Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary Gallery

[Ralph]

My Airfix fabric winged 615 Sqn Hurricane. With Squadron vacform canopy, Quickboost gunsight and Yahu harness. Largely scratch built trolley acc and wire cable. Will hopefully be based in an Amera blast pen in time for the end of this fab GB.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Ralph

[Hockeyboy76]

My tribute to “The Few”

1/72 Airfix Defiant.

Weathered to look well used. 

Winston Churchill once said about the Royal Air Force airmen,

”Every Morn Brought Forth A Noble Chance, And Every Chance Brought Forth A Noble Knight”

Most importantly, the Aircrew, undaunted by the odds

 

[Stew Dapple]

Here's my third completion of the Group Build and the year: my second 1/72 Arma Hobby Hurricane I. This model represents the aircraft flown by Flight Lieutenant Ian Richard Gleed of 87 Squadron based at Exeter in July 1940. A potted biography of 'Widge' Gleed is here. 

 

 

 

 

 

The same comments apply as per my Hurricane in post #51, the same paints were used and the kit decals were used for everything. I got a little silvering on the topside stencils, the model could probably have stood another coat of Klear before decalling, but here we are.

 

Ongoing build thread is here; one last Hurri is in the works...

 

 

Cheers, 

 

Stew

 

 

[Stew Dapple]

Here's my fourth completion of the Group Build and the year: my third and final 1/72 Arma Hobby Hurricane I. This model represents the aircraft flown by Flight Lieutenant Michael Nicholson Crossley of 32 Squadron based at Hawkinge in July 1940. A potted biography of 'Red Knight' Crossley is here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same comments apply as per my Hurricane in post #51, the same paints were used; the kit decals were used for national markings and stencils, the squadron codes, aircraft letter and serials were from the Kagero Battle of Britain Vol.2 set and were slightly difficult; being so thin made them a little awkward to apply and I did get some silvering, however this could be down to me as decals have long been my bête noire.

 

Anyway that's my section of Hurricanes done, build thread is here:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[GREG DESTEC]

Airfix 1/72 Defiant and Bf 109E 

 

My idea behind this display comes from reading various books which cover or in some cases briefly mention the Defiants role in the BoB.  

 

My Defiant displays the codes of 141 Squadron, who became operational during the Battle. Their participation was brief and bloody. 

 

based at West Malling with a forward base at Hawkinge 141 set off on their first and final major engagement at 12:35 On 19 July with instructions to intercept Ju 87s attacking Dover. 12 aircraft were available but only 9 scrambled to intercept the Stukas. 

 

Shortly after take off they were directed to sweep Cap Griz Nez at 5,000 ft. Suddenly they were bounced by approximately 20 Bf 109s of III/JG51. 

 

In the first attack 4 Defiants were shot down in to the Sea. The remainder of the formation broke up as they fought for their lives. This short action lasted no more than a few minutes. 

 

Three more Defiants were seriously damaged in the engagement. Two of these crash landed on the way back to Hawkinge. 

 

Hurricanes from 111 squadron were instructed to assist and reported the Defiants downed 4 109s in reply.  141s Combat report state that only 1 Messerschmitt was claimed by F/O Hugh Tamblyn & his AG Sgt S Powell. 

 

As a result of this sortie no further Defiant ops took place that day. 141 were reformed shortly after at Prestwick before returning briefly to the Battle before the Defiant was completely withdrawn from daylight operations. 

 

141 lost 4 pilots and 6 gunners that day.

 

My simple diorama is a small tribute to all the Defiant crews who gave their lives during the Battle. It represents the single victory 141 achieved at a great cost to their own. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

TFL Greg

 

[Ray_W]

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Ia

AZ*Q X4009 234 Sqn. RAF 

First Week September 1940

 

Aircraft of Pat Hughes born Cooma, NSW, 19th September 1917.

 

 

Eduard Mk. I 1/48

 

On 7 September, the first day of the London Blitz, Pat thrust his Spitfire towards a formation of Dornier Do 17s and picked out a straggler. His machine gun fire was so concentrated a large piece flew off. One of the wings then crumpled and the stricken aircraft plunged into a fatal spin. Pat baled out as his Spitfire plummeted too, but no one knows if it was hit by enemy fire, knocked by falling debris or if the aggressive pilot had deliberately rammed the Dornier. His parachute failed to open. The young pilot fell to his death in a suburban garden 12 days before his 23rd birthday. He was the eighth Australian to die in the Battle of Britain. Pat was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He had accrued 14 and three shared destroyed aircraft, one shared destroyed unconfirmed, and one probably destroyed. With all the part shares, he was a triple ace and was later ranked in the top ten Battle of Britain pilots, in the top three Australian aces of the Second World War, and in the RAF’s top 50. 

