Beamont’s Beast and unlikely aviation siblings

Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.

From a blog writer’s perspective, the wonderful world of Airfix is a subject rich gift which just keeps on giving and even when we approach the end of a year and the new development update information is thinning out somewhat, we still have so much interesting modelling content to work with. In this latest edition, we mark the website debut of the stunning box artwork which is linked to one of our new 2021 tooling projects, as we look once again at the Hawker Tempest V, an aircraft which has to be considered as one of the most potent single engined fighter aircraft of the Second World War.

We will be following this with a slightly unusual feature, where we take two built sample models of recent 1/48th scale releases and use them to highlight the unlikely aviation relationship between two very different looking aeroplanes from WWII. Both were designed and built by the same famous aviation company and whilst their respective first flights were less than three years apart, we ask the question, could two related aircraft look more different? As we are currently celebrating Black History Month, we couldn’t think of a more appropriate blog feature than to look at a current model release which is a representation of a fighter which flew with the inspirational Tuskegee Airmen and the proud wartime record this group could boast, before finally throwing the blog open to one of our talented readers, in now time honoured fashion. 

It’s time to start the weekend off in fine style, with your latest instalment of Airfix goodness.

‘Super Hurricane’ realized

This stunning box artwork really does portray a sense of the power and majesty of the Hawker Tempest V, one of the most potent piston engined fighter aircraft of the Second World War. It will certainly have us reaching for this kit off the model shop shelves following this new model’s release.

Although the Supermarine Spitfire is usually lauded as Britain’s saviour during the Battle of Britain, most enthusiasts are fully aware that it was actually the less fashionable Hawker Hurricane which claimed the most aerial victories during the battle and indeed during the critical period between July and October 1940, some sources claim that Hurricane pilots accounted for four fifths of all enemy aircraft destroyed. A fortuitous mix of the latest aviation technology and traditional construction methods, the Hurricane was definitely the right aeroplane at the right time, but in addition to further developing the existing design, Hawkers were also hard at work on a new project, and aircraft intended as the powerful successor of their Battle of Britain hero, a ‘Super Hurricane’. 

With this work actually starting during 1937, this powerful new aircraft would eventually become the Hawker Typhoon, a slightly larger aeroplane which was heavily armed and powered by the massive Napier Sabre 24 cylinder sleeve-valve engine. A real brute of an aeroplane, as it progressed through flight trials, it soon became clear that this would not turn out to be the interceptor designers had been hoping to produce. Although fast and agile at lower altitudes, the thick wing was not conducive to performance at higher altitudes and when combined with persistent engine issues and some structural failures, the new Typhoon was actually in real danger of being withdrawn before it had the opportunity to show what it could really do. It was only down to the insistence of several young squadron commanders and in particular Battle of Britain hero and Hawker test pilot Roland Beamont, that development and ongoing modifications to the Typhoon were allowed to continue.

As we all now know, the Typhoon would later be used to devastating effect at lower altitudes and as an aggressive ground attack aircraft, whilst at the same time being quite an accomplished interceptor when operating below 25,000 feet - as for Hawkers desire to produce their ‘Super Hurricane’, that work continued apace.

Aware that their Typhoon design possessed great potential but was in need of further development, the Hawker design team started work on a new fighter project, one which incorporated many of the same philosophies included in Typhoon, but importantly, several significant modifications and improvements. Indeed, the new aircraft was initially referred to as the Typhoon Mark II, but this was changed to Tempest as the prototype aircraft neared the date of its first flight. Although this was still a relatively large aeroplane for a single engined fighter, its airframe was light and would be pulled along by the massively powerful 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine, a powerplant which would give the new fighter spectacular performance in the air. Making its first flight on 2nd September 1942, the new Hawker Tempest featured a newly designed laminar flow wing, which was much thinner than the wing used on its predecessor and allowed the new fighter to slip through the air at incredible speeds.

A computer rendered image produced from CAD files produced by designer Tom as he was working on his latest 1/72nd scale masterpiece.

