JULY 2025 WARBIRDS (1 Viewer)

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Dear all, welcome to our July 2025 Aircraft newsletter featuring some exciting new products. 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 limited edition masterpiece. 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. Please note the Gunn Club discount has now been amended to 10% for the foreseeable future, however we reserve the right to amend this at any time should circumstances change. To claim your 10% Club discount, simply enter the word 'discount' at checkout in the coupon box to receive this offer. All the TG/K&C figures/accessories displayed in this newsletter are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.

 

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WOW625 and WOW626 Westland Whirlwind The Westland Whirlwind emanated from an Air Ministry Specification of 1935 calling for a single-seat day/night fighter armed with 4 cannon. Of the six companies that responded, Supermarine, Boulton Paul and Westland were initially chosen to produce prototypes. A contract for two Westland prototypes was placed in February 1937 and associated work began, but neither Supermarine nor Boulton-Paul were able to proceed at that time. An order was finally placed with these 2 companies in December 1937 but cancelled the following month in recognition of Westland being more advanced at the time. The first prototype Whirlwind took to the air on 11 October 1938. Powered by two Peregrine 885 hp engines, it exhibited very good handling characteristics. However, modifications were required that delayed development and it was not until January 1939 that a production order was placed for 200 machines. No 25 Squadron at RAF North Weald was destined to be the first Whirlwind unit and received three machines in May/June 1940. However, with very slow aircraft delivery in prospect, it was decided to re-equip 25 Squadron with the Bristol Beaufighter and that No 263 should now become the first operational unit. Problems in production resulted in this squadron not becoming operational with the Whirlwind until December 1940. In September 1941, No 137 Squadron became the second Whirlwind unit and it was shortly thereafter in January 1942 that, with the realisation that the Beaufighter was just as good as if not better as a night fighter, production ceased. The two squadrons continued to conduct bomber escort missions until the summer of 1942 when, the aircraft’s role was changed. Racks to carry 2 x 250 lb or 500 lb bombs were fitted to supplement the 4 x 20 mm cannon and the Whirlwind was thereafter employed on Rhubarb missions and anti-shipping sorties. Pilots often wrote glowing reviews about the Whirlwind, others were less kind, had time been on it's side, then it may have been developed into a great fighting platform for the RAF. The final Whirlwind mission to be flown by 137 Squadron took place in June 1943 and by 263 Squadron in December of that year, the units re-equipping with Hurricane Mk IVs and Typhoons respectively. On 1st January 1944 the Whirlwind was officially declared obsolete. WOW625 1/30 scale model of 263 Squadron, in late war camouflage pattern. This aircraft took part in the Dieppe raid and various 'Rhubarb' anti shipping missions. WOW626 our 1/30 scale model P6974 HE-M of No. 263 Squadron RAF Westland. Whirlwind P6974 HE-M. August 1942, was flown by Pilot Officer Cotton RAAF during the Dieppe Raid. We have 2 each of these 1/30 scale models available priced at $899 plus postage. The figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.

 

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WOW626 Whirlwind

 

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WOW468 Nakajima B6N Jill The Japanese name for the Nakajima B6N was Tenzan [Heavenly Mountain], whilst the Allies named the aircraft type the "Jill". The Nakajima B6N was the Imperial Japanese Navy's standard carrier-borne torpedo bomber during the final years of WW II and the successor to the B5N "Kate". The aircraft first flew in 1941 and there were 1,268 manufactured, however, the long development process meant the aircraft did not enter service until August 1943. Due to its protracted development, a shortage of experienced pilots and the US Navy's achievement of air superiority by the time of its introduction, the B6N was never able to fully demonstrate its combat potential. Originally designed as a carrier-borne aircraft, the loss of the Japanese large carriers and the defence of the Japanese homeland meant the majority of its missions were from land-based airfields. On 5 November fourteen B6N1s, escorted by four Zero fighters, were sent to attack American shipping anchored off Bougainville. Four B6N1s were lost and no hits on the Americans were scored. Additional attacks on 8 November and 11 November, suffered heavy losses, with only 52 of the original 173 planes from the First Carrier Division making it back to Truk Lagoon in the Philippines on 13th November, among them, just six B6N1 Tenzan's out of the forty that were committed. This was mainly due to the Japanese taking heavy losses when engaged by the US Navy’s F6F Hellcat Fighter. The B6N1 was extensively used in the Battle of Okinawa, where it was used for Kamikaze missions for the first time. Our 1/30 is priced at $999 plus shipping and is limited to 3 in number worldwide. The K&C figures and TG accessories are not included (sorry) and are only shown for scale comparison purposes.

