RAF Brewster B-339E Buffalo Mk. II Malta, 1941

[buzzbomb]

Interesting subject.
Please do proceed

[nighthunter]

Thomas, I was half asleep when I did the poll, lol. RAF Sea Green is what I meant. Kind of interesting that they would switch to using Dark Earth for blending in over the Med, but it would be a good choice for camo over the island. I'll test out the camo on the Buffalo drawing when I get home.

[Dizzyfugu]

I also did some leg work - there was AFAIK Dark Sea Green before 1938, I stand corrected . Not certain about the tone - but for Malta anything would go...

I also found notes of all-blue Beaufort bombers in the MTO, two tones: one a very dark blue, and the other a medium blue, much like PRU blue. Could also look interesting on a Buffalo?

I am also gathering info for a personal Malta Buffalo. Might take time to materialize (some people would claim: two days...  ), but I find the idea so good and plausible, and also a great excuse for weirdo paint schemes that STILL look plausible/believable... Something for 'serious' modeling conventions.

BTW: a very good source for inspiration: http://maltamodellers.org/Articles/MaltaSpitfire/Spitfire5B.htm

[Dizzyfugu]

...and here's another ex desert scheme Spitfire from Malta that was re-painted with non-standard material - sourced from local civilians:



And I stumbled across this Maltese Hurricane - it's a CG skin only, so I am not certain about realism, but it's plausible and an interesting whif option?



Enough Buffalos in store? 

[nighthunter]

Sounds like we need Airfix and Revell to make new Buffalo kits in 1/72, lol!

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, there's the simple Matchbox kit - it ain't bad at all, just the surface is a bit bleak. But for a whif, it's fine.
The new Hobby Boss kit is really nice, and cheap - but unfortunately the USN version with the short tail and different tail wheel (recently converted that into a B-339).
The Airfix kit is... not good, IMHO. Vintage stuff, raised walls of China and pockmarks, there are definitively better options. But a re-do with new moulds would be nice, looking at the standard of other new recent releases!
About the Hasegawa and Special Hobby kits I cannot tell 1st hand impressions, never built them because they are way overpriced, the situation is not desperate enough that I'd fall for them.

[PR19_Kit]

Revell did a Buffalo WAY back when, mid-60s I think. Raised panel lines of course, but it fitted well as I recall.

[Captain Canada]

Those mixed camo schemes look awesome ! Especially the Spit. Mind you, if the Hurri had a panel on the nose done I think it would take the cake.



I voted green btw. Like the look of it better.

[Dizzyfugu]

Revell did a Buffalo WAY back when, mid-60s I think. Raised panel lines of course, but it fitted well as I recall.

Or has it been an Aoshima-Re-Boxing? Some Japanese aircraft (at least a Ki-46, but IIRC also others) were offered under the Revell label, probably USA only - sometimes they pop up on ev!lbay. Aoshima also did a Buffalo - it even has a retractable landing gear! Not certain about the fit, but it is TRULY vintage.

BTW: Did some legwork, and it's amazing what a great whiffing biotope Malta is in the 41-42 era. I'm seriously in with a Malta Buffalo, and I have found a great (and authentic) idea for a ...special duty aircraft. Still pondering about the paint scheme, but it will be odd, too.

BTW: Malta also had other curious things to offer - like these Bristish tanks (not only Matilda Mk. IIs) and their paint scheme in a light sand with black spider web:



First time I saw a drawing ogf these in a book, many years ago, and thought "What the f...?!" Until I understood that this was a special Malta scheme: with so many sloped streets and fortified landward walls, this scheme actually mimics typical Maltese stonewalls! A Churchill in this guise should look interesting, too? Or a supply vehicle, if an airfield diorama should evolve... 

[zenrat]

Dry stone wall camo - East Lancs Armoured Corps?

Love that look.

[PR19_Kit]

Revell did a Buffalo WAY back when, mid-60s I think. Raised panel lines of course, but it fitted well as I recall.

Or has it been an Aoshima-Re-Boxing? Some Japanese aircraft (at least a Ki-46, but IIRC also others) were offered under the Revell label, probably USA only - sometimes they pop up on ev!lbay. Aoshima also did a Buffalo - it even has a retractable landing gear! Not certain about the fit, but it is TRULY vintage.

Not AFAIK. In the mid 60s Revell had a range of single engine WWII fighters, all in similar, quite small boxes. The range covered the usual P-51D, P-47D, Corsair, Spitfire Mk II, Hurricane, Me-109, Fw-190, Zero and a Buffalo, maybe others as well. I'm not even sure Aoshima even existed then, or if they did I didn't see them in the UK model shops until '67 or so.

[kitbasher]

1/72 Buffaloes:
https://www.scalemates.com/search-solr.php?q=%22Brewster%20F2A%20Buffalo%22%201:72&section=2

[PR19_Kit]

This is the one I mentioned above.

https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=239646

[Dizzyfugu]

This is the one I mentioned above.

https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=239646

Yes, and it's a different one from the Aoshima (or Jo-Han?) kit - I remember that I had/built one MANY years ago (mid 80ies). Was a re-boxing, though, in the silver-grey-boxes. An F2Am came with USN and decalFinnish options (found the instructions in my archive...), and I built the Finnish one, with extra whitewash on top. IMHO on par with the Airfix kit, I'd still prefer the Matchbox kit

[NARSES2]

That Malta camouflage is very effective. Seen a fair few pictures of different vehicles with it