B-17 Centurion artwork and new Vampire exclusives
Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.
What Airfix delights do we have for you in this latest edition? We begin by looking at the latest release from a recently tooled kit which is already a firm favourite with modellers the world over, not only because it is an incredibly accurate model, but also because it is a scale representation of one of the most famous fighting machines of the Second World War, the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress. To mark the next release from a tooling which we first announced the development of in just the fourth edition of our blog back in 2015, we will be bringing you our latest box artwork reveal exclusive, before going on to look at the details behind the two scheme options which will be included in the kit.
We follow this up with yet another exclusive, this time concerning one of the new model tooling announcements made at the beginning of this year, our impressive 1/48th scale de Havilland Vampire F.3. We are delighted to be in a position to bring you a first look at the test shot components from a model which is surely destined to become a firm favourite with classic jet fans in the months and years to come. We announce the lucky winner of our recent 150th edition competition and review the artwork selection which formed the basis of this feature, seeing which one proved to be the most popular, as voted for by Workbench readers. Finally, we bring you a report from the recent repatriation of a rather famous Hawker Hunter, one which used to stand guard outside the former Humbrol factory site in Hull and one which will soon stand guard over Airfix and Hornby Hobbies employees once more. Another feature packed edition awaits, so let’s make a start right away.
A sky full of guns
An exclusive first look at the artwork we have produced to grace the box front of the latest release from our 1/72nd scale Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress kit, artwork which features the combat mission centurion ‘Milk Wagon’
An aircraft which arguably came to represent American industrial prowess during the Second World War more effectively than any other, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was designed to dominate the sky, not only to pound its enemy into submission under a carpet of bombs, but also by destroying any aircraft reckless enough to challenge it, bringing the withering firepower of its defensive armament to bear against them. Undoubtedly an impressive looking aircraft in its own right, the B-17 entered WWII with something of a reputation to live up to, one of the most advanced heavy bombers currently in service and one which the Americans claimed was more than capable of looking after itself in a combat situation.
The B-17 project began in the mid 1930s, as the Boeing company decided to tender a design for a new multi-engined bomber for the USAAC, one which was required to have a useful bomb load, but one which also had to possess both range and endurance. Initially developed without financial assistance from the government, the new Boeing bomber eventually competed in a fly-off against rival designs from Douglas and Martin, a contest it was clearly well placed to win, but one which it was destined not to complete, following the crash of the prototype aircraft. Nevertheless, the potential shown by the aircraft during the programme would ultimately result in further development and the eventual introduction of a classic fighting aeroplane.
The name ‘Flying Fortress’ was thought to have been given to the new bomber by a Seattle based journalist, who had been invited to the recently opened Boeing factory airfield site to see their gleaming new bomber aircraft, prior to undertaking its maiden flight. Looking at the massive aircraft he was struck by the number of machine guns protruding from the bomber and in his article for The Seattle Times, described the aviation behemoth as being a ’15 ton Flying Fortress’. When reading the article following publication, Boeing officials must have been impressed by this description, as they immediately had the words Flying Fortress trademarked for future use, although at that time they could have no idea just how successful their aircraft would become. Following the crash of the prototype Model 299 during the trials programme, military officials placed an order for 133 of the rival Douglas B-18 Bolo twin engined bomber, however, the Boeing aircraft did make a lasting impression on those who saw it fly and further development was authorised as the clouds of war gathered across the Atlantic.
By the end of 1942, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress had matured into one of the world’s most effective heavy bombers, with further development following evaluation of its combat performance only serving to increase its operational effectiveness. Without doubt, the definitive version of the Flying Fortress was the ‘G’ model, with this final mass-produced variant of the bomber being manufactured greater numbers than all previous versions combined. In a concerted attempt to address all the operational shortcomings of previous combat variants, the B-17G incorporated numerous significant improvements, all of which were intended to improve general serviceability, bombing accuracy and aircraft survivability. With the experiences of combat crews leading directly to many of these improvements, the G model would see the introduction of the distinctive Bendix chin turret forward armament and staggered nose and waist gunner’s positions, with the waist gunners also now benefitting from enclosed windows.