 

(Source: https://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/squadron-logbook/australias-few-and-the-battle-of-britain/)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The build thread can be found here:

 

 

Ray

[djktrumpet]

Messerschmitt Bf109 E3 - Yellow 1 as flown by Josef 'Pips' Priller, October 1940.

Tamiya 1/48, White Ensign enamels (now made by Sovereign Hobbies, but mine are old WEM production), markings by Xtradecal.

Thanks for organising this - great to have an incentive to shift something from the stash!

[PeterB]

So, for my last entry in this enjoyable GB, I have built what was originally the Frog kit of the Do 17Z-2, reboxed by Revell and in this case disguised as a Matchbox offering.

Dated pics of this type of plane are not that easy to come buy, and it can be difficult to tell exactly which version they are as there were several, so in this case I went for the markings of aircraft "Anton" of the 7th Staffel, ie III Gruppe of KG3 based at St, Trond in France. On August 28th 1940, the Dorniers of both KG3 and KG2 set off to bomb RAF airfields at Debden and Hornchurch with an escort of Bf109, but it seems this one got seperated from the formation and was shot down by a Defiant of 264 Squadron. With one engine out and another damaged the pilot Willi Effmert put it down on the Goodwin Sands, and although wounded, he and one other member of the crew of 4 survived to become POW's. The wreck was discovered in 2008 and subsequently raised and taken to the RAF Museum Cosford for preservation, being one of only two Do-17 still in existence, though both are wrecks.

 

I would like to thank the organisers for a brilliant GB, and also all the other modellers who helped out with info and comments.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Rabbit Leader]

(Gloster built) Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 - R4175, No. 303 ‘Polish’ Squadron, flown by Sgt. Josef Frantisek DFM & Bar, Northolt, September 1940. 
 

As Josef Frantisek was only a sergeant pilot, he was not considered senior enough to have his own assigned Hurricane. However, he seems to have had a definite affinity with this Gloster built Mk.1, which eventually resulted in their joint demise in an unexplained crash in Surrey at the end of a patrol on the morning of 8 October 1940 (one day after celebrating his 26th Birthday). 
 

Prior to his death, Frantisek had scored no less than seven kills with R4175 - a Bf109E and Ju88 on 6 September, another Bf109E 24 hours later, two Heinkel He 111’s on the 26th and a Bf 110 and He 111 the following day. He was struck by enemy fire in this aircraft on two occasions during the deadly aerial battles of early September. 
 

With 17 confirmed kills, Sgt. Frantisek is considered the highest scoring non-British allied ace of the Battle of Britain period. This is my 80th anniversary Battle of Britain tribute in plastic model form. WIP pages found here. 
 

Cheers and thanks.. Dave 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stefan Buysse]

Hi,

 

This is Tamiya's 1993 version of the Spitfire in 1/48.

I've chosen the markings of R6775, YT-J of No 65 Sqn.

She was flown by Jeffrey Quill during his time with No 65 Sqn in August 1940.

  

 

 

 

 

Cheers, Stefan.

[Wdedig]

Here are a few of my last Battle of Britain completions (Italian model on Order but I'll run out of Time)

Fujimi 1/72nd Bf 110

 

Finished in Gunze RLM 70 /RLM 71 / RLM 65 and Extradecal 72-118

 

A Bit of scratch-building to help the interior and a few Eduard Seatbelts.

 

Final Finish was Mr Hobby Matt and Semi-Gloss decanted and mixed.

 

Thanks for Looking

Comments Welcome

Cheers

Bill

[PlaStix]

‘Ready for Battle' Vignette

Hurricane P3522 - GZ-V - Biggin Hill, August 1940

With motorised prop

 

Kit: Airfix 1/48 'Ready For Battle' Gift Set

Paints: Humbrol, Revell, Citadel, Railmatch and Vallejo acrylics all applied by paint brush

Extras: Miniature motor and plasticard (for supporting the motor) plus a hair for the aerial wire. The base uses a Wilkos picture frame and some MDF plus Guagemaster grass mat and Army Painter flower tufts.

 

The WIP can be found HERE

The Hurricane RFI photos can be found HERE

The vignette photos can be found HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tim Moff]

Kit: 1/48 Airfix  Hawker Hurricane Mk1

 

Subject: Hawker Hurricane Mk1 P3616 coded 'GN-F' of 249 'Gold Coast' Sqn, RAF, based at RAF Boscombe Down August 16th 1940. Flown by Pilot Officer Martyn Auel King - KiA Aged 17.

 

Details: Modelled as per reference pics from interweb, no specific pics of airframe. 

