Wif's in Airfix Magazine ?

NARSES2 · November 05, 2011, 06:21:45 AM

In the December issue (edit 6/11-it's actually in the calendar included in the pack) out in UK Newsagents at the moment the inside back page has the advert for the Airfix Club.

Me 109 E in full Luftwaffe greys and side mottle BUT Japanese markings and an RAF 109 E in brown/green uppers with the gas marking on the wing.

Now I know the Japanese had a couple and the RAF captured some, but they wern't in these colours ??

Gondor · November 05, 2011, 07:28:11 AM

I think you may find that the Me 109 landed in the UK and was repainted in RAF markings so that there was less chance of it getting shot down duering evaluation flights.

Gondor

Martin H · November 05, 2011, 09:04:06 AM

the brit one looks like DG200. which was repainted in the standard RAF trainer scheme after its capture. Its the 109E that is currently in the Battle of Britain hall at Hendon

kitbasher · November 05, 2011, 09:09:03 AM

Yep, saw that this morning when I picked up a copy. I'd assumed the RAF 109 was a captured example, the Japanese 109 a pure whif. I think we should submit an article on whiffing (an Airfix kit of course - Angel Interceptor theme build results report in due course perhaps?)
I Like the box art calendar - some nice images to look forward to when the kits come out (eg, Swordfish, Ju52)

Geoff · November 05, 2011, 09:54:14 AM

The Japanese Army bought 3 Bf-109E-3's for evaluation in 1941. Given the reporting name of "Mike". They were not flown in combat.

McGreig · November 05, 2011, 11:42:10 AM

Photos of Japanese Bf-109s seem to show them in standard Luftwaffe colours:

PR19_Kit · November 05, 2011, 01:02:47 PM

How did they get to Japan?

They can't have flown there and I'd have thought sending them by ship would have been darn dangerous.

MilitaryAircraft101 · November 05, 2011, 01:11:22 PM

In the September (I think) issue, at the back there was a bio on a bloke who was an ex-hunter pilot and built 1950s British whifs.

kitnut617 · November 05, 2011, 01:23:00 PM

Eh! what's going on, I made a post right after Gondor, now it's gone.

It was to mention that there's a number of photos in Phil Butlers book 'War Prizes' which show quite a few captured German aircraft in RAF colours of around the BoB time, which would mean brown & green camo

lenny100 · November 05, 2011, 01:30:16 PM

Quote from: kitbasher on November 05, 2011, 09:09:03 AM
Yep, saw that this morning when I picked up a copy. I'd assumed the RAF 109 was a captured example, the Japanese 109 a pure whif. I think we should submit an article on whiffing (an Airfix kit of course - Angel Interceptor theme build results report in due course perhaps?)
I Like the box art calendar - some nice images to look forward to when the kits come out (eg, Swordfish, Ju52)

love that idea and i think airfix would as well, as it shows others how this kit could fit in the mainstream

JayBee · November 05, 2011, 02:21:51 PM

Quote from: MilitaryAircraft101 on November 05, 2011, 01:11:22 PM
In the September (I think) issue, at the back there was a bio on a bloke who was an ex-hunter pilot and built 1950s British whifs.

You are talking of the very highly respected Mike McEvoy, who is one of us but does not post here as he has his own web site.

http://www.grumpyoldmodeller.com/

PR19_Kit · November 05, 2011, 02:25:37 PM

Quote from: kitnut617 on November 05, 2011, 01:23:00 PM
Eh! what's going on, I made a post right after Gondor, now it's gone.

It was to mention that there's a number of photos in Phil Butlers book 'War Prizes' which show quite a few captured German aircraft in RAF colours of around the BoB time, which would mean brown & green camo

That's happened to me a few times Robert, one quite recently too.

As for anyone calling Mike McEvoy 'a bloke', the mind BOGGLES! He's one of our 'Reverred Members'.........

Martin H · November 05, 2011, 03:21:29 PM

Gotta be the first time Ive heard Mike refered to as "a bloke" lol

Uncle Mike has joined the forum, but hasnt posted any comments as of yet.

He is a past president of the IPMS(UK), a former regular contributor to Scale Aircraft modeling magazine. His tail piece articles are the stuff of legend. A valued member of the What if? SIG. Font of all knowledge on all things RAF. And one of the best ambassadors for the hobby.

And more importantly, a fair few of us on here are privileged to be able to call him a friend.

The current issue of the new Airfix rag has an interview with some bloke called Colin, who claims to own and run some firm called Freightdog

rickshaw · November 05, 2011, 06:27:09 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on November 05, 2011, 01:02:47 PM
How did they get to Japan?

They can't have flown there and I'd have thought sending them by ship would have been darn dangerous.

There were several means of getting them to Japan. If dispatched before June 1940, the easiest would have been via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Alternatively, via blockade runner - either surface ship or as they did later in the war, U-Boat.

Remember, before June 1941, the fUSSR and Germany had a non-aggression Pact and traded quite a lot. The fUSSR had a non-aggression Pact with Japan until 1945.

NARSES2 · November 06, 2011, 01:36:40 AM

And the coconut goes to McGreig

The pic in the Airfix calendar is exactly the same as those photos, so not a Wif but a definate stick it on the stand and get some head scratching

I know the RAF would have repainted captured examples but it was the gas detection square detail that got me