Exclusive first look HA3351 ROCAF F-5F Tiger II.

During an interview with William Liu of Hobby Master conducted by Shuttle from The Diecast Aviation Website and Forum (DAF), William gave an exclusive 'first look' at the new two seater HA3351 ROCAF (Taiwan) Northrop F-5F Tiger II, 401st TFW.

9° Stormo "Francesco Baracca" F-104 Prancing Horse Livery.

The F-104 was officially retired from the Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) service during a large ceremony at Pratica di Mare in 2004. Almost ten years later this aircraft is still the favourite of many pilots, officers and aviation enthusiast in Italy, as well as around the world. 

In the occasion of the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the adoption of the “Prancing Horse” by Enzo Ferrari which took place in 1923, the 9° Stormo “Francesco Baracca” of the Italian Air Force painted a retired F-104S Starfighter in a very elegant “Ferrari inspired” special livery.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/f-104-special-livery.html#more-9356

Pre-production photos, HA7606, Spitfire PR Mk.XI PA944.

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series, HA7606, Spitfire PR Mk.XI PA944, 22nd Sqn., 7th Photo Recon Group, RAF Mount Farm, UK, 1944.

An issue with this pre-pro is the armoured windscreen which PR Spitfires were not equipped with. It should be replaced as per previous HM releases. See the link below.

http://dora9diecast.blogspot.com/2013/11/spitfire-pr-mkxi-pa944.html

Corgi AA38207 C-47 pre-pro.

Shuttle reports on the Corgi C-47 'pre-pro'.

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Here are some photos of the 'pre-pro' for the C-47. It looks very good but there are some issues:

1: The pitot tubes are wrong.

2: I have requested that the small aerial under the cockpit glazing (near the crew door) is added.

3: I think the L4 just needs to move back 1mm - 2mm.

4: The windscreen looks fine - it appears to be the correct one. The frames don't appear to be painted though

5: The area under the clear astrodome should be painted black as it is just showing the Olive Drab. The astrodome frame needs OD paint.

6: I think the 'E' on the wing needs to move in a bit (by about 4mm) - in line with the vertical panel line on the wing.

7: The fuselage gap on the right side of the plane is a bit large - can it be tightened?

The OD looks good - very close to the 'Ruptued Duck' OD.

Any other observations will be passed onto Corgi.

 Shuttle.

Seat and Canopy refitting on XH558 as we close for Christmas

Seat and Canopy Refitting On Vulcan XH558.

The recent newsletter we received from the Vulcan XH558 organization pointed out that the team is ahead in the schedule as they strive to complete the winter service in good time to allow the wing modification work to begin in earnest from the middle of January. 

Last week both ejection seats and the canopy were delivered enabling the aircraft to be put up on jacks a good two working weeks ahead of plan. The time saved will obviously help with getting the aircraft airworthy again early in the 2014 season, providing of course all things continue on track with no unexpected issues arising.

XH558 now on jacks, awaiting work to begin on the wing modifications in 2014. The areas 

affected are clearly seen as bare metal on either side. Picture courtesy of Toni Hunter.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/time-lapse-video-seat-canopy-refitting-vulcan-xh558.html#more-9456

Manston OV-10 Bronco Refurbishment Completed

The North American OV-10 Bronco G-ONAA registered to Invicta Aviation Ltd and owned by Tony de Bruyn arrived at Manston, Kent on 29th May 2013 from its base at Schwenningen-am-Neckar in the Black Forest region of southern Germany via Wevelgem (Belgium). The complete restoration has been completed by Invicta Aircraft Engineering Ltd., which is co-located in the TG Aviation hangar.

As the Bronco Demo Team website’s reports Bronco “99+18”, civil registered as G-ONAA (dedicated to the aircraft manufacturer, GO North American Aviation), successfully completed its maiden flight on Saturday May 26, 2012 at Schwenningen-am-Neckar Airfield in Germany. The Bronco had been on static display at the International Aviation Museum – Manfred Pflumm since 1991. A large part of the restoration work was done at the museum location in Schwenningen before the aircraft was flown over to Manston, UK for further restoration work.

Many of the aircraft’s outer skin panels have been replaced – on Tuesday 10th December the Bronco departed Manston for Holland (Midden Zeeland) for a complete new paint job.

The Bronco ready for a new paint job in Holland. (Image credit Geoff Jones)

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/manston-bronco-refurbishment-completed.html#more-9366

Brazil chooses Saab Gripen over the Rafale and Super Hornet.

The Brazilian Defense Department choose Saab over Boeing in a $4.5 billion, 36 fighter jet deal this week.

Minister of Defense, Celso Amorim announced Wednesday that Saab’s Gripen NG was chosen in an international auction for new multi-mission fighters to support the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). 

Brazil’s Commander of the Air Force, Brigadier Juniti Saito, said other contestants for the bid included French fighter Rafale built by Dassault and the F-18 Super Hornet built by Boeing.  

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2013/12/19/brazil-chooses-saab-fighter-over-f-18-super-hornet/
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/brazil-choose-saab-jet-fighter-over-boeing-because-snowden-scandal-1429662

AK47 assault rifle designer Kalashnikov dies at 94.

The inventor of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has died aged 94, Russian officials say.

