Airfix

<p>Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.</p><p>Read the blog: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uk.airfix.com/community/blog-and-news/workbench/british-army-bid-farewell-their-iconic-land-rovers">https://uk.airfix.com/community/blog-and-news/workbench/british-army-bid-farewell-their-iconic-land-rovers</a></p><p>For this week’s edition of Workbench, we will be entering the fascinating world of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uk.airfix.com/search?resultType=product&amp;langPath=airfix-uk&amp;category=all_products&amp;sub_category=combined&amp;q=land%20rover&amp;sort_by=0&amp;page=1"><strong>iconic British military vehicles</strong></a>, as we mark a poignant and rather sad occasion in the history of the British Army. Over the previous few days, the Ministry of Defence have announced the impending retirement of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uk.airfix.com/shop/vehicles?langPath=airfix-uk&amp;filters%5Bmandatory_filter_by%5D%5Bproduct_headless_category%5D=Vehicles&amp;page_id=923&amp;sort-by=8&amp;page=1"><strong>Land Rover</strong></a>, an incredibly successful series of utility vehicles which have faithfully supported British troops wherever they’ve been deployed since their introduction back in 1949.</p><p>In addition to looking at how the Land Rover made the successful transition from rugged, no-nonsense civilian utility vehicle, to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uk.airfix.com/shop/vehicles?langPath=airfix-uk&amp;filters%5Bmandatory_filter_by%5D%5Bproduct_headless_category%5D=Vehicles&amp;page_id=923&amp;sort-by=8&amp;page=1"><strong>dependable military mechanical warhorse</strong></a> in service for seven decades, we will also be looking at the wider subject of how commercial vehicles were successfully adapted for military service, and how these vehicles are definitely the unsung support/transport heroes of any armed force and their associated operations. As you would expect, we will also be taking this opportunity to look at our scale model kit tributes to these vehicles which whilst usually in the shadows of military operations, were actually the life blood of any exercise or military deployment.</p><p>We’re racing into British summertime by paying tribute to the incredible military service of a British automotive phenomenon in this latest edition of Workbench.</p>

<p>Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.</p><p>We find ourselves returning to the subject of significant aviation related anniversaries in this week’s edition of Workbench, as we bring you not one, but two blog posts connected to two of the most significant aircraft to have ever performed on the UK Airshow circuit. In this post, the focus of our attentions will be the last flight of a famous aircraft type in Royal Air Force service, one which served as a British icon throughout the Cold War era, and one which would relinquish its official RAF display duties, only to later take its place on the UK Airshow circuit in private hands. Incredibly, for a seven year period, she would become the world’s most complex aircraft restoration project ever to return to flying condition, <strong>referred to by millions of people simply by her military serial number XH558</strong>. Captivating the UK Airshow scene for seven truly unforgettable years, not only did she command record crowds wherever she performed, but she would also be known as <strong><em>‘The Spirit of Great Britain’,</em></strong> and arguably, the most famous aircraft to ever appear on the UK Airshow scene.</p><p>In our second, separately published post for the week, we will be marking another significant British aviation anniversary, but one connected to an enemy aircraft from an earlier era of flight. Flown operationally by the Luftwaffe at the end of 1942, this aircraft was captured by Allied troops just a few days later, and was subsequently flown by the RAF’s enemy aircraft flight back in the UK. This historic machine would eventually take its place on the UK Airshow scene as the only original German combat aircraft flying anywhere in the world, following the completion of a 20 year restoration project which became the life’s work of a very special man a handful of volunteer professionals.</p><p>Two of the most famous aircraft to have ever flown on the UK Airshow circuit are our Workbench subjects for this weekend, as both celebrate significant anniversaries this month, and both will help to get us all a little excited for the coming Airshow season.</p>

<p>Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.</p><p>We find ourselves returning to the subject of significant aviation related anniversaries in this week’s edition of Workbench, as we bring you not one, but two blog posts connected to two of the most significant aircraft to have ever performed on the UK Airshow circuit. In this first post, we look at an aircraft which was flown operationally by the Luftwaffe at the end of 1942, was captured by Allied troops just a few days later, and was subsequently flown by the RAF’s enemy aircraft flight back in the UK. It would eventually take its place on the UK Airshow circuit as the only <strong>original German combat aircraft </strong>flying anywhere in the world, following the completion of a 20 year restoration project which became the life’s work of a very special man a handful of volunteer professionals.</p><p>In a second, separately published post, we will be marking another significant British aviation anniversary, one which is not only related to the last flight of a famous aircraft type in Royal Air Force service, but one which would also go on to take its place on the UK Airshow circuit, and for a seven year period, become the world’s most complex aircraft restoration project to flying condition. Known to millions by her military serial number XH558, this icon of the Cold War would captivate the UK Airshow scene for seven unforgettable years, where she not only commanded record crowds wherever she performed, but was also proclaimed <strong><em>‘The Spirit of Great Britain’.</em></strong></p><p>Two of the most famous aircraft to have ever flown on the UK Airshow circuit are our Workbench subjects for this weekend, as both celebrate significant anniversaries this month, and both will help to get us all a little excited for the coming Airshow season.</p>

<p>Head of Brand Dale Luckhurst is joined by Product Development Manager Matthew Whiting and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="mention-chip ytcp-social-suggestion-input" href="https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCVT-vIc_GvrUREDaW9gFJhg"> @thescalemodellingcafe </a> to talk all things Airfix, Flying Career and more! Visit the Airfix range: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.airfix.com">www.airfix.com</a> #airfix #scalemodelling #aviationhistory #modelkit</p>

<p>Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly Workbench blog, and all the news, updates, and modelling exclusives from the fascinating world of Airfix.</p><p>With the subject of aircraft and aviation history proving to be so utterly captivating for so many people, it’s no wonder that the scale modelling hobby has thrived as it has over the years, as it’s taken so much subject inspiration from man’s enduring fascination with flight. With last week’s 90th Anniversary of the first flight of the Supermarine Type 300 (Spitfire) still fresh in our minds, many people would probably agree that we can often be guilty of allowing the focus of our attentions to be a little UK mainland centric if we’re being honest, even if that’s understandable bearing in mind the rich subject matter available to us. Because that tends to be the case, we rarely direct our gaze to skies across the Irish Sea, however, in this current edition of Workbench, we’ll be attempting to put that right.</p><p>By way of marking next week’s <strong>St Patrick’s Day celebrations</strong>, our subject for this latest edition is the proud aviation heritage of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://uk.airfix.com/products/de-havilland-chipmunk-t10t20-a04105a"><strong>Irish Air Corps</strong></a>, using what is actually a fairly limited number of Airfix model kit livery options as our related illustrators, notwithstanding the fact that they happen to be rather eye-catching and extremely appealing ones. From the pioneering aviators making trans-Atlantic crossings, to the first jet aircraft operating out of Baldonnel Aerodrome, we’re looking at aviation through Irish eyes in this latest edition of Workbench.</p>