The profile of one of the most famous warplanes of the Second World War, an aircraft which was bristling with guns and tasked with undertaking daylight bombing missions deep into German territory
During the frenetic aerial combat with the Luftwaffe in earlier versions of the B-17, waist gunners could often obstruct each other during the fighting, as the gun positions were directly opposite each other. Whilst fighting back-to-back with your crewmate did provide some much needed resolve during the heat of battle, it did result in the possibility of getting in each other’s way during the fighting and even missing the shot at a vital moment. Crews reported a number of occasions when this design feature almost led to disaster, so the majority of G models featured staggered waist gun positions, in addition to the inclusion of windows in these positions for the first time. Although their missions would certainly be no less dangerous in the future, these two design improvements must have made the gunners working environment a little more bearable, at least until the fighting started. The final ‘visible’ improvement came with the adoption of the ‘Cheyenne tail’, a much more capable defensive firing position at the rear of the aircraft and one which gave the Fortress a rather different profile from the ‘Stinger’ unit which featured on earlier versions of the bomber.
Ultimately, 12,731 of this magnificent aircraft would be manufactured in three major production variants, making the B-17 the second most heavily produced four engined heavy bomber of the Second World War, only beaten into this position by its fighting stablemate, the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
The association between Airfix and the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress goes all the way back to 1962 and the first release of a 1/72nd scale kit version of this famous aircraft, a kit which featured the relatively basic box artwork which was prevalent at that time. Just two years later however, the involvement of an Airfix legend transformed this kit into one of the most popular in our range and possibly one of the most famous in the entire hobby, as Roy Cross produced his ‘A BIT O’ LACE’ masterpiece, artwork which simply demanded that this model had to be made by all modellers, both young and old. Since that date, the Airfix B-17 has always been one of our most popular kits and therefore one which had to be considered for updating to modern standards. That new tooling work started in 2015 and we were allowed to bring Workbench readers news of its existence in just the fourth edition of our blog. The first kit to be produced from this tooling was released the following year and this next impending release will now be the fourth to feature this beautiful new model - let’s take a closer look at the two new schemes which will be included.
Scheme A - Boeing B-17G-70-BO Flying Fortress 43-37756 ‘Milk Wagon’, 708th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, United States Army Air Force, Rattlesden, Suffolk, England 1945.
For modellers, aviation enthusiasts and historians the world over, the operations of the USAAF Eighth Air Force during the Second World War is an enduring source of fascination and one which continues to attract new devotees and updated research material with each passing year. The thought of sleepy English villages and existing RAF airfields becoming Americanised almost overnight, is something which continues to hold us captivated to this day and will only increase further with the release of the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks produced ‘Masters of the Air’ mini-series, which is currently in filming. With the British people having already been at war for over two years, the arrival of thousands of US servicemen with their aircraft, vehicles and support machinery must have been a fascinating development, not to mention the fact that this logistical challenge of unimaginable complexity was being carried out during wartime conditions. The Yanks being ‘over here’ wasn’t without its problems, however, with the weight of America’s industrial might behind them, her brave servicemen would help to turn the tide of war in favour of the Allies and this friendly clash of cultures would help to create a unique bond which endures to this day.
With the British public more accustomed to seeing (or more accurately hearing) the Wellingtons, Stirlings and Lancasters of Bomber Command flying operations by night, the arrival of Flying Fortresses and Liberators operating during daylight hours soon made the sight of American bombers commonplace around Britain and heralded the beginning of a round the clock bombing campaign aimed at pummelling Germany into submission. With these operations taking place during daylight hours, the public would also have seen evidence of the ferocious opposition these aircraft and their brave crews were facing over occupied Europe, as 8th Air Force bombers often limped back to their bases having suffered significant battle damage, only to be patched up by hard working ground trades and sent to fight again. Indeed, the professionalism and ingenuity of the ground crews played a major role in the air war during WWII and much was owed to this relatively unsung band of men.
Established as a heavy bomber unit on 1st May 1943, the 708th Bomb Squadron was one of four original squadrons which made up the 447th Bombardment Group. Operating the B-17 Flying Fortress, the unit was initially intended to serve as an operational training unit, however, by October 1943 when the unit had reached full strength, things had changed and they were selected for immediate overseas deployment, joining the savage aerial battles which were taking place over German occupied Europe. With ground personnel travelling to Britain aboard an ocean liner the following month, the unit’s aircraft were flown to their new base at Rattlesden in Suffolk via the southern ferry route, with reports suggesting that all aircraft made this challenging journey unscathed.
Full scheme details for this stunningly presented Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
The airfield at Rattlesden was constructed for American use during 1942 and was classified as an A standard airfield. With three concrete runways and 50 dispersed aircraft hardstandings, it was initially intended for use by twin engined Martin B-26 Marauder bombers, but when it was later felt that these aircraft would be better suited flying from bases further south, Rattlesden became home for the soon to arrive B-17s of the 447th Bombardment Group. The first bombing mission undertaken by aircraft of the 447th took place on Christmas Eve 1943, when their B-17s were sent to flatten a suspected V-1 flying bomb site near Saint Omer, a mission which would set the tone for a busy few months to come. Fully committed to the campaign in preparation for D-Day, the 447th would be sent against targets such as airfields, rail marshalling yards, suspected rocket sites, submarine pens and naval installations across France, Belgium and into Germany itself, interspersed with joining other units in concentrated attacks against city targets. On D-Day itself, the unit bombed the beachhead sectors in advance of the landings, following pathfinder aircraft for target identification.
