora Wings are becoming know for kitting unusual aircraft and the S.55 certainly fits the bill there. The kit arrives on 11 sprues of grey plastic, one clear film, 2 sheets of PE and two resin engines. Construction begins with the resin engines having their exhaust stubs added. The front fairing/radiator? is also made up at this time, as are the pair of pilot seat. All are put to one side for later. Next up the two hulls need to be made up. These are a main stepped hull bottom with two sides and front/rear decks. Internal structures need to be made up and added before they can be put together. The insides have a lot of detail consistent with a boat structure, while nice most wont be visible. The framework for the engine mounts are then built up and the engines added. Next up the cockpit is built up in the wing centre section. The floor is added with control wheels, throttles and the previously built up seats. The wing centre section can then be closed up. The main outer wings are then assembled from lowers and uppers with a single part control surface. Next up the large tail is built up and attached to its booms. To finish off the wing centre section is added to the twin hulls. Then the outer wings, tail section and engines are added. Markings The decals are from Decograf and look good with no registration issues, there are three decal options provided; S.55 Santa Maria, Reg No. 10015. Atlantic flight 16/02/1927. S.55 Santa Maria II, Reg No. 10016. Atlantic flight 08/05/1927. S.55 JAHU, Reg I-BAUQ ex I-SSAV, Atlantic flight 28/04/1927 (box art aircraft) Conclusion This is certainly an unusual aircraft which should appeal to those who like them, or Italian aircraft, or indeed the modellers of Flying Boats. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  13. Bellanca CH/J-300 Record Flight 1:72 Dora Wings The Bellanca Aircraft Company was a manufacturer of light an utility aircraft founded by Italian emigre Giuseppe Mario Bellanca in 1927. The CH-300 was a six seat utility aircraft with a high-wing braced monoplane and fixed undercarriage. The CH-300 quickly gained a reputation for outstanding endurance and load carrying capability, which led to its successful operation in a range of environments, particularly Canada, where the RCAF used them for aerial photography. On 5 July 1933, two Lithuanian pilots - Steponas Darias and Stasys Girenas - took off from Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn in an attempt to cross the Atlantic and reach Vilnius. The crossing was completed, but the aircraft crashed in a forest at Pszczelnik in Poland, killing both pilots. Dora Wings are a Ukrainian company founded in 2017. They specialise in limited run plastic and multi-media kits of mainly civic aviation subjects in both 1:72 and 1:48 scale. This particular kit comes packaged in a neat, top-opening box adorned with artwork of the subject flying past the Statue of Liberty. Inside are four frames of grey plastic, a small frame of clear parts, two resin parts for the streamlined landing gear legs, a small fret of photo etched parts, decals and paint masks. The frames themselves show a lot of sink marks, but the parts themselves are very well moulded, showing crisp detail and no signs of flash or other problems. Construction begins with the engine and cowling. This is quite a complex sub-assembly, with no fewer than twenty-one of parts needed to complete it (albeit nine of them are exhaust pipes). The finished article will be beautifully detailed, however. The cockpit is similarly well appointed, with separately moulded rudder pedals, twin control columns, bench seat and instrument panel. A small decal is provided to represent the details on the instrument panel. Three different options are included for the main landing gear legs, including the resin option which is used for the second of the three decal options. The wings are split into upper and lower halves, while the ailerons are separate parts. Photo etched parts are used to represent the aileron control rods. With the various sub-assemblies complete, the fuselage halves can be joined. Each side of the fuselage includes half of the undersurface, whereas the upper face is a separate part. The engine sub-assembly can then be added, along with the vertical tail and elevators. Full marks are awarded to Dora Wings for making the rudder and elevators separate parts. Once the fuselage is complete, the modeller just needs to add the wings, various struts and the landing gear. Dora Wings have included decals for three different schemes: Bellanca CH-300 'Lituanica'. This is the orange painted aircraft shown on the box artwork; Bellanca J-300 'Cape Cod'. Flown by pilots Russell Boardman and John Polando from Ne York to Istanbul in 1931. This aircraft is finished in orange with a black upper fuselage; Bellanca J-300 American Legion, East Boston Airport, 1930. Ths aircraft is finished in light grey, with blue flying surfaces. Conclusion Dora Wings appear to have done a good job with their CH-300/J-300. Limited run it may be, but the parts are crisply moulded and it looks like it will be an enjoyable build. An interesting selection of marking options are included, and the paint masks and photo etched parts are also a welcome bonus. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  14. Dora Wings catalog 2019 is online here: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2340591499504747&id=1929101897320378 Just to say, ok for the Lysander, but what we (I) definitely need is 1/48th de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide/Dominie kits... Dora Wings please think about it for a future release, 2020... V.P.
