There are now (according to Hannants) three kits of the Vickers Valiant available in 1/144 scale. The oldest is the Welsh Models vac form kit, followed by the Anigrand. The newest is from Micro Mir.

This installation is on the Anigrand kit, because I don’t have a Micro Mir kit yet.

Installation

Installation instructions show 2 steps. I’ve expanded that to 4

1. Cut off the plastic probe at the indicated spot. I then used a sanding stick to get a flat surface which I could drill.
2. Drill a .25mm hole. Test fit a couple of times to be sure it’s deep enough. (NOTE the instructions call for .4mm. I think that’s a little too big.
3. Use CA glue to hold the brass part.
4. Paint the finished installation.

Then the other pitot tube, on the other wing. Follow the same 4 steps.

History

By the outbreak of WWII over 400 Albion 3-Point Fuellers were in use with the RAF both in Europe and the Far and Middle East. Many went to France with the RAF in 1940, and suffered a similar fate to the vehicles of the British Army, being abandoned on the run back to Dunkirk.

Those that remained gave sterling service during the Battle of Britain, helping to quickly refuel fighters in between sorties, their three refueling hoses drastically cutting down the time needed.

Construction

The kit is produced by Airfix, a well-known maker of scale model kits. The kit arrives in a very colorful box with artwork of an Albion refueling a Hurricane. There are some test shot photos displayed on the side of the box showing detail of the cab and pump.

Luftwaffe ’46, Hikoki ’46 all have had many books and websites devoted to them, the paper projects, X-planes and wonder weapons of the enemy Axis Powers. Now there is a book that details all of the same from the US manufacturers.

We are given a nice hardback book filled with photos of those designs that actually were built or made it to the mock-up stage, and drawings of those that did not. Some of the drawings are just basic rendering of the aircraft, while others are more useful engineering drawings with dimensions and scale.

The chapter layout begins with USAAF single engine fighters. Here each manufacturer’s designs are discussed. From early Bell designs for what would become the P-39 to the XP-47H and J on to the XP-75 Eagle and beyond are all discussed. There are even drawings and a manufacturer’s model of the forward swept wing P-51.