Roden 428 Bristol F.2b Fighter Mk.IV 1:48

One of the best airplanes of WWI, "king of the two setters” and the outstanding masterpiece of designer Frank Barnwell, the Bristol F2B Fighter was one of the most widely used types of the last 18 months of the war.

Soon after the proclamation of the Armistice and the signing of the Versailles Treaty, it was declared that WWI was "the war to end all wars”. In that atmosphere of general pacifism the Entente countries witnessed widespread demobilization and their military forces were reorganized. The future of aviation appeared to be limited thousands of airplanes were scrapped, or sold to other countries. It was considered that aviation was the most appalling weapon of the recent war and there would be little need for it in the future.

This doubtful opinion was not shared by the head of the Royal Air Force, Sir Hugh Trenchard. Despite much criticism from Parliament and various branches of the establishment, he preserved the core of the R.A.F. for the support of the British Empire's power in all its numerous colonies.

At the foundation of the reborn R.A.F. it was largely equipped with two types, which had been developed during wartime: the De Havilland DH9A, and the Bristol F.2B Fighter. At this point in time classical single-seat fighters or strategic bombers had became redundant. Now, aircraft needed to be multipurpose, durable and well regarded from the experience of the last few years, and so the selection of those types was not unexpected.