  15. A new Ukrainian company, Dora Wings, has just released a catalog for 2017. http://www.dorawings.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DoraWings-1929101897320378/ Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1929108013986433&id=1929101897320378 1/144 - ref. ? - Gee Bee R racer 1/72 - ref. ? - Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker (Lithuania) - ref. ? - Westland Wallace/Wapiti 1/48 - ref. ? - Gee Bee R racer - ref. ? - Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker - ref. ? - Westland Wallace/Wapiti V.P.
  16. Percival Proctor Mk.III (48006) 1:48 Dora Wings The Proctor was developed by Percival from their Vega Gull in response to an Air Ministry Specification for a radio trainer and communications aircraft. Percival made the fuselage 6 inches longer and incorporated larger rear windows. Modifications also had to be made to the seats in order that parachutes could be worn. The prototype first flew in October 1939 and was put into production fairly quickly. Over 1000 aircraft were built, the original 222 by Proctors, with the remainder by F Hill & Sons of Manchester. The original marks of Proctor (I through III) were very much of the Gull design, later ones were enlarged, but the larger aircraft suffered in terms of performance. After the war the aircraft were dispersed to various operators. The fleet was grounded in the 1960s due to concerns about the glued joints in the airframe; though some have been rebuilt with modern glues. They still make good light aircraft and inherited the Gulls folding wing which can make storage easier. The Kit Dora Wings is a new company to us, and have kindly agreed to send samples for review. As it is this reviewers opinion that Percival Aircraft made some of the best looking Civil Aircraft in the UK, these new kits are more than welcome. Information and help was gratefully received in the production of this kit from John Adams formally of Aeroclub models which can only be a good thing. Following the 1/72 versions Dora Wings now brings us the 1/48 one. The kit arrives on five spures, a clear spure, a sheets of PE and a sheet of masks (not shown). The parts are well moulded with clean spures, there is a tiny amount of flash which should be easy to clean up. The clear parts are clear with no distortion or other issues. Construction is fairly simple just like the real aircraft. Parts for the cockpit including the seats are made first. The instrument panel being a sandwich of plastic, PE & decals is added to the coming. The wheels and their spats are then made up and then put to one side, as is the tail wheel. The rudder and tail planes are also constructed at this time and put to one side. Next up the engine is constructed, this is also left to one side. The wings are now built up. These have separate flaps and ailerons. A landing light is also included for each wing leading edge. The five part canopy is the carefully made up. Once all the sub-assemblies are complete then main assembly can take place. The cockpit floor is added into the lower fuselage part. On to this the seats and flying controls are added. A rear cabin bulkhead is then added. The lower part, engine and internal parts are the put together with the fuselage sides. The wings are then added. Next up the tail planes, rudder, coaming, and canopy are added. At the front the engine front and propeller are added. To finish up the wheels are added. Markings The decals are from Decograf and look good with no registration issues, there are five decal options provided; LZ766 RAF as seen at Duxford 2017. 605 Royal Danish Air Force, Karup Airfield, 1946/47 Z7237 RAF, 1942 (its worth noting that these markings seem post war not WWII) RAF Serial HM300 but USAAF Markings 1945. W-1 1316 Communications Flight Royal Netherlands Air Force, 1947. Conclusion It is high time that we had some modern toolings of British aircraft from this period. Very Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Arsenal Model Group (AMG) is to release new tool families of 1/48th and later 1/72nd (thread is here: link) Bell P-63 Kingcobra kits. 1/48th first boxing is expected for this Summer. To be followed. Sources: http://amg-models.net/2017/01/17/bell-p-63a-kingcobra/ http://amg-models.net/2017/01/17/bell-p-63c-kingcobra/ http://amg-models.net/2017/01/17/bell-p-63e-kingcobra/ http://amg-models.net/ 3D renders The Bell P-63 Kingcobra is an American fighter aircraft developed by Bell Aircraft in World War II from the Bell P-39 Airacobra in an attempt to correct that aircraft’s deficiencies. Although the P-63 was not accepted for combat use by the United States Army Air Forces, it was successfully adopted by the Soviet Air Force.[2] The production model Bell Model 33; 1725 P-63As produced in various sub-marks. P-63C Second production series differed from the P-63A by being powered by the uprated Allison V-1710-117 engine with a war emergency rating of 1,500 hp (1,120 kW) at sea level and 1,800 hp (1,340 kW) with water injection. The wingspan was reduced by 10 inches (250 mm). A total production run of 1,227 was completed P-63E Essentially similar to the P-63D with the exception of a ventral fin extension and the use of a standard “cab”-style cockpit; only 13 built. V.P.