The weeks following D-Day saw no let up in mission activity for the Fortresses of the 447th, as they undertook almost daily missions in support numerous strategic objectives, which included the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Varsity. They flew their final combat mission on 21st April 1945, targeting a marshalling yard at Ingolstadt in Germany and by the summer of the same year, all serviceable aircraft were flown back to the US, where the 708th Bomb Squadron was inactivated on 7th November 1945.
One of the most enduring features of US air operations from Britain during the Second World War was their use of nose artwork to adorn many of their combat aircraft, a practice which was generally frowned upon by RAF hierarchy, but seemingly ignored by their American counterparts. The adoption of nose artwork is thought to have taken many forms, from being a good luck charm for the crew or highly visible warning to enemy fighter pilots to leave them alone, if they know what’s good for them. They could also have been a simple reminder of home, which must have seemed such a long way away during the savage air fighting at this stage of the war. Whatever the reason for applying it, the practice ensured that some of these aircraft and the men who flew them, will be remembered for generations to come.
Boeing B-17G-70-BO serial number 43-37756 was built at Boeing’s Seattle factory in the early spring of 1944 and delivered to the USAAF at Dow Field, Maine on 18th May the same year. She was assigned to the 708th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bomb Group and later flown to Rattlesden in England, where she would join the rest of her unit already engaged in combat. Flying her first combat mission on 20th June 1944, she would be in the air again the following day, this time on a raid to the Big One - Berlin, in the hands of a different crew. This crew had recently transferred to Rattlesden from the 15th Air Force, flying bombing missions from bases in Italy. As this was quite unusual for base personnel, on landing back following the Berlin mission, they were asked by members of the ground crew how it compared to flying missions from the opposite side of Europe and they replied that it was like a ‘Milk Run’, obviously a little tongue in cheek, as this was a colloquialism for a mission which was without incident and one which incurred no casualties.
Another opportunity for us to show the new box artwork produced for this 2021 kit release, one which features ‘Milk Run’ during one of her late war bombing missions
This off the cuff remark would stay with this particular Flying Fortress from that point onwards and 43-37756 would later benefit from the addition of some impressive and rather unique artwork. She would be adorned with a friendly looking cartoon cow and the words Milk and Wagon painted either side of it. For every successful mission flown, a new milk bottle would be added to the scoreboard on the portside nose of the bomber, with the white bottles being painted over a black background, so they could be more easily seen. If the addition of this nose artwork was intended to bring the crew luck, then this was a shrewd move, as ‘Milk Wagon’ was definitely seen as being a lucky ship. She would eventually set a record for a Fortress in the 447th Bomb Group, as she racked up no fewer than 129 missions without suffering a single abort due to mechanical issues, testament not only to the strength of the B-17, but also the ground crews who kept her in the air.
Following the end of hostilities, Milk Wagon was flown back to the US and despite her impressive war record and nose artwork, was sent to Kingman Storage Depot 41 in the Arizona desert for scrapping, a fate which awaited so many former wartime military aircraft.
Scheme B - Boeing B-17G-95-BO Flying Fortress 43-38728 ‘$5 with Breakfast, 851st Bomb Squadron, 490th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, United States Army Air Force, Eye Airfield, Suffolk, England 1945.
Flying from bases in East Anglia and across the south of England, the US Eighth Air Force flew their mighty bombers deep into enemy occupied Europe and pounded strategic targets during daylight hours, the start of a round the clock Allied bombing campaign. Initially, they could not rely on the protection of fighter cover for the entire duration of their mission, particularly when that mission took them deep into enemy territory, leaving heavy bomber crews to fend for themselves, using planned box formations and the concentrated firepower of every aircraft to fend off or destroy large numbers of Luftwaffe fighters, which attacked them in waves. It is difficult to imagine just how frightening those missions must have been for the bomber crews with an average age less than 25 years old, with swarms of enemy fighters making repeated and determined attacks against the mighty US bomber streams, only breaking off the attack when the murderous flak barrage took over. With explosions and enemy fire all around them, they had to hold formation and attempt to accurately bomb their target, knowing that if they failed, they, or their comrades would only have to come back and run this terrifying gauntlet again. Although few would speak of such matters, each crew member only had a 50% chance of surviving the war and of the 12,732 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses built, 4,750 would be lost, a savage attrition rate of over 37%.
