{"title":"GBR RAF 1\/48 BTW","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"airfix-a05141-1-48-bristol-bulldog-mk-ii","title":"Bristol Bulldog Mk II","description":"\u003cp\u003eA gleaming silver steed flown by the most capable and intrepid young men Britain could call upon, the Bristol Bulldog was one of the most important British aircraft of the inter-war period, when powerful biplane fighters unquestionably ruled the skies. Initially developed as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the Bulldog was the brainchild of accomplished aircraft designer Frank Barnwell, the man behind the successful Bristol F2B Fighter of the Great War, and was a light, all-metal and fabric-covered fighter, powered by a 440hp Bristol Jupiter engine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bulldog was armed with a pair of forward-firing Vickers 0.303‘ machine guns mounted on either side of the cockpit, but ultimately never fired its guns in anger during a relatively short seven-year period serving with Fighter Command. Although it was the most capable fighter of the day, the Bulldog was more closely associated with challenging formation flying and spectacular aerobatics, with the Royal Air Force thrilling huge crowds at airshows and pageants around the country, as they demonstrated the effectiveness of a modernising air force.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat the Bulldog did do was help advance Britain's aviation industry towards the production of the sleek, monoplane fighters which would contest the Second World War, as it highlighted the fact that biplane designs were fast approaching their zenith. Perhaps the most famous incident involving a Bristol Bulldog proved to be a rather unfortunate one, when an accomplished, but rather headstrong RAF pilot performed unauthorised low-altitude aerobatics for a group of onlookers and a private civilian aerodrome in Berkshire.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n\u003cp\u003eFlying so low that the wingtip of his fighter struck the ground during a manoeuvre, the Bulldog cartwheeled across the airfield, inflicting catastrophic injuries on the pilot - that pilot was future Second World War RAF ace and inspirational national hero Douglas Bader.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Airfix","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51234352365835,"sku":"A05141","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/A05145-SCH-A.webp?v=1769727223"},{"product_id":"airfix-a09183-1-48-supermarine-walrus-mk-i","title":"Supermarine Walrus Mk I","description":"\u003cp\u003eDespite its rather ungainly appearance, the Supermarine Walrus was one of the most effective aircraft of its type ever built. Required to operate in particularly hostile environments, the Walrus was an excellent naval reconnaissance aircraft and became an invaluable air-sea rescue asset, responsible for saving the lives of many downed airmen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Airfix","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51234353316107,"sku":"A09183","price":44.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/airfix-a09183-supermarine-walrus-mk-i-1160787004.jpg?v=1749035529"},{"product_id":"dora-wings-48005-1-48-percival-p-10-vega-gull","title":"Percival P.10 Vega Gull","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine, low-wing (Folding), wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBuilt by Percival Aircraft of Gravesend and Luton (after 1936 when Percival Aircraft became a Limited Company), the 'K-Series' Vega Gull was a development of their earlier 'D-Series' Gull. The main changes from the earlier design were the provision of an additional fourth seat, dual controls and flaps. The fuselage was widened and the wingspan increased. Increases in drag were compensated for by reducing parasitic drag from exterior fittings such as hinges and actuation horns. This work was largely attributable to the arrival at Percivals of the talented aircraft designer Arthur Bage. Thus, the Vega Gull was very nearly as fast as the more svelte Gull Six\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dora Wings","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51848066367755,"sku":"48005","price":19.76,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/dora-wings-48005-percival-p_10-vega-gull-1.jpg?v=1751697781"},{"product_id":"i-love-kit-64803-1-48-gloster-gladiator-mk-i","title":"Gloster Gladiator Mk I","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"I Love Kit","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51498734747915,"sku":"64803","price":22.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/i-love-kit-64803-gloster-gladiator-mk-i.jpg?v=1749128492"},{"product_id":"i-love-kit-64804-1-48-gloster-gladiator-mk-ii","title":"Gloster Gladiator Mk II","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) (as the Sea Gladiator variant) and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it acquitted itself reasonably well in combat.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"I Love Kit","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51498740416779,"sku":"64804","price":22.