During the early war years when the RAF were desperate for additional modern fighter types, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation of America supplied them with export versions of their new P-40B fighter, a capable performer at lower altitudes. 

The Desert Air Force adorned their aircraft with fearsome shark mouths, making these some of the most famous aircraft of the entire war.

This eye-catching military aircraft is now available in plastic model kit form, bringing you building joy in 1:72 scale.

An aircraft which may look relatively innocuous but was actually an effective airborne warrior, the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the scourge of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the aircraft which allowed the US Navy to strike back after the Pearl Harbor attack. 

Sinking more Japanese shipping than any other aircraft during the Second World War, the Dauntless also claimed a great many Japanese aircraft destroyed in aerial combat during the Pacific war. 

This 1:72 model kit from our Vintage Classics range allows you to build your own Dauntless aircraft.

One of the world’s first classic jet fighters, the F-86 Sabre was a true pilot’s aeroplane, featuring beautifully harmonised controls and six reliable 0.50cal M3 Browning machine guns, in the days prior to rocket armament becoming the norm. 

Almost 10,000 Sabres were eventually produced, seeing service with around 30 of the world’s air forces, in addition to being produced under licence in Canada, Australia, Japan and Italy. 

Build your own North American Sabre with this military aircraft model kit.

At the start of the Second World War, Japanese forces had some of the most capable naval aeroplanes equipping their mighty carrier fleet, including the recently upgraded Nakajima B5N2 Kate. Striking with torpedoes and bombs, these aircraft took a heavy toll of US warships during the devastating Pearl Harbor attack on 7th December 1941. 

Add this Japanese aircraft model kit to your workbench in a pleasing 1:72 scale.

Unquestionably one of the most distinctive aircraft of the Second World War, the Catalina was built to win the vital war at sea and, for a large aeroplane, was a surprisingly agile performer. 

The PBY-5A was perhaps the definitive version of the aircraft, a true amphibian able to operate from both water and traditional airfield sites.

This is a unique 1:72 scale model kit for more practiced builders, and one you might remember from the past!

One of the most unusual aircraft to have ever taken to world skies, the F-117 Nighthawk was one of the spectacular aviation creations of Lockheed’s famous ‘Skunk Works’, a high-tech attack aircraft which benefited from the latest stealth technology. 

Officially retired by the US Air Force in 2008, these secretive aircraft proved too valuable to do without and are still being used to fly their highly classified missions to this day. 

Add one to your workbench in 1:72 scale model kit form today.

Although the Lancashire-based English Electric Company had gained plenty of experience in building aircraft during the Second World War, they were not aircraft they had designed themselves, so when they entered the design race to produce the replacement for the famous de Havilland Mosquito, many did not expect them to be in the final running. 

Establishing a young and talented design team, what they managed to produce was, without doubt, one of the most significant aircraft in British aviation history: a twin jet-powered bomber which was aerodynamically clean and unmistakenly designed for great speed. 

Showing promise from the start, the Air Ministry were so impressed with the new aircraft that they placed an advanced order for 132 aircraft, so confident were they that the new jet would provide the Royal Air Force with a technological edge.

When the first production B.2 entered service with No.101 Squadron in early 1951, few fighters of the day could catch the Canberra – the RAF had an exceptional new aircraft, one which was the envy of the world. 

Now this icon of the skies is available in 1:72 scale model kit form.

Tracing its lineage back to the famous Lancaster of the Second World War, the Avro Shackleton was a long-range maritime patrol aircraft used primarily for anti-submarine operations, but it was also required to perform several other roles. 

Entering RAF service in 1951, the majority of Shackletons were powered by the mighty Rolls Royce Griffon engine, and became the last aircraft in the illustrious line of four-engined propeller-powered bomber/strike aircraft to see service with the Royal Air Force. 

The decision to scrap HMS Ark Royal left the Royal Navy concerned that their ships would lose vital airborne early warning cover, however, a proposal to fit the radar units from Ark Royal’s former AEW Fairey Gannets to RAF Avro Shackletons allayed those fears. 

Twelve Shackleton airframes were converted to AEW Mk.2 standard and operated in the colours of No.8 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, where they remained until the unit finally disbanded in 1991. 

Our Avro Shackleton model kit allows you to build this classic aircraft in detailed 1:72 scale.

As Britain prepared to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015, an aircraft unveiling at RAF Coningsby captured the imagination of enthusiasts and modellers alike, as one of the RAF’s cutting-edge Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 jets had a smart new paint scheme, which took its inspiration from a famous Fighter Command aircraft from 1940. 

