IPMS SA No 3

IPMsiI,siA

TIIIJAFITEFILY

I\1

o.3

ocr 1977

Above

I T34/TGB,

Note the muzzle brake which is non-standard . In the background is an early model T34/85. Parola Panzer Museum,Finland. (photo: Roy TaPPing)

Above: Late model T34/85. Turret detaii showing roughness of casting. Bovington Armoured Museum, England . (photo: RoY TaPPing)

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lntG!Fnati ona I Itla€itic Mo dellGlFsi Society

Siouth Afnica

BuaFtenly lUo.3 Editorial Address; P.O.Box 534, Isando, 160O. I.P.M.S. - S.A.

BRAI{CHES.

Wit wat ersrand . Branch

Editorial: .

Arthur Cruickshank Chairman: Vice-Chairman: Dave Becker Arnold Church Secretary; Regi

strar:

Aidan Ken

Magazine:

Owen Smy.

to; P.O.Box 534, Isando, 1600

A11 correspondance

Durban Branch.

Thierry de Brugada,

Chairman:

1505 waverley, Albany Grove,

Durban, 4@t.

Lowveld Branch. chai rman

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Magazine

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South Africa

Europe

Europe(airmail)....

North America(airinail ). . . . .

Australia/N .2. (ai-rmail ). . . .

Overseas payment by International " Money Order payable to: I . P.M. S. - S.A. , . P.O.Box 534, Isando, 1600, Republic of SouthAfrica.

Overseas cheques please add for bank collection charges.

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So we are back

in print again and hope

some of you like what you read inside.

This issue sees the continuation of the T34 and SAAF ABC articles and I have also decided to use an article on miniature modelling written by Brian Mclntosh,who has since returned to Canada,as I thought it may be of interest to the younger members.

I wculd like to start some regular features, e.g. reader's letters, buy and seil column, etc., so put pen to paper and let's hear from

you.

The Committee has decided that magazine subscription will in future be separate from Branch subs, and these will,I hope, be finalised by the time you receive the next issue in January L978.

Contentsj Dioramas or set-pieces. ... page 2 page 3 The 'Thirty-Four' (part 2). ..

Venturas preserved in S.A....... page 7 Beginning miniature modelling. . . .page I Historyof No.lSqdn,S A.A"F... page 10 ABC of S.A.A.F.aircraft(part 3). . page 12 Kit reviews: page 13 Airfix Bofors gun & tractor Airfix Messerschmitt Mel63b -Ia . page 13 Airf ix M3At White Scout Car. . . . page 14

Cover Photo:

T34/85 Late model with cut-off track guards and headlight covers.

Parola Army Camp,Finland . (photo: Roy Tapping)

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9-EL$p9B on oton Y@.

Since the last Model of the Year competition I have been thinking a lot about classes rPr tQ' and tRt. Class ti" is for'rfigure set piecesi whilst class 'Qt is.for ttJ{mm figure dioramast',, A campfire scene could be entered in either class" I would go as far as to say that most of the models that were entered in the diorama class were in fact large t set-piecesrt.

Let us take a look at the dictionary definition; rrDiorama?t

- an exhibition of pictures, illuminated and viewed through an opening in the wa1I of a darkened chamber.

The key words in this definition are trpictures"r"illuminated" and frviewed through an opening". By examing these one by one we will arrive at the true requirements of diorama.

"Viewed through an openiD9". This immediately suggests that the diorama should be viewed through some sort of a frame from one pre-determined direction. To achieve this, the model will have to be boxed to prevent it from berirg viewed from any other direction, Here we have our first requirement, a boxed model with a frame or opening to determine the difection from which it is viewed" ItIIluminatedrt. Because the model is boxed, the mod.eller cannot rely on external fighting, and must give some consideration to this- Here he can use special lighting effects, or to set the mood, create special effects in his dioramat e.g., sunsets, stormy skies, etc", The second requirement would be suitable built-in lighting.

"Picture?r. The diorama should appear to the viewer as a picture. It should differ from a painting only in that it is three-dimensional" Here the modeller is faced with the same problem as an artist painting a picture.He must pay attention to perspective, balance and most of all, composition.

Perspective is the presentation of a feeling of depth or distance in the dioramar or the art of making objects appear at specified distances from the eye " Balance is all important as it stands to reason that a wall that is not perpendicular or a figure that is off balance will disturb the eye.Thus figures which are off balance should only be used to create a kinetic e ffect .

