July 2024 Warbirds. (2 Viewers)

[Gunn Miniatures]

Welcome to our July 2024 preview Aircraft newsletter, featuring some exciting new aircraft. We know it is August, but things have been busy at TG HQ and there will be an August 2024 Aircraft Newsletter.

All our hand carved Mahogany aircraft take in the region of 60 hours to manufacture plus many hours of drying time which usually equates build time frame of around 9 months. making every aircraft a unique piece.
For those of you who wish to spread your budget, 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 our July 2024 newsletter please email us on welcome@gunnclub.co.uk


As always, a big thank you to Mark Dyer for his continued support, who assisted us as with the finer details and also Marco Ugolini who contributed towards the Italian aircraft data in this newsletter.

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Bristol F2 Fighter

The Bristol Aeroplane Company F.2 Fighter was a two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft and it was without doubt one of the most important and successful British designs to serve during the First World War.

In 1915, the Royal Flying Corps had identified a need to replace their Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c's with an emphasis on self-defence capabilities.

Designed by a team led by Frank Barnwell (who had experience as a frontline RFC pilot), the prototype Bristol Type 12 F.2A (C3303) was first flown on 9th September 1916 at Filton, fitted with a newly available 190 hp Rolls-Royce Falcon I inline engine. The Bristol Aeroplane Company had already received an order for 50 aircraft by the time the second prototype flew on 25th October 1916, this time fitted with a Hispano-suiza power unit.

The type was a twin-bay biplane, with the fuselage suspended mid-way between the wings in a similar manner to the earlier Gordon England biplanes. The pilot sat forward of the observer / gunner who was equipped with a Scarff-ring mounted machine gun in the rear cockpit. A forward-firing Vickers gun was mounted on the fuselage centreline.

The type was ordered into service with 2 prototypes and 50 production Bristol F.2A, all built before construction was switched to the Bristol Type 14 F.2B when the aircraft became the definitive Bristol Fighter.
Despite a disastrous start to its career, the definitive F.2B version proved to be a manoeuvrable aircraft and pilots soon realised that the Bristol Fighter was a strong and agile aircraft, capable of manoeuvring with single-seat fighters, despite some rumours that the type lacked the structural strength to be flown as a fighter. While its fixed forward-firing machine gun could be used as the primary weapon, the observer could use his flexible, rear-mounted gun to provide protection from attacks from the rear. Flown in this manner, the Bristol Fighter achieved a 'remarkable' level of success and proved to be a formidable opponent for German fighters.

We have 2 x different hand carved Mahogany 1/30 scale Bristol's available. These examples are probably some of the most colourful British WW1 aircraft of the era and well worth having in your collection.

WOW546 The Crocodile $850
Postage of $100 is shown in the banner price and will not be added at checkout.

WOW545 The Brisfish $850
Postage of $100 is shown in the banner price and will not be added at checkout.

These particular models are from our specialist factory that make exquisite highly detailed WW1 models, they are not cheap but those of you have bought their models before will appreciate the amount of labour that goes into making these aircraft.

The figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.

WOW546 The Crocodile $850


WOW545 The Brisfish $850
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The Avro Lancaster an 'Icon'


The Lancaster Bomber is a true icon and the contribution it made in the Second World War and beyond cannot be overestimated. The Lancaster joined Bomber Command’s 44 Squadron on Christmas Eve 1941, with the first operation in March 1942. Sir Arthur Harris recorded in 1945 that from then until the end of the conflict the Lancaster dropped two-thirds of the tonnage of the RAF Bomber Command bombs.

Recreating and manufacturing aircraft like the Lancaster, and many others, make us at Thomas Gunn feel we are not just making highly collectable aircraft, but we are making history and the aircraft that represent it are something we can be proud of. We have 2 versions of the Lancaster available today.

WOW402 Pathfinder Lancaster 83rd Squadron

Pathfinder Lancaster ND856 from 83 Squadron was lost after a raid on Givors in July 1944. The aircraft was flown by Sqn Leader Robert Eggins DFC, a veteran of many bombing missions in this aircraft. His aircraft is believed to have collided during a tremendous thunderstorm with Lancaster ND527, during a 170 aircraft raid on the railway yard at Givors in France. Both aircraft tried to limp home but crash-landed some 70 miles later near Surat, all crew from both Lancasters died during the crash landings. In July 2014 a commemoration was held in Surat with family and friends of both Lancasters making a trip to attend this event.

