January 2022 Warbirds (1 Viewer)

[Gunn Miniatures]

That's all for this month for our Warbirds, we sincerely hope you enjoyed viewing them, they are now listed on our website and can be ordered there or by dropping us an email on welcome@gunnclub.co.uk.


Best wishes The Team @ Gunn

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Mitsubishi G4M Betty Bomber with Okha Kamikaze


The Mitsubishi G4M was a twin-engine, land-based medium bomber formerly manufactured by the Mitsubishi Aircraft Company and operated by the Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. Its official designation was Mitsubishi Navy Type 1 attack bomber and was commonly referred to by Japanese Navy pilots as Hamaki ("cigar") due to the cylindrical shape of its fuselage. The Allied reporting name was "Betty".


Designed to a strict specification to succeed the Mitsubishi G3M already in service, the G4M boasted very good performance and excellent range and was considered the best land-based naval bomber at the time. This was achieved by its structural lightness and an almost total lack of protection for the crew, with no armor plating or self-sealing fuel tanks. The G4M was officially adopted on 2 April 1941 but the aforementioned problems would prove to be a severe drawback, often suffering heavy losses; Allied fighter pilots nicknamed the G4M "The Flying Lighter" as it was extremely prone to ignition after a few hits. It was not until later variants of the G4M2 and G4M3 with self-sealing fuel tanks, armor protection for the crew and better defensive armament was installed that the survivability rate increased for crews.


Nevertheless, the G4M would become the Navy's primary land-based bomber. It was the most widely produced and most famous bomber operated by the Japanese during World War II and served in nearly all battles during the Pacific War. The aircraft is also known for being the mothership that carried the Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka, a purpose-built anti-ship suicide weapon during the final years of the war. Of the 2,435 G4Ms produced, no intact aircraft have survived.


The Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka was a purpose-built, rocket-powered human-guided kamikaze attack aircraft employed by Japan against Allied ships towards the end of the Pacific War during World War II.


The G4M's most notable use as a torpedo bomber was in the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse off the eastern coast of Malaya on 10 December 1941. The G4Ms attacked along with older Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers, which made high-level bombing runs. Prince of Wales and Repulse were the first two capital ships to be sunk exclusively by air attacks during a war, whilst in open waters.


Our 1/30 scale model comes with detachable Okha and is priced at $1450/£1240 plus postage. Any TG/K&C figures are shown for scale reference purposes only and are not included.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Junker Ju.87 Stuka Tank Buster


The Ju 87G was a specialized anti-tank version, fitted with two BK 3.7 (Flak 18) guns hung under the wings just outboard of the landing gears. This 37-mm-gun was a formidable weapon weighting over 363 kg (800 lb) and in wide service as ground-based Flak (anti-aircraft artillery) equipment.


With the G variant, the ageing airframe of the Ju 87 found new life as an anti-tank aircraft. This was the final operational version of the Stuka, and was deployed on the Eastern Front. The reverse in German military fortunes after 1943 and the appearance of huge numbers of well-armoured Soviet tanks caused Junkers to adapt the existing design to combat this new threat. The Henschel Hs 129B had proved a potent ground attack weapon, but its large fuel tanks made it vulnerable to enemy fire, prompting the RLM to say "that in the shortest possible time a replacement of the Hs 129 type must take place."
With Soviet tanks the priority targets, the development of a further variant as a successor to the Ju 87D began in November 1942. On 3 November, Milch raised the question of replacing the Ju 87, or redesigning it altogether. It was decided to keep the design as it was, but the power-plant was upgraded to a Junkers Jumo 211J, and two 30 mm (1.2 in) cannons were added. The variant was also designed to carry a 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) free-fall bomb load. Furthermore, the armoured protection of the Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik was copied to protect the crew from ground fire now that the Ju 87 would be required to conduct low level attacks.


In April 1943 the first production Ju 87 G-1s were delivered to front line units. The two 37 mm (1.46 in) Bordkanone BK 3,7 cannons were mounted in under-wing gun pods, each loaded with two six-round magazines of armour-piercing tungsten carbide-cored ammunition. With these weapons, the Kanonenvogel ("cannon-bird"), as it was nicknamed, proved very successful in the hands of Stuka aces such as Rudel. The G-1 was converted from older D-series airframes, retaining the smaller wing, but without the dive brakes. The G-2 was similar to the G-1 except for use of the extended wing of the D-5. Around 208 G-2s were built and at least a further 22 more were converted from D-3 airframes. Only a handful of production G's were committed in the Battle of Kursk. On the opening day of the offensive, Hans-Ulrich Rudel flew the only "official" Ju 87 G, although a significant number of Ju 87D variants were fitted with the 37 mm (1.46 in) cannon, and operated as unofficial Ju 87 G's before the battle. In June 1943 the RLM ordered 20 x Ju 87G's as production variants. The G-1 later influenced the design of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, with Hans Rudel's book, Stuka Pilot, being required reading for all members of the A-10 project.


