The Junkers Ju 52 (nicknamed Tante Ju (“Aunt Ju”) and Iron Annie) is a German tri-motor transport aircraft manufactured from 1931 to 1952. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over twelve air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an […]
Gulf of Sidra Incident (1989), Hobbymaster and Century Wings Updates and Arriving soon.
The second Gulf of Sidra incident occurred on 4 January 1989 when two United States Navy F-14 Tomcats shot down two Libyan MiG-23 Floggers that appeared to have been attempting to engage them, as had happened eight years prior in the first Gulf of Sidra incident, in 1981. In 1973 Libya claimed much of the […]
Adolf Galland, Latest Hobbymaster Model Announcements and Vehicle Sale !
During the final years of the Weimar Republic, jobs were scarce and life was hard for the Galland family economically. Adolf had some experience of flying gliders so he applied to the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule or DVS (German Commercial Flying School) which was heavily subsidized by Luft Hansa. He was one of 100 successful applicants out […]
Avro Lancaster B.III, ED888/PM-M2 ‘Mike Squared’ , New Model Arrivals and Sywell Activity
Of over 3,000 Avro Lancasters used by RAF Bomber Command only 24 were successful in flying 100 or more operational missions. Of these, the most successful was Avro Lancaster B.III ED888, which completed 140 “ops” and became known as “Mother Of Them All”. Avro Lancaster B.III ED888 was built by A.V.Roe at Manchester early in 1943, […]
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, Hobbymaster New Arrivals and Latest Special Offers !
The General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark was a supersonic, medium-range interdictor and tactical attack aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, aerial reconnaissance, and electronic-warfare aircraft in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the United States Air Force. The Royal Australian Air Force […]
Bagram Airbase , New Hobbymaster F-15E Lakenheath & Corgi Weekend Sale !
Bagram Airfield also known as Bagram Air Base is the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. It is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, 6.8 miles southeast of Charikar in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan. The airfield features a dual runway capable of handling any size military aircraft, including Lockheed Martin C-5 […]
The Iranian Air Force (IRIAF) & Latest Hobbymaster and InFlight New Model Announcements
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is the aviation branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army. The present Air Force came into being in the early 1980s when the former Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed. The Air Force has attempted with some success to maintain in service the large number of […]
US Navy Jolly Rogers, & Offers of the Week
Strike Fighter Squadron 103 (VFA-103), nicknamed the Jolly Rogers is an aviation unit of the United States Navy established in 1952. VFA-103 flies the F/A-18F Super Hornet and is based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia (USA). The squadron’s radio call sign is Victory and it is assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seven. The original […]
The Handley Page Halifax, Latest Hobbymaster Pre-Order Models & Easter Sale !
The Handley Page Halifax was a four-engined heavy bomber model operated by the Royal Air Force during World War II. The Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing. It was a contemporary of the Avro Lancaster. The Halifax was also operated by […]
Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler, New Air Commander Announcement, & Offers of the Week.
The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United States Marine Corps in the 1960s. Development on the more advanced EA-6B began in 1966. An EA-6B aircrew consists […]
Hans von Hahn , the Messerschmitt BF109E-4 and the Latest Hobbymaster Releases.
Hans von Hahn (7 August 1914 – 5 November 1957) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he was credited with 34 […]
Lockheed S-3 Viking , New Model Arrivals Next Week and “Offers of the Week” Sale.
The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-seat, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft that was used by the U.S. Navy to identify and track enemy submarines. In the late 1990s, the S-3B’s mission focus shifted to surface warfare and aerial refuelling. The Viking also provided electronic warfare and surface surveillance capabilities to the carrier battle group. A […]
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Sywell 2016 Airshow update and Offers of the week.
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name Fishbed ) is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed “Balalaika”, from the aircraft’s planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or “pencil” by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage.Early versions are considered […]
The Douglas TBD Devastator and Latest Hobbymaster Sale Offers !
The Douglas TBD Devastator was a torpedo bomber of the United States Navy, ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the Navy and possibly for any navy in the world. However, the fast pace of aircraft development […]
The Supermarine Walrus / Seagull, Latest Oxford Diecast News and Tomcats !
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and first flown in 1933. It was operated by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and also served with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and Royal New Zealand Air Force […]
The Douglas Havoc / Boston and Hobbymaster Arrivals next week.
