Hi guys, new to the forum and enjoying it. I have also fairly recently renewed my interest in modeling and have put together a small fleet of 1/72 model airplanes with an emphasis on fighters and 'light' bombers from the crucial early to mid-war period. Say June 1940 - June 1943, but I'm especially interested in they key turning point of 1942.
Most model airplanes seem to be based on the later war years but to me, by then, the war is almost a foregone conclusion.
We have a very good local model store where I lived, and of course you can find almost anything online, but I noticed to my frustration a few key aircraft types are a little too rare for my liking. So I thought I'd vent about it here a bit. Most of these types can be found but are often either online available from foreign countries*, or short run kits or both, and tend to be either expensive or made in somewhat shabby kits. Or both.
I am hoping that I can attract a little more attention to these types, I'm also interested to know what are the best kits available for them.
Aichi D3A "Val"
Somewhat amazingly, this crucial aircraft which was the hammer of the IJN carrier fleets and sunk more ships than any other (I think?) is hard to find as a model. I could only find some rather old or very expensive / foreign kits. This is doubly a pity because it's quite a beautiful design with lovely eliptical wings and so on. So it's interesting from a design perspective as well as important historically and known to be quite effective in spite of it's flaws. I'd love to hear what kits are available and see images of any nice ones you may have built, and I want to hear from model companies that they are going to make some new kits of this .
Bf 109F
Another key Axis aircraft in my mind, and I believe the most beloved by German pilots and clearly the best dogfighting variant of the famous Messerschmitt 109 series, the Bf 109F played a crucial role in 1941 through 1943 in North Africa and on the Russian Front. And yet it's very hard to find a kit! I found an F2 kit made by Zvezda, though it's a little odd when buying Luftwaffe kits from Eastern Europe because certain decals are omitted so you have to buy some aftermarket decals which can get expensive. There is a kit around for Hans Joachim Marseille but I'd really like to see some other kits for both 109F-2, and 109F-4
Bf 109G-2
Another crucial Luftwaffe mainstay, the G-2 may not have had the boost of the later G-6, but it was a very good dogfighter, loved by pilots and deadly to their opponents. But it's hard to find as a model. Same, incidentally for the G-4 which also shows up a lot in the combat reports in Mediterranean Air War and Black Star / Red Cross. Seems like most Bf 109 kits are for either the 109E or the G-6 and later. For some reason they just skip the mid-war years even though this was the most important period of the war!
Yak 1 and Yak 1B
Everyone knows this was the first home made Soviet fighter of the war that was able to start putting a dent in Luftwaffe ranks. The Yak 1 had a lot of production and build-quality problems in the early several months of production, but as issues were gradually worked out, and especially with the Yak-1B in October 1942, it became a truly world class fighter for it's particular (short range, tactical / low -altitude) niche. Even the early Yak though gave the Soviet pilots a fighting chance in the crucial and very, very difficult early years (or year and a half) of the war, and it's also a beautiful looking aircraft - yet, so hard to find models of this! The excellent Yak 3 is widely available, and you can find some Yak 9 kits (though not enough) but the Yak 1 is extremely rare. Why is that the case?
Yak 7
Similar to the Yak 1 described above, the Yak 7 was initially an even better design, as lengthening the airframe and simplifying the design somewhat actually improved flying characteristics to everyone's amazement. So far as I know this is the only aircraft ever designed as a trainer that became a successful front line air-superiority fighter. If there are others I'd like to know! I did find an East European kit of this plane and it came out beautiful in Winter colors.
LaGG-3
Ok not the best fighter, but neither was the MiG 3 and we see many kits of that. The LaGG-3 tends to get written off as the early models were overweight, badly underpowered and infamously plagued with build / manufacturing issues. This however was true for all newly designed Soviet fighters in the early war period, and eventually of course, the LaGG 3 led to the much hyped and popular La 5. However the LaGG-3 soldiered on, and it was one of the most widely used Soviet types through 1943. The later series aircraft had stronger engines, improved build quality and were actually pretty good (I know others may disagree) and many Soviet aces flew this type.
Pe-2
Another forgotten Soviet design which I think bears a second look. A bomber that goes 360 mph in 1941 is not something to be ignored! Especially one which can fight as a night fighter or a dive bomber! Yes the Pe-2 took heavy losses, but they happened to be up against some of the fastest fighters in the war. Imagine if the Japanese had had Pe 2's in the Pacific Theater in 1942, or if the RAF had them in the Med in the same year? Could have changed things (arguably). There is no arguing that it was a brilliant design, and I think this plane is comparable to a Ju 88, maybe better - and certainly better looking. But where is it in the model world? I did find a kit finally, and it came out very nice, but I'd like to see more options for this really neat plane. I'd also like to see more Tu-2 kits available.