  18. Percival P.10 Vega Gull (48005) 1:48 Dora Wings The Vega Gull was a development by Percival of their earlier D-Series Gull. The main advantages over the earlier design was the addition of a 4th seat, dual flight controls, and flaps were fitted. The airframe was made wider, the wings longer and the airframe made more streamlined. A feature of the aircraft was the ability to fold the wings for storage. The work was attributed to Arthur Bage's arrival at Percival. The resulting Vega Gull had extended range and payload without sacrificing performance. The aircraft was powered by a de Havilland Gipsy Six engine. As well as civilian operators the Air Ministry ordered 15 Aircraft. 11 were used by 24 Sqn RAF, 2 by the FAA, and 3 by British Air Attaches. At the outbreak of WWII many civilian aircraft were impressed into service in Britain and the Commonwealth. The Kit Dora Wings is a new company to us, and have kindly agreed to send samples for review. As it is this reviewers opinion that Percival Aircraft made some of the best looking Civil Aircraft in the UK, these new kits are more than welcome. Information and help was gratefully received in the production of this kit from John Adams formally of Aeroclub models which can only be a good thing. Following the 1/72 versions Dora Wings now brings us the 1/48 one. The kit arrives on five spures, a clear spure, a sheets of PE and a sheet of masks (not shown). The parts are well moulded with clean spures, there is a tiny amount of flash which should be easy to clean up. The clear parts are clear with no distortion or other issues. Construction is fairly simple just like the real aircraft. Parts for the cockpit including the seats are made first. The instrument panel being a sandwich of plastic, PE & decals is added to the coming. The wheels and their spats are then made up and then put to one side, as is the tail wheel. The rudder and tail planes are also constructed at this time and put to one side. Next up the engine is constructed, this is also left to one side. The wings are now built up. These have separate flaps and ailerons. A landing light is also included for each wing leading edge. The five part canopy is the carefully made up. Once all the sub-assemblies are complete then main assembly can take place. The cockpit floor is added into the lower fuselage part. On to this the seats and flying controls are added. A rear cabin bulkhead is then added. The lower part, engine and internal parts are the put together with the fuselage sides. The wings are then added. Next up the tail planes, rudder, coaming, and canopy are added. At the front the engine front and propeller are added. To finish up the wheels are added. Markings The decals are from Decograf and look good with no registration issues, markings 4 options are provided; L7272 ex G-AFWG Allocated to British Air Attache Buenos Aires, Argentina 1939. ex L7272 Sold to Argentine Government in 1946 P10 Requisitioned by the Belgian Government 1939 N7571 Requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1944 Conclusion It is high time that we had some modern toolings of British Civil aircraft from this period. Very Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  19. Percival Proctor Mk.III (72014) 1:72 Dora Wings The Proctor was developed by Percival from their Vega Gull in response to an Air Ministry Specification for a radio trainer and communications aircraft. Percival made the fuselage 6 inches longer and incorporated larger rear windows. Modifications also had to be made to the seats in order that parachutes could be worn. The prototype first flew in October 1939 and was put into production fairly quickly. Over 1000 aircraft were built, the original 222 by Proctors, with the remainder by F Hill & Sons of Manchester. The original marks of Proctor (I through III) were very much of the Gull design, later ones were enlarged, but the larger aircraft suffered in terms of performance. After the war the aircraft were dispersed to various operators. The fleet was grounded in the 1960s due to concerns about the glued joints in the airframe; though some have been rebuilt with modern glues. They still make good light aircraft and inherited the Gulls folding wing which can make storage easier. The Kit Dora Wings is a new company to us, and have kindly agreed to send samples for review. Information and help was gratefully received in the production of this kit from John Adams formally of Aeroclub models which can only be a good thing. It is also this reviewers opinion that Percival Aircraft made some of the best looking Civil Aircraft in the UK, so