 

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WOW632 Judy Night Fighter Version The Yokosuka D4Y Suisei (Judy) was a two-seat carrier based dive bomber developed by the Yokosuka Naval Air Technical Arsenal and operated by the Japanese Navy from 1942 to 1945 during WW2. Development of the aircraft began in 1938. The first D4Y1 was completed in November 1940 and made its maiden flight at Yokosuka the following month. While the aircraft was originally conceived as a dive bomber, the D4Y was used in other roles including reconnaissance, night fighter and Kamikaze. It made its combat debut as a reconnaissance aircraft when two pre-production D4Y1-Cs embarked aboard the carrier Soryu to take part in the Battle of Midway in 1942. It was not until March 1943 that it was accepted for use as a dive bomber. Lacking armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, the Suiseis did not fare well against Allied fighters. They did, however, cause considerable damage to ships, including the carrier USS Franklin which was nearly sunk by a D4Y and the light carrier USS Princeton which was sunk by a single D4Y. The D4Y's operated from the following Japanese aircraft carriers: Chitose, Chiyoda, Junyo, Shinyo, Shokaku, Soryu, Unyo and Zuikaku and saw action in just about every part of the pacific campaign. The D4Y1-C reconnaissance aircraft version entered service in mid-1942, when two of these aircraft were deployed aboard Sōryū at the Battle of Midway, one of which was lost when Sōryū was bombed. The other had been launched on a scouting mission and returned to Hiryū; it was then lost when Hiryū was bombed. As the war neared its conclusion Allied Task Force 58 approached southern Japan in March 1945 to strike military objectives in support of the invasion of Okinawa. The Japanese responded with massive kamikaze attacks, codenamed Kikusui, in which many D4Ys were used. A dedicated kamikaze version of the D4Y3, the D4Y4, with a non-detachable 800 kg bomb attached in a semi-recessed manner, was developed. The Japanese had begun installing rocket boosters on some Kamikazes, including the D4Y4, in order to increase speed near the target. As the D4Y4 was virtually identical in the air to the D4Y3, it was difficult to determine the sorties of each type. The carriers USS Enterprise & Yorktown were damaged by D4Y's of 701 Wing on 18 March. On 19 March, the carrier USS Franklin was hit with two bombs from a single D4Y. Franklin was so heavily damaged that she was retired until the end of the war. Another D4Y hit the carrier USS Wasp. On 12 April 1945, another D4Y, part of Kikusui mission N.2, struck Enterprise, causing some damage. During Kikusui N.6, on 11 May 1945, USS Bunker Hill was hit and put out of action by two kamikazes that some sources identify as D4Ys. This was the third Essex-class carrier forced to retire to the United States to repair. The D4Y was faster than the A6M Zero, and some were employed as D4Y2-S night fighters against the B-29 Superfortress bombers late in the war. The night fighter conversions were made at the 11th Naval Aviation Arsenal at Hiro. Each D4Y2-S had its bombing systems and equipment removed and an upward facing gun installed in the rear cockpit, with the barrel slanted up and forwards in a similar manner to the German night fighter system. Some examples also carried two or four 10 cm air-to-air rockets under the wings; lack of radar for night interceptions, inadequate climb rate and the B-29's high ceiling limited the D4Y2-S effectiveness as a night fighter. Little is known of their operations. At the end of the war, D4Ys were still being used operationally against the U.S. Navy. Among the last of these were 11 aircraft led by Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki on a suicide mission on 15 August 1945 hours after the Japanese surrender, of which all but three were lost. Ugaki decided to ignore the Japanese surrender and pressed on with this final pointless mission taking his men to their death rather than endure the shame of defeat. Our 1/30 scale model measures 38cm wide by 34cm long and is priced at $899 plus postage, we have only 1 available worldwide in this format. The TG/K&C figures are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.