The automatic rifle he designed became one of the world's most familiar and widely used weapons. Its comparative simplicity made it cheap to manufacture, as well as reliable and easy to maintain.

Although honoured by the state, Kalashnikov made little money from his gun. He once said he would have been better off designing a lawn mower.

Kalashnikov was admitted to hospital with internal bleeding in November. He died on Monday in Izhevsk, the city where he lived 600 miles east of Moscow, an official there said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25497013

Alenia Aermacchi M-346 selected as Polish Air Force’s future Advanced Jet Trainer.

According to Finmeccanica, the Polish Ministry of Defense has chosen the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master as the Advanced Jet Trainer for the Polish Air Force.

The contract, worth 280 million Euro, includes eight Master aircraft (plus option for 4 more planes) along with maintenance and logistics bundle. The final signing of the agreement is planned in January 2014.

M-346 contracts already signed include Italian Air Force, Singapore and Israel.

http://theaviationist.com/2013/12/24/m-346-selected-by-poland/

Final product photos, HA8406, P-47M Thunderbolt "Devastatin Deb".

Hobby Master 1/48 Air Power Series, HA8406, P-47M Thunderbolt 44-21160 "Devastatin Deb", Capt. John C Fahringer 63rd Fighting Squadron, March 1945.

During his time with the 63rd Fighter Squadron Capt. John C Fahringer flew two P-47s. Both aircraft wore UN-F and were named “Devastatin’ Deb” The first aircraft was a P-47D while the second was a P-47M 44-21160. 

On March 25 1945 44-21160 was flown by Major George Bostwick, newly assigned to the 63rd FS, when he shot down an Me-262 and damaged another. 

On April 5, 1945 Captain Fahringer, Operations Officer for the 63rd, scored his fourth and final aircraft when he downed an Me-262 while flying “Devastatin’ Deb”.

Pre-production photos, HA4306, F-86F Sabre "Beauteous Butch II".

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series, HA4306, F-86F Sabre 51-2910 "Beauteous Butch II" 39th FIS/51st FIW, Suwon AB, 1953.

Final product photos, HA4103, Sea Harrier FA.2 ZH799 No. 801 NAS.

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series, HA4103, Sea Harrier FA.2 ZH799 No. 801 Naval Air Sqn. RNAS Yeovilton during 1999/2000.

The 801 NAS was formed in 1933 as a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy. The 801 NAS took part in the fighting during WWII, the Korean War and the Falklands War. 

ZH799 was delivered to the Royal Navy on March 19, 1996 and after only 6 years of service was retired to St. Athan on May 16 2002 for storage. The aircraft eventually found its way to the Bentwaters’ Cold War Museum in 2005 where it is on display.

First shots - Northrop T-38A Talon.

Falcon Models have released the first photos of their T-38A Talon tooling. Apparently the tooling was delayed in order to get the intakes correct.

French Association Réplic’Air Plans to Build a Dewoitine D.551

As reported by World Warbird News the French association Réplic’Air has announced its intention to build a flyable  Dewoitine D.551, and have it fly by June 2017 at the latest. The aircraft, a derivative of the famous Dewoitine D.520 fighter, never flew as France was defeated before it could be produced.

Accordingly to the website History Of War in 1939 Emile Dewoitine had built the D.550 to make an attempt on the air speed record. It had been developed from the D.520 fighter, but with modifications to increase its speed that included a reduced wing span and limited fuel capacity. On 23 October the D.550 reached 420 mph at 19,680 feet, an increase of 90 mph over the D.520. Its military potential was quickly recognised, and work began on the D.551.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-news/dewoitine-d-551.html

Chinese probe lands on the Moon.

China became the first country to “soft-land” on the Moon in nearly four decades on Saturday, taking the Asian super-power one step closer to putting a man on the lunar surface.

The unmanned Chang'e-3 spacecraft successfully landed at just before 9.15pm Beijing time, according to Chinese state media.

Yang Yuguang, an expert from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said: “Soft-landing technology is a critical technology necessary for the future manned lunar missions and in the far future we should establish [lunar] bases and utilise resources on the Moon,” he said.

China, India and the US have fired or crash-landed probes on the Moon’s surface in recent years but this was the first soft - or controlled - landing since 1976, when the former Soviet Union’s Luna-24 landed there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/10517762/Chinese-probe-lands-on-the-Moon-as-space-programme-gathers-pace.html

Final product photos, HA4203, Boston Mk.IV "Lorraine" Free French Air Force.

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series, HA4203, Boston Mk.IV BZ443/OA-B 342 "Lorraine" Sqn., Free French Air Force B.50 Vitry en Artois, France 1944.

The Douglas A-20J 43-21440 was built with an extended Plexiglas nose that housed a bombardier and was sent to the RAF. From there the aircraft was assigned to the 342 “Lorraine” Squadron, Free French Air Force who began operations on June 12, 1943. 

They carried out daylight raids over Northern France and then targeted V-1 sites. In August 1944 the 342 Squadron received the newer Boston Mk.IV just before moving B.50 Vitry-en-Artois in October. They operated the MK.IV until April 1945 when they converted to B-25 Mitchell’s.

Pre-production photos, HA1981, F-4G Wild Weasel 37 TFW USAF.

Hobby Master 1/72 Air Power Series, HA1981, F-4G Wild Weasel 69-7582, 37 TFW, USAF, 1980s.