Composition is the selection, planning and arrangement of the elements of a picture, When planning a picture or dioramarthere must be one element which dominates the composition. and attracts the eye to it.immediately" AIl other supporting elements should be arranged in such a way as to draW the observerts attention to the central theme. Too many elements in the composition will take away from the effectiveness of the theme. The third requirement is therefore the creation of a well balanced picture which tells itrs own story.

I would like to appeal to the Committee to consider including this class for the true boxed diorama in future competitionsras this i-s,I feel, the ultimate in modelling art.

page

2

T_HE "T-EIRLI-|_Q-U_R

",

(Part Two)

by Roy Tapel?g.

The T"f{ had a crew of four,two in the hul1(driver and hull gunner) and two in the turret (Commander and loader). Crew comfort was negligable and the Commander also had to double as main gunner.

The primary armament consisted of a J6 r2mm gun of varying calibre lengths for the T.34/76 models and an BJmm gun of 53 calibre lengths in the T "34/85 models. Both these guns were more than a match for contemporary German tank mounted guns.

Secondary armament consisted generall y of two machine guns rbut thre first 115 vehicles produced also carried a third machine gun in the rear of the turret. These guns were J r62mm Degtyarev machine guns and one was mounted. co-axialIy with the main armament rthe other mounted in the glacis plate of the hull.. The turret gun could be demounted and used as a ground guDra bipod being carried for this purpose. A dlsadvantage of the main armament was the angle of depression of only

3", a feature that has persisted to today's T.54, T.55 and T"62 tanks.

The huII was of welded construction and the plates were angled to increase resistance to penetration. ra feature not oreviously considered to any marked degree in tank design. The interior of'the hull was divided into drivertsrfighting and engine compartmentsrstarting from the front of the vehicle. Vision ports were limited and the when armoured glass was of poor quality leading to poor visibility closed down for action. There was no bulkhead between the driving and fighting compartmentsrbut a fire bulkhead was situated between the fighting and engine compartments.

The engine, the V.2.,was a L2 cylinder diesel of V configuration of 39 litres capacitV,and developed JOO hp at 18OO rpm. This engine bears a strong resemblance to a contemporary Fiat aero engine but was supposedly designed by two Russian enginners in f935, I "Vickman and T"Cyupachin. A few earty T.34ts were equipped with petrol engines due to an initial shortage of the V.2. engine.

Engine starting was usually by means of an electrical systemrbut a secondary compressed air system was available in case of an electrical fai lure.

The controls were conventional and although steering in the early BT series and the A.20 had been by means of a steering wheelrthe more usual steering levers for controlling track speeds was resorted to in the T.34. tiie remaining controls consisted of a clutchrfootbrake and accelerator(from left to right). Instrumenttation was minimal, and consisted of, a water temperature guageroil pressure guagerspeedometer, rev counterrammeter and a starting switch.

The gearbox originally had four forward gears and one reverserbut an improved gearbox was used later which had five forward gears and one reverse. The early T.34ts were sub;ject to persistant transmission problems and gearboxes also proved troublesome. Photographs are to be seen of T.34's in action with spare transmission units tied to the rear decks. As the German invaders were pushed back and production problems sorted themselves ,out rthe mechanical systems became more reliable and serious breakdowns became less than the nol:m.

The suspension system was composed of five independantly sprung road wheels per side and was a development of the original design purchased from Christie. No return rollers were used and the road wheels were of the double dish type and retained the track in line by means of track horns on the inside of alternate track plates. These plates were of page

3

cast manganese steel and the plain ones could be fitted with grousers to increase adhesion. The tracks had a width of 483nm and the track pins were retained by an ingenious method of welding curved plates to each side' of the rear hull which pushed in any loose pin as it came past. Springing was by means. of coil spri.ngs which were houied within the hull and thus protected from damagerexcept in the case of a direct hit.

The T.34 could ford a depth of 1r{ metres but was never specially for submerged crossing of water ob s tac les .