Our latest 1/30 scale version of the Stuka has the wheel spats removed, a common occurrence on the eastern front and is based on an aircraft operating with StG 1 Russia 1943.
Only three models are available priced at $799/£685 per model. The accessories and TG/K&C figures are not included and are shown for scale reference purposes only.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Bristol Blenheim Sqn Leader Arthur Scarf VC


The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) and was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. Development began with the Type 142, a civil airliner in response to a challenge from Lord Rothermere to produce the fastest commercial aircraft in Europe. The Type 142 first flew in April 1935, and the Air Ministry impressed by its performance, ordered a modified design as the Type 142M for the RAF as a bomber. Deliveries of the newly named Blenheim to RAF squadrons commenced on 10 March 1937. In service the Type 142M became the Blenheim Mk.I which would be developed into the longer Type 149, designated the Blenheim Mk.IV, except in Canada where Fairchild Canada built the Type 149 under licence as the Bolingbroke.


In addition to operating as medium bombers, both versions were converted into heavy fighters by the addition of a gun pack with four Browning .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns mounted under the fuselage. The Mk.IV was also used as a maritime patrol aircraft and both aircraft were also used as bombing and gunnery trainers once they had become obsolete as combat aircraft.


The Blenheim was one of the first British aircraft with an all-metal stressed-skin construction, retractable landing gear, flaps, a powered gun turret and variable-pitch propellers. The Mk.I was faster than most of the RAF's biplane fighters in the late 1930s but advances soon left it vulnerable if flown in daylight, though it proved successful as a night fighter. The Blenheim measured 42.7 feet in length and had a wingspan of just over 56 feet.


Our pilot Arthur Stewart King Scarf, VC (14 June 1913 – 9 December 1941) was a Royal Air Force pilot and a recipient of the Victoria Cross.


Scarf was 28 years old, and a squadron leader in No. 62 Squadron, when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross.


On 9 December 1941 in Malaya, near the Thai border, all available aircraft had been ordered to make a daylight raid on Singora (where the Japanese Army was invading). Squadron Leader Scarf as leader of the raid, had just taken off from the base at Butterworth when enemy aircraft swept in destroying or disabling all the rest of the machines. Scarf decided nevertheless to fly alone to Singora. Despite attacks from roving fighters he completed his bombing run and was on his way back when his aircraft became riddled with bullets and he was severely wounded, his left arm had been shattered, he had a large hole in his back and was drifting in and out of consciousness. He managed to crash-land the Blenheim at Alor Star, without causing any injury to his crew, and was rushed to hospital where he died two hours later.


Scarf's Victoria Cross was not gazetted until June 1946. Because of the chaotic nature of the Malayan campaign, the facts concerning Scarf's actions were not known until after the war.


Our 1/30 scale Blenheim is limited to 5 in number and is priced at $999/£850 plus shipping whilst stocks last. The TG/K&C figures & accessories shown are for scale reference purposes only and are not included.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Armstrong Whitley Bomber Group Capt. Leonard Cheshire VC


The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engined, front line bomber types that were in service with the RAF at the outbreak of the Second World War. Alongside the Vickers Wellington and the Handley Page Hampden, the Whitley was developed during the mid-1930s according to Air Ministry Specification B.3/34, which it was subsequently selected to meet. In 1937 the Whitley formally entered into RAF squadron service; it was the first of the three medium bombers to be introduced.


Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Whitley participated in the first RAF bombing raid upon German territory and remained an integral part of the early British bomber offensive. In 1942 it was superseded as a bomber by the larger four-engined "heavies" such as the Avro Lancaster. Its front line service included maritime reconnaissance with Coastal Command and the second line roles of glider-tug, trainer and paratroop transport aircraft. The type was also procured by British Overseas Airways Corporation as a civilian freighter aircraft. The aircraft was named after Whitley, a suburb of Coventry, home of one of Armstrong Whitworth's plants.


