Ventura, Victoria Cross, Sq. Leader Trent

On May 3, 1943, 487 Squadron of the RNZAF Royal New Zealand Air Force, was destined to attack the Amsterdam Electric Power Station, it would be protected by at least six fighter squadrons, but as is normal in war, the Things did not follow the planned path, the fighters arrived too early, alerting the German defenses, when the bombers arrived, the RAF fighters had already returned due to lack of fuel and the Luftwaffe planes were in the sky waiting for them, it was a simple and pure massacre, of the 10 Ventura sent to combat, only one returned, and so shot that it no longer flew, the Squadron had been exterminated.

Squadron Leader Leonard Trent, managed to reach the target and attack it, also shot down a Bf-109, but his plane was destroyed and the captured one, for this action, was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest English distinction.

This operation marked the end of the use of the Ventura as a Medium Bomber in the RAF in Europe, being assigned to missions in which it did not have to face enemy fighters, such as Maritime Patrol in remote areas of the empire (in South Africa it carried out actions of extraordinary value too), or serving in its original function in Secondary Theaters such as Sudan or Palestine.

The Model is the old mold of Frog, produced in the Soviet Union by ZDF, the painting is Old Marine, all the decoration by brush, this belongs to my new collection of RAF aircraft in which acts of such courage were carried out, which were celebrated with the Victoria Cross

Building Ventura, Victoria Cross, 2nd part

After having finished assembling the main parts of the Ventura, I start the painting part, since I don't like to use decals, and it is easier to paint the badges and codes if the model is not fully assembled yet, without antennas, weapons or propellers that get in the way or can break.

The RAF insignia of the time were Blue and Insignia White, and Post Office Red, the codes were usually White or Sky, but in this particular squadron, they appear to have gone Red.

With the appropriate references, the work is finished, to do it I used El Viejo Marino paint, brushes 0 and 1, in addition, for the small toothpick code.

The last thing is to do the thermoforming of the nose, I mold it based on the model's nose, modified with epoxy plasticine for the bomber's sight window

And the model is ready to be fully assembled.