THE

T,34

fitted

TW SERVICE"

As was to be expectedrthe T.34 was in the vanguard of every major battle on the Eastern Front during World War 1l and was heavily committed, along with Joseph Stalin I and Ilrs,SU IOO's and JSU L52ts in the final drive by the Red Army on Berlin The Germansrand to a lesser degree their axis alliesrcaptured vast quantities of Soviet equipment and had whole Panzer squadrons equipped with T"34's fighting agtinst their former owners Subsequent to the end of hostilities in Europe in L945, the T.34 had been encountered in virtually every confrontation between east and west, and including Korea(on the side of North Korea)rVietnarn(fighting with North Vietnam) and in the Middle East conflicts. It has also been involved in the less honourable work of supp,ressing uprisings against Soviet rrdemocracytr in East Germany(L953), Hringary( L956 ) and Czechoslovakia( L966\ " Since itts introductionrthe T.34 has served(and in many cases is still servi-ng ) in the armies of the U"S.S.R. ,East Germany, PolandrCzecoslovakia, RumaniarHungaryrAustriarAlbaniarAfghanistanrAlgeriarCubarCyprus, Guinea, IraqrMal-ie, Peoples Republic of ChinarMongolia, North KorearNorth Yemen, North Vietnam, Somalia, Syria, Egypt, Yugoslavia, Finland and Israel, the Iatter being captured ones, of course.

Poland, East Germany and Czechoslovakia have been involved in the development of specialised recovery and bridge-laying versions of the T.34,(to be covered in.the next issue of the magazj-ne ) and Yugoslavia manufactured a few T.3,4ts with a revised glacis plate and a new cast turret. It is also likely that Red China has manufactured itts own version of the f.34.

The T.l{

has that is only T"34 must be in a training

the distinction of being the longest serving AFV ever,a record approached by the Sherman. Although the service life of the coming to an endrit is likely that varfous versions will remain role for some years to come

The article opened with the comment by von Rundstet that the T.34 frthe best tank in the worldrtand it probably was in itts time"

was

Much has been written about the T"34 and it is probably the best documented AFV, The following publications are recommended as essential for anyone interested in reading more about Soviet AFVts in general and the T"34 in particular. ?'Russian T.34" - AFV Profile No-d/, by J"M"Bereton & Mjr.M.Norman" trRussian Tanks - 19OO-L974,', by J.Milsom. ( an absolute must ) rrRussian Tanks - T9f5-f968t' by J.Brereton & Uwe Feist.

"Soviet Combat Tanks L939-L945,, by P.Chamberlain & C.Ellis (very good) ltFighting Veheicles of the Red Armyrr by B.Perrett. rrAr.moured Fighting Vehicles of the Wor1d'r by C"F"Foss.

"T.34 Russian Armouril by D.OrgiI1.

T.34 plans(and other Russian WWII AFV's) page

4

J. Magnuski

rModelarskie, Poland

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T34/76A - Short gun in welded rolled plate turret, cast mantle

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134/76C - With cast turret bolted mantle.

T34/BS - Early model.

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I. Magnuski, MoCelarskie, Warsaw, Poland.

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VENTURAS

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SOUTH AFRTCA"

In anticipation' that NOVO will re-introduce the kit, it might be of interest to take a close look at two of the Venturas which sti1l remain preserved for posterity in South Africa and perhaps model these two aircr.aft in more accurate colour schemes than they carry now.

Before proceeding rT would like to point out that quite a few other Venturas do exist, such as the .six aircraft used by South African Airways for apprentice training at Jan Smuts airport, and five of the earlier Ventura Mk"ll variants on a farm near Cape Town, two of which have now been recovered for the S"A"A"F. Museum.

The rnost accessible of the presgrved Venturas is the PV-1 Ventura GR.5rserial 6534, at the Fort K.,apperkop Military Museum, Pretoria" Though technically it has been beautifully restoredrit's present colour scheme bears no resemblance to any carried on an operational Ventura.

It was built in late L943 and allocated BuA serial 48775, and was transferred under Lease-Lend to the R"A.F. and then allotted to No, T7 or No.2J Squadron, S.A.A"F. in the Mediterranean theatre.These two units returned to South Africa in January L945 and 6534. is one of the aircraft that came back. At that time it was still carrying its R.A.F. serial,possibly JS 956, it's S.A"A"F, serial not being allocated until some months later.

After the end of WW 11, 5534 was known Stamford HillrDurban, at which stage it to the upper rear fuselage. Itfs colour grey t/s and, sky u/s,with black serials no code lettelf s.

to have been fTying from still had the turret fitted scheme then was dark sea and rcr type roundals and

The aircraft later served with No.17 Sqdn(codes MS-) and No.22 Sqdn (codes MT-) at Brooklyn, Cape Town(later re-named Ysterplaat)rand was carrying the rn'lour scheme shown in the accompanying drawing" The only change to this scheme was the addition of thercastletmarking in the late tJO's" Around this period most of the surviving Venturas were attached to No.35 Sqdn, many having their code letter prefixes de leted.

