In this Issue...

THE SINKING OFPLUS...

JUNIOR COMPETITION TIME

An example of the A50120 Sink the Bismarck set in 1:1200 scale and also a 1:72 scale A04050Harrier GR9 model are the fantastic prizes in our adult competition this time. Give us theanswers to the following questions and these amazing kits could be yours!

1. Which two British warships were the first to spot Bismarck on 23rd May 1941?

2. A single torpedo from which British aircraft was responsible for rendering Bismarcksteering useless?

3. The Harrier GR9 took off for the last time from which aircraft carrier deck on 24th November 2010?

4. At which RAF base were the last Harriers stationed until disbandment in the springof 2011?

Rules of entry for both competitions1. The winner of the adult competition will be the first drawn from the all-correct entries received

by the closing date of 27th June 2011. The winner of the junior competition must be aged14 or under and will be the first drawn from the all-correct entries received by the closingdate of 27th May 2011.

2. The competitions are limited to one entry per current member of the Airfix Club.3. Duplicate entries will be disregarded.4. The results of the competitions will be announced in Issue 16 of the Airfix Club magazine

and the winners notified by post.5. The competitions are not open to employees of Hornby Hobbies Ltd., their agents or families.6. No correspondence to be entered into in conjunction with the competitions.7. No cash equivalent is available.8. The Airfix Club accepts no responsibility for entries lost or damaged in the post.9. Entries altered or defaced in any way will be deemed null and void.10. The judges’ decision is final.

Competition ResultsThe winner of the Issue 14 adult competition, winningtwo great Airfix model kits – AA11170 Apollo SaturnV and the A05172 Vostok 1, is Mr M Rober tson,Member 597300 from MiddlesexCongratulations.The answers to the competition questions were:1. Yuri Gagarin2. RussianThe Issue 14 Junior competition, winning four Airfixready-made resin ruined buildings is Mstr ThomasWesley, aged 7. Member 598166 from Nottingham.And the unravelled anagram revealed the wordEUROPEAN TOWN HOUSE

The official Airfix Club Magazine Issue 15

We have a great prize going to one junior Club member aged 14 or under, who can identifythe Airfix model from this picture. We want the Airfix reference number and the title of themodel, please. For the winner, we are giving away an example of the new A50129 VC Setand also an example of the brand new A04050 Harrier GR9. Both are in 1:72 scale.

Put your answer on a postcard and send with your name, age, address and membership numberto Airfix Issue 15 Junior Competition, PO Box 25, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. UK. LE13 1ZG.Or email your answer with your age, membership number and all your contact details tocomp@entryairfix.com The competition closes on 27th June 2011.

CLUB MEMBERS WORDSEARCHSee how long it takes you to find the following twelve Airfix relatedwords in our Airfix Wordsearch. If you are out and about over theholidays, take your Airfix magazine with you and solve our quiz duringyour journey!

SPITFIRE, EUROFIGHTER, BISMARCK, VICTORIA, HARRIER, GNAT,LYNX, HELLDIVER, HAMPDEN, LANCASTER, VALIANT, TIGER

competitions Put your answers on a postcard with your name, address and membership number and send to Airfix issue 15Competition, PO Box 25, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. LE13 1ZG, UK. Or you can email the answers, with allyour contact details to: comp@entryairfix.com. Answers should reach us no later than 27th June 2011.

Bismarck

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competitions

THE BAe HARRIER GR7A/GR9

MEMBERS’ PHOTOS& LETTERS P6/7

MODEL BUILDBAe HARRIER - P10/11

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ContentsForthcoming & LatestReleases .................... 3

The Victoria Cross &The Imperial WarMuseum Series .... 4 - 5

Members’ Photos &Readers’ Letters .... 6 - 7

The BAe HarrierGR7A/GR9A........... 8 - 9

Model Build - BAe HarrierGR7A/GR9A........10 - 11

The Sinking of theBismarck .......... 12 - 13

Technique - DecalApplication............... 14

3 Special Airfix Club Kit Offers.................. 15

Competitions............ 16

Consultant Editor: Susan Pownell.

Design & Production: DSP Limited.

Membership Organiser: Sarah Woodhouse.