Featuring a straighter leading edge and more elliptical trailing edge, the Tempest’s wing was designed from the outset for speed, even though it could still be used effectively in a ground attack role. Other Tempest design differences include a slightly longer nose and a tail section which appears to be much larger, with a more generous tail which features a pronounced dorsal fillet. During the prototype aircraft’s maiden flight, it posted an impressive top speed of 477 mph in level flight, to the delight of both the Hawker design team and the watching Air Ministry. Surely this was the ‘Super Hurricane’ the team had been striving for so long to produce.

As one of the most potent piston engined aircraft ever to see operational service, the new Tempest V will be a popular addition to the 1/72nd scale Airfix range of kits, particularly for those interested in documenting the WWII linage of Hawker Fighters in scale modelling form. In recognition of the stunning box artwork produced to grace the release of this new kit, let’s take another look at the fascinating details behind the particular aircraft pictured. 

Scheme Details - Hawker Tempest Mk.V JN751/R-B, Aircraft flown by Wing Commander Roland Prosper ‘Bee’ Beamont, No.150 Wing, Newchurch, Kent, England, June 1944.

When reading about the life and flying career of Roland Beamont, it really is like reading a story from the Boy’s Own Paper, a true British hero and one whose exploits continue to inspire anyone lucky enough to discover them to this day. Graded ‘Exceptional’ during his RAF Officer Training, Beamont passed out as a pilot officer on 21st October 1939 and was almost immediately sent to join the Hurricanes of No.87 Squadron in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, despite only having 15 hours on the type. Taking part in the frenetic fighting during the Battle of France, Beamont would be credited with his first aerial victory on 13th May, when he shot down a Dornier Do.17 bomber, but whilst he would probably have at least shared in the destruction of several others, this was the only victory officially credited to him.

Following the fall of France, Beamont and the rest of No.87 Squadron returned to England and prepared to face the might of the Luftwaffe once more, this time as they attacked the Royal Air Force, in advance of a planned invasion attempt. During the Battle of Britain, he would be credited with a further five enemy aircraft destroyed, giving him the coveted status of ‘air ace’ and a growing reputation as an influential leader of men. As daylight raids gave way to the night blitz, Beamont would become part of Britain’s fledgling nightfighter force and whilst flying on clear moonlit nights, began to lobby his superiors about mounting raids across the Channel to harass Luftwaffe airfields in northern France, something RAF officials would soon sanction.

At the end of his tour of duty, Beamont turned down the opportunity to be Trafford Leigh-Mallory’s personal aide to take up a position as a production test pilot with the Hawker company, where by his own admission, did he only then start to gain an understanding of the technical aspects of flight dynamics and an appreciation of the valuable work performed by test pilots. He would spend the majority of his time flying newly built Hurricane fighters, however, he would also become involved with the development of the new Typhoon, an aircraft he would go on to champion, despite some significant official opposition to its continued operational use. Having been so involved in the development flying of the Typhoon, Beamont was keen to return to operational flying and in July 1942, he first joined No.56 Squadron and was later given command of No.609 Squadron, both units operating the mighty Typhoon.

Full scheme details showing the personal aircraft of Wing Commander Roland Beamont, an aircraft which would claim many aerial victories, including 30 V-1 flying bombs.

Returning to Hawkers once more in May 1943, he would become influential in imploring the RAF to keep faith with the Typhoon, an aircraft which may have had its problems, but one which Beamont passionately believed to be an excellent aircraft and one which had a big part to play in the coming months of war. Test flying the Typhoon as well as Hawker’s new high performance fighter the Tempest, he would be heavily involved in the final development of the Tempest V, an aircraft which would once again tempt him back to operational flying.

Charged with forming the RAF’s first Tempest Wing (No.150 Wing), it is thought that Beamont went on to score the Tempest’s first aerial victory, when he shot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109G two days after D-Day, a victory which was certainly the first for No.150 Wing. Beamont’s Tempest Wing would also be used extensively in a home defence role and particularly in combating the V-1 ‘Doodlebug’ threat which was hurled towards southern England in the aftermath of the D-Day landings. By the end of August 1944, No.150 Wing had accounted for no fewer than 638 flying bombs, with Beamont himself destroying 32 V-1s.