The 490th Bombardment Group was activated at Salt Lake City Army Air Base on 1st October 1943 comprising for four squadrons, the 848th, 849th, 850th and 851st. Moving to Mountain Home Army Airfield in Idaho later that same year, the group began training with the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, in the knowledge that they were destined to be sent overseas and fly combat missions against the Luftwaffe from bases in England. Following the completion of an intense period of training, ground and support personnel sailed for Britain aboard the SS Nieuw Amsterdam, whilst their aircraft embarked on the long ferry flight using the Southern Route, starting their journey on 12th April 1944. Their destination was the military airfield at Eye in Suffolk, one which had been built by US Army Engineering units during 1943 and one which was constructed to less demanding standards than a Class A airfield. The facilities at Eye included the retention of a local service road, meaning that when aircraft were being moved from their hardstandings, local traffic needed to be stopped.
The Liberators of the 851st Bomb Squadron arrived at Eye on 28th April 1944 and immediately began their familiarisation sorties, before embarking on their first combat mission on 31st May. These first sorties were very much in support of D-Day preparations and targeted coastal defences and infrastructure in the Normandy region. Following the landings themselves, the unit flew close air support missions for Allied forces engaged with German opposition, helping to dislodge areas of stubborn resistance. On 6th August, the unit was withdrawn from combat operations to allow conversion to the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, once again flying from their home base at Eye. The first combat mission using the B-17 took place at the end of August, as the aircraft now joined the main strategic bombing campaign, attacking targets such as oil refineries, airfields and manufacturing facilities across the Reich. On one particularly costly raid, the Eye based squadrons took part in a mission to attack the port city of Emden, when they came under concerted attack from rocket firing Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Me 210 twin engined heavy fighters. Tragically, at least 17 Flying Fortresses were lost in just a matter of minutes during this raid.
More Airfix artwork goodness, this time showing a representation of a scheme which must have been commonplace on USAAF airfields right across the East Anglia region during WWII
By the time the 851st Bomb Squadron began training on the B-17, the new bombers arriving in the country had shed the olive drab and grey camouflage of their predecessors and were being delivered in gleaming natural metal and often sporting large areas of bright squadron colours. Even though there was no let up in the number of combat missions which needed to be flown, crews were still keen to adorn their aircraft with names and nose artwork and anyone possessing any artistic talent at Eye airfield was in high demand with crews. Boeing B-17G 43-38728 only arrived at the airfield on 19th October 1944, but as the pace of operational flying was as busy as ever, she was immediately pressed into service, although the actual number of sorties she took part in is not known. The bomber was to gain some rather notorious and quite risqué nose artwork whilst at Eye and how it managed to evade the attentions of military sensors is again unknown. It was often the case that nose artwork featured women many would describe as pin-ups, however, when these works crossed the boundaries of decency, crews were instructed to cover up their ladies, by painting on clothing, or simply painting over the offending areas. This particular bomber was definitely pushing these boundaries, but appeared to avoid coming under the decency microscope.
The name carried by the bomber is linked to the risqué nature of the artwork and refers to a popular off base activity for airmen of all nations during the war, but that is enough about that subject! The ladies they were refering to here were known as ‘Piccadilly Commandos’ and clearly had quite a following amongst the US airmen based in East Anglia. Although it is not known how many combat missions this aircraft actually flew, she did survive the war, returning to the US on 9th July 1945, only to be scrapped at Kingman Storage Depot.
As the operations of USAAF B-17 bombers from British bases during WWII continues to be a popular modelling subject, this latest release from our Flying Fortress tooling will surely prove to be a welcome addition to the 2021 range, with both of these scheme options having a fascinating story behind them. Once completed, the model would look magnificent when displayed with our 8th Air Force bomber re-supply set, a scale simulation of a bomber about to set off on its latest strike mission. Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress A08017B is still on track for an early September release, however, should that change, we will bring you an update in a forthcoming addition of the blog.
New Vampire advances to test shot stage
For modelling enthusiasts everywhere, the announcement of any new Airfix range at the start of each new year allows them to inspect the latest crop of new tooling projects which will be joining the range later in the year and continuing the Airfix story. With our usual practice of updating ageing toolings and introducing new subjects, everyone will be hoping that one of their particular favourites make it into the current range, but if not, there is always next year’s range to look forward to. Whilst inspecting this year’s new tooling offerings, many Workbench readers would have been delighted to see the announcement of our beautiful de Havilland Vampire in 1/48th scale, another classic jet in this slightly larger scale and one which occupies a significant position in the history of British and indeed world aviation.