2011 Subscription Fees:UK POSTAL Version £24.99. UK DOWNLOADABLE Version £15.99. EU DOWNLOADABLE Version £19.49. Rest of the World DOWNLOADABLEVersion £21.49.

Cheques made payable to:Hornby Hobbies Limited.

Visa, Access, Mastercard, Maestro& Switch accepted with validexpiry date.

Club Address:

Airfix Collectors Club, PO Box 25, Melton Mowbray,Leicestershire, UK. LE13 IZG.

Tel: 0870 062 4001 Fax: 01664 480 257

The Airfix Club Magazine ispublished on behalf of Hornby plc,Westwood, Margate, Kent CT9 4JX.

The Club accepts no responsibilityfor errors or ommissions or forviews and opinions expressed bycontributors to the magazine.

A06102 Supermarine Seafire XVIIc 1:48

A11001 Vickers Valiant 1:72

Forthcoming ReleasesMilitary AircraftA05008 Junkers Ju52-3M 1:72

A04050 Bae Harrier GR7A/GR9A 1:72

A01003 Curtiss P-40B 1:72

A50129 Victoria Cross Icons 1:72A50128 Dogfight Double Spitfire MkIa & BF110 Gift 1:72

A02019 Arado Ar196 1:72

A04053 Swordfish 1:72

A02026 Angel Interceptor 1:72

Military ShipsA50120 Sink the Bismarck Waterline Battleships 1:1200

A03203 HMS Suffolk 1:600

A04202 HMS Hood 1:600

A05203 Prinz Eugen 1:600

A06205 HMS King George V 1:600

A06206 HMS Repulse 1:600

Buildings & AccessoriesA75005 European Town House Ruin 1:76

A75007 European Four Storey Shop Ruin 1:76

A75006 European Church Ruin 1:76

A75008 European Brewery Ruin 1:76

A50131 London Icons 1:12

AF1005 5 Up Stand

AF1006 2 Up Stand

AF1007 1:24 Stand

AF1008 Assorted Stands - Small/Medium/Large

Military VehiclesA02338 Cromwell Cruiser Tank 1:76

A01307 Josep Stalin Tank 1:76

A01316 T34 Tank 1:76

We’d like to hear much more news from ourgrowing membership about your personal Airfixhobby, which we hope you’d like to share withfellow enthusiasts.We have introduced some new features in this issue,including an article on Technical Tips – how to getthe best out of your Airfix hobby; a Letters Page –where you can air your views and give us your ownAirfix news, as well as having your questionsanswered; and a members’ photo gallery wherewe’d like to print pictures of you and your ownAirfix projects.

Just write in to the Airfix Magazine, The Airfix Club, Hornby Hobbies Ltd, Westwood Cross,Margate, CT9 4JX or email club@airfix.com If sending images, please ensure they areoriginal – not scanned prints; in focus, clear and high resolution.We’re offering a prize in each issue for the best overall contribution – so we look forward tohearing from you.

editorial

news

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news

VE DAY – VICTORY IN EUROPE...May sees the 66th anniversary of VE Day, 1945. This is when theWorld War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender ofthe armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’sThird Reich.

KOREAN WAR ENDS JULY 1953...The Korean War (25th June 1950 – 27th July 1953) was a militaryconflict between the Republic of Korea, supported by the UN(Untied Nation), and North Korea, supported by the People’sRepublic of China(PRC). The war was a result of the physicaldivision of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies.

HORNBY LAUNCHES A NEW WEBSITE...Visit the brand new Hornby website and enjoy the new look, easy navigation, competitions and top tips on how to build your layout.

www.hornby.com

ANOTHER BENEFIT OF CLUB MEMBERSHIP...

10% CLUB DISCOUNTYou can now use your membership card to obtain 10% discount on purchasesfeatured on the Airfix Direct Sales website: www.airfix.com

Follow the step by step guide to the checkout and give your Airfix Collectors Clubmembership number to obtain your discount, quoting Code: CAUMUYZX

AIRFIX FACEBOOK PAGE REACHES...

Get connected with Airfix on ourofficial FB page, ask questions,share photos & videos and enjoy!

