1/48th (& 1/72nd) scale

Ground Equipment

Unlike most other Projects here (that concern just one kit and its accessories) this section groups together the Diorama detail options RELEVANT to the other Projects. Included here are most of the 'kits' for Aircraft Ground Equipment that have been collected over the years. However, there is vastly more available. There are also a lot of very small items in my collection that have not been included here for the time-being. Maybe I will get back to these one day. This is subject to a long time collection based upon what opportunities arise from EBay. The vast majority of subjects are 1/48th scale with one exception for the 1/72nd scale I-4 fighter... Apart from this exception everything else here is 1/48th scale. The other 1/48th scale items available include:

Tarmac's ZIS5 Russian Tanker (resin)
Tarmac's Luftwaffe Hanomag SS 20 Tractor (resin)
Tarmac's USAAF Cushman airfield scooter (resin)
Tarmac's US 200 litre barrels (8 pieces) (resin)
Tarmac's German 200 litre barrels (8 pieces) (resin)
Tarmac's Munitions boxes (10 pieces) (resin)
Tarmac's Medium Size Boxes (8 pieces) (resin)
Tarmac's US Jerry Cans (10 pieces) (resin)
Tarmac's German Jerry Cans (10 pieces) (resin)
Tarmac's PSP plate for Allied Airfields WWII to Korea (resin)
Eduard's US Cal .50 Ammo Boxes WWII (colour photoetch)
Eduard's US cal .30 Ammo Boxes WWII (colour photoetch)
FlightPath Nissen Hut (photoetch)
FlightPath Standard WWII Airfield Hut (photoetch)
FlightPath Blast Shelter Open Type (photoetch)
FlightPath RAF C.Mk.III Bomb Trolley - large trolley use on Lancaster bases for up to 4 1000lb bombs also available from FlightPath RAF Type D Bomb Trolley with 4000lb bomb – used for Cookie on the Lancaster
FlightPath RAF/USAAF Type C Bomb Trolley for up to 4 x 500lb bombs (also available from FlightPath)
FlightPath RAF Type B Bomb Trolleys for up to 2 x 500lb bombs (also available from FlightPath) has the framework for carrying two incendiary carriers
FlightPath RAF small Bomb/Incendiary Carriers to adapt Type B Bomb Trolley (above)
FlightPath Four each of RAF 250lb and 500lb bombs for use on RAF Type B and C Bomb Trolleys
FlightPath Two 1000lb bombs for use on RAF Type C MkIII Bomb Trolley
FlightPath Four Units USAAF 500lb GP Bombs
FlightPath Complete WWII Control Tower plus internals – exterior and interior priced separately
FM Details FMM4802 Bedford QL Fuel Truck
FM Details FMM489701 Opel Blitz Fuel Truck

FM Details FMM489706 Dodge WC 3/4 ton Ambulance
Matador Models' Opel Blitz Kfz385 Fuel Truck
Matador Models' Austin K2 Ambulance
Matador Models' RAF Late Type Fuel Bowser
Matador Models' Albion AM463 Refueller Truck
Matador Models' Luftwaffe Fuel Trailer AH454
Matador Models' Hanomag RL20 Luftwaffe Tractor
Matador Models' Hanomag SS100 Heavy Tractor
Matador Models' RAF Brockhouse Mk 1 Fuel Bowser
Matador Models' Mercedes-Benz LG3000 Tanker
Matador Models' Luftwaffe Fuel Tanker Trailer
Legend Productions' German Fuel Drum Set (15 pieces) (resin)
Verlinden PSP planking for runways
FlightPath WWII Airfield Dispersal Set (photoetch)
Eduard's PSP Plates 235mm x 165mm (Injection)
Eduard's PSP 300mm x 40mm (injection)
Verlinden Luftwaffe Maintenance tools, bench, etc
Czech Master Kits' Kubelwagen Workshop
Eduard EDK8509 VVS Fighter Crew 1944

Note: Tarmac Products are available in the UK from www.parabellum.co.uk. FlightPath items are available directly from www.djparkins.com. Matador Models are only available directly from www.matadormodels.co.uk. Most Eduard and some larger FlightPath Items are available from Hannants.

Kit Photos

Alanger's repackaging of something that ICM used to throw in for free to many of their kits.	The Dragon Luftwaffe set has a bomb loader plus tables & chairs. Great for dioramas.	The old Frog Jeep in 1/48th scale. These sell well on EBay and still looks remarkably good.	The Hasegawa Ground Crew set has a few useful pieces of equipment for those jets.

Inspiration from Revell! What a good idea. Sadly this appears to be the first and last attempt they made at this sort of thing.	Some rubbish I picked up off EBay of rather dubious quality from Revell-Esci. A few bits here could be OK with modern jets.	Tamiya really shook up the 1/48th scale market. I couldn't resist this but I am not sure how to use it with Aircraft..	Of rather more obvious use on Aircraft dioramas is the Tamiya Jerry Can set.

