If you don’t have either of these kits, which have already enjoyed previous separate outings (and been subjects of full builds in Airfix Model World), they are little gems, with good panel line engraving, moulded tyre tread patterns and many other pleasing embellishments. Above: Fine panel line engraving is just one feature on the Me 262 kit parts shown here and (below) the P-51D. There’s plenty of detail all round. Pilot David ‘Bull’ Whitley joined No.264 Squadron straight from successfully negotiating his flight training courses and before the unit moved to Martlesham Heath. He was going to fly the new Defiant turret fighter and would go on to forge a successful working relationship with his assigned air gunner Sgt. Robert Charles Turner, a team which would fly together throughout the savage fighting which followed the German Blitzkrieg offensive in Western Europe. Manfred von Richthofen’s final Fokker Dr.1 Triplane 425/17 was produced specifically for the famous ace between the end of 1917 and the beginning of 1918. As the mount of one of the world’s most famous airmen and a hero to both the Luftstreitkräfte and the German people, the construction of this aircraft was to a particularly high standard and was reported to have benefitted from superior quality fabric covering. It also sported the latest version of the interrupter gear mechanism which allowed the aircraft’s two Spandau Maxim machine guns to fire through the arc of the propeller, following the sightline of the pilot. It was also noted that the engine was of a higher build quality than other similar machines which had fallen into British hands and had been evaluated. Providing effective mobile artillery support to ground troops, each US Armoured Division had up to three battalions of M7 HMC’s assigned to it, which reflected the importance in which these vehicles were held when planning any ground operation. Used by all the Allied armoured fighting units in Normandy and the battles to come, the M7 may have been something of an unsung armoured hero of WWII, however, its combat effectiveness could never be called into question.

With both the A-4 Skyhawk and MiG-17 available in large numbers by the time of the Vietnam War, the scene was set for an aviation showdown in the skies of Southeast Asia and a meeting of two of the world’s most agile combat jets. Initially, the aircraft assigned to home defence squadrons were not really suited to the task at hand, taking aircraft such as the much maligned BE2c from training units and pressing them into service, however, more capable aircraft such as the Bristol F2B Fighter were soon allocated to these units. Although Germany's Zeppelin offensive certainly posed the potential for widespread and indiscriminate destruction and indeed kept the population of Britain terrified, the actual effectiveness of these raids was questionable at best. With the Zeppelin force proving incredibly expensive to maintain and drawing huge resource away from the front lines, more bombing raids were actually mounted against Britain by Gotha Bombers, even though their shorter range limited incursions to the southern counties of Britain and London. A hugely popular kit range over the years, our ‘Dogfight Doubles’ sets are still very much a part of every Airfix model range and regularly benefits from the inclusion of some recent new tooling releases, keeping these magnificent sets as hobby relevant as they have always been. The latest range includes a classic jet pairing from the mid 1960s, aircraft which proved that sometimes the most simple designs were the most effective in a combat situation. Operating in the same hotly contested airspace during the Vietnam Air War, both the North Vietnamese MiG-17F and US Navy Douglas A-4B Skyhawk may not have represented the latest cutting edge aircraft designs, but they were both extremely agile, highly capable and as tough as they come. They make for an ideal Dogfight Doubles pairing.

Dogfight Doubles | Vintage Classics

Just as it seemed the hapless May would either hit the ground or appear large one final time in the red Fokker Dr.1's gunsights, the German aircraft was seen to rear up and immediately attempt to make a forced landing in a nearby beet field, with the undercarriage being ripped off the aircraft due to the rough ground. Mortally wounded, Manfred von Richthofen shut down the engine of his machine and cut off the fuel supply, before succumbing to his injuries at the controls of his aircraft, the result of a single bullet wound to his body. This historic victory was initially attributed to (although not claimed by) Captain Roy Brown, however, subsequent research revealed that the bullet lodged in von Richthofen’s chest was most likely fired by a trooper from an Australian machine gun position on the Morlancourt Ridge.

Full scheme details of the final aircraft flown by Manfred von Richthofen and the one in which he flew his final sortie. Full scheme details for this No.39 Squadron Bristol F2B Fighter, which served in a Home defence role prior to becoming one of the prized exhibits at IWM Duxford.That is the story, or is it? See SBD's amazing original art here on which this kit top artwork is based: The Vintage Classics range is about to welcome the return of two much loved and eagerly anticipated warship kits, one British and one German, but both possessing strong links to the sea battles of the Second World War. The latest edition to our growing and incredibly popular range of 1/35th scale armoured fighting vehicle kits, the HMC M7 Priestis scheduled for imminent release and should be available in model shops over the next few weeks. Final Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary release This latest Dogfight Double kit is due for imminent release and should be available through your usual model supplier over the next few weeks. Italian ‘Sparrowhawk’ a classic addition Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 Fresco Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F Fresco-C Không quân Nhân dân Việt Nam (Vietnam People's Air Force 1959-now)