 

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WOW668 and WOW670 MH60 Seahawk In 1997, the US Navy decided to replace its venerable CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters. In 1998, the Navy awarded a production contract to Sikorsky for the CH-60S, after sea demonstrations with a converted UH-60. The variant first flew on 27 January 2000 and it began flight testing later that year. The CH-60S was redesignated MH-60S in February 2001 to reflect its planned multi-mission use. The MH-60S is based on the UH-60L and has many naval SH-60 features. Unlike all other Navy H-60s, the MH-60S is not based on the original S-70B/SH-60B platform, with its forward-mounted twin tail-gear and single starboard sliding cabin door. Instead, the S-model is a hybrid, featuring the main fuselage of the S-70A/UH-60, with large sliding doors on both sides of the cabin and a single aft-mounted tail wheel, and the folding tail pylon, engines, drivetrain and rotors of the S-70B/SH-60. It includes the integrated glass cockpit developed by Lockheed Martin for the MH-60R and shares some of the same avionics/weapons systems.. The Seahawk deployed aboard aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, Maritime Sealift Command ships, and fast combat support ships. Its missions include vertical replenishment, medical evacuation, combat search and rescue, anti-surface warfare, maritime interdiction, close air support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and special warfare support. The MH-60S is to deploy with the AQS-20A Mine Detection System and an Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) for identifying submerged objects in coastal waters. It is the first US Navy helicopter to field a glass cockpit, relaying flight information via four digital monitors. The primary means of defense is door-mounted machine guns such as the M60D, M240D, or GAU-17/A. A "batwing" Armed Helo Kit based on the Army's UH-60L was developed to accommodate Hellfire missiles, Hydra 70 2.75 inch rockets, or larger guns. The MH-60S can be equipped with a nose-mounted forward looking infrared (FLIR) turret to be used in conjunction with Hellfire missiles. It also carries the ALQ-144 Infrared Jammer. The MH-60S is unofficially known as the "Knighthawk", referring to the preceding Sea Knight, though "Seahawk" is its official DoD name.] A standard crew for the MH-60S is one pilot, one copilot and two tactical aircrewmen, depending on the mission. With the retirement of the Sea Knight, the squadron designation of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) was retired from the Navy. Operating MH-60S squadrons were re-designated Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC). The MH-60S was to be used for mine clearing from littoral combat ships, but testing found it lacks the power to safely tow the detection equipment. The SH-60F entered operational service on 22 June 1989 with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 10 (HS-10) at NAS North Island. SH-60F squadrons planned to shift from the SH-60F to the MH-60S from 2005 to 2011 and were to be redesignated Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC). As one of the two squadrons in the US Navy dedicated to Naval Special Warfare support and combat search and rescue, the HCS-5 Firehawks squadron deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. The squadron completed 900 combat air missions and over 1,700 combat flight hours. The majority of their flights in the Iraqi theatre supported special operations ground forces missions. We have 2 versions of the Seahawk available, WOW670 in the colourful livery of the 'Tridents' and the other WOW668 in the livery of the 'Black Jacks', take your pick of either or both if you want something very unique in 1/30 scale. Both models are priced at $1200 each, plus postage and packing. The figures and accessories are not included please note.

 

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WOW670