these new kits are more than welcome. Initially Dora Wings have given us The Vega Gull and followed this up with the Proctor as Percival did. Now the Mk.III is with us. The kit arrives on three sprues of nice hard plastic, detail is good raised and recessed where necessary. The ribbing on the wings is nicely restrained. There is a clear sprue, a sheet of PE and a set of masks (not shown). In other boxings the instrument panel markings were on a film sheet, they are now on the decal sheet. Construction is fairly simple just like the real aircraft. The tail wheel is the first part to be made up and then put to one side. We then move to the cockpit. The instrument panel is made form a plastic part with the film and PE making the front of the panel. This is then added into the coaming. Just to go off on a tangent the wings then put together, these are of convention left/right & upper/lower construction. Separate flaps are included as are landing lights for both wings. Now that the wings are done we can move back to the main cabin, Controls and seats are put in place, followed by the front firewall and instrument panel we put to one side earlier. The fuselage can then be closed up, and the canopy added. At the rear the rudder is added along with the tailplanes, and at the front the engine front and propeller. The wings can then be added along with the main landing gear. Markings The decals are from Decograph and look good with no registration issues, there are five decal options provided; LZ766 RAF as seen at Duxford 2017. 605 Royal Danish Air Force, Karup Airfield, 1946/47 Z7237 RAF, 1942 (its worth noting that these markings seem post war not WWII) RAF Serial HM300 but USAAF Markings 1945. W-1 1315 Communications Flight Royal Netherlands Air Force, 1947. Conclusion It is high time that we had some modern toolings of British aircraft from this period. Very Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. A tardy entry that may come to naught: In keeping with my current racer fetish, I've ordered one of these Hannants aren't showing any in stock yet but hopefully it should make a timely arrival and bring a bit of civilian glamour to this collection of trigger happy warbirds 😉 Cheers Anil
  21. Bell P-63A/C Kingcobra (14401) 1:144 Dora Wings The P-39 was developed to meet a proposal in 1937 for a single engine high altitude interceptor having the tactical mission of interception and attack of hostile aircraft at high altitude. Specifications called for a level airspeed of 360mph at altitude, and a climb to 20,000 feet in under 6 minutes. Armament was to be heavy including a cannon, the engine was to be liquid cooled, and the aircraft was to feature a tricycle undercarriage. Bell had previously designed the YFM-1 Aracuda featuring a mid-fuselage mounted engine to free up space for a large calibre 37mm cannon which would fire through the propeller hub. This was unusual as fighters were normally designed around an engine, not a weapons system. The Bell XP-39 would make its maiden flight in April of 1938 reaching 20000 feet in 5 minutes and maintain 390 mph. However it was found that top speed at 20000 feet was lower than the original proposed 400 mph. Bell would change the aircraft configuration for production to remove the turbo charger so production aircraft were only fitted with a single-stage, single-speed supercharger. Its been argued that Bell did this to save money, though its been said that testing showed aerodynamic issues with it. As a result production aircraft performance declined above 12000 feet and it was never able to serve as a medium level let alone high level aircraft. The RAF ordered the aircraft based on the XP-39 specifications however limitations of the "new" aircraft became apparent, and despite modifications it never was deemed acceptable. Only one Squadron No. 601 would use the aircraft operationally. All UK based aircraft would be sent to Russia, along with aircraft being built under contract in the US. In contrast to the UK, the USSR appreciated the P-39, although they would use it primarily in the ground attack role. The tactical environment of the Eastern front suited a low speed, low altitude aircraft much better. As well as in ground attack the USSR developed successful group aerial fighting tactics for the aircraft. 5 out of the 10 high scoring Soviet aces scored a majority of kills flying P-39's. Contrary to popular myth the Soviets did not use the aircraft for Tank Busting as the US did not supply any armour piercing rounds for the aircraft. A total of 4758 aircraft we sent to Russia. Following on from the P-39 the USAAF wanted a larger aircraft based on the same principal design, this was originally designated the XP-63. The wing was larger with a laminar airflow design and the engine gained a second turbocharger which was remotely mounted to augment the principle unit. The USAAF concluded that the new aircraft was inferior to the Mustang and decided against adopting the type. However as the Russian had shown a liking for, and were the biggest users of the P-39 it was ordered into production as a lease-lend aircraft for them. The Soviets had input into the design and