The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited were responsible for designing and manufacturing several of the most important aircraft of the 20th century, such as the pre-war Tiger Moth and the war-winning Mosquito, and were at the forefront of aviation technological innovation during that time. With the Mosquito not only utilising cutting edge manufacturing techniques, it also proved to be one of the most versatile and fastest aircraft of WWII, an aircraft which was given priority production status by the Air Ministry and one which made a huge contribution to the eventual Allied victory.
With impressive aviation credentials such as these, it’s no wonder that the de Havilland Company were asked to turn their attentions to working on a new type of propulsion technology, one which was capable of powering a new generation of high speed fighter aircraft, but one which was reliable enough for relatively trouble free operation in squadron service. Entrusted to the brilliant mind of engine designer Frank Halford, he was determined that his jet engine would be less complicated and of simpler design than the one being developed by his rival, Frank Whittle and he was ready to test his engine by April 1942. Showing great promise and producing at least the desired level of thrust, the only thing left to do now was to see how it performed in the air.
At a time when jet engine technology was still very much in its infancy and these early engines were both a little lacking in power and slow to respond to power input commands, de Havilland’s decision to produce their first jet aircraft as a single engined design was a brave one to say the least and placed great faith in the performance of their new jet engine. The diminutive new aircraft was initially designated de Havilland DH.100 ‘Spider Crab’, with this codename used to mask the highly secret nature of the aircraft’s development. Constructed around the new de Havilland Goblin 1 turbojet, the aircraft featured a relatively short, egg shaped fuselage nacelle and employed a unique twin-boom tail configuration for control stability which allowed the engine’s thrust to egress directly from the central fuselage. With a requirement to take the pressure off the wartime aviation industry, this experimental aircraft had to be constructed of both wood and metal and it is interesting to note that the majority of the fuselage employed the same laminated plywood/balsa construction the company had perfected during Mosquito production.
The de Havilland Vampire may have been Britain’s second jet fighter to enter service, it was an exceptionally capable aeroplane and one which could claim an impressive number of aviation records to its name
Unfortunately for the de Havilland team working on the new jet, their Mosquito was proving to be such a war winner that this experimental project was deemed of lesser importance than producing the tried and trusted Mosquito, which was probably the right decision for Britain’s war effort at that time. Nevertheless, rubbing salt into this aviation wound, the first flight of the new jet would be further delayed for a rather incredulous reason - the only serviceable de Havilland jet engine was ordered to be sent to America to help with the advancement of their own competitor jet powered project. Mosquito production priority and a series of unforeseen delays eventually dictated that the Gloster Meteor’s development outpaced that of its single engined de Havilland jet, with the Meteor going on to take the honour of being Britain’s first jet aircraft to enter service and indeed, the only Allied jet of the Second World War.
Making its first flight on 20th September 1943, de Havilland DH.100 ‘Spider Crab’ LZ548/G took off from the company’s Hatfield airfield in the hands of chief test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. Interestingly, the ‘G’ used in the identification code highlights the secret nature of the project and required that the aircraft must be guarded at all times whilst on the ground. Impressing right from the outset, an order was almost immediately placed for the diminutive new jet fighter, but as de Havilland’s manufacturing capacity was fully committed to existing wartime production, these first Vampire jets would actually be manufactured and test flown by English Electric at their Samlesbury facility, near Preston in Lancashire.
Although our new 1/48th scale de Havilland Vampire tooling was announced at the beginning of the year, it was not until edition 145 of our blog that we had the opportunity to speak to the designer of this stunning new model and ask Tom to give us an insight into the project. To that end, we have already seen how he started immortalising this historic aircraft as a scale plastic kit, including how he scanned a preserved example at the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection in Oslo and how he used this scan data at the start of his CAD design work. He kindly guided us through the design phase of the project and how these files were also used to produce rendered images of the design which give some idea of what the finished model will look like, whilst at the same time allowing our marketing team access to images for use on the product web-page and for catalogue inclusion. We are delighted to confirm that we now have more information for you.
We are pleased to bring Workbench readers this first look at the component frames Tom produced for his new Vampire tooling. Although still in the development stage, you can see how Tom has cleverly designed the parts and how they will go together to produce a stunning scale representation of this diminutive fighter jet
Marking the latest stage in the development of this significant addition to the Airfix kit range, we are pleased to be able to give Workbench readers an exclusive look at the first test frames produced from this tooling, an indication that the new Vampire is nicely on track and advancing towards release later in the year. The receipt of these frames will have been an exciting development for Tom and the start of a feverish period of inspection and evaluation for him, as he checks that the tooling work has represented the detail he incorporated into his design correctly. Please be aware that these images show frame sample which are still very much in the development stage and by the time we are all admiring them, Tom may well have already initiated some improvements to the tooling design.