This high-tech multi-role jet aircraft had been painted in a scheme similar to that worn by the Hawker Hurricane Mk.I flown by Flight Lieutenant James Brindley Nicolson on 16th August 1940, the day on which his actions in combat earned him a Victoria Cross - the only VC awarded to a Fighter Command pilot during the entire war. 

Nicolson’s RAF No.249 Squadron Hurricane was on fire after being attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf 109, however, he stayed in the aircraft to press home an attack against a Bf 110 ‘Destroyer’ which passed in front of his stricken fighter, despite flames licking around him. Nicholson later took to his parachute and landed safely, returning to combat flying after a period of treatment and recouperation.

Presenting the usually grey Eurofighter Typhoon in Battle of Britain era camouflage was a masterstroke by the RAF, and throughout the summer display season, she became the most popular aircraft in Royal Air Force inventory. Enthusiasts even referred to her as ‘GINA’, after the code letters carried on the aircraft’s fuselage, and she will always be remembered as one of the RAF’s best looking Typhoon jets. 

You can now build 'GINA' and the aircraft which inspired her look in 1:72 scale, providing you with lots of modelling joy.

To mark this year’s centenary commemorations of the formation of the Swedish Air Force, this model set charts the development of the force from one which purchased overseas aircraft types, to one of the most powerful air forces in the world. By the start of the Second World War, the Swedish Air Force consisted of 180 aircraft of different types, but mainly purchased from countries such as Britain, the US, Germany, and Italy. 

Their first indigenous design was introduced in 1942, but in order to defend their neutrality, they continued strengthening with aircraft produced overseas. This continued into the jet age, however, Sweden was working hard to develop their own jet fighters, and when the most significant came, it was something very special: the SAAB J35 Draken supersonic interceptor. 

Since then, Sweden has continued to produce impressive new aircraft, often operating them from dispersed sites using public roads as runways, with SAAB cars sharing the road with SAAB fighters. 

This 1:72 scale Swedish Air Force Anniversary model kit set allows you to appreciate the brilliance of these planes from your workbench.

Take the hassle out of painting your model kits with Airfix Masking Sets.

Designed for precision and ease, these pre-cut adhesive masks let you achieve sharp paint lines on canopies, clear parts and other tricky areas* — without the stress of freehand work with a brush or using an airbrush.

Perfectly tailored to specific Airfix kits, they save you time, improve accuracy, and give your build a professional finish.

*Utilising the CAD from the kit design to create the perfect shapes.

Take the hassle out of painting your model kits with Airfix Masking Sets.

Designed for precision and ease, these pre-cut adhesive masks let you achieve sharp paint lines on canopies, clear parts and other tricky areas* — without the stress of freehand work with a brush or using an airbrush.

Perfectly tailored to specific Airfix kits, they save you time, improve accuracy, and give your build a professional finish.

*Utilising the CAD from the kit design to create the perfect shapes.

Take the hassle out of painting your model kits with Airfix Masking Sets.

Designed for precision and ease, these pre-cut adhesive masks let you achieve sharp paint lines on canopies, clear parts and other tricky areas* — without the stress of freehand work with a brush or using an airbrush.

Perfectly tailored to specific Airfix kits, they save you time, improve accuracy, and give your build a professional finish.

*Utilising the CAD from the kit design to create the perfect shapes.

Take the hassle out of painting your model kits with Airfix Masking Sets.

Designed for precision and ease, these pre-cut adhesive masks let you achieve sharp paint lines on canopies, clear parts and other tricky areas* — without the stress of freehand work with a brush or using an airbrush.

Perfectly tailored to specific Airfix kits, they save you time, improve accuracy, and give your build a professional finish.

*Utilising the CAD from the kit design to create the perfect shapes.

Take the hassle out of painting your model kits with Airfix Masking Sets.

Designed for precision and ease, these pre-cut adhesive masks let you achieve sharp paint lines on canopies, clear parts and other tricky areas* — without the stress of freehand work with a brush or using an airbrush.

Perfectly tailored to specific Airfix kits, they save you time, improve accuracy, and give your build a professional finish.

*Utilising the CAD from the kit design to create the perfect shapes.

Take the hassle out of painting your model kits with Airfix Masking Sets.

Designed for precision and ease, these pre-cut adhesive masks let you achieve sharp paint lines on canopies, clear parts and other tricky areas* — without the stress of freehand work with a brush or using an airbrush.

Perfectly tailored to specific Airfix kits, they save you time, improve accuracy, and give your build a professional finish.

*Utilising the CAD from the kit design to create the perfect shapes.