Aircraft and History

The HH-65C used by the US Coast Guard (USCG) is derived from the civilian Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin. The USCG selected this helicopter in 1979 and entered service in 1985.as a short range recovery Air-sear rescue helicopter. A total of 102 aircraft were manufactured and are still in service today. One distinctive feature of this aircraft is a “Fenestron” ducted fan anti-torque tail. This design improves safety for crews and the airframe itself from tail rotor strikes. The HH-65C carries a crew of 4 which consist of a pilot, copilot, flight mechanic and rescue swimmer. In addition to search and rescue, the aircraft tis also used for homeland security patrols, cargo/drug interdiction, ice breaking and pollution control.

Airfix has created a smashing new Heinkel 111 P2 kit, and this one is well worth getting if you like the HE111. The detail and high quality of this product is fantastic.

In the box:

• 5 x light grey sprues
• 1 clear sprue
• 1 decal sheet
• 1 instruction booklet

All the sprues are well molded with no flash at all.

The detail is very fine and crisp. The panel lines on the He111 P-2 are all very well defined.

Construction

First based on the order in the instruction booklet, we start on the interior of the fuselage, which like the cockpit on this kit is extremely well-detailed for a 1/72 kit. In fact the amount of detail is better that a lot of 1/48 kits I have built.

The fuselage halves are joined, and then we start in the bomb racks and wing center section.

There is a little filling to do when you bring the center wing section and the fuselage together, but not much.

The MiG-15 UTI is the two seat trainer version of the MiG-15 fighter. Originally developed to provide conversion training for the transition from propeller aircraft to jet aircraft, it served as the primary jet trainer for the USSR and much of the Warsaw Pact air forces into the 1970’s.

As with Eduard’s MiG-15 and MiG-15bis, this is a new mold, very different from the old KP MiG-15UTI that some of us still have in our stashes. While the kit is clearly based on Eduard’s current MiG-15/MiG-15bis kits, there is only one common sprue, the one for the wings, as the others are all tailored for the two-seater. As these are overtrees, not a kit, they do not come with instructions or decals, however, since Eduard posts its instruction sheets on its website, all you need to do is go online and download the instruction sheet for the regular kit and you are ready to go!

The Hawker Typhoon

The Hawker Typhoon was designed as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, and was intended to be a medium to high altitude interceptor, However, several design problems did not permit the Typhoon to meet this requirement. Initially the Typhoon Mk Ia was fitted with twelve .303 calibre machine guns, while the later version, the Mk. Ib, was fitted with four 20 mm Hispano Mk. II cannons.

Decal Sheet Contents

The subject of this review is a decal sheet that is 2 3/4" wide by 4" long, and includes national markings for one aircraft. Two sets of top wing insignia are included, along with the fuselage side and underwing markings, as well as the fin flash.

The latest journal of Cross & Cockade International - Winter 2015, features a photo of Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8 B-291 of 15 TS in the snow during winter 1917-18 on the cover. The rear cover shows the result of an apparent RAF B.E. 12b collision just outside Penston aerodrome on April 28, 1918. This issue also includes a separate A2 size sheet in color covering Ordnance Survey maps that are marked up with the location of WWI aviation interest sties in Ireland. The back of this foldout provides maps showing RAF Areas and Groups for April 1918, November 1918, June 1919, and January 1920.

Note: The $40 price is for the 4-issue subscription.