added more armour, extra fuel tanks, and underwing hard points. Bell was happy to do this due to the number of aircraft the Soviets were taking. In later models the cannon was moved forward changing the centre of gravity and allowing more ammunition to be carried. Over 70% of production would reach the USSR. The French Air Force would later get 114 aircraft which arrived to late for WWII but would see service in Frech Indo Chinna. These were mothballed on arrival of the Grumman Bearcat. Post WWII some aircraft were purchased as surplus and made into Air Racers. The Kit Dora Wings is a new company to us, and have kindly agreed to send samples for review. Kits in 1.144 are new to Dora Wings, this being their first, and they have kindly provided us with a sample in advance of them being on sale. Being 1.144 you get two kits n the pack. The kits do not have a mass of parts, but they are detailed for the scale. Construction starts with the cockpit, the front ad rear bulkheads are installed with the seat moulded in. The nose gear is installed on the underside of this part. The fuselage can then be closed up. The wings can then be made up and attached to the fuselage, this is followed by the tailplanes. The canopy can be put on along then with the front gear doors. On the underside of the aircraft the main gear can be fitted along with the tanks and gun pods if needed. Last up the prop & spinner are added. Markings Decals are printed in house and appear to have no issues. An impressive 9 decal options have been provided. P-63C Soviet lease lend aircraft, USSR 1944. P-63C Soviet lease lend aircraft, USSR 1945 "Bell Booby TRAP" painted by unknown American Mechanic. P-63C SC44126 Glendale, 1946. P-63C French Air Force, "Normandie-Nieman" French Indochina 1950. P-63C French Air Force, "Lle France" French Indochina 1950. RP-63A Pinball 1947 (All over yellow). P-63A "55" Winner Sohio Handicap Trophy Race 1948. P-63C "Tucker SPECIAL" Thompson Trophy Race 1946. P-63C "4""Join The Navy Reserve" Sohio Handicap Trophy Race 1948. Conclusion It is good to see a new company producing new aircraft in this scale as fans of 1:144 appear to have less choice than other scales. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  22. Percival Proctor Mk.I (72003) 1:72 Dora Wings The Proctor was developed by Percival from their Vega Gull in response to an Air Ministry Specification for a radio trainer and communications aircraft. Percival made the fuselage 6 inches longer and incorporated larger rear windows. Modifications also had to be made to the seats in order that parachutes could be worn. The prototype first flew in October 1939 and was put into production fairly quickly. Over 1000 aircraft were built, the original 222 by Proctors, with the remainder by F Hill & Sons of Manchester. The original marks of Proctor (I through III) were very much of the Gull design, later ones were enlarged, but the larger aircraft suffered in terms of performance. After the war the aircraft were dispersed to various operators. The fleet was grounded in the 1960s due to concerns about the glued joints in the airframe; though some have been rebuilt with modern glues. They still make good light aircraft and inherited the Gulls folding wing which can make storage easier. The Kit Dora Wings is a new company to us, and have kindly agreed to send samples for review. Information and help was gratefully received in the production of this kit from John Adams formally of Aeroclub models which can only be a good thing. It is also this reviewers opinion that Percival Aircraft made some of the best looking Civil Aircraft in the UK, so these new kits are more than welcome. Initially Dora Wings have given us The Vega Gull and followed this up with the Proctor as Percival did. The kit arrives on three sprues of nice hard plastic, detail is good raised and recessed where necessary. The ribbing on the wings is nicely restrained. There is a clear sprue, instrument panel film, a sheet of PE and a set of masks. Construction is fairly simple just like the real aircraft. The tail wheel is the first part to be made up and then put to one side. We then move to the cockpit. The instrument panel is made form a plastic part with the film and PE making the front of the panel. This is then added into the coaming. Just to go off on a tangent the wings then put together, these are of convention left/right & upper/lower construction. Separate flaps are included as are landing lights for both wings. Now that the wings are done we can move back to the main cabin, Controls and seats are put in place, followed by the front firewall and instrument panel we put to one side earlier. The fuselage can then be closed up, and the canopy added. At the rear the rudder is added along with the tailplanes, and at the front the engine front and propeller. The wings can then be added along with the main landing gear. Markings The decals are from Decograph and look good with no registration issues, there are two decal options provided; P6240 Czech Air Attaché, RAF Hendon 1945 Ex P6240 now D-41 Czech Service, Kbei 1946-49 Conclusion It is high time that we had some modern toolings of British