OVER 6,500 LIKES!

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THE LATEST AND FORTHCOMING

AIRFIX RELEASES

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A50129 comprises the following:The Bristol Blenheim MK IV as flown by Acting Wing Commander Hughie IdwalEdwards, born in Australia of Welsh immigrant parents. He led the formation ofBlenheims on 4th July 1941, carrying out a raid on Bremen. Edwards had plannedthe attack personally using Blenheims from 105 and 107 Squadrons. Two Blenheimswere lost on the raid but he got the rest home safely. He was the first Australian ofWWII to be awarded the VC. He survived the war, returning to Western Australia wherehe became a successful businessman. He was knighted in 1974 and served asGovernor of Western Australia. He died suddenly in 1982, aged 68.

Fairey Battle 1, as flown on 12th May 1941 by Flying Officer Donald Garland, with SgtThomas Gray as Observer/Navigator and LAC Lawrence Reynolds acting as RearGunner. Donald Garland was leading a mission of three aircraft from 12 Squadron,with the aim of destroying vital bridges over the Albert Canal in Belgium. Whilst theysucceeded in inflicting great damage to the German defences, the enemy bombardedthe aircraft with heavy fire and all men were killed. Both Donald Garland and ThomasGray were awarded the VC posthumously. It had been Tom Gray’s first operationalbombing raid.

Handley Page Hampden. Sgt. John Hannah of 83 Squadron RAF, Bomber Command,was the wireless operator/gunner of the Handley Page Hampden P1355, which caughtfire due to heavy anti-aircraft fire during a raid over Antwerp on the night of 15/16thSeptember 1940. Whilst the Rear Gunner had to eject, John Hannah stayed to putout the flames and suffered terrible burns. However, the pilot was able to get the badlydamaged aircraft home.

At the age of 18, John Hannah was the youngest recipient of the VC for aerialoperations. John Hannah was invalided out of the RAF but his health deteriorated andhe died of tuberculosis, brought on by his weak state, in 1947. His Victoria Cross isdisplayed at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon, London.

Hawker Hurricane as flown by James Brindley Nicolson. Flt Lt Nicolson, of No. 249Squadron RAF earned his VC following a dogfight with a Messerschmitt Bf110 on16th August 1940 over Southampton. Fired on by the German aircraft, the Hurricanecaught fire but as he was about to bale out, James Nicolson saw a secondMesserschmitt and continued to fire at the enemy aircraft until it was destroyed.Suffering severe burns by this time, he parachuted out and landed safely in a field.After a lengthy recovery, he was posted to India in 1942 but was killed when hisRAF B-24 Liberator, in which he was acting as observer, was attacked and caughtfire. It crashed into the Bay of Bengal and his body was never recovered. His VC isalso on show at the RAF Museum in Hendon.

The Victoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded ‘For mostconspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice,or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy’. Recipients are membersof the armed forces of Britain and her Commonwealth, as well as previous BritishEmpire territories.

It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals. The VC wasintroduced on 29th January 1856 by Queen Victoria, to honour acts of valour duringthe Crimean War. Comprising a bronze cross with crown and lion superimposed, itcarries a simple motto ‘For Valour’. The recipient’s name, rank, number and unit areinscribed on the reverse of the suspension bar. The date of the act of bravery isinscribed in the centre of the reverse of the cross.

The Imperial War MuseumThere are a number of public and private collections devoted to the Victoria Cross,one of the largest of which is the private collection of Lord Ashcroft which has overa tenth of all VCs awarded. In 2008, Lord Ashcroft donated over £5 million for a

THE AIRFIX VICTORIA CROSS SET AND IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM SERIES.

This special exclusive set celebrates the achievementsof five airmen who were awarded the Victoria Crosswhilst serving with the RAF in WWII. The contents ofthis 1:72 scale set are the four aircraft flown duringthese missions and come with the paints, adhesive andbrushes, along with full details of the stories surroundingtheir heroic actions.