We have 1 x 1/32 scale Mahogany model available

WOW499 Lancaster [Tallboy] 617th Squadron, Woodhall Spa UK, April 1945

Thirty-two Lancaster B Mk.I was adapted to take first the super-heavy "Tallboy" and then "Grand Slam" bombs, for specialized targets that required a large, penetrating blast against a fixed enemy target. To accommodate the weight of the Barnes Wallis Tallboy Bomb the Lancaster engines were up-rated with paddle-bladed propellers gave more power, and the removal of some gun turrets reduced weight and gave smoother lines.
Our Lancaster, YZ-Q, was took part in at least 3 Grand Slam Missions, Flown by Canadian pilot Group Captain JE Fauquier RCAF, including the first "Grand Slam" raid, on Arnsberg Viaduct, March 19th 1945. Also on March 23rd 1945, attacking the Bremen Bridge and the U-Boat Pens at Farge on March 27th 1945.

Earlier in the war, August 1943, during Operation Hydra, the bombing raid on a German military research facility at Peenemunde, Group Captain JE Fauquier RCAF was Deputy Master Bomber, making 17 passes over the target. He and his crew were also arrested by the Home Guard in November 1941, suspected as being German Spies, as he was forced to land his aircraft at an unused airfield due to poor weather conditions, after a raid on Berlin.
This aircraft was struck off charge in September 1950, serving with 15 Squadron and with the Royal Airforce Establishment after the war had ended.

The Tallboy Bomb can be either fixed to the Lancaster, via a magnet, or used on a trolley. If dropped we promise the bomb will not make as loud a bang, or a mess, as the real bomb did!

The TG/K&C figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.
Priced at $1800 plus shipping which will depend on your location. This is a limited run of 3 models in 1/32 scale.

WOW402 Pathfinder Lancaster 83rd Squadron




WOW499 Lancaster [Tallboy] 617th Squadron, Woodhall Spa UK, April 1945

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

WOW550 Blohm & Voss BV. P178

The Blohm und Voss P.178 aircraft was designed as a successor to the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka aircraft. The new machine was an avant-garde design that had a single jet engine in a separate nacelle under the right wing. This solution was designed to facilitate easier operation of the engine by ground crew, as well as to provide better properties (in theory) of the machine in a diving flight. The fuselage, on the other hand, was highly aerodynamically refined.

This late war asymmetrical fighter bomber had one Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet located under the wing with the pilot sat in a cockpit in the forward fuselage and a large fuel tank located to the rear of the cockpit.

Beneath the fuel tank, there was a deep recess in which an SC 500 bomb could be carried within the fuselage, or an SC 1000 bomb which would protrude slightly out of the fuselage. Two solid-fuel auxiliary rockets extended from the rear, used for the aid of a shorter take-off.
Two 15 mm (.60 in) MG 151 canons were located in the nose for armament on the fighter bomber version. Other versions were proposed including an anti shipping variant capable of carrying bomben torpedo’s and an anti tank version with a 75mm cannon fitted under the fuselage similar to the Henschel 129.

The end of the war curtailed any further development of this magnificent looking machine and it became one of many Luftwaffe paper projects that never saw action or even to get off the drawing board.

Models measures 40cm wide by 39cm long excluding the cannon, this makes it a large single seater fighter by any stretch of the imagination. For those of you with a P47 Thunderbolt in your collection, both models have a similar wingspan but the B&V is longer and then you can add on the cannon!

We have a total of four 1/30 scale hand carved Mahogany anti tank models with 75mm cannon available, priced at $799 plus postage of $100 to the USA which is reflected in the website banner price.

All figures and accessories are shown for scale reference purposes only and are not included.





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WOW497 Emily Restock

We have had two Emily back into stock. The Kawanishi H8K was a flying boat used by the Japanese Navy during WW2 for maritime patrol duties. The Allied reporting name for the type was “Emily”.

The Kawanishi H8K was a large, four-engine aircraft designed for long range and extended endurance on patrols or bombing missions typically flown alone over the pacific ocean. The prototype first flew in January 1941, and H8K1s made their first combat sortie in March 1942. The robust H8K2 “Emily” flying boat was also fitted with powerful defensive armament, for which Allied pilots had substantial respect wherever this aircraft was encountered in the Pacific Theatre. Aircraft historian René Francillon called the H8K “the most outstanding water-based combat aircraft of the Second World War.”

