May 2021 Gunn Warbirds (1 Viewer)

[Gunn Miniatures]

All Gunn Club members qualify for a 5% discount on the website listed price, joining is free so well worth registering. Next month should see the arrival of some Devastator's, B-29's, Stukas and Storch's so plenty to look forward to. The figures newsletter should be out next week, we have had a delay there due to the Suez canal drama that took place last month.


Best wishes The Gunn Team

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

WOW340 Kawasaki Ki.61 'Tony'


The Kawasaki Ki-61 iwas a Japanese World War II fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service. The Japanese Army designation was “Army Type 3 Fighter”. Allied intelligence initially believed Ki-61s were Messerschmitt Bf 109s and later an Italian Macchi C.202, which led to the Allied reporting name of “Tony”, assigned by the United States War Department. It was the only mass-produced Japanese fighter of the war to use a liquid-cooled inline V engine and over 3,000 Ki-61s were produced.


The Ki-61 looked so different than the usual radial-engined Japanese fighters that the Allies at first believed it to be of German or Italian origin, possibly a licence-built Messerschmitt Bf 109. The new Japanese fighter caused some pain and consternation among Allied pilots, particularly when they found out the hard way that they could no longer out dive and escape as they had from lighter Japanese fighters. General George Kenney the Allied air forces commander in the Southwest Pacific, found his Curtiss P-40s completely outclassed, and begged for more Lockheed P-38 Lightnings to counter the threat of the new enemy fighter.


Our mottled 1/30 scale 'Tony' was flown by Captain Teruhiko Kobayashi. Kobayashi was a Japanese fighter pilot during World War II and a flying ace of the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force. Initially beginning his flying career as a bomber pilot, he rose to fame when he became the leader of 244th Sentai, making him the youngest Sentai leader in the IJAAF when he took command of it in November 1944. The Japanese ace has recorded over 12 confirmed victories, mainly against the B 29 Superfortress.


This particular version is the “Hien” s/n 3295 is the type “Hei”(C), which has 2 wing mounted imported MG151/20 machine guns and 2 nose mounted 12.7mm machine guns. In the case of his machine, 2 of nose mounted 12.7mm machine guns were removed to improve maneuverability and speed, and the gun openings were covered by leather. Originally, this aircraft wore a natural metal surface with light blue line on the fuselage as an identification of commander, but one time 244th group moved to their base and at that time camouflage was required. This aircraft was lost in fighting with a B-29 on January 27th, 1945 in the Tokyo area when Captain Kobayashi intentionally rammed a B-29. On that day, he bailed out of his damaged aircraft and survived without major injury. The marking on the fin is the insignia of 244th fighter group. Teruhiko survived the war and reenlisted in the newly formed Japanese airforce, he was killed in 1957 when an American shooting Star fighter he was flying crashed on take off.


We have 4 of these 1/30 scale models available priced at $550 plus shipping. All figures shown (K&C and TG) are for scale comparison purposes only. This model is supplied with a free sample of RS061B Japanese Officer.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

WOW336 Me 163 Komet


The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was a German interceptor aircraft designed for point-defence and is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational and the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 1000 km/h (621 mph) in level flight. Designed by Alexander Lippisch, its performance and aspects of its design were unprecedented. German test pilot Heini Dittmar in early July 1944 reached 1,130 km/h (700 mph), an unofficial flight airspeed record unmatched by turbojet-powered aircraft for almost a decade.
This speedy pint-sized rocket interceptor proved dangerous to friend and foe alike and was prone to exploding on landing should any unexpended rocket fuel still be in the tank. The Komet could zoom almost untouched through a formation of high-flying bombers, firing its heavy cannons on each pass. However it’s speed was so fast it was often too difficult to focus and aim in time before the Komet had overflown its target.

The sole Luftwaffe unit to become operational with the Me163 was Jagdgeschwader (Fighter Wing) 400. Tasked with protecting the vital Leuna oil refineries near Leipzig, Messerschmitt 163s from this unit first engaged Eighth US Army Air Force B17 Flying Fortresses on 16 August 1944. By the end of the war nine Allied aircraft had been shot down by JG 400. Our aircraft in a striking colour scheme reminiscent of the Red Baron's WW1 Triplane colour scheme and is one flown by Wolfganag Spate, who was a recipient of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves.


