WWII RAF Bomber Re-supply Set - 1:72 Airfix

[woody37]

WWII RAF Bomber Re-supply Set

1:72 Airfix

As Bomber Command increased the air campaign against the Axis forces in WWII, the demand to handle logistics on the airfields grew both technically and in activity. The four engine bombers in comparison to the earlier twins carried more fuel, more bombs, more ammunition and more crew and stood higher off the ground, so re-supplying them needed more dedicated equipment. The ‘Tilly’, derived from the name ‘utility’ vehicle became familiar for moving crew around the airfields early in the war. When you think that a Lancaster fully fueled needed over 2000 gallons of fuel, bowsers had to be sufficiently large to make them practical for readying a squadron with short turnaround. Also needed with the Merlins was oil. Unlike modern engines, these drunk fuel at a hefty rate, so the Brockhouse bowser with a 450 gallon capacity became a common sight topping up the oil tanks between missions. The Bedford truck came in different guises utilising the same chassis. The MWC carried a water tank for topping up radiators on the bombers, where as the MWD was used for ferrying crews around the bases. It’s easy to forget the shear amount of effort required on an airfield to fuel, bomb, maintain and crew a squadron of four engined ‘heavies’, but without these men and machines, the bombers would never have achieved their goals.

The kit

Airfix have produced airfield sets in the past so there’s nothing new there, but this is the first set that delivers such a wide array of equipment found on a bomber airfield whilst delivering on the quality standards that they’ve now set themselves. Within the end opening box, wrapped in fantastic artwork, you get 5 light grey sprues, 1 clear sprue, a decal sheet, comprehensive A4 instruction booklet and a colour painting & decaling guide. The instructions are broken down by equipment type for ease of following. First impressions are excellent. Crisp moulding with stunning detail leave you in no doubt that you’re looking at a 21^st century kit.

So what do you get in the kit?

• Standard Light Utility Vehicle - Standard 12hp 4x2 'Tilly'
• Bedford Truck built as either MWC or MWD
• David Brown VIG1 Tractor/Tug
• Motorcycle - 500CC
• Maintenance Tower
• Bowser - 450 Gallon
• Bomb Trolley - Type C (x2)
• Bomb Trolley - Type F
• Small Bomb Containers (SBC) - with 4lb incendiaries (x6)
• 1000lb Bombs (x6)
• 500lb Bombs (x6)
• 8000lb Cookie
• 4000lb Cookie
• Ladder
• Bike
• Chocks
• Fuel Cans
• Oil drum

The Bedford trucks...

The two trucks share a common build guide to create the chassis with no less than 23 parts making it up. Unfortunately, you can only make the MWD or the MWC, you can’t make both. The MWD has a wood / canvas rear end. The wooden panels are superbly reproduced with recessed butt lines. The MWC has an equally well produced rear end for the water container. Clear doors eliminate the need for gluing windows in so there’s no risk of getting white glue lines around the window. The doors can be mounted in the open position. A clever touch is the use of rounded hubs to mount the front wheels on. This allows them to be positioned in any turning direction. These small details have been well thought out and go along way to adding realism and life into a diorama.

The Tilly...

A combination of wood and steel panels with a canvas top are well replicated on the Tilly. Protruding rivets are visible on the steel panels. A useful touch is that the canvas roof for the front cabin is made from clear plastic due to the small windows integrated into them behind the doors. This will eliminate any risk of glue marks from inserting tiny windows. Whilst the construction is quite simple, the detail in the parts make an impressive model. As with the Bedfords, the doors are made from clear plastic and the front wheels can be positioned at any angle.

Tractor...

Whilst we’ve seen an earlier tractor in the Stirling kit, this is a TRACTOR! The detail is so much better and again benefits from positionable front wheels.

Oil bowser...

This comes with an articulated front bogie and independent chassis. There’s a toolbox moulded into the front end which is then hidden by doors, so it might be worth considering to cut these doors and have them in the open position. I find it a little strange that the instructions don’t show this option and a lack of cut line or detail on the reverse side of the doors indicates that wasn’t planned.

Trestle..

A common site in airfield photographs is trestles butted up around the engines with ground crew beavering away under the hoods! I made one of these years ago out of soldered steel rod and thin wood. Having these parts available saves a lot of work. The parts are quite delicate but finely moulded, again with superbly replicated wooden planks. As with all the vehicles, the wheels are stunningly realistic.

Bombs & bomb trolleys...

No airfield is complete without the very reason Bomber Command existed. The sole purpose was to deliver an unwelcome payload to the enemy. A great selection of finely detailed bombs are included in the set from the 8000lb Cookie right down to the 500lb and SBC's. There's going to be some left over for other kits here as well as giving your display it's purpose. The fins on the small bombs are a little thick if one looks for a criticism, so you may want to thin them out using a scalpel or cut them off and scratch them if it concerns you. Two type C trolleys are included for the 500/1000lb bombs and a type F for the Cookies.

The motorbike is a little work of art, formed in three pieces and positionable front forks, this is a great extra. A decal sheet adds the important detail markings to the vehicles and bombs. I’ve never been a fan nor any good at painting the coloured rings on bombs, so these are rather welcome!