On 9 March 1937, the Whitley Mk I began entering squadron service with No. 10 Squadron of the RAF, replacing their Handley Page Heyford biplanes. In January 1938, the Whitley Mk II first entered squadron service with No. 58 Squadron and in August 1938, the Whitley Mk III first entered service with No. 51 Squadron. In May 1939, the Whitley Mk IV first entered service with No. 10 Squadron and in August 1939, the Whitley Mk IVA first entered service with No. 78 Squadron. By the outbreak of the Second World War, a total of seven squadrons were operational, the majority of these flying Whitley III or IV aircraft, while the Whitley V had only just been introduced to service; a total of 196 Whitleys were on charge with the RAF.


At the start of the war, No. 4 Group, equipped with the Whitley, was the only trained night bomber force in the world. Alongside the Handley Page Hampden and the Vickers Wellington, the Whitley bore the brunt of the early fighting and saw action during the first night of the war, when they dropped propaganda leaflets over Germany. The propaganda flight made the Whitley the first aircraft of RAF Bomber Command to penetrate into German airspace. Further propaganda flights would travel as far as Berlin, Prague, and Warsaw. On the night of 19/20 March 1940, in conjunction with multiple Hampdens, the Whitley conducted the first bombing raid on German soil, attacking the Hörnum seaplane base on the Island of Sylt. Following the Hörnum raid, Whitleys routinely patrolled the Frisian Islands, targeting shipping and seaplane activity. The Whitley measured just over 70 feet in length and had an 84 foot wingspan.


Our Whitley Bomber is flown by Leonard Cheshire, VC, OM, DSO & Two Bars, DFC (7 September 1917 – 31 July 1992) who was a highly decorated Royal Air Force pilot and group captain during the Second World War.


In July 1944, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire DSO, and two bars, DFC, was retired from flying having logged a record 102 operations as a pilot with RAF Bomber Command. On 8 September, he was awarded the Victoria Cross, not for an individual act of gallantry, but in recognition of his courage and outstanding leadership from the summer of 1940. Although by no means a natural pilot, Cheshire quickly mastered every aspect of his trade and every aircraft type he flew. His coolness under fire was legendary, and this, combined with his shrewd judgement and warm sense of humour, made him an excellent skipper. As a commanding officer, Cheshire was compassionate and approachable to all of his men regardless of rank, he also inspired strong personal loyalty.


On the night of 12th/13th November 1940, Whitley V P5005 found itself slightly off course above the primary target due to problems with the intercom. Changing instead to a secondary target, some railway marshalling yards near Cologne, Pilot Officer Leonard Cheshire suddenly felt his aircraft rocked by a series of violent flak explosions that caused a severe fire to break out in the fuselage, filling the cockpit with acrid black smoke. As DY-N plunged some 2,000 feet, Cheshire managed to regain control and the fire was eventually extinguished. For bringing his aircraft safely home to 102 Squadron's base after being airborne for eight and half hours, Cheshire was awarded a DSO.


Our 1/32 scale model is limited to 3 in number worldwide and is priced at $1,300/£1,115 whilst stocks last. The TG/K&C figures shown are for scale reference purposes only and are not included.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Dear all, welcome to our January 2022 Aircraft newsletter featuring Hampden's Whitley's and Blenheim bombers plus a couple of other exciting birds, so please read on without further ado.


All our hand carved Mahogany aircraft take in the region of 250 days to manufacture plus many more hours of drying time. For this reason we only make small numbers of each model and every aircraft is a unique piece.
For those of you who wish to spread your budget when buying our aircraft, please note we do accept stage payments where you can spread the cost over several months. If you require further details of any of the aircraft in today's newsletter, please email welcome@gunnclub.co.uk and ask for a quote.


A big thank you to Mark Dyer with his assistance in the research and development of these models, it really has been invaluable.




All our aircraft now come with their own stands and can be displayed in flying mode if required.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

[FONT=arial, helvetica neue, helvetica, sans-serif]Dear all, apologies but the wrong pilot was attributed to our Blenheim which was flown by Hughie Edwards, his story is below:[/FONT]

Air Commodore Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards, VC, KCMG, CB, DSO, OBE, DFC
(August 1, 1914 – August 5, 1982).

Hughie Idwal Edwards was the third of five children born to Welsh parents who had emigrated to Fremantle, Western Australia in 1909.