  

Misc: Mr Color paints, Vallejo paints, Oils, Inks, various decal sets

 

 

 

WIP Link: Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Tim Moff

[Tim Moff]

Kit: 1/48 Airfix Messerschmitt Bf109E-4/N TROP

 

Subject: Messerschmitt BF109E-4/B of 3rd Staffel Erprobungsgruppe 210 - Yellow 1 - based at Denain airfield, France. Often forward mounted to Calais Marck airfield, France. Flown Oberleutnant Otto Hintze in the attack on Swingate Radar station, Dover  12 August 1940

 

Details: Modelled as per reference pics from interweb, Bomb Sights over England book, other models...

  

Misc: Mr Color paints, Vallejo paints, Oils, Inks, various decal sets

 

 

 

WIP Link: Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tim Moff]

Kit: 1/48 Tamiya Spitfire Mk1a (1993 tooling)

 

Subject: Spitfire Mk1A R6915 PR-U, as flown by Fl Lt John Dundas, 609 Sqn RAF,  on 9th Oct 40

 

Details: Modelled as per reference pics from interweb, other Spits of the time and Sqn etc

  

Misc: Mr Paint paints, Vallejo paints, Oils, Inks, various decal sets, Eduard Camo masks donated by @PlasticSurgeon

 

WIP: Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Tim Moff

[Olmec Head]

Tamiya 'new' Spitfire Ia in 1/48 finished as QV-K of 19 Squadron - September 1940

 

 

 

 

As it was originally a B/W lower surfaces finished aircraft, I kept the white and black undercart legs respectively as the original photo of P9386 showed the port leg to still be black.  The propeller spinner was yellow or white or sky or light blue.  I went obviously with the traditional yellow.  The reason for a light spinner has never been explained.  Perhaps straight after the  famous original photo was taken in 1940, it was properly painted black.  P9386 served only with 19 Squadron for a couple of weeks in September. 

 

 

 

I pinched Ray-W's idea of staining the lower gun ammo panels, otherwise I tried to keep the weathering down to what would be reasonable for airframe with5 months service by Sep 40.

 

The received wisdom is that it was a replacement for the cannon armed Spitfires that 19 Squadron were trialing unsuccessfully in August and they received old OTU aircraft.  However, the history of P9386 does not support this:

FF 1-3-40 AMDP Airspeed trials with company test pilots 6-3-40 38MU 11-5-40 257S 18-5-40 19S 'QV-K' 3-9-40 152S 26-9-40 58OTU 23-3-41 Scottish Aviation 12-9-41 52OTU 17-11-41 57OTU 29-8-43 dived into ground East Lothian CE 5-5-44

Hopefully the pilot survived the final crash in 1944.

That said there is a gap of 4-5 months in summer 40, as  257 squadron having received Spitfires in May, gave them up soon after to convert to Hurricanes.  So P9386 is a bit of a mystery in that respect as to where it was before 19 Sqn and also of course why it had its light spinner!

 

The markings were from an old Xtradecal set.  I used Tamiya Sky, RAF Dark Green and Vallejo BS Dark Earth.  I did a oil dot filter and pre and post shading, but the effects go lost.  Final finish was a Vallejo satin and matt varnish.  The new Tamiya kit is very good, but a bit finicky in areas and needs to be built to the instructions to avoid potential difficulties.  The undercart solution is a bit strange as well.  Next time I will try the Eduard new kit.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by Olmec Head

[Greg Law]

This is my  Revell / Monogram  Ju 88A-1.  It uses several resin addons to convert it from an A4 to A1. It gets new ailerons, wingtips, engines and canopy and decals from Aims.

Eduard PE and some masks. Masters brass gun barrels. Maybe home made decals.

This plane was flown by Staffelkapitan Gunther Zetzsche Wk N. 7112 of 2./KG 77. It was shot down by a Hurricane of 229 Sqn, coming down into the channel 15 miles off Bexhill with all crew lost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stew Dapple]

Here's my fifth completion of the year and the group build; Eduard's Bf110C in 1/72. This aircraft represents the U8+EL of 3/ZG.26, based at Yvrench in September 1940. I haven't been able to find out anything about the fate of the aircraft or the crew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Eduard Bf110 series are I think more or less universally accepted as the go-to for the type in this scale. It is largely a pleasure to build, with very well thought-out use of etched stuff for the cockpit and not too much where you don't need it. My only bugbear was (again, this has been the case with each of the four of this kit I have built) the ill-fitting clear parts for the pilot's cockpit due to Eduard's presumed assumption that you would not want to build it closed up. Anyway, a kit this good should be allowed some slack and it is fixable, so I won't go on about it any longer  I did use the Quickboost exhausts designed for the Eduard 110E - exactly the same exhausts as the C & D models.