Conclusion

It would of been nice to have two complete Bedford trucks rather than being forced into a choice. Apart from that, this really is a stunning set at a great price. The detail and clever design adds great realism in a small scale. If this and the recent Lancaster B.II is a sign of the direction that Airfix are going, the next few years are going to be rather exciting for anyone interested in the Bomber Command era. I’ve just started work on an airfield base so the timing of this set is perfect to bring it to life around the aircraft display.

Review sample courtesy of

[Rabbit Leader]

Thanks for the great review Woody, I have this and the new Lancaster and like most are very pleased with what's on offer. I only hope that this leads Airfix down the path of producing a complete range of RAF Bomber Command aircraft. Surely that Cookie needs a decent Mosquito for 2014?.

Highly recommend - a must have.. Cheers.. Dave.

[Geoff_B]

Would be nice to see a new set of poseable ground crew, drivers and aircrew to go with this set, as its a superb little set and the old soft plastic RAF Personnel figures are somewhat dated and inflexible to utilise with this set.

[woody37]

Agree, I've got some of those to use. Hopefully if this set goes well, it will give Airfix the confidence to do more peripheral stuff

[kiwitrogg]

Agree, I've got some of those to use. Hopefully if this set goes well, it will give Airfix the confidence to do more peripheral stuff

Yes please ! I've got a nearly finished a very nice Houchin by Flightpath, but I'm not a huge fan of working with PE.

Injection moulded plastic is good !

[Miggers]

This is what my Revell Lanc has been waiting for,good on'yer Airfix.

Great review woody.That tractor and bomb train look light years away from

the old one in the Stirling,and we thought that was a revelation for it's time.

[TonyG]

Damn. There goes some more of my money. I think a lot of this would look nice alongside my Stirling (when I eventually get a round tuit).

[Antoine]

Many thanks for the review.

But I'm not sure to understand, is this a new tool set, or???

[Stephen]

All new tool.

Stephen

[Antoine]

Ok thanks.

Great set.

Now what we need is the same set, upscaled to 1/48.

[Royster]

Airfix are just getting better and better! Their attention to detail nowadays is awesome.

our company specialise in high precision engineering and we've made some mould tools (DVD cases, railway track gauges amongst others) but just looking at the bicycle, it's a simple shape but damn tricky to create a mould tool for!

Really well done Airfix

[FZ6]

I have this set and agree with the review it's a fantastic set giving you almost everything you need to produce a fantastic diorama. It's just the inspiration I need to crack on with my Revell Halifax....

[Julien]

For anyone building these I have just added a walkaround of the David Brown Tractor to the walkaround section.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234945115-david-brown-aircraft-towing-tractor/

Juliem

[Brian G]

Julien,

IIRC - We used this type of tractor well into the 1960's at Kemble.

Cheers, Brian

[Julien]

Thanks for the info.

Julien

[Spookytooth]

Great , just what the Dr. ordered.

It is a pity that their ground figures are in that horrid polythene type plastic.

[Merlin]

Hi,

Whilst Juliens tractor walkaround is a David Brown, NOTE it is not the wartime type, as depicted by Airfix. The wartime David Brown has a very short distance between front and rear mudguards, this was always the way of spotting such. There is also a book on David Brown tractors with good information. I have not managed to see a WW2 pic yet with the extended wheel base type that Julien has a walkaround for. Now it may be that engine detail etc remained the same, but obviously some parts will be different, something has to differ to provide that much larger distance between front and rear tyres.

Pics of the WW2 type are:-

http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/David-Brown-VIG1-Tractor.jpg

http://www.accurate-armour.com/ShowProduct.cfm?category=82&subcategory=251&product=1965&manufacturer=0

they do turn up at steam fairs etc. http://www.flickr.com/photos/44381054@N05/5120966839/

This set is crying out for well sculpted, well thought out, realistic poses of well researched RAF Groundcrew, with tunic and trousers, right down to the brass belt support lugs, overalls, leather jerkins with and without webbing belts, wellingtons, lace up boots, jacket less, as well as WAAFs, and no battledress please. Winter and summer kit. side caps on and off, tucked into belt. balaclavas, rubberised overalls.

..and I can but hope they are sculpted by Mike Good or of the same calibre. No overdone material creases, but the real thing scaled down. Faces are crucial. Hecker and Goros quality. and not in that slippery flexible plastic the paint would never take to !

The bowser and ladder also saw use on fighter airfields so in the figure set some with steel helmets on and carried would be good. Bowser in green and brown wavy camouflage, usually they knicked the aircraft paint !

Merlin

[dogsbody]

Wasn't going to get this, but I may just do it now. Looks too good not to have.

Chris

Edited August 22, 2013 by dogsbody

[Test Graham]

I suspect the buildings' camouflage paint was nicked more often, being available in larger quantities and cheaper (so less strictly controlled). At least from 1938 onwards, as presumably vehicles were repainted from RAF Blue after Munich, until 1941 when all production would have appeared in Army colours. It would be interesting to have the repainting time confirmed, for if units took vehicles in RAF Blue over to France there would be nothing but the aircraft paint to hand! I wouldn't put it beyond RAF units to raid Army stocks of paint, but the Army was using two shades of green then so that is what you'd see - if they hadn't been repainted before departure.

