Bloch 220 (Air France) in 1/144 by F-Rsin

By the mid 1930s the development of fast medium-range airliners had settled on the twin engine, all metal monoplane format. The requirements of different national airlines led to slight variations but for an airline like Air France with a network of routes across Europe, the requirement was similar to a requirement in the United States…

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The Curator’s Choice 025 – Deltas

Deltas Dassault Mirage III – Avro Vulcan B.2 – Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde After World War II aeronautical research suggested the potential of a triangular wing for high speed flight. It has many advantages due to its aerodynamic characteristics and has some structural advantages over swept back wings. It also has some disadvantages which can be mitigated…

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Additions to the Museum’s Collection – 025, 14 August 2022

Here’s the latest additions to the Public Galleries Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde (BA/SIA) in 1/144 by Airfix Bell P-39 Airacobra in 1/72 by Academy Boeing 747-100 (Pan American) in 1/144 by Revell Boeing 747SP (Australia Asia) in 1/144 by Welsh Models Boeing B-29 in 1/72 by Airfix DeHavillanbd DH-82A Tiger Moth in 1/72 by Airfix DeHavilland Vampire…

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The Curator’s Choice 024 – Military Flying Boats

Military Flying Boats Short Sunderland – Consolidated PBY Catalina – Kawanishi H8K2 A couple of months ago I took you to galleries to look at three floatplanes and promised you we would come back and look at flying boats. So its about time we did. Flying boats were a big thing in the 1930s as…

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Additions to the Museum’s Collection – 024, 7 August 2022

Additions to the public galleries Curtiss P-40K in 1/32 by Hasegawa Grumman XF5F in 1/72 by MPM Grumman F8F-1 (South Vietnam) in 1/72 by Monogram Grumman F9F-8 in 1/72 by Hasegawa Grumman F11F-1 in 1/72 by Hasegawa Hindustan Aeronautics HF-24 Marut in 1/72 by Alliance Models Messerchmitt Bf109G-6 in 1/32 by Hasegawa Payen 222 in…

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Robin DR.315 Petit Prince in 1/72 by Dujin

At the end of World War II the French government decided to develop light aviation in a big way, an action also taken by many other governments including Australia’s. As a first step the government purchased a large number of ex-war Tiger Moths and Magisters very cheaply that it passed on to flying schools and…

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Grumman F11F-1 in 1/72 by Hasegawa

Back in the mists of time – probably the early 1960s – I received a book about aeroplanes and a picture in it that captured my imagination was of a formation of Blue Angels F11Fs. The aeroplane itself looked the epitome of streamlining and speed with no compromises. This may well have been the beginning…

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Grumman F9F-8 in 1/72 by Hasegawa

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I want to make something simple that just falls together and doesn’t require a difficult paint scheme. Thus it was that I decided to make something by one of the main kit making companies, and something flown by the US Navy. Almost at random I chose the Grumman…

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Grumman F8F-1 (South Vietnam) in 1/72 by Monogram

The Grumman F8F was a highly successful attempt to put the most powerful engine possible into the smallest, lightest and most manoeuvreable airframe that could be designed around it. It was the follow-up to Grumman’s highly successful F6F Hellcat that had done so much to wrest control of the air over the Pacific Ocean from…

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The Curator’s Choice 023 – Dive Bombers

Dive Bombers Blackburn Skua – Loire-Nieuport LN411 – Curtiss SB2C I was thinking about dive bombers the other day and went to look for them in the gallery of bomber and patrol aircraft. To my surprise I couldn’t find there some that I definitely remembered had been added to the collection. After a while I…

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