Spate was a talented pilot who started off his career flying in the Balkans campaign before being transferred to the Russian front. He was recalled to Germany in 1942 to start training on the revolutionary Me 163 rocket propelled interceptor and was instrumental in its development. He took this red Komet into combat twice but was unable to intercept his target due to the rocket engines failing. Later, Spate was transferred and flew Me 262's with JG.7.
Spate survived the war and joined the newly formed Luftwaffe in 1956, he died in 1997 at the age of 85 years old.


We have 4 of these 1/30 scale models available priced at $499 plus shipping. All figures shown are for scale comparison purposes only. This model is also supplied with a free sample of FJ043 Fallschirmjager General Kurt Student.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

WOW321 Blohm & Voss P.211 'Horst Ademeit' Luft 46 Project

The Blohm and Voss P.211 was a descendant of the P.210 aircraft but designed in a more simplified format due to the scarcity of raw materials needed for war production and particularly for jet fighters towards the end of the war.
It was amongst a number of companies competing for the Volksjager project, others being Messerschmitt, Junkers and Arado.
The main criteria for the project was that the aircraft could reach a maximum speed of 750 kph and maintain aerial combat for at least 30 minutes.


The P.211 was equipped with an air intake passing under the cockpit and proceeding to the rear where the single engine was located. The pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit with a bubble canopy which provided excellent vision. The primary armament of the aircraft consisted of two 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 cannons arranged around the air intake.
It was also possible to carry a bomb load of 500 kg (1,100 lb), consisting of one SD or more SC 500 half-tonne bombs, one Bombentorpedo BT 200 bomb, five SD-series fragmentation bombs, SC-series general-purpose bombs, or a Rb 20/30 reconnaissance camera. Another advanced design idea allowed for more radical armament packages such as the Ruhrstahl X-4 wire-guided missile system.


Our model is in the markings of Horst Ademeit an Ace with over 160 kills to is name. Luftwaffe records reported Ademeit missing in 1944 but its only lately been revealed that he was actually being trained in secret along with other Luftwaffe Aces to fly Hitler's secret weapons projects such as the P.211. Ademeit was killed in early 1946 whilst engaging British RAF Vampire jets over the English Channel, his body was never recovered.


We have 4 of these 1/30 scale models available priced at $499 plus shipping. All figures shown are for scale comparison purposes only. This model is supplied with a free sample of FJ043 Fallschirmjager General Kurt Student.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

Dear all, welcome to our May 2021 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 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.


Please note the Gunn Club discount has now been amended to 5% due to escalating costs such as transportation, packaging and price increases by our suppliers who make these goods. It seems everyone who has suffered during the recent Covid outbreak is now trying to recoup their losses over the last 18 months. Even our insurance cover has increased by over £1000 for the year with no explanation given. Unfortunately if we do not pass on some of these costs we will not be here in business this time next year. We thank you for your understanding in this matter.

 

[uksubs]

I’m sure it was April fool last month and TG are on the windup

Ademeit was killed in early 1946 whilst engaging British RAF Vampire jets over the English Channel, his body was never recovered.

 

[tmanthegreat]

The new KI-61 looks beautiful! So does the prototype Komet. I also really like the scheme on the new BV P.211 repaint as it appears generally accurate for a late war/Luftwaffe 1946 aircraft... I’ve got an example of the first BV P.211 scheme (Heinz Bar) and it’s a beautiful and unique model

 

[Guest]

I’m sure it was April fool last month and TG are on the windup

Ademeit was killed in early 1946 whilst engaging British RAF Vampire jets over the English Channel, his body was never recovered.

I heard his body was found, they discovered he had two holes, thought to be bullet holes, in his neck, but who knows..... The British pilot added it to his count....Adfemeit was fly like a bat out of hell, but the Vampire pilot Cyrpted up on him. The new jet is Fangtastic.

 

[Gunn Miniatures]

I heard his body was found, they discovered he had two holes, thought to be bullet holes, in his neck, but who knows..... The British pilot added it to his count....Adfemeit was fly like a bat out of hell, but the Vampire pilot Cyrpted up on him. The new jet is Fangtastic.

So many puns there I lost count!

 

[Footman]

Great newsletter. I always enjoy looking at the Luft 46 site over the last decade.

 

[Guest]

The Luft Groundcrew on the right is one of my King & Country favourite figures, he is one of the strongest men in the world, carrying that bomb on his shoulder................