D-Day Duo Exclusives for Airfix Club Members
Welcome to this latest edition of our Workbench blog and all the news, updates and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.
Having just returned from enjoying the plethora of modelling delights laid out for our enjoyment at the latest Scale ModelWorld Show, we return to our Workbench blog with another dual posting weekend this time, but with good reason. Our previous posting provides an overview of this year's show, but from the perspective of the Airfix presentation at this year's show. We are doing this for all those readers who were unable to make this year's show, but would still like to see what the team arranged for visitors this year, including our rather impressive 1 to 1 scale display guardian for the weekend. As you might expect, we may also touch on a certain new tooling announcement posted on our previous blog, after a rather hectic week where we have had the opportunity to reflect on this rather significant addition to the range.
This second posting for the week continues the theme of blog 'Firsts' and modelling exclusives, as we are excited to be bringing our readers details of the new Limited Edition kit Airfix Club members can look forward to receiving when renewing their membership. Also making its debut on the Airfix stand at this year's show, we will be taking this opportunity to introduce you to the two different models included in this appealing kit and thanks to the availability of some built model samples, bring you images of the two scheme options we can all start looking forward to, aircraft which had significant roles to play during operations in preparation for and in the months following the D-Day landings.
With our double blog posting for the weekend having a definite Scale ModelWorld leaning, let's maintain the show excitement for at least a few more days, before we all embark on our busy winter build schedules.
Interesting kit exclusives for loyal Club members
A first look at the two kits which are included in the next limited edition kit exclusive awaiting Airfix Club members.
Having just returned from our latest Scale ModelWorld Show attendance, it goes without saying that every member of the Airfix team count themselves incredibly fortunate to have such loyal and knowledgeable people within our Airfix community and how we are always left humbled (and a little exhausted) at the end of a SMW exhibition weekend having met so many of you. It's clear that the Airfix brand has played a part in the lives of a great many people and how there continues to be genuine affection for our kits both old and new, something we are all proud to be playing our own small parts in maintaining.
Now an established component of the Airfix story, the Airfix Club is another aspect of the Airfix story we are proud to preserve and for visitors to this years display at SMW, if you could navigate your way through all the beautiful built models on display, from the recently announced Messerschmitt Me 410, through to the awesome Fairey Gannet, you would have also seen the latest Limited Edition kit offering awaiting Club members renewing their subscription, and of course those joining for the first time.
The Airfix Club has always offered a package where committed and casual modellers alike can get just that little bit closer to the wonderful world of Airfix, enjoying a range of benefits which help them to not only get a little bit more out of their hobby, but also to feel part of a wider Airfix modelling community and a hobby which has been enjoying a real renaissance over recent years. Committed to providing our members with benefits they will actually see as benefits, Club membership has been growing steadily over recent years, something which allows us to be both optimistic for the future and to continue looking at ways of improving our membership package.
A major component of any Club membership in any given year is access to the Club kit, a special Limited Edition offering which is only available to Club members and one which is always intended to be both appealing and topical, be that in relation to an impending anniversary commemoration in modelling form, or by virtue of the subject's relatively recent tooling entry into the Airfix range.
The current Club kit exclusive presents the new 1/72nd scale Gloster Meteor in FR.9 armed reconnaissance guise.
The previous two Club model offerings have been a pair of BAe Hawk kits representing the same historic airframe at either ends of its service career and one which can now be found in the care of the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, and an equally interesting pair of Gloster Meteor FR.9s, kits which featured new parts to enable this variant to be made in 1/72nd scale for the first time. The new kit release in this series includes two completely separate kits, but both linked by a common anniversary theme and their involvement in air operations during 1944.
It will not have escaped the attention of Workbench readers that next year marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day and as such, we can all look forward to a year dominated by events, TV programming and publications all aiming to commemorate those historic events, particularly during the summer months. With this very much in our thinking, our latest Limited Edition Club offering includes two 1/72nd scale kits of aircraft which took part in support operations both in advance of and in the months which followed the Normandy beach landings, two of the most famous British aircraft types of that period.
An attractive kit which will surely appeal to a great many modellers, the two aircraft types included will be familiar to most of us, but performed very different roles during that period, one seeking out targets and obtaining post-strike imagery to allow raid success evidence to be gathered, whilst the other was called upon to strategically target enemy vehicles, positions and strongholds, effectively keeping the enemy response to the landings pinned down. Let's take a closer look at both models now.