The next stage of this new model’s development will be the sight of test build sections and a full kit build, when we will once again speak with Tom to find out how he has approached this vital stage of his new Vampire’s development. For now though, this delightful new kit is still scheduled for a late Autumn release and your example of the new 1/48th scale de Havilland Vampire F.3 can be pre-ordered on the Airfix website now.
Airfix Artwork competition winner
To mark the recent publication of the 150th edition of our Airfix blog, we gave Workbench readers the opportunity to enter a competition which was based around an iconic feature of the Airfix modelling experience, our box artwork images. With an attractive prize up for grabs for our lucky winner, we were offering a £150 credit spend to be used on the Airfix website, in addition to a unique piece of Airfix memorabilia - a print of the artwork which graced the box our A06019 McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 XV582 ‘Black Mike’ kit. Making this a little bit special, the artwork will be signed by all the current Airfix team, making this a fascinating snapshot in the history of the Airfix brand, whilst also marking this significant production milestone for our Workbench blog.
The competition centred around readers emailing us with their favourite piece of artwork from a selection of eight different examples and we are delighted to report that several thousand entries came flooding in to our mail servers, much to the annoyance of our IT department. We are so grateful to everyone who took the time to get involved, but we should have known that our fabulously supportive readership would respond in such a way. Before we announce our lucky winner, let’s take a look at how the individual images fared in the popularity stakes.
We are delighted to say that every piece of artwork received votes, however, there were three which consistently received more votes than the others and at various stages during the scoring procedure, each one spent time at the head of this particular artwork race - we wonder if you can guess which three are the ones we are talking about? In eight place, surprisingly attracting just 4% of the votes, was image E - the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter which is pictured infiltrating a US bomber stream during the latter stages of the war. In seventh place, image G, the Sea King Commando fared a little better, managing to secure 5% of the votes received and obviously appealing to our rotary fans. In Sixth place, we have a real stunner of an image and one which encouraged entrants to add a little context to their selection, describing this as a delightful artistic interpretation of the thrill of flying, up in the realm of the gods, without a care in the world. The RAF Jet Provost image secured 7% of the votes received.
This stunning ‘Black Mike’ Phantom artwork forms part of our prize haul awaiting our 150th edition competition winner, a print of which will be signed by the current members of the Airfix design, development and marketing teams
In fifth position with 10% of the votes cast, image C features a representation of an aerial contest which took place during the final months of the Second World War and the day when USAAF pilot Urban Drew and his P-51D Mustang ‘Detroit Miss’ dispatched two Me 262 jet fighters during the same mission. Our fourth place box artwork as voted for by Workbench readers was image D, the Curtiss P-40B which is seen taking off from a US Army Airfield on Oahu during the Japanese attack against military facilities at Pearl Harbor, rather poignant, as this coming December will mark the 80th anniversary of this infamous raid. The Warhawk managed to attract 11% of the votes.
Attracting 18% of votes cast, the first artwork produced for the release of our new Boeing B-17G tooling came in third place
A close run thing, this stunning Royal Navy Phantom artwork was a popular choice with readers and was only beaten into second place by a ‘Tin Triangle’
Now on to our top three - did you guess correctly? In third place with 18% of the votes we have a real modern classic, one which pays homage to the classic artwork of an Airfix legend and one which is linked to the lead feature in this latest edition of our blog. When Adam Tooby started work on this stunning Boeing B-17G artwork for the first release from our newly tooled kit of this aircraft, he was determined that anyone familiar with the classic original from the 1960s onwards would spot clear similarities, as this new kit took its place as one of the most important new kits in the Airfix range, one which has gone on to earn many modelling awards and industry accolades. As stated previously, the voting seemed to come in waves and at several points during the counting, the Flying Fortress was out in the lead. Alas despite its undoubted appeal, the B17 was beaten into third place by two Airfix box artwork heavyweights.
Taking the runner-up spot in a competition which captured the imagination of so many readers was our Royal Navy Phantom FG.1 artwork, an image which not only captures the power and stunning colour scheme of one of the Royal Navy’s most capable fleet defenders, but also one which also has to be considered one of the most exciting aircraft to see post war British service. With the aircraft reared up on its extended nose oleo, with full afterburners engaged and steam from the catapult shrouding the aircraft, could there be a more iconic image to illustrate the British lineage of this American aviation classic? Well, obviously in the context of this competition, there is one, but our runner up is a beautiful image and one which managed to capture 20% of the total vote count.