On 12th October 1944, Beamont was shot down by flak during an attack against a troop train near Bocholt in Germany, whilst flying Tempest V EJ710 (JF-L). Captured by the Germans, he would spend the rest of the war as their guest in Stalag III, but on his repatriation back to Britain after the war, would take up a position as a test pilot with the Air Fighting Development Unit. He would leave the air force soon after, first to take up a post with the Gloster Aircraft Company and later as the Chief Test Pilot at English Electric Aviation Ltd. In this role, he would famously work on and fly the futuristic BAC TSR.2, as well as the Lightning, going on to be regarded as one of the nation’s most accomplished airmen. With a string of awards to his name, Beamont would also become famous as the first British pilot to exceed Mach 1 in level flight and the first to achieve Mach 2 in a British aircraft. His glittering career would see him flying an impressive 170 different aircraft types during 8,000 individual sorties - in fact, he probably spent more time in the air than on the ground!

Keep an eye out for this sight, as it won’t be long now before the new 1/72nd scale Hawker Tempest V will be gracing the shelves of model stores everywhere.

Hawker Tempest V JN751 was built at Hawker’s Langley factory in early 1944 and delivered to No.20 MU at Aston Down on 20th February 1944. She was initially allocated to No.486 (NZ) Squadron, but subsequently passed to No.3 Squadron, where she would become the personal aircraft of Wing Commander Roland Beamont, wearing the distinctive fuselage codes R-B. On 8th June 1944, this aircraft became the first Tempest to shoot down an enemy aircraft, when Beamont brought down a Bf 109G-6 near Rouen, quickly followed by two further victories by other 150 Wing Tempest pilots. This famous aircraft (and its pilot) would go on to shoot down 32 V-1 Doodlebugs over the following few weeks, as the Wing’s priority became home defence against these indiscriminate and terrifying flying bombs.

On September 1st 1944, JN751 suffered an in-flight engine failure and was forced to make an emergency landing at Langley, thankfully suffering only limited damage during the incident. The repaired aircraft was collected by Beamont on 5th September, who flew it back to his base at RAF Newchurch in Kent, however, this would be the last time he would fly this particular Tempest. Later transferred to No.287 Squadron to perform anti-aircraft co-operation duties, it was lost in an accident on 18th May 1945, tragically claiming the life of its pilot.

The new Hawker Tempest V kit is available for pre-order on the Airfix website now and whilst it is still listed for a winter 2021/22 release, we intend to bring blog readers more accurate release information as soon as we have it to hand.

Are we really related?

Although sharing the same manufacturer name is a bit of a giveaway, when looking at the two famous aircraft types above, it really is difficult so see how they could have been conceived by the same design minds, especially when considering the two aircraft made their first flights less than three years apart. Thanks to the availability of two beautifully built 1/48th scale model examples and the help of our hard working photographer Michael, we are fortunate enough to have several appealing images to illustrate this feature and the dramatic differences between the two aircraft. Before we begin though, it is important to stress that both of these famous aircraft were hugely successful at the roles for which they were intended and that these differing roles are the real contributory factors as to why their appearances are so dramatically different. Having said that, it is still fascinating to acknowledge the lineage these aircraft share.

With the Supermarine Company’s most famous aviation creation definitely being the incomparable Spitfire, it is interesting to note that the company actually built its reputation around the design and manufacture of robust and effective maritime aircraft. Even though their Schneider Trophy winning Supermarine S.6B racing seaplane is more Spitfire than Walrus, the majority of the 1930s were spent designing, perfecting and producing aircraft which were much more Walrus-like. Building effective and reliable marine aeroplanes, both for individual buyers and for military applications was the real forte of the company in the years prior to the outbreak of the Second World War.      

Despite its somewhat ungainly appearance, the Supermarine Walrus proved to be an incredibly effective aircraft and one which was adaptable enough to take on several roles operating in some of the most demanding environments an aeroplane could find itself. Coming at the end of a long line of capable single engined flying boats and amphibians, the Walrus was actually the product of a Royal Australian Air Force requirement for an updated and more robust version of their existing Supermarine amphibian, the Seagull III, itself an incredibly successful design. The new aircraft, which would become known as the Seagull V, had to be robust enough to be catapult launched from Royal Australian Navy cruisers, so the wooden hull of the earlier aircraft was replaced with a strong metal design, with the adoption of stainless steel forgings for the catapult spools and mountings.