Civil aircraft from this period. Very Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  23. Bell P-63E Kingcobra (72005) 1:72 Dora Wings The P-39 Airacobra was deemed to be a damp squib by the US, although the Russian pilots thought well of it, as it suited their needs, but Bell tried to improve the aircraft by basing their attempts on the more suitable P-39E with a redesigned wing, engine and the inclusion of a supercharger that was omitted from the original Airacobra in order to save money, which inevitably affected high altitude performance. The resulting airframe was so much different and noticeably larger, so was renamed and given the designation P-63A by the military, who ordered it into production toward the end of 1942, which was the main in-service variant. In an attempt to improve performance it progressed to the D variant, which was the basis for the P-63E, but with a return to the cab-door canopy, and a ventral fin extension to improve stability. Only 13 Es were built, and the project stuttered to a halt from there. The Kit Dora Wings is a new company to us, and have kindly agreed to send samples for review. Mike reviewed the 1:48 version of this kit here, however as he is not a proponent of the "one true scale" he has left it to me to introduce this one. The kit arrives on six small sprues of plastic, a clear sprue; and provides a PE sheet and a set of masks. Very much the complete package, Construction starts in the cockpit area the seat and bulkheads being made up and attached to the floor, the rear radio area is also made up. The front bulkhead with the instrument panel is made up and attached. The instructions have you add the front landing gear at this stage, though you may well be advised to see if you can leave it off for addition later. The indies for the front gear well are also then added to the other side of the cockpit floor. Construction then moves to the wings with the main gear wells and radiators being installed, the drop tanks are also built up at this time. The wings can then be closed up, Flaps and the air intake are also built up at this time. The fuselage is then closed up around the cockpit and the side exhausts added. The top air intake can then be added. On the wings the flaps are added, and at the tail end the tail planes and rudder are added. To finish The main gears, canopy and propeller are added along with the drop tanks and underwing guns. Last part on is the cockpit door and top aerial. Markings Decals are provided for 6 aircraft. 311721 USAF 311720 USAF 311727USAF N9003R Civil registration 401 Honduran Air Force 402 Honduran Air Force The decals are printed by in house and would appear to have no issues , its worth noting that the USAF never used the aircraft and the USAF markings are probably for delivery flights to the Honduran Air Force. Conclusion The P-63 came along at a time when the attention was focused more on the nascent jet age, so it gathered little attention, and many folks probably couldn't even tell the difference between it and the P-39 unless they were side-by-side. That said, it's an appealing aircraft, and as a model it looks like it will go together pretty well. It's a shame there weren't more variations on colour schemes, but as there were only a few airframes built in this configuration, it's hardly surprising. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  24. Gee Bee Model R1 (48002) 1:48 Dora Wings The Granville Brothers Aircraft company produced a number of racing aircraft under the Gee Bee name, starting with their Model Z that won awards in the 30s, and leading to the similar but shorter profiled Model R super sportsters of which the R1 was first, with R2 being a sister aircraft. The R1 was flown by Jimmy Doolittle in 1932 and won the Thompson Trophy Race with a dash speed of rather healthy 296mph. It was a difficult machine to fly, but Doolittle loved it dearly, however another racer was killed flying it when it stalled during the Bendix Trophy in 1933. It was rebuilt with an extension to the fuselage to help counter its murderous tendencies, but even with wings transferred from R2 it still managed to crash very quickly after. After that it was sold to its final owner, who modified it further by adding fuel tanks in the rear, but it crashed and killed him, never to be rebuilt again. A replica was built more recently, which flew for several years before being retired to a museum, and there are also a few non-flying replicas in museums in the US. The Kit This is a new tooling from a relatively new company who have produced a small number of new kits with a healthy upcoming catalogue of new toolings in the works for the coming year. Their kits are in the short-run tooling category, with nice detail once you have the parts off the sprues and have dealt with the moulding seams, which is much the same as many kits but with a little more preparation time. This is of course time that repays you by easing your way later in the build. The kit arrives in a relatively small box, as it is a small aircraft that was pretty much engine, wings and a space for the pilot. Inside the box are four sprues of grey styrene, a small clear