[Merlin]

I remember articles by Bruce Robertson in Airfix Magazine, the days when such great reference articles appeared in mags, along with Ian Huntley on anything from propeller types to exhaust stains, talking of RAF vehicle colours such as Nobels Tarmac Green.

What few rare colour pics I have seen of the Brockhouse bowsers , they appear to have the same colours as the aircraft in the pics.

Night Bombers is a must see dvd for refs on ground equipment, to give this its rightful name, never ever heard of it being re-supply, and the narration as well gives me a warm glow, it is just right. Fantastic rare footage and loads of it. Far better than American aviation progs we get fed by Discovery Channel. RAF through and through with a period feel like no other.

Merlin

[Test Graham]

I'd love to find any references for the buildings paints, but suspect they will have been much the same colours with different constituents. I don't think we are going to be able to distinguish Dark Earth from SCC2 in most colour photographs, if any. Use of Dark Green would be more obvious, as it was removed from other than aircraft use fairly early in the war because of pigment shortage.

I'm not familiar with Nobels Tarmac Green - I know Nobel's Dark Tarmac as the dark colour (blue-black) applied to the uppersurfaces of the bodies, as in the Army schemes. Have you seen any of Mike Starmer's work? If not then I recommend http://www.mafva.net/other%20pages/Starmer%20camo.htm

[Andrew Jones]

Hi,

Whilst Juliens tractor walkaround is a David Brown, NOTE it is not the wartime type, as depicted by Airfix. The wartime David Brown has a very short distance between front and rear mudguards, this was always the way of spotting such. There is also a book on David Brown tractors with good information. I have not managed to see a WW2 pic yet with the extended wheel base type that Julien has a walkaround for. Now it may be that engine detail etc remained the same, but obviously some parts will be different, something has to differ to provide that much larger distance between front and rear tyres.

Merlin

Indeed, you are quite correct the two types of David Brown aircraft tractor are different . The wartime tractor was the VIG 1 , which was based on the agricultural VAK 1 , which incidentaly was the first tractor built and designed by the company . They can be recognised by the short wheelbase and normally carried a large winch behind the driver.

This is a preserved example , built in 1941 .

The postwar tractor was the Taskmaster , which was a purpose designed airfield tractor using some components from the Cropmaster agricultural tractor, on this tractor the wheelbase was longer, allowing the winch to be moved under the tractor and was therefore not so visible .

This is a 1956 Taskmaster.

Andrew

[Merlin]

Hi,

Andrew, wow just where is that preserved tractor to be found ?

It would appear to have original faded RAF paint, the yellow and the grey, farmers dont paint those colours there.

original tyres maybe, I love time capsules.

Its one I would like to see sometime.

I am seeing so many differences in that compared to the post war type, definitely the short wheelbase one is the one to study.

Graham, I might be recalling the name wrong, I need to get the machete out and get at the cupboard with the mags in. You may well be right. I recall thinking at the time when reading them I need to find out what colour this Nobels tarmac is so that I can paint my RAF model vehicles. If anyone has easier access to the Bruce Robertson magazine articles than me just now, what were the colours he referred to ?

Merlin

Edited August 24, 2013 by Merlin

[Test Graham]

The articles were from October 1977 onwards - I do have them myself but better still I have his book that brought them together - and have got around to digging that out. Your memory is spot on. He does indeed refer to Nobel's Tarmac Green No 4 as a disruptive pattern on the Army Green 3, but I read this as a slip of the pen (or a misunderstanding, perhaps?) Chronologically he has this to say (in my summary):

1. At the time of the Battle of Britain green and brown paints like that of the aircraft were adopted, but because of the shortage of aircraft paints on station (only small quantities were held for touching up) use was made of the large quantities of industrial camouflage paint as used for buildings. (GB These would be very varied, according to local taste, and presumably banded vertically like the aircraft rather than horizontally like the Army. This actually began earlier on RAF vehicles with the BEF in France.)

2. This was replaced by khaki green 3 - which is correctly termed G3 (see Starmer) - which would normally have a disruptive camouflage in another green (G5?), in wavy lines approx horizontal. However Robertson talks of a disruptive use of Nobel's Tarmac Green no 4 "overpainting in certain areas". Nobel's Tarmac Grey was used but as a top colour for best concealment from the air, with the colour coming down the sides in an irregular manner. I think Robertson is here combining two different schemes into one.

3. 1943 change to MT Brown Special and matt Black. This is because of the shortage of Chrome pigment required by the greens. The colour is the Army SCC2 Brown: I suspect that "MT Brown Special" is simply the RAF stores notation. for the same colour. The pattens were identical to the earlier scheme, except from now on the "Mickey Mouse" interpretation is more often seen.

4. From 1944 olive drab (SCC15) came into use replacing the SCC2 but only on new vehicles or when repainting was required due to damage or normal servicing schedules.

Everything after scheme 1 was to the current Army regulations.

[thomastmcc]

it looks a good set to get ..

thomas