Trumpeter 1/48 Tomahawk IIA, 112 Squadron RAF

[BradG]

I'll say that I've built worse kits, but I've also built a lot of better ones. I found that the fit of the prop, the upper cowlings and windscreen were troublesome. I also found the photo etch fret difficult to use due to how thick it was. Decals are ok, as long as you don't need to put them over any bumps or around any curves (there are significant paint touch ups on the shark mouth). I also found that the 2 fuselage roundels were glued to the backing paper somehow, so these were replaced with spares from a Tamiya Spitfire (hence the slightly different yellow and red). I used Gunze Middle Stone and Dark Earth over SMS Paints azure blue. Weathering was done wish washes and dry pigment.

'K' was the regular mount of P/O and later Squadron Leader Jack Bartle, an Australian pilot flying with 112 Squadron RAF in Egypt, 1941. Bartle would do 2 operational tours of duty and 2 non operational tours, eventually commanding No 1 Air Ambulance Unit and 450 Squadron RAAF. Bartle survived the war with 6.5 victories. 'K' however was not so lucky. On December 12 1941, while being flown by P/O RJD Jeffries, was posted missing in action.