Planes

Good old (and new, and maybe even future!) flying machines are here!

I started out modelling aircraft back when I was 12. It seems like so long ago (okay, it is… don’t rub it in!), but my love of aircraft hasn’t changed. If anything, it has simply broadened and deepened!

I tend to focus on 1/72 aircraft, but I do have a few 1/48 built up. I like the smaller scales, so you’ll also see some 1/144 eventually. Oh, and I do have a think for the Tamiya 1/100 planes (they’re in scale to big Gundams!) so there is also some of that to be found. I model everything from WWII up until the modern day. However, I also do a lot of What Ifs, so don’t be surprised if you see some weird stuff here!

Browse the list below to find something of interest, and enjoy! Feedback is always welcome!

Click on the name of the kit (which is hyperlinked) to see a full article on it, with pictures, build history and anything else I think of!

Every kit has a story!

Pre-1945:

1/72 Academy Ju-87 G “Panzerknacker” Stuka – the Luftwaffe’s ultimate tank buster!	1/72 Airfix Ford 5-AT Trimotor – the famous “Tin Goose” in her impressed RAF service days!	1/72 FROG Ta-152H –  the final evolution of Tank’s famous fighter.	1/72 AZ Models Grunau Baby IIb – one of the most famous gliders in the world, with a personal connection!
1/72 Matchbox Vickers Type 289 – The Wellesley used to test the famous Hercules radial engine.	1/72 Farpro C6N1 Saiun – The export version of the “classic” Aoshima. The IJN’s ultimate recce bird!	New Airfix 1/72 Defiant – The RAF’s dogged turret fighter returns in small scale glory!	1/72 Farpro Japan E15K1 Siun “Norm” – A disappointing IJN floatplane recce bird as an equally egregious ancient model!
Brengun 1/72 Natter Trailer – Sure, it’s not a plane, but it was designed to launch them. That’s close, right?	Brengun 1/72 Bachem BP-20 Natter M23: The first and last of the manned Natters, this machine is the first step to the manned space race of the ’60s!	Matchbox 1/72 Spitfire LF.XVI: A weird mix of bubbletop and clipped wings, in classic Matchbox style!

Post-1945:

1/72 Hasegawa Fuji T-1A/B – Japan’s first indigenous post-war jet	1/72 Matchbox Mirage III B-2 (RV) – refuelling trainer version of the famous delta-winged fighter	1/72 Heller A-32A Lansen – Sweden’s tough, long-lived jet attacker	1/72 Revell/ACE Yak-38 Forger A – Russia’s only successful V/STOL fighter in its Afghan War colours
1/100 Tamiya MiG-19PM Farmer E: The Russian’s first supersonic fighter, in its “all missile” form.	1/72 Heller Mirage IVA: Heller’s oldie-but-goodie small-scale rendition of France’s Nuclear bomber of the Cold War.	1/72 Airfix Spitfire F.22: The “new Airfix” take on one of the final Spitfire variants. All hail bubbletops!	1/72 Matchbox Hunter T.66: This is the Omani version of the Hunter two-seater, complete with Sidewinder conversion!
1/72 LO Model AT-3: Taiwan’s first indigenous jet trainer is also ready for war! As a builder, you’d better be too!	Tamiya 1/100 Buccaneer S.2/S.50: The immortal Bucc dressed to kill as an early SAAF machine!	Trumpeter 1/48 Supermarine Attacker F.1: Supermarine’s less-than-sizzling jet successor to its glorious Spitfire legacy!	Zvezda 1/72 Mig-29 SMT: Russia’s hunchbacked Fulcrum has junk in the trunk and weapons galore!
1/72 Pioneer 2 Su-15UM “Flagon G”: Crude kit of a rather finesse-challenged lawn dart two-holer!

What-Ifs:

1/72 Junkers Ju-87 J-2 “Float Stuka” – a floatplane, torpedo-toting version of Germany’s feared bent-wing attacker (as used by the Italians)

Box Scale EP-6D Seamaster – an ELINT version of Martin’s four-jet flying boat bomber

1/72 Fi-203 Adlerkralle – a twin Fi-103 attack fighter

1/72 He-219 G5/RT – a missile toting attack version of the famous Heinkel night fighter!

1/72 F-13B Typhoon – A JASDF version of the Eurofighter; what they could have had instead of the F-35!	1/48 Ta-183 Huckebein – Kurt Tank’s final wartime design was a jet fighter far ahead of its time!	1/72 FW-380 – A Zwilling (twinned) version of Kurt Tank’s long-nosed FW-190; a true Frankenjaeger!	Dragon 1/72 Me P.1101: The dayfighter version of the world’s first swingable wing plane!
Heller/Airfix 1/72 Me-709: A jet-powered -109 made from ancient scraps!