Despite clear Australian enthusiasm for their new aviation amphibian, the Royal Air Force were much less impressed, deciding that they had no need for such an aircraft – they would soon be changing their minds. Successful trials of the new aircraft at Felixstowe showed how effective the new Supermarine aircraft actually was and with the significant expansion of British naval forces already underway, the Seagull V offered the Admiralty an effective aircraft for reconnaissance spotting and gun ranging for their cruisers and battleships. After using some of the Australian aircraft for trials, they decided to place their own order for the latest Supermarine amphibian, with the British machines being given the name Walrus, despite the fact that they were almost identical to the Australian Seagull Vs.

Thanks to a little eleventh hour support from our photographer Michael, putting these two 1/48th scale Supermarine types together for this series of images helps us visualise the unusual relationship between these very different looking aeroplanes.

One interesting story which clearly highlights how robust the Supermarine Walrus (Seagull V) design actually was came during a display at the 1933 Hendon Air Pageant. Despite the fact that the prototype Seagull V had only flown days earlier, in the hands of famous Supermarine test pilot Joseph ‘Mutt’ Summers, the aircraft performed a display at the huge Hendon Airshow. Belying its rather ungainly appearance, Summers stunned the huge crowds by executing a perfect loop manoeuvre, a feat which was only possible due to the inherent strength of the design and how it had been stressed for catapult launching – that really is how to announce your arrival on the aviation scene. The Supermarine Walrus would go on to become one of the finest amphibious aircraft ever produced and many a downed Spitfire pilot would be glad to see a Walrus circling his Channel predicament.

When it comes to the Spitfire, there isn’t really too much that needs to be said. An aircraft which always attracts superlative after superlative, the Spitfire is unquestionably the most famous British aircraft ever produced and quite possibly the most famous aircraft the world has ever seen, one which earned such an incredible reputation that its legacy is as strong today as it was when it defended the nation during the Battle of Britain. Elegant and truly beautiful to look at, the Spitfire’s handsome appearance masked the fact that this was a deadly fighting aeroplane, one which was designed to dominate the sky and with its clean lines intended to give its pilot a dogfighting edge against the Luftwaffe.

This early version of the Spitfire is a true aviation classic and one which inspired and galvanised the nation during our very darkest hour - if we had Spitfire’s on our side, how could we possibly lose the war? The public have always had a real affection for Supermarine’s masterpiece, so when the government of the day implored the British public to help finance the war effort, launching their ‘Spitfire Funds’ proved to be a revelation, with entire communities raising huge sums of money they could ill afford in those challenging times to fund their own Spitfire and even seeing children sending their pocket money to Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook.

Classic Supermarine lineage in scale model form, the Spitfire may be the most famous of the pair, but it owes at least some of its success to the existence of its predecessor.

As an aircraft design, the impressive Spitfire proved to be adaptable enough to undergo almost constant development during WWII, allowing later marks of the fighter to post speeds which were almost 100 mph faster than the first machines delivered to the Royal Air Force. With a service career which extended well into the post war years, the Spitfire outlived all its aviation contemporaries and with over 22,000 Spitfires of all variants (including Seafires) eventually being built, it stands as one of the most successful aircraft ever to take to the skies and one which is still familiar to millions of people the world over.

Despite being an incredibly successful aircraft type in its own right, the Walrus definitely can’t compete with its illustrious hangar mate when it comes to the recognition stakes and where the Spitfire is still a household name, most people will probably have never even heard of Supermarine’s Walrus. Illustrating just how far aviation development had progressed in a short three year period, the dramatically different appearance of the two aircraft certainly has much to do with the roles for which both were intended, but they also represent that fascinating period where the most capable biplanes ever produced were quickly overtaken by the first of the modern monoplane designs. Even saying that, the Spitfire is still a particularly attractive looking aeroplane and it is perhaps no wonder why it continues to captivate millions of people - it’s just so easy on the eye.