sprue, a sheet of copper-coloured Photo-Etch (PE), masks for the red and white colour scheme, a sheet of decals and the instruction booklet with colour scheme on the back page. The R1 was a small plane. I've said that already, but it bears repeating. The instruction booklet is actually a single sheet of A4 folded into A5. The instructions cover only one side of this sheet, with 19 steps to make the complete airframe. Construction begins with the cockpit, which consists of three bulkheads that are linked by a series of tubes, with the seat placed against the rear bulkhead and the pilot's legs going through the central hole in the remaining two. A simple instrument panel, throttle box, control column and rudder pedals are fitted, and before closing up the fuselage you can elect to remove a portion of the cockpit sidewall to depict the access door on the side of the fuselage, the job of which is done by a new part so you don't have to be careful to keep the cut-out intact. The rudder is in two parts and fits to the rear of the fin, and a ventral fuselage insert with ribs matching the rest of the aft fuselage closes the bottom of the cockpit. The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine is supplied in six parts, with a further two for the exhausts, and this is enclosed in the two-part cowl with a PE ring at the rear before it is fitted to the front of the fuselage later in the build. The fixed and spatted landing gear are made up around the two-part tyres, the wings and their ailerons are put together and fitted to the roots using a modified butt-join that has pins and depressions to register the join more accurately. The elevators fit the same way, and the wings are braced by V-shaped PE wires that fit into holes in the wing upper and the fuselage top. A small panel inserts into the top of the forward fuselage with delicate louver patterns moulded-in, and a further pair of V-shaped PE bracing wires are fitted under the wings, with an additional two smaller wires bracing the landing gear spats. The canopy is supplied in two parts with separate windscreen, and the final part is the simple two-bladed prop that fits into the boss at the front of the engine's bell-housing, which should be able to be left spinning if you have been careful with the glue. Markings The R1 wore a rather striking scheme during its racing life, which began at the front with a red cowling, with red wing leading-edges which were scalloped into white, as was the fuselage. This is a tricky scheme to paint, so the included masks will come in very handy. They are vinyl and pre-cut for your ease, and while they're not as flexible as kabuki tape, they are less likely to stretch out. You will need to burnish them down over the ribbing under the fuselage, and expect a little touching up to be required due to the edges of the ribs, but once done it should look stunning. The decals cover the rest of the markings, which are in good registration, are sharp and have good colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are two instrument panel decals supplied, and with some decal setting solution should settle down over the lightly raised instrument faces on the styrene panel. Conclusion Interwar racers aren't everyone's thing, but then neither are Bf.109s. Between the wars was a time of innovation that sometimes led to some quite nasty dead-ends, so racers and their aircraft were often short-lived, as demonstrated here. The kit should go together well as long as you don't expect it to fall together without your help, and you will end up with a nice replica of this short, tubby little racer for your cabinet in a scale where you can actually see it! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  25. I reviewed this one and went straight on to building it, mainly because I fancied it (in a non-biblical way), so off I went. It's pretty much OOB apart from a few alterations I made to the wing-mounted landing light and due to a few of my own screw-ups, and of course you have to bear in mind that it's a short-ish run kit, which always needs more care and attention to fit and finish than a mainstream kit. It's my first try at an all-over natural metal/silver finish, and I'm reasonably pleased with how it has come out The exhaust staining is perhaps a bit over-done, but I think it adds a bit of drama to the scheme, and the red spinner also helps to lift it a bit too. I chose to paint the gear legs green as an accent, although many examples have silver legs, but green ones are seen. What else? Paints were Gunze, with Alclad white Aluminium as the main shade, which needed straining due to this weird degradation that seems to occur with their metallics, which renders then gritty in the bottle after a few years in stock. Anyway - on to the pics: I'm sure I've probably forgotten a few things, but I'm certain the world won't stop spinning as a result, and as I'm not competitionally inclined, I don't care now I've called time on it You can see the build thread here, and thanks for watching I'll be appearing in an Me.262 ST Group Build here next if you fancy heckling as I go along
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