On 15[SUP]th[/SUP] June 1941, Edwards, acting Wing Commander, commanded 6 Blenheims on a mission seeking out enemy shipping anchored near The Hague. They launched a low-level attack on 8 merchant vessels and Edwards bombs hit a 4,000-tonne ship receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his actions.

July 4[SUP]th[/SUP] 1941 Edwards was the lead aircraft in Operation Wreckage; a daylight attack by Blenheims against the port of Bremen, one of the most heavily defended towns in Germany.

12 bombers took off from RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, flying in to attack from a height of just 50ft (15m) whilst dodging telephone wires, high voltage power lines and barrage balloons and evading anti-aircraft fire over the port. Intense fire resulted in the loss of four aircraft but Edwards brought his remaining aircraft safely back, although all had been struck and his own Blenheim IV V6028 – coded GB-D, had been hit more than 20 times.

Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

He returned to live in Australia, was knighted and became Governor of Western Australia in 1974. Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards passed away on the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] August 1982 on his way to a Test Match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The word ‘Hero’ is banded around today, but Hughie Idwal Edwards was the personification of that word ‘Hero’.

 

[Panzer ace]

The Stuka is amazing.

 

[WesternOutlaw]

These aircraft are like works of art. Exquisite detail and design.

 

[Barkmann]

Great RAF additions, think my favourite is the Hampden, oh for more funds and space...........

 

[Obee]

Dear all, apologies but the wrong pilot was attributed to our Blenheim which was flown by Hughie Edwards, his story is below:

Air Commodore Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards, VC, KCMG, CB, DSO, OBE, DFC
(August 1, 1914 – August 5, 1982).

Hughie Idwal Edwards was the third of five children born to Welsh parents who had emigrated to Fremantle, Western Australia in 1909.

On 15[SUP]th[/SUP] June 1941, Edwards, acting Wing Commander, commanded 6 Blenheims on a mission seeking out enemy shipping anchored near The Hague. They launched a low-level attack on 8 merchant vessels and Edwards bombs hit a 4,000-tonne ship receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his actions.

July 4[SUP]th[/SUP] 1941 Edwards was the lead aircraft in Operation Wreckage; a daylight attack by Blenheims against the port of Bremen, one of the most heavily defended towns in Germany.

12 bombers took off from RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk, flying in to attack from a height of just 50ft (15m) whilst dodging telephone wires, high voltage power lines and barrage balloons and evading anti-aircraft fire over the port. Intense fire resulted in the loss of four aircraft but Edwards brought his remaining aircraft safely back, although all had been struck and his own Blenheim IV V6028 – coded GB-D, had been hit more than 20 times.

Edwards was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

He returned to live in Australia, was knighted and became Governor of Western Australia in 1974. Air Commodore Sir Hughie Edwards passed away on the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] August 1982 on his way to a Test Match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The word ‘Hero’ is banded around today, but Hughie Idwal Edwards was the personification of that word ‘Hero’.

Hughie Edwards is commemorated with a statue here in Fremantle, his home town,

Lest We Forget

John

 

[Panzer ace]

Nice to see these WW2 bombers but disappointing to see a break in consistent modern aircraft in the TG Warbird releases.

Hopefully this means a B-52 is in the works.

^&grin

 

[Barkmann]

Nice to see these WW2 bombers but disappointing to see a break in consistent modern aircraft in the TG Warbird releases.

Hopefully this means a B-52 is in the works.

^&grin

That would be a huge aircraft, using the TG Sunderland as a guide, i think roughly, the wingspan would be around 57 inches and the fuselage would be around 47 inches long? If possible i think the wings would have to be seperate, just for transportation, cost of shipping would be high. Cost would be probably one of the most expensive planes to make and the end price will be sigificant.

More likely to do it if there were definate orders and i know T Gunn do take notice of customer requests, so think you [or anyone else] are better off contacting them direct, i did and got a one off [much smaller aircraft] made in the markings i wanted.

 

[Barkmann]

Hughie Edwards is commemorated with a statue here in Fremantle, his home town,

Lest We Forget

John

Looks great and wonderful to hear and see him honoured.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Handley Page Hampden Sgt John Hannah VC


The Handley Page Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber operated by the Royal Air Force. It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Vickers Wellington. The Hampden was powered by Bristol Pegasus radial engines a variant known as the Handley Page Hereford had in-line Napier Daggers. It was often referred to as the 'flying suitcase' due to its narrow width which made flying in the Hampden a cramped experience.


The Hampden served in the early stages of the Second World War, bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne.