With both of these models being in 1/48th scale, it is clear to see that both appear to be quite similar in size, something which is rather surprising. When thinking about the Walrus and probably if we were just looking at a picture of a model of this aircraft, most people would probably assume that it was significantly larger than a Spitfire, but when seeing them displayed next to each other, they are actually quite closely matched in size. This side by side view of what represents apparently different eras of aviation development, also gives the clear impression that there was quite a speed difference between the two aircraft, 365 mph against 135 mph - we will leave you to attribute the speed to the aircraft. From a production number perspective, the Spitfire again eclipses the Walrus significantly, with 22,000 Spitfires produced against just 740 Walrus amphibians.

As we have already discussed, there were probably many downed Spitfire pilots who owe their lives to a Supermarine Walrus and as far as they were concerned, the Walrus was probably the most attractive sight they had ever seen, especially if they had been in the water for quite a while. Displaying these two models together certainly creates an interesting aviation talking point, as well as highlighting the design expertise of one of Britain’s most famous aviation companies. It also goes some way to explaining the story behind the name of the company and how the water played a significant role in their success.

The Supermarine Spitfire Ia (A05126A) model featured here is still available on the Airfix website, however, the unfashionable Walrus appears to have been rather fashionable with modellers, as we currently don’t have any kits in stock. If this unusual feature has inspired you to add a Walrus to your winter build schedule, it may still be possible to find one of these kits via your usual model supplier or by conducting a quick web-search. If you have already, or intend to build both kits, surely these images are visual confirmation that these Supermarine classics are crying out to be displayed next to each other.

Mount of the ‘Fighting Red Tails’

1st Lt. Spurgeon Neal Ellington dropping tanks in his Mustang ‘Lollipoop II’, as he prepares to engage the latest Luftwaffe onslaught.

It is difficult to believe that in the 21st Century, the fight for racial equality is still ongoing and how this issue unfortunately continues to make world news headlines. There are much more appropriate platforms than the Airfix blog to discuss this huge issue, however, modelling and the current Black History Month does offer an opportunity for us to focus on a truly inspirational group of men, pilots and their ground crews who wrote a glorious chapter in the history of aviation and the Second World War, the Tuskegee Airmen.

With Europe heading for war in 1939, America initiated a significant increase in their civilian pilot training programme, with many universities across the country taking part and thanks to the tireless efforts of African-American activists, six historically black colleges were included in the scheme. The Tuskegee institute in Alabama was selected as one of these colleges and following an outstanding record of success in the civilian flight programme, the US War Department selected Tuskegee to be one of their new pilot training facilities. Clearly, this training was taking place at a time of overt discrimination and in the late 1930s, there were no black pilots in US military service and one infamous official military report even went so far as to suggest that black people lacked the moral fibre for military service. Unbelievably, it also went on to recommend that black men would not be suitable for positions of military authority, which very much included being put in charge of an aeroplane.

It seems clear to most observers that the Tuskegee experiment appeared to be offering opposing outcomes for a divided US population right from the start. For the young black men of the programme, every one of which was desperate to do their patriotic duty and show the world what they could do, it finally presented them with an opportunity to forget the discrimination they had suffered for most of their lives and train for war on an equal footing. For others though, this was not an exercise in proving that black men were capable of becoming fighter pilots, but rather an opportunity to confirm that they were not. Even as war clouds were descending, many people still did not want to see a black man flying a military aeroplane and were looking for an excuse to ensure this did not happen.

The cause of the Tuskegee airmen was helped by a very famous and rather determined lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the President of the United States. She famously made an impromptu visit to Tuskegee’s Moton Field and during the tour, asked the head of the flying training programme to take her for a short, aerial tour of the site. Climbing into the back of a Piper J-3 Cub, Mrs Roosevelt gave Chief Anderson no option but to comply with her request and on landing back, the First Lady smiled at him and said, ‘Well, you can fly alright!’ A report of the incident, including pictures, appeared in newspapers all over America and Mrs Roosevelt’s public relations masterstroke would prove a pivotal moment for the country’s black trainee pilots. Just a few weeks after her visit to Moton Field, the 99th Pursuit Squadron was activated at Tuskegee and the African-American pilots based there began training to become fighter pilots in the US Army Air Force. Eleanor Roosevelt would continue to champion the causes of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Red Tails of Ramitelli

A fascinating picture taken at Ramitelli airfield during 1944, with a group of the ‘Fighting Red Tails’ discussing the mission they were about to embark on.