THE VICTORIA CROSS SETpermanent gallery at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth, London, so his largecollection of 162 VCs could be put on permanent display.The Lord Ashcroft Galleryis the first major permanent gallery to open at the IWM for over ten years. The newgallery houses the ‘Extraordinary Heroes’ exhibition, proudly presenting his collectionof VCs, alongside the 48 VCs owned by the IWM itself and 31 George Crosses, alreadyheld by the Museum. With 210 examples of the VC on show, it is now the largestcollection of the Victoria Cross in the world.

The Imperial War Museum, first established in 1920, was set up to collect and displaymaterial relating to the Great War. Since then, its terms of reference have beenextended to include all military operations in which Britain or the Commonwealth havebeen involved since August 1914. As a result, the Museum holds a great wealth andvariety of historic material.

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THE IMPERIAL WARMUSEUM SERIESThere are now five branches of the IWM. As well as theMuseum in Lambeth Road, there are two others inLondon – HMS Belfast, the floating Museum berthed inthe Pool of London; and the Cabinet War Rooms in theTreasury Building in Whitehall, in which the PrimeMinister of the time, Winston Churchill, played a key role.

Outside London, the aircraft exhibits are housed in the IWM at Duxford inCambridgeshire, formerly an important WWII RAF base. Finally – and onlyrecently opened, the Imperial War Museum North is situated at Trafford inGreater Manchester.

Airfix gives particular recognition to two of the IWMMuseums with special sets.A50056A The Duxford Collection in 1:72 scale features a North American P-51DMustang, a Hawker Hurricane MkI and a Supermarine Spitfire MkIa. The set isaccompanied by a booklet on the world famous IWM at Duxford.

A50069 contains a 1:600 scale kit of HMS Belfast, the IWM floating museum berthedon the River Thames. In June 1944, HMS Belfast took part in Operation Neptune,the naval assault on D-Day, in support of Operation Overlord. The set contains onefinish option.

Sales of these iconic and emotive Airfix sets will support the work of the ImperialWar Museum.

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readers’ letters

members’ photos

Member: Joseph Member: 565564 Mick

Member: Roger

Member: Steven

ATC 358 Squadron, Welling

, Kent

Member: Nigel

Member: 598070 Stewart

ATC 358 Squadron, Welling, Kent

Member: Stan

Member: Nick

Member: 598758 Alan

Member: 596785 Gary

Member: 500355 Mark

Let us know your requests and voice

your opinions...

Just write in to the Airfix Magazine, The Airfix Club,Hornby Hobbies Ltd, Westwood Cross, Margate,CT9 4JX or email club@airfix.comIf sending images, please ensure they are original,not scanned prints, in focus, and high resolution. We’re offering a prize in each issue for the best overallcontribution, so we look forward to hearing from you.

readers’ letters

members’ photos

This build is now at Airfix HQ.

Thanks Nick!

In future issues of the Airfix Club magazine we will feature a

‘readers’ leers’ section which will give you the opportunity to

inform us about your model making experiences.

The Airfix Team invites club members’ to write to them at the

address shown above, where they will answer any questions

that club members may have.

...Tell us about your ‘hints & Tips’Share your model making experiences

GR9A ZD433 Harrier Detachment, Operation ‘Herrick’Kandahar, Afghanistan, November 2006.

GR9A ZG506 of the Royal Air Force Cottesmore, 15thDecember 2010. GR7A ZD404 ‘Lucy’, HarrierDetachment, Operation ‘Herrick’, Kandahar,Afghanistan, November 2006. The noseart on this one - in silhouette - is ofthe Page 3 pin-up Lucy Pinder!

One of the many newly tooled Airfix models in the2011 range is the BAe Harrier GR7A/GR9A V/STOL(vertical and short take off and landing) strike aircraft.Under reference number A04050 and in 1:72 scale,it comes with three finish options, all authenticliveries of the aircraft that equipped the Joint ForceHarrier squadrons crewed by both the Royal Air Forceand the Royal Navy, namely:

THE BAe HARRIER

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1:72 SCALE

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Fully constructed, the model, which contains 126 pieces, has a length of 199mm anda width of 130mm. This highly detailed Airfix replica is a fitting tribute to the highlysuccessful military aircraft that has fallen victim to the recent UK defence cuts. In reallife, the Harrier was the iconic fighter plane that helped Britain win the Falklands Warin the 1980s, saw service in Kosovo and more recently was deployed in the warin Afghanistan.

