Malta Spit/Hurr/Gloster

I'll soon be embarking on a small project of building allied and eventually Axis planes that took part in the Battle of Malta.

SCALE 1/72

Questions:
Who makes a Gloster 1/72 suitable for Malta?
What mark of Hurricane should I buy?
What mark of Spit should I buy?

You have a choice from Heller and Pavla , Heller was use to be the best
I don't now if Airfix made new moulds you have to see some reviews..




http://www.scalemates.com/search.php?q=gladiator++1%3A72


The Spit MkV B and C

Hurricane MkI -IIA - IIC

http://imodeler.com/2013/06/imodeler-review-172-airfix-gladiator-mk-1/



Noel it seems that Airfix made a new mould , looks very good , but you have to go for a sea gladiator and that is from pavla........


http://www.kits.kitreview.com/pavla72059reviewgp_1.htm


http://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=133324

skyhigh wrote:http://imodeler.com/2013/06/imodeler-review-172-airfix-gladiator-mk-1/



Noel it seems that Airfix made a new mould , looks very good , but you have to go for a sea gladiator and that is from pavla........


http://www.kits.kitreview.com/pavla72059reviewgp_1.htm


http://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=133324

Yes I just put it in my Hannants cart! I must have missed it!   

Thanks Marco

skyhigh wrote:You have a choice from Heller and Pavla , Heller was use to be the best
I don't now if Airfix made new moulds you have to see some reviews..




http://www.scalemates.com/search.php?q=gladiator++1%3A72


The Spit MkV B and C

Hurricane MkI -IIA - IIC

Airfix make the Hurricane Mk1 and new tooling as well .... so no problem for that. However do you know of 1/72 Spitfire Mk V,B &C?? I did not see in the Airfix range with new tooling.

For a trop version go for Tamiya... don't now if Revell Vb have a trop version...  

skyhigh wrote:You have a choice from Heller and Pavla , Heller was use to be the best
I don't now if Airfix made new moulds you have to see some reviews..




http://www.scalemates.com/search.php?q=gladiator++1%3A72


The Spit MkV B and C

Hurricane MkI -IIA - IIC

You missed the Hurricane IIb - 12 guns!

Are these ok for Malta?

Both look very good kits... Revell seems to be extra good

Noel Petroni wrote:

skyhigh wrote:You have a choice from Heller and Pavla , Heller was use to be the best
I don't now if Airfix made new moulds you have to see some reviews..




http://www.scalemates.com/search.php?q=gladiator++1%3A72


The Spit MkV B and C

Hurricane MkI -IIA - IIC

Airfix make the Hurricane Mk1 and new tooling as well .... so no problem for that.  However do you know of 1/72 Spitfire Mk V,B &C??  I did not see in the Airfix range with new tooling.

Italeri has a mk.Vb trop - http://www.model-making.eu/products/item_name-113337.html

Revell did a Hurricane mk.IIb - http://www.model-making.eu/products/Revell-1-72-Hurricane-IIB.html

Revell also did a mk.IIc with tropical filter - http://www.model-making.eu/products/Hawker-Hurricane-Mk.II-model-set.html

If you want a Hurricane IIa, if you find the IIB just plug the outer 2 cannons in each wing + chutes and you will have a IIa (4 .303in machine guns in each wing - the IIb had another 2 .303in added to each wing outboard of the 4 main guns to bring gun total to 12)

Sword - did a spitfire mk.Vc trop - http://www.model-making.eu/products/Supermarine-Spitfire-Mk.Vc-TROP.html    http://www.model-making.eu/products/Supermarine-Spitfire-Mk.-Vc-Trop-RAAF.html

Noel Petroni wrote:Are these ok for Malta?

Both look very good kits... Revell seems to be extra good

Yes, but go for the Tamiya as it has the trop filter.  To be accurate for Malta you will need to change the prop and spinner. Both are nice kits!

Tamiya is Italeri in 1/72 [available from Model Shop for  about 6 Euro]... more expensive for nothing, same goes for the STUKA.

The Italeri version has the Beurling Maltese scheme [he was our top ace] but need some updates ...

If you want a VC there is a brand with a strange name, but you find it over ebay ... but a bit pricy for a minute plane ...

Regarding Gladitaor Revell re-issued the old Matchbox version but no idea if good for Malta ...