Two serious Ventura accidents in December Lgsg brought aII Ventura frying to a halt and they were grounded, 6534, s final flight was to No.IJ Air Depot at Snake Valley, just outside Pretoriarwhere it was put in storage to await disposal" Of the sixteen Venturas stored at Snake Valley, some were taken over by S.A"A" as instructional airframes and finally all but three were broken up in L969. Two of the latter are the aircraft discussed in this article, the third one, serial 6483, is believed to have gone to Australia.

Ventura 6534 underwent a lengthy restoration processe initially it was for the south African war MuseumrJohannesburg, but a lack of space resulted in the aircraft beJ.ng put on display at Fort Klapperkop. It will later join the s.A"A"F. Museumts growing collection.-...

The other preserved PV*l Ventura had a somewhat different history. It about Apri1 L944 and atlocated Bu A 49403, and like 6534,was supplied under Lease-Lendrbut in this case ,direct to South Africa" IT' R,A"F" serial was possibly JT 869. The aircraft was allocated S.A"A.F, serial 64B7anA was delivered to No.29 Sqdn at Darling in the Cape, in August L9l+4, initially as aircraft f Gt ind later rDrt With the disbanding of the Squadron it went to No.IO Wing at Pietersberg, and took part in the 'shuftle service' from May to December L945, bringing back troops from tup Northf. was built

page

7

Vehtura 6{8/ was transferxed to No.28 Sqdn VIP Flight as a VIP transport and was modified with a luxury interior ind extra windows for the use of the late General.J.C.Smuts. It also had a non-standard B-34 noserbelieved to have been fitted for Gen.Smuts for viewing purposes. ifre Ventura was used solely for short flights, the York 4999, being used for long range trips. The drawing shows the aircraft as it appeared dur:ing this period.

6457 remained with the VIP Flight throughout the Lest of itrs service career and as with several of the other VIP Venturasracquired a white top to the fuselage and and aircraft blue fuselage stripe. It also had the name tKlein Tierberg'at one stage, this name being transferred to Dakota 6857 later on. Itrs final service colour scheme came with the replacing of the 'springbokt roundal with the rcastef insignia in the late rJOts, which was positioned further aft on the fuselage

Withdrawn from use with all the other Venturasrit languished at No.15 Air Depot until taken to the S.A.Medical Corps iraining Centre,Preforia, where it acquired a non-standard plastic no=Lrthe original having been lost. The entrance d.oor was enlarged to allow the loading of stretchers for trainingrand an ambul4nce cross on the port side of the fuselage completed itr s disguise

It remained at the Centre until the end of L973, when it became the first aircraft acquired by the embryo S.A"A"F. Museumrand was returned to storage at Snake Valley.

Apart from itrs overall natural metal finish, the-present colour scheme is also inaccurate, it is intended that both of these Venturas will be eventu4lly restored to .their former colour schemes.

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bv Brian Mc'Tntosh

My biggest problem when I arrived in South Africa some years ago was to find various materialsr tools and substitutes to use in making m.y miniature military figures. This information rnay be of interest io any other miniaturists, particularly to those who are just getting started in this fascinating pastime.

Essential Tools

1, A fine razor saw with a deep a blade as possible (Exacto make one) 2. A small handle Exacto knife(No.5) with a supply of sharp pointed blades(No.11 is the best ) 3. Three basic needle fi1esl round, three*cornered and flat.

4" A small pin vice and several assorted pin drill bits.

5. Numerous clsmps: I make mine from spring-type clothes pegs or from flat aluminium hair clips used by women(also spring-type1. The long jaws on the latter type can easily be bent to tit speciaf s;,ze requirements" If you are on good terms with your Doct-or, ask him for some artery clamps,, 6 " Several bodkins. I make mine by pushing the eye of a needle into the end of an old paint brush handle or a wooden dowel" These can be used in a variety of ways.".to apply small drops of adhesive..to adjust straps, and to skewer small parts whilst I paint them.

7" A srnall sheet of glass or a tile for mixing paints and epoxy adhesives.

This pallet is easily cleaned with an old Tazor blade and,/or l3cquer thinners.

8. A minimum of three small jars with lids for cheap turpentine fot page

B

brush cleaning:

g.

IO. 11.

L2.

one for fight colours one for dark colours one for white only.

I sometimes use a fourth jar as a final rinse.

A good size lump of modelling clay into which I stick freshly glued or painted'parts whilst they dry.