The Harrier GR9 was a single seat, multi-role combat aircraft, deployed from variedlocations, from land based airfields as well as from aircraft carriers. Its ability tooperate from short landing surfaces and to take off and land vertically meant it couldbe used in situations where conventional aircraft might not be able to operate, includingair attacks against hostile targets, that might even be close to friendly forces.

The first generation Harrier GR1/GR3 series first flew as far back as 1967, with theRAF having been the first to introduce the revolutionary aircraft in 1969. The secondgeneration aircraft was developed originally by British Aerospace and the Americancompany McDonnell Douglas in 1973 and was based on the earlier HawkerSiddeley Harrier.

The UK’s needs required modifications, which led to subsequent manufacture byBAe Systems and sub contractor Boeing. The first of the new UK Harrier prototypestook to the skies in 1981, with production aircraft flying in 1983 – just in time for theFalklands War.

Variants of the second generation Harrier began in 1976 with the GR5, of which 41were built. The GR5A was a minor variant, with 21 being built before the introductionof the GR7 in 1990. It was this variant that was to see service over the formerYugoslavia in 1995. Two years later, the GR7 began its first operational deploymentsat sea, as part of the Harrier’s Joint Force, operating with the Royal Navy’s SeaHarrier. The GR7A was the forerunner of the upgraded Harrier GR9 and continued inservice until March 2010. The Harrier GR9 specification included more advancedweaponry and targeting pods, whilst the last variant, the GR9A carried the upgradedMk 107 Pegasus engine. The only two-seater Harrier was the T10 training variant ofthe second generation aircraft to be used by the RAF.

In November 2010, the Harrier made its last ever flight from an aircraft carrier,ironically HMS Ark Royal, decommissioned at the end of 2010.

Readers may recall the media coverage of the emotional moment when the lastGR9 was to roar into history from the flight deck of HMS Ark over the North Seaon 24th November. As we go to press, the Harrier GR9 ended its service at the endof March 2011, up to which point it was based at RAF Wittering.

When your Airfix model of the Harrier GR9 was firstdeveloped for introduction into the 2011 release programme,the real thing was expected to stay in service right up until2018, which makes your model build even more poignant!

In November 2010, the Harriermade its last everflight from anaircraft carrier,ironically HMS Ark Royal,decommissioned at the end of 2010.

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THE BAe HARRIER

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model buildmodel build

Airfix's first model of the Harrier was first produced in 1969which was the Harrier GR1. Since then Airfix has kept up withthe development of this great aircraft and has now released abrand new tool of the latest GR7A and GR9A variant.

The kit comes with three decal options;1. GR9 in a retro grey/green colour scheme when the type was announced for

retirement in December 2010.2. GR9 as served in operation 'Herrick' Afghanistan 2009 in a triple grey scheme.3. GR7 as above but earlier in 2006 painted in two greys. This is the subject I

chose for this build.In many respects this kit is similar to the recent Sea Harrier kits released byAirfix but there are areas where improvements have been made in the partsand the way they fit together, plus there are many more optional par ts. More on this later. The cockpit is simple but quite well detailed. One surprise is there wasn't a decal for the instrument panel as there have been with manyother Airfix kits. Instead there is some nice molded detail to paint with a steadyhand and small brush! I personally prefer this approach as an instrumentpanel decal on a flat instrument panel will always look like decal and it's notparticularily life like. (Pic 01-shown without seat) The cockpit fits well into thefront section of the aircraft. Nose weight is not needed on this model.(Pic 02). It was then glued and taped together. There is a pilot figure with thiskit but I left him out as I wanted the aircraft to have all the doors open andflaps down as though it is being serviced.As the glue is drying, you can begin fitting the main gear and air-brake wells toone side of the fuselage and also add the engine intake and fan (Pic 03). Next glue the other fuselage half and set aside to dry, after which you can install theengine exhausts in the position of your choice. Here I also fitted the elevators.(Pic 04) The instructions now tell you to glue the top and bottom halves of thewings together and add them to the fuselage and leave the weapons pylonsuntil later. Having built a few Harriers in the past, I decided to add the pylons now as it will make painting easier if using an airbrush. Here you will noticeone of the many parts options with this kit where you can choose between raised or lowered (which I chose to do) flaps and ailerons. For ease of paintingI've just fitted the ailerons for now.

