The Vixen was originally developed for the RAF, but was turned down in favor of the Javelin for a missile-armed interceptor. The Fleet Air Arm picked it up and it was tailored to their needs, replacing the Sea Venom. The later versions, the FAW 2 (FAW=Fighter, All Weather) had saddle tanks added to the two booms to increase fuel capacity and thus range as well as better electronics. At the time, it was the heaviest aircraft ever operated by the FAA and was twice the size of the Venom it replaced. Due to all that weight, it only managed to be about 75 mph faster than the Venom, but it did carry the Red Top missile for air-to-air combat, which the Venom could not, as well as the Bull Pup air-to-ground missile. It served with the FAA from 1959 'til 1974.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June of 1941, Hitler expected the whole country to fold quickly after the magnificent show of force of the German War Machine. But it was the Russian winter that slowed the German advance and forced them to go on the defensive. Unable to capture key cities like Mosow and Leningrad, and clad in their summer uniforms, the Germans faltered as the Soviets took the offensive, and served up Hitler’s first major defeat.

Anyone who has peaked inside the box of a WingNut Wings 1/32nd WW1 aircraft kit knows the potential joys that await the builder of such a kit. If you are at all familiar with WW1 aircraft modeling, you will undoubtedly have heard of Ray Rimell’s Albatros Productions Ltd., publishers of Windsock International modeling magazine and Windsock Datafiles etc. So imagine my delight when IPMS USA gave me the opportunity to review a publication that combines the two: a Ray Rimell publication covering the building and detailing of WingNut Wings’ four 1/32nd Fokker D.VII kits! Read on……….