D-Day. An aerial perspective
At least as far as Airfix Club members are concerned. This limited edition kit presentation is about to become rather familiar to new and renewing members of the Airfix Club, during what will be the 80th anniversary of D-Day year.
Although the 'Longest Day' is usually associated with the brave troops who stormed ashore at five beach locations along the Normandy coastline on the morning of 6th June 1944, and the thousands of airborne assault troops who preceded them hours before, Operation Overlord and the air operations supporting it started many months earlier and were crucial to the success of the operation. Flying from bases in England, thousands of sorties were flown by many different aircraft types prior to troops landing on the beaches, as Allied planners not only sought to gain an accurate picture of the enemy's defences, but to weaken them as much as possible, but without providing confirmation of where the impending assault would be directed. D-Day preparations were as much about deception as they were about the destruction of the enemy's ability to fight and re-supply.
One of the most vital tasks allocated to Allied air forces was the gathering of aerial intelligence and the constant gathering of such information both in advance of and immediately following this monumental amphibious operation, a vital eye in the sky providing real time information which allowed planners a degree of certainty when making their objective decisions. In addition to photographing assigned locations of interest, these inquisitive high-flyers were trained to spot anything out of the ordinary and to ensure they returned with photographic evidence of their suspicions.
Amongst many other things, these missions provided the first detailed evidence of the German's 'reprisal' weapons, when Photo Reconnaissance pilots noticed unusual installations on the ground, which turned out to be launch sites for V1 Doodlebugs and V2 ballistic missiles. Once the imagery had been verified, strike aircraft were sent to obliterate these sites, delaying the program by months and ensuring their operations were under constant threat of attack, even causing sites to be relocated deeper into occupied Europe, at the very extreme end of the weapons range.
Built sample models featuring the two models included in the next Airfix Club limited edition kit offering, two different aircraft types which made telling contributions to the successful Allied landings in Normandy during the summer of 1944.
With light, heavy and medium bombers all sent to strike everything from airfields and aircraft production to rail marshalling yards and road infrastructure, single engined strike fighters would follow up with more precise strikes, but always including plenty of diversionary raids intended to keep the German defenders guessing. They knew the Allies were coming, but when they would come and where they would strike kept thousands of troops and their equipment spread disastrously over a wide area, therefore increasing the Allies chances of success on D-Day.
With bombers dropping strips of metal foil to confuse German radar into assuming an invasion force was approaching the French coast (in the wrong place) just days prior to the actual landings taking place, information gathering, the systematic destruction of fighting infrastructure and deception were all intended to create mayhem, because if the Allies could get a foothold in France and strike out from their beachheads, ultimate victory would surely follow. Although still proving to be a close run thing, their planning and the resolve and bravery of many thousands of service personnel did put the Allies on the road to victory, with air power playing a vital, if not crucial role.
Airfix Club D-Day Duo
Kit A - Hawker Typhoon IB MN625/ MR-B, No.45 (Northern Rhodesia) Squadron Royal Air Force, Holmsley South, Hampshire, England, 1944.
The Hawker Typhoon was originally anticipated to be the 'Super Hurricane' designer Sydney Camm had intended to take over from his famous Battle of Britain fighter, however, issues with elements of its design and the troublesome Napier Sabre engine prevented it from being the next generation of interceptor fighter. Thankfully, despite its initial problems, the Typhoon had enough people in positions of influence who believed in its potential, effectively enabling the aircraft to go on to fulfil its potential, not as a dedicated fighter, but as a rugged fighter bomber and attack aircraft, operating extremely efficiently at lower altitudes.
Earning a fearsome reputation throughout the summer of 1944, the RAF's Typhoon squadrons were positioned at bases around southern England and on days which allowed flight operations, the Germans knew that the sky would soon be full of these heavily armed fighter bombers, with Typhoons raining a constant stream of bombs, rocket projectiles and machine gun fire on their positions, and anything they might find useful to the war effort.
Any military vehicle caught in the open was at risk of destruction if it attracted the attentions of Typhoon units and there were even reports of some German tank crews abandoning their vehicles and running for cover during the battles across Normandy, if they spotted Typhoons in the clear skies above - clearly they were fearful of becoming the latest victims of the RAF's savage Typhoon squadrons.
Research conducted after the war indicated that actual success rates for Typhoon using rocket attacks weren't actually all that impressive, however, the psychological impact the Hawker Typhoon possessed appeared to be much more effective on German ground units than actual combat successes. Nevertheless, RAF Typhoon operations kept German forces pinned down in the weeks following D-Day and prevented any concerted and coordinated large scale German response to the invasion from being mounted, allowing the beachheads to be consolidated and supply lines to become established.
