Fairey Albacore Mk.I

Description

The Fairey Albacore was the last biplane bomber to enter service with the British FAA. The aerodynamically refined biplane was intended to replace the older Swordfish biplanes. Like its predecessor, it was intended for torpedo and bombing attacks from horizontal and dive flight and for reconnaissance. The crew of three sat in the all-metal fuselage under a large canopy.
   The Albacore entered service in 1940 when the type was accepted by the first squadron and went on to serve with a total of sixteen combat and countless training squadrons of the FAA. The Albacore fought in the Northern Atlantic as well as in the Mediterranean, where they sank several Italian ships in the Battle of Matapan, and operated from Malta and in the Indian Ocean. From 1944 they were gradually replaced by Barracudas. The Albacore also flew with the RAF, as this service deployed several aircraft in Singapore in December 1941, while other RAF Albacores operated in the English Channel during 1944. The last operator was the RCAF, which deployed their Albacores as part of No. 415 sqn over the English Channel. The kit consists of four grey styrene sprues and one clear sprue. Decals are available for four FAA aircraft, one of which bore US star insignias as it took part in the Allied landing in Africa, known as the Operation Torch.

-    interesting sheet of decals
-    new tooling model
-    interesting history of the type