(Pic 05) The wing can be mated to the fuselage and the panel between thewing and canopy is fitted now.There is a choice of two depending on which aircraft you are building. A tinyamount of filler was used to blend the wing in and it was then sprayed with someHumbrol grey primer from an aerosol. (Pic 06 and 07).Now join the fuselage front to the main airframe and add the engine intakes.There are two options for the small square blow in doors. The ones I chose arehow they are when the aircraft is at rest with the top ones dropped. The otherchoice is doors closed when the aircraft is flying. (Pic 08).At this stage, I am adding all the small parts such as undercarriage doors, hardpoints and pitot tubes. One of the well engineered features of this kit is themounting of the pitot tubes. They are held in via a large peg which also forms atiny part of the fuselage. On most kits any small items like this are held in with asmall peg to fit into a tiny hole. This way is much stronger and the part is muchless likely to break or fall out. (Pic 09)The model is about ready to be painted. I've left off the flaps for ease of paintingand these will be sprayed separately and added afterwards. Because I've primedareas of the model as it was being built, I did scrape back some of the paint whereglue needed to be applied to attatch the small parts. (Pic 10 & 11).The model was then sprayed with Humbrol H156 Dark Camouflage Grey and leftto dry completely for a couple of days. Once dry the underside colour wasmasked out with a mixture of tape and Humbrol Maskol (Pic 12) and the topcolour of H164 Dark Sea Grey was then sprayed on the upper wings andfuselage.By leaving off the wing flaps and undercarriage meant I could easily get aroundthe model to paint the engine exhausts, wheel bays and the areas hidden by theflaps when in the up position, which were painted H130 White. (Pics 13, 14).The final assembly comprised installing the seat and canopy which I haveposed open, adding the undercarriage and the flaps. (Pic 15). All that is needednow before applying the decals, is any fine detail painting such as tyres, refuellingprobe nozzle, wing, tail and elevator leading edges and the weapons you chooseto use.The decals were applied and to add a bit of colour, I included the red squadronmarkings and tail checker pattern which were only applied to this par ticularaircraft in October 2009.

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A04050

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BismarckBismarck was to take part in only one operation during her brief career, although it wasto last 135 hours. She left Gotenhafen in Norway along with a heavy cruiser PrinzEugen on 19th May 1941. Their purpose under Operation Rheinübung, was to interceptand destroy vital Allied supply convoys sailing between North America and the UK.

On 24th May, the two ships were spotted by two Royal Navy ships, HMS Suffolk andHMS Norfolk in the Denmark Strait, as they were about to enter the Atlantic. HMSSuffolk engaged the battleship twice during the battle and with the use of radar, wasalso able to track Bismarck’s progress and alert other units, including HMS Hood,accompanied by HMS Prince of Wales.

For those of you whose special passion is building the Airfix range of ships, the Bismarck must be up amongst the‘Must Haves’. The 27th May 2011 marks the 70th Anniversary of the sinking by Allied forces of this Germanbattleship - one of the most famous warships of WWII. And now, following a wealth of Airfix tooling, you canre-enact one of the most crucial battles of the conflict with all five 1:600 scale warships, from both Royal Navyand the German Navy.

THE MOST POWERFUL BATTLESHIP AFLOAT!

The ‘Sink the Bismarck’ naval series comprises...

The Airfix range also includes two of the aircraft that played a pivotalrole in the sinking of the Bismarck – the Fleet Air Arm Fairey Swordfishand the Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina of RAF Coastal Command.

A03203 HMS Suffolk. Length 320mm, width 34.5mm. 126 pieces.

A04202 HMS Hood. Length 430mm, width 53mm. 131 pieces.

A04204 Bismarck. Length 415mm, width 60mm. 170 pieces.

A05203 Prinz Eugen. Length 354mm, width 60mm. 151 pieces.

A06205 HMS King George V. Length 378mm, width 45.5mm. 167 pieces.