In September 1938, No. 49 Squadron received the first Hampdens; by the end of the year, both 49 and 83 Squadrons at RAF Scampton had re-equipped with the type. A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with ten squadrons by the start of the Second World War, with six forming the operational strength of 5 Group of Bomber Command based in Lincolnshire.


With the outbreak of war in 1939, Hampdens were initially used to perform armed aerial reconnaissance missions, observing German naval activity during daylight. However, despite its speed and manoeuvrability, the Hampden proved to be vulnerable tor Luftwaffe fighters and required an RAF fighter escort for daytime operations. In December 1939 Bomber Command is claimed to have discarded the belief that aircraft such as the Hampden could realistically operate by day and instead chose to predominantly employ them under the cover of darkness during night-time operations. During 1940 Hampdens of 5 Group conducted 123 night-time airborne leaflet propaganda missions, losing only a single aircraft in the process. The Hampden was 53.7 feet in length and had a wingspan of 69 feet.


On 13 April 1940 days after Germany's invasion of Norway, a large number of Hampdens were dispatched on night-time mine-laying (code-named "gardening") flights in the North Sea in areas deemed unapproachable by British shipping. According to Moyes, this activity proved highly effective, experiencing a low casualty rate of less than 1.9 aircraft per mission.


Our Hampden was one crewed by Sgt John Hannah a Scot from Paisley, who received the VC for his bravery and determination shown whilst flying in the Hampden.
On 15 September 1940, fifteen Handley Page Hampden bombers took off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire to attack enemy barges moored at Antwerp in readiness for Operation Sealion, the German invasion of Britain. During the action, the plane piloted by Pilot Officer C A Connor was hit by flak and caught fire. The navigator and rear gunner baled out. However the radio operator Sergeant Hannah fought the blaze using his log books and then his hands to extinguish the fire, burning himself terribly during the process, this action allowed the plane to return to Scampton safely.


Hannah who was only 18 years old when the action took place, was the youngest recipient of the Victoria Cross during the second world war at this time. He contracted Tuberculosis the following year and was discharged in 1942. Hannah found it difficult to hold down a civilian job because of his injuries, he died in 1947 aged only 25, leaving behind a wife and three daughters.


Our 1/30 Hampden is limited to 5 in number worldwide and is priced at $999/£850 plus postage.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

The Hampden was omitted from the Forum newsletter although it was included in our e-newsletter, we have now included details of it below. Please note the TG/K&C figures are not included with this model and are shown for scale comparison purposes only.

 

[Panzer ace]

That would be a huge aircraft, using the TG Sunderland as a guide, i think roughly, the wingspan would be around 57 inches and the fuselage would be around 47 inches long? If possible i think the wings would have to be seperate, just for transportation, cost of shipping would be high. Cost would be probably one of the most expensive planes to make and the end price will be sigificant.

More likely to do it if there were definate orders and i know T Gunn do take notice of customer requests, so think you [or anyone else] are better off contacting them direct, i did and got a one off [much smaller aircraft] made in the markings i wanted.

Thanks for the information.

 

[Barkmann]

Thanks for the information.

I was discussing TG Planes with a collector and he was looking at a ME323 and we calculated the model would have a wingspan of around 66 inches, while the length would be around 43 inches. That would be massive.

I have my eye on a British Coastal Command Sunderland Flying Boat and that is also a big plane [wingspan 41 inches, length 32 inches], plus have done some research on Coastal Command Liberator. The Liberator would look great as well, but every time i think about it T Gunn bring out an aircraft i want, the largest i have is a H111, my favourite I have is the Black Lysander and i am thinking of getting the Nightfighter Defiant. While i am looking at which markings i want on the Vampire i ordered, would want an early version to go with the Meteor I have.

A Walrus would be top of my list

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

I was discussing TG Planes with a collector and he was looking at a ME323 and we calculated the model would have a wingspan of around 66 inches, while the length would be around 43 inches. That would be massive.

I have my eye on a British Coastal Command Sunderland Flying Boat and that is also a big plane [wingspan 41 inches, length 32 inches], plus have done some research on Coastal Command Liberator. The Liberator would look great as well, but every time i think about it T Gunn bring out an aircraft i want, the largest i have is a H111, my favourite I have is the Black Lysander and i am thinking of getting the Nightfighter Defiant. While i am looking at which markings i want on the Vampire i ordered, would want an early version to go with the Meteor I have.

A Walrus would be top of my list

A Walrus is on the way soon!
Regards Jack