A worthy winner, this evocative Avro Vulcan B.2 artwork emerged victorious in our 150th edition competition with an impressive 25% of all votes cast
This brings us to our winner and from a percentage voting perspective, one which eventually won by some distance. Readers may think that as the model which benefited from this artwork production has just been released over the past few days that this might be something of a fix, however, we promise you that this is not the case and this was just a fortuitous coincidence. Capturing 25% of the total vote, our winning box artwork image proved to be our Avro Vulcan B.2, an image which heralds the arrival of a new tooling project, one which was the most heavily requested addition to the range by Airfix fans over the past few years. The Vulcan was a proud achievement for Britain’s aviation industry and one which was viewed with great affection by enthusiasts and the general public alike, even when just one solitary example remained on the UK Airshow circuit. Reflecting the popularity of the aircraft and perhaps the fact that this new kit is being delivered to those who pre-ordered it as we speak, many will think that it’s not surprising that the Vulcan emerged as our winner, but as it is a beautiful piece of artwork, it must surely be considered a worthy winner.
We would once again like to thank everyone who helped us celebrate the 150th edition of our blog by making this competition such a success and for sending in your entries, even though from a competition perspective, we did ask you to do a little more work than usual in placing your entry. We look forward to producing the next 150 editions and keeping our readers updated with all the latest Airfix modelling exclusives. Are we forgetting something? ….. Oh yes, our winner. We are pleased to announce that the winner of our Workbench 150th anniversary competition is Frazer Stuart. A member of our team will be in touch soon to discuss the delivery of your prizes and whilst your website spend credit will be available almost immediately, the signed print may take us a little longer to organise. Thanks again to everyone who took part and congratulations to Frazer.
“It’s Coming Home!”
Hawker Hunter XF509 at her Fort Paull home, pictured on the day of the pre-move inspection visit
Ok, we may be guilty of letting the current UEFA European Football Championships get to us a little with this particular title, but it really does seem to be rather appropriate in this case. Over recent months, anyone with an interest in Airfix and the company’s history will possibly be aware of an interesting development which has seen a preserved RAF aircraft being linked with the brand once more. Hawker Hunter F.6 XF509 was being auctioned at Fort Paull in Hull, as this former Napoleonic Fortress museum site had closed its doors and was facing something of an uncertain future. At the auction, our CEO Lyndon Davies decided to bid for the Hunter, as he was aware of the aircraft’s history - it once stood guard outside the old Humbrol factory on Hedon Road, Marfleet in Hull. Thinking it was about time this aircraft came back under the Airfix/Hornby Hobbies wing and received a little TLC after decades displayed out in the open air, Lyndon joined the bidding for the aircraft and was ultimately successful. The only thing he had to do now was to arrange for its transportation from its home at Fort Paull back to our Margate factory site. Let’s take a look at the history of a former RAF jet which has such meaning to everyone linked to Airfix.
Although regarded as one of the most successful post war British fighter aircraft, many Hawker Hunter F.6 aircraft would also enjoy successful careers in a flight training role, with a significant number of these jets being assigned to No.4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley, on the island of Anglesey. The Hunters shared the airfield with the Folland Gnats which performed a similar role, however, the Hunters operated as a separate unit, with facilities on the opposite side of the airfield from the ones used by the Gnats and their aircrews. Despite the Gnat being the main RAF training aircraft of the day, many aircrew actually felt that the Hunter was eminently better suited to performing this task for a number of reasons, not least of which was the fact that the diminutive Gnat had a tiny cockpit, one which had a direct impact on the stature of the students able to fly them safely. Officially, the Hunters were to be used for the training of the many overseas students passing through RAF Valley at that time, however, RAF student pilots who were too tall to squeeze themselves into the cockpit of the Gnat also found the Hunter much more accommodating to their particular requirements. Indeed, many pilots would actively try to ‘engineer’ their acceptance on a Hunter course, which soon became a highly prized opportunity within the Royal Air Force training programme.
During her time serving at RAF Valley, XF509 would have worn the scheme offered in the recently released 1/48th scale Airfix kit of this aircraft, which features standard RAF camouflage, with distinctive ‘white ball 73’ identification markings on each side of her nose and tail. By 1973, the aircraft had been repainted into the famous high visibility red, white and grey training scheme adopted by the RAF and during the recent move inspection visit to Fort Paull where the aircraft resided until recently, the removal of panels and ammunition link collection boxes revealed some areas of the aircraft’s fuselage which was still wearing this red paint.