A06206 HMS Repulse. Length 403mm, width 45.5mm. 147 pieces.

Hood fired the first shots, followed by Prince of Wales before the Bismarck and PrinzEugen retaliated, aiming their weaponry at HMS Hood. In the fierce battle that ensued,the efforts by the British ships was no match for the accuracy of the German gunsand at 6 am on 24th May, HMS Hood was hit amidships, broke in two and sankwithin minutes, with the loss of 1415 lives and only three survivors. Bismarck didnot emerge unscathed. Her radar was broken and following damage by HMS Hoodand Prince of Wales, she was taking in water.

Later the same day Bismarck was to sail on alone, with Prinz Eugen turning towardsthe safety of Brest in France. The sinking of HMS Hood, the largest of the BritishAdmiral class battlecruisers, was catastrophic and resulted in the legendaryinstruction from Winston Churchill to ‘Sink the Bismarck at any cost’. During theevening of 24th May, Bismarck was spotted and attacked by a small group of FaireySwordfish from 825 Naval Squadron aboard HMS Victorious. One of the successfulhits inflicted further damage to that already suffered in the battle with HMS Hood,resulting in more flooding. Bismarck, under reduced power, sailed on under theconstant watch by the British before evading them temporarily on 25th May by changing course. A plotting error on the part of King George Valso helped the Germans escape for a short time.

On 26th May, an RAF Coastal Command Catalina reconnaissanceaircraft of 209 Squadron spotted the Bismarck in the Atlantic,south west of Ireland. That evening, Ark Royal launched its FaireySwordfish to attack Bismarck.

THE SINKING OF THE

In a final attack, in the dark and in very bad weather, a single torpedo from one of theSwordfish jammed Bismarck’s rudder and consequently the steering gear, renderingher unmanoeuvrable and at the same time, seeing her listing even further to port.The British ships moved in for the kill, headed up by HMS King George V and HMSRodney, two frontline battleships, accompanied by a flotilla of Tribal-class destroyersarmed with torpedoes.

At 10.39 am on the morning of 27th May 1941, the Bismarck sank stern first, withthe loss of 2131 crew. The British ship HMS Devonshire picked up 115 survivorsbefore the alarm was raised warning of a German submarine in the area and her needto abandon any further rescue attempts.

The Bismarck, built by Blohm & Voss of Hamburg, had been launched on 14thFebruary 1939 and commissioned on 24th August 1940. Propelled by 12 Wagnerhigh pressure boilers, her displacement was 50.900 tonnes fully loaded.Dimensions were: length 251 metres overall and 241.5 metres at the waterline;beam 36 metres and draft 10.5 metres with a full load.

Our Airfix collection marking the 70th Anniversary of theSinking of the Bismarck gives you all the ‘ammunition’

you need to construct a Bismarck dioramaof this fateful attack.

24 May 19416am Bismarck sinks HMSHood in the Battle of theDenmark Strait only 3survive.

24 May 1941Bismarck and PrinzEugen part company.

23 May 1941Bismarck spotted byHMS Suffolk and Norfolkin the Denmark Strait.

19 May 1941Bismarck and PrinzEugen leave Gotenhafen,Norway.

26 May 1941Fleet Air Arm Swordfishbiplanes fron Ark Royaltorpedo Bismarckjamming her rudder.

26 May 1941RAF Coastal CommandCatalina reconnaissanceaircraft spots Bismarck.

27 May 194110:39am Bismarck sinks stern first afterdevastating shelling from HMS King George V andHMS Rodney, 2131 crew killed, 115 survive.

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Postage & Packaging prices are: UK - £2.95, EU - £9, Rest of World - £15 for 1 kit upto the maximum of 9 kits per club member. (maximum of 3 kits per special offer)

3 SPECIAL AIRFIX CLUBKIT OFFERS!

SPECIAL OFFER 1 UK Military Support SetSPECIAL OFFER 1 - Order details

A73001 UK Military Support Set*

*Only 3 kits per Airfix Club member, offer while stocks last!

We are delighted to announce yetanother Airfix Club exclusive!