A lOO watt globe in a goose-neck or crane type fitting.

Do not attempt to use natural light from the. window as your only source of light - it tends to change constant ly and msy damage your eyes.

A thin 15cm or 2Ocm flat steel ruler for cutting straps, etcr.

A cheap lino cut handle and assorted blades. (available at most art shops ). The various vee and round gouges work well on either lead or plastic for making concave cuts for crinkles on uniforms, etcr.

9pecial Materials.

Body Putty.

If you cannot get the famous tgreen stufft from the USA, use white putty and thin it with Lestonrs liquid styrene cement(tne only one I have found to work). By using progressively thinner coats with a brush, I can build up areasrparticularly the muscles on horsesrand make good the joints in between arms, legs and torso.

Artistts 9esso" This material is used for filling canvesses prior to beginning an oi1 painting. It can be thinned with water and once dry is waterproof. With repeated coats from the tip of a fine brushritems such as bridlesrpockets, piping, moustaches and beards can be built up on the model. It bonds well dries tough and takes paint and stain perfectly. Ship modellers have been using Gesso for hundreds of years to reproduce ornate carvings and figureheads, etc.

Fine Lead Wire..

Obtainable from fishing tackle shops that carry fl-y-fishing materials, This can be used for coids, ropesr(three or more strands twisted together ) , agui llettes, etc .

Fine Copper Wire. ,Can easily be obtained from braided automobile earthing straps. Ideal for horse manes, tails, and can also be twisted to represent ropes and tassles, etc.

Feathers.

Also obtainable from fly-fishing tackle shops" Ideal for plumes, etc. ).LJe)C)fJ(JC)C*ie)e*),4J(J(J()â&#x201A;ŹtCJ(JCXif)(-i()c**tfJC)f)6.)eJeJ(*t(J+

QUARTERLY No " 4

The next issue of the magazine,due out in mid January 1978,will include; The T.34 - final part with table of the many variants.

Marmon-Herrington Amoured Car Mk.l - scale drawings.

IMirage F1 - article and scale drawings to coincide with the release of the l/7znd

scalekitby ",,..?

plus kit reviews of the latest releases

.

page

I

_

S,A.A""F.

No.1 Bomber/Fighter Squadron was formed in ]anuary 1939 at Waterkloof ,near Pretoria, and was equipped initiatrly with Hartbees aircraft. In December the same year it was re-numbered li Squadron and on the same day,No.6 Squadron at Cape Town was redesignated No.I Squadron.

In May i940 the Squadron personnel left.the Union for East Africa,the unit's pilots being f iown up to Egypt for their training. In JuIy the pilots flew down south with 18 Gladiator Mk.Il aircraft,two flights being held at Khartoum whilst the third continued to Nairobi,and within a few days the Squadron went into action in the Abysinnian campaign. On the lst October,the flight at Nairobi was re-designated No.2 Squadron.

Hurricane Mk.I's were delivered in December and flown on escorts and offensive patrols until April 1941,when the unit withdrew from operations and fiew north,to Amriya in Egypt,where it joined No,258 Wing in the defence of Alexandria, The Squadron moved westward with the Eighth Army front and turned to convoy escorts and shipping patrols, re-equipping in September with Hurricane Mk.Ilb"s. The unit then went over to fighter duties during the Alemein push in the summer of. L942 The Hurricane Mk.ilb's were repLaced by Mk.lld's in September but were soon in turn replaced by Spitfire Mk "Vc's in November for recce operations . At the end of the North African campaign,'the Squadron received Spitfire JX's and in July 1943 it flew across to Malta to cover the Sicilian landings . The following month the Squadron moved to Sicily and then to the ltalian n'lainland,where it formed part of No.7 Wing S.A.A.F. By October the Squadron had again re-equipped,this time by Spitfire Mk.VlIl's and it flew these on offensive patrols and recce's until the end of the war in Europe.

In May 1945,the Squadron withdrew from operations and prepared for transfer to the Far East with othbr units of the Wing. It sailed from Italy in August but with the end of the fighting'in the Far East,the units were diverted to the Union,where No,l Squadron was disbanded in September 1945 " In ]une 1946, No.i Squadron was reformed at Waterkloof as a fighter unit and initially eqiripped with Harvards . These were replaced by Spitfire lX's in July 1947 which the unit flew untii May 1950,when Vampire Mk.FB.5's were delivered. In:1956"Canadair Sabre 6's arrived and in January 1967,No.I Squadron moved to Pietersberg. It flew Impala Mk.I's during L9'72-73 whilst it's Sabres were undergoing an extensive overhaul.In 1976, the Sguadron returned to Waterkloof and re-equipped with the Mirage FIAZ. Aircraft used by No.1 Squadron.