Douglas A-20A The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) was an American attack, light bomber, intruder aircraft of World War II. It served with several Allied air forces, principally the United States Army Air Forces , the Soviet Air Forces , Soviet Naval Aviation and the Royal Air Force. Soviet units received more than one […]
The de Havilland Sea Vixen
The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen is a twin boom, twin-engined 1950s–60s British two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm designed by de Havilland at Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Developed from an earlier first generation jet fighter, the Sea Vixen was a capable carrier-based fleet defence fighter that served into the 1970s. Initially produced by de […]
The Hawker Sea Hawk and the Latest Aviation 72 Model Announcements
The Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the company’s first jet aircraft. Following the […]
Hobbymaster Latest Arrivals and Deals of the Week
Hobbymaster Latest Arrivals and Deals of the Week A very large delivery of Hobbymaster models has landed at Sywell this week. As promised (although a little later than planned) here is the extra Newsletter to you this week to update you with all the new Hobbymaster arrivals and additions to the website including the latest “Deals […]
New Corgi 2016 1st Half Catalogue Launch !
The New Corgi 2016 1st Half Catalogue has launched this week, as many of you have already noticed. I have added all the latest Corgi Aviation Archive models to the Flying Tigers Website. Thank you to all of those that have already started to order your Pre-Order models! You can access the latest models by […]
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat & Hobbymaster New Announcements.
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program following the collapse of the F-111B project. The F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters, which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat against MiG […]
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger and Hobbymaster updates
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 Flogger is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is considered to belong to the Soviet third-generation jet fighter category, along with similarly aged Soviet fighters such as the MiG-25 “Foxbat”. It was the first attempt by the Soviet Union to design look-down/shoot-down radar […]
The Saab Draken and Latest Model Arrivals.
The Saab 35 Draken was a Swedish fighter aircraft manufactured by Saab between 1955 and 1974. The indigenous J 35 was an effective supersonic Cold War fighter that was also successfully exported to Austria, Denmark, and Finland. The Draken was the first fully supersonic aircraft to be deployed in Western Europe.As the jet era started, Sweden […]
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and Hobbymaster model updates.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multi-role fighters undergoing final development and testing by the United States. This fifth generation combat aircraft is designed to perform ground attack, aerial reconnaissance, and air defence missions. The F-35 has three main models: the F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) […]
The Bristol Beaufighter, & Latest Hobbymaster Offers !
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter was a multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by Bristol Aeroplane Company in the UK. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort bomber. The Beaufighter was a versatile aircraft used in service initially as a night fighter, and later mainly in the […]
North American A-5 Vigilante & Latest Model Arrivals
In 1953, North American Aviation began a private study for a carrier-based, long-range, all-weather strike bomber, capable of delivering nuclear weapons at supersonic speeds. A contract was awarded on 29 August 1956 and its first flight occurred two years later on 31 August 1958 in Columbus, Ohio. The North American A-5 Vigilante was a carrier-based […]
The Flying Tiger Line & New Hobbymaster Announcements
Flying Tiger Line Douglas C-54A Skymaster Manchester Airport England May 1955 Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, was the first scheduled cargo airline in the United States and a major military charter operator during the Cold War era for both cargo and personnel (the latter with leased aircraft). The airline was bought by […]
Vulcan Farewell at Sywell this week & New Tooling Announcement.
Delta Lady XH558 at Sywell Tuesday 13th October 2015 It has been a busy few weeks at Sywell recently, but I had not been told, nor was I expecting, a final viewing of the Avro Vulcan XH558 on my very own doorstep ! After last weekend’s official last ever public display of the Vulcan , […]
Eric “Winkle” Brown ME163 Komet & Oxford Diecast Latest Model Announcements
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, was designed by Alexander Lippisch. This was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance which was unsurpassed at the time. German test pilot Heini Dittmar in early July 1944 reached a staggering 700 mph, which […]
Hawkeyes and Ospreys
This week a look at two of the more unusual aircraft that have been made available to the diecast aviation enthusiast recently. Firstly a look at the E-2C Hawkeye. The Northrop E-2 Hawkeye is an all-weather airborne early warning aircraft (AEW). The E-2 was a twin-turboprop developed in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s for the […]