Iv

Ivan, from what I have seen Tamiya 1/72nd spitfire is NOT the Italeri one. Infact if you look at the sprues they are totally different in layout and parts. One option the italeri one is T-L, 249sqn Malta (though I have my reservations on the markings) and two types of props/spinners, I would take these into consideration.

Tamiya - http://www.model-making.eu/products/item_name-212800.html

Italeri - http://www.model-making.eu/products/item_name-113337.html

As for the Malta Gladiators, these were actually Fleet Air Arm Sea Gladiators assembled from stored crates at Hal Far that were stripped of their naval equipment.

Gladiators Models as far as I know - Airfix, Revell(I think its Matchbox), hobbyboss(easykit) and Sword, but it seems only sword makes an actual Sea Gladiator if you manage to find one.  -  http://www.hyperscale.com/2011/reviews/kits/sword72035reviewmd_1.htm

A good reference book about Malta Gladiators - Gladiators over Malta, by Brian Cull and Fredrick Galea.

J.Fenech wrote:Ivan, from what I have seen Tamiya 1/72nd spitfire is NOT the Italeri one.  Infact if you look at the sprues they are totally  different in layout and parts.  One option the italeri one is T-L, 249sqn Malta (though I have my reservations on the markings) and two types of props/spinners, I would take these into consideration.

Tamiya - http://www.model-making.eu/products/item_name-212800.html

Italeri - http://www.model-making.eu/products/item_name-113337.html

Yes, seems you are right on the sprue layout, I know that Tamiya re-box Italeri for Japanese market for that I thought they might be the same but I agree the Italeri is a better option, though the decals are screwed up especially in colour codes. It also has the extra fuel container as seen in some images from those that came from USS Wasp. On another note Italeri launched a Vc in 1/48 [also has Malta squadrons as decals] might they re-scale it to 1/72 ... that would be a great ...

Ivan

Gennintuni!!   

I am not after 98% accuracy but I do want to build accurate fighters.

To make it simple... is the following acceptable:

Tamiya Spitfire (Joseph suggested this because it has trop. version)
Gloster Airfix
Hurricane Airfix probably the new issue due in January.

What would you lot suggest put in order as above.

P.S. I also like to add the Revell Hurricane MkII Joseph suggested . With 4 cannons. (Joe do I need to put those fuel tanks.... cos I don't like them)

Mk

Noel Petroni wrote:Gennintuni!!   

I am not after 98% accuracy but I do want to build accurate fighters.

To make it simple... is the following acceptable:

Tamiya Spitfire (Joseph suggested this because it has trop. version)
Gloster Airfix
Hurricane Airfix probably the new issue due in January.

What would you lot suggest put in order as above.

P.S. I also like to add the Revell Hurricane MkII Joseph suggested . With 4 cannons. (Joe do I need to put those fuel tanks.... cos I don't like them)

Hurricane - yes you can remove the fuel tanks as these were just for ferry flights a not designed for combat At this stage. Hurricanes you have from mk.l to mkIIa.b.c with or without trop filters. (You need reference about these)

Spitfire - I would choose tamiya cause of the trop filter but there is problem with the prop (you need a dehavilland prop+spinner if not mistaken which is different. On the other hand the italeri one has a trop filter and choice of prop, so it is to be considered. Revell is a a great kit but no trop filter. So the choice is yours really. Spitfire were Vb and Vc, the latter I believe the most common numerically, so again reference needed. There were some spitfire without trip filters as well.

As for the gladiator, as I said these were sea gladiators so would need to make some modification to the air fix kit, nothing spectacular but you can only make the ones that used to watts propeller and I think that fairey reed prop is not supplied (2 blates wooden prop vs 3 blade metal ones respectively so it is understandable).


Anyway first choose the kits, your choice,  then the headache about the colours and markingscomes later  

Noel simple...     ..get Brian book and you get all the answears and choices about the spits........ 


http://mmpbooks.biz/mmp/books.php?book_id=196

I got the Sword Gladiator during this year to make one in Malta based version, but very hard to find now. As regard decals, Hannats issued 2 decal sheets for aircraft that saw action over Malta WW2. One is for allied and the other for axis aircraft. DP Casper also issued this sheet which I have and made 2 options from it already, good quality:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DPC72002

Xtradecals:

http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72161
http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/X72162

Xi pjacir.......