Profile Photo
Paul Barber
41 articles

The RAF is 100 Years Old Today! Gentlemen, Start your Engines!

April 1, 2018 · in Aviation · 18 · 1.6K

Today is the Centenary of the birth of The RAF. On April 1st 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps amalgamated to form the world's first independent airforce.

Many of the models built here on iModeler are of RAF subjects. The Group Build '100 years of the Royal Air Force' officially opens today (although some have stolen a march and are well into builds already - nice work!).

http://imodeler.com/groups/100-years-of-the-royal-air-force/

In the 'new build' inventory we have 31 subjects, comprising 8 of the decades since 1918 - we'd love a 1920s and a 1980s build to complete the set!

In the previous build inventory we currently have 43 builds - and there are some weird and wonderful subjects there! We are missing 1910s, 1920s, 1930s and 2010s. Could you help out with a photograph or two of a previous build from these decades?

(NB Edit: we are now up to 64 previous builds and have covered the 1910s and 1930s - thanks Tom Cleaver! Looking for 1920s and 2010s...)

Thank you to everyone who is contributing to this group. And welcome of course to everyone who is yet to join in. The only real rule is that you are ready (where possible) to reveal your build - old or new - on September 15th (in about 168 days - so comfortably time get involved) which is Battle of Britain Day. We are aiming to end the fun with a reveal running from then until the end of September (a round 6 months in all).

If you haven't got a previous RAF build to add, or one on your pile for this year, you might want to visit David A. Thomas' excellent thread 'Of Ethos and Inspiration', which will be a repository for personal reflections, photos and memorabilia on and of the RAF.

http://imodeler.com/groups/100-years-of-the-royal-air-force/forum/topic/of-ethos-and-inspiration/

Please visit, encourage and comment thoughout this group build, to commemorate the 100 year history!

If you need any more inspiration here are a couple of snaps of the Lanc from The RAF Museum at Colindale!


Reader reactions:
4  Awesome

18 responses

  1. Kudos to you, Paul! What a great idea, and may we all have the strength and stamina to finish it well, honoring the men and women who have made the RAF great. Those pics say it all, one after the other, wow.

    Thanks for starting the GB, and thanks in advance for your fine work in administrating it!

  2. Our local stable girl rang to ask if I could follow along behind her this morning in the lanes. She said she didn’t want any sudden surprises from behind. Naturally, I always try to help the rural economy, so gave her cover in second gear for a mile or so, but then remembered I had to get back and set a couple of shows to record later.

    Happy 100th, RAF!

    3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  3. Very literally laughed out loud. Guy Martin's Spitfire programme (and his Vulcan equivalent) are sensational. Woof, indeed!

  4. I see where dealing with the bare facts and where on the tail end of horsing around. Don't whip the lads into a frenzy with these pics.

    I like the picture of the Lanc.

    • This should clear the palate.

      1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

  5. Rob, kind of you to help the young lass out. Working on her tan, one suspects?

  6. Paul, here is one option to build that Lancaster B1, R5868 PO-S, 467 Sqn RAAF.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

    • Wow Allan, I didn't know a specified kit was available for her in 1/72 - thank you!

      For those interested in learning a little more about the legendary S 'Sugar', and the importance of her long operational service...

      http://460squadronraaf.com/planes/planes.html

  7. That is a very interesting story. Thank you for sharing it with us.

    It made me go and take a second look at my 1/48 Tamiya Lancaster. It's the original 1975 edition , and has "S" for "Sugar" as part of the original decals. I seriously doubt they are still good...

    This in turn made me take a second look at one of my Airfix 1/48 Spitfire's "the PR XIX".


    Ironically, from what I found online, today was the last operational reconnaissance sortie flown by the type, back in 1954...

    I may eventually add this kit and a Tamiya 1/48 scale Mosquito if time permits.

    However, the first order of business is to complete the 1/48 Airfix BP Defiant...

    Thanks again my friend for starting up this magnificent GB.

    Happy Easter everyone !

  8. Thanks Louis, I knew someone would have the 1975 Tamiya Lanc. I should have guessed it would be you ! (among others, I'm sure). It is a great story - mocking Goering by doing what he said was impossible, a mere 118 times, is the very definition of legendary!

    And incredible that the PR Spit flew its last sortie on the Anniversary!

    I don't know if you can pick up any BBC programming in your neck of the woods but there has just been a one hour RAF100 special on the Mossie. Might be worth looking out for!

    Again, thanks for the support - The BPD is looking exceptional!

  9. "Operation Firedog during the Malayan Emergency saw the Spitfire fly over 1,800 operational sorties against the Malaysian Communists. The last operational sortie of an RAF Spitfire was flown on 1 April 1954, by PR Mk 19 Spitfire PS888 flying from RAF Seletar, in Singapore."

    I copied this directly from Wikipedia...

    I'll try to find that BBC documentary. We normally don't get shows like this over here... which is too bad. The last BBC show I saw was on a Lysander and how it was restored in Canada "I think".

    You're quite welcome my friend. I'll try to add a few to your list as time goes by. Thanks for the kind words on the BPD. I hope to finish it very soon... 🙂

  10. The HK 1/32 Lanc is due out imminently (scheduled for March just gone). If you thought their B-17 was big, wait till you see this monster!

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

  11. Wow, a 1/32 Lancaster, it might be a case of building it and then discovering it's too big to get out of the modelling room.

Leave a Reply