The H8K entered production in 1941 and first saw operational use on the night of 4 March 1942 in a second raid on Pearl Harbour. Since the target lay out of range for the flying boats, this audacious plan involved a refuelling by submarine, some 900 km (560 mi) north-west of Hawaii, en route. Two Emily planes attempted to bomb Pearl Harbour but, due to poor visibility, did not accomplish any significant damage. Six days after the second Pearl Harbor raid, one of the Emilys was sent on a daylight photo-reconnaissance mission of Midway Atoll. It was intercepted by radar-directed Brewster Buffalo fighters of Marine Fighting Squadron 221 and shot down. All aboard were killed, including Lt. Hashizume Hisao, the lead pilot of the second Pearl Harbor raid.

The Emily was used for also used for troop transportation along with maritime reconnaissance

This 1/32 scale Emily is priced at $2000 each plus shipping. This very large model measures approximately 117cm wide by 88cm long. Comes with two detachable trolleys for display purposes.

The figures and accessories shown are for scale comparison only and are not included.




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WOW235 A-26 Invader


The A-26 was Douglas Aircraft’s successor to the Boston Havoc, also known as the Douglas Boston, one of the most successful and widely operated types flown by Allied air forces in World War II.
The A-26 was originally built in two different configurations. The A-26B had a gun nose, which originally could be equipped with a combination of armament including .50 calibre machine guns, 20mm or 37mm auto cannon, or even a 75mm pack howitzer (which was never used operationally). Normally the gun nose version housed six (or later eight) 50 calibre machine guns, officially termed the “all-purpose nose”, later commonly known as the “six-gun nose” or “eight-gun nose”. The A-26C‘s “glass” nose, officially termed the “Bombardier nose”, contained a Norden bombsight for medium altitude precision bombing. The A-26C nose section included two fixed M-2 guns, later replaced by underwing gun packs or internal guns in the wings.

A-26s began arriving in Europe in late September 1944 for assignment to the 9th Air Force. The initial deployment involved 18 aircraft and crews assigned to the 553d Squadron of the 386th Bomb Group. This unit flew its first mission on 6 September 1944. No aircraft were lost on the eight test missions, and the 9th Air Force announced that it was happy to replace all of its A-20s and B-26’s with the A-26 Invader. The A-26 was well received by pilots and crew alike, and by 1945, the 9th AF had flown 11,567 missions, dropping 18,054 tons of bombs, recording seven confirmed kills while losing 67 of It’s A-26 aircraft.

We have ONE of our 1/32 scale all silver A-26 ‘For Pete’s Sake’ and is priced at $1300 plus $200 postage.




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That's all for this month for our aircraft, we sincerely hope you enjoy the pictures and would love to hear from you if any of these magnificent models appeal to you.

Best wishes The Gunn Team

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

WOW548 SM.81 Pipistrello Mediterranean Version​

This aircraft nearly flew under the radar,

The Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello was the first three engine bomber/transport aircraft to serve with the Italian Air Force. When it appeared in 1935, it represented a real step forward in Italian military aviation: it was fast, well armed and had a long range.
It proved particularly effective during the war with Ethiopia and also during the Spanish Civil War.
When Italy became involved in WW2, around 300 SM.81s were in service with the Regia Aeronautica.

The first Italian aircraft to enter action in East Africa were a pair of SM.81s. On 11 June 1940, one of them attacked Port Sudan and the other flew a reconnaissance flight over the Red Sea. That same night, three SM.81s took off to bomb Aden, but one turned back, and one of the other two hit a hill near Massawa while trying to land. A further flight was concurrently deployed against Anglo-Rhodesian defensive positions in British Somaliland immediately before the decisive Battle of Tug Argan, presaging its limited role as a tactical bomber.

Despite being too slow to remain competitive as a daylight bomber in the later years of WW2, it was one of the most flexible, reliable and important aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica from 1935 to 1944, and adapted to second-line duties in a wide range of tasks as the war progressed, these included transport of supplies and paratroops.
However at night it was an effective bomber, particularly in the North African theatre where it also carried out anti-ship actions against British ships.

We have 1 x 1/30 scale version of the Pipistrello measuring 80cm wide by 61cm lomg as follows:

WOW548 from Squadriglia 202a, 40 Gruppo, 38 Stormo in Mediterranean theatre camouflage scheme 1941 – 2 available

All priced at $1399 plus shipping, the TG/K&C/JJD figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.