Gladiator Mk.il Hurricane Mk.l Hurricane Mk.l Hurricane Mk.llb Hurricane Mk .lld Spitfire Mk.Vc Spitf ire Mk . ]X Spitfire Mk.VtlI Harvard lIa Spitf ire Mk.lX Vampire Mk.FB.5 Sabre

6

Impala I Sabre

6

Mirage FIM page l0

N5789 N58t3

N5856 274 285 V7688 V77Ls v7772 24030 24959 BE I99 BD 698

East Africa: 7.40 - II.40 East Africa: L2.40 - 4.4L

N Africa: 6,41 -

9 .4L 9 .42

.Africa: 10.41 N.Africa: 9 ,42 -II .42 N "Africa '" 11.42 - 6 .43 EP 303(AX-S) ES lo7(AX-D) 6.43 - 9.43 Italy: MA 247(AX-P) MA s32(ax-s) 9.43- 5.45 Italy: IF s7B(AX-L) IG 616(AX-r) 6.46 - 7 .47 7203 (aX-n) 70 47 70s9 7.47 - 5.50 sss3(AX-N) ss02(AX-A) 5s26(AX-M) s.50 .56 207(AX-K) zts(ax-m) 218(AX-v) (r) .72 .56 38r(AC) 377n 3s4 .73 .72 465 545 564 539 ,76 .73 378 369 359 350 2r9 223 228

229

N

.76 -

GLADIATOR

ffi+0.

MK.l1

N 5852

Dark Earth/Dark Green with Black/White lciwer su rfaces.

A.1. roundals.

HURRICANE MK. 118 25304 North Africa, Feh 1942.

Mid-stone/Dark Earth with Azure Blue lower surfaces.

A.1. roundals, grey codes.

Spitfire Mk. VC ER 882

Tunisia, 1943 Mid-stone/Dark Earth Azure Blue lower surface White Codes. Wing tiPs red.

SPITFIRE MK. 1X

Waterkloof, 1949

X

Extra Dark Sea Gray above Sea Grey below.

Yellow codes. Yellow spinner.

with medium

A

HARVARD MK.11 7203 Waterkloof

,

1947

24" roundals and yellow codes.

Natural Metal finish.

Upper wing surfaces Mid Brunswick Green.

black line to footstep

"..4X@D

yellow arrow red seat decals

IMPALA MK.l 539 Pietercberg, 1973.

Anodised Silver all over with matt black on inside of tip tanks and in front of cockpit Sqdn badge on both sides (see IPMS mag No.2l

black panel/yellow letters

led band at fuselage joint

24" caslle

page

ll

AN ABC-9F AIRCRAFT USED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN AIR FORCE(Part 3) bv Georqe Donqldson.

B

.

A_,.Double Eagle

.

Probably the oniy impressed civil aircraft to be used by the S"A.A"F. in flying over enemy territory. This aircraft,registred as ZS-AIY and later ZS-AOC,was used before the war for photo survey work in South Africa. In 1940,it was impressed into the SAAF with the serial 14i5. It was flown up to East Africa in 1940 and was used by No.60 Sq for aerial recconaisance,but was withdraWn from use after a few months.

Envoy. (Airspeed

A56

jm)

Seven civLL/miLitary variants of this aircraft were purchased in 1936. Three were for the SAAF and carried serials 251 to 253. The other four machines were for S.A.A. and were found to be unsuitable for commercial use and were transferred to the SAAF with serials 254 to 257 . Two Envoys(zsz and 253) were issued to No.I Survey Flight in June l940,the latter crashing en route to East Africa. Envoy 25I was sent up as a replacement but both became unservicabie and were withdrawn from service. The ultimate fates of the Envoys is not known,but they were probably taken out of service in 1,942,

Fairchiid

F

-45

.

One example of this five-seater low wing monoplane was registered in South Africa as ZS-AML and was impressed inte the S.A.AF. with serial L423,it surviving the war.

Fairchi_l"d F -2 4G ZS -AMM was the only example of this type in South Africa and was also impressed into the S.A.A.F. with serial L422.