Full scheme details for this RAF Holmsley South based RAF Typhoon.
Considered one of the most important aircraft of the D-Day period and indeed the final eighteen months of the war in Europe, the fearsome Hawker Typhoon was used to great effect during this time, either attacking strategic targets in the weeks prior to invasion, such as German radar sites, or providing invaluable close air support to ground units breaking out from the landing beachheads. Fast, agile and heavily armed, forward air controllers were embedded with ground units throughout the Normandy region, with RAF Typhoons ready to respond to any request for aerial support. Aircraft not already engaged in strike missions would be holding at 10,000 ft in their 'Cab Ranks' off the coast of Northern France, just waiting to be called into action.
These support missions were incredibly hazardous for Typhoon pilots, not so much down to the attention of Luftwaffe fighters, but from the murderous anti-aircraft fire hurled in their direction from seemingly every German gun in the Normandy region, not to mention the many ground hazards they faced when flying at these low altitudes. Research initiated after the end of the war highlighted that in the weeks following the D-Day landings, more than 500 Hawker Typhoons had been lost, but of this number, less than 10 percent were attributed to enemy fighter activity.
Flying at high speed and extremely low altitudes, Typhoon pilots held the opinion that you had not experienced real combat flying until you had spent time on a Typhoon squadron and they were probably right.
A brute of an aeroplane, the RAF's Typhoon squadron's operated a 'Cab Rank' system, whereby aircraft would hold of the French coast at 10,000ft and await target instructions from ground controllers embedded with Allied assault units.
Knowing the important role Typhoon units had to play in the coming battles, many squadrons were sent to operate from new bases close to the south coast of England, with the airfield at Holmsley South being one such station. Situated on the edge of the New Forest, this airfield became a centre of Typhoon operations in the weeks leading up to D-Day, with the majority of Typhoon personnel being housed in temporary canvas accommodation, in an attempt to acclimatise them for their expected relocation to airfields on the continent following the successful invasion of Normandy.
At that time, few pilots had actually fired rocket projectiles in anger, however three weeks of intense training and the heavy action which followed soon changed that. Most Typhoons either flew with rockets or bombs, but rarely both, with some particularly influential pilots having access to more than one Typhoon, each one configured differently.
Hawker Typhoon IB MN625 was the personal aircraft of pilot Bill Smith, who flew the aircraft extensively in the period around D-Day, pounding targets with rocket projectiles and cannon fire. The aircraft suffered an engine failure on take-off from Holmsley South on 20th June 1944 which attracted the attentions of the base photographer and was therefore well documented at the time. Smith survived the incident unscathed and whist his Typhoon would be repaired, it would not fly again operationally.
Flying at extremely low altitudes and with the mighty Napier Sabre engine sucking in air at a frantic rate, the dusty conditions over Normandy during the summer of 1944 did create significant problems for Typhoon squadrons and it's thought that many aircraft were lost during that period due to their engines literally choking on ingested dust.
Kit B - Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX RM643/Z, No.541 Squadron Royal Air Force, Benson, Oxfordshire, England, 1944.
As one of the most important fighting aeroplanes in the history of warfare and one which saw service throughout the entire Second World War, it will come as no surprise to learn that the Supermarine Spitfire preformed a variety of roles during the war, including that of high speed, high altitude photo reconnaissance aircraft. As the RAF's premier fighter of the day, a small number of modified Spitfires were used early in the war, to perform specialist photo reconnaissance duties, with individual aircraft modified to carry cameras in something of a hand-built, bespoke manner.
Prior to the use of Spitfires, larger aircraft had been carrying out reconnaissance missions from the very first days of the Second World War, however, it quickly became apparent that the two most important factors in establishing an effective photo reconnaissance service were speed and altitude, along with specialist training and the RAF simply didn't have aircraft capable of consistently carrying out such missions at that time. To make matters worse, the Germans knew exactly what these aircraft were attempting to do and they were determined to prevent them from returning home with their valuable photographic records.
Initially, two standard Spitfire Mk.I fighters were modified for photo reconnaissance duties and whilst these were certainly an operational improvement over the Blenheims and Lysanders which usually performed such missions, the RAF still had much work to do if their photo reconnaissance Spitfires were to prove successful in this highly specialized role.
