When the RFC initially deployed to France in 1914, it did so with just 4 squadrons and 48 aircraft, however, over the coming two years, the increasing influence of the aeroplane would see the service embark on a significant period of expansion both with units deployed to France and those operating in Britain. In the UK, the RFC Home Establishment was not only responsible for the training of air and ground crews, but also the preparation of units destined for deployment overseas. Following the first Zeppelin raids against southern Britain, their remit would grow to include the establishment and operation of airfields and squadrons in the role of Home Defence, in an attempt to calm the fears of a terrified population. And then there was that artwork, oh that wonderful artwork! If ever there was a subject guaranteed to immediately grab the attention of anyone who has ever modelled, the iconic Airfix box artwork of Roy Cross is most definitely that subject, something we all still marvel at despite the fact that in this case, it was being worked on 58 years ago. Mr Cross would let his imagination run free when it came to producing Dogfight Doubles artworks in particular, often sketching out three or four alternative aerial combat poses for the two aircraft in question, before a decision was made on the most appealing option. As we modellers are only too aware, did they ever make a mistake when selecting a box artwork scene for Dogfight Doubles, because as far as most of us are concerned, they were all magnificent in their own right and were probably responsible for starting more people on their modelling journeys than any other individual sub range of kits our hobby has known.

The classic combination of Spirit and any other worthwhile adversary would lead to a classic kit combination. However in this case, the rather strange pairing of these two craft in a realife dogfight led to Airfix combining these two in a 'one-of-a-kind' Dogfight Double. The legendary tale of the first encounter of this other-worldly craft by Flight Lieutenant Paul Dugget in 1944 and an unknown and unnamed Nazi airman has left an imprint on our collective minds much greater than the impact of the actual battle on the outcome of events in World War II. Dugget's encounter was the first reported example of an allied aircraft being engaged by what the Allied pilots began to call "a tinhat". The brief encounter can barely be called a dogfight as the Haunebu MkII was merely making its fast vertical assent when a chance came to fire a burst of 20mm cannon at the unaware Allied craft cruising in horizontal flight. The fact that the allied plane was untouched by fire and was unable to engage the enemy craft in return does reduce this 'dogfight' to the more prosaic realms of a mere encounter. However, the concept of these two craft, built for entirely different roles, trying to engage each other in mortal combat has an enduring appeal that has had modellers, over the decades, creating far more Haunebu models than ever were constructed in real-life. How many children have run around the Christmas bedroom holding a model of the 'tinhat' flying saucer pursuing a spirit in a life-or-death mortal struggle to the bitter end? In reality we know that Paul Dugget survived the encounter but how many more allied craft succumbed to such an encounter unable to report their own destruction? We shall never know. 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.

BRITISH COMICS REPRINTS & REFERENCE

Although Manfred von Richthofen made his final flight 105 years ago this weekend, his story continues to be a source of fascination for many, the Baron fighter ace who became the most famous airman to have ever lived. 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. Equipped with high explosive anti-tank shells, explosive and smoke shells, the M7 Priest proved to be a vital component of the ground war following its combat introduction in October 1942, with many examples going on to see service across the world long after the end of the Second World War. The two kits together? A surreal scene that marks the closing of the war, the supposed numeric and qualitative superiority of Allied fighters once again challenged by the power of the Luftwaffe in a battle that "might-have-been". Instead of an earth-bound battle between such utterly different technologies Hitler squandered his resources in an attempt to conquer other worlds but ultimately succeeded only in placing all his remaining military assets in a location where they could be destroyed by one decisive atomic blow. History cannot tell us how these craft would have fared against each other as we have no historical knowledge and no extant craft to analyse. In the absence of this we can only surmise." We begin by looking at a pair of Vietnam War classics brought together for an Airfix modelling tribute, before featuring arguably the most eagerly anticipated aviation addition to the Vintage Classics range in the current catalogue. We follow this up with articles looking at a pair of 20th century warships and a Second World War military vehicle which went by a distinctly ecclesiastical name. Relying heavily on our extremely busy photographer David, we are hoping to end with exclusive build images of a recent release which is the third of our 1/48th scale Battle of Britain 80th Anniversary releases, but this will definitely be going right to the wire if we do manage to include them. OK, we have a lot on our modelling agenda, so we had better make a start straight away. Agile adversaries clash

As the kit is based upon a mere legend, its accuracy cannot be determined, detail has been derived from photos that are blurry at best. The plan outlines that survive were drawn up after the war from supposedly accurate sources that have never been confirmed as being anything other than conjecture. So, as far as this kit is concerned it is as accurate as any other. Revell's more recent re-working of the kit has crisper mouldings of the various components such as portholes, 20mm cannons &c but the proportions on the old Airfix kit look 'just right' whereas the Revell kit is a bit dumpy and bloated in comparison to the older offering. An impressive vessel in every respect, the German Deutschland class ‘Armoured ship’ Admiral Graf Spee was built during the 1930s, around the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, following the end of the Great War. Although this prohibited Germany from building warships with a weight greater than 10,000 long tons, the country knew that if they were to prevail in any war to come, they would have to challenge the dominance of Britain’s powerful fleet and have some presence on the world’s oceans. Working loosely around the restrictions, this new ship had a nominal weight which did conform to the weight limitations, however, when she was fully fitted out, she significantly exceeded it.From the modeller’s perspective, one of the most interesting features of WWII Italian aircraft is their presentation and looking at this magnificent 252a Squadriglia machine, it is not difficult to see why this latest addition to the Vintage Classics range has been so well received. Combining the distinctive shape of this handsome aeroplane with the attractive three tone upper surface scheme it wears, this will surely encourage many modellers to look for more Regia Aeronautica projects to keep their new Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero company. This beautiful new model is scheduled for imminent release and with only a small number of kits remaining unallocated, this really is a final opportunity to make sure you are not one of the ones missing out. Ruling the waves Welcome to this latest edition of Workbench and all the news, updates and exclusive announcements from the fascinating world of Airfix modelling.