Qty Each Total

£8.99

P&P Total £

Order Total £

Set includes: 1 x Land Rover with3 decal options, 1 x BedfordRefueller Truck with 3 decal options.

SPECIAL OFFER 2 BAE Systems Hawk T.1ASPECIAL OFFER 2 - Order details

A73000 BAE Systems Hawk T.1A ClubSpecial*

*Only 3 kits per Airfix Club member, offer while stocks last!

This kit includes two decal options.

Limited stock available!...

Qty Each Total

£7.99

P&P Total £

Order Total £

Set includes: 1 x BAe SystemsHawk T.1A Kit. 2 x decal options.

SPECIAL OFFER 3 Limited Edition Harrier GR7 Harrier FA2

SPECIAL OFFER 3 - Order details

A82010 Harrier GR7 Harrier GR2 ClubSpecial*

*Only 3 kits per Airfix Club member, offer while stocks last!

We are delighted to announce yetanother Airfix Club exclusive!

Qty Each Total

£8.99

P&P Total £

Order Total £

Set includes: 1 x Land Rover with3 decal options, 1 x BedfordRefueller Truck with 3 decal options.

ONLY AVAILABLE TO CLUBMEMBERS

1:72 BAE SYSTEMS HAWK T.1A

L I M I T E D E D I T I O N

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Limited Edition: Airfix BAE System Hawk T.1A & Model Alliance Display Hawk Special Schemes Decal Sheet

Contains: One Airfix Hawk T.1 kit with two decal options

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Hawk T.Mk.1 XX307, No.208 (R) Squadron, Royal Air Force Valley, 2009.Aircraft specially painted for the 2009 display season to mark the 90thanniversary of the the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Hawk T.Mk.1 XX184 “Spithawk”, Royal Air Force Valley, May 2008.Aircraft specially painted for the 70th anniversary of 19(F) Sqnequipping with the Spitfire.

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techniquetechnique3 4 5

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decal application...

In this Airfix Club ‘technique’ feature, we advise on some preferred simple hints andtips and additional Humbrol products which are currently available, that will helpwhen applying decals to any Airfix model kit.

Application of Airfix model kit decals...1. Having completed the construction of your model, mask any clear parts using Humbrol Maskol and apply an overall coat of Humbrol Satin Cote varnish using preferably an aerosol or an airbrush.

You can apply Humbrol Satin Cote varnish onto your model using a brush if you wish, but you will achieve a better finish if the varnish is sprayed onto the model. Remember that normally the varnish will take a full 24 hours to completely dry.2. Select a decal to apply to the model. Cut the selected decal from the full sheet using a modeling knife. It is important to apply decals individually and not place the entire decal sheet into water to realease from the backing sheet as you will not be able to apply all of the decals onto the model before the decals dry out or curl and become unusable.

3. Brush a small amount of Humbrol Decal Fix onto the area of the model where the decal is to be applied. Place the cut decal into a bowl of warm water for approximately 45 seconds until the decal is ‘moveable’ on the backing sheet.

Slide the decal from the backing sheet into position and secure to the model using either a cotton bud or soft tissue. Brush a small amount of Humbrol Decal Fix onto the newly placed decal and leave for approximately 45 seconds. This will soften the decal and enable it to adjust to any moulded contours on the model.

Again, gently secure the decal by dabbing with a cotton bud or soft tissue to remove any air bubbles or excess water/Humbrol Decal Fix.

4. Repeat this process to each individual decal until all the required decals have been applied from the base sheet to your new model.

5. Once all decals have been applied and are completely set/dry, remask all clear areas using Humbrol Maskol and apply a final coat of Humbrol Satin Cote varnish. This final coat of varnish will seal and protect the decals on the model and will also help to prevent the decals from turning ‘yellow’ with age.

Having spent many long hours constructing and painting a newAirfix model kit, many of us still dread what can be the arduoustask of applying the decals to our new pride and joy.

Many of the newly introduced Airfix model kits have decals thatare so incredably detailed that, if applied correctly, reallyenhance the model’s final appearance.

Mask and varnish... Remove a decal...

Decal preparation... Soak the decal... Apply the decal...

Soften the decal... Remove excess liquid... Re-mask & varnish to complete.