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/i-love-kit-64804-gloster-gladiator-mk-ii.jpg?v=1749128499"},{"product_id":"airfix-a09191-1-48-avro-anson-mk-i","title":"Avro Anson Mk I","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough not generally regarded as one of the most fashionable British aircraft to see service during the Second World War, the Avro Anson was nevertheless one of the most important aircraft not only of the inter-war years, but also during WWII itself and is deserving of more recognition than it usually receives. An aircraft which began its development in 1933 as a high speed, long range, modern mail carrying charter aircraft, the Avro 652 was still in development when the British Air Ministry issued a requirement for a twin engined, general reconnaissance and multi-role aircraft capable of performing a variety of roles for both the Royal Air force and the Royal Navy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Avro team felt that their new aircraft would be perfect for the role and later entered it in an official evaluation programme with the competitor de Havilland DH89M, the military version of their biplane Dragon Rapide. The Avro design was found to possess greater range and endurance and whilst not without a few areas which would require some design modifications, an initial order for 174 militarised aircraft was placed. The Avro 652 would be given the name Anson after an Eighteenth Century British Admiral of the fleet, a development which did not please everyone at the Air Ministry, but as the aircraft was intended to undertake maritime patrols, the name did seem rather appropriate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHighlighting the importance of the Avro Anson as a British aircraft type, when it entered service with No.48 Squadron at RAF Manston in March 1936, it became the first monoplane type to achieve squadron service status, but was also the first RAF aircraft to feature a retractable undercarriage. At this time, the advanced Anson quickly began to attract attention from several other countries and in order to capitalise on this interest, some aircraft were diverted from existing RAF orders to fulfil these requirements, with full production forcing Avro to open new manufacturing facilities in the North West of England. The RAF Anson Mk.I was equipped with a fixed forward firing .303 machine gun operated by the pilot and a single Lewis gun mounted in the manually traversed dorsal turret. It could also be equipped with a modest bomb load, something which was required by submarine hunting aircraft operated by Coastal Command and whilst there were no reports of an Anson sinking a U-Boat, their presence would keep these feared hunters submerged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the Dunkirk evacuations, Ansons used to cover the operation came under attack by Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters, which had real difficulty engaging the slow flying British aircraft. Consistently overshooting the Ansons, they came in the sights of the aircraft's forward firing gun and astonishingly, two of the Luftwaffe fighters were shot down and a third was badly damaged, with all the Ansons escaping from the engagement unscathed. Despite the fact that the RAF entered the Second World War with 26 squadrons equipped with Avro Ansons, they were basically obsolete as a fighting machine and particularly for the ones assigned to Bomber Command, they were quickly withdrawn to secondary training roles, a task for which the 'Faithfull Annie' was particularly well suited. As part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, many thousands of aircrew destined for service with Bomber Command were trained both in the UK and overseas, including those destined to serve in the Avro Lancaster, the mighty bomber which was produced in some of the same factories previously used to produce Ansons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith just under 11,000 Ansons eventually produced, the final RAF example was only withdrawn from service as a station communications aircraft in 1968.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Airfix","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51532641632523,"sku":"A09191","price":44.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/airfix-a09191-avro-anson-mk-i.jpg?v=1749147666"},{"product_id":"airfix-a05145-1-48-bristol-bulldog-mk-iia","title":"Bristol Bulldog Mk IIa","description":"\u003cp\u003eA gleaming silver steed flown by the most capable and intrepid young men Britain could call upon, the Bristol Bulldog was one of the most important British aircraft of the inter-war period, when powerful biplane fighters unquestionably ruled the skies. Initially developed as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the Bulldog was the brainchild of accomplished aircraft designer Frank Barnwell, the man behind the successful Bristol F2B Fighter of the Great War, and was a light, all-metal and fabric-covered fighter, powered by a 440hp Bristol Jupiter engine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bulldog was armed with a pair of forward-firing Vickers 0.303‘ machine guns mounted on either side of the cockpit, but ultimately never fired its guns in anger during a relatively short seven-year period serving with Fighter Command. Although it was the most capable fighter of the day, the Bulldog was more closely associated with challenging formation flying and spectacular aerobatics, with the Royal Air Force thrilling huge crowds at airshows and pageants around the country, as they demonstrated the effectiveness of a modernising air force.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat the Bulldog did do was help advance Britain's aviation industry towards the production of the sleek, monoplane fighters which would contest the Second World War, as it highlighted the fact that biplane designs were fast approaching their zenith. Perhaps the most famous incident involving a Bristol Bulldog proved to be a rather unfortunate one, when an accomplished, but rather headstrong RAF pilot performed unauthorised low-altitude aerobatics for a group of onlookers and a private civilian aerodrome in Berkshire.\u003c\/p\u003e \n\n\u003cp\u003eFlying so low that the wingtip of his fighter struck the ground during a manoeuvre, the Bulldog cartwheeled across the airfield, inflicting catastrophic injuries on the pilot - that pilot was future Second World War RAF ace and inspirational national hero Douglas Bader.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Airfix","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52765665788171,"sku":"A05145","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/airfix-a05145-1-48-bristol-bulldog-mk-iia_010.jpg?v=1765802260"}],"url":"https:\/\/anglia-models.com\/collections\/gbr-raf-1-48-btw-fighter.oembed","provider":"Anglia Models","version":"1.0","type":"link"}