Century Wings announces a VF-101 Grim Reapers F-14B Tomcat 1995.

Century Wings 1/72 scale F-14B Tomcat U.S.Navy VF-101 Grim Reapers AD101 1995 TOMATO. The model is due out in May.

Corgi Aviation Archive July to December 2014 Catalogue.

After a seemingly eternal wait Corgi have finally released their July-December 2014 catalogue. WWI models are seriously lacking with only a Sopwith Camel from the Italian front. Inter-war era sees two Hawker bi-planes.

The Ju88 is the standout of the WWII subjects. There's a new tooling in the form of the Gloster Meteor Mk.3. Also interesting is an Argentine Canberra from the Falklands Campaign. On the rotary front there are 3 Blackhawks from the "Blackhawk Down" debacle. 

Overall potentially something for everyone although many were expecting much more in the way of WWI subjects given that this is 2014 and multiple WWII 70th anniversaries like D-Day, Monte Casino, Ploesti and the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot for example.

Corgi AA39704 RAF Hawker Hurricane IIc, F/L Jimmy Whalen DFC, SEAC 1944.

Shuttle landed this model earlier in the week and shared a few of his insights. Interestingly I believe this may be the first Corgi Hurricane that comes armed with bombs. 

Mine arrived today and here are some very poor Galaxy S4 photo's (not at home at present).

The model looks fine, the only issues I can see are:

1: No pitot (a generic problem with this tool)

2: A tiny glue mark on the lower wing (which will be easy to remove once I get home)

3: The exhausts are different to the 'BBMF' version (but correct for the real aircraft (I think)?

The small roundels were an initial shock but are correct.

It looks like it matches the real machine quite well and the colours seem OK. I hope this is is a good indicator that the other models under the old new regime will be as good......

9/10

 Shuttle

Here are some better pictures along with some of my Corgi Hurricanes......

 Shuttle

Hobby Master releases for May 2014.

May sees another good month for collectors with three WWII 1/72 twins in the form of a JG77 Bf110 based in Finland, Pacific theatre A-20G Havoc and what appears to be the same Beaufighter from the April release list.

Israeli aircraft seem to be in vogue with yet another F-16A Netz. There's a good looking VA-144 "Roadrunners" A-4C Skyhawk and Kuwaiti F/A-18C as well as a Spanish RF-4C and F-35A all in 1/72.

In 1/48 we see a Marines F4U-1 Corsair with bird cage canopy and RCAF Mustang III with Malcolm hood. Lets hope HM has corrected the wing to P-51B/C standard.

U.S. Air Force plans to remove almost 500 aircraft over the next five years.

The Air Force is going to shrink over the next five years. This is the result of the structure changes annouced on Mar. 10, follwing the FY15 President’s Budget announced on Mar. 4.

The plan is going to axe some 500 aircraft across the inventories of all three components, reshaping the Air Force as “a smaller and more capable force [...] that can defeat more technologically advanced adversaries” according to SecDef Chuck Hagel.

The reduction will affect squadrons based in 25 States and the District of Columbia; units based abroad will suffer minor cuts, in order to maintain a significant overseas presence. Nevertheless, Osan airbase in South Korea, will lose its A-10s, while RAF Lakenheath, in UK, will probably have to give away a whole squadron.

Over the next 5 years, along with the about 340 A-10s and 33 U-2s, the “adjustment” will cut about 70 F-15Cs, 119 MQ-1 drones, 6 E-8 Joint Stars planes, 7 E-3 AWACS, and 7 EC-130 Compass Call aircraft; such aircraft will be partially replaced by some upgraded F-16s, made available as new F-35s replace them, and 36 MQ-9 Reaper drones,  while all the remaining fleets will (more or less) be upgraded.

http://theaviationist.com/2014/03/12/fy15-adjustment-plan/