Work continued in something of a bespoke fashion until the introduction of more powerful variants of the Spitfire transformed the art of aerial reconnaissance, allowing missions to be flown higher, faster and over longer distances. Now, all the lessons learned over previous months could be brought to bear in perfecting this service and even though PR Spitfires would operate wherever British forces were deployed and their services were in great demand, it's always surprising to discover that relatively few aircraft were produced specifically in this configuration.
Full scheme details for this beautiful reconnaissance Spitfire, one of the most effective variants of Spitfire to enter RAF service.
The pinnacle of Spitfire photo reconnaissance capability arrived with the introduction of the Rolls Royce Griffon powered variants of the aircraft, an aircraft which made full use of the now exceptional infrastructure behind the gathering, examining and dissemination of photographic intelligence in Britain. Handling of the new aircraft was generally excellent and they were real 'speedbirds', something their pilots relied upon, as they were flying unarmed missions deep into enemy occupied territory.
Flying at altitudes of around 40,000 ft, PR.XIX Spitfires were impervious to ground defences and interception by most piston engined Luftwaffe fighters. Indeed, even the much feared Messerschmitt Me 262 would have difficulty bringing down a Spitfire PR.XIX, even if one could be spared from anti-bomber duties. If a Spitfire was being stalked, the tactic used by most pilots was to enter a shallow dive, gradually building up more speed as they gently descended earthwards. A pilot also had the option of increasing altitude still further and whilst there were reports of Spitfires flying above 40,000 ft, this was actually an exercise fraught with danger.
Capable of maintaining a steady 370mph even at extreme altitude, these aircraft also carried the highest internal fuel load of any PR Spitfires, all attributes which made these the most effective clandestine, information gathering variants of this famous aircraft. Clearly, when operating at these altitudes, the aircraft were usually only deployed on days when the weather was fine, as cloud cover and stormy conditions would preclude the taking of photographs.
If cloud cover was obscuring any target, PR pilots did have the discretion of descending to a lower altitude in order to secure the imagery they needed, however, this significantly increased the risk or interception, or sustaining damage inflicted by enemy flak batteries. Photo reconnaissance Spitfires would regularly be sent to provide raid effectiveness imagery following a bombing mission, arriving over the target area only minutes after the last bomb had been dropped, with their pictures determining it the bombers would have to return again in the days which followed.
Simply stunning from every angle, the Spitfire PR.XIX has to be considered one of the most attractive aircraft of the Second World War.
Operating with the specialist Photo Reconnaissance units at RAF Benson, the RAF's Spitfire PR.XIX aircraft worked tirelessly in the months leading up to the D-Day landings, providing detailed imagery of enemy defences and supply depots across the intended invasion area. Careful not to alert the Germans to the most likely location of the long anticipated invasion, these missions were flown along a vast stretch of coastline, from Bordeaux in the south west, to the Low Countries in the north, a crucial aspect of these pre-invasion preparations.
Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX RM643 was one of the hard working RAF Benson based photo reconnaissance Spitfires which made such a vital contribution in support of D-Day operational planning, before and after the landings themselves. The order to apply black and white identification stripes to many aircraft taking part in the aerial component of D-Day only came on 4th June, and ground crews worked tirelessly to add these markings to their aircraft. Initially, these were applied in some haste, using canvas sheeting to mask areas not receiving paint and using brush applied paint to touch up where necessary. In the weeks which followed, they had time to make a more refined job of the markings, although the representation of D-Day identification markings is a fascinating subject all of its own and one for a separate edition of Workbench.
These magnificent 'Snooping Spitfires' would serve on well after the end of the Second World War and into the jet age, with the final operational sortie of an RAF PR.XIX Spitfire taking place on 1st April 1954.
Full box artwork presentation of a kit which is about to become extremely familiar to members of the Airfix Club.
This latest Airfix Club limited edition exclusive kit is timed perfectly to coincide with next year's D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations and presents two different aircraft types which made significant contributions to the overall success of the amphibious landings on that momentous day. One heavily armed and the other completely unarmed, they help tell the fascinating story of the air operations in support of D-Day and the successful Allied Normandy Landings.
We are afraid that's all we have for you in this latest edition, but we will be back next Friday with more project development updates and the very latest Airfix kit exclusives. In the meantime, we are always keen to hear your views on all things Airfix and in particular, any thoughts and opinions you may have regarding our Workbench blog. If you would like to drop us a quick line, could we please ask that you use our workbench@airfix.com email for all correspondence.
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