As was the case with many Hawker Hunter airframes, XF509 would go on to have a long and varied flying career. Joining the Royal Air Force in 1957 with No.54 Squadron, it went on the serve with the Air Fighting Development Squadron and the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Bedford, as well as spending time as a chase aircraft with BAC at Filton. It finally arrived at RAF Valley and No.4 FTS to begin a significant period in a flight training role, before ending its RAF service as a plinth mounted gate guardian at RAF Chivenor.
This next series of images have all been taken during the past few weeks and chart the project to move Hawker Hunter F.6 XF509 from her home at Hull’s Fort Paull down to a new home with the Airfix and Hornby Hobbies staff to whom she means so much. Here she is pictured with the last surviving Blackburn Beverley transport aircraft in the background
The weather could hardly have been more different for lift day, however, this historic image shows the moment the Hunter finally left her plinth for the first time in many years, feeling the wind beneath her wings, the start of an exciting future for the aircraft
With the aircraft safely secured on the back of a flatbed trailer, it was time to remove her wings for the journey south
The closure of RAF Chivenor saw a rather unusual new assignment for XF509, as she was purchased by the owners of the Airfix/Humbrol company and moved to their factory site in Hull, to serve as a rather impressive ‘Factory Guardian’. Once again plinth mounted, she became a much-loved local landmark in the Humberside region, displayed on the same plinth on which it had been mounted at RAF Chivenor, in dramatic flight configuration and showing of the beautifully clean lines of this classic British aeroplane. Unfortunately, difficulties experienced by Airfix soon after and the eventual closure of the Hull site saw the Hunter falling into disrepair and even suffering at the hands of local vandals, an extremely sad sight for anyone who had seen the aircraft resplendent in her former glory. Thankfully, the aircraft was rescued in the mid 2000s and transported to the nearby Fort Paull Museum, where it received some much needed TLC and a new coat of paint - she was also once again mounted on her former RAF Chivenor display plinth, one of a number of fascinating former military exhibits.
With the recent closure of the Fort Paull site and the Hunter’s acquisition by our CEO, the race was on to move the aircraft from Hull down to Kent, whilst we still had access to the site. The first stage in this process was to have a team of specialist aircraft dismantlers and transporters assess the aircraft in advance of the move, not only checking the condition of the aircraft, but also ensuring she could come apart as required. Once they had completed this work, a date for the move could be set, where this highly professional team could move the aircraft quickly and efficiently, leaving little trace of her ever being resident at Fort Paull. Having been present during inspection day, we were also lucky enough to be allowed to watch the move itself, an operation which was scheduled for Thursday 17th June. As you can see from the pictures used to illustrate this feature, the two days could hardly have been more different from a weather perspective, with the inspection taking place under glorious clear blue skies, but moving day having to endure grey skies and persistent rain.
Saying goodbye to Fort Paull for the final time, Hunter XF509 would be leaving Humberside for the first time in over 20 years
On her arrival at Manston Airport, it appears that she had brought the northern weather with her. Thankfully, she would be heading indoors for the re-assembly operation
It was fascinating to watch the move process and to see how the team not only needed specialist equipment for the job, but also a collection of tools specifically produced for the removal of Hunter wings - this kind of work can only be undertaken by specialists, especially if you intend to put your aircraft back together again. The Hunter did prove rather reluctant to lift from her display plinth, as it really did seem as if she was none too pleased about being moved from her picturesque surroundings and leave an area which had been her home for over 20 years. Finally, she loosened her grip and the crane lifted her into the air, the first time she had felt the wind beneath her wings for the first time in over 13 years.
Once the aircraft was off the plinth, she was loaded onto one of two flatbed trailers and secured, before the wings were removed and loaded onto a second trailer, with all this taking place in a remarkably short space of time. In very short order, the trucks were leaving Fort Paull and making their way south, with a slight change in the plans from those we had been expecting. Early the following morning, Hunter XF509 arrived at Manston airfield, which is just 3 miles form our headquarters, where she was unloaded, re-assembled and left in the care of the good people at the RAF Manston History Museum. We don’t have any further information on where she will be displayed in the future, but as soon as we receive confirmation, we will bring readers an update on the situation.
Back together and about to be placed on her main undercarriage, something which had not happened for several decades. Her immediate future will be under the care of the committed volunteers at the RAF Manston History Museum
So as you can see, the former Airfix/Humbrol Hawker Hunter has come home, or at least she is in the same county as our current headquarters and only 3 miles away …. that’s certainly close enough for us!
We are afraid that’s all we have for you in this latest edition of Workbench, which we hope you found an enjoyable read. As always, if you have any suggestions for particular subjects you would like to see covered in a future edition, please do drop us a quick line, using this workbench@airfix.com link to contact us.
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