Furv. (Hawker) The Hawker Fury aspired to the role of the S.A.A,F"s front line fighter,when seven were delivered in 1936" The aircraft were used mainly at the CFS and coastal units and six of them were shipped to East Africa in May 1940 as part of the quipment of No.l Squadron. These were supplemented later by additi.onal ai.rcraft direct from RAF surplus requirements. At one stage there were at ieast twelve with No.2 Squadron at Nanyuki., Kenya. Aithough completely outclassed by the Italian fighters,they did score some victories against the bombers. Some of the Furies were handed over to the OTU in East Africa but the majority found their way back to the Union. Most of these went to No.43 Squadron which passed 14 of them on to No.6 Squadron in September 1"942. With the disbanding of No,6 Sq in Juiy 1943, the Furies went to Air Schools for instruction purposes.

The original Furies delivered were serialled 200 to 206, ex RAF aircraft carrying serials f.rom 207 to 229.

Falcon. (Miles M3B) One variant of this type,ZS-AFW, was lmpressed into the SAAF in

1940

withseriaIL42S.

Gauntlet (GtosteJ) Three Gauntiets were handed over to the S.A,A"F in Egypt in June 1940 from RAF surplus stocks. They were flown down to East Africa and took part in the campaign in support of ground troops at Moyale and Jigjigga. One of them was written off in East Africa and the other two were also handed over to the OTU at Nanyuki. They were later transferred to South Africa and probably also became instructional airframes at an Air School. Serials of the three Gauntlets were 871 to 873.

Gloster

AS

.33

This twin engined biplane, specially built for survey work (G-AADO) was purchased in 1933 and was given the serial number 250. It was still in service in 1942 and was at that time used f or radio training. page

12

(L/76th scale )

by Arthur Cruickshank Here is a splendid kit for war-gamersrdiorama builders and those just interested in military modelling fox its own sake" It is a Series 2 kit) the Morris CD/SW JOcwt tractor coming in 6Z componentsrincluding one seated figure, and the gun in 45 pieces with four standing and seated figures appropriate to the model" The component parts are extremely wetl moulded.rbalancing practical robustness with delicacy in just the right proportion" Howeverrquite a 1ot of scope exists for those who might want to replace issued parts with scratch built itemsrsuch as the sights and the traversing and the elevating handles. There is very litt1e flash and it 311 goes together very well None the lessrit is not a model for the beginnerras many of the items are very small and requi=e very delicate handling if they have already not been dropped on the floor. The suspension on the tractor requires some thought and practice to get right. A choice of three positions are available for the gunrbut it is here that one must be very careful" The permutations and combinations of the :chassisrtow-bar position and barrel position has to be decided upon at step 13 in the assembly sequencerthe second such in the gun-building process.

Thus the outriggers and levelling padsrthe axles and tow-bar assemblies have to be fixed at this stage and not after step L6 as it seems from the examination of the drawing. The instructions otherwise are quite AIRFIX - -BOFORS. GUN AI\TD TRACTOR..

ambiguous.

Alternate paint and decals schemes are offered.reither for a gun of the 7th Armoured Divislonrl5th LAA Regiment in North Africa in L9/$t ox for a gun of the 6tn Ae Division in England at the same vintage.

As this kit was an advanced issue, I cannot say when you will find them in your local shoprbut possibly before you read this,, Keep on looking, because the possibilities and. uses of this model are tegion. Ihope we see plenty of this worthy companion to the AIRFIX rr$$rr" AIRFIX--MESSERSCHMITT Me 163b-la KOIvIET. ( I '?2nd scale) bv _Arthur Cruickshank This is another very recent release in the AIRFfX range and is a delightful little model(span when assembled is lJcm) following those of varying and sometimes odd'scale which we have seen in the past, It is thus doubly welcome because of its quality and standard scale.

The kit comprises 28 pieces and a decal sheet for either a machine of the 2 JG/I+AA or one of an trndesignated training unit.of Lg45 period. The undercarriage can be assembled in one of two configurations, The cockpit is provided with an inscribed instrument panelra floor with rudimenlary set of rudder bars and a bulkhead. It is thus much better equipped than many of its contemporary models.

The canopy has the special and un"usual bulIet-proof screen integrally moulded with it, and two very small ';ransparencies are provided for the rear-view mirrors. The trailing edges of the fLying surfaces are acceptably thin,the controls being part of the upper wing and port rudder ih the fashionable new manner. Detailing seems exactly rightrthe fixed slots in the wings coming out very well. Therefore great care will have to be taken when rubbing down the fuselage and wing jointsrbecauseral61srlittle work is required here One detail which I missed and which I hope might be forgiven for,is not noticing that the cannon muzzLes on the inboard wing-fioots are not engraved.