Reggiane 2005
The whole Reggiane series is interesting and somewhat underrated. With big beautiful elliptical wings and a lovely overall shape, the Reggiane 2000 series fighters were a small but militarily significant part of the Mediterranean campaign if not really crucial to the war effort, and perhaps more importantly, the Reggiane was just a beautiful and excellent design, albiet with some flaws. The Re 2005 - with all the beauty of the early models married to a monster German engine and multiple 20mm cannon, was considered by some to be the best Axis prop fighter of the war. Maybe you agree with this, and maybe you don't, but surely this lovely aircraft deserves to be represented by more modeling companies. The only kits I could find were from RS and I'd had trouble with those before (my skill is only gradually ramping up) so I'd really like to see some other companies make one or more of these - Airfix, Eduard, Hasegawa, are you listening?
P-40F/L
The P-40 series is like the Bf 109 in that the early E version used in the very early days of the war is very hyped and widely available (also the B/C in the case of the P-40) and you see a fair number of the later war versions (N for the P-40) but the types most crucial in the mid-war period are strangely missing from Hobby shop shelves. The P-40F/L (nearly identical except for the number of wing guns) were the Merlin-Engined variants, identifiable by a lack of an airscoop on top of the engine and (except in the earliest models) by a lengthened fuselage. It may not be widely known that this model was the one which equipped most of the quite numerous USAAF Fighter Squadrons in the Med Theater (notably the 33rd, 57th, 79th, 315th and 325th FG as well as the 99FS of the Tuskegee Airmen), thanks to the Merlin it had a higher performance ceiling of 20K feet, and thanks Mediterranean Air War Volume III, we can now see that they did quite well against their Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica opponents. This alone should make this fighter popular in the American market! They also equipped two of the most elite Commonwealth squadrons (260 RAF and 3 RAAF) as the Kittyhawk II during crucial months of 1942 and 1943, and were flown by at least ten double aces. And yet I could only find an East European kit for this which I ordered online. Came out great but I'd really like to see more options especially for the Med Theater versions (it was also used in the Pacific).
P-40K
The other main late-war P-40 variant, the P-40K was mostly known for a large tail fin. It had an Allison Engine but one which at maximum boost could reach ~1,500 horsepower at the optimum altitude. It was very important for the CBI Theater, was widely used in the Med by both American and RAF / Commonwealth pilots, and was also an important type for the Russians, flown by no less than three HSU recipients and quadrouple-aces. And yet this type is even harder to find on Hobby shop shelves than the P-40F/L. Why!?
Thoughts are welcome of course. I'm a long time aviation enthusiast but still cutting my teeth on modern model-making techniques.
S
* I have nothing against buying models from foreign countries and I do not mean that as a pejorative, I love Airfix, some of the best kits I have found are Japanese or Czech made and I also really like some of the Zvezda kits I've acquired. I only mean that some foreign kits are rare in American hobby shops.
Most model airplanes seem to be based on the later war years but to me, by then, the war is almost a foregone conclusion.
We have a very good local model store where I lived, and of course you can find almost anything online, but I noticed to my frustration a few key aircraft types are a little too rare for my liking. So I thought I'd vent about it here a bit. Most of these types can be found but are often either online available from foreign countries*, or short run kits or both, and tend to be either expensive or made in somewhat shabby kits. Or both.
I am hoping that I can attract a little more attention to these types, I'm also interested to know what are the best kits available for them.
Aichi D3A "Val"
Somewhat amazingly, this crucial aircraft which was the hammer of the IJN carrier fleets and sunk more ships than any other (I think?) is hard to find as a model. I could only find some rather old or very expensive / foreign kits. This is doubly a pity because it's quite a beautiful design with lovely eliptical wings and so on. So it's interesting from a design perspective as well as important historically and known to be quite effective in spite of it's flaws. I'd love to hear what kits are available and see images of any nice ones you may have built, and I want to hear from model companies that they are going to make some new kits of this .
Bf 109F
Another key Axis aircraft in my mind, and I believe the most beloved by German pilots and clearly the best dogfighting variant of the famous Messerschmitt 109 series, the Bf 109F played a crucial role in 1941 through 1943 in North Africa and on the Russian Front. And yet it's very hard to find a kit! I found an F2 kit made by Zvezda, though it's a little odd when buying Luftwaffe kits from Eastern Europe because certain decals are omitted so you have to buy some aftermarket decals which can get expensive. There is a kit around for Hans Joachim Marseille but I'd really like to see some other kits for both 109F-2, and 109F-4
Bf 109G-2
Another crucial Luftwaffe mainstay, the G-2 may not have had the boost of the later G-6, but it was a very good dogfighter, loved by pilots and deadly to their opponents. But it's hard to find as a model. Same, incidentally for the G-4 which also shows up a lot in the combat reports in Mediterranean Air War and Black Star / Red Cross. Seems like most Bf 109 kits are for either the 109E or the G-6 and later. For some reason they just skip the mid-war years even though this was the most important period of the war!