Flying the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the Tuskegee airmen of the 99th Fighter Squadron made their combat debit in North Africa during the summer of 1943, initially assigned to fly standing patrols and the odd ground attack sortie. These missions rarely gave the pilots an opportunity to engage the Luftwaffe and commanders continually implored superiors to give them a more prominent role in the fighting. In early 1944, the Tuskegee Airmen, who were now the 332nd Fighter Group and made up of the 99th, 100th, 301st and 302nd Fighter Squadrons, were assigned to the US 15th Air Force and tasked with flying bomber escort missions from Ramitelli air base, in Italy.  Now equipped with the rugged Republic P-47D Thunderbolt, they had the opportunity to see much more action, as they undertook escort missions into southern and central Europe, right into the teeth of Luftwaffe contested airspace. Combat victories for Tuskegee pilots began to rack up and the reputation of the ‘Fighting Red Tails’ began speaking for itself.

Later exchanging their Thunderbolts for Mustangs, the ‘Red Tails’ took their task of protecting bombers seriously and rather than chasing personal glory and the coveted status of ‘fighter ace’, they stuck steadfastly to their job of staying with the bombers, deterring Luftwaffe fighters from attacking. Popular folklore claims that the Fighting Red Tails never lost a bomber under their protection in over 200 escort missions, but whilst this may be something of an exaggeration, there is no doubt that the Tuskegee Airmen earn the respect of fellow airmen both friend and foe. In an interview given after the war, one B-24 Liberator pilot told a reporter how “the P-38 Lightning jockeys always seemed to stay too far away from us, whilst most of the Mustang groups stayed in too close. All they wanted to do was go down on the deck and chase those 109’s, but the Red Tails were always there, right where we wanted them to be!  We loved those guy’s.  We had no idea that the pilots were black – this was the best kept secret in the Army Air Corps.” 

Ellington’s stunning P-51D Mustang which proudly carried his wife’s nickname into combat with the Luftwaffe during the final months of WWII.

In obeying orders and steadfastly sticking with the bombers they were assigned to protect, the men of the 332nd Fighter Group were not in a position to rack up their personal victory scores and indeed none of the Tuskegee Airmen would go on to achieve ace status. They did, however, earn the lasting respect of many airmen who may not have survived the war, had it not been for their devotion to duty. 

The current Airfix range includes one of the distinctive North American P-51D Mustang fighters flown by the ‘Red Tails of Ramitelli’, an aircraft which was the personal mount of 1st Lt. Spurgeon Neal Ellington. For those who were fortunate enough to know him, Ellington was described as a ‘real character’, something you could read both ways. A handsome man, he was described as being proud and extremely confident, with an ability to out-talk and out-smart anyone. In a combat situation, he felt that there wasn’t a Luftwaffe pilot out there capable of bettering him in combat, so he embarked on each sortie with extreme confidence. 

One story which really highlights his character is the one which tells of how he celebrated being awarded his wings. It is said that he flew back to his home town and proceeded to buzz the main street of Twin City - for this reckless act, he was court martialled and fined when arriving back at Tuskegee, but then immediately forgiven, presumably because he was one of their very best pilots.

Our model tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen, 1st Lt. Spurgeon Neal Ellington’s P-51D Mustang ‘Lollipoop II’ forms part of the 2021 range and is currently available on the Airfix website. 

In the weeks following D-Day, the pilots of the 332nd Fighter Group embarked on a hectic period of flying, supporting the Normandy landings by striking from the opposite side of Europe, protecting bombers hitting targets in Austria, Germany, Italy and Romania. This would see Ellington racking up an impressive 124 mission total in a relatively short period and him being decorated with the Air Medal complete with four oak leaf clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. His attractive Mustang was named ‘LOLLIPOOP II’, which was apparently the nickname of Ellington’s wife Maria. Returning to Tuskegee to train more young pilots after the war, Ellington would tragically lose his life as a result of a training flight accident with one of his students.