 

The paints used were Colourcoats RLM02 Grau (ACLW12), Hellblau RLM65 (ACLW03) Dunkelgrun (ACLW11) and Schwarzgrun RLM70 (ACLW02), the decals were from the kit (national markings) and an old Supercale decal set (squadron and aircraft codes and nose-art), which is long out of print. The model was matt coated with Xtracolour Matt Varnish, exhaust staining was airbrushed and cartridge ejector chute-staining was done with ground-up hard pastels. The final touch was adding the aerial wire from Infini Fine White Lycra rigging thread.

 

Build thread is here:

 

 

So that is my last build for the Group Build, this has broken my modelling duck for the year and hopefully that won't be the end of my spell of productivity now

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[PhantomBigStu]

Meant it be a dogfight double but looks like it’s foe won’t be making it in time so here’s an Airfix Defiant as per the dogfight double release, painted with Humbrol Sky, Xtracrylix Dark Earth and Vallejo Dark Green and finished with Winsor and Newton Matt

 

 

 

 

[PhantomBigStu]

Airfix Spitfire mkI, Xtradecals 92sqn, painted with Humbrol Sky, Xtracrylix Dark Earth, Vallejo Dark Green and finished with Winsor and Newton Matt 

 

 

 

 

[stevej60]

Afternoon folk's,second little build for this GB and another outing for Airfix's Hurricane.

 

 

 

 

[825]

Gloster Sea Gladiator MkI, completed as N5576 of 804 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Hatson during the Battle of Britain. Pavla kit, brush painted with Xtracrylix Sky, Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey. Transfers a mixture of the kit's and some from an  Xtradecal sheet. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[patmaquette]

Thank you to all those who organised this GB and all who contributed to help me along with what has been my first GB - it has been great fun 🙂

 

My contribution has been to build the Hurricane and accompanying vehicles, figures and accessories in the Airfix 1/48 "Ready for Battle" set. It has been built pretty well oob, the only notable change being to replace the moulded plastic fuelling hoses with wire.

 

To set the context and get the juices flowing, here are the notes from the Airfix box.....

 

BATTLE OF BRITAIN READY FOR BATTLE

 

At the height of the summer of 1940, the fate of the free world rested upon the skill and courage of just a few young pilots as the RAF stood alone against the might of the as yet undefeated German Luftwaffe. In the air above southern England, Supermarine Spitfires and hawker Hurricanes fought vicious dogfights with the fighters and bombers of the enemy. As they wheeled and fought across the sky it was down to a larger group of men and women based on the ground to keep these vital aircraft serviceable and armed during these crucial summer months. Refuelling was the duty of the then common Albion AM463 refuelling truck, which with its three separate hoses was capable of refuelling three fighters simultaneously thus speeding up the vital turn around between fighter sorties. The aircraft were rearmed and maintained by armies of fitters and gun crews, feeding thousands of 303 rounds into the gun bays of the waiting fighters.

 

Finally, trucks such as the Bedford MWD were used to transport men and equipment across airfields and around the country in this fraught and dangerous time. While the majority of the recognition goes to the fighter pilots of the RAF, who risked everything to defeat the Luftwaffe, the contribution made by the ground crews and other ground personnel must not be forgotten, many were killed and injured in Luftwaffe attacks on airfields and they worked tirelessly to ensure the RAF emerged victorious.

 

The build thread is here (along with some close up photos). Please fell free to make any comments or suggestions there.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks for looking 😁

 

Cheers,

Pat

[The Rib Man]

My completed Eduard 1/48 BF-109E-3.  Adolf Galland: August 1940. 

 

 

 

[Dermo245]

And here's mine, another Emil. The build thread is here but to recap:

 

Kit: Airfix 1/72  Messerschmitt Bf109E-4 (new boxing A01008A) finished as an E-3

Build: OOB with masking tape for seat belts

Paints: Tamiya & Revell Acrylics. Klear, Flory Model wash; Oil weathering; W&N Matt Varnish

Decals: Southern Expo Battle of Britain 70th Anniversary - 'White 2" of 4./JG51 from August 1940

 

Notes:  According to the decal notes, this a/c flown by Ofw. Johann Illner collided with a Spitfire flown by Al Deere on 9 July 1940 but managed to return to France. Illner was later shot down over England in November that year and spent the rest of the war as a POW.

 

Airfix Bf 109E-4_Done by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr

 

Airfix Bf 109E-4_Done_(3) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr

 

Airfix Bf 109E-4_Done_(4) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr

 

Airfix Bf 109E-4_Done_(2) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr

 

Airfix Bf 109E-4_Done_(9) by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr

 

Thanks for looking, stay safe and happy modelling.

All the best,
Dermot