Yak 1 and Yak 1B
Everyone knows this was the first home made Soviet fighter of the war that was able to start putting a dent in Luftwaffe ranks. The Yak 1 had a lot of production and build-quality problems in the early several months of production, but as issues were gradually worked out, and especially with the Yak-1B in October 1942, it became a truly world class fighter for it's particular (short range, tactical / low -altitude) niche. Even the early Yak though gave the Soviet pilots a fighting chance in the crucial and very, very difficult early years (or year and a half) of the war, and it's also a beautiful looking aircraft - yet, so hard to find models of this! The excellent Yak 3 is widely available, and you can find some Yak 9 kits (though not enough) but the Yak 1 is extremely rare. Why is that the case?
Yak 7
Similar to the Yak 1 described above, the Yak 7 was initially an even better design, as lengthening the airframe and simplifying the design somewhat actually improved flying characteristics to everyone's amazement. So far as I know this is the only aircraft ever designed as a trainer that became a successful front line air-superiority fighter. If there are others I'd like to know! I did find an East European kit of this plane and it came out beautiful in Winter colors.
LaGG-3
Ok not the best fighter, but neither was the MiG 3 and we see many kits of that. The LaGG-3 tends to get written off as the early models were overweight, badly underpowered and infamously plagued with build / manufacturing issues. This however was true for all newly designed Soviet fighters in the early war period, and eventually of course, the LaGG 3 led to the much hyped and popular La 5. However the LaGG-3 soldiered on, and it was one of the most widely used Soviet types through 1943. The later series aircraft had stronger engines, improved build quality and were actually pretty good (I know others may disagree) and many Soviet aces flew this type.
Pe-2
Another forgotten Soviet design which I think bears a second look. A bomber that goes 360 mph in 1941 is not something to be ignored! Especially one which can fight as a night fighter or a dive bomber! Yes the Pe-2 took heavy losses, but they happened to be up against some of the fastest fighters in the war. Imagine if the Japanese had had Pe 2's in the Pacific Theater in 1942, or if the RAF had them in the Med in the same year? Could have changed things (arguably). There is no arguing that it was a brilliant design, and I think this plane is comparable to a Ju 88, maybe better - and certainly better looking. But where is it in the model world? I did find a kit finally, and it came out very nice, but I'd like to see more options for this really neat plane. I'd also like to see more Tu-2 kits available.
Reggiane 2005
The whole Reggiane series is interesting and somewhat underrated. With big beautiful elliptical wings and a lovely overall shape, the Reggiane 2000 series fighters were a small but militarily significant part of the Mediterranean campaign if not really crucial to the war effort, and perhaps more importantly, the Reggiane was just a beautiful and excellent design, albiet with some flaws. The Re 2005 - with all the beauty of the early models married to a monster German engine and multiple 20mm cannon, was considered by some to be the best Axis prop fighter of the war. Maybe you agree with this, and maybe you don't, but surely this lovely aircraft deserves to be represented by more modeling companies. The only kits I could find were from RS and I'd had trouble with those before (my skill is only gradually ramping up) so I'd really like to see some other companies make one or more of these - Airfix, Eduard, Hasegawa, are you listening?
P-40F/L
The P-40 series is like the Bf 109 in that the early E version used in the very early days of the war is very hyped and widely available (also the B/C in the case of the P-40) and you see a fair number of the later war versions (N for the P-40) but the types most crucial in the mid-war period are strangely missing from Hobby shop shelves. The P-40F/L (nearly identical except for the number of wing guns) were the Merlin-Engined variants, identifiable by a lack of an airscoop on top of the engine and (except in the earliest models) by a lengthened fuselage. It may not be widely known that this model was the one which equipped most of the quite numerous USAAF Fighter Squadrons in the Med Theater (notably the 33rd, 57th, 79th, 315th and 325th FG as well as the 99FS of the Tuskegee Airmen), thanks to the Merlin it had a higher performance ceiling of 20K feet, and thanks Mediterranean Air War Volume III, we can now see that they did quite well against their Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica opponents. This alone should make this fighter popular in the American market! They also equipped two of the most elite Commonwealth squadrons (260 RAF and 3 RAAF) as the Kittyhawk II during crucial months of 1942 and 1943, and were flown by at least ten double aces. And yet I could only find an East European kit for this which I ordered online. Came out great but I'd really like to see more options especially for the Med Theater versions (it was also used in the Pacific).
P-40K
The other main late-war P-40 variant, the P-40K was mostly known for a large tail fin. It had an Allison Engine but one which at maximum boost could reach ~1,500 horsepower at the optimum altitude. It was very important for the CBI Theater, was widely used in the Med by both American and RAF / Commonwealth pilots, and was also an important type for the Russians, flown by no less than three HSU recipients and quadrouple-aces. And yet this type is even harder to find on Hobby shop shelves than the P-40F/L. Why!?
Thoughts are welcome of course. I'm a long time aviation enthusiast but still cutting my teeth on modern model-making techniques.
S
* I have nothing against buying models from foreign countries and I do not mean that as a pejorative, I love Airfix, some of the best kits I have found are Japanese or Czech made and I also really like some of the Zvezda kits I've acquired. I only mean that some foreign kits are rare in American hobby shops.
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