The inspirational story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one which continues to fascinate to this day and it is no wonder that the aviation legacy of the ‘Fighting Red Tails’ provides modellers with no end of appealing subject matter.

Airfix rotary classic tempts Turkish modeller

A real kit from the archives, the Bristol Type 192 was a huge success for the British aviation industry and therefore coveted by the Airfix design team and modellers across the UK (and Turkey, apparently).

We end this latest edition of our blog by featuring the modelling talents of one of our many readers and a recent build project they have recently undertaken. This time, the contribution comes all the way from Turkey and a classic Airfix kit finished by Izzet Celikoba - we are grateful to Izzet for allowing us to use his images and to feature his build in Workbench. Proving that the RAF Chinook doesn’t have the absolute monopoly on twin rotor types, our Bristol Type 192 was first released back in 1959, at a time when this aircraft represented one of the most exciting developments in British aviation. A powerful heavy lift helicopter, the Type 192 was being lorded as a rotary solution for the RAF, Royal Navy and a multitude of civilian applications, whilst at the same time also proving that the helicopter had now come of age. At the 1959 Farnborough Airshow, the Type 192 was one of the major stars of the show, first landing and unloading eighteen fully armed troops, before being configured to carry an underslung load, which just happened to be a Bloodhound missile and its trailer. After flying a few circuits to prove its strength, the Bristol gently set the missile down to herald a new era of rotary flexibility.

The original instruction sheet description for this kit reads:

The Bristol 192, which first flew in July 1958, is now in series production for the Royal Air Force and is the most recent product of the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which has been building helicopters since 1945, and over recent years has produced a series of experimental tandem rotor types. The 192 is the first helicopter in the world with true twin-engine safety, that is, the ability to fly home and land safely on just one engine at any gross weight.

Many of the components and design features of the 192 are identical to those used on the smaller Sycamore helicopter and the rotor hubs are an adaptation of the earlier design, even though metal rotor blades can be employed on the 192, as well as the more common wooded type. A prominent feature of the 192 is its powerplant, consisting of two Napier Gazelle free turbines. Although rated at only 920 s.h.p each, either engine is capable of an immediate increase to 1,650 shaft horse power, if the other unit fails. In the event of engine failure, the remaining engine develops double power wining two seconds and the entire sequence is fully automatic. Specifically designed for helicopters, the Gazelle turbine develops twice the power of a piston engine of the same weight and enhances safety standards by the use of kerosene instead of high octane gasoline.

The Type 192 is capable of fulfilling a great variety of service roles - as a transport, it can carry up to 6000lbs of freight or nearly 2.5 tons can be slung underneath when used as a ‘flying crane’. Existing seating allows for eighteen passengers, although more may be carried in an emergency; alternatively, twelve stretcher cases and two nurses can be carried when used as an ambulance.

In the assault role, the 192 can carry eighteen fully armed soldiers operating as ‘Sky Cavalry’, or twelve paratroopers with all their battle equipment. The 192 itself is capable of being armed with guns, rockets of bombs, cameras can also be fitted for air reconnaissance. At sea, the 192 also has a great many uses, including minesweeping and target towing, anti-submarine duties and of course rescue - in this the rescue role, the winch is capable of hauling two survivors to safety at a time.

The sight of Izzet’s Bristol Type 192 build serves to remind long standing Airfix modellers just how many kits the company have actually produced over the years and how it is still possible to unearth some real gems when searching through the darkest recesses of our kit stashes. We would like to thank Izzet once again for allowing us to show his classic Airfix helicopter build and to send him greetings from modellers here in the UK.

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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Whenever you decide to visit, the Airfix website is always the place where you will find all the latest model availability information, a comprehensive round-up of previous editions of our Workbench blog, access to helpful modelling tips and much more.

The next edition of Workbench is scheduled to be published on Friday 29th October.

Thank you for your continued support of our Airfix blog.

The Airfix Workbench Team