Howeverrthe empty shell slots on the underside are. I summary, a very good model,almost precisely to l/7Zna scalerwi.th exce1lent detail and the best decal sheet I have seen from AIRFIX. The kit comes in a bubble pack" "

page

13

- M3_Al wHrrE scour cAR Afts !b q!qle) [\4i ke Patterson.

This kit can be buiit up either as a command vehicle or as a support car,and has a tarpaulin roof supplied as an extra . The decal she et covers a variety of markings for no less than f ive diffsent armies . In general it is excellent and makes up into a very good model. There is very little flash,aithough a lot of seams need cleaning off , and the kit contains a great deal of detail. The parts fit together extremely well,except for those mentioned further on. The three figures supplied are however not to scale,beinq about 4'6" to 4'10" tall, so would suggest that liou discard them. of the just over 200 parts,65 are in the underside of the vehicle,including the wheels t which gives you some idea of the detail involved . A more detailed look revealed the

grRFp!

following points and consequent words of advice,stage by stage where necessary.

Stage l. The two parts 88 are not interchangeable as the lugs on the axle are not as shown,but are both on the bottom,so take care.

Stage 2 . Don't qlue 43 at this stage .

Stage 5. Part CII needs filler putty. (for the exhaust see stage ll) Stage 6 . Don't glue A5 at this stage .

Stage 7 . Now glue 43's and A5 at the same time as installing C13 and C14. The reason for this is that it is possible to fix the 43 and A5 parts too far in,resulting in C13 and C14 appearing too short. The opposite also applies,sorather try running in some liquid glue at this stage.

Stage 10. it is not clear exactly where C26 and C27 should be glued.

Stage ll. Again it is not very clear,even from the inset,where C31 and C32 should be glued onto the axle. Also,if the exhaust is glued as per stage 5,it is impossible to position C32, so would suggest that the exhaust at the rear location be moved 4mm towards the centreline of the chassis when at stage 5.

Stage 17. Suggested change of sequence. (i) fit D2 and D3 before Dl.Then fit DI at the same time as parts C45. (ii)pins on upper insides of. D2,D3 and DI fit into holes formed by joining to-

gether D5 and D6 .

Stage ll indicates that BII must not be cemented,presuming that at that stage, the wheel fits over 86,is then glued to Bll,and is able to rotate. WelI -- the wheel does not fit over 86,but must in fact be glued to 86 or else it will fall off, and in consequence, not rotate .

Stage 19. Suggest you fit parts A23 to Al2 and A13 before you f.it ALZ and A13, or you will f.oul the fender. You may still f oul the fender this way also.

Stage 21. Watch the hole sizes on A4. Thesmallest must be nearest to the radiator.

Stage 22. Fit the pick A45, and then the shovel A44, not as instructed..

Stage 24.It is not clear what C37 was intended for. A machine-gun mount(AA), or an aerial mounting? A pity all the parts are not listed by name. In fact, only 1l parts are named,but their identity is rather obvious anyway. ' Worthy of comment are the .30 and .50 machine guns,assembled in stages 23 and 24. These are better detailed than those in the Tamiya kit. The hand grips on the .50 calibre are a separate part,and similarly,the moulding for the .30 caiibre is in three parts,. not one solid piece as i.n the 'Honey' by Tamiya. The barrel of the .30 is not however,as correct as the Tamiya gun,there being no indication of the cooling vents Stage 28. Markings and paintwork. For what it is worth,I did the British Tunisian scheme but as far as the camouflage was concerned , I went my own way working on the generalisation that the vehicles arrived from the U.S. in olive green and were adapted to their surroundings by siapping desert mud on them to break up the appearance.

(iii)

In conclusion may I say that,not having buitt this make of kit before,I was most impressed. page 14.

:

I

TOCKHEED

PV-I VENTURA

SKETCHPAGE

Figure 620- Rodio Operotor's Comportment

Figure 619

-

LEFT

:

Pilot's Comporlmenl

BELOW

TAILWHEEL ASSEMBLY

:

MAINWHEEL A.SSEMBLY

HOISTING OUTBOARD DEPTH BOMB

TURRET GUN INSTALLATION

Above: PV-l Ventura 6534 whilst

in service with No.22

Sqdn at Ysterplaat in

Above: PV-1 Ventura 6487 after conversion to a VIP transport.

the '50's.