Another good buy off EBay. I have already built the Afrika Corps version. This is the European theatre version of the Kubelwagen.	The UM AS-2 Airfield Starter which was purchased to go with my 1/72nd scale I-4 Model. Although doubts about its suitability meant it stayed in the box.	Our feature kit - the Tamiya 1/48th Citroen. This will go great with my MPM He-177.	The Extratech Airfield Maintenance Workshop Portal Crane (EXB 48 007) picked up for just 10% of its retail price from EBay in June 2007. Extratech don't mention if this is contemporary, WWI, WWII or which Airforce it is appropriate for.

I picked these resin oil barrels up from EBay for a couple of pounds in September 2007. Origins unknown - maybe copied from Tamiya items?	One of the nine "Airfield Accessories" series normally only available from Matador Models. This was one of three I picked up from EBay in September 2007.	As these are unusual I thought I would give them the full workout and show all the contents of each kit. They are limited run resin and white metal kits.	This one is the Mercedes Benz LG 3000 tanker for Luftwaffe in WWII. It is in 1/48th scale of course. The instructions, white metal and resin are quite crude.

Of the three kits I purchased in Sept 07 this is the largest and most complex. Certainly it is the heaviest by weight. It should look great next to a Luftwaffe Bomber.	Note the large amount of flash over the fenders. The item in the middle is the chassis whilst the roof to the cab is top right in this photo.	Here we see the resin items for the bonnet and the front end of the chassis underside with a representation of the engine moulded in.	These resin items include the under-cab tool-storage boxes and the cab seating. The item top right is the top of the actual tank itself.

This picture shows a close up of the resin items representing the tool boxes under the cab.	There are three bags packed with white metal items that I chose not to open (for photography) for fear of losing all the bits. Clearly the top bag has many wheels.	The third and final bag of white metal items for the KFZ384 self propelled Mercedes aircraft Refueller.	The second item from EBay in September 2007 was this "Airfield Accessories" Luftwaffe Fuel Trailer. Even the well made kit on the box top cannot hide how crude this resin kit is.

The instructions for the Luftwaffe Fuel Trailer are as crude as the kit and give it a very "cottage industry" feel. Very quaint. They used a typewriter and a photocopier with hand-drawn assembly sketches.	There is a useful piece of background information written on the back of the instructions.	Here is the main tank section. The end cap to the left is actually a separate item but it appears to have been glued on by a previous owner of the kit.	Tank and cart topside. plus the other loose end cap to the tank. Yes - those are enormous air bubbles all over the moulding.

The cart underside showing chassis ribbing. There is one air bubble going right through the structure.	The white metal components of this kit showing the wheels and various chassis items.	The third "Airfield Accessories" item purchased from EBay in September 2007. The RAF "Late Type" Fuel Bowser. Again - a crude item. Even the box top photo is out of focus....	Very crude instructions. God knows how you are meant to construct this thing from these diagrams. I guess many give up and sell the kit on EBay.

Some interesting notes about the Bowser are contained on the rear of the Instructions as well as the painting guide.	Not much to the kit. Just a few pieces of poorly detailed resin...	..and some equally uninspiring white metal items.	By coincidence I also managed to purchase this other unusual 1/48th scale WWII piece of Ground Equipment from EBay in Sept 07.

This appears to be an American Towed Fuel bowser by "DES Kit P. Line". Kit number 48313 called a "Remorque A1 - citerne a essence aviation (1941/55)" which translates as 'fuel bowser' to me.	The quality of this kit is unmistakeable. It is head and shoulders above the "Airfield Accessories" items shown above. Just look at the photoetch and quality of the instruction sheet.	The general layout of the parts. Some of the detail is just lovely but the tanks suffers from several air-holes (although some of the holes are deliberate according to the instructions!)	The pumping equipment is nicely rendered here.

Sadly this all-in-one chassis item suffers from some embarrassingly bad air holes - one of which ruins the front "O-Ring" coupling.	The main tank. Apart from the holes the other detail is good. Just look at those wheel nuts.	The underside is crude but who cares?	The Plus Model 1/48th scale Fuel-Stock Equipment of WWII Germany. Made for AFV's but applicable for Aircraft too.

Accessories for accessories!

Voyager Model's photoetch & Resin set for the Tamiya Citroen. They come from Shanghai via EBay. Unusual.	Eduard Photoetch set number 28 018 for the Citroen 11CV for the Tamiya kit. Purchased from Great Models in late 2006.	Hauler resin wheel set for the Tamiya Citroen 11CV. Set number HLX 48099. Purchased from Great Models in late 2006.	Hauler resin door for the Tamiya Citroen 11CV. Set number HLX48159. Purchased from EBay in March 2007.

Decals

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1/48th (& 1/72nd) scale

Ground Equipment

Kit Photos

Accessories for accessories!

Decals