new tool Airfix Hawker Typhoon IB 1:72nd scale

 I've already mentioned that I'm having difficulty keeping up with all these nice new tools from Airfix and quite a few of the new Typhoon IB have already appeared on the various forums.. Here's a start on painting the detail parts on the sprues. Both cannon bays are supplied which will involve some surgery to the wings. Plenty of things to hang under the wings supplied in the kit - including the 3-in rockets. While rocket-firing Typhoons may have provided some of the most iconic images of the Normandy campaign after D-Day, especially around Mortain and Falaise, they were pretty ineffectual on actual operations - there was only a 2% chance of hitting an enemy Panzer according to one recent study. There is plenty of decent reference available for the build, eg if you don't have the three volume 2nd Tactical Air Force titles from Classic, then the Imperial War Museum's web site has a load of great 2nd TAF Typhoon pics available for free download and reuse (for non-commercial sites)..

Ground crews loading 3-inch rocket projectiles onto Hawker Typhoon Mark IB, MN317 'ZY-B', of No. 247 Squadron RAF at B2/Bazenville, Normandy © IWM (CL 157)